What to do when we drive to Malaysia?

A learning lesson for us to remember. Always remember get your passport stamped upon entry and stamped upon departure if you go to a foreign land. If there are no officers around -  even when the counter light is green, do not attempt to drive in without your passport stamped.

Even if you have the Malaysian Automated Clearance System (MACS) sticker, applied for frequent visit within a year, always check its validity and make sure it is valid before you enter the country. Once expired, remember to fill up the disembarkation/embarkation card and get both your passport and the departure portion of the card stamped. And make sure the immigration stamp is clear for us to read the conditions.

Also, make sure your passport is in order such as existing pages before and after your passport is stamped by the foreign immigration officer. Should there be any discrepancy after your passport cleared, check with the officer who stamped your passport or their immigration office for assistance. I guess there is nothing much our Foreign Ministry and mission can do other then to stay in touch with our citizens who are detained, as the foreign authorities have every valid reason to detain a foreign suspect. Usually they will assist you to engage you a lawyer if you need one, and stay to keep in touch with you of the progress of your case.

Why are cars in Singapore so expensive?

This is a re-posted post from: https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/why-cars-singapore-expensive-020041880.html

The new Vehicle Emissions Scheme (VES), which replaces the current Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS) on Jan 1, 2018, will be more stringent. Car prices are likely to increase even more.

On top of that, there are 5 main factors that would determine the price of a brand new car in Singapore. They are the Open Market Value (OMV), the Additional Registration Fee (ARF), Excise Duty & GST, Certificate of Entitlement (COE), and local dealers’ margin.

Watch the video below the find out more about each factor:

What do we do in an accident?

As a driver, it's important to always pre-empt what may possibly happen. Sometimes, it may not be your fault but the ones behind you, who failed to keep a safety distance and hit you when you stop your car.

In a report, it's been mentioned that in 2015, injury related traffic accidents saw an increase of 2.7% from 7,809 in 2014 to 8,201 in 2015.

This increase shows that injuries from traffic related accidents is occuring at a rate of more than 22 injuries per day! This should be sufficient statistics for us to know that accidents on the road are common, and that we should not take our accident-free record for granted.

If you do get into an accident, you need to be mindful of the hidden costs involved, and how you can minimise it by maximising your insurance usage.

Take As Much Photographs As Possible

When you find yourself in such a predicament, the first thing that should cross your mind is to retain as much photographic evidence of the accident scene as possible. You should also swap contact (i.e. names, phone numbers, NRIC, home address) and insurance details) with the other party(s) involved.

Tow Trucks

If your vehicle was damaged in the accident and requires a tow truck to bring it to the workshop, you should call your insurance company to ensure that the tow truck company is approved by your insurance company, and that your vehicle is taken to to an authorised workshop.

The usual rate of hiring a tow truck is around $70, but this is a cost that could be higher. Or if you are an AA member you could try: 67489911 or 63338811.

Repair Costs

Costs of minor repairs like bumper damages may range from an average of $150 to $300 or higher, depending on the brand of your vehicle.

For example, the removal of dents could cost anywhere from as low as $60 to as high as $500. Other more extensive repairs could include the replacement of headlights and tail lights. The service of spray painting your vehicle could range from $150 on specific areas to $2000 for the entire car body.

These figures are not definite because they are subjected to the model of your car and the extent of the damages incurred during the accident. Nevertheless, it puts into perspective how important having an insurance plan is in providing thorough coverage.

Insurance

Naturally, you would expect your insurance company to assist you in the cost of the accident. However, you should also be aware of what your policies cover and what it doesn’t.

Your insurance contract may cover you from the towing of your vehicle to the repair of your vehicle and even your cab fares. Here are some important definitions that you might want to note when purchasing your car insurance policy.

No-claim Discount (NCD):

This is invoked when you have made no insurance claim under your policy for a year or more. If you don’t make any claims, then the NCD would reduce your insurance premium the following year.

The NCD acts like a signal for your insurer to indicate that you have been a cautious driver. The following table shows how insurers would ‘discount’ your premium annually. However, you should still clarify with your insurer on the exact rates.

Source: One Motoring

Some insurers even have the option of NCD protection which is the option of paying a fee to prevent the loss of the NCD. By paying a small fee to get the option of NCD protection, your NCD would still be in force even if you had to claim on your insurance once during the year.

To be eligible for this protection, you would normally have to accumulate 50% NCD. However, this may vary with your insurance policy. NTUC Income allows you to purchase NCD protection if your NCD is at least 30%.

Daily Transport Allowance:

This clause covers your transport costs from the day you send your car for repair up to a certain number of days.

Excess Cash:

This is the amount that you have to pay when you make a claim. For instance, if the damage of your car costs $1,000 and your excess is $200, you would need to pay $200 first while the remaining cost of $800 is taken care of by your insurer.

Of course, your excess amount is inversely related to your insurance premium – the lower your excess, the higher your premium. Such excess can include, excess waiver, windshield excess and policy excess.

Upgrades:

As with many insurance policies, there are always optional add ons to your policy. An example includes the option of going to a workshop of your choice. Add ons vary from insurer to insurer and you should check with your insurer whether these options are worth paying for.

Read also: Why The Cheapest Car Insurance is Not Always the Best

Medical Bills:

Injuries sustained during an accident can vary from minor bruises to ones that require hospitalisation. In such cases, insurance policies would typically cover medical expenses incurred due to the accident and the pay-out is usually capped at a certain amount.

In order to claim on your medical expenses, you would have to arrange for it to be paid by your insurer by obtaining a letter from the hospital.

Police Report:

If the driver or passengers have sustained injuries during the accident, a police report should be made as soon as possible either from the hospital, or after you have been discharged.

Conclusion

The unfortunate event of being involved in an accident highlights the importance of purchasing an appropriate insurance policy. However, the best habit one can do to lower accident costs is to prevent one. Don't speed in congested areas. And a fail safe maxim: keep a safety distance!

10 Must haves in your car!

We normally spend a lot of time in our cars. So it is only natural to make your car more convenient.
Here's the list of "Must Haves":

1. Sunglasses.
They are great at protecting against glare while driving. When driving with the windows down, wind and dusts are unwanted distractions to deal with. Sunglasses offer protection from these elements.

2. Bottle of water
A bottle of water, preferably 1.5 litres, will save you when your car overheats. With some water,
you can top up the radiator and rush to your nearest workshop.

3. Parking Coupons
Not many parking spaces have the electronic barriers installed yet. Jaunts to Serangoon Gardens or Geylang for gastronomical treats often require parking payment through coupons. Parking without coupons will result in a $6 to $50 fine. Those caught for cheating by using used coupons can face fines up to $1000.

4. Pen and Paper
In the event of an accident, it helps to sketch how it happened. It is also helpful to write down what the other party says - especially if there is a private agreement earlier on.

5. Accident kit

Such a kit helps ensure that you are ready to respond appropriately by providing step by step instructions. Proper reporting procedures can then be properly documented.


6. Compact battery jump starters

Being stranded with a dead battery can be very annoying to a car driver. But with a jump starter, you can just hook it up and then start your car.


7. Digital Air compressor

Most of us drivers have encountered a nail in our car's tyres at some point in life. While most cars come with either a spare tyre or a repair kit, not many have digital air compressors as part of the package. They are easier to operate as opposed to a traditional air pump.


8. Spare Cash card
9. Wet wipes,
10. Spare change

The last three being so obvious - that we need no elaboration on. : )
  

What to do in Malaysia if there you are involved in an accident there?

Alot of Singaporeans drive in and out daily from Malaysia.. Hey, we have got only one neighbour along our boundary. But as the saying goes: anything can happen.

With all these different variables and the lack of protection and sense of safety that we take for granted in Singapore, here are 3 things you need to take note of should you be driving in to Malaysia on a relatively frequent basis. (Discounting the fact that you could potentially be robbed.. ) Anyhow..

For the ladies... please do not flash more than necessary.. Its really for your own sake.. For the guys...

1) Buy car insurance with coverage that extends to West Malaysia

Ok this is something you should do before you get into an accident. If you drive in to Malaysia from time to time, it’d be a good idea to get a car insurance with coverage that extends to West Malaysia. Some insurance providers offering this include DBS Driveshield, Aviva and NTUC Income.

Driving a new, expensive car into Malaysia? Its a good idea to get comprehensive coverage versus the cheapest 3^rd party coverage, as it effectively insures your car, accessories and yourself (and your passengers) against damages and injuries. This is required anyway by most financiers if you take a car loan.

Have the emergency hotline number of your insurer stored in your mobile phone and roaming services activated beforehand. This will come in handy when you need help to tow your car away or if you need assistance for repair at the accident scene, or to arrange for a replacement rental car / alternative transport back to Singapore.

Do not agree to let a random tow truck assist you in bringing your car back to his workshop, as this could have severe implications on your insurance claims. Also, he might be trying to scam you.

2) Do the same things as you would if you were to get into an accident in Singapore

In order to make your claims successfully upon returning to Singapore, ensure that all necessary information are collected and a police report is filed with the local authorities.

The necessary information to obtain include:

• The other driver’s car plate number, contact and identification details,
• The time and place of the accident, and
• Photographs of the accident scene

Submit the claims as soon as you can, within 24 hours of the accident occurring.

3) In the case of unsuccessful claims, approach GIA or PIAM

If you have explored all avenues for claims and have been unsuccessful, you may approach the General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) or its Malaysian counterpart, Persatuan Insuran Am Malaysia (PIAM) for assistance.

GIA

Tel: 62218788

Address: 180 Cecil Street, #07-02, Bangkok Bank Building

PIAM

Tel: 03-2274 7399

Address: 150 Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 50470 Kuala Lumpur

We hope you feel more assured about driving into Malaysia with these essentials in place!

Also, if you’re looking to compare which car insurance packages suit you best, then head on over to Moneysmart’s car insurance comparison wizard to find the best rates in Singapore at the click of a button.

yep.. all these infor were taken from public source.. I just feel that its imperative that everyone knows about this... : )
Have fun in Malaysia...

Car Brakes

Although car brakes are not visible, they are nevertheless important. Brake maintenance should be at the top of your monitoring for Car Safety.

Here are some of the danger signs to look out for:

a. Noise

Any unusual sound heard when applying the brakes should be a concern. Friction that is created from the brake lining heating up causes "squeeking" sound. And grinding noise indicates wearing out of brake pads.

b. Feel of brake pedal

If the brake pedal feels softer and you need to step harder on it, this might mean that air is leaking into the brake system, or the brake level is low.

c. Pulling to one side or brake drag

Worn or uneven brakes will cause your car to pull to one side when braking. Mis-aligned brakes will cause brake drag.

Guide to buying a car in Singapore

We have all heard about how buying a car is not one of the smartest financial moves to make. A car is after all, a depreciating asset. So there is a need to know before signing on the dotted line, for a new car purchase, on how to source for a suitable car loan.

1. What are the main factors to take into consideration when deciding whether to purchase a car?

Most car owners in Singapore, do not have a full understanding of the financial implications of one's car purchase. In Singapore, it is important for a potential car buyer to note that there are some very specific factors that affect the value of a car and the overall cost of ownership.

As Singapore is still one of the most expensive places in the world to buy and maintain a car, it is well worth one's time to understand the basic elements that make up the costs of owning a vehicle here.

OWNING A VEHICLE IN SINGAPORE
The 2 main factors that impact the cost of car ownership in Singapore are:
a) The vehicle tax regime including import duties, additional registration fees (ARF) and road tax.

The Vehicle Quota System which limits the vehicle population growth in Singapore to approximately 3% per annum. The tool which is used to limit the number of cars registered in Singapore is the Certificate of Entitlement or COE. Each vehicle registered in Singapore must have an accompanying COE which is "attached" to the vehicle throughout the vehicle's lifespan. For more information on the Vehicle Quota System and COEs, please visit www.lta.gov.sg (The Land Transport Authority) and http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/.

b) RECURRING MAINTENANCE COSTS

In addition to incurring the cost of acquiring a vehicle, there are other costs associated with keeping the vehicle on the road. Here are some of those costs:

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

One of the most common misconceptions on the affordability of a car is the "low monthly installment" syndrome. This happens when prospective buyers are "tricked" into buying a car on the premise that the monthly installment is low. However, many consumers do not factor in other "costs" and can end up in a horrendous situation from a financial perspective. Many car buyers also do not take enough time to consider their length of ownership and therefore do not make the best purchase decisions from a financial perspective.

Unlike a property, a car is usually a liability as its value depreciates the moment you purchase the car. Therefore, when buying a car, it is important to take time to consider how much it will cost you overall, your intended ownership period and of course, your motoring needs.

2) If an individual were to purchase a car, what would be the maximum percentage of the individual's salary that should be allocated for the monthly installments and other related expenses?

To work out your Income and Expenses when deciding on a car purchase, one will need to work out his/her Debt Servicing Ratio (DSR) which is often used by banks to assess whether a loan application can be approved. DSR is the percentage of the borrower's total monthly financial commitment (including car loan, home loan repayment, and other financial commitments such as unsecured borrowing, etc) against his monthly income and it will determine the loan quantum to be granted.

The acceptable DSR varies from bank to bank, but is usually between the region of 40% to 50%.

SOURCING FOR A SUITABLE CAR LOAN

There are three basic factors to think about when sourcing for a new car loan: interest rate, loan principal and loan period. Knowing these three items will enable you to understand how much loan you are able to obtain. Using these to make your loan calculation will help you establish your budget for making the monthly payments.

It will be good to bear in mind that most lenders will want you to take out as much loan as you can possibly afford, since they will make more money, the larger the loan amount is. Therefore, always check the terms and conditions for the car loan before you commit to a loan. Below are the key items one needs to take note of, when it comes to car loans.

The Loan Principal is a term used in finance that refers to the original amount of the debt or the original amount of money borrowed. Your total interest charges at the end of the loan period depend on the amount of the loan principal and the loan period. The higher the principal amount you borrow, the more money you will ultimately be paying back over the course of the loan.

The interest rate is usually expressed in percentage terms and is referred to as the amount of money charged outside the loan principal amount.
There are two common car loan interest schemes, i.e. the flat interest rate and the monthly rest schemes. Flat inter¬est charges are also known as "flat add-on rate". The interest rate is fixed throughout the loan period and it uses simple interest calculation. This means the total interest payable for the whole loan period is already added into the principal loan amount at the beginning. Borrowers pay equal monthly installments over the period of the loan. Currently, most car loans in Singapore are based on this scheme.

Monthly rest schemes are repayment schemes with floating interest rates. These rates are usually pegged at a certain percentage below or above a benchmark rate, such as the lender's prime lending rate or board rates. The interest is calculated on a monthly rest basis, meaning that the principal amount is reduced every month as the monthly installment is paid. The monthly instalments are a fixed amount, but the reduction in the principal and the interest payment vary according to changes in the interest rate.

The Loan period refers to the life cycle of the loan. The longer the loan, the more expensive the loan will be.

Car loan calculation is an important part of sourcing for the right car loan. You can determine how much your loan is going to cost, by utilising good car loan calculation.By regulation, car loans have a maximum repayment period of 10 years and a financing limit of 100% of the car purchase price or market value, including COE, whichever is lower. The loan period added to the age of the car cannot exceed 10 years.

Terms and Conditions

Default For hire purchase loans, if you default on the monthly installments, the lender has the right to repossess the vehicle. Upon the sale of the vehicle, you have to pay for the shortfall between the sales proceeds and the loan outstanding, including the costs arising from the repossession.

Late Fees and Penalties:- Different lenders charge different fees for late payment of installments. Make sure you check out all these fees before you commit to the loan.