HID lights

I don't know if anyone has been following the storm that's been brewing over HID lamps in recent days. I have been following the storm with interest because it primarily revolves around ignorance ( a pet peeve of mine) and a concern that with ignorance prejudice and bigotry will prevail. And a potential back lash...

This storm started with a piece in The Star on HID lights as retro fitted to cars in Malaysia. As one of many drivers who have been blinded I did agree with that article that something had to be done. But that does not involve banning the HID light.

Let me clarify. Firstly HID lights are in the colour temperature range of sunlight, where the eye works best at. We are equipped to see more and in better detail with greater clarity in sunlight or sunlight like conditions then under yellow light. Yellow light is around primarily through the limitations of technology. When Thomas Edison first invented the incandescent lamp, he had a filament (made of of carbon. The lamp since has seen virtually no change in it's physical structure until the advent of gas discharge lighting (which has NO filament).

Halogen lamps are an 'improved' version of the incandescent lamp in that they still have a filament but the lamp itself is filled with a 'Halogen' gas. This gas results in lamp that runs slightly brighter but still relatively inefficiently. Please see here for tech details Halogen_lamp.

HID lamps like all gas discharge lamps have no filament. In effect an electric arc is generated which ionises the gas within the lamp producing the light. Without getting too technical, in summary gas discharge lamps are far more efficient. How much more efficient? A typical Halogen lamp is rated at 55-60 watts. A HID lamp is typically just 35 watts. It produces as MUCH as or maybe just slightly more light then the halogen lamp for less power. This will directly translate into better fuel consumption, longer lasting alternator and batteries as the entire electrical system of a car is less heavily loaded ( a car's lighting system is it's heaviest electrical load).

So whither the problem? In a nutshell, headlight beam patterns. In countries like the UK there is a mandatory MOT test that cars have to undertake annually. One of the tests they do is a beam pattern test to determine if the light throw is acceptable and NOT hazardous to other road users. You see headlights have carefully designed housings, reflectors and lenses to ensure a beam pattern that throws itself on the road and NOT blind other road users on LOW or DIPPED beams. High beams do not have this control. The designs are so specific that the lamps are actually designed for either left or right hand drive roads/cars (please look here for travel advice under headlights Travel Advice

Any badly adjusted headlight (after an accident) for instance will blind an oncoming driver. The problem with HID kits that are retrofitted is this. THERE IS A DEVICE, IT'S JUST A SHROUD, IN FRONT OF THE BULB/LAMP THAT CONTROLS THE BEAM PATTERN OF THE LAMP ON THE LOW/DIPPED BEAM. The car accessory/mechanics shops here REMOVE THAT SHROUD. Why? Because a lot of drivers who have parted with their cash for these HID kits come back and complain that the lights aren't bright enough. So the shop boys in their infinite wisdom look at this innocuous looking shroud in front of the lamp and think hey it's blocking the bulb so if I remove it..... Then you have the problem as the lights then in effect operate on HIGH beams.

HID lights are good, they are better technology, are 'greener' as they are more efficient and will cause a reduction in accidents as they afford drivers better visibility. They just have to be installed properly and monitored. One solution, have the shops issue a certificate stating that a beam pattern test was undertaken (it's a simple enough procedure http://www.carinsurance.com/Articles/content169.aspx). The drivers carry the cert with them. If a check reveals an improperly installed system, fine the driver and the shop. RM10,000.00 sounds like a nice round deterrent figure :) to keep the shops in line and make them accountable.

Istana Negara

http://themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rm800m-bill-for-new-istana-negara

Quote from above site "The Istana Negara complex itself will cost around RM650 million and the project was awarded to Maya Maju, also through direct negotiation. The palace will be completed by February next year. Note :- Direct negotiation means NO tender was called for. This is AGAINST the JKR guidelines that CLEARLY state that all projects costing more then RM100 thousand ringgit should go for tender. This project was budgeted originally at RM400 Million....

Checks with the ROC reveal that Maya Maju Sdn Bhd registered shareholders are Mr Ko Chin Teck (RM15,000 shares), Mr Lo Sin Li (RM85,000 shares). The directors are Ko and En Mohamad Muslim Hamzah (Mohamad Muslim does not own any shares). Maya Maju Sdn Bhd in other words has NO Bumiputera shareholders. And they only have RM100,000.00 ringgit in paid up capital. Yet they were awarded a RM650 Million job without having to tender for it.

1. With such a low paid up they do not qualify to tender for projects exceeding RM1 Million as certified by CIDB WHICH JKR HAS TO ABIDE BY. This project costs at last count RM650 million.

2. JKR guidelines CLEARLY STIPULATE THAT ALL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS MUST GO TO MOF (Ministry of Finance) CERTIFIED BUMIPUTERA CONTRACTORS.

All's quiet now on this after the initial furore. There were published reports that workers on site were treated like conscript labour with wages unpaid for months and their travel documentation held by their employers. Wither the outcomes there? Were the reports unfounded or were they swept under the carpet away from the national conscience...?

Every rule in the book was broken here...how did this happen and are any questions being asked? It is the responsibility of our duly elected government to not just be mindful of malpractice but to ensure any untoward practice be addressed appropriately.

Let it not be forgotten that we are building a Palace for our King and perish the thought that he be positioned in a domicile that was built by contractors that aren't validated or qualify or are ethically responsible to undertake such work...

So TNB is taking the author of a satirical piece on Earth hour to court. This can’t be the collective decision of the National Utility company. It has to be the decision of a minority if not just one man. Someone or some people who not only don’t have a sense of humour but chose to react with anger and retaliate against what was just a harmless joke, and one that if looked at positively shed some light (no pun intended) as to how much we owe the Utility Giant for lighting up our homes and making our lives more convenient.

Now they just look like a horse’s ass, not from the piece but from their own belligerent bullying attitude in bringing their considerable financial resources and might to bear down and stamp on one lone individual…… I’m carrying through with earth hour now every day in any way I can till some sense prevails……

High Income productivity?

Five strategic thrusts have been identified under the 10MP, which was tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday:-
1. Designing Government philosophy and approach to transform Malaysia through the National Key Results Areas
2. Creating a conducive environment for unleashing economic growth
3. Moving towards inclusive socio-economic development
4. Developing and retaining a First World talent base

5. Building an environment that enhances quality of life

I have finally figured out what drives our government. Stupidity. It's not that they believe we'll believe this hogwash, they actually think that simplistically. That spouting crap like the above will help. All the above are just 'fluff' statements. PT Barnum would have been proud...

The rest of the paper on the 10th Malaysia plan had further nonsensical quotes like "Competitiveness in higher value activities necessitates specialisation in terms of having a critical mass and ecosystem of firms and talent to drive economies of scale"... Christ give me strength...

The cornerstone of growth, it's fundamental base in fact has to be education. This would be a fact even in a developed economy with a sound education system (one of the US's most recent initiatives was a ramp in focus, investment and resources in education for instance) When you juxtapose that priority there onto our education levels here that are worse than pathetic and need a major overhaul and yet no mention is made of it in a purported drive to ramp up productivity and income...? You wonder as to the intellect if not the will of the people in our countries administration.

Fire safety

There's been a lot of press on the incident where this poor girl died in a car fire subsequent to an accident. Aside from the fact that I'll never use BHP (until they show genuine remorse with commensurate deeds to back this) here's a question and a thought. How many of us carry extinguishers in our cars and have one in our homes? I have both. This practice started when I almost lost a car through a fire. I have carried one ever since and sometime in the mid-90's had cause to use it to save a girl from a car fire. And if I hadn't had one, she could have died.

I carry extinguishers in all my cars. If you want to (as you should) pick one up from ACE hardware. Don't get the dinky little car type ones. Those are next to useless. You need to get an ABC type of 1kg capacity (that's the powder inside NOT the weight of the extinguisher). It looks like a scaled down version of the big ones you might have seen. And yes get one for your homes too. My take, you only need to use it once in your life....

Selangor CPO’s car stolen?

It’s been all over the news! The Selangor Police Chief’s official car has been stolen! Read about it here http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/7/nation/6209602&sec=nation

Someone must have taken the IGP seriously when he said he’d call his men off the streets. Thinking of course that the police would not maintain law and order and would not fight crime, the thieves must have decided they could get away scot free with anything. Seeing as how that was the Police forces sole task, to fight crime, it's also a given that they probably didn’t need even need their cars anymore…

Tongue in cheek aside, that crime is a slap to the face of the Royal Malaysian Police. The Official car of the Selangor Police Chief would have been festooned with badges identifying it as such. They might have been discreet (hands up those who have seen black perdana V6’s with badges covered in vinyl jackets) but they would have been there. For thieves to act with such impunity drives home the simple fact that not only do they not fear the police, but they view them with such disdain, that they’d even steal from them. And if the Police can’t even safeguard their own property and belongings what hope is there for the rest of us?

I read that article with fear. Fear for myself and fear for my friends and family. We are descending into a crime ridden society. Crime is on the upswing because the police are viewed as incomprehensibly cuckolded and emasculated. Toothless and ineffectual. Aside from their sense of duty and professionalism, If they had any self respect, this incident should galvanise them into action, into realizing how bad the rot is and to start acting like a police force. A good step in the right direction would be to see if they can even recover their own car first….

Our IGP decides if Law and Order are to be upheld

Our IGP lashes out? He threatens tax payers and yes the government, that he can instruct his men at any time NOT to enforce the law? The reasons for him doing so are immature enough, the outpouring of public indignation against the shooting death of a 14 year old. That incident, and ones similar, will obviously give rise to people expressing concern and yes maybe even anger and disgust as is their right. But, the incident itself aside, the arrogance of the IGP to think that he decides if the Police should act as is their calling? A calling by the way that is their legal and statutory obligation to do so?

That statement of our IGP is both irresponsible and arrogant. He is obviously not concerned about his or the responsibilities of the force or even cognizant of them. For him to begin to even think that he and only he decides if law and order should be upheld in this country points to some serious flaws in his reasoning and his capacity to act as the IGP. The Home Ministers task here is clear. He should have him removed and replaced with one with a clear understanding that such a position is not one of supreme authority but one of supreme obligation.