INVEST IN YOUR CHILDREN’S HIGHER EDUCATION WITH TAX-EXEMPT SSPN-i AND SSPN-i PLUS

INVEST IN YOUR CHILDREN’S HIGHER EDUCATION WITH TAX-EXEMPT SSPN-i AND SSPN-i PLUS

by | Dec 20, 2019 | Branded Content, Education

INVEST IN YOUR CHILDREN’S HIGHER EDUCATION WITH TAX-EXEMPT SSPN

 

Saving for your children’s education with a tax relief and other incentives is such a big head start on your financial planning. You don’t have to think long when both the SSPN-i and SSPN-i Plus offer an RM8,000 and RM15,000 tax relief with competitive tax-exempt dividends at the same time, respectively.

INVEST IN YOUR CHILDREN’S HIGHER EDUCATION WITH TAX-EXEMPT SSPN

 

Saving for your children’s education with a tax relief and other incentives is such a big head start on your financial planning. You don’t have to think long when both the SSPN-i and SSPN-i Plus offer an RM8,000 and RM15,000 tax relief with competitive tax-exempt dividends at the same time, respectively.

How to invest in the SSPN scheme?

SSPN-i Plus Online at www.lovesspn.com

PTPTN Branches

PTPTN marketing executives

How to invest in the SSPN scheme?

SSPN-i Plus Online at www.lovesspn.com

PTPTN Branches

PTPTN marketing executives

Who qualifies as the depositor?

Who qualifies as the depositor?

Why invest in the SSPN?

Why invest in the SSPN?

RM8,000 tax relief incentive

E

Tax deductible amounts are based on the net SSPN savings of the current assessment year.

E

Tax relief for either a single (joint taxation as a couple) or separate filings (husband and wife to enjoy it separately).

RM8,000 tax relief incentive

E

Tax deductible amounts are based on the net SSPN savings of the current assessment year.

E

Tax relief for either a single (joint taxation as a couple) or separate filings (husband and wife to enjoy it separately).

SSPN account summary at your fingertips

Click Here

for your account statement and income tax filing

SSPN account summary at your fingertips

Click Here

for your account statement and income tax filing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Thanos Did In ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is Justified

What Thanos Did In ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is Justified

by | Sep 25, 2019 | Education, learn

Written by Banu Chandran

What Thanos did in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ left everyone in shock. In the year 2018, Marvel produced the film ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ in which the space titan, Thanos, had collected all six stones of power known as the infinity stones that could change the world. With them, he erased half of all living things with a single snap in an attempt to save resources and curb overpopulation. Were his actions justified?

This was hotly debated in the final round of ‘The Battle of Wits’ debate tournament on August 10th, hosted by Malaysiakini in collaboration with Brickfields Asia College. Two teams, Master DeBaters from SMK Sultan Abdul Samad and Rojak Pasembor from SMK Subang Utama, battled the motion out using wit and humor to support their stances. The debate centred around whether Thanos’ actions counted as genocide. The propositioning team, Master DeBaters, had set a solid mechanism and definition on their side of the motion, explaining that Thanos had not committed mass murder as the ‘blip’ simply ‘dusted’ them out of existence, meaning that the people had felt no pain and thus were not murdered. This was strongly rebutted by the opposition team, Rojak Pasembor, who defined what Thanos did as mass murder while taking an emotional stance that his actions resulted in effects that were similar to genocide, creating a widespread wave of grief and loss for many people around the world. 

The Master DeBaters had a passionate first speaker, Munirah Abdullah, an enthusiastic and profound second speaker, Haliem Shah bin Haja Mohideen, and a quick-witted third speaker, Devendran a/l Sivanandan, who was shockingly added into the debate in the first minute of the match by use of the ‘Power Card’: Switch one speaker with the reserve member, leaving Mior Arif bin Mior Mohd Farid out of the debate even though he had prepared together with the team.

However, with just as strong speakers, Rojak Pasembor managed to grab the win for the final round making them the champions of the day. The highly articulate first speaker, Thusar, had laid out their stance for the debate. Supported well by the second speaker, Nur Adib Zafry bin Nur Aziz, who eloquently using wit and humour, rebutted and brought forth points to reaffirm their stance. Last but not least, the third speaker, Benjamin Fong Ruan Wei, brought the debate to an explosive end with fire rebuttals for the opposing team’s points.

‘The Battle of Wits’ provided a debate platform like no other to allow these students to shine. Focusing more on wit and humour, the debates remained light-hearted and witty throughout the day. With the additional use of Power Cards that gave an Advantage to a team, a Disadvantage to the opposing team, or a Challenge Card, kept the debate fun and interesting as teams strategically used the cards to their advantage to help them with the debate. 

The day started with the students arguing whether or not autonomous artificial intelligence deserve human rights and whether the government should disclose all the information they had on the extra-terrestrial to the public. The round-robin format of debating was brought to a close with the motion ‘Malaysia would be better off if we weren’t colonized by the British’ – a motion that indeed brought out the best in the debaters.

The tournament was held at the Brickfields Asia College (BAC) campus in Petaling Jaya and lasted from morning to evening. BAC also generously provided goodie bags for the students that consisted of sponsored t-shirts and pens. We would like to thank BAC and our other sponsors, MyNews, Zero Waste, MAEKO, the BAC Debate Club, easyuni, Hybrid Infinity Tech, Trio and myburgerlab for making the day so memorable. With special thanks to Maria Chin Abdullah, who generously sponsored the prize money for the tournament, and to PAWS for making the day a roaring success. 

Malaysiakini looks forward to next year’s debate tournament, where the fun will be replicated in a hopefully nationwide debate tournament open for all to join.

Giving A Voice To Those In Need

Giving A Voice To Those In Need

by | Aug 30, 2019 | Education, social welfare, society, suriana welfare society

Written by Ayesha Maria Faiz

Children from low-income families; disabled people; poor single mothers who have families to care for – when thinking of helping these groups of people, most tend to have a knee jerk reaction of giving or donating food to these families. No, it would not be wrong to give food, but it may not necessarily be something they need. Often times, it is what we think they need. So, what is it that they really need? All you have to do is ask – ask them directly, “How can we help you?” It is safe to say that you would be surprised to hear: the answer is never ‘food’.

I had the honour of sitting down and speaking to three of the board of directors of Suriana Welfare Society Malaysia (Suriana) that protects children in crisis. Suriana derives from ‘Suara Rintihan Kanak-Kanak’ which translates to ‘voice for children’. As the name suggests, Suriana helps children that come from homes of abuse, be it physical or drug-abuse, but they also assist disabled people and single mothers.

With a capacity of almost 30,000 people, Desa Mentari has “one of the highest number of social ills” James Nayagam, Chairman of Suriana tells me. Desa Mentari is one of the many ‘Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR)’ projects. Here, they set up a community centre within Desa Mentari, precisely at Block 5 to counter social ills found within the area. They set up their first Play And Learn (PaL) Centre, there. It is a centre where children can be safe when waiting for their parents to pick them up, while also learning some basic education. At the PaL Centre, the children learn through guided play because this way they are able to learn more with subjects such as music, traditional dance, and certain recreational activities. However, they also follow a syllabus when learning English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mathematics.

Other than school subjects, Rachel Ho, the Executive Director, explains how Suriana makes an effort to inculcate certain values, like discipline and manners, into the children’s lives. The children are taught how to greet teachers and visitors, and when eating, to wait till everyone has been served. A monitor is also appointed every week and during meal times, he or she will say a small prayer before everyone begins eating. Smiling, clearly proud with these children, Rachel says “We eat as a family now”. These lessons start at 3 in the afternoon to “accommodate those that come back from school” and whose parents are not around. This way, the children will not be alone in their homes, which could potentially lead them to be exposed to social ills around the area. Learning ends at about 7pm, but as there is a heavy emphasis on the children’s safety at Suriana, the PaL Centre only closes when the last child is picked up by the parent. 

Suriana also helps to register the disabled, be it child or adult. Disabled people or ‘orang kurang/kelainan upaya (OKU)’ as they are referred to here in Malaysia, have 15 benefits that they get from their OKU Card. Life should be made easier for them with this card, and yet there are so many who are not registered and do not have the card. I asked James, whether the OKU received the card immediately upon registration. The Chairman simply shook his head and said “Interesting, isn’t it?”, clearly disappointed with the system in which disabled people have to work. Nadia is a 30-year-old woman who is deaf, blind and mute. The Social Welfare Department declined to provide her with an OKU Card because they wanted to know “the cause of her blindness”. Rachel went to the Social Welfare Department and fought for the card for Nadia and managed to get it. For 30 years she has been living like this and for “30 years the parents have tried and couldn’t get anything,” Sri Ganesh, Director of Fundraising, states as he recalls the struggles Nadia and her family faced. He explains that even though Suriana started of protecting children in crisis, “when a case like [Nadia’s] comes up, you can’t say no”. This shows that Suriana will do all they can to aid the needs of those that are underprivileged. In one block of Desa Mentari, there are 15 OKU children, some of which have not seen the light of day, and there are even parents who have not been informed on what their children can receive. Suriana helps these children get registered and get the OKU Card so they can receive the “host of privileges” that is available for them.

Suriana also has income generating projects for poor single mothers. These projects allow mothers to earn a decent living without having to leave their homes in fear of their children’s safety. In one case, there was a mother who was afraid to go out for work as her husband would come back drunk and “insists on her going to the bedroom” Ganesh explains. Therefore the mother was concerned that should she leave for work, and her 15-year-old daughter is home when the father comes back, he might try to go after the young girl. The thought of that alone is horrifying. Hence if the mother works from home, she can protect her child and at least earn some income. The society found that the abuse is reduced tremendously and sometimes stopped altogether when the mother becomes “a partial breadwinner”.

These mothers are currently taking part in an income generating project, the 2020 Calendar Project, that Suriana has prepared for them. They learn from a quilling master who comes to teach them the art of quilling. The mothers, equipped with a brand new skill, make handcrafted patterns that are beautifully placed on each page month of the calendar. At the end of each month, the mothers get paid and they are satisfied with that because “for them not to go anywhere, but to sit in the house and earn is [in itself] money”. James went on to explain that they want families to remain together and ensure mothers are able to be with their children. By giving the mother work that can be done from home, the mother is able to be around her child and care for him or her, which correspondingly “prevents badhats from preying on” the child. Thus allowing the child to grow up “normally” and have an “uninterrupted” childhood. Therefore, the mothers need people to buy the calendars as that is their source of income and is the key to their children’s safety. To get a handmade 2020 calendar, you just need to give a minimum donation of RM50, and all proceeds go to helping the single mothers and keeping their darling children safe.

Suriana is in need of volunteers, funds, donors and of course, the purchasing of the calendars. They require volunteers to help run projects and assist wherever help is needed. However, more importantly, they need funds to carry out the projects. They are hoping to open more PaL Centres in various PPR Flats to help more families and their children. Suriana also needs funds to have staff aid the disabled people. If they can use a volunteer to help, they will use the volunteer because it saves money, but sometimes they are unable to use volunteers as permanent staff are needed. Ganesh elaborated that some appointments a disabled person has to go for cannot be postponed if the volunteer is unavailable that day, hence paid staff are needed as they will definitely be there. All donations that go to Suriana are not only tax exempted, but also strictly controlled. “We believe in credibility, accountability, [and] transparency,” said James, “we have advisers … and we also have strict procedures as to how the money should be used”. As everyone in Suriana is so heavily involved in assisting the community, they barely have any time to try and raise funds. They intend to have an OKU hotline, which has never been done before in Malaysia, that will allow anyone to call in to ask for assistance. “We’d love to help as many as possible” James said, as he urged me to include his and his colleagues’ contact details in my article, for Suriana is the change that is helping these communities, with a 30% reduction in violence being a clear indicator that what they are doing is making a significant difference.

“Change comes when we are in the community, not waiting for people to come to [us]”

– James Nayagam, Chairman of Suriana Welfare Society Malaysia

The main concern of these disadvantaged communities is not the lack of food. They are concerns neither you nor I would have thought of: writing a letter of application, getting referrals to the hospital, registering for an OKU Card let alone being informed on the benefits that disable people have. These are small things that we do not think of because we have the privileged mindset of ‘Google-ing it’. However, Suriana tells these families “we will journey with them if they have a child who is disabled and the child needs assessment or medical treatment,” says James. They are one of the few non-governmental organisations who actually set up a community centre to work with the community as opposed to a ‘touch-and-go’ approach taken by many. They do their best to aid these families with what they need, but they do not stop nor let go there. Suriana is constantly trying to move these families to the next level. James states firmly, “That is what they need”.

If you would like to help, whether it is in the form of volunteering, donating or even buying one of the 2020 calendars, you may contact any of these numbers:

 

Suriana Welfare Society Malaysia – 1300 88 2200 / [email protected] 

Website: www.suriana.org

Facebook: facebook.com/surianawelfaresociety 

 

James Nayagam (Chairman) – 012 314 1100 / [email protected] 

Rachel Ho (Executive Director) – 012 211 4444 / [email protected] 

Sri Ganesh (Director of Fundraising) – 016 335 2477 / [email protected] 

 

All photos are credited to Suriana Welfare Society Malaysia

The bond between Epsom College (Malaysia) and Epsom College (UK)

The bond between Epsom College (Malaysia) and Epsom College (UK)

by | Jun 10, 2019 | Branded Content, Education

Written by Dr Murray Tod, Incoming Headmaster

Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) opened in September 2014 and is a fully-fledged sister school to Epsom College UK (located in Surrey, England). The school is co-educational (pupils from 3-18 years of age) and operates a small Prep School in addition to the Senior School (all on one site). Located south of KL, we are also fortunate to be within 25 minutes of KLIA and KLIA2 and this caters to all our interested pupils, from countries such as Korea, Japan and China, who desire a superb educational grounding in a school based upon British traditions.

In fact, the clear links between both Colleges, ECiM and ECUK, are also evident in our respective estates: ECiM, like its UK equivalent, offers an unrivalled location providing a 50 acre campus with excellent facilities and the scope for ample boarding house accommodation. However, it is in the ethos of the schools, and the nature of the individual care that they prioritise, through which the parallels of ECiM and ECUK are brought more sharply into focus. Epsom College in the UK was founded in 1855 on the outstanding principles of ‘Benevolence and Excellence’, and all Epsomians possess these charitable virtues and seek to raise standards in all walks of life. At Epsom in Malaysia we too strive to fulfil the guiding perspectives of our sister school, building upon the very best British tradition, but enhanced also by our own values and drive for success in the international world. ECiM is thus neatly encapsulated by our belief in ‘British Tradition, Global Learning, Universal Success’.

Epsom College UK. Credits:www.epsomcollege.org.uk

We are hugely proud, and protective, of our Epsom brand and it can also be glimpsed in the commonality of our educational philosophies (with the focus on excellence in IGCSE and A-level pupil attainment), the boarding houses rooted in outstanding pastoral care (and shared nomenclature) and the first class enrolment of our students into top universities (both in the UK and around the world). At ECiM, of course, we are always looking to add value and progression to our own performance, and we are fortunate to benefit from the experience of ECUK as one of the UK’s foremost co-educational boarding schools. Indeed, this was reaffirmed as recently as February 2019 when ECUK received a remarkable rating of ‘Excellent’, across all areas, from the UK’s Independent Schools’ Inspectorate (ISI). In fact, the ISI offered ‘no recommendations’ for improvement; a rare result and the gold standard, the pinnacle, to which Epsom in Malaysia must aspire.

Both Epsoms are, of course, centred in delivering first-class pupil welfare and achievement, but close ties also exist concerning teacher standards and recruitment. A high proportion of ECiM’s teaching body are UK trained, and both Deputy Heads (Academic & Pastoral) have been recruited through a selection process involving the Headmasters of ECUK and ECiM. Furthermore, after the sterling and innovative leadership of Dr John Kennard over the previous two years, Dr Murray Tod will take on the Headship in August 2019, having assumed various roles of responsibility at ECUK and ECiM since 2002. Dr Tod’s affinity to the Epsom brand is at the core of his educational vision and he will be steadfast in his commitment to encouraging further links between Epsomians, both old and new.

Ultimately, however, the most significant link between Epsom in Malaysia and the UK rests in the collective vision of an aspirational belief in the ability of all young men and women to challenge themselves, and pursue high level goals in all their endeavours. We prepare our pupils to be international in outlook and to embrace all cultures, guiding principles that are enmeshed in the DNA of all committed Epsomians across the globe.

Join us for an Info Day for prospective Sixth Form students on 15 June. All Year 11 students and SPM leavers are invited. Our Sixth Form specialists will be on hand to give advice and guidance about subject combinations, university applications and your future career options.

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Embracing the Wave of Industry 4.0

Embracing the Wave of Industry 4.0

by | Mar 19, 2019 | Branded Content, Education

Thanks to new waves of technological disruptions and breakthroughs coupled with the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (all of which we will collectively refer to as Industry 4.0), we are now edging closer to living in the “futuristic world” that for decades we could only imagine in sci-fi movies. Intelligent talking robots, smart wearable devices, autonomous vehicles are just the tip of the iceberg of the potential that we can discover in the era of Industry 4.0. Technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), cloud computing are maturing and are going to radically transform the way businesses operate. Smart systems that are fueled by data and machine learning allow decisions to be made without the involvement of human beings, and it is only inevitable that mundane, routine jobs will be replaced as a result of automation and robotics.

Dell Technologies’ “Emerging Technologies’ Impact on Society & Work in 2030” report published in 2017 revealed that almost 40% of jobs ranging from entry levels to the C-levels will soon be replaced by 2030. This has far-reaching implications for students aspiring to join the workforce of tomorrow, and Institutions of Higher Learning have to play an increasingly pivotal role in Future-proofing students.

This is where we come in. At APU, regardless of discipline, we ensure that all students are empowered with the ability to keep up with the challenges within the world of Industry 4.0 and beyond, by upholding our Vision as a University of Technology and Innovation to nurture the world’s future innovators.

 

 

 

Embedding Revolutionary Elements in Higher Education

In line with Industry 4.0, with revolutionary technologies in place, new jobs titles emerge, and new talents are needed. While Industry 4.0 transforms our lives, it also transforms the way a university should deliver knowledge, as well as the forms of knowledge that should be equipped by the future workforce. Traditional degrees are becoming obsolete, where innovation provides the turning point and the catalyst for success.

Through the constant innovation and delivery of a wide range of programmes with Technology as a common core, APU constantly seeks to unleash the potential of Industry 4.0 education. This is done by developing Industry 4.0-relevant programmes that are first-of-its-kind, such as in Cyber Security, Data Science, IoT, Intelligent Systems and Cloud Computing. These programmes were carefully designed together with our industry advisory panels, to equip students with the latest technical and soft skills that are required by the future job market. While Industry 4.0 also impacts the global business, accounting and finance spectrum, our students who are currently undergoing their studies in Business Management, Accounting, Banking & Finance are also exposed towards Industry 4.0-relevant areas such as Financial Technology (FinTech), Digital Marketing, E-Business and Blockchain. We have re-designed the programmes to incorporate both traditional financial and business methods as well as innovative emerging technologies, ensuring that our Business, Accounting and Finance graduates are future-proof and Industry 4.0-ready as well.

 

 

Innovative Teaching & Learning

While a university campus serves as the arena for talent development, world-class facilities within the APU campus support the Industry 4.0-focused teaching and learning process by providing students with an ecosystem for their development. Creativity and Innovation are nurtured through the availability of discussion spaces, think tanks and Innovation Labs within APU’s iconic campus, which is strategically located in Technology Park Malaysia (TPM), Bukit Jalil. Industrial-grade infrastructure allows students to be exposed to real-time data and scenarios, training them to become competent technology professionals even before they graduate. For instance, the first-of-its-kind APU CyberSecurity Talent Zone features military-grade real-time cybersecurity monitoring software at the full-fledged Cyber Threats Simulation and Response Centre and Security Operations Centre, providing them real-life exposure and practical experience. Learning is no longer confined within the classroom; in the era of Industry 4.0, one’s practical knowledge becomes as significant as academic and theoretical knowledge.

Industry 4.0 adoption and development requires a high level of critical thinking skills. Apart from providing world-class facilities, a university is responsible for developing innovative teaching and learning methods, to produce graduates that can think critically, act innovatively and communicate ideas effectively. . Striding on our ICT strength, we have embraced technology clubbed with state of the art engineering practices to feed knowledge and practical skills to our students. All APU students go through strategically designed curriculums powered by innovation, and embrace advanced digital technologies and automation. As part of outcomes-based learning at APU, they are able to deal with complex, dialectical and exciting opportunities in current and future employment trends.

 

 

Industry-Academia Partnership

Industry 4.0 is all about the “industry”. While a university serves as a platform for developing talent, it is vital to ensure that the talents nurtured are in accordance with the expectations of the industry.

At APU, our industrial partnerships with innovative accelerators such as GrowthX Academy and Supercharger further enhances the platform for students to realize their world-changing ideas. The formula has proven to be a success, as APU students have been well-recognized through their victories in national and international level competitions organized by major industry players, such as FAMELab, Intel-CREST Industry-University Challenge, NASA Space Apps Challenge, World Asian Business Case Competition, SAS FinTech Challenge and many more. Under this formula, over 40,000 alumni are employed globally in reputable multinational companies such as Accenture, HP, IBM, Huawei Technologies, Astro, Maybank, Standard Chartered and more.

 

 

Nurturing Soft Skills in a Global Outlook

Being an Industry 4.0-ready Graduate also means that a student has to be capable of communicating effectively, in this era of globalization and multiculturalism. APU students operate within a globalized campus environment that houses a community of students from more than 120 countries. A global outlook, international understanding and respect can be nurtured through the continuous immersion in multicultural discourse, as events such as Independence Days, Multicultural Nights and other cultural celebrations take place regularly in the vicinity. In the era of Industry 4.0, where communication and business processes are conducted in a global scale, having a global outlook ensures that graduates are well-trained to engage in global conversations, international strategies and multicultural encounters. At APU, the continuous cultivation of global outlook within the campus builds our students’ confidence and equips them with relevant cross-cultural communication skills, making them workplace-ready even before they graduate.  

In line with our practical teaching methods, APU instills practical workplace skills within the curriculum, to build students’ confidence and eventually become workplace-ready. As a unique feature, our students proudly dress in professional attire, while adhering to a professional code of conduct on-campus.  Together with over 10,000 industrial partners and potential employers, we create an environment that simulates the future workplace, so that our students joins the future workforce confidently.

The transformation from a high school leaver to an industry-ready graduate is a crucial process in one’s life, where a university plays an important role to future-proof school leavers and transform them into industry-ready graduates. While combining our philosophy of providing professional education with the cultivation of Industry 4.0-relevant skills and global outlook, our students are fully-prepared to join the future global workforce with confidence, not just for their first jobs, but for lifelong careers.

 

 

About APU

The Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) is amongst Malaysia’s Premier Private Universities, and is where a unique fusion of technology, innovation and creativity works effectively towards preparing graduates for significant roles in business and society globally. APU has earned an enviable reputation as an award-winning University through its achievements in winning a host of prestigious awards at national and international levels.

APU was announced as among the Highest Rated Emerging Universities in Malaysia, being rated at TIER 5 (EXCELLENT) under the SETARA 2011 Ratings by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), and has maintained this Excellent rating in the SETARA 2013 Ratings and the latest SETARA 2017 Rating. Under the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2017 Ratings, APU was awarded 5-Stars in 4 categories of the QS Stars Ratings – Teaching, Employability, Facilities and Inclusiveness. The QS Stars rating is an international rating system that measures achievements and qualities of universities worldwide.  In addition, in 2017, APU was also announced as one of Malaysia’s Premier Digital Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), for its commitment in offering top-notch digital technology courses and ensuring highly-skilled graduates continue to flourish and fill future digital job demands locally and globally.

 

For more information, please visit our Website
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Contact:
Student services: +603 8996 1000
Hotline: 1 300 888 278
Email: [email protected]

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BMW Malaysia unveils sexy new beast

BMW Malaysia unveils sexy new beast

by | Mar 14, 2019 | Auto, Branded Content, Education

The BMW Group Malaysia has introduced “The 8”, the newest member of the marque’s portfolio of luxury vehicles which it says combines powerful engine with BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system and BMW Efficient Lightweight design measures for new benchmarks in the luxury coupe segment.

“At the BMW Group, we’ve always had our sights on the future and the First Generation BMW 8 Series is testimony to that. First introduced in 1989, we are bringing this luxurious sports coupe into the modern era to set standards for the future,” said Harald Hoelzl, managing director of BMW Group Malaysia.

The supercar was launched in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday night (March 12) with two of the power machines on full display with their ‘double-bubble’ contouring, long wheelbase and wide track width plus the flap-controlled sports exhaust system.

The 8 comes standard with the ‘BMW Laserlight’, the slimmest headlights of any BMW model to date. The side view, meanwhile, is dominated by an interplay of surfaces using character lines to trace the flow of the air exiting the ‘Air Breathers’.

From the back, the twin exhaust tailpipes with a trapezoidal contour are positioned on either side of the rear apron’s lower section to send an unmistakable message to those wondering.

The ‘M’ performance model is identified by its exclusive exterior appointments in Cerium Grey, an M rear spoiler and illuminated door sills bearing the model name. It comes standard with an additional front spoiler to minimise the lift that occurs at the front axle at high speeds.

To reduce the aerodynamic drag of the 8’s streamlined body has an almost fully sealed underbody, active air flap control with adjustable kidney grille slats and ‘Air Curtains’.

Inside, all control elements are clearly arranged with leather trim for the instrument panel. In addition to multifunction seats and the M leather steering wheel, the M Sport package includes an anthracite BMW individual headliner, M pedals, M driver’s footrest and special floor mats to inject the cabin with a sporty flair.

The newly-developed sports seats are upholstered as standard in Merino leather. The rear backrest can be split 50:50 as standard and folded down to increase the capacity of the 420-litre luggage compartment.

For the first time ever, active seat ventilation is also made available where the cooled air is sucked in from the interior then guided along the body to the seats’ built-in fans for particularly effective temperature control of the seat cushions and backrests.

The 8’s power plant has a new V8 engine at its heart. The 4.4-litre eight-cylinder unit has been revised with two twin-scroll turbochargers, ‘High Precision Injection’, Valvetronic fully variable valve control and Double-Vanos variable camshaft timing all working together for a claimed top speed of 250 km/h.

The BMW M850i xDrive Coupe delivers a maximum output of 390kW/530hp which is on tap between 5,500 – 6,000 rpm. The maximum torque of 750Nm is available from 1,800 to 4,600 rpm for forward thrust. It’ll do the century sprint in 3.7 seconds and posts a fuel consumption of 10.4 litres per 100 kilometres (manufacturer’s figures).

The V8 engine is paired with an 8-speed Steptronic sports transmission which features increased ratio spread, new transmission management and optimised hydraulic control produce for more spirited gear shifts. Shift paddles on the steering wheel are standard.

BMW says the xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system operates more efficiently than before with the electronically controlled rear differential lock fitted as standard on the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe.

The locking effect generated by an electric motor limits speed compensation between the inside and outside rear wheel when cornering, making it possible to power out of bends with dynamic verve.

In addition to the Adaptive M Suspension, the 8 comes standard with ‘Integral Active Steering’ which reduces the car’s turning circle when manoeuvring, increases agility at moderate speeds and optimises control when changing lanes and cornering at high speeds.

BMW’s ‘Driving Assistant Professional’ is standard and features Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Warning, Pedestrian Collision Warning, Crossing Traffic Warning (front and rear), Emergency Stop Assistant, steering and lane control assistant, Lane Keeping Assistant with active side collision protection and Evasion Aid which now reacts to pedestrians.

Also standard is the BMW Live Cockpit Professional display running on the new BMW Operating System 7.0 which introduces the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, an intelligent, digital character that awaits the driver’s every command while providing casual conversation. And get this – you can name this digital character!

One unique feature over other digital assistant is that drivers can give it a name, for example, “Hey Jamie”, to lend even greater individuality and personality.

The Personal Assistant will be able to learn more preferences and favoured settings. It can even activate a combination of them to enhance well-being. For instance, “Hey BMW, I feel tired” triggers a vitality programme that adjusts the lighting mood, music and temperature, among other things, in order to make the driver feel more alert.

The 8 comes in Carbon Black metallic, Black Sapphire metallic, Sonic Speed Blue metallic, Barcelona Blue metallic, Sunset Orange metallic and Mineral White, matched with Black, Cognac or Ivory White BMW Individual Merino full leather trim sports seat.

The 8 on-the-road without insurance and with BMW Group Malaysia’s latest 5 Years Unlimited Mileage Warranty, Free Scheduled Service Programme and BMW Tyre Warranty Programme for The 8 is RM1,088,800.00

 

Selected highlights:

  • BMW M850i xDRIVE Coupé
  • Belt force limiter for front seats
  • Dynamic Braking Lights with Flashing Function
  • Knee airbags for driver and front passenger
  • Rain Sensor, Automatic Activation Control for Windscreen Wipersand Driving Lights
  • Driving Experience Control with ‘Adaptive’ mode for individual driving behaviour
  • Comfort Access System with contactless opening and closing ofthe tailgate
  • Soft-close function for doors
  • BMW Gesture Control, use of simple hand gestures to interact withthe infotainment system
  • Harman Kardon surround sound system with digital amplifier (464w,16 speakers)

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