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Malaysian, but will like to visit Sydney

I am a Malaysian, but I have a wish to visit Sydney. I have 2 nieces and a nephew there. What else attracts me there? I will also like to see the attractions of New South Wales and its capital city, Sydney. I will like to see the famous Opera House with its unique architecture. I will probably give its theatrical performances a miss though as I have not much interest in such things and it will probably be expensive. Then there is the unique Sydney Harbor Bridge. I may even be more adventurous and try to climb its steel arches and get panoramic views of Sydney Harbor and the city skyline from the top. The Sydney Harbor and Islands are nearby, so I will probably give them a tour too. I understand that there are ferries, yachts, launches, ocean liners and kayaks congregating around there. I may try kayaking around the harbor. I was told you can charter a yacht from one of the bays. I will probably give that a miss as it will probably be beyond my budget. A cruise on a vessel departing from Circular Quay or Darling Harbor may be more affordable. I may visit The Rocks & Circular Quay where Sydney's convicts used to stay. I understand it is now a maze of sandstone lanes, cul-de-sacs and courtyards, jam-packed with many shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants, warehouses and terraces that were built in the early 19th century.

Then there are the Sydney Harbor beaches such as Obelisk Beach, Cobblers Beach, Washaway Beach and Reef Beach. Obelisk Beach and Cobblers Beach around Middle Head, are nude-bathing areas. That would be a novelty, but probably too much flesh around for me.

I will need accommodation and Cheap Sydney Hotels looks interesting as I am no millionaire. It is probably a better idea to book a Sydney City Hotels as I will then be nearer to the city's attraction and not have to travel far. Maybe even stay in one of the Darling Harbor Hotels to be nearer to places of attractions like the Chinese Garden of Friendship which was designed in China to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary and a gift to Sydney from its Chinese sister city of Guangdong. It should be interesting as it is specially designed by landscape architects and embraces principles dating back to the China's 5th century. Then there is the Cockle Bay Wharf which has budget outdoor eating places and posh restaurants.

I was born, bred and will live the rest of my life in Malaysia, but one day, I will like to visit Melbourne

I was born in Malaya before Merdeka, bred here and intend to live the rest of my life here as I like the fact that I don't need to turn on central heating in winter or wear winter clothes when I go out (I was in Belgium for 2 years). But I have a sister living in Melbourne and one day, I will like to visit her.

There are also other attractions in Victoria, the state in which Melbourne is located. Among them that interest me is the Victoria's Open Range Zoo in Werribee, just 32 km south-west of Melbourne, where animals from the grasslands of Australia, Africa and Asia live in habitats as close as possible to their natural habitats. I would be particularly interested to see the Australian wild life like kangaroo and koala bears as they are unique and not seen in any other parts of the world.Another place of interest I would be like to visit is the Queen Victoria Market, the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere. Perhaps I can get some cheap souvenirs there to bring home. I was told they have 'bumper packs' of souvenirs that are are more economical to purchase than trying to purchase them individually. This will solve the problems of having to bring back gifts for kids, relatives, etc.

However, I will obviously need accommodation, and it may be too much to impose upon my sister. I found a site Cheap Hotels in Melbourne which looks promising. I may decide to stay in a Melbourne City Hotel as then I would be nearer to the city's places of interest.

I may also spend some time in St. Kilda and stay in a St. Kilda Hotel. St Kilda is Victoria's beachside playground and the Luna Park and the Palais Theatre are located there. I understand there are also many restaurants, cafes, boutiques with a thriving nightlife. And I would love to try out the continental cake shops of Acland Street.

Contact Federal Territories Ministries officials

The Federal Territories consist of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan. The Federal Territories Ministry runs the territories. If you have any problems or suggestions regarding Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya or Labuan, you can email the ministry's secretary general Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib or any other top officials via email. Their email addresses are as follows:

Secretary-General Datuk Ahmad Phesal: ahmadphesal@kwp.gov.my

Deputy Secretary-General (Management) Fauziah Bachik: fauziah@kwp.gov.my

Deputy Secretary-General (Planning and Development) Datuk Bakaruddin Othman: bakaruddin@kwp.gov.my

Putrajaya Corporation President Tan Sri Samsuddin Osman: sam@ppj.gov.my

Corporate Services Acting Director Muhammad Haitamin Ishalc: haitamin@ppj.gov.my

Kuala Lumpur Major Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan: datukbandar@dbkl.gov.my

City Hall Director-General Datuk Salleh Yusup: kpdbkl@dbkl.gov.my

Labuan Corporation Chairman Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman: suhaili@pl.gov.my

Chief Executive Officer Datuk Basiran Saban: basiranl@pl/gov.my

Federal Territories Ministry: pha@kwp.gov.my

Putrajaya Corporation: customer@ppl.gov.my

Kuala Lumpur City Hall: dbkl@dbkl.gov.my

Labuan Corporation: administrator@pl.gov.my

According to Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib, all emails received will be answered on the same day. Genuine complaints will be investigated and resolved as soon as possible.

San Petro festival at Portugese settlement in Malacca

It was April 1511 when Afonso de Albuquerque set sail from Goa to Malacca with a force of some 1200 men and seventeen or eighteen ships to make it a strategic base for Portuguese expansion in the East Indies. Lots of things have happened since that date, but some Portugese have chosen to stay behind in Malacca to set up a Portugese settlement which still exist today. Malaysia is a multi-racial country with 3 major races - Malay, Chinese and Indians, plus other races and tribes. The Malay holds the political power and has given itself Bumiputra (sons of the soil) status with special privilages. This had been extended to the Portugese (accuracy not verified yet) but not to the Babas and Nyonas (the Chinese who came with Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho) and settled in Malacca and Penang) for reasons only known to the authorities. The Portugese came to conquer, but the Chinese came in peace.

The majority of the Portugese occupants of the settlement back in the 1930's and 1940's wereb either directly or indirectly involoved in the fishing industry. Fishing is a hazadous occupation, thus the need for a patron saint for the fishermen - San Petro or St. Peter. From June 23 to June 30 (the period varies from year to year, but this year being Visit Malaysia Year, the dates have been extended), the settlers celebrate the birthday of San Petro with Fiesta San Petro. There will be dancing, singing and feasting amidst dim candlelights. There are also fun fairs, game stalls, best decorated boat contest and the procession of the statue of St. Peter.

On the actual feast day, there is the Eucharistic celebration followed by the blessing of the boats decorated with colourful flags, banners and paints, and candles were lighted. The blessings are for God’s grace for a bigger catch for fishermen who depend on the catch for their livelihood. The lit candles signify the Light of Christ who guides the fishermen through the storms of life whether at sea or on land. The fishing boats then join a procession which starts from A'Famosa Fort, winds through the historic streets of Malacca and ends at the Portuguese Settlement.

It is only the 25th of June today. You still have 5 more days and one night to catch the San Petro festival. Otherwise, plan your visit for the following years.

For more information, contact

Portuguese Settlement: Tel: 06-2847050
Phone: 606-2318200
Fax: 606-2311400
Email: ismail@melaka.gov.my
Website: www.melaka.gov.my

Unity Threatened by Continuing Infringements of Religious Freedom booklet

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Credit card payments for durians!

Now you can even use credit cards to pay for your purchase of durians! Apparently a bank has approached durian sellers offering credit card payment processing and it looks like at least 3 durian stalls have accepted. For example, a makeshift durian stall at Jalan Van Praagh in Penang has a banner saying “We accept Master and Visa” hanging outside the stall. Two other durian stalls in Relau and Mt Erskrine are also accepting credit card payments.

Seng Durian Enterprise owner Ngang Boon Seng said that business has been good as customers tend to buy more using credit cards. One customer recently bought RM800 (USD232) worth of durians using credit card. He accepts credit card payments for purchases above RM40. Another durian purchaser, retired driving instructor Loh Hoon Wan, used his credit card to buy RM100 (USD29) worth of durians as presents to my relatives and friends. “Buy now and worry later,” he said.

Hopefully credit card owners don't go overboard and get into financial problems later.

All about durians, the king of fruits

Source: TheStar

Candlelight vigil for Ravathi (and for Malaysia) Part 2

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Durian contest for foreigners (tourists)?

Durian has been hailed the king of fruits. It has also been described as taste of heaven and smell of hell. For me? There is no "hell" in the smell. I love the smell and the taste. I just don't like the prices.

Encik Akbarudin Nasurdin, the head of Penang's Federal Agricultural Marketing Association (FAMA) organised a durian-eating contest for foreigners (tourists). Tourists were brought to the contest held in the Penang Fruits and Food Festival at the Cultural House from the hotels. The tourists entered the Cultural House, took a whiff, and refused to proceed further. Perhaps the durian smell is to them as the smell of blue cheese is to me. The blue cheese smell like sweaty shoes. I suppose I can't blame them.

The organisers had to cancel the contest. They attributed the failure to the age of the tourists involved. The next time they say they will concentrate on younger tourists. Let's hope they succeed the next time.

Candlelight vigil for Revathi (and for Malaysia)

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How to contact Inland Revenue Board (Income Tax Department) when you have tax problems

If you have any problems regarding tax and will like to contact the Inland Revenue Board (IRB or Income Tax Department), you should send an email message to Puan Hasmah Abdullah (Chief Executive Officer) at hasmah@hasil.org.my. If you have any suggestions to make, you can also email Puan Hasmah.

Puan Hasmah apparently released her email address to the media as a response to a directive from the Chief Secretary to the Government to improve the delivery system to the public.

I submitted my Income Tax return form last year via the post. I was supposed to get a refund. Last year, I didn't get any. This year, I submitted online, and this year I received a refund check via the post not very long after I submitted my Income Tax return online. However, there is no mention of whether that refund check was for last year or this year. So I am going to send an email enquiry to hasmah@hasil.org.my and see what is the response. Will update this post as soon as I get a response.

Update 17 June 2007: No reply to my email. Perhaps they were inundated with emails. Anyway there was an announcement in the newspaper on Friday 15 June 2007 that there will be a RM4 billion tax refunds by next month. This is what the Puan Hasmah, chief executive officer of IRB (Inland Revenue Board) assured those who have overpaid tax for 2006.

Update 19 June 2007: Got a response from Puan Hasmah:

"Tuan,

Terima kasih atas emel yang dikemukakan.

2. Dimaklumkan bahawa kes tuan akan dirujuk ke cawangan berkenaan untuk perhatian dan tindakan segera.

Sekian, terima kasih. "

Translation:

Mr.

Thank you for your email.

Please be informed that your case will be referred to the branch involved for attention and immediate action.

Thank you.

Remark: Just wondering. Last year when I tried to submit my income tax return form at the branch, I was informed that all return forms must be sent to Pandan Jaya, a long way from where I stay, and something very inconvenient. If matters like this is handled by the branch involved, why require us to send our return form to such a far away place?

Visit Europe for a change

Europe consists of many countries. Countries and the climate of Europe are quite different from Malaysia. It has 4 seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter, and the scenery can be quite different during the different seasons. There are many old and historical buildings and museums if you are interested in history. Food varies from country to country. Catholics would probably like to visit Vatican City in Rome. The Vatican City is considered a country of its own, separate from Italy and the smallest nation in the world. It has its own currency and issue its own postage stamps. And an interesting country is Netherlands (often incorrectly called Holland) because a large part of the country is below sea level. It is protected from the sea by dykes and water from the rivers have to be pumped out.

I was a student in Belgium for 2 years and have found many interesting things and some similarity with Malaysia. There are 3 major languages - Dutch, French and German. I was told they used to kill each other in the past and I just wonder how they differentiate one from another because to me, they all look the same. At least in Malaysia, you can differentiate the different groups by their appearance. Do they wait for somebody to speak before they kill him/her? If my memory is OK, I remembered they had some demonstrations over languages and the demonstrator had to be dispersed with water cannons. I was told the demonstrators were very happy because it was very hot that summer. Regarding languages, the difference between Belgium and Malaysia is in Belgium, all three major languages are official languages and all official publications have to be in the 3 languages. In Malaysia, there is only one official language - Bahasa Malaysia.

If you plan to visit Europe, it is good to book your accommodations in advance. One site where you can chose and book hotels online is Easy to Book, especially if you are planning to visit Amsterdam. You can read about all the attractions of Amsterdam at Amsterdam Tourist Attractions.

How about Barcelona, the second largest city in Spain and located on the Mediterranean coast with a rich cultural heritage and interesting architectural buildings, some of which have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites? Barcelona also has a great number of museums and parks (68 of them). Book your Barcelona hotels at Barcelona hotels and accommodation.

Rome, the capital of Italy is another interesting city to visit. The Historic Centre of Rome is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. A major tourist attraction of Rome is the Coliseum, a large amphitheatre. Another major attraction of Rome is the Vatican City, right in the center of Rome. I have visited Rome and one of the thing I like about it is that you can have your pizza fresh out of the oven on the streets of Rome. I was also fascinated by calzone, a stuffed or folded pizza. It is just like our Malaysian curry puff, only much bigger. Plan to visit Rome? Book your accommodation through Rome hotels and accommodation.