There was a news item in The Star yesterday (Star Metro 21 April 2009) highlighting a controversial plan by Klang Municipal Council (MPK) councillor Lim Lip Suan (probably in charge of local tourism), to place the so-called 'Istana' Zakaria and the abandoned UMNO building in Port Klang, on the Klang tourism beat.
Before I swing my bat at this 'brilliant' stroke of an idea, and preferably at Councillor Lim as well, here's some background details of the 'istana' for the uninitiated.
The Zakaria building has 21 bathrooms, 16 bedrooms (11 of which were occupied by each of his children), a VIP room, 3 living rooms, a dining hall, a prayer room, a swimming pool, a bowling room, several gazebos, an orchard, a two-hole golf lawn, an office, a storeroom, two servant rooms as well as a wet kitchen and a dry kitchen.
This palatial mansion was built by the late UMNO division chief Datuk Zakaria Md Derus. It gained infamy in 2006 when he had a run-in with the law for not submitting building plans for his mansion, dubbed as 'istana' (palace) by his detractors.
He was also found not to have paid the assessment for the land for 12 years. Datuk Zakaria died of a heart attack on March 11, 2008, age 62.
While there certainly is no love lost between yours truly, Allahyarham Datuk Zakaria and his showy rumah agam (mansion), I can't help feeling there is more to the councillor's idea than meets the eye.
Kalau tiada angin, masakan pohon bergoyang; but I think I see a couple of monkeys shaking the branches, in the absence of angin sepoi-sepoi bahasa from the Straits of Malacca.
If Councillor Lim still hasn't a clue to what I am saying, perhaps he needs to vacate his seat and make way for a brighter spark, as well as get a lesson in the meaning of the word "respect."
Sir, it means I am not likely to be abusive to the memory of the dead, be it the late Zakaria (no matter how wayward he was while still breathing), or the erstwhile UMNO building (which your goodself had described as "the ugliest building").
Fancy desperately wanting the whole nation to know your beautiful royal town has the ugliest building. What gives? The shrimpy stench is spreading, Mr Councillor.
Granted, some of his fellow councillors were against the idea, saying it would give a wrong image of the MPK, but Councillor Lim had apparently snubbed them all by already organising a tour tagged "Eat & See Trip".
On May 3, some 43 local tourists, at RM88 per person, would be taken to enjoy local delicacies and visit eight places which included the infamous mansion (gawk from outside lah) and the purportedly hideous-looking building.
That means you go stuff yourselves silly first, then drive around making disparaging remarks about Klang buildings, right?
As a tourism graduate (Class of 1984, ITM), I can already imagine the tourist guide gravely intoning: "Istana ini kepunyaan Allahyarham Datuk Zakaria Md Derus, bekas Ketua Bahagian Umno Klang. Beliau bena istana ni tanpa submit building plans dan beliau juga tak bayar assessment tanah selama 12 tahun." Clap! Clap!
"Dan ini pula bekas bangunan Umno Kelang, yang tersohor sebagai antara bangunan paling buruk rupanya di Lembah Kelang. Bangunan ini hasil ciptaan anak tempatan; pereka bangunan ialah Syarikat ABC manakala kontraktornya ialah Syarikat DEF." Clap! Clap!
Promoting local talent, eh, Councillor? He had said this was a genuine tourism project and not a political game. Arrrk! Arrrk! Quick! Pass me some water! I'm choking!
Get on the tour bus, folks!
Before I swing my bat at this 'brilliant' stroke of an idea, and preferably at Councillor Lim as well, here's some background details of the 'istana' for the uninitiated.
The Zakaria building has 21 bathrooms, 16 bedrooms (11 of which were occupied by each of his children), a VIP room, 3 living rooms, a dining hall, a prayer room, a swimming pool, a bowling room, several gazebos, an orchard, a two-hole golf lawn, an office, a storeroom, two servant rooms as well as a wet kitchen and a dry kitchen.
This palatial mansion was built by the late UMNO division chief Datuk Zakaria Md Derus. It gained infamy in 2006 when he had a run-in with the law for not submitting building plans for his mansion, dubbed as 'istana' (palace) by his detractors.
He was also found not to have paid the assessment for the land for 12 years. Datuk Zakaria died of a heart attack on March 11, 2008, age 62.
While there certainly is no love lost between yours truly, Allahyarham Datuk Zakaria and his showy rumah agam (mansion), I can't help feeling there is more to the councillor's idea than meets the eye.
Kalau tiada angin, masakan pohon bergoyang; but I think I see a couple of monkeys shaking the branches, in the absence of angin sepoi-sepoi bahasa from the Straits of Malacca.
If Councillor Lim still hasn't a clue to what I am saying, perhaps he needs to vacate his seat and make way for a brighter spark, as well as get a lesson in the meaning of the word "respect."
Sir, it means I am not likely to be abusive to the memory of the dead, be it the late Zakaria (no matter how wayward he was while still breathing), or the erstwhile UMNO building (which your goodself had described as "the ugliest building").
Fancy desperately wanting the whole nation to know your beautiful royal town has the ugliest building. What gives? The shrimpy stench is spreading, Mr Councillor.
Granted, some of his fellow councillors were against the idea, saying it would give a wrong image of the MPK, but Councillor Lim had apparently snubbed them all by already organising a tour tagged "Eat & See Trip".
On May 3, some 43 local tourists, at RM88 per person, would be taken to enjoy local delicacies and visit eight places which included the infamous mansion (gawk from outside lah) and the purportedly hideous-looking building.
That means you go stuff yourselves silly first, then drive around making disparaging remarks about Klang buildings, right?
As a tourism graduate (Class of 1984, ITM), I can already imagine the tourist guide gravely intoning: "Istana ini kepunyaan Allahyarham Datuk Zakaria Md Derus, bekas Ketua Bahagian Umno Klang. Beliau bena istana ni tanpa submit building plans dan beliau juga tak bayar assessment tanah selama 12 tahun." Clap! Clap!
"Dan ini pula bekas bangunan Umno Kelang, yang tersohor sebagai antara bangunan paling buruk rupanya di Lembah Kelang. Bangunan ini hasil ciptaan anak tempatan; pereka bangunan ialah Syarikat ABC manakala kontraktornya ialah Syarikat DEF." Clap! Clap!
Promoting local talent, eh, Councillor? He had said this was a genuine tourism project and not a political game. Arrrk! Arrrk! Quick! Pass me some water! I'm choking!
Get on the tour bus, folks!
12 comments:
Why on earth would they want to do that?? Geez...
Just posted you on blogroll.
just to add oil to fire, the master bedroom is as big as a low cost house with t walk in wardrobes and a private lounge!
talk about being excessive eh?
Ada udang di sebalik batu
Ada cicak di sebalik frame
Orang politik memangnya gitu
That is how they play the game...
I'm surprised the house doesn't have a karaoke lounge as well. But whatever it is, it's definitely NOT tourism material. Udang besar huh?
Totally vindictive and in bad taste.
of him, I mean
QOTH, sapa kata tak ada karaoke lounge, mungkin dalam toilet kut!
silly is not the word to use here but i guess we malaysian are being draged through the mud by all of our crazy politicians from all sides !.
its about time we all put our foot down,,,,enough is enough, am sick of all these politiking but guess am lucky to be able to escape from these kind of nonsense by being an islander in the South China Sea ?.
Capt.
Mrs N - everything seems to be politicised these days *sigh*
Voice - tq for dropping by and for adding me to yr list.
VA - Sure looks like it, eh.. hehehe..
Pi - too true, Pi.
Qoth & Kak Teh - if it was me, karaoke room comes first! :)
Zendra - Spot on. Should just let it be; after all the man is dead.
Capt - Lucky you Capt, living the islander's life.. all peaceful there off Terengganu (ironically, in Terengganu itself tak peaceful pun; those politicians at it again..lol)
If it is ada udang yang rock it doesn't surprise me.
Ada udang di sebalek mee; everyone should wallop it!
Kak Puteri,
No wonder the tourism industry is nothing to shout about in the country. You have jokers like this, habisss..mengarut!! Apa dah no more kelip-kelip nak pi tengok ka??
On the rumah agam (from the lavish do, shouldn't it be PIaggam??), I'd just lurve to see all those 21 bathrooms. Makk aiii...siapa lah yang begitu ramai nak gi bersiram?? I think Istana Negara pun doesn't have that many, but I could be wrong lah kan.
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