The content of this post has been transferred to
Pray for Malaysia: Why Malaysia MUST CHANGE
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Malaysia and Australia Relations
Australia is the nearest "western" country to Malaysia and it seems the earliest significant connection date back to the 19th century when Malays were a part of the pearling industry off the northern coast of Australia. In fact, William Light, the son of Francis Light who acquired Penang in 1786, was the one who planned Adelaide city in 1837, and the two cities have become sister city to commemorate that early relationship. Australia’s third-largest trading partner in ASEAN and the eleventh-largest partner overall is Malaysia, with total trade in 2006 of $11.61 billion. Sir William McKell, a former Governor-General of Australia, helped draft the Malaysian Constitution.
Because of its proximity and because Malaysia still have a large population of people who speak English, Australia is a popular destination for students seeking matriculation as well as tertiary education. In fact, both my daughters got their degree from Australian universities. One of my son-in-law too got his law degree from an Australian university, and by sheer coincidence studied in the same faculty as one of the daughters of my sister who migrated there. I have 2 nieces and a nephew currently studying in Sydney. Many Malaysians have also migrated to Australia, especially in the 70's. My sister and her family migrated there during that period. A colleague of mine migrated to Perth with his family. Practically all those we know have some kind of connections with Australia. During the Malaya Emergency and the Second World War , Australian troops fought alongside the Malaysian military and police and contributed to the protection of Malaysia when Indonesia declared Confrontation against the formation of Malaysia between 1963 to 1966. In fact, a reader of my blog contacted me saying he served in Malaysia during the emergency (and also enquired about possible changes in the weather in Malaysia. He also asked if I have noticed the weather changing, saying it is freezing in Queensland. I replied that when I was young, I had to sleep under a blanket, but now I sleep topless minus the fan. And it was supposed to be dry season then, but we are getting daily afternoon showers.
In view of this proximity and the relationship, it is no surprise to see many direct flights between the Malaysian and the Australian cities, and Malaysians traveling to Australia, a sizable number are families going there to witness the graduation ceremony of their children. 157,100 Malaysians visited Australia for the year to 30 June 2007, while 277,125 Australians visited Malaysia in 2006,
The nearest Australian city is Perth and that is where that colleague migrated to. Perth's attractions include King's Park from where you can get a spectacular view of Perth skyline, Perth Zoo, Burswood Casino (shouldn't count this as an attraction), the world's oldest mint - Perth Mint which is still operating from its original premises, Adventure World, AQWA (Aquarium of Western Australia), Pioneer Village (35 minutes from Perth), many museums, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art. If I am ever going to visit Perth, I am not going to do what I did while traveling around Europe in the 70's when there was no such thing as the Internet. I will likely book my accommodation ahead of arrival and online via sites like Perth Hotels.
Sydney is where my nieces and nephew are currently studying and is also an interesting city to visit. There is the Opera House with its unique shell roofs which I understand took much expenses to construct, plus the Sydney Harbor Bridge (fondly called the coat hanger). You can climb the bridge to 134 meters above Sydney Harbor and get a spectacular view of Sydney skyline. I can't squat in my nieces and nephew cramped apartment, so looks like I will have to depend on Sydney Accommodation.
Adelaide, the city sister of our very own Pearl of the Orient (Penang), is the capital city of South Australia. Adelaide is often referred as a city of culture as it host many festivals like the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Fringe Festival, Adelaide Film Festival, Adelaide Festival of Ideas, Adelaide Writers' Week, etc. Adelaide Festival Centre, a multi-purpose art centre, is Adelaide's answer to Sydney's Opera House, and reputed to have superior acoustic plus being constructed at much lower cost. I have no relatives or colleagues in Adelaide, so I will need to seek accommodation via Adelaide Hotels.
A very interested place to visit is Ayers Rock (Uluru), a large monolithic sandstone rock formation in the Northern Territory. It is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is not an easy place to visit for the nearest large town is Alice Spring, is 335 km away. But you can also fly directly to the Ayers Rock/Yulara airport from some of the major cities in Australia. All of the hotels, cabins, and campgrounds are run by a single company which has a single website at www.ayersrockresort.com.au.
At Ayers Rock Hotels, I can see only 2 hotels listed (that may change when you visit that site as things are not static). Then there is the weather. I understand it is pretty hot there. If you plan to visit Ayers Rock, June is good time to visit. The Dry season has begun but everything is still green while the daytime temperatures are warm but not hot though nights can be quite cold.
Because of its proximity and because Malaysia still have a large population of people who speak English, Australia is a popular destination for students seeking matriculation as well as tertiary education. In fact, both my daughters got their degree from Australian universities. One of my son-in-law too got his law degree from an Australian university, and by sheer coincidence studied in the same faculty as one of the daughters of my sister who migrated there. I have 2 nieces and a nephew currently studying in Sydney. Many Malaysians have also migrated to Australia, especially in the 70's. My sister and her family migrated there during that period. A colleague of mine migrated to Perth with his family. Practically all those we know have some kind of connections with Australia. During the Malaya Emergency and the Second World War , Australian troops fought alongside the Malaysian military and police and contributed to the protection of Malaysia when Indonesia declared Confrontation against the formation of Malaysia between 1963 to 1966. In fact, a reader of my blog contacted me saying he served in Malaysia during the emergency (and also enquired about possible changes in the weather in Malaysia. He also asked if I have noticed the weather changing, saying it is freezing in Queensland. I replied that when I was young, I had to sleep under a blanket, but now I sleep topless minus the fan. And it was supposed to be dry season then, but we are getting daily afternoon showers.
In view of this proximity and the relationship, it is no surprise to see many direct flights between the Malaysian and the Australian cities, and Malaysians traveling to Australia, a sizable number are families going there to witness the graduation ceremony of their children. 157,100 Malaysians visited Australia for the year to 30 June 2007, while 277,125 Australians visited Malaysia in 2006,
The nearest Australian city is Perth and that is where that colleague migrated to. Perth's attractions include King's Park from where you can get a spectacular view of Perth skyline, Perth Zoo, Burswood Casino (shouldn't count this as an attraction), the world's oldest mint - Perth Mint which is still operating from its original premises, Adventure World, AQWA (Aquarium of Western Australia), Pioneer Village (35 minutes from Perth), many museums, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art. If I am ever going to visit Perth, I am not going to do what I did while traveling around Europe in the 70's when there was no such thing as the Internet. I will likely book my accommodation ahead of arrival and online via sites like Perth Hotels.
Sydney is where my nieces and nephew are currently studying and is also an interesting city to visit. There is the Opera House with its unique shell roofs which I understand took much expenses to construct, plus the Sydney Harbor Bridge (fondly called the coat hanger). You can climb the bridge to 134 meters above Sydney Harbor and get a spectacular view of Sydney skyline. I can't squat in my nieces and nephew cramped apartment, so looks like I will have to depend on Sydney Accommodation.
Adelaide, the city sister of our very own Pearl of the Orient (Penang), is the capital city of South Australia. Adelaide is often referred as a city of culture as it host many festivals like the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Fringe Festival, Adelaide Film Festival, Adelaide Festival of Ideas, Adelaide Writers' Week, etc. Adelaide Festival Centre, a multi-purpose art centre, is Adelaide's answer to Sydney's Opera House, and reputed to have superior acoustic plus being constructed at much lower cost. I have no relatives or colleagues in Adelaide, so I will need to seek accommodation via Adelaide Hotels.
Photo by B. Riley (some rights reserved)
A very interested place to visit is Ayers Rock (Uluru), a large monolithic sandstone rock formation in the Northern Territory. It is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is not an easy place to visit for the nearest large town is Alice Spring, is 335 km away. But you can also fly directly to the Ayers Rock/Yulara airport from some of the major cities in Australia. All of the hotels, cabins, and campgrounds are run by a single company which has a single website at www.ayersrockresort.com.au.
At Ayers Rock Hotels, I can see only 2 hotels listed (that may change when you visit that site as things are not static). Then there is the weather. I understand it is pretty hot there. If you plan to visit Ayers Rock, June is good time to visit. The Dry season has begun but everything is still green while the daytime temperatures are warm but not hot though nights can be quite cold.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Should non-Muslims in Malaysia have a say regarding Malaysia becoming an Islamic state?
The content of this post have been transferred to
Pray for Malaysia: Should non-Muslims in Malaysia have a say regarding Malaysia becoming an Islamic state?.
Pray for Malaysia: Should non-Muslims in Malaysia have a say regarding Malaysia becoming an Islamic state?.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Hope for Malaysia?
Content of this post has been transferred to
Pray for Malaysia: Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Hope for Malaysia?
Pray for Malaysia: Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Hope for Malaysia?
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Job search engine for Malaysia and other countries
Hunting for a job. Try recruit.net. You can either search using keywords or by location. You can also check a listing of jobs available by towns, cities or states. Included are Cyberjaya,
Klang,
Kuala Lumpur,
Petaling Jaya,
Penang,
Malacca,
Johore, or
view all cities.
At Browse Jobs by cities or Browse Jobs by Industries, not only can you browse for jobs according to industies like
Accounting/Finance,
Admistrative,
Arts/Entertainment/Publishihing,
Banking/Loans,
Construction/Facilities,
Customer Service,
Computer/Internet,
Education/Tranning,
Engineering/Architecture,
Enforcement/Security,
Healthcare,
Human Resources,
Insurance,
Hospitality/Travel,
Law,
Legal, Management,
Manufacturing/Mechanical,
Marketing/Advertising/PR,
Non-Profit/Volunteering,
Pharmaceutical/Bio-tech,
Retail,
Real Estate,
Sales,
Senior Management,
Senior Restaurant/Food Service,
Transport/Logistic,
Telecommunications,
you can also browse for jobs for a wider range to towns, cities and states including
Cyberjaya,
Ipoh,
Kuala Lumpur,
Kuantan,
Klang,
Labuan,
Petaling Jaya,
Putrajaya,
Penang,
Port Dickson,
Shah Alam,
Seremban,
Johore,
Kedah,
Kelantan,
Malacca,
Negri Sembilan,
Perak,
Pulau Pinang,
Pahang,
Sarawak,
Selangor,
Trengganu.
That is not the end of it. There are separate sites for
China
Hong Kong
Australia
Singapore
India
Japam
Look like we Malaysians can also be expatriate in other countries.
Klang,
Kuala Lumpur,
Petaling Jaya,
Penang,
Malacca,
Johore, or
view all cities.
At Browse Jobs by cities or Browse Jobs by Industries, not only can you browse for jobs according to industies like
Accounting/Finance,
Admistrative,
Arts/Entertainment/Publishihing,
Banking/Loans,
Construction/Facilities,
Customer Service,
Computer/Internet,
Education/Tranning,
Engineering/Architecture,
Enforcement/Security,
Healthcare,
Human Resources,
Insurance,
Hospitality/Travel,
Law,
Legal, Management,
Manufacturing/Mechanical,
Marketing/Advertising/PR,
Non-Profit/Volunteering,
Pharmaceutical/Bio-tech,
Retail,
Real Estate,
Sales,
Senior Management,
Senior Restaurant/Food Service,
Transport/Logistic,
Telecommunications,
you can also browse for jobs for a wider range to towns, cities and states including
Cyberjaya,
Ipoh,
Kuala Lumpur,
Kuantan,
Klang,
Labuan,
Petaling Jaya,
Putrajaya,
Penang,
Port Dickson,
Shah Alam,
Seremban,
Johore,
Kedah,
Kelantan,
Malacca,
Negri Sembilan,
Perak,
Pulau Pinang,
Pahang,
Sarawak,
Selangor,
Trengganu.
That is not the end of it. There are separate sites for
China
Hong Kong
Australia
Singapore
India
Japam
Look like we Malaysians can also be expatriate in other countries.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Pot calling the kettle black: Which politicians are playing up small problems?
The content of this post has been transferred to
Pray for Malaysia: Pot calling the kettle black: Which politicians are playing up small problems?
Pray for Malaysia: Pot calling the kettle black: Which politicians are playing up small problems?
Monday, September 10, 2007
Malaysia's "Buckingham Palace"
United Kingdom may have their Buckingham Palace, the Palace Guards and the Queen. This is our Malaysia's equivalent. We too have our equivalent of Buckingham Palace - the Istana. Here is a photo of its main entrance:
You see the 2 pairs of Palace guards on both sides of the gate? So we too have our Palace Guards, and on rock-still horses too, just like those at the real Buckingham Palace in London. Here is a close up of one of the Palace Guard on horseback:
Not only that, we too have our "Marble Arc", our answer to that marble clad arc in London. It is used to demarcate the boundary between the Selangor State and one of the 3 Federal territories - Kuala Lumpur. I almost got a photo of that Malaysia's "Marble Arc", but at the point where I parked, the "Marble Arc" was partially hidden by a large electronic signboard. I hope to get a photo from the other side another day. Anyway, the construction of our "Marble Arc" was controversial and too long a story to tell here.
However, if you want to see the genuine Buckingham Palace, the Palace Guards and the Marble Arc, you will have to go to London. And if you do that, of course you will need to book your accommodation, and ahead of your arrival there plus do it online. When I visited London 30 years ago, I never had that convenience, and now that your have Internet, you will be well advised to book your accommodation well ahead of your arrival. You can do that at London hotels and accommodation.
If you travel that far, you might as well visit other nearby cities like Dublin. Dublin is the largest city in Ireland and the capital of the Republic of Ireland. In a European-wide survey by the BBC in 2003, Dublin was voted the best capital city in Europe to live in. Again, you can conveniently book your accommodation online at Dublin Hotels.
When I was in Europe 30 years ago, one of the city I visited was Rome. It has lots of historical places plus the smallest country in the world, Vatican City, is right in the midst of Rome. However what I enjoy most is something that would be familiar to Malaysians - eat at sidewalks on the street. I enjoyed seeing my pizza coming fresh out of the oven at a roadside pizza stall. Not only that, they have something like our familiar curry puffs - calzone, also referred to as a stuffed or folded pizza. It is just like a giant curry puff. And of course they have the spaghetti, a long, thin form of pasta. It is just like our noodles. Like to taste the real giant curry puff and Italian noodles. Go to Rome. And of course book your accommodation ahead of arrival at Rome Hotels. Don't be like me urgently seek accommodation only on arrival. You risk sleeping in the railway station or something if they are all fully booked, out of your price range or out of the way.
You see the 2 pairs of Palace guards on both sides of the gate? So we too have our Palace Guards, and on rock-still horses too, just like those at the real Buckingham Palace in London. Here is a close up of one of the Palace Guard on horseback:
Not only that, we too have our "Marble Arc", our answer to that marble clad arc in London. It is used to demarcate the boundary between the Selangor State and one of the 3 Federal territories - Kuala Lumpur. I almost got a photo of that Malaysia's "Marble Arc", but at the point where I parked, the "Marble Arc" was partially hidden by a large electronic signboard. I hope to get a photo from the other side another day. Anyway, the construction of our "Marble Arc" was controversial and too long a story to tell here.
However, if you want to see the genuine Buckingham Palace, the Palace Guards and the Marble Arc, you will have to go to London. And if you do that, of course you will need to book your accommodation, and ahead of your arrival there plus do it online. When I visited London 30 years ago, I never had that convenience, and now that your have Internet, you will be well advised to book your accommodation well ahead of your arrival. You can do that at London hotels and accommodation.
If you travel that far, you might as well visit other nearby cities like Dublin. Dublin is the largest city in Ireland and the capital of the Republic of Ireland. In a European-wide survey by the BBC in 2003, Dublin was voted the best capital city in Europe to live in. Again, you can conveniently book your accommodation online at Dublin Hotels.
When I was in Europe 30 years ago, one of the city I visited was Rome. It has lots of historical places plus the smallest country in the world, Vatican City, is right in the midst of Rome. However what I enjoy most is something that would be familiar to Malaysians - eat at sidewalks on the street. I enjoyed seeing my pizza coming fresh out of the oven at a roadside pizza stall. Not only that, they have something like our familiar curry puffs - calzone, also referred to as a stuffed or folded pizza. It is just like a giant curry puff. And of course they have the spaghetti, a long, thin form of pasta. It is just like our noodles. Like to taste the real giant curry puff and Italian noodles. Go to Rome. And of course book your accommodation ahead of arrival at Rome Hotels. Don't be like me urgently seek accommodation only on arrival. You risk sleeping in the railway station or something if they are all fully booked, out of your price range or out of the way.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Dinner at Hua Xing Restaurant at the Sungai Way New Village (Kampong Baru Seri Setia), Petaling Jaya
My sister and brother-in-law from Australia came back to Malaysia for a short visit and we had a dinner gathering at the Hua Xing Restaurant in the Sunai Way New Village (Kampong Baru Seri Setia), Petaling Jaya. The address and telephone numbers are:
Restoran Hua Xing
No.1-12, 1st Floor, Plaza Seri Setia
Jalan SS9/2
Seri Setia
Sungai Way
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.
Tel: 03-7876 3288
H/P: 016-376 7477 (Mr. Loo Kim Hoo)
The restaurant is very popular. You will have to book ahead to ensure you have a table or tables for your lunch or dinner.
Below is a PDF file with photos of some of the dishes served at the restaurant. This is a 8 page PDF file. You will have to scroll down to view the dishes using the thin (hardly visible) vertical scroll bar. If the text is not readable, what you can do is to highligt all the text, copy and paste into a Notepad or Word file. Alternatively, click on the "click here" link at the bottom right of the embeded PDF file to view it at Scribd site where the text is readable and the photos are larger.
Restoran Hua Xing
No.1-12, 1st Floor, Plaza Seri Setia
Jalan SS9/2
Seri Setia
Sungai Way
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.
Tel: 03-7876 3288
H/P: 016-376 7477 (Mr. Loo Kim Hoo)
The restaurant is very popular. You will have to book ahead to ensure you have a table or tables for your lunch or dinner.
Below is a PDF file with photos of some of the dishes served at the restaurant. This is a 8 page PDF file. You will have to scroll down to view the dishes using the thin (hardly visible) vertical scroll bar. If the text is not readable, what you can do is to highligt all the text, copy and paste into a Notepad or Word file. Alternatively, click on the "click here" link at the bottom right of the embeded PDF file to view it at Scribd site where the text is readable and the photos are larger.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Malaysians have to change attitude to succeed
Here is a PowerPoint presentation forwarded to me by my daughter with a message to forward it to those I love. I love Malaysia and will like it to succeed, so here is the presentation for all Malaysians to view and to think about. Use the thin vertical scroll bar at the right to scroll down the presentation.
When Singapore was separated from Malaysia, we were about equal. Malaysia have the advantage of being blessed with plenty of natural resources like plenty of land, rubber and oil palm plantation, forests for logging and ecotourism, tin, petroleum, even a bit of gold. Singapore is only a small island and has none of these. Yet Singapore is now much more advanced than Malaysia. When the separation occurred, the national airline, Malaysia Air System was split into two - Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Singapore Airlines (SIA). SIA CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Dr. C.K. Cheong (now retired and probably taken Singapore citizenship) happened to be my former Statistics lecturer in the University of Malaya and a Malaysian. He led SIA to become one of the world's most successful airlines in the world while MAS had to be bailed out of trouble by the Malaysian Government.
Why the big difference? All Malaysians, especially our politicians, have to think deeply about it if we are to survive in this globalised world. Hopefully, the PowerPoint above help show us the way.
When Singapore was separated from Malaysia, we were about equal. Malaysia have the advantage of being blessed with plenty of natural resources like plenty of land, rubber and oil palm plantation, forests for logging and ecotourism, tin, petroleum, even a bit of gold. Singapore is only a small island and has none of these. Yet Singapore is now much more advanced than Malaysia. When the separation occurred, the national airline, Malaysia Air System was split into two - Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Singapore Airlines (SIA). SIA CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Dr. C.K. Cheong (now retired and probably taken Singapore citizenship) happened to be my former Statistics lecturer in the University of Malaya and a Malaysian. He led SIA to become one of the world's most successful airlines in the world while MAS had to be bailed out of trouble by the Malaysian Government.
Why the big difference? All Malaysians, especially our politicians, have to think deeply about it if we are to survive in this globalised world. Hopefully, the PowerPoint above help show us the way.
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