Despite doom prediction, postal services remain relevant.…

Billions of parcels, letters and express items are sent by post to people all over the world. Goods or important documents, migrants’ remittances to their families, newspapers and books -- the list goes on.
Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Edouard Datan says despite predictions of their demise not so long ago, postal services are alive and well and now more relevant than ever.
"E-mail and the Internet have not replaced them, but have instead created new opportunities," he said in his message to mark World Post Day today.
"We live at a time where the different means of communication complement each other. The postal sector provides a precious service, not only to anyone who buys or sells online, but also to people not yet able to make full use of the new technologies and for whom the mail is a vital link with the outside world. With growing international and inter-regional trade, the development gap between postal services around the world needs to be narrowed so that businesses and individuals can benefit more from them," he said.
It is worth recalling that the UPU this year is celebrating its 60th anniversary as a United Nations specialized agency. Since 1948, the postal sector has contributed in meaningful ways to the noble mission of the United Nations, assisting development, reducing poverty and the digital divide, promoting health, environmental protection and sustainable development, to name just a few.
Owing to their universality, postal services provide a link between people all over the globe. This is especially important at a time when millions of people do not enjoy the right to communication. In a constantly changing world, postal services make it possible to establish and maintain this contact and this link, both of which are vital.

Smile…you’re on World Smile Day!

"Smile an everlasting smile, a smile can bring you near to me…"
I recall the opening lyrics of the Bee Gees hit ‘Words’ as the World Smile Day is celebrated today.
There are hundreds of languages in the world but a smile speaks them all. It is perhaps the only thing that unites us and bonds us together as human beings.
It is rare that a smile fails to get a friendly response. Say it with a smile, no matter what language you speak and you will communicate. A smile may happen in a flash but the memory of it can last a lifetime.
The World Smile Day was first celebrated in 1999. As usual, the theme for the day is "Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile". And as ever, the image that leads the way on this day is the iconic Smiley Face.
Harvey Ball, co-owner of an advertising and public relations firm in Worcester, Massachusetts designed the irresistible Smiley Face in 1963 to help ease the acrimonious aftermath following the merger of two insurance companies.
The logo was to accompany a "friendship campaign" that the company came up with to encourage employees to smile as they went about their work or interacted with customers. Thinking about what would inspire employees to smile, he decided the most simple and direct symbol would be a smile itself and that is what he drew.

"I made a circle with a smile for a mouth on yellow paper, because it was sunshiny and bright," Ball recalled in a 1996 interview with The Associated Press. Turning the drawing upside down, the smile became a frown. Deciding that wouldn't do, Ball added two eyes and the Smiley Face was born. He was paid a $45 fee for his timeless creation.
"Never in the history of mankind or art has any single piece of art gotten such widespread favor, pleasure, enjoyment, and nothing has ever been so simply done and so easily understood in art," said Ball. He died in April 2001.
In Malaysia, we had a song about smile that was aired over radio and television:
Here's the lyrics of the song Senyum Seindah Suria:
Senyum Seindah Suria,
Yang membawa cahya,
Senyumlah dari hati,
Duniamu berseri,

Senyum umpama impian,
Dalam kehidupan,
Kau tersenyum ku tersenyum
Kemesraan menguntum...

Senyum..kepada semua,
Senyumanmu amatlah berharga
Senyum..umpama titian
Dengan senyuman terjalinlah ikatan...

And here's the English version:

A smile is quite a funny thing
It lightens up your face
And when it's gone you'll never find
Its secret hiding place
Far more wonderful it is
To see what smile can do
You smile at me
I smile at you
And so one smile makes two

Smile
Smile
It isn't hard to do
Smile for a while
And let one smile catch two...

New friend on Facebook ...

Yasmin Ahmad, my new friend on Facebook, is in South Korea to attend the screening of 'Muallaf' at the Pusan International Film Festival. One of Asia’s top, the festival kicks off today in the beach resort city. It will show 316 movies from 60 countries.
Like many others who commented on Facebook, I hope Yasmin will have a good trip.
From the comments given, many love her Petronas Raya TV commercial which I had wrote about on this blog.
While Hari Raya enters its second day in Malaysia, the Malaysian Embassy in Jordan emailed me some photos of the Aidilfitri celebrations in Amman which was attended by visiting Tengku Muda of Pahang, Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah. The celebration was held at the residence of ambassador Hasnudin Hamzah on the first day of the Aidilfitri on Tuesday. Hasnudin said there was the usual spread of Malaysian food such as lemang, rendang, satay, nasi dagang, nasi tomato and lontong.
On the second day of the Aidilfitri Wednesday, the celebration was held at the Malaysian Students Department attended by the Tengku Muda, Hasnudin and over 500 Malaysian students throughout the kingdom.

Surprise ‘Hari Raya’ visitor…

Talk about working on festive holiday, Bernama staff on duty had a surprise visitor when Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek turned up at Wisma Bernama today to personally convey his Hari Raya greeting.
Accompanied by his family, the minister made stops at Radio Bernama24, NAM News Network (NNN), Bernama TV and the editorial department on the 1st floor.


Interviewed by the radio station, Shabery highlighted about Malaysia’s unique Hari Raya ‘open house’ which livens up the festive atmosphere.
He was just back from the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) where the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and their wives jointly held a Hari Raya open house.
"Seluruh lapisan masyarakat mengunjungi rumah terbuka itu dalam suasana ceria yang mungkin tak ditemui di negara-negara lain...inilah suasana yang membuatkan Malaysia indah.
(Malaysians of all walks of life were there in a cheerful mood that is uniquely Malaysia...this is the kind of atmosphere that makes Malaysia beautiful)," said Shabery.
He gave credit to the media for cheering up the festive occasion.
"Apalah hari raya tanpa TV dan radio? (What is Hari Raya without TV and radio?)" said Shabery who later attended the Hari Raya ‘open house’ organised by the station.

Of Hari Raya eve and 'balik kampung' ...

KL is relatively quiet with many of its residents going back to their hometown for the Hari Raya celebration tomorrow. For those who remain in the city, they are bound to be asked: "Tak balik kampung ke?" (Aren’t you going back to your hometown?). I was asked of the question not less than five times today alone – at the bank, hypermarket, petrol station and at the roadside stalls selling ketupat, lemang and rendang along MRR2 near Zoo Negara. Its not the first time for me and my family to celebrate Hari Raya in KL. So, we are quite used to it. I’m going to take the opportunity to visit my friends especially those who grew up with me at the long demolished Asrama Dr Latiff.

Thank you to friends who sms me Raya greetings. I do hope everyone will have a wonderful time. Some advised me to drive safely, probably thinking I might be going somewhere out of the city. As far as driving is concerned, I’m having a breeze driving around KL with less cars on the road.
But not all ‘balik kampung’ journey ended in joy when 12 Indonesians – eleven women and a man -- drown after their wooden barge sank off Port Klang this morning. 112 others were rescued. Klang district police chief ACP Mohamad Mat Yusop said all the dead were in their 20s. One of the women was pregnant.
The barge sank 10 minutes after setting sail from a forest area in Pulau Che Mat Zin, near Westport for Tanjong Balai in the Sumatra at about 7am.
Mohamad said the 5m-long barge had capacity for 70 passengers but was carrying about 130 people.
All the Indonesians were believed to be on their way home to celebrate the Aidilfitri.
It is unexpected events like this that requires media organizations like Bernama to be on alert despite the festive mood. For this, my thoughts go to all who have to work during Hari Raya. They are the unsung heroes – men and women – who keep the organization going. Since Bernama started operation 40 years ago, it has never once ‘close for holiday’.
My colleague, Muin Abdul Majid, who is based in Dubai, is celebrating the Aidilfitri far away from his family. Like other Muslim Malaysians across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he joined other Muslims in the Gulf nation and many other countries in the Middle East in celebrating Aidilfitri today.
In Dubai, the Malaysians converged on the Matrade centre for the Aidilfitri prayers led by Shushilil Azam Shuib, the Malaysian Education Promotion Centre (MEPC) regional director.
The UAE Moon Sighting Committee announced Monday night that the UAE was to celebrate Aidilfitri Tuesday.
Selamat Hari Raya. Maaf Zahir Batin.

Hari Raya on Wednesday amidst ‘homecoming’ cheer of hijacked vessels…

Hari Raya Aidilfitri will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 1 as news of a second Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) tanker, hijacked in the Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates, has been freed brought relief for families of the 29 Malaysian hostages.
The ‘balik kampung’ exodus is expected to reach top-most gear following the announcement of the Hari Raya by Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal.
But the more anticipated ‘homecoming’ would definitely be that of the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) vessel.
The MT Bunga Melati Dua was released at 4.14am today and was reported to be heading towards Djibouti, East Africa with the crew in good health.
The good news came a day after pirates released another MISC tanker -- MT Bunga Melati Lima.
The MT Bunga Melati Dua, with a crew of 39 -- 29 Malaysian and the rest Filipinos -- was hijacked on Aug19. One of the Filipino crew was killed after being hit by a stray bullet, when the ship was taken over by pirates.
Ten days later, the MT Bunga Melati Lima, with 36 Malaysian and five Filipino crew encountered the same fate while sailing from Yanbu, Saudi Arabia to Singapore.

Feel-good stories about 'balik kampung'...

Most of my friends who have ‘kampungs’ to return to for the Hari Raya would have made the journey by now. I can imagine how happy they are to celebrate the joyous occasion with their parents or either one of them who are still alive.
My buddy Halim, who commented on my blog about the Petronas Raya commercial, took more than 17 hours to balik kampung from where he is based in Central Asia. I’m happy that he saw the TV commercial to make his homecoming even more special.
"…it is exactly 8.10 am Friday morning where I am at and I have a 7.10 pm flight home to catch. Another 11 hours. I have got all my bags with me here at the office. Exactly 17 hours later I will be landing at KLIA. I know the meaning of balik kampung for Hari Raya now. In the commercial, it was about a mother and her son, who came home for Hari Raya. I will go see my mother before Hari Raya and I will see her during Hari Raya and I will go see her after Hari Raya....
Never has a flight been so looked forward to...," he wrote on his blog: dudaesimboyo.blogspot.com.
Another buddy, Fisol describes vividly what balik kampung means to him on his blog hardkocks1961.blogspot.com.
"A friend asked me today whether I would be going home for Aidilfitri. I believe the question should be, when. As far as I’m concerned, not to return home for Aidilfitri is not an option, simply because my Mak is expecting everyone to be home for the festival, no matter how tight our schedules are or how crazy the traffic heading north would be at this time of the year," he said.
While many KL residents have made their way to their hometowns and kampungs to celebrate Hari Raya, the city’s main shopping areas remain busy with last-minute shoppers looking for bargains.

(Along the back lane between Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Masjid India at noon today)

Petronas fuels ‘balik kampung’ message …

Keeping up to its thought provoking messages, the Petronas television commercial for the coming Hari Raya drives home the poignant meaning of ‘balik kampung’.
It relates the story of a ‘busy’ young man going back to his ‘kampung’ where his mother lives alone. She had not been answering his phone calls as the line had been down. So when he couldn’t get connected to the internet, the young man decided to spend the night in town as he needed to use the facility to complete his project.
At the small hotel in town, he met an elderly man whose son had just undergone an operation. He was staying at the hotel as there was no place for him to sleep at the hospital.
"I can’t bear to leave him alone.
"It’s heart-breaking not being able to see him or hear his voice," said the man, looking dejected.
His remarks threw the young man into a deep-thought.
Seeing the young man buried in paperwork with a note-book computer at hand, the man said: "You look busy. Aren’t you going home for Raya?"
That further evoked a hard look on the young man who had left his mother alone at home.
When she did not answer his phone call, the young man decided to return home that night itself. On seeing him, the mother was of course surprise as she thought he would be spending the night in town.
Although it was a straight-forward message, the commercial still leaves behind a deep impact. We often take for granted persons whom we are supposed to love. We always think they will forever be there for us. We seldom appreciate their love and sacrifices.
In the commercial, the mother told the young man that she had sewn a pair of ‘baju Melayu’ for him but he seemed uninterested. He was more concern about his work.
When the mother asked him to take along some food which she had cooked for him, he declined it, saying he was running late.
Do value the moments to be with our parents while they are still alive. You’ll never know when it will be too late.
To view the 2008 Petronas Raya commercial, go here .

'Balik kampung' joy rising ...

With the 'balik kampung' joy creeping in as Aidil Fitri draws closer, I reckon there are many urban dwellers who are magnetized to the excitement but don’t have a ‘kampung’ to go back to for the Hari Raya. The thoughts of the simple lifestyle of a picturesque ‘kampung’ get feverish as evergreen Raya songs fill the air almost everywhere you go.
"Balik kampung, wo, wo, wo, balik kampung…wo, wo, wo, balik kampung, hati girang", goes a long-time favourite tune.
For those wanting to experience the kampung way of life, one option is the homestay programme. The good thing is that it’s an all-year round opportunity, not just during the festive time.

"I used to wonder why some people would want to come and stay with poor kampung folk. We live a simple life. There is not much luxury and comfort in our homes, yet people are attracted to that," says fisherman Ramli Ibrahim who rents out one of the three rooms in his house in Kelantan.
"After talking to our guests, I realised they are attracted to the quiet and slow pace of life in our kampung. They want to live with us and eat what we eat and take part in our activities.
"Surprisingly, I get many Malaysians who just want to get away from the city and try out the simple kampung life."
He would never have dreamt of making a living by opening his home to total strangers and allowing them to share in his family life, according to a report in the New Straits Times today.
But two years ago, he and a group of villagers living in one of the many small islets along Sungai Kelantan in Tumpat, learnt about the concept behind the homestay programme.
Since then, the 49-year-old father of six and 19 other villagers on Pulau Suri have been taking in visitors who are eager to experience their simple kampung lifestyle.
Apart from curious and adventurous foreigners who want to learn about local culture, the villagers also get people from big cities like Kuala Lumpur who want to sample the rustic kampung lifestyle.
Kelantan Homestay Association president Mohd Nasir Mustapha says the organisation hopes to attract more people like Ramli to take part in the homestay programme as it is a good way to boost tourism.
Since it was set up in May, the association has recruited 1,200 members mostly from remote areas like Jeli and Gua Musang.

"Di hari raya
Terkenang daku kepada si dia
Kampungku indah nun jauh di sana
Ayah serta bondaku..."
(Dendang Perantau)

Standing up for peace...

On this International Day of Peace, September 21, Malaysia has pledged to make it an annual celebration.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak says September 21 is a significant international day as it was chosen by the United Nations (UN) as a day of ceasefire and to stop all forms of violence throughout the world.
By creating the International Day of Peace (Peace Day), the UN devoted itself to worldwide peace and encouraged all of mankind to work in cooperation for this goal.
The ‘Peace Bell’ is rung at the UN Headquarters to celebrate the day. An inscription on the side of the bell reads: "Long live absolute world peace."
But it's so ironic that it was only yesterday that at least 60 people were killed when an explosives-laden truck exploded at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel in the latest incident of violence.
"Malaysia condemns all forms of violence, aggression and foreign interference in the domestic affairs of another country," said Najib in his speech read out by Deputy Defence Minister Abu Seman Yusop at the Walk for Peace event in Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.
Participants at the event observed a minute of silence at 12pm sharp as a remembrance for those who had fought in wars.
Every country in the world celebrates the day in their own manner.
The first Peace Day was celebrated in 1982 when the United Nations General Assembly declared the third Tuesday of September as the International Day of Peace to commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace.
In 2002 the General Assembly officially declared September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace.
During the discussion of the U.N. Resolution in 1981 that established the International Day of Peace, it was suggested that:
"Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples…This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace."
Malaysia has submitted to UN calls to send troops for peacekeeping operations to countries that were having conflicts in the past 35 years.
"We begin with dispatching troops to Congo and followed by Namibia, Cambodia, Somalia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Western Sahara and Timor Leste. At present a Malaysian contingent is serving in Lebanon at the request of the UN," said Najib.
Let’s give peace a chance!

A friend ….

(A)ccepts you as you are
(B)elieves in you
(C)alls you just to say "Hi!"
(D)oesn't give up on you
(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over
(J)ust be with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life
(N)ever judges
(O)ffer support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits
(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you
(W)alks beside you
(X)-plains thing you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen and
(Z)aps you back to reality

The 'tall' club ...

Millions of people visit towers across the globe annually for an experience of "being at the top". The spectacular heights and panoramic view offered by these towers create tourism opportunities both for the towers and the host countries. With the advent of technology, modern towers are getting higher and higher, reaching incredible heights and in the process, acquire new purposes in telecommunication.
Malaysia’s own Menara KL is among 27 members of the World Federation of Great Towers (WFGT). Created in 1989, the WFGT is an association of international monuments to foster global awareness and develop international opportunities for promotion.
Menara KL Chief Executive Officer Zulkifli Mohamad says 40 million tourists visit the towers yearly.
"Through our membership in the WFGT, Menara KL offers an important window of opportunity in terms of promoting the country’s tourism products and services to the global communities," he said.
The federation meets annually to decide on the following year’s activities and to formulate a marketing plan. Moscow is hosting this year’s conference from September 14 to September 20.
The key criterion for inclusion in the WFGT is that the building must have a public observation deck.

Menara KL joined the WFGT on its inauguration day on October 1, 1996.

Standing tall at 421 meters in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, the tower perches majestically on top of Bukit Nenas, which is itself 94 metres above sea level.


The other 26 member towers of WFGT are: CN Tower in Toronto (Canada), Empire State Building in New York (United States), Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai (China), Blackpool Tower in Blackpool (England), Calgary Tower in Calgary (Canada), Central Radio and TV Beijing in Beijing (China), Collserola Tower in Barcelona (Spain).
Donauturm in Vienna (Austria), Eiffel Tower in Paris (France), Euromast in Rotterdam, (Holland), Fernsehturm Tower in Berlin(Germany), John Hancock Center in Chicago, (United States), Macau Tower in Macau (China), Olympic Tower in Montreal (Canada), Ostankino Tower in Moscow (Russia), Praha TV Tower in Prague (Czech Republic), Q1 in Gold Coast (Australia), Rialto Towers in Melbourne (Australia), Seoul Tower in Seoul (South Korea), Sky Tower in Auckland (New Zealand), Sydney Tower in Sydney, (Australia), Tashkent Tower in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Tokyo Tower in Tokyo ( Japan), Torre Latino in Mexico City (Mexico), TV and Radio Tower in Tianjin (China) and UFO in Brastislava (Slovak Republic).

Getting started on FDC...

A man watched curiously as the postal staff cancelled the set of 10 stamps, each valued at 50 sen, with postmarks of today's date.
"What use are the stamps anymore?" he asked his equally curious friend.
Standing close to them, I could not avoid overhearing his remark.
"The postmarks are the ones that add value to the stamps on this specially-designed envelope," I told the man, showing him the complete First Day Cover (FDC).
"They indicate the date of which the stamps were first issued to the public...that's the thrill of collecting first day covers," I explained.
After some thoughts, the man decided to buy the set of 10 stamps and first day cover from the counter at the Philately Unit at the Kuala Lumpur General Post Office.
"This will be the start of my collection," he said after sticking the stamps on the envelope. He then duly got it stamped with the special postmark.
The latest stamp issue is entitled 'Royal Headgear'. In its accompanying leaflet, Pos Malaysia says the royal headdress 'Tengkolok' is part of the ceremonial attire of the Malay Rulers. For centuries Malay Rulers had been wearing headdress made of woven silk fabric that is shaped into different styles as part of their regalia since the days of the Malay Sultanate. This headdress is also called 'destar' and the style of folding is called 'solek'. The colours of the headdress varies from one state to another.

Ramadan "tests" US Muslim students ...

Sitting with their classmates in the lunchroom but are unable to eat during daylight, the holy fasting month of Ramadan is testing the mettle of US Muslim students, the IslamOnline.net portal reported.
"The point of Ramadan is to challenge yourself," Noora Aljabi, a 15-year-old student at Evansville Day School in Tri-State area, told Evansville Courier & Press, which was quoted by the portal.
In its report published Saturday September 13, the newspaper said Noora's younger sister Nadia started fasting this Ramadan.
"It's a little harder here," said the 13-year-old. "But it shows we're strong."
Muslims are not required to observe Ramadan until they reach puberty but many Muslim children try fasting for short periods before that.
"There are seven or eight Muslim kids at my school that are fasting," said Romaze Akram, 15, who lives in Newburgh but goes to the Signature School in Evansville.
The news report estimated about 200 Muslim families in Tri-State region, which surrounds the New York City.
American Muslims, estimated between six and seven million, started fasting on Monday, September 1.
Muslim students say that fasting in Ramadan helps them feel the plight of the poor.
"We know we're going to be able to eat at the end of the day," said 16-year-old Amira Aljabi.
"Other people in the world, they never end it."
Many students seize on the holy month to answer questions about Islam by their non-Muslim colleagues.
Myeda Hussain recalls answering questions about her fast by her classmates when she was in elementary school.
"I was very proud of my parents' heritage," said Myeda, who is of Pakistani origin.
Students say that for the most part, their non-Muslim classmates are respectful and supportive.
"My best friend even fasted with me last time, just to support me," Noora said.
"She's Lutheran Christian."

A friend's poetic feeling...

A friend who has been following my blog wanted to share with me a poem he penned. It was inspired by his observation and self experience about the many challenges in life. The poem is so meaningful that I should copy and paste it here:

APA SALAHNYA

Apa salahnya
sesekali kita mencari kesalahan diri
dan memaafkan kesilapan orang
agar tunas sengketa
layu di taman sukma

Apa salahnya
sesekali kita dilukai
dan merasa pedihnya
agar kita lebih mengerti
bagaimana sakitnya bila disakiti

Apa salahnya
sesekali kita mengalah
dan belajar memujuk hati
agar hidup menjadi lebih harmoni

Apa salahnya
sesekali kita dihampakan
dan dibiar tanpa peduli
agar kita lebih mengerti
bahawa hidup tidak seindah mimpi

Apa salahnya
sesekali kita menyanggah adat
dan menegakkan hakikat
agar kebenaran terjulang
di menara hasrat

Apa salahnya
sesekali kita menyongsang arus
dan kembali ke pangkal makrifat
agar hidup lebih selamat

Apa salahnya
sesekali kita berterus terang
dan menghormati pendirian sendiri
agar tertegak
maruah dan harga diri

SHAMSUDIN PUTEH

Being media-friendly helps...

Being friendly with the media helps corporate entities enhance their image.
As corporate image is the perception that people have of an organization, a growing number of companies are giving emphasis to media relations.
Good rapport with the media is a powerful mean of communicating with the public and other organizations.
Now that we are in the month of Ramadan, it has become a tradition for corporate bodies to organize ‘buka puasa’ (breaking fast) events for the media as an appreciation for the support given.
These events are normally held in hotels where company big-wigs themselves turn-up to touch-base with the media people.
Some companies take the opposite approach. If the media can’t attend the buka puasa-do away from the office, the companies bring the food to them.
That’s what Nestle (Malaysia) Berhad did when it held a ‘buka puasa’ treat for Bernama staff at Wisma Bernama today.
The initiative speaks well of the company which recently earned the top-spot as overall most-admired Malaysian company ahead of other corporate giants in the Wall Street Journal Asia’s Asia 200 survey of readers.
With its tagline "Good Food, Good Life", Nestle, which started operations in the country in 1912, produces household names such as MILO, NESCAFÉ, MAGGI, NESPRAY and KIT KAT.
So popular the names are that you don’t hear people ordering hot chocolate but MILO when you go out. So does MAGGI goreng (friend MAGGI)!


Nestle (Malaysia) Berhad Managing Director Sullivan O'Carroll turned up for the event. (Pix by Zuber Nordin)

'Man gets and forgets...'

While waiting for the light to turn green at a traffic junction, my attention was drawn to the sticker on the car in front of me. It says:
"Man gets and forgets, Allah gives and forgives".

Meanwhile, a news report from Grozny says the once war-shattered capital of Chechnya is set to finally receive a grand mosque that is going to be the largest not only in the Muslim-majority country but Europe as well.

"Ceremony of opening is planned for October 17," President Ramzan Kadyrov told the Russian news agency Interfax today.
The inauguration will mark the first day of the International Peacemakers' Conference, titled "Islam - Religion of Peace and Progress," Kadyrov said in the report picked up by Islamonline.net.
The mosque will be able to accommodate over 10,000 people and has minarets that soar 180 feet into the air.
Within its surrounding is Chechnya's Islamic administration, a religious school, an Islamic university, a hotel and a religious library.
The mosque is tipped as the biggest not only in the mountainous republic in the North Caucasus region but in Europe as well.
The construction began more than three years ago at an estimated cost of some US$20 million, said the report.

Of right and wrong…

A story about friendship from Africa picked-up from the internet -- modern-day story-telling tool.
Once there were two boys who were great friends and they were determined to remain that way forever.
When they grew up and got married, they built their houses facing one another.
There was a small path that formed a border between their farms.
One day, a trickster from the village decided to play a trick on them.
He dressed himself in a two-colour coat that was divided down the middle. So, one side of the coat was red and the other side was blue.
The trickster wore this coat and walked along the narrow path between the houses of the two friends. They were each working opposite each other in their fields.
The trickster made enough noise as he passed them to make sure that each of them would look up and see him passing.
At the end of the day, one friend said to the other: "Wasn't that a beautiful red coat that man was wearing today?"
"No," the other replied. "It was a blue coat."
"I saw the man clearly as he walked between us!" said the first, "His coat was red."
"You are wrong!" said the other man, "I saw it too and it was blue."
"I know what I saw!" insisted the first man. "The coat was red!"
"You don't know anything," the second man replied angrily. "It was blue!"
They kept arguing about this over and over, insulted each other.
Eventually, they began to beat each other and roll around on the ground.
Just then, the trickster returned and faced the two men, who were punching and kicking each other and shouting "Our friendship is over!"
The trickster walked directly in front of them and showed them his coat.
He laughed at their silly fight.

The two friends saw his coat which was red on one side and blue on the other.
The two friends stopped fighting and screamed at the trickster saying, "We have lived side by side like brothers all our lives and it is all your fault that we are fighting. You have started a war between us."
"Don't blame me for the battle," replied the trickster.
"I did not make you fight. Both of you are wrong and both of you are right. Yes, what each one saw was true. You are fighting because you only looked at my coat from your own point of view."

A worthy companion ...

Maggi mee is a favourite item for many Malaysians travelling abroad. The more difficult the place is to get food, as one perceived, the more packets or cups of the instant noodle gets into the suitcase.
While Maggi (or probably some other brand name) is a worthy travel companion, the ‘grub’ makes convenient stock for some working abroad.
My old friend Halim, who is into his second Ramadan in oil-rich Turkmenistan, occasionally turns to Maggi even for breaking fast.
"No buka puasa outing here. If they have Pizza Hut or McD here, that would be nice. That would be enough," the ‘oil patch hand’ wrote on his blog.
For someone who has forgotten what galley food tastes like, it is no surprise that he misses Malaysian food especially during the fasting month.
"No pasar Ramadan here. If they have it too, it would not have the food that we need. Need, not want, but need.
The solat terawih are as fast as it was last year but the pak imam took a page out of some of the masjids back home - in the middle of the solat terawih, they would hold a tazkirah," he said.
My thoughts are with you, my friend!

*Located in Central Asia, Turkmenistan borders Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the southwest, Uzbekistan to the northeast, Kazakhstan to the northwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Its capital is Ashgabat.

Don’t cry wolf …

Over ‘kopi-o’ and 'karipap' after Terawih prayers tonight, a friend asked me about the false sms attributed to Bernama.
He said such act of lying, in this instance via sms, was really bad.
"Whoever the prankster is should realise that it is not funny to tell lies," he said.
After another sip of the black coffee, he said: "You must remember the story of the shepherd boy who cried wolf."
Out of boredom, the boy had shouted "Wolf" several times, just to laugh at the people who came running to the hill to help him drive away the so-called wolf from his flock of sheep.
One day, a wolf did appear and started to eat the sheep!
The terrified boy shouted, "Wolf! Wolf!" but no one believed him this time, and the whole flock was lost to the wolf.
The moral of the story is that even when liars tell the truth, no one believes them.