DIESEL SHORTAGE IN SABAH

Yesterday, my 4WD was short of fuel so I headed for the nearest petrol station. I noticed that there was a long line of vehicles near the station. I thought there was an accident. However as I drove to the other entrance, I realized that they were queuing up for diesel.  

 

 The line was about a mile long

 It took about 20 minutes just to get inside the station.

An empty fuel pump - no diesel!

I reached the pump after about 45 minutes. I asked pump attendance for a full tank but I was told "Sorry boss, boleh mengisi 50 ringgit sahaja " (Sorry boss, only allowed to fill 50 Ringgits!). I was furious and asked why. She replied " ini adalah arahan daripada kerajaan!" (This is the instruction from the Government!). It's ridiculous! Our government could not cope up with the Prime Minister's slogan of  “People First, Performance Now”. I had no choice (no point to argue) but to accept the mere 27.78 litres and paid 50 Ringgits.   

To day's newspapers carried the headline "Diesel shortage getting worse". 

A state assemblyman on Friday asked the relevant authorities to seriously look into the diesel shortage at petrol stations that has been causing unnecessary anxiety among the people. He said he received many calls from the public who wanted to know the actual cause of diesel shortage. “I urge the relevant authorities to explain to the consumers the real situation, why there is a shortage of diesel?” said the Pantai Manis state assemblyman.

He also said that consumers were fuming over diesel shortage at petrol stations in several districts across the state.

Another newspaper reported that one of the causes of the shortage could be due to smuggling activities. It was very unusual for stations to run out of diesel for so many days and the the problem was most critical yesterday. 

The diesel shortage has hit hard on the transportation, logistics, courier and other business. Goods transporters and passenger vehicle owners were the worst affected, but the shortfall in diesel supply was also felt by those who use four-wheel-drive vehicles, a common choice in Sabah. I hope our government could come up with a mechanism to ensure there is always adequate fuel in Sabah.

Sabah is an oil producing State, this shortage should not happen. But it is happening! What is going on? The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives & Consumerism has failed their responsibility? 

According to the City Hall’s Cleanliness and Health director, Kota Kinabalu City Hall has temporarily suspended waste collection services at housing areas as its 37 garbage trucks were running out of fuel. Unbelievable! Was this a JOKE?

JALAN JALAN PARIS - The Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles, a former French Royal Residence is a national landmark and a world heritage site . It is located in the city of Versailles about 16 kms west-southwest of Paris. Versailles exceeded my expectations. The Chateau is incredible, the paintings, furnishings, gilding, hall of mirrors and so on were amazing. 

Statue of Louis XIV

On arrival, I was upset to see so many people queuing up. The line was more than a mile long. I later found out that the jam was caused by the security checks at the entrance. It took almost an hour for us to reach the security check point.   

Gilded gate at the Versailles Palace

Central Court of the Palace 

 

Close-up pictures of the beautiful sculptures and art-works on the Palace walls.

Queuing up for for a pee - it took me about half an hour to reach the toilet. The toilet attendance was very unfriendly but mind you, without her directive, no one could enter even there were empty toilets! Perhaps, this was the French public toilet management all about.   

Another queue to enter the palace. 

The corridors in the Palace. 

Royal Chapel

The ceiling of the Royal Chapel.

Snapped some pictures in the "No camera zone".

 These could worth millions, 

 

 Spectacular treasures

It's difficult to move as the whole place was jammed with people. I had a good time enjoying so many historical arts and furnishings which I had never seen before.

Walking through the hall of mirrors.

The beauties in the ceiling

 A fascinating piece.

According to the guide book, the gardens cover some 800 hectacres of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French garden. It's a must see for visitors, but I cancelled the garden trip as it started to rain. Beside it was cold and windy with a temperature below 10 degree Celsius.

 

Pictures of the gardens beside the palace. 

Overall it was a good experience to explore the the Château de Versailles. The tour to this  historical site could be a nightmare for some because of the long queue lines and limited toilets. If one could bear the cold during Winter and the heat in Summer, the lines and the toilet  then it would be an enjoyable walk to see the palace. Mind you, it's difficult to find food too. I found a small cafe just outside the Palace!

In my opinion, the palace of Versailles are not well organized for visitors - not user friendly. The French authorities need to take a hard look at how best to make the visitors comfortable. The queue lines, limited toilets and restaurants should be seriously addressed.

JALAN JALAN PARIS - here and there.

Paris is no doubt a city with plenty of churches, museums or other monuments to visit. Spending another day touring Paris,  these pictures explained our " jalan jalan"  here and there.

 

The Eiffel Tower

Conciergerie, a jail at the end of the 14 Century and remained till 1914.

Notre-Dame de Paris, also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is a historic Roman Rite Catholic Marian cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France.

Musée d'Orsay Museum.

Spectacular sculptures outside the museum

The love bridge of Paris - couples wrote their names on padlocks and locked them onto the bridge, then threw the key into the Seine River as a symbol of their undying love.

This smaller arch - Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel was built by Napoleon

 

  The Louvre museum.

The largest museum in the western world.

Typical old French buildings - French architecture.

Another magnificent and historical building in Paris. The Opera Garnier.

 Close-up of the golden sculptures mounted on the roof. 

 

Food for the day, in a French Cafe - simple but superb.  

Fettuccine with smoke Salmon.

 Stewed Salmon in butter and spinach.

A popular French cuisine - the duck confit.