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I was born Malaysian

Location: Kundasang. Photo: The Chukai Insider

Malaysia Day has passed us. I do not know how your version of celebrating Merdeka and Malaysia Day but surely is something that we have always taken for granted.

I leave the space to tell about our histories to the newspapers, documentaries and to some both clever and stupid politicians. Besides, there are lots of versions of the history of Malaysia than any other time in the media today. Go to The Star, you will have the snippets of its own version of history and The Malaysian Insider features many articles with many different opinions. Watch a politician’s Youtube video, you will totally get another different version. Aren’t they enough for you to get interactive learning of your nation’s history? Duhh.

However, we must take stand to so that we know we are heading in our process of understanding. It does not mean we are closed for discussion and further corrections when we take our stand. For me, the notion that our nation had never been colonised before is just playing with semantics. Why not? (You can read all the legal stuffs portrayed by the historians at other websites). Colonisation was not just about playing with legal words, agreements and paper works. It is beyond that. So, when some quarter of people saying that we were not colonised before made me think of how we view our dijajah era. Was it just about the technical details that marked the colonisation period? Was there no penjajahan (colonisation) to the minds of the people?  Or as in Malay ‘penjajahan minda’?

But it is good that we have this kind of thing in Malaysia. Our society has begun to mature and able to accept people’s views and synthesise from it. From there, we would be able to judge which are the best opinions and the most perfect version. Mind you that we live in a democratic society and open discussion and projection of ideas are things that make us a blooming democracy. In my Trengganu words- gining baru kelas, nampok pandai-pandai orang Malaysia. Dok la ikut belake cakap orang! Hok mane betul tu betul gok! Nampok macang negare maju skit! Dok ke kelas gitu?

How can it be more interesting than to live in today’s political landscape? Many things are happening in our political world which we cannot run away from since it shapes our society and consequently shaping us. Don’t you think we would have been a different person if we were born in a communist country? Yes, Mat Sabu. Anything to add? Or the pain on your right/left leg come again and you are not able to answer that? I thought the expensive medicine made the pain gone? No?

Enough of that.

Or would it be different if we were born in a nation where there was only one religion, one race or even one party? That would be worse for Muslims in Malaysia. Where would there be space for you to get to know each of different people when our religion says that we must get to know each other?

Overall, Alhamdulillah that I was born in Malaysia. Alhamdulillah too that I was born in 1990 when after 21 years after that was the most interesting period of the political landscape of my beloved nation. Let's do something good for Malaysia!-The Chukai Insider

KK Stories: On MASWings

I flew with MASWings from Miri to the intoxicated Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. On the way to Kota Kinabalu, the flight attendants were all male. Maybe that was the reason why the security briefing were made through the video and not by them, according to my friend. Very classy and stylo! 

While it was a new unique experience to get on a plane which has 'blades of fan' as one of its one-of-a-kind features, the security briefing was the most interesting. You know, the one which no one wants to hear. But wait, on MASWings, the announcement deserves an accolade. Why? These are some of the things I remembered 'the lady in the video' told me:

1. 'Sila tanggalkan kasut tumit tinggi anda ketika kecemasan' (Please take off your high heels during emergency).

2. 'Kami tahu anda sayangkan telefon bimbit anda, tapi anda harus mematikannya agar tidak mengganggu sistem penerbangan kami' (We know that you love your handphones, but please switch them off to avoid interference).

The seat was spacious and far more comfortable than AirAsia. Still, it is the cheaper way to travel around Borneo.

My friends love MASWings for its unique experience. For me, it is because I got two drinks from the stewardess. *Smiles.-The Chukai Insider

KK Stories: Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA)

As I have mentioned before, there will be many more posts about my trip to beautiful Kota Kinabalu. My friends and I went there on MASWings. For those who have not heard about the airline, it is actually a subsidiary company of Malaysia Airlines System (MAS). The check-ins are made at the same counter as MAS' but the flights are connecting regions in Borneo only. Actually, if you are looking for a small budget but with a premium service, MASWings is definitely the best choice for you to travel around exotic Borneo. 

My flight ticket just cost me RM16. However, with the 'tax' and other stuffs, the whole whole return ticket from Miri increases to RM130. Overall, it is still the best option. Considering that AirAsia's ticketing system in which you have to book like who-knows-how-many-months-before and how freaking expensive they are when you book very close to the departure date, MASWings is far the best option you can have. They even serve you muffins and drinks on flight. Their stewardess don't wear tight red skirts that reveal everything as well! Yes, you are a stewardess of a budget airline, but it does not mean your 'kain' to make the skirt must be 'budget' as well. Kalu tak faham tu takpe la, kalu faham tu, pandai-pandaila tukar uniform tu biar longgar sikit. Rasanya ada MP bersuara pasal ni dalam parlimen dulu. 

Sunrise seen from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA). MAS flies non-stop from KL to KK. 

What I like the first time I touched down at the airport is the sense of welcoming and warmth of the Sabahans. The immigration officers are very friendly. I don't know whether this is a 'Sabah thing' or what, but they are really friendly and other immigration officers in Malaysia who is really at the front line of our tourism products should learn from them. To compare them with the officers at the so-called Marina Resort City is nothing! 

2.5 millions of tourists came to Sabah in 2011 (Source: [Here]) and I think the immigration officers have played their part very well. Another thing to be reviewed- the airport.

I don't know how excellent an airport can be but for sure you spend most of your time there when you travel. I don't know how to rate how good an airport as well, but considering that my friends and I slept there for a night, it worth to mention that it is one of the best in its class.

If looked from side, the shape of the structure looks like a cross section of wing of an aeroplane- aerofoil.

For small budget backpackers, if you really are on a tight budget, save some money and sleep at the Main Terminal of KKIA. Yes, I did that and it worth experiencing. 

The WiFi was good, chairs and benches were comfy enough for me to sleep on and the toilets are okay. Maybe there should be some other form of entertainment inside the building- maybe a playground for kids or a bookstore. And, I could not find newspaper sold inside the building and maybe you can work on that.

Yes, other airports are more beautiful but I can assure you that this airport is probably the most beautiful in Malaysia after KLIA. I could not check out the facts about the architecture of the building, but from side, it looks like the cross-section of the wing of aeroplane. Bernoulli's principle, anyone?

The thing that you will notice about this airport is how huge it is compared to other international airports in Malaysia. A friend of mine said that how to see whether an airport is good or not is to look at the shops. Yes, KKIA has excellent shops. Not as good as KLIA, but still..duhh.

I know it is stupid to compare this airport to LCCT but Puduraya is far better than LCCT now, so buck up! You can't even read a book in LCCT and not because it is noisy in there, it is because you have to use your book to fan yourself so you won't be scorchingly burnt inside the LCCT oven!

Dear KKIA, my friends and I love you!-The Chukai Insider

Kota Kinabalu Trip 2011

It feels like the Raya Holiday has gone very fast. I came back from Chukai to Miri with a mission- getting myself a motorbike. Alhamdulillah, I have the rezeki and my du'a has been granted by Allah SWT. Finally, my father gave his approval for me to buy a motorcycle. The story will be featured in a different post. 

Another thing that made me excited was the trip to Kota Kinabalu or KK in Sabah. The plan to go there came as a little bit fast and unintended for my friends and me. We were not planning it but some other friends out of our Assabiah-ism (that's what we call ourselves since many of our friends always think that they are really hard to join our 6 group of people) invited us. Alhamdulillah again for Allah SWT has us to get to know more people and make more friends in a very unexpected ways.

Kota Kinabalu is one of the most beautiful places in Malaysia. It's really good for your money too. It worth to spend some money just to go to Kota Kinabalu only. I really should thank my friends who invited me to go along with them to KK. 

I plan to tell the stories of Kota Kinabalu as detail as possible and the upcoming posts will be as short as possible but filled with tonnes of photos. Overall, I really like KK even the airport- the main terminal, not the low-cost for sure.

I know I tend to be heartless and do not satisfy and feel other's warmth easily but I find that I can smile and be very nice to the Sabahans easily. You want to know why? Because Sabahans are such warm and delightful people. 

How could not someone be very happy (note: I don't get satisfied with sour faces at local immigration officers at other places) when the immigration officers treat you as 'new' friends? They even ask what degree are you doing (if you're still a student, of course!) and when you mentioned 'Geology', an immigration officer replied 'Oh, nak kaji batu dekat Kinabalu la ni!' (Translation: Oh, that means you want to study the rocks in KK lah!) To other immigration officers in Malaysia, this kind of simple thing that made people feel welcomed. Not the tallest tower that they will remember but the sweet chubby immigration officer with the name of a football player will be in their hearts. How can you beat that? 

Another story to tell about the warmth of the KK-ians- the cashier and waiter at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Yes, sometimes Malaysians cross the line when they try to be friendly but that's all relative. While Asha Gill wrote in her fortnightly column in The Star that sometimes it crosses the privacy line, I beg to differ. We are Malaysians- we really want to know about other people. We tend to get to know other people and from there, we get to care each other and treat them the right way. At the KFC, a cashier even laughed with my friends and me when we made jokes. For some people, it is not good but hey man, isn't that fantastic that someone who does not know you feel the same excitement that you have in a vacation?

More to come about KK. In one word about KK- AWESOME!-The Chukai Insider

Two Girls in Senadin

From left, Acad, Nabelle, Ita and Rakin. - The Chukai Insider

I've been posting many serious stuffs for the last couple of days. In order to personalise this blog so that my friends won't say I am too serious in the web world, let me write something that you may like reading. There happen to be only two girls in our close circle of friends among the other four boys. The ratio is 2:1. These two girls requested to be featured on The Chukai Insider and I don't know whether I should feel honoured or happy or sad.

Haha. Let me tell you about these girls. I have known one of them for three years since we studied at the same place before. The other girl used to be the friend of my another friend. We have met before without knowing that Allah  makes us to become close friend now. 

I guess this post is for them and I know very well that they don't like to read. If you want to know something about them, you may put your comments below. By the way, one of these girls still don't know how to comment on my blog. 

Yes, here it is- Girls on Faidhi's blog. I don't know what my mother would say if she sees this. 

Yes, they are very close to each other since they are surrounded by boys(luckily, they are the good ones), they only have each other for geli-girl moments.-The Chukai Insider

What should you know about Ita and Nabelle:

• They both eat a lot- they are the kind of girls who eat so much without having to worry about their body weight. They eat and they eat more. 
• They both are not excellent cook but have impressive efforts to improve their cooking skills. Without them, how would I ever eat home-cooked meal. Thank you. Allah made you girls to be in our group with many purposes; one of them is to cook for us.
• Ita's strength is her empathy. She is so good with people and communicate very well. One thing I do respect about her is that she always like to say things and then abruptly say 'boleh tak?' (can or not?). That means she is always conscious about things that she said before. 
• Nabelle's strength come in the form of her reaction towards things. She is very positive about things and sometimes not in the right way. 
• They both talk a lot and never know when to stop. In Trengganuspeak, we call them 'bertih jagung' or popcorn means that they 'pokpek pokpek' about so many things non-stop.

I don't know what this is. This picture was taken by me during my trip to Gua Niah. Can someone tell me what this is?