才知道

1.到了中國，才知道只生一個孩子好。

2.到了臺灣，才知道罵祖宗還可以面帶微笑。

3.到了香港，才知道明星都戴著口罩。

4.到了日本，才知道死不認帳的人有時候還會很有禮貌。

5.到了韓國，才知道亞洲足球使上帝都差點瘋掉。

6.到了泰國，才知道看見漂亮妹妹先別慌著擁抱。

7.到了新加坡，才知道為什麼四面都是水，還向別人要。

8.到了印度，才知道多貴重的人都得給牛讓道。

9.到了印尼，才知道為什麼華人夜裏睡不著覺。

10.到了阿拉伯，才知道做男人是多麼的驕傲。

11.到了法國，才知道被人調戲還會很有情調。

12.到了西班牙，才知道被牛拱到天上還可以哈哈大笑。

13.到了南斯拉夫，才知道為什麼有人不願回到祖國的懷抱。

14.到了奧地利，才知道是個乞丐都能彈上一支小調。

15.到了瑞士，才知道開個銀行帳戶沒有十萬會被人恥笑。

16.到了丹麥，才知道寫個童話其實可以不打草稿。

17.到了義大利，才知道天天吃比薩臉上都可以不長膿包。

18.到了希臘，才知道迷人的地方其實都是破廟。

19.到了梵蒂岡，才知道在其境內任何地方開槍都可以打著羅馬的鳥。

20.到了美國，才知道不管是誰，亂嚷嚷都會中炮。

21.到了加拿大，才知道面積比中國還大的地方，人比北京還少。

22.到了巴拿馬，才知道一條河也代表了主權的重要。

23.到了巴西，才知道衣服穿得很少也用不著害臊。

24.到了智利，才知道火車在境內拐個彎也很難辦到。

25.到了阿根廷，才知道不懂足球會讓人暈倒。

26.到了南非，才知道隨時會被愛滋吻到。

27.到了撒哈拉，才知道節約用水的重要。

28.走遍非洲，才知道人吃人有時候也是一種需要...。

到了马来西亚，才知道牵手也会接传票！

Timely Tip ––“Simple Tips For Success”“Success”

Are you “All Ears” for this advice? Why is listening so difficult? Some say it’s because we think much faster than we talk. As a result, when we listen, we must continually remind our brains to slow down to an unnatural pace. Here are some exercises to try to help you focus on the message you are receiving:

•Work to anticipate what conclusions the speaker will draw based on what the personis saying.

•Review and mentally summarizethe points the person talking has already made.

•Listen BETWEEN the lines in search of greater meaning. For example, notice how nonverbalcommunication, such as tone of voice, adds to the meaning of what the person is saying.

Have you ever wondered why some people consistently accomplish more than you? Every person has the same 24 hours in a day, yet some seem to have more time and fewer excuses for not accomplishing enough. What separates winners from whiners? It’s their willingness to invest in their own success.Use these tips to move AHEAD of the pack: Emulate those ahead of you. Seek out the toppeople in your field and askthem “What do you read…watch on TV? What advice can you give me?” You’ll be surprised at how happy top performers are to help you. Write down what they tell you, analyze how you can adapt it to your own business life and then implement some of their secrets.

Fly with the eagles. A recent Harvard study found that if you associate with people, friends, co-workers, family members, who are not success oriented, you greatly diminish your chances for success in your own life. We are either raised up orpulled down by the people who surround us. You don’t have to be a snob, but if you feel you aren’t surrounded by “winners,” take steps to change. Join professional associations. Take continuing education courses.

COMMUNICATE CONVICTION. By changing a few bad habits, you can communicate with strengthand conviction.
Uncertainty. Phrases such as “kind of” and “sort of” communicate uncertaintyand inability to form clear thoughts. Replace “I kind of have a problem with your idea” with “I have concerns about your suggestion. Can you please tell me more?”

Wishy-Washiness. When you say “I will try to…” you are less often describing a commitment you are willing to make than expressing your doubts or unwillingness to see an action or planthrough. Use a more active voice to convey your plans. Say “I will call you by Wednesday, and we can discuss the situation further at that time.”

UEM Land ... Nov 2008

Sources say Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB), the promoter of the IDR is in talks with two operators to set up separate theme parks.

Besides Lego AS, which was reported to be in talks to set up a theme park, IIB is undestood to be in negotiations with Dubai-based Space Investment Co LLC (SIC). SIC is in the midst of setting up SpaceWorld UAE, which is slated to be opened in about a year or two in the Middle East.

SpaceWorld UAE is being developed by SIC with US Space and Rocket Centre as its partner. USSRC, meanwhile, operates as a space-based theme park in Huntsville Alabama.

The plan is to bring in a few small operators and set them up in an area as opposed to having one large player such as Disney or Universal having the whole pie.

While Lego’s investment is understood to be in the region of RM800 million over the next five years, SIC is understood to still be at the negotiating table. Sources say Lego could sign a deal soon, and undertake by March 2009 to commence construction on the theme park by June 2009.

Privately held Lego has other theme parks in Billund in Denmark, Winsor in England, Carlsbad in Carlifornia and Gunzburg in Germany. It is noteworthy that in 2005, Lego sold 70% in Legoland Parks, the operator of the theme parks, to Blackstone Group LP. It is not known if Balckstone is involved in these negotiations.

SIC, meanwhile, has little to show as yet but officials have outlined plans to set up parks in North Africa and the Indian Subcontinent.

Lego’s development will likely be on a 400 acre plot of land off Danga Bay. Khazanah Nasional Bhd has set aside around 3000 acres for the development of theme parks and related businesses. It is not clear how large a site SIC is looking at taking for its intended development.

Previously, IIB and its parent, Khazanah Nasional, had negotiated with Oriental Land Co Ltd, the operators of Disneyland in Japan, and Universal Studios, but these talks fell through.

SIC’s interest comes on the back of similar initiatives by other Middle Eastern companies in Islandar Malaysia. Companies from the Middle East have already come in, tying up with UEM Land Holdings Bhd or buying plots of land for development. UEM Land is a 77% owned unit of Khazanah Nasional.

Kian Joo ... Nov 2008

The strategic block of 34.64% in can manufacturer Kian Joo Can Factory (KJCF) has yet to attract a buyer despite it having been put up for sale since August 2008.

A strategic partner was crucial for KJCF as it would not only put a halt to years of family dispute in the company but also boost its earnings and market share. This is the third time that the block has been put up for sale.

Sources have indicated that there have been issues relating to the price. It is learnt that the deadline for the sale is Nov 27 2008.

KPMG Advisory Services Sdn Bhd, which is the liquidator of the block of shares, declined to comment.

There are a lot of potential buyers but the (See) brothers are unable to agree on the price, among others.

Based on yesterday’s price of RM1.03 per share, the block of 153.86 million shares is valued at RM158.5mil.

Latest filings to Bursa Malaysia show that Teow Chuan owns a direct stake of 2.97%, or 13.18 million shares, in KJCF. His indirect stake stands at 35.2% or 156.37 million shares.

As at May 2008, KJCF’s market share of the aluminium can business in Malaysia was about 70%. It had an estimated 50% market share of the tin can market, 10% to 15% of the corrugated carton market and about 30% of the market for polyethylene terephthalate bottles.

Among the companies that had submitted bids for the stake included Can-One Bhd.

Airasia ... Nov 2008

AirAsia Bhd has secured financing totalling US$336 million (RM1.21 billion) for the purchase of up to eight Airbus 320-200 aircraft, in the first Islamic French-Malaysian lease agreement.

BNP Paribas and Natixis Transport Finance acted as the lead arrangers, global coordinators and book runners for the syariah-compliant French single investor Ijarah.
Landesbank Hessen-Thuringen Girozentrale, Irish Branch (Helaba) acted as mandated lead arranger, RHB Islamic Bank Bhd as arranger, and Bank Rakyat as mandated lead arranger of the commodity Murabaha. The banks were advised by Norton Rose together with Wong and Partners in Malaysia and AirAsia by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

CEO Datuk Kamarudin Meranun said it had secured the financing at a pricing that was “comparable” to its previous aircraft financing deals before the global financial crisis as it had locked in the deal when BNP Paribas and Natixis first arranged financing for the carrier.

Earlier this year (2008), Airasia decided that this year (2008) is the best time for Airasia to arrange financing for 2009 and 2010. They locked in the financing in 2005, so now (Nov 2008) there are just some minor adjustments.

This financing for AirAsia is very important for them for the next two years (2009-2010). It will be in a comfortable position. It ensures that it can take delivery of its aircraft. It is lease payment but it still have the ownership. So, Airasia are able to get capital allowance.

The Islamic Ijarah, above a cost-efficient 100% financing structure, ensured that AirAsia’s capital and investment allowances were preserved.

AirAsia had in several stages placed firm orders of a total of 175 A320 aircraft, with an option of 50 more. It has so far taken delivery of 53 A320s, of which 43 are for Malaysia’s operations, while eight and two are for Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia, respectively.


Tune Air Sdn Bhd is still in negotiations with financial institutions and prospective investors to fund the potential privatisation of AirAsia Bhd.

AirAsia said Tune Air was still negotiating the terms and conditions with the institutions and investors and would make an appropriate announcement when Tune Air had formed a firm intention on whether to proceed or not with the privatisation.

Tune Air was considering taking the carrier private at an indicative price of about RM1.35 per share, subject to change depending on the market conditions at the point of decision.

The options of how best to optimise and expand its operations were being developed and the privatisation option was subject to the availability of financing on acceptable terms from financial institutions and other potential investors, as well as conducive market and industry conditions.

BNP Paribas and Natixis Transport Finance have closed for AirAsia Bhd a US$336mil Sharia-compliant financing for up eight Airbus 320-200 aircraft.
BNP Paribas and Natixis Transport Finance are the lead arrangers, global coordinators and book runners for the financing.

This Sharia-compliant French Single Investor Ijarah is the first Islamic French-Malaysian optimised transaction of this kind. Above a cost efficient 100% financing structure, the Islamic Ijarah ensures that AirAsia’s capital and investment allowances are preserved.

Purchase of each aircraft is through a mix of euro-denominated equity, a US dollar denominated investment agency agreement – Wakala from Islamic financiers and a US dollar-denominated Wakala granted by AirAsia and refinanced by a ringgit denominated Commodity – Murabaha.

Resorts ... Nov 2008

It is sitting on a cash pile of over Rm4 billion as at June 2008, it seems to be in an excellent position to take advantage of the cheaper prices of its competitors.

With the valuations of many gaming operators dipping to very attractive levels, its huge war chest allows it to do some bargain hunting. The gaming group could enlarge its global footprint at price levels unheard of before.


Resorts is well positioned to take advantage of the current asset (2008) deflationary environment as global casino valuations are at about 40% to 50% from their peaks.

However, market talk is rife that the group has started exploring. It is understood that the gaming group is exploring potential merges and acquisitions. They are looking through a number of proposals. What these proposals are and where the investments are is not known. However, Resorts’s management has said that it wants to focus on Asia.

Resorts will probably acquire casino assets instead of equity interest. They will look into casino assets. Buying a stake in a casino company is secondary. With the falling valuations, casino assets would give the gaming group a freer had to manage its assets while expanding the group.

Industry observers believe Macau could be one of the key markets Resorts World is looking to enter.

Zelan ... Nov 2008

Zelan Bhd shares were heavily sold down after its chief executive officer Chang Si Fock @ Chang See Fock disposed of most of his shares in the mid Nov 2008. Chang’s 30%-owned Noble Gem Sdn Bhd has disposed of 30 million shares since Nov 11 2008, reducing its stake in Zelan to 0.33% from 5.72% previously.

The Employees Provident Fund, however, raised its stake to almost 8% from 7.3% before. MMC Corp Bhd is the major shareholder with over 39%. Zelan is involved in the construction sector with a niche in power plants.

Zelan’s board had allowed the contract of Chang, the company’s founding member, to lapse on Jan 31, 2009. Last week, Zelan chairman Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali resigned from his post. It is learnt that the Zelan board has renewed the contract of chief operating officer Khoo Boo Seong. He will be heading the management team temporarily upon Chang’s retirement.

Based on previous changes in businesses owned by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, it was likely that one of his associates would be appointed for Chang’s job.

Although it is possible that Zelan’s board may appoint an existing member of the senior management, it does seem like Syed Mokhtar prefers to have his key people to lead the team.

Going forward …

Speculation is that Chang has lost out in a tussle with MMC Corp Bhd. MMC controls a larger 39.25% stake in Zeland compared with Chang and partner’s holdings of 14.74%.

There have been disagreement between Chang and MMC over whether Zelan should be run separately as an associated company of MMC or absorbed into the conglomerate.

With Zelan not renewing Chang’s contract, it seems obvious that MMC will now be taking over management control of Zelan, though the founder is likely to stay on the board, given his substantial stake.

This could lead to two possibility. One isfor MMC to privatise Zelan through a general offer, while another is to inject MMC Engineering group Bhd into Zelan. Both exercises will increase MMC holdings in Zelan.

Considering that Zelan’s share price has since plunged, there is a motivation for MMC to take Zelan privatise or to inject MMC Engineering into Zelan.
Zelan’s expertise in building power plants, apart from general construction, will come in useful as MMC builds its presence in the infra sector.

The timing also sems rights, giving the distressed stock market which makes it cheaper to take over companies by making general offers or injecting assets for shares.

Financial Health …

Zelan’s net cash and short term current investments amounted to RM115 million as of Sept 2008, after deducting its total debts of RM93 million. On top of that, it holds 82 million shares or 9.57% stakes in IJM. The stake was worth Rm205 million based on closing price of Rm2.50.

Zelan’s net cash, its current investments and the IJM stake amounted to RM320 million or about 57 sen per share. The company does not have warrants or convertible loan stocks outstanding that could dilute its share price.

Essentially, investors were valuing Zelan’s core businesses in engineering and construction, property development and others at less than rm70 million (assume Zelan is at 87 sen).

Zelan’s engineering and construction division, which alone has an order book worth RM3.8 billion. Assuming a gross margin of 6% for these outstanding jobs, there is a gross profit margin of about Rm230 million to be made in the next two to three years. At less than 90 sen per share, investors are practically buying Zelan for free.

However, the downside is that while building material prices have receded, there are some concerns that Zelan would not be able to replenish its jobs fast, given the global credit crunch. Meanwhile, certain management issues many arise without Chang as the CEO and this may disrupt the execution process in the company.

But the upside would seem greater than the downside. MMC as a major shareholder of Zelan would try to add value to the company and make sure than the latter continues to perform well.

The TRUTH about PLASTIC !!!

Reusing plastic bottles by refilling them is NOT a good idea. WATCH THIS VIDEO: http://video.wnbc.com/player/?id=238518

Microwaving plastic containers affects the chemical make up of the plastic, allowing the chemical substances to destabilize and leach out more quickly into the food you are reheating. You can check out this article that ran in the Wall Street Journal: http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Microwave-Health-Problems.htm EVEN one of my favorite

'RUMOR DEBUNKING' websites, URBANLEGENDS.ABOUT.COM Lists the information as: overblown with a grain of TRUTH READ the FULL 3 pages of the article! http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-microwave-dioxin.htm

AVOID re-using plastic bottles RIGHT AWAY !!!

變

有個老魔鬼看到人間的生活過得太幸福了，他說：「我們要去擾亂一下，要不然魔鬼就不存在了。」
他先派了一個小魔鬼去擾亂一個農夫。因為他看到那農夫每天辛勤地工作，可是所得卻少得可憐，但他還是那麼快樂，非常知足。

小魔鬼就開始想，要怎樣才能把農夫變壞呢？他就把農夫的田地變得很硬，讓農夫知難而退。 那農夫敲半天，做得好辛苦，但他只是休息一下，還是繼續敲，沒有一點抱怨。小魔鬼看到計策失敗，只好摸摸鼻子回去了。

老魔鬼又派了第二個去。第二個小魔鬼想，既然讓他更加辛苦也沒有用，那就拿走他所擁有的東西吧！ 那小魔鬼就把他午餐的麵包跟水偷走，他想，農夫做得那麼辛苦，又累又餓，卻連麵包跟水都不見了，這下子他一定會暴跳如雷！

農夫又渴又餓地到樹下休息，想不到麵包跟水都不見了！「不曉得是哪個可憐的人比我更需要那塊麵包跟水？ 如果這些東西就能讓他得溫飽的話，那就好了。」又失敗了，小魔鬼又棄甲而逃。

老魔鬼覺得奇怪，難道沒有任何辦法能使這農夫變壞？就在這時第三個小魔鬼出來了。 他對老魔鬼講：「我有辦法，一定能把他變壞。」

小魔鬼先去跟農夫做朋友，農夫很高興地和他作了朋友。因為魔鬼有預知的能力，他就告訴農夫，明年會有乾旱，教農夫把稻種在濕地上，農夫便照做。結果第二年別人沒有收成，只有農夫的收成滿坑滿谷，他就因此而富裕起來了。

小魔鬼又每年都對農夫說當年適合種什麼，三年下來，這農夫就變得非常富有。

他又教農夫把米拿去釀酒販賣，賺取更多的錢。慢慢地，農夫開始不工作了，靠著經濟販賣的方式，就能獲得大量金錢。

有一天，老魔鬼來了，小魔鬼就告訴老魔鬼說：「您看！我現在要展現我的成果。這農夫現在已經有豬的血液了。」只見農夫辦了個晚宴，所有富有的人都來參加；喝最好的酒，吃最精美的餐點，還有好多的僕人侍候。他們非常浪費地吃喝，衣裳零亂，醉得不省人事，開始變得像豬一樣癡肥愚蠢。

「您還會看到他身上有著狼的血液。」小魔鬼又說。這時，一個僕人端著葡萄酒出來，不小心跌了一跤。 農夫就開始罵他：「你做事這麼不小心！」「唉！主人，我們到現在都沒有吃飯，餓得渾身無力。」

「事情沒有做完，你們怎麼可以吃飯！」

老魔鬼見了，高興地對小魔鬼說：「唉！你太了不起！你是怎麼辦到的？」

小魔鬼說：「我只不過是讓他擁有比他需要的更多而已，這樣就可以引發他人性中的貪婪。」

心若改變，你的態度跟著改變；
態度改變，你的習慣跟著改變；
習慣改變，你的性格跟著改變；
性格改變，你的人生跟著改變。

Tenaga (TNB)

It expects the rising coal prices to have an impact on its income. If the coal price goes above US$120 per tonne, it will start to make losses.

While crude oil prices had dropped, the coal price remained relatively high at US$100 to US$120 per tonne due to the high demand for electricity. The global economic slowdown had not drastically affected demand for electricity.

TNB had secured its coal supply until December next year (2009). The issue now is pricing. It has not locked in all the prices. Most suppliers are demanding an index-linked price which will depend on the prevailing rate at the point of delivery.

With coal prices averaging US$100 to US$120 (RM359 to RM431) a tonne, Che Khalib said, TNB may be able to break even or post a marginal profit for its first quarter ending November 30 2008. It has locked its coal requirements for September to December this year at US$116 (RM416) a tonne.
The Bakun dam project was important to meet the future power capacity of the country. Without Bakun we will have to think of alternative power capacity as substitute. A proposal has been made to the government on the transmission of power from Bakun to Peninsular Malaysia. The Bakun dam project in Sarawak was expected to come on stream in 2010.

TNB expects to receive formal clearance by the government to proceed with its proposal to take over the project.

TNB has discussed with the government and financial agencies of other countries for the larger part of the project's financing.

Financial Results … For its fourth quarter ended August 31 2008, TNB posted a RM282.9 million loss due to higher coal prices and foreign exchange losses.

Sino Hua-An

Sino Hua-An International Bhd’s net profit plunged 70.6% in its third quarter 2008 due to the rising prices of raw materials and falling demand.
For the period ended Sept 30, 2008 the company’s net profit fell to RM11.71 million from RM39.89 million last year. The price of raw materials, particularly coking coal, had increased significantly by an average of approximately 169%.

However, revenue for the company, which manufactures metallurgical coke and related by-products, doubled to RM496.93 million from RM223.98 million previously. This was due to the higher pricing enjoyed by the company in the current quarter for metallurgical coke and a majority of the by-products.

Earnings per share was also reduced to RM1.04 from RM3.55.

Going Forward …

The company noted that the steel industry is currently faced with very challenging times resulting from softening demand, falling prices and persistently high raw material cost. Continued tight supply of coking coal was also a problem for the company. However, it was hopeful that the difficult business environment would be temporary and the business dynamics would readjust itself in the near future.

SapCrest

It is said to be close to securing a US$1 billion (RM3.55 billion) contract for installing pipelines and facilities (IPF) at the Gemusut oil well located offshore Sabah .

The contract, which is likely to be awarded soon, came about as a result of SapuraCrest’s negotiations with the production sharing contract parties — Shell, Petronas Carigali and ConocoPhilips.

In July 2008, SapuraCrest executive vice-chairman Datuk Shahril Shamsuddin had said that negotiations were ongoing but had not given any details.

During the July 2008, he had said: “The negotiations are ongoing. We are still at the clarification stage. It is a great engineering project, deep-water projects are very complicated, we need to be very careful, and go at it very slowly… so what’s happening now is that we are clarifying, making sure all risks are identified,” he had said.

Speculation of SapuraCrest bagging this job has been around since August 2008, but company officials have kept the information close to their chest.

It is also likely that SapuraCrest was the only serious contender for the job because of its Sapura 3000 — a deep-water pipe laying barge which is the jewel in the crown of SapuraCrest’s fleet of barges. In this region SapuraCrest is believed to be only company with such a barge.

This contract could result in SapuraCrest’s order book ballooning by about 50% to the region of RM9 billion and could be a big boost to its earnings.

SapuraCrest’s substantial shareholders are Sapura Holdings Sdn Bhd (39.9%) and Seadrill Ltd (24.3%), the vehicle of Norwegian tycoon John Fredriksen.

Financial Results …

For its six months ended July 2008, SapuraCrest posted a net profit of RM52.4 million on the back of RM1.6 billion in revenue. In contrast to the corresponding period a year ago, SapuraCrest’s net profits surged by about 141% while revenue soared by about 60%.

The better numbers were a result of increased activities in IPF, drilling and marine services divisions.

AMMB Holdings Bhd

AMMB Holdings Bhd profit attributable to shareholders for the second quarter jumped to RM230.13mil from RM72.12mil a year ago due to higher net income, underpinned by strong loans growth.

Operating profit was RM360.39mil compared with RM440.43mil.

Net interest income rose to RM458.4mil, up RM107.8mil or 30.8% driven by strong loans growth.
Net income from Islamic banking business also improved from RM126.6mil to RM147.3mil in the current quarter.

These however were partially offset by a decline in other operating income by 52.6% to RM148.5mil as a result of net loss from securities held-for-trading of RM29.2mil and loss on revaluation of derivatives of RM80.7mil. The impact was mitigated by a substantial reduction in allowances for losses on loans and financing to RM25.9mil compared to RM208mil in the corresponding quarter.

The group’s commercial and retail banking operations were the largest contributors to the group pre-tax profit, reporting a pre-tax profit of RM557.7mil followed by insurance operations which contributed RM27.3mil for the half year ended Sept 30 2008.

Gross loans and advances continued to expand to RM57.8 billion to register an annualised growth of 10.7%. The growth was mainly attributed to financing of residential mortgages, passenger vehicles and small and medium sized industries.

Financing for purchase of transport vehicles have expanded by RM365.8mil and account for 41.3% of total loans, followed by loans for residential mortgages which accounted for 18.8% of total loans.

Asset quality continued, with net non-performing loans (NPL) ratio on a 3-month classification basis, decreasing to 3.0%, from 3.7% as at March 31 after it stepped up its loan recovery efforts

*TOP NEWS* World Politics and General

CHICAGO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - A package of economic rescue measures agreed by the world's major governments appeared to fall short of calming investors jangled nerves as the trading week dawned in Asia.

In early trading on Monday, the yen and U.S. dollar rose in a flight to safety on assessments that the meeting yielded no concrete moves to avert a looming global recession.

Governments from Washington to Beijing agreed Saturday to a host of fiscal and monetary steps to rescue the global economy but it was left to individual governments to tailor their response to their particular circumstances and troubled industries.

"Taken as a whole, it does not appear that the outcome of the summit will be sufficient to stem the financial crisis. This was a high bar from the start," said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy with Brown Brothers Harriman in New York.

In the United States, the lame-duck status of President George W. Bush's administration made guessing the likely ability of the Group of 20 economic summit to restore market confidence tougher.

President-elect Barack Obama sent emissaries to the weekend event, and issued a statement in support of a coordinated response to the global financial crisis. [ID:nN15476098]

The post-meeting statement from the grouping of major industrialized and developing countries contained a kitchen sink of reform pledges aimed at soothing volatile markets and calming consumers' worries. [ID:nN14403849]

It said that all financial markets, products and participants will be subject to supervision, vowed tougher accounting rules, a review of compensation practices and greater cooperation between national regulators.

Even the long-running Doha round of free-trade talks was given a new lease on life.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper termed the declaration enough to "give the markets reassurance."

Finance ministers were told to develop specific plans for implementing the recommendations. The first set of actions is to be completed by the end of March, and a follow-up meeting will be held by the end of April.

But others were skeptical.

"No concrete coordinated actions were announced that will change anyone's outlook for the world economy, inflation, exchange rates or interest rates as the markets reopen today," said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics in Valhalla, New York.

U.S. investors took a "show-me" approach on Friday, dumping stocks to guarantee a second straight losing week for major indices. Friday's close in the S&P 100 index was the lowest on a weekly basis since 2003, and the broad-based index is down almost 10 percent in November alone.

In contrast to the promises of the world leaders, the final handful of big third-quarter U.S. earnings reports due this week are likely to come footnoted with warnings about tough times immediately ahead.

CAR TROUBLE

With a $700 billion fund promised to stabilize the battered U.S. financial system, an urgent task for the outgoing Bush administration and its successor is how, or whether, to stem the possible death spiral of the "big three" automakers.

The Senate is due on Monday to begin debating emergency legislation to provide $25 billion in aid to General Motors Corp , Ford Motor Co and Chrysler LLC [CBS.UL].

Some see the price-tag as a bargain compared with the financial bailout; others have cried "moral hazard" and called for automakers to get their own houses in order, even if that means filing for bankruptcy.

At a time when most expect the U.S. jobless rate, now at 6.5 percent, to keep climbing, GM's top executive warned that failing to help would have a far greater cost than the aid the automakers are seeking.

"The impact on the whole U.S. economy would be devastating," GM's Rick Wagoner said in an appearance on a Detroit television station on Sunday. [ID:nN16459196]

Retired Gen Wesley Clark, in a New York Times opinion piece, termed the automakers' survival a matter of U.S. security. [ID:nN16292747]

President-elect Obama has termed help for the U.S. auto industry a high priority, but the two months between now and when Obama takes the reigns Jan. 20 could be crunch time.

Given the rate that GM is burning through cash, analysts at Barclays recently forecast the firm will fall below its minimum cash in the first quarter of 2009.

With the G20 governments now gunning for executive pay reform, some firms were voluntarily taking matters into their own hands. [ID:nN16457230]

The top seven executives at U.S. bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. , including CEO Lloyd Blankfein, will forgo bonuses in 2008.


NO FREE-LOADERS NEED APPLY

In Germany, Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck tamped down expectations for help to whole industries suffering due to the financial crisis and its spillover to the broader economy.

On Friday, the euro zone's 15-nation economy was reported to have shrunk by 0.2 percent for a second quarter in a row, putting it officially in a recession.

"We cannot have crisis free-loaders. I can only warn managers against thinking they can take advantage of the situation," Steinbrueck told the Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper. [ID:nLG341521]

Troubled German carmaker Opel, a unit of GM, has asked the federal government and German states to help it limp through its rough patch. Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet with Opel officials on Monday, and talks on the broader woes of the auto sector are slated for Tuesday.

Layoffs in the distressed financial industry have been an almost daily event, and on Sunday reports surfaced that U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase & Co could be next to swing the axe. [ID:nLG341521]

London's Sunday Telegraph reported the bank is preparing to fire thousands of workers worldwide, on a scale comparable to that of its rivals.

The evaporation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, and nervousness among those still employed, has slammed consumer confidence in the United States, taking retail spending down with it.

"The economy is in big trouble; so big that it's hard to find a precedent," said Chris Low, chief economist at FTN Financial in New York. (Additional reporting by Reuters bureaus worldwide; Editing by Tim Dobbyn) ((Ros.Krasny@thomsonreuters.com; +1 312 408 8592; Reuters Messaging: ros.krasny.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: FINANCIAL/

First Air Conditioned Bus Station-Dubai!!

Parking in Germany !!

A Volkswagen Polo is loaded in the car towers of the VW Autostadt in Wolfsburg, northern Germany on Wednesday. The Autostadt, situated next to Volkswagen's headquarter, is the company's theme park, anddistribution centre where daily 5,500 visitors view Volkswagen brands likeBentley, Audi, Lamborghini.

LCL Corp Bhd ... Nov 2008

It is aggressively expanding its operations, especially in the Middle East, and is looking to secure even more large contracts there.

For the past two to three months (July – Oct 2008) the company had tendered for RM4bil worth of projects in the Middle East and hoped to win some sizable contracts.

The Middle East, especialy Dubai, has been good for its IFO business. Since making its presence there back in 2004, LCL’s business has expanded by leaps and bounds. The company sees the region as a place for long-term growth opportunities, despite the current sharp fall in oil prices, which could possibly slowdown the development pace in the oil- rich nations.

Since expanding its IFO business into the Middle East, LCL has not rested on its laurels and has made significant inroads into other countries such as Kazakhstan, India, Qatar, Dubai, Singapore and Brunei and plans to venture into the North American market soon .

Currently about 80% of LCL’s revenue is derived from the Middle East, Kazakhstan (15%), India (2%) and the balance 3% from Malaysia.

Currently there were about RM500mil to RM600mil worth of IFO contracts in-hand to be completed.

Financial Results …

For the six months ended June 30, LCL posted higher pre-tax profit of RM16.7mil on revenue of RM201.2mil, compared with RM107.28mil and RM10.91 pre-tax profit in the corresponding period a year earlier.

Glomac ... Nov 2008

Its Past …

In 1991, FD Iskandar Mohamed Mansor, then in his 20s, joined property development company Glomac Bhd. Six years later he learnt some crucial lessons during the Asian economic crisis of 1997.

Before the Asian crisis, Glomac’s revenue was flowing in sure and fast. The developer was involved in commercial units like shophouses/offices in Petaling Jaya, Cheras and Shah Alam and was raking in sales of RM15mil-RM20mil a month. When the crisis came, the company sold nothing.

Present … Nov 2008

It will focus on commercial projects in good locations like Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, compared with large-scale development. The other is extending the duration of these projects to be sold, from three to six years. It still has 10 ongoing projects worth RM3.3bil on 1,000 acres in the pipeline.

It launched its phase one of Glomac Damansara, a 7-acre integrated mixed development. We sold them within weeks. The RM750mil mixed development, Glomac Damansara, will be launched in phases. The first launch comprises five-storey shop offices and an office block. The development of service apartments will come later.

Its second project is in Mutiara Damansara. This comprises a commercial tower and some retail on three acres with a GDV of RM300mil. The third commercial project is in Kelana Jaya on 3.5 acres with GDV of RM300mil and a fourth in Cyberjaya, on 9 acres with RM250mil. All of which are commercial projects, he says.

It still have three townships – Bandar Saujana in Sungei Buloh and two others in Rawang and Johor.

The company sold Glomac Tower which fronts the KLCC at the end of last year (2007) for RM1,160 per sq ft, or RM577mil, to Prestige Scale Sdn Bhd. The transaction was financed by Kuwait Finance House. The sale hit a record price and set a new benchmark for Grade A office buildings for the city centre.

Glomac has a building in the commercial business district of Melbourne, Australia, which it bought for A$30.5mil in 2006. That project has 445 car park spaces and provides a yield of 8% a year.

Its second foray abroad is in Bangkok, where it bought a warehouse which is currently tenanted to a pharmaceutical company.

Tanjung Offshore Bhd ... Nov 2008

Tanjung Offshore would continue to expand its business and bid for contracts locally and abroad, he said.

In the last six months (March – Nov 2008), Tanjung Offshore had clinched major deals such as the RM41mil job for the provision of engineering equipment awarded by Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd, a RM50mil contract for the provision of maintenance and support services from Murphy Oil and a RM30mil order from Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd. The projects are expected to last between six months and four years.
On expansion plans. about RM200mil will be invested to expand its existing fleet over the next 12 months.

Tanjung Offshore is also expanding its maintenance services business by setting up a fifth workshop. It currently operates four workshops in Kemaman and Teluk Kalong in Terengganu, as well as in Miri and Labuan in east Malaysia.

KPS/Puncak Niaga/JAKS ... Nov 2008

Market talk was that the consolidation between the two players (KPS & Puncak Niaga) could be concluded by year-end. Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB), the investment arm of the Selangor state government, has 60% equity in KPS.

As part of a consolidation exercise, KDEB has been looking to either buy over Puncak Niaga or its assets, (70% unit Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd or Syabas) and 82.5% subsidiary Puncak Niaga Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd), and has had meetings with Rozali towards this end, with no real outcome.

DRB-Hicom Bhd/EON ... Nov 2008

DRB-Hicom could emerge as a shareholder of Proton holdings Bhd, once the consolidation of DRB-Hicom’s EON Bhd unit and Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, the distribution arm of proton, takes place.

Industry observers say one proposal being mulled involved DRB-Hicom buying up all the non-Proton related business under EON, and injecting the company into Proton for shares.

A top official of EON confirmed that this was one of the possibilities, but declined to elaborate, saying that the matter was being discussed by EON’s parent, that is, DRB-Hicom.

EON and Proton Edar are both involved in the distribution of Proton vehicles, where EON is a master dealer for national automaker, while Proton Edar is the wholly-owned distribution arm of Proton.

Among the non-Proton related cars under EON are, the Audi, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi and Suzuki franchises.

Some assets under EON have already been taken over by DRN-Hicom, such as a 26-acre plot of land in Glenmarie, which DRB-Hicom is now in the midst of developing.

At present, DRB-Hicom is in the midst of placing a price tag on EON, to determine the number of Proton shares it can negotiate for.

EON is 79.1% controlled by DRB-Hicom has been suspended from trading since Jan 2008 due to a lack of public shareholding spread, which stands at only some 8.8%. At present, Proton’s largest shareholder is state controlled investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd, which has 42.7% equity in the automaker.

The companies had earlier said that their aim was to work towards possible collaboration in rationalizing the existing Proton-EON distribution sales and services network as well as the rationalization of investee companies within the Proton Group.

Much of EON’s woes have been a result of intense competition with Proton Edar.

THE MILLAU VIADUCT

THE MILLAU VIADUCT is part of the new E11 expressway connecting Paris and Barcelona and features the highest bridge piers ever constructed. The tallest is 240 meters high and the overall height will be an impressive 336 meters, making this the highest bridge in the world.

Have U ever heard about LPG gas cylinder's expirydate?

Expired Cylinders are not safe for use and may cause accidents.
Inthis regard please be cautious at the time of accepting
anyLPG cylinder from the Vendor.

Here is how we can check the expiry of LPG cylinders:
On one of three side stems of the cylinder,
theexpiry date is coded alpha numerically as follows A or B or C or D and some twodigit number following this e.g. D06.

The alphabets stand for quarters -
1. A for March (First Qtr),
2. B for June (Second Qtr),
3. C for Sept (Third Qtr), &
4. D for December (Fourth Qtr).

The digits stand for the year till it isvalid.

Picture1.
Hence D06 would mean December qtr of 2006.
Please Return Back the Cylinder that you get with aExpiry Date,
they are prone to Leak and other Hazardous accidents...

Picture2.
The second example with D13 allows thecylinder to be in use until Dec 2013.

TMI ... Nov 2008

Its Indonesian unit, PT Excelcomindo Pratama Tbx (XL), is on track to complete the planed sale of its telecommunications towers for close to US$1 billion to fund its expansion and repay debt.

A decision is expected by November 2008 … Plans are unaffected by the credit crunch. It is expected to raise to raise between US$700 million and US$900 million form the 7000 towers.

The buyer will be locally incorporated, fulfilling the government’s conditions. But the funding can be from local and foreign sources … the buyers have expressed their commitment.

Funds from the sale would help XL with the US$1.25 billion in capital expenditure it planned to spend in 2008.

While the sale of the towers is on track, it is unlikely that the divestment of TMI’s stake in XL might be delayed due to the depressed equity prices.

TMI will dispose of between 10% and 15% of its holdings in XL to put more XL shares in the hands of the public. TMI controls 83.8% of XL while UAE’s Emirates Telecommunications Corp has a 15.97% stakes.

The sale of TMI’s 10% stake in XL would have fetched TMI about RM598 million eight months but in Oct 2008, it is worth Rm200 million.
XL’s plan to spin off its towers was hit by ruling by Indonesia’s Communications and IT Ministry in mid March 2008, which banned foreigners from taking equity in companies that build and operate telecommunication towers.

The planned spin off is expected to improve XL’s return on assets as well as return on employed capital. The towers were seen as very attractive assets as XL had sealed tower leasing agreements with smaller rivals.

YTL Corp Bhd ... Nov 2008

It is acquiring stakes in two real estate investment trusts (REITs) management companies in Singapore from Macquarie Bank Ltd for S$285mil. It would acquire about 26% of Singapore-listed Macquarie Prime REIT (MP REIT) and 50% of Prime REIT Management Holdings Pte Ltd (PRMH).

Under the corporate exercise, YTL Corp would acquire 247.1 million units of MP REIT at 82 cents, which is at a discount of 49% to MP REIT’s net asset value per unit.

The acquisition of 50% of PRMH together with the units allows YTL Corp to control the REIT.

MP REIt has stakes in two of the most prominet properties along Orchard Road, namely Ngee Ann City and Wisma Atria. The REIT also wholly owns seven propeerties in Tokyo, Japan, and the Spring Zongbei Dept store in China. As at end Sept 2008, the REIT’s total properties were valued at S$2.2 billion.

What is clear is that despite owning just 27.23% of Ngee Ann City and 74.23% of Wisma Atria, which contains a mix of retail and office space, the bulk of the REIT’s revenue and net property income is still generated by the retail portion of these two Singapore assets.

MP REIT’s gearing ratio is 28.9%. About 89.4% of its total debt of S$662 million is fixed rate and there is no significant financing due until then.

IJM/Gamuda

Previously, there had been speculation that IJM and Gamuda are planning to merge. But no, would such a merger still merit?

The global financial crisis is not only hurting construction players like Gamuda and IJM but also the pockets of the wealthy Middle East funds as well. The Arabs now (Oct 2008) earn less in terms of petrol dollars as the crude oil price has tumbled and they are seeing their assets shrinking in values.

With the world’s economy at risk of grinding to a near halt, the brakes may be applied on the construction and development activities in the Gulf region that until recently had been growing at a break neck pace. This could be ultimately translate into a possible shift in investment priorities among the Middle Eastern funds and that could change the earlier plans for IJM and Gamuda.

A source familiar with the IJM and Gamuda deal assures that the plan is still moving along. Negotiations with certain parties are taking some time.

Skim Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB), a unit of PMB, has been accumulating shares in Gamuda.

ASB recently emerged as a substantial shareholder in Gamuda with a 5.08% stake as at Oct 2008. ASB is now the third largest shareholder in Gamuda.

Over at IJM, the EPF raised its holding to 20.95% as Oct 2008.

Equine/Malton ... Nov 2008

Datuk Desmond Lim Siew Choon, the owner of property development firm Malton Bhd has denied the speculation that it has acquired an interest in Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd – the company that was to develop the PGCC.

Lim says neither he nor Malton is involved in PGCC project nor do they have any link to Kiara Ikhtisas Sdn Bhd – the company that acquired a 25% stake in Abad Naluri recently.

Although the Rm25 billion PGCC project has been shelved by the MPP, interest in Abad Naluri appears to be still there.

Property developer Equine on Oct 21, 2008 disposed of its 25% stake in Abad Naluri for RM2 million cash to privately held Kiara Ikhtisas. Kiara Ikhtisas’s directors include Tan Sri Zainol Mahmood (with a 50% stake), who is also the chairman of Urusharta Cemerlang Sdn Bhd – the developer of Pavilion KL. The development manager of Pavilion KL was Malton’s once wholly owned subsidiary KL Pavilion Sdn Bhd (KLP).

Malton entered a share sale agreement with Gematunas Sdn Bhd to dispose of its entire equity interest in KLP for RM2.54 million on Oct 13, 2008. Gematunas is a privately owned company that was incorporated in March 2008.

So now (Oct 2008) that Abad Naluri’s jewel in the crown project has been halted, what exactly is the reason for the company’s attractions? Could Abad Naluri’s appeal to the MPPP to review the rejection of its proposed development plans have something to do with it?

Another part of the Abad Naluri story is tied up with a parcel of land in Batu Kawan which it is reported to have bought from the PTC for Rm488 million in 2002. The purchase price was said to be satisfied by Abad Naluri undertaking to build a RM375 million equestrian centre there for the turf club to be relocated. The rest was to be paid by cash.

Now (Oct 2008), with the PGCC project has been halted, industry observers believe the land deal between Abad Naluri and PTC would not go through. They say the land occupied by the present racecourse would be transferred to the developers only when the equestrian centre was completed and handed over to the PTC.

Latest information shows that Abad Naluri accrued RM2.7 million in revenue and Rm4.6 million in net profit for FY2007 ended March 2008. It has Rm1.2 million worth of fixed assets, RM38.6 million of current assets and RM534 million of assets as at March 31, 2008. Its current liabilities stood at rm569 million.

Brem ... Nov 2008

It is understood to have emerged as the front runner to bag a Rm600 million contract to build a 12km road which forms part of the South Klang Valley Expressway. The company is understood to be close to securing a letter of intent from the Works Ministry, but it is not known when exactly the job will be awarded.

Sources say the high cost of the road project is due to the ‘soft terrain of the proposed highway, which would entail more reinforcement work.

It is not clear if Brem will shoulder the job alone or rope in partners to assist in the relatively large undertaking.

The SKVE is a 40km highway linking Pulau Indah on the west coast to the interchange of the Damansara Puchong Highway. The SKVE project was valued at RM1.1 billion, and was given to Muhibbah Engineering in July 2008.

It is unclear how large a margin the contract may hold for Brem, but it is unlikely to be significant.

About Brem …

For its 1QFY2008 ended June 2008, it posted a net profit of RM3 million on the back of Rm32 million in revenue. The strong profits in 1QFY2008 was a result of the disposal of Kelana Brem Towers for RM25.7 million.

The company’s profit generators are its property development arm and its water concession business, which accounted for some 87% of gross profits. This could change with the new contract.

Brem’s main construction arms are Brem Construction Sdm Bhd and Brem Maju Sdn Bhd in which the company has 82% and 50% equity, respectively. Its water division operates mainly in Papua New Guinea, where it has a 51% stake in PNG Water Ltd.

Most of its property development businesses are parked under its 75% owned Harmony Property Sdn Bhd and wholly owned Naga Istimewa Sdn Bhd. It also has a property company, Brem Zhuhai Investment Ltd, incorporated in China.

How Brem will undertake a job of this size remains to be seen. As at end June 2008, Brem has cash bank balances and short term depositors of about RM22.3 million, while its trade and receivables amounted to Rm62.7 million. Its current liabilities, namely trade receivables and bank borrowings, amounted to about RM60 million.

Brem’s cash flow positions as at end June 2008 was Rm14.1million, down from RM42.7 million a year earlier.

The company’s largest shareholder is Khoo Chai Kaa, whoc is the MD of Brem and controls 27.5% of the company’s equity, via direct and indirect stakes. Lembaga Tabung Haji emerged as a substantial shareholder in Oct 2007, with a 5% stake but has since upped it to 6.4% in early 2008.

It is not clear if Brem us looking to raise funds from its shareholders to take on the job.

At present, the only announcements to Bursa Malaysia seems to be that of share buybacks.

Is this your h/p number?

1) Key-in the first 3 digit of your handphone number
(not the 01x number) into the calculator
2) multiply by 80
3) add 1
4) multiply by 250
5) plus last four digit of phone number
6) plus last four digit of phone number again
7) minus 250
8) divide by 2 at last

Is it your hand phone number????
AMAZING ISN'T IT!!!

5 Don'ts when you are sleeping

DON'T SLEEP WITH WATCH
Watches can emit a certain level of radioactivity. Though small, but if you wear your watch to bed for a long time, it might have adverse effects on your health.

DON'T SLEEP WITH PHONE
Putting the phone beside your bed or anywhere near you is not encouraged. Though some of us will use phones as alarm clocks, but please put the phone as far as possible. Scientists have proved that electrical items including mobile phone and television sets emit magnetic waves when used. These waves can cause disruptions to our nervous system. Therefore if you need to put your mobile phone near you, switch it off first.

DON'T SLEEP WITH MAKE UP
People who sleep with make up might have skin problems in the long run. Sleeping with make up will cause the skin to have difficulty in breathing and problem in perspiring. You will also need a much longer time to go into deep sleep.

DON'T SLEEP WITH BRA
Scientists in America have discovered those that wear bras for more than 12 hours have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. So go to bed without it.

DON'T SLEEP WITH OTHERS' WIFE
You may never wake up again....