School's on.

PETALING JAYA: School will reopen in all states on January 2 and a day earlier in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

According to the Education Ministry’s website, there will be 214 school days and 73 holidays in 2019.

School heads can apply for four days of cuti peristiwa (occasional holiday), which need not be replaced on another day.

They can also apply for cuti ganti (replacement holiday), which will require the approval of the respective state education departments.

Kellie's Castle

Back in December last year, I have the chance to visit one of the historical places in Malaysia - Kellie’s Castle. The sole reason I visited the place because I have been through it for a few times in the past every time I am fetching my sister at UiTM Seri Iskandar.

Kellie’s Castle is located in Batu Gajah, which is about a two-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur, and a 30-minute drive from Ipoh town to Jalan Gopeng. You can also take the Electric Train Service from KL to Ipoh.

The unfinished, ruined mansion known as Kellie’s Castle was built by William Kellie Smith, a Scottish planter from Scotland. Smith builds the building as a symbol of love for his beloved wife. Some sources said it is a gift for his son.

The unfinished mansion consists of two houses, which is, Kellas House and Kellie’s House. However, only Kellie’s house was able to finish the constructions before the death of Smith.

The building consists of rooms, wine cellar, elevator shaft and six storey tower. Some of the rooms have been fitted with furniture so you get to see what they would have been like if the construction had been completed.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Kellie's Castle is now a popular local tourist attraction, with some believing it to be haunted situated beside the Raya River (Sungai Raya), which is a small creek to the Kinta River.

From the entrance, you will be greeted by a few stalls selling craft, souvenir, and foods. There will be also huge logo written ‘Kellie Castle right before the entrance to the castle.

To get to the main building visitors have to pay entrance fee which is RM5 for Malaysian adult and have to climb the stairs to reach the main site of the house.

The mansion became tourist attractions because of the architecture and since it is believed to be haunted. Both the castle interior and gardens are also good for taking your pre-wedding shots so it might appeal to couples and photography fans, too.

EXPECTATION VS REALITY

I am not going to lie that I was a little disappointed when I reach the historic site. It is good enough because the place not just become the hot attraction for Malaysian but also foreign tourist. What disappointed me was the place did not maintain very well.

Yes, I agree that it is a historic place and perhaps one of the reason the authority keeping in that way was to make visitors feel the horror atmosphere because the castle is associated with many ghost stories. Aside from being mentioned in the history books, there is nothing much to see in the mansion itself. With lots of spider web in every single room and some of the areas such as the living room where people cannot access, there is nothing more.

FHRISKEY MATIN

Malay language competition: China student won the PM’s Cup

Xu Yang from China won as champion for the Prime Minister’s Cup Malay Language International Speech Competition 2018 for the international student category at the Sultan Zainal Abidin University (UniSZA).

Xu Yang with two other champion

She beats two other students in the finals on Saturday night.

Xu Yang is a student from Guangdong Study of Foreign Languages University taking a course in the Malay language.

International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) student Muhammad Syahmi Akif Jamili (Malaysia) emerge triumphant in the Malay World category consist five ASEAN nations which are Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik attended the 12th edition of the competition and he is the one who gave away the prizes.

31 countries took part in the competition themed “The Internationalisation of the Malay Language” with total contestant of 50 people. Only nine made it to the finals.

Aurore Jeannot of France (Halu Oleo University, Indonesia) came in second in the international category, followed by Leon Woltermann of Germany (Hamburg University, Germany).

In the Malay World category, Huda Ahmad of Thailand (Sheikh Daud Al-Fatani Yala Islamic University, South Thailand) was second while Malaysia’s Adam Muhammad Taufiq Mohamad Suharto (Universiti Teknologi Mara) was third.

Sajarah Mohd Ali of Cambodia (UniSZA) was crowned champion in the International Student in Malaysia category. Second was Nafisa Mayukh of Bangladesh (IIUM) followed by Mahad Mohamed of the United Kingdom (University Malaysia Perlis).

The champion of each category trophy received a challenge trophy and RM10,000 cash and a certificate.

Second place took home an accompanying trophy and RM8,000 each, while the third place winners each received an accompanying trophy and RM5,000.

Those who took part in the competition described as mini ambassadors who could empower the language in their own countries.

Earlier, Maszlee said that the creation of the Standard Malay Language Framework (KBSM) developed by national language experts would be a big boost to the speakers of the Malay language aspirations.

He ensures that the Education Ministry will be a key player in the creation of the framework with help of experts and related agencies.

“It is crucial to ensure the Malay language is of scientific nature and consistent as well as become the main reference for the world and one day be one of the official languages at the United Nations,” he add.

Not only Maszlee, Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching, Education Ministry secretary-general Dr Mohd Gazali Abas and about 2,000 students present at the competition, which was being held for the first time at the institution of higher learning and outside the Klang Valley.

SPM 2018 Begins from 13 December to 13 December.

PUTRAJAYA: Examination of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2018 will begin from 13 November to 13 December.

According to a statement by the Education Ministry, a total of 421,706 candidates have registered to sit for the exam this year at 3,308 exam centers throughout the country.

"A total of 33,361 examiners have been appointed to ensure that the exams are running smoothly as scheduled," the ministry said

The Examination Board reminds all candidates to refer to the timetable of the examination to obtain information on the exam time and the instructions and warnings to be followed during the examination.

Tamil schools get permission to take additional holidays for Deepavali.

PUTRAJAYA: Students of Tamil vernacular schools (SJKT) are allowed to take special holiday or replacement holiday for Deepavali in November.

In a statement today, the Education Ministry said the ministry had notified state education directors to give approval to the request of Tamil schools, seeking additional holidays.

“Tamil schools in the Group A (Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Johor) where holidays are fixed from Nov 4 to Nov 6, can request for holidays on Nov 7 and Nov 8.

“Schools in Group B (states apart from those mentioned in Group A) with holidays fixed between Nov 5 and Nov 7, can request for holidays on Nov 8 and Nov 9,” the ministry said.

It also said that if the schools allocation for special holidays had been used up, they should request for replacement holiday.

Further, it said teachers who celebrate Deepavali, other than those who teach in Tamil schools, could request for special holiday (Cuti Rehat Khas) through their school administrations.

“Indian students who are in other schools, besides Tamil schools are also allowed to be on holiday on the dates mentioned earlier,” it added.

Corn kernel’s machine can generate triple income

The innovation of corn fruit scatter machine by the Department of Agricultural Engineering are believed can help the entrepreneur to gain triple income.

Food process based on corn fruit such as grits and corn cup can be easier with their machine said Mohamad Fiqri Shaffie, Deputy Director of Department of Agricultural Engineering.

He tells that the first corn machine in Malaysia was innovated from coconut grated machine with additional special blade to scatter the corn fruit.

“Before the machine was created, sellers that sell food based on corn fruit normally bought the frozen one or the ready-made one. It is more expensive.”

“But, with modal of RM350 to RM400 for the machine, now they can produce corn fruit freshly from the farmers within the price of 50 cents to RM1 compared to buying from the market with price of RM3 for each corn,” he add.

He was interviewed at the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro-tourism show 2018(MAHA 2018) which placed at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang(MAEPS).