Successful Birdcall

Carried out a successful birdcall at Binjai Rendah, Marang, Terengganu. An architect friend of mine seek my assistance to make a birdcall as he intends to JV with a Malay land owner to build birdhouses in the area. Meanwhile, he had asked the Malay land owner to get the land office to include a 'syarat nyata' in the land title, that is, 'tanah ini hendaklah digunakan semata-mata untuk pembinaan rumah walit'. The land is already a residential building land and if the 'syarat nyata' can be added to the title, it will solve a lot of problems on constructing the birdhouses. It will also be an endorsement of the swiftlet farming industry by the Terengganu Government. If everything is okay, my friend intends to build affordable 2 storey birdhouses using the industrialised building system with interlocking load bearing earth bricks as walls.

Look at the birdcall below. Do you think it is a success and the location is good for birdhouses?. Anybody interested!!!. You can make the bookings with me now. Haha.

Unique project going into 2nd month

Remember the unique project which I had described in my earlier post. It has been almost 2 months since the internal and external sound were activated. I still cannot claimed success as there is still no nest marks to be seen the last time I went into the shelter about 3 weeks ago. I have been monitoring the activities from the outside and there seems to be a lot of swiftlets flying around the entrance in the morning and evening and if it rains there will be swiftlets flying around even at noon time. There are many swiftlets coming in and out of the entrance hole and many swiftlets like to kiss (touch) the pointed top of the entrance. The management of this bird house which I prefer to call a shelter had asked me to monitor the progress and report to them monthly. Because of this, I have come up with an inspection form which I produced for all my readers to see below. Comments are welcomed.

This inpection form would be very useful for the management at the early stage as the management will know which direction is the shelter heading so that they can take further steps to keep the shelter on the right track. However once the shelter in successful, this inspection form would not be adequate and a more detailed form would be required which will also keep track of the nests to be been harvested and that has been harvested.

Tear down the walls that keep Malaysians apart

Below is an article that appears on the Letters to editor, NST. 15th April 2009. I share the same hope and aspiration and I hope all Malaysians share the same with me. Let's hope our leaders irrespective of parties will work towards this common goal, a 1Malaysia. Let's talk less and work more. Le's break all barriers, be more creative and innovative. One advert on Astro on Anak Yatim attracts my attention. Lets have more of this advert to create awareness among Malaysians who have been complacent for far too long. Hidup 1Malaysia.

By : NOEL F. D'OLIVEIRO, Taiping

IT will take more than oft-repeated, high-sounding rhe-toric to bridge the ever- widening racial divide in our country ("No racial barriers" -- NST, April 15).

Malaysian politics has never been, and never will be, a model to be emulated, unless and until genetic engineers purge corruption, nepotism, hypocrisy, dishonesty, racialism and irrationality from human nature.

Our unity is superficial to say the least. After more than 50 years of independence, we are still classified as Bumiputeras and non-Bumiputeras. We are still separated by politically-created invisible walls.

To come together as a nation, we need to proceed beyond mere rhetoric and tear down these walls.

One of the many contributory factors to the glaring division of races today is the thinking of some unscrupulous, myopic and racially-inclined politicians. Politicians must bear in mind that they are accountable and have a social responsibility not to inflame public opinion.

Racial slurs uttered in Parliament degrade and subvert racial cohesion, especially in a multiracial country like ours.

The well-being of our country needs to be first and foremost above partisan politics. Too much politicking is becoming counterproductive to the well-being of our country and our relations with each other.

The only way to reach an understanding and affinity among us is to change our attitudes towards each other.

We have to accept, not just tolerate, other cultures. We must try to understand that if we have differences, it is not necessarily a bad thing.

Differences in our background can lead us to interpret events in a contrasting way. We have to convince ourselves that these same differences are exactly what make this country so strong.

Expansion of opportunities has often coincided with continuing inequality in the civil service and in the security forces (military, navy and air force). It is not enough to open the gates of opportunity. Everyone should be given the opportunity to walk through these gates.

Equal opportunities can lead to improved individual performance and motivation.

The only acceptable reason to discriminate is on the basis of ability and competence.

We ought to accept, respect and value people who are different from us and judge them on merit, without fear or favour. We have the responsibility of ensuring that equal opportunities are available to all. No single segment of society should have a monopoly over another.

Treating people fairly, with dignity and respect, creating a climate where no one has undue advantage over another, making decisions based on individual merit and not as a result of bias or prejudice, recognising the advantages and benefits of a diverse workforce, that everyone is different and that these differences can add value, and developing an environment free from discrimination, harassment or victimisation are the ingredients of a recipe to narrow the ever-expanding chasms between us.

Dismantle the social, personal and psychological barriers that keep the races apart. Only then will we be a nation in which ethnicity will be incidental, not fundamental; descriptive, not defining.

Tourists caught unaware about new ruling on birds' nest

PENANG (April 15, 2009) : A new ruling prohibiting the import and export of bird's nest without a permit caught tourists unaware, resulting in them losing hundreds of thousands of ringgit as they have to surrender the delicacy on leaving the country. Under the rule, it is an offence to bring into or take out of the country even a single cup of bird's nest unless a permit is obtained from the Wildlife and National Park Department. Malaysia Bird’s Nest Merchants Association president Datuk Beh Heng Seong told Oriental Daily News that cases of ignorant tourists having to forfeit bird's nest at the immigration chechpoints are happening. He estimated that hundreds of kilos of bird's nest worth hundreds of thousands of ringgit have been confiscated at the country's exit points. Beh said he has been receiving complaints from members of the association on tourists having to surrender such prized gift item because they are not aware of the ban. He believed the ruling would not only affect the bird's nest industry but also leave a negative impression of Malaysia on the tourists. He said he understands the ruling is aimed at putting a stop to the smuggling of bird's nest out of the country, but deems it ridiculous for the authorities concerned to want tourists taking home some bird's nest to go all the way to the Wildlife and National Park Department to get a permit. "Worse still, it takes four days to get obtain a permit. How do you expect a tourist to wait four days for a permit?" According to the report, an one-off permit costs RM200 and bird's nest is subject to an export duty of RM100 per kg. Beh lamented the lack of Wildlife and National Park Department counters at exit points and tourists caught unaware of the new ruling could only forfeit their bird's nest. He said the government, which has always encouraged Malaysians to buy local products, should provide all the convenience and necessary assistance to foreigner visitors wanting to buy bird's nest, least to discourage them. He said the cultivation of bird's nest is lucrative industry, bringing in about RM1 billion a year in foreign exchange. He urged the new cabinet to take a serious view of the problem. A bird's nest cultivator who did not want to be identified wondered why the authorities are so strict with tourists who just want to take home some bird's nest for their own consumption or as gifts for friends and relatives. He said if the government allows a person to take out of the country up to 200 sticks of cigarettes and up to one litre of liquor at a time, there is no reason why a similar rule cannot be applied to bird's nest. He suggested the authorities allow each tourist to carry up to a kilogramme of bird's nest without permit. Meanwhile, an officer of the department in Penang dismissed allegations that it takes four days to obtain a permit. He said the most it takes is half a day. "If you come at 8am you might even get it done by 8.30am," he said. He said the ruling is to curb smuggling of bird's nest which fetches as much as RM3,000 a kg. Edible-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) or black-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus maximus) are protected species under Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 and anyone caught importing or exporting them without a permit can be fined up to RM3,000 or jailed up to three years or both. by Kong See Hoh Source :Sun2Surf

RM2 billion of raw and processed bird nests exported in 2008

Below is the news reported online by Eastern Times, a Sarawak daily, on 15th April 2009 on the bird's nest industry written by Zainon Talip.

Aziz: Go Into Bird’s Nest Farming

MIRI: The Director-General of the Veterinary Services Department, Dato’ Dr. Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin, urged local bird’s nest farmers to grab the opportunities offered by the bird’s nest (swiftlets) industry to help meet the increasing demand of the product by foreigners.
He told this to reporters after launching the state-level Veterinary Month at the Civic Centre here yesterday.

Aziz also hoped that the bird’s nest industry would move down stream, such as the cleaning and processing of the raw bird’s nests which could help to create more jobs.

“Last year, the bird’s nest production hit more than RM2 billion in raw and processed form for export, while RM700 million in 2007 and RM18 million in 2006. China is the biggest market, followed by Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea,” he added.

Aziz added that many Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea considered the swiftlet’s nest has high nutritional and medicinal value.
He also disclosed that the agriculture industry has increased the country’s foreign exchange revenue tremendously over the last five years.

Meanwhile, Assistant Director of Veterinary Section of the State Agriculture Department, Dr. Chin Vei Ching, said Sarawak recorded export of between RM60 million and RM100 million a year of bird’s nest products.

Chin said the Wildlife Department was in the process of legalising agricultural land for bird’s nest farming in effort to encourage more local farmers to venture into the bird’s nest industry.
There are now more than 60,000 swiftlet farms in the country with Sarawak having over 1,000 farms.

Malaysia is the world’s third largest producer of the edible bird’s nests behind Indonesia and Thailand.

Bird’s nest can become Malaysia’s fourth largest export after oil palm, rubber and petroleum.

At the function, Aziz also handed over the a mock cheque for RM8.1 million as incentives for livestock breeders in the state.

Satu Hati, Satu Komuniti, Satu Persatuan

In English, it means One Heart, One Community, One Association. Well, the Government is trying hard to unite the youths of Malaysia. Can it be achieved? I am sure we still remember the song, 'We're the World'. It's so beautiful but it failed to make an impact. The world still remained so divided as ever. It failed to unite the youths of the World. Hopefully this song can do something to Malaysians, creating 1Malaysia and 'Swiftlets For All'

Safety First

In order to ensure the safety of whoever is visiting or working inside my birdhouse I had constructed railings surrounding the air well. The railings are made of mild steel pipes and are strong enough to prevent people from felling over.

Workers fixing railing on 2nd Floor

Railing on 3rd. Floor

Najib supporting the bird nest industry

Speech by Y.A.B Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the recent UMNO Convention


Inovasi lonjakkan ekonomi

YAB Presiden, Naib-naib Presiden, Ahli-ahli Majlis Tertinggi (MT), sidang perwakilan dan pemerhati sekalian.

Sukacita dirakamkan ucapan terima kasih kepada jurucakap-jurucakap yang telah membahaskan usul ekonomi semalam iaitu wakil daripada negeri Pahang, Perlis, Kelantan, Kedah, Wilayah Persekutuan dan wakil Wanita.

Ekonomi negara akan menghadapi laluan sukar pada tahun ini dan tahun depan. Ia berpunca daripada kejatuhan ekonomi Amerika Syarikat (AS) dan Eropah. World Trade Organisation (WTO) menjangkakan bahawa perdagangan dunia akan merosot sebanyak sembilan peratus, suatu penyusutan terbesar sejak Perang Dunia Kedua.

Justeru itu sebagai sebuah ekonomi yang terdedah kepada kesan ekonomi global dan pendedahan ini adalah kerana kejayaan kita selama ini mengembangkan perdagangan negara kita sehingga menjadi antara negara tertinggi di dunia dari segi perdagangan kita.

Namun sekiranya perdagangan kita merosot maka sudah tentu kesan dan tempiasnya akan dirasai ekonomi negara. Oleh itu untuk tahun ini kita menjangka bahawa pertumbuhan antara satu peratus negatif dan satu peratus positif mungkin akan menjadi kenyataan. Walau bagaimanapun kita akan akan menghadapi rempuhan tsunami ekonomi ini dengan langkah-langkah pemantapan melalui usaha-usaha mikro dan makro termasuk melaksanakan segera pakej-pakej rangsangan.

Bajet 2009 telah diumumkan oleh YAB Perdana Menteri berjumlah RM206 bilion, saya bagi pihak kerajaan telah umumkan Pakej Rangsangan Pertama berjumlah RM7 bilion dan Pakej Kedua pula RM60 bilion.

Pada tahun depan, kemungkinan kita akan peruntukan sejumlah RM200 bilion lagi. Ini bererti dalam tempoh dua tahun ini, sebanyak lebih kurang RM470 bilion akan dibelanjakan untuk menjana ekonomi negara dengan lebih baik lagi.

Walaupun begitu, keberkesanannya kepada ekonomi negara hanya akan menjadi kenyataan sekiranya ekonomi dunia pulih. Kita mungkin melalui projek rangsangan menambahkan pertumbuhan satu atau dua peratus dari segi KDNK tetapi untuk kembali kepada pertumbuhan enam atau tujuh peratus bergantung kepada ekonomi dunia.

Dalam pada itu saya ingin menegaskan bahawa atas keprihatinan kerajaan maka usaha akan diteruskan supaya rakyat akan mendapat perlindungan sebaik-baiknya. Kesejahteraan rakyat akan terus diutamakan oleh kerajaan pimpinan UMNO dan Barisan Nasional (BN).

Sebagai bukti jumlah subsidi pada tahun 2008 berjumlah RM34.1 bilion dan subsidi pada tahun ini untuk mengawal harga subsidi petrol, diesel, gas memasak, gandum, roti, gula, tepung, beras, buku teks, biasiswa, pendidikan, kesihatan, kebajikan dan tol lebuh raya berjumlah hampir RM28 bilion. Inilah contoh jelas bahawa dalam keadaan ekonomi dunia mengalami keadaan sukar tetapi kerajaan UMNO dan BN tetap akan memperjuangkan kepentingan rakyat.

Banyak telah diperkatakan tentang pakej rangsangan dan banyak yang hendak mengetahui tentang pelaksanaannya. Dan hampir semua yang bercakap telah mengingatkan kepada kerajaan bahawa yang penting adalah pelaksanaannya.

Untuk tujuan ini, sesuai dengan prinsip kerajaan yang telus. Maka, sukacita saya memaklumkan sebuah laman web khas akan dilancarkan dalam masa kira-kira dua minggu lagi untuk memberi segala maklumat dan butiran tentang pakej rangsangan pertama dan kedua.

Setakat ini, jumlah yang telah dibayar pada saat ini ialah sebanyak RM216 juta untuk 3,839 projek dan pada akhir bulan April ini dijangka RM1.5 bilion akan dibelanjakan untuk 10,000 projek dan pada akhir Mei ini RM5.2 bilion akan dibelanjakan untuk 38,000 projek.

Bila dilaksanakan, kebanyakan projek ini akan memberi faedah kepada kontraktor kelas F yang kebanyakannya penyokong UMNO dan BN.

Selain itu, saya ingin menyatakan tiga konsep yang akan menjadi pendekatan kerajaan selanjutnya. Yang Pertama, waktu Perdana Menteri mengemudikan kerajaan selama ini, beliau selalu menyebut tentang nilai tambah.

Saya hendak cuba gandingkan konsep Pak Lah dan satu lagi yang hendak saya utarakan di sini selain nilai tambah kita gandingkan dengan konsep nilai tinggi.

Nilai tambah kita semua faham, misalnya kalau kita mengeluarkan sesuatu hasilan dan ia diproses maka ianya boleh mendatangkan nilai tambah.

Tetapi konsep nilai tinggi ialah untuk mencari nilai tertentu yang boleh beri pendapatan lebih lumayan kepada pengusaha kita.

Sebagai contoh bidang pertanian, misalnya perusahaan burung walit atau bird’s nest merupakan satu projek nilai tinggi yang boleh diusahakan oleh pengusaha Melayu dan bumiputera kita.

Saya melihat banyak tanah terutama di Pantai Timur dan Barat yang boleh dijadikan sebagai tanah untuk diusahakan perusahaan bird’s nest ini.

Satu Lagi rumpai laut yang boleh diusahakan dan dieksport ke negara seperti Jepun. Satu lagi perusahaan ikan Arowana yang diusahakan oleh syarikat bumiputera hari ini sudahpun disenaraikan di Bursa Saham.

Saya tidak pasti tentang perusahaan kopi yang sebutkan perwakilan Perlis semalam. Kopi Jantan, Kopi Jagat, Kopi Kawe. Tapi yang sedapnya Kopi Kawe ini ada khasiatnya. “Dia bangun sebelum kita bangun”. Ada pula pemerhati sebut “dia bangun sebelum kita bangun” tetapi jangan pula “dia tidur sebelum kita tidur”.

Konsep kedua, iaitu konsep bahawa dua cabaran besar yang kita hadapi sekarang. Satu pulihkan kemelut ekonomi dan kedua buat persiapan untuk masa depan kita. Bererti kita mesti merumuskan satu hala tuju baru kerana apabila ekonomi dunia pulih nanti kita mempunyai daya saing yang kukuh di persada antarabangsa.

Begitulah kehebatan dan keadilan pentadbiran Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) yang senantiasa mementingkan kesejahteraan rakyat jelata.

Dunia bergerak dari satu fasa ke satu fasa, pada fasa industri kepada apa yang dikatakan knowledge base.

Hari ini orang sebut tentang ekonomi inovasi, bererti bahawa kalaulah kita nak maju nanti kita mesti mampu untuk membuat inovasi. Bagaimana kita nak buat inovasi ini? Inilah satu perkara yang saya akan huraikan nanti, bukan dalam persidangan ini.

Tetapi saya nak pastikan bahawa dalam sistem kita ini termasuk dalam sistem persekolahan, kita mesti mendidik, melatih rakyat Malaysia agar mampu berinovasi untuk melonjakkan ekonomi negara.

Yang ketiga saya nak tekankan betapa pentingnya kita membezakan antara produktiviti dan kreativiti. Contoh mudah produktiviti, kalau dulu kerja lapan jam kini kita kerja 10 jam, itu peningkatan produktiviti.

Tetapi kalaulah kita ada penyelesaian yang kreatif, kita boleh mencapai bukan sahaja peningkatan tetapi lonjakan berganda. Inilah yang saya harap kita akan dapat pendekatan pemikiran kreatif, ekonomi yang inovatif dan insya-Allah daya saing yang lebih tinggi.

Saya tidak lupa bahawa dalam keadaan kemelut ekonomi ini, mungkin agenda Melayu dalam soal ekonomi tidaklah begitu terserlah tetapi percayalah sidang perwakilan sekalian bahawa UMNO tidak lupa bahawa kita perlu memperkuatkan kedudukan orang-orang Melayu dalam bidang ekonomi dan agenda ini mesti kita teruskan.

Beberapa buah syarikat yang telah kita kenal pasti umpamanya, dalam sidang yang sama tahun sudah saya sebut tentang Skim Jejak Jaya Bumiputera. Walaupun syarikat tersebut mungkin tak dapat disenaraikan tahun ini tapi insyaAllah apabila sampai masa ekonomi pulih kita akan senaraikan lebih banyak syarikat-syarikat bumiputera di bursa saham.

Saya juga mengambil teguran daripada sidang perwakilan tentang peranan GLC yang dikatakan oleh seorang wakil bahawa ada ada seseorang yang duduk dalam 60 syarikat. Saya dah semak perkara ini dan ini tidak mungkin kerana disebabkan mengikut peraturan sekarang seorang hanya boleh menjawat 10 jawatan ahli lembaga pengarah dalam syarikat yang tersenarai dan 15 dalam syarikat sendirian berhad.

Kalau ada maklumat yang sebenar, kalau silap saya tolong beritahu. Saya tak akan benarkan sesiapa memegang jawatan begitu banyak sekali.

Saya juga mendengar harapan saudara sekalian tentang peranan GLC, kalau boleh lantiklah lebih ramai orang UMNO menduduki GLC.

Saudara sekalian, kita perlu menseimbangkan antara peranan GLC untuk mengaut ataupun membawa keuntungan. Apabila GLC untung dividen pulang balik kepada khazanah dan khazanah akan pulang kepada kerajaan.

Bila kerajaan ada dividen lebih, lebih besar lagi peruntukan pembangunan boleh disediakan untuk kesejahteraan rakyat.

Jadi kalau kita nak lantik orang UMNO, ia mesti di kalangan orang UMNO yang mampu memberi sumbangan dan tambahan nilai kepada syarikat-syarikat kerajaan. Mudah-mudahan dengan cara seperti ini kita akan dapat menjamin ekonomi negara kita lebih kukuh lagi, insya-Allah.

Perkara-perkara lain saya ambil maklum di sini, kerana sudah tentu yang lebih diminati ialah bab politik dan perkara-perkara berhubung peralihan kepimpinan. Jadi saya akan ada peluang mengulas perkara ini selepas ini.

Cukuplah setakat ini bab ekonomi, kita ambil perhatian. Yang penting kita bersatu padu dan memberi sokongan kepada kerajaan dalam usaha pemulihan ekonomi negara.

Terima kasih. Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahiwabarakatuh.

Source : Utusan Online 29.03.09

Saya melihat banyak tanah terutama di Pantai Timur dan Barat yang boleh dijadikan sebagai tanah untuk diusahakan perusahaan bird’s nest ini

Translation:

I saw alot of land especially in the East and West Coast that can be used to develop the bird's nest industry.

Swiftlet Fiesta

While going for lunch at one of the makan stall in town, saw swiftlets feasting on insects in the middle of the street after a heavy rain and I managed to capture the scene for readers to see. In Kuala Terengganu loa gondang trees lined some of the streets and after a heavy rain, small insects, not visible to the naked eye, will come out from hiding in the trees and the swiftlets will take the opportunity to feast on them and the scene shown in the video below is quite common.

Prototype of roving room

I decided to do a model of the roving room before it is constructed because I am afraid that my workers could not interpret my sketch. This roving room is different from my original design. Previously, I plan to use steel sheets as the materials for the roof and wall but I have now changed to ferro-cement. My idea is to make the roving room looks more natural like a hillock with entrance leading into a cave which is my birdhouse. Have a look at my model which is a prototype. I intend to patent this design if it is succesful with swiftlets. Hahaha!.

Perspective View - Shot from Front Right

Perspective View - Shot from Front Left

Front View

Side View