Government hints of drop in pump prices
Jul 31, 2008 General
We are oil exporting country and Singapore is a net oil importer. But last month alone Singapore had reduced pump prices three times!
Our government only giving hints that they will reduce the oil prices soon? How soon, only the ministers know. But one thing for sure inflation is skyrocketing to a 27 years of 7.7 percent! That’s explained why people like you and me beginning to feel the pinch now.
They should have heeded Mahathir and even Anwar calls to increase the prices gradually instead of whooping 40 percent for petrol and 60 percent for diesel.
As you know anything that go up very unlikely to go down. Expect nothing from the soon to be announced oil prices drop. Those aunties and uncles selling your favorite nasi lemak or kampua won’t drop their prices.
Tags: Fuel Prices
Medan Jaya Bus Terminal, Bintulu
Jul 28, 2008 General
Bintulu is well-connected with other major urban centers in Sarawak by a network of road, sea and air transportation. Road transportation is by far the cheapest and efficient means of getting around Sarawak. Almost all major town and cities in the state has been linked by road, except Kapit town which is only accessible via river transportation.
Bintulu Intercity Bus Services. In Bintulu, the hub of intercity land transportation is at Medan Jaya Bus Terminal about 3km from Bintulu town center. Currently, there are more than a dozen bus companies operating at the terminal. On a typical day, departures are scheduled on hourly basis from 6am to 10pm.
However, major bus companies such as Biaramas, Borneo Highway, Freesia, Vital Focus, PB Express provide better intercity connectivity and frequency. All intercity buses are equipped with tv and DVD player for on-board entertainment and is fully air conditioned. Some bus companies also provide executive coaches which provides better comfort, with spacious seat and leg room.
Taxi services. The terminal is serviced by dedicated taxis – Bintulu Medan Taxi association. They provide reasonably good service, rather polite – something you wish KL taxi drivers to emulate. Taxi fares often base on where you want to go and at what time.
After midnight they usually charge you double that of day fare. A ride from the Terminal to Bintulu town center will cost you between RM10 – RM15 per passenger. However, it is advisable to ask for the rate before you get into a taxi.
Bintulu Medan Jaya Taxi Hotline. After 10pm there will be fewer taxis waiting the terminal. If you need a taxi, you might have to call them. The 24-hours Medan Jaya taxi hotline is 086 338 460.
However, finding a safe, clean place to sleep at night isn’t a problem in Medan Jaya. There are two budget hotels (Midlands Inn & Medan Jaya Inn) near the terminal with room rate from as low as RM50 per night.
Smelter Plant is bad for Bintulu
Jul 27, 2008 General
No doubt the smelter in Simalajau will create jobs for thousand of peoples in Sarawak in general and Bintulu in particular. But are we ready for the risk associated with the plant? Don’t trust every words that this guy spit out of his mouth for goodness sake. Trust these findings instead;
“Since the late 1970s, scientists have correlated elevated bladder cancer rates in smelter potroom workers. In 1989, Alcoa told an Australia newspaper that it “emphatically rejects” any such risk for smelter workers. In the Associated Press Friday 17th December 1999.
Alcoa warned thousands of past and present employees that they may face a greater risk than previously believed of developing lung and bladder cancer. Symptoms take 15-20 years to manifest.
* Three times as many miscarriages and more than sixteen times as many birth defects as elsewhere.
* Bones are malformed.
* Cancer, heart disease and artery problems runs between 2-8 times higher as elsewhere.
* Doctors noted high rates of anemia, irritability, rashes diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory and thyroid disease. Joint and bone disorders.
* Teachers stated that students appeared to be suffering from chronic fatigue and complained of aching legs muscles.” .
Sarawak population is barely more than 2 million and is it worth to sacrifice 5,000 plus of our people to the above risk? Further info – suggest you to read “The effects of aluminium smelting plant to Sarawak“
Tags: Environment
Columbia Asia Bintulu Job Vacancies
Jul 26, 2008 General
Bintulu first private hospital Columbia Asia Hospital located along the Tanjung Kidurong highway / Jalan Ikhwan (near RPR Kidurong) has several vacancies opening up.
Columbia Asia was first established in South East Asia in 1995 and is rapidly expanding across South Asia. Columbia Asia Hospital situated in Bintulu will be fully equipped, multi disciplined facility offering quality inpatient and outpatient services. They are seeking dynamic individuals to join us at our new facility for the following positions.
RESIDENT MEDICAL OFFICER
1. MBBS
2. Registered with the Malaysian Medical Council
3. Posses a current Annual Practicing License
4. Able to work on shift
5. Experience in A & E Department
(Remuneration will include salary, benefits and activity-based reimbursement)
RESIDENT SPECIALIST
Physician
Surgeon
Paediatrician
Obstetrician & Gynecologist
Anesthetist
Radiologist
Orthopedic Surgeon
Qualifications
1. Posses post graduate qualifications
2. Registered with the Malaysian Medical Council
3. Posses a current Annual Practicing License
4. Minimum 3 years post graduate clinical experience
VISITING SPECIALIST
- visiting specialist are invited to apply
All applications should reach us by 4 August 2008 to:
Doctors Recruitment
Columbia Asia Sdn Bhd
Suite w306, West Tower, 3rd Floor, Wisma Consplant 1
No 2 Jalan SS16/4, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Email: doctors.malaysia@columbiaasia.com fax: 603 5521 5150
Tags: Jobs
Borneo International Kite Festival Bintulu 2008
Jul 24, 2008 General
First held in 2005, Borneo International Kite Festival this year (from 18-24 August) promises to be even more exciting.
The organizer, Bintulu Development Authority is attempting to make it to Malaysia Book of Records for “The Most Number of Kites Flying Simultaneously” between 1.30pm – 5.00pm this coming August 17,2008.
The set target is at least to fly 1,500 kites. Malaysia Book of Records has given their endorsement and require at least two Member of Parliament or a Minister to witness the attempt.
The idea of organizing the festival was mooted by the Honorable Chief Minister of Sarawak who wants the old airport ground to be utilized as venue for organizing social events. Hence the kites flying festival.
Do you need accommodation? See our recommendation for budget hotels/motels. Want something better such as suite accommodation then we highly recommended New World Suites Hotel.
The hotel is only 15 minutes walk away from the venue of the kite festival and offering the best view of Bintulu town.
Google finalising Digg acquisition
Jul 23, 2008 Technology
Google is reportedly in the final stages acquiring Digg. Micheal Arrington of Techcrunch said the two companies are close to a deal that will bring Digg under the Google News property.
“The companies are now in final negotiations according to our sources, although it could be a couple of weeks before it closes” said Arrington.
Google previous big acquisitions include Youtube to the tune of US$1.6b and recently DoubleClick at US$3.1b. Youtube is yet to be profitable and it would take another year to see is DoubleClick really worth it.
Nuclear power and Saharan solar potential
Jul 23, 2008 Technology
Can this be one of the solution for power hungry Europe one day? Photo by NPJB
Malaysia is tinkering with the idea of building it first ever nuclear power plant as oil prices soaring high.
“We are looking at about US$3.1 billion for a 1,000 MW plant,” Mohamad Zam Zam Jaafar, head of Tenaga’s nuclear energy taskforce, was quoted as saying by the Edge financial daily newspaper.
However do Malaysia really need a nuclear power plant yet. In recent debate with Shabery the Minister of Information Anwar said Malaysia has ‘excess capacity’ as high as 45 percent? Government could have save at least RM2 billion of public fund if they can reduce the ‘unnecessary reserve’ by half argued Anwar!
On the other part of the world, yet another ambitious project “harvesting the hot Saharan sun” solar power potential. The Times Online says the project, estimated to cost up to £35.7 billion, is backed by Gordon Brown and President Sarkozy of France.
The project is still at an early stage and faces daunting financial and technological obstacles. Solar power’s supporters say it will take ten years for it to become economically competitive, and while undersea cables to Sicily and Spain are planned for construction in 2010-2012, it is not known how they will be financed.
The EU last year set a mandatory target of producing 20 per cent of its energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020, and there are also big political imperatives in play.
Goldsmith shouldn’t offer cash reward for catching thieves
Jul 22, 2008 General
Bintulu MP Dato Seri Tiong King Sing called on the goldsmiths in town not to consider giving cash awards to public members for catching thieves red-handed in jewelry snatching.
In a press statement yesterday, he said he did not encourage public members to tackle criminals alone.
“A more constructive way is to fight crimes with the police, and when a thief or other criminals are caught, hand them over to the police immediately for further action.”
Tiong, who is also the chairman of the Back Bencher Club and a Justice of the Peace, said he did not understand why the goldsmiths had resorted to such a desperate means by offering cash for catching thieves.
“If there is any frustration over the security in town, trash it out with the police. Join hands to work with them in maintaining law and order.”
He said he would propose the goldsmiths to hold a dialogue with the police because the police were the one in authority over the execution of criminal offences.
Tiong was saddened that such a proposal of cash award had come when he was not in town, as he is attending the parliamentary sitting now.
He expressed deep concern over how members of Bintulu Goldsmith Association had felt over the town’s security, adding that he had talked to the police in Bintulu after he learnt of the proposed cash awards.
In tackling crimes, Tiong discouraged public members to become violent in beating up a thief.
“This will amount to taking the law into our own hand. The best way is still to hand a criminal to the police immediately.”
He felt that for snatching thefts in town, like when a thief on the prowl snatching a gold item from a victim, it would be unfair to blame the police wholly.
He also suggested to goldsmiths to record the particulars of those selling gold items to them, especially those with suspicious characters.
Tags: Bintulu
Anwar Back in the ACA office
Jul 21, 2008 General
PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived at the Anti-Corruption Agency headquarters here at 9.50am Monday to continue giving his statement on the alleged fabrication of evidence in the “black eye” incident of 1998.
He was accompanied by lawyers R. Sivarasa and Param Cumaraswamy.
In Anwar’s report lodged on July 1, he had alleged that Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had fabricated evidence in the “black eye” investigation in 1999.
Musa was the investigating officer and Gani led the prosecutor in the case in which Anwar had been beaten up by the IGP then, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor.
Tags: Politics
Terengganu state government spend RM3.43 mil to buy Mercedes for councillors
Jul 20, 2008 General
While the rakyat asked to tighten their belt, certain government official didn’t mind splashing RM3.43 million on a luxury cars.
Newly elected Terengganu Menteri Besar bought 14 Mercedes E200 Kompressor cars for the use of its state executive councillors and senior officials.
“Please understand that the Proton Perdanas go through continuous long-distance journeys. It’s costing us a lot of money due to high cost of maintenance.
“We are not saying that the national car is not good but in reality we are coughing up more money for maintaining the Proton Perdanas, particularly the gear boxes,” he said.
Ahmad cited the example of the Proton Perdana of state Commerce, Industry and Environment committee chairman Toh Chin Yaw, which has twice undergone expensive repairs to the tune of RM50,000 in the last 36 months.
“In the long run, Mercedes cars are cheaper to maintain and could also save us fuel costs.
“This is the state’s long-term plan – we are farsighted. The cars could also fetch a high market price when sold as second-hand cars.
“We had evaluated from all angles before deciding to buy the Mercedes E200 cars,” he added.
Ahmad also denied that the oil royalty money was used to buy the cars.
“In the first place we have yet to receive the oil royalty from the Federal Government.
Via Thestar
“The funds to procure the cars were from our own coffers and has nothing to do with the oil royalty money,” he said.
Tags: Politics