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Living in JB
- Thread starter wuqi256
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Why not just a neighourhood school ? I would spent 200K for a HDB and 800K for other more meaningful things for everyone in the family. I think my 3 daughters are doing reasonably well despite studying in neighourhood school. Always top 10 in school , I think they might get last in class if they were in Raffles .
Causeway jam that could have been avoided
New Straits Times
Wed, Jun 08, 2011
IT took five-and-a-half hours for me to drive through a 5km stretch before reaching the Malaysian Immigration checkpoint at the Sultan Abu Bakar building in Tanjung Kupang, near Gelang Patah.
Such was the traffic jam that was experienced by my bureau chief Shahrum Sayuthi and I last Saturday afternoon.
We were making our way back from an assignment in Singapore, and neither of us could recall experiencing a worse traffic snarl on leaving the island republic by road in the past.
It was just not enough to say that we were moving at a snail's pace when describing our frustration and that of hundreds of other motorists and passengers.
"I could have probably reached Kuantan by now," said Shahrum after we finally reached the counter, which was manned by a female Immigration Department staff.
She looked busy, handling the travel forms of a Singaporean driver who was ahead of me. The man had parked his vehicle at a lay-by at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
A notice on the counter's glass window directed foreign drivers and passengers to get down and proceed to another counter to have their fingerprints taken.
This move, which began on June 1, is being implemented at 96 entry points nationwide as part of a new biometric identification system for foreigners. It was put in place to curb trans-boundary crime such as drug and human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism.
Previously, foreigners needed only to have their passports stamped to enter Malaysia.
The new system was put in place smack in the middle of the Malaysian school holidays. That Saturday was also the start of Singapore's school holidays, so the weekend crowd entering Johor that day had probably doubled.
Tempers flared among drivers and passengers as they had to wait between 90 minutes and five hours for Immigration clearance.
This forced them to change, or scrap their holiday plans.
It was worse at the Second Link, which is the more under-utilised facility compared with the Causeway.
Things did not improve on Sunday either, as there was congestion on the Malaysia-bound lane at the Causeway.
The glaring problem here was the absence of a back-up plan to cope with the new procedure.
I am sure the Immigration Department could have anticipated the large number of travellers during the school holidays and the snags that usually come with the introduction of a new system.
We are not only talking about drivers like myself. Ninety per cent of the vehicles at the Second Link that Saturday were Singaporean-registered and they were mostly families with children in tow.
Many got out of their vehicles to pour water into their radiators as the engines heated up, or to get a smoke. Many also walked the few kilometres to the CIQ complex in Tanjung Kupang either for a toilet break or a cool respite from the afternoon sun. Some began blaring their car horns out of frustration after waiting so long.
In response, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein described the glitches that happened at the Johor entry points as something temporary.
He had said the system had only been in place for a few days, and steps were being taken to rectify the problem.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad had said that the long waiting period was because the system was moving towards stabilisation.
Let's hope immediate steps would be taken by the government and the Immigration Department to ensure that the problem is addressed quickly.
In this case, the saying holds true: failure to plan is planning to fail.
New Straits Times
Wed, Jun 08, 2011
IT took five-and-a-half hours for me to drive through a 5km stretch before reaching the Malaysian Immigration checkpoint at the Sultan Abu Bakar building in Tanjung Kupang, near Gelang Patah.
Such was the traffic jam that was experienced by my bureau chief Shahrum Sayuthi and I last Saturday afternoon.
We were making our way back from an assignment in Singapore, and neither of us could recall experiencing a worse traffic snarl on leaving the island republic by road in the past.
It was just not enough to say that we were moving at a snail's pace when describing our frustration and that of hundreds of other motorists and passengers.
"I could have probably reached Kuantan by now," said Shahrum after we finally reached the counter, which was manned by a female Immigration Department staff.
She looked busy, handling the travel forms of a Singaporean driver who was ahead of me. The man had parked his vehicle at a lay-by at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
A notice on the counter's glass window directed foreign drivers and passengers to get down and proceed to another counter to have their fingerprints taken.
This move, which began on June 1, is being implemented at 96 entry points nationwide as part of a new biometric identification system for foreigners. It was put in place to curb trans-boundary crime such as drug and human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism.
Previously, foreigners needed only to have their passports stamped to enter Malaysia.
The new system was put in place smack in the middle of the Malaysian school holidays. That Saturday was also the start of Singapore's school holidays, so the weekend crowd entering Johor that day had probably doubled.
Tempers flared among drivers and passengers as they had to wait between 90 minutes and five hours for Immigration clearance.
This forced them to change, or scrap their holiday plans.
It was worse at the Second Link, which is the more under-utilised facility compared with the Causeway.
Things did not improve on Sunday either, as there was congestion on the Malaysia-bound lane at the Causeway.
The glaring problem here was the absence of a back-up plan to cope with the new procedure.
I am sure the Immigration Department could have anticipated the large number of travellers during the school holidays and the snags that usually come with the introduction of a new system.
We are not only talking about drivers like myself. Ninety per cent of the vehicles at the Second Link that Saturday were Singaporean-registered and they were mostly families with children in tow.
Many got out of their vehicles to pour water into their radiators as the engines heated up, or to get a smoke. Many also walked the few kilometres to the CIQ complex in Tanjung Kupang either for a toilet break or a cool respite from the afternoon sun. Some began blaring their car horns out of frustration after waiting so long.
In response, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein described the glitches that happened at the Johor entry points as something temporary.
He had said the system had only been in place for a few days, and steps were being taken to rectify the problem.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad had said that the long waiting period was because the system was moving towards stabilisation.
Let's hope immediate steps would be taken by the government and the Immigration Department to ensure that the problem is addressed quickly.
In this case, the saying holds true: failure to plan is planning to fail.
Biometric system 'will be fixed'
New Straits Times
Mon, Jun 06, 2011
By M. Hamzah Jamaludin
MARAN (Malaysia) - The glitches in the biometric fingerprint scanning device at entry points in Johor on Saturday are temporary because the security system has been implemented only for a few days, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said yesterday. Stressing that the system was very important for national security, he gave an assurance that the problem would be solved soon.
"We will do everything to ensure that the problem will not recur," he said after opening the Maran Umno divisional meeting here. Present was Maran Umno chief Datuk Tan Mohd Aminuddin Ishak.
There were long queues at the two Customs, Immigration and Quarantine checkpoints in Johor Baru on Saturday when the system had problems coping with the large number of tourists. They had to wait at least 90 minutes for Immigration clearance and the delay forced many of them to change or scrap their holiday plans.
Hishammuddin said he would continue to monitor the situation and share information with countries which had used similar system, adding that the biometric scanning was still at an early stage and needed time to integrate with other existing system.
He said the system was implemented to help reduce illegal activities relating to the borderless world, including drug and human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism.
-New Straits Times
New Straits Times
Mon, Jun 06, 2011
By M. Hamzah Jamaludin
MARAN (Malaysia) - The glitches in the biometric fingerprint scanning device at entry points in Johor on Saturday are temporary because the security system has been implemented only for a few days, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said yesterday. Stressing that the system was very important for national security, he gave an assurance that the problem would be solved soon.
"We will do everything to ensure that the problem will not recur," he said after opening the Maran Umno divisional meeting here. Present was Maran Umno chief Datuk Tan Mohd Aminuddin Ishak.
There were long queues at the two Customs, Immigration and Quarantine checkpoints in Johor Baru on Saturday when the system had problems coping with the large number of tourists. They had to wait at least 90 minutes for Immigration clearance and the delay forced many of them to change or scrap their holiday plans.
Hishammuddin said he would continue to monitor the situation and share information with countries which had used similar system, adding that the biometric scanning was still at an early stage and needed time to integrate with other existing system.
He said the system was implemented to help reduce illegal activities relating to the borderless world, including drug and human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism.
-New Straits Times
M'sian Minister: We'll solve border jam
The Star/Asia News Network
Mon, Jun 06, 2011
MARAN: Efforts are being made to iron out the flaws of Johor Baru Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint's new biometric security system to ensure that no more chaos occurs, Home Minister Datuk Seri His_hammuddin Hussein said.
He added that the fingerprint scanning system, one of the causes which had stranded thousands of tourists recently, still needed time to be stabilised.
"I am receiving daily reports of movement at the Singapore-Johor border and it is still within our capacity to overcome the problem," he said after opening the Maran Umno meeting at Pekan Tajau here yesterday.
It was reported that the system, which was launched on Wednes_day, had trouble coping with the huge influx of tourists and holidaymakers coming in from Singa__pore due to school holidays and the weekend.
Hishammuddin said the implementation of the system was an important step in ensuring the country's safety in a globalised world.
"Terrorism, drug and human trafficking are connected with one another.
"Therefore, the immigration security system has to be tightened," he said.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said it had already opened over 120 counters at both the CIQ and the Second Link.
"The massive jam is mostly due to the public holiday and other minor setbacks as we have just introduced this system," he said, adding that the system would continue despite complaints.
In Johor, motorists, mostly Singaporeans, entering Malaysia via the Second Link and the Johor Causeway were left frustrated for a second day with some having to wait up to seven hours.
Singaporean Tam Choon Hong, 40, said the system was a hassle because both motorists and passengers had to get out of their cars to have their thumbprints scanned.
"It takes about five minutes for each person to get out, walk to the booth, queue and have their th_umbprints taken electronically," he said.
Singaporean teacher Sabariah Ahmad said she only managed to cross the Second Link after six hours despite queuing since 11am.
Meanwhile, Australian expatriate Rochelle Hulst, 43, said the Immigration Department should have studied the problems that could arise.
-The Star/Asia News Network
The Star/Asia News Network
Mon, Jun 06, 2011
MARAN: Efforts are being made to iron out the flaws of Johor Baru Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint's new biometric security system to ensure that no more chaos occurs, Home Minister Datuk Seri His_hammuddin Hussein said.
He added that the fingerprint scanning system, one of the causes which had stranded thousands of tourists recently, still needed time to be stabilised.
"I am receiving daily reports of movement at the Singapore-Johor border and it is still within our capacity to overcome the problem," he said after opening the Maran Umno meeting at Pekan Tajau here yesterday.
It was reported that the system, which was launched on Wednes_day, had trouble coping with the huge influx of tourists and holidaymakers coming in from Singa__pore due to school holidays and the weekend.
Hishammuddin said the implementation of the system was an important step in ensuring the country's safety in a globalised world.
"Terrorism, drug and human trafficking are connected with one another.
"Therefore, the immigration security system has to be tightened," he said.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said it had already opened over 120 counters at both the CIQ and the Second Link.
"The massive jam is mostly due to the public holiday and other minor setbacks as we have just introduced this system," he said, adding that the system would continue despite complaints.
In Johor, motorists, mostly Singaporeans, entering Malaysia via the Second Link and the Johor Causeway were left frustrated for a second day with some having to wait up to seven hours.
Singaporean Tam Choon Hong, 40, said the system was a hassle because both motorists and passengers had to get out of their cars to have their thumbprints scanned.
"It takes about five minutes for each person to get out, walk to the booth, queue and have their th_umbprints taken electronically," he said.
Singaporean teacher Sabariah Ahmad said she only managed to cross the Second Link after six hours despite queuing since 11am.
Meanwhile, Australian expatriate Rochelle Hulst, 43, said the Immigration Department should have studied the problems that could arise.
-The Star/Asia News Network
Hi AP - long time. Cathy is right about the food chain/birds... add butterflies since that is what comes after the fat caterpillars.
Naturalists hand pick them off, gently without hurting them, then leave them on some other green plant or tree away from your plants. Not, of course, an unsuspecting neighbour's. Use gloves if squeamish.
I am very annoyed at how caterpillars just LOVE my lime and lemon bushes. A few days and a promising little bush can be devastated. C'est la vie ... food chain.
So vigilance and 'go in peace' seems to be the best way, since they will be there long after we become fodder ourselves.
Hi all
Exchange rate today near shell ciq is 243.5rm altho display rate 240rm. 15mins to clear jb custom at 2.30pm. No thumbprint taken to date for us. Fyi my wife, daughter n i have macs but not my two sons.
With regards to renting to Indian ft, i had a former colleague who last time rented out the whole hse to indian tenant but lock 1 room. It was when u r not allowed to rent whole hse. Guess wat happen? This ft fr india knew the law and after a couple of mths refused to pay rent and chqllenge my fren to report cos he said my fren will be in trouble with the spore law!! the cheek of this idiot! In the end the only way is for my fren to confess to hdb abt it. Of cos my fren was fined by hdb. But managed to evict the ft fr india at a high price in d end.
Exchange rate today near shell ciq is 243.5rm altho display rate 240rm. 15mins to clear jb custom at 2.30pm. No thumbprint taken to date for us. Fyi my wife, daughter n i have macs but not my two sons.
With regards to renting to Indian ft, i had a former colleague who last time rented out the whole hse to indian tenant but lock 1 room. It was when u r not allowed to rent whole hse. Guess wat happen? This ft fr india knew the law and after a couple of mths refused to pay rent and chqllenge my fren to report cos he said my fren will be in trouble with the spore law!! the cheek of this idiot! In the end the only way is for my fren to confess to hdb abt it. Of cos my fren was fined by hdb. But managed to evict the ft fr india at a high price in d end.
If I were your friend , I would spent a few thousands and get some holigans to "teach" these Indian FTs a hard lesson.
Only $2 per month, sounds good leh, cheaper than skype i think...i used skype on pc-to-pc before and it is quite clear...recently tried another iphone application RoamAside for calling Singapore using data network, pretty clear reception too...
Err I was referring to radiation from telecom antenna, not the magnetic field from home appliances like DVD player, washing machine etc. Yes, all electric current generate magnetic field, however, radiation is alot more harmful than the magnetic field from these appliances. Eg. a microwave that has leakage of radiation can cook the kidney of somebody standing close and long enough, while the magnetic field from the electric current going into the mcrowave is relatively harmless.
Just googled and found that a cell phone repeater is indeed a telecom antenna..."a device used to boost the cell phone reception to the local area by the usage of a reception antenna, a signal amplifier and an internal rebroadcast antenna."
Below is a link that I saved from previous reading regarding harmful effects of radiation. There are two sentences that are worth pondering:
"The closer to a radiating antenna, the higher the health risk there is."
"Since this is a multi billion dollar industry, it is very unlikely the public will be told about the health hazards of cell phones."
Oh the article also shows photos of hidden telecom tower as pine trees etc, can see many such "pine trees" in Malaysia too, usually near water tank and sometimes next to the expressway.
www.rense.com/general56/rad.htm
Yes, i rented my unit to a Malaysian lady before, she was a professional working in a large MNC here and supposedly pretty highly paid since posted to Singapore from China where she was previously based. She cooked alot and didn't clean up the kitchen and when she returned the apartment to me, the kitchen sink and bath tub both choked and floor had food debris. From my experience, Japanese tenants are the best, they are very clean.
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While expats in Singapore may not know all the lobangs to make life less expensive, the cost of living is still remarkable for we Singaporeans.
Truly, the move here is a relief.
S'PORE NOW SIXTH MOST EXPENSIVE LOCATION IN ASIA FOR EXPATS
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SINGAPORE - The continued strength of the Singapore dollar has pushed the Republic up to sixth place on the list of the most expensive locations in Asia for expatriates to live, according to the latest Cost of Living survey from ECA International.
Read more at http://newsletter.todayonline.com/cgi-bin28/DM/t/eBk60DFZD0Ce0VSn0Ef
Truly, the move here is a relief.
S'PORE NOW SIXTH MOST EXPENSIVE LOCATION IN ASIA FOR EXPATS
-------------------------------------------
SINGAPORE - The continued strength of the Singapore dollar has pushed the Republic up to sixth place on the list of the most expensive locations in Asia for expatriates to live, according to the latest Cost of Living survey from ECA International.
Read more at http://newsletter.todayonline.com/cgi-bin28/DM/t/eBk60DFZD0Ce0VSn0Ef
its likely that the person is still under moderation, so its not shown in the page.
Is the person's post still below 10?
Good, environment friendly, peace loving way of settling the problem. I do that with coakcroaches, ants and other insects in my house too. I find it most effective too.
Actually it is the most effective way of boosting their self esteem. No amount of tuitions can be more effective then a self-motivated child with a fire up their belly.
Or maybe he was just too busy with work and his wife did not try to ignite the childrens interest in other fields when she founded out that the children was just not good at studying?
Can't do that in Singapore lah, can get into trouble. Better to go the safe way, still pay the same few thousands mah....
I once work in a company, the whole building is 2rooms and 3 rooms flat, all rented to Japanese. Fully furnished and cleaning and maintenance included. Boy, you should have been there to listen to all the cleaning ladies gossips about what they found in the apartments.....
Then how about modems and wireless router? Any comments?
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