Pisang goreng (fried banana in Indonesian/Malay) is a snack made of banana or plantain, covered in batter or not, being deep fried in hot cooking oil, and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. Pisang goreng is most often associated with Indonesia, and indeed the country has the largest variety of pisang goreng recipes. However, this fried banana snack is also considered native to neighbouring countries; particularly Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. It is consumed as a snack in the morning and afternoon. In Indonesia and Malaysia, pisang goreng is often sold by street vendors, although some sellers have a storefront from which to sell their wares. ~Wikiepdia~
Thai ‘kereta sapu’ stealing business from taxi drivers
“It is very difficult to earn even RM20 a day. They (Thais) just hop over easily and offer fares that are much lower and steal our customers, ” lamented a 46-year-old taxi driver who wanted to be known only as Amran.
He complained that the situation involving the transport operators from Thailand has persisted for years.
“...depa (they) operate as though they are immune to the law and are free to pick up passengers, ” he said when met at the Padang Besar taxi stand here.
He said these illegal operators not only ferry passengers around Padang Besar but also transport workers of Thai restaurants in Penang, Alor Setar and Seremban to renew their social visit passes at the Padang Besar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex.
Most of these illegal operators, he said, were from Pattani and Songkhla in southern Thailand and carried out their activities during the school holidays and weekends. Amran disclosed that they had three illegal stands around here, one in front of the Padang Besar Railway Station, another in front of Arked Niaga Padang Besar and the other in front of the Padang Besar Fire and Rescue Station and that it is not difficult to identify the vehicles because they have tinted windows and Thai registration plates. “When the JPJ (Road Transport Department) officers are on patrol, they just ‘disappear’, ” he said.
“This is all I made today, not even RM20 toiling from morning to evening. If it continues, I don’t know how I will feed my wife and children, ” he said, showing a RM10 note and a few RM1 notes that he had.
Amran said he and several other fellow taxi drivers have lodged complaints with the authorities and even furnished photographs and video recordings of the illegal activities. “The patrols carried out by the authorities are not enough to stamp out this menace, ” he said.
Also affected by these kereta sapu (pirate taxis) is a fellow taxi driver identified only as Rahmat, 52, who claims that the local taxi drivers are living a hand-to-mouth existence now, unlike five years ago.
He has been in the business over the last 11 years and recounted the good old days when the returns were lucrative with domestic and foreign tourists alike patronising their services because they (tourists) did not have much choice then.
“Now, they (the pirates) not only pick up passengers on the Malaysian side but also bring passengers in and out of Thailand.
“Depa (they) are having the best of both worlds, ” he said.
If kereta sapu and vans are not bad enough, he revealed, there is now the added menace of motosikal sapu (pirate motorcyclists) from Thailand.
The father of four said that, to his knowledge, they are only allowed to operate in Thailand and cannot pick up passengers on the Malaysian side.
Checks by Bernama found the pirate cars, vans and motorcycles from Thailand operating daily, from 10am to 6pm.
During the Chinese New Year festive season, Bernama found about 50 pirate motorcycles operating, charging fares ranging from RM7 to RM10 for a trip to Padang Besar town on the Thai side.
Rahmat said the authorities, including the state government, must think of ways to overcome the problem.
“If this is not cleaned up, my taxi will end up a rust bucket, ” he said. — Bernama
Health screenings at Langkawi International Airport to continue: Health DG
Health screenings will continue at Langkawi International Airport (LIA) although all direct flights between China and Langkawi Island have been temporarily suspended, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.
He said passengers and airline crew would continue to be screened by the relevant agencies at the international entry points (PMA).
Dr Noor Hisham said he had the opportunity to see for himself the measures taken by the Health Ministry (MOH) in addressing the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection at LIA and the Kuah Ferry Port in Langkawi Island.
“From Jan 25 to 31, 2020, 6,539 passengers and crew from various international destinations arrived via the LIA, while 3,082 came via Kuah Jetty,“ he said in a statement today.
Apart from the two entry points, four other international entries are via Kedah at Bukit Kayu Hitam, Tanjung Lembung Wharf, Telaga Harbour Park and Kota Putra in Durian Burung. Dr Noor Hisham said since early January this year, health screenings had been intensified at all PMAs nationwide and the good co-operation fostered between the MOH and related agencies had enabled rapid detection of symptomatic travelers.
According to him the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) would be notified of suspected cases of coronavirus infection who would then be referred to MOH hospitals which have been identified, while the asymptomatic cases would be provided with a Health Alert Card before they could continue with their travels.
Apart from the health screenings he said, disinfection activities were also being carried out at the entry points to prevent and control the spread of the infection.
Dr Noor Hisham called on all parties to cooperate with the health authorities and agencies involved to protect the public’s health and safety. - Bernama
Pedu Lake offers rich diversity of flora and fauna
PADANG TERAP, Jan 31 -- Pedu Lake or Tasik Pedu as it is better known among the locals, is undoubtedly an under-the-radar destination, however, for those who are adventurous enough to stray off the beaten tracks, this place offers a rich diversity of flora and fauna to lucky visitors.
To make it even more exciting, visitors will have the opportunity to see wild animals, especially herds of elephants that often visited the salt licks around the Kedah’s largest man-made lake, which is located about 80 kilometres from Alor Setar.
Pedu Lake Eco and Services operation manager Amir Wahab said working on an ecotourism packages featuring a boat house concept has given him an added advantage as he could take visitors to a number of salt licks in the area to see wild animals within the safe distance.
“We really prioritise the safety of our visitors, as this place is surrounded by wild, expanse of rainforest jungle, so seeing wildlife from the boat house is much safer as they can watch the animals without any obstructions.
“Thus far, our visitors have had the opportunities to see herds of elephants, as well as other animals such as rusa (deer) and seladang (gaur or Indian bison), but personally I think watching a herd of elephants is more exciting,” he told Bernama here.
Amir said as the jungle surrounding the Pedu Lake creates a corridor for wild animals to cross into the Thailand jungle, the area often witnessed the presents of elephants at the salt licks particularly in May.
“Thus far, we have received an impressive number of tourists, over 1,300 arrivals throughout last year, including those from European countries. This is exciting for a destination like ours as it is not as popular as other major tourist destinations,” said Amir, a former employee of a resort at Pedu Lake which has since closed due to plummeting tourist arrivals .
Apart from wild animals, visitors can also get a glimpse of variety of tree species in the dense jungle surrounding the lake which are not found elsewhere.
“Here we have that famous Tualang tree which synonymous to high quality wild Tualang honey, which is usually harvested by the end of February,” he said.
He said visitors who stayed at his boat house would also be served a variety of local dishes from freshly-caught fish including ‘baung’, ‘lampam’, ‘tengalan’, and shrimp as well as of a type of mussels locally known as ‘kedaya’ or ‘temagik’, found in the area, particularly during the current dry spell.
His boat house-based ecotourism activities also received the support of the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA), which provided a wide range of assistance including solar power equipment and building a proper sewage system, he said.
-- BERNAMA
