Different Wavelength

http://normanfernandez.blogspot.com

by Nelson Benjamin and Razak Ahmad

sourced from STAR online

JOHOR BARU: Former Johor DAP deputy chairman Norman Fernandez has resigned, two days after it was decided that he should be referred to the party’s disciplinary committee over a Facebook post.

Fernandez said in a brief letter to party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng that he no longer shared the party’s ideals and the path taken by its leaders.

“To continue my membership would only constrain and inhibit my freedom to express my views (in a) forthright (manner) and be critical of the party, particularly its continued alliance with PAS,” he wrote in the letter, which was made available to the media.

Earlier, state DAP secretary Gan Peck Cheng said 18 out of 20 state committee members had voted at a meeting on Saturday for the motion to refer Fernandez to the disciplinary panel while two others abstained. Also present at the meeting was DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

The motion, said Gan in a statement, was over three Facebook posts by Fernandez, which had compromised the party’s image in the eyes of the public.

The decision, she stressed, was not discussed at the Johor Pakatan Rakyat meeting and was strictly a DAP internal matter.

It is learnt that in a private Facebook post, Fernandez had criticised several DAP leaders as hypocrites for attacking the Prime Minister over his speech on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) but remaining quiet when the PAS president’s son-in-law voiced support for the militant group.

Fernandez also allegedly insulted two DAP leaders.

It is learnt that the post was removed before the resolution – which Fernandez had described as making a “mountain out of a mole hill” – was passed on Saturday.

“Whatever I write in my blog or Facebook is my own thoughts and feelings,” he said.

PETALING JAYA: There is a fallout in DAP over its collaboration with PAS, which has led to disciplinary action against former Johor DAP deputy chairman and his subsequent resignation.

Norman Fernandez is no stranger to controversy for attacking his party’s ties with PAS due to the Islamist party’s insistence on hudud.

A vocal critic of PAS’ hudud plan, Fernandez called on voters last year to reject the Islamist party just days before the general election, saying that the country could not gamble its future with PAS.

In a reaction to the latest development, MCA publicity bureau chief Datuk Chai Kim Sen said DAP’s action against Fernandez showed that the Opposition party was trying to “curry favour” with its partner PAS.

DAP, said Chai, had been telling non-Muslims that it was against hudud but never took concrete steps to lodge an official protest with PAS or stated its opposition at Pakatan Rakyat supreme council meetings.

“DAP has instead made Fernandez its ‘sacrificial lamb’ for speaking up against PAS.

“The disciplinary action against Fernandez shows that DAP will not offend PAS for political interest and that it is also unable to tell right from wrong,” said Chai in a statement here yesterday.

Chai said that according to news reports, Fernandez had condemned DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS for betraying Pakatan by allowing PAS to go ahead with its hudud plan in April despite the lack of an agreement on the issue in its common policy framework.

He described Fernandez as “politically courageous” for daring to speak up against hudud despite the party’s fear of objecting to PAS.

“Obviously, DAP is no longer able to tolerate different voices and it oppresses those who do not share the same view,” said Chai, who is also MCA deputy national organising secretary.

We Can Save The Strays

Doesn't this picture just melt your heart and make you go Awwww???

This is a stray dog who got so attached to a volunteer at a temporary shelter for dogs.  The shelter was set up by a property developer, and the volunteers go there to feed the dogs while efforts are made to re-home the strays.  The dogs are neutered or spayed at the shelter.

This is a beautiful programme.  These dogs can be sent to a new home or industrial sites.  But volunteers have to monitor the dogs to ensure that they are adapting well in their new homes.  Can dog lovers unite for this wonderful cause?

This is one way of getting strays off the streets --- so that they don't end up in a dog catchers' truck or  the cooking pot. Or other unimaginable horrors like starvation, maggot infestation or being knocked down by a vehicle.

And look at the dog listening so attentively as I was getting information from the volunteer.

Property developers, factory owners, farm operators and dog lovers can all play a part to make this work.

Views and suggestions are welcomed.  Dog lovers, can we save the strays?

Tak Rasa Bersalah Ke?

I need to vent.

This incident happened two days ago.

My KL bosses were asking me about some stories. I checked the slug book and found that there were slug numbers taken for the stories so I thought the thing had been done by my colleague. I gave the slug numbers to my bosses so that they can retrieve the stories.

The next day at around noon, there was a reminder to send the same stories. So I put a gentle reminder in the JB Bureau group Whatsapp to please send the said stories to KL.

That same day at 5pm, KL was rushing me to send those stories again as one of the stories was going into print. They were waiting ....

I confidently said it was sent already but if KL still didn't receive them, then I would just have to re-send. When I opened the slugs, to my shock, what stared back at me was a blank screen.  At that time I still thought, maybe the stories were done but had not been saved or had been accidentally deleted.

I called up my colleague, who told me "DIDN'T DO".  I got very angry and voiced it out in the group whatsapp.  Ok, maybe I did not do it with tact.  But I was angry at the time.

The next day.  I had forgotten about the incident already, and I whatsapp my colleague like normal.  However, I could detect some difference when he replied to my message.

Doesn't he feel bad for being irresponsible?  I don't go around "disturbing" others.  I have my own things to do and worry about.

But when KL bosses look for me, I look for you.  Why the hell are you angry with me?  Tak rasa bersalah ke?

Now, a separate matter.  I ordered this item in May.  The salesman said he could have it delivered to my house. Not a problem since I live quite near to the retail outlet.   He also said he would call once the item arrived at his shop.

Yesterday I only knew the item had arrived after I called the shop.  I decided to drive to the retail outlet.  I didn't know the gross weight of the item was 20.5kg.  He said he could deliver it but only on a Monday or Tuesday.  I work this Monday and Tuesday, so it isn't convenient for me. 

It turned out he couldn't even deliver the thing to my car because he said he was alone in the shop. Fine.

Fortunately, a security guard of the shopping mall gallantly loaded the item from the trolley to my car

After having made all the sweet promises to get me to buy, shouldn't the salesman try to be more accommodating?  If I hadn't paid the money yet, maybe things would be different.  Tak rasa bersalah ke?

Okay, I have vented.  I am going to take a nap now.

I don't think I need to make any apologies to my co-worker for my sudden outburst, but if I have hurt anyone's delicate feelings ... I AM SORRY.

Reward For JDT Players

More celebration for Johor DT players.  

The players will now receive RM25,000 for their Malaysia Super League victory in the Kuching Stadium on June 25, which resulted in June 26 being declared a public holiday.

JDT had defeated Sarawak 1-0, a major win that ended a 24 year drought.

The public holiday was a gesture of gratitude. It was also the first win for JDT as a club.

RM25,000 ganjaran penamat kemarau kejuaraan

 

Oleh Mary Victoria Dass

Johor Bahru : Kerajaan negeri akan memberi ganjaran sebanyak RM25,000 kepada setiap pemain dan pegawai pasukan Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) di atas kejayaan pasukan itu membawa pulang piala Liga Super 2014.

Menteri Besar Johor Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin berkata, ganjaran diberikan bukan semata-mata di atas pencapaian pasukan berkenaan menjuarai Liga Super 2014 pada 25 Jun lalu sebaliknya penghargaan di atas kejayaan menamatkan kemarau sebarang kejuaraan selama 24 tahun.

"Kerajaan Negeri membuat keputusan memberikan RM25,000 kepada pegawai dan pemain JDT.

"Diharapkan JDT terus unggul dan mengharumkan nama Johor," katanya ketika berucap di Majlis Berbuka Puasa Menteri Besar Johor bersama rakan Facebook di sebuah hotel di sini, hari ini.

Seri Omega Private & International School

Sabahan Julasri Hajad, 37, was one of the caricarturists at the Seri Omega Private & International School Open Day on June 28.


Ding Ing Lee, 36, and his wife, Ee Tien Foon, 32, were at the school open day with their daughters, Ying Xi, 7, and Ying Xuan, 5.

Haikal Hamid, 33, is a lecturer with the Bio-Medical Engineering Faculty of the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.  His son, Haqi, is studying at Seri Omega.  He was at Science, Art and Robotics Exhibition with his wife, Ika Umar, 33, and youngest son, Tama, one year five months. Seri Omega founder and principal  Dato' Ooi Chong Beng, 62, was also at the exhibition organised in conjunction with the school open day.

Teo Jin Tian (left), 32, started playing the guzheng when she was in primary five. She now teaches the guzheng. She was performing with her students.

Advertorial of  Seri Omega International School 2013

Advertorial of  Seri Omega Private and International School 2014

Related article in Johor Streets  on July 3, 2014

Comfort Food

Enjoying comfort food with a pretty girl named Nobuytea. I mean Norbaiti aka Zetty. The girl is from Muo. I mean Muar.

and the story about Special No. 1 Porridge by Halim Said

IT may be bold of Zaleha Ahmad to claim that her dish is the best in town, but the Special No 1 Porridge may be worth bragging about.

Zaleha, who is fondly known as Kak Leha, said she set up the business when she was in her 20s and had just started her own family.

It had been 27 years since she opened her first porridge stall in Jalan Sutera, Taman Sentosa.

"At the time I was the first and only one with a stall here. That was how I came to the name Special No 1 Porridge for my stall," she told Streets.

Kak Leha takes pride in her porridge which she cooks Teochew-style combined with Malay inspired condiments. Bringing two cultures together was a way for her to honour her Chinese and Malay roots.

Boiling high-quality grade rice for one-and-a-half hours on medium-low heat results in rice porridge that is white, smooth and silky in texture.

Best savoured warm, a bowl of porridge goes well with condiments such as sambal anchovies, salted duck egg, salted mackerel and pickled radish which adds flavour to the simple dish.

The set of porridge and condiments sold by Kak Leha goes for an affordable RM5.

"I prepared the porridge and condiments using my own style. That is why it is unique and can only be found here," she said.

Kak Leha had also opened stalls on the same stretch offering a variety of dishes such as ayam penyet, satay, grilled cockles, grilled seafood and char kuey teow. All the dishes are priced between RM5 to RM7.50 per serving.

People from all walks of life throng Kak Leha's stalls on a nightly basis from 6pm to 3am.

Business has been so good that there are some 100 tables for her customers. They are also entertained with the performance of street buskers.

"The buskers are better off performing here rather than wandering aimlessly around the city. Besides, my customers enjoy their music," she said.

Kak Leha's husband, Ismail Jaafar, said their speciality dishes can also be found near the Pandan City wholesale market and Permas Jaya.