Ringgit Insider

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Thu, 11 May 2017 12:53:00 +0800

Ringgit Insider Reborn

Penulis akan memulakan kembali penulisan dalam blog ini, dengan

memfokuskan perihal kewangan terutamanya pasaran modal bursa Malaysia

Stay tune :D

Largest Bank in South East Asia

noreply@blogger.com (MR S) — Mon, 3 Oct 2011 21:58:00 +0800

What is the largest bank in ASEAN in term of total asset? here is top 8 largest bank in the region....

1. DBS Group (Singapore)= $237Billion

2. OCBC (Singapore)= $197Billion

3. UOB (Singapore)= $178Billion

4. Maybank (Malaysia)= $126Billion

5. CIMB (Malaysia)= $90Billion

6. Public Bank (Malaysia)= $76Billion

7. Bangkok Bank (Thailand)= $66Billion

8. Bank Madiri (Indonesia)= $50Billion

TOP 10 Biggest Oil Reserves

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 01:06:00 +0800

1. Saudi Arabia

264.6 billion barrel

2. Canada

175.2 billion barrel

3. Iran

137.6 billion barrel

4. Iraq

115.0 billion barrel

5. Kuwait

104.0 billion barrel

6. UAE

97.8 billion barrel

7. Venuzuela

97.77 billion barrel

8. Russia

74.2 billion barrel

9. Libya

47.0 billion barrel

10. Nigeria

37.5 billion barrel

My beloved country Malaysia stand at no 32.

32. Malaysia

2.9 billion barrel

source: the world factbook, CIA

PROTON SAGA FLX vs MyVI DOWNPAYMENT AND MONTHLY INSTALLMENTS

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:02:00 +0800

PROTON SAGA FLX

Model : Executive Continuosly Variable Transsmission Metallic

OTR Price : RM 44,998.00

Downpayment 10% : RM 4500

Interest rate : 4%

Duration : 9 years

Monthly commitments : RM 504.31

PERODUA MyVI

Model : Myvi EZi Premium -1300cc Automatic

OTR Price : RM 50,400.00

Downpayment 10% : RM 5000

Interest rate : 4%

Duration : 9 years

Monthly commitments : RM 571.70

US Debt Crises

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Fri, 5 Aug 2011 19:15:00 +0800

Are we going to another recession..?

Last night (4 August 2011) Dow Jones drop 4.3% followed by massive equity sell down all over the world.

today KLSE drop 1.45% and STI drop around 3%

World markets have continued to drop amid fears that debt crises in Europe and the United States may provoke a new global financial crisis.

Investor confidence has been shattered by news that the United States may be heading toward another recession, and that the European Union may be forced to bail out the failing economies in Italy and Spain.

Officials in Asia have now called for greater coordination worldwide to prevent the U.S. and European crises from sinking the global economy.

Japan's Economy Minister Kaoru Yosano said it was critical for economic policymakers to work together. "The entire world is connected through finance, so what happens in New York or London doesn't just happen there," Yosano said. "So it is important that we keep all financial markets in mind.”

How To Buy a Property Through a Real Estate Agent

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:25:00 +0800

Garden@one south, Seri Kembangan, Selangor
RM 380k - RM 580k

STEP 1:

Call an agent and specify the type of property you are looking for (condominium, semi detached house etc), the preferred location (near town, near hospital etc) and most importantly your budget.

STEP 2:

The agent narrows down the choices of properties in his portfolio and arranges viewings for you.

STEP 3:

You offer what you think the property is worth on the current market. (Depending on how fast you and the seller come to agreement, the process can be short as an hour or as long as several weeks.

The Greens, Tmn Tun DR. Ismail

STEP 4:

When the amount is agreed upon, the earnest deposit of 3% (of purchase price) is paid to the agent.

STEP 5:

Engage a lawyer to draw up the sale and purchase agreement (S&P). You have 14 days to sign the S&P, upon which the remaining 7% of downpayment has to be paid.

STEP 6:

You may then want to get a bank loan, which take about a month to complete

STEP 7:

The transfer of title takes place. With a freehold property, it takes about three months from the signing of S&P. For a leasehold unit, it takes 6 month to a year.

Suria Hill, Klebang Impian, Ipoh Perak
(RM 330k - RM 600k)

Article source: THE EDGE Personal Money, July 2011

Image hosted at : iproperty

TOP 10 World's Most Expensive City

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:19:00 +0800

1. Tokyo, Japan

Quick lunch : USD 20.80

1 Kg Rice : USD 9.80

Movie Ticket : USD 23.80

2. Oslo, Norway

Quick lunch : USD 45.20

1 Kg Rice : USD 6.10

Movie Ticket : USD 18.80

3. Nagoya, Japan

Quick lunch : USD 19.00

1 Kg Rice : USD 8.50

Movie Ticket : USD 21.80

4. Stavanger, Norway

Quick lunch : USD 32.30

1 Kg Rice : USD 5.70

Movie Ticket : USD 17.30

5. Yokohama, Japan

Quick lunch : USD 16.90

1 Kg Rice : USD 4.20

Movie Ticket : USD 21.70

6. Zurich, Switzerland

Quick lunch : USD 32.90

1 Kg Rice : USD 3.70

Movie Ticket : USD 19.60

7. Luanda, Angola

Quick lunch : USD 52.40

1 Kg Rice : USD 4.60

Movie Ticket : USD 13.90

8. Geneva, Switzerland

Quick lunch : USD 33.70

1 Kg Rice : USD 4.70

Movie Ticket : USD 19.20

9. Kobe, Japan

Quick lunch : USD 15.60

1 Kg Rice : USD 9.30

Movie Ticket : USD 20.80

10. Bern, Switzerland

Quick lunch : USD 28.80

1 Kg Rice : USD 4.70

Movie Ticket : USD 19.10

as today 20th of July 2011, USD 1 = RM 3.01

Data Source: The Edge Malaysia

Image source: google image

Incoming IPO August 2011

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:46:00 +0800

Kan Sam Foods Berhad

Business Description:

Kan Sam Foods Berhad, through its subsidiary, JB Cocoa Sdn Bhd, engages in the production and sale cocoa ingredients in Malaysia. It offers cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa cake, and cocoa powder to food, beverage, and confectionary manufacturers. The company sells its products under JBCocoa brand name through distributors and trade houses, as well as exports to 50 countries worldwide. Kan Sam Foods Berhad is headquartered in Gelang Patah, Malaysia.

MSHK Corporation Berhad

Business Description:

MSHK Corporation Berhad, through its subsidiaries, engages in the fabrication and maintenance of palm oil milling plant and machinery. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Pusing, Malaysia.

Pasukhas Group Berhad

Business Description:

Pasukhas Group Berhad, a mechanical and electrical engineering services company, provides design, system integration, fabrication, installation, testing, and commissioning of electrical and mechanical works for water treatment and sewerage industry, palm oil and sugar mills and refineries, and factories in the oil and gas and chemical industries. It also manufactures and distributes low voltage (LV) switchboards, including sub-switchboards and distribution boards, generator switchboards and auto mains failure panels, motor control centers and soft starters/VFD panels, auto and manual synchronizing panels, PLC panels and customized mimic panels, and outdoor feeder pillars in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, China, and Jamaica. In addition, the company trades in distribution and power transformers in Malaysia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Eritrea, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan, South Africa, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, and Fiji Islands; and provides procurement, installation, and testing and commissioning of high voltage systems, power and distribution transformers, generator systems, LV systems, and extra low voltage systems. It serves automotive, steel and aluminum, textiles, power generation, packaging, converting, pulp and paper, and furnaces industries. The company was founded in 1985 and is based in Seri Kembangan, Malaysia.

EITA Resources Berhad

Business Description :

EITA Resources Berhad, through its subsidiaries, engages in the design and manufacturing of elevator systems, busduct systems and metal stampings, and electrical and electronic components and equipment. Its elevator system includes elevators, travellators, escalators, lifts (passenger, goods/cargo, service, and handicap lifts), and dumb waiters; and electrical and electronic components and equipment comprise centralized dimming system, ballast for lighting systems, ignitors for lighting systems, information technology racking; and electrical distribution boxes. The company also involves in the marketing and distribution of various electrical and electronic components and equipment, including power distribution equipment, control equipment, and extra low voltage equipment. In addition, it provides maintenance services for the elevators, travellators, escalators, lifts, and dumb waiters; and implements security system solutions, such as physical security systems incorporating closed-circuit television systems and card access systems, apartment intercom systems, building SMATV systems and master antenna television systems, guest room control systems, and electrical systems. The company operates in Malaysia and internationally. EITA Resources Berhad was incorporated in 1996 and is based in Subang Jaya, Malaysia.

TOP 10: The World’s Strongest Banks

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:31:00 +0800

The Bloomberg Markets magazine has published the list of The World’s Strongest Banks.Singapore-based Overseas-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) was ranked the world’s strongest bank based on its performance for the 2010 fiscal year. Here top 10 World’s Strongest Banks

The World’s Strongest Banks

1. Overseas-Chinese Banking (Singapore)

2. Svenska Handelsbanken (Sweden)

3. National Bank of Canada

4. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

5. DBS Group Holdings (Singapore)

6. United overseas Bank (Singapore)

7. Fifth Third Bancorp (U.S.)

8. Banco Bradesco (Brazil)

9. UBS (Switzerland)

10. BOC Hong Kong (Holdings)

CIMB Second Largest Bank in Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Sat, 9 Jul 2011 00:27:00 +0800

cimb bank logo

CIMB GROUP

Total Assets : RM 273.3 Billion

Total Shareholders’ Funds : Rm 23.5 Billion

Total Funds Under Management : RM 32.2 billion

Net Profit (1Q11) : RM 917 million

Earning Per Share (1Q11) : 12.3 sen

Staff strength : Over 38000

Global Markets

Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, UK, USA, Brunei, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bahrain, Cambodia, India.

Figures as 31^st March 2011

source : cimb official website

Aidil Zafuan Goal - One of the BEST in the WORLD

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Tue, 5 Jul 2011 11:18:00 +0800

Superb goal from aidil zafuan from MALAYSIA. 101greatgoals qualify this goal as one of the best in the world and got some comment from overseas that Arsene Wenger should try to scot this superb player...lol..

Guys, please vote for this amazing goal, at this link

Now this goal seat at no 7, please vote n spread this info,

Cheers :p

Enjoy this amazing video..

p/s : hot stuff - MALAYSIA on Cardiff City FC Official Jersey

Sugar, sugarbabe, or sugardaddy

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Mon, 4 Jul 2011 11:15:00 +0800

Coarse and fine sugar now cost RM 2.30 a kilo after 20 sen increase last May. According to news report Malaysians consumed about 1.4 million tons of sugar last year, and demand has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 3.4% over last 10 years.

Malaysia ingest more sugar than its neighbours at an average per capita consumption of 50Kg; Thailand come second with 40Kg while Indonesia, India and Philippines trail with 20Kg.

With the price increase, consumption may be lowered, and that is good for our health.

Professor Lustig from the University of California says sugar consumed quickly in large quantities is the primary reason behind the high number of obese and diabetic person. In addition, high sugar consumption also related to heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers.

How much sugar in our food?

Sugarbaby or Sugardaddy in Malaysia

Btw recent ipo related to sugar is MSM ipo.. maybe because sugar is very very very important staple in Malaysia... its jump to North pole during listing... 37.9% increase, or 43% increase for retail investor... not bad huh...? hahaha

somebody told me, MSM name is not so suitable, better replace by Sugarbabe or sugardaddy. Very hot n sweet IPO n now already touch RM 5.12

IPO PRICE :

RM 3.38 -retail investor

RM 3.50 -Institutional Investor

as today 4July 11am, last done price is RM 5.12

BUMI ARMADA IPO vs Hibiscus Petroleum IPO

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:06:00 +0800

BUMI ARMADA IPO

Bumi Armada Bhd, Malaysia’s largest supplier of vessels for the oil and gas industry, said it secured cornerstone investors for its initial public offering in Kuala Lumpur.
Institutional investors Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Bhd, Permodalan Nasional Bhd, HwangDBS Investment Management Bhd and Prudential Fund Management Bhd will own a combined 10.2 per cent of the company’s shares, Bumi Armada said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

Offshore oil and gas services provider, Bumi Armada Bhd, which aims to raise RM2.029 billion from its initial public offering (IPO), has an order book of RM5.8 billion as at June 1, 2011.

source: Business Times

Hibiscus Petroleum IPO

Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd will utilise its initial public offering (IPO) proceeds of between RM150 million and RM300 million to acquire stakes in one to three oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) companies.

"We intend to only venture into E&P opportunities, from low to moderate risk onshore opportunities and low risk shallow water offshore opportunities that have high upside potential," said Managing Director Dr Kenneth Pereira after launching the company's IPO prospectus here today.

Hibiscus Petroleum, the first special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) to be listed on Bursa Malaysia, is scheduled for listing on the Main Market on July 25.
Source : Business Times

my comment:

already splash cash on old town ipo....need to withdraw money from SP SETIA..hahaha..

BUMI ARMADA, here i come....

BUMI ARMADA IPO Results

PUBLIC ALLOTMENT

BUMIPUTERA ALLOTMENT

Hibiscus Petroleum IPO balloting results

BUMI ALLOTMENT

PUBLIC ALLOTMENT

p/s : how to apply IPO via online? n wanna know recent IPO performance? click HERE

p/s: Incoming IPO August 2011

MyVi vs Honda City Downpayment and Monthly Installment

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:54:00 +0800

Perodua Myvi EZ 1300cc

On the road price for a brand new automatic, solid perodua Myvi EZ 1300cc (in Peninsular Malaysia) is RM 46900. A 20% downpayment of RM 9380 and seven year hire purchase loan with an interest rate of 4%, translate into monthly repayments of RM 571.

Model : Perodua Myvi EZ 1300cc (for peninsular Malaysia)

On the road price : RM 46900

Downpayment : RM 9380 (20%)

Period : 7 years

Monthly commitments : RM 571

Perodua Myvi EZ 1300cc - second hand

A cheaper option is a four year old second hand model, which cost about RM 35000, or RM 445 a month (assuming a 20% down payment and interest rate 4.5 %)

Model : Perodua Myvi EZ 1300cc (second hand)

On the road price : RM 35000

Downpayment : RM 7000 (20%)

Period : 7 years

Monthly commitments : RM 445

Honda City (E class)

A Honda City is the dream car for those who are in their 20s and 30s. The grade E model on the road price RM 90, 480. A downpayment of 20% and hire purchase loan of seven years at 4% translate into monthly commitments of RM 1102.99.

Model : Honda City

On the road price : RM 90,480

Downpayment : RM 18,096 (20%)

Period : 7 years

Monthly commitments : RM 1,102.99

Official Cardiff City Jersey 2011/2012

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:40:00 +0800

Malaysia Boleh !!!

p/s : Credit to Tan Sri Vincent Tan..''man with the money'' behind Cardiff City :P

AIR ASIA vs MAS

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:55:00 +0800

Malaysia Airline System Berhad (MAS)

Trademark:
Malaysian Hospitality

Subsidaries:

Firefly
MASwings
MAScargo

Fleet size

82 + (56 orders)

Air Asia

Trademark :
Now Everyone Can Fly

Subsidaries :

Thai AirAsia
Indonesia AirAsia
VietJet AirAsia
AirAsia Philippines
AirAsia RedTix

Fleet size:
103 + (121 orders)

Statistics:

How to apply IPO via online?

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:13:00 +0800

What does IPO means?

investopedia definition:

The first sale of stock by a private company to the public. IPOs are often issued by smaller, younger companies seeking the capital to expand, but can also be done by large privately owned companies looking to become publicly traded.

In an IPO, the issuer obtains the assistance of an underwriting firm, which helps it determine what type of security to issue (common or preferred), the best offering price and the time to bring it to market.

Also referred to as a "public offering".

So how to apply ?

via CIMB Clicks

i take MSM example, applied on 13 June 2011

step 1

step 2

step 3

MSM IPO, let see performance on listing, 28/6/2011

let see some IPO performance in Bursa Malaysia recently:

Car or a house first?

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:02:00 +0800

Alan Tong justifies putting a house before a car but admits this is only possible when a comprehensive public transportation system is in place.

AFTER you have graduated and secured your first job, what would be the first big ticket item that would appear in your purchase list? Many would think of a car before any other item.

Owning a car has become the first priority for many young people in Malaysia.

However, in China, their youths have a different thought. They would prefer to own a house instead of a car as their first asset.

This is an interesting difference in mindset between the youths in Malaysia and China.

What makes our young people decide to purchase a vehicle which will depreciate in value over the years instead of a house which has the possibility of gaining capital appreciation over time?

There are many reasons influencing this mindset. Chief amongst them is the macro development of the country and in particular of our public transportation.

Regrettably, although our current public transportation system has improved, it has not reached the level of that of a developed country.

Waiting in a queue to board a bus or train which may not arrive on time has become a hassle to many who have to depend on them for their daily transportation.

Therefore, in order to move around in the most convenient and comfortable manner, Malaysians in general have little choice but to acquire their own vehicle as their first asset.

The situation is different when compared to that in cities with a comprehensive public transportation system. Let's look at China for example. As one of the fastest growing nations in the world, China is an inspiring example for us to study.

For the past 15 years, I have been travelling frequently to China and have witnessed the vast changes in its transportation system. Its government had envisaged the need to have an efficient transportation system to support its fast paced economy and was bold enough to implement and develop a transportation network ahead of demand.

Fifteen years ago, I hardly saw vehicles throughout a 100 km journey on well constructed highways in China (and even at that time some highways came with 14 lanes). Those highways are now supporting high traffic flow with millions travelling from one province to another every day.

In addition, many cities in China are now well connected with an efficient network of public transportation.

This comprehensive public transportation service has allowed its people to travel around easily. Owning a private vehicle is therefore not a necessity but a prestige. With its people moving to the big cities for jobs or business opportunities, the priority is to own a property for accommodation or business if possible.

If not, renting a property would be the next best option.

This explains the divergence in mindset between the youths in Malaysian and those in China when it comes to the question of wheather to own a car or a house first.

To address this situation, the government should take initiatives in developing an extensive public transportation system and subsidising the relevant projects, such as the latest Mass Rapid Transit plan.

Public transportation is an avenue where the government could channel resources to good use and benefit the lower income groups as a whole. Comprehensive public transportation at affordable fares would reduce the burden of travelling, and people could consider more capital investment tools, such as properties.

Although buying a house is also a major financial decision and there are a lot of factors to be considered, proper financial planning would help our young people to start saving towards their goal of owning a property at an early age.

We look forward to the day when our local public transportation system is well established. That day will also be the day where our Malaysian youths have the foresight and drive to own a house first before anything else.

Datuk Alan Tong is the group chairman of Bukit Kiara Properties. He was the FIABCI world president from 2005 to 2006 and was recently named Property Man of The Year 2010 by FIABCI Malaysia.

source: THE STAR

Japan Nuclear Crisis: What Is a Nuclear Meltdown?

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:43:00 +0800

by Josh Dzieza

What’s the difference between a “partial” and “full” meltdown?

Brenner: Both phrases are not technical phrases. What they're to do with is the radioactive core of the nuclear reactor, which needs to be covered with water to keep it cool. What one means by meltdown is that at some point the core isnâ€™t covered by water. It could mean that a few inches are uncovered for a few seconds, or that the entire core is uncovered. The phrase covers a multitude of sins.

Ballinger: In that context they're talking about fuel that's been damaged and partially melted. Some of the fuel has probably been oxidized and breached and melted at the top of the core where the heat rises. The core height is about 4 meters, so the top meter of the core has probably been damaged.

And a full meltdown?

Ballinger: If they don't cool the plant, if they're not successful... then eventually the entire core would melt. Then it would melt into the bottom of the vessel. Then you get to this theoretical point where if they can’t cool it, then eventually the vessel itself, the steel, would melt, and you’d end up with a bunch of melted fuel and steel on the bottom of the concrete faceplate of the plant, in the containment vessel. And then it would have to get out of there. That’s what I would call a full meltdown....

Are meltdowns necessarily dangerous?

Brenner: They’re certainly not good. You can contrast the two major nuclear incidents of the past: Both Chernobyl and Three Mile Island were meltdowns, but the difference in scale is enormous. Chernobyl was the equivalent of 1 million Three Mile Islands. A “meltdown” certainly is not a good thing, but the ultimate consequence is how much radioactivity is released into the environment. You can have a situation like Three Mile Island, where it’s extremely small amount, or a situation like Chernobyl.

Which does Fukushima look like?

Certainly looks much more like a Three Mile Island. There are a lot of similarities between this and Three Mile Island. In both cases they were able to shut the reactor down almost immediately. That was not the case in Chernobyl. The whole point was that they couldnâ€™t shut the reactor down. In Three Mile Island and in the Japanese reactors, they shut it down.

Once you shut it down, thereâ€™s still a low-level reaction going, so you have to keep water covering the fuel. What happened in Three Mile Island and Japan is that they couldnâ€™t do that. The secondary cooling system that pumps water over the core failed.

Cooling

All of the Daiichi reactors shut down automatically when the earthquake struck. The problem is that it fission reactions don’t just stop; they fade slowly, continuing to produce energy and tremendous heat for days. Normally a cooling system would run water over the core after it shut down, but that system lost power, first when the power station was cut off from the grid, then again when the tsunami swamped the backup diesel generators.

Now that the cooling system has failed, what happens?

The core is going to get hotter and hotter. The nuclear material is enclosed in a metal cylinder, zirconium, which can react with water at high temperatures and produce hydrogen, which is explosive in the right situation. So when you start to get buildups of hydrogen, you have to vent it. But when you vent it, you also vent the radioactive material in the air inside the container. That’s probably where the radioactivity detected comes from.

Ballinger: There are two vectors going on. There’s the decay heat generated by the fission products in the fuel, and that heat has to be removed. If they can’t remove the heat, then the thing heats up. But the decay heat rate is decreasing with time, because the radioactive fission products are decaying away, at the same time you’re having to remove the heat. So the amount of heat you have to remove is decreasing with time, so the amount of cooling they need is going to decrease with time.

The other source of vector is the reaction between the zirconium and water. The zirconium alloy will react with water to produce hydrogen and oxide, but it also produces heat that has to be removed. So one source of heat—the decay of the fission products—is decreasing with time, and the other is a function of temperature, so you decrease the temperature, you decrease the oxygenation rate. It’s like baking a cake. If you set the oven at 300 degrees it’ll cook in a hour. If you set it for 350 degrees it will cook in 20 minutes. So as they cool the plant down, the rate of oxygenation will also go down. And it’s not a linear function. For every 50 degrees Centigrade, you change the chemical reaction rate by a factor of two.

Are there any signs that indicate how successful they’re being in cooling the reactor?

You can get an idea of how successful that is by looking at how often they have to vent the gas—the non-condensable gasses, the hydrogen and stuff. That’s going down and down and down. So they’re having success at cooling. It doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of fuel damage, it just means the oxygenation rates are going down, so they’re having success at cooling it.

There were explosions at the No. 2 and 3 reactors when they vented them. Why do they keep exploding? And what can they do to prevent an explosion?

The trick when you’re venting is to make sure you have a lot of dilution, to make sure you don’t have a hydrogen concentration above 5 or 6 percent. So I’m sure what they’re doing is they’re venting it slower and using a lot of blowers to make sure the concentration doesn’t get that high. Hydrogen is a funny gas. It tends to pool. It’s lighter than air, so it rises, and in a building—think of where the fans are, they’re in the ceiling, well that’s where the sparks from the motors are. Hydrogen will tend to rise and pool in the ceiling area, so the hydrogen concentration could be less than flammable on average, but in certain areas if you’re not careful it can get above the flammable point. They either vented too fast or didn’t realize it was concentrating.

I’ve read that there’s spent fuel stored near the reactor. Is it common practice to store fuel on site?

Yes, there are two places where they put spent fuel. When they take it out of the reactor it’s still generating heat. The decay heat is still there. So they put it in pools full of water. After a long enough period of time they can take the fuel and put it in these monstrous cement casks that you could fire a missile at and nothing happens, and they put them out on a pad and it’s cooled by natural convection.

Radiation

Officials have expanded the evacuation radius around the stricken reactors. First it was 3 kilometers, then when they vented the reactor it was expanded to 10 kilometers. When the reactor exploded, it went up to 20. Then the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the United States said radiation was unlikely to reach the West Coast in harmful amounts.

Is the amount of radiation emitted when they vent the reactor dangerous?

Brenner: Depends on how much comes out. From the point of view of the surrounding population, probably not. But the situation is still ongoing, so we don’t know. There’s one good thing in this terrible situation: Winds are offshore at the moment, blowing what radioactivity is in the air out into the ocean.

Could the wind blow the radiation to North America?

Brenner: Yes, but the question is how much. The Chernobyl accident was far larger than we can imagine this one to be. You could detect the radioactivity worldwide. But it’s a matter of how much radioactivity would arrive at the West Coast. Right now it’s absolutely negligible. And even in a worst-case scenario, it’s hard to imagine it would be significant. It’s hard to imagine a significant exposure to anyone on the West Coast simply because of the distance involved: As the wind blows the plume further, it gets more and more dispersed. The worst case still wouldn’t be Chernobyl.

Would it be dangerous to people nearer the reactor? They’ve evacuated people within a 20-kilometer radius.

Brenner: It’s not an unreasonable precaution. In any scenario, the dose will be less and less as you get further from the source. But it will certainly be closer to Three Mile Island than Chernobyl.

How long will the radiation last?

Brenner: It depends on the isotope. Iodine has a half-life of a week. Cesium will be around for years. But the consequences depend on how much is released. Even if cesium is around for a long time, if there’s not much of it, it won’t be an issue. And it depends on which direction the wind is blowing, and again, that’s favorable right now.

Josh Dzieza is an editorial assistant at The Daily Beast.

The top 10 richest Malaysians 2011

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Fri, 4 Mar 2011 12:44:00 +0800

1) Robert Kuok Hock Nien (US$12.5 billion);

2) Ananda Krishnan (US$9.5 billion);

3) Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua (US$6.6 billion);

4) Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng (US$5 billion);

5) Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan (US$4.8 billion);

6) Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow (US$4.7 billion);

7) Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay (US$2.7 billion);

8) Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary (US$2.5 billion);

9) Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun (US$1.25 billion); and,

10) Tan Sri Tiong Hew King (US$1.2 billion).

Definition of Compound Interest

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Tue, 1 Mar 2011 10:37:00 +0800

p/s : the earlier you start to invest, the less you need to save, and the more you will have for retirement :P

Malaysians have been overborrowing

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Thu, 3 Feb 2011 18:11:00 +0800

Should Malaysians be overly concerned with the current level of household borrowings, or do they try to mitigate the escalating prices of food and services and find ways to achieve better wage hikes?

SOME people are concerned with the current level of household borrowings which is about three quarters of the gross domestic product (GDP), while others, including Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), believe otherwise.

At the end of September last year, total household credit stood at RM475 billion. This represents slightly less than 80 per cent of the the value of all goods and services produced in the country or GDP.

About half of that is for home purchases. This is followed by car loans, personal loans, credit cards and others.

For many years, the household debt-to-GDP averaged about 65 per cent until 2007, when it started to rise at an average of 9.5 per cent a year.

Some economists are concerned with the household debt level given the anticipated lower economic growth this year and rising inflation, albeit moderately. This, they believe would affect loan repayment when real disposable income starts to shrink.

It was reported that the ratio of household debt to personal disposal income in Malaysia reached 140.4 per cent in 2009, which was higher than Singapore's 105.3 per cent and the US 123.3 per cent. This indicates that Malaysians have been overborrowing, where they owe more than what they earn.

Some are worried about an emerging property bubble and its impact on the banking system. Before 1997, the share of household credit was relatively small compared with business loans.

At the end of 1997, lending to the corporate sector accounted for 67 per cent of total loans outstanding. From 2000 onwards, consumer financing has grown considerably - at double-digit annually - that by end of 2007, household borrowings accounted for 56 per cent of total bank loans.

During the period, mortgages remained the bulk of total household debt, growing an average of 15 per cent annually - a growth attributed to government efforts to promote homeownership and the willingness of financial institutions to finance residential purchases as such loans are typically viewed as low risk.

Against the current relatively low interest rates in Malaysia and easy credit for borrowers, some economists believe the household debt-to-GDP is likely to rise beyond a manageable level, if measures are not put in place. They are calling for stringent measures for multiple purchases in addition to the 70 per cent loan-to-value ratio for the purchase of third house.

Now, why does BNM governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz maintain that the current household debt level is not excessive?

According to her, the current debt level is not a concern and the central bank has mechanisms to deal with it.

She said the local banking system is supported by stronger risk management and governance processes amid low levels of non-performing loans (NPLs). Currently, the NPL for household is 2.3 per cent, while for the overall banking sector is 2 per cent.

As we shouldn't take the figures at face value, we need to see how the household debt reached its level today.

Firstly, Malaysia has a large group of working population. These young people, who are begin ning their careers, would take up multiple loans as they buy houses and start families.

Secondly, household incomes are bigger today as both spouses are working amid steady wage growth over the years. Then, higher home prices require bigger mortgages and banks, facing keen rivalry, offer easy credit.

RAM Holdings Bhd group chief economist Dr Yeah Kim Leng said the current household borrowings level is reasonable because the proportion to total bank loans has been around 55 per cent for the past five years.

"And there was no sharp jump," he said, suggesting that the current household debt-to-GDP is a "new normal" level.

Yeah said a credit crisis is less likely to happen in the country because unlike those in the US or Europe, Malaysians customers do not rely on foreign funds.

BNM statistics show that since early 2000, household sector's financial assets - cash deposits, cheques, loans, accounts receivable, mutual funds, bonds and shares - remained more than double household debt.

This means households have no problems servicing their debts.

Over the years, net worth and income in the household sector have also increased, supported by stable employment and favourable economic environment.

Perhaps we are too preoccupied with the household debt figures that we neglect other issues affecting Malaysians such as inflation.

Although economists say that asset and consumer price inflation are under the lid in Malaysia, people in the street have been feeling higher food and services prices since last year. The impact is most felt among those in the lower-income bracket, especially if their salaries stay stagnant.

Purchasing power is weakened when they can no longer buy the same quantity of goods with the same amount of money.

Lower purchasing power would also bring down demand for goods and services, which would affect production level. This would discourage private investment and could result in shrinking job opportunities.

Lower purchasing power, steep food prices and higher interest rate may affect household sector's ability to meet loan repayment.

Now, should we be overly concerned with the "new normal" household borrowings level, or do we try to mitigate the escalating prices of food and services and find ways to achieve better wage hikes?

By: Hamisah Hamid, Business Times

Malaysian now has higher spending power than Singaporean

noreply@blogger.com (MR S) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 13:34:00 +0800

While Singapore may boast a record 14.7 percent economic growth last year, the domestic purchasing power of ordinary Singaporeans has decreased, that it now lags behind the Malaysians, according to an updated version of the authoritative UBS study – “Prices and Earnings”.

In the UBS study, domestic purchasing power is measured by dividing the average annual salary by the total price of a selected basket of goods and services, the higher the figure, the higher one’s purchasing power is.

In the 2009 UBS study, Singaporeans have a low purchasing power of only 39.9 which is only slightly more than Malaysians living in Kuala Lumpur (39.5).

However in the updated study published in August 2010, the order is reversed:

The domestic purchasing power of Singaporeans drop to 38.8, falling behind that of Malaysians (39.3).

Domestic purchasing power is now widely accepted by many economists as a more reliable and accurate economic indicator of prosperity on the ground than GDP which only measures the overall economic output of a nation and disregards the living conditions of its citizens.

The new result is not surprising as rampant inflation has eroded the spending power of Singaporeans while their wages have remained stagnant, caused partly by the relentless influx of cheap foreign workers.

If Malaysians working in Kuala Lumpur have a higher domestic purchasing power than Singaporeans, then Malaysians working in Singapore will surely have much higher disposable income when converted back to Ringgit back home which explains the reluctance of many Malaysian PRs to take up Singapore citizenships, thereby enabling them to enjoy the ‘best of both worlds.’

The shocking findings are not reported by the mainstream media nor the PAP leaders who continue to harp on GDP growth as the sole indicator of their performance to justify their multi-million dollar salaries.

Singapore leaders and diplomats better think twice before taking a jibe at our neighbors for being in a ‘mess’ because of ‘incompetent’ leaders because the Malaysians actually have more spending power than Singaporeans who are supposedly led by the ‘best’ government in the entire universe.

Jamison

The Temasik Review

Weight-Loss Can Increase Suicide Risk

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:15:00 +0800

A recent study has found that obese people who use surgery to lose weight are at a higher-than-usual risk of suicide in the years following the weight-loss procedure.

The report, in The American Journal of Medicine, adds to evidence that patients who have bariatric surgery to lose weight have an increased risk of suicide compared with the general population.

But the reasons for the pattern, researchers say, remain unknown. (Reuters)

The researchers are still in the dark as to the reason behind this phenomenon.

Top 10 Biggest Shariah Company in Bursa Malaysia (FBM SHARIAH)

noreply@blogger.com (fendi) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:51:00 +0800

1. SIME (RM 52.04 B)

2. MAXIS (RM 39.75 B)

3. AXIATA (RM 39.52 B)

4. IOICORP (RM 38.85 B)

5. MISC (RM 36.83 B)

6. TENAGA (TNB) (RM 36.58 B)

7. KUALA LUMPUR KEPONG (KLK) (RM 22.80 B)

8. PETRONAS GAS (RM 22.20 B)

9. PLUS (RM 22.00 B)

10. PERLIS PLANTATION BERHAD (RM 20.22 B)

# rank by market capitalization as 15 DEC 2010

Source : BURSA MALAYSIA