The official results (keputusan rasmi) are out. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim won by an overwhelming 15,671 votes (undi) in the Permatang Pauh election yesterday.

Here’s a screen shot from Berita Harian’s site on the results (click the screen shot below to see a bigger image):

Out of 58,459 registered voters, 81.01% or 40,528 went to the polls. About 1.1% of the ballots (447 votes) were spoilt.

Malays made up the majority of the registered voters (87.7%), followed by the Chinese (26.3%), the Indians 5.7% and others (0.3%).

The special election was held after Permatang Pauh Parliament Representative Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail gave up her post in order to pave the way for her husband to contest in the said polls.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim declared that this “was a victory of the people who want change in this country”. He added that this is a sign that the rakyat (the people/constituents), not just in Permatang Pauh but also the rest of the country, want the Malaysian government to make some changes in order to give priority to the rakyat, especially in the economic sector. (Rough translation of Berita Harian’s new story soon after the official results were announced.)

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how the rest of the story unfolds. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata! (Watch out for the next episode!)

Yes, yes, you’ve come to the right place. This is Sleepless In KL, not The Pioneer Woman. And yes, those are genuine cowboys and cowboy clowns you see in the photo.

The rodeo has come to town, complete with bronco-busting cowboys. They were flown in all the way from Australia by corporate sponsors, in conjuction with MAHA 2008 (Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition 2008) which is being held at the 100-hectare Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS), Selangor, Malaysia from 11th to 23rd August. The exhibition is open to the public from 10am to 9pm. Entrance is free and trams are provided at a very minimal fee of RM1 per person per day.

Free shuttle buses — huge and airconditioned, with seats that recline — are also provided to from Kajang to MAEPS and from Bukit Jalil to MAEPS. We took the shuttle bus from Bukit Jalil, which also stopped at Bandar Tasik Selatan LRT station and at Serdang KTM Station. I strongly advise you to take the bus because, if you go by car, the parking lot at MAEPS is crowded and is quite far from the entrance. Buses depart every 30 minutes.

MAHA 2008 is the region’s largest exhibition showcasing the latest Technologies and Innovations in the Agriculture, Agro-Based, Horticulture and Agrotourism Industry, with over 950 local and international exhibitors. Here’s the map of the place (click on the photo to see a larger version):

The Livestock Pavilion (Laman Ternakan) is probably the best place to take the kids. Aside from the rodeo, there are carriage rides, pony rides, elephant rides, camel rides, horseshoe-making demos, rabbit petting and feeding, to name a few of the activities available.

Tree saplings, seedlings, seeds, fertilizers, gardening paraphernalia and farming equipment are for sale at very good prices. There was also an agro bazaar, which we didn’t have time to visit, owing to the fact that we were herding a group of small kids (pun fully intended). Other places of interest are the ornamental fish display, a greenhouse for vegetables and an orchid park.

Food and drinks are available everywhere, all at very reasonable prices. Drinks like air kelapa muda (young coconut drink) and air sirap (rose cordial) are only RM1 per cup, while nasi ayam (chicken rice) can be had for RM4. At tram stop no. 6, you can also find Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

So to all residents of KL and Selangor, make the most of the remaining mid-term school holiday and take your kids to MAHA 2008 today! And make sure you go early, so that you don’t miss the rodeo at the Livestock Pavilion.

I am a Filipina but Malaysia has been my home since 1993. Yes, home, complete with all the warm, fuzzy feelings that go with the word. I don’t hesitate to call Malaysia as my home, even if my PR application is still pending despite having lived here for the past 15 years, having married a Malaysian, and having borne and given birth to 5 Malaysian children.

I will always love the Philippines, the place where I was born, but I’d very much prefer to stay in Malaysia for good.

Why do I love Malaysia so much? I’ve thought about it late one night and quickly narrowed it down to three reasons:

1. Malaysia has excellent infrastructure. The roads and highways are wonderful. The world-class banking system offers all sorts of perks and services — internet banking, cash deposit machines (they don’t have them in Indonesia!), debit cards, sukuk financing, among a few. The ports are efficient — it only takes 2 to 3 days to clear a container in Port Klang versus the agonizing 10 to 14 days wait for shipments arriving at Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok port. True, there’s still some red tape in Malaysian government offices, but the Immigration Department can issue a passport within just an hour. How’s that for efficiency? Despite a few grouses or two, things still get done most of the time in Malaysia…yet the cost of living  remains relatively low. Singapore, for instance, may have a superior public transport system, but I wince at the cost of a food there. Everything works like Swiss clockwork in Europe but it’s too darn expensive. Thus, for me, Malaysia is the place to live in, invest in and do business in.

2. Malaysia is green. Just before reaching KLIA, you are greeted by a green carpet, which turns out to be fields of palm trees as the plane goes lower. They line the highways and the smallest kampung roads. But they’re not just in the kampung — you go into the city and you find trees, plants and flowers everywhere. KL’s City Hall a.k.a. DBKL (Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur) faithfully replaces the flowers and shrubs in dividers and by the roadside and regularly prunes the trees. Then, right smack in the middle of KL, you’ll be amazed to find a forest in Bukit Nanas, where the KL Tower is located. And don’t forget KLIA, often described as “airport in the forest, forest in the airport.”

3. Malaysia has cultural and religious harmony. Ya, ya, it sounds so trite by now, after reading and hearing about it all the time. But it’s not just hype. It’s the reality. Three cultures — Malay, Chinese, Indian — under one nationality: Malaysian. Various religions — Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Hinduism — co-existing harmoniously in the same country. The result? A more tolerant society. All types of glorious food — from the Malay nasi lemak to the Indian roti canai to the Chinese char kway teow. National holidays that cover everything from Chinese New Year to Eid ul Fitr to Thaipusam to Christmas Day. Chinese customers maintaining Islamic bank accounts, a Malay nasyid group with an Islamic song in Mandarin, Indian and Chinese ladies wearing baju kurung to the office. It’s amazing. It’s refreshing. It’s something that most Malaysians may have taken for granted.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to wait patiently for my PR application to be approved. I’ll continue to queue in the ‘Foreigners’ queue at the Immigration Counter in the airport, while the rest of my family goes to the much shorter queue for Malaysians (although, when travelling with my family, most Immigration officers are kind enough to allow me to tumpang my passport with the rest of my family). And I will explain patiently to the Filipino Immigration officer at NAIA that I am the mother of the children who are with me, and not their yaya (nanny)!

Today, DH and I got treated to the high tea buffet in Prince Hotel and Residence in Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur by some friends who are visiting KL. OnlyGirl and RoundBoy were with us, as well.

The best part of the high tea? The chocolate fountain, without a doubt! Skewers of strawberries, marshmallows and mixed fruits were placed strategically right beside the fountain of chocolatey goodness. There were also cut up pieces of cake and some cream puffs, for your dipping pleasure. OnlyGirl and I helped ourselves to some strawberries with chocolate before anything else. I told my friend that life’s too short, that’s why we started with the dessert first ;) Mmm-mmm-good!!!

The ice cream bar is to-die-for: 5 different flavours of ice cream, 5 different types of sauce, plus an assortment of toppings: strawberry, lychee, toasted almonds, M&M’s, jellybeans, cookies, white and dark chocolate chips, chocolate rice, wafers, among a few. When OnlyGirl saw the ice cream bar, she immediately blurted out, “Oh. My. God. I think I’m going to faint!” I couldn’t have said it better myself!

The dessert spread was generous and serving dishes were frequently refilled, as is befitting a high tea buffet, and it’s the first thing that will greet you upon entering the Eccucino Brasserie. The Oreo cheesecake is worth mentioning, as is the carrot cake (if you like carrot cakes with a strong cinnamon undertone). They also had chocolate cake, an assortment of other sliced cakes, chocolate pudding with vanilla sauce, mousses and jellies arranged artistically with slices of fruit and bits of chocolate inside tiny glasses, as well as fresh fruit, some local sweets (kuih) and sweet corn porridge (bubur jagung).

If you’re not much of a sweet tooth, fear not, as high tea buffets in Malaysia are almost as good or even just as good as lunch or dinner buffets. There was a huge selection of meat dishes (roasted chicken, beef medallion, lamb korma), seafood dishes (grilled giant prawns, squid with tumeric), rice dishes, vegetable dishes, salads, as well as some pizza, sushi, chicken siew pau and sio mai. I dare say that high tea is even better than lunch or dinner because the dessert spread offers a lot more selections! Plus, you have more time to enjoy your meal, as high tea is from 12 noon to 4 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. You can, therefore, take your own sweet time enjoying the delectable dishes while talking with your business partner about your intended investment in the Outer Banks, or murmur sweet nothings with your significant other, or simply to indulge yourself in all things scrumptious and fattening divine.

Normal price is RM55++ (i.e. subject to 10% sales tax and 5% service charge) per person.

The Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival is back! This year, it started on 5th July and will run up to 1st September. That’s 59 days and nights (as most Malaysian shops close at 10.30pm daily!) of shopping and bargain-hunting. Everything is on sale everywhere — clothes, shoes, hand bags, sector watches, golf sets, electrical items, kitchenware. Discounts are up to 70% off. For instance, designer items like Gucci and Coach offer winter season items for clearance at 50% off at the newly launched Pavilion shopping mall in Jalan Bukit Bintang. Samsonite travel bags — which rarely go on sale — are offered at 40% discount in Isetan at Suria KLCC.

If you are a MasterCard holder, great discounts and special offers await you all over Malaysia in a number of leading malls such as:

• Mid Valley Megamall
• The Gardens
• Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
• Sunway Pyramid
• Sunway Carnival
• Jusco 1 Utama Shopping Centre
• AEON Bukit Tinggi Shopping Centre, Klang
• Jusco Queensbay Mall, (Penang)
• Kinta City Shopping Centre (Ipoh) and
• AEON Tebrau City Shopping Centre (Johor)

No MasterCard? No problem. Just present your passport to apply for a Tourist Privilege Card at KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), major hotels and shopping malls to entitle you to a special 5% discount for your purchases.

So postpone that trip to Europe or the Bahamas for a while and book a flight to Malaysia instead. Make sure you bring along some empty suitcases to fill up with all your shopping. Or just buy yourself a whole new set of bags while you’re at it! :D