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Speeches
INCREASE ON BATTERY PRICE
DUE TO HIKE IN LEAD AND LPG PRICES
By Mr. Chow Siew Hon
Managing Director
Tai Kwong-Yokohama
Good morning members of the media, ladies
and gentleman. On behalf of the BATTERY MANUFACTURERS
ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA, I would like to thank you all
for your kind attendance.
If you recall, we announced an increase
in price for batteries in Jan 2004 by 15%, as lead prices
increased to 44.74% from June 2003 to December 2003.
The price of lead continued to increase
to 103.71% from June 2003 to May 2005, and once again
the Association was called upon to announce an additional
increase of 10% on battery prices in May 2005.
Lead prices continue to soar and as
of today, it will have increased 184.33% from June 2003
to February 2006.
Other factors that have an influence
in our decision is the price of Liquid Petroleum Gas
(LPG), which have increased by 74.23% and the price
of p.p. resin which have increased by 51.61%
Due to all the above factors, members
of the Battery Manufacturers Association of Malaysia
have unanimously decided to initiate an increase in
the selling price of all batteries by 15%. This will
take effect from 1st March 2006.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would
like to thank you once again for taking time from your
busy schedules to be here with us. I will now answer
any questions you might have with regard to the current
situation.
Mr Chow Siew Hon,
Chairman
BATTERY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA
-ends-
6 December 2004
Ucapan daripada Yang Berhormat Mulia Tengku Dato’
Seri Azlan Ibni Sultan Abu Bakar, Timbalan Menteri Pengangkutan
II
Selamat pagi dan salam sejahtera diucapkan
kepada para tetamu, wakil-wakil media, tuan-tuan dan
puan-puan serta hadirin yang dihormati sekalian. Bagi
pihak YAB Menteri Pengangkutan, saya ingin mengucapkan
ribuan terima kasih atas jemputan untuk melancarkan
perasmian kilang pengeluar bateri yang terbesar di Malaysia.
Tai Kwong–Yokohama telah diasaskan
oleh Encik Chow Choon Wah, seorang ahli perniagaan tempatan
yang memulakan aktivitinya sejak tahun 1967. Dengan
ketabahan, kerajinan, keyakinan ditambah pula dengan
kecenderungan beliau dalam bidang perniagaan, keluarga
Chow telah berjaya memperluaskan perniagaan mereka sehingga
ke luar negara, terutamanya di Asia dan Eropah. Sejak
penubuhannya pada 1967, kumpulan Tai Kwong–Yokohama
muncul sebagai syarikat pengeluar bateri pertama yang
tersenarai dalam Papan Kedua BSKL.
Tai Kwong–Yokohama berjaya menguasai
30% daripada pasaran penggantian tempatan (local replacement
market) dan 40% daripada pasaran Pengeluar Kelengkapan
Asli Malaysia (OEM–Malaysia Original Equipment
Manufacturers) dan merupakan syarikat pengeluar bateri
yang pertama mencapai tahap ISO 9001-2000. Rakan niaga
Tai Kwong-Yokohama pula termasuklah PROTON, Perodua,
Inokom, Honda, Toyota, Modenas, MTB dan Yamaha.
Bagi merangsang pertumbuhan pasaran,
Tai Kwong–Yokohama telah melabur untuk mendapatkan
pelbagai mesin dan jentera berteknologi tinggi bagi
melonjakkan kapasiti pengeluaran bagi meningkatkan pemasaran
dan jualan di semua sektor, baik di dalam mahu pun di
luar negara. Ini bertepatan dengan wawasan negara dalam
memastikan segala keperluan dapat dipenuhi dan kualiti
pengeluaran berada di tahap yang terbaik.
Saya sentiasa yakin bahawa isu atau
masalah terhadap alam sekitar patut diminumumkan dan
syarikat perindustrian yang memberi perhatian terhadap
alam sekitar akan menerima manfaatnya dalam jangka masa
panjang. Sejajar dengan ini, Tai Kwong–Yokohama
telah mendirikan sebuah loji tebus guna di Ipoh yang
ditubuhkan pada 1997.
Bagi pihak YAB Menteri Pengangkutan,
saya ingin merakamkan setinggi-tinggi tahniah kepada
Tai Kwong–Yokohama kerana telah merangkul Anugerah
Inovatif Selangor untuk Bateri Bebas Selenggara yang
dihasilkan serta anugerah daripada MITI untuk Bateri
Berpenutup Rata yang saya rasakan merupakan satu pencapaian
luar biasa yang membezakan Tai Kwong–Yokohama
dengan pesaing-pesaing mereka yang lain.
Tahniah sekali lagi dan sebagai mewakili
YAB Menteri Pengangkutan, saya dengan ini merasmikan
pembukaan Kilang Tai-Kwong–Yokohama di Semenyih.
-ends-
6 December 2004
Official launching speech by Mr. Bong Boon Fah, Chairman
Our Guest of Honour, Yang Berhormat
Mulia Tengku Dato’ Seri Azlan Ibni Sultan Abu
Bakar, Deputy Minister of Transport II, Puan Sri-Puan
Sri, Dato-Dato, Datin-Datin, Honourable guests, members
of the press, ladies and gentlemen – a very warm
welcome to the Tai Kwong-Yokohama Industrial Complex
and thank you very much for being here with us to celebrate
the 37th anniversary of the founding of Taikwong Yokohama
and the launching of our new industrial complex. This
is an all important landmark in the company’s
history.
37 years is a long time to be established,
especially for a Malaysian industrial company. Indeed,
we have come a long way from the early days when the
late Mr. Chow Choon Wah first set up the company. In
the beginning, it was a typical example of a humble
cottage industry situated somewhere along the Old Klang
Road. Thanks to the hard work and intelligence of generations
of executives and staff, the excellent support and cooperation
of financiers, suppliers and dealers, the media and
the consumer public, Tai Kwong has successfully weathered
various challenges over the years and continues to forge
its way ahead to a bigger and brighter future.
From humble beginnings we have gone
from strength to strength to become the proud company
that you see today, listed on the KLSE, with our main
operations situated on this 32-acre integrated industrial
complex. We are probably the only company in Malaysia
to cover both up-stream as well as down-stream activities
in the battery industry. In addition, we have a well
established used-battery recycling plant situated in
Ipoh which supplies a substantial proportion of our
own lead requirements.
Through continuous efforts in innovation
and product development, we have developed a wide range
of quality battery products which are highly acclaimed
in Malaysia as well as overseas, as evidenced by our
appointment as the leading battery supplier to leading
automobile manufacturers, such as Toyota, Honda, Yamaha,
Perodua, Innokom MTB , Modenas, in the country. Our
products are now exported to more than 40 countries,
such as : Middle East, Europe, Africa, South America
and our neighbour countries, Singapore, Hong Kong and
etc.
In the effort to develop market in Europe,
we have established a sales office in Paris beginning
of this year.
Mindful of the testing market conditions
brought about by, amongst other factors, globalisation
and the full implementation of AFTA, coupled with general
shortages of the industry’s main raw materials
such as lead and the resultant escalation in raw material
prices, the management has been striving to keep ourselves
abreast of all developments in these challenging times.
Fortunately, research and development
has always been one of our main areas of emphasis. I
am pleased to say that through our team’s vigorous
efforts, we have over the years contributed substantially
to the advancement of battery manufacturing technology.
And it is most satisfying to note that some of these
remarkable achievements have led to the company being
awarded the BEST INNOVATION AWARD for our innovative
FLAT –TOP BATTERIES by MITI and the award of SELANGOR
INNOVATIVE AWARD for our MAINTENANCE-FREE BATTERIES
by SSIC. You can be assured that our company, as a member
of ‘Malaysia Incorporated’ are determined
and will continue to play its part in securing a place
for the country in the international arena.
Of the up-stream activities, I am proud
to report that the used battery reclamation technology
developed by our in-house research team has also been
highly commended by the environmental sector, including
it being approved by the UN Environmental Department
as approved battery recycling technology suitable for
the purposes of technology transfer under its programme.
Besides, our reclamation technology is also approved
by the DOE and the DOE is considered us as an Examplary
Hazardous Waste Management Facility.
Additionally, the company was also awarded
the ISO 9001-2000 MERIT in 2001 and 2004.
I am confident that the relocation of
our main operations to this integrated industrial complex
with its full range of facilities and equipment will,
in add ition to facilitating further improvements in
productivity, reducing cost and providing staff with
a better working environment, also further enhance our
excellent environmental protection record. It makes
me feel honoured to say that, as a good corporate citizen,
it has always been our company’s stern principle
to never allow our social responsibility to be compromised
in any way and for any reason whatsoever.
Before I conclude, on behalf of Tai
Kwong Yokohama Bhd, I would like to express my most
sincere appreciation to Yang Berhormat Mulia Tengku
Dato’ Seri Azlan Ibni Sultan Abu Bakar, for being
here today to grace this auspicious occasion . I would
also like to say thank you again to all members of our
staff, our shareholders, financiers, consultants, suppliers,
dealers, members of the press and my colleagues for
your continuous support. Without you and your valuable
support, we wouldn’t have made it. Thank you very
much!
-ends-
5 December 2004
Annual Dinner Speech by Mr. Chow Siew Hon, Managing
Director
Ladies and Gentlemen, Honorable guests,
a very good evening. Firstly I would like to express
my gratitude and appreciation for your attendance and
for your participation on this very auspicious day.
Since 2003 we have centralized and relocated
our production and operations to our new Head Quarters
at Semenyih. This I am proud to say, is the largest
battery factory in Malaysia, comprising 32 acres of
prime land. We are confident that this will enable us
to further achieve long term competitiveness and growth.
By relocating, we have opportunity to
maximize on efficiency and the production facility.
This will enabled us to meet with dealers demands as
well as to overcome tight schedule situations which
we were confronted with previously from time to time.
Although we are faced with difficulty this year, such
as high raw material cost, relocation issues, staffs
turnover issues, production issues and most important,
production constraint. Here, I apologized to all the
purchasers, our customers and salespeople who have been
affected by our shortcomings.
We have recently decided to invest in
high technology machines to boost our product capacity.
This will mean a step up in marketing and sales in all
sectors, domestically as well as overseas.
Yokohama’s mission has always
been quality and ensuring customer satisfaction at all
times, thus we have always ensured that quality is of
the highest standards.
We are the leading suppliers to large
automotive companies such as Proton, Perodua, Inakom,
Toyota, Honda, MTB, Modenas and Yamaha just to name
a few.
As some of you may be aware, we have
won the Selangor Innovative Award for our MF battery.
This is not the first award we have received; we have
also received a MITI award for our Flat-Top batteries,
a remarkable accomplishment that has set us apart from
the rest of our competitors.
As you can see, we have not compromised
in investing in Branding activities. Our billboard advertisements
are along the North South Highway, as well as on the
KLIA highway. I am also proud to say that we are the
first battery manufacturers to advertise our product
on digital screens in various locations. I assure you
that we will continue to explore new A&P ideas to
further promote the Yokohama brand locally as well as
abroad.
We are continuously investing in R&D
to stay ahead in the industry and have added many new
products to our range, such as motorcycle MTX batteries.
There is no shortcut to success, especially
in this industry. Hard-work, patience, cooperation and
planning are the key elements in achieving success.
I would like to add that teamwork is of the utmost importance
and I thank each and every one of our employees, dealers,
salesmen and branch managers for your commitment, hard
work and perseverance. I would like to thank all our
suppliers and bankers for their support and a special
thanks to the committee for making this event a success.
Go! Go! Go! YOKOHAMA!
-ends-
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