APPROVED permits, which created a lot of problems for former international trade and industry minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz three years ago, returned to haunt her yesterday when an opposition member alleged that her relatives had received them during her tenure.

Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) alleged that her ministry had issued approved permits, used for importing cars, to her relatives, including a niece, long after the government had decided to ban the issuing of franchise APs.

After the decision to ban franchise APs was made in 2005, Azmin said the then Miti secretary-general Tan Sri Sidek Hassan had approved the issue of permits to Autostadt Sdn Bhd for the import of Volkswagen cars.

“He did it without the knowledge of the committee formed specifically for the purpose of issuing APs.

“What is more disturbing is that Autostadt to this day has no showroom or sales and service centres which are a requisite for the issue of such franchise APs.”
Azmin said this when he sought clarification from Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Jacob Dungau Sagan, who was winding up the debate on allocations for the ministry at the committee stage.

Azmin said Autostadt’s shareholder was Zulkifli Ishak and his wife, Annie Tajul Arus, who is said to be Rafidah’s niece. Rafidah, who is the Kuala Kangsar MP, was not in the house yesterday.

Azmin alleged that another company, Amira Venture Sdn Bhd, which was also connected to Rafidah through a relative, had been issued open APs which allow any type of car to be brought in over a period of two years.

He did not give the names of the company directors or how they were related to Rafidah.

He said Amira received 150 APs in 2007 and was given 225 this year.

“How were they issued APs?” he asked Jacob.

In reply, Jacob said his ministry was carrying out an audit on all the APs that were issued and would be able to give a clearer picture later on.

Replying to a point made by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur), he said the issuing of APs by the government was in decline. He said 70,381 APs were issued in 2005, 60,460 in 2006, 50,304 in 2007 and 44,168 this year.

“This shows a declining trend and not as claimed by Ipoh Timur (Lim).”

Lim had alleged that APs were being issued as part of the Umno election power play and many Umno members, particularly delegates, had been given permits.

Speaking in the Parliament lobby later, Azmin said the ministry had to explain how the APs were being issued to market players.

He noted that 77 companies had been issued 45,686 permits from 2004 to 2007.

“The problem is not the issue of permits but the way they were being distributed. On the average, all 77 companies should each receive 600 APs, but that is not the case.

“Some, like Naza Konsortium Sdn Bhd were given 8,431 permits from 2004 to 2006. Surely, this is an unusually large number of APs for one company.”

He said, at RM50,000 for each AP, Naza would stand to make more than RM420 million without even bringing in a single vehicle.

New Straits Times

PETALING JAYA: Asimo, the world’s first humanoid robot, is in Malaysia for a road tour until Nov 30.

Brought in by Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Asimo, an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, is able to run, grip objects and recognise people.

“Asimo is compact and lightweight, with advanced walking technology. It is easy to operate, people-friendly and designed to operate better in a real-world environment,” said Honda Malaysia’s managing director and chief executive officer Atsushi Fujimoto yesterday.
He revealed that research and development time on Asimo was 22 years, and he expressed the hope that the 1.3 metre tall robot would be able to help human beings in their daily life when it was fully developed. He also said Honda would continue its efforts to create a more advance humanoid robot.

Asimo will be at the One Utama shopping complex here until Nov 16, at City Square in Johor Baru from Nov 20 to 23, and at Queensbay Mall in Penang from Nov 27 to 30. For more details, log on to www.honda.com.my/asimo. — Bernama

New Straits Times

Mock summonses will be slapped on rear passengers who do not wear seat belts beginning Dec 16, said Road Safety Department (JKJR) director-general Datuk Suret Singh today.

He said the police and the Road Safety Department will issue the mock summonses to remind people not to take the new ruling lightly.

“The mock summonses are the last warning…it is just a warning and there is no fine. But beginning Jan 1, passengers who do not wear seat belts will be summoned,” Suret told reporters before launching a road safety advocation campaign jointly organised by JKJR and UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd at the Sungai Besi toll plaza here.

Suret said a study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) found that of the 6,282 road deaths reported last year, more than 360 deaths, more than 700 serious injuries, and more than 1,200 light injuries involving rear passengers could have been avoided if they had been wearing seat belts.

As such, he urged people get used to the practice of wearing rear seat belts and not wait for the new ruling to be enforced.

Suret repeated that the ruling was mandatory for all vehicles except those registered before Jan 1, 1995.

For those registered after that date and did not have rear seat belts, owners are given three years beginning Jan 1 to have them fitted.

On the understanding between JKJR and car manufacturers on free fitting of rear seat belts, Suret said Proton would begin doing so beginning Dec 1 for 13 months, Perodua beginning Dec 16 (for two and a half years) while Honda had already started doing so from Oct 15 till March 2009.

In the advocacy campaign, 45 children aged seven to 12 years from the UMW Toyota Motor’s Traffic Heroes Club handed out 3,000 headrest bands and stickers to remind drivers and passengers of the ruling on rear seat belts.

New Straits Times

In a statement Toyota, which as the largest carmaker in Thailand compiles industry-wide monthly data, blamed eroding consumer confidence for five months of losses.

“Sales have plunged because of the financial crisis in the United States and uncertainties over Thai politics, coupled with the fact that the consumer confidence index hit a new low,” Toyota Motor Thailand said.

Political turmoil has engulfed the kingdom since anti-government protesters took to the streets in May and have occupied the prime minister’s offices since August, calling for the government to step down over corruption claims.

Total car sales in October reached 48,942 units with passenger car sales rising 20.4 per cent.

But commercial vehicle sales, which make up a far greater share of the market, fell 28.3 per cent and dragged overall figures down.

Three Japanese auto makers, Toyota, Isuzu and Honda account for 79.8 per cent of Thailand’s total car market.

Toyota predicted car sales in November would continue to shrink and Toyota has revised down its sales target for this year from 700,000 to 650,000 units, still 3.0 per cent higher than last year.

- AFP/yt

Channel News Asia

The airline said this week the biofuel will include 50 per cent standard jet fuel and synthetic fuel made from the oil from seeds of the jatropha plant.

Air New Zealand’s chief pilot David Morgan said the two-hour test flight would be held on December 3 with the jatropha blend fuelling one of the four engines.

“Various procedures will be carried out during the test flight to confirm and measure the performance of the engine being operated with this fuel,” Morgan said in a statement.

Rolls-Royce fuels specialist Chris Lewis said the properties of the fuel would be virtually indistinguishable from conventional fuel.

The jatropha oil will come from plants grown in east Africa and Air New Zealand said they could be grown in a range of difficult conditions, including arid and otherwise non-arable areas.

The test flight is a joint venture between Air New Zealand, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and UOP, a Honeywell company, and the airline said it was part of efforts to make commercial aviation more sustainable, amid climate change fears.

British-based Virgin Atlantic became the first airline to try a biofuel in February on a flight between London and Amsterdam, using a blend including coconut oil and babassu nut oil.

- AFP/ir

Channel News Asia

Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd is bringing ASIMO, the world’s first humanoid robot, to showcase its abilities in Malaysia during a road tour from Nov 14 to Nov 30, 2008.

The latest abilities of ASIMO, an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, included running, gripping objects and recognising people, said Honda Malaysia’s managing director and chief executive officer Atsushi Fujimoto.

“At the same time, bringing hope and inspiration as it progresses closer to one day ease people’s life through mobility innovations,” he told reporters at a media preview on ASIMO here today.

Asked whether Honda will commercialise ASIMO, Fujimoto said the company did not have such plan but it hoped for ASIMO to help human beings in their daily lives in the future when fully developed.

“ASIMO has features that are compact and lightweight, more advanced walking technology, wider arm operating parameters, and easy-to-operate and people-friendly design to operate better in the real-world environment,” he said.
Asked how much Honda had invested in research and development (R&D) on ASIMO, Fujimoto said the company could not reveal the total amount but the R&D covered a period of 22 years.

ASIMO, which made its debut on Oct 31, 2000, stands 1.3 metres tall and weighs 54 kilograms. Its size and height enables the robot to operate in the human living space, according to the company.

Honda will continue its R&D efforts to create a more advance humanoid robot with the aim to making it a possible assistant for people in the future, Fujimoto said.

“ASIMO is a result of Honda’s dream of creating an ideal robot that eases people’s lives as Honda strives to become a company that society wants to exist,” he said.

ASIMO will be present at the 1 Utama shopping complex in Petaling Jaya from Nov 14 to 16, City Square in Johor Baharu from Nov 20 to 23, and Queensbay Mall in Penang from Nov 27 to 30.

Those interested in more details about the robot can log on to www.honda.com.my/asimo.

New Straits Times

PROTON’S production is expected to be three times higher by 2015 to meet growing market demand.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said Proton was currently producing 150,000 units which was just enough to break even. He said when it came to economies of scale, Proton needed to produce at least 250,000 units. He said the company was looking at China to market its cars. Proton is to increase exports by 40 per cent by 2010.

New Straits Times

Qiu Weichang, deputy director of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, said the situation was being assessed and a decision would be announced next year.

“We’re doing the assessment. By next year we should be able to give you an answer,” he said in an interview late on Thursday.

China’s biggest city spent 240 million dollars on the state-of-the-art Shanghai International Circuit and hosted its first Formula One race in 2004.

But the event has been plagued by poor ticket sales and Qiu said its fate was in the balance.

“We want to create a win-win situation, for our side and for Bernie (Ecclestone, the Formula One chief) and the F1 organisers as well,” he said.

“If this is something we can do, and our cooperation is very happy and smooth, we will consider it.

“Of course we would like at least to break even. But there are two factors, one is the assessment the other part is the win-win situation that we can create.”

Qiu was also cool on the idea of night racing, which Ecclestone is pushing in Asia as a way to boost European TV audiences. Singapore held the first night Grand Prix in September.

“In Singapore… holding the event at night is a good way to attract tourists to a small country,” he said.

“I think Singapore is hosting this event in their own unique way but we have our own situation.”

Formula One events are often run at a loss with this year’s Australian Grand Prix going 27 million dollars into the red. France recently cut its race over money worries.

Asia is a huge growth market for the sport with South Korea due to host its first race in 2010 and India joining the circuit in 2011.

Shanghai’s ties have soured since Yu Zhifei, who helped bring Formula One to China, was jailed in January in a massive corruption crackdown that brought down the city’s top official.

The city has already pulled its annual Moto GP race, although Qiu said the circuit was in use for most of the year by car clubs and for private driving sessions.

“Even if we don’t run F1 after 2010 we should be able to cover our bases because events are taking place in the rest of the year over about 200 days,” he said.

“We want to turn it into Disneyland for cars. Fans can go there if they want to really enjoy F1-style driving and enjoy the thrill of driving at speed at this venue.

“Thanks to F1 we have already created this huge wave of car fever, so in that sense it is good news.”

- AFP/ir

Channel News Asia

It received the industry accolade at the Professional MotorSport World Annual Awards ceremony in Cologne, Germany on Tuesday.

Now in their third year, the awards recognise international motor sports endeavours.

The Singapore Grand Prix - the world’s first Formula One night race - was commended for its revolutionary track lighting. It also scored high points for the spectacular way in which the track was designed to weave through the heart of the city.

Other short-listed entries for this award included the European Grand Prix venue in Valencia, Spain; the new Toyota Racing Development chassis engineering building in Cologne, Germany; and a new racing facility in Sweden.

Other awards given out at the ceremony were for Safety Innovation, Testing Technology, Vehicle Development, Design Engineer and Team Principal of the Year.

- CNA/so

Channel News Asia

National carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd today announced a nationwide exercise costing RM7.3 million to fit rear centre seat belts for 225,930 cars it manufactured between 2004 and 2008.

The affected models, which were not pre-fitted with the centre seat belts, are the earlier Proton Saga model made between 2004 and 2008 (144,000 units), and the Gen2 model between 2004 and June 2008 (81,930 units).

These cars were fitted only with two rear seat belts, Proton said in a statement.

The exercise is conducted in conjunction with a ruling by the government requiring all three rear passengers to buckle up, it said.

Although the ruling is expected to be enforced beginning January 1 next year, car owners are given a three-year grace period to comply.
Proton managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said in view of the new ruling, the company will retrofit the centre rear seat belts for free on the affected cars.

“As a responsible car manufacturer, Proton supports the government’s move and believes that it should not burden the car buyers to pay for the extra seat belt,” he said, adding that this exercise was important for the passengers’ safety.

He advised car owners to not rush to the service centres as the installation will only be carried out upon prior appointment.

The exercise to retrofit the cars will begin on Dec 1, 2008, for Peninsular Malaysia and Jan 1, 2009, for Sabah and Sarawak.

Proton is expected to take about 13 months to complete the retrofitting exercise and the retrofitting service will be available at all Proton Edar Sdn Bhd and Edaran Otomobil Nasional Bhd (EON) service branches, as well as all service dealers nationwide.

To make appointments, customers can call the nearest service outlet. For information on service outlet locations and contact details, they can call the Proton i.care toll-free number 1300-880-888.

Alternatively, customers can register for an appointments via Proton Edar’s website at www.proton-edar.com.my.

Proton advsied customers to write down their car chassis number and the preferred colour before making an appointment either by phone or online registration.

Retrofitting work will take about 20 minutes per car.

New Straits Times