Christmas Eve - Merry Xmas Everyone!

The new year approaches in a week's time - Christmas is here come midnite. Nadai Name wishes everyone a Merry Christmas. Christmas spirit is certainly alive and well. I have put all those work related matters on the shelve now as the most important time now is to be with the family this Christmas. I managed to attend my daughter's graduation at Rajah Court Hotel Kuching. She was performing various kind of dances and I have to admit that she's growing up pretty fast.

Shania performing the Bidayuh traditional dance


Christmas Greetings from the Nadai Name stars - picture taken by my Missus (she prefers to be the Director for this photo shot)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to All Nadai Name Readers! Bless you all and may good things come your way. We must also remember the less fortunate and offer our prayers to them. Christmas is about giving and sharing - God Bless.

Christmas Tree at Travillion

My Christmas wish for a giant Christmas Tree to match the one in Bintulu was answered last weekend. It seems that Celcom's Christmas countdown program has catered for the city folks mood for a Christmas atmosphere. The Christmas tree is located at the Travillion Kuching.

Shania all excited at the sight and height of the tree

Shania posing in front of the giant Christmas tree

Video scene of the 'snow' coming out of the tree

The bubbles produced from the bubble machines was a it with the children

Wishing well for you to make a wish for this world to be a better place

Look its Santa and his Lighted Reindeers

Though it has been a tiring day, I am pretty sure Shania enjoyed herself as much as I have - the smile and laughter captured in a moment says it all. It was worth it....I am lookng forward to Christmas.

In Christmas Mood

Christmas is around the corner. A few work deadlines are also around the corner. Don't you just hate it? I just shrug off the notion that I can only be back home for Christmas only on Christmas Eve. Most of my assignments have this end of the year 2007 deadlines. Back in my junior management positions it was easy because all you need to do is submit your small part of the assignment to your Section Head. Your other junior colleagues will also be submitting and so if he is satisfied with them you go scot free. But now its A to Z - you have to collect almost all the information from your own officers, wonder what the 'rojak' is, conceptualise, arrange it into proper information and prepare it into a proper presentation before submitting to your boss. Of course there will be amendments here and there. You will be lucky if he does not ask you to present it. If he goes on leave you would not have a choice but to do all this yourself. That's another level because during presentation and delivery, be ready for the feedback and questions and answer session.

My other boss (my daughter) has also been reminding me about Christmas nonstop. Relatives and friends invite you for for pre Christmas prayers, carolling, parties ecetra ecetra. In return you are expected to organise something too. Gosh ....holidays can be stressful too eh? No wonder its good to be a kid once more this coming Christmas where you just need to worry if you have enough bags to put those presents.

Christmas Charity

How's the Christmas preparations in Kuching? Walking around Kuching City - most of the shopping complex decorated to create the Christmas mood. They also have this big Christmas tree which I will put in my next blog. So this Christmas let's hope the big flood don't spoil it for most celebrants as most of the towns in Central Region has seen some high water levels recently. Most importantly I constantly remind myself, Christmas is for everyone and it is about the joy of giving - including giving to the less fortunate.

Christmas Deco in SABERKAS

Shania doing her bit for the Salvation Army

Merry Christmas Irene Manggi

Firstly I would like to thank the New Straits Time Press for their response and also to Irene's family for their update to me on the status of Irene so that it benefit Nadai Name's readers on what is happening to Irene in Sao Paolo. Excerpts from an email I recieved from Irene's family: "Puji Tuhan sejak adik kami nemu brita adik aku kena tan din, hy brita aja, bedau nemu amat ka enda, ya meh ngau sembiang kami bulih brita ngau japat, kami nerima email ari ia, Puji Tuhan adik aku diatu gerai."

Briefly translated, Irene is in the best of health and the family is also strengthened in their belief that God will take care of Irene even through she is far away at the other end of the world. Irene can also communicate with the family via email with which I will be sending our well wishers' Christmas Greetings and support from Sarawak. I respect the family's request for privacy. I understand why. In the course of searching for news on Irene I discovered that some people can be cruel in their judgment of others. I am still compiling those well wishes for Irene so keep them coming.

Next posting - the giant Christmas Tree in Kuching.

An update on my last post on Irene Anak Manggi.

The News Straits Time (including the online version) has an article on 8 Dec 2007 - "Dream Ends in Brazil":



KUCHING: All she wanted was to be a tour guide and to see the world. Irene Manggi has been charged with drug possession and is awaiting trial. But 22-year-old Irene Manggi's dream turned into a nightmare when she ended up in the Sao Paolo prison in Brazil for possession of cocaine.

She has been spending her time in Sao Paolo for the past five months and on Nov 22, was charged with drug possession and is waiting for her trial. Her family believes that she is a victim of a drug syndicate.

Her sister Lina Manggi said Irene was a naive and trusting person. "Because of her nature her friend took advantage of her," she said adding that Irene had met a woman called Sabariah Mut @ Sabrina, three months ago who had convinced her that there were jobs as tour guides in Brazil.

Sabrina had provided Irene and her cousin their passports and flight tickets, said Lina. On July 18, Irene's cousin Annie Ellyza Enju, 23, returned and had lodged a police report at the Central Police Station in Kuching.

In the report, Annie said that she last saw Irene at Residencia Hotel, Barcelona, Spain on June 19, when they were separated by a Nigerian man identified as Tony. She said Irene was given a bag and a note before taking a taxi to Barcelona Airport where she took a flight Sao Paolo via Zurich.

And in The Star on of 8 Dec 2007 edition (also online), " Another Drug Mule" case:

ANOTHER Malaysian woman has been arrested overseas on drug charges, reported Berita Harian. The paper reported yesterday that Brazilian police were holding Irene Manggi from Kuching, Sarawak, for dealing cocaine.

It said Irene, in her 20s, was another victim of an international drug dealing syndicate, which used local women as drug mules, similar to what happened to two Malaysian women in Japan and China. Irene is being detained by Sao Paulo police.

When contacted, the Malaysian Embassy in Brazil confirmed the arrest and an officer at the embassy said a report had been sent to the Wisma Putra. Lina, Irene’s elder sister, said Irene was tricked by a friend to work as a tour guide for Visit Malaysia 2007. She alleged that Irene was betrayed by the friend.

She said the Malaysian Embassy informed her that Irene had gone on trial on Nov 21. She added that a cousin had managed to escape and made a police report but no follow-up had been carried out.

Our Local Dailies: Are they Doing Enough for Irene?

The Borneopost Online

The Eastern Times

I will be watching out for the news in our local papers this morning to see if they have highlighted the case or at least make efforts to update us since it has been spalshed on National television. After all, that is what the local newspapers are for. For the count I can say 48 hours after the news in TV3 I do not see anything. It would be quite sad to see if they do not pick it up - imagine if anything happened to our Sarawakian relatives outside the country and the local newspapers just don't have any idea about it even if it has been published in the national newspaper and news. I have highligted Irene's case to our Yang Berhormat Encik Alexander Nanta Linggi, Member of Parliament for Kapit. I thank you YB Encik Alex's prompt response and he in turn will try to get in touch with Yang Berhormat Datuk Joseph Salang our Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Let us hope get more news on what is being done to assist Ms Irene.

Update from 9 November 2007 New Sunday Times

Government Won't Intercede for Drug Mules held Abroad

Kuching: Do not expect the government to interfere - this is the reminder from Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum to women arrested overseas for drug related offeces. "At best we will send a lawyer or representative from our foreign mission to see that the trial is fair. Other than that, we will not interfere. The reason is that Malaysia has stiffer penalties for drug related offences", he said when asked to comment on the case of 22 year old Irene Manggie of Sarawak, who was arrested and charged in Sao Paolo for possession of cocaine.

She has been in prison for the last five months pending trial. Salang said Malaysian women should know better than carry bags to foreign countries given by people they had just befriended. "All they need to do is to open the bags to check the contents. If the contents are drugs, they should refuse to carry them." However he said in most cases the women knew what they were doing. He said they were prepared to carry the drugs because of the uge financial rewards. He said some of them did not even inform the Malaysian embassy when they were arrested. Salang said two other women from Sarawak had also been arrested in Argentina (where the case is pending) and in Japan (where the appeal is pending).

*My comment: Nadai Name wish to thank the NST (Sunday) reporter, Mr. Sulok Tawie for the feedback. The statement by our Deputy Foreign Minister was much awaited by many who wish to know the status of Irene Manggi. We hope that she will be given a fair trial. The purpose of highlighting the case here is to play my part as a blogger. If what was stated in the news was to be taken ito account, the name of Irene Manggi won't appear in any website in the last five months until it is highlighted in the Tv3 news and subsequently the national media. But now at least Nadai Name would have done its part in creating awareness that this young Sarawakian lady is in Sao Paolo Brazil, hopefully in the best of health and state of mind. Her family in Sarawak would at least be informed on her status. The local media in the State can create awareness that the world is an evil place especially in the world of the International Drug trade. They care not if you are a little known person from Sarawak. I hope YB Datuk Joseph was misquoted as he seemed to imply that most of the women were actually already guilty before sentence was announced. And for not informing the Malaysian embassies overseas when anything happens to them, Sao Paolo is a large place. For someone who have never been overseas I doubt that I would know where the embassy is and what the procedures should be. Lets pray for Irene and also for the others who are currently in unfamiliar territory. They may have been duped into becoming drug mules - whether they are aware of it or not, but it does not mean we do not have a heart. She can be your sister or your little girl..... let's hope she gets a fair trial.

Searching for Irene

There has been several cases of young Malaysian girls being used by International syndicates to smuggle illegal drugs recently. Buletin Utama of TV3 on 6th December 2007 reported about a young Sarawakian girl by the name of Irene Anak Manggi being held by the Sao Paolo Police in Brazil - suspected of being involved in drugs. Since this case is still under investigation by the Malaysian authorities, and if found to be true, it is hoped that the Malaysian Government makes every effort to ensure that Ms Irene gets all the assistance she is entitled to.

Click on the play button to catch the TV3 News Bulletin (6 December 2007)

Police Report made by Irene's family was highlighted in the news

Picture of Irene anak Manggi

We hope the relevant authorities can provide more information to help ease the anxieties and worries of Irene Manggi's family. We can only pray and try to contact the Malaysian Consulate or Embassy in Brazil on the status of Ms Irene.