This is SO weird, but due to some fluke calendering, this will be my FIRST Merdeka Day where I will actually be on holiday. Serious.Even whilst working in KL, due to the ‘international presence’, I chose to work during Merdeka Day and take a different day off. I always remember Merdeka Day as the day I zoom down to work double-quick due to the lack of traffic.

And this Merdeka I shall actually be having a lie-in….like millions of other Malaysians. Bliss. Not sure how am I celebrating yet, but am starting the day with assam laksa & nasi lemak that I manage to ‘ta-pau’ from Birmingham on my way home from down south.

Selamat Hari jadi Malaysia

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Pan-mee (or in Penang Hokkien: Mee Hoon Kueh (flour cake)) basically means flat-flour noodle. It is quite a favourite in Malaysia, especially for breakfast. Mine usually comes in a plastic bag – as I never wake up early enough! The noodles are freshly made from normal everyday flour – abit like making fresh pasta. I like mine to run through the pasta machine to flatten it, and then go through the fettucinnie setting for it to come out as fat, flat noodles. However, not owning a pasta machine, we just flattened it out with our palms and tore pieces of the flour-water mixture up.

I must admit, this is not something that I usually yearn for, as flavours are fairly mild, which is not my style. When KJean was here over new year’s eve, we were racking our minds of what to have for dinner (it was below freezing, so no going out!) – and somehow KJean said that she missed Pan mee and wished she could get it in London. Well, it was easy enough to whip up, seeing that I had all the inggredients at home. I liked it so much that I made it again the next week with beef mince that I was going to make into bolognese…and it’s nicer with beef!Gonna try it with turkey next, or maybe a mix of beef/pork.

Inggredients for mince
300g mince (chicken/pork/beef/turkey)
10 soaked dried shitaake mushrooms, sliced thinly
Oyster sauce
Sweet soy sauce ( Kicap manis)
Soy sauce, thick
splash of Shaoshing wine (chinese cooking wine)

Marinade everything for about 30 minutes. Pan fry inggredients until cooked, and set aside. I keep mine slightly saucy – this goes to flavour the soup. Tip: Save the water where the mushrooms were soaking in to include in the stock.

Inggredients for stock
A handful of dried anchovies – mine is washed and fried beforehand.
1.5l water
Salt
Spinach

Boil – the anchovies should impart enough of its flavor in about 15 minutes – you can actually smell the yumminess. I usually let it simmer on for about 30 minutes. Add the spinach before serving – traditionally mani vegetable is used. I have no idea what it is in english, but spinach is about the right texture and taste.

Inggredients for noodles
150g plain flour (with extras to dust/add)
one egg
some oil
water
salt

Knead all until it is hard/dry enough to be rolled out with a rolling pin. Be careful with adding too much water – I always add too much water and have to add more flour to make it more ‘viscose’. It should be non-sticky, and easy to roll out using a rolling pin without it sticking. Set aside – you can run this through the pasta machine or just roll it out with a rolling pin when you are ready to eat. If you’re rolling it out, just tear pieces of it and drop it into either a separate pan of boiling water until cooked or do it the lazy way – straight into the stock.

Assembly
Once the noodles are cooked, scoop it all out into bowls – this recipe is enough for 2-3 servings depending on portion size. Place a couple of spoonfuls of the cooked mince on top of the noodles. Add a few scoopfuls of stock, top with a dash of white pepper, and you’re ready to go! Serve with a side of chopped fresh red chillies in soy sauce.

I cheated and and used lettuce instead – hehe. Notice mine has loads of mushrooms – it imparts a lovely flavour, but bacon hates it, so I get to have all of it! I think there is a version where the noodles are only mixed with the cooked mince topping, and the soup is served separately.

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Tahun ke-50 merupakan satu tahun yang paling bermakna kepada tanahair saya. Cuaca di Malaysia sememangnya sudah bertukar…dan saya amat bangga dengan rakyat rakyat malaysia. Tahun lalu saya tidak ada apa-apa sebab atau alasan until merayakan hari jadi ke-50, tetapi, tahun ke-51 saya dengan bangganya mengkibarkan Jalur Gemilang.

Jadi, selamat hari jadi tanahair aku tersayang. Selamat hari jadi Malaysia.

The 50th year of Malaysia was a very meaningful year for the land of my birth. The winds of change are sweeping the nation, and I am extremely proud of my countrymen whom I credit with this revolution of sorts. Last year I did not have any reason to celebrate Malaysia’s birthday, but this year I can proudly say I am flying the Jalur Gemilang, Malaysia’s flay.

So happy birthday my beloved country. Happy Birthday Malaysia.

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PS: Walaupun karangan saya dalam bahasa melayu sudah terlampau merosot, saya masih petah mencakap dalam bm.

In light of Malaysia’s Independence day this weekend, I have decided to start blogging in Malay. This is not an easy excercise – even though I used to get good marks in school for my Malay. Now, after a 10 year absence of not writing or thinking in Malay, I need at least 5 minutes to write a sentence. And have to translate it to English. Poor thing.

After ten years of not writing or thinking in malay, I realise that there has been changes to many words….to english. My favourite example is monolog, realpolitik, conspiracy and inspiration..even though most of them have a word in malay to describe them.

Right, enough of my monolog. This few paragraphs have taken up 15 minutes. In English it usually takes me about 3. So, now that my dear readers agree with my malfunctioning malay, I am going to try to blog in malay more often.

PS: Even though my writing is absolutely horrible, I can actually still speak pretty well in malay.

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Most of the relatives have left yesterday – now it’s only the parents left. In the space of two weeks, they have been to:

Edinburgh
Keswick
Corbridge
Amsterdam
London
York
Scarborough
Harrogate
Manchester

It’s been absolute madness living in a house with 10 people. Looking back, it’s quite alot of ground to cover in a space of 13 days. I think there’s been a good selection of all things good and bad . The rain, for one. It rained for most of the time they were here, don’t think they had ever had so much use out of an umbrella! The ease at how well plants grow here is another, with them snapping pictures at all sort of weed. Hilarious. Not to mention the strange liking they had developed for el cheapo shops selling tops at £3. Anything below £5 is doomed expensive. Hmm.

Strangely enough, they managed to buy pairs of shoes as well. My aunt set the record with the purchase of a total of 4 shoes in the short 13 days she was here. It’s so bizzare, as me and bacon wait until we are back in Malaysia before purchasing any shoes! I guess you can find cheap shoes here if you wait until they are out of season – I think they all went into the timberland outlet shop and got matching shoes! This was after the last six months of moaning and groaning that stuff in the UK are 7 times more expensive and that they were not going to purchase anything whatsoever. Bollox to that – I think they’re carrying between them about 15kgs of Marks & Spencers biscuits and cookies to Malaysia.

And now all’s left is Wales & Ireland! Off to Snowdonia in Wales tomorrow, and then Dublin on Monday. Seeing that I’m off work all next week, this should give me some time to upload pictures! Breathe in, breathe out.

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One of Malaysia’s most prominent political blogger, credited as being a big resounding influence on the recent elections is currently in jail for sedition of one of his blog post. This is THE man that regular citizens have looked up to for his courage and fearlessness in revealing injustice and defying opression by the same people that has been trusted to run the country. Making a stand, RPK has refused bail and visitors. His wife started a campaign to raise his bail money (a measly RM5000, less than USD 2000) – hoping that 5000 Malaysians will donate RM1 each. After 6 hours the total is about RM24,000 in bank transfers and USD 4,000 via pay pal. Being at work, I completely missed the whole donation drive and by the time I came back it had been suspended due to the generosity from people donating a few hundred RMs at a time instead of the requested RM1. Regular citizens just wanting to do their part to help this man who is quick acquiring folk hero status.

His wife, who had personally witnessed him beaten up by the cops when he was arrested in 2000, is pleading that all Malaysians do their part, and petition their MP to boycott Parliament. Hopefully with enough protests, the powers to be will realize that RPK is not alone, and the Malaysian public that was responsible for the political tsunami will again show their support for one of the very few who are brave enough to stand up against the limp government.

The reason I am blogging this because I am advocating democratic free speech – media or otherwise. RPK, as a highly articulate journalist and a member of the royal family is now in jail for a blog post. Is there any hope for the rest of us – the regular citizens? You’ve voted for change – please continue to support those who advocated change and woke the rest of us up to the non democratic government.

If anything happens to RPK whilst he is in jail, I have no doubt that a turbulent upheaval will occur in Malaysia….

UPDATED 8th May: Bail have been posted and RPK will be released tomorrow. There will be a candlelight vigil at Dataran Merdeka at 8pm tonight.

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Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim ,

Malaysia is known for its strict laws against drugs – if those choosing to be drug mules do it in Malaysia, would there be even the slightest iota of concern to rescue them from the gaols??

Drug mules are from all over the world, not only restricted to stupid Malaysian women. Mostly these women (or men) do it for the money and glamour of being a world traveller. And honestly, if you are greedy enough to be a drug mule, then you should be ballsy enough to do the time that comes with it.

Why is the 100 or so females dragging the whole country (and about 10mil women) two centuries back? Or rather, I see that the government is again using something insignificant as an excuse to control its citizens. This time it’s the females of the country.

From nst.com.my:

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said she would have to study the matter further.

“I will have to speak to him (Rais) and also get feedback from the NGOs,” she said.

Dr Ng added that from a personal viewpoint, she agreed that it was an infringement on women’s rights, but added that there were always two sides to a coin and one needed to look at the bigger picture.

WHAT?? Two sides of the story??This is not the time to sit on the fence. Surely as the figurehead Minister of Women she should realize that this infringes all the rights that women around the world have strived to achieve in the past century? Does she not realize that she would be unable to travel to even Singapore without her PARENTS or the bloody Prime Minister (her boss) signing an approval letter and certifying that she is there to shop?

What is the bigger picture? I really wish she would elaborate at what picture is she looking at, because we sure ain’t looking at the same one, and the view from our end ain’t pretty at all. In fact it is pretty much chains and shackles.

MIC Puteri chief Usha Nanthini said the proposal was too vague, adding that there was a need for finer details and practicality to be looked into.

She said, however, that the proposal was generally good as it took into account the safety of Malaysian women.

And this brainless TwaT.GENERALLY GOOD????I guess if you REALLY want the women of Malaysia to be safe then it is just easier to cage them up, and release them just for reproductive purposes. And whilst you are there, why not do some snipping down below just so that they don’t enjoy sex as well?

I have never said this before, but if this does by some crazy reason (I don’t actually think it will happen) get passed as the law, I will actually go back on my words and tear my Malaysian passport into half. There is no point being the citizen of a country that believes that women should be treated like dogs, quarantined until proven innocent.

I am so angry I can’t sleep!!!!!!! F**king hell…

A very good take here by the daughter of Malaysia’s former premier and an accomplished journalist amongst other things.

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But as always, the Malaysian governemnt always ‘adopts’ random people of dubious superstar status and making them their own. Tumpang glamer, like they say in Malay = borrowed fame

With news breaking in the UK over the weekend about Sufiah’s apparent foray into prostitution, the Malaysian Government has apparently decided to come to her rescue instead (even though she had never been a Malaysian) –

The Prime Minister’s Department and the Malaysian Missionary Foundation (Yadim) will try to assist former child mathematics genius Sufiah Yusof, now aged 23 and fending for herself as a prostitute in Salford, Manchester.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Zahid Hamidi said they would help the gifted girl return to the right path through the “Save Sufiah Programme”.

“The first thing we should try to do is to contact her mother or arrange a meeting with Sufiah to find out the reason she turned to prostitution, offering her services through the Internet, using the name ‘Shilpa Lee’,” he said.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin said Sufiah was also of legal age and could do as she liked with her life.”We just can’t bring her back. She is big now and can decide for herself. She has the right to do as she pleases, ” he said yesterday, adding that the Malaysian Students Department in Britain had been asked to look into Sufiah’s case.

Seriously, it is NONE of the Prime Minister’s problem if she had decided to turn to prostitution. And a Save Sufiah Program?? OMG WTF IS THAT?? If they are so concerned about prostitutions ect then maybe the first step would to look in their own backgarden and eradicate the problem, instead of saving someone who has never made Malaysia her home.And what do you mean bring her back? Malaysia was never her home, she had never been a Malaysian student abroad, so why is the Malaysian Student Association been requested to help her??

This coming from the Boleh government who never, ever answers their phone in the Embassy – thus I have been unable to register my existance or indeed my marriage until today. I am apparently still living in Malaysia and single. And now they are sending the dogs out to help someone who have dubious claims of being a rakyat, who had not even requested for help.

Should we not be saving our own souls before trying to save others?

And I loved it how the Malaysian papers lapped the news up (as I knew they would) ; but omitting the topless pictures that were splashed across the actual papers . Click here for the actual article, including NSFW pictures

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As soon as he was appointed, he immediately targeted the central government’s long-standing New Economic Policy favouring ethnic Malays. “We want to run the state government administration free from the New Economic Policy that only breeds cronyism, corruption and systematic inefficiency,” he told reporters. “This is also a government that believes in equal opportunity and social economic justice. We are here to build a dynamic Penang for all,” he said

The policy was started in the early 1970s, to increase opportunities for the often poverty-stricken ethnic Malays – giving them preference in jobs, university seats and access to services. But many Malaysians – even some Malays – say that it has only benefited an elite few.

Excerpt taken from BBC

So many promises broken by so many other aspiring politicians, but it now seems like Penang’s CM is well on his way to fufilling his promises. Penang’s UMNO branch has, of course, come out to say in not so many words that this will end in bloodshed and that Mr Lim should rememeber that he represents the whole of Penang, not only the non-Malays.

Good luck Penang, may this be the first step to total democracy and may your example be repeated around the country in the years to come.

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The realities of living and working under a PAS-led Kedah are beginning to take effect.Hotels and entertainment outlets are already making “adjustments” they deem necessary to suit the unprecedented political environment here.

A top hotel in the town centre here has removed its beer till at the coffee house

Another hotel is reviewing the dress code for staff.

Other establishments used to hosting lavish events are worried that they may have seen the last of such functions under the new PAS-PKR government.

The article in its entirety can be found here

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Another piece of news that caught my eye in today's news is the death of Zakaria Deros. An extremely ironic time to pass away seeing that the elections have just ended. For those not in the know, he is the BN assemblyman of Port Klang. His far reaching power enabled him to build a castle comprising of 16 bedrooms and 21 toilets without planning permission. Other evils including operating a satay restaurant illegally on government reserve land and not paying property assessment fees (council tax) for 12 years.

And he got away scot-free even after this was all made public. I wonder whether the same thing would’ve happened if he was a representative of one of the Opposition parties.

He was ,of course, not nominated again come this election. However, the top dogs decided to nominate his daughter in law instead to take over his place. No, this is sooooo not cronyism. Happy to report that the daughter in law lost.

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