Happy New Year, 2012

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This is wishing everyone a prosperous and more importantly a peaceful New Year. For some, 2012 is really their doomsday as marks the end of some important favours and privileges they have been enjoying. For some, it is just another number with no specific meaning other than to carry on with life. For some, it is an opportunity to express gratitude to God for being able to breath and live another day, realising that they do things in faith and knowing that there will always be hope and answer when everything seem to be falling apart.

For some, and I mean for people of who live in Malaysia, it is yet another opportunity to be thankful for making a living in a peaceful country. And that, I believe, happen that way it is because of love.

You love your Country,
You love your Neighbours,
You love your Creator.

If 2011 has been a bitter year, remember there's always something sweet worth looking back to. If it was an abundance of blessings, remember you owe it to yourself to think about the less fortunate. It's about how you deal with obstacles and the favours at hand.

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS YOU MALAYSIA!

Kuala Lumpur
01.01.2012
00:22am

More Than 235,000 Individuals Declared Bankrupt

Ouch! Really?

Yes. The number of bankrupt individuals in Malaysia is almost a quarter of a million. 235,908 individuals to be exact, according to the Department of Insolvency.

Is this figure alarming? According to the Director-General of Insolvency Department, it is, and it should be to us, too.

The department statistics show that there are 41 individuals declared bankrupt every day! At this rate, by the end of this year there would be more than 238,000 bankrupts and if there's no immediate bold action this could well reach half a million by 2020 when we anticipate the country to have attained developed nation status.

Daily Express, Malaysia.

"A bankrupt is someone who has officially declared that he cannot pay what he owes. In Malaysia, the minimum amount of outstanding debt amount to initiate bankruptcy is RM30,000. Malaysia’s bankruptcy law is based on English law and comes under the Bankruptcy Act 1967." - malaysia.gov.my

The main causes for declaring the 235,908 individuals bankrupt are:
1. Hire purchase, 26%
2. Personal loan, 21%
3. Housing loan, 14%
4. Others - business loan, corporate guarantee,
- wondering where the C.Card defaulters came under.

Between 2005 and October 2011, about 14,000 cases were discharged of bankruptcy, meaning for each discharged case there are 6 others being declared bankrupt, (Ratio 1:6.4). This is not good at all from social point of view, more so with our aspiration to progress and to prosper at higher pace towards 2020.

The government is reviewing the Malaysian Bankruptcy Act 1967 to assist those who were declared bankrupt to continue with life without the debt burden. But if people don't take bankruptcy seriously and think that they can get away from debtors and start fresh with their lives by filing for bankruptcy, think again. If being bankrupt makes life no better than before, don't opt for it.

Think about the THREE main causes for bankruptcy and borrow only what you can afford. Live within your/our means.

Talking about living within your means, how about making one a resolution for the new year? Could be a good idea.

Reference: Malaysia Department of Insolvency

Renewal Energy Sector to Create 50,000 jobs

This is the expected amount of jobs created by RE sector come 2020.

In 2010, The Star cited experts estimation of creation of at least 52,000 jobs from the construction, operation and maintenance of renewable energy plants in the country by 2020.

Earlier this month, New Straits Times carried an article stating a more conservative figure by economist, estimating 50,000 jobs created by RE plants. If we are to spread this over the course of 9 years, that would be about 5,000 to 6,000 jobs created every year; a very interesting prospect for an emerging economy.

This is very much possible.

The RE sector is fast gaining ground as a new growth area for many countries with the potential it presents environmentally and economically. It plays a major role in meeting energy needs, making it possible for businesses to reap energy cost savings while combating global warming. Currently, Malaysia is world 3rd largest producer of solar cells after China and Germany. Malaysia already already have companies across the entire value chain, from silicon production to solar cell manufacturing and module assembly.

Source: Ministry of Information Communications and Culture, Malaysia.

With the committed amount of fund for the rolling out of the first FiT incentive for 2012 - 2014, Malaysia is on the right direction to achieve a targeted revenue of at least RM70 billion from the private sector by 2020.

What does this means to us?

That means more new talents and skills, especially in RE sector, would be needed so much sooner than later. We do not want to go into an industry we have less talent of and end up hiring people from other countries to do things for us. The targeted quantity must be matched with the right quality of our human capital.

It is an opportunity for us to learn new technology, to perfect an existing method to be efficient and be the largest producer of solar related products.

Why not.

Season Greetings From CIMB Clicks

If you happen to have received an email with the above heading recently, take note that this is a Scam. All it is trying to do is to fish you into revealing your sensitive information at CIMB Bank. So, if you are a current user of CIMB Clicks you might be particularly interested.

I received this on Christmas day on my mobile and it goes into my mailbox probably because I have no spam mail filter installed on my mobile device. It looks authentic at the first glance due to the bank logo on the heading.

The thief greets you nicely this Christmas

The URL, (https://www.cimbclicks.com.my/ibk/) shown in the email is real and if you type this address on your browser url tab, you will be directed to the following CIMB clicks page:

Actual page of CIMB Clicks

When I right-clicked the link, or rather press-and-hold in my case, it revealed the phishing website - http://minhtrfurniture.com/auto.php

and the mailing address of this scammer is [anne2.lindh@pp.inet.fi] but I doubt it'll stay that way for long. It is perhaps a dynamically generated email that targets one would-be victim per phishing email.

I know this is quite common and it happens all the time but it is always better to to stay safe online and be wary (and worry) of emails purportedly from your bank asking for 'confirmation' of passwords and/or user name.

Better safe than sorry. Happy banking.

Merry Christmas

I would like to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May your days be merry and blessed with joy, you and your loved ones.

"Nativity Hut" - a nativity scene at Gaya Street Christmas Celebration 2011, where figurines of Joseph and Mary are in life-size.

This is one of my favourites:
The Christmas Song

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa's on his way;
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother's child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
A very Merry Christmas to you.


And my childhood favourite:

The Greatest Gift of All


**with lyrics**


Merry Christmas everyone!

Borang Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia

Salam sejahtera.

Saya pernah membuat entri mengenai Taklimat Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia yang saya hadiri di Daerah Tuaran. Taklimat ini telah di selaraskan dan tidak berbeza dengan taklimat-taklimat seumpamanya di seluruh negara.

Apa yang membimbangkan dan mengecewakan adalah terdapat segelintir pihak yang cuba meneguk di air keruh. Kebelakangan ini kita banyak membaca mengenai kes-kes penipuan berkenaan dengan borang Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M). Ada yang menyebut tentang pihak tertentu yang menjual borang permohonan pada harga RM3.00 hingga RM5.00 sekeping.

Perlu ditegaskan bahawa borang ini diberi secara PERCUMA dan boleh diisi (bantuan boleh dipohon) oleh sesiapa sahaja termasuk pemohon yang grey atau status kelayakannya kurang jelas.

Sehubungan ini saya sertakan salinan borang softcopy yang telah saya muat-naik bagi tujuan kegunaan semua. Borang ini, BK-01 [1/2011], boleh didapati di semua pejabat daerah dan pejabat-pejabat Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri di seluruh negara. Sumber borang: Pegawai LHDN yang membuat taklimat tersebut.

Muat turun BORANG BR1M.

Atau klik konsol di bawah untuk melihat pilihan-pilihan menu yang akan membawa anda ke laman Scribd.com, yang menjadi host kepada borang tersebut.

Interface BORANG BR1M

What's Better for you: Well-Done or Rare steak?

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First of - if you don't fancy steak this is obviously not for you (still, it may be a good read).

Photo credit: ireallylikefood

I used to consume steak on a considerably regular basis and XO Steak House in Kota Kinabalu was my favourite dine in food outlet. It's a 'was' as the restaurant is no longer in operation. Knowing that I'm a steak lover, my wife treated me to some fabulous dinner there. The following is an excerpt from my daily reading of the Daily Express and you'll find it interesting if you love steak like I do.

So, which is better for you?

That depends on who you are. If you are hungry, cooking is invaluable because you need all the fat and calories you can get. Cooking reduces the chewing time and begins the digestive process almost immediately. Some scientists even argue that the invention of cooking drove the evolution of the human brain. Do a little googling and you will understand what I mean.

On the other hand, if you are an over-fed modern person you don't need more calories or more fat. You need the iron, vitamins and possibly the protein in the meat, in which case less cooking maybe better. Above all, if you already eat lots of meat then more is generally going to be bad for you. If you eat little meat then a steak can be good source of nutrition whether well-done or rare.

For me - I like it well-done but I'll take it sparingly now as eating less meat is greener and it is better for my overall health, and yours.

I take more fish now, soup or grilled.

How about you?

Water Before Bedtime

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"About 90% of heart attacks occur early in the morning and it can be minimised if one takes a glass or two of water NOT grog or beer before retiring in the evening."

I received this from a colleague and decided to share it, not through email but here, hoping that it reaches more people than the chain mail.


I did a little googling to find out if this is a fact proven scientifically but I couldn't get an assuring figure. But as for heart attacks happening in the morning, it seem to be a common knowledge among health practitioners.

Anyway, everyone knows the importance of water so, it is just a matter of trying to find the truth about the claim regarding the special time/s to drink it.

Here it goes (the relayed info):-

Drinking water at the correct time maximises its effectiveness on the Human body:
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

If you read Top 11 Benefits of Drinking Water and How, you will be amazed by the facts about the functions of water in your body.

Go ahead, have a good read and share it with people you care about.

Image from mangosteen-natural-remedies.com

Atkinson Clock Tower to Stay

Yes, the clock tower is here to stay,.... at least for now.


I like this!

According to Sabah Town and Country Planning Department Director, Mr. Mursidi Hj. Sapie, the Central Board has rejected the proposed multi-storey mixed-commercial project near Atkinson Clock Tower. Read about Life around Atkinson Clock Tower.



Former LPPB HQ building is right on the perimeter of the red circle.


This should be a good news to the many who opposed strongly to the proposed project. Their joy may still be short lived as the developers can appeal upon fulfilling the requirements of the environment impact assessment (EIA) report as well as museum and tourism authorities' conditions.

The project was approved by the former local authority and the old Sabah Housing and Town Development Authority (LPPB) headquarters building had already been demolished. That is the extent of determination by some quarters to bulldoze their plan for a multi-million ringgit worth of commercial project. If it was not for the determination of several NGOs, activists, as well as environmentalists in opposing to the LPPB plan, the clock tower would just be a history today.

Of course the developers would want to recover their cost for doing preliminary works, so they will not just sit and do nothing about this decision to reject the project. In the end it is the tax payers and the people as a whole are the ones on the losing end. And this is because of lack of good planning by those responsible for laying out plan for our city (then town, that is how LPPB got its tag, 'town planning').

So, Atkinson tower is here to stay!

If they decide to build the commercial centre later, the promised buffer zones around the site must be respected and not turned into ugly back alley suitable only for rubbish dumping.

Parabolic Dishes Banned in Malaysia

The public is prohibited from using parabolic satellite dishes to receive transmission from foreign television stations because their content may have a negative impact on Malaysian viewers. This was what the Deputy Minister of the concerned ministry told the Dewan Rakyat recently.

The government has since, through the Customs Department confiscated 193 parabolic satellite dishes valued at RM200,000 in a major crackdown in Sabah. For the record, Sabah and Sarawak enjoyed unofficial freedom of use of such dishes for many years.

Needless to say, people were not happy with the Customs Department's sudden tough act, but for all the furors that followed the big scaled operation by the authority, let us understand that the ban has been there for very long time already. The ban was enforced in 1988 following the enactment of the Broadcasting Act 1988. All types of satellite dishes were prohibited then until amendment to the act was made in 1995 to allow satellite TV, ASTRO in particular, to come into service. Even then, parabolic dishes were legalised only after issuance of licence for very specific applications and upon fulfillment of certain standard equipment or device. Don't ask me what is standard and non-standard in this context.

Big satellite dish used by operator of Poring Hot Spring, Ranau, Sabah.

Section 239 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (ACT 558) states that an offence of "unlawful use, possession or supply of non-standard equipment or device" is punishable by not more than RM100,000 or imprisonment for a term not more than 2 years, or both.

I'm so unimpressed by the lack of enforcement. If there was no amendment to allow for the usage of such devices then take action and be consistent. Don't give leeway at pleasure and put the law in a mess by allowing the use of the devices depending on the situation. I haven't seen any clear guidelines and I believe this has encourage numerous unlawful installation of the banned device especially in Sabah.

I mentioned 'freedom of use' earlier. When you do not enforce the law and allow infringement to happen for so many years, and I say 20 years is very long, you are giving an impression that the law there just for show and probably to save your butts when things get out of control. Also, you are implying that that act of law is redundant. In the case of the issue at hand (satellite dishes), one set of instruction is there for Peninsula Malaysia and another for Sabah/Sarawak.

We seem to be not serious in doing our job putting the law at work.

ASTRO dish is only 60cm in diameter and as the technology advances so is the size of communication equipment and devices; they become smaller. It is near impossible now for the enforcement officers to detect the small 'illegal' dishes. The ministry will then need to employ 'bugs' in every house to spy and catch these culprits which would effectively make Malaysia a police country. All in the name of trying to block contents that may have a negative impact on Malaysian viewers. If that is the case, then we might as well block or heavily filter the internet access as well.

For your reading pleasure:
Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, ACT 558
The changing broadcast media environment: perspectives from Malaysia, 1994
ASTRO: Legality & content. A bit biased write-up but surely a good read.
Is your Parabolic Dish (TVRO), handphone, walkie talkie legal? This is MCMC asking you a question.

Parabolic Mirrors That Produce Electricity

Although not the main source of today's electrical energy, people would probably be more familiar with the term solar power (Solar PV) now compared to 20 years ago. In solar photovoltaic, light is converted to electricity directly using photovoltaic panels. This is one way, and the most conventional means of harnessing energy from the sun.

The other method - not yet as popular but gaining momentum - is through Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). As it name suggests, similar to Solar PV, the the sun is the source of energy but harnessed indirectly. Parabolic mirrors are used to concentrate sunlight onto receivers and convert it to heat. This heat will be used by a steam turbine or a heat driving generator to generate electricity.

Image from Desertek-UK

In a more technical terms:
In CSP plants, long, parabolic silvered glass mirrors are arranged in troughs that track the sun as it moves through the day. The solar radiation hitting the mirrors focuses on metal heat-absorbing pipes, encased in glass, at the focal point of the mirrors, where it warms synthetic oil to temperatures of 350 - 400 degree Celcius. The super-heated oil is then pumped down the pipe to a central power block where heat exchangers absorb the energy to create steam that drives a steam turbine and generate electricity.

In 2010, Solar PV has a total global capacity of 40,000MW with another 24,000MW expected in 2011. In comparison CSP total installed capacity in 2010 stands at 1,095MW while at least 6,200MW more has been initiated in 2011. This shows that Solar PV is way ahead of CSP in terms of global acceptance.

Is it better than using the normal solar cells to convert the light to electricity directly? Unlikely. CSP is probably more of complementing Solar PV than a direct competitor. Due to the thermal storage capacity of the CSP system, electricity can still be generated during cloudy days unlike photovoltaic.

It is good to diversify, especially if it is sustainable and one that does not harm mother nature.

Taklimat Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia

Salam sejahtera.

Taklimat Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) peringkat Daerah Tuaran telah diadakan hari ini (9 Disember 2011) di Dewan Tun Hamdan, Tamparuli. Taklimat ini merupakan inisiatif Kementerian Kewangan Malaysia melalui Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN), Kota Kinabalu.

Entri ini bertujuan memberi penerangan kepada anda yang belum menghadiri mana-mana taklimat seumpama ini.

Bantuan Tunai RM500 kepada ketua keluarga isi rumah yang berpendapatan bulanan RM3,000 ke bawah akan memberi implikasi kewangan dianggarkan sebanyak RM2.6 bilion yang akan memberi memanfaat kepada 5.2 juta isi rumah.

Borang pendaftaran akan diedarkan mulai 10 Disember 2011 (Sabtu) dengan tempoh permohonan sehingga 10 Januari 2012.

Pembayaran BR1M akan dilaksanakan dalam beberapa majlis penyampaian selama tempoh dua bulan, mulai 15 Januari 2012. Sekiranya penerima tidak dapat menghadiri majlis penyampaian tersebut, baucar boleh dituntut di Pejabat Daerah. Baucar-baucar tersebut boleh ditunaikan di cawangan-cawangan Bank Simpanan Nasional, BSN.

Berikut adalah ringkasan kepada taklimat BR1M peringkat Daerah Tuaran dan difahamkan bahawa format taklimat-taklimat di daerah lain seluruh negara telah diselaraskan bagi tujuan keseragaman:-

***************************************************************************************
Tarikh: 9 Disember 2011
Masa: 9.00am - 12.00 tengahari
Tempat: Dewan Tun Hamdan, Tamparuli, Sabah
***************************************************************************************

BILIK OPERASI KHAS
Talian Hotline 1-800-222-500 akan mula beroperasi pada 7 Disember 2011
Pegawai MOF akan bertugas dari 9 pagi – 5 petang, (Isnin-Jumaat)
Pejabat SUK dan Pejabat Daerah mewujudkan Bilik Operasi Khas

Dirasakan taklimat sedemikian amat penting memandangkan rakyat Malaysia yang layak mahupun yang tidak layak masih tertanya-tanya tentang cara memohon dan di manakah mereka boleh berbuat demikian.

Akhir kata, jumlah bantuan RM500 tidaklah banyak jika dibandingkan dengan kos sara hidup sekarang tetapi seperti kata orang, kalau dah diberi tu ambik saja lah!

Geothermal Power Plant Soon

Kota Kinabalu: A local company is set to pioneer renewable energy in the State by tapping into geothermal sources in Tawau.

Green Energy Sdn Bhd (TGE) which inked a deal with Sabah Electricity Board (SESB) on Tuesday, aims to generate in the next two years 30MW of electricity for Tawau and its surrounding areas for up to 100 years.

Its RM400 million geothermal power plant at Apas Kiri, which will be connected to the Sabah electricity grid, will also be Malaysia's first renewable energy power plant using geothermal energy resources.

TGE Project Director Andrew Amalados said work will commence Wednesday and is scheduled for completion by December 2014, is one of the cleanest forms of renewable energy with carbon footprints very much lower than of coal, fossil oil and natural gas.

Read the news further at Daily Express.

The four Renewable Energy type that enjoy special tariff system in Malaysia are Biogas, Biomass, Small Hydro power, and Solar PV. The special tariff is an incentive to catalyse the generation of renewable energy. Geothermal power is not one of the renewable energy sources under the national FiT policy.

Geothermal power is, however, categotised as renewable due to the sustainability of the source of thermal energy and it is much greener compared to coal, fossil fuel and natural gas. As such, initiatives by individuals and enterprises in harnessing energy from geothermal quaify for certain financial incentive from the government as well as global recognition by international organisations.

Image source.

Put in simple term, geothermal energy is generated from the temperature derived from earth. As shown in the above image, high pressure steam is obtained from underground geothermal hot reservoir, is contained and managed, then used too drive the power plant turbines to generate electricity. Recovered fluid is injected back to earth and the cycle is repeated.

The first ever geothermal power plant in the country is being built and operated in Sabah by Tawau Green Energy Sdn Bhd with vital info as follows:

Location : Apas Kiri, near Tawau Hills Park
(about 20km from Tawau town)
Cost : RM400 million
Generating capacity : 30MW
Energy tapping : via 12 wells, 1800m to 2000m deep
Build up area : 20 hectares
Expected completion : 3 years (due in 2014)
Tenure : 21-year power purchase agreement with SESB

Image from Tawau Green Energy website.

30MW is not much compared to Sabah's total current demand of 772MW but it will certainly help in stabilising the quality of power supply in the East Coast. Higher available capacity means lesser interruption of power at the consumer end.

Hopefully so.

Personal Injury Solicitor

I took this picture 2 days after the train-lorry collision near Kota Kinabalu International Airport on 30th October 2011 and it reminds me of the few personal accident insurance policies I have signed up for.

It reminds me of a fellow Kota Kinabalu blogger (I can't really recall which one) mentioning the importance of life insurance while at the same time thinking about injuries sustained by the passengers of the ill-fated train. For those who have Personal Accident insurance (PA), I suppose it is a straight forward contact-your-agent-and-sit-wait kind of process they have to go through. I read about Personal Injury Solicitors which is available in other countries, to handle cases involving insurance claim due to negligence of other party. This ensures that nobody unduly suffers from somebody else’s mistake.

I am not saying or passing a judgement that one party or another in the above case is at fault. I'm just wondering if we have this kind of service provider in our country. You know, something like in some countries, solicitors/lawyers look for some faults and collaborate with a willing person to take some legal action and benefit from there. This is an extreme example but, yeah, someone like a helper to 'solicit' on our behalf.

Can anyone, especially insurance agent/solicitor enlighten us?

Tablet PC the way to Go?

Feeling like it is year-end holiday yet? Teachers and students would surely say yes.

It is December and people would now be busy preparing for a brand new year. This is also the time when most of us would be shopping for presents for our loved ones or for self reward after a job well done this year.

I don't actually consider myself tech savvy but I like browsing through the latest gadgets, not that I'm obsessed with wanting to buying every new gadget the market has to offer. This year we saw fierce competition among electronic giants like Samsung, Apple, HTC, to name a few. Samsung's Galaxy has been on the helm of the smartphone throne for sometime until iPhone 4S came along. At this juncture, there is no official statistics yet to compare the two most sought after smartphone brands.

Smartphones have clearly gained exponential momentum the last year or two but I believe the next big thing is Tablet PC. This is evident from the popularity and availability of tablets at almost every establish phone or IT premises. In and around Kota Kinabalu, dedicated Tablet PC store is not common yet due to the product mix in the shop inventory but I can assure you that any established store carries at least the major tablet PC brands such as iPad, Galaxy Tab, HP Touchpad, or Blackberry playbook.

So, if electronic gadgets are your present of choice this year, you would probably want to pay a visit to Karamunsing Complex in Kota Kinabalu, Low Yatt Plaza in Kuala Lumpur, or Sim Lim Square in Singapore.

Happy holiday!

Can you really go blind by staring at the Sun?

Let's start the week with a question. Can you really go blind by staring at the Sun?

Short answer: No.

Sunrise captured in Penampang, Sabah.

Long answer (I thought you'd love this): Yes, but....

It's possible, but the hazard is often exaggerated. Even at midday, a normal eye will only let in enough light to heat the retina by about 4°C. You need at least 10°C to cause thermal damage. Looking at the Sun during an eclipse for more than a minute can cause damage, because your pupils are more dilated, but it doesn’t result in total blindness and isn’t usually permanent. If the Sun is within 10 minutes of setting below a sea-level horizon, the more dangerous short-wavelength light is absorbed by the atmosphere and it should be quite safe to look at the Sun.

Source: sciencefocus.com

SESB Names New Boss

Kota Kinabalu: Ir. Abd Razak Salim has been named the new SESB Managing Director - the first Sabahan to assume the post since the privatisation of the State's utility agency on Sept 1, 1988.

Abd Razak, 53, who was SESB Senior General Manager takes over from Datuk Ir. Baharin Din effective Dec 1, 2011. An electrical engineer by training, Abd Razak rose through the ranks after starting his career with the Sabah Electricity Board in 1986.

Baharin would be returning to TNB in Kuala Lumpur. During Baharin's tenure, SESB managed to lower Sabah's System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) from 2,717 minutes (average per consumer) in 2007 to 687 minutes in 2010.
Source: Daily Express, 1/12/2011.

Big congrats to Ir. Abd Razak. I've attended some of SESB events where he is a speaker and he is a person who is easy to understand and he cuts down on the un-necessaries.

I have no particular preference for who heads the utility company although common sense would tell you a Sabahan should head a Sabah State Federal agency. In this case, TNB, a GLC under the federal administration. But being someone who hails from the place he is currently serving, it is the least to hope that Ir. Abd Razak would better understand the sentiment of the people and the ultimate goal of 100% power supply coverage in Sabah by 2012.

Ir. Baharin managed to lower the interruption index from more than 2,700 to just slightly more than 680 minutes last year. Ir Abd razak should have his sight on the 70-minute mark set by some states in West Malaysia. As a benchmark Singapore recorded 2-minutes interruption index (SAIDI) a couple of years back. Refer here, and scroll to page 19.

100% coverage and 70-minute interruption index.

Which should be SESB's priority? As a person residing in the interior, I would say go for 100% coverage, but I live in Kota Kinabalu and I'm also entitled to my rights to stable, interruption-free power supply. It is always a question of quantity or quality.

Do you know that to a kampung folk, a power supply is all that is needed no matter how it is generated - gasoline generator, small turbine, diesel powered, coal fired plant, hybrid solar PV, you name it. Whether the supply is stable or flickery, is secondary. They just need the donkey power.

To the urbanites, sorry but we have different priorities. And by urbanites, I mean the leaders who sit comfortably in their air-conditioned office.

So, we shall leave it to the new MD's wisdom to muster his way and negotiate with the state government to come to a compromise, preferably killing the two birds with one stone - quality quantity.

Best wishes to the new head, and hoping for the best for a solution to Sabah's power supply issues.