First Spaceport Is Ready

You have heard of airport but what about a spaceport.

The world's first commercial spaceport is being built in near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico state and it has been named Spaceport America. It's owned by the state, built at a cost of US$198 million and it's runway is about two miles long.

Yes, that's the name of the place where the spaceport is located haha.

As of now, the only people that have gone up to space at this point of time are the astronauts and the too wealthy cum whom you know people.

But with this spaceport being made available, the reality of flying up to the space is becoming a dream come true for those who has it. Has what? You must be loaded as well as it won't come any cheaper just to have a seat on a 'spaceship' of such nature.

Of course, you need a spacecraft to fly you up from the spaceport too. A company that is eagerly waiting to launch their spaceship? spacecraft? spaceflight? whatever you call it is Virgin Galatic ("VG"). VG, a space tourism company, will be obtaining their spacecrafts from the Spaceship Company ("SC"), partly owned by the Virgin Group, which has been testing their spacecraft since 2004.

SC's spacecraft by the name of SpaceshipTwo is undergoing massive rocket testings to prepare for its maiden flight in nine to eighteen months' time.

VG will be the main anchor tenant at Spaceport America.

The person linked to all this space ventures is none other than Sir Richard Branson.

If you are really keen to be part of this historic space trip, you can register your name with SpaceShipTwo. In order to fly, you have to make a deposit with them. Of course, otherwise any Tom, Dick and Harry will be applying for it and not turning up on that day itself.

Although it's becoming a reality, it will only be a dream come true for the millionaires around the world. According to Forbes, there are about 10 million, I'm referring to the US$1 million cash, millionaires in the world today.

Hmmmmm that's a large market but if not wrong, a lot of them are quite old and not fit to board such flight. I don't mind becoming a proxy to fly on your behalf.

Related post - The Spaceship Company
Tags: Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, Spaceport America, Virgin Galatic,  Spaceship Company, Virgin Group, SpaceShipTwo, Sir Richard Branson

New Medical Qualifying Examination?

It seems that the younger generation has a different and better genetics that have allowed many people to graduate as a doctor. That's good news indeed. That's the minimum criteria to have in order to meet a developed nation status.

But we got one small problem as in we don't have enough hospitals to cater for the large numbers of medical housemen. Malaysia has thirty eight government hospitals only but it has 6,253 housemen at the moment.

It is estimated that around 4,000 Malaysians are going to graduate as medical students annually from 350 universities all over the world. At the same time, some students got into medical universities with the minimum qualifications.

To overcome the excessive medical housemen, the Health Ministry has decided to reduce the compulsory training in a government hospital from two years to one year.

My questions are:-
1) Is the government reducing the compulsory training period just for the sake of reducing the number of housemen from the government hospitals?
2) Is the government expecting these housemen to have an employment the moment they finished their compulsory training?
3) Who's going to employ these medical housemen if the government hospitals decide to kick them out?
4) Is the government expecting the private hospitals to absorb the excess?

5) Will the medical housemen be able to gain the required exposures in the area of medical, surgical, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedic and accident, and emergency which are part of the training programme?

I think the government is suggesting another method to control the sudden increase. How?
By way of implementing a medical qualifying examination.

At first we have the Certificate in Legal Practice ("CLP") conducted by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board for the overseas law graduates or those who graduated from non-Malaysian universities. It has low passing rate of between 6% to 20% annually. You fail this, you can't be admitted into the Malaysian Bar. Not the alcohol bar, ok?

A law graduate who can't pass his CLP exams can still work in the private/corporate sector especially in the legal or a compliance department. The passing

Now, we will have the "MQA"???

What about a medical graduate who fails his "MQA"? Resit for the exams until you pass? But what do you work as while you are still tring to pass the "MQA". Looks like the loss of talents will continue to increase in years to come.

As for those who are talented, I don't think they are interested in sitting for the "MQA" as Britain has indicated that they will keep the talented ones back in Britain and other talented people such as Christopher Wong, a medical graduate in Australia, has obtained the renowned 2011 Rhodes Scholar for South Australia will wave bye bye also.
Tags: Medical Houseman, Medical Graduate, Doctor, Government Hospital, Certificate in Legal Practice, CLP, Medical Qualifying Examination, Christopher Wong, Rhodes Scholar for South Australia

Promise Not Kept After Buy-Elections

The Kosmo newspaper published this piece of news just one day before two buy-elections on the following day which were to be held in Galas, Kelantan and Batu Sapi, Sabah. It quoted the Minister of Domestic Trade, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri, saying that RON 95's petrol grade won't see a price increase for the rest of the year 2010.

Somehow, the government having won the two buy-elections on 4 Nov 2010 has renegaded on that piece of news. Well, exactly one month later, the RON 95 petrol grade's pricing was increased from RM1.85 to RM1.90.

The same piece of news was published in Utusan Malaysia - Harga RON 95 tidak naik on the eve of the two buy-elections.

"Thank you for your votes and this is your reward. For those who registered but didn't vote and/or those who didn't register, we would like to thank you very much also because of your absenteeism, it means you supported us by not voting against us." - from Bee End

Tags: Petrol Price, RON 95

Complete & Finished

People say there is no difference between COMPLETE & FINISHED....

But there is.

When you marry the right one, you are COMPLETE...

And when you marry the wrong one, you are FINISHED.....

And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you

are...

COMPLETELY FINISHED !!!!!!!!!
Tags: Funny, Humour, Complete, Finished

Minister Sounded A Call To Ban Facebook

Another Minister in Malaysia's government has called for the ban on Facebook. This time it's Dato' Shahidan Kassim.

Why did he even suggest that?
He said that Facebookers posed a threat to the national security. Due to this, a call has been made to ban Facebook in Malaysia.

The best joke of the year, I would say, that this ridiculous Minister does not practise leadership by example.

Personally, he has two facebook accounts here and here. He has not even deactivated his own Facebook accounts but he wants Facebook to be banned????

The call was made after he has accompanied group of committee members from the Perlis Facebook Association to make a police report that Facebookers have insulted Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Can you believe that there's a Perlis Facebook Association in Perlis? I really wonder what's the association's motto? For or against Facebook. Has this association been registered formally with the Registrar of Society?

Maybe, in accordance with protocol, Dato Shahidan is allowing the Prime Minister to delete his facebook account first before he proceed with his.

A repeat of Datuk Seri Rais Yatim in Malaysians Told Not To Use Facebook and Twitter.
Tags: Dato' Shahidan Kassim, Ban Facebook, Perlis Facebook Association

What Is A Rent Seeker?

Folding your arms, putting your legs on the table while rocking your chair away where meantime, money is flowing in automatically without moving your arms or legs from its comfortable positions - heard of such statement before?

There seems to be a tussle for the control of Magnificient Diagraph Sdn Bhd, the operator of Carrefour's retail business in Malaysia and Singapore.

The shareholders are:-
1) Carrefour Malaysia Sdn Bhd
2) Carrefour Nederland B.V.
3) Mildew B.V.; and
4) Hartajaya Harmoni Sdn Bhd - 30%

Shareholders no. 1 to 3 are holding a combined 70% interest.

As we all have heard that Carrefour may want to exit the hypermarket business in Malaysia and Singapore and has sought for potential buyers.

Along the way, Hartajaya Harmoni Sdn Bhd sought legal avenues in order to qualify as a bidder for the 70% from the other three shareholders.

You should read the newspaper article; Tussle for Carrefour local ops reaches courts - Star where in an affidavit, it was mentioned that Hartajaya Harmoni Sdn Bhd hasn't even paid the RM23 million that they have borrowed from Carrefour Nederland to purchase the allocated 30% shareholdings.

Who is the interested party in Hartajaya Harmoni Sdn Bhd? Star newspaper mentioned Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin is the one behind it. Is this the 30% interest that is supposed to be reserved for bumiputeras in Malaysia?

What a joke! The company hasn't even fully paid for their 30% shareholdings and yet want to swallow the other 70%. I wonder which local bank has volunteered to loan them the money to purchase the other 70% shareholdings.

Who was he? (as extracted from Wikipedia)
Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin is the former Malaysia Minister of Rural and Regional Development.

Since 1981, he had been Dr. Mahathir's political secretary. He was appointed a senator by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in 1999.

He was appointed Minister of Rural and Regional Development in 2004 following the general elections.

He is currently the political party member of United Malays National Organisation and was Member of Parliament for Shah Alam, Selangor. He was subsequent defeated by PAS candidate Khalid Samad in the 2008 elections in the constituency.

This is what 'they' have been fighting for and no wonder the Foreign Direct Investment is dropping like mad as in who would want to dispose of 30% of their shareholdings to someone else before they are even allowed to operate in Malaysia.

The National Economic Model 2 (NEM 2) that was released last week is in the sad debacle as the 30% interest reserved for bumiputeras as per the redundant National Economic Policy has been retained. Who are the real beneficiaries actually? Definitely not the general bumiputeras who are colleagues, fellow public transportation passengers or even those on the petty foodstall owners.

A renowned Malaysian economist, Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam, has given his input on NEM 2 - FDI at risk with vague NEM 2.

From National Economic Policy to National Economic Model - just a change of name ......... that's all folks!

I have no issue with the 30% interest that is being shared with the real bumiputeras that I know / see / bumped into everyday. But to benefit those in powers???

Bringing this up and disputing against this is not being a traitor. There's a saying "If Malays who questioned the special rights are traitors, what do we call those Malay leaders who manipulated the rights to enrich themselves?"

I am loyal to my country and I gladly tell people that I am from Malaysia wherever I go.

Tags: Rent Seeker, Carrefour, Magnificient Diagraph Sdn Bhd, National Economic Model 2, National Economic Policy

Everything Is Getting Less

Our communication - Wireless

Our phones - Cordless

Our cooking - Flameless

Our food - Fatless

Our desserts - Sugarless

Our labour - Effortless

Our relations - Fruitless

Our attitude - Careless

Our feelings - Heartless

Our politicians - Shameless

Our government - Useless

Our education - Thoughtless

Our mistakes - Countless

Our arguments - Baseless

Our youth - Jobless

Our boss - Brainless

Our needs - Endless

Our situation - Hopeless

Our salaries - Getting Worthless
Tags: Less, Lesser, Humour, Funny

Lesser Payouts For Your Big Small Lotteries

Looks like the economy is hitting Malaysia deep in the pocket, not only of the general public but corporate giants as well.

Cash loaded companies that are into the lottery business are reducing the payouts for the winners' purse effective 15 December 2010. No Christmas bonuses for you.

Not one company but three had obtained approval from the Ministry of Finance. It looks like your RM1 is worthed lesser now.

The Sports Toto-4 Digit Big Game, Sarawak Turf and Equestrian Club-1+3 Digit Big Game and Magnum-4 Digit Big Game are the usual big timers in the local scene's lottery game. Will this affect the players' decision in reducing their betting stakes or stopping eventually? Don't think so.

People who have been buying will continue to harbour the hope of becoming richer or even becoming a multi-millionaire. I know of a person who will somehow hit top prizes a few times in a year and I have heard of people who have not hit any single prizes at all.

There was this funny part where a friend was reading the back pages of the newspaper, apparently looking at the lotteries' results. Out of a sudden, he gave a loud shrieked and shouted "Aiyoh, my car registration number came out as the top prize". I took a look at the newspaper and indeed it was.

So, I asked him "Which number did you buy this time or you reversed your registration number instead?"
His response "That's the thing, I didn't buy this time!"

Some people are like that. What are you complaining about when you didn't do it? I thought he bought other numbers at higher stakes and eventually not a single dollar was placed. Talk about complaining.

Wasting my time talking to him about it ........ kept on mumbling on the wasted chance lah, this lah, that lah, if lah, should have lah. Anyway, wasted actually otherwise the meal that we were having would have been on him.

Hello friend, thinking about it, you should have bought it lah! If you have bought it I would have gotten a free meal.

Reading: BToto, BAssets, Magnum get MoF nod to reduce prize pay-outs - The Edge
Tags: Lottery, Betting, 4 Ekor, 4D, Sports Toto, Big Small, Berjaya Toto, Magnum, Sarawak Turf and Equestrian Club

Recognised Sexy Structure In Malaysia

Malaysia has one structure that has been recognised as one of the Top 10 sexiest buildings in the world and that is our Penang Bridge. The informal selection was made by members and editors in travel website VirtualTourist.com's forum.

The Penang Bridge came out as number nine in the listing. The other chosen sexy buildings are as follows:-
1) Quadracci Pavilion, Milwaukee Museum of Modern Art; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Its description lies somewhere between a glorious yacht, a graceful dove, and a modern dancer. Be sure to catch the Pavilion's Burke Brise Soleil at the beginning and end of the day when its wings open and close.

2) Absolute World Towers; Mississauga, Canada
The supermodel of modern architecture, the twisting Mississauga towers have probably grown tired of hearing the compliments.

3) Sonneveld House; Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The strong, silent type, Sonneveld House was way ahead of its time when it was built in the early 30s. Aside from its clean lines and modernist design, the home also contained a bell system to contact household help, telephone system, and highly daring color combinations.

4) Casa Batlló; Barcelona, Spain
Gaudi's curvy masterpiece is made all the more amazing when one realizes this sensuous building was completed over 100 years ago.

5) Sydney Opera House; Sydney, Australia
It was opened in the era of polyester and bad hair but this structure has always been timeless.

6) Millau Viaduct (Viaduc de Millau); Millau, France
In a land where beauty is everywhere, the competition for the sexy title is fierce. Simple but stunning, this structure's clean lines and an intimidating scale only add its undeniable magnetism.

7) Zwinger; Dresden, Germany
The oldest building on our list, Zwinger, which was heavily influenced by Versailles, was all but destroyed in the Second World War. Painstakingly restored, it was the building's power, imposing facade, and largesse that put it on our list.

8) Walt Disney Concert Hall; Los Angeles, California
Now that the controversy has died down Angelenos can't imagine their city without the shimmering panels that gleam like diamonds in the strong California sun. The building is especially vibrant now that its dazzling and vivacious new music director, Gustavo Dudamel, has taken the reigns.

9) Penang Bridge; Malaysia
As slinky as a screen siren, this particular choice is almost more sculpture than bridge. Slithering across the water to connect the island of Penang with the Malaysian mainland, the bridge is also known for its annual marathon.

10) Fallingwater; Mill Run, Pennsylvania
Having been featured on the cover of no less than Time magazine, Fallingwater remains just as mythic and legendary as its creator, the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright. Built for the Kaufman family of Kaufman's department store, the gutsy house is situated on top of a waterfall, not merely with a view of it as the family first anticipated.

I have seen items 5 and 9 only. Loooooooong way to go in my travelling. How come buildings in Istanbul were not favoured?

(The above had been extracted from Reuters Life)
Tags: Quadracci Pavilion, Absolute World Towers, Sonneveld House, Casa Batlló, Sydney Opera House, Millau Viaduct, Zwinger, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Penang Bridge, Fallingwater

Malaysian Brains in Melbourne

Extracted from Anilnetto.com

Happened in Melbourne, Australia.

10 Nov 2010
1. Arrived early at hospital, so decided to walk down the street to check out an expensive shop by famous Melbourne-based designer. Was pleasantly (but sadly) surprised to learn the ‘local designer’ was a Malaysian whose entire family migrated from Malaysia!

2. Went back to hospital. Was registered by a loud receptionist who was Malaysian whose family migrated from Malaysia!

3. 20-30 minutes wait later, was seen by a specialist (endocrinologist) who studied at Melbourne Uni and then migrated to Melbourne… from Kuala Lumpur! (Oh btw, since this was public hospital, this Malaysian endocrinologist was also teaching/supervising an Australian medical student while she was consulting me).

4. Referred for thyroid biopsy. They booked me in for Monday (only five days later).

15 Nov 2010
Thyroid biopsy wasn’t nice, but the surgeon was very friendly and made me feel assured. I recognised the accent again, so as I did for others above, I asked… The surgeon was from Johor Bahru!!! From my observation of conversations, this ex-Malaysian was obviously senior and well-respected, and was using my procedure to teach an Aussie medical student!

Public hospitals will never be of 5-star luxury, but my 100%-free-of-charge experience thus far has been more than acceptable. But I am very disturbed (!!!) by the series of expert EX-MALAYSIANS treating me in Melbourne! Receptionist, Doctor Surgeon, all Malaysians! What the…!

I’ve heard and ranted about brain drain, but to experience it so real and personally was disturbing…
Tags: Brain Drain, Melbourne, Ex-Malaysian, Endocrinologist, Surgeon

Another Port In Danger?

We have seen and read about the RM12.5 billion fiasco that happened with the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project that was governed by the Port Klang Authority (PKA). Until today, even after the submission of the full audit report by PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services Sdn Bhd, nothing has been unearthed. PKA even placed a maximum two weeks viewing opportunity for the public to read the audit report via their website. Wonder why?

There goes our taxpayers money and we won't get to see the root of the problem unless the people being charged dare to reveal what had happened actually.

All these happened right under the nose of the Ministry of Transportation. It is also partly due to the non-appointment of professionals from the related port industry but people linked with various politicial party. When there is a guy with thirty three years of experience that you can hired / maintain to obtain his professional input / feedback, his contract was not renewed in the end. Why?

Now, the Ministry of Transport has decided to try their luck again at another port. This time it is with the Penang Port Commission (PPC).

PPC's chairmanship is now being helmed by the former Minister of Health, Dr. Chua Soi Lek. What does a medical doctor knows about managing a port? This is really absurd. It doesn't matter whether the chairman comes from Penang or other part of Malaysia, just as long as he/she is a reputable and capable of managing a port authority.

PPC's role of being a regulatory authority is similar with PKA. What PKA has done is totally unchecked even though it was under the ministry which reports to the cabinet. What is in PPC's plans in days to come?

Rumour is abound that a local tycoon is in the midst of buying up Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) of which the operations of the port and ferry services were privatised to PPSB. PPSB is under the purview of the Ministry of Finance. See how complicated it is with our government's method of running the country's transportation business. Is PPC going to disapprove this idea or planning to smoothen the sale of PPSB to this local tycoon?

Why sell to this local tycoon only and why not at an open tender? The Penang state government has now indicated their interest to acquire PPSB from the federal government. Will the federal government listen to this state government offer or will proceed with a sale at a much lower price to the well connected local tycoon?

We wait and see.
Tags: Port Klang Free Zone, PKFZ, Port Klang Authority, PKA, Penang Port Commission, Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Finance