The Star Online: Metro: Central
The Star Online: Metro: Central |
| Water in KL and Selangor safe to drink Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:59 AM PST THERE will be no water supply disruption in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor as earlier indicated because the turbidity at the four treatment plants has improved. In an earlier statement, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) reported that the production at the four plants declined to about 2,460mil litres to 1,000mil litres daily after recording extraordinary turbidity in Sungai Selangor. The four water treatment plants — Sungai Selangor Phase 1, 2, 3 and Rantau Panjang — supply water to three million households in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. The Sungai Phase 1 treatment plant in Ijok, which recorded excessive turbidity on Monday has improved and is now safe for consumption. A water supply disruption at this plant will affect 700,000 consumers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. All the treatment plants draw water from Sungai Selangor. The overall turbidity of Sungai Selangor has dropped and is now much safer for treatment. Sungai Phase 1 treatment plant operator Zahid Sahak said they stopped drawing water after 9pm on Monday. "The more turbidity the water the more chemicals need to be used for treatment," said Zahid, adding that the same problem happened 10 years ago. He suspected that some development along the river in Hulu Selangor caused the pollution. Fisherman Mohd Kamal Abdul Rahman, 45, said the water was so muddy that he did not catch any fish. "Today, the water is back to normal and I just caught my first ikan lampam,'' said Mohd Kamal, who was one of the eight fishermen whose livelihood was affected by the water pollution. Another fisherman, Hamzah Mohd Yusof, 53, said his hand turned reddish when he dipped his hand in the river. "I got worried. I normally catch ikan baung and udang galah here and earn about RM30 daily. "With the river returning to normal, I hope my catch will improve,'' said Hamzah, from Kampung Hang Tuah in Batang Berjuntai. Syabas said the turbidity was usually 300NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units) on normal days at the Sungai Phase1 plant. Syabas has also put 42 lorries and 230 static tanks on standby to send water to the affected areas. Selangor state executive councillor Elizabeth Wong said the state government felt that the water level at the dam in Kuala Kubu Baru was more than sufficient because of excessive rain. "We have done our part and do not foresee any water shortage in the near future,'' she said Wong said the onus was on Syabas and Puncak Niaga to ensure that the people did not face water cut. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:55 AM PST A WATCH may just be a tool to tell time for many people but those acquainted with the finer points of watchmaking will beg to differ. One such person who developed a love for timepieces as a child is ATG Watch Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Tham Onn Chuan. After years of working in the banking industry and as a consultant, Tham ventured into the watch business 11 years ago to pursue his passion for fine watches. "My father had a Swiss watch, one that he used to wind up every morning and evening. As a child I always wondered what was inside. "One day, curiosity got the better of me and I prised open the watch with a screwdriver. My father was furious but that was the beginning of my love affair with watches," he said. The father of two said what fascinated him the most was the 'heartbeat' of the watch — the ticking sound you hear when you hold a mechanical watch close to your ear. Although he began collecting second-hand Japanese watches when he was in secondary school, Tham was only able to buy Swiss watches when he started working as they were quite pricey. "The watches didn't come cheap but I used to save up for it and even made trips to Switzerland to look at watches. "As luck would have it, a friend introduced me to a watchmaker in Switzerland and I managed to convince them to distribute their brand of watches here," he said. That watchmaker was Epos — a lesser known brand at the time but one that had a long history in making fine watches for private labels. Tham said Epos watches had an advantage over other brands as they were an entry-level collectible which was affordable yet had all the hallmarks of other Swiss fine watches. "Some people buy watches to elevate their status and pay higher prices for a popular brand but collectors buy watches for the mechanism and its beauty. "It is something to treasure and pass on to the next generation," he said. Currently, ATG Watch has two brands in their stable, the other one being Titoni. The company is the sole distributor for the Swiss-made watches in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Laos. As an independent distributor of such fine quality watches and someone who has graced the pages of Malaysia Tatler, you would expect Tham to have a big office but the unassuming man prefers to run his business from a small shop in his hometown Seremban, Negri Sembilan. When he started, marketing both brands was among Tham's first order of business and through strategic partnerships with major golf tournaments and prestigious awards, Epos and Titoni are now names that people can identify with. "Watch lovers will appreciate the complicated mechanisms. A basic watch has three hands and a date window but complicated mechanical watches have multiple displays such as hour, minute, second, date, day, month and even moon phases. "Epos also has watches with vintage movements which are uncommon these days and they try to showcase the movement in the intricate design of the watch," he said. "On the other hand, Titoni has been in the Malaysian market for 60 years and is renowned for its reliability, classic design and excellent after-sales service. "The brand is a familiar name and it enjoys its own following," said Tham. Price-wise, both brands offer good value for money and are perfect for novice collectors or those who appreciate the quality of Swiss watches. He said Epos watches retailed from RM3,000 to RM278,000 while Titoni watches ranged between RM1,800 and RM38,000. Watches from Epos' Jumping Hour collection were the most sought-after while the Airmaster collection by Titoni is also favoured. "Women love their watches too and are fans of the Master Series Ladies collection by Titoni, which are diamond-encrusted watches with mother-of-pearl dials and 18k solid gold bezels. "Not only are Swiss watches synonymous with precision engineering but they are also statement pieces that make perfect accessories," he said. Both brands have new collections each year and among the items to look out for are the limited editions. The Cathay Edition, which features an image of Shanghai's Cathay Hotel (now Peace Hotel) on the dial, is a limited edition from Titoni while Epos will be ushering the Year of the Dragon with a limited edition watch featuring the mythical creature. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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