Time to Visit My Hometown

Exciting times for a Johorean like me. Can't wait to contribute, if all ends well that is.
Let's sing together.

Tanjung Puteri

Tajuk Johor Tanjung Puteri
Selat Tebrau airnya biru
Di Pantai Lido tepian mandi
Sepanjang masa di hari minggu

Atas bukit Tanjung Puteri
Taman hiburan indah berseri
Pemandangan menawan hati
Jalan tambak hubungan negeri

( korus )
Tanjung Sekijang nun di kuala
Tempat nelayan mengail gelama
Istana Hinggap di Kuala Danga
Pantai berkelah keluarga diRaja

Dari Tebrau orang berakit
Singgah Stulang membeli kopi
Pusara Si Bongkok di lereng bukit
Di tepi pantai Tanjung Puteri

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.....mainan kata (samb.)

As I have said before, "they" are already starting to at least think about media control including those in cyberspace. Mr. Fu can deny all he wants, but sometimes denial is a form of confirmation.

"....I like what I do, I do what I like...."
Fort Minor's Petrified

MALAYSIA BOLEH!!!!

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Media, surat kabar & ........

This is what I wrote in one forum that I participated intensely of late:
........................................................................................
Dear All,

The general sentiments expressed in this forum all this while has, to my observation, closely leaning towards creating a Bangsa Malaysia as constantly propogated by Mr. Ho Fong Lee. As most of those contributing to the forum are generally 'young and fiery', which I believe had gone through much of their 'formative/ mind moulding years' during the REFORMASI days back in 1998, obviously the racial based policies which the goverment holds dearly for close to 50 years may seem really outdated in the current global situation.
I cannot agree more, to the views expressed by most of Malaysian of Chinese/Indian descent where certain government policies are making them feel like 2nd class citizen.
As a Malaysian born Malay in this country, I cannot help but sometimes feeling 'blessed' where these policies are concerned. It does help if a Malay boy is slightly over average in his studies in school (humbly put, manage to be one of the top students dominated by Chinese high achievers), it is easier to get scholarship to further your studies.
That was 13 years ago. Time has greatly changed. People change. Not that I am not counting my blessings, but today I stand as a person who is open enough to have a Malaysian of Chinese descent as my life partner, and I fully understand the situation that is bugging the hell out of our fellow Malaysians.
For the Bangsa Malaysia issue, in my opinion I am happy with not being a Bangsa Malaysia per se, but a Malaysian of Malay descent. I dont think that we need a Bangsa Malaysia, as we need to preserve our own ethnic culture. The only different is there is 'no difference'. Catch my drift.

For context, I attached an article by this great man (who happens to marry outside his race) about racial issues in Malaysia. Happy reading.

Have a heart, mate!
Raja Petra Kamarudin

Malaysia is certainly most unique. It is probably the only nation in the world that is delicately balanced in terms of ethnicity makeup; meaning, roughly 50% Malay and 50% non-Malay. However, this uniqueness makes it very dicey indeed. Do Malaysians of the various ethnicities live in peace, harmony and understanding? On the surface, yes! But below the surface it is a cauldron waiting to come to a boil -- with any small thing able to spark it off. And this is why Malaysia has such a law called the Sedition Act which is used very generously against those perceived as a threat to this ‘forced-stability’. Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang once wrote a book that describes Malaysia as a time-bomb waiting to go off. He is right to a point of course.

To be fair, Malaysians do try quite hard to live in peace with one another. It is just that they do not really know how to, and things are done and said without anyone realising that these acts or words could rub their fellow Malaysian of the other ethnicity the wrong way. Most times it is not done on purpose but out of sheer ignorance. The now controversial ‘kongsi-raya’ which may soon be discarded is one such device created to bridge the gap between the various ethnicities. As JR Ewing would say, the family that bathes together stays together. It was hoped that the Malaysian ‘family’ that Yam Seng together achieves this same thing.

Let us look at some examples of what I mean when I say that Malaysians sometimes stoke the sentiments of their ‘brothers’ the wrong way, and without realising it on top of that. Malays try to impress the non-Malays that they are peace-loving and tolerant. They would say things like: “Islam is a tolerant religion. According to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, Islam may be the official religion of this country, but other religions would still be tolerated and allowed.”

These two words, ‘tolerated’ and ‘allowed’, to the Malays, are positive words. These words are used to show the non-Malays how accommodating and reasonable the Malays are. The non-Malays would feel insulted with the use of these words though. However, they feel that the Malays are too fanatical about their religion so it would be best to just keep quiet rather than engage the Malays in a debate on such a sensitive issue.

Say my neighbour keeps a dog and it strays into my garden and shits on my lawn. I then say that I tolerate my neighbour because I want to try real hard to be a good neighbour and not quarrel with him. So I tolerate this dog shit on my lawn every morning and just clean it up without complaining. Tolerating is something I do in a situation that is....well....shitty. I don’t like it of course. I think it is plain obnoxious of his dog to shit on my lawn. But I tolerate it because I want to maintain the peace and not embark on an across-the-fence war.

to continue reading click,
http://www.malaysia-today.net/Raja_Petra/2006/07/have-heart-mate.html
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That is the sort of issue in the playing field of the cyber world. And if we dig further, the arguments coming from the young and old, mostly very rational people, can be really heaty sometimes. As they say, ‘siapa makan cili, dia terasa pedas’. If you observe very quietly, the mainstream media is starting to poke at the hornet’s nest, when everyones not looking. Sometimes very subtlely, sometimes not. This is what Pak Lah had to say yesterday, among others :

"There’s no need to compete. No need to be carried away by the sensationalism of such websites"

“the mainstream media should not emulate blogs, especially those on politics, which may be more interesting”

“There was nothing to be gained by trying to be as popular as blogs and other Internet political forums.”

“You have a social responsibility to fulfil by avoiding news or gossip that could create tension”

“Don’t sensationalise news that can heighten racial or religious tensions”

“You should not choose to be popular for the wrong reasons. You should not be competing with someone you know is doing something wrong. On these sites, people make statements that can stir ill feelings.”

“Do you need to make news out of such views? Even though what was said might be correct? Do you need to report it?”

“even though Malaysia was more developed today, Malaysians were still sensitive about many things, especially issues that touched on race and religion”

“The media’s responsibility is to decide whether to publish or not, whether something is appropriate (for public consumption). If it will cause bad reactions, then there is no need to air those views”

What did he mean when he said "even what was said was correct, do you need to report it?" Are we hearing it right from the Numero Uno of Malaysia (some may contest me in saying this, but who cares), the man who said work with me, not work for me, the man who introduced Islam Hadhari.
The ‘maksud tersirat’ that he is telling us, fellow contributors of the “almost real virtual Malaysia” is this,
HE KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHAT HAS BEEN SAID IN THESE WEBSITES, FORUMS, BLOGS.
Are we expecting a more verocious, in your face type of PM in the very near future. He had already put his foot down on the Article 11 issue. Things are really heating up. PANAS.

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Malaysia's 1st (M)ASTRONAUTS

Soon (mid August), 2 candidates (out of 4) will be chosen to undergo the final phase of training, where one will be the 1st Malaysian Astronaut. 3 Malay men and 1 Indian lady, thats the final 4. Today, I flicked through the auditions section in Kakiseni.com (saje looking), somebody (MOSTI) is doing a commercial, I think it would be in the same line as one of those patriotic Petronas ads, looking for young talents to depict the future astronauts life when young. I quote the ad below:

"kepada ibubapa atau penjaga kanak-kanak yang mempunyai anak-anak yang berbakat dan potensi untuk diketengahkan dalam iklan tv. iklan tv ini adalah mengenai cerita para angkasawan negara kita semasa kecil.

watak utama - 1 malay boy
3 watak pembantu utama - 1 indian girl & 2 malay boy
7 watak pembantu lagi - all race; girl & boy age

- 7 to 10 years old.
all race.
girl & boy.
cute face.
cergas tubuh badan.
lasak."

screen capture below:


I am not speculating or anything, but do I sense that somehow a Malay male has been earmarked for the top job? Another Malay agenda in the making? May the best candidate win. We know who will win if it is through SMS voting.

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Middle East Conflict

Israel is rounding up its army reserves for an impending ground attack on Lebanon's soil. What was declared between Israel and Hezbollah is turning into interstate war with Lebanon.

"Our constitutional duty is to defend Lebanon as a Lebanese army. This is our role. Any Lebanese citizens, Christians or Muslims, who want to defend their land are welcomed"

Elias al-Murr

Lebanese defence minister


What is the international community going to do about this? History repeating itself.

The future looks very bleak indeed.

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SPORTSTATION VS RM490M SUPER SPORTS COMPLEX IN LONDON

To create world class sportsmen/women, sports centres should be highly accessible to the general public. Lets talk local, in this context, KL. Say the in thing right now is X-Games or extremes sports (sk8board, bmx, in-line sk8 etc...). One of the main hurdles for building these complex, is LAND. Land is too expensive in the urban areas. And to spend the amout of money for land acquisition for x-gamers (usually they are the rebellious type), the government may have to think very very hard.

Solutions? Dead space.
Where? Under fly-overs. Plenty in KL.
Cost? Building cost minimal. Can go as cheap as RM15-20/sq.ft.
Accesibility? Not too great, but workable.

What other solution?
Imagine this. LRT/monorail stations are known to be just transition space/point, and nothing else. Some may find it a potential source of 'getting to know' people market place. But that is another story best told by my friend (updates on your latest misadventures required). What if extreme sports complex attached itself to existing LRT stations. Some sort like a parasitical blob. Very accessible to youngsters. Definitely will change how we look at train stations now. Since more stations are in the planning, only good things can come out of it.
Cost? Slightly expensive, but still no land cost involved.

Why stop at x-games? How about futsal, badminton, squash, it'll be great. Highly accessible and cheaper travelling mode for youngstes, no motor vehicles required...all in great cycle of modern sportsmanship.


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so you want to be a writer?

A gentle reminder to all aspiring writers/bloggers out there. Keep it up.


so you want to be a writer?
by Charles Bukowski

if it doesn't come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don't do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don't do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don't do it.
if you're doing it for money or
fame,
don't do it.
if you're doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don't do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don't do it.
if it's hard work just thinking about doing it,
don't do it.
if you're trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.
if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.
if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you're not ready.
don't be like so many writers,
don't be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don't be dull and boring and
pretentious, don't be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don't add to that.
don't do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don't do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don't do it.
when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.
there is no other way.
and there never was.

From sifting through the madness for the Word, the line, the way by Charles Bukowski. Copyright © 2003 by the Estate of Charles Bukowski.

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143-Seychelles, 144-Antigua, 145-Bangladesh and 146-Malaysia

Proposal has been made in the parliament today, to grant citizenship to nationals from other countries to boost up our football quality and rankings. If that is what FAM is resorting to, I mean at least break the 100 mark, then why not. Sure, the more (racial mix) the merrier. Are we reading between the lines here? Lets say we have Africans as part of our social mix, slowly Malaysia will not only be about the three main race, but many more. It'll be more like France. But I thought we have a strict Migrant policy (Indonesian, Bangladeshi, etc. When that happens as more of a permanent mix, I wonder what will be the New Economic Agenda where racial intergration is concerned?

Malaysia to import players? Associated Press
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia could qualify for the World Cup finals if the government offers citizenship to talented foreign players, a vice president of the country's soccer association was quoted as saying Tuesday. Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Haji Omar said Malaysia should grant citizenship to nationals from other countries to strengthen its national squad, the national news agency Bernama reported. Raja Ahmad did not address the lowly standards of club soccer in Malaysia, where monthly wages for players can be as low as US$500 (€400).
The Southeast Asian nation is ranked 146th in the world in soccer, behind Seychelles, Antigua and Bangladesh. The rankings are a far cry from Malaysia's glory days in the 1970s and 1980s, when it qualified for the Olympics and was ranked ahead of current Asian powerhouses South Korea, China and Japan. Raja Ahmad's comments in Parliament came in response to a call for the resignation of top soccer officials after the international rankings were announced. Citizenship has often been used as a controversial tool to strengthen national soccer teams. In the recent 2006 World Cup, Salomon Kalou from Dutch club Feyenoord was denied Dutch citizenship despite calls by the coaching staff to enlist the star striker under "accelerated citizenship." Kalou was originally from the Ivory Coast.
Soccer is Malaysia's most popular sport.

Suka hati kau lah, Labu....


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THE WORLD STOPS WHEN SITI.........

Buletin Utama, 17 July 2006: No prize for guessing. There are so many pressing news in the world; Hizbollah-Israel conflict, earthquake-tsunami in Indonesia, what was the first headline, Datuk K and Siti to Wed. Of course Siti is the Malaysia Numero Uno entertainer in Malaysia, but thats about it, An Entertainer, a rich one at that. Its very sad to see the World ( in this case the Malay World) revolves around one person named Siti Nurhaliza. Very typical of the Malay to idolise stars to the brink of extremism. Ask any Malay, AF-Mawi-Siti-Erra news will always get their attention. I wonder what next.

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SCORCHING SUMMERY SUNDAY

One of the best designed place in town now is The Curve- Ikano- Cineleisure Damansara 'complex'. The architecture of the place is not that great, except some 'De-Con' thingy happening at the Cineleisure, other than that everything seem typical of any 'Malaysian Commercialist' architecture found in Malaysia. But one great thing about this 'complex' is everything is connected by one way or another. If you want the view of the jammed packed road below, opt for the overhead bridge between Ikano and The curve. If the sight of traffic makes you sick, there is always the underground pass. Great building(s) exist when even your makcik, pakcik, makcik's friends, the young and old, 2 feet creatures (usually 3-4 year old kids) can walk around freely, with enough seatings to take the load of, and enough shades to continue the journey. And, The curve is one such example. The Street at the curve is filled with people from all walks of life, browsing, buying, chit chatting, playing music, relieving themselves of stress from their formatted weekdays. The fond memory of summer in the street of Liverpool begets me. The aura of 'mild carnivalism' ala Brazil is evidently present here.

Today, and the past two days marks the 'greatest street party ever' at Cineleisure. The Jamfest. As what you would expect, it is full of programs mainly for the young and the young at heart (yours truly included). Skateboarding, BMX, Streetball, Rock band, Hip Hop, and anything under the sky that you can associate with urban lifestyle, you name it, they got it. Yes, it was great fun. It also makes you look at things in perspective. In my case anyway. What was once cool and hip to you may not be when you have reached a certain maturity. The dillema starts to itch when suddenly you start thinking like naggy aunty or uncle. Come on, they are young kids, I kept reminding myself. It was only five years ago when 'I' were 'Them'. Please man, get a grip. Why so annoyed? 6 years ago, I came back to Malaysia with a lot of dreams in my head and a set of turntables hoping to strike it famous as a 'underground DJ'. Well, I was at it for a year, but that was not what I want. Yes the attention was cool and all, but I dont want to be the 'content'. I want to be the one who shapes the 'container'. Catch my drift? Going back to Cineleisure, all the people enjoying themselves, those slowing their paces for the weekends are all what I called 'contents'. It can be as fluid as what it is at the Curve, where everyone is free to roam around or it be as solid like any Goverment Offices in Putrajaya where protocols are rulers of the day. I set out to be the one who 'shapes' the container. 'Containers' or buildings to you, shapes the activity. The container at the brink of its conception should listen to what content its going to hold. Although the shapers of the containers would have acute sense to how the containers and the content would have turned out, the 'mold' or the program is decided by the factory owner. Too bad if you get a bad owner. And unless these owners run their own factory privately, the shapers would have to go through layers and layers of 'protocols' to finally decide on the container. Sometimes these containers go out of shape so bad, they scrap the whole thing away. Pity those 'white elephant' containers.

Heres to the shapers who help shape the community, may God Bless You all.

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WORKPLACE ISSUES?

Do you feel trapped in your workplace, sometimes? On one hand you actually love what you do, on the other hand, its very hard to do well in what you actually love to do. Of course, these notion comes in multiple reasons. Apart from management issues where you will learn to accept eventually, there are also external factors that seems to hinder your progress.
For example, there is this unknown factor that is hotly debated these days. Where are heading as a nation? A lot of things has been said about who did what and proving the other person wrong instead of proving you are right. The economic pie is seriously affected by what is going on currently. People with a lot of resources will not commit themselves in anything extravagant (please exclude the government from this equation). The service industries (which depends on projects) find it very hard to make ends meet. What happen when that happens? You, me and everyone gets it. Some were put on additional burden (cost effective), some are introduced to value added service philosophy, some were offered VSS and some would just disappear.
So most people would like to try and find an avenue to release some of these queries regarding the state of uncertainties towards their working environments can check up this website. www.employee.com.my



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Sleepless in KL.......

Our DPM today said that no decisions were made regarding the proposal to extend the closing time for night spots.

"Let the cabinet make a decision, and then we will announce it. It is a major policy matter, and we will have to issue a proper statement due to the many implications involved. When we have decided, we will issue a full statement."

Give us a break. I still remember a few years ago, last call at the bar was set at 1a.m. It is quite interesting that the person responsible for suggesting this 'sinful' extension was none other than the Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor himself. He mentioned also restaurants and shopping complexes be opened until 5a.m. Ridiculous idea, is what I think. Why?

1. Our favourite Mamak stalls opens 24 hours, serving from Thai food to western delights. Is he living under a coconut shell or what?

2. Tourists don't come to Malaysia just to party. There are other attractions beside bars and nightclubs. Moreover, these anouncements are made during the 'Arab Season'. Anything you know that we don't know of, Datuk Seri?

3. Who is going to pay overtime for shopping complex workers? I would like to see anyone buying a pair of jeans at 3 a.m. If it is hypermarket, then that would be a different story.

My personal opinion 2 a.m. is late enough. Please, don't ruin KL for the sake of tourists.

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5.33 AM : 5TH OF JULY 1976

Today, I crossed that line. The line a long time ago, I can't wait to reach. Although, people say the other line is more significant in a man's life, the big THREE ZERO sounds 'aight' to me. To another 30 years, insyaallah. In the meantime, I wonder what's the other line (FOUR ZERO) like.

'5 hb Julai : HARI INI DALAM SEJARAH'

1996 - Dolly the sheep was born, first cloned mammal (d. 2003).The sheep was originally code-named "6LL3". The name "Dolly" came from a suggestion by the stockmen who helped with her birth, in honor of Dolly Parton, because it was a mammary cell that was cloned.

On July 5, 1946, French designer Louis Reard unveils a daring two-piece swimsuit at a swimming pool in Paris. Micheline Bernardini, a Parisian showgirl who didn’t object to appearing nearly nude in public, modeled the new fashion. Unsure of what to call his creation, Reard spontaneously dubbed it bikini, inspired by news-making U.S. nuclear tests taking place off the Bikini Atoll that week. Before long, bold young women in bikinis were causing a sensation along the Mediterranean coast. For a time in Spain and Italy, the wearing of the swimsuit on public beaches was banned.


1954 - Elvis Presley has his first commercial recording session. He sang That's All Right (Mama) and Blue Moon of Kentucky. Widely considered to be the birth of Rock and Roll.

1954 - The BBC broadcasts its first television news bulletin.

1969 - In Britain, more than 300,000 rock fans attend a free pop concert given by the Rolling Stones in London's Hyde Park in memory of guitarist Brian Jones who died two days earlier.

1865 - The Locomotives and Highways Act in Britain introduces a speed limit for road vehicles of 4 mph in rural areas and 2 mph in urban areas.

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THE MAGICIAN MADE THE SAMBA DISAPPEAR....

A lot of people been wondering how Brazil lost the plot? Here's how...



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