News source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/101753 ( comment not in its entirety)

“The Batang Ai by-election will be the testing ground for the New Iban or Iban Baru. The opposition candidate (Jawah Gerang) is the agent for change. He is the Iban Baru. The Ibans of Batang Ai need to rise up and support the candidate for change.”
The system of tuai rumah (longhouse chiefs) is a system that has prevented the community from emerging as rulers.

The Ibans, and by extension the other Dayaks, need to re-think their politics if they are ever going to get out of the vicious cycle of poverty, according to the Sarawak DAP.

The state constitution has been amended to prevent an Iban from being the governor, unless he is a Muslim. Another amendment makes it extremely difficult for the post of Speaker to be held by an Iban (and other Dayaks) or Chinese.

Man Utd 3-2 Aston Villa

Man Utd go top with last-gasp win





Federico Macheda scored a stunning late winner as Manchester United regained top spot in the Premier League.

The 17-year-old substitute turned in the box and curled in a superb strike to make his debut the stuff of dreams.

Cristiano Ronaldo had opened the scoring from an indirect free-kick after a James Milner backpass, before John Carew's header restored parity.

Gabriel Agbonlahor headed Villa in front only for Ronaldo to level with a low shot and Macheda to snatch victory.

It was an incredible finish to a match that twisted and turned - and had looked to be going the way of Villa rather than the champions.

But after digging deep, and finding inspiration from an untried teenager, United have leapfrogged Liverpool at the top of the table.

And they also avoided a third successive league defeat, which would have been more galling given that Villa were thumped 5-0 by Liverpool in their last match.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez said his side's last-gasp 1-0 win over Fulham on Saturday had placed the pressure on United, and he looked to be right from the way they started against Villa.

They struggled with an unfamiliar back four that was forced upon them because of Rio Ferdinand's injury and Nemanja Vidic's suspension.

Gary Neville, returning from injury, was brought in to partner John O'Shea in the heart of defence, but that proved to be a costly mistake.

Carew quickly served notice that he would enjoy the mismatch against Neville when his header was scrambled clear via Darren Fletcher and the post.

And the visitors were in the mood to expose United's vulnerabilities.

The pace of Agbonlahor, back in the side for the injured Emile Heskey, and the poise and passing of Gareth Barry was causing United all manner of problems.

But United were handed a lifeline when Milner passed the ball back to Brad Friedel, who picked the ball up, and the resulting free-kick in the area was cracked in by Ronaldo after Ryan Giggs had rolled the ball to him.

The goal settled United's nerves and they began to stroke the ball around with more confidence, but without really penetrating.

And Villa remained dangerous on the break, particularly through Agbonlahor, whose speed was a big problem for Neville.

Ashley Young's free-kick was tipped over by Edwin van der Sar as Villa threatened.

From another quick counter Villa deservedly restored parity, Barry's excellent right-wing cross powerfully headed into the bottom corner by Carew as Neville stood by helplessly.

Shortly after, Neville was switched with right-back Jonny Evans - but it had been a half-hour to forget for the United skipper.

He would have felt better if Ronaldo's glancing header had gone either side of Friedel rather than straight at the keeper and given United a half-time lead.

Instead, Villa struck again on 58 minutes when Ronaldo was caught in possession and Villa moved the ball quickly to Carew, and his cross was headed in by Agbonlahor.

United's response was to bring on Macheda for Nani.

The young Italian, who signed professional terms with United in August 2008, hit a hat-trick for the reserves against Newcastle on Monday.

He appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty after he fell under challenge from Curtis Davies, then at the other end Davies was close to converting Ashley Young's free-kick.

United needed something special from somewhere and it came from Ronaldo, who picked up the ball on the edge of the box and fired a low drive into the bottom corner to drag his side level.

The impetus was all with the hosts now and it took a fine save from Friedel to deny Fletcher from 12 yards.

Substitute Danny Welbeck was next to be thwarted by Friedel as he saw his shot saved at point-blank range.

But United were not to be denied and Macheda produced a moment of magic to win the game when he turned and curled a peach of a shot into the far corner.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, O'Shea, Evans, Evra, Nani (Macheda 61), Carrick, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Giggs, Tevez (Welbeck 87).
Subs Not Used: Foster, Park, Gibson, Martin, Eckersley.

Booked: Macheda.

Goals: Ronaldo 14, 80, Macheda 90.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Cuellar, Davies, Shorey, Milner (Reo-Coker 76), Petrov, Barry, Ashley Young, Carew, Agbonlahor.
Subs Not Used: Guzan, Delfouneso, Knight, Salifou, Gardner, Albrighton.

Booked: Milner, Ashley Young.

Goals: Carew 30, Agbonlahor 58.

Att: 75,409

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

WOW!! This expected results surely make my day. This win is long overdue after the recent "hiccups" losing matches unexpectedly.
Now Man.Utd is still the team to beat in that land.
I think by now, those nearest challengers must accept that FACT this Season, MU will still be Champions, no doubt about it.....

SIB Satria Jaya BDC Fund Raising Dinner @ ACS 04/04/09

I "missed" my Akademi Fantasia last night due to this commitment. SIB Satria Jaya (Iban) is located in BDC, where most of the congregation are Ibans, residing around Kpgs. Stutong/Stampin and the surrounding neighborhood housing areas.

At the present moment, the Church is renting a shophouse and the NEW Church is about 70% nearing completion.

The Patron didn't make it, maybe due to the on going By-Elections N29 Batang Ai. However, he donated generously RM20,000 and YB JJ Masing also donated quite a substancial amount towards the completion of the church building.

Thank you to all the donors, who made it possible. SIB SJ started renting the shophouse more than 15 years ago.

God, to You Father, the Glory in the Highest.

MAFREL (Malaysia for Fair & Free Election) statement

I am now backed in Kuching after spending 8 days in Batang Ai observing the by-election conducts. And as far as our term of references (which is very limited) is concerned we are more or less done, 3 days before polling.

Why I said we are done, because there is nothing to observe anymore. What happen in the next few days will be of no different. Riggings in this by-election are rampant and sad to say that the words “CLEANS, FAIR & FREE ELECTION does not exist in Batang Ai by-election vocabulary.

Our report and photographs taken during our stint in Batang Ai have been compiled and submitted to our Head Quarters in KL.

MAFREL (Batang Ai) had reached a conclusion that Batang Ai by-election is where politic is at its worst. It’s here that money politics rear its ugly head. By all accounts I dared says that Batang Ai by-election is the dirtiest, most unfair & expensive in Malaysian election history.

We observed that:

1) During nomination day (29/3/09) we felt that the police should not have confisticated PAS flags, only returned after vehement protest from PKR. What puzzled us most was why the police allowed SUPP flags among the BN crowd. Report and photos taken during the incident has been submitted to HQ KL for further action.

2) BN candidate election posters were pestered a day before the nomination date. This is a gross defiance of the by-election conduct. We had taken photographs of those posters at Ng. Mepi longhouse. This was by no mean an isolated case because we found the same in other longhouses.

3) It was common sight to see BN giving away gifts of all sorts to the people in the constituency. We have pictorial evidences to that effect but I don’t think its wise me to disclose them here.

4) Misused of government vehicles (pic below) is very rampant and seem to be an acceptable norm among BN officials. We took photos of not less than 47 SG vehicles either parked near the BN “ceramah” or near their operation rooms since nomination. During the nomination day alone we sighted not less than 120 SG vehicles not far from the nomination centre.


5) Civil servants, Departmental heads, teachers appears to be parts and parcels of BN election machineries. They are being deployed and mobilized to every longhouses and corners of Batang Ai.

6) MAFREL (Batang Ai) hereby confirmed the talks that “Tuai Rumah” or longhouse chief are being “kidnapped” and held hostages at Batang Ai Hilton. Some of those whom I met reveal that they are given RM1,000.00 pocket money during the duration of their stay. Some who chose to go to Kuching for sight seeing are given more. We observed that this is indeed very effective tools deployed by BN politician to entice voters. If not money politics, bribery what then?

7) As expected BN ministers continuously poured in “instant noodle projects and other goodies” virtually to all 121 longhouses in Batang Ai. As far as MAFREL is concerned, this is a daylight bribery. Again we have more than enough evidence to support our claims. It’s now up to HQ to make the necessary discloser.

8) Our monitoring unit reported that BN campaigners have contravened particular section of the by-election Act whereby they placed BN flags on the bridge and other prohibited places.

9) We also received report that BN supporters/campaigners pulling down PKR flags at the entrance of a particular longhouse. At the time of reporting police report has been lodged.

10) By MAFREL (Batang Ai) estimation the cost of this by-election far acceded the allowable amount of RM150K by contending parties.

11) We also reported & recorded scares tactic employed by BN Ministers esp. by Jabu, Masing, Awang Tengah, Awang Asfia, Salang, Entulu , Gramong Juna , Fadillah and few others during their “ceramah”.

12) We had examined and scrutinized the voter lists, found out that 111 years old voter still appear in the electoral roll. We checked with NRD and our trip to a grave yard confirmed that this particular voter died some 30 years ago. We have communicated our findings to the EC and believed that this is by no mean an isolated case.

13) We also received complaints from the longhouse residents that some of the names are missing from the electoral rolls. We are still investigating their claims.

14) Intelligence information received from the ground suggested that there will be more longhouses after the by-election. Reasons: Batang Ai by-election will cause a split among longhouse folks leading to the formation of new residence/longhouse.

15) In 1996 election, Donald Lawan successfully challenged Mong Dagang in the court as a result of practicing money politics. Will the 2009 Batang Ai by-election provides another same scenario of Jawah Gerang Vs. Malcolm Mussen, not only in Batang Ai battle field but also in court battle? NOT impossible if MAFREL (Batang Ai) reports and findings are anything to go by.

16) I must say within our term of references, the 26 Mafrel observers have done a splendid job as an election watch dog despite the numerous hurdles and handicaps.

COMPILED BY A MEMBER OF THE MAFREL TEAM
For more info, go to MAFREL's website > http://mafrel.wordpress.com

5 Tips for Handling a Bad Waiter

by Andrew Knowlton, BA Foodist, Bon Appetit Magazine

The number one complaint of restaurant diners is not the internal temperature of porterhouse, the crispness of fried calamari, or the martini's strength. Nor is it the soundtrack or banquettes color. It has nothing to do with food or décor. The top gripe among those who eat out is service.

As customers, how should we deal with poor service? (Hint: it has more to do with you than you think). Here are tips to dealing with that odd and mercurial species of restaurant employee known as The Server.
1. They're servers not servants. Smile. Be nice to them and they'll be nice to you. That's my number one tip for good service. You'd be amazed how terribly some customers treat servers. Anyone who has ever been a waiter or waitress (a job everyone should be forced to try at least once) knows how much a customers' attitude can dictate their overall dining experience. And if you've ever snapped your fingers, whistled, or yelled to get the attention of a waiter, shame on you.

2. Not everything that goes wrong in a restaurant is the servers' fault. Remember, they're just one cog in the wheel. The long wait for the food is most likely the kitchen's responsibility. Perhaps the host sat too many tables at once, which would explain why drinks are taking so long. So before you start mouthing off, remembers someone else may be to blame. Having said that, a good waiter will always apologize for delays and give you regular updates on the whereabouts of your food.

. One way to avoid bad service is to eat at the bar, a favorite tactic of restaurant insiders. The server/bartender never leaves your sight, which makes it really hard for them to ignore you.

4. If you do get a waiter-from-heck there are a few courses to take. You can grin and bear it, take the abuse, and eventually show your displeasure where it hurts the server the most--the tip. (Some restaurants pool tips so just know your financial penalty might not have the effect you intend.) Another option is to pull the manager (or whoever looks like they are in charge) aside and let them know what's going on. Politely ask for another server. Management at any restaurant worth returning to will oblige. If they don't, leave and tell every person you know about the experience. No need to make a scene.

5. If all else fails, write the restaurant (or, more specifically, the owner) a letter explaining the situation. During a busy service even the best restaurants have a difficult time addressing specific problems and issues. If you really want to be heard and, with any luck, improve the future dining experiences of others, it's best to put pen to paper a few days after the incident when you've had a few days to reflect on the experience. If it's a restaurant that cares about its reputation, its employees, and its customers, you'll most definitely hear back from them.

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Who says working in a service line is easy? You get all sorts of complaint from diners, customers and yet we have to bear all that they give us, for that is where our "rice bowl" lies. I've spent more that 8 years working in this sector, believe me, it's not as easy as you think if you haven't try it out becoming a waiter before?

Anyone out there, care to share some of your ideas how to cope with these unnecessasry pressures from customers instead of from your Manager?

An updated guide to new Malaysian terms

Ahh, don’t you miss the good old days, when life was simpler and words meant what everyone understood it to mean.
Things are much more difficult these days. But fret not, cos here’s a rough guide.

Mongolia Mari/That woman: refers to murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya.

Katak: a term used to describe elected MPs and state reps who jump parties.

Jelapang Whore: refers to a certain female state rep from Perak.

To be a Kugan: To die in police custody.

CAT: used to refer to the feline family. Now it’s an acronym of Competence, Accountability and Transparency.

Technical visit: Holidays and shopping trips by local politicians and their families to places like Disneyland, Dubai and Paris.

Old ways: Referring to a time when Umno was stronger; where every taxi permit had to be endorsed by and Umno division chief, among others.

Balkis: A Travel and Shopping Club for wives of Umno politicians. membership includes free luxury shopping, gifts and travel.

Bapak Koridor: the politician formerly known as Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Jimat: a term that used to mean savings or frugality. Now it means to “neutralise” a target. This is an internal code among the Police Special Forces (UTK).

Glokal: To rape country’s coffers and use the money for international visits.

BABI: formerly used to refer to the swine family. Now used in Umno circles as an acronym of Brother Anwar Bin Ibrahim.

Phantom voter: Dead people exercising their democratic right.

Democracy Tree: A certain tree underneath which a historic and unusual meeting took place.

Reservoir Dogs: Perak Assembly Speaker V.Sivakumar’s team of bodyguards.

Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd: The party that picks up the tab for political wives’ shopping and travel.

Kita kan Serumpun: the phrase used to justify how come a first generation Malaysian could be MB of a state when there are three generations of people still with Red IC.

Traitor: Anyone who questions Umno way of doing things.

Tempe: 1) A substance, the oral ingestion of which would make your sagging skin tight again. 2) A person who has successful treatment using above-mentioned substance.

Liposuction: A new way to die, for rich females of Malaysia.

Money politics: A whimsical way to describe buying your way into a political post. Ali Rustam still dunno what it means.

Merapatkan Saf: An Umno version of the huddle.

Kodomo Lion: The son of a guy once lauded as the Lion of Umno.

ISA: Ikut Suka Aku. The “Aku” refers to whoever’s in power.

To do a Bala: refers to an act where you make two contradicting statutory declaration, and then disappear.

Superpoke: To have allegedly anally violated someone against his will.

Katrina: A certain hotel in Batu Pahat with free CCTV coverage. Dunno if they offer breakfast.

2 Bukit, 1 Batang: Two hills and one river (what did you think??)

Destiny: refers to your firm conviction that it’s your hubby’s turn to be PM.

Specialist Instigators: what some insecure folks call bloggers.

Derhaka: a term to describe criticism of the sultans, when anyone other than Umno does it.

Now, feel better?


http://dansemacabre.wordpress.com


Can any of you guys add to this? I find it rather funny & amusing.
Come share your views on this.

Batang Ai N29, "the Birth of Dayakism" yet again, or is it a storm in a teacup?

LUBOK ANTU: Pilihan raya kecil kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri Batang Ai pada 7 April ini akan menyaksikan pertandingan satu lawan satu antara calon Barisan Nasional (BN) dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

There are 8006 number of registered voters in that constituency. The last elections, saw BN won by over 800 votes. If the younger generations could swing the elderly people's thinking against BN, BN is going in for a rough landing.

Please share your views here. I'm following the development closely.