Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak



No visitors will leave Malaysia without tasting our very own Nasi Lemak. Hot cooked rice with pandan aroma steamed with coconut cream goes heavenly well with sizzling spicy sauce or “sambal”. 

Generous sprinklings of roasted peanuts and salty dried anchovies with a hard boiled egg perfect this dish. 

A platter of everything good all wrapped up in banana leaves to further enhance its unique taste. Nasi Lemak is truly a national heritage of Malaysia.

~Courtesy of Tourism Malaysia~

Expect more rain until January, says weatherman

Expect more rain until January, says weatherman

The start of the northeast monsoon today will bring more rain to the east coast of the peninsula and parts of Sabah and Sarawak.

The wet season is expected to last until January.

MetMalaysia director-general Alui Bahari said the northeastern winds from the South China Sea will mark the start of the monsoon season.

“Right now, the winds are still from the southwest, they are variable, but by tomorrow, they will persist from the northeast,” said Alui when contacted yesterday.

He said an episode would range between three and four days of moderate to heavy rain.

This monsoon season is expected to see four to five such episodes.

MetMalaysia has its own colour coding for rainfall, with yellow indicating heavy rain is expected within the next one to three days, and if there is continuous rain, it will not last for more than six hours and the rainfall will be less than 60mm.

Meanwhile, orange indicates continuous heavy rain that will exceed six hours and rainfall collection of at least 60mm while red shows continuous heavy rain exceeding 240mm a day.

Alui said the department would also be monitoring wind speeds and wave heights, as monsoon winds could whip up waves.

For the day’s weather forecast, log on to www.met.gov.my/in/web/metmalaysia/forecasts/general/country.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Electric Train Service provides smooth ride from Kuala Lumpur to Perlis

Electric Train Service provides smooth ride from Kuala Lumpur to Perlis



Commuter Vincent Khor feels the interior of the electric train operated by Malayan Railways is comfortable and cosy. There are even power sockets under the seats.

I was very excited about taking Malaysia’s Electric Train Service (ETS) from Kuala Lumpur (KL) to Arau, Perlis, for the very first time.

It was probably the best decision I made on this trip – to travel by electric train instead of car or plane during the Labour Day weekend in April/May, to participate in the Perlis Marathon.

I bought my Malayan Railways ETS train ticket online.

When I fly, I prefer an aisle seat in the centre of the plane. I decided to make the same seat selection for the train ride. From the online ticketing system, I couldn’t tell if the seat I had chosen was facing the direction the train would be moving or the other way around. And I also couldn’t tell if the cafeteria was in the same coach.

What I was looking forward to was a nice, cosy seat with peace, quiet and privacy so that I could get some sleep. I needed some rest ahead of the marathon, which was held exactly one minute past midnight on the day I arrived.

While waiting for the train, scheduled to depart KL Sentral Station at 7.05am, I bumped into so many runners, some of whom I knew. They were also planning to take the same train and take part in the same marathon.

As I was about to board, I saw Kin K Yum (the marathoner, photographer and newspaper columnist) pushing his foldable bike and walking towards the train platform. I chatted with him for a while. He told me he was waiting for another friend Chan Wai Yee, who I met later, who also brought along a foldable bike. That was such an awesome idea – travelling with foldable bike for leisure cycling after the run in Perlis!

We found out that we were in different coaches so off we went to our separate seats.

TRAIN TO PERLIS

As I entered Coach C, I passed through a nice-looking cafeteria.

My seat was in a four-seat layout, with two seats facing another two, and a blue table in the middle. Throughout the journey, I was not be able to stretch my legs comfortably. Or if I took a nap, strangers sitting across me would be able to watch me all the time.

I was worried I would snore, or saliva would drool from my open mouth, in front of strangers. What if a fellow passenger decided to take a video of me snoring and upload it onto YouTube or Facebook? That made me wonder how I could sleep throughout the five-hour ride.

Five minutes after the train departed, Kin (or "KK" as his friends call him) came over to ask if I wanted to join him and the other runners in their coach. I thought all the seats were sold out! KK then told me that he bought an extra seat, which he was offering to me. My prayers were answered! I would have some peace and a restful journey.

FROM KL TO IPOH

The journey would have 14 stops before its scheduled arrival in Arau at 12.13pm. Pretty fast and efficient.

I found out that the train was moving at speeds averaging around 120kmh, reaching 150kmh at times. However, inside the train, one didn’t feel the speed at all as it ran very smoothly. It was a great way to travel, and we beat the traffic jams along the North-South Expressway!

From cityscapes, the views morphed into smaller towns with lush green vegetation before arriving at the old and beautiful Ipoh train station.

FROM IPOH TO ARAU

The journey from Ipoh saw an even more noticeable change in the landscape. I could spot more oil palm plantations, more forests, and finally padi fields, especially in Kedah. I got excited when the train passed the freshwater lake at Bukit Merah near Taiping. It was the lake I swam in when I took part in the 113 Triathlon last year.

We got off the train at Arau station. We then took the bus to Kangar, where the marathon would be held.

Before we arrived, I suggested to KK and Wai Yee to assemble their foldable bikes in the spacious air-conditioned train.

To our surprise, the train attendant did not object to them assembling their bikes in the train. In fact, he was courteous and friendly.

I was so impressed by the whole train experience – it was unforgettable, awesome and pleasant.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

About 30 landslides reported on Penang Hill

About 30 landslides reported on Penang Hill during recent storm

There were about 30 landslides on Penang Hill during the recent storm with at least two major ones near a Hindu temple and mosque at the hilltop.

Aerial pictures showed effects of landslides close to the 230m-long canopy walk under construction at The Habitat rainforest garden.

Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan Temple secretary K. Paramanathan said the beam at the priest quarters at the back of the temple has become exposed.

“The temple is not affected. I was told about this by a trustee who lives on the hill,” he said.

The Habitat managing director Allen Tan, who is in Hong Kong, said the landslide has not affected the canopy walk.

The canopy walk, when it is opened to the public, will provide a spectacular view across the hill.

It was reported the canopy walk was supposed to be ready last month.

Penang Hill Corporation general manager Cheok Lay Leng said about 30 locations were hit by landslides but the exact number could not be ascertained yet.

“We will check out the landslides near the temple and mosque once access to the hilltop has been restored.

“We expect to open a lane on the jeep trail in about four days as workers are clearing the road,” he said.

The 5.2km jeep trail, which starts near the Penang Botanic Gardens till the hilltop, has been badly hit by landslides. The road is also blocked by fallen trees and branches.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Penang and Perak: More storms on the horizon

Penang and Perak: More storms on the horizon

The Meteorological Department has forecast thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds in Penang and several districts of Perak that will persist until Wednesday evening.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Penang Hill funicular train service suspended after flash floods

Penang Hill funicular train service suspended after flash floods

The Penang Hill funicular train service has been suspended until further notice following flash floods here.

"Every effort is being made to normalise operations as soon as possible," it said on its Facebook page Sunday, apologising for any inconvenience caused.

Putrajaya has mobilised the police and the military to help with the flood situation.

For details, log in to www.penanghill.gov.my.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Penang floods: Met Dept forecasts more rain in northern states

Penang floods: Met Dept forecasts more rain in northern states

The flood situation in Penang improved slightly by noon Sunday, but the Meteorological Department has forecast that bad weather will continue.

In the latest post on its Facebook page, the department issued an "orange" alert warning, which indicates expected continuous rainfall with strong winds in the northern states of Kedah, Perlis and Penang on Sunday.

On Saturday night, the department issued a red alert which indicated continuous downpour in Penang and Kedah.

Putrajaya has mobilised the police and the military to help with the Penang flood situation.

~News courtesy of The Star~