To serve you better, effective 1st February 2012, Goodyear Malaysia can be contacted via their new telephone number at 03 – 5520 3200. Also, they now have a dedicated and very first Customer Care Contact Centre.

Here are the details:
1. Goodyear Malaysia General Line : 03 – 5520 3200
2. Customer Care Line : 1300 – 88 – 8973
3. Customer Care Fax : 03 – 5510 2466
4. Customer Care Email : customercare@goodyear.com

The Customer Care operates from Mondays to Fridays 9.00 am to 6.00 pm and Saturdays from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm. They are closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

The Goodyear Malaysia Headquarters is situated at the same address; at Lot 51, Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40200, Shah Alam, Selangor.

For further information, please visit their official Goodyear website or contact the Customer Care Line (1300 – 88 – 8973).

Proton will once again be in the thick of the action when the 17th edition of cycling’s prestigious Le Tour de Langkawi 2012 kicks off later this month.

Extending its support and sponsorship for the 17th successive year, the national car manufacturer today presented a mock-key and the symbolic Blue Jersey to the organizer of the Le Tour de Langkawi 2012 at a brief ceremony held at the PROTON Centre of Excellence in Subang Jaya.

PROTON has been a sponsor of the prestigious international race for the last 16 years since it was first held in 1996. This year’s sponsorship of the tour will be of a fleet of vehicles, as well as in terms of technical support, maintenance, manpower and merchandise giveaways during the cavalcade.

The PROTON cavalcade is a procession of vehicles that will proceed ahead of the main racing peloton in promoting the tour. Proton vehicles to be used throughout the tour include variants of the Inspira and Saga, the Exora, Persona, Perdana and Satria Neo. PROTON will also be setting up promotional and sales booths at the various stops throughout the tour.

This is the third consecutive year PROTON is sponsoring the Blue Jersey which will be worn by the tour’s overall Sprint Champion.

“Le Tour de Langkawi provides PROTON with a fantastic opportunity to showcase our range of vehicles not only to the local audience, but also the international riders, teams, officials and television viewers who will be following the race,” said PROTON’s Director of Group Marketing, Branding and Motorsports, John D. Chacko.

“In line with our Commitment to be Better brand promise, we at PROTON hope that our continued support of major international events being organized in the country will contribute not only towards promoting tourism but in elevating Malaysia’s status internationally.”

Le Tour de Langkawi 2012 has attracted a total of 120 cyclists representing 22 local and top international professional teams who will compete in a grueling 1414.8km stretched over 10 days. This year’s race will also see the teams being flagged at the PROTON Centre of Excellence in Shah Alam for Stage 6 which is a challenging 108km charge to the peak of Genting Highlands. A win in this Stage is also the most sought-after by the cyclists as it is the most challenging route throughout the race.

The tour starts with 20.3km individual time trial around Putrajaya on 24th February 2012 before taking competitors through Melaka, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Pahang and ending on 4th March 2012 in Kuala Terengganu.

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has recently introduced the upgraded compact crossover SUV, Mitsubishi ASX.

For those who enjoy an outgoing and active lifestyle, the Mitsubishi ASX offers 17″ alloy rims, magnesium paddle shifters which enables drivers to shift gears without moving the hand off the steering wheel, auto-retractable side mirrors, smart key and push start operating system.

For a cosy drive, the Mitsubishi ASX introduces premium leather seats with enhanced comfort for better lumbar support.

The Mitsubishi ASX also comes with a Telescopic steering, coloured LCD Multi-Info Display, and a 2-DIN touch screen entertainment system. To aid parking and reversing, the ASX comes with both front and rear sensors as well as a rear view camera.

Priced at RM 138,156.10 on the road exclusive of insurance, the further advanced ASX is obtainable in four colours – White Pearl, Mica Black, Red Metallic and Titanium Grey. Owners get to enjoy a 3-year/100,000 km warranty as well as Mitsubishi’s 2-year free maintenance package.

The ASX recently won the most fuel economical compact cross-over in the 2.0L Compact SUV category. It uses MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control) an exclusive technology that adjusts intake timing for optimal performance across the rev range. The engine also utilizes a 2.0 lightweight aluminium block as it puts out 150PS to take control of city streets.

The ASX also comes with a 6-speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with sports mode to offer a new level of driving enjoyment including an automatic transmission that’s quiet, efficient and eliminates the harshness and power lag of a conventional gear changes.

The ASX was designed to combine the high ride point and comfort of an SUV while offering good handling and easy manoeuvring of a sedan for active driving fun. The ASX also offers ample boot space for an adventurous gear or an exciting weekend getaway.

For safety purposes, the ASX comes with standard Active Stability Control (ASC) and Hill Start Assist (HSA) – to make it easy to start off on a steep uphill slope by preventing the vehicle from sliding backward. The ASX also comes with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), pretensioners and force limiters seatbelts as well as dual-stage SRS airbags plus a driver’s knee airbag.

Malaysia’s most popular compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) the Perodua Alza, stands to attract even more customers with the introduction of the attractively-priced Perodua Alza Smart Ride (Alza SR).

It is available for viewing and booking at all its 178 showrooms nationwide from February 2 and is priced between RM53,013.50 and RM56,513.50 on-the-road in Peninsular Malaysia. The new variant comes in 3 colours: Glittering Silver, Ivory White and a new colour, Mystical Purple.

The new Alza SR is a practical and reliable vehicle that helps drivers tackle the many surprises that life has in store. The ALZA SR is designed for smart owners looking for flexibility and freedom whilst driving.

It is aimed at young families who want a flexible compact MPV with sedan features. The Alza SR is indeed ideal for those who want the extra space for daily usage as well as for balik kampung trips.

Perodua Managing Director Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said the ALZA model is the most preferred multi-purpose vehicle with 81,000 units sold to date, since its launch in November 2009.

“The introduction of the ALZA SR variant will make it even more affordable for Malaysian consumers looking to upgrade to a more spacious vehicle,” he said

“Our customers like the versatility and functionality that Alza offers and do not mind having less features available compared with the standard and other variants. However, it does not mean we have compromised on the safety and the aesthetics of the Alza SR,” Aminar pointed out.

For customers who prefer the mounted handbrake feature, Perodua has also made it available in the automatic variant of the Alza SR. Others will also welcome the separate front seats type instead of the bench type in the automatic variant.

Aminar said Perodua targets to sell about 400 units of the Alza SR monthly. This would be in the region of 13% of Alza’s monthly sales.

“Perodua came out with this affordable variant to meet the expectations of the customers in line with our slogan “You Matter Most” in tandem with our brand statement of “Building Cars, People First,” he said.

Alza 1.5 BX Manual (Solid) – RM53,013.50
Alza 1.5 BX Manual (Metallic) – RM53,513.50
Alza 1.5 BZ Auto (Solid) – RM56,013.50
Alza 1.5 BZ Auto (Metallic) – RM56,513.50

Goodyear Malaysia was recently awarded as Perodua’s Best Outstanding Yearly Performance Vendor under the Quality and Delivery 2011 category. The award recognizes the company’s “A” rank performance on quality and delivery of Goodyear tyres to Perodua’s manufacturing plant near Rawang, Selangor, for 12 months consecutively.

Commenting on the presentation of this award, Zakariah Ahmad, MD of Goodyear Malaysia said, “We are extremely proud of this achievement. It is a solid affirmation of our continuous efforts with a business model that focuses on innovation as well as research and development. This also guarantees the production of high quality performance tyres that meet a wide range of needs for all.”

It is a first for both Perodua and Goodyear to be handing out and receiving the Best Outstanding Yearly Performance Vendor award. The award criteria is based on timely delivery, zero quality concerns and its vendor counter-measure issuance from the beginning of the year. Vendors’ performances are also manually tracked on a monthly basis by Perodua. At the very core of a successful strategy in building a sustainable and profitable business proposition, Goodyear’s mission is to deliver excellent customer satisfaction.

“Coupled with our competitive suite of products and services, we believe we have a winning formula. We are deeply honoured to be the first tyre manufacturer to receive this award from Perodua and proud to be ranked “A” in the Best Outstanding Yearly Performance Vendor category. At Goodyear, it is about striving harder to drive innovation and ensure that we truly deserve to be the market leader in tyre manufacturing. Our end goal is our customers’ satisfaction,” added Encik Zakariah.

“We are also the most preferred OEM because we continuously strive harder to drive innovation in everything we do. Our consumers are happy with the products and that encourages us to provide our consumers with only the best,” he added.

Proton’s PG Andersson piled on the pressure and stepped up his game in the Monte Carlo Rally to stretch his lead in the 2012 FIA Super World Rally Championship (S-WRC) category.

Combing the icy roads through snow, rain and fog, Andersson’s Satria Neo S2000 held on to 9th overall and extended his overnight lead from 23 seconds to some 1 minute 40 second over his nearest S-WRC rival Kevin Abbring in the Skoda Fabia S2000.

Abbring dropped two places to 12th overall with Irishman Craig Breen in the Ford Fiesta S2000 3rd in the S-WRC class and 15th overall, a further five minutes behind. Frenchman Bryan Bouffier in the Peugeot 207 S2000 retains 4th place in the S-WRC class but moved up to 18th overall.

Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb continued to dominate the Monte Carlo Rally to lead by more than two minutes ahead of Spain’s Dani Sordo in the Mini. Sordo however, took advantage of third placeman Petter Solberg’s misfortunes to build a gap of more than a minute. Solberg had damaged the wheel of his Ford Fiesta and subsequently suffered a puncture.

The third day of rallying was contested over three special stages in the mountainous region of Southern France which included tackling what is reputed to be one of the most difficult stages of the Monte Carlo Rally, the 24.13km Cimetiere de Vassieux – Col de Gaudissart.

“It’s looking good but with five more special stages and two days of rallying ahead, it will come down to a test of nerves. Andersson is on course for what has been a phenomenal debut for Proton on the World Rally Championship, and the team’s extending all the support to see him to the finish,” said Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood, the Head of Proton Motorsports.

Results as at SS13:

From left: Mr Vince Au Yoong (Acting Director Retail Banking, RHB Bank), Mr. Zakaria Ismail (Director of Corporate Affairs NAZA Groups of Companies), Mr. Renzo Viegas (Deputy Managing Director of RHB Banking Group), Mr. Nik Danial Nik Mahmood (Vice President of Two Wheels Division, NAZA Groups of Companies)

RHB Now kicks off the year with the “Race for a Ducati!” campaign, set to make the RHB Banking Group’s customers’ hearts racing with excitement!

The RHB Now “Race for a Ducati!” campaign is open to customers who perform any of the RHB Now financial transactions. The campaign runs for 8 weeks, from 20 January – 15 March 2012.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Renzo Viegas, Deputy Managing Director, RHB Bank Berhad, said, “We are pleased to note that RHB Now users have increased 3.5 times for the last 24 months. We project the growth to increase 2.5 times more from all channels by the end of the year. This campaign is one of our ways of giving our customers a more rewarding internet and mobile banking experience. It is unique in that we hope to show our customers we appreciate them by creating more value and offers to meet their needs.”

To be eligible for the campaign, the customers need to perform any financial transactions via RHB Now, then play the RHB Now Racer online and mobile game from various channels such as PC/laptop, iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. The customer with the highest score will be displayed on the Leader Board.

The top 10 customers with the highest score of the week will win exciting weekly prizes. The top 10 best players with the highest score throughout the campaign period will be invited to a Grand Finale Challenge event and compete among each other. The top 3 customers with the highest score will win an Italian Ducati Monster 795 bike, the latest offering from Ducati Malaysia, and Ducati merchandise each while the rest will win consolation prizes consists of cash and Ducati merchandise each.

The Monster is a motorcycle designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi and produced by Ducati Motor Holding in Bologna, Italy since 1993 and till to date in the motorcycle World, it is an icon in the naked bike segment.

A naked bike is characterized by an exposed engine and frame and the deliberate use of the trellis frame in the Ducati Monster is an integral part of the motorcycle’s design allowing for both aesthetic appeal and structural efficiency. The new incarnation of the latest Monster 795 is powered by an 803cc L-Twin Desmodromic air cooled engine giving superior performance and handling so famous in any Ducati.

According to Datuk Wira SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin, Joint Group Executive Chairman, Naza Group of Companies, “We have always explored new ways of reaching out to our customers and with the following strategic partnership we are proud to present the DUCATI World through RHB. A synergy that creates a new level of excitement to both brands that combines online and traditional methods”

Next Bike Sdn Bhd, a company under the NAZA Group of Companies and the official distributor for Ducati in Malaysia will be the exclusive partner of RHB Bank Berhad to conduct a series of road shows in the major cities and towns across Malaysia.

Perodua sold some 180,000 vehicles, consisting of 30% of the Total Industry Volume (TIV) in 2011, making it the most preferred automotive brand for 6 years in a row!

The achievement is backed by strong demand for its new Myvi model, which registered nearly 78,000 units last year, as well as strong demand for its 2 other models – the ViVA and ALZA.

Perodua Managing Director, Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said Perodua has set a sales target of 188,000 this year or an 4% increase from 2011 on the back of better standard operating procedures from Perodua as well as aggressive promotions throughout the year.

“We are confident that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we can meet this target,” he said at a media briefing here today.

Aminar added that Perodua is also doing well in terms of after sales as the national car company recorded its highest ever service intake of 1.67 million vehicles in 2011; this translates into a market share of 51% of Perodua vehicles currently in operation.

Aminar also revealed that Perodua has doubled its exports to 8,000 vehicles in 2011 from 4,000 vehicles in 2010.

“We aim to further boost our exports this year to 10,000 units by further increasing the export volume to the countries that we are currently in as well as exploring new markets,” he said.

Aminar said that under the Perodua’s 5-year road map, the company aims to quantum leap its exports to some 20,000 vehicles by 2015.

Perodua currently export its cars to 7 countries – Singapore, Brunei, Mauritius, Fiji, Sri Lanka, the UK and Nepal. It also exports its Myvi model to Indonesia under the Daihatsu Sirion badge.

Aminar said that Perodua also aims to further boost its customer satisfaction by improving the quality of its service on both sales and after sales.

Aside from better training its human capital resources to be more efficient and knowledgeable, Perodua will also build its new flagship 3S centre in Section 19, Petaling Jaya as a model of its future sales and service centres nationwide.

Over 25 volunteers from UMW Toyota Motor played host to 30 children from House of Joy, Puchong Selangor during a special shopping treat at Sunway Pyramid. This annual Festive Gathering was organised as part of the company’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and also to inculcate a spirit of volunteerism and community service among the UMW Toyota Motor personnel.

The Chinese New Year ‘double joy’ began with a fully sponsored shopping spree and was led up to a fun dinner time. The children aged between 6 to 17 years old, enjoyed a full Chinese New Year spread, exciting entertainment by a magician and were presented with Angpows. This outreach programme was intended to assure these children that they have friends who care and are not alone in this world.

Children from House of Joy with their purchase of the day

The 25 over volunteers from UMW Toyota Motor were each assigned a child from the home. Their task for the day included taking the child shopping for their Chinese New Year clothes and shoes as well as enjoying the attractions of the shopping mall since these children seldom get the opportunity to visit such places. This outing was a suitable time for the volunteers to build rapport with the children and foster the Chinese New Year of giving and sharing.

One for the memory! - UMW Toyota Motor volunteers with the children from House of Joy in a group photograph

According to En. Ismet Suki, President of UMW Toyota Motor, the underprivileged kids often feel their deprivation the most during the festive seasons when most people are fortunate to enjoy their Chinese New Year shopping with their families and loved ones.

“This is why we make a special effort to spread a little cheer to House of Joy by treating the children on a shopping spree for this festive season. We hope to become a part of the ‘family’ that they never had,” he explained.

The Staff Volunteer Programme is part of the Philanthropic pillar of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). UMW Toyota Motor’s commitment to CSR has been an integral part of its corporate culture since it was established in 1987. Its CSR approach is consonant with its philosophy of ‘A history of service to society’, where UMW Toyota Motor continually seeks opportunities to contribute to the communities where they operate their business.

Mr. Keiichi Murakami, Executive Director, UMW Toyota Motor presenting the angpow to children from House of Joy

Present at the festive gathering was Mr Keiichi Murakami, Executive Director, UMW Toyota Motor, Mr Khong Man Cheong, Executive Director, Vehicles Sales Group, UMW Toyota Motor, Mr Harry Loo Chee Yan, Director of Customers Relations Management & Information Technology Services and other senior management of the company.

The House of Joy, Puchong welcomes any donation to help the children.

Please contact Ms Lesley Mah at 019-339 2847 for more details.

The MotoGP fraternity will revisit the scene of one of the most tragic incidences in the history of the motorcycling world championships, when all riders return to the Sepang International Circuit for the first official MotoGP testing starting on the 31st of January.

It will be an emotional return for all the MotoGP riders as this will be first time the riders will return to Sepang International Circuit after the tragic death of San Carlo Honda Gresini rider, Marco Simoncelli last October 2011, during the Malaysian MotoGP.

On a positive note, Sepang is set to kick off another exciting season with the first MotoGP official testing on the 31st January to the 2nd February followed by the second testing session on the 28th February to 1st March.

“MotoGP will be back and the action start here in Sepang. And, the new season looks set to be the most emotional and exciting ever,” declared Datuk Ahmad Razlan Ahmad Razali, the Chief Executive Officer of Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

“There’s perennial favourite, Valentino Rossi who will adorn Ducati colours for the second consecutive season; defending champion, Casey Stoner with Honda and Dani Pedrosa. There will also be a debut for Moto2 champion, Stefan Bradl.

“More good news for the fans as 2010 champion, Jorge Lorenzo will be back in action on Yamaha’s new factory YZR-M1 MotoGP bike at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia on January 31st.

“It will be the first time he will be on a MotoGP bike since his 2011 season was ended in premature and painful fashion when he crashed during the warm-up session for the Australian Grand Prix which forced him to miss the last two races in Sepang and Valencia,” said Razlan, adding that the MotoGP riders last tested their bikes in November in Valencia after the final race of 2011.

SIC’s reputation as one of the few circuits around to be selected as the official circuit for MotoGP testing is a testament to the excellent safety features and technical specifications of the track.

“SIC is proud to be one of the few circuits to be the official circuit for MotoGP testing and our circuit is favourable and well-liked by both riders and especially manufacturers in developing their bikes,” said Razlan.

“The presence of the riders is also a main draw for the fans from Malaysia and around the world and provides numerous economic impacts to our country through income from tourism spending.

“Tourists who come for the MotoGP testing will boost our country’s economy by spending on hotels, shopping and other activities during their stay in Malaysia,” added Razlan.

The first of two official testing with the second test scheduled later in the final week of February will see 21 teams testing with the new Claiming Rule Team (CRT) bikes and riders making their debut on the circuit.

Among the new CRT teams making their first appearance on the grid are Edwards (Forward Racing), Danilo Petrucci (Ioda Racing Project), Anthony West (Speed Master), Randy De Puniet (Aspar Team), Aleix Espargaro (Aspar Team), Ivan Silva (BQR-FTR), Michele Pirro (Honda Gresini), Yonny Hernandez (BQR-FTR) and James Ellison (Paul Bird Racing).

From 2012, teams not entered by one of the major manufacturers may seek Claiming Rule Team (CRT) status. CRT is intended to allow independent teams to be competitive at a lower cost and increase the number of entries in MotoGP.

Although the initial verdict was that the CRT bikes will be slower than the Prototype MotoGP bikes that will be on the grid, Colin Edwards, has given the thumbs up after testing the BMW/Suter CRT at Jerez with the overall impression being that the bike was better than he first expected.

The debut of these new CRT bikes will provide more excitement and proves a challenge to the traditional 800cc MotoGP prototype bikes and we look forward for the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix come 19th to 21st October.

Sepang’s MotoGP official tests will also give the fans the first glimpse of the riders and their new machines for the new season, including defending champion, Casey Stoner and perennial fan favourite, Valentino Rossi.

Ducati Corse boss Filippo Preziosi recently previewed the technical details of the 2012 Ducati Desmosecici that Rossi and Nicky Hayden will ride this season.

“The GP12 is a complete redesign of bike tested by Rossi in Valencia, but it will look deceivingly similar. It will still sport an aluminum perimetric frame and carbon swingarm, but they are new editions and the only components that actually remain the same are parts of the front (forks and steering components).

He assured that the rest of the bike is completely redesigned, stating: “Ninety percent of the parts are brand new.”

He also offered that with new chassis, the engine position will be able to be adjusted more, though declined to provide details regarding changes to the V angle (the angle between the two banks of the four cylinders) of the GP12 engine, which Ducati has traditionally run at a larger angle than their competitors using a V-four configuration.

In conjunction with the MotoGP pre-season test session in SIC, the main grandstand will be opened for fans to watch it for free while enjoying special early bird ticket promotion for the 2012 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Additional to that, whoever purchases a MotoGP ticket at the circuit during the testing session, can also enjoy a 50% discount on tickets for the 2012 Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix hillstand tickets from just RM30.

“For the test, we will be opening the Main Grandstand for Malaysian fans to come and see their idols in action. There will be no charge and fans could take advantage of their trip to buy the discounted tickets from only RM40 for MotoGP race in October and a special 50% discount on hillstand tickets for F1. Fans get to enjoy both international events such as F1 and MotoGP for less than RM100.” said Razlan.

Main Grandstand – (RM150.00)
* Early Bird RM100.00 – Save RM50

K1 Grandstand – (RM100.00)
* Early Bird RM60.00 – Save RM40

F Grandstand – (RM70.00)
* RM40.00 – Save RM30

B Hillstand (Daily) – (RM18.00)

K2 Hillstand (Daily) – (RM18.00)

MotoGP 2012 season will start from 8th April at Qatar. Please refer to the full listing for 2012 below.

FIM Provisional 2012 MotoGP World Championship Calendar

2012 Formula 1 PETRONAS Grand Prix (23-25 March)
F1 TICKET PRICES for HILLSTAND TICKETS
(valid only at SIC during MotoGP testing)

C2 Hillstand (covered) – RM120.00
50% DISCOUNT – RM60.00

C1 Hillstand (non-covered) – RM60.00
50% DISCOUNT – RM30.00

C3 Hillstand (non-covered) RM60.00
50% DISCOUNT – RM30.00

K2 Hillstand (non-covered)RM60.00
50% DISCOUNT – RM30.00