Devotees throng temple’s grand arch opening

Devotees throng temple’s grand arch opening



Sacred gateway: Crowds attending the grand opening of the 45ft-high Vasal Gopuram Samprochanam arch at Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple in Penang. - CHAN BOON KAI/The Star.

Hundreds of devotees witnessed the unveiling of a grand new arch at the famous Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple in Jalan Kebun Bunga.

Standing majestically at 13.71m (45ft), the colourful Vasal Gopuram Samprochanam (temple entrance arch) has a feature of Lord Muruga in his six abodes (Aarupadai Veedu) in Tamil Nadu, India.

In a simple ceremony yesterday, temple chairman Datuk R. Subramaniam together with the chief priest were hoisted by a crane to do some prayers in front of the structure.

Subramaniam said the arch was completed last year, but the painting works could not be done on time.



Devotees seeking blessing during a special prayers for the newly painted entrance arch. Picby:CHAN BOON KAI/The Star/ 28 January 2018. Devotees offering prayers during the ceremony.

“This year, the artisans took about three months to finish it and the arch is set to be another new attraction here,” he said.

He added that the top part of the old arch, which was erected in 1973, was placed at the side of the new entrance.

Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, Penang Hindu Endowment Board executive director M. Ramachandran and Bagan Dalam assemblyman A. Tanasekharan.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Easier for foreign students to get visas

Easier for foreign students to get visas

The foreign students e-Visa Approval Letters (e-VAL) system is up and running, says Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), a wholly-owned company of the Higher Education Ministry.

In a statement, EMGS CEO Prof Datuk Dr Rujhan Mustafa said this would allow international students to obtain visas through its STARS’ portal.

“A total of 277,000 complete applications were received between 2013 and 2017,” Prof Rujhan said.

“These were processed and the VALs were issued within seven working days, thanks to the support and teamwork of the Immigration Department.

Yesterday, the company hosted the Education Malaysia Industry Townhall 2018 meeting with 180 international education heads from higher education institutions, skills centres and language schools.

It was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Participants were briefed on operational updates related to the visa application. An open dialogue on issues at hand was held in addition to introducing the line-up of newly appointed Education Malaysia directors for its offices in Chicago, Dubai, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City.

~News courtesy of Bernama~

Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow

‘Char Kway Teow’ or ‘stir-fried ricecake strips’ is arguably one of the most popular dishes among Malaysians of all races. The name is derived from the Hokkien term for ‘fried’ which is ‘char, while ‘kway teow’ refers to the ‘flat rice noodles’, which is the main ingredient.



The latter is stir-fried over very high heat with light or dark soy sauce, chili, while prawns, deshelled cockles, bean sprouts, chinese chives and eggs.

Among the chinese community, the char kway teow is traditionally stir-fried in pork fat with crisp croutons of pork lard and serve on a piece of banana leaf or plate. In some instances, slices of chinese sausage and fishcake are added to accentuate the taste.

Originally conceived as a poor man’s food, mostly consumed by laborers, farmers, fishermen and cockle-pickers, the dish has today evolved into one of the most-loved dishes among Malaysians – but with certain ingredients omitted to adhere to ‘halal’ guidelines of muslim community.

As the dish became more widespread, many cooks have come up with their own versions of ‘char kway teow’ but with the same essential ingredients ‘Char kway teow’ was said to have its origins in S.E.Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei) but the common consensus is that ‘Penang char kway teow’ tops the list when it comes to taste and originality.

In Kampar, Perak, the dish is cooked with cockles but no prawns, unless on request. In East Malaysia, other ingredients are used in the cooking eg beef, onions, sweet soya sauce etc.

There are also so-called ‘gourmet versions’ of char kway teow, especially in Ipoh, Penang, Taiping and even the Klang Valley, where seafood, crab meat and even duck eggs are added to suit discerning tastes.

~Info courtesy of Tourism Malaysia~

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~