Udin the musician... back in 2004

From hero to .....

Its sad to hear this news.. on our former Prome Minister Tun Dr Mahathir. I took this from port received by Malaysia Today, Datuk Nik Safia bin Nik Yussof was the unidentified person’ who sprayed Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad with either mace or
pepper spray.Datuk Nik Safia, one-time Deputy Chairman of Umno Kuala Kerai, had earlier stormed into the airport with six tough-looking bouncers in boots and leather jackets and confronted Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad (ex-Member of Parliament Kok Lanas). He then demanded that he be allowed to ‘take’ Tun Dr Mahathir.Tan Sri Abdullah would not engage Datuk Nik Safia who then said that he would ‘take’ Mahathir at all costs.When Mahathir arrived he was ushered into Datuk Ibrahim
Ali’s Pajero. Datuk Nik Safia then sprayed mace into the Pajero and grabbed the shocked Mahathir and bundled him into his (Datuk Nik Safia) own car and zoomed off.

Moments earlier, Dr Mahathir was reduced to a helpless old man,
having been sprayed with Mace.

Its sad... so very sad. I later managed to get on to another website about Dr Mahathir's speeches which were transmitted via Kelantan.tv via live video streaming. Some of his quotations were.. plus minus a few words...

“Sesiapa yg cuba nak merugikan bangsa saya, negeri saya.. saya akan kecam”

“Nak pulihkan UMNO? Boleh, Perdana menteri jadi perdana menteri, bukan keluarga jadi perdana menteri”

“Saya tak setuju nak bawak banyak islam, nabi bawak 1 islam aja, tak payah islam hadhari”

Quoted by TDM, 28 July 2006 Hotel Perdana, Kota Bharu

On Jeef Ooi site it mentioned: At 16:30hr, Screenshots received this brief update from a journalist on site:
Dr M attacks Brendan. Mentioned his names 5x!!!Kali, kj, Scomi.

Gajah sama gajah berjuang..... pelanduk juga mati di tengah tengah

New HONDA Stream

This is one HONDA car I would love to have in my parking lot :)

Honda Announces an All-New Stream
TOKYO, Japan, July 13, 2006 - Honda announced the release of an all-new Stream. Featuring a low-floor platform, the new Stream combines stylish compact exterior with a comfortable interior and powerful driving performance. With a low overall height of 1,545mm1, the new Stream has a modern dynamic look and fits conveniently into most restricted-height mechanical parking lots. The new Stream will go on sale from Friday, July 14 at Honda automobile dealers throughout Japan. The new, second-generation Stream is a 7-passenger car with the versatility and functionality to make getting around a true pleasure. Along with its vibrant, low-slung styling, it delivers total comfort and a feeling of integration wherever the driver and passengers come in contact with the vehicle — whether getting in and out, steering, throttle response, or changing the seat arrangements.

Changing of the guard

Had a chance to witness our own changing of the Guard at Istana Negara.. by Kor Armor Di Raja. They look smart on the horseback with the red tunic and the full regalia, it reminds me of the guards at Buckingham Palace. The foot guard look splendid in full Malay dress with the green songket samping and medals on the chest. Not too bad... not bad!

The Istana Negara is the official residence of His Majesty, the Yang di Pertuan Agong, the King of Malaysia. It is located on a hillock at Jalan lstana, just outside the city centre. It stands on a 28-acre (11 hectare) area. The Istana was originally a double storey mansion built in 1928 by a local Chinese millionaire, Chan Wing. After the Japanese occupation, it served as a residence of the Sultan of Selangor until 1957, when the Federal Government acquired it for use as the official residence of our King after some major renovation and extension.

Balairong Seri is a hall located in the East Wing. It is only used for official and customary functions. It sometimes serves as a banquet hall. The second hall on the 1st floor is the Dewan Mengadap where the King receives honoured guests such as Head of States and foreign dignitaries.

While, Bilik Duta is where the King grants audience to the Prime Minister and also where honoured guests are received. The Queen receives her guests at the Bilik Permaisuri while the Bilik Menteri is the rest room for guests.

Visitors can witness the changing of the guards daily.

An audience with Mahathir

Taken from Malaysia Today;
This Viewpoint is an excerpt from an interview with Helen Vatsikopolous taken from ABC Asia Pacific's 'Asia Pacific Focus' program, first aired on July 2, 2006.

The frustrated former leader has become a one-man opposition, but the ruling UMNO Party is standing behind Mr Badawi and is threatening to discipline or even expel the man who ruled for 22 years.

Tun Mahathir, are you satisfied that your legacy is now in good hands, what you have passed on to your successor?
Not legacy, actually, it is certain things that were done wrongly, and this needs to be criticised, corrected. And if those things are done properly there should be no problem.

You mean the Proton car projects? You mean the bridge? Why are those two so important to you?
No, we went into the automotive industry because we need to have skills in engineering. It is something that speaks of a lot of engineering skills and that's what has happened. And it is a successful project. It was very profitable. Now that they have decided to remove the CEO who made it profitable, now they are losing money and they're not doing so well now and with the government policy to allow in an unadmitted number of foreign makes and also not too strict about under-declaration, this thing is hurting the local Proton car.

But could it be argued that there's a different person in power, has a different style, sees things differently?Fine, as long as he does a good job. But he's not. Where you have a company that is profitable, so profitable that it can do a lot of things with internal resources, today it is not doing well at all. So it must be that the approach is wrong.

But the Prime Minister has the Cabinet supporting him on those decisions.
Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed because this cabinet appears to be saying, "Yes, yes, yes," even before something is done. They have already said that they will say yes to anything that the Prime Minister says, and that was not my cabinet. In my cabinet before, we have very long debates and some of my ideas were thrown out.

Tun Mahathir, when you retired you said you weren't going to be a back seat driver, you weren't going to interfere. Should you perhaps just allow the Prime Minister to do his work?
I would allow if the thing is not harmful. But to do something that will obviously harm us, like allowing another country to decide on what you want to do in your own country, you lose sovereignty. That, I cannot accept.

Rise and Rise of KJ

I found this article on The Fletcher School, Tufts University website on the The rise and rise of Khairy Jamaluddin by Phar Kim Beng, The Straits Times (Singapore) July 20, 2004 (The writer, Phar Kim Beng, a Malaysian, is a PhD student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and will join the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur in September.)

"The strongest support for Mr Khairy - whom I have known since 1997 ..in England, he at Oxford and I at Cambridge - is from Mr Hishamuddin Hussein...he enjoyed a professional and dynamic partnership with Mr Khairy. He played a leading role ...on behalf of Datuk Seri Abdullah during the last general election..with a few 'comrades' from his days at Oxford, he served ably as a chief strategist. ..He has been among those helping to strengthen relations between Umno Youth and the PAP youth wing.
..from a good family background - his father once ..the Malaysian ambassador to Japan, - he is a firm believer in justice and freedom..he strenuously stays away from .. issues with ideological rhetoric, unlike..Anwar Ibrahim .., whom Mr Khairy clearly detested as early as 1997. Yet, if Malaysia is to take a turn towards greater economic growth, his views are almost inevitable. For one, he believes the 'subsidy mentality' that has plagued the Malay mindset is a bane,.... According to this mindset - exemplified by the NEP..began in 1970 - every Malay is entitled to every form of government support, ..securing places at local university to getting fertiliser, from receiving a scholarship to go abroad to getting a discount on homes and property.

Having received a top-notch education without..help of ..Malaysian government, ..only by virtue ..his mother, Datin Rahmah Abdul Hamid, was able to provide, he went through life by a different route. He believes the privileges and benefits that have helped the advancement of the Malay cause since 1970 must eventually cease. The goal, he says, is to prevent Malays from relying on government crutches all the time. These are views which can be traced to his writings in Ethos, a magazine he co-founded at Oxford with several progressive Malaysians.

..at least five people whom Mr Khairy has brought into Datuk Seri Abdullah's government to serve as one of his 15 political secretaries, or his special assistant. These are Mr Omar Mustapha, Mr Vincent Lim, Mr Mustapha Kamal, Mr Izadraya and Mr Ahmad Zaki"

Found on http://www.bpk.jpm.my/TELEFON%202004/PM.doc PRIME MINISTER OFFICE, SETIAUSAHA POLITIK V, Dr. Vincent Lim Kian Tick, SUPOL V, Mohammad Amyzaddin bin Hj Raya, Pegawai Perhubungan Awam izadraya@pmo.gov.my

Melayu masih "berjiwa hamba"

Interesting article by Anuar Mohd Nor from http://www.umno-reform.com/URnews/jiwa_hamba.htm which I (partly) re-publish here;

Dr Siddiq Fadil dalam bukunya Melayu Baru menulis - selagi Melayu berjiwa hamba selagi itu kita akan terbenam dalam kancah ketinggalan. Ulasan Dr Siddiq mengatakan bahawa salah satu kreteria yang perlu untuk memajukan Melayu ialah dengan pengikisan perasaan jiwa hamba dan memerdekakan diri. Kita dengar- kata - kata Dr Burhanuddin Helmy - " di atas robohan kota Melaka , kita dirikan jiwa merdeka" masih susut dari segi percapaiannya. Jiwa kita tidak merdeka - terkongkong dengan perhambaan tidak menggalakkan perubahan - dari kongkongan feudalism " ke 'raja' an, "kesultanan" kepada kongkongan feudalisma "politik" dan penjajahan dalaman. Perjuangan menuntut jiwa merdeka tidak akan berjaya selagi kita masih kaku dibelenggu aspek - aspek ketakutan. Kita dari satu sudut menuntut perubahan Melayu - menuntut perubahan minda - menuntut sikap Melayu Baru tetapi semua - belenggu halangan di ketatkan dan dalam masa yang sama Melayu terus terkongkong untuk tidak menggeleng tetapi mengangguk. Kesedaran harus dibentuk dengan mengakui betapa tercicirnya kita dalam semua bidang - ketinggalan dan kini bangsa kita Melayu terus diperhambat ketepi untuk menjadi penonton kepada pembangunan negara.

Jiwa hamba akan hanya dapat dikikiskan selagi kita sedar bahawa bangsa kita akan pupus dan tanda - tanda awal kepupusan kita sudah terhidang tanpa kita sedari. Kita perlu meningkatkan perekonomian bangsa, kita perlu memperkasakan bangsa tetapi hanya segelintir Bangsa Melayu Perdana yang berjaya dengan segala ketamakan haloba. Kita harus bebas berfikir - terbuka "option" untuk memilih. Adakah bangsa Melayu perlu hadir untuk menyokong apa yang ada tanpa banyak mempersoalkan tindakan, harus mengangguk sementara Melayu Perdana wujud untuk terus memanipulasi keadaan untuk kepentingan segelintir yang akan meningkatkan statistik palsu kejayaan negara.

Melayu Perdana - budaya feudalistik Dr Siddiq Fadil menyimpulkan " Unsur - unsur yang bersifat budaya feudalistik harus ditinggalkan". Ini termasuklah unsur - unsur pendewaan terhadap seseorang tokoh dan penghambaan diri kepada mereka. Segelintir Melayu Perdana inilah yang nampak masih mempertahankan budaya feudalistik - mahu terus Melayu berjiwa hamba. Inilah senario yang wujud dan ialah sebenarnya yang membataskan Melayu itu - bukan mudah lupa - bukan malas tetapi terus di tipu oleh golongan Melayu Perdana - berkuasa dan terus berkuasa.

"In short we should move out from our normal thinking process to gain 'Jiwa Merdeka'. Unfortunately there are this Melayu Perdana element who still try to keep us under our old thinking hats for them to be able to clean up the country out of its wealth".... my 2 cents worth

Tyson's memorable moment

At last I found this photo on Sports Illustrated which I believe will go down into history as a major meltdown for a boxing superstar.


Mike Tyson, 1997 WBA Heavyweight Bout
Tyson-Holyfield II proved to be one of the most remembered event in boxing. With 40 seconds to go in the third round, Tyson wrapped up Evander Holyfield, spit out his mouthpiece and then bit off a chunk of Holyfield's right ear, leaving an arena in awe.
Photo: V.J. Lovero/SI

Sungai Klah Hot Spring Park

SPAS may be all the rage today but for many of us, in some cases you only find Spas in big hotels but nothing beats the good old natural hot springs that is said to have special healing properties. A good soak here will do wonders to soothe aching muscles, melt away tension and detox the body system.

So what is it about Kelah Hot Spring? Now this is a much better hot spring park compared to the one in Ulu Yam. One can find the park from Sungkai Toll only 16.5 km or 20 minutes from the toll exit.On the North-South Expressway, get of at the Sungkai tol exit and turn left at the junction. Just 1km down the trunk road, turn left and follow the sgins. There are many road signs along the way and the park is after the Sungai Klah Felda village.

The entrance fee of RM5 for adults, RM4 for senior citizens and RM3 for children offers access to the swimming (warm water.. not too hot) and therapeutic pools (more like dipping your feet into) , water reflexology course (ouch.. painful walk) , family baths etc. We tried boiling some eggs at a designated egg boiling spot, well.. 100%boiled egg within 6 minutes, they said it taste different but I don't feel its different from other boiled egg :). The swimming pool temperature is about 30°C to 40°C but that of the smaller streams running parallel to the boardwalk ranges from 100°C to 102°C.I don't think you can put your feet into the streams because the water is too hot and they can get scalded. The boardwalk has gaps in between planks and the steam from below can be felt by those walking there. Taking a stroll along the boardwalk can be relaxing as the sulphur-rich steam is good for the body. They told us that the sulphur content here is 0.011 part per million (ppm) and is good for clearing many skin disorders. Those seeking a little privacy can utilise any one of the six ordinary or superior jacuzzi (RM25 and RM50 per hour respectively).

9 July 2006 Berlin ITA:FRA 1:1 a.e.t (1:1, 1:1) 5:3 PSO

FORZA ITALIA..... Goals: 10. ZIDANE Zinedine (7' PEN) 23. MATERAZZI Marco (19') Penalties:Pirlo, Materazzi, De Rossi and Del Piero all scorted with their spot-kicks for the Azzurri but although Sylvain Wiltord, Eric Abidal and Sagnol replied for France, Trezeguet’s miss let in Grosso to win the Trophy for Italy.

Zinedine Zidane gave France the lead in the seventh minute with a penalty, and Italy quickly equalised when Materazzi rose well above France midfielder Patrick Vieira to head home a perfectly curled corner from Pirlo in the 19th minute. Italy conceded two goals in the whole tournament, one was an own goal and in the final there was a penalty. Italy are world champions for the fourth time (just one behind fat boy Ronaldo's Brazil) after beating ten-man France 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Berlin's Olympiastadion. Italy trails only Brazil in total titles: 5 - Brazil ,4 - Italy ,3 - West Germany , 2 - Argentina, Uruguay (England is not in the list because 1 win does not carry weight he..he..he... ?

Lots of rumours now about Zidane vs Materazzi incident. Zidane in his final match for France was seen in heated arguments with Materazzi throughout the match. It was flashed all over the world when Zidane unleashed the Headbutt into Materazzi's chest, knocking the Italian to the ground. For that he received a red card in the waning minutes of the second half of extratime.

BBC Radio Five Live asked for help from a deaf lip reader, Jessica Rees, who read the words phonetically to an Italian translator. She deciphered the insult as being "you're the son of a terrorist whore" - a translation also carried by many national newspapers in Britain on Tuesday.

Perlok Resort at Sungai Kelah

PERLOK recreational camp centre, A back to Kampung resort is what this resort is all about. It is next to the Sg Kelah which is said to be full of Kelah fish, really expensive at about RM 60 to 70 a kilo.The chalet's walls are made of bemban with thick logs being the foundation of the chalet. O yes no TV, and interestingly no keys on the door too. When I ask about the key, the inn keeper just told me not to worry, nothing got stolen in this area. OK might be true since it is quite deep in the Felda plantation with forest all around it. My 3 kids behaved like a real 'jakun' prancing all around the house exploring every little bit of new items they see. The icing on the cake as that the chalet is built right next to the river. As you can see in the photo, they wasted no time jumping into the river :)

Is the BN manifesto still relevant?

I read the BN manifesto again at http://www.bn.org.my/eng.pdf and I don't personally believe much has been done in that direction especially pertaining to PROTON and the local auto industry. Oh yes I am now in the auto industry. An industry which had been affected too much by the NAP and various policies that over 25,000 people related with the industry has/will now feel the pinch somehow;

In order to face future economic challenges, BARISAN NASIONAL will

● Pursue economic growth strategies to achieve Vision 2020.● Enhance competitiveness in order to build a resilient andperformance-based economy.● Nurture a business-friendly environment.● Cultivate new sources of wealth and income in areas suchagriculture, bio-technology and Islamic financial services.● Develop a culture of innovation through research and development● Develop rural areas as new centres for economic growth.● Increase the competitiveness of Malaysian companies, particularly● Expand markets for Malaysian products and services.● Exercise prudent and responsible fiscal management.

ah, cliche, and I've grown tired of the slogans about "Islam Hadari" (well Vision 2020 already encompass all those), "Towering Malays", "Memajukan Modal Insan", and the so famous "BIO-TECH" are just being repeated again and again like there is no tomorrow.What will all this spat with the former PM? He build a house will all the infra and decoration already in place. What we all need is proper maintenance and small renovation here and there. However what we see now is a complete make over of the house he and other former premiers had built over 49 years and the house we are familiar with has been renovated and modified that I am not sure if it is still safe to live in. What's the slogan again?? GEMILANG, CEMERLANG, TEMBERANG

"Gajah sama gajah betarung, pelanduk jua yang mati di tengah-tengah"

5 July 2006 Munich POR:FRA 0:1 (0:1)

Ahhh... and I thought Portugal could at last reach the finals after they sent England packing. Again, Zinedine Yazid Zidane stepped up to the penalty spot, for another shot at glory for himself and France. He converted the kick in the 33rd minute after Ricardo Carvalho was whistled for a foul on Thierry Henry, giving the French a 1-0 victory over Portugal and a place in the World Cup final. The win ended Portugal’s 19-game unbeaten streak and Luiz Felipe Scolari’s 12-game undefeated in World Cup matches.

Photo: VALENTE (POR), BOA MORTE (POR), CRISTIANO RONALDO (POR)
Copyright: AFP / afp.com

We were all innocent in 1979

Found this on my batch yahoogroup website today.
My oh my how time flies. It was over 27 years ago when we gathered for this group photo minus a few who were down with measles.

Famous face during Satria Neo launch

I received a call from a friend in Proton that he saw a familiar face in the Satria Neo website http://www.satrianeo.com.my/blog/default.htm.

See for yourself if you recognize him.....

1 July 2006 Gelsenkirchen ENG:POR 0:0 a.e.t 1:3 PSO

My match of the tournament. Even with only 10 men, England were able to keep Portugal out of goal throughout the extra time. Aaron Lennon replaced tired Beckham and brought a bit of much-needed pace, Hargreaves had his best match, man is he good, of the tournament, and Peter "Aim for the corner flag" Crouch showed he could make an effort to score. But the goal is still missing even in the shoot-out, with terrible misses from Lampard (I can never score except for Chelsea) and Gerrard ( I can only score from outside penalty box) .



Cristiano Ronaldo? Interesting to see how he get along at Manchester United next season, still he is the hero, scoring the final penalty that kicked the English out of the semis. Ah.... but still they will still gloat about the win in 1966 for another 4 years..... again.

England's Wayne Rooney, left, and Portugal's Ricardo Carvalho , quarterfinal World Cup in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Saturday, July 1, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)



Bye bye England, adios Sven "I still receive GBP 5 mill for a year's work" Goran Eriksson.

Che Lah's wedding

Finally Che Lah walked down the aisle at the ripe old age of 40. The wedding was like a reunion for us from class of '83, and yes that include Pak Syed and wife too.
At last count about 75 of us were there (including spouses-not all) and finally when most guest left the ballroom at Crowne Plaza KL we were still there for the England-Portugal 1/4 final match on the big screen. There you go, England was out of the World cup because Lampard and Co are just too nervous in taking penalty kicks.

UMAGA joins Toulon Rugby Club, France

Rugby - 29/06/2006 - 10:10
Umaga joins Toulon
Former New Zealand captain Tana Umaga signed a one-year contract with the French second division side Toulon.


From the clubs website: centres 13 Tana Umaga Jonathan Falefasa UMAGA
naissance: Lower Hutt (Nouvelle Zélande) le 27 mai 1973
taille: 1,87 m, poids: 101 kg, poste: Centre
clubs précédents: Wellington (NPC) Hurricanes (Super 14)10/2006 - Rugby Club Toulonnais
palmarès: 4 fois vainqueur des Tri Series (2000, 2002, 2003 et 2005)
sélections: 79 sélections avec la Nouvelle-Zélande entre 1997 et 2005 dont 21 fois capitaine.

30 June 2006 Berlin GER:ARG 1:1 a.e.t (1:1, 0:0) 4:2 PSO

AYALA Roberto (ARG), LEHMANN Jens (GER)