Water Supply to Return to Normal

The Malaysian Insider pic, April 30, 2014

More than seven million consumers in Selangor and KL can heave a humongous sigh of relief as water supply will be back to normal from tomorrow. That was when Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim announced today that the water rationing exercise is being lifted. 

Today, a 5-person team of Sunway University Toastmasters went to Kelana Square to conduct a demo meeting for the management and staff of Harvey Norman, an Australian-based retail chain dealing in electronics, computers, furniture and bedding. We didn't manage to get external Toastmasters to support us and so we had to rely entirely on ourselves. Still, it went well. I even had the opportunity to deliver my CC #2 speech titled “Don’t Grow Up”. Dr Nagiah was my evaluator.

Hopefully, we will see a new Toastmasters club being chartered soon. Special thanks to Sharif Ahmed, Hisham Mohamed and Mirosha Somasundram for their precious assistance!
 

HSBC Can't Stand the Heat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/11/24/hsbc-employees-hold-peaceful-protest/

 

In November of last year, global banking conglomerate HSBC and one of Sarawak’s oldest banks resolved to close down their commercial banking business in the state. The bank gave an unconvincing explanation for the shutdown – there was not enough business to carry on in Sarawak!

 

This is in spite of all the billions of investment in the Sarawak Corridor for Renewable Energy (SCORE) pumped in by Taib Mahmud’s lavish public borrowing – when he was still the Chief Minister.

 

A public outcry ensued and there were howls of protests by bank employees and the Sarawak Bank Employees Union. Still, these displays of unhappiness did not amount to anything. 

Did they think the bank care about the livelihoods of these locals? FYI, the payouts were pitiful. According to the Borneo Post, it was only 1.4 times the monthly salary, irrespective of the number of years the staff worked for the bank. 

[The first batch of employees will leave by end-April 2014 and the second and final batch by end of September 2014].

 

In fact, online investigative portal Sarawak Report had disclosed on April 25, 2014 of HSBC’s decision not to do business with Taib and his clan.

 

The truth of the matter is that HSBC have been facing severe and uncomfortable exposure over their embarrassing associations with the dirty potentates of East Malaysia and needed to take action.

 

A Global Witness report released last year already revealed how HSBC bankrolled many crony deals by Taib, which have destroyed the environment and violated native rights.

 

[Sarawak Report too exposed HSBC’s connections to the money laundering of illegal millions by Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman].

 

Given the above, it seems that the bank are seeking to do ‘damage control’ and clean up their business in this part of the world. Hence, the contentious decisions.

 

But don’t be fooled by HSBC. They can’t stand the heat, so they got out of the kitchen. This is just a temporary lull. After all, they are well-known as a tainted entity, corrupted by corporate avarice.

 

A bevy of happy Sunway University students and their lecturer! This was a selfie my DMK1013 Tute 4 class took on Monday:

 

 

11th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards

The BOH Cameronian Arts Awards night is a celebration of the best of Malaysian performing arts talents! These photos captured the fun moments yesterday:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A host of Malaysian celebrities were there too: Sofia Jane, Ramli Ibrahim, January Low, Hans Isaac, Fatimah Abu Bakar, Melissa Saila, Dasha Logan and others.

In my last post, there are also photos of the said event – at this link http://helpvictor.blogspot.com/2014/04/barack-obama-urges-full-transparency.html

 

With a first EPL title in 24 years close enough to touch Liverpool were undone by old nemesis Jose Mourinho whose Chelsea side inflicted a potentially mortal blow with a 2-0 win at Anfield on Sunday.

 

Chelsea’s victory might have come too late for Mourinho’s side to win the Premier League title, but it flung the door wide open for Manchester City who took full advantage with a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace.

In the Scottish Premiership, Celtic steamrolled over Inverness CT 6-0; the goals coming from Anthony Stokes (34, 45, 53), Leigh Griffiths (68), Ambrose Emuobo (78) and Teemu Pukki (78).

MH370: Barack Obama Urges Full Transparency

In Kuala Lumpur, visiting US President Barack Obama (left) yesterday urged open sharing of information about Malaysia's efforts to find the missing MH370. 

He emphasized: “There should be full transparency in terms of what we know and what we don't know, how the process is proceeding". 

Hmmm, is he indicating that Malaysia is not being transparent? How dare he?! Najib Razak should please tell him off!

I had received an invite and so on a Sunday, I made my way to Stadium Negara to be at the 11th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards gala night. 

The theme for this year is "Pop Yeh Yeh" as a tribute to the artistic talents of Malaysians in the 1960s through to the early 1970s. 

The BOH Cameronian Arts Awards is the premier performing arts awards event in the country. And the emcees were Shelah (Edwin) and Harith Iskandar – the ‘double act’ alone made it worthwhile for me to give up my Sunday evening. Check out photos of the irrepressible duo: