You like the above picture? Yes? So you buy? Yes? Ok, RM200 million:

DEAL!

By all means, what is all the fuzz about, it’s only a… helicopter!

You read that right: the Malaysian government signed a letter of intent to buy Cougar EC-725 Helicopters from Eurocopter.

Nobody even bothered to do a test flight.

 Would you buy a car just buy reading what is said in the prospectus? No you don’t.

So why is the government buying helicopters without even testing them? Especially when you want to replace Nuri Sikorsky helicopters of which already 9 crashed on routine missions…

Smells fishy, doesn’t it?

Not to mention:

• the deal was signed 2 days before DPM and PM switched defence and finance portfolios
   
• the high price involved
   
• the absence of a usual deep governmental study looking at all the advantages and disadvantages involved
   
• the sudden governmental decision to put the buy on hold until economy does better…

Wouldn’t you buy things because you need them in stead of spending money just because the economy is better?

And wouldn’t you at least try a helicopter before you buy it?

Technorati Tags: Cougar EC-725, eurocopter, helicopter, Malaysia, Malaysia Newspaper, malaysia today, Nuri Sikorsky, tax payer's money

Kuala Lumpur, 5 May 2008 (Monday): To celebrate Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2008 in style, AD Suria, the homegrown world-class events specialist behind the Eye on Malaysia, is proud to bring Malaysians and tourists the Strange World Screen and Spectacular Spheres. On behalf of YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister of Tourism, The Malaysia International Spectacular live show series were launched by Datuk Dr Victor Wee, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia at Precinct One, Putrajaya. Putrajaya MP Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and President of Perbadanan Putrajaya Tan Sri Samsudin Osman were also present to grace the event. Datuk Dr Victor Wee said: “The Ministry of Tourism is delighted to present these fantastic shows. These colourful and dynamic performances, staged on the waters of beautiful Putarajaya Lake, guarantee that this will be a unique visual experience that is not to be missed and we are confident that it will help draw visitors to Precinct One, thereby creating Putrajaya’s new entertainment venue. This is very much in line with Tourism Malaysia’s aim to boost Putrajaya’s status as a vibrant tourist destination during VMY 2008.” With the width of 90 metres and height of 35 metres, the Strange World Screen comprises the world’s largest and most powerful high-tech water screens. Crafted from screenplay showcasing a fluid series of dynamic Malaysian images, lighting effects and high-tech laser artistry, this show will be accompanied …

Technorati Tags: International, Launched, Malaysia, Precinct, Spectacular

3 days to go to enjoy the delicious food of Deepavali.

Not being that religious, and not being in for Indian traditional Deepavali music and dance, for me this coming Deepavali Monday - October 27th - means my yearly indulging in Indian food. Don’t ask what food do Indians eat on Deepavali : it’s just too many names to remember and it doesn’t mean anything when you can’t taste it.

My friend’s mother Deepavali rituals include spending all day making murukku of which I prefer the ones formed into a spiral, see above picture.

Go to the supermarket and by all the savory snacks you can find: just nothing beats her murukku. I mean, where do you find fresh curry leaves inside a savory snack? That’s right, she has it and I bet other Indians will have it to. Just that I don’t happen to know too many.

Luckily I managed this year to visit New Delhi, so I brought some cloth to give to her to make Deepavali clothes. Just her murukku will pay back for all the money spend traveling

If you never made any Indian friends, then you are loosing out big time now! But it’s never too late to go out and make new friends! In Malaysia that’s a bit hard these days, as most of the Indians there are detained under the ISA and 30.000 don’t even hold a passport

Happy enjoying the food of Deepavali!

Technorati Tags: deepavali, deepavali rituals, delicious food, food of deepavali, Indians, ISA