COLUMBIA ASIA-EXPANSION PLAN

Columbia Asia invest 400 million ringgit - Assignment 14/11/2008

Columbia Asia, the international healthcare provider, will be investing over 400 million ringgit over the next 24 months to build six mid-sized community hospitals nationwide.
 
The Chairman of Columbia Asia Group of Companies, Rick Evans, said the expansion was in line with the company's goal to focus on the increasing demand for affordable healthcare services across Asia.

They are aim at the middle income groups that is our market but interesting in Malaysia 70 percent of our revenue almost come from third party, insurance and employer, 30 percent come from people directly.
SUPER: Rick Evans\Chairman\Columbia Asia Group of Companies.

Evans told reporters this after the signing of a 116 million ringgit syndicated Financing (Commodity Murabahah\Tawarruq)-i & Al Ijarah Thumma Al Bai for its proposed three new hospital buildings.
 
The signings were between Columbia Asia Sdn Bhd (CASB), Bank Rakyat, RHB Islamic Bank Bhd and Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd.
 
The financing involved 58 percent of the total investments for the three hospitals in Balakong, Bukit Rimau and Setapak, estimated to cost 225 million ringgit.
 
Evans said the remaining investments would be from internally generated funds.
 
CASB has six hospitals in various stages of development in Malaysia, namely in Balakong, Bukit Rimau, Kota Damansara, Nusajaya, Setapak and Bintulu.
 
The six hospitals are expected to open end 2010.
 
Meanwhile, CASB is 30 percent owned by the Employee Provident Fund, and 70 percent by Columbia Asia Healthcare Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian company with subsidiaries in Vietnam, India and in Indonesia.
 
Columbia Asia, opened its first hospital in 1994, in Malaysia.  
 
Upon completion of the six hospitals, Columbia Asia would have 11 hospitals in Malaysia and by end 2011, it expects 35 hospital operating regionally.

BAKUN-RIGTH TIME TO TAKE-OFF

TNB SAYS GOVERNMENT SHOULD GIVE SUPPORT FOR BAKUN - Assignment 12/11/2008

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) said the government should give full support to the Bakun hydroelectric dam project for it to be feasible and really take-off.
 
Its chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh, said the concern was to ensure that  the selling price of power by Bakun to Tenaga would remain at an affordable level.

Che Khalib also said that the timing was right to lock in the project as the global economic slowdown had resulted in lower prices of essential raw materials for the project.

I think is a good time for TNB to lock in because metal prices has came down almost half for example. Copper prices came down over the last 3 month by almost 50 percent of high from 8000 high to almost 4000 now.
Super: Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh \CEO\Tenaga Nasional Berhad

Che Khalib was speaking at a press conference held in conjunction with the International Energy Security Forum in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
 
On the company's financial performance, he said it would likely be affected by the rising coal prices.
 
Definitely affect our bottom line, definitely, I have nothing to hide here, If it continues to be high  at 120 US dollar definitely we continue to see losses.
Super: Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh \Chief Executive Officer\Tenaga Nasional Berhad

Currently, the price of coal ranged from 100 to 120 US dollars per tonne.
 
And Tenaga Nasional had already secured  its coal supply until December 2009.
 
TNB registered a lower net profit of 2.59 billion ringgit for its financial year ended Aug 31, 2008 (FY08) compared to its forecast of 3.14 billion ringgit.
 
Losses in the fourth quarter was due to forex loss, higher fuel costs and slowing demand.

MALAYSIA-ENERGY SECURITY

International Forum and Energy Security -Assignment 12/11/2008

Malaysia is enacting a national energy policy to ensure that energy security for the country is assured.
 
Tenaga Nasional Bhd chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie said energy security was a global issue that represented an urgent challenge to Malaysia because it was interlinked with economic security and national security.
 
As such, there was a need for a comprehensive energy security roadmap with a clear policy framework and compatible electricity sector regulations.
In his opening remarks at the International Forum and Energy Security held in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, Moggie said the utility giant was currently listening to views of global experts and other stakeholders who could help the government to adopt policies and strategies.
 
He said that most of the options available to increase energy security took significant time to plan and develop, and they required specific policy and regulatory support.

In Malaysia, providing adequate and secure supply of energy to meet increasing demand is a key priority and a major challenge. Crucial to sustaining electricity supply reliability is ensuring sustainable fuel supply at our power generating plants.
SUPER:Tan Sri Leo Moggie \ Chairman, TNB

A strategic and prudent energy policy, he said, was therefore necessary and should include security of crucial energy sources capable of withstanding
disruptive events and risks.
 
There should also be proper management and transition to other fuel sources and energy source diversity, as well as timely investment in energy
infrastructure capacity and networks.
 
Other factors to look at, he noted, were affordability of energy supply, promotion of the efficient use of energy to maximise the value of the energy consumed and sustainable energy in terms of the stewardship of the environment.

EPU-STIMULUS PACKAGE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH EPU ON 7/11/2008

Without the stimulus package, Malaysia's growth is forecast at 2.5 percent but with the recently announced 7 billion ringgit boost, the  country could achieve 3.5 percent growth in 2009.
 
Economic Planning Unit Director General Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob said Malaysia could not escape the effects of the global financial crisis and that the government was watching the situation closely and would be taking the necessary measures if the situation got worst.
At this point of time I think we are watching it very very closely easily daily how the world economy unfold. And we have the economic council that meets monthly to discuss measures to be undertaken.
Super: Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob \ Economic Planning Unit, Director General

He said Malaysia was taking precautions to face the challenges posed in 2009 by concentrating more on domestic sources of growth such as private consumption, investment and business competitiveness, to boost the Malaysian economy.
 
Among others, the government was working on promoting the production sector to make sure that Malaysia's export would be more diversified to various countries.
 
He said Malaysia should be looking at more of its exports to the Asean market as well as China and India.
 
Sulaiman told BERNAMA TV this recently, commenting on the impact of the stimulus package to the economy and its outlook. 
 
On the difference between the current crisis and  the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis, he said the sources of the crises were different and therefore, Malaysia had to respond differently, according to the sources and the cause of the crisis.

We have been affected, also in the past during 1986 crisis when we had drop all the commodity prices and we have also crisis 97-98 what was referred East Asian Financial Contagion when economy drop almost 8 percent in 1998.
Super: Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob \ Economic Planning Unit, Director General

He said Malaysia's economy was an open economy and therefore, would be able to enhance the standard of living, per capita income, due to being a world market.
 
However, when the world market shrank, Malaysia would equally be affected.

ICT-GROWTH

E-Asia 2008 Assignment 11/11/2008
The Asia-Pacific region continues to see tremendous growth in information and communication technology I-C-T.
 
However, studies have shown that developing countries have a lower rate of return from ICT compared to developed countries.
 
As such, Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communciations Datuk Joseph Salang said,
there was an urgent need to build capacity
both in infrastructure and human resources to further support the ICT development.
For instance, he said, the Ministry and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission M-C-M-C) were keen to stimulate the development of the mobile content industry.
 
To drive the applications, MCMC had launched an initial grant scheme of 20 million ringgit to assist network content developers to create local content.
 
In his speech at the launch of e-Asia 2008 in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday Salang said it would continue to develop the industry further through the three major drivers of constructive policies, effective capacity building and supportive incentives schemes.

The growth in ICT infrastructure, applications and contents provides the opportunity for this region to set standarss, including next-generation services for the world.
Super: Datuk Joseph Salang \Dep. Energy, Water & Communciations Minister

On e-Asia 2008, Salang said the event was a platform for ICT players to start networking and establish partnerships for cooperation and
collaboration.
 
He also urged the ICT industry to build on each other's strengths to create activities and growth in developing nations as well as creating markets for
themselves. 

Assignment EA Technique on 10/11/2008

EA Technique (M) Sdn Bhd, via its subsidiary,  Johor Shipyard and Engineering Sdn Bhd, will build a 25 million ringgit dry dock at  Tanjung Langsat port in Pasir Gudang, Johor.  
 
Its Managing Director, Datuk Abdul Hak Md Amin, said that when the company had its own dry dock, the Ea Technique could save on the outflow of funds and help in developing the local shipping industry.
The dock, to be spread over 0.4 hectares, was expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2009.
 
The dock would have two slipways, which could repair ships of  seven thousand deadweight tonnes and 10 thousand deadweight tonnes, respectively.
 
 
At the moment we have quite a number of enquiries especially on offshore vessels which quite positive and also repair site.
Super: Datuk IR Abdul Hak Md Amin\MD\EA Technique (M) Sdn Bhd

Meanwhile, EA Techique on Monday signed an agreement with Sumber Samudera Sdn Bhd to build a double hull black oil tanker and two mooring boats with an option to build another two tankers, at an estimated cost of 202 million ringgit.
 
The company had earlier secured a 418 million ringgit contract from a major oil company to supply three oil tankers over a 10-year period, with an option for another three years.
 
EA Tech, a subsidiary of Sindora Bhd (Sindora), was the owner and manager of a fleet of oil tankers and support vessels for charter in the lucrative oil and
gas transport.
 
It had also been awarded a 11.7 million ringgit seven-year contract, with an option for another three years, to provide two mooring boats and crew for an oil terminal in Melaka.