The Other Side Of MidNite..

Pleased to report back that to have participated in the most intensed appeal for an out right miracle for recovery was amazing, and it were to materialize in due course, i know my efforts of arranging such a meeting would be eternal to most parties involved in this mega project, and never more humble than GPLM's CEO 's pitch at that meeting that day, in a very contradicting way, of saying , our problem is that to apportion this big cake...as in what is really your problem, theres enuff here for everyone..and more..

But as my friend, the brother, cited, theyre pros with god knows what up their sleeves,and to put high hopes with Dato's ending remark of what can we really do for you... ended the meeting with such coldness and uncertainty on GPLM's side.For the commoner like me though , it was a great success.So when the Yang Mulia Tunku, said, that was their best treatment of us in meetings, i smiled, knowing that Dato' has really made an about turn of this place.

Everything was served in one tray with nothing spared.Funding,funding,funding was abundant we reassured,milestones tabled out,turnkeys reaffirmed,an exodus of business opportunities from Gulf States was in a nut shell , again on fundings reassured,but this time to the officers, to last but not least the sad state of MIDA's role of crushing the millions of investments coming in from the Arabs partners into the company left the CEO nearly tearful into saying what have i done wrong to Malaysia Dato? I am 10 million less in ringgit Malaysia, with no problems from the MB s office, EIA or PMO but MIDA or MITI..and my office sealed because i used GCC - ASEAN without permission?

This was ultimately all for Malaysia,and even offered MIDA the role of procurement for this project ...and i am nearly broke or bankrupt..at that point , an officer interjected,was it necessary for them to check with MIDA...a tinge of agreement could be the hint there , but wasnt that their actual role as in to facilitate foreign investments and how many of these low dirty tactics have they pulled...how did they get way with these up to now, and where are the real guardians of the innocenses , too busy hedging their funds all over the world...persons after persons are put on death penalty everyday, but isnt this the biggest bethrayal of them all, one nothing less of treason. True, kampong dot com may let this be another food for the addicts, but the case here is so demeaningly insulting that the addict might not even need a lawyer..

Okay, from responses, the camp is split , one for the "rights" of all the people and the other for the people's "rights" are all ours , dont you get it,and with awakenings happening at each corner in the country with strong messages shown already in about half of the country, this time it will be nearly all, graveyards included,kid you not ...i can only read whats seen or staged, but with Dato's parting encore of just wanting two simple things replied in fourteen days and badgering all her officers to voice concerns then to which there werent real any, justice was served.

And Who cares if MIDA's shouting about this Dato" they might need the practice for court or then after...The Buck Stops Here, dats all.

And We Just Want To Move Forward,Please.

BMW designworks: when we re really saying sorry for others...

Not that proof is needed any further that China is the biggest and brightest growth market, but here’s something to cement things anyway. BMW’s California-based strategic design consultancy, DesignworksUSA, is set to open a new studio in Shanghai in the second half of 2011.

The subsidiary, which was acquired by BMW in 1995, already has studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Singapore, and the opening of the new studio in Shanghai will pave the entry into the Asian market for the company’s European and North American clients as well as provide a further learning ground on things Asian.



The company is not just an inspirational think tank for BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the Group’s three car brands, but is also an innovation driver for clients away from the automotive industry, with notable projects including the interiors of the Siemens Inspiro Metro and Embraer Legacy Jet as well as with the design of the Intermarine 55 Yacht, Sennheiser earphones and HP Z800 Workstation.

By tapping into the Chinese market, DesignworksUSA is looking to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese consumer behaviors and offer a global creative perspective to its clients in China and in Asia.



As BMW Group Design’s director Adrian van Hooydonk puts it, creating a presence in Shanghai is an important strategic step for both BMW Group Design and DesignworksUSA. “The Shanghai Studio will allow us to better serve design clients in China. Designing in China will also deepen our understanding of this inspiring culture,” he said.

Red Bulls saying see what we can do..at chinese gp

Lewis Hamilton has won the Chinese GP, preventing Sebastian Vettel from scoring a hat trick of wins. The reigning World Champion finished second ahead of teammate Mark Webber, who drove an amazing race from P18 to a podium spot. The Aussie deserves more than a pat on the back for his battling display which saw him make successful moves on the front runners late in the race – he’s our driver of the day!
Jenson Button finished fourth for McLaren, ahead of Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP Petronas) and the Ferraris of Massa and Alonso. The rest of the points scoring positions were filled by Michael Schumacher, Vitaly Petrov (Lotus Renault) and Kamui Kobayashi for Sauber.

At the tail end, Team Lotus’ Kovalainen finished 16th and ahead of the Sauber of Sergio Perez and the Williams of Pastor Maldonado, but Perez had a drive through penalty for a collision with Adrian Sutil. Behind them was Trulli, who was ahead of the Virgins and HRTs. There was only one retirement – Jaime Alguersuari lost his right rear tyre from a botched pit stop.
It was all action from the start, where the McLarens sprinted off the line to jump pole man Vettel. Nico Rosberg, starting fourth, had a go at Seb too, but failed. Button-Hamilton-Vettel was the front order for the early part of the race. Mark Webber, starting from P18 after yesterday’s qualifying nightmare, didn’t make much headway at the start as he battled with the Saubers and Williams.

his season’s Pirellis degrade faster, forcing pit stops for more action. And the pit stops played a big part in today’s results. Leader Button and Vettel dived in the pits the same time for their first stop, and Jenson made a mistake by driving into Red Bull’s slot! He realised it soon after, but those wasted seconds saw Vettel jump him. McLaren’s bad pit stop day was followed by Massa jumping Hamilton shortly after.
It wasn’t that straightforward to watch in the middle part, as drivers with different strategies merged on track. Some such as Vettel and the Ferraris chose two stops while the others like Rosberg switched from two to three stops. The McLarens did three stops as well, and that looks like the better option on hindsight. The fresh tyres of Hamilton and Button saw them overtake Massa and Rosberg in the final stages of the race.

Button took considerably more time than his teammate in passing Massa/Rosberg, which left Lewis to do a sole pursuit of Vettel. He caught up pretty soon after and the duo served up a nice duel, with Lewis finally succeeding on lap 52, four laps from the finish. Without KERS (again) and on worn tyres, Vettel was the target of Button, but he couldn’t get close enough.
Meanwhile, Mark Webber was making a late charge, but unlike in Malaysia, his attack paid off handsomely in Shanghai. Successive moves on Massa, Rosberg and Button gave him a deserved third. He got within striking distance of Jenson on the second last lap and made a move at turn 14. Button fought back and looked good to retake him, but Mark managed to make it stick. If he had a few more laps, Vettel would have been in danger!
utside of the front runners, Schumacher was involved in a few duels, first with Alonso and then with Webber. Toro Rosso’s good qualifying result didn’t turn into a good race day – both Alguersuari and Buemi had poor starts before the former retired. Force India’s Paul di Resta also had quite a bit of camera time. He outdrove Sutil but finished just out of the points.
The changes made this season – KERS, DRS, tyres with shorter life – seems to have successfully injected more racing action so far. Next stop is

For those that made it worked,International Autoparts Sdn Bhd is saying thank you.

A continuous quest for economic balance

As the economic crisis dies down, its full ramifications are still unclear — but it’s becoming possible to see just what cracks the storm revealed in the foundations of national economies. Although countries around the world have experienced the crisis differently, and are recovering at varying rates, a single unifying element has left them vulnerable: Their economies are not sufficiently diversified.

That statement would probably come as a surprise to most of the national leaders responsible for economic development. After all, economic diversification has traditionally had a fairly narrow definition referring only to a country’s mix of industries. Discussion of insufficiently diverse economies usually centers on countries whose entire industrial base relies on oil or another single resource, such as some nations in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

However, even countries that appear extremely diversified — such as the United States — may still be vulnerable to unexpected events. Imagine that every country in the world falls along a continuum. At one end is a country with just a handful of companies producing a limited number of commodities, and sharing them with very few trading partners. Although such a country would be at severe risk of external shocks — for example, a sudden glut of one of its key products in global markets — the parameters of its economy are simple to track, and such threats are easy to predict.

At the other end of the continuum is a country with a fully diversified economy in every possible sense — in its exports, investments, industries, sources of spending, labor pool, technology, and knowledge. It has anticipated and accounted for every possible risk and diversified its assets so thoroughly that even a complete collapse in one area cannot significantly damage the whole.

Both of those countries are pretty safe from global economic risk. The exposed countries are those in the middle of the continuum; at present, that includes every country in the world. No single country has diversified its economy so completely that it will be protected from all shocks, but nearly all are so diverse, complex, and globally connected that they cannot fully anticipate each potential source of risk. In other words, although most nations aren’t aware of it and most economic leaders believe the opposite to be true, global economies are simply not sufficiently diversified.

Exposing Over-Concentration
At present, there is little statistical data to prove the correlation between lack of diversification and economic instability, but the recent economic crisis has provided a plethora of anecdotal evidence that countries can be over-concentrated in any number of ways — with too much reliance on consumer spending, exports, small business, large companies, or foreign investment.

For example, in 2007, as the global crisis was about to break, Ireland’s foreign trade (i.e., imports plus exports) was equal to roughly 150 percent of its GDP. The credit crunch of the following year and the recession in the economies of Ireland’s major trading partners resulted in the collapse of its export growth. Real GDP contracted by 3 percent in 2008 and about 7 percent in 2009, and unemployment increased from 4.5 percent in 2007 to 12 percent in 2009. Today, it’s clear that Ireland is doubly burdened: Its economic crisis has turned into a fiscal crisis, with over-concentration in the banking sector translating into major liabilities for the government as it was forced to bail out major institutions.

For other countries, such as the U.S. and U.K., the problem is another form of over-concentration: Rather than too much trade, these countries have an overdependence on domestic consumers whose purchasing activities are largely financed by debt. In the early days of the crisis, in 2008, consumption made up 71 percent of GDP in the U.S. — roughly six times the share of exports. Even during times of expansion, such economies are subject to seasonal swings and the whims of consumer behavior. During periods of economic contraction, when household income typically declines, consumer confidence plummets, with devastating effects; the fact that the U.S. economy is still bogged down with high unemployment and relatively low confidence is a case in point.
The slowdown in U.S. consumer spending has caused an inverse — although equally vexing — problem in countries such as China, Russia, and Germany, which all have a sizable percentage of their GDP tied to exports. In China, for example, 37 percent of GDP comes from export activity, mostly to a single trading partner: the United States. When the U.S. economy contracted in 2009 and its consumers slowed their purchasing, the economy in China suffered and the government was forced to spend considerable funds to stimulate domestic demand. The export issue is equally pronounced in Germany, which had 47 percent of its GDP tied to exports during the crisis in 2008. The appreciation of the euro that year caused a spike in the price of goods produced in Europe, and German exports contracted sharply. Although its export activity has recovered somewhat since then, and it has made an attempt to diversify in emerging markets, Germany is now becoming increasingly dependent on China, and any contraction in that market could have severe ramifications for German exports.

Other countries find their economies overly dependent on one kind of company, with their enterprise bases either consisting primarily of small businesses or dominated by a few large conglomerates — each of which presents its own problems. Italy, for example, has a preponderance of small and medium-sized companies: Roughly 95 percent of Italian companies fall into this category, and they employ more than 80 percent of the Italian labor force. These companies are the first to shed jobs during a recession, making the country less able to ride out downward trends in the business cycle.

And then there are countries with a disproportionate amount of economic activity tied to a few large companies, as demonstrated by the U.S. banks that undermined the national economy in 2008. In 1995, the five largest U.S. banks held 11 percent of total deposits; in 2009, they held 40 percent. The fact that these banks were too big to fail and were operating under a lax regulatory system made them a serious liability for the state. In South Korea, the chaebol system experienced financial difficulties in the late 1990s and dragged down the entire nation’s economy. (See “What’s a Chaebol to Do?” by Tariq Hussain, s+b, April 3, 2007.) Of the 30 largest chaebols (the Korean term for powerful, multinational conglomerates), 11 failed between 1997 and 1999; the Daewoo group collapsed with US$80 billion in debt, making it the largest corporate bankruptcy at the time. Many of the chaebols had taken on substantial debt to finance their expansion. In the aftermath of the crisis, when they could not service their debt, banks could neither foreclose nor write off bad loans without themselves collapsing.

Finally, some countries are over-concentrated in their sources of investment, particularly foreign direct investment (FDI). In Ireland, Bulgaria, and Estonia, FDI is a principal source of economic activity, making up a large share of GDP. This is problematic because FDI can fluctuate significantly from year to year, due to circumstances beyond a country’s control. In Ireland, for instance, FDI constituted 2.2 percent of GDP in 2006, soared to 8.8 percent in 2007, and plummeted to –1.2 percent in 2008.

Iceland’s recent economic woes stemmed in part from two FDI issues — an excessive reliance on such investments and the fact that these investments came from too few sources (primarily Belgium, Luxembourg, and the U.K.). Iceland also suffered from a lack of diversity in its industry base, having allowed its banking sector to dominate, which threw the overall economy out of balance. Bank liabilities increased more than fivefold from 2005 to 2008, and assets reached 10 times the size of the country’s GDP. By 2008, the three largest Icelandic banks had $60 billion in debt, and the financial crisis triggered a depreciation in which the krona fell 98 percent against the euro. Only a $10 billion multinational aid effort and a $2 billion government injection averted a total economic meltdown in the country.
Achieving Balance
It is important to note that policymakers should not attempt to undermine or eliminate the elements that are at the heart of their countries’ success. Large corporate conglomerates played a key role in the growth of South Korea’s economy, the attraction of foreign investment was critical to Ireland’s development, and China’s exports launched its stratospheric growth. Instead of undermining them, policymakers should seek out counterbalances to these dominant influences to ensure they do not play a disproportionate role in the economy.

The fundamental question is whether the key elements of an economy are varied, flexible, and readily applicable to a variety of economic opportunities. The imperative for policymakers is not only to monitor these elements but also to continually seek out potential areas of over-concentration, including those that may not yet be evident.

This effort is an unending quest rather than a single hurdle. As policymakers attempt to address each area, they are reminiscent of a man attempting to hold back a bursting dam: Every time he plugs a leak in one place, another jet of water bursts through elsewhere. Instead of trying to stop the flow, he should be trying to understand how to redirect the rushing river in more productive ways. It’s an enormous task: Seeking out the next potential source of over-concentration requires policymakers’ continuous energy, attention, and action as they attempt to shield their economies from unnecessary risk.

Even as policymakers take a broader approach to diversification, moving beyond their industrial base, they must also take a deeper approach. For each single element of economic diversification, multiple ways to diversify can be found within that arena: If a country has expanded its export base to include a wide array of countries, is it shipping a broad enough selection of products to these countries? If it is exporting a diverse group of products, is it properly balancing its export portfolio among large and small companies? The permutations are very nearly endless.

Although no country has achieved complete diversification, some are farther along the continuum than others. Australia is a good example of a country that emerged relatively unscathed from the economic crisis thanks to its economic balance. Perhaps because of its geographic proximity to China and India, Australia saw the potential of these countries and began trading extensively with them and with other emerging markets prior to the economic crisis. As a result, Australia’s trade portfolio was sufficiently diversified when the crisis began, allowing it to avoid the shock of being undermined by the collapse of a single trade partner. This diversity in its imports and exports had corollary effects on the economy; for instance, it led to diversity in the banking sector as institutions sought opportunities in emerging markets. As a result, Australia’s financial system was spared the worst of the problems that affected banks in North America and Europe.

At the same time, Australia offers a cautionary tale about the need for constant vigilance. The country’s exposure to emerging markets is growing steadily: China now accounts for more than a quarter of Australia’s exports, and that percentage is still on the rise. It is not yet clear whether the growth shown by emerging markets for the last few years is truly sustainable; if those markets were to experience a crisis of their own, Australia would be left exposed. The government must be aware of this risk and must make a constant effort to avert this potential problem.

Comprehensive diversification is not simple to implement, because it requires ongoing calibration of every aspect of the national economy. Policymakers will need to be resolute in their determination to keep these risks under control, because properly managing the risks of over-concentration is critical to sustainable, long-term economic development. The global economic system is overly complex and becoming more so by the day. It may be difficult to begin the process of diversification now — but it could well be impossible in the future.

.Only A .World Domination: BMW..

No confirmed details have surfaced yet with these images, but the media release is expected on April 7th followed by the public debut at Auto Shanghai on April 19. Stay tuned.

BMW has yet to release details but so far we know it will be equipped with a high-revving V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo Technology (aka 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 found in the X5/X6 M SAVs), 7-speed DCT Drivelogic double clutch gearbox and active cooling systems.

...The New Neo ..

We are back from a short test drive session of the Proton R3 Satria Neo, which happened at Proton’s testing ground in Shah Alam. Unlike the RM115k limited edition Lotus Racing Satria Neo (back when Proton and 1MRT were still on friendly terms), this version is much more accessible at RM79,797 but will still provide enthusiastic drivers with plenty of smiles.
To keep the price down, the R3 Neo doesn’t include the Lotus Racing Neo’s headline Ohlins suspension and AP Racing brakes, which were inspired by the real Lotus cars. The modded Campro CPS engine is the same. As we found out, the changes don’t detract from the fun factor and performance of the LR Neo, which makes it the better buy. There are even some improvements thrown in.
Continue reading the report after the jump.


This R3 Neo isn’t an afterthought or a development of the Lotus Racing Neo, although that limited edition came out first. On the contrary, development of this car started three months before the LR Neo was launched, which translates to early 2010, explains Tengku Djan, head of R3. After that, the idea of a Lotus Racing Neo came along, and R3 had to rush that car out within 6-7 weeks.
So we are actually looking at the final fruit of R3′s tweaking of the Satria Neo. In a nutshell, the R3 Neo is powered by the exact same engine as the LR Neo, which is the Campro CPS unit upgraded to make 145 hp at 7,000 rpm and 168 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm. The stock engine makes 125 hp and 150 Nm. No Ohlins coilovers and mega AP brakes here; this car comes with R3 specified suspension and stoppers.

The S4PH powerplant has been given a host of upgrades to reach this state. Reprofiled camshafts that increase valve lift and overlap helps breathing, aided by a K&N filter in a carbon air box. Lightweight adjustable camshaft pulleys reduce inertia and enable fine tuning of valve timing.
To match all these is an R3 ECU calibrated with revised fuel maps and a focus on performance. There’s also a 4-2-1 R3 exhaust system similar in design to that found in the LR Neo, except that it’s in full stainless steel and without ceramic coating. Mated to the engine is a close ratio five-speed manual gearbox – there’s no auto option. 0-100 km/h is done in 9.2 seconds, top speed is 205 km/h.

For the suspension, R3 ordered a few settings from the OE manufacturer before finally deciding on this set. The springs are shorter and their rates firmer than the standard Neo CPS. As for what they were looking to achieve for the handling, drift master Tengku Djan said that R3 wanted to “bring back a bit of the old GTI feel”, referring to the old body Satria GTI and Satria R3. Ride height is 10 mm lower than the Neo CPS.
Brakes wise, the R3 Neo uses performance pads that have an operating temperature of up to 400 degrees C and increased fade resistance over the standard car. The calipers are stock.

The Satria Neo is already one of the most sporty three-door hatchback designs around, and the R3 Neo takes it a step further. Only available in “Fire Red” with a black roof and bronze accents, it looks fantastic in the sunlight. Not sure about you, but I never really liked the LR’s green and yellow theme – this looks much better in my opinion. Also nice are those six-spoke 16-inch R3 alloys in gunmetal.

Unlike the LR edition, the R3 Neo uses the standard Neo CPS bodywork, with additions such as a front splitter (reduces undercarriage turbulence and increases downforce, according to R3) and a new design spoiler, which is more subtle than the standard car’s and improves aerodynamics. There are R3 logos on the sides of the wing. The rear bumper is stock, although the trademark central exhaust tip is different.

I stepped in the car expecting the typical Neo reception of zero headroom (I’m not that tall at 175 cm, but we’re required to wear helmets when driving at Proton’s oval) and looking through the top quarter of the windscreen, but was pleasantly surprised to find that there was room to spare.
I was then told that the seats are new – the rails are in the same place, but the seat base goes deeper now to free up some much needed headroom. You’ll also notice that the seat backs are more shapely compared to the old chairs – there’s added thigh, hip and shoulder support here.
The steering wheel is wrapped in “Trivel Fibre”, which is an Alcantara type material, and has a red centre marker, just like in Renault Sport cars. The panels around the audio buttons have the carbon fibre look. There are lots of panels in red to match the exterior and like in the LR Neo, the gear knob is a chromed ball. The aluminium pedals are identical as well.

We weren’t given much time behind the wheel, but enough for a good impression. Flex your right foot and the louder exhaust note is immediately noticeable. The R3 Neo pulls away cleanly and smoothly, without being bogged down by any holes and trenches in the torque delivery. But it’s not particularly strong below 4,000 rpm, which is the point the high lift cam profile comes into play.
As expected, from here, the engine gains a second wind as it charges towards redline, which is 7,500 rpm in the R3 Neo (cut off at 7,800), although the unchanged meter panel will show that you’re already swimming deep in the red sea. Once in the zone, the tacho needle gains urgency that’s previously unseen, and there’s no slowing down because the Variable Intake Manifold (VIM) changes to the short runner at 5,500 rpm.

The R3 Neo, like the standard car, is meant to be revved all out for enjoyment, and with the short ratio gearbox, it’s extremely effortless to get there – it’s time for the next gear before you know it. The sound is more towards boomy than VTEC screamy, but it’s fun nevertheless.
We also tried out the R3 Neo over a section of crests and dips to check out the primary ride, which it passed with admirable composure. Rolling over thin metal strips saw the Neo cushion away the impact instead of reacting with a bounce or shimmy. We’ll never know how it feels like on a poorly surfaced B-road with these examples, but I’m betting it’ll cope well.

Doing the slaloms at 70 km/h revealed a slightly different character from our limited Lotus Racing Neo experience (never got to drive it on public roads). While the green car gave hints that it likes to dance around the cones, rear end edging out a little, the R3 Neo felt less active at the back. More like a normal road car, in other words, albeit a grippy one that corners very flat. Turn in is sharp, and steering feel is good. Can’t wait to drive it on the road.
We did some braking tests as well, and while this car doesn’t have the stupendous stopping power of the LR Neo’s AP Racing brakes, it’s more than good enough, and there wasn’t any fade although I wasn’t the first to do the test. The LR edition is probably the most over braked car in the world, so we’re just reverting to the real world – no big loss.