Kajang flood and landslide in Hulu Langat make headlines

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WITH a landslide tragedy in May and a flash flood early December, Mother Nature did not seem to favour the people in Kajang and Hulu Langat.

On Dec 2, Kajang residents were hit by a three-hour downpour that transformed the satay town into a sea, resulting in damage to shophouses, homes, and vehicles.

The people were caught off guard when the water started rising around mid-afternoon and some motorists were stranded in their vehicles.

Sinking feeling: A view of the river running through Kajang town which overflowed causing the flash floods.

Sungai Jelok overflowed onto the main road of Kajang town and the vehicles were trapped due to the quick rise in water level.

By 4pm, the Plaza Metro commercial complex’s — a favourite shopping spot for residents of Kajang — basement carpark was flooded up to 1.5m.

The other affected areas were Semenyih town, near the road to Bangi Lama, Kajang wet market, Jalan Jeluk, Sungai Kantan, Jalan Semenyih and Jalan Kelapa.

When contacted, the council said the cause of the flash flood, said to be the worst since 1971, was caused by “extraordinary rain fall”.

Reports by the council stated that the average rainfall recorded (during the flood) was 111mm compared to the normal 40mm.

The total losses suffered by property owners in Kajang town were estimated at RM2,477,200.

Devastating: The Hulu Langat landslide the Al-Taqwa orphanage claimed 16 lives.

Rain and landslide are a bad mix, as exemplified by the Hulu Langat landslide that claimed the lives of 16 people on May 21.

The landslide, which smashed into the Madrasah Al-Taqwa Orphanage in 14th Mile, Hulu Langat, near Kajang, occurred at about 2.30pm following overnight rain.

The building was found to have no certificate of fitness (CF).

While council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman admitted that the council was aware of the orphanage’s existence, he said the building was not situated within its “service area”.

“The orphanage was built 17 years ago on agricultural land without a CF.

“The council, which was formed only in 1997, did not exist at that time.

“Two years ago, this area (Lembah Semungkis) was included as part of the municipality. However, this is not part of our service area,” he said.

Following the Hulu Langat landslide tragedy, the council had begun making its rounds to high-risk areas near slopes with a gradient of more than 25 degrees to urge owners of buildings without a CF to submit building plans.

“It will take us two weeks to conduct our checks and we will give them three months to apply for a CF. If they still fail to do so, then they will have to bear the consequences if there happen to be any calamities,” Hassan had said.

He also said the council would set up a four-member slope unit, headed by a geo-technical engineer.

Aside from the two major disasters, there were several other problems in Kajang such as the sunken road in Taman Bukit Mewah, Kajang — a housing estate on a hill. Residents are also urging the authorities to check on the strength of the slope in Taman Bukit Permai.

Taman Bukit Permai resident Zaharah Md Salleh once said: “Do we need to wait till someone dies like in the recent Hulu Langat landslide before action is taken?”

Those living in high-risk areas have a New Year’s wish — that the relevant authorities take appropriate action before it is too late.

Plight of Hulu Selangor residents goes unattended

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ELEVEN months have passed since StarMetro highlighted the plight of residents in Hulu Selangor’s Bukit Beruntung and Bukit Sentosa on Jan 11 but their problems still persist.

Many abandoned houses and apartments in Bukit Sentosa and Prima Beruntung have become hideouts for drug addicts and breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Its surroundings are nothing to shout about either. Drains along these housing areas are clogged with undergrowth and some even have trees growing from inside.

Unlit streets also threaten the safety of the residents as potholes are not patched up.

Lousy: Bus service in Bukit Sentosa is unreliable.

Bukit Beruntung Residents Charity Association (BBRCA) president Augustine Maria Dasan have made numerous trips to the Hulu Selangor District Council (MDHS) to voice these issues.

He had also met up with MDHS president Tukiman Nail, Batang Kali assemblyman Datuk Mohd Isa Abu Kasim and Hulu Selangor MP P. Kamalanathan to seek solutions but so far, nothing has been done.

Dasan wants the abandoned buildings to be sealed, streetlights fixed, potholes patched up and undergrowth cleared. He added that Bukit Sentosa and Prima Beruntung had no active residents’ association so BBRCA had been acting on their behalf.

Meanwhile, lorries parked along the main roads are a nuisance to motorists as well as damaging the road shoulders.

The lorries are usually parked along Jalan Utama, Jalan Inai, Jalan Melor, Jalan Anggerik, Jalan Kemboja, Jalan Kekwa and Jalan Mawar where the drivers have their breakfast.

As these lorries enter the residential area, residents fear for the safety of their children.

Lastly, bus service at the Bukit Sentosa station has been infrequent, causing a major inconvenience for residents who want to travel to town.

The area is in a rut as residents are plagued by a number of pressing issues while their plight goes unattended.

Authorities should focus on giving the town a facelift with improved amenities, dependable public transport and a cleaner environment to live in.

Police take to higher ground to fight crime

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THE police have launched their Floor-to-Floor Policing at the 200-unit Sri Cassia @ Laman Puteri Condominium in Bandar Puteri Puchong.

The brainchild of Serdang OCPD Abdul Razak Elias, the project is to check on crimes at high-rise buildings.

Puchong Jaya police station officer-in-charge Inspector Hailmi Zil Azam Nordin, who coordinated the event, said policemen would be deployed regularly to make unscheduled patrols to the hotspots among residential high-rise buildings in Puchong.

“For a start, our patrols will cover condominiums, apartments and low-cost flats all over Bandar Puteri where there has been a spate of crimes, including within gated and guarded communities.”

A real relief: Azmah (second from left) with her two children speaking with inspector Hailmi Zul Azam after the programme’s launch.

A resident Azmah Aman, whose car was stolen recently while parked outside her condominium, welcomed the new police initiative.

“I believe residents will feel a lot safer when there are policemen walking about inside the building,” she said.

Another resident Ong Geok Eng said there had been several house break-ins.

“With police presence inside the building, I think people with criminal intentions will move out,” she said.

Insp Hailmi advised residents to be more responsible for their own safety. “We cannot be everywhere all the time.”

During the launch of the Floor-to-Floor Policing, Serdang deputy police chief DSP Lam Chin Fei said the crime rate in Bandar Kinrara was expected to reduce significantly when the Serdang district police headquarters is relocated to Bandar Kinrara 5 next year.

The new RM65mil headquarters under construction now will replace the existing rented premises in Bandar Putra Permai, Seri Kembangan.

The new building will accommodate the Kinrara police station and 18 police quarters.

Hawkers forced to close early due to bad weather

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TEMPORARY hawkers trading along Jalan SS2/62, Petaling Jaya for a month in conjunction with Chinese New Year were happy with the fair chance given by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) on the allocation of lots but were saddened by bad weather conditions that hampered their business.

It was highlighted by StarMetro on Nov 26 that many hawkers, some who have been trading along that stretch for many years, were unable to buy the application forms from MBPJ for the 83 lots, as they were sold out in just 30 minutes.

The applications were on a first-come, first-served basis instead of individual assessments done in the previous years.

Cookies are some of the goods sold at the dry market.

The council also did not state it in their notices.

MBPJ had later considered all the appeals and conducted interviews to select genuine and deserving applicants.

However, since the start of their business on Dec 21, PJ North Federal Development Coordinator Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou said the wet season had forced many to close shop early and seek for some form of subsidy for their lot rentals.

“Currently they are paying RM133 for the rental of one lot and another RM100 for the licence, plus the newly implemented RM200 refundable deposit for cleanliness.

“I suggested to MBPJ to give them some form of subsidy for the rental under humanitarian grounds due to their poor business.

“I also feel there is no need for cleanliness deposit as it is a dry market, with most of them selling home decoration items and clothes.

“These hawkers look forward to earning extra income to support them for the whole year and have already built a customer base.

“This area will look somewhat like Petaling Street and MBPJ should support this idea as it invites many urban Chinese living in the area to shop here instead of going elsewhere.

“I also suggest MBPJ to waive all lot rental fees for temporary hawkers trading during festivals as it is a good promotion for tourism by drawing people to visit the place.

“Besides that, not all the allocated lots are in good condition as some are standing on top of potholes and near clogged drains.

“This is just a suggestion to add cheer to the hawkers, even more so now that they are affected by bad weather,” he said.

He added that it was predicted that Malaysia would experience 20% to 40% more rainfall for the period in the coming month.

A 54-year-old hawker Thangaraja Suppiah, who was conducting his business in the area for the second year, said in the first week of trading, he already had to close early three times due to the heavy rain.

“We start business at 6am and are supposed to clear by 2.30pm but when it gets cloudy, I will start packing my stuff because I sell clothes and could not risk getting them wet as I do not have proper shades.

“Business has been slow thus far compared to last year, which may also be caused by the position of my lot which is somewhere in the middle unlike the corner lot that I got last year,” he said.

Another hawker Muhammad Ariff Shaputra, 20, who sells handbags, said sales had been slow and hoped it would pick up soon.

No TNB representative at meeting to object high voltage line

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HUNDREDS of angry residents felt belittled when Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) did not send a representative to a meeting organised by the joint action committee against the high voltage transmission line project in Cheras recently.

“TNB has no respect for us. We sent four buses full of residents to their office to try handing them the invitation letter to this meeting but they cannot even spare one person,” committee chairman Datuk Dr Eadon Ching said during his speech at the meeting held at the parking lot of the Cemara Flats in Taman Bukit Segar Jaya, Cheras.

Ching said he had received a reply from a TNB representative via text message that said most people were on holiday that day.

Support in droves: Many residents came for the meeting organised by the joint action committee against the TNB high voltage transmission line project in Cheras.

He added that TNB had previously claimed that only two or three residents were unhappy with the project that involved constructing a 275/132kV transmission line to a substation in Mahkota Cheras.

“There are 25,000 residents living in the 14 affected housing areas. We hope Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim will hear our voice. It is not just a small number of people who are anxious about the project,” he said, adding that the committee consists of the resprentatives from various residents’ associations.

Ching said the Selangor government had once engaged an independent consultant from Australia to look into the Kampung Sungai Terentang issue and hoped they would do the same for them now.

He also said up to now, residents had already proposed four alternative routes for TNB.

One of these, known as alternative D, goes through low-density areas and undeveloped land that would avoid physical structures.

“Why has TNB not gotten back to us about this? In fact, the route we suggested shortens the line by almost 8km and will not need to enter the hills close to our homes that the MB himself said in 2008 high-risk areas for landslide,” Ching said, adding that the hills were part of the forest reserve and would affect the flora and fauna as well.

Ching highlighted the safety issue as one of the main concerns of the residents, saying that studies were only done in the area where the pylon would be placed.

“The whole area where the lines will cross has to be reviewed. Secondly, we have to consider the unseen and long-term effects such a transmission line will bring to residents who are staying here. Lastly, our property value may drop because of such a dangerous thing in the vicinity,” he said.

Ching said the first move for the committee was to set up a professional team to help tackle the problem.

“We hope mechanical and electrical engineers, geotechnical engineers, geologists and ecologists will step up to help us study this matter. We are also looking to form a legal team to help us take further action. Lastly, we want to engage the help of property valuers to see what will such a project have on our homes,” he said.

He said TNB had annnounced that it would be carrying on with the project using the original route residents had objected strongly against as the state government via the Selangor Economic Action Council had approved it in its Dec 9 meeting.

The route follows a zigzag course cutting through areas under the jurisdiction of the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council and Kajang Municipal Council.

This line will connect the main substation in Mahkota Cheras to the 275kV Serdang-Pudu Ulu and 132kV Balakong-Bandar Tun Razak existing lines that have reached maximum capacity and ensure sufficient supply to the Cheras area while taking into account future development needs in the area.

It was reported that part of the project also involves supplying electricity to the water treatment plant in Hulu Langat that has been reported to require 7MW (megawatts) by last year, additional 8MW next year and 18MW by 2014.

Fulfilling a tall order

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SINCE her secondary school days, Eleen Yong, 25, has often been asked whether she wanted to be a model.

“I grew up admiring models. But I lacked confidence, even though most people thought I would make a good model,” said Yong.

“In college, my taxation lecturer said, ‘You do not need to study anymore, you can become a model.’ This was just after exams, and I thought I had just failed his paper,” she recalled with a laugh.

Careful deliberation: Yong thoroughly assessed her www.global-model.com future plans before taking take the plunge.

Given her height of 179cm, it is probably a surprise to most that Yong had thought nothing about pursuing a career in modelling.

In fact, she graduated with an accounting degree from Tunku Abdul Rahman University in 2005 before deciding to take the plunge into modelling.

“I switched from the Science stream to Arts and Accounting, because that was where my strengths were, and also because it was a ‘safe’ line of work. I also liked doing business-related things,” said Yong.

The decision to switch to modelling came after some part-time shows. Yong’s first beauty contest was a charity pageant.

“It was a great learning experience for me. All I had was my height, and no training. But I liked the idea of modelling so I took up a professional course where I learned to catwalk, pose and everything else related to modelling,” she said.

Graduating in 2009, Yong joined the Malaysian reality television series Ford Supermodels of the World Malaysia and emerged first runner-up, as well as winning the Miss Malaysia International Model of the Year 2009.

Since then, she has gone into modelling full-time, although she knows it will not be a permanent career choice.

“When I set out to do this job, I sat down and thought it out. The things I planned to do, could I still do them when I was older? I felt they could wait, that is why I am focusing on modelling first,” Yong explained.

From the time she went into modelling, there has been a change to her lifestyle.

“For example, I used to stay up late, hang out at the mamak stall for supper. But now, I have to be disciplined and turn in early. It’s the same with my meals, having to eat a balanced diet, I started to embrace a more healthy lifestyle by taking up sports as well,” she said.

Now Yong has also taken up running, although she said it’s still a far cry from running the full 42.19km of a marathon.

“Maybe it is because I never liked running but my friend encouraged me and I am slowly moving from five, 10, 21 and then maybe in the near future, the full 42km,” she said.

Winner’s design a tribute to late model Gia Carangi

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WITH the help of the beautiful Miss Tourism International 2011 contestants, fashion designers vied to emerge champion at a batik fashion and design competition recently.

Dubbed “An Enchanting Batik Evening”, the bevy of ladies sashayed on stage donned in elegant batik wear.

Held at Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur, Hafizi Radzi Woo better known as Fiziwoo came out tops among the 21 other Malaysian talents and brought home RM20,000 in cash and a trophy.

Top honours: Fiziwoo (front row, second right) with his creation worn by Miss Tourism Belarus Anastasiya Kharanava (front row, right) after the prize-giving ceremony. Looking on are (from front row, left) his business partner Izreekai Haffiz, Mohd Kamil and Kamarudin.

Second place went to Adriate Syaminsa while the third place went to Nazreen Idris. Besides trophies, they went home with RM10,000 and RM7,000 respectively.

Fiziwoo said his design was a tribute to a fashion model in the late 70s, Gia Carangi, in memory of the hard times she had to go through being the first supermodel.

“I was inspired to keep it classic and fuse it with my signature look of clean designs, less detailing and a more international appeal.

“I believe in the principle of less is more. The concept of design is high-end ready-to-wear as it is easily commercialised.

“This experimental batik pattern is more free and natural. Its expressive and abstract look is due to the accidental effect from the batik-making technique used, which is a combination of tie and dye, and shibori techniques with wax.

“Good quality garments should not be worn only once and should be adaptable to various occasions and personalised with finishing touches by the wearers.

“I think batik could be the Malaysian fashion trademark. The future is bright for batik as people are more bold and brave to wear block colours and big prints. With the right design, batik could be the next big thing in the fashion world,” he said.

Charming lasses: Miss Tourism International 2011 contestants waiting for the announcement of the batik fashion competition winner.

The event officiated by Information, Communication and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Kama-rudin Siaraf, also saw the presence of Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail, Kraftangan Malaysia director-general Mohd Kamil Mohd Ali and Miss Tourism International president Datuk Danny Ooi.

The batik fashion and designs were judged in two stages. That evening saw the second round of judging by the panel of five, comprising Prof Sulaiman Ghani, Khoon Hooi, Erra Fazira, Rozita Che Wan and Nurin Marini Ramlan who specifically looked into the wholesome appeal of every piece.

Earlier, a round of judging was done by Sharifah Kirana, Fatimah Datuk Ismail, Bon Zainal and Saleha Ali on the batik creation, fashion, finishing and detailing aspects.

The evening also saw works of art from seven fashion designers from Kraftangan Malaysia, namely Datin Sharifah Kirana, Bill Keith, Von Jolly, Kartini Illias, Jovian Mandagie, Nthiran Krishnan Couture and Rodziah Yusoff.

Families can enjoy unlimited access to Legoland Malaysia until the end of 2013

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IN THE spirit of the holiday season, Legoland Malaysia recently announced the launch of its pre-opening annual pass sales on AirAsiaRedTix.

The passes will be sold at a discounted price, with a validity until the end of 2013.

It is a limited-time offer and the pass will allow for individuals and families to enjoy unlimited access to the park in Nusajaya, Johor Baru, which will span up to 31ha with more than 40 rides, shows and attractions.

Opening soon: Legoland mascot bound to greet visitors at the theme park. Behind him is the ‘Lego Technic’ rollercoaster track.

Starting at RM150 for kids and RM195 for parents, families from across the region can experience the unique theme park, especially designed for families with kids aged from two to 12.

Post-opening annual passes are priced at RM275 per adult and RM210 per child.

Tickets are available online at www.AirAsiaRedTix.com

Further ticketing details are available at www.legoland.com.my

“We are thrilled to offer the pre-opening passes to families in the region,” said Legoland Malaysia general manager Siegfried Boerst.

“Legoland Malaysia is a high quality theme park with a strong international brand name, and a unique positioning. It is also the first of its kind in Asia.

Church’s short film collects funds for community clinic

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A STORY of how life is fuelled by dreams and hopes touched the hearts of the church-goers at the Christmas service by Acts Church at Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa last Sunday.

Told in the form of a short film produced by a dedicated team, Life is Heart centred on Adam and his dream to become a cardiologist.

He harboured the dream since he was a child, after his grandmother told him that like a battery to a watch, heart is vital to humans.

Life’s moments: Adam shared a close relationship with his grandmother.

Therefore, he aspired to be a “heart doctor” to keep his grandmother alive forever.

However, his dream was shattered midway through his medical education when his grandmother passed away.

A devastated Adam gave up hope and worked odd jobs, until an ex-classmate reminded him of his dream and encouraged him to pursue his dream again.

At the end of the film, Adam is seen rescuing an elderly patient as a doctor, and consoling her anxious grandson — who reminds the audience of his younger self — to have faith and stay strong.

The film was interspersed and capped off with youthful dance numbers by some of the cast members and other talented church members.

Their infectious dance moves have the audience cheering and applauding enthusiastically.

Directors Jack Ling and Joel Vijay shared that they spent two months on the production, from idea conceptualisation to casting to shooting and editing.

“In fact, we did the final editing this very morning,” Vijay said.

Ling pointed out that the film was to inspire hope.

“Instead of settling only for what is now, pursue our God-given dreams. Life has its ups and downs but faith and hope keep us moving forward,” he said.

The story was fictitious, except for the conversation between Adam and his grandmother, which was the very conversation shared by Dr Vinod Laxmikanth and his grandmother during his childhood.

“The storyline of this production was inspired by this conversation,” Dr Vinod revealed.

Entry passes to the show were available for a mininum contribution of RM3 each and the funds collected went towards the church’s first community clinic.

Dr Vinod said it would be a private general practice clinic which provides subsidised healthcare to the needy, including the urban poor, single parents, senior citizens neglected by their children and refugees.

“We’ll also work with the PT Foundation to conduct mobile clinics. We hope we’ll be able to start ope­rating the clinic in late January,” he said.

Fishing by the beach can be rewarding, if you find the right spot

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THERE is a good reason for keen anglers to hit the beach in their spare time.

With the long coastal line on the both of the peninsular, this is an enjoyable way to catch a fish.

From an angling perspective, the local beach has plenty to offer but one has to find the right spot to wet their lines.

Good catch: A shark caught along the seafront off Penang’s Esplanade.

Aside from being able to bag various species like stringray, whiting, croacker, bream and even grouper, the gear needed for this activities will not burn a hole in your pocket.

All one needs is a reasonable basic rod, preferably a medium to hard action rod, a reel (enough to spool a 20 or 25 pound line to cast it out to the open sea), hooks and some sinkers to do this.

As for bait, it can be sourced at the location or bought from the market.

Beach fishing is really simple and basic. However, one can also choose to be more sophisticated as one progresses with this hobby. One can use lures like plugs, poppers and even spinner baits near the rocky outcrops along the coastline or nearer the island, to hunt for their catches.

I remember a long time ago, I used to fish using Abu kong-kong.

Abu kong-kong is slang used by some to describe a hand line, a method where the monofilament line is spooled onto a condensed milk can. And to cast the line out, the popular “helicopter” technique to loop the line is used. Of course, the sinker was an unwanted spark plug which could be obtained from motor workshops for free.

It was a cheap way to fish on the beach then. But many of us progressed over the years, upgrading ourselves with affordable rod and line.

Fishing on the beach can be fun, but one has to be able to read the location and know where to cast their line to improve their chances in hooking up the catches.

Knowing the contour of the beach and picking up a spot to fish is not as difficult as one may think.

The most important observation an angler should have is to be able to spot or find a hole or “gutter”, which is most likely to hold fish, which has deeper water than other places in a particular location.

This observation can be done during low tide or as the tide is about to rise.

Alternatively, these holes or gutters can also be easily spotted if you have access to a higher vantage point. Deeper water tends to be darker and calmer than its surrounding area.

Watching how waves break, leaving foam as they break before reforming back to swell, can also give away the location of holes or gutters.

Fishing in these holes or gutters rather than casting the line into the middle of nowhere can be productive, as I found out over the years.

Fishing around rocky outcrops also gives some advantages, especially when one is looking for species like grouper.

Setting up the rig to carry out this type of fishing is also simple enough for anyone to do.

The most common rig used is the double or triple hook flapper rig. The boom paternoster and wishbone rigs are also found to be effective for this type of fishing but it has to depend on the sea conditions, the spot where one would want to fish and the species targeted.

As for the bait, one could source it from the beach or simply buy it from the market.

If you can source (or even buy) the umpun (seaworm) in the vicinity where you fish, this would be the most ideal bait.

Alternatively, one can buy prawns, squids or even bait fish like scad (kembong) or selar or sardin for this.

Some anglers also use cockles and chicken or cow liver as bait to catch sea catfish.

An angler also needs to know the tide movement to fish at beaches, preferably some 45 minutes before the start of a rising tide and after it peaks.

With experience, anglers will find there can be plenty of activity in the early morning and night fishing.

Beach fishing is simple, fun and easy. Anglers will be amazed with the many species that they can land.

Happy fishing!

Tournament aims to promote healthy lifestyle

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FOR the love of playing football, Razif Rezuan, 21, travelled all the way from Johor to Petaling Jaya just to participate in the Giant Futsal Championship finals.

Razif and seven of his colleagues, from an army camp in Johor, arrived at the Sports Planet in Kota Damansara early in the morning and drove back to Johor the very same day.

“We love to play football but didn’t have a team before this. We just gathered those who were free to play and formed a team for the tournament,” said Razif, who was in good spirits even though his team Jerung FC did not make it past the group matches.

Victorious: The Gelombang FC team from Terengganu were the champions of the inaugural Giant Futsal Championship.

The futsal tournament kicked off on Nov 12 and attracted a total of 160 teams. The heats were held at five locations — Ampang, Penang, Kuala Terengganu, Kluang and Petaling Jaya.

GCH Retail (M) Sdn Bhd marketing director Ho Mun Hao said that this was the first year they were organising it and the response has been very encouraging.

“As a home-grown brand, we want to do something extra for our customers and what better way than to promote a sporting activity which the whole family can participate in. We also hope to encourage the young to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle through this sport,” said Mun Hao.

He said that they were targetting to attract 200 teams next year and hopefully extend the tournament to teams in East Malaysia.

The top 20 teams from the heats battled it out on the courts for the grand prize of RM20,000 cash, which went to Gelombang FC from Terengganu while second-placed Mahkota Selatan from Johor walked away with RM10,000 cash.

The top teams from the regional qualifying rounds also received RM3,000 each: Brabus UTD A (Ampang), Madi Jr A (Penang), Lagenda FC (Kuala Terengganu), Mahkota Selatan (Kluang) and Orange FC (Petaling Jaya).

New Year Eve carnival at Jonker Street

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MALACCA: New Year revellers can expect a carnival atmosphere here at Jonker street.

Jonker Walk Committee chairman Datuk Wira Gan Boon Leong said cultural performances and live music are set to entertain revellers throughout the event on Saturday night.

“The Melaka City Rockers and modern group dances by several youth groups here are expected to liven up the evening and this includes many talented musicians that will be performing live.

Revellers’ haunt: The crowd at Jonker Street Chinatown for shopping.

“Apart from that, a Chinese cross-talking show is also set to intrigue the crowd,” said Gan.

He added that the event is in its 12th-year running with an overwhelming response from the public.

The organsing committee, said Gan, had expected more than 10,000 people at the countdown, surpassing the crowd recorded for last year.

“We hope that people will come and celebrate New Year’s eve here to liven up the festive spirit,” he added.

Gan also called on revellers to not bring and use snow spray during the celebration as the artificial snow-like kit was misused in earlier celebrations which led to some unpleasant incidents among the crowd.

“We do not wish to see anyone being physically hurt by any sort of party items.

“So it is better not to bring and use it,” he said.

To keep things in check and balance, the police, including some plain clothed detectives would be stationed at Jonker Walk to enforce public order and safety.

Malacca is considering the ban on snow spray due to complaints

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MALACCA: The Malacca government is mulling over the ban on the use of snow spray during open celebrations following numerous public complaints.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the party that sprays artificial snowflake contributed to the havoc during celebrations, especially among rowdy revellers who were out to have fun at the expense of other people.

“We will bring this up for discussion during the next state executive councillor meeting.

“The item has caused tension among revellers and residents during the recent Christmas countdown party at the Portuguese Settlement,” he said.

The morning after: Cans of snow spray were left on the floor with a pool of ‘melted snow’ when the party is over during the recent Christmas countdown at the Portuguese Settlement in Ujong Pasir, Malacca.

Mohd Ali added that the rowdy mob spared no one by spraying the snow spray indiscriminately.

“Some of them even sprayed foam onto the windscreens and side windows of passing motorists, leaving a big pile of mess on the roads.

“This irked many residents and tourists,” he said.

Inconsiderate revellers, added the Chief Minister, had even sprayed the chemical-based party item onto people’s eyes.

“The snow spray leaves a pungent smell and can cause irritation to the eyes and the nose.”

Mohd Ali said before the ban takes place, the public can lodge a police report on the culprits where action can be taken.

“It’s all right to have fun, but not with the snow spray where it can harm people and cause destruction to public property.

Villagers terrorised by King Cobra

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MALACCA: Villagers at Kampung Attap in Ujong Pasir are living in fear as a King Cobra is on the prowl around their neighbourhood.

So far, about 10 people had sighted the venomous reptile in the area.

Kota Melaka Barisan Nasional complaints bureau chief Ronald Gan Ying Hoe said people became paranoid over the snake issue.

He added that even the local council workers and postmen were afraid to enter the area.

Fearful: Residents gripped by fear of King Cobra.

“Stories about a King Cobra and Anaconda swallowing people alive at a supermarket here in Cheng are merely rumours, but in the case of a King Cobra sighted at the housing estate is genuine,” he said.

Gan added that he had tried resolve the issue, but to no avail as the natural habitat for the large snake had been cleared for development.

“The area is situated on a privately-owned land which is fenced, and that made it difficult for the city council to exterminate the reptile’s brooding ground.

“Furthermore, the landscape at Kampung Attap which is close to the sea with plenty of undergrowth are considered as an ideal habitat for the King Cobra,” he said.

The matter, he added, was also raised to the state National Park and Wildlife Department.

But in accordance to the Law, no one could enter a private property to capture the reptile without the owner’s consent.

“I am constantly bombarded by the residents for not addressing their plight but my hands are tied too.

“They are asking me whether the authority will only act if there is a fatal attack and also threatened not to support Barisan in te next general election if the snake issue is not settled,” he said.

Gan added that residents in Kampung Attap had kept away from their own backyards fearing snake attacks.

“The backlanes of the housing estate is brimming cobras and even garbage collectors are afraid to enter the area.”

One of the residents, Suzie Chee, 56 said the snakes began to appear at the housing estate since a secondary jungle nearby was cleared for development earlier this year.

She addded that the cobras came out in search of prey in the neighbourhood after their natural habitat was destroyed.

“There has been numerous sightings of snakes in our neighbourhood and fortunately, one of my neighbours who had knowledge on how to handle the reptiles had driven them away,” she said.

CM: Peranakan culture is epitome of multiracial society

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MALACCA: The state had vowed to preserve the myriad of Peranakan cultures that co-existed here by introducing these unique communities to the world through many platforms including tourism.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the Peranakan community in Malacca are a distinct and culturally vibrant people with their heritage dating back to Malacca Sultanate.

“Long before the 1Malaysia concept, Malacca was and still is the epitome of multiracial society through the assimilation of Malay, Chinese and Indians communities giving birth to the exquisite Peranakan culture.

Vibrant and colourful: Peranakan culture can be a tourism attraction.

“Hence, the state is serious in conserving these cultures through multitude approaches as well as promoting diversified civilisation of these community at an International level,” he told Starmetro.

Mohd Ali commented on this after the call by the Prime Minister’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to turn the unique Baba and Nyonya culture as iconic tourism product for the state.

He added that apart from the Chinese Peranakan or Baba community, Malacca is also blessed with other communities like the Peranakan Jawi (locals of Arabic descent) and Chetti Peranakan (naturalised Hindus).

However, he noted that the Chinese Peranakan had the largest population in the state where the community population in Malacca rose significantly over the decades through intermarriage between the Chinese and the Malays.

Peranakan dress and cuisine are influenced by the local while cuisines are well-known for its spices and flavours characteristic of Chinese, Malay and South Indian cooking.

Mohd Ali said the Peranakan communities here have reached the zenith of its existence, enjoying immense wealth, cultural expansion, and good relations with the state.

He added that Malacca’s Peranakan cultural heritage is unique to Southeast Asia, a mixture of Malay Chinese, Indian and Arab culture.

During a dinner in conjunction with the International Baba Nyonya Festival 2011 here last week, Rosmah had urged the state to exploit Malacca’s cultural diversity as a tourism product while creating awareness among tourists on the nations unique Baba-Nyonya culture.

She also proposed for the festival to be included in the state’s tourism calendar, saying that it would be a good platform to further promote Malaysia’s unique arts and culture globally.

The Prime Minister’s wife added that such festivals would also help inculcate cultural appreciation among the Malaysian youths.

Johor Premium Outlets a big draw for shoppers

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THE Johor Premium Outlets (JPO) has become a popular destination for local and foreign shopaholics.

Singaporean Sachin Patel, 44, who brought his family to shop at the JPO on Christmas Day, said the outlet had received plenty of media coverage in his country since opening on Dec 11.

“The price of goods here is cheap compared to other shopping places in Malaysia,” he added.

Good bargains: Patel (left) with his family doing some shopping on Christmas Day at the Johor Premium Outlets.

Sachin took the opportunity to shop at the JPO on Christmas Day as many shops in Singapore are closed during the festive period.

Another Singaporean M. Vinod, 32, said he visited the JPO instead of attending open house invites in Singapore on Christmas.

“My friends had invited me to homes on Christmas, but instead I come here first to find out the brands offered at JPO.

“Hopefully I can made it up to them by buying a few chocolates as they have a sweet tooth,” he said.

Local businessman Mohammad Saiful Halim, 50, said he was surprised with the numbers of visitors at JPO during Christmas Day.

Thinking that the outlet would be deserted, he added the outlet’s car park was full as vehicles made a beeline to the area.

“However, I am adamant to visit the JPO as I am a Johorean, but I am proud to see the fast development in my state,” he said.

16 entry forms make a winner

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Homemaker Hanim Hanizah Hashim was so determined to win the car offered in the Giant-Visa Spot & Win Contest that she knew she could not leave it to lady luck! So she sent in 16 entries to increase her chances.

She said: “It is still a surprise that I have won the car even though I entered with the aim of winning. We are so happy and excited.

“When we heard that the contest was offering a Suzuki Swift we just knew that we had to have the car.”

A mother of two, the 39-year-old won the car worth RM78,000 offered as the grand prize of the Giant-Visa Spot & Win Contest Phase 2, which ran from Aug 26 to Oct 14.

We did it!: Hanim (holding mock key) with the other winners of the Giant-Visa Spot & Win Contest.

The contest also offered two Yamaha Ego S115cc as the first prizes.

Hanim, from Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, said that she and her family usually shopped at Giant twice a week and that was one of the reasons why she had a bigger chance of winning.

The winners of the Yamaha Ego S115cc worth RM4,688 each were Mohd Najib Said Abdul Rahman and Ahmad Khairul Azizi Ahmad.

Four others won second prizes in the form of an LG 47’’ FHD LED TV LV35000 worth RM3,999. They were Nur Amalina Mohd Amin, Lee Soon Cheong, Abdul Raof Salim and Berlinda Lim Lai Ying.

The other prizes were Motorola Xoom worth RM2,599 each for eight third-prize winners and 50 Giant gift vouchers worth RM200 each.

A total of 65 winners received their prizes from the management team of GCH Retail (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Visa Malaysia at a simple ceremony at Giant Hypermarket Kelana Jaya recently.

GCH Retail marketing director Ho Mun Hao said the Giant-Visa Spot & Win contest was organised in two phases.

“Law Chui Peng was the grand-prize winner of Phase 1 while Hanim is the grand-prize winner for Phase 2,” he said, adding that these contests were highly popular with shoppers because they were not only easy to enter but also offered attractive prizes.

The Giant-Visa Spot & Win contest offered prizes worth a total of RM250,000. All customers had to do was spend a minimum of RM60 on their Visa Debit Card, answer two simple questions, count the number of Visa logos and complete the entry form.

Several projects in Kuala Lumpur still in limbo

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ANOTHER year has passed and there seems to be much uncertainty over numerous projects in Kuala Lumpur.

One of the most talked about is the plan to develop one of the oldest Malay settlements in the capital, Kampung Baru.

The few changes that had been done this year were the upgrading of Jalan Raja Abdullah and Jalan Raja Abdul Aziz, as well as the drains and roads, after decades of attempts to redevelop the area.

Kampung Baru is a 110-year-old settlement made up of seven villages, covering 90.2ha, with about 35,000 residents.

The bulk of it is under Malay reserve land. There are about 4,300 owners.

Set aside as a Malay Agriculture Settlement reserve on Jan 12, 1900, it is one of the last remaining sites in the city with distinctive Malay traditional houses and way of life.

After several attempts to kick-start the plan to develop the settlement, the Kampung Baru Development Corporation Bill 2010 was tabled for first reading by Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin in December last year.

Abandoned: The stalled Plaza Rakyat project.

The move, however, irked residents including the Kampung Baru Development Association who claimed that they were not consulted before the bill was tabled.

Problems cited by the residents included the immunity of the Kampung Baru Development Corporation and representatives of the landowners in the corporation.

A consensus was finally reached between the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and representatives of stakeholders in June.

The representatives of the stakeholders included the Kampung Baru Malay Agricultral Settlement board of management, Kampung Baru Development Association and Kampung Baru Malay Children’s Welfare Association (Pakam).

Nong Chik at that time said the representatives had agreed to a comprehensive development in the area by the corporation and government-linked companies.

Only after months of meetings and consultation with the residents, a new amended Kampung Baru Development Corporation Bill was tabled, debated and passed during the Dewan Rakyat sitting in October this year.

The three most important issues amended in the bill were revoking the immunity of the Kampung Baru Corporation, retaining the Malay Agricultural Society and introducing a new post of deputy chairman for the Kampung Baru Development Corporation that will include a landowner.

With the bill now passed, it is only expected to be gazetted by the first quarter of next year, paving the way for the setting up of Kampung Baru Corp after numerous hiccups along the way.

Another project which has been in limbo is the Keramat Mall, a project that has stalled for a number of years now.

The four-storey market complex with a food court, bank and post office was completed last year at RM49mil.

Traders at the Keramat wet market nearby were asked to move into the new mall but they refused to do so, citing several problems.

The traders were unhappy with the design of the building as well as the lots and have asked for a nearby building to house just the wet market.

The project faced more trouble as landowners of the proposed building refused to move, citing insufficient compensation from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Recently, Nong Chik said a new deadline would be given to the traders to move.

He added that the traders did not want to move because they were afraid of losing their customers, but eventually they have to move.

The Plaza Rakyat is another project that’s turning into an eyesore.

The RM70mil mixed-commercial development near the Puduraya bus station was left half-completed about 15 years ago when the developer ran into financial difficulty.

Many of the buyers have pressured DBKL to solve the problem, however, nothing has been done so far to revive the abandoned project.

Nong Chik had earlier said a new developer would be appointed by the Economic Planning Unit through an open tender, after the deal with the original developer was terminated.

However, so far nothing has been announced on the plan to revive the project.

The authorities need to come to a quick solution to solve the problems in these projects that have been in limbo for so long.

Ampang community and council ensure slopes monitored

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AMPANG has come a long way since its last major landslide in 2008 and this year the residents and the local authority are playing important roles in slope mitigation and increasing awareness on the problem.

At the forefront of creating awareness on slope mitigation is the Coalition of Bukit Antarabangsa Residents’ Association (CoBARA).

The association’s SlopeWatch programme consists of a small group of people who work towards ensuring the hills are monitored and maintained.

Programme chairman Razak Baharom said they had engaged the community since the programme’s inception and worked out a system with the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) on reporting slope problems.

“This has resulted in a more efficient way of handling such incidences,” he said.

According to him, the preventive action taken by the MPAJ has helped prevent landslides.

Programme director Eriko Motoyama said in the aftermath of the landslide, residents tended to be anxious over anything they perceived as slope problems.

“Many tended to believe landslides happen out of the blue but there are many signs before one happens where preventive action can be taken,” she said.

Safe: Though it is now covered in grass and nicely terraced, this slope is a stark reminder to many of the 2008 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide tragedy that eventually cost RM70mil to repair.

While Bukit Antarabangsa residents are learning to cope with living in a high-risk area and are becoming increasingly aware of their responsibility in slope maintenance, those living in other parts of Ampang are still struggling with the problem.

Some, like those living in Kampung Bukit Sungai Puteh, have been known to continue living in their houses despite a landslip behind their homes.

“When we receive reports of any slope incident including those on private land, we take immediate action by installing tarpauline sheets on the exposed soil to prevent more water seeping into the ground,” said MPAJ president Datuk Mohammad Yacob, adding the council monitored about 600 slopes in Ampang.

He said when a landslide occurred on private land, the council would send a notice to the owner for rectification work.

On MPAJ’s part, they have also organised two talks this year for those living in strata-titled units and included a session where MPAJ’s slope division head Zafrul Fazry Mohd Fauzi would educate them on slope issues.

The council has also distributed booklets called Guidelines on Slope Maintenance for Public with basic information on slope maintenance to the residents.

Mohammad said they had a Disaster Control Room with teams on standby for emergencies such as landslides, soil erosion, flash floods and even fallen trees.

“Whenever the rainy season approaches, we have three teams on standby. During other times we only have one,” he said of the room that was established in 2007.

Even developers are starting to play a more responsible role in slope-mitigation and one such work that took place this year was along Jalan Wangsa 1 in Bukit Antarabangsa where a landslide occurred 12 years ago, cutting off access for thousands living there.

A spokesman of the landowner and developer, Superview Development Sdn Bhd, said the work was a result of a notice sent by MPAJ three years ago.

“We hired a geotechnical expert to study the slope’s water content and type of soil before coming up with the best design possible to strengthen the slope,” he said.

The project was completed recently and the developer has reassured residents that they have no further plans to develop the slope.

A Malaysian Christmas for beauties

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IT WAS probably the first Christmas celebrated in Malaysia for most of the Miss Tourism International 2011 contestants.

The beauties from over 50 countries, who have been in Malaysia for the past three weeks, just returned from their second official state visit to Johor, where they celebrated Christmas over the weekend.

The girls will be attending a rehearsal for the finals, which will held on Dec 31.

Today we feature contestants from Russia,Vietnam and Lithuania.

MISS RUSSIA: Aleksandra Borisova, 22, who stands at 5’6” tall loves travelling and driving. She is a model whose ambition is to be a supermodel.

MISS VIETNAM:Standing at 5’7”, Diem Thuyen Ngoc Tran is a model with a passion for travelling and photography. This beautiful 23-year-old wants to be a successful businesswoman.

MISS LITHUANIA: Karolina Parmionova is a student whose passion is horseriding. The 22-year-old, who stands at 5’8” tall, plans to be a biomedical scientist.

Wider river, higher bridge to curb floods

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Sungai Jelok will be widened by four metres and the bridge near the wet market in Kajang town will be raised by two metres.

“These are among the precautionary measures to be taken to prevent floods in Kajang,” said Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman at the council’s full board meeting last week.

“The flood on Dec 2 in Kajang was caused by heavy rain.

“Heavy rainfall over Kajang has been predicted in March next year, hence we have to take precautionary measures,” he said.

He denied claims that the recent flood was caused by clogged drains.

Councillor Lee Kee Hiong highlighted the issue of Chinese physicians who have to pay a higher fee when registering for a licence due to the Beauty & Health Care Centre (MPKJ) 2007 By-law.

Terrible day: The flash floods in Kajang following heavy rain on Dec 13.

“Under the previous by-law, the physicians only have to pay a lump sum of RM200 per year.

“However, the new by-law requires them to pay RM100 for every 10sq metres.

“They also have to undergo health checks like massage parlour masseuses,” she said, adding that MPKj only started enforcing the new by-law last year.

It was suggested that there should be a separate by-law for Chinese physicians.

Hassan said the council had decided to stick to the previous by-law for the time being.

He added that Kajang councillors’ term had also been extended from the original Dec 31, 2011 to January 2012.

Senior citizens receive their welfare aid

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Long awaited: (From left) Gombak Welfare Department assistant Nazrul Shah Ismail, Rawang constituency coordinator Soong Beng Khoon, Selayang Parliamentary coordinator Jessie Ooi presenting the allocation to one of the old folks, Saradah Sinnapan. On the right is Selayang MCA Public Complaints Bureau chairman Johnson Ooi.

ABOUT 100 poor residents turned up at Wisma MCA in Rawang to collect their monthly allocation for October and November from the Gombak Welfare Department.

Gombak Welfare Depart-ment assistant Emilzaful Fuad said the department had started giving out the allocations three months ago.

“The lowest amount given today is RM95 and the highest RM450. Some of the allocation is banked in while others prefer to receive cash,’’ he said.

Business community unhappy with changes

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THERE were many street demonstrations and protests throughout the year in Little India Brickfields due to changes in the initial plan.

The RM32mil project’s first phase was completed in record time to welcome India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Oct 27 last year.

Everything began with a single 1Malaysia kiosk that was placed on the walkway near the Sri Paandi Restaurant as a trial run. The kiosks were supposed to help poor Indian traders earn a living.

However, in May the business community was riled up claiming they had no knowledge of the kiosks.

Business owners began questioning the need for the kiosks and said it would threaten their livelihood if the traders sold items similar to their outlets.

Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said the kiosks were part of the blueprint of Little India and everyone was aware of it since the beginning of the discussions.

Brickfields Business Community Society president Barath Maniam had said that some members were told that if they did not want the kiosks, they would be given to outsiders.

After all the ruckus, the kiosks were taken out never to see the light of day again. Many are asking about the poor Indians left without the means to earn a living at the expense of business owners who already have a steady stream of customers.

Inconvenient: Visually-impaired G. Gunabalan, 56, and Ajong Sidim, 55, (right) walking on the road near Little India Brickfields as the pedestrian walkway is covered by stalls that were licensed by the DBKL.

Before the questions on the kiosks were properly answered the Deepavali mood set in at Brickfields. This year was the first time the bazaars were set up after the launch of Little India.

Renovations had increased the size of the walkway leaving a lot of space for more stalls this time around. However, this was not well-received by the blind community.

The new walkway were equipped with tact tiles for the blind but the bazaars were set up on top of the tiles making it difficult for the blind to walk.

The banter between Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the blind was affecting the business and traders blocking the tiles were asked to remove their goods and leave walkway unhindered.

Frustrated traders nearly got into fistcuffs with DBKL enforcement officers during the visit by the local authority officials.

All City Hall could say was they would review the matter next year and maybe even relocate the bazaar to the backlanes but who would be willing to go to the backlanes to shop?

The last but most crucial issue that raised many eyebrows was the contra-flow lane for buses and taxis from the city centre heading towards Taman Seputeh and Bangsar that started on Dec 3.

The lane begins at the intersection of Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4 and goes through Little India and heads into Taman Seputeh and Bangsar through Jalan Travers.

The residents along Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad supported the decision to ensure that less traffic goes through the residential part of Brickfields.

On the first day of the contra-flow, a father and his teenage son were injured after being hit by a bus while crossing the road.

They were not aware of the contra-flow system.

The business community, meanwhile, were unhappy that the bus lane cost them the parking bays in front of their shops and the accident sparked outrage among the people.

About 150 people held a protest several days later carrying black flags and shutting their outlets for an hour to show their frustration over the poor traffic management and lack of parking bays which led to a 50% drop in business.

Despite the protest, City Hall has decided to go ahead with the contra-flow lane and requested the people to give the system some time to work.

All these issues are a mere reminder of what is to come next year since many of the problems remain unresolved.

Watery issue for City Hall to resolve

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KUALA LUMPUR suffered its worst flooding when an afternoon downpour on Dec 13 left hundreds of people stuck in a bumper-to-bumper traffic in Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Semarak, and Kampung Baru.

The situation has left many people wondering, After millions spent on flood-mitigation projects, should this have happened?

Naturally it prompted calls for the Government to allocate immediate funds to upgrade Sg Bunus — the source of the flood havoc.

And it is was no surprise to hear of an RM85mil allocation for flood-mitigation work, including RM20mil for the Federal Territory Drainage and Irrigation Department, to divert water from Sg Bunus to Lake Titiwangsa.

After more than half a century now, it seems every administration has come up with some plan or another to alleviate floods in the Kuala Lumpur yet the problem still persists.

When the city experienced its severe floods in 2007, it propelled the opening of the RM1.9bil Storm Water Management and Road Tunnel project (SMART) months ahead of schedule.

Before that, the federal capital experienced massive floods twice in 2001 and once in June 2003. It was then that our city fathers realised that the rivers flowing through the city were no longer able to cope the rising volume of water and the massive development did not permit for river improvement work because of space constraint.

A SMART spokesman had said that had it not been for the SMART Tunnel the city would have experienced much worse flooding recently.

Nowhere to go: Motorists stuck in a massive traffic jam because of floods in Jalan Tun Razak.

Flood mitigation projects undertaken by the government, City Hall and the Federal Territory Drainage and Irrigation Department had been implemented over the past 10 years.

In fact in 2007 alone seven projects were carried out in various flood-prone areas in the city.

Some of these “long-term” measures include, building retention ponds, upgrading drains and diverting water from one river to another.

While these projects have to some extent mitigated the flooding, nothing has ever been able to solve the problem.

So will announcing a fresh tender for another flood-mitigation project to divert the flow from Sungai Bunus to Sungai Gombak through Taman Tasik Titiwangsa the solution?

Maybe it could be as KL mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail said there would always be floods if the rainfall was very heavy.

So perhaps KL residents can do their part by mitigating the situation by not choking the drains and rivers with garbage.

It was reported that since last week’s floods, DBKL and DID have been working hard to clear the debris from the drains and rivers.

It is everyone’s responsibility to take care of the city and people must change this “tidak apa” attitude if Kuala Lumpur is ever to develop as a world-class city.

New hawkers’ council a platform to solve problems involving traders

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THE recognition of street hawkers and petty traders as part of the federal capital’s urban picture is well illustrated by the designation of certain streets in Kuala Lumpur as tourist landmarks.

The famous Chinatown or Petaling Street is one example of a bustling trading centre, while the Little India in Brickfields is another spot in the city that is fast becoming popular.

Other areas with potential for hawker development are Kampung Baru, Chow Kit and Masjid India — all three with a history of hawking that goes back more than a 100 years.

The hawker industry generates a whopping RM20bil a year, according to Federal Territory Malay Hawkers and Small Traders Association President Datuk Bahrim A. Razak.

Street hawking is undoubtedly one of the oldest and most popular in any city as it only requires minimal capital and skill.

However, while many people may find the hawkers convenient for offering cheap and tasty food others see them as a nuisance that mar the city’s image.

With the increase in the number of illegal hawker stalls in the city, the situation has created a range of social problems that is not helping Kuala Lumpur’s image at all.

The chaotic and unhygienic way the hawkers operate with food prepared near drains and sidewalks is contributing to the growing rat population in Kuala Lumpur.

Popular: Petaling Street is one example of a bustling trading centre.

The licensed hawkers operating in food courts blame the illegal ones of killing their business.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) periodic enforcement to rid the city of unlicensed hawkers and petty traders has resulted in many street protests.

The Federal Territory and Urban Wellbeing Ministry will be setting up the Federal Territories Hawkers and Petty Traders Council and many see it as a way to solve the city’s hawker problem.

The objectives of the council and its policies include planning, development, upgrading, monitoring, enforcement and development of human capital as well as increasing the status of traders’ associations.

The council will be set up by year-end and will act as a platform for traders to voice their grouses.

According to FT Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, the council will help promote greater interaction between the authorities and hawkers as well as create a more organised environment for hawkers.

However, for this to work, hawkers must be made responsible for their actions and follow a code of ethics, cleanliness and the law, failing which they must be prepared to lose their licences.

Licences must be given only to deserving hawkers and petty traders, hence City Hall has to ensure that this group is not marginalised by middlemen.

Therefore it is the role of the hawkers’ council to ensure that there is transparency and accountability for the system to work.

Perhaps Raja Nong Chik can also include the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to sit in the council to ensure there is accountability and transparency.

Only with such a good system in place can Kuala Lumpur strive to become world-class city.

Sizzling fight till the end

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Award winners: (From left) Thong (char koay teow), Azizan (satay), Syed Khaidhir (teh tarik), Koay (hokkien mee), Seeni Mohamed (mee goreng) and Ee Quen (asam laksa) posing for a group photo after claiming their prizes.

AFTER five days of intense battle, six hawkers can now proudly call themselves the ‘top hawkers’ in the local food industry after each of them emerged champion in the inaugural Battle of Penang Hawkers on Christmas Day.

Unperturbed by a big crowd of holidaymakers as well as food lovers at the Chin Ho Plaza in Penang Times Square, Lee Ee Quen, 29, (laksa), Thong Cheng Poh, 46, (char koay teow), Seeni Mohamed Sheik Abidin, 34, (mee goreng), Koay Teik Ghee, 31, (hokkien mee), Azizan Abdul Aziz, 31, (satay) and Syed Khaidhir, 32, (teh tarik) showed off their cooking prowess to come out tops in their respectively categories.

Char Koay Teow master Thong said the victory came as a big surprise as he had just started the fried koay teow business five years ago.

“I was just thinking of gaining some experience from this competition. Anyway, I’m very happy to have won. I would like to thank my family members who have been supporting me all the while,” he said.

Kids enjoying mee goreng during the finals of the Battle of Penang Hawkers Masters 2011 at Penang Times 2011.

Another elated winner Syed Khaidhir, who is an event organiser by profession, also entered this tournament for the fun of it but returned home a winner in the teh tarik category.

“It was an unexpected triumph. I only decided to take part at the eleventh hour. I could not believe it when they announced my name for the most delicious teh tarik and the best teh tarik performance. I’m truly happy,” he said.

As for his secret recipe that won him the title on Sunday, Syed Khaidhir revealed that he had mixed the F&N sweetened condensed milk together with F&N evaporated filled milk to make his tea tastier.

The battle of teh tarik which started on Sunday saw 10 contestants performing teh tarik stunts and preparation of the tea to the judges.

Judges for the teh tarik category were No.1 Raja Tarik 2011, Amirul Fadhli Shamsudin, Ivory Properties Group Berhad executive director Ron Loh and Chefs Association of Malaysia (Penang Chapter) director of training and education Lee Chan Wai.

Entertaining show: (above) Syed Khaidhir showing of his gravity-defying teh tarik skills en route to winning the category in the competition.

For Ee Quen, winning the laksa category was something special for her family and she quickly attributed her success to her grandmother and mother.

“The secret recipe passed down by my grandmother had actually wowed the judges.

“It was my mother who taught me how to cook this delicious laksa,” said Ee Quen, who is currently running her stall at a coffee shop opposite the Penang Chinese Girls High School.

Each of the winners walked away with cash worth RM2,000, medals, a certificate from the Tourism Ministry, hampers and cutlery sets.

Apart from Loh and Lee, the judges also included Star Publications (M) Bhd regional operations manager (North) Chung Chok Yin, Foodsion Magazine director Jenny Oon, Sunshine Amanjaya Sdn Bhd director Datuk Abdul Rafique Karim, Axian’s Food Adventures television host Jason Yeoh, local chef Plilip Yoong, Kwong Wah Yit Poh Press Berhad assistant editor-in-chief Teoh Yee Seong and Federation of Penang and Seberang Perai Hawkers Association secretary Seow Hean Teik.

Never-ending cycle

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IT HAS been an eventful 12 months in the Klang Valley. Today StarMetro starts its Yearender series, recapping 2011 and highlighting the significant events and moments. We kick off with the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.

Often the construction or upgrading of roads always falls short of it intended purpose as in the case Jalan Genting Klang.

According to traffic consultant Goh Bok Yen, 65,000 to 75,000 vehicles used the road daily. It serves the eastern corridor connecting motorists to the Middle Ring Road 2.

About RM80mil had been spent upgrading the four-kilometre stretch. Work began in 2008 to widen the road, including the building of drains and pedestrian walkway.

However, with rapid development that included high-rise apartments, hospital and shopping malls, the upgrading failed to meet its purpose.

Indiscriminate parking, buses and taxis hogging the road as well as an increase in population has made the road as congested as before the upgrade.

Even the design of the road is flawed, A similar scenario can been seen at Old Klang Road.

No end in sight: Jalan Genting Klang is still plagued by congestion problem.

Upgrading of the 5.4km stretch started in 2002 costing the Federal Government RM359mil.

It, too. has seen rapid development and the road is now unable to cope with the increase in the number of vehicles.

At the latest development in Old Klang Road, Scott Garden, motorists park along the already congested road due to lack of parking bays.

However, with every development Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) assures the public there are enough parking space and the traffic impact assessment is carried out accordingly.

On an average a Malaysian household has three cars because many cannot rely on public transport.

The only foreseeable solution would be the MY Rapid Transit (MRT) but even that is plagued by issues such as land acquisition and protests in several housing estates.

Work has begun on the Sungai Buloh-Kajang project, covering 51km route with 31 stations.

The road-widening projects are often done not only to ease the congestion but also to cater to development, including the MRT stations.

Perhaps the Government can look into imposing rules like in Singapore, where it is harder for people to own a car. If it makes more sense and cheaper for people to drive, then the MRT will not be a success.

As a result, the Government would probably be building more and more roads to ease the congestion.

However, only time will tell if the the road projects will benefit motorists in the Klang Valley.

Handbag collection goes retro

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CLASSIC looks of the ’70s make a comeback this holiday season with Guess holiday 2011 handbag collection.

F J Benjamin (M) Sdn Bhd marketing communications manager Sue Chan said the inspiration behind the Guess Pre-Spring 2012 handbag collection was about being lady-like and feminine, yet ironic and edgy.

“Touches of gold, sequins and stones are added to serve as a show-stopper and are playfully seductive.

Elegant: Guess Holiday 2011 Handbag Collection.

“Quilting and pleats give a further expensive look to stunning purses and tiny cross bodies,” she said after the grand introduction held at Bedroom in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur recently.

The highlights of the pre-spring 2012 collection are Entangled and Port Grimaud.

“The Entangled collection is the perfect spring chic. Vintage rose printed with all- over leopard print pvc is finished with the season’s must-have trim, Vachetta pu. Hardware stays delicate and feminine. The shiny silver Guess script with a dainty lock are simply precious. Rose and lilac flowers add a touch of colour after the winter gloom.

“Pair this fresh collection with a flirty lace dress and strappy platform sandals,” she said.

Port Grimaud on the other hand is inspired by the carefree, peace-making hippies of the ’70s.

Trendy: Medium hobo handbags from Alexi collection.

“Washed denim framed in ostrich evoke spontaneous light-hearted boating trips and afternoon picnics.

“Comfortable tote and satchels are perfect for day-to-day life and the Guess triangle with a bouquet of roses printed motif on the front makes the bag extra unique. Pair it with with your favourite Guess denim, light tee, and uber-sleek leather jacket to make an easy- going statement,” said Chan.

Among the highlights in the Winter 2011 collection are Paramour, Cool Classic and Madelena.

“Paramour features vinyl-coated, jacquard trimmed with patent and embellished with large hoops as well as tiny hearts to add the perfect finishing touch to a flirty range, while the Cool Classic brings about a kaleidoscope of attractive colours to winter.

“Meanwhile, Madelena is all about femininity and being lady-like with pretty belts, dainty metals and delicate Guess gold lettering embellishment making these pieces perfect for the season’s parties.

“Whether a modern jet-setter with a twist of avant-garde chic or feminine adventurer, this collection is all about being bold and expressing yourself,” added Chan.

Ancient Khmer ruins and cultural shows a hit with tourists

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NORTHEAST Thailand, or I-san as it is called in Thai language, is pretty quiet and subdued compared to Bangkok or Phuket mainly due to its rural landscapes and its people’s simple way of life.

However, the region comes alive in the third weekend of November every year.

This is because local and foreign tourists gather in droves to witness the Amazing Surin Elephant Roundup which takes place once a year in Surin.

This unique event, perhaps the only one of its kind in the world, brings together more than 250 elephants in a single venue. In fact, it is fair to say that Surin is in the world map due to the popularity of the Elephant Roundup.

Historical show: The colourful and mesmering sound and light performance at Prasat Sri Khoraphum gives a good description on the events leading to the formation of the Kingdom of Siam.

The Surin region is famed for its elephant trainers who manage to tame the wild elephants after capturing them in the jungle. Once tamed by their “conquerors”, the elephants are taught to perform a variety of tricks and stunts much to the delight of the spectators.

At the Sri Narong Stadium in Surin, visitors get to see a re-enactment of how the Kui tribe captured elephants from the wild and train them to do chores in the farm.

Visitors will be thrilled to see elephants playing soccer, basketball and even darts. The elephants also show their brute strength by easily defeating more than 30 human beings in a tug-of-war match.

After the three-hour show, tourists are given the opportunity to feed sugar-cane shoots and the more adventurous get to go for a short ride on the elephant for a token fee.

Fierce battle: The Elephant Roundup show at Surin also depicts scenes which show Siam at war with her neighbours in which elephants featured prominently during the battles.

This is the 51st year that this event is being held in Surin and the event gets bigger and bigger each year as more people come to hear about the spectacular show by over 250 elephants.

The best way to get to Surin is to take a flight from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani and then use public transport to reach Surin. One can also travel to Surin by road from Bangkok for the 457km journey.

A couple of days before the roundup, tourists get the opportunity to see a colourful presentation of dance and drama which depicts the origins of the Kingdom of Siam (the old name for Thailand). This show is presented at the ancient Hindu temple built in the 12th century called Prasat SriKhoraphum located 34km away from Surin town.

The dancers and performers wear elaborate colourful costumes and headgear as they sing and dance to traditional Thai music. The show depicts how the early inhabitants of the kingdom embraced Hinduism and centuries later became followers of Buddhism.

This ancient temple which is about 30m high is believed to have been contructed in the 12th century. The sanctuary comprises five brick towers raised on a single base, adesign similar to simialar temple ruins found in Baphuon and Angkor in Cambodia.

The stone carvings of celestial dancers on the door to the central tower of the temple is similae to the ones found at Angkor.

Apart from the elephant show, Surin is also known for its hand woven traditional silk, silverware and rattan baskets.

Ancient wonder: The Prasat Hin Phanom Rung temple at Buri Ram.

One of the popular places where tourists throng to buy traditional silk or “Yok Thong” at Surin is at the Ban Tha Sawang Village. Also known as the Village of Silk, it became well known internationally after it was chosen to do weave the silk shirts and scarfs for the APEC leaders in 2003. Three years later, weavers from the village were again chosen to to weave the silk material for the Thai royalty in conjunction with the King’s 60th anniversary in ascending the throne.

“Yok Thong” is uniquely woven either from pure silver and golden coloured silk. It takes between one and three months to complete one piece of silk fabric.

Another interesting place to visit in this region is the ancient Khmer ruin Prasat Hin Phanom Rung located about 120km from Buri Ram town. It is an ancient Hindu temple which was built when the region was ruled by the Khmer kingdom hence its design and structure has similiarities with Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Phanom Rung is a fine example of ancient Khmer art and architecture. Believed to have been constructed in the 12th century to pay homage to Lord Shiva, the temple is built out of pink sandstone and laterite.

Standing at 383m, the temple ruins provides a breathtaking view of the Khorat Plateau and the Dong Rak Mountains that form the border with Cambodia.

The building structures within the walled compound comprise a chambered gateway, a square-based sanctuary tower with entrances to the four main corners.

“This is arguably the most impressive of similar monuments to be seen outside Cambodia which has its famed Angkor Wat,” said the local tour guide.

He added that the temple was intricately designed to enable the sun rays to pass through the 15 doorways of the temple. This phenomena can be witnessed only four times a year.

A good place to visit while on holiday on this part of Thailand will be the Pha Taem National Park located at Ubon Ratchathani. It is a tourist attraction which has plateaus, mountains, forest and waterfalls. Within the park is Pha Tame, a hilly place which has ancient paintings on the stone columns of the cliffs.

Rock wonder: Sao Chaliang is a unique collection of large rocks in the shape of mushrooms in Ubon Ratchathani.

The route to Pha Tame will allow one to see a breathtaking view of the Mekong River from the edge of a cliff. You are also able to see with the jungles on the Laos side across the river.

The Saeng Chan Waterfalls is also located at this park.

Also within the park is the Sao Chaliang, which is a large natural formation of rocks in the shpae of mushrooms. Fossilised sea-shells, pebbles and sand grains can be seen on the stone slabs.

Another interesting place to visit at will be Wat Pa Na Chat or the “Monastery in the Forest” at Ubon Ratchathani. This monastery was set up by the late Buddhist monk Achan Cha to provide English-speaking monks an opportunity to follow the way Buddha taught his monks in the forest 2,600 years ago.

Company gives Seremban home a new coat of paint

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Dulux together with one of its business partners, Shong Heng Home Centre held the Dulux Colour In Store promotion early this month.

Held at the Shong Heng Home Centre branch in Seremban 2, the roadshow was designed to provide consumers with knowledge on colour and to advocate AkzoNobel’s sustainable efforts by educating the public on the application of healthy and eco-friendly paints solutions.

AkzoNobel is the world’s largest paints and coatings company, and a major producer of specialty chemicals since its acquisition of ICI Paints in Jan 2008.

Colourful project: (From left) Shong Heng Home Centre Sdn Bhd director Poon Kai Yin, ICI Paints Malaysia regional sales manager Wong Sing Chiok, Shong Heng Home Centre Sdn Bhd director Lew Kok Loong, ICI Paints Malaysia managing director CW Goh and ICI Paints Malaysia sales director Michael Chung with children of Rhema House.

The roadshow, themed “Adding colour to people’s lives” consisted of activities catering to both adult and children, with the highlight of the event being the painting of a canvas mural by the children of Rhema House.

Three weeks prior to the roadshow, Dulux and Shong Heng had worked hand-in-hand to repaint the interior and exterior of Rhema House, an orphanage in Seremban 3.

As a token of appreciation to both Dulux and Shong Heng Home Centre for giving their home a new coat of paint, the children painted and presented a canvas mural which was proudly placed in the Shong Heng store.

The children were thrilled to be able to express both their gratitude as well as creativity through the mural painting activity.

During the roadshow, Seremban residents had the opportunity to seek free colour consultation services provided throughout the entire programme. They were also treated to a special appearance by feng shui expert Kenny Hoo, who spoke on Colour Feng Shui for 2012.

In conjunction with the roadshow, Dulux and Shong Heng Home Centre arranged a special three-day promotion for Dulux paints, offering rebates through Shong Heng cash vouchers for purchases of Dulux range of eco-friendly paints.

Firms help make a difference via CSR

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Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become part of many companies’ culture.

People do take notice, and as more and more firms find new approaches to integrate these initiatives into their core strategies, CSR has had a positive influence and impact on people.

IJM Corporation Berhad chief executive officer and managing director Datuk Teh Kean Ming said sustainable business policies were central to a company’s growth.

For everyone’s benefit: IJM staff volunteer their time to beautify the landscape in Zoo Negara as part of IJM’s Corporate Responsibility.

“Corporate citizenship should essentially arise from the business policies and growth drivers of the firm, industry and the economy. CSR refers to the impact or involvement a firm has with the immediate communities,” he said.

He added that IJM Corporation launched its ‘Give Day Out’ where employees from all levels were involved in flying the group’s corporate responsibility (CR) flag. The programme took place in various locations where IJM was present, chiefly in Malaysia, India and China.

“Over 100 groups, comprising 2,000 employees, went out and engaged in a CR initiative of their choice.

“It revolved around the group’s key CR pillars: community, environment, marketplace and workplace. It involved rehabilitating schools, rivers and community parks, tree planting at forest reserves, cleaning beaches and IJM’s expressway, the construction of a badminton court for an orphanage, movie outings with underprivileged children and mangrove seed planting,” Teh said.

He said the aim of the activities was to encourage the spirit of “giving for a good cause”.

“We want to create awareness about certain causes and mobilise the masses to be involved in such activities,” he added.

Also present at the CR activities were IJM executive deputy chairman Tan Sri Krishnan Tan, and IJM Land Berhad chief executive officer and managing director Datuk Soam Heng Choon.

Rookie marathoners get valuable tips during clinic

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THE beginners overcame the challenging start, especially the steady uphill climb stretch, on the 6km trial run recently in preparation for next season’s Multi-Purpose Insurans Run starting from the Padang Merbok carpark in Kuala Lumpur.

It was a new experience for the rookies, to gauge their progress in the familiarisation outing going around the actual course for the upcoming proper run scheduled at the same venue on Jan 8, 2012.

Newcomer Jasmine Sek said she was delighted to chalk up tremendous improvement over the past two months as a build-up to tackling the longer 12km distance at the upcoming event.

Mentoring role: Yew Leong (left) sharing his knowledge with the beginners in the training group.

“It was fun joining the My First Run Clinic training sessions with my mother Jessica Khor and aunt Angie Ng. Besides getting in shape, we have also learned a lot and gained valuable knowledge related to running from the workshops hosted after the runs on every Saturday. It was also interesting to mingle with others exploring the joy of running. After going past the half-way mark today, I am ready to compete in the 12km run,” the 25-year-old manager added.

The www.runnersmalaysia.com.my website co-founders Wan Yew Leong and Jamie Pang have been guiding their eager learners through the paces in the three-month initiative leading up to the main run.

They have adopted certain training methods from the New York Road Runners’ programme for beginners tackling the 4.2km course around the Lake Gardens.

Initially, they have divided the 4.2km route into five segments of approximately 800m for each section and encouraged the trainees to combine jog and brisk walk in completing the distance.

“The turnout has been encouraging with a group of 30 regular faces showing up to join the training sessions. Several of them have been running on their own but found it more lively to be part of the group in adding variety to their usual training regime. For the beginners, we are pleased with their gradual progress because they found the right momentum running the full distance of 4.2km all the way without stopping. The 6km trial run served as a boost to their confidence in convincing them that they are on the right track,” said the former Pacesetters Athletic Club Malaysia (PACM) president Yew Leong.

Homecoming: Newcomers Jasmine (left) and Ooi Liew Heong approaching the finishing area of the 6km trial run.

The hosts have also invited several key speakers including a chiropractor, a cardiologist and fitness trainer to enlighten the participants on issues related to running after their training on selected weeks.

Among other topics covered were running injuries and prevention, selecting the right fit running shoes and balance diet for sports.

For the 6km route, the two sections are women’s and men’s above 16 years.

The six categories for the 12km course are women’s and men’s above 16 years; women’s veteran 35 to 45 years; men’s veteran 40 to 50 years; women’s senior veteran above 45 years; and men’s senior veteran above 50 years.

“As we will be using timing chips for the 12km sections, we can only accommodate a maximum field of 2,255 runners and there are only limited places available. However, we can still cater for the last minute entries in both the shorter 6km events,” said Yew Leong.

Alliance Bank and New Balance are the two main partners for the run.