Malaysia is into electric trains!

Here is an electrifying news from Malaysia! Visitors and the locals who travel in Malaysia would have noticed bee-like activities going on along the railway tracks in the west coast of peninsula Malaysia. One could see gigantic cranes, bulldozers, excavators, all types of lorries and other utility vehicles of various shapes and sizes moving about at these places. Workers from nations of Asia, especially from Indonesia and Bangladesh and of course from our own nation could be seen working hand in hand to see the project being materialized.

The project is the 329 km electrified double-tracking railway project connecting Ipoh and Padang Besar with a cost of about RM12.485 bil. and is targeted for completion by Jan 7, 2013.

Many good things are in store for Malaysia as a result of this gigantic venture. Already squatting along the railway tracks is becoming a thing of the past. The present squatters have been evicted quite amicably and the land cleared for the project. No more unsightly and health hazard settlements and structures to content with! Flyovers are being built where roads crossed the tracks; waiting for the trains to pass will be just memories! And more benefits to come! We will just have to wait!

A little bit about the company that is carrying out the mission. The Malaysian government has tendered the scheme to MMC-Gamuda Joint Venture Sdn. Bhd. Gamuda specializes in civil engineering infrastructure and township development, with projects and investments in South East and Far East Asia, Indochina, South Asia and the Middle East. MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) is an investment holding company listed on the Main Board of the Malaysia Stock Exchange Berhad (MSEB: MMCCORP) with main interest in three core businesses: Transport & Logistics, Energy & Utilities and Engineering & Construction.

Bicycles - safe riding

"Turun dan tolak"! (Get down and push!)

That was the punishment a police officer gave me, about 30 years ago, for riding a bicycle at night without lights. The government authorities were then very conscious, and concerned, about all the safety aspects, in the transportation system. They knew night-riding on bicycles without lights posed a grave danger, both to the riders, and the drivers of other vehicles.

Sadly, now, riding bicycles at night without lights is not even frowned upon. The authorities fail to realize, that drivers of vehicles were often caught unawares, that there were moving objects in front of them, and had to get themselves alert, all of a sudden. Accidents, unfortunately, happen, and the driver is blamed and often get whacked on the spot!

Those incidents can be avoided. The government should, once again, make it mandatory for the bicycles being driven at night, to have lights, both at the front and at back. There are millions of bicycles on the road today, what with the increasing number of foreign workers, utilizing this convenient mode of transport. Not only enforcing the rules of the lights will help in the reducing of accidents, it will also enhance the Malaysian economy, in encouraging ‘new’ industries to be set up, in the production of the parts necessary for the lights, such as dynamos, bulbs or any new technological breakthrough.

Bravo Togo team!

What is the world coming to? Even football players are shot at, to be killed! 

The Togo players, who were going to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations, were shot at on Friday, January 8, 2010 in Cabinda, Angola. They did no harm to anyone. Three people died - the driver of the bus the players were travelling in, an assistant team coach and the team spokesperson . The goalkeeper was seriously injured. Eight others were wounded. A separatist group, Forces for Liberation of the State of Cabinda has claimed responsibility.

If the attack on the innocent people was not sad enough, the Confederation of the African Football Nations, has disqualified the Togo team, from taking part in the competition, just because, the Togo team had left for home, in fear, and had subsequently, without thinking, said they were withdrawing. The team, in reality, was in a state of confusion and uncertainty. When, later, they decided to play, instead of praising and commending them, for their commitment to the world of sport, and accepting them back with gratitude, the Confederation had disqualified them! How sad for the Togolese people! How heartbreaking for the world!

Readers’ comments are welcome, whether, the Togo football team should have been allowed to play. Was the African Football Confederation correct, in disqualifying the Togo team?

Oh, my God!

It is ironic that He, the almighty, is the cause for the present troubles in Malaysia. A minority of the Christians in the East coast of Malaysia insists that it had been using the word ‘Allah’ to indicate God, and the Muslims are against it, saying the ‘Allah’ only belongs to Islam. 'Herald', a Christian weekly, had also used ‘Allah’ in its reference to God. The matter went to the high court in Kuala Lumpur and the outcome came out in favour of the Christians. Unfortunately, the honorable judge who gave out the verdict was a non-Muslim, one Lau Bee Lam, a woman of the Malaysian Chinese sect. It is sad that the high court has chosen a non-Muslim to represent it in this ‘sensitive’ matter. Sensitive because anything concerning with religion in Malaysia is considered just that, with grumblings of discontents to follow from all the religions.

As we know, a few churches were thrown Molotov cocktails at, and damaged, by unknown persons, and the actions seem to be in danger of continuing, even after the assurance of Government leaders, to the Christian community.

The Christian fraternity has said they have forgiven the perpetrators for their misguidance. The ‘Allah’ factor has gone to the appellant court. It is hoped that no matter what was the outcome, the Malaysian Christians can be also magnanimous, by respecting the wishes of the Muslim community in not using ‘Allah’ in their scriptures, and in their daily sermons. This will show to the world that they are really strong advocators of peace in Malaysia. May God bless them!