Hey You Low-Class Residents, Listen Up!

This little sighboard was spotted somewhere in Melawati. It is trying to sell home space at the peak of Melawati. One wonders how many of such "high-class" accommodation are going to be built around the fast-disappearing greenery of Melawati. I feel sorry for the "lower class" residents who live in the foothills, who have to contend with the fear of landslides and flash floods. Of course, you could live a class above. I won't, of course. Conscience does not permit me to.

Astro Dishes Reveal Low-Cost House Owners' Financial Health

Satellite Dishes - Once Luxury, Now Necessity!

Someone once told me that if you want to gauge the financial health of the residents in an area, look at the cars parked around the area.

I think nowadays you only need to just count the number of Astro dishes hanging outside the balconies. Go to any flats, the so-called low-cost housing area and look at their balconies. Count how many satellite dishes are there, pointing skywards to the Astro satellite beaming down your favouritr programmes.

Let's do some simple maths - it costs no less than RM90 a month to subscribe to Astro. Add that to the mobile phone bills, water bills, and electricity, and you will have to have at least RM300 set aside every month just to cope. What about food, children's education, schooling expenses, and so on, you will have an idea of how much these people are earning.

So, if you were told that people living in low-cost flats are poor, just don't you believe it. For instance, take a walk around Section One, Wangsa Maju. This used to be a poor man's abode. Not anymore, not by any chance as you can see in the above snapshots. Just count the number of Astro dishes!

Are you wondering why they are still putting up with the low-cost
housing resident image? Me, too!

Blowing Hot, Blowing Cold Over Advertisement

If you are in Wangsa Maju, pay attention to the signboards, especially those who look at the signboards. Yes, they are as amusing as the signboards themselves.

Just like the other night at Section Two when two elderly couple, who were quite conversant in the English Language, were spotted getting visibly offended by this signage:

Reading the signboard, it is hardly amusing the elderly couple (who were apparently teachers of English or had a reasonably admirable command of the language) had taken offence to the 'blow jobs' this hairstyling salon has advertised. Shoddy English can make your readers blow hot and cold.

Help! The Setapak Garden Pasar Malam is Missing!

We have just been alerted to this. The Wednesday pasar malam at Setapak Garden has gone missing. Last Wednesday, it was said that City Hall came and issued notices that there will be no more pasar malam at Setapak Garden.

The decision to ban the pasar malam started last year when a new thoroughfare was built from Setapak Garden (Teratai Mewah apartments) to the mosque at the 4-3/4 Mile Jalan Gombak or better known as Sungai Mulia. Now that the road is about to be fully opened, ie. joined to Jalan Gombak, City Hall banned the pasar malam, we were told. Because of this, the almost two decade-old night market where residents nearby could purchase cheap veges and other stuff, was removed. Where the new location would be is yet to be known - at least at this moment of writing.

Will a solution be found for the poor traders? Where can the people staying in Setapak Garden and thereabouts purchase cheap goods?

Our suggestion is to use the ring road where the Danau Kota's Bazar Larut malam (see previous post) is located.

Right now, the bazaar operates six days a week, minus Thursday where a pasar malam operates.

How about allowing the Setapak Garden pasar malam to operate there on Wednesdays and the Larut Malam bazaar traders take a break? This is definitely most suitable for the almost mile long Setapak Garden pasar malam. Besides, this area in Danau Kota near the petrol stations is a commercial area which will be almost deserted by nightfall. Certainly the Bazar Larut Malam traders can share the spot with pasar malam traders!

Midnight Pasar Malam in Danau Kota

If you are new to Wangsa Maju and have decided to stay around Gombak, Wangsa Maju or Genting Kelang, and are mostly a nocturnal creature with a penchant for shopping, you might like to know that there is a place for you to frequent.

Known as Bazar Larut Malam, or Midnight Bazaar, this special pasar malam starts from 9pm to 3am, nightly except Thursdays - at least it used to, until recently when every day is bazaar day.



The bazaar takes up the entire stretches of roads around the Shell and Petronas stations and about some of the shophouses' lanes near the the main hawker complex in Danau Kota.

The traders here are all Malays selling a variety of goods, such as bags, attire, shoes, car spareparts, and even on rare occasions, Protons. Yes, the car.

Prices are so-so and you can bargain. Goods mostly come from Indonesia, Thailand or China.

Watch Out When Beating Lights At Danau Kota-Genting Kelang

If you have this insatiable tendency to beat traffic lights, watch out when you are along Danau Kota-Genting Kelang, near the JPJ. There is an overhead camera can can set you RM300 poorer and I bet you it works.

Where To Drop Off Your Recyclable Items in Air Panas

Got old items you want to get rid off? Then head for the Air Panas Market on Sundays.

Watch out for this small 'pondok' just opposite the market across the road by the car park. You can't miss it - orange in colour.

On Sundays it will be opened and you can drop off your second-hand goods there - any recyclable item.

All the income generated from this collection goes to a charity which name is stated on the pondok.