Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by keretapir

[Raffle] Try your luck here!

keretapir — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 14:44:28 +0800

Hi peeps!
Been a while since I posted anything in this forum, so I'll start by giving away one game (as per title).

The game I'm giving away is, WATCH DOGS (sorry, standard edition only).
Key is redeemable via Ubisoft website directly, not redeemable via Steam.
Once linked with your Ubisoft profile, it's yours forever.

Why do I decide to give it away instead of selling it? It's Hari Raya lor, be generous!

So, how can you join this raffle?

Pick a number between 1 to 75. Take your number, and put it into your comments.
I'll run through a random number generator later for the raffle selection.
Dateline is on 30th July 3AM, so take your number. One forumer, one number only.
Oh, the member must have a join date at the minimum since December 2013.

Final listing as of 30th July 3AM:

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

p.s. code must be redeemed at their website by 31st July 2014.

Winner is - JaY -...congratulations!

KLIA2 fails to get fitness certification

keretapir — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 08:40:00 +0800

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014...l-looks-set-to/

QUOTE

PETALING JAYA: KLIA2 looks set to be delayed yet again.

About two thirds of the main terminal building have yet to receive approval from the relevant authorities because they were found to be not ready for public use.

Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd, the Sepang Municipal Council and the Fire and Rescue Department inspected the building in the last week of January and found that 65% of the main terminal did not comply with fire and safety standards. There are cracks in a sewerage pipe outside the terminal, and parts of the road and drainage are not fit for use.

Their recommendation is essential for the issuance of the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC).

Yesterday, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd said in a statement that it has failed to receive the CCC for the KLIA2 terminal building from UEMC-Bina Puri.

This is despite assurances from the main contractor, UEMC-Bina Puri Joint Venture, that it will hand over the terminal building or hand the CCC to the airport operator by Jan 31.

This potentially signals another delay in the opening of Asia’s biggest low-cost air terminal scheduled for May 2 after almost a year of delays.

MAHB said it would continue to engage with UEMC-Bina Puri on the next course of action in regard to the issuance of the CCC and the commencement of operational readiness and airport transfer or ORAT.

It added: “All efforts are being taken to support UEMC-Bina Puri JV towards the completion of the terminal building to enable the opening of KLIA2 on May 2, 2014.’’

In a separate statement, UEM-Bina Puri confirmed it could not obtain the CCC by Jan 31 and claimed that this was due to an “unexpected issue” which occurred recently during a follow-up inspection.

“The JV partners have discussed and are working with MAHB, the authorities, consultants and architects to rectify the matter and rectification works will commence immediately. Public safety is the main priority, thus, we will ensure proper rectification works are diligently carried out.

“At the same time, UEMC-Bina Puri JV will work together with MAHB on the next course of action in regard to the issuance of the CCC and the commencement of ORAT,’’ it added.

Rectification works will take about three to four weeks to complete and even though the contractors are scheduling for another test to be conducted by the Fire and Rescue Department in two weeks, any delay in getting the building certified fit will have an impact on the opening of the airport.

“There have been so many promises and assurances given by the contractors, yet they failed to get the CCC. There are now concerns if they can even obtain the CCC by the end of February,’’ said an industry source.

The KLIA2 task force chaired by Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi met yesterday to deliberate on the reasons why the CCC was not obtained. It is not known if the contractors will be penalised for failure to secure the CCC.

On Jan 13, Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein visited the airport and said KLIA2 would be ready on May 2.

“The project is now 98% complete and all parties are working hard 24/7 to meet the deadline,” Hishammuddin said at a press conference at the site.

He had said the project was expected to receive the CCC – given by the architects, engineers and building draughtsman registered with the Board of Architects Malaysia – by the end of the month.

KLIA2 has missed several deadlines for opening with the last one scheduled for April 30 before being moved to May 2.

as expected

Qantas the safest airline

keretapir — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 17:08:53 +0800

AirlineRatings.com the world’s only safety and product rating website has announced its top ten safest airlines for 2013 from the 448 it monitors.

QUOTE

Top of the list is Qantas which has a fatality free record in the jet era (since 1951). Making up the top ten with seven stars for safety and in- flight product are in alphabetical order: Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Eva Air, Royal Jordanian, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

AirlineRatings.com’s rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies and lead associations as well as government audits and the airline’s fatality record.

Of the 448 airlines surveyed 137 have the top seven-star safety ranking, but almost 50 have just three stars or less.

read the rest here

Sony XPERIA™ Z1, Official Thread V4

keretapir — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 23:30:59 +0800

[center]Xperia™ Z1 | The best of Sony is about to get better

Xperia™ Z1 – All the power and smartness of Sony in a premium smartphone

[/center]

Specification:

OS: Android 4.2.2 (upgradable to Android 4.3)
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8974
CPU: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPUs
GPU: Adreno 330
RAM: 2GB
Capacity: 16GB Internal + microSD card support up to 64 GB
Display: 5” ~441ppi Full HD TRILUMINOS™ with OptiContrast™ panel
Screen Technology: Display for mobile powered by X-Reality™
Real Camera: 20.7 MP G Lens BIONZ™ for mobile image processor engine, Sony Exmor RS 1/2.3'' sensor with pulsed LED flash, auto focus & Image stabiliser. Camera shutter button support, support lossless Digital Zoom. (similar idea as Nokia 808) - Sample here - http://unleashthephones.com/2013/09/12/gal...ahru-singapore/
Front Camera: 2 MP, Exmor R, HD Video Recording (1080p). Camera shutter button support.
Video: 4K Video Hardware Acceleration Playback
Durability: Waterproof (IP58) and Dust-Resistant (IP55), with Shatter Proof and Scratch-Resistant glass
Audio: 3D Surround Sound (VPT), ClearAudio+, Clear bass, Clear Phase™, Clear stereo, Dynamic normalizer, xLoud™ Experience
Network: LTE support for C6943 | HSPA+ for C6903
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Miracast™, dlna, MHL, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, NFC
Radio: Stereo FM radio with RDS
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
USB: microUSB v2.0 (MHL), USB On-the-go
GPS: aGPS and GLONASS
Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3050 mAh battery
Battery Duration: Talk time Up to 14 hours , Standby time Up to 880 hours with Stamina Mode feature
Dimensions: 144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5 mm
Weight: 169g
Colors Availability: Black, White, Purple

[WTS] RAM clearance DDR2

keretapir — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:54:10 +0800

Item(s): RAMs for sale (DDR2 speed)

Package includes:
1. Team Elite DDR2 800Mhz 2GB (2 piece)
2. Kingston Value Ram DDR2 667Mhz 1GB (2 piece)

Price: Item 1 @ RM70 each (take both @ RM135)
Item 2 @ RM28 each (take both @ RM50)

Warranty: Lifetime warranty (to be claimed at manufacturer).

Dealing method: COD. if postage, buyer bears the cost. Will wrap with care if doing postage.

Location of seller: Serdang

Contact method/details: reply here or PM...

Age of item: cant remember. been too long since i used a DDR2 PC of my own.

---

Item(s) conditions: still in working condition.

Picture:

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

Reason for sale: Clear room. Consider garage sales.

Notes:
1. I, as a seller, reserve the right to sell this item to anybody I want.
2. No receipts or box, just the ram itself. Sorry.
3. Not exchangeable or refundable once sold.
4. I reserve the right to post here the latest price being offered to me, but will not disclose who actually offered me the best price I can get (seller-buyer confidentiality)
5. I will leave the sold price here (if the item managed to be sold) as a reference to other sellers in the future

[sold] new iPod Nano 7th Gen 16gb Green

keretapir — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:59:54 +0800

QUOTE

i just recycle this thread instead of open new thread. now selling the same item on behalf of my friend. Green color. price? refer below

Item(s): ONE (1) 16gb iPod nano 7th Gen, Colour Green

Package includes: the thing itself, all those cables inside the original packaging

Warranty: by Apple.

Dealing method: COD only. postage will be considered if buyer willing to take the risk & postage cost.

Location of seller: Serdang/Seri Kembangan

Contact method/details: post here or PM me

---

Picture: (try to imagine green color)

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

Reason for sale: not practical for the original owner

Price: The owner already decided on a price tag of ~~RM410~~ RM375 (can still consider some few nego)

Notes:
1. I, as a seller, reserve the right to sell this item to anybody I want.
2. Warranty can straight away claim to Apple themselves.
3. Not exchangeable or refundable once sold.
4. My price is already quite low considering the actual price is at RM529 retail price. Lowballers are not welcome here.
5. I reserve the right to post here the latest price being offered to me, but will not disclose who actually offered me the best price I can get (seller-buyer confidentiality)
6. I will leave the sold price here (if the item managed to be sold) as a reference to other sellers in the future

[sold] LEADTEK Geforce WinFast GTX 560 2Gb (used)

keretapir — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 09:23:46 +0800

QUOTE

ITEM JUST GOT BACK FROM RMA. THREAD RE-OPEN!

Item(s):LEADTEK Geforce WinFast GTX 560 2Gb product link here

Package includes: The graphic card, original box, DVI-to-HDMI converter, 4pin to 1 PCI-e converter & CD driver

Price: depreciated quite a lot nowadays. my starting price would be at ~~RM480~~ RM440 (just got back from RMA).
item sold for RM440

Warranty: iinm, 2 year+ by manufacturer. receipt will be provided.

Dealing method: COD only. if buyer agrees to postage, postage cost must be bear by buyer

Location of seller: Serdang/Ampang

Contact method/details: PM or reply here

Age of item: bought on June 2012.

---

Item(s) conditions: now retired in box, since i got new graphic card installed. waiting for new owner.

Picture:

Reason for sale: other priorities required.

p.s. i reserve the right to sell the item to anyone. & this is not an urgent sell. so, hopefully no low ballers here. thanks for viewing!

keretapir's Malaysian mini-tourney v1

keretapir — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:42:43 +0800

from here

As some of you may have heard from me before, I will be organizing a mini-tourney for Starcraft 2 players.
This would be my personal hosted tournament for you guys out there. So, more info coming up in a few weeks time.

Details? I'll put this as a temporary placeholder while I update piece by piece in the near future.

The schedule?

QUOTE

As of now, the tournament will be held somewhere during the 2nd or 3rd week of March.

The rules & regulations?

QUOTE

As of now, it'll be separated into various ranks. I was thinking of a
1. BS (Bronze/Silver)
2. GP (Gold/Plat)
3. DMGM (Diamond/Master/Grandmaster)
but probably i'll mix & match according to my best ability later on

Entrance fee?

QUOTE

Right now, RM5! (yes, I'll put into consideration the cheapskate-ness within us )
But it could stay or change, depending on this next thing, which is....

The prize?

QUOTE

As of now, more games! not just those jack sparrow one.... ORIGINAL games!!
probably I'll throw in

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

I'll gauge this after I've garnered much interest for this tournament.

So, have I put some interest in you guys? If that is true, well...

How can I display my interest into joining this tournament?

QUOTE

Simple. Send me an email at

CODE

mrnixtra@gmail.com

with the subject title "YES! I'M DAMN INTERESTED! PUT ME IN!"
Inside the email, put as well your
1. full name
2. your SEA SC2 ranks profile link (here is mine for example)

QUOTE

http://sc2ranks.com/sea/274228/keretapir

3. your SEA bnet id

Oh, some heads up if I may...

QUOTE

I know there's this prepaid card thingy for SEA region in SC2.
To be fair (and to prevent smurfers), I'll only accept those who have already played ladder since the 3rd season[
**P.S: exceptions may apply up to my discretion.

Remember to check often this particular thread for new updates!

keretapir's Malaysian mini-tourney v1

keretapir — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:13:39 +0800

Originally, this tourney was intended for purely bronzies & silvers, but it seems that no one is still on this rank anymore (except for a select few)...so, i had no choice but to scrap this tourney. And I was this close to start the tourney to. Imagine,there are only 3 legit bronzies & silvers interested to join this tourney.

But rest assured, I'll re-organize, & make a Gold & Plat tourney soon. sorry for the confusions caused.

Once again, I am truly sorry for the cancellation of this tourney at the very last second.

Starcraft II casting...Malaysian style!

keretapir — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:27:35 +0800

First of all, I think it is high time for Malaysians to have their own group of SC2 casters, with their own language flavor!
Thus, here I am...shamelessly promoting my own...Youtube channel for the purpose of it.

So here we go! a Rojak casting of Starcraft 2 games by me. there will be a mix of manglish here & there, but mainly in Malay (if I know other languages,I'll surely use it as well )

keretapir's Youtube channel

Here are some of the replays that I managed to upload so far
(dont worry,cos all will be in HD )

[YOUTUBE]O7jGpxa9Vb0[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]xFNu6y3qUEs[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]RkowFwko2ug[/YOUTUBE]

probably I'll put some tutorial videos for newbies to learn as well in the near future.
but for now,I implore you fellow SC2 players...do support (rate,comment,subscribe) for the betterment of our Starcraft 2 community

p.s. any replays that you would like to submit to me, you may do so...send it to mrnixtra[@]gmail.com

umno assembly today

keretapir — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:22:17 +0800

after work ended 9pm,i was dead hungry..so i go eat-eat at my fav spot.dat spot dun have astro,only can watch those free channels..

those 30 minutes,i was tormented by the live show of the umno general assembly at tv3.wtf la,i wanna enjoy my dinner without any politics disturbing me with all their nonsensical BS.i tot it was supposed to be screened ONLY at tv1..

whats more,i saw moohyidin gip speech,not bijan.such a bad speaker he is..u r supposed to gip inspiring speech,but all u do is read prepared text! wth man,u r supposed to already memorized those speech.if had to refer to prepared text,at least make keypoints.or simple points,& elaborate from there....u r juz like my frens back in uni,all reading slideshow or reading the actual journal when doing project presentation..

& the title of his speech was "Menunjangi Survival Bangsa:Suatu Jihad"...i mean,come on laaa...
"Survival"? is that really a Malay word? calling themselves umno,but not doing their part in using totally malay word.
y dont they use "Kesinambungan"?

my dinner was spoilt,no thanks to tv3,umno general assembly & particularly moohyidin.

inb4 chg to another channel,cos i dun have remote.& i sit further away from the tv
inb4 umnofags & prfags fighting each other in dis tered

ok rant over.not tagging serious talk...

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1% levy for electricity users from next month

keretapir — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:31:57 +0800

QUOTE

PUTRAJAYA: About one out of four Tenaga Nasional Berhad's (TNB) customers in peninsular Malaysia will have to pay a levy of 1% out of their total electricity bills starting Dec 1.

This follows the launch of the Government's Feed-in Tariff (FiT) system for the development of renewable energy next month.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin said electricity consumers, would contribute 1% of their total electricity bills to the Renewable Energy fund if they used more than 300kWh of electricity per month. The move will affect domestic users who run up bills of more than RM77.

This contribution is on top of the consumers' monthly electricity bills.

“However, 75% of TNB's customers who use less than 300kWh per month will be exempted,” said Chin after launching the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) Malaysia office here.

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

lino likni

cybertroopers,i choose u!

keretapir — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:05:31 +0800

QUOTE

Whoever wins the hearts and minds of the young will win big at the next general election. And that's why the cyber troopers from both sides of the divide are an important tool of the battle!

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The youths are the mainstay in any mass political campaign, either as voters, party workers, supporters and even fodder for demonstrations, as seen in the July street demonstration by the Bersih 2.0 coalition.

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cybertrooper as career anyone?

Fatehah delivers 2 golds b4 collapse

keretapir — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:17 +0800

awesomesauce!

QUOTE

Fatehah delivers two golds from three events before collapsing

JAKARTA: Riding in three events, Fatehah Mustapa was close to exhaustion but still found enough in her tank to bag two gold medals as Malaysia celebrated a four-gold haul on the final day of the track cycling yesterday.

Fatehah grabbed the individual sprint gold before adding another in the team sprint with Ju Pha Som Net.

But Fatehah first had to ride in the 5km scratch race, which was postponed from Sunday due to bad weather. She, however, could only finish sixth – no thanks to a puncture.

Close pursuit: Malaysia’s Fatehah Mustapha (front) in action against Apryl Epperinger of the Philippines in the women’s sprint final in Jakarta yesterday.

Fatehah then picked herself up for the individual sprint final against Apryl Eppinger of the Philippines, winning the first race before rain forced the proceedings to be halted.

But nothing was going to stop Fatehah, who had won the 500m individual time trial on Saturday, from capturing her third gold of the Games. She continued from where she left on against Eppinger in the afternoon, winning 2-0 for the gold medal.

She then rushed to get ready for the team sprint event. Fatehah-Ju Pha managed to outsprint the Thai duo of Chanakan Sricha-Jutatip Maneephan for the gold before Fatehah collapsed immediately after the race.

“I was just burnt out after two intense back-to-back races. My legs just froze with cramps,” she said.

“I gave it my all in the two races ... I had nothing left in the tank after that.”

Mohd Edrus Yunos added another gold in the men’s individual sprint by beating compatriot Mohd Fattah Amri Zaid.

Earlier, in the morning session, Mohd Hafiz Suffian had claimed the omnium gold medal, scoring 11 points against Indonesia’s Fatahilah Abdullah (14 pts). Malaysia’s Ahmad Fahrullah Alias took the bronze on 16 points.

There was, however, heartbreak for Mohd Adiq Hussainie Othman who had to settle for silver in the 40km points race.

Adiq, who scored 53 points, lost to Filipino John Renee, who won the gold medal on 57 points. Indonesia’s Rully Ifnu Faroka settled for the bronze on 49 points.

“I was hoping to get another gold medal after winning the team pursuit on Sunday. But the Filipino rider got away alone in the fifth lap to grab the bigger points,” said Adiq.

“I have to thank Mohd Harrif Salleh and Zulhilmie Afiff Zamri for helping me out.”

UPSR results today

keretapir — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:45:23 +0800

my sis managed to score only 3A 2B
well,u've done ur best sis!
i'm proud of u,since ur english got A

inb4 pic of my lil sis...

Thai lawmakers mull moving capital out of Bangkok

keretapir — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:37:21 +0800

QUOTE

With low-lying Bangkok currently besieged by Thailand's worst floods in half a century, and environmentalists warning of more to come, lawmakers from the ruling Puea Thai party yesterday tabled a parliamentary motion to discuss the feasibility of moving the capital.

"The capital will face more and more problems from natural disasters and the environment," Mr Sataporn Maneerat, one of 20 Puea Thai MPs behind the motion, was quoted as saying by AFP.

He added that the main alternatives for a new capital are either in the eastern or north-eastern provinces.

The waters in the Gulf of Thailand are predicted to rise by about 20 to 30cm by 2050 and Bangkok is sinking from 2 to 5cm each year through the legal and illegal pumping of underground water at a rate faster than it can be replaced, AP reported last month.

Some experts are predicting that the metropolis of 12 million could be underwater much of the time by 2050, like it was originally in the 19th century. Agencies

here

S'pore billionaire to buy 10ha

keretapir — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:47:56 +0800

deal or no deal?

QUOTE

PETALING JAYA: Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, dubbed the “Remisier King”, has signed a deal with the Johor royal family to acquire 10ha in Johor for the development of a medical hub and a marina city.

The joint venture company behind the development is Best Blend Sdn Bhd, which Lim owns 70%, and the royal family owns 30%. Lim is ranked by Forbes business magazine as Singapore's eighth wealthiest individual with a fortune of S$1.8bil.

“The cost of the medical hub is estimated at S$200mil and the total development cost could range from S$1bil to S$2bil. The medical hub will be funded through a mixture of debt and equity,” said Koh Kim Huat, a director of Best Blend.

The hospital, when completed, will be managed by Thomson International Health Services, the consultancy and management division of Thomson Medical Pte Ltd.

Lim wants to develop the 10ha into a medical hub and marina city.

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“The medical hub will provide quality private healthcare at affordable prices to Singaporeans and Malaysians,” said Koh.

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DBKL prepared to face floods

keretapir — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:14:52 +0800

QUOTE

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has identified six high-risk and flood-prone areas in the city centre in its preparation for possible floods over the next two months.

The six locations are Kampung Baru, Jalan Masjid India, Jalan Raja, Jalan Dang Wangi, Dataran Merdeka and Jalan Tun Razak near the Bernama headquarters.

These areas have been installed with water-level indicators to monitor the intensity of any continual rainfall for a possible flood.

In response to a question about the possiblity of major floods in Kuala Lumpur, DBKL deputy director-general of socio-economic development Datuk Mohd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz said according to reports from the Meteorological Department, the amount of rainfall is forecast to be between 250mm and 350mm in November and December, which is much lower if compared to the east coast where it is around 800mm.

For all to see: Some of the road signs which will be used in case of floods in Kuala Lumpur.

Mohd Amin, however, said he could not rule out the chances of a major flood although he was confident that the situation in Kuala Lumpur would not be as bad as the floods in Bangkok.

“But if the rain is continuous, we cannot predict what will happen. It is all up to God’s will,” he told reporters during a press conference recently at City Hall’s enforcement department headquarters in Jalan Tun Razak.

“We have to be more aware and more prepared this time because of the situation in Bangkok,” he said, adding that DBKL was well prepared for possible floods.

Mohd Amin said DBKL had identified 21 schools and 14 multipurpose halls as relief centres to house victims and had formed a disaster relief management committee together with the relevant departments including the police, fire and meteorological department in case of any major floods.

In working condition: DBKL officers inspecting some of the equipment which will be used in the event of floods in Kuala Lumpur.

He added that DBKL has also activated a 24-hour operations room at their enforcement department headquarters in Jalan Tun Razak since the beginning of this month as preparation for possible floods.

“All information will be processed at this centre and announced to the public if there is a flood,” he said, adding that announcements will be made on the variable-message signboards at highways and through the Integrated Transportation and Information System (Itis) as well as over radio stations.

The operations centre can be contacted at 03-4024 4424, 03-4022 0055 or 019-212 0031.

Mohd Amin also urged the public to use public transport and avoid driving into the city centre and flood-prone areas for the next two months during downpours.

u prep for flood?

20 flood mitigation projects

keretapir — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:09:27 +0800

QUOTE

PETALING JAYA: There are 20 flood mitigation projects ongoing nationwide but none have been fully completed.

They are in various stages due to issues with funding, said Drainage and Irrigation Department's (DID) division of river basin and coastal management director Datuk Lim Chow Hock.

Lim said the projects would still be able to mitigate floods to some extent, depending on their level of completion.

He added that low-lying areas in various parts of the country were at high risk of massive flooding as early as the end of this month as rainfall was expected to be heavier this time around.

The Meteorological Department had recently said the country is expected to receive 20% to 40% more rain this year compared with last year.

The flood-prone areas in the country include Rantau Panjang, Kota Baru, Dungun, Pekan, Segamat, Kota Tinggi, Alor Setar, Perlis and Penang.

Pekan, Alor Setar, Kuching, Sibu and Segamat are among the areas where the flood mitigation projects are being carried out.

Lim estimated that damage could reach RM1.5bil this year if massive floods hit the country.

“This is excluding losses incurred due to the disrup-tion of business and other economic losses,” he said.

Another source from the department said there had not been any major flood mitigation projects implemented in Kota Tinggi, despite the area being ravaged by floods in 2007 and last year.

“Slight improvements have been made to the drainage systems and the rivers to ease the flow, but there have been no new projects,” he said.

He added that a study conducted by experts had estimated that a mitigation project to prevent flooding in Kota Tinggi would cost the Government RM2.2bil and take up to 15 years to complete.

He said the allocation from the Government had only been enough to recover from the damages caused by last year's floods.

Lim advised Malaysians living in flood-prone areas to pay close attention to warnings issued by authorities, especially the Meteorological Department and the DID.

Alerts on floods can be accessed at publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my .

who will be the 1st one to say the 'S' word?

Loan sharks raked in $20m in interest

keretapir — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:39:33 +0800

QUOTE

KUALA LUMPUR - A loan shark syndicate, crippled by police recently, is believed to have raked in about RM50 million (S$20.3 million) in interest charges alone, over a span of five years.

Federal commercial crime deputy director II Datuk Mohd Rodwan Mohd Yusof said the estimate was made based on the number of borrowers and interest rates charged by the syndicate.

Rodwan said the information and evidence were obtained, following the arrest of a loan shark and four of his runners in Jalan Genting Klang and Jalan Klang Lama, here.

He said police had seized RM60,000 and 174 cheques with a total value of RM2.3 million.

Police also seized 400 ATM bank slips, stacks of loan application forms, books containing details of the borrowers and their payments.

The authorities also found the names and particulars of the syndicate's, more than, 1,000 borrowers.

Police discovered that based on the interest rates charged by the syndicate, they would have collected RM10 million in interests alone in a year.

The syndicate had been operating for more than five years and had close to 1,000 borrowers, at any one time.

Police got a lead on this syndicate, following a report lodged by a family recently, claiming that they were constantly being harassed by the loan shark.

Rodwan said four, of the suspects arrested, were from Johor.

"We are now checking, if the four are linked to another syndicate operating out of Johor," he said.

The arrest of the suspects, between the ages of 20 and 30, was made following a report lodged by a businessman recently.

The businessman, who runs a small trading business, had borrowed from five loan sharks to sustain his ailing business.

It was learnt that he had borrowed RM10,000 from each loan shark. He started getting into problems when he could not service the interest of between RM500 and RM1,000 to each loan shark, every month.

The harassment, according to the victim, was not only in the form of threatening phone calls but also visits by runners, who would usually splash red paint on his gate and walls. On several occasions, they also stuffed glue into the keyhole of the padlock.

Rodwan said despite the numerous advice given by police, many were still continued borrowing money from loan sharks.

"They know the dangers but are driven to them by sheer desperation," he said.

rivalry to banking institution?