2 x 5 je ...

Couple days ago I went to a customer service centre of this particular world known brand because my gadget got broken and I need spare part for that. So when I arrived there, I requested for this particular spare part and the customer service officer in-charge asked me where did I buy the gadget? So I told the girl I bought this in the US. To my surprise, the girl told me that even though they have the part, she could not sell it to me because they only cater if I bought that thingy in Malaysia. I was shocked and asked her, why is that so? I just want to buy the part and I’m gonna fix it myself and if you don’t sell that part to me, where can I buy it? She responded by saying she does not know. Still trying to control my patient, I asked her politely if she could ask her supervisor because maybe he or she can decide otherwise. She told me that her supervisor is having lunch now (it was 2.30pm) and asked me to leave my hand phone number and she will ask the guy to call me back. I asked her can you call the guy instead to check as I came a long way from my house just to find the part. She was so persistent on her supervisor is having lunch now and refuse my request to call that guy. She told me to go window shopping or something at the nearby shopping centre and wait for the call. Wow! So, since I'm not a confrontational guy, what else can I do other than waste another hour or so waiting for that guy to call me.

Well, end of the day that guy did call me, asked me to come back to his office and sell me the part.

I should be happy right? Yes, I am happy. And no, I am not really happy somehow. This is because for some reasons, I look at the entire episode differently.

I asked myself can I get away if I treat my client/customer the way that girl treated me here in my office. The answer would be, Hell no!!!

If I did that, next thing I know, I would have been plastered in the next day newspaper at the complaint forum by saying macam nilah gomen office, lembab la, tak reti buat kerja la, suka pergi minum la, kuat tidur la, tak kreatif la and so on. And after that you will have some of the newspaper editors or their writers adding this 1970s example bla bla to show how lembab us work.

As I know it, nowadays Government Officers went great length to try to assist or satisfy the customer’s need, well, at least I know that’s the case in my place. If I take the above example, majority of my colleagues will definitely call the supervisor to get his approval because this is a simple matter rather than turn him/her away and we pride ourselves in taking that extra mile.

I guess these kind of situation happened in both private and public sectors. It is just that gomen bashing is a favourite pastime all the time. If you don’t believe me, try calling all those so call hotline for companies, banks, airlines etc. Berjanggutla baru nak dapat cakap dengan orang!

Sajak untuk Ibu

Not my copyrighted piece, just something that a friend of mine forwarded to me which really touched my heart ...

Ini sajak seorang anak buat ibunya..
Orang kata aku lahir dari perut ibu..
Bila dahaga, yang susukan aku..ibu
Bila lapar, yang suapkan aku..ibu
Bila keseorangan, yang sentiasa di sampingku..ibu
Kata ibu, perkataan pertama yang aku sebut..Ma!
Bila bangun tidur, aku cari..ibu
Bila nangis, orang pertama yang datang..ibu
Bila nak bermanja.. aku dekati ibu
Bila nak bergesel... aku duduk sebelah ibu
Bila sedih, yang boleh memujukku hanya ibu
Bila nakal, yang memarahi aku..ibu
Bila merajuk, yang memujukku cuma..ibu
Bila melakukan kesalahan..yang paling cepat marah..ibu
Bila takut, yang tenangkan aku.. ibu
Bila nak peluk, yang aku suka peluk..ibu
Bila sedih, aku mesti telefon..Ibu
Bila seronok, orang pertama aku nak beritahu..Ibu
Bila bengang, aku suka luah pada..Ibu
Bila takut, aku selalu panggil.. "ibuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
Bila sakit, orang paling risau adalah ..Ibu
Bila nak exam, orang paling sibuk juga Ibu
Bila merajuk, yang datang pujuk aku juga.. Ibu
Bila buat hal, yang marah aku dulu..Ibu
Bila ada masalah, yang paling risau..Ibu
Yang masih peluk dan cium aku sampai hari ni.. Ibu
Yang selalu masak makanan kegemaranku..Ibu
Yang selalu simpan dan kemaskan barang-barang aku..Ibu
Yang selalu berleter kat aku..Ibu
Yang selalu puji aku..Ibu
Yang selalu nasihat aku..Ibu
Bila nak kahwin, orang pertama aku tunjuk dan rujuk..Ibu
Aku ada pasangan hidup sendiri
Bila seronok...aku cari pasanganku
Bila sedih…aku cari Ibu
Bila berjaya...aku ceritakan pada pasanganku
Bila gagal...aku ceritakan pada Ibu
Bila bahagia, aku peluk erat pasanganku
Bila berduka, aku peluk erat Ibuku
Bila nak bercuti...aku bawa pasanganku
Bila sibuk...aku hantar anak ke rumah Ibu
Bila sambut Valentine, aku hadiahi bunga pada pasanganku
Bila sambut hari ibu...aku cuma dapat ucapkan Selamat Hari Ibu
Selalu ..... aku ingat pasanganku
Selalu... Ibu ingat kat aku
Bila..bila.. . aku akan telefon pasanganku
Entah bila.. ...aku nak telefon Ibu
Selalu ...aku belikan hadiah untuk pasanganku
Entah bila... aku nak belikan hadiah untuk Ibuku
Renungkan:

"Kalau kau sudah habis belajar dan berkerja... bolehkah kau kirim wang untuk Ibu? Ibu bukan nak banyak... lima puluh ringgit sebulan pun cukuplah". Berderai air mata aku. Hari ini kalau Ibu mahu lima ratus sebulan pun aku mampu. Aku boleh kirimkan. Tapi Ibu sudah tiada. Aku tidak berkesempatan lagi.. bukan lima puluh ringgit..lima puluh sen pun tidak sempat aku kirimkan! Hanya yang termampu Alfatihah, Alfatihah, Alfatihah.

Moving day

Today I packed and move to another room in another division. I know this is part of life, but leaving this division is somehow very difficult for me as I felt some kind of attachment to it.

This is where I have enjoyed myself working thoroughly amidst some ups and downs. I have also learned a lot here. I was presented with so many opportunities to improve myself as officer and person as a whole. I met strangers which later become good friends and having good friend become great friend.

Well, end of the day ... you never really leave a place or person you love, part of them you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind.

Au revoir!

The one with my birthday ...

I'm one year older today. Hope to be wiser, maybe even smarter.

Every birthday, most of the time I can expect few calls or smses wishing me happy birthday. It is always the best part of the day. However, this year I am missing one call, the one call that mean so much to me ... so very much ...

Ibu, I miss you ...

The one with individual taxi permit

Reading this piece in The Star today, I loud the Entrepreneurial and Cooperatives Ministry for this proposal to allow individual licenses for taxi drivers in our country especially in the KL area. The consortium mechanism that has been a practice all this while doesn’t really work in addressing the needs of taxi drivers. My agreement on this is purely on the earnings that will be generated by the taxi drivers, just that. You know, taken into consideration all the issues behind the increase of food prices, petrol and high cost of living. All the mechanism behind awarding the individual permit, I believe the ministry in their wisdom can really thrash it out and come out with a full-proof system.

During my occasional rides in the taxi, I met with a lot of taxi drivers with 1001 grouses. The one that always strike me was on the income that they gain everyday. I found out that they are really struggling on everyday basis. They work long hours but earn very little and they also need to pay the consortium owning their taxis ranging between RM30-RM50 per day which is about half or three quarter of their earning everyday. Sometimes, after talking to them, I made a simple calculation, say they earn around RM100 per day, minus taxi rental RM50 and minus NGV RM10 thus they have around RM40 a day to bring back home. So RM40 x 30 days = RM1,200. Plus sometimes no EPF, Socso and stuffs like that. That is such a small amount and please bear in mind that the amount I calculated was on the basis that if they work rain or shine, very long hours and for one solid month! No wonder they broke the law in order for them to gain extra money.

So, purely on this, I think this measure is quite right. Hopefully, if this proposal passes through, we have a better taxi service in the near future.

Champions again!

38 matches, 80 goals scored, 20 conceded, 87 points and we came to this … Manchester United is the champion of Barclay English Premier League. Chelsea after so much hoo haa, fall short yesterday by drawing with Bolton but it didn’t matter at all because United won the final match beating Wigan 2-0. United finished two points clear of Chelsea. A true champion and deservingly so, I must say!

It was United’s 17 championships in all and 10 title under Ferguson reign alone. What a remarkable achievement! And so many records broken throughout the season. Goals Ronaldo scored, record appearances for United by Ryan Giggs etc.

Glory-glory Man United, glory-glory Man United, glory-glory Man United as the Reds go marching up! up! up!

Welcome to the world ...

Welcome to the world my nephew, Muhammad Elman! Born on Monday, 5 May 2008 in Taiping.

Congratulations to you Ija! 4.1 kg! Wow! that's big. Anyway, may the newest addition in your family brings you greater peace, wealth and prosperity!

Mum would be proud!

The one with basket of fruits

When I was in Accra, Ghana for a UN conference recently, I stayed in this lousy hotel (2,3 stars) due to the unavailability of better hotel because so many people from all over the world came to Ghana for the conference. My room was okay I guess, I had better room before but I won’t complaint much. Simple guy!

Well, I was there earlier from the rest of Malaysian delegation since I was supposed to ensure everything is up and running by the time my big boss arrived in Accra. Anyway, I have a bit problem with the suite that they prepared for my big boss. The suite they provided was unsurprisingly very bad and I was kinda worried. So after some discussion with the Malaysian High Commissioner there, she was kindly enough to put her own carpet in the room just to make it nicer. She also prepared a fruit basket to be placed in the suite, so that when big boss came, look bit better with carpet, fruits basket and stuffs.

Thus we arrived at the fruit basket story ….

That afternoon, High Commissioner prepared the fruit basket by herself I may say, you know with grapes, oranges, apples, bananas etc and some decorations, it was nice with basket and all. So on the way to the airport to pick up the big boss, she stopped at the hotel and asked her driver (who is a Ghanaian) to go up to the suite and place the fruit basket on the coffee table.

So this guy went up, did what he was asked to do, came down and get into the car.

High Commissioner asked him, have you put the fruit basket in the room? He said yes, and dengan selambanya told the High Commissioner “here is your basket back!” High Commissioner was shocked and surprised and immediately asked the driver, what is this basket doing here? (of course with high pitch la) The driver replied “ooh, I have put all fruits in the fridge and I’m giving back your basket to you”.

Seriously I can’t hold my laugh that night ….

The best of education ... sort of

This morning conversation with my 5 year old son will make all Manchester United fan in the whole wide world love me!

Afif : Ayah, ayah which football team do you support?

Me : Manchester United, like the jersey that you are wearing now ...

Afif : Ahah, yes, yes. Ayah, Afif know which team "yang jahat" ... (the bad ones)

Me : Ok, which one?

Afif : Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea!

Me : That's my boy!

Ha ha ha ha ... Glory glory Man United!!!

Kenangan Terindah

aku yang lemah tanpamu

aku yang rentan karena

cinta yang telah hilang darimu

yang mampu menyanjungku

selama mata terbuka

sampai jantung tak berdetak

selama itu pun aku mampu

untuk mengenangmu

darimu ku temukan hidupku

bagiku kaulah cinta sejati

bila yang tertulis untukku

adalah yang terbaik untukmu

kan ku jadikan kau kenangan

yang terindah dalam hidupku

namun tak kan mudah bagiku

meninggalkan jejak hidupku

yang telah terukir abadi

sebagai kenangan yang terindah

The one with not-so-idiotic things

One of my colleague told me to share something light in my blog compared to some issues that I have discussed next time I update it. She said, since we work in a stressful place perhaps I should write something light just for the sake of fun. Ok la zaireen, you got your wish.

Anyway, this is actually a problem for me because I think I am not that witty enough or creative enough to write that way. I am cracking my head to think what can I write and I am afraid that I am gonna suck doing it.

Should I write about what I do in a day. Duh, boring. Probably tell people different kind of stroke that available in tennis game, even more boring. I am not going to any vacation yet to share perhaps beautiful photos with others, that can wait though. So, what's left in store?

Well, let me try. How about things that without I'm realizing it I do it in a day to day basis which really doesn't make any sense and suddenly you realize that it's habit for you and you cannot live without it. It must always be that way, whatever, whenever. And I am pretty sure that everybody has their own way as well. It's not superstitious, it is just that, preference.

Firstly, to think of it, I always like to hang my working clothes with only black hanger and the "cangkuk" must be on the left side so that when I face the baju I will be happy just looking at it. Ohh, and it must be this one particular black hanger, no other hanger will do. Hmmm ...

What else? Oh, I must always sleep on the right side of the bed, it's a must! If not, it will just feel weird. Which reminds me of one of the episode in FRIENDS where Tom Sellect was Monica's boyfriend. He said he must sleep on the right side because the sun is rising in the east or something like that. Well, he has reason and I don't have any. I just prefer it this way.

When I play tennis, I must hold the racket so that when I hit a forehand stroke, the damper's brand on the racket (damper is the shock absorber placed on the string) must not face the ball, it must face me. Somehow, I feel I will hit the ball better this way. Okay la kan, compared to some footballers who will always wear the same underwear so long as they are winning!

It is the same with double sided ping-pong bat, the black side must be for my backhand while the red side must be for my forehand. I just feel better hitting the ball that way. Hope it does not sound creepy.

If I think really carefully, probably I can come up with some more not-so-idiotic things that I do on a day to day basis but perhaps this is enough for now.

Now back to my real world!

The one with interesting names

Working in my current division is fascinating. The issue that we have to work with is very interesting and requires a very good level of understanding.

During the course of work, I found something even more interesting. Everybody knows about “meeting” right. I am pretty sure that everybody has attended a meeting one way or another, be it kedai kopi meeting, association meeting or even at world level meeting.

This world organisation that we need to go for meeting is very creative in naming their meetings, seriously. In my office or in my country for that matter, when we call for meeting we would probably say “meeting to discuss bla bla …” long boring name for meeting.

Well, in this particular world organisation, meeting names are short and catchy. Let see:

Green room meeting – Why green room? The color of the wall of course! I don’t know whether the color of the meeting room still green but the story behind it was that the first meeting was held in a green meeting room, hence the name. But don’t play-play, only Ministers can attend this meeting.

Signaling conference – It involves meeting on services where Members need to signal their commitment. I guess they want you to signal your intention but then if at the end of the day you didn’t want to do it, you probably can say only signal not consign.

Open-ended meeting – Talk all you like, noted by the secretary, then chairman of the meeting can choose whether to accept it or totally ignore it when they reconvene next meeting.

Horizontal process meeting – Every issue from different-different subject matter were discussed horizontally I guess, so trade here, give there, let go this, accept that kinda process, or I maybe wrong.

Room E meeting – Can’t go anywhere else except room E for meeting, maybe!

Enchilada talks - While enchilada is actually traditional Mexican dish which is typically made with a corn tortilla dipped briefly in hot oil then dipped in the chosen enchilada sauce (sound yummy!), the origin of this enchilada talk, I myself don’t really know. Maybe they serve enchilada doing the meeting or maybe the first meeting was in Mexico and they were served enchilada. Or maybe the whole process looks like enchilada. Similar like spaghetti effects of FTAs/RTAs, spiralling all over the world in one big plate!

Pretty funny isn’t it! This is just meeting! Don’t let me start on the terms used. So next time around folks, choose something alluring when you call for meeting … Something like “Damas Discussion”. Only officers that eat at Aji-Don everyday can attend!

The one with S-I-R

I am so happy!

Why I am happy? Because finally my prayer has been answered by a certain corporations.

This happiness was related to my previous posting where I was rambling on my loathe of a production named "Tom Tom Bak" because I felt it was a bad influence for everybody especially the young ones. Original posting here. Well, I am entitled to my opinion so if anybody disagree with me than I don't really give a damn. And I also said I rather have spelling bee kinda programme instead. Well, well well, Malaysia is gonna have one.

Back to my happiness ... it is because from April to August 2008, RHB/NST is organising S-I-R or Spell-It-Right competition for Malaysian schools. This is more or less similar to Spelling Bee competition in the United States where for all the ignorant people out there, this Spelling Bee is actually covered live by ESPN okay, a major TV network covering sports. Well, its about time a corporation with a lot of money come up with this and I hope it will be there to stay for years coming.

The S-I-R challenge, is divided into two categories - primary and secondary and will be conducted in two stages, the State Challenge and the National Challenge.The state challenge is open to 36 schools, and each school can send a maximum of four representatives. I Read somewhere that RHB is allocating close to RM2.5 million for this programme and I will say good for you man!

One day, I hope somebody out there has the power to pull off the plug on all the nonsense on Channel 611 especially the one with aznil and AC in it!

The one with three chefs

This is a story about 3 chefs.

Chef number 3 is named Peter Petrelli. Chef number 2 who is the supervisor for chef number 3 is Hiro Nakamura and finally chef number 1 who is the big boss is known as Sylar.

So the story is like this. Sylar asked Chef number 3 to go to Isketambola for a chef meeting to learn about the recipe of latest cuisine available to the world. Each country is represented by one chef and there are about 100 countries or so. So Chef Petrelli went to the land of the unknown to learn and discuss about the cuisine. Chef Petrelli was amazed with the cuisine and so excited by it. He learned and discussed about it with fellow chefs from all over the world. After few days, he went back to his country and ready to unleash the cuisine to his boss.

When he arrived home, he wrote down the recipe and how to prepare the cuisine. He emailed chef number 1 and CC it to chef number 2 about the recipe and the preparation method of the cuisine and waiting for his response and next instruction anxiously.

After a while, chef number 1 finally read the email from chef number 3. After reading the recipe, chef number 1 replied to chef number 3 …. “Please clear the recipe of that cuisine with chef number 2”

Chef number 3 was dazed, shocked and confused.

He asked himself, "What? How am I supposed to clear the recipe with chef number 2 when he was not even there at the meeting!"

The one with wearing batik

Now I am obligated to wear Batik every Thursday. That is equivalent to 4 times in a month! Well, that's a lot of Batik wearing! And it also means that I need to have one Batik for one week. I think I have about 3 decent ones so probably have to find one more.

Okaylah, I think the requirement to do that should be appreciated and will be very good for the industry but why should we have exception in red?

PENGECUALIAN

5. Arahan pemakaian batik pada setiap hari Khamis ini tidak terpakai kepada pegawai yang dibekalkan dengan pakaian seragam, pegawai yang menghadiri acara-acara rasmi seperti persidangan-persidangan antarabangsa, perjumpaan dengan pelawat-pelawat asing atau pegawai yang menghadiri majlis rasmi yang menetapkan pemakaian jenis pakaian yang lain.

Why not wearing Batik while meeting with foreigners? I do remember few overseas meeting and courses that I attended where the officers from other countries such as Pacific Island Countries and Africa proudly wearing their national dress. This is the best way to promote as surely when they meet you they will ask about the dress that you are wearing and if they like it they might want it!

I do recollect parted with one my favourite Batik because my foreign friend wanted it so bad!

The one with multitasking and prioritizing

Multitasking is the performance by an individual of more than one task at the same time.

Prioritizing is to arrange or deal something with in order of importance.

That was the definition for both words according to the free online dictionary.

I was told by that I must be multitasking in doing my task. What the heck? I am not, all this while? I was surprised when I heard that when I know for a fact that I was more like prioritizing my task at the moment rather than multitasking them.

For me, you need to be multitasking when you are face with many tasks at the same time with the same deadline for every task. But when you have a different deadline and mind you that the next task deadline was far beyond the other task deadline, and then I do believe we can prioritize and put the resources at hand to the task that will come earlier!

The one with the school fees

Year 2008, the new school term has started. To parents, especially the first timer in sending their kid, good luck in waking up your children. To teachers, especially the new ones, good luck in teaching the next genereation of Malaysian. At the moment, I am spared from all of this as my kid is still enjoying his crèche life. For me, the thing about school term is good luck for me on the traffic jam that I’m gonna face everyday.

Anyway, this year should be great for parents. No need to buy textbooks as Government has agreed that it will be free for all, rich, middle-class or poor. Even the RM50 school fees has been abolished. This should be louded!

However, in the past few days, everyday in the newspaper I read about parents’ complaint about other kind of fees imposed by the school. It ranged between RM100 to RM200 per student depending on what the school covers. It can be PIBG, computers, maintenance and I even heard cleaning of toilet fees. This has been the subject of some parents’ yapping for the past few days and I’m totally sick of it! I do feel that we are living in a society that expect too much subsidies in everything and this should stop sometime ... and it better be soon!

Seriously, I can probably understand if we are talking about hardcore poor family which I do believe should be allowed some slack in paying the fees or zero payment installment or something. But when you read in the paper or watch it on TV you can see the ones who complaint didn’t actually come from the poor. I would say middle-income earner with pretty decent car and some shiny gold bracelet or necklace wrapped nicely around them.

To this people, I would say this, if you don’t have any qualm whenever you change your sport rims or tinting your car’s window or adding your already heavy gold necklace on your neck, you should be ashamed of yourself if you complaint about paying some few hundred bucks for your childern’s school fees.

I hope we should start being humble and learn the word sacrifice. Our children is our future. Tell your son or daughter, I will pay your fees, I will buy your books but promise me to study hard as this is the investment that I put in you so that one day you can become someone who will give meaningful contribution to the country. Maybe this is too much but something like this la!

“It is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich”

Average graduate salary

While waiting for my turn doing something, I came across this article in November The Edge. It was about Watson Wyatt's 2007 Total Reward Survey in Malaysia. It was the 13th times, this company did this survey in Malaysia. They covered 114 companies both local and foreign in more than 10 sectors, among others automotive, banking, chemical, construction yada yada ... the boring stuffs.

Well, the thing that interest me on the article is this:

And this:

I do remember seeing one of my junior colleague who just entered Government with salary of RM2,800++. Now, that's something to ponder upon. No wonder so many people applying for Government jobs.

But then again, the one in the survey probably just the basic salary .... hahahaha!

Nowadays kid!

This conversation took place at Ampang Point between my wife and my FOUR year old son on new year's day:

Afif: Mama, please buy this for me ... (pointing at PSP)

Mama: You have a game boy already dear, play with that first okay ...

Afif: Alaaa, Afif suka PSP ... please laa ...

Mama: Mama didn't bring enough money la today Afif ... (bohong sunat)

Afif: Alaaa, kan Mama ada CARD ...

(I was laughing and got a mild headache rightaway ...)

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

To all family and friends ... may 2008 brings all of us more prosperity, joy and better life.