Penang Round the House Relay 2010 Results

Fellow runners, here are the official results of the relay from yesterday's event. I just posting the final result summary of all the category. A bit lazy to post the breakdown of every running members....Sorry for that. Congrats to all the runners and participants...

Click on the pictures to enlarge...

Button wins China F1

Hmm, what can I say... Again a very lucky Button, and again it's the tyre strategy that helps him to another win after a similar effort for the Australian GP.

DEFENDING Formula One champion Jenson Button delivered a perfectly judged drive in treacherous wet conditions to win Sunday's dramatic China Grand Prix ahead of his McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

The two Britons delivered their first one-two of the season in sumptuous style to prove that though the Red Bull team may have the fastest cars for qualifying, they retain great race performance.

Button's triumph was his second in four races this season and the ninth of his career and it lifted him clear at the top of this year's embryonic drivers' championship ahead of German Nico Rosberg.

But if Button demonstrated smooth style and great management of tyres, it was Hamilton who produced the thrills in a race punctuated by rain storms, accidents and two Safety Car periods.

Rosberg came home third for the new Mercedes team ahead of two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari. German Michael Schumacher, 41, making his comeback three seasons after retiring as a seven-times world champion, looked set to finish eighth, until the closing laps when he was passed by Webber and then Brazilian Felipe Massa, who took ninth for Ferrari. Schumacher was 10th eventually.


The two Red Bulls started from the front row of the grid, but lost their advantage almost immediately when, after Alonso had jumped the start, the first Safety Car call was followed by rain.

The leaders rushed to pit for intermediate wet-weather tyres but these were soon worn out and the changing conditions created chaos ahead of a second mid-race Safety Car period.


Button, having chosen not to rush for an early change of tyres, rose to second and then took the lead from Rosberg after 19 of the 56 laps and stayed there.

Button now leads the title race on 60 points ahead of Rosberg on 50 with Alonso and Hamilton equal third on 49.

AP

Musical Scenic Relaxing Parks in Penang ... Hooray !!!

PLANS are being worked out to introduce a musical programme at the Botanic Gardens and the Tropical Spice Garden in Penang to boost the state tourism.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said they were looking into a proposal and seeking the Malaysia Chinese Cultural Society to stage the ‘Music In the Park’ either weekly or fortnightly at the two venues.

The proposal is currently at a discussion stage.

“In places overseas, there are musical nights in their parks. Here, we can have quartets or sopranos singing.”

She said Penang needed such events to boost its tourism.

“It doesn’t mean huge events but just small ones in the little nooks and corners to give Penang talents a chance to show off,” she told reporters during her visit to the Tropical Spice Garden at Batu Ferringhi on Wednesday.

She said the ministry was promoting green eco-tourism to make Malaysian parks and gardens outstanding tourism products.

She said the 1.6ha Tropical Spice Garden was one of the unique gardens in the country as it blended into the existing surroundings.

“I’m a garden lover and no where in the world can you find a garden in the jungle. I’m glad to hear that it recorded 55,000 tourist visits last year. I believe there is potential for more,” she said.

She said the ministry was currently developing Malaysian parks and gardens as eco-tourism products.

“Penang is well positioned in this with its Botanic Gardens which is more man-made compared to the Tropical Spice Garden that is closer to nature,” she said.

Ng also said the gardens should be listed in the book ‘1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die’.

She also said Malaysia would participate in the Chelsea Flower Show in United Kingdom from May 25 to 29 and had commissioned renowned ethnobotanist James Wong to work on the garden.

TheStar

AirAsia X flying to Seoul at last :)

FINALLY !!!! Malaysian can look forward to cheaper airfare to Seoul, Korea...!!!

Luckily the constant complains by AirAsia people work, else I think we have to wait another year or so...

Long-haul budget carrier AirAsia X (5099) has received local approval to fly the Kuala Lumpur-Seoul route, AirAsia Bhd group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said.

"Just been given rights to Seoul. At last. Thank you, Prime Minister," Fernandes said on Twitter yesterday, confirming a Business Times report that the airline was tipped to receive the rights.

AirAsia X had been waiting for the approval for about a year, having submitted a request to operate daily flights.

Fernandes said the airline would now work to secure the Kuala Lumpur-Sydney rights."Not fair that people have to pay high fares," he tweeted from France.

AirAsia X has not decided yet when it will start its service to Seoul, AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani, who is also in France, told Business Times in a text response.

BTimes

Income Tax payment at PostOffice or PosOnline starting today

Hmm...it's now easier than ever paying your income tax....Man, they do come up with the best possible way for us to pay them, do they?

Starting Thursday, April 15, taxpayers can settle their dues with the Inland Revenue Board at any Pos Malaysia outlet and via its transaction portal PosOnline.

In a statement on Wednesday, Pos Malaysia said cash payments could be made at any of its 696 outlets in the country, while the online transactions would be carried out by debiting the customer’s personal bank account in selected banks or via MEPS CASH.

PPSB Ends 24-Hour Ferry Service starting 16th April 2010

Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) will stop its Friday to Saturday 24-hour ferry service between Penang and Butterworth beginning April 16.

PPSB in a statement here on Wednesday said the decision was taken following the 24-hour service no longer being profitable with the company accumulating losses of RM2.3 million thus far.

The company, however, said the Friday to Saturday service would continue to operate but follow the hours of the other days in the week.

At the island end (Raja Tun Uda jetty) the ferry hours are from 5.40am till 1am while at the opposite end (Sultan Abdul Halim jetty in Butterworth) it is from 5.20am till 12.40am.

If really not many users after the midnight, then I will support this move. Better save some resources than paying workers to sleep or do nothing, correct?

Bernama

Penang Earth Day Carnival : 17th and 18th April 2010

Public are invited to participate in the Penang Earth Day Carnival 2010 this Saturday and Sunday which will be held from 10am to 6pm on both days at Sunshine Square’s 4th floor banquet hall in Bayan Baru.

Themed ‘You Can Make a Difference’, the carnival is jointly organised by the assemblymen of Paya Terubong, Komtar, Tanjung Bungah and Pulau Tikus as well as Pertubuhan Sudarshan Kriya Pulau Pinang.

The activities will include a blood donation drive, vegetarian food fair, green creative competition, plant fair and a green concert.

Paya Terubong assemblyman Yeoh Soon Hin said they hoped to get at least 300 donors for the blood donation drive which would be held from 10am to 5.30pm on Sunday.

“Gifts will be given to the first 300 donors. Those interested can call Leong at 019-4490005, Soo Guan at 012-4941769 or Hor at 016-4226228 to register,” Yeoh said.

Sunshine Wholesaler Mart Sdn Bhd general manager Yee Kam Ming said there would also be free oral health talks and free oral health checks on both days for shoppers who would be entitled to RM2 rebate vouchers for participating.

Yee said a children’s camp would be held from 11am to 6pm on both days with a participation fee of RM20 per child aged between six and 13.

“We will be screening movies, educating the children on recycling and teaching them how to cope in emergencies. Those interested, can call 04-8901279 or 8992471,” he added.

Except for the children’s camp, admission for the other carnival activities is free. For details, visit the website www.enzymesos.com or e-mail to enzyme4u@gmail.com.

TheStar