The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Fisheries Department foresee stable haul from fishermen despite hike in diesel prices
- Canadian unfazed by untoward incident in a new home
- Vintage wheels make a show
| Fisheries Department foresee stable haul from fishermen despite hike in diesel prices Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:13 PM PDT KUALA TERENGGANU: The fish supply in the state has been stable despite the recent hike in diesel price from RM1.25 to RM1.80. State Fisheries Department director Zakaria Ismail said 25,000 metric tonnes of fish were captured by the fishermen here in the first five months of this year. "This is a normal figure considering the stormy weather in March and April but we expect it to increase from this month onwards. "It is work as usual for fishermen despite the recent controversies regarding the price of diesel as well as the installation of the vessel tracking system," he said. He added that the state's haul in 2009 and 2010 were 84,310 and 72,921 metric tonnes respectively. Zakaria also said the state has 10,421 fishermen, including 3,168 foreigners from Vietnam and Thailand. "We also have 2,906 registered vessels, which included sampans and deep-sea fishing trawlers," he said. He added that there were no demonstrations or protests by local and foreign fishermen here as the department has taken a proactive approach in conducting constant meetings with them. "We explained to them the issues relating to their plight to avoid any confusion as well as irresponsible parties spinning stories. "The meetings are held at every district, thus we foresee no problem regarding the fishermen here," he said, adding that, the meetings this year have been held in Kemaman, Marang and Setiu. Zakaria also said the prices of fish have been normal with no irregularities recorded. "We are constantly monitoring the market prices to ensure fishermen and traders do no hike it up," he said. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Canadian unfazed by untoward incident in a new home Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:12 PM PDT CANADIAN lecturer Colin Boyd Shafer first set foot in Asia in 2005 when he was backpacking with a few friends. He thoroughly enjoyed the trip and found himself back in Malaysia in the later part of 2008, where he accepted an offer to teach at Taylor's College in Subang Jaya. "I have always had a soft spot for Asia. When I returned to Canada after my holiday, I realised I wanted to be a teacher. After receiving my Ontario Teaching Certificate, Malaysia was one of the options for me. So I took it," he said. The 28-year-old hails from Kitchener in Ontario. Shafer, who is also an avid photographer said he later developed a fondness for Subang Jaya as a place to live in Klang Valley. "It is a traffic-filled chaotic place but it is a pretty laid-back suburb on most days. I get around on my scooter. Before arriving in Malaysia, I thought my job posting would be near KL. "I quickly realised Subang Jaya was not the best place to be but I can appreciate KL more now and there are less reasons to spend money," he joked. Within a year of being in Malaysia, Shafer managed to make a lot of new friends who shared his passion for travelling. "I was also living in a condominium with a nice pool. For us Canadians, that is sort of a luxurious thing. However, I didn't know anything about Malaysia's conservative viewpoints or ideals," Shafer said. Suffice to say that he was enjoying his stint and settling in well with the Malaysian way of life. But things went a bit awry for Shafer during a casual night out at a bar with friends in Sunway a year after arriving here. He was there with his three friends, who were also Canadian teachers. The now-defunct club made the news when Shafer and his colleague said they were assaulted by the club's bouncers and staff over a jug of beer. Shafer also claimed the bouncers punched him multiple times in the face and threw him down an escalator, but he held on to the metal rail. "I think if I had missed a step I would probably have died," he reminisced. They had hit him twice on the head with big 40oz bottles and Shafer needed 16 stitches for his head wounds. His female colleague ducked a blow from one of the bouncers but she could not avoid a punch to her shoulder. That incident left Shafer reeling for about a month. "I am not the sort of person who gets into fights and I had frequented that particular bar a dozen times before and even knew the manager there. So it was a bit disturbing how everything unfolded. Then again situations like these can happen anywhere. "But the incident left me with a bitter taste in my mouth about how things operate here and I was ready to leave Malaysia because I was getting so many mixed stories and a rebuttal from the bar that was untrue," he said. But Shafer didn't let the unfortunate incident change the path of his career. "I enjoy being a teacher and I felt I still had a lot to contribute to Malaysia. I didn't know what I was in for but my friends and family were very supportive. Also, I didn't want to live in the 'expat bubble' where life revolves around fancy food and expensive condos. "I feel there are many issues here that need to be addressed," he added. Shafer, who is also a columnist for an online new portal, stuck it out and continued to get involved in various projects. One of it was the "Everyone has Hope" photography exhibition, which he conducted with his students last year. Sixteen Myanmar refugee children in KL were given cameras and the "See the World Through Our Eyes" project showcased 60 photographs shot by them. "The project was aimed at allowing these children to develop skills in the arts, have fun, and tell their stories to the world," said Shafer, who lectures in World Issues and Psychology at Taylor's Canadian Pre-U programme. He was also behind the 'Sending Love to Sendai" fundraising project to help tsunami and earthquake victims in Japan, which was held in May. Shafer decided to sell photography prints from his trip to the country two months prior to the disaster to raise money for relief work. "We managed to raise more than RM6,000 at the event," he said. Throughout his travels around South-East Asia, he has always enjoyed snapping images to capture memories of the beautiful things he comes across. To see more of Shafer's photos from his travels, visit www.colinshafer.com or his Facebook page "Colinizing Photography". Shafer will also be accepting any used digital cameras people wish to donate as he plans on continuing the photography project with refugee children. He can be contacted at colin.b.shafer@gmail.com Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Posted: 17 Jun 2011 08:10 PM PDT KLUANG: 'Old is gold' and this was obvious sentiment for some 50,000 visitors at the Kluang Mall Vintage Car Show. The one-day event showcased 50 classic, vintage and modern vintage cars from Johor Baru, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Car owners were members of the Malaysia and Singapore Vintage Car Register. Among the cars featured included a 1930 Austin Seven Chummy, a 1933 Ford Tudor, 1951 Triumph Mayflower, a 1959 Morris Minor 1000, a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1 and a 1970 Mercedes Benz 200. Visitors also took advantage of the opportunity to pose for photographs and get free rides in their favourite cars. "This is the first time this vintage car show is held in Kluang," said Kluang District Officer Abdul Karim Abu Bakar at the opening ceremony. Apart from the exhibits, visitors were also impressed with the gymkhana competition where the vintage cars were driven through an obstacle course. Abdul Karim, who praised the organisers, said the Kluang Mall had done a good job of creating awareness and improving the image of the town. The mall's executive director Tey Fui Kien said more of such events would be organised to attract visitors to Kluang. The vintage car show was jointly organised by the Kluang District Office, Kluang Municipal Council and Kluang Police. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
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