Definitive Under The Tree Dining

A couple of weeks back I had the occasion to travel the old Sungei Udang – Masjid Tanah road in Melaka as I was visiting a customer in the vicinity. I had noticed this quaint shop located within remnants of a palm oil plantation by the roadside before but since they were usually at the other side of the road when I sped pass them; I usually do not take the extra effort to make a U-turn to give it a try. Nonetheless this time since we were early finishing and was making our own sweet time back to KL, I asked the driver to make the U-turn so that we can give it a try. First off you will notice the name of the establishment, Sawit Corner (Palm Oil Corner) which is literally true as it is located at a corner and you can easily miss it when speeding by. Secondly is that the place is no ordinary under the tree set up, with a kitchen building, cooking station stalls, wakaf or attap covered dining huts and a large zinc roof dining hall with large screen TV to boot in addition to tables scattered under the palm trees. They even have a koi fish pond in the middle of the set up to give it a Balinese feel. This is the best under the tree set up I have ever seen to date.

What I can see from the food stations are that they serve Portuguese style ikan bakar at night and Melaka style otak-otak in addition to a special large curry puffs called karipap Jeen, which I guess is a regular egg curry puff that can be usually had at the Ramadan bazaars. The regular menu meanwhile features nasi lemak with various accompaniments like organic village chicken, assam pedas rice set, fish head curry, malay noodles like mee rebus including mee rebus and fried dishes like nasi goring and such. As we were there just for a simple lunch, two of us opted for the nasi lemak with fried chicken while I ordered the mee rebus tulang (beef ribs) with side orders of fried vegetables and fried egg. For drinks we had cendol and I myself had the special durian cendol. I also ordered one set of otak-otak to be eaten as the appetiser that I ended up tapauing home an additional twenty pieces for the home as it was mildly spiced but delicious which the kids at home gave the thumbs up to. As for the mee rebus, it was a typical malay style mee rebus, the thin gravy belies its sweetness that comes more from the beef stock rather than sweet potato that is the norm for the mamak version. The beef ribs meanwhile was falling off the bone when you bite into it demonstrating that it has been slowly simmered for the stock for quite a while. My only complaint is that one portion is not enough for me, and at only RM4.50 per portion I will ask for seconds the next time I am there. As for the nasi lemak, they said it was delicious with a rather sweetish sambal but the chicken was fresh and not oily, yielding a nice bite. I guess I have to stop now as that was all we managed to have this time since I originally had no intention to review the place, but I am sure this will be a favourite spot for lunch whenever we are next in the area.

Silently Vigilant In The Gulf

First reported as a rumour by KL Security Review in February, it has since been confirmed in a Jane's Defence Weekly report that the Royal Malaysian Navy's training frigate KD Hang Tuah has been deployed to the Gulf of Aden and she will return in April. This is despite earlier reports that the RMN's presence in the Gulf of Aden will not be extended beyond February if no funding is allocated as the Navy was concerned when initially told that the funding for these deployments would have to come out of its existing operational budget. This would have resulted in the RMN having to scale down its training in 2009 to accommodate such costs. But such concerns may have been eased by the news that the 19 March supplementary funding bill had allocated RM27.9 million was to pay for fuel costs incurred by the RMN in its 2008 deployments to the Gulf of Aden to protect ships belonging to Malaysian shipping companies transitting the Gulf. As it was earlier announced that the government spent RM14.6 million to finance the operations of Malaysian navy vessels under 'Ops Fajar' from Sept 4 to Dec 31 last year in the Gulf of Aden, that still leaves RM13.3 million to finance these operations until April I guess.

Although I feel that using the last remaining training frigate in the fleet for fleet operations is not suitable especially for such a long overseas deployment as I am sure the Navy's trainees will not be on board and thus are deprived of onboard training in the meantime, I guess that is the price to be paid by our Navy that is currently short on operational assets after their patrol craft an OPV squadrons has been transferred to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. With the prior announced commissioning of two new Kedah class OPVs this month seems to be further postponed, the RMN may have to wait further to ease the shortage before they can send a more suitable vessel to undertake the operations in the Gulf and allow our training frigate to undertake her assigned role again. Until then we wish our men on board KD Hang Tuah in the Gulf good sailing! May they uphold the prestige their predecessors has gained in the short time our naval vessels has operated there.

Why I Will Not Join Earth Hour

I think Malaysians for the past month has been bombarded by messages to join Earth Hour by all sorts of media. For those who may have somehow missed the message, this is basically an exhortation to be a greenie novice by switching off the lights in your house or location for an hour, under the pretext that such an action by a targeted one billion people can offset our carbon emissions that contributes to global warming.

But then why I will not join the Earth Hour brouhaha is simple; as a realist green that knows in the modern world I can never be totally green I give these two main reasons amongst many:

1. Mother Earth will not get a break by one billion people switching off for an hour when the other five billion plus people are still merrily polluting the earth and continue to do so without abatement. She will only get a break when a significant portion of the non-green people who joins the event because of the buzz and as a fad actually takes the next step and try to start a more green and healthy lifestyle, like making a decision to try to separate and recycle as much as possible by the more easy method of reusing your plastic bags as garbage bags instead of buying specialist garbage bags, or mulching your garbage for compost if you actually do some gardening in order to really green the earth, or keeping that unsightly pile of old newspaper to be solf off to recycles so that less trees will be cut down. As it is, I sincerely believe that after the event, most of the participants will go back to their normal lifestyle and we all know what that means.

2. One hour of switching off the lights in all the places that are holding Earth Hour Events in shopping malls etc that is being done locally like being pushed by this article will not offset the carbon emissions by the transport taken by the event participants. Those who understand the reason why I drive a fuel efficient MPV over an underpowered sub-compact will get what I am saying. You can have all your acoustic concerts, candle light dining and what not but the fact is that the special preparations to make such an event already has added extra emissions to the atmosphere. I will not join such events unless it is held in the local park where the events held requires no special arrangement, just people coming together hopefully by foot to appreciate nature like gazing into the night sky to maybe see the stars for the first time and to hear nature at its best, as then the only emissions these people would make are only the carbon dioxide from breathing and methane from the nether regions :>).

So tonight at the appointed hour you will find that my television and lights will be switched on. But I will make sure that only essential lighting like those in the living room where we will watch the idiot box will be on and as usual only the fan and an open door to let the fresh air in will cool the room. I am sure that we will make less emission than the fools who literally switch off only their lights but keep their airconds humming and other electrical equipment working as this is basically utility futility, and even than the ones who totally switch off for the appointed hour as we will be doing it every night. Such a commitment and belief does not an hour make. But hey! If you have already signed up and will partake in the festivities, go ahead! Like they say, at the very least you will be voting for Mother Earth. And hopefully you can continue to green your life further.

MAWILLA 3 Receives Her First Corvette

KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil Slowly Approaching The Navy Pier

Since operating from 28 August 2007, Markas Wilayah Laut 3 Or Command Naval Region 3(MAWILLA 3/COMNAV 3) Royal Malaysian Navy has managed to strenghten the security in the northern waters of the Malacca Straits. Such security focus is important in the area due to the high monthly traffic of an average of 6000 units of merchant shipping transiting the waters according to statistics. The waterway which faces the Indian Ocean is also strategic and vital as it is the northern gateway of the Melaka Straits for trading vessels. Located at Tanjung Gerak, Mawilla 3 is the third naval base for the RMN and is built on an area of 19 hectares with a 200 metres pier that can accomodate the largest RMN ships and the Laksamana class corvettes that will be based there. On 23rd March, the naval base received her first corvette, the KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil that became the first navy vessel to dock at the navy pier that has only recently been completed. With the build up of assets at the naval base, those sailing the waters up north can now depend on a strong guardian to safeguard their security.

Something To Watch Over Us

Finally after suffering launch delays due to problems with the satellite launching company, RazakSAT should finally find its orbit after the launch on 21 April 2009. RazakSAT, named after the second Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Abdul Razak, is a mini class satellite weighing 180kg and the first remote sensing satellite in the world to be orbiting the equator. RazakSAT will orbit at an altitude of 685km after it takes off from its launch pad at Kwajalein Island in the Marshall Islands and will subsequently orbit the equator every 100 minutes and snap images of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. African countries covered include Somalia, Rwanda and Nigeria. Even South America would be on the radar. The equatorial orbiting satellite would enable observations of the earth’s surface to be made more often compared with a polar orbiting satellite, that is, RazakSAT can revisit the same spot four to six times a day during daylight although it may not be possible to get a nadir view of regions near 9 degrees north or south for up to 25 days. Even so, its orbit will carry it over some portion of Malaysia 14 times a day.

Inverted position of the RazakSat with panels folded to the side. Note the camera at one end

RazakSAT is equipped with a medium-sized aperture camera (MAC), a pushbroom camera with 5 linear detectors (1 panchromatic, 4 multi-spectral) to capture high resolution images of the Earth along the near equatorial orbit. The 2.5mm Medium Sized Aperture Camera on the satellite has a ground sampling distance of 2.5m (black and white or panchromatic) and 5m (colour or multi-spectral) and at the nominal altitude of 685 km, MAC has a swath width of 20 km. The size resolution is said to be similar in clarity as looking at a container truck from space. Thus RazakSAT is expected to provide high resolution images of Malaysia that can be applied to land management, resource development and conservation, forestry, fish migration and security. It is the last application that really interest me as now Malaysia can secure its own geospatial information security without relying on third parties. And although it has been reported that for less than RM2,000, you can now have a satellite image of your neighbourhood or a place of interest, Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency director general Darus Ahmad has said that a committee comprising government agencies such as the military and police would vet requests for “sensitive” images. Nonetheless just imagine for yourself the military applications RazakSAT can provide for the defence sector of our country. The availability of the Malaysian home grown high resolution satellite, the RazakSAT stands not only to benefit the country in terms of better management and utilisation of resources but also is something to watch over us.

Why We Need Science and Mathematics To Be Taught In English

I re post here a posting from my friend Venez's blog that is a humorous but well targeted take on the reason why there should be no fuss on the issue of teaching of Science and Mathematics in English for our schoolchildren. Maybe after that you can read this letter and understand what should be the core concern rather than faluting on nonsensical things that will not prepare our kids for the real world.

Why Malaysian Government insists on using English for math and science?

This is because the whole world uses the language as an information and/or technology language. How dangerous it will be if we try to use Bahasa, especially in school. See example below:-

Hardware = barangkeras

Software = baranglembut

Joystick = batang gembira

Plug and Play = cucuk dan main

Port = lubang

Server = pelayan

Client = pelanggan

Try to translate this:

ENGLISH:

That server gives a plug and play service to the client using either hardware or software joystick. The joystick goes into the port of the client.

Now in BAHASA:

Pelayan itu memberi pelanggannya layanan cucuk dan main dengan menggunakan batang gembira jenis keras atau lembut. Batang gembira itu akan dimasukkan ke dalam lubang pelanggan.

Now you know...WHY...

Upin And Ipin The Series Continues

As I have posted before, the local cartoon series Upin and Ipin will continue for another forty two episodes and has been continued under the Upin & Ipin and friends format. As commented by the Les Copaque Production blogger in that post, the series continues their stealthy educational aim by inserting science or moral content in a fun format, with the latest storyline on how to take care of you teeth. This was done by playing on the fears of kids (and actually adults) of dental visits, but interspersed first with a scene of the kids playing a traditional class room game and then someone pretending to hurt because their teeth were pulled resulting in a panic of the rest of the kids. This is not a review but I must say their approach works as my kids does try to follow the correct way of brushing when the dentist gives instructions in the class. I guess the Les Copaque people were educated well by Sesame Street, as similarly the kids do learn while having fun. I guess that is why our kids are now attracted by their show, and may they have the same longevity as Sesame Street. The only problem now is that since the series are only seven minutes plus mini episodes, the continuity in the story telling can be a problem with the kids attention span, not to mention the problems it creates for the parents if they miss a show. Currently they have overcome this by having cliff-hanger endings, and for those with Internet access they can catch up missed episodes on their website. Only I wonder for those liberal parents, what are their feelings with the Sister Ros free handing out of corporal punishment to Upin and Ipin when they go out of line even though the action is blacked out. My whole family finds it cute as we believe in not sparing the rod, but I hope if there are any complaints or controversy on this, Les' Copaque should ignore such voices and keep on with the morality play. Keep it up!