BanyanConsulting

Dilemma in Building a Swiftlet House

2011-12-16T00:53:00.000-08:00

Trading bird nest is a lucrative business. What about if you can own the source of bird nest namely owning a swiftlet house?

To own a swiftlet house, you can rent an unoccupied house, unoccupied shop lot or build one in the middle of the palm oil plantation for instance. Renting a space may be a cheaper option whereas building a swiftlet house say a double storey structure may cost you RM200,000.

The success rate is 3% - 20% which is rather low. Therefore whether or not to go ahead with building a swiftlet house is a major decision.

Some question that just for birds to stay, why you need to build such an expensive structure, a structure that if you put in interior finishes is the same as that for human habitation. The result of this doubt is that now some farmers use containers instead of the concrete structure. A container may cost you RM8000. You need to stack up the containers on top of a concrete supporting structure and to insulate the wall and ceiling of a container to achieve stable internal temperature.

It is known that a pair of swiftlets lay 2 eggs each time, 3 times per year. So ideally in one year the growth of population of swiftlets is 8 out of a pair. In some areas in Malaysia, the number of the swiftlet houses double semi-annually. How to lure enough number of swiftlets to stay in the new houses in order to break even your investmetn is a big question mark.

Think twice before you invest and make sure that you can have enough swiftlets to stay in your swiftlet house.

Posted by Chai Yong of

Bird Nest on the Shelves Before Chinese New Year

2011-11-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

The Health Minister of Malaysia has met with his counterpart in China to discuss the teething issue of nitrite in bird nest. Both sides agreed that there is nitrite content in the natural bird nest cup. A specialist team will be established to look into this matter and set up standards.

The Health Minister hoped that the specialist team can complete its standardization and certification in December this year. Malaysia side has appointed the Director General of Food Safety and Quality Department to stay back to resolve this issue.

The China Health Minister believed that Malaysia businessmen are honest and did not add in nitrite in the bird nest supplie by them.

It seems that finally we should be able to see the light in the tunnel after a few months of standstill in the sales of bird nest.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com

Registration of Bird Nest Farmers

2011-11-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

Recently, the Veterinary Department of Johor, Malaysia stated that all the bird nest farmers must register with its Department.

To date, the bird nest farmers are reluctant to register, worrying that by doing so will create more problem for them.

According to the Veterinary Department of Johor, this step is for its department to control the quality of bird nest. For instance, if the swiftlets at certain area contract certain disease, it can effectively control the situation. This will assist the industry as a whole.

Bird nest farming being the flagship agricultural industry in the Tenth Malaysian Plan, is a very profitable industry. Indonesia has started this industry 30 years ago and dominates the world market with a market share of 80%. Malaysia wishes to occupy 30% in the future. To safeguard the industry, the registration with the Veterinary Department is necessary.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com

Cave Bird Nest Centers in Southeast Asia

2011-11-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

Bird nests are only available in Hainan Island, Vietnam, Thailand, Myannmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines where swiftlets are thriving.

In Hainan Island, due to uncontrolled harvesting of bird nests, the swiftlets are almost extinguished. Most of the caves are now under very stringent control by the state.

Cave bird nest are exported through some coastal towns in Southeast Asia. Most of them are quite interesting and untouched by the international tourists.

Chumphon of Southern Thailand is one good example. Some exclusive resorts there do not even have brochures in English or some other international languages. You may have to converse in Thai to register for a room. A nearby town called Hat Sai Ri has pristine beaches visited by the locals in the weekend. When the weather is clear, you may see some houses built on top of the hills on the offshore islands. These houses belong to the cave bird nest harvestors/farmers. Most of the islands are under the state concessions for bird nest harvesting.

In Hat Sai Ri, there is a popular shrine named after a Prince Admiral. It is situated by the seaside. The Thai Navy entrusted an old ship to the shrine. It is berthed in the sea just opposite the road of the shrine. The shrine is frequented by plenty of local visitors. The worshippers burn fire crackers intermittently the whole day long.

You may visit my website http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com for more information on other bird nest towns.

Revisit Nitrite Issue

2011-10-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

Recently, the issue of nitrite in bird nest has been widely dicussed by the bird nest industrialists in Malaysia. This issue has been dangling for about two months.

Since the burst of nitrite issue, the Malaysian bird nest industry has suffered great loss. In China, the retailers have taken down the product from the shelves. The relevant departments stop China people from consuming bird nest from Malaysia. The sales dropped by at least 80% since. As the export to China, the biggest consumer of bird nest has been stagnant, the bird nests in Malaysia has been turned to be stock with no cashflow.

The bird nest associations nationwide have urged the Ministry of Health to help resolve this issue. After all, bird nest industry has been marked as a flagship agricultural activity in the 10th Malaysia Plan. Its intention is to acquire 30% of the world wide bird nest market in the next 5 years. Currently, Malaysia has 13% of the bird nest market. If the nitrite issue were not resolved, the achivement of the market target will definitely be delayed.

The checking of nitrite content will be done at 3 stages i.e. (i) raw materials (ii) after cleaning and (ii) finished products like canned bird nest soup. Therefore, standards need to be set for each category.

Hopefully, when the Prime Minister and his team visit China in the beginning of November, he can show our standard and explain the rationale behind it to his China counterparts.

We do not expect the issue can be resolved overnight. At least efforts should be put in and resolve it the soonest possible.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com

Nitrite Issue - When will it be resolved?

2011-10-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

There has been months since the nitrite issue arised in the bird nest industry.

The issue begun when there were plenty of complaints on the consumption of blood bird nest which gave rise to health problem and even miscarriage for the pregnant women.

The issue has been complicated when fake government officers were invited to explain the nitrite problem in Hangzhou. This was discovered by the China journalists.

Worse still, the CCTV broadcasted a documentary on blood bird nests nation wide. As a result, the China consumers are scared to purchase bird nest.

The China government has strengthened its rules on sales of bird nest. Only bird nest with proper documentation and nitrite content zero ppm are allowed to be sold. The sales of bird nest has dropped 70% to 80% since.

According the news, the Malaysian Health Ministry will resolve the nitrite issue with the China government. Most likely the Malaysian side will propose a nitrite content figure for the China government to consider and further negotiation will carry on from there.

Some laboratories in Malaysia can make the nitrite content zero, of course at an additional cost. This will increase the selling price of the bird nest.

To regain the consumer confidence will takes months even years in China.
Hopefully, the nitrite issue could be resolved as soon as possible.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com>

Current Bird Nest Market in China

2011-09-20T02:20:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I made a trip to Hangzhou and Shanghai. Before the trip, I thought the weather would turn cold after the mid-autumn festival. To my surprise, it was not true. The temperature was about 25 to 30 degree Celsius. The relative humidity was high. It was like the weather in Malaysia. I felt quite comfortable over that few days.

I was told that the bird nest market suffered an avalanche in sales after the broadcasting of blood bird nest by CCTV and the related news by most media. The public was so shocked at the way of the manufacture of blood bird nest that they do not wish to buy the bird nest any more. The sales dropped by at least 70%. Most of the shops cleared the bird nest from the shelves. Some with stock dropped the bird nest selling prices in order to clear the stock.

This is proven when I strolled down the Hefang Street and visited the Wushan Bird and Flower City. Most of the shops denied that they sold bird nests. Most of the bird nest marketers expected the sales would only recover after one year from now.

This is really a winter for the bird nest market, which came earlier than the natural winter and may last longer.

The genuine bird nest industrialists were victimized by the recent happenings.

Hopefully, the officers from both the Malaysian and China Government would meet to come to a compromise on the standard content of nitrate as soon as possible. Only when this happens, the public confidence would resume.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com

Nitrate Level in Malaysian Bird Nest

2011-09-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

About one month ago, spot check on bird nests at stores in Zhejiang Province revealed that average content of 4,400 mg of sodium nitrate per kilogram as opposed to allowed cap of 70 mg per kilogram.

Following this event, there is rumours saying that Malaysian bird's nests would be banned in China. This created a huge chaos among the bird nest industrialists in Malaysia.

On 9 August 2011, the Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister, Chua Tee Yong announced that the China Government did not impose any ban on the import of bird nests from Malaysia, to the relief of the bird nest industrialists.

The standard level of nitrate in China is zero ppm whereas the accepted level of nitrate in Malaysia is 30 ppm based on MS Standard 2334:2010 Edible Bird Nest (EBN)- Specification.

Chua said that his Ministry will meet with trade councellor to the China Embassy in Malaysia to dicuss the issue in order to resolve it.

Malaysis is one of the two countries (the other one is Singapore) allowed to export bird nest to China. If any China shops say that their bird nests are from other countries than Malaysia and Singapore, it may mean that it is not true or the traders from other countries use Malaysia as illegal channel to export their products to China.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com

Why swiftlets flying high in the sky?

2011-07-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

It is a common scene that swiftlets flying round and round above the canopy of the trees. Do they flying for fun?

Study showed that swiftlets are foraging for food during flying high in the sky. One would wonder if there is anything high up in the sky.

Actually, small insects are floated up by hot air in the bushes or jungle during day time. They are plenty in the sky. Unfortunately, we cannot see them by our naked eyes.

Swiftlets pick up these insects while flying. Some make the insects into a small ball to feed the infants. See how wonderful the nature is!

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com

Gomantong Caves, Sabah

2011-05-29T23:36:00.000-07:00

Bird nest can be grossly divided into house bird nest and cave bird nest. In East Malaysia, cave bird nests which are harvested from the caves are commonplace. Bird nests have been harvested from the caves for more than 100 years. One of the famous sites is Gomantong Caves.

Gomantong Caves is situated at the south of Sandakan Town of Sabah. Due to spectacular view of the caves and the swiftlets, it has been a tourist attraction in Sandakan beside Proboscis monkey.

Gomantong Caves consist of three cave chambers namely Simud Putih, Simud Hitam and Bobong Bulud. All the three main caves are interconnected. White bird nest can be found in Simud Putih whereas black bird nest in Simud Hitam.

When you enters the caves, you will find cathedral like chambers. Hundreds of thousands of swiftlets occupy the caves with a few feet of guano on the ground.

The swiftlets share the caves with the bats. In the evening, you can see the bats move out of the caves and a short while later the swiftles move in from foraging in the nearby forest. Occasionally, you may see bat hawk appear in the sky hunting for its dinner.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com

Bird Nest Benefits

2011-04-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Bird nest soup is a famous Chinese cuisine. Its main ingredient namely bird nest contains some very useful glycoprotein and amino acids.

According to traditional Chinese medicine documentation, bird nest has the following benefits:-
1. Strengthens the lung function;
2. Strengthens the abdomen function;
3. Strengthens the body's self-regulating actions and immunities against diseases;
4. Enhances production of cells as it contain epidermic growth factor;
5. Improves the skin complexion
6. Enhances the brain ability of baby;
7. Smoothens the side effects of those who go through chemotherapy;
8. Aids in the treatment of cancer patients;
9. Assists in prevention of cancer through antioxidants;
10. Improves heart functions.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com/english.htm

世上真的有血燕吗?

2011-03-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

华人相信血燕是燕窝里的极品.白燕窝已是非常昂贵的补品,血燕窝的价格可想而知.

世上真有血燕?答案是肯定的.血燕也是金丝燕做的.金丝燕一般筑白燕窝.

做血燕的燕子一定是洞燕.它有两个可能: (一)燕子吃了红海藻,因此吐出淡红色的血燕. (二)燕窝接触洞壁,里面的铁质渗入燕窝造成金黄色的血燕.

一般说法:屋燕也筑血燕是无稽之谈.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com

Is there any blood bird nest?

2011-03-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

The Chinese believes that blood bird nest or red bird nest is the best among the bird nests. One can imagine its value by knowing the fact that bird nest is one of the most expensive natural animal products. It can cost a minimum Ringgit Malaysia (RM13-00)per gram for white bird nest.

Is there any blood bird nest? Yes, there is but it is very rare. Blood bird nest is made by the same swiftlets as the white edible bird nest namely Aerodramus Faciphagus. These swiflets must be cave swiftlets.

There are grossly two possibilities i.e. (i) the swiftlet feeds on red algae and the bird nest produced is greyish pink and (ii) the bird nest is in contact with the wall of the cliff or overhangs where the ferous materials seep into the bird nest and make it golden red in color.

The saying that the swiftlet mixes its blood with saliva while making blood bird nest is simply a fallacy. It is impossible as the blood when cooled is black in color and not red.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.banyan-bird-nest.com/english.htm

Use of Kojic Acid in Cosmetic

2011-01-31T17:01:00.000-08:00

Kojic acid is now one of the important ingredients in lightening cosmetic especially in asian countries.

Kojic acid was discovered in 1989. It was derived from a Japanese fungus and is a by-product in the fermentation of malting rice for use in manufacturing of sake, a Japanese rice wine.

It is a new remedy for treatment of pigment problems like hyperpigmentation, melasma, chlosma, freckles and age spots. To make it work, it must be absorbed into the skin. Hence, it must be left for a few minutes before completely washing off for absorption to occur.

It functions as a lightening agent as it inhibits melanin production. The production of melanin involves an amino acid called tyrosine. Tyrosine is assisted by an enzime called tyrosinase to produce skin color pigment. Kojic acid counters the antioxidant properties of tyrosinase and thus prevents it from acting on tyrosine and producing melanin.

Kojic acid is used as an alternative to hydroquinone and glycolic acid as it is less harmful. However, it still can lead to mild to severe irritation on some skin types. It may make the area on which it is applied photosensitive compared to the rest of the body.

Living Proof Halal Cosmetic does not use kojic acid as its ingredient.

This article is written by Chai Yong of http://www.the-halal-cosmetic.com

2010-10-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Herbal remedy is part of natural skin care. Herbs are very good for sensitive skin. This is because they are free from harsh chemicals that can cause skin care problem.

Herbs contain natural ingredients that can be good for the skin. The following are some tips for you to try:-

1. Try to make face mask out of vegetable like cucumber;
2. Use jojoba oil to cleanse your face;
3. Use almond oil to cleanse your face;
4. Mix grape fruit with oatmeal to make facial exfoliate;

It is advisable to check every product including natural skin care product on a small portion of your body before use it in full.

This article is written by Chai Yong of http://www.the-halal-cosmetic.com

Halal Cosmetic

2010-10-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

From time immemorial, human being has used cosmetic to improve attractiveness, to beautify, to cleanse skin, body and face. It is an important item in our life especially for women.
Cosmetic is defined as an article to be applied to human body for cleansing, beautifying, improving attractiveness, changing appearance without affecting the body’s structure and function. It can be skin care products, manicure products, fragrance, hair color, shampoo, deodorant, lotion etc.
Halal cosmetic is a special cosmetic. Halal means “permissible” or “allowed” in Arabic. For cosmetic to be halal, it must be (i) alcohol free (ii) animal cruelty free and (iii) free from pork, pork residue and pork fat.
The concept of halal cosmetic is very new to the Muslim world. There is an emerging market for halal cosmetic. The global cosmetic market is valued worth at USD334 billion with the global halal cosmetic market USD13 billion.
As halal cosmetic market is still in its infantry, there is a great potential of growth in this area
Based on survey, the halal cosmetic and toiletries industry had a 9% share in global halal product market in 2005.
There is a ready market for halal cosmetic. Survey showed that 58% of Muslims in Singapore and 38% of Indonesian were aware of halal cosmetic and would buy if the products are available.
Muslim purchasers must be alert when choosing cosmetic because some popular cosmetic may contain pork residue in them.
In Malaysia, the Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) is the official body which regulates the halal certification. JAKIM’s halal certification has won international reputation among the Muslims. In fact, JAKIM imposes very stringent procedure in its inspection and certification.
This article is posted by Chai Yong of http://www.the-halal-cosmetic.com

Placenta in Cosmetic

2010-10-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, it is commonplace to use placenta in cosmetic.

Placenta is the inside layer of the womb which helps the foetus to get food. It is an excellent ingredient for cosmetic.

Placenta helps to stimulate cell growth and renewal. Subsequently, it slows down human aging process.

In the past, extracts from sheep, pig, cow are used in placenta cosmetic. Researches show that the use of human and pig placenta extracts are more compatible when use for skin care products.

Although extract from animals like pig are biologically similar to human skin, issues have been raised as to the use of these sources in cosmetics, especially in Muslim consumers.

There is another issue namely animal placenta may carry contagious diseases like bird flu, mad cow disease etc. This is the key factor customer shun away from using cosmetics with animal placenta.

The use of plant placenta has been proven to be as effective as animal placenta.However, the use of sheep placenta, known as ovine placenta is accepted in Muslim community.

Living Proof Halal Cosmetic uses phyto placenta (plant placenta) formula which is also halal for the Muslim Consumers.

This article is posted by Chai Yong from http://www.the-halal-cosmetic.com

Nitrile Finger Cots

2009-12-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

In general, finger cots are made of latex. However, latex finger cots may not be suitable for every user because of a syndrome called latex allergy.

Latex allergy is an allergic reaction to latex protein in the natural latex. One may get latex allergy when his skin, mucous membrane like eye, mouth, vagina or rectum come in contact with latex protein.

Beside its advantage over latex finger cots on the latex allergy, nitrile finger cots have the following benefits:-

i. They have permanent ESD properties. They do not use antistatic surface coating materials.

ii. They are sulphur free and thus may not cause damage to metals like gold, silver and copper.

iii. They conform to the contour of the finger and exert less pressure on the finger as compared with latex finger cots.

iv. They achieve cleanroom cleanliness without using chlorine or surface antistatic materials.

Nitrile finger cots are ideal for pharmaceuticals and electronic manufacturing.

This article is posted by Chai Yong of http://www.the-finger-cot.com

Finger Cot Protection

2009-08-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

Banyan Latex Finger Cots are made of pure natural rubber latex. They are made super thin, about 2 - 4 mil, for excellent sensitivity.

Banyan Latex Finger Cots are rolled. Some are lightly powdered while others are powder free.

The main function of the finger cot is protection. They are used for blisters, abrasion and cuts. It could be used for lightly bandaged fingers for protection from moisture and dirt for short period of time as air circulation is reduced with the finger cots on.

Finger cots can be used to protect fingers from contamination and infection.

A piece of warning to potential users of latex finger cots: as latex finger cots contain natural rubber, it may cause allergy reactions to users.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.the-finger-cot.com

Endau Rompin National Park

2009-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

I went to the Endau Rompin National Park recently.

As it is only accessible by using four wheel drive, one must own one, borrow from a friend or hire from the National Park office at Kahang, about 20 km from Kluang town.

Among the attractions which intrigue me are the giant bird, hornbill, pitcher plant and waterfalls.

There are some 253 types of birds recorded and 179 species of butterflies which can be found here.

I opted to stay in a chalet next to the Visitor Centre. The compound is surrounded by ancient tropical rainforest where sound of cicada could be heard the whole day. The only drawback here is that there are mosquitoes. Much to my great shock was that there are banners warning the people especially the aborigines on the danger of malaria.

The aborigines are staying in a village called Kampung Peta. The visitors may try the blowpipe and buy handicraft including the famous "asli puzzle". There is one sundry shop in the village.

There is a jetty in the Kampung Peta where one may travel by boat to Kuala Jasin. This is the reference point to many intresting places like Janing Barat and waterfalls. Visitor may camp at Kuala Jasin.

Wild elephant could be spotted near the Visitor Complex. A photo outside the Visitor Complex office showed a tiger straying at the other side of the river. Hence it is advisible to hire a guide to bring you around as he knows the way to avoid these animals.

Posted by Chai Yong who currently runs http://www.the-finger-cot.com which is about Banyan Latex Finger Cot, http://www.temasekmap.com about an ebook "Travel Guide of Singapore, Batam, Bintan and Johor and http://www.window-safety-lock.com on a keyless Griloc window safety lock.

Finger Cot

2009-02-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

I come across the finger cot when a friend brought a sample and showed to me. He explained to me that in manufacturing industry where sensitive item like CD,DVD, LCD need to be handled with care and free of skin salt, finger cots are essential items.

The finger cot has to be thrown away once taken off your finger; you have to wear new finger cots.

There are many types of finger cots in the market. There are cotton finger cot, nitrile finger cot, nylon finger cot and latex finger cot.

Latex finger cot are comfortable, flexible and long lasting.

Since latex has to be tapped from rubber tree, the source of latex is limited to tropical countries like Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Malaysia nowadays is the importer of latex as opposed to latex exporter previously.
Some may feel sad learning about this fact. However, economically Malaysia still gains because of natural rubber dipped products and rubber wood furnitures.

This article is posted by Chai Yong from http://www.the-finger-cot.com which is about Banyan Finger Cot.

Johor Old Temple

2009-02-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

The last 14 of February 2009 was a Valentine's Day. It also coincided with an auspicios day of the Johor Old Temple whereby the images of the deities were transferred out of the temple and put to chingay procession.

I happened to be on the spot just in front of the Johor Old Temple. There were many worshippers carrying joysticks waiting for the images of the 5 deities being transferred out of the temple.

After hearing the sound of whistle and shout inside the temple, the first image of deity was transferred out. The worshippers and audience clapped their hands and shouted in exitement. It followed by the images of the other 4 deities.

One specific act performed by the carriers of the images of deities was that the images of deities riding on the sedan chairs were swung left and right many times along the procession to the Resting Temple about 3 km away.

This tradition has been conducted since 100 years ago.

As the Johor Old Temple witnesses the growth of Johor Bahru, the celebration is very meaningful to Johor Bahru Chinese until they claim that the Chinese New Year is not over until the Chingay Procession.

This post is written by Chai Yong of http://www.temasekmap.com which is about an ebook Travel Guide of Singapore Batam Bintan and Johor. You may obtain map of Johor & Johor Bahru and Travel Guide of Johor by visiting the website.

Resorts World at Sentosa - Milestones

2009-01-31T23:39:00.000-08:00

Resorts World at Sentosa has achieved plenty of milestones for the Year 2008.

In January 2008, Resorts World began construction of a new vehicular bridge, linking with mainland Singapore to ease traffic for visitors to the mega resort in 2010. The bridge was awarded to an Australian contractor McConnell Dowell. The bridge has been scheduled to be completed in June 2009.

Resorts World secured a S$4 billion credit syndication for its resort development in April 2008.

In the same month, Resorts World awarded its largest superstructure contract to a joint venture company i.e. Kajima-Tiong Seng Joint Venture. The company is responsible for the development of Hotel Michael, Festive Hotel, Maxims Residences, the casino and the FestiveWalk.

In May, Resorts World launched it multi-million dollar RWS Marine Life Fund and announced its no shark fin policy on menu across the resort premises. The purpose of the fund is to nurture marine life and to sponsor marine conservation scientists on research and education.

In July 2007, Resorts World opened its 5-storey temporary office. A year later, the number of staff has exceeded 200. This shows the rapid progress of works on site.

A Chinese contractor i.e. China Jingye Engineering Corporation Limited (Singapore Branch) was awarded a S$705 milllion contract on the Universal Studios Singapore. This company was the contractor of the Bird Nest for 2008 Olympics.

In August 2008, 4 tunnels leading to Resorts World underground carpacks were completed. Its height can accommodate a double-decker bus. During construction, these tunnels will be used as an access route by vehicles and workers to the worksite.

In September 2008, Resorts World unveiled its logo with a tag "A million moments, one world". The logo forms a branding strategy introducing itself to a global audience.

In October 2008, the outline that will house the Revenge of Mummy thrill ride was completed.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.temasekmap.com which is about an ebook "Travel Guide of Singapore, Batam, Bintan and Johor" and related maps.

Desaru Impian

2008-11-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

Recently I went to Desaru, a place I did not visit for years after I left a company who developed a prestigious project-Desaru Impian.

The developer was wound-up after it failed to pay its owners and contractor during the 1997 crisis.

Desaru Impian is located next to the entrance portal of Desaru resorts area. It is the first resort in the array of resorts along the coastal line.

The resort was constructed between 1995 and 1997. It received overwhelming response from investors in Malaysia and Singapore then. It offered 10% guaranteed return for lease back to the Developer which managed it under a time sharing scheme.

The resort consisted of 2 U-shaped blocks with 793 units of guestrooms. There was a clubhouse complete with swimming pool and pool bar, a cache for children, souvenir shops and mini zoo by the seaside. A theme park was created in between the U-shape of Block A with lazy river, carousel, train ride and nice landscaping.

This resort has nostalgic value to me because I was the person in charge of its construction. I stopped by the new entrance to have a chat with the security guard. I was told that a developer from Kuala Lumpur has bought it. It intends to reopen the resort by end of this year.

I shall see whether the reopening can be materialized.

Posted by Chai Yong of http://www.temasekmap.com which is about a Travel Guide of Singapore, Batam, Bintan and Johor.

2008 Formula One Singtel Singapore Grand Prix

2008-09-09T01:40:00.000-07:00

Singapore managed to convince Formula One management, despite strong objection from Malaysia, to organize the first street race in Asia. Furthermore, this event is to be held at night.

As the event is just around the corner i.e. 26 - 28 September 2008, preparation is being drumed up at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. It is unprecedented as nearly 1,500projectors will be used to illuminate the entire track of the night race. See photo on the preparation work.

The distance of the street circuit is 5.067 km. It offers multiple overtaking opportunities to the racers.

This Formula One Grand Prix will definitely boost Singapore tourist industry. Formula One fans from all over the world will flock in during the event. Singapore has prepared other events beside Formula One to tap this great opportunity. There will be Singapore Biennale, Bulgari Collection, Singapore River Festival, Singapore Motor Show, Diana Krall Live In Concert from 20 September to 5 October 2008.

This article is posted by Chai Yong from http://www.temasekmap.com which is about an ebook "Travel Guide of Singapore Batam Bintan Johor" and related maps.

Sentosa - An Update of IR

2008-07-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have the honour to participate in the development of the Resorts World at Sentosa, one of the 2 integrated resorts of Singapore.

I took a cab from Harbour Front to the site this afternoon. When the cab turned into the road beside the Vivo City to Sentosa, I said to myself that next time I could walk to the project site. When I reached the project site, I was told that nobody is supposed to walk in that road. A fine of S$5000 will be imposed on anyone who does so.

The project now is in full swing with all sorts of activities going with full force. The development is scheduled to complete by early 2010.

The Resorts World at Sentosa will definitely inject new life into the island which has been developed since 1970.

One has to admire the determination of Singapore government to develop the 2 integrated resorts i.e. Resorts World at Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands because it created much controversy among the Singaporean due to the casino component in the development. The government know that the regional competition in tourism industry like Genting Highland, Macau is too keen to be ignored.

This post is written by Chai Yong from http://www.temasekmap.com which is about an ebook "Travel Guide of Singapore, Batam, Bintan and Johor" and related maps.

Pulau Karimun - Another perspective

2008-07-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

According to the driver, Pulau Karimun only has 40,000 population. Most of the arable lands are not cultivated. They are bushes everywhere and rarely jungle. The villagers plant their own vegetable on land surrounding their house.

Visitor may see the kampung (village) life. During my tour round the island, I witnessed the villagers having bird singing competition.

The Riau Administration is going to relocate the island administration from Tanjung Balai to inner land. To my surprise, they build a very big administration centre, headquarter of police, court in one big area.

On my way back from one of the granite quarries, I saw a very big mosque in green color.

It seems to me that the Riau governmnet obtained a big budget from the central government. Among the big island of Riau Archipelago like Batam, Bintan, Pulau Karimun, Lingga, Kundur, Karimun for the moment has no industrial development either locally or from foreign investment. It is an island ignored in this area.

Pulau Karimun survives on the granite and sand supply to mainly Singapore. There is no famous historical sites to visit. Some Singaporean come here to pay visits to Chinese temples to get the 4 digits. However, Tanjung Balai has about 50 hotels due to the flourishing of another industry.

This post is written by Chai Yong from http://www.temasekmap.com which is about an ebook "Travel Guide of Singapore Batam Bintan Johor" and related maps.

Pulau Karimun - A New Men's Paradise?

2008-06-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

I heard about Pulau Karimun (Karimun Island) when I worked in Singapore in early 1990s. At that time, the supply of granite to the construction industry in Singapore came from 2 sources i.e. Pulau Ubin which is an island at the northern part of Singapore and Pulau Karimun which is an Indonesian island.

Never appear in my mind this island after I left Singapore until I paid a visit to Kukup in January this year. When I waited for a boat to send me to the Kukup island, I saw there was a ferry at the other end of the jetty. One passenger told me that the ferry was leaving for Tanjung Balai at Pulau Karimun.

Out of curiosity, I asked my colleagues about this island. They told me that Karimun is a very backward place with laterite road.

I made a trip to Pulau Karimun last Sunday despite heavy downpour in the morning. It took about one hour to travel from Kukup Jetty to Tanjung Balai Ferry Terminal.

I was greeted by a group of drivers/motorists who offer transportation service to hotel. As my purpose is to have a look of the island, I managed to get a driver to drive me round the island.

To my surprise, all the roads are premix road instead of laterite roads as told by my colleagues. The authorities even built a new administration centre away from Tanjung Balai town. Apparently, they've got a great sum of budget from the central government.

There is no rubber estate, palm oil plantation, coconut plantation etc on the island except for family-based vegetables planting.

I visited one of the quarries. Karimun still exports the granite to Singapore even though at one time the Government prohibited export of granite and sand to Singapore.

Tanjung Balai is vibrant and booming even though there is lesser agricultural and industrial activities. There are plenty of hotels at Tanjung Balai.

One question crosses my mind then: How does Karimun maintain its economy?

Can it be that it is a men's paradise?

This post is written by Chai Yong from http://www.temasekmap.com which is about an ebook "Travel Guide of Singapore Batam Bintan Johor" and related maps.

A SHOW FOR DUMPLING FESTIVAL

2008-06-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

After visiting Xu Beihong's art display at the Singapore Art Museum, on my way back to the Queen Street bus station, I passed by the Rochor Centre. I heard loud music from nearby area.

Out of curiosity I went to the place where the music came from. I saw a stage with wording "Dumpling Festival" on the wall. There were about 6 beautiful and sexy dancers performing on the stage. A big crowd of audience, mostly men flocking near the stage to watch.

The dancers wore dancing costume with half of their breast exposed. Their skirts are see throughs. After a while, one of the dancers went down the stage and invited a man in his forties to come on stage to dance together with the rest. Another dancer invited a small girl. Both the man and the small girl were quite sporting, trying to learn the steps from the dancers. It was a light moment for the audience as the man and the small girl made mistake in their steps.

The organiser seemed to have discarded the old thinking of inviting traditional dancers, most probably to perform Chinese traditional dance to match the Dumpling Festival which is a Chinese Festival commemorating a Chinese Poet.

Whether the dance I watched was appropriate is a question for Singaporeans to answer.

The authority approved it. This showed that Singapore is quite open in this aspect as compared to Malaysia whereby this type of show can never be staged in the public.

This post is written by Chai Yong from http://www.temasekmap.com which is about an ebook "Travel Guide of Singapore Batam Bintan and Johor".

Singapore Art Museum-Xu Beihong in Nanyang

2008-06-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

There is a report in Chinese Asia Weekly (Yazhou Zhoukan) on the Chinese great artist Xu Beihong and the exhibition of his works at the Singapore Art Museum from 5 April '08 till 13 July '08.

Xu was good at drawing horses and he was famous for his works in this area. To my surprise, he also had other works like portraits (like Mahatma Ghandi and poet Tagore), Chinese paintings, oil paintings and water color paintings.

I thought I should not missed this opportunity to see by my naked eye his works at the Singapore Art Museum. I went on 1 June which was a Sunday.

The Singapore Art Museum is located at Bras Basah Road. One can walk from City Hall MRT, Dhoby Ghaut MRT or Bugis MRT. I walked all the way from the Queen Street bus station along of course Queen Street. It is located at the Junction between Queen Street and Bras Basah Road.

After paying the admission fee of S$8-00, I was allowed to enter the display hall. Xu's works are exhibited at ground floor, first floor and second floor. I estimated there were about one hundred pieces of Xu's works on display. No photo taking was allowed inside the display hall.

The Singapore Art Museum being quite resourceful, managed to borrow some artworks from personal collection and Beihong Museum in China.

The display showcased Xu's artworks created in late 1930s and early 1940s during his visit to Nanyang (Southeast Asia) and India.

Being an art lover, it was great experience to see the original artworks in short distance. Xu's touch and treatment of all the painting were perfect. His talent is unquestioanble.

I think what makes Xu famous, besides his talent is because of his connection with some celebrities and local communities in Nanyang. He painted the portraits of some of the celebrities or their mothers or relatives. They bought his artworks and kept them.

All Xu's masterpieces now have great value. One of his artwork "Put down your cane" fetched more million dollars.

I left the exhibition after spending one hour inside the Singapore Art Museum.

This post is written by Chai Yong from http://www.temasekmap.com/ which is about an ebook entitled "Travel Guide of Singapore Batam Bintan Johor".

Longing for a holiday at East Coast of Bintan?

2008-06-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

I visited Bintan island recently. The ferry was rather slow. It started at ZON Ferry Terminal, Johor Bahru at 3.00 pm and reached Bintan at 7.30pm (based on Malaysia time, not adjusted). It took 4 and a half hours to reach there! Based on normal speed, it should be around 3 hours.

It was dark then. Being first time in Bintan and at that late hour, I have no choice but to seek assistance from a tout who brought me to a few hotels for me to make a choice. Finally I stayed at Hotel Furia.

Alas! Hotel Furia actually is quite near to the Tanjung Pinang Jetty, the place I landed on the island the previous day. One may walk from the Jetty to the Tanjung Pinang town to look for hotel. There are plenty of hotels in town.

The next day, I went to the East Coast of Bintan. I hired a car to bring me there.

The attraction at East Coast is Trikora Beach stretching from km30 to km53. Some parts of the beach are covered with sand, other with coral.

My driver brought me to a few hotels and resorts.

The first one was Bintan Agro Beach Resort & Spa. It has a swimming pool, a restaurant and a stretch of sandy beach. The room rates were medium starting from S$99.00. I should say it is a premium hotel around this area.

I like fishing. The driver let me make a choice between Ocean Bay Resort and Kolam Kelong Trikora. Both built their lodge on stilt and surrounded the sea with net to rear fishes. Kolam Kelong Trikora seemed to do better. I decided to have a rest by angling. I managed to get a fish and handed over to the restaurant to cook for my lunch.

After taking my lunch, before going back to Tanjung Pinang, my driver brought me to a resort with diving services. It was Traveler Pondok Wisita. It has a couple of rooms for visitors to rest. I met the friendly owner who was the diving guide.

I returned to Tanjung Pinang to catch the last ferry back to Johor Bahru with an impressive memory of the East Coast of Bintan.

This post is written by Chai Yong of http://www.temasekmap.com/ which is about an ebook "Travel Guide of Singapore Batam Bintan & Johor".

Singapore Flyer

2008-06-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

After we have heard about the London Eye and Malaysia Eye, Singapore Government recently launched its Singapore Eye i.e. Singapore Flyer. They named it differently to differentiate from those in London and Kuala Lumpur.

Obviously it is the latest tourist attraction in Singapore. The Singapore Government has spent billion dollar to build it.

Its special features include its height of 165m which is the height of a 42 storey building. To date, it is the highest eye in the world. Very soon it will be surpased by another eye in an Asian country.

The duration for one ride is about 30 minutes. Its cabin is fully air-conditioned and UV protected. There are altogther 28 cabins and each cabin can accommodate 28 passengers.

The basic fare for an adult is S$29.50 and a child S$20.65. It is recommended that the ride be used for celebration purpose like birthday etc.

During clear weather, one may be able to see vividly the southern islands of Singapore, some Indonesian island and Johor.

This is message is written by Chai Yong of http://www.temasekmap.com/ which sell an ebook "Travel Guide of Singapore Batam Bintan & Johor" and maps.

Sentosa - Key Tourist Spot in Singapore

2008-01-11T05:09:00.000-08:00

Are you coming to Singapore for a holiday?

Let me introduce to you Sentosa island which is a key tourist attraction in Singapore.

Sentosa was once called Pulau Belakang Mati. In Malay it means "Island of Death from Behind". Historically, Sentosa is an important military spot. It was fortified to protect the harbor and coal attack.

During World War II, Sentosa was used as a British Military Fortress. Following the surrrender of the Allied Force on 15.2.1942, the island became a prison of war camp for Australian and British prisoners of Japanese.

Geographically, Sentosa island together with a neighbour island, Pulau Brani naturally form a protection from the monsoon and rough sea which make the seawater an excellent harbor i.e. Keppel Harbour. Singapore Keppel Harbour now is one of the busiest harbour in the world.

In 1970, the Singapore Government decided to develop the island into a holiday resorts for local visitors as well as tourists. In a contest organized by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, the island was renamed "Sentosa" meaning in Malay "Peace and tranquility".

Since then, some S$420 milllion of private capitals and another S$500 million of Government funds have been invested to develop the island.

This article is written by Chai Yong from http://www.temasekmap.com/ which provides handy map of singapore, map of Batam & Bintan, map of Johor & Johor Bahru and an ebook.

Singapore Fifth Avenue - Orchard Road

2007-12-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

Orchard Road in Singapore is one of the major tourist attraction especially during Christmas festive season every year. Tourists come here for shopping, eating adn accommodation.

Orchard Road is a one way street stretching 2.5 km from the intersection with Orange Grove Road and ends at the intersection with Handy Road. 3 Mass Rapid Transit stations serve the whole stretch of the Orchard Road.

Orchard Road has its name from the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchard that was abound at both sides of the street in 1800s. Mr Orchard had a garden and plantation here and hence the road got its name.

Among the notable historical sites to visit along the Orchard Road are the Istana which is the residence of the President of Singapore. It is only open during open days usually during festive celebration.

Goodword Park Hotel is another historical site. Previously known as Teutonic Club, it exists since before World War I.

For those who are nature lover and who wishes to have relaxation, Singapore Botanic Garden should be his choice.

Orchard Road is synonymous to shopping paradise. It is ornamented by pedestrian shopping malls, upmarket restaurants, bistros, coffee chains, hotels, night clubs etc.

Tang Plaza with its typical Chinese pagoda tower is a homegrown department store. Situated at the junctin between Orchard Road and Scotts Road, it is founded in 1934 adn established on Orchard Road in 1950. Visitors can purchase garments, accessories etc here.

For visitors with deep pockets a visit to Ngee Ann City will not be disppointing. Its anchor tenants include branded boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Channel, Vacheron Constantin and a Japanese department store - Takashimaya. It also houses the Southeast Asia largest bookstore - Book Kinokuniya.

For learned visitors, beside Book Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City, one may pay a visit to Wheelock Place - the Borders. It has a rich collection of not only books but also CDs, DVDs on various topics and themes. American visitors will definitely feel at home there even though you are in Singapore.

If one is looking for produces from the Philippines, Lucky Plaza is surely your choice. It is a focal point for domestic Filipino workers during weekend and public holidays.

Far East Plaza at Scotts Road is famous with its cheap fashion items and food outlets. Visitors may find cheap and good local food at the food courts.

Down near the Somerset MRT is the CenterPoint where one can find another old department store - Robinson and Mark & Spencer.

Plaza Singapura is located next to the Istana entrance. It houses the Golden Village Cineplex,Carrefour and other shops.

Written by Chai Yong from http://www.temasekmap.com/ and http://www.window-safety-lock.com/.

HOW TO CHOOSE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER FOR YOUR HOUSE

2007-09-19T06:28:00.000-07:00

Fire extinguisher serves as first line batter against the fire before fire brigade arrives your house if there is any fire. It is advisable to have at least two fire extinguishers in your house.

Fire occurs if the following elements exist:-
(i) oxygen
(ii) heat
(iii) fuel and
(iv) chemical reaction.

These elements form the Fire Triangle.

Fire can be extinguished by removing or isolating any of those elements in the Fire Triangle from the rest.

There are many types of fire extinguisher available in the market. It is vital that you use the correct fire extinguisher to extinguish fire. The wrong type of fire extinguisher may not be able to put off the fire and hence not effective. Using incorrect agent can allow the fire to re-ignite after apparently being extinguished successfully.

Some suppliers are ignorant about the suitable type of fire extinguisher for different household use. It is advisable to check the fire extinguisher you have in your home.

Household use

Normally a fire in a house occurs on wood, paper, cloth, plastic etc. This type of fire is known as Class A fire.

Fire also quite often occurs in the kitchen involving cooking oil and grease e.g. animal fats and vegetable fats. This is Class K fire.

Sometimes, fire also occurs at electrical equipments like motor, transformer and appliances. This type of fire is Class C fire.

Recommendation

The suitable fire extinguisher for household use are:-

i. Dry chemical fire extinguisher
It is effective on Class A and Class C fire. It extinguishes fire primarily by interrupting the chemical reaction of the Fire Triangle. It works by creating a barrier between oxygen element and fuel element of Class A fire.

ii. Water mist
This type of fire extinguisher is primarily for Class A fire although they are safer for use on Class C fire. It extinguishes fire by taking away the heat element of the Fire Triangle.

iii. Cartridge operated dry chemical
This agent works by creating a barrier between the oxygen element and the fuel element on Class A fire. It is also suitable for Class C fire.

If you choose to use the above fire extinguishers, you may achieve cost-effectiveness as they are suitable for both Class A and C fire.

Other types of fire extinguisher which are suitable only for one type of fire are:-

i. Water and foam fire extinguisher
It is only suitable for Class A fire. It extinguishes fire by taking away the heat of the Fire Triangle. It is not suitable for Class C fire which involves electrical equipments. You may get electrocuted because the water is current conductor.

ii. Carbon dioxide fire extinguisher
It can be used on Class C fire. It operates by taking away the oxygen element of the Fire Triangle and removing heat.

iii. Clean agent and halogenated fire extinguisher
It extinguishes Class C fire only. It involves halon agents and halocarbon agents. They extinguish fire by interrupting the chemical reaction of the Fire Triangle.

For kitchen involving Class K fire, you need to use wet chemical fire extinguisher which operates by removing the heat of the Fire Triangle and preventing re-ignition by creating a barrier between the oxygen and fuel elements. This type of fire extinguisher can be used on Class C fire as well.

In conclusion, you need to have 2 fire extinguishers i.e. one for Class A fire and the other for Class K fire in the kitchen.

Tips

Fire extinguisher must be maintained in accordance with the relevant local regulations. In Malaysia, fire extinguisher has to be maintained by the supplier once per year and examined by the Fire Brigade Department. The Fire Brigade Department will issue Fire Brigade Certificate upon completion of examination and compliance of the regulations.

This article is written by Chai Yong from http://www.window-safety-lock.com/ which is about keyless Griloc window safety lock. Your navigation is welcome.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME BURGLARY PROOF

2007-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Burglary ranks the second among the crimes in most of the countries in the world.

Burglary is unlawful or forcible entry or attempted entry of a building, usually involving theft. Illegal entry may be by forces such as breaking window, door or roof. It may be without force by entering through unlocked door or an open window.

The majority of burglary was committed in residence (household burglary) followed by business burglary(commercial burglary) and other locations like schools, sheds, substations, detached garages etc.

There are various ways to make your home burglary proof:-

i. Reinforcing door

Door grille can be fixed at the external side of your door. It can be front door, side door or rear door.

Druing teh day time, your timber solid door may be left open with the door grille locked. Doing so has the advantages of having a nice view of movement outside your house and preventing burglar or unwanted people from entering your home. In the meantime, your house will have better ventilation with the solid door open.

ii. Reinforcing window

Window is one of the weakest points where a burglar likes to break in.

Window can be reinforced by fixing a window grille. There are 2 types of window grille i.e. fixed window grille and sliding window grille.

Sliding window grille is preferred as compared to fixed one as a sliding window grille can be padlocked. It can be opened for the purpose of cleaning the window or escape during emergency. However, at times people tend to be panic during emergency like fire. They cannot find the right key to the padlock.

Both fixed window grille and sliding window grille with padlock are in fact a trap for residents during emergency.

Sliding window grille could be made safer by having a keyless window safety lock.

iii. Reinforcing roof

Roof is another weakest point which is normally ignored.

The prevention steps must be started at the design stage.

Conventionally, roofing design is as follows:- top layer is the roof tile usually not nailed, insulation wool, sisalation - a thin layer of aluminum foil followed by wire mesh.

From the above design, you can visualize that a burglar can open the roof tile easily as it is not nailed. The insulation wool, sisalation and wire mesh can be cut easily. Therefore, it is a weakest point from the point of view of burglary.

To reinforce the roof, a layer of flat zink sheet (0.7-0.9mm) can be laid before fixing of roof timber batten where the roof tile sits on. Because of the thickness of the zink sheet, it is not easy to cut. This could prevent a burglar from breaking in.

iv. Fixing burglar alarm system

Burglar alarm system can be fixed at all openings or your home like door, window, ceiling openings etc.

v. Fixing CCTV

CCTV could be both preventive and detective measure. It could be made more useful if it is connected to a 24 hours recording device. This serves two purposes i.e. detecting any burglar so that immediate action could be taken and tracing any burglar if he has broken in and left.

vi. Good neighbourhood

A close neighbourhood could keep an eye on any stranger approaching your house.

Sometimes, a neighbourhood could have a neighbourhood program whereby patrolling at night could be conducted to prevent crimes from happening.

vii. Fencing

Fencing around your house or neighbourhood is definitely a proven way to prevent burglary.

Fencing has a psychological effect namely it prevents any stranger from trespassing your compound as it could be viewed as an illegal act or an act with wilful intent.

This article is written by Chai Yong from http://www.window-safety-lock.com/ which is about keyless Griloc window safety lock. Your navigation is welcome.

KEYLESS WINDOW LOCK

2007-07-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

KEYLESS WINDOW LOCK

Everyone by nature wishes to live a happy and safe life. Believe it or not, sometime, you could do a minor thing which might make a big difference in your life.

I know in Malaysia, my home country a lot of people are safety and security conscious. They install window grille to prevent burglar from breaking in. There are 2 types of window grilles in the market i.e. (i) fixed window grille and (ii) sliding window grille which can be padlocked.

There is a big danger associated with the above 2 types of window grille.

For the fixed window grille, there is no way to escape during emergency like fire as it is fixed.

For the padlocked sliding window grille, most probably you could not find the key as you tend to be panic during emergency.

Either way, you are setting a trap for yourself when you fix a window grille.

Is there a solution to this problem?

Now, there is a product called Griloc window safety lock. It is keyless. The locking and opening mechanism is within the same device. The opening of the safety lock is just as simple as pulling a locking pin at the bottom case. Even a small kid can do it with ease. Of couse, it is burglary proof.

For details, please visit http://www.window-safety-lock.com/.

Your comment is welcome.