I was rather disturbed with the story from Amy yesterday. She was in the room when her roommate told her that there’s someone outside the window, close to midnight!

Just this morning, my mom told me that a burglar tried to break in into my neighbour’s house through the roof. Luckily enough, the husband came back late and was in the shower when he heard noises coming from the ceiling. I guess he scared off the burglar when he shouted out loud the moment he realised someone was trying to break in into his house.

So exactly how safe are we nowadays? So what if we have grilled doors and windows, solid steel padlocks and high-tech alarm systems installed. Will it give us a peace of mind knowing that no one can ever break in, THROUGH THE ROOFTOP!? Thanks to these ‘Neighbourhood Spiderman’ as I’d like to call them.

My friend once told me that a burglar actually tried to grab her hand bag through her room window. So, is it safe to leave our valuables in the privacy of our own room?! Hmm… after hearing more of such stories, I guess not anymore.

Truth is, we’ll never be safe again. Unlike our younger days, when we can still go out to our neighbourhood playground with our friends, not having to worry about getting kidnapped. The ladies can jog anytime of the day without having to worry about being abducted, raped and murdered. Hang around outside your house, not having to worry about getting robbed right in front of your very own house! Those days are long gone.

Sad isn’t it?

While we curse and swear at others in today’s dog-eat-dog world, animals became more human than us. I recently learned that loyalty and faithfulness no longer exist in some human beings today, particularly some we called ‘friends’.

Here’s an article extracted from Thestar.com.my:

Thursday April 17, 2008

Dog saves woman from watery death

SEREMBAN: A dog seeing that its elderly owner was in danger of drowning, when flash floods struck Kampung Ulu Temiang yesterday, did the only thing it could do. It didn’t stop barking until help came along.

The woman, who suffers from chronic asthma, was on the verge of drowning in her wooden house, as flood waters kept rising steadily, but her loyal pet refused to leave her side.

However, most of her neighbours had left their half-submerged houses to seek shelter from the floods, resulting from a two-hour downpour which began at 2.30pm, and did not hear the canine’s frantic call for help.

The dog’s desperate barking eventually alerted a team of fire and rescue personnel, who aided by some neighbours, went to the house and found the woman, in her 60s, shivering and helpless, barely able to keep her head above the rising water level.

Bernama learnt that it was only when the firemen rescued the woman that her faithful dog left her side and swam to safety, proving that dogs are indeed man’s, or in this case, a woman’s best friend.

Even animals show more loyalty and faithfulness than some human beings. Are we worse than animals?

Please love and care for your dogs, for they can be more loyal than any of your so-called friends.

It’s out! Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi just announced his new administration, down-sizing his Cabinet from 32 to 27 seats, of which most of them are new faces.

Will this be a better change? Check them out…

2008 Malaysia’s Prime Minister and his ministers.

Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

Deputy Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department
Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz
Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim (senator)
Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz (senator)
Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department
Datuk Johari Baharom
Dr Mashitah Ibrahim
K. Devamany
Hassan Malik
Finance
Minister - Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Second Finance Minister - Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
Deputies - Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Datuk Kong Cho Ha

Defence
Minister - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Deputy - Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop

Internal Security and Home Affairs
Minister - Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
Deputies - Datuk Chor Chee Heong, Senator Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh

Housing and Local Government
Minister -Datuk Ong Ka Chuan
Deputies - Datuk Robert Lau , Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

Works Minister
Minister - Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad
Deputy - Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

Energy, Water and Communications
Minister - Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Deputy - Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
Minister - Datuk Mustapa Mohamed
Deputy - Datin Paduka Rohani Abdul Karim

International Trade and Industry
Minister -Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Deputies- Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan

Foreign Affairs
Minister - Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Deputy - Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Abu Bakar

Education
Minister - Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
Deputies - Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Datuk Razali Ismail

Higher Education
Minister - Datuk Khaled Nordin
Deputies - Dr Hou Kok Chung, Datuk Idris Harun
Transport
Minister - Datuk Ong Tee Keat
Deputy - Datuk Anifah Aman

Human Resources
Minister - Datuk S. Subramaniam
Deputy - Datuk Noraini Ahmad

Women, Family and Community Development
Minister - Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen
Deputy - Noriah Kasnon

National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage
Minister - Datuk Shafie Apdal
Deputy - Datuk Teng Boon Soon

Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister - Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Deputy - Fadilah Yusof

Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development
Minister - Datuk Noh Omar
Deputy - Datuk Saiffuddin Abdullah

Natural Resources and Environment
Minister - Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas
Deputy - Datuk Abu Ghapur Salleh

Rural and Regional Development
Minister - Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib
Deputy - Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, Joseph Entulu Belaun
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister - Datuk Shahrir Samad
Deputy - Jelaing Mersat

Plantation Industries and Commodities
Minister - Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui
Deputy - Senator A. Kohilan

Youth and Sports
Minister - Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaacob
Deputy - Wee Jack Seng

Health
Minister - Datuk Liow Tiong Lai
Deputy - Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad

Information
Minister - Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Deputy- Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

Tourism
Minister - Datuk Azalina Othman
Deputy - Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abu Taib

Federal Territories
Minister - Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique
Deputy - Datuk M. Saravanan

Had a late night, woke up about noon and had lunch. Chill for a couple and hour at home before I head out to vote at 3 PM.

At 3.15 PM, I casted my vote at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil), Jalan Meru and it all took me less than 10 minutes to do so. My mind is clear and I already know who to vote for.

Let’s hope for the best! Good luck, Malaysia!

The date is out and the banners are up. I can feel the election mood is here again. So it’s time again for you to exercise your right as a Malaysian, VOTE!

It’s amazing how fast these people can get the banners up at just the blink of an eye. One minute there’s nothing there, the next minute…. poof!… just like a magic show… banners here and there, buntings everywhere, party flags at popping up from places you never thought they can put up! All these just to get your your attention and your vote.

Well, I was in Subang the yesterday and I was really impressed how fast these people put up the banners (I don’t recall seeing any flags or buntings on Friday night). You can see different parties with different flags and banners but what really caught my attention wasn’t the banners or the flags, it was something else. RUBBISH!

Yes, what a sight for sore eyes, I know.

I don’t recall seeing that area being a rubbish dump. I can only assume that the workers/contractors who are there to put up these banners had forgotten to clean up after their break.

This is before the election, I dare not think of what will happen after the election. Well, probably NOTHING.

As from today onwards, I’m gonna VOTE FOR CLEANLINESS!