Korean Car Filed Bankruptcy Notice

One by one of those famous companies are packing up or facing financial difficulties in this current world recession. What world recession? It's already happening but not deep into it. Few days ago, I blogged about The Royal Bank of Scotland Berhad ...............

Now another foreign company that is having business interest in Malaysia has filed for bankruptcy at their home base. This time, it's Ssangyong Motor Company ("SMC") of South Korea.

SMC has been bought over by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. ("SAIC") which is based in China. SAIC in turn is owned by General Motors Corp. and Volkswagen AG. Pity those SMC staff as their salaries have not been paid since December 2008 and the shares have been suspended in the Korea Exchange.

The only Malaysian company that is distributing the Korean made cars, Competitive Supreme Sdn Bhd, could be faced with a dilemma. Will the distribution be affected? Will current Ssangyong car owners face problems in obtaining their car spare parts?

Just when I fell in love with their Ssangyong Actyon Sports.

Reading: Ssangyong Motor files for bankruptcy - China Daily
Tags: Ssangyong Motor Company, Competitive Supreme Sdn Bhd, Ssangyong Actyon Sports, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, Korean Made Car, South Korea

British-Owned Malaysian Bank To Be Sold Off?

I have not heard of this bank before, The Royal Bank of Scotland, until it took over ABN AMRO Bank Berhad in Malaysia (and worldwide too) as part of the Fortis / RBS / Santander consortium in year 2007.

Now, the same bank in Britain has declared an annual loss of £24.14 billion (US$34.4 billion) for 2008 which has been regarded as the biggest in British corporate history. Yeah, worse than the Barings' collapse that involved only £1.3 billion.

Will it be hard for The Royal Bank of Scotland Berhad to convince their customers to stay with them after hearing about this humonguous loss.

Or will the Malaysian operation be reduced or sold off as it was indicated that out of 54 countries that they are in, 36 countries' operations would be affected. Is Malaysia one of the 36?

Reading: RBS reports record corporate loss - BBC News/Business
Tags: The Royal Bank of Scotland, The Royal Bank of Scotland Berhad, Barings' Collapse

Message In A Bottle?????

A woman and a man are involved in a car accident on a snowy, cold Monday morning; it's a bad one.

Both of their cars are totally demolished but amazingly neither of them are hurt.

God works in mysterious ways. After they crawl out of their cars, the man is yelling about women drivers; the woman says, 'So you're a man. That's interesting. I'm a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left, but we're unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days'.

Flattered, the man replies, 'Oh yes, I agree with you completely, this must be a sign from God! But you're still at fault ... women shouldn't be allowed to drive.'

The woman continues, 'And look at this, here's another miracle. My car is completely demolished but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune.'

Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it and drinks half the bottle and then hands it back to the woman. The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cork back on, and hands it back to the man.

The man asks, 'Aren't you having any?'

The woman replies, 'No. I think I'll just wait for the police....'

Tags: Funny, Humour, Car Accident, Women Drivers

Singaporeans Caught Smuggling by Japanese

During the Japanese Occupation, 3 Singaporeans, Ah Meng, Ah Seng and Ah Beng were caught for smuggling. They were sentenced to death by firing squad. That night, Ah Meng came up with a plan. He told the others that the Japanese were afraid of natural disasters. So he would cause them to panic, and escape in the confusion.

The next morning, Ah Meng was led to the wall. The firing squad was lined up and the Captain commanded, "Ready.. Aim..", but before he could complete, Ah Meng shouted, "Earthquake!! Earthquake!" The Japanese soldiers panicked and Ah Meng made his escape.

Later, the soldiers took Ah Seng out and the firing squad were ready. The captain commanded, "Ready... Aim..." This time Ah Seng shouted. "Flood! Flood!!" Again, the Japanese soldiers panicked and this time, Ah Seng made his escape.

Observing all this, Ah Beng began to get the idea. "It's important to get the timing right."

Soon, it was Ah Beng's turn. "Timing, that's the key." Ah Beng kept saying to himself. The soldiers lined up in front of him.

The captain started, "Ready..."

"Timing," Ah Beng thought to himself.

"Aim..."

"Okay," thought Ah Beng, and shouted,

" FIRE!!! FIRE!!! "

Tags: Singaporean, Japanese, Japanese Occupation, Firing Squad, Ah Beng, Natural Disasters, Funny, Humour

Sinful Drinks Being Sold Publicly?

It was really funny when this picture was shown to me by a friend ............ the words in Malay language "Minuman Berdosa", if translated literally would mean "Sinful Drinks" instead of Carbonated Drinks.

The correct word should have been "Minuman Bersoda" ....... yeah, the mixed up of "so" and "da".

Only Malaysians or Indonesians who knew Malay language would find this humourous. In a way you could get anything you want in Carrefour, not in Malaysia though but available in Indonesia only.
Tags: Sinful Drink, Carbonated Drink, Minuman Berdosa, Minuman Bersoda, Carrefour, Funny, Humour

Ways To Impress in Renovation

I did a rough estimation on my renovation costs my new house which is expected to be released with the key and certificate of fitness altogether by next month. Looks like it's going to explode way beyond what I had expected.

Certainly need to delay and hold certain brilliant ideas of mine and forego certain items I have dreamt of having.

Thought of getting a professional Interior Designer but to my dismay, their quotes (approached three so far) right upfront put me off ............ RM8,000, RM10,000 and RM10,000.

Have gotten quotes from Rowenta Kitchen (based in Cheras) and Artset Design Sdn Bhd (based in Dataran Sunway) for my wardrobes, kitchen and various carpentry works which don't they come cheap at all. Am waiting for a family-owned business, Snaider Furniture (M) Sdn Bhd (based in TTDI), to provide me with the same quotes.

Awaiting three other contractors who would only provide me with the quotes when I get my house key.

When I saw the pictures below, I couldn't stop laughing. Some people do go great length just to give a good first hand imporession and it gave me a great ideas ........................ haha
Tags: Interior Designer, House Renovation

Join My Flight To Amsterdam

Always keen to travel? KLM Airlines has started a contest where you get to invite your friends to flock into the same plane. If that plane fills up really fast, that plane of yours will really fly off with you in it. Read more about it by clicking the "Join my plane" seen at the sticker below .....

Tags: Amsterdam, Holland, Europe, KLM Airlines, Fill A Plane

Respect Mercy Malaysia

I really have respect for those volunteer doctors that went into Gaza amidst the bombings from Israel front. They are the people that put words into action rather than just talk / protest / ridicule about it at their home sweet home here.

Through the persistency of Datuk Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, MERCY Malaysia was set up to provide medical care to people who need it be it locally or internationally. And their team was there when Gaza was bombarded by Israel.

Not only that they tried to provide medical assistance but now they are having a long term plan which is to build a rehabilitation centre that will cater to those war victims that have lost their limbs. The set up may require US$1 million (money involved politics could build mega hospitals).

This posting is dedicated to the MERCY Malaysia team members who risked their lifes to ensure others have a life.

Reading: Mercy aims to build rehabilitation centre - Star
Tags: MERCY Malaysia, Datuk Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, Gaza

Teachers Caned For Poor Exam Results

My thoughts have been that the Malaysian schooling system was quite exam oriented and schools / parents would ensure that their kids obtain good results that would bring honour to the school's name and parents would be proud of their children.

Schools that produces good results will bring honour to the staff (teachers) that sacrifices their time to bring the best out of the kids. But what if the students didn't do well. What if the results were worst than last year's examination.

Teachers, you can consider yourself lucky for being born and able to teach in Malaysia itself.

If your cschool's students didn't perform well or having all the students to pass their exams, you will be in great problem if you were in Tanzania, a nation in the African continent.

Nineteen teachers from three schools in the northern region of Kagera, Tanzania have been hauled up to explain on why their schools' examination results were poor.

Some of these nineteen teachers were late for classes or didn't show up for work during the past year that could be counted and the "little napoleon" found in District Commissioner, Albert Mnali, decided to take things into his own hands. He decided that such teachers should be caned for it was their lateness or absence that had caused students to have learnt lesser and as a result of that, the bad examination results.

Albert Mnali brought policemen to the schools to hunt for those teachers. A female teacher will only get caning on her palm. But I pity the male teachers for they have lie down on the floor to be caned on their backside.

The Tanzania Teachers' Union will be taking legal action against Albert Mnali for such uncalled for actions.

Reading: Shock as Tanzania teachers caned - BBC News/Africa
Tags: Tanzania, Africa, Kagera, Teacher, Albert Mnali, Tanzania Teachers' Union

People Can Hear What You Say

I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice from the other stall saying: 'Hi, how are you?'

I'm not the type to start a conversation in the restroom and I don't know what got into me, but I answered, somewhat embarrassed, 'Doin' just fine!'

And the other person says: 'So what are you up to?'

What kind of question is that? At that point, I'm thinking this is too bizarre so I say: 'Uhhh, I'm like you, just traveling!'

At this point I am just trying to get out as fast as I can when I hear another question. 'Can I come over?'

Ok, this question is just too weird for me but I figured I could just be polite and end the conversation. I tell him 'No..I'm a little busy right now!!!'

Then I hear the person say nervously... 'Listen, I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the next stall who keeps answering all my questions.

Cell phones, don't you just love them.

Tags: Cell Phone, Mobile Phone, Handphone, Funny, Humour

Once Rich Becomes More Greedy?

Once a person reaches certain higher status, more options or avenues were opened to them in gaining more financial rewards or even to boost their personal egos .......... sometimes legal, sometimes illegal. Is this a myth?

It does happen to me too ...... once you have more money, your mind tends to float higher and the thoughts of wanting this and that becomes real. The 'want' overruled the 'need'.

Unfortunately, someone couldn't control that thought.

Satyam Computer Services Limited's ("Satyam"), founding Chairman, Ramalinga Raju has been implicated in a scandal where he manipulated Satyam's profits and reserves up to an amount of US$1 billion. He has quit as of now. What a letdown. After bringing Satyam (since 24 June 1987 ) to where they are right now, an intellectual person has to commit such fraud.

For what reason? To show his peers that his company is capable of generating more profits and reserves in the IT industry?

Satyam is already employing 53,000 ++ people and operating in 66 countries ...... how can those inflated profits and reserves help even more in this case?

One thing that baffles me is how did the external auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers India, missed out or unable to detect those fraud. As a result, the India government would be investigating the auditors' duties and the directors' roles.

Whoever recommended Satyam for the 2008 Global Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance by World Council For Corporate Governance ("WCFCG") must be hitting his head against the wall. WCFGG may revoke the award (read here) amidst the fraud case.

Will Ramalinga Raju's Ernst & Young's 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year award be revoked for this fraud case? The juries in India for the award must be scratching their heads now ....... to revoke or not?

Such prestige status, all down the drain.

Reading: India IT boss quits over scandal - BBC News/Business
Tags: Satyam Computer Services Limited, Satyam, Ramalinga Raju, PricewaterhouseCoopers India, IT Industry, Ernst & Young, Ernst & Young's 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year, Corporate Governance, World Council For Corporate Governance, WCFCG, Fraud

New Proton MPV in Factory

The hot item in the local car industry ....... the latest MPV in town which is to be released by Proton Holdings Berhad.

Six colours available for the customers to choose? Just wait and see.

One of those test car being used for various tests before putting it on the road for the public. The MPV's name has yet to be announced and I'm wondering whether the name will be chosen from the 'name the car competition' that was held last year.




Interior will somehow look like this unless Proton is willing to spend large amount of money to change this facade.














How do you like the design?

Related post - Proton's Latest Model?
Tags: Proton MPV, MPV, Proton Holdings Berhad

Con Job Involving Four Local Banks

A friend's friend working in one of the mentioned banks below warned his circle of friends not to reveal any of their personal or banking particulars if they were to receive any emails requesting for such. Banks will not request their customers to respond via emails at all.

A sample of such scrupulous emails is shown below. Worst of all, there are people who will still fall for it .......... no matter how many times it was reported in the mainstream media.

------------------------------------
From: Online Banking [mailto:alexanderaubuchon@bankinginfo.com.my]
Sent: 19 May 2005 7:28 AM
Subject: *****SPAM***** HIGH * Hong Leong/Bumiputra Commerce/AmBank Group/Alliance Bank

Dear Hong Leong/Bumiputra Commerce/AmBank Group/Alliance Bank Member,

This email was sent by the Bank server to verify your e-mail address. You must complete this process by clicking on the link below and entering in the small window your Hong Leong/Bumiputra Commerce/AmBank Group/Alliance Bank online access details. This is done for your protection - because some of our members no longer have access to their email addresses and we must verify it.

To verify your e-mail address and access your account, click on the link below:-

If You Have Hong Leong Bank Account:
http://www.hlb.com.my/DF3RwiNBzvjz37l7c1h1p

If You Have Alliance Bank Account: http://www.alliancebank.com.my/86uZyaeeCm8nf5tu31i0vdq

If You Have Bumiputra Commerce Bank Account:
http://www.channel-e.com.my/0khaSRO3JT2s7q09iu53j26e33

If You Have AmBank Group Account:
http://www.ambg.com.my/s55a3m02A007h703iyr9
------------------------------------

I really wonder how the con job could be executed with a url connection that ties in with the actual bank's url address. The exception was Bumiputra Commerce's url address where it's totally different ......... it's a local e-commerce website promoting local products.

Something's very fishy somewhere ...............

P/S - don't know where will those url address lead you too ......... I didn't try as I'm not wasting my time with it

Related post - Scammers Used Malaysian Bank Without Fear
Tags: Hong Leong Bank Berhad, Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Berhad, AmBank Group Berhad, Alliance Bank Berhad, E-Channel, Con Job

Special Food

This dish is known as Yee Sang, something like a mixed vegetable salad ala Chinese style.

Took this picture when I dined at Golden Sun Restaurant at Jalan Kuchai Lama. That was my first taste of yee sang for this year bearing in mind we ate this few days prior to Chinese New Year.

My sis who was there said that would be her fifth time. Fifth time before Chinese New Year has even started ??????????

Those days, yee sang would be served by restaurants on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year. Later on, restaurants started to serve it within the second or the third day. Nowadays, the over commercialised yee sang could be ordered two weeks prior to Chinese New Year.

The same thing goes for the chinese restaurants. Those days (when I was young of course), chinese restaurants would be closed beginning from the eve to maybe the third day of Chinese New Year. Nowadays, chinese restaurants made its bulk of profits on the eve as people tend to eat out for the reunion dinner. The chinese restaurants would only close for business right after the full fifteen days of Chinese New Year.

The last minute shoppping for Chinese New Year brought me to Tesco at Taman Midah area.

Saw this pricing tag for the chiffon cakes - RM009. My itchy fingers were telling me to place the numeric 9 right at the front to make it RM900 ................. HAHA









First time buyer of the Big Apple Donuts And Coffee's donuts (or doughnuts). Those days I have only one choice or you can say no choice. Nowadays, there were too many choices to pick. Selecting this six donuts gave me a hard time ....... had to forego others which I wanted too.


Was fascinated by the way they baked the donuts. Instantly placed on a conveyor belt and it turned colour upon going through a 'burner'. Instant donut?

Not long after that, a hole caved in right at the centre of the donut as it travels along the conveyor belt.

Oh yea, Big Apple is a local food company ...... what a success!
Tags: Yee Sang, Chinese New Year, Golden Sun Restaurant, Chinese Restaurant, Tesco, Big Apple Donuts And Coffee, Instant Donut, Donut, Doughnut

The Ostrich Story

A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him.

The waitress asks them for their orders. The man says, 'A hamburger, fries and a coke,' and turns to the ostrich, 'What's yours?' 'I'll have the same,' says the ostrich. A short time later the waitress returns with the order 'That will be $9.40 please,' and the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, 'A hamburger, fries and a coke.' The ostrich says, 'I'll have the same.' Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.

This becomes routine until the two enter again. 'The usual?' asks the waitress. 'No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and a salad,' says the man. 'Same,' says the ostrich. Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, 'That will be $32.62. 'Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.

The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. 'Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket everytime?' 'Well,' says the man, 'several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes.

My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there. 'That's brilliant!' says the waitress. 'Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!' 'That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there,' says the man.

The waitress asks, 'What's with the ostrich?' The man sighs, pauses and answers, 'My second wish was for a tall chick with a big ass and long legs who agrees with everything I say.'

MORAL OF THE STORY
When you make requests, be specific. Precision is of utmost importance.
Tags: Ostrich, Request, Precision, Genie, Funny, Humour