Red rambutans are generally considered better for their superior, consistent sweetness, while yellow rambutans often have a more acidic, tangy, or tropical flavor profile. Red varieties, such as the popular Thai Rongrien, offer a sweet, juicy, and aromatic experience, whereas some find yellow varieties to be sour.
The rambutan fruit? Oh, it’s one of my favorites. It tastes sweet but not too sweet. It is watery. It is easy to open and eat. Usually, no knives needed. Because the relatively short tree, it is easy to pick.
But if you want to eat rambutan straght from one batch or to pick it from the tree, be aware of those pesky red ants. Those guys are aggressive!
Red vs. Yellow Rambutan Comparison
Red Rambutan: Typically sweeter, juicier, and easier to find. The most common varieties (like R134 or Rongrien) are considered the standard for sweet fruit.
Yellow Rambutan: Frequently described as having a more complex, "tropical" taste (similar to pineapple or papaya) and can sometimes be sourer than red types. They are less common, often considered a novelty, and are generally seen as more tart.
Key Takeaways
Sweetness: Red (usually sweeter) vs. Yellow (usually more sour).
Flavor Profile: Yellow is often preferred for a unique tropical taste.
Ripeness: The best rambutan, regardless of color, is firm but slightly soft when pressed.
Note: There are over 200 varieties, so taste can vary, but this is the general consensus. Some premium varieties like the Indonesian "Rapiah" can be green/orange/yellow and are exceptionally sweet and dry-fleshed.
Like all local fruits, consume rambutan fruit in moderation to avoid health issues.
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MALAY parents are seemingly outraged at a revelation that the management boards of National-Type Chinese School a.k.a. SJKC are fussing over the high number of non-Chinese pupils taking advantage of the monetary contribution and allocation meant for the education well-being of Chinese pupils.
This was shared former vocal maths teacher of SK Gombak 1-turned-social media influencer, Mohd Fadli Salleh, who summed up the disgruntlement as “don’t bring this culture of not wanting to contribute to SJKC”.
“Fuh, there’re now grouses by the SJKC (management) board community about non-Chinese parents who are calculative to contribute to their kids’ school,” remarked the icon teacher who left the teaching profession in February 2024 after some rough patches with the education authority in a Facebook post.
“Those who send their children to SJKC must possess the same mindset as them, not being calculative about learning and actively contributing to the school (monetary-wise).”
‘Free ride culture’ not welcome
A scrutiny of cikgujoe_sjkc revealed an insight into the role of the SJKC management board a.k.a. Lembaga Pengurus Sekolah – a dedicated governing body responsible for the maintenance, development and administration of SJKC which may or may not exist in the so-called Bahasa Malaysia-medium national schools (SK),
Since many SJKC are government-assisted, these boards lead fundraising efforts for expanding facilities, building halls and improving infrastructure such as for the development of new classrooms or technology projects.
Made up of affluent members of the Chinese society, these boards eventually act as a bridge between the school administration, the community and the Education Ministry (MOE) to maintain the unique character of Chinese education by ensuring high-quality facilities.
“Many out there don’t understand that aside from PIBG (Parents Teachers Association), there is this thing as school management boards. The PIBG rate is similar for all parents across the board,” enlightened the poster whose post is no longer accessible safe for the screenshots that have gone viral.
“But major contributions come from these boards. The point here is allowing the FREE RIDER culture of non-Chinese parents to enter SJKC. Meagre contributions don’t really contribute … so they’re right to feel unjust.
In fact, I’m disgusted to read of non-Chinese parents who sing praises of faculties at SJKC while condemning SK.
Don’t bring the culture of not keen to contribute to SKJC … the eldest kid went to SK while the rest entered SJKC then compare the state of adequate facilities at SJKC. This is despite not forking out a single sen towards that cause.”
‘Racist, discriminatory claim’
While most Chinese parents can resonate with the sentiment raised by cikgujoe_sjkc, some non-Chinese parents may be offended by the former’s discriminatory posturing.
At worst, the SJKC management board members are viewed as having behaved in a “racists” manner when “many Chinese businesses and wealthy businessmen are donating to SJKCs for the sake of seeking tax exemption”.
“Imagine if the billions of zakat (tithe) money from Muslims goes into SK or SMK (national secondary schools) schools, they can be as luxurious if not better than SJKC. But that’s not the case because there’re eight zakat beneficiaries who need to be given attention,” fumed one commenter.
They are racists; they forget that SJKC teachers are paid by the government or that the SJKC sit on government land.
They talk as if they’re the only ones who make big sacrifices. Look st SK where even Indian and Chinese pupils have never been alienated, never an issue of high number of non-Malay pupils or even their teachers grumbling (like cikgujoe_sjkc).
Interestingly, Malay parents with wide horizon tended to concur with cikgujoe_sjkc with one commenter sarcastically telling parents who are reluctant to do their bit “to return to SK where everything is free”.
Another parent concurred that it is timely to bring up this matter “to create awareness among Malay parents who often complain about making PIBG contribution”.
“At least we know how much they (the Chinese community) dominate the importance of education FOR their children. Let’s change our mentality for the sake of our children’s education,” she enthused with another seconded that “SK can also be equally good of every parent do their part”.
“No doubt, all government schools receive government assistance. It’s just that whether their facilities are in good shape or otherwise depend on whether they’re supported by community donations or not.”
Beyond cikgujoe_sjkc, it seems that the Threads platform is abuzz with another so-called SJKC teacher or parent who exposed how “poor the PIBG collection is when it comes to Malay parents (by paying the bare minimum)” yet justified that “no matter how small the contribution is, we still share all the good facility”.
Although a minority of Malay parents agree with his ‘frustration’ , many, including Chinese parents themselves, deemed his action as being racist.
Tan Sri Azam Baki has no intention of quietly disappearing from public life after retiring as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner. — PIC COURTESY OF MACC
PUTRAJAYA: Tan Sri Azam Baki has no intention of quietly disappearing from public life after retiring as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner.
He says he still intends to contribute to the country and speak on governance and anti-corruption matters when necessary.
Azam, who retires on May 13 after 42 years with the Anti-Corruption Agency (BPR) and later MACC, said he would continue sharing his experience and views for the benefit of society and the commission.
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"I will continue contributing whatever I can to the country and society.
"If the time comes and I feel I need to speak, I will continue to give constructive opinions," he said during an exclusive MACC podcast session.
He said retirement did not mean a person should stop being productive or useful to society.
"I always say that men will continue working until the day they are carried into the mosque," he said.
Azam also ruled out joining politics or venturing into business after retirement.
"Politics is not my field. Business too, I do not know how to do business," he said jokingly, adding that he remained active in sports and was focused on maintaining his health and appearance.
He said maintaining discipline, health and self-confidence remained important even after retirement.
"People in hospital do not want millions of ringgit anymore. They just want good health," he said.
Reflecting on his years leading MACC, Azam said the commission must continue pursuing a "bold and radical" anti-corruption agenda over the next five years, particularly against systemic corruption involving procurement leakages and abuse of power.
"This is the time we need to be bold and radical," he said.
Azam said corruption in several sectors remained systemic and serious, requiring aggressive enforcement and operational effectiveness.
He said the public increasingly expected MACC to consistently deliver major enforcement actions and high-profile cases.
"What's next? That is always the pressure on MACC.
"After one arrest, people ask who is next.
"That is the brand and expectation surrounding MACC," he said.
Azam admitted the pressure of constantly meeting public expectations had been among the most stressful aspects of leading the commission.
"At times, I ask myself what else am I going to present to the rakyat after this," he said.
He said the pressure was amplified by public perception and social media narratives, which he described as impossible to fully control.
"We cannot stop perception, whether positive or negative," he said.
Azam said MACC officers should not become distracted by criticism or online attacks, but instead remain focused on operational priorities and institutional goals.
"I always remind my officers not to waste time on petty things. Focus on the bigger mission," he said.
He also warned future leaders against arrogance and complacency, stressing that no enforcement leader could succeed alone.
"I can challenge any leader of any agency. If he thinks only he is smart, then he is heading for destruction," he said.
Azam said transformation within MACC must remain continuous, with leadership constantly reviewing and improving operational approaches, procedures and strategies to stay relevant.
"Transformation is a living thing. What worked one or two years ago may no longer be relevant today," he said.
He added that leadership in an enforcement agency required firmness and zero compromise against corruption, criminal misconduct or disciplinary breaches within the organisation itself.
Azam revealed that he had continued ordering immediate action against problematic officers even in the final days before his retirement.
"I do not want to leave problems behind for the next chief commissioner," he said. - NST
Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the offer opens access to Arm’s computing platforms and intellectual property (IP) portfolio to accelerate the development of local semiconductor products designed in Malaysia. — Bernama pic
PUTRAJAYA, May 11 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's administration today handed offers to three local firms picked to spearhead the ambitious made-in-Malaysia chip design project, hailing it as a significant step in strengthening the nation’s capabilities in integrated circuit design.
Four tokens, including Arm CSS (Compute Subsystems) and Arm Flexible Access (AFA), were granted to Great Asic Technology Sdn. Bhd., SkyeChip Bhd., and Oppstar Technology Sdn. Bhd.
“Malaysia has long been known for chip assembly, testing, and packaging activities,” Minister of Economy Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said at the token handing-over ceremony here.
“This strength is important, but the future of the industry cannot stop there. We must move further from back-end to front-end—from merely producing to designing, developing IP, and creating our own technology,” he added.
The programmee is part of the strategic partnership between the Malaysian government and Arm Holdings, a UK semiconductor giant with an extensive portfolio of chip design Intellectual Property (IP) that helped build an ecosystem enabling over 350 billion chip-based devices to date.
Akmal said the offer opens access to Arm’s computing platforms and intellectual property (IP) portfolio to accelerate the development of local semiconductor products designed in Malaysia. - malaymail
Duo slapped with seven charges in the sessions court today.
Daud Bakar previously served as chairman of the shariah advisory councils at both Bank Negara Malaysia and Securities Commission Malaysia. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: Prominent Islamic finance figure Daud Bakar and a company director were charged in the sessions court here today with seven counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM10.55 million.
Daud, 62, and Norliza Tajudin, 53, pleaded not guilty to the charges before judge Suzana Hussin.
They are accused, in their capacity as directors and shareholders of Energy Eco Sdn Bhd, of being entrusted with RM600,000 belonging to Moideen Kunjayu and committing CBT by dishonestly misusing funds disbursed in two tranches – RM400,000 and RM200,000 – in breach of a contract.
The contract, a shareholders’ advance agreement dated June 22, 2021, and May 12, 2024, required the funds to be used solely to finance the construction and expansion of the company’s glove manufacturing business in compliance with shariah principles.
The charges were framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of between two and 20 years, whipping, and a fine upon conviction.
The duo also face similar charges involving RM1.95 million belonging to Koperasi Perumahan Sentul Pasar Kuala Lumpur Bhd, disbursed in three tranches of RM500,000, RM550,000 and RM900,000; RM2 million belonging to former deputy minister Mashitah Ibrahim; and RM6 million belonging to MyKad Kapital Sdn Bhd.
The offences were allegedly committed between June 22, 2021 and May 15, 2024 at several banks in the Klang Valley.
Daud previously served as chairman of the shariah advisory councils at both Bank Negara Malaysia and Securities Commission Malaysia. - FMT
