Assisting the Amazing

The absence of alcohol in the Malay world has been one of the features — remarked a number of times in these pages — of five years travel through the region. Reports of Russian and English hooligans in Paris, drink-driving in Australia and the rest was one thing; the more common and easily under-estimated lubrication that can give a particular cast to interactions and conversation is at least as large a factor. (Numerous friends and acquaintances down in the great Southern land will be scratching their heads.... A rechabite tee-totaling wowser now guys!) Where one of the corporate arms is absent of course others rush in. Nestlé in this case, a very large entity in this part of the world. Nestlé is "the No. 1 food company in the world," God Almighty help us! according to a long article in the New Straits Times here in Johor Bahru this morning. An announcement that the company plans to make Malaysia one of its chief procurement centres. ".... some 12 - 15 million Nestlé products are consumed daily in Malaysia.... — Maggi, Nestlé, Nescafe and of course Milo and Kit-kat." It had taken some months to become accustomed to the heaped Milo beakers at the drinks counters here, particularly Malaysia and Singapore. (There was less evidence in Indon. Even Phillip Morris had a lesser presence in Indon and perhaps indeed Coke too.) Down in Geylang Serai Zainuddin has been threatening for months now to confront the operator at Al Wadi over his proudly displayed halal certificate — fries galore, sweetened drinks of all kinds, yet boasting his Muslim credentials. What does harm to human beings cannot be considered halal in Zainuddin’s reckoning…. The old wizened Indian serving at Restoran Sheza here in JB cut a dashing figure in his brightly coloured apron and polo the other afternoon, yellow/red and green respectively, the advertising on the former making a new-comer gulp on his teh:
                    Maggi
     Assisting the Amazing

                                                                                             New Straits Times, Bloom's Day 
                                                                                                                                           June 2016