Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: StreetsJohor

---

Flagging off Merdeka in 1Malaysia spirit Posted: 30 Aug 2011 11:27 PM PDT 2011/08/31 By Ahmad Fairuz Othman and Syed Umar Ariff Batu Pahat district officer Abdul Razak Hassan placing a 'Jalur Gemilang' on a car during the campaign at Dataran Penggaram, Batu Pahat. THE Jalur Gemilang flag is the most popular item adorning vehicles, government offices and commercial buildings in Johor over this month. This proves that the spirit of Merdeka is very much alive. People take pride in being part of a nation that has achieved much in its 54 years of independence. Such a display of patriotism is more significant in Johor. The Merdeka-month celebration in the state is touted to be among the most nostalgic in the country because Johor is the birthplace of Umno. The party was instrumental in attaining independence from Britain. This year, Merdeka Day coincides with two other major celebrations: Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the Mooncake Festival, thus signifying Malaysia's multiracial face. Parit Yaani assemblyman Datuk Ng See Tiong said the triple celebration was a good thing as it would "triple" the merriment among the people on this important date in the country's history. "Muslims nationwide are returning to their families to celebrate Hari Raya, while Chinese families are also holding family reunions to celebrate the Mooncake Festival. "These festivals are perfect opportunities to promote unity among the races in the spirit of Merdeka," said Ng. For Ng, Merdeka means remembering the contribution of the country's founding fathers. "I hope the younger generation appreciates the unity which exists among the people in Malaysia. This unity is an asset, and it is the main reason why other countries respect Malaysia." He said unity must be upheld for the sake of future generations. People from all walks of life gathered to celebrate the country's history and its struggles for the rakyat. Campaigns promoting the flying of the Jalur Gemilang have been held throughout this month. Tenggara MP Datuk Halimah Shadique said campaigns distributing flags to be fixed at homes and vehicles started more than two weeks ago in areas such as Bandar Tenggara and Taman Kota Jaya. Halimah said her team had organised the distribution of some 5,000 flags to commemorate Merdeka. "This Merdeka is special as Hari Raya coincides with it," she said. Halimah said people were excited about getting the flags. "I am so proud to see the patriotism of the people in my constituency," said Halimah. She said her team carried out the campaign early so that people would be ready to celebrate Merdeka and Hari Raya. State MIC chief Datuk K.S. Balakrishnan said many Hindu temples in the state would hold special prayers today to seek prosperity for the country. "MIC has also been distributing flags to its party members and members of the public to promote the month-long celebration. Balakrishnan, who is a former state executive councillor , said Malaysians should be proud of their tolerance towards one another regardless of race and religion. "It is a trait unique to Malaysia. Where else could one find people of different races sitting together to share a meal?" The Johor-level Merdeka celebrations will be held in Batu Pahat on Sept 10. This would be followed by district-level celebrations the following day

It's still brisk business todate Posted: 30 Aug 2011 11:22 PM PDT 2011/08/31 By Syed Umar Ariff SAADIAH Abdul Karim took a gamble when she decided to sell dates as her main product in Bandar Baru Uda. This is because dates are thought to be popular only during the fasting month. However, much to Saadiah's delight, dates are sought all year round. The 46-year-old, the owner of El Diya Enterprise which sells food products from the Middle East, said every day there would be people flocking to her store to buy packs of dates to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. "Many of our consumers nowadays know how nutritious dates are. So, many eat dates for health reasons," she said. Saadiah said before working at her Bandar Baru Uda store, she was running a kiosk selling dates at the Plaza Angsana shopping mall five years ago. But she had to relocate when she had ran out of space to keep her stocks. "The kiosk was too small and I couldn't house my supplies of dates anymore. So I shifted to my current store," she said, adding that although her shop had opened for barely a year, business is brisk. Among the dates sold at her shop are dried Egyptian and Iranian dates. The dates are priced from RM10 per kg to RM150 per kg. The most expensive dates are of the Aj-Jawa variety. "These dates are usually bought by corporate companies during Ramadan to be distributed for charity. Hotels also buy them for breaking of fast functions," said Saadiah. Other than selling dates, Saadiah also sells goat cheese, candies, coffee and chocolates. Saadiah also offers gift packaging services for business clients and functions. Many of her customers are Middle Eastern students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai. Her store is at Jalan Padi Emas 6/2.

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: StreetsJohor To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my