Location of AES Cameras in Spreadsheet format

Here's the list of AES cameras. Displayed in spreadsheet format for the purposes of further analysis.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Here's to a coming year of freedom and justice. The struggle continues!

Love The Way You Lie - Parody

Love The Way You Lie

(MNM featuring Burn Ward)

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn

Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts

Just gonna stand there and hear me cry

Well, that's alright because I love the way you lie

I love the way you lie

BPA & the Health Ministry

Many people in the can food business fell from their chairs on March 14 and why is that.

BPA is Bisphenol A, an organic carbon compound and key building block for polycarbonate and epoxy resins. BPA itself is toxic and linked to cancer, erectile dysfunction and other health issues. Polycarbonate bottles are deemed not safe because of their tendency to leak BPA into the contents the bottles hold. On March 14, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai announced a ban on polycarbonate milk bottles nationwide because these bottles contained BPA. The ban was not immediate but from March 1, 2012 onwards- this went against the grain of the Malaysian public who called for an immediate ban instead of a delayed ban.

But why are the can industry people sitting up? How is this related to the ban of baby milk bottles?

BPA is the main compound in epoxy resin which in turn is the main material in protective coatings in our can food and drinks. All food and drink cans have a thin protective coating which is sprayed on the inside and outside during production of the can. Epoxy resin has been around in cans since nearly 50 years ago and it is the best ingredient to bond the protective spray to the can while providing resilient protection. The outer layer of the spray protects the dye (i.e can printings) while the inside spray prevents the usually acidic food or drink contents from attacking the aluminium cans. This makes cans one of the best effective methods to preserve and contain food and drink. However the problem is there is a slight migration of BPA (i.e. leakage or seeping) from the can-coatings to the food or drink pack. No one dies from a single can of soda of course, but it is a life-long issue- how many cans of tuna or coke have you consumed in your life-time so far? You can check out the scary findings here.

So again, on the question why the can industry people are sitting up. The can industry people, mainly comprising of chemists and sales employees, have known the BPA issue for a long, long time. As we know, the delayed ban of milk bottles in 2012 is purely due to commercial reasons. And for the same commercial reasons, local can-coatings producers and can makers will be quite afraid of a sudden public scare. No doubt that all the can-coatings producers in Malaysia are multinational players but the can-coating industry is throat- cutting and fragile- can-coatings are mainly shipped in liquid form in one-tonne barrels and sold in low-commodity-like prices. Any slowdown in canned food and drinks will deeply impact on can maker production lines which will in turn whack the can-coatings industry.

The Health Ministry will be taking one slow step at a time on this one. For one, not all main players in the international market have a replacement product for epoxy-based coatings (a related report is here). The replacement chemical is still new and is not as resilient as epoxy resin. It will be some time before all can food and drinks are BPA-free. For now, if there is a public concern on canned food or drinks relating to BPA the can-makers together with the can-coatings people will certainly rely on the Government like the baby milk bottle makers.

Politics + Sports = Datukship

I salute the Malaysian soccer team by winning something which has not been done for 14 years- winning the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010, and not just any team but over formidable opponents Indonesia. I hope this win will spark some inspiration for the current and future players to train harder and adopt that fighting spirit to win matches rather than just playing them.

Politics play in sports nowadays- and who cannot see it coming? Datukship, cash, cars, houses, etc. Give what you must and receive what you must (legitimately) but let's consider this Suzuki win a breakthrough and start concentrating in aiming to qualify for the World Cup ok? Maybe Team Malaysia can start to play a few friendlies with the teams in EPL off-season?

Sex and Divorce

"Did you know that I was a divorce lawyer once?", Margaret confessed without shifting her gaze on the busy street. We were at a sidewalk cafe somewhere (I think) on the Sukhumvit Road area; laptops opened to capitalize on the free wi-fi the cafe offered. It is 10 pm and the street is still bustling with traffic. I had just flown in few hours back before checking into the hotel; and was trying to maintain a steady stream of concentration on the laptop while having coffee. I was tired. I can't say that I enjoyed the coffee nor the e-mail queue nor the depressing Bangkok weather.

"So why did you changed lines- business no good kah?", I answered. Margaret was now a big-time regional corporate lawyer based in KL. A far throw from what- being a divorce lawyer?!

"Business was too good in fact," Margaret replied, with a hint of catching my sarcasm. "Too good. Infectious maybe. The pain of divorce got into me." "The last straw came when I was slapped in the face by a woman while trying to get custody of her kid."

I later found that the divorce business should be indeed good for the law industry- you can check out this study made here and sum up the conclusion somehow. Divorce rate is double digit percentage in Malaysia (I think about 15-20%?) but of course this is quite low compared to the 50% rate in the USA or some parts of Europe.

Margaret continued, "There are several reasons which lead to divorce- but somehow, it all leads to sex- the lack of it or too much of it." I wasn't sure whether I agreed with my colleague or not, but she definitely threw me off my concentration on the e-mails. "A married woman has to wear a few hats- as mother and as lover to her husband. Over time, a woman may be a great mother to her children but should also not forget how to love her husband as lover."

I wondered about the direction of the conversation and thought aloud, "Hey Marge, why you suddenly talk like this- are you talking about yourself kah?" But then, we were all a long way from home.

There was no direct answer from Margaret as smoke wafted from a long puff. I continued pounding on my laptop getting ready a 30 power point slide presentation for the next morning. We are all very busy people aren't we.

Shhhh....new internet access condition in Coffee Bean Outlet

Does this consider a fair trade practice?

On 11 October 2009, I landed myself in the Coffee Bean branch in MidValley. As I have to wait for my spouse to end a long session with whatever women spend on their face or hair or whatever else, I decided to spend some time on the internet in the Coffee Bean there.

I have surfed the internet in this branch before without any trouble. However, this time, when I connected my notebook onto the wireless facility there, a new service provider introduced itself. When I enquired the manager on duty, he informed me that Coffee Bean has just changed their wireless service provider “last week”.




Narration: service provider MASMO, Partner Bank: EON BANK GROUP



Narration: information required include name, IC Number, password, email address, phone number, type of phone, race, age group, marital status, income (split into Below RM999, RM999-RM3000 and above RM3,000)*, area of profession, citizenship, area of interest)
* anyone earning below RM999 and frequents Coffee Bean may have personal financial management issues and what products do EON Bank wish to market to them?


I am peeved for the following reasons:

1. We are forced to divulged private and confidential information in order to get onto the internet such as IC number, mobile phone number, income, age etc. High risk considering the capability of fraudsters nowadays and we have no idea how secured is our private and confidential information.

2. Coffee Bean did not inform its customers that there are new conditions for internet access, i.e. need to divulge personal and confidential information before being allowed to access into its internet services. This would mislead customers who might have changed their mind about paying for a cup of overpriced coffee so that he or she can justify the price tag with internet access without condition

3. The service provider MASMO, is linked with EON Bank. When you disclose the above information, it is quite possible you could be bombarded with various annoying marketing messages via spam mails and SMSs. This can be sheer nuisance and rude interruption as on numerous occasions when I am in a meeting or work discussion, I hear my handphone signaling an incoming SMS message only to discover that it is an irrelevant and useless advertisement.

Old Town Coffee which I frequent regularly provides internet access without condition. Even Steven’s corner in Jalan Genting Kelang also has condition-free internet! Plug in, connect wireless and off you go without fuss whatsoever.

Not only Coffee Bean has changed a material part of their operations, they also failed to inform its customer about the change. Previously Coffee Bean customers can access internet without this registration process and this would have caught most of them off guard. At the very least, they should put a visible signage disclosing the internet access condition.

I stand to be corrected here. Under the law of contract, there is the principle of implied terms. Implied terms mean although it is not specifically stated in writing, past conducts of the contractual parties in previous transactions can constitute the terms of a new contract for a subsequent, similar trade.

Hence if a customer has previously been paying the same price for a cup of coffee and get to use the internet access without hassle, does the sudden change by Coffee Bean here actually varied the terms and condition?
Yet Coffee Bean still accepts payment from the customer who thought the previous terms and conditions are still being offered by Coffee Bean. Coffee Bean did not bother to inform customers that they have changed the rule of the game. Talk about treating returning customers well.

The MCMC and Kementerian Hal Ehwal Pengguna should look into this “special privilege” accorded to themselves by Coffee Bank together with MASMO and EON Bank. I wonder who are the people behind this operation.
As consumers in a developing country, we should recognise our rights and not to be bullied by businesses.

What the Press doesn't tell you about Malaysia Airlines' 'World's Best Cabin Staff' Award

 Flying into the sunset: The tip of an Airbus A-330 wing against the crimson sun

SkyTrax, a UK-based research-consultancy company on commercial airlines, has awarded Malaysia Airlines the 'World's Best Cabin Staff' Award for 2009. MAS is winning this the sixth time since 2001 and in my personal books I have no doubt on the service quality of MAS cabin crew. My complain on MAS is mainly is MAS chief Idris Jala's target to reduce operating costs by RM700m to RM1b in 2009. It's eating into my flight experience with the following points:

- Size of meals on return flights have been reduced by half. Satay-rice is being normally served, the rice portion halved and mini satay sticks cram in to the other half of the cheapo lunch box. Busy business travelers mostly have to hit the ground running to attend to a busy schedule upon landing- the only time they have is on board the plane. Hence that onboard meal is a very important meal indeed.

- Meal quality has also dropped. Items served are more sweet, I mean sometimes they are really, really sweet. This includes cheap fruitcakes, chocolates, jam, biscuits, etc. Buns are as hard as rock at most times.

- My Enrich points have not been updated in the MAS system since September 2008. I do round trips overseas from 1 to 3 times per month, hence can you imagine the amount of flight miles I've collected.

- I called in several times to the Enrich phone number regarding my Enrich points but each time I'm transferred to a line which is not answered at all.

- I try to redeem my Enrich points but each time it is '...sorry sir, we are fully booked..' at any given time of the year. My points normally end up expired as a result of this.

- If you are flying to a destination below two hours' duration, MAS uses its small and old aircraft (the aging Boeing B-737s or Airbus A-330s). Aircraft are old and have this musty smell. I try to avoid this airline but because of aviation rules, short flights normally have transits if you are flying foreign airlines making the flight longer than it is.

A quick check on Skytrax's website shows the following results for its World Airline Awards 2009:

Now, MAS is not very high up for the best airline contest isn't it.

It's correct MAS has the 'best' airline crew, but it is probably  these aircrew who are saving the day, compensating for the lack of quality in other aspects of its customers' flight experience. MAS talks publicly about freezing staff recruitment and so on, but MAS is still hiring- hiring more process re-engineering people such as Six Sigma and Lean practicioners.

I just hope these people know what they are doing.

An appraisal of Malaysia’s industrialization

A lot of people credited Mahatir, justifiably, as the prime minister who brought Malaysia into the industrial age. His predecessors started the ball rolling and Mahathir carried the fight forward, aided by petrol money, a generally hard working and intelligent population, stable political environment and good legislative background left by the British colonists. We are rightly proud of our country being able to transform its economic structure and we must also review the pros and cons of this sustained and continuing effort.

Every school going children can recite the FDI and job creation slogan, a boast rightly used by BN in election and other rallying calls. Manufacturers are bigger employers than say, traders and farmers so job creation is definitely an upside impact of industrialization.

However, one must question 2 issues here: 1) high percentage of jobs created are mostly low paying operator positions and 2) a very high percentages of these jobs are taken up by foreign workers.

I wrote earlier that Malaysia is not creating enough jobs were people are willing to pay top dollars for. Trying to remain competitive in the FDI market as a low cost manufacturing destination actually means holding back the advancement of benefit and welfare of the population. Employing a high number of foreign labourers also mean that general wage levels are down. Labour union movements, for historical reasons and also because of high foreign content, remained under developed.

As a result, Malaysia may have and still creating plenty of job opportunities but while quantity may be there, quality of jobs created may have much room for improvement. A telling sight is the housing area near Senawang Industrial Park where a lot of terrace houses suitable for middle level income demography are either unsold, left vacant or cramped with foreign workers. This would put a strain on banks’ profitability and ultimately interest rates available to diligent savers and retired Malaysian citizens.

Another development is the mushrooming of illegal factories. Around Selangor alone, I read somewhere in one of the Chinese newspapers that there were as many as 3,000 illegal factories. These factories could have an adverse impact on environment as well as human/workers’ right issues. One must question why so many people resort to operating illegal factories. Is the licensing process too much of a hindrance? Or are Malaysians too much of a profiteer and disregard their social responsibilities?

There are many successful industrial parks in Shah Alam and Penang populated by renowned international brands. There are also less formidable areas such as Silibin, Sungai Gadut, Alor Gajah Industrial Parks populated by lesser presence. This is no disrespect to the hard working SMI owners but one wonders that after about 30 years of industrialization, where is the renowned Malaysian brand? South Korea, devastated in the 1950’s by civil war while Malaysia prospered by tin demand as a result of that war, have come up with their Hyundai and Samsung.

It would be great if Malaysia can boast of renowned international brands and we can actually see these brands scatter among the various Malaysian states. People do not need to leave their home town to find employment opportunities and this represent less strain on national resources on traffic and logistic matters especially during festive seasons.

After the failure of Malaysia Electric Corporation, Proton and Badawi’s nasi kandar stall in Perth, I raised my fingers and count the renowned brand by Malaysians: 3 in 1 Old Town White Coffee (seen this in Hong Kong supermarkets), Jimmy Choo (exclaimed by Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City) and Air Asia (by sponsoring BPL’s referee who until AA shows up, never had or seem to need a sponsor before).

Yes, we have moved forward in terms of changing Malaysia’s economic structure for the better but there are few key areas that we can improve on to raise the general level of living standards.

Malaysia's workforce

Source: Dept of Statistics

1)As at Q3 2008, Malaysia has 11.1 million workers of which 10.8 million are working.

2)Out of the 10.8 million workers. 6.6% fall in the 55-64 age group. That 6.6% is considered 'old' by some parties.

3)Out of the 10.8 million, only about 10% are paying income tax. The remaining balance of the workforce has salaries below the tax band of RM2,500 per annum.

4)Total Government revenue in 2007 was RM140 billion. 50% (RM70 billion) of that revenue came from direct taxes. Out of that RM70 billion, RM20.5 billion (17%) comprise of individuals' income tax. The rest are companies' income tax (46%), petroleum income tax (29%) and miscellaneous types of taxes (8%).

5)About slightly over 1 million workers contribute to RM20.5 billion income tax.

It is not only a question of the aging workforce as reported by The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry here. My former employer, now aged 60, earns up to RM2 million a year, excluding bonuses. Try beating that. Salary, we assume, is proportionate to skill set and demand for that skill set. The question is not of age alone, nor salary, nor skill set. Barking up the wrong tree.

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry should drill down as to why the rest of the nearly 10 million are not contributing tax. Well, we all it's the tax band for sure, but what are their training needs? Are these 10 million people doing alright or not? Analyze that data properly and see if they tell a story. From there identify what's really wrong.

Livelihood of yours and mind (2): earning capacity and distribution of income in Malaysia

I am extremely grateful and humbled by the generosity of the blog owner to allow me to participate in his blog as a guest writer. My views are mine alone and if you have a beef with what I have written, your objection should be directed to me and not to my gracious host.

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While we bitch about high cost of living, we might grumble less if our take home pay is high. Have you ever heard Christiano Ronaldo complained about how expensive a Ferrari is and he ain’t gonna get one? Rather, he bought one and recently wrecked it by ramming it into a tunnel before the eyes of Edwn Van der Sar. (Unless of course, you are a rich Ah Pek who hides your money under the pillow and drink kopi-o under a tree and call Old Town Kopitiam “robbers”)

We talk about how expensive Hong Kong is as a place to live in. I have a lady friend who has to share a 300 square feet apartment with her sister which cost her HKD3mil / RM1.5mil and yet with her assistant manager’s pay, has traveled on her holidays to Europe, Asia and the Pacific Isles, covering a distance that the once might Genghis Khan can ever dream of. Eat your heart out, Mongolian!

The question is, how can Malaysians improve their purchasing power? A respectable assistant manager in Malaysia has perhaps enough money to go to Redang, Bangkok or Vietnam after paying off his or her car and housing loan. Apart from the inflated costs we have to pay for, the answer certainly does not come from having tertiary education institutions that produces tens of thousands of unemployable graduates who has a liking for walking about chanting against competition and changes in enrollment practices.

We need to create jobs that people are willing to pay top dollars for. We need to attract, facilitate and encourage businesses that generate high revenue and profits. We need to have sufficient qualified and talented people regardless of race, religion, sex and cultural background to fill post or if not, allow foreign talents to come in and provide learning opportunities to locals.

Singapore houses regional headquarters for many multi-national corporations and together with Hong Kong, hosted a number of international financial institutions. Even Shell locate it biggest refinery in a little island off Singapore.

Malaysia is still heavily leaned towards labour intensive manufacturing activities. Not only this command a lower share of the value added within the supply chain, we ended up propping up the disposable income of households in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar and God knows where else! Mahathir’s attempt to create our own Silicon Valley has given us a misguided housing development project instead.

Changi Airports are filled with Caucasians, Japanese, Koreans and who have you that looked like high- powered business executives. In KLIA, we have high numbers of Indonesians, Bangladeshis, Vietnamese, Burmese and who have you lining up patiently to be herbed to plantation, construction sites, factories or secondary forests.

Our government of today must focus on creating an environment that would attract high value jobs as well as top businesses into Malaysia and that involves liberating immigration red tapes, improving infrastructures & safety, improving turn around time of the relevant federal, state and local authorities, revamping our educational system and provide a more “fun and liberated” living environment.

We Malaysians also have to look at ourselves. Generally, our employers prefer to keep more profits to themselves than to remunerate their people. On the other hand, employees generally want to earn more and work less. The way Malaysians approach work is also short of creativity and innovation. While Singapore is already on e-filing of statutory forms for example, many of the Malaysian small audit firms tend to employ runners ferrying documents to and fro from office to Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia.

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Which statement we hear more often in our work place? 1) “we need to brain storm to come up with a solution to this” 2)”well the previous guy did it this way so I am doing it the same way”. We need to constantly look at the way we do things to make our processes faster, cheaper, more effective and efficient. We need an education system that teaches us to think, innovate and a Malaysian mentality that allows people to be self-critical, experiment and learn from mistakes.

There must be a mid point somewhere for employers to willing to pay more and employees willing to work more. Decades of NEP have resulted in 2 kind of mentality. 1) “I need not work so hard because I am going to make it anyway” 2)”why bother working so hard? I ain’t gonna get it anyhow”

We need to liberate the mindset of Malaysians. I have the idea of making debating a compulsory subject in schools. Make debating sessions contribute 10% of the examination marks. This would force our students to think, articulate their thoughts, develop an inclination of logic over emotion, be more proactive hence become a better individual compared to one breed from hours of fact memorizing.

Malaysia also needs to liberalize union movement. Let employees have an avenue to defend their rights and a representative voice to talk to employers. The days of communism are over. If banks can have their union, why not the other sectors? We don’t see Karl Marx, Chin Peng and Lenin wannabes populating the leadership of Persatuan Pekerja Maybank do we?

Distribution of income is a big problem in Malaysia and is no way resembles the dacing insignia of Barisan Nasional. I have seen Sabahans’ attap houses built next to the tar roads above some stinking water patch and I have seen mansions in Damansara dan Taman Tun. In Japan and Europe the income gap is perhaps half of Malaysia. Again, how many of us heard the good old gospel of “it is not what you know but who you know.” Not many of us can go far if we do not know somebody of importance.

Malaysians need to look at granting opportunities to their fellow countrymen base on ability, not on network and relationship alone. One prime example is who is more qualified to be the Finance Minister of Malaysia from within UMNO ranks? Tengku Razaleigh who was one of the founders of Petronas or Dato’ Seri Najib, whose qualification to head the F Ministry is because of ….. can someone help me here???

The government of the day has a subtle role in moulding the people’s thought and practices, more than we ever aware. If our federal and state governments operate on open tendering, meritocracy, efficient and transparent mode hence allowing the population to feel the benefit of these practices, Malaysians from all walks of life will tend to follow suit. To prove my theory is right or wrong, it is up to the elected government of the day!

Lastly, another important role the government plays in distribution of income is its role in welfare. Let me ask you guys a question: “where is the nearest Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat around your house and what can you get from them?” Ok that was 2 but hell, here is another one “have you seen a JKM team walking about your neighbourhood identifying people that require assistance?”

My answer would be “No, but I have seen 2 alien spaceships, a herd of abominable snowmen, Bala the declarator, YB Hee Yit Foong and 5 orang bunian. Nope, ain’t no welfare officers around.” If there are 3 “yes” to the question, then there is a huge improvement in re-distribution of income from the haves to the haves not.

Lastly, all my best wishes to all in this difficult economic climate.

Livelihood of yours and mine: how can the country helps itself and its people

I once came across a Taiwanese comic where the father chided the whole family, “Our bills have gone out of control! We will have a family meeting now and you all should examine yourselves!” The mother, son and daughter huddled together and after a quick discussion, shot back, “we have identified the root of the problem dad, you simply do not earn enough!”

Malaysians have been facing livelihood issues for decades. In my humble opinion, there are 2 sides of the issue – high cost of living and unfair distribution of income resulting in certain quarters not earning enough.

Here is my 2 cents worth on the first part, i.e. high cost of living.

I suppose most of us would view the prices we pay for goods and services comprise of cost of production plus the profit element to the business. In Malaysia, there is every possibility that the price we pay for consist of cost of production, cost of inefficiency, cost of corruption, normal profits and super normal profits hence the phenomenon of significant price increases we see every day.

I remembered back in the mid 1990’s, a plate of mixed rice near my office cost me RM1.80 but now I am lucky if I can pay RM4.00 to get something similar. That is a whopping 122% increase over some 15 years and a simple average of 8% per annum. Talk to the hawkers and their living standard might not differ too much from 15 years ago except for hand phones and Astro. Where did our money go?

Modern business modules advocate shorter supply chain, which would guarantee freshness, lower prices and shorter delivery time. One thing that is not transparent to all and sundry is the supply chain in Malaysia. I hope the Domestic Trade Ministry can make public the supply chain of common goods and services. We can then see how many times the goods changed hands from producers, distributors, deals, retailers and eventually to you and me.

The Malaysian defense ministry needs a consultant to assist it to deal with French submarine manufacturers and this makes me wonder if this sort of practice is the norm rather than the exception. (By the way, how much experience Razak has with submarines?) The public has the right to know the make up of our supply chain while the government of the day who issues the relevant licenses must justify the existence of the various parties in the link.

Free and intense competition promotes better and more creative deals hence lower prices for the consumers. Take a trip down to Singapore and see what I mean. I have come across deals such as free KFC vouchers if you top up your handset’s prepaid top-up, free hand phone if you sign up for particular mobile phone network, further discounts on discounts if you are a Robinson’s card member etc. I am not much of a shopper even I can’t miss out on the fact that there are much more better deals in Singapore than in Malaysia. If there are more businesses competing with each other, there will be more job opportunities and better options for consumers.

Those in the know might agree with me that to get a business license in Malaysia is not a quick process. There are many unlicensed hawkers around KL and a few of them I spoke to mention how difficult it is for them to get their license. On the other hand, I also heard of many licenses been granted to certain individuals who would make a tidy rent-seekers’ profit. Was there not a case of the son of someone important with the Police who was involved in the Ramadan temporary license incident a few years ago?

Then of course, the old chest nut about corruption. Need I say more? Businesses have no other way then to re-coup their cost from the consumers. Another thing is the funny structures Malaysian business have evolved into, thanks to Mahathir’s mutated privatization programmes. Theoretically privatization is meant to lower tax rate, allow more the efficient private sector to take over the provision of public services that would allow consumers to get better and cheaper services.

In the toll concessionaire companies, the above fundamental reasons for privatization has been completed turned over. Not only there was no tendering process to get the most economically justified candidate (back in 1982, YB Lim Kit Siang questioned why UEM was given the contract when its quotation was the highest of the 3 received), the fact that there is a contractual guarantee of profits would negate the incentive for the concessionaire to be efficient and cost conscious. In fact, we can see that uncontrolled cost overruns are being paid for by the tax payers in one way or the other. It would be interesting to examine the directors’ and staff remuneration schemes and their procurement process for everything from tar to pencil case.

In a recent seminar, YB Teo Nie Ching spoke of a contract can be void if the person signing it was of unsound mind. Any administrator of public money agreeing to the profit guarantee terms is either of unsound mind or sense of fair play. It is also my understanding that a contract can be voidable should there be a fundamental breach of terms and conditions. Recently, Tan Seri Khalid spoke about breach of a condition pertaining to tendering process by Syabas……

Our weak ringgit has resulted in imported inflation or causing import items to be out of reach of many. One way to bring down prices is to have a stronger ringgit that will cause the price of imported raw materials and finished goods to be lower in ringgit terms. I am no foreign currency expert but I believe the strength of the currency can be determined by the demand for it. The biggest and most obvious stumbling block to foreign investors are the capital requirement regulation in Malaysia. The huge number of foreign workers here, I imagine, would dump more ringgit in exchange for their home currency when they repatriate home their wages.

Lastly, mis-implementation of the NEP has resulted in Malaysia becoming an “anti-talent” destination. In his memoir, Lee Kuan Yew spoke of Tun Razak’s interpretation of “talent drain” as “trouble drain”. God knows how many brilliant entrepreneurs, business managers, research and development experts, professionals and keen workers we lost over the years. I believe they would have come up with creative and effective business modules, practice good work ethnics, leadership that would have made Malaysia a more vibrant and competitive business environment.

It is perhaps time for us to allow talent, domestic and foreign, to flourish in Malaysia. If the government is worried about uncompetitive people lagging behind, they can either 1) strengthen the welfare department with money wasted on unwanted submarines and jets or 2) allow an environment whereby Malaysians are hardened by rigorous competition from both domestic and foreign circles as there are no running away from it. In this way, any inefficiency and complacency in Malaysians nurtured by a protective shell can be stripped away hence a more competitive work culture will ensure to the long term benefit and survival of the nation.

Of Criminals and Racism

Robbed in Wangsa Maju

Recently a guy was robbed right in front of the Public Bank opposite Jaya Jusco in Wangsa Maju. The thief got away, but the victim recognised him somewhere outside a 7-11 store at another area in Wangsa Maju sometime later. The suspect was with an accomplice on a motorbike. A chase ensued and ended with the victim knocking down the suspects' motorbike with his car. The two suspects fled on foot but one was cornered by residents as he ran deeper in the housing area. The suspect was being bashed up as residents called up the 999 number. Since the police squad did not arrive after half an hour (the nearest police station is about 10 minutes away) some residents called up a neighbor (who is a police) who in turn called up the police station. A squad car arrived minutes later. The police pressed the bashed-up suspect for information and shortly a few other suspects were taken into custody.

By the way did anyone realise that it is a police tactic to delay response time by 30-40 minutes when a suspect is caught by members of the public, so as to allow the public to hentam the suspect a bit.

Highway car hijack

An associate of mine lost his just-bought Camry a year ago on the NKVE. The couple were on the way back from work when another Camry bumped into them from behind. As this couple alighted from their vehicle to 'settle' the matter, 4 guys emerged from the other Camry and apprehended the couple. The guy was slashed, while his wife was shuffled into their car by the two other fellows. The two cars drove off, leaving the guy victim by the road-side. For the wife, there is little guessing on the outcome. OK, the rape did not happened because she opened her car door and bailed herself out right in the middle of the highway. Both husband and wife was hospitalized for sometime, absent from work due to medical leave. Their car is not found till today.

No need to look far- even in Wangsa Maju there are numerous car hijacks and car thefts.

Crime and Malaysians

Noticed that I have omitted the race of the victims and the 'suspects'. Why is that so? Because it's a waste of time. Who cares which race committed the crime. The victims are us, any race any time. While there are demos and protests on racial grounds of Kugan the deceased car thief suspect, the fact exists there are brutal car thefts and there is that police brutality which guarantees a good bash-up on any suspect. The PDRM is stupid. The Minister of Internal Security is stupider- speaking harshly and arresting public protesters; 'investigating' the MPs who showed up at the mortuary at the request of the deceased's family will only deepen public sentiment of hatred towards the PDRM and the BN administration. And of late, conspiracy theories have cropped up on 'why' Kugan was 'murdered'. Can't blame the bloggers because they are sharp and think on the fly. If I've had my way I would not give the PDRM force another cent of increment. Who cares whether many of them are living below the poverty line. The police, as a collective whole, are failing in their jobs to protect the public.

Meanwhile the crimes are still happening and at most times the public is compelled to take the law into their own hands to protect themselves.

Saigon, pre-Chinese New Year

Great family ties

"Why on earth is is always so crowded here?", I said above my breath we hurried our way through the airport crowd to the where the hotel car was parked. The weather was a good 32 degrees Celcius and heat from the beaming afternoon sun had crept onto the porte-corche.

Above: The welcome crowd eagerly awaits arrivals at the brand new

Tan Son Nhat International Airport

Nguyen, the hotel concierge guy replied with a smirk, "I dunno you call it good or bad, sir... but in Vietnam airport, one arrival, ten family waiting...traffic jam!". He was right, really. Family members eagerly await the flight of their loved ones at the arrival hall, but the so-called arrival hall is right outside the airport and they are not allowed in. Thus the crowd spill over to the taxi driveway.

Sexy city

Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City after the Communist party took over Vietnam in 1975. It is the largest city in Vietnam with an official population of about 10 million people. Unofficial count of population- according to Saigon residents: 12 million. This city is bursting at its seams, with public infrastructure and amenities in dire need of expansion. The unofficial count difference in population is mainly due to mass migration of country folk to the city seeking better jobs.

Above: Saigon Square, heart of the city

Below: Saigon Square by night, under round-the-clock preparation

for the Chinese New Year. Shot from the 15th floor of the Sheraton Saigon

Below: The Caravalle Hotel and Sheraton Saigon looks majestically

over the heart of Saigon's business and entertainment district

Don't get me wrong, despite the high population, Saigon is still a very well-preserved city, architecture -rich in its colonial-French past. Majority of buildings in the city centre are 2 to 3 stories, except for a few corporate sky-scrappers and low-rise apartments. This city has a resortie feel to it, unlike Kuala Lumpur, which has very little trace of its British-colonial era in terms of building facade. The Vietnam people and its Communist Party, unlike the Federal Government of Malaysia, are proud of their French connection, despite the tough painful Indochina Wars and a few other wars to rid the country of French occupation. The mentality of the DBKL (the Kuala Lumpur City Council) and the Federal Government of Malaysia are worse than Third World. DBKL has always been demolition-pro, destroying buildings without historical regard; and lately, its street-renaming project is drawing more flak than ever from KL-folk.

Below: The Saigon River, shot from 12th floor of The Renaisance

Riverside Hotel

Below: The Municipal Theatre

Above: Right in the middle of Saigon Square. This place was

off-limits. Barred from access because of Chinese New Year

decoration works, I managed to sneak through to snap a pic

before being ordered to go away.

Watch your bag

My spare mobile was always tucked into a pouch attached to my laptop bag. Once, while I was in a cab, the phone rang, but the ring came from the cab driver's breast-pocket and not my bag. The cab driver had flicked open my pouch and slip my mobile phone into his pocket without me realising. He did this while on the pretext of helping me with my bag.

City of bikes

Saigon roads are chaotic, seemingly lack of traffic lights and traffic police; the main highway out of the city is riddled with potholes. The traffic is crazy- it takes 45 to 60 minutes to get through a 7-km ride from airport to city centre. It's a bike city- with about 4-5 million of motorbikes thronging its roads everyday. Car-drivers horn every 5 seconds, motorbikes are king. Its riders seem unbothered, unperturbed by sudden loud horning which would shock the average Malaysian motorcyclist out of his seat.

Above: Masked-riders throng the city roads

Below: A basement parking lot

Below: Weaving through cars and buses

I had limited time and did not go to any tourist attractions because of a tight work schedule. The shots posted here are all quick point and shoot pics with my durable Sony Ericsson Cybershot C902. Daytime pics were taken while on the way to meetings. The night pics were accomplished by a quick one-hour walk through the city centre.

Above: A street-peddlar persuading me to part with my money

Below: Saigon is a haven for shoppers- it is cheaper than Bangkok.

One can find original premium brands (not knock-offs) sold cheap

in the streets of Saigon. The is due to increasing foreign investment

in Vietnam.

Market liberalization

Over the last 15 years Vietnam has seen incredible market changes to woo foreign investors. For instance its revised Insurance Law (2001) allows foreign joint venture insurance firms and subsidiary branches wholly owned by foreign insurance companies to operate in Vietnam. Its revamped banking system also changed how business is run and made exceptional gains in the progress of its payment system. After gaining entry into AFTA, Vietnam had, in a hurry, committed to reducing tariffs and trade barriers for a 10-year period from 1995 to 2006.

The crunch from its wars have rendered Vietnam least of the developed countries in ASEAN. After going through 3 generations of war, Vietnam, has shed its battle-scars, but is again on the warpath. This time on the road to economic progress and modernization.

Below: Hong Leong Bank's Group Managing Director
Yvonne Chia announcing operations startup of the
bank's maiden branch in Vietnam

Dimsum afternoon

"All Malaysians are proud of their country... are you?". Smiles were directed at me, and so was the question. I was in the company of four charming friends.

It was strange this question should pop-up during lunch time. We were in a bustling restaurant at Wanchai, waiting to be served dimsum. I wanted to say that I'm outright proud of Malaysia, being in the company of foreign friends, but really, I'm proud of it in a different manner.

"Yes, I'm proud of Malaysia- not the Malaysia now, but the future Malaysia...rid of corruption and racism." I went on to explain in a nutshell how Malaysia is. "The future is bright. Many people want change and they are not afraid to strive for it. We will move forward once we solve matters of freedom and justice."

It's ok to be ideal;  at this juncture, I  noticed a couple of my HK friends became moist in the eyes (?). They connected to my statement, probably because I said it in full conviction. I learn that, HK people are nationalists- proud of their country and how their jobs contribute to nation-building and their economy. Due to the Malaysian socio-political blogs which are picked up by the HK mainstream newspapers, the well-read HK person knows what's roughly happening in Malaysia. That question was just being asked to pick my brain on my political orientation.

Thanks to the work of the Malaysian bloggers (political bloggers inclusive) whose work goes beyond the call of duty of a 'regular' citizen, fighting many battles on the behalf of the Malaysian people. Good night Malaysia.

Are you kidding me

The bright neon lights of Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

Cold weather made took me on shopping trip tonight. It's 11 degrees- getting a sweater/ jumper/ scarf is a necessity. I kick myself for not preparing for this cold weather- I knew about the cold from the weather forecast (I keep the forecasts of countries I travel to in iGoogle) but yet I let the precendence of travelling light take over necessity. Yes, I travel light- I use a 14" wide bag for one-night stays, and a 16" bag for stays exceeding one night. The other only bag I carry is my laptop bag. 

Looking quickly through a few department stores- I could not believe the price of winter clothes. 'Dirt' cheap that is- compared to Malaysia, and HK itself a month ago. My last trip here was in December, the average daytime temperature was 20 degrees being the start of winter. It was also the time of the HK mega-year end sale. However, the jackets and shoes that I liked cost above HKD1,000 (RM1 ~ HKD2.4). I thought stuff was overpriced being sale time, morever I thought it was cheaper in Malaysia. I ended up not buying anything.

Today, somewhere the peak of HK winter, winter clothes being the necessity, prices are like, slashed 50%-80%- somewhat cheaper than the year-end sales??!! What the?!

How to beat the cold in HK:

- walk faster that the HK people; body warms up hence not cold anymore

-drink more hot soup; have more hot soup noodles

-a friend advises- cut-up the hotel blanket and use it as a scarf, but I don't think this is advisable.

Cold Hong Kong

A month ago I had the chance to look through a few departmental stores in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. It was the start of the winter, however, I thought the clothing sold was unnecessarily thick. The average temperature then was 20 degrees.

Now, the average is about 16-18 degrees during the day and drops sbout 7-8 degrees during the night. I find my jacket (which I would struggle about in Malaysian weather) hopeless against the cold in the street. I am contemplating beefing up my luggage with some winter clothing here.

More on road name changes

DBKL is not the only culprit in senseless road name changes. Checkout this article from the MSM, about Jalan Datuk P.C. Isaacs in Terengganu. Datuk P.C. Isaacs is father to retired Deputy Public Prosecutor Dato' Stanley Isaacs and the person featured in the write-up below is brother to Dato' Stanley. I knew Dato' Stanley years after his retirement from public service- as mentor and from a personal level as a God-fearing person. Dato' Stanley is also major energy behind a foundation that raises funds for under-privelleged children in Malaysia.

Keeping father’s memory alive

Saturday, 18 August 2007 08:01am

©The Star by R.S.N. Murali   KUALA TERENGGANU: There was a time when prominent lawyer Datuk Victor Isaacs was asked sarcastically “Ini jalang ayah mu ke?” (“Is this your father’s road?” in the Terengganu dialect) when he double-parked in front of his office.  He could not help but give a smile as the road was indeed named after his father Datuk P.C. Isaacs. However, Jalan Datuk P.C. Isaacs disappeared from the map after PAS took over the state government in 1999. The road was renamed Jalan Sultan Sulaiman. Victor said neither was his family consulted nor the views of other local leaders obtained over the name change. “PAS leaders carelessly removed my father’s name without having any regard to his immense contributions to the development of Kuala Terengganu,” he said. He added that most PAS leaders were not born at that time and considered him an unimportant figure. The senior Isaacs was a philanthropist and a pioneer educationist here. It would surprise many that he was instrumental in introducing religious classes for Muslim students at the private English Grammar School back in the 1950s when there were not many institutions offering religious lessons. The school was a privately run institution and the late Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah was among its alumni. In 1953, a top Terengganu government official, Che Puteh Haji Arshad, commended Isaacs’ efforts in holding religious classes and asked the state Religious Department to send more teachers to the school. Isaacs also had a hand in drafting the Federal Constitution under the Reid Commission. He was also the first Indian in the state legislative assembly, being an appointed member from 1948 to 1956. He played a pivotal role in the development of Kuala Terengganu and during the Japanese Occupation, joined the anti-Japanese Force 136. He continued to play an important role in the development of the town after the British returned to power until his death in a road accident in 1974. For all that he had done, the Sultan named a street after him. Victor has been tirelessly working to get his father's name restored or at least get another road named after his father. He suggested that two roads could be named after his father, one is currently named Jalan Air Jernih and the other, Jalan Petani. “The only wish in this 50th year of Merdeka is that my family and I get to see my father’s name reinstated as a street name, in the true spirit of muhibbah,” said Victor.

Me, the cheating spouse

Being the last to leave the office tonight gave me the chance to flip through the morning paper which I had missed. An article on Section 2 of The Star which talked about extra-marital affairs made me chuckle. The writer included real-life account of cheated spouses and laid out 10 points of tell-tale signs of the cheating husband.

The 10 points are reproduced here:

1. He works late, attends meetings or goes for outstation/overseas assignments more often.

2. He can’t part with his handphone. There are mysterious late night calls and unusually long conversations.

3.There are changes in his spending habits such as unusual credit card bills.

4. He suddenly takes effort in his appearance, dresses better or goes on a diet.

5. His preference for food, music, clothes or grooming habits change.

6. He spends a lot more time at the computer and is constantly checking for new messages.

7. There are sudden changes in his daily routine and he’s defensive when questioned about his whereabouts.

8. His behaviour changes: every little thing sparks off an argument as he’s more short-tempered because of the guilty feelings. 

9. He’s unusually nice, buys her more gifts.

10. He encourages her to have her own space, to spend more time with her own friends, or go for a holiday on her own.

I must say that I display 8 or 9 of the characteristics above recently, and I am not ashamed of it. My lifestyle has change, and what is with a little fun. Point-for-point above I am:

1. Always 'working late' and always travelling, rarely at home.  

2. Always having my mobile by my side. I regularly receive mysterious telephone calls in the middle of the night which cannot disclose the contents of the call. The caller is usually a lady with a sensuous voice.

3. Increasing credit card spending on foreign trips.

4. Suddenly becoming very conscious of my dressing while travelling- donning jackets, expensive shirts, shoes and so on. I am not dieting though.

5. No change for this point- food is food, always good; music is music, always loud.

6. I'm always checking for email messages at the computer.

7. I'm very defensive when questioned on my whereabouts. If I have no good answer to where I am, it's always a blogger meeting or a meeting with the MP.

8. I feel very guilty, but cool most of the time.

9. Because I feel guilty, I try to buy more presents for my spouse to quash my guilt.

10. I do not encourage my spouse to go on holiday trips on her own though. Since she is so pretty and there are other guys out there...

The reality of things

Being a regional financial head of a business unit of a multinational corporation demands a demanding lifestyle. No, the above 10 points is not about women but about the corporate responsibility I shoulder.  Lately this burden is heavier due to the worsening economic situation here. Doing business in this region is tough, what more if it's in this country. My customers in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand tell me that Malaysia transport costs are high and it's cheaper to ship in similar goods from competitors in Vietnam or China.

I tell unforgiving customers that trucking and transport costs in Malaysia went up by 35%-45% due to the incredible 40% fuel hike in early June 2008; and if this reason does not suffice, being a multinational corporation, I am able to ship-in lower priced but similar products from my company's plant in China to appease customers. My company as a whole is thus able to sustain profitable growth. But as time goes by, production volume in its Malaysian plant decreases, while production at the China plant increases. When volume decreases, revenue proportionately falls, and it becomes harder and harder to meet fixed business costs such as salaries, operating expenses and leases. Eventually the top guns in the US will want me to justify the existence of their Malaysian plant.

Rising costs
To add salt to the wound electricity tariffs increased by 26% for commercial and industrial zones almost the same time as the petrol price hike. Don't forget, an 8% and 12% electricity hike for the respective residence and commercial areas happened in June 2006 which was not too far off. Any accounts clerk ( no need accountants) can tell that profit margins will slip against higher production costs and lower demand; but the Government and Government-related fuckers say that the fuel and electricity hike has punitive impact on Malaysia's competitiveness. Denial does no good- in the end, doing business is not viable in Malaysia, hence the flight of FDIs from the country.
 

Malaysia's inflation rate hits 8.5% in August 2008, a 26-year high, flaming citizens' expectations of worse times ahead. Government and central bank statements does little to sooth the labor force's fears of higher future inflation- thus employees demand for more salary in their current jobs... and even more in their next career jump. Because of the workforce's action of demanding higher salary, the cost of doing business becomes even higher- the employer pays higher salaries, more EPF, insurance and other personnel-related benefits but for the same efficiency and productivity levels. On top of this some top guy in New York or any part of the world gets worried about his investment in Malaysia because his/ her financial reports has got Malaysia labelled as 'politically unstable' for months.

Honest spouses

I work late, because being in this country demands so. I worry about my job, I worry about the economy.  To close this posting, I would like to say that this story in The Star is entertaining and socially fulfilling tabloid-reading needs but those 10 points label the hardworking but faithful spouse unfairly. The article is imbalanced with points squeezed through a pinhole in the sense it does little to mitigate the  over-worked honest spouse who will be unfairly categorized.

I am overworked, but a least I want to be labelled as what I deserve to be.  To all honest married people, we are what we are, God Bless.