Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Malaysia's 40 Richest

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By Justin Doebele

Shiok, the Malay word for fantastic, is an apt word to describe the past 12 months for Malaysia's 40 Richest. It has been a remarkably good year for nearly everyone on our second annual list, thanks to the nation's thriving economy, which has been helped by recent government moves to reduce taxes.

The stock market is up more than 20% to date, making it the third-best-performing market in Asia behind China and Vietnam. At least 75% of the public companies held by these tycoons are worth more than last year. The nation's 40 richest business people are worth a collective $43 billion, up from $26 billion last year.

Robert Kuok remains Malaysia's richest, worth $7.6 billion. Just $200 million behind him is No. 2 Ananda Krishnan, who made headlines in May when he announced plans to take his telecom company, Maxis, private in a $5 billion deal. Malaysia's ten richest still control the bulk of the list's wealth, worth $35 billion, up 63% from the previous year. But the individuals lower in the ranks are doing well, too. Last year a dozen people were worth less than $100 million; the minimum net worth was $65 million. This year no one is worth less than $127 million.

Eight of the rich listers are newcomers, most put there by recent offerings or dramatic gains in public holdings. Mokhzani Mahathir, son of the former prime minister, joins the ranks after taking his energy company Kencana public in December. Seri Eleena Raja Azlan Shah becomes the list's second woman, thanks to her shareholding in thriving construction firm Gamuda, up 90% in the past year. The richest newcomer is Singapore resident Ong Beng Seng, the tireless dealmaker who just recently persuaded Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone to hold a Grand Prix-style race on the streets of Singapore, most probably at night, a world's first.

Even most dropoffs from last year's rankings have little reason to pout. Former head of Multi-Purpose Holdings, Lim Thian Kiat, saw his net worth rise $31 million to $126 million. Not bad, but not enough to make the cut.

For people with publicly traded fortunes, net worths were calculated using share prices and exchange rates from May 11. For privately held fortunes we estimated what companies and assets were worth if public.

The Richest Malaysians
  1. Robert Kuok
  2. Ananda Krishnan
  3. Lim Goh Tong
  4. Lee Shin Cheng
  5. Teh Hong Piow
  6. Quek Leng Chan
  7. Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary
  8. Yeoh Tiong Lay
  9. Tiong Hiew King
  10. William Cheng
  11. Azman Hashim
  12. Ong Beng Seng
  13. Yaw Teck Seng
  14. Vincent Tan
  15. Yaw Chee Ming
  16. Vinod Sekhar
  17. Jeffrey Cheah
  18. Chong Chook Yew
  19. Lim Kok Thay
  20. Lim Wee Chai
  21. Kua Sian Kooi
  22. Tiah Thee Kian
  23. Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar
  24. Anthony Fernandes
  25. Seri Eleena Raja Azlan Shah
  26. Lee Oi Hian
  27. Lee Hau Hian
  28. Mokhzani Mahathir
  29. G Gnanalingam
  30. Abdul Hamed Sepawi
  31. Kamarudin Meranun
  32. Lau Cho Kun
  33. Ong Leong Huat
  34. Lin Yun Ling
  35. Liew Kee Sin
  36. Lee Swee Eng
  37. Ahmayuddin bin Ahmad
  38. Hamdan Mohamad
  39. Khoo Kay Peng
  40. Kasi K L Palaniappan
Forbes

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Counting on the nest egg

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With people living longer, marrying and having children later and not saving enough, facing retirement is a challenge. While there is growing awareness about the need to plan, less than 5% are prepared for retirement and fail to take into consideration inflation rates and rising medical costs.

IN 1981, when Azman graduated, he got a job in KL which paid him RM1,800 a month. He bought an imported Mazda at RM17,000 and months later he put down money on a RM78,000 single-storey terrace house.

Today, 25 years later, Azman's daughter has just finished university. Her starting pay is RM1,800, just like her father's two and a half decades ago.

Long road ahead: With the life expectancy of men at 72 and women at 76, most people have a good 20 years to live after retirement.
But unlike her father's time, imported cars cost over RM100,000 today. So Latifah has opted to buy a Proton for RM45,000 (more than double what her dad paid for his first car).

While her father could afford to buy a house early in his career, Latifah can't. Houses in KL these days cost at least RM200,000, so she has to work for a few years first before she can own one.

Compared to 25 years ago, the prices of goods, food, petrol and electricity have all gone up. Understandably, it's an uphill task for Latifah to save on her RM1,800 salary, since the purchasing power of her salary is much lower than her father's back in the 1980s.

It is a fact that wages have not moved in tandem with the rise of the cost of living and inflation. That trend is expected to continue.

And if people do not start planning early for their retirement, they are going to find themselves in a spot after they turn 55.

Today, three meals cost you RM20 but in 20 years time – with an inflation rate of 6% a year – you will need RM64 per day for the three meals, estimates financial consultant Hazel Ong Archibald of CIMB Wealth Advisors (see Chart 1). The government puts inflation rate at 3.2% to 4.8% but Ong says in urban areas, that figure is about 6%.

So while the RM500,000 in your EPF or bank account at retirement might look good on paper, she says, if you do not invest that money to make it grow at a rate higher than the inflation rate, 20 years later, it would be worth only RM145,053 in purchasing power!

While there is more awareness about retirement planning these days, particularly in the urban areas, in reality this does not often translate into preparedness.

Why?

“Because it is more pleasurable to spend than to save,” opines Ong.

People understand – at head level – the need to plan and save, she says, but at heart level, emotions rule and instant gratification wins the battle.

“I wanted to persuade a friend to save for the future but she kept saying she had no money but then later I saw she could sign up RM3,000 and RM5,000 for some slimming packages!”

Reality hits when people find that they cannot afford to retire because they had not seriously put aside the money early on in life.

Ng: ‘Less than 5% are prepared for retirement’
“Less than 5% are prepared for retirement,” estimates Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) president Ng Lian Lau.

He says those in their 20s think they are too young to think about retirement, while those in their 30s and 40s tend to believe they are doing enough because they have their EPF savings, and those who are 55 feel it is just too late for them.

And the truth is at 55, most people cannot afford to retire.

“People are living longer, life expectancy for women is 76 years. For men it's 72. With this kind of longevity, people have got more than 20 years after retirement. 60 would be a more ideal retirement age,” he says.

People are marrying later too, points out Ong.

Which means they are having children later in life. If a person has a kid at the age of 35 and retires at 55, the odds are that his child at 20 would probably still be at university or college and his education require financing.

On average, the Malaysian household spent 5.7% on education last year. With the cost of education rising by 6% each year, this is expected to climb steadily.

While parents might buy an education insurance plan for their children, Ong has found that 90% of the time the amount is insufficient. More often than not, parents are willing to give up “everything”, including their own retirement fund for the kids. Which leaves them in a vulnerable position in their old age, unless of course their children provide for them.

As for life insurance, only 40% of Malaysians are covered. Ng says this is a small number compared to 100% in Singapore, 80% in the United States and 400% in Japan (where one person has four policies on average).

Ong: ‘Inflation rate in urban areas is 6%’
And even if one has a life policy as well as savings from the EPF, people should still worry about retirement. This is because without a new source of income, that money would run out. This is especially so if one runs into health problems which is common when people grow older.

“Medical inflation is easily 15% each year. And this could really eat into the savings,” warns Prudential Assurance Malaysia Bhd CEO Tan Kar Hor.

Tan likens the medical bill as a “hole” which if not plugged would leak away one's entire retirement and savings.

“It's only a question of how the big the hole is,” he says.

So parliamentary secretary to the Finance Ministry Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya's announcement on Thursday that amendments to the Employees Provident Fund Act would allow contributors to withdraw money to buy insurance for critical illness for themselves and their family is welcome news. The amendment Bill was passed in Dewan Negara that same day.

So how much would one need for retirement?

Experts say this depends on the individual and his lifestyle. And how much he is willing to reduce consumption – to eat out less often, buy fewer things, live in a smaller house, drive less, drive a smaller car and travel less.

The rule of the thumb, says Ng, is managing on 60% of your last drawn pay.

For Ong, it's 70% of one's current lifestyle. If a family in Kuala Lumpur with two kids and two cars needs RM5,000 today, at retirement, expenses should go down to RM3,500.

Even based on this calculation, one would need RM747,000 if one were to live for 25 years after retirement, and RM806,200 for the next 30 years, factoring in the inflation and interest rates.

Going by statistics revealed in EPF's 2005 annual report, about 90% of EPF contributors have less than RM100,000 in their accounts. So sole dependence on one's EPF savings as a safety net is not good enough.

Assuming that one can live on RM1,000 a month, to survive for 25 years, one would still need a substantial RM300,000 and for 35 years, RM420,000.

Bank Negara's Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) CEO Mohamed Akwal Sultan reckons a person should not start purchasing big assets like property or a house late in life as the danger is that once they have retired they may not be able to meet the instalment payment on it.

“When you are in your late 40s, you should be winding down and not committing to high expenses to buy big things,” he says.

AKPK has dealt with a number of cases where retirees have had banks auction off their houses because they could not meet the monthly loan payment.

There is also the problem of credit card temptation. Ng notes a worrying trend that more and more younger people are becoming bankrupt as they are spending “tomorrow's money”. Which basically means these people are not saving or building their retirement nest.

Ideally, Ong says, people should start saving from the time of conception; that way would be able to enjoy the magic of the compounding effect (see Chart 2).

Prudential's Tan says a noticeable trend is that while the younger generation is prepared to invest in new financial instruments, the older generation gravitates towards fixed deposits.

“That is very risky because you would not be able to accumulate enough because the interest rates can't meet the inflationary rate and your money is getting smaller,” he says.

He believes given the current life span, it would do retirees good to be more aggressive in their investment.

“In investing, you should not be looking at the date of retirement but rather the date of potential death which is probably still another 21 years away after retirement,” he says.

He recommends that people only keep about six months of their monthly expenses in the savings and FDs and put the rest in investment products that generate more income than the inflation rate.

Ng believes a good private pension would help people in their retirement years. In developed countries, money put into savings for retirement is not taxable, neither is the profit from that investment.

“When you retire, you can't take the money out in a lump sum either or you'd have to pay tax on it. This will force you to withdraw your money on a regular monthly basis for retirement because that's tax free,” he adds.

Singapore has such a scheme, the voluntary Supplementary Retirement Scheme, which complements the Central Provident Fund (CPF). Such a scheme has not taken off in Malaysia for a number of reasons, says Ng.

It would be a loss of revenue to the Government because people would not be paying taxes on money put aside for retirement. It would benefit only the rich and middle income group as the poor might not be able to afford it, he adds.

“Perhaps it hasn't taken off too because the Malaysian economy is pretty dependent on consumer spending. And the Government wants you to spend,” he adds.

Ng says there should also be an asset liquidation law in the country. It is puzzling that there are all sorts of incentives for asset accumulation, he says, but none for liquidation.

An example of asset liquidation would be to reverse mortgage your house to the bank in return for a guaranteed monthly income until you die.

The asset would at the end of the day belong to the bank or insurance company. But in the meantime, the person has the right to continue to live in the house until death and get a monthly income too.

“If they outlive the value of the house, the bank loses,” he says.

As our population ages and life expectancy increases, more thought must be given by both individuals and the Government on how to develop a culture of planning and saving for one's retirement.


The Star

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Sex Online - Malaysians becoming experts

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It was only a matter of time before sex among Malaysians went online. Today, there are several websites that ‘educate’ men on where to look for it besides providing information on the subject. The New Straits Times examines this rising phenomenon
The website with more than 10,000 members discusses anything related to the world’s oldest profession. Members’ posts are highly descriptive, documenting every detail of the sex act.

KUALA LUMPUR: A complete guide to prostitution and sex services in the country is flourishing online.

The innocuous opening page — showing two rice cookers, one open and the other closed — does not indicate the true contents of the website.

But once you enter it, the story takes a different turn.
One enters a world of men with only one thing on their mind: Sex.

The website, registered in the United States, contains reviews of prostitutes at massage parlours and tips on how to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.

Its 10,000 members discuss anything related to the world’s oldest profession,

With a tagline, "You Know How To Cheong Or Not?" (Cheong is Cantonese slang for having sex with a prostitute), the website shows where some men stand on sex for sale.

The website is exhaustive. It has a list of various massage parlours and hotels according to regions in the country that provide "extra" services.

It also contains "field reports", or FR for short, where members exchange ratings of prostitutes on a scale of one to 10.

Prostitutes are rated on their physical traits as well as services rendered.

Posts on the forum are often highly descriptive, documenting every detail of a sex act.

A system of abbreviations is used to describe sexual positions and physical attributes of the prostitute (see accompanying story).

There is a "thread" (a topic in a forum) on freelancers or FLs which may send shock waves throughout the nation; most of the FLs are university students who demand up to RM250 per session.

Participants on the forum also trade phone numbers of the girls they have visited.

Sometimes, pictures of prostitutes are exchanged.

Those who maintain the forum have thought of almost everything, including information on how to keep sexually transmitted diseases at bay, besides listing drugs that could be taken if one contracts such a disease.

Another thread titled "Health, Body & Safety" discusses STDs with testimonies from victims.

The forum users, a mixture of Malays, Chinese and Indians, refer to each other as "brother" in their postings.

The postings are in good English, often discussing current issues published in local English dailies. It appears that many of those using the forums are well-educated.

They have developed a strict protocol to protect their existence, which new members will find displayed on the starting page of the site.

No numbers are traded in the open forums to avoid what they dub the "MIB", or men in blue: Police officers.

Those who violate this "sacred’ rule are sent to the "sin bin" and barred from the forum.

What is most disturbing about the website is how easily it can be accessed.

Using information gathered from the forum, a New Straits Times reporter went undercover and visited a health spa at a hotel here.

Having read a step-by-step account of a post from a member, he asked for two girls who had come highly recommended by the website.

Although the girls were not free during the visit, a receptionist confirmed that the girls worked there.

The reporter was asked if he wanted to have a "full service" for RM200.




‘Never give up’ is motto of counter girl at health spa

IT was about 2.30pm when I arrived at the hotel.

I looked for the health spa that I had read about in a website.

The website had claimed that the establishment doubled as a brothel, a claim I was on my way to verify.

Instinct told me to check the lift for directions and, sure enough, the name of the spa was indicated on a floor.

As the lift door was closing, a woman in her mid-20s entered. She paid no attention to me as I spied her from the corner of my eye.

"Could she be a ...," I thought as the elevator opened at our destination and she walked out.

Shortly after, she disappeared into the spa through a door that had the sign "staff only" printed on it.

A young woman at the counter asked me to place my belongings in a metal drawer but looked surprised when I told her that I was not there for the spa facilities.

"A massage then?" she asked with a smile.

I looked around and saw that the waiting area next to the reception counter held about 20 men despite it being 3pm on a working day.

At this juncture, the receptionist asked if I wanted a massage with "full service".

Feigning ignorance, I asked what "full service" meant and got a stare in return. After a minute, she said: "You know, full service with a young pretty girl."

Remembering two names mentioned on the website, I asked if they were in and was told that one was off while the other had a client.

"But we have a lot of other pretty girls," she said.

As I pretended to think about it and then asked if I could have a massage, she said I would be attended to by older women "and no sex". As if on cue, two older women in tight black dresses walked out from behind a hidden sliding door near the counter. But the receptionist was not giving up on me.

As she insisted that I take the "full service", I started making an exit.

But the receptionist gave me a business card in case I wanted to make "bookings" for girls.

"Call on the morning of your visit and we can check if the girl you want is available. Just mention her name and we will do the rest," she said.

"What’s your name?" I said.

"Sir, I don’t ...," she said as I waved and walked out, never to return.




Would you like an FS with your Full Course?

MALAYSIANS frequenting forums on sex have created their own acronyms along the lines of abbreviations used in short messaging service texts.

There is CKT (char koay teow) for a Chinese prostitute, nasi lemak for a Malay lady of the night and chapatti, curry or tosai for an Indian working girl.

Ang Pai, from the Hokkien word which means red badge, indicates girls who are highly in demand.

Cheong, from the Cantonese word for "checkmate", refers to sleeping with a prostitute.

Chew Keng, from the Cantonese word for checking your reflection in the mirror, is used to describe the practice of prostitutes being paraded before the customers at brothels.

Damage means the price of sex, dino (dinosaur) equals prostitutes in their late 30s and 40s, and FS/FJ refers to full service/full job (sex).

FL is used for independent or part-time prostitutes, Full Course means massage followed by sex, and GFE for a prostitute who gives a "girlfriend-like experience".

GND is Girl Next Door look and HM stands for home minister (wife or live-in girlfriend).

MP means massage parlour and ML is massage lady.

YMMV is "your mileage may vary".

NST

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Funny Love Quotes

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The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret.
Henny Youngman

My wife tells me that if I ever decide to leave, she is coming with me.
Jon BonJovi

In olden times sacrifices were made at the altar — a practice which is still continued.
Helen Rowland

Marriage is when a man and woman become as one; the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.
-anon

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you’ll be happy
If you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.
Socrates

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Change Your Mobile Phone

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Make life easier and communication more reliable, fun and expressive
There are plenty of reasons not to subscribe to the conventional wisdom that, if it isn't broken, don’t fix it. If not to renew your cool, replacing your last year’s phone can make life easier and communication more reliable, fun and expressive!



Sony Ericsson K810i
The K810/K818 Cyber-shot phone is a sleek, high-performance 3G device boasting a 3.2 megapixel camera including auto focus and Xenon flash. You know that when you buy bigger 5 or 6 mega pixel camera phones, they do not necessarily take good pictures. The K810i has innovative applications such as Photo fix help to further improve the quality of your pictures, even after you have taken them. Just like its predecessor, the camera benefits highly from its Xenon flash, which works like a flash on regular Cybershot cameras. The results are simply amazing - photos that will blow the others out of the water. Imagine how much more memorable life can be if you had one?


Sony Ericsson W880i
Over 20 million Walkman phones have been sold since the line’s introduction in August 2005 (that’s barely two years)! When you look at the Sony Ericsson W880i, it’s not hard to see why. The design team has crammed all of the Walkman goodness into a body that’s just 9.4mm thin. It doesn’t just look like Lindsay Lohan, it sings better too. Walkman phones have one up against conventional MP3 players, in that it has a loudspeaker. The ultra slim phone is also 3G enabled and comes with 2.0 mega pixel camera, 1GB Memory Stick Micro and Bluetooth.



Sony Ericsson W580i
Thanks to radio DJs who are more eager to prank call listeners and scream gibberish like a teenager on a fit, we rarely get to hear the title of a good song we hear on the FM machine. Making us glued more than ever to the annoying radio station, for another glimpse of the song! Never fear, here’s how modern technology can make your life better. With the latest generation Walkman phones, a feature called TrackID comes standard. All you have to do is record a clip of the song you’d like to identify (preferably the chorus) with the sound recorder and then use the TrackID software on the phone to identify it. The software works by connecting to the Gracenote Mobile MusicID engine and processing the signals through a complex state-of-the-art technology! Are you wow-ed yet?


Prada Phone by LG
The PRADA Phone by LG introduces the world’s first advanced touch interface which eliminates the conventional keypad making the overall usage experience a highly tactile one. The extra wide LCD screen maximizes visual impact, allowing the user to benefit from several key features of the phone, including the 2 megapixel camera featuring Schneider-Kreuznach lens, video player, MP3 playback, games and document viewer capacity. This isn’t just another way of selling out a mobile phone by slapping a fashionable name like any phone before it, this sleek phone is actually co developed by LG and Prada (including input by Miuccia Prada herself). This mobile indulgence even comes with a specially designed leather case made from Prada’s signature Saffiano leather. From the aesthetics to the interface, it’s all Prada - so be prepared to pay Prada prices for it too.


Apple iPhone
While Apple iPhone was announced a little earlier than the Prada Phone, it will be available in Asia only in 2008. No thanks to the more complicated Mac OS (for mobile edition) interface, wi-fi and iPod integration - it has to be content with a later release date. It is the first to introduce tactile “stylus-less” touch interface, but yet not (since it’s not the first in the market). But it is an amazing piece of design and engineering, this iPhone. Packing up to 8GB of memory, 2 mega pixel camera and wireless Internet into a 11.6mm case, is almost a miracle. Not only is it more powerful than the Prada Phone, it will also be cheaper. There’s also an easier way to lose weight - it will replace your mobile phone, iPod, pda/smartphone and calculator. It’s very sleek, chic and so desirable, it hurts.

Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold
The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold pays artful attention to the smallest details and selection of materials. The Gold edition of the already iconic 8800 Sirocco phone ups the luxury and exclusivity factor on one of the most expensive mobile phones money can buy (Vertu and B&O phone aside). A stunning achievement of craftsmanship, fine white gold accents enhance the 18-carat gold plating while the sapphire-coated, scratch-resistant glass display helps to ensure that the beauty of the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold endures. If you like the gold, you will not care about the 2.0 mega pixel camera, 262k colour screen or the 1000 Euro (RM 4,658) price tag as much.

Nokia N95
Nokia claims this is what computers have become, so where is the Ctrl, Alt and Del button? From experience with the problematic N80’s Symbian software that keeps rebooting itself and runs out of memory at oh-so-crucial moments, the N95 is a tricky phone to recommend. But for all of its class-leading features, it is one heck of a device. GPS navigation for 100 countries, 5 mega pixel camera, Carl Zeiss optics, video recorder, built-in stereo speakers offering 3D stereo effect and 3.5G (HSDPA) fast mobile Internet connection, enjoyed on a 2.6" QVGA 16 million colour display is hard to say ‘no’ to by any gadget lover (or anyone who knows what they all mean).

Nokia 7373 Special Edition
A match for the rather low profile Nokia 7373, this Special Edition combines the splendor of the L''Amour Collection and the trendsetting talent of Giambattista Valli, who used to helm at Ungaro. The Nokia 7373 Special Edition comes in two contemporary colours, both enticingly paired with signature Giambattista Valli phone accessories. The Nokia 7373 Special Edition Powder Pink marries the faded luxury of grand architecture of the L''Amour Collection with Valli''s iconic pearl necklace for a strap and a miniature pink skull. The Nokia 7373 Special Edition Black Chrome fuses its elegant glossy black appearance with an en vogue gros grain and onyx-like crystal strap. If you’re talking on this phone, you’re so this season!


Motorola MOTORIZR Z8
If you like a slider phone, the uber stylish MOTORIZR Z8 is the perfect device to bring multimedia, speed, pleasure and mobile broadband to your fingertips. Providing you with the ultimate in entertainment, the MOTORIZR Z8 allows you to watch crystal clear video at 30 frames per second through a large 2.2 inch QVGA TFT display. The device also supports optional expandable memory up to 4GB using microSD, which is enough space for full length movies, hundreds of hours of music, or thousands of 2.0 mega pixel pictures it can capture. Like most advanced phones today, it also features the new 3.5G (HSDPA) mobile broadband connection.

Nokia 5700 XpressMusic
The Nokia 5700 XpressMusic features an iconic twist design that easily switches between four modes at the flick of the wrist - music player, 2 megapixel camera, video call and smartphone. Combining the benefits of a music-oriented, multipurpose device featuring 3G data speeds, it can stream and download music from various online music stores. Using an optional 2GB MicroSD card, the Nokia 5700 XpressMusic supports up to 1500 tracks - putting a mean soundtrack into your life.

Motorola MOTOKRZR K3
Designed with passion and built for speed, the MOTOKRZR K3 is beautiful inside and out, much like its predecessor the a la mode K1. Made of premium metal and glass, this ‘glamshell’ phone can rock the runway as well as your world. The MOTOKRZR K3 brings entertainment quickly via HSDPA technology – enabling users to access news, sports, music and video directly on the handsets display - the perfect marriage between beauty and functionality.



Samsung Ultra Music F300
MP3 player designs are much more streamlined and sexier than mobile phones. So instead of playing along the themes of a mobile phone that wants to be an MP3 player, Samsung have turned the tables on conventional design. The hip Korean electronics giant has decided to make an MP3 player with phone capabilities! So its music capabilities remain uncompromised and the outlook, sleek. Shown at the 2007 ICES show, the Ultra Music F300 is a dual LCD screen twist tri-band phone with a 2 mega pixel camera, whilst the sister F500 model adds 3.5G (HSDPA) and 400MB internal memory. All we can say is an ecstatic, “yes, yes, YEESSS!”

Samsung SCH-B600
If your colleague is bragging of his new 5 megapixel camera phone, you could shut him up by showing him pictures of the Samsung SCH-B600.The B600 offers the same level of picture-taking sophistication that a 10 megapixel digital camera offers. The camera function includes 3x optical zoom, auto focus and a flash unit that performs optimally for print-quality photographs. Not only is it lighter and thinner than the world’s first 7 megapixel phone (also a Samsung), it also combines state-of-the-art mobile TV capability in Satellite standard. No news yet if it will be released in Malaysia but for these amazing features, we’re sure some would swim the seas and travel the earth for one.

Motorola MOTO Q 9h
There are times when you are meant to judge a book by its cover – like the very corporate suited MOTO Q 9h – equipped with HSDPA for download speeds as fast as 3.6MB per second. At the flick of a button, behold the power of quick connections. This mobile comes equipped with push email for immediate send and receive on Corporate Microsoft Exchange, for fast internet browsing, high-speed music downloads, video streaming and casting. Whether you’re out shopping with friends or running errands, the stunning new MOTO Q 9h gives you access to all your favourite content and connections. At 11.8mm, it will fit into your jacket pocket nicely too

Faces

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Your car is in good hands

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By : FONG LEONG MING

THREE’S A COMPANY: Siew (left), Sim and Wong.
THREE’S A COMPANY: Siew (left), Sim and Wong.

With the promise of reliable one-stop service, one car workshop in the PJS area is worth a visit. FONG LEONG MING meets three former Monfort Boys who are determined to succeed with honest business ethics.


EXPERIENCED: Getting your car in good working order again is Sim’s passion.
EXPERIENCED: Getting your car in good working order again is Sim’s passion.
NOTHING brings peace of mind more than having a reliable mechanic, especially if you brave the city traffic daily to earn your keep.

Ensuring your car is in tip-top shape involves regular maintenance, and who knows when the vehicle needs some knocking back into shape or even a signal light changed?

Never fear. The Monfort Boys are around. Meet the trio at Mission Carcare Sdn Bhd, who set up shop at the PJS area of Petaling Jaya about 1½ years ago.

Sim Hui Siang, 29, and his colleagues Wong Chan Keong, 26, and Siew Ngan Yeong, 30, can often be seen tinkering under the hood at their modest shop in Jalan Petaling Utama 6 from 9am to 6pm daily (except Sundays).
From a slow start, business is picking up as residents in the area warm up to their reliable ways.

Sim stays in Shah Alam but prefers the PJS area as he feels it is convenient to get around.

“Whether it’s PJ or Subang, all my suppliers and contacts — to whom I outsource jobs such as spraying — are nearby,” he says.

Sim, who is the eldest of four siblings, not only studied at Monfort Boys Town to learn the intricacies of car mechanics, he also returned the favour later by lecturing there for two years.

Siew was his senior while Wong was his student. They are men of few words and so it was up to the youthful and more dynamic Sim to disclose more about what they do and what led them to it.

As is to be expected, Sim’s inclination for dismantling toys as a child probably led to him developing an interest in all things cars. In fact, his hobbies — other than badminton and watching F1 races — is modifying cars.

However, his efforts are restricted to modifying his own car thus far (as he says it is a labour of love and does not bring him much financial return).

Subsequent to his years at Monfort, he worked at various places including at tyre establishments as well as a stint in Lion Suzuki.

The trio handles normal servicing of cars, wiring jobs, spraying, knocking and tyre alignment and engine overhaul.

“We are not a big outfit and therefore we cannot compete with the big boys in terms of sophisticated machines. However, I can tell you for certain that when we accept a job, it will be well carried out,” says Sim.

And if you’re a regular and your car breaks down in KL, PJ or Subang Jaya, Sim or his colleague will be there to lend a hand — if it is not too out of the way due to their limited resources and manpower. They can, however, pick up cars from customers’ homes/offices for servicing or to carry out minor repairs.

The mechanics use only original parts, which accounts for the prices quoted for some repair jobs.

“There are many shops nearby which quote much cheaper prices but imitation parts are used. One should not compromise on safety. To say we are pricey is therefore not true,” says Sim.

The PJS area is dotted with car service shops — numbering more than 20 at last count — and so business is competitive, to say the least.

The Montfort trio is unfazed by this; as Sim says, “We believe in good work ethics. Honesty is important, as is being responsible. Good means good — one should not cheat others. We will build our reputation and business based on these values.”

Such a professional attitude is refreshing, not least in a world where unscrupulous car mechanics abound.

By the way…

The PJS area comprises mostly small businesses, offices and workshops. To get there if you’re travelling along Old Klang Road, keep left after the traffic lights junction (which turns to Jalan Gasing). Take the second turning to the left to get to Jalan Petaling Utama 6.

While the area bustles during the day, activity winds down quickly just before dusk and the area becomes quite deserted, with the sound of Mat Rempit motorcycles occasionally disturbing the peace.

In the vicinity are, thankfully, a couple of police stations, a post office, a bank and a few coffee-shops which, incidentally, serve great fare for breakfast and lunch.

The wantan mee stall at the nearby YYS Restaurant, for instance, is superb. There is also a large vegetarian restaurant here.

NST

Mediums, faith healers in demand

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Arulnayaki Annapoorni Ammayar or Amma (picture) predicts problems and offers solutions to people seeking her help
Arulnayaki Annapoorni Ammayar or Amma (picture) predicts problems and offers solutions to people seeking her help

Arulnayaki Annapoorni Ammayar or Amma predicts problems and offers solutions to people seeking her help

They talk to spirits, often using their psychic ability to ‘link’ the living and the dead.

They have as many followers blindly loyal to them as sceptics who scoff at their ‘tricks’. R.S. KAMINI, DAVID YEOW, LAU MEI SAN and PHUAH KEN LIN examine a phenomenon that continues to intrigue Malaysians

MEDIUMS, faith healers, spiritual communicators, psychics or, to some, charlatans.

Whatever the name given to them, they have cast a spell over scores of Malaysians.

Many have implicit faith in them and keep returning for "treatment".
They are sought after for a host of issues ranging from health problems and failure in love to possession by spirits.

Some Malaysians, however, see them as practitioners of black magic or tricksters who are out for a quick buck and they must be avoided at all costs.

Mediums have always been a part of Chinese and Indian culture, and are usually sought after as a last resort.



While the attraction has diminished over the decades, there are still many die-hard "seekers".

Arulnayaki Annapoorni Ammayar, 73, is one of the oldest mediums in Kuala Lumpur.

Based at the Sri Devi Sakhti Temple near the Mid Valley Megamall, she uses shells to treat her clients besides predicting the future.

Also known as "kovil amma" (the temple lady), she is a no-nonsense person who can spot those who are not serious in seeking her powers.

"I have had young girls acting like they were possessed. I can immediately detect fakes," she said.



For those who are possessed, she can offer help by "talking" to spirits and asking them to leave.

"I usually force them out with prayers and mantras."

If someone needs medical attention, she refers them to doctors.

But she is known to be able to heal ailments like joint pain.

She is also well-known for helping people solve their financial and work-related problems.



Her fame has spread far and wide.

She has foreigners who come by the busloads to see her. Most of them are from the United States, Australia and even India.



"I use an interpreter to answer their questions," said the sprightly septuagenarian.

Annapoorni sees clients between 7am and 10am and 7pm and 10pm.

Another group of spiritual healers use guardian angels and Hindu deities to help solve problems for others.

"Each of us has an angel and we communicate with them for directions, advice and solutions," said a member who only wanted to be identified as Maya.

Unlike the typical Indian medium who gets into a trance, dances with neem leaves and is generally aggressive, spiritual healers don’t do any of these.

"We don’t need to get into a trance to exorcise ghosts. We speak to them like we speak to any other living being," she said, adding that her group has strict guidelines on how to manage the possessed.

They use lime, herbs, flower baths, herbal diets, meditation and prayer in the process of "removing" spirits from people.

A common denominator between spiritual healers and mediums is the issue of trust between them and their clients.

They say that trust is integral to treatment.

"If the patient is sceptical and does not believe in ghosts or takes our advice and treatment lightly, it wil not work for them," said another member, Mani.

He said what they did was not magic but something divine.

Mediums and faith healers usually determine a specific fee but those who cannot pay are treated free.

Those whose requests have been answered will usually perform thanksgiving prayers at a temple by offering milk, lighting lamps or offering food to devotees.

Artist Prabha (not her real name), 34, went to a medium after she lost her ability to walk.

"It happened after my right leg became paralysed after a brief ailment. Doctors could not identify the problem."

A medium told her she had stepped on "something" which was punishing her for doing so.

She was given limes to ward off evil and had to drink holy water and perform prayers.

"This treatment helped me and I could walk again.

"Modern medicine failed to give me a cure," she said.

NST

Monday, May 7, 2007

Many conned despite wide publicity on scams

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GREED and naivety are two main reasons consumers still continue to fall prey to scams that promise windfalls from out of the blue.

Penang Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs enforcement unit chief Gunaselan Marian said consumers were generally enticed by the big prize offered in the deal.

“Despite wide publicity about such scams, many consumers still allow themselves to be conned by messages via e-mail and short messaging system (SMS) that claim they had won a lottery, competition or raffle draw.

“If it is an investment scheme, consumers must always check to find out if the scheme is registered with Bank Negara or any local financial institution,” he said at a consumer education seminar for Tamil schoolteachers in Seberang Jaya recently.

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) rural education officer N.V. Subbarow said a 25-year old clinic assistant last month lost RM2,000 to a scam which claimed that she had won RM10,000.

“The conman, who claimed that he was based at the Petronas Twin Towers, asked the woman to deposit RM2,000 as processing fee into a bank account to expedite payment of her prize money.

“The woman pawned some of her jewellery to raise the RM2,000.

“She only realised it was a scam when she found that the prize money was not deposited into her bank account,” he said.

Subbarow advised consumers to seek advice from Gunaselan’s office, CAP or any other consumer awareness organisation if they were unsure about the authenti-city of such offers.


The Star

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Go-between for the living and the dead

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Liu Fa Lian being possessed.

LIU Fa Lian has not had a good night’s sleep in 43 years.

She does not suffer from insomnia nor is she in poor health.

Rather, her disrupted sleep is due to voices that never stop "speaking" in her dreams.

They often ask her about her relatives or relate their own "lives" in the afterworld, often in response to queries from family members.
"I have dream after dream every night. Those whom I knew when they were alive and strangers have come in my dreams to ask or tell me things.

"My husband will testify that I have not had a good night’s sleep since marriage," the 60-year-old said.

Her sleeplessness actually began at 17 when she had a bad fever and word of her powers soon spread with relatives and friends asking her to communicate with the dead.

Liu is a "Wen Mi Po" (Granny Asking Rice), one of a handful of Taoists with psychic powers.

She is a go-between for the living and the dead, a task she confesses is not easy with its own difficulties and peculiarities.

Her days are spent with the living who pour out their hearts about people who have passed on; her nights with the dead who provide answers to the living.

A typical session begins with Liu interviewing people who come to her.

After a few minutes, her legs will start to shake, an indication that she is going into a trance.

Liu then chants incantations and grabs a handful of rice grains which she proceeds to throw on the floor, a typical feature of a ceremony dating back 2,000 years to the Guangdong province in China.

This signals that she is ready to communicate with spirits.

"I am told that I then start speaking about personal things, about people that only they and spouses knew. Sometimes people burst into tears on hearing their relatives ‘speak’," she said.

Liu usually comes out of the 20-minute sessions exhausted but has to repeat them with others who come from around the state seeking her service.

Her days start at 8.30am when she sees her first "customer" with the last person leaving her home about 3pm.

Phone reservations have to be made in advance as Liu only attends to a maximum of 20 people a day.

Chen Poh Noi, 46, is an example of a satisfied customer who "talked" to her mother who died three months ago.

"The sessions with Liu were truly unusual. She does not know us or anything about our family but she told me things that only my late mother knew," she added.

Chen’s 65-year-old mother was found dead on the floor of her bedroom after a heart attack.

"My mother told us through Liu that she could not believe she had just passed away like this. She said she was feeling uncomfortable on the day she died and had laid on the floor to take a nap.

"She said it was all like a dream to her. When she woke up, she found herself unable to touch everyone else there," Chen said.

How does Liu feel when she is possessed?

"I just feel like I am drifting around in a dream. I don’t really have full understanding of what I say.

"Sometimes I think I am singing but people around me understand me," she said.

The mother of five does not really enjoy her special powers.

However, she said she had learnt to live with them.

NST
 

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