As most people would have already known, we flew back to M'sia on 12th night via Air Asia. The journey certainly didn't start off very well.
On our way to airport, we thought we were going to be late as we only left my place in Box Hill around 10.30pm. As we had to park in the long term parking, we didn't give allowance to wait for the bus to pick us up.
Luckily, driving right at the speed limit, we made it to the airport check in counter around 11.10pm. And thankfully for web check ins, we actually managed to jump the queues!
Anyway, after proceeding through immigration, my dear wife was thinking about buying gifts, magz, etc that she left our DSLR camera at security check! Luckily i asked her for it as i wanted to take some photos, otherwise we would need to buy a new one again!
Now comes the real nightmare of 'em all. The entry denied, the detention and the deportation.
As I cleared my immigration checkpoint in LCCT easily, my wife on the 'foreign passport' counter is still waiting for a stamp on her passport.
After a few minutes, the officer went away to speak to her manager. This is usually normal as her crap passport couldn't get her smoothly anywhere except East M'sia and Singapore!
This time, she was asked into the immgration office. This reminded me of the incident in Incheon, South Korea.
She was refused entry because she needs a visa to enter West M'sia and we never knew that previously. So we tried to negotiate our way through but the respond we got is 'hantar balik Melbourne'.
This sucks, we just spent 8 crappy hours on Air Asia X and we're not going to like another 8 hours of torture. We asked them whether we could call any embassy for help or internet to get information but all requests were denied.
They asked me to find ways myself to sort this out. Anyway, cut story short, i contacted my parents, my cousin, and friend in M'sia for help & most importantly prayer. We, well at least myself, just kept cool and remind YL to pray for way out.
After a while, the immi officers found out that YL is my wife and i'm a pure m'sian, they started to soften their hearts and try to look for ways to help us through this tiring ordeal.
In the end, they came up with the idea of deportation to Brunei as YL is a Bru PR. We were glad not to return to Melb again so stuff it, we're buying the ticket to Bru. They also provided both of us with lunch (other detainees don't get them), we were able to sit freely in their compound (others were confined into tiny room) and I can walk through security points without a pass! Haha!
However, costs us about RM860 for the ticket....OUCH! Not to mentioned about RM 450 worth of tickets not used (kl-miri, miri-lbg). It's no longer cheap, might as well fly with SIA or MAS. Better service and comfort!
We were at LCCT from 7am, we only left around 6.30pm. From it all started, we were on this experience for over 26 hours!
Nonetheless, we arrived safely to Brunei yesterday. Will be looking to see if the M'sian embassy is open today to get visa for our return ticket. Then heading back to Lbg in the afternoon.
HBK signing off from Brunei :p
Monday, August 17, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
My Last Session
This is it! My last badminton session in Melbourne...for the month of August :P
Need to play super hard tonight! Hopefully will be a fun night!
Hopefully get the chance to play in Limbang or Miri as well! Perhaps can try Uncle Kuek's indoor court! He He!!
Then I'll be off to M'sia for 2.5 weeks starting Wednesday night!
Watch this space for update & photos!
Need to play super hard tonight! Hopefully will be a fun night!
Hopefully get the chance to play in Limbang or Miri as well! Perhaps can try Uncle Kuek's indoor court! He He!!
Then I'll be off to M'sia for 2.5 weeks starting Wednesday night!
Watch this space for update & photos!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Roads To Recovery
With all the doom and gloom behind us, perhaps it's time to start paving the roads to recovery. Or is it really behind us yet? Hearing still quite lots of negative sentiments floating in the air. Confidence, satisfaction and efficiency level still at its' lowest ever since the beginning.
We have heard of talks of the first month, first 100 days or now nearing first 6 months and how things are progressing or should I say downgrading? It's fine and totally acceptable for the first 6 months on how things are doing. It's totally within expectations. No problem with that.
However, post 6 months period, no excuses are going to be accepted if we're still standing at where we were 6 months ago or worse off. Everyone must be accountable to God, be accountable to each others and be accountable to the community.
The privilege God has given us to be in the City of Melbourne is not to be taken for granted for. We were in the heart of the City during our golden days, now we're at a small corner of the City struggling to make our presence felt.
It's the time of the year to group our people ranging from the rich to the poor, from the smart to the not so smart, from the older groups to the younger groups. However, we don't need dogs and cats. We people who are willing to surrender themselves to God, who are willing to make sacrifices and who are teachable and obedient to God's Words.
It'll costs a lot of your personal private times, your hard earned money, your stomach and your mental state.
Roads of recovery needs to start with the people.
People need to adjust their current lifestyle.
It doesn't matter whether we only have 3 people who are willing to step up and offer themselves as living sacrifice because 10 people, we can change the world. 3 people we can change the church!
Other things we need to look into at this stage are Small group ministry, Mission & evangelism, and social concerns. Those should be the core ministries after rebuilding.
$11,000 deficit? I don't see it last very long if we're able to get on the road quick enough!
We have heard of talks of the first month, first 100 days or now nearing first 6 months and how things are progressing or should I say downgrading? It's fine and totally acceptable for the first 6 months on how things are doing. It's totally within expectations. No problem with that.
However, post 6 months period, no excuses are going to be accepted if we're still standing at where we were 6 months ago or worse off. Everyone must be accountable to God, be accountable to each others and be accountable to the community.
The privilege God has given us to be in the City of Melbourne is not to be taken for granted for. We were in the heart of the City during our golden days, now we're at a small corner of the City struggling to make our presence felt.
It's the time of the year to group our people ranging from the rich to the poor, from the smart to the not so smart, from the older groups to the younger groups. However, we don't need dogs and cats. We people who are willing to surrender themselves to God, who are willing to make sacrifices and who are teachable and obedient to God's Words.
It'll costs a lot of your personal private times, your hard earned money, your stomach and your mental state.
Roads of recovery needs to start with the people.
People need to adjust their current lifestyle.
It doesn't matter whether we only have 3 people who are willing to step up and offer themselves as living sacrifice because 10 people, we can change the world. 3 people we can change the church!
Other things we need to look into at this stage are Small group ministry, Mission & evangelism, and social concerns. Those should be the core ministries after rebuilding.
$11,000 deficit? I don't see it last very long if we're able to get on the road quick enough!
Filter Filth
Again, another controversy from the Malaysian Govt by proposing an Internet filter system to filter "undesirable websites.
Apparently, either they're ignorant or too optimistic, the filter system will NEVER work. Try look at Australia? Google the news.
First, the Internet is just too big. It's not like a piece of ball where you can easily cover it by a piece of cloth! Unless they're going to be blocking websites by countries in general? Having said that, it'll be blocking ANY websites, good or bad, which is of course stupid in its own.
Second, it's not viable. IF they are really the world smartest programmers and manage to block their undesired websites, imagine the costs of building the filter? Building a filter for the water is cheap and easy because you can see the source and filter from it. However, Internet has multiple sources like the number of sands on the beach! Try filtering that! The whole world will go broke before we can even filter 10%!
Third, it'll slow down the Internet. Filters means layers. The more layers the connection has to go through means an extra millisecond or tenths of a second gone per layer. It's not going to make a hell of a difference to Malaysia as its' broadband is like a tortoise anyway! Perhaps that's what the Govt wants to do? Get people away from the Internet so people can't get any news of the opposition parties?
Fourth, Communism in a democratic country. Censorship, Govt approved websites only, cover ups, etc are acts of a communist country or a dictator! It'll drive people to be a lot angrier with the Govt, drive investors away and create more harm than good.
However, BN's concern is to dumb the people, not just numb the people. They only want a nation of slaves submitting to themselves, feeding us with candies whenever opposition arises!
Enough is enough! It's time for a change!
Apparently, either they're ignorant or too optimistic, the filter system will NEVER work. Try look at Australia? Google the news.
First, the Internet is just too big. It's not like a piece of ball where you can easily cover it by a piece of cloth! Unless they're going to be blocking websites by countries in general? Having said that, it'll be blocking ANY websites, good or bad, which is of course stupid in its own.
Second, it's not viable. IF they are really the world smartest programmers and manage to block their undesired websites, imagine the costs of building the filter? Building a filter for the water is cheap and easy because you can see the source and filter from it. However, Internet has multiple sources like the number of sands on the beach! Try filtering that! The whole world will go broke before we can even filter 10%!
Third, it'll slow down the Internet. Filters means layers. The more layers the connection has to go through means an extra millisecond or tenths of a second gone per layer. It's not going to make a hell of a difference to Malaysia as its' broadband is like a tortoise anyway! Perhaps that's what the Govt wants to do? Get people away from the Internet so people can't get any news of the opposition parties?
Fourth, Communism in a democratic country. Censorship, Govt approved websites only, cover ups, etc are acts of a communist country or a dictator! It'll drive people to be a lot angrier with the Govt, drive investors away and create more harm than good.
However, BN's concern is to dumb the people, not just numb the people. They only want a nation of slaves submitting to themselves, feeding us with candies whenever opposition arises!
Enough is enough! It's time for a change!
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