Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
API improves
after showers Action against
By Basil Foo
Morning
Afternoon
(From left) MBPJ councillors Richard Yeoh, Terence Tan, Khairul and Cynthia Gabriel (third from right), and
Gurmit (centre) during the launch of the Green Personality Award.
ours to spend
Bukit Dukung will be getting a proper The plight of the 200 families was
drainage system after a decade-long wait. brought to his attention when he visited the
“Their main problem is floods,” said village last weekend.
Kajang state assemblyperson Lee Kim Sin. During his visit, Lee also handed over 20
Currently, villagers have to make do with pieces of zinc to a family to replace their
By Alvin Yap handle the money. The allocations are put ditches to fend off floods. There are are no leaking roof.
into an MBPJ trust and deducted when proper outlets for water to flow during heavy Lee said a 60-year-old woman who lives
PETALING JAYA: Councillors criti- infrastructure work is carried out. rain, and this often leads to flash floods. with her mother asked him for help with
cised for failing to spend millions of ringgit “MBPJ’s engineering department imple- Lee said he met Drainage and Irrigation the roof about a month ago.
for development have claimed the allega- ments the projects, and they go through the Department (DID) officials on Monday He also helped the villagers sign up for
tions are unfounded because they cannot costs with a fine-toothed comb,” said Yeoh. and proposed a proper drainage system for state government schemes and welfare
use the allocations. He pointed out that infrastructure pro- the village. The proposal has been approved, programmes during his house-to-house
“As a councillor, I can only suggest pro- jects are awarded by MBPJ’s tender board and the DID will be visiting the village this visit.
jects to the mayor and engineering depart- chaired by mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman.
ment. They will decide whether to approve Yeoh said the report was not true, add-
it or not, and how much money it should ing that that projects which he had sug-
receive,” said R Selvarajan. gested in Section 11, 12 and 13 had been
The Petaling Jaya city councillor was carried out.
among four councillors who were criti- They included upgrading the median
cised in an online news portal on April 30. road divider pavements along the stretch of
The portal, quoting unnamed sources, Jalan Kemajuan as well as the traffic lights.
reported that Selvarajan was allocated Anthony asserted that he had no control
RM4.4 million while Latheefa Koya re- over the allocations.
ceived RM5.4 million, Anthony Siva Balan “If [the report], I am very happy in-
RM4.9 million, and Richard Yeoh Yong deed. I have been asking for more alloca-
Woi RM3.99 million. tions to build more facilities for the disa-
It also reported that upon checking, bled, for example,” said the wheelchair-
there were no projects in the councillors’ bound councillor.
zone. “[As they say], show me the money, as I
Selvarajan pointed out that MBPJ had have been asking for more to fund infra-
used allocations to upgrade the old drainage structure projects for the disabled,” he said.
system in Section 8 and also to maintain Latheefa, a lawyer, slammed the report
roadworks in the Kampung Baiduri area as inaccurate and misleading, adding that
near Section 51. she was not ruling out taking legal action Lee getting to know one of the villagers during his visit.
Yeoh said councillors do not “physically” against the writer.
8
NEWS
MAY 13 — 15, 2011
Teo, Ean Yong and Subang Jaya Municipal Councillor Loka Ng Sai Kai discussing the proposed
barrier.
By Brenda Ch’ng and cars from Kuala Lumpur will take the
Mines route.
SERI KEMBANGAN: A 300m-long barrier has been “Both lanes can get you to the Mines.
proposed by Besraya (M) Sdn Bhd to stop cars from weaving Drivers in the Balakong lane have to make
in and out on the hazardous road leading into the Mines shop- a U-turn further down before driving back
ping centre. to Mines,” said Teo Nie Ching. Deadly divider: Accidents that have occurred on the road leading to the
The barrier will be located on the Sungai Besi Highway to The Serdang Member of Parliament was shopping centre.
separate cars coming off the Seri Kembangan ramp and the concerned over the number of accidents
Kuala Lumpur highway route. taking place here each month. are not allowed to open it to the public because Besraya has
“Currently the road leading to Mines splits into two, with She said the developer of the new Mines 2 has catered for not approved it,” said Chew.
the left lane going towards Balakong and the right lane towards a left-side exit leading straight to the shopping mall, which He said the new road was not approved as it had failed the
Mines,” said Ean Yong Hian Wah. stems from the Balakong road. road and safety audit.
The Selangor executive councillor said with the Mines Teo said while there is likely to be an initial bout of confu- According to the audit report, the alternate access road
building on the left, it is natural for drivers who want to go to sion, 90% of drivers who use this road are shoppers, so the side gradient leading up to Mines 2 was too steep, and there is no
the Mines to keep to the left lane. exit and barriers will eventually prove useful. proper barricade at the end of the access road. The auditor
However, drivers often end up hitting the divider at the end Meanwhile, Mines 2 general manager (project and opera- appointed by Mines 2 deemed the road unsafe.
of the short curvy stretch of road while switching lanes. tions) Michael Chew said there is an existing side road leading Chew said Mines 2 should have been given a chance to
With the news barrier in place, cars exiting Seri Kem- to Mines which has not been opened yet. experiment with the access road first, and would have gladly
bangan will have no choice but to take the Balakong route, “The side road is completed and ready to be used, but we closed it if it caused more accidents to happen.
A tribute to mothers
S U B A N G J AYA : Fatimah
Mahmmod’s husband passed away
more than 30 years ago. Illiterate
but hardworking, the single moth-
er from Kampar, Perak successfully
raised her four children by working
as a cleaner.
Fatimah, 67, now lives with her
youngest daughter Zaimah Mustafa,
31, who is also a mother of three, in
Sunway PJS 7.
Zaimah’s childhood friend K
Kaladevi, 37, is also raising five
children aged three to 14, with the Free lunch was served for the 300 mothers from Subang Jaya.
help of her mother since her hus-
ang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah
band left the family three years ago. Regardless of their socioeco-
The three women were among Yeoh on Sunday in conjunction with nomic backgrounds, the 300 wom-
Mother’s Day.
the 300 mothers honoured by Sub- en were celebrated for their contri-
The mothers were treated bution to their families and society.
to a buffet lunch and perfor- Female volunteers from the
mances by local singers Ju- churches also helped to distribute
wita Suwito and Shaun Isaacs. carnations to the mothers.
Apart from working - “This is the first time we’ve Members of the public taking the opportunity to take photos with
class women, the event also brought them together,” said Yeoh, Dr Wan Azizah (seated left) and Yeoh (seated right).
saw a gathering of mothers who is expected to be a mother next Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to share her lem as her oldest daughter is very
across different faiths and month. experience as a mother with the stubborn.
ethnicities. Since taking office in 2008, Yeoh women. “She is a good child but very de-
Yeoh said they invited would visit the flats and celebrate Dr Wan Azizah spoke about gil,” said Zaimah while shaking her
women from Hindu temples, with Mother’s Day with the women, learning to deal with her children head.
Budd h ist a sso ciations, but this year she decided to hold a who would grow up to have a will of Her daughter, 13, wants to be a
churches, mosques, the Sub- bigger-scale celebration for the their own. police officer. Zaimah said she
ang Jaya Senior Citizens mothers. Zaimah, who works as a super- would support her children to
Club, and various residential Yeoh also invited Parti Keadilan market cashier, told Selangor Times achieve their ambitions as best as she
Zaimah and her mother Fatimah. areas in Subang Jaya. Rakyat president Datuk Seri Dr she has to deal with the same prob- could.
VIEWS 11
MAY 13 — 15, 2011
Evolution of
By Brenda Ch’ng
P
icture yourself picking up the phone and dialling 999 dur-
Neighbourhood
ing a theft or burglary. You would expect to talk to a police
officer, or someone who can help you.
Instead, you end up having to spend those critical minutes ex-
Watch-Community
plaining the situation to a random operator who is manning the
phone. You panic and get frustrated because you are not getting
the help you want. During that time, the criminal might already
Policing
have injured someone or run away.
This situation is an example the police would like to share
with the public on why they end up arriving at crime scenes
1975 a little too late.
• Neighbourhood Watch, or more To help ensure they are there on time, the police want
popularly known as Rukun the public to be part of community policing.
Tetangga, was first introduced Contrary to popular belief, community policing is
by the Malaysian government not a replacement for Neighbourhood Watch, or Rukun
with the intentions of ensuring Tetangga (RT). Instead, it is a personalised policing
neighbourhood safety.
• I t w a s f o r m e d u n d e r t h e system where residents and police officers come together
Neighbourhood Watch Essential to combat crimes.
Regulations Act 1975. “With the help of residents informing us directly
about crime happenings in their Police in training at the Subang Jaya police head
1970s area, we can personally go down to
Partnerin
• Neighbourhood Watch focused on the scene faster and perhaps apprehend
mandatory night patrols by all parties.
• Their sole purpose was to serve as peacekeepers. the suspects faster,” said Deputy Superin-
tendent Ng Thean Leng.
1980s The chief of commercial crime at the
• Their mission switched from patrolling to breaking multiracial Subang Jaya police headquarters said crime-
to reduc
barriers in all neighbourhoods. fighting would be more effective if tackled
• They had the idea that neighbourhood unity would strengthen at the roots.
bonds in the community.
He added that crime rates in Subang
1990s Jaya have dropped since residents there got
• Neighbourhood unity carried on, and soon the individual groups involved in community policing.
started promoting national unity and social interaction among “There has been a 12.3% drop in crimes
other groups. for the period of January to April 2011 to police inspectors. residents and their state assem
compared with the same period last year,” The tasks performed by the RAs and discuss issues in the neighbo
2001 said Ng. inspectors are similar, but their methods Another community p
• With globalisation, the group’s vision shifted yet again towards
community development. Community policing was introduced by differ. which operates the same way
• This is to help with empowering individuals to bring change Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa The most common approach in com- police station in Petaling Jay
within their community/neighbourhood. Hassan in April 2007 as part of the police’s munity policing are the monthly meetings Like the team in Bandar
Five-Year Strategic Plan. between police and representatives from too have monthly meetings w
2003 He introduced community policing resident associations. representatives give crime up
• Neighbourhood Watch reintroduced voluntary patrolling by with the hope that crimefighting would be “The meetings give the police and resi- cuss with police ways to solv
forming either a Neighbourhood Committee or Volunteer Patrol
Scheme. more effective if both police personnel and dents a chance to voice out their opinions “Working closely with the
• Groups with 20 patrollers or more have to register with the members of the community joined forces. and ideas on how best to tackle crimes in tor in charge is a very good ste
National Unity and Intergration Department. When launched, Hassan made it com- the neighbourhood,” said Inspector Muni- RA,” said Section 21 Sea Park
• Training is provided upon registration of each group with the pulsory for all police stations to set up their andy Rethiah. Cassian Baptist.
department, and RM 2,500 funding is given. own community policing teams. The chief police of Bandar Sunway says Baptist said right after the
Such teams are made up of representa- it is hard to identify neighbourhood crimes RA in 2008, they joined th
2007 tives from resident associations (RAs), RT without the help of residents. policing team.
• In April, Inspector-General police Tan Sri Musa Hassan
introduced community policing as part of the Royal Malaysian and police officers from different depart- He gets calls on his mobile phone from He added that contacts
Police (PDRM) Five-Year Strategic Plan for 2007-2011. ments, and are spearheaded by inspectors residents reporting crimes and suspicious police personnel come in ver
• Musa Hassan made it compulsory for all police stations to have of police stations in the area. Community activities at all hours of the day and night. he needs to report a crime.
a community policing team. policing also serves to improve bonding “I would personally go to the scene of “We [residents] will do o
• The community policing team is made out of residents between the police and the community. the crime to assess the situation and make porting crime to the police a
associations (RAs), Neighbourhood Watch, other voluntary Another reason why community po- arrests if necessary,” said Muniandy. will do their part to tackle th
members of the public, and police inspectors.
licing is important is that the Apart from the monthly meetings, the they can,” said Baptist.
2008 community can see the risks Bandar Sunway community policing team Unlike the other two team
• Community policing teams are and methods police personnel also organises events like gotong-royong, Bukit Tinggi police station
increasing. undertake to fight crime. festivals, and functions like Hari Polis. erates differently, carrying
• More RAs are registering with Residents can also monitor These events are open to the public and patrolling three to four time
their local police stations to be the progress in a criminal case. allow the police to educate the public about A team of residents will
part of community policing.
crime awareness. from 9pm to midnight accom
2009 How does community “The events are very useful to us because or more policemen.
• With the growing number of policing work? we can communicate directly with the “It is crucial we go on patro
community policing teams in RAs that are involved in com- residents. We also give them our mobile because the crime rate is very
Selangor, Kuan Chee Heng munity policing have a social numbers [so that they can] reach us directly arrest criminals and be there
founded the online community responsibility to report crimes in cases of emergencies,” said Muniandy. said Sergeant Manogaran M
policing website.
• This website acts as a platform in their neighbourhood directly He also attends regular dialogues with Muniandy, who is in char
for the police and public in
Selangor to interact and
exchange crime experiences Community policing Balai Polis Bandar Sunway mon
and information. meeting with the residents and police officers.
2010
• Crime mapping done by Kuan
with statistics given by police
inspectors showed a decrease
in crime rates and an increase
in police successes.
• Community policing also
involves social events and
frequent get-to-know-you
sessions between the public
and their police inspectors.
2011
• The community policing team has reached approximately Community Policing
30,000 members, excluding police officers. cabin for police in various
• More people are encouraged to join and form their own areas sponsored by
community policing team in their neighbourhood. committee members in
the neighbourhood.
Muniandy
(left) and
Ng (centre)
during one of
the meetings
with RAs.
dquarters.
ng police Community
policing
ce crime
volunteers at the
scene of a crime.
mblypersons to
ourhood.
policing team
y is the Sea Park
ya.
r Sunway, they
where resident
pdates and dis-
ve issues.
e police inspec-
ep taken by the
k RA chairman
e revival of the
he community
s with various
ry handy when
nthly
Police and community policing members talking to hawker stall owners about crime in their area.
Tinggi police station, said they have man- out to the community stays the same. Once the list is verified and approved swer a brief questionnaire, and you will be
aged to arrest several burglars. by police, inspectors will contact the contacted for community policing events.
“Working with the residents has its How to form a community po- residents. RAs and individuals who are This online registration also enlists you
advantages because they are the only ones licing team in your neighbour- interested in forming a community po- in a crime watch team, where notices will
who would be able to tell you the exact hood licing team can also obtain information be sent to you either via short-messaging-
location of these crimes,” he said. There are several steps to take before a from the police directly. system (SMS) or e-mail.
He added that without the residents’ community policing team can be formed. Alternatively, individuals can also reg- As a community policing member,
help, they would be clueless as to where As the police stations only recognise RAs ister at the community policing website. you are encouraged to help report crime,
the hotspots are. as a proper group, the chairman will have You do not need to be a member of a spread crime awareness to other members
Community policing may vary in dif- to submit a list of names to the neighbour- RA to become a member online. of the community, take part in patrols and
ferent areas, but the objective of reaching hood police station. All you have to do is fill in a form, an- build closer rapport with police.
14
VIEWS
MAY 13 — 15, 2011
I
n my last column I wrote about our promised for this June. Parliament owes
rush to meet grandiose targets and workers a vigorous debate over this bill,
end up with partial or delusional so that the wage council to be estab-
solutions. Right on cue, Datuk Seri Idris lished is safeguarded sufficient autono-
Jala disclosed on April 26 that Pemandu my, authority and resources to deter-
is expecting do deliver a modus operandi mine and implement minimum wage.
and quantum of minimum wage by the And amid this debate, let’s not be
end of this year. distracted by a propagated but basically
Nothing was reported about how the irrelevant objection: that we should
wage floor would be deliberated now leave minimum wage to be determined
and reviewed in years to come, and how by “productivity”.
the compliance will be monitored and This argument boils down to faulting
enforced. But a deliverable outcome in low wage earners for being less produc-
the form of a minimum wage rate will tive, and is often advanced by the MEF.
be rendered in a few months. But it hardly applies to wages at the
In my February article, in anticipa- bottom end.
tion of the government’s then commit- First, in many cases of low-paid
ment to deliver a minimum wage bill in workers, the amount of work is assigned
Parliament in March, I noted this is a by bosses. Think about this. You tell a
vital national objective that demands person they will be paid according to
robust parliamentary debate. how much they work, then you tell
I should be more specific, especially them how much they get to work. Who
since that bill has still not arrived: we is responsible if they earn low wages?
need a comprehensive new law that Second, it is difficult to precisely
establishes minimum wage determina- determine one worker’s contribution in
tion, monitoring and enforcement a production line. This problem applies
mechanisms. to productivity-linked wages at all lev-
A few days before Pemandu publi- els, but is more severe for the lowest-
cised its foray into minimum wage, the earning workers, who are more likely to
Malaysian Employers Federation be one of many performing the same
(MEF) issued a press release calling for a not a single national wage council which is floors, which the WCA provides for, our repetitive, elementary tasks.
national wage council to be set up quickly, a far larger and more complex programme national minimum wage legislation must Third, in some sectors, technically pos-
without passing a new law. of action. establish mechanisms for continuous and sible measures of productivity make for re-
These statements by the MEF and Pe- The WCA also severely lacks elements rigorous analysis of labour market and wage dundant or meaningless requirements if we
mandu undermine the establishment of a crucial for the effective monitoring and data, review of minimum wage levels, and are to truly abide to a productivity-linked
minimum wage system consistent with and enforcement of minimum wage. Its lack of other relevant information. system.
worthy of Malaysia’s aspirations to be a high- clear procedures for monitoring compliance, Aside from Pemandu’s murky jurisdiction Take a person who cleans toilets. Accord-
income and developed nation. designation of authority and functions to over setting minimum wage, we should also ing to this argument, he or she is paid
The existing law – the Wages Councils government agencies, and protection for be concerned that deliberations in the labs poorly because of low productivity – he or
Act (WCA) of 1947 – is grossly inadequate whistleblowers underscores the need for it that serve as its source of authority have not she cleans the toilet only twice a day.
for a full, effective and sustained implemen- to be replaced, not amended. benefited from the rigorous labour market It follows that this person will receive
tation of minimum wage. The scope of the Overall, the WCA is oriented towards analysis and formal tripartite representation higher wages if he or she cleans the toilet
WCA is too limited for the requirements of specific and impermanent mechanisms, that would transpire from new laws and a new three times per day, four times per day.
a national minimum wage system. The plu- whereas we need a comprehensive and per- national wage council and ancillary agencies. Very soon, though, it becomes pointless
ral form in its title makes clear that the Act manent new system. Moreover, the Ministry of Human Re- (once every hour?). Which is why janitors
sets out the terms for various councils over- Instead of ad hoc commissions of enquiry sources also conducted a minimum wage lab are not paid according to productivity; they
seeing designated areas, sectors or industries, to study the prospects for sectoral wage in Putrajaya in February 2011, where inter- are paid as low as possible because the system
national consult- allows it.
ants presented em- It’s also because our culture generally
pirical findings and demeans such labour, which reinforces the
facilitated discus- case for minimum wage – it lends dignity
sion across the to lowly work.
W
ith the proliferation of food
outlets offering Balinese cuisine
around town, it has become
much easier to sate one’s hankering for
Indonesian food.
The Waterlily Bistro, which calls itself a
contemporary Balinese bistro, serves up a
variety of exotic foods with familiar tastes
in a cozy resort setting.
It is one of several outlets serving similar
fare, such as Bumbubali in Bandar Puteri
Puchong, and Ole-ole Bali in Sunway,
Subang, and Mont Kiara.
We visited this particular restaurant one
evening after spotting its eye-catching
design and well-decorated interior from
along Jalan Mutiara Tropicana 3.
The bottom floor, dimly lit to evoke a
mysterious mood and decorated from wall
to wall with wood carvings, was initially
vacant when we were seated by the attentive
staff.
The dishes arrived soon after we ordered,
and the place began to bustle with activity
as a sizable dinner crowd, given that it was
a weekday night, started to fill in.
The Sup Buntut (RM14) was first to
arrive and came with a side of fried shallots,
spring onions, half a lime, and a slice of The Waterlily Bistro has a calm spa-like environment.
toasted baguette.
The various condiments could be added into the soup for meats, and eggs to complete the dish.
taste, while the clear soup had tomatoes, rice cubes, and chunks We would not have been caught off-guard if we
of oxtail in it. were privy to the fact that the Indonesian word “tipat”
Splendid for a cold rainy night, the warm and tangy is related to our own term for rice cubes, the ketupat.
“Indonesian oxtail soup”, as it were, was enough for a single Included in it was tempeh, which is an Indonesian
serving. delicacy of fermented soybeans, and a side of peanut
Under the appetizer section, the Tipat Cantuk (RM15) sauce – reminiscent of our own local satay nut sauce.
was a salad of mixed vegetables, so we expected a side dish of The dish in itself made for good eating, but its taste
healthy greens at most. was otherwise unremarkable and did not seem to
As it turns out, the bowl of mixed vegetables was large correspond with the apparent Balinese trend of
enough to be a meal on its own, with rice cubes, fried tofu, blending strong flavours together.
Next up was the Sate Lilit (RM15), a
form of minced seafood wrapped around Sate Lilit
sticks of lemongrass and grilled with oil
and spices for an added kick. The main dish for the night, Nasi Cumi (RM29), was a
From the first bite, the impression was that it basic rice dish with a side of squid, spinach, sambal terasi and
resembled otak-otak, which is a Nyonya dish of sambal matah.
fish meat wrapped in leaves and grilled. Sambal terasi was something we were more familiar with
The meat came easily off the lemongrass stems, as it is basically a form of chili sauce with dried shrimp, readily
an ingenious method of combining flavour and available in restaurants the country over.
functionality, and was increasingly addictive However, the sambal matah, a condiment made of raw
with every stick we ate. shallots and lemongrass, tasted more foreign as it was less spicy
This dish is highly recommended for anyone and was served to make the dish more aromatic.
wanting a quick snack, or if you are a fan of The overall dining experience had its hits and misses, with
Balinese wanting to convince the uninitiated to some dishes standing out more than others, but we would
give the cuisine a try. definitely go back, if only to pick our favourites.
Sup Buntut
Look At Us Now!
Fiction by Shivani Siva “I hope you’ve eaten,” she said, eyeing the copy of Science ingly enchanted Ms Andrews running around the hills, alive
Monthly that lay on the dashboard by the entrance. On the with music.
I
t was obvious the country was turning older. Flags, cover was a picture of a beast-man on which the words “Are “I like How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?,” her
advertisements, posters, banners indicated celebration: We Part Neanderthal?” were printed in bold red. mother said.
twisting bodies with faces shouting through orange-stained “Yes,” her mother replied. Yes, Reika thought, it’s a big question. How does anyone
mouths, “Look at Us Now!” Reika took the magazine, impatient now to find out if we solve the problem of a person’s personality? She flicked
Reika liked that poster best, the Fanta one where bottles were indeed impure Homo Sapiens, through Science Monthly as Ms Andrews was being compared
of orange, purple and red beverages lit up the expressions of to a moonbeam in the hand. Well, would you look at that? We
ordinary citizens. All citizens are ordinary, she thought. The may be part Neanderthal! Which meant that we may have the
moment you’re called “citizen”, you merge into a cluster of instinct to only eat meat, to be violent, to eat each other. That’s
People. It was nice to have that certainty as she left the where our gung-ho must come from.
medical college and returned to her mother in Petal- “She has so much energy, that Julie Andrews. Look how
ing Jaya, where she would become an Individual she dances and skips,” her mother said, beaming at the TV.
again, de-clustered. “She’s gung-ho. Everyone can be that. Even you. It’s in our
Her mother was sitting in her afternoon spot blood,” Reika said.
by the window, concentrating on the cracking But the Neanderthals were too large, too inflexible to sur-
of kuaci shells. “Back,” Reika said, audibly vive. Still, their will to live on might just have come true in us.
enough for herself and her mother. That was Their little strength succeeded in our big strength.
all that was necessary. Ms Andrews was now full of confidence as she headed
Everything had to be just enough for two: towards the mansion where she will fall in love. Something
the lovers’ seat, two dinner plates, a pair of about that scene made Reika want to talk. “Ma,” she said,
spoons, a pair of forks, a cow mug, a “Best loudly enough for at least four people to hear. Her mother
Mummy In The World” mug. looked at her, startled. “Ma,” she said again, “we may be part
“Can’t wait till you become a doctor,” her Neanderthal.”
mother said, repeating her daily 2pm words. “So what?”
And Reika nodded, still by the front door, “We don’t even know what we’re made of. I mean, what we
unseen, biting her lips from saying, “I wish you can do. If we don’t even know what we are, how do we know
would at least try to move a toe”. Her mother’s what talents we have?”
accident five years ago had left her bedridden, not “So what?”
for life, but it was something her mother clearly “Move a toe”.
wanted: an existence in a wheelchair, being tipped over onto Her mother pretended not to hear her.
bed where half of her days were spent dreaming, cursing at “You cannot keep thinking that you’re unlike other people.
newspapers, eating milk appams and inhaling rasam. We all don’t know what’s in our blood. Even Julie Andrews.
“You’ll be very successful one day, I just know it,” her That’s why she can skip like that. Mother? I want to be an
mother was fond of saying, usually at dinner when they sat in ordinary citizen. Look, Independence Day is coming soon.
front of the TV watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. Why don’t we go out? Celebrate? You haven’t left the house
“Thanks, Ma,” Reika would reply, censoring the rest of her but her mother continued, “Come here a while. I know you’ve in five years.”
sentence: “It’s okay if you want to succeed too, you know. And had a long day. Let’s watch The Sound of Music.” “There is no such thing as independence. We all need
why the hell must we watch this every night? And why must Again? What more could we possibly get out of Julie something.”
you get excited when some stranger wins 20,000 dollars?” But Andrews and that brood of benign children? But they be- “There is independence from oneself.”
that was her mother, she ended up concluding in her head, longed to Ma’s ritual, so she brought the magazine with her But raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens had in-
and that was that. to the hall where the TV was already featuring an exasperat- truded upon them.
T
he human instinct to seek communion with Mother cuses on botany, landscaping, nursery, medicinal plants and The perfect place to pause and reflect on the purpose of
Nature is inherent in all of us. Now and then, the urge urban forestry. These fields of study contribute in a significant life.
becomes irresistible, and we jump into the car and way to the development of the botanical garden.
head for the hills. The recreational facilities in the garden are for enjoyment The main aims of the botanical garden at Frim are to
In this case, the nearest such place for Petaling Jaya resi- of the people who reside nearby and for those who come promote the importance of plant life and forests, provide
dents is the botanical garden in the Forest Research Institute from a distance away. It is a place where children can run technical help to colleges and companies, and provide train-
Malaysia (Frim), Kepong. freely on the undulating land and the adults can sit, enjoy ing to students of colleges and universities. It is also to extend
Frim has been around since 1920, when it began as an the sights, and partake of meaningful conversation with knowledge and technical know-how to those who desire to
extensive green lung for forestry research. family and friends. manage nurseries properly.
What the public sees today is the result of many long years Not many people know that the garden has themes that On the aesthetic front, the botanical garden is a real sight
of painstaking work carried out by dedicated staff who have have led to a deeper understanding of plantlife and their for sore eyes. Anyone who enters the garden and is oblivious
invested untold time and immeasurable effort into the study habitats. The areas of study include common garden plants to the beauty and importance of the landscaped slopes and
of plants, herbs, flowers and trees for our benefit. and medicinal plants. hills needs to have his or her eyes examined.
Frim covers a mature area of 1,319 hectares. The botanical The places where these plants originally thrive or survive Most of us city residents will welcome this garden as
garden covers 80 hectares. The sprawling landscaped garden include limestone, mangrove and unbeaten wild areas. The therapy for our tired bodies and stressed minds. A few hours
has lakes, ponds, secondary forest and lots of plants. growth habits of many tropical species are closely studied in in the botanical garden are enough to soothe the soul and
In the mornings and evenings, joggers and health en- the garden. calm restless spirits. The pollution-free atmosphere acts as a
thusiasts can been seen scattered all over the place taking Plant groups like ferns, orchids, ginger palms and interest- balm for people of all ages. It would seem that the forest has
in lungfuls of fresh air and indulging in various forms of ing botanical lifeforms are given special attention. Results a positive force of its own.
exercise. of extensive researches are later offered to institutions of The Frim ethno-botanic garden was established in 1995.
The forestry research institute, among other duties, fo- learning for educational purposes. The attention given to the aromatic and medicinal plants has
✂
Take 5 minutes to fill this form up and drop it off at
the nearest police station to have regular checks
at your house while you are away.
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Tandatangan Tarikh
A
s tablet computers ramp up in popularity, one Impressions
vendor has chosen to brave a new world by My brief experience with the Streak 5 during the launch
launching something smaller than the standard was fairly pleasant. While preferring a seven-inch tablet, I
seven- or 10-inch tablets. could see that a five-inch one can be appealing if you want
Dubbed the Dell Streak, the five-inch device was to browse the web. The current crop of smartphones maxes
launched by Dell in association with its partner, Dynam- out at 4.3 inches.
ics Distribution, and is the latest to be launched on our To fully accept the concept of a mini-tablet, you’ll still
shores. have to tell your mind that it’s a cross between a small tablet
Speaking at the event last month, Varinderjit Singh, and a large smartphone. If you’re able to accept an all-in-one
managing director, CSMB Malaysia and Singapore, device that is designed to give you the best of both
Dell, said the Streak 5 is designed for people who are worlds, then the Streak 5 may be for you.
constantly interacting online and want to expand their The Streak 5 is quite solid and well built.
ability to access their digital lives on the go. I especially liked the fact that it comes
Varinderjit said Dell is banking on the Streak 5’s equipped with Corning scratch-resistant glass,
portability as the appealing factor to what he called a as that is not what you normally get on de-
“mini tablet.” vices like these.
“We believe we have a product that is well-positioned Although I didn’t get to really put it to a real scratch
to have a good reach into the market,” Varinderjit said at test, I could see that it was pretty solid and will be able to
the launch. “Five inches is the right size as it’s the perfect handle the thrills and spills of everyday usage. An added point
spot for phone and a tablet device.” is that you don’t have to put a film screen protector on your
Varinderjit noted that the spacious five-inch screen is device.
ideal for an optimised web-browsing experience with less But the five-inch size and the Corning glass do kind of make
squinting and pinching. the device a tad heavier (220g) than regular smartphones. This
Users, he added, can play games, watch high-definition was what I found to be a drawback.
videos, e-mail, send instant messaging, listen to music, update Dell Streak 5 Apart from this, the user interface has the familiar feel of
their social networking status and, not forgetting, make calls. the Android 2.2 software and is quick, easy and slick to use. I
Powered by Google’s Android operating system, the Dell can’t attest for battery life as I wasn’t really reviewing the unit,
Streak 5 also comes with Dell’s new user interface called Stage, but with normal business usage, it should provide you with
which provides users with instant access to their favourite webcam for video calls, built-n Wi-Fi, 3G HSUPA and about a day’s worth of battery life, which is common for
content. Bluetooth connectivity. It easily integrates with social media smartphones.
apps such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, and also has
Specifications an integrated Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation and So what’s the verdict?
The Dell Streak 5 weighs in at 220g and measures 153 x 79 street and satellite views. The Streak 5 might appeal to a section of people who
x 10 mm. It runs on Android’s 2.2 platform and has a WVGA The Streak 5 is powered by a Snapdragon mobile processor, wants a cross between a full-sized tablet and something
screen resolution of 800 x 480. The screen also supports a which makes multitasking easy, and allows users to talk on the larger than your usual smartphone. This, I believe, will appeal
capacitive multitouch feature and comes equipped with phone and browse the web at the same time, or listen to music to a smaller segment of the market compared with the more
scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. while using the Google Navigation app. mainstream smartphones and tablets.
Complementing this is a 5MP auto-focus camera with dual It sports a 2GB internal memory, as well as a micro SD ex- Still, it could be worth considering if you’re one in that
LED flash for still photo/video capture, front-facing VGA pandable memory of up to 32GB. category, as there is currently no vendor in this market.
Good response to
Centro Klang Run
SHAH ALAM: For the first time in am sure that many people will enjoy the top priority.
its three-year history, the Centro Klang run whether they are taking part for As such, there will be sufficient
Run has received a very good response. fun or for health and fitness,” said Teh. drinking stations for the runners, and
More than 2,500 runners have already Organised by the Klang Pacers Rela and police traffic personnel will
registered themselves for the event as Athletic Club (KPAC), this year’s also be on standby at designated areas
at May 3. Centro Klang Run is themed “Klang of high traffic.
According to Joanne Teh, Centro’s Historical Run”. As for the distribution of goodies bag
advertising and promotion senior ex- The route will be passing through and finishing medals, this year there will
ecutive, the run is one of Centro Mall’s several historical places like Little In- be more experienced people on standby
community projects that aims to pro- dia, the Klang museum, railway sta- to ensure that every runner is given the
mote a healthy lifestyle among the tion, stadium and power station, and items accordingly.
people of Klang. many more. For further enquiries, contact Cen-
“With the overwhelming response Despite the fun nature of the run, tro Mall’s customer ser vice at 03-
from Selangor and also participants KPAC president John Heng said the 33433011 (10am-10pm) or Heng at
from as far as Johor and Terengganu, I safety of the participants will be their 012-3233777. Heng and Teh.
Batu Member of Parliament Tian Chua (right) in the Sentul market parking lot,
A free health check-up was provided during a carnival held in Sri Andalas, Klang last Sun- which allows shoppers to park for free while they do their marketing. The Parti
day. The event was organised by 14 young people after a three-month leadership stint, to Keadilan Rakyat information chief officially opened the parking lot provided by
raise funds to build a new community tuition centre in Port Klang. the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) last Sunday.
Rawang assemblyperson Gan Pei Nei cutting a cake with mothers during a Mother’s
Day event last Sunday, which also saw state-sponsored food items being donated to 50
needy families.
A child making
artwork out of
eco-friendly items
during an Earth
A volunteer teacher at a free tuition centre for underprivileged children in Subang. The Day event at Mines
centre in Subang Perdana Goodyear Court 2 has registered 40 pupils since its inception in Wellness Hotel on
February. April 28.
Culture 23 May 13 — 15, 2011
INTERVIEW
Compiled by Nick Choo
CALENDAR
Cabaret
By Terence Toh
Musical; May 6-15; Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre; RM125/
MONTREAL-based puppeteer RM105/RM85; 03-4047900; www.klpac.org
and street performer Jeff Achtem
has performed as his silent clown The iconic musical created by John Kander and Fred Ebb, which
character, Mr Bunk, in arts festivals, revolves around the seedy happenings of the Kit Kat Klub and its
variety theatres and cabarets regulars. Set amidst the political and social upheaval of pre-Nazi
worldwide. His shows have Germany – indulge yourself in the unbridled sensuality of the club,
taken him to places as diverse as revel among its morally ambiguous inhabitants, and plunge into its
Belgium, New Zealand, Spain and glitz and glamour. Featuring, among others, Stephanie Van Driesen,
Macedonia. The winner of many Peter Ong, Peter Davis, Trudy Ganendra, Alizakri Alias and Aaron
prestigious theatre awards, Achtem Khaled; directed by Nell Ng, with musical direction by Nish Tham.
now brings his lauded shadow- Produced by Pan Productions.
puppet piece Sticks, Stones,
Broken Bones to our shores. In
this email interview with Selangor
Times, Achtem talks about his
inspirations and experiences, and
teases us on what to expect from
his shows.
After Waking
Theatre; May 12-15; MAP KL @ Solaris Dutamas; RM20/RM10; 03
6207 9732