S&P Global Ratings sees higher risks to the Malaysian government’s fiscal performance. But, on the other hand, the government’s austerity measures could hurt long-term economic growth, The Edge Markets reports. Quoting analysts, Nikkei Asian Review reported on Thursday that Malaysia’s benchmark corporate earnings growth is expected to slow sharply this year, after April-June performance lagged street forecasts in a slowing economy where sentiment remains weak tracking policy uncertainty. Businesses in Malaysia are in for a rough ride, only a few days into the implementation of the Sales and Service Tax (SST), due to confusion over the taxation system, said members of the SME Association of Malaysia.