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!