TEMASEK TIADA TELUR ITIK

WHY DUCKS EGGS ARE NOT SOLD IN SINGAPORE

Duck eggs were once used to cook familiar local favourites such as char kuay teow, carrot cake and oyster omelette. Owner of Hill Street char kuay teow, Mr Ng Chang Siang who had previously used duck eggs in his recipe says his customers prefer it as it has a richer taste and gives it a more ‘nian’ (sticky) texture.

But as prices of duck eggs became more expensive and supply turned scarce, he like many of his peers, resorted to cheaper chicken eggs over the years.

The reason for this price difference, says Mr Ong Siew Pang, former Chairman of the Kheng Keow Coffee Merchants Restaurant & Bar-Owners Association, dates back to the eggs’ origin around the 60s. Mr Ong explains that in the past, most fresh duck eggs were imported from Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, there was a shortage of duck eggs which then led to a price hike. As a result, many hawkers that were originally using fresh duck eggs in their recipe substituted them with chicken eggs.

Another reason for its unavailability here is because no approval has been granted to any supplier for the import and sale of fresh duck eggs in Singapore, according to egg supplier Mr Tan Kian Soon of Go Market. Mr Tan says the sale of fresh duck eggs in Singapore had already ceased way before he entered the business around 13 years ago.

When asked why, the Àgri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) replied that they “have not received any applications to export fresh duck eggs to Singapore”. AVA is the government body that regulates the import of food and has strict criteria for hygiene, and safety. All meat, meat products, eggs and egg products to be imported into Singapore have to come from sources approved by them.

Mr William Ho, owner of the Farmart Centre thinks that the reason why fresh duck eggs cannot be found in Singapore might be due to avian flu. He elaborates that duck farming requires both wet and dry lands for breeding. He thinks that this makes them more susceptible to water and air borne diseases and as well as avian flu. This makes it an uphill task for duck egg farms to get accredited.

“In open-duck farming, wild birds that may carry avian flu virus can come into contact with the farmed ducks. When this happens, the farm ducks will also contract the virus,” says Associate Professor Vincent Chow from the Department of Microbiology, National University of Singapore. There are two different kinds of duck farming: open duck farming (not enclosed) and closed system duck farming with proper biosecurity (enclosed, without contact with outside birds).

Prof Vincent adds that in general, ducks reared via the open-duck farming system are more susceptible to avian flu as compared to their close-farmed duck counterparts. Chicken egg farm is an example of closed system farming. However, he also says that once the ducks are infected with the influenza virus, they will fall very sick easily and eventually die. Hence, the chances of them producing the eventual diseased eggs are very low.

Yet there are no suppliers applying to be accredited with AVA as duck egg suppliers.

 Joanna Yeo & Sheere Ng

The Real Singapore

BOLEH UBAH DAN DATEH, DATAY, DAKPAN DAN DOPAN

gambar hiasan mata sahaja :

Ada siapa siapa ingat masa kita kecil-kecil dulu, yaitu tahun-tahun 70an dan 80an juga 90an akan memoriam masa pi mengaji Jahama (Juz 'Amma) atau Muqaddam dan juga mengaji Al-Quran?  Selain daripada main aci ligan seperti main tuju kasut, main police sentry, main aci sembunyi sehingga benar-benar disorok jin nakal atau pun main guli atau mata kucing?  Ada tak satu kalimat yang sangat membezakan darjat kita dengan kawan-kawan semasa mengaji?

Sebelum itu, suka jua aku perturunkan bagaimana guru-guru dulu mengajaq kami kenal huruf Al-Quran.  Berikut dipetik dari FB kawan aku hhheehe :

"Alif Dateh Aaa, Alif Bawah Eee, Alif Dopan Uuu..Aaa Eee Uuu..."

Bila jam tok guru panggil untuk checking baca ok ke tak, jam tu la yang paling leceh.  Ibarat amalan manusia penentu untuk meintas titian Sirat, ada kawan-kawan yang sekali jalan saja terus lancaq.  Ada yang kena ulang sampai tok guru bangun pi basuh muka.  Punya la benak ati ahahaha.  Gitulah manusia, ada yang mudah belajaq, ada yang payah boleh dan ada yang buat payah segala hal.

Bila kita dah tamat sesi depan tok guru, balik masok detail, mula la kawan2 kiri kanan tanya ;

" Hang BOLEH UBAH dak? "


Ok, aku nak tambah sedikit pasal "Alif Dateh Aaa, Alif Bawah Eee, Alif Dopan Uuu..Aaa Eee Uuu..."

Dari mana gamoknye datang kalimat 'Dateh' ni.  Ini kalimat ini tiada diejakan sebelum ini. Hanya tradisi lisan zaman berzaman.  Nyata sebutan di atas tu dari kawasan Negeri Sembilan dan sekitar. 'Dopan' tu mengesahkanlah heheh.

Kalau kawasan utara khususnya Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang ada beza sikit nyebut kalimat ini :

"Alif Datay Aaa, Alif Bawah Eee, Alif Dakpan Uuu..Aaa Eee Uuu..."

Mudah cerita, bahawa ada sumber menyatakan ulama-ulama besar dari Pagar Ruyung yang membawa kaedah mengaji muqaddam ke Tanah Melayu.  akibat dari lidah Minangkabau yang tebal, maka penerimaan sebutan kalimat ini diterima secara tanpa bicara di kawasan Tanah Melayu selepas itu.  Namun, ada perubahan minor bergantung kepada daerah penutur.  Itu yang bunyi lain sikit di utara Tanah Melayu.

Nak mudah gini : 

Di Atas / Di Ataih (U) / Dateh (N) -asal 'Di Ateh'  / Datay (U - gaya laju heheh)

Di Hadapan / Depan / Dopan (N) / Dakpan (U )

Di Bawah - semua sama 

(N) - loghat Negeri Sembilan

Tempat lain lagu mana? Tak sempat nak beresearch sakan.  Just to share. 

Buku : Biografi Tokoh Rao

Kepada penggemar kisah sektoral manusia yang berbilang suku bangsa, boleh la membeli keluaran terbaru tulisan Zabidin Haji Ismail yang membincangkan sumbangan tokoh-tokoh suku Rao/Rawa di Malaysia.  Boleh didapatkan terus dari penulis pada masa ini.  Haaa kiranya special la sebab direct from the writer.

RM30 sahaja. Ilmu jangan disimpan. Nilai jangan dikira.

Berikut sedikit sinopsis buku ini :

Etnik Rao (Rawa) merupakan salah satu suku Melayu yang telah banyak menyumbangkan jasa dan kepakaran mereka kepada tamadun negara.  Etnik ini mula berhijrah dari Sumatera Barat, Indonesia ke negara ini semenjak kurun ke-5 Masihi kerana merantau dan berdagang. Tetapi apabila berlaku Perang Paderi 1816-1833 di Rao, ramai penduduknya melarikan diri ke Tanah Melayu kerana tidak tahan menghadapi keperitan hidup di bawah pemerintahan penjajah Belanda. Apatah lagi Rao jatuh ke tangan Belanda, pejuang dan pendekar perangnya diburu dan diseksa menyebabkan mereka meninggalkan tanah Rao mencari tempat perlindungan termasuk ke Tanah Melayu. Di Malaysia, diaspora Rao terdapat di beberapa tempat tertentu seperti di Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Pulau Pinang, Kedah, Terengganu dan Johor. Justeru penulisan buku Biografi Tokoh Rao: Sumbangan dan Jasa Terhadap Pembangunan Malaysia merakamkan biografi ringkas yang meliputi ketokohan, sumbangan serta peranan yang dimainkan oleh 33 personaliti etnik ini dalam mengangkat tamadun sebuah negara bangsa. Hakikatnya, buku ini adalah sebuah dokumentasi penting kepada pengkaji yang ingin mengenali lebih dekat terhadap peranan dan sumbangan etnik Rao di Malaysia.

To my Comrades.

17 September 2012 | last updated at 12:13AM

PTD drowns during training

By T.N.Alagesh 1 comments

BITTER ENDING. Training programme for future diplomatic and administrative officer turns into a tragedy.

PEKAN: A 35-year-old diplomatic and administrative officer (PTD) trainee drowned during a water confidence training at the Force 136 Camp of the Territorial Army Regiment 505 at Sungai Miang here yesterday afternoon.

  Aidy Hasni Abu Hassan, from Kuala Lumpur was attempting to cross a irrigation canal using a rope about 2.30pm when he suddenly lost his grip and submerged into the water which was about six metres deep.

Read more: PTD drowns during training - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/ptd-drowns-during-training-1.144534##ixzz26pdJpVyE




Point to ponder from my ' once in the blue moon' guest writer. Terima kasih kerana benarkan tertulis di sini. Thank you Kapten Malaysia!!!

To my Comrades

by Ridzuan Kushairi on Tuesday, 18 September 2012 at 13:41 ·

In certain parts of the world, the civil service is defined as the administrators in the executive body of a country. In Malaysia, as in Arcticle 132 of the Constitution defines the executive body consisting of the judiciary, administrators, teachers, police, public health personnel (to a certain extent) and armed forces to name a few major groups. This is just a background story.

In light of the recent death of Aldy Hasni Abu Hasan as a result of drowning during a training exercise, focus has been brought upon the civil service and its training methods. Studies have found that burial processions are supposed to be more for psychological reasons than religious. It is a procession where family and friends say farewell to the departed, to pay their last respects and to bring some form of closure to the loved ones.

However, the psychological effect only applies to the "natural and timely" deaths. In the case of Aldy Hasni, his drowning was an untimely and sudden death. As in all untimely and sudden deaths, it brings about more questions than answers could provide. There is anger, there is shock, there is disbelief. Everyone tries to make sense of what happened. There are many diverse reactions - there are those wanting to know why it happened, how it happened, whom to blame. This is a natural course of reactions as human try to bring closure to such tragic events and we cannot avoid such reactions. 

As to why it happened. I believe that people accepts that it is God's will and the natural order of life. There are no two ways about it. We live and we die. The only difference is time - when do we leave this world.

As to how can this happen during a training exercise. This is for investigators to perform their duties and provide information.

As to whom is to blame. I personally never liked this question as i believe everyone is to be blamed. So i will not go there.

The other question and probably my point to this whole thing is the question of why should Malaysia's administrative corp require forms of military exercise. It is ludicrous to the common sense doesnt it. Malaysia is a blessed peaceful and properous nation. This is the argument that i read and found very common in the newspapers, blogs and social media. 

To answer this, one point has to be made very clear - no one in their right psychological mind wants another person to die. On to the point, one has to take into account that the job scope of administrators is to administer the government machinery regardless of time. This means that the government has to function whether there is rain or shine, peace or war. This means that whatever time of day or night, there must be a functioning government. There must be security, there must be schools, there must be health care, there must be public infrastructure etc. Even in war torn countries with despot leaders there is a functioning government that runs all these services. The administrators must be prepared for all eventualities. For example, The National Security Council (MKN) has ruling 20, 21 for emergency situations for natural disasters like flood, famine etc. The ones that coordinates are the administrators and they have the power to administer. The administrators are provided legal power during an emergency or natural disaster. The administrators must be in the middle of the situation providing administrative leadership. In times of war, when all shops closes down, when people are asked to stay in their homes..army/police trucks will bring adminsitrators to their offices to do their jobs. Just because Malaysia is peaceful and prosperous, does not mean that administrators should not prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Training with the army, police and fire brigade allows the administrator a practical insight into what the army, police and fire brigade does. The familiarisation of these services would enhance the administrators decision making in an emergency. Hence, the need for some form of military training. Btw, for those who knows me, do i really look like Captain Malaysia? So dont be worried that Malaysia's administrators being war mongers and trained to be one. I dont look like one. We are just trained to be familiarised with certain aspects of security for the purpose of being prepared during an emergency.

The points that i make should not take away that a life has been lost and that we should make a point to learn from the lessons of Aldy Hasni's untimely death. I wish his family well, i hope that his family is taken care of, and i hope that some form of counselling in provided to the other trainees who are affected by his death from Unit Psikologi dan Kaunseling JPA.