State Governments Hiring Bloggers

When I first started my blog way back at end June 2006, it was due to 'boring' time being stucked in Sudan. Lots of time to think but can't do much. So, out came a blog of mine.

I started to inform my friends that I have a blog too ......... (told them excitedly as if I was amongst the first bloggers) ...........

Some questioned me as to what I'll be writing in my blog as it's like a personal diary. Some said that I will get bored along the way. Some asked sarcastically on whether I was trying to emulate Jeff Ooi .......... dig up dirt swept under the carpet.

The blogosphere is growing really fast. The blogs somehow bloomed further during the run-up to Malaysia's twelfth general election held in Mar 2008. Lots of people got hooked up with bloggers' postings.

Blogging is not going to end and neither will I get bored with it. How can I get bored with it when the state of Pahang and Perak are getting themselves involved too. The respective state governments are hiring bloggers to make right the misconceptions made believed by respective opposition parties / mainstream media (who's always bias towards the present government).

In Pahang (ruled by the present ruling party in the government), the state will hire three bloggers who have retired. They'll be provided with paid allowances, computers and internet access in their homes. If these three are successful, more bloggers will be sourced. Pensioners / retirees - hear this - email your cv to Pahang's Information, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin (a state assemblyman of Lanchang).
Reading: Pahang govt recruits pensioners as bloggers - Star

In Perak (ruled by the opposition party), has up the challenge against Pahang's move. They have co-ordinated with the Perak Blogger Association to engage with twenty six bloggers. Tried to google for this association but to no avail. Is this association for real or just to show off to Pahang? Where to send your cv if you are interested? You could try your luck with Anuar Hashim, press secretary of the Perak Chief Minister.
Reading: Perak sets up blogger secretariat - Edge Daily

Really looking forward to read what this group of 'state bloggers' are going to post in their respective blogs. Or they just blog hop to scrutinise and report to police on malicious / defamation blogs? Ain't the blogosphere getting interesting day by day?
Tags: Blog, Blogosphere, Blogger, Personal Diary, Pahang, Perak, Blogger Secretariat, Perak Blogger Association

Turkish Meal in Sudan

Was a bit tired to cook and we opt to eat out. Thought of this Turkish restaurant by the name of Aspawa Restaurant which is about seven minutes' drive from our home.

At 8.14pm, the external temperature was still at 31 degree celcius. But cool wind has started to blow and winter is setting in.

They have ceiling fans and air-conds (more of air blower) but you won't feel the cold effect. The owners are from Turkey and you could the son's (in 40s) sitting at the cashier counter (more of stucked at the seat). He'll be taking down the orders so that he could record the amount for each table. Not that it was packed but that's the boss.


His father would be chatting away with his friend at another table, enjoying life. We were baffled as to how this Turkish family has landed in Sudan, which is quite far. They have managed to settle down here and opened up a eatery.

Their menu showing the the kind of food that a Turkish restaurant may serve.

Prost Chicken??? What's that? BTW, it's roast chicken and the price for one whole chicken is 30 Sudanese Pound. Yeah, that's a solid US$15 for one chicken. Out of stock anyway.

We ordered two Grill Chicken Half - 15 Sudanese Pound.

Simple setting in the restaurant ..... just like a restaurant in a small town back home. Over four years of travelling to Sudan, this restaurant has not changed at all.

Our meals came about fifteen minutes later and we ordered a mixed salad too, Sudanese style of course. This salad is to eaten by dipping your bread into it.

Solid grill ................ right into the bone ........ became Charcoal Chicken now. This is Sudan, just thank God that there is reasonable food here.

Total cost for the dinner for two guys - 36 Sudanese Pound (US$18).
Tags: Aspawa Restaurant, Turkish Restaurant, Prost Chicken, Roast Chicken, Grill Chicken, Charcoal Chicken, Mixed Salad

Chinese Goods Not Good

My favourite pork luncheon meat brand the is Ma Ling brand and Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority has detected cancer-causing antibiotic in samples taken for lab test.

Shanghai Ma Ling B2 pork luncheon meat was found to have traces of nitrofurans. This nitrofurans is fed to pigs to treat illnesses and is carcinogenic / cancer causing too. My ............. the diehard fans of this Ma Ling ........ to comfort you on the health scare ....... you won't suffer anything unless you have consumed this luncheon meat regularly, sufficient amount and on long term basis. Otherwise, you are safe.

For Singaporeans, they have to look for alternative brands as Ma Ling has been banned since Aug 2007. I can still see it in Malaysia stores .......... Malaysia's stocks are special made?

Then, next item detected with extraordinary item is the Pai Fong Wan (also known as the Double Swan Brand Pai FongWan by Hua Tai Trading Co.).

Singapore's Ministry of Health managed to detect the said proprietary medicine containing mercury exceeding the permissible limit of 0.5 ppm.


I have seen my parents taking this medicine long time ago. They are still well. I think the mercury made them stronger ... haha. Not too sure whether such medicine is found in Malaysia.

Excessive consumption of this medicine could lead to complications such as abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and fatal convulsions.

Reading: No luncheon meat? No can do - Asia One

Tags: Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, Shanghai Maling, Nitrofurans, Pig, Pork Luncheon Meat, Pai Fong Wan, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Double Swan Brand Pai Fong Wan

Rich Sudanese's Property

On the way to a meeting, we noticed a mobile concrete pump vehicle was pumping wet concrete up to the 2nd floor of a building that is being constructed nearby our home.

They could be constructing a low rise flat there but to use a concrete pump vehicle is really exclusive.

It is really costly in hiring such vehicle. That must be a rich Sudanese's property. Of course it's much faster by employing such vehicle as the pumping rate is so much faster compared to bringing the wet concrete up to the designated floor by human strength.

If the construction was done properly without any delay, money saved in using concrete pumps far outweighs the cost of hiring the pump.

In the city itself, lots of low rise flats or apartments are being constructed to meet the influx of foreigners. It's not cheap renting a flat or apartment that normally comes semi-furnished, ranging from US$2,000 to US$4,000 per month. And you need to pay one year of rental in advance. Unless you are good in negotiation, you could request for six months rental instead.

I got myself a mobile phone line under Zain Prepaid. Cost me 10 Sudanese Pound that comes with a free 5 Sudanese Pound calling time.

Tags: Low Rise Flat, Apartment, Mobile Concrete Pump Vehicle, Prepaid Line, Zain Prepaid

Legal Method in Earning Extra

A man went to his lawyer and told him, "My neighbour owes me $500 and he doesn't want to pay up. What should I do?"

"Do you have any proof?", asked the lawyer. "Nope," replied the man.

"Okay, then write him a letter asking him for the $1,000 he owes you," said the lawyer. "But it's only $500!" replied the man.

"Precisely, that's what he will reply and we will have the proof we need," said the lawyer.

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The professor of a Contract Law class asked one of his better students, "If you were to give someone an orange, how would you go about it?" The student replied, "Here's an orange." The professor was outraged. "No! No! Think like a lawyer!"

The student then replied, "Ok. I will tell him - "I hereby give and convey to you all and singular, my estate and interests, rights, claim, title and advantages of and in, said orange, together with all its rind, juice, pulp and seeds, and all rights and advantages with full power to bite, cut, freeze and otherwise eat, the same, or give the same away with and without the pulp, juice, rind and
seeds, anything herein before and hereinafter or in any deed, or deeds, instruments of whatever nature or kind whatsoever to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.

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A dog ran into a butcher shop and grabbed a roast off the counter. Fortunately, the butcher recognised the dog as belonging to a neighbour of his. The neighbour happened to be a lawyer.

Incensed at the theft, the butcher called up his neighbour and said, "Hey, if your dog stole a roast from my butcher shop, would you be liable for the cost of the meat?" The lawyer replied, "Of course, how much was the roast?" "$7.98."

A few days later the butcher received a cheque in the mail for $7.98. Attached to it was an invoice that read: 'Legal Consultation Service: $150'.

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The lawyer's son wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, so he went to law school. He graduated with Honours, and then went home to join his father's legal firm.

At the end of his first day at work he rushed into his father's office, and said, "Father, you know what, in one day I managed to solve the accident case that you've been working on for 10 years!"

His father responded: " You idiot, we lived on the funding of that case for 10 years!"
Tags: Lawyer, Contract Law, Funny, Humour, Jokes, Legal Firm, Legal Consultation Service

Defiled Packaged Drinking Water in Malaysia

All I can say is Malaysia's food and drinks are not that safe as compared to the China situation.

It was reported in Star newspaper that inspections were conducted at various companies involved in packaged drinking water business and the results were as follows:-

* 8 companies - licence cancelled for not meeting requirements
* 15 companies - licence suspended for 1 month
* 12 companies - unlicensed
* 3 companies - issued closure notices for unsatisfactory cleanliness level

This is not just unsatisfactory but this is very ALARMING!

Worse still, the Health Ministry do not disclose any of the companies' names and kept it under the carpet. Why can't the ministry disclose those companies that don't follow the requirements that have been set. They have already breached the requirements and the public has the right to know what's safe for consumption. By naming them, it will make the whole industry to buck up and be on their toes in the future.

The companies knew from day one that in order to produce such packaged drinking water, certain requirements must be followed but yet they ran foul of it.

Is the Health Ministry scared of some of those directors, like being members of certain political parties? Or being paid off to shut up?

This is no joke when those companies were meted with those punishments under the Food Regulations 1985 and Food Act 1983.

This is Malaysia. They wait for someone to die first before they mete out any heavier penalty or punishment.
Tags: Health Ministry, Packaged Drinking Water, Malaysia, Food Regulations 1985, Food Act 1983

When You Can't Afford To Buy, You Hijack It

The Somali sea pirates are showing their boldness and teasing the NATO warships which are patrolling the international water just outside of Somalia's boundary. They have powerful speedboats that even warships can't keep up with it. How in the world are the warships going to shoot at them even though they have powerful weaponary on board.

Somalia's citizens are living in poverty and going through long term civil wars between internal warlords who are fighting for supremacy of the country. Ego problem I would say. Most of the citizens can't afford simple goods in the country and a certain group of civilians decided to gather together to overcome such shortages. They started to hijack and demand ransoms. As locals won't be able to pay them, this group of people became international hijackers.

Their hijacks of ships that by pass their seawater have looted many ransoms in terms of money and are enjoying it as they have been successful all this while. They even have about thirty three T-72 Ukranian battle tanks in capture on board of MV Faina ship.

One of the latest hijack is this MV Sirius Star oil supertanker that belongs to Saudi Arabia. This supertanker is transporting two million barrels of oil that is worth up to US$150 million. Ransom was requested at US$25 million which has been reduced to US$15 million few days ago.

But this nonsense has got up the nerves of Saudi Arabia's Prince Saud Al-Faisal. In view of all this, the Prince has contacted his good friend, Peter Pan, to help out.

The Prince was convinced of Peter Pan's ability as seen in his success against Captain Hook all this while.

Peter's ability in negotiation techniques which include flying, never growing up, tricking pirates into being eaten by giant crocodiles and believing in magic will enhance his chances.

Peter has boarded the supertanker and negotiation is in the process. A picture has been emailed to Saudi Arabia's royal family as proof.


Reading: Pirates move ship towards hotspot - BBC News/Africa
Reading: Peter Pan Recruited To Deal With Supertanker Pirates - Daily Seagulls

Related post - Somali Pirates Testing Superpowers
Tags: MV Faina, MV Sirius Star, Supertanker, Saudi Arabia, Somali Sea Pirates, Somalia, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Peter Pan