Taking YTL Cement Private

 Beginning to be a bird of prey

I wonder whether the reason given by YTL Corp to take YTL Cement private via a share swap can hold water.

Just read the reasons given:

Firstly, relatively low trading activity of the YTL Cement counter.

Secondly, a new platform for YTL Cement shareholders to maximise investment value through YTL Corp shares through improved liquidity.

So what is the modus operandi?

YTL Corp acquires all equity interest in YTL Cement including all outstanding irredeemable convertible unsecured loan stocks.

In return-YTL Corp shares to be issued to YTL Cement holders at RM1.42 sen each.

To motivate YTL Cement shareholders, YTL Corp went up 8 sen today to RM1.54. 

I would expect YTL Corp shares to be priced beyond RM1.57 sen for the swap offer to be convincing.

Less one on the Bursar?

The current price is about the price when YTL Corp went ex-split to 5 shares of 10 sen each for every 50 sen shares held about  a couple of months back.

So, with that, YTL Cement will be the first YTL counter to be taken private.

So, what about YTL Power? Will that be next?

Bungling on the Line

On the Jinx

Will the CEO of Singapore's  Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) step down or be bodily removed from the position?

If angry commuters are any indication, she will certainly have been put to pasture.

Imagine 3 major disruptions in 4 days!

The CEO, Saw Phaik Hwa, was from the famous Bukit Nenas Convent in Kuala Lumpur, currently mired in political controversy. A graduate of  the National University of Singapore, Saw first  cut her teeth in  retail and marketing. She then went on to helm DFS Venture Singapore as regional president in charge of Malaysia and Indonesia  before being pole-vaulted to the driver's seat in SMRT.

Singapore's image now is in tatters as far as mass rapid transport is concerned and one likely reason is the archaic "command and control" mentality that still lurks in the subconscious of Singapore's administrators who have started to exhibit their weaknesses where decentralisation and empowerment best served such as when the MRT breaks down.

Singapore-you can now join the mediocre club across the Causeway where delays, maladministration and command and control is the order of the day!

Change or be changed!

Last Tuition Session in 2011

Today is my last tuition session for the year.

So, it will be a time of belated rest until 2012 dawns upon us all.

English is the lingua franca and this generation of Malaysians are in dire need of a good command of English not only for education purposes but also for better job opportunities to help climb the corporate ladder. The Ministry of Education's wanton flip-flopping on the use of English for Science and Mathematics and the ultra re-emphasis on BM has slowly seeped away the legendary command of English amongst Malaysian. The everyday student and job-seeker's need for good English Skills in oral and written English in academia and in business is most urgent.

Acquisition of English is key!

Go to any government department today and these operatives are ill at ease to hold even a decent conversation in English.

Case in point-I got a call from a tele-marketeer for a foreign bank yesterday intending to sell personal loans to me. He is a Chinese chap, mind you and could not carry the conversation in English beyond three short sentences verbally. It must have been to his bitter shame that he just disconnected.

Know English well and you would impress. Have personality and poise as well and you will win hands down!

So, anyone who wants to learn English can contact me at this blog.

I do one-on-one teaching and the fee is oh-so-competitive and ultra reasonable!

The Unifi Experience

I got Unifi fixed in my house.

Happy with Unifi

The contractors came about 9.30 am and only finished the work at 1.30 pm.

There was not much really to be done.

Connecting from their source box outside on the telephone pole, an optic fiber line was attached along my external wall . Then a hole was drilled to allow the wire to come in.

We had the set-top box, router and DECT phone placed on a mantlepiece.

First experience with Unifi-As far as internet browsing and downloading is is really superb.

Have to get used to my phone and the old phone number has been changed.

As for the IPTV, for a month, I can watch 48 channels but after that only 14 comes free. Pay per view on a selected channel  is RM3 per month

It was crystal clear sharp though at one moment or two while watching Chicken Run, it freezed.

Need to provide this feedback to Unify Center.


Otherwise, my first impression-Unify is great and a tad cheaper.

Assault on Fortress Digi

Today should rightly be called the assault on fortress Digi.

Desperate Sellers from Eurozone?

The number of sellers were in 1000s and they have managed to paint Digi red from the very start of trading today.

The counter touched RM3.60 and is currently trading at RM3.61-RM3.62 with 15,500 lots on offer.

What gives?

It is a definite sell-off; either  from wounded Eurozone investors or government funds liquidation?

Will there be white knights riding in for the rescue on the horizon as the afternoon comes to a close?

Well, nnone appeared and Digi fell 4 sen to RM3.62.

Tomorrow is Friday and Wall Street is crying.

Will Digi fare better tomorrow?

Johor Corp's Last Card

Talk about a bailout this year in July and Johor Corp will relived the nightmare of the impending debt that they had to pay with a bond issue.

Near Desperate Plan

Johor Corp had swallowed more than they could digest of corporate and bank loans in expansion plans and fire sale of industrial estate and land would not do for it in the long run. Biting the bullet can be really painful.


And so, they do the obvious. As expected, they used Kulim to take QSR Brands and KFC private so that they can access the dividend horde in one fell swoop.

Mother Lode

So, the Bursar was informed today of their intention officially.

The offer: QSR shares at RM6.80 a piece and KFC shares at RM4.00

Dividend Horde

And so we say good-bye to another 2 quality counters.

Sin,Sin and Win!

Look at the winners on Bursa KL today and you will see winners from two sin industry.

Let us first look at the cigarette industry largely represented by BAT and JTInternational.

Ever since Budget 2012 decided to let off these cigarette companies from new taxes, their share prices have been moving upwards ever impressively.

Sinful Leisure

After climbing to a new high of RM48.70, BAT shares again created history by closing at RM48.98, a 2 sen whisker from RM49.00.

As for JT International, it is trailing at RM7.05, up 13 sen

Going for RM50 in no time......

Now let us look at the other sin traders- GAB and Carlsberg Breweries.

The Mighty Stout

Both took pole positions today. GAB did not let up or disappoint minority shareholders, upping another 20 sen to RM13.18 while Carlsberg added 37 sen to RM8.83 today after moving up in a flurry yesterday.

Danish Brew

Seems like there will be more merriment in the air as yuletide approaches this year.