Journey Into A Deaf World

This is my first post about my journey into the world of disabilities, specifically the deaf world. It's a wonder really why I never write a single post on this before this, considering me having a deaf sister (and now, a deaf brother-in-law as well) and my long involvement with the deaf-related activities. Probably inspired after the recent assignment as interpreter in the Deaf Moolah function after a long lapse from being an interpreter besides wanting to educate more people about deafness.

Thanks to my parents, both my brother and I, together with our sister of course, were made to participate in the deaf-related activities the moment we knew we had a deaf sister. We went for day-trip outings, charity events, sports events, family support group trips & others. Hence, brother and I learned sign language by interacting with the other deaf teenagers. And with other deafs like Jessica, Kevin, Jimmy, Esther, Mian Wai & others, we grew up & learned together, by participating in these activities. And these wonderful memories are still certified fresh in my mind till today.

When I graduated, I got enrolled into sign language classes in YMCA Brickfields while looking for a job. Got a Level 2 certificate & had many opportunities to be a volunteer interpreter in many events. OK, some of it are actually paid assignments & most of the time, being an unofficial interpreter for my sister too in activities such as family events etc. When I said being an interpreter for the deaf, this means me being a listener to a hearing speaker & translate it thru sign language to the deaf. It is thru these assignments too that I was exposed to the deaf culture & also to see for myself the level of awareness of the general public towards the deaf, which sadly still lacking today. Today post will be starting of those posts which I will provide some information of the deaf-related issues to all.

With other hearing interpreters in Deaf Moolah, a financial event catered for the deaf

It is this one event which touched me till today on being passionate of being a volunteer. I was assigned to be a volunteer interpreter for this deaf child participating in a Girl Scout gathering held in Brickfields some 10 years ago. I was prepared then, thinking it was a simple task interpreting for a 12 years old deaf child, which I don't need to scratch my head too much to sign those complicated words/phrases. Little that I realized later that this girl, Sharmila was diagnosed with a rare disease which caused her to be deaf & had a deteriorating visibility (which will cause her to go blind eventually). One look at a deaf/half blind 12 years old child, wearing 2 hearing aids & a thick high powered glasses (almost a microscopic powered), my heart just sank there & then. It was a real challenging time, not able to concentrate thinking about her condition, asking myself why she's made to suffer like this at such a young age while dealing with her 2 disabilities at the same time. To sign, I need to hold her hands & did the signing using her hands. To imagine this in a simple way, it's like playing with a giant Barbie doll. Despite of her disabilities, Sharmila seems to be able to accept her disabilities, judging from her behavior of being active & wanting to run & join the activities with other kids.

This serves as an eye-opener for me really, for we should be very grateful for everything that God has given us especially with a healthy mental & physical body. With this, it is our moral responsibilities to show gratitude for what we had by giving back to the society. And it is also explained why it pissed me off whenever I see children/youths today complaining of everything else under the sun but themselves & yet not doing anything about it. Worse still, nowadays you see parents who should be providing the correct education to the children, doing inhumane things like dumping the babies. There's also minor ones like complaining for their children not being clever enough than other people & other ridiculous reasons.

Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan - Seremban

Seremban city, being 1 hour drive away from Kuala Lumpur has always been a favourite stopover for the south-bound drivers. And here am I, dragging along some Seremban-based colleagues for a gastronomic trip in the city.

A must-eat food in Seremban has to be the famous Yee Kee beef noodles for breakfast. The original stall no 748 is located at the food court on top floor of the Seremban wet market. Coming here on normal weekend, you will need to wait at least 30 minutes for a bowl of beef noodles. That too, if you're lucky to get to find a place to sit. Best is to have this meal, dry type. The beef slices were tender, the machine-made noodles were smooth. The sauce? Hmmm...They just knew the right amount of special sauce to be put into the bowl. After u stir all all of them together in the bowl, u can see everything in the bowl were perfectly mixed. Not too dry, not too wet either. You need 2 bowls to be really enjoying this food. First bowl to get the first-hand taste of it. The second one is to enjoy the smoothness of the noodles, with its special sauce & the tenderness of the meat. It's no wonder even customers from Singapore dropped by here for it.


Dry beef noodles after being stirred

10 minutes away, is Restoran Yi Poh at Jalan Seng Meng Lee off Jalan Temiang to take its famous Dry Lou Shi Fun for lunch. Unlike the usual shorter version, this lou shi fun is longer, with smoother texture similar to the ones used for assam laksa. Except for the smooth texture of the noodles, nothing much special on this. Still, worth a try for the experience.

Yi Poh Lou Shi Fun

If you didn't pack siew pao (pastry filled with lard/chicken pieces) to be brought home, it's as if you never visit Seremban. This is Seremban most famous export, spreading far & wide to Singapore & even to China I heard and causing many imitation brands sprouted all over Klang Valley. Mind you, if you're looking for original Seremban brand siew pao in Klang Valley, only Kee Mei brand has actually expanded to other states. Here, I was brought to this Kedai Siew Pau Asia, situated just opposite Restoran Yi Poh. Here, u see freshly baked breads/pastries been taken immediately after being brought out from oven. Siew Pao is one of those pastries best taken while it's hot. Unlike many in KL, when you took it at first bite, you got to eat more of its meat fillings than its puffy layer and that hit the bull's eyes. Besides, it was not too sweet & clearly the best siew pao I've tasted.

One of many types of freshly made buns sold

Siew Pao, fresh from the oven

Lastly, got to stop at Kedai Makanan Seremban at Jalan Tuanku Munawir. At 4.30pm, you got to see people queuing up & looking for empty tables. Unsure if this is their late lunch or early dinner. Here, practically all tables have its famous baked crabs. The crabs baked with a sticky, special marmite-like sauce. Although slightly pricey at RM 48/kg then (unsure about the price now), the meat was fresh & baked at the right time, giving it a tenderly hot taste. It could have been better if they used a bigger-sized crabs. Probably due to longer time to bake bigger-sized crabs, they used medium sized ones instead.

Baked crabs

GPS Coordinates:
Stall 748, Yee Kee Beef Noodles
N2 43.824 E101 56.197

Restoran Yi Poh
N2 44.044 E101 56.421

Kedai Siew Pau Asia
N2 44.044 E101 56.421

Kedai Makanan Seremban
N2 43.977 E101 56.058

Understanding GST: The Analysis II

Continuing from my previous posts on GST on the theory & analysis, this last post will focus on how GST affects us in our daily life, giving model scenarios in different fields. Below are analysis of the six areas that bound to take a substantial amount of our income.

FOOD/GROCERIES
As informed in my previous post, although some basic food & other items are exempted, there's the grey areas in the whole flow of selling of the goods to the end-part of the supply chain. The manner of how the GST will be charged on sales of these items (standard rate supplies, zero rated supplies & exempted supplies) at retailer level has not been clearly defined. Unless you are buying all your normal groceries at small sundry shops (which not subject to sales tax), barring any changes in implementation, GST shall be charged all across the board at retailer-level, which are the hypermarkets & supermarkets irregardless what items you are buying.

FINANCE
Financial services including all banking & insurance services are exempted

TRANSPORTATION
Transportation services such as LRT, taxi, train, ferry, boat & highway is exempted. Under certain circumstances as explained in this link, GST is taxable of these services too. Domestic transportation by air such as from KLIA to Penang, is GST taxable but taking flight from KLIA to international destinations is zero rated. On personal transportation, purchase of new cars is GST taxable. Buying petrol for your car is GST taxable. However, it is not clearly explained on what petrol price value of the GST will be taxed. In Singapore for instance, the price shown on the pump is already inclusive of GST. The receipt will specify the value of the GST shown separately. Judging from this, this should be practiced in Malaysia too.

EDUCATION
Enrolling your children in:-
- Government schools & tertiary institutions - GST-exempted
- Private nurseries/ kindergarden - GST exempted
- Private colleges / universities - GST taxable

UTILITIES
Electricity: Exemption given for first 200 units of electricity only. Calculating against the current TNB tariff rates (which I guess will be increased next year), this means any electricity bills costing minimum of MYR 43.60 are subject to GST 6%.

Water: Water supplies is a zero-rated supply & not taxable. However, the role of water concessionaires in Malaysia like Syabas in Selangor holds the key in deciding if this is GST taxable or not. Judging from the fact that Malaysian water concessionaires are either privatized government institutions or semi-private government vehicle, GST shall be taxable

Cable TV: Astro bills are GST taxable

Telecommunication: Supplies of telecommunication is a service, thus, all telecommunication-related bills such as Wi-Fi, handphone, fax etc are subject to GST

MEDICAL
Supplies of medical-related services such as consultancies & surgeries by government & private bodies are classified as exempted supplies. Thus, no GST involved.


With the lack of awareness given, this not surprising to see most people, especially in the rural & lower-income group are still in the dark about GST. Lastly, tackling the question on whether this GST implementation is good or bad??? 3 posts on this topic, giving you the useful information to decide for yourself. Not being diplomatic but it's depends on from which viewpoint you're looking at. Whether its from a macro-economist point of view, a government point of view or just an ordinary Joe's viewpoint, this is bound to be a hotly debated topic among politicians/citizens for years to come until the next election I guess.

A certain Mr. Prime Minister said GST will help the country from bankruptcy. Stupid explanation, I say. Greece & Portugal have GST & the countries are bankrupt. One thing I must say is, as a government of the day, the implementation of any new policy must comes with a clear direction, clear message to the people, giving realistic reasons (& not incredibly stupid reason like reducing diabetes among people by cutting sugar subsidies), besides coming up with standardized actions to complement it. U don't come out n say you need money to tackle the fiscal deficits but at the same time, wasted the citizen's money on unnecessary/unprofitable/doubtful projects. This is like a smoker father who tells his son not to smoke as it's bad for health. This won't gives u any credibility n will leads to loss of respect from the people. If only people from high above there can understand this basic rule......

Langkawi: The Eagle Has Landed Again....

Been to Langkawi for holidays, twice with family (during schooling days) & twice with the Akurians. Check my previous posts on 2009 & 2010. I always have a strange, warm feeling towards the island & this made me itching to go back there ever since. Got back there last September & was looking to check out places never been visited before. Flew to the island in a Malindo Air flight for the first time from Subang airport. A must-do thing irrregardless how many times u visit the island, is to view the sunset. There are many places around the island to check this out. Went to Pantai Cenang on same evening to have the magnificient view.

Sunset at Pantai Cenang

Took a visit to Langkawi Underwater World the next day morning. Surprisingly, although a smaller place, the varieties of marine life there are comparable to SEA Aquarium Singapore. Next is to Telaga Tujuh (Seven Wells). Pretty steep 500m walk up the stairs, reminding me of the last trip to Kinabalu. Once reached, u see some multiple ponds, probably that's why the name. Had I bring my spare clothes, I could have dipped myself into the chilling cool water.


One of the Happy Feet movie character



Telaga Tujuh waterfall (Seven Wells)

At top of the waterfall

Stayed in this new boutique styled Fave Hotel, situated between the popular Cenang beach & the quieter, serene Tengah beach. Simple & elegant, that's the words to describe the hotel. For the budget conscious first timers who want to stay at affordable hotels at "happening" place, then Cenang beach area is for u. This place has changed so much since my last time. Ranging 5-stars to budget, there's at least 20 hotels along this coast I think. Food?? With choices ranging from Thai, Malay, Indian, Chinese, English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic etc, all foods are available within walking distance from the hotel at reasonable prices.

This is what makes me love Langkawi !!! Beers sold at super kao kao cheap price. U drink as if there's no tomorrow !!!

Grilled Lobster with Garlic  - Served in one of many seafood restaurants sprouted all over the island

Chilling at the hotel swimming pool, I just wish the time can stop right there !!!

There are many tours available & we took this half day Payar island snorkeling tour at MYR 90.00/pax. Bus picked us up to the jetty point, where we took the 1 hour ferry ride to a platform base, located just off Payar island. Choices of marine lives here are rather limited. but still enjoyable when u have fishes swimming to u immediately when u put your feet into the water.

The platform base

Surrounded by tropical fishes

Took the flight home on the next day. Being an outdoor person, I still find the island yet to be fully explored when there's still many other tours tried such as sunset cruise, the eagle feeding tour, hiking, jet-ski at swamp area etc. Next trip perhaps??

Understanding GST: The Analysis I

Most of us have known by now that on 25th October, Prime Minister has announced Goods & Services Tax (GST) shall be fully implemented on April 1, 2015. This is not surprising actually, although many people are still in the dark about what's this all about. Besides sharing on my last post, I've linked a site which provide great, brief knowledge about what's GST all about.

Can't talk about all but I will focus more on the certain exempted supplies & zero-rated supplies by analyzing the framework against the current Malaysian environment. I'm no John Maynard Keynes nor Paul Krugman, not an economic graduate either, but just sharing on my thoughts on what could affect the daily lives of ordinary people like you and me. Do feel free to comment, if I was wrong or sharing your thoughts. A brief overview of the confirmed GST model given below. Sorry but the only source which is truly reliable, which clearly indicated what's being tabled on October 25th has only the Bahasa Malaysia version which indicate what it's tax u, what didn't & what is exempted

1) Tax rate: 6% rate, effective from April 1, 2015.
2) Exempted from GST:
- Basic food items such as rice, sugar, salt, flour, cooking oil, lentils, herbs and spices, salted fish, cincalok, budu & belacan
- Piped water supply
- First 200 units of electricity per month for domestic consumers
- Services provided by Government such as issuance of passports, licenses, health services and school education
- Sales, purchase & rental of residential properties
- Selected financial services such as all matters leading to issuance of letter of credits (LC), all financial matters (including purchase of marine insurance) related to goods to be exported, purchase of travel insurance, all personal banking-related matters, all personal insurance-related matters
- Transportation services such as bus, train, LRT, taxi, ferry, boat & highway toll
- All medical related services (government & private) including supplies & consultancies
- All service related to human remains, including funeral, cremation & consultancies

My initial prediction of tax rate to be imposed is minimum 4% to maximum 5%. Can't deny GST is a good way of tackling the government budget deficit but my honest opinion is that this could have been done way before this in the 90s. Even though there's regional economic crisis in 1997, Inflation is still at the low level & our GDP per capita was steadily increasing. Indonesia started implementing GST ( termed VAT in some countries) in 1984, Thailand in 1992, Singapore did it in 1994, Philippines in 1998. The fact that this GST bill has only be proposed to the Parliament in 2008 clearly made us pondered on how do we managed our macro-economy & micro-economy all this while. It's the question about implementing at the right time. True, 6% rate is still among the lowest in the region but this comes back-to-back with the reduction & abolishment of the subsidies for fuels, sugar & other items, which will cause chain reaction of price increase of all goods & services provided domestically. A basic economic model states inflation comes together with rising GDP & standard of living but if it's increasing above the manageable level, u know something is wrong about the implementation of the micro-economic policies.

One look of a model transaction with GST rate of 6%, it seems that the consumers only need to pay extra 6% on top of the current selling price. That is assuming there wont be any increase of the current selling price at the top level of the supply chain. Some claimed market price could also go down too. Based on explanation in my last post & this guide on process of getting GST refund by industries, there's bound to have many hidden costs incurred, starting at manufacturer's level. Getting consultancy services to implement GST, upgrading of the current accounting software or possibly purchase of new software, additional paperwork, hiring & training of staffs to handle all accounting matters & other additional responsibilities, depending which industries u are referring to. About the issue whether there will be price increase or not, throwing back the question, if u are the GST registered supplier/manufacturer/wholesaler & all above are additional costs incurred after the GST implementation, what will u do?

Took days to look thru all attached docs & in come many more questions. Law documents being law documents, it did not clearly indicate what u want to know about the exempted & zero rated supplies but it's the "unseen binding words" in the bill that caught u. To take some examples of our day-to-day transactions at retailing level for exempted items,:-

1) Medical related supplies
The whole tax flow for the whole supply chain is not clearly defined. Supplies of all medical-related goods is zero-rated. In reality, we buy medicines & pharmaceutical goods from Guardian, Watsons etc rather than clinics/hospitals. Are these companies classified as pharmacies which sells only pharmaceutical goods (which can be GST exempted) or rather, retailers (which is GST-taxable)? When we buy other items too, does this means we are to segregate the taxable supplied goods (toiletries, cosmetics etc) & exempted supplied goods (medicines, pharmaceutical goods) at cashier counters? What guideline is given to these companies which provide taxable supplies, zero-rated supplies & exempted supplies, all at the same time to the consumers? What will be practical operational procedure for these companies to tax the consumers?

2) Basic food items
Basic foods items listed above are also exempted but the whole tax flow for the whole supply chain is not clearly defined. Tell me which consumers buy these basic food items direct from manufacturers? Are we, the consumers getting sugar supplies from Prai Sugar or Central Sugar? Are we getting flour supplies from Baba's or Kuantan Flour Mill? We got all of these from retailers of big time hypermarkets & sundry shops. Sundry shops will be GST free but what can u say about Tesco, Giant etc, which clearly have more than the annual sales turnover threshold of MYR 500,000?  What guideline is given to these companies which provide taxable supplies, zero-rated supplies & exempted supplies, all at the same time to the consumers?

2) Government-supplied services
All government-supplied services is exempted. However, it is well known that government has privatized many of its supplies & the status of government linked companies (GLCs) supplied goods/services is not been clearly indicated. Importation of goods supplied to all full government bodies are duties & tax free as indicated under Provision 3, Customs Act 1967. Based on my experiences of dealings with Customs/Ministry of Finance (MOF), GLCs are not classified as government bodies & not eligible for exemption. Thus, it is safe to say GLCs' supplied goods & services such as Telekom M'sia telephone bills, Tenaga Nasional electricity bills are GST taxable. Getting same services from different source can be confusing for some too. For example, renewing your road tax from Road Transport Department is GST free but renewing the road tax from MYEG online web portal is GST taxable.

Please tell me if I was wrong in picturing the whole flow & I seriously hope, I was wrong too. And we can brainstorm/share together. That's all for now & not wanting to prolong this post, my next post shall focus on the affected industries related to our day-to-day tasks, explaining if its taxable supplies to us or not.

Understanding GST: The Theory & Malaysian Framework

GST, or goods & service tax is one of the hotly debated topics among local politicians & economists for the past 5 years. It was made one of the mostly discussed topics during the last election. Being in a freight forwarding industry, which need me to be at the front line at the first level of the import flow (which I will explain later), I'm pretty interested in getting to know on how does it works & studying how much of impact it will have to our local economy. Will try to explain it as simple as possible, compiling information from multiple sources.

GST is a form of value added tax, or commonly known as VAT. The main purpose of VAT is to generate tax revenues to the government, similar to the corporate income tax or personal income tax. More than 160 nations in the world today practice this form of taxation. With China & other top 10 most populous nations in the world in the list as well, it's not surprising an estimated of 90% of world population live in countries with VAT or GST.

Quoting source from Wikipedia, VAT is a consumption tax, which levied on the supply of goods and services at each stage of supply chain from the supplier up to the retail stage of the distribution. In simple term, VAT is collected on the value of goods or services that have been provided each time there is a transaction (sales/purchase).

Current Malaysian Tax Framework
(source: GST)

a) Sales Tax
- Introduced as a single stage consumption tax, levied, charged and paid on goods manufactured locally and imported
- Reduced rate at 5% for non-essential foodstuff and building materials
- General rate of 10%
- Levied on locally manufactured goods at the time of goods are sold or disposed of
- Levied on imported goods at the time of goods declarations
- Government collects tax at manufacturer's level only
- Element of sales tax embedded in the price paid by consumer (in simple term, hidden cost)

b) Service Tax
- Introduced as a single stage consumption tax, levied, charged and paid on specific service provided by a taxable person in Malaysia
- Flat rate of 6% (effective January 2011)
- Government collects tax when service provided to consumer
- Imposed by businesses in hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants, pubs & spas), licensed under service tax act
- Not to be confused with service charge (levied to consumers at 10% rate), which is a sort of replacement for tipping charge for the hospitality provider though not necessarily so

c) Import Duties
- Levied on goods brought into Malaysia
- Varies from 5% to 40%, depending on nature of products
- Duties determined by government using classifications of HS codes for each goods
- Element of duties paid embedded in the price paid by consumer

d) Export Duties
- Levied on goods produced for sale outside Malaysia
- Varies from 0.2% to 10%, depending on nature of products
- Duties determined by government using classifications of HS codes for each goods

e) Excise Duties
- Levied on critical / sin goods such as automobiles, liquor, beer & tobacco products
- Varies from 15% - 105%, depending on nature of products
- Duties determined by government using classifications of HS codes for each goods
- Element of duties paid embedded in the price paid by consumer

The proposed GST will replace sales tax & service tax

Proposed GST Framework

Business making taxable supplies, with annual sales turnover which has exceeded the prescribed threshold of MYR 500,000.00 are liable to be registered under Goods & Service Tax Act 2009. This includes individual, sole proprietor, company, partnership, estate & even trust, union, club, society, association or any other organization including government department of local authority which is involved in the business making taxable supplies in Malaysia. Business who are not registered under GST Act does not need to pay for GST or charge GST to the customer, but they can voluntarily register into it. Check the flow below, using the 4% rate as the model



In simple understanding of the GST regime, although tax is collected throughout the supply chain, it is only the final consumer who pays for it. As explained above, the businesses may recover the tax at every stage of the value chain of a taxable product or service until it reaches the final consumer. As of today (1/10/2013) indicated in Royal Malaysian Customs website, below are industries exempted from collecting GST although Ernst & Young website showed otherwise.

1) Medical services (government & private)
2) Supplies by government, eg. education services, issuance of passport by Immigration, issuance of road tax by Ministry of Transport etc.

However, specific supplies such as water supply & rubbish collections by state government are subjected to GST due to the commercial nature of the services. Supplies made by government statutory bodies & local authorities will also be subject to GST. Example list of statutory bodies are attached. This also means taxable supplies provided by semi-government institutions such as Tenaga Nasional, Telekom are also subject to GST.

For the accounting aspect of handling GST, registered person/company is required to submit all tax returns within stipulated period given by government between 3-6 months, depending on threshold set. All payments are to be made to Royal Malaysian Customs, acting on behalf of government. Claiming GST refunds, however is to be made within 14 working days to Royal Malaysian Customs if claim is submitted online or 28 working days if the claim is submitted manually. Refund of tax maybe offset against other unpaid GST, customs & excise duties. All business & accounting records relating to GST transactions are to be kept in Bahasa Malaysia or English for a period of 7 years.

I've attached some relevant guides for more clarifications of the above. A basic overflow of the proposed Malaysian framework of GST. Attached also is a link for getting guides for companies in different industries. As of today, the general understanding is that GST will be implemented in year 2015. We were made to understand that when it is announced, everyone will be given 18-24 months to be GST ready.

For those who don't know, Malaysia has been experiencing budget deficits since 1999. In simple terms, budget deficit means that the government spends more money than it receives. With the economy downturn happening across the region & observing the local political/economic environment, my prediction is the GST could be pushed forward to year 2014 & will be announced in Budget 2014, scheduled this October 18th. Do bear in mind, at time of this blog post, before the announcement of this bill, all information here may not be treated as 100% accurate. I'm purely sharing information with all, with the current reliable sources which I've linked all over this post and giving you all a picture of current framework (at the time of posting) & what might happens. My next post shall be on the analysis & impact to the individual, company & economy as a whole. This of course, will be depending on the announcement of Budget 2014 and shall be posted after it.

The Arrogance of Authority & The Impertinence of Stupidity

Got this great story to share with all

A DEA officer stopped at a ranch in Texas , and talked with an old rancher. He told the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs." The rancher said, "Okay, but don't go in that field over there.....", as he pointed out a distant location.

The DEA officer verbally exploded, saying, " Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me!" Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removed his badge and proudly displayed it to the rancher. "See this badge?! This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... on ANY land!! No questions asked or answers given!! Have I made myself clear...... do you understand???"
The rancher nodded politely, apologized, and went about his chores. A short time later, the old rancher heard loud screams, looked up and saw the DEA officer running for his life, being chased by the rancher's enormous Santa Gertrudis bull...…

With every step the bull was gaining ground on the officer, and it seemed likely that the officer would be gruesomely gored before he reached safety. The man was clearly terrified. The rancher threw down his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs.....
                         (you will love this part….)

                        "Your badge........ show him your BADGE!!"

Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan - Tanjung Sepat

It's been a while since my last post about Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan, one of my favourite pastimes. Been posting photos to my Facebook album but judging from the many visits to my posts on this topic, probably it's a good idea to start it back.

Made a road trip to Tanjung Sepat during the last Raya holiday. It has been much hyped place after Jason (or locally known as Ah Xian) made his foodie visit for his show few years back. Arrived at this Jalan Pasar at Tanjung Sepat town at approx. 10.30 am to sample this much-talked-about seafood bak kut teh at Ah Hock Bak Kut Teh restaurant at Lorong 3. Twice, tried to come here for this but all foods been sold. So, it's pretty surprising that the food is still aplenty at this time. Probably, they stocked up for the holidays.

Dry bak kut teh

Seafood bak kut teh, with extra ingredients (prawns, fish fillets & squids) on top of the usual pork meat, local herbs, button mushrooms, beancurd & lettuce.

Verdict? Bak kut teh should just remain bak kut teh, which means using only pork meat. That "taste", from the seafood got into the soup and ended up giving it a counter productive taste. This is a classic example of "too much ingredients spoilt the soup". However, having able to get a slight taste of the original soup, even with the seafood in it, means it will taste alright without the seafood. The dry bak kut teh is alright, with the chunky, tender meats fried & made served at the right time. This is one of those dishes that need to be eaten once served as it will lost its taste when u leave it for too long in the open.

Few streets away, lies the famous Hai Yew Heng restaurant selling hand-made steamed buns (pao). I am a self-confessed lover of anything bread & been around to search for the best of the best. And mind u, this place serves one of the best that I've ever tasted. My favourite is the red bean pao. When u eat it, u can know immediately that this is a freshly grinded rich red bean paste and not the usual processed paste which gives u the jam-like texture. The demand was so great that each customer is only allowed to buy 5 pieces of pao's from any types available at that time. Nothing more. Best time is to come during normal weekend to buy the pao's of your choices, at your time.

Freshly made pao, before the steaming process



Red bean pao looked ordinary. When u got the skin layer peeled off at one go, u know ur in for a treat

Besides the pao restaurant, there's Kwo Zhab coffee shop, selling the famous Tanjung Sepat coffee powder, made by a Hainanese family. Not a coffee person & unable to offer my views if this is worth buying or not. However, for coming this far, we ought to buy some stuffs back home right? And this is one good option..:)



The coffee mixer in front of the shop

Unfortunately, didn't have much-touted seafood lunch at Baywatch restaurant or Batu Laut due to time constraints. Other attraction is the Lover's Bridge which is 10 minutes drive away. They said it's a great place for sunset view. A must-buy item when you are in Tanjung Sepat is the dragon fruit, otherwise called pitaya fruit. Sold cheaply at MYR 10.00 for a good 3 pieces. Better quality ones are sold at slightly steep MYR 8.00 per kilo.

Dragon fruit farm, You are allowed to visit it too

Freshly plucked dragon fruits for sale along the roadside

To go to Tanjung Sepat, best way is using Elite Highway. KLites can take MEX highway & connect to Elite highway after paying the last toll & get into KLIA toll. Look out for Sepang road signboard. In fact, this is the exact way to go to LCCT airport. Once u reach the traffic light near Formula One circuit, turn left and turn right after the next traffic light junction. From here, drive straight all the way for a good 45 minutes at least where u will drive pass Sungai Pelek town, some dragon fruits farms, palm oil plantations, housing estates & factories before reaching Tanjung Sepat town. Once u see a PETRONAS station on your left, keep to your left & turn left into Jalan Pasar where u will find all the stores mentioned above

Patriotism in Unity - The Name of The Game

Now that August month is here & in conjunction of the coming Merdeka (Independence Day) in 2 days time, the theme of the month is none other than unity. I mean what other theme is there to talk about besides unity? It has been 4 years since my last post about this topic, titled Merdeka & how much things has changed since.

Racist remarks, threats to people of other races, acts that showed disrespect to other religions/beliefs, all well publicized all over the medias over the past 4 years & it's still ongoing. Done not by ordinary people like u & me, but sadly by people holding prominent roles in the society, people who are supposed to be the role models for the society, people who are supposingly upholding the law. And the blame game goes on & on. I don't need to specifically mention any here since most of you, readers of this post are well savvy enough to know what's I'm talking about.

That's talking about the present. Speaking about future, looking at the youth & kids' behaviours today, we are bound to be worried about how can they help shape this country. U see children mixing only with other people of their own race in school canteen. Go to a mamak restaurant, u see groups segregated according to races. That's not all. Blame it on plain ignorance or lack of awareness or whatever, u see youths today (and matured adults too) don't really understand the culture / beliefs / practices of the other races. True story accounts, some people still cant differentiate a tosai, a capati & a poori. Some still don't understand why a Chinese can celebrate both Chinese New Year & Christmas. Some people think Deepavali is a celebration of Indian new year. Many people have never attend a Malay kenduri. Some people think dialects like Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka are all the same besides Mandarin.

The point is, if we don't know the other customs & beliefs, how are we to know how to respect them? The rule in the corporate world is, if u don't know about a topic or don't know what to talk about, u keep your mouth shut. And here, u have some people (prominent ones at that) trying to be too smart by telling the public about their standings, without thinking of the consequences. Best part is, even if we try to follow other customs, we will get a certain look from them as if it's abnormal for us to do it. I still got stared at, whenever I use my hand to eat banana leaf rice. Many people are surprised when they know I can speak pretty good Malay.

Most recent news is about how an act of kindness shown by Raven Murugesan towards a Muslim cashier, has created a big buzz in the Net. Not undermining what Raven has done but during the time of our parents, what he has done is an usual random thing to do then & there's nothing to shout about really. Today, it's seems to be a BIG deal for a person to show kindness towards another person of other race. We just fail to understand that when we see a person beyond the colour of his/her skin, all we're looking is just another child of God. If we're to put one finger each from ourselves & that person & cut the fingers, what we're bound to see is only red coloured blood from both fingers. I've said this before in previous posts that if the Americans take centuries to accept a black as a president, then this young country of ours at 56 years old, has a long way to go to be able to progress as a nation for all.

We can complain for the whole day, telling about what's went wrong and have brainstorming session with the who's who on how to do better as a nation. Will things improve? Merdeka is not about who fly the most numbers of national flags or who hoist the flag the highest. Merdeka is not about having to stand up to Negaraku each time I go to cinema. Kee Thuan Chye hit the bull's eye in his blog when he said patriotism is what u carry in your heart - your love for your country, if u want to put it that way. It is something that make you decide you will fight to protect it, perhaps even die for it.

And it's not the question about what other should do to make things better but instead, it's about what can we do to make things better. Our forefathers has fought their lives for this country & it is us, who should be making efforts to preserve peace and unity in the country. We show the others how to become a better Malaysian by becoming one ourselves. A divine teaching said, life around us is a reflection of ourselves. And we change others by changing ourselves. And me? Life has never been better, having great friends from all walks of life and I truly thanked God for this. And these crazy, memorable experiences will definitely be shared with my children in future to inspire them to help create a better Malaysia.

The Akurians

Happy Merdeka everyone !!!!

Language - The Power Tool

Language, they say is the most powerful tool to succeed in getting your message across to the audience. The utmost important must-do way is by using normal conversational language as a tool. When I say, conversational language, it doesn't need to be perfectly constructed sentences. The infamous Manglish (English spoken in localized Malaysian slang with localized words) is one conversational language. Same can be applied for other local languages as well. Knowing the language is one thing. Being proficient in it is another thing. Being able to use it to appeal to the right audience is another whole new level.

I usually train my Customer Service personnels to adapt to customer's language level to be able to create a rapport with them. Giving dummies example, if a German is working in Japan, he can't speak German to the colleagues. Of course, they can speak a common language, such as English. However, if he's to learn Japanese & speak to the colleagues, it brings the rapport & relationship to a higher level. Even, in any tasks in our working environment, we can use this method too. This can be demonstrated in below some real-life scenarios below:-

MESSAGE: To check driver status & to inform him on the urgency to deliver the goods to customer

Speaking to Malay driver (Malay language)
Me: Bang, ko kat mana ni? (Bro, where are u now?)
Driver: Aku kat Shah Alam ni, dekat roundabout JVC. (I'm in Shah Alam now, nearby JVC roundabout)
Me: Barang Canon tu, ko hantar cepat pi sana ya. Aku dah kena marah teruk dengan customer ni (U  know the Canon goods, please deliver it urgently, okay?? I've already got scolded by customer)
Driver: Ya ker? OK, lagi 10 minit sampai. (Is it?? OK, be right there in 10 minutes)
Me: OK, timo kaseh ya (OK, thank you)

Speaking to Indian driver (Malay language)
Me: A-ne, lu sekarang kat mana? (Bro, where are you now??)
Driver: Saya kah? Saya dekat.....tol USJ. Kejap lagi sampai. (Me?? Me now nearby.....USJ toll. Will arrive there shortly)
Me: Itu macam kah? Itu barang Canon ahh...lu bawa kan? Itu manyak urgent lahh. Lu cepat-cepat hantar sana ahh. Itu customer sudah manyak marah lahh (Is it??U know that Canon goods? Ur carrying it right?? It's an urgent goods, could u please deliver it urgently. The customer is very angry now)
Driver: Ya kah? OK, OK, nanti sekejap sampai (Is it?? OK, OK, will arrive there shortly)
Me: OK, thank you ahhh. (OK, thank you)

Speaking to Chinese driver (Cantonese language)
Me: Tailo, yi kar lei hai pin to??  (Bro, where are you now??)
Driver: Yi kar ahh?? Yi kar ngo hai USJ toll kor to (Now?? Now. I'm nearby USJ toll)
Me: Tiew lo !!!  Ko ti Canon for ha mai, ho chung yu ka. Ngo pei hap chai tiew to ho sai lik...Fai tit sung hoi kor to, ma fan lei. (Fu**!!! U know the Canon goods, it's very urgent u know. I got fu** nicely by customer. Could u please deliver it urgently?? Thanks)
Driver: K&%%& !!! Ho lah ho lah. Ngo chun leong ahhh (K&%*!! OK, OK, will do my best)
Me: Mmmm koi lei ahh, ha si cheng lei yamcha (Thank you very much, will buy u drinks next time)

I'm truly grateful to be able to grasp the local conversational language, be it in Malay, English or dialects like Cantonese, Hokkien etc thru exposures in my education years in national schools & current working environment. My only regret is not learning Mandarin properly during my schooling years, which I promised myself not to let it happen to my children. Not undermining some people putting priority for their children on learning internationally recognized language such as English & Mandarin, but many of us may have forgotten about the having language skills required to work in a Malaysian environment.

True, learning English & Mandarin is important & in fact, should be made a priority for all children. Unless, we're training ourselves to work in oversea country for all our life, we mustn't ignore the other languages as well such as Malay & local dialects such as Cantonese, Hokkien, which sadly I think is slowly dying. As what I mentioned earlier, grasping the conversational language (not necessarily need to master) to survive in a Malaysian environment. We took for granted on having a home country with cultures so diverse that we forgotten that it's actually a free training ground for our children to learn multiple languages, all at the same time. Something to ponder on for the parent wannabes or for those planning education for their child....

Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan - Penang II (And Perak too)

Following up from my previous post of proposed crash course, makan-makan program to Penang under Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan - Penang. OK, maybe parts of Perak as well, since this is a road trip up north. Sharing with all on the food photos & my views of them



Char Siew Pau: Restoran Foh San, Ipoh - Fluffy, freshly made with chunky meats. There's feels of satisfaction already after seeing smokes out from the pau upon opening of one side.



Nasi Kandar: Line Clear Nasi Kandar - Talking about brand awareness, this is one name in everyone's mind whenever u mention Penang Nasi Kandar. Always fresh at any time of the day u want it. I really mean ANYTIME...

 

 

Durian ABC: Restoran Kek Seng - The best in Penang, a desert that I ate since my childhood days. Although the durian ice cream is no longer that pulpy as compared to yesteryears, still worthwhile to have it...

 

 

Fried Oyster: Restoran Seng Thor - This is fried oyster with eggs. Read me, Fried Oyster with Eggs & not Fried Eggs with Oyster. Enough said. Without doubt, the best in Penang

 

 

BBQ Drumsticks: New Lane hawker centre - Tastes better than wings and its a wonder why cant those be available in KL

 

 

Sar Hor Fun: New Lane hawker centre - Its that broth...Not too watery, not too dry either. By the time u finish eating the kueh teow, nothing is left on the plate, really.

 

 

Brown Sugar Pancake: Pulau Tikus market stall - No one else in M'sia have pancake of tis kind. Filled with brown sugar & grinded peanuts, giving the not-too-sweet flavour to it. Perfect for the one who crave simple breakie meal without compromising the glucose level
 



Fruit Rojak: Gurney Drive - Its hard to explain why Penang fruit rojak is only available in Gurney Drive. Main difference compared to the ones in KL are the sauces and the mangoes used. Try stall no 52, "Tan Swee Hoe" and stall no 39, "GP Soon".
 

 



Duck Egg Char Kueh Teow: Pulau Tikus market stall - People say duck eggs has high cholesterol. With the tantalizing aroma that comes with it, does anyone cares?
 

 



Steamed River Prawn: Restoran Luen Fong, Tanjung Tualang - The best prawn dishes ever !! One taste, & u wouldn't wanna eat any prawn dishes anywhere else. Juicy, meaty, fresh. Eat it original style, u will understand why people travel long hours from KL just to have this

 



Kueh Teow Soup: Restoran Onn Kee, Ipoh - It so smooth that u can slurp this from your mouth into stomach without u really realize it
 

 



Ipoh Bean Sprout: Restoran Onn Kee, Ipoh - What more can I say? Ipoh people are lucky lot for having first hand supply of this wonderfully created products of nature. U have to eat it to know how I felt about this one

 

 

 

 

Kota Kinabalu Bah !!

Continuing from previous posts of the climb to Kinabalu summit, we spent 2 days in the state capital before flying back to KL. It's already past 12 midnight by the time we finished dinner and shower. Slept soundly till next morning where we completely skipped breakfast to rest the tired bodies on the bed. The side effects? Not as bad as what I thought actually, not as claimed by some people that they're unable to walk for days. Only able to walk slowly & experiencing pains when walking up & down the stairs.

Because of our legs condition, resorted to visit & eat in places around the hotel vicinity only. The good news is Promenade Hotel is located in probably the best location in the city whereby foods & tourist attractions are pretty accessible by foot nearby. Took a cab ride to Suria Sabah shopping complex located nearby for window shopping.

One way to experience the local culture of a place is to visit the local market, which we did at Filipino night market located along the KK Waterfront. In one glance, the scene in the market just amazed u. U see unbelievably fresh seafood sold at unbelievably cheap price. Fresh vegetables from Kundasang sold as if they're for free. Imagine this, 1 bag consists of 10 pieces cucumbers costs only MYR 4.00 per bag. Multi racial people speaking to each other in local Malay accent. And all these happenings with the background of spectacular sunset scene. Besides the night market are the local handicraft market & dried seafood market.



Sunset at KK Waterfront

Fish market, u can see fishes delivered directly from boats to the stalls here

Fresh vegetables on sale. Notice the packed bags which are to be sold in bulks

Pearls sold at handicraft market

One reason of increasing repeat visitors to Kota Kinabalu is its famous fresh & cheap seafood. And to have the best seafood dinner with a reasonable price not necessarily need to be in a seafood restaurant with big aquarium. Few minutes walk away, makeshift restaurant stalls with "u pick, we cook" style, sprouted over a parking space. We got into this Seri 3 Rasa Seafood, displaying the largest choices of seafood I've ever seen on a single table. Fishes like seabass, trouts, pomfrets, groupers, all of them surprisingly are priced at fixed MYR 3.00/100 gram while others are also cheaply priced. Lobsters, are priced at MYR 15.00/100 gram while the rare jumbo-sized tiger prawns are priced higher but still cheaper by 40% I think than in KL.

We chose a coral trout fish (locally known as kerapu merah), big-sized prawns, squid & sayur pakis, local greens available only in Sabah to satisfy our hunger. A famous chef once said, when u use freshest seafood available, 70% of the work is already done. When we get it cooked with the simplest way, the natural texture & taste of the seafood will be enhanced. In this case, the seafood done the all the talking & not the chef. Price? MYR 85.00 for the food. No specific name for this place but all these stalls are located besides the Kota Kinabalu wet market along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens. A definitely must-try place for all budget-conscious seafood lovers out there !!!!

Arrays of fishes & lobsters on display

Crabs, squids, crayfishes, prawns, cockles, mussels etc. U name it, u got it
 



Crunchy Sayur Pakis cooked in Belacan style, I can have this all by myself !!! 



Coral trout steamed to perfection in Thai sauce. Fantastico !!!

The next day, walked to the Kota Kinabalu biggest wet market & bought local Tenom coffee powders for souvenirs back home. A stone throw away from the wet market is the fish market. Was told that this is the place where fish mongers take their daily stocks & distribute them to multiple places around the city. Sneaked into the place, hoping to catch a glimpse of the so-called auction. Didn't got my wish granted but still manage to buy frozen fishes to be brought back to KL.

Scene at the Kota Kinabalu wet market. Clean & well organized stalls

Local fishermen segregating the catches of the day

Tip to be shared for those wanna pack the seafood back home. All packed seafood for airfreight need to be of frozen types. Malaysia Airlines allowed frozen seafood to be checked in but Air Asia only allowed them to be hand carried at maximum weight of 7 kilogramme per person. We flew home to KL in the evening, bringing home the sweet memories & hope of returning again. As a seafood lover, it's a sin to the Food God (if there's any) if I don't come back !!! Not forgetting of course, the other attractions yet to be visited like the islands, highland resorts & others. KK, I will be back !!!