Whatmeworry

Meiyen's corner: What is your children's future worth?

2009-07-08T20:20:00.000+08:00

Meiyen's corner: What is your children's future worth?

2009-07-08T20:19:00.000+08:00

Meiyen's corner: What is your children's future worth?

CRANKSHAFT: Arrest Me - I Am Wearing Black!

2009-06-11T07:50:00.000+08:00

CRANKSHAFT: Arrest Me - I Am Wearing Black!

Trip to Bentong and Chamang waterfalls

2009-06-08T22:25:00.003+08:00

On 6th June, 2009 I made a day trip to Bentong, Pahang with my sister in law, her husband, my wife and son. Leaving K.L. was a breeze until after the Batu Caves just before the toll plaza and after, there was a massive jam which we later discovered was caused by the highway authorities creating a counter flow for vehicles coming into K.L.

After that, the drive was smooth and we reached Bentong just in time for lunch at the Yee Fatt restaurant which was just after the entrance to the Chamang waterfalls. This restaurant is actually an old wooden house that one usually finds in a new village and it's a large house too.

We ordered deer meat cooked with chinese cooking wine, ginger and spring onions, taufu with fishballs stewed in a mini wok, tapioca leaf veggie, prawns and steamed patin fish (which was very well done). The bill was reasonable too, just over a hundred ringgit.

After lunch, we proceeded to the Bentong wet market to look around but most of the stalls were already closed. Then, my sister in law noticed a nearby stall near the market which hung a bunch of pisang emas for sale. The pisang emas turned out to be a very good buy indeed. I also bought 2 packets of Sempalit ground nuts (Panda brand) for the waterfalls trip.

The Chamang waterfalls is 8 km from the main road and we had to drive through some durian orchards. The road was narrow but tarred. It took about 15 mins of slow driving and the way to the waterfalls is uphill. We were practically the only ones on the road until 3 more vehicles caught up with us and when we reached the waterfalls, the place was packed with cars and people who had arrived earlier.

We found a nice spot by the stairway and my boy changed into his swimming gear. He was excited and yet apprehensive about getting into the waters but once my sister in law's husband took him to the shallow part of the stream he was having a good time. He played on the shallow part of the stream most of the time and even made friends with 2 other kids. The water was cold but the afternoon sun was also shining brightly so it made it bearable. My boy enjoyed playing with the water and kept pouring water to wash the sand that had gotten stuck on the tree trunks on the river bed.

Near the waterfalls, the authorities have constructed some BBQ pits for tourists to do a bit of cooking. I don't think it was such a good idea having it so close to the waterfalls. We were constantly irritated by smoke when one party tried for a long time to get the fire started.

My boy was in the water for about an hour and at 3.00 p.m. we told him it was time to go and we coaxed him out of the water by telling him that we were taking him for some ice cream.

The Chamang waterfalls is a nice place to visit but on weekends and public holidays, be prepared to share it with a lot of people. There were a few markers on the rocks of the waterfalls telling people of the danger but we still have some visitors who went beyond those markers when they shouldn't have and the warden had to order them down.

We drove to Bentong town and my sister in law's husband took us to another ice cream parlour (Ais Cream Corner) instead of the more well known one in Bentong. This shop is located behind the Bentong wet market, very near to the restaurant where YL had her wedding dinner some years ago.

We ordered ABCs with pandang ice cream toppings. The owner of this ice cream parlour could be a Mr. Tak as one of the item on the menu was TAK special.

On our way back to K.L., we stopped by Bukit Tinggi village to do a bit of shopping. We bought some passion and star fruits. This little village has nothing much to offer except for the few stalls that sells fresh veggies and fruits and restaurants. The village's police station is located at the top end of the main road and we took a short drive on the old road which was scenic as it was higher than the highway and my boy managed to see two monkeys by the roadside before we returned to the highway.

SAKMONGKOL AK47: Sobering Lessons for UMNO(2)#links#links#links#links

2009-01-19T20:32:00.000+08:00

SAKMONGKOL AK47: Sobering Lessons for UMNO(2)#links#links#links#links

All kinds of Everything: Fighting Fair

2009-01-16T07:19:00.000+08:00

All kinds of Everything: Fighting Fair

JUST READ!: Balfour Declaration puts Palestinians to suffer

2009-01-07T22:42:00.000+08:00

JUST READ!: Balfour Declaration puts Palestinians to suffer

Another Brick in the Wall: Royal Spin by Brendan "Pariah"

2009-01-05T21:10:00.000+08:00

Another Brick in the Wall: Royal Spin by Brendan "Pariah"

Ti Lian Ker's Blog: DON'T WORRY......BE HAPPY...WHAT THE F***

2008-12-28T13:19:00.000+08:00

Ti Lian Ker's Blog: DON'T WORRY......BE HAPPY...WHAT THE F***

MALAYSIAN SPIRIT: Raja Petra,Malaysian Hero or Zero?-Malaysiakini

2008-09-28T20:52:00.000+08:00

MALAYSIAN SPIRIT: Raja Petra,Malaysian Hero or Zero?-Malaysiakini

Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin: Masjid Kinrara siad Teresa was not involved but Syed Hamid says otherwise#links#links#links

2008-09-15T21:51:00.000+08:00

Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin: Masjid Kinrara siad Teresa was not involved but Syed Hamid says otherwise#links#links#links

shanghai fish: The men who put the last nails on BN's coffin#links

2008-09-15T21:39:00.000+08:00

shanghai fish: The men who put the last nails on BN's coffin#links

Token punishment

2008-09-11T17:42:00.002+08:00

A 3 year suspension of the Bukit Bendera division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail who caused such a stir in the country with his offensive remarks is just a slap on the wrist.

Instead of going away quietly, he remained defiant to the end. He reiterated that there was no reason for him to retract his remarks that likened the Chinese community as "squatters".

He was quoted as saying that he accepted the decision to suspend him because it was made by UMNO leaders and if it was made by BN he would not have accepted it.

In his press conference following his suspension, his tirade against the former Chief Minister of Penang (Koh Tsu Koon) continues with unabated venom. This only confirms everyone's suspicion that the previous administration just couldn't keep a tight rein on some of these leaders (read warlords) from a dorminant party within the BN coalition.

Hence, on March 8, 2008 the people of Penang spoke loud and clear and the Gerakan government was totally wiped out.

Now that a political decision has been taken by Ahmad Ismail's party, the people are now anxiously waiting to see if the enforcement of the law will be taken in view of the numerous police reports lodged against him.

Ahmad Ismail's lack of remorse despite the severity of his actions gives the impression that he feels he is someone special and would not be made to face the law as ordinary Malaysians would, should they breach any of it.

There should be no double standards by the relevant authorities. The Police and the Attorney General must now prove to the people that everyone is subject to the rule of law in the country.

The people awaits their wise decision.

Who the hell Ahmad Ismail think he is?

2008-09-09T17:12:00.002+08:00

I am sure many Malaysians are just wondering how come so much leeway was given to a low class, low ranking divisional UMNO leader from Penang who uttered racist remarks and then behaved arrogantly in the presence of the media and cheered on by his followers.

Though the BN may say that Ahmad Ismail acted on his own but it has been worry trend in the country after the March 8 GE. It seems there could be many Ahmad Ismails lurking within UMNO who would not hesitate to play the racial and religion card just to get themselves noticed.

Yes, the BN lost badly in the 12th GE but it still has a healthy majority in parliament to govern the country. Instead of acknowledging and accepting the reasons for the loss in support, some BN component party leaders have been harping on sensitive issues much to the chagrin of others. This is not good for a multi-racial and multi-religious country like ours.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim proposed take over on September 16 will not happen. It's just a bluff and his way of shaking up the BN and it did. The lates reaction from the BN being the junket to Taiwan by several BN MPs. He must be laughing himself silly on how he got the BN to suspect its own MPs of jumping ship and thus making them sign a pledge of loyalty.

There's no law in Malaysia against any elected MP or state assemblyman who switch allegiance. I personally find those who do so, without resigning from their seat as unscrupulous and unprincipled. It is time we have legislation requiring those who defect to resign and seek re-election. With such a legislation, we don't have to worry about any defections as the seat will be declared vacant should anyone choose to do so.

MarGeeMar: UMNO HAS LOST IT! - malaysiakini.

2008-09-07T13:50:00.000+08:00

MarGeeMar: UMNO HAS LOST IT! - malaysiakini.

Merdeka Climb to Gunung Angsi

2008-09-01T10:19:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, as the nation celebrates its 51st Merdeka I decided to go for a climb to Gunung Angsi (820m/2706 ft) together with Ken Meng, Zenon and Tan. We agreed to meet up at 8 .00 am but there was a slight delay as some of the roads were blocked due to the Merdeka Day parade in Seremban.

We commenced our ascend at about 8.45 am. Felicia/Chong and gang were already at the summit as they had camped overnight. Texted them that we are on the way up. The weather was cool but the humidity was very high as usual. Just before reaching "Panjang's resort", we caught up with 2 chaps who said they weren't going all the way up but only half-way.

Reached "Panjang's resort" after about 20 mins and met panjang and 2 others. Apparently, panjang had spent the night at his "resort". We continued with our ascend. There were stretches when the cool mountain mist became very thick that visibility was barely a few feet. Due to rain the track was damp and at certain stretches slippery too.

We finally reached the summit after about 1 hour 45 mins. Chong was calling out for me and said we were late. They had already 'broke' camp and getting ready to descend. Felicia saved 3 pieces of her home baked cakes for us. Felicia said the view from the summit at night was nice. Could see the lights of Seremban town and a bit of the fireworks display on the eve of Merdeka.

While we were at the summit another group of KLites came up from the trail from the Ulu Bendol Forest Reserve. The first chap said it was tough and it took him 3 hours to reach the summit. We told him there's a short-cut route which he wasn't aware as it was the first time he was climbing gunung angsi. Later, another group from KL came from the same trail that we took. This weekend we met quite a number of people at the summit.

Before we descend, thick mist was blown across the summit. It was windy too and Zenon asked for my Malaysian flag so that he could attach it to his stick and wave it for a photo shoot. It was a nice scene and the other climbers borrowed my flag for their own photo shoot.

Our descend was slow and we met several climbers from KL who were on their way up. Made a joke at one of them that the summit was closed due to thick mist ....

Our descend took about the same time as our ascend. After short breather, we adjourned to the noodle shop in Dusun Nyior.

People's Power in Permatang Pauh

2008-08-27T13:25:00.003+08:00

The result of the Permatang Pauh by-election was a foregone conclusion to many Malaysians. It was the tirade of negative news churned up by the main stream press (MSM) that may have got some worried but overall, Malaysians are now savvy enough not to swallow everything that the government controlled media reports. The question was how much the majority would be.

The government succeeded in denying Anwar Ibrahim a chance to contest a seat for parliament by holding the 12GE in March because he had not completed his 5 year ban from contesting for public office.

The by-election on August 26 was Anwar's second chance to fulfil his promise to the people who had stood by him and the opposition when he was incarcerated and walloped left and right by the BN and the main stream media.

Even then, prior to the by-election it wasn't smooth sailing for Anwar as well. He had to deal with the 'familiar sodomy' accusation by one "Saifool" whose medical report by a doctor says that there was no evidence that "Saifool" was "hentam di balakang".

Due to the outcry over the leaked medical report and the media attention that followed, the poor doctor (Dr. Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid of Pusrawi Hospital) who is a foreigner with P.R. status in Malaysia went into hiding and later fled the country. Does he have a choice? If he had stayed put, he would have been a "guest of the government" and who knows he may be "advised" to do a "Bala" (P.I. P. Balasubramaniam) and retract his medical report.

Anyway, coming back to the Permatang Pauh by-election, it seems the feelings of the people since the March 8 GE have not changed. They are still annoyed with the current government of the day. The main stream media gave an impression that the people are fed-up with what has been going on with the opposition since March 8. Further, there were lots of events happening which the people does not believe to be mere coincidences. The people are not that easily fooled anymore.

The constant harping on race and religion also did not go down well with many Malaysians. We boast to the world that we are truly a multi-racial and multi-religious country where the people live in harmony. All these only look good in the Tourism Ministry promotion brochures but on the ground it's a different story. I really yearn for the days when a person's race and religion meant nothing and we treated each other like brothers and sisters.

Anwar must now play his role as a respected opposition leader who can united the various races in the country. Perhaps, he should also consult with his partners in PAS to rein in their hotheads who seems to be against everything that others like to do or enjoy doing e.g. the coming Avril Lavigne concert. These chaps from PAS must not impose their narrow-minded views on others who happens to be in the majority.

A DAP & PKR coalition is workable but with PAS tagging along both DAP & PKR have to be careful with some of these ultra conservatives in that party.

As for the much talked about change in the Federal government by September 16, I don't see it happening. It's probably mere talk by Anwar just to shake up the BN. I forone would not be too enthusiastic about accepting BN MPs who jumps over to the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. These people have no principles and what guarantee does the P.R. coalition has that these BN dogs will not jump back to BN if a better offer comes their way in the future.

Anwar Ibrahim should exercise patience and wait till the next GE to perform his coup de grace.

By-election in Permatang Pauh

2008-08-02T16:55:00.002+08:00

It is interesting to note that with the impending by-election in Permatang Pauh where Anwar Ibrahim will finally get his chance to slug it out with a candidate to be nominated by the Barisan Nasional.

Already the press is making Anwar to be the Goliath and the BN for once will be playing the uncharacteristic role of David.

As in any by-election, the might of the BN election machinery will be concentrated and focused in one area. The people in Permatang Pauh will soon get to see VVIPs practically living among them and bringing lots of development funds which had previously been hard to get. Almost instantaneously they will be made available. I am sure the people are silently thankful for any by-election regardless who wins.

It has been reported that pouring in millions of ringgit worth of development funds to ensure a victory for its candidate is morally wrong but legally it is not.

Just ask the people in Ijok and they will tell you they did basked in the limelight and enjoyed the massive development and attention given to them in the weeks prior to the by-election in 2007.

In this coming by-election, a political observer (from the BN) was quoted as saying that Permatang Pauh was Anwar's safest bet to get "instant access to Parliament" and with the whole BN machinery focusing on it, Anwar may not have it easy. He further dismissed talk that the BN candidate facing Anwar in the constituency previously represented by him for 17 years would be wiped out and that BN doesn't send out sacrificial lambs.

However, I beg to differ. The BN had indeed sent out a sacrificial lamb to take on the DAP candidate for the Seremban by-election in 1983. The by-election arose when the then MCA President Datuk Lee San Choon resigned from his seat after having narrowly defeated the incumbent Dr. Chen Man Hin of the DAP in the 1982 general election.

Even before the BN could savour the fruits of a hard fought victory they found themselves having to fighta by-election due to Lee San Choon's sudden resignation. The BN was in disarray. After having wrested the seat from the opposition, they could not explain why the MCA President chose to resign.

Nobody high up in the MCA hierarchy was willing to offer themselves as a candidate and eventually the party nominated a leader from its Wanita division to stand against Dr. Chen. Even with the then Deputy PM Datuk Musa Hitam campaigning for her, it was a mismatch all the way.

Now coming to the Permatang Pauh by-election, it seems like only Mohamed Ezam Mohd Nor and perhaps the defeated candidate in the March 8 general election have expressed any interest in contesting. I am sure the other aspiring UMNO candidate would not want to cut their teeth against someone like Anwar.

The next few days should be interesting and the electorate in Permatang Pauh can be assured of massive development projects being implemented in the weeks to come.

Terengganu state govt's purchase of 14 Mercedes Benz

2008-07-28T19:41:00.002+08:00

I am really disappointed with the PM's decision that the Terengganu State Government be allowed to keep the 14 Mercedes Benz that it had purchased using public funds for the use of VVIPs of the state.

Much has been written about our PM's indecision in many matters and the purchase of these 14 Mercedes Benzes by the BN state government of Terengganu being one of them. Please refer to http://malaysiakini.com/news/86826 "Mercedes Benz 2008 Classic Flip Flop for more interesting comments by readers.

Even if there were VVIPs visiting the state, does it really require a fleet of 14 Mercedes Benz to ferry them around? I would think having one or two of them should be more than suffice. The remaining should be sold off even at a slight loss which can't amount to much as these cars are brand new with low mileage. Keeping them any longer will definitely incur further cost to the tax payer.

Now it has been reported that the ACA had seized eight of the Proton Perdanas used by the state exco members and this has given them an opportunity to continue using the Mercedes E200 Kompressors.

Instead of worrying if the ACA investigations could link them or their subordinates to any shady deals, these "lucky" eight exco members are using the seizure of their official cars as an excuse to continue using the "paid by tax payers" Mercedes to perform their official duties.

If I had my way, I would rather see these exco members take a bus or a taxi to get to their destinations instead of getting their hands onto something which they are not entitled to in the first place.

As I see It!: rocky's bru: Young datuk, Old datuk.Malaysiakini

2008-07-22T00:40:00.000+08:00

As I see It!: rocky's bru: Young datuk, Old datuk.Malaysiakini

Nuraina A Samad's 3540 Jalan Sudin: Would You Have Decided on The Mercedes?

2008-07-21T20:42:00.000+08:00

Nuraina A Samad's 3540 Jalan Sudin: Would You Have Decided on The Mercedes?

Common Sense la ............: "Go" Home Minister .. Resign la

2008-07-14T22:34:00.000+08:00

Common Sense la ............: "Go" Home Minister .. Resign la

MarGeeMar: Enough Of The BULLshit, BULbir Singh!!!!

2008-07-12T17:23:00.000+08:00

MarGeeMar: Enough Of The BULLshit, BULbir Singh!!!!

MarGeeMar: BUANG MOKHTAR RADEN DARI PARLIAMENT!

2008-07-12T17:21:00.000+08:00

MarGeeMar: BUANG MOKHTAR RADEN DARI PARLIAMENT!

MarGeeMar: BN Spin Doctors Working Overtime.

2008-07-12T17:19:00.000+08:00

MarGeeMar: BN Spin Doctors Working Overtime.

Datuk "Dung" Mokhtar

2008-07-10T20:55:00.002+08:00

The BN member of parliament for Kinabatangan, Sabah Datuk Bung Mokhtar was at his "best behaviour" again on Tuesday (8 June 2008) in our august house.

Not only did he uttered an unparliamentary word towards the opposition bench but was also caught on TV making a lewd gesture as well which prompted the Speaker of the House to comment "tidak senonoh Yang Berhormat". Please see http://7rangers.blogspot.com/2008/07/dung-oooooops-bung-moktar-radin-bn.html for his academy award performance.

Even when he was caught with his pants down, this brute from Kinabatangan still maintained that he had not made any lewd gesture and that he had merely slapped the back of his left hand with his right palm. Who is he trying to kid? The voters in his constituency may have high regards for him to vote him again into office on March 8 but frankly, I was disappointed that the BN re-nominated him to stand for election.

Together with the former MP for Jasin, Datuk Mohd. Said Yusof (the famous close-one-eye) chap, both of them behaved terribly in the last parliament making a sexist remark against a fellow woman MP (Fong Po Kuan of Batu Gajah). When pressure mounted upon him through former Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to make an apology, he made an iffy one.

Thankfully, his is the last of the notorious trio who is still in parliament. The former MP for Jerai Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin, famous for his "I can see a tunnel" comment lost in the recent General Election whereas the Close-One-Eye chap was not even considered for re-election.

I fully agree with the Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar when he commented that "despite many years of university education, MPs were still finding it difficult to maintain decorum in the House. We want to aim for a first class Parliament but we seem to be only going backwards."

The majority of Malaysians who voted their MPs into Parliament in the recent general election wants their elected representatives to be of the highest quality. If they can keep their emotions in check, I am sure they can perform their duties admirably.

However, with the likes of the Kinabatangan MP happily going round doing what his is known for, it will be along while indeed before we can ever see some world class debates like those in the House of Commons or the US Congress.

Note: I managed to catch the NTV7 8.00 pm 7 Edition news this evening and "Dung" Mokhtar
was quoted as saying that it was just his "style" to have acted the way he did. Sure didn't
show any signs of regret for his actions.

Hannah Yeoh: SMKSU Prefects' Reunion

2008-06-26T21:35:00.000+08:00

Hannah Yeoh: SMKSU Prefects' Reunion

Meiyen's corner: Don't hate me because I'm beautiful

2008-06-24T17:49:00.000+08:00

Meiyen's corner: Don't hate me because I'm beautiful

Meiyen's corner: Hot and alive!

2008-06-22T16:01:00.000+08:00

Meiyen's corner: Hot and alive!

Malaysia Waves: Facts Never Mentioned In BN Controlled Media On Malaysia's Oil

2008-06-17T18:48:00.000+08:00

Malaysia Waves: Facts Never Mentioned In BN Controlled Media On Malaysia's Oil

Mountain climbing expedition to Gunung Angsi

2008-06-07T17:52:00.009+08:00

Today (7th June, 2008) being the King's birthday, we decided to go for a climb to Gunung Angsi, a mountain of about approximately 820m/2,706 ft above sea-level. Altogether, 7 of us went for the climb this morning under an overcast sky. Apparently, it had rained earlier because the trail was muddy and slippery at certain stretches.

We started the ascend at about 8.10 am and Chong, our passionate 'gardener' had brought along some shrubs to be planted along the way. He requested us to carry it up for him until "Panjang's resort" which is 30 mins away.

Chong, is credited for planting numerous shrubs and hardy plants along the way to the summit. Let's hope in a few months time we will see the fruits of his labour of love when these shrubs grow and flower (perhaps). Some are planted at strategic locations to serve as markers.

As a result of the earlier shower, the weather was cool and that made our ascend pleasant. Along the way, we took quite a number of photographs of fungus, leaves, ants and butterfly and also stopped to admire the view of the Sg. Terip dam.

Due to our numerous stops to enjoy the view and chit-chats we took about 2 hours to reach the summit. Normally, it takes about one and a half hours to reach the summit minus the stops and chit-chats.

At the summit, there were already 3 Malay boys from Klang and one Mr. Seow and his friend. The boys from Klang had climbed from the Ulu Bendol recreation forest which is much more taxing and would have taken a longer time to ascend. Despite paying RM5/- per person, they said the trail was littered with rubbish. We have tried that route on many occasions in the past and since 'discovering' this easier way up, we have been using this trail.

We stayed on the summit for about 45 mins. After taking the 'customary' shots and now video recordings, we descended. On the way down, we met up with a group from K.L. Told them they have another 30 mins to go before reaching the summit.

The descend was much quicker than the ascend. When we reached the foothill, one of the Malay boys came down this way too. He said he have not tried this trail and was experiencing it for the 1st time. However, he will have to walk another 3 km to the Ulu Bendol forest reserve to meet up with his 2 other friends.

Participants for today's climb :- Michael Ng, Koo Hong Kiong, Goh Ken Keng, Wendy, Zenon, Chong Chiew Lim and Felicia Liew. Next climb would probably be Gunung Datuk Rembau, a favourite mountain of mine because of its spectacular view from the boulder rock.

Trip to Gunung Datuk Rembau (25 May 2008)

2008-06-01T21:39:00.008+08:00

Some nice fruits?

Mountain climbing expedition to Gunung Datuk Rembau

2008-05-26T19:49:00.001+08:00

On Sunday, 25.5.2008 seven of us embarked on a mountain climbing expedition to gunung datuk rembau, a relatively easy mountain to climb of about 3000 feet above sea-level. It's one of my favourite mountain as the view from the top of the boulder rock is simply spectacular. Anyone who had been there will know what I mean. If the sky is clear, one could see for miles. There were times when we summited mist were seen floating around the area and with the cool breeze blowing into our face, it certainly made the climb worthwhile.

However, on this trip a friend of Wendy suffered massive cramps on both her legs and took a long time coming down, so Ernesto and Ken Meng went up the trail again to assist her in the descend.