Oh Fuck!

I could not believe this! Talk about bad timing.

(When will PDRM ever learn? Putting up massive road blocks will never be the solution when there is a massive rally in the city. Image source: Malaysiakini)

Last year, me and my cousin decided to go for our “quarterly” blood donation but we got involved in the mother of traffic jam when the morons at the Home Ministry decided to put up road blocks and made road users to experience hell.

Reason for road block? To look for highly wanted criminals? No. To look for some rouge road users? No. To look for someone with a highly contagious diseases? No. The road block was put up a day early when Hindraf announced their “Rose Campaign”.

The road blocks did not stop the Hindraf’s campaign from taking place but the road blocks did make many road users who are not involved in the Hindraf’s campaign frustrated and angry, stuck in traffic jams for hours.

(One wonders what will happen when the “anti ISA” and “pro ISA” meet up at Istana Negara? Go for teh-tarik with the King? Image source: Malaysiakini)

Fast forward to 2009 – after several postponements, we decided to go for the next blood donation on this Saturday. We are aware of the large “anti ISA” and “pro ISA” gathering in the city and the outcome of this gathering could be bloody. We don’t really care what happens in the city centre, we will be far from it but the morons at the Home Ministry are having the usual “itch” on massive road blocks.

And the latest news snippets from Malaysiakini does not looking too promising:-

The biggest opposition party in the country has ordered its one million members to take part in an anti-ISA protest in KL tomorrow

And

Police have set up roadblocks at major traffic arteries throughout the Klang Valley towards Kuala Lumpur ahead of two mass rallies planned for tomorrow.

We have been thinking of “postponing” again our blood donation but we will be busy next week and we do not know when we can fix the right date for blood donation. Not much choice but as what we did last year, I guess we need to slog it out in the traffic jam to finish our task. But still, I know that we are going to get “fucked” at the road blocks! We are going to waste productive time and fuel for nothing.

Probably leaving home early and with a full tank and plenty titbits and food in the car would be helpful.

Alternate Energy in Malaysia

I was reading an article on how solar panels on the orbiting space station power the cooling systems.

I was wondering why we can’t do the same thing in Malaysia. After all, sunshine is abundance in Malaysia and air-conditioner (or simple ceiling fan) needs power. Why can’t we match the two and have a cheaper power source at our disposal?

In November 2008, Anilnetto asked the question:-

If Los Angeles can move towards solar – the city is aiming for 35 per cent of its energy from renewables – there is no reason Malaysia can’t move in that direction now. If we start now, we can pre-empt any move towards nuclear power plants, which, knowing our maintenance culture, would be a disaster waiting to happen.

I wondered the same question – why there are no solar panels on the roof of most Malaysians’ homes, offices and buildings, powering lights, water heaters, air-conditioners and other electric appliances?

(Malaysian made flexible & rollable solar panel that is water-proof and can also power laptops. but where is the push for greater usage? Image source: http://scorigin.com)

What about wind power or other renewal source?

Where is the Department of Environment or the relevant Ministry’s push on the research and greater use of alternate energy? Is the Ministry’s main mission only confined to handle pollutions (after it has been highlighted by someone else) and preparations of EIA (which at times disregarded or violated) and nothing more?

Perhaps we are not matured enough when it comes to cleanliness and the environment. After all, we still have idiots who conveniently throw rubbish into our rivers and don’t think twice when polluting them.

The lack of maturity was also evident in the government when at the peak of the haze couple years ago; the idiots in charge decided that API reading to be classified and secret. Perhaps they need to go back to the drawing board and see how this being handled by the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy.

Increase of tariff

Instead pushing the development and produce alternative solutions to the ever increasing demand for power, what the government decides instead? They seems to continue to work blindly and opt for increase the electricity tariff  (they said there is no other choice):-

Electricity tariffs will be raised as the government looks to cut subsidies on fuel prices, a newspaper reported today, quoting a minister.

“Fuel price movements are the main factors for the electricity tariff revision,” Energy Minister Peter Chin was quoted as saying in the Business Times newspaper.

(Source: The Malaysian Insider)

Increase of tariff maybe a short term strategy but where is the long term plan? Are we going to treat the tariffs the same as the fucked up highway toll charges? That it will only be increasing?

Spend considerable time and resources now on renewable, cheap energy sources and in time, we can cut down on our reliance on fossil fuel and improve on our environments.

Bio diesel

During Pak Lah’s slumber administration, there was talk about use of bio-diesel to counter the increase crude oil prices. As it was with other Pak Lah’s “great ideas”, it simply died down and nothing big came out from this venture.

Incentive for hybrids

When it comes to the automotive sector, everyone is talking about hybrids and alternate fuels. Fossil fuel is not going to last for long and everyone knows that too.

(How many alternate fuelled cars we expect to see on Malaysian roads in the next 5 – 10 years. Image source: http://www.autoshippingforu.com)

A Honda Civic Hybrid at the present sells for RM129,980 in Malaysia. Considering that the hybrid is powered by a 1.3L engine, the price is certainly high. This is because the same 2.0L engine powered Honda Civic goes for the same RM129,980. Proton is embarking on alternative fuel versions but it will be sometime before such fuel saving Protons hit our roads.

To get people to opt for more fuel-efficient or alternative fuelled vehicles, providing incentive will go a long way to ensure that less fuel guzzling vehicle remains on road. The reliance on fossil fuel will also be reduced and in turn the subsidies to keep fuel price low.

Influx of solar energy usage

Is solar energy just too expensive and not worth pursuing? In Malaysia, TNB already looking at this type of energy source:-

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), through its subsidiary TNB Research Sdn Bhd, has started research on developing solar energy power that will be produced competitively cheaper so as not to burden users.

TNB president and chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said, solar energy power is seen as an alternative source that will be more relevant for the country’s need.

“Wind energy electricity production is expensive due to the equipment used and Malaysia’s geographical position which is not favourable. It is not viable to depend on wind energy, as such, solar energy is considered very relevant but cost of operating solar energy is very high

(Source: Bernama)

A “DIY” solar set which comprises a 20 watt solar panel, solar charger controller, 12V seal lead acid battery, 15 Watt 12V compact fluorescent lamp with holder and outdoor cable & battery wire, switcher, connector & etc sells for RM698.

If the 20 watt solar panel received 5 hours per day of full sun, then you would have: 1.2 amps (20W panel) X 5 hrs sun = 6 amp-hours/day – 6 X 12V = 72 watt-hours per day.

If you were using a 15 watt 12V compact fluorescent bulb then you could light the bulb for 4+ hours with the energy you produced that day. With a battery that holds 17 amp-hours or over 200 watt-hours of energy, you could light the light for 12+ hours before you need a charge

(Source: Scorigin)

5 hours of sunshine powers a bulb for 4 hours per day without any pollution and use of fossil fuels. What about saving in terms of electricity bills? Let’s do some easy calculation:-

In Malaysia, cost of electricity is calculated as 21.8 cents per kWh. So 20 Watt bulb used for 4 hours consumes 80 Watt. Thus the cost of electricity will be 1.74 cents (per day per bulb).

Not much for now but multiply this by number of days and number of bulbs used and number of households using solar energy, we may start seeing some good numbers.

So where is Malaysia heading when it comes to alternate power?

At the present moment, no where but to continue to make unproductive and wasteful endeavour when it comes to power and its source. The same old thing continue to be heard – unfair agreement with IPPs (causing high purchase of power even when there is low demand for it), increase of electricity tariff with the blame on the spiral world oil crude price and blatant use of public funds for subsidies.

It’s time for both the public and the Government to wake up and start looking things in the long run.

KPI Anti-Climax

What anti climax it was…

When I first heard about KPIs and other related slogans like “we accept we need to change”, “people first, party later” and other sugar coating remarks from BN, I was sceptical on whether these jokers was serious about change or just putting up a wayang kulit (shadow play) for Malaysians to be dazzled and support the new administration under Najib

(Is the KPI,  something achievable? Image source: http://pricepages.org)

And today, KPIs was announced and some of it is not too bad – like to reduce street crimes by 20% by the end of 2010 (although 20% is not enough), to ensure 80% of Malaysian children get access to pre-school by 2012 (with strong emphasis on English?), by 2012, all school kids must master reading, writing and mathematics by Year 4 (with English included, I presume).

But the joke on the KPI was this:-

To improve the international perception of corruption in Malaysia by improving the country’s ranking in the world’s corruption index

And it is joke because it is headed by:-

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Aziz (dubbed Joker of the Year – more than once) for fighting corruption

This is one KPI that DOOMED from the moment it was announced.

RIP, Yasmin Ahmad

(Image source: http://www.doghouse73pictures.com)

The lady behind the creative, heart warming Petronas TV ads and countless award winning movies has passed away. She was 51 years old.

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Hindu Temple Architecture

Got this in my inbox

(Image source: www.britannica.com)

The architecture of Hindu temples evolved over a period of more than 2,000 years and there is a great variety in this architecture.

Hindu temples are of different shapes and sizes – rectangular, octagonal, semi circular – with different types of domes and gates. Temples in southern India have a different style than those in northern India. Although the architecture of Hindu temples is varied, they mainly have many things in common.

The 6 parts of a Hindu Temple:

1. The Dome and Steeple: The steeple of the dome is called ‘shikhara’ (summit) that represents the mythological ‘Meru’ or the highest mountain peak. The shape of the dome varies from region to region and the steeple is often in the form of the trident of Shiva.

2. The Inner Chamber: The inner chamber of the temple called ‘garbhagriha’ or ‘womb-chamber’ is where the image or idol of the deity (‘murti’) is placed. In most temples, the visitors cannot enter the garbhagriha, and only the temple priests are allowed inside.

3. The Temple Hall: Most large temples have a hall meant for the audience to sit. This is also called the ‘nata-mandira’ (hall for temple-dancing) where, in days of yore, women dancers or ‘devadasis’ used to perform dance rituals. Devotees use the hall to sit, meditate, pray, chant or watch the priests perform the rituals. The hall is usually decorated with paintings of gods and goddesses.

4. The Front Porch: This area of the temples usually has a big metallic bell that hangs from the ceiling. Devotees entering and leaving the porch ring this bell to declare their arrival and departure.

5. The Reservoir: If the temple is not in the vicinity of a natural water body, a reservoir of fresh water is built on the temple premises. The water is used for rituals as well as to keep the temple floor clean or even for a ritual bath before entering the holy abode.

6. The Walkway: Most temples have a walkway around the walls of the inner chamber for circum-ambulation by devotees around the deity as a mark of respect to the temples god or goddess.