Victoria Market, Melbourne

So now we appreciate Supasave prices as the prices here are not that cheap either... higher living standard, higher food prices... its a cycle.

Melbourne, Australia

Hotel Windsor in Melbourne

Monash University, Caulfield Campus (next to the Caulfield train station, its in Zone 1)

Ikea at Richmond...

Scenes from Victoria Market

ps. been to the McDonald restaurant, dont understand why they dont have wash basin to wash hand. Where's the cleanliness and hygiene of a big city?

Brunei's B$202 Million Subsidy

What Is Foregone For The $202mil Subsidy
By Za'im Zaini

Bandar Seri Begawan - A total of 2,880 units of low-cost housing, 20 health centres, 12 schools, 170km of new roads, 100,000 new computers for schools and 1,400 scholarships for students on a first degrees course overseas.

That is the estimate the government could have spent on instead of the $202 million that the government pays in subsidies for gasoline and diesel (2007 stats). This was among what was revealed in a pamphlet distributed yesterday during the Subsidy Awareness Campaign launched at the Gadong petrol station. Present M guest of honour was Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office.

The event began with a welcoming speech from Hj Zolkiflee Hj Abdul Karim, Acting Director for Petroleum Unit. This was followed by the minister launching the awareness campaign by distribution of pamphlets and an informative poster.

The pamphlet also reveals that the amount $202 million in subsidies for gasoline and diesel is the highest figure paid by the government ever since the introduction of subsidies in 1978.

The subsidies paid for 2007 on premium 97 gasoline per litre is $0.3293, super 92 is $0.3207 per litre, regular $0.4127 and diesel $0.4990.

At the moment according to current market price, subsidies paid on premium 97 gasoline per litre is $0.49, super 92 is $0.48 per litre, regular $0.55 per litre and diesel $0.67 per litre.

Gasoline remains the highest in petroleum products used as in 2007 with over 250 million litres while in 2006 it was more than 300 million litres. Diesel use last year was less than 250 million litres usage and slightly above 200 million litres.

Brunei's price for gasoline is the lowest priced in the region per litre at a rate of $0.53 per litre as well as diesel at $0.31 per litre.

Thus, the public is urged to plan their journeys more wisely, use the bicycle or are encouraged to walk, to slow down, to make sure the car engine is in good condition — to name a few of the tips given.

The campaign is to inform the public on the price difference between subsidy and commercial, amount of government subsidy and also practical tips on how to save on gasoline and diesel usage. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

---------------------

B$16.8 million for one school

B$10 million for one health centre
B$1.1 million per km of road
B$144,000 for an overseas degree
B$70,000 each for a perpindahan house
B$2,020 for a computer

One wonders how much does the government spent on rentals to house public servants? It must run into millions of dollars as well. If these are taken into account as well, am sure that the government can save a lot of money.

But while saving money is most important, one do wonder that if the savings are made, will the money actually go to build or pay for the infrastructure? Why then do you hear that contractors are not paid on time? I remembered hearing that the cleaners in govt institutions were not even paid on time, and mind you, how much do these people actually earn? Sigh... so many things to "clean up" before all those saving will really benefit the whole society.

Birthday Buffet at SKR... (Seri Kemayan Restaurant)

Dont Forget the Egg..."I got the most ballons... U cant have it.."

The balloon maker..

Longevity noodle...
Lamb...

The fish

The Chicken

The Prawns

Dinner at Seri Kemayan Restaurant

Happy birthday baby... :-)

For Chinese, the red eggs are a must when celebrating birthday... The reason... have to check with the elders on this

Good food!!!

Jalan2 to Gadong and Meragang on a Friday

My fav food when at Ideal... however, the sauce is not like before... not that tasty anymore....

Above: The road to Gadong, the "workshops" of Brunei...

Above: Meragang Beach or Crocodile beach, in Muara.

Above: Hey, they even have a surau here!!

Above: The shorelines used to be further than it is now.. look at the distance of the sea and the trees... I hope the authorities will save our coastline...

8 Course Chinese Wedding Dinner in Brunei

Below: Quite watery Sharkfin soup...

The chicken was not bad... then again maybe coz i like chicken.. hehe

Always a favourite to all, fish no matter what form...

The fried rice is also best..

Butter prawns was good.. big and everyone only got one to eat...

Hmm.. the beancurd wasnt that good... got smell.. hehe..

sago with rockmelon... not bad

The DJs... not bad, but 2 wedding dinners at the same place in 3 weeks, we have heard of the songs before la... by the way, when it comes to "yam seng", NO MATTER what, I believed that the DJ SHOULD ask all the diners/guests to STAND UP and hold up their glasses to the bride/groom family as a mark of respect


Congrats to the friends and many happy returns for your wedding! :-)

We are Forever Grateful to our Late Sultan...

2008/05/14 New Straits Times...

Oil royalty to states stays at 5%

THE 5% royalty going to Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu on oil and gas extracted by Petronas will not be reviewed.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Senator Datuk Amirsham A. Aziz, said financial considerations prevented the government from acceding to their requests for an increase in royalty.

This was because any increase in royalty to the states would eat into the 10 per cent royalty the government received from Petronas.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Alexander Nanta Linggi (BN-Kapit) on whether the federal government would look into increasing its royalty from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

To another supplementary question from Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh), Amirsham said the formula involving royalty on oil and gas saw the government receiving 10 per cent, of which five per cent was given to the three states.
To the original question from Dr Wan Azizah, Amirsham said that between 2004 and last year, Petronas paid a total of RM26.839 billion in royalty to the federal government, Sabah, Sarawak and Terengganu.

The Federal Government received RM13.4 billion, Terengganu (RM7.3 billion), Sabah (RM1.2 billion) and Sarawak (RM4.8 billion).

Amirsham said that based on current oil extraction methods, crude oil and oil condensates were expected to last 22 years while gas reserves would last 39 years.

"Even though there are many years for the reserve period (oil and gas) to expire, the fact is that the country also imports oil and gas to meet some local energy needs.

"Thus, the country is expected to be a net energy importer by 2014," Amirsham said.

To another question, Amirsham said oil production in Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak for the financial year ending March 31, last year, stood at 241.3 million barrels of crude oil.

Gas production was 2,081.4 billion square feet, he added.

He said crude oil and gas products exported by the subsidiaries of Petronas were sold at current world prices whereas the price for domestic sale of gas-based products for the electrical and non-electrical sector was fixed by the government.

------------------------------------------

The Sabah, Sarawak and Trengganu people are angry that the Federal Government is refusing to increase the oil royalty and some bloggers mentioned that Bruneians were lucky to opt out of Malaysia when it was formed in 1963.

Yes, we are forever grateful to our late and beloved Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III for his wise decisions on not to join Malaysia, otherwise, we would be one of the top 3 poorest state in Malaysia... as what is happening in the 3 oil producing states in Malaysia now.

After the statement from the Minister, I wonder would any katak lompat to Pakatan Rakyat now since Anwar Ibrahim promised to increase the oil royalty to the oil producing states??? Interesting times in Malaysia now....

Chinese Miri Temple

The Miri Chinese temple (Tua Pek Kong Temple) located near to the Central Fish Market, Miri, Sarawak, was completed in 1972.

According to the history of the temple as supplied by the TPK Temple Committee of the Miri Chinese Charitable Trust Board, when Miri was booming due to the discovery of oil in the early 20th century, an unknown epidemic struck the town that caused a lot of deaths. A Chinese wise man, Chan Chak suggested that a monk must be called to appease the evil spirits.

A spirit pacifying ceremony was carried out near the Miri river and an altar was placed. It worked and in gratitude, the local population erected a temple around 1913 near the river to honor the revered Tua Pek Kong, a god commonly worshiped by Chinese immigrants.

During the 2nd World War, the temple was the only building in town which survive the Japanese bombings and all the Chinese who took refuge in the temple... Hmm... even the Brunei Town's Chinese temple survived the Japanese bombing... I wonder if there's any particular reason for that...

Today, it's architecture is as magnificent as the one in Kuching's and is one of Miri's tourist attraction.

Brunch in Tutong Town...

I wonder how many people actually go to other districts during their off day just to explore our country Brunei Darussalam, or do people just think of going to Miri, Singapore or KL as the only time that we actually have a holiday or relaxing time?

For me, i like to wonder around the whole country and if possible the whole island of Borneo, just to see whats around us...

Anyway, this pic are the pics of the food from a restaurant in Tutong Town which I think is not bad... at least the restaurant's aircon is working and the staff are quite attentive to the customers....

The infamous Halim Plaza... from the moment it was constructed, there were many problems and until it was finished, it never see any light of hope of being profitable investment....
Hardly anyone goes there and the tiles are dropping pieces by pieces....

Chix chop... well worth the $$$... heheh...

Kolomee....

Bakut teh... the one in Jln Tutong is better, so say the customer...

By the way, who are the people who plan Tutong Town? Have they actually see how terrible is the planning there? Why are the roads made in such haphazard manner??? No wonder the Halim Plaza could not get any customers.... well, almost any.... anyway... get it?