God's wrath on Johor?

There was a "twister" occurrence yesterday at the Linkedua Johor Baru. That is around the area of Nusajaya within the controversial and contentious Iskandar Malaysia.

To the locals, Iskandar Malaysia is a Federal Government project, though invite investment, it is seen as an invitation for a land grab by Singaporean under the premise to attract them to "work, reside and invest" in Iskandar.

Some pictures received from our Whass App groups:

The Star reported the happening:

Published: Wednesday December 18, 2013 MYT 9:34:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday December 18, 2013 MYT 10:38:51 PM

'Twister' sighting whips up a storm on social media

by desiree tresa gasper

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A composite picture from Twitterer P a d j i r ‏@FadzirAmir.

Photo posted by Twitter user Ajat ‏@aizatwahid, sourced from his mother.

Twitterer F▲LIQF▲HMIE ‏@faliqfahmie's post.

JOHOR BARU: Images and video clips of an alleged 'twister' in Johor went viral online on Wednesday evening.

Facebook and Twitter were abuzz, with many expressing alarm after the twister, later revealed to be a water spout, was sighted along the waters off the Lido area here at around 4pm.

Student Mohd Aqil Mohd Faiz, 17, said he first spotted the weather phenomenon at around 4pm while driving along Jalan Skudai here.

"It just appeared out of nowhere and I could clearly see it from my car," he said, adding that it was both exciting and scary to witness the phenomenon.

Hasliana Mohamed, 33, said she saw it from her office at the Hospital Sultanah Aminah at around 4.40pm.

"I saw it forming followed by strong winds. I felt frightened and quickly rushed to my car to drive back home," she said.

Meanwhile, an official from the Meteorological Department confirmed that the occurrence was in fact a water spout.

"Water spouts are a normal occurrence especially during thunderstorms.

"Unlike twisters or tornadoes, water spouts usually occur above the water and the winds from it are not as strong as twisters," he said.

He added that the Department received several calls pertaining to the occurrence, but there was nothing registered on their satellites.

"We then analysed pictures and videos pertaining to the incident and confirmed that it was not a twister but a water spout," he said.

The spokesperson added that water spouts appeared only for brief periods and urged residents to remain calm.

When the pictures were shared in our Whass App, one commentator, a YB, joked that it is heading towards Country Garden, a project that is a sore issue with local Johor Baru folks.

Another businessman was commented the twister is looking for the Agog Magog of Johor Baru, which was pointed towards Lim Kang Ho too.

When asked if there were casualties, a local JB commented it is not like the US typhoon with it's wide base. However, it was sucking anything insight like a vacuum cleaner.

Off late, there have been many stories spreading on the social media on the freaky weather around the world, starting with our own big flood in Kuantan, Pekan and Kemaman. Another flood warning has been issued.

There was talk of snow in Egypt and some Middle East countries.

When something unusual happen, there will be those making some mystic explanation that is god's wrath upon those who disobeyed god. The explanation for the snow in Egypt is a sign of the end of the world based on some hadith.

So happen our wife was on that sort of mode yesterday. We had to immediately stopped her by asking why bother what God did or will be doing when we could never know what God is up to.

What would be the reason for the twister on Johor?

One Johor Baru architect who had recently moved his practise to Kuala Lumpur said RAPID Pengerang with Petronas and Dialog leading the project is facing problems and shaky. Otherwise, why would he leave Johor Baru to look for jobs in Kuala Lumpur?

Taiwanese RM35 billion investment for a petrochemical plant had pulled. He claimed it was due to false pictures of environmental hazards sent to the Taiwanese to spoil the project.

Believe it is more than that. Something to do with some local "authority" imposing "free" equity for Johor so that the state benefit directly.

In mid August, his Highness the Sutan of Johor ordered the state government to review all privatisation deals and agreements with investors that does not benefit Johoreans. Quite acceptable.

Nevertheless, if the Taiwanese had cancelled, then DAP succeeded.

DAP had been a batu api for RAPID Pengerang. PAS was involved initially but the locals were very well compensated so the opposition to the project died off among the Malays. While DAP with help from Singaporean environmentalist are still fighting on.

There is much scepticism to the DAP moves. The question posed is: since when do the commercial and money minded Chinese hardly care about hygiene and cleanliness, let alone environment.

They claim the Chinese will shut up if they get to wet their beak. Dialog is not enough because somebody else got the bite. Sure ... give Kang Ho a drink, he swallowed the whole Johor water reservoir.

There was talk that the land acquisition by state government on behalf of Petronas hit a snag when the court accepted an injunction from a landowner to stop the acquisition. That could be the reason behind the delay in Rapid Pengerang.  

There have been cases of greed sinking in into some of the landowner head thus asking double to market prices. Market price is only relevant if RAPID moves on. But without their land, RAPID cannot move ahead. Chicken and egg problem.

There is also opposition becoming the batu api and arranged lawyers for them. They failed to know that as happen in the past, the lawyers will make the most by substracting their fees from the proceed. The power to attorney only makes the lawyers greedy as well.

We are not superstitous and anything that does not make sense is totally dispelled. No presence of hantu will ever convince us.

For one, it lives in a different medium and would not harm us. When strange occurence like this happened, there will be those superstitous ones predicting that this was a wrath of God for something bad happening. .

A friend sent a link to an open letter by a young man to his Highness the Sultan.

He was raising an issue with his Highness sales of 46.94 hectares of freehold land at Danga Bay to foreigners for RM4.5 billion which he claimed doubled from the RM860 per sq feet transacted last year December.

He was disturbed that such transaction only push property prices up at uncontrolled pace, made property prices beyond unaffordable to common Johorens and prefer to see Khazanah Nasional or Johor Corporation to lead property development in Johor.

He felt that development should take a slower pace and the use of existing capital or pump by state pf federal government but not using foreign capital. That is reflective of growing resentment on the Johor ground towards the domination by the ghost of Johor in Iskandar development.

Whether it is true or false, brave lad this Syafik Yahya. Hope he is spared the fury of an angry Sultan. [Read in full here.]

It could the wrath of God upon Johor for the lad's act of derhaka on his Highness.

Or the monopolising of land and development by an outsider Chinese from Kuala Lumpur that is oppresive on the Johor rakyat but we do not believe such a thing. It could be but who are we to guess?

Let life and the journey to the afterlife takes it's own course.

One complain on the state government by Johorean was the inavailability of affordable home and reduced property ownership by Johorean Malays. Some complained that the new Menteri Besar, Dato Khaled Nordin is only taking a business as usual approach.

Pr1ma so-called mampu milik homes are still exorbitantly priced and beyond affordability. There is a case of 1Prima home being sold at prices more expensive than similar homes and adjacent to the project as built by a Johorean Malay entrepreneur.

Public is suspecting kickbacks or Kang Ho's involvement jacked up the price.

As far as Pr1ma, why would a government program for homeownership allow for second home purchases?

Nevertheless, Khaled is serious and wish to address the home ownership woes of Johoreans. Read of his commitment for 28,000 low cost and affordable homes in Harapan Baru blog here.

Having Lim Kit Siang represent Gelang Patah and DAP representing major towns is too hurtful to the proud Johoreans.

But then Johor BN must not be lazy and contented as they have been all through the years. We saw how lembab their machinery at Tenang by-election and predicted DAP's entry into Johor.There is no political will to put a candidate voters see as winnable for Batu Pahat and several other places. 

Selling Johor to Singapore?

As far as the lad's hope on Khazanah, the current problem in Johor has a lot to do with outsiders, including Khazanah Nasional, interfering into Johor and it originated from the 10,000 hectare land given to UEM for the Linkedua.

Back then, Dato Mauhyiddin Yassin was reluctant to give since it is within Johor Corp capability and capacity. One blue eyed boy complained to his bosses and Muhyiddin was asked to pack and come to Kuala Lumpur.

Khazanah should butt out, and balik Kolumpo. So does Lim Kang Ho.

There must be strong political will and no side personal interest in the demand to insist Johor Corp play their role for Johor.

There will be those that viewed the typhoon incident as a premonition for more bad things to come for Johor.

Not sure whether he is serious, but the Johorean architect suggested these pictures be sent to the China Chinese so that they are too afraid to come and invest in Johor. That way it save Johor from being taken over by Chineses from Singapore, Taiwan and China and bad business climate for the year of dragon.

Some of these talks are cynicism and unsubstantiated rumours but what is worrying is that it is coming not just from some gullible common folks but among the educated ones.

The public is in a strange mood these days of unbridled price increases that they would believe in any such talk as though it is the truth. Spin anything and the public would believe it.