Unlike other types of businesses around, the driving school or institute industry is strictly controlled by the Road Transport Department or the JPJ (Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan).

Like a school teacher, who aspires to become a headmaster or principal one fine day, an instructor, I am very certain, possesses high aspirations that eventually, he will be able to start an institute of his own.

The above feeling or ambition was embedded in my close friend and buddy, a Mr. Chin, 69. For readers’ information, the said Mr. Chin, has been involved in the driving school business for around 45 years or so. I have written an elaborate article on the above personality in one of my earlier blog post.

Mr. Chin is a very experienced driving instructor in the Klang district locality. Chin, was formerly the President of the Klang Pool Car Association way back in the 1960’s and 70’s. He is currently still running the Sentosa Driving School in Berkeley Housing Estate. Even after more than 45 years in the driving school arena, Mr. Chin still has quite a lot of students seeking out his services to secure driving and riding license.

No too long ago, Mr. Chin and I went to Putrajaya where the Road Transport Department headquarters is located. Our mission to the above department was none other than to secure the forms necessary to open up an institute.

But quite some time has elapsed since we left the premises of the Road Transport Department in Putrajaya. Why has there been a lapse of quite a few months? Have my friend and I finally decided to give up our aspirations or intentions?

As a matter of fact, we have not. The desire to build or set up an institute, especially in the vicinity of Taman Sentosa or Sentosa Housing Estate in nearby Klang, still burns strong and steady. One should not forget that Mr. Chin operates a driving school in Berkeley Housing known as “Sentosa Driving School”.

Call it coincidence, if you wish, but to me, it is as if destiny has been pre planned in such a way that one day, the Sentosa Driving Institute was destined to be started there. Whether the destiny will come to pass or otherwise, is yet left to be seen.

I have always provided the encouragement for my buddy, Mr. Chin to build his institute in or around the vicinity of Taman Sentosa, Klang. The housing estate of Sentosa was started some 20 or 25 years ago. Taman Sentosa has today grown up into becoming a busy and bustling township.

From being a small and unknown small place, the town is today filled with lots of cars and motorcycles. In fact, during most times of the day, the roads are usually jammed up with traffic. Shops, supermarkets, banks, restaurants fast food joints such as Pizza Hut and KFC outlets dot this busy and bustling township.

I’m not aware about the population of Taman Sentosa. But believe me, this town possesses one of the best possibilities of setting up a driving institute to cater for the population here.

The youngsters of this housing estate, has infact all grown up. They are now ready to apply for a license. The youngsters are now 16 to 17 years old. They are now old enough to learn “driving”, so to say. In short, the “market” is now there.

To set up an institute is not a simple matter as some people think. A few criteria has to be taken into careful consideration. This article will therefore delve into the various reasons which support the setting up of a large institute in Taman Sentosa.

What must an entrepreneur who wants to set up a driving institute possess?

1) The experience to run a driving institute.

Not everyone can set up a driving institute or academy. First and foremost, a person should possess the expertise and experience to run it. Do you think a person who has an experience of 45 or so years of being involved in the driving school industry, has enough expertise to handle an institute? If you ask me, I will definitely say “yes”!

That is how I felt when I heard that my friend and buddy made known his intention to set up on institute. It should also be made known that my friend’s co-partner in his driving school business, a Mr. R, has also as much experience as my friend, Chin.

Without a doubt, Mr. R, who hails from Shah Alam, Selangor will be joining him in his venture to set up a driving institute when the time comes. So much for the question of “experience”. And how, let’s move on to other important factors as well.

2) Investment capital.

One should also possess the capital or capability to set up a driving institute. Intending to set up a driving institute these days take a lot of money. It’s not like “building castles in the air”, so they say.

After being involved in the driving school area for more than 45 years, it is believed that my friend, Mr. Chin, must surely have made quite some money. How much he has in his bank account, I’m unaware. Such personal things I feel, are beyond my domains to know.

Furthermore, Mr. Chin also tells me he has a brother in-law, in Kuala Lumpur, who is well to do. Money, therefore is not a problem at all. Besides this, “capital” to set up the institute, can be obtained from fellow instructors from a close nearby driving institute.

Words have it, that the majority of institute’s instructors aren’t too happy about how things are run there. And they have promised Mr. Chin that they are willing to invest at least RM50,000 each just to get away from unsatisfactory and unfair working conditioning at the institute where they are presently attached to.

3) Having a driving school permit.

To possess a driving school permit would be of some assistance or help. It is believed that a person trying to attempt to set up a driving institute these days stands a better chance of success than someone who hasn’t got a driving school permit at all. It’s believed to speed up things.

A driving school permit, which my friend currently possesses can easily be converted into a driving institute permit. For example, the institute to which this writer is currently attached, once upon a time belonged to a certain Chinese association in Kuala Lumpur.

A group of Chinese driving school instructors got together and they successfully managed to convert it into a driving institute entity. Therefore I am of the opinion that the driving school permit under “Sentosa driving School” enterprise, should encounter no problem at all when the time comes for it to be changed into a driving institute.

4) Getting Instructors with S.M.2 teaching permits to cross over to the new institute.

The problem above, as a matter of fact, should not arise at all. If a person like Mr. Chin, who is not only well known in the driving school arena, as well as the Road Transport Department, should have little problem over the question of changing or transferring of S.M.2 (Sijil Mengajar) from one institute to another. Anyway, the above remains a belief of mine only.

For all one knows, the new institute which is to be set up, might face some difficulties in getting teaching permits transferred from one institute to another. As the saying goes, “anything can happen”. It’s all left to be seen.

5) Transferring of certificates.

Getting current institute driving institutes vehicles which has S.M.3 (Sek Memandu 3) certificates transferred from one institute to another. If previously, this might represent a major problem, what the Road Transport department said a few days ago seems to have brought some cheer to those intending to set up driving institutes in the not too distant future.

The R.T.D. has announced that vehicles, from on, can be used indefinitely. However, these vehicles, including those used by the driving school industry, should undergo yearly PUSPAKOM inspections. As a result, there is no necessity for driving school or institute cars to be changed so often as previously required.

The above are but some of the important factors which should be taken into account if one intends to set up or open an institute. In fact, there exists other important and pertinent factors which should be dealt with as well. But I am afraid that if more and more factors are touched upon, this would probably bore readers. Therefore it’s best that this article is brought to its end here so as to avoid anybody getting displeased.

But prior to bringing this article to its end, there is one other important thing that should be discussed and that is the problem or question of “land”.

6) The availability of land to run an institute.

Financial capability, instructors with the necessary teaching certificates, vehicles and relevant personnel to run courses, perform pre exams and experience, are all important aspect that are required to set up a new driving institute, but nothing is more important than the question of “land” itself.

Pertaining to this aspect, Mr. Chin and I went to survey a piece of land in nearby Kampung Jawa, near Sri Muda Housing Estate. This piece of 5 acre land is located very close to a current, large driving institute nearby. To buy a piece of land these days will incur at least 3 million.

The next alternative therefore, is to rent it for the time being. Later on, if the institute should do well and is lucky enough the prospect of buying up the land will then be opened for further discussion. I await patiently for the Sentosa Driving Institute to be set up in the very near future. It’s a dream but then dreams are known to have come to pass quite often.

For a long time now foreigners who visit our country, have come to the conclusion that Malaysians represent “the world’s worst drivers”. Australian, England and even Singapore, our neighbours in the South, have been renowned as countries where driving licenses are difficult to secure.

A reader of this blog currently studying in Australia, recently wrote into this blog to say that he was coming back to Malaysia for 4 months soon. The above reader had inquired whether it would be possible to get a driving license within that short period of time.

And what did I answer with regards to the above query? Regretfully, my answer to the above inquiry was, definitely YES!

In Malaysia securing a driving or riding license for cars and motorcycles is not only cheap, as compared to other countries, it in fact can be obtained in not only a rather short period of time, but it is also not very costly at all.

For example, a driving license for cars (Class D) and motorcycles (Class B2 to ride a motorbike of less than 250c.c. capacity) can be achieved in not more than 35 or 40 days at the most. To secure a driving license for cars in Malaysia, works out to approximately RM750 to RM1000, inclusive of “L” and “P” licenses these days.

A motorcycle riding license can easily be obtained for as low as RM201, which is a government controlled price all institutes have to adhere to. Do you know that the fee for motorcycle riding license for Class B2 is only RM2 in Malaysia.

As early as in the 1960’s or 70’s, my cousin, Ah Loo, who was then staying in Ang Mo Kio in Singapore, once told me, that to secure a driving license in the island state, was then a big hassle. Can you just imagine what the problem will be to attempt getting a driving license in Singapore today?

I remember vividly my cousin, Ah Loo telling me, that to get an appointment just to sit for the Highway Code exam alone, a potential student had to wait a minimum of at least 2 years. All in all, a driving student in Singapore has to go through a lot of stringent tests, before he or she could lay hands on a driving license.

It is difficult, even quite impossible, as one consider it, for the people of Singapore to get their hands on a driving license. Besides, being expensive, Singapore driving licenses are of a high standard. Even the United Kingdom recognizes it.

Singapore driving licenses are accepted for automatic conversion, sadly, the Malaysian driving license is amongst one of the nations whose license is not accepted for conversion there. There must surely be good reasons for the UK Transport Department not to accept the Malaysian during license down there.

Besides all these facts driving tuition fees in the United Kingdom, is reputed to be quite expensive. According to the Accrington Driving Academy, which quite recently wrote in to this blog to comment on certain of my articles, say, it costs a person E17 an hour for tuition there. The above works out to be approximately RM100 an hour.

In Malaysia, driving schools and institutes charge no more than RM25 an hour only, come to think of it, could price be a factor in determining the quality of drivers which driving academies dish out?

The article which I am writing on today is based upon a comment made recently by a Malaysian transportation expert, Professor Dr. Abdul Rahim Nor, who incidentally is attached the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Social, Development and Environmental School in Kuala Lumpur.

Dr. Rahim is the head of the above department. Dr. Rahim has lamb lustered Malaysian drivers as “having no driving skills at all”. He continues to add, that “some are really not fit and they end up as road nuisance”.

Dr. Rahim, I supposes, must be referring to young and new drivers who have recently obtained their driving licenses. Obviously the above remark was not intended to refer to “all” Malaysian drivers as a whole.

Before we delve more in detail regarding Dr. Rahim’s remarks, let us first and foremost, study what other pertinent things the above professor said about “new” Malaysian drivers. Many drivers, are, in Dr. Rahim’s opinion, not yet ready to drive because they are not even aware if they have the right attitude to be on the road.

New drivers seem to be oblivious to dangers. They feel safe. They, as a matter of fact, escape from accidents became other road users sympathize with them. They are accorded way despite the fact that they are breaking many rules on the road.

According to statistics on road accidents, road accidents have increased drastically by 4%, from 397,330 in 2009 to 414,421 last year, inspite of advices and reminders to drivers to drive carefully. The number of casualties have also increased tremendously.

To solve the above frightening situation, experts believe, Malaysia should follow other European countries, the United Kingdom and Australia, where it takes up to 4 years to get a passed driving license. In Australia, for example, a student is expected to attend some 120 hours of lessons before they are given a driving license.

In contrast, in Malaysia, the situation is such that a student can obtain a driving license within 1 to 2 months and then be issued with a provisional or “P” license to drive for 2 years. Even new drivers fail to display the required “P” on their vehicles. It is therefore not surprising that many accidents occur.

Driving accidents in Malaysia, according to surveys and statistics, were said to be caused by amongst other things, carelessness, speeding, driving recklessly, taking unnecessary and dangerous risks. To confront the already headache-causing problem, more than 1 million new vehicles are said to be registered every day in our country.

Experts like Dr. Rahim suggests Malaysia should attempt to produce better quality drivers. To do this, Malaysia should take concrete steps to revise the country’s current driving school industry syllabus. In doing so, it is hoped it would be able to produce drivers who are able to drive properly. This is the only way to eliminate the high rate of accidents taking place in the country today.

Malaysia was said to be saddled with a rate of 13 to 14 deaths per day a few years ago. Today, this figure stands at a staggering 17 or 18 deaths a day.

On top of revamping Malaysia present curriculum for driving, efforts should also be taken to encourage the use of public transport such as buses and trains, even flights. Public transport, are reputed to have a better safety record. This is exactly what is happening in Japan.

Most Japanese, it is reported, do not own cars. Good public transport has made it unnecessary for the majority of Japanese to own vehicles. In 2010, it was reported that there existed only 77 deaths amongst public transport users. Compare this to 1421 with those who travel by vehicles and you will surely be able to comprehend why public transport is the better choice of travel. Among pillion riders and motorcyclist the figure for deaths on the roads amounted to 4036 deaths.

Motorcyclists and pillion riders should therefore be using public transport for their “balik kampong” exodus back to their kampungs instead. “Balik kampung” or going back home to the roots of our places of origin, is a must for most people. It’s a part of our Malaysian way of life. That cannot be denied. But how we go about doing it can certainly be altered. Do Malaysians have to go back home every festive occasion by driving cars and riding motorcycles? We in reality do not.

Think about what I am suggesting. Go home via express buses, trains and taxis and planes instead. Go on, and book your tickets now! Travel home safely by using the public transport that’s available to us today. The newly revamped bus terminal, “Pudu Raya” is now ready and open. The “Pudu Sentral” bus terminal in Kuala Lumpur should be made used of to its fullest capacity. Think about it carefully!

“Balik kampong” by all means. But do it wisely and safely! Go home by express air-con bus today. It’s not only safer. It is also economically cheaper too.

What is the best engine oil in Malaysia? If you are a car owner, most probably you will be asking that question when you are servicing your new car for the first time.

In this article, I won’t be mentioning brand names of certain engine oils in Malaysia. Rather, I will share with you some of the science of a good engine lubrication oil.

The main and the primary function of engine oil is to lubricate engines of the vehicles, it provides a micro thin oil film which acts as a barrier between the moving parts to minimize the friction, heat and also reduces the wear and tear.

In addition it also helps in cooling and removes the heat generated by the friction. The modern engine oil also helps to prevent deposit build up and cleans the engine to give best performance.

Since engine oil provides protection to the engine, it needs to be replaced periodically, as per rule of the thumb, the mineral oil needs to be replaced after 5,000 km, semi synthetic after 7,500 km and fully synthetic after 10,000 km.

For a layman, it might be slightly difficult to understand the difference between mineral semi and fully synthetic engine oil. The engine oil which derived from the petroleum products is known as mineral oil; on the other hand the oil which is developed in the laboratory is called fully synthetic engine oil, the blend of two in known as semi synthetic engine oil.

While selecting the best brand of engine oil one must check the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) viscosity grade and the quality indicators. The viscosity is very important it means the thickness of oil and the flow property of engine oil, and also changes with the different temperatures when the car is being driven.

The engine needs low viscosity oil as it flows easily and circulates more quickly, especially during cold thus protecting various parts from the wear. During the startups thin oil is required and when the car is in motion thick oil film provides the best protection.

This is the reason why multi grade oils are now available in the Malaysian market. In the laboratory the multi grade oil is produced by adding polymers to light base to prevent oil from thinning too much as it warms up. In the cold these polymers form a coil and allow oil to flow at low viscosity.

The best quality indicator is to see the mark API (American Petroleum Institute) on the bottle. The mark indicates the quality of oil and is generally categorized as S and C for petrol and diesel vehicles. How can you differentiate between good and bad oil? The best option is to check the data sheet of the oil, where you can find its pour point and flash point.

Pour point refers to the lowest temperature at which oil will still pump and maintain adequate pressure, and the flash point is when the oil starts giving vapors that can be ignited with flame. The best option is to refer to the manual which is given to you when you purchase the vehicle, normally depending upon the local climate the grade of the oil is recommended.

Normally in new cars thinner range like 0W-30 and 5W-30 is usually accepted. With the age of the vehicle thicker oil is more acceptable. You must select the oil which has high flash point. It is very important to monitor the level of engine oil, you will have to keep it between max and min, and otherwise there can be damage to your engine.

Engine oil monitoring should not depend upon one service to other, but regular monitoring will ensure that the vehicle has adequate quantity of engine oil all the time.