Facelift at Penang Airport roundabout

Ever noticed something different happening at the roundabout when you reach the Penang Airport or when you came out of the airport? Well, you will see many gigantic balls being placed around the roundabout. I myself was in a surprised mode few weeks back when I first saw them. Actually it's very nice thing to do given that the roundabout used to be a dull and 'normal' looking one. It's certainly not a way which we want visitors to see upon stepping onto Penang island :)

From The Star today:

THE mundane-looking roundabout, which is one of the first things that tourists see after leaving the Penang Interna-tional Airport in Bayan Lepas, is undergoing a major facelift.

The Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah-Jalan Tun Dr Awang roundabout in Penang was recently adopted by the SP Setia Group and the company has undertaken a project to beautify the roundabout at a cost of between RM500,000 and RM600,000.

Its northern region property general manager S. Rajoo said the roundabout was an ‘eyesore’ to frequent travellers like him, who regularly flies between Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

“Pearls were chosen for the project, which is expected to be completed by Nov 23, as we wanted to remind the people, especially the youngsters, that the other name for Penang is the ‘Pearl of the Orient’.

“A curved wall has been erected at the roundabout with the main pearl structure being positioned on the wall with a ‘Welcome to the Pearl of the Orient’ sign.

“There are 15 pearls adorned with multicoloured LED lights that will glow and dim at intervals. The pearls are already be erected along the road leading to the airport and all around the roundabout,”.

Rajoo said bamboo plants would also be planted at the back of the wall to form a curtain, adding that the roundabout would be a thing of beauty when completed in a week’s time as even the pillars of the flyover would be decorated with colourful lightings.

Thank you SP Setia !!! Good job and well done...

6th Penang Career Expo & 2nd Postgraduate Expo 2009

Date : 14th Nov 09 - 15 Nov 09

Time : 11am to 9pm

Venue : Penang International Sports Arena (PISA)

The Penang Career Expo, organised by PenExpo, was first established in 2008. It offered businesses and postgraduates located in Penang the opportunity to meet.

Objective :
- The most effective platform for higher education and training institutions to showcase the institutions and courses.
- To increase the awareness of existing higher educational and training opportunities
Ideal place to meet face-to-face prospective students interested in higher education
- To assist government on promoting higher education available in both local and oversea.

Penang 32nd Round the Island Relay 09 : 20th Dec 2009

Hmm...it's back it's back....the round the island relay....get your running kakis and join this event....I saw them running last year....quite fun with each person running 10+km....good luck!

Round the Island Relay 2009 - Organised by PAAA

When : Sunday 20 Dec 2009

Time: 6:30am

Each Team to consist of 12 runners (with 3 reserves)

Route: Esplanade >7.5km > Gelugor > 7.3km > Bayan Lepas > 6.3km > Sungai Batu >3.9km > Balik Pulau > 5.0km > Genting > 6.4km > Sungai Rusa > 5.7km > Sungai Pinang >7.5km > Telok Bahang > 5.3km > Batu Ferringhi > 6.3km > Tanjung Bungah > 6.4km >Tanjung Tokong > 5.1km > Esplanade

Total Distance : 72.7km

Categories :

Men Open (16 years and above)- Qualifying Time 5 hours

Men Veteran Open (35 years and above)- Qualifying Time 6 hours

Entry Fees : RM40 per team (Affiliates) and RM60 (Non-Affiliates)

Closing date: 30 November

Eastin Penang targets 70pc occupancy for first-half 2010

Wah...so fast opened already while furnishing and renovation works still ongoing! Really want to rush for PBIM participants to stay...hahaha.

THE RM130 million Eastin Hotel Penang, which will open its doors for business on Thursday, is looking at an average of 70 per cent occupancy for the first half of 2010.

Hotel manager Mary Ann Harris said the first chain hotel of the Eastin group, which is located in the Queensbay waterfront township, will be looking to its neighbours for business.

"Owing to our proximity to the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, we are eyeing business travellers linked to the multinational companies and small- and medium-sized businesses operating here," she told Business Times yesterday.

The 14-storey hotel, which is the second hotel owned by the CP Group, will focus on filling up its 328 rooms with corporate travellers from Penang and the northern region, while the weekend stays will be targeted towards leisure travellers from neighbouring states and overseas.

"We will not limit our market to corporate travellers from Penang island alone, but will also be targeting businesses from the industrial parks on the mainland and in Kedah," she said.

Calling all NOKIA new owners : Nokia recalling 14m mobile phone chargers

Nokia Corp announced yesterday that some 14 million mobile phone chargers could be dangerous for users and said it will replace them free of charge.

The chargers, bearing Nokia's name and made by Chinese battery and auto part maker BYD Co, are models AC-3E and AC-3U, made between June 15 and August 9 this year; and AC-4U, manufactured between April 13 and Oct.ober 25, 2009. They were mostly sold in Europe and North America.

Nokia said the chargers' plastic covers might work loose and expose wiring, which could cause an electric shock if touched if the charger is plugged into a socket. It said it had received no reports of injuries or accidents related to the chargers.

Nokia is the world's largest mobile phone maker with an estimated 38 per cent global market share of all mobile devices. In the third quarter it sold 108.5 million units.

Toyota leaves Formula One...who's next?

Toyota has become the third major car manufacturer to pull out of Formula One in the space of twelve months. With word of the exit having circulated already, confirmation of the Japanese marque's decision came on Wednesday; the news does, however, mean that there is now space on the grid for the Qadbak-owned Sauber outfit.

With Honda having pulled the plug on its F1 project last December and the same news coming from BMW in July, the latter's Hinwil-based team now looks to have secured a position on the 2010 grid after Toyota's announcement arrived.

Having moved out of rallying at the end of the last decade to concentrate on its F1 plan, the Cologne-based team first moved onto the grid in 2002 with Mika Salo and Allan McNish as the driver line-up. Despite its significant budget, no podium result would come until the Malaysian Grand Prix of 2005, courtesy of Jarno Trulli, who followed up on the success to grab pole position at Indianapolis the same year.

Along with Brawn and Williams, Toyota looked to have finally succeeded in gaining an advantage over the rest of the field by being an early developer of a revolutionary double diffuser this season, although the red and white cars eventually fell back into the midfield as the likes of McLaren and Ferrari became stronger.

Toyota's declaration this week underlines the ever-present economic issues of the sport following teams' refusal to support a budget cap earlier in the year.

Nevermind, it's OK....we do not need our Camry or Vios to be as fast as formula one cars on our roads....hehehehe.

Practise Note 17 (PN 17)

Well, whenever people talk about PN17 about some stock counter, I was always wondering what is PN17? The only thing I knew is that the said counter is in some financial mess. From my reading today, I finally found out what exactly is PN17 referring to. Something interesting to share out ;)

On the pages of Bursa Malaysia Quotes, classified stocks are highlighted in 'red'. These are Practice Note 17 (PN17) companies or companies in financial distress. Criteria for a listed company to be classified as a PN17 company are as follows:-

1. Shareholders' fund is equal or less than 25% of the total issued and paid up capital of the listed company; or

2. Receivers and/or managers have been appointed to take control of at least 50% of the total assets employed of the company on a consolidated basis; or

3. Winding up of a subsidiary or associate company which makes up at least 50% of the total assets employed of the company on a consolidated basis; or

4. The auditors have expressed adverse or disclaimer opinion on the listed company's latest audited accounts; or

5. For any default in payment, the listed company must announce its inability to provide a solvency declaration through Practice Note 1/2001 or PN1; or

6. The listed company has suspended or ceased all or a major part of its operations.