Tuesday, June 16, 2009


The high standard of the English Language used and spoken in Malaysia is fast becoming history. It has not acquire the status of history yet, just becoming antic. English is the foreign language that once Malaysians could speak and write so well that even the Englishmen were proud and envy of.

To-day, the Senior Citizen can still speak and write good perfect English, but most of the young Malaysians today speak and write what is called Communicative English. What is Communicative English? It is a language that sounds like English, similar to that of English, most young Malaysians can understand the thoughts of the transmitters of the messages, but it is not English. As an example of the Communicative English, I quoted below the following passage from an English daily:

“Two nabbed over sex posters in hotel
Two men who were busy posting posters offering sexual services in the toilet of a five-star hotel in Genting Highlands have been arrested”.

Let us analyse the sentence.
The main clause in the sentence is: “Two men have been arrested”.
The adjectival subordinate clause is: “who were posting posters” describing what the two men were doing.
“offer sexual services” is an adjectival phrase that describes the kind of posters that the two men were in the process of posting when they were arrested
Where did they intend to provide the sexual services? “in the toilet” is another adjectival phrase that describe the venue for the sexual services.
Which toilet? In the toilet “of a five-star hotel in Genting Highlands” is another adjective phrase that identified the location of the toilet.

Is this the message that the reporter was trying to tell the public? I think not. I believe that the author of the sentence is confused in the construction of that sentence. The sentence is consisted of one main clause, one adjectival clause and three adjectival phrases. The main problem in the sentence is that there is no punctuation therein and therefore the poster describes the kind and venue of the offer, 1.e., “sexual services in the toilet”.

According to the Rules of English Grammar, the adjective is the describing word, which must be placed as close as possible to the noun or another adjective it qualifies. The same rule applies to adjectival clause and the adjectival phrase. Applying the rules to the aforesaid sentence, “sexual services” describes the kind of offer in the “offering” and the phrase “in the toilet” describes the place or venue where the “sexual services” was going to be rendered.

Is it better to restructure the sentence as follows?

The police had arrested two men who were busy posting posters in the toilet of a five-star hotel in Genting Highlands. The posters reveal the offer of sexual services [probably in the hotel or elsewhere, as it was not reported in the English daily].

Here is another sentence that tells you information that is everybody’s guess.

“Free return Airfare to Ho Chi Minh City?”

This advertisement was placed on the Malaysian English daily that I had obtained it in Petaling Jaya. In the first instant, it appears that the advertisement aims to attract the Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City to visit Malaysia, but how can the residents of Ho Chi Minh City read it when the newspaper is sold in Malaysia?

Read on further, you will find that the prerequisite qualification is “minimum total of 3 nights stay required at Hotel XXXXXX Ho Chi Minh City”. It becomes clear that the advertisement is intended for the Malaysian residents to read. From here, let us analyse the word “return”. The word ‘return’ means to go back to the place where you came from. Why must I return to Ho Chi Minh City again after visiting Ho Chi Minh City?

Where are we heading from here?

Thursday, June 11, 2009

PJ Challenge spreads its wings





The P J Challenge 2009, organised by the Association of Backpackers Malaysia (ABM) in association with Kaspersky Lab and Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya, has spread its wings into community services.

Today, Dato’ Dr. Wong Sai Hou, the President of Association of Backpackers Malaysia, and Organising Chairman of P J Challenge 2009 held a press conference at the Sungai Way Old Folks Homes to give out donations to 5 institutions in the vicinity of Sungai Way New Villages.

Dato’ Dr. Wong Sai Hou said that PJ Challenge would, in the future, look into the needs of the communities of the various races in the PJ Utara constituency particularly the communities in the various kampongs and new villages in PJ Utara area. The next press conference will be held on Friday, 12/6/2009 at the SS3 Community Centre at 10 a.m. Come to the Centre to hear out what is going to say.

The group of hashers, road runners, mountain climbers, housewives and families who formed the Association of Backpackers Malaysia (ABM) in 1991 to pursue a common interest – to enjoy the pleasure of enhancing one’s knowledge about the natural beauties of the great outdoor environment, has now moved into the new horizon of interest. The ABM is now committed to serve the communities of the PJ Utara area one community at a time. All of us together can make a difference. Support the ABM’s cause to make a difference. You can make a difference.



Dated 10th June 2009

Saturday, June 6, 2009

1st Puterajaya International Dragon Boat Festival





cene : The Lake at Precinct 6
Date : Saturday, 6th June 2009
Weather : Sunny and bright
Temperature ; hot
Time covered
In the report : Berween 11.00a.m. to 3.00p.m.

It is the first time the festival of Dragon Boat Race is being in Puterajaya.
The 1st Puterajaya Drangon Boat Festival has attracted many participants from China, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan Indonesia and Singapore. The festival is scheduled to last from 5th June 2009 to 7th June 2009. It starts from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

The festival drew a crowd of about 200 spectators on 6th June 2009, but it lack the carnival atmosphere. Besides the boat race in the lake, there are a row of about 10 tented stalls to the left flank of the participant stations, selling T-shirts and other souvenir items. To the right of the participant stations, are a number of food and Drink stalls providing a variety of Malaysian delicacies, pizza, burgers and other tummy pacifiers.

It is a good place for family outing tomorrow if you do not mind the heat, provided also that it don’t rain.






Friday, June 5, 2009

P J Challenge 2009


PJ Challenge 2009 –BLOGGERS “K”ARNIVAL

Come 20th June 2009 is another festival of challenges for Malaysians of all ages from 7 and above. Come to Jaya 33 {Lobby & Level 4) at Section Section 14, Petaling Jaya to Feel Green in the Knowledge City of Petaling Jaya. Join the P J Challenge to make a difference. You can make a difference.P J Challenge 2009 is organised by Association of Backpackers Malaysia (ABM) in association with Kaspersky Lab and Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya.

Today, Dato’ Dr Wong Sai Hou, the President of Association of Backpackers Malaysia, and Organising Chairman of P J Challenge 2009 gave a press conference at Jaya 33 to announce the event of the year. The first phase of the annual P J Challenge organised since 2004 emphasized on awareness of Environment Audit Adventures, i.e:

2004 Climb the 4 Hills in 1 day [Bkt Sg. Rumput, Bkt. Kota Damansara, Bkt. Lanjan and Bkt. Gasing.
2005 Climb the 4 Hills in 1 day, Relays on roads and use of LRT – to promote
use of public transport.
2006 Menara MPPJ Towerthon & Environment Expo
2007 Step by Step Up for Charity
2008 We Love PJU Rivers Campaign – to get groups to save our Earth

P J Challenge 2009 marked the beginning of a new phase – the finger walking to replace the leg walking in the activities, blogging. Come to Jaya 33 on 20th June 2009 to find out more about finger walking. You can make a difference.

Fact about ABM
In 1991 a group of hashers, road runners, mountain climbers, housewives and families got together to form the Association of Backpackers Malaysia to pursue a common interest – to enjoy the pleasure of enhancing one’s knowledge about the natural beauties of the great outdoor environment. The ABM’s main activities are the delightful and yet inexpensive trekking through countries, mountain climing, caving, camping, trail blazing, rock, mountain biking, aquatic adventure, etc. Before the coming of the P J Challenge, the ABM had held the following challenges:

1994 Gunung Tahan All Women’s Team - to climb Gunung Tahan
1995 Climb fot thr Nation
1997 Trans Banjaran Titiwangsa
1998 Cameron Titiwangsa Ascent

Dated 5th June 2009

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Bukit Gasing after the Fire

On the hot Saturday afternoon of 9th May 2009, the fire burnt the hillock to the left of the Route One trail. The fire burned from about 3p.m. until it was put out about 7.30p.m. The cause of the fire was everybody’s guess. Nonetheless, the damage to the hillock is quiet extensive. Most of the plants, trees, bushes and shrubs on that hill surrounded by the popular trails near the Look out Tower were destroyed.

Twenty-two days had passed by when I visited the hill again on the morning of 31st May 2009. The scenery of the hill remained very much the same as I visited on Sunday and Monday afternoon of 10th and 11th May 2009 respectively. The hill has yet to be restored the hill to its natural grandeur. There are signs of soil erosion appearing the slopes facing the fence that runs along part of the trail that leads towards the canopy walk [Monkey Bridge].

Restoration work has to start fast before major erosion takes place. The Association of Backpackers Malaysia invites other NGOs and MBPJ to take part in its plan to plant 206 trees on the hill to mark the beginning of the restoration project. Those who are interested in the project should contact the President of the Association of Backpackers Malaysia, Dato’ (Dr) Wong Sai Hou at contact No. 019-3886122.

On the ridge -2nd day after
the fire [10/5/2009]

Erosion near the fence [on 31/5/2009


Near [below] the Look-out Tower [on 31/5/2009




Path leading to the Look-out Tower[on 31/5/2009]


Along the path parallel to the fence [on 31/5/2009