Current issues, feedback & complaints on public services in Malaysia
Cultural event takes a knock
3 Mar 2010 The Sun
PORTUGUESE Settlement residents are shocked that the Branyu Rudiya, part of the Intrudu festival, has been scrapped for good as it is regarded as non-traditional.
The residents discovered this when the annual Intrudu held recently proceeded without the popular Branyu Rudiya, a colourful evening dance procession.
The Branyu Rudiya is led by elderly singers and musicians around the 75-year-old heritage settlement. As it proceeds, more and more young and elderly residents follow the dance troupe and head for the open air stage near the square where they dance till midnight.
The residents regard the Branyu Rudiya as the most important traditional event of the unique Intrudu festival. Other activities of the day include water-splashing among the residents, a fancy dress football match and selling of traditional cakes.
The Intrudu is celebrated by the Portuguese people worldwide and marks the last day of enjoyment before the start of Lent. In Malaysia, it has been practised since 1511 when the Portuguese captured Malacca.
Regedor (headman) Peter Gomes, 52, says the Branyo Rudiya was cancelled this year and will no longer be part of the festival. He firmly believes that it is a non-traditional event.
The aim of the dance procession is to inform and draw out residents from their homes to the designated dance area. Since everyone is aware where to gather, it is irrelevant to continue with the practice, claims Gomes, regedor since 1998.
Regedor panel member George Paul Overaee, 79, adds that another reason for the cancellation was the lack of participation by senior citizens.
However, some past participants have a different story to tell. Among them is singing legend, Noel Felix, 77, who maintains that the Branyu Rudiya is definitely a traditional affair as it has been observed for years. Moreover it seems, the Intrudu is incomplete without the traditional dance.
Felix says senior citizens are ever willing to participate and were never consulted or informed of the cancellation.
Resident Cyparino Francis, 57, believes that whether traditional or otherwise, what has been practised should not be discontinued. Many agree with him.
Malacca Portuguese-Eurasian Asso-ciation president Michael Singho, 54, organiser of the Intrudu in mid-90s argues it is wrong to ignore the Branyo Rudiya and is willing to organise the whole festival if invited.
Residents recollect with sadness that the Intrudu was abandoned for 40 years from 1955 and was revived only in 1995 through the hard work of the late Christabel Hendricks. Since then it has been an annual affair, well-organised and well-participated in by villagers and tourists.
Senior citizens remember, too, that the popular weekend cultural dances were stopped in 2004 as the regedor panel could not pay the dancers. Now that the Branyo Rudiya has disappeared, they fear that cultural activities may be declining slowly and should be checked urgently.
So how do we decide which festival or event is traditional and which is not? The best solution would be to form a national Portuguese-Eurasian cultural committee to discuss, decide and safeguard Portuguese culture and traditions that are being practised. This needs some good helping hands, otherwise more confusion may creep in.
Source: The Sun – March 3, 2010
Locked gate blocks access from SS23/8
3 Mar 2010 The Sun
I SHARE the concern of many members of the pub-lic who have been writing to the newspapers and reporting to the local authorities illegal gates and roadblocks across public roads in a number of housing estates in Petaling Jaya. It is very puzzling that the local authorities have yet to take action against such violation of the public’s rights.
I can understand that for security reasons many housing estates have been converted into unofficial “gated and guarded communities”. It will be acceptable to most people if a boom gate and a guard house manned by security guards is cons-tructed at the entrance of a particular entrance road to a housing estate, and the boom gate opened and closed by the guards as and when required.
However, recently, it has become increasingly common practice for even main entrance public roads to be closed permanently by a locked metal gate denying the public usage.
A case in point is one of the two main entrance roads to SS22A in Damansara Jaya, namely Jalan SS22A/4, which is permanently closed by a pair of locked metal gates, with an empty unmanned guard house next to it, hence denying public access from SS23/8 which is a major road connecting Damansara Utama to Taman Megah.
I therefore urge the Petaling Jaya City Council to take immediate action to reopen the said road which has been illegally closed. I also urge all other local authorities to curb such illegal and selfish acts in their respective areas.
Source: The Sun – March 3, 2010
Parents who inconvenience road users
3 Mar 2010 The Sun
I AM writing with utmost disgust at a traffic incident on Monday. I was driving along the road near the Loke Yew flats next to the Tsun Jin school when a car in front of me stopped suddenly in the middle of the road.
After waiting patiently for a few minutes, I honked but the driver refused to move. Of course, cars behind me were furiously honking, some dangerously cutting into the opposite lane.
I got down and courteously knocked on the driver’s window to ask her to move, or even if she needed any help. She, however, refusing to wind down her window, pointed to the school, indicating that she was waiting for her children.
Flabbergasted, I pointed to the jam she was creating. After a few minutes, she moved to park elsewhere, blocking someone else. As I drove past her, she wound down her window and shouted at me.
I apprehend that the road along the Tsun Jin school is always congested during after-school hours as parents anticipate the joy of driving their children home. However, they have to find other ways to show their affection without inconveniencing others. They could park elsewhere and ask their children to walk a distance, rather than double-park, triple-park or even quadruple-park.
Perhaps parents deem it unsafe for children to walk such a distance, but hey, I used to be in high school too and had to walk miles to the nearest LRT station.
Source: The Sun – March 3, 2010
Orang asli can help protect tigers
2 Mar 2010 The SunNEWS FLASH:
Source: The Sun – March 2, 2010
Ignorance the root problem.
2 Mar 2010 The SunNEWS FLASH:
Source: The Sun – March 2, 2010
Right attitude key
1 Mar 2010 The Sun
THE carnage and destruction on roads are not caused by speeding but by drivers who are either reckless, selfish or not skilled enough to drive. The car is a lethal weapon and used wrongly it is a killing machine.
Many people have a nonchalant attitude towards road safety and courtesy. Reversing on highways when a turn is missed, parking our car anywhere we like, driving close to the car in front, talking on the phone while trying to manoeuvre the car in tight circles are all too common.
Everyone thinks the law does not apply to them. I have seen government vehicles speeding, parked on road shoulders, parked dangerously on corners, and which are not roadworthy.
I have seen drivers of big expensive cars behave as if their road tax has paid for the whole highway, seen Kancils speeding at breakneck speed when the car is not designed to do so. I recently saw a police car going up the wrong way in a one way street. I have seen official cars breaking the speed limit and driven recklessly.
What does all this prove? No one cares and everyone thinks they have the right to break traffic rules.
I have many times stopped at police road blocks and asked them why police and other vehicles are not stopped. I am told the drivers of such vehicles are on official duty. Show me which part of our law allows officials on duty to break the rules.
The authorities are hell bent on nabbing speedsters but ignore those with bad driving habits, such as hogging the middle and fast lanes or turning without indicating or driving in and out of lanes.
Looking for vehicles without road tax does not reduce accidents or bad attitude drivers. To make matters worse, we get discounts if we don’t pay up and wait until some offer comes along. The penalty should increase with the passing of each month. Reckless drivers should be detained at a safe place and allowed to continue only after three hours.
I suggest reckless drivers be charged with attempted murder. They possess a killing machine and do not take due care while operating it. We do not have good role models. The police, enforcement officers, parents, teachers and other drivers do not pass on the right mindset to those coming out to the driving world.
Draconian measures with the authorities leading the way in showing good attitude on the road is the only way forward.
Source: The Sun – March 1, 2010
Options dry up for Labuan campus students
1 Mar 2010 The Sun
Source: The Sun – March 1, 2010
Do more to conserve and recycle water
1 Mar 2010 The Sun
THE dry spell has caused drastic drops in the water levels of a few dams. If we are to manage water scarcity we should:
» Protect all water-catchment areas and potential catchment areas.
» Emergency drills should be carried out in stages to familiarise consumers. This will help to streamline information dissemination, communication barriers and consumer preparedness.
» Cross-channelling of treated water between piping networks must be developed. Stand alone piping networks are not a viable solution. » Water treatment plants should not run on full capacity, there should be reserves to accommodate fluctuations during a crisis.
» Non-Revenue Water (NRW) on average for 2008 is close to 37%. In addition, non-domestic treated water consumption has increased by 6% from 2007 to 2008. While domestic use of treated water is high, stress from industrial water use must be catered as well. Reduction of NRW should be placed as the main Key Performance Index to water operators and regulators.
» Reduction of treated water wastage is another important component. Water saving gadgets such as low flow tabs, as well as dual flush systems are some solutions. In addition, reuse of grey water (water used for washing vegetables or clothes) can reduce dependency on treated water for flushing and other basic cleaning processes.
» Industries must play a vital role in reducing water consumption by adopting green technologies to reuse and recycle water. This will help the industry to reduce its water bill and increase its environmental performance. Industries that move towards this must be encouraged via the green technology fund established by Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry.
» Use of hydroelectric dams as source of raw water for irrigation and water treatment must be considered.
Water shortages can be prevented or kept under control if the above measures are put in place.
Source: The Sun – March 1, 2010
Hats off to hospital staff
1 Mar 2010 The Sun
MY family was on holiday in Pulau Pangkor on Dec 26 last year when my sister had breathing difficulties.
We managed to rush her to Pulau Pangkor Hospital in a taxi. At the hospital, the doctor on call immediately attended to my sister who had stopped breathing.
The doctor had to put in a breathing apparatus and the nurses and hospital assistant had to manually pump the apparatus to help her breathe. They continued to pump the apparatus till she was put in an ambulance and rushed to the jetty where she was transferred to Sri Manjung Hospital.
At the Sri Manjung emergency room, Dr Lam and his crew attended to her and warded her at the ICU for two days. The nurses attended to her promptly (I am sorry I do not have their names). She was transferred to the ward when she was out of danger and after another two days the doctors said she could be discharged.
Source: The Sun – March 1, 2010
Right attitude key to road safety
1 Mar 2010 The Sun
THE carnage and destruction on roads are not caused by speeding but by drivers who are either reckless, selfish or not skilled enough to drive. The car is a lethal weapon and used wrongly it is a killing machine.
Many people have a nonchalant attitude towards road safety and courtesy. Reversing on highways when a turn is missed, parking our car anywhere we like, driving close to the car in front, talking on the phone while trying to manoeuvre the car in tight circles are all too common.
Everyone thinks the law does not apply to them. I have seen government vehicles speeding, parked on road shoulders, parked dangerously on corners, and which are not roadworthy.
I have seen drivers of big expensive cars behave as if their road tax has paid for the whole highway, seen Kancils speeding at breakneck speed when the car is not designed to do so. I recently saw a police car going up the wrong way in a one way street. I have seen official cars breaking the speed limit and driven recklessly.
What does all this prove? No one cares and everyone thinks they have the right to break traffic rules.
I have many times stopped at police road blocks and asked them why police and other vehicles are not stopped. I am told the drivers of such vehicles are on official duty. Show me which part of our law allows officials on duty to break the rules.
The authorities are hell bent on nabbing speedsters but ignore those with bad driving habits, such as hogging the middle and fast lanes or turning without indicating or driving in and out of lanes.
Looking for vehicles without road tax does not reduce accidents or bad attitude drivers. To make matters worse, we get discounts if we don’t pay up and wait until some offer comes along. The penalty should increase with the passing of each month. Reckless drivers should be detained at a safe place and allowed to continue only after three hours.
I suggest reckless drivers be charged with attempted murder. They possess a killing machine and do not take due care while operating it. We do not have good role models. The police, enforcement officers, parents, teachers and other drivers do not pass on the right mindset to those coming out to the driving world.
Draconian measures with the authorities leading the way in showing good attitude on the road is the only way forward.
Source: The Sun – March 1, 2010
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