Celebrating the end of Ramadan in Malaysia

The celebration of the end of the muslim month of Ramadan in Malaysia is quite unique in the sense that most people open their homes to not only relatives and friends. All visitors are welcome to share whatever food and drinks that are laid out and children are normally given small envelopes containing money.

This "open house" tradition is also adopted by Malaysians of other racial origins so much so that all religious festivals, be it Christmas, Chinese New Year, Deepavali as well as all other minority groups tend to take the same form of festivities. Even the types of cakes, savouries and drinks served do not seem to vary very much from one community to another.

Visitors to Malaysia should go to one of these functions to see how well the Malaysian community has bonded together.

The beauty of sunrise in Janda Baik

Just to share with you the scenic beauty of Janda Baik, Pahang early in the morning. The temperature was only 20 Degrees C and it is only one hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur.

Dilapidated Bridges in Rural Areas

It is quite common nowadays to read in the printed media that children and aged citizens become victims of accidents due to neglected bridges built by the Government in the rural areas.

One such bridges is in Kampong Chemperoh, Janda Baik in the District of Bentong, in the State of Pahang. According to my investigation, the bridge was built by the Department of Irrigation but since I have to know this bridge which is more than five years, no maintenance has been apparent. I have to use this bridge because I am putting a lot of work and investment on my 3 hactre piece of land which is about 2 kilometers away. This bridge is also heavily used by vegetable cultivators who have made used of the fertile hill slopes to cultivate ginger, all kinds of beans, chillies and various other kinds fruits for the market. The are also two other enthusiasts who love the mountain climate like me breeding exotic birds and animals quite close to my farm frequently using this same bridge. Without it all of us will have to abandon our efforts on the farms.

In the recently announced 2006 budget, a substantial amount of allocation was made for rural bridges. It is hoped that this bridge will get the attention of the Pahang State Government.