How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Cameron Highlands: the hills are alive...

If there is general pessimism about the world economy in general, and Malaysian in particular, it is not being felt in Cameron Highlands.

No, it has nothing to do with Felda's successful listing on Bursa Saham Malaysia which was propped up by those with vested interests: from PM (who is also Finance Minister AND Minister in charge of women's affairs!) downwards. Felda's success has nothing much to be celebrated by the settlers because some well connected people (non-settlers, even non-Malaysians, made quick big bundles while the poor settlers stand to pick up some crumbs for lending their organization's name and forgoing their future landholdings for this generation and the next. Cannot help digressing to mention this big con by our present BN leaders.

We visited one housing project in Kg. Raja, which is the first stop since we went via Pos Slim. Prices of intermediate terrace double-storey houses start from Rm598,000 and all sold out! The presence of CIMB and Maybank branches is a sign that this place is in the process of major development. We visited another project which has houses which are 18 ft. wide (compared with the first one which are of 20 ft. width) and what the site clerk commented was a reality in construction and development in CH: 'The reason why our houses are built right up to the boundary at the back is because renovation cost for extension at the back is around Rm200,000 because of the difficulty in transporting materials up. It makes sense for us to make it unnecessary for buyers to add major renovations.' In fact, for its 18-ft width but higher 12-ft ceiling, it looks spacious because of its open design with no partition wall on the ground-floor. Buyers can easily design and fit partitions later on.

It was LBS's project which attracted my better half to take a look at houses in Camerons. But without details, we relied on buntings along the way. The next town was Tringkap which advertised project is still at earthworks stage. Then I remembered a LBS project in Tanah Rata years ago, and sure enough, it was next to the old project. Their new Suriana project (from the car its name on the buntings seemed to read Saujana) is actually of 4-storey apartments with shops on ground-floor. The shops (groundfloor)  are cheaper (Rm279,205, after Bumi discount of 5%) because they are much smaller in area (built-up 392 sq. ft.) compared with apartments from first to fourth floor (Rm396,055, after Bumi discount of 5% and built-up area of 926 sq. ft.). The reason for smaller shop space is because of the need to provide common hall and other facilities. Quota for Bumiputera purchasers is high at 40%, and all the non-Bumi units are sold. Interested purchasers are invited to register for when the reserved units are released later on, at a price to be determined!

LBS is actually the initials of the founder, Lim Bok Seng, a name I have heard since a child. His wife's brother, Ong Chah, happened to be of the same village (Saeu Khiu) in China. We used to have a small temple off 3 3/4 milestone, Jalan Ipoh, KL, and every year, a small group of descendants of fellow villagers gathered to pray and decide on which family to take back the idol to their own house and look after until the following year. Years ago, Ong Chah died after being knocked down by a car near his house in Sg. Way village, Selangor. LBS headquarters are in Sg. Way village, which can be seen from the Federal Highway. But they have grown big since listed on BSM, with projects in Selangor, Perak, Pahang and probably elsewhere. In their office in Tanah Rata, there is a portrait picture of a younger son with the Sultan of Pahang, taken in London, to show their connection. (Update on Oct 23: I'm particular about getting facts right. I  double-checked with my older sister and she said Ong Chah's sister was LBS's mother!)

In Tanah Rata, my wife was looking for Bharat '2 cups' tea leaves which she could not find elsewhere. The tea showroom next to their office was closed during lunchtime and an Indian lady told us it will be open at 3.30 pm. Even past the time, it remained closed. A clear example of a business which had made enough and does not need further custom from passers-by. Many of the shops are owned by the Shuparshads (including Starbucks, one of two used to be rented to our friend and used as Mayflower restaurant), and if you see any luxury cars bearing registration numbers 5454 here, chances are they belong to them! I used to like their tastefully done cafe when going up from Tapah along the old route to Tanah Rata. One can just park the car and go in and have a nice cup of tea with a nice view of the tea estate. But travelling via Pos Slim, we normally go to Boh's cafe, but it requires going through narrow and winding roads and having to watch out for oncoming vehicles. Bharat has one cafe which is nearer the main road between Tanah Rata and Brinchang, but somehow, not as alluring as their other one mentioned, nor Boh's.
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