April 6: Cast Your Vote (If U Love Indonesia)

Pak Taufiqur 

The Consulate-General of Indonesia in Johor Baru is ready for the 2014 Indonesian legislative election that will be held in Malaysia on April 6.

A total of 327,000 eligible voters in Johor, Malacca, Pahang and Negri Sembilan are urged to cast their votes on this day.

Consul-General Taufiqur Rijal said a team of close to 1,000 election helpers have been roped in to be deployed to the four states in 300 rented vehicles.  They will leave the consulate office in Jalan Taat on April 5 to venture into oil palm estates and remote areas to reach out to eligible voters on April 6.

A week before April 6, the consulate office will also despatch 16,000 self-addressed envelopes for those who want to cast their votes by post.

On April 6, voters can also head to the consulate office or the official residence of the Consul-General in Taman Pelangi, Johor Baru, to cast their votes from 8am to 6pm.

I met Pak Taufiqur on Sunday, at an event called the "Pentas Menuju Pemilu".  He took over from  Jonas L. Tobing on Sept 1 last year.

Prior to his appointment as the Consul-General in the Johor Baru office, Pak Taufiqur had served in Sabah from 1991 to 1995 as the vice-consul. He was then posted to Kuwait from 1997 to 2001 as Head of the Consular Section, before helming the Consulate-General of Indonesia in Saudi Arabia from 2003 to 2007.

Meanwhile, the envoy is also waiting for the green light from both the Indonesian and Malaysian government to open a Sekolah Indonesia in Johor (most likely Johor Baru).

Currently, there are Indonesian schools in Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Sekolah Indonesia will prepare schoolchildren for the Sekolah Dasar (primary), Sekolah Menengah Pertama (secondary) and Sekolah Menengah Atas (upper secondary) examinations.

As for the Indonesia Open University online courses, Pak Taufiqur said there are currently about 200 students in Johor pursuing degree and diploma programmes.

You Go Girl

The minister counsellor of the Consulate-General of Indonesia in Johor Baru, Djudjur S.H. Hutagalung (left) giving Shella Rini the thumbs up after she won the 2nd place in the public speaking competition on Sunday.

Called "Pentas Menuju Pemilu", the event was organised by Universitas Terbuka Pokjar Johor, and held at the Consulate General of Indonesia in Johor Bahru, a satelite office of the Indonesian Embassy in the southern region. The office is located at Jalan Taat, Johor Bahru.

A total of 9 Indonesia Open University students took part in the public speaking competition, organised in conjunction with the 2014 Indonesian legislative election that is happening in Malaysia on April 6.  A total of 327,000 eligible voters in Johor, Malacca, Pahang and Negri Sembilan are urged to cast their votes on this day.

The Indonesian Consul-General Taufiqur Rijal (right) congratulates the champion Gupran, while Shella and 3rd place winner Surina, watches on.

Shella's first public speaking experience.  The title of her talk "Semangat Nasionalisme".

That's me on the far left, feeling extremely happy and so proud of Shella.  On the far right is Aarina Melinda Marzuki (wife of  Djudjur S.H. Hutagalung) and next to her is Noranisa Wahid (wife of Taufiqur Rijal).

The judge for the public speaking competition was Andi Anto Patak, an undergraduate of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

To MK With Love

Everything happens for a reason.   Last week, I called for a cab to come pick me up at home.  The telephone operator was rude and so was the driver.

This Saturday, I decided to try Easy Taxi, a smartphone app that I downloaded.  Booking a taxi was hassle-free and the charge was reasonable.  Wow!  I am now a fan of this service. 

The cab took me to New Lucky Restaurant in Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru where I enjoyed a night of

great songs. 

This is MK Ong and Shella singing "Top of the World".

gastronomic delights

This meal was an alluring appetizer.  It's a rojak  of duck meat, longan, mango and a variety of veggies.

priceless friendship

With MK, Fung Lee Jean and Tony Tan.

To MK with love.  May you remain forever young, forever beautiful and always enjoy good health.

Home Away From Home

Suzelah Ahmad, 41, who lives in Kulaijaya is the director of Human Resource at Thistle Johor Bahru.

 By Chuah Bee Kim

I am passionate about our company's new training programme. It is called Our World Class Way and was specially designed for the Thistle Hotel in Johor Baru and Thistle Port Dickson Resort.

First, let me explain what each word of the programme means.

"Our" means "We", which includes everyone in Thistle Hotel, from the stakeholders to the entire team.

"World Class" means being the best in whatever we do and how we interact with our clients and stakeholders.

"Way" means our distinctive approach and style.

The Presidential Suite

The programme, which was mooted in the middle of last year, was unveiled two months ago.

The team is trained to customise their interaction with each guest, taking into consideration their needs and maximising their experience. This approach will leave an indelible impression on guests during their stay with us.

This helps us to develop the hospitality which is inherent our team naturally. We spent time focusing on our team's strengths, particularly as this is Visit Malaysia Year 2014. When we warmly greet our guests the Malaysian way, it is the start of Our World Class Way.

Our mission is not only to give our clients satisfaction, but also to improve the performance of each team member and make a difference in the hospitality industry.

The hotel industry in Johor has evolved from a corporate market to the corporate and leisure market, with the introduction of Hello Kitty Town and Legoland Malaysia Resort.

We have to ensure that the hotel industry can support the economic growth of Iskandar Malaysia.

For me, there is a difference between a nice hotel and a memorable one. My mission is to make Thistle a brand that people will remember.

Thistle, known for being a "resort in the city", has the amenities of a five-star hotel, but we need to provide unparalleled service to make every guest feel at home away from home. When I recruit team members -- I do not like to use the word "staff" -- I look for attitude and passion.

One must have passion, integrity and honour as these are positive attitudes. Other than these, the other virtues can be nurtured.

I love being in this industry. I have been with the company since February 2008, and I see myself growing with it for many years to come.

Read more: Home away from home, the Thistle way - Johor - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/johor/home-away-from-home-the-thistle-way-1.509843#ixzz2vqlInh3n

Precious Resource

Pic by Roslan Khamis

At the site of the water leak at Susur 1. Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, Johor Baru. 

On a scorching day like this, the sight of water should evoke joy.  This one raises concern.  How many gallons of water have and will continue to flow down the drain before somebody does something about it?

Water Leak Causing Problems reported on Feb 25.

Edward Kollmer

Edward Kollmer, 44, is the general manager of Thistle Johor Bahru.

By Chuah Bee Kim

WHEN I am working, I don't perceive work as work. That is how much I enjoy my role. I strive to make improvements, big and small, as I believe there is always room for improvement. When I'm not at work, you will probably find me enjoying a game of golf. I also love travelling, as I find it is not only a form of recreation but also something that is educational.

I travel to London, my home base, four or five times a year. When I was growing up in Dublin, Ireland, my father owned a fine-dining restaurant. I helped out in the restaurant from the age of 6 till when I was about 16.

This was really tough as you can imagine. The business was very successful and I learned a lot, especially how to work hard and be part of something successful.

I graduated from Shannon College of Hotel Management and during the course, I worked in London. I then spent a year in Switzerland.

A scholarship from Cornell University enabled me to complete a Master's degree from the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom.

Since then, I went on to work in numerous hotels and held many roles and business responsibilities before joining Thistle Hotels and Resorts in the UK in 2006.

Two years ago, I came to Thistle Johor Bahru and I must say that I am very proud of the fact that Johor Baru is a city that is currently experiencing rapid growth.

There is so much I can do here. I want Thistle to maintain its status as one of the leading hotels here. We are currently working with several government, corporate sectors and tourism boards to attract more tourists to Johor Baru.

With our continuous efforts in conducting "Our World Class Way" training for the entire team and extending the warm southern charm and Malaysian hospitality, it gives our guests a sense of feeling of being at home.

The past two years were exceptional years for Thistle Johor Bahru, the best ever.

I see this year as another splendid one as it is Visit Malaysia Year 2014 and we are seeing more business and leisure tourists from Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

The Malaysian greeting of placing one's hand over the heart, for example, is such a warm gesture and you will see the entire team doing that here. It truly reflects the Malaysian hospitality and guests usually reciprocate the same way.

Johor Baru has much to offer tourists, especially with the new development in Iskandar Malaysia and the Legoland Malaysia theme park. This motivates us all to ensure that we are at the centre of transformation.

Read more: For Kollmer, work is not like work - Johor - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/johor/for-kollmer-work-is-not-like-work-1.506288#ixzz2vbqRCfQH