tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71093048644615718652024-03-05T00:50:52.574-08:00AHAVA ~אהבה~Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-51516985263638182482009-08-26T23:19:00.000-07:002009-08-27T00:24:44.981-07:0052th Merdeka...CELEBRATION OF EXCITEMENT!!!..<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUasH4ZpKsCDfSQjE008N8SLw6SUjcap_t8QPNP5AHy1Jt07Sl07tWeQmIx1KGy8usmacZkeBe40M7h5_s0md1NmB7GSCGPwmuhvmTb5ZRCzlJuJTiOAAny8onRqHe-KXTDHMPaHH5_s/s1600-h/hand.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374529636392033170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 222px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUasH4ZpKsCDfSQjE008N8SLw6SUjcap_t8QPNP5AHy1Jt07Sl07tWeQmIx1KGy8usmacZkeBe40M7h5_s0md1NmB7GSCGPwmuhvmTb5ZRCzlJuJTiOAAny8onRqHe-KXTDHMPaHH5_s/s400/hand.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Malaysia as we know it today is a thriving developing country, often considered a “role model” by its Southeast Asian neighbours for its economic and political stability, multicultural harmony and steady progress. 31st August 2009 marks the 50th year of this country's independence from British colonialism and the day the joyful, triumphant shouts of “Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka!” resonated throughout the nation as Malaya's first Prime Minister, Allahyarham Tunku Abdul Rahman stood on a podium at Merdeka Square doing the same. </span><br /><span style="color:#ffcccc;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffcccc;">The name Malaya was then changed to Malaysia when the country was officially made a federation of 13 states including Sabah and Sarawak. Article 1(1) of the Federal Constitution states that "The federation shall be known, in Malay and English, as Malaysia". Although Singapore broke away and became a nation of its own in 1965, the rest of the states have remained firmly together, combining to make Malaysia the harmonious melting pot of cultures it is today.</span><br /><span style="color:#ffcccc;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffcccc;">As for me, I do buy the flags... as its the symbol of Malaysia's sovereignty anyway. I do put up the jalur gemilang at home & on my car (as Malaysians who love to). But I don't think attending Merdeka concerts or parades will do any good to me. So i will just stay at home, see glimpse of fireworks from outside of my house. I even participate in merdeka celebration by putting fireworks at my house a few years back. It's good enough to take some time to think about the meaning of Merdeka and appreciate life in Malaysia. Things could be alot worse elsewhere.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ffcccc;">With all our strengths and weaknesses as a nation, we have gained a lot but we have to catch up lots more. Nevertherless, I'm 100% proud to call myself Malaysian. Happy 52th birthday Malaysia<br /></span><span style="color:#ffcccc;"></span><br /><br /><center><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x82ih_46dDc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x82ih_46dDc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></center>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-24651793408796114672009-08-24T00:02:00.000-07:002009-08-24T00:21:22.421-07:00Violence & Child Abuse<u><span style="color:#6666cc;">FORMS OF ABUSE</span></u><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;">The cases cited here, nevertheless, gave a good indication on the types of abuses that are commonly linked to child abuse, a blanket term for mistreating a child. It went to show that a child could be subjected to many forms of abuses, ranging from physical, sexual, emotional to neglect. The abused incidence of children in this country were commited by people known to the children including their parents. </span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;">"Children who have been abused would also be neglected and for some children that are abandoned, chances are during the period of abandonment, someone might have abused the child."</span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;">Some parents may turn and say they never abused their child. But when you leave your child neglected on the street or at home alone and the male relatives or a neighbour has taken advantage of your child, that in itself constitutes neglect and it is a form of child abuse as you have failed to provide safety for your child.</span><br /><br /><u><span style="color:#ff9966;">DIFFERENT REACTION</span></u><br /><u><span style="color:#ff9966;"></span></u><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;">According to research by child psychologist, different child showed different reaction after he or she had been abused. Some, would be more aggresive, others would be more withdrawn, or display anti-social behaviour. Still, there were abused children who at the end of the traumatic experience, did not show any effects at all.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;">"There are several factors that would influence how the abused children behave. Like, how young they are when they are abused and how long the abuse has been going on. Obviously, if it is only for a short period of time, it is not very damaging compared to if the child is consistently being abused for many years."</span><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;">"Other factors include who has been abusing the child. If the abuse is a one time thing and done by a stranger, it would not affect them as much compared to if the abuser is the child's own father."</span><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;">The personality of the child also played an important factor that would determine the extend of the abuse had on the child. Some children, were more resilient and they could go through the abuse and came out of it like there was nothing happening at all. Social support was also another factor that was crucial to abused children. Early intervention and counselling help a lot.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff9966;"></span>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-77356973166950413952009-08-13T00:43:00.001-07:002009-08-13T01:31:43.146-07:00Train & Place Programme<span style="color:#ff99ff;">Ministry of Human Resource has launched a program called Train and Place. It is a free program and participants will be paid allowances. Apart from those who were retrenched, graduates who are finding life difficult to land a job are also encouraged to participate.<br /><br />Through the program, candidates can choose a wide variety of re-skilling programs available according to their interest such as accounting, business & entrepreneurship, hospitality, food and beverage, fashion, graphic, modeling, human resources, technical & engineering, wealth planning and so on.<br /><br />The job seekers will also be certified once they complete this program. It is only a 3 months full –time program. It will act as the one-stop centre for labor market information for the public.</span>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-75410796413157775672009-08-13T00:42:00.000-07:002009-08-13T00:43:16.648-07:00Advantages<span style="color:#ff9900;">This is a pilot initiative program collaborating with the Ministry of Human Resource & Industry partners to provide 3 months paid learning on industry required soft-skill to the applicants and place them to the industry. This is to better prepare the individual for better employment. The role of selected intuition is to train and place approved applicant to the industry partners after they have completed their 3 months training. Industry (Potential Employer) will come and conduct interview during your 3 months training.<br /><br />The main objective of the system is to improve the mobilization of the nation's human resources and to ensure that manpower utilization is optimized through the systematic matching of job seekers to job vacancies.<br /><br />Train & Place program matches job seekers seeking suitable jobs with employers. All the services provided by this program are free and made publicly available through the facilities of the Ministry of Human Resources. Under this programme, the job seekers would also be paid an allowance of about RM500 per month which is given for the usage of travel & meal expenses. Lodging is provided for outstation applicant. Free industry required soft-skill training. Job placement to industries after 3 months training. The Jobseekers will be more marketable after the 3 months learning (this is the 1st pilot to assist career seeker to enhance and be competitive in job market).</span>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-72606800788139983352009-08-12T23:50:00.000-07:002009-08-13T01:38:50.251-07:00Disadvantages<span style="color:#ffff00;">No doubt there are numerous advantages through this “Train & Place” programme, however, there are a couple of disadvantages such as low amount of allowance & long theory hours.<br /><br />The factor of receiving RM500 per month is not sufficient because some of the candidate could be having a lot of commitment, which the amount of RM500 wouldn’t be able to help out & won’t be a motivational aspect for them to attend the programme. This is because the duration of the course is 3 months & the jobseekers with a lot of financial commitments would expect for a fast result in getting a placement rather than attending a classroom studies. So it would be a great news & beneficial for the job seekers if the ministry would to increase the amount of allowance.</span><br /><span style="color:#ffff00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffff00;">And the second aspect of disadvantages would be long theory hours or in another word, classroom lecturers. This should be taken in consideration as at times it effect the mind set of the candidates whom are not mentally ready to commit themselves in long lecturers. So it adviseable to have a shorter lecturer hours & join in with more practical activities in order to boost the energy of the candidates, as all are those who were retrenched or graduates. As both these group were already spended their life in either long lecturer hours or practical job in the industry & their mind set would be more towards getting a job which will sustain their individual needs, rather than attending theory course for a duration of 3 months with a low allowance rate..</span>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-625339701748691732009-08-12T23:39:00.000-07:002009-08-13T01:03:20.712-07:00Conclusion<span style="color:#33ff33;">The government's main concern was to ensure minimal job loss and for companies to continue operating. "However, economic conditions are such that we sometimes have no choice but to cut back on employment to keep afloat ." So through the "Train & Place" programme the job seekers may be retrained to acquire new skills or improve on existing skills. This is to improve the mobilization of the nation's human resources and to ensure that manpower utilization is optimized through the systematic matching of job seekers to job vacancies. "Train & Place Program" provides facilities for job seekers to seek suitable jobs and for employers to get their right candidates. </span><div align="center"></div>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-77425104941497995892009-08-11T00:13:00.000-07:002009-08-11T01:02:37.984-07:00Explore Redang Island<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjGLLB-uHPoukSSFFDiPsn28helkJNmpL43uSfhHyqbSZDcJ2lH-lEkHsyevER11z-Hf3oLOx1Wh00ZJm8P2R5wx9bIUg94jQ688ksQV6GOmmzpWoEMgwR36DqJloFfke5GdXyU2nQQw/s1600-h/im07_home_intropic.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368613272706359602" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjGLLB-uHPoukSSFFDiPsn28helkJNmpL43uSfhHyqbSZDcJ2lH-lEkHsyevER11z-Hf3oLOx1Wh00ZJm8P2R5wx9bIUg94jQ688ksQV6GOmmzpWoEMgwR36DqJloFfke5GdXyU2nQQw/s400/im07_home_intropic.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#ffcccc;"></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Redang Island, locally known as Pulau Redang or just "Redang" is one of the largest islands off the east coast of </span><a title="Malaysia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Malaysia</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">. It is a popular holiday island for Malaysians, most of whom come on package deals to one of the resorts. Redang is one of nine islands, which form a marine park, and which offer </span><a title="Snorkeling" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snorkeling"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">snorkeling</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> and </span><a title="Diving" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">diving</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> opportunities. Access is from Merang or </span><a title="Kuala Terengganu" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Terengganu"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Kuala Terengganu</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> on boats operated by the resorts; there is also a small airport with services operated by </span><a title="Berjaya Air" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berjaya_Air"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Berjaya Air</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> from </span><a title="Singapore" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Singapore</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> (</span><a title="Seletar Airport" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seletar_Airport"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Seletar Airport</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">) and </span><a title="Kuala Lumpur" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Kuala Lumpur</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> (</span><a title="Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Abdul_Aziz_Shah_Airport"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">). The island is also an important conservation site for </span><a title="Sea turtle" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">sea turtles</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">. Previously, the indiscriminate economic exploitation of turtle eggs had caused fewer turtles returning to nest on the island. This has led the Terengganu state government to set up the Koperasi Setiajaya Pulau Redang in 1989, a cooperative aiming to develop and manage socio-economic programmes that could improve the livelihood of Pulau Redang locals without endangering its natural resources.[</span><a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">citation needed</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">] The waters around Pulau Redang also contain two historic shipwrecks: </span><a title="HMS Prince of Wales (53)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_(53)"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">HMS Prince of Wales</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> and </span><a title="HMS Repulse (1916)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Repulse_(1916)"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">HMS Repulse</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">. </span><a title="Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">The ships were sunk here</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> at the start of </span><a title="World War II" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">World War II</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">, setting the stage for the Japanese occupation of </span><a title="British Malaya" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Malaya"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Malaya</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">. The Pulau Redang </span><a title="Archipelago" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelago"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">archipelago</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> comprises Pulau Redang, Pulau Lima, Pulau Paku Besar, Pulau Paku Kecil, Pulau Kerengga Kecil, Pulau Kerengga Besar, Pulau Ekor Tebu, Pulau Ling and Pulau Pinang. Pulau Redang is the biggest of all the islands in the </span><a title="Marine Park" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Park"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Marine Park</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">, measuring about 7 km long and 6 km wide. Its highest peak is Bukit Besar at 359 metres above sea level. The boundary of the Pulau Redang Marine Park is established by a line linking all points 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) from the shores of Pulau Redang, Pulau Lima, Pulau Ekor Tebu and Pulau Pinang. The other nearby islands of </span><a title="Perhentian Islands" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perhentian_Islands"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Pulau Perhentian Besar, Pulau Perhentian Kecil</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">, </span><a title="Lang Tengah Island" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lang_Tengah_Island"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Pulau Lang Tengah</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;">, </span><a title="Kapas Island" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapas_Island"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Pulau Kapas</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> and Pulau Susu Dara are also gazetted and protected as Marine Parks. Today, only the bigger islands like Redang, Lang Tengah, Perhentian and Kapas have resort facilities for visitors. The management of Marine Parks primarily involves protection of the sensitive marine and terrestrial ecosystems by controlling the impact from human activities. These include waste & pollution management and conservation of </span><a title="Coral reef" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">coral reefs</span></a><span style="color:#ffcccc;"> and terrestrial habitats. The 2000 film, </span><a title="Summer Holiday (2000 film)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Holiday_(2000_film)"><span style="color:#ffcccc;">Summer Holiday</span></a> <span style="color:#ffcccc;">was filmed on the Laguna Redang resort, and a replica of the tea house now serves as the resort's gift shop.<br /><br /></span><embed name="Metacafe_2261449" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/2261449/exotic_fishes_at_the_marine_park_in_pulau_redang_malaysia.swf" width="400" height="345" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent"></embed><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a>Exotic Fishes At The Marine Park in Pulau Redang, Malaysia</a></span></div>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-40883812325852935522009-08-11T00:09:00.000-07:002009-08-11T00:13:04.005-07:00Climate<span style="color:#ffff99;">Redang has a tropical climate with temperatures steadily around 30°C and frequent but brief thunderstoms. Like the rest of Malaysia's </span><a title="East Coast (Malaysia)" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/East_Coast_%28Malaysia%29"><span style="color:#ffff99;">East Coast</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;">, Redang is affected by the northeast monsoon in winter, so most resorts are closed and ferry transport schedules are severely restricted between November and February.</span><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;">_______________________________________________________</span><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;">Get In</span><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;">No matter which way you choose to arrive, a marine park fee (RM5) is levied on all visitors to the island. Transfers can be arranged directly with resorts. </span><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;">By plane<br /></span><a class="external text" title="http://www.berjaya-air.com" href="http://www.berjaya-air.com/"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Berjaya Air</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;"> has recently opened an airstrip on Redang (code RDN), located on the south side of the island near the Berjaya Redang Spa Resort. As of July 2005, there is one daily flight each to and from </span><a title="Kuala Lumpur" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Lumpur"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Kuala Lumpur</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;"> (RM249 one-way) and </span><a title="Singapore" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Singapore"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Singapore</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;"> (RM350 one-way). The airport is connected by roads to both of Berjaya's own resorts and to the southern fishing port, however transfers from the airport to anywhere else will require a combined car & ferry ride that must be arranged in advance. Note that the flights utilise the secondary airports of Subang(SZB) in Kuala Lumpur and Seletar(XSP) in Singapore instead of KL International(KUL) and Changi(SIN) respectively.<br />A considerably cheaper if somewhat less convenient option is to fly to </span><a title="Kuala Terengganu" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Terengganu"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Kuala Terengganu</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;">, a one-hour flight from </span><a title="Kuala Lumpur" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Lumpur"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Kuala Lumpur</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;">, and continue from here by boat. There are half a dozen flights daily on MAS and Air Asia, with a full one-way fare costing around RM170, but advance fares can go as low as RM80. </span><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ffff99;">By boat<br />The traditional way to get to Redang is by boat. The main jetty is at </span><a title="Merang" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Merang"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Merang</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;">, some 30 km north from </span><a title="Kuala Terengganu" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Terengganu"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Kuala Terengganu</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;">. From Merang, the trip to Pasir Panjang takes about 40 minutes on comfortable, large speedboats and ferry boats with prices are more or less standardized at RM40/80 one-way/return.<br />In season (March-October), there are also ferries directly from the Shahbandar Jetty in central </span><a title="Kuala Terengganu" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Terengganu"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Kuala Terengganu</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;"> to the Berjaya Jetty on the south side of the island, with approximately 1 hour 15 minutes journey.These are operated by and intended primarily for guests of the Berjaya resorts, but they'll take non-guests on board if there's space available. Ferry Fare (two-way) is chargeable at MYR 100.00 nett per adult and MYR 50.00 nett per child (Aged 2-12 years old). Resorts can schedule on-ward travel and can accomidate even incredibly early departurs from the resort area.<br />There are no scheduled ferries between Redang and the </span><a title="Perhentian Islands" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Perhentian_Islands"><span style="color:#ffff99;">Perhentian Islands</span></a><span style="color:#ffff99;">, however day-trip and dive boats are constantly travelling between the two so a relatively economical transfer can usually be arranged if you have the time, inclination, patience and flexibility to ask around and wait for a boat that's departing with seats still available. </span>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-82900817476163465652009-08-11T00:04:00.000-07:002009-08-11T00:08:39.579-07:00Get Around<span style="color:#99ff99;">In a word, you don't get around Redang much. Roads on the center of the island connect together the airport, Berjaya's jetty and two Berjaya resorts as well as the southern fishing port, but provide no connectivity elsewhere and there is no public transportation along them either. While the main strip of Pasir Panjang is easily covered on foot, travelling from one beach to another will require either chartering a boat (there are no organized water taxi services) or clambering across the 1.5-hour jungle trails leading from Pasir Panjang north to the Berjaya Beach Resort and south to Redang Kelong Resort. The people here are mainly Malay dealing with agriculture and cultivation with cows, goats and chicken as poultry. </span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">_________________________________________________________</span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;"></span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">See </span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">Redang is very low on sights and most visitors spend their time lazing on the beach or exploring the corals. There's some fairly active wildlife though, including inquisitive monkeys (don't feed them), energetic squirrels and large monitor lizards. </span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">_________________________________________________________</span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;"></span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">Buy</span><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">Shopping opportunities on Redang are largely limited to touristy gewgaws in the resorts' little convenience stores. One of the larger operations, open until 11 PM, can be found at the Redang Bay Resort with one store for food and drinks and another for clothes and souvenirs. Similarly, in Redang Pelangi Resort, the convenience store opens until midnight, offering a variety of snacks, can drinks, and toileteries; and the sourvenier shop which offers a wide range of unique sourveniers. Often the smaller souvenir shops that are not attached to the convenience shops are closed during off-peak seasons. </span>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-9780741755950758322009-08-11T00:03:00.000-07:002009-08-11T00:04:52.835-07:00Activities<span style="color:#ccffff;">Snorkeling is the number one activity on Redang. Many resort packages include snorkeling tours by boat to nearby islands, but there are some decent reefs right off Pasir Panjang. The best of the lot is at the southern end next to the aptly named Redang Reef Resorts, and the small hill/island in the middle of Pasir Panjang is a nesting ground for baby sharks. It is very important to be concious while snorkeling if you are using fins as it can take many years for the coral to re-grow. The snorkeling is quite protected making the water quite calm and fins are not necessary.<br />Running a close second in the popularity contest is </span><a title="Scuba diving" href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Scuba_diving"><span style="color:#ccffff;">scuba diving</span></a><span style="color:#ccffff;">. The waters around the island are usually crystal clear - although visibility can drop dramatically after a storm - and home to a host of sea creatures including turtles and reeftip sharks. While Redang caters to divers of all levels and is a popular place to complete a diving course, some of the sites further out can have fairly strong currents. More or less every resort on the island has its own dive shop, but it may be worth looking beyond the house shop as quality varies considerably.<br />Coral Redang Divers, Pasir Panjang (at Coral Redang Island Resort). Very professionally run PADI outfit with custom-built dive boats. Single dives from RM70/105 with/without your own gear.<br />Redang Bay Divers, Pasir Panjang (at Redang Bay Resort). Lowest prices on the island - RM50/85 with/without your own gear. Dive station her is not as fancy and sophisticated as the one in Coral, but the friendly and helpful staff make up for it. Only MAUI instructors on the island.<br />Redang Pelangi Dive Centre, Pasir Panjang at</span><a class="external text" title="http://www.redangpelangi.com" href="http://www.redangpelangi.com/"><span style="color:#ccffff;">Redang Pelangi Resort</span></a><span style="color:#ccffff;">. Competitive price, offering dive services, courses as well as Scuba Discovery for non-divers. Professional Dive Master and Instructor from either PADI/SDI certification. Contact: pelangijanshir[at]gmail.com for more details.<br />Other available sports options include beach volleyball and sea kayaks, but jet skis and water skis are mercifully absent (banned to protect the coral). Fishing within the marine park is not permitted, but fishing boats can be hired for excursions beyond the 2-mile park limits.<br />Underwater cameras also available for rental at RM30 per day with pictures burnt in CD at the end of the day. Walk in to Redang Pelangi to enquire for more. </span>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-83286852658551165682009-08-11T00:01:00.000-07:002009-08-11T00:09:30.545-07:00Eat<span style="color:#ccccff;">Food</span><br /><span style="color:#ccccff;">Every resort has its own restaurant, serving up burgers, pizza and bland local food at outrageous prices (at least by Malaysian standards); a few better options can be found lurking in the gaps.<br />Redang Laguna Food Court, Pasir Panjang (at Redang Laguna Resort). Don't be put off by the name, this is a simple full-service restaurant offering the some of the most authentic local food on the island. The menu covers the usual Chinese and Malay favorites, but throws in spicy Thai-style salads (called here kerabu, RM10) as well as Terengganu's state dish, the fish sausage keropok lekor (RM2). Still, the best deal here is the curried fish heads, a huge bowl of which costs just RM8 and feeds three (reservation 24h in advance required). Open for dinner only.<br />Sandfly Cafe, Pasir Panjang (next to Redang Bay Resort). Serves up basic local fare at half the price of the hotel restaurants as well as a limited Western menu, and the second-floor seating is pleasantly breezy. Try the beehoon ikan masin (fried rice vermicelli with fish, RM5) and the ais kacang (shaved ice with syrup and goodies, RM3.5). Open all day. </span><br /><span style="color:#ccccff;">________________________________________________________</span><br /><span style="color:#ccccff;">Drink</span><br /><span style="color:#ccccff;">Tap water is salty and not drinkable. Bottled water is widely available at around RM3 for a 1.5L bottle.<br />Unusually for Terengganu, alcohol is widely available both in convenience stores and the resort restaurants (probably because most resorts are run by chinese businessmen), although it's not exactly cheap. A can of beer purchased at a store starts at RM7.8 and a flask of cheap Malaysian vodka at RM15, but the restaurants will happily gouge you over RM100 for a bottle of wine. Self-catering aside, nightlife on Redang is limited to resort bars offering blinking lights and Chinese tour groups belting out karaoke. </span>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109304864461571865.post-1812049010778522022009-08-10T23:54:00.000-07:002009-08-11T00:18:24.470-07:00Sleep<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKuLNtSbnUt4FRYWM-MR5fupCMqhvKSH_zvEdF91ruwnD-NDWaEW5rytI2n8M0ft9hs0uXOH2hBuuznJKrPnpbXjASyoEZCY2_nJacMeK2gJDYPPyHmIu12PbfjB_dHbxeeGkIrJKHiw/s1600-h/redangisland_map.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368597051676269986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 290px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKuLNtSbnUt4FRYWM-MR5fupCMqhvKSH_zvEdF91ruwnD-NDWaEW5rytI2n8M0ft9hs0uXOH2hBuuznJKrPnpbXjASyoEZCY2_nJacMeK2gJDYPPyHmIu12PbfjB_dHbxeeGkIrJKHiw/s320/redangisland_map.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzb2A9cAAKjOydbfogqOb4QEW7fHYWprmsWdWyHDXxNoDYtFdrfC2YR_BJWy-VAuy3RMO5rh2_b96iUucBrNP3JAKXZ50kv7k-MYC9Sq0TH3H1pYz1zzfF5bss2p4dsE_lUh-yYQefp48/s1600-h/redangisland_map.jpg"><span style="color:#ffccff;">Redang does not have any backpacker accommodation. Most resort charge about RM200/night, always quoted for two people staying together, but steep discounts are available if you book a package or visit in the off or shoulder seasons. </span></a><br /><div><br /><span style="color:#ffccff;">Budget One budget option is the campground at Teluk Kelong, but even this is more of a mid-range affair with prebuilt tents with beds, toilet/shower, electricity, etc. From RM80/tent/night with full board, can be booked via travel agents.<br />Mid-range Redang Pelangi Resort. Full board accommodation in wooden rooms with air-conditioning and attached bathroom. Package includes accommodation, meals, snorkeling trips as well boat transfers from Merang Jetty to Redang. A cozy and friendly staff to provide a home away from home services. Ideal for snorkeling and diving packages. Contact: +609 6242 158 or reservation[at]redangpelangi.com Redang Lagoon Chalet. Offers simple wooden rooms in traditional malay arhitecture with built in bathrooms and air-conditioning at RM100-150/night. Food can be bought at the canteen at ~RM10 for an all-you-can-eat buffet meal (halal food only). Package of 3 days 2 nights start at RM315 per person including air-conditioned room with attached bathroom, 8 meals, return boat transfer from mainland, 3 snorkeling trips and rental of snorkeling mask and lifejacket. Contact +60-9-6665018. Redang Bay Resort. Reasonable rooms with air conditioning. It's a bit like a Butlins resort, with announcements made on a speaker system. Mostly caters for package deal snorkeling trips for Malaysians. They fill boats with up to 30 snorkelers in life jackets. Food at the canteen is reasonable, though it offers no choice.<br />Splurge Ayu Mayang, Pasir Panjang, tel. +60-9-6248617. A basic operation offering simple but functional chalets with air-con, hot water, 23.5-hour electricity and limited pest control. Rack rates from RM180/chalet with breakfast, rather overpriced for what you get. Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, tel. +60-9-630-8866. Located in Teluk Dalam Kecil, this Malaysian-style resort offers a wide range of recreation activities. Better rates available during non-peak season. Coral Redang Island Resort, Pasir Panjang, tel. +60-9-6920110. A small 40-room operation offering comfortable beachside chalet accommodation with a pool. The perfect place for a quiet island getaway. Food is reasonable. One of the better locations for snorkeling as it's between the two areas accessible from the beach, the water is protected by land mass on either side and therefore extremely calm here and free of beach debris. Laguna Redang Resort, Pasir Panjang, tel. +60-9-6977888. The largest and one of the newest of Redang's resorts with 212 rooms, fairly pleasantly done in a pseudo-Thai style, and with good access to the beach. Rooms are set in large buildings and some are quite a distance from the beach. Pool, jacuzzi, three restaurants, Internet cafe. Can be quite noisy due to night activities. Rates from RM240/night. </span></div><div><span style="color:#ffccff;">________________________________________________________</span></div><div><span style="color:#ffccff;"></span> </div><div><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Stay safe </span></div><div><span style="color:#ffffcc;">There are no unusual health risks on Redang. Wear sunscreen and heed the warning flags on the beach, although they're more or less permanently set on green. </span></div><div><span style="color:#ffffcc;">________________________________________________________</span></div><div><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span> </div><div><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Respect </span></div><div><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Wearing bikinis and skimpy beachwear is acceptable and going topless is not. However, due to the culture it is preferably if you wear your swimming clothes decently. </span></div>Mughihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939098936397244256noreply@blogger.com0