Group Selfie

With all the lovely people I work with.  This a selfie creatively taken by Nur Aisyah Mazalan. 

With Sarah Rahim who is leaving the Johor Baru bureau soon to go back to KL. Will definitely miss her. The whole team will.

This is one of Sarah's stories ...

Danga Avenue One food hub launched

By SARAH RAHIM 

JOHOR BARU:  DANGA Avenue One, at Country Garden Danga Bay (CGDB), was launched last Saturday.

There are more than 15 tenants at the commercial street, including Kenny Steam Disher Restaurant, 'M' Espresso Sporting Club, Food Channel, Tsim Sha Tsui, Restoran Madam Jean Pan Mee, Matterhon @ Danga, I Love Yoo!, Juice Baby, Tea Garden Restaurant, Kani Palace, Taang Shifu, Dining Room and Cheers Up.

Customers have a choice of snacks, Chinese food, Japanese food, steamboat and barbecue-style food, fried rice, nasi ayam penyet and other food.

The tropical concept landscape provides for a lovely setting for alfresco dining.

Country Garden Malaysia senior marketing executive Karen Thay said: "The first phase of construction for CGDB includes the commercial street which was completed in July last year.

"The whole CGDB commercial area will span an area of 6ha."

Thay said two other commercial streets would be launched after Danga Avenue One.

"More tenants will be moving into Danga Avenue One too. It will be a food sanctuary for locals and Singaporeans," she said.

Thay said the tenants, who included local and Singaporean industry players started operating last month.

The food and beverage outlets are opened daily between 10am and 10pm. Outlets that provided alcoholic drinks operate between 10am and midnight. CGDB is in Jalan Skudai.

For details, visit: www.countrygardendangabay.com.my.

Read more: Danga Avenue One food hub launched - Johor - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/johor/danga-avenue-one-food-hub-launched-1.568859#ixzz2z3LLspIq

Be A Responsible Pet Guardian

 

A flashback of our front-page report last Friday.

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Baru Central Municipal Council (MPJBT) says it is willing to work with non-governmental organisations (NGO) to keep the stray dog population under control.

Last year, the local council handled 540 complaints about stray dogs.

However, MPJBT corporate and public relations department administrative officer Salwa Abd Rashid said the NGOs had to be committed if they wished to work with the local council.

"We cannot release a dog once we have caught it, and we cannot provide any allocations. The other local councils have outsourced the work to dog catchers who, we believe, are paid as much as RM100 for the capture of one stray dog.

"MPJBT has its own team of dog catchers which consists of six men. We do not feel that we need to spend taxpayers' money by outsourcing to private dog catchers.

"Our team does not go out to look for stray dogs. We only act when there are public complaints.
"We need to take action or we will be seen as not doing our job," she added.

Salwa did not deny that carcasses of culled stray dogs were dumped into garbage bins near public markets.

"Those were roll-on roll-off (RoRo) bins, which are huge.

"We wrapped the carcasses in plastic bags before dumping them.

"We also instructed that the dogs be dumped only on days when the waste management company (SWM Environment Sdn Bhd) is coming to collect the rubbish.

"As to claims that our dog catchers shoot the dogs or clobber them to death, that is not true," she said, adding that the local council only shot crows.

Salwa said some stray dogs did get hostile in the presence of dog catchers.

However, she added, the council had yet to receive reports of stray dogs turning hostile on the public.

"If the NGOs want to work with us, please also launch a campaign to educate pet owners to be more responsible.

"Pet owners should not discard their dogs when they no longer think the dog is useful.

"If they do not want the dog anymore, they can call us to put it to sleep, instead of taking the dog somewhere far and dumping it and letting it become other people's problem," she said.

Read more: MPJBT wants to work with NGOs to cull strays - Johor - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/johor/mpjbt-wants-to-work-with-ngos-to-cull-strays-1.567047#ixzz2yuRzEPdq

Puthandu Vazthukal

 

HAPPY TAMIL NEW YEAR. May this year's Puthandu bring you peace and happiness, joy and prosperity.

Yesterday I was very determined to stay positive and happy no matter what happens.  I'm not really a believer of the Law of Attraction but I decided to try it out after reading Rhonda Byrne's Daily Teachings.

Today after enjoying a delightful vegetarian meal with my good friend and while I was waiting at the counter for my turn to pay, someone we knew who was also dining there paid for our meals.

Staying happy does attract good energy.

It was such a joyous day until I saw this in the New Straits Times online news.

This is just too sad, 

http://www.nst.com.my/latest/school-van-reverses-into-sewage-plant-one-pupil-killed-1.566671#ixzz2yr9fPSeM

Besides this, there were other mishaps, flash floods and traffic jams in some parts of Johor. 

Need to go pray now. Stay positive everyone.

The Best Day Ever

I woke up with the desire to make this the best day ever. I want to spend as many moments of my life thinking positive thoughts and performing good deeds. Spreading love and shutting out all negativity. Embracing joy and shunning all hatred.

Today I ardently indulged in being mindfully happy.  For lunch, it was a Japanese gastronomic experience all the way with "shake belly sashimi", "edamame", "shisamo", green tea and lots of wasabi.

For dinner, It iwas a home-cooked inexpensive indulgence comprising soup made with black beans, lotus root, wolfberry aka goji and chicken bones.

I am going to wake up every day making each new day  the best day ever!

Get Tested, Get Treated

Went for a visual field test.  I have ocular hypertension. Normal eye pressure ranges from 10 to 21 mmHg. My eye pressure is more than 21 mmHg.

After I received the bad news I went out out to celebrate with a simple meal, my favourite ---- ayam penyet and avocado chocolate juice.  

I'm celebrating because at least it was detected early.  Early detection can prevent further complications.

Be cool, guys. Just be cool.  

A Time For Self-Reflection

A commenter Tebing Tinggi left a comment early this morning. Thank you. I totally agree with you.

Yesterday, when my colleagues and I were at the market interviewing the people, many of them were blaming the government and "the Malays for not liking dogs and this is why they kill the dogs this way".  One Indian guy asked: "If I were to talk to you and the government come and find me, can you protect me?"

If the sight of dogs being killed and dumped like that make our hearts cringe, then don't contribute to the problem.  Irresponsible breeders and guardians need to self-reflect.  The relevant authorities need to keep the streets safe.

However, there must be a more humane way of ending a life,  I sincerely hope the local councils and animal welfare non-governmental organisations will work together to find a solution to this problem.

APPEAL FOR COMPASSION: The Johor Baru Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wants to work with local councils to control the stray dog population in the city

JOHOR BAHRU: THE Johor Baru Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JBSPCA) hopes to work with local councils to control the stray dog population in the city.

Its chairman Ranjit Singh said this after receiving complaints from the public that dogs were being killed and dumped in refuse bins in their neighbourhoods.

"We can understand that the local councils have to do something about the stray dog population, as canines in a pack can turn hostile.

"JBSPCA is appealing to the authorities to use a humane euthanisation method. We are also willing to assist the local authority in a spay programme," Ranjit said.

He said it was unethical to clobber or shoot an animal, and then put it into a plastic bag for it to die from its injuries or from lack of oxygen.

"That is a very cruel way to die," he added.

Streets checked out two garbage disposal centres -- one at Taman Universiti and another at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah -- and found that stray dogs were indeed dumped in black plastic bags.

A Taman Ungku Tun Aminah resident, who only wanted to be known as Pei, said she often heard dogs wailing in the garbage dumpster near the area's market.

"Being an animal lover, the dreadful sound of a dog crying as it breathes its last really disturbs me. I can't sleep at night," she said.

Pei claimed that the dogs were brought there in a truck and dumped.

Traders at the market in Taman Universiti, near Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, said there was a strong stench when the rubbish was not picked up on time.

"The men would come in a truck two or three times a week and dump the plastic bags containing dogs into the dumpster.

"Sometimes, some of the dogs are still alive when they dumped there," said one of the traders who declined to be named.

It is learnt that this inhumane practice has been going on for several years.

JBSPCA vice-chairman Joseph Chia said stray dogs should be put down humanely and the carcasses disposed off properly.

SWM Environment Sdn Bhd corporate communications head Shahrul Amir Abdul Rahim said the company would look into the matter. The company is in charge of waste management in the two areas.

Johor Baru Central municipal council could not be reached for comment.

Read more: 'Cull stray dogs humanely' - Johor - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/johor/cull-stray-dogs-humanely-1.560512#ixzz2yXAyKEvt