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PP9306/02/2012 (029352)<br />
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME<br />
<strong>www</strong>.<strong>expatkl</strong>.<strong>com</strong> <strong>|september</strong> 2011|
2 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
� OpensinSeptember2011<br />
� Day and boarding education<br />
� Boys and girls aged 11 to 18<br />
� Weekly, full and flexi-boarding options<br />
� Situated in BOTANICA.CT in Balik Pulau<br />
� Preparation for the best universities in the world<br />
4 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
<strong>www</strong>.powiis.edu.my<br />
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Contact us at admissions@powiis.edu.my, telephone +604 258 9812<br />
8 & 10 Jalan Sungai Air Putih, Bandar Baru Air Putih, 11000 Balik Pulau, Penang, Malaysia<br />
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Reaching the International Community<br />
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PUBLICATIONS<br />
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Contributing Editors<br />
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HI THERE!<br />
Having just returned from Bali after an absence of some 20 years, I was once again struck by its<br />
stunning natural beauty which continues to make it one of the most beautiful islands in the<br />
world. When I first went there in the 70s, the tourism traffic was just beginning. From well<br />
under 100,000 visitors a year at that time, it has now grown to over 1 million today.<br />
It was a little piece of paradise with its amazing rice terraces, volcanoes, lakes, beautiful beaches, year<br />
round sunshine, great waves for surfing and the lovely Balinese culture and architecture. No wonder<br />
the word quickly spread that is was a “must see” destination.<br />
About a third of the foreign tourists are Australians, and it remains one of their most popular<br />
destinations despite the many deaths they suffered in the two Balinese bombings in 2002 and 2005.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rapid increase in tourism is of course taking its toll and the infrastructure is struggling to cope.<br />
<strong>The</strong> local culture is be<strong>com</strong>ing much more <strong>com</strong>mercialised and money is a major focus - we were even<br />
charged for a glass my four year old daughter accidentally broke at a hotel. <strong>The</strong> traffic problem is now<br />
acute. Very narrow roads with ever increasing motor vehicles and countless motorbikes make traveling<br />
around the southern part of the island, where most tourists hang out, something of a nightmare.<br />
During our visit a local newspaper reported that during the previous three months a staggering<br />
eight people a day had died on the Balinese roads. That’s with a population of just 3 million people.<br />
Malaysia, by contrast, with a population of 24 million has around 20 road deaths a day.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are minimal visible traffic regulations and enforcement of the rules. Most roads are very narrow<br />
and are often partially blocked by illegally parked cars, motor bikes or goods dropped off at shops.<br />
Some roads are even partially blocked by farmers drying their rice in the sun. Many roads are dug up<br />
for purposes which are often not clear but are certainly not related to improving them.<br />
<strong>The</strong> police blame the increase in road deaths on the substantial increase in motor vehicles. <strong>The</strong><br />
public seems to blame the police for not enforcing the traffic regulations and being more focused on<br />
extracting kick backs from motorists, particularly those involved in accidents.<br />
Some people worry that the whole island will <strong>com</strong>e to a standstill as the increase in vehicles is not<br />
being matched by new and improved roads. By contrast, Malaysia has done an outstanding job with its<br />
roads. In fact, they have been adding new roads all over the country ever since I moved here in the late<br />
80s. <strong>The</strong>y needed to as the number of cars has more than doubled. However, I was interested to note<br />
that while I was away a small back road behind our office was resurfaced and looked better than 90%<br />
of the main roads we drove along in Bali.<br />
<strong>The</strong> southern part of Bali is now overflowing with tourists and for many years<br />
foreigners have been buying properties on the island. <strong>The</strong> prices have risen<br />
a lot since I first went there and many of the waterfront homes now run over<br />
US$1 million.<br />
Clearly addressing some of the infrastructural problems is something which<br />
needs to be prioritized or this beautiful tropical paradise will lose some of its<br />
attraction. That might be good for places like Langkawi but sad for Bali.<br />
Have a great month!<br />
J. Andrew Davison
CONTENTS | SEPTEMBER 2011 VOLUME 168<br />
TO GET YOUR FREE COPY OF THE EXPAT DELIVERED EVERY MONTH, VISIT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
TEL: 03.2094 9664 OR FILL IN THE FORM ON PAGE 57<br />
22-25<br />
71<br />
PP9306/02/2012 (029352)<br />
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME<br />
<strong>www</strong>.<strong>expatkl</strong>.<strong>com</strong> <strong>|september</strong> 2011|<br />
8 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
44-45<br />
Cover:<br />
SOON LAI WAI<br />
58-59<br />
75<br />
31<br />
EVENTS<br />
11 Events<br />
13 Clubs and Associations<br />
15 <strong>Expat</strong> News<br />
22 Around <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong><br />
26 <strong>Expat</strong> Extracts<br />
COLUMNS<br />
17 Musings from Malaysia by William Citrin<br />
19 My View by Marybeth Ramey<br />
21 Heat Stroke by Paul Loosely<br />
63 In My Anecdotage by Datuk Paddy Bowie<br />
114 Locally Yours by Lydia Teh<br />
MALAYSIA MATTERS<br />
31 One Name, One Nation – Malaysia Day<br />
32 <strong>The</strong> Woman in the Moon – Moon Festival<br />
33 Malaysia’s Ambassador to the World – Ng Yen Yen<br />
34 Signing up for the Anti-Corruption War<br />
38 Getting Involved – RSYC Cleaner Marina Day<br />
56 <strong>The</strong> Foundations of Friendship – Brickladies<br />
THE ARTS<br />
40 Artist Profile – Soon Lai Wai<br />
43 <strong>The</strong> Art of Investment<br />
TRAVEL & TOURISM<br />
44 Timeless Majesty – Siem Reap<br />
46 <strong>Expat</strong> Airline Travel & News<br />
BUSINESS & FINANCE<br />
51 Championing International Business – MICCI<br />
53 KL’s Mega Commercial Enclaves<br />
55 Business Profile – Brendon Osborn<br />
EDUCATION<br />
58 School Snaps<br />
PENANG PROMENADE<br />
64 <strong>The</strong> Gardens that Almost Never Were<br />
Plus 30 pages of EXPAT INFORMATION<br />
71 Promos<br />
73 Restaurant Reviews and Dining Guide<br />
86 Shopping and Services<br />
110 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> Directory<br />
112 Bulletin Board<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong><br />
Card Monthly<br />
Specials<br />
page 93<br />
<strong>The</strong> views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views<br />
of Borneo Vision Sdn Bhd. <strong>The</strong> publisher shall not be held liable for<br />
any omission, error, or inaccuracy. No parts of this publication may be<br />
reproduced in any form without the publisher’s permission.
EVERYONE LOVES A BEAUTIFUL SMILE…<br />
In Bangsar Dental Specialist Center, we offer world class dental treatment.<br />
We major in cosmetic dentistry, delivering solutions to your cosmetic dilemmas.<br />
We provide latest <strong>com</strong>prehensive treatment using state of the art technology using<br />
zircon crown technology, dental implants, aesthetic restorative works,<br />
teeth whitening, smile designing procedures, dental imaging diagnostics<br />
and cosmestic dentistry.<br />
Call us for enquiries<br />
(Dr. Firdaus Hanapiah & Dr Yogesh Sharma)<br />
+603 2282 6800<br />
Bangsar Dental Specialist Centre<br />
43-1 Jalan Telawi 3<br />
Bangsar Baru 59100<br />
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />
<strong>www</strong>.malaysiadentist.<strong>com</strong><br />
dentist@malaysiadentist.<strong>com</strong><br />
BEFORE<br />
* Six Zircon crowns placed<br />
AFTER*
SEPTEMBER EVENTS<br />
1- 30 September<br />
Numerous art galleries will be taking<br />
part in the 1Malaysia Contemporary Arts<br />
Festival. This month-long event will give<br />
an eye-opening insight into Malaysia’s<br />
fascinating contemporary arts scene. For<br />
further details, please visit <strong>www</strong>.tourism.<br />
gov.my or call +603.2692 7111<br />
3& 4 September<br />
Classic film buffs will be thrilled: KLPac<br />
will be screening classics from around the<br />
world on 3 and 4 September. <strong>The</strong> two<br />
movies for this weekend will be “Cache”,<br />
an Austrian-French movie and “Wings”,<br />
a black and white released in 1966. For<br />
more information, visit <strong>www</strong>.klpac.org or<br />
call +603.2142 2009.<br />
& 12 Sep 2011<br />
11On 11 and<br />
12 September, the<br />
Malaysian Philharmonic<br />
Orchestra (MPO) will<br />
showcase Beethoven’s<br />
Greatest Hits on a<br />
Saturday evening at<br />
8.30pm and Sunday<br />
at 3pm. <strong>The</strong> Orchestra will perform<br />
the maestro’s symphonies No. 5 and 7.<br />
under the leadership of conductor Claus<br />
Peter Flor. Tickets are priced between<br />
RM70 - RM150. To book tickets, call<br />
+603.2051.7007 or email dfp_boxoffice@<br />
petronas.<strong>com</strong>.my. For more information,<br />
visit <strong>www</strong>.mpo.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
12 September<br />
Celebrate the lantern festival,<br />
which falls on the eighth month of the<br />
Chinese Lunar calendar every year.<br />
Watch the huge processions with pretty<br />
lanterns in every shape and colour<br />
imaginable. Also don’t miss the chance to<br />
savour the delicious mooncakes that are<br />
prepared in abundance during this time.<br />
For more details, please call +603.2693<br />
7111 or visit <strong>www</strong>.tourism.gov.my.<br />
12 September<br />
Yuna,<br />
an independent<br />
Malaysian singersongwriter<br />
who is<br />
currently signed to<br />
a New York-based<br />
record label will be<br />
performing at the Malaysian Philharmonic<br />
at 8.30pm.<br />
Head down to KLCC to be mesmerized<br />
by her dazzling vocals. Tickets are priced<br />
at RM80. For reservations, call +603.2051<br />
7007 or visit <strong>www</strong>.mpo.<strong>com</strong>.my for details.<br />
- 17 September<br />
15Head down to the KLCC<br />
Concourse and Esplanade to witness the<br />
celebration of diverse music, arts and styles<br />
in this country during MASIF. <strong>The</strong> three-day<br />
event will showcase current happenings<br />
through displays, performances and<br />
interactive activities. Don’t miss a<br />
chance to hear internationally renowned<br />
Malaysians sharing their creative talents.<br />
For more information, call +603.4270<br />
3865 or visit <strong>www</strong>.masifestival.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
- 17 September<br />
15<strong>The</strong> 12th edition of the Sepang’s<br />
12-hour endurance race, the Merdeka<br />
Millenium Endurance Race, will run<br />
this month to coincide with Malaysia<br />
Day celebrations. <strong>The</strong> 3-day affair has<br />
been an instant hit with international<br />
teams and drivers and is regarded as<br />
Asia’s Biggest Race. Come down to the<br />
Sepang International Circuit to catch<br />
this fascinating spectacle. For ticket<br />
reservations, call +603.8778 2222 or<br />
visit <strong>www</strong>.malaysiangp.<strong>com</strong>.my.<br />
16 September<br />
Malaysia Day, celebrated on 16<br />
September, marks the joining together<br />
of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak to form<br />
Malaysia 48 years ago. Celebrations will<br />
be held in different parts of the country.<br />
For more information, call +603.2612<br />
7600 or visit <strong>www</strong>.tourism.gov.my.<br />
September - 2 October<br />
26Alerting all tennis-lovers - the<br />
ATP World Tour’s Asian route begins in<br />
Southeast Asia with the Malaysia Open<br />
on 26 September. Get ready to cheer<br />
for your favourite men players at the<br />
16,000 indoor Putra Stadium at this<br />
week-long tennis extravaganza. Call<br />
+603.7880 7999 to buy your tickets or<br />
visit <strong>www</strong>.malaysianopentennis.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
14 to 16 October<br />
<strong>The</strong> first-ever, massive cycling<br />
event in Malaysia, the OCBC Cycle<br />
Malaysia 2011, will be held in Kuala<br />
Lumpur. <strong>The</strong>re are four riding categories<br />
for OCBC Cycle Malaysia 2011: <strong>The</strong><br />
100m Tricycle Ride for children between<br />
2- to 5-years-old and the 4km Mighty<br />
Savers Kids Race (for children, ages<br />
6-12) on Saturday, October 15. On<br />
Sunday, October 16, the Community<br />
Ride (24km) and <strong>The</strong> Challenge (48km),<br />
will wrap up the event weekend. For<br />
more details, visit the OCBC Cycle<br />
Malaysia website at: http://<strong>www</strong>.ocbc.<br />
cyclemalaysia.<strong>com</strong>.my/.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 11
CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS<br />
AAM<br />
Bahasa Malaysia - Level 1<br />
Date: Wednesdays from September 7 to<br />
November 30 (12 sessions),<br />
Cost: RM540 (Members), RM640 (Nonmembers),Materials<br />
fee: RM50<br />
Venue: AAM Villa RSVP: Email aam_kl05@<br />
streamyx.<strong>com</strong> by 26 August 2011<br />
Now is the time to start learning the<br />
language of your host country! This series of<br />
classes is led by Puan Habibah from Applied<br />
Language Systems who will not only teach<br />
you the language but also share knowledge<br />
that will make your time in KL richer.<br />
First Fridays New<strong>com</strong>er Lunch<br />
Date: 9 September, Time: Noon – 2 pm<br />
Venue: Ben’s @ Pavilion Mall, Level 6<br />
Cost: Price of own food and drinks<br />
RSVP: E-mail aam_kl05@streamyx.<strong>com</strong><br />
Coffee Morning – Medicine in Malaysia<br />
Date: 15 September, Time: 10 a.m. – Noon<br />
Venue: AAM Villa, Cost: Free<br />
RSVP: E-mail aam_kl05@streamyx.<strong>com</strong><br />
Description: If you were faced with an<br />
emergency while in KL, would you know<br />
what to do and who to call? Do you know<br />
how to go about finding good doctors in<br />
Malaysia? <strong>The</strong>se questions and more will<br />
be answered by Sister Kay McNaught, a<br />
local nurse practitioner from Personalised<br />
Patient Care Management Services, at our<br />
September coffee morning.<br />
Lunch Bunch<br />
Date: 21 September, Time: 10:30 a.m. –<br />
Noon, Venue: <strong>The</strong> Coffee Bean @ Pavilion<br />
Kuala Lumpur (Level 3), Cost: Price of own<br />
food and drink, RSVP: E-mail aam_kl05@<br />
streamyx.<strong>com</strong> by 20 September<br />
Kuala Selangor Firefly Cruise<br />
and Dinner<br />
Date: Saturday, 24 September<br />
Time: 3:30 p.m – 11:30 p.m.<br />
Venue: Bukit Malawati, pick-up at the<br />
InterContinental Hotel on Jalan Ampang<br />
Cost: RM135 Adults, RM80 Children 3-11<br />
years (Members); RM150 Adults, RM95<br />
Children 3-11 years (Non-Members)<br />
RSVP: E-mail aam_kl05@streamyx.<strong>com</strong> by<br />
Thursday, 15 September<br />
Description: Bring the family on this tour<br />
to see the famous fireflies of Kuala Selangor.<br />
Tour includes a visit to Pasir Penambang, a<br />
Chinese fishing village, and dinner at a local<br />
restaurant famous for its seafood.<br />
Japanese Cooking Workshop –<br />
Sushi Party<br />
Date: 26 September, Time: 10:00 a.m. –<br />
1:00 p.m. Venue: AAM VIlla Cost: RM90<br />
(Members), RM110 (Non-Members), RSVP:<br />
E-mail aam_kl05@streamyx.<strong>com</strong><br />
ABWM<br />
Save the date: 20 September, new <strong>com</strong>ers<br />
and wel<strong>com</strong>e back brunch at Lafite<br />
restaurant in the Shangri La Hotel from<br />
11am. For more events and activities, visit our<br />
website on <strong>www</strong>.abwm.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
KLOGS (KUALA LUMPUR’S OTHER<br />
GOLFING SOCIETY)<br />
<strong>The</strong> KLOGS gentlemen’s golf group meet on<br />
the third Wednesday of each month, playing<br />
prestige courses in and around KL.<br />
Play as a guest on the 21 September.<br />
Guest fee all inclusive including prizes and<br />
après golf dinner RM270.<br />
For details please email ‘El Pres’ at: mike.<br />
maxcon.smith@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
MANZA<br />
MANZA Drinks Night – September<br />
This is an extra special drinks night!<br />
<strong>The</strong> MANZA October drinks night will be<br />
hosted by Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre<br />
for MANZA members and guests.<br />
An array of delicious finger food, wine, beer<br />
and soft drinks will be served during the three<br />
hours, specially prepared by Kuala Lumpur<br />
Convention Centre culinary brigade of chefs.<br />
Where: Level 4, Centre Core, Kuala Lumpur<br />
Convention Centre, When: Thursday, 15<br />
September 2011 7pm – 10pm, Dress:<br />
Smart Casual, Entry fee: RM100 per person<br />
(This money will go to help our MANZA<br />
Charities), * Limited to 100 people<br />
Please RSVP through: MANZA House by<br />
Monday, 12 September 2011, A/H: Nikki<br />
Wilson at 012 914-5130<br />
KL COBRAS ICE HOCKEY CLUB<br />
Day, Time: Mondays at 9:30pm at Sunway<br />
Pyramid.<br />
We have over 50 players who participate<br />
in our league. <strong>The</strong> Cobras also play in<br />
tournaments around Asia Pacific, have regular<br />
social and charity events.<br />
Contact: info@klcobras.<strong>com</strong><br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.klcobras.<strong>com</strong><br />
LATIN LADIES ASSOCIATION OF<br />
MALAYSIA<br />
<strong>The</strong> Latin Ladies Association of Malaysia<br />
(LLAM) is pleased to announce our up<strong>com</strong>ing<br />
annual charity ball, Fuego, to be held at<br />
the Kuala Lumpur Hilton Sentral, on 24<br />
September, 2011.<br />
This event is traditionally the highlight of the<br />
LLAM’s annual social calendar. Don’t miss it!<br />
<strong>The</strong> Gala tickets are offered for RM 300 each<br />
or RM 3000 per table for members, and RM<br />
350 each or RM 3500 per table for nonmembers.<br />
Each table offers 10 seats.<br />
For further information, please contact<br />
Brenda Scalona at 017-2190809.<br />
SOUTH AFRICANS IN MALAYSIA<br />
South African Coffee Morning!<br />
We meet every second Thursday of every<br />
month. Call or email Dorne Sherwood at<br />
012.916 8506 or dorne_roos@hotmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
SWEDISH WOMEN’S EDUCATIONAL<br />
ASSOCIATION<br />
September 3- Crayfish party<br />
September 6, 13, 20 - KL for new<strong>com</strong>ers<br />
September 8- Coffee morning<br />
September 22- Monthly luncheon<br />
September 27- Excursion to FRIM<br />
Address Book<br />
American Association of Malaysia<br />
Address: Unit G-3A Villa Seavoy<br />
7, Lorong Titiwangsa 8, Taman Titiwangsa, 53200<br />
KL. Tel: 03.4021 4367 / 4368<br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.klamerican.<strong>com</strong><br />
Email: aam_kl05@streamyx.<strong>com</strong><br />
Association Francophone de Malaisie (AFM)<br />
34, Jalan Dutamas Raya, 51200 Kuala Lumpur<br />
Email: afm.kuala@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.afmkuala.<strong>com</strong><br />
Association of British Women In Malaysia<br />
(ABWM) Address: 88, Jalan Terasek 8 Bangsar<br />
Baru 59100, KL. Tel: 03.2284 4407<br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.abwm.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Canadian Association of Malaysia<br />
Address: CAM Mailing Address c/o Canadian High<br />
Commission, 17th Floor, Menara Tan & Tan, 207<br />
Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.canadians-in-kl.<strong>com</strong><br />
German Speaking Society Of Kuala Lumpur<br />
(GSSKL) P.O. Box 707, Jalan Sultan, 46670<br />
Petaling Jaya. E-mail: info@gsskl.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.gsskl.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
International Women’s Association –<br />
Kuala Lumpur (IWAKL)<br />
Address: P.O. Box 269 Jalan Sultan 46670 Petaling<br />
Jaya, SDE. Web: <strong>www</strong>.iwakl.org<br />
E-mail: iwakl@iwakl.org<br />
Ibu Family Resource <strong>Group</strong><br />
78 Sri Hartamas 18, Taman Sri Hartamas, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.6211 0666 Web: <strong>www</strong>.ibufamily.org<br />
E-mail: ibu@ibufamily.org<br />
Japanese Club Address: 2, Jalan 1/86, off Jalan<br />
Taman Seputeh, Taman Seputeh, 58200 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2274 2274 Fax: 03.2274 3584<br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.jckl.org.my<br />
KL Cobras Ice Hockey Club<br />
Contact: info@klcobras.<strong>com</strong><br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.klcobras.<strong>com</strong><br />
KPC Melati Indonesian Women in Mixed<br />
Marriages Web: <strong>www</strong>.kpcmelati.org,<br />
Email: info@kpcmelati.org<br />
Contact: Rika O’Hanlon 017.601 7718<br />
Malaysian Australian New Zealand<br />
Association (MANZA)<br />
Address: 38, Jalan Tempinis, Bangsar, KL<br />
Tel: 03.2284 7145 Fax: 03.2287 7151<br />
Email: manzaoffice@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.manza.org<br />
South Africans in Malaysia<br />
Contact: Mrs Dorne Sherwood, email: dorne_<br />
roos@hotmail.<strong>com</strong> or H/P: 012.9168506<br />
Latin American Ladies Association<br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.damaslatinas.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Email: dlm@damaslatinas.<strong>com</strong>.my /<br />
grupodamaslatinas@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Royal Society of St George<br />
William Addington (President)<br />
E-mail: Michael McIver (Hon Sec)<br />
webmaster@stgeorgesmalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.stgeorgesmalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Scandinavian Society Malaysia (SSM)<br />
c/o Atlas International Movers (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.<br />
No. 29 & 31 Jalan PJS 11/16 Bandar Sunway<br />
Technology Park 46150 Petaling Jaya Selangor<br />
Darul Ehsan Mobile: 012.3750 215<br />
Url: <strong>www</strong>.scandinaviansocietymalaysia.<strong>com</strong> or<br />
<strong>www</strong>.snofida.<strong>com</strong><br />
email: info@scandinaviansocietymalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Swedish Women’s Educational Association<br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.swea.org/kualalumpur/<br />
E-mail: kualalumpur@swea.org<br />
St. Andrew’s Society PO Box 6210, Pudu Post<br />
Office, 55720 KL. Web: <strong>www</strong>.ssas-online.<strong>com</strong><br />
Turkish Malaysian Friendship Association<br />
Contact: Ms. Nilufer Senyuva 019.396 4086<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 13
Your sanctuary,<br />
within reach.<br />
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A wholly-owned subsidiary of Bandar Raya Developments Berhad<br />
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<strong>Expat</strong> News<br />
In recognition of the Malaysian Government’s plans to attract more<br />
foreigners to Malaysia and liberalise the rules on visas and work permits,<br />
we are introducing this news section to keep resident and prospective<br />
expats updated on news affecting them working or living here.<br />
RESIDENCE PASS TO BE EXPANDED<br />
Currently the Residence Pass is only<br />
available to people who have lived in<br />
Malaysia for over five years and earn above<br />
RM12,000 a month. It should be noted<br />
that merely meeting the basic criteria does<br />
not necessarily guarantee approval as the<br />
applicant’s skill set has to be considered<br />
relevant to those required in the country’s<br />
key industries.<br />
However, as previously announced, there<br />
are plans to expand the availability of the<br />
Residence Pass. This would most likely<br />
allow foreigners who have obtained<br />
a Master’s Degree or PHD in selected<br />
subjects from a local university to be<br />
eligible for the visa even though they are<br />
on much lower salaries.<br />
Eventually it would be made available<br />
for people who have not even lived in<br />
Malaysia but have special skills that the<br />
country needs.<br />
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION MOVES<br />
<strong>The</strong> British High Commission has<br />
announced that it plans to relocate as<br />
they are selling off the current property<br />
which according to some sources has an<br />
estimated value of RM200 million.<br />
Officially the move is to give them more<br />
space and it is expected they will relocate<br />
to a prestigious office building in Central<br />
KL. An official was quoted as saying that<br />
the running cost of the current building are<br />
very high and it would be a lot more cost<br />
effective in a rented premises.<br />
<strong>The</strong> British Government has been selling<br />
off a number of its overseas embassies in<br />
recent years and trying to cut costs as part<br />
of the UK austerity measures.<br />
INVEST KL BEING SET UP<br />
Setting up Invest KL is one of the so<br />
called Entry Point Projects (EPP) in the<br />
Government’s Greater KL Plan. <strong>The</strong><br />
primary objective of this new body<br />
is to attract 100 major multinational<br />
corporations to set up operations in the<br />
Greater KL area.<br />
It was recently announced that Zainal<br />
Amanshah will be<strong>com</strong>e the CEO of<br />
this new body. He was previously CEO<br />
of RedTone International a leading<br />
broadband <strong>com</strong>pany. He joins many other<br />
people from the private sector who have<br />
decided to support the various initiatives<br />
under the Government’s Economic<br />
Transformation Programme.<br />
Although Malaysia has had some success<br />
at attracting foreign <strong>com</strong>panies it pales<br />
into insignificance when <strong>com</strong>pared to<br />
Singapore which has been very successful.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are also currently home to most<br />
of the major multinational regional HQs<br />
based in Asia. It is our view that Malaysia<br />
could attract quite a few of these to<br />
relocate here.<br />
Currently many expats in Singapore have a<br />
rather negative view of Malaysia and this<br />
acts as a barrier to considering moving<br />
here despite the much lower operating<br />
cost and the favourable lifestyle.<br />
KLANG RIVER CLEAN UP AND<br />
BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT TAKING OFF<br />
Part of the Greater KL Plan involves<br />
a major initiative to revitalize and<br />
transform the Klang River. As most expats<br />
are very well aware, KL is not known<br />
for its attractive rivers or waterfront<br />
developments. <strong>The</strong>re are ambitious plans<br />
to change all this.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Government has recently announced<br />
that Ae<strong>com</strong>, a US based engineering and<br />
architectural firm, has been awarded<br />
the master plan for the project with a<br />
reported value of around RM1 billion.<br />
<strong>The</strong> project has been named the<br />
“River of Life” and involves cleaning<br />
up the river Klang and beautifying a<br />
ten kilometre stretch of the river. It will<br />
involve redevelopment of some eleven<br />
precinct areas along the waterfront<br />
to include various amenities such as<br />
pedestrian walkways, cycle tracks,<br />
retail outlets, restaurants, bars and<br />
other attractions.<br />
PERMANENT RESIDENCY STILL<br />
NOT EASY<br />
Any hopes that Malaysia was going to<br />
follow Singapore’s very liberal approach<br />
to awarding Permanent Residency seem<br />
very unlikely to happen. Singapore has<br />
over half a million permanent residencies<br />
– a staggering 10% of the population.<br />
Malaysia does not reveal the number<br />
of PRs in the country but it is safe to<br />
assume it does not even reach 1% of<br />
the population.<br />
Although the process has been made<br />
somewhat easier and the qualifying criteria<br />
now includes foreigners who invest over<br />
US$2 million and those with unique skills<br />
needed by the country, it is still a slow and<br />
highly selective process. Preference still<br />
seems to be given to foreigners married<br />
to Malaysians.<br />
<strong>The</strong> best solution for people wanting to<br />
stay here long term is either the MM2H<br />
programme for those who wish to retire<br />
and the Residence Pass for those who<br />
want to work here.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 15
9/11, 10 Years on<br />
MUSINGS<br />
FROM<br />
MALAYSIA<br />
THE EVENTS OF 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 PROFOUNDLY ALTERED THE POLITICAL AND<br />
IDEOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE OF THE WORLD. WILLIAM CITRIN REFLECTS ON HOW<br />
THAT FATEFUL DAY A DECADE AGO SHIFTED THE AXIS OF HIS PERSONAL UNIVERSE<br />
Everyone knows where they were that day.<br />
I was there.<br />
It’s strange because that luminous<br />
September morning seems simultaneously<br />
like a lifetime ago (as my life has<br />
<strong>com</strong>pletely changed since then) and like<br />
yesterday (because I can recall every single<br />
detail and they play over and over in my<br />
mind as if I’m stuck in some Nietzschean<br />
nightmare of eternal recurrence).<br />
On the morning of 9/11/2001, I was<br />
teaching English literature to a group<br />
of hormone-rattled teenagers at a<br />
government high school in Brooklyn,<br />
New York City. From the windows of my<br />
classroom, you could look out across the<br />
brilliant East River and behold – for the last<br />
time, as it turns out – that picture-postcard<br />
view of the lower Manhattan skyline.<br />
My lesson had just begun – the kids still<br />
settling into seats and rustling around in<br />
bags and cracking books and clicking pens<br />
– when one student, a boy by the name of<br />
Nicholas, one of those dreamer/ADD types<br />
who ceaselessly stare out the window at<br />
the horizon, raised his hand and said, “Mr.<br />
Citrin, the World Trade Center is on fire.”<br />
All heads turned and all eyes fixed on that<br />
angry black torrent of smoke shooting<br />
up out of the tower. Always the cool and<br />
<strong>com</strong>posed teacher, I proceeded unabated<br />
with my lesson, believing the fire to be an<br />
isolated incident and trying to beat back<br />
the tide of panic that was rapidly rising<br />
in the room. Around 15 minutes later,<br />
Nicholas raised his hand again and, his<br />
voice splintering with terror, cried, “Mr.<br />
Citrin, the other tower is on fire.” It was<br />
then that I stopped teaching. <strong>The</strong> principal<br />
came on the PA system and told everyone<br />
Even though he wrote this column, the views<br />
expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of<br />
William Citrin, the Editor of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong>. Email him<br />
at editor@theexpatgroup.<strong>com</strong> with your views.<br />
to remain calm and remain where they<br />
were. And so we waited in the classroom<br />
together, those students and I, watching<br />
the towers smoulder, collapse and vanish<br />
forever. I remember the distant sounds of<br />
helicopters and sirens and screams, and<br />
the faint whimpering of some of the girls<br />
in the class, but mostly what I remember<br />
is the silence. A teacher is supposed to<br />
have all of the answers, but I must confess<br />
that in that moment I had absolutely no<br />
idea what to say. Those things that I had<br />
thought were solid – things like buildings<br />
and my sense of safety and security living<br />
in the most powerful country on the planet<br />
– were reduced to rubble. <strong>The</strong> only thing<br />
that was real was the fear that we all felt.<br />
We stayed sequestered in the classroom<br />
and the parents came individually and<br />
picked up their kids. Sadly, a few of the<br />
parents of students in our school never<br />
came to pick them up that day – they<br />
perished in the attacks.<br />
For me, September 11 was one of those<br />
events (along with the births of my three<br />
sons) that defy metaphor. <strong>The</strong>re is nothing<br />
in my experience that I can <strong>com</strong>pare to<br />
seeing two towering skyscrapers crumble<br />
and a kingdom of ash rise and envelope<br />
the sky before my very eyes. In the weeks<br />
following the attacks, things returned to<br />
some semblance of normalcy. But nothing<br />
was ever really the same. September 11<br />
had an enormous impact on the geopolitical<br />
landscape (as it spawned two<br />
wars which I – like many Americans – was<br />
adamantly against), but I will leave it to the<br />
pundits and conspiracy theorists to banter<br />
on about this.<br />
<strong>The</strong> events of 9/11 affected me deeply on a<br />
personal level, shaking me to the core and<br />
changing the course of my life. Once the<br />
initial shock and terror subsided, I was left<br />
with, oddly, a strange sense of liberation. I<br />
came to the realization that – simply put –<br />
anything can happen anywhere, anytime.<br />
My illusions of living in a land of security<br />
and stability had been turned into dust that<br />
day. Life became something both precarious<br />
and precious, and I made the conscious<br />
decision to live my life on my terms.<br />
Three months later, I found myself on an<br />
airplane, flying across the world to elope<br />
with my then girlfriend (and now Mrs.)<br />
who had returned to Malaysia from the<br />
USA to be with her family. I didn’t tell<br />
anyone where I was going, not my family,<br />
friends or colleagues (only my wife, of<br />
course). This type of impulsive, clandestine<br />
action was <strong>com</strong>pletely out of character<br />
for me. But 9/11 had changed me. And<br />
I didn’t stop there: a little over two years<br />
later, I was packing my things to move to<br />
Malaysia with my wife, a dramatic decision<br />
that would have been unthinkable before<br />
the attacks as I – like the vast majority<br />
of Americans – could not have imagined<br />
myself living outside what I perceived to<br />
be the sheltering embrace of the land of<br />
liberty. Many of my friends and family back<br />
home wonder how I, a nice and (seemingly)<br />
normal boy from the sleepy suburbs of<br />
Michigan, ended up all the way over here<br />
in Malaysia. September 11 is the key to<br />
understanding this. My proximity to death<br />
made me, paradoxically, feel alive, and<br />
ready to grasp the possibilities that life<br />
offered me.<br />
No doubt a lot was lost on that September<br />
morning 10 years ago – lives, innocence,<br />
and security. And for this I feel profound<br />
sadness. But for me, 9/11 also provided a<br />
sense of possibility, a ground zero on which<br />
my new life was to be built.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 17
� � � � � � � � � � � �<br />
� � �
Walking Back Into My Life<br />
It was a moment to cherish. For the first<br />
time in almost five years, I stood upright<br />
almost all the way and walked like normal<br />
people do. <strong>The</strong>n I strode up and down<br />
and around in circles in my condo, and<br />
then I even ran. What a feeling it was and<br />
mind you, it still is. My life changed in that<br />
moment and it was at long last for the<br />
best. Thank you my dear Karma. But what<br />
took you so long?<br />
I had had a very skilfully done, difficult and<br />
<strong>com</strong>plex spinal rod fusion surgery almost<br />
five years ago. I was even back at the<br />
office in four weeks but definitely needed<br />
a physical therapist to guide me to be<strong>com</strong>e<br />
fully mobile. I was no spring chicken either<br />
springing back to normalcy like the young<br />
teenagers having the same surgery around<br />
me who had fully recovered in just a few<br />
weeks. I had 18 bolt sets fastened to the<br />
titanium rod and it had taken 10 hours<br />
to fit it all onto my rather small back all<br />
to correct a serious double scoliosis I had<br />
been born with...<br />
In a move to save money, I went to what<br />
we now know was an unqualified physical<br />
therapist. One session and the next day<br />
the 18th bolt set broke off and landed in<br />
a nerve cluster. My entire lower right side<br />
was on fire with nerve pain for the next<br />
seven months and to ac<strong>com</strong>modate the<br />
pain I twisted my posture and the result<br />
was strong muscles in the wrong places<br />
most of which held my torso down.<br />
Unlike most people who get Botox injected<br />
in minute quantities on their face, I had a<br />
full bottle injected into my upper right leg<br />
muscles so the spasming would relax them<br />
and thus allow my back muscles to take<br />
Marybeth Ramey is an award winning writer and our former<br />
<strong>Group</strong> Editor who has lived in Malaysia for 13 years. She is a<br />
former academic and currently an Educationalist in Malaysia as<br />
well as the proud mother of Rebecca Millis and Naim Ramey,<br />
now adults and living back in the USA. Her granddaughter,<br />
Raya-Rosine is the light of her life.She wel<strong>com</strong>es your feedback<br />
at consultant@theexpatgroup.<strong>com</strong><br />
over. <strong>The</strong> Botox kicked in slower than I had<br />
expected but a few weeks later sufficiently<br />
enough to allow me to stand upright. I<br />
have a strikingly youthful Iliopsoas muscle<br />
now which my face is jealous of however,<br />
Thanks to Drs. Julia Shahnaz Merican, a KL<br />
Neurologist and her brother, Radiologist Dr<br />
Shanrin Merican who guided the injecting<br />
needle using ultrasound. <strong>The</strong>y both<br />
epitomize the very best of what a caring<br />
doctor is all about.<br />
Once my therapists, Peter Seah and<br />
Joaquin Fernandez (two of the best physios<br />
in Malaysia) had me standing upright,<br />
after months of rigorously stretching my<br />
leg, I could then graduate to the Miracle<br />
Worker… my new walking contraption<br />
I fondly call my Wheelie. It has 3 large,<br />
rubber wheels, handlebars and a few<br />
lightweight pipes and is amazingly pliable.<br />
I lean lightly on the handlebars and am<br />
able to walk at a 90% correction. Not only<br />
am I walking normally and not like a circus<br />
attraction, but every step I take exercises<br />
my weak back muscles. Within a month or<br />
so, I won’t need Wheelie anymore and the<br />
past five years will be just a bad memory.<br />
It has always troubled me along with<br />
qualified medical professionals here I have<br />
spoken with over the years, that there are<br />
quite a few unethical people in business<br />
purporting to be experts or even qualified<br />
in a medical speciality when in fact they<br />
lack the proper academic and clinical<br />
qualifications. I see it all around me at Hair<br />
Salons and Beauty Centres, for example<br />
that now offer their customers Botox,<br />
Liposuction and other invasive medical<br />
procedures without regards for their safety<br />
but just for the lucrative profits involved.<br />
MY<br />
VIEW<br />
I also note many local doctors who are<br />
licensed and trained as one type of<br />
speciality yet have gone into the cosmetic,<br />
beauty and anti-aging business. <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
use of potent hormones without proper<br />
training is indeed very troubling. Local<br />
newspapers here have been warning<br />
people for years not to patronize these<br />
places.<br />
I learned the hard way. <strong>The</strong> physical<br />
therapist I went to had a large, imposing<br />
building located in the centre of town<br />
with some impressive equipment inside,<br />
yet was primarily a businessman with<br />
no medical training. He has since closed<br />
down and disappeared. Please do be<br />
cautious because the enforcing of the<br />
many regulations the government has<br />
put in place, has not kept pace with the<br />
technologies out there now.<br />
Being able to walk normally and even<br />
for long distances now has freed me<br />
from a prison of social and professional<br />
isolation not to mention depression. I<br />
can go shopping now, go to the many<br />
functions I am invited to and basically<br />
get my life back; something that I had<br />
almost despaired of just six months ago.<br />
Best of all I can fly over to California and<br />
spend Christmas holidays with my lovely<br />
daughter, Rebecca and my sweet grandgirl,<br />
Raya. Right now I am merely one of her<br />
favourite TV shows in that I “<strong>com</strong>e on” at<br />
9am every Saturday via Skype on the family<br />
<strong>com</strong>puter monitor. I’ll be walking back into<br />
her life too and I can’t wait.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 19
Paul Loosley is an English person who has been in Asia for 32 years; 12 as an<br />
advertising Creative Director, 20 making TV <strong>com</strong>mercials. He guest lectures at<br />
KLPac and LUCT. Any feedback; mail p.loosley@gmail.<strong>com</strong> (A prophet is not<br />
without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house; ribbit, ribbit)<br />
From under the Coconut Shell<br />
So there we were, the ‘Old Dutch’ and<br />
myself; in New York City 1999 watching<br />
a movie somewhere off Broadway. And<br />
on <strong>com</strong>es the trailer for a film called<br />
‘Entrapment’. And to our great surprise up<br />
came, the not long <strong>com</strong>pleted, Petronas<br />
Twin Towers, and there, swinging perilously<br />
and slightly phallically between them, was<br />
the fragrant Catherine Zeta-Jones (not yet<br />
Douglas and somewhat slimmer). My wife<br />
and I leapt up and started whooping and<br />
punching the air with heartfelt patriotic<br />
zeal. And, in equally heartfelt New York<br />
style, several unfeasibly large ‘brothers from<br />
the hood’ asked us mofos to sit the f*^k<br />
down! Fearing they might pop a cap in our<br />
asses (gosh, I wonder what that means?<br />
Everything’s bottoms with you Americans.)<br />
we sat the f*^k down, toot sweet.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> point?” I hear you ask. Well does<br />
familiarity breed contempt? If not contempt<br />
then at least indifference. I mean Jalan Tun<br />
Razak is not overflowing with Malaysians<br />
leaping up and punching the air at the<br />
sight of the Twin Towers, unless, of course,<br />
a motorbike has just scored a two foot<br />
long gash that approximately describes<br />
the course of the Klang River along your<br />
wonderful new car. <strong>The</strong> point is (oh dear,<br />
I’ve lost your interest already!) we tend<br />
to take things at home <strong>com</strong>pletely for<br />
granted; sure everyone does it, but perhaps<br />
Malaysians do it best. Or worst.<br />
Steely Dan; the American band, in their<br />
song ‘Reeling in the Years’ crooned the very<br />
appropriate words, ‘you wouldn’t know a<br />
diamond if you held it in your hand’, which<br />
seems to, very nicely, sum up the attitude to<br />
so many things.<br />
Take the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra;<br />
a constant and abiding love of mine. It’s<br />
superb, it’s world-class and it beats spots<br />
off the Singapore Symphony. But most<br />
Malaysians don’t really care that much. I go<br />
often and there are rows of empty seats for<br />
the performances of sublime pieces played<br />
by sublime musicians. It’s very affordable;<br />
RM10 for some concerts and the Dewan<br />
Filharmonik is light, spacious, <strong>com</strong>fortable<br />
and acoustically magnificent. Some say<br />
there are too few Malaysians in the band;<br />
but then how many Londoners are in the<br />
London Symphony Orchestra? It don’t<br />
work like that! So, there I am, in England,<br />
driving around the M25 (the world’s<br />
biggest car park) heading off to Stratfordupon-Avon;<br />
I tune the radio to Classic FM,<br />
and low and behold; shock and awe; the<br />
Malaysian Philharmonic <strong>com</strong>e on playing<br />
a bit by Dvorak. So right in the middle of<br />
the rural English countryside there was ‘our<br />
orchestra’. In a fit of undue pride I again<br />
put my life at risk and begin swerving about<br />
like an idiot. And this time I’m greeted by<br />
good old-fashioned Anglo-Saxon hand<br />
gestures from unfeasibly large lorry drivers.<br />
This pride thing is a dangerous business!<br />
But it is worth the risk.<br />
Now I am also convinced that some of<br />
our efforts at promoting tourism lack<br />
conviction. Many years ago I re<strong>com</strong>mended<br />
to the Malaysian tourism folks that they<br />
advertise in the UK directly after Christmas<br />
– this being when the Brits, en mass, book<br />
their summer hols. Ah! said the tourism<br />
folks, this is the most expensive time of the<br />
year to advertise, let’s advertise in May. But,<br />
said I, by May they will have all booked their<br />
holidays already lah! Yes, said they, but it’s<br />
so much cheaper. Such impeccable logic!<br />
But then I did get the genuine impression<br />
that there was an ulterior motive. Sure there<br />
are fantastic sites, fantastic food, fantastic<br />
beaches, fantastic jungles, but who wants<br />
all these strangers turning up spoiling the<br />
atmos? I mean, staying in our hotels, eating<br />
our food, disturbing the wildlife, buying<br />
our stuff, snapping pictures, giving chewing<br />
gum to our children and plying our women<br />
with nylon stockings!<br />
And there’s more. Nine times out of<br />
ten when overseas and you see a<br />
Malaysian restaurant they tend to be run<br />
by Singaporeans. Bloody cheek. In Mr<br />
Chow’s famous restaurant in Hollywood<br />
I had a ferocious row with the manager<br />
for advertising Satay as a Thai dish. That<br />
problem could be easily fixed. Make it<br />
<strong>com</strong>pulsory in all Malaysian movies for the<br />
lead actors to, at least once, yaffle half<br />
a dozen sticky sticks of tasty Malaysian<br />
satay. In fact they should have thrust a<br />
few sticks in the hands of Catherine Z-J<br />
to munch while swinging about over KL.<br />
(Perhaps they did, and it went straight to<br />
her bosoms!). Product placement at it’s<br />
very best.<br />
Oh my word yes, much more needs to be<br />
done to display pride in all things Malaysian.<br />
Cannot say “too shy, one!” And most of<br />
all one cannot be so concerned about the<br />
total rubbish that goes on at home that we<br />
forget Malaysia’s multi-cultured society is<br />
its greatest possession and the one thing<br />
the world should be told about again and<br />
again, and again.<br />
So what about the coconut shell, Paul, you<br />
oblique SOB? Well, for those of you that<br />
don’t know, there’s a wonderful Bahasa<br />
Malaysia turn of phrase; ‘Katak di bawah<br />
tempurung’ (frog under a coconut shell). A<br />
perfectly apt metaphor for a parochial and<br />
insular point of view which seems to cover<br />
brilliantly the general lack of appreciation<br />
for great stuff here in Malaysia or<br />
anywhere for that matter. I actually use it<br />
a lot, especially when I get hopping mad;<br />
boom, tish!.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 21
AROUND THE EXPAT GROUP<br />
Frivolous Fun at Four Seas<br />
<strong>The</strong> last Wine Dinner was a night of elegant and contemporary Chinese food at the<br />
beautifully-decorated Four Seas, where expats came together to eat and drink and<br />
talk the night away. Palates were tempted with the Four Seas Homemade Golden<br />
Spring Roll and the Wasabi Mayonnaise Crispy Deep Fried Prawn. <strong>The</strong>se were paired<br />
with the Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc. Up next was the Corn and Crabmeat<br />
Broth paired with the Nederburg Chardonnay. <strong>The</strong> Duo of Mushrooms consisting of<br />
crispy salt and pepper enoki mushrooms and braised shitake mushrooms in superior<br />
sauce, also paired with the Nederburg Chardonnay. <strong>The</strong> real star of the night was the<br />
Aromatic Smoked Duck Breast with Black Pepper Coulis which got everyone talking.<br />
<strong>The</strong> spicy kick was well matched with the fruit salad and the Louis Jardot Bourgogne<br />
Rouge. <strong>The</strong> Barbecue Spare Ribs with Four Seas Fried Rice also won some people over<br />
and this was paired with Crispy Kai Lan Ribbons and the Pinot Noir from before. <strong>The</strong><br />
meal ended splendidly with the Lemongrass Jelly, a brightly coloured and refreshing<br />
dessert drink. <strong>The</strong> guests of the Wine Dinner were treated to a visit from the chef,<br />
who was warmly greeted with a round of applause;<br />
apparently the food was that good! Diners were offered an<br />
enticing <strong>com</strong>plimentary wine dinner when they applied for<br />
the Citibank PremierMiles Credit Card at the event.<br />
A pleasant night indeed. By Milan Sadhwani<br />
Purveyor Of Fine Wines & Spirits<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Expat</strong>WouldLikeToThank:<br />
Four Seas Chinese Cuisine<br />
65, Jalan Bangkung,<br />
Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar<br />
59100, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: +603.2092 1222<br />
22 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
View more pictures of the <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> Mingle at our Facebook page:<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong> (TEG Malaysia)<br />
Next Time:<br />
Date : 22 September 2011<br />
Time : 7pm to 10.30pm<br />
<strong>The</strong> Event : Sit down dinner<br />
Address : Songket Restaurant<br />
No. 29, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng,<br />
Kampung Baharu,<br />
50450 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Price : RM120 (<strong>Expat</strong> Card, MM2H<br />
and Wine Club Members)<br />
RM145 (Non-Members)<br />
Complimentary with Citibank<br />
PremierMiles - details as below<br />
Traditionally Tasty<br />
Here’s your chance to try traditional Malay<br />
food and make some new friends. Songket will<br />
charm you with its modern Malay decor and<br />
elaborately dressed staff. <strong>The</strong>re is a sizeable free<br />
parking lot and you won’t have to hunt around<br />
for parking in downtown KL. Enjoy the fried<br />
appetizers and rich coconut-inspired mains<br />
while you relax <strong>com</strong>fortably in an oasis of calm<br />
amidst the city buzz.<br />
<strong>The</strong> bar at Songket is a nice touch but the bigger<br />
attraction usually starts at 9pm every night.<br />
This is when Malaysian dancers <strong>com</strong>e out and<br />
perform their cultural numbers for the guests of<br />
the night. If you’re brave enough, you will have<br />
your chance to join them. At Songket, you’re<br />
guaranteed a great night out.<br />
Take delight in a <strong>com</strong>plimentary Wine Dinner*,<br />
courtesy of Citibank when you apply for the<br />
PremierMiles Card. <strong>The</strong> Citibank PremierMiles<br />
Card is the perfect card for your travels and<br />
everyday spending. Every spend will earn you<br />
PremierMiles, which can be redeemed on over<br />
5 frequent flyer programmes, covering more<br />
than 70 international airline partners. As a<br />
PremierMiles cardholder, you will experience<br />
a wide range of exclusive travel, hotel and<br />
airport lounge privileges, both locally and<br />
globally. For your <strong>com</strong>plimentary Wine Dinner,<br />
please apply for the Citibank PremierMiles<br />
Card at the Wine Dinner Event.<br />
For more details on this offer, please visit<br />
http://<strong>www</strong>.<strong>expatkl</strong>.<strong>com</strong>/winedinner<br />
* Terms and conditions apply.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 23
AROUND THE EXPAT GROUP<br />
Terrific Terrace Arms<br />
A cosy Terrace Arms, Minglers of the night shared Johnny Walker whisky, crisp Tiger<br />
beer and Cronier wines, pairing their drinks with an abundance delicious canapés.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong>’s Mingle guests were treated to smoked salmon with cream<br />
cheese, chives and caviar on Japanese cucumber canapés, mozzarella cheese with<br />
cherry tomato and black olives skewers and sautéed wild mushrooms with Italian<br />
parsley, which came with parmesan cheese on toast. <strong>The</strong>y also enjoyed roast beef<br />
with gherkin, onion and mustard skewers, tomato bruschette with fresh basil on<br />
French toast and poached shrimp topped with cocktail sauce.<br />
Our Mingles are not to be missed, <strong>com</strong>e register with us and experience one of the<br />
hottest events on the expat social calendar! By Milan Sadhwani<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> Would Like To Thank:<br />
Terrace Arms Steak & Grill House<br />
21G, PJU 5/21, <strong>The</strong> Strand,<br />
Kota Damansara 47810<br />
Petaling Jaya Selangor.<br />
Tel: +603.6150 5277<br />
24 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
W I N E S<br />
SINCE 1698
View more pictures of the <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> Mingle at our Facebook page:<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong> (TEG Malaysia)<br />
@<br />
2 Hours of Tantalising,<br />
Fascinating Encounters!<br />
An opportunity to meet,<br />
mix and mingle with new friends.<br />
Date: 14 September 2011 (Wednesday)<br />
Time: 7pm – 9pm<br />
Venue: Gridiron Sports Cafe & Lounge<br />
11 & 15 Jalan Telawi 2<br />
Bangsar Baru<br />
59100 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
®<br />
Regular Entry<br />
Free Flow Beer + Fingerfood<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> Card Holders: RM40<br />
Non Card Holders: RM55<br />
Add on Wine Option<br />
Free Flow Beer +<br />
3 Glasses of Wine + Fingerfood<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> Card Holders: RM50<br />
Non Cardholders: RM65<br />
Register online at<br />
<strong>www</strong>.<strong>expatkl</strong>.<strong>com</strong>/mingle<br />
or call 03.2094 9664<br />
Limited space only.<br />
Please book early/register online<br />
to avoid major disappointment!<br />
Another event by<br />
Jointly brought to you by<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 25
<strong>Expat</strong> Extracts<br />
Name: ‘Van’ Srisuvanna<br />
Home Country: Thailand<br />
Occupation: Bar Maid/Waitress<br />
Marital Status/Number of Children: Divorced<br />
Other Countries you have lived in: Hong Kong<br />
What brought you to Malaysia and how long have you<br />
been here?<br />
My boyfriend brought me here and I have been here 7 years.<br />
If you had to pick a sound, a smell, a taste or a touch to<br />
describe Malaysia, what would it be?<br />
Durian.<br />
What are some things you like most about living<br />
in Malaysia?<br />
<strong>The</strong> satay is good and of course the shopping, it’s so cheap here!<br />
What are three things you dislike about living in Malaysia?<br />
Motorcyclists and when the shops close early.<br />
Name three places you would take an overseas visitor.<br />
Cameron Highlands, Batu Caves and Melaka.<br />
Name: Renata Kamphaus<br />
Home country: Germany, born in Kazakhstan<br />
Designation: Controller<br />
Marital status/Number of children: married, one daughter (8 years old),<br />
and one son (4 years old)<br />
Other countries you have lived in: Kazakhstan, Russia<br />
What brought you to Malaysia and<br />
how long have you been here?<br />
A five-minute decision after a small<br />
discussion with my husband and 1.5 years<br />
of preparation. Now we have already been<br />
living in Malaysia for two Years.<br />
What are the three things you like most<br />
about living in Malaysia?<br />
<strong>The</strong> good food, having so many<br />
different cultures, and the many friendly<br />
local people.<br />
What are three things you dislike about<br />
living in Malaysia?<br />
Locals using a highway slip road, thinking<br />
green is not in everybody’s head in<br />
26 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
Malaysia, always getting a different and<br />
higher price with the “white skin” factor.<br />
Name three places you would take an<br />
overseas visitor.<br />
Perhentian Island, Little India,<br />
Jalan Alor.<br />
Name three typical weekend activities<br />
that you enjoy.<br />
Having a nice “roti canai” for breakfast,<br />
swimming with the family, Meditation.<br />
What´s your favorite restaurant and<br />
bar in Malaysia?<br />
Golden Seafood restaurant, House<br />
Frankfurt bar in Bangsar.<br />
Name three typical weekend activities that you enjoy.<br />
I enjoy sleeping, going to the swimming pool and<br />
eating good Thai food.<br />
What’s your favourite restaurant and bar in Malaysia?<br />
Basil restaurant in Bangsar Village, House Frankfurt and<br />
Zeta Bar at the Hilton Hotel.<br />
Do you own property here? If so, where?<br />
If not, why?<br />
No, I can’t afford it right now.<br />
Are most of your friends Malaysian or expats? Why?<br />
Mixed.<br />
What do you miss about your home country?<br />
<strong>The</strong> temple in my hometown and my mother’s cooking.<br />
Do you own property here? If not, why?<br />
No, because the whole world is open<br />
for us, who knows where we will be in a<br />
few years.<br />
Are most of your friends Malaysians or<br />
expats, why?<br />
Most of them are expats, but we are<br />
happy to have local friends, too. Our kids<br />
go to the German International School and<br />
we are living in a <strong>com</strong>pound where expats<br />
live mostly.<br />
What do you miss most about your<br />
home country?<br />
<strong>The</strong> four seasons, walking in a typical<br />
German forest and breathing that fresh air.
What brought you to Malaysia and how long have you<br />
been here?<br />
A headhunter with an attractive job offer. 6 ½ years.<br />
What were your impressions of Malaysia before you came?<br />
How have they changed, if indeed they have?<br />
Hot weather, humidity, different races...yummy food...nothing has<br />
changed – especially the food...no chance to lose weight.<br />
If you had to pick a sound, a smell, a taste or a touch to<br />
describe Malaysia, what would it be?<br />
Sound: the mosque in my neighbourhood. Smell: besides durian,<br />
motorbikes. Touch: I don’t touch – I’m using SMART TAG J<br />
What are the three things you like most about living<br />
in Malaysia?<br />
Quality of life, cost of living, Malaysia “boleh”.<br />
What are the three things you dislike about living<br />
in Malaysia?<br />
Slow cars on the highway, the humidity, Malaysia “boleh”.<br />
What brought you to Malaysia and<br />
how long have you been here?<br />
Project work. I’ve been here since March<br />
2011 and I’m staying until Dec 2011.<br />
What were your impressions of<br />
Malaysia before you came?<br />
How have they changed, if indeed<br />
they have?<br />
I didn’t know much about Malaysia before,<br />
but now I know about the awesome<br />
tropical jungles and the multi-cultural,<br />
friendly people.<br />
If you had to pick a sound, a smell,<br />
a taste or a touch to describe<br />
Malaysia, what would it be?<br />
Definitely durian, and hearing the<br />
phrases “Wait wait” and “Coming in<br />
five minutes”!<br />
What are the three things you like<br />
most about living in Malaysia?<br />
Hot weather, cheap public transport, and<br />
the fact that KL is the gateway to Asia.<br />
What are three things you dislike<br />
about living in Malaysia?<br />
KL traffic; confusing/incorrect road<br />
signage; not knowing the local languages<br />
causing misunderstandings.<br />
Name three places you would take an<br />
overseas visitor.<br />
Cameron Highlands, Pangkor Island,<br />
Taman Negara.<br />
Name three typical weekend activities<br />
that you enjoy.<br />
Sightseeing, outdoor activities like walking<br />
and swimming, Watching rugby on TV.<br />
Name: Eric T. Reuter<br />
Home country: Germany<br />
Designation/Industry/Company: Director, Atlantic Logistics Asia<br />
Marital status: Single<br />
Other countries you have lived in: Hong Kong, China, Singapore<br />
Name three places you would take an overseas visitor.<br />
KLCC, Langkawi, Pulau Redang.<br />
Name three typical weekend activites that you enjoy.<br />
Pub scrawling, diving, watching “Tatort”.<br />
What’s your favourite restaurant and bar in Malaysia?<br />
House Frankfurt.<br />
Do you own property here? If so, where?<br />
If not, why?<br />
Yes, a condo in TTDI. Didn’t want to waste rental anymore.<br />
Are most of your friends Malaysians or expats? Why?<br />
It’s a good mix. I’m pretty open-minded.<br />
What do you miss most about your home country?<br />
Four seasons; Appelwine.<br />
What football team do you support?<br />
Eintracht frankfurt.<br />
Name: Karin Liebenberg<br />
Home Country: South Africa<br />
Company: SAP HR/Payroll Consultant, NorthgateArinso<br />
Marital Status: Married, 2 children (21 and 23)<br />
Other countries lived in: Netherlands<br />
Do you own property here?<br />
If so, where? If not, why?<br />
No, we don’t plan to settle here long term,<br />
so it’s not worth us spending the money.<br />
Are most of your friends<br />
Malaysians or expats? Why?<br />
Both, from many different countries<br />
and cultures, and a wide variety of<br />
backgrounds. I love meeting and<br />
chatting to people from all walks of life.<br />
What do you miss most about<br />
your home country?<br />
Besides the obvious family, friends and<br />
home, I miss the food a lot: braais, biltong<br />
and boerewors, golden delicious apples,<br />
naartjies, koeksusters, rusks and rooibos<br />
tea! I do enjoy the food here, but I miss<br />
the taste of home.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 27
HAPPENINGS<br />
A Brilliant Brunch<br />
It was a glorious and glamorous Saturday in July for around 70 readers and friends of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong> who were treated to a divinely<br />
delicious brunch at the swanky KL Hilton by Marriane Liow, General Manager of Tiffany & Co.<br />
Guests also had the opportunity to watch a wonderful demonstration of how to produce an exquisite bouillabaisse by a KL Hilton chef.<br />
Everyone left happy after spending a splendid Saturday morning indulging in great food and conversation.<br />
28 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 29
MALAYSIA MATTERS<br />
BY WILLIAM CITRIN<br />
One Name, One Nation<br />
What’s in a name? A lot, when<br />
it <strong>com</strong>es determining the<br />
difference between “Malaya”<br />
and “Malaysia”. With the nation-wide,<br />
annual celebration of Malaysia Day on<br />
16 September, it is an opportune time to<br />
delve into the distinction between the two<br />
often-confused monikers for the country.<br />
By doing so, we can learn a bit about the<br />
history of this lovely land we live in.<br />
Malaysia – which in its current form<br />
<strong>com</strong>prises 13 states and three federal<br />
territories – was once a nation divided<br />
under British colonial rule. <strong>The</strong> British set<br />
foot on the Malay archipelago in Penang<br />
in 1771, and, together with the Malay<br />
Sultans, governed various parts of the<br />
Malay Peninsula and Borneo to varying<br />
degrees for nearly two centuries.<br />
In the early 1800s, the name “British<br />
Malaya” came into <strong>com</strong>mon use as<br />
an umbrella term for the areas on the<br />
peninsula under the control of the colonial<br />
administration. Over time, British Malaya<br />
came to <strong>com</strong>prise the Federated and<br />
Unfederated Malay States of Selangor,<br />
Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Johor,<br />
Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu<br />
(for which the British oversaw foreign<br />
policy and defense, while the Malay<br />
Sultans retained control over domestic<br />
affairs) and the Straits Settlements of<br />
Melaka, Penang, Singapore, and Labuan<br />
(which were under the sole sovereignty of<br />
the British Crown).<br />
“British Borneo” refers to the parts of the<br />
island of Borneo – namely, Sabah (referred<br />
to then as “North Borneo”), Sarawak, and<br />
Labuan – which were largely under British<br />
administrative and <strong>com</strong>mercial influence<br />
from the second half of the 19th century<br />
through first half of the 20th century.<br />
All of the territories in British Malaya<br />
– with the exception of Singapore and<br />
Labuan – were brought together in 1946<br />
under consolidated British control to<br />
form the Malayan Union, a short-lived<br />
entity which was dissolved in the face of<br />
widespread discontent and resistance by<br />
Malay nationalists over the diminished<br />
authority of the Malay Sultans in this<br />
new confederacy.<br />
<strong>The</strong> symbolic position of the Malay<br />
Sultans was then restored with the<br />
establishment in 1948 of the Federation<br />
of Malaya – a union of nine Malay states<br />
and two British Straits Settlements<br />
(Penang and Melaka).<br />
On 31 August 1957, after a series of<br />
protracted and peaceful negotiations<br />
between the British government and<br />
Malayan leaders, the Federation of<br />
Malaya was granted its independence<br />
within the Commonwealth of Nations<br />
with Tunku Abdul Rahman as the<br />
country’s first Prime Minister.<br />
Sabah (still called North Borneo), Sarawak<br />
and Singapore, however, remained British<br />
Crown colonies until 1963 when they<br />
unilaterally declared independence and<br />
joined the Federation of Malaya to form<br />
the new nation by the name of Malaysia.<br />
<strong>The</strong> official formation of Malaysia was<br />
slated to take place on 31 August 1963, to<br />
coincide with the date of the establishment<br />
of the Federation of Malaya. But, due to<br />
external opposition from Indonesia and<br />
the Philippines and internal issues within<br />
Sabah and Sarawak, the founding of this<br />
new nation had to be delayed until 16<br />
September 1963.<br />
Singapore later withdrew from Malaysia in<br />
1965 due to ideological differences, and<br />
the country – in its current form – was<br />
brought into being.<br />
This, in a nutshell, is the head-spinning<br />
story of how “Malaya” came to be called<br />
“Malaysia”.<br />
Malaysia Day, which falls every year on<br />
16 September, was declared a public<br />
holiday in 2010. It is an occasion on which<br />
Malaysians of different colours and creeds<br />
can <strong>com</strong>e together in a celebration of the<br />
nation that unites them all.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 31
MALAYSIA MATTERS<br />
BY KATRINA MELVIN<br />
<strong>The</strong><br />
Woman in<br />
the Moon<br />
<strong>The</strong> Autumnal Equinox is one of two<br />
occasions in the year when day and<br />
night are of approximately equal<br />
length. This takes place on the 15th day of<br />
the 8th lunar month, which this year falls<br />
on the 12th September. On this day, the<br />
Moon Festival is observed in various forms<br />
through East Asia, including Malaysia’s<br />
Chinese <strong>com</strong>munities.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Moon Festival is a celebration of the<br />
legend of Chang’e, the moon goddess<br />
of immortality. According to Chinese<br />
mythology, she worked in the palace of<br />
the Jade Emperor (heaven) during the<br />
reign of Emperor Yao around 2200 BCE.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are various versions of the tale, the<br />
most gruesome of which is this; Chang’e’s<br />
husband, Houyi, slaughtered nine of the<br />
ten suns that were thought to orbit the<br />
earth (yes, the sun went round the earth<br />
in those days) and was made King of the<br />
Sun Palace as a reward for this shadowy<br />
act of violence.<br />
Typical of newly-promoted nouveau riche,<br />
the power and glory went to his head;<br />
he became something of a tyrant. Like<br />
the best <strong>com</strong>ic villains and mad kings,<br />
he became obsessed with immortality,<br />
and after a series of probably horrific<br />
experiments, he discovered that he could<br />
make an immortality pill by grinding up<br />
the body of a teenage boy every night for<br />
one hundred nights. Chang’e grew tired<br />
of her husband’s perverted pottering,<br />
stole the pill, and swallowed it to end his<br />
interminable reign and to save a few of the<br />
boys in the process.<br />
<strong>The</strong> magical pill gave Chang’e both<br />
immortality and the power to fly. Knowing<br />
her husband would be mightily miffed to<br />
find the pill gone, Chang’e took off into<br />
the skies. Houyi pursued his fleeing wife<br />
across the heavens, hoping to retrieve his<br />
pill by air-borne Heimlich manoeuvre, but<br />
was eventually grounded by high winds.<br />
32 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
Chang’e escaped to the moon, where she<br />
coughed up the pill, meaning she could<br />
no longer fly and had no way to return to<br />
earth. Fortunately, she met the hare who<br />
lives on the moon. She tasked the hare,<br />
who happened to be the medicine man<br />
for immortals, with making another pill to<br />
allow her to fly home. <strong>The</strong> hare is said to<br />
be pounding and grinding his medicinal<br />
herbs still.<br />
We can assume that Chang’e forgave<br />
Houyi for the boy-grinding incident, as<br />
he has been visiting her once a year on<br />
the night of the Moon Festival for at least<br />
a couple of thousand years. Feminine<br />
Chang’e on the moon symbolises Yin,<br />
while masculine Houyi in his Sun Palace<br />
represents Yang – on the night when they<br />
<strong>com</strong>e together the moon is at its fullest,<br />
roundest and most beautiful, and Yin<br />
and Yang are in perfect harmony with<br />
one another.<br />
Several hundred years ago an unknown<br />
but obviously enterprising Chinaman,<br />
impressed by the marketability of Chang’e<br />
and Houyi’s tragic tale, looking for a way<br />
to monetise the Moon Festival, came up<br />
with Mooncakes. In an endorsement of<br />
his business acumen, these sometimes<br />
sweet and sometimes savoury treats have<br />
be<strong>com</strong>e an integral part of the Moon<br />
Festival such that the period is often<br />
known as Mooncake Festival. This is akin<br />
to calling Christmas Fruit Cake Day, or<br />
Easter Chocolate Egg Day.<br />
Just like fruit cake and chocolate eggs, you<br />
can start stocking up on mooncakes weeks<br />
before the day itself and enjoy cut-price<br />
mooncakes for weeks after. Start looking<br />
out for mooncakes in Malaysia this year<br />
towards the end of July and make sure<br />
you’ve had your fill before the end of<br />
September when they’ll disappear until<br />
next year. (<strong>The</strong> average mooncake contains<br />
approximately 1000 calories, so it’s<br />
probably just as well they aren’t available<br />
all year long!) Traditional mooncakes are<br />
decorated on top with Chinese characters<br />
representing harmony and longevity,<br />
sometimes ac<strong>com</strong>panied with the name<br />
of the bakery and the type of filling.<br />
Additional images include Chang’e on the<br />
moon, the moon, and the hare (Chang’e’s<br />
lunar pharmacist and guardian of the<br />
moon). <strong>The</strong>y are filled with a dense sweet<br />
paste, usually made of lotus, sweet bean,<br />
jujube or nut paste, and often containing a<br />
salted duck-egg yolk in the centre. Dense,<br />
chewy and calorific, mooncakes are meant<br />
to be sliced and shared – you may plan<br />
on spending a night at home alone with<br />
a mooncake and a cup of tea, but eating<br />
a whole mooncake in one sitting is not<br />
re<strong>com</strong>mended.<br />
Over the centuries, mooncake<br />
manufacturers have diversified. Fillings now<br />
include fruit, jelly and ice cream, chocolate,<br />
coffee, ham, green tea and even custard<br />
– pretty much anything that can be made<br />
into a paste. <strong>The</strong> latest innovation is the<br />
snowskin mooncake, which has a crust of<br />
glutinous rice or jelly and is chilled rather<br />
than baked. You can find almost every<br />
imaginable permutation of the mooncake<br />
in Malaysia, from small white Indonesian<br />
mooncakes to Vietnamese bánh trung<br />
thu filled with sharks fin or pork to ultramodern<br />
mooncakes filled with low-fat<br />
probiotic yoghurt. You can even attend a<br />
mooncake buffet in many of the country’s<br />
5-star hotels where you can sample a<br />
wide selection.<br />
When tucking into multicoloured<br />
mooncake platters this month, be sure<br />
to look up at the heavy harvest moon<br />
and spare a thought for poor stranded<br />
Chang’e and the indefatigable hare. Come<br />
September 12th Chang’e will be spending<br />
just one night with (repentant?) hubby,<br />
Houyi – let’s hope he has the generosity to<br />
bring along a slice or two of mooncake.<br />
PHOTO BY SUNWAY RESORT HOTEL & SPA’S<br />
WEST LAKE GARDEN CHINESE RESTAURANT
PROFILE<br />
BY WILLIAM CITRIN<br />
Malaysia’s Ambassador to the World<br />
<strong>The</strong> work of the Malaysian Minister<br />
of Tourism never ends. Tourism<br />
is a booming business here; the<br />
tourism sector is a major contributor to<br />
the Malaysian GDP, with over 24.6 million<br />
arrivals and RM56.5 billion in receipts in<br />
2010. <strong>The</strong> woman who is tasked with<br />
overseeing and expanding the tourism<br />
industry is the dynamic and engaging<br />
Dato’ Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen, who has been at<br />
the helm of Tourism Malaysia since 2009.<br />
With a long and illustrious career in public<br />
service, Dr Ng brings to the job a wealth<br />
of experience and an abundance of<br />
energy. She graciously agreed to take time<br />
out of her hectic schedule to sit down<br />
with William Citrin of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> recently<br />
at the Malaysia Tourism Center (MaTiC)<br />
in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the highlights<br />
of her tenure as Tourism Minister thus<br />
far, the up<strong>com</strong>ing events and initiatives<br />
on the tourism calendar, and overall what<br />
makes Malaysia such a strong magnet for<br />
tourists and expats.<br />
Dr Ng began by waxing lyrical about the<br />
country’s virtues: “What makes Malaysia<br />
such an attractive tourist destination to so<br />
many is first of all, the country’s stability<br />
and prosperity. No tourist wants to go<br />
somewhere where anything can happen,<br />
and Malaysia is definitely a safe place.<br />
Secondly, our diversity. No Tourist wants to<br />
go anywhere that is monotonous because<br />
tourism is all about experiencing different<br />
cultures and lifestyles and Malaysia offers<br />
just that. Our diversity is well-positioned<br />
by our famous tagline ‘Malaysia, Truly<br />
Asia’.Thirdly, the weather and natural<br />
environment here. We have year-round<br />
sunshine in this nature lovers’ paradise<br />
where 46 percent of our land is still virgin<br />
forest. Lastly, Malaysia caters to the tastes<br />
of all types of tourists: those eco-tourists<br />
looking for adventures in nature, those<br />
tourists who want to shop, or eat, or<br />
learn about our arts and culture, or who<br />
love sports or food…” Dr Ng continued<br />
unabated, singing the praises of Malaysia<br />
as a tourism destination and enumerating<br />
the many <strong>com</strong>pelling reasons to visit. <strong>The</strong><br />
country inherently has a lot to offer in<br />
terms of its natural, cultural, and human<br />
resources, and these are no doubt what<br />
draw many visitors here. But Dr Ng and her<br />
team at the Tourism Ministry have worked<br />
tirelessly to improve and augment the<br />
country’s tourism products and services.<br />
Looking back on her time at the Tourism<br />
Ministry (she also served as Deputy<br />
Minister for Tourism from 1999 to 2003),<br />
Dr Ng identifies some of her major<br />
achievements and contributions: “I helped<br />
to open up Malaysia as a travel destination<br />
to the Chinese market. In 1999, Chinese<br />
visitors <strong>com</strong>prised only a small percentage<br />
of the total visitors to Malaysia. Now<br />
China is the top tourist provider after<br />
ASEAN with 1.1 million visitors in 2010.<br />
Another highlight of my career in the<br />
tourism sector has been opening up the<br />
country to Arab tourists. Around 2000,<br />
nobody even considered the Arab tourism<br />
market, but now we are a major player.”<br />
Dr Ng added that Malaysia is currently<br />
striving to tap into other tourist markets,<br />
such as Russia and India. With palpable<br />
passion in her voice, Dr Ng went on to<br />
describe the various and sundry events<br />
and programmes that the Tourism Ministry,<br />
under her leadership, has spearheaded<br />
and developed. <strong>The</strong>se initiatives all serve<br />
to raise awareness and appreciation of<br />
various aspects of Malaysian lifestyle and<br />
culture and to, of course, attract tourists.<br />
“Coming up, we will have the Fabulous<br />
Food 1 Malaysia festival. For three months<br />
we will be celebrating our country’s<br />
glorious foods: in October we will promote<br />
the amazing array of gourmet foods<br />
available here, in November Chef Wan<br />
will take us on the ASEAN Food Heritage<br />
trail, and in December we will feature our<br />
scrumptious hawker food,” Dr Ng says.<br />
She went on to elaborate on other major<br />
Dato’ Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen<br />
tourism events: “Right now we are in the<br />
midst of the Malaysia Contemporary<br />
Arts Tourism Festival, a three month event<br />
which seeks to create an awareness of<br />
and appreciation for Malaysia’s arts and<br />
to develop the Malaysian art market.<br />
Every April, we organize the Malaysia<br />
International Shoe Festival, which has<br />
proved to be immensely popular, and we<br />
also have sports events – such as golf,<br />
diving, and Formula one – as well as the<br />
Malaysia Mega Sole Carnival, through<br />
which we have positioned ourselves as<br />
a world-class shopping destination for<br />
tourists.” <strong>The</strong> list of events and activities<br />
goes on and on (for more information,<br />
visit <strong>www</strong>.tourism.gov.my); Dr Ng and her<br />
team at Tourism Malaysia are “constantly<br />
creating and innovating to ensure the<br />
progression and transformation of the<br />
tourism industry.”<br />
When asked to name Malaysia’s “must<br />
see” attractions and “must do” activities,<br />
Dr Ng says: “Tourists must see the Petronas<br />
Twin Towers at night. <strong>The</strong>y are so iconic.<br />
I’m always filled with pride when I see<br />
them. You must also visit Bukit Bintang<br />
street at night to soak up the breathtaking<br />
diversity of people and cultures there.<br />
And you should definitely go to Melaka<br />
to see the history and heritage, and visit<br />
our jungles, visit the Crafts Complex<br />
in Kuala Lumpur to buy some fantastic<br />
souvenirs, go to Chinatown and Little India<br />
to take in the cultures, and if you have<br />
time, I re<strong>com</strong>mend our exotic islands as<br />
well as Sabah and Sarawak, or drive up<br />
to Kedah to see our paddy fields, or visit<br />
the Pasar Siti Khadijah, the main market<br />
in Kelantan, or…” Dr Ng could go on<br />
endlessly about Malaysia’s myriad alluring<br />
tourist attractions. “To know Malaysia is to<br />
love Malaysia. We offer tourists a variety of<br />
experiences and value for money. Malaysia<br />
is “Truly Asia”, truly diverse in terms of<br />
people and nature. We can give you<br />
everything (except snow),” she says with a<br />
beaming smile.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 33
MALAYSIA MATTERS<br />
Signing up for the War<br />
COMPANIES AROUND MALAYSIA ARE TAKING THE SYMBOLIC STEP OF<br />
SIGNING A PLEDGE TO WAGE THEIR OWN WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION.<br />
AMY DE KANTER TELLS US MORE ABOUT THIS CORPORATE<br />
COMMITMENT TO FIGHTING CORRUPTION<br />
No one expected the fight against<br />
corruption to be easy and it<br />
hasn’t been. When <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> first<br />
talked to Dato’ Hisham Nordin earlier this<br />
year about his role at the forefront of the<br />
government’s anti-corruption initiatives, he<br />
was unhesitant about the evils that <strong>com</strong>e<br />
with corruption. He called it “an epidemic<br />
that can destroy a whole nation”.<br />
In 2009, Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib<br />
Tun Razak unveiled the Government<br />
Transformation Plan (GTP) to set the nation<br />
on track for Vision 2020. Six National<br />
Key Result Areas (NKRAs) were identified,<br />
including better rural infrastructure, higher<br />
standard of living for the poor and better<br />
access to affordable quality education.<br />
Minister at the Prime Minister’s<br />
Department, Dato’ Seri Nazri Aziz,<br />
was made lead minister of the NKRA<br />
corruption-fighting initiatives and he<br />
entrusted Dato’ Hisham with heading<br />
the Delivery Management Office of these<br />
NKRA initiatives.<br />
As candid as he was about the difficulties<br />
ahead, Dato’ Hisham was equally blunt in<br />
saying that corruption was not something<br />
the government could tackle alone. Other<br />
sectors, from individuals on up, had to get<br />
involved. “People know corruption has to<br />
be fought by the whole country.”<br />
Andy Davison, CEO of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong>,<br />
agrees that addressing corruption<br />
is critically important and should be<br />
an effort which involves not just the<br />
government but everyone living and<br />
doing business in Malaysia.<br />
34 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
“Malaysia is be<strong>com</strong>ing increasingly wellknown<br />
internationally. It now ranks as<br />
one of the world’s more popular tourist<br />
destinations and is increasingly seen as a<br />
wonderful place to retire,” says Davison.<br />
“An increasing number of <strong>com</strong>panies<br />
are choosing to set up businesses here.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Government’s ambitious Economic<br />
Transformation Programme will result in<br />
Malaysia receiving a lot more interest and<br />
lot more investment. It would be a shame<br />
if corruption is allowed to negatively<br />
impact those efforts.”<br />
NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL<br />
<strong>The</strong> fight has had its share of critics and<br />
setbacks. Nevertheless focus has never<br />
wavered and the effort continues to garner<br />
support, by making individuals, groups and<br />
now businesses aware of what should be<br />
changed and increasingly adding to the<br />
fighting army.<br />
One of the challenges has involved<br />
changing the way some Malaysians and<br />
expats may believe business is conducted<br />
in Malaysia. <strong>The</strong> perception that official<br />
palms must be greased before anything<br />
can get done tarnishes the country’s<br />
image. If these rumours are believed,<br />
honest <strong>com</strong>panies could think twice<br />
before setting up in Malaysia, while<br />
<strong>com</strong>panies who have no qualms about<br />
encouraging corruption would be drawn<br />
here, making the problem ever more<br />
serious and self-perpetuating<br />
For this reason, the government is asking<br />
<strong>com</strong>panies in Malaysia to voluntarily<br />
sign a pledge to uphold anti-corruption<br />
principles in order to demonstrate their<br />
<strong>com</strong>mitment towards creating a business<br />
environment that is fair, transparent and<br />
free from corruption.<br />
This pledge is not issued by any one<br />
regulator or authority but is a result<br />
of collaboration between the Bursa<br />
Malaysia Berhad, the Companies<br />
Commission of Malaysia, the Malaysian<br />
Institute of Integrity, the Malaysian<br />
Anti-Corruption Commission & NKRA<br />
Corruption Monitoring & Coordination<br />
Division, Securities Commission Malaysia,<br />
Transparency International Malaysia<br />
and the Performance Management and<br />
Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), and the Prime<br />
Minister’s Office. It is made available<br />
through the Malaysian Institute of<br />
Integrity, who are also maintaining the list<br />
of signatories. <strong>The</strong> pledge is a voluntary<br />
tool, to aid <strong>com</strong>panies that recognize the<br />
importance of anti-corruption measures<br />
in being a <strong>com</strong>petitive business and<br />
operating in increasingly <strong>com</strong>petitive and<br />
globalised markets.<br />
MORE THAN WORDS<br />
Institut Integrity Malaysia explains that<br />
“the principles are more than a statement<br />
of mere intent; by signing the pledge<br />
to uphold the principles, <strong>com</strong>panies<br />
are voluntarily taking the first step in a<br />
longer-term programme to create an<br />
effective system to increase integrity in<br />
the Malaysian corporate sector through<br />
practicing good governance, including<br />
anti-corruption measures.”<br />
When taking this first step, <strong>com</strong>panies<br />
are asked to draw from their board,<br />
workforce or other stakeholders to form
Andy Davison, CEO of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong>,<br />
signing the corporate integrity pledge.<br />
a coalition for corporate integrity. This<br />
coalition has to take a good, strong look<br />
at the <strong>com</strong>pany’s practices and <strong>com</strong>e<br />
up with a plan of action to strengthen<br />
corporate integrity. Once formed, the plan<br />
is implemented. To ensure that there is no<br />
slipping backwards, <strong>com</strong>panies are further<br />
encouraged to include anti-corruption<br />
elements in their audits.<br />
Institut Integrity Malaysia emphasises that<br />
“the longer term programme is intended<br />
to see <strong>com</strong>panies gradually moving<br />
toward self-assessment, identifying gaps<br />
and action plans to close them and<br />
eventually reporting on anti-corruption<br />
measures, in line with the UN Reporting<br />
Guidance on the 10th Principle under the<br />
Global Compact.”<br />
THE SUPPORT<br />
As corruption targets expats as much<br />
as locals, so do the initiatives to protect<br />
both groups equally and both foreign and<br />
multinational corporations have joined local<br />
firms in signing the pledge. Among the<br />
notable signatories (although taking this<br />
step alone makes a <strong>com</strong>pany notable) are:<br />
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On 8 August, 2011, Andy Davison signed<br />
the pledge on behalf of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong>,<br />
promising to do its part in the war against<br />
corruption.<br />
Anti-Corruption Principles for<br />
Corporations in Malaysia<br />
A <strong>com</strong>pany shall strive to create a Malaysian business environment that is free from<br />
corruption through the following actions:<br />
1. COMMITTING TO PROMOTING VALUES OF INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY AND<br />
GOOD GOVERNANCE<br />
1.1 To prohibit bribery and corruption in any form, whether direct or indirect, in<br />
the business place and in all business relationships, including with suppliers,<br />
contractors, customers and other third parties;<br />
1.2 To ensure full <strong>com</strong>pliance with codes of ethics at all times; and<br />
1.3 To create a positive culture that upholds integrity in order to create a clean<br />
business environment.<br />
2. STRENGTHENING INTERNAL SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT CORRUPTION<br />
PREVENTION<br />
2.1 To develop an anti-corruption programme that articulates values, policies and<br />
procedures to be used to prevent corruption from occurring in all business<br />
activities;<br />
2.2 To improve existing systems and procedures to prevent any corrupt practices;<br />
2.3 To include corruption prevention, ethics and integrity as areas for training and<br />
development for management, employees and staff;<br />
2.4 To create a secure and accessible channel through which employees and others<br />
may report violations in confidence and without risk of reprisal.<br />
3. COMPLYING WITH LAWS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RELATING TO<br />
FIGHTING CORRUPTION<br />
3.1 To ensure that all laws and <strong>com</strong>pany policies and procedures relating to fighting<br />
corruption are strictly <strong>com</strong>plied with; and<br />
3.2 To ensure that the good governance is practiced, checks and balances put in<br />
place, and business is conducted with transparency and accountability to avoid<br />
conflicts of interest, abuses of power and misconduct.<br />
4. FIGHTING ANY FORM OF CORRUPT PRACTICE<br />
4.1 To take proportionate action against any employee, staff or other person involved<br />
in corruption in relation to the business, regardless of position and status; and<br />
4.2 To report any corrupt practice that occurs in the business place to the<br />
appropriate authority.<br />
5. SUPPORTING CORRUPTION PREVENTION INITIATIVES BY THE MALAYSIAN<br />
GOVERNMENT AND MALAYSIAN ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION (MACC)<br />
5.1 To support anti-corruption efforts by the Government and MACC; and<br />
5.2 To maintain relationships with the authorities, regulators and MACC and provide<br />
full cooperation in relation to corruption detection, prevention and enforcement<br />
of laws against corruption.<br />
THE PLEDGE<br />
By signing the document, <strong>com</strong>panies promise that they will:<br />
the Company hereby pledges that it shall:<br />
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corruption offence under any law, such as the MACC Act 2009 or Penal Code;<br />
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any of its employees, representatives or agents to <strong>com</strong>mit such offences; and<br />
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to create a business environment that is free from corruption, and<br />
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its business and in its interactions with its business partners and the Government.<br />
For more information about Malaysia’s fight against corruption, please visit<br />
<strong>www</strong>.nkracorruption.gov.my or for more information on Anti Corruption Business<br />
Principles and Corporate Integrity Pledge, please visit <strong>www</strong>.cism.my<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 35
TALENTCORP NEWS<br />
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I’m late, traffic was bad,”<br />
is an excuse that you’re likely to<br />
“Sorry<br />
hear while working in the urban<br />
centres of Malaysia. Often, it’s just bad<br />
time management although the morning<br />
and evening traffic snarls are known to<br />
make a lot of drivers fume. While the<br />
Malaysian government is working hard<br />
at improving the public transport system,<br />
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will probably not be seen for a few years<br />
yet. As a result, many <strong>com</strong>panies help<br />
expats out by supplying a <strong>com</strong>pany car,<br />
and the following tips should help you get<br />
into the driver’s seat.<br />
GETTING A DRIVING LICENSE<br />
In order to drive in Malaysia, you must<br />
have a valid driving license: Either a<br />
Malaysian driving license, a foreign driving<br />
license or an international driving permit.<br />
However, it must be noted that foreign<br />
driving licenses may only be valid for a<br />
few months. As a result, if you are staying<br />
in Malaysia for a longer period, you may<br />
want to convert your foreign driving<br />
license to a Malaysian license.<br />
If you are lucky enough to <strong>com</strong>e from one<br />
of the countries with which Malaysia has<br />
a bilateral agreement, your license can be<br />
converted automatically. Otherwise, you<br />
will have to write an appeal to the Director<br />
of the Road Transport Department for an<br />
automatic conversion. (In the possibility<br />
you fail the appeal, you will have to sit for<br />
a practical test!)<br />
<strong>The</strong> full list of steps required to convert<br />
your license can be found at http://<strong>www</strong>.<br />
mm2h.gov.my/pdf/mm2h11.pdf.<br />
TINTING YOUR CAR<br />
While car air conditioning helps, blocking<br />
out the harsh rays of the midday sun by<br />
installing window tints will also greatly help<br />
you cope with the tropical heat. However,<br />
care must be taken when doing so.<br />
<strong>The</strong> existing rules for tinting, as set by<br />
the Road Transport Department, call for<br />
a maximum of 70% light penetration<br />
for the front windscreen and 50% light<br />
penetration for the rear and side view<br />
windows, except for senior government<br />
officials – such as the chief judge, highranking<br />
police and army personnel – who<br />
are exempted from this rule.<br />
A good vehicle workshop will be able to<br />
advise you whether the tint you are asking<br />
for is within the legal limit, although most<br />
will happily accede to a request for a<br />
darker tint if requested. However, please<br />
note that if you are stopped by the traffic<br />
authorities for having too dark a tint,<br />
you will be the one at fault, and not the<br />
workshop that applied the tint.<br />
PARKING YOUR CAR<br />
One of the more frustrating aspects of<br />
driving in Malaysian cities is that it’s not<br />
always obvious to know where and how<br />
to park. Parking is only legal either on<br />
private land or on clearly marked spaces<br />
in public areas. Private parking areas are<br />
usually clearly marked as such, and it’s<br />
clear where and when you can pay. At the<br />
very least, you’re not usually allowed to<br />
leave without paying!<br />
On the other hand, the method of paying<br />
for public parking is dependent on the<br />
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and PJ, you buy a ticket from a machine by<br />
the side of the road and display your ticket<br />
on the dashboard. In Penang, however,<br />
you may be approached by a parking<br />
attendant on a bicycle.<br />
You may be tempted to follow some of<br />
the locals and just park illegally, but be<br />
warned that it’s a bit of a lottery, and you<br />
may get a summons for your attempt to<br />
“fit in”!<br />
In short, if it’s not obvious where and how<br />
you should pay for parking, it’s safest to<br />
ask a local passerby to help you out.<br />
RULES OF THE ROAD AND ETIQUETTE<br />
Malaysia follows similar road laws to<br />
that of the United Kingdom as cars drive<br />
forward on the left lane, with the driver’s<br />
seat constructed on the right hand side<br />
of the vehicle. Officially, there isn’t much<br />
difference in the laws of the road either.<br />
However, the ugly side of driving in<br />
Malaysia sometimes does rear its head<br />
and it’s every man for himself out there<br />
on the roads! Quite frequently you will<br />
find that people overtake on the lefthand<br />
side, cars will sometimes try to nip<br />
into the main road to take advantage of<br />
your hesitation approaching a junction<br />
and ‘yellow’ can signal ‘press on the<br />
accelerator’.<br />
Yet, the paradox is that most Malaysian<br />
drivers do acknowledge other drivers and<br />
their indicator lights, and will allow you to<br />
go first - even if they don’t necessarily slow<br />
down to open up more space for it.<br />
<strong>The</strong> key to surviving life on the Malaysian<br />
roads is to practice defensive driving with<br />
lots of confidence. Be aware of the cars<br />
around you and the fact some may switch<br />
lanes without signaling first. But if you stay<br />
in your lane and signal when you want<br />
to change, you can be certain the other<br />
drivers will respect your way.<br />
FINDING A DRIVER<br />
Drivers are quite easy to find through<br />
friends, re<strong>com</strong>mendations or<br />
advertisements. <strong>The</strong>y represent a good<br />
solution for those who want to avoid the<br />
stress of driving, or unfamiliar with the<br />
roads in Malaysia. Moreover, it can also<br />
represent an economic solution for couples<br />
sharing a car. <strong>The</strong> salary for experienced<br />
drivers usually starts at RM1,000 and can<br />
rise up to RM2,000.<br />
TAKING A ROAD TRIP<br />
Although most of the time your car will be<br />
used to travel to work and errands in the city,<br />
it is worth your time to occasionally drive out<br />
and discover the rest of the country. So much<br />
of Malaysia’s beauty is only a short car drive<br />
away, and can be more rewarding than an<br />
uninspiring plane flight.<br />
Highways connect all corners of Peninsular<br />
Malaysia, and the longest drive is only<br />
a few hours to reach most destinations.<br />
However, you can easily double that if<br />
you stop to savour the sights, sounds and<br />
tastes of the country – something that will<br />
be well worth your time.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 37
GETTING INVOLVED<br />
BY DAVID BRADLEY AND GUDRUN NIENABER<br />
Working towards Cleaner Waterways<br />
Our love for the sea and sailing and<br />
many years of participation in<br />
“Clean Up Australia” campaigns<br />
in Sydney, Australia, has led us to focus on<br />
leading an initiative in Malaysia to clean up<br />
the marinas and local waterways where we<br />
spend so much of our time.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong> as a major supporter,<br />
partner and sponsor of the Edu-Cat-<br />
Malaysia initiative, has been instrumental<br />
in helping to ensure the success of our<br />
mission. To achieve lasting results it is<br />
critical that not only do we undertake<br />
specific manageable clean-up campaigns<br />
to raise awareness of the current<br />
situation, but we also must implement a<br />
long-term education campaign focussed<br />
on awareness of the environment and<br />
how we can all change old habits.<br />
<strong>The</strong> aim is to help prevent further<br />
environmental degradation and keep<br />
Malaysia as pristine as possible.<br />
Rather than attempt to do everything<br />
at once we believe that better results<br />
would be obtained by undertaking one<br />
specific project at a time. Right now we<br />
are bringing various government and<br />
government-affiliated organizations,<br />
businesses, <strong>com</strong>munity groups and<br />
individuals together to participate in the<br />
“RSYC Cleaner Marina Day” to be held<br />
on the 15 October 2011 at the Royal<br />
Selangor Yacht Club in Port Klang. This<br />
will be a fun-filled day with a huge<br />
message that we must all take more care<br />
of our environment.<br />
Our objectives for the “RSYC Cleaner<br />
Marina Day” are to Clean up the<br />
waterways around the RSYC and<br />
38 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
create awareness of the need to<br />
prevent the pollution and degradation of<br />
Malaysia’s waterways.<br />
We are actively and successfully recruiting<br />
partners and sponsors to help us achieve<br />
our short and long term objectives.<br />
With Special thanks for the early and<br />
unwavering support of our first partner,<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong>, we have also partnered<br />
up with the Rotary Club of Bandar Bukit<br />
Tinggi, who will be providing a great<br />
deal of local support. We also have the<br />
full support of M.P. Klang, the local<br />
council, who will be providing substantial<br />
assistance in providing waste containers<br />
for the pick-up, sorting, collection and<br />
recycling of the enormous amount of<br />
flotsam and jetsam we expect to collect<br />
from the Klang on this day.<br />
We plan with the wonderful support of<br />
Simpson Marine and the RSYC to actively<br />
involve the professional fishing <strong>com</strong>munity<br />
of Port Klang, who will be recruited to take<br />
volunteers onto their boats on that day<br />
to pick up the rubbish floating along the<br />
river. As an added incentive, we intend to<br />
<strong>com</strong>pensate the fishermen for their time<br />
and resources.<br />
We are delighted that we also have<br />
secured support and <strong>com</strong>mitment from<br />
several very prestigious corporate sponsors.<br />
Corporate social responsibility is alive and<br />
well! Mercedes-Benz-Malaysia have agreed<br />
to provide designer caps and T-shirts for<br />
the individual volunteers for this event,<br />
Neways Worldwide have donated enough<br />
of their excellent sun-block, “Sunbrero” to<br />
ensure that our volunteers do not get too<br />
sun-burnt on the day and Simpson Marine<br />
will be providing re-usable “goody”<br />
bags to hold the caps, T-shirts and other<br />
incentives for the registered volunteers<br />
who participate in the big clean up. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
will be other private and business sponsors<br />
who want to be<strong>com</strong>e involved in our<br />
mission and provide the necessary support.<br />
Our longer term goal is to continue to<br />
conduct a range of activities and programs<br />
to positively improve local environments<br />
and to initiate ongoing education<br />
campaigns promoting responsibility for<br />
caring for the environment at all levels<br />
of the <strong>com</strong>munity, focusing on water<br />
resources in particular.<br />
To stay up to date with the rapidly<br />
growing support and enthusiasm for the<br />
mission of “Edu-Cat-Malaysia” please<br />
visit our beautiful new website <strong>www</strong>.<br />
educatmalaysia.<strong>com</strong>, proudly sponsored<br />
and managed by <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> <strong>Group</strong>.<br />
If you would like to join us on 15 th<br />
October as a participant, please<br />
<strong>com</strong>plete and submit the VOLUNTEER<br />
APPLICATION REGISTRATION form that<br />
can be found on the Edu-Cat-Malaysia<br />
website. Only registered volunteers<br />
will be able to participate in “RSYC<br />
Cleaner Marina Day” and numbers will<br />
be restricted to the first five hundred<br />
individuals who have <strong>com</strong>pleted and<br />
submitted the registration form.<br />
Successful applicants will be advised.<br />
This will be a very fun day in the sun<br />
participating in a very worthwhile cause<br />
so, don’t delay! Get in early and join us in<br />
caring for Malaysia’s beautiful waterways.<br />
Further details will be published in the<br />
October issue of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> magazine.
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THE ARTS<br />
BY MARYBETH RAMEY<br />
<strong>The</strong> Artist Profile of Soon Lai Wai<br />
AWAKENING DREAMS ON THE CANVAS<br />
“I love to explore how<br />
interesting life can be<br />
by just looking carefully<br />
around myself especially<br />
in the natural world and<br />
then transposing my<br />
ideas and emotions onto<br />
the canvas in the hope<br />
of bringing cheerfulness<br />
to those who view it.”<br />
40 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
1. 2.<br />
Soon Lai Wai is a soft spoken elegant man whose innate sensitivity to the beauty he<br />
sees around him has made him such a successful artist. Lai Wai was born in a historical<br />
quarter of Penang and as such grew up in an environment lush with fauna, the sparkle<br />
of the sea and all framed by the hills and mountains that are part of the landscape.<br />
He’s a graduate of Saito Art Design College in the late 1980’s along with so many other<br />
highly regarded artists who have created a generation of expressive Malaysian artists.<br />
It was Soon’s various characterizations and interpretations of the lotus blossom though that<br />
first brought him acclaim. He draws heavily on influences from both east and west cultures<br />
to create his unique versions of this highly symbolic flower in Chinese culture.<br />
Since then he has been a prolific artist painting in many genres and styles and using both<br />
watercolours and oils and acrylics as his mediums.<br />
My favourite Lai Wai paintings are his renditions of clusters of wild flowers as their colours<br />
and form seem to jump off the canvas and into my own imagination. He’s right too, that<br />
they cheer people with their vibrancy.<br />
Recently he travelled to a rainforest in the city here and spent a week camped out in a<br />
small hut. He tells me the experience was mesmerizing and he couldn’t wait to share it<br />
with others by painting a new series he calls Mountain Series.<br />
“I felt the strong, raw power of Nature and how insistent she is as driving rains drenched<br />
the hut but all around me were visages of splendid light and greenery. It took my breath<br />
away and I felt newly inspired,” he enthusiastically told me recently.<br />
”Everywhere I looked I could see the brilliant harmony and perfection of nature pulsating<br />
throughout the forest from even the smallest plant and the tallest trees all dancing in a<br />
highly <strong>com</strong>plex symphony together with the powerful deluges of rain.”<br />
Lai Wai also has <strong>com</strong>pleted a new Lotus Series which is simply stunning.<br />
“I interpreted my latest lotus in far less colour then before something I call dream silence.<br />
<strong>The</strong> finished painting is almost entirely in black and white form because I want to illustrate<br />
that life is sometimes just so simple. By using a minimum of colours I want to express that
1. Mountain Series 28-Life<br />
Media | Oil on canvas<br />
Size | 165cm x 128cm<br />
Price | RM17,500<br />
2. Mountain Series 37<br />
Media | Oil on canvas<br />
Size | 91cm x 122cm<br />
Price | RM8,600<br />
3. Garden of Art 5 - All in the family<br />
Media | Oil on canvas<br />
Size | 61cm x 183cm<br />
Price | RM8,600<br />
4. Dream. Silence 7<br />
Media | Oil on canvas<br />
Size | 70cm x 124cm<br />
Price | RM6,800<br />
5. Mountain Series 34<br />
Media | Oil on canvas<br />
Size | 76cm x 76cm<br />
Price | RM4,800<br />
6. Dream. Silence 1<br />
Media | Oil on canvas<br />
Size | 120cm x 120cm<br />
Price | RM11,500<br />
7. Garden of Art 6<br />
Media | Oil on canvas<br />
Size | 137cm x 137cm<br />
Price | RM15,500<br />
although many factors influence our lives, that it is the simplicity of having inner peace in<br />
your soul that is what is important.<br />
I like painting in the abstract although it is difficult because your emotions are always<br />
changing and therefore you want to change your colours or use different strokes to<br />
capture and express your feelings in the immediacy of that moment. I also live to paint on<br />
large canvases because it allows me more freedom of expression.” “I find painting to be an<br />
almost magical process where my thoughts, intuition and ideas take shape on the canvas<br />
and I can create my own harmonic movements with the paint as I try to capture the beauty<br />
I see around me and preserve it for others to also enjoy.”<br />
I believe Lai Wai’s vision is eloquently expressed as his talent and artistic skills are<br />
masterfully demonstrated by the paintings on these pages.<br />
4. 5.<br />
If you would like to purchase one perhaps to brighten up a space in your home, just email<br />
me at marybethramey@gmail.<strong>com</strong>. Lai Wai is also holding a special exhibition in Penang<br />
from 4 to 30 September.<br />
3.<br />
6.<br />
7.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 41
THE ARTS<br />
BY PAT FAMA<br />
“Feeding Durian” (1988) by<br />
Chuah <strong>The</strong>an Teng<br />
<strong>The</strong> Art of Investment<br />
Just five years ago, collecting modern<br />
art in Malaysia was a niche activity<br />
to say the least, with both limited<br />
buying and selling opportunities. While it<br />
is still a long way from being a mainstream<br />
activity, its popularity is rising at an<br />
impressive rate. Probably the most visible<br />
sign of this is the success of the second<br />
annual Art Auction Malaysia, which was<br />
held in June.<br />
Of the 104 artworks under the hammer,<br />
92 were sold at the auction itself, and six<br />
more afterwards, with a total sale price of<br />
3.17 million ringgit. <strong>The</strong> best-selling piece,<br />
Pago-Pago Forms (1968) by Abdul Latiff<br />
Mohidin, fetched more than half a million<br />
ringgit, well over its estimate of 280,000-<br />
350,000 ringgit.<br />
While these figures may not be much<br />
in international terms - Christie’s Spring<br />
auctions in Hong Kong netted just shy<br />
of 100 million US dollars - they represent<br />
solid progress for the local market. Lim<br />
Eng Chong is President of Henry Butcher<br />
Malaysia, which organised the auction:<br />
“We sold 84% of the 62 works offered<br />
in 2010. Though 42 more works were<br />
consigned this year, we were cautiously<br />
optimistic of attaining at least a similar<br />
result because of the quality of the<br />
artworks included. So, we were quite<br />
pleasantly surprised by the sales achieved.”<br />
Lim says the art market in Malaysia is<br />
catching up fast with more established<br />
markets in the region, such as Thailand<br />
and Indonesia. He notes growing demand<br />
from both seasoned, as well as new,<br />
collectors. Of course, at this stage is it still<br />
very much a hobby for most of buyers of<br />
contemporary art in Malaysia. And perhaps<br />
it is not a bad thing that people are<br />
primarily buying art they like, to display in<br />
their homes, rather than because they see<br />
it as a good investment.<br />
42 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
“Pago-pago Forms” (1968)<br />
by Abdul Latiff Mohidin<br />
Art Auction Malaysia is at this stage<br />
limited to an annual event, but for those<br />
interested in buying contemporary art,<br />
opportunities exist throughout the year.<br />
<strong>The</strong> country has a number of excellent<br />
independent galleries, particularly in<br />
Kuala Lumpur, which for the most part<br />
showcase affordable works by local<br />
artists. <strong>The</strong> problem is that no overall<br />
body exists to promote the sector as a<br />
whole. Or if it does exist, it is not doing a<br />
very good job of promoting itself.<br />
<strong>The</strong> best opportunity for potential buyers<br />
to see work from several artists with<br />
ease is the annual Art Expo Malaysia.<br />
This year’s event, which is expected to<br />
be the biggest so far, will take place<br />
from October 28 to November 1, at<br />
the Matrade Exhibition and Convention<br />
Centre in KL. A total of 49 galleries,<br />
from Malaysia and 18 other countries,<br />
exhibited at last year’s expo. Some 12<br />
thousand people attended the event, and<br />
sales tallied up to 11 million ringgit.<br />
Up until very recently, the idea of tourists<br />
<strong>com</strong>ing to Malaysia specifically to buy art<br />
would have been virtually unheard of. But<br />
the thriving independent gallery sector,<br />
together with the success of showpiece<br />
events like Art Expo and Art Auction<br />
Malaysia, has raised the serious possibility<br />
of art tourism.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ministry of Tourism has been quick to<br />
recognise the potential of a new way to<br />
entice visitors, organising its first Malaysian<br />
Contemporary Art Tourism Festival in<br />
2010. <strong>The</strong> fair, which this year brings<br />
together 17 events in eight different states,<br />
was the brainchild of the Tourism Minister,<br />
Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen:<br />
“For us, it’s about tourism... getting<br />
tourists to <strong>com</strong>e here through one major<br />
event. Our ultimate aim, our ultimate<br />
Art Auction Malaysia, 2011<br />
hope, is that when people talk about<br />
art in Southeast Asia, people talk about<br />
Malaysia; that when people want to collect<br />
art, they think about Malaysia.”<br />
One major development in this year’s fair,<br />
is that eight shopping <strong>com</strong>plexes will be<br />
taking part, including big names such as<br />
Pavilion KL and the Starhill Gallery. Dr Ng<br />
maintains that involving the malls in this<br />
way will help increase the market for art,<br />
and in turn encourage creative activity:<br />
“Art is not only creativity and talent.<br />
Art is economy. If we want to encourage<br />
more Malaysians to go into art, and<br />
flourish, and achieve their dreams, they<br />
must have buyers.”<br />
It could be argued however, that an<br />
over concentration on sales could have<br />
a negative impact on creativity, by<br />
encouraging a safety-first approach. It is<br />
no coincidence that many of the world’s<br />
greatest pieces of art have been fashioned<br />
by penniless artists. But art for art’s sake<br />
appears to be an outmoded concept<br />
these days. And given the choice, the vast<br />
majority of artists would prefer to sell<br />
their work than see it languishing unsold<br />
in their studios.<br />
As Lim acknowledges, Malaysia is as yet a<br />
very young market. He says further work<br />
is needed, both to support local artists<br />
within Malaysia, and also to promote<br />
Malaysian art abroad. But overall, one<br />
benefit from starting from a low base, is<br />
that the only way is up:<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re is a very perceptible trend of<br />
growing interest in art for both modern<br />
and contemporary works. <strong>The</strong> market<br />
is poised to expand in both depth and<br />
breath. It won’t be too long before<br />
you find an artwork in most Malaysian<br />
homes and growing interest from<br />
foreign collectors.”<br />
EX<br />
EX
HAPPENINGS<br />
Getting Creative for Charity<br />
Expressions is a showcase of all<br />
sorts of lively and memorable<br />
performances from school kids<br />
attending international schools here in<br />
Malaysia. <strong>The</strong> winning schools will also be<br />
doing their bit for charity as well.<br />
Students from the various international<br />
schools will take part individually or<br />
as a group with a maximum of four<br />
people in each team. <strong>The</strong> content of<br />
the presentation is <strong>com</strong>pletely up to the<br />
respective participants. It can consist of a<br />
sketch, song, rap, dance, magic show, and/<br />
or a <strong>com</strong>bination of all elements.<br />
<strong>The</strong> two categories are primary (7 to 12<br />
years old) and secondary (13 to 18 years<br />
old). Each school can send in a maximum<br />
of 2 representatives per category.<br />
<strong>The</strong> time allocation for each participant will<br />
be 3 minutes for the preliminary round and<br />
4 minutes for the final.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re will be a charity element<br />
incorporated into this event. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong><br />
<strong>Group</strong> will donate a total of RM12,700<br />
to schools represented by the winning<br />
students, which will be given to the<br />
respective school’s favourite charity.<br />
Check <strong>www</strong>.<strong>expatkl</strong>.<strong>com</strong> for ongoing<br />
updates on the Expressions event.<br />
PRIZES IN EACH CATEGORY:<br />
Primary:<br />
� ��� � ������� �������� � ������ ���<br />
RM600 (Student/s)<br />
� ��� � ������� �������� � ������<br />
and RM300 (Student/s)<br />
� ����������� � ����� �������� �<br />
������ ��� ����� ����������� �<br />
3 consolation<br />
Secondary:<br />
� ��� � ������� �������� � ������ ���<br />
RM600 (Student/s)<br />
� ��� � ������� �������� � ������ ���<br />
RM300 (Student/s)<br />
� ����������� � ����� �������� �<br />
������ ��� ����� ����������� �<br />
3 consolation prizes<br />
All finalists will receive a trophy and<br />
vouchers. All cash prizes given to the<br />
winners will be donated to the respective<br />
school’s favourite charity.<br />
RESSIONSEXPRESSIONSEXPRESSIONSEXPRESSIONSEXPRESSIONSEXP<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL<br />
STUDENTS TALENT SHOW<br />
Show us what you’ve got!<br />
PRELIMINARY AUDITION<br />
29th October 2011<br />
4pm<br />
Bangsar Shopping Centre<br />
FINAL<br />
30th October 2011<br />
5pm<br />
Bangsar Shopping Centre<br />
RESSIONSEXPRESSIONSEXPRESSIONSEXPRESSIONSEXPRESSIONSEXP<br />
EXPRESSIONS 2011<br />
An event by<br />
Venue sponsor<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 43
TRAVEL & TOURISM<br />
Timeless Majesty<br />
A MUST-SEE SIGHT<br />
FOR TRAVELERS TO<br />
SOUTHEAST ASIA, THE<br />
TEMPLE COMPLEXES IN<br />
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA<br />
ARE BEAUTIFUL BEYOND<br />
WORDS. FORTUNATELY,<br />
HUGH UJHAZY HAS<br />
FOUND THE WORDS TO<br />
DESCRIBE HIS RECENT<br />
EXPERIENCE THERE<br />
44 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
Angkor Wat at sunset<br />
ANGKOR WAT<br />
Not so long ago in celestial terms, King Suryavarma II, having beaten his rivals,<br />
consolidated the Khymer kingdom and tamed a few elephants, set his sights on an edifice<br />
to suit his role as ruler of most of south Asia – Angkor Wat, located in present-day Siem<br />
Reap. Building the temple from local sandstone and lava stone, the scale of the structure<br />
defies description. Metrics must suffice - surrounding walls nearly half a mile long, central<br />
towers (five of them) with the tallest representing Mount Meru, home of the gods. <strong>The</strong><br />
outer walls signify the mountains enclosing the world, the massive moat, four meters<br />
deep, standing in for the oceans. Wide stone walkways allow approach from the points of<br />
the <strong>com</strong>pass through the gates breaking the cloistered walls. Each spare space of stone in<br />
Angkor Wat is covered with relief carvings - beautiful apsara dancers, moral tales showing<br />
heaven, earth and the punishments of hell. Stories of the king and his mighty armies<br />
sweeping across their enemies, battle elephants rampant, lines of men in armored finery<br />
with spears thrust forward in determined attack.<br />
Passing through the outer wall (having been assured the moat is absent any crocodiles!)<br />
open grasses cover the expanse from gate to the first steps ascending the temple. Flanking<br />
the raised walkway are the two libraries, one used in the full moon, the other for the new<br />
moon. Ahead, the pools for worshippers to bathe before entering the temple (now a site<br />
for observing sunrise over the temple). And finally, the steps, and the looming expanse of<br />
Angkor Wat.<br />
It serves to pause briefly here before entering the temple <strong>com</strong>pound and take in the<br />
vista before you. To right and left, high stone walls separate the temple proper from the<br />
courtyard. <strong>The</strong> steps are sandstone, attesting to the countless feet that have trod them<br />
over the past millennia. Completed around the same time as Notre Dame cathedral in<br />
Paris, close to a million workers labored in putting it and its sister city of Angkor Thom<br />
together. <strong>The</strong> blocks of stone fit closely and perfectly, some troubled in their course by<br />
jungle vegetation and the predation of invaders over the intervening years. <strong>The</strong>ir faces<br />
are smooth, the faces of the carved figures offering the texture of silk.
Entering the cool confines of the temple<br />
level, we are upon earth. Stairs beckon<br />
upwards to heaven. After wandering by<br />
the fortune teller deep in conversation<br />
with visiting pilgrims, up to heaven and the<br />
recently opened spaces at the top of the<br />
temple itself.<br />
Only allowing 100 people at a time to<br />
ascend the steep stairs (when visiting<br />
Cambodia in general and Siem Reap<br />
in particular, get used to stairs!) the<br />
uppermost level offers unparalleled<br />
views across the temple <strong>com</strong>plex and<br />
to the jungle beyond. All around the<br />
glistened water necklace of the 190-meterwide<br />
moat.<br />
Back to the stone work. Some of the<br />
blocks are laid out with mortise and tenon<br />
joints, allowing them to lock together<br />
strongly. Others use dovetails and simple<br />
gravity. <strong>The</strong> blocks add to around 5 million<br />
tons, much of it transported from Mount<br />
Kulen around 40km to the northeast.<br />
<strong>The</strong> nearby Siem Reap river is subject to<br />
flooding during the wet season with the<br />
fresh water lake of Tongle Sap increasing<br />
its area by around nine times. Such<br />
flooding may have helped move the blocks<br />
of stone by raft to nearby the temple<br />
site. Estimates put the construction of the<br />
temple during Suryavarman’s lifetime, a<br />
period of no more than 40 years.<br />
Visit at sunrise, at noon, at sunset. This<br />
is truly a place to rival the pyramids and<br />
the great stone assemblies of Rome and<br />
Greece. Restoration continues on the<br />
structure, rebuilding the piles of rocks that<br />
make up the temple.<br />
ANGKOR THOM<br />
Only a few kilometers away is the city<br />
of Angkor Thom. After the death of<br />
Suryavarman in 1150 AD, the great<br />
builder King Jayavarman VII (immortalized<br />
Temple ruins<br />
in many wood and stone statues in craft<br />
stores across the region) built his capital<br />
near the site of Angkor Wat. Larger than<br />
Angkor Wat, home to well known temples<br />
including Ta Prohm (now, strangely, referred<br />
to as the “Tomb Raider” temple in honour<br />
of the movie made in 2001 with Angeline<br />
Jolie) and the Bayon temple. Ride the<br />
elephants around the perimeter of this<br />
extraordinary city, walk its streets and feel<br />
the pressure of the jungle, just outside,<br />
waiting for the humans to leave once more.<br />
Abandoned for centuries, the temples and<br />
structures of Angkor Thom bear the scars<br />
of the jungle. Trees extending their roots<br />
from the roof of temples and libraries,<br />
walls bowed by years of trees resting on<br />
their flanks - so much detail to drink in, so<br />
many stairs to climb!<br />
Our visit to Siem Reap only covered five<br />
days. Never leaving the surrounds of the<br />
town, we saw one beautiful site after<br />
another. Angkor Wat tempted us back<br />
many times but the Lady temple, Bayon<br />
temple, the 50-meter looming Preah Khan<br />
temple, all took their moment. We also<br />
enjoyed the cool nights, the markets of<br />
the old town, the lazy pace of tuk-tuk taxis<br />
and mopeds, the wel<strong>com</strong>ing smiles and<br />
hospitality of the Cambodians.<br />
A friend <strong>com</strong>mented that his visit to<br />
Ankor Wat was a seminal moment in his<br />
life. I can only agree and seek the next<br />
moment when my eyes can drink in the<br />
jungle fringed expanse that is this land of<br />
majestic temples.<br />
GETTING THERE:<br />
Flights from KLIA and LCCT to Phnom<br />
Penh last about one and a half hours;<br />
flights to Siem Reap last about 1 hour,<br />
40 minutes. Major carriers include Air<br />
Asia and Malaysia Airlines.<br />
<strong>The</strong> more you buy.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 45
<strong>Expat</strong><br />
Airline Travel & News<br />
MAS INTRODUCES SELF<br />
CHECK-IN<br />
Malaysia Airlines is introducing self check-in<br />
for domestic flights out of KLIA from 1st<br />
August, 2011. 22 self check-in kiosks are<br />
being installed in rows A-F. International<br />
flights will soon be included. Passengers<br />
will be able to check in as much as 48<br />
hours in advance, and as late as 40 minutes<br />
before departure time. <strong>The</strong> 13-digit<br />
e-ticket number is required for self-check<br />
in. Manned counters will be available for<br />
baggage drop-off and passengers with<br />
special requirements. For more information,<br />
visit <strong>www</strong>.malaysiaairlines.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
PRICED TO PLEASE<br />
<strong>The</strong> Priced to Please Programme, launched<br />
in September last year by Malaysia<br />
Airports, aims to promote KLIA as a<br />
lifestyle destination hub with shopping<br />
and dining outlets that are attractively and<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitively priced <strong>com</strong>pared to KL city<br />
centre. <strong>The</strong>re are over 100 participating<br />
retail and F&B outlets in KLIA and LCCT,<br />
covering books, perfume, fashion,<br />
46 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
dining and more. Head down to the<br />
airport with a few hours to spare,<br />
and look out for the Priced to Please<br />
stickers marking participating outlets.<br />
You’re sure to find great deals on a wide<br />
range of quality products and services. For<br />
a full list of participating outlets, go to<br />
<strong>www</strong>.malaysiaairports.<strong>com</strong>.my.<br />
AIR ASIA TARGETS JAPAN<br />
Japan’s biggest airline group ANA is<br />
working in partnership with AirAsia to<br />
launch AirAisa Japan, which will be based<br />
out of the Narita International Airport,<br />
Tokyo. It is set to launch in August 2011<br />
subject to the relevant approvals, and will<br />
cover both domestic and international<br />
routes. “AirAsia Japan will not only boost<br />
economic growth between ASEAN and<br />
East Asia by providing better access to<br />
markets around the region, but also<br />
enhance links within travel, trade and<br />
tourism. <strong>The</strong> joint venture is an important<br />
milestone in AirAsia’s growth as ANA<br />
is the first airline partner to form one<br />
with us,” Tony Fernandes, group CEO,<br />
AirAsia, said. For more information, visit<br />
<strong>www</strong>.airasia.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
DUSSELDORF BECOMES ETIHAD<br />
AIRWAYS’ 71 ST DESTINATION<br />
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the<br />
United Arab Emirates, today announced<br />
it would <strong>com</strong>mence services to Düsseldorf<br />
in Germany from December 16, 2011.<br />
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German<br />
state of North Rhine-Westphalia and is<br />
the airline’s 71st destination. It will be<br />
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connected to the airline’s hub and home<br />
base in Abu Dhabi initially by four nonstop<br />
return services per week, increasing<br />
to a daily service in mid-April 2012. <strong>The</strong><br />
schedule has been designed to provide<br />
convenient departure and arrival times<br />
and seamless onward connections to<br />
Etihad’s extensive network across almost<br />
40 markets. This includes destinations<br />
in the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the<br />
Indian subcontinent, and two of the<br />
airline’s newest routes – the Maldives and<br />
Seychelles. For flight times and ticketing,<br />
visit <strong>www</strong>.etihadariways.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
MALAYSIA SET TO WELCOME<br />
EMIRATES’ A380<br />
Emirates Airlines, the Dubai-based<br />
international airline, continues to expand<br />
its list of Airbus A380 destinations,<br />
with Kuala Lumpur set to wel<strong>com</strong>e the<br />
superjumbo on 1st December 2011. In<br />
what will be the first scheduled A380<br />
service to Malaysia by any airline, Emirates’<br />
flagship aircraft will operate as EK346<br />
<strong>The</strong> more you fly.
departing Dubai at 0405hrs and arriving<br />
in Kuala Lumpur at 1455hrs on the same<br />
day. <strong>The</strong> return leg, EK347, will depart<br />
Kuala Lumpur at 1930hrs arriving in<br />
Dubai at 2230hrs. Emirates’ A380 is<br />
renowned for the range of innovations<br />
it offers to make the journey more<br />
<strong>com</strong>fortable and enjoyable for passengers<br />
travelling in all classes.<br />
First Class passengers can relax in one of<br />
14 flat-bed, massage-equipped Private<br />
Suites; the cabin also has two exquisitely<br />
designed onboard Shower Spas, ensuring<br />
a revitalised and refreshed arrival. For<br />
First and Business Class passengers the<br />
on-board lounge is the social highlight,<br />
featuring a fully-stocked bar and a<br />
selection of hot and cold canapés. Business<br />
Class passengers can relax in seats that<br />
convert to flat beds up to 79 inches (two<br />
metres) long, whilst those travelling in<br />
Economy Class can stretch out in seats<br />
with a pitch of up to 33 inches. Passengers<br />
in all classes can enjoy Emirates’ awardwinning<br />
ICE (information, <strong>com</strong>munication,<br />
entertainment) Digital Widescreen in-flight<br />
entertainment system, which features over<br />
1,200 channels. Visit <strong>www</strong>.emirates.<strong>com</strong><br />
to find out more.<br />
<strong>The</strong> three winners on their trip<br />
to Oman.<br />
OMAN AIR SUPPORTS PARENTS<br />
WITHOUT PARTNERS<br />
<strong>The</strong> children of single parents here were<br />
offered the chance for a trip of a lifetime,<br />
thanks to Oman Air’s Heart of Oman<br />
Citibank<br />
PremierMiles Card<br />
CSR programme. Oman Air’s Head of<br />
Corporate Communications & Media,<br />
Usama bin Karim Al Haremi, pointed<br />
out that few charities exist to support<br />
single-parent families, thus Oman Air has<br />
chosen to zoom in on the issue of assisting<br />
single parents and their children to lead<br />
more empowered lives. Three young<br />
children of single parents were chosen<br />
after taking part in a month-long art and<br />
essay <strong>com</strong>petition. <strong>The</strong>se three were then<br />
flown to Oman to see, savour and share<br />
whatever captured their attention during<br />
the trip. <strong>The</strong> aim of the trip was to help<br />
the youths realise that there is a big wide<br />
world out there, full of fascinating new<br />
experiences. Oman Air intends to offer a<br />
similar opportunity to youths next year. To<br />
find out more, visit <strong>www</strong>.omanair.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
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Flying Facts<br />
1. 1937 saw the <strong>com</strong>mencement<br />
of Malaysia’s first scheduled air<br />
passenger and mail services, when<br />
Wearne’s Air Service, started by two<br />
Australian brothers, began thriceweekly<br />
flights between KL, Penang<br />
and Singapore.<br />
2. Malaysia has 58 airports in total:<br />
36 in East Malaysia, and 22 on<br />
the Peninsula. That includes 8<br />
international airports.<br />
3. Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (also<br />
known as Subang Airport or Subang<br />
Skypark) was officially opened on<br />
30 th August 1965, and had the<br />
longest runway in Southeast Asia.<br />
4. KLIA cost RM8.5 billion to build;<br />
planning began in 1990 and the<br />
airport had its first full year of<br />
operation in 1999, when it handled<br />
over 13 million passengers, originally<br />
designed with an annual capacity of<br />
25 million.<br />
5. KLIA is the 13 th busiest airport in the<br />
world, and the 7 th busiest in Asia.<br />
6. <strong>The</strong> world’s biggest passenger<br />
plane is the Airbus A380 – Malaysia<br />
Airlines has placed an order for 6<br />
due in 2012, while the biggest order<br />
of 90 aircraft <strong>com</strong>es from Emirates<br />
Airlines which has a maximum<br />
capacity of 853 passengers.<br />
7. <strong>The</strong> Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)<br />
opened in March 2006, with a<br />
passenger capacity of 15 million per<br />
year. KLIA 2 is due to open in October<br />
2012, with a passenger handling<br />
capacity of 30 million per year.<br />
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WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 47
50 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
BUSINESS & FINANCE<br />
BY WILLIAM CITRIN<br />
Charles Ireland, President of MICCI<br />
<strong>The</strong> economic landscape of<br />
Malaysia, a dynamic and<br />
developing country, is always<br />
changing. But one constant, for the past<br />
174 years, on the business scene here<br />
has been the Malaysian International<br />
Chamber of Commerce and Industry<br />
(MICCI). Founded in Penang all the way<br />
back in 1837 (under a different name),<br />
MICCI is Malaysia’s oldest chamber<br />
and serves as advocate for businesses<br />
– from all different sectors and of sizes<br />
ranging from MNCs to SMEs – with an<br />
international aspect in Malaysia.<br />
“MICCI is the champion of Malaysian<br />
and international businesses here in<br />
Malaysia,” explains Charles Ireland,<br />
President of MICCI, “We are the longest<br />
established chamber in the country<br />
and have long-standing relationships<br />
with government. We are seen by the<br />
government and business <strong>com</strong>munity<br />
as a trusted and reliable source of the<br />
points of view of Malaysian international<br />
businesses.”<br />
Broadly speaking, MICCI acts as an<br />
advocate to the government on behalf<br />
of its membership – which <strong>com</strong>prises<br />
around 1000 <strong>com</strong>panies with shareholders<br />
from 33 different countries, representing<br />
an employee base of 600,000 and with<br />
employees being paid RM1.4billion in<br />
wages per year.<br />
“We help our members by striving to<br />
create business friendly working conditions<br />
by engaging with the government to<br />
ensure that the economic environment<br />
here is conducive for <strong>com</strong>panies so that<br />
they can succeed in bringing value to their<br />
shareholders and economic prosperity<br />
to the country,” adds Ireland, who is<br />
also the Managing Director of Guinness<br />
Anchor Berhad and has lived in Malaysia<br />
for the past five years. MICCI is structured<br />
Championing<br />
International Commerce<br />
and Industry<br />
around six primary councils or focus<br />
groups – International Business, Domestic<br />
Affairs, Finance, Infrastructure, Energy and<br />
Environment, and Human Capital – which<br />
meet to discuss and consider problems<br />
raised by members and the key business<br />
issues needing action, and generate<br />
dialogues, papers and presentations to<br />
government ministries and agencies in<br />
order to resolve relevant issues.<br />
“Companies get access to all of our<br />
standing councils and focus groups and<br />
we encourage all of our members to<br />
participate in our various discussions<br />
and dialogues and to share their ideas<br />
and raise their concerns. Through this<br />
we develop an agenda and then go<br />
through our government contacts to<br />
advocate change.”<br />
MICCI’s efforts have produced palpable<br />
results in terms of new government<br />
policies and programmes, and although<br />
Ireland stops short of saying that the<br />
chamber is directly responsible for these<br />
developments, he is pleased to report<br />
that: “We see that a lot of the positive<br />
changes over the last few years have been<br />
consistent with our advocacy.”<br />
Ireland is also positive about two<br />
massive programmes – the Government<br />
Transformation Programme (GTP) and<br />
the Economic Transformation Programme<br />
(ETP) – initiated by the current federal<br />
administration to ensure that Malaysia is<br />
transformed, economically and socially,<br />
into a fully-developed nation by the<br />
year 2020. “<strong>The</strong> GTP and ETP are two<br />
ambitious agendas and we at MICCI<br />
are enthusiastic about them and<br />
supportive of them.”<br />
Ireland, however, sounds a note of<br />
caution, adding that these programmes<br />
are “not necessarily a slam dunk success.<br />
For the ambitions of the GTP and ETP to<br />
be realized, there needs to be a steely<br />
determination and a lot to follow through.<br />
Rhetoric needs to turn into hard actions<br />
which are institutionalized. But we at<br />
MICCI are supportive at a conceptual<br />
level, and hopeful that the concept turns<br />
into reality.”<br />
One of the goals of the GTP and ETP<br />
is to dramatically increase the expat<br />
population in Malaysia to 350,000. On<br />
this aspiration, Ireland <strong>com</strong>ments that:<br />
“I have lived and worked in Malaysia for<br />
five years. I’ve enjoyed all of my time here<br />
and hope to remain here for longer. It’s a<br />
wonderful place to live in.<br />
But I think the main driver of this influx<br />
of expats has to be working expats<br />
rather than retirement expats. If the<br />
business environment is right, then I<br />
would expect that expats would be happy<br />
to <strong>com</strong>e and live in Malaysia. Malaysia<br />
possesses great infrastructure and offers<br />
excellent living conditions but these need<br />
to be supported by a healthy business<br />
environment.”<br />
To this end, MICCI works tirelessly to<br />
ensure that the voice of the international<br />
business <strong>com</strong>munity is heard by the<br />
Malaysian government and that the everchanging<br />
economic landscape in Malaysia<br />
is conducive to the needs of international<br />
businesses here.<br />
Membership of MICCI is open to any<br />
organisation with some interest in<br />
international business. If this includes<br />
your <strong>com</strong>pany, you can be assured of a<br />
warm wel<strong>com</strong>e into the MICCI family.<br />
For more information,<br />
visit <strong>www</strong>.micci.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 51
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PROPERTY<br />
BY ALI ZARA<br />
Mega Commercial<br />
Enclaves for a<br />
World-Class KL<br />
In the years ahead, 2010 may well be<br />
remembered as the year during which<br />
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak<br />
introduced three major development<br />
initiatives – the New Economic Model,<br />
the 10th Malaysia Plan and the Economic<br />
Transformation Programme (ETP) – to<br />
enable Malaysia to be<strong>com</strong>e a high in<strong>com</strong>e<br />
country. <strong>The</strong> government aims to achieve<br />
an average GDP growth of six per cent<br />
annually for the next 10 years and to<br />
increase gross national in<strong>com</strong>e from<br />
the current US$8,260 (RM24,500) to<br />
US$12,140 (RM36,000) by 2015 and to<br />
US$15,000 (RM44,500) by 2010.<br />
Among others, it has earmarked eight<br />
mega projects in the Klang Valley alone that<br />
will each create <strong>com</strong>mercial enclaves with<br />
the vision of uplifting Malaysia’s capital,<br />
Kuala Lumpur, to the next level in the global<br />
marketplace, according to CH Williams<br />
Talhar & Wong (WTW), a leading real estate<br />
services firm. <strong>The</strong> development of Greater<br />
KL into a world class city on par with Seoul,<br />
Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York, London or<br />
Singapore is one the ETP’s key strategies.<br />
WTW said these mega projects, collectively,<br />
are expected to create thousands of jobs,<br />
cause fundamental changes to lifestyles and<br />
aspirations, and shift the local economic<br />
landscape to a global one.<br />
In terms of real estate, the capital values<br />
of various localities in the Klang Valley are<br />
expected to experience marked appreciation<br />
while more properties in the vicinity of<br />
these projects and the mass rapid transit<br />
(MRT) will be<strong>com</strong>e viable for <strong>com</strong>mercial<br />
and residential developments. Places<br />
such as Sungei Buloh, Kota Damansara,<br />
Mutiara Damansara, Bandar Utama, Taman<br />
Tun Dr Ismail, Phileo Damansara, Pusat<br />
Bandar Damansara, Warisan Merdeka, KL<br />
International Financial District or KLIFD,<br />
Cheras and Kajang will be well connected<br />
KL-wide with the MRT network.<br />
Sunway Pyramid<br />
In an overview of the <strong>com</strong>mercial market<br />
segments, WTW said 10 buildings in the<br />
Klang Valley were <strong>com</strong>pleted in 2010,<br />
adding 2.97 million square feet to the<br />
current supply. <strong>The</strong>se include G-Tower,<br />
Prima 10, Menara Kencana, TRW<br />
Boulevarde Square, Quill Building 6 and<br />
BRDB Tower. About 21.49 million square<br />
feet of office space in the Klang Valley are<br />
expected to be <strong>com</strong>pleted by end-2014.<br />
This will swell the total office space supply<br />
to over 101 million square feet in the next<br />
three years with the bulk of the new supply<br />
<strong>com</strong>ing from KL. As at end-2010, the<br />
overall occupancy rate of prime office space<br />
in KL Central Area is 89.9 per cent.<br />
WTW noted the office sector is moving<br />
towards a very <strong>com</strong>petitive market<br />
environment, pointing out the outlook will<br />
depend on the success of the government<br />
in implementing the ETP and on the<br />
ability of government-linked <strong>com</strong>panies<br />
to efficiently plan and market their mega<br />
projects to more well-defined market<br />
segments. “<strong>The</strong> market is expected to<br />
have an immense contribution to new<br />
supply in 2011 if several massive projects<br />
are launched. However, if <strong>com</strong>pletions<br />
are staggered, prime office rentals are<br />
envisaged to stay firm over the near<br />
term.” WTW also observed that more<br />
developers are constructing Green<br />
Mark-certified office buildings which<br />
they use as a popular marketing strategy<br />
to differentiate new Grade A office<br />
buildings from the existing ones, thereby<br />
establishing a new higher class of Grade<br />
A buildings more aligned to international<br />
standards and definitions.<br />
On the retail market, it said the overall<br />
occupancy rate of purpose-built retail<br />
centres in 2010 was about 90 per cent<br />
across the Klang Valley. <strong>The</strong>re was a<br />
total of 120 retail centre developments<br />
contributing over 40.40 million square feet<br />
of space. New malls <strong>com</strong>pleted in suburban<br />
locations are Carrefour Hypermarket Kota<br />
Damansara, Axis Atrium, Subang Avenue<br />
Promenade, Harbour Place, Empire Subang<br />
Gallery, Kepong Mall and SSTwo Mall. In the<br />
next three years, another 11 retail centres<br />
with 3.84 million square feet of space are<br />
expected to be <strong>com</strong>pleted. Of this supply,<br />
72 per cent will be <strong>com</strong>pleted by end-2011.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se include One Mont’Kiara, 1 Shamelin<br />
Mall, First Subang, Citta Mall, Setia City<br />
Mall and Jusco Bandar Permaisuri. In the<br />
KL Golden Triangle, KL Plaza on Jalan Bukit<br />
Bintang underwent a RM100 million facelift<br />
and was renamed Fahrenheit 88.<br />
In the industrial market segment, WTW<br />
said industrial premises transactions<br />
are active in Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam,<br />
Subang, Glenmarie, Rawang, Bangi<br />
and Kajang. <strong>The</strong>se areas also evolved to<br />
ac<strong>com</strong>modate specific industrial activities<br />
with certain sections in Shah Alam and<br />
Port Klang known for logistics, Rawang for<br />
manufacturing, Glenmarie for motoring<br />
related industries and parts of Petaling Jaya<br />
for showrooms or offices. With the logistics<br />
industry an important link in enhancing<br />
the country’s progress in industrialisation,<br />
WTW expects demand for warehouses<br />
and storage space to increase in areas well<br />
served by a good network of roads and<br />
highways and which are easily accessible to<br />
airports and seaports.<br />
Meanwhile, DTZ Research said prime<br />
rents moved up slightly in Q2 2011 but<br />
continued to stay under pressure in view<br />
of the substantial supply in the pipeline. It<br />
expects the retail market to remain active<br />
but warned that increased inflation can<br />
dampen consumer spending.<br />
On the investment market, DTZ Research<br />
said it enjoyed an active quarter driven by<br />
real estate investment trust deals with focus<br />
on retail and <strong>com</strong>mercial properties.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 53
Rawa Islands that dreams are made of, secluded white<br />
beaches and palm fringed; images which can be found<br />
here in Malaysia, to add to the dream blazing sunlight and<br />
�������������������������������������������������������<br />
never ending circles. Visitors on the beach wallowing in<br />
the sunlight. Ah! <strong>The</strong> simple pleasures of Rawa Island is<br />
16 km off Mersing Johor, a gem of an island discovered by<br />
the lucky few. Pulau Rawa is truly a paradise island. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
are many caves for exploration and offshore coral reefs rich<br />
with marine life.<br />
54 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
Rawa Safaris Island Resort<br />
Tourist Centre, 86800 Mersing,<br />
Johor, West Malaysia.<br />
Tel : +60(7) 7991204/ 7991205<br />
Fax : +60(7) 7993848<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.rawasfr.<strong>com</strong><br />
E-mail: rawaisland@live.<strong>com</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Professional<br />
Pastry & Bakery Program<br />
Advanced Cert��cate<br />
Intake: 3 rd October<br />
Dura�on: 9 months + 3 months<br />
industrial training<br />
Basic Cer��cate<br />
Intake: 6 th Sept & 3 rd Oct<br />
Dura�on: 3 months + 3 months<br />
industrial training<br />
Part-���������cate<br />
Dura�on: 12 weekend sessions<br />
Interna����� f������<br />
including World Champions<br />
Hands-����raining<br />
in 7 specialized kitchens<br />
Teaching European style<br />
In a personal se�ng<br />
-Visit Academy-<br />
11th September<br />
OPEN DAY<br />
“We groom<br />
ready to perform<br />
pastry professionals!”<br />
Chef Guillaume Lejeune<br />
Contact us for registration:<br />
Lot 2-A, 2 nd<br />
Floor, Wisma Thrifty,<br />
No: 19, Jln Barat, Petaling Jaya<br />
T: +603-79603846<br />
info@academyofpastryartsmalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
http://academyofpastryartsmalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
h
Rawa Islands that dreams are made of, secluded white<br />
beaches and palm fringed; images which can be found<br />
here in Malaysia, to add to the dream blazing sunlight and<br />
�������������������������������������������������������<br />
never ending circles. Visitors on the beach wallowing in<br />
the sunlight. Ah! <strong>The</strong> simple pleasures of Rawa Island is<br />
16 km off Mersing Johor, a gem of an island discovered by<br />
the lucky few. Pulau Rawa is truly a paradise island. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
are many caves for exploration and offshore coral reefs rich<br />
with marine life.<br />
54 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
Rawa Safaris Island Resort<br />
Tourist Centre, 86800 Mersing,<br />
Johor, West Malaysia.<br />
Tel : +60(7) 7991204/ 7991205<br />
Fax : +60(7) 7993848<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.rawasfr.<strong>com</strong><br />
E-mail: rawaisland@live.<strong>com</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Professional<br />
Pastry & Bakery Program<br />
Advanced Cert��cate<br />
Intake: 3 rd October<br />
Dura�on: 9 months + 3 months<br />
industrial training<br />
Basic Cer��cate<br />
Intake: 6 th Sept & 3 rd Oct<br />
Dura�on: 3 months + 3 months<br />
industrial training<br />
Part-���������cate<br />
Dura�on: 12 weekend sessions<br />
Interna����� f������<br />
including World Champions<br />
Hands-����raining<br />
in 7 specialized kitchens<br />
Teaching European style<br />
In a personal se�ng<br />
-Visit Academy-<br />
11th September<br />
OPEN DAY<br />
Contact us for registration:<br />
Lot 2-A, 2 nd<br />
“We groom<br />
ready to perform<br />
pastry professionals!”<br />
Chef Guillaume Lejeune<br />
Floor, Wisma Thrifty,<br />
No: 19, Jln Barat, Petaling Jaya<br />
T: +603-79603846<br />
info@academyofpastryartsmalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
http://academyofpastryartsmalaysia.<strong>com</strong>
BUSINESS PROFILE<br />
BY MILAN SADHWANI<br />
Luv’ya Harvest<br />
Brendon Osborn was born and raised in New Zealand and<br />
worked for Mitsubishi Motors in Wellington after finishing<br />
his studies. From car man to apple man, Brendon, who<br />
originally hails from Nelson, New Zealand, says being successful<br />
in business is all about developing relationships with people.<br />
Brendon is the General Manager of Heartland Fruit, growers of<br />
the mouth-watering Luv’ya apples sold in Cold Storage and Giant<br />
supermarkets. Brendon is based in New Zealand but visits Malaysia<br />
a few times throughout the year.<br />
“It takes a lot of time to develop a relationship, but it is critical<br />
especially in the produce industry. Selling fruit never goes to plan<br />
because it depends on so many uncontrollable variables such as<br />
the weather, shipping and currency,” Brendon says. Due to the<br />
unpredictable nature of the business and because things don’t go<br />
as planned, Brendon believes that it is essential to have strong and<br />
true business relationships.<br />
<strong>The</strong> apple season runs for six months, but Brendon makes a few<br />
visits in between to get a feel of the market and understand<br />
consumers. He receives reports from Malaysia but Brendon<br />
stresses it is crucial to meet the actual apple buyers themselves.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> fact is, you can’t do everything by email or phone, you have<br />
to sit face-to-face even if it’s only for one or two hours. It is so<br />
important,” he stresses.<br />
According to Brendon, Malaysia has been a great place to do<br />
business, especially for New Zealanders. <strong>The</strong> Malaysian government<br />
has developed relationships with New Zealand that include trade<br />
agreements, making it an attractive place for investors. Regionally,<br />
Luv’ya apples seems to have taken Southeast Asia by a storm –<br />
Heartland is about to look at India next, as well as Hong Kong<br />
and Indonesia. Previously, Heartland had an agency to develop<br />
relationships with retailers but then decided that they wanted a<br />
more hands-on approach.<br />
“We wanted to better understand the other party, and the way<br />
to go was to make a conscious effort to develop the relationships<br />
ourselves,” says Brendon, who has always had an interest in the<br />
apple industry. Having received an offer in 1998 to join a produce<br />
<strong>com</strong>pany, he never looked back – claiming that it is an interesting<br />
job as they have to deal with the forces of Mother Nature.<br />
“Apples are a great fruit,” says Brendon, flashing a smile with<br />
pinkish cheeks that resemble vibrant red apples. In New Zealand,<br />
Heartland has four apple orchards which have second and third<br />
generation apple-growers that have passed down the knowledge<br />
through their families – it takes a lot to get it right. According to<br />
Brendon, they produce approximately 18,000 tonnes of apples per<br />
year which equates to hundreds of millions of apples!<br />
Growing apples might sound like a simple thing to do, but in<br />
reality it is a long and sometimes painful process which has to<br />
involve a lot of patience, dedication and planning. Sometimes, two<br />
to five years ahead. <strong>The</strong> phrase “you must sow the seed, before<br />
you can reap the harvest” especially rings true for apple-growers.<br />
Brendon explains that the process of growing and tending the<br />
trees, right until the moments of the first crop can take up to four<br />
or five years.<br />
“It would take three years before you even get your first crop of<br />
apples, but they wouldn’t be ready for exporting or selling because<br />
they’re not representative of the variety. It would be about four to<br />
five years before you get a profitable crop,” <strong>com</strong>ments Brendon.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n there’s the whole science that goes into it. Deciding which<br />
trees to prune will affect the apples later, as pruning allows more<br />
sunlight to <strong>com</strong>e through which increases the colour and the<br />
sugars of the apples. For bigger apples, pruning is encouraged.<br />
Apple season is almost the whole year round, starting in February<br />
or March which is when a lot of thought goes into analysing the<br />
red beauties before the harvest. Brendon says that things like<br />
firmness, nutritional content and bringing the fruit to the right<br />
temperature are all factors that need to be considered around<br />
this crucial time.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Luv’ya apples that are seen in Cold Storage are the cream<br />
of the crop– one that underwent about 18 months of labour.<br />
However, when you taste them, it seems like all the effort was<br />
worth it.<br />
“We want people to enjoy eating the apples,” says Brendon. His<br />
last word to people looking to be in the produce industry would be<br />
that it does take time to see results, but it pays off, especially when<br />
you take the time to cement relationships, which is apparently<br />
what makes the apple industry – and the world, go round.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 55
Inheritance Tax... up to 40%?<br />
If you are a British national you are almost certainly liable to UK<br />
Inheritance Tax on your worldwide estate, even if you have lived<br />
abroad for many years. Most UK <strong>Expat</strong>s don’t realise this. We can help.<br />
Sovereign +65 6222 3209 – sg@Sovereign<strong>Group</strong>.<strong>com</strong><br />
Eduss Asia – Your Education Partner<br />
Eduss Asia offers a range of education solutions for pre-school right through to adult learners. We have a 15 year proven track record spanning across<br />
5continentsused in over 1400 schools in the US and 7500 schools in Australia . This Australian-based education enterprise is looking forward<br />
to meeting you to discuss and help you improve your child’s learning continuum.<br />
56 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
Perceptual Skills<br />
A software programme for pre school and lower primary students<br />
ages 3 – 9. Visual and auditory guidance and rewards make this<br />
program very child-friendly. It motivates them to proceed to<br />
master skills that they lack or battle with, by playing around with<br />
different characters in a sea full of adventure and games.<br />
Purchase price RM 290 per CD<br />
XiTeach<br />
A self-paced fully-fledged integrated teaching and learning<br />
software programme. Based on the Australian and US<br />
system and covers the Malaysian curriculum. It is currently<br />
in use by over 1.5 million learners globally. Each package<br />
covers: Maths K- Standard 6 and English and Phonics K – Adults<br />
Subscriptions for Individual Package starts from RM 55 per month / 1 user<br />
Subscriptions for Family Package starts from RM 75 per month / 2 users<br />
Foreign Language Software Suite<br />
A self-paced, colourfully animated authentic series<br />
of language modules with native speaker delivery<br />
from beginner to advanced, covering French,<br />
Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin)<br />
and Indonesian. Suitable for all ages.<br />
RM 50 per month/language<br />
ReadMe<br />
An English literacy solution for upper primary and<br />
lower secondary students designed to put the 'fun'<br />
back into the fundamentals of learning English<br />
grammar, reading, spelling, <strong>com</strong>prehension and<br />
writing. It is suitable to be used in a projected<br />
environment e.g. classroom or with touch based<br />
devices e.g. tablets or interactive white boards (IWBs).<br />
RM40 per month / 1 user<br />
Single and Dual Pen Series<br />
Multi Touch Series<br />
Interactive LCD Series<br />
Eduss Edutainment Tablet PC<br />
Sovereign<strong>Group</strong>.<strong>com</strong><br />
Intelligent Offshore Planning<br />
Interactive Whiteboards (IWB’s)<br />
Eduss Edutainment Tablet PC
GETTING INVOLVED<br />
BY CHRISTINE KEMP – BRICKLADIES COMMITTEE MEMBER<br />
Laying the Foundations<br />
of Friendship<br />
simple; to form a social networking<br />
Are you an expatriate woman<br />
working in KL? If so, it’s unlikely<br />
that you’re able to participate<br />
in the many social and networking<br />
opportunities available to “expat wives”.<br />
<strong>The</strong> coffee mornings and various social<br />
activities are invariably organized during<br />
working hours. This makes it difficult for<br />
the working expatriate woman to meet<br />
people outside her work environment.<br />
This was the position that three Dutch<br />
women found themselves in 5 years ago.<br />
<strong>The</strong> women were aware of the existence<br />
of a number of fraternity groups based<br />
in KL. However such groups were usually<br />
male dominated, and in some cases<br />
membership was exclusive to expatriate<br />
men of one nationality. So, they decided<br />
to form their own networking group coyly<br />
named “Brickladies”. Co-founder, Sheau<br />
Wei Lin, explains, “Our objective was<br />
group in order for working women of<br />
all nationalities to meet likeminded<br />
people while enjoying a fun evening<br />
out.” With this aim in mind, these four<br />
ambitious women set about spreading<br />
the word! Today we have over 150<br />
members on our database - our members<br />
are an interesting mix of Malaysians<br />
and expatriates.<br />
<strong>The</strong> ‘Brickladies’ meet in the evening<br />
of every second Thursday of the month<br />
at various locations throughout KL.<br />
Committee members work hard to<br />
negotiate a good deal with bistro owners<br />
so that our members can enjoy a selection<br />
of good food and free flow of wine.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fee of RM70 is only charged when<br />
you attend an event, and is payable on<br />
the evening. And we do not impose<br />
a membership fee! Occasionally, we<br />
FREE SUBSCRIPTION<br />
We offer a free monthly subscription to any expats living in Malaysia. Your free subscription includes<br />
the monthly magazine, a copy of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> Wel<strong>com</strong>e Guide and two other annual supplements.<br />
Malaysian readers are asked to contribute RM60 a year, which covers about half the cost of producing<br />
and mailing out the magazine. We charge Malaysians a fee as our magazine is primarily intended to help<br />
expats enjoy Malaysia more and our advertisers are only paying us to reach expats on our mailing list.<br />
Why do we ask for personal details?<br />
Our advertisers place a lot of value on demographic data and they are our sole source of revenue.<br />
We never release individual details for any subscriber, just summary information.<br />
Full Name (Mr / Ms / Mrs / Dr):<br />
Mailing Address:<br />
Postcode: City/Town:<br />
Tel Home: Tel Office:<br />
Mobile:<br />
E-mail:<br />
Borneo Vision Sdn Bhd (295020-P)<br />
7th floor, Syed Kechik Foundation Building, Jalan Kapas, Bangsar, 59100 KL.<br />
Tel: 03-2093 9539 Fax: 03-2094 9690<br />
E-mail: subscribemag@theexpatgroup.<strong>com</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Brickladies at a recent event in March, 2011<br />
organize an event around a theme;<br />
we have enjoyed a fabulous cooking<br />
demonstration by a top French chef<br />
and a hilarious evening at City Golf; the<br />
<strong>com</strong>mittee is always open to new ideas<br />
from our members!<br />
This September marks our 5th anniversary<br />
and we will be organizing a special event<br />
to celebrate the success, and increasing<br />
popularity of ‘Brickladies.’ Come and join<br />
us at the Havana Club, in Bukit Bintang<br />
on Thursday 8 September at 7.30pm.<br />
Food and wine, and non-alcoholic drinks<br />
will be served for our usual fee of RM70.<br />
<strong>The</strong> only membership criteria are that you<br />
are a woman and working!<br />
For further details and to RSVP to our<br />
events, please find us on facebook at<br />
“Brickladies”<br />
TO EXPATS LIVING IN<br />
MALAYSIA<br />
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If retired, are you here under the Malaysia My Second Home programme:<br />
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WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 57
EDUCATION SCHOOL SNAPS<br />
Australian International School Malaysia<br />
stages Senior Drama Production<br />
Students in the Australian International School Malaysia’s Senior Drama Company 2011 this<br />
year premiered a play titled, “A Suitcase Full of Surprises. <strong>The</strong> play was written by the school’s<br />
Drama Teacher, Mr Jon Suffolk.<br />
<strong>The</strong> ideas for the new play were born out of a series of workshops that many of the students<br />
and the staff attended in 2010 with visiting actors from “Complicite”, one of the UK’s leading<br />
contemporary theatre <strong>com</strong>panies.<br />
Using mime, music, dance, ensemble movement, audio-visual effects and representational<br />
acting techniques, the play took the audience on a journey through life on an imaginary<br />
train. Lead by a clown, a businessman, a train conductor and a judge, characters ask<br />
the questions, Who are we?, What are we? and Why do surprises happen in life?<br />
Audiences were surprised as well as challenged to think about their own situation throughout the performance.<br />
Full of humour, wit and thought-provoking moments “A Suitcase Full of Surprises” was a show for all the family.<br />
During the final term of 2010-2011, the <strong>com</strong>munity at Nexus International School, Putrajaya<br />
participated in the Terry Fox Run organised by the school to raise funds for cancer charities.<br />
Unique ‘Terry Fox Run’ t-shirts were designed and sold, with the proceeds going to support<br />
cancer research in Malaysia. Learners from the Primary school ran a short distance around<br />
the school before they stopped at a park to enjoy their annual year-end school picnic. <strong>The</strong><br />
Secondary school learners ran a longer distance and headed back to school for a short rest,<br />
before continuing with their year-end sports and cultural events. A group of parents were also<br />
seen wearing the Terry Fox Run t-shirts and ran alongside their children. <strong>The</strong> event received an<br />
overwhelming response from the school <strong>com</strong>munity and the school has plans to organise more of<br />
such events in the future.<br />
58 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
<strong>The</strong> British School Treats Students to Football<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tottenham Hotspur Football Academy launch was a great success with tremendous media<br />
coverage. Year 1 to Year 6 students and parents attended and witnessed the launch of the<br />
football academy. <strong>The</strong> academy is a partnership between the school and Football Focus Asia<br />
to offer great opportunity for footballers to experience professional football training at its<br />
highest level. Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Ray Kyles, Ex captain and Tottenham legend Gary<br />
Mabutt and few coaches from the academy were few amongst the special guests for the day.<br />
Thirty students were chosen to take part in coaching clinics coached by Gary Mabutt and other<br />
coaches. <strong>The</strong> remaining students enjoyed themselves with various activities prepared by PE<br />
department. <strong>The</strong> event ended with an autograph session. It was a memorable day for all.<br />
Community at Nexus International School<br />
continues Terry Fox’s legacy<br />
Prince of Wales<br />
Puts <strong>The</strong>ir Finishing Touches<br />
Badminton courts marked out in the multi-purpose hall, lighting rigs<br />
tested, interactive whiteboards installed, laboratory glassware delivered<br />
and football pitch planted. <strong>The</strong>se are only a few of the hundreds of jobs<br />
now <strong>com</strong>pleted as the Prince of Wales Island International School in<br />
Penang prepares to open its doors on September 5th. By the weekend of<br />
13th August four further staff members will have arrived in Penang; by the<br />
following weekend the entire <strong>com</strong>plement for 2011 will be in place. Visit<br />
<strong>www</strong>.powiis.edu.my for full details.”
Sri Garden International instils the<br />
STARFISH core values among students<br />
Sri Garden International constantly instils the “Starfish” core values in the students. A total amount<br />
of RM5, 364.90 was raised by the students of Interact Club from Sri Garden International through<br />
the donation drive which was held from 15th March till 31st March 2011. A cheque presentation<br />
was held on 2nd August by the school’s principal, Mr. Peter Wells to Mr. Egi Takagi, Second Secretary<br />
of Japanese Embassy. Through this project, the club managed to raise funds for the victims and<br />
to spread awareness amongst all students, teachers and parents about the devastating effect of<br />
this tsunami and earthquake disasters in Japan. It was a joint effort between the interact-ors and<br />
generous donors, and the event was a resounding success.<br />
Sri KDU International School<br />
<strong>The</strong> IBDP Department of Sri KDU International School held a graduation ceremony for their<br />
June 2009 students on July 23rd. Graduating students were joined by family members, teachers<br />
and the July 2010 students. <strong>The</strong>re were smiles all round as students had performed very well<br />
in these examinations with an average score of 36.6. Sri KDU Scholar Pratik Raghu did the<br />
school proud as he was one of the 103 students worldwide to score 45 points. When asked<br />
to <strong>com</strong>ment, Pratik mentioned ‘opting to do the IB Diploma Programme is one of the best<br />
decisions I have made. <strong>The</strong> last two years have drastically altered my worldview, turning my<br />
ambition on its head by helping me discover new passions. As I prepare to enter university, I am<br />
struck by just how different a student, individual and member of society I would be were it not<br />
for the IBDP”. From September onwards, IBDP students will move into the new purpose built<br />
Sri KDU International School campus. <strong>The</strong> new campus boasts a range of modern learning and<br />
sports facilities which were designed to support an international teaching & learning pedagogy.<br />
Jogging For A Better Future<br />
Students of Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas organise “Jog for Hope 2011”<br />
What first began in 2009 as a simple aspiration by a group of students to help the less fortunate has today<br />
be<strong>com</strong>e an annual event that attracts hundreds of participants and raises thousands for charity.<br />
With the slogan “A Leg Forward for Charity”, Jog for Hope was back again this year, organised by the Pre-<br />
University students of Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas (TCSH). <strong>The</strong> <strong>com</strong>munity jogathon, organised entirely by<br />
students to raise funds for good causes, successfully raised RM25,000 this year. <strong>The</strong> proceeds were divided<br />
equally between the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and PT Foundation. Ms Deborah Henry, current Miss<br />
Universe Malaysia, child’s rights advocate and Taylor’s College alumnus, was the Guest of Honour at the event this year.<br />
“Jog for Hope was a 100% student-driven event. We faced many challenges working towards our target of RM20,000, but<br />
by the sheer effort and determination of the <strong>com</strong>mittee members and their creative imagination, we made the event a success! In<br />
the process, we learnt so much about teamwork, resourcefulness, time management and leadership, which I am sure will prepare<br />
us for the challenges ahead at university and in the workplace”, quipped Kelly Lim, Chairperson of the Organising Committee and<br />
an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme student at TCSH. <strong>The</strong> objective of the event was to help raise awareness about<br />
the importance of conserving the environment, and supporting the programs being carried out for people affected by HIV.<br />
Tenby International School Penang Moves to<br />
New Campus<br />
<strong>The</strong> newly appointed Director of Schools, Phillip Brisley is excited that the school has finally<br />
settled into their new campus in Tanjung Bungah. However, it is his parallel role as Principal<br />
of the newly established Tenby International Primary School that will be his main focus for the<br />
<strong>com</strong>ing year. A new school in its own right is an exciting opportunity for the new staff and children to<br />
experience but being an integral part of Tenby Schools Penang adds another layer of opportunity and challenge. <strong>The</strong> new campus allows<br />
the school to provide excellent facilities in a wel<strong>com</strong>ing open setting with bright well-resourced teaching areas and specialist facilities. For<br />
the first time, children will be able to benefit from international cross-phase schooling from Nursery to Year 11 at Tenby Schools Penang.<br />
<strong>The</strong> team of teachers joining the new school have a wealth of experience in different settings and all are enthusiastic about their new<br />
responsibilities. For enquiries please call 04-892 7777 or email penang@tenby.edu.my<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 59
EDUCATION<br />
Sri Garden International<br />
Empowered To Be An<br />
All-Round Achiever<br />
As part of the Taylor’s Education <strong>Group</strong>,<br />
Sri Garden International (SGI) follows<br />
a British-based curriculum leading to<br />
the International General Certificate<br />
of Secondary Education Examinations<br />
(IGCSE).<br />
SGI adopted a more holistic approach to<br />
the education their students receive. It<br />
believes in strengthening students’ values<br />
and nurturing their minds to prepare them<br />
for a lifetime of success.<br />
<strong>The</strong> curriculum offers a balanced and<br />
holistic educational experience by focusing<br />
on the Six Dimensions – six key areas of<br />
development for the students – covering<br />
Social, Cultural, Economic, Politic,<br />
Technological and Learning domains.<br />
SGI’s mission is to ensure students be<strong>com</strong>e<br />
versatile lifelong learners; who are<br />
balanced and active global citizens, who<br />
are dynamic and inspirational leaders and,<br />
who are focused and analytical achievers<br />
that can contribute positively to the<br />
regional and global <strong>com</strong>munity.<br />
“Our programme gives equal emphasis to<br />
academic excellence, character building as<br />
well as physical health and development<br />
and engages the students through the<br />
Six Dimensions in the application of their<br />
knowledge and skills” said Sri Garden<br />
International’s principal, Peter Wells<br />
At SGI, the teachers are exposed to<br />
extensive professional development<br />
programmes, with particular success using<br />
the Quantum Learning programme from<br />
the United States, which emphasises<br />
the power of brain-centred learning and<br />
research into the way children learn best.<br />
<strong>The</strong> teachers use interactive teaching<br />
methods, such as visual, kinaesthetic and<br />
auditory learning and <strong>com</strong>bine it with the<br />
power of ICT, to make classroom activities<br />
exciting for students.<br />
In addition to learning English as a first<br />
language, all students learn Bahasa<br />
Malaysia and Mandarin, which is different<br />
from many other international schools.<br />
With this, a solid foundation will be<br />
formed in the three key languages used in<br />
Malaysia.<br />
At the same time, Sri Garden International<br />
believes that it is important that a child<br />
knows what their “box” is. By this, they<br />
firmly believe that each child should<br />
be exposed to good character traits.<br />
<strong>The</strong> school has produced a STARFISH<br />
programme that celebrates the exhibition<br />
of good character amongst students.<br />
Respect and caring, tolerance, integrity,<br />
excellence, passion and openness in<br />
<strong>com</strong>munication are all part of the day-today<br />
life at the school. Together with this<br />
grounding in good Asian values, students<br />
will then learn the best from both worlds<br />
and truly prepare them to be<strong>com</strong>e the<br />
global leaders in the 21st century.<br />
Sri Garden International wel<strong>com</strong>es<br />
all to visit the school during the<br />
Open Week from 19 to 23 September<br />
(Monday to Friday) from 9am to 3pm.<br />
For more information, contact 03.9286<br />
2668 or visit <strong>www</strong>.srigarden.edu.my<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 61
EDUCATION<br />
Teach English to the World<br />
<strong>The</strong> British Council is the UK’s international organisation for<br />
educational opportunities and cultural relations. As well as<br />
education, they run programmes in the arts, science, sport,<br />
governance and English language. <strong>The</strong>ir programmes reach over<br />
85 million people a year in 110 countries and territories worldwide.<br />
One of their most valuable and popular courses is the CELTA-<br />
Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and<br />
is for people looking for a prestigious internationally recognised<br />
teaching qualification which will result in a wide array of career<br />
opportunities worldwide which people find are extremely<br />
satisfying. Having the CELTA gives you an added advantage over<br />
other certificates to teach English since this certificate is under<br />
the auspices of Cambridge University, one of the world’s most<br />
prestigious and rigorous universities.<br />
In 1987 the British Council Kuala Lumpur started with offering<br />
two courses a year and currently run five CELTA courses every year.<br />
What makes it so popular is that one does not need any previous<br />
teaching experience and therefore it opens up the field to a diverse<br />
group of candidates. Many are middle aged or retired who have<br />
had careers in other fields who now want to travel the world and<br />
have new experiences. <strong>The</strong> CELTA is their ticket to having a richer,<br />
different life. <strong>The</strong> British Council is the only Cambridge approved<br />
centre in Malaysia and their classes are attended by a mixture of<br />
expats and locals.<br />
To be accepted for a CELTA course, applicants must have an<br />
awareness of language and a <strong>com</strong>petence in English, both written<br />
and spoken, that enables them to follow the course.<br />
<strong>The</strong> course given at the British Council is offered part time held<br />
on Tuesdays and Thursdays over a 10 week period. Mornings are<br />
from 9.30am – 12.45pm and are devoted to input. Afternoons are<br />
from 2.00pm – 6.00pm and are set aside for teaching practice,<br />
feedback, and lesson planning. <strong>The</strong>y also offer an evening part<br />
time course for twenty weeks. Next year they will be looking into<br />
doing an online CELTA course with face-to-face <strong>com</strong>ponents.<br />
Teaching practice starts from day two of the course. Course<br />
participants also observe experienced teachers at work, and are<br />
given formal written assignments.<br />
62 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
This course provides basic training in English Language Training,<br />
ELT. <strong>The</strong> training emphasises a student-centred approach and<br />
requires extensive, supervised teaching practice in actual classes<br />
with adult learners from beginners to advanced level.<br />
<strong>The</strong> aim of the CELTA course is to provide a solid, practical<br />
foundation for teaching, classroom management skills and a range<br />
of effective ESL / EFL instructional techniques. You will learn the<br />
principles of effective teaching and gain a range of practical skills<br />
for teaching English anywhere to adult learners.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Cambridge CELTA Course is recognised worldwide and is<br />
accepted throughout the world by organisations which employ<br />
English language teachers. Cambridge ESOL also works with<br />
international English language teaching (ELT) organisations to<br />
ensure the acceptance of CELTA globally.<br />
Teaching English to speakers of other languages can be a highly<br />
rewarding career, offering you the chance to live and work abroad.<br />
You will need an internationally recognised teaching<br />
qualification, and CELTA – highly regarded throughout the world<br />
– gives you the skills you need and will make it easier to get a<br />
teaching job anywhere.<br />
TEFL or TESOL are terms often used to describe qualifications for<br />
English language teachers. CELTA, the most widely taken initial<br />
TESOL/TEFL qualification of its kind in the world, was previously<br />
known as CTEFLA and the ‘RSA certificate’.<br />
CELTA courses are designed by individual centres, based on<br />
specifications produced by Cambridge ESOL. <strong>The</strong>y are available at<br />
over 286 approved centres in 54 countries.<br />
<strong>The</strong> KL Centre is located at Ground Floor,<br />
Wisma Selangor Dredging, Jalan Ampang.<br />
Please call +60 3 2723 7900<br />
For <strong>com</strong>prehensive information and<br />
contact details please log onto<br />
<strong>www</strong>.britishcouncil.org.my<br />
Email: teachers@britishcouncil.org.my
IN MY ANECDOTAGE<br />
BY DATUK PADDY BOWIE<br />
Corporate Freak<br />
Iwrote last time about <strong>com</strong>ing up<br />
to Malaysia in the early 1960s and<br />
how different it was. But one thing<br />
was constant for me. I had joined or<br />
rather been recruited for Shell whilst in<br />
Singapore. <strong>The</strong>y obligingly transferred me<br />
up here. I was by then no longer a novice<br />
and was soon to be promoted <strong>Group</strong><br />
Director,the first woman in the worldwide<br />
Shell <strong>Group</strong> to penetrate the Board Room.<br />
Few people know that Shell got its name<br />
from hereabouts. Marcus Samuel the<br />
founder came out originally for the spice<br />
trade and, inter alia, stumbled on the<br />
ornamental shells to be found around<br />
these shores. He imported them as a<br />
sideline business to the family curiosity<br />
shop in Houndsditch, London. Later he<br />
was to branch out into shipping kerosene<br />
which at that time was used not as fuel<br />
but as an illuminant and to oil Chinese<br />
pigtails, Samuel ‘s rivals. Standard Oil of<br />
New Jersey (later Exxon) stole a march on<br />
him when they introduced the “Beautiful<br />
Companion”, an early oil lamp. Marcus<br />
Samuel’s were the first tankers to sail<br />
through the Suez Canal when it opened<br />
up. Out of sentiment, he called the first<br />
one the “Murex” after a pecten shell<br />
from these shores. All his subsequent<br />
vessels were named after shells. <strong>The</strong> SS<br />
Murex steamed through the Straits of<br />
Malacca stopping at Penang and Malacca.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n on to Singapore where they would<br />
not allow its inflammable cargo to land<br />
in the island Republic. Samuel sought<br />
refuge in an offshore island already called<br />
“RangkekBuhom”. This was to be<strong>com</strong>e<br />
a historic landmark in the oil industry.<br />
Again few people know that “Bukom”<br />
was its name before ever Shell got there.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Shell Transport and Trading Company<br />
operated here from the late 19th Century.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most momentous occasion in its<br />
history was when they first struck oil<br />
at Miri, Sarawak on Xmas Eve 1910.<br />
<strong>The</strong> local residents were apprehensive<br />
believing there was a tiger at the bottom<br />
of the well, to appease which they were<br />
preparing to sacrifice two maidens. To save<br />
them, Shell diverted the well away from<br />
the mythical tiger – the first example of<br />
directional drilling in oil history. To this day<br />
the original derrick – a frail old wooden<br />
structure stands on top of Canada Hill in<br />
Miri – fondly known as the “Grand Old<br />
Lady”. No, this does not refer to me.<br />
All this time meanwhile, the Royal Dutch<br />
East India Company were exploring and<br />
producing oil in the then Dutch East Indies<br />
(Indonesia). <strong>The</strong>re was a natural synergy<br />
between their Exploration and Production<br />
(E & P) and Marcus Samuel’s marketing<br />
operations. <strong>The</strong> two merged to form<br />
Royal Dutch Shell the global conglomerate<br />
we know today – 60% Royal Dutch / 40%<br />
Shell. <strong>The</strong> reason for this imbalance was<br />
that at the time it was negotiated Marcus<br />
Samuel was too preoccupied with his<br />
bid to be Lord Mayor of London – a latter<br />
day Dick Whittington. <strong>The</strong> subsequent<br />
history of Royal Dutch Shell in Malaysia<br />
is too substantial and <strong>com</strong>plex to deal<br />
with in the present article but a future<br />
exciting story. As this series is “In My<br />
Anecdotage”, I need to <strong>com</strong>e to my<br />
own part in the saga.<br />
As already recalled, I was the only woman<br />
to make it to the Board in the worldwide<br />
Shell empire. It was a unique experience.<br />
I was treated by my colleages as an equal<br />
– no opening doors for me or allowing me<br />
first out of the lift. <strong>The</strong> traditional Chinese<br />
dealers were not so receptive of a woman<br />
which precluded me from participating<br />
in industrial relations, any direct contact<br />
with the Trade Unions, or marketing. My<br />
career was confined to the Personnel and<br />
Public Relations functions and even there<br />
restricted in part.<br />
Acceptability by my male colleagues also<br />
had its limitations. We could all go out at<br />
night. Together at dinner. But not when<br />
it came to “going on”, be it to enjoy the<br />
charms of Rose Chan the famous stripper<br />
or the ubiquitous massage parlors. In Rose<br />
Chan’s case I missed nothing. Whatever<br />
Datuk Dr Paddy Bowie<br />
she had to reveal of the female anatomy,<br />
I was already familiar with. However I<br />
obliged by perfecting the technique of<br />
the strategic headache to relieve me of<br />
having to ac<strong>com</strong>pany my colleagues on<br />
their male adventure. I still recall the<br />
alacrity with which they put me in a cab<br />
to see me off. Whereas I’m probably<br />
remembered now in Shell as that woman<br />
with the perpetual migraine.<br />
<strong>The</strong> greatest taboo I had to over<strong>com</strong>e was<br />
to get to one of our oil rigs out at sea.<br />
<strong>The</strong> roughnecks on board would have no<br />
truck with one of my sex, influenced no<br />
doubt by the superstitions of the fishing<br />
kelongs. I was flown out by helicopter<br />
to a tender assisted rig. Between us and<br />
the rig, the sea foamed menacingly. <strong>The</strong><br />
only access to it was a frail old rope ladder<br />
with thesomewhat threatening pseudonym<br />
“the widow maker”. What did I think I<br />
was doing? I was already a widow. But I<br />
closed my eyes and leapt. With me was a<br />
colleague, an enormous man called John.<br />
<strong>The</strong> roughnecks studiously ignored the both<br />
of us. <strong>The</strong> rig towered high. When we got<br />
to the top, John leaned over and his glasses<br />
fell into the sea leaving me to guide him,<br />
blind as a bat, huge man as he was. We<br />
needed to wash up, but our only recourse<br />
was a tool pusher’s bedroom. Access to<br />
it lay through the dining room which was<br />
the last of places they had ever envisaged<br />
any woman would venture. <strong>The</strong> graffiti<br />
on the walls was the most explicit I’d ever<br />
seen – impelled me in fact to avert my gaze.<br />
John and I quickly scrubbed up, with me<br />
taking off my ring. And promptly forgot<br />
it. This led to a famous telex that has<br />
gone down in the annals of Shell.“Mrs<br />
Schubert has left her ring in the tool<br />
pusher’s bedroom”. Nevertheless it was<br />
a unique experience and I like to think<br />
opened many otherwise closed doors to<br />
women, paving the way for Datuk Zahrina<br />
(now heading Securities Commission)<br />
who became Deputy Chairman of Shell<br />
Malaysia. Just like Malaysia, Shell in the<br />
corporate sector,as I am fond of saying is a<br />
million miles from the Taliban.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 63
64 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
PENANG PROMENADE<br />
BY KEITH HOCKTON<br />
<strong>The</strong> Gardens that Almost Never Were<br />
<strong>The</strong> Penang Botanic Gardens are<br />
simply beautiful. Nestled at the<br />
end of Waterfall Road at the base<br />
of three imposing hills, the gardens<br />
are an oasis, offering a plethora of<br />
activities. Early morning walkers<br />
and joggers, hill climbers, Tai Chi<br />
enthusiasts, ornithologists, botanists<br />
and of course tourists, looking for<br />
some relief from the hustle and bustle<br />
of George Town. <strong>The</strong>se gardens are<br />
also a place of tranquility, of learning<br />
and education, of research and most<br />
importantly, of history. Such a colorful<br />
history too, and where there is history<br />
there is a story waiting to be told.<br />
In 1794, the East India Company, the<br />
then ruling government in George Town,<br />
appointed Christopher Smith as Botanist<br />
to Penang to establish two large spice<br />
gardens on Penang Island. Smith, who had<br />
trained at Kew Gardens for a number of<br />
years, still retained strong connections with<br />
Kew and by all accounts was more than up<br />
to the task. In 1794, he planted a small<br />
garden of “20 orlongs” (10.5 ha) and<br />
a larger garden, of “300 orlongs” (158<br />
ha), somewhere near Sungai Keluang<br />
in the middle of the Ayer Itam valley.<br />
Although we know the general area of<br />
where the first gardens were situated,<br />
the last spot is lost to time<br />
and development.<br />
In 1822, the then Governor of Penang,<br />
William Edward Phillips, established the<br />
second gardens with the help of a Dane<br />
who had been working on the Singapore<br />
Botanic Gardens with the naturalist Dr.<br />
Nathaniel Wallich. Dr. Wallich was a close<br />
friend of Sir Stamford Raffles, and he<br />
re<strong>com</strong>mended the appointment of Penang<br />
Free School headmaster and amateur<br />
botanist, George Porter, to manage these<br />
gardens. Porter was formerly a member<br />
of the Calcutta Gardens staff, albeit in a<br />
junior role, and was keen to move back<br />
into a profession that he truly loved.<br />
Porter blossomed in his role and tended<br />
the gardens until 1834, when the then<br />
Governor Kenneth Murchison, who<br />
apparently took no interest in gardens or<br />
agriculture, sold them for 1250 rupees.<br />
<strong>The</strong> reason given and freely reported in<br />
the press at the time was because his<br />
wife could not get enough vegetables<br />
from the gardens to diminish her cook’s<br />
bills. That being the case you would have<br />
to surmise that they were of no use to<br />
anyone. Sadly, Porter was out of a job<br />
and he reluctantly returned to his former<br />
position as headmaster of <strong>The</strong> Penang<br />
Free School.<br />
Nathaniel Cantley, Superintendent of the<br />
Singapore Botanic Gardens, established<br />
the present Botanic Gardens in 1884,<br />
at the end of Waterfall Road, and<br />
appointed Charles Curtis as the Assistant<br />
Superintendent. <strong>The</strong> gardens thrived<br />
in their new location and by all<br />
accounts were extremely popular with<br />
the residents of George Town. Why<br />
then in 1910 a proposal was put<br />
forward, sanctioned and signed off by<br />
the ruling government, to turn the<br />
valley in which the gardens sat, into<br />
a reservoir we’ll never know.<strong>The</strong><br />
gardens duly were handed over to the<br />
Municipality for this purpose, but the<br />
plan was abandoned soon after the<br />
local population found out about it.<br />
Demonstrations took place and only a<br />
small reservoir was eventually built, at the<br />
foot of the waterfall, and it can still be<br />
seen there today. For the next 20 years,<br />
the gardens went very much untouched.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y matured beautifully and took on<br />
the visual aesthetic envisaged by Curtis<br />
when he first took on the role. Several<br />
new structures and offices were added<br />
to the gardens, but its overall structure,<br />
path and road configurations, the position<br />
and form of older plant houses, and the<br />
spatial layout of much of the plantings<br />
was changed little, if at all, from Curtis’<br />
original design.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Second World War took its toll on<br />
the Gardens and although some of the<br />
Malay staff remained during the Japanese<br />
occupation, lack of funds and direction,<br />
together with the accumulation of war<br />
debris, left the gardens in a very bad<br />
state. <strong>The</strong> Japanese excavated tunnels<br />
near the lily ponds and turned them into<br />
ammunition works and storage facilities,<br />
and a German torpedo assembly station.<br />
<strong>The</strong> remnants of the tunnels can still be<br />
seen today. In 1956, the first Malaysian,<br />
Cheang Kok Choy, was appointed as<br />
Curator of Gardens, where he had<br />
previously worked as a trainee gardener<br />
for a number of years. He continued<br />
to carry out the policy laid down by<br />
his predecessors until his retirement<br />
in 1976. Today, the administration of<br />
the gardens is the responsibility of the<br />
Penang State Government under the<br />
Pejabat Kebun Bunga (Penang Botanic<br />
Gardens Department). <strong>The</strong> majority of<br />
botanic gardens around the world, and<br />
Kew Gardens are no exception, lack basic<br />
essential funding. Funding that allows<br />
them to upkeep the gardens, purchase<br />
new machinery and plants, maintain<br />
office and gardens staff, and plan for the<br />
future. <strong>The</strong> Penang Botanic Gardens are no<br />
different in this respect.<br />
Lack of foresight, ergo funding, will<br />
result in gardens deterioration at a<br />
rapid rate, and the end result will be a<br />
botanic sore, that no one wants to visit<br />
because the assumption will be that no<br />
one cares. That being said it’s never too<br />
late, and with Penang well and truly on<br />
the international map of places to visit in<br />
2011, there is still time for someone to<br />
act on their behalf. In the meantime,<br />
make the effort to visit this place of<br />
interest, this place of immense history<br />
and beauty, and immerse yourself in<br />
its tapestry.<br />
For more information, visit<br />
<strong>www</strong>.penangbotanicgardens.gov.my<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 65
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BUYING, SELLING, RENTING<br />
PENANG PROPERTIES...<br />
<strong>www</strong>.penangproperties.<strong>com</strong><br />
PEN PROPERTIES E(3)1095<br />
Tel: (6)04-2106060 Mobile:(6)016-4148188<br />
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A Maid To Help You?<br />
A.P.Forsite Is Your Answer<br />
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66 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
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A.P.FORSITE SDN. BND.<br />
(442537-T)<br />
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98-2-11A, Prima ������������������������������<br />
Tanjung, Jalan Fettes, 11200, Penang<br />
Tel: 04 ��������������������������������������������<br />
890 7988 | 016 452 5289 (Lynn) | apforsite@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
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A Maid To Help You?<br />
A.P.Forsite Is Your Answer<br />
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A.P.FORSITE SDN. BND.<br />
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98-2-11A, Prima ������������������������������<br />
Tanjung, Jalan Fettes, 11200, Penang<br />
Tel: 04 ��������������������������������������������<br />
890 7988 | 016 452 5289 (Lynn) | apforsite@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
TO DISCOVER THE BEST IN RESTAURANTS, SHOPS, BARS<br />
AND SERVICES THAT WELCOME EXPATS GO TO<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM AND CLICK ON DIRECTORIES
PENANG PROMENADE<br />
What’s on around Penang?<br />
4 September – Tee Totalers Golfing Society<br />
Enjoy a fun, relaxing and enjoyable day out at Cinta Sayang.<br />
Contact Maggie at penangpia@gmail.<strong>com</strong> for more details.<br />
6, 13, 20, 27 September – Scottish Country Dancing<br />
All are wel<strong>com</strong>e, especially beginners at this fun social event.<br />
Contact Mike at kelland@starhub.net.sg or Graham at<br />
whitegs@rediff.<strong>com</strong><br />
2 September – Aliance Francaise<br />
<strong>The</strong> French film “La Reine Margot” directed by Patrice<br />
Chereau will be shown with English subtitles.<br />
Call 04.227 6008 for more details.<br />
9 and 23 September – FoodFriends<br />
9 – Enjoy a cooking demonstration followed by lunch.<br />
23 – Join the Gourmet Secrets Tour. For more information<br />
about the above events, please contact Maggie at<br />
012.462 5596<br />
14 September – IWA Charity Tour – 8:00am<br />
Are you interested in volunteering some of your time?<br />
Contact Penny on 04.898 2540 to find out more about the<br />
IWA Charity Tour.<br />
16 September – Paradise Classical Film Festival<br />
7:30pm at Paradise Sandy Beach Resort Penang. This festival<br />
will <strong>com</strong>memorate the golden age of Malay cinema where a<br />
dazzling array of cultural shows and musical repertoires will<br />
be performed.<br />
22 September – IWA Coffee Morning /<br />
General Meeting – 9:30am<br />
<strong>The</strong> theme for the morning is Ikebana, Food and History of<br />
Japan. A speaker from Penang Heritage Trust will talk about<br />
the pre-war Japanese history/<strong>com</strong>munity in Penang.<br />
Call Penny on 04.898 2540 to reserve your place.<br />
19 August to 25 September – Logos Hope Floating<br />
Book Fair<br />
Logos Hope is the world’s largest floating book fair. Opening<br />
hours are Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 10pm, Sunday 1pm<br />
to 10pm. <strong>The</strong>y have a wide variety of over 5000 books<br />
that cover a range of subjects from science and sports to<br />
children’s literature and dictionaries. <strong>The</strong> crew members are<br />
all volunteers.<br />
25 September – Little Penang Street Market<br />
From 9:30am to 5pm visit the many stalls selling local craft<br />
and food items and enjoy the live entertainment at <strong>The</strong><br />
Space. A true cultural and unique Penang experience.<br />
PENANG ASSOCIATIONS<br />
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION PENANG<br />
16 Jalan Tan Jit Seng, Hillside, Tanjung Bungah 11200 Penang<br />
Tel: 04.898 2540<br />
Email: info@iwa-penang.info<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.iwa-penang.info<br />
ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DE PENANG<br />
46 Jalan Phuah Hin Leong, 10050 Penang<br />
Tel: 04.227 6008<br />
Email: dirpenang@alliancefrancaise.org.my<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.alliancefrancaise.org.my<br />
PENANG IRISH ASSOCIATION<br />
Tel: 012.462 5596 Email: info@penang-irish-association.<strong>com</strong><br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.penang-irish-association.<strong>com</strong><br />
MALAYSIAN GERMAN SOCIETY<br />
250-B Jalan Air Itam, 10460 Penang<br />
Tel: 04.229 6853 Email: office@mgs-penang.<strong>com</strong><br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.mgs-penang.<strong>com</strong><br />
PENANG JAPANESE ASSOCIATION<br />
256 Jalan Air Item, 10460 Penang<br />
Tel: 04.229 3635 Email: jimukyoku@pja.org.my<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.pja.org.my<br />
PENANG PLAYERS MUSIC & DRAMA SOCIETY<br />
Always looking for new talent, acting, singing or backstage.<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.penangplayers.org<br />
PENANG HERITAGE TRUST<br />
26 Church Street, 10200 Penang<br />
Tel: 04.264 2631<br />
Email: phtrust@streamyx.<strong>com</strong><br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.pht.org.my/introduction.htm<br />
BRITISH COUNCIL<br />
3 Weld Quay, 10300 Penang<br />
Tel: 04 263 0330 Email: penang@britishcouncil.org.my<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.britishcouncil.org/malaysia.htm<br />
PENANG INTERNATIONAL HASH HOUNDS<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.penang-hounds.<strong>com</strong><br />
Email: newsletter@penang-hounds.<strong>com</strong><br />
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO<br />
ANIMALS PENANG<br />
Jalan Jeti Jelutong, Penang<br />
Tel: 04 281 6559 Email: spca4060@streamyx.<strong>com</strong><br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.spca-penang.net<br />
YMCA TOASTMASTERS CLUB OF PENANG<br />
Website: http://ymcapenang.freetoasthost.net<br />
Contact information for Penang consulates is available<br />
at <strong>www</strong>.<strong>expatkl</strong>.<strong>com</strong><br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 67
What’s Cooking on<br />
DineMalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
Cooking the Books<br />
If you love Malaysian food (who<br />
doesn’t?), why not learn to cook<br />
a few dishes to impress your<br />
friends and family? <strong>The</strong> Dine<br />
Malaysia team reviews all the latest<br />
cookbooks, with a preference<br />
for those with a Malaysian focus.<br />
Recent reviews include Angelina<br />
Teh’s guide to Nyonya cuisine<br />
Mortar & Pestle and Bee Yinn Low’s<br />
Easy Chinese Recipes. Check out<br />
our latest cookbook reviews now.<br />
KL’s Best Pubs<br />
What’s the difference between a pub and a bar? Both serve<br />
drinks and food, both have bars and stools... It’s very hard<br />
to put your finger on it, but the word PUB and BAR definitely<br />
conjure up something different. We tend to imagine pubs<br />
as friendly places where “everyone knows your name”,<br />
unpretentious, wel<strong>com</strong>ing, homely, somewhere you can<br />
take the kids and family,<br />
somewhere you can<br />
hang out on a Sunday<br />
afternoon. KL has some<br />
great pubs which fit this<br />
description perfectly.<br />
Check out our list of KL’s<br />
best pubs and see<br />
if you agree.<br />
Over-the-Top Offers<br />
From finger food to fancy fare,<br />
from perfect plates of pies and<br />
pastries to really reasonable<br />
rates, Dine Malaysia has over<br />
130 F&B offers from bars and<br />
restaurants across Malaysia.<br />
Go to <strong>www</strong>.dinemalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
today to find out more.<br />
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THE EXPAT-INFORMATION<br />
more information at <strong>www</strong>.<strong>Expat</strong>KL.<strong>com</strong> / <strong>www</strong>.<strong>The</strong><strong>Expat</strong><strong>Group</strong>.<strong>com</strong><br />
Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are hundreds of <strong>com</strong>panies across Malaysia that have<br />
specifically selected their products or services with expats in<br />
mind. We’ve found the very best of these restaurants, shops,<br />
doctors and bars – putting in the effort so that you don’t have to!<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 69
Swiss-Garden Residences, Level 6<br />
No. 2A Jalan Galloway, 50150<br />
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />
T +603 2141 3333<br />
F +603 2141 5555<br />
E taste6_sgr@swissgarden.<strong>com</strong><br />
<strong>www</strong>.swissgarden.<strong>com</strong><br />
70 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
Exclusive<br />
introductory rate<br />
RM 38 ++ / set lunch &<br />
RM 88 ++ / set dinner<br />
A Brand New Dining Experience<br />
In <strong>The</strong> Heart Of <strong>The</strong> City<br />
Located on the 6th Floor of the Residences,<br />
T@ste6 is a trendy and chic outlet with lots in store.<br />
Nestled in an urban resort setting with its lush<br />
greeneries and flowing water features,<br />
T@ste6 is the place to be!<br />
GREAT FOOD, GREAT VALUE ,GREAT AMBIENCE!<br />
We are open daily<br />
from 7.00am – 12.00am<br />
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Dining Promos<br />
Tai Thong Mooncake Rolls Out Five<br />
New Flavours<br />
Tai Thong Mooncake, Malaysia’s bestloved<br />
household brand for quality and<br />
delectable mooncakes, continues its<br />
two-decade long <strong>com</strong>memoration of<br />
Mid-Autumn Festival by rolling out five<br />
themed flavours that are once again<br />
first in the market. This year, Tai Thong<br />
Mooncake turned to the four seasons<br />
and drew inspirations from Spring,<br />
Summer, Autumn and Winter to create<br />
the exclusive Four Seasons Series, offering<br />
consumers a taste and look of each season<br />
in the new mooncake line-up.<br />
Four collectible gift boxes are available to present the mooncakes<br />
as stunning gifts for relatives, friends and business associates.<br />
Tai Thong Mooncake products are sold at participating Tai Thong<br />
restaurants, hypermarkets and mall kiosks. For a full listing, please<br />
contact the Tai Thong Customer Service Hotline at 1800-88-2338<br />
(9.30am-9.30pm daily including public holidays) or log onto<br />
<strong>www</strong>.taithong.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
PartyHeartyat<strong>The</strong> Mix@ HolidayInn<br />
Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie<br />
Double Trouble<br />
Get two bottles of at RM 650 ++ on<br />
selected brands.<br />
Ladies Nite<br />
Now ladies enjoy more…... twice a week.<br />
Only for ladies, free flow of selected<br />
cocktails and spirits all night long. Now on Wednesdays & Saturdays<br />
While you sip on your favourite cocktail, listen to your favourite<br />
R&B numbers.<br />
80’s Hits Today<br />
Dance to the hits from the 80’s on Retro Nights on Thursday nights as<br />
the Resident Band HyperDrive and the DJs will be playing some of the<br />
hit numbers from the past.<br />
For more information, call 03.7802 5200.<br />
Culinary Journey Across Asia @<br />
Hotel Maya<br />
Venture on a culinary journey across Asia<br />
without having to leave the city! Maya<br />
Brasserie invites diners to sample a wide<br />
array of Asian flavours. <strong>The</strong> Culinary Journey<br />
Across Asia at Maya Brasserie in Hotel Maya<br />
is available from 12 – 30 September 2011<br />
during lunch. It is priced at RM78 per adult.<br />
For reservations, please call (03) 2711 8866<br />
extension 258. All prices are subject to 10%<br />
service charge & 6% government tax.<br />
Tori Kinoko Acharayaki at<br />
Ri-Yakitori Bar<br />
Located on level 7 of <strong>The</strong> Gardens Hotel &<br />
Residences, Ri-Yakitori Bar serves freshly<br />
sautéed chicken cooked with 3 types of<br />
delicious mushrooms: Shimeji, Enoki<br />
and Maitake. For a perfect finish, this<br />
delicious and nutritious dish is served<br />
with zesty lemon-butter sauce. This<br />
promotion runs from 1 to 30 September<br />
2011. Ri-Yakitori Bar provides you with a<br />
special dining experience set in a refined<br />
backdrop that infuses traditional charm<br />
with a contemporary undertone. It offers<br />
a delicious variety of traditional Japanese dishes featuring the famous<br />
grilled Yakitori, a very popular dish in Japan.<br />
On weekends, the bar shows live sport and provides a selection of<br />
Western and Malaysian foods. On weekdays’ Happy Hours (5.00p.m. to<br />
8.00p.m.) and throughout the weekends, enjoy a special rate of RM12<br />
nett for a mug of beer.<br />
To find out more, call Ri-Yakitori Bar at 03.2268 1323 or<br />
visit <strong>www</strong>.gardenshtlres.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
Rugby World Cup at<br />
Fitou Gourmet<br />
All Day (Monday - Sunday)<br />
Guinness Set<br />
Mash + Banger @ RM45nett<br />
Pork Wellington @ RM45nett<br />
All meals are served with half a pint of<br />
Guinness draught.<br />
From 12noon till 5pm<br />
(Monday - Friday)<br />
RM50 for 3 full Pints of Tiger or<br />
Heineken or Guinness or Kilkenny.<br />
Sunday Happy Hours all day with<br />
nett prices.<br />
Call 03.6280 8978 for more information.<br />
Unlimited Dim Sum Brunch at<br />
InterContinental Kuala Lumpur<br />
Wake up to a perfect morning and spend a<br />
relaxing Dim Sum brunch with your loved<br />
ones at Toh Lee Chinese Restaurant. Available<br />
on weekends, the Unlimited Dim Sum<br />
Brunch is only priced at RM65.00 per adult<br />
and RM32.50 per child. <strong>The</strong> Toh Lee Chinese<br />
Restaurant also offers a host of Cantonese<br />
and Sichuan specialties for lunch and dinner<br />
daily. For reservations or inquiries, please call<br />
03.2161 1111.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 71
A Great Meal,<br />
Guaranteed<br />
Fact File :<br />
T.G.I. Friday’s<br />
Lot G-01 & G-01A, Ground Floor<br />
Menara Hap Seng<br />
No. 83, Jalan P. Ramlee<br />
50250 Kuala Lumpur<br />
Tel: +603.2078 7761<br />
<strong>www</strong>.fridays.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Business hours:<br />
8 am – 11 pm daily<br />
For more restaurant reviews visit:<br />
<strong>www</strong>.DineMalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
EVERY EXPAT KNOWS T.G.I. Friday’s. <strong>The</strong> international restaurant chain is renowned<br />
the world over for serving up scrumptious American classics in a warm and casual dining<br />
environment. Every time you dine at T.G.I. Friday’s, you know you will have a great meal<br />
and a great time!<br />
What many expats don’t know is that T.G.I. Friday’s has 13 outlets in Malaysia, one<br />
which is located a mere five-minute walk from Suria KLCC in Menara Hap Seng on Jalan<br />
P. Ramlee in the heart of KL’s business, shopping and entertainment area. This T.G.I.<br />
Friday’s is the perfect place to unwind and dine after a day of gruelling meetings or<br />
intensive bargain hunting or before a wild night out on the town.<br />
During my visit, I experienced quite an amazing contrast when I walked into the friendly<br />
and familiar surroundings of the Menara Hap Seng outlet and left the hustle and bustle of<br />
the city behind. I was treated to a scrumptious sampling of T.G.I. Friday’s signature dishes<br />
including the enormous (and enormously satisfying) Three-For-All platter featuring a trio<br />
of famous appetizers – fully loaded potato skins, fried mozzarella and spicy buffalo wings;<br />
the perfectly pan-fried parmesan-crusted chicken quesadillas; almond-crusted chicken<br />
salad drizzled with tangy balsamic vinaigrette and full of generous bleu cheese chunks;<br />
the fall-off-the-bone tender, fire grilled beef ribs; the sizzling chicken and steak fajita<br />
<strong>com</strong>bo; and to leave a sweet memory in my mouth, the warm chocolate brownie covered<br />
in chocolate-fudge sauce, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and pecans. I also sampled some<br />
of their unique cocktail concoctions.<br />
All of the dishes and drinks displayed the freshness and flavour that T.G.I. Friday’s is<br />
famous for. At T.G.I. Friday’s, you always know what you are getting: fantastic food and<br />
superior service in a casual and cozy setting. By William Citrin<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 73<br />
PHOTOS BY KIMMIE CHAI
74 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
Memorably<br />
Multicultural<br />
Fact File :<br />
Savory Bistro<br />
Basement 3-06, <strong>The</strong> Fare,<br />
10 Mont Kiara<br />
No 4, Jalan Kiara 1,<br />
Mont Kiara 50480 KL.<br />
Tel : +603.6211 5100<br />
Business Hours:<br />
8.30am - 12am<br />
For more restaurant reviews visit:<br />
<strong>www</strong>.DineMalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
OWNED AND OPERATED by an expat couple from different continents, one<br />
vegetarian, one a dedicated meat eater, the influences at play in Savory Bistro’s menu<br />
are diverse. With attention to detail and broad tastes developed through joint decades<br />
in Malaysia, the offerings cover the gamut from specialist Korean dishes through the<br />
best cheeseburger this side of Chicago to beef tenderloin balanced on a garlicky fluffy<br />
pile of mashed potatoes.<br />
Sue and her partner in the kitchen have created a neighborhood jazz bar snuggled in<br />
the newly developed 10 Kiara condominium tower. Chocolate brown walls, a piano<br />
and double bass feature, a clear view of the kitchen and an outdoor terrace for those<br />
balmy summer nights, make this a Mont Kiara destination to add to your address<br />
book. <strong>The</strong> easy relationship between all those working in the Savory Bistro translates<br />
to an atmosphere that is homey, friendly and unbeatable. Wednesday nights, the<br />
piano and bass <strong>com</strong>e alive with coffee house jazz and it’s not hard to imagine the place<br />
overflowing as chicken parmesan on focaccia, philly cheesesteak and 1.5-inch thick<br />
steaks decorate the tables. Since Sue’s partner is vegetarian, ample space on the menu<br />
is given to vegetarian tapas delights, pot pies and other delicacies. <strong>The</strong> menu is pork<br />
free though a generous bar with a well chosen selection of red and white wines, local<br />
and imported beers and the odd single malt nicely <strong>com</strong>plement the coffee machine<br />
holding pride of place. Even the iced water is thought through. “We add orange to<br />
the water to give it a citrus edge and all our water is specially filtered using imported<br />
Korean technology” notes Sue with a smile. It’s the small details that make the meal,<br />
the people that make the place. This is one place where meal and atmosphere conspire<br />
to create an eminently memorable experience. Breakfast, lunch or dinner - make your<br />
way to the Bistro. You won’t be sorry. ByHugh Ujhazy<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 75<br />
PHOTOS BY HUGH UJHAZY
76 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
<strong>www</strong>.manhattansteakhouse.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Continental cooking<br />
imbued with 25 years of culinary<br />
experience from 7 European outlets,<br />
served in an unpretentious 5-star<br />
design décor in Kelana Jaya.
Great Steak<br />
Comes Home<br />
Fact File :<br />
Manhattan Steak House<br />
Block B05, Plaza Kelana Jaya<br />
Petaling Jaya<br />
Tel: +603.7874 8088<br />
Business Hours:<br />
Mon - Fri: 11am - 11pm<br />
Sat: 6pm - 12am<br />
For more restaurant reviews visit:<br />
<strong>www</strong>.DineMalaysia.<strong>com</strong><br />
IN THE LATE 1960S, a young man of Indian parents left the plantations in Johor Bahru<br />
to seek his fortune aboard container ships. Some forty years later, his eldest daughter<br />
returns to the shores of a small lake in Kelana Jaya to bring back her father’s legacy.<br />
Amongst a host of business interests in Finland, Evi Devandara’s father started the<br />
Manhattan Steak House. With four outlets in Finland (and now one in Kuala Lumpur),<br />
the brand with a reputation for the best produce and the tastiest offerings lives on.<br />
“When I was a child, I remember being on my father’s back as he cooked after <strong>com</strong>ing<br />
home from his travels” reminisces Evi fondly. With her father’s passion for good food in<br />
mind, Evi finds it hard to rest till everything is perfect. And this shows in the presentation<br />
and preparation of the dishes… An array of salads to lighten the palette. <strong>The</strong> Central Park<br />
Mesculin Salad <strong>com</strong>bines fresh oranges, walnut flavor with peppery grilled prawns. <strong>The</strong><br />
Sabine salad offers a twist with couscous, olive oil, lemon juice and mint & cumin yoghurt.<br />
<strong>The</strong> beef cooked to perfection, beautifully charred on the outside, a tender rich pink inside<br />
astride julienned vegetables neatly tied with strips of spring onion and a geometrically<br />
perfect square of potato gratin. <strong>The</strong> salmon, Scandinavian style, with dill, fluffy mashed<br />
potato and cooked to perfection, skin crisp and flesh pink, is flawless. It melts on the<br />
tongue with a soft after taste of northern oceans.<br />
<strong>The</strong> three-level restaurant offers evening outdoor seating over the small lake. <strong>The</strong><br />
contemporary steel spiral staircase takes diners to the first floor, while the top of the<br />
building is given over to a casual lounge and indulgence over fine liqueurs, jazz and<br />
cigars. “We bought in an architect from Finland to create a relaxed, informal atmosphere”<br />
<strong>com</strong>ments Pepe, Evi’s partner and marketing manager for Manhattan Steak house.<br />
Only a short exit from the NKVE expressway near to Subang and the Federal Highway,<br />
this gem may rest outside the traditional choices of Bangsar, Mont Kiara and downtown<br />
KL. Take the trip, sit with Pepe and Evi, revel in their passion for what they have created.<br />
“Nothing makes me happier” offers Evi “than the sound of a happy diner”.<br />
ByHugh Ujhazy<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 77<br />
PHOTOS BY HUGH UJHAZY
Happy Hour Promotions<br />
Sunday Carvery (12pm-3pm)<br />
Traditional Western Menu<br />
Delicious Steaks<br />
Friendly Wel<strong>com</strong>ing Ambience<br />
78 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
21G, JALAN PJU 5/21, THE STRAND, KOTA DAMANSARA | GPS COORDINATES : 3.1546,101.5926<br />
TEL: 03-61505277 | FB: TERRACE ARMS |T:http://twitter.<strong>com</strong>/TerraceArms<br />
Opening Hours:Wednesday - Monday: 3pm - 12am (Sunday from midday, Closed Tuesday)<br />
Kitchen Hours:Weekdays: 3pm - 10:30pm (Saturday until 11pm); Sunday: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10.30pm
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 79
Purveyor Of Fine Wines & Spirits<br />
This Month’s Special<br />
Nederburg From South Africa<br />
NEDERBURG were the official wines for the 2010 FIFA World Cup<br />
(limited edition). Nederburg’s multi-tiered range has been structured<br />
to appeal to a broad range of wine lovers. From connoisseurs and<br />
collectors with a taste for premium-priced, award winning classics<br />
to those seeking affordable, everyday drinking wines, as well as<br />
new<strong>com</strong>ers to wine.<br />
Nederburg’s core range remains faithful to the time-honoured<br />
methods that celebrate the integrity of the grape. Each step of the<br />
winemaking journey has been carefully considered by our winemakers<br />
to highlight true varietal character. <strong>The</strong> pedigree of these wines<br />
makes them a worthy choice for any occasion.<br />
Nederburg Sauvignon Blanc<br />
Colour - Briliant lemon-lime<br />
Palate - Distinctive gooseberry and herbaceous flavours support a<br />
balanced palate with a pleasant lingering finish.<br />
Bouquet - Vibrant gooseberry and tropical fruit aromas with some<br />
herbaceous nuances and a hint of ripe citrus<br />
Food Suggestion - Excellent served with seafood, creamy fish, chicken,<br />
salads, veal and light meals.<br />
Nederburg Chardonnay<br />
Colour - Light straw with golden tints.<br />
Palate - Mouthfilling and rich with a creamy texture and melon,<br />
lemon and pineapple flavours in the background.<br />
Bouquet - Ripe melon and lime with vanilla oak in the background.<br />
Food Suggestion - Excellent served with Thai and other oriental<br />
dishes as well as smoked salmon, grilled fish and dishes with<br />
Cream - based sauces.<br />
Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon<br />
Colour - Deep ruby<br />
Palate - A full-bodied wine with ripe fruit, cherry and delicate oak<br />
spice flavours, firm tannins and a lingering aftertaste<br />
Bouquet - Aromas of blackcurrants and cherries with nuances of<br />
vanilla in the background<br />
Food Suggestion - Excellent served with robust dishes such as patés<br />
and steaks, as well as full-bodied dishes such as beef stroganoff,<br />
winter stews, roasts and mature cheeses<br />
Nederburg Pinotage<br />
Colour - Ruby with purple edges.<br />
Palate - A full mouthfeel with rich fruit flavours, soft tannins and a<br />
lingering aftertaste.<br />
Bouquet - Ripe plums and prunes with a hint of liquorice and slight<br />
oak spices in the background.<br />
Food Suggestion - Excellent served with pasta, pizza, roast leg of lamb,<br />
bobotie and even chocolate.<br />
Special Price RM51<br />
Members Price RM47 each!!<br />
TO ORDER:<br />
Call Anne at 03.2094 9664 or e-mail anne@theexpatgroup.<strong>com</strong>. For free<br />
delivery in KL/PJ area, minimum order is 12 bottles (you can mix wines).<br />
Delivery charges for less than 12 bottles is RM10. (We will require<br />
payment by cash or credit card (<strong>Expat</strong>Card members can pay by cheque).<br />
American Express, Visa and MasterCard payments are subject to a 4%<br />
administration charge because of the low margins on these special offers.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 81
82 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
Clockwise: Chef Amir and his team; Diners enjoying T@ste6’s new<br />
offerings; One of the many excellent desserts available.<br />
Tastefully Trendy<br />
A STYLISH NEW RESTAURANT has just <strong>com</strong>e onto the KL<br />
dining scene. Members of the media, corporate clients and business<br />
associates were invited to the launch of T@ste6 on the 27th July<br />
2011. Guests were invited to sample the unique sights, sounds and<br />
taste of T@ste6. <strong>The</strong> trendy, cosy brasserie had plenty in store for its<br />
discerning patrons.<br />
From the moment you enter the inviting surroundings of T@ste6, a<br />
brand new holistic culinary journey awaits! Located on the 6th Floor<br />
of <strong>The</strong> Residences, T@ste6 is set to wow guests with its contemporary<br />
design and elegance. Contemporary garden-inspired elements<br />
<strong>com</strong>plement the warm natural setting while the interactive open<br />
kitchen provides added interest and entertainment.<br />
“As food & beverage is one of the key <strong>com</strong>ponents in the hospitality<br />
industry, it is imperative that we stay relevant with the emerging<br />
dining trends. Dining out has also evolved from a mere appreciation<br />
of food to the appreciation of design, themes, ambience as well as<br />
location,” says Swiss-Garden International’s <strong>Group</strong> General Manager,<br />
Central Region, Mr.Rayan Komatt.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> culinary team, headed by Chef Amir Shah <strong>com</strong>prises of a young,<br />
innovative and energetic team - T@ste6 is set to dazzle its patrons<br />
with its blend of style, signature dishes and exquisite tastes. At T@<br />
ste6, Chef Amir offers a wide range of contemporary fusion dishes<br />
with a twist, ranging from mouth-watering soups and starters to<br />
refreshing salads, pizzas and snacks. An array of main courses are also<br />
set to tantalize your taste buds, which includes the favourite T@ste6<br />
Ultimate Burger, with homemade beef patty, Chargrilled Skirt Steak<br />
with chilli salsa, Oven Roasted Duck Breast served with beetroot<br />
mash and sherry reduction, and beer battered Fish &. To <strong>com</strong>plete<br />
your gastronomical adventure, homemade sorbets and a variety of<br />
desserts are sure to satisfy any palette. Innovative cocktails and an<br />
extensive selection of wines are available.<br />
T@ste6, Swiss Garden Hotel & Residences 117, Jalan Pudu 55100<br />
Kuala Lumpur. Tel : +603.2141 3333<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 83
84 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
<strong>The</strong><br />
Great<br />
Outdoors<br />
with<br />
isofu<br />
isofu produce daringly difference forms, shapes, artistically pleasing<br />
and more importantly, specifically use under our hot, tropical sun.<br />
<strong>The</strong> finished products are ‘statement pieces’, which your guest can<br />
enjoy in a lush garden, or on a refrain pollside terrace.<br />
modern living concepts<br />
(PG0196874-U)<br />
KUALA LUMPUR SHOWROOM<br />
A3-UG1-03,Solaris Dutamas,<br />
No.1, Jalan Dutamas 1,<br />
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />
T +603. 6207 9823 F +603. 6207 9821<br />
PENANG SHOWROOM<br />
170-04-72, 4th Floor,Gurney Plaza,<br />
Persiaran Gurney,<br />
10250 Penang, Malaysia<br />
T +604. 229 6823 F +604. 229 1928<br />
E isofupg@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
Sole Distributor (Malaysia) for :<br />
<strong>www</strong>. isofu.<strong>com</strong>.my
Balance your Hormones and<br />
Optimize your Health<br />
THE EXPAT MAGAZINE recently had a<br />
fascinating and informative discussion with a<br />
very inspiring woman, Dr Sangeet Kaur who<br />
specialises in bio-identical hormones, thyroid<br />
issues, wellness and aesthetic medicine. Dr<br />
Kaur is proof incarnate of the validity of her<br />
medical philosophies and practises. She is the<br />
mother to two young children, wife to a busy<br />
businessman; she’s on various high profile<br />
<strong>com</strong>mittees and a highly qualified medical<br />
doctor in great demand. At age 42 she looks<br />
ten years younger being abundantly blessed<br />
with glowing good health and energy.<br />
Dr Sangeet meets and treats many expats<br />
at her two offices in Mont Kiara. Her goal is<br />
always to uncover the core problem or the<br />
reason for your symptoms and then to treat<br />
that. Just because you are not living in a<br />
western country does not mean you cannot<br />
access state of the art medical practices and<br />
procedures in Malaysia.<br />
She explains that your body contains<br />
more than one hundred different types of<br />
hormones, which pour into your bloodstream<br />
at the rate of thousands of billions of units<br />
per day. Hormones regulate your heartbeat<br />
and your breathing. Hormones make men--men;<br />
and women----women. Hormones put<br />
you to sleep at night and wake you up in the<br />
morning. <strong>The</strong>y control your blood pressure.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y build bone, maintain muscle tone, and<br />
lubricate joints. Hormones govern growth.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y make the body produce energy and heat.<br />
Hormones burn fat. <strong>The</strong>y fight stress, prevent<br />
fatigue, calm anxiety, and relieve depression.<br />
Hormones make and keep memories.<br />
Hormones maintain the correct level of sugar<br />
in the blood and tissues. <strong>The</strong>y resist allergic<br />
reactions and infections. <strong>The</strong>y soothe pain.<br />
Hormones control your sex drive, virility, and<br />
fertility. <strong>The</strong>y stimulate your brain and your<br />
immune system.<br />
It is by no means an exaggeration to say that<br />
hormones are crucial to every single function<br />
of the human body. You can’t live without<br />
them. But in the environment we live in at<br />
the opening of this new millennium - and<br />
particularly as we ourselves age - rarely do our<br />
bodies have the optimum levels of hormones.<br />
So we don’t enjoy optimum health, whether<br />
that means arthritis or heart disease or<br />
flagging sex drive or gray hair and wrinkles or<br />
out-of-control weight gain.<br />
Bio – identical hormones are for anyone<br />
who feels tired all the time, forgets things,<br />
isn’t sleeping well, feels more depressed<br />
and anxious than usual, who is at risk for<br />
osteoporosis or cancer - among many other<br />
things. We’ve accepted these things as<br />
inevitable, especially as we age. We didn’t like<br />
it, but we thought we had to live with it. But<br />
we’ve been wrong.<br />
You probably know that some hormone<br />
levels decline with age. What’s less well<br />
known is that almost all hormone levels<br />
drop, across the board, in men as well as<br />
women. Your endocrine glands cannot<br />
maintain the same production of hormones<br />
they did in your younger days. And that<br />
loss is the most crucial - and eminently<br />
correctable - underlying process that causes<br />
the signs and symptoms of aging as well<br />
as a host of other health concerns. With<br />
the proper physiological doses of natural<br />
hormones in <strong>com</strong>bination with a hormonally<br />
supportive diet and vitamin and mineral<br />
supplements, you can retain your health -<br />
and your youth - more fully and for a<br />
longer time.<br />
Dr Sangeet does not re<strong>com</strong>mend<br />
pharmaceutical quantities of the standard<br />
hormone prescriptions like menopausal<br />
hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but<br />
rather the finely tuned individualized doses<br />
that are identical to your own hormone’s<br />
molecular structure and in the quantity<br />
that young, healthy bodies produce.<br />
She has partnerships with <strong>com</strong>pounding<br />
pharmacies that rely on plants with the yam<br />
especially utilized.<br />
When all our hormones are at optimal levels,<br />
our bodies are healthy, efficient, resilient,<br />
flexible, and strong. Through our twenties,<br />
that’s what most of us experience. But even a<br />
small drop-off or slight imbalance, as happens<br />
to most of us by our thirties and forties, can<br />
create havoc. And not just for women.<br />
Each of the many hormones in the human<br />
body has its own job to do, but they all work<br />
together in an elaborately interwoven system.<br />
Similarly, without balanced nutrition the<br />
body cannot make all the hormones it needs<br />
in the proportions it needs them in. Much of<br />
our food is so refined and processed; we can<br />
run into problems even when we think we’re<br />
eating healthfully. Dr Sangeet’s eating plan<br />
and suggested supplements offer a delicious<br />
and nutrient-dense program, with <strong>com</strong>mon<br />
sense modifications for particular problems.<br />
But no matter how healthfully we eat, our<br />
bodies produce less and less of all hormones<br />
as we age. Our hormonal balance be<strong>com</strong>es<br />
mistimed, disproportionate, or slightly offkey.<br />
In isolated cases, we recognize this and<br />
try to <strong>com</strong>pensate - with HRT at menopause,<br />
for example. Rarely are the problem and<br />
solution found in one hormone alone. In<br />
fact, taking just one hormone can make<br />
the problem worse or cause new problems.<br />
Furthermore, most hormone prescriptions<br />
written today are for doses that are far<br />
too large, and they overwhelm rather than<br />
rebalance the system.<br />
Most are also synthetic versions that differ<br />
by a molecule or two from the chemicals<br />
the body makes and uses on its own. This<br />
might not sound so bad until you consider<br />
that the difference between testosterone and<br />
estrogen - some would say, the difference<br />
between a man and a woman - is also a matter<br />
of just a couple of molecules. But with natural<br />
hormones in amounts as close as possible to<br />
what your younger body made for itself, you<br />
can re-create the same state of health and<br />
well-being you once enjoyed.<br />
Dr Kaur concludes by emphasizing the four<br />
pillars of wellness and good health:<br />
Nutrition, exercise, stress reduction and<br />
supplements/minerals.<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 89
Please type ‘<strong>Expat</strong>’ at the remark<br />
column for your order and get one<br />
pack of Australian Carrot FREE.<br />
Show this voucher when you receive<br />
your goods<br />
90 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
HOLIDAY INN<br />
KUALA LUMPUR<br />
GLENMARIE<br />
Fu-Rin Japanese Restaurant<br />
<strong>The</strong> newly refurbished Fu-Rin offers<br />
authentic Japanese cuisine.<br />
Phoenix Restaurant<br />
An exquisite dining place serves the<br />
innovative flavours of Chinese cuisine.<br />
Kites Restaurant<br />
Kites Restaurant serves Malaysian favourites.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mix<br />
Whether it’s chic dining inside, and elegant<br />
al-fresco dining at the terrace, <strong>The</strong> Mix will<br />
cater to your gastronomic needs with its<br />
mixed grill menu. After hours the bistro<br />
offers great live music and top class DJs.<br />
Please contact 03.7804 1000 for<br />
more information<br />
BORNEO RAINFOREST<br />
VOUCHERS<br />
Great food, live music and great ambiance.<br />
Usual Price RM50<br />
Special Price RM20<br />
SHIVZ RESTAURANT<br />
VOUCHERS<br />
Shivz Grill aspires to provide a simple,<br />
clean, cozy ambiance and cook some good<br />
kebabs and Western grills. Signature dishes<br />
are <strong>The</strong> Mumtaz Grill, Shashlick Kebab,<br />
Grilled Salmon Cilantro,<br />
Pesto Pasta and not to<br />
forget Shivz Fried Rice.<br />
INDIAN KITCHEN<br />
VOUCHERS<br />
<strong>The</strong> Indian Kitchen in Bangsar is located<br />
along Jalan Telawi 3. Serving authentic<br />
Indian Food, they provide the perfect<br />
balance of ambiance and Indian food for a<br />
better dining experience.<br />
Usual Price RM50<br />
Special Price RM30<br />
Wine Dinner on 22 September<br />
at Songket Restaurant<br />
Members: RM120<br />
SUNWAY LAGOON<br />
ALL PARK TICKETS<br />
Strategically located in the township<br />
of Bandar Sunway in Petaling Jaya.<br />
Spanning 80 acres, the Lagoon draws<br />
fun seekers from all over with its<br />
reputation as a fascinating land of fun<br />
and excitement.<br />
Usual Price RM100<br />
Special Price RM50<br />
SARI PACIFICA<br />
SIBU ISLAND<br />
Sea front villa Getaway Holiday<br />
Special for 3Days/2Nights<br />
This elegant resort is surrounded by a lush<br />
tropical backdrop and features a private<br />
bay with golden powdery sandy beach<br />
and a picturesque view of Tinggi Island.<br />
Rise refreshed. Ease into your day at Sari<br />
Pacifica, Sibu Island Johor.<strong>The</strong>re is no need<br />
to rush. Enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast<br />
just for you.<br />
Usual Price RM812<br />
Special Price RM400<br />
For more details please log on to<br />
<strong>www</strong>.saripacifica.<strong>com</strong> or call Anne @<br />
03.2094 9664<br />
Mingle on 14 September at<br />
Gridiron Sports Cafe & Lounge<br />
Members: RM40 – RM50<br />
<strong>The</strong>se and other great deals are available exclusively for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Expat</strong> Card holders.<br />
For more information, visit <strong>www</strong>.expatcard.<strong>com</strong> or call Anne at 03.2094 9664<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 93
TIGER 800. BUILT TO TAKE YOU.<br />
TIGER 800. Built to take you.<br />
Tiger 800 <strong>com</strong>es highly-specified as standard. Take a look and you’ll find neat touches all around. Two-piece adjustable seat, suspension<br />
and levers <strong>com</strong>bine with hand guards to ensure your <strong>com</strong>fort, while a built in immobiliser and switchable ABS option are designed with you<br />
and the bike’s safety and security in mind. Practicality is key with the Tiger 800. Superb agility <strong>com</strong>es as standard thanks to wide, tapered<br />
aluminium bars and lightweight cast wheels (19” front and 17” rear) while up front the <strong>com</strong>prehensive instrumentation gives you all the vital<br />
information you need to know on your journey. <strong>The</strong> Tiger 800 also <strong>com</strong>es with high capacity generator to allow the fitment of multiple<br />
electrical accessories for even greater practicality. Over 60 bespoke accessories have been developed for the Tiger 800 series.
Unlocking the Secret to<br />
Healthy Hair<br />
HOLISTIC HAIR CARE emphasizes one thing that many other establishments in the hair<br />
business don’t: healthy scalps. A customer who walks into Holistic Hair Care will first have his<br />
or her hair assessed and analysed by a white contraption placed on the head that is connected<br />
to a screen. <strong>The</strong> screen will project your hair follicles and an experienced hair consultant will<br />
diagnose the problem and offer a solution in the form of a treatment. <strong>The</strong> treatments offered<br />
at Holistic Hair Care aim to solve a range of problems from serious hair loss to premature<br />
greying hairs. Customers without pressing hair problems are also encouraged to <strong>com</strong>e in for a<br />
consultation in order to maintain their hair and attain healthier scalps.<br />
Holistic Hair Care uses products imported from Japan which are mostly natural with almost<br />
no chemicals. <strong>The</strong> shampoos and conditioners sold here contain ingredients like fruit essence<br />
extracts and herbs like jojoba, aloe vera and ginseng. Many of the products are said to kill<br />
bacteria, balance the pH levels in hair and strengthen the roots. <strong>The</strong> products are reasonably<br />
priced, starting from as low as RM30.<br />
Holistic Hair Care also does organic hair colouring using dyes without ammonia and if you’re<br />
interested in touching up after, there are packages available to suit your needs. Another<br />
inventive treatment offered is hair weaving. Customers interested in this can choose the kind<br />
of hair extensions they want according to their budget.<br />
Holistic Hair Care stands out among many others because of their experienced staff. All the<br />
hair consultants have a minimum of five years worth of experience and will offer advice for<br />
the best treatment – according to your scalp analysis and your hair needs. Holistic Hair Care<br />
essentially offers a customized hair care treatment that advocates a healthy scalp, because a<br />
healthy scalp equates to healthy hair.<br />
Holistic Hair Care: <strong>www</strong>.holistic-haircare.<strong>com</strong><br />
PUCHONG<br />
53, Jalan Puteri 1/6, Bandar Puteri,<br />
47100 Puchong, Selangor.<br />
+603.8063 8899/8063 7518<br />
CHERAS<br />
15, Jalan Manis 6, Taman Segar,<br />
Cheras, 56100 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: +603.9130 1899/9130 2899<br />
HARTAMAS<br />
38, Jln 24/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas<br />
50480 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: +603.6205 8199/6205 8299<br />
Business hours:<br />
Weekdays:11am-8pm.<br />
Saturday: 10am-7pm.<br />
Sunday: 10am-6pm<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 95
We are professional framers who custom make<br />
stunning frames to enhance and protect paintings,<br />
photography, needlework, object d’art and mirrors.<br />
* Hundreds of mouldings to choose from<br />
Talens Frames:<br />
L43A, Ikano Power Centre, Mutiara Damansara<br />
(facing IKEA carpark P1).<br />
Tel: 03-77278323<br />
<strong>www</strong>.talensframes.<strong>com</strong><br />
96 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
THE TALLEST<br />
BUILDING IN MALACCA<br />
Silverscape luxury residences occupies one of the two tower blocks that make up<br />
the first parcel of Hatten City. Towering over the Melaka City centre, Silverscape<br />
luxury residences provides breath-taking views of the Straits of Melaka, while<br />
offering residents all the convenience of living right in the heart of the city. It sits<br />
directly above the Elements Mall so that shopping, dining and recreation is literally<br />
just a few steps away. Aside from this, residents can also head to the skydeck where<br />
the sky club is located for even more leisure and relaxations.<br />
Another Project By:<br />
For enquiries<br />
LIVE<br />
MAJESTICALLY IN AN<br />
ICONIC RESIDENCE<br />
MAHKOTA<br />
PARADE<br />
HOLIDAY INN<br />
Jalan Merdeka erd<br />
SHOW GALLERY<br />
Open For Sale<br />
TO OWN A UNIT<br />
*Te TTerms<br />
rms & Co Con Condit dit di ion s A ppl pply S P E C I A L F E A T U R E S<br />
• 45 floors twin towers<br />
• 32 levels of Luxury Serviced Residence<br />
• Fronting Straits of Malacca<br />
• Legal fees waived<br />
• Progressive payment<br />
• Zero Interest during construction period<br />
• Integrated mix development<br />
• <strong>The</strong> first tallest building in Malacca<br />
• Infinity Pool<br />
• Gymnasium<br />
EQUATORIAL<br />
HOTEL<br />
MAHKOTA<br />
MEDICAL<br />
CENTRE<br />
Jalan Parameswara<br />
JJalan Melaka Ra Raya y<br />
MAYBANK<br />
BUSINESS<br />
HUB<br />
JJalan Syed y Abdul Aziz<br />
HARBOUR CLUB<br />
+606 - 282 1828<br />
• Squash Courts<br />
• Tennis Courts<br />
• BBQ Pit<br />
• Sauna<br />
• Mini Family <strong>The</strong>atre<br />
• Function Rooms<br />
• Open Deck with Seaview<br />
• Sky Club<br />
• Sky Deck<br />
• Bistro<br />
POLICE<br />
STATION<br />
GARDEN CITY<br />
APARTMENTS<br />
+606 - 281 2882 +6012 - 719 1818<br />
Developer : Fuyuu Resources Sdn Bhd Developer’s License No 11694-1/07-2016/841 Valid from 7 July 2011 – 6 July 2016 Sale & Adver�sement Permit 11694-1/1457/2012(07) Valid from 11 July 2011 – 10 July 2012<br />
No: H.S.D 70316, PT 973, K.B. XL, Daerah Melaka Tengah, Melaka<br />
Head Office: F3-96 Ha�en Square, Jalan Merdeka, 75000 Bandar Hilir Melaka. Email: info@ha�engrp.<strong>com</strong> Marketed By: Ha�en Asset Management Sdn Bhd (787008-v)<br />
Singapore Office: 8 Eu Tong Sen Street, #13-91, <strong>The</strong> Central, Singapore 059818<br />
Disclaimer: <strong>The</strong> information contained in this advertisement is subject to change and cannot form part of an offer or contract. All renderings are artist’s impression only. While every reasonable care has been taken in preparing this advertisement, the developer cannot be held responsible for<br />
any inaccuracies. All the above items are subject to variations, modifications, and substitutions as may be required by authorities or re<strong>com</strong>mend by the Architect or Engineer.
Photos with a Personal Touch<br />
NOWADAYS, it seems, almost everyone wants to be a freelance<br />
photographer. A quick search on the web reveals hundreds of<br />
freelance photographers who work from home and gain clients by<br />
their contacts on Facebook. Many are good, few are fantastic. Aaron<br />
Kok fits into the latter category.<br />
Aaron, a self-described photograph fanatic, has always been passionate<br />
about photos. With the advent of the digital age, it became easier<br />
for Aaron to purchase and play around with Digital SLR cameras. He<br />
was motivated to cherish keepsakes of important occasions as he<br />
experienced his own wedding and the birth of his child.<br />
What Aaron offers to his customers are his trained eyes and<br />
profound understanding of important occasions. Bearing an<br />
impressive online portfolio, Aaron has behind him many years<br />
of experience and numerous satisfied customers. Having been a<br />
��������<br />
photographer for a long time, Aaron has developed an artistic eye for<br />
light, colour and <strong>com</strong>position, as well as technical expertise in phototaking<br />
and printing.<br />
<strong>The</strong> whole process, which starts off with the photo shoot day, and<br />
ends with the final prints, is fully managed and conducted by Aaron<br />
himself. He understands that memories last forever and ensures that<br />
everyone looks their best in the final prints. As Aaron’s customer,<br />
you won’t be required to go to a studio; instead Aaron brings the<br />
studio to you, be it in the <strong>com</strong>fort of your own home or your favourite<br />
playground. Aaron connects very well with kids, thus allowing him to<br />
capture their pictures in a spontaneous manner.<br />
To view Aaron’s online portfolio, go to <strong>www</strong>.aaronkok.<strong>com</strong> or<br />
<strong>www</strong>.aaronkok.<strong>com</strong>/blog . To contact Aaron, call 012.373 8200 or<br />
e-mail him at info@aaronkok.<strong>com</strong><br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 99
100 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM
Setting your Hair Straight<br />
I’M AT WAR with my hair. I’ve subjected it<br />
to torture and noisome chemical weapons.<br />
My armoury contains bristly metal brushes,<br />
hair-frazzling irons, tangle removers,<br />
sprays, lotions, every new range of shampoo<br />
and conditioner since 1991. Chemical<br />
straightening left me with unnaturally<br />
poker-straight straw-like locks; intensive<br />
conditioning at the salon never lasted for<br />
more than a few washes; and, chemical<br />
relaxing treatments generate too many<br />
horror stories and require marathon sessions<br />
in the salon. On the Malaysian front, I’ve<br />
lost almost every battle against frizz; tropical<br />
humidity, heat and rain have allied with my<br />
unruly mop to make every day a bad hair<br />
day. I had resigned myself to frizziness, until<br />
Winnie Loo, Chief Creative Director of A Cut<br />
Above Salon, introduced me to the ultimate<br />
weapon against frizz: KeraStraight.<br />
KeraStraight fights frizz without frazzling<br />
the hair; it gently repairs and straightens the<br />
hair, adding shine and strength that lasts up<br />
to four months. Unlike several alternative<br />
treatments available, it didn’t require me to<br />
sit in the salon chair for 12 hours, it didn’t<br />
need to be left on for three days, and I was<br />
able to wash and style my hair on the same<br />
day. Best of all, the results are as impressive<br />
on treated and tortured hair like mine,<br />
although those with virgin hair can expect<br />
hair to stay smooth and silky for up to six<br />
months rather than four.<br />
<strong>The</strong> KeraStraight product literature is<br />
refreshingly open and easy to understand,<br />
which helped me to make an informed<br />
choice. KeraStraight <strong>com</strong>es with ringing<br />
endorsements, too: Winnie Loo is the<br />
brand ambassador here in Malaysia, and A<br />
Cut Above holds the exclusive licence for<br />
KeraStraight; Trevor Sorbie International is<br />
the official UK ambassador; and, the product<br />
has Anvisa accreditation, meaning it meets<br />
the exacting health & safety standards in the<br />
UK and Europe. I was sold on KeraStraight.<br />
Winnie has the reputation of being one of<br />
Malaysia’s top hairdressers, so I took a seat<br />
in the Mid Valley branch of A Cut Above and<br />
put my hair in her hands. First, Winnie’s<br />
assistant washed my hair with the deep<br />
penetrating KeraStraight Pre-Treatment<br />
Shampoo, rinsed, then repeated the wash<br />
and left the shampoo in for 10 minutes to<br />
open up the hair shaft and soften the hair.<br />
After a second rinse, two stylists dried<br />
my hair then set to work on applying the<br />
KeraStraight KS Complex Treatment to my<br />
hair in small strips. <strong>The</strong> product was then<br />
left to sink in for around 10 minutes, when<br />
it was blow-dried and straightened with<br />
irons – this took around 40 minutes in total,<br />
making it the longest stage of the process. I<br />
was already able to see some difference in my<br />
hair – it was smoother and healthier looking.<br />
Next, my hair was washed with KeraStraight<br />
Maintain Shampoo, then conditioned with<br />
Straight Maintain Conditioner, followed by<br />
one final blow-dry. As you can see from the<br />
pictures, my hair looks great - shiny, healthy,<br />
and flowing rather than stiff, frizzy and<br />
tangled. I was particularly impressed that my<br />
hair had retained its natural wave – it still<br />
felt like my hair, only better behaved.<br />
But, the true test was yet to <strong>com</strong>e... would<br />
my hair look as good the next day, without<br />
Winnie and her team to blow dry, style and<br />
straighten it? I washed my hair the following<br />
morning, with the KeraStraight maintenance<br />
products re<strong>com</strong>mended by Winnie.<br />
Amazingly, I was able to blow dry it with a<br />
regular hairbrush and walk out the house<br />
– no leave-in conditioner, no straighteners,<br />
and no serum required. Wow.<br />
Thanks to Winnie Loo and KeraStraight, I’ve<br />
called a ceasefire with my hair.<br />
By Katrina Melvin<br />
KeraStraight is available at A Cut Above<br />
salons in Pavilion KL, Sunway Pyramid,<br />
MidValleyMegamall,BangsarVillage 2,<br />
and Bangsar Shopping Centre. Go to<br />
<strong>www</strong>.acutabove.<strong>com</strong>.my to find out more.<br />
Before<br />
��������<br />
After<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 101
You Can Be a Chocolatier<br />
DID YOU KNOW that there is a club<br />
for chocolate lovers? Yes, it’s called the<br />
International Cocoa Organization, and by<br />
their estimates, every man, woman and<br />
child eats almost three pounds of chocolate<br />
each year.<br />
When I walked into the Academy of Pastry<br />
Arts Malaysia on the second floor of<br />
Wisma Thrifty, I wasn’t hungry. However,<br />
I was famished by the time I left, thanks<br />
to the incredible smells that wafted<br />
around the whole place. <strong>The</strong> Academy is<br />
conveniently located right opposite Hilton<br />
and almost on the highway. It is hard to<br />
miss once you’ve taken the Asia Jaya exit<br />
on the Federal Highway.<br />
Classes were in session when we arrived<br />
and through the huge glass windows,<br />
we could see students making their own<br />
chocolate sculptures. Upon first glance,<br />
these sculptures look like wood, some even<br />
have that sandpapered sheen to it. We had<br />
to double-check that it was indeed chocolate<br />
and soon took to putting our faces close<br />
and taking big sniffs. Unsurprisingly, it<br />
smelt delicious, which is when we started<br />
imagining that the rows of cooking chocolate<br />
packages would magically tear themselves<br />
open and feed our rumbling tummies.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rows of chocolates, syrups, sprinkles,<br />
chocolate moulds and even work tables<br />
were designed for the aspiring chocolatier.<br />
102 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
It is known as ‘<strong>The</strong> Studio’, a never-seenbefore<br />
concept which takes the one-stop<br />
shop to the next level. Chocolatiers are able<br />
to source chocolate tempering machines<br />
and quality ingredients from a convenient<br />
spot in Petaling Jaya. <strong>The</strong>se products are<br />
sourced from Chocolate World, Aeroshield<br />
Bakels, Callebaut and Cocoa Berry. This new<br />
development happened because the Academy<br />
was producing passionate bakers, chefs and<br />
Chocolatiers who were unable to source<br />
some of the ingredients needed to produce<br />
their beautiful creations.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Studio <strong>com</strong>es as an addition offering<br />
Chocolatier programs at <strong>The</strong> Academy.<br />
For the many non-working spouses who<br />
have spare time, or for cooking channel<br />
enthusiasts who have imitated their<br />
favourite celebs on TV, being a chocolatier<br />
does not seem so far-fetched. What’s more<br />
– it can even be done right here in Malaysia,<br />
without having to travel elsewhere.<br />
Recently, the Academy invited a Master<br />
Chocolatier to teach their students the art<br />
of chocolate showpieces and sculpture.<br />
Master Chocolatier Jean Marie Auboine<br />
also demonstrated various techniques<br />
and skills on making Chocolate Bon Bons,<br />
pralines and sugar candies. He used to be<br />
the Executive Pastry Chef at the Bellagio<br />
Resort and Casione in Las Vegas.<br />
Students at the Academy of Pastry Arts<br />
Malaysia learn how to temper and mould<br />
chocolates and play around with different<br />
fillings such as ganache, caramel and<br />
nougat. Other techniques such as<br />
making truffles, pralines, pate de fruit,<br />
and working on textured sheets were<br />
also demonstrated during these special<br />
workshops. We witnessed the making of<br />
a gooey and deliciously tart strawberryflavoured<br />
marshmallows, which mostly<br />
consisted of mixing ingredients together<br />
and knowing the right temperatures to<br />
heat the mixture (hint: there was a lot<br />
of sugar involved).<br />
<strong>The</strong> chocolates displayed on the shelves<br />
were a miniature version of heaven; most<br />
of them imported from various countries<br />
and not easily available elsewhere. We<br />
also had the privilege of seeing student<br />
creations besides the sculptures. One that<br />
caught our eye was an Angry Birds cake<br />
as well as a cake that looked like a<br />
flowing waterfall.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are classes available on weekends<br />
and for those who don’t fancy chocolate,<br />
there are classes available for pastrymaking<br />
as well as cake-decorating. For<br />
those who prefer to do a trial first, opt for<br />
the short classes or special workshops that<br />
are held every now and then.<br />
By Milan Sadhwani<br />
For more information, please visit<br />
<strong>www</strong>.academyofpastryartsmalaysia.<strong>com</strong>.
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 103
104 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
NEED A VISA<br />
LOOKING FOR ADVICE OR ASSISTANCE<br />
ON MALAYSIAN VISAS?<br />
We can assist with the following:<br />
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Contact<br />
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Jalan Kapas, Bangsar,<br />
59100 Kuala Lumpur
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WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 105
106 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
BRITISH GLAMOUR IN<br />
THE HEART OF THE KLCC<br />
Renowned hairstylists and multiple nominee for<br />
London Stylist of the Year, Edwin Saw has lent his<br />
inimtitable touch to the tresses of Vanessa Mae,<br />
Natalie Imbruglia, Jean Muir, Letitia Dean, the<br />
Duchess of Kent and Jemima Goldsmith.<br />
Blessed with a natural charisma and the innate<br />
ability to draw out and highlight the best<br />
features of each individual customer, he leads a<br />
highly skilled team of stylists who effortlessly<br />
manipulate colour, texture and line to bring a<br />
touch of British High Glamour to the heart of the<br />
Klang Valley.<br />
Lot 401K, 4th Floor, Suria KLCC,<br />
50088 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: +603.2171 1881
Lot 46098B, jln. besar, kampung sg tua,<br />
bt. 9, off jln. ulu yam, 68000 batu caves, selangor<br />
tel: 603 6189 0808/6189 3331<br />
fax: 603 61898220<br />
bangsar<br />
126, jalan maarof,<br />
bangsar 59100 kuala lumpur<br />
tel/fax: 603 2092 1555<br />
ampang<br />
15 persiaran ampang hilir,<br />
ampang 5500 kuala lumpur<br />
tel/fax: 603 4256 7518<br />
penang<br />
521d-08-01, the Cove, jln tg. bungah,<br />
11200 tanjung bungah, penang<br />
tel/fax: 604 8902987/ 016 4506745<br />
‘Gold up, stocks down – what should I do for the best?’<br />
1) Don’t panic!<br />
2) Learn how to secure your investments<br />
In the month to August 12 th 2011 the FTSE 100 dropped 9.92%, the Dow Jones Index 9.47%, yet the<br />
price of gold increased by 10.32% - so it is li�le wonder that private investors are concerned about<br />
what to do for the best in these turbulent �mes.<br />
<strong>The</strong> �rst thing to do is not to panic. Selling at the bo�om of the market is as construc�ve as buying at<br />
the top – no use at all! <strong>The</strong> second thing to do is to learn how to make your investments more secure.<br />
At EPIC, the ExPat Investment Club, through shared experience and expert guest speakers, you will<br />
learn the techniques to be employed and the bene�ts to be had from developing your own planned,<br />
suitably diversi�ed investment por�olio, as well as the poten�al�����lls and dangers of not doing so.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Club meets regularly in Kuala Lumpur and it’s free to join – you need only register – so you have<br />
nothing to lose, but a lot to gain. Come along and you will see for yourself.<br />
To register or know more please email John or Caroline at info@epinvestmentclub.<strong>com</strong><br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 107
Sarawak (min. 2 person per package)<br />
� 3 Days / 2 Nights Caving Exploration for School<br />
� 3 Days / 2 Nights Mulu Caves Adventure<br />
� 3 Days / 2 Nights Cultural and Kayak Adventure<br />
� 4 Days/ 3 Nights Cultural Experience and Traditional Cook-in<br />
� 4 Days / 3 Nights Rainforest Kayaking & Dolphin Watching<br />
� 4 Days / 3 Nights Kuching Caving Adventure<br />
Sabah (min. 4 person per package)<br />
� 3 Days / 2 Nights Island Hopping & White Water Rafting<br />
� 3 Days / 2 Nights Manukan Island & Mantanani Snorkeling<br />
� 3 Days / 2 Nights Mt KK Climb & Paragliding<br />
* Terms & conditions apply<br />
For more information, please contact:<br />
SUNTRAVEL SDN BHD (172508-D)<br />
Lot 18 Ground Floor Wisma Phoenix, Jalan Song Thian Cheok,<br />
93100 Kuching Sarawak Malaysia<br />
Tel: (60)82-422023/412072/259232 Fax: (60)82-429375<br />
E-mail: sun@suntravelborneo.<strong>com</strong><br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.suntravelborneo.<strong>com</strong><br />
108 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
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Expert in moving house, office, studio and etc.<br />
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<strong>The</strong> most effective way to<br />
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Just e-mail us at<br />
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CRAFTSMANSHIP IN THE INTERNATIONAL DOOR-TO-DOOR<br />
RELOCATION OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PERSONAL EFFECTS<br />
AMBASSADOR WORLDWIDE MOVERS (M) SDN. BHD. (376185-W)<br />
Lot 1641, Jalan 1, Taman Jasa Utama, Off Jalan Sg Tua, 68100 Batu Caves Selangor.<br />
HOT LINE: 603-6187 2233 FAX: 603-6186 8566<br />
EMAIL : movers@streamyx.<strong>com</strong> / corporate@ambassador.<strong>com</strong>.my WEB SITE : <strong>www</strong>.ambassador.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
ON YOUR NEXT INTERNATIONAL MOVE CALL<br />
603-6187 2233<br />
FOR A FREE ESTIMATE<br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 109
This directory contains contact details for all restaurants, bars, shops and other services which advertise with us.<br />
RESTAURANTS<br />
ASIAN/WESTERN<br />
Albion 31 Jalan Berangan,<br />
50200 KL. Tel: 03.2141 9282<br />
<strong>www</strong>.albionkl.<strong>com</strong><br />
Alexis Bangsar Baru<br />
29 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru<br />
59100 KL. Tel: 03.2284 2880<br />
Alexis Ampang<br />
Lot 10 & 11, Great Eastern Mall<br />
303 Jalan Ampang, 50450 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.4260 2288<br />
Alexis BSC<br />
Lot 15A 1st floor<br />
Bangsar Shopping Centre<br />
Bukit Bandaraya 59100 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2287 1388<br />
Alexis <strong>The</strong> Gardens<br />
Lot f209 1st Floor,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Gardens Mid Valley City<br />
Lingkaran Syed Putra<br />
59200 KL. Tel: 03.2287 2281<br />
Aria<br />
No. 44 & 44M, Plaza Damansara<br />
Jalan Medan Setia 2,<br />
Bukit Damansara.<br />
Tel: 03.2095 0016<br />
Bergie Evergreen Pub &<br />
Restaurant<br />
No 27, Jalan Berangan off Jalan<br />
Nagasari KL. Tel: 03.2141 5955<br />
Bubu Restaurant<br />
No.42A, Tengkat Tong Shin,<br />
50200, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2142 2988<br />
<strong>www</strong>.bubukl.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Bumbu Desa Indonesia<br />
Restaurant<br />
LOT G-49@ <strong>The</strong> Curve,<br />
Mutiara Damansara<br />
Tel: 03.7729 1612<br />
Celsius Restaurant & Bar<br />
LG2-01 Farenheit88 170 Jalan<br />
Bukit Bintang. 55100 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2145 3131<br />
<strong>www</strong>.celsiuskl.<strong>com</strong><br />
El Meson Restaurant &<br />
Tapas Bar No 61-63,<br />
Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru,<br />
59100 Bangsar, KL, Malaysia.<br />
Tel: 03.2282 8290<br />
F Concept Dining By<br />
Buffalo Kitchen<br />
69-1, Jalan Telawi Tiga,<br />
Bangar Baru 59100 KL.<br />
Tel / Fax: 03.2201 1710<br />
Facebook: ‘F’ by buffalo kitchens<br />
Gaucho Grill –<br />
Argentina Steak House<br />
Block B. Lot 5, Chulan Square<br />
92, Jalan Raja Chulan, 50250 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2145 4268<br />
IR 1968 Indochine<br />
Restaurant & Bar<br />
1st Floor, 241-B, Lorong Nibong,<br />
Off Jalan Ampang, 50450 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2141 3550<br />
Jake’s Charbroil Steaks<br />
Starhill Shopping Centre<br />
LG11 Lower Ground Floor,<br />
181 Jalan Bukit Bintang,<br />
55100 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2148 1398<br />
Medan Damansara<br />
21 Jalan Setiapuspa,<br />
Medan Damansara,<br />
50490 KL. Tel: 03.2094 5677<br />
<strong>www</strong>.jakes.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Le Midi<br />
Bangsar Shopping Centre<br />
3Rd Floor 285, Jalan Maarof<br />
59000 KL. Tel: 03.2094 1318<br />
Manhattan Steak House<br />
Block B-05, Plaza Kelana Jaya,<br />
Jalan SS7/13A, Petaling Jaya,<br />
47301 PJ Selangor<br />
Tel: 03.7876 2188<br />
110 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
RSVP: 03.7874 8088<br />
http://manhattansteakhouse.<br />
<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Sanook dine, lounge & club<br />
Synergistic Duo Sdn Bhd<br />
C-06 Plaza Kelana Jaya<br />
SS7/13A Petaling Jaya<br />
47301 Malaysia.<br />
Reservations: 03.7877 3636<br />
reservations@sanooking.<strong>com</strong><br />
Savory Bistro<br />
Basement 3-06,<strong>The</strong> Fare, 10 Mont<br />
Kiara, Jalan Kiara 1, Kuala Lumpur<br />
Tel: 03.6211 5100<br />
Social@Bangsar<br />
57-59, Jln Telawi 3,<br />
Bangsar Baru, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2282 2260<br />
Songket Restaurant<br />
No. 29, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng<br />
50450 KL. Tel: 03 2161 3331<br />
Social @ Changkat<br />
22 Changkat Bukit Bintang, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2142 8260<br />
Sutra@<strong>The</strong> Sanctuary<br />
Lot 151 & 151a, 1st Flr @<br />
<strong>The</strong> Curve, Mutiara Damansara, PJ.<br />
Tel: 03.7710 5033<br />
<strong>The</strong> Meat Experts<br />
G15 & 16, Hartamas Shopping<br />
Centre, 60, Jln Sri Hartamas,<br />
Sri Hartamas, Sri Hartamas, KL<br />
Tel: 03.6205 2577 / 019.653 2843<br />
<strong>www</strong>.themeatexperts.<strong>com</strong><br />
BRITISH<br />
SIDS Pub<br />
Plaza Damansara 10-G, Jalan Setia<br />
Medan 2, Damansara Heights,<br />
50490, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2094 7437<br />
<strong>www</strong>.sidspubs.<strong>com</strong><br />
Terrace Arms<br />
21G, PJU 5/21, <strong>The</strong> Strand,<br />
Kota Damansara, 47810 PJ.<br />
Tel: 03.6150 5277<br />
<strong>The</strong> George and Dragon<br />
Lot G130, Ground flr, Bangsar<br />
Shopping Centre, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2287 8316<br />
CHINESE<br />
Tai Zi Heen<br />
Level 2, Prince Hotel & Residence KL<br />
Jln Conlay, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2170 8888<br />
FRENCH<br />
Mediteranean Restaurant<br />
Le Midi Restaurant Sdn Bhd<br />
Lot T3, 3rd Floor, East Wing,<br />
Bangsar Shopping Centre<br />
285 Lorong Maarof,<br />
Bukit Bandaraya 59000<br />
Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2094 1318<br />
<strong>The</strong> Press Room<br />
Lot G110 Grd Floor, Bangsar<br />
Shopping Centre, Jalan Maarof.<br />
Tel: 03.2095 8098<br />
GERMAN<br />
Bavarian Bierhaus<br />
Restaurant & Bar (Non-Halal)<br />
No.G 8, Ground Floor,<br />
Wisma Uoa Ii, No.21,<br />
Jalan Pinang, 50450, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2166 7268<br />
House Frankfurt<br />
No. 12, Jalan Telawi 5, Bangsar<br />
Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2284 1624<br />
<strong>www</strong>.housefrankfurt.<strong>com</strong><br />
Weissbrau German Bistro & Bar<br />
3.05.02 & C3.16.00, Level 3,<br />
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2142 0288<br />
ITALIAN<br />
Espressamente illy<br />
Pavilion KL<br />
Lot 3.10.00 Level 3, Pavilion KL.<br />
RESTAURANTS BARS<br />
Tel: 03 2141 0028<br />
Bangsar Village 1<br />
Lot F 12 & 13A First Floor,<br />
Bangsar Village 1, Bangsar Baru<br />
Tel: 03.2287 7078<br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.gastrodome.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Garibaldi Restaurant<br />
LG 10 & G22 Bnagsar Village 1<br />
Jalan Telawi Satu Bangsar Baru<br />
59100 KL<br />
Tel: 03.22823456/7<br />
<strong>www</strong>.garibaldi.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Jojo Restaurant<br />
Lot NW01, Ground Floor, Tropicana<br />
Golf + Country Club, 47140 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.6203 5800<br />
<strong>www</strong>.jojoitalianrestaurant.<strong>com</strong><br />
Leonardo’s Dining Room<br />
& Wine Loft<br />
No.61-1, Jalan Bangkung,<br />
Bukit Bandaraya 59100 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2096 2226<br />
Modesto’s<br />
Lot G-02/03/03A, Ground Floor<br />
Cap Square, 50100, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2697 4020<br />
<strong>www</strong>.modestos.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Opus Bistro<br />
67, Jalan Bangkung, Bukit<br />
Bandaraya Bangsar 59100 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2092 4288<br />
Porto Romano<br />
Taman Tun Dr Ismail<br />
28, Persiaran Zaaba, Taman Tun<br />
Dr Ismail, 60000 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.7710 0509<br />
Mont Kiara<br />
K-1 Mont Kiara Banyan, 28 Jalan<br />
Kiara, Mont Kiara, 50480 KL<br />
Tel: 03.6207 8171<br />
Jalan Ampang<br />
G02-06 Ground Floor, <strong>The</strong><br />
Ampwalk, 218 Jalan Ampang,<br />
50400 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2162 6799<br />
<strong>www</strong>.porto-romano.<strong>com</strong><br />
Spasso Milano<br />
347, Nihonkan Club,<br />
Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.4252 7088<br />
JAPANESE<br />
EUJU<br />
Level 2, Prince Hotel & Residence<br />
KL, Jln Conlay, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2170 8888<br />
Gyuchi Japaneses BBQ<br />
Restaurant<br />
No 3, Jalan 19/70A<br />
Plaza Prisma Ville<br />
Desa Sri Hartamas<br />
50480 Kuala Lumpur<br />
Tel: 03.6205 2233<br />
http://<strong>www</strong>.gyuichi.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Xenri D’Garden Terrace<br />
Lot No. 2–04, Second Floor,<br />
Podium Block of Menara Hap Seng,<br />
Jalan P. Ramlee, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2078 6688<br />
Xenri D’River View<br />
No. 20, Wisma Elken,<br />
Jalan 1/147C, Batu 5,<br />
Jalan Kelang Lama,KL.<br />
Tel: 03.77838118<br />
Yoko’s Restaurant<br />
36, Changkat Bukit Bintang, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2144 3378<br />
OTHER ASIAN<br />
Tamarind Hill<br />
19 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2148 3200<br />
Tamarind Springs<br />
Jln 1, Tmn TAR, Ampang.<br />
Tel: 03.4256 9300<br />
SPANISH/LATIN/GREEK<br />
Cava Restaurant<br />
No. 71, Jalan Bangkung<br />
Bukit Bandaraya 59100<br />
Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03.2093 6637<br />
La Bodega<br />
14-16, Jln Telawi 2,<br />
Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2287 8318<br />
La Bodega @ BSC<br />
G109, Grd floor, Bangsar Shopping<br />
Centre, Jln Maarof, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2287 2768<br />
La Bodega @ Pavilion<br />
Lot C3.06.00, Level 3,<br />
Pavilion KL, Jln Bukit Bintang, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2148 8018<br />
<strong>www</strong>.gastrodome.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
BARS & LOUNGE<br />
BAR<br />
Club Quattro<br />
(Restaurant & Club)<br />
Ground & Mezzanine Floor<br />
Avenue K 156, Jalan Ampang<br />
Tel: 03.2166 6566<br />
<strong>www</strong>.clubquattro.<strong>com</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Library Gastropub<br />
Lot 23A, Ground Floor,<br />
E @ Curve, Mutiara Damansara<br />
Tel: 03.7726.2602<br />
Midvalley<br />
LOT G 001 & 001<br />
Ground Floor, Mid Valley Megamall<br />
Tel: 03.2282 6001<br />
IOI Boulevard<br />
B-GF-01 IOI Boulevard<br />
Jln Kenari 5, Bandar Puchong Jaya<br />
Puchong, Selangor<br />
Tel: 03.8070 8077<br />
Avenue K<br />
Grd Floor , Avenue K<br />
156, Jalan Ampang<br />
LOUNGE<br />
T Club<br />
No 8 Jalan Telawi 3,<br />
Bangsar Baru 59100, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2284 4003<br />
SHOPPING CENTRES<br />
Great Eastern Mall<br />
303 Jln Ampang, KL.<br />
Customer Care: 03.4259 8090<br />
Suria KLCC<br />
Kuala Lumpur City Centre<br />
Tel: 03.2382 2828<br />
Tel: 03.2382 3326 Concierge<br />
<strong>www</strong>.suriaklcc.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Sunway Pyramid<br />
Concierge Counter<br />
Tel: 03.7492 9998 / 03.7494 3100<br />
/ 03.7494 3101 / 03.7494 3102<br />
JLN PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway, PJ<br />
SHOPS<br />
AUTO SALES<br />
City Motors Sdn Bhd<br />
Lot 21 Jln Maarof, Bangsar KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2283 3599<br />
Mobile: 012.2013503 (Peter Fong)<br />
Email: Peter@citymotors.<strong>com</strong><br />
(<strong>www</strong>.citymotors.<strong>com</strong>.my)<br />
CARPETS<br />
Razi Gallery<br />
Lot 1.01 1st Floor,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ampwalk, 218,<br />
Jln Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2166 3775<br />
Carpet-Inn<br />
G-26, Grd Floor, KL i-Design Centre<br />
237-241, Jalan Ampang<br />
50450 Kuala Lumpur<br />
Tel: 03.2145 6786<br />
Nasim Carpets<br />
133 Jalan Maroof Bangsar<br />
59100 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2093 8786 / 012.278 6786<br />
Persian Collection<br />
Desa Sri Hartamas<br />
32-2 & 34-2, Jalan 25/70A<br />
Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2300 6966<br />
B.S.C<br />
Lot S12, 2nd Floor,<br />
Bangsar Shopping Centre<br />
59000 Kuala Lumpur<br />
Tel: 03.2094 6966<br />
1MK<br />
L1-9,1st Floor, 1 Mont Kiara Mall,<br />
No.1,Jalan Kiara 50480 K.L<br />
Tel: 03.62059033<br />
ARTS & CRAFTS<br />
Art House Gallery<br />
Lot 2.38-2.43, 2nd Flr, Wisma<br />
Cosway, KL. Tel: 03.2148 2283<br />
Art Valley<br />
B 812 , Level 8, Kelana Square<br />
Jln. SS7/26, Kelana Jaya.<br />
Tel: 03.7880 0991<br />
<strong>www</strong>.artvillage.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
FURNITURE & ANTIQUES<br />
Carpet Inn / Rustic Instincts<br />
G-26, Grd Floor, KL i-Design Centre<br />
237-241, Jalan Ampang<br />
50450 Kuala Lumpur<br />
Tel: 03.2145 6786<br />
Courtyard<br />
1.07, 1st flr, <strong>The</strong> Ampwalk,<br />
218, Jln Ampang, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2163 2868<br />
Eastern Charm<br />
Lot 5, Level 2,<br />
Great Eastern Mall, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.4253 4903<br />
East Heritage<br />
40 Jalan Dato Abu Bakar 16/1<br />
46300 PJ. Tel: 603 7960 5820<br />
<strong>www</strong>.eastheritage.<strong>com</strong><br />
Heritage of <strong>The</strong> Orient<br />
15 Bukit Travers Off Jln Bangsar, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2284 2912<br />
Isofu Modern Living Concepts<br />
KL Showroom<br />
A3-UG-03, Solaris Dutamas,<br />
Nio 1, Jalan Dutamas 1,<br />
50480 KL. Tel: 03.6207 9823<br />
Penang Showroom<br />
170-04-72, 4th Floor,<br />
Gurney Plaza,<br />
Persiaran Gurney,<br />
10250 Penang, Malaysia.<br />
Tel: 04.229 6823<br />
<strong>www</strong>.isofu.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Jonassen Collection<br />
C-G02 Perdana Condo<br />
Jalan PJU 8/1, Bandar Damansara<br />
Perdana, Petaling Jaya Selangor.<br />
Tel: 03.7726 6001<br />
Web: <strong>www</strong>.jonassencollection.<strong>com</strong><br />
E: morten@jonassencollection.<strong>com</strong><br />
Kian Classic<br />
Taman Tun Dr Ismail<br />
Tel: 03.7710 0377<br />
<strong>The</strong> Curve<br />
Tel: 03.7726 3771<br />
Kota Damansara<br />
Tel: 03.5140 8771<br />
Sunway Pyramid<br />
Tel: 03.5638 8772<br />
Shah Alam (SACC Mall)<br />
Tel: 03.5510 1177<br />
Cheras<br />
Tel: 03.9132 1170<br />
Kajang<br />
Tel: 03.8737 0117<br />
Klang<br />
Tel: 03.3326 2770<br />
Jusco Serdang<br />
Tel:03 8941 8771<br />
Lasting Impressions<br />
Petaling Jaya (Premier Gallery)<br />
2 Jalan PJU 3/47, Sunway<br />
Damansara, PJ. Tel: 03.7806 1379<br />
2nd Floor, Bangsar Village II<br />
2 Jln Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2094 6495<br />
Nile Valley Sdn Bhd<br />
M-18, Mezzanine Floor,<br />
Wisma UOA II, No.21 Jalan Pinang,<br />
50450 KL. Tel: 03.2166 2657<br />
Email: info@mynilevalley.<strong>com</strong><br />
TO DISCOVER THE BEST OF RESTAURANTS AND BARS IN MALAYSIA<br />
VISIT WWW.DINEMALAYSIA.COM
<strong>www</strong>.mynilevalley.<strong>com</strong><br />
Scent of the Orient<br />
39, Jln PJU8/5A, Bandar Damansara<br />
Perdana, PJ. Tel: 03.7729 3628<br />
Tian Yi Fine Furnishings<br />
G08A-1 Ground Floor, <strong>The</strong><br />
Ampwalk, 218, Jalan Ampang, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2161 5513<br />
<strong>www</strong>.tianyi <strong>com</strong>.my<br />
GROCERIES<br />
Cold Storage<br />
<strong>www</strong>.coldstorage.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
outlets<br />
Klang Valley<br />
Cold Storage, Great Eastern Mall<br />
Cold Storage, Mutiara Damansara<br />
Cold Storage, Mid Valley<br />
Cold Storage, Solaris Mont Kiara<br />
Cold Storage, Subang Parade<br />
Cold Storage, Alamanda Putrajaya<br />
Cold Storage, Bangsar Shopping Centre<br />
Cold Storage, Suria KLCC<br />
Cold Storage, <strong>The</strong> Mall<br />
Cold Storage, Time Square<br />
Cold Storage, Summit Mall<br />
Cold Storage, One Utama<br />
Cold Storage, Jaya One<br />
Shopping Mall<br />
Penang<br />
Cold Storage, Island Plaza<br />
Cold Storage, Gurney Plaza<br />
Johor<br />
Cold Storage, Plaza Pelangi<br />
Ipoh<br />
Cold Storage, Ipoh Parade<br />
Cold Storage, Melaka Mall<br />
West Malaysia<br />
Cold Storage,<br />
Green Heights Kuching<br />
HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS<br />
Eurochef Malaysia<br />
Unit P-1-21, Block P, Plaza Damas 60,<br />
Jln Sri Hartamas 1, 50480 Kuala<br />
Lumpur. Tel: 03.6201 8863<br />
Email: sales@eurochef.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
<strong>www</strong>.eurochefasia.<strong>com</strong><br />
WINE<br />
Cronier Wines (M) Sdn Bhd<br />
5-6 One Avenue, PJU 6A,<br />
Jalan Masjid 47400<br />
Petaling Jaya Selangor, Malaysia.<br />
Tel: 03.7722 2252 / 4219<br />
<strong>www</strong>.cronierwines-my.<strong>com</strong><br />
SERVICES<br />
AIRLINES<br />
Oman Air<br />
Suite 9-03, 9th Floor Menara<br />
Hap Seng Letter Box 55,<br />
Jalan P Ramlee 50250 KL.<br />
Tel: 012.3239 418<br />
<strong>www</strong>.omananair.<strong>com</strong><br />
ARTS/FRAMES<br />
Aidea Art And Frame<br />
1st Floor, Hock Choon Supermarket<br />
241-1, Jalan Ampang 50450 KL<br />
Tel: 03.2144 3895<br />
Art Accents / Art Archive Asia<br />
No 2F-10, 2nd Floor,<br />
Bangsar Village II, Jalan Telawi 1,<br />
Bangsar Baru, 59100 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2287 1908<br />
Fax: 03.2287 1983<br />
Rustic Instincts<br />
G-26, Ground Floor, KL-i DC,<br />
(next to Hock Choon Supermarket),<br />
237-241 Jalan Ampang, 50450 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2145 6786<br />
Fax: 03.2145 6780<br />
Talens Fine Art & Frames<br />
34, Jln Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Tmn Tun<br />
Dr Ismail, KL. Tel: 03.7727 9820<br />
Winson Loh<br />
Pinkguy Malaysia Art & Frame<br />
Marc Service Residence<br />
A-G-02, No.3 Jalan Pinang,<br />
Kuala Lumpur City Centre<br />
Tel: 03.2166 2166 / 019.319 9235<br />
SHOPS SERVICES<br />
Email: pinkguymalaysia@yahoo.<strong>com</strong><br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.winsonloh.<strong>com</strong><br />
BBQ ACCESORIES<br />
BBQ King Outlets<br />
BBQ King Bangsar Village<br />
LG 15, LG Floor, Bangsar Village<br />
Shopping Centre, No 1 Jln Telawi<br />
Satu, Bangsar Baru, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2287 0399<br />
BBQ King Pavilion KL<br />
Lot 6.24D, Level 6, Pavilion<br />
Kuala Lumpur, Lot 168,<br />
Jln Bukit Bintang, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2141 1309<br />
BEAUTY/FITNESS<br />
Beauty Chemistry Sdn Bhd<br />
Suite 01-05, Level 1, Fraser Place,<br />
Lot 163, No 10, Jalan Perak ,<br />
50450 KL. Tel: 03.2164 1288<br />
<strong>www</strong>.beautychemistry.co.uk<br />
Circuit25<br />
KLCC, Bangsar, Lake Gardens,<br />
Mont Kiara, Taman Jaya.<br />
<strong>www</strong>.circuit25.<strong>com</strong><br />
Tel: 017.312 8491<br />
(Jeremy Bird, NASM Certified<br />
Personal Trainer)<br />
Chi Fitness<br />
A1/01, Ground Floor, Block<br />
Annexe, PJ Trade Centre,<br />
No 8, Jln PJU 8/8A,<br />
Bandar Damansara Perdana,<br />
47820 Petaling Jaya selangor.(PJ)<br />
Lot 1-01 & 1-02, BRDB Tower, 285,<br />
Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya,<br />
59000 Bangsar, K.L, Malaysia (BSC)<br />
Tel: 603-2282 2366 (BSC)<br />
<strong>www</strong>.chi-fitness.<strong>com</strong><br />
Tel: 03.7492 1023/3344 0171<br />
(PJ trade centre)<br />
Marc Optic Gallery<br />
F-238 First Floor, <strong>The</strong> Gardens Malls<br />
Mid Valley City, Lingakaran Syed<br />
Putra 59200 Kuala Lumpur<br />
Tel: 03.2283 6889<br />
Hair Care<br />
Holistic Hair Care Sdn Bhd<br />
Hartamas<br />
38, Jalan 24/70A, Desa Sri<br />
Hartamas, KL<br />
Tel: 03.62058199 / 6205 8299<br />
Puchong<br />
53, Jalan Puteri 1/6, Bandar Puteri,<br />
Puchong<br />
Tel: 03.8063 8899 / 8063 7518<br />
Cheras<br />
15, Jalan Manis 6, Taman Segar.<br />
Cheras, KL. Tel: 03.9130 1899<br />
HEALTHCARE/HOSPITAL<br />
<strong>The</strong> Natural Health Practice<br />
For appointments: 03.2094 1335<br />
For inquiries: 012.637 7993<br />
Add: Natural Harmony, 8-5,<br />
Jalan Batai, Damansara Heights<br />
50490 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tropicana Medical Centre<br />
11. Jalan Teknologi,<br />
Taman Sains Selangor 1, Pju 5,<br />
Kota Damansara 47810 PJ.<br />
Tel: 03.6287 1111<br />
<strong>www</strong>.tropicanamedicalcentre.vom<br />
CAR RENTAL<br />
Avis Rent A Car<br />
Crowne Plaza Mutiara<br />
Kuala Lumpur Main Lobby<br />
Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2144 4487<br />
<strong>www</strong>.avis.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Email: sales@avis.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
SK Travel & Car Hire (M)<br />
Sdn Bhd 012-2065071 (Mr Sara)<br />
COACHES<br />
Plusliner / Nice – KL<br />
Nice Counter, Mezzanine Floor,<br />
KTMB Building, Jln Sultan<br />
Hishamuddin.<br />
Tel: 03.2272 1586 / 2274 0499<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
Copthorne Orchid Hotel,<br />
214, Dunearn Road, 299526<br />
Tel: 02.6256 5755<br />
PENANG<br />
Garden Inn Hotel, 41,<br />
Jln Anson, 10400. Tel: 04.227 7370<br />
KL ODYSSEYDECK<br />
Lot 1E, Shoplex at Mont’ Kiara,<br />
15 Jalan Kiara 50480 KL.<br />
Tel: 1 300 888 121<br />
SINGAPORE ODYSSEYLOUNGE<br />
214, Dunearn Road, Copthorne<br />
Orchid Hotel, #01-09,<br />
Singapore 299526.<br />
Tel: 1 800 639 7739<br />
First Coach<br />
No. 48, Jln Kemuja,<br />
Bangsar Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2287 3311<br />
Lot C02B, Concourse Level,<br />
KPMG Tower, 8 First Avenue,<br />
Bandar Utama PJ. Tel: 03.77253311<br />
AEROLINE LUXURY COACHES<br />
B-5-8 Megan Avenue 1,<br />
189 Jalan Tun Razak KL.<br />
<strong>www</strong>.aeroline.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
DRINKING WATER<br />
Sterling Pure Drinking Water<br />
52 Jln 11/62A, Bandar Menjalara,<br />
KL. Tel: 03.6274 7088<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS<br />
Full list available at<br />
<strong>www</strong>.expatKL.<strong>com</strong><br />
FURNITURE RENTAL<br />
Carpet-Inn<br />
G-26, Ground Floor, KL-i DC,<br />
(next to Hock Choon Supermarket),<br />
237-241 Jalan Ampang,<br />
50450 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2145 6786<br />
Fax: 03.2145 6780<br />
<strong>Expat</strong>s Furniture Rental<br />
45, Jalan Maarof Bangsar KL<br />
Tel: 03.2283 2088<br />
M.K. Homes<br />
Ampang Showroom:<br />
15, Jln Persiaran Ampang Hilir,<br />
Ampang, KL. Tel: 03.4256 7518<br />
Bangsar Showroom:<br />
126, Jln Maarof, Bangsar, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2092 1555<br />
Office: Tel: 03.6189 3331 /<br />
6189 0801<br />
<strong>www</strong>.mkhomes.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Penang Showroom:<br />
521D–08–01, <strong>The</strong> Cove<br />
Jln Tanjung Bungah<br />
11200 Tanjung Bungah, Penang<br />
Tel / Fax: 04.8902 987<br />
Mobile: 016.4506 745<br />
KINDERGARTEN / CHILDREN<br />
Children’s Discovery House<br />
Mont Kiara - Tel: 03.6203 7001<br />
Bangsar - Tel: 03.2093 9592<br />
Ampang - Tel: 012.205 6756<br />
<strong>www</strong>.childrensdiscoveryhouse.<strong>com</strong><br />
Hils Learning Centre<br />
No. 13-2 Jalan Solaris 4<br />
Mont’Kiara Kuala Lumpur<br />
50480 Malaysia. Tel: 03.6203 0029<br />
<strong>www</strong>.hilslearning.net<br />
Little Mandarin House<br />
2, Jalan Limau Purut,<br />
Bangsar Park, Bangsar KL<br />
Tel: 03.2093 0069<br />
229, Jalan Ara, Bangsar Baru, KL<br />
Tel: 03.2287 00689<br />
Summerfields Kindergarten<br />
32, Jalan Sri Hartamas 15,<br />
Taman Sri Hartamas, 50480 KL<br />
Tel: 03.6201 2388<br />
email: enquiry@summerfields.<br />
<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
LANGUAGE SCHOOL<br />
Applied Language Systems<br />
Tel: 012.3391675 / 03.60383192<br />
MAID EMPLOYMENT<br />
Agensi Pekerjaan<br />
Professional Services<br />
No 62A, Jln SS 22/25,<br />
Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya.<br />
Tel: 03.7727 8093<br />
SP-CM Agensi Pekerjaan<br />
Sdn Bhd<br />
No 22, Jalan SS 3/6,Taman Sentosa,<br />
47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.<br />
Tel: 03.7875 2155<br />
MOVERS/RELOCATIONS<br />
Allied Pickfords<br />
Tel: 03.6253 6553 (Kuala Lumpur)<br />
Tel: 04.6464 278 (Penang)<br />
<strong>www</strong>.alliedtoallied.<strong>com</strong><br />
Armstrong Moving (M) Sdn Bhd<br />
2, Jalan 5/149H, Taman Sri Endah<br />
Sri Petaling, 5700 Kuala Lumpur<br />
Tel: +6 03.9059 5595 /<br />
Cell: +6 016.2233 581<br />
<strong>www</strong>.ArmstrongMoving.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
BW Worldwide Movers<br />
11, Jln Sibu 17, Taman Wahyu,<br />
Batu 6, off Jln Ipoh, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.6258 7573<br />
Crown Line <strong>Expat</strong>riates Services<br />
Lot 37645, Jalan 5/37A<br />
Taman Bukit Maluri Kepong<br />
52100 KL. Tel: 03.6275 1830<br />
Felix Relocations<br />
No AR-3A, Megan Ambassy,<br />
225 Jln Ampang, 50450 KL.<br />
Tel: 1-300-88-5511<br />
Inter Grace Movers (M) Sdn. Bhd.<br />
Lot 116, Jalan Semangat,<br />
46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor<br />
Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.<br />
Tel: 03.7954 4908 (Hunting Line)<br />
Email: move@intergrace.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Royal Relocations<br />
35, Kompleks Selayang,<br />
Batu Caves, Selangor.<br />
Tel: 03.6120 8903<br />
MUSIC SCHOOL<br />
Musikhaus Enrichment Centre<br />
(formerly known as Kidz Talent<br />
Lodge @ Ikano Power Centre)<br />
No. 80, Jalan PJU 7/12A,<br />
Mutiara Damansara,<br />
Petaling Jaya.<br />
Tel: 03.7728 0834<br />
<strong>www</strong>.musikhaus.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Allegro Music & Arts<br />
91B & C, Lorong Mamanda 1,<br />
Ampang Point, Selangor.<br />
Tel: 03.4251 5780<br />
<strong>www</strong>.allegromusic.info<br />
PROPERTY AGENTS<br />
IOI Properties<br />
Level 2, Two IOI Square,<br />
IOI Resort, Putrajaya.<br />
Tel: 03.8947 8632<br />
Pen Properties<br />
163-F-4 Jln Perak, Penang<br />
Tel: 04.210 6060<br />
H/P: 016.414 8188<br />
<strong>www</strong>.penang-property.<strong>com</strong><br />
Property Link<br />
91, Jln Telawi, Bangsar Baru KL.<br />
Zerin Properties<br />
36th floor, Menara Maxis KLCC, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.6251 8007<br />
Email: info@virtualrealty.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
PUBLICATION<br />
<strong>The</strong> Wall Street Journal Asia<br />
by Dow Jones<br />
<strong>www</strong>.wsj-asia.<strong>com</strong><br />
SALONS<br />
ish Salon<br />
46-1, Jln Telawi, Bangsar Baru, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.22870920/1<br />
Saw Hair Salon<br />
Lot 401k, 4th Floor, Suria KLCC,<br />
50088 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.<br />
Tel: +603.2171 1881/1882<br />
<strong>www</strong>.saw.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
FOR SHOPS AND SERVICES THAT WELCOME EXPATS,<br />
GO TO WWW.EXPATKL.COM AND CLICK ON DIRECTORIES<br />
SPAS<br />
Body Perfect Ladies Beauty &<br />
Slimming Spa<br />
Embassy Row, Ampang**<br />
Lot 208, 2nd Floor, <strong>The</strong> Ampwalk.<br />
Tel: 03.2161 8882<br />
** subject to change from January<br />
2011 onwards.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Boulevard, Mid Valley City<br />
Unit 23-G (Ground Floor).<br />
Tel: 03.2938 8883<br />
<strong>The</strong> Plaza, Northpoint,<br />
Mid Valley City<br />
Unit B-M-1, Mezzanine Floor.<br />
Tel: 03.2287 87883<br />
<strong>The</strong> Sphinx, Sunway Pyramid<br />
Unit LG1.102, Lower Ground One.<br />
Tel: 03.5636 8882<br />
Website: http://<strong>www</strong>.bodyperfect.<br />
<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Email: customerservice@<br />
bodyperfect.<strong>com</strong>.my<br />
Danai Spa 103 Tanjung Bungah<br />
Park, Tanjung Bungah, Penang.<br />
Tel: 04.899 0899<br />
Donna Spa<br />
S20–27, Pamper Level, Starhill<br />
Gallery, 181, Jln. Bukit Bintang<br />
55100 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2141 8999<br />
<strong>www</strong>.donnaspa.net<br />
Hammam<br />
Lot 3F-7 & 3F-8,<br />
Bangsar Village II, 2, Jln Telawi 1,<br />
Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2282 2180<br />
Email: info@hammambaths.<strong>com</strong><br />
Jati Spa<br />
Novotel Hydro Majestic KL,<br />
Level 4, No. 2 Jln Kia Peng,<br />
50450 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel 03.2147 0888<br />
(ext 7690) or 03.2161 2460<br />
Ozmosis Health & Day Spa<br />
Level 1, 14 –16 Jln Telawi 2,<br />
Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2287 0380<br />
SPORTS<br />
Cue Station<br />
Lot 07-61, 7th Flr, Berjaya Times<br />
Square, 1, Jln Imbi, Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2144 3128<br />
TAILOR<br />
Lord’s Tailor<br />
Lot1.10 & 1.11, 1st Floor,<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ampwalk (Ampang Walk).<br />
218, Jalan Ampang, 50450,<br />
Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03.2166 0918,<br />
2166 1918F18 & F19, 1st Floor,<br />
Bangsar Shopping Centre,<br />
Jalan Maarof, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.<br />
Tel: 03.2094 9776<br />
Summermen Tailor Shops<br />
Pavilion KL - 03.2148 9825<br />
Klang - 03.3324 3462<br />
Ampang Point KL- 03.4252 3668<br />
TRAVEL<br />
Mitra Malaysia Sdn Bhd<br />
Lot G-01, Menara Park,<br />
Megan Avenue II<br />
No: 12 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng,<br />
50450 KL.<br />
Tours: 03.2161 1311<br />
Reservation & Ticketing:<br />
03.2161 2133<br />
Email: info@mitra.travel<br />
Website: <strong>www</strong>.mitra.travel<br />
Prohighway Travel<br />
141, Jln Maarof, Bangsar Baru, KL.<br />
Tel: 03.2282 7979<br />
Tirtha Bridal<br />
Jalan Raya Uluwatu<br />
Banjar Dinas Karang Boma<br />
Desa Pecatu 80364<br />
Bali, Indonesia.<br />
Tel: +62.361 8471151<br />
<strong>www</strong>.tirthabridal.<strong>com</strong><br />
WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 111
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WWW.EXPATKL.COM THE EXPAT 113<br />
bulletin board
LOCALLY<br />
YOURS<br />
Of Queues and QCs<br />
Malaysians are not known to<br />
be patient queuers, unlike<br />
our neighbours down south. I<br />
remember my first trip to Singapore back<br />
in the 1970’s. I suffered a huge culture<br />
shock when I saw Singaporeans lining up<br />
for food, bus rides, movies and everything<br />
else. As a teenager, I had endured many a<br />
rush-hour bruising on bus <strong>com</strong>mutes and<br />
had seen cinema-goers literally climbing<br />
over each other to get their hands on<br />
blockbuster tickets. Back then an obedient,<br />
queueing public was a rare sight for me.<br />
We have improved by leaps and bounds<br />
since then. Nowadays we line up<br />
whenever there’s a crowd, more often<br />
than not. I even have to queue up when<br />
I buy pork because the butcher has a<br />
“No Queue, No Pork” policy. Same at<br />
the chee cheong fan stall. It is difficult<br />
for the vendors to remember who came<br />
first if customers cluster around. A queue<br />
makes it easier to implement the first<br />
<strong>com</strong>e, first served system.<br />
We’ve be<strong>com</strong>e quite good at the waiting<br />
game actually. Some of us go the extra<br />
mile in queuing up for cool stuff such<br />
as the latest release of the Harry Potter<br />
saga, the new iPad or a hot property by a<br />
reputable developer. Queuers have been<br />
known to camp out at the site a day or<br />
two before D-day. <strong>The</strong>y go prepared with<br />
sleeping bag, reclining chair, board games<br />
and books to while away the time.<br />
Though queues are now a ubiquitous part<br />
of our lives, some of us try to get away<br />
with queuing. In your sojourn here, you<br />
114 THE EXPAT WWW.EXPATKL.COM<br />
are bound to <strong>com</strong>e across at least one of<br />
these categories of queue cutters (QCs).<br />
<strong>The</strong> brazen QC charges to the top of the<br />
queue and without so much as a glance at<br />
the second in line, she positions herself at<br />
the coveted spot with a “devil may care”<br />
attitude.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sneaky QC saunters along as if he<br />
doesn’t have a worry in the world. <strong>The</strong>n<br />
he stops somewhere along the first half<br />
of the line. He bends down to retrieve<br />
something he has dropped and picks it up.<br />
But instead of moving along his merry way,<br />
he inches his way into the line, as if he has<br />
just stepped in where he rightfully belongs.<br />
<strong>The</strong> apologizing QC goes to the front and<br />
approaches the second in line and asks<br />
if she could have the next turn please<br />
as she’s in an awful hurry – her baby is<br />
waiting in the car with her five-year old<br />
and her 70-year old father is waiting<br />
for her to send him to the hospital for<br />
physical therapy.<br />
<strong>The</strong> kiddie QC takes advantage of children<br />
who are not ac<strong>com</strong>panied by an adult.<br />
Once this QC identifies a lone child in<br />
line, he will sidle up to the side of the<br />
child. It might appear to a casual onlooker<br />
that they are together until he usurps the<br />
position of the child.<br />
<strong>The</strong> mathematically-challenged QC can<br />
be found at express check-out counters at<br />
the hypermarket or supermarket. Though<br />
the counters expressly states that these<br />
Lydia Teh is as Malaysian as nasi lemak, char<br />
kuay teow and roti canai. Like all Malaysians, she<br />
can eat six meals a day but refrains from doing<br />
for the sake of her waistline. Born and raised in<br />
Klang, Selangor, she still lives in this royal town<br />
which is known for its bah-kut-teh: herbal stewed<br />
pork washed down with Chinese tea. She has<br />
written six books including the best-selling Honk!<br />
If You’re Malaysian and Fun for Kids in Malaysia.<br />
She manages an English language centre, writes<br />
a newspaper column and dreams of literary<br />
world domination. She can be contacted via<br />
<strong>www</strong>.lydiateh.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
lanes are for check-out of 10 items or less,<br />
inevitably someone who exceeds the quota<br />
will <strong>com</strong>e along. When it is pointed out<br />
to the customer that her 5 cans of tuna,<br />
3 cans of baked beans and 6 packs of<br />
assorted vegetables adds up to 14 items,<br />
she insists that she only has 8 as the tuna<br />
and baked beans constitute two items.<br />
<strong>The</strong> best way to deal with QCs is to point<br />
them in the right direction i.e. the end of<br />
the queue. You may choose to do so with<br />
an icy stare and if you want to embarrass<br />
the QC and draw attention to yourself, you<br />
speak up loudly.<br />
Here’s a tip for you to cut queue time<br />
without cutting queue. Use the 2Q<br />
strategy. Bring a cohort with you. You<br />
queue in a different line each so that one<br />
of you gets to the counter quicker than<br />
the other. You will also earn the gratitude<br />
of those in the line that is eventually<br />
abandoned.<br />
Another strategy is to go in disguise as a<br />
heavily pregnant woman. Of course it goes<br />
without saying that this only works for<br />
desperate females. That way nobody will<br />
bat an eyelid if some sympathetic queuer<br />
gives up her place for you. If you want<br />
guaranteed results, straddle a toddler right<br />
across your chest. Not only would you get<br />
to the top of the queue pronto, but you’d<br />
be swimming in pools of <strong>com</strong>passion.<br />
Attempt this at your own risk and pray<br />
that you won’t meet a friend or relative<br />
who exclaims loudly for all to hear, “What<br />
happened to you? Your stomach was flat<br />
as a pancake last week!”
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