makin menjunam..nak simpan utk dividen pun x sesuai, future project utk go globolize pun masih uncertain. at least amik profit ckit pun jadilah drp jadi labu peram..
Tuesday September 4, 2012
Datasonic expanding income base
By NG BEI SHAN
It’s seeking more opportunities in non-traditional markets
KUALA LUMPUR: Secure identification (ID) and smartcard personalisation provider Datasonic Group Bhd is seeking more opportunities from other ministries and foreign governments in a bid to diversify its income sources.
Datasonic non-executive chairman General (Rtd) Tan Sri Hashim Mohd Ali said the company might approach the Higher Education Ministry to propose student identity cards that were more secure for foreign students.
“We
have not proposed but it is a good idea,” he told reporters after its listing on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia yesterday.
He said there had been rising concerns of foreigners entering the country as a student but creating social problems instead, adding that such a solution might be able to track the movements of the students.
Hashim: ‘(Student identity cards) is a good idea.’
Datasonic has secured jobs from the Home Affairs Ministry including a five-year contract to supply 10 million new passport polycarbonate datapages to the Immigration Department of Malaysia and a two-year contract to supply four million new MyKad to the National Registration Department. Currently, its orderbook stands at RM500mil.
Commenting on Datasonic's revenue, which is 80% from Government projects, managing director Datuk Hanifah Noordin : “In 2005 (when the group was first incorporated), all of our revenue came from the Government, now it has fallen to 80%.
“We still see our revenue coming mainly from government projects, including foreign governments (in the future),” he said, adding that the company was in talks with parties from the Middle East and Asean countries.
He noted that the deals with foreign governments might be
more challenging and could take longer to seal. It also provides services for the private sector such as banks.
Deputy managing director Chew Ben Ben said it would enter foreign markets more cautiously, as
risks and cost would be higher.
On the challenges, Hanifah said: “We have to remain ahead of our competitors and also fraudsters all the time.”
When asked of the company's dividend policy, Chew said: “We will definitely give out dividends but the amount depends on the its needs and earnings.”
Commenting on the share price (it opened at RM2.30 at 9am), Hanifah said he was happy with the share price and hoped that there would be steady growth.
“We are a good company with good fundamentals. We don't want volatility (in the stock price),” he said.
Shares in Datasonic were last traded at RM2.17, 13 sen lower than their opening price and 17 sen premium to its initial offer. It was actively traded with 11.95 million shares changing hands.