Over the past couple of days, Penang has been hit by strong winds, swollen tides and heavy rain. Trees crashed down in several areas, like they did in Singapore.
The heavy rains have at least helped to fill up Penang’s dams, where water levels had declined of late.
The cloud cover over Penang over the last two days appeared almost dystopian.
The high tides that thrust seawater onto several seafronts yesterday morning are cause for real concern.
Several years ago, one state government leader claimed that land reclamation would help protect the state from rising sea levels. He must have had a laugh on us.
It is seriously time to protect and beef up the areas where the seawater gushed over the seafront yesterday. Also look at drainage in critical areas.
Full article on Aliran website
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Tides of Change: Ringgit is going up in value.
Anil, happy or not?
Cheaper for Anil when holiday in Hatyai.
Ringgit can rise further by year end due to Madani effect!
Haha, too busy to travel anywhere!
Malaysian ringgit to Indian rupees is currently 19.866. Anil can go visit Kolkata to see the tram, before it succumbed to the tides of change.
https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2024/09/22/asia039s-oldest-operating-trams-see-slow-death-in-india
(Sept 23): The Malaysian ringgit is poised to extend its rally after what’s likely to be its best quarter since 1973, if the outlook for interest rates is any guide.
The ringgit has risen more than 12% against the dollar so far this quarter, making it the best performing emerging-market currency. Narrowing rate differentials with the US, improving trade performance and attractive asset valuations may help the ringgit strengthen further, analysts said.
Has the cost of living come down ? If it hasn’t, there is nothing to cheer about.
Uncle rakyat. Ringgit has gone up/ Ringgit has more purchasing power. Can buy Uncle Sam’s products
” M’sians strain under rising costs and static incomes ”
by Diyana Pfordten dd Friday, 27 Sep 2024
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/27/msians-strain-under-rising-costs-and-static-incomes
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On the ground, this is the story. Nothing much has changed.
Uncle Rakyat. Only below – nothing can change. On ground always dynamic – see what happen the Israelis has done. Everyone not only Malaysians feel the strain. US inflation went down. But they borrow $35 Trillion and no one wants to talk about it which is 122% of GDP. Soon will be 200%
Tell me which part of the world cost of living not going up? Get real please!
So, are you saying that just because the cost of living has gone up in other parts of the world, it should also rise here in our country, and we the Rakyat should just accept it?
Is that your argument regarding the cost of living issue? That sounds kind of lame, don’t you think?
uncle rakyat. you have so many lobangs in getting news. You even know the phone no and the cost of durian feast. so uncle, tell us which country’s inflation has gone down? No reply means you only kbkb
” Are the ringgit and the economy OK? ” by Mohsin Abdullah dd 30 Sep 2024, 09:00 AM
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2024/09/30/ringgit-dan-ekonomi-dah-ok-kan/
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Another one of our Rakyat’s opinion, the writer is talking about the rise in the value of the Ringgit and cost of living, etc. Please, read.
Am sure many of our Rakyat have similar sentiment.
Uncle rakyat – Roz is saying everywhere the COL has gone up and you agree. end of Argument
Many trees, young or old, uprooted during stronger than usual wind condition these few days in Penang. Recent one today at Scotland Road and one at Peranakan Mansion that killed two China tourists inside the parked car there. MPPP needs to identify those trees on the brink of collapse, while Heritage or Plant lovers need to be realistic when some need to be chopped down before future storms bring them down. Not to late to start planting new trees, either ample space for them to be rooted naturally extended wide to the grounds not to be disturbed by concrete cement… Read more »
” no mercy from heaven unless the mortals heed the warnings. ”
Maybe we should say it as, ” no mercy from heaven unless the political leaders or relevant authorities heed the warnings. ”
The need to be careful about how the type of development projects are planned and carried out. Everywhere, one sees concrete, mortar, bricks, and tar.
Red little dot – so many brick, concrete and mortar and yet why they call it garden city?
You drag in the little red dot here and then ask us why they call it garden city. Who cares. Oh, … sorry you seem to care. Mmm.
Ok, so go and ask them lah. The current PM is your Ipoh mari guy what.
No problem wan. You can kbkb with him as long as you want about it over drinks. Geez.
now you admit, concrete, mortar and bricks can become a garden city. You can kbkb to cheap minister to plant more trees. add this into his job?
You dreaming or what ? Does my reply say I admit or not bothered about whatever they want to call it ? You and the island down south want to name their whatever ‘ a garden city ‘ made of concrete or vegetation, that is your and their business.
We here are talking about rainfall, flooding and drainage system in the state of Penang. Just stick to the point. If you want to talk about S’pore, talk about their drainage system.
uncle rakyat, you talk about development. Longkangs are design for a certain rainfall event. If the rainfall event is very extreme, it will flood. It will flood easily if the longkangs is like teh or kopi. Just ;look, where we get water from the river, rakyat dumps everything. There are cancerous substance dump but no one check. we only check presence for minerals. Look at North Vietnam and East coast of USA. Recent, super typhoon and hurricane swept and hundreds were killed.in the flood.
Uncle Rakyat – you in the well? You no read or see Nepal in Hi Malayan mountain? Heavy rainfall washes down Hi malayan mountains and people killed in the flood. In North Vietnam, typhoon can bring the water into the inland hundred miles from the sea. You kbkb to score point
What ? Nothing more to say about Penang’s rainfall, flooding and drainage system already, ah. At a loss now.
Also what is happening to our environmental Exco. Since the appointment, just dead silent. Not a word or statement heard. Has the post been removed or simply too busy with other duties?
How Singapore solved its looming water crisis
In Singapore, water supply impacted wars, the economy and people’s health. Now, one of the most water-stressed countries is teaching the world how to handle water when there is hardly any.
The Malaysian state of Penang has big plans for its semiconductor industry. But the financial struggles for Intel Corp and talks about its potential downsizing in Malaysia have dampened investor sentiments.
Retrenchment fear is real for especially those aged 35-45, with family commitment, and car and condo loans that can haunt once there are no more monthly salaries to sustain the financing.
Employees at Intel Penang are not at risk of retrenchment?
The Penang state government does not have a policy to provide cash aid to flood victims.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said there is no such policy in Penang (to provide cash aid).
” Special assistance for Penang flood victims ”
by Ian McIntyre dd 20 Sep 2024 2:27PM
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/103448/special-assistance-for-penang-flood-victims
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” The special assistance would be extended to all flood victims in the north, central and south Prai districts. ”
>>> One leader say no policy to provide aid for flood victims, another say special assistance will be provided for all flood victims. Confused leaders ?
” 202 Penang flood victims receive cash aid from PM ”
FMT Reporters dd 24 Sep 2024, 01:56 PM
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/09/24/202-penang-flood-victims-receive-cash-aid-from-pm/
Uncle Rakyat – now become a reporter of another reporter? Kopy here and kopy there?
One’s thinking ability is limited. It means that a person’s capacity for critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, or understanding a subject matter is constrained in some way.
Know anyone with such disability?
PAS Supporters’ Wing information chief Balachandran Gopal Krishnan urged non-Muslims to vote for PAS, claiming the party provides justice and well-being through Islamic principles.
He criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for giving false hopes and encouraged non-Muslims to visit PAS-administered states like Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah to experience life under Islamic governance.
Have Kelantan resolved their water issues – supplying clean water to the locals ?
Maybe, this PAS Supporters’ Wing information chief should explain why the locals are facing ‘ teh tarik ‘ like water issues, why this issue has not been resolved for decades.
What has their state admin been doing all this while. Many other states have been able to enjoy clean water. What is wrong with this state?
Sanusi will advise them to build underground dam to store the flood water. He learnt from his Japan trip.
Japan’s massive underground reservoir for flood control.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLCkbjbtKWU
Tides of Change?
A reminder to cherish your life.
Stay safe!
No rain, no water, complain.
Got rain, got water, also complain.
The solution to this problem is finding a balance between having water and not having water. The state leaders need to put their heads together and get cracking. No more with silly excuses, year in and year out.
Uncle Rakyat? Why only state leaders? You think state leader- rakyat of all trades? Everything state leaders? Many jobs – should be many gaji.
If not the state leaders, then who? Who are the administrators of the State ?
What is this, ” Many jobs – should be many gaji.” ? What don’t you just say it out clearly what you actually mean.
Uncle rakyat, you say they are administrators. They are not rain makers. If you want them to do rain dance? Administrators do rain dance to make rain?…
Kedah MB Sanusi is ‘proactive’ to learn from his Japan trip to build underground dam in Langkawi?
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/02/langkawi-to-get-underground-dam-to-address-water-supply-issues-says-sanusi
Inside Japan’s massive underground reservoir for flood control
Sanusi can solve the flood problem with this technology?
After that one statement, the northern state have gone silent. It could be the end of that idea unless they can come up with billions in funding which they don’t have. The whole thing could be just to impress our Rakyat.
Japan has already got a working underground reservoir flood control system in place but notice that to date our federal government have not mentioned anything about applying such a flood control system in country.
Over 90% of EPF members under 30 years of age won’t even have RM1,000 a month when they retire. A Khazanah Research Institute report says data of EPF members’ contributions from 2019 to 2022, show that only the top 10% of those under 30 have more than RM35,000 savings. EPF says an individual needs a minimum of RM35,000 by age 30 to achieve the basic retirement savings of RM240,000 by age 55. The RM240,000 savings works out to having RM1,000 a month for 20 years. KRI says the low savings highlight the structural issue of low starting salaries for new… Read more »
Money No Enough?
Curb spending on unnecessary stuff.
Go for cheaper drinks at Mixue, not the expensive Chagee.
Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has said that his country “cannot be in denial” about the state of its education system. He made this comment after Malaysia’s PISA score, an international student assessment, tumbled far more than its Southeast Asian counterparts.
How Politics Is Behind Malaysia’s Education Reform Difficulties
Did we not warn about this last year and the year before?
We said that when Mother Nature comes calling, she will do so with a monumentally devastating impact, though we have yet to see the full extent of her fury, which has not been felt yet.
What action has the state government taken over the past fifteen years to prevent or minimize natural disasters, which in this case, is flooding ?
Uncle rakyat. What can state so? State ask you to use less fuel, less kopi or. The storm is result of earth’s increased in CO2 and temperature rise. The storms and rainfall getting more severe. Question is what rakyat is doing?
Don’t ask what the Rakyat is doing. Ask what the state government is doing, voted in by the Rakyat.
They are suppose to be governing the state. Remember when the PIA was flooded. What was the cause ? Rainfall ?
Rain falls from the sky. On the ground who is in charge. What are they suppose to do or have done. Simply cry, ” Act of God ” ? And then what, ” goyang kaki “.
Uncle, You want cheap minister to govern the state by not driving, dont use fan, a/c and light? Jalan kaki or bicycle, use natural light, stair and … eat raw? Rest of rakyat can burn or use fossil energy as uncle rakyat like
Stick to the point – flooding and its impact on our environment and our Rakyat, etc.
Is it due to improper or poor infrastructure design and planning ?
When is the state going to resolve this issue ? How are they going to resolve this issue ? Is it not their duty and responsibility to do so?
Uncle Rakyat, the state depends on engineers to design and give the kongkang size. why not you write to the engineer board and engineer insitution? It is just like PLUs highway. why the highway jam during festivals.
Uncle Rakyat. You said rain falls from the sky. When your small job becomes a big job, it will overflows. Dams has a spillway to allow overflow. either the dam burst and wash away every thing or release water and allow some flood. Dont be greedy. Why not you step in and run for MP?
Why say greedy ? What has this got to do with flooding ? Better step out and don’t run for MP if do not know what to do about it.
Flooding – why talk about dam when it has got to do with poor drainage system in many areas and maybe no drainage system in some areas.
PBA recently said, despite the heavy rainfall, the dams in Penang are not filled up yet. So, why talk about, ” dam burst and wash
away “
Uncle Rakyat – When small rain, does it flood? How can it be poor drainage? When heavy downpour, it flood.Then you blame poor drainage. The longkangs are like roads and highways with limited capacity. Even the 3 Gorges Dam has a certain capacity
Do you know what you are talking about ? If drainage system has limited capacity and every year we experience heavy downpour, what must the state do ?
What did the relevant authorities do in order to prevent future flooding at PIA (2022), something which should not have happened in the first place ?
When the Bukit Kukus elevated highway got flooded, what action did relevant authorities take to avoid future flooding ?
So on a macro level, what must the state do?
Uncle rakyat – elevated highway flooded. People and cars get drowned? Drainage engineer is more concerned if the highway bridge is swept away by flood below and not flood on the pavement. Water in the elevated highway will come down according to Newton’s law
Flood is flood. There is no such thing as more concern or less concern. Flood of any kind interrupts our normal way of life, at times create chaos.
Flooding should not happen if there is a proper drainage system and is properly maintained.
Uncle Rakyat – not all roads are leading to Rome. Use logic. … Heavy rain drop from heavens. The leaves and vegetation catch and store some water. Some water drops to the ground and the ground so dried absorbed high percentage of water. Only those surface flow goes to the longkang, sungei and ampangan. Not 100% goes to the dam
Yes but we are not talking about the dam, its overflow, underflow, whatever.
We are discussing flooding and how the drainage system is designed to manage rainwater in the state.
Has our drainage system been upgraded to keep pace with the state’s infrastructure mega – developments. What about hilly slopes and low lying areas?
Nowadays, heavy rain is usually followed by landslides and sinkholes due to a poor drainage system as the water can saturate the ground and destabilize it.
” Understanding the causes of floods in Penang and seeking solutions ” by Kam Suan Pheng dd 29 October 2017
https://penangforum.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/dr-kam-sp-causes-penang-floods-penang-forum-8.pdf
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This was presented in 2017. Now it is going to be almost end of 2024. What has the state been doing ?
To persevere – concrete, brick, mortar and mega projects ? Is this all they know ?
Uncle Rakyat – did you read the report carefully? There are many factors and yet you kbkb at one factor. Why you dont mentioned your favourite?- Rainwater tank? .
We are talking about rainfall, flooding and drainage system. We are not talking about rainwater harvesting. Pay attention and stick to the point. If you were in my class, I’d give you a F- already.
uncle rakyat. You think penang is a continent? Is is a small island with hilly region on the west coast. not much land. Uncle, you want penang land for highways otherwise you complain about jams. now you kbkb about flood. So you want the longkangs and canals to be king size> You kbkb about pylons. Then you must support more land reclamation
I never thought or claimed that the island of Penang was a continent; that must be your imagination. However, since you now acknowledge that Penang is a small island, why is the state pursuing mega projects on such a tiny landmass?
Why allow so much foreign investment that there’s virtually no space left, driving away fishermen and disrupting their way of life to facilitate land reclamation for new factories that consume enormous amounts of water, among other resources?
Underground dam can store the excess rain water as part of flood mitigation? We shall see how Sanusi can implement this after his Japan field trip.