Smartphone Ascend P1 unveiled by Huawei Technologies

KUALA LUMPUR: With smartphones becoming an indispensable tool for staying connected on the social media networks, China-based Huawei Technologies has launched an affordable yet feature-rich model.

Many queued up as early as 6.30am to get their hands on the Ascend P1 at the introductory price of RM999 during its launch in KL Hilton yesterday.

Ong Boon Lin, 35, who was first in line, said he bought the phone for his wife as the larger screen would make it better for “reading news and books”.

“The Ascend P1 is a fast smartphone with a camera for capturing and sharing contents while on the move,” said Huawei country director for consumer business group Wong Wey Hwa.

A model with the Ascend P1 smartphone at the launch.

The phone has a large 4.3-inch screen, making it easy to browse the web, view images and watch high-definition videos. It also comes with 4GB of storage to store content, applications and games.

“Huawei has been working behind the scenes for many years by supplying infrastructure for network service providers,” said Wong. “We are now trying to grow our brand using online and social media with the Ascend P1.”

The smartphone, which is available currently in the Klang Valley, is expected to hit shelves nationwide in the coming weeks. The introductory price is valid until Malaysia Day.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported Huawei country director for consumer business group Wong Wey Hwa as saying that the company was aiming for double-digit sales growth in the Malaysian market.

“Last year, we did US$40mil sales in Malaysia for all our products,” he said, adding that the smartphone was expected to contribute 20% to 30% of the targeted double-digit sales growth.

Wong also announced the expansion of Huawei's device business under a new distribution partnership with ECS ICT Bhd via its wholly-owned subsidiary, ECS Astar Sdn Bhd, which would open up access to over 3,000 resellers nationwide.

“Through our formal partnership with ECS in Malaysia, we are able to expand our product reach and offer more accessibility of our devices to everyone looking for value-added mobile connectivity,” he said.

Wong said Ascend P1 would be available at participating ECS retailers in the Klang Valley and in other places in the next few weeks.

For a review of the Ascend P1, check out TechCentral.my.

By CHONG JINN XIUNG starbiz@thestar.com.my  

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Mom: 'I didn't know my son was in NFC' Cowgate scandal

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Former Women, Family and Community Development minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil told the High Court here that she did not know her second son was involved in the National Feedlot Centre project until informed about it in 2007.

In today's hearing of a defamation suit against Parti Keadilan Rakyat Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin and the party's strategic director, Mohd Rafizi Ramli, Shahrizat said she had been unaware of Wan Shahinur Izran Mohd Salleh's appointment as a director of National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd in December 2006.

"I didn't know about the bidding of the project. I only knew around 2007 after my husband (Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Salleh Ismail) said he intended to have our children return from abroad to help with it.
"It was after he had won the project," she said during cross-examination by Ranjit Singh who represented both the defendants.

To a contention that Wan Shahinur Izran was too young to be a director of the company as he was only 22 years old at the time, Shahrizat said it was not wrong as her son had graduated when he was 19 in the United States and was a top student.

She said Wan Shahinur Izran lived with her since 2004 and the other two children, Wan Shahinur Izmir, 32, and Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah, 26, returned home from abroad to join NFC in 2007.

Saying that the family lived together but did not concern themselves with each other's work, she added that she only paid attention to the matter after it was reported in the media and asked her husband for an explanation.

Questioned as to which parts of the defendants' statements during the press conference damaged her reputation, Shahrizat responded, "Their words made the public blame me."

Earlier in the proceedings, the court was shown a video recording of the press conference at Parliament building.

Zuraida and Mohd Rafizi were seen uttering the allegedly defamatory statements before several reporters and photographers.

On Jan 19, Shahrizat filed a defamation suit against Zuraida and Mohd Rafizi claiming they made defamatory statements about her in relation to the NFC issue.

She sought RM50 million in general damages and an additional RM50 million in exemplary and aggravated damages.

She also applied for an injunction to prevent the defendants from making the same statements, either written or verbal, on the matter.

The hearing resumes on Sept 18 before Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera.

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