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ALL HEADS MUST ROLL INCLUDING TRANSPORT MINISTER!

The top 10 percent of the population are the rich, who live in wealthy districts, while the bottom 20 percent are the languishers who have difficulty coping with a high cost structured life. The third is the large middle class. A SINGAPOREAN couple walked into a Lamborghini showroom and bought two units - his and hers - for US$650,000 (RM2.04mil) each. "It's amazing; young kids coming in and spending S$2mil (RM4.7mil)," the manager told a journalist. "I don't think they were even 30 years old." Last year, 29 of these creme de la creme models were sold countrywide, beating Ferrari (26 cars). In 2007 a total of 320 luxury cars including Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lotus, Aston Martin and Maserati, were sold to Singapore's new rich. As the nouveau riche basks in their newfound glory, more Singaporeans from the poorer quarters are approaching the government for food aid. A growing number of homeless can be seen sleeping in void decks of buildings and, pressed by high living costs, more elderly citizens are working as toilet cleaners or collecting used cans for recycling. Singapore remains largely a middle class society. The high number of shopping plazas attests to it. But the group may be decreasing as a result of globalisation and runaway prices. The city-state of 4.7 million people has two - perhaps three - faces. On the top 10 percent are the rich, who live in wealthy districts, own yachts and blow S$10,000 (RM23,209) on a single meal. At the bottom 20 percent of the population are the languishers who have difficulties coping with a high cost structured life in an international city. The third is the large middle class. Take the case of Carol John, 27. She doesn't own a bed, sleeps every night on thin mattresses with her three children. Hers is a one-bedroom flat that reeks of urine smell from the common corridor outside. "I can't save anything, it's so difficult for me," John, who is unemployed, told a reporter. She relies on her husband's S$600 (RM1392) monthly salary and S$100 (RM232) government handout. She is luckier than others who are homeless - elderly and even entire families - who sleep at void decks or the beach and bathe at public restrooms. In perspective, Singapore is the second richest country in Asia next to Japan, with a per capita GDP of US$48,900 (RM154,141). Homeless cases are few, nowhere comparable in number to Osaka's army of vagabonds or New York's bag ladies. In fact, nine out of 10 poor people in Singapore have their own home, and usually a phone and a refrigerator. But in the local context, it is a potential minefield of unrest. The proportion of Singaporeans earning less than S$1000 (RM2320) a month rose to 18 percent last year, from 16 percent in 2002, according to central bank data. The bad part is that life is often worse for the unemployed - compared to other countries - because Singapore has no safety net and no rural hinterland to cushion their suffering. Unlike in Malaysia or Thailand, a jobless person who cannot cope with the global market has no countryside to retreat to so that he can live off the land. The problem will get worse. In other words, the rich will get richer and the poor, poorer with the middle class remaining more or less stagnant. The state's Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, has worsened from 42.5 in 1998 to 47.2 in 2006, which makes it in league with the Philippines (46.1) and Guatemala (48.3), and worse than China (44.7) according to the World Bank. Other wealthy Asian nations such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan have more European-style Ginis of 24.9, 31.6 and 32.6 respectively. This is one of the worst failures of the modern People's Action Party, despite its democratic socialism principles. It was with these that its first generation leaders were able to turn a poor squalid society into a middle class success story. Economists attribute the major blame to globalisation, which benefits the skilled citizens and the rich but makes it hard for the unskilled, the aged and the sick. Even the highly educated are not spared. The use of new instruments like company restructuring, relocation or out-sourcing of workers - unheard of before - is widening the gap and creating more income inequality. For example, while the proportion of lower income rises, those who earn S$8000 (RM18,570) or more increased from 4.7 percent to 6 percent. This rising inequality could eventually undermine the bedrock of society - the broad middle class. Some economists say that the feared erosion of Japan's middle class, first enunciated by Japanese strategist Kenichi Ohmae, may already be happening here. His country was emerging into a 'M-shape' class distribution, in which a very few middle class people may climb up the ladder into the upper class, while the others gradually sank to the lower classes. These people suffered a deterioration in living standard, faced the threat of unemployment, or their average salary was dropping, he said. Gradually, they can only live a way the lower classes live: e.g. take buses instead of driving their own car, cut their budget for meals instead of dining at better restaurants, spend less in consumer goods. And, Kenichi said, all this might take place while the economy enjoyed remarkable growth and overall wages rose. However, the wealth increase may concentrate in the pockets of the very few rich people in the society. The masses cannot benefit from the growth, and their living standard goes into decline. The Singapore government, which relies on the middle class vote to remain in power, has vowed to make economic gap-levelling its top priority - for survival, even if nothing else. Star, Malaysia

by Charles C. Roberts, Jr. Automobile suspension systems are mechanical devices whose function is to support the vehicle body and other components above the wheels. There are a variety of designs including coil spring, longitudinal leaf, transverse leaf, torsion bar, MacPherson, Christy, and solid axle. Figure 1 - MacPherson strut suspension Figure 2 - Solid axle suspension Figure 3 - Control arm suspension with coil springs Figures 1 through 3 are drawings of typical suspension systems found on most vehicles on the road. Figure 1 is the classical MacPherson strut suspension, which is common on many front drive vehicles. The strut, which is also a shock damper, moves vertically while the control arm limits transverse and longitudinal movement. The system is compact, efficient and adapts easily to front and rear applications. Figure 2 is a view of an earlier design: the solid axle suspension with king pin. The solid axle beam is supported by springs and connects to a swiveling axle via the king pin. This suspension is often used on heavier vehicles such as trucks and on some older vehicles. Figure 3 depicts a control arm suspension with coil springs. This independent suspension system is used on many older and rear wheel drive vehicles. Automobile accident investigation may focus on a vehicle's suspension system, being guided by evidence of possible malfunction or statements from the insured driver or witnesses. Automotive suspension failure can be caused by a design defect, a manufacturing defect, poor maintenance or the accident. Figure 4 Figure 4 is a view of a MacPherson front suspension on the right side of a compact car. Evidence suggests that the lower ball joint (arrow) failed, causing the vehicle to steer uncontrollably, which resulted in an accident. Figure 5 is a top view of the ball joint showing wear patterns from the drive shaft rotor just above the ball joint. The ball joint itself was dry and badly worn with no evidence of lubrication. The vehicle had over 100,000 miles on the odometer. The wear on the top of the ball joint suggests that for a period of time, the joint had failed and had moved vertically and rubbed against the axle rotor. The rotor was acting as a retainer of the joint, preventing it from separating from the suspension. This condition would result in excessive play in the steering, plus a loud noise that should have acted as a warning to the insured driver that a problem existed. The driver continued to operate the vehicle until the accident occurred. The failure of the ball joint was determined to be maintenance related with no evidence of a manufacturing defect. Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 6 is a view of a king pin assembly from a large road tractor. Figure 7 is a close-up of a crack in the king pin housing. A truck driver claimed loss of control while on a winding rural highway. Analysis of the housing fracture surface indicated that environmentally assisted cracking had caused the failure. What initiated the environmentally assisted cracking was severe wear from lack of lubrication, a maintenance related failure. Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 8 is a view of a front control arm suspension with a fractured tie rod end. Figure 9 is a close-up of the fracture surface. The driver indicated that the tie rod end suddenly failed, and an accident resulted. The lower arrow in Figure 9 points to a corrosion related crack that had formed through the tubing wall. Despite the corrosion damage to the tubing, the fracture surface (white area, upper arrow) is characteristic of a sudden overload, indicating that a sudden failure under normal conditions was unlikely. The likely cause would be an impact with a noncompliant object such as a curb or another vehicle. Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 10 is a view of a rear control arm bolt in a late model front drive automobile. The driver complained of loss of control, which resulted in a vehicle rollover and personal injury. The right end of the bolt had fractured. A close-up of the fracture surface is shown in Figure 11. Figure 11 Metallurgical analysis of the part revealed improper heat treating of the bolt, which was the cause of the failure and was a manufacturing defect. When the bolt failed, the right rear control arm parted from the suspension, causing the right rear tire to point outward at an angle. The ensuing yaw motion terminated with a vehicle rollover. Figure 12 Figure 12 depicts the right rear tire of a vehicle with a severe toe-in of about 30 degrees. The body damage is characteristic of having struck another vehicle. The control arm and tie rod end was badly bent, but not fractured, suggesting that this condition was most likely a result of the impact. Suspension systems are often blamed as a cause of an accident. Driver error can explain many of the accidents, while the remaining ones can be attributed to poor maintenance, design or manufacturing defects. Obviously, insurers are interested in causes of failure that suggest negligent behavior by some other party for subrogation purposes. If legal action is contemplated, then potential litigants should be placed on notice as to the existence of the evidence and a joint protocol developed before any destructive testing is performed.