VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR 2007

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF NATIONHOOD

As I was driving along the roads near my home, I noticed a lot of roadside buntings. It reads "Visit Malaysia Year 2007 - Celebrating 50 Years of Nationhood". And as I was reading the newspapers this morning, I felt very sad and embarrassed, by the fact that on the 1st day of Visit Malaysia Year, we had numerous complaints by foreign tourists. They were clearly unhappy with the services provided by certain quarters around the city.

I was shocked to learn of the screw up at the Penang International Airport. They were supposed to upgrade the airport and be ready for VMY2007, but instead, its only going to be ready at the end of VMY2007 and some works will only be ready in 2008. How humiliating can that be?

I was also observing last week at KLCC that cabbies are not using meters, for locals hailing a cab and foreign tourists. This is bad... very bad. I saw cabbies were negociating with Tourists on the rates. I think the authorities should look at this matter seriously as it could very much damage the country's reputation.

Despite that, I am sure that we as Malaysians, will welcome foreign and local tourists alike, with our good hospitality and great culture and heritage. Please be reminded, that we Malaysians are also tourists and we have every right to be treated like tourists. I also look forward to more Cuti-Cuti Malaysia in 2007 :)

What kinda shocked me was an advertisement i saw on page 3 of a leading malay daily. Rayakan 50 Tahun Merdeka bersama Kementerian Penerangan - Konsert Mega Merdeka, Siaran Langsung Perarakan Merdeka, Riak-Riak Merdeka, Pesta Bola Merdeka and some others.

Katanya kita ni ISLAM HADHARI, tapinya, aktivitinya tak mari-mari lagi... Ini sedikit nasihat buat Kerajaan Malaysia yang ku hormati. Apalah salahnya, kita iklankan - Majlis Bacaan Yaasin & Tahlil untuk pejuang-pejuang Kemerdekaan dan Majlis Bacaan Yaasin untuk Kesyukuran Menyambut 50 Tahun Merdeka. Itu lebih baik daripada mempromosikan Konsert lah, Simfoni lah dan lain-lain lagi.

How does the Government intend to reflect ISLAM HADHARI in its policies and programs? Or is ISLAM HADHARI just another White Elephant Policy? We have been hearing about this for so long.... and yet not much have been done by the Government on ISLAM HADHARI... Takkan lah setakat Kempen Islam Hadhari Terengganu Bistari sahaja?

I am sure that more can be done by the government, not only to promote, but to practice and walk the talk on ISLAM HADHARI. And I think, 2007 is the best year to do it. While the worlds eyes is on Malaysia and foreign tourists are flocking the country, We can show them how dinamic our country is, living harmoniusly amongst different culture, religion and beliefs. Its an excellent platform to show how a progressive Islamic State manages its polulation and economy. Lets us reflect that Muslim are not terrorists, in fact we are fair, kind and loving people, which the Al-Quran & Sunnah has taught us.

InsyaAllah.

AngkasaOne signing off...

NEWS - 27 December

Nazri: Public was warned of possible floods

KUALA LUMPUR: The public had been warned of a possible flood in Johor on Dec 15 and Dec 16, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said.

Nazri denied claims by some in the flood-stricken areas that they had no advance warning of the floods.

“The public was informed on Dec 15 and Dec 16,” he told reporters after launching a seminar and exhibition in conjunction with the Disaster Awareness Day anniversary at the Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday.

He was asked to comment on public complaints that the people were not informed about the possibility of floods via the media.

“We knew about it in advance. We went down to the ground to inform the people about the rising waters and advised them to evacuate.

“Unfortunately, there were some people who were reluctant to leave their homes although the water level was one foot high. They took the matter lightly,” he said.

“And it happened too fast. We did not have time to inform the Information Ministry because we were focusing on rescue efforts.

Full article can be found at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/12/27/nation/16416427&sec=nation

BELOW ARE MY COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS

I would like to ask the Government;

1. Why is the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (in-charge of Parliment) is making such a comment?

2. Where is the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation? MOSTI is in-charge of the Malaysian MET Service.

3. Where is the Chairman of the National Disaster Committee, Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak?

4. Why can't these Ministers make a statement? Why does the Government need to have a Minister in charge of Parliment to make statements that does not concern Parliment?

I have made some investigations to the statement made by Nazri that the Government went to the ground to inform the rakyat that there are floods coming. Fact is, there were no announcements made on the 1st wave of floods. Nazri is total BULL!!! If they did inform, how was it done? Were the District Police Stations informed, were the District Hospitals and Fire Rescue Service informed, were the District Office informed, were the Penghulus informed, were the Pengerusi JKKK and Ketua Kampung informed, where the people informed? How does the government inform the Public in affected areas in such a short period of time? PROVE IT!!!

May be, in certain areas, the public were informed by the Sistem Amaran Banjir at the rivers, where a siren will sound when the water levels rise above the danger levels. But does the Sistem Amaran Banjir is put all along populated areas of the river? Is it in sound working conditions? Look what happend to TTDI Jaya in Shah Alam. The bloody siren didnt sound because of a malfunction. DUH!!!

Then, you have Nazri saying that they have informed the public and that the public were reluctant to move. Then, you say that you did not have time to inform the Information Ministry... HELLO!!! The information Ministry is one of the most important ministry to inform the public on such an occasion. What the hell were you thinking? You are a minister... or should i say... How did a minister in charge of parliment got to know about it first, before the minsiter of information? Who informed you Nazri? Minister of Science? Then he should have the Minister of Information's mobile number on speed dial.

If you did not have time to inform the Information Ministry to disseminate the information thru media and thru the Penerangan Offices in states and districts, how did you inform the public? Penerangan Offices have vehicles with loudhailers to go round to inform the public la... Polis and Bomba pun ada jugak... If you did not inform penerangan, did you get to inform the Police, District office, JKR, Penghulu, Ketua Kampung, JKKK before you informed the Information Ministry and the media?

I asked a number of people affected by the floods... they were not informed on the 1st wave. So Nazri... no wait... Government, please explain what is the procedure of a Disaster Effort. I hope someone, may be the PAC will investigate this and correct what is wrong.

The government should take note on the comments made by the public. Not discard them away, or worse, deny what has happened. Admit your mistakes and rectify them. We all know that the machinery within the government sucks... and you have not learned from the tsunami disaster relief. The people are not against the government, they want to improve the government's delivery system... but sadly... the government is not hearing....

AngkasaOne siging off...

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MAY THE COMING YEAR BRINGS US TO GREATER SUCCESS

2007 is a year of celebration for Malaysia. Its Visit Malaysia Year and we're celebrating our 50th Year of Independence

Looking back at 2006, I have gone through may challenges in life. It has however, made me wiser and more matured. I have learned a lot in the journey through 2006. From work, friends and relationships. I do have some regrets, but I plan to mend them immediately.

Greatest Achievement in 2006 - I found the love of my life :)

Greatest Disappointment in 2006 - Neglected my work; which is very important to me and some others :(

Well, 2007 will hopefully bring a lot of changes in my life... and that is what I am going to concentrate on... ME :) and the theme for 2007 is... "MY LIFE... GETTING BACK ON TRACK & FLYING HIGH". In short, 2007 is about putting my life in order...

There are three parts to this. ME, YOU and SOCIETY.

First is Me, as a person. - This is where self improvement comes in. I plan to improve myself, in all aspects possible. Mainly in areas of Religion, Knowledge, Work, Health, Finance and some others. I want to do some soul searching as well. Its time for a reality check for me. I wanna see what I have accomplished and what I have not accomplished. I wanna reorganise and re-chart my flight path on where I wanna go and what I want to achieve in the short, medium and long term.

Second is You, the people related to me. - This is where I plan to improve my relationships with others. Which includes Parents, My Girlfriend, Family, Extended Family, Business Partners, Friends, Colleagues and others which have a significant impact on me, directly or indirectly. This is where I intend to mend some relationships which were not very successful or in which I have neglected over the past year(s) and to improve and strengthen the relationships that are currently strong. This means spending more time with all the above listed... I dunno how I'm gonna do that :

Third is Society, as a whole. - There are two parts to this. One is my relationship and contact with society as a whole, in which may not have a significant impact on me, directly or indirectly. And the other will be concentration will be on Corporate Social Responsibility. Things that I will do for the Community and Society as a whole... Community Service Programs that I will be involved in 2007. I will only concentrate on a few programs that I have been working on the past couple of years. Its more of a follow-ups for me this year and planting seeds for 2008 and beyond... so don't expect hard core programs from me this year.

As I have concentrated more on the Third part in 2006, I will put more emphasis on the First and Second part in 2007. Therefore, I shall reduce the CSR programs that I will be involved in 2007. This year is gonna be a serious year for me, more challenges and more responsibilities. I hope I can achieve what I want to achieve this year. I will hopefully draw up a Balanced Score Card for 2007 with a Quarterly Review so that I will be on track this year. I am more than sure that H will be the driving force and motivation for me in 2007. I am very happy to be able to share part of 2006 with her and I look forward to be with her and to share my life with her... not just for 2007 but for ever and ever and ever.... :)

I think it is also symbolic where the New Year coincides with Hari Raya Korban. It is my first time doing the Korban at the surau near my home. Typically, I do it in Kampung... Its a different experience...

The surau scheduled the Majlis Korban today to allow people to celebrate Hari Raya and go Berhari Raya yesterday. I think this model works as we had 7 Cows to Korban and we need not rush to cut and distribute the meat. It also in a way prolonged the AidilAdha celebrations... which is supposed to be for 4days anyway...

For me, it is good to start the new year with a Korban, and I hope that it will bring me closer to God. InsyaAllah. Its a good start... Its a good feeling and I have smiles all day long today... :) Alhamdulillah.

On another note, my heart goes to the people affected by the Floods around the country, especially the ones in Johor. My granddad is also a flood victim, together with some other family members around Johor. I am currently doing some investigation on the floods and will come up with a post soon.

I am grateful to God for allowing us to go through 2006 and I thank you God for the achievements that we have accomplished and the learning that we have got. I thank God for the life that He has given us, and I pray that He will grant us a long, prosperous and successful life. I pray to God to give us guidance and strength in going through the coming year and may God grant our wishes and make us a better person. May God Bless Us All... Amin.

AngkasaOne signing off...

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT

HARI RAYA AIDILADHA

1427 HIJRAH

DENGAN IRINGAN DOA AGAR KITA TERUS MENDEKATKAN DIRI KITA KEPADA ALLAH SWT DAN LEBIH KUKUH LAGI IMAN KITA. SEMOGA SEGALA AMAL IBADAT DAN PENGORBANAN KITA DIREDHAI OLEH ALLAH SWT.

AngkasaOne signing off

INFO~CANCER SERIES #5: The Anti-Cancer Diet

INFO~CANCER SERIES #5: The Anti-Cancer Diet

Some foods have been known to enhance your chances of developing cancer. They do not directly cause cancer, but when various cancers were discovered, these foods were often prominent in the diet of the cancer victims. These include:

1. Fatty red meat (lean meat should be consumed instead and in moderation)
2. Processed food and meat of any kind
3. Organs - liver, kidney, brains, etc.
4. Skin of fowl
5. Fried food
6. High-fat dairy products
7. Alcohol
8. Sugar

The food you should include in your diet for good health, cancer prevention and maximum energy include:

1. Fowl with skin removed
2. Cleaned fish at least 3 times a week
3. Low-fat dairy products
4. Lots of fruits and vegetables
5. Pasta
6. Beans and lentils
7. Grains and nuts but watch the fat content
8. Soy protein
9. Fibre
10. Garlic
11. Calcium, Zinc, Iron, etc.
12. Folic acid
13. Milk thistle - a herb that aids in liver health, both by protecting it from toxic damage and helping it regenerate
14. Anti-oxidants such as vitamins A, C and E; betacarotene, etc
15. EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) - a fatty acid from cold water fish that helps to limit tumour development
16. Gamma Linolenic Acid (EFA) - an essential fatty acid which prevents a metastasis in some cancers by increasing the strength of a cellular glue called E-cadherin. This holds the cells tightly to one another and prevents them from breaking loose and spreading.
17. Lots of fresh, clean water

Even with a healthy, balanced diet, you must never discount the importance of watching your calorie intake as well as exercising and keeping fit.

+++++++++++++++

This Community Service Message Is Brought To You By AngkasaOne.

This is the last series on Cancer for the Year 2006. There will be a new series in 2007 concentrating on the types of Cancer.

AngkasaOne signing off...

DAULAT TUANKU

DAULAT TUANKU

DAULAT TUANKU

Menjunjung Kasih

Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin

Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail

Dan

Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tengku Fauziah Binti Al-Marhum Tengku Abdul Rashid

Di Atas Pemerintahan Sebagai Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong Yang Ke 12

Dan Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Pemaisuri Agong

Menjunjung Duli Setinggi-Tinggi Tahniah

Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Al-Wathiqu Billah Al-Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin

Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah

Dan

Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultanah Nur Zahirah

Sempena Perlantikan Duli-Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku

Sebagai Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong Yang Ke 13

Dan Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Pemaisuri Agong

AngkasaOne signing off...

Urgent Appeal for Adik Mohd Syazwan Johari, 3 years old

Dear Friends,

I just want to highlight an urgent appeal for Mohd Syazwan Johari, 3 years old will be going to seek a very urgent cancerous right eye treatment at Wills Eye Hospital,Philadelphia, USA.He already lost his left eye due to retinablastoma. He will be accompanied by his blind mom and my colleague, Puan Fadzilah Wan, Volunteer Coordinator for MAKNA.

The trip is supposed to be funded by Ministry of Health Malaysia (for the treatment cost & lodging) and Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (for travel cost) and my organisation, The National Cancer Council MAKNA (for daily stipends). We already making the arrangement with Malaysian community in Philly to help out with food and winter clothing during their stay for 18 days course of treatment.

However we received a very bad news today when Ministry of Health of Malaysia didn't approved the funding for unknown reason. He is supposed to go last Sunday 10th Dec.Now without the funding, the trip looks bleak.Still, we believe it can be done.

What they need:Funds of USD12,500 or RM50,000 for the treatment cost. The rest is covered by MAKNA and Yayasan Kebajikan Negara. Just the treatment cost.

What you can do:
Help to fundraise for this young boy.

Every dollars and Ringgit counts!

Help to spread the word!

You may donate directly to Syazwan through his Mum's Bank Account:

AMBANK - 1260020004692 (NUR SAKINAH LEONG ABDULLAH)

If you are interested to help or further info please contact me via email:iskandar@makna.org.my or my mobile 6019-6925192.

I can give you further details ( medical reports/treatment cost/bank account details)

* Iskandar works for the National Cancer Council.

ANGKASAONE: I have met this lovely boy and his family at their home in a Flat at Kota Damansara early this year and had the opportunity to meet him and his family again at MAKNA HQ a few days back.

Syazwan's parents are both blind. Syazwan and his parents rely on his sister which is still in primary school, to go to the market and do daily chores. I appeal and invite you to come forward and help. Give Syazwan a chance to live a normal life...

Lets spread the word and do what we can to save Syazwan... Insya-Allah.

AngkasaOne signing off...