李金友：棕油價料企高 綠野種植計劃派息2400萬

（吉隆坡31日訊）受惠于日愈走高的原棕油價格，邁入第四年的綠野種植業計劃（CHGS），宣布派發12%淨回酬。

Plentiful Gold Class公司主席丹斯里李金友指出，公司共派發2400萬令吉淨回酬給參與此計劃的投資者，這是自07年推出此投資計劃來的最高回酬率，在這之前的回酬率為8%。

該計劃目前投資者達1萬31名，其中3%為新加坡和香港投資者。

他今日在綠野種植業計劃淨回酬新聞發布會上，發表上述；列席者包括總執行長李金熊和綠野行銷私人有限公司（Mines Marketing Sdn Bhd）執行董事葉振聞。

淨回酬派發將以現場交付或線上電子淨回酬系統方式完成，投資者可在2月8日至13日，下午1時至5時，前往金馬皇宮酒店領取支票，或待2月中時，公司以電子轉帳方式將款項存入投資者銀行戶口。

李金友說，綜觀過去一年的原棕油價格走勢，預計在今年仍將繼續走揚，若原棕油價格持續維持在每公噸2500令吉以上，12%淨回酬仍可期待。


吸引城市種植者
 李金熊指出，去年原棕油價格平均維持在每公噸2700令吉。

綠野種植業計劃大部分用地位于吉蘭丹話望生（Gua Musang），但由于該地油棕樹齡介于1至3年，未達收成階段，因此主要收入來自沙巴拿篤（Lahad Datu）用地。

李金友指出，在此計劃下的拿篤用地達1200英畝，去年總產量達1萬1400公噸。

為了鼓勵更多投資者加入農民種植計劃，公司也計劃成立“城市種植者”投資俱樂部，將有意參與種植業的投資者聚集在一起，分享領域資訊和探討綠野種植業計劃未來發展。


Source from:
http://www.chinapress.com.my/content_new.asp?dt=2011-02-01&sec=business&art=0201bsa009a01.txt

Country Heights Growers Scheme makes record payout

THE Country Heights Growers Scheme, a farm-sharing investment scheme, has declared a record RM24 million dividend payout to its 10,031 investors.

Plentiful Gold-Class Bhd, the scheme's manager, will pay the dividends, that translate into a net yield of 12 per cent, by February 14 2011.

"For the first three years, we paid out 8 per cent in dividends to investors. This will be the fourth year and we're giving out 12 per cent," said pioneer of the scheme Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew.

"Our investors see good growth prospects in the oil palm industry and are prepared to lock into this scheme for 23 years," he told reporters in a briefing in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, yesterday.

Lee is also the major shareholder of Country Heights Holdings Bhd. However, the scheme, covering 3,600ha of oil palm plantation in Gua Musang, Kelantan, is a separate entity from Country Heights and is managed by Plentiful Gold-Class, a subsidiary of Bee Garden Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Lee said the master title of the 4,000ha Gua Musang oil palm plantation is registered in Bee Garden Holdings' name and is held in trust with BHLB Trustee Bhd.

"When the scheme expires in 2030, the plantation land will be put up for sale and net proceeds shall be refunded to all investors proportionately," he added.

Under the scheme, Bee Garden Holdings sold 3,600ha of the 4,000ha oil palm plantation land in Gua Musang to more than 10,000 investors of the scheme and raised RM215 million.

The money was used to buy oil palm seedlings, among others.

"We started planting the seedlings in 2006. The trees are still young. So far, the dividends paid out to the scheme investors are sourced from income generated at a 480ha oil palm plantation in Lahad Datu, also owned by Bee Garden Holdings," he said.

Overcharged iPhone bill

Telco justifies auto GPRS fees but cancelled service as requested

ONG of Petaling Jaya is exasperated after finding in his phone bill he has been overcharged by DiGi.

"My monthly bill usually comes up to no more than RM47.50. A few months ago, I received a statement from DiGi saying I owed them RM177.21. The following month, it was RM143.10.

"That was shocking news to me because my usual bill always been below RM50."

ONG says she called up DiGi's Customer Service Hotline and was told the billing department would call her in three days.

"After several missed calls and chasing after them, I was told my iPhone automatically connects to GPRS and incurs hefty charges this without me realising it.

"They told me this is apparently one of iPhone's flaws that had yet to be corrected.

"I told them it was not fair to penalise me for a fault that was not mine and to charge me for a service I never used. But DiGi was adamant and won't waive these charges."

ONG claims some of her friends also encountered the same problem.

"If DiGi knows such a fault exists in iPhones, they should warn customers about it and disable the GPRS function. I have since disabled the function but I suspect the telecommunication company is not going to issue any warnings to their customers."

ONG does not want others to go through her experience.

● A SPOKESMAN for DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd says their investigations and records show the data charges are genuine as the customer’s postpaid account has an active GPRS service.

"On iPhone, the customer has the option to switch off the cellular/roaming data service to prevent unwarranted data usage and charges.

"We have since contacted the customer and the matter has been settled. DiGi has also cancelled the GPRS service as requested by the complainant.”

Motorists unhappy with another rise in fuel prices

PETALING JAYA: Motorists filling up last night in preparation to "balik kampung" ahead of the long public holiday stretch were disappointed at learning the RON97 petrol price has gone up by yet another 10 sen after a similar increase barely a month ago.

One irate motorist, identifying himself only as Loh, 40, had stopped at a petrol station while heading to Ipoh and felt the sudden rise would be a dampener for many as it came just ahead of the Chinese New Year festivities.

"My suggestion is for the petrol price to be maintained regularly as a drastic rise would affect consumers like me."

Lawyer Lim K.S, 50, was also disappointed with the decision as there was no prior warning.

"At least they should have told us early as we have to budget our expenses for the upcoming celebration. I have no choice but to pay extra for fuel as we've already confirmed our travel plans." Lim left for his hometown in Batu Pahat, Johor, last night.

Kevin Choi from Damansara said he never thought the price would increase again so soon. The RON97 petrol price also rose by 10 sen per litre to RM2.40 on Jan 4.

"Luckily for me, my hometown is Kuala Lumpur. I am sure it would affect others driving back to their hometowns."

Vincent Chang, 40, says he preferred using RON97 despite the higher price because he found the lower grade RON95 does not work well for imported cars.

"If price of crude oil decreases later, are they going to reduce the price?"

Yesterday Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia deputy president Datuk Zulkifli Mokti announced RON97 petrol price would rise 10 sen to RM2.50 per litre from midnight.

"The increase was due to the rise in the price of crude oil to US$105 per drum this week, compared with US$100 previously."

'Sentiment still points to stronger ringgit'

The ringgit is likely to trade within a narrow range against the US dollar next week with traders squaring off positions in the holiday-shortened week.

"Traders are short covering but sentiment still points towards a stronger ringgit," a dealer said.

The foreign exchange market will only trade on Monday and Wednesday next week as the market will be closed for the rest of the days in the week for the Federal Territory and Chinese New Year holidays.

On Thursday, Bank Negara Malaysia maintained its overnight policy rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent at its first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting for the year.

It cited cooling inflation for the unchanged rate but hinted that it may consider additional policy tools to avoid the risks of macroeconomic and financial imbalances.

On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the ringgit was higher against the US dollar at 3.0540/0570 from 3.0580/0620 previously, dipped against the Singapore dollar to 2.3835/3877 on Friday compared with 2.3819/3852 last week.

It was higher against the Japanese yen at 3.6947/6992 from 3.6806/6860 previously and against the British pound at 4.8491/8554 from 4.8705/8756 last Friday.

The local unit was also weaker against the Euro at 4.1858/1902 on Friday compared with 4.1471/1515 previously. -- Bernama