COME RAIN OR SHINE

Malaysia's Uncelebrated Rally 'Champion'

2010-04-27T13:22:00.007+08:00

Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya. This name may not ring a bell among Malaysian motorsports' fans as Karamjit Singh's would. Muhammad Rafiq's foray into the world of rallying went almost unnoticed by most local motorsports fans, and this might be due to the fact that he is being eclipsed by his more illustrious compatriot Karamjit.

Muhammad Rafiq is quite new to the sport and in his own words "a new hand at rallying with only four years of experience." Driving for the MRU Motorsports team in a Subaru Impreza WRX, he did reasonably well for a "new hand", beating even his more experienced compatriot, Karamjit.

In the recently concluded Malaysian Rally Championship (MRC) held in Johor Baru, he finished a credible 4th in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) category behind more established drivers in Katsu Taguchi of Japan, India's Gaurav Gill and Indonesian Rifat Sungkar.

In the Asia Cup held simultaneously, again Rafiq showed his capability by finishing 3rd behind Gaurav and Rifat, thus overshadowing his compatriot and local favourite Karamjit.

So to all Malaysian motorsports fans in general and rally fans in particular, remember this name:

MUHAMMAD RAFIQ UDHAYA.
He has arrived, and hopefully have the mettle to take over as Malaysia's rally king, long synonymous with Karamjit.

Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya celebrating on the podium with co-driver Sean Gregory. - Pic by APRC.TV

Do You Know Your Blue Flags From Your Red Flags?

2010-04-15T14:21:00.002+08:00

No, I'm not talking about the red, white, yellow and blue that is our nation’s pride, I'm talking about the flag that says, “You! Get in the pits, you’re disqualified!”

Yellow flags, blue flags, black flags, black flags with orange circles in them, what do they all mean? Well they aren't national flags for sure, but what do they stand for if not for the pride of Mozambique or Liechtenstein?

Depending on their colour, flags in Formula One world can mean a lot of things. Race marshals armed with an array of these colourful flags stand alongside Formula One circuits all around the world wave different kinds of flags in order to signal any given driver, or the lot of them at once, of many things like penalties, hazards on track and what not.

So if you've been wondering just what these flags mean, I've listed them all here for your understanding. Enjoy!

Yellow flag

The most common flag waved about in Formula One, a single yellow flag waved by the race marshal instructs the driver to take caution as there is debris from a crash ahead. Drivers must slow their cars down at sections where the yellows are being waved and overtaking is strictly prohibited, unless of course the driver ahead is retiring out of the race.

A double yellow flag waved by the same race marshal warns drivers of great danger ahead. Once again, overtaking is not allowed unless it is completely unavoidable. A safety car is usually deployed at this time.

Green

Green flags waved usually follow a yellow flagged area, because green flags indicate that the track is clear of any previous dangers and drivers may resume at racing speeds and overtake as they wish.

If and when a race director allows, green flags may also be waved during parade laps after a race. Green flags are also used to signal the beginning of sessions such as free practice or qualifying. However, race starts deploy an electric lighting system to signal the start of the race.

Red

Red flags simply signal the suspension of a race, practice or qualifying session. If and when the Race Director sees fit, race marshals will wave red flags all around the circuit signaling for drivers to suspend all actions.

Drivers in the pits may not leave the pits and drivers on the track may not return to the pits. Drivers on the circuit must proceed with caution to the designated red flag line and stop their vehicles. If however the safety car is deployed in this time, drivers on track may follow the safety car back into the pits.

Sessions may be resumed or abandoned as the race director deems fit from this moment on. Under red flag instances, any driver who breaks the rules will have a drive-through penalty imposed upon them.

Blue

Get out of the way! You're holding up traffic! If you find yourself being shown the blue flag mid race, well that just means that you're at the back of the field, the top runners are trying to get past you and that you should be letting them through. If you've ignored three of these flags, you can expect to be subjected to a penalty, which may vary from a drive through penalty, or a 10 second stop-go.

Blue flags are also used in practice session and qualifying sessions to instruct slow moving drivers to move off the racing line and let cars at racing speeds go by.

White

A white flag simply warns drivers that there is a slow car on track ahead. Possibly a retiring car, an ambulance, or a tow truck trying to carry away a stalled car on the grid, drivers are instructed to slow down massively at this point to avoid a collision.

Black

The waving of a black flag is usually to instruct a specific driver to return to the pits immediately and report to the Clerk of the Course, usually because they've been disqualified from the race. The black flag is accompanied by a board with the car number of the driver that is being called in.

Chequered

Possibly the most well known flag and the most welcomed flag by drivers, the black and white chequered flag signals the end of the race, practice session, or qualifying session. The winner of the race is always the first to see the flag, followed by everyone else that follows behind him or her.

Half Black

Unsporting behavior is usually the reason for race marshals to wave this flag. If a driver's driving is deemed dangerous by the race directors, he or she will be instructed to either cool it down on the circuit. If however they continue in the same manner without regard for safety, they'll be immediately disqualified.

Black with orange circle

Possibly the oddest flag of the bunch, a black flag with an orange circle is waved to inform drivers that their car has a mechanical problem with the potential to harm themselves or other drivers on the circuit. The driver on the receiving end of this flag must return to the pit and have the problem sorted out before returning to action again.

Yellow with red stripes

The next most oddest flag of the bunch is a yellow on with red stripes that run down the middle. This warns drivers of a danger up ahead such as a slippery surface or debris, possibly left behind by a car leaking oil on the track's surface, or that there is rain starting to fall on the track. Drivers must reduce their speed and be wary of a slippery or dangerous surface ahead.

Source: MSN Sport

Muay Thai's 8 Points Of Contact

2010-03-20T15:56:00.003+08:00

If one were to capture the strikes in slow-motion, it is easy to see why Muay Thai or Thai kick boxing has the reputation of being one of the deadliest and most feared martial arts in the world.

With an arsenal of eight weapons to choose from, seasoned Muay Thai fighters swear by their fists, elbows, knees and feet to execute moves that are possibly more lethal than strikes coming from a baton or nunchucks.

While other martial arts use two points of contact (e.g fists in Western boxing) and four points (e.g hands and feet in sport-oriented martial arts), Muay Thai has eight points.

A well-trained fighter utilizes punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes that can make a deadly impact.

The roots of Muay Thai, which means ‘the art of eight limbs’ can be traced back to the battlefields of 15th century Thailand. The warrior’s eight points of contact substituted swords and sticks during weaponless combat.

It has since become the country’s national sport and bears similarities to Indochinese styles of kickboxing such as Tomoi in Malaysia, Muay Lao in Laos and Cambodia’s Pradal serey.

Today, the bone shattering techniques of this martial art is being used all over the world from the Thai military to the CIA and has inspired movies and legions of enthusiasts including in Malaysia.

Conditioned to Last

"1-2-3. Uppercut-block-kick", Mohd Aly Yakin instructs his students. The 32 year-old Muay Thai instructor moves swiftly around the training studio. He is of medium-built with an anatomy of solid muscles that even an accomplished athlete would envy. With seven years of teaching experience, Singaporean-born Aly was trained in Muay Thai two years ago in Chiang Mai, Thailand and is also trainer at a local fitness centre. Previously, he practised Taekwondo for 19 years which he started at the age of nine.

"Martial arts like Taekwondo employ 80 percent legs and 20 percent hands. But in Muay Thai it’s 50/50. Plus Muay Thai is easy to learn, there’s no uniform and it’s suitable for all ages."

He added that unlike other martial arts, Muay Thai students do not earn belts for their skills and progression. Instead, their skills will be tested in the ring where the championship belts are vied by top fighters.

Aly explained that the training and conditioning regimes for fighters were also very challenging. "In Thailand a typical training session would be punching and kicking on bamboo sticks and coconut trees. It’s grueling and painful. As a result, your shins, legs and elbows will be strong. But we train differently at my classes, of course."

Maybe Aly noticed the writer’s worried expression, busy scanning the studio for the aforementioned bamboo stick. None in sight, fortunately.

Geared for Eight Limbs

With shins conditioned to be used just like a club, the effective use of both elbows and knees are also emphasized.

The speed, precision and power of Muay Thai techniques are well-known among martial arts exponents, and fighters can often take down an opponent with just one shot. Broken bones are common in the ring, but numerous fighters have also died from a lethal kick or elbow.

Another distinctive element of Muay Thai is the rotation of the hips to deliver powerful punches and kicks. Aly demonstrated the movement with a kick on the punching bag and the sound of the impact alone sent chills down the writer’s back.

"Learning defensive and offensive techniques are a must because this is 100 percent physical contact", Aly stated.

"Fighters can target at almost any part of the body and only the head cannot be used to strike an opponent."

He explains that he currently has 600 students enrolled in the beginner’s, intermediate and advanced classes and that fighter-training classes are being carried out this year for a competition to be held in June.

More than Just About Fighting

But competing is not necessarily on everyone’s wish list when learning Muay Thai. Popularized by movies like ‘Ong Bak’ and martial art contender events, people from all walks of life have turned to Muay Thai as a means of physical exercise and self-defense.

"My students are mostly females in their 20’s, The youngest student I have is 12 years old, and the oldest is aged 63. It builds stamina, gets you in excellent shape and builds up your confidence."

Meanwhile, 61 year-old Lee Yoon Kong could not agree more. He has taken up Muay Thai for almost a year and has felt its benefits directly. "The main reason I learn Muay Thai is for me to keep fit cause if one is always sick one would be a social burden! I am now free of medication which I had to take to control my high cholesterol. I feel healthier now unlike when I was not attending this class."

Yoon Kong added that it is also an effective self-defense and combat sports offering the best in boxing punches and martial arts kicks.

"Muay Thai uses every part of the body as a weapon. Moreover, it has no ‘katas’ to learn. To be able to punch and kick the correct way certainly cuts short the time to maim your assailant in a self-defence situation."

For 28-year old Darshini, the rigorous drills have helped her get in shape.

"What I like most about the classes is that you really sweat it out compared with other workout like yoga. You definitely learn to toughen up too. Since I joined three months ago I noticed that I’ve shed a few kilos."

Muay Thai Breeds Aggression?

Raw, bloody and lethal, it is hard not to associate contact sports like Muay Thai to violence.

A misconception, Aly stressed that is quite common. "Muay Thai teaches an individual to be disciplined, humble and in control of his or her actions and feelings.

"At the same time, instructors must understand what the students want. They can't just simply teach. They must make the effort to know the background and character of their students. In Thailand, there have been cases where youngsters have run ins with the law as they join gangs or fight in the streets after learning Muay Thai. Instructors have to be professional to avoid students from abusing their skills."

De Facto Martial Art of Choice

Incorporated into different styles of competitive fighting, Muay Thai has garnered a worldwide recognition for its success with mixed martial arts. In Malaysia, Aly said that Muay Thai enthusiasts hope to have an official association by this October.

"Presently Muay Thai is not formally recognized in the country. There are Tomoi associations established by the people of Kelantan but none for Muay Thai yet. We hope through this association we can advance like any other sport or martial arts in the country."

(Pix from K-1)

Prosperous Malaysians

2010-03-12T19:32:00.001+08:00

Malaysia has the most billionaires in South East Asia

A Malaysian newspaper, The Star, reported that Malaysia has the most number of billionaires in South East Asia.

AP Photo

Malaysian tycoon, Tan Sri Robert Kuok named the 33rd richest man in the world with a net worth of US$14.5bil (RM48.1bil).

The former Sugar King, was among nine Malaysians who made it into the 2010 Forbes List of the World's Billionaires which listed a total of 1, 011 billionaires.

Kuok shared the spot with Microsoft's Steven Ballmer.

The Kuok Group patriarch moved up from the 62nd spot last year was also named the seventh richest man in Asia.

According to the The Star, Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan was listed as the 89th richest man in the world and the 14th richest man in Asia with a net worth of US$7.6bil (RM25.2bil).

Three other Malaysians made it into the top 300 list of billionaires with IOI Corp Bhd's Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng ranked 189th with US$4.4bil (RM14.6bil).

Hong Leong Group's Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan and Public Bank's Tan Sri The Hong Piow shared the 277th spot with their worth of US$3.4bil (RM11.3bil) each.

Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay, YTL Group chairman and family came in 421st with their US$2.3bil (RM7.6bil) family fortunes while Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary of the Bukhary Foundation was ranked 655th for his US$1.5bil (RM4.98bil).

Berjaya Group's Tan Sri Vincent Tan made it back to the list and was ranked 828th with US$1.2bil (RM3.98bil) while Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King of Rimbunan Hijau Group was ranked 937th with his US$1bil (RM3.3bil).

According to The Star, both Malaysia and Philippiness had the highest number of billionaires in the South East Asian region.

China (including Hong Kong) had the most number of billionaires outside the US with 89. However, India still had the most numbers of billionaires within Asia, taking 10 of the 25 spots for Asia's richest.

When Sex Kills

2010-03-12T19:22:00.003+08:00

When sex is bad for you

When lovemaking becomes a potential health hazard. Yes, let's not get too excited, please.

We look at some of the potential health dangers that are involved during sex.

The 7 hazardous side-effects of the horizontal tango.

1) Heart attack

The notion that sex can actually bring about a heart attack has actually be around for some time and it has been found that the average 50 year old male who is a non smoker doubles the odds of a heart attack when they have sex.

However, if you have had a stroke or heart trouble, the chance of sex causing a heart attack is about two in a million which is double the risk for healthy people in the hours after sexual intercourse.

Although heart attacks during sex are rare, no one wants to be among the unlucky few who die while getting lucky. So if you have cardiovascular disease (CVD), or even if it runs in your family, it's important to ask your doctor what type of sexual activity is safe.

2) Carpal tunnel syndrome

According to research published in Medical Hypotheses journal, the extra weight put on your wrists during sexual intercourse is probably a major contributing factor to carpal tunnel syndrome. And the data that helps prove this shows an increase in carpal tunnel syndrome with the introduction of medications like Viagra and the ever-worsening obesity epidemic.

For those of you who haven’t heard of this syndrome before, it is the irritation of the median nerve which causes tingling and numbness of the thumb, index, and the middle fingers.

The wrist is surrounded by a band of tough tissue that normally functions as a support for the joint. The tight space between this fibrous band and the wrist bone is called the carpal tunnel. The median nerve passes through the carpal tunnel to receive sensations from the thumb, index, and middle fingers of the hand. Any condition that causes swelling or a change in position of the tissue within the carpal tunnel can squeeze and irritate the median nerve.

The fact that sex is the most widely practiced activity that uses both hands at the same time only strengthens the hypothesis. However, the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome drops off later in life coinciding with a decrease in sexual activity.

And you thought your carpal tunnel syndrome was from typing on the computer!

3) Pregnancy problems

We all know that potentially one outcome of having sex can lead to pregnancy and while this isn’t a health hazard and having sex while pregnant doesn’t cause miscarriage, premature labour or any other complication; if you have a low lying placenta having sex may be a risk.

This exception should be especially adhered to if this has caused bleeding during pregnancy. Other times that when sex should be avoided when you are pregnant is if you’re leaking amniotic fluid, you have placenta previa or you are at risk from preterm labour.

Many couples worry that sex during pregnancy will cause a miscarriage, especially in the first trimester. But sex isn't a concern. Early miscarriages are usually related to chromosomal abnormalities or other problems in the developing baby, not to anything you do or don't do.

4) Male injuries

A common battle scar for men from their bedroom activities can be a rip in the skin connecting the foreskin and the penis and this is known as a torn frenulum. It heals but with a scar, which is likely to tear again so it is best to avoid sex for a couple of days. It’s a relatively common problem and once it has totally healed both men and women can reduce their risk of genital cuts and tears from sex using a condom or extra lubrication to cut your chances of further trouble.

However, it is not only men who suffer from small tears as this is also common for women. Many have had the experience of noticing slight bleeding from vaginal sex as a result of getting tiny cuts or tears in their vagina or vulva as a result of intense friction from sex.

5) ‘Fractures’

You may think this is one of those crazy sex myths, but penis fractures can happen and a guy can actually fracture their penis during sex which is a crack caused by the rigid tissue snapping during gymnastic sex. Most reported cases happen when the woman is on top of the man or when the man gets slightly carried away and thrusts deeply into their partner with a great deal of vigor and hitting hard against the pubic bone.

Penile fractures are usually accompanied by a popping sound and then an immediate loss of erection for the man followed, some hours later, by bruising and severe pain. A penis fracture requires urgent medical attention and a fracture can usually be diagnosed with a physical exam, and prompt surgical repair is typically recommended. Left untreated, a penis fracture may result in deformity of the penis or the inability to have or maintain an erection.

The penis is made of two sponge like bodies, which fill up with blood when you have an erection and that's what gives penises rigidity. When it's really over bent or when you apply too much pressure, the penis can break and what is breaking is the layer of fibre sheath.

Sex isn't the only way a man can break his penis as any time the penis is hit while erect, damage can occur. On the other hand If it's flaccid, you cannot have a penile fracture.

6) Girly pains

It is very common for women to experience pain during intercourse at some point during their lives. However, pain during intercourse can detract from an enjoyable experience which is not good, and it might also signal more serious problems. The discomfort which can be experienced during intercourse can be down to the ovaries being bumped during sex causing a pain deep inside. This is a common pain for women and can be alleviated by changing the depth and position of penetration. As soon as you feel the pain, it is important to stop and change positions. On the other hand it could be ovarian cysts.

Another possibility may be that it's your cervix that is hurting. Many women tend to have tender cervixes throughout different times in their cycles.

On the whole if the pain continues to occur, you should make an appointment with a health care provider for an evaluation.

7) Headache

Headaches are never fun, but they can be downright frustrating when they occur after sex. If you're unfortunate enough to experience this symptom, you're not alone. While having a headache is used by some women to turn down the advances of their partner and therefore is just seen as an excuse, a throbbing headache can actually be the result of sex which happens during or after the act itself.

This orgasm headache is a type of migraine called ‘benign coital headache’ which tends to happen before or at climax. Although benign coital or orgasmic headaches are very painful, and obviously limit sexual enjoyment, they present no other acute threat. They are thought to result from muscle contraction, and/or blood vessel dilation, in the head and neck during sex.

However, the other type of headache that can occur is the ‘new onset’ severe headache during sex. This is a first time headache, which is generally characterised as the worst headache of a personas life. This type of sex headache is a serious emergency until proven otherwise. Such a headache is often due to an acute brain haemorrhage or other serious condition. Fortunately, this type of first onset headache is fairly unusual, but when it does occur it can represent a life threatening emergency, which requires emergency evaluation and treatment.

Schumacher Puts His Legacy On The Line

2010-03-05T14:00:00.002+08:00

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All eyes will be on Schumacher. — Reuters pic

LONDON, March 5 — The return of Michael Schumacher, after three years away and at the age of 41, was always going to take top billing in a blockbuster of a Formula One season.

The big question, with the championship kicking off in Bahrain next week, is whether the German can roll back the years and deliver what is expected of him in a new era and against one of the most competitive fields in ages.

The box office needs the most successful driver of all time to be back with a bang, fighting wheel-to-wheel to increase his record tally of 91 race wins and challenging for an unprecedented eighth title.

Failure with his new Mercedes team could otherwise damage the glittering, and at times controversial, legacy that Schumacher had established over the 16 years before he retired from Ferrari in 2006.

“A lot of people will be interested to see how he copes,” reigning world champion Jenson Button told Reuters this week.

“It’s not just Michael at 41 that people are talking about, it’s Michael coming into a team that’s new to him,” added the Briton, whose place at the former Brawn team was taken by Schumacher after he decided to move to McLaren.

“He was with Ferrari for many years, where I’m sure he could pretty much have anything he wanted, whereas now Formula One is different.”

There will be many challenges ahead for ‘Schumi’, not least racing against three other world champions including one — McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton — who was not even in Formula One last time Schumacher was around.

The most fundamental task, however, will be making sure that he beats a young team mate who has yet to win a grand prix.

If he cannot assert himself over fellow German Nico Rosberg, then the script of returning hero will have to be rewritten at the very least.

Beating a team mate is always a driver’s best measure of how competitive he is and Schumacher has yet to come off second best against anyone set alongside him.

Rosberg, 24, is the first German to partner the former Ferrari ace and has shown he is no slouch in his four seasons with Williams. He has also been assured of equal treatment by Mercedes.

If he beats Schumacher, his stock will only rise. But it is a big if.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, Schumacher’s long-suffering team mate at Ferrari, grinned when asked after the first day of pre-season testing last month what advice he could give to Rosberg.

“Get out of there,” he joked. “Knowing what I know, and seeing how fast Michael went today, it is going to be a tough job.”

Schumacher has shown in testing that he still has the pace and fitness. Never one to espouse the line that the competing is as important as the winning, he is certainly not coming back just for fun.

“People, including me, are expecting big things from Michael and I think there is no reason why he shouldn’t win the championship if the car is good enough,” Formula One’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said recently.

If Mercedes can give him the tools then Schumacher may not have too many qualms about abandoning the quiet life at home in Switzerland with his wife and young children to rejoin the travelling circus.

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn, a close ally from the days when the Briton was Ferrari technical director, certainly has no concerns about Schumacher’s mental or physical preparation.

“He’s got a tremendous work ethic and he wouldn’t do this unless he was convinced that he can do the job. And I’m convinced he can do the job,” he said back in January.

“There is nothing in a racing car that wears out parts of your body, it’s just down to your stamina and strength,” he added. “So I fully expect Michael to be able to cope with any demands we make of him.”

Schumacher feels he has nothing to prove about his age, although the battle between the “old man” and young warriors such as Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel will be one of the storylines of the season.

Vettel, overall runner-up with Red Bull last year, made his debut only in 2007 when he acquired the nickname of “Baby Schumi”.

Schumacher, as excited as a novice when testing the car for the first time last month, can hardly wait for battle to commence.

“I just have to prove to myself that I am still able, but the main reason why I am doing this is because I feel again thrilled by it,” he said at a team presentation in January.

“I feel big excitement to just drive and compete at the highest level of motorsport.” — Reuters

Genetically Altered Mosquitoes To Combat Dengue

2010-02-24T15:50:00.001+08:00

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 – Dengue fever is among the world’s most pressing public health issues, and causes severe flulike symptoms. There are 50 million to 100 million cases per year, and nearly 40 per cent of the global population is at risk.

Recently, University California Irvine (UCI) researchers and colleagues from Oxitec Ltd and the University of Oxford created a new breed of flightless females are expected to die quickly in the wild, curtailing the number of mosquitoes and reducing – or even eliminating – dengue transmission.

Males of the strain can fly but do not bite or convey disease, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported citing the report.

Researcher Professor Anthony James of UCI said: “Current dengue control methods are not sufficiently effective, and new ones are urgently needed.”

“Controlling the mosquito that transmits this virus could significantly reduce human morbidity and mortality,” he said.

The dengue virus is spread by the bite of infected female mosquitoes and there is no vaccine or treatment.

He explained that when genetically altered male mosquitoes mate with wild females and pass on their genes, females of the next generation are unable to fly.

Scientists estimate that if released, the new breed could sustainably suppress the native mosquito population in six to nine months. The approach offers a safe, efficient alternative to harmful insecticides.

Study results appear in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences for the week of Feb 22.

The research is receiving funding support from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health through the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative, which was launched to support breakthrough advances for health challenges in the developing world.

Using concepts developed by Oxitec’s Luke Alphey, the study’s senior author, researchers made a genetic alteration in the mosquitoes that disrupts wing muscle development in female offspring, rendering them incapable of flight. Males’ ability to fly is unaffected, and they show no ill effects from carrying the gene.

“The technology is completely species-specific, as the released males will mate only with females of the same species,” Alphey said. “It’s far more targeted and environmentally friendly than approaches dependent upon the use of chemical spray insecticides, which leave toxic residue.”

James and Alphey have pioneered the creation of genetically altered mosquitoes to limit transmission of vector-borne illnesses.

While their current work is focused on the dengue fever vector, they noted that this approach could be adapted to other mosquito species that spread such diseases as malaria and West Nile fever. – Bernama

Lotus To Launch Evora In M'sia Next Month

2010-02-24T13:14:00.001+08:00

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HETHEL (England), Feb 24 – The Lotus Evora (pic), launched for the United Kingdom market, is to hit the Malaysian market by end of next month, says Proton Managing Director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Mohamed Tahir.

He said Proton was awaiting the next batch of the Evora before “we are ready for the launch.”

Saying that the company has not decided on the price, he did not deny that it would be higher than the 50,000 pounds current price in the United Kingdom.

“This is due to Malaysia’s higher tax structure than in the UK We’ve yet to finalise the price, we’re still working on it. We’ll try to make it as competitive as in the UK market.

“We’re still working with the government besides looking at the price structure,” he told a press conference at the Lotus headquarters here Tuesday.

The press conference was held in conjunction with the two-day visit to Lotus from Monday by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Lotus Evora, originally developed under a project called “Project Eagle”, was launched at the British Motor Show in July 2008.

The car is bigger than other Lotus models like Elise and Exige, with 160mph (260km/h) top speed and 0-60mph (0-100km/h) in less than five seconds.

Asked about the global strategic partner which he mentioned in his speech at a dinner on Monday night, Syed Zainal Abidin declined to elaborate, saying it was too early to make an announcement.

“The discussions not only involved Volkswagen but also Mitsubishi and Renault to look into collaborations in a few areas, namely engine and component parts.

“We are looking at a big scope of collaboration, that’s the level of discussions we are having today with the parties. I think in discussions like these, we don’t want to pre-empt our talks.

“We have some confidentiality that we’ve discussed and we have to respect that, but the discussions are quite intense,” he said.

Earlier, Syed Zainal Abidin said Proton has lined up a series of products for the next five years including electronics and engine power.

“We’re developing a Campo turbo which will be available by year-end or at the latest by early next year. That will be a feature in all of our cars,” he said.

After 25 years in operations, Syed Zainal Abidin said, Proton was venturing into the international arena, with the Geneva Motor Show being the first step forward and “we will build on from there.”

Dr Mahathir, also present at the press conference, said a lot of changes have been made since his last visit to Lotus about six years ago.

He said Lotus had achieved a great deal of progress, both in actual performance and in the ideas that have been put forth by the management.

“I’ve seen some of the technology advancement development they have accomplished, and as you know, the car I drove just now, Evora, was from Lotus technology because we are faced with the need to increase engine power.

“So it is either we change the engine or upgrade the engine, so Lotus has actually helped to upgrade the engine, it is now as good as 2,000cc,” he added. – Bernama

Pakatan Moves To Tighten Discipline

2010-02-22T18:06:00.003+08:00

By Clara Chooi (Malaysian Insider)

PETALING JAYA, Feb 22 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim moved today to contain the fallout from squabbling among Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers by announcing the revival of plans to quickly set up a disciplinary panel for the opposition coalition.

His announcement comes in the wake of open criticisms against DAP by lawmakers in his PKR party.

The show of open dissent has open up the coalition to attacks from its rivals in Barisan Nasional (BN) who have criticised PR of being an unstable coalition incapable of leading any government.

Following a PR leadership council meeting today, Anwar said that the coalition’s secretariat was also willing to provide better avenues for members to voice their grievances against the leadership.

While maintaining that there were enough opportunities for disgruntled MPs or state assemblymen to voice their views, the PKR de facto leader said that if members felt otherwise, the PR leadership was willing to improve itself.

He noted however that rebel MPs like Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin and Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng should have maintained more decorum when voicing their opinions against PR leaders.

“The impression created by some of the MPs that they cannot criticise for example the Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng or the Selangor Mentri Besar (Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim) is not true.

“There is a weekly committee for MPs to air their views where they can bring up any grievances against any leader whether from PAS, DAP or PKR. However, if they feel we need to expand that, then we can. I have no issues,” he told a press conference.

Anwar added that at present, the PR had at least seven ongoing committees involving MPs and non-MPs.

“Then each party has its respective leadership meetings. The MPs have a forum too and the PR secretariat itself has about five to six committees.

“The GST issue, for example, we sit and discuss and some agree and some disagree. However if they feel there is need for improvement, we are ready to do so,” he said.

On rebel MPs like Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin and Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng, Anwar spoke of the need for decorum.

“We are not stopping them from voicing their opinions but they should be more patient. When you call a leader a ‘dictator’ for example... that is not good,” he said.

He was referring to Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim, who has since left PKR, and whose relentless criticisms against Lim had sparked off much controversy.

Zahrain left the party on Feb 12 to turn independent and claimed to have lost confidence in Lim and party leader Anwar himself.

Tan, who had joined Zahrain in his open criticism of Lim, is set to attend the PKR board disciplinary board proceedings tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Anwar said that the PR secretariat had decided on reviving its plan to set up the PR disciplinary committee, which would be chaired by PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah.

“Sivarasa will represent all three parties in the PR and will report to the secretariat. The committee will be tasked to handle disciplinary matters especially those that concern the three parties,” said Anwar.

New Pricing For Petrol Come May 2010

2010-02-22T14:23:00.002+08:00

Received an e-mail on the subject of the Government's new petrol price structure. I'm not sure how true the contents are, but for those intending to purchase new cars, please at least wait till May as taxes on new cars will come down too. According to the e-mail, prices of locally-manufactured cars might drop by as much as 40%, whereas import tax and excise duty might be revised to only 30% from the current 200%. The unedited e-mail is reproduced below.

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 8 – The mechanism for fuel pricing in Malaysia has finally been finalized and controlled under one mechanism, which also takes the high and lower income group people into consideration, according to Finance Trade Minister Tan Sri Anuar Ali.

“From May 1, the fuel will be pegged at RM 3.90 per litre for RON97, while RON95 will increase to RM 3.70 per litre. However, the prices of national-made vehicles will be lowered by at least 40 percent. For example, a full-spec family sedan Proton Persona 1.6 litre engine will cost around RM 23,000.00 excluding road tax and insurance. Import tax and excise duty will be revised to only 30 percent, from the current 200 percent. Imported vehicles such as the new Toyota Camry 2.4 litre engine will cost around RM 65,000.00.” he said.

The mechanics has been said to be undertaken by a team of experts from Australia and Canada who were earlier briefed on the issue of subsidy in this country, whereas after consideration by the transport minister, they have signed the constitution that the system will be made on May 1, the day it goes into effect.

Under the new system, there will be a major effect on the existing consumers who have already purchased a vehicle and to those who are in the midst of repaying the loan of their vehicle to their financial institutions.

Ahmad Tajuddin said the government might also re-introduce a cash return annually to Malaysians who own a 1,500 cc and below vehicle. The amount have yet to be decided but he assured that the amount will compensate the price of fuel by at least half to eligible Malaysians based on bumi quota.
– SkyNet News Asia

Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Unveils Cars

2010-01-26T18:20:00.011+08:00

1)The drivers are joined on stage by Ross Brawn, Dieter Zetsche, Norbert Haug and Nick Fry, as photographers clamber round.

2)Schumacher and Rosberg share a joke ... but soon the rivalry will begin, when pre-season testing starts next month. Teams are allowed to complete 15,000km of testing during February.

3)Schumacher still looks the part ... but doubts over his ability will persist until the first race in Bahrain in March.

4)“Driving for Mercedes-Benz again is like the closing of a circle for me as I started my racing driver career with the three-pointed star on my helmet,” said Schumacher.

5)The drivers walk onto the stage. However the car that awaits them is not the 2010 model. Rather, it is the 2009 Brawn car painted in Mercedes colours. The 2010 model will not be ready until next month.

6)The branding of Mercedes' title sponsor, Petronas, dominates the new livery.

7)The names of the two drivers are printed on the cockpit of the MGP W01 car. Schumacher hasn't raced in F1 since losing the 2006 title race to Fernando Alonso, while Rosberg has joined Mercedes from Williams after finishing the 2009 season in 7th place with 34.5 points.

8)Mercedes Benz has a rich F1 heritage, but never before has it run its own team.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Poll: Should PKR sack Zulkifli Nordin?

2010-01-25T18:12:00.000+08:00

Poll: Should PKR sack Zulkifli Nordin?

Internet Use Could Erode Our Culture? You Must Be Joking!

2010-01-17T23:47:00.002+08:00

'Beware Internet use', Malaysia warns

The Malaysian government has warned against excessive use of micro-blogging sites like Facebook and Twitter, arguing that they could erode the country's culture, a report said Sunday.

Rais Yatim, the information and communication minister, said Muslims and other religious groups must be wary of the Internet as it was introduced by the West.

"We are not saying they cannot use Facebook or Twitter, but when using such facilities, they must upkeep the values taught by Islam, Buddhism or Christianity to maintain our culture," he was quoted as saying by the New Sunday Times newspaper.

Rais said users must not be influenced by what they see and hear when using the Internet.

"We must be strong in our belief and culture because the identity and image of our country depends on us," he said.

The government decided last August not to implement a controversial plan to create an Internet filter blocking "undesirable" websites after coming under fire from rights groups.

Malaysia's lively blogosphere has been a thorn in the side of the Barisan Nasional government, which was been in power for more than half a century but was dealt its worst ever results in the 2008 elections.

Internet news portals and blogs, which escape tight controls on the mainstream media, were credited as a key element in the swing towards the opposition which has been adept at using new media to communicate its ideas.

Source - AFP

YES - But Only In Sabah And Sarawak

2010-01-15T20:31:00.003+08:00

Friday, 15 January 2010 15:56

Christians in Sabah and Sarawak, who had used the term 'Allah' to mean God in their local bibles for many generations, can continue to do so in the two states.

The Federal government, however, sees no reason why Christians in peninsular Malaysia should also refer to God as 'Allah' - even in the Malay print.

Stating this, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri also hopes that Malaysians from the two Borneo states residing in the peninsula would respect the prohibition.

He said this in an interview at his office here with a team of journalists from the See Hua Group of newspapers, representing the Borneo Post, Utusan Borneo and the Oriental Daily.

A common tradition in the Borneo states

Nazri said the Government accepts that the natives of Sabah and Sarawak had traditionally been using the term 'Allah' in their prayers and religious services. Besides, the Muslims there are accustomed to this practice.

"Christians in Sarawak and Sabah need not worry over this issue because it is a common tradition there.

"I have been to an Iban church service and I heard the word ‘Allah’ used there,” he reportedly told the visiting journalists.

"However, ‘Allah’ is not allowed to be used by churches in peninsular Malaysia and Christians from the two states have to respect this ruling when they are in the semenanjung," Nazri said.

Asked why there are two sets of rules on the usage of ‘Allah’ in the nation, Nazri said it is not a unique practice in Malaysia to have different sets of laws in certain matters, citing the Syariah Court and the Civil Court as an example.

He explained that the situation in the peninsula is different as ‘Allah’ was introduced into Christian worships and publications only in recent years.

He added: "Muslims in the semenanjung cannot accept it, as ‘Allah’ was never used in Christian preaching until only recently. They questioned the motive behind the substitution of ‘Tuhan’ for ‘Allah’.

Duty to stop acts of disrespect and provocation

“It is clearly stated in our constitution that no other religion can be propagated to Malay Muslims and this article has been enacted in all the states in Malaysia where the Sultan is the Head of State … so this excludes the Federal Territory, Penang, Malacca, Sarawak and Sabah.

“In these states, for the ban on the use of ‘Allah’ to be implemented, the Home Minister can use the Printing Act to enforce it.”

Nazri said the Christians should recognise that using ‘Allah’ in their worship and publications is sensitive to Muslims and that this is not an issue that can be solved by just going to court.

“The government has a duty to stop acts of disrespect and provocation that inflame religious and racial feelings in the nation even if there is no law that states these acts are wrong.

“For example, there is no law in the country that states that stepping on a severed cow head is wrong.

"But when a group of Malays did that in their protests against the building of a Hindu temple we hauled them up and charged them because that act was disrespectful to the Hindus,” Nazri said.

He added that on the same score, if the usage of ‘Allah’ by Christians is (and it certainly is, he said) sensitive to Muslims the government has to act even if the courts deem it legal.

Why the issue has landed in court

Question: "If that is the case, why does the government resort to going to the court to resolve the issue on the usage of ‘Allah’ by Christians?"

Nazri: "It was Archbishop Murphy Pakiam (publisher of the Catholic weekly, the Herald) who brought it to the court and the government had no choice but to defend it in court.

"Once the process of the law on the case has started, it could not be stopped.

"The government is continuing with the case in court by applying for a stay of execution, which the other party has agreed to."

Hoping for a solution soon

Question: "Judge Lau Bee Lan, in ruling against the ban on the usage of ‘Allah’ by Christians, had said that there was no evidence to show that the use of ‘Allah’ could incite violence.

Nazri: "Such incidents had not happened when the hearing was on and the government could not produce such evidence.

"But, on the other hand, the attacks on churches after the ruling proved the government right.

“Banning the use of ‘Allah’ by Christians was a pre-emptive move to stop outbreaks of religious violence in the nation."

Asked how the controversy could be solved, Nazri said there had to be a solution soon. - Malaysian Mirror

READ MORE HERE AND HERE (BAHASA MALAYSIA)

Haiti's Devastating Earthquake 2

2010-01-15T15:02:00.009+08:00

Sisters cry after visiting the home where their mother lies buried after the earthquake in Port-au-Prince.

Bodies lie in a makeshift morgue at the main hospital in Port au Prince. They were eventually loaded by bulldozers and trucks and taken to a mass grave.

Haitians cover their faces at a makeshift morgue at the main hospital in Port au Prince.

A man prepares to have his leg amputated in a makeshift triage center in Port-au-Prince..

A man receives treatment at a makeshift triage center.

A destroyed area of Port-au-Prince

A Spanish rescuer with 2-year-old Redjeson Hausteen Claude after he was rescued from a collapsed home in Port-au-Prince.

Bodies outside the morgue in Port-au-Prince.

A Haitian man shows the picture of his missing daughter at the patio of the Port-au-Prince General Hospital.

A doctor of the Chinese emergency rescue team treats an injured child in Port-au-Prince.

A security guard holds back passengers trying to enter the Port-au-Prince airport two days after a powerful earthquake struck.

A man carries an injured woman past a destroyed building in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Thursday, Jan. 14.

Rescuers attempt to free trapped students and teachers from the rubble of the St. Gerard Technical School in Port-au-Prince on Thursday. Some of those trapped have called for help on their cell phones, local residents say.

A man sits on a coffin intended for the body of his mother, which has on Thursday had not yet been recovered from the rubble of her Port-au-Prince home.

Cindy Terasme cries after seeing the feet of her dead 14-year-old brother, Jean Gaelle Dersmorne, sticking out of the rubble of the collapsed St. Gerard School on Thursday.

A police officer guards a man accused of trying to steal food from a market in Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

A police officer watches as residents grab food Thursday in Port-au-Prince.

An upended vehicle appears precariously balanced on its hood near central Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

Quake wreckage is seen from the air in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in this U.N. handout photo made available on Thursday.

A resident stands next to hundreds of dead bodies outside General Hospital in Port-au-Prince on Thursday. Pick-up trucks piled with corpses continued to deliver the dead from the earthquake to a morgue there.

Two men carry a coffin through the streets of Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

An injured earthquake survivor grimaces as she receives treatment at a medical clinic at U.N. mission in Haiti's logistics base on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

A body is bent double in the rubble of a home in Port-au-Prince destroyed by the massive earthquake on Thursday.

Roselyn Joseph cries over the body of her daughter, Emanuela Aminise on Thursday in Port-au-Prince.

Christopher Holmes from the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue searches for survivors in the rubble of a building on Thursday in Port-au-Prince.

A Haitian girl rests Thursday after receiving treatment at an ad hoc medical clinic.

People gaze at a destroyed building in Port-au-Prince on Thursday. Survivors of the quake were using sledgehammers and their bare hands to try to find victims in the rubble.

Haitians and peacekeepers from the United Nations Stabilization Mission In Haiti (MINUSTAH) load an injured woman into a helicopter in Port au Prince on Thursday. Much needed international aid in the form of food, medicine and other supplies were only beginning to trickle into the country.

A woman sits at an open camp area on Thursday in Port-au-Prince.

An aerial photo shows survivors gathered around bodies in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on Jan. 14.

A resident carries food away from a market in downtown Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

A woman walks among debris in Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

An injured earthquake survivor gets her hair done in a makeshift shelter in Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

Haitians congregate in impromptu tent cities in Port-au-Prince after the worst earthquake to hit the island in over 200 years.

•See an interactive, high-definition picture of Port-au-Prince from the GeoEye satellite.

Men remove the body of a young woman from the rubble, in Port-au-Prince.

Source: msnbc

Haiti's Devastating Earthquake

2010-01-14T17:19:00.009+08:00

Photos by: Reuters/AP

Spectator Killed In Argentine-Chile Dakar Rally

2010-01-03T15:13:00.003+08:00

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Spectators help people who were injured after being hit by a Dakar rally truck during the first stage of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 in Alpa Corral, Cordoba province. - Reuters pic

BUENOS AIRES, Jan 3 — A spectator was struck and killed yesterday while watching the first leg of the Dakar Rally being run across Argentina and Chile this month.

Officials said Natalia Sonia Gallardo, 28, was hit by the DW car of German driver Mirco Schultis, who had lost control of his vehicle around a curve. Five other people were involved in the crash.

Leonardo Botto, a security coordinator for the rally, said Gallardo was part of a group that was watching the race from an unauthorised viewing area along the Colon to Cordoba route.

The Dakar, originally conceived 31 years ago as a trans-Saharan race from Paris to the Senegalese capital, was held for the first time last year in South America.

The controversial race was moved away from its traditional route in West Africa because of terrorism fears in Mauritania.

It has claimed the lives of at least 50 competitors and other people, including two children hit by vehicles in 2006. — Reuters

Spectators and firemen help people who were injured after being hit by a Dakar rally truck during the first stage of Argentine-Chile Dakar Rally 2010 in Alpa Corral, Cordoba province.- Reuters pic

Joint Launching Of Formula 1 Cars Abandoned.

2009-12-24T17:28:00.003+08:00

The earlier proposed cost-cutting plan by Formula 1 teams to publicly launch their 2010 cars together in Valencia, Spain next month had been abandoned.

This was revealed by one team source to Reuters on Wednesday. It was understood that one of the major reason for abandoning the plan was that some teams would not be able to have their cars track-ready by then.

Lotus F1 Racing team principal, Tony Fernandes, had earlier this month said that his team won't be ready with their cars and added in jest that he might be at the joint-launch with a Matchbox car.

Then there were also fears that Ferrari, with double world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso, might eclipsed all other teams if a joint-launch was held in Spain, come rain or shine!

Michael Schumacher Is Back For More

2009-12-23T17:19:00.004+08:00

It's confirmed! 7-times former F1 champion, Michael Schumacher had come out of retirement to put his name on the dotted line for a one-year deal to drive for the Mercedes GP Petronas F1 team next season.

Schumacher signed the deal at the team's Brackley office in England on Tuesday, after months of speculations. The deal is worth 7 million euros (USD 9.9mil/RM35mil) with option to extend beyond 2010.

With their new and latest signing, Mercedes will parade an all-German line-up having earlier recruited another German, Nico Rosberg.

More stories here and here.

(Updated) Reactions to Michael's return:

Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, 2008 world champion for McLaren:
“It’s great to have Michael back in Formula One. He is a legend and a really nice guy, and I am happy for him that he has once again got an opportunity to do the best job in the world, race in Formula One.
“I used to watch Michael race when I was in the junior categories, and I always hoped that I would be in Formula One while he was still around. I’m really looking forward to seeing him on the track and back at the top.”
Nico Rosberg, Schumacher’s Mercedes team mate:
“It is fantastic that Michael is returning to Formula One and will be my team mate. It’s a great challenge for me to be up against one of the best drivers of all time. I’m sure that we will form a very strong partnership as he will have lost none of his speed.”
Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal:
“Michael’s outstanding record in Formula One speaks for itself and I am looking forward to working with him again. With the completion of our driver line-up, I believe that we now have the most exciting partnership in Formula One with Michael and Nico, who provide the perfect mix of talent, experience, speed and youth.”
Norbert Haug, Mercedes motorsport vice-president:
“Seven world championship titles, more than any racing driver, 91 grands prix wins, more than any racing driver. Michael has more of everything than every other driver.
“Our sporting ambition has always been that Michael should drive again where his professional career had started and Michael knew that. We often joked about it after the races and discussed the prospect seriously several times during the last 14 years in Formula One.
“It didn’t happen in 1995, it didn’t happen in 1998 and it didn’t happen in 2005. I am delighted that it will now happen in 2010.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal:
“I think I share the sentiment of every single Formula One fan across the world by saying that Michael Schumacher’s return to the sport is fantastically exciting and a thrilling prospect for the 2010 season.
“I’ve no doubt that Michael has studiously examined this opportunity from every possible angle, and that he’s convinced he still possesses the same fearsome drive and determination required to succeed in Formula One.
“Obviously, Michael is a seven-times champion and has absolutely nothing left to prove, so it will be fascinating to see what he can achieve in a new team.”

Mercedes GP Petronas

2009-12-21T21:15:00.002+08:00

Petronas, the Malaysian national oil company, was today announced by Mercedes as the title sponsor for the Mercedes GP Formula 1 team next season.

The oil company had earlier last week announced that it was pulling out of Formula 1 and would not be sponsoring any F1 team for the 2010 season. They had previously sponsored the BMW-Sauber team and will remain the main backer of the Malaysian GP at Sepang - third round of the season to be held on April 4, 2010.

The team formerly known as Brawn GP, will now be officially named Mercedes GP Petronas.

READ MORE

Lotus F1 Racing Names Drivers For 2010

2009-12-14T14:43:00.001+08:00

Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen will race for Lotus when the Malaysian-backed Formula One team returns to the starting grid next season.

Malaysian Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek told a news conference Monday that Trulli and Kovalainen, who was replaced by F1 champion Jenson Button at McLaren, would drive for the team next season.

Both have signed three-year contracts, said Lotus boss Tony Fernandes, the airline mogul backing the team. He declined to provide financial details.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge. I have been in Formula One for many years but there's something extremely motivating about helping to build the team from the ground level up," Trulli said in a statement released at the news conference.

Kovalainen said he signed up because he believes Lotus "has a lot of potential and a very good chance of being a successful team in the future."

Trulli, 35, was left without a team following Toyota's exit from F1 last month to cut costs and focus on its core business.

The signing was "another milestone" for Lotus, which will be one of five new teams next season, Ahmad Shabery said. Malaysia's Fairuz Fauzy will be the reserve driver.

"The team has "made good progress in building and testing the car successfully," the minister said, adding it is "on track to make an impact in the next season."

Lotus last raced in 1994. The other five new teams for 2010 are USF1, Campos, Sauber and Manor, which will compete as Virgin Racing.

Kovalainen, 28, warned that Lotus' return to F1 "will not be easy and we will have tough times at the beginning."

"We have to be realistic and keep the focus on developing the team to a state where we can operate like any other current top F1 team," the Finn said in his statement.

Trulli, a former Jordan and Renault driver, has competed in 216 races since his debut for Minardi in 1997. The Italian's lone victory came at the Canadian Grand Prix in 2004.

Trulli finished on the podium three times last season, scoring 32.5 points to finish eighth in the drivers' championship. He spent just over four seasons with Toyota.

Kovalainen began his F1 career in 2007 with Renault before switching to McLaren in 2008. His only win came at the 2008 Hungarian GP.

Lawyer Slams Britain For Hiding Batang Kali Massacre Report

2009-12-12T17:45:00.008+08:00

By Neville Spykerman

Family members of those killed in the Batang Kali Massacre called on the British Government today to declassify a crucial investigation report to ensure justice for the victims.

Lawyer Quek Ngee Meng, who represents the families, wants full access to a 1970 investigation report by Detective Chief Superintended Frank William who was tasked with investigating the massacre of 24 unarmed villagers by British troops at the height of the communist insurgency in 1948.

On August 21, the British Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued a provisional decision to reject reopening the case.

According to Quek, the provisional decision left open a window for them to make further representations for an official probe.

“But we require a full disclosure of Frank William’s report to make the representation.”

Lawyers, representing the Action Committee Condemning the Batang Kali Massacre, have been allowed to view the documents at Scotland Yard in the United Kingdom but had to take an oath of secrecy and were not allowed to make copies.

Quek lashed out at the UK government for what he described as a delaying tactic.

“Witnesses of the massacre are dying as the matter drags on while the provisional decision prevents us from seeking a judicial review in UK courts.” he said.

Family members of victims and supporters gathered outside the British High Commission this morning to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the massacre.

Armed with banners, the 30-strong crowd gathered to pray for 20 minutes under the watchful eye of police. Quek vowed that they would continue gathering each year until justice was done.

The Batang Kali victims were rounded up by Scots Guards before they were shot and killed. The British government has never acknowledged the killings as a massacre, despite eyewitness accounts, including from surviving members of the Scots Guards.

Source: Malaysian Insider. (Updated) Read other stories here and here.

___________________________________________________________________________

"Tiada maaf bagi mu, British!" At least the CPM had the dignity to acknowledged and apologised to those whose kins (innocent civillians) were killed during that time. So now, shall we deny entry to the country to the British as well? Afterall, they massacred local residents of Malaya. If the British government had never acknowledge the massacre as one, what do they describe it as? Collateral damage? Ha ha!

Is the government of Malaysia doing anything to help the families of the victims to seek justice from the British? Or are they on their high horses with arms folded, see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing? Is that a wise thing to do? I doubt it. As I see it, the British are still 'colonising' Malaysia, come rain or shine!

Renault F1 To Remain?

2009-12-12T12:54:00.002+08:00

Renault to remain in F1: report

Renault will compete in Formula One next season after agreement was reached on its future, the BBC reported on Friday.

But the French car manufacturer will only hold a minority 25 percent shareholding in the team.

The team's employees are set to be notified at their headquarters outside Paris on Friday, with an official announcement likely next week, the BBC said.

The two front-runners in the battle to take over Renault were Luxembourg businessman Gerard Lopez, and David Richards, the boss of the British motor racing engineering firm Prodrive and former team principal of Benetton and BAR in F1.

Lopez is considered the favourite to take over Renault under the auspices of his Genii Capital investment company.

The team's future has been in doubt since Renault held an emergency board meeting in early November to discuss whether to continue in F1.

Renault recorded losses of 2.7 billion euros in the first four months of the year and are considering their future in a sport which costs about 100 million euros a year.

There has been speculation over Renault's future in F1 ever since the FIA, motorsport's governing body, issued a lifetime ban in September to their former team principal Flavio Briatore for ordering Nelson Piquet Junior to deliberately crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

Pat Symonds, Renault's former chief engineer, was banned for five years.

Both men are currently appealing against their respective punishments.

Even without the fall-out from that scandal, worldwide economic problems have also called into question Renault's continued involvement in the sport during a 12-month period where other volume car manufacturers such as Honda, BMW and Toyota have all pulled out of Formula One.

Source: AFP

Mercedes GP Ready To Offer Schumacher A Drive

2009-12-12T12:07:00.002+08:00

Mercedes 'set to offer Schumacher driver's deal'

New Formula One team Mercedes Grand Prix are set to offer a driver's contract to retired former world champion Michael Schumacher, the daily Bild reported on Friday.

Mercedes's team boss Ross Brawn, who masterminded all of Schumacher's seven world titles with Benetton and Ferrari, is ready to offer the German an annual salary of seven million euros, the newspaper reported.

German car manufacturer Mercedes took over control of Brawn GP this autumn but British world champion Jenson Button is joining the McLaren team, leading to speculation that Schumacher is set to link up with the new team.

"As long as the composition of our driving duo has not been given there will be rumours," a Mercedes spokesman told German sports agency SID.

Mercedes has signed German Nick Heidfeld but have not yet revealed their choice of second driver.

Schumacher retired in 2006 and is currently employed as an advisor to the Ferrari team.

He almost returned to competition last year in place of Brazilian Felipe Massa, who suffered a serious car accident with Ferrari, but his return was cancelled because of a painful neck.

Source: AFP

Lotus F1 Racing To Name Drivers On Monday

2009-12-12T12:02:00.002+08:00

The new Malaysian-backed Lotus Formula One team will make an announcement on Monday about their 2010 drivers, principal Tony Fernandes said on Friday.

"Bringing home two drivers for the Lotus F1 team. Announcement Monday," the aviation entrepreneur said on his Twitter page after attending the governing FIA's gala awards ceremony in Monaco.

Experienced Italian Jarno Trulli, who drove for Toyota this year, has been strongly linked with the team and Fernandes confirmed to Reuters this week that the veteran was on a four-man short list.

So too was Malaysian rookie Fairuz Fauzy, who could be handed a reserve role, if not one of the two race seats.

Lotus are one of four new teams entering the sport next season in an expanded 26 car starting grid.

Source: Reuters

New Scoring System For F1 2010

2009-12-11T12:11:00.003+08:00

Formula One's governing body will decide today whether to change next year's scoring system so that the top 10 drivers can take points, with race winners collecting 25.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement yesterday the proposal, made by the Formula One commission, would be put to its World Motor Sport Council for final approval.

It said the recommendation was due to the expansion of the starting grid to 13 teams in 2010 from 10 at present.

Under the new system, the race winner would get 25 points with 20 for second and 15 for third. The remaining points would be allocated 10-8-6-5-3-2-1.

The current format awards points to the top eight in a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 sequence.

Formula One will have four new teams next year after the withdrawal of Toyota and BMW, whose team will continue as Sauber.

The F1 commission is made up of representatives of the teams, promoters, suppliers and sponsors. Yesterday's meeting was chaired by Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone and also attended by new FIA president Jean Todt.

The FIA said the commission had also agreed to allow champions Brawn to change their name to Mercedes after the German car maker's takeover without loss of performance benefits and television revenue.

"The team will continue to receive payments based on its historical performance. This has been granted on a one-off exceptional basis due to Mercedes-Benz's long-term involvement and commitment to Formula One," it added. — Reuters

Atkinson To Return For At Least A Six-Pack

2009-12-10T23:24:00.003+08:00

Australian former Subaru driver Chris Atkinson, seen here in 2008, is set to return to the world rally circuit for at least six races next year, World Rally Circuit promoters said Wednesday.

Australian former Subaru driver Chris Atkinson is set to return to the world rally circuit for at least six races next year, World Rally Circuit promoters said Wednesday.

"Nothing has been signed but things are coming together and an announcement will be made soon for at least six rallies," said Simon Long of promoters ISC.

Atkinson, 30, came fifth in the 2008 championship before Subaru withdrew from the competition.

In 2009 he made his only appearance of the season in a C4 for the Citroen Junior Team.

Atkinson, who has six podium race finishes to his name in four seasons of racing, will likely take a position with a private team set up by US rally driver Ken Block. -AFP

Juniors To Taste Formula BMW Action

2009-12-10T23:05:00.002+08:00

Four local junior racers have been selected to shoulder the Petronas Mofaz Racing Team's challenge in the Formula BMW series for the 2010 season.

They are Calvin Wong Weng Man, 17, Ryan Ritchie, 16, Abang Amirul Hadi Abang Khirudin, 17, and Natasha Nur Ida Adam Seatter, 16.

"The four are the products of Petronas' talent development programme at the oil giant's Petronas Formula Xperience (PFX) racing school," Petronas Mofaz Racing's team manager Mohamed Fauzy Abdul Hamid told reporters here today.

He said the Formula BMW series was a world-level competition and could set the stage for the youngsters to go to bigger racing events like the Formula 1.

Natasha Nur Ida, the sole female racer in the quartet, said she was overjoyed to be selected into the team.

This year, the speed demon came in third place in the Yamaha SL Cup Malaysia which was held at the Sepang Circuit here on July 16 and will be taking part in the Asian Karting Open Championship in Macau next year. -Bernama

Here's wishing them all the best, come rain or shine!

Joint Launching Of F1 Cars Next Month

2009-12-10T22:33:00.002+08:00

Formula One teams are planning to present their 2010 cars together in Spain next month instead of holding individual launches, bosses said today.

“We have agreed among all the teams to do a joint launch,” Mercedes Grand Prix chief executive Nick Fry, whose team won both titles this year as Brawn GP, told a motorsport business forum.

READ MORE

A Schumacher Comeback With Mercedes GP?

2009-12-10T22:10:00.003+08:00

A Michael Schumacher comeback would be good for Formula One, Mercedes Grand Prix chief executive Nick Fry said today.

Mercedes, who have taken over the title-winning Brawn team, have been linked in media reports with the retired German great now that Britain’s world champion Jenson Button has moved from Brawn to McLaren.

Fry refused to confirm any talks with Schumacher, saying only that “we are discussing things with a number of different drivers”, but said the sport should welcome the return of anyone of his stature.

“I think whether it be Michael or another prior world champion, I think that just adds another very interesting element,” he told Reuters at a motorsport business forum in Monaco.

“Can a 40 or 41-year-old compete against someone who is 24 years old? In other sports people have proven that they are very capable even at that age,” he added.

READ MORE

Chin Peng Ready To Face War Crime Tribunal

2009-12-08T20:38:00.004+08:00

Chin Peng, the Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Malaya says he is ready to face a war crime tribunal, provided it is a free and fair trial.

He says he is sceptical it will be so (free and fair), and if the judges are appointed by the Malaysian government, he will not attend. He told the news portal Malaysiakini during an interview held in Hatyai last Monday.

READ MORE

Two-Car Team For Proton In APRC & IRC 2010?

2009-12-06T18:35:00.002+08:00

Proton driver Alister McRae has given Proton its first ever podium finish in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge by taking third place in the Rally of Scotland.

McRae, who now lives in Perth Western Australia, made a triumphal return to his native Perth shire in Scotland to pilot the rapidly improving Satria Neo to its best result so far.

Scottish hero McRae reveled in his appearance on the Rally of Scotland, just sevendays after almost capturing a podium on the Rally of China in a similar Satria Neo S2000.

McRae, a former British and Asia-Pacific champion, was delighted with the Mellors Elliott Motorsport Proton Satria Neo S2000 and says he now the wants to do more rallies in the car in 2010.

The Satria Neo S2000 only homologated in October 2008 and made its debut on the IRC in June at the Belgium Ypres Rally and the all-new car has quickly shown its potential.

Team principal Chris Mellors has confirmed that a full IRC campaign alongside an attack on the Asia Pacific series is already in preparation for 2010.

"We're looking at a four-car program for 2010 - two in the IRC and two in the FIA Asia-Pacific Championship," he said.

"Alister has driven for us in the Asia-Pacific series this year and until this weekend that was what we were planning for 2010 as well, but I know he's enjoying this weekend a great deal so it could be interesting sorting that out."

McRae himself was in typically ebullient form all weekend, and was delighted to record Proton's first podium finish in the IRC.

"The Proton chassis is one of the best I have ever driven".

"Yes we're doing the full IRC next year. We are looking forward to coming back and fighting these guys again," Alister said.

"Kris Meeke (rally winner) has christened me 'old safe hands' but I can assure you these old hands were working far quicker than the brain!" McRae added.

McRae's proud father, five-times British rally champion, Jimmy McRae, was working with the organisers of the inaugural Rally of Scotland and took great pride in his son's return from Australia- joking: "He's still a McRae!"

The two-litre Proton Super 2000 engine is derived from the 1.8 litre engine fitted to the Waja model and has been further developed by MEM's engineers to produce a reliable 210kW @ 7600rpm (278 horsepower) with a usable power band from 5,500 to 8,500rpm.

The Satria Neo S2000 uses the six-speed sequential Xtrac 4WD transmission system, one of two control transmission systems allowed under FIA rules.

The car is also fitted with an innovative quick-change fuel control cassette which includes all the fuel pumps, filters and valves, attached to the MEM-designed FIA FT3 safety fuel cell to aid rapid maintenance.

Alcon provides the braking power with the latest Super 2000 alloy 4-pot calipers and ventilated discs which when combined with the Neo's low overall weight of 1150kg gives outstanding brake performance.

The ventilated disc sizes can be maximised for both gravel when the car uses 15 inch rims and tarmac when it steps up to 18 inch rims, however for both simplicity and cost the brake calipers are common to both setups thanks to a simple mounting arrangement.

MEM's engineers have designed the suspension with a relatively conventional layout of wishbone and MacPherson strut making it easy and relatively cheap to maintain while delivering extremely high reliability.

The suspension design has also maximised damper travel achieving both an ultra-low tarmac setup with low levels of body roll and a long-travel gravel setup with enormous ability to soak up the biggest bumps.

A variety of anti-roll bars are also available for both front and rear ensuring the suspension setup can be easily fine-tuned for any rally surface or type.

The latest technology is used in the electrical systems with a state-of-the-art multiplexed wiring system capable of managing the entire car's electronics from a central unit situated in the centre of the car between the driver and co-driver. Apart from the weight saving reduction that this achieves it is simple to operate and boasts automatically resetting circuit breakers for improved reliability.

The result is a car which not only has well-proven technical advances and novel design but also simplicity to ensure the best possible combination of performance and reliability.

Source: APRC.TV

Chin Peng - The Secret Weapon

2009-12-05T12:53:00.003+08:00

When NST carried the solemn thought of Roger Tan “Tell your dad ‘I love you’ now before it’s too late for that” I could not yet fathom the contents.

“Since he came over here in 1947, he only went back to China once in 1983. That trip meant a lot to him because he had always wanted to make this ‘pilgrimage’ to fulfill his wish and duty by paying his belated respects to his departed parents”.

Watching drama serials ‘the little nyonya’ had somehow helped me understand some of the customs and traditions of the Chinese.

Inevitably, it also made me understand why Chin Peng had desperately wanted to pay respects to his late parents, just as what Tan Sue Yong, the missing father of Roger Tan did in 1983.

What are hard for me to digest are the contradicting statements by no less than the Deputy President of UMNO.

“Chin Peng won’t be forgiven for waging war against Malaya and then Malaysia. As of now, there is no forgiveness for you (tiada maaf bagimu).” So steadfast was his conviction that no one would ever imagine the same person would, a few days later, contradict himself by calling on us to “appreciate the spirit of ‘qurban’ or sacrifice”.

But then, what can we expect from politicians?

Malaysia's Auto Industry & Policy

2009-12-05T11:46:00.003+08:00

Recently received an interesting e-mail send by an associate. I found it to be very analytical about our national auto industry/policy. Below is the full unedited article by Syed Akbar Ali.

Car Prices In Malaysia
Digest this article, after that, you may need to vomit. What is the Malaysian Govt doing all these while. Ripping off our Rakyat for the last 30 yrs with APs designed to benefit a few well connected Bumis, the UMNO/BN have robbed millions of citizens in this fiasco, under the pretext of protecting our local industry. The Govt have forgotten we Malays are the largest customers in the country. What is the NEP policy doing ?? Ripping off the Malays (which forms 65% of the consumer base) to benefit a few UMNO politicians!!!

BMW 535i sells for RM178,000 in the US

In the United States of America (a developed country which we are also aspiring to become by the year 2020) a 2009 model BMW 535i Sedan is selling for about USD50,367.00. This is only RM178,000 - about the price of a Toyota Camry 2.4L here in Malaysia . The same BMW sells in Malaysia for about RM450,000.

BMW 328i sells for RM155,000 in the US

The 2009 model BMW 328i 2 door Convertible sells for USD44,014 or RM155,369.00 in the US . In Malaysia the same car sells for over
RM460,000. This is an untenable situation.

Audi A4 2.0T Cabriolet Convertible sells for RM142,000 in the US

The 2009 model Audi A4 2 Door 2.0T Cabriolet Convertible sells in the US for USD40,328.00 or RM142,357. In Malaysia the same car would sell for about RM265,000.

VW GTI 2.0T sells for RM85,000 in the US

In the US the 2009 model Volkswagen GTI 2.0T sells for USD 24,039 or RM85,000 only. In China the same car will cost around RM60,000. Over here the same VW car sells for about RM200,000.

And the 2010 model Toyota Camry 2.4L sells in the US for USD 19,659.00 or RM69,396 In Malaysia the 2008 Toyota Camry 2.4L sells for RM170,000. Toyota Camry 2.4L, 2010 model. RM69,000 in the US

Car prices in Malaysia are about three times higher than the prices in the United States. We are a developing nation. Our land and labour costs are so much cheaper than the US . Why are our cars so expensive? It does not make any sense. Tak masuk akal.

Then here are some car prices from our neighbour Indonesia .
The Toyota Altis sells in Indonesia for about RM46,000. The same car sells here for around RM 112,000. Again we are three times more expensive than Indonesia

The Honda Jazz sells here for RM108,000.. In Indonesia the Jazz sells for RM 36,000. Three times more expensive.

We are paying ridiculously high prices (and actually impoverishing the Malays - who are the largest buyers of cars in Malaysia) to support an out of date, out of touch with reality motor car policy.

We are paying the highest car prices in the world to support the Proton and other locally made cars as well as support a mind boggling AP policy which only benefits a relatively few rich Malays.
A disproportionately large number of Malays and other Malaysians are being impoverished to subsidise the wealth of a few inefficient rich.

26 million Malaysians have to pay three times more for their cars just to support Proton and 120,000 people who are directly and indirectly involved in the motor sector in Malaysia and the AP holders.

That is a ratio of 216:1.

This ratio of 216:1 is too skewed. 26.0 million happier people can contribute many more votes than 120,000 members of an inefficient motor industry.. 26 million unhappy people can change a Government. (The maths is not really difficult here)

And this outdated policy is impoverishing the Malays more than anyone else.

Here is some news from our DPM Tan Sri Muhyudin Yassin about our car policy. This is truncated:

Muhyiddin assures govt support for automotive parts and component sector

1. KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 - The deputy prime minister said special focus will be given to "facilitate and encourage" the development of the automotive parts and component sector despite the current global and regional economic downturn.

2. "Under the CEPT and Asean Trade in Goods Agreements, Malaysia has agreed to eliminate import duties on all products in the Normal Track on January 1, 2010. This includes motor vehicles, auto parts and components," he said.

3. He pointed out that . .. . the motor vehicle sub sector in Malaysia will not be directly impacted because of its heavy dependence on the domestic market.

4. "The Malaysian government recognises the contribution of the domestic automotive industry towards the development of the country."

Para 2 sounds promising but then Para 3 and 4 basically says that the Malaysian motor car industry will continue to be protected. This means we will continue paying the highest car prices in the world for automobiles.

Cuba kita kira : kalau kereta Honda Jazz di jual dengan harga yang sebenarnya (lebih kurang RM36,000 saja) dan bukan pada harga sekarang (RM108,000) maksudnya bayaran bulanan pembeli kereta akan jadi kurang, mungkin sepertiga sahaja daripada bayaran bulanan sekarang.

Jika sekarang orang bayar RM1,500 sebulan untuk beli Honda Jazz, kalau harga kereta lebih menepati harga pasaran dunia, orang kita perlu bayar sekitar RM500 saja sebulan.

Maksudnya tanpa Kerajaan perlu membuat apa pun (merangsang ekonomi, belanja berpuluh billion Ringgit duit rakyat untuk stimulus dan sebagainya) setiap rakyat Malaysia yang membeli kereta yang seharga dengan Honda Jazz akan dapat menjimatkan sehingga RM1,000 sebulan daripada kos sara hidup bulanannya.

This is like giving the car buyer an RM1000 pay rise without incurring any extra costs for the taxpayer, the Government or the economy. It will greatly reduce the cost of living in Malaysia and spur greater economic growth too.

Tapi sekarang, yang menjadi mangsa dulu dan yang menjadi miskin dulu orang Melayu juga. Orang Melayu yang paling ramai sekali menjadi pembeli kereta dalam negara kita. Orang Melayu kebanyakannya makan gaji - tiap bulan dapat gaji tetap. Bila harga kereta naik gila, yang menjadi miskin di saf depan sekali adalah orang Melayu juga.

In absolute numbers, the Malays are suffering the most because they are the most in number among the fixed income people who also buy cars.

Some folks said the other day that Proton has 150 major component suppliers, dealers, distributors and about 500 other parts suppliers too. Of the 150 major component suppliers, about 15 of them are listed companies. In total they employ about 120,000 people. The Proton supply chain is a mix of bumiputras and non bumiputras. But here is a sad fact : none of them are operating at their level best efficiency.

Our motor car policy is forcing Malaysians to subsidise Proton so that Proton can sustain major inefficiencies in the Malaysian economy. This is not a good thing at all.

We have to unwind this situation. Set a target of 18 months from now to unwind all protection for our motor industry. Remove the impoverishing AP policy also in 18 months. Let Malaysian car prices reflect world market prices for the same makes of cars.

If a BMW 535 sells for RM178,000 in America , it should sell for a little less here in Malaysia (our rentals and salaries are cheaper). Fw: Car Prices In Malaysia

The Ministers continue making pronouncements about the car industry as though nothing has happened. I hope everyone will please wake up. The Government has a real chance of getting thrown out of office in about three years. The people will not accept inept answers anymore.

The ridiculous car prices in Malaysia is an issue that is just beginning to get more attention and publicity. It is going to become a really big issue in the near future. Be forewarned.

Welcome To The Spectacular World Of Rallying, Raikkonen.

2009-12-04T19:35:00.002+08:00

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Raikkonen at the Japan GP last October. - Reuters pic

LONDON, Dec 4 — Ferrari’s 2007 Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen announced his switch to rallying today after agreeing a one-year deal with Citroen.

The French manufacturer said the 30-year-old Finn would take part in 12 of the 13 championship events in 2010 for its Red Bull-backed junior team.

“I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the world rally championship at some point in my career,” said Raikkonen. “This is a new but very exciting challenge.

“For the moment we have a one-year contract and we will see how it goes for the future.

“I am really looking forward to testing and taking the start of the first rally.”

Raikkonen, winner of 18 grands prix, had already said he planned to take a year out of Formula One after being replaced at Ferrari by Spain’s double world champion Fernando Alonso.

The Finn refused to contemplate joining any Formula One team that would not be competitive for the championship.

His decision to go rallying ended any thought he might end up at Mercedes as world champion Jenson Button’s replacement.

Britain’s Button has moved to Raikkonen’s former team McLaren alongside 2008 champion and compatriot Lewis Hamilton.

Raikkonen has previous world rally championship experience, having competed in this year’s Finnish round in a Fiat after also entering three non-championship events, but his new challenge is a big step up.

Citroen’s French driver Sebastien Loeb has won the last six world rally titles and Raikkonen will have one of the most competitive cars in the C4.

The team said Raikkonen’s co-driver will be compatriot Kaj Lindstrom, who partnered now-retired Tommi Makinen to four successive world titles in the 1990s. France’s rising hope Sebastien Ogier will drive the junior team’s other car.

They will not compete in New Zealand.

Loeb and Spaniard Dani Sordo will continue to drive for the main Citroen team. — Reuters

Legacy Of McRae's Family Continues.....

2009-11-23T16:15:00.011+08:00

The Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 of the Proton R3 Team entered its first Asia-Pacific Rally Championship held in Johor, Malaysia. Local rally veteran, Karamjit Singh was behind the wheel with co-driver Jagdev Singh. A disappointing outing put paid to the fortunes of Karamjit and Jagdev.

At the following round of the APRC in Makassar, Indonesia, Scotsman Alister McRae took over the wheels of the Satria Neo S2000 with Aussie Bill Hayes as co-driver.

McRAE. A name that has long been synonymous with the spectacular sport of rallying.

Alister is one third of the “First Family of Rallying”. Alongside his father Jimmy and his late brother Colin, the family have dominated world rallying for the best part of the last 30 years. Between them, they have won just about every title that are worth winning, notable among them are the British, Asia-Pacific and World Rally championships.

Now residing in Perth, Australia, Alister has with him a wealth of experience as a driver, as well as providing technical assistance and testing to some of the most famous rally teams in the world, and now, he’s bringing all these with him to Proton.

Seeing the proximity of the APRC events and his country of residence, Alister duly took up the challenge of driving for a manufacturer team again after 3 long years. Another factor in Alister’s decision is the potential of the Satria Neo S2000 as a winner.

As Alister put it, “I drove the car briefly and I have to say, it feels very good. I’m looking forward to being back in a works car in an FIA series. When you look at the Satria in the IRC, it’s very competitive.”

During the Indonesian rally, Alister and the Satria Neo S2000 were doing well amongst more powerful turbo-charged cars when an embedded rock proved to be their Achilles’ heel. The rock damaged the oil sump extensively. Despite it being repaired for Day 2 of the rally, more misfortune befell the team when a failed power-steering system put paid to their challenge prematurely.

Commenting on the weekend, Alister said: “Obviously it’s frustrating to end a rally like this, especially when we looked like we were capable of a good result. But you have to remember that the car is very young and at an early stage of its development and this was a really rough event – far rougher than previous years, according to the other competitors.

There are a lot of positives to take from this weekend though. The pace was good on an event that perhaps didn’t suit S2000 cars particularly well. We were not far off Cody [Crocker’s] times when we were running well, so that is very encouraging. I believe with what we’ve learned this weekend, and with some time to react then there is no reason why the Proton Satria can’t be a winner.”

It was then on to Longyou, China for the final leg of the APRC.

In this rally, Alister was very impressive, but a loose front suspension-arm during Leg 2 put paid to any hopes of seeing Alister and the Satria Neo S2000 finishing credibly. They were then running in a very impressive and credible 4^th place sandwiched by more powerful turbo-charged cars. Disappointment yet again!

Alister finally tasted the fruit of his hard labour, finishing on the podium in 3^rd, at the 12^th and final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge held in his home-country, Scotland, amidst dreadful weather conditions.

Speaking at the end of the event, Alister said: “It’s been a great weekend, both for me and for Proton. To come here and get Proton’s first podium in the IRC is a great result. It’s a very small team and a very young team in the IRC and I think that they will only go from strength to strength.”

“There is still a lot of potential to be unlocked from the car and we have proved this weekend that the car is quick and can only get quicker. We tried a new engine before the event, for example, which was better but we decided not to use it as it isn’t proven yet. The chassis is probably one of the best chassis I have ever driven and the levels of grip are really good, so all together, it’s a very good car.”

“It’s very early days for Proton and I think that Mellors Elliot Motorsport has done a fantastic job to develop the car themselves. Proton are now very keen to move forward, so I hope that I can be part of that and come and fight with the likes of Kris (Meeke) and Guy (Wilks) again.”

The multi-talented and highly-gifted Alister McRae with co-driver Bill Hayes in the Satria Neo S2000, and together with the Proton R3 Team will definitely be mounting a serious challenge in the APRC 2010 series next year, or will it be the IRC for Alister?

With about 80 WRC events and other various rallies under his belt and a continued enthusiasm for the sport, Alister is looking forward to a new chapter in his motorsports career, and together with Proton they will be a very formidable combination and a force to be reckoned with and hopefully be harvesting the fruits of their labour next year.

A message to all the APRC/IRC guys out there:

The Legacy is back, come rain or shine!

Alister McRae’s Personal Profile:

Born: December 1970

Lives: Perth, Australia

Married: Tara

Children: Emmie and Max

Hobbies: Mountain-biking; motorcycling; skiing; running around with Emmie and Max

Career Summary:

1989/90: Scottish Rally Championship - Vauxhall Nova

1991: Vauxhall Nova GSi Challenge - Vauxhall Nova

1993: British Rally Championship - Subaru Legacy

1994/95: British Rally Championship, selected WRC rounds - Nissan Sunny GTi

1997/98: British Rally Championship, selected WRC rounds - VW Golf GTi

1999/01: World Rally Championship - Hyundai Coupe & Accent WRC

2002/03: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII

2004: FIA production WRC - Subaru

2006: Chinese Rally Championship - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX other selected International events

Notable Achievement:

1989: Scottish 1300 Rally Champion, Challenger Champion

1990: Scottish 1300 Rally Champion

1992: Group N British Rally Champion

1995: British Rally Champion

1999: Joint Formula 2 Asia-Pacific Rally Champion

Number of World Rally Championship events competed: 72

Number of WRC Formula 2 wins: 7

Number of WRC Formula 2 podiums: 10

Number of WRC Group N wins: 2

IRC Scotland - Day 1: SS1 ~ SS7 (Updated)

2009-11-20T20:01:00.005+08:00

SS1

1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)

2) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)

3) Keith Cronin (Abarth Punto S2000)

4) Adam Gould (Team BF Goodrich)

5) Daniel Siguroarson (Mitsu Evo)

6) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)

SS2

1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)

2) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)

3) Alastair Fisher (Mitsu Evo)

4) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)

5) Daniel Siguroarson (Mitsu Evo)

SS3

1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)

2) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)

3) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)

4) Dave Weston Jr (Subaru Impreza)

5) Alastair Fisher (Mitsu Evo)

SS4

1) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)

2) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)

3) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)

4) David Bogie (Mitsu EvoIX)

5) Dave Weston Jr (Subaru Impreza)

SS5

1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)

2) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)

3) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)

4) Alastair Fisher (Mitsu Evo)

5) Dave Weston Jr (Subaru Impreza)

SS6

1) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)

2) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)

3) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)

4) Jonathan Greer (Mitsu EvoIX)

5) David Bogie (Mitsu EvoIX)

SS7

1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000)

2) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000)

3) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000)

4) Jonathan Greer (Mitsu EvoIX)

5) David Bogie (Mitsu EvoIX)

Overall (Day1 - SS1~SS7) UPDATED

1) Kris Meeke (Peugeot 207 S2000) 56m35.3s

2) Guy Wilks (Skoda Fabia S2000) +21.2s

3) Alister McRae (Proton Satria Neo S2000) +1m18.2s

4) Jonathan Greer (Mitsu EvoIX) +3m49.1s

5) David Bogie (Mitsu EvoIX) +3m54.2s

=============================================================

McRae and Proton doing well in Scotland

Zoom
A hard-fought day it was
To the delight of his home fans, Scottish rally star Alister McRae has ended the opening day of Rally of Scotland in third place, with the Proton Satria Neo S2000 running perfectly throughout.

McRae admitted the torrential rain on this final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge had created the worst driving conditions he had ever seen in his career: a career which spanned 15 years in the World Rally Championship. But, through this exceptionally tough test, McRae had nothing but praise for the Proton, built by British team MEM.

The Satria didn't miss a beat through today's five stages (Day One consisted of seven tests, but two of those ran at Scone Palace last night), allowing McRae to place the car in a comfortable third place at the end of the day.

"It's mission accomplished for today," said McRae with a smile. "It's been a very tough day on the stages, but I'm really happy with our position and the way the Proton has performed. It's been perfect."

McRae and Proton had the honour of running first on the road on Britain's inaugural IRC round, but the Scot admitted that position was a double-edged sword through some of the stages.

"In the last stage before the morning service and then in the two middle stages, it would have been better to have been further down the order," said McRae. "There was a coating of mud along much of these roads which would have cleaned a little bit for those guys behind. I guess the flip side is that we're not having any rocks pulled out into the road for us.

"By far, the toughest stage of the day was Drummond Hill. That was incredible, probably the toughest stage I've ever driven. It was incredible. We were getting wheelspin in third and fourth gear going up the grassy sections: that certainly kept you interested!"

McRae's only problem of the day was when the Proton's screen began misting up. "With this amount of water around, it's not surprising," he said. "This has been one of the wettest days rallying ever and if ever there's going to be moisture in the car, it's today.
I think I might have added to the problem a little bit: I've been doing a bit of heavy breathing from time to time!"

The highlight of McRae's day was posting second-fastest time on the third stage, Craigvinean.

"We said a podium position was, sensibly, the best we could really have hoped for," said McRae. "And to be in this position at the end of the opening day is fantastic news. The drivers ahead of us know these cars, they've been in them all year, and the cars are completely developed.

"This Proton has massive potential still. We've made another step with the gear ratios, the engine and dampers here, but there's still more to come. And, don't forget, I haven't done so much driving this year. I'm very happy with where we are right now."

Proton MEM Team Principal Chris Mellors mirrored his driver's mood on Friday night, saying: "Alister has done a great job for us today. We haven't had to touch the car at all. We're very, very pleased with the way everything has gone today. So far, so good. It's a bit of shame that Alister has had to clean the road a little bit at the front, but it's always nice to have a Proton running first!"

After a day in the Perthshire stages, with central service based in the beautiful surroundings of Blair Castle between Perth and Inverness, the rally heads south-east for Stirlingshire tomorrow.

The second and final day of the event comprises six stages and, with even more wet weather forecast, the event is only going to get tougher from here until the finish at Stirling Castle Saturday afternoon. Source - www.rally-live.com

IRC Scotland - Live Coverage On Astro (Channel 814)

2009-11-20T15:33:00.002+08:00

SEMA 2009 - 10 Most Outlandish Rides

2009-11-19T15:10:00.003+08:00

Each year, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) hosts one of the largest automotive equipment and car shows in the country. Held in deliciously decadent Sin City (where else, right?), the SEMA Show has become such a big deal that aftermarket suppliers, tuners, hot-rod builders and even mainstream carmakers wrench tirelessly all year to craft the most elaborate machines they can imagine in hopes of showing each other up at the Las Vegas Convention Center. SEMA 2009 featured some of the craziest custom machinery we've seen to date, including a Subaru STI with tank tracks and a midengine Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Here are our picks for the 10 most outlandish from the flashiest city on the planet.

01) Ken Block’s Trax Subaru STI

Subaru has built its reputation on products that are capable on any terrain — including snow and ice. Rally driver Ken Block and DC Shoes took that reputation to extremes by fitting a heavily modified WRX STI with Trax — a tank-tread-like system that gives the car plenty of ground clearance and the ability to conquer everything in its path. Block says the car was built for frolicking around in the backcountry where there are no roads, and we're having a hard time coming up with a car better-suited for that task.

02) 2010 Ford Mustang RTR-C

Drift racer extraordinaire Vaughn Gittin Jr. has embraced the 2010 Ford Mustang like few others out there. The guy brought a slew of modified ponies to SEMA, but few stood out like the RTR-C. In this case, that C stands for carbon fiber, the material that makes up the entirety of the car's outer shell. If that's not crazy enough for you, there's a 550-horsepower, snarling V8 engine under the lightweight hood. Given the weight savings and the additional power, this thing should be able to embarrass more than its share of stoplight contenders. Of course, the price tag of $135,000 may well embarrass some RTR-C owners, too.

03) Jeep Lower Forty Concept

The Jeep Lower Forty Concept has been bumming around for a while now, but that doesn't stop it from being any less impressive in the flesh, er, sheet metal. The name comes from the mammoth 40-inch tires with which this modified Jeep Wrangler is equipped — good for overcoming fallen trees, boulders and most livestock. Mopar Underground fitted this wild creation with hard-core off-roading equipment such as a Dana 44 front axle and Dana 60 rear, a beefy roll cage and a huge 5.7-liter V8 engine. A 6-speed manual transmission puts power to those epic tires.

04) Lingenfelter T/A Concept

Predictably, this year's SEMA faithful were nostalgic for now-defunct Pontiac — a brand that fell under General Motors' bankruptcy ax earlier this year. The super-tuners from Lingenfelter took it upon themselves to keep the Trans Am name alive with a creation that started life as a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. The car seems to have suffered a bad attack of fiberglass with late '70s-inspired bodywork and geometric wheels. The tribute is more than skin deep, though, as the 455-cubic-inch V8 engine under the hood produces a lofty 655 horsepower — quite a bit more than the dyno figures worked up by post-gas-crisis Pontiac.

05) Toyota Tacoma All-Terrain Gamer

We like video games. We like cars. Sometimes, when the product is the Forza or Gran Turismo series, we like it when the two meet. But with the Tacoma All-Terrain Gamer, Toyota has proved just what can go wrong when the auto and digital worlds tango. Looking like a cross between a middle-schooler's daydream and West Coast Customs' latest creation, the gull-wing-equipped truck packs four Xbox gaming systems, plenty of flat-screen TVs and a Monster Energy drink dispenser. There's even a 60-inch flat-panel screen that mounts in the truck's receiver hitch so spectators can watch the gaming action from behind.

06) Ford EcoBoost Coupe

Old-school hot-rod guys live and die by the mantra "there's no replacement for displacement," meaning where a small engine is good, a larger one is always better. But Ford is out to stand that line of thinking on its head with its new twin-turbocharged V6 engine — a powerplant that sips fuel like a V6 while putting out V8 power. The company wedged the new high-tech EcoBoost engine into a classic '34 Ford Coupe body. With 400 horsepower and plenty of custom tricks, this is one slick sled. Something tells us hot-rodders aren't going to be swapping their big blocks for V6 power any time soon, but the car is still a great way to get the EcoBoost point across. Kudos, Ford.

07) Rhys Millen RM460 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

If you happen to follow the world of drift racing, you know who Rhys Millen is. The guy splits his time between building winning race cars and driving them — sideways. Recently, Millen has taken a liking to the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe, and for this year's SEMA show, he cooked up something really special — a midengine version of the Korean sports car. The creation packs a 500-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 engine mounted behind the front seats. Aside from a nearly completely custom rear section, the car also sports unique bodywork, 20-inch wheels and a sport-oriented interior.

08) Brandon Leung Scion xB

The death of Pontiac means the El Camino is likely dead for good — a fact that probably doesn't hurt most people's feelings. But for the seven of you who miss the weird car/truck mashup, talented tuner/car designer Brandon Leung has just what you need — a Camino-bodied Scion xB. Channeling copious amounts of mid-'50s retro cool, the car's big dish wheels, custom wood-lined bed and 2-tone paint make this Scion the pinnacle of swank. We wouldn't hold our breath for a factory-backed version, but it's still cool to see what a driven car builder can come up with when given the dictum "the sky's the limit."

09) Ford F-150 SVT Raptor XT

How do you make one of the year's toughest off-road racers even meaner? You throw in all the equipment that buyers need to tackle some of the world's most grueling race courses — the Baja 1000 and Baja 500. Like the Super Cobra Jet Mustang, the F-150 SVT Raptor XT is designed to be a factory-built, turn-key racer. That's right — you can buy this truck straight from your local dealer. Aside from having a full complement of safety equipment onboard, the truck has more suspension travel than a standard Raptor and makes 500 horsepower from a 6.2-liter V8 engine. Only 50 will be built, and each one carries a $99,950 price tag.

10) TAC-V Jamma

TAC-V bills the Jamma as the ultimate rapid-deployment vehicle. We think it just got lost on the way to a defense contractor's convention. Looking like the Humvee's gangly, awkward younger brother, the Jamma uses a compartmentalized driving position in order to keep the pilot out of the passengers' lines of fire. If you think that's scary, this beast can be fitted with any number of drivetrains — from internal combustion to hybrid electric. TAC-V says the Jamma can also be built for civilian off-road duty. You know, in the event of a "Red Dawn"-type scenario where our enemies invade the continental U.S. Go Wolverines!

Source: MSN Autos

Raikkonen Takes Sabbatical From F1 To Focus On Rallying

2009-11-18T21:39:00.002+08:00

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(Left-Right) Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa of Brazil, team-mate Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton of Britain react on the podium after the Spanish F1 Grand Prix in this file photo - Reuters pic

LONDON, Nov 18 — Kimi Raikkonen will focus on rallying next year after failing to reach a deal with McLaren, the 2007 Formula One world champion’s manager said tosday.

“They couldn’t afford him,” David Robertson, who manages the Finn with his son Steve, told the BBC. “It wasn’t in his interests to race for what they were offering so he’s going to go rallying instead.

“He wants to be back in F1 in 2011 but with all the money he has earned, he doesn’t want to go in a medium-type team for money,” he added.

“The same criteria would apply as this year. He’d only go where he feels he has the chance of the world championship.”

Robertson said he believed Britain’s Jenson Button, champion with Brawn this year, had already signed for McLaren as compatriot Lewis Hamilton’s team mate.

Raikkonen spent five years at McLaren before joining Ferrari at the end of 2006 and winning the title in his first season there.

He has now been ousted at the Italian team by Spain’s double world champion Fernando Alonso, despite having a year to run on his contract.

With a payoff in his pocket, he had already cast doubt on his Formula One future and said last month that any contract he signed would have to allow him to continue his rallying activities.

The 30-year-old, whose motivation has been repeatedly questioned, competed in this year’s Finnish round of the world rally championship in a Fiat after also entering three non-championship events.

In his nine seasons in Formula One, he won 18 races but finished only sixth overall this year with one victory in Belgium.

Hugely popular with the sport’s hardcore fans as an uncompromising and party-loving driver with little interest in media or sponsorship activities, Raikkonen may not be frozen out for long.

Red Bull, runners-up this season, look his best bet for 2011 with Australian Mark Webber out of contract at the end of next season.

Champions Brawn were never likely to meet the Finn’s salary demands while Toyota, who had made Raikkonen an offer, have since quit Formula One.

Robertson suggested McLaren were no longer “the powerhouse they were” following Mercedes’ decision to take over Brawn. As part of that deal, McLaren have agreed to buy back the carmaker’s 40 per cent stake in their team.

A McLaren spokesman would not comment.

Other champions have taken years out in the past and come back strongly, notably Frenchman Alain Prost who fell out with Ferrari in 1991 and sat out 1992 before returning to win the title with Williams in 1993.

Austrian Niki Lauda retired in 1979 before coming back in 1982 and winning his third championship with McLaren in 1984. - Reuters

APRC China - The Dawn Of A New Beginning

2009-11-18T21:02:00.004+08:00

Longyou, China – The recently concluded Rally of China brings with it hope for the future for the Proton R3 Team and its’ Satria Neo Super 2000, piloted by Scotsman Alister McRae and co-driver Bill Hayes. They achieved this year what they had targeted only for next year.

The team arrived in Longyou to be greeted by pitch darkness during the day. The weather had been gloomy with rain forecasted. Temperature was hovering in the low average of 14 degrees Celsius and expected to go much lower.

An impressive 82 cars, out of which 51 competed in the APRC category, were all parked at the service area, almost in a one kilometre stretch. The service tents are connected to teams’ own support and hospitality trucks not unlike those seen at Formula 1 events. The whole town of Longyou was engulfed in a carnival-like atmosphere with everyone literally aware of the event.

During the reconnaissance, the narrow and hilly terrains were made slippery due to rain that fell earlier. In the rally’s Shakedown, a steady drizzle accompanied it throughout the 2.1kms event. Cars were flagged off two at a time and conditions remained treacherous.

To the credit of McRae and Hayes, the Neo S2000 performed to say the least, marvelously, and as McRae puts it, “The Neo’s ride is perfectly set and there’s obviously big improvements in the handling”.

Friday the 13^th. An unlucky day by all reckoning, but it was not one for the team. In the Super Special Stage, McRae and Hayes finished a credible 6^th and only 2.1 seconds off the leader’s pace. All top 5 cars were turbo-charged cars as were others up to 14^th place.

The following day, in the hilly country-side terrains, the real action began. There, the talents of McRae showed. Driving cautiously and cleanly, but fast, he attacked each stage with unseemly ease and improving on times clocked on all repeated stages. All that was rewarded in the end when McRae and Hayes came in at an incredible 4^th place for the day where nine stages were contested. As was before, the Neo S2000 was sandwiched by more powerful turbo-charged cars. By then, more than half of all competing cars have had retirements.

Spurred by the previous day’s showing, McRae was by then gunning for better times where another nine stages were contested. During the initial stages, McRae was going great guns and improving in both times and placing. He was slowly but surely catching up with the leaders. Just when the going was great, something just had to happen.

During stage 13 (guess the unlucky number caught up too), something on the car gave way. The car lost its’ drivability and after some help, McRae managed to slowly nursed the Neo S2000 in limp-home mode to the service tent, only to be greeted by a very worried looking team. That soon turned into disappointment and heartbreak for them and fans alike. The culprit was a front right-side lower suspension-arm that had somehow rather came loose, and with that ended a fairy tale run.

Now one has to remember that this is only the third APRC event that the Neo S2000 had participated in this year and credit should not be taken away from it. The others being the Malaysian and Indonesian rallies. Much had been learned from this three rallies, and all shortcomings would hopefully be sorted out and eliminated. Considering that the Neo S2000 is still in its’ development stage, the rallies participated in so far had shown all what it is really capable of when developed further with more rallies under its’ belt. The Neo S2000 had shown its’ pedigree so far, and with the multi-talented McRae behind the wheel, they would prove to be a formidable combination to be reckoned with and hopefully be challenging for honours next year in the APRC, come rain or shine!

APRC China - Leg 2 Completed

2009-11-14T22:31:00.003+08:00

Longyou, China (14 Nov) - Out of the 82 cars that started the rally yesterday, only 34 cars are left after an incident-filled Leg 2 today.

The Proton Satria Neo S2000 in the talented hands of Alister McRae had a great outing today, improving with every stages (9 stages) competed and completed. McRae is obviously enjoying his driving by finishing strongly today and would be gunning for better times tomorrow.

It was also a great day for the Proton R3 Team, as this is the first time since the Satria Neo S2000 made its' debut in the APRC 2009, it has manage to run and complete 2 consecutive days uninterrupted and undamaged whatsoever, and ever improving on its' standing.

The team and McRae would have a great start in the final leg tomorrow, where another 9 stages would be competed, and are looking forward to a splendid flying finish, come rain or shine!

Results: Leg 2 (9 Stages)

01) Cody Crocker (Subaru STi) 2.04:05.7 (2hrs04mins05.7secs)

02) David Higgins (Mitsu Evo9) 2.06:05.7

03) Dean Herridge (Subaru STi) 2.06:45.9

04) Alister McRae (Proton S.Neo) 2.07:42.0

05) Jari Ketoma (Subaru STi) 2.09:56.3

06) Emma Gilmour (Subaru STi) 2.10:03.1

07) Rifat Sungkar (Mitsu Evo9) 2.12:08.9

08) Li Wei (Mitsu Evo9) 2.13:34.5

09) Wei Hongjie (Mitsu Evo9) 2.14:08.8

10) Jusso Valimaki (Mitsu Evo9) 2.15:32.2

APRC China - Interview With Alister McRae

2009-11-14T15:47:00.001+08:00

China Rally is the third APRC event for Proton and the second for Scotland's Alister McRae, read his interview with APRC TV at Thursday's shakedown.

THIS EVENT IN CHINA IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS ROUND IN INDONESIA?

Yea for sure the only moisture in Indonesia was the sweat, yea completely different.

WHAT ABOUT THE ROADS, VERY TWISTY AND VERY MUDDY?

A lot of twisty and narrow, and a lot of climbing uphill, with tight hairpins and a lot of mud lying about.

HOW DO YOU THINK THAT IS GOING TO SUIT THE PROTON?

I think the downhill will be good, while going up hill you rely a bit more on the torque of engine. Without the torque you're going to have a lot of wheelspins. Really until we get out there we're not going to know.

ARE THERE SOME NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND PARTS FOR THE CAR FOR THIS EVENT?

Yes there's been some work on the suspension and here we're going to use the mud tyre, which hopefully will work better, we did a small test prior to the rally and it felt really good and looking forward to it.

THERE'S SOME GOOD INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION IN THE EVENT.

Yes, you've got all the APRC guys and then Chinese Championship competitors like David Higgins, Salo, Valamaki that are very quick and have been rallying here all year. I'm sure they're out to prove they're quicker than the APRC boys.

THIS EVENT WILL GIVE YOU A GOOD GAUGE ON WHERE THE PROTON IS IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT?

For sure, it will be good for Proton but the main thing is to get a good clean run here, maybe not go as quick as it can go and try and get to the end with no problems. Then we head back to Scotland and we'll give a real push next weekend.

APRC China - Leg 1 Completed

2009-11-13T23:09:00.003+08:00

Longyou, China (13 Nov) - Team Proton ended Leg 1 (Super Special Stages) of the China Rally impressively staving off the challenges of some more powerful turbo-charged cars.

Alister McRae, piloting the Proton Satria Neo S2000 car, started the day cautiously with some impressive driving (there was never a doubt about that) and in the process manage to stave off the challenges from a number of turbo-charged cars. The Satria Neo S2000 is normally-aspirated.

McRae's cautious and clean driving certainly paid off in the end, giving the team a very good result by finishing 6th from a field of 51 cars. McRae's time of 1min 56.4secs is only 2.3secs behind the winner Cody Crocker in a Subaru STi.

Results: Leg 1 (Super Special Stages)

01) Cody Crocker (Subaru STi) 01:54.1

02) Hiroshi Yanagisawa (Mitsubishi Evo10) 01:54.7

03) David Higgins (Mitsubishi Evo9) 01:55.0

04) Jari Ketoma (Subaru STi) 01:55.0

05) Katsu Taguchi (Mitsubishi Evo9) 01:55.4

06) Alister McRae (Proton S. Neo) 01:56.4

07) Dean Herridge (Subaru STi) 01:56.5

08) Yuya Sumiyama (Mitsubishi Evo10) 01:56.8

09) Juha Salo (Mitsubishi Evo10) 01:57.9

10) Gaurav Gill (Mitsubishi Evo10) 01:57.9

11) Jusso Valimaki (Mitsubishi Evo9) 01:58.0

12) Rifat Sungkar (Mitsubishi Evo9) 01:58.8

13) Emma Gilmour (Subaru STi) 01:59.0

14) Tony Green (Mitsubishi Evo9) 01:59.2

APRC China - Shakedown Completed

2009-11-13T13:27:00.005+08:00

Longyou, China (12 Nov) - The rally's Shakedown event was duly completed by 5:00pm. Weather conditions was the same as earlier but started drizzling before event started and remained so till the end.

In the man-made course stretching 2.1km Super Special Stage (which would be repeated tomorrow as SS1), two cars are flagged-off side-by-side at a time. The narrow, winding and hilly course was made more difficult by the drizzle which made it slippery.

The Proton Satria Neo S2000, however, came out through it marvelously under the very cautious driving of Alister McRae, who was only able to push the car up to the 3rd gear. This rally is certainly beginning to look advantageous to the turbo-charged cars with torques kicking-in at a low-to-medium revs as opposed to the normally-aspirated Satria Neo S2000.

But all is not lost, as McRae puts it, "The Neo's ride is perfectly set and there's obviously big improvements in the handling".

Therefore, opting for a smart and clean driving style would be the best option in securing a good result in this rally, come rain or shine!

APRC China - Action Begins

2009-11-13T12:56:00.003+08:00

Longyou, China (12Nov) - The Service Park stretches almost 1km with a total of 82 cars, of which 51 would be competing in the APRC category.

For the folks here in Longyou town, everyone knows about this rally and considered a big event to them. The whole town is engulfed in a carnival atmosphere.

At the Service Park, the service tents are connected to their respective Support & Hospitality trucks.

The temperature forecasted for today and tomorrow would be between 12-16 degrees Celsius. The sky is gloomy and sun can't be seen at all.

Reconnaissance for the rally was just over. Conditions are slippery due to rain and most of the stages are through narrow, winding, hilly terrains with very dangerous killer cliffs. A mistake would see the car and occupants taking a deep plunge down the ravine, some of which are over 100 metres deep.

On the bright side though, the superb talent of Alister McRae piloting the Proton Satria Neo S2000 shod by Silverstone's wide mud tyres providing maximum traction, Team Proton is doing pretty well.

The Shakedown event will start later today at 4:00pm local time (similar to Malaysia's), come rain or shine!

First Lady Of Formula 1

2009-11-07T23:57:00.003+08:00

Datuk Michelle Yeoh is no longer just a former Bond girl, that famous Ipoh-born Malaysian actress to hit the big screens in blockbuster movies around the world. She is now the First Lady of Formula 1.

Yeoh reportedly married her fiancee, Frenchman Datuk Jean Todt last week, right after the ex-Ferrari boss succeeded the controversial Max Mosley as President of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

The actress had proudly showed off her giant wedding ring to pressmen while attending a function in Paris with her man.

The two was engaged in 2005 after first meeting at a promotional event organized by Ferrari in Shanghai, China.

Congratulations to the new First Couple of Formula One! May we soon be hearing little prancing horses, come rain or shine!

Blow-Up Belts

2009-11-07T15:48:00.003+08:00

US car manufacturer, Ford, is poised to introduce inflatable rear seat belts in its cars, it was announced recently.

This new technology will provide additional protection to rear-seat passengers in the event of a crash.

The next-generation Ford Explorer, to be launched next year will be equipped with it first before being introduced into all of Ford vehicles worldwide.

In the event of a crash, the belts would inflate over the torso and shoulder in just 40 milliseconds, exerting pressure over five times more body area than conventional seat belts.

This additional force helps hold the passenger in the safest sitting position, reduces pressure on the chest and limits movements of the head and neck.

In normal use, the inflatable belts work just like conventional belts and can be safely used with children's safety and booster seats.

What A Lady, What A Night!

2009-11-07T15:26:00.002+08:00

My oh my! Did Lady Gaga forget to put on her clothes/coat before going out for dinner on a wintry evening?

Her choice of a flimsy get-up is a sorry excuse for one, and leaves little to the imagination.

The Poker Face singer was recently seen at Balans in Soho, London, having dinner with a roomful of diners who must have been thoroughly distracted, to say the least.

As she was leaving the eatery, she was bared to all . Her flimsy lace dress was entirely see-through and her underwear did very little to hide her modesty.

Those present said that the view from behind was, ahem, equally cheeky.

Don't ever hope of seeing her perform in Malaysia though, come rain or shine!

Toyota Quits F1

2009-11-04T18:23:00.003+08:00

Japan's Toyota Motor announced today that it is pulling out of Formula One racing after this year, meaning with immediate effect.

The withdrawal comes as the auto industry starts to stabilise after a sales crunch in the wake of the financial crisis.

Toyota’s pullout would be another major blow for F1 after Japan’s number two carmaker Honda quit the series last December to cut costs.

It would also continue the drain of Japanese companies from motor sport, which has seen Subaru and Suzuki withdraw from the world rallying championship and bike maker Kawasaki scrap its MotoGP team in the grip of a severe market downturn.

Japanese tyremaker Bridgestone announced earlier this week they would not renew their tyre supply contract with F1 after the 2010 season.

Toyota’s Fuji International Speedway circuit in July gave up the hosting rights for the Japanese Grand Prix in 2010 and beyond to reduce costs amid the global economic downturn.

The pull-out of Japanese companies from F1 began with Honda-backed Super Aguri, who left for financial reasons early last year.

Toyota was the only remaining Japanese team in F1, but have no drivers signed for next season and were dropped as Williams’ engine partner for 2010.

The world’s biggest carmaker have failed to win a race since entering F1 in 2002 despite an estimated annual budget of around US$300 million (RM1,028 million).

Their departure from the sport would leave just three manufacturers — Ferrari (FIAT), Mercedes and Renault. It would also open the door for BMW-Sauber’s new Swiss owners to take their place as the 13th team on the grid.

Toyota signed the concorde agreement earlier this year committing themselves to F1 until at least 2012, so a pullout could also have legal ramifications.

Still Nothing To Beat The Human Brain!

2009-11-03T17:17:00.003+08:00

The very definition of automotive diagnostic equipment (ADE) can be as elusive as faults on vehicles which it is designed to help detect and put right.

It could be a simple multi-meter or perhaps a full-blown oscilloscope? What about a battery tester, gas analyzer or smoke meter? Brake testers, chassis dynamometers and many various applications could all be defined under ADE.

For most automotive technicians, code readers and serial data tools are most commonly included within ADE, but one thing is for sure - none of the equipment can actually 'fix' vehicles. While some in-vehicle systems can cover up the symptoms of faults temporarily (limp-home), the human brain is still the best piece of kit available.

ADE IS CHANGING ALL THE TIME FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS:

Legislation - emissions, safety etc.
Customer requirements - performance, economy, comfort, equipment usability, user-friendliness.
Vehicle manufacturers (VMs) need to sell 'better'/more cars than their competitors.
ADE manufacturers are in business to sell 'better'/more equipment than their competitors.

Most advances in vehicle technology seem to be accompanied by increasing numbers of ever more complicated electrical and electronic systems. Still, modern multiplexed/Can-Bus systems used by many VMs actually reduce the number of wires and connections where most faults originate. Once connected to the communications system within Can-Bus, it is possible to 'talk' to the vehicles' system, listening to its' switches and/or sensors and activating motors, lights etc.

This enables the technician to pin-point (no more guessing) what is working and what is not, and guiding him to the fault. Where ADE manufacturers has to invest more in is software and the information needed to communicate with the vehicle.

HELPLINE EFFICIENCY

During the 1970s, Japanese VMs made a good job of taking existing European and American designed vehicles and improving on them both in quality and price. A similar thing is happening now with ADE and some of it is very good at the price. Taiwan manufactures some of the best ADE.

Meanwhile, VMs are using and moving further towards 'on-line' diagnosis, featuring more software to link the vehicle to the manufacturer. This means that VMs can diagnose faults using symptom-based information from hundreds of thousands of similar vehicles, update the vehicles' ECMs to solve software issues and issue bulletins for common faults.

'CLEVERER SENSORS'

So, the 64 million dollar question is this: Will VMs allow some form of access to these systems by independent workshop operators?

Vehicle sensors and actuators are now becoming cleverer at diagnosing themselves, further narrowing down the cause of faults and making conventional diagnosis less necessary. Diagnostic programs can be built into the vehicle itself (some cars and trucks manufacturers are already doing this), making code readers etc, almost unnecessary, except for roadworthiness and enforcement purposes.

But most important of all, the best bit of 'equipment' in the workshop is still the technician. So, along with keeping abreast of ADE development, the need for regular personnel training should be recognised.

It is also worth bearing in mind that it doesn't matter what it does, or in what complicated system it operates, a piece of wire is a piece of wire, and still nothing to beat the human brain, come rain or shine!

No AP So What, Got NAP Mah!

2009-10-31T13:32:00.001+08:00

The place: A village in Ulu Selangor.

The people: Ahmad and the village chief.

"Ahmad, why did you fell the durian trees behind your house? Are you going to build another new house there?"

"No, Penghulu, I'm not building a house but a factory!"

"Factory? What kind of factory?"

"Car factory."

"Ahmad, you want to build a car factory right here?"

"Exactly! And it's going to be a factory producing green cars running on bio-fuel. It'll be the first of its kind in Malaysia... no, in the world!"

"Ahmad, you really get me confused. It's weird enough to build a car factory here, let alone a factory of... what colour did you say?"

"Penghulu, you're really behind time lah! This is the latest technology, meaning the cars produced in my plant do not run on petrol."

"Not on petrol. Then on what?"

"I've thought about it. We can use the goreng pisang leftover oil. Don't we have plenty of goreng pisang here? The leftover oil can be used by my cars!"

"Can this kind of oil be made into a fuel for cars? Moreover, it is not even green in colour!"

"Aye! Penghulu. I meant environment-friendly when I said 'green’. The oil is actually palm oil, and could be re-used after goreng pisang. I'm sure it's environment-friendly."

"What made you come up with such a funny idea?"

"The national automotive policy announced by the government yesterday encourages the establishment of environment-friendly car factories. As rakyat we must throw our full support behind the government's initiatives. Moreover, the government is giving out all kinds of incentives for it!"

"It's good to support the government, but do you have the money and know-how?"

"Technology, not yet, but money should not be a problem."

"Not a problem? You're building a car factory, not a workshop!"

"I've done the calculation. With all kinds of loans and incentives, I think five million should be sufficient."

"Five million? you think the government and banks will lend you that money?"

"After cutting these durian trees, I'll fence up the area, and invite a minister and reporters to the launch, and then take the photographs and news reports to get the loan. It's going to be okay!"

"What makes you think the minister and newspapers will believe you?"

"Don't you remember, Penghulu? Last time someone said he invented a car that runs on tap water, and the PM then officiated the launching ceremony and newspapers wrote about it."

"Indeed. But even with the loan secured, how are you going to produce that kind of cars?"

"Penghulu, when I get the five million, I'll go get two Ferraris, one running on petrol, for myself; I'll pour leftover oil into the other one. As for whether it'll run, I'm not sure."

"You're a genius, Mat. Will you take me as your partner?"

By: Tay Tian Yan - mysinchew.com

The M2 Are Back!

2009-10-29T13:32:00.005+08:00

The Mean Machines (M2) are back! Into its' third year now, it is dubbed the largest motoring event in Malaysia by organizer Intrenasionale. This year's event as usual would be held at Auto-City, Juru, Seberang Perai on October 31-November 01, 2009.

This two-day event is endorsed by the Penang State Government and would be officially launched by its Chief Minister, YAB Lim Guan Eng at 4:30pm on October 31.

Among the events lined-up for the M2 exhibition are modified car competition, classic car gymkhana, super car charity rides, superbikes and modified 'kapchais'

and the ultimate (no auto show would be complete without them) car queen search, the Miss M2!

More than RM75mil worth of supercars, modified cars, superbikes and classic cars would be showcased and with more than 30 local and international companies exhibiting their their products.

65,000 visitors are expected for the event which is open from noon till midnight and no entrance fee would be charged. So don't miss this event, come rain or shine!

One of participating cars for 'Modified Car Competition'.

Rank Your Favourite Food Contest

2009-10-27T12:36:00.005+08:00

Total Oil Malaysia Sdn Bhd is currently having a contest whereby consumers stand a chance of winning the grand prize of RM250,000.00 in cash. Contest entries close on 15 December 2009. So what are you waiting for? Head to your nearest Total Oil authorized outlet now, or you can choose to visit my favourite:

UNITED TYRES & AUTO SERVICES

NO 4692 JALAN PERMATANG PAUH

13400 BUTTERWORTH

TEL: 04 332 4978

For more information on contest, go to: www.rankandwincontest.com