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Dream Home A Reality Via EPF

EPF members will be able to use their future and current savings to apply for a larger housing loan beginning Sunday.

EPF chief executive officer Tan Sri Azlan Zainol said the Flexible Housing Withdrawal facility is designed to give those who qualified greater purchasing power.

“Members will now have a chance to realise their dream of a better home for their families via increased home loan eligibility.

“What’s more, Flexible Housing Withdrawal does not in any way affect a member’s retirement savings as the sum that has been set aside under this facility will continue to earn yearly dividends paid by EPF,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

He said members could transfer part of their savings under Account 2, which is utilised to buy a house or reduce a housing loan, to the Flexible Housing Withdrawal account, followed by a monthly transfer of a specified amount of contribution.

“Savings that have been set aside under the facility cannot be withdrawn or utilised for any other pre-retirement withdrawals, such as Housing, Education or Medical before the end of its term.

“However, members can still utilise the remaining savings in Account 2 for other pre-retirement withdrawals,” he said.

Azlan said the facility was in support of the Government’s objective to enhance the quality of life of the rakyat in the spirit of 1Malaysia.

“To date, Maybank and Public Bank have confirmed their participation in the facility and we expect more banks to follow suit,” he said.

Under the facility, EPF members, who have not withdrawn their savings under Account 2 to purchase a house or reduce a housing loan, can apply for their current and future savings to be taken into consideration when applying for a housing loan with a financial institution.

The facility was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when tabling the Budget last year.

Azlan said the facility was available to EPF members below the age of 54 and must be applied together with their application for a withdrawal to purchase or build a house or reduce a housing loan.

Each application is to be submitted by the EPF member to the financial institution from which he is obtaining the loan.

All application forms would then be submitted to EPF by the banks.

Those who wish to cancel the Flexible Housing Withdrawal facility can only do so after a year from its commencement date and upon consent from the respective financial institution.

For more information, visit the nearest EPF branch, contact its call centre 03-8922 6000 or go to myEPF website at http://www.kwsp.gov.my/.

Source: The Star

Angling Competition In Puchong On Aug 8

Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) Fishing Carnival 2010 will be held on Aug 8 at Taman Tasik Puchong Perdana.

With cash prizes amounting to RM6,250, the carnival will start at 8am with the fishing competition.

Myriad fun activities, such as colouring contest, duck-catching competition, kayak race, magic show, self defence demonstration and more are scheduled throughout the day until 6pm.

Entry fees for the fishing competition is RM40 per fishing rod (free T-shirt) and RM60 for two rods (free T-shirt and cap).

Entry forms can be obtained at Puchong Indah multi purpose hall.

For details, visit http://mpsj.gov.my/ or call 03-8063 2410 / 03- 8026 3186.

5 Most Innovative Lamps In 2010

Philippe Starck Designs His 1st Shower-Toilet Seat

Philippe Starck is no newcomer to the world of personal hygiene and care. He first got involved with the bathroom and cleansing arena in year 1994 when he joined forces with Duravit, the German manufacturer of bathroom and wellness products. The resulting “Edition 1” is a highlight of modern bathroom culture and has long since become a classic. With the Starck 2 (1998) and Starck 3 (2002) ranges, Starck and Duravit set new standards in terms of affordability by offering outstanding design at prices that had previously been the preserve of faceless, no-name products. So all that remained was to create a range for the luxury segment, and Starck did just that in year 2004. Drawing on abundant resources, always seeking things as yet unforeseen, he designed the Starck X range.

From the simple towel holder to the luxury whirl tub – all the bathroom furnishings bear Starck’s signature at different price levels. Always searching for new design dimensions, he is now combining his vision of “good design” with a new level of comfort for Europe in terms of hygiene and purity. On May 26, 2010, the designer presented his first shower-toilet seat, the SensoWash Starck, in Shanghai.

Sophisticated symbiosis of WC and bidet

His interpretation of “good design” resulted in a shower-toilet seat with an unusually flat and slim line design that curves gently up into the wall and that finishes in an elegant silver-coloured panel. To ensure the continuous flow of the clear lines, the technical components have been miniaturised so the entire technology fits between the ceramic body and the seat. It’s only when you actually look inside the WC that you see the stainless steel spray wand that is part of the bidet function.

There are three different types of wash to choose from:

• The Ladywash uses a water jet for a particularly gentle wash that is specially designed to meet the needs of female users.

• The Rearwash leaves you feeling fresh and clean.

• The Comfortwash offers a more attentive wash that cleanses with the forward and backward movement of the spray wand or with a pulsating water jet.

Water temperature, water volume and spray wand position can all be individually adjusted. After feeling clean and fresh, the next stage is the warm, drying air. The spray wand and nozzles are cleaned automatically before and after each use. As a preventative measure, both the stainless steel spray wand and the WC seat have anti-microbial properties. The entire unit can be easily removed for cleaning.

Starck attached particular importance to the design of the wireless, intuitive remote control, which can be used to operate all functions, ranging from the Comfortwash to the Warm Air Dryer.

The remote control as a design element

A silver-coloured, elegant cuboid no bigger than your hand, the remote control becomes a design element in everyday use. Thanks to a membrane keypad, the keys are extremely flat and feel pleasant to the touch. The three-dimensional alignment of the remote control enables a logical layout of the keys that, thanks to clear symbols, are operated intuitively – when selected, the symbols are briefly illuminated. The remote control can be used to open and close the lid of the WC at the push of a button.

The seat itself is heated and the temperature can be individually controlled; a sensor makes sure that it doesn’t get too hot. Once you’ve taken a seat, you can select the desired wash function or dryer by remote control. Use the arrow keys to change the position of the spray arm. Water pressure and dryer, seat and water temperature can be individually adjusted via the +/- keys. However, to facilitate things even more, personal preferences can be stored in two profiles, which can then be selected at a later date. There is also a central stop key to interrupt all functions. When the remote control is no longer needed, it can be returned to the cradle with magnetic holder where it is stored neatly until the next use.

The SensoWash (L-R): With the remote control, one can open and close the lid of the WC; The LED night-light function; When the remote control is no longer needed, it can be returned to the cradle with magnetic holder where it is stored.

Safety and power saving mode

Duravit paid particular attention to safety. An LED night-light function provides the necessary orientation without waking the body fully from sleep. In addition, the shower-toilet seat has a child safety feature which prevents unwanted splashing.

There is a sensor integrated in the seat that only allows the function to be used when it recognises a “real” user. Temperature sensors for water, water heating and the Warm Air Dryer offer triple protection. The electronics are waterproof-moulded and so are completely safe. An in-built fuse offers protection in the event of any electrical problems. SensoWash Starck also includes a standby mode and a power-saving mode.

Source: Star Property

Dialysis Centre With 'A Difference'

The plush reclining chairs provide comfort while the flat-screen televisions with wireless headsets (two patients to one television) provide patients with entertainment while undergoing their treatment.

The soft lighting and pleasant ambience was purposefully added to offer patients a warm and welcoming environment. Refreshments are also made available.

Welcome to the B. Braun Avitum Centre in Puchong, Selangor.

B. Braun Avitum Renal Services Sdn Bhd's chief operations officer Lynette Lim said the B. Braun Avitum Dialysis Centre (BBA) is committed to provide patients with optimum care and quality services.

The centre is equipped with a trained team of healthcare professionals who utilise state-of-the-art facilities built to stringent international patient safety specifications.

The company has branches in Puchong, Selangor, Tawau in Sabah and Butterworth, Penang. Another, in Kota Kinabalu is set to be operational this month.

The Puchong centre opened its doors to the public on April 1 2009. The Tawau centre followed suit in October the same year while that in Butterworth made its bow in April this year.

COMPETENCE IN HEALTHCARE

Lim said the B. Braun Group stands for 'competence in healthcare'.

"For more than 165 years, the company has been researching, developing, producing and distributing products and services for the healthcare industry worldwide.

"Among others, B. Braun's orthopedic implants are widely used by patients sponsored by the Public Services Department (JPA)," she said.

B. Braun operates a manufacturing plant in Penang. This plant, which started operations in 1980, has grown into a sizable investment of more than RM850 million.

She said that despite the global economic downturn, B. Braun in exercising its commitment to the industry and its Malaysian workforce, will continue to grow its operations by expanding its production plant in Penang over the next two years with an additional investment of RM300 million.

"B. Braun Avitum is focused in the area of Extracorporeal Blood Treatment. This entails the development, manufacturing and marketing of products and systems for haemodialysis, therapeutic apheresis and acute dialysis treatments.

"We also provide a comprehensive range of support and consultancy services backed with valuable know-how and years of experience in the dialysis market domestically and internationally," she said.

According to Lim, B. Braun Avitum has a proven track record with many years of experience in dialysis treatment and expertise worldwide, with established dialysis centres in Europe, South Africa and Asia Pacific.

DIALOG + MACHINES

Lim said the centre is equip with B. Braun's Dialog+ hemodialysis machines.

"All Dialog+ machines come with pyrogen filters and battery back up".

B. Braun machines provide intelligent blood pressure stabilisation for more comfortable therapy. It is said to be the only system on the market that measures a patient's blood pressure directly - a feature which makes the procedure especially safe and reliable, she said.

"This option markedly reduces the incidence of hypotensive episodes and symptoms during dialysis sessions. Moreover, the technology used cuts the number of blood pressure measurements in half. The added benefit is greater comfort for patients"

DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The Puchong centre is equipped with B. Braun's Nexadia Expert data management system which is a powerful and user-friendly database for dialysis centre data management.

Operation of Nexadia Expert is intuitive. Functions include the editing and archiving of all treatment and patient-related data and preparation of the documentation required for quality assurance and reporting to the National Renal Registry.

"An ultra-pure RO (reverse osmosis) machine will be installed at our centre to ensure high water quality. This system uses double filtration to provide better water quality by reducing endotoxin levels, therefore, reducing the risk of patient infection.

"Our centre also has a separate room specifically for the management of patients with hepatitis.

All equipment used in this room is segregated and only single use consumables and dialysers for hepatitis patients are used. This is to reduce the risk of sero-conversion at the centre," said Lim.

COSTS

Lim said the cost to set up a B. Braun Avitum Centre is about RM700,000.

"There are 10 machines in each centre and we adhere to the medical authorities' guideline of one nurse to six patients. The centre operates from 7 am until 5.30 pm".

She said the centre charges RM175 per dialysis session from Monday to Saturday. There are two shifts.

For the BBA Dialysis Centre in Puchong, there is one nephrologist (visiting consultant), a doctor, three nurses and one dialysis technician available.

Transport is provided within Puchong area (within 5km radius of the centre).

The Puchong centre is at No. 8-0 Jalan Puteri 4/2 Bandar Puteri, Puchong, 47100 Selangor (tel no:03-80600863).

Source: Bernama

EPF Opens Branch In Puchong

The Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) will open its 63rd branch in Puchong.

"With the opening of the new branch, we aim to enhance our customer touch points and increase our accessibility to both members and employers especially those residing in Puchong and surrounding areas," the EPF said in a statement.

The service offered includes new registrations, withdrawal applications, statement of accounts and advice on EPF services.

Source: Bernama

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