Proton unveils its first MPV, the Exora

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd unveiled its first multipurpose vehicle (MPV), the Exora, to the public in a gala event here Wednesday night.
Launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the 1.6-litre Exora has already received orders of 2,500 units, even before its public unveiling.
The seven-seater -- Proton’s most important model for the year -- also marks the company’s entry into the MPV market, which is growing domestically and regionally.
In addition to an interior that is easily more spacious than other MPVs in its engine class, the Exora also comes with a separate air-conditioner blower with ceiling mounted vents for the second and third row passengers.
Large doors allows for easy entry and exit while the second and third row seats can be folded for a flat floor layout when carrying bulky items.
The vehicle is also not short on safety features with dual front airbags, pretensioner seatbelts and an anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution.
In the safety department, the MPV has the equivalent of a four-star crash safety rating in the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).
The vehicle also has a steering wheel with audio buttons, reverse sensors, an immobiliser and radio/ CD player that supports MP3 and WMA files and Bluetooth handsfree connectivity.
The Exora is a result of an investment of RM450mil and 18 months of intense in-house research and development, the company said.
It is powered by a 1.6-litre CamPro CPS engine with 125bhp and torque of 150Nm, and is available in a four-speed automatic version, in trim levels of Mid-Line and Hi-Line.
The Mid-Line Exora costs RM69,998 and the Hi-Line variant, RM75,998 for the metallic colours.
The Hi-Line variant gets additional features such as a rear DVD monitor, tinted glass, portable satellite navigation system, cruise control, fog lamps, rear spoiler, and leather seats and finishing.
Colour choices are Solid White, Genetic Silver, Tranquillity Black, Blue Haze, Pyrite Brown and Gaia Blue

Don’t polemicise ministry dissolution: Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: The dissolution of the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry should not be turned into a “polemic” or a controversy.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said there should not be any problem with the move, which had merely been made with a more efficient and smaller government in mind.
Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), he said, would be absorbed into the Rural and Regional Development Ministry while the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) would be put under the Prime Minister’s Department.
“Mara used to be under that ministry during the time of (former Deputy Prime Minister) Tun Ghafar Baba. This time the minister in charge of it is an Umno vice-president so it’s not like we cannot depend on him to carry out his duties.
“Similarly, we decided to put the CVLB under the PM’s Department because we are going to set up a National Land Transport Authority which will have representation from various ministries,” he said, adding that the Government was in the process of finalising the legislation for its establishment and expected this to be completed by the end of the year.
The authority, which establishment had already been agreed on during Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s tenure as Prime Minister, would also be placed under the PM’s Department, said Najib.
Some quarters, including small businessmen and taxi drivers, had questioned the decision by Najib to dissolve the ministry, adding that it was still needed and urging him to reconsider.
It had been widely speculated that the CVLB would come under the Transport Ministry.
Earlier in a statement, the Premier announced that the Franchise Development and Encouragement and Vendor Scheme Development would be absorbed into the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry as well as the Cooperative Development, its Commission and College.
The National Entrepreuneur Institute, SME Bank and Bumiputra Trade and Industry Community Development will be incorporated into the International Trade and Industry Ministry while the Contractor Service Centre will be put under the purview of the Works Ministry.
Other bodies such as the respective state economic development corporations, the Urban Development Authority, Perbadanan Nasional Bhd and Bank Rakyat will be moved to the Finance Ministry; while Universiti Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia-Japan University will be transferred to the Higher Education Ministry.
Tekun Nasional -- a fund for entrepreneurs -- will be moved to the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry.
Najib said putting these agencies under the various ministries would ensure the continuity of their main role, particularly in creating entrepreneurs and traders among bumiputras, and to speed up their involment in the country’s economy.
“It will also help develop new growth areas and strengthen the cooperative movement,” he said.

On shaky ground

Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said may be facing mounting pressure following a show of defiance against him by his own assemblymen.
MENTRI Besar Datuk Ahmad Said’s body language was quite defensive when he arrived at the Terengganu Legislative Assembly yesterday.
For several weeks now, he had been plagued by rumours that his own assemblymen were plotting to move a motion of no-confidence against him at the assembly sitting and he was probably expecting the worst as he took his seat.
His state exco members were in their places but the entire stretch of seats for the Barisan Nasional backbenchers were empty. His Barisan backbenchers had decided not to attend the sitting and it seemed like he had escaped the attempt at a no-confidence vote.
Either way, it was not good for him and it was embarrassing especially with the PAS assemblymen and the media gallery watching on.
A rebellion against his leadership as the Mentri Besar was truly on the boil.
The Terengganu Government is predominantly Umno, with only one MCA assemblyman. As such, an opposition against him from the ranks also undermines his position as the state Umno chief.
Ahmad, who became Mentri Besar just a little over a year ago, is on shaky ground.
Talk of a no-confidence move against his leadership had been brewing for some time.
A week before the assembly sitting, he lost his temper at a meeting and told those present that he was aware of what they were up to. He warned that he would fight back and would even sack the trouble-makers if he had to.
“We just listened. There is no point arguing with him when he is in one of his moods,” said one of the assemblymen.
Ahmad’s appointment as Mentri Besar had come on the heels of a political crisis in the state.
Umno wanted the technocratic Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh to be reappointed but the Terengganu palace had preferred Ahmad.
Idris was a dynamic Mentri Besar. He made an impact in his first term and implemented some high profile, albeit controversial, projects.
Ahmad has struggled to fill Idris’ shoes and spent most his first year on the job running down his predecessor’s work especially the wasteful Monsoon Cup.
People initially put up with his rhetoric but once the honeymoon ran out, he came under pressure to perform and deliver. And that was when his real problems began.
Ahmad is essentially a good grassroots politician but running a state as big and complex as Terengganu calls for much more.
Many in Terengganu were critical of Idris’ fast track mode of doing thing and of his association with various political and business figures. But under Ahmad, they felt the state had receded again into the backwaters.
The loss of the Kuala Terengganu by-election to PAS was also a blow to Ahmad’s standing.
Ahmad had also been unable to engage the assemblymen who were aligned to Idris. His abrasive style alienated many of them.
Then a few months ago, he undertook some drastic reshuffling in the state civil service as well as the government-linked corporations that resulted in political costs for him and resentment among many quarters.
More recently, there was talk that he had fallen out of favour with the palace, a perception reinforced by the open rebellion against him. The assemblymen, it is said, would not have been so bold if they did not sense that Ahmad had lost the support of the palace.
Some believe that the rebels are trying to send a message to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Terengganu is known as a swing state. Seats here are often won by very narrow majorities and it does not take much for the people to take their votes from one side to the other.
Ahmad’s opponents are probably trying to tell Najib that unless there is change in the Terengganu leadership, the state may swing to PAS in the next general election.
The assemblymen who were absent held a press conference to explain their absence, holding up their handphones to show reporters the threatening SMS messages that some of them had received the night before.
They will return to the assembly sitting today after assurances from the police but the stalemate between Ahmad and them is likely to drag on.
Ahmad may have escaped an attempt at a no-confidence vote but he has lost the confidence of a substantial number of his assemblymen.
Terengganu has 32 state seats of which 24 are held by the Barisan. Of these, 10 are openly opposed to him and apparently not all of the exco members are with him although they had dutifully turned up at the assembly sitting yesterday.
Ahmad came to power on the crest of a controversy and it looks like he is being pressured to go under equally controversial circumstances. But he is a street-fighter type of politician and he will fight to stay. What about his opponents?
“We will leave it in the hands of God and the party president,” said Ajil assemblyman Datuk Rosol Wahid

Eli Wong agrees to stay as exco, rep

SHAH ALAM: Bukit Lanjan rep Elizabeth Wong has agreed to stay on as state executive councillor and assemblyman.
Wong, who had tendered her resignation after revealing photos of her emerged two months ago, was earlier Wednesday asked to stay on by Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
In a statement later Wednesday, Wong said, "It is with the greatest humility that I accept the Selangor state’s offer to remain in office."
She also thanked the Sultan of Selangor for his guidance.
"I wish to thank mentri besar and the Selangor exco, my staff, my fellow assemblymen, fellow politicians from Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional, PKR leaders, the Women’s wing of PKR and the grassroots, and my legal team for their support and guidance," she added.
When she had tendered her resignation, Khalid had asked her to go on leave pending a decision.
Khalid told a press conference that asking Wong to resume her duties was the right thing to do, even though she had tendered in her resignation
“The state government believes this is an appropriate and fair decision after taking into consideration views from all quarters, public interest and the fact that police investigations have to date failed to reach a conclusion,” he said after chairing the weekly exco meeting.
Khalid was accompanied by almost all of his exco members, including senior exco Teresa Wong and Datuk Dr Hassan Ali, who is the state PAS commissioner, when making the announcement.
The mentri besar also added that Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had been briefed about the exco’s decision to retain Wong.
Khalid also thanked Sultan Sharafuddin for his stand in not interfering in political decisions and entrusting the state government to make a fair and just decision.
Khalid stressed that morality was of utmost importance to the state's Pakatan Rakyat government.
“We will ensure that this principle is strictly adhered to. Should there be any conclusive evidence of wrongdoings, the state government will not hesitate to initiate the necessary action,” he added.
However, said Khalid, the state government was also equally concerned in protecting the rights to privacy and would do its utmost to protect that right.
He reiterated that Wong was a victim and that even though it was an issue of morality, everyone was innocent until proven guilty.
Wong found herself in a quandary after some revealing pictures of her were sent to the media in early February.
She immediately tendered her resignation as exco member and elected representative citing that it was in the best interest of her party PKR.
Wong was granted long leave while the police conducted investigations and the exco debated on her status as exco member and assemblyman.
When asked if all the exco members had agreed unanimously to reject Wong’s resignation or if the decision to retain her was PKR’s, Khalid said what was discussed at the meeting would not be revealed.
He also stressed that it was the state government’s decision not to accept Wong’s resignation.
She went on leave on Feb 15 after some revealing pictures of her were posted on the Internet, and also tendered her resignation as exco member and assemblyman, saying that it was in the best interest of her party PKR and the state’s Pakatan Rakyat ruling coalition.
Other exco members temporarily took over Wong’s tourism, consumer affairs and environment portfolio. Khalid and senior exco Teresa Kok handled tourism, Ean Yong Hian Wah will oversaw consumer affairs while Rodziah Ismail and Dr Xavier Jayakumar handled environment.
Rodziah also stood in for Wong in carrying out the official duties as Bukit Lanjan assemblyman.
The revealing pictures of Wong were sent to selected media outlets by unknown parties.
She lodged a police report and in the course of their investigations, police obtained a warrant of arrest for one Hilmi Malek, a former boyfriend of the assemblyman.
Hilmi, 32, was issued a notice under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code to come forward and record a statement by March 19, but to date, there has been no word from him. He is believed to be residing in a neighbouring country.
Wong said the past two months have been more than an ordeal for her.
“I have been stripped bare publicly -- both figuratively and literally -- by force and against my will. My personal life has been violated and assaulted by none other than criminals.
“Even up to this evening, I continue to receive threats from unknown persons.
“This is not a scandal, as some have suggested, but a clear criminal act. This is no less a form of criminal intimidation, a form of political violence, and one which, if I chose to retreat into silence, would in turn indirectly affect women, especially women politicians,” she added.
Wong said she was “humbled by the encouragement and support shown by the media, my family and friends, non-governmental organisations, the tens of thousands of people who signed the petitions on my behalf and who wrote to me, and especially my constituents who stood by me in these trying times.”
“I also wish to thank the [olice for their professionalism in addressing the issue at hand and I look forward to them apprehending and charging the criminals soonest,” she said.

Penang DCM1 position to remain vacant, for now

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Deputy Chief 1 position will remain vacant for now to give de factor Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim more time to resolve internal issues, said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said while he was disappointed by the delay, he fully understood the various political pressures that Anwar was facing in making the recommendation.
Lim said that, therefore, the position of the DCM 1 remained vacant, although the announcement was supposed to be made Wednesday.
“Even though I have the prerogative as the chief minister to appoint the DCM 1, I believe in consulting and waiting for Anwar to recommend who should fill up the empty position.
“As a genuine coalition ally in Pakatan Rakyat I have chosen to stand together in solidarity with Anwar in facing to these pressures.
“I will give him more time to resolve the internal issues involved,’’ he said in a press statement issued to reporters by his press secretary after Lim handed out mock cheques to representatives of the 28 Tamil schools in the state in Komtar.
Lim refused to answer questions pertaining the issue, and told reporters that he was rushing to the airport to catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Yang Di Pertua Negeri Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas at Istana Negara.
It was reported on April 13 that Lim would name the new DCM 1 on Wednesday, although Anwar had asked until Sunday (April 12) to make a decision.
The post was left vacant after Penanti assemblyman Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin resigned, and Lim has said it was up to Anwar to choose the best candidate since the post belonged to a Malay PKR assemblyman.
Anwar confirmed that two names had been proposed.
They are state executive councillor Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim, who is also Batu Maung state assemblyman and Sungai Bakap state assemblyman Maktar Shapee.
Lim further added in the statement that he was confident that Anwar would answer and explain fully all questions after he had decided on whom he wanted to recommend to be appointed to the position.
Lim said the best person for the job would be appointed in accordance with the state’s competency, accountability and transparency philosophy.
“For the time being the various portfolios held by Mohammad Fairus will be handled by me and assisted by the other Exco members where necessary.
“I am sure Anwar knows that the public are puzzling over the difficulty in selecting a replacement, and questions such as if the delay is caused because Anwar is arranging for a by-election for Penanti are lingering in peoples’ minds,’’ he added.
After the cheque presentation ceremony, a delegation from the Henan province paid a courtesy call on Lim to discuss on trade and industry partnerships especially on the Halal industry.
Also present was Abdul Malik, who is the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs committee chairman.
After the function, reporters ambushed Abdul Malik asking him why was there a delay in naming the person to take over the DCM 1’s position.
He said that that question should be posed to Anwar, and since the appointment was not a small one, Anwar should be given time and not pushed.
Asked if the party was facing internal issues, and therefore the delay occurred, Abdul Malik said he could vouch that there was no such thing.
“We want to make the best decision for the people,’’ he said, adding that he was not upset with the delay.

Rescued baby orangutan finds a new home

KUCHING: A baby orang utan which had been rescued from captivity was handed over to the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre here Wednesday.
The six-month-old male animal was rescued by retired soldier Kanang Langkau and his friend Tay Choon Yong, both from Sri Aman.
Tay said he was driving through Lingga bazaar near Sri Aman, about 200km from here, last Friday when he came across a boy playing with the baby orang utan by the roadside.
Retired soldier Kanang Langkau and his friend Tay Choon Yong handed over a baby orang utan they had rescued from captivity to the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Kuching on Wednesday.
“I don’t know how the boy got hold of the orang utan but I suspect that it was being kept as a pet,” he said.
He persuaded the boy to give him the baby orang utan by telling him that it could not be kept as a pet and that it probably would not survive in captivity.
Tay then called Kanang to inform him about the baby orang utan and Kanang proposed sending it to Semenggoh where it would be taken care of.
The two of them drove here Wednesday to hand the animal over to Sarawak Forestry staff at Semenggoh and requested it be named Simanggang, the old name for Sri Aman division where it was found.
Kanang said this was the first time he had seen a baby orang utan.
“In my 25 years serving in the jungle during my army days, I never came across a baby orang utan.
“They’re so rare and we need to protect them so that our grandchildren can still see them in the future,” he said.
Sarawak Forestry Chief Park Warden Wilfred Landong said the baby orang utan would be sent to Matang Wildlife Centre for rehabilitation.
“The ultimate objective is to get it back into the wild again. In future, we may release it at Kubah National Park, where Matang Wildlife Centre is located, or at Semenggoh,” he said.
He added that special care would have to be given to the baby as it was without its mother.
“We’ll see if we can find it a surrogate mother at Matang,” he said.
Landong said Sarawak Forestry would investigate how the baby orang utan ended up in captivity.
“If there is any need to take action, the appropriate action will be taken. But our immediate concern is to rehabilitate the baby orang utan,” he said, adding that Sarawak Forestry conducts ongoing awareness programmes to educate rural communities about orang utan.
He also said Sarawak Forestry would send a team to Lingga to find out whether there was any previously unknown orang utan habitat in the area.
“We’re very interested whether there’s a new habitat there. If yes, we will propose steps to protect the area,” he said.

Night driving classes to be made mandatory in Dubai

Dubai: New learner drivers will now have to take night classes to improve their driving skills, said a senior official.
"The night classes at all the major driving institutes have already been started and all the new learner drivers will have to take a few classes at night," said Ali Mohammad Al Jasem, Director of the Licensing Department at the Licensing Agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
He said the night classes would be made mandatory for all new drivers.
"We want to make new drivers familiar with different driving conditions to make them safe drivers," he said.
Al Jasem said that the decision to start night driving classes from 7 to 11pm was taken after a successful one-month pilot project in January. But he said there are certain conditions apply.

New drivers must first take day classes and then take a few night classes.
A spokesperson for the Emirates Driving Institute said they have received favourable response from new driving students. "We have already trained some driving instructors to train learner drivers at night and it's being received positively," she said.
She explained that if a new driver takes a 40-class course, he or she will be allowed to take night classes only after completing at least 32 classes during day time.
For a 20-class course, he or she will be allowed to take night classes after 16 day time classes.
Al Jasem, the new driving manual has already been introduced in the driving schools.
"Now the drivers have to go through different training courses suiting their professional needs. Drivers for school buses have to pass additional training courses while truck and bus drivers will also go through the additional training sessions," he added.
He said they have reduced the waiting time for customers at their customer centres by 40 per cent and it will fall further when online services begin. Exams are taken in two to four weeks.

First camel cloned in UAE

Dubai: The world's first cloned camel has been born in Dubai.
The female calf, called Injaz (meaning achievement), was produced at the Camel Reproduction Centre (CRC) last Wednesday.The team at the CRC, headed by Dr Lulu Skidmore and Dr Ali Redha, said Injaz was created from cumulus cells harvested from the ovary of a female adult camel, which were grown in culture before being frozen in liquid nitrogen. Dr Lulu Skidmore, Scientific Director of the CRC, told Gulf News: "We are all very excited at the birth of Injaz as she is the result of great skill and teamwork of everyone at the Camel Reproduction Centre. This significant breakthrough gives a means of preserving the valuable genetics of our elite racing and milk producing camels in the future."

The team said the camel was born after an uncomplicated gestation period of 378 days. Injaz currently weighs 30kg. The DNA of Injaz's cells and that of the original ovarian cells have been tested using microsatellite DNA analysis at the Molecular Biology and Genetics Laboratory in Dubai, and have been found to be identical, thereby proving that Injaz is indeed a clone of the original female camel.
The news comes a year after the centre announced the birth of identical twin camel calves Zahi and Bahi. The male twins were created using a technique called embryo micro-manipulation.
The CRC, which was established in 1989, not only breeds camels but carries out genetic studies on old and new-world camelids. Rama the 'Cama" was born just over a decade ago as the world's first viable hybrid between a camel and a guanaco, related to the llama. Cloning is the process of producing genetically-identical individuals. Cloning occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually.
The world's first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell was Dolly the Sheep, who was produced on July 5, 1996, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Dolly's birth was heralded as one of the most significant breakthroughs. Dolly went on to gain worldwide fame before being put down in 2003 after a veterinary examination showed she had a progressive lung disease.

PM to boycotting Barisan reps: Get back

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has asked all 10 Barisan Nasional backbenchers who boycotted the second sitting of the Terengganu state assembly Tuesday to return to the proceedings.
Najib also denied that their absence from the assembly had led to a "full-blown political crisis" in the state. Among the backbenchers boycotting the assembly was former mentri besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, assemblyman for Jertih.
The third and final sitting of the state assembly is on Wednesday.
Barisan holds 24 seats in the 32-seat state assembly, with PAS holding the remainder. The Barisan lawmakers boycotted proceedings in an apparent bid to force Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said to step down.
They claimed they had received threatening SMSes, and three of them have lodged dpolice reports.
“They (assemblymen) had received SMSes but they did not come from the Mentri Besar’s office, so there is no truth to it. I want them to attend the assembly sittings as usual,” Najib told reporters Tuesday when asked to comment on the apparent boycott.
On allegations that there was a bid to force Ahmad out of office, he said that too had been denied.
Najib also said there was no tension in Terengganu despite latest political developments, adding the issue was not something which could not be managed.
Earlier Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that any problem in Terengganu was of concern to him and Najib, adding that two of them would work together to resolve the issue.
Muhyiddin also said he would meet Ahmad over the matter, adding that he was also waiting for a full report on Tuesday’s incident. He also denied that the assemblymen’s absence from the House was tantamount to a boycott.
“It is their right to attend or not to attend (the state assembly sitting), but not to the extent of jeopardising Barisan’s position in the assembly, for we are the government in Terengganu.
“Will their absence affect the assembly sitting? We want to find out the real situation,” he told after attending a briefing by the Education Ministry’s senior officers.
Asked whether the Federal Government was satisfied with Ahmad’s performance, Muhyiddin said: “He is the MB, and he is doing whatever he is supposed to do.
“I think beyond that, there could be some other issues and problems we need to look into.”
The boycott comes in the wake of speculation that a vote of no confidence would be tabled against Ahmad.

Conrad Goes To Jail Monday

KOTA KINABALU, April 13 (Bernama) -- Former state culture, youth and sports minister Datuk Conrad Mojuntin will serve a six-month jail sentence beginning today, for threatening a businessman, three years ago.This followed the dissatisfaction of the Court of Appeal over the defence's submission and dismissed Conrad's application for leave to file an appeal against the High Court's decision on Jan 8.Conrad, 60, was sentenced to six months jail and fined RM2,000 in default three months jail for criminally intimidating businessman Doughty Disimon, 30, outside the SJD Cafe and Sports at 3.30am on Oct. 23, 2005.The incident occured in Donggongon, Penampang near here.His bail of RM5,000 was also revoked.Manoj Kurup prosecuted while Zahir Shah represented Conrad.Justices Datuk Tengku Baharudin Shah Tengku Mahmud, Datuk Md Raus Sharif and Datuk Abdull Hamid Embong heard the application.-- BERNAMA