For a spot of recharge and rejuvenate,head to… Kuang! |
- For a spot of recharge and rejuvenate,head to… Kuang!
- What will the Election Commission recommend for Kapar? — Rama Ramanathan
- So what is there to eat in Tapah?
- Van Gaal: Manchester United’s title hopes dented by Villa’s 1-1 draw
- Aki is just sew cute
- US-Cuba ties: President says won’t change Havana’s political system
| For a spot of recharge and rejuvenate,head to… Kuang! Posted: 20 Dec 2014 05:10 PM PST
Sometimes, you just need a change of pace and scenery to realign your gears before plunging into another full week of meetings, deadlines and the oft-inevitable pressure that comes with them. Hotels are aplenty for this purpose, modern sanctuaries that ensconce you in the creature comforts of room service, poolside bars, rain showers, high thread count cotton bedding, and maybe even a butler at your beck and call. It's just what the stress doctor ordered and everything he would prescribe. Still, these tend to be within urban settings where you're never too far from a mall and other city hangouts. What if you want to leave the concrete jungle well and truly behind, to look out the window and see the greens of trees rather than the glass and steel of shiny skyscrapers? Where the chirps of birds replace the angry honks of impatient drivers on traffic-choked roads? In other words, to be a world away from your typical weekend in the city and ideally, not have to spend several hours traversing highways by car or boarding a plane to get there. Village life In all those respects, Kuang Kampung Retreat is the perfect spot to hide away for at least 48 hours. Located in Sungai Buloh about half an hour from Kuala Lumpur city centre, the 3,350sq ft single-storey bungalow was built in the style of a traditional Malay village home, complete with a chicken coop and goat's pen.
The latex-producing trees are long since gone and replaced with a variety of fruit trees, herbs, medicinal plants and also several species of timber trees including merbau, chengal, nyatoh and kembang semangkok – an experiment by the owner, who wanted to see what they looked like and to document their growth. It is also a tribute, perhaps, to the bungalow itself, which was constructed from a mix of tropical timber and sits on stone columns. Diagonally across from it, a watch tower built in the same style houses a water tank (the water is pumped up from a well 200ft in the ground). Climb up the wooden stairs to the top, from where you can look down over the entire property and beyond, though much is covered by lush foliage. This is also a gathering and dining spot, equipped with a kitchenette and dining table. Next to the tower, a small house is home to the retreat's caretakers, who watch over the place 24 hours a day so you have peace of mind – which is not difficult to achieve amidst the homey, bucolic environment.
Now, Kuang Kampung Retreat is listed under the Avillion Private Collection, which delivers intimate and boutique hospitality experiences through carefully selected private homes and villas across Asia. At each property, Avillion provides housekeeping, catering and personal assistance. In that, staycationers get to enjoy a "home away from home" plus the attentive services of a regular hotel. Nature in and out Almaz is known for integrating elements of Nature into her works, and the harmony is evident in every aspect of this property. Right in front of the bungalow, a mini roundabout encircles an ancient raintree and guests can pull right up to the porch, flanked by 12ft-high tree trunks, to unload their bags. Step in and a sense of calm prevails, thanks mainly to the plunge pool that sits in the middle of the house. With water spouting from a Balinese-style stone wall and the sun streaming in from the airwell above, it is an invitation to surrender to the peace of the moment. The living room is clearly conceptualised for lazy lounging, with a mix of plush sofas and reupholstered retro furniture in neutral tones, punctuated with cushions in soft pinks and greens.
As you take in the details, it's apparent that besides a home and a restful retreat, this property is as much a showcase of architectural styles, sustainable living and a nod to Malaysian heritage. The high ceilings are supported by chengal beams that form a lattice-like pattern, highlighted by seamless joinery work. The floor is formed by balau and kempas planks that are a uniform 13 inches wide, 5 inches thick and at least 15 feet long – all salvaged from old buildings in Perak that were slated for demolition. The windows are another focus point; traditional rumah Melayu louvred panels that were handmade by a Kelantanese craftsman for a palace in Kuala Lipis.
More art pieces decorate the corridors and the three bedrooms, which sport the same pastel-toned aesthetics and can sleep between two or three persons each. Beautiful antique Malay furniture fill the rooms, all sourced from Malacca where the owner also found ornate floor tiles from an old house, and they now carpet the guest bathroom. The master bedroom is a haven in itself, where you can get a restful night's sleep on the poster bed and the windows open out to the lush garden. The greens are not confined to the compound; the open concept bathrooms are each designed around a tall tree that extends through the roof so as to bring Nature indoors, while a rainwater harvesting system provides water for flushing the toilets. Culinary contentment You can easily spend the entire weekend doing little besides lounging in or by the pool, catching up on sleep or the television and indeed, the retreat provides various cosy nooks to do exactly that.
The only other ingredient you need to complete your weekend is, of course, great food. The large kitchen is so well equipped that you can easily whip up a kenduri for your clan but why trouble yourself when you're on holiday? Avillion will bring in caterers to provide a variety of freshly cooked hot food, including firing up the grill on the back patio for a barbecue dinner which you can feast on at the outdoor dining area. The long tables and benches were cobbled together from smaller pieces of wood left over from the construction of the house. The caterers, who are from the area itself and run a Malay restaurant nearby, will also prepare your breakfast, usually of Western favourites. If you prefer, you can start your day with piping hot nasi lemak slathered in a mouth-watering squid sambal and garnished with crispy fried ikan bilis.
You may leave the idyllic sanctuary with a heavy heart (and stomach) but you will go home refreshed by the isolation from noise and crowds. Busy week ahead? Piece of cake. Book your stay at Kampung Kuang Retreat at www.avillionprivatecollection.com Vivian Chong is a freelance writer-editor, and founder of travel & lifestyle website http://thisbunnyhops.com  |
| What will the Election Commission recommend for Kapar? — Rama Ramanathan Posted: 20 Dec 2014 05:09 PM PST
The EC's power to make changes to constituency boundaries was deleted. From June 1962 the EC was only to "make recommendations [acceptable to the Prime Minister]." (see Article 115 Clause 2) Nevertheless the Constitution still has much to say about elections. Since we are expecting the EC to announce its recommendations on delineation, and because the EC's 2003 delineation was severely biased, we must be watchful. Here I will describe three requirements the EC must fulfil, and touch on the 1962 amendment. Firstly, the EC must assure that anyone whom the Constitution says is eligible to vote can vote. Secondly, the EC must assure that those whom the Constitution says are not eligible to vote do not vote. Thirdly, the EC must assure that every voter is equally represented in the organs of government. "Assure" means "Make it so!" I'll take the first and second requirements together. How must the EC assure that everyone who is eligible can vote and that those who are not eligible cannot vote? The EC must maintain an Electoral Roll. An Electoral Roll is a list of names of all persons who are eligible to vote in each constituency. The EC must use good, well-defined processes consistently to add names and to delete names from the Roll. Names must be added when voters attain voting age. Names must be deleted when voters die or emigrate. Names must be moved when voters move into or out of a constituency, or when a constituency's boundaries are changed. Voters must be informed as appropriate. The Sabah RCI on "Project IC" has made it plain that the Electoral Roll is severely defective. The few EC commissioners who deign to engage the public, blame the National Registration Department (NRD) for problems in the Electoral Roll, e.g. hordes of voters in the same address, deceased voters, voters who were granted citizenship illegally, etc. They say it is not the EC's task to hold the NRD responsible for such problems. An EC which complies with the Constitutional would seek to audit the NRD's processes and publish the results. Such audits would have found, on a more regular basis, the same problems the RCI found. Also, a Constitution-respecting EC would demand automatic registration of voters when they reach voting age — thereby eliminating a voluntary registration process and the associated issues. The public have clamoured for the Electoral Roll to be cleaned up — indeed, for a fresh Electoral Roll to be created. Even an EC in the UK is creating a new Roll. Malaysia's EC remains belligerent. We can now consider the third point, the question of how the EC must assure that every voter is equally represented in the organs of government. After assuring a clean Electoral Roll, the EC must apply a good, well-defined process to apportion an approximately equal number of voters to each constituency in the next two to three General Elections. The need for equality is most easily explained using a simplistic, imaginary situation. Imagine a state with two constituencies. Imagine constituency A has 35,000 voters, and constituency B has 140,000 voters. Is it fair ("equitable") that constituency A and B each has one MP? Now consider an example from Selangor. In 2003 Parliament accepted the EC's proposal for a delimitation which, in the 13th General Election last year resulted in about 144,000 voters in Kapar electing one MP and about 37,000 voters in Sabak Bernam also electing one MP. Is that fair? The EC claims the large difference is because Kapar is an urban area whereas Sabak Bernam is a rural area. The EC appeals to the Constitution to justify the difference. But the EC's claim is only partially true. It is true that the Constitution recognises the different characteristics of rural areas and allows some difference in the number of voters per constituency. There are two primary reasons why the Constitution allows the difference. The first reason is that it must be relatively easy for every voter to vote on voting day. So, each constituency must have enough voting centres which can be relatively easily accessed by voters: School buildings best fit the requirements, so there must be enough schools in every constituency. The second reason is that it must be relatively easy for the candidates or elected representative, to communicate with voters. The candidates and the elected representative must be able to relatively easily communicate effectively within the budgets available to them. The 1957 Constitution did not plainly use the words "rural" and "urban" to distinguish between constituencies with and without good buildings and access. This is what it said: Article 116, Clause 4 (1957): Each State shall be divided into constituencies in such manner that each constituency contains a number of electors as nearly equal to the electoral quota of the State as may be after making due allowance for the distribution of the different communities and for differences in density of population and the means of communication; but the allowance so made shall not increase or reduce the number of electors in any constituency to a number differing from the electoral quota by more than fifteen per cent. Note the words "fifteen per cent." The 1957 Constitution set a maximum limit of fifteen per cent as the goal for the EC when it does the work of delimitation. (In the clause, "different communities" refers to local communities, NOT ethnic groups. Also, the cited clause is the reason why Tindak Malaysia and DART (Bersih 2.0) speak of fifteen per cent.) In 1962 Parliament deleted the clause. The deletion was accomplished by Act 14/1962 which also created the Thirteenth Schedule in our Constitution. In 1962 Parliament removed the limit of fifteen per cent. That is one of the reasons why in 2003 the EC could glibly propose that voters in Kapar be given one quarter the representation of voters in Sabak Bernam (P92). What will the EC now recommend for Kapar (P109)? Here is a more detailed discussion, by Thomas Fann of DART, about delineation and why we should be interested. * Rama Ramanathan blogs at http://write2rest.blogspot.com. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online. |
| So what is there to eat in Tapah? Posted: 20 Dec 2014 05:00 PM PST
I sometimes suffer from this never-ending, vicious cycle as well when the festive season draws near and all I can think of is... which shopping mall to raid next. As the novelty wears thin (more like the wallet running dry), don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, break free and embark on a road trip. Nowadays, the notion of travelling almost always conjures images of flying (after all, everyone can fly now, to steal a quote from a local budget airline), a privilege back in the old days but more common now with a few clicks on the web, a credit card for payment and a passport. However, flying may not always be the best option. Some people are just not born to handle the stress of commuting to and from the airport, the packing and the check-in process. And thus, let's come to my story for the day – road trips. Exceptional food from street peddlers, food courts, a few established restaurants and everything else in between. I once wrote about Choy Kee in Sungkai, a restaurant that I grew up eating at whenever we gathered for family reunions and festivals in the small town wedged between Bidor and Slim River to the south of Ipoh. But Sungkai is not the only stopover that you can consider while travelling along the North South Expressway between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. In fact, throughout the two hours-odd journey, there are similar small towns like Kampar, Bidor, Tapah, Slim River, Kuala Kubu Baru and Tanjung Malim, with notable eateries here and there.
If you are somewhat stumped for ideas on a good lunch in Tapah, I would suggest that you visit Restoran Khiong Kee located along the main road, just a short distance away from the Shell petrol station in the town centre. The inconspicuous-looking restaurant may pass off as just another random coffee shop for the retirees to sip their cups of kopi-o, accompanied by singing birds in cages. To be honest, I had that impression earlier prior to stepping into the place. The chicken rice stall at the front of the restaurant was kind of misleading too, as my sources informed me of good chu char dishes that are the real deal breaker here, not chicken rice for lunch. (Although in Khiong Kee's defence, the queue of eager beavers during lunch hour for take-aways may prove me wrong.) Marching in and finding a corner table for two, I took in the spiral staircase at the back painted stark white, the white tiled walls, and the dozen or so tables that populate the place. The trademark dishes were all proudly printed in colour (albeit fading) and pasted on the walls. All the three dishes we sampled were excellent in quality, the cook's skillful mastery in controlling the wok fire was evident in the wild boar dish. Usually, wild boar as with other game meat might have an unpleasant gamey taste that can only be masked with robust gravy like curry or even black pepper. But to simply stir fry the pieces of lean wild boar meat with slices of ginger and spring onions is testament to the culinary expertise of the one behind the wok. Needless to say, this has immediately placed Khiong Kee as a place to visit just for their rendition of the wild boar dish. Creativity in cooking may mean that at times, quality may be compromised. Hence when I came to know about their version of pucuk pakis that is NOT cooked with sambal belacan but instead stir fried with eggs, I was a little apprehensive.
Fresh, crunchy shoots of wild fern (a common item within this area of Tapah – Bidor – Sungkai) may taste sweet on its own, but stir fried with a beaten egg, red chillies, finely-chopped salted fish and briny dried shrimps? The cumulative result was marvelous. And this was mild enough to please any tastebud, including a child's. The steamed fish took a little longer to arrive as predicted. The crowd started to swell as the clock struck 1pm and the line of people buying chicken rice snaked along the warm corridor beyond the entrance. Their version of choy poh fish uses ikan haruan or sang yue also known as snakehead fish in English. The key determining factor for this dish to be a success or otherwise is the amount of deep fried crispy preserved radish used. This is mixed with fried shallots. The fish was steamed to a firm, bouncy texture but do be cautious of the small bones within the flesh. The other dishes that came highly recommended by the lady who took our order were Marmite chicken, steamed la la clams, and of course, a perpetual favourite of mine; sambal petai with prawns. The slight detour from the expressway translates to minimal effort really, when at the end of the day, you shall be well-rewarded with quality home cooking that has stood the test of time and challenged the evolving food landscape around neighbouring towns. Restoran Khiong Kee James Tan loves good food and blogs at Motormouth From Ipoh (www.j2kfm.com) |
| Van Gaal: Manchester United’s title hopes dented by Villa’s 1-1 draw Posted: 20 Dec 2014 05:00 PM PST
United's slim chance of reviving their bid to become English champions suffered a setback yesterday as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at 10-man Aston Villa. Radamel Falcao's first goal since October 5 cancelled out Christian Benteke's fine opener for Villa, yet the contest was later overshadowed by referee Lee Mason's controversial dismissal of Gabriel Agbonlahor for a seemingly innocuous challenge on former Villa team-mate Ashley Young. It ended United's run of six successive victories as they lost ground on rivals Manchester City, who had earlier moved level on points with leaders Chelsea ahead of their trip to Stoke tomorrow. It leaves the gap between those two and United, who sit third, at seven points. Asked if that this was the sort of result that can cost you the title, he replied: "Yes, that's what I mean. We dropped two points. "We were the better team and that is frustrating when you are the better team and you don't win these kind of games. "When you want to be a part of the title race you have to win these games. "I have seen Manchester City's first half against Crystal Palace and they could have been behind in the first five or 10 minutes. "They struggled until half time but at the end it is 3-0, that's the difference. "We weren't so aggressive in the first half as we are usually. We kept the ball much better but didn't create so much because we were not looking for the forwards. "We have a draw and that's why I'm a little frustrated because you could have won the game in my opinion. We didn't do it but we were responsible for that." Superb finish United adopted van Gaal's favoured back three in the first half—before he changed after the interval — yet tactically Villa had the better shape and were always a threat with the counter-attacking game which has become their trademark under boss Paul Lambert. Little appeared on as Fabian Delph's free-kick found the former Genk player at the back post, yet he controlled superbly, twisted Jonny Evans inside out and bent a shot superbly inside the left post. United finally grew into the game after the break and Villa's resistance was finally broken in the 53rd minute when Falcao emphatically buried Young's left-wing delivery with a bullet header. "It was a beautiful goal, I liked Falcao today. I am very happy for him and I am always happy when Manchester United score," van Gaal said. "Should he start more? I have to compare every week, there's always a question for every player, not only for Falcao." Then came the controversy. Young and Agbonlahor hurtled towards one another as they vied for a challenge, yet it was the former who was left crumpled in a heap and Mason reacted by reaching for his red card, leaving Agbonlahor and the Villa Park crowd stunned. "If that is a red card we may as well just pack it in as it won't be a game of football," said Lambert. "I spoke to (Villa goalkeeper) Brad Guzan after the game. He tells me that Ashley Young has admitted he fouled 'Gabby'. Work that one out. "There is a very good chance of us appealing. If people review that we have a chance, especially when a player has admitted he fouled 'Gabby'." — AFP |
| Posted: 20 Dec 2014 05:00 PM PST
Joey Lew, known also as Aki, is an artist who creates and designs her own characters, making them into drawings as well as felt plush toys and magnets. Her background is in animation; she studied that at the One Academy before furthering her studies in Monash Malaysia in the field of communications. In between, she worked for a year and a half in an animation studio. The decision to study communications was made because working in animation was not a lucrative career. Also, animation is more of a skill based occupation and Lew wanted to meet people and have a good work/life balance instead of sitting in front of a computer the whole day.
Lew also created a series of Adventure Time characters, a popular cartoon series that originated from Cartoon Network. "I started doing this as a hobby in 2009 with a bunch of friends in Comic Fiesta. We were called Sidetrack," said Lew. Back then she did not sew yet. In fact, prior to making her felt toys, she hated sewing.
Besides comic and cosplay conventions, she also participated in Art for Grabs. But she soon realised that the crowd preferred traditional crafts such as her badges, magnets and keychains compared to digital artwork.
"My mother owns a handicraft shop where she does knitting and crocheting. She sells supplies and teaches as well.
Sometime around 2010 and 2011, Lew decided to try her hand at sewing because she wanted to make her characters into 3D. She learned it all by herself, researching online on different ways to stitch. Luckily, she was a quick learner because now all her craft are handsewn, with only her magnets drawn with permanent ink. That was when she started Palettescope. Palettescope is an evolution from Little Girl Scribbles which is about her illustrations. When she realised that her customers preferred buying the felt toys to the illustrations, she started selling them under Palettescope. "Palettescope is a name I came up with because I love colours. Artists use palettes to mix colours and scope basically refers to telescope which is used to focus on something," said Lew. Lew found her love for art at the tender age of four. Her elder sister, who is 13 years older than her, was learning art in school. Seeing her sister paint inspired the young Lew to start drawing. When she turned seven, she discovered Dragonball and that was when her passion for manga and anime grew. She started out drawing in the style of Dragonball and then evolved to designing her own characters. "It's funny because I am more exposed to shounen (comics catered for males) but my designs became more feminine," said Lew.
Based on Madren, she customised her own ball jointed doll. To date, she has about 10 ball jointed dolls. It was then that Lew explored the possibility of turning her 2D illustrations to 3D by sewing them.
Find out more about Palettescope at www.facebook.com/palettescope |
| US-Cuba ties: President says won’t change Havana’s political system Posted: 20 Dec 2014 04:55 PM PST
And while the leader of the Americas' only communist nation hailed the agreement for removing of an "obstacle" in US-Cuba relations, he reiterated that "the most important thing, the end of the embargo" remained unresolved. Castro spoke at the close of the twice-yearly meeting of parliament, which unanimously ratified the deal between Havana and Washington, in a session largely focused on the communist island's historic renewal of ties with Washington. "The Cuban people cheer this correct decision of US President Barack Obama. It represents the removal of an obstacle in relations between our countries," he said. "We reiterate our willingness for respectful and reciprocal dialogue concerning disagreements," Castro said, adding that Cuba "accepted dialogue... on any topic about all things here but also in the United States." But he emphasized Cuba was a "sovereign state" that would not bow to pressure to change its political or economic system. "In the same way that we have never suggested the United States change its political system, we will demand respect for ours," Castro said. The United States and Cuba made the breakthrough in their Cold War stand-off Wednesday, launching measures to ease a five-decade US trade embargo as well as a prisoner exchange. First official talks are scheduled for January. Easing the US embargo Castro repeated yesterday his stance that "the most important thing, the end of the economic, trade, and finacial embargo against Cuba, still needs to be resolved." However, much of the embargo is codified in US law, which can only be changed with congressional approval. That will likely prove difficult, with a number of US lawmakers, led by Cuban-American Senator Marco Rubio, protesting Obama's shift in Cuba policy. For now, Castro said he counted on Obama using his executive powers to change the aspects of the embargo "for which the approval of Congress is not necessary." Similarly, he urged his US counterpart to review Cuba's "unjustifiable" inclusion on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism, an issue Obama has pledged to look into. Dissident groups in Cuba this week had expressed regret that Obama did not wait for "a gesture from Havana on human rights" before announcing the agreement. On Friday, Obama insisted he shared the concerns of Cuban dissidents and human rights activist "that this is still a regime that represses it people." "Through engagement, we have a better chance of bringing about change than we would have otherwise." But the US president said he didn't "anticipate overnight changes." The parliamentary session was also attended by the "Cuban Five," the group of intelligence agents jailed in the United States whose last three members were released in a prisoner exchange that paved the way for Wednesday's landmark rapprochement. The men are hailed as national heroes in Havana, which says they were not spying on Washington but rather on Cuban exile groups determined to attack the island. The session was extended from Friday to finish discussions on the Cuban economy, the originally scheduled topic, reported state news agency AIN. Despite Castro's tentative steps toward reform since taking over from his older brother Fidel in 2006, the Cuban economy will achieve just 1.3 per cent growth for 2014, the council of ministers said earlier this month. — AFP |
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