Tuesday, May 29, 2007

"Floating buildings" that are not afloat

In the land of "everything can do", one can find "floating mosques, floating restaurants and floating hotels"... although they do not float! But, say what you like, the media in particular, will say "floating' or "masjid terapung, restoran terapung and hotel terapung" in Malay.

There is a floating mosque in Kuala Terengganu, the state capital of Terengganu, there is one in Tanjung Bunga (not Bungah) in Penang, in the Titiwangsa Lake Garden, Kuala Lumpur there is a "restoran terapung" (floating restaurant) and near Bagan Lalang, Selangor there is a new "floating hotel".

The mosques, restautant and hotel are not borne on water, or to be buoyed up. They do not float or in the Malay language we say "terkatung-katung".

The buildings stands on concrete beams driven into the ground to support the structures. So they do not float! It is wrong to describe the mosques in Kuala Terengganu and Tanjung Bunga and the other structures as "terapung" or floating.

Let us be realistic.

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