http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/20/nation/3518846&sec=nation Friday March 20, 2009 Limbang border to be set By NURBAITI HAMDAN KUALA LUMPUR: The question over the ownership of Limbang will be settled when the border between Malaysia and Brunei is completely demarcated, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said. He said the demarcation process was now able to proceed following the signing of the letters of exchange between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on Monday. The letters agreed that the boundary demarcation would be based on five agreements signed between Brunei and Sarawak from 1920 to 1939 while the remaining sections would be demarcated according to the watershed principle. Dr Rais said the acceptance of these principles would essentially place Limbang district within Malaysia’s borders, although the letters did not expressly mention the name of the district. “The Limbang issue will be no more once the physical demarcation is completed,” he told reporters at a press conference after the launch of the Humanitarian Appeal Fund at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations here yesterday. Dr Rais was asked to comment on reports by the Brunei press quoting its Second Foreign Minister Pehin Lim Jock Seng denying that the letters of exchange contained any mention of the Limbang question. Brunei had a longstanding claim over Limbang, which was ceded to Sarawak in 1890. Abdullah announced on Monday after signing the letters of exchange that the Limbang question had been settled as Brunei had officially dropped its claim over the territory. Explaining the demarcation process, Dr Rais said two of the five agreement were specifically related to the boundary between Brunei and the Limbang district. The watershed principle would also essentially result in the border not deviating from the current one. “By accepting these agreements, it will mean that Limbang is within Malaysia’s borders,” he said when contacted. He said both parties would have to wait between 12 to 18 months for the dermarcation work to be completed by the technical committee. On the Brunei press reports, Dr Rais said: “I hope this issue won’t be politicised despite their local media raising issues.” looks like Limbang's 'historical' moment lasted for just a day? hmmm... ______________________________________________________________________ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/19/nation/20090319113747&sec=nation Brunei: Limbang claim not discussed MIRI: Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Datuk Seri Lim Jock Seng has denied that claims on Limbang were discussed during the meeting between Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Speaking at the Brunei legislative council meeting on Tuesday, he said the discussion that led to the signing of the Letters of Exchange (LoE) in Bandar Seri Begawan on Monday was on the demarcation of land boundaries on the whole. "Certain press reports yesterday (Monday) claimed that Brunei has dropped claims over Limbang. In fact, the claim on Limbang was never discussed," he was reported as saying by Brunei's local daily, Borneo Bulletin, Wednesday. He said a joint press statement was issued after the meeting which mentioned that the demarcation of the land boundaries between the two countries would be resolved on the basis of five existing historical agreements between the Government of Brunei and the State of Sarawak, and, as appropriate, the watershed principle. "After that, a working group comprising general surveyors of the two countries will follow with the technical aspect to solve the land border issue," Lim added. Abdullah, at a news conference with Malaysian journalists after the signing of the LoE on Monday, said that Brunei had officially dropped its longstanding territorial claim over Limbang, Sarawak's northernmost division. He said the matter was part of the historic LoE inked between him and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at Istana Nurul Iman in Bandar Seri Begawan. "It has been stated in the LoE that Brunei has dropped the issue and this means that Limbang is part of Malaysia," he was quoted as saying. Limbang, located on the banks of Sungai Limbang between the two halves of Brunei and covering an area of 3,978 sq km with a population of more than 40,000, was annexed by James Brooke, the first Rajah of Sarawak, in 1890 as the fifth division of Sarawak. - Bernama ....Malaysia... a historical moment for Limbang.... would they now build a road linking Miri and Limbang bypassing Brunei? hmm... i wonder... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/17/nation/3495431&sec=nation Brunei drops claim over Limbang district, says Abdullah By LEONG SHEN LI BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei has officially dropped its long-standing claim over Sarawak’s Limbang district after the two countries resolved various land and maritime territory disputes. “Brunei has decided to drop the Limbang issue and as a result, Limbang is part of Malaysian territory,” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced to Malaysian media. The resolution of the disputes were sealed via the signing of the Letters of Exchange by Abdullah and the Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at Istana Nurul Iman here yesterday.  A new era: Abdullah (second from left) and Sultan Hassanal exchanging the Letters of Exchange that mark the end of the territorial dispute. Looking on is Dr Rais (left) and Brunei Foreign Minister Pengiran Muda Mohamed Bolkiah. — Bernama The other disputes include over where the maritime boundary between the two countries in the South China Sea should run, the rights to exploit potentially rich oil deposits in the disputed maritime territory, the right of movement by Malaysian vessels over Brunei waters and the demarcation of the common boundary of the two countries. The dispute over Limbang can be traced back to the cession of the territory by Brunei to Sarawak’s White Rajahs in 1890. The cession had been strongly disputed by the Sultanate which regarded the transfer as annexation by Sara-wak. Yesterday, Abdullah thanked the Sultan for the resolution of the various disputes, especially that of Limbang. He said bilateral relations between the two countries would now enter a new era. Abdullah and the Sultan said in a joint statement that they had reached agreement over the maritime boundaries between the two countries in the South China Sea. They also agreed to establish a “commercial arrangement area” where oil and gas revenue in the disputed area would be shared between the two nations. How much each country would get was not disclosed. The two sides also agreed to the existence of “unsuspendable rights of maritime access” which guaranteed the right of movement by Malaysian vessels through Brunei territorial waters provided Brunei’s laws and regulations are obser-ved. Lastly, the Letters of Exchange also established the methods to demarcate the land boundary between the two countries. The negotiations over the agreements, which began in 1995, took 39 rounds of talks to reach the resolution. The dispute over maritime territory arose out of a 1979 map published by Malaysia which indicated that all deep-sea territorial waters off the coast of Brunei belonged to Malaysia. The latest dispute over maritime territory occurred in 2003 when Malaysia and Brunei awarded petroleum production-sharing contracts for four exploration blocks to different companies in the disputed area, close to where a 440 million-barrel discovery had been made the year before. Following the dispute, both countries agreed to stop drilling activities in the area.  that's what i called a friend who was diligently trying to convert us P&S camera users to DSLR users.... this is his camera.. a nikon D700..
hahaha...    a song to start off my 2009...
______________________
Betapa ku mencintai
Segala yang t'lah terjadi
Tak pernah sendiri
Jalani hidup ini
Selalu menyertai
Betapa ku menyedari
Di dalam hidupku ini
Kau selalu memberi rancangan terbaik
Oleh karena kasih
REFF :
Bapa,
Sentuh hatiku, ubah hidupku,
Menjadi yang baru
Bagai emas yang murni
Kau membentuk bejana hatiku
Bapa,
Ajarku mengerti sebuah kasih
Yang selalu memberi
Bagai air mengalir
Yang tiada pernah berhenti
(Maria Shandi)
 The Wait - by Russell Kelfer
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said, "Wait."
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.
"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.
"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
"The glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.
"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."
  finally had the opportunity to taste the 'much talked about donuts' during my trip back to KL last weekend.. the wait to buy the donuts was kinda long... soooo many people wanting to sink their teeth into the soft mouth watering donuts.. i was basically curious and therefore endure the wait to buy the J.Co donuts... conclusion - I'd still stick to good ol' sugar donuts available at most bakeries..and if ever i feel like sinking my teeth into premium donuts, my donut of choice is still 'Duren duren' from Big Apple Donuts.     Highlights of this year's Hari Raya... House 1 - durian flavoured cheese cake (local style) House 2 - porcupine meat cooked in dark soya sos..the porcupine meat very tough and chewy.. House 3 - 'horse shoe' cake aka kek tapak kuda - homemade, with nutella chocolate in the middle.. yummy.. House 4 - ayam masak merah.. House 5 - deer meat aka venison curry.. House 6 - colourful Sarawak layer cakes.. House 7 - bubur pedas - it's a concoction of spices and vegetables cooked till soft.. I'm thankful that God created us with taste buds!     
1. Durian flavoured mooncake in conjunction with Mooncake Festival on 14 September 2008. 2. Mouth watering chicken & beef satay @ Kampung Layang-layangan, Labuan - for 50 cents per stick, my friend swears that this satay taste just like or even better than Kajang Satay. I haven't eaten Kajang Satay for a long time so can't compare much, but I do agree that the satay @ Kampung Layang-layangan was awesome. The meat so tender and juicy. The only setback was the place where we ate the satay. Normally they operate from small hut like stalls by the beach but since this month being Ramadhan, they operate from home so we had to take away and ended up eating at a children's playground!  3. Stir fried scallops with sweet sauce & Salted baked mantis prawns aka 'lai liu har' seafood restaurant, Labuan - forgot to jot down the name of that restaurant.. haha... but the seafood was pretty good and at a affordable price too! [RM 100 bucks for scallops, mantis prawns, flower crabs, vegetable, 4 plates of rice and one pot of chinese tea to feed 4 mouths]. 4. 'Wa tan hor' @ Island Garden Food Court, Labuan - RM4.00 per plate. Definitely worth every cent for the big portion! Totally recommended!  | life... | Sep 18, '08 5:56 AM
for everyone |
 for some..... life is taken away from them..
for others..... they take their own lives away... John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 
....in pie baking...
(apple cheese pie)
conclusion...
1. need more practice
2. need to work on the presentation
but it tasted darn good anyways
need to work on the presentation...  | |
one of the best snacks I've ever tasted... thanks to Ga and Kazu for recommending them in 2005. 
