I-Ching Page 1

2009 - Year of the Ox

Date: 20th January 2009

Year of the Ox: Business Reshuffling

After two years of continuing buoyant economy growth in year 2006 and 2007. Fengshui expert Master Ong Thiam Peng of I-Ching Geomancy Centre, had successfully warned investors that danger lurk ahead and to exercise caution during last year of the Rat-2008, when he was interviewed by the Mr. Vasu Menon, the Vice-president and Chief Editor of finatiQ - Bank of Singapore.

Master Ong Thiam Peng is no ordinary fengshui expert. He is appointed columnist to the largest circulating magazine in Singapore. And his accurate yearly outlooks since 1999 were much heeded by working professionals, businessman and financial analysts alike. We do not need crystal balling to tell us that time is bad, but......

“When the economy engine was running in full steam for both 2006 and 2007, what did you see in 2008 that cautious you, Master Ong?”

If you were to recalled and remembered an article that I first wrote in year 2001 about ‘New Millennium and Fengshui Cycles’. I was among the first to highlight that the global situation will be subjected to a complex interplay of yin and yang forces that is taking place within the next few years after 2004. We learn from the Classic of Tao that "When things have come to the extreme they will certainly reverse". The strong will start to decline and the weak will begin to strengthen. The changing tide is like a time bomb waiting to explode.

Apparently, when the fengshui cycle changes into the new cycle after 2004, from 2004 to 2007 the prediction signs of the I-Ching’s hexagrams were positive. Then the first sign of danger appeared in the the year of the Rat 2008. Thus, I warned against and contradicted the views of the many forecasters who were optimistic then.

“Last year, you remarked that Singapore will not likely to catch a cold when the U.S. sneezes. And that local economy would not be too badly affected even if the U.S. slips into a recession. ”

The financial tsunami that swept across the globe was indeed much expected due to the underlying problem of the sub-prime loan of America, but the seriousness and its impact was much contested by the world economist then.

Singapore being an export orientated country is inevitably affected by the global crisis. Despite that the third and last quarter GDP had strung into recession. Yet the local property market did not crash along with the equities market. In fact the property prices remain resilient with slight decline till the end of year 2008, which had indicated that we had been prudent and reserved well for raining days. The strong fundamentals of Singapore economy had somewhat provided confidence for a quick recovery. And marked my words, the estate liquidity fund is very fluid and ready to flood the market once again after confidence is being restore!

“So, are you looking forward for a ‘V’ curve recovery?”

‘Wait and see’ is the mode of struggle between property buyers and property owners / developers. The local government with wide resources of information had adjusted their GDP forecast downward twice within a single month.

The outlook is certainly bleak and mixed. My sentiments are ‘U’ recovery for Singapore and ‘L’ for the world economy. For local context, there will be more retrenchment after Chinese New Year and we have not reaches the bottom of the U yet, it is important to stretch your dollars in order to stay afloat. Globally speaking, money is the foams of all type of economical bubbles. Before the financial crunch is resolve, worldwide beers and gassy drinks will taste flat for quite a while.

The deciding recovery factors lies with the banks. Refuse to lend or have no money to lend? The answer is subjective to individual country. For Singapore, our banks are solid and till date the government had yet to use the reserve tank!

“So, what is your prediction for the year of the Ox and what the I-Ching has to tell us?”

The year of the Ox is governed by the controlling hexagram calls “Observation” of the I-Ching. Equivalent to the scenario of ‘pollination’ or ‘germination’. The financial tsunami had destroyed and wipe out most of the crops on earth and the land is to be reseeded and waiting for new sprouts in the year of the Ox. New seedlings will be implanted (worldwide governments are drawing on reserves to stimulate their own economy) and pollination will take place this year (2009) before we can see blossom of flowers and perhaps, harvest our fruits next year (2010).

“How would you summaries and what advices you have for readers in the year of the Ox?”

With the turn of the fengshui cycle, the business game had reached a point of culmination. Looser of lousy fengshui is force to leave the gaming table and new challengers will take seats. Meanwhile the business cards are being reshuffle, stay tight and do not loose your seat on the desk. Wait for the new game to start and new cards to be distributed again. Then adopt new gaming tactics, strategies, partnerships, fengshui orientation and then react according to the changes in croupier and competitors on the dealing table. For the commoners and small and medium enterprises, start rationing your wealth and stretch your dollars. Be it ‘V’, ‘U’ or ‘L’ recovery curve, it is good and right time to invest in stocks and shares. Remember that adversity equate to opportunity and equity is more speculative and recover earlier than the real economy.

　