New Straits Times articles from August 2001, page 42

New Straits Times archives from August 2001

UPM to focus on postgrad courses.
August 1, 2001... SERDANG, Tues. - Universiti Putra Malaysia, which unveiled its 10-year plan today, will increase the number of postgraduate students to 10,000 within that period. Its vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Zohadie Bardaie announced this in...

Brothers invent m-cycle 'alternative fuel'.
August 1, 2001... KUANTAN, Tues. - During their teenage days, Hou Yart Woon, 23, and his brother Yeat Chong, 21, of Taman Kubang Buaya, here, used to play bamboo cannons. A mixture of water and accurate amount of carbide will give the desired explosions....

Making a donation is just a call away.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Making a donation is just a phone call away these days. Donors need only call 600-86-5454 to donate to the National Cancer Council's (Makna) Telekanser 2001 Phase 2 and their donations will automatically be shown on...

Four donate RM1,500 to hole-in-heart girl.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - He could have lavishly spent RM500 for a birthday bash with friends on Sunday. But Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation KL action committee vice- chairman M. Jaya Bhaarathi decided instead to donate the money to a...

Seven Pas supporters released on bail.
August 1, 2001... JOHOR BARU, Tues. - All seven Pas supporters detained by police for hitting a policeman who tried to disperse a political ceramah on Sunday in Taman Anjaria, Kulai, near here, have been released on bail. District police chief SAC II Abu...

EPF to discuss two issues on Monday.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - The Employees Provident Fund Board will sit on Monday to discuss two issues raised by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) - the annuity scheme and the death and incapacitation benefits. MTUC president Senator...

CEO's house robbed of cars, gems.
August 1, 2001... PETALING JAYA, Tues. - Six armed robbers drove off with two luxury cars, a handphone and jewellery totalling more than RM600,000 after they broke into a businessman's house in Subang Jaya early yesterday. District police chief Senior...

Proposed resolution limiting MCA president's term rejected.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - The proposed resolution to limit the MCA president's term of office to three terms (nine years) was not approved by the party central committee which met tonight. A source said after the three-hour meeting that a...

'Ensure economy not affected by slowdown'.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - The private sector has been reminded to take steps to ensure the country will not be affected by the economic slowdown experienced in the United States and Singapore. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad...

Secret society members held.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Police detained on Sunday 10 secret society members on suspicion of being involved in extortion and assault of traders who had refused to pay them protection money in Perak. The 10, who were among 205 people...

Retrenchment of four executives upheld.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - The Industrial Court has upheld the retrenchment of four executives of Bullocks (M) Sdn Bhd who had claimed wrongful dismissal. Court chairman Mohd Noor Yahya said the dismissal of production manager Azami Maitit,...

21 unhygienic food outlets ordered to close in Negri.
August 1, 2001... SEREMBAN, Tues. - The Negri Sembilan Health Services Department has ordered 21 food outlets to be closed for not complying with health and cleanliness regulations. The order was issued following checks carried out today on 52 premises....

Connection slowdown likely as Code Red looms.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Having snacks on hand in the office this week may be a good idea to ease the frustration of slower Internet download times and unco-operative computer systems. The "Code Red" computer virus, which has already wreaked...

Roda Impian car prize winner sues sponsor.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - A marketing executive has filed a suit in the Sessions Court against Proton Edar Sdn Bhd relating to a Proton Satria GTI 1.8 she won in the Roda Impian show. In her statement of claim, Raja Rozela Raja Mohd Rasdi...

Workings of new water filter.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Natural Environment Products Sdn Bhd vice-president C.S. Tee told the Consumer Claims Tribunal today that water filtered by its Diamond Energy Water filter may smell of coconut for the first few days. He said this...

New MAS fares make no difference to bookings.
August 1, 2001... KUALA LUMPUR, Tues. - Bookings for Malaysia Airlines domestic flights continue as normal even though the new ticket prices will come into effect tomorrow. "There has been no significant difference," said a MAS spokeswoman, citing the...

Editor's note.
August 1, 2001... FROM Bukit Kayu Hitam to Johor Baru; from Kota Kinabalu to Kuching. From beads to precious stones; haute couture to ethnic fabrics. From among the largest department stores in Asia selling every known international brand to quaint little...

Travel buddy.
August 1, 2001... BESIDES having the chance to experience new things, vacations can sometimes reward you with even greater things - like developing life-long friendships. I would never have thought that a four-wheel drive expedition in Jementah, which is...

Pleasant ferry rides.
August 1, 2001... TAKING a ride on the Penang ferry now is so much more relaxing than in the old days. Gone are the long queues, the long hours of waiting and jostling for seats and vantage viewpoints. Before the opening of the Penang Bridge in 1985, the...

Nippon Airways resumes services.
August 1, 2001... AFTER a four-month suspension, All Nippon Airways Co Ltd has resumed its services into Kuala Lumpur, this time from Tokyo (Narita Airport) via Bangkok. The inaugural flight from Tokyo landed at the KL International Airport on the evening...

Kelantan's 100 types of rice dishes.
August 1, 2001... RICE. Our staple food but how many of us can name more than five types of rice dishes, let alone cook more than one? And to think there are more than 100 types! Kelantan recently made it into the Malaysia Book of Records by showcasing a...

Red Lake of fun.
August 1, 2001... BUKIT Merah Resort boasts to be the most accessible large lake in Malaysia. Cruising on the 2,800ha lake offers a breathtaking view of the entire resort plus the north-south rail line (which began operations way back in 1909) that cuts across...

Labuan more than an IOFC.
August 1, 2001... Q. What would you say are Labuan's attractions? A. Labuan has diverse and exciting places that not every place can offer - water sports activities and sea sports facilities, offshore fishing, marine parks, wrecks, beautiful islands, free...

TNB pre-tax profit surges to RM1.923b.
August 1, 2001... TENAGA Nasional Bhd posted a 31.4 per cent increase in its pre-tax profit to RM1.923 billion for its nine months to May 31, 2001, from RM1.464 billion in the previous corresponding period. Increasing demand for power in the domestic,...

Power station deal put off for revision.
August 1, 2001... TENAGA Nasional Bhd and Kapar Energy Ventures Sdn Bhd (KEV) have agreed to extend the conditions period for the proposed divestment of the Kapar Power Station to the latter by another two months beginning Aug 1, 2001. This is to revise...

MRCB turnover rises sharply in third quarter.
August 1, 2001... MALAYSIAN Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) showed tremendous improvement in its turnover in its third financial quarter ended May 31, 2001. It recorded a turnover of RM189.4 million compared to RM87.2 million in the corresponding period...

TV3 turnover improves to RM180.5m in nine months.
August 1, 2001... SISTEM Televisyen Malaysia Bhd (TV3) has reduced its pre-tax loss by 61 per cent to RM8.5 million for its nine months to May 31, 2001 from a pre- tax loss of RM22 million for the previous corresponding period. Its turnover improved to...

Hike in movement fees is 'restoration of old rate'.
August 1, 2001... TRANSPORT Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik yesterday described the hike in container movement fees in Port Klang from RM70 to RM140 per 20- foot equivalent unit (TEU) as a "restoration of the old rate" in 1995. He said the fee of...

Traveller's column.
August 1, 2001... Q: Where did you spend your last holiday in Malaysia? A: Awana Kijal in Terengganu Q: What type of vacation/s do you prefer? A: I love sightseeing, so anything goes, but if I really must choose, then it's beach holidays - a...

Investments by NSTP boosts circulation revenue.
August 1, 2001... THE New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Bhd remains cautiously optimistic in improving its financial results for the remaining quarter in this financial year ending Aug 31, 2001. This would be achieved through greater emphasis on product...

BAT posts pre-tax gain of RM438m in first quarter.
August 1, 2001... BRITISH American Tobacco (Malaysia) Bhd has posted a RM438.444 million pre-tax profit in the first six months of 2001, up from RM375.838 million in the corresponding period last year. This was achieved on the back of a turnover of RM1.547...

Isles of paradise.
August 1, 2001... LABUAN and its cluster of islands must be among the last unspoilt beachland in the world. Labuan, a "little rock" in the aqua green waters of the South China Sea, is surrounded by six lesser islands: Kuraman, Daat, Rusukan Besar, Rusukan...

[0] Correction.
August 1, 2001... DRB-Hicom Bhd's entire equity interests in Gadek Capital Bhd was disposed to Malton Corporation Sdn Bhd and not to Kulim Technology Park Corporation Bhd as reported under the article with the heading "Kedah Cement RTO not a start of other...

Kota Permai's wonderful greens.
August 1, 2001... SINCE it opened in early 1998, Kota Permai Golf and Country Club has received nothing but rave reviews. Indeed, it was no surprise when it was given the job to host the prestigious Volvo Masters of Malaysia even before its first monthly...

Microsoft adopting speech technology.
August 1, 2001... SPEECH is expected to play a significant part in Microsoft's future plans. Some time ago, the company licensed L&H's text-to-speech technology, as well as technology from rival SpeechWorks. Microsoft has not made public what products it...

Managing storage resources.
August 1, 2001... MANAGING storage across a network is no small task. With increasing bandwidth availability, downloading of files into a network has become easier. Corporate users tend to take for granted that server space is an unlimited resource until it...

Building a communication portal.
August 1, 2001... THE vision to build a communication portal for Malaysians is one pursued by Public Online Services (M) Sdn Bhd (POSM), a local company whose portal goes by posmalaysia.com. Although posmalaysia is synonymous to the national postal company and...

I-Berhad aligns business towards smart homes.
August 1, 2001... THE mind is made up, that smart home is the business to pursue. In line with its corporate vision that encapsulates the smart home, I-Berhad is shedding its image as a local home appliance and computer manufacturer, to a business that serves...

Beyond the home PC.
August 1, 2001... THE recent showcase of I-Berhad's iHome concept at its Bukit Jelutong office was largely substantiated by some interesting products its technological partners had to offer. Intel, for one, showcased its "extended PC" concept which...

Call for more deregulation in telecom market.
August 1, 2001... "THE adoption of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) in Malaysia will proliferate more rapidly if there is further deregulation in the telecommunications market," says Gary Jackson, vice president of Asia operations for Cisco Systems. Still,...

Verifone tests out utilities market.
August 1, 2001... HAVING established a strong foothold for payment facilities in the financial, petrol/convenient store, and retail markets, Verifone is now looking to penetrate into other new markets this year. One key area that the company is preparing...

Accelerating mobile commerce.
August 1, 2001... THERE appears to be contradictory views as to the market uptake of mobile commerce today. According to Stuart Taylor, Verifone's director for emerging markets and business development, the mobile commerce market has not taken off as...

More investments by REDtone.
August 1, 2001... REDtone Technology Sdn Bhd, developer and manufacturer of computer telephony products in the Asian region, is looking at India, the UK, and the US to expand its business ventures. For the UK market, two undisclosed customers have already been...

SAN security sufficient for now.
August 1, 2001... ALTHOUGH storage networking security is not considered to be a problem yet and measures available today are sufficient, work is going on within the industry to ensure that security issues will be resolved as SANs grow in size. Peter...

Living systems penetrates local market.
August 1, 2001... TAKING its first step into Malaysia, Gernan-based living systems will be announcing its first local customer this month. According to managing director of Singapore-based living systems Asia Pte Ltd, Delphine Koo, the company has signed a...

Compaq introduces online programme for home users.
August 1, 2001... COMPAQ has launched a Built For You online programme which allows home users to custom-configure their own Compaq Presario PC. Customers can either custom-configure via www. compaq.com.my/store or visit one of Compaq's authorised four...

DPM to officiate at World Cup opening.
August 1, 2001... DEPUTY Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawai will officially declare open the Track World Cup final round at Velodrome Rakyat in Ipoh on Aug 24 at 5pm. Organising secretary Amarjit Singh Gill also confirmed yesterday that the Sultan...

Strategy for marketing our goods overseas.
August 1, 2001... LOCAL companies planning to market their products overseas should package their goods attractively and use simple brand names with international flavour. Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) training manager...

Guthrie defends Indonesian deal.
August 1, 2001... KUMPULAN Guthrie Bhd yesterday defended its US$368 million (RM1.4 billion) buy of vast plantations in Indonesia, saying that the landmark deal could boost the group's profit from plantation business to US$150 million in two years. The...

Let's go shopping.
August 1, 2001... AROUND this time of the year last year, Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Datuk Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir announced plans to steer Malaysia towards becoming a world-renowned shopping haven by December 2003. He expressed the hope that by...

Courier firms have a key role to play.
August 1, 2001... MALAYSIA's future as an exporting nation depends largely on its ability to move its exports to markets in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. Stating that the development of basic air, sea and land networks by delivery and...

Integrated duty-free zone in Johor Baru.
August 1, 2001... JOHOR, on the southern tip of Peninsula Malaysia, has an integrated duty- free zone that is a haven for shopping. Located at Stulang Laut, it houses a huge tourist complex that includes a 400,000 sq ft shopping mall with more than 190...

East Coast traditional attraction.
August 1, 2001... BATIK, silverware and brassware, wood carvings, songket and silk. Perhaps, there is no place like the East Coast to shop for these beautiful traditional handicrafts. Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan are renowned for these handicrafts,...

Car importer set to make a mark.
August 1, 2001... WITH the German and Swedish strengths, a local car importer and distributor is set to become a big challenger to other companies selling premium brands such as BMW, Mercedes Benz and Ferrari. Jaseri Auto Sdn Bhd, owned by Datuk Mokhzani...

Something for the palate.
August 1, 2001... PENANG is no longer a place to shop till you drop but it continues to lure with its food such as assam laksa, cendol, nasi kandar, murtabak, popiah and pasembor. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg seed and cloves are also bringing in...

Shopping for the old and new.
August 1, 2001... THE southern States of Peninsula Malaysia - Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor - each offer unique shopping experiences. In historical Malacca city, visitors can visit delightful small shops selling antiques, porcelain, brassware,...

Sarawak's tempting bargains.
August 1, 2001... ETHNIC is the word in Sarawak. The Land of the Hornbill offers a mind - boggling selection of ethnic handicrafts. Must-buy items include the famous Sarawak pottery with ethnic tribal designs and the exquisite wood carvings of the skilful...

Kumpulan Emas gearing up to be a global player.
August 1, 2001... KUMPULAN Emas Berhad (KEB) has an ambitious plan to transform itself into an international group. Group managing director, Patrick Teoh, said he would steer KEB on "overdrive mode from now on" to achieve its ambition and he expects all...

Sabah's irresistible buy.
August 1, 2001... MAJOR shopping complexes in Sabah - Likas Square, Centrepoint, Wisma Merdeka, Karamunsing Complex and Plaza Wawasan - are participating in the Malaysia Mega Sale. For more unusual buys, hop over to the Filipino market on Kota Kinabalu's...

MDC must engage with IT industry to fulfil promises.
August 1, 2001... RECENTLY Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) chairman Tan Sri Othman Yeop spoke out against criticism of the MDC and the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC). The gist of his argument was that without the MSC, Malaysia would be in the...

Buckley's travel tales.
August 1, 2001... A MAN who has travelled close to a million kilometres on business and leisure trips, is sharing his travel experiences in his latest book, The World Is My Oyster. In his travels to Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and...

Closing temptations.
August 1, 2001... IT was every gourmet's dream come true. A total of 308 stalls spread out over 1.7km to serve the best of what Malaysia has to offer. Penang's famous Gurney Drive was, very appropriately, chosen to host the finale of the month-long...

Launching new SAN technologies.
August 1, 2001... ALTHOUGH many organisations in Asia-Pacific have considered SAN seriously in the past year, very few of them have adopted it across their organisations. "However, a significant percentage of large organisations have at least an embryo of...

The impetus to wholesale banking.
August 1, 2001... WHOLESALE banking is expected to be the next evolutionary phase of banking in Asia, specifically in the area of cash management. Cash management generally encompasses integrated collection, payments, receivables, and liquidity management. ...

Better pricing option with Oracle 9i.
August 1, 2001... ORACLE is offering a more attractive pricing option for its newly-launched Oracle9i database called universal power user (UPU), as compared to the previous power-unit pricing model based on processor speed. Market research firm GartnerGroup...

Corporate caviar.
August 1, 2001... ONCE the sole province of top restaurants, wine has become a popular drink in Malaysia. On supermarket shelves, in wine bars and specialist wine shops, spicy Muscat wines, herbal Sauvignon Blancs, rich red, majestic Cabernet Sauvignons vie...

Tool for content security protection.
August 1, 2001... DEVELOPED for the enterprise and service provider markets, ScanMail for Microsoft Exchange 2000 V5.1 takes full advantage of the Exchange 2000 enhancements included in service pack 1 (SP1), such as the new Microsoft virus-scanning Application...

Internet business package for SMIs.
August 1, 2001... IN the wake of findings by international research firm IDC that 60 per cent of Malaysian manufacturers are now ready to outsource their data centre needs, DataOne Asia has launched a one-stop business package to meet the Internet requirements...

An all-round Aussie treat.
August 1, 2001... OUTBACK is the recently opened US$1.7 million (RM6.5 million) restaurant located at BB Park, Plaza Low Yat, off Jalan Bukit Bintang. The new restaurant occupies an area of 5,600sqft and seats 206 people. Walls of the double-deck restaurant...

Oil exploration made easy.
August 1, 2001... WHEN an error in judgment can cost millions of dollars in wasted downtime, a company will certainly do everything in its power to minimise the possibility of such occurrences. That includes installing the best technology to ensure that it has...

Pocket PCs for lawyers.
August 1, 2001... POCKET PCs might be the next new in-thing as it moves to "honour" law practitioners with its ability to provide legal aid. Simon's Pocket Law (SPL) is basically a library of 110 most frequently utilised Malaysian statutes loaded onto a...