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Proton has today announced the recall of some 42,000 Proton Perdanas (2.0 and V6 versions) for rectification and/or replacement of a part of the suspension system which is defective and could separate.

The recall has been initiated following information sent by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation which is also recalling over 230,000 units of the Galant, Emaraude, Diamante and Eterna models manufactured in Japan between March 5th 1992 and January 8th 2001.

The Proton Perdana, being an adaptation of the Mitsubishi Eterna, shares many components which are imported from the supplier which also provides components for the Mitsubishi models. As such, it is also affected by the recall.

Mitsubishi’s official recall description describes the defect as ‘water intrusion into the BJ [balljoint] of the lower lateral arm causes rust on the ball stud resulting in abnormal wear of resin bearing. Consequently, wear of ball stud and BJ case due to there [sic] metal contact may cause the ball stud to come off’.

Proton’s statement on the defect carries a similar description but the company says that the effects of water intrusion could range from noisiness to separation of the balljoint, causing loss of control. Presumably, this condition could lead to an accident so it is clearly a serious matter.

The defect is not the first to affect the Perdana; last year, a dust cover on a lateral arm was also found to be possibly wearing out too fast and a batch of Perdanas had to be recalled although the number actually affected is believed to have been less than 500.

This time round, the recall covers every Perdana ever produced (up till March 2001) – the model was introduced in Malaysia in 1995 – although it is understood that the mode of rectification will be dependent on the findings of the inspection. If wear and rust are not evident, a sealant will be applied in the balljoint area to prevent water from getting in. There will be no charge for work and components related to this recall.

EON, which is the distributor of the Perdana, has made arrangements at its 200 service centres to assist Perdana owners to have the rectification carried out. According to an EON source, the work should take under three hours and Perdana owners can approach a special counter at each service centre for recall-related work. Owners are, however, advised to make an appointment if they can do so but would still be entertained if they cannot (priority will be given to those who have made an appointment). Enquiries can be made by calling the EON toll-free line 1-800-88-3003 or 03-7002388 or writing to customerservice@eon.com.my. Appointments can also be made via the toll-free line or e-mail.

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UMW Toyota Motor has begun to display facelifted versions of the Toyota Unser in its showrooms. The new 2001 versions have notable cosmetic changes on the bodywork, with the front end resembling one of the bigger Toyota 4WDs. The headlamps are also new with a multi-reflector design while the body-coloured resin bumpers have integrated spotlights at the front. Following the latest trends, the rear lighting units now have clear lenses with coloured bulbs.

The rear end also looks different and a comparison with the previous version will show that the rear glass panel appears ‘bigger’ in the new Unser. This is a bit of visual trickery by using black paint around the glass pane, especially below it. The effect makes the rear end of the Unser look less like a van and even more like an MPV.

A peek inside revealed that the dashboard has been restyled with a ‘softer’ appearance in its lines. The steering wheel is now a 3-spoke type instead of the boring 2-spoke design and a new design is used on the fabric upholstery.

Seating accommodation is unchanged, which means there’s comfortable space for eight adults. The middle row can be folded while the last row can be removed altogether if desired. The removal is done very easily and no tools are necessary.

From what we could ascertain, there are no mechanical changes under the bonnet but the rear suspension has had a small improvement to give better ride comfort while the inclusion of a sub-muffler reduces noise levels further.

As before, there are two engine choices – a 1.8-litre petrol engine with EFI with either a 5-speed manual transmission or an electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic transmission, or the 2.4-litre diesel engine only with 5-speed manual transmission. As the diesel engine is considered a ‘Green Engine’ by Malaysian authorities, owners can enjoy a 50% rebate on roadtax.

According to a sales representative we spoke to, there are three new metallic colour choices – Passion Red, Cosmic Beige (shown in the pictures) and Blue Violet – in addition to the current Inca Silver. The optional alloy wheels also have a new design.

To date, over 13,000 Unsers have been sold and it was the most popular MPV in Malaysia last year. The facelifts and improvements for 2001 should sustain the popularity of this versatile vehicle.

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Crash tests are today a standard activity of carmakers. Thousands of cars, many in prototype form, are propelled into solid barriers or hit at the sides and rear as well as rolled over. The results of such crashes are fully documented using high-speed cameras and engineers study what happens to the bodywork as well as the highly sophisticated dummies which represent human occupants.

But such sophistication was not found in crash tests in the 1950s when Renault conducted the first ‘destructive tests’ on its products. In 1955, Renault engineers tested the resistance of the Dauphine model in front impact, side impact and rollover accident situations. Five years later, a detailed analysis of deformations on some 100 Dauphines that had been involved in collisions was one of the first-ever accident research studies in Europe.

In those early years, no on-board measurements could be made during the tests and the dummies used at the time were made with wire and fabric-covered straw to simulate various parts of the human body. But they were not entirely as simple as store mannequins as the head was more sophisticated – it could break open at a certain degree of impact against a rigid element. It consisted of a plastic shell filled with lead and fat, to make up the mass of approximately 5 kg, similar to that of a human head. In testing, it was designed to shatter if dropped from a height of 1 metre onto a hard surface, which corresponded to the result of biomechanical tests carried out on real skulls.

While the first crash tests focussed on the effects of a car being rammed into a solid non-moving obstacle, more ‘real-world’ situations were progressively added by Renault researchers. As Renault made many small cars, the effects of a small car colliding with a larger one were of great interest as it was necessary to provide the occupants of the smaller car with as much protection as possible.

One of the earliest studies in this respect was conducted using a Renault 5 which was put into a head-on collision with a Zephyr in 1972. Initially, it was apparent that the small car suffered severe damage which would have certainly caused serious injuries to the occupants. But before long, solutions were found and Renault demonstrated how it was possible to improve the situation. Basic changes in structural design were necessary to make the small car stiffer and the large car more flexible. The result was eloquent: the small car’s cabin was preserved without incurring any particular extra danger for the large car.

But in the 1970s, the simple restraint systems – seatbelts – provided only moderate restraint and in the decades that followed, much effort went into developing restraint systems which would effectively reduce the injuries.

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The new Renault Laguna II has become the first car to achieve a 5-star rating in Europe’s leading independent crash tests – Euro-NCAP. A fifth star was added to the Euro-NCAP star rating system early in 2000 to set an additional safety challenge for Europe’s car makers. To achieve the fifth star a car has to perform exceptionally well in both the front and side impact tests as well as in Euro-NCAP’s new head protection or ‘pole’ test.

Euro-NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) is an independent consortium which brings together a number of European administrations and consumer associations. The majority of European countries are associated by way of the International Testing association, which is a grouping of 25 consumer associations. Government organisations from Great Britain (Department of Transport), Sweden (National Roads Administration) and France (Ministry of Transport and Equipment) are also associated with Euro-NCAP. To these are added the European Commission, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), and motoring associations such as the ADAC in Germany and the RAC of Great Britain.

The objective of Euro-NCAP is regularly to test the performance of vehicles in crash tests in order to establish a segment-by-segment classification. The scores, expressed as a number of stars, have until now ranged from 1 to 4 stars. The Renault Laguna II is the first car to have broken this pattern, taking the upper limit from 4 to 5 stars. This score has been established by virtue of the passenger injury levels measured during a severe frontal impact at 64km/h with 40% offset, a 90-degree side impact with a deformable barrier at 50km/h, and a side impact against a post at 29km/h.

With its 5-star rating, the Laguna II thus becomes the benchmark in terms of passive safety. At a time when some pessimists believe that passive safety in automobiles is reaching its limits, Renault proves otherwise. With its exceptional score, the Laguna II becomes the best performing model in the European market, in whatever segment, in terms of occupant protection.

The Laguna II structure perfectly resisted a frontal impact carried out in the most severe conditions (64 km/h) imposed during the crash tests conducted at ADAC’s Technical Centre in Landsberg, Germany. Its margin for deformation after the impact remained significant. The reduction of cabin deformation remains one of the major objectives in Renault’s strategy: the new Laguna II structure includes, for example, almost 70 kgs of ultra-high elastic limit (THLE) steel which offers up to 2.5 times the stiffness of conventional steels. Parts such as the engine, the battery, the brake servo, the air filter housing and various accessories fold away so as not to interfere with the programmed deformation of the structure.

To resist side impact, the centre pillar has been strengthened with the addition of three layers of steel to make a total thickness of 4.3 mm. This stiffness, enhanced by the presence of cross-members in the roof and floor, allows impact energy to be distributed in the best way. The door panels are also provided with an energy-absorbing structure which allows better thorax protection.

The test dummy indications emerging from the Euro-NCAP impact showed that the driver and passenger were very well protected in a frontal impact. This proves the effectiveness of the Renault Programmed Restraint System (PRS), a system developed by the company which presently has no equivalent in the market. Comprising an adaptive airbag and seatbelts, this third generation of the Renault Protection System combines variable-volume frontal airbags (two inflation levels) with seatbelts equipped with load limiters (400 kgs for the front seats) and pretensioners. The two inflation levels are selected according to the intensity and violence of the impact.

The challenge: to guarantee even better protection in the case of very severe impacts, without at the same time creating secondary problems during less violent impacts. As part of this new system, Renault differs from other units offered in the market by providing the driver with two pretensioners instead of the normal one. In the event of an impact, this allows forward movement of the driver to be significantly reduced, with notably improved protection for the lower limbs (with a big reduction in the risk of knee injury). Also worth noting is the excellent protection for feet and ankles provided by an energy-absorbing structure at floor level.

The anti-submarining feature has been improved for all seats, and a system which allows the brake pedal to collapse to the floor (the brake pedal shaft breaks apart in the event of a very severe frontal impact) reduces the risk of injury to the lower limbs.

All three back seat passengers of the Laguna II benefit from 3-point seatbelts. The side ones are equipped with pretensioners and 600 kg load limiters. In addition, all versions of the model are equipped with three fold-away rear headrests. Nor has Renault forgotten the needs of
children, since both rear side seats are equipped with the standard Isofix child seat attachment system.

Finally, to protect its occupants during side impact, all versions of the Laguna II are equipped with standard side thorax airbags installed in the backs of the front seats, and with a curtain airbag for head protection, housed in the upper roof rail and protecting both front and back
seats. Thorax side airbags for the back seats are offered as an option for the whole range. In total, the Laguna II has no less than eight airbags.

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It’s called the ‘Millennium Adventure’ and when completed at the end of this year, two explorers – Paige Parker, 32, and Jim Rogers, 58 – will have covered more than 150,000 kms in their Mercedes-Benz SLK after having started the drive around the world on January 1st 1999.

Though having far higher technology available than Phileas Fogg in the classic story ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, the duo’s drive is no still no ‘Sunday drive’. After starting from Iceland, they spent the first 12 months motoring through Central and Eastern Europe heading towards Central and East Asia (through Mongolia, China and up to Japan). Then they crossed Siberia and Russia to make their way back to Europe.

Relishing the symbolism, the duo became a married couple on the first day of 2000. Over the next twelve months, after crossing into North Africa at the Straits of Gibraltar, they drove up and down the African continent, crossed the Arabian Desert and reached Asia via Pakistan and India. Cumulative mileage: over 136,000 kms.

After passing through Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, they are now headed for Australia and then cross the South Pacific to Patagonia in South America. Their plan is to drive all the way to Alaska and then finish at New York City, their hometown, by the last day of 2001.

Predictably, the adventure is documented on two websites (www.paigeparker.com and www.jimrogers.com) and images as well as video are uploaded daily for the global audience. To assist in the uploading, a webmaster and videographer are also on the journey with them.

Parker is focussing on the lifestyle and social aspects of the many diverse cultures they come across, with a particular view on the role of women, ethnic foods and fashion folklore. Rogers monitors and analyses the sociological, political and economic interdependence in the countries they pass through, always with an eye on potential investment opportunities. Thus their reports are an ever-changing, educational yet entertaining kaleidoscope of first-hand tales on the micro and macro scenario of our world at the beginning of a new millennium.

Their car is a specially-developed vehicle which combines the comfort and styling attributes of the Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 with the ruggedness of the legendary 4WD G-Wagen by the same manufacturer. The vehicle was put together by Prisma Design International in California, a design studio owned by Gerhard Steinle, former president of Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America. Steinle conceived the concept of merging the body and interior of the SLK with the chassis and diesel engine of the G-Wagen.

The SLK and short-wheelbase G-Wagen, together with a second long-wheelbase G-Wagen used as a support vehicle, were donated by Mercedes-Benz USA as a tribute to the ‘unprecedented success’ of the brand in the US market as the changeover of millenniums occurs. And a well-established network of service centres all over the world, technical support is available in virtually any country.

Metalcrafters Inc, a body-building specialist, spent three months to create a vehicle worthy of the “Millennium” name. The team not only had to link the mechanical components but deal with the greater challenge of connecting the vastly different computer and electronic systems.

The result is a vehicle that resembles a SLK because the yellow bodywork is of composite fibreglass over a steel frame. Its ground clearance is 300 mm higher than a standard SLK, an important modification in view of the fact that some motoring will be over unmade roads or no roads at all. For tyres, Bridgestone 265/60R-18 Duelers are fitted on the original Mercedes G-Wagen’s 18×7.5 alloy wheels.

The engine is a 3-litre 6-cylinder 24-valve turbodiesel with an output of 130 kW/177 bhp at 4400 rpm and 330 Nm of torque at 3600 rpm. Power delivery to all four wheels is via a M-B 5-speed automatic transmission and for added capability the full-time 4WD system has 3 differential locks, a standard feature on the G-Wagen. A 146-litre fuel tank is used and gives a range of about 1000 kms.

Towed along behind the Millennium SLK is a special two-wheeled utility trailer which echoes the lines of the original SLK. It was designed by Prisma Design and is probably the most charming accessory of this challenging undertaking.

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Lotus Engineering, the automotive engineering consultancy division of Group Lotus plc (in which Proton has an 80% equity) is stretching east to Asia with the opening of a new design engineering centre in Malaysia. Group Lotus, which also manufactures the prestigious Lotus sportscars is one of the world’s leading automotive engineering consultancies and has worked with almost every major automobile manufacturer and world-class component manufacturers.

The favourable and fast-moving ASEAN economy has prompted Lotus to develop a greater presence in this region and in particular in Malaysia. As a “corporate neighbour” to some of the world’s leading car manufacturers, Lotus is able to offer a number of benefits to its customers including improved communications with its clients and the ability to stay in tune with the ASEAN market.

Lotus Engineering Malaysia Ltd (LEM) is based at Technology Park Malaysia outside Kuala Lumpur. By locating itself at this nationally-recognised centre of advanced technological R&D, Lotus is able to capitalise upon the area’s highly developed IT infrastructure. This will ensure fast data communications between all of Lotus’ worldwide sites and facilities, ensuring that projects are carried out speedily across several time zones

“It will be true global project management,” declared Simon Wood, Group Technology Director of Group Lotus plc. Mr Wood said that although this is the era of electronic communications and real-time interaction, there is still nothing better than face-to-face meetings and with the close proximity of the Malaysian office, Lotus engineers can be at Proton’s offices in 15 minutes.

The primary function of the 424 sq. metre facility, which began operations late last year, is design engineering for the automotive industry with the focus on design excellence and digital processes such as Computer Aided design (CAD) and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE).

The international team within LEM are experts in the fields of design engineering and will be supported by talented and skilled local engineers who will have the opportunity to gain from the transfer of skills, technologies and procedures from one of the world’s finest engineering consultancies.

Currently, the facility has 27 staff, with the figure expected to rise to 120 over the next 12 months. Lotus’ philosophy is to take highly educated graduate and post-graduate designers and engineers and integrate them in to its innovative ways of working by building upon its high technology brand and reputation. Through exposure to Lotus’ technologies, these engineers will help to make Malaysia a world leading R&D centre which will both work in partnership and complement the existing mature manufacturing base.

“Malaysia has a well-deserved reputation for producing well educated and world -experienced engineers. We at Lotus are keen to assist Malaysia in capitalising upon this enviable engineering resource by providing opportunities for these skills,” said Mr Wood, in explaining why Lotus has established LEM.

“LEM will become a global design centre, which will complement and be an addition to Lotus’ site and facility portfolio around the world. Therefore, by making full use of these other sites around the world, LEM will be able to offer the Asian-based automotive industry and, in particular, Lotus’ ASEAN clients and customers a full engineering service from concept to production,” added Kevin Elgood, General Manager of LEM.

While LEM will be aiming to do business with new clients in the automotive industry in the region, Mr Wood admitted that its main activity in the coming three years would be mainly with Proton. He added that in due course, Lotus would also be introducing its European and North American clients to Proton’s R&D facilities with a view towards getting new consultancy business for Proton as well.

UTP and Lotus
In a related developed Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and Lotus have joined forces in an industrial partnership that will spearhead a new technology transfer relationship between the two organisations.

The partnership between UTP (one of the leading academic and technology institutions in the ASEAN region) and Lotus, will include the following:

– Joint research programmes such as Advanced combustion, Optical diagnostics and Active valvetrain;
– Industrial placements at Lotus for UTP students and staff;
– Technical papers, presentations and journal publications;
– Advanced engineering lecture programme by Lotus;

“By pooling resources from Lotus and UTP, we have a great opportunity to stretch the boundaries of research for the car of the future. I can see the scope within these two skilled teams to research into safer, more efficient and more advanced vehicles to take the car not just 5 years ahead but well into the next decade and beyond,” said Mr Wood.

Mr Wood is in Malaysia as part of a team visiting local universities and presenting the ‘Lotus Engineering Roadshow’. The event was also presented at Proton’s premises in Shah Alam today and attended by Lord Sainsbury, the British Minister of Science & Technology, who also took the opportunity to visit the factory.

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Cycle & Carriage Bintang Bhd (CCB) today announced that it will be offering the locally-assembled Mercedes-Benz C200K at under RM280,000, a bit lower than the RM290,000 originally stated when the fully-imported units were introduced.

The first locally-assembled units were displayed today at a press/dealers presentation in Subang and the company says that it is in the process of submitting an application for price approval to the authorities. Some 400 orders have already been taken for the locally-assembled C200K, which comes with a compressor, and at this time, it is believed that output is around 3 – 4 cars a day.

“The sophistication of the new C-Class requires more time and effort to assemble and we are discussing with Mercedes-Benz about ways to speed up assembly,” said Datuk Hj Mohamad Hj Hasan, Managing Director of CCB. He added that the C200K is assembled entirely at the company’s own plant in Petaling Jaya, Selangor (adjacent to its head office) and only painting is done at another plant.

Declining to forecast the number of units the company expects to sell this year, he said that the E-Class is presently the best-seller for the company but expects that the new C-Class will become the volume-seller from the middle of the years onwards. He also revealed that towards the end of the year, CCB will introduce the new C-Class coupe as a CBU model to add more excitement to the line-up available.

At the same event today, CCB also announced that warranties on all Mercedes-Benz cars sold by the company or its authorised dealers and imports sanctioned by it will have an extended warranty period of 24 months, added to the standard worldwide 12-month warranty, bringing it to a total of 36 months. The extended warranty – with no mileage limit – has the usual conditions, among which the owner must bring in the vehicle to an authorised CCB service centre at the required intervals.

“It is a normal condition of warranties but on our part, we really want our customers to bring their cars to our service centres because the cars are very sophisticated nowadays. There are many computers and electronic systems and special equipment is needed. If the owners come to us, they will avoid the many problems we have seen happening when they go to workshops that are not authorised by us because the people do not have the knowledge and skills to handle such cars,” explained Datuk Haji Mohamad Hasan.

Although the extended warranty costs CCB extra money to maintain, Datuk Haji Mohamad Hasan said that it is being offered as a gesture of appreciation for the support of its customers and also a sign of confidence in the quality of local assembly. All M-B cars sold by the company from December 1st 2000 will have this extended warranty at no extra charge. It is also transferable to another owner if the warranty is still in effect.

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At last year’s KL International Motorshow, Auto Dunia ran a contest which had the prize of a week’s ‘ownership’ of an Audi A4 1.8T. The simple contest required participants, who had to visit the Audi stand to get their entry forms, to sign the marque’s name in the most creative manner. According to an Auto Dunia source, over 50,000 entries were received during the contest’s 10-day period.

Recently, the company announced three winners of the contest and besides giving them the keys to the Audi A4 1.8T, they were also given RM300 of Shell petrol and a tollcard (worth RM100). The winners were Amir Awang, Lim Ming Boon and Ibrahim Mohd Nassir.

The prize presentation was held at the Auto Dunia Audi showroom in Ampang and include a special Wine Appreciation event for Audi customers. “We have organised this event to thank our loyal customers and enable them to meet one another,” said Tan Chee Keong, Executive Director of Auto Dunia.

Mr Tan also urged those who are still undecided about buying an Audi A4 1.8T to make their decision before April 30th 2001 and place their order with Auto Dunia. Those who do so before that date will get a one-week trip to France, including local tours in Paris, and a ticket to watch famous Le Mans 24-Hour race in June.

“Last year, Audi’s R8 racing cars took the first three places and the team returns to Le Mans this year as the team to beat,” said Mr Tan. “So it will be great for our new Audi A4 owners to also be there to cheer on Audi Sport Team Joest.”

Mr Tan added that the promotion will also indirectly build up interest in a coming 6-hour endurance race to be held at the Sepang International Circuit for the first time on November 11th 2001. This is a special event in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) 2001 calendar which has 11 rounds – seven in the USA, two in Canada and one each in Great Britain and Spain. Audi will be defending its title win in last year’s ALMS.

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Ford Malaysia today confirmed that the Ford Escape, an entirely new sport-utility vehicle (SUV) model, will go on sale in August 2001. The model was given a preview at the KL International Motorshow last year during which time the company announced plans to assemble it locally.

The Malaysian market will be the first to have the Escape in Southeast Asia, not surprising since this is where the most SUVs are sold. Besides the Escape, the Honda CR-V is the only other new-generation small SUV being assembled in Malaysia. The ‘new generation’ refers to the body structure which is monocoque, like a passenger car’s. In the bigger SUVs like the Ford Explorer and Toyota Land Cruiser (as well as the Suzuki Vitara), the body is separate from the chassis. Monocoque construction has the body and chassis as a single unit, making for sharper handling and lighter weight.

Ford Malaysia is likely to also be the supplier of the Ford Escape for the ASEAN region in future, when Malaysia finally meets its AFTA obligation and opens up its auto sector. This will permit exports of the Escape to be made to other ASEAN countries with minimal duties (0% to 5%). It is likely that Malaysia’s 2-year delay in opening up was a major setback for Ford’s plans in the region.

The Malaysian-assembled model will have a 2.0-litre 16-valve engine with 4-speed electronic automatic transmission (possibly with a column-mounted gearlever, like the Spectron’s).

“Ford Escapes will be in the showrooms at the end of April for test-drives and advance bookings,” said Richard Canny, Managing Director of Ford Malaysia. While declining to give the final price – it will only be announced in May – Mr Canny promised that the Escape ‘will be priced very competitively’.

“Relative to the current market pricing and standards in the segment, the Escape will be a very attractive proposition,” he said, adding that it would likely be priced below RM 140,000 on the road – with dual airbags and ABS.

To know more about this new model, read our Ford Escape Preview which was published last year.

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Tai Kwong-Yokohama Battery Industries Sdn Bhd (TKYBI) – a leading local manufacturer of automotive and motorcycle batteries – has been awarded the Special Award for Product Excellence (Innovative Product) by Malaysia’s Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI).

TKYBI is the first and only battery manufacturer to win the prestigious award which is open to all Malaysian manufacturers and exporters of products already available in the market. In determining the recipients, ministry officials judge products on performance, consumer and environment impact, safety, patent status, technical innovations and in-house R&D.

“This is indeed a feather in our cap,” said the proud Chairman of the company, Chow Siew Hon, after receiving the Special Award from International Trade & Industry Minister, Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, at a presentation ceremony. According to Mr Chow, the company’s Yokohama Flat Top Auto Battery has already received two UK Design Registration Certificates for its innovative technology.

“This underlines our dedication to cutting-edge technology,” he declared, adding that TKYBI allocates about RM1 million to R&D annually.

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