WHY IS YARL RESTAURANT SUCH A TERRIBLE NUISANCE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD?

Today is Saturday but I dared not go out late. I quickly did some shopping, grabbing whatever I could and  tried to be home as early as I could so that I could sleep early and get up early next morning when yarl restaurant's boss turns on his noisy kitchen hood. Who knows when he would turn it on? He may turn it on as early as 5.30 a.m. But at 10.10 p.m., when I was ready to sleep, yarl restaurant was still making a lot of noise with its noisy kitchen hood. So I turned on some music to cover up yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise and did some paper work. At 10.55 p.m., the kitchen hood was turned off so I immediately switched off my computer and went to sleep. But ten minutes later, at 11.05 p.m., yarl restaurant's boss turned on his noisy kitchen hood again. I forced myself to sleep but I just couldn't sleep with the noisy kitchen hood causing vibrations in my brain and heart. I could feel these strong vibrations even after I have covered my ears with 2 big pillows. So I got up and here I am, writing this article. Wonder when yarl restaurant's boss would turn off his noisy kitchen hood tonight and when he would he would turn it on again next morning? It is already almost midnight but yarl restaurant is still making a lot of noise with its noisy kitchen hood and we cannot sleep because of this noise. This is the fate of yarl restaurant's noise pollution victims. We cannot sleep early because of yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise and we have to get up early once the kitchen hood is turned on very early in the morning. If the kitchen hood makes loud and deafening noise after between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., we can at least get out of our bedrooms and go elsewhere or turn on some kind of music/song to cover up the kitchenhood noise. But where are we to go during bedtime when yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood chases us out of our bedrooms? Since I cannot sleep in my bedroom anymore, I have to sleep everywhere such as in the bus, monorail, LRT, taxi, train and even in my office during lunch time to make up for the 8 hours sleep which yarl restaurant's boss doesn't allow me to have. This kind of life is very stressful as we have to live according to the whims and fancies of yarl restaurant's boss. How long are we to suffer like this? Can the public help us to stop yarl restaurant's noise pollution program so that we don't have to suffer like this anymore? If there is nothing to cook, then the kitchen hood doesn't have to make noise until midnight! We are dying from noise pollution because yarl restaurant's boss does not allow us to sleep. Since the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) cannot do anything about this, (we all know why they can't take action - it is because the kitchenhood has turned into the speaker when the DBKL people came to check on the restaurant) only the public can help us to stop yarl restaurant's noise pollution program. The selfishness and irresponsibility of yarl restaurant's boss is clearly manifested in the way he treats the people in this neighbourhood - i.e. by torturing them with continuous, loud and deafening noise more than 17 hours a day and subjecting them to sleep deprivation. We shouldn't encourage selfishness and irresponsibility in our society. We shouldn't allow anyone to triumph in their evil deeds! (Today, yarl restaurant's boss turned off his loud and deafening kitchen hood at 11.50 p.m., ten more minutes before midnight).

8 hours sleep a day is a luxury that we can't afford in Malaysia

Last night, yarl restaurant turned off its loud and deafening kitchenhood at 11.17 p.m. and turned it on again at 6.54 a.m. this morning. So how many hours did we get to sleep? Only 7 hours 37 minutes. Why is it really so difficult for us to get 8 hours sleep a day in Malaysia? Why must we be plagued by loud and deafening noise continuously at an average of 17 hours a day but cannot say or do anything about it? To sleep 8 hours a day is something which everyone takes for granted but, as citizens of Malaysia, we have to fight so hard for it over such a long period of time but after so much sufferings we are still being denied the right to sleep 8 hours a day. Where are our basic human rights? Or do we have any? What's wrong with us? What is meant by RAKYAT DIUTAMAKAN (PEOPLE FIRST)? DOES IT MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO ENDURE NOISE POLLUTION WITH FORTITUDE BECAUSE THE KUALA LUMPUR CITY HALL CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? WHERE IS JUSTICE? THE LIFE OF A NOISE POLLUTION VICTIM IS AN EXTREMELY PAINFUL ONE TO ENDURE. WE ARE DYING SLOWLY FROM YARL RESTAUTANT'S NOISE POLLUTION PROGRAM. SOMEBODY HELP US PLEASE.


What are the harmful effects of Noise Pollution

Bhishm Khanna

Noise is considered a serious threat to the environmental health. Some of the adverse effects of noise pollution are given below:
1. It interferes with speech. In the presence of noise we may not able to follow, what the other person is saying.
2. Noise leads to emotional and behavioral stress. A person may feel disturbed in the presence of loud noise such as produced by heating of drums.
3. Noise may permanently damage hearing. A sudden loud noise can cause severe damage to the eardrum (Yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise can also cause deafness because it is so loud and deafening that the entire building seems to be vibrating because of the noise that comes from it).
4. Noise increases the chances of occurrence of diseases such as headache, blood pressure, heart failure, etc.
5. Noise leads to increased heart beat, constriction of blood vessels and dilation of pupil.
6. Noise is a problem especially for patients who need rest.
7. Noise may cause damage to liver, brain and heart.

 

SLEEP DEPRIVATION: A FORM OF TORTURE IN MALAYSIA

Before I start writing, I would like to make it very clear that I don't like the idea of getting up early every morning to write articles particularly when I am not feeling well and should be sleeping. It is yarl restaurant's boss who forced me to wake up from my deep sleep and write this. Since yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise can still be heard loudly and clearly even after I tried to cover my ears with two big pillows, I might as well get up and write this article. Why am I writing so much about yarl restaurant's air and noise pollution program? To fight for our right to sleep 8 hours a day. To fight for our right not to be disturbed by loud and deafening noise so early in the morning. According to the environmental laws, we are not allowed to make noise above 55dBA between 10 p.m. and 7.00 a.m. to disturb others. Even between 7.00 a.m. and 10 p.m., the noise level cannot exceed 65 dBA? How much is 60 dBA? The noise level of an ordinary conversation. What about yarl restaurant's loud motor sound ringing in our minds all the time (at an average of 17 hours a day) as though there is a noisy diesel truck parked outside our windows?

Last night, yarl restaurant turned off its noisy kitchen hood at 10.40 p.m. and that was when we could really sleep but this morning, at 6.20 a.m., yarl restaurant's selfish and irresponsible boss turned on his loud and deafening kitchen hood to chase everyone out of their bedrooms again. Did we manage to get the 8 hours sleep that we are supposed to have? No, we didn't. We only mange to sleep for 7 hours and 40 minutes and of course there have been many instance when we were allowed to sleep less than that (5-7 hours only). 56 years after independence, why is it so difficult for the citizens of Malaysia to get 8 hours of sleep a day? What's wrong with our beloved country that, as citizens of Malaysia, we have to endure loud and deafening noise and sleep deprivation as a part of our lives? What's wrong with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall? What is the Kuala Lumpur City Hall doing? When it comes to increasing our property taxes (between 100%-250%), it is extremely efficient. But when it comes to solving yarl restaurant's noise and air pollution case, it is totally useless. And of course, it does sound ridiculous, that right here in Malaysia, lawlessness still prevails. Yarl restaurant's noise and air pollution program is a very good example of lawleness not to mention the "Lynas Case" and the "Gold for Me, Cyanide for You Case". What do I mean by lawlessness? In the uncivilized world of the distant past when there was no law and order, anyone can do harm to others without fear of prosecution. That was the uncivilized past but in the 21st Century, after 56 years of independence, this kind of uncivilized act is still happening everyday in Malaysia and sad to say, it has been legalized. Why is it so? Because the Kuala Lumpur City Hall is encouraging noise pollution and sleep deprivation (a serious form of torture) by inaction even though it is an obvious fact that sleep deprivation can kill us.

My head is swinging now due to lack of sleep. Wonder how I am going to face another day at work. My boss is a very stingy boss and whenever anyone leaves the company, he would not take in any replacement. I have to do the job of two people without extra pay and in a severe state of sleep deprivation too. I have not been feeling well the past few weeks. Nothing serious though just having a cough and flu which could have healed a long time ago if only I could have enough sleep. In the past, it only took me 2 or 3 days to recover after sufficient rest and sleep. But now, I can't rest properly with yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise and I can't have enough sleep because yarl restaurant chases me out of my bedroom very early in the mornings when I am still in my deep sleep. Luckily, I am not suffering from cancer or I would have died already. Sometimes I do wonder why, as a citizen of Malaysia, I can't even have the basic right to sleep 8 hours a day? To sleep 8 hours a day is something which everyone takes for granted but, as a citizen of Malaysia, I have to fight so hard for it over such a long period of time but after so much sufferings I am still being denied the right to sleep 8 hours a day. What is wrong with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall? What is wrong with our country? What is the meaning of RAKYAT DIUTAMAKAN? Does it mean that noise pollution is good for us? Does it mean that we have no right to sleep 8 hours a day? Does it mean that we have to cope with excessive sleepiness every day of our lives? Let's read the articles below and find out what it means!

Coping With Excessive Sleepiness

10 Things to Hate About Sleep Loss

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By Camille Peri

WebMD Feature

Reviewed by James Beckerman, MD, FACC

 

You know lack of sleep can make you grumpy and foggy. You may not know what it can do to your sex life, memory, health, looks, and even ability to lose weight. Here are 10 surprising -- and serious -- effects of sleep loss.

1. Sleepiness Causes Accidents

Sleep deprivation was a factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent history: the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill, the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, and others.
But sleep loss is also a big public safety hazard every day on the road. Drowsiness can slow reaction time as much as driving drunk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that fatigue is a cause in 100,000 auto crashes and 1,550 crash-related deaths a year in the U.S. The problem is greatest among people under 25 years old.
Studies show that sleep loss and poor-quality sleep also lead to accidents and injuries on the job. In one study, workers who complained about excessive daytime sleepiness had significantly more work accidents, particularly repeated work accidents. They also had more sick days per accident.

2. Sleep Loss Dumbs You Down

Sleep plays a critical role in thinking and learning. Lack of sleep hurts these cognitive processes in many ways. First, it impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently.
Second, during the night, various sleep cycles play a role in “consolidating” memories in the mind. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to remember what you learned and experienced during the day.

3. Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Serious Health Problems

Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:

• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Irregular heartbeat
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes

According to some estimates, 90% of people with insomnia -- a sleep disorder characterized by trouble falling and staying asleep -- also have another health condition.

4. Lack of Sleep Kills Sex Drive

Sleep specialists say that sleep-deprived men and women report lower libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame.
For men with sleep apnea, a respiratory problem that interrupts sleep, there may be another factor in the sexual slump. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2002 suggests that many men with sleep apnea also have low testosterone levels. In the study, nearly half of the men who suffered from severe sleep apnea also secreted abnormally low levels of testosterone during the night.

5. Sleepiness Is Depressing

Over time, lack of sleep and sleep disorders can contribute to the symptoms of depression. In a 2005 Sleep in America poll, people who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety were more likely to sleep less than six hours at night.

The most common sleep disorder, insomnia, has the strongest link to depression. In a 2007 study of 10,000 people, those with insomnia were five times as likely to develop depression as those without. In fact, insomnia is often one of the first symptoms of depression.

Insomnia and depression feed on each other. Sleep loss often aggravates the symptoms of depression, and depression can make it more difficult to fall asleep. On the positive side, treating sleep problems can help depression and its symptoms, and vice versa.

6. Lack of Sleep Ages Your Skin

Most people have experienced sallow skin and puffy eyes after a few nights of missed sleep. But it turns out that chronic sleep loss can lead to lackluster skin, fine lines, and dark circles under the eyes.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. In excess amounts, cortisol can break down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic.
Sleep loss also causes the body to release too little human growth hormone. When we’re young, human growth hormone promotes growth. As we age, it helps increase muscle mass, thicken skin, and strengthen bones.
“It’s during deep sleep -- what we call slow-wave sleep -- that growth hormone is released,” says sleep expert Phil Gehrman, PhD. “It seems to be part of normal tissue repair -- patching the wear and tear of the day.”

7. Sleepiness Makes You Forgetful

Trying to keep your memory sharp? Try getting plenty of sleep.
In 2009, American and French researchers determined that brain events called “sharp wave ripples” are responsible for consolidating memory. The ripples also transfer learned information from the hippocampus to the neocortex of the brain, where long-term memories are stored. Sharp wave ripples occur mostly during the deepest levels of sleep.

8. Losing Sleep Can Make You Gain Weight

When it comes to body weight, it may be that if you snooze, you lose. Lack of sleep seems to be related to an increase in hunger and appetite, and possibly to obesity. According to a 2004 study, people who sleep less than six hours a day were almost 30 percent more likely to become obese than those who slept seven to nine hours.
Recent research has focused on the link between sleep and the peptides that regulate appetite. “Ghrelin stimulates hunger and leptin signals satiety to the brain and suppresses appetite,” says Siebern. “Shortened sleep time is associated with decreases in leptin and elevations in ghrelin.”
Not only does sleep loss appear to stimulate appetite. It also stimulates cravings for high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. Ongoing studies are considering whether adequate sleep should be a standard part of weight loss programs.

 

9. Lack of Sleep May Increase Risk of Death

In the “Whitehall II Study,” British researchers looked at how sleep patterns affected the mortality of more than 10,000 British civil servants over two decades. The results, published in 2007, showed that those who had cut their sleep from seven to five hours or fewer a night nearly doubled their risk of death from all causes. In particular, lack of sleep doubled the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

10. Sleep Loss Impairs Judgment, Especially About Sleep

Lack of sleep can affect our interpretation of events. This hurts our ability to make sound judgments because we may not assess situations accurately and act on them wisely.
Sleep-deprived people seem to be especially prone to poor judgment when it comes to assessing what lack of sleep is doing to them. In our increasingly fast-paced world, functioning on less sleep has become a kind of badge of honor. But sleep specialists say if you think you’re doing fine on less sleep, you’re probably wrong. And if you work in a profession where it’s important to be able to judge your level of functioning, this can be a big problem.
“Studies show that over time, people who are getting six hours of sleep, instead of seven or eight, begin to feel that they’ve adapted to that sleep deprivation -- they’ve gotten used to it,” Gehrman says. “But if you look at how they actually do on tests of mental alertness and performance, they continue to go downhill. So there’s a point in sleep deprivation when we lose touch with how impaired we are.”

Yarl restaurant's noise pollution program: A terrible nuisance in the neighbourhood

This morning, at 6.20 a.m., yarl restaurant's selfish and irresponsible boss turned on his loud and deafening kitchen hood to disturb the entire neighbourhood. Actions speak louder than words and each morning, when yarl restaurant's boss turns on his loud and deafening kitchen hood, it is as though he is saying:

Hey, you fools, GET UP, GET UP, GET UP. I want to make big bucks today. I want to turn on my loud and deafening kitchen hood now because it cannot function properly without making loud and deafening noise so please leave your bedrooms immediately. I will only lower the volume of my kitchen hood whenever anyone comes to check on my restaurant. When no one is there to check on me, I will turn on my kitchen hood to its maximum capacity. I don't care how my kitchen hood noise is affecting you. I only want to do business and make lots of money. If you can't stand my kitchen hood noise, you can shift elsewhere. If you want to stay here, you must bear all the sufferings that my noise pollution program is causing you with fortitude. In this lawless cowboy town, I am the law and I can do what I want. Even the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) people can't do anything to me. That is why I am so daring. If these DBKL fellows ever come to check on my restaurant, I'll just show them the speaker and tell them that the speaker is the kitchen hood and they will believe me. No one can do anything to me. I am in control here because I own a restaurant. My skin is very thick and I don't know how to feel ashamed of myself. I know very well that my kitchen hood is making a lot of noise but I don't care. I am also a liar. Sometime in August 2013, I lied to Fong Kui Lun's (MP of this area) assistant that I would reduce the noise in the neighbourhood without any intention to do so. Since he came to see me to ask me to reduce the noise after complaints from the neighbours, I might as well lie to him because I know that he cannot do anything to me. I am not going to spend a single sen to solve the noise problem. Let the neighbours suffer as long as I can make money. It is really amusing to make everyone in the neighbourhood suffer for the sake of my business. The entire neighbourhood is very quiet at this hour of the day, so quiet that you can even hear a pin drop, and the only noise you can hear is my kitchen hood noise. Each morning, when I turn on my noisy kitchen hood, everyone has to flee from their bedrooms.  How funny! See how grand I am. I can make others suffer under my noise pollution program and they cannot do anything to me. My air pollution program is also very grand. Everyone's clothes are soaked with curry smell from my kitchen each time they put their clothes out to dry in the balcony. Can we torture others for the sake of our business? Well, Malaysia Boleh and that is why I am doing it! MONEY FOR ME, NOISE FOR YOU-this is the motto of my life and I am not the only one doing this. Ha! Ha! Ha!
Raub, Pahang : Gold for me, cyanide for you...

"It is possible for cyanide to leak during the transfer if sufficient precautions are not taken. And if that happens, water supplies in the Klang Valley will be affected" - Tan Hui Chun (Environment and safety consultant)

"Hasil kajian Kementerian Kesihatan mengenai tahap kesihatan
penduduk sekitar kawasan itu, menunjukkan tiada kesihatan penduduk terjejas akibat bahan kimia sianida." - T Muruhiah (Timbalan Menteri, Jabatan Perdana Menteri)

1. Zorro unmasked started probing on this a few weeks back and Malaysiakini reported on 25th June 2009 that Murugiah announced that the health of 3,000 residents of Bukit Koman, Raub is not in danger of cyanide poisoning. That is fast when Bernama broke the news on 23rd June 2009 quoting Murugiah's pledge that he will investigate the matter.
2. I didn't say this but I remember in one movie...

   "Look, I don't know shit about shit but I know right from wrong!" - Erin Brockovich

3. Just because Bukit Koman's residents are simple folks in out of town Raub does not give the license for Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd (RAGM) to do what they pleased.
4. The residents had listed their complaints of :-
   
   • Cyanide-like odour in the place;
   • Headaches, breathing difficulties and skin irritation;
   • noise pollution etc
5. Now, let us go back to the reports and see what Murugiah said. On noise, Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) reported that they measure noise produce by RAGM at 48.7 Db which is lower the allowed 55 Db.
6. Let's say that the readings are correct. When is the readings taken? Is RAGM operating at normal production during the readings? How far are the sound meters placed? Is it aimed at the source (noise) ? What is the height of the meter? Who witness the tests? Are the results independently verified ? Are the sound meters calibrated?
7. On cyanide issue, this is no joking matter. Cambodia and Vietnam have cases of cyanide poisoning in rivers where the effects is 10 years down the line. In certain parts of Cambodia, the natural cyanide caused cancer since there is no proper water treatment system.
8. In history, there is questions whether Napoleon Bonarparte died of arsenic poisoning. Even in Malaysia, the one time Deputy Prime Minister also accused someone of administering him with cyanide poisoning. What this tells you is that cyanide poisoning is difficult to detect and if it happens in Bukit Koman, what hope is there that the authorities will trace down the culprits? The most taht will be done will be mass relocation of the population on some pretentious issue like SARS, maybe?
9. About headache, the report mentioned that 93 are sampled and out of 93 samplings, 6 claimed headache. That will be 6.5%. Is that normal for Malaysians? Is it a normal standard? If it is, then all is well and fine. If not, then what has the Jabatan Kesihatan has to say about it? Is it their diet? Is it their style of living? Is it the air? Is it the water? If this is an issue, then investigate the root cause. Saying that it is normal and acceptable limit must be validated with data. You just can't say it's OK when it's not!!
10. Another blogger, Antares mentioned that one of the important share holder is a Pahang VVIP. To this scribe, everybody needs to make a living. But it must be honest living. Putting a VVIP in the board does not absolve the company from its social responsibilities. In fact, companies with VVIP shareholders should be more responsible than responsible. They are supposed to be the model companies in terms of social responsibilities and sensitive to the surounding needs and problems.
11. Touching on social responsibilities, the Bukit Koman issue should be closely monitored by Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM). Is SAM aware of RAGM? Is SAM aware of the EIA? What is SAM's stand on this? If SAM has been persistently monitoring the EIA reports for the Pahang-Selangor water tunnel project, then SAM should be equally persistent in monitoring Bukit Koman issue.
12. It is always been the case of Malaysian authorities. When a project is new, it will always come up with proposals on waste disposal and monitoring. A case of example is the Tioxide plant in Terengganu. International companies will be presenting the authorities with sophisticated plans on how they dispose toxic waste, how they manage toxic waste, how they store toxic waste etc etc. On paper, it will be the best, the most innovative, the most up to date at par with world's standard. In practise? Who will monitor the waste disposal? Who verify their management system? Who recorded their toxic waste storage? This is more so critical for Bukit Koman residents as Bukit Koman is way too rural to be noticed. There, RAGM may be "king" to do what they please.
13. Planning and executing are 2 different things. RAGM may have the best plannings, but who will monitor their planning and execution? RAGM may claim that they have safety officers under them but paid safety officers may be subject to the whims and fancies of RAGM.
14. Remember Lubok Mandi? During the "gold rush" fever, some died when their makeshift tunnels collapsed. That was a tragedy but in was instant. You can see and watch it. Here in Bukit Koman, arsenic poisoning is slow and sure. It will not be instantaneous. It will be slow and painful. So my qquestion - who will monitor RAGM's activities? Will it be on regular monitoring? Will it be done by independent third parties? Will it be carried out by JAS? Frankly, this scribe is suspicious of government authorities because with "kopi", everything jadi.....
15. Murugiah should not be too fast in declaring Bukit Koman as safe. It needs continous monitoring. Do we have the expertise? Do we have the labs? Do we follow international standards?
16. To be fair to Murugiah, he did called for special hearing on 25th June 2009 but none of ukit Koman residents turned up. The reason given by the residents is that they have a prior engagement with other parties, set up 1 month ago and Muru's hearing was called last minute. The residents claimed that they have called to explain their absence.
17. Gold mining in Bukit Koman is fine but we surely hope that Bukit Koman will not hit international news as a kampung devastated by arsenic poisoning. That said, can Murugiah guarantees no arsenic poisoning in Bukit Koman for at least another 8 years? Heck, I don't think Murugiah can give the assurance because he may be gone from PM's department soon if Kayveas get his way. If Kayveas fails to oust Murugiah from PM's department, maybe the rakyat will when GE 13 comes around....

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...

WHy is it so difficult to get 8 hours sleep in Malaysia?

Last night yarl restaurant's boss turned off his loud and deafening kitchen hood at 10.43 p.m but this morning at 6.25 a.m., his loud and deafening kitchen hood can be heard loudly and clearly again shaking the entire neighbourhood like an earthquake. Today I am allowed 7 hours and 47 minutes of sleep, slightly better than yesterday when I could only sleep for 7 hours when yarl restaurant's boss turned on his loud and deafening kitchen hood at 5.30 a.m. In the past I used to sleep 8-9 hours a day but now I can't anymore because yarl restaurant's boss doesn't allow me to do so. Why is it so difficult to get 8 hours of sleep a day in Malaysia? According to the environmental laws, yarl restaurant's boss cannot turn on his loud and deafening kitchen hood before 7.00 a.m. and must shut it down by 10.00 p.m. Even between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., he has no right to turn on his kitchen hood louder than 60dBA. The fact that yarl restaurant's boss is allowed to turn on his noisy kitchen hood whenever he likes and as loudly as he likes clearly shows that the citizens of Malaysia are not protected by the rule of law. After all what can we do if radiation can be good for us? Reporting to the authorities is only a waste of time. They won't take any action.

As a citizen of Malaysia, I am being oppressed by yarl restaurant's boss who fills my bedrooms with loud and deafening noise at an average of 17 hours a day, soak my clothes with curry each time I put them out to dry in the balcony, chases me out of my bedroom early in the morning when I am still in my deep sleep, and doesn't allow me to sleep 8 hours a day. My every movement is restricted by him. I cannot go out with friends at night, cannot attend dinner at night, cannot watch TV at night because if I do, I will suffer from lack of sleep when he wakes me up early in the morning with his loud and deafening kitchen hood noise. But most of the time, I can't even sleep early to avoid sleep deprivation. This is because yarl restaurant's boss likes to turn off the kitchen hood late at night only to turn it on again very early the following morning. 56 years after our country achieved independence, is this the kind of life we should expect? I thought we can have freedom, at least the most basic ones, such as  the right to decide when to sleep and when to wake up, the right to watch midnight movies, the right to attend dinners at night. I am still being oppressed like a slave but I can't say or do anything about it. During the British colonization, we did not suffer like this. At least, the British people did not torture us to such an extent because they respect human rights. Here, I would like to look into the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights in detail and see how it applies to me as a citizen of Malaysia.

                          THE UNITED NATIONS' DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom (what freedom if I am not even allowed to sleep 8 hours a day), justice (what justice if I cannot say or do anything about the sufferings I am going through as a noise pollution victim) and peace (there is no peace with noise pollution) in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts (turning on the loud and deafening kitchen hood to disturb the entire neighbourhood as early as 5.20 a.m. and at average of 17 hours a day is indeed a barbarous act) which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear (I live in constant fear to be waken up from my deep sleep by yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood every morning and to endure loud and deafening noise at an average of 17 hours a day) and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression (I am being oppressed to the extent that I can't take it anymore), that human rights should be protected by the rule of law (The fact that yarl restaurant's boss is allowed to turn on his noisy kitchen hood whenever he likes and as loudly as he likes clearly shows that the citizens of Malaysia are not protected by the rule of law),
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights (there cannot be equal rights when I have to suffer in the hands' of yarl restaurant's boss and cannot do anything about it.) of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life (my standard of life is degrading due to noise pollution) in larger freedom (I don't even have the freedom to a peaceful living),
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms (there is no respect and observance of human rights because I am living like a slave and cannot do anything about it),
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.

• All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. (I don't have any dignity because I am living like a slave. I don't even have the right to sleep 8 hours a day. Does the spirit of brotherhood mean "Noise for you, money for me"?)

Article 2.

• Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms (I don't even have the right to sleep 8 hours a day, to watch TV at night, and to go out at night because I must wake up early when yarl restaurant chases me out of my bedroom early every morning. I can't even stay in my bedroom because of the kitchen hood noise. My house has been made uninhabitable by yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise) set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

• Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. (But I am living like a slave with my every move being controlled by yarl restaurant's boss. When he turns on his noisy kitchen hood early every morning, I have to leave my bedroom immediately. )

Article 4.

• No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms (I am living like a slave 56 years after Malaysia achieved independence).

Article 5.

• No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (I am constantly being subjected to sleep deprivation which is a form of torture intended for war prisoners and criminals. This is a form of inhuman, degrading treatment / punishment).

Article 6.

• Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

• All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

• Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law (I am not protected by the constitution or law. The environmental laws are not enforceable in Malaysia. Yral restaurant's boss can do whatever he likes because he owns a restaurant).

Article 9.

• No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

• Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

• (1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
• (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

• No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks (Yarl restaurant's boss is constantly intruding into my life, killing me slowly with his noise pollution program and  making my flat unfit for human habitation. he is taking away all my honour, dignity and reputation. I am living like a slave now).

 

Article 13.

• (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement (My every move is controlled by yarl restaurant. Whenever there is a water cut in my area and the water supply is restored after 10 p.m., I have to go to bed hungry and without taking a bath. Eating and bathing take time and I can't afford to do these because I have to sleep early since yarl restaurant's boss will turn on his loud and deafening kitchen hood early every morning and chase me out of my bedroom with his noise kitchen hood.) and residence within the borders of each state.
• (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

 

Article 14.

• (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
• (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

• (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
• (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

• (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
• (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
• (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

• (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
• (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

• Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

• Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

• (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
• (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

• (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
• (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
• (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

• Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

• (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
• (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
• (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
• (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

• Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

• (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control (I do not have the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of myself and my family. We are being chased out of our bedrooms early every morning whilst still in our deep sleep. We are not allowed to sleep 8 hours a day.).
• (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

• (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
• (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
• (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

• (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
• (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

• Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized (The rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration do not mean anything to me because I have none).

Article 29.

• (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
• (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
• (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.

• Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

,

WHY THE KUALA LUMPUR CITY HALL SHOULDN'T INCREASE THE CUKAI PINTU?

Before I start writing, I would like to make it very clear that I don't like the idea of getting up at 5.30 a.m. to write this article when I should be sleeping. It is yarl restaurant's boss who forced me to wake up and write this.

Last night, yarl restaurant turned off its loud and deafening kitchen hood at 10.20 p.m. but this morning at 5.30 a.m., it's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise can be heard again loud and clear, disturbing the entire neighbourhood much to the dismay of everyone. This means that we could only get 7 hours sleep. As a citizen of Malaysia, getting 8 hours sleep a day is an impossibility because yarl restaurant's boss doesn't allow that. As I am typing out this article now, the kitchen hood noise is causing vibrations in my bedroom. In actual fact, yarl restaurant's boss is turning on his noisy kitchen hood earlier and earlier with each passing day. Why is it so? To make us accept his loud and deafening kitchen hood noise gradually so that he could operate his restaurant round-the-clock. Looks like he has this intention. If there were no complaints, he would love to turn on his loud and deafening kitchen hood at 5.00 a.m. and make loud and deafening noise with his kitchen hood until 12 midnight. It has happened before and I won't be surprised if he were to turn on his noisy kitchen hood 24 hours a day. Actions speak louder than words and his selfishness is clearly manifested in the way he is torturing us with his noisy kitchen hood. He knows that his kitchen hood is making loud and deafening noise but still insists to turn it on at such an early hour in the morning. He even lied to Fong Kui Lun (MP for this area)'s assistant 4 months ago that he would solve the noise problem without any intention to so. His noisy kitchen hood is operating at maximum noise capacity and is very loud and deafening even in the afternoons. What about the early mornings when everywhere is so quiet that you can even hear a pin drop? At 5.30 a.m. in the morning, yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood sounds louder than an earthquake to us. Where are we to sleep if we can't even sleep in our bedrooms?

Why is it that no action is taken at all by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) despite repeated complaints by the residents? According to the environmental laws, yarl restaurant's boss cannot turn on his loud and deafening kitchen hood before 7.00 a.m. and must shut it down by 10.00 p.m. Why is it that yarl restauran't boss dare to turn on his kitchen hood loudly at 5.30 a.m. in the morning? The fact that yarl restaurant's boss has the guts to turn on his noisy kitchen hood earlier and earlier each day clearly shows how redundant the DBKL is in dealing with noise pollution. If the DBKL is unable to deal with a simple issue like this, does it have the right to increase our property taxes between 100-250%? (The kitchen hood noise stopped suddenly at 5.46 a.m. but resumed again loud and clear at 6.20 a.m. Maybe someone went down to complain).

Let us look at the reasons why the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) shouldn't increase the "cukai pintu". I'll list them out one by one below.

1. According to the DBKL, the value of our property increases with the property taxes. Would anyone in their right senses buy a house in an area which is plagued by noise pollution? Who wants to suffer from sleep deprivation and the health hazards that accompany yarl restaurant's noise pollution program? Those who can afford to live elsewhere would flee to avoid the sufferings that yarl restaurant's noise pollution program is causing them. Instead of increasing our "cukai pintu" the DBKL should compensate us for the sufferings that we have to endure due to yarl restaurant's noise pollution program because of their incapability in dealing with this issue. We should also be exempted from paying any property taxes because our flats have become an earthly hell not habitable by ordinary human beings. Even the animals in the zoo have a better living environment than us. So what are we paying the DBKL for? Noise pollution and the devaluation of our property? Sleep deprivation and health hazards?
2. The DBKL officers cannot tell the difference between a speaker and a kitchen hood. This sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Is something fishy going on? Why pretend that the speaker is the kitchen hood when they came to check at the restaurant? Even a child can tell the difference between the speaker and the kitchen after looking at a picture of the kitchen hood. The link to my blog in my email to DBKL has a very clear photo of the kitchen hood (at the back of yarl restaurant). Why just stay in the restaurant and assume that the speaker is the kitchen hood? So what are we paying for? DBKL's Fishiness?
3. The situation in the neighbourhood hasn't shown any improvements at all. It has been the same all these 30 years. But of course we have something extra that we do not want here - yarl restaurant's noisy kitchen hood which the DBKL cannot do anything about. So what are we paying the DBKL for? For Yarl restaurant's noisy kitchen hood?
4. Home  should be the best place on earth but yarl restaurant's victims do not even have a place they can call home. Can you call your house a home when you can't even enter your bedrooms throughout the day because of noise pollution? Can you call your house a home when you can't even sleep in your bedroom and must get up and leave your bedroom at 5.30 a.m.? Can you call your house a home when you don't even have a place to dry your clothes? Imagine the feeling of satisfaction that you have after doing your washing only to find that your clothes are soaked with yarl restaurant's curry when you put them out to dry! And now we have to dry our clothes in the living room. What are we paying the DBKL for? For not being able to stay in our home? For yarl restaurant's curry smell that pollutes the air in our bedrooms? For having no place to dry our clothes?
5. Due to the loud and deafening noise in our bedrooms, our children have no place to study and ended up with bad results. What are we paying the DBKL for? For our children's bad results?
6. Due to lack of sleep, I cannot perform well at work. Sleepiness is causing me to experience bouts of dizziness (I can feel my brain swinging even now). I also become very forgetful - forgetting my clients' names and my mind often goes blank whilst I am going giving a talk. So what am I paying for? For my poor performance at work?
7. Yarl restaurant's noise and air pollution program is a very clear case of oppression in Malaysia. Could anyone suffer so much in the hands of another but is unable to complain because the DBKL is totally redundant?  Please remember that this is already the 21st Century and not the cowboy era. The failure of the DBKL to deal with air and noise pollution clearly shows how inefficient it is. So what are we paying for? For DBKL's inefficiency and redundancy?

The DBKL should not only reduce our property taxes to RM0.00 because of our degrading living conditions caused by yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise but also give us an allowance to pay for our electricity bills. This is because we have to turn on some kind of music or nature sounds to cover up yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood noise whenever we stay in our bedrooms. The increase in electricity tariffs would mean that we have to pay more but why should we spend more on electricity for the sake of yarl restaurant's air and noise pollution program? Since the DBKL cannot do anything about yarl restaurant's noise and air pollution program, then they should compensate us this way!

More than 20,000 objection letters against the planned assessment rate hike were delivered by protestors to DBKL in Kuala Lumpur, December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow FengKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — About 300 Kuala Lumpur property owners and residents demonstrated outside the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) headquarters here today against a controversial increase in city property taxes.

PKR’s Batu MP Chua Tian Chang said that more than 20,000 objection letters against the planned assessment rate hike were delivered to DBKL today, ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for the filing of objections.

“The assessment rate hike for KL properties is not fair and cannot be accepted,” Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, who was also at the rally, told protesters at DBKL’s headquarters here today.

“Local elections must be held so that the mayor will be elected by the people. Only then will the mayor and DBKL understand our suffering,” he added, as protesters called for the resignation of KL Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib.

The rally, which was organised by opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat (PR), was peaceful, with minimal police presence.

Many of the rally participants were elderly people of all races, some of whom were holding placards that said: “We demand for the KL mayor to be elected through the general elections”.

In the Gallery

• 
  Protesters holding a banner stating their objections against the assessment hike at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
• 
  Protesters turn up in large numbers to rally against the assessment hike at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
• 
  Protesters shouting slogans against the assessment hike at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
• 
  Protesters holding up the flags of DAP, PKR and PAS during the rally against the assessment hike at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
• 
  DBKL officers forming a wall at the entrance during the rally against the assessment hike at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
• 
  Pakatan Rakyat rally against assessment hikes at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
• 
  A protester holding up a placard during the rally against the assessment hike at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
• 
  A police officer speaking to the protesters during the rally against the assessment hike at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
• 
  Key members of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition hand over objection letters to KL Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib (red tie) at the rally against the assessment hike at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
• 
  Key members of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition hand over objection letters to KL Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib (red tie) at the rally against the assessment hike at the DBKL building in Kuala Lumpur December 16, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

The proposed increase on property valuation ha

The proposed increase on property valuation has sparked public outcry since last month, after property owners received DBKL notices informing them of hikes between 100 and 250 per cent to their land valuation.

Housewife Chong Shiong Pheng, 63, who was at the rally, said that the rental valuation for her condominium unit in Sri Petaling had tripled from RM3,000 to RM9,000.

“It’s very high. How can we stand this? The electricity tariff also has gone up. But our salaries have not gone up,” Chong told The Malay Mail Online.

A low-cost flat resident in Pantai Dalam, Suriyati Hussein, similarly complained about a 300 per cent increase in her assessment rate.

“Even then, the PPR houses are dirty,” Suriyati, 50, told reporters at the rally, complaining about DBKL’s services for public housing.

“Everything has gone up. I hate this,” added the single mother.

A. Subramaniam, a 69-year-old retiree, said his rental valuation had spiked from RM1,000 to RM2,880 for his two-room apartment in Brickfields.

“There’s GST. And the electricity tariff, toll, sugar are all going up. Want to have RM6 lunch at a stall also cannot,” he told reporters at the rally, referring to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that will be implemented in 2015.

“DBKL inside is like a five-star hotel. Lavishly, they’re spending money,” added Subramaniam.

Ng Wei Keong, a 33-year-old site engineer, said that DBKL should have increased assessment rates gradually, instead of implementing a sudden hike after 21 years.

“It’s not the right way to drastically increase,” Ng told reporters at the rally.

He said that his assessment rate has doubled from the initial payment of RM180 per six months for a double-storey house in Taman Desa.

On Thursday, Ahmad Phesal confirmed with The Malay Mail that DBKL has only received 35,000 objection letters so far, or just 7 per cent out of the 500,000 notices sent out last month.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor previously confirmed that KL property owners would not be penalised for paying old assessment rates until the quantum of the city’s proposed tax hike is announced by March.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/kl-residents-protest-property-tax-hike#sthash.5vc3Bf4s.dpuf

YARL RESTAURANT'S BOSS IS MURDERING US WITH HIS KITCHEN HOOD NOISE

Before I start writing, I would like to make it very clear that I don't like the idea of getting up at 5.40 a.m. to write this article when I should be sleeping. It is yarl restaurant's boss who forced me to wake up and write this. (It seems that I have to come up with a topic every morning. When yarl restaurant's boss wakes me up from my deep sleep next morning, I will be writing "Why the DBKL shouldn't increase our property taxes?").

Last night yarl restaurant's boss turned off his loud and deafening kitchen hood at 10.35 p.m but this morning at 5.40 a.m., his loud and deafening kitchen hood can be heard loudly and clearly again shaking the entire neighbourhood. I wanted to sleep at 10.10 p.m. last night but couldn't because the kitchen hood was still making lots of noise. I could only sleep at 10.35 p.m. as soon as yarl restaurant's boss turned off the kitchen hood. This means that I am only allowed 7 hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation is killing me and turning me into a very sickly person who cannot concentrate on my work. I am suffering from bouts of dizziness and my mind is swinging and these seriously affect  my performance at work. I even have difficulty remembering faces due to lack of sleep. My mind often turns blank whilst I am talking to my clients. There were instances when I forgot my own name! I really cannot take this anymore. Oh my God, why is this happening to us? What have we done? Don't we have any rights at all? When will justice and peace ever dawn on us again? The right to sleep eight hours a day is something that everyone takes for granted but for yarl restaurant's victims, this is a luxury that we cannot afford to have. Why is this shameful and uncicilised thing happening in Malaysia which is suppose to be a civilized country? What

With the prices of everything going up, the increase in taxes (the cukai takisran), electricity tariffs,  taxi fares, and the Goods and Services tax (GST) pending, we are expecting some improvements in our lives because we are paying more but how come the opposite seems to be true? In the past, we could at least sleep 8 hours a day but now we can't even afford to do that. According to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the value of our property will increase with the cukai takisran but is this possible with yarl restaurant's kitchen hood making loud and deafening noise at an average of 17 hours a day outside our windows? This will only cause people to flee from this area and not to buy property here. With yarl restaurant's kitchen hood noise murdering us slowly everyday, and the Kuala Lumpur City Council cannot do anything about it despite our repeated complaints because they cannot tell the difference between the speaker and the kitchen hood, it is indeed a great joke for our country to host the Global Peace Convention right here in Kuala Lumpur this year! Why is it such a joke? Because we shouldn't talk about peace when there is none! What kind of peace are we trying to promote at the Convention? Noise pollution peace? Well, Malaysia Boleh. And of course I cannot see the beauties of the Goods and Services tax when all I can see is yarl restaurant's loud and deafening kitchen hood! The cukai taksiran for this area should drop to zero ringgit (RM0.00) because the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) isn't doing anything about yarl restaurant's noise pollution program at all. Why should we pay more taxes for noise pollution in this area? On the contrary, the DBKL should compensate us for the sufferings caused by yarl restaurant's noisy kitchen hood. The question is, "Why is the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) refusing to take action?" I wouldn't rule out bribery because after all Malaysia is known as one of the most corrupt nations. Or perhaps these DBKL officers really cannot tell the difference between the speaker and the kitchen hood even after seeing a picture of it in my blog. 

In actual fact, there isn't any difference between yarl restaurant's noise pollution victims and the radiation victims because we are all dying slowly in the hands of intruders who come into our hometown and perform activities that endanger our health but we cannot say or do anything to stop them. Anyway, what can we expect from the authorities when even the Ministry of Health could say that radiation is good for us? (Read the article below and you'll know why. This article was posted by http://dnightcaller.blogspot.com/2009/06/raub-pahang-gold-for-me-cyanide-for-you.html on June 26, 2009)

Raub, Pahang : Gold for me, cyanide for you...

"It is possible for cyanide to leak during the transfer if sufficient precautions are not taken. And if that happens, water supplies in the Klang Valley will be affected" - Tan Hui Chun (Environment and safety consultant)

"Hasil kajian Kementerian Kesihatan mengenai tahap kesihatan
penduduk sekitar kawasan itu, menunjukkan tiada kesihatan penduduk terjejas akibat bahan kimia sianida." - T Muruhiah (Timbalan Menteri, Jabatan Perdana Menteri)

1. Zorro unmasked started probing on this a few weeks back and Malaysiakini reported on 25th June 2009 that Murugiah announced that the health of 3,000 residents of Bukit Koman, Raub is not in danger of cyanide poisoning. That is fast when Bernama broke the news on 23rd June 2009 quoting Murugiah's pledge that he will investigate the matter.
2. I didn't say this but I remember in one movie...

   "Look, I don't know shit about shit but I know right from wrong!" - Erin Brockovich

3. Just because Bukit Koman's residents are simple folks in out of town Raub does not give the license for Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd (RAGM) to do what they pleased.
4. The residents had listed their complaints of :-
   
   • Cyanide-like odour in the place;
   • Headaches, breathing difficulties and skin irritation;
   • noise pollution etc
5. Now, let us go back to the reports and see what Murugiah said. On noise, Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) reported that they measure noise produce by RAGM at 48.7 Db which is lower the allowed 55 Db.
6. Let's say that the readings are correct. When is the readings taken? Is RAGM operating at normal production during the readings? How far are the sound meters placed? Is it aimed at the source (noise) ? What is the height of the meter? Who witness the tests? Are the results independently verified ? Are the sound meters calibrated?
7. On cyanide issue, this is no joking matter. Cambodia and Vietnam have cases of cyanide poisoning in rivers where the effects is 10 years down the line. In certain parts of Cambodia, the natural cyanide caused cancer since there is no proper water treatment system.
8. In history, there is questions whether Napoleon Bonarparte died of arsenic poisoning. Even in Malaysia, the one time Deputy Prime Minister also accused someone of administering him with cyanide poisoning. What this tells you is that cyanide poisoning is difficult to detect and if it happens in Bukit Koman, what hope is there that the authorities will trace down the culprits? The most taht will be done will be mass relocation of the population on some pretentious issue like SARS, maybe?
9. About headache, the report mentioned that 93 are sampled and out of 93 samplings, 6 claimed headache. That will be 6.5%. Is that normal for Malaysians? Is it a normal standard? If it is, then all is well and fine. If not, then what has the Jabatan Kesihatan has to say about it? Is it their diet? Is it their style of living? Is it the air? Is it the water? If this is an issue, then investigate the root cause. Saying that it is normal and acceptable limit must be validated with data. You just can't say it's OK when it's not!!
10. Another blogger, Antares mentioned that one of the important share holder is a Pahang VVIP. To this scribe, everybody needs to make a living. But it must be honest living. Putting a VVIP in the board does not absolve the company from its social responsibilities. In fact, companies with VVIP shareholders should be more responsible than responsible. They are supposed to be the model companies in terms of social responsibilities and sensitive to the surounding needs and problems.
11. Touching on social responsibilities, the Bukit Koman issue should be closely monitored by Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM). Is SAM aware of RAGM? Is SAM aware of the EIA? What is SAM's stand on this? If SAM has been persistently monitoring the EIA reports for the Pahang-Selangor water tunnel project, then SAM should be equally persistent in monitoring Bukit Koman issue.
12. It is always been the case of Malaysian authorities. When a project is new, it will always come up with proposals on waste disposal and monitoring. A case of example is the Tioxide plant in Terengganu. International companies will be presenting the authorities with sophisticated plans on how they dispose toxic waste, how they manage toxic waste, how they store toxic waste etc etc. On paper, it will be the best, the most innovative, the most up to date at par with world's standard. In practise? Who will monitor the waste disposal? Who verify their management system? Who recorded their toxic waste storage? This is more so critical for Bukit Koman residents as Bukit Koman is way too rural to be noticed. There, RAGM may be "king" to do what they please.
13. Planning and executing are 2 different things. RAGM may have the best plannings, but who will monitor their planning and execution? RAGM may claim that they have safety officers under them but paid safety officers may be subject to the whims and fancies of RAGM.
14. Remember Lubok Mandi? During the "gold rush" fever, some died when their makeshift tunnels collapsed. That was a tragedy but in was instant. You can see and watch it. Here in Bukit Koman, arsenic poisoning is slow and sure. It will not be instantaneous. It will be slow and painful. So my qquestion - who will monitor RAGM's activities? Will it be on regular monitoring? Will it be done by independent third parties? Will it be carried out by JAS? Frankly, this scribe is suspicious of government authorities because with "kopi", everything jadi.....
15. Murugiah should not be too fast in declaring Bukit Koman as safe. It needs continous monitoring. Do we have the expertise? Do we have the labs? Do we follow international standards?
16. To be fair to Murugiah, he did called for special hearing on 25th June 2009 but none of ukit Koman residents turned up. The reason given by the residents is that they have a prior engagement with other parties, set up 1 month ago and Muru's hearing was called last minute. The residents claimed that they have called to explain their absence.
17. Gold mining in Bukit Koman is fine but we surely hope that Bukit Koman will not hit international news as a kampung devastated by arsenic poisoning. That said, can Murugiah guarantees no arsenic poisoning in Bukit Koman for at least another 8 years? Heck, I don't think Murugiah can give the assurance because he may be gone from PM's department soon if Kayveas get his way. If Kayveas fails to oust Murugiah from PM's department, maybe the rakyat will when GE 13 comes around....

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...