KHAZANAH TO BE BLAMED FOR PROTON'S DOWNFALL Not Dr.M

Armin Baniaz Photo SOURCE: MALAYSIANGAZETTE
Article Sourced from/by: Armin Baniaz Pahamin - his blog http://arminbaniaz.com/

"Dato' Abdul Rahman Dahlan said in an article posted by the Star, (an extract of which, was posted at the bottom), that Dr M must answer for Proton's colossal failure; I feel the need to clarify.

1. Proton was the no 1 car maker when Tun Mahathir was the Prime Minister. 
2. Proton went downhill under Tun Abdullah Badawi premiership whom was also the Minister of Finance, the holding company of Khazanah Nasional whom was at that time, the biggest shareholder of Proton Holdings Berhad. Dato Mohammed Azlan Hashim was appointed by Khazanah Nasional as Proton Chairman and was tasked to remove Tengku Mahaleel as Proton Managing Director. 
3. Dato Mohammed Azlan Hashim succeeded in removing Tengku Mahaleel when his predecessor, also a Khazanah Nasional appointee Dato Abu Hasan Kendut had failed. When Tengku Mahaleel was removed, he left Proton with RM4b in cash reserves.
3a (added By Jefferson Lim), Proton then Acquired MV.Augusta for 70 million EUROS in 2004 but Khazanah Sold it for 1 EURO a year later.  Read more here: http://malaysiavoices.blogspot.my/2008/07/mv-agusta-and-proton-story.html
4. Proton lost to Perodua as the number 1 car maker under Dato Mohammed Azlan Hashim when Khazanah Nasional was the biggest shareholder and in control of Proton.
5. Khazanah Nasional, via Dato Mohammed Azlan Hashim had reversed Tengku Mahaleel's decision to terminate EON as Proton distributor when EON refused to contribute to the R&D funds requested by Proton after the government stopped giving R&D grants for proton development. 
6. This resulted in a sales network with more than 400 dealers representation in Malaysia. This was the most destructive decision that weakens the once a strong dealership network and the start of a series of catastrophe.

7. Proton's downfall started when Khazanah Nasional was the owner of Proton and when the government under Tun Abdullah Badawi had no clear vision and roadmap for the national car. 
8. DRB-Hicom was asked to take over Proton for Barisan Nasional to win the previous election when one of the opposition's strongest manifesto was to shut down Proton! DRB-Hicom then, de-listed Proton and capitalized on Proton's asset.  
9. Proton's real problem began when Khazanah Nasional wanted to gain control of Proton by sacking the performing and profitable Proton Managing Director Tengku Mahaleel. Proton has been repeatedly raped since then.   
10. Proton went into financial problem when all its cash reserves and assets were exhausted during those period under Khazanah Nasional. Tun Mahathir recently came back as Proton Executive Chairman to save whatever that is left in Proton. If there is anyone that should be blame for Proton's failure, then it should be Khazanah Nasional and not Tun M."

* Read my earlier piece: Should the Government Bail out Proton.

The Star Online: link: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/04/02/rahman-dahlan-dr-mahathir-must-answer-for-proton-colossal-losses/

I am ORGAN DONOR & I DARE YOU to join me!

I, Jeff Lim pledged to Donate my Organ (touch wood) when I die.  I'm sad to read today's Star that only 1% of Malaysians pledged to donate their organs after death!

 Ironically, the same article also said there's 7,000 people killed in road accidents, mainly involved young ppl yearly! Therefore I urged everyone to take the challenge and pledge to be organ donor! 

And I have no regret whatsoever! Cause I don't smoke, drink a little (socially) only and have relatively good heart, healthy kidneys and relatively good pair of eyes (250/275 short sighted only)! 

MORE TOUCHING PHOTOS and ARTICLES:

 Above: Proof of YOURS TRULY (me) "IKRAR UNTUK MENDERMA ORGAN SAYA SELEPAS MENINGGAL DUNIA" (Touch wood).  The process is EASY and HASSLE FREE as it just took 5 minutes of my time to PLEDGE!

 Above: An ARTICLE from The Star Dated 19 February 2013 about Amanda Tan.  It's HER who  INSPIRED me to WRITE THIS BLOG ENTRY to CREATE AWARENESS of being an ORGAN DONOR.

Above: Articles snapped from Yesterday's (20 Feb 2013) The Star praising Amanda Tan on the left column and 2nd article PLEADING Malaysians to make their pledge to be ORGAN DONORS!

ABOVE: AN ARTICLE in Yesterday's The Star (20 February 2013) HIGHLIGHTING the Importance of Organ Donor and urging Government to provide INCENTIVES to Donate Organs!

If you are touched by this post and wish to Donate your organs kindly call toll free 1800809080 or visit http://agiftoflife.gov.my/ to pledge as organ donor!  I DARE YOU!!!

Photo Snapshots CREDIT TO THE STAR Newspaper 19 and 20 February 2013.  That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry.  

Stolen cars being shipped fast to far reaches of the world

SOURCE: Click me!

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian car theft syndicates have extended their reach to Europe and Africa although Asean countries remain the top destination for stolen vehicles.

Cars not cannibalised for their parts for sale in the local black market are shipped to locations like South Africa and Greece while the syndicates continue to feed the demand in nearer countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said there was also a big demand for four-wheel drives in the Middle East due to the “desert conditions.”

The Toyota Hilux, Toyota Camry and Honda Civic were among the most popular models “exported” while the locally-made cars were stripped for their parts, he added. 

The electronic diagnostic tool is a double-edged sword, as it can be used for either good or bad purposes.

“With the assistance of our counterparts overseas, we have recovered cars stolen in Malaysia in Singapore, New Zealand, South Africa and recently, even in Greece,” Comm Mohd Bakri said yesterday.

“The stolen cars are not kept in one place for too long.

Amog the tools of the illicit trade is a hand-held device to diagnose mechanical faults

Police are helpless to stop the use of this key instrument for theft as it is not a controlled item and is widely used by mechanics.

The hand-held device costing RM10,000 can be used to deactivate immobilisers in cars.

“It is a device we cannot control as it is used by mechanics. It is even sold at flea markets in Jalan Pasar and Petaling Street,” said Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin.

A quick web search showed that the device could be bought online as well.

The high-tech tool was designed to plug remotely into the computer controlling a vehicle's fuel injection system.

Once in the system, the device can manipulate the car's alarm system as well.

150 vehicles stolen daily

SOURCE: Click me

PETALING JAYA: An average of 150 vehicles are stolen a day in the country, with Proton and Perodua models topping the list of 112,503 whisked away since 2010.

Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said the high number of thefts was due to the demand not only for new but also old vehicles, which are cannibalised for their parts. 


A total of 57,462 vehicle thefts were reported in 2010 while the number was 55,041 as of September 2011, he said.

He added: “There is a big demand for the stolen vehicles at construction sites in remote areas. Some are used in robberies and other criminal activities while certain models are exported overseas.

“We believe that vehicles like Toyota Hilux are stolen to feed the huge demand for four-wheel drives in the Middle East. We think that rebel forces use them to mount guns.”
 

Motorists can sync their licence expiry date with birthday

Updated: Wednesday October 19, 2011 MYT 5:12:48 PM


SOURCE (Click me)

By LIM WEY WEN


KUALA LUMPUR: Motorists can have their driving licence expiry date synchronised with their birthday from mid-November.



Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha announced Wednesday that the cabinet approved the move last week to make it easier for motorists to remember the expiry dates of their licence.
"There have been many cases where motorists only realised their driving licence had expired when they were stopped by the police or were in an accident. Now there is no excuse for them to forget their licence expiry dates any more," said Kong at a press conference at Wisma MCA here.


Under the new initiative, motorists whose licences expire after mid-November will be able to extend the validity of the licences to cover the dates in between their expiry date and their birth date.


Under the initiative, motorists whose birth dates are less than six months away from the expiry date of their licence will not be charged for the extra period of validity.


However, motorists who have birth dates that are equal to or more than six months away from the expiry date, will be charged a maximum licence fee of six months.


More in The Star Thursday.

Oil companies get two years to introduce Euro 4 diesel

The Star, October 19, 2011


KUALA LUMPUR: Petroleum companies have been given another one to two years to make Euro 4 diesel available to the public, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha.

He said the petroleum industry was still not ready to make Euro 4 diesel available in the Malaysian market.

“Euro 4 diesel is not requested by the automobile industry,” he told a press conference yesterday after attending the 1st Malaysian-German Sustainable Automotive Mobility Conference here.

Kong (left) taking a closer look at the Proton Exora Reev model at the conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.


“Many companies like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are not bringing in diesel vehicles to the country,” he added.

On how soon Euro 4 diesel, which is more enviroment-friendly, would be made available in Malaysia, Kong said the International Trade and Industry Ministry was looking into it.

Euro emission standards are enforced throughout the European Union, and the higher the standard (meaning lower sulphur content), the lower the emission of pollutants.

On another matter, Kong said infrastructure that allowed electric vehicle owners to change their batteries needed to be set up to encourage the use of such vehicles.

“Making the shift from fuel vehicles to electric vehicles is difficult without such infrastructure.

“It should allow electric vehicle owners to change their battery instead of charging it and the time it takes for them to do it should not be longer than filling up one’s tank,” he added.

However, he said, there was an insufficient number of electric vehicles in the country presently to require the setting up of the infrastructure.

SOURCE (CLICK ME)

Proton cars get 10-year power window warranty

Proton cars get 10-year power window warranty

October 17, 2011

SUBANG JAYA: Proton cars are now sold with a 10-year/250,000km warranty on their power windows in a bold step by the company to correct the general misconception of the poor reliability of this component.

Proton managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the Power Window Lifetime Warranty is applicable to all Proton models sold locally from Sept 1.

Proton cars registered before Aug 31 but are still under Proton manufacturer’s warranty are still eligible for the programme.

Owners, however, are required to obtain a valid Power Window System Warranty registration from any authorised Proton service centres.

The warranty covers labour charges and four types of power window components such as power window switch, door regulator, power window motor and run channel.

Owners are also required to service their vehicles at authorised Proton service dealers during the power window warranty period.


“The power window system in our cars are very reliable since we changed the supplier in 2006. However, it was the power window failures in our earlier generation models that had stigmatised our cars even until today.

Items covered by the warranty.

“We hope this warranty programme will fix the perception among the 28 million Malaysians that Proton cars have unreliable power windows,” Syed Zainal Abidin said at a press conference at Proton's Centre of Excellence here today.

The warranty covers early Iswara and Wira models till the latest Inspira.

He said the warranty applied only to locally sold vehicles as Proton cars sold overseas do not suffer from the unreliable power window perception.

Syed Zainal Abidin said there had not been any complaints on power window failures from the Exora, one of Proton’s latest model which was launched two years ago.

He said Proton had strived to improve the quality of its products from time to time and the defects per unit (DPU) on its vehicles had dropped to 0.26 currently from 8.0 in 2006.

“Every manufacturer, even global ones, have a certain degree defects on their vehicles. It was unfortunate that the defects on our cars were usually singled out and amplified,” he said.

Syed Zainal Abidin also related his personal experience with a driver of a Proton Waja taxi who refused to wind down his window when paying toll charges some time ago.

“The taxi driver told me that he had always opened the door to pay toll charges and had never used the power window. His reason was that power windows in Proton cars were prone to failures.

“That remark incensed me and I told the taxi driver that Proton will repair his power windows for free if they break down. I even gave him my business card so he could call me up.


“Till today, I have not received a call from him,” Syed Zainal Abidin said.




END OF ARTICLE. Source (click me)

Budget 2012 Highlights

October 07, 2011 19:36 PM

2012 Budget Highlights

(Highlighted in BLUE is Automotive industry related issues)

(Highlights in RED is MY OPINION!)

KUALA LUMPUR: Highlights of Budget 2012 tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in Parliament Friday.
- Last year our FDI growth was the strongest in Asia and in the first 6 months of this year have already reached RM21.2bil
- In 2012, private investment is forecast to climb 15.9%, supported by foreign and domestic investment
- GDP in the first 6 months of 2011 was 4.4%, driven by strong domestic consumption
- In 2011, the economy is forecast to grow by 5-5.5%
- Private and public investment are forecast to increase by 15.9% and 7%, supported by foreign investment, the ETP and 10MP
- In 2012, the service sector is expected to grow 6.5%, the construction sector 7% and GDP is forecast to be between 5 and 6%
- Budget 2012 allocates RM232.8bil for Government plans, including RM181.6bil for management and RM51.2bil for development (181.6billion for Management!!!)
- RM29.8bil has been allocated for investment in infrastructure, industrial and rural development
- RM13.6bil has been allocated for the social sector, including education and training, welfare, housing and community development
- Total revenue for 2012 is forecast to increase 1.9% to RM186.9bil and the deficit to decrease to 4.7% of GDP from 5.4% in 2011
- The theme for Budget 2012 is “National Transformation Policy: Welfare for the Rakyat, Well-Being of the Nation” (We'll see)
- We will focus on accelerating investment and further liberalise 17 services sub-sectors, in places enabling 100% foreign equity.

- RP2 will be implemented in 2012, and it will be allocated RM98.4bil, to be split evenly between 2012 & 2013

- RP2 main projects will include the East Coast Highway from Jabor to Terengganu and road upgrades from Kota Marudu to Ranau
- RM18bil of the RM20bil PPP Facilitation Fund will be used for high impact projects, with RM2 billion for bumiputera entrepreneurs
- In 2012, the Government will allocate RM978mil to accelerate the development in five regional corridors
- The Treasury Management Centre will be established and offer incentives to develop M'sia as a competitive financial centre

- We will develop the Kuala Lumpur International Financial District, with incentives including income tax exemptions for firms
- Income tax exemptions for non-ringgit sukuk issuance and transactions will be extended for another 3 years
- To promote the development of Exchange Traded Funds products I-VCAP will provide RM200mil for Shariah-compliant ETFs
- Felda GVH will be listed on Bursa Malaysia by mid-2012 to raise funds for the company to become a global conglomerate. Felda settlers are expected to receive a windfall, and the amount will be announced before listing
- A RM2bil shariah-compliant SME Financing Fund managed by selected Islamic banks will be established in 2012
- A RM100mil SME Revitalisation Fund offering loans up to a maximum of RM1mil for entrepreneurs will be available from Jan 2012

- Full exemption of import duty and excise duty on hybrid cars and electric cars will continue to be given until 2013

- To promote tourism, the Langkawi Five Year Tourism Development Master Plan will be launched with an allocation of RM420mil

- The real property gains tax will be reviewed so it doesn't jeopardise the ability of low- and middle-income groups to buy homes

- The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council will be privatised to promote and develop Malaysia as a healthcare destination
- Budget focuses on developing human capital, creativity and innovation and 2012 will be the National Innovation Movement year
- The Govt has allocated RM100mil promote innovation including the 1Malaysia Award (C1PTA) for innovative student inventions
- To enable SMEs to commercialise research products a Commercialisation Innovation Fund totalling RM500mil will be established
- RM50.2bil will be allocated to the education sector so that it can continue to develop talented, creative and innovative people (WOW! RM50.2billion!!!)
- RM1bil will be provided through a special fund for the construction, improvement and maintenance of schools
- We will abolish payments for primary and secondary education, making these free for the first time in our history
- Private schools registered with the Education Ministry will be given incentives including an Investment Tax Allowance
- The Govt will give tax exemption for contributions to educational institutions and all places of worship
- To encourage private sector human capital development incentives including a double deduction on scholarships will be offered
- Budget 2012 introduces a Rural Transformation Programme, so that rural areas can attract private investment and create employment

- RM5bil to develop rural infrastructure, including RM1.8bil to the Rural Road Programme & Village-Link Road Project

- RM500mil to expand the programme to supply clean water to the rural community in Sabah
- RM400mil to upgrade the water supply infrastructure in selected Felda areas
- To provide greater access to bank services for the rural population, Bank Simpanan Nasional will appoint agents in rural areas
- RM90mil for the Orang Asli for basic necessities, including the expansion of the clean water supply project. For the Orang Asli affected by the landslides at Sungai Ruil, RM20mil is provided for their relocation to new homes
- 600,000 Govt pensioners will benefit from an additional annual pension increment of 2%
- Civil servants get pay rise between RM80 to RM320
- Govt will extend the compulsory retirement age from 58 to 60 years old to optimise civil servants' contribution
- Civil servants will be offered tuition fee assistance for part-time studies, including 5,000 masters and 500 doctoral scholarships
- A special programme will be introduced for 175,000 army personnel who are not eligible for pensions
- RM3,000 will be given to ex-members of the special constable and auxiliary police as well as widows and widowers
- The Govt is mindful of the plight of the rakyat due to rising food prices and will take measures to address this
- The National Agro-Food Policy 2011-2020 will be launched and RM1.1bil allocated for the development of the agriculture sector
- In the spirit of “People First,” all subsidies, incentives and assistance totalling RM33.2bil will be continued
- 500,000 will benefit from KAR1SMA, which provides assistance to poor senior citizens and children and disabled people
- My First Home Scheme will be expanded to increase the limit of house prices from a maximum of RM220,000 to RM400,000
- Govt will identify areas in the vicinity of MRT, LRT and other public transport to be developed by PR1MA
- Govt will continue to implement the Program Perumahan Rakyat by building 75,000 units of affordable houses
- Govt will establish the Special Housing Fund for Fishermen to build and refurbish houses
- Healthcare will be allocated RM15bil operating expenditure and RM1.8bil development expenditure (Another potential leakage)
- Hospitals will be upgraded and constructed as well 81 rural health clinics upgraded and 50 new 1Malaysia clinics launched
- Hospital Kuala Lumpur - the oldest in Malaysia - will be upgraded to be the country's premier hospital
- Skim Amanah Rakyat (SARA) 1Malaysia will benefit 100,000 households with income below RM3,000 per month

- To assist taxi owners facing increased operating costs, measures will be introduced including tax exemptions on taxi purchases

- The National Legal Aid Foundation will ensure that every individual who is charged in court will be given free legal aid
- To assist the homeless, the Govt established a social assistance centre known as Anjung Singgah
- A training allocation of RM10mil will be provided for women to develop leadership and managerial skills
- To prevent cervical cancer, the Government will provide free Human Papilloma Virus immunisation nationwide
- MyCreative Venture Capital with an initial fund of RM200mil to be established
- RM15mil will be allocated to build 150 futsal courts to achieve the “One Court for One Mukim” target (This is insane.  RM100,000 per futsal court.  Wonder which Crony get this project?)
- To ensure the welfare of retirees measures including a tax relief on Private Retirement Schemes contributions are introduced
- Senior citizens aged 60 years & above will be exempted from outpatient registration fees in Govt hospitals & health clinics
- One-off assistance of RM500 to households with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below will be provided
- For those in private sector earning RM5000 and below, employers' EPF contribution will increase from 12% to 13%
- Book voucher worth RM200 will be given to Malaysian students in all private and public institutions of higher learning
- Civil servants will be given an additional bonus of half-month salary and pensioners RM500.

END OF SOURCE... 

For more info about this "BIASED" Budget:  Surf to:

2012 Budget Business Highlights:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=618522

Why BIASED?  Here's my highlight:

* Tax deduction on expenses incurred for sukuk wakala to be given for a 3-year period from 2012. (WHAT IS SUKUK WAKALA? Islamic Bonds - thanks Google)

* Income tax exemption for non-ringgit sukuk issuance and transaction extended for another 3 years until 2014.

* Valuecap Sdn Bhd to provide RM200 million as seed monies for syariah-compliant Exchange Traded Funds

* Felda Global Ventures Holding to be listed on Bursa Malaysia by mid-2012 to raise funds and emerge as a global conglomerate
* A syariah-compliant SME Financing Fund totalling RM2 billion to be managed by selected Islamic banks by 2012

* Syariah-compliant Commercialisation Innovation Fund totalling RM500 million to be set up

* RM200 million allocated for the development of Bumiputera entrepreneurs and contractors through the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development

* Government proposes allocation for TEKUN to be increased to RM300 million

* Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia will provide RM2.1 billion for micro financing to entrepreneurs, particularly for women. From this, RM100 million will be for Malaysian Indian entrepreneurs and another RM100 million for Chinese entrepreneurs (See.  >90% allocated to Bumis. How Unfair)

THAT"S ALL FOLKS! Thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry.

Govt to revise Hire Purchase Act

SOURCE

 PETALING JAYA: The Government has agreed to revise the recently amended Hire Purchase Act 1967 (HPA) following the brouhaha it created since its implementation barely two months earlier.

Following a meeting with the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry yesterday, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) said the bulk of the amendments that were made to the HPA would be revised.

“The meeting went well. Most of the MAA’s requests were accommodated,” its president Datuk Aishah Ahmad told StarBiz when contacted yesterday.

“The changes will now make it easier for registrations and will take effect immediately. The Government will issue a circular on the changes next week,” she said.

The MAA earlier this month said local automotive players were not consulted over the amendments to the HPA which took effect on June 15.

Since its implementation, automotive players had been complaining that the Act had created confusion and delayed the car-buying process.

Aishah clarified that the new revision by the Government did not mean that the HPA would revert to its pre-June 15 amendment status.

“Some clauses will be amended while others will remain. Simply put, it makes car registrations easier.”

Among the contended issues when the amended HPA was implemented last month was the 1% maximum booking fee (based on the total selling price) which required car sellers to refund customers 90% of the booking fee if the deal were to fall through.

This meant that car sellers or dealers could not accept booking fees before the car buyer is served with a Second Schedule notice.

The Second Schedule notice can only be completed and served, in practice, on the car buyer usually after the hire-purchase loan application is approved.

The remaining 9% downpayment on the car can only be paid when the hire-purchase agreement has been prepared, with details such as the car’s chassis number included.

This meant the hire-purchase agreement can only be prepared after the actual car unit has been allocated to the dealership.

1,500 Honda Stream to be recalled in Malaysia

SOURCE

PETALING JAYA: Around 1,500 units of Honda Stream in Malaysia are affected by the global recall involving 200,000 passenger cars said to have defective engine parts.


Honda Malaysia said on Monday that it is informing the owners of 1,494 vehicles to send them to authorised dealers for a "product update". The affected Streams are those from the 2008 to 2010 model years.

The recall is because of defective water pump pulley bolts that may cause trouble with the motor cooling system and could cut off the electric power steering assist and make maneuvering difficult. The fault may eventually cause the engine to stop.

"The owners with affected units may observe a few symptoms including the constant display of warning lights on the speedometer and a noise from the water pump," said Honda Malaysia in a statement.

“We sincerely apologise to our customers and deeply regret the inconvenience caused. Honda Malaysia will notify our affected customers by letter for this purpose," said Honda Malaysia managing director and chief executive officer Yoichiro Ueno.

The company said it will bear all charges incurred in the inspection and replacement work. Warranty provided will follow Honda Malaysia standard parts warranty policy, which is six months or 10,000km whichever comes first.

All current selling models are not affected, it added.

Customers are advised to make an appointment with the closest authorised Honda dealers.

Over in Singapore, Bernama reported that some 4,200 Honda cars sold by Kah Motors will be recalled for repairs.

Local television channel, Channel News Asia, quoted Kah Motors as saying that three models were affected in Singapore - the Stream and the 1.6 and 1.8 litre versions of the Civic manufactured between 2008 and 2010.

It said affected customers would be contacted to bring their cars in for repairs which will take about 40 minutes.

The distributor said it was safe to drive the cars but owners should call if they encounter engine stalling or abnormal sounds from the engine.

The company said it had received 63 customer reports in Japan of engine malfunctions as a result of the defect but said none had led to accidents.
 

Proton rated among most reliable cars

LONDON: Proton has cause to celebrate following new research released by Direct Line Breakdown which has revealed the most reliable cars on British roads.

According to the research, Proton’s range of cars has been listed as the fifth least likely to suffer mechanical breakdown, coming hot on the heels of Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Nissan.

The results are in contrast to general consumer consensus which saw Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMW topping the poll and were perceived to be the most mechanically reliable by motorists.


The research on which cars are most likely to breakdown was based on Direct Line's call-out records, which shows that consumer beliefs are inconsistent with reality.

Simon Park, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, for Proton Cars (UK) Ltd said:  “We are proud to see Proton ranking at number five in this research, and it is testament to the genuine experiences of our extremely loyal customer base.  Many of our customers have owned a Proton for years and have been very satisfied by how reliable they are.”

Proton’s current line-up includes the 5-door Savvy city car, the 3-door Satria Neo and new Satria Neo Sport, 5-door GEN-2 family hatchback and the 4-door GEN-2 saloon and LPG dual fuel GEN-2 ecoLogic range.

Direct Line, one of Britain's largest provider of motor vehicle insurance, is part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. Set up in 1985, it is based in Croydon just outside London and also provides roadside recovery services.

It commissioned the research to find out if common consumer opinion on many makes of car is borne out by experience. It offers tailored prices for individual cars so drivers of reliable cars pay less. 

The research was undertaken by YouGov from April 26–28, with a sample of 2,011 adult respondents.

“This research shows how motorists tend to think the more expensive cars are more reliable which isn’t always the case," said Direct Line's Emma Holyer.

"Only 1% of consumers thought Protons were trusty whereas it’s actually one of the most reliable cars on the market.

“We believe that if you drive a reliable car you shouldn’t be paying out for the cost of your recovery agent constantly having to attend call outs for cars more likely to break down.  It's only fair you pay a price that reflects the risk you represent."

Direct Line was the first major operator to offer tailored pricing on the individual driver, rather than the conventional approach of one price for all.  Motorists switching to it from other operators save 20% on average.

Despite the reliability of Japanese and Malaysian cars, the same cannot be said for their drivers.

Direct Line statistics show that more than half of all breakdowns - across all makes of car - can be attributed to driver fault rather than mechanical so breakdown cover is essential no matter what car you drive.

 That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. 

SOURCE

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Women drivers to circle Saudi embassy in protest

WASHINGTON: An unusual protest is planned for Washington as women plan to drive around the Saudi embassy to protest the kingdom's ban on female drivers.

The Institute for Gulf Affairs, which is sponsoring Wednesday's rally, accuses Saudi Arabia of practicing a system of gender apartheid that oppresses women - most noticeably by refusing to allow women behind the wheel.

The protest will run from noon to 4 p.m. outside the embassy in Washington. It is designed to support a protest planned for Friday inside the kingdom itself.

Senior Saudi clerics have issued fatwas, or religious edicts, banning women from driving, claiming it protects against the spread of vice and temptation because women drivers would be free to leave home alone and interact with male strangers.

Used car dealers protest against new inspection requirement

Used car dealers protest against new inspection requirement


By ISABELLE LAI
SOURCE: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/7/nation/20110607143521&sec=nation


KUALA LUMPUR: Frustrated used car dealers nationwide are protesting against the 18-point inspection requirement that was included in the amendments to the Hire-Purchase Act 1967.

Effective June 15, all used vehicles for sale will need to undergo Puspakom's 18-point inspection (B7).

Federation of Motor and Credit Companies Associations of Malaysia (FMCCAM) secretary-general Khoo Kah Jin said the B7 would incur unnecessary costs for consumers.

He said Puspakom's current four-point inspection (B5) - on the chassis number, engine number, windows and windscreens as well as cut-and-join parts - was sufficient.

"The B7 inspection is unnecessary as the additional 14-point inspection will be based on visual checks which are unreliable," he told reporters during a protest by the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Car Dealers and Credit Companies Association here Tuesday.

Khoo said the new rule would only benefit Puspakom as customers would have to pay an additional RM90 for the B7 inspection on top of the original RM30 for B5.

Another issue of contention was the 1% maximum booking fee mandated by the amendments, which requires used car dealers to refund customers 90% of the booking fee if the deal fell through.

"If we collect RM100 for a RM10,000 car, we will only get to keep RM10 if the customer pulls out at the last minute. This is very unfair," he said.

American Idol 10: Congratulations Scotty McCreery

 Congratulations Scotty McCreery for winning the 10th season of American Idol.

Here's some articles:

ARTICLE 1:

'American Idol' crowns a winner

(SOURCE CLICK THE TITLE) 

American Idol Gallery

LOS ANGELES (AP): Scotty McCreery won the American Idol battle of the fresh-faced country crooners Wednesday against Lauren Alaina.

A record 122 million-plus votes were received for the finale. "I never in my wildest dreams," said McCreery, a 17-year-old with a strikingly deep, old-soul voice that contrasts with his youth. "I've got to thank the Lord first ... he got me here."

McCreery and Alaina, 16, represent the first all-country finale and the youngest duo ever to compete on Idol, which is in its 10th season.

The exuberant, big-voiced Alaina performed on Tuesday's final sing-off despite a vocal cord injury that needed medical treatment. She received raves from the judges, who said she won the night.

But the consistently popular McCreery, who'd never been at risk of elimination, claimed the title and a record contract. The teenager seemed overwhelmed as he took the stage for a celebratory version of I Love You This Big, halting to embrace his parents in the audience, Alaina and others.

Then he playfully stuck his tongue out, trying to catch falling confetti. His victory continued a recent pattern: He's the fourth male in a row to win the Fox TV contest, with 2007's Jordin Sparks, 17, the last female Idol.
Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, two of the four female winners, have proved the winners with the most successful recording careers.

This season's vote total was more than three-quarters-of-a-billion, Seacrest announced Wednesday. For Fox, it's affirmation there's still life in the series that's had a long ratings reign as No. 1.

McCreery commented backstage Tuesday on the loyalty of country fans, and they clearly gave the show a boost. Last year, Fox didn't announce the number of votes for the much lower-key contest between winner Lee DeWyze and runner-up Crystal Bowersox.

In 2009, when winner Kris Allen and Adam Lambert duked it out in 2009, more than 100 million votes were cast.

The show also remains a hot promotional platform, with Seacrest helping some of the pop stars push either movies (Black's new Kung Fu Panda 2) or a Las Vegas show (Gladys Knight). Lady Gaga, whose new album Born this Way is out this week, was another performer.

The grandest bid for attention came from Broadway's troubled Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, with composers Bono and The Edge performing with the musical's star, Reeve Carney.

Other high-wattage stars who performed Wednesday at the Nokia Theatre included Beyonce and and Tony Bennett. McCreery and Tim McGraw sang Live Like You Were Dying, while Underwood returned to Idol to pair with Alaina on Before He Cheats.

Judge Jennifer Lopez - draped in a scanty outfit and shaking her famous booty - took the stage to dance while husband Marc Anthony sang, turning the night into a family affair.

On Tuesday, Alaina's tunes were Underwood's Flat on the Floor, Pam Tillis' Maybe It was Memphis and Like My Mother Does, an emotional tribute to her mother in the audience.

McCreery sang his future single, I Love You This Big, along with his version of Montgomery Gentry's Gone and George Strait's Check Yes or No.

"These kids are so young ... I just go, 'Wow.' They embody what this whole show is about," judge Randy Jackson said backstage Tuesday.

ARTICLE 2:

American Idol Season 10: Finale Recap

(SOURCE: Click the title)

Posted on 05/26/2011 by Gina in American Idol

by Gina Scarpa

Last night, things on American Idol came down to teen country singer Scotty McCreery and teen country singer Lauren Alaina for the win.

The top 13 performed Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and throughout the night, some of the lucky members were paired up with music royalty. James Durbin rocked out with Judas Priest (did you ever think you'd see metal on Idol?!), James Durbin sang up with gospel star Kurt Franklin and Gladys Knight, and Casey Abrams appropriately teamed up with Jack Black - and it was awesome!

The ladies of American Idol got together for "Single Ladies" and "Deja Vu", showing off many of them at their best - and then Beyonce herself came out to join them for "Crazy In Love". They also performed with TLC on "Waterfalls" after the duo sang "Scrubs" with some help from Lil Jon.

The men of American Idol got in on the action, singing a medley of everything from Prince to Elvis that had one thing in common - Tom Jones, who eventually joined them on stage for "It's Not Usual". Do the Carlton!

There were the usual video montages: Randy's most memorable quotes of the season, Steven's outrageous comments after performances, and Jennifer's reaction to the crushes of the male contestants. We also had foul mouthed rejectees, the Top 13 reflecting back on the season, and Scotty's and Lauren's trips back to their schools to donate some money to help the music programs there.

More celeb/Idol duets included Haley Reinhart with the one and only Tony Bennett, Scotty McCreery got to sing with one of his idols, Tim McGraw, and Lauren took to the stage with Idol winner Carrie Underwood.

Marc Anthony performed with a little help from his wife and Lady Gaga took over the stage later on in the night for "Edge of Glory". Beyonce also returned to show off her new song, "One By One". The Broadway show Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark performed with Bono and The Edge from U2. Yep, still don't wanna see it. Steven Tyler also got in on the action on stage and performed "Dream On".

After two hours and over 120 million votes, Seacrest names Scotty McCreery the winner of American Idol!


(Image courtesy of FOX)


Follow Gina @ginascarpa

Latest News

American Idol Season 10: Finale Recap
American Idol Season 10: Top 2 Performance Recap

 

Motorists go the extra mile for the number plate of their choice

 Motorists go the extra mile for the number plate of their choice

By FLORENCE A. SAMY and LESTER KONG
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

 KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian motorists may be reluctant to pay their summonses but they will splurge a mind-boggling RM150mil every year for the number plate of their choice.

Records from the Road Transport Department showed that the highest bid was RM300,100 – for the number plate MCA 1 two months ago. The same bidder, Asset Nusa Sdn Bhd, also spent RM101,000 to acquire MCA 2.

The bid overtook the RM242,000 for TAY 1 last year. Prior to that, the record was held by a businessman who reportedly paid RM200,900 for TAN 1.

The JPJ website has listed out the bidders and amounts paid for the MCA 1 to MCA 9999 plates for vehicles registered in Malacca.

Among them were Noraini Abdul Ghapor, who spent more than RM19,000 on two numbers (RM14,444 for MCA 4 and RM4,888 for MCA 7777), and Tan Lay Kang, who forked out RM42,000 for three numbers (RM15,400 for MCA 8888, and RM13,300 each for MCA 3333 and MCA 9999).

Another is MCA 1949, purchased by the MCA for RM2,200 to symbolise the year the party was founded.
Duyong state assemblyman Gan Tian Loo from Malacca spent RM28,600 on MCA 5.

But it isn’t just the auspicious numbers that get the people’s attention.

A news report in 2004 noted that the plate TAH1 was bought for RM14,300 by someone who must have had a sense of humour.

Also, someone posted on a web forum several years ago that the most beautiful number plate he had seen was BBB 888 as it was designed like a piece of art.

Former Penang DAP strongman Gooi Hock Seng went around with MR 6001 to reflect his surname.
Some motorists are willing to hold off the purchase of their vehicles until they get the right number plate.
T. Manuel, who bid for 1988, said: “I waited a while and finally got it for only RM300.”

Another motorist, M. Phylis Mann, said she paid RM200 for the number 1798, which she said signified long-term prosperity.

In the past, JPJ had also released special licence plates for major events such as the 1998 Commonwealth Games and meetings of Asean and the Organisation of Islamic Conference.

“I will not be surprised if we get huge bids for plates starting with WWW – the acronym for the World Wide Web,” Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said.

Another possible popular choice would be the Selangor plate carrying the letters BMW.
The JPJ has earned significant revenue from tenders of special numbers, which is its third highest source of revenue after the renewal of road tax and driving licences.

Currently there are 21,250,145 registered vehicles on the road.

Related Stories:
KL licence plates may get suffixes attached

 

Proton signs MoU with Nissan...

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton signed Tuesday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nissan Motor Co. Ltd (Nissan).

Nissan,the Japanese car company, is involved in the design and development, engineering, manufacturing, assembling and selling of motor vehicles and related products, including accessories, spare parts and other components.

The MoU will pave the way for feasibility studies to be conducted on specific areas of cooperation between the two parties.

This includes the potential use of Nissan's platform and powertrain, Proton said in its filing to Bursa.

The duration of the feasibility studies will start from the date of the signing of the MoU and end on April 30, 2011 or upon execution of a legally binding agreement, whichever comes earlier, unless extended by mutual written agreement of the parties.


SOURCE

Price of RON97 will fluctuate every month, says minister

By RAHIMY RAHIM

SOURCE: The Star Online

PETALING JAYA: The price of RON97 petrol will be determined at the end of each month due to the managed float of oil price, says Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Co-operatives Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“We will calculate the average oil price from the 1st to the 27th of each month and the average price will determine the price for the next month,” he said after launching Bank Rakyat i-Debit card Tuesday.

The price of RON97 increased by 10 sen to RM2.50 per litre, earlier this month.

Ismail Sabri said this would mean that the price of RON97 would fluctuate every month as it depended on the price of crude oil in the global market.

The RON97 petrol price also rose by 10 sen per litre to RM2.40 on Jan 4.

http://thestaronline.tv/v/6663


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Children riding motorcycles in housing estates

The Star Metro, Tuesday February 8, 2011


Children riding motorcycles in housing estates

BY PRIYA MENON
priya@thestar.com.my


ON her way home after a long tiring day recently, T. Vijaya, 50, noticed several children on motorcycles in front of her.


She tries to steer clear and drives slowly forward when suddenly a youngster crashed his motorcycle. Shocked, she slammed her brakes and winds down her window to reprimand the children. Unperturbed, the children stick out their tongue and ride away laughing.

This is one of the many incidents that has left Vijaya wary of youngsters. She has had several near misses with children on motorcycles near her housing area in Taman Datuk Senu in Sentul.


"The children zoom in and out, avoiding the cars in front of them. It is scary to see them whiz past,” she said.

According to her, the children in her neighbourhood come out especially in the evenings to go to the playground near her home.

Young and errant: ABOVE: A youngster riding a motorcycle without a helmet on a busy road.

A resident from Setapak , Ai Leng, 32, said they were a menace to society with complete disregard for rules and other motorists.

"They do not have licences and are dangerous. They squeeze in between vehicles, weaving in and out of the traffic,” she added.

Yee Lai Lin, from Medan Idaman Gombak, said the children probably picked up the bad habits from their parents.

“Parents who send their children to school rarely use helmets and children pick up the bad habits easily. Parents should be responsible for their children’s behaviour,” she added.

Kamal Salleh, 34, from Kerinchi said it was scary to see the children going against the traffic flow, endangering the lives of pedestrians.

ABOVE: More youngsters without helmets riding motorcycles along the NPE highway near Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur.

Under Section 39 (1), Road Transport Act 1987, those less than 16 years old are not allowed to drive any vehicle on the road.

Road Safety Department (RSD) director-general Datuk Suret Singh said according to a Miros research in 2010, those aged between 16 and 25 years represent the highest number of fatalities, totalling 1,813 deaths or 27% of total road deaths in 2009.

“From our observation, this problem occurs both in rural and urban housing areas. The problem is especially serious in rural areas,” he said in an e-mail interview.

“Parents should be held responsible for underaged children riding motorcycles. Under Section 26 (1) or Section 109, RTA 1987, action can be taken against the owner for allowing an unlicensed individual to ride the motorcycle,” added Suret Singh.

Children riding motorcycles belong to two categories — those aged below 16 years and not eligible to apply for a riding licence, as well as those aged above 16 years who are eligible but do not have a licence.

For those who are underaged, Road Transport Department (RTD) and the police will take action against the motorcycle owner who are usually the parents or elder siblings. For the latter category, action is taken against the riders for riding without a licence.

Action taken includes seizure of the motorcycles. Since January, RTD and the police have stepped up enforcement against unlicensed and underaged riders in support of RSD’s efforts to cultivate “safety first” culture among road users.

Suret Singh urged parents to be strict with children on matters concerning road safety.

“Compromising on safety is a misplaced act of love and affection. The result is our children are put at risk of road accidents and injury,” he added.

For now the RSD is focusing on the target group aged between 16 and 25 in rural areas and are taking a holistic approach in tackling the problem through advocacy and enforcement conducted simultaneously

End of article.  SOURCE: STAR METRO:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/2/8/central/7909670&sec=central
 
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(CAN"T UPLOAD PHOTOS FROM MY OFFICE, WILL UPLOAD THE PHOTOS WHEN i GET HOME...)  PICTURES UPLOADED: 9.55pm, same day.

The Star: Calls for faster liberalisation

The Star: Saturday November 6, 2010

Calls for faster liberalisation

By FINTAN NG
fintan@thestar.com.my

SINCE mid-September when Malaysian Investment Development Authority chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Jalilah Baba announced that five foreign auto-makers were interested to set up shop in the country, the market has been abuzz with speculation on who and when this will actually happen.

Jalilah had mentioned then that the Government was evaluating the applications by these foreign companies.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed had said that the Government would decide on the applications of the foreign manufacturers by year-end.

Click to view bigger image.

 

These manufacturers, from China, India, South Korea and Japan, had applied for licences to build passenger cars of below and above 1,800cc.

At present, foreign manufacturers who build their vehicles here do so via contract assembly with the likes of DRB-HICOM Bhd, the largest local contract manufacturer in the country.

More recently on Oct 20, Berjaya Corp Bhd chairman and CEO Tan Sri Vincent Tan announced to the stock exchange that the company was granted a manufacturing licence by the ministry for the assembly of commercial vehicles, hybrid cars, electric cars and luxury passenger vehicles.

Tan had earlier in the year signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shenzhen, China-based BYD Auto Co Ltd to explore the possibility of building the latter’s F0 1-litre right-hand drive passenger car for South-East Asian markets.

Jalilah noted that the decision to give licences for the assembling of passenger cars below 1,800cc “is a policy matter” to be taken under consideration by the Government.

The “policy matter”, of course refers to the National Automotive Policy (NAP), which first came into operation on March 22, 2006 and was revamped effective Jan 1 this year.

Although the current NAP is an improvement from the one introduced in March 2006 which had not tackled key issues such as the oft-abused approved permit (AP) system (whereby importers need to have one permit per car) and protectionism (primarily of Proton Holdings Bhd), analysts generally feel that it too, is inadequate.

For one thing, open APs (which apply to imports by non-franchise holders) will only be abolished at the end of 2015 instead of the end of this year as planned earlier while franchise APs will only be abolished in 2020.
Furthermore, the revamped NAP only “liberalised” the luxury passenger car segment by allowing auto assemblers to manufacture cars of 1,800cc and above, which ruled out the F0 petrol-based passenger car being assembled here.

Mid-market car segment

As a result, industry observers, at the time of Berjaya Corp’s MoU with BYD, were not optimistic of Berjaya Corp and BYD being granted permission to assemble passenger cars below the 1,800cc range.
It is also interesting to note that Berjaya Corp’s announcement did not include the mention of mid-market passenger cars as part of the manufacturing licence even though this segment represents the most lucrative part of the market.

Passenger cars of 1,800cc and below represent 90% of sales in Malaysia, the largest passenger car market in South-East Asia where total industry volume (TIV) beat expectations at 536,905 units last year versus expectations of half-a-million vehicles.

From January to September this year, TIV rose 14% to 453,249 units compared with 397,950 units in the same period last year.

Bangkok-based IHS Global Insight principal analyst for Asean vehicle sales forecasts Thanachai Vorachaivanich says in an email reply to StarBizWeek that the impact on the local industry will be minimal at best as the manufacturing license itself will be very restrictive, allowing for only the assembly of hybrid, electric, commercial and luxury vehicles.

“Moreover, the new key players are likely to be brands from India and China, which have yet to earn acceptance from Malaysian consumers,” he says.

Thanachai says the NAP remains “very much protective of the national automakers” and that the Government’s goal in giving the licenses is not to promote industry growth but rather to promote the country as an export hub.

He says the recent announcement of a full excise tax exemption for hybrid cars (in Budget 2011 where incentives for hybrids were extended for another year) only benefits a marginal portion of the consumer base and from a manufacturer’s perspective, does not give any competitive edge for the country to become a hybrid car manufacturing hub as the tax exemption remains noncommittal and short-lived.

“The Malaysian government needs to commit to a concise, long-term policy in promoting the manufacturing of fuel-efficient and alternative-energy vehicles to draw in more foreign investments,” Thanachai says.
For the country to capitalise on its full potential in market growth and to become a manufacturing hub, he says, the Government needs to open the local automotive industry faster and set sustainable policies that allow fair competition among automakers.

“Any changes that take place will likely be a short-term effect,” Thanachai says.

Meanwhile Malaysian Automotive Association president Datuk Aishah Ahmad says a progressive plan to liberalise the industry and level the playing field, for local and foreign players, is important to allow companies to map out their future investment plans, including possible investments into Malaysia.

She adds that a liberalised auto industry will also prepare the local players to be more competitive in line with the trends of market liberalisation and globalisation.

“In the absence of a level playing field, global automotive players are just making their presence felt through contract assembly of their models in Malaysia and shying away from making direct investments,” Aishah says, adding that inconsistent policies are making these players think twice about investing here.

She points out that the national manufacturers – Proton Holdings Bhd and Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd – need to continuously improve their competitiveness and capabilities to penetrate foreign markets.

High excise duties

“Our existing taxes, particularly excise duties, are very high. We’ve proposed to the Government that the duties be lowered so as to reduce the burden of vehicle ownership on ordinary consumers,” Aishah says.
Naza group’s joint group executive chairman SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin says the country needs policies that can compete with countries in the region to attract new investments.

“As the largest passenger car market in the region, we’ve a very attractive market and if our policies are competitive, we will see more investments coming in,” he says.

SM Nasarudin says the move to give out the licenses will enhance competition among the existing players and ultimately benefit the industry and consumers.

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd executive director Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng says the industry cannot depend on the domestic market alone to achieve strong growth.

“It is imperative to have a level playing ground for all auto players where survival and success are based on competitive edge, in order to prepare one for regional expansion,” he says.

END OF ARTICLE...

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The Star: Economist: Remove protectionism in stages

The Star Online, Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 8:11 pm


Economist: Remove protectionism in stages

KUALA LUMPUR: The continued protection in the local automotive industry should be removed gradually in order to transform the country's economy and, this requires political will, says an economist.


Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif said the gradual removal would actually add more growth in the manufacturing and services sector following the growing demand in the industry, going forward.


It's about time these changes take place and Malaysia has to allow foreign automotive manufacturers to come in and establish plants, he said, adding that the country must find a way to expose the automotive industry and attract more partners.


"Before, when foreign automotive manufacturers wanted to come (to set up plants) in Malaysia, they couldn't and they moved to Thailand.


"Being the largest passenger car market then, Malaysia was the logical place. We should have gone into components and parts manufacturing rather than completely-built-up units and allow multinational companies to set up plants here.


"With Thailand's political instability and some companies wanting to move out from China as well as with all the economic transformation plan in place, it is the right time for changes," said Mohamed Arif, who is also the Distinguished Fellow of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research.


In an interview with Bernama recently, he said the move would have other spillover effects on economic growth.


"Now, too much focus is being placed on the electronics industry. We have to diversify," he added.


With the external environment changing, there are competitors who are growing in the region with a lot to offer, therefore, the right move at the right time to boost the automotive industry is vital.


Last week, the Director, Institute of Malaysian and International Studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Tham Siew Yean, told a workshop on "Trade Policies and Industrialisation in Southeast Asia" that without changes in liberalisation, the decline in the manufacturing sector cannot be arrested.

She said the automotive industry was still not competitive after more than two decades of shelter.

The national car has not faced competitive pressures due to a "guaranteed" domestic market, including government procurement, in the face of continued protection.

"Since there are increasing pressures on trade and foreign direct investment liberalisation, it is important that complimentary domestic policies are in place to reap the fruits of liberalisation."

- Bernama

SOURCE: http://star-motoring.com/blog/permalink.asp?id=1704