Bank Review

Not talking about the financial disaster on which bank is better, but back to basics. A couple of days ago, I needed to buy a bank draft. Personally and for business, I bank with Maybank.

First, I went into Alliance Bank. After taking a queue number, I asked the cashier gal for the form. She gave me one. Complete it. Waited for more than 30 minutes before it was my turn. Guess what? She asked me for my account number. I said, I am not a customer. What the eff? She said that bank drafts are sold only to customers. I was mad. Firstly, I have already waited for 30 minutes. Secondly, the bloody form said I could pay by cash - meaning, I didn't need an account there. Thirdly, it is a paid service - meaning, I have to pay them or I have to buy it. The draft isn't for free. Buggered by Alliance. Long queue and super 'unfriendly' rules. Just imagine - I am not their customer now and they give me the shits. What do you think? I will sign up with them tomorrow? This could well be a case for the F-bomb.

Next stop was UOB. Singaporean bank in Malaysia. Worse still. Only one cashier working. So, the wait would have been long. Asked another office and guess what, the fellow hasn't got a clue if I could buy the bank draft.So, no UOB bank for me either.

Third - Hong Kong Bank. No queue. Super fast service but alas, they only sold it to customers. What the heck. Again, I have no idea why couldn't they be nice to non account holders. Last check, I have more liquid cash to loan out compared to some banks.

Finally, I went back to Maybank. Deciding to test them, I just completed the form to purchase the draft - didn't disclose anything that I have an account with them. I waited only for less than 5 minutes and it was my turn. No questions asked, just the money for the amount of the draft plus a fee. That's what I call being professional. Just simple business - demand and supply. No grandfather's story nor grandmother's requirements.

Nett nett, I guess I will stay with Maybank for some time to come. The rest of the lousy banks ( I like Public Bank too) can go F themselves. Imagine the irony of them, spending tonnes of money with marketing and promotions trying to get people to use their credit cards, and when you walk into a bank for a core transaction, they piss you off. Their marketing managers should really take note. Till then, my message to them is, F off!

Mandy, oh Mandy

Yup. Got Mandy to be my long term friend-with-benefit. Got her in bed, or rather, she led me to bed. Super horny gal with very sexy boobs... I think it is more than a C cup. I just enjoy seeing her enjoy herself during our xxx sessions.

As usual, I will keep our relationship discreet. Cannot possibly post every darn thing here. Hahaha. But will keep this blog updated.

The passing of Tuanku Ja'afar

I was in Melaka yesterday when I heard that Tuanku Ja'afar, the Yang Di Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan has passed away. Sad news indeed. I grew up in Seremban - so, Tuanku Ja'afar was the Head of State since I was born.

Never making much of the headlines, but I could remember him from my school days. He would be present for some functions. In Convent (no, not where I studied!), he would be there when the school concert was on. It used to be a yearly affair a long time ago. Don't ask me how I got involved. I was still a kid back then, so it has nothing to do with chasing skirts. Tuanku Ja'afar was usually on time for the functions and he sure did take an interest in the schools.

Such is life. Some how, I will miss my Yang Di Pertuan Besar a lot.

No pic no talk

I was contacted by a gal recently on Skype. She wanted to chat. Guess she was lonely. Not entirely sure what her motivation was, but something puzzled me. She did put her photo on Skype. I had my usual pub photo there.

To digress a little, it is a picture of a pub Reading, England. It was a 'terrible' trip for me. Before Reading, I was in Acton, USA - that's near Boston - for only 2 nights! Then, off to Reading. Arrived totally zonked out, severe case of jetlag. And knowing my good colleagues there, the first thing they did was to take me to the pub! Not bad at all. Nice quiet pub, good beer and great lamb stew. Feel kind of guilty, when I am travelling for business and the priority appears to be pubs.

Anyway, back to this silly gal. She started complaining it was unfair that she showed me her pic and I was not being opened. Making an issue out of it. After a few minutes, we just said good-bye. People... pay attention. This is the Internet. I could have just shown her my grandfather's picture ( I would use the one taken in 1950 - he looks great back then), and she wouldn't have known.

In other words, stop being silly and go around asking people for pictures. Hell, it could be anyone. What more, looks can be very deceiving. Sure, everyone wants to look good. Every one wants a partner that looks great, but there are other stuff that's more important. Attitude, the outlook to life is very important.

In the most swallow way, some say pretty gals are good in bed? Huh? I think looks and skills are complete unrelated. I have met some pretty gals who happen to be limp fishes in bed. Not very good. And trust me... when it comes to skills - that's the really important one. Who cares about looks!

Be careful with what we wish for

Not too many moons ago, Malaysians were wishing for cheaper petrol. Wish granted, together with a stinky economy. The moral of the story? Be careful with what we wish for.

I am also very surprised to learn - not many know how the economy works. Yet, without a clue, they invest heaps in share markets, or in bonds. They have no clue how it works. No clue how others scam the system. And more would even scam the scam. That would be me.

I have manage to make some money out of the down turn. I sure hope to make more from the stock market. But the thing is, if one doesn't know how it works, please don't dump your money there. Any vendor (that's the guy selling stocks, your broker or a unit trust agent) would never say their goods are not good. It is their job to say they sell the best. So, be smart. Learn more, before you part with your money for good.

One of my friends lost more than RM 100,000 in the stock market. She bought Timedotcom shares when it was high and when the main shareholders - UEM was selling like no tomorrow. Now, she's stuck with them. I told her last year to just get rid of all her shares and keep cash. She told her friends, and my friends, that I was a nutcase. Told her again to sell it in February - she said she wanted to keep it because of some losses. I told her to cut loss and just sell. She didn't. In the end, by September, she asked me for some serious advice. I told her to sell. She did. It didn't go down any further, but at least she has some cash now.

I am no economic expert, but the signs where there. Reserve banks started to raise interest rates last year, signalling a overheated economy. That's the sign to sell. When the Reserve Banks cut interest rates - it means shit has happened. I am no expert, but I just listen to the governors. They may not be 100% accurate, but they sure know hell a lot more than I do, in terms of economics at least.

Nett nett - just be careful with what we wish for. It might just come true.

The other position vacant

It has been sometime since I've a long term friends with benefits. H has been very busy. I have started going out with M. Let's just say she's has a nice set of racks and super sexy. Always very horny. We've been groping and kissing a lot, but no cigar yet.

Still trying hard to get her in bed. For some reason, she's a bit worried. Suspect it has something to do with her ex - that is, not wanting a serious relationship but misses the sex. Same here. Will work on it and will keep all posted. Can't wait to see her again. The thoughts of her alone makes me hard and horny.

***

Some months back, I've posted about a gal pregnant with twins and she did return to her home. Gave birth to the twins about two months ago, but the babies did not survive. Both died due to heart failure and lung complications. Indeed, it is very sad. Now, I am wondering if abortion would have been better. Or was it better by just giving the babies a chance? But what chances would they have for a underage teen runaway mother? The mother is young and broke. Gosh - she ate poorly during her pregnancy - often surviving on instant noodles and some soya milk. Spent a fair bit of my money buying and sending her food. And she had really bad skin. I've no idea what it is, but it is like rashes and think and dark patches on joints.

Alas, there was only so much I could do, and indeed her other friends helped her out. I guess we must really educate out teens on pregnancy and tell them all about how to prevent it - including staying away from sex. That's bloody difficult, as I would understand.

This reminds me of a Australian mother. She said, she would rather her daughter have sex safely in her own bed, then to do 'it' in some back alley or a dirty toilet cubicle. Or get filmed in a budget hotel while enjoying sex. So, this mother would say, yeah - it sure is hard to consent her daughter (of legal age but still young) to have sex, but no point it making her have unsafe sex. Que sera sera.

Position Vacant

By position, I am not referring to a sexual one, albeit that position is vacant too, for the time being. That's for another blog entry.

Trying to hire an assistant and trust me, it is extremely difficult to hire. Firstly, with all the internet and websites for jobs, applicants just apply for any darn job they see, without any consideration. In short, the employers (me in this case) gets a whole load of garbage. I have technicians applying for the position of Sales Managers. What the heck. Unsure if they can sell at all, to begin with. They sure did not sell themselves to me very well - in the sense of selling their resume to me.

Then, there is the whole bunch with names all typed in lower-case alphabets. Sorry, but I would hate to hire someone who cannot even get their own names correct in a resume. Some just have a terrible command of English. Others change jobs in about 10 months. Fresh graduates are asking for RM 3500 per month. Gosh. For fresh graduates, it going rate is only RM 1800, depending on field that is. Some ask for huge sales commissions. I usual ask them for some penalty if they fail to hit the target. Imagine, asking for RM 3500 per month and a huge commission. What the eff.

When I call them, endless bozos (both males and females) would ask "Where is your office?" The first thing on their mind is location. Hell, I remember my interview with Motorola Penang. The HR Director asked me if relocation is a problem. I laughed and told him, if the package is right, I would bloody report for work the next morning! In other words, screw the location. The overall package is important. If it is just location, try the Pizza Hut or McD in your neighbourhood. They have jobs too. Just remember to ask "Do you want fries with that."

It's never easy to hire someone good. Miss the old staff I hired in Nible2. Took me 6 months to get them, and they were great. In case you are wondering, yes, Motorola Penang did make me an offer. Alas, it wasn't good enough.

Let there be light...

Emergency lighting at home is a matter of life and death. Imagine a fire and the power is out. This is even more critical if you stay in a high-rise building. Let's say, still no smoke. But you do not have a torchlight. Mobile phone can provide limited lights. Try this at home. Completely blackout the place (and close the curtains too! This is to simulate a total black-out when there is no moon).

Do it when you are in the bedroom. Let's see how long do you take to find your house keys and have the front door opened. Mind you, it can be dangerous. Stairs are a hazard and you can trip over a large variety of items. Nevertheless, it is a good practice, in case of fire or a disaster.

In general, I have a Maglite Torchlight with me. Usually in my backpack - so, it is with me when I work, when I drive, when I travel. I own a small AA cell type - good enough. Why I like Maglite? It is very hardy? I've sent it flying down one floor before, by accident and it survived. It has a spare light-bulb. It is very bright. It is reliable. The cheap ones are not so reliable. Too bad, Maglite cost a fair bit. And no, they will not float, but I suspect they will have some that will.

Having a torchlight alone won't do well. It needs batteries. Test them and have them replaced often. I found a reliable batter to be Panasonic's Alkaline Battery. Duracell and Energizer leaks very often - from my observation. I have no idea why. They use to be good - almost never to leak, but lately, it's just bad. And they start to leak at least 2 years or 3 years before expiry!

Another item I am planning to invest in - emergency light. Cost about RM 80 each. They will automatically come on when the power fails. Very useful when things go wrong.

History Repeats Itself

Sad times in Malaysia, with the deaths due to landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa. That area has be so prone to landslides. I truly feel sorry and sad for the victims. I admire the rescue workings, working in a dangerous situation - mind you, they are hardly paid enough to just work, let alone in a disaster zone.

And the blame game continues. Who exactly is responsible. In my opinion, it is all about demand and supply. Without blaming the victims, Malaysians as a whole, has to be smarter consumers. We must wake up. If there is no demand, there will be no supply. Take for example prostitution. It's the world's oldest profession. As long as there is demand, there is a supply. Simple.

So, for all those buying houses - don't bother to buy houses in forest reserves or hillside. We have to be smart. We cannot leave it to a bunch of engineers with conflict of interest to say a place is safe. We can no longer leave it to the government.

Some residents want to sue the government. That's OK with me, but at the end of the day, that's really shooting ourselves in the foot. Why? The government will just use taxpayers' money to compensate the victims. Individually, nothing ever happens. Instead, I would suggest (or perhaps in addition) to bring back local council elections. Yup - kick the bunch of rascals out when they screw up.

Also - it is time to blacklist the owners of the developers. Don't bother to blacklist a bunch of private limited company with peanuts as paid up capital. That won't work. Instead, blacklist the individuals. Publish names. Publish their other business, and yes - boycott them. Hit it where it matters, and that's the wallet. Sure, it can be below the belt, but hey, life isn't fair and for once, it isn't fair in their advantage.

Really, it is time Malaysians take care of themselves. We cannot rely on politicians or acts of God to save us. We have to be smart. We savvy. Like cars, we just have to learn to buy better cars, instead of just "Wow - nice colour. Sexy design too". In short, time to look for some brains instead of just beauty.

What works?

Now that I've complained enough about what doesn't work for a gated community, what works?

Believe it or not, the answer can be found in the book "Freakonomics". They've found crime rate is highly correlated to abortion. I do not advocate abortion, but it does reach a conclusion - good family values reduces crime rate. If there is more loving care, parents are more ready for kids, the kids will grow up better. So, what can we do? My suggestion is do more charity work. It could be the orphanages, or work with problematic (as in discipline) kids. As usual, some kindness will go a long way. Speaking of kindness, I use to randomly pay toll (before I used SmartTag and way before toll rates were increased) for the car behind me. You sure get a lot of puzzled looks, but it is fun.

Another sure way, proven, of lowering crime is police numbers. The more police, the better. Crime prevention, crime deterrent and spend a lot of time solving criminal cases. If the criminals know they have a hard time getting away, they will really think twice. And putting them quickly behind bars will also help. Again, this is explained in Freakonomics.

The other policy is "Zero Broken Windows". The story is from urban areas, like cities. Windows are usually broken due to vandalism. That's how crime start. Today, someone breaks a window. Then, the notice that no one repairs the windows and certainly no one cares to catch them. So, they move on to more serious crime. As a community, we have to start with ourselves - make darn sure we do not flout the law, like parking illegally. If cars are parked illegal in our own housing area, what message does this give the others?

On the same note, even if it is a small crime, like a broken window, we must report it to the police. We must show that we care. And yes, we have to help the police solve the case. Those responsible for minor offences must be given the message "the law will get you". In here, it can be something small like a bunch of teenagers letting of fireworks in the field. It happened. And yes, I did call the police. The kids won't be jailed. They will just be warned. But that's the idea... if you do something silly, someone cares and the police will know.

So, if you really want to reduce crime rate, make sure you lobby for better police presence and please report all crime. If a police station is giving you trouble in Malaysia, the solution is very easy. Just send a fax to Bukit Aman - the headquarters. Bukit Aman is very serious, but they need information from the public. You will find that the police station in question will have new officers very soon.

Verification

Gosh. I am hopelessly sleepy now, despite the fact that it is 9am. Awaiting to go to the post office to try to invest more in Amanah Saham Wawasan 2020. A good deal, but darn hard to get.

Anyway, on the subject of a gated community, let's assume all is well, no protest. There is still one key element - a critical success factor. Verification. It has happened to me countless times. Each time I try to enter a condo, I will just mumble some names to the guards, and a unit number. Mr. Wong, Block C, will do. I mean, Mr. Wong is just as common as Mike or Dave in London. Because there is no way to verify the truth, the guards will just let me in.

The best I've done so far - I told the guards I would be picking up my friend, female naturally, from Unit B-17-5. Honestly, I didn't remember her unit number. I was unable to contact my friend to verify her unit number. Couldn't remember if it was floor 7 or 17. But B-17-5 worked. The guards allowed me in. When I met my friend much later, it was discovered that she was on the 7th floor. The part that boggles my mind - 17th floor does not exist. The highest floor is only 12th. Speaks volumes on the security provided.

So, if someone must set-up a gated community, please, for crying out loud - have a verification system. There must be a way to verify with the occupants if they are expecting visitors. This is indeed very difficult. There are privacy issues - I might not want my 18 year old friend-with-benefit being asked to many questions. On the same note, it is equally difficult to contact residents, and expensive too!

In short, gated communities have little chance to be extremely effective. It is a just a very poor attempt at security. Most of it are nothing more than a dog and pony show. Some will argue - but with guards taking down details, it must work. Yeah right. Think about it. Can the guards tell the difference between a genuine and fake or tempered ID? I am an expert on subject matter and I have difficulties. What makes us think the vehicle registration plates will be genuine? Or could it be a stolen vehicle? Yet again, there is no way to verify.

The mind boggles at the conventional logic, or lack of, people apply. All in all, IMHO, gated communities are nothing but a bloody nuisance - both to the residents and the criminals.

Unlawful Behaviour

An update on the latest on our guarded and gated (illegally) community. The shops nearby are up in arms against the gating. I am against it too. Guess what? Among them against the illegal road blockages, is a pub.

Good old Jeff has now threatened the pub owner. If he is against the blockages, Jeff will report to the Jabatan Agama Islam (Islamic Religious Department) that there are Muslims in the pub. What the heck.

Good move by Jeff. You know what? If I were the business owner, I would move out and replace the pub with a undertaker service. All I will do is get a few big ugly coffins and have them displayed prominently in the shops, ala 'open space'. What will these do? It will drive down property prices faster than anything else. Hopeless fengshui. Imagine waking up to a bunch of dead wood, so to speak. Businesses could reply with other solutions equally nasty, including but not limited to a snooker centre, a massage parlour (read illegal prostitution), some lousy gaming centres or just empty shop lots. Either way, it will attract the wrong crowd.

Moral of the story - the shops are part of our community. To be fair, these shops here have been good neighbours. They've never caused trouble. So, why the eff barricade the roads and potentially affect business?

More Apek stories

The other day, I was out for lunch with a bunch of colleagues. As a Mr. Y puts it, if they start speaking in Chinese, you know you are in shit trouble. The conversation was about the new law in Malaysia, requiring back-seat passengers to buckle up. It started when they asked me why I buckled up. Before I could answer, some wild ideas where thrown about.

Fact of the matter is, this is a good habit I picked up from Australia when I was there for four years. But my colleagues started to concur that the new law is just a way for the police to collect more bribes, and started to debate would the passenger or the driver be fined should a violation occur. I went, what the eff. They appear to be hell a lot more worried about the RM 50 bribe when it is their body (supposedly priceless) flying about in the car or hurting the passengers in front.

This is the biggest problem I've noticed about the 'Malaysian' (more like Asian) mentality. People do things for all the wrong reasons. The buckle up because of the police. What the eff. Honestly, the police is more worried about having to deal with the mess of having to pick up someone's brains in a traffic accident. Then again, some of them won't have much brains to start off with.

Coffee Money

Many months ago, a apek (old man of Chinese decent, speaks like a China-man, acts like one, looks like one, but isn't exactly one) complained about the cops. He alleged that the cops are very corrupt. He then related a story that just the other day, he was stopped by the police for no apparent reason while driving in a small town. Then they asked for his licenses, he had to hand them RM 30 (that's about USD 10).

This is the part I go, what the eff, apek? People stop you, you dish out money. Wei. If that's the case, I would also do the same. Just stop someone, and you get RM 30 - all in less than 5 minutes. Really, I would do it too. I doubt it very much if it is even a bribe. Why? Bribe, by nature, is to influence the way someone acts. So, if the police did stop them, maybe it was just a random thing. There could have been no offence, but what the eff - if you offer money, I would take. That didn't influence me in letting someone go (there was no offence to start off with).

So, thanks to the stupid public like this apek, they give the cops a bad name and then, they blame the cops. Frankly, it would be stupid if they didn't collect the money. After all, if someone is dishing out money (say if Donald Trump did that), I really don't see anything wrong in just collecting it. I am against bribery, but hey - it takes two to tango.

For the record, I've never bribe anyone before and will not do it either. Have been stopped by the police on a couple of occasions, but usually it's nothing more than just a glance at my driver's license. Fair enough - they are just doing their jobs.

Designed for Security, Not

There are two houses near my place, just complete their renovation. Every time I drive past, I look at it in awe. The renovation work is not too bad actually, but my mind boggles. The first house, has a new gate installed. The gate design? Square frame with horizontal bars spaced about 20cm a part. What the eff? Hey! It looks like a bloody ladder to me.

How on earth can someone come up with such a design. I mean, sure, you can love Jeff for his ideas of a gated community (refer to previous posts), but this is a new 'high'. The other house, has the same darn design as their fence. Horizontal metal bars, placed like a ladder, looks like a ladder, but it is not a ladder. But it darn well functions as one.

So, people, please ...unless this is a new trend, please think and design properly. No idea if it is the home owner's bright spark or were they taken for a ride. Either way, the mind boggles.

Rule by Example

This morning, I read that a fatwa has been issued to discourage / ban Muslims from doing yoga in Malaysia. No comments from me, as I am not a Muslim. A couple of days ago, a chap called Abdul Razak Baginda, formerly accused of blowing up a lady, walked free and held a press conference. That bothered me.

Putting two and two together, why isn't Abdul Razak Baginda is charged for khalwat or zina? After all, he did admit having an affair, which is haram (at least that's what I thought). I sure hope someone out there can clarify subject matter. Someone admits zina, which is - I think, haram - yet he has not been charged at the Syariah Court? Or is khalwat only charged if they happen to 'kena tangkap basah' by the religious department? I am still trying to figure out how it all works. The mind boggles.

Wally No More

Sadly, I can no longer be a Wally. Darn busy with work nowadays and with a shitty economy, I really have to get my ask moving. Before someone moves it for me. Don't get me wrong - I do work hard, but at any one time, I prefer to work smart. It's a fine line, but hey - why work too hard.

Been dating a pretty gal - let's call her M. Nice gal, very very sexy body and yeah - I hope to have a long term gf. Random fun is fun, but at times, something long term is good. Let's see what happens. It is sure damn hard to get a gf nowadays. Half the gals I know expect their future husbands to provide them with a RM 5000 allowance per month. That's almost my entire paycheck. Damn - some would want the money and it's fine if their hubby strays, as long as there is money in the bank. Sign of times. Other gals are already married to their work.

So hard to find someone who wants to be in a relationship. That goes for both guys and gals. Some guys want to play. Others, married to their work. Some want their dream cars. To me, I rather save some money, build a good home (mind you, not a house), and have enough to retire. Not too much to ask for right?

Malaysian Politics

Ah... So sweet to read that the Second Finance Minister for Malaysia Nor Mohamed Yakcop proudly anounced that Malaysians are safe from the financial storm as we have lots of savings. In may ways, that's true. But then again, it is also the government's idea - The First Finance Minister - Najib, who mandated that monthly contributions to EPF, the savings for old age, be reduced beginning January 2009.

This is when I go, What the Eff? Is Najib trying to ruin the country? Or is the Second Finance Minister lying? How does this all work out? Silly isn't it? And to think that Najib will be prime minister... oh lordy lord. Wish we have God Save the Country...

***

MCA on the other hand is busy killing itself. Chua Soi Lek is being sidelined and that's bloody obvious. The Number 1 in MCA says that's not the case. You know what? I say, in the next general elections, the rakyat will sideline the both of them. Whatever it is, Chua has done some good when he was the health minister. Don't recall Ong doing much. Then again, who cares... like diapers, they should be changed often.

The "Secret"

Notice anything odd on some people's Facebook or MySpace sites? See if you observe this - most females do not want to display their age. They will only disclose the day and month of birth. No year. As such, it is difficult to guess someone's true age. Photos may not do justice.

Look carefully. Most of these profiles will also have information such as "SMK Puteri 2000" or "University Malaya 2002". Well well. With this new information, all of a sudden, the age can be calculated immediately. People usually get their degrees, without honours, at about the age of 21 or 22. Completion of high school, or SPM in Malaysia, would be at the age of 17 or 18. Too easy.

The moral of the story - always be careful with what we disclose. Never tell too much. Or worse still, unwillingly let others know too much!

My new toy

Got myself a new toy today. A GPS. It was out of necessity rather than the fun of having one. I was getting lost way to often in the city. Anyway, I got a Nuvi 205 by Garmin for only RM 790. There was a promotion on. Got it from a shop in Sri Petaling's Endah Parade - IM Lifestyle. Friendly staff too, but they preferred cash term. Well, I could understand it well.

Tried it on the way home - it works well, despite its insistence to use tolled roads. Hahaha. I don't suppose it is ploy by Samy Vellu. Will test it out over the next few weeks. Yeah - it is very easy to use. I've only used a Tomtom years ago in Germany, so when it comes to GPS, I am an idiot. But I did find my way home.

Speaking on Endah Parade - gosh, that place is full of massage parlours now. Wonder if they are those that offer extra services.

Singapore Gone Mad

This is a clear case that the world is going mad. To be fair, Malaysia and many other countries are included. I've picked on Singapore for the sole reason that the Singaporeans have documented, very well, their moment of madness. I doubt it if Malaysia will ever be good as such documentation.

It has been proven that human beings are most worried about the least likely, lowest risk threats. I worry more about fuses than dying of a heart attack. And for me, the risk of having a heart attack is significantly higher.

I got really pissed off when I read the "Consumer Advisory - an Update on Products Detected to Contain Melamine", by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA). Report appears to be undated. First, it states that more biscuits were found to be tainted with melamine. In particular, there were those from Julie's and Khong Guan - both Malaysian companies. Report mentions some Chinese product as well.

On the tainted biscuits, AVA requires the importers and retailers to withdraw the affected Malaysian-made biscuits from sale with immediate effect. Products have been duly listed down. Sounds serious. It goes on to say that "All the 17 affected products will be destroyed under AVA's supervision". Sounds very serious indeed.

Later in page 3 of the results, it says that "based on the level of melamine levels detected by AVA, a consumer can safely take in..." Here, I will quote a few examples, of the "tolerable levels for an adult of 60kg weight (amount daily over a lifetime)"

• Hello Kitty Strawberry Cream Filled Biscuits (20g per pack) - 342 packs!
• Julie's Golden Kaka Crackers (500g per pack) - about 6 packs
• Khong Guan Assorted Biscuits (1 kg/tin) - 5 tins.

This is the part that I went....what the fuck??!! For adults, it is safe to take up to 5 tins of 1kg per tin of Khong Guan Assorted Biscuits? That's effing 5 kilos of biscuits a day! Over a life time before it is dangerous! Come on... who would eat 5kg of biscuits for the rest of his or her life? Or 6 packets of Julie's Golden Kaka Crakers. I am sure you will go gaga before the 2nd pack is over. Crackers indeed. or 342 packets of cream filled biscuits?

In short - the biscuits are safe for consumption. No one in the right mind will eat that much to suffer the ill effects of melamine in the biscuits. If somewhere were to eat that much biscuits, that poor chap might be obese or be dead from diabetics way before melamine gets him or her.

So, looks like some governments are just doing hell a lot of fear mongering. If you test any food product, bet my ass some lead will be present. Bet you there is mercury in fish too. But as long as the levels are low, they are safe. In any case, common sense calls for moderation.

Since the Singaporean government is at it, why not ban the following products: Johnny Walker - surely the consumer will be dead with just two bottles (1litre each), if consumed daily for less than a month! Or ciggies... proven to be dangerous. Hell - even drinking 12kg can of Coca Cola a day would cause serious problems. 12kg of water itself could lead to death - will someone please ban tap water? And don't even get me started on McD or Burger King. Those definitely sound more dangerous than the 'tolerable level' of biscuits. It is realistic to eat two Big Macs a day and die of a heart attack in a year or two - assuming a lack of exercise too. Not even a lifetime. Last check, nasi lemak was a killer too.

So, what the fuck? If I were the biscuit manufacturers, I would have sued the Singaporean Government. After all, they are such a small market, but putting up so much bad publicity. To be fair, the idiot of the Malaysian Health Minister was even holding a tin of Khong Guan biscuits during a press conference for added effect. That picture made it to the front page. I feel like sponsoring 6kg of perfectly good, untainted with melamine, Khong Guan assorted biscuits and ask him to finish in a day. I would love to see that!

For the record, I have no vested interest in the biscuit or FMCG industry. It's just sheer stupidity that gets on my nerves.

Financial Jokes

Got these from the internet. Very funny, given the current finanial situation.

One of these days, I'm going to borrow enough money to get completely out of debt

I've determined that this financial downturn is worse than a divorce. I've lost half my assets but I still have my wife.

The stock market may be terrible, but I slept like a baby last night. I woke up every couple of hours and cried.

Q: What's the definition of optimism?
A: An investment banker who irons five shirts on a Sunday evening.

An investment banker said he was going to concentrate on the big issues from now on. He sold me one in the street yesterday.

A man went to his bank manager and said: ‘I'd like to start a small business. How do I go about it?' ‘Simple,' said the bank manager. ‘Buy a big one and wait.'

The credit crunch is getting bad, isn't it? I mean, I let my brother borrow a tenner a couple of weeks back, it turns out I'm now Britain's fourth biggest lender.

Q: What is the difference between an investment banker and a pigeon?
A: A pigeon can still make a deposit on a BMW.

Q: What is the difference between an investment banker and a large pizza?
A; The pizza can still feed a family of four.

Q: What does a hedge fund manager with no fund to manage say?
A: Would you like fries with that sir?

Q: What is the capital of Iceland?
A: About $3.50

I tried to get cash from the ATM today but it said “insufficient funds.” I don't know if that meant them or me.

Mark Twain was ahead of the curve: “October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks in. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.”

Alarms

Home alarm systems are key to preventing crime. They will be the first system to alert you if anything goes wrong. However, it is only good if it is turned on. So, if you have one, please turn it on. It doesn't cost extra. Turn it on when you are out of the house, when you go to bed or when you have no intention of going out of the house for the next couple of hours - e.g. when you are having a romantic time in bed with your gf.

To select an alarm system is difficult. Chubb Malaysia used to provide some good ones, but rumors have it that they are no longer that good. The house alarm industry is a cowboy industry. Prices are cut, quality takes a dip. Bad systems are useless. They will have so many false alarm - crying wolf all the time, you just give it up. Criminals know that too!

Some critical success factors for home alarm systems:

1. When it comes to wiring, make darn sure the wire between the panel to the sensor is one piece. Never allow the contractor to join wires. Imagine, after plastering the wires inside the walls, the joining breaks. You will have a hell time finding the fault and fixing it. Wiring is the most critical. If the panel is bad, change it - it is easy. If the sensors are bad, have them replaced. But you don't want to re-do the whole damn wiring.
   
   
2. Ensure each cable is properly labelled. Else, no one knows what goes where after a year.
   
   
3. Better still, have the wiring inside a plastic conduit, or pipe. This is very expensive, but can be worth it.
   
   
4. There are motion detectors, or infra red sensors. Use them only for the roof / ceiling. For fuck-sake, please do not put it in the kitchen or living room. It will trigger tonnes of false alarm. You may also wish to turn on the alarm when you are cooking. No harm!
   
   
5. Most suppliers no longer provide good vibration sensors because they are very expensive. Look for one that does. Vibration sensors are good to protect windows, especially when the sensors are installed on grills. Any knocking or drilling will set them off. This way, you can leave the windows open for fresh air - but please shut them if no one is at home.
   
   
6. Ensure that the magnetic switches installed on doors are good. How to tell a good sensor? Quality ones will usually have CE, FCC or even UL approval. CE is a standard mainly for safety and emission of RF noise in Europe. FCC would be emission of RF noise for USA. UL would be the safety standard for USA. You get the idea. A sensor without any compliance to standards cannot be good!
   
   
7. Check if the main panel itself has any certification / compliance to standards.
   
   
8. System should have one internal and one external siren; and one external strobe light. For the sirens, have a switch - inside the panel. If you are at home, at night, you may not wish to have the internal siren on (but leave the external siren on) and scare the daylights out of you if it goes off. Similarly, if you are away for a long period of time - say a week, turn the external siren off but leave the internal siren on. Don't bugger your neighbour's Chinese New Year, for example.
   
   
9. Ensure that the system has two panic buttons. Press it, alarm should go off. One in the master bedroom, the other in the kitchen is usually good. Same goes for the keypad - there should be two. Panic button can be and should be located away from the keypads. Keypads themselves should have a panic button. The panic button should have a key - that is, once activated, you need a key to deactivate it.
   
   
10. Alarms usually have CMS feature - that is, it calls a Central Monitoring System if something happens. If you do not subscribe to CMS (since most of them is bullshit anyway), have the panel programmed to call you handphone instead. So, if there is no one home and your house calls you, at least you have a clue what has happened. You can then alert your local guards. That's what the guards are for, not for doing sentry duty and looking at cars driving in and out.
    
    
11. When the system is designed, think like a criminal. Where would you break in? How? Then, secure those areas with sensors.

Another very important note. If your alarms, car or house, keeps going off without rhyme or reason - be on the alert. You could be already targetted. Criminals are known to trigger the alarm off - e.g., kick your car to cause it to vibrate - some cars can sense vibration. They keep doing it until you are fed-up and turn off the alarm. Never ever turn off the alarm!

Let me know if you have any other suggestions. I am rather sure I have missed out one or two critical items.

Lights

Oh boy. Spending the whole night blogging isn't doing much good to my beauty sleep. Hope I am not to tired when I meet H later. That would be a waste.

Visibility is a key factor in crime prevention. It's a fact that turning on lights at night prevents crime. It is cheap, yet very effective.

But, there's something you must remember - do not give the criminals any information. For example, if you only turn on the lights when no one is at home, that's a dead give away. So, do turn on the same lights even if you are at home. Worried about the waste of energy? Install and use a energy saving light bulb. They use less than 10W of power. In Malaysia, if it is 10W, it will be turning it for 100 hours before it will cost RM 0.30 (USD 0.08). It's a bargain.

When you leave the house, remember to deliberately leave one room light on, or the kitchen lights on. Give the impression that there is someone inside the house.

Hope it helps. And if you must know, yes, I do it.

Show of Force

OK. Back to the problem of Jeff. Besides providing proper toilets, what else is a more effective use of guards? The first is, carry out a show of force. This was successfully carried out by British soldiers in Somalia. Every morning, they would put a good show - marching, fire some shots and fire some big guns into the sea. Make hell a lot of noise. And it was effective. Prison guards do that. FRU (Federal Reserve Unit - the Malaysian anti-riot police) do that. They do? Yes - they march by stomping their boots. Beat their shields with their batons. Shout when they march.

So, if you have guards, do the same. Make them march. Do a roll call every morning. Get the police to show up occasionally during such 'parades'. Frankly, it is just a physiological thingy. I am not advocating for an armed force of private guards.

Residents can do their own show of force. In UK, they have the Orange Hat Patrol - the Malaysian Rukun Tetangga (RT). RT works well. A group of residents, on schedule, would petrol the place. This shows unity. Think about it - I am sure we all know. When driving through a kampung, the pre- PLUS highway days, always go slow. If you happen to accidentally run-over a chicken, do not stop. Why? Because we all 'fear' that the united kampung folks will beat us up.

In reality, the same 'fear' can be used against criminals. The community needs to be united. That's the key. Show them that we are united. That's why you never hear of crimes in kampungs. True - criminals caught will be bashed up. I do not advocate vigilantism. But facts are facts. So, we need to do it in urban areas - that is be united, not bashing up people.

Start a RT - and patrol in bright orange hats. Why the orange hats? It is some kind of uniform and yes, it is highly visible. You want to be seen at night, for safety.

Another method - imagine the scene if at night, everyone turns on the light - odd numbered houses with their front lights on, even numbered houses lighting up the backlanes. That would be a sight to behold. Residence uniting and that's a good show of force. The message will be - try and you will be sorry. Right now, the one or two guards does patrol in this area, but since most areas are pitch black, I am unsure if the guards are equiped with night vision for the task. Oops - another idea for Jeff to spend more money.

Another very simple show of force - how do we interact as neighbours. If everyone knows everyone, greets each other, talks to each other - that means we are united. It sends the same message. Trust me, the criminals would be watching.

Isn't this better than a few oil drums and residences are seen fighting with each other? Show of force, either by guards or residences, are perfectly legal (blockin up public roads are not) and guess what - "Hello. How do you do?" is free. Time to love thy neighbour - no, no, not in the 'hamsap' sense.

Under Attack!

The worst that can happen is someone breaking in when you or your family is at home. This is especially so when they are foreigners / illegal immigrants. Or some violent psycho.

But should that happen, and if you deem it safe - the first thing you do is to sound the home alarm system, if you have one. Also, press the panic button for your car alarm. Let your cars make as much noise as possible. Turn on all the lights. Call the police. Call your neighbours. Shout for help. Lock yourself in a room - it helps if your room has a solid door.

I sure hope it never comes to this. The house has many weapons. Putting toilet cleaner and splashing it on someone can lead to blindness. Your usual aerosol spray - such as the trusted Shieldtox - is a good flame thrower. Light up the spray with a lighter (careful! It can burn you.) and it will throw out flames. Will it explode? No. The flames will not go back into the can and cause it to explode. There is little to no oxygen inside the can - thus, it cannot burn and explode. Don't overheat the can though - that will cause it to explode! And please note - it only works on the NON water based type. If it is water-based, it won't burn. Please note.

Something to note - even if you lock yourself in your room, there is a chance they will force you out by setting the place on fire, for example. The whole idea is, buy yourself enough time for help to arrive. So, if you so wish to, call the fire department as well.

Some of these are dangerous but everything goes when the situation is 'in extremis'.

Another safety note, not related to security - never ever mix bleach (such as Clorox) with other cleaning agent (such as detergent). The reaction can be violent and it releases a lot of clorin gas - which is toxic. A joker of my friend made that mistake when he was cleaning the loo. Bugger. Not to worry, he lived to tell the tale.

Ring Ring

After knock knock, it is only natural to think about ring ring.

The policy here is the same. To commit a crime, information is important. So, limit the amount of information you give the criminals.

For the same reason as turning off the bell when no one is at home, you should be very prudent with who gets your house phone number. If they cannot ring the bell, they will call you. That's actually better - they won't have to bother showing up to ring the bell.

How often do we give out the house phone number when we buy a new air-cond? Or when buying a new plasma TV? Or like some idiots in this area, publish their home phone numbers on the community blog, together with their photo and address? Sometimes, we do it without even thinking about it.

So, as much as possible, do NOT give out your home phone number to strangers. Use your cell phone / mobile number instead. It is hard to figure out where you are when you answer your mobile - unless the background noise is like the fish market. But that will at least give the criminals a run for their money.

If you are really careful, get either call forwarding or an answering machine. That way, even for those with your number cannot get much info out of you. Just forward calls to your mobile phone. Or have a machine, with a sexy welcoming message, answer it!

Knock Knock...anyone home?

So, enough bitching about dummy Jeff. How do we make our place safer?

And knock knock won't be a dirty joke like:
Knock knock.
Hang on dear... I am cumming.

Hehehe. Ok, I could not resist that.

When there is no one at home, please turn off the bell. It is fairly usual SOP (standard operating procedure, some call it MO - modus operandi) for the criminals to send someone round to check if anyone is home. The criminals usually call up a fast-food delivery service and sends a fake order to your house. If they observe no one answers the bell, that would usually mean the coast is clear. Some would just ring the bell before they break-in. So, turn the bell off when no one is at home. The downside is, remember to turn it back on! Else, your visitors or the postman might be pissed.

How to turn it off? Check the fuse box - there is usually one fuse for the bell. Try the fuses till you get one that turns the bell off. It will usually be a low-amperage fuse - e.g., fuse of about 5A. The fuse should be only for the bell. If you find it, and turn it off, make sure it doesn't affect any other appliances - such as the fridge. You don't want a warm fridge when you get home. If you cannot find the fuse, just get a wire-man and add an additional fuse to the bell. Easy! Cost some money, but hey - it does work.

So, if you start receiving pizzas that you didn't order - be on the alert. You are already targeted. Inform the police. Tell your neighbors.

The Moving Barricades

After about 3 weeks of starting this gated community thingy, nothing much has improved. It does give a sense of being safer, but that's all. There has been very strong protest from disagreeing residents. Public has also complained that roads cannot be blocked. They are public roads! But alas, Jeff thinks he has the right to reclaim all the roads.

There was a robbery. After the gated community started. Came by bike, and robbed a group of friends. Guards didn't know about it. So, it is not all that well. Now, Jeff wants to fence up the whole place. I mean, eff - do you want your kids growing up in a prison?

Comments vary. Jeff keeps telling everyone that if there is no gates and guards, your family could be next. So, someone asks him - if there are guards and gates, would he guarantee that nothing will happen? Jeff calls them unreasonable.

More critically, there are serious shortcomings. Firstly, it is close to impossible from stopping motorcycles from zooming in and out. Snatch thieves are usually on bikes. Then, this area has about 4 or 5 entrances / exits, after blocking up half of them! This means that the six guards employed are tied up with sentry duty. No more guards on patrol. So, even if there is a fence - just climb it, or cut it, and you are free to break-into houses.

Then we started noticing a more serious problem. Imagine this as a housing area. Where on earth are the guards suppose to go to, when they need to go? Yup - they need to walk all the way to the shops - thus leaving their 'checkpoints'. The irony of this place is, they need to go to the shops that Jeff has openly declared that the shops are not part of our community.

What happens when it rains? The lack of proper shelter puts everything to a stop. Some guards have just an umbrella, others have a hut. Either way, that's not enough shelter to continue to verify vehicles into the area. So, it fails, yet again.

Oh, being Jeff - there is still no statement of accounts, no telling who are the signatories to the bank account and still no clue how many is actually against this idea. I am all for a safer community, but for fuck-sake, please do something that works. This is just too "Barisan National" for me. Another resident has commented - if you think a bunch of disused oil drums (the barricades) and a bunch of foreign workers (the guards) can actually make the place safer, think again.

Another matter - if you need to use oil drums to barricade a place, please make sure they don't collect rain-water. Dengue is more deadly than snatch thieves. And imagine - this is a fairly well-to-do housing area - now barricaded with disuse oil drums. This bloody place looks like a scene from Somalia. So, please have some taste and have something proper.

Will CCTV help? Bugger, no. Remember the footage of the guy dumping poor Nurin's body? The entire act was captured on CCTV. Polis DiRaja Malaysia even sent it to the FBI. Alas, nothing came out of it. Why? Firstly, the image quality is bad. Just imagine, if you need about 150 dots per inch (dpi) for a person's face - what's the resolution you need for your CCTV covering an area about 5 meters by 5 meters? That would be about a 10 mega pixel image. Not many CCTV, (mind you - not a camera with a still image) has that resolution. How the eff are you going to store the images? And for a moment, let's say all the technology is there - someone could put on a helmet with a full visor and commit crime on a stolen bike. You try to beat that! As usual, Jeff now wants CCTV.

The part I cannot understand is, instead of educating the public, instead of teaching your kids to be streetwise, they decide to fence themselves in. What more, the measures don't even half work.

Hot Air - All the Talk

That would be Anwar Ibrahim. Good grief. When it comes to empty promises, he should really lead BN! Gives the whole lot in BN a run for their money. Many deadlines have past, poof! Nothing has happened. No credibility. Once BN, always BN!

So, my utmost respect goes to DAP. Firstly, they have clearly stated that regardless, Abdullah Badawi has been elected by the people. And he should be voted out by the people. Not some handover of power, or walk over by MPs. That's what I call doing things right.

I think overall, DAP and PAS is doing a great job. PKR, has somewhat lost its credibility. Another of my hero is the guy called Citizen Nades - the assistant (?) editor for The Sun. His columns sure pack a punch. Better than the ACA reports. Hahaha.

My thoughts on politics remains the same. Politicians should be changed as often as diapers, for the same reason.

The grass is greener

How's my new job, I hear a lot of friends asking. Well, a Mr. Yoong puts it the best. The grass is greener on the other side, but it is also harder to swallow.

It is a new industry for me, so, there is hell a lot to learn. I am use to the international business scene - domestic is a new creature to me. New bosses have a high expectation, which isn't good - because it means I can no longer be Wally.

To make things worse, there is these new culture shock. The shock of switching from XP to Vista. I still think XP is better. Vista is really Windows for idiots (aren't we all idiots when we use Windows). Great for my grandmother but hey, for the engineers, etc - this is an insult to our intelligence. I still believe in good old UNIX / LINUX.

Then, I have the shock of using Office 2007. A very over-rated type-writer. Page break is in one tab. Section break is another. What the eff. The bloody page number is a nuisance. You can never get it to number pages you want - it just numbers it for idiots. (You try counting down from iii, ii, i - then Page 1!). The damn thing doesn't do it. Page 1 must always be the first sheet. Ok - now they allow the second sheet to be Page 1 - by starting count with Page 0. But guess what - the last page will be Page 9 out of 10 - coz, it starts counting from 0, but the total pages is actually total sheets. Bloody idiots.

Compounded with the culture of the small workplace - e.g. "one leg kick" aka doing everything on my own, it sure takes some adjusting. There is also the new software X1 (cool searching tool), Mozilla (tonnes better than IE), Googles Doc (hate to say it, but I prefer Office! Then again, I think LATEX is the best), and Google Mail. You know, Google Mail is just plain silly. You cannot delay a single email. Say, I have this long thread of business email. Then, I get some returned mail (wrong email add, etc) - and I just cannot delete those returned email. Who the heck wants some junk to polute a otherwise perfect thread of emails? Buggers me.

OK - enough of bitching. It's the weekend and generally, I am enjoying it. Will be meeting up with H tomorrow. Yummy!

Farewell Nible2

Oh, and long last, I have left Nible2 with a heavy heart. The last day was last Tuesday, and yes, this is now Day 2 into my new job. For the past few weeks, there have been way too many farewell lunch and dinners. Putting on weight and not going to the gym often enough. Sure do miss my pals at Nible2. Cannot say I miss the problems!

Many have asked. How's my new job. Well, it is way too early to tell, but I do foresee tonnes of work to be done. It is not unusual for marketing to be lagging when the place is filled with engineers. It's just like all the Beckhams in a football team, but no goal keeper. Guess a team must just be balanced. Sure, we would love all-rounders, but really, I don't think such a person exists. All have our strengths and weaknesses.

The place is sure closer to home, but I am burning more petrol due to the traffic conditions. Bummer. Toll is slightly less.

Oh, colleagues, they are OK. One warning light though... most of them speak Mandarin. I will be able to work with them, but won't be great friends. More importantly, I sure as heck hope they don't have the china-man attitude. That would pretty much bugger me. Hahaha.

Enough about work. More later....

A long farewell

Haven't been updating this blog on what I have been up to. Basically, I am just enjoying my farewell. Perhaps enjoying it a little too much. I have daily farewell lunches and at times, even dinners. All in all, I have been eating way too much and not showing up in the gym. Needless to say, that's not good for the waistline. As always, I will worry about that later.

Spent the weekend with my friend visiting from Melaka. Did some shopping but all it all, nothing special. H has been extremely busy lately, I hardly hear from her. Time to get a new fb, and I don't mean Facebook.

Coming weekend will be interesting too. Another friend from Singapore will be visiting. Will spend Sunday night with her. As for Raya, I have no idea what will happen. Still in the planning stage. Might drop by JB to meet up a gal I have been having cyber-sex with. She's really hot online!

Car Jack

This is not an article about stealing cars. However, I sure as hell hope it doesn't educate would be thieves to break-into houses.

Most houses in Malaysia have metal grills on the windows, to make break-ins just a little more difficult. But really, grills are very easy to break. Some grills are well designed, sort of a door-like design, enabling the grills to be unlocked in the event of an emergency.

In any case, should there be a need to break a grill fast, use a car jack. That's the stuff you use to raise your car to change the tires. Car jacks can lift up to 200kg plus, easily. So, it can exert a very large force. It is very simple. Put the jack in between the two bars / grills. Then, start 'lifting'. Usually, this will cause the bars to break, if not it will open a large hole.

Car jacks could also be used to free someone trapped, e.g., leg pinned by a block of concrete. The word of caution is, the car jack is a good make-shift tool, great for emergencies lacking the proper tools. It will not be the best tool, and naturally, there is risk involved in using make-shift methods. Please get the experts such as the fire department to help first!

How to use your Autogate

I am aghast to see how some people use their autogates, i.e. - gates with remote control. Scary stuff that I've seen include: Gates wide open while some occupants are still getting into the car. Another scenario : car stops to open gate, kid jumps out of the car, gate opens, car drives in, mum gets out of car, yells at kid to get it, kid gets into the house compound, gate closes.

In the two scenarios above, there is ample time and opportunity for kidnap or robbery to happen. Why the eff let your kid jump out before the gates open? Someone could have made a grab for the kid. Why open the gates before you get into the car? Sounds silly too. But trust me, I see it every day when I drive to work.

I am unsure if mine SOP for autogate is the best, but here's something that sounds logical enough. To leave the house, I do the following:

1. Get into car.


2. Lock doors.


3. Start car.


4. Open autogate, drive out.


5. Ensure gate is closed properly before driving away.
   

When returning home, it is pretty much the opposite.

1. Drive in


2. Close gate


3. Turn of engine - ONLY after the gates have locked / closed.


4. Unlock car doors, and get out of car.
   

If, just if, anyone decides to rush in while the gates are opening, I will not hesitate to run him or her over. That's why I have my car ready to go when the gate is open. If someone rushes in, another good idea is to sound the horn. Make as much noise as possible. If so required, run him or her over. If their vehicle is in the way, too bad... reverse into it. Reverse gears have great gear ratio to push away obstacles.

You know, every so often, innocent people get run over in the driveway. Accidents do happen. Hint hint. Self defense is the great reason, especially if the guy or gal is wielding a baseball bat or a parang knife.

Drive safe. Learn how to use your autogate properly. If anyone has a better SOP, feel free to suggest. Hope this post can help make you just that little safer.

Cooking...

OK, the title is deceiving, but here's a little (ok ok... maybe more than one) advice.

If you have a gas cylinder / gas tank in the kitchen, for cooking use, my suggestion is chain it. Lock it. Make sure it cannot leave your kitchen easily. I hear you ask... what the eff for. Good question.

For burglars, it is now SOP (standard operating procedure) to break-in with minimum tools. They could be cost cutting too. Usually, one bugger will break-in via a window, toilet windows are good candidates. Once inside, he will make his way to the kitchen, if so required. Yup, if he has to breakdown a door, he will use the gas cylinder as a battering ram. It is ideal. It is heavy, but one man can handle it. It is very tough and yeah, every house (more or less) has at least one.

What doors might he breakdown? Well, at night, you pretty daughter could be asleep alone in her room, with the wooden, usually ply-wood door locked. At 3am, or so, someone breaks in, do you want them to see your daughter / wife (or maybe even a guy - they could be gay)? Your room door, in short, would be the last defence. So, don't provide the burlars with a free battering ram. Lock up your gas cylinders. Chain them. Secure the chain to an anchor / bolted down to the wall. Or chain up a few cylinders together. You should get the point now.

Yeah, if you can afford it, change the bloody ply-wood room doors to solid doors. As I've said, that's the last defence. Solid doors are better barrier against fire too. Think about it. Instead of paying some Bangla guards for half-baked gated community, we must take the initiative first.

PS: I sure hope this article doesn't educate some to-be thieves. But remember, it is a double edged sword. If you need to break down a door, for legit reasons - you know where to get a ram. Say, if your neighbour's house is on fire and you need to rescue his pet dog, use the gas cylinder to break the door, but don't leave the cylinder near the fire! You are duly warned!

Sitting Duck

One problem with amateurs like Jeff trying to come up with security policy is, they really have no clue what they are doing. In this aspect, Jeff is not alone. As they say, there are no shortage of idiots. What amazes me is, idiots refuse to listen to people with more experience. Trust me, I have try to do my part by posting on the community blog, but Jeff just censors them.

It is very common for cars to have "stickers" put on their windscreen. Stickers could be from their work place, some place for parking (such as season parking), their homes, their condominium or even some clubs, like golf clubs. The "stickers" are meant for the guards to allow these car some privileges, such as to enter a gated community.

That is all fine and well for the simple minded, but think about this for one moment. Just a moment. Do you want to tell everyone where you live? Hmmm. I am sure most of us would put up the sticker without even thinking twice. Nible2 has one, but I only put it up when I drive to work. Hell, I remove it when I wanna go to a club for a wild time.

Aha. Alarm bells ringing already? Good. It should be. If you go to a club, do a one night stand, do you really want the gal to know where you stay (more or less) or exactly where you work? Or what if you buy a huge plasma TV and Mid Valley and you load it in your car. Do you want to know tell everyone where this rich chap is staying? I do not think so. Or what if, you know government secrets? Or important trade secrets? Do you want to tell people you know it? Someone might plan to kidnap you or your family members. You know, as they say, some secrets are worth dying for... of course, the kidnappers don't plan to die. Just just plan to kill someone else until they get it. Even after they get it, they might kill someone to get rid of evidence.

What if you are a pretty gal, shopping in 1Utama. Some sickos decide to kidnap you or have his twisted ways with you? All of a sudden, just by looking at your car, they know where you stay, more or less. Or what if the mean guy in a SUV didn't like the way you changed lane along Federal Highway? You wanna let him know where you spend your time?

In short, there are many reasons and even more motive for someone to want to find out where you stay and work. So, why the eff advertise it on your car? Cannot narrow down to where you stay? Bullshit. Gated communities have very few entrance / exits, simple to reduce the cost of guarding them. This forces everyone to be routine. Routine - or being predictable - means you fall prey. All predator has to do is, wait for you right outside you guarded gates... and see where you call home.

Bet you never even thought what those car stickers can do. They can do you in big time. One can easily be a target for rapist, kidnap, espionage, or makes a hitman's life hell a lot easier. But what a layman overnight turned expert like Jeff know? Bet you he has never done any covert operations before.

The alternative...? Oh yes, if it must be gated, give the residence a RFID, long range, card. Card must not have any printing / identification marks. And to the very careful (some say paranoid), when not in use, this card should be kept in a shielded (metal, aluminium foil), envolope to prevent skimming. But that's another ball game... and trust me... I know the subject only too well!

So, if you have stickers advertising on where one can find you, think about it. Do remove it when you do not need it... Better be damn safe in this insane world.

Overnight Security Experts

I have been someone of an expert in the fields of security, working in a private agency, and yes, we work hand in hand with various governments. Yet, I have been extremely cautious in making recommendations. Things could o wrong so easily, when intentions are noble. That's why they say all roads to hell are paved with good intentions. How true.

One of my idiotic neighbours have decided that our area should be a gated community. Currently, it is public accessible, no common fence to separate our little community from the rest of the world. Each house have our own fence and gates, typical of most Malaysian house.

For gated community, the entire neighbourhood will have to form a residence's association, or RA for short. This must be registered with the government. Just paperwork, nothing too serious. Then, we, as neighbours will have to pay for the private security guards, plus the boom gates, plus whatever operating cost.

The worrying part is, this idiot, woke up one morning and appointed himself to be the champion of this. Suddenly, he becomes an expert in security for community. I mean, eff, he probably has not even done a day of law enforcement work. In any case, nothing has stopped this idiot. Let's call him Jeff.

Jeff manage to get some fools to form a committee. Well, we could all agree to that. RA is good. It's more or less free after all. Then, Jeff sends out a form to survey, to see how many supported the idea of a privately gated community. Then, the started pushing for support, really hard. Started collecting money. Some paid up. Jeff even started a blog for the community, but once again, Jeff appointed himself to censor the blog. Opposition to his fancy project were deleted, or not published. More propaganda on the blog.

In short, this Jeff of an idiot has been exactly like the good old BN government. RA has not been registered. So, we now have nothing short of an illegal association. He has started collecting money from the residence. Those not paying up will not get a car sticker. Guards will supposedly block access for those without stickers. He has illegally put up barriers on public road. Heck, this bloody mess is nothing less than gangsterism and collecting 'protection money'.

Anyway, more on Jeff and his idiotic ideas later.

Duck Shooting Committee

The Olympics just concluded a few weeks back in Beijing. Now, this blog is on another 'game' altogether. It is called a Duck Shooting Committee. Nible2 appears to operate with only such committees. This concept was introduced to me by my former Operations Director. He's a joker and I do miss working with him.

But firstly, what on earth is a Duck Shooting Committee? We are all familiar with duck shooting. Simple. First, you load your gun. Then, wait for ducks to fly pass. You see the duck, you aim and you pull the trigger. OK, I won't promote this bloody sport, but that's what it is.

On the other hand, the Duck Shooting Committee operates in a similar fashion, but with a twist. Same procedure. First, load the gun, then wait for the duck. However, the shooter cannot decide to pull the trigger or not. The Committee must decide. So, typically, the Committee members would yell "Shoot", while another would say "Don't shoot". It will take a lot of yelling, going back and forth between "Shoot" and "Don't Shoot" before a decision can be made. Alas, when a decision is made, the duck is nowhere to be seen.

The Nible2 Duck Shooting Committee takes decision making to another level of confusion. While the Committee debates to shoot or not, someone would always ask "Are you sure it is a duck?" A finance guy might literally just duck and hide under the table. The shooter might get fed-up and will likely turn the gun on his fellow Committee members. Alas, it is a bloody mess with no results.

As they say, the worst decision is not a wrong decision, but no decision. I have participated in my fair share of Duck Shooting Committee. On yes, sometimes, we meet individuals who cannot decide on something. That's who we call "A Duck Shooting Committee All Rolled Into One"!

Not to worry. No ducks were hurt while writing this blog. Come to think of it, no work's done either!

Nible2

Alas, I have resigned from Nible2. P is happy to see me leave, the HR manager. I am happy to leave. Many have asked, "why are you leaving"? Is it of Madam C? Is it because you are sad?

Hell no. Let's be professional about it. The only reason I am leaving is because I have a better offer. A much better offer. Don't just leave a place for the sake of it. Firstly, I have a 30% pay increase, and the workplace is closer to home. More importantly, the working hours are shorter. Management appears to be good. I use the word appear because I have yet to start working with them. And the potential is heaps better. They are making a margin of about 40%, with profit in the millions. That's certainly heck a lot more profit that Nible2. Don't mention about the potential to grow. With ex-Gratia bonus as well as profit sharing, I stand to double my income.

Madam C and P has decided to make my life miserable. Leave has been declined while I have been asked to work like a security guard, more or less. What I could not understand is, they did not even bother to ask me where I am heading. My employment clause prevents me from working with a competitor. You know what's sweet revenge?

It's working as a consultant, for a key customer! Imagine, I work for their key customer, say the Government of Malaysia. One fine day, when they are tendering for a big project... hahaha... yours truly comes along and gives Nible2 a big smile. I won't say any more now, but you get the idea... wink wink!

September 16

I remember a Lat cartoon, on the subject of the Pas - Umno debate many years ago. Lat drew a volcano, with much rumble and earth shattering effect before the debate. Alas, on the date of the debate, it was just 'poof', with nothing more to happen. Nothing changed. Life goes on.

It looks like September 16 is the same. About 24 hours have since gone by, nothing happened yesterday. Doesn't look like something will happen today. What an anti-climax. You know what? There isn't even a road-block setup by the police. At least they reacted when Anwar was arrested about two months back. But nothing on Anwar's talk of a change in government.

Lehman Brothers dominated the news. And life pretty much goes on. A bigger news would be Zaid resigning as the de-facto law minister. He has my full respect. He should be the prime minister. He has shown integrity.

I wonder what else will happen. I suspect there won't be much of a show. Boring. As I always agree... politicians are like diapers, they should be changed often for the same reason. I guess Anwar has had his days when he was with BN. Never forget, he was with BN! Which makes my mind boggle.... will the present King remember Anwar's doing of cutting petroleum royalty to his state when Anwar was the Finance Minister?

All I want is a girlfriend

Someone asked me the other day, what would I want in a gf? Good question. I am still looking for a gf, but alas, nothing much has turned up. It is not easy to find a gf nowadays, or at least a gf who shares the same values as me.

Must it be a pretty gal, someone asked? Of course not. Someone sincere would be better. Looks would be secondary. More important is... someone who would love me. Someone who would want a long term relationship. Not many are interested in long term relationships - I mean, those who are still single and available. Some has been dump by their bfs and they no longer want a relationship.

Just want someone who is interested in building a home, share things with, have tonnes of sex, someone to talk to, someone who can be my partner, I suppose. But it is not easy. Carry out charity work. Enjoy weekends together. Travel would be good too. :) It's always fun to travel with a partner. Hehehe.

Another thing - why do people give up so easily? I have seen so many gals, giving up on guys because they have had some bad experience. Never give up in life. Move on, try harder. Same goes for work. People just walk away too easily. Sure, do know when to walk away, but for the right reasons.

Lazy me... Goodbye to Nible2

Well, I have not been posting for some time, more so due to laziness than the lack of time.

First update. I've finally resigned from Nible2. I got a better offer from a very small company. I have no idea how things will turn out, but there is only one way to find out, that is to give it a try. It offers both profit sharing and equity participation. Nice - something which I have been looking for.

It has never been an easy decision to leave Nible2. Whatever it is, Nible2 has been a great place to learn. I have learn a lot while serving Nible2, everything from product management to marketing to operations. The most valuable is to be able to travel worldwide and make friends in many places.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. To best describe the situation is the song "Better in Time" by Leona Lewis. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, I will miss it despite the mess and the daily snafus. It will be a long and hard goodbye.

Looking for a new job

Oh, let's assume someone has found a new job. Now, what to do? The company makes an offer. You are the chosen one. But does it end there? Is it really what you want? Is it really better? There is no telling for sure, but here are some hints on what to do and what not to do.

1. Make darn sure that the offer letter provided, an actual signed copy, black and white. You must have one copy. If you accept after much deliberations, sign it and return one copy. Fair enough.
   
2. For fuck sake, never accept anything verbally only.
   
3. Offer letter must have your salary and position hired. If possible, ask for a job description too.
   
4. What is the probationary period? What happens if you are not confirmed after this period? What's the extension limit on the probationary period? Is the termination clause clear and fair?
   
5. Check on the other benefits. Confirm that amount of annual leave. Are you allowed to carry forward the leave? Medical leave and benefits? Any monthly car park passes? Over-time policy clear? Working hours clearly stated? Don't demand for all of this, but please do make damn sure you have taken them into consideration.
   
6. Check how profitable has the company been. Do ask them. What's their business plan or direction? In other words, try your best to do your due diligent that the place won't go bust. First, ask them if they have been profitable and how much is their turnover.
   
7. Next, get the company registration number. Go to www.ssm.com.my. Search them up and get a report on the company from SSM. You can either visit a SSM branch or via website.It will cost RM 15 but it will be worth it.
   
   If you want to use the Internet to get the company's report, go to http://www.ssm-einfo.com.my/uni/findroc.php. Best if you have the registration number (such as 3121-X) or the name of the company. You will need a credit card too for online transaction. It's secure enough, IMHO.
   
8. Now, study the report from SSM. Do look at their profit and loss, and the financial state of the place. If no information is found (ie, the company has not submitted it annually) - well, I suggest you forget working for such a chinaman place, unless they pay darn well. Darn well is defined as at least 35% more than market value of your salary.
   
9. If it is a listed company (Berhad) - good news. You don't need steps 7. Just get your information from www.bursamalaysia.com. Annual reports are available. Statement from Bursa can be more accurate as they are somewhat properly audited. Better than some private limited companies.
   
10. Caveat - some private limited companies are known to manipulate their accounts. They will always post a profit and pay some tax. They will never post a lost. They will never post a large profit either. But these reports will still give a picture of what's installed for you.
    
11. If it is a listed company, what is the share value? Has it been falling? Any dividends lately? Do fund managers think it is a good industry?
    
12. Check if they have had tonnes of staff leaving or not. If there is a mass exodus, well - do try to find out why. Surely something must be wrong.
    
13. First indicator of a mass exodus. Did the company advertise for 30 vacant positions from Finance to Production? If they are, are they expanding? If not, the only reasonable conclusion has been a mass exodus. Be warned! The rats have jumped ship.
    
14. Ask yourself what you really want. Is this what you want? But really, you should have asked yourself what you want before applying for the job!
    
15. Never ever leave a place in spite. Make damn sure you are leaving for a better place.
    
16. Try to sense if there is anything wrong. For example, if they offer you the job immediately after the first interview and request for you to start work the next day - your warning lights should start blinking. Why is it so urgent? Do they plan well? Is there a disaster looming? Most of the time, it shows really shit planning. You sure you want the place? I am not suggesting you don't take the opportunity, but please make an informed decision!

I sure hope this helps. I doubt if the list is comprehensive, but it should be the minimum checklist for due diligence for job seekers.

Pan or Fire

I got a duress call from a lenglui. It started off well enough. She was indeed extremely happy and excited that she got a new job offer. That's when I turned it into a duress for her. Evil me. No bloody wonder she isn't dating me.

Let's call her Indy. Indy has been trying to change jobs for the last 12 months. Reasons are unclear but she did sight workload and bad pay. Fair enough. On Friday night, she was so happy to message me to say she was offered a new job and she accepted it. Resigned immediately and her current boss counter-offered, saying that he would pay what the new company is offering.

Indy, being a very pretty (tall, slim with a nice set of racks), told her boss an amount a lot higher than the actual offer. In any case (this is when beauty plans a part), the boss agreed, albeit verbally. She must be a good worker too. In any case, she wants to have the last laugh and told me she won't be accepting the offer. Yup, the grass does look greener on the other side.

I then proceeded to test if the grass was indeed greener. Things started to unravel at an alarming rate. Firstly, this new company didn't even give her a formal offer. It was just a short email. WTF. She accepted that offer and resigned from her current job. She didn't have a clue as the benefits, amount of annual leave or working hours. She sort of assumed it was a five day week.

Indy did ask for a formal letter, but the new boss apparently said they were busy with a new project. What the eff. Sure tells me how much they value their employee. Also, it does sound like this company is somewhat unethical. More like too chinaman like. Bad practices all around.

She was happy that her pay would be 24% more. Yeah right. I broke the news to her that if it is not 35% more, it is not worth it. The reason is simple. For such a scumbag company, they may not honour the EPF (11% from employee and 12% from employer) and the tax, which I assume it to be about 7%. They will happily make the monthly deductions but will forward no money to the IRD nor the EPF. Now, this really got her worried. She told me it was a start up company. A risk of them running bust too.

Indy got so upset that she just went offline. Oh bugger. She could not handle the bad news. So, I texted her the solution. Easy. Just accept the counter offer. Now, start looking for another job. The next new job would even pay better. Hehehe. I am sure this is what Wally would do.

For all the free advice, she owes me a latte. Hmm. I was hoping something more hot and steamy. Que sera sera.

Marketing Decree

Wow, I have so much to blog about, all of a sudden. Had a great weekend but it would have been better if I had sex. Sadly, no sex was involved. Anyway, more about the good stuff later. Comedy takes precedence.

Just completed a meeting - I am suppose to be the chairperson, but Madam C took over. I was kind of glad too. One of our products is facing some problems and we are not sure if it is a real problem or not. The initial plan was to cover all angles, but Madam C knew better. The customer has been complaining like crazy on our product, on product failure, etc. However, the customer has been doing a bad job of filing a proper complain, that is to return defects to us.

Naturally, part of the task is to find out if there are indeed defects. That was part of my plan. However, the plan also included matters related to public perception. As marketing, perception is everything.

Alas. Madam C decreed that only quality matters. Perception can take a backseat. Wow. This must be the first time I've heard from marketing that perception is not important - in her exact words. So, now, there is a decree out there. Quality is everything. Stuff perception.

Author's note: I completely disagree. It should be hand in hand. As far as marketing is concern, perception is everything. Quality is the effing QA Manager's job. Sure, we help, but it is his job. Our job is perception. So, heaven help Nible2.

They appear to forget that when it comes to buying, it is all about perception. Same goes for dating. Same goes for interviews. Is quality everything? No. Take bottled water for example. Heck, water is till water. We pay tonnes for water that we perceive to be better. To be cleaner. Do we know for sure? Heck no. As far as quality is concerned, as long as the bottled water does not stink or taste bad, we will buy it just because we perceive it as good.

Once again, heaven help Nible2. I sure wanna get the heck out of this place ASAP.

Big Bang Theory

Heck no. I am not about to rival Stephen Hawkins. That guy is just amazing.

Some clowns has taken up the bad habit of smoking in the office toilet. Every day without fail, it will stink - it's in the morning. Pisses me off. Then I noticed, they don't even bother to take their ciggies out of the toilet. They just leave it on top of the walls between the toilet cubicles.

Now, a good idea dawned upon me. Yup - I thought to myself, why not take a few of their ciggies away. Dig out the tobacco, put in a small fire-cracker, and cover it back with tobacco. I am sure that could be done. Easily. My my. That nasty idea did cheer up my day. Imagine them, sitting on the toilet and enjoying a smoke. All of a sudden, BANG! Hmmm. Would they wet themselves? Or maybe shit? It's OK if they sit, since they're already in the loo. It would be fun to see them fall into the toilet bowl.

Oh well, don't blame me for having bad ideas. The government has already warned. Smoking kills!

Boss Management 101

Madam C has been yelling a bit and condemning most, if not all, of my ideas or plans. What the heck. Guess what? Something dawned upon me yesterday. She was suppose to assign me some work. After describing what she wants done she asks me what's my idea of going around it.

What the eff. She would be sure to condemn it anyway. So, I gave her the most stupid and silly idea I could think of.

Guess what? It worked. That set her off like a barrel of gun-powder. She went off rattling about how stupid that suggestion was - which I admit, it was the worst I could think of. She went off tangent about something else. And it worked. After all the explosion, she forgot to assign me any work. Or maybe she thinks I am hopelessly incompetent.

Either way, Wally has survived. Getting extremely little work and in return, he gets to enjoy a fiery performance. Hehehe. That's just boss management 101. Oh, am I evil? Yes I am. Never claimed I am an angel. If someone makes my life miserable, I will make his or her life even more miserable. My history teacher taught me that!

Time Goes by So Slowly.

It is like living in that song by Madonna. Madam C has been making life miserable for everyone, and now, it is my turn. Gosh, she has to be one of the worst boss around. Gave me a long lecture today, saying that her way is the proven way. Then, talks bad about a few other head of departments. Some lady.

The part that I cannot take it is, to her, everyone's idea is stupid. Everyone is stupid, for that matter, except for her. We were suppose to do a survey and I suggested we collect data at a bank. She said that was stupid. Sure, she had a somewhat valid point - the banks may not allow it. But hey, how would we know unless we try asking the banks? Why disqualify ourselves without trying? I was thinking... hey look, if you are so smart, why don't you suggest where we could collect data? Alas, she could not think of a better place. She was sure fast to criticize but lacks a better idea from herself. What the eff.

I am happy to take suggestions, but lacking a better suggestion, I really suggest we just go with whatever we have. Critizing without offering an alternative has absolutely no value add. I could really get my 'tukang sapu' (janitor) to just say everyone's idea is stupid.

I can least be bothered about her. Thinking of all the business opportunities which I could make some money from. It is not just Nible2. Working from a cubicle hasn't gotten anyone well off, let alone being rich. Nothing much great can come out of working from a cubicle. Einstein didn't. Bill Gates didn't. So, for me, it is enough for working in a cubicle. It is time to cross to the dark side and be a business owner. And screw the heck out of the poor cubicle workers. Wahahaha.

In the meantime, my colleague N has resorted to selling 'durian' puffs in the office. Another was selling underwear. I guess this is what happens when they cut cost way too much and things start to fall apart.

Pigs behind Wheels

The saying goes, if pigs can fly. I would say, if only pigs can drive. When it comes to creative parking, it is surely Malaysia Boleh!

Parking right next to a round-about appears to be perfectly normal for this lady. Heck, she even finds the time to chat.

Picture is taken outside a Chinese school, USJ 1. She appears to be picking up a young gal, after school at about 6.30pm.

Hmmm. Is this the example we wish to set for our children.

Another view of the pig in question. The number plate is WQG 9125. Wonder if it will show up as first price in the 4D draw tomorrow.

This was photographed outside a biscuit shop in Ipoh. The yellow line marks a bus stop. What the heck. This is not a quick dash down to grab something from the shop. This joker is here all day long. The owner even has stuff left on the car to sun.

Yes, Chinese area too. You know, some Chinese in Malaysia can be so racist. Saying that the Malays think that the whole country belongs to the Malays - just because the park by the mosque every Friday.

To me, when it comes to parking, it is equal opportunity for all. Everyone can park where ever they want. So, it is indeed the pot calling the kettle black. Hmmm.

Number plate: AFR 2211

WKR 4017 - hmmm. I wonder what goes on in her mind. She double parks. But do note the empty lots on the opposite site of the road. What the eff.

Is it that difficult to just park properly? Surely it cannot be that difficult. Lawlessness. Once again, this is for all. Regardless of race.

Another view of jokers stopping anywhere they like. Some say, it's the police's fault. Law enforcement is not strict. What idiots.

This is a scence from USJ 1, next to a tuition centre. Hey. Great example to the kids eh?

Some of them have such nice cars, but alas, money can buy style but cannot buy taste. It looks good, but it stops there. Gosh. This is just terrible.

From Hero to Zero

I own two cars, one Waja and a Wira. I use the Wira frequently and trust me, it is no hero. Some say that we must support the national car. Some say maintenance is cheap. Well, I think it is bloody expensive. Let's look at the string of problems I've faced. I service my car every 5000km, oil change is every 10,000km - I use fully synthetic Shell engine oil.

33,700 km - Throttle body needs servicing. If I change gears while going down hill, the engine stalls. My mechanic tells me there is a carbon build up, or some sort of dirt. No idea if he is bullshitting me.

47,000 km - Air-condition expansion valve is dead. Very costly to change this. Cannot believe that the car starts to fall apart. It is only three years old.

47,900km - Tyres are dead. It has started to de-laminate. Tyres were Sime Tyres. They are really bad. Changed to Goodyear tyres. More money spent. Seriously, I expect the tyres to last till at least 60,000 km. The thread is still good but it is way out of shape. Heavy vibration.

50,000 km - Clutch pump leaks. Have to change the darn thing.

59,000 km - Noticed a severe lost of power. Engine starts consuming engine oil. Changed back to full mineral oil. Carbon deposit noted on spark plugs.

61,000km - No more black oil left. Mineral oil did not slow the rate engine oil was being burnt. What a waste. Only 2000km and all the engine oil is gone. Severe power lost. Had to go for a major overhaul. Piston rings are changed. Cost RM 1800, including changing clutch kit, water pump, timing belt, gear oil and overhaul the gasket. Cannot bloody believe that the piston rings will wear out at just 61,000km. They should last till 100,000km. I don't even rev my engine about 4000rpm. And yet, it drops dead. Car is only 4 years old!

Feels that Proton has a terrible quality issue. Quality is not just having a perfect car at production line. The parts are expected to last. Stupid Proton must be putting in cheap parts and now, I am paying for it. Wish I had bought a Honda City instead.

63,500 km - Celaka! The radiator motor died. Can you believe this? What kind of shit problem is this? My grandfather's 30 year old car, with more than 80,000km on it still has the original radiator fan motor. It's a Daihatsu, by the way. Swears never to buy another Proton. Good thing I noticed the temperature rising. Otherwise, I could have busted the entire engine.

71,000km - Front right headlight bulb busted. What the eff.

75,000km - Less than 5 years old, the bloody exhaust leaks. Had to change it.

Really, I think Proton has serious issues with quality. The car is failing a lot faster than it should. My mum's eight year old Iswara is performing a lot better. No radiator fan issue. No worn piston rings. Looks like Proton moves backwards instead of doing things better. The biggest problem I've noted with Honda City is that the number plate tends to have numbers fall of. When it comes to number plates, Proton does well. But sadly, that's about the only thing it does well.