Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by Flaming_lion

Thinking if I should upgrade/change

Flaming_lion — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 15:08:58 +0800

Hi everyone...

Currently I have the below system:
|Processor|:| AMD FX 8350 4.0 Ghz|
|Motherboard|:|ASUS M5A99X EVO R2.0|
|Graphic Card|:|4 GB Zotac GeForce GTX 1050Ti OC|
|Memory|:| 8GB DDR3|
|SDD|:|128 GB SSD|
|HDD|:|1 TB HDD|
|PSU|:|Antec 650W VP650P v2|

I had a another graphic card prior to this, but it just got overheated and stopped working, which is how I ended up with the Zotac card.

I've been having this pc for nearly 4 - 5 years (except for the graphic card). I've recently tried playing Fifa 17 and PES 2018, it still can support but gets heated up since its AMD FX (duh?!). Football Manager 2017 runs smoothly though... I was thinking of trying out other games as well, but I'm a little nervous to try them since the requirements would probably allow me to fry eggs on my CPU...

So now, I've been thinking about either upgrading my PC or just changing a new one and I need some advise on which would be a better option and whether or not if there's anything I can reuse back from the old system.

I was thinking of either going with the Intel Core i5 8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X... Also, is it ok for me to use the stock cooler or should I consider upgrading them if I were to get a new system...

My budget... I was thinking of around RM 2,800 - RM 3,300... Any idea guys?

Potong kerja

Flaming_lion — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:22:45 +0800

Let's say a company is undergoing a restructuring exercise, therefore some jobs might become redundant but there will be some new jobs coming up... Obviously the company is scaling down...

Can the company, offer you a new job, which you have no interest in, and should you reject it, the company treats it as a resignation and not as redundancy?

Redundancy

Flaming_lion — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:16:48 +0800

Hi guys,

First time posting in this part of Kopitiam...

As I mentioned the above topic, my company is currently undergoing a massive reorganization. As a result, a quite a number of positions will be impacted, including my role.

Here's the thing, I'm not too bothered by the impact, because, should I be made redundant, I would have something in my mind that I would like to try, but that is besides the point.

The impact of the reorganization would be, lower level jobs would be made redundant, while new scopes will be coming in.

Lately, there's a lot of fear mongering and gossips going around, as well as debates, which I suppose would be normal in such a period.

Obviously, the gossip is that, the company intents not to pay a redundancy package (which is funny, because the company is among the largest in the industry).

How they intent to do this, according to them? Well, it seems that the new positions are now available for us to apply, and we are allowed to apply up to a number of positions.

What fascinates me is that, even should you not apply a position within the company, the company might still make an offer to you for any other position that has yet to be filled up.

Here's where the questions comes up. Can the company, offer you a position which you don't want, and should you reject it, the company will deem it as resignation rather than redundancy?

Which car is bestest one?

Flaming_lion — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 23:01:40 +0800

Kasi vote.

Shared Services

Flaming_lion — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 13:34:57 +0800

I've noticed that lately, a lot of shared services centers are advertising vacancies, especially for accounting and IT. Now, being in a shared service myself, I don't see the big deal and the job is kinda........ Let's say, "not really exciting"... Personally, I don't see it being a good place for career development.

So, wondering, do you guys feel that working in a shared service is a good place to gain experience? It is a good place to develop yourself career wise?

Old PC parts

Flaming_lion — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 18:11:23 +0800

Hi guys...

I have an old pc (minus the hdd) & two Streamyx modems.

I want to dispose them. Any idea where I can dispose them? If I can give them to some kind of charity, it'll be better since they are all in working order.

Regards.

WiFi connection bad

Flaming_lion — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 11:10:10 +0800

Broadband provider
ISP/package: UniFi 20 Mbps
Location: Ampang
Have you called your ISP's helpline?: No. I suspect the problem is caused by one of my two hardwares.

Personal equipment
Modem: D-Link 615
Router: TM UniFi give one
Firewall used: None

Problem details
First occurence of problem: Two weeks ago
Problem frequency: Everyday, every few minutes
Problem description: WiFi constantly disconnected

Ok, here's the problem I'm having.

Prior to this, my connection was behaving like normal. However, recently, while I'm using, my wireless network, gets disconnected. The Modem, and routers are still connected, but the WiFi connection gets disconnected all the time.

Right now, I'm not sure if it is caused by my network card, or by my router. Is there any way of finding out?

Gangguan Bekalan Air

Flaming_lion — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:44:59 +0800

QUOTE

SYARIKAT BEKALAN AIR SELANGOR SDN BHD
SIARAN MEDIA
12 MAC 2013

GANGGUAN BEKALAN AIR TIDAK BERJADUAL DI KAWASAN KUALA LUMPUR AKIBAT PERMINTAAN AIR MELEBIHI KAPASITI BEKALAN AIR TERAWAT

Kuala Lumpur – Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SYABAS) ingin memaklumkan bahawa Pelan Tindakan Kecemasan (ERP) Kod Hijau telah diaktifkan di Wilayah Kuala Lumpur pada jam 6.00 petang, 11 Mac 2013 berikutan penurunan paras air di kolam-kolam utama yang dikesan berlaku sejak beberapa hari yang lalu.

Penurunan paras air di kolam-kolam tersebut berlaku disebabkan oleh permintaan bekalan air yang meningkat sejak kebelakangan ini di kawasan terlibat akibat dari kejadian cuaca panas dan kering dan kapasiti pengeluaran bekalan air terawat daripada loji rawatan air tidak dapat menampung permintaan tersebut.

Untuk makluman, Pelan Tindakan Kecemasan Kod Hijau ini diaktifkan bagi membolehkan SYABAS memantau dan mengurus kawasan-kawasan terlibat yang menghadapi masalah gangguan bekalan air. Antara kawasan terlibat yang mengalami gangguan bekalan air tidak berjadual termasuklah ketiadaan air dan tekanan air rendah adalah seperti berikut:

Wilayah Kuala Lumpur (Senarai Kawasan):

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Sebanyak enam (6) buah lori tangki SYABAS telah digerakkan ke kawasan-kawasan yang terlibat untuk membantu membekalkan air kepada para pengguna yang terjejas dengan kejadian ini. SYABAS akan terus menghantar bantuan bekalan air dari semasa ke semasa kepada para pengguna di semua kawasan yang terlibat serta melakukan pemantauan di kolam-kolam imbangan utama yang terjejas.

Untuk makluman, kawasan yang terlibat ini mendapat bekalan air terawat daripada Loji Rawatan Air (LRA) Sungat Langat. Kadar pengeluaran semasa bagi LRA Sungai Langat adalah 466 juta liter sehari (JLH) berbanding kapasiti rekabentuknya iaitu 386 JLH. Berdasarkan rekod dari tempoh 1 hingga 11 Mac 2013, tahap pengeluaran terkini bekalan air terawat di LRA sungai Langat berkenaan adalah pada kadar 497.75 JLH. Ini bermakna, LRA Sungai Langat telah beroperasi 28.76% melebihi kapasiti rekabentuknya (overload) bagi menampung permintaan air oleh para pengguna yang kian meningkat. Dalam keadaan ini, kapasiti bekalan air dari Loji Sg. Langat hanya hampir-hampir cukup sahaja untuk menampung permintaan air dalam keadaaan harian dan ianya tidak boleh dipertingkatkan lagi.

Bagi membantu para pengguna dalam situasi ini, SYABAS telah berusaha untuk menyalurkan sedikit bekalan air dari sumber lain tetapi kuantitinya adalah sangat terhad kerana rizab kapasiti secara keseluruhan di Negeri Selangor, Kuala Lumpur dan Putrajaya adalah kurang dari 1%. Walaubagaimanapun, dengan usaha tersebut, dapat dilihat paras bekalan air di kolam air utama SYABAS bertambah baik walaupun peningkatan yang berlaku sangat perlahan. Dengan itu, dijangkakan keadaan ini dapat dipulihkan dalam tempoh tiga (3) hari sekiranya tidak ada faktor luar yang mengganggu pengeluaran air dari LRA Sungai Langat.

Mengikut rekod dari jam 12 malam hingga 11.30 pagi hari ini (12 Mac 2013), SYABAS telah merekodkan sebanyak 39 aduan berhubung ketiadaan air dan sebanyak 15 aduan yang memohon permintaan bekalan air menerusi lori tangki di wilayah Kuala Lumpur ini.

Pihak SYABAS telah memaklumkan kejadian ini kepada pihak Jawatankuasa Pemantauan Bekalan Air Selangor berhubung perkara ini melalui mesyuarat yang di adakan dan SYABAS juga akan memaklumkan kepada semua pengguna berhubung status terkini dari semasa ke semasa supaya para pengguna dapat membuat persediaan awal bagi menghadapi gangguan bekalan air ini.

Dalam keadaan ini, SYABAS mengharapkan agar para pengguna dapat menggunakan air sebaik-baik mungkin dan dengan cara yang paling berhemah bagi mengelakkan sebarang pembaziran berlaku. Mereka yang memerlukan maklumat lanjut disarankan agar menghubungi Pusat Perkhidmatan Pelanggan (PUSPEL) di talian bebas tol, 1-800-88-5252 atau SMS dengan menaip PUSPELaduan / pertanyaan dan hantar kepada 39222. Pengguna juga boleh membuat aduan di laman Facebook atau Twitter SYABAS dengan menaip ‘puspel’ atau ‘puspel syabas’.

-tamat-

Puspel Syabas Facebook

Inb4 ini salah PR Selangor!

So... How many of you affected this time?

Working culture outside KL/Selangor

Flaming_lion — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:09:24 +0800

Good day.

This is my first time posting here. Just had a thought in my mind and wanted to seek some opinions and ideas from people who are working.

I've been thinking at the back of mind lately, about working outside of KL/Selangor. I'm interested to know how's the quality of life, average income, average cost of living, working culture & the people in the state itself. How is the work life outside of KL/Selangor?

Water back soon

Flaming_lion — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 00:15:36 +0800

QUOTE

SHAH ALAM: Water woes experienced by residents across Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are expected to end soon as repair works at two faulty pump stations have been completed.

In a statement yesterday, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) reported that repair works at the Wangsa Maju pump station was completed on Wednesday.

However, the output is at a lower level at 170 million litres per day compared to the normal output of over 200 million litres per day.

Repairs on a second faulty pump station in Pudu Hulu Baru was completed yesterday morning.

“Houses in the area, about 18,000 accounts, are expected to get back their water supply in stages. Full restoration is expected to take up to five days,” the statement read.

At the moment, Syabas said they will send out 40 mobile water tankers and put in place 174 stationary water tanks in the affected areas.

The water disruptions raised the ire of residents and lawmakers alike who were caught unawares.

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Selangor Times

The trap;

QUOTE

STATUS TERKINI GANGGUAN BEKALAN AIR TIDAK BERJADUAL DI WILAYAH KUALA LUMPUR DAN GOMBAK

Kuala Lumpur – Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SYABAS) ingin mengemaskini laporan tentang status terkini Pelan Tindakan Kecemasan (ERP) Kod Kuning yang telah diaktifkan pada 6.00 petang, 1 Januari 2013 di Wilayah Kuala Lumpur dan Gombak berikutan kegagalan sistem pam Wangsa Maju dan di rumah pam di Pudu HuluBaru.

Setakat ini, sistem pam di Rumah Pam Wangsa Maju dan Rumah Pam Pudu Hulu Baru ini telah beroperasi dengan stabil semenjak 2 Januari 2012. Rumah pam Wangsa Maju juga pada masa ini beroperasi pada tahap 170 JLH berbanding kadar biasa di tahap 210 JLH. Justeru itu, tempoh pemulihan bekalan air di kawasan-kawasan yang terlibat akan berlaku secara berperingkat-peringkat bergantung kepada kedudukan kawasan yang mana kawasan yang berkedudukan tinggi akan mengambil masa untuk dipulihkan berbanding dengan kawasan yang berada di kedudukan rendah. Walau bagaimanapun, oleh kerana kadar pengepaman telah dikawal pada 170 JLH dan kurang daripada permintaan harian biasa sebanyak 210 JLH, SYABAS menjangkakan ada beberapa kawasan yang akan tidak dapat dipulihkan sepenuhnya.

Bagi kawasan di Kuala Lumpur dan Gombak, bekalan air telah mula pulih seperti sedia kala dan antara sebahagian kawasan yang telah mula mendapat bekalan air adalah seperti berikut:

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Walaubagaimanapun, antara kawasan yang masih mengalami gangguan bekalan air di kedua-dua wilayah ini adalah seperti berikut:

Kawasan Yang Masih Mengalami Gangguan Bekalan Air

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

PUSPEL Facebook

So some areas, can forget about getting their water supply?

PERKASA: Show uncensorred "Tanda Putera"

Flaming_lion — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:58:01 +0800

QUOTE

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — Datuk Shuhaimi Baba's latest film 'Tanda Putera' must be screened uncensored, Malay rights group Perkasa said today despite an uproar from Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders about the movie for allegedly portraying the Chinese community and DAP in a negative light in scenes depicting the May 13, 1969 race riots.

The award-winning director's controversial retelling about the administration of Malaysia's first two prime ministers amid the bloody May 13, 1969 race riots has been criticised by some PR politicians for its allegedly historically-innacurate depiction.

But Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali today backed Suhaimi, saying the film was historically accurate.

"The film is about history, even if the plot or scenes were controversial, we cannot change history and PR does not need to make that an issue," he told a news conference.

"We will negotiate and help Tanda Putera's film director to screen it without being it being censored," he added.

The independent MP for Pasir Mas rapped the PR opposition pact for claiming that the film could stoke racial tensions.

"Don't make this about party interests, this historical film must be screened for the people to remember and appreciate the country's peace and not just think negatively.

"I propose if PR still wants to make an issue out of this film, I will make a film about the opposition leader," Ibrahim said, referring to PKR's de facto chief, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He did not say what such a film on Anwar would focus on, but Perkasa has been a vocal critic of the opposition leader.

Several film critics have accused the RM4.8 million movie — fully funded by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) and the Multimedia Development Corporation (Mdec) — of demonising early leftist movements and more hero-worship than tribute to the country's second prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who was also father to the current PM, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

The trailer for the movie is reported to show scenes of Chinese groups marching through the streets of Kuala Lumpur after the success of the opposition parties in municipal elections carrying the Labour Party flag and other banners proclaiming anti-Malay slogans.

The banners written in Chinese characters depicted slogans that translated into ‘Malays go back to the village’, ‘Malays go die’ and ‘Take revenge’.

There has also been unverified reports that the film also shows DAP leader Lim Kit Siang desecrating a Malaysian flag.

The film's release has been put off pending a review by the authorities.

MalaysianInsider

A movie named "Anwar". Ni macam syok jer...

Pakatan reveals alternative Merdeka theme

Flaming_lion — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:59:44 +0800

QUOTE

ETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat today announced an alternative Merdeka Day theme to the ruling coalition’s controversial “Janji di Tepati” (Promises Fulfilled).

“Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa” or “One Race, One Country, One Soul” was picked after a committee of five sifted through 250 suggestions from the public in what could also be seen as an election campaign to highlight’s the opposition’s inclusive brand of governance.

Speaking to reporters at the PKR headquarters here, former national laureate A Samad Said said the suggestion, contributed by Khaimi Adam, was picked as it best reflected the all-embracing spirit of the independence celebration.

The campaign came after Pakatan politicians accused the Barisan Nasional government of hijacking National Day celebrations for its own political campaign with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak now touring the country under the Jelajah Janji Ditepati (Promises Fulfilled Tour).

The event was organised by TV3, the main station of private broadcaster Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Bhd (STMB) that was linked to the ruling party Umno.

The tour was seen as part of Najib’s campaign to remind voters that his government had carried out its pledges since he took office in April 2009.

The country’s sixth prime minister was bidding for his own mandate at the polls as he succeeded Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a year after the 2008 national polls that saw BN lose the popular vote, its customary parliamentary supermajority and five states.

Read more: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/.../#ixzz21zzABiGB

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

"Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you.", Annie Get Your Gun by Ethel Merman and Ray Middleton.

Why am I getting this message on Youtube?

Flaming_lion — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 20:31:41 +0800

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Roberto Martinez for Liverpool?

Flaming_lion — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:32:49 +0800

QUOTE

Whelan: Liverpool want Martinez
May 17, 2012

Wigan owner Dave Whelan has revealed that he has given permission for manager Roberto Martinez to speak to Liverpool about becoming the new boss at Anfield.

Whelan hold Martinez, who has received rave reviews this season despite only narrowly avoiding relegation with the Latics, that he won't stand in his way of succeeding Kenny Dalglish.

"I was actually with Roberto when our chief executive called to tell him that Liverpool have made their approach," Whelan told ESPN. "That happened about half an hour ago, and I told Roberto that he had my permission to speak with Liverpool.

"I knew that the day would come when this happened, so it wasn't unexpected, he is a good manager so I am not surprised a club like Liverpool want him.

"You have got to regard Liverpool as a big club, so I told Roberto that I wouldn't stand in his way, it was up to him to decide, and I shall await his decision, it is up to him and Liverpool now.

"I can imagine he will want to manage such a big club but I would willingly keep him if I could.

"He only signed a new three year contract three months ago, so yes you are right I would be due compensaton, but I would rather have Roberto than the compensation."

Whelan told ESPN on the day of the Dalglish sacking that he would advise his manager not to go to Anfield, but when the call came Whelan found it tough to tell him to refuse.

Soccernet

Alert: Cops probing Bersih 3.0

Flaming_lion — Sun, 06 May 2012 23:48:23 +0800

QUOTE

Cops probing Bersih 3.0 as attempt at violent revolution

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Police are investigating the Bersih 3.0 rally as a possible attempt to usurp the government through violent demonstrations, Bernama Online reported today.

“Several fresh arrests have been made following the publication of the photographs of the demonstrators, and several people have telephoned us to volunteer information on the incident,” Tan Sri Ismail Omar was reported as saying in the report.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Friday asserted that the rally for free and fair elections was an attempt to oust the country’s duly-elected government, a claim that has been echoed by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The election watchdog today denied the claim, and insisted that Bersih 3.0’s objectives were purely to demand a clean and fair polls process.

Today, the Inspector-General of Police also dismissed as unfounded claims that agents provocateurs had infiltrated the rally to spark of scenes of chaos.

“Do not make nonsensical accusations... you must be responsible. Nevertheless, every claim will be investigated,” he said, during a meet-the-public session in Kulim today.

The IGP also asked that the public be patient with the police probe on the April 28 rally.

“Give us some time to conduct the probe. Once the investigation is done, we will submit the papers to the public prosecutor,” he added.

Ismail previously pledged a comprehensive probe of events during the rally for free and fair elections, which turned chaotic after riot police began firing tear gas and water cannons at demonstrators for breaching a court-ordered boundary.

City police have so far released the photographs of over 90 individuals wanted over the events on April 28, but none of its own despite Ismail’s promise that all offenders would be hauled up for their roles in the chaos.

Despite an initially peaceful start to the rally, Bersih’s third since 2007, police would later take measures that are now being condemned as more brutal than those employed during last year’s tumultuous July 11 Bersih 2.0 rally.

MalaysianInsider

If already posted, will close it.

Women are better leaders

Flaming_lion — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:09:01 +0800

QUOTE

By Joseph S Nye

MUNICH: Would the world be more peaceful if women were in charge? A challenging new book by the Harvard University psychologist Steven Pinker says that the answer is “yes.”

In ‘The Better Angels of Our Nature’, Pinker presents data showing that human violence, while still very much with us today, has been gradually declining.

Moreover, he says, “over the long sweep of history, women have been and will be a pacifying force. Traditional war is a man’s game: tribal women never band together to raid neighboring villages.” As mothers, women have evolutionary incentives to maintain peaceful conditions in which to nurture their offspring and ensure that their genes survive into the next generation.

Skeptics immediately reply that women have not made war simply because they have rarely been in power.

If they were empowered as leaders, the conditions of an anarchic world would force them to make the same bellicose decisions that men do. Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, and Indira Gandhi were powerful women; all of them led their countries to war.

But it is also true that these women rose to leadership by playing according to the political rules of “a man’s world.”

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Americans tend to describe leadership with tough male stereotypes, but recent leadership studies show increased success for what was once considered a “feminine style.”

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Modern leaders

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Modern leaders must be able to use networks, to collaborate, and to encourage participation. Women’s non-hierarchical style and relational skills fit a leadership need in the new world of knowledge-based organizations and groups that men, on average, are less well prepared to meet.

In the past, when women fought their way to the top of organizations, they often had to adopt a “masculine style,” violating the broader social norm of female “niceness.”

Now, however, with the information revolution and democratization demanding more participatory leadership, the “feminine style” is becoming a path to more effective leadership.

In order to lead successfully, men will not only have to value this style in their women colleagues, but will also have to master the same skills.

That is a trend, not (yet) a fact. Women still lag in leadership positions, holding only 5% of top corporate positions and a minority of positions in elected legislatures (just 16% in the US, for example, compared to 45% in Sweden).

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Bias beginning to break down

Lack of experience, primary caregiver responsibilities, bargaining style, and plain old discrimination all help to explain the gender gap.

Traditional career paths, and the cultural norms that constructed and reinforced them, simply have not enabled women to gain the skills required for top leadership positions in many organizational contexts.

Research shows that even in democratic societies, women face a higher social risk than men when attempting to negotiate for career-related resources such as compensation.

Women are generally not well integrated into male networks that dominate organizations, and gender stereotypes still hamper women who try to overcome such barriers.

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Questions of appropriate style – when to use hard and soft skills – are equally relevant for men and women, and should not be clouded by traditional gender stereotypes. In some circumstances, men will need to act more “like women”; in others, women will need to be more “like men.”

The key choices about war and peace in our future will depend not on gender, but on how leaders combine hard- and soft-power skills to produce smart strategies. Both men and women will make those decisions.

But Pinker is probably correct when he notes that the parts of the world that lag in the decline of violence are also the parts that lag in the empowerment of women.

Joseph S. Nye, Jr., a former US Assistant Secretary of Defense, is a professor at Harvard and the author most recently of The Future of Power.

- Project Syndicate

FreeMalaysiaToday

I should take the writer to my previous company to show him what an all-female leadership company is like.

Ku Li's experience during plane crash in Sabah

Flaming_lion — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:30:23 +0800

[YOUTUBE]bClJK6Ke620[/YOUTUBE]

Lamborghini selling SUVs soon

Flaming_lion — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:52:03 +0800

QUOTE

BERLIN, Feb 6 — Lamborghini, the maker of low-slung supercars once advertised as “closer to the road,” is planning a new model that will be further from the tarmac than ever: an SUV.

The Italian brand, owned by Volkswagen, aims to announce the vehicle at April’s Beijing auto show for a 2016 launch, according to two people with knowledge of the strategy.

At the risk of alienating purist fans of its €313,000 (RM1.239million) Aventador carbon-fibre sports car, Lamborghini hopes to repeat the Porsche Cayenne’s success in the fast-growing market for luxury four-by-fours.

“An SUV could be cool, but it would have to be the fastest on the planet and look extreme,” said Andrew Romanowski, president of the world’s biggest Lamborghini owners’ club, based in Los Angeles.

“If it turned out like a run-of-the-mill BMW X5, it would be a betrayal,” Romanowski said. “People would be very upset.”

The planned vehicle reflects a push to increase profitability at Lamborghini and VW stablemate Bentley, with new models to meet upscale demand for all-wheel-drives. Britain’s Bentley last year announced tentative plans for its own SUV.

“Porsche proved that it works, to the industry’s great surprise, and now everyone is flocking in,” said Christoph Stuermer, Frankfurt-based research director at IHS Automotive.

By 2015, sales of the plushest SUVs will increase about 20 per cent in Western Europe, 30 per cent in the US and 50 per cent in China, the consulting firm predicts. The Cayenne has become Porsche’s top-selling model since its launch a decade ago, with 59,000 sold last year and a 121,000 euro price tag on the high-performance Turbo version.

MalaysianInsider

RPK: Just DO IT, not DUIT!

Flaming_lion — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:48:21 +0800

QUOTE

PETALING JAYA: Taking up a challenge posed by the PKR-led Selangor government, popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin today revealed two cases of alleged abuse of power in the state administration.

The first case involved the brother-in-law of PKR deputy chief Azmin Ali while the other involved several lawyers who are also leaders in the party.

Posting the details of the corruption and conflict of interest in his Malaysia-Today webportal today, Raja Petra said the state government can start investigating these two cases first.

In the first case, Raja Petra claimed that Azmin Ali’s brother-in-law, Johan Taharin had approached a Chinese developer to help gain state approvals for a project, for a fee.

“The developer asked Johan how can they be assured that they would get approval once they paid the money? Can they instead pay after the approval has been obtained rather than pay upfront? After all, they are talking about a few million here, not a small amount of money.

“Johan told the developer that he is representing Azmin Ali and if required he can bring them to meet Azmin so that Azmin can personally give them his assurance. They replied they will think about it,” wrote Raja Petra in his article titled ‘Just DO IT, not DUIT!’.

Raja Petra said the developer did not pay the money, and as a result his project never took off.

“…he swore he was going to campaign against Pakatan Rakyat in the coming general election,” added Raja Petra.

Raja Petra said that he was ready to convince the developer to come public on the matter if the Selangor government was ready to cooperate with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission to ensure that the identity of the whistleblower is protected.

“This whistleblower is a Chinese and a developer who depends on state approvals for his company’s projects. So, invariably, he is very concerned about his business being disrupted or sabotaged if his identity is revealed.”

Conflict of interest
In the second case, one which involved alleged conflicts of interest, Raja Petra said legal matters involving the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) were being given to a group of lawyers who are all PKR leaders.

He said that the MBPJ’s act of favouritism has caused immense unhappiness amongst the other Pakatan Rakyat councillors. He added that these unhappy councillors have decided to remain silent for the sake of ‘party unity’.

Raja Petra named MBPJ councillors Derek Fernandez and Lateefa Koya, MP for Subang R Sivarasa, and PKR vice president of N Surendran as the group of favoured lawyers.

“A good chunk of the legal work in MBPJ has been diverted to the firms of Sivarasa, Surendran and Fernandez through the influence of Lateefa Koya and Derek.

“After all, this is a PKR-controlled council. Is this not corruption, or at least a conflict of interest?”

He said that MBPJ has to be transparent and reveal the exact amount of work given to these lawyers and the total fees paid over the few years that Pakatan Rakyat has ruled Selangor.

He also said that PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim was fully aware of this but had done nothing about it.

“Let us start with these two cases while I gather the evidence for the other cases, which I will reveal in due course,” he added.

In a series of interviews with the mainstream media earlier this week, Raja Petra had, among others, highlighted that corruption was still rampant in Selangor as it has been under the Barisan Nasional rule. He added that people had to pay “under table” money to get things done in the state.

The state government reacted angrily by stating that Raja Petra was making wild accusations to undermine it.

Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary Faekah Husin also offered to pay travel fare for Raja Petra to come to state secretariat to provide more information on his claims.

Khalid meanwhile told reporters on Wednesday that Raja Petra need to furnish evidence on his claims.

FreeMalaysiaToday

RPK: ‘Frustrated’ voters will back BN

Flaming_lion — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:30:30 +0800

QUOTE

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — Many voters have become frustrated with Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) performance at the helm in four key states and will throw their support behind Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general elections, Raja Petra Kamaruddin said.

In an interview published in Mingguan Malaysia today, the self-exiled blogger said the PKR-DAP-PAS pact was still stuck with the mindset of taking over Putrajaya by “default” as they were confident in being the only alternative to the ruling BN, and that they were using the same anti-Umno tactics to win over voters.

“I am telling you, in the next election they [voters] will support the government. They say, in the next election they will not support the opposition because they are disappointed, dissatisfied, and not confident with the opposition.

“Why the opposition is so confident of forming a federal government? On the basis of ABU (asalkan bukan Umno), of rejecting Umno?” he was quoted saying in an interview published today by the Umno-owned newspaper.

Raja Petra (picture) pointed out that the same strategy was used back in 1999 by the short-lived opposition pact, Barisan Alternatif (BA) against former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed but failed when he retired and passed over the baton to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi- resulting in BN’s massive electoral win in the 2004 elections.

“If you use the same strategy, what happens when people no longer hate Umno? You cannot start a relationship with people based on hate, it will not last,” he added.

He said infighting between different PR factions were evident in Penang, Selangor and Perak, and that will be why voters will “return to BN and forget Pakatan.”

Raja Petra claimed several Chinese businessmen in Selangor had complained to him that they still had to fork out “under-the-table” money in order to conduct businesses in the state, and that corruption was still rampant there.

“I tell them I do not know what to say. They say, come elections, they will not vote for Pakatan.”.

Malaysian Insider