I just came back with my spouse after celebrating my dad’s birthday at Soon Lai Eatery with nestum fried mantis prawns, stir fried potato leaves in belacan, steamed fish in spicy sauce, steamed clams with garlic and chilly padi, baked crabs and chilly crabs. The meal cost $200 for a table of 5 persons including drinks. Well, we talked about none other than the pending general election due next week. I am a strong supporter of Pakatan and will always be. Hence, next week, after church service, I will return home to vote with my family. Pakatan has always taken care of our bread and butter issues and provided financially for the citizens. Barisan are just mere copycats!

Daily issues like home loans are addressed besides other financial matters of the citizens. Quite of number of people are living at subsistence level and near poverty stage. So having a home loan to cater to these poor people are important as they need a roof over their heads to protect themselves from the elements of the weather like rain or shine. These are matters close to their hearts and affect their lives. It will mean living in comfort or struggling in the streets and sleeping on public benches.

On another note, you can also check out Swoon Video Production in Auckland by clicking on the link given to find out more information. They specialise in taking the hassle out of video production and bringing great video ideas to life on screens. You might like to know that video on your web site can dramatically improve search engine rankings and this will mean more traffic and possibly revenue to be earned from it. You can then place advertisement banners and sponsored links to leverage on the web site space. Video is the fastest growing content on the internet, but it must be done well to be effective.

As I was browsing around, I also came across Yourselect Power Company Comparison where you can find the cheapest energy deal instantly! That is the magic of using the internet where information can be gleaned in an instant. Youselect is a free electricity and gas price comparison website where you can compare offers from electricity and gas retailers and elect to switch to a new supplier, all online. That is why I love the internet so much and it has become a big part of my life, enabling me to earn and work in a home office.

I thank God for the knowledge in implementing this, all gleaned from the internet and from joining forums to learn about web site designing.

The dividend rate, an increase of 15 basis points over the 6 percent rate paid out in 2011, translates to a record breaking total of RM27.45bil being distributed to its members, an increase of 12.2 percent over RM24.47bil paid out in the previous year, said EPF Chairman Tan Sri Samsudin Osman on Sunday.

“Notwithstanding the increasingly complex investment environment, the EPF maintained its steady upwards momentum to post its strongest set of results since the turn of the millennium, underpinning the effectiveness of its long term investment strategy as well as its disciplined and prudent approach,” he said in a press statement.

In 2012, the EPF posted its highest gross investment income to date of RM31.02bil, up 13.91 percent from 2011.

The highest ever dividend payout of RM27.45bil was derived after deducting investment expenses, operating expenditures, statutory charges and net impairment allowance on financial assets.

“The EPF’s main objective is the protection of members’ capital by generating a return that beats the rate of inflation.

“We continue to fulfil this commitment year on year through our Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) which seeks consistent returns in the long term within tolerable risk limits for each asset class,” said Samsudin.

The bulk of the fund’s investment assets continue to be in stable and traditional low risk fixed income instruments.

Equities made up 38.77 percent of total investment assets for the year, while the remaining 3.59 percent and 2.42 percent were allocated for Money Market Instruments and Real Estate and Infrastructure asset classes, respectively, he said.

“Despite being a diversified fund predominantly invested in low risk fixed income instruments, EPF’s annual return on investment (ROI) has topped 6 percent for the third year running.

“Equities generated a double digit ROI of 10.06 percent while returns from fixed income instruments exceeded 5.5 per cent in spite of the current low interest rate conditions,” he said.

Due to a number of one-off capital market transactions undertaken during 2012, Loans and Bonds showed the highest increase in year-on-year income with investment in this asset class contributing RM9.68bil to gross investment income, up 33.62 per cent or RM2.44bil compared to 2011.

“In view of the prevailing low interest rate environment, the EPF has gradually decreased its exposure in traditional and conventional fixed income assets and has shifted maturing assets into higher yielding assets in the form of equities and real estate but within the tolerable risk limits,” said Samsudin.

On the back of a steady growth seen in both domestic and global equity markets in 2012, Equities contributed RM13.91bil in income representing 44.84 percent of gross investment income.

Meanwhile, investments in Malaysian Government Securities and Equivalents, Real Estate and Infrastructure and Money Market Instruments earned RM6.26bil, RM595.63mil and RM574.91mil respectively.

EPF total investment assets as at Dec 31, 2012 stood at RM526.75bil surpassing the half a trillion mark, up 12.31 percent from RM469.04bil recorded in the previous year.

This increase was largely contributed by the positive net annual contributions from members and employers as well as consistent and encouraging investment performance across all asset classes, the statement said.

As a result of the increase in membership base, the EPF requires RM4.46bil to pay every one percent dividend rate for 2012.

This represents a 9.34 percent increase over RM4.08bil paid for every one percent dividend rate for 2011.

The amount needed to pay a one percent dividend rate will continue to rise 8 to 9 percent annually, the statement said.

One of the notable transactions in 2012 was the fund’s expansion of its property investments, both overseas and locally, which included the Battersea Power Station project in London, United Kingdom, and the finalising of the purchase of 932ha of Rubber Research Institute land in Sungai Buloh for RM2.28bil to be developed into a new township.

In line with its diversification strategy to optimise members’ long term returns, EPF total overseas exposure as at Dec 31, constituted 15.7 percent of its total investment assets.

During the year, an additional USD7.10bil of investments were made in global equities, global bonds and real estate, the statement said.

“With more than half a trillion of funds under management, the EPF faces a profound challenge to deliver continuously strong returns amid the low interest rate environment, the continued fragility of the global economy as well as constraints within the domestic capital market.

“Nevertheless as a retirement fund, we will continue to be guided by our long term investment objectives and prudent investment strategy to ensure sustainability and consistent returns in the interest of our members’ retirement well-being,” said Samsudin.

Members may check their EPF Account Statement for the crediting of the 2012 dividend, either through EPF Kiosks, counters or i-Akaun, from Monday, Feb 18, 2013.

Members aged 55 and above may withdraw the annual dividend credited into their account as one of several payment options available under the Age 55 Withdrawal.

For more information on this withdrawal, please contact EPF Call Centre at 03 8922 6000 from 8.00 am to 7.00 pm from Monday to Friday or log on to myEPF at www.kwsp.gov.my

Thereafter, I headed to Wasabi Bistro serving Japanese food at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, just beside KLCC, for dinner with 50% discount as an Elite member. Chinese New Year is just around the corner and in less than 2 weeks away.

Alternative medical treatments will complement conventional medical treatment. By resorting to alternative medical treatment, you have more choices for healing of pain that you are suffering. Acupuncture is one of them. Many people in the East have been cured of their ailments and they can attest to the efficacy and effectiveness of the treatment.

For those of you living in downtown Toronto, just click on the link given here to find out more information from the Facebook page. Who knows, you might like to bookmark it for future reference, just in case you need an appointment and couldn’t find one on the go.

At some point in our lives, we all go through pain, sufferings, medical sickness and so on. So that is why we need to seek treatment in order to heal ourselves. This is a form of investment on our own health so that we can continue to live and enjoy the quality of life that can be offered with a radiant, good health. We cannot enjoy life if we are perpetually sick all the time.