In a statement Tuesday, Nasim said the all-new 408 would be available in two variants with one variant fitted with an enhanced fuel-efficient engine that produces the most power in its segment. Additionally, both variants will feature class-leading cabin space and 562-litres of boot space, it said. Naza group of companies  joint group executive chairman SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin said the Peugeot 408 was locally-assembled at Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) in Gurun, Keda, and was ready to be launched for both the Malaysian and regional markets.   "We are targeting to produce 60,000 units of the all-new 408 over a five-year period beginning 2012 and we plan to export 60% of that total to markets in the region," he said. He said Peugeot distributors from Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Brunei, the Philippines and Bangladesh visited NAM last week to get a closer look and test drive the all-new 408.   "The distributors were both impressed and excited over the all-new 408 and will soon place orders to launch the Malaysian-made 408 in their respective countries in the coming months," he said. Nasim COO Datuk Samson Anand George said the 408 would contribute significantly to the company’s sales target of 9,300 units this year, which will represent a 72% jump from its sales in 2011.   He said the all-new 408 will come with Nasim’s recently introduced five-year warranty with unlimited mileage. Together with Nasim’s existing lifetime 24-hours Peugeot Assistance service and its exclusive Peugeot Privilege membership, he said the company aims to provide the best ownership experience for its customers. Source: The Edge Malaysia

French fashion brand Sophie Paris, which opened its flagship store in Petaling Jaya (PJ) yesterday as part of its multi-level-marketing (MLM) foray into Malaysia, aims to generate RM15 million in sales in the country this year. After investing RM5 million for its store in the country, Sophie Paris aims to grow the brand by engaging with distributors to promote and sell membership as well as its range of products. "We will start with handbags and accessories first, then introduce our range of cosmetics and clothing later in the year, followed by shoes in 2013," said Sophie Paris Malaysia managing director Geoffrey Bagot at the launch of the store yesterday. The Jakarta-based company hopes to entice customers to sign up as members as they can earn additional income when they continue to recruit members in the process. "This will help to drive and meet our sales target within the next 12 months. We hope to register 20,000 members this year," he said. Sophie Paris was founded in 1995 by Frenchman Bruno Hasson in Indonesia and has since expanded operations to Morocco, Philippines, Vietnam and now Malaysia (its fifth store). The company generated total sales of US$100 million (RM315 million) last year with more than 1.5 million members globally selling 75,000 products everyday. "We are confident in this market because there is no MLM company in Malaysia that solely specialises in highend fashion at affordable prices. We have a new catalogue out every 40 days, so this keeps our products new and fresh. "The fashion industry in Malaysia is very dynamic and since most women love to make shopping a social gathering, this will also be a great business opportunity for them," said Bagot. Currently, the products available in Sophie Paris Malaysia are handbags, wallets, costume jewellery and accessories such as watches and sunglasses. The company distributes and markets its products through a network marketing model. It has nine brands including Son Altese Sophie and Sophie Signature. Sophie Paris has just opened its doors to the public and is located at C-01, PJX-HM Shah Tower, No. 16A, Persiaran Barat, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. For more information about Sophie Paris, please visit www.sophieparis.com.my . Source : Malaysian Reserve

European and Asian subscribers of Telenor, a leading global telecommunications service provider, are to enjoy fast, crystal clear 3G mobile broadband thanks to the implementation of ’small cells’ technology from the french company Alcatel-Lucent. Under a new global frame agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will have the opportunity to provide Telenor with small cell base stations to support its customers.  These small cells could be used to improve mobile broadband coverage in homes, offices and public locations in the 11 countries in which Telenor operates across Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia (Thailand and Malaysia).  As required by Telenor under the agreement Alcatel-Lucent will be able to provide its end-to-end Femto-technology based 9360 Small Cell solution, including the 9361 Home Cell, the 9362 Enterprise Cell and the 9366 Small Cell Gateway. The solution includes a network management system which combines Alcatel-Lucent’s Wireless Management System, Wireless Provisioning System and the Home Device Manager from its Motive Product Division. Alcatel-Lucent is providing full deployment and integration services along with design, installation and commissioning, software integration and project management. Alcatel-Lucent will be able to provide also comprehensive support to bring superior 3G data services to Telenor’s customers as fast as possible.  A catalogue tailored to all of Telenor Group’s mobile operations covers design, installation, integration, testing, maintenance, and capacity management. As required Alcatel-Lucent canprovide consistent quality of services for Telenor and its customers across all the markets in which it operates.    

Alstom and its consortium partners have signed a contract worth globally over €1 billion with Tanjung Bin Energy Issuer Bhd , the wholly owned subsidiary of Malakoff Corporation Berhad, to provide a 1000 MW supercritical coal-fired power plant at Tanjung Bin, Johor, Malaysia. Alstom’s share in this contract amounts to €830 million. Alstom will supply all key power generation equipment and will be in charge of the overall engineering, project management and commissioning. Alstom will execute the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract together with its consortium partners Mudajaya and Shin Eversendai. Alstom will engineer, supply, construct and commission the 1000 MW supercritical steam turbine and generator, the supercritical boiler, power plant auxiliaries such as mills and air-preheaters as well as proprietary environmental control systems. The emissions at the plant will be significantly reduced through the use of low NOx burners, a highly efficient seawater flue gas desulphurisation facility and Fabric Filters to lower nitrous oxide, sulphur oxide and dust emissions. Additionally, Alstom will also supply and install its latest ALSPA® Series 6 Distributed Control System. Supercritical power plants operate at a higher temperature than regular coal-fired power plants. The high temperature improves their efficiency, increasing the amount of power output and decreasing emissions, particularly CO2 per unit of fuel burned. The Tanjung Bin power plant is to be commissioned in 2016. Combined with the new Manjung power plant also being constructed by Alstom and due to come online in 2015, the power plants will jointly provide an additional capacity of 2000 MW for Peninsular Malaysia. The Tanjung Bin power plant is Alstom’s second contract for a supercritical coal-fired unit in Malaysia, following the order to build the 1000 MW Manjung power plant in March 2011. Andreas Lusch, Senior Vice President of Alstom’s Steam business said that “ This success, following close on the heels of the contract to build the Manjung power plant, is a reinforcement of our Malaysian customers’ confidence in our supercritical technology as well as in our execution capabilities. Our market-leading technology will deliver additional capacity, while at the same time substantially reducing emissions, thus delivering cheaper, cleaner power to Malaysian consumers and businesses.” This contract further strengthens Alstom’s position as the largest original equipment manufacturer in Malaysia, having supplied key equipment for nearly 7.5 GW of the installed power generation capacity of the country. This includes the engineering, procurement and construction of the Malakoff owned 1,300 MW Segari and 650MW GB3 combined cycle power plants in Lumut, and the 3 x 700 MW coal fired plant at Manjung. The air quality control equipment installed at the existing 3 x 700 MW coal-fired plant at Tanjung Bin and the 2 x 700 MW Jimah plant were also supplied by Alstom in the past. Source: Asltom Press Center

Extraordinary general meetings of Radio France International (RFI), its Arabic subsidiary Monte Carlo Doualiya and l’Audiovisuel Extérieur de la France (AEF) have endorsed the merger of the radio station with the international news channel France 24, the AEF announced on Monday. In a statement, the AEF said that this “allows the creation of an official French broadcasting group of international dimensions”, after more than two years of conflict and a procedural battle conducted by the RFI unions against the merger. “With this merger a new page opens, the constitution of a major international audiovisual group that is powerful and competitive”, CEO Alain de Pouzilhac.

Thales has been awarded a contract of 13.5 million euros, to upgrade Kuala Lumpur’s Monorail signalling system. For this change, Scomi Engineering Bhd, which is delivering this upgrade to the operator Prasarana, has selected Thales to supply a turnkey Signalling Solution. The Monorail, operating since 2003 in Malaysia’s capital, is now expanding its passenger transportation capacity by the introduction of new rolling stock with four- carriage trains and by the replacement of the existing signalling along the eleven-stations of the Monorail. The scope of this contract includes a new signaling system for the main line section and a depot, based on an ETCS Level 1 solution, interlocking systems and a new Operational Control Centre.  Thales, will also install on-board ETCS level 1 computers on 12 new vehicles. Thales proven solutions and expertise on rail and urban domains allowed the delivery of an innovative solution that was integrated to address this type of networks. This project represents a particular challenge for Thales since the system has to be implemented in a short timeframe and without impacting the daily operation of this vital infrastructure.   The execution of the contract will be concluded by August 2012, and the new structure is expected to be inaugurated in November 2012. “Thales Malaysia is very proud to have been chosen by Scomi and Prasarana for this project. The decision demonstrates our understanding of the customer’s requirements and the challenges of developing its public transportation system, an understanding based on our long-standing involvement in the Malaysian market and our partnership with local actors. This new endorsement is further encouragement for Thales not only to continue delivering signalling solutions that achieve full customer satisfaction, but also to support Prasarana in its future programmes by steadily increasing local content and teaming with trusted, professional local partners” said Jean-Philippe Durieux, Thales  Country Director for Malaysia. Source: Thales press room

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong said the ministry was working with countries in the European Union to locate pig farmers and slaughterhouses that export pork to Malaysia. “With this measure, we can do a systematic audit and inspect the suppliers to make sure that the pork supplied to Malaysia is of good quality,” he said here yesterday. “We also hope the import of pork can be done directly through the supplier. This is to ensure that if there are any problems, we can locate the source of the pork.” Chua said the ministry’s efforts to scrutinise the supply source of pork importers started in April this year. “In May, we asked importers to reveal the details of their imports, including the source country, pig farms and slaughterhouses. “However, we have not received enough details from most of them even after our deadline on July 1,” he said. Instead, the ministry noticed a big jump in imports. Last year, Malaysia had imported about 17,000 tonnes of pork. “But by June this year, Malaysia had imported over 14,000 tonnes, said Chua. “This has caused a drop in the price of pork,” he said. “That is why we want to have a system that ensures that pork prices do not fluctuate too much, and consumers can have quality pork at an affordable price.” Chua said he does not foresee an increase in the price of pork as the supply in the country will be sufficient when Chinese New Year comes around. “If everything goes well, we expect pork prices to be a little lower next year,” he said. On another matter, Chua said the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry was currently working with the Health Ministry in negotiations with the Chinese authorities to decide on a mutually acceptable level of nitrite in bird’s nests. From The Star