MELAKA FIRM ENTERS SOLAR ENERGY WITH JAPANESE FIRM

Saturday March 19, 2011

Scientex enters solar energy via JV with Japan firm

By TEE LIN SAY
linsay@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Industrial packaging manufacturer Scientex Bhd

is moving into the solar energy sector via a 50:50 joint venture with Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello Inc (MCTI).

The new joint venture company will manufacture and distribute encapsulating sheets for solar cells. The company's facility will

be located at the Bukit Rambai Industrial Estate in Malacca.

The first phase of production, targeted to begin in August 2012,

will be 10,000 tonnes a year.

MCTI currently has a 20% share of the world market, producing

some 40,000 tonnes a year. It is targeting to achieve 30% market share by 2013, once the Malacca plant is set up.

“Our target now is to be the future market leader in the solar

ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) industry,” Scientex managing director P.J. Lim said.

MCTI will provide the technical expertise and raw materials for

EVA for the encapsulating sheets, while Scientex will provide

the site for the manufacturing plant, labour, marketing and customer synergies.

The encapsulating sheets will cater to the South-East Asian markets, particularly Malaysia and Singapore. It will also be exported to Europe.

Tokyo-based MCTI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui Chemicals Inc, one of the world's top three producers of EVA encapsulating materials for solar films.

The JV company will have a paid-up capital of RM45mil. Scientex will finance its investment of RM22.5mil in the company with internal funds.

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GREEN CARS FOR MELAKA STATE EXCO MEMBERS

Thursday March 17, 2011

State exco set for hybrid cars

MALACCA: Malacca state exco members and top officials could soon be cruising in eco-friendly hybrid cars.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said that the state had received a proposal from Honda to change its current fleet to cars using green technology.

“Honda is offering us a good deal and we are now waiting for the green light from the Federal Government,” he said after announcing new portfolios for the state executive council yesterday.

“We have also assessed the proposal by Proton on similar cars and will leave it to the Federal Government to decide.”

Mohd Ali has created a new portfolio – Green Technology – that comes under his purview.

It is learnt that the state government was offered Honda’s 2011 Insight hybrid model as state official cars.

Mohd Ali said that the state government was contemplating only electric-powered taxis and buses in the state to reduce smoke emissions and to create a greener Malacca.

“We are looking at the blueprints submitted by Proton and a heavy vehicle manufacturer from China to introduce electric taxis and buses in the state. The change will be carried out in stages,” he said.

Mohd Ali added he would also pursue plans to have more government department buildings and private homes in the state to use solar power panels for their energy supply.

“Malacca will move forward progressively to adopt green technology in urban and community development,” he said.

On the exco reshuffle, Mohd Ali said he has given key portfolios to the MCA and MIC representatives.

State MCA chief Datuk Gan Tian Loo, who previously chaired the Public Works and Infrastructure committee, now helms the Education, Youth and Sports committee to enable him to bring about a paradigm change in universities, secondary and primary schools in the state.

State MIC chief Datuk R. Perumal, formerly in charge of Transport, Information and Consumerism, has been given the Urban Development and Agriculture committee to turn Malacca into a major dairy producer, Mohd Ali said.

He also picked newly appointed exco man Datuk Ghazale Ahmad as chairman of the Transport, Information, Unity and Consumerism committee.

All changes will take effect from April 1.

CHITTY COMMUNITY OF MELAKA

Malaysian community with Indian roots to preserve identity

2011-03-15 12:10:00

Kuala Lumpur, March 15 (IANS) Malaysia's tiny Chitty community, which came here from India long before the Europeans and the Chinese, wants to be designated 'bumiputra' - sons of the soil - to preserve its identity. Nearly 1,500 families settled in Malacca are the descendants of the Chittis who came here in the 14th century. With their number dwindling, they are hopeful of being given bumiputra status, just like the Portuguese settlers. Bumiputa status is reserved for the majority Malays and is enshrined in Malaysia's constitution. They should not be confused with the Chettiar community. While the Chettiars are moneylenders by trade, the Chittys are traders who arrived in Malacca in the 14th century. After 600 years of living in this country, the community has adopted many local customs to create a culture which is uniquely theirs, says a website of the community. The Chittys are Indian traders who came from the southern part of India, namely Kalinga in the Coromandel coast, during the days of the spice trade. Malacca Chitty Association secretary K. Nadarajan Raja feels the community should be recognised in view of its historical roots in the state. Nadarajan said community leaders also plan to meet Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Malacca Chief Minister Mohammed Ali Rustam to request bumiputra status. 'The Chitty came here during the reign of founder Parameswara, long before the Europeans. 'We are appealing for bumi status as a way to preserve our identity as a community which existed here since ancient times. 'Conceptions that the Chitty community was brought by the British to serve as government officers and estate workers are wrong,' he told The Star. Nadarajan said many also confuse the Chitty as moneylenders or Chettiars. 'We are also known as Chitty Melaka or Malacca Straits-born Hindus or Indian Peranakan,' he explained. He said they are the descendants of traders from the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu. He said although the Chittys are Indian, and they today speak Tamil only haltingly. Their dressing is also different from their counterparts in India, and gives an indication of how they have integrated with the local society.

All About: Asia,Malaysia,Diaspora, Malacca Chitty Association, The Star

MELAKA FLOOD ALLEVIATION PROGRAMME

Melaka spends over RM168 mln on flood alleviation projects

Posted on March 9, 2011, Wednesday

MELAKA: The Melaka government spent more than RM168 million to implement 29 flood alleviation projects in the state since the year 2000, the State Legislative Assembly meeting was told yesterday.

Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said about RM165 million of the amount involved federal government allocation while the balance came from the state government.

For a long-term solution, the Melaka government had carried out a Master Plan Study on Flood Alleviation in Melaka and from the plan, the state had proposed to the federal government to implement 16 flood alleviation projects costing RM2 billion, he said when replying to a question from Betty Chew Gek Cheng (DAP-Kota Laksamana).

Mohd Ali also simultaneously replied to the original questions pertaining to the flood from Datuk Ghazale Mohamad (BN-Serkam), Mohd Yazed Khamis (BN-RIM), Datuk Hasan Abdul Rahman (BN-Sungai Rambai), Lim Jak Wong (DAP-Bachang), Khoo Poay Tiong (DAP-Ayer Keroh), Datuk Abdul Wahab Abdul Latip (BN-Durian Tunggal), and Datuk Tahir Hasan (BN-Paya Rumput).

Mohd Ali said the proposal involved a 15-year implementation period and four major river basins in Melaka namely Sungai Melaka with a cost of more than RM944 million, Sungai Kesang (more than RM553 million), Sungai Duyong (more than RM290 million) and Sungai Linggi (more than RM211 million).

Mohd Ali said during the recent flood in Melaka, the state government had spent RM956,200 as compassionate payment where 2,325 families affected by the flood had benefited.

“Thirty-three areas were affected by the flood in Melaka and 9,089 victims were evacuated to 32 relief centres throughout the state,” he said.

Replying to supplementary questions from Tahir and Hassan, Mohd Ali said Melaka faced the problem of floodwater spillover from Negeri Sembilan through the Sungai Gangsa and from Johor through the Sungai Kesang.

The State Assembly will sit again today. — Bernama

BABY TURTLES HATCHED IN MELAKA IN 2010

Over 23,000 baby turtles hatched in Melaka last year

• News

2011-03-12 17:43

MELAKA, Saturday 12 March 2011 (Bernama) -- A total of 23,677 baby turtles were hatched at the turtle management centre at Padang Kemunting in Masjid Tanah near here last year.

This was 48.82 per cent of the 48,503 eggs incubated at the centre, Chairman of the Melaka Industry, Commerce and Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development Committee Datuk Md Yunos Husin said today.

He said that 137,097 baby turtles were hatched between 2006 and last year.

The number was 56 per cent 242,992 eggs incubated at the centre, Yunos told reporters here after launching the agro-based entrepreneurs carnival at the Melaka International Trade Centre at Ayer Keroh here.

He said that 2,031 tartar turtles landed on Melaka beaches at the same time, more than at any other spot in the country.

Md Yunos said the centre, which was set up in 1997, found 50 dead turtles in coastal Melaka, some of them caught in fishing traps, during the same period.

He said there was a huge jump in the number of visitors to the centre last year -- 21,574, compared to 9,107 in 2009 and 2,447 in 2008.

According to Yunos, there were now 3,200 Melaka-born entrepreneurs, about 1,600 of them in agro-based industries.

Yunos said the main aim of the three-day carnival which began yesterday was to encourage networking among the entrepreneurs.

MySinchew 2011.03.12

STUDY ON HIGH SPEED TRAIN FROM KUALA LUMPUR TO SINGAPORE

Recently, Spad announced that they are doing a study on the proposed high speed rail link from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. It shall be ready in8 weeks time. The study hopes to study the impact of this proposed project on property development, transport and social implication to Malaysia and Malaysians alike.

If this project does take off in the future, it can take a route via the following places:-

Kuala Lumpur - Putra Jaya - KLIA - Port Dickson - Kuala Sungai Baru - Masjid Tanah - Sungai Udang - Melaka - Merlimau - Muar - Batu Pahat - Kukup - Tuas - Singapore.

A high speed express train can stop at major cities/towns with minimum stops which the journey can be done within 2.5 hours especially for business and corporate travellers.

Another train can offer the rides in 3,5 hours with stops at more stations where travellers want to travel at a leisurely pace eg tourists and locals at cheaper rates.

Direct impact on development can occur in Kukup/Pontian/Batu Pahat/Merlimau/Melaka/Masjid Tanah/Kuala Sungai Baru/Port Dickson /KLIA/Putrajaya/Cyberjaya/Kuala Lumpur.

The high speed train service can unlock the property potential along the route and allow inter country commuting within Malaysia and Singapore. Investors will be keen to invest in Malaysia by staying in Malaysia but can still work in Singapore and vice versa.

Some food for thought for planners.

WATCH RAPTORS AT TANJUNG TUAN, MELAKA.

Raptors circling above Tanjung Tuan forest reserve, view from PNB Ilham Resort. — Pictures by Low Mei May

THOUSANDS of birds are expected to make their way back to their breeding grounds in Russia, China, Korea and Japan after spending their winter months away in Indonesia.

The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) is organising its 12th annual Raptor Watch at Tanjung Tuan, in Negri Sembilan. The spot is the shortest route across the sea between the peninsula and Indonesia.

The birds, mostly raptors, make a beeline for it, crossing the sea by catching the thermal -- a column of rising warm air in the lower altitudes.

As large birds, raptors cannot continuously flap their wings all the way back to the northern hemisphere. They need to glide on thermals to help them travel the distance.

Once they are above Tanjung Tuan, the raptors will keep circling to catch thermals to fly higher - giving bird watchers from the ground a spectacular view of these magnificent avians.

Apart from helping nature enthusiasts enjoy the spectacular aerial display, the MNS is also organising a host of activities this weekend with yearly venue sponsor - PNB Ilham Resort, Port Dickson.

Among them are the forest walk, marine/seashore walk, and bird watching. Booths for face painting and henna tattoo and games will also be set up.

Other programmes include T-kite making and paper recycling activities, talks and hourly video screening on bird watching.

On Sunday, check-out the Raptor Watch amazing race, fashion show competition for schoolchildren, and photography tips by the MNS photo group. Come armed with your cameras. Oh, don't forget your binoculars.

Performances, lucky draws and exhibitions on nature and bird-related programmes will be held.

For the forest walk and marine/seashore walk, come with appropriate shoes - so, ladies, keep the high heels at home.

Wear comfortable long sleeved blouses or shirts. Don't forget your cap or hat, suntan lotion and bottled water.

Raptor Watch ambassador, Maya Karin, will be there to give her support.

Call the Malaysian Nature Society at 03-2287 9422 or email to: raptorwatch@gmail.com or visit www.mns.org.my for details.

Read more: Watch raptors fly over Tanjung Tuan http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10raptor/Article#ixzz1GC7fO64a