Update 2 November 2011

Moments before the collision, the train driver frantically blared his horn non-stop. At the point of impact, passengers were thrown from their seats and chaos ensued as fumes started to enter the carriages. Some passengers were reported to have said that the explosion happened almost about the same time as the crash.

That victims only suffered minor fractures was described as a miracle. Earlier rumours floating about said that many had died.

More:
- The state government has ordered a full investigation into the incident.
- There are 70 illegal railway crossings, but there are no warning signs saying so
- The 134km Kota Kinabalu-Tenom railway line upgrade, which started in November 2005 and completed in February 2011 cost RM334 million, and could’ve included the cost to resolve the crossing issue.
- Ever since the railway services re-opened, there had been a few minor accidents at the crossings.

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31 October 2011

I was driving home today around 5.45pm when I saw a thick, black column of smoke in the distance. That could only mean one thing – something big is burning.

That turned out to be what State Railways General Manager, Hj Mohd Zain Hj Mohd Said, was quoted to have said: the worst accident in the history of Sabah Railways, even worse than the Padas River train plunge of 9th April 2008.

It had only restarted its services in February.

[Photo credit: The Star]

Newsreports reported that at least 12 have been seriously injured, when a tanker laden with 27,000 litres of petrol, which was being driven through what has been described as an illegal crossing in order to deliver fuel to a Shell gas station, was rammed by a 4-carriage train with 200 commuters which had just left the Secretariat (Wisma Kewangan).

The impact caused the front carriage to be derailed, while the second carriage landed on top of the tanker, causing a huge explosion. Amazingly, the 41-year old driver of the tanker survived.

By 11pm, at least 4 different videos have been uploaded to youtube.

This could be the first ever video taken after the impact: taken by someone who drove past around 5.20pm

The following must have been taken a few moments later, when the petrol trail caught fire

TV3′s footage

The following must have been taken after the firemen arrived. What happened to the fuel tank – completely disintegrated?

Source
The Star

Popularity: 1% [?]

On 15th September 2011, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in his Malaysia Day speech, announced that several draconian laws including the ISA are to be repealed under major civil liberty reforms.

So you could guess what would be the country’s newspaper headlines the next day.

Sabah’s top newspaper, Daily Express, also got in the act, but perhaps it could have made its intentions a little clearer, for the following could also mean “the ISA will not only be NOT abolished but in addition, will be used on everybody”!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Spotted the following recently at Golden Valley Restaurant, Kepayan Ridge:

Well I suppose never mind lah, as long as not the other thing with “1″ in front :-)

Popularity: 1% [?]

Bernama reported on 15th October 2011 that the Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah, 83 will be the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) for 5 years starting 13th December 2011.

Hence, he becomes the only ruler in history to be Malaysia’s King for more than once.

He was King from 21st September 1970 to 20th September 1975.

He will succeed Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, the Sultan of Terengganu.

Sultan Abdul Halim (born 1927), who became Sultan of Kedah on 14th July 1958 attended Wadham College, Oxford for his social science and public admin bachelor’s degree.

Then

and more recently

Popularity: 1% [?]

Dubbed “The world’s toughest mountain race”, runners run up and down the mountain, a total distance of 21 km. Starting 2012, runners will follow a new route which is longer by 2km and the event will be known as Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon: Adventure Series.

Record: Marco De Gasperi (Italy), 2010: 2:33.56. Time to summit: 1:35.29

2011 (22-23 October)
Men’s Open
1 Kílian Jornet Burgada (Spain), 23: 2:37.04
Note: prizemoney: USD4,500. He’d won the Climbathon twice before in 2007 and 2009.

2 Marco De Gasperi (Italy), 2:37:48
Note: De Gasperi first to reach the summit, clocking 1:37.49

3 Luis Alberto Hernando (Spain), 2:42.36

Best local performance: Safrey Sumping who finished 6th. He finished 5th in 2010.

Women’s Open
1 Danny Kuilin Gongot (Sabah/Malaysia), 44: 3:41.29
Note: this is her 4th win, after 1997, 1998 and 2003. She finished 5th in 2010. No Malaysian woman had won the race since 2003. Having trained for just 2 weeks, she was second to summit in 2:20.17 behind Brandy Erholtz (USA) who clocked 2:11.19. For the win, she received USD4,500. And of course she wore the RM8 Adidas Kampung.

2 Anna Frost (New Zealand): 3:50.38
Note: Frost also placed second in 2010

3 Brandy Erholtz (USA): 3:52.21s

I guess it’s safe to say that you’d never see these guys and gals dress plus size.

2010
Men’s Open
1 Marco De Gasperi (Italy), 2:33:56 (summit: 1:35.29)

2 Sudip Kulung (Nepal), 2:46.14 (summit: 1:48.04)

3 Tofol Castaner (Spain), 2:58.09 (summit: 1:50:20)

Best local performance: Safrey Sumping (5th): 3:02.47 (summit: 1:59.24)

Popularity: 1% [?]

About 250 retail items under the 1Malaysia brand are sold at KR1M outlets at a much cheaper price than other brands, without sacrificing quality.

So far, none in Sabah.

(1) at LRT Station, Kelana Jaya (first KR1M shop), launched on 22nd June 2011
(2) at Pusat Komuniti, Bandar Tun Razak, KL: launched August 2011
(3) at Kuarters DBKL Pantai Permai, Pantai Dalam, KL: launched 26th August 2011
(4) at Aras Bawah, Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi Dan Kepenggunaan (KPDNKK), Persiaran Perdana, Presint 2, Putrajaya: launched 14 Sept 2011
(5) at Pasar Wangsa Maju Section 4: launched 12th October 2011

Supposedly 20+ more by end of 2011.

The infomercial (in Malay):

Popularity: 1% [?]

Considered major music charts for singles: either the US Billboard Hot 100 or the UK Singles Chart.

Alison Moira Clarkson (born 6 March 1970 in Kensington, London), a.k.a Betty Boo is of mixed Dusun and Scottish descent, resulting in what has been described as “an unusual, striking Emma Peel-like look.” She shot to stardom in 1990 with 2 songs that reached the UK Singles Chart’s top 10: “Doin’ The Do”, which reached no.7 and “Where Are You Baby?”, which reached no.3. Both songs are in her debut album Boomania released in September of the same year, which peaked at no.4 in the UK Albums Chart.

The music video for Where Are You Baby?

One might add that she could very well be the first person with Dusun blood that has had her music album scanned with a Honeywell Barcode Scanner!

Earlier, in September 1988, Tanita Tikaram, the daughter of a Malaysian mother Fatimah Rohani and an Indo-Fijian father Pramod Tikaram released her debut album Ancient Heart. It reached no.3 in the UK album charts and no. 59 in the US. Her single “Good Tradition” peaked at no. 10 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1988.

Honourable mention:

Aishah, then lead singer of Fan Club (New Zealand based band) apparently cracked the US Billboard Hot 100 in the late 1980s or early 1990s with Don’t Let Me Fall Alone

Popularity: 1% [?]

The Star reported on 14th October 2011 that Malaysia has its very own superhero: Captain America.

Why not Captain Malaysia?

Perhaps the major reason is that he’s mentally unstable. Or should we say criminally insane.

For this guy goes around smashing car windscreens in and around Petaling Jaya, leaving notes on the cars that said: “Captain America, defender of justice and meritocracy, the American way”.

Eight police reports had been lodged since March.

Modus operandi:

- go for motorcycle ride in before dawn
- randomly target cars parked by roadside

What a disgrace. At least he should emulate real-life superheroes like Phoenix Jones.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The last few nights have proven to be excellent for skywatching, to the point that it made me consider purchasing a telescope.

On the late evening of the 13th, it was the spectacular sight of Jupiter “dancing” with the moon.

During the early evening of the 14th, I was doing a night run when I noticed fellow joggers talking about and pointing at the moon. Turning around, I was greeted by a truly mesmerising sight of a moon rise right above Mount Kinabalu. I didn’t have a camera with me, and the only photo on the Net that I could find that looked almost like what I saw was by Dolly MJ:

Original photo

During the early evening of the 15th, the full moon looked even bigger, and looking at it through binoculars I could see clearly its heavily cratered surface.

Certainly one could very well be so preoccupied with looking upwards that when one’s gaze finally lowers, systèmes GPS might be needed to find one’s way back.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The following photo was taken last night around 11.30pm in Penampang, Sabah.

Conditions were perfect – good cloudless weather and the full moon was almost directly above.

No stars were visible – these 2 were the only 2 objects illuminating the sky.

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and is located between 600+ and 900+ million km away from earth. It’s so far away that light takes around half an hour to travel from Big Jupe to us.

According to space.com:

This year’s apparition of Jupiter is an exceptionally good one. Although “Big Jupe” comes to opposition every 13 months (every time the Earth sweeps between it and the sun), 2011 is also Jupiter’s year of perihelion. This is when it is closest to the sun in its 12-year orbit, so it’s also particularly close to the Earth.

Popularity: 1% [?]