Asia-wide auction website debuts in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 24 (Asia Pulse) - The dot-com phenomenon in Asia continues with the launch of the first Asia-wide auction and classifieds website in Malaysia here today.

Similan.com, a Singapore-based company which began operations in April 1999, officially launched the Malaysian version of SurfingBananas.com, a dynamic pricing business website for on-line auctions, shopping and classifieds.

The company launched its maiden Singapore website in September 1999 and to date registers about 1.5 million hits a month. Malaysia will be a key link in the regional internet web which includes the Greater China region, the Phillipines, Thailand, Japan, Korea and India. Speaking at a press conference after the launch, John Saliling, founder and chief executive officer of Similan.com said that e-commerce was growing in Asia, and the company's on-line services would further stimulate the acceptance and practice of doing business over the Internet.

"We envisage that over the next year or so, e-commerce in Asia will be more widely practiced than it is now, and that more people in the region will have the means by which to do business over the Internet," he said. "By the end of the year, SurfingBananas.com will be the first website to list a regional directory of products. This would enable consumers in Malaysia to buy from, and sell to, consumers in other markets, at a price that is acceptable to both parties," Saliling said.

The main website can be visited at www.surfingbananas.com while the Malaysian mirror site is located www.my.lycosasia.surfingbananas.com.