[meteorite-list] A Fortune in Meteorites in Malaysia

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon May 8 00:39:39 2006
Message-ID: <200605080423.VAA05432_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/5/7/nation/14174290&sec=natio

A fortune from meteorites
BY TUNKU SHAHARIAH
The Star (Malaysia)
May 7, 2006

SUNGAI PETANI: Maverick entrepreneur Datuk Jaafar Jamaludin loves
"chasing" shooting stars and now, he has a collection of meteorites
worth some RM40mil.

Jaafar, who is a collector and astronomy enthusiast, said many
Malaysians are unfamiliar with meteorites or their potential in being
turned into money-spinners.

With great enthusiasm, the businessman and his foreign partners set up a
company known as Jejak Juta Sdn Bhd which has been collecting meteorites
of all shapes and sizes from all over the world for more than 10 years.

"People only hear of these shooting stars landing near somebody's home
in various parts of the world or spot a shooting star flying across the
sky. But they will never dream of touching a meteorite.

"We want to make meteorites available to the public by turning them into
consumer products like car accessories, jewellery, apparel, keris,
souvenirs and building materials," he told The Star in an interview.

Despite having set up his showroom and factory in Taman Ria Jaya in
Sungai Petani at a cost of US$3mil (RM11.4mil) in 2004, Jaafar's venture
is met with misgivings by local bankers.

It is the perfect gift from space. But the astronaut is just a mock-up
figure for Jejak Juta CEO Datuk Jaafar Jamaluddin to show off the 500kg
meteorite at his factory in Sungai Petani. And it's amazing how this
rock from space will eventually end up.

"The local banks are rather sceptical that this business can turn into a
money-spinner. Our attempts to get local bankers to back our venture has
not been fruitful," he added.

Jaafar, who commutes between his two homes in Sungai Petani and Perth,
Australia, every few months, said his opal business in Perth has helped
kept his meteorite venture afloat in the last two years.

Meteorites are rock fragments from an asteroid that have been broken off
by a collision and survives their encounter with the Earth's atmosphere.

Egg-sized meteorite crystals being displayed at the Jejak Juta factory
in Sungai Petani.

Jaafar's wife Datin Norbariah Ibrahim, who is also a Jejak Juta
director, said the company has two specially-trained staff members to
cut and preserve iron meteorites.

She said meteorites in the company's collection are mostly iron
meteorites comprising 90% iron, 7% to 8% nickel and the rest other
elements.

"The rocks are cut into pieces and slices of various sizes and made into
powder form. Among the by-products are meteorite-based jewellery,
picture frames, glass panels, exclusive gifts and keris blades," she
added.
Received on Mon 08 May 2006 12:15:54 AM PDT