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A weblog about life / politics/ impressions of Malaysia through the eyes of a foreigner




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Monday 30 June, 2008
25 Jumada al-Thanni 1429AH

A weblog by Albert. From my home in Yan Kedah. I reside here since 1992. See here to know where Yan is.

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10/06- rm 4.00 a liter?
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 Finally progress... - by @lbert
  Posted:30/01/2007 - 13:00 - in category: environment
Naza Kia Sdn Bhd has unveiled plans to introduce natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in a bid to offer Malaysian fleet buyers and commercial users an alternative to petrol-based vehicles.

Well actually it is ridiculous that LPG is not promoted more in Malaysia, since it is a lot better for the environment.
Look in Europe, 40% of cars (personal) is diesel, out of the remaining 60% at least 30% or more is LPG since it is also cheaper if you drive many kilometers.

A conversion kit to make any petrol car suitable for LPG if locally made should cost around RM 1500- and LPG can be a lot cheaper than petrol because of refining costs.

The way to go for the future and the environment!
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 Conservation? What conservation? - by @lbert
  Posted:29/01/2007 - 11:01 - in category: environment
Long live conservation of nature in Malaysia, also called do nothing.
Read this article in the Herald Tribune about the decimation of coral reef fish in Malaysia indonesia and the Philipines.

All for the sake of short term gains.
Meanwhile cyanide fishing, bombing goes on also in Malaysia. Reefs are destroyed in a rapid pace by these actions.
What is done to preserve? Literally NOTHING.
Cyanide fishing and bombing are already forbidden for years, but it still goes on. So what enforcement is there?

Afterall when all the fish is depleted, the poor stupid idiots can go to the government to complain that they have no income anymore.....
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 A new taxi for the PM - by @lbert
  Posted:28/01/2007 - 23:29 - in category: politics Malaysia
The new airplane ordered by the Malaysian government with a price tag of US $50 million is real.
This is RM 175 juta +! And can build repair how many schools, and upgrade how many hospitals?
You can check on http://www.airframes.org/ for the number of the frame.
In this case D-AIDR and the site will show:
D-AIDR
Airbus A-319-115CJ
Type A319 C/N 2949
ICO 3C6492
Registered to:RMF - Malaysian Government
Build:2006
Test reg: D-AVXC
Delivered: 2006-12

Is Malaysia Saudi Arabia?
Even in England, Holland, Belgium and you name it, if the PM wants to go somewhere he has to take a normal flight!
Ministers can only fly business class.
In Malaysia they have several planes at their disposal.
Is this the first world mentality Malaysia is aiming for?
This fact can not be denied, hidden under OSA or what ever they can think of....
It is freely available on the internet! Go figure...



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 Customer service.... - by @lbert
  Posted:26/01/2007 - 12:55 - in category: general
Customer service in Malaysia is with a few exceptions really a non existent thing.

Tenaga.
If you report that their is no electricity, the answer is:
"o ya orang ramai sudah complain", and they hang up.
They even don't give you a chance to ask how long it's gonna last.

Air Asia.
Customer service is non existent.
You try to call, you can hang on the line for hours!
They simply won't serve you.
Emails according to their replies, take 2-3 weeks to be answered.
This company is really the limit of all.
They may be fast growing, but their service is fast shrinking!
Tony Fernandez...something to chew on! Go on, and it is gonna kill you!

Streamyx
If there is a problem where the node might be down, you get sick of all the stupid questions.
Switch your modem of and on. Check cable this, check cable that.
Go on and on....driving you nuts.
If you say it is not with me, never mind they still go on.
Unbelievable!

Can probably name dozens more......
Oh Yes....Touch and Go another shit customer service, they simply do not answer at all.

Great experience all those customer non services.
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 Dangers of �Abusing� Bloggers - by @lbert
  Posted:25/01/2007 - 09:38 - in category: internet / computers
That was the title of a newsitem in TheSun.
It sparked a reaction by Susan Loone in her blog.
This reaction says it all!
That is why i want to show it here verbatim.

[more...]
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 Food quality and cheating (2) - by @lbert
  Posted:24/01/2007 - 20:28 - in category: food
I am really fed up with the stupid mentality of importers and agents in Malaysia.
In order to maintain the price they reduce the quantity, this is a real sick mentality.
Look at milk powder, first it was 1 kg for RM 10- than suddenly it was 900 gr (sticker over 1 kg) for RM 10- than it became 800 gram and now it is 700 or 750 gr this is real cheating.
Consumer organizations should press the government that ALL food items should state their price per KG or Liter!
Also on markets it is really high time that the kati is totally banned, it is but noone enforces it.
Same with the display of prices on markets, on our pasar in Yan Kechil 90% of vendors do NOT display prices, every time you have to ask them 'itu berapa?' and than they look at you like why the hell you wanne know?
Another sample i regulary buy A4 paper in a pack, 1 riem used (is) 500 sheets as far as i know. But now you have to check, some packs contain 450 sheets, some 470 and so on, all consumer cheating.
Another thing is that a certain product is suddenly not available for some time, why noone knows.
Sample: Seri margerine disappeared from the shelves came back 4 weeks later now wrapped in aluminium paper and a price increase of 40 sen (30%).
Now it disappeared again, see how much they are going to raise it now.
Meanwhile the prices of vegy went bizar, fish crazy and chicken went up again..... bantuan inflasi Pak Tak Tahu.
Well this is bolehland, just wait till the whole thing explodes.
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 What's the gain? - by @lbert
  Posted:22/01/2007 - 10:24 - in category: internet / computers
The the Powers-That-Be in this country still think that they are fighting communists terrorists in the jungles of Malaya.
Blacklists, self censorship, false information, withholding information, lawsuits against dissenting voices - these are the tools of people who think they still hold a monopoly on information and knowledge and are able to control the rakyat.
On top of that they have an official secrets act, under which they can hide all their wrongdoings.
And if that is not enough they always have the ISA to keep you quiet for a few years without any recourse.

NST is part of the same group that now controls TV3, NTV7 and TV8 so much for diversity in information.
All this of course is controlled by proxy, so no one can say the government is involved.

After spreading lies and twisting stories for years, NST saw its readership drop gigantic.
This must be hurting as it means less income and a lot less income from advertisements.
So they think they have to resort to suing a few bloggers who have been hitting out at NST for a long time.
They took the wrong way as they painfully will find out.
Now there is a call going on to boycott NST, which i sincerely hope everybody will do.
Even now at every newspaper stand early morning you can find that The Star is sold out, but there is still a big pile of NST left.

Even if they get what they want (in Malaysia's manipulated judicial system) and they crush 2 bloggers, they gain nothing.
Those 2 bloggers will be replaced in no time by 20 others who than work anonymous and from servers abroad.
So whatever the outcome....NST is the big looser, Kalimullah Hassan better goes tanam jagung.
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 Step Forward is back! - by @lbert
  Posted:21/01/2007 - 22:10 - in category: TV
Step Forward the great home made program of TV8 with Dillan as presentator is back.
New series will start in Februari, check the tv guide for the right day and time.
This program is one of the best malaysian made tv programs (to my humble opinion).
It is really good in getting an inside of many facets of malaysian life.
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 This is what it is... - by @lbert
  Posted:19/01/2007 - 11:43 - in category: politics Malaysia

You know what this is? Right its BULLSHIT.
Exactly what the pressfreedom in Malaysia represents.


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 Bloggers sued !! - by @lbert
  Posted:18/01/2007 - 14:11 - in category: internet / computers
Jeff Ooi's Screen Shots , Rocky's Brue and a few others have been sued by NST (you know that newspaper only good for the toilet).

NST seems to feel the pain that time after time all their screw ups are highlighted on the net. Now the defeat hurts because the number of readers keep on dropping.
Well NST you do the country a big favour!
Again Malaysia shows to the world that it is half past 6 and does not have any freedom of press.
Those NST people think they rule they country by proxy. Well they have the wrong idea.
I wish Jeff and Rocky and Sheih strength, and i would support a fund to help pay for the defense, as this probably will be a long long case.
Well done NST well done Bolehland.
Malaysia boleh!

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 Food quality and cheating - by @lbert
  Posted:17/01/2007 - 10:29 - in category: food
Already for a long time i am really disturbed by the food rubbish that can be sold in Malaysia.
Since i had a indigestion disorder my doctor advised me to take yoghurt.
Well what youghurt?? All the shit sold by Dutch Lady, Nestle and you name it is stiff of the preservant to be able to keep it for 3-4 weeks. Yoghurt has a shelve live of 1 week maximum. Furthermore the prices charged are outrageous, RM 12 or so per liter. What is the cost of a liter of milk from powder? (In thailand you pay HALF....Foremost).
All the lactoses bacteria in the yoghurt sold are all dead bacteria. So the only thing i can do is go to Penang, buy yoghurt from an indian shop and use that as 'ibu' to make my own yoghurt.
Another one...
Buy you bread 'freshly baked' from Tesco, well after 2-3 days it is green, and the fresh bread is already 2 days old when it goes on the shelve.
Another one...
Potatoes and onions, i really wonder what Malaysia imports... grade D or E the quality is so bad that sometimes 10% is simply rotten.
What happened to Indonesian potatoes? They vanished, all from China now.

On top of that the floods in Johore are misused to screw all prices to exorbitant levels. The pasar in Yan had ikan kembong for RM 8.00 a kg imagine that.
Sawi was going for RM 3.50-4.00 a kg.
Even apples went up from 10 for RM 5.00 to 7 for RM 5.00.
And it is not even chinese new year.....
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 Can this be true? - by @lbert
  Posted:16/01/2007 - 11:05 - in category: politics Malaysia
50 billion US to finance the 9th MP?
This proofs how bankrupt Malaysia already is, no money for anything.
Why should Malaysia obtain a loan so big through shady deals instead of borrowing on the money market?
Is this 'clean' money or drug funds?
Is it because many hands want to be greased, and greasing here goes by the millions.
The shady deal is exposed in Screenshots, Lim Kit Siangs Blog, Raja Petra Kamarudin.
Also a report last year in terrorfinance.org
So i dont show the details.....
Only want to to some calculations.
50 billion US$ (50.000.000.000) at 3% interest translates into 1.5 billion US a year.
That amount is 5.25 billion MYR (at 3.50 rate).
Than the loan would have to be paid back in say 10 years?
Add another 5 billion US$ = 17.5 billion MYR, total 22.75 billion MYR after the first year.
Where they want to raise this amount of money?

This story is almost to ridiculous to believe and will be bankrubting Malaysia.
So pak Tak Tahu better explains or does the SIL has to de the explaining?

If the country has no money because dr M spent it all, than just scrap the whole 9th MP instead of risking bankrupting a whole country.
That would be good governance.
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 Mahathir admits.... - by @lbert
  Posted:08/01/2007 - 23:41 - in category: politics Malaysia
Dr Mohamad Mahathir said: what we had was a Cabinet that was not knowledgeable, all the time.
Instead, the Cabinet comprised politicians, some of whom he said could be "as stupid as he was".
As a result, the Cabinet relied on the senior government officers in the relevant ministry who prepared Cabinet papers for approval.
-end quote-

This is exactly what is wrong in this country.
Not a single minister is a specialist in the field where he/she is a minister.
They are all politicians, only interested in polishing their status, and filling wallets.
But and even bigger problem is, that the senior government officers are just as illiterate, because all appointments are political, and the word merit is unknown.
All in all resulting in a rudderless government.
Look at most European countries (and even Singapore) all ministers might be related to a party, but the are not party echalon.
All of them are specialists with degrees in the appropriate field. Heads of departments are selected on merits, not on political influence.
That is how a country progresses.
Malaysia grows, because its people work, but to much of this growth is wasted in a totally inefficient government, where no head will ever roll.

So in that sense Mahathir was right, but this stupidity is what he created and maintained all those years!
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 Original NO, interesting YES - by @lbert
  Posted:07/01/2007 - 20:43 - in category: travel Malaysia
The ferris wheel in KL are nothing original.
Jakarata has one already for several years with an exorbitant entrance fee of Rp 70.000.
Well Malaysia charges RM 15.- that is also exorbitant for a average Joe family with 2 kids.
A fair price would have been RM 8- for adults.
So original it is absolutely not, but a ride at night when its clear might be a nice experience.

Ferris wheel Ancol Jakarta (Bianglala)

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 Ordeal will not hurt tourism campaign - by @lbert
  Posted:05/01/2007 - 13:35 - in category: travel Malaysia
Comment by the Minister on the arrest of 2 black Americans last year in a very rude way.
'One or two cases from the 17.5 million tourists who visited Malaysia last year is a negligible figure,' said Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor.
Another minister without brains, it is simply one or two cases to much minister.
Ever heard of one rotten appel in the basket spoils all ! But what to expect from someone without brains...
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 Stinking politics! - by @lbert
  Posted:05/01/2007 - 08:57 - in category: politics Malaysia
The opposition revealed one on the highway consessionaires contracts.
Really shocking! You can read about it in Jeff Ooi's blog. But what i find more shocking that the local press does not mention this revelation with one word! So much for press freedom.
Cronies can make millions and millions but the newspapers keep quiet.....sick,sick.
All these contracts (high-way and independent power producer) were made during Mahathirs tenure!
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 Homestay in Yan Kedah - by @lbert
  Posted:04/01/2007 - 20:59 - in category: travel Malaysia
There are 2 places in Yan where you can experience homestay with the locals.
Experiencing a homestay in a traditional village is perhaps one of the fastest and easiest ways to get to know the real Malaysia. You will discover that things here move at a slightly slower pace than in the city, and for those who relish the quiet calm of the kampung life, this is possibly as good as it gets.
Let me give the addresses first:
Kampung Raga
En. Jamaluddin Mat Arof
Kampung Raga
06900 Yan, Kedah
Tel : 04-4656391

Kampung Yan
Haji Tahir Awang
JKKK Kampung Yan
06900 Yan, Kedah
Tel : 04-4655439

The one in Kampung Raga i know and is very suitable if you have small children who can enjoy themselves playing in Sg Raga.
The water is not deep and fresh from gunung Jerai. Nearby you have batu Hampar with several waterfalls and Titi Hajun also very suitable for small children.

Sorry the one in Kg Yan i do not know much about, and actually just found it out.

Homestay mostly also includes meals cooked according to local style.
Both places can be reached easily and any local can point you the way.
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 Gunung Jerai - by @lbert
  Posted:04/01/2007 - 11:59 - in category: travel Malaysia
Did you ever visit gunung Jerai? (1100 meters)
It is practically on my doorstep, and during Kemarau gives a lot of nice cool nights.
Gunung Jerai has some bungalows on its summit that seem to go from RM 40- a night.
Also 2 camping spots are available one on the summit and 1 near the forest museum.
Several rare plants can be found on gunung Jerai, like priok kra. On the summit if you turn left before the resort, about 1 km from there is a place where they grow mushrooms.
If you are lucky you can buy some, super fresh!
Near the telecom tower you can find some old hindu holy stones (9) they are from the 7th century.
The area around the TV transmitter is off-limit. Very pity, because i went there many years ago and the view on Yan and the islands is great..... I think they should permit visitors again.
The resort has a nice garden (sometimes maintained sometimes not) where various moderate climate flowers grow.
The road up can be made by any car even a Kancil. A bit steep here and there but the road is ok.
Don't forget to bring some food along for the monkeys which you will see half way up.
They are really nice to see especially the small 'kids'.
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 The National Language - by @lbert
  Posted:04/01/2007 - 11:50 - in category: general
Bahasa Malaysia is supposed to be the linqua franca of this country.
But nowadays if i go around i hear bahasa which is mixed with english to an extend that you dont know what they are speaking anymore.
Also i noticed that in places like Penang so many Chinese hardly can speak any bahasa, even the younger generation which is learning it at school.
Here in my place where the Kedah dialect is all around also to many cannot even speak proper bahasa.
If i compare this to Indonesia where bahasa Indonesia is put on top of the hundreds of dialects / languages, every school kid can speak proper bahasa Indonesia.

I just wonder what is happening to the national language?
If i go Kelantan and they speak Kelantanese to me...sorry i dont understand a single word......
But if they also cannot speak bahasa Malaysia properly than how are we going to communicate in this country?

Of course every spoken language is constantly changing words change their meaning or are totally dropped, new words are invented.
So probably bahasa Malaysia will incorporate lots of english words, the same way as almost any european language does nowadays.
And bahasa also included plenty of chinese words as common.
As a foreigner i am actually surprised that it is the Indian who all can speak bahasa properly and understandable.

Just some observations, but they might be worth thinking about.
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 My view on Raya Adha - by @lbert
  Posted:02/01/2007 - 14:02 - in category: religion
I am not a muslim, but i was taught that during Raya Korban people slaughter goats and cows in order to give the meat to the poor and needy.
A target i fully subscribe.
But when i read and see that mosques have been slaughtering 100 cows here and 200 cows there plus hundreds of goats, i start wondering.....
This is nothing more than showing off and unneeded waste of food resources, since that many poor people there are definitely not around 1 mosque.
As with Raya Aidil Fitri and Ramadan the moderation is gone and all is greed and greed and show off as much as you can.
I find it appalling that 1 mosque can slaughter 200 cows (where are the needy?), this is really turning in to a sick thing!
And than is slaughtering a camel more holy than a cow?
Sorry ... bring them all the way here just to cut their throat is crazy!
In Indonesia for sample the meat is distributed to poor people irrespective of religion (so even needy christians get daging korban), that is the real spirit! Not like Malaysia where they say non-muslims cannot even eat the meat.
You do not agree (i cannot say anything because i am not a muslim) well your good right, i just wanted to ventilate my views on a to my idea disgusting tendency in Raya Adha.
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