Malaysia
Christmas in the Tropics
10/01/11
Singapore
Contemporary purple tree and jazzy lights greet the shoppers at Orchard Road.
Contemporary purple tree and jazzy lights greet the shoppers at Orchard Road.
Kuala
Lumpur
There is no shortage of ice and snow at Bukit Bintang
in the capital of Malaysia.
Malayan Railway (KTM) Land in Singapore
01/08/10
I travelled by train between Malaysia and Singapore
for the first time in May 2010 and got to experience
firsthand the rather unconventional border crossings
that have been properly summrised in Wikipedia as follows:
* Towards Singapore, Malaysian immigration officers carry out immigration clearance on board the train at Johor Bahru railway station. After clearing immigration, the train crosses the causeway and stops at WTCP, where all passengers must proceed to Singapore Customs and Immigration. Therefore, travellers entering Singapore by rail are following the correct order of immigration clearance, that is, exit granted by Malaysian Immigration in Johor and entry granted by Singapore Immigration in Woodlands. After clearing immigration at Woodlands, passengers may disembark or continue their journey to Tanjong Pagar by train.
* Towards Malaysia, passengers must board the train at Tanjong Pagar and clear Malaysian Customs and Immigration before boarding. The train travels about 30 minutes to WTCP and stops for another 30 minutes to allow sufficient time for passengers to clear Singapore Immigration. In this case, passengers are granted entry into Malaysia before clearing Singapore Immigration, which is contrary to international practice. To circumvent this problem, Malaysian immigration officers do not stamp on passengers' passports.
Related links:
* Towards Singapore, Malaysian immigration officers carry out immigration clearance on board the train at Johor Bahru railway station. After clearing immigration, the train crosses the causeway and stops at WTCP, where all passengers must proceed to Singapore Customs and Immigration. Therefore, travellers entering Singapore by rail are following the correct order of immigration clearance, that is, exit granted by Malaysian Immigration in Johor and entry granted by Singapore Immigration in Woodlands. After clearing immigration at Woodlands, passengers may disembark or continue their journey to Tanjong Pagar by train.
* Towards Malaysia, passengers must board the train at Tanjong Pagar and clear Malaysian Customs and Immigration before boarding. The train travels about 30 minutes to WTCP and stops for another 30 minutes to allow sufficient time for passengers to clear Singapore Immigration. In this case, passengers are granted entry into Malaysia before clearing Singapore Immigration, which is contrary to international practice. To circumvent this problem, Malaysian immigration officers do not stamp on passengers' passports.
Tanjong Pagar Railway Station
is the current KTM terminal in Singapore
(05/2010)
The station was opened in 1932 and
nicely decorated with sculptures and murals
(05/2010)
The reason behind the bizarre immigration procedure
is that the Malayan Railway (Keretapi Tanah Melayu,
KTM) land in Singapore was leased to the Federated
Malay States by the Straits Settlement government
then under a 1918 colonial ordinance for 999 years
(The Star, Malaysian Insider) and the
status of the KTM land has been subject of
dispute after the separation of both
countries. A breakthrough in the impasse was
made recently with the signing of a historic
agreement on 24 May 2010. The KTM Singapore
terminal will be moved from the current one in
Tanjung Pagar to Woodlands nearer to the
border by 1 Jul 2011, hence, freeing up the
KTM land for joint development by both
countries in the future.
Related links:
- The Malaysian Insider: KL
agrees to vacate historic Singapore train
station
Excerpted from The Malaysian Insider (Full Article)
- New Straits Times: KTMB's
Tanjong Pagar station moves to Woodland
- The Star: Najib and Lee all
smiles after sealing KTMB land deal
- The Straits Times: Tg Pagar station to move
Forest Research Institute Malaysia
15/06/10
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is a good
place to go if you are already bored with the twin
towers and shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur (KL).
Located in Kepong, a suburb north of KL,
FRIM offers a unique tropical rainforest
experience within 1 hr of car drive from the
hectic city centre. One of the popular
attractions in FRIM is the 200 m long canopy
walkway, which can be an interesting way of
admiring nature as long as you do not mind
walking 30 m above ground level on the planks!
TL:
tall trees; TR:
forest path; BL:
wild life; BR:
city view
Related link:
Three Wheelers in South East Asia
03/05/10
Vientiane, Laos
Jumbo driver waits for passengers in the capital of Laos.
Jumbo driver waits for passengers in the capital of Laos.
Hanoi,
Vietnam
Taking a cyclo is a popular and convenient way of
exploring Hanoi Old Quarter.
Melaka,
Malaysia
Excessively decorated trishaws blasting loud music
are impossible to miss in Melaka.
Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010
16/04/10
I made a point of visiting the international hot air
balloon fiesta in Putrajaya after missing out
on the first ever such fiesta last year. The
second hot air balloon fiesta was held from
18-21 Mar this year. Visitors were entertained
by balloon fun fly, tethered balloon rides and
other events throughout the days. Hot air
balloons were transformed into gigantic lanterns
after dark during the "Night Glow" event on 20
Mar. The whole day of festivities was then
concluded with a short but spectacular fireworks
display.
"Night Glow" at the 2nd Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (20/03/2010)
Related link:
"Night Glow" at the 2nd Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (20/03/2010)
Related link:
- Official website: Putrajaya
International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010
- The Star: Putrajaya Hot Air
Balloon rides draw the crowd
- Flickr: Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Christmas in South East Asia
27/12/09
You sometimes lose the sense of time without the
seasonal change in the tropics but the festive season
is not easy to miss, thanks to the faithful reminders
by commercial decorations and displays :-P
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Saigon Centre, Ho Chi Minh City (11/2009)
Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur (12/2009)
CLICK HERE FOR CHRISTMAS ALBUM
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Saigon Centre, Ho Chi Minh City (11/2009)
Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur (12/2009)
CLICK HERE FOR CHRISTMAS ALBUM
Lions in the Campus
26/02/09
This is another blog entry related to the Chinese New
Year, with snapshots and video clip on the visit of
the lions to UNMC (University of
Nottingham Malaysia Campus). This has been an
annual event and well-received by the campus
community of diverse backgrounds.
Video clip (QuickTime Player)
Video clip (YouTube)
CLICK HERE
Video clip (QuickTime Player)
Video clip (YouTube)
CLICK HERE
OXpicious New Year
09/02/09
The Chinese communities around the world celebrate
the lunar new year of the ox on 26 Jan 2009. The
malls in KL are again lavishly decorated and
embellished by festive red lanterns, mei (梅)
flowers and ox-related ornaments to mark the
annual occasion. Happy niu year
(niu=牛=ox)
and have an oxpicious year ahead!
"The golden bull of prosperity" at Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur
Red is the colour at 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya
"The golden bull of prosperity" at Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur
Red is the colour at 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya
Malaysia (RANdoM Pick)
10/01/09
From left to right:
- The recreational park in the KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre)
- The Putra mosque in Putrajaya, the federal administrative centre of Malaysia
- Christmas decorations in the MidValley shopping mall
- The Malaysia campus of a British university
Link to PHOTO ARCHIVE
Gearing up for a Tropical Christmas
16/12/08
No George Square Christmas light switch-on and wintry
December weather for me this year but searching for
that festive atmosphere isn't that hard, even here in
the tropics!
Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur (12/2008)
Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur (12/2008)
Malaysia (rANdoM Pick)
04/10/08
- TL: Hari Raya (Eid) decorations
in a shopping mall.
- TR: British university, tropical
campus.
- BL: Ice skating, four seasons
(all summers).
- BR: Malaysian bagpipers playing at a Scottish university alumni dinner.
Link to PHOTO ARCHIVE
Malaysia (RAnDoM Pick)
09/09/08
- TL : Cheering the Malaysian badminton team to
Olympic 2008. Malaysia won a silver!
- TR : Upgrading works from 4 to 6 lanes on the
Penang Bridge.
- BL : RBS is now in Malaysia too.
The signboard is in front of Tesco
Penang.
- BR : The Gardens in Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur.
Durian and Mangosteen
14/08/08
Reporting from Malaysia, it's durian and mangosteen
season now! To those who are unfamiliar with the
fruits, the King (durian) and Queen (mangosteen) of
Fruits are very popular in Malaysia and the rest of
South East Asia.
Thorny (duri = thorn in Malay) in appearance, durian is about the size of a honey dew and very pungent. Getting the flesh (wraps over a large seed) can be tricky but to me the reward definitely worths the effort!
Mangosteen is unrelated to mango and called "manggis" in Malay. The fruit is about the size of an apple and contrary to durian, first-time tasting of a mangosteen should not require much courage.
Durian and mangosteen are definitely my personal favourites, not everyone shares the same passion though...
Related links:
Thorny (duri = thorn in Malay) in appearance, durian is about the size of a honey dew and very pungent. Getting the flesh (wraps over a large seed) can be tricky but to me the reward definitely worths the effort!
Mangosteen is unrelated to mango and called "manggis" in Malay. The fruit is about the size of an apple and contrary to durian, first-time tasting of a mangosteen should not require much courage.
Durian and mangosteen are definitely my personal favourites, not everyone shares the same passion though...
Related links:
Penang
09/08/07
I think no other picture is more appropriate than
a snapshot of Penang, Malaysia to begin with.
Penang is definitely the first place Kiat visited
and remains one of his favourite cities. Penang asam laksa is the
best!
Georgetown of Penang, from the Penang Bridge (2006)
Georgetown of Penang, from the Penang Bridge (2006)