MAS Advertising?

23 Dec 2011 - I have a simple question: is Malaysia Airlines seriously promoting the slogan 1 Malaysia by offering a discount for multi-racial group travelers? The ad "Malaysia Airlines celebrates the spirit of 1 Malaysia" was posted in the right column of my Facebook page. I do not have the habit of clicking these ads and helping the Facebook Gods to further shape my dodgy profile, but I am always in need of cheap tickets to Europe so ... hey! It seems that MAS goes all political by touching the very sensitive topic of "race" or "ethnicity" in Malaysia by offering a discount for people who travel in groups of three, six or nine, if they belong to different races. One simply has to show the Malaysian passport or ID card to qualify. There is even a word for your travel companions: your muhibbah mates. What to make of this ad?  

Indonesian Maids

31 May 2011 - Indonesia is allowing maids to apply for work in Malaysia for the first time in two years, after ending a long-running row over abuse of workers. The countries signed a deal aimed at improving working conditions for maids, guaranteeing them one day off a week. They will also be allowed to keep their passports, rather than having to give them to their employers. Indonesia banned its citizens from working as maids in June 2009, after allegations of abuse emerged. Last year, a Malaysian woman was jailed for inflicting injuries on her maid using hot water, scissors and a hammer. Indonesian migration minister Muhaimin Iskandar said the deal was part of a long-term plan to protect the rights of workers. "After going through a long negotiation process, we have eventually reached an agreement that is a 'win-win solution', with a number of improvements for the Indonesian worker," he said in a statement. More than one million Indonesians work in Malaysia, most as maids or labourers.

Driving in Malaysia

11 April 2011 - Recently there has been a lot of debate about the driving skills of Malaysians. Statistics reveal that men in Malaysia were 2.4 times more accident-prone than their female counterparts, The Star, a Malaysian paper, reported. That bit of information was provided by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros). Women, however, have been increasingly involved in accidents since 2006. The amount of women in road accidents jumped by almost 100% from 2006 to 2009. Miros director-general Dr. Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said that men generally possess superior psychomotor skills - this causes some of them to be sometimes excessively confident on the road. "As a result, men have the general tendency to drive at high speeds, to take chances and be a greater risk on the road," he explained. Nonetheless, Dr. Farhan said that both genders were equally at risk for being in an accident. He recommended proper risk management, driving competency and prioritisation of safety as essentials in reducing the risk of accidents.

Rain Trees

7 March 2011 - The public in Malaysia has been advised against drinking the "holy water" showering down from a tree in Pinang Tunggal and another in Siungai Petani. The Consumers Association of Penang  rural education officer N.V. Subbarow said it was foolish for anyone to wipe their bodies and faces with the water or to even drink it. "people are merely exposing themselves to unknown risks as the authorities have yet to run tests on the water. They should be reminded that many diseases are spread by animals and insects, including leptospirosis which is spread through water." he said. Thousands of people from afar have been flocking to see the two trees since late February. Witnesses claimed they had felt showers from the trees - a 12m high petal tree and an 18m high wild tree in Taman Ria Jaya. Subbarow said that those people making a fast buck from selling the "holy water" at MYR 5 per glass were being "irresponsible".

The Lost World

18 Feb 2011 - The Maliau Basin, a Forest reserve covering an area of 58,840ha in the southern interior of Sabah, Malaysia, is so named at it resembles a gigantic saucer-like basin with the rim ranging from 1,500m to 1,900m above the sea level. It is this unique feature, in addition to its isolation, that has made the basin impossible for human habitation and, therefore, unexplored. Initially, the Maliau Basin was part of Sabah Foundation's concession. It was turned into a conservation area in 1981 for research, education, training and eco-tourism purposes. In 1997 this conservation area was upgraded into a Forest reserve under the State Forest Enactment. It was gazetted a cultural heritage in 1999. The basin is reportedly packed with exotic animals, as they are the only ones to freely enter and leave. Jurassic Park?

Melaka

9 Feb 2011 - I went to Melaka for the Chinese New Year weekend. Melaka, the most historical city of Malaysia, traces its origins to the year 1400, when the state was founded by an exiled prince from Sumatra. It gained name and fame as the trading emporium of the region under the Melaka sultanate. The colorful town became a melting pot of various communities and a veritable treasure trove of the past. Attractions include monuments of the Portugese, Dutch and British eras suck as A'Famosa, the Stadthuys, St. Paul's Church and St. John's Fort. The city's museums provide glimpses into its glorious past. It is also possible to wander Jonker Street and its parallel streets which lots of antique and curiosa shops. Modern Melaka experienced the sudden economic boom that swept through Malaysia in the 1990s, starting with massive land reclamation projects. The historic waterfront retreated inland. Many locals argue that the city's distinctive heritage is under threat from modernisation. Melaka is only two hours drive south of Kuala Lumpur.

Islamic Arts Museum

7 Feb 2011 - The Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia opened in 1998. Since then it has become one of the world's leading snstitutions dedicated to a field that is attracting more interest than ever. The museum is committed to creating a collection that is representative of the entire Islamic world. instead of concentrating on Iran and the Middle East, there is also a wide range of artefacts from China, India and Southeast Asia. The size of the collection keeps growing, and the museum aims to offer its visitors a constantly changing experience. In addition to a spectacular collection, the museum is notable for its building. Occupying 30,000 square meters, a seamless continuity of light and space is maintained throughout the galleries and into the museum's facilities. there is a unique combination of contemporary international design and features taken from traditional Iranian and Central Asian architecture.

Kuala Lumpur

3 Feb 2011 - We have a bit a strange week in KL with so many holidays. These days we celebrate Chinese New year, and on February 1st it was Federal Territory Day. Kuala Lumpur means literally "muddy confluence" and it is situated at the meeting point of the Klang and Gombak rivers. In the early 19th century tin was found in Ampang, but as merchants could not travel beyond the point of the two rivers convergence, a town soon developed in the area. KL was later made the capital city of Selangor state during the British administration. When the country gained its independence in 1957, bustling KL was made the country's capital. It was accorded city status in 1972 and the city ceded from Selangor on February 1st, 1974, when it was declared a Federal Territory. Although the tin is just a memory now, people from all over the country still flock here in search of fortune. KL has become a vibrant melting pot of cultures and various food traditions.

City Cows

24 Jan 2011 - It is almost three months in Malaysia and so far the country has been full of surprises. It is a bit difficult to follow complicated local politics, but some people are not afraid to speak their minds. Residents from the Bandar Bahru Sentul area close to KL want to banish cows from their neighborhood, because they affect traffic flow when crossing the road to a ground to graze. But the owner of the cows is locking horns with the neighborhood, and he insists their claim is just a load of bull. He said "I have workers who monitor the cows every day. My cows do not wander off aimlessly." It must be rather stressful for these city cows, and they have already limited space close to car exhausts and skyscrapers. The Klang Valley is no more the idyllic valley for grazing cows as there are hardly any meadows for them to laze or graze the day away. I like to stand up for these marginalized city cows, who remain unappreciated for all their milk, butter, cheese, yoghurt, cream, hamburgers and probably your pair of shoes. Cows have rights too.

Back to School

3 Jan 2011 - It is not totally clear to me why school holidays in Malaysia are held in November and December (the cooler weather seem perfect to study?), but the holidays are over and today and tomorrow children return to school. The back-to-school shopping frenzy is evident in many of the leading stores and shopping malls. Parents, with their children in tow, pick out school uniforms and shoes in the right sizes and colors. "Whenever the school term starts, the one thing most parents worry about is having to spend a significant amount to buy school uniforms, books, shoes and stationary. These days children ask for what they want and they insist that we buy their favorite things," said mother of six, Ajurun Begum Ahmad. Ajurun recommends not to wait last minute with the purchases, as it pays off to shop around, and they could benefit from the year-end sale. Another mother takes a different approach: "Although we have to get everything new for the little one, that still does not mean that we will give in to all his demands."

Luxury Malaysia

20 Dec 2010 - Malaysia is carving a niche as a destination for luxury goods shopping, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen. She said shoppers had much to look forward to as Malaysia would be a duty free haven for most luxurious goods, including watches and jewellery per 1st January 2011. "It is important to ensure an enabling environment for the industry." The Ministry targets to have 36 million tourists and RM 168 billion in tourism receipt by 2020, and it expects 35% to be from shopping receipts. There is a plan to built a 6 km long walkway in the Bukit Bintang area which also help encouage shopping and boost sales. KL has already opened its Starhill Gallery, with many luxury brands under one roof, but from what I hear the formula does not work well. Bukit Bintang looks more like a building site than a luxury shopping area.

Facebook Hooligans

23 Nov 2010 - Big alarm in Malaysia: police are monitoring a new trend in gangsterism in which members of gangster syndicates are recruited via Facebook, days Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar. "We are aware of new trends and are monitoring Facebook gangsterism and will investigate specific cases if necessary, " the Inspector-General said. Criminal gangs are recruiting youngsters for their ranks and were frealy revealing their background and even disclosing dates, times and venues of their meetings. It is estimated that in Malaysia alone about 2,000 people are using Facebook to get connected to gangsterism, including uploading pictures and video clips of their activities. Some parents have already responded and raised fears that (quote) "this new trend will negatively influence and pollute their children's mind." The trend is already wider spread in Singapore, where Facebook gangsters are involved in illegal money-lending, extortion and other (quote) "undesirable activities". And I thought Malaysia was a quiet place ...

Plastic Bags

22 Nov 2010 - In the last seven years I have seen how Hong Kong slowly moved from being completely plastic indifferent to somewhat plastic aware. The Government struggled to introduce a levy of HKD 0.5 to be paid for every plastic bag used by the consumer, but succeeded in the end. It turned out that Hong Kong people can actually remember to bring their own back when they have to pay for the plastic one. Now in Malaysia, the situation is worse than I have ever seen in Hong Kong. Consumers are not required to pay for the plastic bags they use. Shop assistants tend to hand them out like candy, bundling wares two or three times over, no matter how small. Hey Malaysia, if you are shopping frozen goods, souvenirs or small items, or are just running your errands, please bring along your own bag, and do tell salespersons not to give you one if it is not necessary.

Petronas Twin Towers

19 Nov 2010 - After a month in Kuala Lumpur it is high time that I write something about those other Twin Towers: The Petronas Twin Towers. These magnificent buildings, built by the national oil company Petronas, is located on a site that was previously occupied by the Selangor Tuf Club. The construction drew much controversy when it was discovered that the bedrock was nothing more than a network of hollow caves, and the foundation required millions of tons of concrete for reinforcement. Designed by Argentinian American architect Cesar Pelli, the 452m. towers were once the world's tallest building, their height surpassing that of Chicago's Sears Tower. In 2003 the record was lost to Taipei 101 Tower. The design of the Twin Towers aims to express Malaysian's diversity. For instance, the floorplans take after an eight point star formed by two interlocking squares, a popular Islamic motif, while the number of floors - 88 - translates as 'double luck; in Chinese.

Traffic Jams

18 Nov 2010 - So far my new life in Kuala Lumpur has been good. People have asked what I don't like, which is still a bit difficult to answer, but I think I already start hating the traffic jams. Traffic jams occur every day, almost every hour of the day. It begins in the morning at about 8 am when millions of cars poor into KL from the surrounding suburbs, and in the evening at about 16h30 pm. When it rains, traffic sometimes grinds to a complete halt. During rush hour it is not uncommon to see traffic policemen directing vehicles at major intersections, as traffic lights have become completely ineffective. Nobody bothers. Malaysian drivers are generally an ill-mannered lot, so you can expect a lot of impatient honking and nudging betwen cars. Many do not adhere to road-safety rules; they turn lanes without signaling, flash headlights to indicate 'get out of the way' and overtake whenever possible. It's a complete mess.

Annoying Tourists

5 Nov 2010 - People love lists. Normally they make a top 10 or even top 100, but in the KL Time Out magazine I saw a top 9 of the nine most annoying things about tourists. This is summary of what Malaysian find annoying about their visitors from overseas, but most of these points seem universal?:
1. The matching T-shirts (mainly mainland Chinese);
2. The backpackers on the metro who knock people over with their bags;
3. The incessant taking of photographs when you are trying to walk down a pavement;
4. The sudden stopping in the middle of said pavement to take the photograph;
5. The ones who like to remind us they come from a better country;
6. The sheer volume of their voices;
7. The fact that they are willing to pay rip-off taxi rates because it's still cheaper than at home;
8. The way they automatically assume that malaysians don't speak any English;
9. Their predilection for socks and sandals (and socks in sandals);

So what's at number 10? 

Fung Shui

2 Nov 2010 - Kuala Lumpur is full with urban development. Wherever one looks skyscrapers are being erected. I was told that many of those buildings are empty and that people are waiting for the big boom in the real estate market, but so far it does not stop developers from building more, higher, bigger. What does this mean for fung shui in KL? One could be living next to a park or empty land with lots of greenerey and vegetation but the fung shui could be disturbed by the construction of a highway or power station on that plot. Village people are often much better in tune with nature and have long protested such developments. Christian missionaries in the 20th century tried to discredit these villagers and their fung shui beliefs, as they saw construction as development. They did not loike them to complain about the installation of electrical and telegraph poles near their homes. There are no more Christian missionaries in Malaysia in the 21st century so construction is on. And fung shui appears to be forgotten.

Superbug

29 Oct 2010 - More than 7 years ago I arrived in Hong Kong in the middle of the SARS outbreak. I clearly remember the scary world of empty streets and masked faces. SARS killed almost 300 people in Hong Kong and many more worldwide. Luckily, it never came back. It seems somewhat ironic that I picked up that the first case of the antibiotic-resistant superbug infection was detected in Malaysia. The female patient has made a full recovery and - according to the Ministry of Health spokesperson - poses no threat to the public, the Ministry continues to take precautionary measures to ensure that the bacteria does not spread.

Malaysian addicts

12 Oct 2010 - So ... , in a few days I will move to Malaysia. What to say about my new homeland? The BBC published the results of a study that indicate that Malaysians are the worlds most serious social networks addicts. The BBC reported that a TNS report revealed that - on average - Malaysians have the highest number of "friends" on online social networks. The report found that Malaysian have on average 233 friends, with fellow Asian nation Japan at the bottom of the list with only 29 friends. China also scored low with only 69 friends, but then again China has a lot of people who are not yet active on the internet. The TNS report also revealed that Malaysians spend on average nine hours per week on social network platforms - another world record. Malaysians spend more time on Facebook, Twitter and others than on e-mail, and the possibility to have mobile internet connection greatly enhanced their participation. I just checked and I have more than 350 Facebook friends, so I will fit in nicely.

Baby Hatch

12 Sep 2010 - The first 'baby hatch' in Malaysia was opened last week by a local charity. The baby hatch is a small cot with an alarm that triggers the air-conditioning as soon as the baby is placed in the cot. The baby is safe until found by the caretaker, and the mother will never be known. Most mothers are believed to be single mother who are too ashamed to take care of their babies. The charity hopes that the initiative will safe more unwanted babies. In Malaysia, more than 500 babies were abandoned since 2005. Some were left at prayer halls, others were found at the doorstep or even in rubbish bins - most were found dead. Sexual education in Malaysia mainly focus es on abstination and it is illegal for Muslims to have sex outside their marriage. Critics say the programme will make it too easy for mothers to abandon their babies, encouraging extra-marital sex.