E-Mart's roofs blown away

An afternoon thunderstorm created havoc for the E-mart Lee Ling hypermarket in Matang Jaya when heavy rain and strong wind caused a part of the roof to crash down.

However luckily also, two vehicles parked nearby were slightly damaged by the falling twisted metal with no injuries to anyone as well.

I suppose they have over done it with the cloud seeding operation or probably just mere natural coincidence that a storm is brewing back to Sarawak after a long hazy dry spell.

The worse 100 days

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad on Friday gave a thumbs down to Prime Minister Najib Razak's first 100 days in office, saying there has been ``more negatives than positives'' under the new administration.

Since taking power April 3, Najib has implemented a wide range of economic reforms to woo foreign investors as the country faces its first recession in a decade.

Mahathir, who retired in 2003 but remains an influential political figure, slammed Najib's move to roll back an affirmative action program for ethnic Malay Muslims, including scrapping a requirement for Malays to own 30 percent equity in some sectors in the financial services industry.

Companies seeking to list on the stock exchange also no longer need to allot 30 percent shares for Malays.

Mahathir further criticized Najib for plans to scrap the use of English to teach math and science by 2012 in favor of the national Malay language, warning it would hurt the country's competitiveness. It reversed a policy started by Mahathir in 2003 amid concerns that poor English skills were hindering students' job opportunities.

Najib says the government remains committed to raise the level of English in schools by employing more English teachers and increasing the hours of teaching.

Mahathir also objected Najib's plans to build a third bridge to neighboring Singapore and said he hasn't taken concrete steps to fight corruption.

``I'm sorry to say this, there are more negatives than positives,'' he told reporters when asked to assess Najib's first 100 days. ``It doesn't mean that I don't support the government but I think the government is doing the wrong things.''

Mahathir, was Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister, in power between 1981 and 2003. He holds no government post but his views are widely respected.

Mahathir ran a fierce public campaign that helped pressure Najib's predecessor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to step down in March, four years before his term expired.

Despite Mahathir's assessment, the independent Merdeka Center research firm earlier this week said Najib's approval rating has risen from 45 percent in mid-May to 65 percent, according to a telephone survey of about 1,000 voters nationwide. The survey had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

The center said the results indicate a rising number of Malaysians appreciate decisions made by Najib. Critics, however, said Najib's popularity rating was still the lowest of all Malaysia's prime ministers in their first 100 days.

Ol' Hell Rider of the County

An old hell rider was let loose in town early this morning leading police in a ten minute high-speed adrenaline chase around the city.

Police team from the Sekama police station spotted a suspicious-looking man riding a modified motorcycle and wearing a full-faced helmet at one in the morning while on patrol in Tabuan Jaya.

After being signalled by police to pull over to the side of the road for a routine inspection, the motorcyclist suddenly sped away from the scene.


A high-speed chase ensued through Tabuan Jaya, Tabuan Laru, Jalan Wan Alwi and Jalan Simpang Tiga giving the pursuing cops hard times to keep up with the speeding motorcyclist as he weaved his way in between cars and ran through traffic lights with little regard for safety.

Other police unit soon joined in the chase and managed to corner the suspect after he made a wrong turn into the Federal Complex carpark at Simpang Tiga.


The motorcyclist lost control of his bike and tumbled onto the road as police officers swarmed all over him and arrested him on the spot.


Suspecting the hell rider to be another delinquent youth as they removed his full-faced helmet, the police were surprised to find under the helmet a 50 something old grandpa.

When questioned as to why he risked his life to escape from the police, the 'old hell rider revealed that he was a grandfather but did not answer and merely flashed a partly toothless grin as he was led to the police station for further investigation.

Liquor Turns Man Cuckoo

A man still high on alcohol created a commotion when he stripped himself down and tried to swim across a river in Tabuan Foochow area this afternoon.

The unemployed Malay man, who is also a father of two children, began consuming alcoholic drinks at his house at Lorong Foochow around noon time after which half an hour later he began to behave strangely.

According to his wife Noraini, she was with the couple's two sons, aged five and six, in the house when her husband suddenly began behaving in a weird manner roughly half an hour after he started drinking.

"He began peeling off strips of wood from the wall of our house and swallowed them in front of me. I tried to stop him, but he bit my finger and stripped down to his underwear before diving into the river behind our house," said the wife, adding that her husband surfaced at the other end of the river and hid himself behind the nipah trunks lining the river bank.

In fear for his safety concerned villagers called in the police and rescue personnel.

Faced with no other option, rescuers paddled a small boat across the river and cornered the drunkard before subduing him.

He was then taken back across to safety, before being taken away by the police the man began behaving and sound like monkey while munching on a handful of branches and leaves.

The wife believed the husband might be possessed by an unknown spirit of the jungle.

Homes Burned Down

Sadly enough two families lost everything they got after fire gutted their homes at the Stutong Resettlement Scheme on Thursday night.

Ironically the fire was believed to have started about 8 o'clock in the kitchen area of the wooden house belonging to a fireman attached to the Tabuan Jaya fire station before spreading to the adjoining house owned by a former army personnel who is also related to the fireman's wife.
Before the fire started the fireman and his wife were attending a church service, leaving two of their three children at home alone, while the ex-army, his wife and their three sons had just finished having dinner.

According to the wife, she was was cleaning the dishes at the back of her house when she caught the smell of smoke coming from next door and looked up to see the kitchen area on fire.

She immediately shouted to her husband who was watching television together with his children in the living room.
The sight of their burning houses proved too much for the victims while relatives who wailed out loud and fainted on several occasions.

Fire fighters from Tabuan Jaya, Batu Lintang and Padungan fire stations arrived at the scene to douse the blaze but their efforts were hampered by low water pressure coupled with a non-functioning fire hydrant, located quite far from the burning houses.

This Car Wants To Fly

A freak accident nearly claims three lives at the Kuching International Airport this morning.

The car with its driver and a passenger and a man clinging for his dear life on the hood nearly plunge thirty feet from the first floor departure level down to the airport’s ground floor.

In the 9am incident, the public who saw it said it was like something out of an action movie when the man, in his 40s, was clinging onto the front of the car for about 50 metres as it skidded and swerved across the tiled floor outside the departure hall.

The vehicle, a Proton Wira, finally came to a halt when it crashed into the metal security railing at the end of the departure hall.

According to witnesses, the Wira had earlier rear ended a Kelisa which was being driven by a man who had just dropped off two of his friends for departure.

The Kelisa driver got out of his car to inspect the damage, when suddenly the Wira suddenly jerked forward onto the tiled floor and knocked a man onto its hood in the process.

The already out-of-control Wira nearly crashed into the glass partition of the departure hall had the driver not swerved his vehicle away at the last minute.

In a state of panic the driver was unable to bring the Wira under control before it crashed into the metal railing.

The driver was not injured but the man on the hood suffered a suspected broken leg and some minor cuts to his body.

Community Left Out From Najib's Cabinet

MPs from community feel a Bidayuh should be in the cabinet

KUCHING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has derailed the One Malaysia concept when he excluded the Bidayuh from his cabinet, a Bidayuh MP said yesterday.

Dr James Dawos Mamit, the Mambong MP and Sarawak’s environmental advisor, said while there was no doubt that the prerogative to appoint members of his cabinet is Najib’s, by not appointing one from among the three Bidayuh MPs the prime minister had made the One Malaysia concept look like just mere rhetoric.

“To me, he (Najib) has derailed the concept of promoting One Malaysia … to promote unity and the concept of all races working together,” he said when met at Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) headquarters where he attended the Pesta Birumuh appreciation dinner Sunday.

“Whether it (One Malaysia) is mere rhetoric or not, I don’t know, but it does look like it is now,” Dawos stressed, adding that a One Malaysia could not happen if some communities, even how minority, was not given the chance for equitable participation in the business of running the country at the highest level of government.

“I cannot say I’m happy because I did not get it (a federal cabinet post), but I am certainly disappointed that neither of the other two MPs got it. The Bidayuh have been sidelined,” he said, adding that he strongly felt there should be a Bidayuh representative in the cabinet.

That said, Dawos pointed out that he would not resign as MP merely because he was unhappy with the exclusion of the Bidayuh from the federal cabinet. Dawos said the Bidayuh had still a lot to catch up with and could not afford to distance itself from mainstream politics.

He said if he were to resign it would be to the detriment of the future of the community.

“Besides, to me BN is a good political platform and I will always support it and not resign. My political career started with BN and will end in BN,” he affirmed, adding that he would continue to fight from within BN for Bidayuh political struggle.

Dawos was commenting on calls made through SMS asking him and the other two Bidayuh MPs – Datuk Richard Riot Jaem (Serian) and Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe (Mas Gading) - to resign as a show of disapproval for the community’s exclusion from Najib’s cabinet.

Dawos said: “With the latest development (non-participation of Bidayuh in the federal cabinet), I am obliged to make a statement particularly because lately I have been receiving many SMSes calling for my resignation.”

He said most of the SMSes were from people in his constituency who felt that Najib had failed them and fallen on his promise to promote the One Malaysia concept.

Meanwhile, Dr Tiki, when contacted yesterday, confirmed receiving SMSes demanding that he resign as MP to reflect the Bidayuh’s dissatisfaction.

“The Bidayuh are feeling disbelief, frustration and hopelessness. That’s what they said in their SMSes to me,” Dr Tiki said.

“I’m on the ground to get feedback,” Dr Tiki said, but refused to elaborate.

Attempts to contact Riot for comments failed, but political observers feel that the sentiment is the same in the Serian constituency where the five-time MP holds sway. In fact, sources said Serian is a volatile area that only Riot - not BN, and certainly not SUPP, his party — has control over now.

“SUPP (Sarawak United People’s Party) is literally clinging to some straws in Serian, and it really does not help the party that its president (Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan), by his own admission, submitted six names, making it look like he was thinking that Najib would pick Riot’s name like the prime minister was playing a game of lucky draw,” an observer said. - The Borneo Post

FULFIL THOSE PROMISES

Congratulations! Ngagai voters di Batang Ai. Taun 2011 Lubok Antu Maju. Bisi bank, bisi sepital, jalai diturap ari Ng Kesit ke Ulu Lemanak, Pasar Lubok Antu ngagai Ensawang, Sebangki ngagai Sayat, Soh, Kelampu, Semunyih, Bukit Tungku and all. Land Titles will be issued to all resettlement area. MAJU LUBOK ANTU MAJU BY 2011 !! (Bookmark this, just in case nothing goes on the ground in the next 12 months)

PKR: Congratulations to you guys, who did a good job in pressuring the government to come up with a lot of goodies.Continue with the struggle and maintain the pressure. REMEMBER: "Rome was not built in a day".

Undecided for Batang Ai

Batang Ai
95% Iban, remaining Chinese and other indigenous people
This is the election that has the most probability of my prediction being wrong. The settlements near the dam, amounting to 20% of the constituents, are solidly behind PKR, while other rural folk appear to be behind BN. The shock and awe tactics employed by the BN are due on election eve, so its really hard to see where this one will swing.

But I'll take a stab and say Pakatan win of 200-300 votes. Don't ever quote me on this one (except if I am really correct). (Previous result BN win of 800+ votes) - The Politics Blog

TWO WAY FIGHT IN BATANG AI BY-ELECTION

LATEST UPDATES

It’s confirmed a two-way fight between BN’s Malcolm Mussen Lamoh and PKR’s Jawah Gerang.

Independent, magazine publisher Johnny Chuat decided not to contest, saying he supports PKR’s vision.

Although earlier there has been speculations that there will be a four-cornered fight, with two independents likely to join the Barisan Nasional and Parti Keadilan Rakyat candidates.

The non-party candidates likely to file their registration papers today are magazine publisher Johnny Chuat and petroleum company employee Linang Merujun.

Barisan Nasional has named engineer Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, 50, of Parti Rakyat Sarawak as its candidate, while former five-term Lubok Antu member of parliament Jawah Gerang, 56, will represent PKR.

The nomination centre was at the Lubok Antu Sports Complex.

Is this the legendary Nabau?

A huge python probably more than 30 foot long and weigh about 100kg was shot dead by a hunter in Belaga recently and he brought along a camera to prove it.

There were talks and fake photos circulating over the internet about a legendary big snake or locally known as 'Nabau' which is actually a legendary serpent in the Iban folklore. Could this be the real thing?

According to locals in Belaga the huge python was killed by the hunter with a shotgun fired at the head when it was found resting after consuming what was believed to be remains of a big wild boar.

In February, a farmer who was searching for frogs along Sungai Sut managed to kill a big python which was measured at more than 16 feet long and weigh more than 60kg.

It was also rumoured that a teenage girl in upper Belaga went missing while searching for wild vegetable in the jungle and was feared being swallowed by the reptile.

A debt collector's rage

This is a case of a debt collector on a rampage after the debtor intentionally 'detain' his two colleagues.

It happened on Tuesday night when the debtor was approached by the three debt collectors at his house.

At first there was a negotiation going on with only two of the collectors which turn heated and the house owner closing his auto gate.

At this point probably the colleague who was left outside the gate with the vehicle believed that his friends were in danger and rammed the gate before crashing into the wall of the house and stopping the car inside the living room!

In a split instance a fight broke out injuring the driver and one of the house owner's sons.

Police were later at the scene and apprehended all the parties involved in the incident including two who were admitted to the hospital for injuries.

Well you never know these days desperate time calls for desperate measure, anything can just happen like that.

A ROADSIDE CROC AMBUSH

Nature seems to have improvised a technique for a crocodile to have its meal, i.e to lay in wait by the roadside instead of it normal river territory in order to spring an ambush for its victim.

That was what exactly happened when a five-foot long crocodile, seemingly able to thrive on dry land did.

On Thursday night two cousins on their way back home to Kampung Prutan in Siburan were attacked by a relatively young crocodile while lying in ambush by the roadside.

One of the cousins by the name of Scott related that he was riding his bike along a small road leading to Kampung Prutan together with his cousin, who was following behind on his own bike, when he noticed what he thought looked like a crocodile lying in the middle of the road.

"I instinctively lifted my legs up when it suddenly lunged at me but missed and got hold of my bike's brake pedal instead," said Scott, who immediately accelerated his machine to a safe distance away from the croc.

His cousin was unable to avoid the reptile and ran over it and crashed onto the road. The feisty teenager managed to pick himself up and ran as fast as he could towards his cousin as the croc snapped at his fallen bike.

After reaching home a police patrol team responded to the call and found the croc in the compound of another house belonging to a businessman.

Concerned for the safety of the villagers, who had begun to gather at the scene as word of the attack spread, patrol officers were forced to kill the reptile by firing several shots at it.

Other villagers claimed that apart from the dead reptile, they had also recently spotted a second larger reptile in the area not long ago and were worried for their safety.

I believe that is also no coincidence that crocodiles could be seen in the area as there is a big crocodile farm located in Siburan and several reptiles could have escaped unnoticed from the farm during the last flood.

Major Fire at Malay Village

Fire destroyed 15 houses at the clustered Malay village of Kampung Sungai Bedil Besar in Petra Jaya this evening.

Smoke from the inferno believed to have started at around 5pm could be seen for miles from the city.

Fire engine had to enter the narrow strip of congested road which runs parallel to the Sarawak River to reach the scene amidst the chaos of panic villagers and the curious onlookers.

However non of the over 60 people affected by the fire were harmed in the incident where they were quickly evacuated to a nearby village hall.

The fire was finally doused off by firemen late into the night around 9pm.

Mickey Mouse BC?

Do you believe that Mickey Mouse could have existed earlier in ancient times? It could be you know, as this ancient artifact which was unearthed in Mexico had an uncanny resemblance to the iconic mouse.

With its distinctive rounded ears and head it really does look like Mickey Mouse except this one is hundreds of years old and an object of worship. Ironically, Mickey has the same stature as an object of worship too by the young. Mysterious, would you think so?

By the way the upper artifact, a ceramic figurine, was donated to Mexico's National Anthropology and History Institute which is part of the Leoff-Vinot archaeological collection in Xochicalco, Morelos state, Mexico.

Hear My Swiftlets Sing

Did you know that the highest priced CD in the market in town is not from of the popular local or international artistes or singers? But... sounds of the 'swiftlets'.

What? Yes, it is the sweet money making sounds of the swiftlets. A recording of all the chirps and tweets to attract those free-flying swiftlets to your location in order to spin 'money' nest for you.

That's what these 'towkays' are doing nowadays in town, they look for suitable locations, (love the top floor shoplots) in prime swiflet flying location. Cover it up nicely, drill several holes here and there and walla! you got a 'swiflet hotel' ready for operation.

Some will take the opportunity from the spin-off effect by supplying them the overpriced swiftlet recording at RM400 a piece (equivalent USD100)!! Whatever it is, their work is considered very illegal by the authority.

Earlier this week the Sarawak Forestry Corporation has begun its crackdown on illegal swiftlet farming.

SFC conducted a raid at a shophouse at Three Hill Park here accompanied by the police, officers Kuching City South Council and the Land and Survey Department.

Six of the shoplots which were converted into birdhouses were inspected and had their sound systems removed. A check in one of the birdhouses revealed no birdnests except some swiftlets which have yet to find a more suitable home.

The swiftlet farmers (who are operating near the town or city centre) were given directive to move out by Dec 31 last year. It is now February and they had ample time to move out.

Up A Tree We Go

This guy has been watching too much stunt movies (I suppose) as he can confidently drive his car up a tree without any problems. Even the tail light is still on!

The 20-something driver was driving alone on his way back home around four in the morning when he lost control of his vehicle along a stretch of the road, which was currently being upgraded, and somehow 'drove' up against the tree.

'Lady Luck' was still with him that early morning, as he was unhurt in the incident, but may have to face his friends and family with a rather convincing story on how he could get into a such a situation.

Sex Crazed Toad!

This I got to share! A photo of a central Formosan toad clinging to a varinegated carp in a farm in southern Taitung county, in Taiwan.

The farm owner said the toad, which was apparently in heat, had been clinging tightly to the carp for one month despite constant struggles of the fish and the owner's repeated attempts to pull it off which eventually resulted in the fish's death.

Imagine that a sex crazed toad has caused the demise of a carp. Amazingly strange things happening in nature!

PERAK CRISIS AT GLANCE

NOTE: CLICK ON PHOTO FOR CLEAR READ

Thieves Outmaneuvered

A drama unfolded late this morning when a car chase ended with the arrest of a youth suspected of being involved in house breaking and vehicle thefts.

From Mina Berandau

The incident happened around 10am when police patrol vehicles spotted a suspicious-looking car with two youths inside at Petra Jaya and ordered for the car to stop.

Instead, the vehicle sped off with police in hot pursuit and the chase eventually came to an abrupt end at Matang Jaya when the youths crashed the machine into a small drain after trying to avoid being intercepted by another police vehicle in front.

A passenger dash out from the vehicle and managed to escape on foot into a nearby secondary jungle while the 20 year-old driver, was arrested on the spot.

Search of the car by police uncovered numerous sets of car keys which indicated the suspect could be involved in vehicle theft, as well as house breaking tools, a hunting knife, and a fake pistol-lighter.

A quick check also revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen in Matang Jaya last month.

Heroic Brothers Run For Lives

Pure determination or hardiness of two brothers to recover their father's stolen motorcycle saw them narrowly escape after being chased by a group of armed men believed to be connected to the theft.

On Friday the brothers from Kenyalang Park got word that their father's bike, which was stolen from a relative's house at Chawan Road earlier that afternoon, was discovered at Tabuan Foochow.

The duo quietly went to the settlement and managed to recover the bike from a house believed to belong to the thieves and wheeled the machine back towards the main road.

However, they were apparently spotted by the thieves who then called out to a group of village youths and chased after the brothers brandishing machetes and other sharp weapons.

Realising their lives were at risk they pushed the bike as fast as they could without looking back and were relieved as they reached the main road to see the armed gang had turned back.

After being informed the police head to Tabuan Foochow the same night where they spotted a group of armed youths fleeing the scene on foot as they arrived at the suspects' house.

At the suspects' wooden house, which was empty, police found the structure had been 'outfitted' with a makeshift escape hatch to enable a quick getaway for the suspects in such a situation.Recovered from the house were a host of offensive weapons.

Flood & Landslides Updates

Residents along the riverbanks and hillslopes in Bintulu, Miri and Limbang divisions are advised to be on extra alert as the current poor weather may trigger minor landslides.

Several areas in these divisions such as Tatau and Batu Niah have been identified as landslide prone areas.

Some roads that had been cut off by landslides which hit the northern region of Sarawak on Friday morning were still impassable.

Continuous torrential rain since Thursday triggered at least five landslides in and around Miri on Friday, forcing 342 people to be evacuated from their houses.

It was reported that the landslides destroyed eight houses, a bridge in Sungai Rait and buried several vehicles.

14 flood evacuation centre were still operating throughout the state with one in Batu Kitang Jaya, Kuching; three others in Simunjan; four in Selangau, Sibu; three in Tatau, Bintulu; and three in Miri.

It is estimated that there are about 1,800 people who are still seeking shelter at all evacuation centre in Sarawak including 360 families and 200 people in Batu Kitang Jaya, Kuching.

For More updates: Click FloodInfo

Slides of Land

It was nearly a repeat of events which occurred more than two weeks ago after heavy rain in the whole region triggered several landslides.

This time around heavy rain caused four separate landslides in Miri, endangering eleven houses which are located close to the scene of the landslides.

At around 9am a house at Kampung Lereng Bukit and another house was hit by earth and mud flow from the direction of Kampung Hj Wahed at Canada Hill.

The second landslide occurred again at Kampung Lereng Bukit at about 1 pm, however this time it brought down another six more houses and two vehicles at the site.

Mud and earth which slid down from the hill slope blocking the main road inside the village also toppled down an electric post cutting off power supply to the area.

The other landslides were at Kampung Lereng Bukit, Taman Futee, Kampung Tunku Abdul Rahman and Sungai Rait.
No casualty were reported as villagers and residents already on the alert for possible dangers after a long rainy spell.

At Taman Futee, the slope gave way at a semi-detached house, destroying a store in the backyard while in Kampung Tunku Abdul Rahman, a nearly completed house was in danger of collapsing after a landslide occurred the back of the house.

Villagers there has helped put sandbags and cover the exposed slope with canvass to keep rainwater out of the earth.

The previous landslides the past two weeks claimed five lives in the northern region where three timber workers in Medamit, Limbang and two petrol station workers in Miri were buried alive.

Here Comes The Rain Again

There was a sense of Deja Vu today, when incessant rain brought back another round of flooding not only in Kuching but also several parts of the state as well.

Several low-lying areas in Miri, Sibu and Bintulu suffer the same fate with evacuation centres being reactivated after the last flooding on Jan 11.

The flood scene at some part near Bau-Batu Kawa road

By noon today some 795 people were evacuated from these areas. While in Selangau in Sibu some 800 people were evacuated five longhouses while some more from three villages.

While in Kuching the worst hit areas are the same area in Bau, Batu Kawa and certain parts of Malay vilages located near the Sarawak River.

However by this evening, (thank goodness) most of the water in the flooded areas has subsided and hopefully it would not rain cats and dogs tomorrow.

The rain cloud in this radar image (taken this afternoon) does not look promising for folks in the central region

Long Monday Night Blues

Nightfall is expected to be earlier and long throughout Sarawak tomorrow due to the annular or partial solar eclipse which starts around 4.30pm (local time) until sunset and beyond as darkness falls.


Though it will not be a total solar eclipse, the occurence of this natural phenomenon towards the late evening would create a situation that feels like an early nightfall.

Unlike total eclipse which will see the sun being covered by the moon, the annular or partial solar eclipse is not like total eclipse will see the sun looking like a ring circling the moon.

Due to this, there will be gradual darkness due to the sunlight being blocked as well as the moon's shadow covering the earth.

It may cause diurnal (active during the day) animals such as birds to be confused and 'tricked' into returning to their nests earlier than usual.

The annular solar eclipse will occur for three hours and 45 minutes starting from the Indian Ocean to western side of Indonesia.

The 'first touch' where the position of the moon starts to block sunlight is expected at around 4.30pm. The moon will continue to be in the way of the sun and forms a crescent shape until eventually causing total darkness by 5.50pm.

It may or may not be an auspicious occasion for the Chinese community who are celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Ox this year.

More Details: CLICK HERE and HERE for explanation on phenomenon

Cat Burglars (Really)

Really, a family of five is believed to be making a living out of stealing hybrid cats and kittens in the city!


Their operation was discovered when they were caught on a surveillance camera monitor on Tuesday.

They were believed to be involved in a theft of a British Short Hair kitten from a pet shop in Satok, Kuching.

It happened when two men and a woman, accompanied by two small children, entered the store around after noon.

At the time, there was only a female employee in the store manning the cashier's counter while the rest of the staff were out back cleaning several animal pens.

According to the unsuspecting staff at the shop, the group appears to be family members, the eldest of the group- a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap- walked to the rear of the store while the other two adults, together with the small children, crowded around the counter in front of her querying about products sold at the place.

After several minutes, the entire family left the premises after purchasing several packets of cat food, and it was only after 30 minutes later that employees discovered that the kitten, worth over RM1, 000 (about USD250) was missing from its pen.

The store owner believed the thieves had been eyeing the kitten for some time since it was offered for sale two weeks ago.

A quick check of the security footage revealed that the baseball cap-wearing middle-aged man had calmly walked to the rear of the store and removed the kitten from its cage.

The man placed the feline underneath his jacket before walking calmly to the front and leaving the shop with his cohorts.

Duh... It's Only Antique

An antique porcelain trader could not believe what he experienced this morning when five thugs who went to his open-air stall not only took his money and cellphone but also smashed up several of his precious merchandise.


The dealer who opened his antique stall early in the morning near a shopping centre in Kuching was approached by five thugs who demanded some money from him.

Out of fear the trader gave the men RM500 (about USD130), who found that it is not enough and decided to snatch the victim's cellphone.

Before they left the scene, the five men then went on a smashing spree, breaking several big vases and precious antique merchandise on display worth RM30,000 (USD8,000)!

These men totally don't even know what they are doing. This is not to advise the culprit but just to ponder; Was it not better for them to carry away the precious merchandise rather than to rob money from the poor fellow?

Killer Landslip Claims Two Lives

A landslip killed two petrol station workers in Miri early today. The landslide occurred near a hill slope along Pujut-Miri road.


It occurred at about 1am local time when an Indonesian worker and a young local were sleeping inside a cabin below the slope.

The landslide destroyed a concrete foundation of the premises partially destroying the building.

Police arrived at the scene earlier before enforcement to help search the two missing workers.

At about 7 am, three excavators from the Miri City Council were dispatched to help a search team to locate the victims.

It was only after nearly 13 hours that the first body was recovered while the second body was recovered not far away at about 1.45pm.

Landslide can occur any time after the soil has been soaked heavily by rain and especially risky for those living near hill slopes.

During this monsoon season several landslides also occurred in Sibu and Kuching today, luckily no casualties were reported.

She Came,She Slipped,She Fell

I'm digressing a bit today, out of my normal territory to comment on an interesting story and a miracle or damn luck, as some might say, of a woman in Larkin, Johor who had second thoughts about committing suicide, slipped and fell from a top floor of a three-storeyed shop.

The drama began at 8.30am, when the woman stood on the ledge of the building, intending to leap to her death.

It was learnt the firemen were preparing an air-bag to cushion her fall but the woman, prematurely slipped and fell on a fireman instead.

Had the 25-year-old woman missed falling on a fireman, she would have landed head-long onto the tarmac.

Earlier, the firemen and members of the public spent about 50 minutes, discouraging the depressed woman from ending her life.

Well such an act is not condoned and for those intending to commit suicide is committing an offence under Section 309 of the Penal Code which carries imprisonment up to a year or a fine, or both.

Flood Receding for now

Some 4,000 evacuees in Sarawak have returned home as the flood situation improves.

The Malaysia Meteorological Department downgraded its red alert warning to orange in Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman and Betong Divisions until tomorrow.

Red is the highest level of alert where there are widespread storms and flooding while orange is for moderate storms.

There would only be scattered rain throughout the state in the next few days adding satellite images show that the rain clouds have moved out of Sarawak to Sabah.

The state capital recorded merely 4mm of rainfall up to 3pm yesterday, a sharp drop from the 205mm on Sunday.

However, the city and low-lying areas could continue to be flooded until tomorrow evening because of the ‘’king tide” phenomenon, which forced water level in the Sarawak River to peak.

Aerial survey of the flooded areas, saw water was still rushing down from the upstream reaches of the Sarawak River in Lundu and Bau districts to the city.

Flooding forced the closure of 119 primary schools and 13 secondary schools in southern part of Sarawak yesterday.

Many of them are expected to remain closed today and headmasters may use their discretion to close their respective schools if the situation warranted it.

The number of villagers still sheltered in more than 30 evacuation centres had dropped from nearly 9,600 from 1,474 families to below 5,000 as of yesterday afternoon.

There were only two roads in Bau district which were still submerged in the floodwaters, down from 21 while the flood situation in Sibu and Bintulu Divisions had also improved.

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Flood Warning and Evacuation

Flood Alert

“We are bracing for the worst. The Red Alert warning until Jan 14,” said Tan Sri Dr George Chan this morning after a media briefing at the state flood operations room at Wisma Bapa Malaysia.

He said the rain clouds which had moved inland from South China Sea two days ago would bring more rains in the next few days.

The city has experienced rainfalls about four times’ higher than average in the past 24 hours.

Another Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said the Suba Buan area in the Bau district was worst hit and it was under nearly 5m (15 feet) of floodwater.

Rescuers have evacuated 108 villagers from their homes.

Prelude To A Deluge

Suba Buan - one of the villages in Bau near the overflowing Sungai Sarawak Kanan - may be affected if it rains continuosly in the next few days.

Nine families in Kampung Suba Buan in Bau has already moved in with their relatives after their homes were hit by flood several hours before noon on Friday.

The water level at these affected houses were then four feet high.

Other areas facing the danger of flood are Tondong, Belimbing, Segubang, Bogag and Siburuh.

A villager could not start his bike on the water

Get updated with latest hydrological data by visiting Drainage and Irrigation Department's website at Infobanjir.

Also at Kampung Opar in Bau more than five houses and part of the access road leading to the village were affected by flood.

They Got By With A Little Help

This is a cheerful story which, I got from a friend and literally can ‘brighten’ up the day.

Folks of Buduk Bui, a remote village in Ba'Kelalan, Lawas is now supplied with 24-hour electricity free of charge.

Power from the small river

A group of nine Rotary Clubs from Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia have successfully completed a Micro-Hydro Electricity Supply Project for the village with approximately 40 homes with 400 residents on Nov 18 last year.

The total cost of the project is US$41,500 which is approximately RM140,000.

The hydro powered generator set

Although the electricity supplied is mainly for lighting, televisions and small electrical items such as washing machines and small refrigerators can also be used.

The project was made possible through the combined efforts of the nine Rotary Clubs, District 3310 and the Rotary Foundation which provides the most needed funds, and also the hardworking villagers who did most of the physical work.

Buduk Bui folks will never again have to worry about high cost of diesel used by generator engines.

The Micro-Hydro project is environmental friendly because it does not produce any noise, pollute the air and water, and the 4-foot dam does no damage to the surrounding river bank.

With that, the villagers can now have the right to protect the catchments from other sinister organisations such as timber operators.

Popular Eatery Nearly Razed

Eatery stalls located at the old section of Kuching town, popularly known as the ‘Open-Air’ Market nearly became history of a sort on Monday night when one of the stalls there caught fire.

Popular with Kuchingites and visitors alike, crowds who patronise the stalls had to leave behind their meals when the fire broke out.

However as soon as two fire engines were dispatched to the scene and personnel were able to bring the situation under control within minutes, preventing worse damage to the 40-stall market which originally had been built in the 1940s.

Later it was revealed the blaze started at a kitchen area of a stall selling pork porridge located at the center of the market.

The stall owner confessed that the fire was a result of a leakage in one of the rubber hoses connecting the gas cylinders to the stove due to excessive heat during cooking.

The gas leakage apparently ignited and burst into a jet of flame which shot upwards and set fire to the roof.

Odd Vacant House Fire

It was quite odd that a vacant house, undergoing renovations can catch fire, but it happened at Kampung Cemerlang at Jalan Airport early this morning.

According to neighbours, the former owner officially moved out recently on Dec 31 while the house is said to have been sold to another neighbour opposite.

The new house owner planned to renovate the unit where bricks were also seen left in front of the house ready for renovation work.

The fire did not involve other nearby houses as it is detached from other units.

3-Year Cycle Alert

Parents should take precautions. I heard that the deadly enterovirus 71 (EV71) that occurs in hand, food and mouth (HFMD) is spreading in the state.

The cycle peaks every three years and this year is the third year.

At the moment 14 patients were still warded out of which six in Sibu Hospital and five in Miri Hospital.

Sources from the health department said that 10,505 cumulative HFMD cases occurred between Jan 1, 2008 and Jan 2 this year, a big jump compared to 6,571 cases in the corresponding period.

Kuching had the highest number of cumulative cases with 3,295, followed by Miri (1,608), Sibu (1,572), Bintulu (1,465) and Samarahan (662).

Sibu had the highest number of cumulative admission at 504, followed by Miri (475), Limbang (139), Kucihng (107) and Sarikei (106), while Miri Hospital had four new admission, Sibu Hospital (two) and Sarikei Hospital (one).

In 2007, there were no EV71 virus but in 2008, the virus was detected and spreading.

Last year a total number of cumulative admissions are 1,513 with 28 children were seriously sick and admitted to hospitals.

Experts from Universiti Sarawak Malaysia and State Health Department expected that the disease would be at its peak after the Lunar New Year around March and April.

School fees gone, for now

At least it is a good start for the year, especially as parent to a primary school going children, since the Malaysian government had decided to scrap all school fees this year. Syabas!

It was a pleasant surprise when I need to pay only RM1.50 (just for the Takaful insurance fee, I was told) when I came to register my daughter at her school today!

Just imagine before that if you have four school-going children and you need to pay about RM100 each for school fees, you will be bringing tons of cash, that is if you are rich. For the poor, it is sure a burden for them.

The class teacher said that no school fees are required for this year and any subsequent payment for fees such as school badges, workbooks,name tags or the like, as well as parent-teacher association membership fees, were waived and only be required 'as is when is' basis over the school term.

Being a curious person and a skeptic, I enquired further and found out that the directive from the education ministry was given in the eleventh hour, last week before school opens, which of course arouse more of my curiosity.

Because what I can only think of was that there has been issues raised at the end of the last year with regards to the policy by the government that all school fees were scrapped but not followed through by the schools.

This was a hot issue among parents last year as the government had announced in the 2008 Budget that there would be no more school fees for all national school students. When their children turned up for school, they were told to pay additional fees.

Instead they reasoned that the policy only applies to the scrapping of school public examination fees. Of course such a flip-flop indecisiveness of the authority irked the people to the extend that it becomes a political battleground for some politicians.

And I got a feeling that this waiver of school fees may not be permanent, and probably act as gimmick since the state of Terengganu is in the midst of a by-election where polling is due on Jan 17.

That particular state in the peninsular, is regarded as among the poorest in the country and anything that makes the people happy will be used by current adminstration to win votes.

Another proof that it is not going to last long, is that some urban schools are not enforcing the waiver, still charging about RM150 for registration, although these schools received similar directives last week.

I am not sure of other rural schools as well, I just hope that there is no 'hanky-panky' going round again, where such directives are not followed, and the poor among the rural community have to fork out more money than they should, instead of enjoying the waiver.

With the extra saving, they could otherwise use for other presssing needs during this economic uncertainties.