A Recap.

After several years of absenteeism at the Sapura Industrial Berhad's Executive Seminar, this year's much awaited event, one which is mandatory to all Executives in the company, was indeed a much welcomed food for thoughts and a super dosed supplement for my soul. This was after all, the key segment of the company that will determine successful paths of the future.Couldnt believe the cold hands and feet at munching light breakfast before taking jibes of "where have you been".. to finally taking seat behind HR's head honcho,Puan Adilah Omar,next to Aziz the Chong Wei of SIB aka my "kuachi" gang at that meeting.Getting used again to this serious environment, i quickly ignited the "im back" sign and went straight to business.
The CEO's maiden speech was as anticipated,cool calm and collected, slight differences in his personna as the then COO , his delivery was of more confidences and fact grinding.And for his fear of safety and comfort of his long stay here, i hope Hisham was answering a call that confirmed the LOA in his sales endeavors as he murmured loudly while the CEO was talking,gutsy move..man, i thought.Personally,otherwise, i was impressed as the CEO , first and foremost,avoided difficult moments in the hall and indeed a much cleverer way of gaining attention and injecting motivation ,wounds in the heart lasts longer than on the skin , so no point going there really,one which his last predecessor begs to differ, who at every opportunity, took a swipe at his detractors.No matter how professional he may have sounded, its still in yo face..dig.
Being in Audit department in the past, i was pretty much a lame duck,maybe more of literature style and very displeased at overly paid personnels who did not deliver but tabs of airlines tickets and restaurant bills or what u nots around the world,he made sure i got the message up there and kid you not, i never sat still those days.I mean , its what i was paid for as to perpetually highlight risks and mismanagement, if not, in the words of the last CFO,might as well be in Communications ..lorr.
This present CEO knew much better.If this is the segment thats going to make or break my company, im better off being friends than enemies with them.Wounds in the heart lasts much longer than on the skin, so no point going there, really.
Sure, he chided one time at "a subsidiary for just acting and talking big" when they're not,my heartfelt response was we're in retail dear CEO, if theres anyone that should be bragging and making noise about our products , its us.And in open market sales, AnP is as essential as your automated machines.And a bigger achievement, i think,we do not even "beg" for the Sapura market, we re ready to face any difficulties and challenges the national and global market are going to throw at us.
And with very limited budget, the on going is really not too shabby, beats a RM 700 sales a month dead wood consignment company in the past and coming back strong at present to write off the RM 3 million debt we were loaded with from the massacred company we were forced to undertake ,is pretty amazing and superb ,from my point of view.One so good,i think that could revive Sapura Leda contract manufacturing under the then Sapura suspension unit.
Other points he threw at us were lack of good substantiated analysis in the company,how everyone should be more passionate in attitude, how much juice we lack in auto sales compared to neighboring countries, to be more resilient in global sales and something to the effect that your future HERE is really up to you. We,the Management can only do so much.
And with the full effect of AFTA in 2015,and imported cars are at least RM 40-60k cheaper, a miserly RM 100 difference in car installments for bimmers or other marques, its game on guys..that was the read between the line drill he was getting at.Proton's new adopted approach of rebadging over the past year is clear and sure signs of the dis equilibrium with vendors , meaning ..you'd have to start looking out for yourself ,guys..we have our own big problems here.
At a glance of other speakers that day , the CFO , Puan Liyana,in her usual radiant and sophisticated self, explained facts and figures of our balance sheet,the nettt RM 19 got everyone excited,went over of how Perodua and exported RE sales were main contributors to lastly warranty claims, which can be costly.
Speaking of 19,of the CEO's worry as not only we can give 19 but we can also take back that 19, somehow,didnt quite allign with my rather "shallow" logics here. Anyone?
But 19 Premier League Titles for Man U is very practical this season though that "This Is Anfield"'s fiasco of the recent is hard to forget .
Down of importances,Encik Helmi's resounding facts of technical supremo across the board only makes the title C.O.O as mere formality in close future.
Then En Radzi's defending of the broken Alza stabilizer bar that even needed a presentation to the Deputy Trade Minister set me off to wonder to there must surely be more high and dramatic moments in the field.
En Ruslan's high confidences in RE was justifiable enough but most of the times in sales approach and networking ..we'd have to think ..we re good boss..but they're a lot better, we're merely selling any means as to make hard ends meet.. but my most important point to this business unit here, i would have to quote our beloved chairman Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato'Shamsuddin Kadir's advice when i was in Sapura Marketing or Teledata Sdn Bhd in Melawati last two decades, when he sdvised us repeatedly ...we're not in the charity business..and it means nothing till we collect back every cent and true to those words, it triggered the downfall of all Telecommunications businesses in Sapura, one which we' re still identified with.But as the gods must have always been smiling on this family,the trade off for this Division in acquiring Crest Petroleum, now, by CIMB's readings at RM 16 Billion worths of future contract, it was definitely the trade off of the century and maybe more.Nevertheless,strong emotions will always be there, one which is of high respects and consideration of this once a Telco's six manned company into a Malaysian icon that easily equates the Sapura Group of Companies today to any Fortune Five Hundred Companies On Any Given Day, Alhamdullillah.
En Farid Dol's business plans for Group Business Development was as usual ambitious but realistic, the only flaws in this scenario can only be contested and confirmed by his proteges, as he again called for alleviated and better RnD facilities with more capable inhouse designs for more leveraged competitiveness in time to come.The market as it is will be very stiff and prudent where only the strong survives.Then to as to conclude, we had En Taha's HR issues of which he even had a tagline of Work Together, in strong Japanese accent.... had everyone in stitches....naaa..was strongly warned of that a couple of times by HR Mines...hehe..
A recap segment by the CEO in the ragging of the new rookies was light hearted to say the least.Then , finally to the bersalaman , an act simply saying no offenses meant ,and none taken, just another day at the office,yo.. kind of gestures in the end, my departing statement to Azlim of Sapura Schulz ..macam kenal jer...rounded up the day at office.Just as a bitter pill really, and he has been attending these Seminars since 2006,I remembered as i had to cut short the due diligences work as to leave for Bangkok on my last trip out with my late dad and the of course the rest of the entourage, why does he always have to say at every session in public out loud.. Sorry laa..dari Kuala Selangor...like anyone even takes notice or is that another way of saying, we still have an office there, you know or maybe just .. im late laaa..so sack me..sue me even betta...i remembered my audit boss then,Encik Rashidi,this being his swansong,and the very few in the Sapura Group of Companies at any time, that will make top grade management, at least in my books,as i ve met a whole lots of em, trust me, gave his early analysis of the company, a wit of a statement i remembered till today...jual kati jer laa...actually, he has a really good heart and takes matter there if concerning his anak buahs, therefore,working was indeed fun and lively, no ulterior motives whatsoever,not the usual "im in charge,so go to hell ..aite",.and we paid close to half a million as consulting fees...now..thats even funnier...more like insulting fees to me...But jokes aside, he was worth every effort to keep, maybe then, we need not stray off so much if he was around...but then would make decisions and due processes a lot harder around here..i guess..And if you re a brown lips and want it all all the time,he is your greatest enemy.If not, we'll enjoy this generational wealth forever.But people change.And can be bought.Easy.
One last thing though, if this was a must for all...im sure Sapura Technical Centre,International Autoparts,Non Auto,Management Information System would love to give their views as well,after all,in line with Sapura Holdings concept that the workers are the most priceless assets of the company , where would we be without them.

Thank u for your time.

Salam

n a w a m: national automotive workshop association malaysia

Now, got into a bit of a bash with your banger, and it’s off to the workshop? Well, accidents happen. It’s what comes after it that most of us dread – inconvenience of losing the use of your ride aside, you can’t really tell if those repairs are going to be right, or ramshackle. The thing is, sometimes you find out way too late, when you’re already well entrenched in the horror script.
So, what’s there to do about it then? Well, how about being able to review equipment and skills of any collision repairer, know their capabilities, compare prices and locate the ones nearest to you? In short, to be able to make an informed decision?
Sounds like a pipe dream? Perhaps for now, but the first step towards getting to that has been started by the Federation of Automobile Workshop Owners Association of Malaysia (FAWOAM), which is setting out to upgrade the standard of its workshops in the country through an integrated grading system, which will commence with self-regulation.
With this system eventually in place, customers can be assured of the quality of services, equipment and skilled manpower, and will be able to identify the preferred workshops offering the best price without having to compromise on the workmanship and safety issues.
Working towards this, an online portal known as the National Automotive Workshop Administration Malaysia, or NAWAM, has been launched as part of the programme. The establishment of NAWAM was made possible with the strong support of Bank Negara Malaysia, Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) and General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM).
NAWAM will act as a catalyst to create a centralised database for grading of workshops throughout the country. ”This grading system is aimed at propelling the industry and creating an avenue for workshop owners to be seen as credible and being transparent in its dealings with the customers and claims managers from the general insurance companies,” said FAWOAM president Kong Wai Kwong.
The new grading and evaluation system will be based on the internationally acclaimed 4M (Man, Machinery, Materials and Method) concept, which is implemented across all industries. Based on this concept, the collision repairers (workshops) will be classified according to three tiers, namely Silver, Gold and Platinum. Each tier will have specific requirements and price structures supported by two stages.
At the first stage, the collision repairers will be self-evaluated. The results generated will be collated and retained in the system. The second stage will involve independent auditors’ assessment of the workshops. Upon collating and evaluating both reports, the grade of the workshop/collision repairers will be ascertained.

NAWAM will evaluate and audit the collision repairers, while FAWOAM and PIAM will accord the repairers with the accreditation and certification. For a start, the system will be implemented across 500 PARS (PIAM Authorised Repairers Scheme) approved workshops in the country. Eventually, all 2,700 members nationwide will be included.
Workshops identified to be accepted and upgraded by FAWOAM will be able to apply for a loan to facilitate refurbishment – to this end, the government, through KDNKK, has allocated RM36.5 million in soft loans for this purpose.
To complement the grading system, a National Towing Scheme will be implemented that will involve the centralised registration of all tow truck operators and customers service agents to ensure efficient tracking and control. This will be jointly undertaken with the close collaboration between FAWOAM, PIAM and BNM.
Through NAWAM, collision repairers will have the opportunity to upgrade their competencies through continuous, specially designed competency development programmes.

“To help upgrade standards, we will embark on an enrichment programme to empower the collision repairers with technical knowledge, skills and current techniques. For this purpose, we have established an advisory panel that will be instrumental in sharing their expertise and know-how through dedicated training programmes,” Kong said.
The association has secured the assistance of 16 advisory support companies which will conduct training programmes, and these will be facilitated by Netica Solutions, the company instrumental in developing the NAWAM portal.
The advisory support group is made up of Shell Malaysia Trading, 3M Malaysia, Motordata Research Consortium, Automotive Aftersales Industries, Sime Kansai Paints, Stahwille, MSCL Holdings, Spanesi Malaysia, Unipac Engineering, PAC Auto Marketing, Top Results, Newera Equipment Supply, PPG Coatings, Wilayah Products, Links Equipment & Supplies and C & N Advantech Marketing Services.
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The governing FI Rules n Regulations 2011

107% qualifying rule
Adding to the refueling ban that was introduced last season, the FIA has re-introduced the 107% qualifying rule. With this, the driver has to set a time that is within 107% of the fastest time in Q1 of the qualifying session. Team Lotus, HRT and Virgin who were classified as rookies last season will have to be mindful on this. However, the stewards will look at other factors before handing out the verdict, which is to disallow the driver from taking part in the race.
The stewards will look at, for example, lap times that were set during practice. If there are acceptable lap times, the driver will be allowed to race. As far as I can remember, Alex Yoong was the last driver who failed to comply with the 107% rule, when he was racing for Minardi quite some time ago. However he was allowed to race after obtaining the green light from other drivers.
Team curfew

In 2011, there is a curfew on team personnel in terms of working hours connected to the car. Basically they won’t be allowed into the circuit between midnight and 6.00am, before practice which starts at 10.00am. If practice starts at 11.00am, then the curfew is between 1.00am and 7.00am. This means that teams will have to make even earlier preparations before a race weekend. However, each team is permitted four individual exceptions to this rule, through out the season.
Penalties
There are also changes in the penalties department, where the stewards are given more types of penalties of hand out. They include time penalties, exclusion of drivers from race results and suspension from subsequent events. We are usually familiar with drive through or stop-and-go penalties during a race.
Team orders
Team orders have been around for a while now and is usually used by the teams when they want their other driver to finish ahead in a race. This is usually linked to championship contenders and in 2010, Ferrari gave team orders to Felipe Massa to allow team mate and championship contender Fernando Alonso to win the German Grand Prix and subsequently score more points. It is quite difficult to implement the rule as teams can be quite discrete with it. Teams orders are now permitted. Perhaps now we will see team orders blatantly carried out.
Adjustable front and rear wings, F-ducts and double diffuser

The FIA has banned the use of adjustable front wing flaps as well as the F-duct system which was pioneered by McLaren. The former ultimately allowed drivers to follow the front car closely during a race which meant higher chance of overtaking while the latter allowed drivers to stall the rear wing to reduce drag and subsequently increase top speed.
The FIA has also banned the use of the double diffuser system which was first seen in 2009. Championship winners at the time, Brawn GP (now known as Mercedes) used this system. The double diffusers were used to increase downforce. McLaren is now trying to overcome this shortcoming by introducing the U-shaped sidepods for its 2011 car. Only time will tell if it really helps.
However the FIA has allowed the use of an optional adjustable rear wing with certain regulated deployment zones. Drivers have unlimited use of the system during qualifying but during the race, they can only start using it after two laps. Drivers can only choose between two set positions and they can use the system at specific points of the circuit.
Furthermore, the system can only be engaged when the car is less than one second behind the car in front. It is controlled via the steering wheel and some drivers are complaining that it is becoming too cumbersome to control various things, including this on the steering wheel. The system will allow the cars to hit a higher top speed on straights (probably by 15km/h). This will help increase overtaking which is always good for the sport and the fans. Teams like McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Williams are running this.

Minimum car weight of 640kg

The FIA has also increased the minimum vehicle weight from 620kg to 640kg. The change in minimum weight has come about thanks to the re-introduction of KERS. Previously, when KERS was allowed in a Formula 1 car, refueling was allowed. This time around, the KERS system has to co-exist with a larger fuel tank, as refueling is banned.
Fixed weight distribution of between 45.5% and 46.5% on the front axle
In 2011, all Formula 1 cars will have to work with a front weight distribution of between 45.5% and 46.5%. The reason behind this is to avoid cars with different weight distribution settings to have different performance levels when using the new Pirelli tires. This is a good effort in trying to maintain a more leveled playing field.
Extended gearbox life
The FIA has also issued a rule that will see gearboxes last for five races, compared to four last year. This rule is part of the FIA’s cost-saving and environmental efforts for Formula 1. McLaren for example has said that even in 2010, gearboxes were already able to last for up to five races.
Second wheel tether and extended driver protection panels on chassis

All cars must make use of a second safety tether on each wheel. This will reduce the likelihood of wheels coming off in an impact. These wheel tethers are flexible and they are contained within the suspension members, as seen in the sample image above. Each tether is able to withstand a tensile force of 70kN in any direction within a cone of 45° measured from the load line of the relevant suspension member.
The rule should have been implemented long ago. Some of you might remember that a lose wheel as a result of an accident killed a marshall at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. The incident involved Ralf Schumacher’s Williams and Jacques Villeneuve’s BAR Honda. Talking about safety, the FIA also said that there must be extended driver protection panels on the chassis which can protect the drivers from debris penetration.

KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems)
KERS is now back in Formula 1, again as an optional feature after it was last seen in 2009. In essence, KERS takes the waste energy generated under braking and turns it into energy. The system is controlled by the driver via the steering wheel and it can produce 60kW at maximum power and 400MJ per lap is allowed.
As mentioned when we talked about the new minimum weight rule, 2011 cars with KERS will be packaged differently compared to their 2009 counterparts as the new cars have larger fuel tanks, to make way for the refueling ban carried over from last year. Cars equipped with KERS are of course heavier. Most of the teams including Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Williams and Sauber have opted for this.
New Pirelli tires

All teams will have to use Pirelli-supplied tires after Bridgestone made a departure at the end of 2010. Teams will have to get used to the new rubber and some have stated that the Pirellis tend to wear and degrade quicker. This may result in more than 011 Teams and Drivers
Red Bull – Sebastian Vettel | Mark Webber
McLaren – Lewis Hamilton | Jenson Button
Ferrari – Fernando Alonso | Felipe Massa
Mercedes – Michael Schumacher | Nico Rosberg
Lotus Renault – Robert Kubica | Vitaly Petrov
Williams – Rubens Barrichello | Pastor Maldonado
Force India – Adrian Sutil | Paul di Resta
Sauber – Kamui Kobayashi | Sergio Perez
Toro Rosso – Sebastien Buemi | Jaime Alguersuari
Team Lotus – Jarno Trulli | Heikki Kovalainen
HRT – Narain Karthikeyan | unknown
Virgin – Timo Glock | Jerome d’Ambrosio
2011 Race Schedule
13 March – Bahrain Grand Prix
27 March – Australian Grand Prix
10 April – Malaysian Grand Prix
17 April – Chinese Grand Prix
8 May – Turkish Grand Prix
22 May – Spanish Grand Prix
29 May – Monaco Grand Prix
12 June – Canadian Grand Prix
26 June – European Grand Prix (Valencia Street Circuit)
10 July – British Grand Prix
24 July – German Grand Prix
31 July – Hungarian Grand Prix
28 August – Belgian Grand Prix
11 September – Italian Grand Prix
25 September – Singapore Grand Prix
9 October – Japanese Grand Prix
16 October – Korean Grand Pix
30 October – Indian Grand Prix
13 November – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
27 November – Brazilian Grand Prix

the lone future of automobile

This here is Heikki Juvonen’s E-3POD Antistatic, a single-seat concept that bagged the top prize in a Citroën sponsored project in the UK called the Double Challenge.
The project, jointly sponsored by French aerodynamic simulation software company EXA, required Royal College of Art MA second-year students to design a compelling ultra-compact model that could establish a unique Citroën e-vehicle aesthetic for the future.

Juvonen’s design was chosen as the best overall design by representatives from Citroën’s Style Centre and Electric Vehicle Development Team, and as his prize receives a six month employment contract to work at the prestigious PSA Design Centre in Paris.
His single-seat creation is a bold and engaging take on an urban three- wheel electric vehicle. The distinctive, aerodynamic styling features two smaller wheels at the front with the driver sitting inside a larger third wheel with an innovative hub-less design

Designed for urban commuting, the ultra-light, micro segment, single-seater is not meant to replace cars, but rather an addition to the family transportation fleet, positioned between bikes and cars.
The short length of the vehicle makes it agile in urban environments; at higher speeds, the E-3POD tilts slightly to provide solid grip and an emphasised stance, giving cornering a more responsive feel.

The distinctive look of the electric design language was applied to distinguish the product from being associated to cars and for the avoidance of comparison in terms of operational range or refuelling/recharging time.
The E-3POD has a simplified, lightweight construction, with an emphasis on aerodynamics to minimise the required battery size. The lowered weight is emphasised in design elements such as the rear wheel, which works as a supportive structural element, the shared suspension for both front wheels, and the use of scratch resistant plastic for the canopy. The silent electric engines also make sound insulation redundant, allowing for lighter material selection.