Yesterday is the briefing and signing agreement session for all successful applicants.

I have to say it is a whole day for me.

The moment I get my turn to summit the documents to officer, my nightmare started. One my document: Surat Tawaran had problem, thus I have to walk from Block A to H for a replacement.

The time is about 10 minutes to 5 pm, I need to move fast to have everything done.

But I managed to summit all with spare of about 10 applicants still waiting. Since it is about time to end, the officer starts to chat and he don't really check properly.

There are about 11 officers to the university, the morning queue is relatively slow. After the puasa break, they make it express. Besides that, one of women officer was having mood swing, maybe her monthly friend visited her.

She scolded the students: "Mana tarikh kamu!!, Kenapa tak susun ni". And those beside her also seemed to scare by her and not to interrupt her. Mostly the officers are women.

The guy beside me when he summit to a young women officer, I and her have a laugh. In one of document, there is a column for parents relationship, he wrote Ibu dan anak, instead of Ibu Kandung.

Getting this loan does not mean you can spend it for others and repayment is a must. I noticed some of the students said they will only repay RM100 per month, why should I paid full around RM350? Others complaining why the process is so troublesome.

Today session, they go for nombor giliran, just waiting to call. While yesterday we have to sit at chairs moving row by row and can't really slip to toilet even.

List of mooncake brands in market:
> Tai Thong
> Six Happiness
> Hei Yuet Thong
> Baker's Cottage
> Oversea
> Kam Lun Tai
> Foh San
> Yong Sheng
> Tong Kee
> Yu Ai
> San Shu Gong/ Prestige Green Point
> Season
> Lotus Vegetarian
> Purple Cane

Previous weekend, I went to Giant Hypermarket Senawang for grocery items. And Six Happiness has already set up their mooncake booth for the upcoming festival.

Education DG says Johor principal fiasco settled
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

August 18, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said today it was just a misunderstanding — the allegedly offensive remarks by a Johor school principal — and the matter had been resolved.

Siti Inshah Mansor, the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra principal, allegedly said that “Chinese students... can return to China,” and likened Indian prayer strings to dog leashes during school assembly.

Alimuddin denied that the principal has been transferred from the school.

“There is no change, the issue was only a misunderstanding and the problem has been solved between the principal and students,” he told The Malaysian Insider by SMS.

The police are currently investigating the case under Section 504 of the Penal Code for provocation which carries a maximum imprisonment of two years, a fine or both.

A total of 17 complaints have been lodged with the authorities.

Kulai Jaya deputy OCPD Deputy Supt Mohd Kamil Sukarmi told reporters that the police would be calling for the principal’s statement to be recorded today.

On Thursday, the principal had reportedly made the derogatory remarks during the launch of the school’s Merdeka celebrations.

“Chinese students are not needed here and can return to China or Foon Yew schools. For the Indian students, the prayer string tied around their neck and wrist makes them look like dogs because only dogs are tied like that,” Siti Inshah was quoted as saying in at least one police report.

State Education Department deputy director Markom Giran has also said that the principal was on leave pending disciplinary action.

The school administration confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that the principal has been leave since yesterday and is expected to be back by Monday.

Yesterday Lim Kit Siang called on the government to remove the principal and said that she should be severely punished for the offensive remarks allegedly made during a school

Police report against the principal racist remarks.

BN Youth wants ‘racist’ school principal punished
By Boo Su-Lyn

August 19, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, The Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth today demanded the government punish Johor school principal Siti Inshah Mansor if allegations that she made racist remarks were proven true.

Their call came after angry parents lodged 17 police reports against the SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra principal, whose remarks the Education Director-General Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom dismissed as a mere misunderstanding which has been resolved. But the parents now say it has not been resolved and described Alimuddin’s statement as a “cover-up”.

“BN Youth calls for the government not to take this matter lightly,” said its chief Khairy Jamaluddin in a statement today.

“If it is true that it happened, she should be charged with a severe punishment under Section 504 of the Penal Code or the like as our multi-racial country cannot accept this at all,” added Khairy, who is also the Umno Youth chief.

The police are currently investigating the case under section 504 of the Penal Code for provocation which carries a maximum imprisonment of two years, a fine or both.

Siti Inshah allegedly likened Indian students wearing prayer threads to dogs and ordered dissatisfied ethnic Chinese and Indian students to “return to China or India”.

The principal reportedly made the derogatory remarks during the launch of the school’s Merdeka celebrations last Thursday.

“Did she (Siti Inshah) not consider the students’ feelings, especially the Chinese and Indians, by making comments that appear to insult and chase them out of the country while they were singing “Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku?” asked the Rembau MP.

BN Youth’s censure against the school principal joins a chorus of condemnation against Siti Inshah since MIC central working committee member S. Murugessan has called on the government to mete out the “heaviest punishment” while DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has demanded for her dismissal.

“Her remarks… are very disgusting and shows her ignorance in citizenship issues and religious rituals in this country. If it is true that it happened, then a severe punishment must be meted out as a lesson and a strong signal that any actions which are not in line with the 1 Malaysia concept, which fosters national unity, must be handled and acted upon accordingly,” said Khairy.

He pointed out that this incident which involved a school head, coupled with another earlier incident which involved the prime minister’s special officer, showed that racial tension was a growing systemic problem in the country.

Datuk Nasir Safar, the prime minister’s former special officer, allegedly said in February this year at a 1 Malaysia event that the “Indians came to Malaysia as beggars and Chinese, especially women, came to sell their bodies”.

He was later asked to resign as the prime minister’s aide and no further action was taken against him. In Parliament, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said that this was because it was difficult to prove if Nasir’s words had any tendency to be seditious.

Another civil servant accused of making racial slurs was a schoolteacher who purportedly made racist remarks but was let off with just a transfer.

School teacher Rusita Abu Hassan who taught in SMK Telok Panglima Garang in Banting had in 2008 allegedly used derogatory remarks on a certain ethnic group in order to “test their level of patience”.

She was later transferred from the school but the punishment was viewed as more of a promotion for she was given a post in a smart school located near to her home.

Parents claimed that Siti Inshah has also made racist remarks in her previous school SMK Kelapa Sawit, where she called Indians Nigerians.

Another student alleged that Siti Inshah gave an example of owning a Proton Saga where a Chinese and Indian are passengers in the car and cannot claim any right to the car, likening it to Malaysia where non-Malay students are mere passengers.

Metzelder says: I hope Government will take serious action against her. At this high level of authority, uttering racist statement is unacceptable to all Malaysians.

Putting in ISA to punish such racist woman is highly recommended by me. If we put words back to ISA, her action justify all requirements; harming country safety and enticing racial sentiments.

Such civil servants should not let off hook because Prime Minister said before they are portraying 1Malaysia.

We must not forget few racist statements made before:

The Ahmad Ismail-Nasir Safar-Siti Inshah incidents are a collective indictment of the failure of the process of Malaysian nation-building.

In August 2008, Bukit Bendera Umno chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail referred to Chinese Malaysians as “pendatang”.

In February this year, the special officer to the prime minister, Datuk Nasir Safar, said that “Indians came to Malaysia as beggars and Chinese especially women came to sell their bodies”.

“It is clear that the Ahmad Ismail-Nasir Safar-Siti Inshah episodes are not isolated incidents but reflect a deeper national malady contributed no doubt by the communal brainwashing perpetrated by Biro Tata Negara over the decades,” DAP adviser, Lim Kit Siang said.

‘Racist’ principal spurs all-out Facebook war (TMI)
By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 – What started out as a fan page for Johor principal Siti Inshah Mansor has escalated into an all-out verbal war on popular social networking site Facebook.

Since Siti’s alleged racist remarks were reported last week, a fan page in support of the principal was created on Facebook.

Titled “Support Puan Siti, a political victim (Sokong Cikgu Puan Hajah Siti Mangsa Politik), the Facebook page (picture) has now garnered 1,943 fans since its creation last Saturday, August 21.

Many wall postings were in support of Siti, with many “fans” believing that the allegations against her was “racial and ethnic”.

But the backing for the principal has not sat well with some Facebook users who have also started posting wall posts on the support page.

“Before I unlike this page, this is the last thing I’ll say. As a Malay girl who is sick with the racist attitude of her own race and has experienced racism from her own race because I am mixed, I want to advise everyone on this fan page to take the high road.

“Don’t insult and hurt the feelings of other races please. This is the Holy month of Ramadhan, by doing this you are only gathering sins. Remember other races are also creations of Allah,” said a post by Sharina Shahman.

Hours after The Malaysian Insider carried out a story about Siti’s support page yesterday, a Facebook page condemning the alleged remarks of the Johor principal was also created.

Titled “Do not support Puan Siti (Tidak Sokong Cikgu Puan Hajah Siti) the page currently has 454 followers.

The page said: “A school principal in Johor was recently accused of using racist remarks in describing her ethnic Chinese and Indian wards in her school. A Facebook fan page supporting the principal has been created and garnered 1365 fans in 48 hours. This page exists for the sole purpose of gathering people who do not support such forms of racism and to show that racism isn’t right.

“Go and have a look at how bad is racism,” said the information page. The link for Siti’s Facebook page is subsequently provided.

“We in Malaysia are a family, so please do not use racial issues for personal gain ... it does not matter whether we are Indian, Chinese or Malay, we are all the children of Malaysia. I hope that this country only has one race, a Malaysian race like 1 Malaysia,” said Gevakumaran Rajoo in a comment on the page.

Some of the comments posted urged the government to take strong action against the principal, citing dissatisfaction that nothing had been done as of yet and that investigations into Siti’s alleged remarks were taking “too long”.

A number of commentators felt that a public apology did not suffice, with some even demanding that Siti be charged under the Sedition Act or the Internal Security Act (ISA).

However, the administrator of the page had also cautioned followers against posting any racially-provocative remarks.

“Expressing your views is encouraged, but please be civil about it,” said the administrator of the “Do not support Puan Siti” page.

Last week, the Johor school principal sparked national outrage when her allegedly racist remarks were reported, following a failed initial attempt by the Education Ministry to placate parents.

The SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra principal had reportedly made the derogatory remarks during the launch of the school’s Merdeka celebrations.

“Chinese students are not needed here and can return to China or Foon Yew schools. For the Indian students, the prayer string tied around their neck and wrist makes them look like dogs because only dogs are tied like that,” Siti Inshah was quoted as saying in at least one police report.

The police are currently investigating the case under Section 504 of the Penal Code for provocation, which carries a maximum imprisonment of two years, a fine, or both.

A total of 20 complaints have been lodged with the authorities.

On Friday, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also directed Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom to set up a committee to investigate the matter.

Alimuddin had earlier said it was a misunderstanding that had already been resolved.

However, on the same day, another principal, this time from Sungai Petani, Kedah was similarly accused of racism for allegedly telling her Chinese pupils to “return to China”.

The Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Selambau head was said to have accused the Chinese pupils of being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during the fasting month of Ramadan last Friday, and ordered them to return to China if they could not respect the culture of other races.

On the bazaar beat

Sunday, August 22

By Aida Ahmad
sundaymetro@thestar.com.my

ADILA Shakir is on a food hunt. The 34-year-old RedFM DJ, better known as Dilly, is on a mission to suss out the best Ramadan bazaars in the Klang Valley, and today she is at the Pasar Ramadan in Shah Alam. With her is Jason Desmond, aka JD, the other half of the RedFM Breakfast show duo.

Since the start of Ramadan, they have both been visiting the food bazaars specifically set up to cater for the breaking-fast crowd. They will later share their findings with their listeners through the radio show which airs from 6am to 10am.

Both have taken on the job as a seasonal addition on their show and have developed a ranking for the places they visit. They call it the “Lemang Scale”, and the bazaars are ranked on a scale from one to five.

Favourite dish: RedFM DJ Dilly getting some putu piring, her favourite dessert for breaking fast at the Ramadan bazaar in Kampung Sungai Penchala, Selangor.

“For the past week of Ramadan, JD and I have been getting recommendations from our listeners on which are the best bazaars to go to. So we’re going to try to visit as many of them as we can,” says the petite lass from Johor.

The aroma of different types of food permeating the bazaar is enough to make one salivate. “Suffice to say, we are spoilt for choice. But since there are still so many days left in Ramadan, JD and I have agreed to try different types of food slowly so we don’t end up wasting them,” explains Dilly.

So does she have a favourite bazaar? “Not really. The ones I’ve tried in the past have been in Bangsar, Penchala Link and TTDI. Recently, I went to Section 14, PJ, and I was very impressed! This one in Shah Alam is huge and there is so much to choose from.”

Dilly says her favourite food during Ramadan are ikan bakar and ayam percik.

“I usually make a beeline for the Roti John too. I also love murtabak but the lines are always so long. And I also love kuih lopis and putu piring for dessert.”

With all the food around, it must be difficult to remember that it is fasting time and one should actually be cutting down on the amount they eat.

“I make it a point to not go overboard at the bazaars because when you’re hungry you want to buy everything,” Dilly says. But she did confess to buying more food than she should have during the first few days of Ramadan. “The eyes are always bigger than the tummy,” she says, chuckling.

The first bazaar they visited was the one in Bangsar. This one, unfortunately, did not score well on their Lemang scale, managing only 1 out of 5.

“It did not have much variety, to be honest,” explains Dilly. “They have the usual fare like Roti John, nasi campur, ayam percik, murtabak, etc. But the murtabak line was so long that we decided not to go for it.”

Ayam Percik is one of the popular items in all the Ramadan bazaars that Dilly and JD have checked out.

Acting upon the recommendation of their listeners, both DJs visited the bazaar in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, on the second day of Ramadan. “It was as good as our listeners said it was. At the end of the day, I walked away with a packet of laksa utara (RM3), ikan pari bakar (RM5) and soya milk (RM2). I was very happy with everything I bought.”

They have also checked out the Ramadan bazaar in Kampung Sungai Penchala, and it was there that Dilly found her favourite putu piring. For this, the bazaar scored a 3 out of 5 on the Lemang scale.

Born in London, Dilly spent her childhood growing up in Saudi Arabia and, from the age of 13, she lived with her family in Johor Baru.

“They didn’t have big bazaars in Saudi Arabia like we do here during Ramadan,” she recalls. “My mother usually cooked at home for us. Otherwise, we met up with other Malaysians at the Malaysian embassy to break fast together.”

These days, Dilly lives by herself in KL, her family having opted to stay put in Johor Baru. “I find that I miss my family even more during this month than any other,” she muses.

Dilly says it usually takes a few days to get used to fasting during Ramadan but her daily schedule keeps her occupied. “After the first week, I don’t really notice it as much. Work is such a whirlwind anyway that time passes by pretty fast for me and by the time I get home, I need to take a nap.”

I’m done: There’s lots of food to be had but Dilly makes it a point to buy only what she requires.

During Ramadan, she spends most of her leisure time at home, she adds. “I focus on my prayers and recite the Quran to make the most of this holy month.”

Her co-host, JD, is not Muslim but he has been observing Ramadan for the past 13 years. “I actually look forward to it,” he says. “It changes your perspective in the long run.”

Ipoh-born JD admits it was tough for the first few times. “But it’s second nature to me now. The best feeling is when you break fast and realise how fortunate you are to have all these delicacies in front of you,” he says, pointing towards the food laid out in front of him.

Lawyer Zuhaida Zakaria Merican, 29, a fan of the RedFM Breakfast Show, made her way to the bazaar in Shah Alam especially to meet the DJs. “I knew they were coming here after catching their show in the morning. My favourite food here is the Roti John and lamb murtabak,” she says.

Ramadan bazaar in SS18, Subang Jaya.

Bursting with buka puasa fare

Wednesday, August 18

By Tho Xin Yi
thoxinyi@thestar.com.my Photos by Sam Tham

Wafts of charcoal smoke fill the air as visitors arrive at the Ramadan bazaar in SS18, Subang Jaya.

Traders can be seen busy fanning stick of satay and chicken wings on skewers while calling out to passers-by to try their delicacies.

On sale at the stalls are mouthwatering drinks in different hues and kuih-muih in assorted shapes. The offerings include roti bom, roti john, char keuy teow and chicken rice.

A rare find: Fragrant steam billowing from Aminah Isnin’s nasi lemak kukus stall.

What sets this bustling bazaar apart from the rest in town is the number of stalls and the variety of buka puasa fare offered.

The many interesting goodies to be found at this largest bazaar in Subang Jaya include Putu Bambu and jacket potatoes, which sell like hot cakes.

Mohamed Kamisan Buang’s stall is a particularly busy one.

A worker moves swiftly from lifting the cooked Putu Bambu from the steamer, to refilling the steamer with bamboo moulds brimming with a mixture of ground rice flour, grated coconut and palm sugar.

Uncle Jilli’s jacket potatoes, wrapped in foil, are arranged neatly on charcoal pits.

They come with six different toppings — beef, cheesy cheese, corned beef, cheesy chicken, chicky island paradise and chicken sausage — although Mohd Razali Jaafar said he had about 15 varieties that he would rotate during the month.

Plenty of choice: Ramlah Jaafar (left) offers more than 40 dishes a day at her mixed rice stall.

Zainal Abidin makes a living by selling nasi lemak but during Ramadan, he switches to kebab.

“There are many stalls offering nasi lemak here, so I decided to make something unusual,” he said.

Other than chicken, mutton and beef, he also offers chicken liver kebab.

While the ubiquitous nasi lemak is sold at every other stall, nasi lemak kukus is a rare find.

Fragrant steam billows from Aminah Isnin’s wooden rice steamer that can hold up to 15kg of rice.

“It’s the traditional way of cooking rice. Other than the taste, we believe nasi lemak kukus contains less cholesterol than the usual variety,” she said.

Unusual buka puasa fare: Mohd Razali (right) has 15 Jacket Potatoes recipes to be rotated throughout the month.

Situated in the middle of the bazaar, Faisol Ahmad Tajudin’s stall stands out with a long queue of customers.

He manages a book store normally but has been putting his murtabak-making skills to use during Ramadan for the past six years.

“A friend shared his recipe with me and I assume it’s the extra eggs that makes it so popular,” he said, busy scooping a ladleful of filling onto the flattened dough on the hot plate.

Nasi campur is also easily available but Ramlah Jaafar’s offerings attract more customers than the rest.

The secret of her success is in the number of dishes available — which can easily be about 40 trays of Malay delights.

“It only takes me two to three hours to prepare all the dishes,” she said.

Her loyal customers, retirees Hapsah Zakaria and Abu Bakar Ahmad, were seen choosing their favourite buka puasa dishes at the crowded stall.

“We are her regular customers for the variety of dishes she has,” Hapsah said.

The husband and wife, who live in SS14, would walk to the bazaar every other day to buy food for buka puasa.

With Ramadan, bubur lambuk is back (TMI)

By Melissa Zavier

The first day of Ramadan and hundreds have already started queuing at the Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru, not so much for prayers but for its famous bubur lambuk or rice porridge with meat and herbs.

Most Malaysian states have their versions of this Malay rice porridge which is specially prepared for the break of fast or iftar or buka puasa as it is known in Malaysia during Ramadan.

The aromatic spices used in preparing the porridge makes the porridge taste delicious and includes cardamom pods, star anise and cumin seeds are added to the boiling pot of rice. Meat is then added and boiled for hours before it is ready.

The rice porridge is usually distributed after the Asar or evening prayers at the mosque where it is prepared by volunteers. Outside the mosque, stalls line the streets during Ramadan selling their versions of the bubur lambuk.

It is also available at the numerous Pasar Ramadan or bazaars that spring up in the evening across Malaysian towns and cities, catering to those who want a taste of delicacies to break their fast.

Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for the entire month of Ramadan before celebrating the Eid or Hari Raya Aidilfitri as it is known in Malaysia.

Fauziah takes the cake

Saturday, August 14

By Derrick Vinesh
derrickvinesh@thestar.com.my

KULIM: Despite the recent increase in sugar and petrol prices, a kuih seller can still afford to sell her delicacies at what can be described as a steal — 10 sen per piece.

And Fauziah Ismail has been maintaining that price for the last 17 years.

The 35-year-old housewife-turned-kuih seller admits that her profit margin is extremely low but she can still earn between RM60 and RM80 a day selling up to 4,500 pieces daily during the Ramadan month.

She feels it is also her social responsibility to sell at the cheapest price possible, especially to those who cannot afford a decent meal.

“When a little child or an elderly person comes to my stall with only 10 or 20-sen in their pockets, I am glad he or she can have something to eat,” she said at her stall on Jalan Kilang Lama.

Sweet treats: Fauziah (left) attending to her customers at the Pasar Ramadan in Jalan Kilang Lama in Kulim Friday

Fondly called “Kak Gee Kuih 10 sen” by her customers, she has been selling her kuih under a tree next to the Kulim Mall since 1993.

Among the 10-sen kuih offered are doughnuts, curry puffs, ketayap, samosa, masalodeh, baby burger, onde-onde, lepat liat, tepung bungkus, lopes pulut, cocoa cake, banana cake, buah melaka, bengkang lenga, baby keria and abuk-abuk.

Fauziah said her bite-size kuih is particularly suitable for children to avoid wastage.

She usually sells about 2,000 pieces from her spread of 15 to 20 types of kuih daily. But during Ramadan, both sales and variety shoot up — to 4,500 pieces a day from the 30 types at her stall at the Ramadan Bazaar nearby, which opens from 2pm to 8pm daily.

Fauziah said she ventured into the business to earn extra income after noticing that her neighbour could make additional money selling economy rice.

“So, I’ve been selling kuih since then,” said the mother of three school-going children aged 16, 13, and seven,

Fauziah said she wakes up as early as 5am and starts preparations to make the kuih, adding she turns down bulk orders of up to 6,000 because she cannot meet the demand.

She is also looking for someone to sponsor a keropok lekor machine because it is tiring for her to roll the batter manually into long strips before cutting and frying them.

A customer, Tengku Nurul Asyikin Tengku Shamsuddin, 26, said she heard from her office colleagues about the 10-sen kuih and wanted to try them.

“I think it is dirt cheap and I am amazed by the operator’s ability to cover her costs,” she said.

Metzelder says: It is good have such honest trader, not ransacking profit. Even now 3 pieces of kuih for RM1 can be considered as affordable.

A slice of the moon (The Malaysian Insider)
By Eu Hooi Khaw

The Ng Yan or assorted nuts mooncake... it's healthy and yummy.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — The small slice of durian mooncake in ping pei just explodes in the mouth with the heavenly aroma and flavour of mau san wong, the king of durians. The ping pei avocado with custard is so creamy and smooth, buttery with a hint of pandan flavour.

I had just tasted the two best mooncakes at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur: the first one has been a top favourite with hundreds of people since it was first made many years ago. Only the best durian suffices for this mooncake, and you have to eat it within three days of you taking it home, not that this is any problem.

The ping pei avocado is one of four new varieties to be added this year, thanks to Shangri-La’s new dimsum chef Low Kien Fatt. Now there are 14 altogether, eight baked ones and six ping pei.

The other three new ones include green tea with candied ginger, white chocolate with kumquat and dark chocolate with almond and hazelnut. The green tea one was a little too sweet but I loved the bits of ginger in it.

White lotus paste with egg yolk. Chef Low is a master of his craft.

The chef would have reduced the sweetness by now as he promised. There’s a citrusy lift to the white chocolate one that I liked, and the dark chocolate with a slight bitter edge and the crunch of nuts tastes good too.

As for the classic mooncakes, Shang has the best Ng Yan or mixed nuts one I have ever eaten. No wonder it sells so well. On the day I was there, someone had just ordered 50 boxes! There are more than 10 ingredients in the mooncake: sweet melon, sesame, almonds, kut paeng (candied mandarin orange peel), melon seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, syrup and rose wine. I like this chewy, nutty and sticky mooncake which fills you up. Think of it as a great, healthy snack.

Most of the baked mooncakes have a very thin skin, just 18g of it per mooncake, all the better for you to enjoy the filling. This is especially true for the white lotus and golden lotus paste. The tau sar (red bean paste) and the Ng Yan have a thicker skin – 25g.

That’s because the Ng Yan has a lot of filling to hold together. And you can’t risk the dark filling showing through the skin for the red bean one. A melon seed called lam yan, which is more fragrant, is used for this mooncake, together with white melon seeds.

Green tea and bird's nest mooncakes... unusual takes on the classic.

Oh yes, the salted egg yolk. “It has to be sung far (light and disintegrate in your mouth),” says chef Low. The sale of mooncakes started on July 1, and since then he has been kept busy making 400 mooncakes a day.

There is another special mooncake that’s so delicate, yet luxurious in taste – the bird’s nest one with custard in ping pei.

The level of sugar in the mooncakes has been reduced in keeping with health trends.

Every year the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur seems to outdo itself in the design of the mooncake boxes. This year’s is a silk-clad, cushiony one in gold and brown.

You can call to order at 03-2074 3560. You will receive two rebate vouchers valued at RM20 each to be used at Shang Palace and Zipangu for every mooncake gift box purchased.

The Mid-Autumn or Mooncake Festival is on September 22.

Other related mooncake posts:

> Baker's Cottage mooncake
> Casahana charcoal mooncake
> Burst of flavours
> Sweet autumn delights

Meanwhile, Baker's Cottage released their new flavours for 2010.

Pricey mooncakes expected due to rise in cost of materials (The Star)
By Lee Yen Mun

Thursday, August 5

PETALING JAYA: Mooncake lovers will be dismayed to find that they will need to pay more for the sweet delicacy this coming Mid-Autumn Festival.

Manufacturers have increased the retail price of mooncakes due to the rise of the cost of raw materials, particularly lotus seed, a crucial ingredient for producing the paste filling of the cake.

One manufacturer said the price of imported lotus seeds had doubled since early this year, from RM11.50 to RM24 per kilo.

P.K. Shum, general manager of Biskut Foh San Sdn Bhd, said the price of other ingredients had gone up as well, including beans, which are used to make mooncakes.


Costly delicacy: An employee of Overseas Restaurant Lisa Lam (left) introducing the different types of mooncake to customer Cass Leong at Jalan Imbi yesterday.

“While the rising cost is reflected in the retail price, consumers should also know that our company has absorbed part of the increase,” he said, adding that consumers should expect to pay between RM1.50 to RM1.75 more for each cake.

Generally, a regular fist-sized cake with only lotus paste filing may cost between RM11-RM12 each while a gourmet variant, such as one with nuts and meat, may cost up to RM15 per piece.

A sales representative for KLT Food Industries Sdn Bhd (Kam Lun Tai), who identified himself as Soo, said the price hike was a chain effect from the rise in all raw ingredients in general.

Asked whether the Government’s subsidy cut for sugar and flour would affect prices, Soo said the margin was not significant enough to affect the overall price.

“What has impacted the price most is the lotus seeds,” he said.

MCA Consumer Affairs Bureau chief Lee Wei Kiat said that it had not received any complaints from customers about the price hike so far.

The Mid-Autumn Festival will fall on Sept 22.

Musang King lovers swear by its rich, creamy taste

By Lim Chia Ying and Priya Menon
metro@thestar.com.my

Photos by Norafifi Ehsan and Chan Tak Kong

Durians, durians and more durians! It is the time of the season again where people would sit on stools, huddled over the thorny husks and taste the yellow-coloured pulp.

The smell can be offensive to those who despise it. But it is probably safe to say that the number of Malaysians who love this fruit outnumber those who don’t, and for this majority, the smell is fragrant!

There are many varieties, with names like Red Prawn, D101, D13, D24, XO, D2 and also Bamboo Leg (Thraka), but the one that is much in demand now, even rising above all is the Musang King (Mao San Wong in Chinese).

The taste of Malaysia’s Musang King had enamoured even Macau’s casino king Stanley Ho so much that he sent his personal jet to Singapore recently to buy 88 of this variety, worth about RM4,800!

While Ho’s worker had wanted to pick up 98 of the Musang King, however, he could only get 88 since the adverse weather had resulted in a shortage of supply.

Beautiful: Cheong showing the yellow flesh of the prized Musang King variety.

Ho gave 10 of the Musang King to his friend Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka Shing.

While Musang King is no doubt sold at many stalls for years, its popularity has increased by many folds now.

So what is the fuss about the Musang King, which is priced higher than the rest.

T.H. Tee, who runs his Durian Hartamas stall in Desa Sri Hartamas, said the best Musang King was from Pahang.

He gets his daily supply from Bentong and said it used to be much costlier but the price had dropped.

Costly: Packets of freshly-packaged Musang King at Tee’s stall in Desa Sri Hartamas, seen here going at a price of RM48 per packet while the smaller packets cost RM20

“The Musang King’s flesh is yellow,” said Tee as he cracked open one to show the contents.

“It’s creamy, too, and has a fragrance that lingers long in your mouth. The quality is consistent and you cannot find fault from one pulp to the other.”

The Musang King is originally known as Durian Kunyit, deriving its name from the yellow colour of the turmeric. Its place of origin is said to be Gua Musang, Kelantan.

Tee said the Musang King had been in Malaysia for more than 10 years but the bigger, better quality ones were often exported to Singapore.

“Singaporeans only need pay half of the Malaysian cost, given their stronger currency value. So they can well afford it,” said Tee, who hails from Johor and had sold the Musang King in Singapore for many years.

This is the first year that he is putting up a stall in Hartamas. For a start, Tee said he was charging his Musang King at a reasonable price, below the market rate although he declined to say how much.

“This way, I hope to build a steady stream of customers here.”

Tee said his durians were supplied fresh daily, as the taste would be less superior if kept overnight. His fruits arrive late in the afternoon after the morning pick.

Only the best: (From left) S. Arumugam, Tharma Kumaran, Pala Kumaran and Daljit Singh, 39, eating the Mau San King as stall owner Tee, offer the best of his wares

Cheong Yeow Choy, who sells only Pahang-supplied durians at his stall in SS2 behind the police station, said Musang King was expensive because of the big demand in Singapore.

“After Stanley Ho made his purchase and sent some to Li Ka Shing, the durian’s popularity shot up even more!

“But there are also people who do not like it,” said Cheong, 49, who is popularly called Kim Mao by his friends and customers for his gold-dyed hair.

Yet there are also people who have no idea what Musang King is.

“The real durian lovers are not likely to opt for Musang King because the flavour is quite standard and predictable, without much variation,” Cheong said.

But Cheong said Musang King was unique because of its distinct yellow colour, small seeds and almost flawless quality of its flesh.

“The reject rate is very small,” he added.

As a durian seller for 32 years, he spent 15 years working in Pahang, and admitted to aggressively promoting durians from the state. He gets his daily supply from Raub and Krau.

“I bring in about 7,500kg of various durians each day.

“Durians that are exposed to the sun tend to be more bitter, while those under the shade tend to be sweeter,” he said.

When asked how a buyer could identify the Musang King, Cheong could only say that there is a certain shape to look out for.

“You have to check the head and bottom of the fruit which has a distinct shape.”

He said there were different grades of the Musang King — the Super Grade or Grade 1 and Grade 2.

The Grade 1, he said, were those from the old trees and which grow higher up in the mountains, while the lower Grade 2 were usually grown on a flatter terrain.

He said he would be drastically reducing the Musang King’s price to make it affordable to all.

Durian lover Tharma Kumaran said the Musang King was the epitome of the durian family.

“We are always getting B and C grade durians in Malaysia because the best are usually sent to Singapore,” lamented Tharma, 36.

“But it’s the tastiest among all. Although the price is higher, I believe a good fruit is worth its value,” he added.

He attributed its good taste to the thicker and creamier flesh and the Musang King gave him lesser indigestion problems.

His brother, Pala Kumaran, agreed that the durian tasted better and was not sticky.

“It comes out neatly from the seed and melts in the mouth,” he said.

Two Taiwanese customers, who were eating at the stall, said the Musang King was their favoured variety.

“It’s the best (durian) for me,” said Hsiao Chih Jen, 61.

“The flavour and aftertaste is different from the other varieties,” Hsiao said.

His friend, Chen Chiu Tung, 60, said he did not mind forking out more money as long as the quality was good.

Both have been staying and working in Malaysia for more than 20 years. “We only learnt to eat the fruit upon coming to Malaysia.

“Now there are durians in Taiwan, but are imported from Thailand which doesn’t taste nice,” said Chen.

But as they say, taste is subjective and whether Musang King is really that good, you are your own judge.

Metzelder says: Honestly say I tried once but don't know which grade and taste is unbeatable.

Other related durian posts:
Durian king of fruits

MAS crew grounded
... pending investigations into body-in-toilet episode

Wednesday, August 4

PETALING JAYA: Six Malaysia Airlines cabin crew members have been taken off flight duties until the completion of investigations into the discovery of a dead passenger in the toilet of the aircraft they were operating on.

The body was discovered by the cleaning crew about 20 minutes after the passengers and crew disembarked after flight MH767 had arrived from Ho Chi Minh City at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at about 10.50pm on Saturday.

It was believed that in their haste to disembark, the cabin crew had missed checking the toilets. It was believed the 38-year-old man was found in the toilet of the economy class of the Boeing 737 airliner.

It was also learnt the police found an empty syringe in the toilet.

Sepang deputy police chief Baharudin Mustapha told The Malay Mail that the case has been classified as sudden death and no foul play was suspected, following a post-mortem.

It is, however, believed that the man may have been an addict.

Baharudin declined to name the man who was on transit at KLIA to Australia, saying the body had since been released to the Australian High Commission for repatriation. Checks showed Malaysia Airlines flies three times daily between KLIA and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Malay Mail was informed the flight and cabin crew will face an internal inquiry to determine why they failed to adhere to standard operating procedure to ensure the airliner was empty before they disembarked.

Sources informed The Paper That Cares the cabin crew was supposed to check all the toilets before and after landing.

The inquiry is also expected to focus on how the man had managed to smuggle in the syringe into the airliner.

Malaysia Airlines Director of Operations Captain Mohamed Azharuddin Osman, in a statement to The Malay Mail, said: "We express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the deceased. The customer was travelling from Ho Chi Minh to Kuala Lumpur. Upon MH767's arrival in Kuala Lumpur at 1050pm (Malaysian time) on Saturday, July 31, the customer was found unconscious in the aircraft lavatory by the ground crew. The ambulance was called and the doctor on duty confirmed that the customer has passed away.

"Malaysia Airlines has standard operating procedures in place whereby the crew is to check through the cabin and aircraft lavatories to ensure that no baggage or items are left behind after all passengers have disembarked. Investigations are currently ongoing into the matter.

"The crew will be taken off their flight duties until the completion of the investigations.”

Guidelines on syringes onboard

LIKE other international airlines, Malaysia Airlines has strict rules on bringing syringes and needles as carry-on luggage.

According to its baggage information posted on its website, the national carrier states: "All medication should have a professional pharmaceutical label on the container if you are transporting medication in your carry-on luggage. If you require a medical syringe, you must have the needle guard intact."

Most airlines also follow the guidelines by International Air Travel Association that if for medical reasons, passengers need to inject themselves during the flight, they are permitted to carry syringes in the cabin. They will be asked to produce appropriate medical evidence (such as a doctor's letter) when they check-in and at security screening points. This should be kept with them at all times

Metzelder says: Firstly I would like to wish condolence to deceased and family.

Indeed it was a sad story that hit out 5 star Malaysia Airlines, but I throughly support and ready to know the truth of it. Generally, we are proud of the high standard of professionalism of MAS cabin and ground crews.

Preventive measures should be taken to avoid such mishap from happening again.

Always fly with Malaysia Airlines!

Some facts about dates

DATES, which are derived from a palm-type tree called the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), have for centuries been a staple food of the Middle East.

According to an article in Islam Online, the date palm is one of the oldest fruit trees in the world and is known as the tree of life. “The number of date palms is about 105 million worldwide covering an area of 800,000 ha, of which 62 million palms are found in the Arab world. The place of origin of the date palm is uncertain. Some claim that the date palm first originated in Babel, Iraq, while others believe that it originated in Dareen or Hoff, Saudi Arabia or Harqan, an island on the Arabian Gulf in Bahrain,” it says.

The fruit’s English name, as well as the Latin species name dactylifera, both come from the Greek word for “finger” – dáktulos – because of its elongated shape.

The sweet reddish-brown fruit is also an excellent ingredient in baking and for making jams.

Low in Calories: Dates have a very low calorie count; around 23 calories for a single date fruit. That is why it is also suitable for health conscious people.

Read more: www.brighthub.com/health/diet-nutrition/articles/38855.aspx#ixzz0v8y0lGud

Rich in vitamins: Dates contain a variety of B-complex vitamins including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 and pantothenic acid. They also contain magnesium, which is important for healthy bone development and for energy metabolism, and iron which is essential for red blood cell production.

Health aid: The soluble fibre in dates can help to lower serum cholesterol levels, particularly the undesirable low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

Storage: Dates can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to three months before they lose their quality.

> Dates should not be left for more than two weeks at room temperature.

> When choosing dates, pick those that are plump and even-coloured.

> When consuming raw dates, make sure to clean them properly.

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Deluge of dates

Deluge of dates

By Aida Ahmad
sundaymetro@thestar.com.my

Photos by Muhamad Iqbal Rosli, K.E. Ooi and Sam Tham

With Ramadan around the corner, dates are back in the limelight, filling the shelves of supermarkets, gourmet outlets and, soon, the street bazaars.

COME Ramadan every year, there is one thing that is always present at the table for breaking fast – dates (or popularly known as kurma in Malaysia).

This sweet fruit is part of the ritual of breaking fast because of its nutritional content. Comprising 70% sugar mainly in the form of fructose and glucose, it is thought to be a good energy booster after a day of fasting.

Mouth-watering: Christina Arulandu and husband Gunalan Pillay buying dates from Mohamed Meera (right).

It is also said that it was Prophet Muhammad’s practice to break his fast on dates, and it is therefore recommended that Muslims observe the tradition.

Dates are available all year round, but in the month of Ramadan, they are everywhere, flooding the shelves of supermarkets, grocery stores and, especially, the Ramadan food bazaars.

The varieties available are also astounding - from the fresh to the dried versions, and gourmet to the less expensive ones sold at the street stalls.

As the fruit has to be imported – from countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran to name a few – the prices will vary depending on the retailers and the source.

With Ramadan dawning soon, dates are now making their full frontal presence in supermarkets and gourmet stores. And they will literally flooded the streets once the Ramadan bazaars are set up. In Kuala Lumpur, one can shop for reasonably priced dates, such as those imported from Tunisia, at RM20 per kg at the Ramadan bazaars along Jalan Masjid India, Jalan Chow Kit and Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman. As Hari Raya approaches, the dates here can be had at bargain prices as traders would want to clear their stock by then.

Medjool Dates at MBG Fruitshop outlets in the Klang Valley.

In Penang, the name Meera Sahib is well known for its quality dates. A company located on Penang Street, it claims to have been in the business for well over a century and one of its products is aptly called “Kurma Meera”.

According to Mohamed Meera Sahib Mohamed Noordeen, grandson of the founder Mohamed Meera Sahib, the company imports quality dates from Egypt, Tunisia, Iran, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), China and Pakistan.

“We have a new brand of dates called Meera Deglet Nour from Tunisia,” says Mohamed Meera. “This is the bestseller so far. Our online orders are better this year even prior to Ramadan,” he adds, explaining that 15% of their sales are from online orders. “The dates are delivered throughout the peninsula via courier service to reach the customer the day after they place their orders. Payment is via credit cards, PayPal and through local bank transfers.”

He says that Meera Sahib was the first company to import dates from Iraq. Known as Zahidi dates, these used to be only available during the fasting month. “However, we don’t sell Zahidi dates anymore as the quality was not suitable for the Malaysian market,” he says.

Among the varieties available at Meera Sahib are the Deglet Nour and Mozafati (honey dates) from Iran; Ajwa, Safawi and Mabroom from Saudi Arabia; and Medjoul and Barhi from Jordan. The most expensive is the Ajwa (kurma nabi or Prophet’s date), which costs RM100 per kg. The name explains why it is very expensive.

Chocolate-covered dates at Bateel are the most sought-after.

Mohamed Meera says most of the varieties of dates are available throughout the year. “We have full-time distributors in each state and we also have a network of distributors in other countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei,” he adds.

Generally, Meera Sahib dates are sold at RM3 to RM85 per kg (wholesale price) and RM5 to RM100 per kg (retail price) according to the types.

This year, Meera Sahib will be sponsoring 5,000 copies of The Star in Penang and 5,000 copies in the Klang Valley and will also be giving out boxes of dates during Ramadan. “We usually begin to distribute the dates one month before Ramadan starts,” he says. (Online orders can be made at http://www.kurma.com.my/. For details, call 04-2613864.)

Another major supplier of dates, and spices as well, in Malaysia is Yusuf Taiyoob Sdn Bhd, in Bukit Minyak, Penang (04-262 7227). Proprietor Datuk Yusuf Taiyoob says the sale of dates this year has increased by as much as 20%, and it isn’t even Ramadan yet. It just goes to show how popular the fruit has become among Malaysians, although the company also supplies dates to Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei. “So far it has been good. We have been able to keep up with customer demands year after year,” he replies when asked how he keeps up with the demands of customers.

Yusuf Taiyoob imports 40 to 50 types of dates from countries such as Oman, Tunisia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Africa and Turkey. Prices range from RM3.50 per kg to RM100 per kg. Established in 1988, it has a concept store in Penang called Souq Al-Arabia, which is on Beach Street. Yusuf says he expects to open four similar concept stores in Kuala Lumpur within the next two years.

The orange peel stuffed dates at Bateel.

If you want the Rolls Royce of dates, look no further than Bateel at Bangsar Shopping Centre. A Dubai-based company, Bateel, with its tagline “The World’s Only Gourmet Date Malaysia”, is an upscale gourmet confectionery boutique specialising in premium dates, chocolates, pastries and other gourmet products. There is another outlet in Midvalley Megamall and a retail showroom in KLCC.

Bateel’s concept depicts an exquisite blend of Arabic architecture and modern retail environment reflective of the rich cultural tradition of the Gulf region. From its own groves in Al-Ghat, Saudi Arabia, it offers more than 20 varieties of high quality dates including Naboot Seif, Sokari, Kholas, Sekki and Khidri and all are available all year round.

Bateel dates are sold at prices ranging from RM10 per 100g to RM37.50 per 100g. The biggest sellers are dates stuffed with pecans, orange peel and lemon peel. “We replenish the stock of dates at our outlet every two weeks, in line with our emphasis on strict quality control,” says Bateel sales retail supervisor Norazimah Abdul Wahab. “It definitely sells better than the chocolates.”

If you find yourself at Bateel, don’t be puzzled at the “XPL” and “PL” lable on the dates. They mean “Extra Premium Large” and “Premium Large” respectively.

Due to its high content of sugar, even though it is natural, dates might not be good for some people, and especially for diabetics. However, there are certain varieties, like the Sekki dates, which contain less sugar. “Sekki is also known to have more vitamins,” says Norazimah.

Bateel has also developed many products related to and derived from the fruit, including sparkling juice, nectar or dhibs, jams and biscuits, cookies and date chocolates as well as gourmet chocolates. Visit Bateel Asia online at www.bateelasia.com or contact 03-7963 2131.

To avoid the Ramadan rush, most supermarkets including Giant, Tesco, Jaya Jusco and Carrefour have also started selling dates. At Cold Storage in Bangsar Shopping Centre, Ajwa dates from Medina are available at RM132.99 per kg. It also sells California Medjool dates at RM69.99 per kg as well as a whole range of other imported dates from China, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. The Kalahari dates from South Africa are priced at RM139.99 for a 2kg package.

At the MBG Fruitshop, which has 17 outlets all over Klang Valley, customers can redeem a 15% discount on Medjool dates if they bring this article with them, says Adnan Lee, managing director of MBG Fruits Sdn Bhd.

(Visit http://www.mbg.com.my/ for outlet locations.)

“We sell about 3,000 boxes of Medjool dates imported from California during the fasting month,” he says. The Medjool dates are retailed at RM59 per kg. Tunisian dates priced at RM29.90 per kg are also available there.

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Some facts about dates