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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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Blog category: all categories. - April 2007
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 Ijok results... - by @lbert
  Posted:29/04/2007 - 13:25 - in category: politics Malaysia
As expected BN won the Ijok election.
But the screaming of see the people support BN is untrue!
Still 40% rejected the BN and 13% gives a shit who governs them.
So it is not all that victorious, they won because of the lousy undemocratic district system, thats all.
This british relic is the winner takes it all.
All in all nothing to scream victory....

Lets see how much and how many of the promisses made by BN are actually becomming reality in say 6 month time. I bet all is forgotten....
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 Jozef G is steaming - by @lbert
  Posted:27/04/2007 - 09:58 - in category: politics Malaysia
Malaysia's own Jozef Goebbels is steaming.
This time because the BBC interviewed Anwar.
They only have 1 seat, what do they represent, he fumed....
Well the 1 seat is the result of the rotten district system, otherwise they would have had plenty more, Jozef.
And what should the BBC have done? Interview you Zam, and broadcast the crap you spit out worldwide?
All this for the sake of a buy-election (sorry... by-election) where 12000 voters go to the ballotbox.
How many RM per inhabitant already has been spent and promised?
This is probably the dirtiest by-election in Malaysian history. Vote buying is now openly and not even hidden anymore.
Well I think the more dirty BN plays the game, the bigger the chance they loose.... and we have another Kulim.
Is Sammy V going to move again as he promissed in Kulim?
Now even Bernama is twisting facts and the SIL is instructing them.............SICK!
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 Blacked out news? - by @lbert
  Posted:20/04/2007 - 09:40 - in category: politics Malaysia
From Jakarta Post of 20/4/2007:
10 RELA members held for robbing Indonesian workers
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Ten members of the Malaysia'scontroversial baton-wielding volunteer reserve, or RELA, were detained for robbing Indonesian workers, reports say.

The incident occurred in Taman Song Choon when a group of RELA men came to hostel occupied by Indonesian workers to conduct a search early Tuesday.

The workers became suspicious and one of them alerted the police, The Star daily reported Wednesday.

Three days earlier, the same RELA members had searched the workers' hostel, but when they left, items such as a table fan, rice cooker and two mobile phones were found to be missing.

Antara news agency reported that the RELA members age between 20 and 40 years were in full uniform when they pretended to carry out raid against illegal workers.

They, however, were not provided with a document, which authorized them to carry out their jobs.

Spokesman of the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur Eka A. Suripto expressed his appreciation to the police, who followed up reports from workers that their goods often went missing after RELA's raids.

"We have also reported such information to the central board of RELA," Eka was quoted by Antara news agency as saying, Wednesday.

In order to tackle the immigration issue, the government has mobilized People's Volunteer Corps, or RELA. They are given wide powers to aid the authorities in dealing with migrant workers onthe ground that enforcement operations will be more effective with the help from local people who volunteered in RELA.

However, the reality reveals that misuse of power by the untrained voluntary corps has become a worrying trend. Migrant workers and refugees were often assaulted and humiliated during the RELA operations.

Did you read it anywhere in Malaysian News?
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 Healthy Malaysians ??? - by @lbert
  Posted:19/04/2007 - 11:33 - in category: general
Fatal heart attacks/stroke/renal failure 10.000
Fatal Coronary diseases 6.000

That is 16.000 fatal death due to unhealthy lifestyle.
3.000.000 people have high cholesterol levels
2.100.000 people have diabetis
40.000 new cancer patients every year!
25% of populations is overweight (can await above)

These facts are shocking, and nothing is done except for some talking.
We heard long ago that drinks manufacturers would have to lower their sugar content, has it been done? Of course not

What is done in general? Nothing either.......
Any puplic advertisements against junk food?
Any publicity to promote healthier hawker food?
Healthier hawker food means, fresh cooking oil every day, cholesterol free oil, limit the use of haji-tanpa-moto. Don't promote unhealthy food as salted fish.

6 out of 100 Malaysians (6%) have high blood and are in constant danger!

But Malaysians eat and eat and eat literally till they drop.
When will there be less sotong and udang on the menu, no salted fish, and hawkers that advertise 'no monoglutamate used'.
When will we see ministers without seeing their bellies first? (sammy and the likes).

High time this country gets healthy or healthcare will be unaffordable for most of you!
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 The exact way it is... - by @lbert
  Posted:17/04/2007 - 09:51 - in category: general
Yesterday i saw the cartoon by KC Kee in The Star. If have not seen a better mirror for Malaysians in years! Spot on


Replace the TV camera with a ballot box and you got the way they vote!
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 friggatriskaidekaphobia - by @lbert
  Posted:13/04/2007 - 12:54 - in category: general
What did you say??
Friggatriskaidekaphobia don't you know what it is? It is also known as paraskevidekatriaphobia or the fear of Friday the 13th!
Why is friday the 13th unlucky?
As if to prove the point, the Bible tells us there were exactly 13 present at the Last Supper. One of the dinner guests � er, disciples � betrayed Jesus Christ, setting the stage for the Crucifixion or
Because they say Jezus was crucified on a Friday?
Some sources say it may be the most widespread superstition in the World wide. Some people won't go to work on Friday the 13th. Some won't eat in restaurants, many wouldn't think of setting a wedding on the date. But....
The Chinese regarded the number as lucky, some commentators note, as did the Egyptians in the time of the pharaohs.
And than we have the fear for the number 13 alone.......
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 BN wins in Machap - by @lbert
  Posted:12/04/2007 - 21:35 - in category: politics Malaysia
BN won the Machap by-elections as expected.
The conclusion i can draw after seeing the whole circus for days on TV:
The chinese still only think short term and only care about their wallets.
The opposition should form a front and finally offer a proper alternative, which they still don't.
This way, together with the lousy district system, no opposition will gain foothold.
In an equal representation system the opposition parties would have had at least 40% of seats, in the district system... the winner takes it all!
That is why even England abolished a big part of the district system. (afterall it's british...divide and rule)
And here in Malaysia the candidate for a district can be from anywhere, he does not have to be from the district at all, thats what they call people's representation!
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 Machap by-election - by @lbert
  Posted:11/04/2007 - 11:07 - in category: politics Malaysia
This by-election is really sick! For a lousy 9623 voters they make a hurrah as if it is gonna change the world.
The cheer amount of money wasted is unbelievable, whatever the outcome.
Now they do not send the tar crew in anymore, now they send JKR to repair waterpipes, which otherwise would not have been working for the next 10 years.
This is also vote buying! The arrogance of BN is sickening, and actually the whole thing makes you puke.
How many small projects could have been done with the amount of money wasted here?
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 Who can help me out? - by @lbert
  Posted:09/04/2007 - 14:26 - in category: general
After 2 earlier attacks of liver inflamation (which put me in the hospital for several days) last week i got a 3rd attack but was very quick to jump on it with antibiotics.
After a scan in the hospital now finally the problem has a name....oriental cholangio hepatitis. Also known as Pyogenic Cholangitis. It forms very minuscule particles which jam the liver ducts, and make the bile no longer neutral, which results is loosing weight, or at least not gaining it.
I went to a chinese herbal specialist, who says the particles can be flushed out (over time).
Anyone having any advice on this or any experience? Because i do not want to follow the hospital advice of going for operation and have a big portion of the liver removed.
Any suggestion or hint is welcome to me, thanks...
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 Firefly, more expensive than advertised - by @lbert
  Posted:04/04/2007 - 11:46 - in category: travel Malaysia
Firefly offers cheap flights (it looks that way), but look at the additional costs!

Fees (hidden)


Fuel Surcharge domestic MYR 19.50 (USD5.40)
regional MYR 72.00 (USD20.00)

Insurance Surcharge domestic MYR 4.50 (USD1.25)
regional MYR 18.00 (USD 5.00)

Admin Fee domestic MYR 13.40 (USD3.70)
domestic MYR 13.40 (USD 3.70)

Airport Tax domestic MYR 9.00
regional MYR 51.00

total added for domestic 46.40 (one way)
total added for regional 154.40 (one way)

The difference for airport tax 9.00/51.00 is outrageous!
So is the fuel surcharge, for a distance of max. 2x local max distance the charge is 3 times the local surcharge!
Insurance surcharge is also way over done (4 times as much for regional)

Don't forget they fly with 2 Fokker F50's who were left over after MAS abandoned some routes in Sabah/Sarawak.
These planes are probably already completely written off to RM 1.00.

For a flight to Samui offered for 39.95 or say 80.00 for a return ticket, you have to add 308.00 to your 80.00 ringgit, so its 388.00 instead.
Than it does not sound that cheap anymore, does it....they better change the name into mosquito!
Website of firefly.

This stupid way of advertising is even worse than Air Asia. The government should force these people to advertise all prices INCLUDING adm fees + airport taxes. Fuel surcharge is variable so it might change.
Let those suckers stop treating their customers as idiots! Currently the real price is 3-4 times the advertised prices which is scandalous in one word.
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 Kedah's white elephant... - by @lbert
  Posted:03/04/2007 - 15:43 - in category: politics Malaysia
Have a look a the bridge to nowhere.
That is the bridge linking Sg Limau Dalam with pulau Bunting.
This project has cost several millions, now a total waste! The bridge leads to nowhere, and is inaccessible. It was build by Gamuda.
Shame on the Kedah government.
First pulau Bunting would become the jetty for coal dust for a new power generation plant. This Mahathir/Zanusi project was abandoned.
Meanwhile pulau Bunting is endangered, its environment left to rot.
It is/was the only island in the Yan district with fresh water ALL YEAR.
It would have been beautifull for a small eco-resort as it has several small sandy beaches.
But meanwhile it is invested with 'buluh babi' on every rock in the water you can find one. This is due to over fertilizing the padi, which is all washed into the sea. Coral that used to be abundant is almost dead. Rubish is everywhere as the kampung-folks throw all their rubbish in the river, or in the sea.
I have been on pulau Bunting several times, it was a beauty!
Shame shame shame, thats all i can say!

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 Malaysians put out unwelcome mat - by @lbert
  Posted:03/04/2007 - 01:05 - in category: travel Malaysia
Read this piece by Muhammad Cohen in the Asian Times Online on how foreigners are treated in Malaysia.
Come and visit Malaysia........
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 This is the way.... - by @lbert
  Posted:02/04/2007 - 12:53 - in category: travel Malaysia
Below a few samples of how to get rid of the tourists in Malaysia soonest.
Recently i went for dinner (was invited) to a chinese restaurant near Lam Wah Ee in Penang.
On arrival i really had to pee..... they pointed to a corner where they had something like a door, inside you could pee in the gutter!
This gutter was running right behind where they prepare food.
Is the government of Penang really doing nothing anymore?? This kind of places should be closed on the spot! what a disgrace.
And this is not the first time i met places like that, there are numerous.
Than of course is is the tak apa attitude of Malaysians (West) rubbish everywhere you go even in the forest, waterfalls, beach, you name it ... what a shame.
The last one i will touch is the habit of market salesman to charge at least double if a foreigner asks for the price.
Some even had the guts to tell me when i scolded them in Malay, sorry i thought you are a foreigner..... go and figure out.
These are some of the sure ways to never see a tourist back!
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