Smell of a New House

Over the weekend paid a visit to my new house project site. Satisfied over its work progress and the major works are concentrated within the interior and porch area. Mainly the toilets, laying of tiles, internal wall paint, installation of power points / lighting points / doors / windows. The developer is still targetting handover by Jan '09.
The back portion of my row of houses are already plastered and awaiting the erection of the brickwall as its divider.

Related post - New House Near Completion
Tags: House Renovation, New House

MPAJ Rules for House Renovation

I saw this in a forum, where it stated that Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya ("MPAJ") has new rulings for house owners.

House owners are to apply for renovation permits which cost up to RM300. Besides that, you may have to pay for RM50 for putting up a board in front of the house and RM200 for a rubbish crate to be put outside your house and some deposits (could run into hundreds too).

You must apply for the renovation permit if you intend to do the following:-
* installation of grill (door or window);
* installation of wardrobe;
* installation of kitchen cabinet;
* installation of awning; and
* laying of new tiles onto existing tiles ... (crazy or what?)
* changing of old wall / floor tiles to new tiles
* anything to do with the roof, porch or fencing

To apply for the above permits, you have to pay RM5 for the application form ......... hehehehe.

If you are not happy with the high cost involved, bring it up Ong Tee Keat, the Member of Parliament ("MP") of the area. Might be the future president of the Malaysian Chinese Association. Why did I bring up his name? Firstly, he's the MP. Secondly, he has these bold words in his personal blog "Rela Berkorban Dan Berjuang Untuk Anda!" (Ready to Sacrifice and Fight For You). That's a strong statement, so go and see him .......... if he can't help you to reduce cost, ask him to re-consider the bold statement.
Tags: MPAJ, Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya, House Renovation, Ong Tee Keat

Wealth of European Football Clubs

Not all European football clubs are as wealthy as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, AC Milan or Inter Milan. Most football clubs are unable to match the funds found in the bottomless pit that these few mentioned clubs have.

No matter what, existing football still have to fight for their survival in the respective leagues. The Board of Directors of each football club will stretch their means in getting the right players in order to for the club to perform better and thus, getting promotion and hope to alleviate their tight financial situation.

In Romania, a second division club, UT Arad, wasn't able to negotiate for cash payment for their defender, Marius Cioara. All UT Arad could get from the other club, a fourth division club, Regal Horia, was just 15 kilograms of meat. The best thing is that Marius Cioara somehow went back on his decision to play for Regal Horia.

I don't know what sort of contract Marius has signed off but he has decided to change his career. He's flying off to Spain not to play for another football club but to find a job in agriculture or construction industry.

Now, Regal Horiato is really in deep problem. They are without the player they have signed and lost their one week supply for food for the team. Will those six top European teams I mentioned earlier face such a situation? That's the vast difference found in European clubs.

Reading: Romanian player sold for a chunk of meat - ESPN Soccernet
Tags: Football, Soccer, Romania, UT Arad, Regal Horia, Pro Sport, Marius Cioara

National Leaders in a Train Ride

Singaporeans will love this one! But our Malaysian, Pakistan and Filipino friends should also appreciate the humour!

General Musharraf, Dr Mahathir, Gloria Arroyo & Lee Kuan Yew were sitting in a train.

The train goes through a tunnel and it gets completely dark for the next 8 seconds.

Suddenly there is a loud kissing sound and then a slap! The train comes out of the tunnel. Arroyo and Musharraf are seated across each other, both looking perplexed.

Mahathir, seated across LKY, is bent over holding his face, which is very red from an apparent big slap. All of them remain diplomatic and nobody says anything.

Musharraf is thinking: 'These Malaysians are all crazy after Arroyo. Mahathir must have tried to kiss her in the tunnel. Very proper that she slapped him !'

Arroyo is thinking: 'Mahathir must have moved to kiss me, but kissed Musharraf instead and got slapped.'

Mahathir is thinking: 'Damn it, Musharraf must have tried to kiss Arroyo; she thought it was me and slapped me instead. Shit !!'

Lee Kuan Yew is thinking: 'If this train goes through one more tunnel, I could make another kissing sound and slap Mahathir again !!'
Tags: General Musharraf, Dr Mahathir, Gloria Arroyo, Lee Kuan Yew, Train

Only 435 Restaurants Authorised to Collect Service Tax

I'm sure many Malaysians were frustrated when it was announced that the 5% service tax need not be paid (with certain exceptions imposed by the Royal Malaysian Customs) with effect from 1 July 2008 but were clueless as to which Malaysian restaurants or cafes have been exempted from doing so.

NOW - you need not crack your head anymore in questioning the restaurants or cafes' operators' rights to collect the 5% service tax.

Click here to download the list of restaurants or cafes still authorised (only 435 of them)

Your rights as a resident of Malaysia (irrespective of nationality):-

1. The public can decline to pay service tax to restaurant owners who fail to display their service tax license issued by the Royal Malaysian Customs.
2. The public have the rights to demand for receipts or invoices indicating that the 5% Service Tax payment or 5% tax inclusive payment has been made.

If you have been forced to pay the 5% service tax even though their name is not in the list, please do the nation a favour as in report the incident at cd@customs.gov.my or kastam@customs.gov.my or to the Head of the Internal Revenue Division at the respective states’ Customs offices.

Remember this, you have a hand in deciding how Malaysian business will operate with integrity.

Reading: Report restaurants still charging service tax - Berita Malaysia

Related post - Abolishment of 5% Service Tax
Tags: Malaysian Restaurant, Service Tax, 5% Service Tax, Royal Malaysian Customs, Service Tax Act 1975

Aftermath of Beijing Olympics

If China does not apply to host the Olympics, they say that the European and American countries are rich and strong and they apply regularly, whereas poor China can only watch from the sidelines.

If China applies to host the Olympics but loses out, they say that China should be embarrassed for applying when it is unqualified.

If China applies to host the Olympics and wins the bid, they say that China should be embarrassed for expending its national resources on an image project.

If the opening ceremony in China is not good, they say that the director is lousy and the Chinese people are of poor quality.

If the opening ceremony in China turns out to be good, they say that billions of dollars were wasted.

If China runs the Olympics frugally, they say that the Chinese government is embarrassing the nation in front of the world by running the Olympics when it cannot afford to.

If China runs the Olympics lavishly, they say that the Chinese government is wasting taxpayers' money on the Olympics.

If we don't understand the opening ceremony in a foreign country, they say that we don't understand other people's culture.
If we understand the opening ceremony in a foreign country, they say that the foreign culture is just too grand and unversal.
If foreigners don't understand the opening ceremony in China, they say that we are uncultured.
If foreigners understand the opening ceremony in China, they say that it must have been too shallow and superficial.

Before the Olympics, they say that China won't get a lot of gold medals because the Chinese athletes are inferior to the Europeans and Americans.
If China gets too few gold medals, they say that China is a weak sports nation with frail people, whereas the Europeans and Americans have fine people who win plenty of gold.
If China gets too many gold medals, they say that it is due to a distorted system of sports administration and it does not prove that China or its people are strong.

If foreign athletes game the rules, they say that it is smartness.
If foreign athletes do not game the rules, they say that it is strength.
If Chinese athletes game the rules, they say that China is sly.
If Chinese athletes do not game the rules, they say that China is very stupid.

If a foreign nation wins many medals in a sport, they say that the foreign athletes are gifted and strong.
If China wins many medals in a story, they say that this is against the spirit of the games and the sports ought to be eliminated from the Olympics.

If a foreign nation does not administer/manage sports, they say that developed countries do not do that.
If China does not administer/manage sports, they say that China is backwards for not doing that.

If foreign athletes pay for their own training, they say that this shows the sporting spirit without spending taxpayers' money.
If Chinese athletes pay for their own training, they say that China does not value sports.

If a foreign nation wins only one gold medal, they say that it is just a gold medal which does not really matter.
If China wins only one gold medal, they ask how can China win only one gold when it has a population of 1.3 billion?

If a foreign athlete makes a basic mistake, they say that the spirit of sports is about participation and losers can still enjoy the Olympics.
If a Chinese athlete makes a basic mistake, they say that the pressure was too big and Chinese athletes are not mentally ready.

If a foreign athlete cries after winning a medal, they say that this is a genuine expression of the Olympic spirit.
If a Chinese athlete cries after winning a medal, they say that it is the result of the over-emphasis on winning medals.

If the foreign athlete is a university student, they say that this is an amateur as distinct from the professional Chinese athletes.
If a Chinese athlete is a university student, they say that someone should not be allowed to attend university because of sporting talents.

If a foreign athlete makes a TV ad, they say that this is a commercial activity which funds the training.
If a Chinese athlete makes a TV ad, they wonder how can any good results be achieved when money is the most important factor?

If China wins too few gold medals, they say that China is not good enough.
If China wins too many gold medals, they say wonder what gold medals are good for and they want the money to be given to socially vulnerable groups.
If China wins too many gold medals, they say that the ranking should be based upon the total number of all medals because that is the true reflection of the sporting level.
If China leads in count of total medals, they say that the ranking should be based upon the number of medals per capital because that is the true reflection of sporting level among the people.
If China leads in number of medals per capital, they say that China has a national sports system and therefore China should be embarrassed to compare itself against amateur athletes.

In the end, China got the most number of gold medals. They say, "What good is that to me? I am not getting a pay raise or a new house as a result."

You just cannot please everyone.

Related post - Confusing Olympics Medal Standing
(the above 'IFs' was extracted from ESWN)
Tags: Beijing Olympics, China, Olympics, Chinese Athlete

Handicap Driver

Did this Toyota Vios driver parked according to the three cars at the front?

Was the driver a handicap person? If not, this person has some handicap on the eyesight as in parking in the middle of two parking lots reserved for the handicaps.

The Sunway Pyramid carpark operator must be laughing when they saw this car.

Reading: KY saw - Idiot at Sunway Pyramid parking lot
Tags: Handicap Parking, Handicap, Toyota Vios, Sunway Pyramid