Next Big Earthquake Due Under Mentawai Islands, Indonesia (and Tsunami too)

(Excerpt from NST 27/12/2009, p.46)

A massive undersea earthquake is long overdue beneath the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia and could trigger another deadly tsunami.

Unlike the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami which killed about 226,000 people, this tsunami is expected to be smaller but may be very deadly as it would hit Sumatera's densely populated coast, according to Kerry Sieh, director of the Singapore-based Earth Observatory.
A major quake measuring around 8.6 magnitude is expected beneath Siberut Island, along the Sunda megathrust, where the Indonesia-Australian tectonic plate butts up against the Eurasian plate.
Sieh said, the big quake will most likely strike in next few decades, somewhere from thirty seconds to 30 years. He predicted such occurance of the quake based on the study of geological records which showed that major quakes have occured along the Sunda megathrust every 200 years for the past 700 years.
According Sieh, there have been three major quake cycles: the late 1300s, the 1600s and between 1797 - 1833 and the timing between those three sequences is about 200 years. Therefore the next cycle will be between now and the next 30 years!
The Sunda megathrust extends from Myanmar in the north and sweeps in a south-east arc through Sumatera, Java and towards Timor.
In 2004, the northern 1,600 km section, from Myanmar to Acheh, ruptured, sending the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed about 226,00 people.
In March 2005, a powerful quake hit the second section near Nias Island, though there was no occurance of tsunami but causing more than 11m defomations beneath the island.
In 2007, an 8.4 and a 7.8 earthquake hit the southern end of the third section, called the Mentawais Patch.
In September 2009, an earthquake hit Padang, Sumatera but that quake resulted not from the rupture of the megathrust beneath the Mentawais but was on a deeper fault.
This means that another 300 km section of the northern part of the Mentawai Patch has not yet broken up into a quake. The last time this section has broken up into a quake was in 1797.
So, from now on to the next 300 years, anytime, a massive quake could occur from that section of the Mentawai Patch and it could create a significant tsunami and deadly too. Be alert to those who frequent to enjoy yourself at the beaches surounding the area!

Kena Saman Polis

Kira-kira jam 8.00 malam, 24 Disember 2009, ketika penganut agama Kristian sedang sibuk membuat persediaan terakhir sebelum menyambut ketibaan Hari Natal, saya pula mengalami nasib malang kerana disaman oleh polis trafik.

Sebenarnya kejadian itu sepatutnya tidak berlaku sekiranya saya membuat pertimbangan yang rasional dengan tidak mengikut tindakan pemandu sebuah kereta Proton Waja di hadapan saya yang membuat belokan ke kanan memotong garis kembar jalan raya ke arah satu lorong sebagai jalan pintas mengelak dari menunggu lampu isyarat di hadapan jalan yang baru sahaja bertukar ke warna merah dan juga sebagai jalan pintas ke destinasi saya.

Aduh! saya nampak polis telah menunggu di hadapan sebaik sahaja saya telah membelok ke kanan masuk ke lorong jalan itu. Nak berundur sudah tidak boleh. Maka, kereta Proton Waja yang di hadapan saya dan kereta saya telah diarah berhenti.

Dalam hati timbul rasa kekesalan tidak terhingga kerana mengambil tindakan membuat belokan 'haram' itu. Tanpa berkata apa-apa saya menunggu dan membiarkan sahaja seorang polis trafik berpangkat koperal datang mengeluarkan surat menyaman saya. Dalam pada itu teringat saya kepada kata-kata anak saya yang memberitahu saya bahawa dia telah diberitahu oleh kawanya, anak seorang polis mata-mata gelap, bahawa adalah salah bagi pihak polis membuat operasi 'serang hendap' sedemikian. Tetapi saya mengambil tindakan mendiamkan diri dan menurut sahaja arahan polis trafik berkenaan dalam proses dia menyaman saya.

Ego manusia ialah tidak suka ditegur atau dicabar autoritinya. Jadi sekiranya saya bertanya atau bersuara, pastinya saya dianggap mencabar autoritinya, tidak kira sama ada benar atau tidak benar atau berbahasa lembut. Begitu juga jika saya membuat rayuan atau melakukan perkara yang boleh didakwa memberi suap. Jadi lebih baik saya mendiamkan diri disaman.

Tetapi, di dalam waktu saya berfikir-fikir itu dan menunggu polis datang menyaman saya, tiba-tiba saya nampak kereta Proton Waja di hadapan saya itu bergerak meninggalkan tempat itu tanpa diambil apa-apa tindakan. Dengan lain perkataan pemandu kereta Proton Waja itu telah dilepaskan oleh polis berkenaan dari dikenakan saman. Aduh! bertanya di dalam otak saya, di manakah konsistensi pihak polis ini dalam melaksanakan penguatkuasaan undang-undang. Kenapakah ada dua bentuk tindakan di atas satu kesalahan yang sama! Macam manakah pihak penguatkuasa ini akan dihormati dan disegani sekiranya tindakan yang diambil tidak konsisten dan menimbulkan kecelaruan. Kalau begitulah tindakannya, bagaimanakah pengguna jalan raya akan setia untuk mematuhi peraturan-peraturan jalan raya.

Apa pun, pengajaran yang diperolehi dari episod ini adalah;

1. Sentiasa bertindak rasional ketika memandu.

2. Jangan langsung berfikir mengambil jalan pintas yang tidak dibenarkan.

3. Tidak perlu tergesa-tergesa ketika memandu yakni perlu sentiasa bersabar.

4. Sentiasa mematuhi peraturan jalan raya.

Dalam pada itu, saya akan mencari jawapan sama ada benar pihak polis tidak boleh melakukan operasi 'serang hendap' ke atas pengguna jalan raya sebagaimana yang banyak kita perhatikan.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

To view the presentation, please click to the following link;

http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=125ba678737e7727&mt=application%2Fvnd.ms-powerpoint&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F%3Fui%3D2%26ik%3D81b9a194ba%26view%3Datt%26th%3D125ba678737e7727%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dattd%26zw&sig=AHIEtbR4hRcLLNwKqNT7X-zViQIncKB5HQ

Plastic Goreng Pisang!

Oh! My God, would you believe it?

This is what I come to know through an email sent by David Ng. Please read through then you would realise how unethical these people are and just because of money!

This is how the email goes:

Saturday, April 19, 2008

PLASTIC GORENG WILL MAKE YOU SICK:

This is a true story (from my friend). Was in the newspaper too. Mum said my uncle saw it in Tunjang (Kedah) and the pasar malam in Titi Chai Kangar (Perlis) where goreng pisang was sold in afternoons. The hawker added a plastic drinking straw into a wok of hot oil and let it melt completely before he started to fry some bananas in the bubbling oil. This is why some fried bananas and ubi are so crispy... for hours...!! My uncle asked the hawker about this, but the hawker did not answer him. When my uncle told my mum about this, they realised this is how the hawkers ensure that fried food stays crispy for their customers. My mum said that in Thailand, they do the same thing to keep fried ikan bilis and fried onions crispy, even if left in the open for hours!!

Another time, I was with my family in Cameron Highlands, it was 3:00 pm and we were hanging around the market area, where there were several hawker stalls. At one of the stalls, there was a big wok of boiling oil with an empty plastic bottle floating on it and slowly melting away. At first I thought the plastic bottle had accidentally fallen into the oil, but then I saw a little girl, about 7-years old, holding a pair of chopsticks and stirring the bottle around in the hot oil. At that moment I came to realise, oh! My God... These people were using melted plastic to fry the foodstuff, so that the fried snacks would not turn soft when it cooled down later.

Please forward to all your friends..... DO NOT EAT CRISPY FRIED SNACKS from the hawkers!! Even if you don't see them melting the plastic in hot boiling oil, they might have added the plastic a few hours before or even from their earlier preparation at home. After all, they keep the black oil for next day's frying as well, to save cost on cooking oil.

Aiyoh! Mana boleh ini macam maa...!

Beware Ladies When You Are On High Heel Shoes

David Ng emailed this warning and ask to pass it to the ladies we care about... So ladies, beware! Not because want to be looked upon pretty, elegant and sexy but sacrify your healthty body....

TEARS

David Ng has emailed me this short article about TEARS which perhaps he wants you all, especially those who always in self pity or sad or be bullied to cry out loud and do not hold back but to pour out all tears so that you probably will get good health... But to those who always in happy mood, better do not cry due to your happiness because tears from that moment do not give any goodness! Ha..ha..ha...

The article goes like this....

There was a study done where a control group of 100 people were divided into two:
50 people watched a very funny, tears-of laughter type movie; and another 50 watched a very sad and tears of compassion type movie. At the end of the sessions researchers collected the 'happy tears' and the 'sad tears' with eye droppers.

They found that 'happy tears' are made up of brine...salt water and not a great deal else. However the 'sad tears' were found to contain the very same chemicals and enzymes that are found in tumors, ulcers and other such lumps and bumps sicknesses through out the body.

This test concluded that the body, when crying in sadness etc. is literally flushing out all of the toxic-chemicals that accumulate and are a part of the sadness or heartache experience. Therefore if one holds back those tears, those toxic-waters will find somewhere else to deposit themselves... and prolonged lack-of-crying-release will guarantee that the body will accumulate a huge amount of internal pollution and toxicity that should have been released through the tears... is it any wonder that the eyes sting so much when we hold back our tears?

LESSON FROM THE STUDY:

CRY YOUR HEART OUT WHEN YOU ARE SAD, LONELY, ALONE, DEPRESSED, ETC... IT IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH!

An Egoist Project Which Is Now Becoming 'Flu' To World Economy

Sekolah Tidak Boleh Memaksa Ibu Bapa Atau Murid Membeli Buku Kerja Tambahan (Sedutan Dari Laman Web KPM)

The STAR bertarikh 14 Disember 2009

FORCED TO BUY: CAN SCHOOL FORCE STUDENTS TO BUY EXTRA WORKBOOKS? MOE, PLS CLARIFY.

Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (KPM) ingin mengucapkan terima kasih dan merujuk kepada SMS Akhbar The STAR bertarikh 14 Disember 2009 – FORCED TO BUY:- CAN SCHOOL FORCE STUDENTS TO BUY EXTRA WORKBOOKS? MOE, PLS CLARIFY.
KPM ingin memaklumkan bahawa penggunaan buku kerja di sekolah rendah adalah tidak diwajibkan dan penggunaannya adalah terhad untuk tujuan pengukuhan pembelajaran selepas guru telah mengajar satu-satu topik matapelajaran di sekolah.
Untuk itu, sekolah-sekolah tidak boleh memaksa ibu bapa atau murid-murid untuk membeli buku-buku kerja tambahan.
Perkara ini boleh dirujuk didalam Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas Bil. 10/1991 (Penggunaan Buku Kerja Di Sekolah Rendah), Bil. 10/1993 (Penggunaan Buku Kerja Di Sekolah) dan Bil. 1/2000 (Penggunaan Buku Kerja Di Sekolah Rendah) yang jelas menerangkan maksudnya berkaitan dengan buku kerja tambahan.

UNIT KOMUNIKASI KORPORAT
KEMENTERIAN PELAJARAN MALAYSIA
22 DISEMBER 2009

Diterbitkan Oleh: Bahagian Hal Ehwal Korporat

Hong Kong - It's Back To English

Hong Kong Chinese Schools Change Their Language Policy
(Except from The Malay Mail, p.14, Dec 17, 2009)

The number of secondary schools teaching in English will almost double in September next year when the changes take effect, starting from Form One in the next academic year.

Taking advantage of the latest changes in language policy, 16 schools which are now teaching in Chinese will switch to teaching in entirely in English. Another 80 schools will adopt a mixed approach - using Chinese for humanities subjects but using English for science subjects. However, seven schools will do the opposite by switching at least some classes from English to Chinese.

All together there will be 199 schools or nearly half of the 402 secondary schools in Hong Kong will be teaching fully or mainly in English.

Many schools said they made the switch because of an appeal from parents. The principal of one of the schools, said: "Many schools including us, made the switch because of the market or parents' demand."

The Angel Falls That Is No More!

Sun Dec 20, 2009
CARACAS (AFP) – The world's tallest waterfall -- Angel Falls in southern Venezuela should be stripped of the name by which it is widely known in favour of its indigenous one, President Hugo Chavez said.
The falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were spotted by US pilot Jimmy Angel in 1937, bringing international attention to what has become one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions, though it is in remote Bolivar state.
In indigenous Pemon, the falls are called Kerepakupai meru, meaning "waterfall of the deepest place."

For All PC Users

For All PC Users -

Learn Mandarin To Foster Better Understanding - PM

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants to see more Malays learning Mandarin. By doing so, he believes the language could be a tool for those from different backgrounds to respect as well as honour each other. Through Mandarin too, the nation could relate better to China, which is an economic powerhouse.

"We have a relationship with China that is based on natural linkages that can have strategics and economic advantages. My son is also learning Mandarin at Georgetown University in the United States. Maybe one day, I will bring him here to deliver a speech in Mandarin." He said to a loud applause at the 90th anniversary dinner of Chong Hwa Independent High School last night. News extracted from NST, December 15, 2009.

Obviously, many have perceived that China is going to be the world superpower politically and economically and this is also be seen by the PM. Thus not suprisingly perhaps, the PM has planned far ahead politically where he is grooming his son to be the future leader of the country where relationship with China and understanding of the culture of Chinese people would be foremost important to stir the country to the forefront of international agenda. By learning Mandarin as mentioned by the PM, the future prime minister of the country could relate better to the leader and the people of China, hence provide better advantages economically and politically. How farsighted our PM! Ha..ha..ha.. How about you?

Cinnamon and Honey

Cinnamon and Honey -

Which Country Going To Win The 2010 FIFA World Cup?

The Countries Most Likely To Win World Cup 2010 Revealed By Scientific Analysis

London, Dec 5 (ANI): A massively detailed stats analysis has revealed that Brazil has the maximum chance of lifting the World Cup in South Africa next year, followed by Spain, England and Holland.
According to the predictions by Castrol, who have examined all possible results from every game in the tournament, with a 23.6 percent chance, Brazil are the favorites to win the trophy, followed by Spain on 16.1 per cent, England on 10.4 per cent and Holland on 10.1 per cent.
The predictions involved more than 20,000 calculations, and took into account the form of each nation’s attack and defense. They also looked at overall form in the last five years, with the most recent results counting for more, The Sun reported.
The data also shows that England have a 90.2 per cent chance of going through from Group C, where they were drawn alongside the USA, Algeria and Slovenia.
Four countries, Algeria, Slovenia, North Korea and New Zealand have been given no chance of victory. (ANI)

How To Treat Diarrhoea When Medication Slow To Work!

This article is emailed to me by one David Ng, a relative of mind. Please be noted that decision to engage to the method prescribe in the article is your own and I do not claim resposiblity for any hazard caused from the presciption.

Dear Friends,

This sounds interesting and their is solid science behind it. With recent case on the Geylang Serai food poisoning outbreak in Singapore... would like to share the info received from a friend, please read on. It may be of help...

When someone gets diarrhoea, sometimes the solution is so easy, we wonder why anyone has to suffer. The secret is in rice water. This is already known in this region. Ask your maids -- Sri Lankan, Indonesian, Filipina and they would know about it. (My mother) knew about it. When Dr Albert Winsemius came to Singapore for a farewell and thank you dinner in his honour, he brought along his wife Aly and his granddaughter, Jolijn. Both women came down with very bad gastroenteritis. They saw the doctor who gave them medication. It was slow to work.

Mother boiled some rice in lots of water and went to their hotel with two 1.5L bottles of rice water. I cringed in shame at the offer of this folk remedy, which seemed so primitive to me. Never heard of this cure before. To my surprise, it worked, and they were even able to go out for dinner the next day. Both were exclaiming how the rice water did the trick of making them well again. Well, lucky it worked, I thought to myself. I was discussing this some years back with Kim Ng, the ex-matron of KK Hospital. She said, yes, that is what Professor Wong Hock Boon, the notable paediatrician teaches. I was shocked and made some comment how could he? It was common knowledge so what had he to do with it?

Many months later, I regretted laughing at it. Dr Christina Shanta Emmanuel, who is the CEO of...uh, which group I have forgotten. Either National Health Group, or Polyclinics, or whatever.. regarded me seriously when I brought up the topic like it was good fun. She said that Prof Wong Hock Boon had presented a paper on it. At some conference. After he had done clinical trials.

Then his results were published in the Lancet, the Medical Journal all doctors read. In fact, said Shanta, he was credited for saving the lives of 2 million African babies by this method.

Ah, so! I am impressed.

It is rice water and not rice, that does the trick. I have found it effective again and again. You take a handful of rice and boil it in a large saucepan with lots of water. Like three or four large glasses. Then you cool that and drink the water. If you are in a hurry to relieve the ailing person, take the saucepan off the fire and dunk it in a frying pan or basin of cool water with ice cubes if necessary.

This gives the patient a chance to drink the rice water sooner and cure himself or herself sooner. When drinking the rice water, make sure there is lots of it. You have to tell the patient that enough water must go in to line your guts from throat to other end, all 10 to 12 metres of it. If you take rice, it stays in the stomach. If you take broth, some of it may go into the small intestine. But if you take rice water, it will carry rice grains to every inch of your small and large intestine to the end where the problem is. How does it work? Even Prof Wong Hock Boon doesn't know. Read the attached file. Or go to * http://rehydrate.org/dd/dd06.htm#page2*

It is good to pass on the news to everyone you know because the complaint is so common and people suffer unnecessarily. You would be doing your friends a great favour to relieve them of their misery when the occasion arises.

Thank you.

Time To Think

Another good piece emailed by my good friend, Kok Ah Moi for us to ponder...

10WORDS

My very good coursemate, Kok Ah Moi, from the Headship Course (NPQH 4/2001) at IAB, Genting Highlands more than 8 yaers ago has emailed me this very meaningful powerpoint presentation done by Abhishek Mathur which I find worth to share it here for us to ponder.... Please click to the link below to start the show.

http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/1838411/446461962/name/10words.pps