Berjaya Retail sounds like an interesting counter

Retail counters have certainly been lacking in Malaysia. We have Aeon and Parkson. Aeon lacks valuations at this level, although this part in the economic cycle would indicate increasing revenue for retailers.

Parkson has a lot of exposure to China. Depending on the situation, it could be a positive or negative: Positive if their stores in China do well, negative if they don't. The analogy is tongue in cheek, but that brings me to my next point. Invest in things you know and you'll get less surprises.

If you want exposure to retail, you would probably want it in a Berjaya Retail or a Suiwah. I do own shares in Suiwah just for disclosure purposes. We're in this patch of the economy where low end retail stores will most likely outperform. Seven-Eleven with low product prices compared to a Jusco or Parkson, stands to do well in this slow economy.

The Singer products are also not terribly expensive compared to many electronic products out there, so the brand fits in with catering to the low end consumer. Plus the 50% dividend payout isn't too bad either. This is a name I could look to get into.