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AFP-Asia breathes sigh of relief as



Subject: AFP-Asia breathes sigh of relief as millennium bug fails to bite

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Saturday, January 1 3:30 PM SGT=20
Asia breathes sigh of relief as millennium bug fails to bite
HONG KONG, Jan 1 (AFP) -=20
Asia, the part of the world where it was feared the millennium bug could =
wreak most havoc, appeared to have emerged largely unscathed on =
Saturday.

Flights, bank systems, power plants and other utilities thought to be =
vulnerable to computer glitches as a result of the switch to the year =
2000 were generally reported to be operating without any major problems.

Follows is a roundup of the situation in leading Asian capitals:

BANGKOK: The government's Y2K control centre says "no problems =
reported." Thai Airways International dispatched its first flights of =
the century a few moments after midnight to Osaka and Tokyo. Only 20 =
percent of available seats filled.

Thailand's Stock Exchange, which was holding a full day's simulation of =
trading, and the country's banks reported no problems. Cash machines in =
central Bangkok operating normally.

BEIJING: Aside from a "handful" of taxi meters failing, China saw no =
bug-induced disruption. Experts said the moment of truth may not arrive =
until after the holiday break, when the bulk of businesses -- and =
computer systems -- kick back into full gear.

The country's first commercial flight of the New Year took off from =
Beijing at 7:32 a.m. (2332 GMT) and arrived in Shanghai without a hitch, =
a China Eastern Airlines spokesman told AFP. On board was company =
president Li Zhongming and other executives.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) ordered an eight-hour =
hiatus on departures after midnight as a precaution.

Employees at both of China's nuclear power stations in operation told =
AFP there had been no unexpected occurrences.

Beijing has not provided a total estimate of the Y2K preparation costs, =
but the central bank spent 1.2 billion dollars to test and fix computers =
in the financial system, while the CAAC said the aviation sector spent =
60.2 million dollars.

HANOI: "There have been no incidents related to Y2K until now," Chu Hao, =
chairman of the Y2K steering committee told AFP.

But he noted that during the next few days there was a risk of problems =
arising in sectors where systems have not been tested because of the =
holiday period.

HONG KONG: A government spokeswoman said not one single bug incident had =
been reported. Sectors considered the most vulnerable to the computer =
glitch, namely power, telecommunications, broadcasting, aviation and =
transport, and finance, have successfully completed post-New Year's =
checks of their systems, she said.

Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan warned the "real test" =
would come Monday, the first working day of the new millennium here.

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Y2K Operation Centre reported no problems =
after months of anxiety and the spending of 1.85 billion ringgit (487 =
million dollars) in various sectors.

An official at the centre said all critical sectors had reported they =
were free of the Y2K bug.

All automated teller machines and credit card systems operated smoothly. =
Operations at Kuala Lumpur International Airport were untroubled, with =
the first flight of the year landing safely minutes past midnight.

MANILA: The bug caused no problems, a government monitoring task force =
said. No disruption was reported to utilities, transport and =
communications systems that could be traced to the Y2K problem.

There was a power cut in a suburb of Manila on Saturday morning but this =
was traced to a transformer problem and electrical service was soon =
restored.

SEOUL: The government crisis centre reports no problems with defence =
systems or in other vulnerable sectors.

Captain Lee Sung-Jai, the defense ministry's Y2K official, said: "After =
the passage into the new year, we checked all the systems, including =
missiles and jets, but could not find any problems."

Officials cautioned that problems could yet emerge. Problems at banks =
may not become apparent until they resume business on January 3, they =
said.

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported no problems and the stock exchange =
successfully simulated trading. But the bill for Y2K compliance was =
estimated at more one billion Singapore dollars (602 million US).

The figure was an estimate by the local Straits Times newspaper based on =
calculations by industry experts and did not include the enormous =
manpower resources pooled by the government to keep the bug at bay.

More than 50,000 people worked through the night monitoring critical =
operations. "IT (information technology) systems here are pretty new, so =
I believe most of the costs came from manpower needed to rectify and =
test systems as well as setting up contingency plans," said Alex Siow, =
President of the Singapore Computer Society. The total cost of making =
systems Y2K compatible in Singapore might have been up to three billion =
dollars.

SYDNEY: The only reported mishap related to mobile bus ticket validation =
machines in South Australia and Tasmania.

"They were quickly fixed and put back in operation within a couple of =
hours," Ian Campbell, the government's bug coordinator, said.

Electricity services and broadcasters reported no problems while major =
telecommunications carriers experienced only the usual New Year =
congestion.

More than 50 banks and building societies advised the Reserve Bank of =
Australia of a smooth transition to the new date. The Stock Exchange =
said its trading system had survived. Air Services Australia said =
rollover in aviations sector was smooth.

Fears surrounding the bug were evident with the government's special Y2K =
website recording more than five million hits in the 12 hours after =
midnight -- exeeding the record number of visits to the Atlanta Olympics =
website. Australia spent more than 12 billion dollars (7.8 billion US) =
on anti-bug preparations.

TOKYO: Computer-related faults struck two nuclear power plants in Japan =
seconds into the year 2000 Saturday but officials said one of them was =
not a millennium bug problem.

At a plant in Ishikawa, central Japan, a system that monitors radiation =
levels malfunctioned. An alarm sounded for 10 minutes at another nuclear =
plant in Onagawa, northern Japan, just two minutes after midnight, =
indicating a problem with a gauge to measure sea water problems.

Minor computer hiccups were reported across the country in the morning, =
including false displays of dates in computers at central and local =
government offices and faulty services of train ticket vending machines.

Ticket vending machines at 22 stations of East Japan Railway Co. broke =
down or showed false data. The problems were quickly solved.

Two million state and corporate officials were on guard around the =
country and many people had followed government advice to stock up with =
three days' worth of food and water just in case.

YANGON: A government spokesman said there had been no disruption from =
the millennium computer bug.

Computers have not penetrated deep into Myanmar society -- many =
government offices and businesses operate on age-old principles of paper =
pushing administration.


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Saturday, January 1</B> 3:30 PM SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Asia breathes sigh of relief as millennium bug fails =
to=20
bite</FONT></H2>HONG KONG, Jan 1 (AFP) -=20
<P>Asia, the part of the world where it was feared the millennium bug =
could=20
wreak most havoc, appeared to have emerged largely unscathed on =
Saturday.</P>
<P>Flights, bank systems, power plants and other utilities thought to be =

vulnerable to computer glitches as a result of the switch to the year =
2000 were=20
generally reported to be operating without any major problems.</P>
<P>Follows is a roundup of the situation in leading Asian capitals:</P>
<P>BANGKOK: The government's Y2K control centre says "no problems =
reported."=20
Thai Airways International dispatched its first flights of the century a =
few=20
moments after midnight to Osaka and Tokyo. Only 20 percent of available =
seats=20
filled.</P>
<P>Thailand's Stock Exchange, which was holding a full day's simulation =
of=20
trading, and the country's banks reported no problems. Cash machines in =
central=20
Bangkok operating normally.</P>
<P>BEIJING: Aside from a "handful" of taxi meters failing, China saw no=20
bug-induced disruption. Experts said the moment of truth may not arrive =
until=20
after the holiday break, when the bulk of businesses -- and computer =
systems --=20
kick back into full gear.</P>
<P>The country's first commercial flight of the New Year took off from =
Beijing=20
at 7:32 a.m. (2332 GMT) and arrived in Shanghai without a hitch, a China =
Eastern=20
Airlines spokesman told AFP. On board was company president Li Zhongming =
and=20
other executives.</P>
<P>The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) ordered an =
eight-hour=20
hiatus on departures after midnight as a precaution.</P>
<P>Employees at both of China's nuclear power stations in operation told =
AFP=20
there had been no unexpected occurrences.</P>
<P>Beijing has not provided a total estimate of the Y2K preparation =
costs, but=20
the central bank spent 1.2 billion dollars to test and fix computers in =
the=20
financial system, while the CAAC said the aviation sector spent 60.2 =
million=20
dollars.</P>
<P>HANOI: "There have been no incidents related to Y2K until now," Chu =
Hao,=20
chairman of the Y2K steering committee told AFP.</P>
<P>But he noted that during the next few days there was a risk of =
problems=20
arising in sectors where systems have not been tested because of the =
holiday=20
period.</P>
<P>HONG KONG: A government spokeswoman said not one single bug incident =
had been=20
reported. Sectors considered the most vulnerable to the computer glitch, =
namely=20
power, telecommunications, broadcasting, aviation and transport, and =
finance,=20
have successfully completed post-New Year's checks of their systems, she =

said.</P>
<P>Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan warned the "real test" =
would=20
come Monday, the first working day of the new millennium here.</P>
<P>KUALA LUMPUR: The National Y2K Operation Centre reported no problems =
after=20
months of anxiety and the spending of 1.85 billion ringgit (487 million =
dollars)=20
in various sectors.</P>
<P>An official at the centre said all critical sectors had reported they =
were=20
free of the Y2K bug.</P>
<P>All automated teller machines and credit card systems operated =
smoothly.=20
Operations at Kuala Lumpur International Airport were untroubled, with =
the first=20
flight of the year landing safely minutes past midnight.</P>
<P>MANILA: The bug caused no problems, a government monitoring task =
force said.=20
No disruption was reported to utilities, transport and communications =
systems=20
that could be traced to the Y2K problem.</P>
<P>There was a power cut in a suburb of Manila on Saturday morning but =
this was=20
traced to a transformer problem and electrical service was soon =
restored.</P>
<P>SEOUL: The government crisis centre reports no problems with defence =
systems=20
or in other vulnerable sectors.</P>
<P>Captain Lee Sung-Jai, the defense ministry's Y2K official, said: =
"After the=20
passage into the new year, we checked all the systems, including =
missiles and=20
jets, but could not find any problems."</P>
<P>Officials cautioned that problems could yet emerge. Problems at banks =
may not=20
become apparent until they resume business on January 3, they said.</P>
<P>SINGAPORE: Singapore reported no problems and the stock exchange =
successfully=20
simulated trading. But the bill for Y2K compliance was estimated at more =
one=20
billion Singapore dollars (602 million US).</P>
<P>The figure was an estimate by the local Straits Times newspaper based =
on=20
calculations by industry experts and did not include the enormous =
manpower=20
resources pooled by the government to keep the bug at bay.</P>
<P>More than 50,000 people worked through the night monitoring critical=20
operations. "IT (information technology) systems here are pretty new, so =
I=20
believe most of the costs came from manpower needed to rectify and test =
systems=20
as well as setting up contingency plans," said Alex Siow, President of =
the=20
Singapore Computer Society. The total cost of making systems Y2K =
compatible in=20
Singapore might have been up to three billion dollars.</P>
<P>SYDNEY: The only reported mishap related to mobile bus ticket =
validation=20
machines in South Australia and Tasmania.</P>
<P>"They were quickly fixed and put back in operation within a couple of =
hours,"=20
Ian Campbell, the government's bug coordinator, said.</P>
<P>Electricity services and broadcasters reported no problems while =
major=20
telecommunications carriers experienced only the usual New Year =
congestion.</P>
<P>More than 50 banks and building societies advised the Reserve Bank of =

Australia of a smooth transition to the new date. The Stock Exchange =
said its=20
trading system had survived. Air Services Australia said rollover in =
aviations=20
sector was smooth.</P>
<P>Fears surrounding the bug were evident with the government's special =
Y2K=20
website recording more than five million hits in the 12 hours after =
midnight --=20
exeeding the record number of visits to the Atlanta Olympics website. =
Australia=20
spent more than 12 billion dollars (7.8 billion US) on anti-bug=20
preparations.</P>
<P>TOKYO: Computer-related faults struck two nuclear power plants in =
Japan=20
seconds into the year 2000 Saturday but officials said one of them was =
not a=20
millennium bug problem.</P>
<P>At a plant in Ishikawa, central Japan, a system that monitors =
radiation=20
levels malfunctioned. An alarm sounded for 10 minutes at another nuclear =
plant=20
in Onagawa, northern Japan, just two minutes after midnight, indicating =
a=20
problem with a gauge to measure sea water problems.</P>
<P>Minor computer hiccups were reported across the country in the =
morning,=20
including false displays of dates in computers at central and local =
government=20
offices and faulty services of train ticket vending machines.</P>
<P>Ticket vending machines at 22 stations of East Japan Railway Co. =
broke down=20
or showed false data. The problems were quickly solved.</P>
<P>Two million state and corporate officials were on guard around the =
country=20
and many people had followed government advice to stock up with three =
days'=20
worth of food and water just in case.</P>
<P>YANGON: A government spokesman said there had been no disruption from =
the=20
millennium computer bug.</P>
<P>Computers have not penetrated deep into Myanmar society -- many =
government=20
offices and businesses operate on age-old principles of paper pushing=20
administration.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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