Saham Amanah Sabah Announces 5 Per Cent Income Distribution

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman announced Monday an income distribution of five per cent or five sen per unit for Saham Amanah Sabah (SAS) for 2009.

The total payout amounted to RM63.8 million based on the total of 1.276 billion units held by unitholders as at Dec 15, 2009, he told reporters after meeting the SAS board of directors at his office here.

Describing it as a positive achievement compared to last year when there was no income distribution, Musa said the main reason which enabled the payout was the good performance of Bursa Malaysia.

"The FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index hit a high of 1,279.95 points on Nov 17, 2009, which was up by 46 per cent compared to 879.75 points on Dec 31, 2008," he said.

Musa said the income distribution would be paid to 54,122 investors comprising 45,840 (84.7 per cent) individuals, 7,407 (13.7 per cent) holders under the Hardcore Poor Scheme, 827 (1.53 per cent) through bank loans and 48 (0.09 per cent) from the corporate sector.

He said this was the 10th time that income distribution was paid since SAS started 15 years ago, with the last payment of four per cent made in 2007.

Earlier, Musa said up to Dec 15, 2009, SAS had recorded a gross income of RM77.26 million, with the gains coming from the share market (85.29 per cent), income from dividends (10.6 per cent) and financial market (4.11 per cent).

Merry Christmas 聖誕禮物 2

Merry Christmas 聖誕禮物 1

PNB May Extend Deadline For Subscribing AS1M Units

Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) may extend the period for subscribing the Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (AS1M) share trust units which has a December 31 deadline.

PNB Group Chief Executive and President, Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman, said the extension might be given as the allocated quota of units given according to the communities have not been taken up.

So far, 82 per cent of the quota given to the Chinese community has been subscribed, while another 20 per cent quota for Indian investors have been bought, and the units for Bumiputera meanwhile are largely still left.

Hamad Kama Piah said this when asked to comment on the latest development in the subscription of AS1M units, here Wednesday.

AS1M, a fixed price fund with a size of RM10 billion units, was launched on July 31 this year by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

It was opened to all Malaysians with an allocation of 50 per cent for Bumiputera, 30 per cent for the Chinese community, 15 per cent for the Indian community and five per cent for others.

Todate, a total of 2.96 billion units of the AS1M have been subscribed by 235,032 investors.

On the proposed multi-development project around the Stadium Negara and Stadium Merdeka, Hamad Kama Piah said the group was in the final stages of making a decision on the project.

PNB Announces 5.2 Sen Per Unit Income Distribution For ASN

Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), today announced a 5.2 sen per unit income distribution for Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN) for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2009.

The income distribution will involve RM81.52 million in total payout as against RM79.9 million in financial year 2008.

PNB chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said the payout was expected to benefit 1.19 million unitholders who had invested in over 1.57 billion ASN shares.

Ahmad Sarji said based on the net asset value (NAV) of RM0.7586 per unit as on Dec 22, 2009, the yield derived from the 5.2 per unit income distribution was 7.36 per cent while the returns was 25.75 per cent.

"Therefore, based on the increase in NAV of the ASN from RM0.5619 per unit on Dec 31, 2008, to RM0.7586 per unit on Dec 22, 2009, the total returns recorded by ASN was 35.01 per cent," he said at a media briefing here.

Ahmad Sarji said as at Dec 22, 2009, ASN had recorded a gross income of RM87.91 million.

Of the amount, the sale of shares contributed RM55.46 million or 63.09 per cent, followed by dividend income from invested companies at RM23.75 million or 27.02 per cent.

In addition, income from short-term investments contributed RM8.70 million or 9.89 per cent, he said.

Ahmad Sarji said all transactions for ASN would be suspended from today until Jan 3, 2010, for the calculation of income distribution.

He said unitholders could update their accounts at the offices of ASNB or its agents nationwide from Jan 4, 2010.

ASN is a growth fund launched on April 20, 1981. Its aim is to generate a reasonable level of income distribution and capital appreciation through a diversified portfolio of investments.

Credit card tax for existing users to start on anniversary date

KUALA LUMPUR: Applicants issued with new cre­dit and charge cards next year will have to pay the RM50 service tax upfront.

For existing card holders, the charge will be im­­posed on the anniversary date of cards.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, who confirmed this with The Star yesterday, said the Government would impose the service tax for credit and charge cards from next year.

“Existing cardholders will only be charged the ser­vice tax through their issuing banks upon the aniversary date of the card.

“For example, if the card’s anniversary date is in January, then you pay the tax in January. But if the date is in April, then you only pay the tax in April,” he added.

The minister’s clarification puts to rest nagging doubts among the millions of credit card holders in the country who have been raising queries since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak an­­nounced the new tax when he unveiled Budget 2010 in October.

Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, had said that a RM50 service tax for principal credit and charge cards and a RM25 for supplementary cards would be imposed from January.

This has led to card holders asking if the charges will be imposed from Jan 1 or on the anniversary dates of the cards, which are usually issued for a three-year period.

Those holding a string of cards were most eager to know before deciding to cancel some of their ac­­counts.

A check with the customer service departments of several commercial banks showed that they had yet to receive any definite confirmation.

Some banks said they were still awaiting for a directive from Bank Negara, while others think the tax would be imposed on the anniversary dates.

A third group of banks has also offered to absorb the tax for the cardholders, on condition a certain amount of money was spent within a certain timeframe.

Cardholder Y.L. Sim, who called up the bank to cancel his credit card, said the bank advised him “not to be hasty.”

“The officer said that they had yet to receive a formal directive from Bank Negara (on when to impose the tax). But I was worried as the New Year was nearing,” he said.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung, when contacted, advised cardholders to plan accordingly, saying holding two credit cards was enough.

““Even I intend to hold only two credit cards,” he added.

He urged those who had large outstanding credit card debts to stop using the cards and meet the issuing banks to work out a repayment mechanism.

There are some 11 million credit cards circulating in the country.

Malaysia On Track To Achieve RM20 Billion Targeted FDI

Malaysia is still on track to achieve a targeted RM20 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) this year despite the global economic downturn, said Deputy International Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.

He said the country had shown a positive economic climate with a total FDI of RM12.6 billion having been collected until the third quarter of this year.

"The FDI figure is encouraging as we must take into consideration that Malaysia is no longer the main country for foreign investors, given the emergence of new competing countries, such as Vietnam," he said.

Mukhriz was speaking to reporters after launching a forum on "Generating Technopreneurs In The Era of New Economic Model and Liberalisation", involving 200 Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) students at the university's campus here on Saturday.

He said that the country was still attracting FDI, especially in the electrical and electronic, as well as chemical industries.

He also said the government was focusing on attracting quality FDI from industries that were capital intensive and of high technology with high value-added.

According to Mukhriz, apart from the potential foreign investors, incentives are also being offered to existing foreign companies in Malaysia to prevent them from taking their businesses elsewhere.

On another matter, he said the country had to achieve an annual six per cent economic growth to realise its vision of becoming a developed nation in 2020.

"Hence, the dire need for quality FDI," he added.

On the recent meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and local industry players, Mukhriz said that local companies must also be given priority, in order to prosper.

"The local players felt that they also need to be given the same incentives as foreigners, such as tax cuts," he disclosed.

Toll Discount During Christmas Holiday

Plus Expressways Berhad (PLUS) is giving an additional of almost 20 per cent discount on toll rates for Class 1 vehicles exiting from the North-South Expressway and the ELITE Expressway between midnight and 7am from Dec 22 until 30 in conjunction with the Christmas celebration.

PLUS managing director Norizah Abd Hamid said the additional discount would be on top of the existing 10 per cent discount for Class 1 vehicles using both the highways outside peak hours.

The discounts were part of the incentives aimed at distributing traffic flow outside peak hours to give highway users a more comfortable and smoother trip, she said in a statement here on Sunday.

For Class 1 vehicles from the Sungai Besi toll plaza (Kuala Lumpur) to Skudai (Johor), the motorist will only pay RM33.60 if they exit from the highway between midnight and 7am on the days concerned, compared with RM41.30 on normal days.

PNB Unit Trust Investors Can't Name Beneficiaries

Investors in unit trusts managed by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) cannot name their beneficiaries as regulations stipulated by Malaysia's Securities Commission does not allow the naming of beneficiaries.

"We are now finding ways of meeting the investors' wishes without going against the regulations set by Malaysia's Securities Commission," said chief executive officer of the PNB Group, Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman.

He said this when asked by reporters after launching the Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (AS1M) Promotion at the state level, here on Wednesday.

During the question-and-answer session with the public during the launch, Hamad was asked whether investors in unit trusts managed by PNB could name their beneficiaries as what was done by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Tabung Haji.

He said when the deceased left shares worth RM600,000 or less, the beneficiaries could apply for the division of his estate under the Small Estates (Distribution) Act 1955 at the Land Administrator's Office.

If the amount was higher, the beneficiaries could apply for the distribution of the estate at the Estate Administrator's Office, the High Court or the Public Trustee.

ASNB Declares Dividend Of 8.55Sen Per Unit For ASB

Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), has announced an income distribution of 7.30 sen per unit and a bonus of 1.25 sen per unit for Skim Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB), for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2009.

Last year, the government-owned fund manager declared an income distribution of 7.0 sen per unit and a bonus of 1.75 sen per unit.

Announcing the dividend and bonus for ASB on Monday, PNB chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said the income distribution would involve a total payout of RM4.95 billion by ASNB, an increase of 19.56 per cent from the RM4.14 billion paid out in 2008.

The bonus portion, meanwhile, would involve a total payout of RM537.65 million by PNB.

The payment will benefit 6.78 million unit holders who currently hold more than 70 billion ASB units.

"Although the total numbers (dividend and bonus) looks lower this year at 8.55 sen per unit from 8.75 sen per unit last year, but in terms of total amount that we are paying out, it is higher at RM5.48 billion from RM4.79 billion last year," said PNB group chief executive and president Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman.

Hamad Kama Piah said PNB was in a strong position and would make sure of continued dividend payouts.

"Based on our fund reserve, our capacity is more than 11 sen per unit but we are just paying 7.30 sen per unit and bringing forward the balance of 3.70 sen for 2010.

"This is a long term fund and we want to make sure that we are able to use the money to buy more shares and do more investment because at the end of the day, we still have to pay again," he added.

ASB recorded a gross income of RM5.46 billion up to Dec 10, an increase of 3.4 per cent from RM5.28 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Dividend income from investee companies contributed RM1.48 billion, or 27 per cent of the gross income.

Profit from the sale of shares contributed RM3.67 billion, or 67 per cent, while the remaining RM309 million or 6.0 per cent came from investments in short-term instruments and other investments.

The income distribution and bonus will be automatically credited into the unit holders' accounts.

All transactions for ASB will be suspended from Dec 21 until January 3 to enable the calculation of income distribution and bonus. Unit holders will be able to update their accounts from January 4.

ASB is a fixed price equity income fund, opened for Bumiputera aged 12 years and above. It is aimed at generating long term, consistent and competitive returns to the unit holders.

Wake up call‏

Perhaps, like me, you will discover that friends and relatives around you are getting fewer and fewer. We used to have tight schedules for all sorts of new year gatherings in the past, but things seem to quiet down a lot this year.

Even on a normal day phone calls are getting rarer, and not too many people for us to meet nowadays. Perhaps everyone is engrossed with his own stuff, or perhaps people are beginning to adopt “homeward” lifestyle and avoid unnecessary trips.

Not so!

Many of my old friends and relatives are no longer around. Don’t get me wrong, they are still very much alive and kicking, only they have chosen to leave this land.

John has set up a factory in mainland China; Peter has quit his rewarding engineering job to run a small food stall in Australia; Robert quits local university to lecture in Hong Kong; Dave is in Taiwan to explore his career while some others have gone to the States, UK, and... oh yes, Indonesia.

I used to think this is just an isolated case. I slowly discover that such thing happens to other people around me as well. This is not an isolated case, but a widespread social phenomenon.
It involves not just a handful of people, but quite a multitude of them.

Some recent statistics disclosed by the foreign ministry have testified the fact that this phenomenon has been very real and close. From last March to this September, around 300,000 Malaysians looked for greener pastures beyond our shores, two thirds of them did so in the first eight months of this year alone.

The cumulative number of emigrating Malaysians has now exceeded two million, close to the number of Indonesian workers in this country.

The different thing is: those who have left the country are mostly middle-class professionals.
They are have a host of reasons to stay away from this country: to pursue further career advancements, to seek brighter future for their kids, to enjoy more freedom... In short, they have all grown disappointed with Malaysia.

50 years ago, everyone said Malaysia was the best, even better than Hong Kong and Japan.
30 years ago, they said Malaysia was not that bad, at least we were as good as Korea and Taiwan (Hong Kong and Japan were no longer mentioned by them).
20 years ago, they said Malaysia was still quite okay, at least we were better than China and Thailand (Taiwan and Korea were no longer in the same league).
10 years ago, they said Malaysia could never be like Vietnam or Indonesia, no matter how terrible it was (China was not in the same category any more).
Today, Vietnam and Indonesia have far outpaced Malaysia in economic development, the gap is fast closing in.

What to worry? We still have Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar!

An economist who recently visited the Philippines said Malaysia could overtake her neighbour as the prime exporter of domestic maids in 20 years’ time.

Over the past half a century, Malaysia has been locking itself inside a huge courtyard house, distributing its wealth in antiquated ways and exhausting its rich social resources, forcing its best talents to look elsewhere. The country shuns competitiveness, ignores productivity and abhors meritocracy.

When the regional financial crisis struck, we locked ourselves in and escaped the massive destruction. Some people have taken delight in that, thinking we were geniuses.

But when other countries walked out of the crisis, they implemented substantial reforms and made bold advances ahead while our country stays largely stagnant.

It’s time to wake up, Malaysia.

FROM: mysinchew.com

EPF Records RM1.97 Billion Retirement Withdrawals In Third Quarter Of 2009

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Some RM1.97 billion has been withdrawn under the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Retirement Withdrawals in the third quarter of 2009 (Q3 2009), an increase from the RM1.64 billion withdrawn in the corresponding period last year.

Of the RM1.97 billion, RM1.41 billion was withdrawn as Lump Sum Age 55 Withdrawal, up 14.2 percent from that in Q3 2008, EPF said in a statement on its unaudited results today.

EPF Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Azlan Zainol said the remaining RM557.05 million was withdrawn under the Flexible Age 55 Withdrawal, up 38.05 percent from the RM403.51 million last year.

"Increasing member interest in Flexible Age 55 Withdrawals underscores their confidence in the EPF in earning dividends for their savings. The flexibility of the withdrawal provides members the benefit of managing their nest egg more effectively.

"Nonetheless, 72 percent of retirement withdrawals still consist of lump sum withdrawals. We hope to see this amount decrease over time as more members become increasingly aware that lump sum withdrawal will likely lead to income inadequacy during retirement."

Azlan said members had exercised greater prudence and care in making withdrawals for housing as showed by a more cautious behaviour due to the present economic conditions.

"With many buyers adopting a 'wait and see' attitude, approved applications for housing withdrawals in Q3 2009 dropped 20.18 percent to 86,664 compared to the 108,573 applications last year," he added.

RM50 credit card service tax should not be a ‘plastic hungry’ move

THE debate over the RM50 credit card service tax rages on even as the banking sector is urging the Government to reconsider the industry’s proposal to exclude corporate cards and impose the tax on per customer instead of per card basis.

Corporate cards are used for ease of transactions and cashflow management; executives have less forms to fill and in this context, it is a step towards improving productivity.

“If the objective of imposing the service tax is to prevent individuals from misusing credit, why are cards used by corporates also taxed? That will not only increase the cost of doing business but also send a potentially wrong message that companies can get penalised for being efficient,’’ Citibank Malaysia CEO Sanjeev Nanavati said in response to queries from StarBiz.

“This is not a small, localised issue,’’ he added. “People are going to view this as one of the implications of doing business in Malaysia.’’

Imposing service tax on per card basis is also a wrong move as spending power should not be gauged by the number of plastics held but on the total amount of credit available.

“A lot of people spend prudently and have multiple cards for the value they see in them,’’ said Sanjeev. “Taxing them on each card they hold has the effect of taking away some of the value they are receiving from these cards. Furthermore, banks impose a credit limit across multiple cards. So having more cards with the same bank does not mean you can spend more.’’

There is no serious personal debt problem in Malaysia and hence, no urgent need to clamp down on the usage of the cards. In a truly cashless society, people use cards as a matter of convenience and that could be for small amounts.

Those who had spent many hours devising ways to encourage cashless transactions must be scratching their heads at this “brilliant’’ move to tap into their success in generating the volume and usage of cards.

In the name of consolidation, the Government’s move to slap a RM50 service tax is viewed as a step backwards and too high an amount despite top officials’ assertion that it is “no big deal.’’

A RM10 or RM20 tax would be more palatable while passing on the message of prudence.

Even though the budget announcement says the tax is effective from Jan 1 next year, it may not necessarily mean that it is collected all at once.

A better time would be when the card comes up for annual review, which may be a few years from the expiry. Banks do their internal reviews annually when they decide on the card fees to be charged or waived for the following year of usage.

By stretching that period till December next year, banks may get to retain their card users a bit longer although a 20%-30% cancellation rate is expected.

With just a month towards Jan 1, there is not much time for card users to arrange for cancellations especially when they have to wait for their latest statements to make the last payments.

A decision must be announced soon on what is really going to happen.

l Senior business editor Yap Leng Kuen hears rumblings even among foreigners on the card service tax and how it appears contrary to the Government’s aim to increase private consumption. As a rule of thumb, industry consultation is always advisable for smooth and targeted implementation of any measures.

Vehicle Sales Rise 22.87 Pct In Oct

Total vehicle sales in October 2009 rose by 22.87 per cent to 46,092 units as compared with the same month last year but the year-to-date market registered a 5.07 per cent contraction.

In October last year, the total vehicle sales was 37,512 units.

The sales up to October this year was 443,711 units versus the 467,425 units sold in the first ten months of 2008, said the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) in a statement Wednesday.

Of the total October sales, 41,520 units were passenger vehicles and the remaining 4,572 commercial vehicles, the MAA highlighted.

Production in October this year also increased by 4.13 per cent to 48,191 units from 46,281 units in October 2008 while year-to-date production declined by 10.07 per cent to 404,681 units from 449,988 units last year.

Of the total vehicles produced in October this year, 43,561 units were passenger and the remaining 4,630 units, commercial vehicles.

The MAA said sales volume for this month is expected to recover further amid a continuous favourable market and consumer sentiment, as well as year-end sales campaigns.

Beauty 5

Beauty 4

Beauty 3

Beauty 2

Beauty 1

Why Parents Are Always STRESSED!!!!! 2

Why Parents Are Always STRESSED!!!!! 1

No of H1N1 vaccines ordered by Malaysia

MALAYSIA (ordered 400k doses receving nxt yr for population of 28mil)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will receive 78,000 doses of the of the 400,000 doses of anti-H1N1 vaccine ordered from Britain for frontliners in healthcare and high-risk group end of this month, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Monday.
The balance vaccine would be received by January next year, he added.

He said although the spread of the disease in the country was still under control, the situation should not be taken lightly with the United States President, Barack Obama, having declared H1N1 a national emergency in the America two days ago.
Liow said Malaysia should be prepared to face the possibility of a second wave of the H1N1, expected end of this year.

"Of course the number of H1N1 patients warded in ICU is decreasing and the death caused by the pandemic is still at 77, but this is not the end, we have to be more cautious and alert to face a second wave of H1N1 which is expected at the end of this year," he told reporters after opening a seminar on "Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases" at Selayang Hospital.

He also said the spread of the virus was still active in the country and advised the public to take the necessary precautions. - Bernama

No of H1N1 vaccines ordered by Singapore

Singapore (ordered 1mil doses for population of 5mil by yr end)
H1N1 vaccine rolled out to public and private clinics in Singapore
By Claire Huang, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 03 November 2009 1833 hrs


Photos 1 of 1







SINGAPORE : Those who want to get vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus can do so within the next few days.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) rolled out some 50,000 doses of the vaccine to all 18 polyclinics as well as 440 family doctors on Tuesday. The 440 are part of the 600 Pandemic Preparedness Clinics in Singapore.

This comes six weeks after Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced that the ministry managed to secure some one million doses of the vaccine.

The first batch of 250,000 doses arrived in Singapore last week, and it took a few days before the ministry received clearance from the vaccine's manufacturer to release the batch of vaccine after it was certified to have undergone proper handling standards.

DaySpring Medical Clinic in Pasir Ris was one of the first to get the vaccine on Tuesday noon, and is offering the vaccine for S$30.

"We've made a total order of 1,500 doses of the H1N1 vaccine, of which, 1,100 have had patients register an interest. Of these, 600 are for two community projects to be rolled out in the coming month and the remaining 500 will be for either companies that have indicated interest in us, or walk-in patients," said Dr Eric Chiam, medical director of DaySpring Medical Clinic.

The clinic will be calling patients who have registered to get the vaccine in the past few weeks.

In the meantime, Dr Chiam is getting his frontline staff vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. Each dose of the vaccine is expected to give the average person a year's immunity against the virus.

Health Minister Khaw said in his blog on Monday that the first batch of 200,000 doses is sufficient to meet demand.

Of these, about 110,000 doses will be taken up by general practitioners as well as clinics. Another 80,000 doses will be set aside to vaccinate the first batch of frontline staff.

The MOH said another batch of 160,000 doses of the vaccine is expected to arrive within this month.

All one million doses that the ministry ordered will be delivered by the end of the year. This is in line with the ministry's stand that there should be enough vaccines to go around for now. - CNA /ls

USER OF MALAYSIA'S NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY - beware of 3rd lane

North-south highway 3rd lanes









I am a frequent user of our North-South Expressway and I have this IMPORTANT experience to highlight and share:-

I was driving back to Penang yesterday afternoon ( 24 June 08 ) when I saw the unfortunate accident in the opposite direction involving the passenger bus that skidded and overturned at Tanjung Malim. I didn't know that the skidded bus was from hometown Penang until I watched TV3 news later in the evening and was shocked to learn that the accident took two lives..

Now, this is what I need to share:-

I am a building contractor with over twenty years of experience and I have been driving my 5 series BMW (latest generation and a dammed solid road-holding car) each time I travelled to KL. Lately, the new extended 3 lanes highway had been opened up for use and since then, I have also been using it quite often.

HOWEVER, when I used it each time it is WET, I can really 'feel' that the new road surface is extremely SLIPPERY! To share with some of you, my car comes with a built-in traction control mechanism ( skidding prevention mechanism ) and you can feel it each time it is activated. Previously, I don't come across this kind of slippery feel except when I drive over a paddle of water at certain speed.

From my observation as a building contractor, the 'wearing course' of the new road surface could be TOO FINE OR TOO SMOOTH and TOTALLY UNSUITABLE for highway use!

The wearing course ( top premix layer ) mix design for highways should be of minimum 20mm coarse aggregate mix that will give us the required bond between the surface and our tyres. Fine wearing course ( 14mm coarse aggregate size and below ) is only suitable for normal road. ( A proper test need to be carried out to determine the mix design of the wearing course ).

Since the opening of the three lanes highway, I had seen cars skidding in front me or in the opposite direction and approximately 2 weeks ago, one of my friends who is also a frequent user of our NSE, came to share with me about his slippery feeling as well as the many skidded cars he had seen lately.

I am highlighting this to TV3 and The Star with the hope that a thorough investigation could be carried out immediately to find out how or what causes the bus to skid. A proper and independent test need to be carried out urgently to determine the design mix of the wearing course. THIS CAN SAVE LIVES.




IF YOU ARE USING THE NEW LANES AND IF IT IS WET, MAKE SURE YOU DRIVE SLOWLY!!!!