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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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Blog category: all categories. - March 2008
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 Fitna... - by @lbert
  Posted:31/03/2008 - 21:13 - in category: foreign
Tonights poll by NTV7 showed that 72% of Malaysians were against boycotting Dutch products, 28% want to boycott.
This result surprised me and shows that Malaysians are a lot more mature than their Indonesian counterpart, who just make a demo, and i think 99.9% has not even seen the Fitna movie on the net.
I have seen it by accident (i woke up early and than downloaded it, took me 3 hours for 15 mins of movie!)
The movie should be seen in a Dutch local context, and not a simple observation from abroad.
It shows fear, fear because there are a lot of muslims in the Netherlands now adays, mostly migrant workers from Turkey and Marocco.
Many of them want to maintain their way of life and refuse to compromise in adopting some western standards. On top of that a few people preaching hatred in mosques have been thrown out of the country. All these things together gives fear to people, that in the long run they will be overshadowed by these people and their demands.

[more...]
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 Samy won't retire... - by @lbert
  Posted:31/03/2008 - 10:00 - in category: politics Malaysia
Samy V. saturday said, the people did not reject him, they rejected BN. This is the biggest laugh ever!
I know of indian people from Sungai Siput living elswhere, who went especially back to vote Samy out, and this is not an exception but from what i heard many were like that.
And that he calls now for the release of the Hindraf people detained under ISA is simply scandalous after what he said about them before.
This guy simply does not want to retire, because than he looses his fat income.
All these corrupt people in MIC or UMNO all blame their losses on something else but themselves, so far only MCA and Gerakan did some self-checking but also with little avail.
They are all sour loosers....
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 Homestay - by @lbert
  Posted:28/03/2008 - 19:52 - in category: travel Malaysia
Sunway University College students are doing a survey about homestay in Malaysia.
If you have ever used homestay facilities, please contact nullrosmi ibrahim for a survey form.
Help them with their project please.
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 Back to Yan, and it will cost RM33b more - by @lbert
  Posted:28/03/2008 - 08:53 - in category: Yan Kedah
Nuts Nuts Nuts thats all i can say!
From the NST:
Kedah's mega RM50 billion oil refinery and pipeline project has become even bigger -- with the budget for it soaring to a staggering RM83 billion.
The RM33 billion increase is due to a decision to construct a man-made island for the proposed refinery and storage facilities.
Originally, the refinery and storage facilities were to have been built on reclaimed padi fields.

So now a refinery in Bachok and one in Sg Limau. The gravy train is running again even under PAS!
Now the refinery will be on a man made island.... but they already made a bridge to Pulau Bunting?
And who are Merapoh Resources Corporation Sdn Bhd ,Hijaz Refinery Sdn Bhd, Pristine Oil (M) Sdn Bhd, KN Capital (M) Sdn Bhd and SKS Refinery Sdn Bhd?
All RM 2.00 companies with big fantasies.....
Not a single ship will ever use this facility in order to save 3 days sailing, how long does loading and unloading take? And what will be the cost pr shipment?
Come on people get real throw this Malaysia Boleh project overboard... its just crap!
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 Total silence... - by @lbert
  Posted:27/03/2008 - 18:03 - in category: politics Malaysia
Pak Tak Tahu went to see the king a few days back. After that there is a total silence on what happened. The press probably has been instructed to silence it totally. Also in the 'alternative' information there are just a few hints, but no news.
The row is probably about the petrol money for Terengganu which ballooned from 800 million to one billion, and has been wasted by the former menteri besar, together with the SIL and Patrick Lim, all had their fingers in the cookie jar.
The Ruler was reported to have been displeased with Idris� conduct when he was MB.
But the real conversation remains a mystery, so do the meetings afterwards.
This proves that here is something to hide. Well who cares actually the sleeping PM will not last another month i think, now that the postponement of party elections totally failed.
Update:
The unconstitutional appointment is since last night (27/3) constitutional.
Flip-flop, flip-flop as usual....
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 You call it fair? - by @lbert
  Posted:23/03/2008 - 16:52 - in category: general
After the general elections Penang and Ipoh canceled all fines for their people.
You can say whatever you want, but this is a totally ridiculous move.
First it costs the government loss of income, secondly it makes issuing fines a mockery and on top of that it is very unfair to those law-abiding citizens who pays their fines instead of waiting for years and years.
Those who payed will definitely not pay instantly a next time (I would not anyway!).
This is absolutely not a way to say thank you to voters!
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 Happy Easter ... - by @lbert
  Posted:22/03/2008 - 09:24 - in category: general
To those celebrating Easter, I wish you a happy Easter. Don't eat to many eggs, and enjoy the easter days!
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 Michael Backman's latest. - by @lbert
  Posted:22/03/2008 - 09:22 - in category: politics Malaysia
Read Michael Backman's latest comment on the Malaysian elections in The Age Australia.
Worth while reading.

Malaysian voters open the door for Anwar Ibrahim
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 Out of the picture - by @lbert
  Posted:17/03/2008 - 22:19 - in category: general
I will go into GH Alor Setar again for my next chemo tomorrow, so i will be out of the picture for 3 days..... staring at the ceiling.
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 Good Friday... - by @lbert
  Posted:17/03/2008 - 11:32 - in category: religion
This friday it is Good Friday. Of course not celebrated in Malaysia, but it is in Singapore.
Followed by the Easter weekend also celebrated in Singapore.

I noticed that hardly any malaysian (except for christians) knows the meaning of good friday, be alone Easter.

Good Friday is :Friday before Easter, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus, after the betrayal by Judas Iscariot.
As early as the 2nd century it was kept by Christians as a day of penance and fasting.
The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches have special liturgies for the day, which include readings and prayers commemorating Christ's sufferings on the cross.
Protestant churches also hold special services on Good Friday.

Followed by Easter which celebrates the resurrection of Jezus. But Easter has a lot of non Christian symbolism as well, like the Easter eggs, which symbolize new life (spring is on)
We used to paint easter eggs when i was small and that was a real party, painting faces on eggs, dressing them up with paper and so on.
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 Oil prices... - by @lbert
  Posted:16/03/2008 - 20:41 - in category: politics Malaysia
The PM confirmed again he will not raise the prices of petrol. With the hard fact that the oil price is above US$ 100 and the fact that the government wants the ringgit to be competitive, this will be unsustainable, and thus is a nonsence statement.
Last year oil subsidies were about 40 billion this year they will go above 60 billion, where to get the money? Suck Petroliam Nasional dry? Or go on the money market and borrow money again. Borrowing money means jacking up inflation which is now already at least 5% to a level of 8-9% (because the government borrows but only pays back with new loans)
This makes the rate for FD's and BLR ridiculous, and the BLR will have to go up to at least 5%. In a healthy economy the FD interest level is at least 1% above inflation level. In Malaysia it is already for several yars 2-3% below inflation level, go figure....
All those pensioners with some money loose every year more and more.
Another BN project with fatal outcome for your savings.
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 Green peppercorns. - by @lbert
  Posted:16/03/2008 - 20:30 - in category: food
This evening i was watching Agro Jurnal about the growing of pepper in Sarawak and even in semenanjung Malaysia.
I wonder why i never find fresh peppercorns on the market and always have to buy them in Hadyai or Betong.
I like to use them for making green pepper sauce with meat dishes. Until now i always cooked them in salt water for about 1/2 hour and then kept them in the fridge (in salt water). Only after some time the water as well as the pepper skin turns pitch black, although the inside is still green.
Now i found a new method, i cook them in salt water, then dry them on kitchen roll paper, and keep them in the freezer. This way they remain green and can be used for a long time to make nice green pepper sauce.
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 Felling a giant..... - by @lbert
  Posted:16/03/2008 - 16:13 - in category: foreign
Two workers of Bogor Botanical Gardens cut down a 30-meter-high Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) on Saturday. In 2006 a visitor was killed by branches falling from the tree.
The sheer size of this tree is amazing, look at the size of the workers compared to the tree.
(Photo:JakartaPost/Theresia Sufa)
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 The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index - by @lbert
  Posted:12/03/2008 - 22:34 - in category: travel Malaysia
The 2008 The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index is published.
Malaysia fared ok in this index with 32nd position out of 130 countries. 2007 Arrivals about 17/18 million and they generated about 10 billion US$.
Thailand 42nd.
Indonesia 80th, which is really bad.
They have their visit indonesia year, but expectations are not high, 5 million tourists at most.
Why? Lack of infrastructure, fresh water reliability, availability of doctors, bad telephone service, unreliable airlines, lousy internet access and so on.
I think also a factor is their crazy visa policy, which costs them a few million tourists.
Well they do not want to advance it seems, as i already said many times.

Oh... Number 1 Switserland, 2 Austria, 3 Germany. For Malaysians all 3 unaffordable.....to expensive!
You can browse through all the reports here
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 Liver sausage and liver paste - by @lbert
  Posted:12/03/2008 - 16:43 - in category: food
I love liverpaste on bread, and since it is not available in Malaysia i have to make it myself.
The same goes for liver sausage.
How to make it....
LIVERPASTE:
Use pork liver mixed with cow liver, or if you are a muslim, use cow liver and chicken liver.
Total at least 1/2 kilo.
Clean all the liver properly (no skin or other white stuff)
If you use pork, use some fat pork belly as well, if not lateron add some margerine.
Fry some onions and bawang putih till they are soft (not brown)
Cook all the liver in water but do NOT let the water boil, or your liver paste is spoiled!
Around 95 degrees is ok, for about 15 minutes.
Cool it down.
Cut all in smaller pieces
Throw all in a grinder together with the pork belly/margerine (100 grams will do).
Add salt, black pepper, some bunga cenkeh.
Since it will be cold afterwards you will need more salt to get taste.
Add a bit of condensed milk (3-4 spoons).
Grind it, if it wont grind properly add water.
It should become a medium thin paste.
Taste and add more spices if needed.
Cool it down in the fridge, put in small plastic cups so you can freeze it.
Done.........
You can add a maggi cube to the paste if you like.
LIVER SAUSAGE:
Use cow liver, recipe as above but add some nutmeg (pala). Mix with some cow meat (cooked till very soft about 1/3 of weight of liver)).
Do not use to much water, or it will not turn into a sausage.
Grind a bit coarse, and press into a plastic skin (like they use for sugar cane water).
Make sure you test whether more spices are needed.
Cool them down, and eat!
I say yummy...........
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 Jakarta Post - by @lbert
  Posted:11/03/2008 - 23:52 - in category: foreign
Read this observation about the Malaysian election in The Jakarta Post.
I think a good observation wihout prejudice.
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 The Star + demagogy - by @lbert
  Posted:11/03/2008 - 13:38 - in category: general
The Star wrote today:
The realities of living and working under a PAS-led Kedah are beginning to take effect.
Hotels and entertainment outlets are already making �adjustments� they deem necessary to suit the unprecedented political environment here.

This is what i call real crap!
PAS has not announced any changes yet, they did not even finish making the government. Furthermore PAS does not rule alone PKR also has a strong representation.
The Star should stop making these funny stories, it is already a Barisan shit paper, but now it is turning itself into 'tahit babi paper' !

Just like TV1 / 2 / 3 all is blamed on foul play by the Barisan Rakyat.
BN does not even know what soul searching means in the first place. They lost because they constantly kept kicking the opposition.
Even a child can tell you 'ANTI PROPAGANDA IS THE BEST PROPAGANDA' !
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 A black eye... - by @lbert
  Posted:09/03/2008 - 16:02 - in category: politics Malaysia
The voters in Semenanjung Malaysia en mass turned anti-establishment, giving Pak Lak a black eye even maybe two black eyes.
DAP and PKR emerged victorious, 5 states no longer under BN.
Arrogant Sammy OUT!
Arrogant Jozef Goebels (Zam) OUT!
Big mouth Bad-rude-din (Jerai) OUT!
Menteri Besar of Malaysia's developed state OUT!
Koh Tsu Kun unemployed....
The people have spoken, BN had its biggest loss in history i think. Gerakan has almost been wiped out, MCA reduced to noting as well.
See how long this PM still can survive, i think he is gonna face a lot of opposition within BN.
Hope that the longkang in Yan will be clean again now that PAS took over and no more waste of moneys.

And....DAP's Jeff Ooi won the three-cornered fight for the Jelutong parliamentary seat with a 16,246-vote majority!

Read ChannelNews Asia Mahathir says PM Abdullah must take responsibility for poll shock
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 Next round finished - by @lbert
  Posted:07/03/2008 - 01:29 - in category: general
I just finished my next round of chemo in GH Alor Setar.
3 days staring at the ceiling.... 8 more rounds to go.
Buying a Star newspaper everyday to get even more boored with all the one-sided info and the millions costings advertisements of BN.
TV was just as unchewable with all the one-sided propaganda, this is what the call democraty? Don't make me laugh....
This election is the most dirty and manipulated one in Malaysia's history!
Well back home i have other things to attend to and do not read any printed newspapers. Just source my news on the net.
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