By admin on May 19, 2012
There is an Irish proverb that goes like this : “Ni ceart go cur le cheile” which translates into “There is no strength without unity.”
The proverb tells us that “united we stand, divided we fall”. Unity refers to the condition or state of being one. Unity is powerful. A strand of string is easily broken. A rope is strong because its threads are united. We cannot break it unless the threads are separated. Nothing can be achieved without unity. Unity is necessary for the survival of all. Unity is like a link that connects a long chain.
Thus unity means “all for one, and one for all”.
Unity is strength
Similarly, one vote is hardly enough to swing an election, but if people unite to vote the same way, as one unified voice, then democratic power can and does assert itself.
The 13th Malaysian general election must be held by April 2013 but it is widely expected that it will be held very soon. The constitutional parliamentary term in Malaysia is five years, after which the parliament must be dissolved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister as pertained in the Malaysian laws for national elections.
The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition was returned in the 2008 general elections with 140 seats, giving it its worst result since the 1969 elections. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition won 82 seats, thereby denying the BN its two-thirds majority which is required to pass amendments to the Federal Constitution. Pakatan Rakyat also gained five of the 13 state assemblies (has since lost one state assembly-Perak to BN due to defection) and 10 of the 11 parliamentary seats in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.
With so many scandals tarnishing the ruling BN coalition in recent years and a growing discontent among Malaysians, the BN faces a major battle in this forthcoming election.
Most Malaysians want a change. The DAP battle cry of Ubah has resonated with the urban voters. There are still a lot of voters who feel that their votes do not carry any weight. How wrong they are!
Each and every vote counts! If voters can unite, they can exercise people power. They can show the ruling BN who is the real boss.
Posted in Malaysia | Tagged 13th Malaysian general election, 2008 general elections, Barisan Nasional coalition, DAP battle cry of Ubah!, Each and every vote counts!, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQtFp3wY0SQ, Irish proverb “Ni ceart go cur le cheile”, Pakatan Rakyat coalition, people power, the condition or state of being one, the real boss, Union is strength YouTube video, Unity is powerful, “all for one and one for all”, “There is no strength without unity”, “united we stand divided we fall” |
By admin on May 13, 2012
It is a fact that most passengers do not pay any heed to flight security announcements and I personally am guilty of that. But that may soon change if flight attendants follow the example of AirAsia’s Quinton Dinesh Thomas.
Quinton Dinesh Thomas
Tired of passengers not heeding the security announcements, Quinton decided to inject some humour into his routine security announcements. And he has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
And not only did Quinton succeed in getting passengers to pay attention, the video of his act recorded by YouTube user @saymawa on board the AirAsia AK804 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Krabi recently has become a viral hit on YouTube and social networking sites.
Below are snippets of his security announcements:
“Fix your own mask first before assisting others under your care, especially children or any adult who may act like a child.
“As this is a non-smoking flight, please do not smoke throughout the flight. Smoking in the toilet will activate the smoke alarm. If you wish to smoke, please go outside the aircraft,” are among his humorous quotes.
Quinton credits his colleague Khuraizah Ramlan as his inspiration for the announcement.
“She has been making them funny – way before I did – because she believes it’s a good way to help passengers remember and understand the procedures.
“It always works. For example, when I make loud breathing sounds while the other attendant is demonstrating the use of the oxygen mask.
“It helps passengers who don’t understand English remember how the mask works,” he said.
“It is very important that they pay attention so that they will know what to do in an emergency,” said the 31-year-old Quinton, who has been working at the airline for about two years.
Quinton, who previously worked as a clown and entertainer at events, said he enjoyed making people laugh.
“Eh, clap louder lah,” Quinton is heard saying at the end of his announcement, to which the passengers respond with loud applause and cheers.
Posted in Malaysia, The Odd The Weird The Wacky | Tagged AirAsia, AirAsia’s Quinton Dinesh Thomas, Flight attendant adds funny twist to safety demonstration routine, flight security announcements, humourous flight security announcements, Khuraizah Ramlan, YouTube user @saymawa |
By admin on May 6, 2012
31-year-old Taiwanese pop singer Ella Chen Chia-Hwa (陳嘉樺), a member of the girl group S.H.E., tied the knot yesterday at Le Méridien Taipei with her 36-year-old sweetheart Alvin Lai (賴斯翔 a.k.a 尔文赖) from Malaysia in a star-studded ceremony. The two have been dating for one and a half years.
Ella Chen and Alvin Lai at their wedding reception on Saturday May 5, 2012.
Alvin & Ella kissing at the reception
Continue reading “The Wedding of S.H.E. Ella Chen And Malaysian Alvin Lai”
Posted in Beautiful Women, weddings | Tagged "My husband is the best!", Ah-Ken and Nado, Alvin Lai from Malaysia, Barbie Hsu, best man at Ella Chen’s wedding, Chen Chia-Hwa, Christine Fan, Dylan Kuo, Ella Chen's wedding photos, Ella Chen's wedding video, Fish Leung and hubby Tony Chiu, Hebe Tien, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpXAUmKiszc, JJ Lin, L'Oreal Group in Taiwan, Le Méridien Taipei, Matilda Tao and actor husband Li Liren, Pace Wu, S.H.E, Selina Jen, Sodagreen frontman Wu Tsing-Fong, Taiwanese pop singer Ella Chen, the maid-in-honour at Ella Chen’s wedding, The Wedding of Ella Chen And Alvin Lai, Valen Hsu, world's top female golfer Yani Tseng, Wú Qīngfēng, Yoga Lin, 賴斯翔 a.k.a 尔文赖, 陳嘉樺 |
By admin on May 4, 2012
When actress-host Vivian Lai, 36, kissed actress Kate Pang, 29, on the lips for one second when she was announced as one of the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes during Sunday’s live telecast of the Star Awards Show 2, she never expected that it would spark such a furore among Singaporeans.
The kiss that sparked a furore in Singapore
Apparently, many viewers find the kiss offensive. Many felt strange to see sexily-dressed female artistes kissing each other. It’s funny how a small little peck on the lips is deemed offensive.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) is probing the incident to ascertain whether it has breached content guidelines of the free-to-air TV programme code.
MediaCorp will censor the kiss for this Sunday’s repeat telecast as some viewers may not be comfortable.
Lai said she was surprised by viewers’ reactions and that the kiss was a natural reaction to express her joy.
I don’t know. Maybe it is trendy to jump on the moral bandwagon in Singapore. Watch the kiss and judge for yourself.
Posted in Beautiful Women, The Odd The Weird The Wacky | Tagged Girl-on-girl kiss to be censored in re-run of awards show, Kate Pang, MDA, MDA to probe kissing actresses, Media Development Authority, moral bandwagon, offensive kiss, sexily-dressed female artistes kissing each other, Singapore, Star Awards Show 2, the kiss between Vivian Lai and Kate Pang, The Kiss That Offended Singaporeans - Vivian Lai and Kate Pang, Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes, Vivian Lai, Vivian Lai and Kate Pang Extended Girl-On-Girl Kiss |
By admin on April 8, 2012
I just got back to Miri this afternoon after spending the last two days in Kuching, savouring Kuching’s good food and meeting up with a few old friends whom I have not seen for decades.
My eldest brother Tian and I flew to Kuching on Friday afternoon by Air Asia and we put up at the house of my second brother Kiong. My third brother Sien flew in to Kuching two days earlier. That night my second eldest brother treated us to a sumptuous dinner at Fu Bin Seafood Garden. At the dinner, we met up with my sister Kim and my brother-in-law as well as my niece Angel Lim, her hubby Bernard, and their lovely kids Derek and Delilah.
Fu Bin Seafood Garden
My brother-in-law, my sister Kim, my mum and my brother Tian
Derek, Delilah and my niece Angel Lim
My nephew Leroy Lim, my brother Kiong, my sister-in-law Lisa, Derek, my niece Angel Lim, Delilah and Bernard Cheu
My brother Sien, my brother-in-law, my sister Kim, my mum and my brother Tian
Saturday morning was spent at my late dad’s tomb where we did the usual Ching Ming Festival routine of getting rid of grass growing on the tomb, cleaning the gravestone and the like.
My Form Six schoolmate John Wong came to my brother’s house to pick me up and we went to the Giant mall at Stutong where I met up with Daniel Kueh, a classmate of mine from Form One to Form Five at Kai Chung Middle School in Bintangor. I have not seen Daniel for about 30 years but I can still recognize him though he has put on a little bit of weight. We were chatting away at the Sugar Bun outlet when Daniel suddenly saw Ah Tiong walking past the outlet. Daniel hurried out to ask Ah Tiong to join us. Ah Tiong was one year my senior at Kai Chung and he stayed in the same house as Daniel in Bintangor’s “Aw Kay.” I have not seen Ah Tiong for about over 37 years but he too is still recognizable.
Left to right : me, Daniel Kueh, Ah Tiong and John Wong
My sister and my brother-in-law treated us to a steamboat dinner at Swan Teem Restaurant on Saturday night. Their youngest daughter Roxanne Sim was there too. We spent a couple of hours there, enjoying the steamboat and barbecue.
Swan Teem Barbecue Steamboat
My sister Kim, my niece Roxanne and my brother-in-law
My nephew Leroy, my sister-in-law Lisa and my brother Kiong
My brother Tian, my brother Sien and my mum
When we got home, I suddenly received a call on my mobile phone. When I answered the phone, I immediately recognized the voice of the caller. It was Dominic Ha, a good friend of mine from my days in Montreal. I shared an apartment with Dominic and his wife Lo Ping in Montreal. They are a lovely couple and I feel indebted to Lo Ping for her cooking in those days.
Photo taken at Dominic Ha's graduation at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada: Me, Augustine, Lo Ping and Dominic Ha
Dominic was surprised that I could still recognize his voice though I have not seen him since 1981. We made an appointment to meet for breakfast so this morning we met up at Garden Café & Restaurant to savour the famous Sarawak laksa there. Dominic and my brother Sien were classmates at Kai Ching Middle School in Bintangor.
It was a brief reunion but I really enjoyed it. As we reminisced about our days in Montreal, a wave of nostalgia swept over me as I recalled those happy unforgettable days.
From left to right : My brother Sien, Dominic Ha, Lo Ping and me
Our reunion came to an end after about 2 hours as I need to catch my flight back to Miri. But I will be meeting them again at the Reunion of the Bintangkian “Lau Peng Yu” in Bintangor on July 7. Both Dominic and Lo Ping are originally from Bintangor like me.
Posted in Down Memory Lane, Malaysia, My Life Journey, Sarawak | Tagged Air Asia, Ching Ming festival, Fu Bin Seafood Garden, Garden Café & Restaurant, https://www.facebook.com/events/182556855113496/, Kai Chung Middle School in Bintangor, Kuching, Miri, Montreal, Reunion of the Bintangkian “Lau Peng Yu”, Sarawak laksa, Sugar Bun, Swan Teem Restaurant |
By admin on April 1, 2012
This has just hit the news and droves of people are flocking to the Miri campus of Curtin University today hoping to catch a view of the Curtin monster.
The buzz started at about 7.00 am today when a few students saw a weird looking monster in the lake within the campus. The students were walking near the lake when they heard a splash. Initially they thought it was a crocodile but then when they turned to look, they saw a huge creature with a long, narrow neck in the water. Though terrified, they managed to snap a photo of the monster before they ran off to inform the university security.
Curtin monster
Huge crowds are heading to the university campus armed with cameras and video cams hoping to catch the monster on camera and video. So far they are not in luck but they are patiently waiting.
The news media has also been notified and reporters from all the local newspapers as well as a TV station are already at the campus. Reporters from the major national newspapers and a couple of international news agencies are expected to arrive in town later today.
Inevitably, people are comparing the Curtin monster to Scotland’s Loch Ness monster. Is it a cousin of the Loch Ness monster?
Stay tuned for more updates!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Curtin monster, Loch Ness monster, Miri campus of Curtin University, Scotland's Loch Ness monster, weird looking monster with a long narrow neck |
By admin on March 24, 2012
An YouTube video of two-year-old William Stokkebroe dancing to the jive to Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock has gone viral, garnering almost 4 million views, almost 16,000 likes and over 1,700 comments since it was uploaded about a week ago on March 15.
Two-year-old William Stokkebroe dancing the jive to the Elvis Presley's Jailhouse Rock
Dressed in a checked shirt and jeans, William wows over the crowd by gyrating his hips, clapping, tapping his feet and attempting to sing along to the hit song.
William wins over the crowd by gyrating his hips, tapping his feet and attempting to sing along to the King of Rock & Roll's song
The tot imitates Elvis’s signature moves, while incorporating some of his own style, jumping high in the air and pulling a series of funny faces.
At the end of his crowd-pleasing performance, he takes a triumphant bow, applauds himself, blows a kiss to his fans and high-fives a familiar face.
William takes a triumphant bow, applauds himself, blows a kiss to his fans and high-fives a familiar face
The tot learned his smooth moves from his parents Kristina and Peter, who run dance studio Studie43 in Denmark.
Hey kid, you just made my day!
Posted in Amazing People | Tagged 2 year old dancing the jive to Jailhouse Rock, dance studio Studie43 in Denmark, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wt824D1Bqg, Kristina and Peter Stokkebroe, William Stokkebroe dancing to the jive to Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock |
By admin on March 4, 2012
We often jump to conclusions based on our observations. What we see may not be the truth so it is really wrong to jump to conclusions based on just what we see.
As bystanders look on in horror, an artist appears to leap off a building. He was actually just leaping on to one of his amazing 3D artwork.
Joe Hill preparing to "leap off the building"
The artist Joe Hill created the optical illusion on a rooftop high above London to mark the release of new movie Man On A Ledge.
There he goes!
Posted in Amazing People, From Around The World, The Odd The Weird The Wacky | Tagged 3D artwork gives that falling feeling, amazing 3D artwork, Joe Hill, jumping to conclusions based on our observations, Man On A Ledge, optical illusion on a rooftop high above London |
By admin on February 19, 2012
Posted in Amazing People, From Around The World | Tagged a devout Christian who credits God for his success, a fresh impetus to the NBA's lucrative China business in the wake of Yao Ming's retirement, a global business phenomenon, basketball sensation, Houston Rockets, Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lin has 109. #Linsanity", Jeremy Lin's T-shirt, Larry Bird, Lin is for real, Linsanity, Linsanity in Taiwan, Madison Square Garden, Michael Jordan, NBA, NBA D-league, NBA merchandise, New York Knicks point guard, New York Knicks star, Nike, Shaquille O'neal, social media sites, Sports writer Tommy Beer, the first player in NBA history to put up numbers of at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his first four starting games, the No. 1 seller on NBA.com, the phenomenon surrounding Jeremy Lin, the second highest scoring player in league history over a period of four game starts, Twitter, Weibo |
By admin on February 16, 2012
An honorary doctorate is a high level academic honorary degree that an university confers to a recipient and exempts them from the normal requirements for that academic degree. The degree is given to honor the recipient and also benefits the university or degree-giving institution by association. Recipients’ qualifications may range greatly. They can have no relationship to the school, no prior degrees, and no formal higher education, or they can already have substantial substantive education and other honorary or substantive doctorates.
The university usually awards the degree at a regular graduation ceremony and an accompanying speech is traditionally expected. Typically, several people are nominated for the degree and a university panel decides who deserves it most. In some places, however, an honorary doctorate can be applied for. This is common in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, and frequently requires a relationship with the university. The recipient usually has a rigorous academic record and is often a member of the university staff.
The conferring of honorary degrees may cause considerable controversy for the university, especially if the recipient is political. Former U.S. President George W. Bush’s honorary doctorate from Yale University, where he had previously earned his bachelors degree in 1968, made waves with faculty and students alike, causing a boycott of the 2001 commencement. Likewise, the 2007 protests of Robert Mugabe’s honorary doctorate from Oxford University in 1984 eventually culminated in the stripping of the Zimbabwean leader’s award. A degree awarded in a particular matching field, however, does not tend to make a stir, as seen with Joni Mitchell’s unopposed honorary doctorate of music.
Critics also worry that the degree and the title of doctor could be used to mislead others about the recipient’s qualifications. Others claim that honorary degrees are often given with the motive to secure large donations for the university, not to celebrate outstanding achievements. Because of this, many universities are tightening their requirements and raising their standards for honorary degree nominees.
Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was conferred the honorary Doctor of Letters degree by Australia’s Curtin University on February 12 in recognition of her efforts in the development of education, particularly children’s education through the Permata Negara programme.
Does she deserve it?
Well, from the public outbursts and indignation online, it seems that Curtin University has received widespread scathing criticisms from the Malaysian public.
I saw this photo on Facebook….it succinctly sums up the general feelings of the Malaysian public!
A Curtin graduate apparently tore up her Curtin certificate in protest
Posted in Controversies, Malaysia | Tagged children's education through the Permata Negara programme, conferring of honorary degrees, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, George W. Bush’s honorary doctorate from Yale University, high level academic honorary degree, honorary degrees are often given with the motive to secure large donations for the university, honorary Doctor of Letters degree by Australia's Curtin University, honorary doctorate, Joni Mitchell’s unopposed honorary doctorate of music, regular graduation ceremony, Robert Mugabe’s honorary doctorate from Oxford University, wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak |
Page 1 of 1712345...10...»Last »
Recent Comments