Sunday, June 1, 2014

A Delightful Dark Fantasy

Maleficent is a visual treat.

An old tale told anew, the film questions the existence of true love. Once a good fairy, Maleficent's heart was stolen and then shattered by a peasant boy who later also stole her wings. He did this because he wanted to be a king.

Blinded by rage, hatred and a thirst for revenge, Maleficent cast a dark spell on the king's newborn child. However, Maleficent grew to love the baby girl and watches over her as the child grows up. She even tried to revoke the curse but words once uttered could not be taken back.

Does true love exist? It sure does.

The peasant boy ascended to the throne but his days were filled with torment because of his wrongdoing. The evil that one does will always come back to haunt the evildoer, so why waste our time and energy to harvest the seed of hatred?

And when Maleficent found love once more, her forest kingdom became a beautiful place again which shows that when your inner world is at peace, your environment will transform.

I love Maleficent

and the salted popcorn.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Thumbs Up!

31 May 2014

Teluk Intan: BN wins back

TELUK INTAN: Barisan Nasional wins back the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat after losing it to DAP in two previous general elections namely in 2008 and 2013.

Datuk Mah Siew Keong wrestled back the seat for the coalition with a majority of 238 votes after garnering 20,157 votes, defeating DAP’s greenhorn candidate, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud.

The 27-year-old law graduate, who until recently served as the political aide to DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, garnered only 19,919 votes. There were a total of 543 rejected votes.

Mah who is also Gerakan President previously lost the seat to late Seah Leong Peng of DAP who died of cancer on May 1.

In the 2013 general election, Seah won with a majority of 7,313 votes after garnering 27,399 votes defeating Mah who garnered 20,086 votes. Independent candidate K.Moralingam only received 279 votes. Total voter turnout then was 80 per cent.

However, for this by-election, total voter turnout was below the Election Commission’s projection of at least 70 per cent voter turnout.

Only 67.4 per cent or 39,850 of the 59,927 ordinary voters turned up to vote when polling closed at 35 polling centres for the Teluk Intan Parliamentary by-election at 5 pm.

DAP’s over confidence and the Dyana factor had failed to impress voters to win the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat.

Political pundits also attributed BN’s success to the return of support from the Chinese community and frustrations towards DAP for not being able to bring much progress to Teluk Intan in the last six years.

The result was announced by returning officer Datuk Ibrahim Ahmad at Sekolah Menengah Abdul Rahman Talib, which had been turned into the by-election’s vote tallying centre, about 9pm.

The election process went on smoothly although there were rumours of commotions between supporters of both political sides at some polling centres.

Tomb Village, Kota Tinggi

I was supposed to go to Ulu Tiram but my Waze brought me to Kampung Makam instead. I wonder what this symbolizes, you know, finding Tomb Village. But I'm glad to have stumbled upon such a beautiful place that is rich with the history of the Johor Sultanate.

The main feature of the village is the Tomb of Sultan Mahmud Shah, who was the last ruler of Johor who had descended from the Sultans of Malacca.

Legend has it that In 1699, during the reign of the Sultan, pirates were attacking southern Johor, from Mersing to Pulau Penyengat and Riau Laksamana (Admiral) Megat Seri Rama, known as Laksamana Bentan, named after his origin, Bintan Island, was ordered to stop the menace. He left behind his beloved pregnant wife, Dang Anum, to fight the pirates.

His absence presented an opportunity to a former palace officer, who was jealous of Megat Seri Rama, to plot against him. Wan Anum eagerly craved a piece of jackfruit, taken from the palace orchard, that was on its way to be presented to the Sultan. The penghulu or the head of a sub-district, who was sending the fruit to the palace sympathised with Dang Anum. He stole a piece of jackfruit and gave it to her. The Sultan, who noticed that the fruit had been cut, before he tasted the fruit, was so angered with the penghulu's action. His thoughts were also poisoned by the jealous palace officer who said that Dang Anum's action had obviously brought shame to the Sultan, leaving the Sultan to eat the rest of the fruit after her.

The Sultan ordered that Dang Anum be brought to the palace. Desperate for her life and that of her child, Dang Anum told the Sultanthat the fruit that she ate was for her child. The Sultan asked for proof and that her belly be cut open.

The murder was kept a secret but Laksamana Megat Seri Rama found out about it upon his return.

One day on a Friday afternoon, during Friday prayers, while the Sultan was lifted up (julang) by his men, he was ambushed and stabbed to death by the Laksamana. Before he drew his last breath, he cast a curse which forbade the sons of Bintan to touch the grounds of Kota Tinggi for eternity. If not, all of them will vomit blood to death.

Sultan Mahmud Shah, known then as Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Dijulang, was buried in Kampung Makam, while Laksamana Megat Seri Rama at Kampung Kelantan, also in Kota Tinggi. To this day, people still believe that the curse still exists and most Bintanese still feared to come to Kota Tinggi. However, some say the curse would last only 7 generations. - source Wikipedia

The village today attracts a lot of anglers. A villager told me there are ikan keli (catfish) and prawns in this part of the Sungai Johor.

Boat rides can be arranged at RM10 to RM40, RM50 or RM60 per person depending on the type of boat, the villager told me. Forgot to ask whether a life-jacket will be provided for the ride. Better to be safe than sorry. Anyway, maybe I'll come back here another day to try the boat ride. Another question, got crocodile or not?

Now you see why I don't get out much.

And The People's Choice Is ...

Ooops! Too early. All excited about the Teluk Intan by-election. Are the people going to choose Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud or Datuk Mah Siew Keong? BN or DAP? Fresh face or veteran?

Still too early. Still too early.

Meanwhile, I'll just enjoy these two videos

sent to me by a foodie. He wouldn't tell me where these two shops are. Only that he will take me there when I go up north again. I have a new fan. Hahaha.

Get serious now. The Sultan of Johor has summoned. Just kidding. The Sultan is gracing an event in Ulu Tiram, Johor, at 10am.

To the people of Teluk Intan, happy voting! May the choice be made with insight and wisdom.

Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud

Friday, May 30, 2014

Tiga Abdul and Baby Khamis

This clip is so cool. The true meaning of friendship and humanity.

And this is my zoo story. During the school break, do visit the Johor Zoo at Jalan Gertak Merah, Johor Bahru. Admission is Malaysian Ringgit RM2 for adults and RM1 per child.

The playful tiger cubs at the Johor Zoo. NST pix by Mohd Azren Jamaludin.

30 May 2014

'Tiga Abdul', 'Khamis', pygmy marmosets new attraction at Johor Zoo

By Chuah Bee Kim

JOHOR BARU: Three Malayan tiger cubs, a tapir and two pygmy marmosets (world's smallest monkeys) are the latest attractions at the Johor Zoo. The arrival of the newbies is timely as the zoo is expecting an influx of visitors during the school holidays.

Johor Zoo manager Zakaria Razali said the tiger cubs born in early January have been dubbed "Tiga Abdul" after the late silver screen icon, Tan Sri P. Ramlee's comedy about three brothers in the film named Abdul Wahab, Abdul Wahib and Abdul Wahub.

The parents of the tiger cubs are Jelly and July, both about seven years old. Jelly and July gave birth to a total of eight offsprings, including Tiga Abdul, over the years.

However, four of the eight cubs died during infancy. The zoo's other new attraction is a tapir born on May 8 on a Thursday, and named "Khamis". "Khamis is the third tapir born at the zoo. The female tapir takes about three years before it can reproduce again, and then the female carries the fetus for 13 months," Zakaria said, adding that Khamis now weighs about 3.6kg.

Besides the tapir and the tiger cubs, Zakaria said a pair of pygmy marmosets also delivered two infants in early March. "A pygmy marmoset costs RM9,000 each and we bought three pairs. However, only one pair produced a total of four babies," he said.

Zakaria said not all the animals in the zoo can be fed by the public. This is to safeguard the animals' health.

The zoo, located at Jalan Gertak Merah here, is open to the public from 8.30am to 6pm daily.

It was built by Sultan Sir Ibrahim in 1928, but the Johor government took over the management of the zoo in 1962.

The baby tapir at the Johor Zoo. NST pix by Mohd Azren Jamaludin

On the Ground

Teluk Intan: BN can win, says Muhyiddin

By Shahrum Sayuthi

TELUK INTAN: BN deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says the coalition has a good chance to win the Teluk Intan by-election tomorrow despite DAP's aggressive campaign. He said feedback from the ground have been favourable for BN ever since the campaign started last week.

"We are going to push all the way until the campaign period ends at midnight today," he said after a breakfast session with leaders of local Indian non-governmental organisations here this morning.

Muhyiddin, nonetheless reminded BN party workers to observe decorum while campaigning in light of the Perak's state of mourning following the passing of the late Sultan Azlan Shah.

He also expressed regret over the DAP leadership's decision to proceed with a boisterous open air ceramah in the middle of this town last night.

"I think they are desperate to win. That's why they do not seem to care about the state mourning period," he said.

Earlier, Muhyiddin appealed for the local Indian NGO leaders to help BN candidate Datuk Mah Siew Keong who hails from this town to win the by-election.

"He (Mah) is from here and know better your needs and how to help your community," he said.

Mah faces DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud at the poll tomorrow.