Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

The Ketupat is a symbol of Hari Raya like the Kolam  and the Kumquat are associated with Deepavali and the Lunar New Year respectively.

This is the burasak, a favourite among the Bugis community.

July 28 marks the first day of the month of Syawal 1435H (Hari Raya) or Eid al-Fitr also known as Feast of Breaking the Fast. 

Feast, Celebrate and Rejoice.

The Dog Pound

Does anyone know I'm in a dog pound? Does anyone know where to look for me? 

When a pet ends up in a dog pound, its fate is almost always certainly death.

I've been told the dog catcher gets paid RM50 for each dog, and an additional RM15 to kill the dog if no one comes to claim it after 2 weeks.

For the owner to secure the release of his pet, he has to pay a fine of RM500 for failing to get a dog licence.

And at the pound, the fiercer dogs will not allow the smaller or weaker ones to have their share of the meal, which sometimes lead to death by starvation. It's pretty much a "dog eat dog world" at the dog pound.

After the two-week grace period, the dogs will be killed by lethal injection supposedly by someone with medical knowledge on the dosage. But I've been told the dogs are allegedly fed chicken neck bones laced with rat poison.  The dog will have to endure internal bleeding for a day or two before succumbing to the poison.

In the remaining days of their lives, can't these dogs be treated with more compassion and kindness?

On an unrelated incident, I heard that someone recently climbed over the fence to get into a neighbour's compound.  This man is a Muslim.  No, he didn't climb over his neighbour's fence to create mischief. He did it to feed his neighbour's dog which had been left unfed for days while its owner is away, probably on a holiday.

There are numerous and various forms of cruelty.

Cruelty rears its ugly head in dog pounds; in badly run shelters, in pet shops --- when the dog is not sold and kept in the same cage it was put in when it was months younger and in homes with clueless, careless owners.

Choose not to be cruel.  Choose kindness and humanity.

New Toll Fee System at CIQ

sourced from iskandardevelopment.wordpress.com

Johor new CIQ toll fee charge

Posted on July 26, 2014 by alvinma08

Johor Bahru: Johor state government engineering department announced that effective 1 August 2014, it will adjust the vehicle entry fee using Johor new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine CIQ from one way charge to two ways charges.

Current one way charge is RM2.90 from Singapore entry to Johor. With the new charges, car from Singapore entry to Johor Bahru will raised to RM9.70, and charge RM6.80 from Johor to Singapore.

Statement from the Johor state engineering department, car, lorry, taxi and bus will be affected by the new toll fee system, however motorcycle are excluded.

Based on the statement, new toll fee system only affects the drivers who are drive thru Johor new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine CIQ, which is Sultan Iskandar Building BSI. The new toll fee station will be setup inside the new CIQ, while drivers who are using Eastern Dispersal Link EDL to and from Johor Bahru, North South Expressway, Permas Jaya and Pasir Gudang will not be affected.

The statement also revealed that the new toll fee station will only accept electronic charge, which mean drivers need to buy the electronic cash card “Touch’ N Go”.

The new toll fee system with effective 1 August 2014 in the new CIQ is actually the charges from EDL Expressway Company Malaysian Resources Corp Berhad MRCB. EDL is 8.1km highway linking from Pandan to Customs, Immigration and Quarantine CIQ at the Causeway. The EDL charge has been a hot topic when EDL open to public on 2012.

The EDL new toll charges will become a heavy burden for Malaysian who travel daily in and out to Singapore to work. It is especially Singapore new vehicle entry permit charges which rose from S$20 to S$35 with effective 1 August, 2014.

With Singapore new vehicle entry permit charge, Malaysia government is in the process of review to impose vehicle entry permit VEP towards Singapore registered car. It is still unknown about the charges and implementation time, however it is expected the VEP to be imposed very soon and expected to be capped at RM50 (S$19.50).

VEP Come 1st Of August

Updated. 

This is not the VEP but are new toll charges for all vehicles using the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) via the Customs Immigration & Quarantine Complex (Bangunan Sultan Iskandar) which will be implemented Aug 1.

The new ruling will make it more costly to use the Causeway compared to the Second Link Expressway.

Apologies for the confusion. Another blur moment .....

Original post

While I was feeling warm and fuzzy unwrapping this lovely gift from a friend just now, another friend who works in a property development company in Johor Bahru was getting worried.

She said Singaporeans or those with Permanent Resident status staying  in Johor who work in Singapore will need to pay around RM100 come Aug 1 when Malaysia implements the Vehicle Entry Permit fee on Singapore-registered cars entering Johor.

Singapore Vehicle Entry Permit. S$35 (RM91)

Singapore Toll $1.20  (RM3.12) 

based on SGD1 = RM2.60

Inbound and outbound total RM16.50 

Total RM110.62

The above is for those who drive a car. Buses, taxis and 6-wheelers will have different rates.

Some, like my friend who is in the property development sector, are worried about the VEP while others, like the tourism industry, for instance, doesn't share this sentiment. Some traders along Jalan Segget in Johor Bahru that I recently talked to also gave polarizing views on the VEP and how it will affect their business.

Watch the Sun Rise (or is it Sunset?)

I'm not sure because I didn't snap this breathtaking shot of  Kukup in Johor. I think it's a sunset but I prefer it to be a sunrise. So sunrise it shall be.

Like Helen Ang says, "my blog, my like".

I'm glad most of the dignitaries in Malaysia are not hosting a Hari Raya Open House this year as a mark of respect for the victims of MH17.

There's just no Raya mood with all these tragedies in our midst. But do celebrate with your closest and dearest.

Yesterday,  in the New Straits Times report I read that Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (BN-Air Hitam) had slammed a number of public rebukes earned by a few elected representatives whose comments were deemed tasteless by many.

Wee, a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, had also advised that rather than shifting blame to resolve issues, we should stand united and discard the contempt for one another in light of a tragedy like MH17.

Yesterday, I was bombarding my Facebook status with a myriad of thoughts throughout the day.  People say it's not wise to post grouses on FB status, but I think it's ok. It's quite harmless to voice your angst and disgusts in social networking websites, just as long as you don't overdo it.  It's a better way to release tension than smoking, backstabbing, resorting to violence.

I always say don't let external factors disrupt your peace, but the thought of  having "saboteurs" around at a time like this really irked me.  Saboteurs who do it openly and those who lurk in the shadows. In a way, I also was weak to let them affect my inner world.

Today I really need to get grounded. There are numerous ways to do this --- meditation, chanting, writing are just some of them.

I would like to share this lovely advice from Taylor Swift. This is an excerpt

"Hannah. Eyes, eyes, eyes. Woah. You have the prettiest, widest, most child like eyes. (Composes herself) Okay. About this guy. I think we grow up thinking the only love that counts as true love is the kind that lasts forever or is fully realized. When you have a broken heart, the first thing a stranger will ask is 'how long were you two together?' As if your pain can be determined by how long you were with someone. Or if you were with them at all. I don't think that's how it works. I think unrequited love is just as valid as any other kind. It's just as crushing and just as thrilling. No matter what happens in this situation, I want you to remember that what you are doing is selfless and beautiful and kind. You are loving someone purely because you love them, not because you think you'll ever have your affections reciprocated. You are admiring something for its beauty, without needing to own it. Feel good about being the kind of person who loves selflessly. I think someday you'll find someone who loves you in that exact same way."

If you want to read the full article, please click  Taylor Swift's advice to a fan in instagram 

Sweet, huh? 

"Before becoming a Muslim, a Sikh, a Hindu, or a Christian, let's become a human first" --- the wise words of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

And "The Mind is not a dustbin to keep anger, hatred and jealousy but a treasure box to keep love, happiness and sweet memories."

Can anyone read this http://bigstory.ap.org/article/kiss-prayer-last-hours-mh17s-victims without the tears welling or thinking of turning to your loved ones to give them a hug?

One needs to cherish every moment and every person in your life, because you will never know when it will be the last time you see them.

To all my Muslim friends who will be heading home to celebrate the Hari Raya Aidilfitri, have a safe journey.

Forest City to benefit port

The New Straits Times Report

Datuk Md Othman Yusof says the development of Forest City will benefit the people of Johor. Pic by Mohd Azren Jamaludin

by Chuah Bee Kim

JOHOR BARU: THE RM600 billion Forest City development project will not affect the country’s biggest transhipment terminal, Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).

Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ) executive vice-chairman Datuk Md Othman Yusof said the project would instead complement the port.

When the 49ha man-made island called Forest City is completed, investors would be able to use the port facilities, he said.

“The project will bring more of a positive impact than a negative one to the people of Johor.”

Othman said the reclamation and construction of a showroom to showcase the properties in Forest City were scheduled to be completed in 18 months.

However, he said, the stop-work order since June 15 had halted the company’s marketing strategy, and KPRJ was worried that investors’ confidence would be affected by the directive.

The order was issued by the Department of Environment and KPRJ was hoping authorities would allow the developer, Country Garden Pacific View (CGPV), to resume work as soon as possible.

“We want the project to be completed in the shortest time possible to avoid the looming 10-year global recession cycle.”

Othman said Singapore had not protested against the reclamation but had merely submitted a diplomatic note seeking clarification.

He said everything was done according to ITLOS (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea) and no Environmental Impact Assessment was required as the project was less than 50ha.

Othman said KPRJ had reduced the size of the development, despite having paid a premium for the land amounting to more than RM300 million.

The original plan was to reclaim about 2,000ha, but it has now been reduced to about 1,600ha.

“The size reduction means we have given way to PTP, using only 53ha of the land, so that the port can proceed with its expansion plans to build three more berths,” he said, refuting claims that the reclamation would cause waters there to become shallow.

Guangdong-based property developer Country Garden Holdings has a 60 per cent stake and Planet Esplanade Sdn Bhd has a 40 per cent stake in Forest City. Of this, KPRJ has a 20 per cent share in Esplanade.

Othman said the Esplanade share was an indirect investment.

As for its direct investment in the mammoth project, KPRJ will receive eight per cent in returns.

“KPRJ did not contribute land as it is all reclaimed from the sea.

“This eight per cent will bring a huge return to the people of Johor. The state government will re-direct that money to build more low-cost houses for the people.”