Disclaimer: I do not condone smoking nor promoting the use of tobacco. I’m a non-smoker and this post is purely for educational and factual purposes. Kids, if you’re under 18, please go to my DOTA page, instead.

Zhong Nan Hai is the new type of cigarettes out in the market here in Bintulu. Before this, there’s Parkway. They’re readily available in most kopitiams, but you’ve to ask for it. It’s not sold directly off the shelf of kopitiams. As these ciggies are not taxed, one pack of those only costs RM2. TWO Freaking Ringgit Malaysia!! When I say it’s not taxed, you pretty much get meaning don’t you?

There’s a huge demand for this kinda cheap cigarettes as the tax for ciggies had virtually triple-stacked itself over the last few years. Take Dunhill for example, a pack of 20s costs RM5.50 two years ago, but it’s now RM8.90! A massive RM4.40 difference there. For an ordinary person, that’s the cost of a meal there.

One thing I like about it is its 8mg hologram. Bring out the classy side of the whole packaging.

Likewise, they’re all Made in People’s Republic of China. To be exact, their factory is in Beijing.

This is how the ciggies look like. Very light, and cool cause it’s menthol.

As usual, the Warnings and Amaran, No sales to person under 18, yada yada yada, Merokok Membahayakan Kesihatan (Smoking poses health risks).

The importer even showed their name on the packaging!! Every Zhong Nan Hai’s in Malaysia are distributed off from this little town of Bintulu, and thanks to the importer, there’s a cheaper alternatives for the Bintulu and the rest of the Sarawakian smokers.

Final words, Smoking Kills. Do not Smoke. Kthxbye.

I heard from the Bintulu folks that the 888 Bak Kut Teh at ParkCity Commercial centre serves the best bak kut teh in town, and I went…

OH REALLAY? Well, let’s find out.

Bak Kut Teh RM5.50/person. 50 cents for additional rice. Very affordable for the masses.

2 pots of bak kut teh, a plater of vege, and yao zha guai to go with the rice. That’s our lunch for the day. Hungry yet?

The bak kut teh, with all the goodies, 3-layer pork, pork ribs, and the aromatic herbal soup. Although they could do better by serving larger portion of the soup.

Unlimited supply of Minced garlic. Something that shouldn’t be compromised when eating bak gut teh. I found out that there are some bak gut teh restaurants that are really stingy and gives you little of those and they only give more when you ask for it. Very inconvenient.

The Yao Zha Guai (Fried dough, oily). 50 cents per plate. No pun intended. If you’re looking for 50 Cent - the rapper, please go to www.50cent.com

Ya Really!!

I would say 888 serves the best bak kut teh in Bintulu, among the others which I’ve actually tasted. Though I’m not gonna compare them with Klang’s bak kut teh, where it all comes from, coz I think it would be an understatement to 888.

This is an O RLY™ moment brought to you by Alexallied.com

After so many repeated meals at the same old restaurants in the boring town of Bintulu, the only few place left un-tasted is the Palm Garden Snack House at Park City Commercial Centre.

This is the premise. It’s dark I know but at least you get to see the sign board.

This is their entrance door from inside.

I did not expect it to look like this when I first stepped into the snack house.

Fuah, fully air-conditioned with a widescreen flat planel TV showing Detective Conan, the cartoon show! The TV’s Not big enough, but better than nothing right? There’s uncles sitting on the bar drinking beer.

Got pool table also!

Anyway, I was darn hungry after work, so forget about all those entertainments and get something to fill up my stomach. The cook, who happens to be one of my customers, is nice enough to serve us personally. He recommended a couple of dishes that he consider is the best in the shop. I couldn’t care much ‘coz I’m so hungry I can eat anything!

Braised beef rice with kimchi. Loved their kimchi!

Kimchi Mee with Seafood soup. Generous bits of fish meat and prawns.

The meal cost about RM18+, which I think is reasonable for their standard. Would definitely come again!

By the way, take a look at my new Flickr photo album with 1,000 photos!

Presenting another wise project brought to you by the Government of Malaysia. This is how the IKBN (Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara or National Youth Skills Institutes) in Miri, Sarawak looks like, sitting on a piece of land measuring a total of 59-acres. For more photos of their facilities and compound , check out their website here. I’m sure you’ll be amazed of how well-built and equipped IKBN is, despite that fact that their student population is only the amount of most kindergarten in the city (100 more or less). Sad, but true.

Long long time ago, I’ve actually overheard some reliable information from dependable insiders on how these corrupted institution worked out a way with the contractors to mutually generate dirty profits. Now since The Star had dug out the news, I’m willing to add some details to supplement the news.

The whole conspiracy, which isn’t anymore now thanks to The Star, goes like this. The government/IKBN requires their supplier/contractors to be a Bumiputera-owned/shared company. Here’s an example of racial inequality, but that’s another issue and I’m not gonna discuss that for now.

IKBN is an technical institute and they require massive amount of tools and equipments to educate their students.

Those pengarah-pengarah (directors) from IKBN would first acquire quotations from various local companies, which will then become their contractors if the “price” is right. Price here, refers not to the price of the product, but the split of the pie in between the contractor and the directors.

But how do they make money?

Method 1: Just like how The Star reveals, selling a set of RM40 Stanley screwdrivers for RM224.

Stanley Tools. Market price (strikethrough-ed) and the price IKBN paid to the contractor.*

But how could that amount be possibly approved by the finance department up in the Youth and Sports Ministry? Well, maybe they had a bite of the pie perhaps? or they’re just a bunch of ignorant who’ll just approve everything, cause it’s not their money anyway! It’s OUR money.

This method had its risk as all of you can see, it’s up in the news with all the figures already.

Method 2: This is what I’ve heard, and exclusively told on Alexallied.com.

IKBN and contractors worked out a quotation together. IKBN directors approve the order and contractors will do their job.

In the quotation, say, IKBN orders 10 bucket of brand XXX paint, but only 5 buckets of paint are actually received by IKBN. The rest goes into the deep pockets of both parties. Now who in the Institute of Kemahiran Belia of the Negara would actually care or check on the quantities of the items that are actually received when there are almost 100 other tiny items in the whole order? No.

Will the Minister come and check the quantities every month? No. That’s how the government works.

According to the report, consultants for the Youth and Sports Ministry had reached an estimated price tag of RM399.67mil for the equipment for the IKBN project which later ballooned to RM767.98mil after two appeals by the ministry for additional allocations.

- The Star

All they do is appeal for more money, and the Ministry will feed their needs.

Difference between Method 1 (as told in The Star) and Method 2 is the the quotation price. Method 1 reaps money off by price margin while Method 2 does it by reaping its quantities, which one is smarter?

When we see the price tag of those screwdrivers, it’s VERY obvious who’s cheating. But, who’ll actually see the quantity received by IKBN? I don’t think anyone except the the pie-eater would notice that. Now that’s smart.

Nevermind those auditors who spotted the ridiculous price tag, but we as a homemaker knows the usual price of a set of screwdriver won’t cost so much as RM224! By the way, Malaysia very rich meh? Need to buy screwdrivers that are Made in the USA? Made in China one cannot use? You tax-payers, that’s one of your Stanley screwdrivers in there, go claim it now from IKBN!!!

When there’s time a student from an average family couldn’t afford text-books, and appeals for subsidies and text-book borrowing schemes rejected, there’s someone from the other part of the world enjoying books that are worth almost a new Perodua Viva. Who knows how many times will the pages of the RM10k books be flipped?*

Landscaping vases. RM42.80/set. Fualamak, if only I knew these vases can sell at that price, I early early go open factory and manufacture those lahhhh!!*

There’s more!

Among these were technical books consisting 10 titles that had a price tag of RM10,700 and a 3.1 megapixel digital camera that was bought for RM8,254.

- The Star

WTFBBQ! I can buy a couple of Nikon D3 D-SLR camera with that kind of money! Did I mention that it’s 12.1 megapixel too? RM8,254 for a 3.1 point and shoot digital camera? Pui!

By the way, I just finish farting, excuse me please.

Related posts on other blogs:
Screw you, Youth and Sports Ministry! - Chanlilian.net
RM224 for a set of four SCREWDRIVERS? - Sheenapuna.blogspot.com
Purchasing Scam - Activeknights.org
Goreng Pisang RM30 Seketul - Rojaks.blogspot.com
* - photos by The Star.