Post Class

I was encouraging my class to speak in English.  And we had fun talking about Justin Bieber (thank god none of us are fan of him), Bruno Mars (aww!!! we love him alot!), and hardcore music in general.  I asked the boy what is it like (hardcore) then he jokingly said "nanti pecah kalau I buat (sing)" to which all of us laughed.  Then I told them I only listen to the pop songs played over the air, and they eagerly asked me to check YouTube for such underground stuff.  It was very informal but well, I don't want them to make a boring speech.  {yawn}

And I forgot that I am actually sick because I was too engrossed with our fun conversation!  Only after we goodbyed each other that I feel...  ooh...  my throat...  my nose... gotta rush home now and relax.

Ooh yeah!  By the time I got home, the lights and the fan in the living room as well as the kitchen were all lighted.  I was pissed off because no one was in the areas.  So rich and want to waste the energy huh?!

Oh dear rich boy, go get your own place if you like to lit up every single light in the house when you are not using it.  But not when you are staying with me.

Good night!

Loving Monday

I was down with stomachache yesterday.  Hence, I had to spend my Monday recuperating at home.  I joked with friends that I was more than willing to get sick every Monday.  I mean, it is better than going through a Monday blues anyway.

Talking about the sickness.  It could be the wantan mee or the ABC that I took last Sunday night.  I have to bar these two stalls unless I really want to get another toilet-attack.

And I am lying about recuperating.  I snoozed for about half an hour before lunch (that was right after I took the medicines – which are to be taken before meal).  That is all.  Afterwards, I cleaned the house.  Do my laundry.  Transfer aloe vera, chilli and watermelons plants from pots to the ground.  Cut the grass using the trimmer.  Until I was attacked by the mosquitoes!  So I had to cancel my plan on washing my car because the itchiness really made me very uncomfortable that I need a shower a.s.a.p.!

I am eager to see how the plants today, especially the chillies since there are so many of it; I think at least 10 tiny trees.

Till then, have a happy Tuesday!

My retirement plan

I chuckled when I saw Whoelses’ comment for my book review.

Maybe if I do not sell it now, I will sell it later. This is what I thought when I came back from the flea market on the other day.

Maybe after I sold a book for RM4, I will get myself a hot beef soup noodle as a self-reward. I said.  Wait! Maybe one bowl of noodle is no longer cost me that cheap 10, 20 years from now.  I told myself.  You know, I have to consider inflation as well.

Then a friend jokingly said "You are buying books from him now, but in years to come you will be his competitor".

Ooh! I never really think how I will live my life once I am out of the workforce.  I was so itching to return to office when I took two weeks leave few months back.  The first two days were okay as I was recovering from travelling home.  However, the next few days onwards, I started to feel disoriented because I cannot find something to do (with my job). I was supposed to be happy because I can relax without having to bother about work but that was not the case.

I am still far from retiring; neither do I think my employer will be firing me soon, palis-palis, TOUCHWOOD!!!  I think I will be a second-hand bookseller when I am old.  Maybe I will drives to the flea market in my old car with boxes full of books and National Geographic magazines.

Sunday, I like you!

One of my Sunday’s pleasures is rummaging the old books at the second-hand bookseller.  The first pick was Bound Feet & Western Dress by Natasha Pang-Mei Chan.  On the second visit, I bought Wild Swan (Jung Chang).

(I shall write reviews that are more detailed on the books when… when it is possible erm, when I want to!)

I love the atmosphere at the open-air street market.  The air.  The vibe.  The uncle who blares his amplifier – I have yet to check out his collection of piring hitam (LP).  The auntie who asked if I want to buy her flowers.  The shoppers haggling for a lower price.  The durian seller with his display of artsy durian-chopping skill.  I prefer to observe these while slowly making my way to the favorite bookstall.

Normally I don’t stay at the stall for too long, perhaps just a good 10, 20 minutes to pick a book before I head out to the wet market to get my breakfast and Sunday’s copy of papers.

Bound Feet & Western Dress is a little bit old by my standard.  The book was cockroach-infested; judging by the holes and the stains in some pages.  Nevertheless, I am always fascinated by the old Chinese bound-feet culture so I got it for one weekend reading bliss.

As for Wild Swan, I borrowed it from a library before.  However, I still want to read it for a second time (I read some books for a second, or third, or numerous times).  A valid reason to purchase it, eh?  This one is still in a good condition – not smelly, just a little dusty (I guess due to the storage), although the edge of the cover is torn.

Have you read any books recently?

Baby, baby, baby, ooh!

One acquaintance lamented: “Those who wish to have one but cannot / still have not got it; while the others were simply abandoning the new lives” when she saw a newspaper headline.  It is hard to ignore the baby-dumping news because now it appeared almost every day.

I seldom read thoroughly such news because to me it is just more or less like reading a Hollywood (or put it a Bollywood if you want) gossip.  Except, it is not a gossip and the mother (and maybe her family and relatives) will be the hot topic amongst the loudmouth aunties.

What would the others think I am?

I personally know someone whom went through an abortion because:

• She was not married at the time
• Fear that she’ll be kicked out of uni if the authority know about it

(I don’t know about our uni rules/policy on single, unwed student getting pregnant until now; and never thought of searching for it if that could help her making an optional decision earlier on.)

The social stigma apparently has more effect on her than the love for the unborn child.  I cannot blame her for giving up; neither do I know how she feels about the whole thing.  Because she only shared on how physically drained she was; how she wanted to have ginger chicken soup with wine… just the surface matter, nothing on the emotional part.

I love you

I don’t have children; but I treat my pets almost like my own kids.  I love them to bits: I get worry about them as I left them at home or when they fail to come home when the curfew is over, nag them if they didn’t finish the food…  If I can feel such love for my furkids, I believe so are the young mothers who abandoned their child.

BUT, BUT!  Obviously they love themselves more.  NO!  I say, they love (or loved) their sexual partner more that they’re willing to compromise their own wellbeing!  Can’t we find anyone who is more foolish than that?!

The solution

Blame the pornographic and the western culture (Valentine’s Day & New Year)?  I watched porn videos and always enjoy New Year holidays (I would have enjoy Valentine’s Day too if we have one or two public holiday on it, LOL!!!).  If your theories are true, I could have been stuck with numerous pregnancies, you idiot @$$h0L3!

Perhaps it’ll take us longer to change the public perception that an unwed pregnant girl is not a slut/whore/tart (not matter how hormonal-frenzied she is).  I know those makcik-makcik whom favourite afternoon fiesta is including whispering “her daughter is living together with the guy, that’s how she got pregnant” or “she can’t hide her tummy in that wedding gown, already got only get married”.  See how judgmental, destructive our behaviour is?  I really hope these old sluts/whores/tarts aunties find one way or another to spend their free time in a more positive way.

And the girls just have to be more selfish than ever:  PLEASE RESPECT AND LOVE YOURSELF MORE THAN ANYONE/ANYTHING ELSE!

Lunchtime crunch (part 2)

Taken from foodandshit

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Taken from modna.pl

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Taken from fazai38

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Taken from pixdaus.com

= Sandwich

It is a rainy season according to The Star news report.  Based on my observations, it is most likely to rain in the afternoon.  To avoid from having a wet, soaking lunch outside, I packed my lunches from home for the past few days.  My home-cooked meals are becoming more frequent than before as I gradually adapt to waking up early in the morning to prepare it.  But today I was not quite wanting to eat rice for lunch, so I just made a simple sandwich which (I think) is nutritious and filling.  Then I ate a fruity yogurt (mixed with honeydew, kiwi & plum).  That's one healthy food there!  Last, but not least, I broke my one-coffee-a-day to have a second one for lunch.  But it's a sugarless one so no harm there.

The other hot thing (part 2)

Image taken from perfectionturnsmeon

I survived drinking just one black coffee (without sugar) per day from Monday to Friday.  On Saturday I took one coffee with sweetened condensed milk.  Not so sinful because it just one cup (although you might scream at the “sweetened” word).  By Sunday I succumbed to the temptation: 3 coffees.  As if that is not bad enough, I had them all with sugar!!!  I didn’t actually finish the last cup (I think I was distracted by something and left it cold) but still, it contains sugar.

How do you resist any form of temptations?

The other hot thing

Thank you, my furkids!

Cheers to all loving and caring pet owners!  According to MSN, my furkids can actually makes me healthier than a non-pet owner.

• Heart attack:  feline lovers have lower risk of it, while survival rate for canine lovers are higher than others.
• Strokes:  surprisingly, for me, LouLou theCat might lessen my chances of strokes!
• Prevent allergies:  and because I’m exposed to them (God knows what Shorty and LouLou are doing out there everyday), I’m supposedly having better immune system than those who are not.
• Stress and anxiety:  They are my super supporters during the moments.
• Blood pressure:  Hmm… My healthy BP is indirectly contributed by these two little boys.
• Cholesterol:  I don’t know about this one, I need to wait my medical report to know that it’s in a good level.
• Depression:  Like No.4. Shorty and LouLou, mommy loves you both!
• Not a couch potato:  Ditto. I play with Shorty after work. It keeps us sane.
• Diabetes:  I doubt that. Shorty theDog is only interested in sniffing good food (and people’s crotches!!!).

Do you own a pet?  Or pets?

The other hot thing

My family and close friends know just how addicted I am to coffee.  My mom, for example, has been trying unsuccessfully to convince me to reduce my coffee intake.  She said that too much of it is why I cannot gain weight.  We don’t know how true that is.  However, I’m well aware that caffeine is a common ingredient in cellulite remover.

Mom’s advice fell on my deaf ears and I, of course, still drink coffee as frequent as I like.  The taste, the aroma, and the time I spend enjoying a hot mug of coffee are almost as positive as the benefits of drinking it.

I might not be reducing the amount of coffee I drink everyday, but am definitely cutting down sugar.  Last time I used to add 2(!!!!!) teaspoons but eventually managed to lessen to less than half a teaspoon per mug.  Somehow I still need to go with zero-sugar coffee because sugar is not needed in our diet.  Imagine if I’m consuming 4 mugs a day, which could add up to 2 teaspoons of sugar!

I’m not sure why I want to talk about coffee, sugar…  Perhaps because my colleagues are fasting for a month starting from today, so I’m somewhat more conscious of drinking/eating in front of them.  Perhaps too, since I’m not done with my blood sampling yet, I want to reduce sugar intake to get better glucose reading (self-cheating, so to speak).

Anyway, selamat berpuasa to all Muslim friends!

Getting hot and wet

Don't be fooled by the title!  {wink}

It just me trying to do more physical stuff around the house.  I thought I want to start joining yoga classes again but my schedule didn't permit me to.  Besides, the yoga class is quite a distance from my house.  Last time, my yoga class was situated just 5 minutes drive from home.  I could have just walk/jog to the class actually.  But geez...  After 1 hour or so of yoga, I usually drive home starving!  So no to far, far away class or else my little tummy will suffer.

So after work I decided to clean and mop the floor.  Then rearranging the sofa.  {erm, not nice}  Then still not satisfied, try to rearrange the sofa.  At last, I just rearranged it to the original position.  Silly, but I love to rearrange stuff once in a while.

Still, all these work didn't makes me sweat at all.  Zero.  What a disappointment!

Ooh, the floor is clean and shiny now.  No traces of Shorty theDog's and LouLou theCat's paw prints.  No furs.  They have to sleep outside tonight so I get to maintain the cleanliness at least for one more day.

Edited:
Shorty made a sad face and LouLou pretended to be sleeping when I asked them to sleep outside.  I ended up letting them running around in the house (and making mess in the process) before we went to bed.

Wordless Tuesday

I am in the mood of writing although I have nothing to say actually. Yeah, the other day I was tempted to write about someone who got under my skin. But then again, I was thinking, that someday when I hit the old age I want to read something from the younger me which reminds me of a good time, a good friend, a good pet, a good food, a good place… Basically all the goodies stuff.  Besides, I believe that the person have no intention of doing so if he/she know that it blew me up; perhaps it is in their genes, you know, being nosey and all.

I also don't want to take the risk of them red-flagging me.  :o

Anyway, the office hour is almost over now.

I'm thinking what's for dinner tonight...

Monday headache

I am having a real bad day at work today.

The cleaning service lady was using a fragranced floor disinfectant which caused me a headache and made me feel like want to throw up. This is not a first time I am reacting badly to something smells strongly in a closed space. I cannot stand air-freshener and fabric softener the most, while some household cleaning liquids are still bearable. It can be an upsetting time if I happened to sit in a same car with someone whom wears perfume / smelly hair gel, which is just as worst as having someone with bad BO besides you. I first know that I might be a fragrance/perfume allergic sufferer after experiencing a severe headache upon using a softener while doing my laundry.

When it really started? I have no clue. It is just one fine day that suddenly your body is telling you: “Nah, I don’t like this smell” without any warnings ahead. I am guessing that my body is aging sooner than what I thought. Maybe it is time for me to screen through my food coffee intake.

Flavors of the month

• Song:  爱上你 (Loving You) by S.H.E.  Can't stop playing this song again and again whenever I'm back from work.  Yesterday I found a very good blog where it translated the lyrics in pinyin and English!
• Food:  Home-cooked.  (Whoelses, hold tight to your chair!  LOL!!!)  Despite my limited capability to cook, I try to treat myself a home-cooked meal at least twice a week.  Nothing complicated, yet.  Most likely I'll just have a stir-fry mixed vege.  I just got to have my greens "contaminated" with other colors like white (tofu , fish cake) and yellow (young corn, egg, button mushroom).  Otherwise I'll keep thinking that "vege is so yucky and bitter!".  I'm skipping the deep-frying dish because I'm still recovering from cough.  Besides, I hate it when the oil is splattered while putting the food into the hot oil.
• Pastime:  Sleep!!!  I feel like I'm very deprived from a suffient sleeptime.  :(((((  Enough said.  I'm going to bed now.  Good night!

Happy meal!

I might or might have not mentioned that I don’t like cooking, that my kitchen is only for me to make coffee. And even that one is just an instant one, mind you. Not the type that requires me to fill grounded beans into an espresso machine. Nothing. Needless to say, I am quite (subtly speaking) disastrous when it comes to kitchen/cooking part.

But after years of eating out (which started when I was a student), I feel somehow my taste buds has been wipe out. I’m not saying the shops are selling bad stuff.

So this morning I prepared my lunchbox which consist of very simple dishes: a stir-fried sawi with tofu and fried egg. Anyway, I don’t like greens so I finely chopped the sawi. Now I don’t have to chew it a lot, do I? But I think the vitamins leach this way faster during cooking, someone please tell me about it.

And because I can barely contain my excitement (of making a successful edible meal), I skyped Whoelses this morning – just to announced it! I almost laughed at myself too when she said: “wah! nak jatuh kerusi!” Then it hit me:  How I wish I can share my lunchbox with her (to Whoelses: pork-free, ya?) because I used to “steal” hers.

Happy eating!

P.S.:  Missing my old colleagues  :(((((  You girls are wonderful!

Movie talk

Whoelses suggested that we go watch Angelina Jolie's latest film, Salt for the coming weekend.  She said the movie trailer looks yummy (oh, that's my words, she didn't exactly said yummy).  Being in the absence of TV, I am totally out of touch with the latest movies/series and the likes.  So friends like her will tells me what is nice and whatnot, although it is not like we share a same taste all the time.

I am not Angelina's fan (and no, I'm not Brad Pitt's or Jeniffer Aniston's fan either) so I don't really follow her movies.  But I do want to watch Changeling (2008) which I have to say: "no, I haven't watch it yet".  Haha!  It is not the only I-haven't-watched-and-I-want-to-watch-it-someday movie.  There are lots more but after some times, I tend to forget about it.

Now that I mentioned it, I actually didn't realized when I started to feel normal without watching TV or going for movies (especially the hot ones which got people raving a lot).

Up, up, and up!!!

Published: Thursday July 15, 2010 MYT 6:51:00 PM
Updated: Thursday July 15, 2010 MYT 8:10:06 PM

Prices to go up for sugar, petrol, LPG, diesel on Friday
Subsidy removed for RON 97 petrol

KUALA LUMPUR: From Friday, the subsidies for sugar, petrol, liquefied petroleum gas and diesel will be cut as part of the gradual subsidy rationalisation programme, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office on Thursday.

The price of sugar will up 25sen to RM1.75 per kg; LPG up 10sen to RM1.85 per kg; petrol RON95 up 5sen to RM1.85 per litre and diesel up 5sen to RM1.75 per litre. RON 97 will no longer be subsidised. It will be subjected to a managed float, where the price will be determined by the automatic pricing mechanism, the statement said. The details of these changes are now available on the PMO and PEMANDU websites, at: www.pmo.gov.my and http://www.pemandu.gov.my/.

On May 27, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala had said that Malaysia would be bankrupt by 2019 if it did not cut subsidies and rein in borrowings.
He said that Malaysia's debt would rise to 100% of GDP by 2019 from the current 54% if it did not cut subsidies.

The full press statement from the Prime Minister’s office is below:
1. To help Malaysia maintain the strong growth it has achieved, the Government has implemented difficult but long-needed economic reforms that will help Malaysia become a developed and high-income nation. In this regard, the Government has begun a planned and fair reform of a subsidy regime that for too long has been ineffective in helping those who need it most and, over time, has become a barrier to Malaysia’s progress.

2. The Government has made bold economic decisions over the past two years. Two stimulus packages were introduced, promoting growth, even as the global financial crisis spread. Important sectors of our economy further liberalised were opened to new investment. The Government cut spending by RM 24 billion, by reducing waste and inefficiency. As a result, the country’s economy has been reinvigorated, with 10.1% growth in the first quarter of 2010, Malaysia’s best performance in a decade. Although there is still instability in the global economy, Malaysia is well positioned for the future – not by chance, but by the choices we have made together.

3. As set out by the Prime Minister when he announced the 10th Malaysia Plan, Malaysia’s national goals cannot be achieved by simply managing through a crisis. Malaysia’s ambition is to be a high-income nation, with opportunity for all.

4. In the New Economic Model, the Prime Minister set out plans for further investment in key strategic sectors, upgrading our infrastructure, creating additional private sector investment opportunities and realizing higher levels of GDP growth. However, growth alone will not allow us to meet our goals. As the Government has consistently said over recent months, we must also implement subsidy reforms that will remove distortions in the marketplace and enable us to better target our resources on those most in need, and on investments that will provide lasting benefits for Malaysians.

5. With these priorities in mind, the Cabinet has decided that, effective 16 July 2010, subsidies for fuel, specifically petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as well as sugar, will be reduced as the first step of a gradual subsidy rationalisation programme. Subsidies for RON 95 and diesel will be reduced by 5 sen per liter. LPG will be reduced by 10 sen per kilogram. RON 97 will no longer be subsidised. It will be subjected to a managed float, where the price will be determined by the automatic pricing mechanism. For sugar, the upward price adjustment will be 25 sen per kilogram. The details of these changes are now available on the PMO and PEMANDU websites, at: www.pmo.gov.my and http://www.pemandu.gov.my/

6. These minimal changes will help Malaysia achieve a position of fiscal responsibility and put us on a path toward reducing our deficit. To meet these objectives, we have chosen to make adjustments to our subsidies. Even after these changes, the Government will still spend an estimated RM 7.82 billion on fuel and sugar subsidies in 2010. The prices of fuel and sugar in Malaysia will still be among the lowest in the region.

7. This subsidy rationalisation will, according to estimates, allow Malaysia to reduce Government expenditure by more than RM 750 million in 2010. 8. The decision to reduce subsidies for fuel and sugar is based on the fact that reducing fuel subsidies will have the greatest impact on government spending and reducing sugar subsidies will allow us to promote healthier lifestyles. The decision is also grounded on three main concerns:

a. First, these subsidies also benefit foreigners and wealthier Malaysians, who can well afford to pay unsubsidised prices. Our focus should be on helping the family sharing a motorcycle or Kancil to get to work and school, but instead our spending on subsidies has provided the same benefits to those driving imported luxury cars. The sugar subsidy disproportionately benefits industries, not families. Businesses have been using almost twice as much subsidised sugar as Malaysian households.

b. Second, highly subsidised prices often lead to illegal smuggling of these goods. (Sprinkled! said:  Often???  Tell us what these government officers are doing if not enforcing the law!!!  Must be watching Spa Q or Samarinda or the whatever series aired during your working hour!  I tell you, Encik/Puan/Cik Government Officer, if you likes watching TV, leave your job to someone else whom (hopefully) is more dedicated.)  Because subsidies make these products the cheapest in the region, in 2009 alone smugglers were caught heading out of Malaysia with more than 200 metric tonnes of sugar to be sold across borders. Also, subsidised diesel continues to go to the black market or across our borders, instead of to those we meant to assist. Law enforcement have been doing their best to prevent smuggling, with 109 sugar related arrests last year. This is the tip of the iceberg. As long as there are big price differences, smuggling will continue. And:

c. Third, unless we reduce our consumption of fuel and sugar, we face potentially serious consequences as a nation. We are quickly depleting our domestic fuel resources. (Sprinkled! said: As if we so love to consume petrol!  Wage-earner like me is trying hard to optimize the fuel consumption by driving a low-cost locally-made car with the best fuel-efficiency.  Please do not compare with hybrid cars or any better spec i.e. Toyota, Honda, et cetera because I am talking here from a low/lower-middle class perspective.  If the Government is very serious about educating the Rakyat to cut fuel usage, they should promote us to utilize the available public transportation, isn't it so?  Aha!  Now, how good is our public transportation?!  And now that diesel price is also increased, I bet sooner or later the bus companies will be asking for higher ticket prices.)  It is vital that we rationalise our fuel use – as well as develop new energy technologies - as a matter of economic, energy and national security. In this regard, we have implemented a number of policies to protect the environment. We must also reduce our sugar consumption. 40 percent of Malaysians are now either overweight or obese. Incidents of diabetes are rising quickly. Statistics show that the percentage of Malaysians with diabetes now exceeds that in the United States. We must, as a matter of urgency, take every step available to tackle what is clearly a public health issue for our nation. Reducing sugar consumption, among our children in particular, is a step in the right direction.

9. These are among the reasons why the Government has chosen to focus on sugar and fuel subsidies. Subsidies for education and health care will continue. These are areas of importance for our economy and our society where the Government should be investing. These include, providing support to develop skills, training the knowledge based workforce of the future and improving the well-being of the nation.

10. The Government arrived at this decision following robust consultations with the people. Thousands of Malaysians participated in the policy labs, Open Day and an unprecedented public feedback process. As with subsidy reform, the budget, the Government Transformation Program and now the National Key Economic Areas, the Government has made a determined effort to engage the public, listen and learn, and then act in the best interest of the nation.

11. These measures are designed to have a minimal impact on individual families, but long-term benefits for the nation. The reduction in expenditure from these reforms will allow us to better use resources for families, communities and business growth. Measures such as the 1Malaysia clinics, the 1Malaysia mobile clinics, as well as the scholarships for all 9A+ and deserving students, specifically those who have done well, but come from lower income families, are made possible by such reforms. Similarly, by reducing expenditure on subsidies we will be able to continue strengthening such initiatives as the price standardisation project, which seeks to harmonise prices of essential goods between urban and rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak.

12.The Government has made a difficult, but bold decision.  (Sprinkled! said:  Difficult, huh!?!?!  You'll only know the meaning of DIFFICULTwhen you are driving a sort of petrol-guzzling scrap-metal cars instead of big cars like Mercedes, BMW, Volvo or kereta-kereta yang sewaktu dengannya; or chasing the earliest/last bus everyday because that is your only means of mobility.  You'll only know the meaning of DIFFICULTwhen half of your salary have to go to the fuel, and you barely survives by eating Gardenia bread / Maggi mee everyday!!!  You'll only know the meaning of DIFFICULTwhen instead of flying 1st class from south to north, you have to rely on the accident-prone bus or the ever-so-punctual KTMB.  You'll only know the meaning of DIFFICULTwhen instead of relaxing yourself by playing golf, you get a part-time job so that you and your family have enough food on the table everyday!  But I agree that was one fcuking BOLD decision, so bold that I feel like you guys just syiok sendiri among yourself!!!)  By choosing to implement these modest subsidy reforms, we have taken a crucial step in the right direction towards meeting our commitment to reduce the fiscal deficit, without overburdening the Malaysian people. These measures are a demonstration of our fiscal responsibility. They will enhance Malaysia’s financial stability, while also protecting the Rakyat.

Prime Minister’s Office Putrajaya 15 July 2010

Source: The Star Online

Prices are up for these goods.  Damn!  I think my blood pressure also gone up while adding my comments into this piece of news shit!

Malaysia Government, please la!  What were you thinking?!