Merdeka & Ramadan datang lagi!

Tiba malam hari sambutan Merdeka ke-51 (31 AUG 2008), Muslimin dan Muslimat seluruh Malaysia dan banyak negara-negara lain menyambut ketibaan Ramadan 1429H yang mulia menandakan bermulanya ibadah berpuasa setiap hari sepanjang 29-30 hari berikutnya, dan kali ini bermaknya sepenuh-penuhnya bulan September 2008!

Here are some recent snapshots around Balik Pulau off my camera/mobile phone showcasing decent developments and preserved agricultural bases (enjoy the slideshow!):



Will post more of Ramadan scenes later...

Too all Malaysians, enjoy the celebrations of Nationhood (17aug08 - 16sep08) up to this year's 45th Malaysia Day (16 SEP) and beyond!

Socializing Entrepreneurship in Desa Balik Pulau

The movement has begun. And the virus will spread across the country bringing the message of development for both urban and rural areas of Malaysia - self-development that is! Less than three months from today, Global Entrepeneurship Week will run across over 60 countries, with thousands of activities at regional and national levels to promote entrepreneurship as a mean to elevate economic and social status of affected communities. And these activities will not be run entirely by government or big corporations. In fact, most of these activities will be run by smaller organizations and groups of entrepreneurial people. These individuals and groups of people will strive to bring significant impacts to the local and global communities they would respectively cater to. How better can you learn entrepreneurship, besides actually getting your hands 'dirty' deep in it?

Today marked the day when the smallest ripple will spread out and virally infect the entire pool with synergized movements to create a better impact to the society, at least, in Balik Pulau. And I'm sure many more small ripples are being initiated in various villages and towns at this very moment to move the entire nation, and when nations collaborate, the entire world will vibrate. We started with a formation of Kelab Usahawan Sosial (Social Entrepreneurs Club - SEC/KUSBP) where a dozen local citizens of Balik Pulau congregated and one of the only two Pusat Internet Desa (Rural Internet Centre) in Penang (with another one in Tasek Gelugor, Seberang Perai) and agreed to push forward with its establishment as fast as possible.

En. Yuhezri Mohd Yusoff agreed to serve as a the Protem Chairman and he is to be assisted by Sarina Ishak as the Protem Honorary Secretary. The other ten attendees will serve as the committee protem executives. This small group of 'enterprising' individuals come from various walks of economic life including a farmer, a shop operator, a financial consultant, a telecentre supervisor, an IT engineer, an Microsoft-certified IT administrator, a gym operator, a government worker, a kindergarten teacher etc.

Next week, the committee will welcome representatives from Kuala Lumpur-based Warisan Global Sdn Bhd, host for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Malaysia 2008. And in weeks ahead, expect intense discussions on activities planned for GEW Penang/Malaysia and back-to-back trainings for would-be social entrepreneurs ("usahawan sosial", as an opposed to commercial/for-profit-only entrepeneurs).

Read more about social entrepeneurship at:-

1. Wikipedia
2. WikiVersity
3. GKP's Young Social Enterprise Initiative (YSEI)
   
4. UK-based School for Social Entrepeneurs (SSE) and Canada-based University of Alberta School of Business's CCSE.
   
5. Palo Alto, USA-based Skoll Foundation and its Social Edge portal
   
6. Switzerland-based Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
7. Inspired Pragmatism Blog by Madhukar Shukla
   
8. New York University (NYU) Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Program in Social Entrepreneurship
9. Telecentre.org
10. And supporting agencies including Canada-based IDRC, Swiss-based SDC, Microsoft (Unlimited Potential Program) and Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP, with Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia based Secretariat)
    

Simpang Tiga Maut Taman Sri Indah

Lebih kurang jam 10.30 malam tadi (Isnin 19 OGOS 2008), terdengar bunyi perlanggaran kenderaan yang begitu kuat dari simpang tiga ngeri yang hanya kurang daripada 20 meter tempat saya baru nak menikmati mee goreng mamak (di Restoran 24-jam Taman Sri Indah). Saya pasti ianya satu lagi kemalangan yang hampir sama dengan beberapa kemalangan yang sama di situ - sebuah kenderaan menghala masuk ke Taman Sri Indah dan sebuah lagi pasti meluncur laju dari arah Kongsi ke arah Simpang Empat Genting di barat daya.

Kurang daripada tujuh bulan yang lalu, saya sendiri menjadi mangsa simpang tiga 'berhantu' ini - kurang daripada sesaat membezakan kecederaan kecil dan kecederaan parah/maut bagi saya apabila dilanggar sebuah kereta meluncur laju ketika saya menunggang motosikal.

Puluhan orang ramai yang sedang berehat atau membeli-belah di kedai-kedai berdekatan terus bergegas di tempat kejadian, menghulurkan bantuan kepada kedua-dua mangsa serba-sedikit. Dari jauh, kelihatan dua buah motosikal yang hancur berderai. Khabarnya dan kelihatannya, kedua-dua motosikal tersebut baru lepas berlanggar depan sama depan. Kedua-dua penunggang motosikal berasingan terbaring di jalan raya, mengerang nampaknya kerana kesakitan yang amat. Pak Cik berumur dalam lingkungan umur 50-an parah di bahagian kaki, dan pemuda dalam lingkungan umur 20-an terbaring berlumuran darah di kepala.

Kurang daripada lima minit kemudian, siren ambulan kedengaran dan sebuah van tiba membawa paramedik dari Hospital Balik Pulau yang terletak kurang daripada dua kilometer dari tempat kejadian, yang terus mengusung "pak cik" dengan kereta roda. Mangsa kedua ditinggalkan buat sementara waktu untuk diambil dalam 'trip' kedua. Kedua-dua mangsa nampak masih hidup, tapi, parahnya kecederaan mereka hanya akan diketahui selepas pemeriksaan doktor di wad kecemasan Hospital Balik Pulau.

Banyak sebab kenapa kemalangan sebegini terus berulang di tempat yang sama, melalui senario yang hampir sama setiap kali. Tapi nampaknya tiada tindakan positif daripada pihak berkuasa selama bertahun-tahun lamanya. Kawasan simpang tiga di Jalan Balik Pulau tersebut cukup gelap dengan lampu jalan yang tidak berfungsi, termasuk beberapa lampu-lampu jalan yang lain yang begitu malap atau langsung tidak berfungsi, walaupun jalan tersebut cukup dekat dengan Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Barat Daya (kedua terbesar di Pulau Pinang) - kurang daripada sekilometer, tapi lebih 20 minit selepas kemalangan tadi, masih tak kelihatan langsung seorang pun pegawai polis di tempat kejadian -- khabarnya hampir semua pegawai polis dikerahkan ke Permatang Pauh di Seberang Perai (sama ketika saya mengalami kemalangan di situ - tak seorang polis pun yang datang menjenguk!).

Malah ada pejabat-pejabat operasi politik untuk kedua-dua 'parti pemerintah' Barisan Nasional dan pembangkang Pakatan Rakyat di rumah-kedai Taman Sri Indah - apakah pemimpin-pemimpin politik Balik Pulau tidur, atau terlalu sibuk dengan kegamatan di Permatang Pauh sampai lupa tempat sendiri? Sampai bila penduduk di situ wajar terus menunggu sehingga lampu-lampu jalan diperbaiki atau ditambahkan lampu trafik? (atau dibuangkan terus pembahagi jalan yang menghalang kenderaan-kenderaan mengelak ketika keadaan terdesak).

Apa perlu lebih banyak kemalangan ngeri dan meragut nyawa berlaku baru wakil-wakil rakyat dan jabatan kerajaan terbabit nak buat sesuatu? Apakah pihak polis (trafik) akan terus membisu dan akan terus berpeluang meminta wang suap setiap kali kemalangan berkomplikasi sebegini berlaku?

Western Fast Food has landed on Balik Pulau!

Some have obviously listened... and realized the opportunities for a huge eatery at the "New Balik Pulau"... So the question I posted over a year ago has now been answered. It's Kentucky Fried Chickens (KFC) who has stepped up to the "plate" to bring hot, spicy, fried chickens and ala-western burgers to one of the most strategic business location in Balik Pulau! (It's the corner shoplot, next to the new Ambank - after having moved from the centre of the old & crowded Kongsi Town just weeks ago, where at least one traditional "Ramly" Burger Stall/Cart is operating just a few dozen metres across the street).


Ironically, I've been urging my brother all these months to open up a fried chicken stall, because no one else are doing so except one stall at "Genting" Simpang Empat (in front of Umno & MARA offices) and at Pasar Malams on Wednesday & Sunday (also near Simpang Empat). Now, new ventures for "fried chickens" would have to go head to head with the big old uncle of KFC...


This is obviously a huge bet by franchisee (if any) or owner of this KFC outlet to serve a region of much less than 100,000 people (but with a handful of weekly visitors), but I'm sure they have done a comprehensive study before willing to put up an investment that could run into millions of ringgit over the course of a year of so... And if KFC will manage to survive, I'm sure many others will follow to "invade" Balik Pulau, including KFC's conventional competitors like McDonald's and other local franchises like KLG or Marrybrown, assuming that business will boom at the site, perhaps with a newcomer from the category of a "supermarket" or "mini hypermarket". (Sunshine, Giant, Tesco, Carrefour etc., are you there?)

I doubt this KFC outlet will open 24 hours daily though (like the ones in Bayan Baru and near USM's Sg. Dua Gate). But I hope, KFC will offer free Wi-Fi for its patrons, so, the locals and Balik Pulau visitors can benefit from it more than just great food. After all, if a Tomyam restaurant on Jalan Balik Pulau (e.g. Azlan Tomyam, near Taman Indah) can offer Wi-Fi Internet Access, why can't a big million-ringgit restaurant offer the same courtesy?


Say, how about adding "KFC" or "Kedai Makan Ayam Goreng" to above already crowded direction sign board?

Mari-mari! So many things to see and do in Balik Pulau!!

Penang celebrates and ANSARABP to hold Silver Jubilee (25th Anniversary) Reunion Celebration for historic MRSMBP in Balik Pulau on 25-27jul08

It's OFFICIAL: The weekend of 25th until 27th of July 2008 will be filled with state-wide celebrations in Penang, the tiny (2nd smallest, but most densed and second-most urbanized, after Selangor - Dept of Statistics Malaysia, 2000) most popular state among the thirteen states of Malaysia (not including Malaysia's three Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya & Labuan).

The three days of celebration will be historic by themselves, when Penangites & friends celebrate George Town as the only two towns/cities of Malaysia (along with Melaka) being made into UNESCO-WHC's List of World Heritage Sites (for cultural category, in addition to the only two others in Malaysia so far -- for natural category: Gunung Kinabalu, Sabah & Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak) announced earlier this month (announced on 7th of July, 2008).

Impressive achievement if you'd ask me considering the following cultural criteria for selection set by World Heritage Centre (WHC):-

• I. "to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius";
• II. "to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design";
• III. "to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared";
• IV. "to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history";
• V. "to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change";
• VI. "to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)".

As of 2008, The Straits of Malacca's George Town & Melaka are sharing spots in the prestigious list of 878 sites: 678 cultural, 174 natural, and 26 mixed properties, in 145 states... Consider these names that are on the same list: Pyramids of Giza (Egypt), Persepolis (Iran), the Statue of Liberty (United States), The Great Wall of China, Chichen Itza (Mexico), St. Petersburg (Russia), Borobudor (Central Java, Indonesia) and the Shinto Itsukushuma Shrine (Hiroshima, Japan)!

As the only other district of the two districts in Pulau Pinang (the Penang Island), folks from Balik Pulau (centre of Penang's southwest district, as well as one the thirteen parliamentary sections of Penang) would definitely join in the celebration for GeorgeTown (capital "city" of Penang as well as one of the major towns in the Penang's northeast district), along with folks from everywhere else especially those from Seberang Perai and nearby regions in northern peninsular of Malaysia.

To spice up Penang's celebration (accidentally, actually!), Persatuan Anak Sains MARA Balik Pulau (ANSARABP) is also pledging all of its thousands of (both official and non-official) members, current and former students of of Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM, ie. MARA Junior Science College - MJSC) Balik Pulau and staff (present and former teachers etc. of MRSMBP) to also gather at the historic school (one of the first educational institutions in this once remote town/forest-dominated small village) on the same weekend, starting on Friday afternoon, July the 25th, 2008 for its 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) Celebration cum MRSMBP Students/Alumni Reunion 2008.

The following is an official invitation letter from the organizing secretariat for MRSM/ANSARA Balik Pulau Silver Jubilee 2008 Event:

24 Jun 2008

Tan Sri/Dato’/Datin/Tuan/Puan/Encik/Cik/Saudara/Saudari,

JEMPUTAN ‘SAMBUTAN JUBLI PERAK MRSM BALIK PULAU - ULANG TAHUN YANG KE 25 TAHUN’

Saya bagi pihak ANSARABP ingin menjemput Tan/Sri/Dato’/Datin/Tuan/Puan/Encik /Cik/Saudara/Saudari ke majlis Sambutan Jubli Perak MRSM Balik Pulau pada tarikh berikut:

Tarikh:
25 Julai 2008 (Jumaat 9.00 pagi)-27 Julai 2008 (Ahad)

Masa:
9.00 pagi-5 ptg setiap hari

Tempat:
Dewan Besar Maktab Rendah Sains MARA,
Jalan Pondok Upeh, 11000 Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang

Kami amat berharap agar kehadiran pihak Tan Sri/Dato’/Datin/Tuan/Puan/Encik/ Cik/Saudara/Saudari dapat memeriahkan suasana sambutan majlis yang julung-julung kali diadakan..

Jika ada sebarang pertanyaan berkenaan majlis diatas, pihak Tan Sri/Dato’/Datin/Tuan/Puan/ Encik/Cik/Saudara/Saudari boleh menghubungi urusetia yang bertugas seperti tertera dibawah ini:

• Mohd Ramzi b. Mohd Sharif ( 019-2272694)
• Noor Azlina Bt. Zainal Abidin (012-3451069)
• Roslinda (019-28000061)
• Zaky SPM90 (019-4122994)

Sekian. Terima Kasih.

Yang Benar,

Mohd Ramzi b. Mohd Sharif
Ketua Cawangan ANSARABP
B/p: Ansara Balik Pulau

_______________________________________________________________________________

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROGRAM SUMMARY

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS FORM

THE FEE IS

Dewasa = RM 25.00/person Kanak-kanak= RM 10.00/person (8-12 tahun) and RM 20 for Malam Ala Kenduri Kahwin 26/07/08

PLEASE CALL THE RESPECTIVE PERSON FOR ACCOUNT NUMBER

KEEP PROOF OF PAYMENT FOR REFERENCE WITHOUT WHICH ANSARABP WILL NOT ENTERTAIN ANY PAYMENT CLAIMS

PLEASE FAX THE FILLED FORM TO 03-21684201 OR E-MAIL SOFTCOPY TO azlina@3treetrading.com AND SMS TO 012-3451069, TOGETHER WITH ANY REFERENCE/TRANSACTION NUMBER & AMOUNT TO ACKNOWLEDGE PAYMENT,TQ

‘SAMBUTAN JUBLI PERAK MRSM BALIK PULAU YANG KE 25 TAHUN”

ANSARABP
C/O: Noor Azlina bt. Zainal Abidin, 3Tree Trading Group Sdn Bhd. Level 40, Petronas Twin Tower 2, 50088 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-21684476 Fax: 03-21684201 E-mail: azlina@3treetrading.com

Other related events on the same weekend in Penang include Japanese Film Festival 2008 @ GSC Gurney, a FREE Economic Forum entitled "The Petrol Price Hike - How It Affects Us" (with panelists including Dr Suresh Narayanan, Dato' OK Lee and Mr Anil Netto) organized by SERI @ Dewan Sri Pinang and SME Conference 2008 @ Gurney Hotel organized by ACCA Malaysia (and joint organized by SAMENTA & investPenang and supported by KENANGA, SSM, ORACLE, Penang Joint Chamber of Commerce and MCA ICT Resource Centre (MiRC)). Refer TechPenang.com's ICT Penang Calendar for more details or links to add to your Google or other web/desktop-based calendars.