Saturday 20 June 2009

7 more H1N1 cases bringing total to 42

7 more H1N1 cases bringing total to 42

An 11-year-old girl from a school in Kuala Lumpur is among seven new confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) cases in the country bringing the total to 42.

The Health Ministry also announced that among the seven cases, one was locally transmitted but did not provide further details.

News courtesy of The Star
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/20/nation/20090620101008&sec=nation

Thursday 18 June 2009

Rapid Penang Bus Map



Click on the respective images for larger view

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Hungary to close embassy

Hungary to close embassy in Malaysia

Hungary has confirmed that it is closing its embassy in Malaysia.

Its deputy Head of Mission here, Robert Papp, told Bernama in a telephone interview Wednesday that Hungary’s Foreign Ministry had informed Wisma Putra on the decision.

He declined to give details when asked about the closure date and which of Hungary’s missions would be in charge in Malaysia.

-news courtesy of The Star-

1st locally-transmitted case

First locally-transmitted case confirmed

A 17-year-old girl admitted to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital has been identified as the first locally transmitted A(H1N1) case in Malaysia.

Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said authorities identified the case as due to local transmission after finding out that the teenager had not visited any of the countries where a flu pandemic had been declared.

He said the girl went to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) at about 10am on Monday to seek treatment after developing a fever and was later sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

-More news available from The Star-
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/17/nation/20090617171933&sec=nation

Sunday 14 June 2009

12th H1N1 case in Malaysia

12th H1N1 case confirmed in Malaysia

Another A(H1N1) flu case has been confirmed in the country bringing the total number of cases to 12.

The latest case is of a 19-year-old medical student who had returned after a 17-day holiday in Melbourne.

Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said in a statement that the student had returned with three friends on flight MH148 and arrived at 9.21pm on Wednesday.

“The student was not ill upon arrival at the KL International Airport,” he said, adding that the patient started feeling ill only on Thursday and had received treatment at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre before being referred to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital isolation ward at 5.30pm the same day.

Tests on the student this morning were positive for the A(H1N1) virus.

News courtesy of The Star
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/13/nation/20090613141404&sec=nation

Saturday 13 June 2009

H1N1, what do I do now?

What do I do now? What actions should I look for in my community?

Stay informed. Go to reliable sources of information, including your Ministry of Health, to learn what you can do to protect yourself and stay updated as the pandemic evolves. Community-specific information is available from local or national health authorities.

You can also continue to visit the WHO web site for simple prevention practices and general advice.

WHO is not recommending travel restrictions nor does WHO have evidence of risk from eating cooked pork.

-information courtesy of World Health Organisation-

Friday 12 June 2009

WHO declares H1N1 flu pandemic

WHO declares H1N1 flu pandemic

GENEVA: The A(H1N1) flu crisis has escalated into the world's first influenza pandemic in 40 years, the World Health Organisation declared on Thursday, after infecting tens of thousands of people in 74 countries.

WHO Director General Margaret Chan said the declaration of a "moderate" pandemic should not spark panic and did not mean the death toll from A(H1N1), which currently stands at 144, would rise sharply.

The UN body said it was not recommending the closure of borders nor restrictions in movement of people, goods and services. But it warned the virus was spreading beyond the Americas where it was first detected in April.

"We will be raising our pandemic alert level to level six; and this means that the world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century," Chan told reporters after a meeting of scientific experts.

More news from Channel Newsasia website
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/435376/1/.html

Monday 8 June 2009

Basic Conversation Malay - 2

Expressions/Descriptions/Items

Baik - Good
Tak Baik - Not good
Terbaik - Best
Ya - Yes
Tak / Tidak - No
Bukan - Not
Ada - Have
Tiada/tak ada/tidak ada - Don't have
Tak Tahu - Don't know
Tak Faham - Don't understand
Boleh - Can
Tak Boleh - Cannot
Mahu - Want
Tak Mahu/tak mau - Don't want
Buruk - Bad
Semua - All
Besar - Big
Sederhana - Medium
Tengah - Central
Kecil - Small
Tolong - Help
Gembira - Happy
Suka - Like
Marah - Angry
Penat - Tired
Dahaga - Thirsty
Sejuk - Cold
Tidur - Sleep
Main - Play
Cepat - Quick
Lambat - Slow
Terlalu - Too...
Sangat - Very...
Telefon - Telephone
Telefon bimbit - Handphone/cellphone
Kertas - Paper
Pen - Pen
Pensil - Pencil
Buku - Book
Baju - Clothes
Topi - Hat/cap
Katil - Bed
Kasut - Shoes
Cermin Mata - Spectacles
Beg - Bag
Beg plastik - Plastic bag
Pintu - Door/entrance
Ambil - Take
Beri - Give
Beli - Buy
Jual - Sell
Beli-Belah - Shopping
Mahal - Expensive
Murah - Cheap
Kawan - Friend
Hadiah - Gift/present
Orang - People/person
Cantik - Beautiful
Tinggi - High
Rendah - Low
Tangan - Hand
Kaki - Leg
Kepala - Head
Mulut - Mouth
Mata - Eyes
Telinga - Ears
Hidung - Nose
Bunga - Flower
Burung - Bird
Cuci - Wash

Sunday 7 June 2009

Malaysia's 7th H1N1 case

7th H1N1 patient detected

A female Australian student has been confirmed to be the seventh patient infected with influenza A (H1N1) in Malaysia, said Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican.

He said the 15-year-old travelled with her mother from Melbourne on AirAsia X D7 2723 and arrived at the LCCT at 7am on Friday.

Her fever was detected when she went through the thermal scanner screening at the airport.

Source: The Star

Friday 5 June 2009

6th H1N1 case in Malaysia

A (H1N1) flu: Malaysia confirms 6th case in student returned from US

Malaysia confirmed its sixth case of Influenza A (H1N1) in a student who arrived here on June 3 from New York on flight MH091.

-News courtesy of The Star-

Basic conversation Malay - 1

Greetings

Selamat Datang - Welcome
Apa Khabar - How are you?
Khabar baik - I'm fine
Nama saya... - My name is...
Siapa nama anda? - What's your name?
Saya - I
Anda - You (polite)
Awak / Kau - You
Dia - He/She
Kita / Kami - We
Kamu - You all
Mereka - They
Encik - Mister
Cik - Miss
Terima Kasih - Thank you
Minta Maaf - Maaf

Selamat pagi - Good morning
Selamat petang - Good afternoon
Selamat malam - Good night
aku cinta pada mu - I love you
Jumpa lagi - see you again

Thursday 4 June 2009

Sri Maju Express Bus

(Borrowed image)

IPOH, PERAK
Address : No. 2, 4 & 6, Jalan Bendahara, 31650 Ipoh, Perak
Telephone : 05-2535367 (6 lines)
Fax : 05-2556452

Medan Gopeng, PERAK
Address : Kaunter 17 & 18, Terminal Bas Ekspres Silveritage Galleria,
Medan Gopeng, 31350 Ipoh
Telephone : 05-3127197

TANJUNG MALIM, PERAK
Address : Pejabat No 4, Stesen Bas, Jalan Besar, 35900 Tg Malim, Perak
Telephone : 05-4599803

BIDOR, PERAK
Telephone : 05-4344 520

KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK
Address : No. 5, New Bus Station, 33000 Kuala Kangsar, Perak
Telephone : 05-7761370

KAMPAR, PERAK
Address : Gerai No T1, Tingkat Bawah Pasaraya Target,
Jln Kranji, 31900 Kampar, Perak
Telephone : 05-4663541, 4662299

LUMUT, PERAK
Address : No. 5 & 6, Bus Station,
32200 Lumut, Perak
Telephone : 05-6835562

Genting - First World Bus Terminal
Address : Lot 1.4, Bus Terminal Fist World Hotel,
Genting Highlands
Telephone : 012-523 3069, 03-6101 2696

BUTTERWORTH
Address : Kaunter 12, Terminal Bas Ekspres Butterworth, 12000, Penang
Telephone : 04-3313400

PENANG
Address : No 8A, SHED Pengkalan Weld, Georgetown 10300, Penang
Telephone : 04-262 2034

SG. Nibong
Address : Kaunter 13 & 14, Terminal Bas Sg Nibong, 11700 Sg Dua, Penang
Telephone : 04 6551746

Larkin, JOHOR
Address : Kaunter BT 36, Kompleks Pengangkutan Awam Larkin,
80350 Johor Bahru, Johor
Telephone : 07-222 7534

ALOR SETAR, KEDAH
Address : Kaunter L, Terminal Bas Sahab Perdana, Jln Sultanah
05150 Alor Setar, Kedah
Telephone : 04-7339976

Kaunter 12, Terminal Bas Sahab Perdana, Jln Sultanah
05150 Alor Setar, Kedah
Telephone : 04- 7334541

KUALA LUMPUR
Address : Counter 7 & 8, Bangunan Hentian Puduraya,
Kuala Lumpur (Platform 17)
Telephone: 03-20701279

IMBI, KUALA LUMPUR
Address : Kaunter 4, Perhentian Bas Pasar Rakyat, No. 8, Jln Melati,
Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: 03-21427211

SINGAPORE
Address : # 01-17 Woh Hup Complex (Golden Mile Complex)
Beach Road, Singapore 199588
Telephone : +65-62934160, 62948228

Website
http://www.srimaju.com/

Tuesday 2 June 2009

Cross-channel Ferry rates

Cross-channel Ferry
Ferry rates

Pedestrian

* Adult RM1.20
* Children (between 5 to 12 years old) RM0.60

Seasons Ticket (Pedestrians) – valid for two months from date of issue

* Adult RM30.00

Special passengers

* School children RM6.00
* Kad Orang Kurang Upaya (a card for disabled people) Free

Passengers holding area at Penang Island jetty

Passenger ferry

Vehicles

* Bicycle: RM1.40
* Motorcycle (inclusive of pillion rider): RM2.00
* Trishaw/tricycle: RM3.00

* Motorcar (including station wagon, four-wheel drive, three-wheel commercial vehicle, motorcycle with side car): RM7.70

* Lorry (2 axles with 4 wheels): RM13.20
* Lorry (2 axles with 6 wheels): RM27.50

Car ferry

-information courtesy of wikipedia-

Cross-channel Ferry schedule

Ferry schedule

Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim (Mainland side)

* First ferry departure : 0600 hours
* Last ferry departure : 0100 hours


Mainland Side jetty (Butterworth)

Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda (Island side)

* First ferry departure : 0530 hours
* Last ferry departure : 0030 hours

Island side jetty (Georgetown)

-information courtesy of wikipedia-

Ferry and seaports

Ferry and seaports

Cross-channel ferry services, provided by the Penang Ferry Service, connect George Town and Butterworth, and were the only link between the island and the mainland until the bridge was built in 1985. High-speed ferries to the resort island of Langkawi (Kedah) in the north as well as to Medan (Indonesia) are also available daily.

The Port of Penang is operated by the Penang Port Commission. There are four terminals, one on Penang island (Swettenham Pier) and three on the mainland, namely North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT), Butterworth Deep Water Wharves (BDWW), and Prai Bulk Cargo Terminal (PBCT). Malaysia being the 13th largest exporting nation, the Port of Penang plays a leading role in the nation's shipping industry, linking Penang to more than 200 ports worldwide. Swettenham Pier also accommodates cruise ships.

-information courtesy of wikipedia-

Airport

Airport

Penang International Airport (PEN) is located at Bayan Lepas in the south of the island. The airport serves as the northern gateway to Malaysia and is the hub of Firefly, a low-cost carrier wholly owned by Malaysia Airlines. Other airlines operating at Penang are national carrier Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Tiger Airways, Jetstar Airways, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and Dragon Air, Taiwan-based China Airlines, China Southern Airlines, together with Indonesian airlines Lion Air, Kartika Airlines and Sriwijaya Air.

-information courtesy of wikipedia-

Rail and monorail

Rail and monorail

Penang has 34.9 km of rail track within its border. Butterworth is serviced by the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) or Malayan Railway West Coast line which runs from Padang Besar on the Malaysia-Thailand Border in Perlis to Singapore. Senandung Langkawi is the daily night express running from Kuala Lumpur to Haadyai via Butterworth.

Penang has had a monorail under consideration since 1999. The Penang Monorail project was finally approved on 31 March 2006 under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. The Monorail route connects Tanjung Tokong in the north with Bayan Lepas in the south, Air Itam in the west and Weld Quay in the east. Unfortunately, on 26 June 2008, this long-overdue project suffered the same fate as the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) when the Federal government decided to defer it.

-information courtesy of wikipedia-

Public transport

Public transport

Penang Hill Railway boarding place at ground station

Penang boasted an efficient public transport network right up to the 1970s. Electric trams, trolleybuses and double deckers used to ply the streets of Penang. The Penang Hill Railway, a funicular railway to the top of Penang Hill, was an engineering feat of sorts when it was completed in 1923, and is still in use today.

Penang Hill Railway track

The Penang public bus service today is generally unsystematic and do not have a reputation of reliability. Therefore, the usage of public transport is still low, exacerbating the traffic jams in the city during rush hours. The city council has, however, provided free shuttle bus services for short intra-city travel to lessen the congestion.

Route 304: Gurney Drive - Komtar - Bukit Gedung

In April 2006, the local authorities announced a revamp of the public bus service to bring about a more reliable and efficient network without any visible progress. On 20 February 2007, the government announced that Rapid KL would operate the public bus service in Penang under the new entity called Rapid Penang which is formed for this purpose. The service started on 31 July 2007 with 150 buses covering 38 routes on the island and mainland.

There are two main bus terminals for inter-state express coaches. One is located at the ferry terminal in Province Wellesley (Butterworth), and a newer one at Sungai Nibong on the island.

Interior view of a Rapid Penang bus

Komtar bus terminal

Rapid Penang website
http://www.rapidpg.com.my/


Taxis in Penang have not conformed to the meter system as exhorted by the federal authorities, citing unprofitability. A new ruling implemented on 1 August 2006 made it compulsory for taxis to use the meter system. Although taxi drivers have been repeatedly warned by the state government and the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB), the meter system is still not adhered to by taxi drivers in Penang.

A quaint mode of transport, the three-wheeled trishaw, still operates in certain parts of George Town. However, with the advent of modern transport, the trishaw has increasingly become a mere tourist attraction.

-information courtesy of wikipedia-