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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. - September 2006
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 Fear of FEER - by @lbert
  Posted:29/09/2006 - 13:58 - in category: travel abroad
The concrete dot on the tip of Malaysia today banned FEER from being sold in their kampung.
Singapore revoked approval for the magazine to be circulated in the city-state because the publication failed to appoint a legal representative and pay a 200,000 Singapore dollar (US$126,000; euro99,000) security bond.
Ridiculous.......99.000 Euros only because you want to sell in that kampung?
Well people can read it online, so it rendered Singapores decision useless.
Paranoid state with paranoid leaders, they really can shake hands with Malaysia!
You can read FEER here.
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 Buka Puasa moderation ?! - by @lbert
  Posted:26/09/2006 - 11:41 - in category: religion
I read a piece about a price war in JB going on for buka puasa buffets.
Prices range now from RM 15-60 ++ per head!
Mind you thats 60-240 for a family of 4.
On top of that where is the required 'moderation'? All these buffets are 'hantam sahaja', because they paid for it.....
Even if i see people buy on the pasar for breaking fast, i really wonder where the moderation is.
You call this still fasting? Fast for a few hours and than eat all you can, and the more expensive the better. And than even saya 'leteh' because of fasting. Sorry but my respect for this way of fasting is gone...........!
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 Harry Lee spoke again... - by @lbert
  Posted:22/09/2006 - 12:51 - in category: politics Malaysia
Harry Lee spoke, Malaysia's DPM called it 'nakal'.
Sorry i call it the truth! Yes the truth hurts.....
The NEP policy has simply been misused by UMNO in favor of one race, and is thus a racial policy.
It is outrageous that any Bumiputra gets a 5-10% discount when he buys a house, even when he is filthy rich.
The same goes for government 'loans' and grants for Bumiputra students.
Do they need it if the parent easily can afford paying for the studies?
Why can only Bumiputra companies supply to the government?
Why can do most construction contracts go to Bumi companies?
The list is endless...
MCA, MIC, Gerakan only paid lipservice, and did nothing for the other 50% of the country.
Why because their pockets are more important.
When several ministers signed and send a memorandum to the PM, the quickly retracted when the PM said booooooh!
If i would have been one of those ministers, i would have never retracted and simply resigned on the spot.
Thats how you keep your dignity, but non Bumi BN ministers and politicians almost all lost their dignity years and years ago.
It is simply high time that there comes an end to BN and that politics are negotiated after elections, and not through hanky panky on forehand as it done now.
Going back to the NEP, it was created originally to help the poor in this country forward, irrespective of race!
It has been abused and misused and turned into a political tool.
The result is a giant brain drain for Malaysia, non-bumi students simply do not return from abroad when they finish studying.
So how will Malaysia have the vacancies filled in the future? Hire expensive expats?
But as long as there is a Krishamuddin and a brainless son in law who can only play racial cards, they country will keep on loosing out big time.
In spite of military coups and all, i should not be surprised if in a few years time Thailand will overtake Malaysia in growth, and do not think that time is far away!
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 Thailand Coup - by @lbert
  Posted:20/09/2006 - 10:54 - in category: travel abroad
It seems that Thaksin Shinawatra finally overstayed his welcome and was overthrown in a bloodless (so far) coup last night.
Several Thai bloggers still give reports, and the newspaper Nation reappeared online.
So did Bangkok Post it seems.
Some bloggers online are Bankok Pundit
Another blogger with direct comments Gnarlkitty
Of course BBC and AFP will have there news up to date.
So far all seems quiet, and it seems many actually support the coup, allthough they will not be from the poor northern provinces where Thaksin had big support.
Malaysian newspapers fail 100%, they are to stupid to bring any news from a neighbouring country, they have to rely on AFP / BBC and CNN, afterall in Bolehland only UMNO counts.
UPDATE It took them till 12 before some proper news appeared.
Their webservers cannot even handle a bit of extra trafic by people searching for info.
Requesting a page takes 3-5 minutes.
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 What a bastard! - by @lbert
  Posted:18/09/2006 - 17:33 - in category: politics Malaysia
Nazri again, he had the guts to tell Karpal Singh (who is wheelchair bound) that he (Karpal) was jealous on his (Nazri) ability to stand.
These words from a parlementarian in parliament are so f#cking low, that there are no words for it. This #$$hole is a disgrace for Malaysia!
This comes after another #$$hole in parliament Bung Mokhtar already told Karpal he should be glad he is alive
But since we have double standards in this country he will probably go scott free again.
Only opposition doing wrong will be punished.
Bolehland optima forma!
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 Phantasi Island. - by @lbert
  Posted:18/09/2006 - 10:10 - in category: politics Malaysia
Some 2.5 million new jobs in various sectors will be created by 2010, thanks to the strong economic growth and increased demand for skilled workers.
This according to minister Fong Chan Onn
That is 3 years from now, that means 650.000 jobs created per year.
Where does the YAB get these crazy data from?
Oh... he thinks that in the coming years foreign investment will come in in droves.
He estimated that by 2010, there would be 1.7 million school leavers looking for jobs.
Yes and probably no jobs for them because of their lousy education.
Already now some 90.000 (registered) are unemployed, and are probably mostly unemployable, because they are not skilled.
The 90.000 are registered, so we can assume the real figure is at least 200.000.

If not something really drastic is done in the education sector very soon, i expect a drama for the near future.

To the minister i can say: dream on.......YAB
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 Republic of paranoia - by @lbert
  Posted:16/09/2006 - 17:01 - in category: general
You know where Singapore is, yes right that small concrete paranoia city-state on the southern tip of Malaysia, the undemocratic private property of Harry Lee and family!
The government is so paranoia about any demonstration or activist action, it banned almost all NGO representatives from being at the IMF and Worldbank meeting there.
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said Singapore had damaged its reputation by imposing "authoritarian" restrictions on the entry of activists for the World Bank/International Monetary Fund meetings.
"Enormous damage has been done and a lot of that damage is done to Singapore and self-inflicted. This could have been an opportunity for them to showcase to the world their development process," Wolfowitz told a meeting with activists.
Well maybe they can file another libel suit for a few million somewhere as they did to their last 'victim' Feer (Far East Economic Review), they were sued because they interviewed a member of the opposition, mind you!
Oh the article is here
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 Again double standards! - by @lbert
  Posted:16/09/2006 - 11:42 - in category: politics Malaysia
Ahmad Badawi asked the US the close down the detention center in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as soon as possible.
Isn't this a big laugh!
Hey hello, when is Kamunting going to be closed Pak Lah??
Improve the world....start with yourself.
Abolish the ridiculous ISA!
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 This is a big laugh.... - by @lbert
  Posted:14/09/2006 - 17:37 - in category: politics Malaysia
Lame duck PM Badawi told the US and Israel to recognize the Palestine 'national unity' government.
Want is he trying to tell....Malaysia itself does not recognize Israel, and still wants to tell them what to do?
They really know how to make themselves a lauging stock!
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 Beauty of Penang -2- - by @lbert
  Posted:13/09/2006 - 11:38 - in category: Penang
I just want to share some photo's i made on Penang, showing its diversity.
Jamek Mosque in Tj Bunga.
How old is this coffee shop?
Sunset near Batu Feringgi
Ever tried Lok-Lok satay?
Doesn't it look great?
Going around in Penang, never go without a camera, you always find surprises and will regret you did not bring it.
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 Changing Malaysia... - by @lbert
  Posted:13/09/2006 - 09:16 - in category: general
When will Malaysia ever change?
Thats is a question i asked myself several times.
I love this country, its people, its rich culture, its food, but its inhabitants could have been so much better off.
This country could have been filty rich probably richer than Singapore!
But it seems that the majority of the people (Malay) give a shit, whether their so called leaders steal and rob the country in broad daylight, cronyism is used daily.
No they are more interested in the price of sugar so that their son or daughters wedding will be a success. Or the new Kancil they want to buy (on credit).
As long as this mentality prevails, sorry to say, but nothing will change in Malaysia and corruption will only get worse and more refined. Religious fanatism will keep on roaring its ugly head.
Where are those moderate Malays, why dont they open their mouth?
These are the people needed to change Malaysia, as long as the biggest majority keeps quiet, the minorities can scream and kick but nothing will change.
Malaysia has to come out of its division mindset!
2 parties for Malays, 3 or more parties for Chinese, 3 or more for Indians and so on....

This country needs a party with 1 goal:

End of corruption and equality for all irrespective of race.

Malaysians must have the guts to remove unresponsive leaders, whoever they are. No leader is too sacred to be booted out of office.
This can only start if the moderate Malays unite themselves with Chinese and Indian of the same view and finally topple the parties that ruled this country way to long.
Power corrupts! But no one seems to understand or see this.
A pm should be out after 2 terms, irrespective how good he is.
Power should return to the people starting with elected council representatives in their own cities, not appointed pocket fillers.

Petronas Towers, Sepang circuit, KLIA and name them, do NOT make this a developed country.
Only result: future generations will still pay for this grandeur.
Mentality of people and their government does make a developed country!
But than... don't they say: you vote, you get the government you deserve?

Also the district representation in Malaysia is a bankrupt system as all districts have been fiddled with in order to have as many as possible districts with a Malay majority.
The election commission can be thrown in the toilet and flushed.
High time for equal representation, you get 10% of votes, you get 10% of seats in the Dewan Rakyat, thats democratic!
Ministers should not longer be politicians, but people carefully selected with the most knowledge required for the job.
A minister of finance should be a banker not a PM who thinks he can do the job.
Likewise for the other ministries. This way politicians cannot enrich themselves anymore.
In the prersent system ministers are ministers because they are high in a party ranking, what a nonsense!

As long as a Malay will always vote UMNO or PAS, Chinese for MCA or Gerakan and Indian for MIC nothing will ever change and i weep for Malaysia.
I hope for Malaysia and its great people that things will change!
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 The Tun shot down?? - by @lbert
  Posted:11/09/2006 - 11:51 - in category: politics Malaysia
Mahathir has not been chosen as a delegate of Kubang Pasu. Well he has been shot down by the system he HIMSELF put in place. So serves him right i would say.
On the other hand somehow i don't think we have heard the last of Tun Dr M.
The lame duck Ahmad Badawi still has to answer properly to questions asked, and they should not be answered by this 'kurang ajar Nazri'.
At this moment politics are dictated by the extremes in the UMNO wings, and the PM sits there and does NOTHING at all.
Also i still would like to hear many of the 22 questions asked to Dr M, as this certainly would clear up things a lot.
But Dr M created the monkey press in Malaysia, so probably we hear nothing but silence. So much for the press freedom of Malaysia. Mahathir dug a hole for himself.....
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 Coastal Road - by @lbert
  Posted:10/09/2006 - 15:47 - in category: politics Malaysia
Kedah got a new PM so new ridiculous plans can surface again.
The coastal road plan was first mooted by Zanussi Yunid (together with the airport in the sea) the most idiot PM of Kedah ever.
Now the coastal road project appears again. Some brainless exco members probably got itchy pockets again and need them filled.
From Butterworth up to Kuala Kedah NO area on the sea is more than 15 km from the NS Highway, witch exception of Tj Dawai, and there is a new 4 lane road is build from Bedong to Tj Dawai.
A coastal road will ravage the left over mangrove vergetation in Sg Merbok, and will ravage all kampungs on the sea, like Sg Yen, Sg Limau, and all the kampung up to Kuala Kedah.
In other words another no brainer pocket filling project. Ecology is already ruined by over fertilizing padi fields, do not need a road to add to that. Furthermore the whole coastal area is mud, so this road is gonna cost a fortune to realize!
Already now i do not dare to eat udang or crabs from the coastal muddy area, it is all totally nitrate poisoned.
If they want a coastal road, make a junction near Alor Setar and from there go into Perlis.
Can save 100's of millions, which can be use to upgrade the kampungs up here, that would be high time!
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 A readers-comment.... - by @lbert
  Posted:08/09/2006 - 15:11 - in category: religion
This was a reader-comment a found in Malaysiakini. I think this view is worth reading, that is why i copy i verbatim.
A Pakistani Muslim and a M�sian Christian
Khalid J
Sep 7, 06 5:25pm

I felt compelled to write after reading Norlinda's convoluted arguments in her letter, If you love your partner, you'll convert.

She said: "Marriage is solely for couples totally in love with each other. If you are not willing to convert to your spouses' religion, then you do not love that person enough. As for being a hypocrite and converting, you can cheat everyone but not God. You will answer for it one day."

I'll say instead - if you really love your partner, you will never force, much less persuade, your partner to do something he or she is not comfortable to do.

I am a Muslim from Pakistan. I have a Malaysian girlfriend who is Christian. We have built a wonderful relationship that transcends everything - even time, space, race and religion.

We have discussed marriage and she had told me that she is not willing to convert to Islam. She was very frank and honest with me (I appreciate that as it is the basis for a good and lasting relationship). She told me that she did not believe in Islam, though as a Christian she believed in one God.

But though disbelieving, she had never ridiculed Islam, nor have I criticised Christianity. Our discussions are always open and frank, and always, we were more self-reflecting on our own religion, than on the other. This I felt, had bridged the gap between her and me, and our understanding of each other�s culture and religion.

I can honestly say that we truly love one another, but as there is no compulsion in Islam, I have agreed to marry her even though she is a Christian. She is also willing to accept me as a Muslim, and our children, will have the freedom to choose, though she said, she does not mind if we were to guide them to be Muslims. Such respect for me and my religion!

There are sacrifices to be made definitely, because we would have to live in a different country. But I will not sacrifice my love or lose a valuable relationship just for the sake of religion or laws made by man.

Norlinda's arguments are not only flawed but selfish. Why should only one partner prove her or his love and not the other? The non-Muslim partner can also say, "if you love me, then convert to my religion". If such arguments go on, it will never end.

Islam is a beautiful and peaceful religion, and we do not preach by compelling others to believe in us but with good, kind and loving examples. But the way Malaysians deal or treat Islam, the religion has now acquired a bad name. No wonder I hear my Malaysian girlfriend and her friends say "there is no human rights in Islam".

This is not the fault of the people who say these, but the authorities and the Muslims who make it a point to compel others to believe in their religion.

All i can say is hear..hear

[red]UPDATE Of course the author got some nasty remarks with the usual, don't meddle in our affairs, this is Malaysia and all the other crap.
His reply you find here[/red]
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 Beauty of Penang - by @lbert
  Posted:06/09/2006 - 10:06 - in category: travel Malaysia
I am for a week in Penang and yesterday i went around the Lebuh Pantai (Beach street) area as i consider this as one of the most interesting parts of Georgetown. I find it amazing besides the Khoo Kongsi, how many kongsi's this area has. Some of them really beautiful and do not require RM10- entrance as the Khoo kongsi does!
Also old coffee shops barbershops, medicine shops are still there (for how long?).
Pain in the legs but a walk worthwhile!
Ancestor Panel in Eng Chuan Tong Tan Kongsi
Quan Yin temple in different view
Quan Yin Temple near Kapt Keiling mosque
Kapt.Keiling mosque in full glorie

Still plenty of beautifull buildings, but also plenty that are left to rot, (Take note Koh Tsu Kun!) in the hope to replace them with a concrete bunker for a quick buck.
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 Lower fines... - by @lbert
  Posted:05/09/2006 - 10:40 - in category: general
In order to reduce corruption and make people pay up, fines were lowered, said the police.
What an utter nonsense, which self respecting country is lowering fines for offenses which have to serve as a deterrent.
Is traffic bahavior not already bad enough in Malaysia? A speeding ticket is halved from RM 300, so those with money now give a shit about speed limits and just race on.
Not wearing helmets the same. The police is simply to lazy to enforce the law, if necessary haul up the offenders. And the so called 'discount' system is unique in the world!
In which country in the world can you go with you fine ticket to a police station and ask them to reduce it? Right only in Bolehland!
Instead of reducing, fines for speeding, crossing double lines, cutting red light and some more should have been TRIPLED!
A fine only deters when it really hurts in the pocket, now it is just an itch.... Will it stop bribing?? Absolutely NO!
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 A balanced budget?? - by @lbert
  Posted:04/09/2006 - 11:29 - in category: politics Malaysia
While all BN components are singing the same tune of how balanced the budget is. This person finds i all crap!
There is nothing balanced it is still 3.5+% in deficit, which means another 3.5% of inflation created. And what is done for the really poor? Abolish exam money ....hahaha
For those who do not understand that a budget deficite is inflation i will explain.
Since this money is not there, it must be borrowed on the money market (and interest be paid). But since governments never pay back money they borrow on the money market with cash (They only pay back with new loans) this overspending is inflation, because you use money that Bank Negara has to print.
So, so much for a balanced budget, even in times where Petroleam Nasional's profits soar to astronomical heights. The words prudent spending are not in the BN dictionary.
Future generations will suffer again.
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 Shitty malaysian TV - by @lbert
  Posted:04/09/2006 - 11:21 - in category: TV
I am upset for the fact that a stupid Gerakan meeting can get almost 7 minutes of prime TV time in the news, but the funeral of Dr K Sri Dhammananda chief monk for Malaysia and Singapore can hardly get 30 seconds in the news!
This shows the sad politicized state of all TV channels in Malaysia.
Shame on Malaysian TV!
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