logo
Rich rewards in national final at Els Club Desaru

Rich rewards in national final at Els Club Desaru

The Star12-07-2025
(From left) Winners Muhamad Khairi Zakaria, Tengku Baderul Zaman Ibni Sultan Mahmud and Chong Mun Hoe with Elaine Hew, general manager Marketing Communications, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, at the national final.
MERCEDES-Benz Malaysia hosted the 2025 MercedesTrophy national final, which brought this year's tournament to a successful close.
Now in its 35th edition, the MercedesTrophy continues to be one of the leading amateur golf series globally, spanning over 60 countries with a legacy of performance and excellence.
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Full access to Web and App.
RM 13.90/month
RM 9.73 /month
Billed as RM 9.73 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.
RM 12.39/month
RM 8.63 /month
Billed as RM 103.60 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sepang can light up again with F1 night race
Sepang can light up again with F1 night race

New Straits Times

time16 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Sepang can light up again with F1 night race

SHOULD Malaysia bring Formula One back to Sepang Circuit? I believe the answer is yes, but only if it is done in a new and more exciting way which allows it to bring greater benefits to the country, both from a financial and nation branding perspective. When Malaysia made the decision to drop Formula One in 2017 , the championship, dubbed boring by many at the time, had suffered a substantial decline in popularity worldwide which was reflected both in terms of viewership and ticket sales at the track. The situation, however, has completely turned on its head since new owners Liberty Media took over in 2017. The Drive to Survive Netflix series, which began airing in 2019, and the introduction of Saturday sprint races in 2021 has significantly boosted interest in the championship. While Mercedes dominated Formula One for most of the 2010s, the balance of power has now shifted a number of times in recent years, making it more exciting for fans. With a younger, more diverse demographic of fans on board, a new generation of sponsors has started to pour big money into the sport. To fully capitalise on its revived popularity, I believe Sepang should look to host Formula One as a night race. This is due to a number of reasons. Night races are generally more exciting to watch as they break away from the norm and are more aesthetically pleasing when viewed, be it on television or mobile devices. Starting the Sepang main race at 9pm instead of the Malaysian GP's traditional 3pm start would likely boost viewership in Europe substantially. Instead of 8am or 9am, families in Europe can thus watch the race start at between 2pm to 3pm, a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon with the children. The third reason is Sepang is prone to heavy rainfall in the afternoon. Starting the race at 9pm would lower the risk of the race being a washout. Boosting viewership is important to strengthen the branding of the race. Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad commissioned Sepang Circuit in the 1990s to specifically host Formula One and put Malaysia on the global sporting map. Besides the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia (MotoGP Malaysia), Malaysia currently does not host any truly global sporting events that have the calibre nor pedigree of Formula One. Bringing Formula One back to Sepang will, however, cost money, big money. Current Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif believes it will cost Malaysia over RM300 million to host it annually. That does not include refurbishment costs to upgrade the track's lighting infrastructure to meet FIA specifications, if the race is to be held at night. This is funding that will mostly have to come from the government, a government that is currently grappling with economic issues which have burdened ordinary Malaysians. Announcing such a massive commitment could anger the rakyat, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet. Not an ideal situation for a government that is set to face the next general elections in two years. But with Formula One's revived popularity, the possibility of replicating the financial success of MotoGP in Malaysia is not unrealistic. SIC recently claimed that the highly popular Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia (MotoGP) provides 6.3 times return on investment for Malaysia based on an economic impact study conducted last year. Shafriman said SIC and "many other stakeholders from the government and corporate sector" want Formula One back but stressed that it will require time and cooperation from all stakeholders to make it a success. Even if Malaysia decides to bring back the race, it will take at least a few years for it to be held here again. This is because there is a long waiting list for spots in the Formula One calendar as other nations are also interested in hosting the event. On the bright side, this will give Malaysia more time to prepare a comprehensive plan involving a variety of ministries, agencies and the corporate sector to make the race a success when it returns to Malaysian soil. A number of Formula One drivers, including Lewis Hamilton himself, have stated that they would love to see Formula One returning to Sepang, which is one of the most technical and demanding circuits in modern motorsports. A quick check on any social media video of old Formula One races at Sepang will have fans commenting that they hope to see the track once again hosting the pinnacle of four-wheeled racing. SIC have now made it clear they want the race back, fans around the world want the race back and the many local stakeholders also want it. But is the government willing to take on such a massive investment, with no guarantee of success?

Luxury cars seized in RTD crackdown over expired road tax
Luxury cars seized in RTD crackdown over expired road tax

New Straits Times

time07-08-2025

  • New Straits Times

Luxury cars seized in RTD crackdown over expired road tax

SHAH ALAM: Four motorists, including a woman from China, were forced to return home using e-hailing services after their luxury vehicles were seized by the Road Transport Department (RTD) last night. The vehicles were impounded after they were found to have been driven with expired road tax during a five-hour special operation, dubbed "Ops Pengarah," conducted by the Selangor RTD. The operation started at 8.30pm at the Kota Kemuning Toll Plaza along the Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas). The seizures began when personnel stopped a Mercedes-Benz S400 driven by a woman from China. Upon inspection, they found she was driving a vehicle without a valid road tax or insurance for over a year. The 41-year-old woman, who is married to a Malaysian, was also driving without a valid driver's licence. Personnel then detected another case involving a 25-year-old Malaysian man who explained that the Toyota Vellfire MPV he was driving had been purchased just three months ago. He said the luxury MPV was bought by his brother through a "sambung bayar" (loan takeover) arrangement with the original owner. The man said he had informed the original owner to renew the road tax, but the owner claimed he could not do so because of outstanding summonses. Both motorists were forced to take e-hailing rides home as RTD officers seized their vehicles. Meanwhile, RTD Selangor director Azrin Borhan revealed that from January to July this year, a total of 16,735 offences were recorded involving individuals driving without a valid licence. "Of that number, heavy vehicle drivers made up the largest group with 7,116 cases, followed by motorcyclists (6,596), car drivers (2,576), and public transport operators (447)," he said. "For the same period, there were also 25,338 road tax-related offences." It was recently revealed that some owners of high-powered luxury vehicles are allegedly choosing not to renew their road tax and insurance because the fines are cheaper.

Motor racing-Mercedes upbeat after binning suspension upgrade
Motor racing-Mercedes upbeat after binning suspension upgrade

The Star

time06-08-2025

  • The Star

Motor racing-Mercedes upbeat after binning suspension upgrade

FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - August 3, 2025 Mercedes' George Russell in action during the race REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo LONDON (Reuters) -Former champions Mercedes hope to be challenging for wins again when they return from Formula One's August break after binning a rear suspension upgrade that made the car slower. The upgrade was introduced at Imola in May after George Russell had finished in the top three in four of the first six races. The Briton finished only seventh in that Italian race and Mercedes dropped the upgrade for the next two rounds before bringing it back for Canada, a race Russell won. That proved misleading, and Russell struggled in the following four races until Mercedes reverted to the old package for Hungary last weekend and he finished third. Rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli was also back in the points at the Hungaroring, finishing 10th after three races without scoring. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the upgrade would "be ending up in a bin somewhere. "We were misled a bit by the Montreal win... we came to the conclusion it needed to come off, it went off and the car's back to solid form," said the Austrian. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said in a Hungarian GP debrief on Wednesday that the car was now easier to work with and the drivers more confident in attacking the corners. "If we make a new suspension, we're doing it to make the car go quicker... and clearly there's something that wasn't right," he added. "And it's not something that was dead obvious. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had the issue in the first place." Shovlin said the learning would help Russell in his battle with Red Bull's Max Verstappen for third place overall behind the McLaren drivers, and Mercedes chasing second in the constructors'. "Budapest showed that we've got a good car when we land it in the right place," said Shovlin. "And then hopefully there'll be an opportunity to build on our tally of race wins. "We had a great time in Montreal. There's other circuits that are a bit more like that coming up over the remaining 10 races and hopefully we'll have a few more highlights." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store