Balik Pulau in a month (MAY 2009)

3admitted aged ahmad airport airport-balik assistant available azhar bahang-batu batu bayan bernama board bomb bound burma buses bushes candidate chest chief company dead ended executive facility firearm guard heist installing international lepas magazines officer one pas penang plies police quay rapid rapidpenang robber route shot smoke start surf two wifi

Mansor's test has only just begun

New Straits Times - ‎May 31, 2009‎

... as more land belonging to the Malays is acquired for geopolitical reasons, particularly in Balik Pulau, considered the last Malay bastion on the island. ...

Now PPP has two chairmen in Penang

The Sun Daily - ‎May 30, 2009‎

Loga said Nanda and Balik Pulau division chief SV Manimaran did not attend the state convention officiated by Kayveas last Wednesday.

PKR's election chief on Aminah, Mansor and the numbers game

The Malaysian Insider - ‎May 28, 2009‎

Because he lost in other areas — Balik Pulau, Seberang Jaya and one of the state seats in Balik Pulau. I myself lost in Kubang Rotan. ...

Taxi fares likely to go up soon in Penang

AsiaOne - ‎May 23, 2009‎

BALIK PULAU, Malaysia: The Federal Government has proposed a fare hike for Penang taxi drivers, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri ...

A must-win for PKR for sake of its morale

New Straits Times - ‎May 23, 2009‎

He had failed in his bid for the Balik Pulau parliamentary seat in 1999, and the Seberang Jaya and Pulau Betong state seats in the 2004 and 2008 general ...

Four-cornered contest in Penanti by-election - UPDATED

Sin Chew Jit Poh - ‎May 23, 2009‎

He had contested the Balik Pulau parliamentary seat against Datuk Mohd Zain Omar of the BN in 1999, the Seberang Jaya state seat against Datuk Arif Shah ...

National clean-up

Malaysia Star - ‎May 22, 2009‎

The venues are Balik Pulau (Pulau Pinang), Sungai Lembing (Kuantan), Sungai Tua and Sungai Batang Pinang (Ulu Yam), Sungai Tekala (Semenyih) and Sungai Ulu ...

Bernama Malaysia Star New Straits Times Telecompaper The Malaysian Insider

The Star

Now surf and ride with Rapid Penang

The Star - May 14, 2009

The WiFi service is currently available on two routes – 101 (Batu Ferringhi-Weld Quay route via Burma Road) and 401A (Balik Pulau-Airport-Weld Quay). ...

Surf on board RapidPenang buses

New Straits Times - ‎May 14, 2009

... and the 401A Bayan Lepas International Airport-Balik Pulau-Weld Quay bound buses would be running the 3G high speed data transfer wireless technology. ...

RapidPenang buses offer Wi-Fi facility in Malaysia

Telecompaper - ‎May 13, 2009‎

Its chief executive officer, Azhar Ahmad, said for a start, the company is installing the facility in two of its buses, one plies between Balik Pulau and ...

Free WiFi on Rapid Penang buses

Malaysia Star - ‎May 12, 2009‎

Its chief executive officer Azhar Ahmad said the company was installing the facility in two buses: The first plies the route between Balik Pulau and the ...

WiFi Facility In RapidPenang Buses

Bernama - ‎May 12, 2009‎

... plies between Balik Pulau and the Bayan Lepas International Airport and the other, the one which plies the Teluk Bahang-Batu Feringgi-Weld Key route. ...

Police Probe Firearm Magazines, Smoke Bomb Discovery

Bernama - ‎May 10, 2009‎

BALIK PULAU, May 10 (Bernama) -- The police are investigating whether two firearm magazines and a smoke bomb found in the bushes at Km6 Jalan Tun Sardon ...

Robber shot dead by guard in goldsmith heist

The Malaysian Insider - ‎May 10, 2009‎

The resulting gunbattle between the guard and the robbers ended with one of the robbers, a 22-year-old man from Balik Pulau here, shot in the chest. ...

Robber shot dead during gems heist

New Straits Times - ‎May 9, 2009‎

... outlet assistant was rushed to the Pantai Mutiara Hospital and is reported to be in a stable condition. The dead gunman, aged 22, was from Balik Pulau.

Malaysia Star

Foodie on the loose

The Star - ‎May 9, 2009‎

“It started at Batu Ferringhi and ended in Balik Pulau,” he said. Nevertheless, he admitted that the “fragrant fruit” is not something he would eat every ...

Mansor glad Pas not fielding candidate

New Straits Times - ‎May 6, 2009‎

The Balik Pulau division chief said he had no personal problems with Pas leaders in Penang. "I have a strong relationship with the state Pas leadership and ...

Mohd Hafiz Denies Quitting As Penang PAS Youth Chief

Bernama - ‎May 4, 2009‎

He said he did not at all utter the word "resign" in his speech at the Penang PAS Youth annual meeting in Balik Pulau yesterday. Instead, he said, he let go ...

Mohd Hafiz steps down as Penang PAS Youth head

The Star - ‎May 3, 2009‎

Mohd Hafiz made way for the wing's former council deputy head Yusni Mat Tiah, a religious scholar, at the wing's annual “muktamar” assembly in Balik Pulau ...

Taxi fares likely to go up soon in Penang

BALIK PULAU: The Federal Government has proposed a fare hike for Penang taxi drivers, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

At a dialogue session with taxi and rented car drivers at the market complex here, Nazri said the proposal was subject to the cabinet's approval. The breakdown:

- RM3 to RM4 as the base fare plus 13 sen for every 150 metres after that (up from 10 sen); and

- in traffic jams, from RM3 to RM4 in the first two minutes plus 13 sen for the next 27 seconds (up from 10 sen for the next 45 seconds).

"The calculation was done by a consultant," Nazri said.

He also called on taxi operators who had set up "illegal bases"to dismantle them as they did not have the permission of the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board.

He said taxi drivers should be cruising and not staying put at one spot.

During the dialogue, Nazri proposed that the whole state be declared a taxi area, which would then require taxi drivers to use meters.

He noted that major cities all around the world used metered taxis.

He said that converting rented cars in the state to taxis would mean that there was no difference between Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

He noted that Hong Kong used only taxis.

"If the whole of Penang becomes a taxi area, then all these illegal bases or stands must be dismantled," he said, adding that he was merely floating a proposal and the drivers should tell him if it could not be implemented.

On the high inspection charges imposed by Puspakom, Nazri said he would discuss the possibility of a reduction in charges with the Transport Ministry.

He noted that if the charges were too high, it would raise operational costs for taxis and rented cars.

-NST Online, 24hb Mei 2009

Galery

Why the Balik Pulau (micro, media) brand?

It's our Blog name referring to the very area or township where the blog authors reside, instead of some other generic names, or made up brands....

But why the sparsely populated rural area the size of half of Pulau Pinang (Penang Island), or roughly 20% of Pulau Pinang state, but with well under 5% of the Malaysian state's population?

Why not the larger, and presumably more popular "Penang" brand, or heck, just "Malaysia" brand as agreesively pushed by the government of Malaysia for decades now since the "Malaysia, Incorporated" vision first introduced in early 80s by Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister? Or "1 Malaysia" perhaps, as re-introduced by Dato' Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Razak, present (sixth) Prime Minister of this fast developing nation?

Obviously, the two other, larger geographical brands are more popular, at least as shown in Google Search frequency.... Why micro is better?

BECAUSE GROWTH IS BETTER THAN PRESENT SIZE (and "micro" is trending, especially in developed countries like the US, France and Japan - microchip, microblogging, microworking, micropreneuring etc.!):

Consider that along with "Malaysia", the two most popular Malaysian destinations, "Kuala Lumpur" and "Penang" (versus other cities, or even states in Malaysia - yes including Perak, despite the 2009 political brouhahas!) have been stagnant on people's interest level, based on the five-year search record provided by Google Insight. In fact, in the case of "Kuala Lumpur", the its popularity has even tanked over the years, perhaps due to recent shift of federal government's administrative centre off to Putrajaya, and some urban competitions from neighboring Subang Jaya, Klang, Ampang, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam etc.


In the case of Penang, even Penangites seems to not show much interest of its own, rather too big of a place to call home, despite it being in some of the most prestigious list of travel destinations - most people in Balik Pulau can hardly relate much of happenings in Kepala Batas, Bukit Mertajam or Nibong Tebal and vice versa.


Even sadder, George Town, despite it being elevated with humongous interest by both Penang State Government and Federal Government of Malaysia to make nurture it more as a favorite travel destination following the UNESCO's Heritage Site status in 2008, also continues to drop in web search popularity.

On the other hand, the parliamentary areas of Penang like Bukit Mertajam, Kepala Batas, Balik Pulau, Bayan Baru, Nibong Tebal and Gelugor are showing steady increase in popularity:


Back to Balik Pulau, the hottest news headlines have been as follows:-

A	Balik Pulau’s online marketing bid (MOST POPULAR!)
B	Dr Hilmi Yahaya retains post as Balik Pulau Umno division chief
C	12-09-2008: NS camp in Balik Pulau is illegal, says MPPP president
D	Suspend AG and IGP, says Balik Pulau MP

And stuff that interest people so far have been education (MRSM & Politeknik Balik Pulau) and travel (maps) - two areas that have been focussed on and can continue to be further explored to make Balik Pulau an even more enticing destinations for domestic and international visitors, students and tourists alike.

Betting on the "micro trend", and our love for Balik Pulau, if you have not heard, our own (local) Media Project has been in the works, following the recent Blog Bash event on March the 23rd:-

1. Besides online blogs and various web sites at balikpulau.org domain, a print periodicals, dubbed the "InfoBiz" (geared towards connecting businesses and the local communities), will be launched in July 2009 for regular publication and distribution to at least 20% households of Balik Pulau's Teluk Bahang, Pulau Betong/Kongsi Town and Bayan Lepas/Teluk Kumbar area (not including Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone).
   
   
2. Facebook: Join us in the fast growing Balik Pulau Group (from ~7 netizens after nearly two years since its inception, to over 70 today - a ten times of growth in less than two month since our Blog Bash event!) - Network for business, or just for fun! Who knows if we'll be throwing in another Durian Bash soon...
   
   
   
   
3. Twitter: Say hi to @BalikPulau on the biggest chat room (or whatever you want to call it) the world has ever seen! We somehow have over 600 followers already, from various corners of the world, in just three months since inception.

More coming soon to your mailboxes, both online and offline... (be sure to register with us! Or you'll miss all the fun, and the world will pass over you...)

Interested?

Contact folks at Kelab Usahawan Sosial, d/a Pusat Internet Desa, Bangunan Pejabat Pos Malaysia Berhad, 11000 Balik Pulau, Penang (phone/fax: 04-866-2706)

Motor dan Waja kemalangan di Sg 4

Simpang Empat, Kemalangan disebabkan kereta memandu laju untuk masuk ke Simpang Empat berhampiran dengan Kedai Photostat Trading, Tuisyen Dana Ilmu dan Upeh Inn. Peristiwa berlaku lebih kurang 7.45 malam. Tiada kemalangan jiwa dilaporkan, cuma kerosakan kecil pada kereta dan motor.

"Saya nampak, pemandu itu agak cemas selepas kemalangan. Dia terus mengambil no. plat yang pecah di tengah jalan tanpa menghiraukan bas RaPID yang laju. Nasib baik tidak berlaku apa-apa kepadanya selepas kami menjerit memanggilnya" kata Adik Munir, pelajar Tuisyen Dana Ilmu.

Galeri Gambar

Durian season has started!

Durians, durians!

The thorny fruits smell bad, but taste like heaven... or so said most European tourists to Malaysia. But for us Malaysians who savor all the exotic fruits and great spicy delicacies, taste come first, and we can forget the rest!

When two friends came to visit us in Penang, we just got to take 'em to Balik Pulau (instead of letting them wander cluelessly elsewhere!)...

A quick check at www.durian.com.my, a site run by/for Bao Sheng Farm in Sungai Pinang (midway between Balik Pulau and Teluk Bahang) since 2000 (or earlier) shows that the open-for-business season had just started a day earlier, from 15 MAY 2009.


All agreed, we set the time: 11 am on Sunday - time to eat all Durians we can, for just RM25 per person for the buffet option.

It was raining that morning though, so we waited for almost an hour beginning the originally planned time, before departing from Taman Sri Indah. I called the phone number off Bao Sheng's website, and Mrs Chang answered to welcome us, and confirm our arrival time so they may prepare whatever necessary... :)

Asuad & Fina were coming all the way from Tanjung Bungah. The rest of us were coming from Balik Pulau, and Ija wasn't going to let her two boys missing from the Durian savoring adventure - the first time for all of us indeed to set foot at this farm!

The five of us from 'Lik Lau' arrived at the site around 12:30 pm, and found the couple locked in their brand new white car. The dogs that the Chang family kept at the house must have scared them away from the hillside house with a nice observatory wooden veranda.

After a brief sightseeing around, and small introductory chats, Mr Chang get to business - explained us the 'deal', but we all knew what we came there for: definitely all-you-can-eat deal, or 'buffet' as the house owner termed it. It's good to know that kids eat free there, or at least for our small party that day, not for the whole 'kindergarten group' as we had kid the Chang husband & wife couple.


The rest of the durian feast story, we left it in the following slideshow... enjoy:

We ended the two hour feast with a brief tour to grab some fresh nutmegs (as a another friend from Sungai Petani called me that very morning asking for one, for medicinal purpose), where I also dropped my precious N95 (of which these pics and videos get extracted from) and scarred the entire front cover of it. ;( - oh well, at least, the little all-in-one wonder machine still is fully functional...

To complete the Penang's tour, a visit to peak of Bukit Bendera ("Penang Hill", by train) is a must which we indeed took afterwards, after a short stop at the other Penang's famous Anjung Indah observatory area (at the peak of Bukit Relau at the midway of Relau and Kongsi Town).

George Town & Penang Bridge from top of Penang Hill

Masjid Bukit Bendera during Sunset (Maghrib prayer time)

And a visit to Ayer Itam must also include a stop at world's famous Nasi Kandar outlet at Lorong Kampung Melayu near Sunshine Hypermarket at Jalan Thean Teik (Farlim), for that other Penang's favorite: spicy, Indian/Mamak food...



More photos are on author's Facebook album: Durian & Buah Pala @ Balik Pulau, Penang - and here's another movie-in-a-slideshow-movie (song "Berdua Lebih Baik" borrowed from Acha Septriasa - Heart the Movie):

Bao Sheng Durian Farm is run by Bao Sheng Agriculture Sdn Bhd (mostly by Mr Chang and family who also live there) and located at 150 Mk.2, Sungai Pinang, 11010 Balik Pulau, Penang, Malaysia.

For more information, contact: 012-411 0600 / 012-401 0800 (Fax: +60 4-829 9000) or email to bsfarm@durian.com.my - More pictures and information from the farm's official website: durian.com.my

Tracking crimes all the way to Balik Pulau

It wasn't long ago when crimes after crimes (see January post) made to national headlines, implicating Balik Pulau residents. Recent shooting spree in Bukit Jambul that had one killed, and another injured, apparently had a Balik Pulau connection, again...

And this time, crews of Citizen Journalists are at it again, uncovering the hidden secrets of Balik Pulau:



...and they get to tour the new Balik Pulau market for some shopping spree as well :)

Follow the news:

BERNAMA: May 10, 2009 21:00 PM

Police Probe Firearm Magazines, Smoke Bomb Discovery

BALIK PULAU, May 10 (Bernama) -- The police are investigating whether two firearm magazines and a smoke bomb found in the bushes at Km6 Jalan Tun Sardon here today had any connection with a robbery at the Bukit Jambul Complex last night.

Penang CID chief SAC II Wan Abdullah Tunku Said said the magazines and smoke bomb were found in a sling bag at 12.55pm.

A robber was shot dead and a female gold outlet assistant sustained injuries during a robbery at a jewellery outlet in Bukit Jambul Complex at about 8.30pm last night.

One of the three robbers was gunned down by the outlet's security guard. The other two robbers fled with a portion of the loot.

-- BERNAMA

Robber shot dead by guard in goldsmith heist

The Malaysian Insider - ‎May 10, 2009‎

The resulting gunbattle between the guard and the robbers ended with one of the robbers, a 22-year-old man from Balik Pulau here, shot in the chest. ...

Robber shot dead during gems heist

New Straits Times - ‎May 9, 2009‎

... outlet assistant was rushed to the Pantai Mutiara Hospital and is reported to be in a stable condition. The dead gunman, aged 22, was from Balik Pulau.

Political education for the young voters

YB Yusmadi giving his thoughts @ Kompleks Pasar Awam MPPP, Balik Pulau, Penang. Are BP-ites ready for the mind revolution?

Pot of Gold! Pot of Gold!

at the end of the Rainbow.... get it?

Photo shot from entrance to Kongsi Town, Balik Pulau via Jalan Tun Sardon from Jalan Paya Terubong/Relau, Penang Island.

Wifi your way all the way to Balik Pulau and back!

by bus (using Rapid Penang's 401A-airport route) that is...

Off the Star / Bernama: Free WiFi on Rapid Penang buses

GEORGE TOWN: Rapid Penang Sdn Bhd will be providing free WiFi access to its passengers, the first bus company in the country to do so, beginning with a three-month trial on two buses.

Its chief executive officer Azhar Ahmad said the company was installing the facility in two buses: The first plies the route between Balik Pulau and the Bayan Lepas International Airport, and the second on the Teluk Bahang-Batu Feringgi-Weld Key route.

He said use of the WiFi facility would be free and that the buses would have special stickers for easy identification by passengers.

“After three months, if response from passengers is good, we’ll have the facility installed in stages in all of our 180 buses, and also the additional 200 buses which will be delivered to us by the end of the year,” he told a press conference here Wednesday.

Azhar said the facility was provided to enable passengers to surf the Internet in the bus before arriving at their destinations. -- Bernama ("WiFi Facility In RapidPenang Buses"

Parut di lerengan Genting

Above video was uploaded on EngageMedia.org by "Citizen Journalist" Jimmy Leow.

Wrote Jimmy Leow who also produced the reporting video, "This new highway project was supposed to be completed in September 2008, but until today not an inch of the highway is usable. The construction of this highway stopped about 18 months ago and there is no sign of progress even since. At the mean time, motorists have to drive through narrow and dangerous roads. Signs of landslides were observed too due to the halting of this project. Will this project continue or are we waiting for the jungle of Balik Pulau to swallow it and make it disappear forever?"

He also blogged about it at length, entitled "Abandoned Highway Scars Balik Pulau, Penang".

Ekspo Jualan Karnival Riang Ria @ Masjid al-Moktar (5 - 26 MEI 2009)

Karnival Riang Ria sedang berlangsung di perkarangan Masjid Daerah Barat Daya al-Mokhtar bermula 5hb hingga 26hb MEI 2009.

Lebih 30 peniaga mengadakan eskpo jualan barangan dan makanan. Sebuah hentian permainan kanak-kanak juga ada...

Expo ini akan tamat pada 26hb Mei ini. Terdapat juga aktiviti menarik seperti pertandingan bantal, hadiah bertuah (setiap pembelian RM10 layak mendapat 1 kupoh cabutan bertuah) dan pelbagai lagi.

Hadiah sebuah motosiklal sedia menanti anda bagi cabutan bertuah selain daripada pelbagai hadiah yang menarik. Ekspo juga dimeriahkan dengan D.J. untuk mengamatkan suasana.

Datanglah beramai-ramai untuk memeriahkan majlis....

Tap the untapped market and create new market!

Residents of Balik Pulau and everyone now have an opportunity to enhance their business and reach more customers in the less tapped consumer region of Penang's southwest district (approximately half in size of the Penang island, and a population well exceeding 50,000) with the upcoming launch of the first marketing platform on an integrated printed and online media, dubbed the InfoBiz, produced by Pusat Komputer Balik Pulau, in collaboration with the Rural Internet Centre (Pusat Internet Desa - PID) of Balik Pulau.

While PID, situated at the annex of the local post office building, has been serving thousands of its neighborhood residents for over six years now since 2003, its current supervisor, Siti Huraizah Abdul Rahman, continues to realize how the local community still left very far behind in ICT adoption, particularly in Internet usage, estimated at well under 10% for the large parliamentary area covering Teluk Bahang, Pulau Betong (inclusive of the historic Kongsi Town) and Bayan Lepas (not including Bayan Lepas Industrial Area or Sungai Ara/Relau urban areas).

"In order to connect the community better, and faster, and immerse the residents with up-to-date business and social information, InfoBiz was incepted as an integrated media project combining the power of mass printed distribution, and online social media distribution", said Nasir Sobri who currently serves as Vice Chairman of Balik Pulau Social Entrepreneurs Club.

By advertising in the monthly issued InfoBiz, business owners can reach the largest optimum households in the rarely tapped market of Balik Pulau, and extend their marketing reach beyond Balik Pulau. This is due to collaboration with PID that has a large network of e-community throughout Penang, and its 42 centres around the country including Sabah and Sarawak with a total community of over 100,000.

Backtracking to PID - it is a Malaysian government initiative under the former Ministry of Energy, Water & Communications (KTAK) to close the digital divide in rural areas. Today, as PID being merged into the new Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture, the role of media in socio-economic development of rural areas is seen as an important and highly desired element to be explored extensively.

Siti Huraizah explains that plans are being worked out to enable the local community to tap the wealth of media world with future collaboration with many strong media agencies in the new ministry. "And the other PIDs across the nation can soon emulate similar projects in respective areas, and empower the respective communities with information and its technologies", she added.

Interested individuals who wish to order ad placement in the inaugural issue of InfoBiz, set to be published and first distributed on 1st of June 2009, may do so online, by of before 15 MAY 2009:

Pasarkan produk & perkhidmatan anda di Balik Pulau secara tertumpu, meluas dan berkesan, serta menjimatkan!

Offline form is also available upon request or by visiting Pusat Internet Desa at the Balik Pulau post office. PID is open every day, from 9am until 5pm except on Sunday and public holidays.