Weird DBKL Ruling

Got the key to my new house and had thought of extending the 1st floor (back portion of the house). Just found out that according to the DBKL local council plans, the 1st floor wall cannot be less than 10 feet from the middle point of the back lane (as shown in the pic below).
Asked a friend of mine on the rationale of it and he said it's due to fire safety. But I told him that I could still do the full extension provided I submit my application with an architect's drawings. So, what's the fire safety issue all about? If I follow DBKL's plan I cannot extend but submit architect's plan, I can extend ??!?!?!?!?!?! Weird, isn't it?

When I told the DBKL officer that that my new house's backlane is about 10 feet to 12 feet wide, the officer said that in order for me to extend the 1st floor and still meet DBKL's ruling, my backlane has to be at least 20 feet wide. Where in the world that you can find a backlane that's 20 feet wide nowadays. It's already a bonus to find a backlane of 10 feet wide.

Do you know what? Many of those houses at my area have extended just what I have intended fully .......... without getting DBKL's approval. Now, will DBKL pay them an annual visit to penalise them or ask for 'something' in order to close an eye or ask the houseowners to tear down those illegal extension or submit architect's plans and pay penalty for breaching the rules?

There goes my planning. Have to abandon the idea of 1st floor back extension due to time constraint. Reason is because I have to source for an architect, get new drawings done, expensive fees, submission of plans to DBKL, approval which may take a minimum of 3 months (if lucky and they don't try to be funny with us) ..... just too much to handle.

I checked with a professional structural engineer and he confirmed that many of DBKL, MPSJ and MPPJ's extension plans / guidelines are different from the standard national Uniform By-Law 1984 . He said that each local council has their own rules / guidelines, each department within the local council has their own stuff again and when it comes to the last line of officers, they have their own individual understanding or interpretation ................. what nonsense! When will we progress as a nation like that?

When you check DBKL's website, the plan for the 1st floor extension therein is different from the pre-approved plan that you can obtain from DBKL counter. Tell me about consistency.

I have just gotten the DBKL approval for my backyard extension (ground floor) and front main door extension. Just can't wait to get back to KL to finalise the renovation ideas with the renovation contractor and negotiate on the costs of doing so. Will be hiring an Interior Designer ("ID") at the same time. This ID lady will be my project manager and could monitor / co-ordinate my renovation / interior design works when I'm travelling overseas.

Target to move in by end of the year.
Tags: House Renovation, Backyard Extension, DBKL, MPSJ, MPPJ

Tenaga Nasional Electricity Outage

Be warned .................... your house will be out of electricity before you know it.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad ("TNB"), the national electricity provider has announced that a number of electricity outage will happen in Kuala Lumpur from 10pm, 3 July 2009 onwards till 31 July 2009 (ranging from 6 hours to 13 hour).

Reason: To carry out maintenance works or upgrade its services.

As TNB did not specify which exact roads that are served by sub-stations, please make the necessary preparations for each day just in case. If you're planning to use candles, please be vigilant to the risks of fire.

For further information and clarification, you can contact 24 hours TNB CareLine at telephone: 15454.
Tags: Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Electricity Supply, Electricity Outage, Kuala Lumpur

No Future With Future Graduates

What is Malaysia's future with the graduates from local universities joining the workforce in the future?

After reading the following news you judge it for yourself:-

- Lecturer sacked because she failed students
Islamic Science University of Malaysia has decided to sack a lecturer after she has failed to give sympathy marks to a number of her students. Those students failed of course. The university thinks that with that number of failures, news will get out that the university is lousy and can't produce graduates and this might affect future student applications.

In this case, passing such students even though they don't deserve it is practically telling all the university students that you don't have to work for it as you'll be presented whether you deserve it or not.

Will this help the students in the future? Definitely not! The university couldn't care less about their future but more of its own future or reputation to survive the competitive education industry.

- Lecturer demands for sex & money for passing marks
A lecturer took advantage on a master's degree student by telling her that if you want to pass your papers, you have to sleep with me.

When that proposal failed, he requested for money instead, RM800. Is that lecturer really that desperate for money?

What if the student has agreed on the sex proposal or the money? The student would be passed on that basis but not on merit instead. What does it hold for Malaysia's future workforce then?

The good news is that the student reported it to the authorities and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has brought the lecturer in for questioning.

Have a good guess which private university is it in Cyberjaya? There are three located within that vicinity.

Reading: Out goes the lecturer - Star
Reading: MACC nabs lecturer who demanded sex and money to pass students - Star
Tags: Malaysian Education, University Graduate, University Lecturer, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Islamic Science University of Malaysia, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Cyberjaya

Airlines Banned From European Airspace

The European Commission ("EC") has updated a list of airlines banned from flying into the European Union's ("EU") member countries for safety concern. Meaning to say EU is afraid that one of these airlines may crash in EU's land????

How does EC assess these airlines? The EC is very careful with such blacklisting and issued a legal notice to cover themselves:-

LEGAL NOTICE
The civil aviation authorities of Member States of the European Community are only able to inspect aircraft of airlines that operate flights to and from Community airports; and in view of the random nature of such inspections, it is not possible to check all aircraft that land at each Community airport. The fact that an airline is not included in the Community list does not, therefore, automatically mean that it meets the applicable safety standards.

Where an airline which is currently included in the Community list deems itself to be in conformity with the necessary technical elements and requirements prescribed by the applicable international safety standards, it may request the Commission to commence the procedure for its removal from the list.

The airlines that have been blacklisted could be read in List of airlines banned within the EU.
Tags: Travel, Airlines Banned, Blacklisted Airlines, European Commission, European Union, EU, European Community, Civil Aviation

Travel at Your Own Risk?

My colleagues were travelling back to Khartoum after they have gone down south to our project sites. On the way back last Friday, their Mitsubishi Pajero came to a stop as back tyre gave up on them.

Good thing that their vehicle was not travelling fast.

The tyre actually burst on the impact of a metal bracket that was holding the mud flap. The metal bracket was loose without their knowledge and it was grazing on the tyre throughout their journey. At some point, it went "BANG!!".

This is how it looks like. The tyre burst on few spots and their car actually wobbled before the driver managed to bring it to a complete stop, safely.

Just look at the tyre thread that was shredded pieces (at the bottom of the picture).

Were you guys awake for the rest of the journey?

Tags: Tyre Thread, Tyre Burst, Mitsubishi Pajero, Mud Flap

Dirty Day

When I woke up this morning, I could see the wind blowing against the trees outside. Seeing the tree branches moving like that tells me one thing, that sandstorm is on the way.

And the whole office cum house got so dirty as the minutes passed by.

Around 11am plus, the fine dust started to settle on my laptop too.
As I was working on a report without any figures, I only used the alphabets keypads and didn't touch those numerical keypads.

To show the difference .......

It's never possible to keep the fine dust out.

As we went out for lunch, the weather outside looked so gloomy.

Visibility was bad. We got to know via two Malaysian friends' facebook that their Emirates flight from Dubai to Khartoum has been delayed for two hours due to the sandstorm here.

Tags: Sandstorm, Fine Dust

Airlines' Weird Ways

Ryanair, the Irish low cost carrier, is on with their game to surprise more air travellers. Recently, I had blogged about Ryanair having proposed to charge air travellers for the usage of air plane's toilets.

In time to come, their air stewardess may not need to explain to you on the air safety procedures but if you still want to find out, you would be required to pay £2.50 to read their safety card.

The safety card will show you how to put on the oxygen mask. At the same time, the safety card will teach you where to insert the money in order for the oxygen mask to drop down for your usage. The usage of the oxygen mask will cost you £1.00.

Please bear mind that after reading this blogpost, you are requested to carry small change when you board a flight with Ryanair. Just in case ...... just in case.

One last thing, Ryanair will need to charge you during emergency exit. You see, you would have to use their rubber chute to slide down or a rubber dinghy if it lands on water (provided the plane doesn't break into pieces of course).

Pay £25 and the crew member will allow you to exit through the emergency exit door. What's £25 compare to the value of your life at stake.

Over the PA system, you may get to hear this announcement - "Thank you for travelling with Ryanair and we hope that you'll bring enough cash for your next travel with us".

Ain't this great. Before you leave this blogpost angrily, you have to read this piece of news - Ryanair's prize for weirdest money-making idea.

Not all airlines are looking forward to squeeze your hard earned out from your pockets.

One US airline, Southwest Airlines, put up some money to re-decorate one of the planes with a bikini-clad model. Some passengers called it soft porn.

Southwest Airlines is going all out to lure air passengers to use their airlines. By the way, when you are inside the plane, how are you going to view that bikini-clad lady which is painted on the outside.

Maybe you can view it while waiting at the boarding gate while the plane is having a re-fueling time??!?!?!!?
Tags: Air Travellers, Air Passengers, Ryanair, Safety Card, Oxygen Mask, Southwest Airlines, Soft Porn