Hidden History@ Indian Mosque Lane in Kuching.

The India Street derives its name from the fact that it has always been a street occupied by the Indian Shops. Most of the Indians are from the southern and northern India. At first, it was called as the Kling Street in the 1850’s, but the Third White Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke changed the name to India Street in 1928.
In 1992, the street was closed to vehicular traffic and converted into a pedestrian mall.

 

INDIAN MOSQUE LANE

A small passageway (locally known as “Lorong Sempit”) that connects India Street Pedestrian Mall and Gambier Road.  A popular short-cut for shoppers who patronized the area. Built originally as the access to the Indian Mosque located between the Mall and Gambier Road. The doors and steps which marked the beginning of the passageway from the Mall side have been restored in their original state since early seventies.

Indian Mosque Lane is a narrow passageway locally known as "Lorong Sempit".This small lane lead to Gambier Road.The lane is so narrow that at section only one person can walk pass at anytime.

 

If you follow this passageway you'll pass a small Mosque hidden away in the middle of the city. The Mosque's structure has undergone many changes since it was originally built by Kuching's Indian Muslim community in the mid 19th century.

 

Outside view of Indian Mosque.

 

Photo Above - Masjid Bandar Kuching ( Masjid India - The Indian Mosque) is the oldest in Sarawak

 

The time for prayers is marked by the sounding of a drum, known locally as the ‘bedok’.(Photo Above) That drum has been in use for 50 over years.

The hidden history of Indian Mosque in Kuching.

Inconspicuously sandwiched between India Street Mall and Gambir Street,  the mosque covered an area of 16,004 square feet.

The mosque was built in 1837 by Indian Muslims from southern India. The originally walls and roof was made of nipah palms. In 1876, belian wood planks replaced the nipah palms walls. The name was changed to Masjid Bandar Kuching in the 1960’s from its original name Masjid India (Masjid Tambi).
Other than the Indian Muslim community, at that time when there was no road transportation yet, the

Malay Muslims from the costal villages also come to the mosque to pray and rest when they come to trade in the city.

In those days when there were no roads to the costal, the villagers travel by boats and would berth their sampans by the river beside Gambir Street wet market  and visit the mosque for prayers. Sometimes, they lodged in the mosque before returning to their villages. To this day, Masjid India provides shelter to tired travellers.

The time for prayers is marked by the sounding of a drum, known locally as the ‘bedok’. That drum has been in use for 50 over years.
Being in the heart of the city, it is a convenient place of worship for Muslims working in the area and shoppers  On a Fridays, the congregation could swells to over 1,000 while on ordinary weekdays some 400 gather for prayers.

The mosque also started the first religious school in Sarawak back in 1940’s. The Madrasah Islamiah remains in operation.

A committee Lembaga Amanah Khairat administrates the Masjid India, and whatever funds collected will be used to maintain the mosque. Funds for maintaining the mosque come from rent collected from 23 neighbouring shops owned mainly by Indian Muslims who sold groceries, spices, cloth and books. Two Chinese shopkeepers also operate their businesses in the area. These family businesses have been handed down through the generations.

www.fireflyz.com.my

 

I have been travelling not a lot but quite a few time for the past 2 years and have had a chance to see,feel and appreciate or dislike the airline that I travel with.So far,I can say that I'm quite fond of low cost carrier 'Air Asia' and her tag line 'Now everyone can fly'.To be honest I'm always travel with zero fare offer by this carrier and enjoy the smooth flight of Airbus 320 .The wonderful thing about this budget airline is that the arrival/departure terminal is in LCCT(Low Cost Carrier Terminal) and I can take a bus ride to KL Central just for Rm8.00 for one way.This is very good for backpacker like me who carry only my camera & laptop backpack which is less then 10 kg.

To travel overseas maybe many budget Malaysian still prefer AirAsia X.

 

 

Firefly’s first Boeing 737-800 arrives in December 2010 and will begin its operations on the 15th of January 2011 from the Main Terminal Building, KLIA.

Next year onward or perhaps some of you have already plan ahead your trip from East to West Malaysia ...Now you have option..Yes,yes.the community airline which is spread its wing and lovely bright orange has decided to show off their newly B737-800.Oh!!! how I wish I'm onboard to photograph this beautiful still bird

From 15th of January 2011:

• 2x daily Kuala Lumpur – Kota Kinabalu
• 2x daily Kuala Lumpur – Kuching

From 24th of January 2011:

• 3x daily Kuala Lumpur – Kota Kinabalu
• 4x daily Kuala Lumpur – Kuching

 

   Passenger reviews on Firefly SKYTRAX.

Nestle World Walking Day 2010 in Kuching.

I’d like to invite friends to this great social event get healthy , meet people & I will be around too .Spread the love,the love of walking that is,It's no competition,no stress event.Just join in the fun,walk,walk and walk for a couple of kilo meters .Don't worry come early for free World Walking Day T-Shirt.

Official web site HERE

See you guy around at Kuching Waterfront  this coming Sunday 21st November 2010.Rain or shine I will be there.

Merdeka Day in Kuching.

The beautiful sun was shining and I have to put on sun glasses to protect my eyes 'Welcome to Kuching,Sir".

Yesterday 31 of August 2010 is Merdeka Day in Malaysia and its public holiday.

I started my day by walking from Padang Merdeka .Padang merdeka in Kuching,formerly known as padang central,is rather 'QUIET' this time around as this year's Malaysia Day is not held in Kuching.It was 09:00AM ,the beautiful sun was shining so beautifully that I couldn't resist capturing some photos of Merdeka fever in some parts of Kuching City.

The admin of this building 'Medan Pelita' is in a spirit of patriotic.

Street fruits vendor trying to be a patriotism ,using the flag (Jalur Gamilang) to protect him from sunshine........

Spirit of Patriotism '1Malaysia'  creativity of St.Joseph School students...

Bapak Malaysia image should be highlighted instead of our present PM.Another creativity of St.Jo School. (Jo is for Joseph not Abg Jo our state minister).

On my way to my home 'Desa Ilmu' this is Jalan Dato Mohd Musa of Kota Samarahan.This place is 30 mins drive or about 26KM from Kuching City.See the Jalur Gamilang on a street lamp pole and it's public holiday so not many road user to-day.

All above image captured using Olympus DSLR the official camera for Kuching Daily photo .

DMC Lumix LX3 by Panasonic.

How the camera look like.....size does not matter.

Wow !!! this is an amazing camera.Its a compact camera that shoots as well as a mid-range DSLR .It costs (Rm1700)a half of my entry level DSLR cost.

This camera belong to my daughter who is still pursue her Master in UKM,Bangi.Perfect choice for her field work/study and travelling.To-day(Sunday) I have a chance to review and snap a few sample photos.

Designed for easy, creative shooting, and high-performance in low-light conditions, the DMC-LX3 features a F2.0 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens, 10.1 mega pixels and an ultra-sensitive 1/1.63-inch CCD developed specifically for this model.

By combining a high-quality lens and sensor ready for a variety of shooting conditions with a wide-range of accessories and manual controls, the DMC-LX3 is ideal for professional photographers and serious amateurs looking for a compact digital camera that furthers their creative photography.

I can switch the aspect of the camera immediately with three easy switches. These aspects determine the “square size” of your camera. If you want to have wide-screen effect, choose 16:9. Pretty much like a television.Auto Focus – Macro Mode – Manual Focus. These switches are mostly not available in compact cameras.

The round switch on the left is the manual switches. Notice there is no “Automatic” shot.

Start from SCN (clock wise) – SCENE – intelligent Aperture – Program – Aperture Priority – Shutter Speed Priority – Manual – Custom 1 – Custom 2 – Video

W and T button is zoom function. This camera only comes with 2x zoom but I am satisfied with current zoom.

Focus – this is the best function. I can set the focus point manually.. usually only DSLR has such functions.This is definitely not a camera for those still new to camera, but once mastered, this is a great and powerful compact camera, especially in low light conditions.

For flash or viewfinder purchase (optional) &  doesn't mean LX3 does not have flash?.This camera has its own build in flash.

This is one of the sample photo I shot using Lumix LX3.F2.0 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens.

Try scene mode Pin Hole.

Manual mode...W & T button is zoom function,the lens flare is from the camera  and no editing (PP).

 

Panasonic DMC-LX3 10.1MP Digital Camera with 24mm Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

This is an amazing P&S compact camera.

Sibu ByElection-Nomination Day.

I was in Sibu on 8th May,2010 to witness the nomination day for Sibu byelection.

This good looking uncle at first I thought he is a chief police on duty as I saw many police man standing near him. He wear black T and wanted to be "Arrest Me"

I am wearing BLACK.He is no other then popular blogger

ZORROW UNMASKED .

 

Too many police in Sibu now..Do you know Sibu have extra 2000 police during the election day.Good Job.....

Barisan Nasional..present Government of Malaysia.

The hard core supporters of ruling party Barisan Nasional.

The opposition party...

Sibu, is not a big and well-known town in the context of this country, but recently because of the by-election, almost everyday you can see Sibu on TV! Besides that, all political big names either from ruling parties as well as opposition parties are blooming into this town since the nomination day (8th May). It is predicted that this phenomenon will continue until the pooling day which is scheduled on 16th of May! Therefore if you wish to visit Sibu in this period of time, please be reminded that all hotels, no matter big or small, expensive or cheap, new or old... all had been fully booked!

Win an Olympus Pen E-PL1.

Olympus Malaysia is offering you a chance to win an Olympus Pen E-PL1 worth RM2,499. All you have to do is to participate in the ‘Evolution’ e-photo contest.

Contest dates from 22 March ~ 30 April, 2010

Click

H E R E

Good Luck !!!!.

The winner bring this home..see below:

My Assignment to Padang Besar.

While waiting for train at KL Sentral during my assignment to Padang Besar ,Perlis.I had a chance to play around a little bit with a couple of the E-620's built-in art filters.

The art filters and a fun, quick way to create a special effect you can see at once, and it gives you something else to think about. I find myself looking for subjects that would benefit from my  favourites, the pop art effects.

My Olympus E-620 is approx. 550g (with battery & Lens 14-54mm f2.8).Very comfortable to carry when travelling.Now look at the photo above ,my friend  here didn't know that he was my subject.I can change the angle of the LCD monitor on the camera.This enable you to shoot at an awkward angle while checking the subject's composition on the LCD monitor ( Can be rotate at within the moveable range).

My arrival after long 12 hours on the train.

The landmark of Padang Besar,Perlis.

I bought myself a Crocs sandal,adventure or jungle boot and backpack.Don't ask me the price.Well ,after all it's just a imitation branded item that your bargaining skill must have with the Thailand vendors in Padang Besar .

Now, do you know that my art filter will appeal to lomographers a lot and those who are not really photoshop-savvy like myself.

Medai vs Bolggers

March 8 turning point for bloggers By Yu Ji
KUCHING: For a long time now online news portals and blogs have been tagged as ‘alternative’ — an adjective that seems out of date given the enormous readership they command.
Since the invention of the printing press, newspapers have been the primary source of information. But since the March 8 polls, there has been a lot of focus on the influence of this so-called ‘alternative’ media.
Bloggers have been catapulted from being regarded as “unemployed housewives” and people who ‘syok sendiri’ (self-indulging) to key players who have substantial say in forming public conscience.
News portals like Malaysiakini are even finding it easier to interview high-ranking politicians than established newspapers.
Public opinion and perception towards news provided by bloggers are definitely changing. As such, how do the mainstream media — television stations, radio and newspapers — keep up?
A keen observation is that while mainstream media content often find their way onto blogs online, the reverse has not happened. Indeed, popular blogs like Malaysia Today have attacked mainstream media as lacking credibility.
On Labour Day, the See Hua Group and Angkatan Zaman Mansang organised a forum looking into the issue.
Titled ‘Challenges posed by alternative media’, participants comprised journalists, academics and university students.
It featured two prominent experts in the field: one a renowned media lecturer from Universiti Sains Malaysia, known for his hard-hitting criticism, and another a newspaper columnist and blogger.
Associate Professor Dr Zaharom Nain, of the Centre for Policy Research and International Studies of USM, spoke on media-government structures, and why he believes there is “a window of opportunity” for change now.
The second speaker was Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, daughter of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, best regarded as a social activist for AIDS, who talked about Internet media.
“You must talk about real openness,” Zaharom said. “Of course, there is a real sense of bitterness towards rules and structures, but there is a lot of sloppy writing (on reporter’s part).”
The professor hit out at reporters who were not trying to “push the boundaries” especially after the March 8 polls.
“Looking ahead, I do not think the environment is static,” he said. “While I do not disagree that rules and structures in place are inhibiting, it is certainly not impossible to change.”
The professor also criticised the autonomy of universities, when asked whether professors were ready to train a new generation of reporters.
“I’ve always maintained that universities in Malaysia are not ready to produce first class journalists; meanwhile, there are also journalism students who don’t even read newspapers!”
In this respect, the academic lamented that students and academic staff in general were not critical thinkers.
Earlier, Zaharom also questioned the media’s juggling between toeing the ‘party line’ (linkages to political organisations and the fear of not having printing licences renewed) and the ‘bottom line’ (media market monopoly by a small group of organisations and a preference for tabloid style reports).
On the former, he called for certain laws to be repelled, and on the latter, he noted the increase of media, such as magazines, and television stations that did not bring about greater diversity. A lot of new mainstream media products were still in the hands of a few, Zaharom pointed out.
Describing the scenario as ‘much of muchness’, the professor said mainstream media content continued to be ‘safe’ and that there were a lot of ‘PR and spin’ on matters deemed ‘sensitive’.
“Traditional (mainstream) media is still relevant – but not in its present form,” Zaharom stated.
The lively forum saw comments from editors, some of whom defended newspapers’ limitations, and a panel that lamented the government’s overriding influence.
Words like ‘too idealistic’ (in contrast to the ‘reality’) were levelled at Zaharom while others opined reporters had to ‘cari makan’, and thus, adhere to guidelines.
Focusing more on her personal experience, Marina felt that ‘the acceptance of censorship first’ had gone too far.
“Several years ago, I was involved with an architectural magazine where there was so much talk about whether the photo size of a Buddhist temple could be larger than that of a mosque,” the writer recalled.
“To me, I felt that the pervasive sense to self-censorship had gone beyond the law. There is the acceptance of censorship first,” said Marina, who started blogging in December 2006.
Because of this, Marina said people were ‘reactionary’ and tended to be ‘abusive online’, where there is no government censorship.
On the pre-election coverage, she said at times she felt ‘fed up’ with the direction of mainstream media.
“There was definitely a sense that the pre-election media ignored bloggers, especially when you look at comments from certain politicians.
“But to me, the world is not divided into mainstream and blogs. There is definitely a cross over,” Marina said.
Turning her attention to other forms of media, she cited social networking sites like Facebook, video sites like YouTube, and even newsgroups, as ways people could discuss and influence one another.
She said a growing number of people were getting ‘sceptical’ and were looking for news elsewhere.
“The three most important aspects of alternative media is that they are updated frequently, blogs offer more ‘personality’ and lucidity”, and they were interactive.
“While a blogger does not have the resources to cover news like a newspaper can, i.e. sending reporters to everywhere in Malaysia, blogs draw strength from the fact that one blogger would write about one place/issue, while others contribute stories from elsewhere.”
She described this plurality of writers and views as a ‘more holistic’ way of capturing people’s opinions.
“Blogs are a personal platform and newspapers are more corporate. It’s like a lot of people talking in a big room. This is what worries the government,” she added.

Election 2008 is powered by the power of the rakyat and internet

The Latest from Tun Mahathir, Warisan Negara ELECTION 2008 : Bloggers test their popularity in General Election Posted: 26 Feb 2008 12:44 AM CST
Election 2008 is powered by the power of the Rakyat and Internet.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The Internet is changing the face of Malaysian politics, becoming a virtual political party of its own as the country gears up for elections next month.
Three high-profile bloggers, all opponents of the ruling coalition which has effectively governed for five decades, are standing for the first time as candidates on March 8, hoping that their popularity on the Net will translate into votes.
"Everyone of us has a stake in the country's future, but talk is cheap. We now need to walk the walk," says Jeff Ooi, a well-known blogger contesting a seat in northern Penang state for the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP).
A 52-year-old former advertising copywriter, he has made his name writing a political blog, "Screenshots" http://www.jeffooi.com/, one of dozens that have found an active readership outside the pro-government mainstream press.
Another popular blogger, also running on a DAP ticket, is 34-year-old Tony Pua, a fresh-faced Oxford graduate who started blogging three years ago after setting up a high-tech firm.
"I've had opportunities to migrate but I decided that Malaysia is my home," Pua said as he dreamt up campaign slogans at a cramped DAP office on the second floor of a shophouse, above a Chinese restaurant, on the outskirts of the capital.
"So the next question is what should I do to make it better?" His blog's address is: tonypua.blogspot.com.
ALTERNATIVE VIEWS
Pua, like Ooi, is running from an urban constituency where Internet penetration is highest and opposition sentiment runs stronger than in the countryside.
A third blogger, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, said he is struggling to spread his message because of the limited Internet access in the rural Malay majority seat where he is standing.
"I admit that is difficult because my blog is not accessible here, but I am getting a lot of help from fellow bloggers," he said by phone from his electorate of Rembau, a sleepy farming district south of Kuala Lumpur.
Badrul, who is running on opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's party ticket, will take on Khairy Jamaluddin, the prime minister's son-in-law and an ambitious politician. Badrul's blog: chegubard.blogspot.com
Considered a thorn in the government's side due to their often critical political and social commentaries, Malaysia's blogging community offer alternative views in a country where the government keeps a tight control on mainstream media.
The government said last year it might compel bloggers to register with the authorities to curb the spread of malicious content on the Internet.
Government backers doubt whether bloggers turned opposition politicians could make their presence felt.
"Beyond the major cities like Kuala Lumpur and Penang, there's not much the bloggers can really hope to accomplish," says Mohamad Norza Zakaria, a leader in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's UMNO party (http://www.umno-online.com/)
The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) dominates the 14-party Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
Only a fifth of Malaysians have access to the Internet, official data show. There are 10.9 million voters in a nation of 26 million people.
Blogger Ooi spoke of the difficult challenge ahead. "Compared to the BN, we are behind on the three M's - money, machinery and media access."

The Latest from TunMahathir-Warisan Negara,Malaysia's opposition mounts campaign in CYBERSPACE.

The Latest from Tun Mahathir, Warisan Negara Election 2008: Malaysia's opposition mounts campaign in cyberspace Posted: 19 Feb 2008 10:31 PM CSTThe power of Internet.
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia goes to the polls next month and this time the campaign is going online, as opposition parties turn to blogs, SMS and YouTube to dodge a virtual blackout on mainstream media.
Major newspapers and television stations -- many partly owned by parties in the ruling coalition -- are awash with flattering stories on the government and its achievements ahead of March 8 general elections.
The opposition parties rate barely a mention, but thanks to the Internet they have begun campaigning feverishly in cyberspace with the aim of reaching young, urban, educated voters.
"They control the television but we've got YouTube now," said 31-year-old Lee Sean Li, an accountant who avidly surfs the Net for alternative news and complains there are only negative glimpses of the opposition in the main media.
Lee was delighted to see parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang post a speech on the upcoming elections, just minutes after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dissolved parliament earlier this month.
"I was impressed at how professional he was and it is a clever use of technology," Lee said, adding that 67-year-old Lim is one of the most "wired" politicians in the country.
While many of his generation may struggle to send an email, Lim runs three blogs which are meticulously updated with multiple posts every day, and many of the party's other leaders follow suit.
"Blogging is one way to get word out and an opportunity to circumvent media control," said Lim from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is aiming to dent the government's thumping majority in the upcoming vote.
"We cannot neutralise the state-controlled media," he told AFP.
"But Internet pick-up rates will keep getting higher. We will not be blacked out forever."
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranks Malaysia 124 out of 169 on its worldwide press freedom index, and says the main media are "often compelled to ignore or to play down the many events organised by the opposition".
One of the alternative pioneers is Malaysiakini.com, an online news journal which since it began operating in 1999 has been raided by police and denied media passes for its reporters to cover government events.
Co-founder Steven Gan said the use of the Internet as a campaign tool was hampered by penetration rates which remain low in rural areas where the government enjoys strong support.
"But in urban areas, it is significant. They now have this alternative access to news and other views," he said.
The Malaysiakini website receives about 100,000 daily hits and has struggled to cope with the volume since an unprecedented series of public protests against the government broke out in recent months.
"During this election period, I expect it to increase by tenfold and we are preparing for that kind of explosion in the coming weeks. We have upgraded the bandwidth for better access," Gan said.
Malaysia's Islamic opposition party PAS runs its own online journal HarakahDaily.net which features six different online television channels and original reporting on the election.
And political dissident and ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim also writes his own blog which has news links and videos of his Keadilan party's campaign activities.
Anwar last year used the site to release a video clip which allegedly showed a high-profile lawyer brokering top judicial appointments -- a scandal which triggered a full royal commission of inquiry.
Well-known blogger Jeff Ooi, who is standing as a DAP candidate in the elections, said news and views on blogs appealed to a cross-section of people and was not limited to urban youth alone.
"It is not really restricted by age. We are attracting many concerned citizens who are above 45 years old and these are the people who are more interested in politics and the oppositions' viewpoint," he said.
"Our campaign videos will be transmitted through YouTube because it is unlikely for television stations to broadcast them, of course," said Ooi, who is facing a defamation suit by the government-linked New Straits

12th GENERAL ELECTION

To-day I get one copy of SURF! magazine from local newstand the cover story is very interesting.

WILL THE INTERNET DECIDE THE NEXT ELECTION?

EVEN EX PREMIER TUN DR.MAHATHIR MOHAMAD,WHO FAMOUSLY HAD NO GOOD WRDS FOR INTERNET MEDIA AND BLOGGERS DURING HIS DAYS IN OFFICE,NOW REGULARLY INVITES BLOGGERS TO HIS PRESS CONFERENCES AND TALK.

INTERNET COULD INFLUENCE CHOICE OF CANDIDATES BUT.........by Political analyst Bunn Nagara.

INTERNET,NOT THE ONLY SOUCE OF POLITICAL OPINION......by Dato'Shahrir Abdul Samad.

TWO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES FROM P K R.

Two Parti Keadilan Rakyat(Keadilan) senior members,Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's secretary,Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad(Nik) and information chief,Tian Chua(Tian)have rather different views on how the Internet will influence the outcome of the upcoming general election.

INFLUENTIAL,BUT ONLY IN CERTAIN AREAS....by Dato'Wong Chun Wai.

The Star's group chief edtor believes its influence on voters will only be felt in certain urban constituencies nationwide.

THE INTERNET,THE PUBLIC AND THE ELECTION.

To read more rush to the nearest newstand and grab one copy......make sure you pay OK.....

Great Leader-The bloggers

The Blogger President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

I was very glad to find out that Iran President is the blogger himself.

Also our Tun Mahathir-Warisan Negara Malaysia and Anwar Ibrahim.

Malaysian In Indonesia Top 100 bloggers.

Picture by Shanghai Fish of Ong with Malaysian bloggers Zorrow,Nuraina A.Samad and Rocky's Bru.

rocky's bru: A Malaysian in Indonesia's Top 100 bloggers

I visited one and only rock bloggers "rocky's bru " .I hope he don't mind that I'm publishing this article in my blog .I'm proud of our Malaysian blogger .
M A L A Y S I A B O L E H !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

B L O G G E R S

Bloggers can be journalist(and journalists can be bloggers)
Bloggers are entitled to free speech.
Bloggers have the right to political speech.
Bloggers have the right to stay anonymous.
Bloggers have freedom from liability for hosting speech the same way others web hosts do.