83000 batu pahat, johor

This is taken from TheStar Online at:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/9/26/southneast/2101619&sec=southneast 

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Friday September 26, 2008
Children with Down Syndrome captivate crowd with dances
Story and photos by YEE XIANG YUN
 

DOWN Syndrome or cerebral palsy did not deter a group of 70 performers from going on stage to show off their skills at a recent charity event in Johor Baru.

Some 1,800 guests were captivated by dances and sketches by the performers aged between three and 41 years from the Batu Pahat Early Intervention Society.

Among the night’s highlights were a Chinese fan dance and a fashion show of apparel made of recycled items.

Creative:Performers dancing in ‘mushroom skirts’ made from garbage bags.

However, the 30-minute Underwater World performance with three dances involving more than 50 students stole the show.

The organisation’s fund raising chairman Dr Lam Pan Nam said the performers put in a lot of effort in their act.

“They tried their best in the routine to repay the kindness of donors who faithfully support the centre.

Show stealer: Performers presenting Underwater World at the charity dinner organised by Batu Pahat Early Intervention Society in Johor Batu recently.

“I would like to thank the donors and the media for the continuous support,” he said in his speech at the fund-raising charity dinner.

Volunteer Teh Gek Boon expressed her amazement.

“It is remarkable for disabled children to show their skills in a major event,” she said.

Party mood: Dr Lam and guests celebrating at the start of the event.

The centre collected RM330,000 through the dinner.

Those interested in contributing can send cheques to:
13-A Jalan Penghulu Abdul Majid, 83000 Batu Pahat or call the centre at 07-435 2145.

Did you know that Batu Pahat has 3 of the major biscuits factories in Malaysia? Hup Seng, Hwa Tai and Munchy’s. They have done well and their products can be found all over the world. I have seen Hwa Tai’s biscuits in Asian grocery shops in Chinatown, Melbourne. (that was like 10 years ago when I was studying there).

I have seen biscuits with Japanese packaging and writing on one of the three brands mentioned above for overseas market too. I thought they were Japanese made until I saw Batu Pahat on the packaging! 

My current favourite is Munchy’s range of Lexus biscuits. Here’s an article about Munchy’s on last Saturday’s newspaper. You can read the original article at: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/20/business/2076821&sec=business

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Munchy’s does Malaysia proud
SUCCESSFUL MALAYSIAN BRANDS By RACHAEL KAM

THE popularity of MUNCHY’S has seen the Malaysian snack being munched in more than 50 countries around the world.

The business, run by five brothers, started with just a wafer stick machine in 1991.

Today, Munchy Food Industries Sdn Bhd has a monthly output of over 2,000 tonnes of biscuits and wafer products.

C.K. Tan at the company’s new HQ and marketing office in Klang.

“Munchy’s brand mission is to produce all kinds of fun-eating snacks for every home all over the world,” said chief executive officer C.K. Tan. “We are trying to use Malaysia as a base and build Munchy’s into a world brand, instead of seeing more foreign brands coming into our country.”

Tan and his brothers have gone through tough times in bringing up the brand, especially in 1996 when the local market was saturated with many other big brands.

“It took us about 10 years to grow Munchy’s into one of the top brands in Malaysia. Now our mission and vision in the next 10 years is to grow Munchy’s into a world brand,” Tan said.

“We will allocate more funds into marketing to grow each overseas market in a big way in the next 10 years.”

Tan, who foresaw the importance of branding after he joined the company in 1994, started a re-branding exercise in 2002.

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A newspaper clip from The Sunday Star. (21 September 2008)
Our Batu Pahat boy who was from Kampung Baru Peserai Lama. The article says he will be back for Raya. 

You can view the original article here: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/21/sundaymetro/1964690&sec=sundaymetro 

By GRACE CHEN

Sacrificing good food for his body building competition is made easier with his family around.

There are only two people in the world who can tell four-time Mr Universe, Sazali Samad, what to do.

The first is his wife, Hashrine Hashim whom he married in December 1996 and the second is his two-year-old daughter, Nur Sabrina Hani.

In solid form: Sazali will be competing in the World Amateur Championship in Bahrain this November.

An off day mostly sees this 41-year-old police sergeant at his PDRM quarters in Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur, padding about the comfy flat with little Hani in his heftily muscled arms. When the three older sons, aged between ten and four, have either gone down to play or are taking a nap, Sazali will settle down on the couch for a forty winks himself.

Speaking of children, Sazali would quip, “Life is never boring when you have four children. I am not saying it is easy, but it is certainly not boring”.

And here are some tips on how Sazali keeps his gang of four occupied.

“There is always the option of taking them to the shopping mall, provided there is a Chicken Rice Shop or a Sushi King outlet, because I have to watch my food.

Otherwise, it’s the movies and the latest I’ve taken them to was Kung Fu Panda,” said Sazali.

When there are longer breaks, it’s off to the beach and the family has just recently returned from Mersing where they had spent a few nights in a charming budget chalet.

To date, Sazali and Hashrine have taken the children to most of the beaches in the Peninsula.

“Beach holidays are the most ideal because I can get my sun tan then. One of our favourite spots would be Port Dickson near the polytechnic where Hashrine was studying for her secretarial diploma.

“This place brings back the most memories because I had met her at the Bukit Aman gym while I was training there and I would go all the way to Port Dickson to see her while we were courting,” revealed Sazali.

And beach days are never far away as Sazali is planning for another trip to Bali to watch his friend, Mr. Malaysia, Budah Ancah, compete in the Asian Beach Games in mid October.

“Many parents are awed when I tell them this but it is really not very difficult to handle four children at one go.

“Only Hani and Hishyamuddin, 4, need to be watched over because they are still young. My eldest, Syahmi, 10, and Hazim, 8, can basically look after themselves with minimal supervision,” insisted Sazali.

For someone who had grown up as the fourth child in a family of 11 siblings in Kampung Baru Peserai Lama in Batu Pahat, Johor, Sazali would find himself on familiar ground with his brood.

However, there was a time in 2006 when Sazali was sent on a training stint to the LA, United States and he had to leave his kids behind.

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Today’s post will have few words. 

Enjoy the Roti Jala making process. If you like it head towards the Ramadan Bazaar @ Pesta for the real thing.

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Can you guess what this is?

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