Thursday, June 26, 2008

Explosive Materials in Expert Witness.

Techniques and Instrumentation.
Innovations in Explosives Investigation:
Modelling and Numerical Methods.
Other Innovations in Explosives Investigations.
Methods and Techniques (Methodology) for Sample Collection at Explosion Scene.
The Chain of Custody in the Investigation of the Deflagration.
Virtual Methods for Explosives Investigation.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Support TURKEY For EURO 2008


Turkey telah membuat upset dengan layak ke separuh akhir dengan mengalahkan pasukan Croatia. I don't believe it... kata-kata pengulas sukan untuk game tersebut. Gol pada saat-sat terakhir itu menunjukkan semangat juang pasukan Turkey. Turkey akan melawan Jerman pada peringkat separuh akhir nanti. Marilah kita menyokong satu-satunya pasukan dari negara yang mempunyai majoriti penduduk Islam akan berpeluang menakluki Eropah. Jom kita support Turkey....

Friday, June 13, 2008

SUZUKI SX4

The cross-over concept is a fairly recent one, having appeared during this decade. It’s essentially an ‘evolution’ of the SUV bodystyle, merging the best features of the SUV with the MPV and stationwagon – while offering a comfortable ride and sedan-like handling. The emergence of this new genre of bodystyles was probably in response to changing lifestyles where outdoor activities are more common and therefore there has been a need for a versatile vehicle. The traditional bodystyles like the stationwagon and MPV are, well, traditional and to appeal to the new generation of consumers, a ‘cross-over’ has been created.

The Suzuki SX4 is such a vehicle and takes the best of Suzuki’s DNA from its compact cars like the Swift and mixes it with the small SUV heritage that the company is also known for. An Italian studio was brought in to collaborate on the styling which was important since the SX4 is a major model for Suzuki in Europe to the extent that they are even building it there (in Hungary).

For the SX4, a new platform was developed and this is an evolution of the one used for the Swift. The suspension – comprising MacPherson struts in front and a rear torsion beam – was thoroughly tested in Europe to give the SX4 handling dynamics that European drivers would like. Thus it is said to offer crisp and responsive handling without compromising comfort. Incidentally, the SX4 is the model which Suzuki will use to compete in the World Rally Championship starting with the 2008 season.

As can be seen, the SX4 sits up high 175 mm off the ground, allowing it to travel over rough terrain without scraping its underside. Large 16-inch wheels contribute to the generous ground clearance and the tracks are also wide for stability, important as the vehicle is on the tall side.


The SX4 is available with 2WD and 4WD drivetrains but for now, Suzuki Malaysia Automobile (SMA) is importing only the 2WD variant from Japan in CBU form. According to SMA CEO Bastamam Hamzah, demand for the SX4 is great and Suzuki Japan is not ready to offer the 4WD variant in Malaysia. “It is being looked at and when the time is right and more importantly, production can be allocated for Malaysia, then we will of course add it to the line-up,” he said.

The front wheels get 102 bhp/140 Nm from the 1.6-litre 16-valve petrol engine via a 4-speed automatic transmission. The engine, which is a milder version of that used in the Swift Sport, is a long-stroker so torque should be stronger and with variable valve timing on the intake side, there is no compromise on either end of the rev range.

The cabin of the SX4 bears the hallmarks of Suzuki cars and there is a certain familiarity in the layout and touchpoints of the dashboard. Clean and functional would best describe the dashboard which includes a tripcomputer (to tell the fuel consumption) tucked into a recess in the centre section. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has control switches to operate the audio system which is MP3/WMA compatible.

The 2500 mm wheelbase and 1755 mm wide body promises spacious and comfortable accommodation for five. Depending on what has to be carried, the rear backrests which are divided in a 60:40 ratio can be folded down, extending the cargo floor area and increase cargo volume. According to the German VDA method of measurement, the cargo volume can go up to 1045 litres, 3.8 times the volume available when both backrests are up.

As for safety, Suzuki has made sure it’s as safe as possible and apart from the strong, rigid body, there is also ABS + EBD and Brake Assist. Two airbags are standard for the front and needless to say, all five occupants have seatbelts.

For a CBU import from Japan, the asking price of RM89,973 (RM94,377 with glass tinting and leather upholstery) is attractive and should draw some people away from recent new models in the same price range. However, SMA is not aiming for big numbers yet and expects to sell 50 units a month.

Encik Bastamam said that local assembly is also being studied and SMA’s parent company, DRB-HICOM is certainly keen to see more models assembled at its Pekan, Pahang, plant which has advanced manufacturing equipment and is so far only doing the Swift. However, it is possible that the 5-door SX4 might not be the one assembled as there is also a 4-door sedan variant and Malaysia being a sedan market, it would make more sense to assemble that variant

Delegates From South Africa


Delegates from South Africa who attend the seminar. From left, Mr Andile Ngandela, Mr Pierre Terblance and Australia (right).

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Seminar For Cranes Updates On safety and Regulatory Isues


A half day seminar was held on 12 June 2008 at 1300hr. Department Of Occupational Safety And Health malaysia (DOSH) had present one paper regarding Cranes Updates On Regulatory Issues. Other speakers is Mr. Jack Wray from UK, Mr Hannu Rantalla from KoneCranes, Finland, Mr Raymond Allen, Wire Rope Expert from UK, Mr Dennis Escktine from USA and from Bahagian Kejuruteraan Forensik DOSH , represent DOSH Malaysia.

Reduce Oil Subsidy... Where the money gone?

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written by ez24get, June 12, 2008 | 14:10:05
Looking at the list below, it looks like the BN government are more determined to help themselves rather than the citizens.

And this list below is not even barely exhaustive as these are the ones uncovered – the tip of the ice-berg, if you might want to put it! What lies beneath could be much larger:-

1. The Bank Bumiputra twin scandals in the early 1980s saw US$1 billion (RM3.2 billion in 2008 ringgit)

2. The Maminco attempt to corner the world tin market in the 1980s is believed to have cost some US$500 million. (RM1.6 billion)

3. Betting in foreign exchange futures cost Bank Negara Malaysia RM30 billion in the 1990s.

4. Perwaja Steel resulted in losses of US$800 million (RM2.56 billion). Eric Chia, was charged with corruption for allegedly steering US$20 million (RM64 million) to a Hong Kong-based company

5. Use of RM10 billion public funds in the Valuecap Sdn. Bhd. operation to shore up the stock market

6. Banking scandal of RM700 million losses in Bank Islam

7. The sale of M.V. Agusta by Proton for one Euro making a loss of €75.99 million (RM 348 million)

8. Wang Ehsan from oil royalty on Terengganu RM7.4 billion from 2004 – 2007

9. For the past 10 years since Philharmonic Orchestra was established, this orchestra has swallowed a total of RM500 million

10. In Advisors Fees, Mahathir was paid RM180,000, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (women and social development affairs) RM404,726 and Abdul Hamid Othman (religious) RM549,675 per annum

11. The government has spent a total of RM3.2 billion in teaching Maths and Science in English over the past five years. Out of the amount, the government paid a whopping RM2.21 billion for the purchase of information and computer technology (ICT) equipments which it is unable to give a breakdown.

12. The commission paid for purchase of jets and submarines to two private companies Perimeker Sdn Bhd and IMT Defence Sdn Bhd amounted to RM910 million.

13. RM300 million to compensate Gerbang Perdana for the RM1.1 billion “Crooked Scenic Half-Bridge”

14. RM1.3 billion have been wasted building the white elephant Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facilities on cancellation of the Malaysia-Singapore scenic bridge

15. RM 100 million on renovation of Parliament building and leaks

16. National Astronaut Programme - RM 40 million

17. National Service Training Programme - yearly an estimate of RM 500 million

18. Eye on Malaysia - RM 30 million and another RM5.7 million of free ticket

19. RM 4.63 billion, ’soft-loan’ to PKFZ

20. RM 2.4 million on indelible ink

21. Samy announced in September 2006 that the government paid compensation amounting to RM 38.5 billion to 20 highway companies. RM 380 million windfalls for 9 toll concessionaires earned solely from the toll hike in 2008 alone.

22. RM32 million timber export kickbacks involving companies connected to Sarawak Chief Minister and his family

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Bailouts -
23. Two bailouts of Malaysia Airline System RM7.9 billion. At a time when MAS incurring losses every year, RM1.55 million used to buy three paintings to decorate its chairman's (Munir) office.
24. Putra transport system bailout which cost RM4.486 billion
25. STAR-LRT bailout costing RM3.256 billion
26. National Sewerage System bailout costing RM192.54 million
27. Seremban-Port Dickson Highway bailout costing RM142 million
28. Kuching Prison bailout costing RM135 million
29. Kajian Makanan dan Gunaan Orang Islam bailout costing RM8.3 million
30. Le Tour de Langkawi bailout costing RM 3.5 Million

31. Wholesale distribution of tens of millions of shares in Bursa Malaysia under guise of NEP to cronies, children and relatives of BN leaders and Ministers worth billions of ringgits.

32. APs scandal had been going on year-after-year going back for more than three decades, involving a total mind-boggling sum of tens of billions of ringgits

33. Alienation of tens of thousands of hectares of commercial lands and forestry concessions to children and relatives of BN leaders and Ministers worth tens of billions of ringgits

34. Travel around Malaysia and see for yourself how many white elephants like majestic arches, roads paved with fanciful bricks, designer lamp posts, clock towers, Municipal Council buildings that looks more like Istanas, extravagant places of worship, refurbishment of residences of VIPs, abandoned or under-utilised government sports complexes and buildings, etc! Combined they could easily amount to the hundreds of billions of ringgits!

35. Since 1997, Petronas has handed out a staggering 30 billion ringgit in
natural gas subsidies to IPPs who were making huge profits. In addition, there were much wastages and forward trading of Petronas oil in the 1990s based on the low price of oil then. Since the accounts of Petronas are for the eyes of Prime Minister only, we have absolutely no idea of the amount. Whatever amount, you bet it is COLLOSSAL!

In Time Asia magazine issue on March 15 2004, South East Asian economist at Morgan Stanley in Singapore Daniel Lian, figures “that the country may have lost as much as U$$100 billion (RM320 billion) since the early 1980s to corruption.” Mind you, this is only corruption and it does not include wastages and mismanagements which could be higher!

If the above list (which represent moneys saved) is added to the nation’s coffer and together with Petronas profits, palm oil profits and profits from rubber, tin, agriculture produce, aquaculture produce, electronic and hardware exports, etc, for the past 5 decades, we can all agree on one thing - our country could be wealthier than Venezuela who has little resources except for oil.

The petrol in Venezuela is RM0.16 per litre!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

OIL PRICES by Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammad

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Oil Price
(VERSI BAHASA MALAYSIA AKAN MENYUSUL)The price of crude oil has increased by 400 percent in the last three years. It follows that the price of products must increase, sooner or later. In other countries petrol prices had already increased. In the United Kingdom one litre of petrol sells for more than one pound sterling or RM7. In the United States it is about RM5.That the price in neighbouring countries has gone up is shown by the rush to fill up by Thai and to a lesser extent Singapore vehicles.The Government has now announced an increase in petrol price by 78 sen to RM2.70 per litre, an increase of more than 40 per cent. I may be mistaken but there seems to be less vehicles on the road today. But obviously that is not all that will happen. All other consumer goods, services and luxury goods would increase in price.The cost of living must go up. Put another way there will be inflation and the standard of living will go down.Obviously our increase in petrol price is far less than in the United Kingdom or the United States. But our per capita income is about one-third of theirs. In purchasing power terms our increase is more than in the UK or the US.The increase hurts but the pain is greater not just because of the increase percentage-wise is higher than in developed countries but because of the manner the increase is made.A few days ago the Government decided to ban sale of petrol to foreign cars. It flipped. Now foreign cars can buy again. Flopped.Knowing that in a few days it was going to raise the price and foreigners would be allowed to buy, why cannot the Government just wait instead of banning and unbanning.But be that as it may what could the Government have done to lessen the burden on the people that results from the increase in petrol price.In the first place the Government should not have floated the Ringgit. A floating rate creates uncertainties and we cannot gain anything from the strengthened Ringgit. Certainly the people have not exprienced any increase in their purchasing power because of the appreciation in the exchange rate between the US Dollar and the Ringgit.Actually the Ringgit has increased by about 80 sen (from RM3.80 to RM3.08 to 1 US Dollar) per US Dollar, i.e. by more than 20 per cent. Had the Government retained the fixed rate system and increased the value of the Ringgit, say 10 per cent at a time, the cost of imports, in Ringgit terms can be monitored and reduced by 10 per cent. At 20 per cent appreciation the cost of imports should decrease by 20 per cent. But we know the prices of imported goods or services have not decreased at all. This means we are paying 20 per cent higher for our imports including the raw material and components for our industries.Since oil prices are fixed in US Dollar, the increase in US Dollar prices of oil should also be mitigated by 20 per cent in Malaysian Ringgit.But the Government wants to please the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and decided to float the Ringgit. As a result the strengthening of the Ringgit merely increased our cost of exports without giving our people the benefit of lower cost of imports.This is not wisdom after the event. I had actually told a Government Minister not to float the Ringgit three years ago. But of course I am not an expert, certainly I know little about the international financial regimes.I believe the people expect the increase of petrol price. But what they are angry about is the quantum and the suddenness. The Prime Minister was hinting at August but suddenly it came two months earlier, just after the ban on sale of petrol to foreigners.If the increase had been more gradual, the people would not feel it so much. But of course this means that the Government would have to subsidise, though to a decreasing extent.Can the Government subsidise? I am the “adviser” to Petronas but I know very little about it beyond what is published in its accounts. What I do know may not be very accurate but should be sufficient for me to draw certain conclusions.Roughly Malaysia produces 650,000 barrels of crude per day. We consume 400,000 barrels leaving 250,000 barrels to be exported.Three years ago the selling price of crude was about USD30 per barrel. Today it is USD130 – an increase of USD100. There is hardly any increase in the production cost so that the extra USD100 can be considered as pure profit.Our 250,000 barrels of export should earn us 250,000 x 100 x 365 x 3 = RM27,375,000,000 (twenty seven billion Ringgit).But Petronas made a profit of well over RM70 billion, all of which belong to the Government.By all accounts the Government is flushed with money.But besides petrol the prices of palm oil, rubber and tin have also increased by about 400 per cent. Plantation companies and banks now earn as much as RM3 billion in profits each. Taxes paid by them must have also increased greatly.I feel sure that maintaining the subsidy and gradually decreasing it would not hurt the Government finances.In the medium term ways and means must be found to reduce wasteful consumption and increase income. We may not be able to fix the minimum wage at a high level but certainly we can improve the minimum wage.Actually our wages are high compared to some of our neighbours. The investors who come here are attracted not by cheap labour but by other factors, among which is the attitude of the Government towards the business community and the investors in particular.From what I hear business friendliness is wanting in the present Government – so much so that even Malaysians are investing in other countries. There are rumblings about political affiliations influencing decisions. Generally Government politicians are said to be arrogant.Malaysia is short of manpower. The labour intensive industries are not benefiting Malaysians. Foreign workers are remitting huge sums of money home.The industrial policy must change so that high tech is promoted in order to give Malaysians higher wages to cope with rising costs of living.The world is facing economic turmoil due to the depreciation of the US Dollar, the sub-prime loan crisis, rising oil and raw material prices, food shortages and the continued activities of the greedy hedge funds. The possibility of a US recession is real. In a way the US is already in recession. The world economy will be dragged down by it.Malaysia will be affected by all these problems. I wonder whether the Government is prepared for this.We cannot avoid all the negative effects but there must be ways to mitigate against them and to lessen the burden that must be borne by all Malaysians. I am sure the Government will not just pass all these problems to the people as the review of oil prices every month seem to suggest.

Petrol will be RM2.70 a litre at midnight tonight

The new price of premium leaded petrol (ULG 97) is RM2.70 per litre beginning midnight tonight, it was announced a moment ago. The price for ULG 92 petrol per litre went up by 74 sen to RM2.62. Diesel will go up by RM1 per litre to RM2.58. The 78 sen hike or 40 per cent increase for the ULG 97 petrol is still below the antiticpated RM4 per litre price projected earlier and among the cheapest in Asia. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at a news conference

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Malaysia to let fuel prices rise


Malaysia is to remove controls on fuel prices from August, allowing petrol and diesel prices to rise.
A new price structure will mean that the price at the pump "will depend on global market prices", said cabinet minister Shahrir Abdul Samad.
Malaysia currently has some of the world's cheapest fuel prices, but the subsidies are expected to cost it about $14bn (£7bn) this year.
There will be different measures to subsidise those on lower incomes.
Cash handouts and fuel quotas are among the measures being considered.
Full details of the new system will be released on Wednesday.
End speculation
Petrol currently costs 1.92 ringgit (59 US cents; 30 pence) per litre, which is less than half the price in neighbouring Singapore.
Malaysia is a net exporter of oil and so has been gaining from rising fuel prices, but the subsidy on pump prices has still been a big drain on its treasury.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called for drastic measures to ensure food and fuel security, including banning oil speculation.
"The international community must be prepared to consider bold and unprecedented measures," he said.
He suggested one option might be to suspend trading of oil on futures markets.
Story from BBC NEWS:

Perfect place to continue your education in UK's university.

Why is Salford the perfect place to continue your education?

The University of Salford is only a 15 minute walk from Manchester?s cosmopolitan city centre
You?re close to a city with the biggest student population in Europe, with over 100,000 students
Whatever your interests, Manchester offers something for everyone ? from world-class sport, art and entertainment, to shopping, nightlife and, of course, a very warm welcome!

2,500 international students from more than 130 countries are currently studying at Salford
Find out more about what it is really like to be a student at the University of Salford
We guarantee accommodation to all new international students who apply early
There are mentoring schemes for first years and all of our students are assigned a personal tutor. What's more, the Students' Union, Student Assistance Office and the Research & Graduate College are there to make life easier
To boost your skills in English we offer English for Academic Purposes programmes from which you can choose from a menu of modules.
I hope that this information helps in your decision to select The University of Salford as your first choice to study in the UK. If there is anything else you would like to know, please do not hesitate to contact me.

China Earthquake

June 04, 2008 : China A Chinese Daoist nun walks in front of a pagoda damaged by the 12 May 2008 earthquake at the Yang Ping Daoist Temple in Xinxin town, rural Penzhou, Sichuan province, China, 02 June 2008. The death toll of China's worst earthquake in three decades has nearly reached 70,000 people. Authorities are scrambling to provide enough food, water and shelter to millions of refugees. Mudslides and flooding continue to pose a serious threat as summer rains approach

Harga Petrol Akan Naik

Malaysia bercadang untuk menghapuskan subsidi harga petrol. Berapakah harga petrol yang baru? Kita masih menunggu.... Jikalau Negara Brunei telah menghadkan pembelian minyak untuk warganegara asing setakat BS10.00 untuk perol dan BS6.00 sahaja untuk disesel dan pembelian hanya boleh dijalankan di stesen petrol terpilih sahaja, bagaimana pula dengan kaedah negara kita untuk membendung pembelian minyak petrol oleh warganegara asing?