Colours of Kuala Lumpur

Today, on my way to work, the squatters along the STAR (I know it has a different name now, but I feel so convenient to stick to its old name) LRT route caught my eyes.

I wonder if this is what they called urban poor. Those crowded, dilapidated houses (if, we can call that rumah!) with no proper drainage and sewage system. And suddenly... my eyes caught something bizzare! Some of these houses have not one, but two air-cons!!! Even my apartment doesn't have one!

Not only that, some of them are ASTRO subscribers too.

Hmmm... am I an urban poor too?


p/s: Thanks, Uji for those kind words. Didn't know that you read my blog too.

B.E.Y.O.N.D.

On one hand, the former Menteri Besar of Selangor argued that the decision to appoint Low Siew Moi as acting General Manager of Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS) seems like an act to undermine "the capabilities of Malays to run a company like PKNS".

On the other hand, the current Menteri Besar of Selangor said that "it is better if give the job to someone who will rake in millions for the benefit of the Malays than to appoint a Malay who is more interested in giving out contracts to non-Malays."

According to Kampung Tunku assemblyman, in between 2004 and 2007, about 75% of all development projects by PKNS were given to non-Malays, either directly or indirectly.

Betullah kata Pak Lah... third world mentality!


p/s: I'm getting nervous now, not because of the unread email, but the fact that I've yet to prepare for the Genting Trailblazer 2008.

Alhamdulillah... syukur!!!

Thank God, our Prime Minister has decided to suspend the Eurocopter deal. Instead, the RM1.7 billion will be channelled to development projects. I hope these so-called development projects would at the end, benefit the people, especially the rural people and the community of our obedient soldiers.

On the other hand, I really think our Nuri helicopters require replacement now, not after another sad tragedy.

I personally think it is time for us to have open tender with necessary transparent processes so that the Government and the people won't be robbed in the day light.

Tahniah, Pak Lah! More good news, please...

"Ni rendang ke kari?"

Yeap, she threw me that question in front of her special friend and other friends of mine.

"Baru nak belajar masak-masak, kak."

I smiled and she smiled back to me.

Almost every of my friends know for sure that I am NO a good cook. And, thank God because of the existence of "healthy eating" culture, I have something as a scapegoat.

"Sayang... healthy eating does not mean eat tasteless food tau!

I called my mother to ask her why my rendang didn't produce similar smell as hers. Confidently, she said it may because of the coconut milk that I used in my rendang.

"Oh... tapi Along tak guna santan. Along guna susu!"

"Susu? Hmmm... susu tepung?" she asked me again.

Hesitantly, I said "Nope, soya milk".

"Ni masak untuk siapa ni? Untuk Along ke, kawan-kawan?"

Only one guest sincerely gave a thumb down for my rendang, but the rest happily said, "Okey lah" or to that effect. Or maybe they were, indeed, very sincerely.

To Ana, thank you for teaching me to cook edible pasta. Now I know how to cook something without the need to add salt or seasoning, and believe me... it was not tasteless. Hehehe, I hope so!

So I'm Emotional... What's New?

Thank God, years of living in asrama had successfully enhanced my emotional capability. Daily dosage of D.I.V.A-in-the-making training regime with polished co-trainees like Nora, Matthew Sawing, Azrai, Syed and Che Tong is indescribable. Believe me, it was so torturable, yet satisfying!

I'm totally aware that the said "training" may be perceived as lagha, but I'm so thankfully it presented me with the opportunity to learn to stand up to my principles. Although how ridiculous it is. It is what I believe, and I don't feel ashame to embrace to those personal belief.

I am what I am. If you cannot accept it, like what 01*609**** SMSed me the other day, "Ya.. Im sorry for u too.."

The so-called Good Friday taught me one thing. I now know the TRUE COLOURS of my so-called friends.

Goodbye R...

Thank you for those colourful times. Maaf zahir batin. Halalkan makan dan minum. All the best in your undertakings.

The 2 Semaraks and Kisah Gadis.

I'm not in the office today because I'm attending a two-day course in Petaling Jaya. As always, the traffic was really bad this morning, especially along the Jalan Loke Yew. I arrived at the HCDC at about 20 minutes past eight.

I hope I could arrive home early today so that I could start preparing my text for the Semarak Debate 2008 which has been scheduled on 24 October 2008 at 9pm. I will be opposing the title to be proposed by Danny and Zul, which is Datuk Siti Nurhaliza adalah seorang Diva industri muzik Melayu. I also need to prepare my text for Thomas' wedding this Sunday, which I will be co-emceeed with Wadi.

Insya-Allah, the result of Beyond P. Ramlee Project will be announced this Saturday, at about 9.30pm. I've invited all participants to attend a brief majlis at Graha Residen, and so far, only Zetty has indicated that she could not make it because of pior arrangement. For the very last time, I would like to wish all the best to all six finalists and thank you very much for participating in the said contest. Kalah menang itu adat bertanding...

Last night, I went to KLPAC to watch a play titled Kisah Gadis with Jun and Dini. The play is still running until 26 October 2008 and if I'm not mistaken the tickets are priced at RM10 each. We got it for free as courtesy from one of the actors in this two-part play - Tuan Faisal. Terima kasih daun keladi. Overall, the play is a good attempt to tickle kebobrokkan in our society. Insya-Allah, will try to write a review of it soon, very soon.

Till then... please pray for my success in the Semarak Debate 2008. As an underdog, it is a honour for me to share the same stage with Danny and Zul, who have vast experience in debating and "firing" (hehehe, jangan marah ya, Danny... Zul... gurau saja!).

The Commuter-Ride Home

By: Tunku Mariati Tunku Mukhtar


Following Pak Lah’s ride in the LRT many moons ago, one would think there would be some degree of improvement in the public transport system but lo and behold..... On the fateful date of 15 October 2008, I decided to take the commuter train back from the Bank Negara stop to the Bangi stop. It was 5.30 in the evening and the horror began. It was raining cats and dogs and elephants and cows! Wisdom of a friend – she advised me against walking to the station but offered to give me a lift instead. I’m glad I took her advice.

As I rushed down from the ticket counter to the platform below, the usual crowd had already gathered at the platform waiting for the commuter train to arrive. I was appreciative of the new complex, a vast improvement from the straight row of shelter of days gone by. The rain showed no sign of abating. Water from the roof gutter was gushing out from the pipes defying the rule that it was supposed to flow into the drain below but instead hit hard against the wall across the drain and deflecting back onto the platform, flooding the floor immediately after the landing as you step down the stairs from the ground floor. It is a wonder no one actually slipped and fell.

The train to Seremban was scheduled to arrive at 5.44pm as displayed in the electronic board overhead. However, like the act of amateur magician, it was the train to Pelabuhan Klang that showed up. After a delay of about 20 minutes, there were a few announcements indicating that the train to Seremban would be arriving soon, and thankfully it did. However, by then, there was no seats left – just standing space, and stood I did, hoping to grab a seat when a passenger goes off at the next station. Oh, how true the wise words, when all else fails, hope is all you have!!!

It was a ten stop ride to Bangi and just when you thought there would be some relief at the next stop as the passengers alight, the plot thickens, literally – it certainly got denser as more people kept getting on than getting off. When the train arrived at the Kuala Lumpur station, there was an announcement IN the train leaving non-regulars like me a bit confused. The train WAS going to Seremban, yet the announcement was telling commuters to change trains and board trains for Seremban, Pelabuhan Klang, Rawang, etc at the respective platforms. Did I or did I not have to change trains? On second thoughts, maybe it was a ploy to get some unsuspecting passengers to vacate the train. Stubbornly, I stayed on – wise decision, I thought as did many other passengers. Hardly anyone budged.

Come the Mid Valley station, it was a real horror. As the train slowed down to stop, I could see the train rubbing against the passengers waiting on the platform showing how extremely close they dared be to rush into the train - and rush in they did. It would be an amazing feat to be able to get off at the Mid Valley station at this point!

At one point the door would not close hence an announcement to not lean against the door or press the "open door" button". Again, no response. Door number 9 at my carriage, kept closing and opening a few times indicating something was stopping the door from closing properly. Finally the signature hissing sound as the door ledged close and off we went to the next station.
One would think that at residential stations such as Seputih and Taman Tasik Selatan we could breathe a sigh of relief but unfortunately no one got off while more passengers attempted to board the train. Despite being sardine packed to the brim, at every station, at least one passenger would manage to squeeze in. Each time as the door closes, everyone would take a deep breath to ensure that the door could close tightly.

Many thoughts occupied my head as I stood in the train. Actually being sandwiched so badly, I could just lift both my legs and would be supported by the other bodies around me! Get the picture? I was just happy I hung my hand phone round my neck. My phone rang twice and had it been in my handbag, there was no way I could reach to retrieve it. Given an option to breathe into someone’s freshly washed hair, the smelly armpit across my head and the wall of the train, I opted for the wall. The walls were clean. No graffiti to read just the notice and the emergency door handle in the glass casing. Across the seats along the wall, standing against door number 10, two girls caught my eye. They were hearing impaired but that didn’t stop them from having a lively conversation with each other. It was actually fun trying to interpret what they were saying. Initially it looked as though they were sharing some happy gossip, then their facial expressions changed to indicate mild disapproval and later brushed it off as though it didn’t matter to them. Indeed, action speaks louder than words.

It is an amazing observation that despite the one hour ordeal in the commuter, no one complained, no one was rude and no one retaliated. Reading from the facial expressions one could see the tired, frustrated and exasperated looks on the faces of the passengers, yet everyone held their piece. I suppose, everyone was focused on one goal to reach home, so despite the squeeze (as one appreciates how flexible the human body is), the smell (ranging from fresh shampoo to smelly armpits) and the inconvenience, the goal was so compelling that all these pale in comparison. In fact, I was impressed to see that in a situation like this, some degree of chivalry prevailed as one or two young lads actually stood up to give their seats to the more deserving ones.

After about one hour we reached Serdang. Breathing space at last. Although half the crowd got off there, I was still not lucky enough to grab a seat. My luck came just two stops before Bangi. I was thankful all the same. At least there was no further delay and the air conditioning system WAS working in the train. For those who had experienced being stranded in a commuter and one with the air conditioning not working, this is indeed a blessing. When I arrived in Bangi, it was just raining puppies and kittens. However, the station was jammed with the awaiting cars outside. Not wanting to prolong my relationship with KTM, I just fished out my light weight umbrella (which I recently purchased from Sogo) from my bag and happily walked out of the station to where my daughter was waiting at the main road and headed for home.

What about tomorrow? As evident from the James Bond movie, tomorrow never dies.


p/s: The author is a colleague of mine who, to some extent, coached me in improving my communication skill.

Photo Story 2.0

The following pictures are me and two of my closest colleagues - Jue and Rina. Both are good listeners and sweet too! These pictures were taken last Friday at 8C Eid Mubarak Open House. I befriended with Jue since my earliest days with the company. She was the personal assistant for the fatherly Mr. Low Koon Seng - the founder of a charity organisation called M.U.M. - Makanan Untuk (orang) Miskin. Rina came two years later and like me, she's a proud Orang Melaka too!

Unfortunately, my camera is with my beloved sister. That should explain why I'm having posts with no original pictures. Here, original means pictures taken using either Shafiqa Shereen (my digital camera) or Faris Farudin (my camera phone).

Harap bersabar ya...




p/s: Pictures are courtesy of Jue. Terima kasih daun keladi...

Don't hate u sayang, just pity when u smoke.

So, i heard u got some belief against girls who smoke. Should i feel d heat? Does it taint my personality darling? :)

That is an SMS I received from one of my closest friends. My immediate reply was:
U heard it wrong syg. :) Nanti i post up my 2 cent on this issue. Have a safe journey home. C ya in KL.

This is a torny issue, at least to me. I used to fight with my father every time he smoked in his house. It was either ME or HIM to leave the dinner table or the living hall. Most of the time, it was ME because after awhile, he pretended he didn't hear a single word that came out from my mouth.

I regret all those lack of manners, and thank God, since 2001 he quit smoking for good due to health reasons. My youngest brother dropped that bad habit too, but not the man in the middle.

To put the record straight, I HATE the act of smoking. Not the person nor the gender of that person. I personally think smoking is HARAM. full stop.

I was wondering what makes girls smoke too.

In general, boys are stubborn. You can lecture them hundreds of hours on the negative effects of smoking, but like my own brother, it enters his right ear and comes out from his left ear.

And I personally think girls in general have a soft heart. Like most of my beautiful ladies in my family and my female friends, they are all PENYAYANG, sensitive and caring. Most of the time, they are the first one to be touched by the sufferings of others and very PEKA to side effects of everything. And most of them (I'm referring to the females that surround me), very receptive to "good" advice and very caring. They are the last person to hurt others. (I plead to my dearest friends, please... please... please... DO NOT SMOKE , at least, when Iman is around)

I just wonder, if the girls really know about the DANGER of smoking, why they still smoke?

Mungkin mereka tidak tahu, usik benakku.

Aidilfitri 2008

Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim friends. Maaf zahir batin. May Allah bless us with rahmat and berkat. Aamin.

Thank you very much for all your kind wishes, especially the following SMSes:

Ampun dan maaf andainya...
TERkasar bahasa
TERsilap bahasa
TERmarah yang tak kena
TERtanya tak tentu hala
TERsasul yang tak sengaja
TERpukul kat mana-mana
TERpekik di telinga
TERhantuk di kepala
TERpinjam harta benda
TERumpat bila-bila
TERmacam-macam lagi yang kena mengena
Semoga dimaafkan...
Selamat Hari Raya. Maaf zahir batin (Aidil)

Dear, selamat menyambut aidilfitri. Since i oredi raya dis eveving, i might as well wish everyone earlier. Enjoy urself. Jgn main mercun! Peace! :-p (Rina)

Salam sumer, bgn! Sahur terakir tok kali ni... Slmt bpuasa n slmt hari raya. Maaf zahir batin... (Ajoy)

!@#$%^&*-+=<>? (Mus)[not cursing, but chinese characters]

Ketupat pulut lagi bersantan, mudah dingap bersama rakan, Selamat menyambut hari lebaran, salah & silap harap maafkan. (Tarmizi & fmly)

Salam eidul fitri dan maaf zahir batin. have a great one this yr wt ur family and frens k. (Sham)

Selamat hari raya haron. Maaf zahir batin :) (Mya)

"Daun Kemboja Tumbuh Melata, Mekar Mewangi Di Halaman Bonda, Berayalah Ke Rumah Jiran Tetangga, Mana Tau Mereka Ada Anak Dara" SALAM AIDILFITRI MAAF ZAHIR BATIN (Nora Fendi & Zaidi)

PeLiTa diPaSaNg PeNaiK SeRi, RaMadaN D'GaNti Si Aidifitri, Msj pEnDeK P'ganti diri, TaNdA Diri mu seNTiaSa diiNgAti, SelAmaT haRi rAya iAdiLFitri. MaAF ZAhir&BatiN (Fasli)

Mohon maaf jika ada terkasar bahasa, terlebih gurau senda & terlanjur bicara. Have a safe raya! (Zetty)

Slamat hari raye n maaf zahir batin... (Dini)

Salam Aidilfitri Maaf Zahir Batin. (Sri Jaafar, Niza n Zahira)

Hari Raya bmksud: bsolat snat raya -bmaaf2an ..................... -bjumpa dgn makcik2 yg bmulut lahar Slm Aidil, maaf zahir batin :) (Danny sekeluarga)

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri * Maafkan segala kesalahan yg sengaja & tidak sengajakan. Halalkan makan minum * Maaf Zahir Batin (Mas Taufik Muhd)

"Suka duka silih brganti, Jatuh bgun brselang-seli, Sempena Syawal yg mulia ini, Maaf ku pinta setulus hati". Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri - Maaf Zahir Batin (Unsaved number)

Slamat aidilfitri, maaf zahir batin! (Athen)

Slamat ari raya as well! maaf bnyk2. iAllah kalo ada rzeki i trn umah u. have fun.tc (Effendy)

Slmat Hari Raya 'Idulfitri, mohon kemaafan dan moga sdr2 skluarga beroleh kejayaan (Surau Darul Falah & kluarga)

Raikan Syawal dgn penuh kesyukuran. Slm Idulfitri buat sekeluarga. Andai ada slh silap, keampunan dipohon seikhlas hati. (Izfaizal)

Terima kasih daun keladi to those who sent cards or who wished me personally.