The reason for an urgent change of plan is Eubiq, a cool new power outlet system that promises to revolutionise electrical supply systems in homes, offices and other workplaces. For the first time since American Harvey Hubbell invented the electrical plug and socket in 1904, there is an alternative that is comparable in terms of safety, flexibility and elegance.

Eubiq is a system that replaces any number of conventional sockets with an extruded aluminium track that accepts proprietary plugs and adaptors for conventional plugs. Its strong suit is safety ? even for naughty children who like to poke objects into holes ? because it is impossible for any object (other than a dedicated Eubiq plug) to make contact with either live or neutral wires.

I was dubious ? and more than a little nervous ? when Chua Sui Hau, managing director of Eubiq's Malaysian distributor, Exaltech Sdn Bhd, insisted it was perfectly safe to stick a finger into the slot of a plugged in and switched on track. He demonstrated with his index finger ? and I felt compelled to follow his example, and lived to tell the tale.

Eubiq is also convenient, versatile and user-friendly. Power can be tapped anywhere along a track (up to 16 appliances with Eubiq plugs, or adaptors for 12 conventional plugs on a 1m track). Usage is intuitive, with no complicated instructions required, and it is so easy to install that any DIY buff can do it.

This new system was invented by Yong Choon, a Malaysian electrical engineer based in Singapore. He coined the name from E for energy, electricity and electronic, and ubiq, shortened from ubiquitous, meaning ?electricity found everywhere?.

After two decades of working in all areas of electrical supply, Yong set out to re-invent a system that the world saw no reason to change for a century.

?I was sure I could do better,? said Yong, who had plenty of experience to draw on from his years as a product engineer with General Electric (GE), one of the world's biggest companies.

The initial idea to improve on the old socket ? which Yong calls ? a hole in the wall ? very crude? ? came to him about five years ago, when he was inspired by the concept behind fashionable track lighting systems that look so good in art galleries and hotels.

The Eureka! moment came quite suddenly but it took another four years of toil before Yong learned firsthand what GE founder Thomas Alva Edison had so famously said ? that invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

Yong brought in industrial designer Ng Joo Kok (a Singapore-born Malaysian) to turn the ideas into workable designs. Ng, 31, is today the chief designer and director of business development of Eubiq Pte Ltd while Yong is the chairman.

?We designed and modified, tested and retested, modified again, always trying to improve the product, until we reached the stage when we could apply for patents and approval from various authorities,? Yong recalled.

It was not cheap, either, costing S$10mil (RM22mil) to get from conception to the point when production was ready to begin. Parts are sourced from all over ? aluminium extrusions from Indonesia, injection-moulded plastics from Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore ? and final assembly is done in Singapore.

For Malaysia, Sirim Bhd (Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia) approval is based on tests conducted by Singapore's Productivity and Standards Board to International Electrotechnical Commission and British Standards standards. Eubiq has been also tested by TUV (of Germany) and Testing & Certification Australia.

Eubiq now has a 20-strong research and development department working on chargers for mobile phones and batteries, air fresheners, night lights and even security video cameras and motion detectors that simply slot into the track. The company can design customised tracks for specialised applications, such as hospitals. Architects and designers can expect special tracks for their unique design applications with custom profiles, colours and finishes.

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