Kota Bharu – The progress of the second Sultan Yahya Petra bridge project which has not been complete even after the five years duration is ignoring safety instead. The contractor which took over the possession of the 800m long bridge project since June 2007 was supposed to complete it in December 2009, but later extended to December 2010 and subsequently to November 2011. For the fourth time the project is now extended to August 2012.
Daily, hundreds of vehicle passing beneath the work-in-progress which causes massive jams for years in the city especially those using the bridge. No netting were used to protect from falling debris, cement water dripping, iron rods and short pieces of woods blown by strong wind during the monsoon season.
The construction workers were not wearing any safety uniforms. Instead of anti-slip boots, most were wearing slippers. Neither of them were wearing reflective vest nor protective helmets.
The project is supposed to link Kota Bharu to Wakaf Bharu, Tumpat. But till to-date, there isn’t any bridge linking across the river except the stretch of work-n-progress flyover. The initial cost of the project was RM150million but IS Resources Sdn. Bhd. sought another RM7million to complete the project. The project is managed by JKR.
Kota Bharu – Karnival Kerjaya & Keusahawanan Kreatif Kelantan sedang berlansung di Kelantan Trade Centre (KTC)
dari 20 – 21 Disember. Karnival ini merupakan program yang terulung kali yang dilaksanakan oleh Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan dengan hasrat untuk meningkatkan lagi kesedaran rakyat khususnya generasi anak muda Kelantan mengenai potensi-potensi industri kreatif sebagai sumber pekerjaan dan pendapatan.
Antara aktiviti-aktiviti yang diadakan pada dua hari tersebut termasuk pamiran dari peserta, ceramah kerjaya dan keusahawanan. pertunjukan dan persembahan dan juga pertandingan melukis dan mewarna kanank-kanak. Turut serta menjayakan program ini termasuk badan-badan swasta, antaranya Lim Kok Wing Universiti. Majlis di rasmikan oleh YAB. Tuan Guru Dato’ Bentara Setia Haji Nik Abdul Aziz b. Nik Mat, Menteri Besar Kelantan.
Organized by Malaysiakini, the Video Journalism Training was held in Kuala Lumpur from 19th November to 25th November 2011. The trainer was Horea Salajan from Internews.
The seven days intensive hands-on practical course was aimed at improving video skills to produce better news packages. The course work through the essentials of Video Journalism right through to the production of a News Package. The first part of the course provides sessions covering some intermediate skills required to make video news packages.
Each participant has the chance to improve their existing skills, learn and practice new ones. In the second part of the course the trainees were guided through the stages of making a video news package: pre-production, production and post-production. The trainees were asked to pitch a story to be produced.
The training schedule include:
Day one – Introductions, Filming Assignment, Shot Sizes, Camera Moves, Framing Rules,Feedback
Day two — Crossing the line, Filming Exercise, Editing Exercise, Feedback
Day three — Sequences and Continuity, Filming Exercise, Editing Exercise, Feedback
Day four — Interviewing with one camera, Vox Pops, Stand-up, Filming Exercise, Editing Exercise, Feedback
Day five — Pre-Production – What is news, Sources of News, Finding stories, Assignment, Wishlist
Day six — Production – On the road filming
Day seven — Post-Production- Logging the rushes, Story structure, Writing the intro, Writing the narration, Recording the Voice Over, Editing the news Package and Sound Mixing.
Perlukah Pasar Chow Kit diubahsuaikan ? Video termuramah antara pengunjung dan perniaga tentang perlunya satu transformasi atau naik taraf tentang pasar yang sudah usang di tengah-tengah kota bandaraya.
The Chow Kit Market is one of the oldest wet market in Kuala Lumpur. On 17th July 2011, the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin made a surprise visit at the Chow Kit Market. From the response he got from the traders and visitors, he promised that there will be a transformation and changes to be made to the Chow Kit market.
We got interviews with the traders and visitors about their opinion on the changes.
About a hundred residents in the town of Wakaf Bharu are disgruntled as their telephone lines have not been functioning for the last four months.
The residents from Taman Sri Kebakat, Taman SBJ Kebakat, all of whom subscribe to the Telekom Malaysia cables, have already lodged a complaint via the Telekom Call Center but did not receive any response.
Frustrated, they proceeded to lodge a complaint at the TM’s state headquarters in Kota Bharu, but claim that the officials there are unable to indicate a definite timeline as to when the problem will be solved.
“They are saying they have no idea when it will be solved,” told a local resident who refused to be named.
He also added that initially they were told that the cables were cut and stolen, but later on were informed that the service disruption was due to a road reconstruction that was taking place nearby.
Among the residents, 40 of them are also subscribers to the TM broadband service, and are also affected by the disconnection.
The residents are urging the authorities to put up an ear to listen and finally put a full stop for this dragging issue.
As of 1st January 2010 onwards all new credit card holders will be charged with an annual service tax of RM50 per principal card and RM25 per supplementary card as proposed by the Government during the 2010 budget. As for the existing card holder, the service tax will be charged on the anniversary of the card issuance.
However, a check with the Statement of Card Account recently, proved some differed. Often, a principal card holder will be offered a second card which is different from the first card. Either a Visa with a Master or a Master Card with a Visa as a second Card with a combine credit limit. However, both cards were charged a Service Tax of RM50.00 each.
To add more salt and burden to the Card holders, those who did not pay the Service Tax when the account is due for payment will be charged Late Charges of RM5.00 and Finance Charges monthly. CJ kbguy found this to be true when a statement was shown to him.
According to the statement, the Card holder has a credit balance of RM0.86 which he never utilize. On 29th January, he was charged RM50.00 for Service Tax. Since the Card holder never use the Credit Card, he ignore the payment. On 23rd March, he was charged RM5.00 for Late Charges and RM0.52 as Finance Charges. He is amazed to see that the Bank has taken the opportunity to make profit from the Government’s Service Tax by charging interest on late payment on Service Tax. What an innovative method to generate revenue during this tough times !
Kota Bharu – Qing Ming festival or Qing Ming Jie in Chinese is also called Grave Sweeping Day. Qing Ming, which also means clear and bright in Chinese falls on Apr.4th, 5th or 6th every year. In 2009 it falls on April 4. And this year it falls on April 5th. According to modern Chinese, there is no fixed rules to attend Grave Sweeping Day as long as it is convenience to all family members. Usually a group agreement among family members will be made so that those from far and near could attend at the same time to clean and sweep the graves of the ancestor and also worshiping and offering of food to the deceased and to burn joss papers. It is a festival to be conduct at any day one week before the actual date. It is a memorial ceremony for their loved ones and time to express one’s grief for his lost relatives.
At the end of the ceremony, the money or joss papers are lightened for the deceased to use in his after life. In addition to this, food laid out in front of the headstone includes steamed whole chicken, hard boiled eggs, sliced pork and sometimes cut roast pork with crunchy skin attached and others according to the offeror’s liking or their loved one’s favorite. Besides these, 3-sets of chopsticks and 3 Chinese wine cups are arranged above the food to be used by the deceased.
The family head usually performs the ceremony, followed by each member of the family. The families often eat the food there at the grave site after the ceremony, as if having a picnic with their deceased relatives and ancestors. Chinese have a strong notion that by doing this, it will bring good luck in the family
Qing Ming ceremony can take a few days for a family to complete because of the distance of one cemetery to another and to some who have too few children but too many deceased relatives
Even though many Chinese Customs and Traditions has changed, forgotten and left aside by the younger generation, I believe that Qing Ming should be preserved and maintained in order to maintain relationship and harmony among siblings, cousins and other relatives. It is a day of gathering and should be consider as family obligation and a heritage to be kept.
The reunion dinner which falls on the last day of the lunar calendar or the New Year Eve is the event everyone is waiting for. Family members from far and near usually get together for this special occasion to unite with their loved ones and also with their family members especially their parents, sibling and grand parents. During the dinner, traditional food and dishes are served accompanied with beer and other alcohol to mark the happy occasion.
