Penang Views and Stories

Website crashed again or still using a blogger account?

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:01:00 +0000

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The Deceased of the Western Road Burial Plots Are Turning in Their Graves

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:04:00 +0000

Disclaimer: Before you read on, please take note that this is A PARODY, NOT REAL and most definitely DOES NOT REFER to any REAL PERSON, DEAD or ALIVE.

A week after the local council published notices in local newspapers announcing its intention to update the register of burial rights of those buried in the Western Road Christian cemetery, a strange phenomenon started to happen within the cemetery.

The once-peaceful cemetery was abuzz with activities as graves are suddenly being exhumed by its occupants. Many of the deceased are slowly climbing out of their permanent resting place, none of whom looked pleased to be woken from their slumber.

The cemetery groundskeeper, who had noticed the phenomenon, had immediately tipped off the media and quickly make a run for it. After all, he did not want to be blamed for waking the dead.

John Smith, a Royal Australian Air Force soldier who died in 1948 and was buried in one of the plots there, seemed to be leading the rise of the dead, amongst those are his comrades, the British soldiers, the Russian soldiers and the other civilians buried there.

"Since we are in danger of losing our homes, I think this is a good time that all of us get organised and we will all go get registered with the local council," the skeleton with a few scraps of rotting material hanging on his frame told reporters in a brief press conference yesterday.

Another deceased, still in the midst of decomposing and emitting a putrid stench, pushed Smith aside to have her say.

"Ignore Smith. I think the local council is so stupid. I mean, we are all dead and resting peacefully here and there they are wanting to wake us up to provide them with all those immaterial details. I mean, look at us! Does it look like we have the receipts to the burial plots?" the woman, who only wished to be known as Mary, said while gesturing to her rotting clothes and flesh.

"Yes, look at us. Some of us has been here for almost 100 years, how do they expect us to provide proof of purchase or date of purchase?" another skeleton demanded.

"Now, now, settle down. I am sure we can get all this sorted out in no time. We must hurry, we have until Nov 30 to get registered or we may no longer have a place to rest peacefully!" Smith told the crowd of unhappy, far-from-peaceful, skeletons and decomposing bodies.

Smith said most of the dead, some of whom has been there for almost a century, do not have surviving relatives to do the registration for them. Those who do have surviving relatives do not even know if the relatives are still living in Penang.

"It is indeed a big mess here. Some of us has relatives who are living elsewhere and some of us, like myself, do not have any relatives to claim my bones or provide a new resting place for us. So, we have no choice but to rise from our peaceful slumber to register with the council," he said when asked why the deceased are rising from their graves.

The MPPP is conducting an exercise to update the register of burial rights of those buried in the Western Road Christian cemetery.

It had published notices in local newspapers calling for individuals with burial rights or the family members and personal representatives of those buried in the 19th century cemetery located on Jalan Utama (or popularly known as Western Road) to provide detailed information such as date of purchase of the plot, plot number, name and address of the applicants and representatives, proof of purchase and the name of the deceased.

They are required to provide the information by Nov 30, otherwise the council will repossess the plots for other uses.

Be careful of phishing emails and other suspicious emails

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:28:00 +0000

In this technology age, we can never be too trusting of emails that we get. After all, you never know if it's a scam, a hoax or a way to cheat you of your money, your property or worse, your identity. You may think that these hoaxes emails are just waste of your time but it can be much, much worse.

Many people are unaware of the rising crime of identity theft. By identity theft, it means people can use your personal information that they gleaned from you through their fraudulent emails and then 'become you'. They could go to the extent of using your name, your social security number and everything about you to purchase things, to take up mortgages or to even commit crimes!

That is why you should be very careful about releasing your personal details to virtual strangers and if you have already done that, it is best that you check whether your identity have been stolen in sites like ID Watchdog. It is a good thing that there are sites like ID Watchdog so that we can be reassured that there's no one else out there using our identity to commit crimes or run up a really huge bill!

Penang Free Wi-Fi Spots

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:22:00 +0000

Okay, so it's been awhile since I updated this blog, I've been preoccupied with stuffs of late...
Anyway, I'm sure every Penangite must have heard about the great Penang Free Wi-Fi project by the state government.

Well, let's make one thing clear. It's not installed by the state government but approval was given by the state government. The project is by RedTone, some telecommunications company. And the CM, who loves to harp on something on and on, is merely promoting it and of course, taking credit for it too. Anyway, essentially, it's a private project, condoned by the state government and promoted by the state government. 'For the good of the people' or so it's said.

Whether it's any good or not (the wi-fi service), one should not be complaining too much right? After all it's free (so said the CAT minister). Whatever it is, his claims of almost whole of Penang will have free Wi-Fi should ALWAYS be taken with a bucket of salt.

Why? Well, from the looks of phase one, the hotspots are only at certain locations and shops. Not exactly at some kampungs or public parks or anything. Here's the list in case you want to try using the free service. Oh yeah, and another thing, before using, you need to register and enter personal details like your name, IC, race, income, age group, profession, etc. It's a rather long questionnaire.

And if you can't see the list clearly, to put it in a nutshell, it's available at Prangin Mall, Komtar, Queensbay Mall, some shops and restaurants in Bukit Jambul, BJ Complex, two shops in Jalan Dato Koyah (Lee Car Engine Servicing & Commass Construction), one shop in Argyll Road (Kaiser Hardware), Jalan Kampung Malabar, one shop in Jln Kangsar (Perniagaan Ban Seing) and over at the mainland, Megamall Pinang, some car accessories shop, Synergy College, computer shops, some restaurants and some other shops (check the list).

Oh well. The stupid Wi-Fi card in my laptop is not working so I won't be surfing outside the house for now. But if you want to surf, go to Starbucks, the wi-fi is also free and pretty good too.

By-election in Penanti

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:03:00 +0000

I have to hand it to PKR and their whole messy politics. In a time when the economy is barely stable, they are too busy finagling and fighting over who hold what post.

There are two perfectly eligible PKR assemblymen for them to choose to be the DCM I but instead of choosing, they decide not to choose at all. So, they have a by-election. Really, this is getting to be so tiresome.

Including this Penanti seat, there will have been six by-elections since the GE. That's ridiculous. Okay, so, three of it in Sarawak, Perak and KT are unavoidable since the reps keeled over and died but what about the other three?

First there's Permatang Pauh. There's a by-election because Anwar wants to go back to parliament.

Then there's Bukit Selambau. A by-election over some scandal regarding the rep.

Now, in Penanti, another by-election over corruption scandal regarding the rep.

Which means, three of the by-elections are caused by PKR and their shenanigans. Seriously, PKR really need to get it together. Can't they have chosen the right candidates in the first place instead of this?

What we really don't need now is a by-election but more concrete plans to keep the economy afloat and help people who have lost their jobs. So far, the focus seemed to be more on politics than the economy both on the BN and the PR side.

It is just too much. Enough is enough already. People are losing jobs and the poor are getting poorer and these politicians are too busy fighting over this seat or that seat just so they can get on the gravy train.

It is blardy obvious. They don't care about the economy or the people. They only care about their own pockets and for power.

Nothing but a bunch of good-for-nothing power crazy idiots.

Since when Anwar Ibrahim became the Penang CM?

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:02:00 +0000

The very controversial DCM I Fairus has officially resigned on April 8. So, the Chief Minister felt obliged to issue this press statement:

Press Statement by Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng in Georgetown, Penang on 8 April 2009

The Penang State Exco has decided to let Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng decide on the position of Deputy Chief Minister I. This appointment is the prerogative of the Penang Chief Minister who will consult with all relevant parties.

The Penang Chief Minister will held a Press Conference at 11.30am tomorrow on this matter. YB Mohammad Fairus resignation as Deputy Chief Minister I takes effect immediately today and is no longer on Exco member. However YB Mohammad Fairus still retains all privileges as Penang PR ADUN.

Lim Guan Eng

If you notice, it is written that "This appointment is the prerogative of the Penang Chief Minister who will consult with all relevant parties."

Anyone with any sense at all will take it to mean that it is the prerogative of the Penang chief Minister to decide on the appointment of the new DCM I. Right?

Right.

Besides, the CM has been given the power by the exco to decide on who becomes the new DCM I.

So, this means, the CM has the power and the right to decide on who becomes the new DCM I.

Which leads me to this puzzling bit of news:

GEORGE TOWN: PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will nominate a candidate from the party for the post of Penang Deputy Chief Minister (I) within a week, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

He said although it was his prerogative to appoint the candidate to replace Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, he would wait for Anwar to name the party’s nominee.

“Since the post belongs to a Malay PKR state assemblyman, it is only right for PKR to identify the candidate.

[Staronline]

Let me get this straight. The CM decides to push aside his responsibility and let Anwar decide on who to be the next DCM I. Does this mean that the CM has no power at all to decide who he wants to appoint as the DCM I?

Sure, this is a PR state government and the DCM I is the PKR's post. But we are talking about the state government here, not some PKR party post. If it is a PKR party post, the CM has no right to intervene.

But this is a state government post and who is Anwar in the Penang state government for him to decide on the DCM I post?

This goes to show that there is obviously some sense of disunity within the PR coalition. Obviously, the DAP fellas (as in the Penang CM) steer themselves clear away from PKR and let PKR deal with their own problems. And obviously, PKR has kept a distance from DAP too.

And not only that, why did the CM's prerogative to appoint his DCM I became a PKR leader's prerogative?

As far as I know, Anwar is not the Penang CM. He is not part of the Penang state government. In fact, he has no say whatsoever in how the Penang state government was run. And yet, he was suddenly given the power to decide on who will become the second top guy in the state government and not only that, he was also the one to make the announcement too.

So, why did the exco give the CM power to decide on the DCM I's post when obviously he has no such power to do so? Why not from the start just say it is all up to Anwar and be done with it instead of issuing that kind of press statement to say it is the CM's prerogative when clearly it is not?

Whatever it is, it is obvious that the CM chose to do this to distance himself from whatever decision that PKR makes, which goes to show that PR still has a lot to work on before they could all work together smoothly.

Why a tiger park is such a BAD IDEA

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:13:00 +0000

Okay, so the CM is a CAT man through and through but a tiger park?

He is really going overboard with his catty harebrained schemes. Enough already. And his reasons for proposing a tiger park?

1. Eco-tourism
2. to provide a sanctuary for tigers

Okay. Lets look at number one. Eco-tourism. Nobody in their right mind will book a holiday to Penang just because we have a tiger park. It will not draw tourists in in droves. Please be realistic. There are so many tiger parks / zoos in this world, what makes him think tourists will come to Penang just to look at tigers?

Ridiculous.

Now, let's look at number two.

Dear, dear CM. Please don't be such a child. The only place that tigers belonged are the forests. Not some park where they are ogled at. If you really care so much for tigers, then do something concrete. Like joining with WWF's fight for stricter conservation laws to protect tigers and all endangered animals in their NATURAL HABITAT.

Fight for keeping of tigers to be outlawed.

Fight for laws and enforcement that will stop illegal trade of tigers and tiger parts.

Fight against tigers being exploited in many ways at parks, theme parks, etc just so the owners can make a fast buck.

Fight for tigers' natural habitat to be preserved and conserved.

Fight for tigers to continue to live on in the wild and for our dwindling tiger in the wild population to be doubled.

Placing tigers in a park IS NOT saving the tigers but showing a stamp of approval that it is the right move for people to buy tiger cubs for entertainment and for humans to ogle at behind enclosures.

Placing tigers in a park IS THE SAME AS CAGING THEM. No matter how big an enclosure they are placed, they are still caged and locked up. They are NOT FREE.

Tigers belonged in the wild. PERIOD.

And all his talk of getting some private companies to fund and handle the project, please use your brain and think ahead.

What happens if the company suddenly goes belly-up and could not afford to maintain the tigers? Then what? Let the tigers starve? Sell off the tigers?

Mind you, feeding a single tiger costs RM30,000 a year. And that does not include veterinarian costs and park maintenance costs.

So, this tiger park idea is probably the most harebrained idea our CM has thought up.

Want to save the tigers? Go symbolically adopt one at WWF lar. Much better than placing them in some enclosure of a park.

To all the cowards and political nuts out there

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 03:36:00 +0000

First off, THIS IS MY BLOG so I have the liberty of thrashing any idiotic politician in Penang and Malaysia and wherever as and when I see fit. That includes the so-called popular favourites the DAP big mouthed politicians and the BN losers.

Anonymous cowards who thinks they are SO smart leaving stupid comments in my OLD posts challenging things I blog about A LONG TIME AGO only serve to prove how moronic and cowardly they are. And I know the reasons for the brainless attacks...much like rabid dogs foaming at the mouth over some negative posts about their idols, they probably think they are belittling me for their idols.

HAH.

Stupid

Bunch

Of

Moronic

IDIOTS.

Go ahead, foam at the mouth and leave brainless comments here all you want. It just proves how stupid you are.

And to Jeffrey Chew, I know you work for the biggest Cat of them all so of course you are obliged to defend your employer.

After all in such an economic downturn, one must always be nice to the hand that feeds one. But really, this is MY BLOG. You wanna defend your boss, go do it in your blog. Don't sully my blog with your undying devotion for the Cat. It is just too sickening for me to bear. I may even need to boil this blog in disinfectant to get rid of all the germs. And I really hate to do that.

Cats may seem all nice and clean but do you know that their feces are toxic? Do you know that cat fur can cause asthma? Do you know that cats aren't all that loyal and frankly, I've never heard of a cat that protected its owners from robbers or burglars. Cats are also known to scratch their owners too.

If I've said it once, I will say it again:

Lim Guan Eng is CHILDISH and PETTY.

Lim Guan Eng only say what he DON'T mean and means what he DON'T say.

And I still think his spat with the media is prove enough what a control-freak and an all-talk but NO ACTION leader he is.

And it's been one year.

What has he done but play his old role as an Opposition leader of blaming all and sundry over whatever that went wrong?

Some investor decided not to come here, blame the BN.

People are losing their jobs, blame the BN.

Some drains are blocked, blame the BN.

Yeah, might as well change his surname to Lua since that's all he is good at. BN may have done wrong but isn't it time the PR government do something to right the wrongs instead of playing the blame game?

We blardy well know what the BN government did so please get over it. Time to do what you are elected to do instead of working only your mouth.

And to the Gerakan losers, Cat Watch????!!!??? Is that the best you could do? Dr Teng, either you are too blur or just plain senile but seriously, shouldn't you have something better than Cat Watch?

Maybe you guys need to learn a lesson or two from the PR fellas. They are damn good at being Opposition, so good in fact, that they seemed stuck in that mentality.

Politicians. *roll eyes* Bunch of pond scum.

Okay, now I know there will be loads of cowardly 'Anonymous' comments especially after my attack against the PR and even the Gerakan leaders. Let 'em rip.

I DON'T BLARDY CARE WHAT YOU THINK!!

The war between NST and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Frankly, I think the Chief Minister is acting like a small sulking kid but that's my opinion so even if you don't like it, it's not my problem. This is my blog after all...

Anyway, I'm not going to write much but paste here the first commentary that started this war of words between the NST and the CM:

THE MARCH 8, 2008 WATERSHED: Guan Eng trait that's difficult to swallow

WHILE public relations people and press secretaries are often considered to be stumbling blocks by pressmen in gaining access to industrialists and politicians, the need to be media savvy appears to be what the doctor may prescribe for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Lim's CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) mantra in running the state government has been put to the test by and on the media this week.

After refusing requests for exclusive interviews from certain publications to commemorate his first year in office, Lim had decreed that he would hold a joint media briefing for all reporters, ahead of the March 8 anniversary.

The Penang press corps was not amused when they discovered that Lim had gone against his word and given an interview to one newspaper, several days before the mass press conference.

This is not the first time that preference has been given to selected media organisations, although his almost-daily media briefings are covered by everyone.
It would have been a different story if a publication had got a "scoop" on Lim. But in this case, it was apparent a game of divide and rule was played with the media.

Any media practitioner worth his salt would tell any public figure that playing favourites with the press does not pay.

And the media is not the only one which has been crying foul over Lim's treatment.

Some businessmen have also been lamenting how certain personalities and projects are being given preference by Lim.

Others, or the less favoured ones, are made to withstand public embarrassment and are exposed during media briefings.

Lim may be right when he told off a journalist that he was the chief minister of Penang and thus deserved more than just a balanced story.

Declaring that he was the "dictator of policies in the state" may be the truth in so far as his position is concerned. However, no journalist -- junior or senior -- relishes being threatened with calls to his editor if they do not write "more than balanced" articles on him.

Just how does Lim expect to build goodwill in Penang if he and his aides go around proclaiming that it is a level playing field for everyone, while in reality the reverse is true?

If the Penang government wishes to continue expounding on its CAT tag, perhaps the time has come for the chief minister to practise what he has been preaching.
- NST

Okay, so that piece of commentary got LGE hopping mad. In fact, so mad that he dropped the NST from the mailing list of all the press statements from his office as claimed by this second commentary by NST:

SHARANJIT SINGH: What's your beef, Guan Eng?

IT was supposed to be a joyous day to mark his first anniversary as Penang chief minister and also a chance for him to bask in the glory of having dethroned Gerakan from their crown jewel state.
However, far from being in a celebratory mood, Lim Guan Eng -- who is also DAP secretary-general -- was enraged after reading an opinion piece in last week's New Sunday Times.

What's his beef? The astute politician admitted he screamed with rage after reading the article which chastised his administration's style.

Lim was apparently upset and felt maligned over the assertions that he was dishing out preferential treatment to the media and also businesses in the piece entitled "Guan Eng trait that's difficult to swallow".

It is normal for politicians to vent their anger against journalists (and their editors) whenever a story not to their liking sees print.
However, he has since gone a step further and barred all press releases from the chief minister's office from being sent to selected media groups and certain journalists are now persona non grata at his press conferences.

It is Lim's prerogative to give such a directive but he should be mindful that in his one year in office, he has already had clashes with various journalists.

Shortly after assuming office, national news agency Bernama and Utusan Malaysia were the first to come under his line of fire, when they were accused of playing up sensitive issues.

As chief minister, Lim should realise that unleashing his fury this way is at his own peril and his attitude towards the press has become the talk of the town.

All this from the same person who claims to be a champion of press freedom.

Lim had condemned the shortlived ban on reporters covering press conferences at Parliament lobby last year.

Was it also not the same Lim who expressed "dismay, disappointment and shock" six months ago when a Penang-based journalist was arrested for 24 hours under the Internal Security Act?

He was quoted at the time as saying that journalists should be free to report the news and not be intimidated by any party.

While he has been equally vocal in condemning the suspensions of newspapers previously, Lim is now suffering from amnesia about the party's stand on press freedom when a commentary not to his liking is printed.

It is ironic that after just a year in power, Lim has lost the goodwill of the media, including bloggers and non-governmental organisations.

His administration style is now under close scrutiny; a fact acknowledged by his own chief of staff Jeff Ooi in a recent posting on his Screenshots blogspot.

Never has there been such knee-jerk reaction to media reports from the chief minister's office, even during the much criticised 18-year leadership of Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

"Never before, no matter how unhappy we were with press reports did we ever ban any paper from the chief minister's office.

"It is outrageous that the media is being barred from a public office which dictates policies for all of Penang," a Gerakan member said.

Other state Pakatan Rakyat leaders have now gone behind Lim's back and expressed the view to prominent investors here that Lim should realise DAP is not the only party running the state administration.

Now DAP chairman Karpal Singh has waded into the controversy, stating he would raise the matter at the party' central executive committee meeting later this month.

"I will bring this matter up internally. It is serious and requires discussion.

"It affects the integrity of the state administration and I will not let it go just like that."

Perhaps Lim should consider taking a leaf from the book of former US president Theodore Roosevelt, who based many of his policies on the West African proverb: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
- NST

And I have to say that I totally agree. Lim Guan Eng has always been championing for press freedom and yet he's the one getting all hopping mad over a single commentary / opinion piece. Why champion for press freedom when he does not even believe in it? Seems like he only wants news that paint the good side of him. Anything critical, he gets hopping mad and acts like a childish sulking kid, turning his face and giving a resounding 'huh, I don't want to friend you anymore'.

For a state leader, that is hardly what we should expect from him. Much as I don't like Koh Tsu Koon, at least he never go around championing one cause and then when that very cause does not suit him, turn around and twist it all about.

It is only one year, and here are Lim Guan Eng's true colours. What makes this whole sordid issue even worse is that he is indulging in his childish sulk with a childish, almost stupid, reply to the column above with this (which I procured from a friend in the media):

Where Is The List Of Businesses Where Lim Guan Eng Was Alleged To Have Embarrassed Or Given Preferential Treatment To That Was Promised But Not Handed Over By NST's Sharanjit Singh?

Disparaging opinion pieces and columns by the NST editorial staff on the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government in general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in particular is nothing new. However the Penang Chief Minister considers it offensive that the Penang NST bureau Chief Sharanjit Singh has chosen to adopt a gross partisan stance to the extent of attacking Lim's personal integrity. Starting in the NST on 9 March 2009 titiled, " THE MARCH 8, 2008 WATERSHED: Guan Eng trait that's difficult to swallow", Lim was accused by the NST of giving preferential treatment to certain businesses.

"Some businessmen have also been lamenting how certain personalities and projects are being given preference by Lim. Others, or the less favoured ones, are made to withstand public embarrassment and are exposed during media briefings."

When Lim remonstrated with Sharanjit, he was promised to be given a list of businesses that Lim had allegedly given preferential treatment to. Sharanjit also told Lim that he had never requested for a special interview from Lim as his bosses in KL will never publish the interview. Lim was also told that this attack against him was done partly by KL editors who had an agenda to conduct a hatchet job on the PR government as their BN masters could not find any traction in attacking his administration.

Lim could only wait for the promised list to determine which businesses he had favoured and who he had embarrassed. If there is any business group that is unhappy, it is probably the RM 25 billion Penang Global City Centre project by Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd which Lim had declared is "as good as dead". Was Sharanjit referring to the PGCC "as good as dead" RM 25 billion project?

However instead of providing the promised list, Sharanjit went on the attack by repeating his allegations of preferential treatment to certain businesses in his column piece on 13 March 2009 entitled "SHARANJIT SINGH: What's your beef, Guan Eng?"

Lim was apparently upset and felt maligned over the assertions that he was dishing out preferential treatment to the media and also businesses in the piece entitled "Guan Eng trait that's difficult to swallow".

Again Sharanjit did not provide the list of businesses as promised. If these attacks originated from NST political masters and owners in UMNO and BN, Sharanjit had done no wrong as he was only doing his job as a journalist. However he had crossed the partisan line between a professional journalist and a professional politician when he took it upon himself to launch those attacks on Lim's integrity. To equate his actions with the detention under ISA of Sin Chew reporter Miss Tan Hoon Cheng misses the point completely as Tan was detained merely for reporting the racist and seditious utterances of extremist UMNO politicians. One can only say that, "Sharanjit, You are no Tan Hoon Cheng!".

Lim believes passionately in freedom of the press but not in the freedom to lie. The Penang Chief Minister wishes to make it clear that he has no issues with NST reporters who have conducted themselves professionally under the difficult constraints of working for an UMNO paper. The issue lies with NST editoral staff like Sharanjit who is behaving more UMNO than UMNO against Lim and his PR state government.

The question to Sharanjit and NST is this, "Where is the list?"

CHEONG YIN FAN
Press Secretary to Chief Minister of Penang

The worse of this statement is not how childish Lim Guan Eng seems, nitpicking and literally picking a fight but he didn't even have the nerve to put his name behind it and hide behind his press secretary by using her name.

Seriously, pick your own fights and be a man, Lim Guan Eng!

And yes, I have disabled comments here because seriously, I don't care what you DAP minions or PR worshippers or Lim Guan Eng fans think.

Sue or no sue, just repair the field

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Much has been said about the failed Kings of Tennis event in Esplanade so isn't it time that they just move on and repair the blardy field already?

So, the committee has called for the council to sue the organiser. Whatever. It is obvious the organiser has upped and left. Meanwhile the Esplanade field still has a slab of tar and who-knows-what in the centre. Worse still, around the ugly tar, the grass are destroyed due to the construction works for the stupid hyped-up failed tennis event.

I say the council can sue whoever it wants but it is really time to just repair the field so that others could have a chance using it. Just don't make it such a big issue and leave the field as it is. This tiny patch of greenery is the only one around that area so they should really take good care of it.

A note to the local council:

I remember how the Esplanade field was given a nice makeover costing hundreds of thousands a mere few years ago and many activities were not allowed to be held on the field so as not to destroy it. So, why the heck did you allow the kings of tennis organiser to rent the field knowing full well that they will build a tennis court and ruin most of the field?
The worst part is you are not even getting a cent out of this whole debacle. Now, why don't you just stop dragging your feet and repair the field already?

Finally, to all involved:

Just get over it already. So, the event failed. No point pointing fingers now. Damage has been done. You can sue Ms Celebrity Former Beauty Queen till kingdom come and still the field will remain damaged if you don't do something about it.

Let's just dig out the tar and restore the field, okay?

Oh, and yes, please, don't just let any tom, dick or Arianna into the field to destroy it again.

A smoke-free Penang with non-smoking areas?

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:42:00 +0000

When I read that some researcher has this hope of turning the whole state into a non-smoking zone, I thought that guy must have been high on something.

I mean, err, hello? How idealistic can you be? Sure, it is a fine enough dream but I can say it's just gonna be a dream. That's all. Just think la. Even something so simple as putting on your seat belts in the backseat most Malaysians can't seem to do and he thinks they can adhere to non-smoking rules?

Ceh.

I've seen lawyers smoking INSIDE the courtroom (during adjournment) even with the No-Smoking sign clearly stuck on the wall.

I've seen doctors smoking INSIDE enclosed, air-conditioned places despite there being small children around.

I've seen politicians puffing just outside the state legislative building and then throwing the cigarette butts on the ground.

And here, we are talking about the general population? Heck, you think the Ah Beng who have no qualms spitting on the road could even be bothered with the idea of non-smoking areas? Don't even get me started on those who'd simply lit up anywhere they like and then throwing their cigarette butts everywhere.

So, having a smoke-free Penang may have been a great idea but without strict enforcement (which we ALL know we DON'T have), it will remain an idealistic dream.

Upcoming Penang events for the coming week or so

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:16:00 +0000

For the following week or so there are quite a few events lined up. I would like to draw your attention to this event next week:

Young People's Showcase Exhibition

Young Designer’s Arts Camp

By Anak Anak Kota , ARTS-ED

When: 20 Nov 2008 (Thursday), 1 -3pm

Venue: Youth Center, Acheh Street

Featuring children and youth work process and creative products
with heritage theme from 4 workshops

1) Silkscreen Printing

2) Handmade Rubberstamp

3) Heritage Conservation Board Game

4) Traditional Costume Plaque

Any inquiries please call fidel at 012- 4565867

Arts_ed_penang@yahoo.com

So, remember to keep the date in mind and check out the event if you have the time. Otherwise, here are some other events over the weekend:

Blood donation campaign

by

Amata Free Medical and Diabetic Centre

Venue: Mahindarama Buddhist Temple

When: Sunday, 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Tel: 04-2825944

Diabetes in Children and Adolescents Talk

Venue: LohGuanLye Specialists Centre, Penang

When: Saturday, 2pm to 4pm

Admission is free.

Tel: 04-238 8888 ext 8087/8088

Enzyme water workshop

by

Friends of Penang Botanic Garden Society

Venue: Botanika Outreach, 673-A, Jalan Kebun Bunga

When: Sat, 9.30am to 11.30am

Fees: RM3 for member and RM5 for non-member.

Tel: 04-2279915

On another note, I wonder what's wrong with some people who could be so blind to the faults of others due to absolute devotion and hero-worshiping? It really boggles my mind over how naive and gullible some people are over the promises made by people they DO NOT EVEN KNOW personally.

All they know is through the newspapers and at some public functions where they may have heard them talk. And they presume they KNOW everything about their 'heroes' and anyone else who dared criticise their so-called 'heroes' must either be supporters of other groups.

Well, let me state clearly here again. This blog nor any of my other blogs nor me in particular DOES NOT have any ties or affiliations to any political parties, good or bad. I blog what I see and what I know. I can criticise whomever I want BECAUSE IT IS MY BLARDY BLOG.

I don't blardy care what you think about what I blog here.

Don't like it, then, blardy eff off and go set up your own blog to rant all you want.

I may have a lot of friends in the political field but this does not mean I have to support and trust whatever they say blindly and without using my brains to think about what their actions mean. And yes, politicians ARE humans too. They make mistakes and and yes, they too HAVE weaknesses. The sooner the public sees this, the better. No human is perfect and much more, no single politician should be SO perfect that he is above reproach.

See? This government is just like the previous one

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:10:00 +0000

It is obvious.

They'd rather have George Town be taken off the Unesco's World Heritage Site list than to review the approved high rise building projects within the inner city. 'Legal repercussions' is merely an excuse.

And a simple 'We were not aware about the new heritage guidelines' is NOT GOOD ENOUGH to explain why the state government had rushed into approving those four projects mere weeks before the Unesco inscription.

Coincidence?

HAH. Yeah, right.

Didn't I say all politicians are crooks? And yes, to all you LGE fans and faithful followers out there, he is no different. He may have a clean front but still, there are things that he could not do because his hands are tied. And there are things that he had to do because he had some 'debt' to pay. This is the fact of life. It is the same with any politician. He can be from BN, DAP, PKR, whatever. He is still the same. They all have 'debts' to pay and some 'parties' to please.

And those four projects? We do really need towering buildings right in the middle of the old city of George Town? Do you think tourists came all the way here to look at high rise buildings towering over and shadowing pre-war buildings?

Seriously, why can't they just build five-storey boutique hotels instead of high rise buildings?

And to Lim Guan Eng, yeah, sure now you have the excuse of saying that you can't cancel the planning approval now. But I only have two simple questions dear Chief Minister:

Why the hell did you approve those four projects WITHOUT checking what was within the new guidelines KNOWING FULL WELL that the decision on the Unesco inscription is just 10 days away?

Why can't you wait till after the inscription but you had to rush the approvals?

So, yep. This government is just like the previous one. Just as the previous one would simply approve any development project (which caused the landslides in Tanjung Bungah), now this government had obviously rushed the approval of FOUR high rise projects within the Heritage zone and risking George Town's listing in the Unesco's World Heritage Site.

Brilliant move, Lim Guan Eng. Absolutely brilliant. While you are at it, why don't you just approve plans to knock down all of the pre-war buildings? Or better still, just take a bulldozer to all those decrepit buildings.

It is rather pointless to have so many pre-war and heritage buildings around anyway since so many of you seem to think that high rise buildings are more important.

The tourism exco and his many 'failures'

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:13:00 +0000

First it is the absolute failure of the Asean Culture Centre event over at Pesta site.

And if that is not bad enough, Mr Absolutely Ball-less Idiot of the World is not man enough to admit his failure.

Instead, he gave this stupid, ridiculous excuse.

Maybe he should learn to grow some of these?

Now, it is the Kings of Tennis event failure.

Of course, once again, he tai-chi'd it away...

He said the state had merely endorsed the Kings of Tennis event but was not a sponsor or co-organiser.

"We did all we could to help the event organiser. We waived the RM2 million deposit they would need to pay to use the Esplanade field and offered them a special rental rate," he said.
- The Sun

Okay, so maybe the state government is not the organiser nor the sponsor. So the failure is not its fault.

But why endorse such an event without any background check just like the Asean Culture centre thing where he admitted to being cheated?

I mean, come on...use some brains lar.

From insider information, it seems that Mr Ball-less is actually more Clueless than anything. Being ultra-blur and not very bright, it seems that he had simply approve and endorse any project that came his way.

He probably thought the Asean Culture Centre thing is great so he endorsed it. Then it failed.

He then thought the Kings of Tennis event sounds great, so he endorsed it. Then it failed.

Oh my, he sure do have the failure touch, doesn't he?

And people wonder why he suffered such a setback at the DAP state elections...

Oh whoopee, free wireless internet is on!

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:05:00 +0000

I know there's been countless grouses about the Penang Free Wireless project by some private company which is fully supported by the state government until some groups start going all up in arms about the harmfulness of WiFi.

So, looks like the recent forum on this project has left the government with the decision to continue supporting this project.

Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi said the state would proceed with the project as long as there was no conclusive evidence of health risks posed by the initiative.

I don't know about its harmfulness (or not) but I sure do know how handy it'd be IF the project do take off.

Heck, they have just only started it and the first spot to have free WiFi in Komtar does NOT even work properly. It is SLOW, it is HARD to connect and yep, damn lousy.

But then, what do we expect from freebies, eh?

Sigh. Oh well. So, even if we eventually have free WiFi at public places, don't put your hopes up that you'd get speedy internet connection.

Just think about it lar. Free + high usage + low speed = Turtle pace

It'd probably beat Streamyx in a race of the slowest!

Of course, I am just saying lar. We won't know for sure yet since they are still installing all those thingamajics needed for wireless internet connection everywhere. Just don't put your hopes up, okay?

In Malaysia, we must look upon any GRAND project with scepticism, regardless of who is doing it. Anything could happen.

A legal suit over signboards of all things - Malaysiakini

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:26:00 +0000

It is obvious that some people have nothing better to do than to treat this frivolous, non-issue as a big huge ISSUE and then blow it ALL out of proportions (over at Malaysiakini).

Will multilingual signboards cause the country's economy to nosedive?

Errr...NO.

Will multilingual signboards cause prices of things to increase?

Errr... NO.

Will multilingual signboards cause petrol prices to increase?

Errr...NO.

Will multilingual signboards (with the BM boards STILL up and NOT removed) cause Malaysians forget that BM is the national language?

Errr...NO.

Does multilingual signboards control the world?

Errr....NO.

Does multilingual signboards cause poverty?

Errr...NO.

Does multilingual signboards cause people to lose their jobs?

Errr...NO.

Does multilingual signboards cause increase in crimes such as robberies and rape and murders?

Errr...NO.

You get my point.

Methinks this group of people are probably too free and have nothing better to do with their time than to go through with this...

A newly-formed NGO comprising Malay graduates today filed a suit seeking a High Court injunction against both the state government and the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) from erecting the signboards.
- Malaysiakini

Oh wait. I forgot. This is DEFINITELY another CHEAP PUBLICITY STUNT. Want to know what the silly suit is about? Check out the full news over at Malaysiakini.

All the fuss over the multilingual road signs

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:11:00 +0000

There's this recent furore over the use of different languages for road signs over here in Penang. I just don't see what all the blardy fuss is about.

For one thing, why can't the state government just maintain it at BM with an English translation for the tourists?

Why must be have so many different language road signs anyway?

I mean, when I go overseas, to say, Thailand, I don't see them going out of their way to include BM or even English in their road signs. It is all strange symbols to me. Only sometimes I'd see shop signboards with English on it.

And to think, Malaysians probably made up one of their largest number of tourists each year.

English is a universal language. So, add that in if you must but WTF do we need Chinese, Tamil, etc, etc, in the roadsigns? For what? Just to prove that your party is all for ALL the races? And in the process make us look like a joke?

Also the reaction from various fractions is really ridiculous. Here we are in an impending economy crisis and them leaders are crying foul over one state government's plan to place roadsigns in various languages.

I don't know about you but putting additional languages on a roadsign does not insult another language. The idea of it is stupid.

Hmm..look at the funny road names above. How do you translate those? Lemme try:

Cowshit Lane

Lorong Tahi Lembu

Gu Sai Lor (Hokkien)

Err...sorry, no tamil available, I've not taken that up yet.

Zzyzx Road

Jalan Zzyzx

Zzyzx Lor (Hokkien)

Okay. So, the conclusion is that we should name all our roads with strange unpronounceable alphabet combinations so that there is no need for translation because in the end, it'd be the same!

So, here's to:

Jalan Wtfwtt

Jalan Bsgvt

Jalan Shtbn

Jalan Wth

Easier, only problem is that people will forget how to spell the road names since they can't even pronounce it....heheheheh..

Deepavali at Little Penang Street Market

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:05:00 +0000

The monthly Little Penang Street Market is this weekend and in conjunction with the Festival of Lights coming up this Monday, it is themed 'Deepavali' naturally.

So, there's going to be some Deepavali cultural shows from a talk on the origins of the festival to some performances.

The Little Penang Street Market is a pretty cool bazaar full of artsy stuff and handicrafts. If you are looking for some great souvenirs, gifts, decorative items or pretty knick knacks, it's one of the best places you can check out.

However, prices are fixed so there's no bargaining here. Some of the prices here are pretty steep too but there are quite a few charity stalls so I usually buy from these knowing that the money goes to charity.

Now that they have a food section there too so you can even eat lunch there. Worth checking it out.

Where: Upper Penang Road

When: Sunday, 11am - 6pm (Every last Sunday of the month)

What: Handicrafts, art works, food, cultural events

Penangites beware of possible floods

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 01:50:00 +0000

Looks like we have wet, wet days ahead of us.

According to the meteorological department, we should expect more rain for the next week or so. Rain and thunderstorms are expected in the evenings so, be prepared.

And that's not the worse of it. Kuala Muda Dam is releasing its water periodically so the rivers on the mainland are swollen and threaten to flood nearby villages with very little rainfall.

Also, due to the wet weather in recent days, the lands in Penang are already highly saturated so it can no longer absorb water.

This means, whenever it rains, the water will flow on the surface and not be absorbed into the ground. Yes, that means, floods!

For those of you staying in the lowlands, well, remember to be on the alert and get your belongings up on high ground. Of course there is a possibility that it may not happen at all but we never know, right?

Do remember, the Air Itam Dam is also filled to capacity so even if they don't release water, there is bound to be an overflow due to this system they have had for decades (or else the dam might burst which will be worse, right?).

So, bring around an umbrella with you okay? Oh, yeah. Go buy a boat too if you stay in easily flooded areas. It would be a better mode of transport.

Looks like the second Penang bridge may be delayed AGAIN

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:09:00 +0000

But then I am not in the least surprised even if it is true that the second Penang bridge project were to be delayed.

In fact, I had been waiting for this announcement for quite a while already.

Lim said China Harbour had agreed to start building the foundation in November while UEM disagreed with the quoted price.

The government had offered the project to UEM for RM1.3bil but the latter asked for RM1.5bil, he added.

“With UEM enjoying close ties with political parties, it should be accepting the offer price,” he said, adding that if UEM can’t accept the offer, an open tender should be called quickly. [source]

Isn't that usual for any local mega projects especially the second Penang bridge project?

First there's this big huge hoo ha about it and loads of publicity.

They talk about the project as if it will be completed within days.

They paint pretty pictures of what the project may bring to the state and the people.

The second Penang bridge has suddenly develop this special super power where it will transform Penang's economy into a busy, bustling, growing state.

Suddenly, this structure of concrete and steel will be able to bring in investments.

It will be able to solve all traffic problems on the current bridge.

It will make all Penangites' lives better.

Short of being called the Super bridge of Penang, there is nothing this bridge won't do!

Yeah, right.

If you fell for all that crap, I guess you also believed in Superman and Spiderman and that there is really a Clark Kent working in the Daily Planet, and that grown men would dare to be seen prancing around in skintight red and blue costumes.

A bridge is a bridge is a bridge. All it will do is to let people go to the mainland. And we already have one such bridge. I don't deny that the current Penang bridge is not able to sustain the amount of traffic anymore but really, does building a second bridge actually solve the problem?

I don't know. I'm not an expert on that but say the traffic conditions increased over the years and ten years down the line, both bridges are always jammed. Then what? We build a third bridge? A fourth bridge? A fifth?

Or better still, since we are already reclaiming so many blardy foreshore land, we might as well reclaim all the way to the mainland and connect the island to the mainland for good. Then Penang will no longer be an island but a peninsular. Then we won't need anymore billion ringgit bridges.

Then the whole island will just be choked up with traffic because of easy access and an urgent lack of sustainable public transportation system.

What about the ecological impact, you ask? Heck, them politicians don't care about ecological impact. If they cared, why'd you think so much seabed land have been reclaimed? Why do you think there are so many hillslope developments causing landslides everywhere? Why do you think there are so many flash flood incidences the moment there's heavy rain?

It is all in the name of development, my friend.

As for the second Penang bridge, I don't blardy care anymore if it is delayed AGAIN. Please, tell me something new.

Here are some events and activities happening in Penang

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:01:00 +0000

If you are into some art and looking at paintings is your thing, do check out:

Darussalam Spaces 2008 Art Exhibition

@ The Penang Art Gallery, Dewan Sri Pinang

When: now till Oct 31

What: 60 paintings by Brunei artists

Contact: 04-2613144

Reflex exhibition

@ Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

When: Oct 18 till Nov 8, 9am - 5pm.

Not your thing? What about food? Why not enjoy some by the chefs on Sunday (oct19):

5th International Chef Day

@ Penang Municipal Park

When: Sunday, Oct 19, 9am - 3pm.

Contact: 04-2268659

Here are some other activities you may be interested in:

Pesta Cahaya Deepavali

@ The Summit BM Plaza

When: Sunday (Oct 19), 5pm - 8pm

Alzheirmer Disease Caregivers Forum

@ Penang Caring Society Complex

When: Sunday (Oct 19), 3pm - 5pm

Contact: 04-6565291

A night of beer and oompah-pah, it's Octoberfest!

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:37:00 +0000

Wilkomen! (That's welcome in German)

It is the time of the month again for a spot of alcoholic indulgence, great German food and German music!

Yep, it is time for Octoberfest and it is happening this weekend, Saturday to be exact, and it is bound to be great fun!

Catch this band:

Over at this year's Octoberfest and enjoy some original German music!

Now, here are the details:

Where: Malaysian-German Society and here's the map to its location:

When: Oct 18, Saturday, from 6.45pm onwards

What: German food, beer, contests, dancing, music, prizes, great fun!

How: Entrance is by donation of RM10 per person (members) & RM20 p.p. (non-members) for those who pay before that day and RM15 p.p. (members) & RM25 p.p (non-members) for those who pay at the entrance on that day.

Contact: 04- 2296853 / office@mgs-penang.com / website: www.mgs-penang.com

The Asean Culture Centre at Pesta Site Sungai Nibong is a failure!

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:43:00 +0000

If you planned to check out the Asean Culture Centre at the Pesta Site in Sungai Nibong, let me tell you, don't waste your time because it is an absolute, total failure.

It is really, really bad.

Boring.

Less than 30 stalls open.

The worst Pesta EVER!

And I have proof too. Look:

Looks like some normal night market except that it is WORST. What Asean culture? Oh, they must have meant this stall:

There are maybe two or three Thai stalls selling stuffs that you can find in night markets.

Only thing that remained the same is the funfair. The same old rickety, don't look safe, rides and 'games' are there. Though the entrance to the Pesta is free, remember they charge you damn expensive for the rides in the lousy funfair. A ride in the kiddy train is RM3 per child! A ride in the merry-go-round costs RM2 and it does not even have any music and the horses and vehicles in it are dusty and in bad condition too. It is RM4 PER PERSON to sit in the Ferris Wheels but no thanks, it looks even more dangerous than walking into the middle of a busy highway while blindfolded. Who knows how well they maintain these things.

The one attraction in the whole so-called Asean Culture Centre is this air-inflated playground for children. Yep, only my son enjoyed going there because of this playground but then toddlers are pretty easy to please.

Entry is RM2 per child.

My verdict: It is the worst ever Pesta Pulau Pinang I have ever been to. It is even worse than a night market. Going to a night market is infinitely more interesting than going to the Pesta site for the Asean Culture Centre. It is practically like a dead town with a few stalls selling worse than night market quality stuffs.

If you think last year's Pesta Pulau Pinang is bad and looks like a night market, well, you'd think last year's event was like Disneyland compared to the travesty of this so-called Asean Culture Centre.

Seriously. The exco in charge, Danny Law, needs to buck up and DO HIS JOB. This is obviously an absolute failure.

Entrance free, so what? To walk around empty stalls? Hell, they charge you parking for RM2 per entry okay, so it is not entirely free.

Tomorrow is the Nine Emperor Gods Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:20:00 +0000

After a whole nine days of going on full strict vegetarian, devotees will see the culmination of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival tomorrow on Tuesday.

This festival which is held from the first day of the ninth lunar month until the ninth day of the ninth lunar month annually is in honour of the Nine Brother deities.

There are different versions to the origins of this festival and one of the more popular ones is that these nine brothers were like Robin Hoods who robbed the rich to help the poor. At least, that's what I heard.

It is believed that they will only get to come back to Earth for nine days each year and being strict vegetarians, those who pray to them will need to be on full vegetarian diets for the nine days. It seemed that devotees will receive more blessings if they go on the strict vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet is so strict that all utensils used to cook the food must not have touched meat before and no garlic and onions are allowed to be used too. Even the forks and spoons and plates must be new or have not been used to serve meat before.

Also, devotees must wear light coloured clothing when going to the temples to offer their prayers during this period. Women who are menstruating are not allowed to enter the temples.

Whatever the believes, one thing is for sure. It will usually rain a lot during this period. As can be seen, the first day itself there was a heavy downpour causing flash floods in the state.

So, as is 'tradition' it will definitely rain during the street parade of the festival tomorrow (Oct 7) evening. It won't necessarily be heavy rain but will probably be some light drizzle around 7pm or 8pm.

So, if you are interested to check out the street parade which will promise quite a good show with some people going into trance (yes, and with piercing of the cheeks, tongue, whateva), do head on over to:

Junction of Hong Kong Street and Carnavon Street from 7pm onwards

Normally, the parade is to 'send off' the brothers back at the end of the festival. So, the parade will start off at Hong Kong Street and may pass through Burmah Road and then head to Gurney Drive to send the brothers off in a boat out to sea.

Sorry

noreply@blogger.com (Foong) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:46:00 +0000

Sorry for the long silence here... I've been so overwhelmed with recent events that I do not even know what I could or could not post here anymore.

At the risk of showing the idiots that I am frightened by the scare tactics, I've been careful in some of my blog postings but sometimes it is not so easy to control one's urge to just rant, rant and rant! I had a few parodies in mind but somehow didn't get around to typing it all down and it all got lost along the way....

In my quest to make money blogging and make money online, I've been experimenting with some new stuffs and reading up more things that I could do other than blogging. Much as I love to blog here and in all my other blogs, I always felt that there must be something more than this....surely, there are other ways to earn money online, right?

Yep, there are quite a lot of ways and I am slowly exploring some which I find interesting, though a bit time consuming. So, sorry first if I somehow neglect this blog and my other Penang Views and News blog a bit.

However, I am still updating my personal blog on a daily basis and my food blog every other day. So, you can also drop by there for any recent updates (not necessarily on Penang stuffs only)...

Anyway, here are some things coming up this weekend...

Help the poor unwanted doggies and kitties in SPCA by attending the

SPCA Charity Food Fair 2008

Where: Sungai Dua Silver Jubilee Hall, Jalan Sungai Dua

When: Sunday, Sept 28, 2008

Time: 10am - 3pm

What: It's a food fair so go and stuff yourself silly while doing charity!

The fair is to collect funds for SPCA to purchase a bigger piece of land so that it could really house all the animals they had saved. They need RM3mil to buy an acre or two of land and build the necessary buildings and kennels and cattery for the animals.

After that, you can also make a beeline to the monthly Little Penang Street Market which is also this Sunday. The bazaar of arts and crafts and food is open from 11am to about 7pm. It is located along the Upper Penang Road stretch.

On Monday, it is the week-long vegetarian fest!

Yep, it's the start of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival come Monday and some of the vegetarian stalls will probably start selling vegetarian food on Sunday evening. The usual spots to look for is along Lorong Madras and all the other vegetarian restaurants all over the island and mainland. If you see makeshift stalls with the yellow flag, it is most probably vegetarian fare for the festival.

The festival is from Sept 29 to Oct 7.