He he .....my weapon ready for this CNY. One is 10years old and the other one is 12years old. Come savour with me.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Glenmorangie Single Malt Whiskey
He he .....my weapon ready for this CNY. One is 10years old and the other one is 12years old. Come savour with me.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas
Dear All ,
May your days be happy, heart be light & your Christmas be joyful and bright!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS.............
May your days be happy, heart be light & your Christmas be joyful and bright!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS.............
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Arowana breeding from natural ponds.
Arowana all time favourites among fish enthusiasts. Getting very popular now with more ponds coming up. The adult size X-back could fetch up to RM12K a fish. Each fry from that spesies could fetch between RM1.2K - RM2K each. Each time 30-40 new hatchings. Wow 30 x RM1.2K = RM36K.
House of Hope and Pure Lotus
Its end of the year now, time for charitable work.
We managed to invite to two orphanages, 45 children, to Gurney Plaza to watch the POWER RANGER'S show.
We also managed to get Pallas to sponsor 50pairs of school shoes for the children.
A lot of thanks to PALLAS, GURNEY PLAZA and YB Chow.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Robert Madoff scandal.
Andrew Madoff
Robert MadoffBy ALEX BERENSON and DIANA B. HENRIQUES
Published: December 15, 2008
Federal investigators have found no evidence so far that members of Bernard L. Madoff’s family helped him carry out what may be the largest financial fraud in history, according to a person briefed on the case.
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Gino Domenico/Bloomberg News
Andrew Madoff held a senior position in the firm.
Related
Court Order Naming Trustee for Liquidation of Madoff Fund (pdf)
DealBook: More on the Madoff Scandal »
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Philoctetes Center, via Reuters
In an October 2007 video, Bernard L. Madoff spoke during a panel discussion on the future of the stock market at the Philoctetes Center, a nonprofit educational organization in New York.
Mr. Madoff’s sons, Andrew and Mark, and his brother, Peter, all occupied senior positions at his firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, whose assets were frozen after Mr. Madoff told law enforcement agents on Thursday that he had defrauded investors of up to $50 billion.
Although the enormous scale of the fraud prompted widespread questions about whether one person could concoct all the necessary paperwork such a fraud would entail, Mr. Madoff, 70, had insisted that his family was not involved in the Ponzi scheme. He said it was “all his fault,” according to a criminal complaint filed last week.
And so far, investigators have not uncovered evidence that contradicts those statements, according to the person briefed on the case, who was not at liberty to comment publicly on it.
The person cautioned that the investigation was in its earliest stages, and examiners could still unearth evidence that Mr. Madoff’s family knew about the fraud or even helped carry it out.
But employees of the firm have said that Mr. Madoff’s sons and brother all seemed shocked on Thursday after the fraud was disclosed and Mr. Madoff was arrested. One of Mr. Madoff’s sons had a substantial amount of money invested in the accounts that Mr. Madoff managed, investigators said.
John R. Wing, known as Rusty, a lawyer for Peter Madoff, said on Monday that investigators had not advised Peter that he was a target in the case, and that he expected to cooperate with investigators.
Peter Madoff, 62, reported to work on Monday to help investigators and a court-appointed receiver take control of the firm’s assets and examine the firm’s books, Mr. Wing said.
“As far as I know, Peter Madoff has been 100 percent cooperative,” Mr. Wing said.
Peter Madoff was the firm’s general counsel, while Andrew, 42, and Mark Madoff, 44, supervised the firm’s stock-trading desks, which have so far not been implicated in the fraud. Both have worked at the firm since their 20s.
A person with direct knowledge of the information who was not authorized to speak for the sons said that Andrew Madoff and Mark Madoff had been told by law enforcement authorities that they were not targets in the case.
“They are considered to be fact witnesses only, neither subjects nor targets,” the source said. “They are cooperating totally.”
A lawyer for Frank DiPascali, another senior Madoff employee, declined to comment on whether his client is being investigated or cooperating with authorities.
Madoff employees have said that Mr. DiPascali was the most important figure in the separate staff that worked closely with Bernard Madoff on the 17th floor of the firm’s office at the Third Avenue building known as the Lipstick Tower in Midtown Manhattan. That operation also had its own computer systems, and did not process its trades through the Madoff firm, they said.
Bernard Madoff told his sons that the trading was being done through European counterparties, according to several people familiar with the history of the firm.
The firm’s stock traders and other support staff worked on the 18th and 19th floors, where they were supervised by Peter, Andrew and Mark Madoff.
The complaint filed last week states that Bernard Madoff told two unidentified senior employees on Dec. 10 that he had defrauded the firm’s investors. Those senior employees were Andrew and Mark Madoff, according to several people knowledgeable about the case who were not at liberty to discuss it publicly.
They then called a friend, Martin Flumenbaum, who is a partner at the law firm of Paul, Weiss, those people said. After they told Mr. Flumenbaum about their father’s confession, he called federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
On Thursday morning, Andrew and Mark Madoff met with federal authorities. The F.B.I. then sent two agents to their father’s apartment to interview him. He confessed and was arrested, according to documents filed in the case.
Since Thursday, Andrew and Mark have not been able to talk to their uncle or their father because they are considered witnesses in the case and must avoid pretrial discussions that might touch on their experiences.
One of Mr. Madoff’s sons had “a meaningful amount of money” invested with his father and got statements that were no different than those received by other investors, the people said. Andrew and Mark have told associates that their father’s confession suggested to them that the fraud had been going on for several years, one said.
Monday afternoon, a federal judge appointed a trustee to liquidate Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, the broker-dealer that was the core of Mr. Madoff’s business. The trustee, Irving H. Picard, was appointed at the request of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, the government-chartered fund set up to help protect investors of failed brokerage firms.
“It is clear that the customers of the Madoff firm need the protections available under federal law,” said Stephen P. Harbeck, the president of the corporation.
But in a statement, the agency warned that “the scope of the misappropriations and the state of the defunct firm’s records will make this more difficult than in most prior brokerage firm insolvencies.”
Normally the agency can simply transfer a failing firm’s customer accounts to a solvent brokerage house. That may not be possible in this case, Mr. Harbeck said. Moreover, since the agency does not know how much money is actually missing, it cannot determine how to apportion any customer assets that are recovered. The protections provided through the agency is available on its Web site,
SEC failed to act on 'credible Madoff tips.
WASHINGTON: US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Christopher Cox said the agency failed to act for almost a decade on “credible and specific allegations” of wrongdoing by Bernard Madoff, who authorities say bilked investors of as much as US$50 billion (RM178.5 billion).
Allegations dating back until at least 1999 “were repeatedly brought to the attention of SEC staff, but were never recommended to the commission for action,” Cox, 56, said in a statement on Tuesday. He announced an internal probe to review the “deeply troubling” revelations.
“He’s revolted by what he found out, but it’s also in his interest to be revolted,” said James Cox, a securities law professor at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who isn’t related to the SEC chairman. “He’s taken a lot of heat over SEC enforcement.”
The SEC, already faulted in connection with the collapse of Bear Stearns Cos and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc, now faces criticism for failing to detect what Madoff termed “a giant Ponzi scheme”.
Senate Banking Committee chairman Christopher Dodd on Tuesday called on the agency to explain how the “massive fraud” went undetected. Madoff, 70, was arrested last Thursday after he allegedly told his sons that his eponymous firm, founded in 1960, was no more than “a giant Ponzi scheme”, the SEC said.
Instead of wielding subpoena power to obtain information, SEC staff “relied upon information voluntarily produced by Madoff and his firm,” Cox said.
The internal review will include “all staff contact and relationships with the Madoff family and firm”, he said, and mandate the recusal any SEC employee with more than an “insubstantial personal” contact with Madoff and his family.
Eric Swanson, a former assistant director of compliance and examinations at the SEC, is married to Madoff’s niece, Shana, who was a compliance lawyer at the Madoff firm. Swanson left the SEC in August 2006 and is now the general counsel of Bats Trading Inc, the third-largest US equity exchange by trading volume.
Bats defended Swanson.
“Eric Swanson worked at the SEC for 10 years and did not participate in any inquiry of Bernard Madoff Securities or its affiliates while involved in a relationship with Shana, whom he met through her trade association work in the industry,” Bats spokesman Randy Williams said in statement. “Throughout his career, Eric has displayed the highest ethical standards and his reputation has been, and continues to be, above reproach.”
Victims of Madoff’s fraud stretch from Tokyo to Paris, encompassing foundations set up by Boston philanthropist Carl Shapiro and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel and clients of global banks such as Banco Santander SA of Spain, Nomura Holdings Inc of Japan and HSBC Holdings Plc of the UK. Yeshiva University in New York lost US$110 million, mostly through hedge funds controlled by trustee J Ezra Merkin.
Cox said a review of the SEC’s records so far has exposed “complicated steps that Madoff took to deceive investors, the public and regulators”. He said Madoff “kept several sets of books and false documents, and provided false information involving his adviser activities to investors and to regulators”.
The SEC was under fire before Madoff’s fraud came to light. The collapses of investment banks Bear Stearns and Lehman this year tarnished the SEC’s reputation and lawmakers such as Dodd and Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, have questioned its vigilance in enforcing securities laws. Cox, a Republican appointed by President George W Bush, has said he will leave office at the end of the Bush administration. His term officially ends in June 2009.
SEC Inspector-General H David Kotz released reports this year critical of the agency’s conduct. He said in one that the SEC “failed to carry out its oversight” of Bear Stearns, the New York investment bank that faced collapse in March. He’s also questioned the handling of investigations by the agency’s enforcement staff.
The SEC hadn’t inspected Madoff’s investment advisory business since he registered the firm with the agency in September 2006, two people familiar with the matter said. The SEC tries to inspect advisers at least every five years and to scrutinise new firms in their first year of registration, former agency officials and securities lawyers said.
SEC examiners reviewed Madoff’s brokerage business in 2005 after an investment manager, writing to the agency, and press reports questioned the validity of his investment returns. The SEC’s enforcement division completed an investigation involving the company last year without bringing a claim.
— Bloomberg
Allegations dating back until at least 1999 “were repeatedly brought to the attention of SEC staff, but were never recommended to the commission for action,” Cox, 56, said in a statement on Tuesday. He announced an internal probe to review the “deeply troubling” revelations.
“He’s revolted by what he found out, but it’s also in his interest to be revolted,” said James Cox, a securities law professor at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who isn’t related to the SEC chairman. “He’s taken a lot of heat over SEC enforcement.”
The SEC, already faulted in connection with the collapse of Bear Stearns Cos and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc, now faces criticism for failing to detect what Madoff termed “a giant Ponzi scheme”.
Senate Banking Committee chairman Christopher Dodd on Tuesday called on the agency to explain how the “massive fraud” went undetected. Madoff, 70, was arrested last Thursday after he allegedly told his sons that his eponymous firm, founded in 1960, was no more than “a giant Ponzi scheme”, the SEC said.
Instead of wielding subpoena power to obtain information, SEC staff “relied upon information voluntarily produced by Madoff and his firm,” Cox said.
The internal review will include “all staff contact and relationships with the Madoff family and firm”, he said, and mandate the recusal any SEC employee with more than an “insubstantial personal” contact with Madoff and his family.
Eric Swanson, a former assistant director of compliance and examinations at the SEC, is married to Madoff’s niece, Shana, who was a compliance lawyer at the Madoff firm. Swanson left the SEC in August 2006 and is now the general counsel of Bats Trading Inc, the third-largest US equity exchange by trading volume.
Bats defended Swanson.
“Eric Swanson worked at the SEC for 10 years and did not participate in any inquiry of Bernard Madoff Securities or its affiliates while involved in a relationship with Shana, whom he met through her trade association work in the industry,” Bats spokesman Randy Williams said in statement. “Throughout his career, Eric has displayed the highest ethical standards and his reputation has been, and continues to be, above reproach.”
Victims of Madoff’s fraud stretch from Tokyo to Paris, encompassing foundations set up by Boston philanthropist Carl Shapiro and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel and clients of global banks such as Banco Santander SA of Spain, Nomura Holdings Inc of Japan and HSBC Holdings Plc of the UK. Yeshiva University in New York lost US$110 million, mostly through hedge funds controlled by trustee J Ezra Merkin.
Cox said a review of the SEC’s records so far has exposed “complicated steps that Madoff took to deceive investors, the public and regulators”. He said Madoff “kept several sets of books and false documents, and provided false information involving his adviser activities to investors and to regulators”.
The SEC was under fire before Madoff’s fraud came to light. The collapses of investment banks Bear Stearns and Lehman this year tarnished the SEC’s reputation and lawmakers such as Dodd and Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, have questioned its vigilance in enforcing securities laws. Cox, a Republican appointed by President George W Bush, has said he will leave office at the end of the Bush administration. His term officially ends in June 2009.
SEC Inspector-General H David Kotz released reports this year critical of the agency’s conduct. He said in one that the SEC “failed to carry out its oversight” of Bear Stearns, the New York investment bank that faced collapse in March. He’s also questioned the handling of investigations by the agency’s enforcement staff.
The SEC hadn’t inspected Madoff’s investment advisory business since he registered the firm with the agency in September 2006, two people familiar with the matter said. The SEC tries to inspect advisers at least every five years and to scrutinise new firms in their first year of registration, former agency officials and securities lawyers said.
SEC examiners reviewed Madoff’s brokerage business in 2005 after an investment manager, writing to the agency, and press reports questioned the validity of his investment returns. The SEC’s enforcement division completed an investigation involving the company last year without bringing a claim.
— Bloomberg
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The new X'mas Carol
You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why
:Recession is coming to town.
It's hitting you once,
It's hitting you twice
It doesn't care if you've been careful and wise
Recession is coming to town
It's worthless if you've got shares
It's worthless if you've got bonds
It's safe when you've got cash in hand
So keep cash for goodness sake,
HEYYou'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why
:Recession is coming to town!
Finance products are confusing
Finance products are so vague
The banks make you bear the cost of risk
So keep out for goodness sake,
OHYou'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why
:Recession is coming to town.
Friday, November 14, 2008
New Blackberry touch
-- It's official: Verizon Wireless will start selling RIM's (RIMM) new touchscreen BlackBerry Storm on Nov. 21. The iPhone-ish smartphone will sell for $199.99 after subsidy and a $50 mail-in rebate, assuming you are eligible and sign a two-year contract.
This is an important launch for both companies, as Apple (AAPL) beat RIM in unit shipments last quarter, and Verizon (VZ) hasn't yet had a credible answer to the iPhone.
However, this is hardly an aggressive play. We think Apple still has the upper hand.
We had read rumors that Verizon Wireless was considering selling the Storm for free after subsidy, as its part-owner Vodafone (VOD) is doing abroad. That would definitely give the iPhone a run for its money.
But at $199, the Storm is the same price as Apple's 8-gigabyte iPhone, while offering fewer features. The iPhone, for example, has a better app platform, more built-in memory, multi-touch controls, better music/video platform, and wi-fi.
Meanwhile, the Storm's only potential advantages that we can think of so far: Better 3G Internet service -- the iPhone's has ranged from average to terrible in our experience; better mobile email; and maybe a better on-screen keyboard, if RIM's "click-screen" is any good.
So it seems that most people who'd buy it are people who are tied to/prefer Verizon Wireless/BlackBerry email -- or people who hate Apple. (We'll reserve judgment until after we've had time to play with it.)
It's also possible one or both companies will cut prices again before Christmas sales ramp up, which could help sell more phones. Especially if this quarter is really as terrible as everyone says it's been.
One thing we don't know yet: How much Verizon will charge for monthly service. Our bet is $70 per month, the cheapest plan AT&T (T) offers for the iPhone.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Phakchok Rinpoche....my guru.
Phakchok Rinpoche is the oldest son of Chokling Rinpoche. Born in 1981, he was recognized as a Tulku by the Kagyü regents and later ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He has studied with a number of great lamas, including Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, Tulku Ugyen Rinpoche, Penor Rinpoche, Trulshik Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche. In 2004 Rinpoche completed his studies and received the Khenpo degree from the Dzongsar Shedra in India. An enthusiastic and vibrant young lama and his teachings are direct, accessible, and fresh. Phakchok Rinpoche has been teaching at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute for several years giving lectures on Buddhist philosophy and meditation practice.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Weekend at Pulau Jerejak Resorts
To all Penangites,
Pulau Jerejak is only 5 minutes ferry ride away from the Penang Island.
The beautiful island with lots of green, takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Nice 2 rooms chalet ample outdoor facilities and SPA. Its a good place for a short and cheap relaxation.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Dragon Sushi........Miraku@GHOTEL
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One of the most authentic Japanese Restaurant. But the bill came very Authentically Pricey too.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Following Daddy's footstep or...........
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He just cant get enough of playing when we were at Penang Sports Club.I was there as a host for OXA vs PSC Annual Friendly.
Dinner at Ferringhi Garden the night before the Olympic's Nite.
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Ferringhi Garden with their house specialty Sultan's Delight Lobster Termidor with lots of filling. The ambience itself is something to shout about for. Really cant get any like this in other restaurants in Penang.
We were lucky that my father-in-law knew the owner Richard Long (few things were served on-the-house) and also met a Dato Seri having dinner with his family.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
International Dragon Boat Race '08, Teluk Bahang Dam, Penang.
Penang’s bid to host the 6th Club Crew World Championships (CCWC) in 2008 was approved at the 10th International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) Congress on 5 August 2005 in Berlin, Germany. The stage is set for the “Pearl of the Orient” to host the biggest dragon boat racing event ever staged in South-East Asia.
Following a detailed presentation, Penang received unanimous approval from the IDBF congress to host the event. PIDBF organising committee chairman, The Honourable Mr. Lai Chew Hock said he believed the decision was based primarily on Penang’s proven 26-year track record of successfully organising international dragon boat events and its unique tourism hospitality package.
“Our bid was also firmly supported by Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, the Penang State Executive Council, Tourism Malaysia, the Penang Tourism Action Council, the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) and the Penang Municipal Council,” he added.
The PIDBF delegation which secured the approval in Berlin was led personally by Mr. Lai, the State Assemblyman for the Bukit Tambun, constituency, and vice-chairman Dato’ Ir. Liew Chook San, who also serves as the general manager of PBAPP.
The PIDBF is a founding member of the IDBF, the established international organisation for the promotion of dragon boat racing worldwide. Since 1996, the IDBF has held four CCWCs (one every two years) at Vancouver (Canada), Auckland (New Zealand), Rome (Italy) and Cape Town (South Africa). The next CCWC will be staged in Toronto (Canada) in 2006. “The 6th CCWC in Penang in 2008 will be the first to be hosted in Asia. Our mission is to make it the biggest and the best CCWC ever, by attracting as many Asian club crews as possible to participate against club crews from the Australia, Africa, Europe and the Americas,” he added.
Having won the bid, Y.B. Lai said, the PIDBF would focus on implementing a plan to further enhance and expand the international boat racing facilities at the Teluk Bahang Dam which is managed by PBAPP.
“There is much to be done. We will work closely the State and Federal Governments, Malaysia Airlines, the Malaysian Association of Travel Trade Associations, local hotels and other organisations on logistics and sponsorship,” he said. At the same time, Y.B. Lai said, the PIDBF also needed to promote the 6th CCWC amongst all IDBF members to secure as much participation from as many international crews as possible in 2008.
Please re-visit this page in the future for more news and updates related to the 6th CCWC 2008 in Penang.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Apple IPHONE 3g coming to Malaysia.
14-07-2008: Maxis gets right to distribute iPhone 3G?
by Sharmila Ganapathy http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_1fbdc418-cb73c03a-4788d500-c8e95f3c#
KUALA LUMPUR: The news is out - Maxis Communications Bhd is believed to be bringing in the second-generation iPhone to Malaysia for under RM1,000.
However, when contacted, Maxis “declined comment on speculation” that it will start offering the iPhone 3G at below RM1,000 to its 10 million customers in Malaysia soon.
It has been speculated in the industry for sometime now that Maxis has been bidding for the first rights from Apple Inc to bring the iPhone to Malaysia.
So it did not come as much of surprise when online newsportal Malaysian Insider reported that Maxis “will offer the iPhone 3G in Malaysia at a competitive price below RM1,000”.
When asked by The Edge Financial Daily in April if the telco planned to bring the iPhone here, Maxis chief executive officer Sandip Das had said Maxis had no plan at that time to bring in the phone as Apple had not decided on its Asian distribution policy.
The scenario has changed since then, as last month Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) told Reuters that it would bring the iPhone 3G to Singapore later this year.
In May, it said its associates Bharti Airtel Ltd, Globe Telecom Inc and its Australian subsidiary Optus would bring the iPhone to India, Australia and the Philippines by year-end.
If the speculation proves true, Maxis’ timing couldn’t be more perfect. The telco, which already has a strong postpaid user base, will gain an even bigger edge over rivals Celcom (Malaysia) Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd and newcomer U Mobile Sdn Bhd, especially if mobile number portability (MNP) takes off in August as planned. However, the implementation of MNP may be delayed.
With the telcos fighting tooth and nail to retain their customer base and win new ones, securing the rights to bring the elusive iPhone to local shores will be the perfect lure for mobile users to switch service providers.This is because MNP allows mobile users to retain their mobile phone numbers even when they move from one service provider to another.
The iPhone 3G models are third-generation (3G)-equipped and offer a host of new applications and smart phone-like features such as visual voicemail, global positioning system software to facilitate location-based services and push email, incidentally a signature feature of the Blackberry.
Incidentally, Maxis and Celcom are known for their Blackberry packages for postpaid users. If Maxis successfully introduces the iPhone on local shores, this would allow it access to a wider business user segment.
The new iPhone models began selling in the US market at US$199 (for a 8-gigabyte model) and US$299 (for a 16-gigabyte model) starting Friday. That’s roughly half the price of the original eight-gigabyte iPhone, which debuted in the US last June at US$600 (RM1,962).
The iPhone 3G went on sale in a total of 22 countries on Friday, including the US, Japan and Australia. According to foreign news reports said the iPhone would be sold in 70 countries by year-end.
KUALA LUMPUR: The news is out - Maxis Communications Bhd is believed to be bringing in the second-generation iPhone to Malaysia for under RM1,000.
However, when contacted, Maxis “declined comment on speculation” that it will start offering the iPhone 3G at below RM1,000 to its 10 million customers in Malaysia soon.
It has been speculated in the industry for sometime now that Maxis has been bidding for the first rights from Apple Inc to bring the iPhone to Malaysia.
So it did not come as much of surprise when online newsportal Malaysian Insider reported that Maxis “will offer the iPhone 3G in Malaysia at a competitive price below RM1,000”.
When asked by The Edge Financial Daily in April if the telco planned to bring the iPhone here, Maxis chief executive officer Sandip Das had said Maxis had no plan at that time to bring in the phone as Apple had not decided on its Asian distribution policy.
The scenario has changed since then, as last month Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) told Reuters that it would bring the iPhone 3G to Singapore later this year.
In May, it said its associates Bharti Airtel Ltd, Globe Telecom Inc and its Australian subsidiary Optus would bring the iPhone to India, Australia and the Philippines by year-end.
If the speculation proves true, Maxis’ timing couldn’t be more perfect. The telco, which already has a strong postpaid user base, will gain an even bigger edge over rivals Celcom (Malaysia) Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd and newcomer U Mobile Sdn Bhd, especially if mobile number portability (MNP) takes off in August as planned. However, the implementation of MNP may be delayed.
With the telcos fighting tooth and nail to retain their customer base and win new ones, securing the rights to bring the elusive iPhone to local shores will be the perfect lure for mobile users to switch service providers.This is because MNP allows mobile users to retain their mobile phone numbers even when they move from one service provider to another.
The iPhone 3G models are third-generation (3G)-equipped and offer a host of new applications and smart phone-like features such as visual voicemail, global positioning system software to facilitate location-based services and push email, incidentally a signature feature of the Blackberry.
Incidentally, Maxis and Celcom are known for their Blackberry packages for postpaid users. If Maxis successfully introduces the iPhone on local shores, this would allow it access to a wider business user segment.
The new iPhone models began selling in the US market at US$199 (for a 8-gigabyte model) and US$299 (for a 16-gigabyte model) starting Friday. That’s roughly half the price of the original eight-gigabyte iPhone, which debuted in the US last June at US$600 (RM1,962).
The iPhone 3G went on sale in a total of 22 countries on Friday, including the US, Japan and Australia. According to foreign news reports said the iPhone would be sold in 70 countries by year-end.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Tutup Kedai.........Bursa Malaysia
Malaysia pull the circuit breaker on Bursa Malaysia. Bringing the whole trading community to a HALT. But all was not lost. At around 11.30am this morning, there was an interesting PRESS CONFERENCE going on LIVE from the Parti Keadilan Rakyat's, HQ.
Monday, June 30, 2008
EURO 2008....Spain.
With Spain taking the EURO 2008 CUP. Will this be more of a reason for Ronaldo to sign for Real Madrid.Friday, June 27, 2008
Happy Feet at New World Park
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This little fishes nibbling away on your feet. Feasting on dead skin. Barra Buffa imported from Turkey as claim by the operator of this outlet.
You will feel the geely sensation for the first 5-10 minutes and after that its all normal like a tiny massage sensation.
I paid RM18 for 30minutes promotional price.
Dinner at ANANDA BHAWAN, Tanjung Bungah
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This young chap here trying to eat by hand. Really true Indian style.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
100days as Penang CM.
PENANG: The price of being chief executive of the state is having no time for oneself. This is the experience of DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng since assuming the post of Chief Minister of Penang. For Lim, the job as he describes it is 24/7.
In jest, Lim said the biggest change was that now it was easier for him to call for a press conference. His media events are now well attended by all mainstream media compared to before the March 8 general election.
“As for myself, since March 8, I have stopped my drinking. I was never much of a heavy drinker, used to do it socially, but now I have stopped it completely. First of all it makes me tired and when you drink, the next morning it will be on your breath. I deal with many civil servants, even women, and I do not want them to get offended. It is not very pleasant,” he said. “So now, I make very dull and boring company.
“I do not even have time for football or golf now,” Lim said.
Even his family does not get to see much of him, Lim said. Although his wife and four children are in Penang, he hardly sees them as they are in bed when he leaves for the office and they are back in bed when he returns home.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Petrol 41%
DJ Malaysians Brace For Era Of Expensive Fuel After 40% Hike (2008/06/05 13:44PM)
KUALA LUMPUR (AP)--Malaysians entered an era of expensive fuel Thursday after the government raised gasoline prices by a whopping 41% in a politically risky decision that could undermine its already-shaky position.
Long lines of vehicles formed at gasoline stations overnight to fill up before midnight when the new pricing came into effect, and brawls broke out as some motorists tried to jump the queue.
On Thursday, gas stations were mostly deserted. Small groups of opposition workers staged protests in downtown Kuala Lumpur and in northern Ipoh town.
But generally the public mood was one of resignation. Most accepted that, with global crude oil prices soaring, they could no longer enjoy the hefty subsidies that had kept fuel prices here among the lowest in Southeast Asia.
"If we don''t increase the fuel price now, the economy will go down," said Chong Wai Ket, a 29-year-old shopkeeper in Kuala Lumpur.
Truck and bus operators complained that they can''t absorb the drastic price hike, which may force many of them to shut down.
The pump price of gasoline went up to MYR2.70 (US$0.87) a liter, or MYR10.23 (US$3.30) a gallon, from MYR1.92 (US$0.61) a liter. Diesel prices rose even higher by 67% to MYR2.58 (US$0.80) per liter.
Like other Asian countries, Malaysia, a net oil exporter, is facing a spiraling fuel subsidy bill that could have been more than MYR56 billion (US$17 billion) due to rising world oil prices.
"We cannot naturally keep subsidizing at the current rate," Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told reporters after announcing the new price structure Wednesday.
Despite the hike, gasoline prices remain lower than other Asian nations such as Singapore, Thailand and India.
In addition, Malaysia also increased electricity tariffs from July by as much as 26% for some consumers. The government also imposed windfall taxes on independent power producers and plantation companies.
Opposition parties slammed the hikes as excessive and a burden for the poor. The Democratic Action Party, or DAP, said it would hold more protests to demand the government back down from the plan.
"There is a sense of public outrage...both on the increase and the manner in which it was done," said DAP chief Lim Kit Siang.
Former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who now leads the opposition People''s Alliance coalition that includes the DAP, criticized the government for cutting fuel subsidies when national oil firm Petronas is making profits.
"This is what we call weak and irresponsible economic management," he said.
The energy price hike - the first one in two years - is expected to push inflation to a 10-year high of around 5%, up from 3% now, slow consumer spending and hurt economic growth.
The concerns led to a drop in Malaysia''s stocks, bonds and currency on Thursday.
The move carries great political risk for Abdullah, who is fighting for his political survival after his ruling coalition''s shock election losses in March.
Ibrahim Suffian, director of independent think-tank Merdeka Center of Opinion Research, said Abdullah''s popularity will plummet as the price hike will hit his main supporters - low-income rural ethnic Malays - hardest.
"It''s going to be hard for people to accept. There will be an immediate adverse effect on his popularity. It will mean a massive drop in his last bastion" of support, he warned.
Abdullah has appealed to people to remain calm and not take to the streets.
He said the revised energy prices would save the government MYR13.7 billion (US$4.4 billion), which would go to improving food security including subsidizing imported rice, flour, bread and cooking oil.
The government also scrapped a short-lived ban on sale of gasoline to foreign-registered cars near its borders with Thailand.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 05, 2008 01:44 ET (05:44 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc
KUALA LUMPUR (AP)--Malaysians entered an era of expensive fuel Thursday after the government raised gasoline prices by a whopping 41% in a politically risky decision that could undermine its already-shaky position.
Long lines of vehicles formed at gasoline stations overnight to fill up before midnight when the new pricing came into effect, and brawls broke out as some motorists tried to jump the queue.
On Thursday, gas stations were mostly deserted. Small groups of opposition workers staged protests in downtown Kuala Lumpur and in northern Ipoh town.
But generally the public mood was one of resignation. Most accepted that, with global crude oil prices soaring, they could no longer enjoy the hefty subsidies that had kept fuel prices here among the lowest in Southeast Asia.
"If we don''t increase the fuel price now, the economy will go down," said Chong Wai Ket, a 29-year-old shopkeeper in Kuala Lumpur.
Truck and bus operators complained that they can''t absorb the drastic price hike, which may force many of them to shut down.
The pump price of gasoline went up to MYR2.70 (US$0.87) a liter, or MYR10.23 (US$3.30) a gallon, from MYR1.92 (US$0.61) a liter. Diesel prices rose even higher by 67% to MYR2.58 (US$0.80) per liter.
Like other Asian countries, Malaysia, a net oil exporter, is facing a spiraling fuel subsidy bill that could have been more than MYR56 billion (US$17 billion) due to rising world oil prices.
"We cannot naturally keep subsidizing at the current rate," Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told reporters after announcing the new price structure Wednesday.
Despite the hike, gasoline prices remain lower than other Asian nations such as Singapore, Thailand and India.
In addition, Malaysia also increased electricity tariffs from July by as much as 26% for some consumers. The government also imposed windfall taxes on independent power producers and plantation companies.
Opposition parties slammed the hikes as excessive and a burden for the poor. The Democratic Action Party, or DAP, said it would hold more protests to demand the government back down from the plan.
"There is a sense of public outrage...both on the increase and the manner in which it was done," said DAP chief Lim Kit Siang.
Former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who now leads the opposition People''s Alliance coalition that includes the DAP, criticized the government for cutting fuel subsidies when national oil firm Petronas is making profits.
"This is what we call weak and irresponsible economic management," he said.
The energy price hike - the first one in two years - is expected to push inflation to a 10-year high of around 5%, up from 3% now, slow consumer spending and hurt economic growth.
The concerns led to a drop in Malaysia''s stocks, bonds and currency on Thursday.
The move carries great political risk for Abdullah, who is fighting for his political survival after his ruling coalition''s shock election losses in March.
Ibrahim Suffian, director of independent think-tank Merdeka Center of Opinion Research, said Abdullah''s popularity will plummet as the price hike will hit his main supporters - low-income rural ethnic Malays - hardest.
"It''s going to be hard for people to accept. There will be an immediate adverse effect on his popularity. It will mean a massive drop in his last bastion" of support, he warned.
Abdullah has appealed to people to remain calm and not take to the streets.
He said the revised energy prices would save the government MYR13.7 billion (US$4.4 billion), which would go to improving food security including subsidizing imported rice, flour, bread and cooking oil.
The government also scrapped a short-lived ban on sale of gasoline to foreign-registered cars near its borders with Thailand.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 05, 2008 01:44 ET (05:44 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc
Thursday, May 22, 2008
ManU.......CHAMPION OF THE CHAMPIONS
Sir Alex Ferguson's team had prevailed 3-0 on penalties in the FA Community Shield on 5 August after a 1-1 draw but the prospect of a repeat looked distant when Cristiano Ronaldo headed them into a deserved 26th-minute lead. Chelsea equalised 19 minutes later through Frank Lampard, however, and they appeared more likely winners thereafter, Didier Drogba and Lampard both striking the woodwork.Overtime tensionStill, Chelsea continued to look more enterprising and early in extra time they rattled the woodwork again as Ashley Cole and Ballack set up Lampard for an improvised shot that came back off the bar with Van der Sar beaten. Terry then blocked Giggs's goalbound strike after Patrice Evra's low centre had taken Čech out of the game. The ebb and flow of attacks continued, with the only advantage gained being United's after Drogba was dismissed for raising a hand to Vidić. That seemed not to matter when Ronaldo missed United's third kick of the shoot-out, but Chelsea's moment passed with Terry's slip and Van der Sar's subsequent glory-grabbing save.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Ferringhi Heights by Plenitude
Latest edition to the famous Feringhi Hill. Semi-dees and a super condo. Semi-d price ranging from RM1.6Million and above. The super condo with a starting price above RM700k. This is gonna set a new benchmark for properties in Penang along the Feringhi stretch. Develop by the Cash- Rich, PLENITUDE BHD.
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