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!

Free like a bird

Of all the living things that God created, I think the birds are the luckiest ones. They are free to fly anywhere and land anywhere they want. Furthermore, they do not have to face the daily misgivings in life that we humans do;

No traffic jams.

No speed trap summons.

No confusion as to in what language to study science and math.

No snatch thefts and fatalities.

No RM50 credit card tax.

No imprisoning without trial.

And…he..he..no need to hear the loud reminders, five times a day, that Islam is the official religion of Malaysia.

I wish I were born a bird. No, not the KFC type!

Obamamania meltdown

Poor Obama! His poll ratings in his nation of USA are already down what with his failure to get the Summer Olympics of 2016 to be held in Chicago, USA, even with the help of his pretty wife. And the recent loss in the gubernatorial races of New Jersey and Virginia to the republicans didn’t help matters. Both incumbent Democrat Governors lost to the Republicans. Now, it will slide even further with the shooting down of 13 soldiers, on Thursday, November 5, 2009, by his own country’s army officer by the name of Maj. Nidal Malik Hassan in an Army base at Fort Hood, Texas. A woman Police Officer, Kimberly Munley is being praised for bringing the massacre to an end, by shooting down the gunman.

Looks like the phobia of Obamamania is more under attack. Hopefully, it won’t be tragic in nature, like the recent dreadful incident.

Surprise! Surprise! The Nobel Peace Prize!

On October 10, 2009 at 6 pm, I was listening to the news in the Tamil language radio station of Malaysia – Minnal FM – when the news reader said that President Barack Obama has been awarded the prestigious Nobel prize for peace. “What the….!” I exclaimed inwardly. It was so sudden! Surely, there should have been some announcements a few days earlier, in the medias, of the people being considered for the award, and discussions and the justifications. Had I missed those? I was disappointed in myself for being so ignorant. A day later, I let out a huge sigh of relief in knowing that I was not alone in being shocked out of my skin! Letters and blogs in the medias were full of expression of surprise.

Let’s face it. Obama had come into the world just as a ‘promise of peace’. He still remains so. The world is not in peace, now. Far from it. Iraq, Iran, Middle east, Pakistan, the Koreas, and Sudan, just to mention a few of the several nations in turmoil, are still in the same situation as when Obama became the President of the United States. All he had noticeably achieved so far was his move to close down the Guantanamo Bay Terrorist Camp and the procedures to pull all his soldiers from Iraq.

Come to think of it. As we are the witness, there is really no enduring peace here on earth. So, the past Nobel Peace Award winners were awarded the prize only for their two cents’ worth of contribution towards world peace. Therefore, Obama also seems to have obtained the peace award for his two cents’ worth of efforts!

Anyway, I think this is a good time to have a look at the past Nobel Peace Prize laureates. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded from the year 1901. Let us have a look only at the winners of the past 20 years.

Source: www.nobelpeaceprize.org

2008	Martti Ahtisaari - Finland
2007	Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr. - USA
2006	Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank - Bangladesh
2005	International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Mohamed ElBaradei - Egypt
2004	Wangari Maathai - Kenya
2003	Shirin Ebadi - Iran
2002	Jimmy Carter - USA
2001	The United Nations ( U.N.) and Kofi Annan - Ghana
2000	Kim Dae Jung – South Korea
1999	Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) - France
1998	John Hume and David Trimble – both Northern Ireland
1997	International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and Jody Williams - USA
1996	Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo and José Ramos-Horta – East Timor
1995	Joseph Rotblat and Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs - England
1994	Yasser Arafat - Palestine, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin – both Israel
1993	Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk – both South Africa
1992	Rigoberta Menchú Tum - Guatemala
1991	Aung San Suu Kyi - Myanmar
1990	Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev – Soviet Union
1989	The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso - Tibet

I hope you have beared up reading my two cents' worth of opinion on the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. No, don't send me the two cents! Ha! Ha! Ha!

No security for the Security Guard

Mention ‘security guard’ in Malaysia, and one would get an imagination of an old man in a black pants and light-brown shirt or blue shirt, opening and closing factory gates, or one who is just sitting, idling by on a chair. And one would also imagine that the security guard is low educated and not capable of doing other jobs. And that is the perfect security guard’s picture one gets in Malaysia. Additionally, one could even picture him sleeping on the job!

Well, ladies and gentleman, I beg to differ. And I speak from experience, having been in the security line for a good 6 years. And good years they were. Me, being a security officer, I enjoyed being in the company of the guards. They were a decent and jovial lot, offering to share their foods and their tasks with you. Their tasks with you? Well, yes. They will gladly offer their job to you for a while, so that they can leave the premises they are guarding, and go for a spin in the nearest town! What do we expect when they are required to work for twelve hours daily, and often more, when their replacements fail to turn up, and the security officer was unable to find a relief guard? Those are the times when they are, unfortunately, found dozing off.

Mind you, the security guard’s job is not just attending to the gates. He has to follow a set of instructions given by the factory concerned, and by his security company, itself. Different factories give out different type of instructions to the guards, but, basically, this is what is required of the guards.

1. He has to write down the particulars of visitors before he lets them in.

2. Lorries arriving to the factory are taken down of the particulars, such as that of the driver, the company he belongs to and the intention, be it be sending or picking up goods.

Some factories require the guard to inform the clerks on duty before he lets in the visitors or lorries, failing which he will get a good scolding. Poor guard! He may have lapsed in his duties due to the coincidental arrival of visitors and lorries at the same time. While he was attending to a lorry, a visitor could have slipped in! No! The factory will not accept the excuse. They will straight away phone the security company, and he will be transferred to another place, the next day!

Well, you didn’t picture this security guard, did you?

One palm oil processing company requires the guard to climb on top of the tanker, through a built-in ladder on the ground, and cut off the seals from the partitioned tank lids. He, then, climbs down the tanker and gives the cut seals to a person at the counter, where the tanker stands. On a busy day, more than 20 tankers arrive at the factory! The poor guard will be tired but he will carry on with the job.

You didn’t picture this security guard, did you?

In another factory, dealing in Industrial gases, the guard has to go up the lorries to count the number of empty gas cylinders coming in and the number of filled cylinders going out. He is answerable to any shortcomings! He goes on doing this security risks to earn a living.

You didn’t picture this security guard, did you?

As mentioned earlier, different factories have different requirements from the guards, but did they stop to ponder that they are, in fact, exploiting the poor guards. And the guards are surrendering themselves for a pittance of 600 to 700 ringgit Malaysia, for 12 hours work, daily! In Taiping, anyway. What about in other small towns?

The Malaysian government has been made aware of the low wages that the guards are taking home, through the normal and alternative media. But nothing has changed. It can build tallest tower in the world, can build state of the art bridges, can enter F1 races, can send men to explore the space, but, ironically, can’t arrange for the guards to be given a decent salary!

Fast and furious!

We have heard of match fixing in sports like football, wrestling, cricket, tennis, to name a few. It surely would have come as a shock to us that match fixing had also occurred in F1 car racing and what a ‘match fixing’ it was!

Nelson Piquet Jr, the driver of the Renault team crashed his car at the 14^th lap of the September 28, 2008, Singapore Grand Prix, as was instructed by some Renault officials, so that it would inconvenient the other drivers and his compatriot, driver Fernando Alonso could win. And Alonso capitalized from it to ‘win’ the championship! This is what I call, in Saddam Hussein’s favorite oft-used phrase, ‘mother of all’ cheatings! Didn’t they have a soul? Was life so cheap to them? Luckily, the driver Nelson Piquet Jr. and none of the spectators were hurt in the crash.

On Monday, September 24, 2009 in Paris, the Renault Formula One team was sentenced to a suspension of two years by FIA (International Automobile Federation). To me the punishment do not seem to be very severe. I wish they had imposed a ‘mother of all’ punishments as suited such a crime, a crime of cheating an estimated 600 million viewers.

By the way, for aspiring car race drivers of the world, there is a crash course waiting at Renaults! Ha ha! Happy crashing!.........oops…happy racing!

Nations doing a dance

Indonesians have been unhappy with the Malaysians for the past few weeks.

It started off with several Balinese artists staging a protest at the Denpasar Cultural Park on Saturday, August 22, 2009. In later days, Indonesians had burned the Malaysian flag and had threatened to harm the Malaysian students studying in Indonesia.

Reason- they have been telling that Malaysia, in a TV advertisement program, had used one of their cultural dances to promote Malaysia to the tourism world. Malaysia denied it saying that it was a Discovery Channel program and it was the Discovery channel that had wrongly used the dance in the promotion program for Malaysia.

The dance in question was the ancient Balinese Pendet Dance of a Hindu community of Bali in the Indonesian state of Java. Indonesia and Malaysia are predominantly considered Muslim countries. Here they are, arguing over a Hindu dance. For once, what a beautiful world that we are living in!

S(n)ide Remarks

God saw the necessity to create women on earth.

Women saw the necessity of the creation of lipstick, lip-gloss, eyeliner, face toners, eye shadow quads, hand and body creams and even blushers.

Men saw the necessity to make millions from them.

What a vicious cycle!

******

In several countries race is indeed a problematic issue. Especially, when you do not know the horses!

******

In the army, ‘Will’ is a dangerous name to have for a soldier, especially when the commander notices that the opponents are too near and rushing on!

The heart wails!

Oh, so you have heartache…eh? Don’t worry. Do not take matters to the heart. Take heart on the fact that matters of the heart can be sorted out without anyone having a broken heart. You say your heart is heavy because your heartthrob and has heartlessly left you and fallen for someone else? And that, after all the financial and moral help you have given to him heartily?

Let me have a heart-to-heart talk with you. We have some heart-searching job to do here now. Well, this is not an immense heart-stopping issue and is not necessary for you to have heartburn. My heartfelt advice to you is to not to blame and condemn your sweetheart that he hasn’t got a heart, to have caused you that pain in the heart. Have a heart. Give him some time to discover your heart of gold. Go out! Mix with your other friends. Do not sulk. Have hearty meals. Joke around. Open up your heart!

What? You have tried all that and still have that heartbreak? Some one help me! I am going to have a heart attack!

Hillary Clinton - a woman of rationale

Hillary Rodham Clinton is one woman I admire because of various reasons. One of them, was her composure during her turbulent times, when the sex scandal between her husband, then President Bill Clinton, and intern Monica Lewinsky was high on the news, on pages and screens of the world’s media. A citizen, from our part of the world, that is Asia, would have thought that, she being an American, and Americans being fierce advocators of liberation and transparency of their citizens, would soon get annoyed, and irritated with Bill Clinton, not to mention the distrust for his waywardness, and would gradually split off with him. This, in fact, turned out to be an anticlimax. She stuck with him through thick and thin, until today. She had just shown a message to the world; that Americans are not as 'trigger' happy as we thought they would be, and they, too, have understanding and tolerance, as was required by the society of the eastern world.

Another thing that made me be attracted towards her is, her motherliness and simple man-on-the-street (or, woman-on-the-street, if you please!) approach and presentation, with her innocent talk and laughter. She is 62, but does not look her age. She looks more like in the age around 40s, with pleasing dimples on her cheeks when she smiled or laughed. (Well, Mrs. Clinton, I will have certainly brought a red blush of happiness on your pretty face with this remark. Have I not?)

I had followed her closely through the media, of her election speeches for the candidacy of Democrats, and they were terrific. However, when she lost to Barack Obama, finally, there was only a tiny speck of disappointment in me for her loss, for I had been also an ardent fan of Barack Obama!

My approval for Obama grew further, when he made Hillary the US Secretary of State, and that I acknowledged gleefully as very appropriate, and well deserved. Yes, it was a very correct choice, indeed. Holding the post of the Secretary of State is no easy task, with all the complexities of the world, and the responsibilities. But she seems to handling it all right and I have a feeling that she is enjoying it too!

Well, she, indeed, has a certain charisma to pull people to her side, as had happened with me. However, there is yet another woman out there, who is making heads turn, wherever she goes. Mine turns, too! She is no other than Michelle Obama! That is for another day!

Come next general election!

How many times must an Indian kneel down

Before you call him a Malaysian.

How many times must a Chinese kneel down

Before you call him a Malaysian

Yes, how many times must one kneel down

Before you call him a Malaysian

The answer my friend

Is blowing in the win

The answer is blowing in the win.

Yes, the opposition coalition should win in the next general election for the non-Malays to get the wish of them being called as Malaysians rather than immigrants. (my thanks to Bob Dylan for bringing out the poet in me!)

Happy days ahead for England soccer.

Today, the news that England has beaten Croatia 5 – 1, and qualified for the World Cup finals, in South Africa pleases me, greatly. I have been an ardent England fan always, and had felt disappointment, for their lackluster performance, given out in the previous years. The Italian coach Fabio Capello seems to have eliminated all that. Thank you, Mr Capello. And also my thanks and appreciation to the FA of England, to have, brilliantly, chosen him to bring England out of the doldrums.

I have a soft spot for England always. Perhaps, it had gradually developed, as a result of me being brought up through an English medium school, and my deep liking for English novels and magazines during my younger years. This has been further fortified by the fact that my elder brother has settled in England, and the feeling of connection between England and me.

However, do not misunderstand me for a minute. I am, and always will be, a permanent fan of my Malaysian Football team! Many a times, have I gone heartbroken, whenever Malaysia lost to other teams, and to much lesser known teams at that, like Vietnam, Laos, etc. Currently, the team seems to be performing better under new coach, Rajagopal, losing only narrowly to stronger and much favoured teams, like Saudi Arabia, Jordan. And who could forget how determinedly they played against Manchester United, but lost!

Well, let’s see how it goes in the Sea (South East Asia) Games. Malaysia becoming the soccer champion in the Sea Games will, indeed, please me significantly!

And England winning the world cop….Wow!

pic: Teams-England and Malaysia

The error of my ways

Oops! Today, I discovered a mistake that I had made, unknowingly, in this blog site. As you all know, I have been updating, daily, the top 12 nations affected by the H1N1 flu. I did not know what happened to my mind. It failed to discover that I had been typing out ‘10’ for the month of September and ‘9’ for August! 

I only realized the error when I checked the draw date for the Pan Malaysian, Big Sweep, 7 digit ticket. The draw date was written as 13-9-2009. And it was a new ticket! I grimaced! What a careless mistake to make in the internet! I had immediately set on correcting the errors, with my sincerest apologies. Well, time to have a man to man talk with my brain!

Talking about the lottery ticket, I am not actually a gambling man. However, I am also a believer of luck. That is why instead of wasting my hard-earned money on all sorts of lottery tickets I just indulge in one. My contention is that if one has no luck, even if one were to buy hundreds of the tickets, he would not strike it rich. On the other hand, one who has luck coming his way will have struck it, even if he had bought just one ticket. Nice contention….Eh? The ticket costs just RM3.00 and the draws merely comes once or twice a month.

Malaysia, calling itself an Islamist country, also allows the business of gaming in numbers, which is, practically, gambling. However, it has a law that disallows Muslims to indulge in these numbers games. The players, or more correctly the gamblers, are mostly the Chinese and Indians. In peninsular Malaysia, where I live, there are three gaming companies providing the gaming draws, thrice a week. The Companies concerned in the games of chance are Da ma cai, Magnum 4D and Toto. The games involve the correct prediction of 4 digits to come out in the draws.

One good thing about these games of numbers is that they become a talking point whenever one friend meets another.... And also to cover up one's mistake...you know what I mean...ha!..ha!

The Charismatic Kennedys - Just the time to remember..

The Kennedy brothers have left this world, leaving behind a legacy of their own. The first two brothers died under tragic circumstances. The eldest, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by one, Lee Harvey Oswald, during a motorcade on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. His younger brother, Senator and President hopeful, Robert F. Kennedy died on June 6, 1968, after being shot by Sirhan Sirhan a Christian-Palestinian American, following a victory speech of the California presidential primary at The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, in the early morning of June 5. The youngest, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, ‘The Lion of the Senate’, died on August 25, 2009 in Massachusetts, as a result of a malignant brain tumour. 


The American people, together with the people of the world, feel that, finally, an extraordinary era has ended on earth.

Though, they are gone, they have left behind quotes, maxims and sayings that have pulled in people’s attractions, influencing them either directly or indirectly. Among the famous ones (from Wikipedia.com) are:

John F. Kennedy

"And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country"

"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

“No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space."


Robert F. Kennedy

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."

"Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it."

"There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were and ask why not."

"What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black."

"The sharpest criticism often goes hand in hand with the deepest idealism and love of country."

"Laws can embody standards; governments can enforce laws — but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for each and every one of us. Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted — when we tolerate what we know to be wrong — when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too frightened — when we fail to speak up and speak out — we strike a blow against freedom and decency and justice."

"...We must recognize the full human equality of all our people-before God, before the law, and in the councils of government. We must do this, not because it is economically advantageous-although it is; not because the laws of God and man command it-although they do command it; not because people in other lands wish it so. We must do it for the single and fundamental reason that it is the right thing to do.

Edward M. Kennedy

"Our values are tarnished when we allow 12 million human beings to live in the dark shadows of abuse as undocumented immigrants."

"I believe we must not permit the dream of social progress to be shattered by those whose premises have failed."

“For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”

"this November, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans. So, with Barack Obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on."

(pic:the Kennedy brothers-John, Robert and Edward)

Myanmar in trouble

We are aware of the problem in Myanmar in regards to the house arrest of pro democracy movement leader, Ang San Suu Kyi. Another one was the military junta’s mêlée with the ethnic Karen insurgents in the south, bordering Thailand, which they have claimed to have defeated last June.

Now, another news is hogging the lime light in the medias, especiall,y the Asian ones. It is the confrontations between the military and the Kokangs(Chinese-speaking ethnic rebels), at the border of China. The kokangs have fled into the wary eyed China to escape the attacks from the Myanmar army. Refugees are increasing in the thousands and China is becoming uneasy, what with Myanmar being one of its allies. This would not be the end of the troubles in Myanmar. There are other well-armed militant groups in the north fighting to keep their autonomy notably the Wa and Kachin.

When will the people of Myanmar have a trouble free nation? It all seems to be up to the Military junta. The United Nations are just united in keeping a low profile.