294. HAPPY CITY DAY, IPOH

Today Ipoh celebrates the 22nd anniversary of its city status accorded back on the 27 May 1988.

A few new areas notably around its City Hall building in Greentown and the Tambun area have since been developed. An area called Bandar Meru Raya along the North South Highway near Jelapang interchange was earmarked as annex city for administrative cum business centre but sadly after 22 years just a few buildings started to show their faces sporadicly here and there.

Many groundbreaking ceremonies were held by the previous three Menteri Besars yet actual developments remained a distance. Ipoh City folks, nonetheless, are patient beings and they are still waiting for the real progress to materialise.

Maybe Dato' Roshidi, the present Mayor has something up his sleeves to move Ipoh up the City league in terms of cleanliness, soft landscape, greenery and provision of city parks to promote healthy living, more commercial facilities to promote trade,tidy burial grounds to sooth the eyes, hygienic food outlets for families to feast and upgrading of drainage system to avoid flash floods especially in Jelapang.

Good luck to you, Sir

One item worth mentioning was the construction a new landmark in the form of a three-pillared clock tower to commemorate the day Ipoh received its city status. The clock tower with its majestic Moorish architecture now stands proudly right in front of the City Hall building and the centre of public nightly congregations.

Alas the plaque narrating the basic information on the clock tower was long gone, victim of vandalism.

Still, Happy City Day, Ipoh...

293.GRADUATES UNEMPLOYABLE DUE TO POOR ENGLISH

Employability is still a problem in the outsourcing sector, even though there is a sufficient supply of fresh graduates.

Outsourcing Malaysia (OM) chairman David Wong said a recent survey among 30 companies offering 220 jobs revealed that only 11% of the applicants were considered "employable", adding that the respondents were members of OM.

"A total of 9,300 graduates applied for the positions but some 90% didn't get through the door. They were just not considered employable"

"The country will churn out some 35,000 graduates this year so the supply is there. The question now is how many of these graduates are considered employable by the various industries?"He told reporters during an outsourcing roadshow at a hotel in on Tuesday.

Wong said OM was currently conducting a joint study with Multimedia Development Corporation (MdeC) and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) on the employability of fresh graduates.

"We have come up with an online test similar to what is being done in India. The results of this RM300,000 project will be shared with the Higher Education Ministry so that we can produce graduates who are relevant," he said.

MDEC (industry development) vice-president Saifol Bahri Mohd Shamlan said most employers cited poor command of English among graduates as a reason for not hiring.

"Skills and internal practices of a company can be taught but you need to be proficient in English to learn. We need an intervention programme to ensure a supply of skilled labour."

-THE STAR METRO Thursday 01 April 2010

 

292. FAKES AND REPLICAS, A CHOICE?

If you are a lover or collector of fake and replica items, look no further. There are many places selling these merchandises, day and night in Ipoh and Alor Star. There are loads of them or should I say bucketful of them. There are fake sportswear, fake sport shoes and fake watches.

Watches as cheap as RM5 to as high a few hundreds of RM are retailed at every nooks and corners. Just look closely at the display panels, you'll be amazed at the range of fake Swiss brands and fake Japanese models available. You'll be surprise at the enthusiastic responses especially among the youth.

Liking fakes and replicas is nothing wrong really but fake watches are for fake people...

So, folks if you have the urge to join the fake people, go purchase a fake Romain Jerome, Roger Dubois, CVTOS or a Bell & Ross at the Ipoh Gerbang Malam (Night Market), Alor Star Stadium night market or Ipoh Sunday Flea Market, there are plenty of them at cart-away prices. 

Just wonder whether peddling these fakes contravene the Trade Descriptions Act?

Me, SORRY, fakes and replicas we don't gel. Thank you so much. I'm staying real. I'm sticking to the Originals which give me the most satisfaction.

Just like when going for Dental care, I prefer the qualified professional dental consultant than the Tukang Gigi ( Dental smith), no matter how cheap the tukang might be!

291. HAIL CHELSEA, THE NEW EPL CHAMPION

It was a long season. It was a tough season. There were ups and downs. Chelsea and Manchester United fought tooth and nails until the final match yesterday.

On the day when they were summoned to gave their every ounce of sweat, the Chelsea players gave everything heroically and triumphed. Such was the velocity and intensity of their performance that Wigan was practically trampled. The 8-0 score was the highest score recorded during this season and CHELSEA walked out as the worthy champion. What happened at OLD TRAFFORD last night, even beating Stoke City by 4-0, was already academic.

Didier Drogba even bagged the golden boot with a fantastic hattrick, his third of the season.

Man United can take heart that many of the team players are still young and Sir Alex Ferguson can surely rebuild the team around these players of calibre to mount another stiff challenge next season.

All in all it was another great season. Barclays EPL is still the best league in the world. We, the supporters enjoyed the games thoroughly.

TO ALL THE CHELSEA PLAYERS, MANAGEMENT, STAFF AND SUPPORTERS, WE OFFER HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT. 

CHELSEA DESERVED TO BE A TRUE CHAMPION. SAVIOUR THIS BEAUTIFUL MOMENT BECAUSE NEXT YEAR MANCHESTER UNITED IS COMING BACK STRONGER TO RECLAIM THE TITLE.

(Picture taken from Chelsea FC Official website)

290. QUEEN VICTORIA MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER, PENANG

Passed by the clock tower on the way to Dewan Sri Pinang (Sri Pinang Hall) for a cousin's wedding reception yesterday. 

After attending the reception, just could not resist the temptation to have a closer look at the clock tower which I must have passed by many times during visits to Penang. 

Spent about 15 minutes looking at various perspectives to get better shots of this magnificent clock tower.

The Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower situated at the roundabout of Jalan Tun Syed Sheikh  Barakbah,  Lebuh Light and Lebuh Pantai near the Ferry Terminal is a majestic structure of 60 feet consisting of four tiers. Its Moorish dome at the top tier resembles a mosque minaret from far.

Built in 1897 by the British administrators then to commemorate the diamond jubilee of HM Queen Victoria's reign as the Queen of England, the clock tower has withstood the test of time and today stands proudly as a British legacy to the Penang island rich history.

The construction cost amounting to Straits Settlement Dollars of 35,000 was borne by Mr Cheah Chen Eok, a local Chinese tin miner turned philanthropist. The princely sum is considered a fortune at that time.

I reckon the amount was well spent as the tourist dollars that rolled in since then have contributed much to the prosperity of Penang.

 The next time you're in Penang do stop by the clock tower to witness yourself this delightful heritage. Oh yes, the clock still tells the correct time.

289. LAT DRAWS CROWD AT USM, PENANG

The iconic Malaysian Cartoonist, Dato Mohd Nor Khalid better known as LAT, was the star attraction at the Smart Art and Science Carnival held yesterday at the University of Science Malaysia in Penang.

The four-day carnival was officially opened by the University Board of Directors Chairman, Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Zawawi Ismail.

Those present yesterday relished their opportunity to be photographed with LAT.

LAT with other dignitaries were taken on a tour of the exhibition at the Tuanku Fauziah Museum and Gallery.

Perhaps not many people are aware that LAT is very active in community services through his involvement in a Perak based NGO, The Keledang Club.

 Last month LAT was present at the club's programme "1,500 Perak Students with the Malaysian Astronaut" where Dato' Dr Sheikh Muszaphar delivered his motivational talk in Ipoh, Perak.

288. CHOOSING THE RIGHT WATCH FOR YOUR LADY’S SPECIAL OCCASIONS

Birthdays and wedding anniversaries are special occasions and moments to remember and cherish in life. Bouquets of flowers would reignite the sparks of those best moments but special gifts would definitely provide the icings.

Choosing the suitable and appropriate gifts for your lady is however a daunting task. Much depend on her preference. If wrist watches are the choice, you need to deliberate and decide between automatic, mechanical, kinetic or quartz.

As a start I have picked an all ceramic elegant RADO JUBILE' which is suitable for all occasions as the prime choice.

A designer's or fashion watch like ALAIN DELON or CERUTTI would be a good option.

For Swiss watch lovers, cute and cool automatic Swiss watches like following MIDO models can be handy.

A chronograph like CERTINA and EXPEDITION models would also be a nice choice.

I guess some ladies prefer a Diver like TAG HEUER AQUARACER.

Then again quite a number of ladies have special preference for Japanese made like SEIKO or ORIENT.

A vibrant coloured watch like CERTINA can be a nice change.

Whatever is the choice, it boils down to the budget, the taste, the colour tone, the bracelet type and the case diameter, the case material and the size of the wrist, all come into picture.

The skin sensitivity too needs to be taken into consideration. A friend's wife is allergic to metal except gold, so it is pretty expensive for the husband during special occasions.

The right choice would definitely ignite the right glow on the face on the recipient.

Models currently available on the market are in abundance and potential buyers are spoil for choice. The sky is the limit. You can bust your account if you are not careful. This is where sensibility comes in.

A reasonably price watch like the following EXPEDITION model can sometimes does the trick if all criteria is met. Just need to shop around a little smarter...

Details of specifications and prices of some of those watches mentioned are available at LT Watch Gallery.

Brighten up your day by picking the right watch for your beloved lady on her special occasions. Remember, a small gift of love today will definitely go a long way towards enhancing a beautiful relationship.