Thursday, December 9, 2010

Economist Intelligence Unit Predicts BN To Lose More Seats

The Economist meramalkan Barisan Nasional (BN) kemungkinan akan hilang lebih banyak kerusi dalam pilihan raya umum tergempar yang diura-urakan akan diadakan pada suku pertama tahun depan, antara lain disebabkan kemerosotan sokongan kalangan pengundi Melayu muda dan yang moderat. Laporan Economist Intelligence Unit juga menggariskan kekecewaan di kalangan golongan muda yang semakin meningkat dengan sikap UMNO dilihat terus diselubungi skandal politik dan begitu kuat mengembangkan nilai-nilai Islam.Semalam, ahli politik veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah turut menyifatkan peluang BN untuk memperoleh kemenangan dua pertiga dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13 sememangnya “sukar” kerana terpaksa berhadapan dengan pengundi semasa yang sudah banyak berubah citarasa. Justeru Tengku Razaleigh mengingatkan BN yang mengadakan konvensyen sehari semalam supaya tidak terlalu yakin untuk mendapat kemenangan dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13 kerana sehingga kini masih tiada jaminan gabungan 13 parti komponen itu boleh mendapat kemenangan besar. Tengku Razaleigh telah memainkan peranan besar bagi BN memperoleh kembali kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri Galas pada pilihan raya kecil diadakan awal bulan lalu.“Kemungkinan besar keputusan pilihan raya umum akan datang ialah BN akan kalah lebih banyak kerusi memandangkan pengundi muda Melayu, yang moderat, kecewa dengan skandal-skandal politik dan UMNO yang dilihat kuat menggalakkan nilai-nilai Islam, enggan memberi sokongan mereka kepada parti yang memerintah,” kata majalah itu dalam laporan edisi terbaru Disember mengenai Malaysia.Bulan lalu, bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad meramalkan BN, dimana parti terasnya UMNO, akan merampas balik satu atau dua negeri yang kini dikuasai Pakatan Rakyat, tetapi kemungkinan tidak akan memperoleh balik majoriti dua pertiga di Parlimen. Laporan itu juga menekankan bahawa golongan Melayu liberal dan kelas pertengahan sudah pun beralih daripada parti Melayu terbesar itu untuk menyokong Pakatan Rakyat atau pembangkang di peringkat persekutuan.“Meskipun pengundi-pengundi muda di kawasan luar bandar di Semenanjung Malaysia terus menyokong Umno, sejumlah pengundi dalam jumlah yang signifikan di kalangan golongan Melayu berpelajaran, kelas pertengahan beralih daripada parti Melayu yang memerintah untuk memihak pembangkang,” kata laporan itu. Bagaimanapun laporan itu juga menyebut Pakatan Rakyat kemungkinan akan gagal untuk menawan Putrajaya walaupun boleh menerokai kejayaan lebih baik berbanding 2008.“Pakatan Rakyat akan memperoleh kejayaan, walaupun akan berhadapan dengan masalah dalaman selepas kemungkinan Anwar dikeluarkan daripada arena politik, tetapi perikatan pembangkang tidak mungkin akan memperoleh kerusi secukupunya untuk membentuk sebuah kerajaan (persekutuan),” kata laporan itu.Malah laporan itu juga meramalkan bahawa Ketua Umum Pakatan Rakyat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan disabitkan kesalahan berhubung tuduhan liwat kedua yang sedang dihadapinya. Meskipun banyak pihak membuat spekulasi bahawa Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak akan memanggil pilihan raya umum pada Mac 2011, laporan Economist Intelligence Unit masih kekal dengan hujahnya bahawa beliau hanya akan menetapkan tarikh itu selepas pilihan raya negeri Sarawak, yang mandatnya akan berakhir Julai 2011.“Kami masih percaya bahawa Najib akan menetapkan tarikh pilihan raya selepas pilihan raya negeri Sarawak.“Keputusan pilihan raya negeri Sarawak akan menyediakan petanda baik mengenai sokongan bagi kerajaan dan pelan pembaharuannya,” kata laporan itu lagi.Minggu lalu UMNO juga memutuskan untuk menangguhkan pemilihan parti selama 18 bulan dipercayai sebahagian besar daripada usahanya menghadapi pilihan raya umum ke-13.

Monday, December 6, 2010

National Instrument's New Facility To Employ 1,500 People

National Instruments (NI) expects to employ 1,500 people in manufacturing, product development, research and development (R&D), information technology (IT) and finance positions, when its permanent facility in Penang is complete in the first half of 2012.Its Chief Operating Officer (CEO) Alex Davern said construction work, on the manufacturing and R&D facility, located on a 17-acre site in Bayan Lepas will start in the second quarter of next year.The permanent building is currently under design, and NI plans to break ground for the new facility next year.Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng officiated the opening of NI's temporary office at the Sun Tech Building in Bayan Baru here.NI is a global company that develops and manufactures software and hardware products that engineers and scientists use for testing, control and embedded design applications.However, according to Davern , the Penang facility is expected to play a core role in servicing the Asia Pacific market. NI already have three major regional hubs in Austin, Texas in the United States, Hungary and Penang which will be the third largest, with special operations in R&D, manufacturing and servicing. The production is expected to start by the third quarter of 2012. The temporary office in Penang is currently occupied by the R&D, IT and manufacturing employees.NI has also set up a distribution centre in Penang for faster and more efficient product delivery to customers in the region and currently, NI in Penang has 40 employees and plans to hire more than 300 R&D engineers over the next two years.NI also will be launching a broad recruiting programme for both university graduates and experienced industry engineers and technicians. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI posted a net income of US$24.6 million on revenue of US$212 million for the second quarter ended June 30.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Wang Ehsan ala ZAKAT

Setelah sekian lama mendiamkan diri kini saya ingin kembali menulis bagi melontarkan pandangan serta idea demi penambahbaikan kehidupan rakyat jelata. Di dalam entry kali ini saya ingin menghuraikan sedikit tentang idea peribadi saya mengenai konsep wang ehsan ala Zakat yang diamalkan oleh masyarakat Islam untuk kegunaan masyarakat Islam di negara ini. Sebagaimana yang diketahui umum, wang ehsan Zakat yang disumbangkan oleh rakyat adalah untuk disalurkan kepada golongan miskin serta mereka yang kurang bernasib baik. Buat masa ini Zakat yang diamalkan oleh masyarakat Islam adalah untuk sama-sama membantu masyarakat Islam. Namun idea sebenar saya adalah untuk menubuhkan satu NGO bukan islam untuk memberikan khidmat menyalurkan wang ehsan ala Zakat yang dikutip daripada masyarakat bukan Islam untuk disalurkan kepada masyarakat bukan Islam di negara. Ingin saya jelaskan disini adalah wang yang dikutip adalah daripada masyarakat bukan Islam dan untuk kegunaan masyarakat bukan Islam dan saya percaya jikalau aspek ini diperhalusi dengan lebih mendalam tidak akan timbul sebarang kemusykilan tentang idea saya ini. Mana-mana aspek baik, bagus seta positif yang diamalkan oleh mana-mana agama wajar diterima pakai dan diubahasuai mengikut acuan masing-masing kerana segala agama didunia ini hanya mengajar untuk berbuat baik keatas manusia lain. Oleh itu saya percaya idea wang ehsan ala Zakat wajar dikaji oleh pemikir-pemikir bukan islam di negara ini demi manfaat masyarakat bukan Islam. Berikut adalah sedikit cadangan peribadi saya tentang bagaimana idea yang saya lontarkan itu boleh dipraktikan. Untuk makluman pecahan rakyat Malaysia mengikut kaum adalah 50.4% Melayu , 23.7% Cina 7.1% , India 11.0% , Orang Asli dan 7.8% lain-lain agama. Jikalau dicampur pecahan kaum Cina, India dan lain-lain agama jumlahnya adalah 36.8%. Maka jumlah 38.6% daripada 28,250,000 rakyat Malaysia adalah sebanyak 10 904 500 masyarakat bukan Islam dan daripada jumlah ini jika kita membuat angaraan mudah bahawa hanya separuh adalah orang dewasa yang mempunyai pedapatan minimum RM 700 sebulan maka sebanyak 5 452 250 rakyat bukan Islam di negara ini mungkin dapat menyumbang kearah usaha murni ini. Sebagai contoh jika RM 5 setahun ketika musim perayaan dapat disumbangkan oleh 5 452 250 rakyat bukan Islam di negara ini maka jumlah yang dapat dikumpulkan adalah sebanyak RM 27 261 250. Duit yang dikumpulkan ini mesti disalurkan mengikut saluran yang telus dan wajar sampai ke tangan mereka yang daif dan memerlukan bantuan. Ini adalah merupakan contoh kasar bagaiman ianya dapat dilaksanakan dan sebelum hasrat ini dapat dicapai terdapat pelbagai kekusutan yang harus dirungkai dan saya kira jika ianya mendapat perhatian pemimpin dan mungkin suatu masa nanti masyarakat bukan Islam turut akan dapat menikmati kebaikan yang dirasai oleh masyarakat Islam hasil sumbangan masyarakat Islam lain yang prihatin dan baik hati. Pada pandangan saya keseluruhan idea ini lebih tepat jika diuruskan oleh NGO swasta tanpa melibatkan kerajaan kerana jika kerajaan melibatkan diri mungkin masalah lain akan ditimbulkan oleh segelintir pihak yang mungkin mendakwa idea ini mencabar Islam dan amalan Zakat. Akhir kata saya disini ingin menegaskan kepada puak-puak ekstrimis perkauman seperti PERKASA dan UMNO bahawa idea saya ini hanya adalah untuk mencontohi konsep amalan Zakat dan TIDAK SAMA SEKALI mencabar amalan Zakat atau ingin turut berkongsi amalan Zakat dengan masyarakat Islam. Sekian Salam Reformasi



Friday, October 29, 2010

New Water Theme Park In Penang












Good news to all, Penang it going to build a new water theme park called The Escape Waterpark at Teluk Bahang. It is supposed to be a high class international resort with hotels built on trees in the jungle. The company developing this have many theme parks around the world.

Penang Launches Tourism Application For iPhone Users





The Penang Government has introduced the state’s first tourism mobile application for the iPhone. The application, called Penang Tourism, provides live, up-to-date tourist and event information with GPS system that enables detailed street navigation to tourist attractions on the island. It was developed by Convep Mobilogy and can be downloaded for free from the iPhone App Store. The content is provided by Penang Global Tourism. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said this latest feature on the iPhone would boost tourist arrivals, especially from foreign countries and it will place Penang on the map with IT savvy tourists. It is important for us to try to capture the youth tourism market because once we can entice them to like Penang, it’ll be a lifelong love affair for them,” he said during the soft launching of the mobile application yesterday. Lim said Penang recorded a 40% increase in the number of international tourist arrivals in the first half of the year compared with the corresponding period last year. “As of June, there were 405,932 tourist arrivals compared to 244,146 in the same period last year. “We know the tourist industry has been having a good year but we need to work harder to get more attention for Penang,” he said. “We need to build up on infrastructure, both physical and modern technology such as mobile applications and other ICT features,” he said. Convep Mobilogy chief executive officer Darren Pang said the application allowed users to retrieve information, photos and videos of nearby tourist attractions. He said: “They can also look for places to eat and shop as well as a listing of upcoming state tourism, travel and hospitality events.“Tourists can also provide feedback via the application on the places they have visited in Penang.”He said the feature would be available on other mobile device platforms such as the Android, Blackberry and Java by the end of the year. Penang Global Tourism managing director Ooi Geok Ling said Penang would have its own Timeout guide book for next year.“The guide will be available by March or April and it’ll be sold in major international cities. After this, we hope for a bimonthly or quarterly edition to be published,” she said.

MPPP pasang CCTV

Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP) akan meningkatkan aspek keselamatan di Rumah Pangsa Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Jalan Sungai, Sungai Pinang bagi mengelakkan kejadian buruk berulang. Ahli Majlis MPPP, Ong Ah Teong berkata PPR Jalan Sungai atau lebih dikenali dengan Flat 100 itu akan dipasang enam kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) di beberapa lokasi strategik bagi mengawal keselamatan seterusnya membantu pihak pengurusan mengenal pasti sebarang tindakan tidak bertanggungjawab dilakukan mana-mana pihak.Selain itu, MPPP akan bekerjasama dengan persatuan penduduk bagi menjalankan kerja pemantauan keselamatan dan kebersihan sekitar kawasan flat itu.Sekiranya kita dapati ada penduduk membuang sampah sesuka hati, terutama dari tingkat atas, akan dikenakan tindakan. Walaupun dikompaun RM50, jika melakukan kesalahan itu berulang kali mereka akan dikenakan tindakan lebih tegas termasuk diminta mengosongkan rumah masing-masing.Ah Teong berkata, beliau sudah berbincang dengan penasihat undang-undang MPPP agar membuat penilaian semula terhadap nilai kompaun terhadap penduduk yang melakukan kesalahan vandalisme atau membuang sampah sesuka hati.Menurutnya, MPPP akan mengeluarkan notis kepada 509 penyewa rumah pangsa itu agar mengosongkan kawasan koridor daripada sebarang halangan seperti pasu bunga, sofa buruk dan penyidai baju.Sementara itu, Pengerusi Persatuan Penduduk Flat PPR Jalan Sungai 09, Shaifful Sham Salleh berkata, sikap segelintir penduduk yang suka mengambil jalan mudah membuang sampah merata-rata, terutama dari tingkat atas flat amat dikesali.Menurutnya, sikap mereka yang tidak bertanggungjawab itu menyebabkan penduduk lain tidak tenteram dan bimbang keselamatan ketika berada di bawah flat.“Dalam tempoh 10 tahun saya menghuni perumahan ini, itu lebih 100 kes dilaporkan akibat sikap tidak bertanggungjawab penghuninya dan menyebabkan banyak harta benda rosak,” katanya.Sekian


Thursday, October 28, 2010

This Is Real History

For those who read about it, you will recall that in 2005, the Malaysian government was excited about accidentally finding an ancient civilization in Johor. This was reported in the various newspapers. There was talk about excavating the huge site to rediscover this civilization. and then silence. After that, no news at all about this discovery. A number of times I have discussed with friends that there was definitely a cover up because the authorities did not like what was discovered, something that is contradicting what the government is trying to claim. So many years passed and now I received this email revealing what I suspected to be true. Good to know who are the real Pendatang and you have to start learning the correct history. A small piece of history for our future generation. Why Kota Gelanggi (lost city) touted as earliest civilization in Malay Peninsula news were banned as they were Buddhist. The Johor find of 2005 which was quietly dropped was none other than Kota Gelanggi lost city reflecting Srivijaya and its Buddhist splendour. But they deliberately disregarded it because that would have sidelined Malacca Empire and Islam which was smaller and came some 500 years later. I met Dr Lee Kam Hing, a former History prof at MU in Singapore recently at a seminar. Dr Lee, who is now Star research director, told me he was trying his best to highlight Kota Gelanggi, but that the government killed it off. This is clearly another case to cover up the real history of Malaya and fool the younger generations into believing that our history only began from Malacca 1400. Not only that, they try to show Parameswara as Malay and Muslim, but actually he was Hindu. If one were to condemn these UMNO scumbags on how they distort history, it will never end. The condemnations will go more than cover 10 PhD thesis. Once again our government wiped out any references to a famous Melaka prince as being Hindu and belonging to the powerful Hindu empire Sri Vijaya. So all of a sudden our museums, school text-books etc. all refer to Parameswara as a Malay prince. What race ruled or did not rule is besides the point. What is important is not butchering history to create your own truths. You cannot change your race even if you convert. Parameswara could have been responsible for Umno's proud heritage of ' Ketuanan Melayu '. If this is what it is based on, there is no 'Ketuanan Melayu'. The lineage of Melaka Sultans are Indians, not Malays. It is no secret that Parameswara was an Indian and a Hindu prince. It is clear from records that Parameswara never converted to Islam. He was an Indian Hindu who fled Palembang in Sumatra to eventually found Melaka circa 1400 AD. It was Sri Maharaja who converted himself and the court of Melaka to Islam, and as a result took on the name of Sultan Muhammad Shah sometime after 1435... The most famous of Indian Hindu Kings were Raja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola who invaded Southern Thailand, Kedah, Perak, Johor and Sumatra about 1000 AD. This is Raja-Raja Chola , the Indian/Hindu kings and not Raja Chulan a Malay king. But what is really sad is that our children are taught as though Malaysian history suddenly began in 1400 with an Islamic Melaka. We are led to believe that the Indians and Chinese first arrived on the shores of Malaysia in about 1850 as desperate indentured laborers, farmers and miners. Nothing could be further from the truth. The cultural influences of India in particular, and China, in South East Asia span over 2,000 years, starting with the arrival from India of the Brahmanical prince/scholar, Aji Saka in Java in AD78, through to Vietnam, Cambodia (Indo China), Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Bali, Borneo, Brunei and beyond. The findings at Bujang Valley speak of an ancient Indian/Hindu presence in Kedah. There were Chinese settlements in Pahang and Kelantan around the 13th-14th century and in 12th century in Singapore . The early Brunei Sultanate had a Chinese Queen. One need not ponder at length the implications of Angkor Wat and Borobudur or that 40%-50% of Bahasa Malaysia comprises Sanskrit/Tamil words. To illustrate, some of these word are:

bumi = boomi

singgasana = singgasanam

putra = putran

perdana = pirathamar

raja = rajah

menteri = manthiri

desa = thesa

kapal = kappal

syakti = sakthi

samudra = samuthiram

kolam = kulam

sepatu = sappattu

bahaya = abahya

jaya = jeya

maha = maha

aneka = aneha

nadi = naadi

kedai = kadai

mahligai = maaligai

mantra = manthrum

tandas = sandas (This list can go on)

An extremely important archeological find that pointed to one of the greatest empires in history, The Raja Chola empire that ruled from the Maldives through India, Sri Lanka and right down to South East Asia found deep in the jungles of Johor a few years ago and made headlines in the mainstream newspapers in 2005, suddenly disappeared from the news. The time has arrived for us to record our history as the facts tell us and not as we would like to wish it. The truth will never hurt anyone. Lies, always will.




Regards,

LEE Ong Kim (Dr)

Associate Professor and Head Policy and Leadership Studies

National Institute of Education

NIE2-03-54, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616

Tel: (6... GMT+8h | Fax: (65) 6896-9151 |

Email:ongkim.lee@nie.edu.sg

Web:www.nie.edu.sg

An Institute of Nanyang Technological University

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Double Decker Rapid Penang

Penang would be the first state in Malaysia to have double decker stage buses. Double decker Rapid Penang buses, which can take up to 100 passengers each, will ply major routes at the end of this year.These double deckers are of the same width but higher than the current Rapid Penang buses can take up to 100 passengers each while the current Rapid Penang buses could carry up to 60 passengers each. These double deckers would hit the streets in stages to ply routes in high density areas like Air Itam, Paya Terubong, Bayan Baru and Bukit Gedung and no higher fares for those using these double-decker stage buses.

Penang Bridge Express Shuttle Transit (Best)

Bridge Express Shuttle Transit (Best) park and ride system to ferry employees living on the mainland but working in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone (FIZ) may be implemented within the next six months. The target is to reduce the number of cars using the bridge during peak hours by 20% and this will solve 80% of the congestion problem on the bridge from 6am to 9am and 4pm to 7pm. If this project is successful, we may have a similar system from Komtar to the FIZ too.The bus service would be totally free and the commuters only have to pay for the parking. It is belived the state would generate funds to run the system through advertising revenue and the local councils.Rapid Penang operations chief Mohd Azam Omar said Best would only be successful if the terminal facilities were good. Air conditioned shelters,comfortable waiting areas, WiFi access, surau and route information systems are a must he added .There is also a need aggressive promotion to create awareness besides making sure that the buses are frequent and reliable and this project is projected to require 10 to 15 buses .The park and ride sites identified are at the Sunway Carnival area, Seberang Jaya expo site and a piece of land before the Penang Bridge toll plaza..To all Penangnite lets make this a success by project and lets make a change towards the betterment of our beloved Penang.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Laporan Ketua Audit Negara Tahun 2009


Berikut adalah ringkasan isu-isu berbangkit dalam Laporan Ketua Audit Negara Tahun 2009 yang telah dibentangkan oleh ketua audit Tan Sri Ambrin Buang dan saya yakin lebih banyak salah laku serta penyelewengan tahap tinggi akan didedahkan untuk umum dan entry ini pasti akan dikemaskinikan.

Lembagai Tabung Haji (LTH)

Sejumlah RM435,850 telah dikeluarkan melalui 113 proses transaksi yang tidak sah melibatkan 56 akaun pendeposit Lembagai Tabung Haji (LTH) di lima buah negeri bagi tahun 2007 hingga tahun lepas.

Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP)

MAIWP bercadang melupuskan 70 unit penghawa dingin walaupun ia masih berfungsi dengan baik. Sebanyak 70 unit alat penghawa dingin yang diperoleh pada tahun 2007 dan 2008 yang hendak dilupuskan tiada disenaraikan dalam Laporan Lembaga Pemeriksa tetapi pihak pengurusan MAIWP telah mencadangkannya untuk pelupusan.

Sebanyak 10 unit alat bengkel kemahiran (harga perolehan RM63,380), 1 unit alat muzik (RM1,495), 2 unit periuk(RM7,800) dan 1 unit mesin jahit butang (RM6,167) tidak digunakan kerana pelbagai sebab seperti ketiadaan tenaga pengajar dan tidak menepati keperluan.

Kehilangan MAIWP mendapati berlaku kehilangan aset sebanyak 21 unit bernilai RM45,789, antaranya melibatkan peralatan komputer dan kamera.

Pembelian minyak yang meragukan. Berdasarkan laporan butiran belian minyak yang dikeluarkan syarikat minyak pada tahun 2007 hingga 2009 didapati pengisian minyak bagi 4 kenderaan dibuat dalam selang masa yang tidak munasabah dan kos pengisian yang meragukan.

Pembelian minyak melebihi kapasiti tangki. Menurut spesifikasi Proton Waja 1.6, kapasiti penuh minyak kereta adalah 60 liter. Bagaimanapun semakan audit mendapati 7 transaksi pembeliau sebanyak 78.13 liter, melebihi kapasiti penuh sebanyak 18.13 liter.

MARA

Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) telah meluluskan pinjaman sejumlah RM59.09 juta kepada pejabatnya di peringkat negeri dan daerah di Wilayah Persekutuan dan lima negeri tanpa mengambil kira kedudukan peruntukan kewangan.

Angkatan Tentera

Hospital Angkatan Tentera di kem Kinrara, Puchong yang dikenali sebagai '95 Hospital ATM' dibina di bawah tahap spesifikasi sekalipun harga asalnya dikekalkan.Dibina pada harga sebanyak RM267.89 juta, kontraktor dikatakan mengambil jalan mudah dengan membuat pindaan terhadap skop kerja - tanpa memaklumkan kepada Kementerian Kewangan. Dalam Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2009, didapati beberapa skop kerja diturunkan tarafnya termasuklah:
  • Keluasan bangunan hospital dikurangkan sebanyak 7,000 meter persegi.
  • Mengurangkan sistem interkom kepada 15 stesen kritikal sahaja berbanding 52 stesten yang sepatutnya.
  • Kemudahan seperti rumah keluarga untuk pegawai dan pangkat-pangkat lain, Wisma Perwira serta Wisma Bintara tidak dibangunkan atau dibina.
  • Peralatan perubatan telah dikurangkan kepada 60 peratus daripada sasaran asal.

Rancangan Makanan Tambahan

Kanak-kanak sekolah yang dijanjikan roti sandwich sardin tetapi hanya dibekalkan dua keping roti dengan marjerin.

Pembekal makanan di lima sekolah rendah yang lainj sekitar Malaysia juga didapati membekalkan kualiti makanan yang jauh lebih rendah daripada menu yang dicadangkan mengikut Rancangan Makanan Tambahan di sekolah-sekolah.

Enam lagi pembekal didapati menyediakan makanan yang langsung berbeza dengan apa yang dicadangkan dalam program itu, lazimnya makanan berkenaan bernilai lebih rendah daripada sepatutnya.

Berbalik ke
pada perkara asal saya disini dengan segala hormatnya mencabar BN secara terbuka khasnya pemuda BN UMNO MCA dan MIC GERAKAN PPP untuk bangkit bersuara dalam isu ini. Janganalah pemuda BN yang memang gagah membela rakyat bersikap lembut atau macam pondan dengan membangkitkan isu-isu remeh seperti tong sampah tidak diletakkan di tempal betul , isu banner tiada tulisan kaum-kaum tertentu, isu jalan berlubang mahupun isu tempat letak kereta dan banyak lagi isu-isu bertaraf kanak-kanak ribena yang masih belajar di tadika buktikan bahawa anda bukan kaki ampu tauke anda untuk dapatkan kontrak mahupun jawatan tertentu parti.Jikalau ada maruah sebagai seorang lelaki bangkitkan isu ini dimana-mana jua mahupun di siber space.Sekian





Monday, October 25, 2010

Sri Balathandayuthabani Temple Waterfall Road,Penang





The present Bala Thandayuthapani Temple began as a shrine of Lord Murugan. It was located at the base of the waterfall at the Botanical Gardens Penang sometime before 1782. The above statement was the evident from the writings of Sir Francis Light where in it was stated that the Tamils (Chulias and Chettiars) were already present and worshipping the Vel (spear) when he named Georgetown on the 10th of August 1786 after having the island from the Sultan of Kedah for 6000 Spanish dollars for the East India Company. It is not possible to know who installed the vel at the original temple site . Soon this shrine became important for many Indian workers who came to Georgetown. By 1800 the shrine seemed to have been the focus of Thaipusam celebration, a festival dedicated to Lord Murugan. British records and local newspapers do mention of Hindu devotees celebration the festival. In 1850 with the increase of the local population, the British authorities decided to develop the area into a reservoir. They decided that the waterfall area and the immediate catchment area had to be protected. At the same time they did not want to upset the the Hindu population. Therefore, they alienated an eleven acre hillside property(the present site) for the location of a proper temple. This is the present site of the Hill Top Murugan temple at Waterfall Road and the presents temple as it now was build sometime in 1850.The present temple is now too small to accommodate the number of devotees who visits the temple during festivals.The major annual festivals celebrated at the temple are Thaipusam,Chitra Pournami,Kantha Sasti,Peria Karthigai and Aadi Pournami. Due to this,it is now difficult to perform worship rituals effectively and for devotees to perform their prayers.Moreover the present location of the temple makes it difficult for crowd management as there is no place for devotees to rest.The Penang Hindu Endowments Boards after taking serious consideration to build a new temple, conducted a feasibility study to build a new temple at the present site. The consultant found that the present temple is located over an area where several underground springs flow. Their conclusion was for the temple to be relocated to a safer site away from the present location. The Hindu Endowments Board after considering the various reports, agreed with the management committee's view that a new temple had to be built at a safer site for the following reasons:-

* The present temple is too small to accommodate the ever-growing number of devotees,which swells up to 700,000 during the Thaipusam Festival.

* That due to natural streams flowing below the present temple the safety of the present structure is the main concern.

The present temple having been built sometimes in 1850 has been ravagned by the weather.The temple structure is weakened and leaks have sprung in many areas. Piecemeal repairs have been periodically conducted, but these repairs cannot address the inherent weakness of the structures. The Temple Management Commitee then decided to consult a well-known authority on agamic rules and procedures for the building of the Temple. A delegation went to Tamil Nadu in February 2000. They met His Holiness, Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamiji, and the 69th Pontiff of the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. He gave his blessings to delegation members seek the services of world renowned temple architect and Vaastu expert Dr.V.Ganapati Sthapati.T he plans and earthwork drawings for the new temple were submitted to the relevant authorities and approval was abtained in the beginning of 2006. Earthworks commenced on 03-02-2006. The total estimated costs for the completion of the temple is Five Million Ringgit. The high cost is mainly due to constuction being conducted on hilly terrain. The proposed site would be on a 2 acre plot, whereby the proposed built up area of the Temple would be 35000 sq feet. The proposed 2 acre site would be sufficient for any future development. The Building Committee is now on a nationwide drive to collect donations from devotees and well-wishers to rebuild the oldest temple in Malaysia. In this I seek your kind donations to help makes this project a success. All donations and contributions are tax exempt and The Building Committee shall send you an official receipt for your contributions.

All cheques are to be made payable to "Hill-Top Murugan Temple Fund"
Kindly forward your donations to:
The Secretariat Hill-Top Murugan Temple Fund No.1-F
2nd Floor,Penang Street, 10200 Penang

Friday, October 22, 2010

AQUA SAVE PROGRAM By PBAPP


In this entry I would to like to introduce AQUA SAVE PROGRAM by Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang. I'm sure that many of us have no idea about what really this program all about. As we already know Penang is currently ranked as among the top water consumption in our country. The Aqua Save program is an initiative of the Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn. Bhd. (PBAPP) in collaboration with the Penang State Government to award industries and organizations which are committed in water conservation activities. This program is set up to inspire and encourage Penangites to conserve Penang’s scarce water resources and contribute towards Penang’s water sustainability. It is a comprehensive initiative to reduce water use.The scheme is implemented through certification that recognizes the water efficiency of an organization.The certificate will be issued annually. Organizations which manage to maintain their efforts and have been awarded with the certificate for three consecutive years will be recognized with a special incentive and reward.

Below are some of the answers for the question that might be raised.


What is Aqua Save Program?
Aqua Save is a program to recognize water efficiency of an organization

Who organize this program?
The program is organized by PBAPP in collaboration with the Penang State Government.

Why it is implemented?
As the water provider in Penang, PBAPP holds the responsibility to encourage water conservation among Penangites and contribute to Penang’s long term goal of water sustainability.

How is Aqua Save program implemented?
It is implemented through certification which will be issued to the qualifying organizations.

Who can apply for Aqua Save?
The program is open to the following in Penang:
i. Companies
ii. Industrial institutions
iii. Hotels
iv. Educational Institutions
v. Government Departments
vi. Any other business and non-business organizations

Can individual and residential consumers participate in the program?
No.

What is the benefit of Aqua Save?
The qualifying organizations shall:
i. Be awarded with a certificate
ii. Use the Aqua Save logo on their company letter head, correspondences, advertisements etc
iii. Recognition and publicity
iv. Special recognition for organizations that have been awarded with the certificate for 3 consecutive years.

How do organizations apply for this certification?
They may fill up the application form which can be downloaded from the following website www.pba.com.my

http://www.pba.com.my/Attachments/PBA_AquasaveApplicationForm.pdf

What are the assessment evaluation criteria?
The Aqua Save Committee will conduct the evaluation based on few criteria:
i. Amount of water savings
ii. Initiatives and effort performed by the organization to conserve water
iii. Innovativeness and cost effectiveness of the technologies used
iv. Commitment to contribute into sustainability of water conservation
v. Any other relevant procedures, policies, activities or mechanisms that lead to water conservation

Is there any closing date for the program?
It is an ongoing program. As such, there will not be any closing date. The application form can be submitted any time through out the year.

Will PBAPP organize any briefing session on this program?
Yes, PBAPP will be organizing a workshop to brief on the program details.

Where can we get more information on this program?
Kindly visit the website at http://www.pba.com.my or drop an email to customer@pba.com.my

Level 32 & 33, KOMTAR, Jalan Penang, 10000 Georgetown, Pulau Pinang.
Tel: 04-2634 200 Fax: 04-2613 581



Penang Water Supply Statistics 2009

Total land area – State of Penang
1,031 sq km

Gazetted water catchment area
62.9 sq km

Main source of raw water
Muda River (Sungai Muda)

Population (est.)
1.58 million people

Registered water consumers
Domestic - 432,422
Trade - 60,812



Total - 493,234

No. of dams
6

Total raw water storage capacity
46,013 million litres

No. of treatment plants
10

Design capacity of treatment plants
1,273 million litres per day

Average treated water production
913 million litres per day

Average registered consumption
739 milion litres per day

Non-Revenue Water (NRW)
19.1%

No. of treated water reservoirs
60

No. of treated water towers
34

Total length of pipelines


(100mm and above)
3,916km