Some people I know go on a family holiday annually. It's great to spend time with family and holidays are usually exciting as there are new places to see and things to do.

Part of the excitement comes from planning where the holiday destination shall be...though at times, it can be a headache as well considering the options available.

I am always impressed with some families or even individuals who are able to go on annual holidays, mostly overseas destination. It is by no means cheap to travel to overseas destination especially considering that the Malaysian currency is not as strong as it was. A trip to say, Korea will cost easily RM1,500.00 per person. Add a family and the sum goes up to a couple of thousand. Souveniers not included yet.

So, how do they really save for these annual holidays? Do they put aside a sum each month as their savings for the annual holiday? I've never really been able to manage these type of holidays, though I have attended church camps instead at local tourist destinations. But then again, it is a different kind of holiday - a holiday with God.

I've always wanted to visit some countries - New Zealand, Australia and the Scandinavian countries top the list. Next come some of the European countries. I am thankful and am indeed blessed to be able to study in England many years back and was able to travel around Scotland for 7 days on an International Student's Association tour package for 100 quids. And yes, I did visit Paris for 4 days as well just before my graduation. The last overseas trip must have been Singapore - and that was about 5 years ago because my international passport is about to expire.

My wife and I dream of revisiting Paris again, probably when our children have grown up. It would be nice to see if there are any changes. As far as the hotel that we previously stayed in Paris is concerned, it has been upgraded to a 4-star hotel and the rates are now rather steep to be considered. Ah...the thought of munching on a freshly baked baguette filled with juicy lettuce leaves and generous portions of ham and cheese at a lake near the Carousel still evokes beautiful memories from the Paris trip. Or the cruise on Bateaux Mouche on the River Seine...

For now, it remains as something for us to cherish and something for us to look forward again.


Technorati Tags : Holiday , Paris , New Zealand , Australia , Travel

We bought some chicken eggs from the wet market recently and asked the trader to pick the eggs for us. Our hands were full, you see. When we got home, we found this...

And so...I have joined the bandwagon of many other bloggers who have registered with Blogsvertise. What is Blogsvertise?

Well, in a nutshell, the blogger will be paid a sum of money by Blogsvertise for writing something about the advertiser. Current payout ranges between USD$5.00 to USD$10.00 per entry. That's pretty good money. The blogger also gets to choose what he wants to write about based on a list of items available on Blogsvertise site. The other good thing is that the blogger need not endorse the advertiser's product or service. All payment will be channelled to the blogger's PayPal account. Oh yes, they only pay via PayPal. So, setting up a PayPal account will be a pre-requisite. And urm...besides that, your blog also need to be at least 30 days old to qualify.

Registration is a breeze at Blogsvertise and if you have not done so, seriously consider it!



Technorati Tags : Blogsvertise , Technology , Blogging , Make Money , Advertising

If football rumours were true:-

Manchester United will spend a combined total of £32 million to purchase Fernando Torres from Athletico Madrid and Jermaine Defoe from Tottenham Hotspurs. They will also spend more money on Owen Hargreaves of Bayern Munich and a 16 year old boy Jamie McCarthy from Hamilton. Where in the world is Hamilton??

Chelsea will spend £22m on David Villa of Valencia to replace the ineffective Andriy Shevchenko (who himself was bought for £30m from AC Milan). I am sure AC Milan is laughing themselves all the way to the bank. Anyone wants to buy Shaun-Wright Philips? Do you still remember him? [source]

Ah....if only football rumours were true....

If you know of any children below the age of 5, you should get yourself acquianted with the pneumococcus bug. This bug causes the pneumococcal disease which, according to the World Health Organisation, kills more than one million children a year. The trouble with this flu is, it has symptoms like any other flu at the onset - fever and runny nose. When it gets worse, it can cause an array of deadly illnesses such as meningitis, pneumonia and bacteremia (blood infection). Worst, it can lead to hearing loss, brain damage or death.

The good news is that there are vaccines available against this disease and you should get your child or advise the parent / guardian of children below the age of 5 to be vaccinated. It is not cheap though. If I remember correctly, it costs around RM250 to RM300 for the jab of a lifetime when I sent my elder daughter for the vaccination.

In Singapore, 18 out of every 100,000 children below 5 years old are infected every year and 92% of mothers are unaware of the disease and how to prevent it. Read more about it here.


Technorati Tags : Health , Medical , Children , Singapore

Surprise! Surprise!

No sooner that there were calls from the leaders of the Government for parties to stop squabbling over the equity pie, we now have the Dewan Perniagaan Islam Malaysia (DPIM) Negeri Johor proposing that the Malays and Muslims of this country control 65% of the "ekuiti ekonomi". According to its chairman, Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim, this new formula is in line with the composition of the Malays in this country which consists of 65% of the country's population. A fuller report is available in Utusan Malaysia.

So...erm...what about the other bumiputeras of this country? Conveniently left out of the equation or deemed insignificant? Anyway, which country in this world has statistics to show that the economic pie is shared in equal proportion amongst its citizens based on racial or religious composition?

Like it or not, the longer the policy of affirmative action to benefit one race or religion over another (for whatever reasons) continues, the more it breeds discrimination and contempt between one another as evident in the media reports and internet so far. We are treading on dangerous grounds indeed and such sweeping statements by Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim does nothing to quell the uneasiness amongst the non-Malays and non-Muslims of this country (and perhaps the other non-Malay non-Muslim Bumiputeras).

It is about time that the Government relook into their policy and ask themselves whether it is all about race and religion or eleviating poverty purely on merits regardless of race or religion. For justice and fairness must transcend race and religion as all human beings are created equal in the eyes of God.

At the end of the day, all of us shall have to account for our lives and decisions made to God. Are we prepared?


Technorati Tags : Malaysia , News , Economy

According to a report in The Sun today, Malaysia has been classified as a "flawed democracy" and within the said category, is ranked almost at the bottom together with Bolivia. South Africa leads the "flawed democracy" category at 29th position, followed by South Korea at 31, Taiwan 32, India 35, Mongolia 56, Sri Lanka 57, the Philippines 63, Indonesia 65, Timor Leste 65, Bangladesh 75, Hongkong 78 and Palestine 79. This classification and ranking was developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit which Index is available in The Economist's annual publication. [source]

You ask me? I say it's a RUBBISH report! What do these non-Malaysians know about Malaysia and our democracy? Don't interfere with the way we run our country. We know what we are doing. We have an elected government which acts for the benefit of all Malaysians. No one is left behind or discriminated. So, please...we did not ask that you rank us in the first place. Did you ask for our permission to study us? You did not. Then you ought to apologise and retract the report. Kurang ajar!


Technorati Tags : Satire , Malaysia , Democracy

Wow! He is now freed on bail today. And a RM1 million bail at that, which was posted by his siblings. He will need to be back in Court on Dec 14 to face the charge against him.

Did he or did he not? Questions will be asked but he is definitely the one whom the media is highlighting the most. In fact, the coverage on him (who is going to be charged for "Abetting to murder") is much more than on the other 2 policemen who was charged with murder!

Such is the life of a celebrity / public figure. Even his family is not spared from the media. What a life!


Technorati Tag : Abdul Razak , Malaysia , News

After last night's church meeting, Allan and myself headed southbound towards Sg. Besi to have Wan Tan Mee. Most people who travel southbound from the direction of Jalan Tun Razak will notice this stall-cum-shop on the left hand side of the road before seeing the air-force runway on the right hand side. Wan Tan Mee Sg. Besi is located just after the BHPetroleum Station and Volvo showroom. You better be driving slow or you will miss this stall by the side of the road. But then again, the number of cars belonging to customers parked along the road will sort of tell you that you've arrived.

So, how's the Wan Tan Mee, you ask? Before I proceed further, for those not in the know, wan tan mee is prawn dumpling noodles in cantonese. The noodles are thin and yellow, much like vermicelli, and usually contains egg as one of the ingredients. It is either cooked in soup or dried style with a little bit of soya sauce based gravy.

This place has been reviewed before in Funky Cookies as well as Yummy Corner. I don't wish to repeat the other details which they have amply covered and I will just concentrate on what I think of this so-called famous Wan Tan Mee.


I ordered the usual medium-sized Char Siew Wan Tan Mee costing RM4.20. The noodles sold here are much thinner than usually sold elsewhere. Though it is thin, it does not break easily and has a slight bite to it. Some called the texture "kiew" meaning curly. It doesn't look curly but tastes like it lah. The gravy is nothing to shout about and the portion of noodles could be more.

The char siew is quite good, sweetish in flavour and slightly overburnt on the outside. It reminds me of the famous Char Siew Rice shop in Tung Shin area. It is tender but quite fatty. As for the wan tan, it is a real disappointment. Having called themselves Wan Tan Mee Sg. Besi, I would have expected the wan tan to be good but what greeted me was bland tasting wan tan. I can't taste the prawn (if at all contained inside) and I suspect it was more flour than anything else though it was quite big in size. Frankly, I have tasted much better wan tan mee and I will definitely share it here once I visit those stalls again. Will I go back there again? I wouldn't be bothered.


Allan ordered the curried wildboar meat mee (large portion by the looks of it) and wolfed it all down. I didn't ask him how it tastes but I think both of us were more concerned with filling our stomach then. We also ordered a bowl of wan tan soup and 2 glasses of herbal tea. Total damage came up to RM18.00. I would rate it as not worth the money considering the quality given.

In case you don't believe me and you want to try it for yourself, here are the details:-

Business Hour: 6.30pm to 3.00am
Location: No. 190H, Jalan 2 1/2 Miles, Off Sg Besi 55200 KL


Technorati Tags : Food , Review , Chinese Food , Malaysian Food , Noodles , Hawker Food

Citibank announced today that it will not charge inland exchange commission for clearance of outstation cheques from anywhere in Malaysia with effect from Nov 16. The bank said in a statement that nationwide electronic fund transfers via RENTAS (Real-Time Electronic Transfer of Funds and Securities) and GIRO are also free of inland exchange commission for customers. [source]

Apparently, Citibank is the first bank in Malaysia that abolishes the inland exchange commission for its customers. I hope the other banks in Malaysia will follow suit. Nowadays, with the advance in technology as well as with the promotion of internet banking (which saves the banks quite a lot), these little exchange commissions should be abolished in favour of the customers. Afterall, they earn big bucks from interest charges on other facilities which would be more than enough to cover their cost of the transactions described above.

It really does not make sense to conduct internet GIRO banking where each transaction is charged RM2.00 when you are only charged a couple of cents by issuing a cheque. At least Citibank has come to their senses and has boldly taken this step to reward their customers.


Technorati Tags : News , Business , Banking , Citibank , Malaysia

My stomach and God's church.

You must be wondering what's the link? Is it because many church goers end up having a nice big lunch or dinner after church? Or, as what my church pastor once said, one of the dishes served at lunch on Sundays is "Fried Pastor" where the diners will criticise or condemn the pastor for a boring, uninspiring or lengthy sermon in the morning. More often than not, pastors are made scapegoats for whatever that is not going right in a church. If the church is low on funds, pastors are blamed for not raising enough funds. If the church is low on the number of ministers, pastors are blamed for not raising enough church workers. If the church is divided, pastors are blamed for taking sides.

But really, we (believers) are all in one-body. The body of Christ, that is. And yet, we expect the pastors or the church workers to serve the rest of the church. Who then serves them? Christ has called upon his followers to remain in Him and be united as well as to serve one another. Unfortunately, in today's world, much of the work of the church is left to a minority few whilst the rest warm the pews. What would the effect be?

The last two days has been quite discomforting to me as I was having a rather bloaty stomach. This is the second time I have been experiencing this, the last being in April. It gets worse after a meal and the abdomen feels a bit tighter than usual (no, not that I have abs like Daniel Craig). Let's just say it feels much better when the belt is loosen and you'll get the picture. As I pondered on this, it made me realise how the body is meant to function independently as well as cooperatively. If one part is not working well, the other parts suffer. So, I was not in a good mood the last two days due to the stomach discomfort.

This morning, I rummaged through the fridge and found some of the medication I took last April and immediately popped in the pills. It worked. My stomach does not feel as bloaty now and meals are more enjoyable. I do exercise caution with my food today and tried to take lighter food...just in case.

And so it is with the church. All followers of Christ are meant to take up their cross and serve one another in love as commanded by Him. To leave it to the church leaders alone can cause much discomfort to the body of Christ (the Church) as it is impossible for the church leaders to serve the rest of the church. How do you expect a pastor to serve (conduct visitations, hospital visits, counsel, conduct wake service, etc) for a large congregation? Even if the church has say...500 members, the pastor can only visit each member once every 2 years! Would the member feel that he has been "taken cared" by the pastor? Probably not. It is not surprising then, that there are much dissatisfaction by church members with their church life. Church life becomes mundane and a drag. There is no sense of community and care being experienced on a personal level. What if...say, what if the church members start to serve one another in various capacities? Some as hosts, some as prayer partners, some as counsellors, some in visitation, some in ministering to the sick, some in worship ministry, and the list goes on. You can just imagine how fulfilling the church body will be and how it would be able to move and touch the lives of many.

1 Cor 12: 12 - 28 clearly illustrates God's desired model for his church.

12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

A story is told that one day, there was a meeting by the various organs of a human body. The heart said "I am the most important. If I were to stop beating, the body will cease to live". The hand said "If I don't help to take the food to feed this body, there will be no energy to feed the heart's pumping and the body will cease to live". The leg said "If I don't walk to the food source, the hand won't be able to reach for the food in the first place". The brain interjected "If not for me, you won't even think of finding the food". Just then, the anus said "I am also important. Don't look down on me". The rest of the organs laughed at the anus saying that he is of no use and is foul. Next day, after the brain told the leg to walk somewhere so that the hand can get food to feed the body and get the heart pumping, the anus decided to call a strike. Ladies and gentlemen, what will happen if the anus decide not to work? You figure it out.

It is time to wake up and start functioning as a body of Christ. I hope you are not on strike. Are you?


Technorati Tags : Reflections , Christianity , Christ , Stomach , Body

Curse of the Golden Flower is the latest Zhang Yimou's film set to be released in Malaysia on 21st December, 2006. It is another one of Zhang Yimou's epic film set in the 10th century. It boasts a well-known cast including Chow Yun Fatt, Gong Li and Jay Chou. Actually, I didn't really notice about the coming of this movie until my wife pointed out to the billboard along the road whilst we were both stuck in a traffic jam yesterday evening.

As she pointed out to me the advertisement for this movie, we both burst out laughing and I told her I must quickly take a picture of it.

Let's see if you know why we were laughing at the advertisement...
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Technorati Tags : Movie , Jay Chou , Chow Yun Fatt , Gong Li

UMNO Supreme Council will look into the wisdom of having live telecasts of the UMNO Assemblies in the future. UMNO Deputy President Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak conceded that some speeches in the recent assembly was extreme and was quoted by the press of saying "We have gone through this before but because of the direct telecast, they should not use that to pass judgment on Umno. Sometimes inexperienced speakers tend to get carried away by the occasion and they play to the gallery. They should realise that when they speak, there are others outside the party who are also listening to their speeches." [source]

Having shown the world the true colours of UMNO, the Supreme Council will now look into trying to hide their colours. You are what you say. And if you had the courage of saying something in public, you will be judged by the public on what you say (whether your intention is otherwise or whether you got carried away). If these speakers were indeed inexperienced, why did the assembly applaud them in approval of what they said? Unless applause is not a sign of approval, I do not know what it is.


Technorati Tags : UMNO , Malaysia , Politics

I just stumbled upon these two useful services for bloggers and I thought I would share it with you in case you've never heard of them.

I was dumbfounded when I conducted a search on the "Whois" service as I was able to obtain the contact details (including handphone numbers!) of the owners of various websites. Server and registry datas are for all to see. Makes me wonder whether the various domain servers actually subscribe or are subject to any Data Protection Act. The consolation for me is that domains like blogspot.com or wordpress.com does not reveal the identity of the bloggers who use them. I wouldn't want my personal details such as address and mobile phone numbers to be open for all and sundry to see! Who knows what sort of unwanted attention I would attract :P


Next useful service I found was Copyscape.



Technorati Tags : Web Tools , Internet , Blog

This is probably the most popular ping service used by Malaysian bloggers. Ever since I used this ping service, traffic to my blog has increased.

Ping-O-Matic is a service to update up to 22 different search engines that your blog has updated. They regularly check downstream services to make sure that they're legit and still work. Once you've used the service, you just need to bookmark that page and go back to the same page to ping your blog without having to retype all the details.

iPings.com is a free service delivering updates to 24 search engines and aggregators. I find the service very fast and easy to use.

BlogsMalaysia is an experimental portal that aggregates trackback pings from registered Malaysian blogs. It may not be as high volumed or popular as Petaling Street Org but the traffic has been steadily increasing.


Do you know of any other useful pinging services?


Technorati Tags : Internet , Technology , Ping , Blogging

Phishing for personal banking particulars are getting common nowadays. On 16.11.2006, Maybank2u issued another alert to its customers about a phishing email which purportedly informed its customers of a need to update the customer's particulars as part of its upgrading exercise. The alert reads as follows:-

Despite reminders and constant information through the media about the dangers of phishing, it appears that there are still many guillible users out there who fall prey to these phishing attempts. As informed users of the internet, we should continue to inform, educate and warn our friends, relatives and colleagues about the dangers of phishing attempts. Whilst we may be informed and alert enough not to fall prey, our friends, relatives and colleagues might not be as fortunate.

Technorati Tags : Internet Banking , Maybank2u, Fraud , Phishing , Security

An international media watchdog (Reporters without Borders) has condemned Malaysia's police for trying to stifle coverage of the murder of a Mongolian woman. Full stories here.

What's new?

Anyway, have a good weekend!

A crackdown on cars with heavily tinted glass will be launched from next year, so says the Director-General of the Road Transport Department. Curiously, he said that his department has obtained the nod from the Cabinet to conduct the nationwide operation. “The Government had recently raised it concerns over the matter and wanted us to take action,” he told reporters after opening the client service counter at Perak RTD here on Friday.

Why would the Road Transport Department need a reminder or a nod from the Government / Cabinet before it conducts an operation to check on vehicles with glasses tinted above permitted levels? What have they been doing all these while? Idling away, minum kopi and watching VIP -tinted like cars drive by? Just take a look at the cars that go by and you will see so many cars (and especially MPVs) which are so heavily tinted you must be wondering whether James Bond is being chauffered inside.

Let us not stop at tinting above permissible limit. How about illegal modifications? Exhaust pipes which can fit a solo papaya are a common sight (especially common on Perodua Kancils and Proton Wiras). Spoilers which make the car look like road sweeper machines are also in vogue. Oversized rims and tyres are nothing new as the owners look to Fernando Alonso and his F1 car for inspiration on tyre designs and grip. Oh, and have you seen the thick blanket of exhaust fumes coming out of those lorries and buses? Come on, these enforcement officers of the Road Transport Department have not been doing their job all these while. We have the laws but we lack the enforcement.

Much like the illegal extensions and renovations in Selangor which happily go about under the watchful eye of the State Government, all these heavy tinting above permissible limits and illegal modifications happily go about under the sleepy eyes of the Road Transport Department. I hope the Director-General will not do a classic Khir Toyo statement "If we start enforcing to the letter of the law, almost every vehicle will kena tahan!". Don't blame anything else but blame your incompetency and lackadaisal attitude for allowing things to be where they are today.

Get cracking immediately! You don't need to wait till next year!


Technorati Tags : Malaysia , Cars , Law

Crime does not pay. Period. If you do not pay for it here on earth, you shall have to answer God when you die.

And payment on earth can be quite costly indeed.

A Kansas man shot himself in the groin in a botched kidnapping bid. He had just stuck a gun in his waistband when it fired, shooting him in the left testicle. OUCH! He cringed, causing the gun to fire AGAIN and strike him in the left calf. Full report here.

Ouch indeed! I feel myself cringing as I type this out...


Technorati Tags : News , Crime

At the UMNO General Assembly, some speakers reminded the people out there "Not to test our patience" and that "We will defend (our rights) to the last drop of our blood" and "When tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins". One leader even waved a keris (traditional Malay weapon) as a symbol (go ask him what it symbolises). Freedom of speech and expression granted and exercised notwithstanding it may sound inflammatory or be deemed as a threat to the "other" people out there. But it is freedom we are talking about. So, we should not question their rights to express themselves they way they did. And we should not because we would be hypocrites if we deny them the right to express themselves based on our standard of limits.

However, I wonder ... if speakers from MCA, MIC or other BN component parties were to make speeches alike "Not to test the patience of the Chinese / Indian / etc people", "We will defend / fight for our rights to the last drop of our blood" or "When tension arises, the blood of Chinese / Indian / etc warriors will run in our veins", what would the responses be like?

I hope the UMNO leaders would not be hypocrites to deny the members of BN component parties or even, members of the Opposition parties to make similar speeches or even demand an apology. Hey! The UMNO leaders should also not be hypocrites if members of the public of whatever political affiliation make similar speeches.

So, I will make a statement here.

Dear Government, please don't test my patience. I voted for you the last round because I was promised by you transparency, accountability, development, prudence etc. Unfortunately, I am not convinced by your promises till today. I will continue to fight for my rights and feel a tension within me. But don't worry. I will not use blood or cause blood shed. Jesus said "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). I will exercise my rights as a voter instead. I will exercise my full rights as a citizen of this country. As a Malaysian. If you care for my vote at all, please practise what you preach about transparency, accountability, development, prudence etc.


Technorati Tags : Politics , Malaysia , Freedom , UMNO , Race

Don't simply say the word "Bomb" when you are on-board a plane. An Australian passenger found that the word "Bomb" is a no-no on flights when he jokingly asked a SilkAir air stewardess "Where do you keep the bomb?". Riccardo Paulin, having pleaded guilty at the District Court of Singapore, was sentenced to pay S$10,000.00 or in default, 3 months' jail by the learned District Judge Liew Thiam Leng. Though it was meant to be a joke, the law doesn't joke. He was charged under the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Regulations which carried a maximum fine of S$100,000.00 or up to 5 years' jail or both. See full report by Singapore's New Straits Times here.

Apart from bomb, please also ensure that you doubly check your bags for anything which is explosive in nature. No C4s, of course.

However, I still vaguely remember when I was about 13 years old and was travelling by plane back to my hometown for Chinese New Year. Having bought some fierce rocket firecrackers (variant of "moon traveller" which can fly quite far) (there was no ban on firecrackers then), I decided to take 3 sticks along to my hometown to show my cousins. I placed them in the luggage and did not feel it necessary to tell my parents. Hey, I didn't even know it was an offence, okay? But when I reached my hometown and having duly set the rocket to flight and enjoying every bit of the moment, I somehow spoke about shipping the 3 rockets to my parents during a conversation.

What greeted me was a real EARFUL! I could have unintentionally caused the flight to blow up! Little did I realise what danger I had brought. Of course, that was the one and only time I did so.

Parents, if you have kids and intend to travel by flight, do double check the bags please prior to check-in. You never know what your kids might put into the bags!


Technorati Tags : Airline , Bomb , Safety

Latest news flash from The Star reports that two policemen were charged with the murder of a Mongolian model at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions (sic, should be Shah Alam Magistrates) Court today. In view that it is a murder charge, the matter will be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur (sic, Shah Alam) High Court for the charge to be read out again and to take the two policemen's plea. Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Constable Sirul Azhar Umar have been accused of murdering the Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, on the night of Oct. 19 and Oct. 20 in a forest area outside Kuala Lumpur.

As for the fate of political analyst, Abdul Razak Baginda, he is scheduled to appear before a Magistrate on Thursday where he will either have his remand extended, released or charged. All sorts of stories and gossips have emerged about his supposed relationship with the deceased.

The Mongolian model was reported to have been shot to death and had her body blown to bits using C4 explosives. It is hard to imagine a human being so evil as to commit such a despicable act.

I just pray that justice will be served and be seen to be served. May her soul rest in peace and her family find comfort in God.


Technorati Tags : Murder , Crime , Malaysia , News

And so, it is raining again in Kuala Lumpur. Very heavy I must say. It is now just past 5.30pm and I can just imagine the traffic jam that will be created. I can barely see the Kuala Lumpur Tower from my office.

Is it just me or do most other KLites start imagining traffic jams and flash floods whenever it starts to rain heavily at rush hour? It's getting paranoid!

Blogger Mahaguru58 posted his views recently on homosexuality. Titled "When a sodomite seeks to ban religion", he commented on Sir Elton John's recent remark as follows:-

"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate. The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are the leaders of each religion?"

I implore you to read his post in full followed by the comments. You should read the comments. As Mahaguru58 rightly pointed out, he sees things from an Islamic angle whilst I see things as a Christian. We both have different perspectives.

And how very different our perspectives are in our approach towards the same issue on homosexuality. At least such different perspectives are open for all to see on the net, which is a good thing for it allows ideas to flow and minds to think.


Technorati Tags : Sin , Religion , Homosexuality

According to a tag line on Air Asia's website which reads "no frills, plenty of thrills cabin crew", the ladies are dressed in chilli red AirAsia suits. They are cheerful indeed and definitely exude a sense of energy in them as they go about their duty.

However, I wonder if the AirAsia management spared a thought about the uniform, in particular, the skirt which the female crew wears. Am I doing a Datuk Abu Bakar Hassan? Perhaps, but I am not laying any blame on the female crew.

You see, I personally think that whilst the uniform is striking in colour and modern in look, the skirt is a bit too short. It can be a bit revealing or exposing, especially when the crew has to sit in front of you and facing you at the front row on the 737s. I think the female crew might also find it awkward as well.

But this is not really the main point of my thoughts.

When the AirAsia plane I was travelling on taxied on the tarmac and the seatbelt sign has turned off, I unloaded by cabin bag and headed to the rear door as I was sitting on the back row. The door was not opened yet by the time I stood at the galley. There was then a knock on the outside and the stewardess promptly opened the door. The staircase was not fully aligned to the door of the plane and she was trying to push the door to enable the staircase and the doorway to fit properly with the assistance of a personnel on the staircase. It was then I saw another personnel on the tarmac peering upwards. He was perhaps monitoring the alignment but I seriously think he was monitoring something else!

I am not in a position to accuse him of seeing what I thought he was seeing but I think AirAsia should, for the sake of the modesty of their female crew, rethink about the current length of skirt their female crew is asked to wear.

Further to my previous post, I ended up staying at Renaissance Hotel Kota Bahru over the weekend. It was a worthwhile trip to a certain extent as the trial went on as scheduled and I got a little time off to visit the famed Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah to see what it is all about. Click here to see my photographs of Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah.

I arrived at Renaissance Hotel at 8pm on Saturday and went straight to the Reception. Check-in took less than 5 minutes and I was much impressed with the courteous hotel employee who attended to me. I was given a non-smoking room as requested and up on the 18th floor. The 19th floors onwards are for Club Rooms. Expecting a nice view of the city, I was quite disappointed as my room was facing an adjacent apartment. So, curtains had to be shut for privacy.



The room is big and elegantly designed. It comes with a king-sized bed which I think, is actually bigger than the king-sized bed I have at home. I must say, the bed is what I enjoyed the most in the room. There are 6 soft and fluffy feather-pillows to sink on and the down-comforter is really comfortable. Crisp cotton rich linen on a nice firm bed ensures a good night's rest, which I did!




Being a five-star graded hotel, amenities in the room are plentiful from the well-stocked mini bar (check the prices before consuming!), complimentary coffee / tea making facilities, mini electronic safe, ironing board and steam iron. Oh, they also provide sandals.

The controls to the lights, alarm clock, "Do not Disturb" and "Please Make Up Room" signs and air-conditioning control are all on one central console on the bed-side table. Oh yes, they are in working order. The television is quite big...I think it is a 29 inch television with a couple of satellite channels. I watched football over ESPN that night.

The bathroom comes with a bath tub as well as a shower enclosure. Nothing beats an invigorating power shower after a long day. However, I found that water seeped through the bottom of the glass door shower enclosure onto the bathroom floor. Perhaps I turned up the shower too big a pressure. A selection of toiletries are provided eg. bath shower gel, moisturiser, hair shampoo with conditioner etc. They are of quite good quality unlike those cheap toiletries associated with 3 or even 4 star hotels.



High speed internet access is available in the room for a fee. I did not utilise it because I don't have a notebook. I think for a hotel of this stature, internet access should be provided free as it would not cost them that much anyway. Usual stationeries are provided such as envelopes, writing pad and ball pen.

My room rate was RM253.00 nett inclusive of buffet breakfast. The buffet breakfast was excellent and comes with a wide variety of food and drinks. Pastries, noodles, porridge and cereals are available as well as sausages, hams and the like. One of the specialities must be the Nasi Dagang but I wasn't feeling all that gung-ho about having Nasi Dagang for breakfast. I was going for the "safer" and less spicy fare as I did not want to have tummy rumbles whilst trial was proceeding!

Renaissance Hotel Kota Bahru is located at Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra in Kota Bahru. There is a shopping mall adjacent to it (Kota Sri Mutiara) which houses the Billion Supermarket. There is also an Indian-Muslim restaurant two doors away which serves Nasi Kandar, Roti Canai, Tandoori and various stir-fried items.

Renaissance Hotel is approximately 15 minutes from the airport and is slightly "off" the town centre. Click here for the map. A 5 to 10 minute taxi ride costing RM10.00 will get you into the town centre. The fare for a taxi ride to the airport is RM20.00. In fact, travelling in town on taxis can be quite an expensive affair as meters are not used. However, the taxi drivers sort of have a uniform fare for the various destinations and I have not encountered any taxi driver who tried to fleece me off unlike in Kuala Lumpur.

If it is within your budget, I would recommend Renaissance Hotel Kota Bahru to you. Much better than Grand River View Hotel lah!


Technorati Tags : Hotel , Kota Bahru , Renaissance Hotel , Travel

I've got a trial on Sunday at Kota Bahru and I am not in a good mood. My weekend is spoiled to a certain extent because I got to leave for Kota Bahru on Saturday evening and go to court on Sunday morning. More so when I would have been in church instead. And knowing how often cases get postponed, this trial is likely to be postponed as well. I sense it coming. But there's no choice. I still need to go. And my return flight is at 5.00pm. If the case gets postponed early or something like that, I will have to spend the day waiting for my flight. What is there to do in Kota Bahru? I ain't going shopping with my court files in tow.


So...now, I have been browsing through the internet. Should I stay at the Renaissance Kota Bahru?? I can't seem to find a decent review being done on this place. The last time I went to Kota Bahru in 2004, I stayed at the Grand Riverview Hotel. Nothing grand really. Just a view of a muddy river. Definitely not like the River Seine.

Anyone stayed at Renaissance Kota Bahru before? Let me know your comments, will ya?


Technorati Tags : Hotel , Travel

The Star Online just reported that the Weekend Mail has been suspended by the Internal Security Ministry for breaching guidelines and conditions under the Printing and Presses Act 1984 (Act 301). Ministry Secretary-General Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said reports and photographs in the paper's Nov 4-5 issue focusing on sex and sexual issues were contrary to values practised by Malaysians.

I did not read that issue. So I am not qualified to make an assessment of the contents of the "offending" issue. But what I can say is our so-called Malaysian values on sex and sexual issues are not as morally high or perfect as what we tout to be. Just look at the number of sexual crimes these days. It would be interesting if the Attorney General's Chambers could issue the number of sex crimes prosecuted over the past 10 years to see if there is a rising trend vis a vis the growing population of the country. It would be more interesting if the police could also issue the number of sex crimes reported over the last 10 years to see if there is also a rising trend. And mind you, these are reported cases. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the number of unreported sex crimes could be as high if not, higher than the reported cases.

Which brings us to the question, "How are we approaching this problem on sexuality, sex education, morality and sex crimes in the country?". Sweeping under the carpet? Looks very much like it to me. Meanwhile, another newspaper bites the dust.


Technorati Tags : Malaysia , News , Social

The city was flooded again yesterday. What's new?

Left office at 6.35pm. Drove along Jln Tuanku Abdul Rahman and was surprised that traffic was light. I intended to take the Parliament Road. However, seeing that traffic was not moving along Parliament Road, I decided to drive into Jln Sultan Sulaiman (at Bank Negara Malaysia) to get to Jalan Duta. Since it is a hilly drive, there should not be any flood. Wrong! The road in front of Bank Negara Malaysia was flooded. So, I drove along Jalan Kuching and exited at Jalan Dato Onn with the intention to go to Jalan Duta again. As I was nicely driving along Bukit Tunku, I was greeted with another flood. Imagine! Flooding around the Bukit Tunku area. Muddy water was flowing along the road like a stream of teh tarik freshly brewed. So, I made a reverse turn and headed towards Jalan Kuching instead. Ended up at PWTC and Jalan Putra. Seeing that Jalan Kuching was chock-a-block with traffic, I decided to take the Jalan Ipoh - Jalan Segambut route to get to Jalan Duta. Great move! Traffic was light and I reached the Jalan Segambut roundabout in no time. As I was inching towards the Jalan Duta Hockey Stadium, the traffic report on Light & Easy informed that the road in front of the Indian Embassy along Jalan Duta was flooded. Bummer! Luckily, I could still use the Mont Kiara route to get to Pusat Bandar Damansara. So, I exited Jalan Duta and headed towards Mont Kiara. Either I was blur or the signboard was bad, I ended up paying a RM2.00 toll, used a tunnel and got out at Damansara near Ikea and One Utama. It's okay. I can still take Jalan Damansara to get to Pusat Bandar Damansara. Traffic was moderate and I reached Eastin Hotel pretty fast. I think I spoke too fast. It was bumper to bumper all along the way from Eastin Hotel towards Pusat Bandar Damansara. I only reached Pusat Bandar Damansara at 8.05pm. By then, my bums needed a real massage liao!

All along the way, the traffic report on Light & Easy mentioned about flooding in many areas as well as faulty traffic lights. It seems common enough nowadays in the city of Kuala Lumpur and to a greater extent, the Klang Valley which boasts what was once the tallest buildings in the world (Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers), tallest flagpole in the world, multi-million / billion ringgit Administrative Capital of Putrajaya, multi-million ringgit Integrated Traffic Information System (ITIS) and countless other structures. Klang Valley folks have to put up with regular floods whenever there is heavy rainfall continuously for more than 2 hours. In fact, the name Kuala Lumpur which has its beginning somewhere along Masjid Jamek where the rivers Klang and Gombak meet somehow reveals how this city will always be associated with mud. "Lumpur" means mud. Perhaps the forefathers of this place had foreseen how muddy this place will be even in the 21st century.

It is shameful indeed. After spending millions if not billions on projects after project, the government is still not able to provide the very basic infrastructure of channeling away rain water in an effective manner. I am skeptical of the viability and efficiency of the SMART tunnel project which costs more than RM1 billion but is touted to be the answer to the city's flooding problems. Apart from time lost on the road for the motorists, much money is wasted in the form of the burning of fuel and damages to people's properties as a result of flooding. Businesses are affected as well. And how about increasing the stress level of the people? I am sure many motorists were tired and stressed out after being stuck in the traffic jams caused by the floods.

Looking at the present way things are being handled, I can't see anything but more flooding in the future. Just look at the various developments and projects taking place in the Klang Valley and how muddy water seems to flow out of these places whenever rainfall occurs. Mud gets accumulated in the drains and this will reduce the volume of water the drains are meant to disperse. How about the workers engaged to sweep the streets of litter or leaves? Have you seen how some of them conveniently sweep the leaves into the drainage holes along the road kerbs? That is recipe for more flooding!

Anyway, enough ranting for the morning. Hope you were not affected like me yesterday. Or perhaps, you had it worse. In any event, one just needs to look outside the window and appreciate the sun shine and enjoy life's roller-coaster ride. Welcome to Malaysia!

Some background first. I am one of the members of a committee which is organising a church camp next year. Last year, our church camp was held in Seremban which is less than an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur. Some 300 people went and most, if not all, of the participants had a good and refreshing time.

Church Camp is currently organised biannually. So, we are starting with our organisation for next year's camp. We are now targetting 500 people to attend. Compared to the organisers of the 2005 camp, the current committee is made up by many members who are below 40 years old. Amongst the locations we are considering are a beach resort in Kuantan, a beach resort in Damai Laut and the same resort we went to in Seremban last year. These 3 places can accomodate 500 people.

When the idea was thrown in at the committee, the general response from the older members of the committee was concern over the distance of the Kuantan and Damai Laut resorts. The former takes 3 hours drive whilst the latter can reach 4 hours. Seremban, being nearer and more familiar, seems to be a preferred choice. The committee tried to deliberate on the pros and cons of the 3 resorts. For some, the idea of going to the same resort twice in a row for church camp might not be appealing. Based on personal feedbacks obtained, I gather that those under 40 years old are more open to the idea of having the church camp elsewhere and distance does not seem to be a factor. Those above 40 years old are, no surprises, more keen in the Seremban resort.

And I was wondering aloud in my heart, why are they so boring? Why are they not keen to try out something new? Why not have a change? Despite arranging chartered buses for the longer trips, why are they still resistant to the travelling? After all, the quotations are comparable and the resorts at Kuantan and Damai Laut are much better with beaches and all...

Last Saturday, my wife and I went to a hypermarket at Alamanda in Putrajaya to get some groceries. We walked a bit. After walking for about 1 hour in the hypermarket, my legs start to ache. I am not that old. I am below 35 but I confess, I have not exercised. Anyway, by the time we got into our car, we had walked about 1 1/2 hours in all. And I was telling my wife that I'm getting old with all this shopping!

In fact, shopping nowadays mean parking, getting straight to our intended store, get the stuff we want and back home. No more casual window shopping along the malls. 10 - 15 years ago, we can walk in the malls for a whole day. No sweat. Short trips for holidays meant making sure we go to see everything that can be seen! 10 years ago, I walked on the streets of Paris for 4 days in a row to savour the sights and sounds. Now, perhaps, I am not up to it. Even with a good pair of walking shoes. Priorities have changed, I guess. It is not that important anymore whether I get to see this or that.

And I wonder what would I be in 20 years time...will I be resistant to a church camp at Kuantan or Damai Laut which is 3 to 4 hours' drive away and prefer a shorter trip to Seremban instead? Perhaps. Would I be as enthusiastic? The mind may be willing but the body may not.

And so, I guess now I may have well understood our older members better in the way they think or react to suggestions of whatever nature from the younger members. Of course, I have not personally asked our older members why they are not as enthusiastic with the resorts which are further away apart from knowing that they think 3 hours' drive is too far. But I think, I do now.

Thank God for He has revealed to me through the shopping trip a little truth about why older people may have acted or responded differently from the younger ones. This should keep me in check and be a good reminder to me to receive their responses with a more open and understanding heart. Hopefully, with this truth, I would be able to also understand the views of the generation to come for one day, I will also be old and less able myself.

Isn't it wonderful how tiring legs from a shopping trip can teach you a thing or two about life?


Technorati Tags : Life , Reflections

Better taste sperm. 100% natural herbal solution to increase your sperm by up to 500% more guaranteed!

Sounds familiar? Well, these are the majority of spam emails I get everyday from some ang mohs living half the globe away. The claims made are so phoney indeed. These fellas must have been flooding millions of email boxes everyday with their cure-all for impotency especially for the men-folk.

Whilst it is true that some men do have problems with impotency and some couples have problems conceiving a child, I can't help but notice that these spam emails are not reaching out with the primary purpose of aiding reproduction and multiplication of mankind. Rather, it is one big part of the sex industry which most people agree, sells and makes big bucks for these corporations.

One wrong (or intentional, depending how you see it) click on the internet, you'll be transported to despicable poses of the human body. Sex is meant to be a private act between a married couple according to God's plan. Just imagine this, if there were no sex outside marriage and married couples respect each other sexually, this world would have been a much better place. It would be.

Just take a look at the weekly newspaper reports. Is it any surprise to see celebrities getting married amidst much fanfare only to be divorced in a couple of years time? More often than not, it is due to the presence of a third party. Latest was Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon. Apparently Ryan was seeing someone else. I couldn't be bothered to find out who anyway. And back home, Nurul and Ajai have called their marriage quits. They must be famous. I have not heard of their names until the newspapers reported about their divorce proceedings. Why did they get married in the first place? I wonder.

And how about news of female celebrities (mainly in the west) who opt to have a child without getting married? I don't think I will be surprised if women in Malaysia are seriously thinking about this option. It seems workable. It seems alright as these women feel that they are independent enough.

But it is not alright. God made man and woman to partner each other. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24) God does not go on further to say that the man shall share his flesh with another or lust after another. Indeed, man is to hold fast to his wife. Not with another. Likewise the wife. Be faithful to your spouse for you have nothing to lose but everything to gain. Be unfaithful and you stand to have everything lost.

Right, I shall now go and clean my mailbox of the mess and clutter caused by these sperm er...spam emails.

I noticed over the past couple of months that a new Fish Ball Noodles shop has just opened along Jalan Loke Yew in Kuala Lumpur. Business seems to be good and the restaurant is usually packed. I had the chance to try it out yesterday.



Huat Kee Fish Ball Mee is located at No. 148, Jalan Loke Yew, Kuala Lumpur. It occupies a corner lot and is near the Federal Bakeries / Fraser's Park roundabout. As you go around the Fraser's Park / Federal Bakeries roundabout, head towards the direction of the old Edinburgh Roundabout. The restaurant is located at a stone's throw from the Federal Bakeries / Fraser's Park roundabout. Slightly further down the road is a row of Bridal Shops which Jalan Loke Yew is famous for.

I thought this shop is new. It is not. I am informed that this restaurant used to be located further down Jalan Loke Yew. However, as almost all the workers there are foreign workers, I had problems getting full information from them due to communication problems.


Now, let us talk about the Fish Ball Mee which I had. Costing RM4.00, I ordered the normal portion Fish Ball Mee in Soup which comes with 6 medium sized fish balls, 1 fish wantan and 2 small slices of fish cake. A generous amount of chopped chinese parsley is sprinkled over the soup which adds a refreshing taste to the soup (if you don't like it, do inform the waiter). Fried pork lard is also added to the soup to give extra flavour. The soup is clear and tasty which I believe, was cooked using fish stock. The fish balls are quite good but not really the best I have tasted. As for the fish wantan, they are quite similar to those sold in wet markets or supermarkets. The fish cake is too small a piece for me to make any note of its taste!

Overall, I think if one is to compare this Fish Ball Mee with others in Kuala Lumpur, I would perhaps give it an above average score but I won't say it is the best. Comparatively, I would rate Ah Koong Noodle House in Changkat Thambi Dollah as being a better choice. The crowd at Huat Kee Fish Ball Mee is quite good and perhaps, they have their regular customers and supporters. I was there early in the morning and it was quite quiet then.

These are the prices quoted :-

Fish Ball Mee - RM4.00
Add Fish Ball - RM5.00
Add Fish Wantan - RM5.00
Add Fish Ball + Fish Wan Tan - RM6.00
Add Fish Ball + Fish Cake - RM8.00
Fish Cake - RM7.00
Fish Ball per piece - RM0.40


Huat Kee Fish Ball Mee is open from 7.30am and a phone number is published (I did not try the number) in case you need to call them : 012-2129596


Technorati Tags : Fish Ball , Malaysian Food , Food Review

What is this world turning into?

It has just been reported by The Star that a 17 year old teenager had raped a 75 year old grandmother whilst under the influence of tapai (rice wine). The police even found 2 homemade shot guns in the teenager's house. It was also reported that the teenager is a school-dropout.

Further down the report, it was also reported that in another incident 2 teenagers (aged 16 and 17) were charged in a magistrates court for raping a 32 year old woman.

A couple of weeks back, when I was in the Seremban Sessions Court, a youth was also charged for raping a girl aged 14 or so (if I remembered the age correctly). That was my first experience of hearing someone being charged for rape in a court. I don't deal with criminal matters. So, I don't get "exposed" to these charges being read out. But as the charge was read out to the youth, I can't feel but rage swelling within me at what the youth had done to the minor. I had wanted to leave my seat, go to the youth and give him a good walloping! I know that he is innocent until proven guilty but most lawyers know that people do not simply get charged unless there were pretty strong evidence of culpability in the first place. In the end, I remained at my seat and wondered what is wrong.

A few question arises from the above cases:-

1) If the teenager is a school-dropout, does his parents or guardian knows what the teenager is up to during the day or at night?

2) How is it that the teenager has access to tapai? Did he steal it from home or something?

3) How did the teenager become tempted to rape someone?

4) How did 2 teenagers become so bold as to commit gang rape without fearing the consequences?

5) Why are rape cases so common / frequent these days and the perpertrators are as young as the teenagers above?

I am sure there are many more questions out there. Obviously, there must be something wrong with the upbringing of the suspects. The suspects are not the only ones to be blamed but the parents or guardians may have to shoulder some responsibility.

Moral values are out of fashion nowadays. Sex is okay. In fact, it is becoming more and more common amongst teenagers to indulge in some form of sex. The media is laced with sexual innuendos. Everyone is bombarded with sex in every form and kind. Just look at those beer advertisements and see how women are being potrayed.

Rather than taking a tough stand and say "Pre-marital sex is NOT OKAY. Full stop", some have given way-outs such as "If you have to do it, use a condom". On November 18, 2005, Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Ng Yen Yen was quoted by papers to have advised her 19 year old son to use a condom just before her son went overseas to study. “I told him that I was not condoning him having premarital sex but just think of it as protection. I said as a mother, I would cry if you get AIDS,” she said. I was flabbergasted when I read that piece of news.

My firm deals with divorce cases once a while. In fact, the number of cases referred to us are increasing over the years. Most of these cases are due to adultery. Do you think it is just committed by the husbands? No. There are also many cases where the husbands discovered that their wives committed adultery. The couple breaks-up and their children suffer the consequences. And what would the parent tell the child? That daddy or mommy had an affair?

It is time that people take stock of their life and look around themselves. Are we cheating on our spouses? Are we lying to our parents? Are we living a life of good moral values or are we just succumbing to the temptations of the world? Is life really meant to be lived as how we are living now? Are we spending so much time at work that we do not really know what our children are doing? Are we neglecting our loved ones with the many activities we deem more important to our lives? Are these activities really more important than our loved ones?

I leave those questions to you to ponder...


Technorati Tags : Social , Reflections , Crime