TAIPING HOTTEST SPOT

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Taiping Sentral is going to be the popular place to hang out with friends in future. Today is the opening ceremony for Taiping Sentral.

TIME TO RENEW TOUCH AND GO

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Check card expiry date, here or click the image above.

BUDGET 2009 IS IT TRULY FOR ALL?

IMAGE: www.thestar.com.my

Is budget 2009 going to ensure polictical stability as been address by PM? Refer to TheStar, "Abdullah gave the assurance that the Government would continue to safeguard political stability and enhance the economic prosperity of the nation".

I'm living in fear and dare not go out alone at night. Fear of safety as robbery frequent took place. What about public safety? Since, our government allocated a few hundreds of police cars in Perak still it cannot ensure the public safety. Now government headed to building more police stations and recruit more police officers. I just hope not more corrupted police officers.

It is a good move in payless household electricity bills less than RM 20. It’s thoughtful and considerate government to help those needy which cannot afford fridge and television. What about water tariff? Will middle class rakyat enjoy the benefit from Budget 2009?
New 181 secondary schools will be built through-out the nation. Consider the missionary schools as government schools. Some of the funds can be allocated for building new schools transfer to the missionary schools is possible.

CEMPEDAK SEASON IS HERE!

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DO YOU BELIEVE, LIGHTNING STRIKE TWICE? IMAGE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanker_(ship)

Lighting did strike twice at the same place. No precaution or plans to avoid such incident happen again. Yet again an old wise man will say "Prevention is better than cure".

Reference from thestar:
"Unknown pirates have hijacked another MISC Bhd (MISC)’s tanker in international waters off the coast of Yemen."

KHAIRY JUST FINDING POPULARITY

IMAGE: http://www.rembau.net.my/

If you look at the previous comment from Rembau mp blog you will see a lot of anti-KJ. But now a few anti-KJs' comment just because it's been removed. KJ's just a superstar wannabe. KJ's still hoping to get the popularity among the rakyat since he had huge supporters from UMNO youth members.

Reference from thestar:

"Khairy said: “No other website has caused me as much bad rep and deliberately destroyed my character as Raja Petra’s Malaysia Today. Yet I cannot help disagreeing with the recent move by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) to block access to the site."

NEW INNOVA AVAILABLE

IMAGE: http://www.toyota.com.my/

Looks like a facelift. Will be available soon. Dates not confirm yet.

ADVICE TO ALL ROAD USERS IN TAIPING

Heard a sad news from a friend of mine today. On 15th August 2008(before school holiday begins), a teacher from SMK Sri Kota was attacked by a stranger using a wood filled with nails. He was driving alone at night along the stretch of Aulong and Kampong Boyan road. He stopped his car to check out what he had knocked onto. All of a sudden he felt a swing on his legs and then followed by a knock on his head. Luckily, he managed to get back to his car. To his relief, the attacker heard some noise and fled away. (I am not cleared about the situation but its something like that). To me, it is possible an attempted robbery.

My colleagues even told me, a corner turn nearby SJK(C) Hua Lian 3 (in Kampung Jambu) is a popular place for robbery to take place at night. It is even more risky on a motorbike.

A month ago a colleague of mine fetched his wife on a motorbike to find some food. While passing the Lake Garden, they met with a robber on a motorbike and managed to snatch his wife's handbag. My colleagues and his wife fell from their motorbike but escaped with only a few scratches.

So beware and be alert while driving. If possible do not travelled alone or stop if knocked onto something. If this situation appear, stopped only on a bright and crowded place before getting out of the car. Maybe driving to a nearby police station to have them checked what you have knocked. The policemen should hold a talk frequently from place to place to educate the people on how to handle such situation.

MOON CAKE AND DOLL BISCUIT

IMAGE: online pictures

Moon cake festival falls on the 14th of September. I've found out Foh San's doll biscuit tastes quite nice compare to all. Happy celebrating and eating!

FUNNY NAMES
There a lots of funny names from celebrities. Surnames starts from Bell, Button, Hill, Stone, Cook, Oliver, Bush, Black and etc. Those ancestors who makes bell will be named Bell, who lives on top of the mountain will be named Hill and so are others. Can you guess the names of the celebrity above? Anymore funny names came out from celebrities?

*Names publish above are mere coincidence and not to offend anyone.

PROTON SPECIAL EDITION

IMAGE: http://www.proton.com/
Check it out on 26 August 2008. Special edition must be limited edition. Don't come out like proton wira se.

THE FUTURE OF MALAYSIA

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MOHD AZIZUL HASNI AWANG@MUDA will be our next Malaysian Hero in the coming Olympics. He really got the potential.

OPEN BURNING LEADS TO HIGHER TEMPERATURES

Some human are selfish in many ways. Open burning is everybody issues and not personal. Try to educate them and they will scold you like mad. Their daily routine is to light up the matches to get rid of dried leaves. It is going to be difficult to save our planet from souring high temperatures. Weather is extremely hot and humid. Hope their home is even hotter than hell.

UNSUCESSFUL TO APPEAL MALAYSIANS

IMAGE: rtm.net.my

After work, the daily task will be surfing the internet to get myself updated with the current affairs or even update my blog. For these few days, my first priority will be watching Olympics. Sadly, I get to see the afternoon live and daily report shown on RTM. The overall daily report will be aired at midnight. Just can’t keep my eyes open till midnight.
To my dismay, RTM not only showing the medals tally non-stop also the interviews with the ministers which make me frustrated. Why? I want to see more and more events scheduled for that day. Thus, decided to stop watching Olympics for that day by terminating the television straight away. RTM puts Malaysians interest in watching Olympics on hold who did not subscribe Astro. Keep up the good work RTM!
Have you watch a version of “Wakenabeb” done by the RTM broadcasting crew. It’s “Wakenabeb Olympics”. To make it short, let me explain. It’s more like making fun of the athletes who are clumsy in performing an event or unsuccessful in their attempts. Funny music inserted in the background too. So “Wakenabeb Olympics” is RTM Funniest Olympic Videos. What if RTM treated the other way round?
Keep on your mind. Athletes should be motivated and not be disgraced. “Wakenabeb” is only suitable for reality shows such as American Idol or “Wakenabeb” itself.

THINGS I AGREE

IMAGE: thestar online

Reference from thestar.com.my

"Stretching the ringgit without scrimping"

IT HAS been more than two months since the fuel price increase and some are still struggling to make ends meet.
But, instead of whining about the rising cost of living, some people have taken up the challenge to make some minor changes to their lifestyles.
Helping out: To save electricity, Jia Vie (left) uses the fan when studying.
Without resorting to drastic measures like skipping meals or moonlighting, they prove that the small things in life matter when it comes to saving.
The student
Kevin Foo, a Mass Communication student from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar), used to spend RM15-20 a day on food before the price increase, now he sets his budget to only RM10 a day and has breakfast at home before leaving for school.
For instance, he will have a plate of mee goreng for RM3 during lunch.
Cheaper option: Instead of fine dining, Tan enjoys fast food with her fiance Goh.
“I do not order drinks as I bring my own bottle of water,” he added.
Although he owns a car, he now opts to take public transport when the situation allows.
“Before the price hike, I only needed RM40 per week for petrol but now I need RM60 per week.
“Nowadays, I take the bus to classes and carpool with friends,” the 21-year-old said.
These simple steps help him save around RM70 on food and RM20 on petrol per week.
The working adult
Cheap food: Foo (left) finds eating at food stalls an option to cut back on expenses.
Sales administration executive Joyce Tan Mei Ling proved that spending prudently does not have to dampen romance.
While she used to go to fine-dining restaurants with her fiance Alex Goh twice a week, now it’s only twice a month.
“We used to dine at hotels, Italian restaurants and other expensive restaurants and it would set us back at RM80-RM100.
“Nowadays, I cook or take away from hawker centres and we enjoy a romantic meal together at home because I do not like to eat at the stuffy hawker stalls,” the 34-year-old said.
“I used to go home after work to shower and change before meeting up with my fiancé for dinner but now we meet after work to save time and petrol,” she added.
There will also be less ‘yum cha’ (tea-drinking) sessions with friends in order to save money.
Tan finds staying at home and carrying out indoor activities like watching TV cheaper than going out.
“We try not to go shopping too often as we always spend on unnecessary things like snacks that we munch on while shopping.
“I used to drive to the convenience store to buy one or two items whenever I run out of household products like shampoo or soap. By preparing a shopping list and buying in bulk, I can avoid this,” she said.
However, saving money does not mean sacrificing her movie outings. She chooses to go to cinemas that offer cheaper rates on certain days such as the GSC cinema at the Summit USJ, especially on Wednesdays.
“I also like to shop at Summit USJ as the food there is cheaper,” she said.
Her silky terrier Tiny is not spared from the plan to cut back expenses.
“Tiny is very choosy and he always doesn’t finish his food. Now, I give him smaller portions of wet food and more dry food, as it is cheaper and better for Tiny’s health.
“I also buy cheaper types of treats for him nowadays,” she said.
The family
It is hard to cut back on certain expenses like the children’s tuition fees, bus fares, and groceries when you have a family.
However, Ko Hui Keng, an accounts executive, tries to save whenever she can when shopping for her family of five.
She buys groceries in bulk at hypermarkets once a week and prepares a shopping list. It helps to prevent impulsive buying and wasting petrol for a second trip if she forgets to buy something.
Her daughter Jia Vie does her part for the family by using the fan instead of the air-conditioner when studying to help save on electricity.
“When I go out with friends, we will take the bus instead of taking the taxi, which is costly,” she said.
She uses her monthly allowance of RM50 prudently.
“Some of my peers get RM70 per month. Although I hoped that I would get more, I do not want to waste my parents’ hard-earned money,” the sensible 16-year-old said.
Ko’s advice is to spend in accordance to how much we earn.
“Some of my acquaintances spend more than they earn as they do not want to forsake their lifestyles and end up in debt,” she said.
However, not all are able to make changes to their daily lives.
Retiree Lim Ka Seng, from Puchong, finds that there is nothing much he can change about his lifestyle.
“The older we get, the more expenses we incur such as health and medical expenses.
“The three basic meals can’t be cut down but we need not go for expensive food.
“My life is simple, I can still cope,” the retiree, who is living off his savings, said.

Tips on saving

Shopping
— Prepare a shopping list
— Buy in bulk, but be sure to check if it is really cheaper than buying individual items
— Avoid snacking during shopping trips
— Bring your own water when shopping to avoid buying drinks when you shop

Food
— It’s time to put your cooking skills to the test. A home-cooked meal prepared with love sure beats gourmet dining at five-star restaurants
— Economy rice is called “economy” for a reason. Plus, there’s no service or government tax imposed
— Bring your own water when eating out if it is possible
— Cut down on snacks, it’s good for your wallet and your health.

Transport
— Opt for the public transport such as buses, Monorail, LRT, or KTM when the situation allows
— Plan your journey and time to avoid getting stuck in traffic jams
— Cycle or walk to nearby destinations, it’s good for your health, too.
— Carpool with friends and colleagues

Entertainment
— Movies: find out which cinemas offer cheaper rates and take advantage of special offers (such as cheaper tickets for women on Wednesday at some cinemas), student and senior citizen discounts.
— Swap DVDs or CDs with friends, so you can enjoy your favourite movies without burning a hole in your pocket.
— Instead of buying DVDs, check out free-to-air TV, which gives pay TV a run for its money with their interesting programmes.

Others
— Keep track of your spending. Set a budget and stick to it.
— Do not overfeed your pet. Too many treats can cause obesity.

MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL

IMAGE: http://allmalaysia.info

Lanterns made from paper and transparent plastic carried by little children can be found everywhere in the month of August and September where Chinese Malaysian stayed such as housing area or Lake Gardens. The lanterns which battery operated are more favourable nowadays. It is available in hypermarkets, supermarkets, shops and ‘pasar malam’.

COMING SOON...

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New Toyota Fortuner and Toyota Hilux will be available in Malaysia soon. Dates not confirm yet.

NOT MY CUP OF COFFEE (PART 2)

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Then it was Formula 1, now Olympics Opening Ceremony. RTM can either make the news at 8 pm a half an hour earlier to make way for the opening ceremony or rerun the opening ceremony later so the viewers can be supportive to RTM and not Astro. Another thing is the advertisement keep interrupting the opening ceremony every few minutes are quite disturbing. My colleagues were also frustrated with RTM.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS SHORTEN AND FESTIVE SEASONS A WEEK BREAK

IMAGE: http://www.sgi.edu.my/

I just hope festive seasons break return to a week for ‘Hari Raya Puasa’, ‘Tahun Baru Cina’ and a few days for ‘Hari Deepavali’. Therefore it will not burden the school administrator to find a replacement day on Saturday where students usually will not come. Pity the bus driver to arrange time to fetch students from different time, school and date during the replacement.

PROTON SAVVY CROSSOVER SPECULATION

IMAGE: paultan.org

Nice design for Savvy new facelift (It is just speculation). I prefer this new facelift more than the old version Proton ‘Gostan’. Hopefully while waiting for hybrid from Proton cars, a new facelift for Proton Savvy will come out sooner to compete against Perodua Viva and Myvi.