Thursday, Feb 4, 2016 Photo: The Star / Asia News Network Arnold Loh, Lo Tern Chern ALOR SETAR - Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah has been sworn in as Kedah Mentri Besar at Istana Anak Bukit here.The ceremony, packed with dignitaries, took place at 10.05am on Thursday. Ahmad Bashah took his oath before the Regency Council led by chairman Tan Sri Tunku Sallehuddin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah. Other council members present were Tan Sri Tunku Abdul Hamid Thani Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah and Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah.Ahmad Bashah's written oath of office was witnessed by Alor Setar High Court judge Justice Datuk Hashim Hamzah and Kedah Syariah Court chief judge Datuk Syeikh Abd Rahman Abdullah.Immediately after Ahmad Bashah was sworn in, his first task was to witness the conferment of medals to about 200 recipients from the Regency Council.It is learnt that former mentri besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir was not present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Two weeks ago, 14 Umno division leaders held a press conference to declare their loss of confidence in Mukhriz.One of their reasons was that he had failed to prepare Kedah Umno for the next general election.New chief caught with 'eyes shut' during swearing-in ceremonyNew Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah was filmed with eyes closed for several seconds, at one point during his swearing-in ceremony.He had apparently closed his eyes long enough to be captured live on TV and for viewers to react by taking photos of the screen.Pictures of his antic at 10am on Thursday quickly spread on the Internet and phone chat groups.But there was no sign Ahmad Bashah had dozed off because his head was obviously upright.Former mentri besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir took a cynic swipe at him when announcing his resignation on Wednesday, saying that he hoped Ahmad Bashah would not doze off during the ceremony.About a week ago, Ahmad Bashah was filmed with eyes closed and a hand under his chin at a formal state function, and Mukhriz supporters had played it up on the Internet.Many people who saw the latest pictures are commenting that this time, Ahmad Bashah could have intentionally shut his eyes long enough for press photographers to capture it.

Ahmad Bashah could not be reached for comments on the photos because his immediate task after being sworn in was to witness the conferment of medals by the Regency Council on about 200 recipients.I recently spent a few days touring round the beautiful island of Langkawi, which is one of Malaysia’s top tourism destinations. Many foreign visitors must fall in love with the beaches, spectacular hills and laid back lifestyle of Langkawi and dream of buying a holiday or retirement home or running a business on the island. Here are a few thoughts on whether or not this is a good idea: The good news is that thanks to the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) scheme it is relatively straightforward to obtain a long term visa provided applicants meet the criteria of the scheme. Under this visa you are not permitted to work although the scheme was amended a couple of years ago to allow visa holders to obtain part-time work in certain circumstances. Establishing a business locally is also possible.

You can find details on the Government’s official MM2H page. Even better news is that foreigners living in Malaysia under MM2H pay no income tax (except on any income earned in Malaysia). Pensions and overseas investment income are not taxed. If you have school age kids you need to take schooling into consideration. There are no international schools in Langkawi.  Unlike the Thai island of Phuket (only 100km away) which is a medical tourism destination, Langkawi does not have an international standard hospital. business for sale okotoks abThe local Langkawi Hospital would probably be OK for minor procedures and is no doubt really cheap. handyman services singaporeLocal hospitals usually involve lots of waiting. business for sale dunedin nz

More serious conditions would need to be treated in Penang or in KL. Even when you live in paradise you need to get out sometimes. Langkawi has a nice airport but to get to most places you will have to fly to KL first and change planes there. There are a few international routes from Langkawi; to Singapore, to Vladivostok (the island is popular with Russians) and to Guangzhou. Ferries link Langkawi to Kuala Perlis, Kuala Kedah, Penang and Satun (southern Thailand). handyman mountain view caHowever there is no car ferry meaning that you would always have to rely on rented cars or public transport whenever you visit the mainland. As far as I could tell there is only one large supermarket on Langkawi;  Billion, in the main town of Kuah. Apart from that there are numerous general stores and also many duty-free shops. The whole of Langkawi is a duty-free zone meaning that it has cheapest booze, tobacco and chocolate in Malaysia.

Since Malaysia has the second highest alcohol duties in the world, this is quite a benefit for Langkawi residents and visitors. Designer branded items are sold in some of the duty-frees. The main beach area of Cenang is lined with shops selling T-shirts, swimming costumes, flip-flops and other seaside essentials. If you Google ‘property for sale in Langkawi’ you will see relatively few results. The reason could be that the majority of land on Langkawi is Malay Reserved Land meaning that it must stay in the hands of Malays. Some property owners and vendors have devised various schemes to get around this requirement but in my view they all involve a degree of risk. It is unnecessary to take these risks as there are plenty of properties in other parts of Malaysia which are not Malay Reserved Land and which can provide the purchaser with perfectly clean freehold title. What are the alternatives? There are condominiums and apartments in Langkawi sold on a freehold basis. They are not always easy to resell on the secondary market if you later decide to dispose of your property.

Personally I would opt to rent. I met a middle aged expatriate couple who live on a boat in Langkawi. They cycle to Langkawi’s scenic spots and seemingly enjoy an active and attractive lifestyle. It might seem idyllic to be able to up-anchor and sail off to a new destination when they tire of Langkawi but this life would not suit our family. There is no room on a boat for all our junk (we have far too many possessions), it is not suitable for pets and there is no garden. And you need to be seriously rich as a boat is a depreciating asset. I have a good friend who lives in southern England who says that he would get very bored living in a place like Langkawi. I can see his point. In just five days in Langkawi I reckon I visited nearly all the places of interest on the island. But that doesn’t mean I would get bored. These days with the internet, YouTube, Kindle and so on you need never be without your favourite books, magazines, TV programmes and films wherever you are in the world.