GALICIA, Spain - The Bidayuh traditional music band from Sarawak, Madeeh has been hand-picked to represent Malaysia at the 20th anniversary of WOMEX, the largest world music expo. The expo, taking place in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain from Wednesday, 22 – Sunday, 26 October, is represented by Sarawak Tourism Board under Malaysia Major Event stand by Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).

The Madeeh ensemble who plays Bidayuh roots music from the upper Padawan region of Sarawak, performed on a daycase Stage at the Cidade da Cultura within the exposition area. Picked as the first band to perform on the daycase stage which only opens to WOMEX delegates, Madeeh has attracted attention from many music industry professionals from around the world. Sharing the same stage with Madeeh is Paolo Angeli from Italy/Spain who performed on the same day.

 On stage, Madeeh presenting their musical instruments which are part of a centuries-old tradition of music and dance, developed in the communal life of the longhouses. The instruments are the pratuokng, a zither made from a bamboo tube, sritakng xylophone and the gaduok hand-drum. ‘Madeeh’ means cousins, relatives, brotherhood or sisterhood and the ensemble members are all related and came from the same longhouse. They are led by Arthur Borman ‘Bai Kis’ Kanying, an expert on the history of the Bidayuh people and on searching out the best bamboo for making the traditional instruments.

WOMEX 2014 is the annual international world music expo that brings together the business of world music from across all borders to interact on a global platform. Comprising of 60 acts with more than 300 artists from 25 different countries is truly a music expo like no other.

This year for the first time ever, not just one but two Malaysian artists have been hand-selected to play at WOMEX. Apart from Madeeh, the traditional Kelantaneese band ‘Geng Wak Long’ who displayed the beautiful culture and heritage of Kelantan will also be performing. Both bands have performed at the Borneo World Music Expo in Sarawak, the same platform and the music market of its kind similar to WOMEX, but held in Asia. The selection process at WOMEX is conducted each year by a jury of esteemed members from the global music community, with the utmost stringency, to put together the programme for every World Music Expo.

 According to Ben Mandelson, Founding Director of WOMEX, having the performance presence of Madeeh and Geng Wak Long this year at WOMEX reinforces the presence of Malaysian arts professionals at WOMEX over the years. “WOMEX was created with the intention of bringing the people from the world music industry together. It is one of the biggest and best places to discover music and connect with people on a global scale and I think that Malaysia has been a great addition to our expo” he added.

 Showcasing at the Malaysian stand are the renowned Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) and Borneo Jazz promoted by Sarawak Tourism Board. For STB, the World Music Expo is one of the important platforms for band selection for next year’s festival. There are 600 exhibiting companies from 40 countries presenting their music product within 245 stands at the trade fair.

At the Malaysian stand, Tony Nagamaiah, General Manager of Malaysia Major Events says “I see world music as a medium that transcends language and culture. Malaysia offers a unique perspective in that aspect as we celebrate all races and traditions in truly spectacular environments”. According to Tony, Malaysia is a world class location for people and what Malaysia Major Events is doing at WOMEX this year is to create the opportunity for festival organisers and world music musicians to collaborate and showcase Malaysia on an international stage.

2015 will be the ‘Malaysia Year of Festivals’, the year which promises an array of events to celebrate diverse festivals unique to the country. The internationally renowned Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak has been acclaimed as one of the ‘Top 25 World Music Festivals’ for the last 5 years by Songlines, a renowned world music magazine. The festival attracts nearly 25, 000 visitors for a fusion of traditional roots to world beat. At WOMEX this year, Sarawak also proudly presents the well-recognized Borneo Jazz held in Miri, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. The 2 days event features Jazz musicians from across the globe.

The Malaysian delegation to WOMEX is led by Malaysia Major Events, a division of Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia (MoTAC). Presented at the booth are the Sarawak Tourism Board, Penang Tourism, JL Productions as well as Madeeh and Geng Wak Long. 

So I was driving to Miri Airport after work yesterday to settle some stuff when I realized the sudden drop of voltage in my car. Thank goodness for NRG Volt Meter that I've installed in my car (transferred from the my previous Iswara) I continued to monitor the voltage of my car. As it was getting darker due to the rainy season,I turned on my headlights and once again, my car CD player (Head Unit) was off,my lights was dim and my wiper was slower then usual. At first I thought it was due to the rain, my alternator belting got wet and I thought the belting must have slipped causing the voltage drop.

A few times the head unit went off but I couldn't be bothered by it as my mind set was "belting wet, must have slipped"  but that issue didn't really went off my head till I consulted my fellow friends, the Lutong Drag Crew on symptoms of a faulty alternator. They told me what are the symptoms they've experienced before and those were the exactly same symptoms I'm experiencing. One thing I didn't take note of during my observation earlier that day was the voltage would go up following my engine RPM (revolutions per-minute). The harder I rev the engine, the higher the voltage will go.

So with all the symptoms I've experienced, I was sure that its time to change my alternator. Since today is a Sunday, I was doubting that most workshops are opened but I was sure that the parts shop is still open until 3 pm. I did some reading on how to replace the alternator and after dropping my parents off, went to get a replacement alternator. This was my first time replacing the alternator on my own. If you are not confident, please let the workshop do it for you. As for my case, most workshop was closed and I'm trying to save a few ringgits on workmanship. :D

In this post, I would like to share with you, how to replace your alternator.

Tools Needed:

1.  Spanner (Size 8,12 and 14) *depending on car make and model. Here I'm referring to a 1999 Proton Satria GTI (engine code 4g93)
   
2. Floor Jack
3. Jack stand
4. Gloves (optional)

First things first, locate the position of the alternator. 

Once you located the position of the alternator, remove the battery terminals/heads. (always remove the battery terminals when working on fuel or electrical parts of the car.) Then proceed to raise the car using floor jacks. Once you raised your car to the desired height (for easy access), place a floor jack underneath the car to support it. 

Installation of the new alternator was pretty straight forward like taking it off, except its done in reverse. Once you've put everything back on, reconnected the wiring's, start the engine and what i did was, turn the radio on, headlamps and aircond and monitor the voltage through the volt meter.So far so good, no voltage drop. The normal voltage should be 12V plus (before you start the car), 13V ~ 14V with your engine running. Don't forget the adjust the belting tensioner by turning the tensioner bold clockwise *depending on car make and model). 

So the it is, a DIY session for the weekend. A new rebuildable alternator for my ride, a new experience gained and roughly RM80 saved on the workmanship. :D

Were you there at the 2nd edition of Asia Music Festival? No? You have no idea what you've missed people! This was my 2nd time covering this event and here I am, sharing with you,my dear readers, my experience.

Before the actual event starts, strolled along the EastWood Valley Musical Corridor and watching the visitors getting their tattos. I was so tempted to get a tattoo but I've told myself, wait till I gain more weight and if i were to do a tattoo, it would have a meaning to me. Something that really impacted my life and it would be there as a constant reminder. (Checkout the slide show above. *pictures taken on day 1 and 2).

The evening started off with DrumCall. A group of percussionist mostly based in Kuching,Sarawak beating the beat out of their instruments. It was a slow start at first but not long after that, you can see visitors starts storming the front stage and dancing little by little following the rhythm of the drums. 

In between the band performances, the crowd was entertained by one of the best DJ's in the industry, with at least 20 years of experience, once crowned as the Malaysian DJ Champion for 3 years in a row, DJ RoundHead. From Old Skool Hip Hip to the latest hits on the decks. That kept the crowd grovin'.He even did some frestylin'. As seen on the picture above, Dj RoundHead taking the crowd to a whole new level of frestylin' emcee.

Second up on stage was Pisco from Taiwan. How did they got their name? PIano + Disco = Pisco.. What I love about this band? The the lead guitarist and bassist was a girl! The bassist, probably the cutest bassist I've ever seen,with her bob cut hair style, small sized girl-next-door look can really slap that bass. Who would have known that this Apple App Editor by day, a turn into a badas* chick at night. Not to miss the lead guitarist, if you've seen through the slide show I've made, is purely rocker chick but still cute at the same time.

The third band that was performing that night was Masia One from Singapore. The first band that played reggae which got the crowd really grovin'. I mean, how can you not move to Reggae? Honestly, based on her autobiography, I was expecting her to perform more Hip Hop based genre but I had fun listening to her as well. It shows that Masia One has really developed into a multi-genre artist.

This band was one of the bands that I looked forward see performing on the first night. Pancake80 from the Philippines and they didn't disappoint me. The vocalist was very versatile with her notes and they played my all time favorite song which was Cryin' by BonJovi. The lead vocalist plays the harmonica and guess what? Their guitarist looks like Jacoby Shaddix (PapaRoach vocalist) too. :D. 

This was the last band that was performing night. A band that was no longer a stranger in our local music scene. SalamMusik from Kuala Lumpur.

Misaluvi and Motion Family was the opening act for Day 2. Although this group doesn't sing or play any musical instrument, the energy they brought with them was definitely there. Not much I can say about this group as we, the Sarawak Bloggers was busy taking our group picture during the performance. Sorrrrrryyy.....

Next up was SoulMate all the way from India. Being the 2nd performer up for the night, bringing blues rock genre was really soothing after the energetic performance by Misaluvi & Motion Family. Tipriti, the female vocalist/guitarist is considered one of the finest female singers to have emerged from the North East India, paired with Wallang, who is considered one of the respected blues guitarist of India, you know they're gonna make your heart skips a beat with their performance. I personally fell in love with Tipriti's soulful voice. They really know their music well.

This one here, is a proof that music knows no language. Retrospect from Thailand.Although they sang mostly/if not all, in Thai language, it didn't stop the crowd from jumping around rocking to their music. I have to say that this band, was the cherry on top of the cake.

MAD August!! I love this band! Somehow they remind me a lot of one particular Hong Kong Band, Beyond. MAD August stands for Make A Difference and August was included in the band's name because the band was formed in August. They performed a few of their singles and did a cover of Nirvana's Song, Smells Like Teen Spirit.. Two of the band members got tattoo-ed earlier that day at the tattoo expo too.

The last band to perform that night was Ras Muhamad representing Indonesia. Known as the Indonesian Reggae Ambassador, Ras didnt disappoint the crowd that night. From the start of his performance till the end, you can see the dance floor was packed. Towards the end of the performance, they did an impromptu performance with Masia One and Salamusik. 

Need I say more? Let the pictures speak for themselves. 

Well, that was one of the best events I've attended so far.  Before I end this post, I would like to thank Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) for the opportunity, the performers, my fellow Sarawak Bloggers, members of media from all over the world, and the volunteers who made this all possible. I kid you knot, I'm already looking forward to the next event by them.

If you wish to read more on the event coverage, below are the links of my fellow bloggers who covered the event as well.

Abang Joe
Elena Aradia
Miss Alvy
Cik Reyyana
Fabian
Pei Pei
LadyBird Eileen


Pictures?
You can find them Here
Or  if you want to see the pictures taken by the official photographer, Andy Kho, below are the links.
*Note : Please take note that all pictures, be it taken by me or anybody else, if you wish to use them, please give credits to the owner of the pictures.

Asia Music Festival Day 1 By Andy Kho
Asia MUsic Festival Day 2 By Andy Kho

MIRI – Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club, the venue of Asia Music Festival will offer free shuttle bus service to the event venue on both festival days Friday 3rd October and Saturday 4th October.

 

Shuttle bus service operated by the Eastwood Valley will be made available free to shuttle festival attendees to Asia Music Festival or just to reach their golf club and hotel property located at Jalan Miri by-Pass. According to Rebecca Wong, Eastwood Valley’s Director of Marketing, shuttle bus will leave Eastwood Valley every hour from 5:00pm until 9:00pm. This bus will drop off and pick up at the Boulevard Shopping Complex (entrance next to KFC), Imperial Shopping Mall (lobby entrance of the hotel) and Bintang Mega Mall (mall main entrance, near Coffee Bean).

 

The first schedule that runs from Eastwood Valley at 5:00pm will first reach Boulevard Shopping Complex approximately around 5:15pm, then Imperial Shopping Mall around 5:30pm and Bintang Mega Mall around 5:45pm. The shuttle bus will then return to Eastwood Valley and will continue its service for 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 8:00pm and 9:00pm before returning to Eastwood Valley at around 10:00pm.

 

The major purpose of this service is to provide easy access to festival goers to attend the 2 day festival and at the same time to ease traffic congestion at the venue. 

 

The festival organizer, Sarawak Tourism Board who is promoting “greening the festival” program is also encouraging festival goers to use this free shuttle service to reach the venue while reducing the carbon foot print. “Festival goers are encouraged to help and put into practice the greening effort as their small but worthy contribution to save the environment” says Dato’ Rashid Khan, CEO, Sarawak Tourism Board.

 

At the inaugural event last year, the event drew more than 3,000 people over the 2 days of the festival. The 2nd edition of Asia Music Festival this weekend will feature artists from Asian countries namely from India, Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

 

The festival will also add a DJ gig into this year’s program by featuring  Malaysian famous DJ Roundhead who will be playing an array of famous dance music at the post-festival late show on both nights which will last until 2:00am. Festival gates open at 5:00pm both Friday and Saturday.

 

Other than music, the festival will also incorporate a range of Asian food namely from Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, India, Malaysia and more. The Festival will continue to feature a tattoo exhibition which has attracted more tattoo experts this year from Indonesia and Philippines. 

 

Entry tickets to Asia Music Festival is currently on pre-sale offer at only RM25 for adults and RM10 for children/student (aged 3-18). Visit the website www.asiamusicfestival.net to purchase online. Tickets also available at Visitors Information Centre in Miri (+6 085-434180), Kuching (+6 082-423600) and Sibu (+6 084-340980). Door-sale tickets are priced at RM30 for adults and RM15 for children/students.

KUCHING – The Asia Music Festival will be featuring DJ gig for the first time this year by adding the Malaysian famous DJ Roundhead into the program. DJ Roundhead will be playing at the post-festival late show on both Friday and Saturday night, 3rd and 4th October. He will also be playing a huge array of famous dance music during a break between each bands both nights.

Performing as a DJ for with at least 20 years experience, DJ Roundhead was once crowned as the ‘Malaysia DJ Champion’ 3 years in a row when he entered the Malaysian DJ Championship competition from 1995-1997.

When he was in high school, he would work part-time jobs during the weekend just to blow it all away on CD's and records. That made him the "go-to-guy" when it came to house parties from high school all the way to college. Roundhead would bring his own player and set up his own mini console and rock the crowd at the party. Only after college he join a company during the 90's called Clubworld Entertainment that supplied DJ's to entertainment outlets around Malaysia, where then only he started his professional career.

Among his best moment is representing Malaysia in the Rotterdam Love Parade in the Netherlands for a crowd of 10,000 strong on a 34 wheel trailer while proudly flying the Malaysian flag in front of his console. He played as a DJ residency in Melbourne, Australia for a year before returning to Malaysia and is currently attached to TraxxFM in Kuala Lumpur.

The major challenge for any real DJ is being able to perform under pressure. The most interesting bit is studying the crowd earlier before any performance without undermining their expectations of entertainment. According to Roundhead, a real DJ can tell if a record or a song is going to be a hit or a dance floor filler. Knowledge is the key for everything.

Asia Music Festival now in its second year will bring again the very best eclectic mix of live music together for one mind-blowing weekend in Miri, Sarawak. The inaugural festival last year saw incredible performances from headliners from Asian region as far as India, Thailand and Korea. With the main goal to develop the brand of Asia Music Festival to be an iconic music festival of mixed genre in the Asian Region, the festival has recorded around 3000 music fans attending the first edition of the festival last year.

Asia Music Festival will also incorporate a range of Asian food as well as tattoo exhibition so there will be something for everyone. The festival will start at 5:00pm daily with a tattoo exhibition as well as food and village mart. Stage performance will begin at 7:30pm until midnight, followed by the DJ set with DJ Roundhead until 2:00am.

Eight international bands has been confirmed for this year’s festival. Get your tickets now at a pre-sale price, only RM25 for adults and RM10 for children/student (aged 3-18) at www.asiamusicfestival.net . Tickets also on sale at Visitors Information Centre in Kuching (+6 082-423600), Miri (+6 085-434180) and Sibu (+6 084-340980). Door-sale tickets are priced at RM30 for adults and RM15 for children/students.

KUCHING – Asia Music Festival is back for the 2nd year running and this edition will present to you Female Rapper from Singapore, Masia One.  She is all set to thrill the audience at the coming event to be held at Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club, Miri from the 3rd to 4th October 2014.

In 2003, Masia One, began her own record label known as M1 Group (later renamed The MERDEKA Group) and subsequently released her debut album, Mississauga.  The album was well received and the music video for the lead single “Split Second Time” was nominated in the category of best rap video by the Much Music awards. Masia’s second studio album, “PULAU” was released in 2009. The album attained the number one slot on the Canadian College Radio Charts as well as charting on both CBC Radio 3 and South East Asian Radio.

Masia has developed into a well rounded multi-genre artist. Her sound reflects inspiration drawn from touring through North America, Jamaica and Asia and sharing the stage with acts such as The Roots, Floetry, Mos Def, DJ Neil Armstrong, Lady Saw & Ron Sexsmith.

Courted by Grammy Award-winning Aftermath producer Che Vicious (Produced for Lauren Hill, Kanye West and 50 Cent to name a few), Masia began working on what would later become the album “Bootleg Culture”. “Bootleg Culture” was released in September 2012.
and is currently nominated for “Urban Recording of the Year” by the Western Canadian Music Alliance.

In February 2013 Masia One won three South East Asian VIMA Music Awards. Best Hip Hop Song (Warriors Tongue), Best Collaboration (Errrybody feat. Pharrell, The Game & Isis Salam) & Thank You For Existing Highest Honor Award. She was nominated in eight categories, including nominations for Best Overall Female Act and Best Pop Song – “Make Up”.

In May 2013 Masia One got the opportunity to perform for the first time in Europe. She did shows in Germany and Sweden as well as working with Swedish producer team Musicano.

Watch Masia One performing on stage at Asia Music Festival. Other confirmed line-up this year includes SoulMate (India), Salammusik (Malaysia), Pancake80 (Philippines), Pisco (Taiwan), Retrospect (Thailand), Ras Muhamad (Indonesia) and Mad August (Malaysia).

Get your presale tickets now at only RM25 for adults and RM10 for children/student (aged 3-18) at http://asiamusicfestival.net/tickets/ . Tickets also available from all STB’s Visitors Information Centre located at Sarawak Tourism Complex, Kuching (+6 082-423600), Jalan Melayu, Miri (+6 085-434180) and Jalan Tukang Besi, Sibu (+6 084-340980). Door-sale tickets are priced at RM30 for adults and RM15 for children/students.

KUCHING – Reggae music is not new among listeners and music lovers. The 2nd edition of Asia Music Festival this coming October 3-4 in Miri, Sarawak will bring you Reggae Ambassador of Indonesia, Ras Muhamad. He will entertain you with reggae music that will leave you mesmerized

Ras Muhamad believes that through the power of music especially Reggae, people can share and learn each other’s cultures through the messages it conveys. To find similarities and common ground, setting aside petty differences and finally celebrating life and all its dynamics through music. Such as the core and heart of Reggae, it’s a universal expression and a message of love.

Ras Muhamad musical influences other than Reggae, Ska, Dancehall and Rocksteady ranges widely from Hip-Hop, Indonesian traditional and pop music, Jazz, Metal and World Music. Besides Bob Marley, his Reggae “heroes” are Lee Perry, Peter Tosh, Augustus Pablo, King Tubby, Sizzla, Garnett Silk Gregory Isaacs and a very long-list of others. Lyrically, he draws many inspirations also from Hip-Hop icons such as Rakim, KRS-One, Nas and Wu-Tang. If one listens closely to any of Ras Muhamad’s tune his rhyme structure has subtle undertones and akin to a Hip-Hop lyricist.

Not just active in the Reggae Culture, Ras Muhamad challenges himself to collaborate with other genres in the Indonesian music industry. To express himself as an artist and give the “Reggae breath” to other forms of music is challenging to an ever-growing and evolving artist.

As an example, Ras Muhamad collaborated and recorded music with Indonesian Pop Icons such as Glenn Fredly, Tompi and Element. Indra Lesmana, a jazz legend in Indonesia also had experience in working with the Reggae Ambassador of Indonesia. Renowned, Indonesian Punk Band Superglad also collaborated with him in 2013 for their album.

Lyrically inclined, musically dynamic and Jamaican-influenced yet still Asiatic. Oneness Records boldly releases Indonesia’s first Reggae international album on July 25th 2014, Ras Muhamad’s “Salam”.

Among the many awards he received are; 2013 Nomintaed Best Reggae Composition for “Negeri Pelangi” by “Anugerah Music Indonesia, 2013 Best Reggae Song “Prosa Tinju Lima Jari”, 2012 Best Reggae for Indonesia Cutting-Edge Music Awards.

Watch Ras Muhamad performing on stage at Asia Music Festival to be held in Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club, Miri, Sarawak. Other confirmed line-up this year includes SoulMate (India), Salammusik (Malaysia), Pancake80 (Philippines), Pisco (Taiwan), Retrospect (Thailand), Masia One (Singapore) and Mad August (Malaysia).

Presale tickets is currently on sale only at RM25 for adults and RM10 for children/student (aged 3-18) at http://asiamusicfestival.net/tickets/ . Tickets also available from all STB’s Visitors Information Centre located at Sarawak Tourism Complex, Kuching (+6 082-423600), Jalan Melayu, Miri (+6 085-434180) and Jalan Tukang Besi, Sibu (+6 084-340980).  Door-sale ticket are priced at RM30 for adults and RM15 for children/students.

KUCHING – The second edition of Asia Music Festival this coming October 3-4 will be enlivened by the presence of the Malaysian band, MAD AUGUST.

The band consisting of 4 members who have their own musical skills and are ready to amaze the audience with their live performance for the first time in Miri, Sarawak.

The concept behind the name “MAD” is actually an abbreviation of a philosophical slogan – “Make A Difference”. It pledges that everyone can make a difference in life, even with a least of strength and the words “August” which in numeric 8 refers to success, opportunity and strength.

MAD AUGUST plays Modern Rock and Emo Rock music. They create an icon via music as a medium to manifest their ideology. This icon is a leader, an image and a symbol of encouragement about living life to its fullness with courage.

Asia Music Festival promises an extraordinary weekend of fun, music and more, against the stunning backdrop of the venue, Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club. A mixture of live music will be featured throughout the two days event and will include a mix-genre of music from regional, national and local talent.

Other than MAD August, the confirmed line-up of performers includes SoulMate (India), Ras Muhamad (Indonesia), Pancake80 (Philippines), Pisco (Taiwan), Retrospect (Thailand), Masia One (Singapore) and Salammusik (Malaysia).

Presale tickets are still on sale only at RM25 for adults and RM10 for children/student (aged 3-18) and available online at www.asiamusicfestival.net . Tickets also available from all STB’s Visitors Information Centre located at Sarawak Tourism Complex, Kuching (+6 082-423600), Jalan Melayu, Miri (+6 085-434180) and Jalan Tukang Besi, Sibu (+6 084-340980). Door-sale ticket are priced at RM30 for adults and RM15 for children/students.

Let me tell you a story about how I became a car crazy guy. I've always been into cars and how they work ever since I dropped by at mu uncle's work place where he works as a mechanic. I've always been the curios boy since I was small, I would take things apart just to figure out how they do what they did.

My curiosity has often ended up with me getting into trouble because I couldn't put them back together. When I got my first car, which was a Nissan Cefiro A31, which was given to me by my dad (he bought another car and the old one he gave to me). The car was equipped with a 2.0cc turbocharged engine with manual transmission. The car itself is a fuel guzzler and one trip from my house in Lutong to Bintang Plaza can easily drink up Rm10 worth of fuel. Being a student at that time, I didnt have much cash with me to do anything with the car. 

Because of that, after a few years driving that car, I talked to my dad and we sold of the car because i couldnt afford the maintenance of the car. After I sold of the car (that was back in 2008, I was aiming to buy a Satria GTi (every Malaysian men dream car back then), but it was too expensive and i couldnt afford it ( the Satria GTi cost roughly about RM40k second hand).

Not long after that, I came to know that Sarawak Shell Berhad was auctioning their company car. with the help of my dad, I managed to place a bid for an Proton Iswara Sedan 1.3cc for RM5k. the car was in terrible condition, the roof was rusted, 2 of the doors was having huge holes from the rust and the interior was all dirty. but what was important to me that time was, as long as the engine runs, I can make it work.The car was left at the yard for over a year before the bidding was opened for public. After that RM5K purchase, I spent another additional RM3k on fixing the rusted parts and a fresh coat of paint. From the original dark blue, I painted it silver and replaced the 13" steel rims with a set of wheels taken from the first generation of Proton Waja wheels. 

Slowly every month I started saving some money to "beautify" the car, adding bodykits, sound system, working up the interior, headlamp replacement at purchased 2nd hand seats taken out from a Mitsubishi FTO . The following year, I've ventured out with engine mods, and thanks to Google and forums, I slowly poisoned myself into modding the tiny 4G13 engine. Started off with Open Pods filter to short shifters until adjustable cam pulleys.

Sometime around year 2010, my thirst for power has reached its peak. I wanted more power but there's so little that the 1.3cc engine could do.. Again after I read a few forums and a lot of googling, I ended up with an engine swap. From a 1.3cc engine to a 1.6cc engine taken from a wira. The maximum i can go was 1.6cc as above that, I couldnt get the engine endorsed by JPJ. After the engine swap, more mods was done to the car and there's where i started doing a lot of DIYs on my car as I was modding my car on a tight budget. Alng the way i've upgraded the rims to a proper set of wheels and re-do the audio system to suit my preferences. 

The modding slowed down and after that it was more of a fixing what needed to be fixed.. Alright, im not gonna bore you more on explaining, im just going to put a slide show on what was done to the car.

Less then a month after I've installed new bodykits and resprayed the car, on May 23rd, 2012, I was involved in an accident on my way to work. I was about 5 minutes away from my office as I drove pass by a housing area, I saw a white Toyota Hilux stopping at a junction.. Seeing that, I proceed driving normally until i was about 50 meters from the junction, the Hilux just came out of the junction. I tried to avoid crashing to him, I stepped on my brakes and I swerved to the right side going into the incoming lane but it was too late. I crashed into him and basically my whole left side of the car was badly damaged. At first i was keeping my cool but when I got out of the car, I saw the damaged, my heart just broke into pieces..  

I was car-less for 6 months after the accident.. The insurance process was fast but the workshop that was appointed by the insurance company just took their sweet time fixing my car just because its an Proton Iswara what broke my already broken heart more was the way the handled my car. After calling the insurance company headquarters(I guess the claim manager said something to the workshop), they started to work on my car the next day and within one week, my car was done. Workmanship wise was terrible but all I wanted that time was to get back my car. The moment I got my car back, I didnt drove it straight home but instead to my own workshop and got it fixed there. 

After that, I tried slowly fixing it back to its original state but you know what they said, once broken, it will never be the same. More and more problems came after the accident, it spent most of its time in the workshop rather then being driven. 

So last year, I decided to get another car. Fix the Iswara and sell it off after that. So I got myself the car that I always wanted to get. Yes.. The Proton Satria Gti 1.8. An the whole modification process starts again on a new platform. Progress is slow as Im still paying for the car. In 10 months time, I'll be done with the car loan and we will see how it goes from there. Currently the Iswara is in the workshop, getting some loving before being sold off.

Well thats about my three cars. When I'm not doing my car, I'll be doing something else to my friends car. Painting rims, center console, installing foglights, bodykits and such. Over the years I've learnt a lot about cars and when you're modding a car under a strict budget, DIYs is the way to go. Its an effective way to learn new things as long as you are willing to try and believe in yourself.

Someone asked me before, "if you love cars so much, why did you took IT instead of automotive?". Well here is the story behind it. I did wanted to take up automotive after if finished high school but my parents didn't agree to it. They questioned me on my  reasons and eventually I told myself, "its okay, my parents always wanted the best for me. They know what's best for me." So yeah.. Until today, Im still doing IT as a profession and I have to thank my parents for that. I was never a "technically attached person"and  I've always enjoyed getting my hands dirty. If my parents didn't asked me to take up IT, I dont think I know anything about how much things and information I can find online. Im really grateful that my parents actually forced me to study Information Technology. With that IT knowledge, Im able to utilize it to feed more knowledge and fuel my passion for cars. Well, Im looking forward to more car projects soon, be it my own car or others. till then, cheers!