Accidental lessons

This article was first posted on The Malaysian Insider on 21 November 2012 and LoyarBurok on 11 December 2012.

It was 1991. My classmates and I were punished for being noisy in class. We were told to stand up and remain silent for the rest of the lesson. The silence was deafening until Cikgu stormed towards the back of the classroom and barked, “Why are you smiling?! Is this supposed to be funny?”

Alarmed, we all turned around to find out who had the misfortune of inciting Cikgu’s sudden outburst. It was Lee, the boy who hardly spoke during lessons. If anything could be said about Lee, he stayed away from trouble and wore a pleasant demeanour on his face.

Cikgu repeated her question. This time with greater force. Puzzled, Lee had no choice but to answer, “Err… no. But, but, but is it a crime to smile?”

I was stunned because I didn’t know Lee had it in him to speak up against a figure of authority.

“Ohhhhh… you think you’re so smart, is it? Stand on your chair now!” Cikgu decided to play the power card. They always did when they had no answers to smart questions.

Lee did as he was told and the smile disappeared from his face.

Many of us still remember this incident and Lee will always be remembered as the guy who got punished simply because he smiled.

Recently, when my husband got into a minor fender-bender with a taxi driver, I was reminded of this story. As the article unfolds, I hope it will serve as a cautionary tale for all.

It’ll serve you well to know that if your car has been hit by a vehicle used for carriage of passengers for hire or reward (or what is commonly known as a taxi, rental car, public bus, school bus and factory bus) to be referred to as “public vehicle” hereafter, you are not entitled to make a No-Fault Own Damage (ODN) or Knock-For-Knock (K-F-K) claims, even if you have a police investigation report proving that the other party is at fault.

The only claims you can make are of your own insurance, which will then affect your No Claim Bonus (NCB) or to claim directly from the perpetrator’s insurance, which can be an insurmountable task if the latter is not co-operative.

Now, this is alarming news to me because I did not know, as I suspect many of you don’t either, about this. It got my husband and I very concerned. How and where can we find out more information? Could this be an explanation why taxi and bus drivers drive as recklessly as they do here?

Dissatisfied with my motor insurance company’s response, I’ve since then made multiple enquiries to different insurance companies, the Road Transport Department, the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM), Bank Negara and even three motor workshops.

The calls and Internet searches I made generated a lot of frustration and failed to answer satisfactorily why public vehicles are exempted from ODN and K-F-K claims. Only one person came up with a direct response (although not necessarily plausible or reliable) in an online public forum.

According to this person, the measure was taken to discourage people from driving private cars. See it as some form of vice tax, if you like. I’m not entirely sure whether this is indeed the rationale behind this ridiculous policy but at least someone offered an opinion other than just re-iterating what has suddenly become an obvious policy.

The Road Transport Department said that they are not responsible for insurance regulation and referred me to the Ministry of Finance. I did not pursue with the latter.

I had to make four telephone calls to obtain a written policy stating the exemption from AXA Affin Malaysia. The first call was answered by someone whose standard response seemed to be “cannot.” Period. My husband and I have taken to calling these people Ms/Mr Cannot and they seem to dominate the service industry in Malaysia. Before you can even explain what you’re asking for, they’ll tell you with great certainty and conviction that you cannot.

Kurnia Insurans Malaysia and Etiqa Insurance have the same policy on their websites. AIA Malaysia’s telephone operator said that this should not be true but was unable to confirm. She also said that all motor insurance policy should apply across the board because they are being regulated by Bank Negara. When I called Bank Negara, there was no one who could answer my query. They promised to call me back but they haven’t.

Zurich Insurance Malaysia Berhad informed me that they, too, practise the same policy. According to their officer, the policy is a result of an agreement made by all the insurance companies. Although I was disappointed by the answer, I was pleased that they were helpful enough to explain what I could do instead.

“You can claim third party insurance directly from the taxi. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of doing this, some workshops will help you. You just need to obtain the police investigation reports,” she said.

“How do you make a claim directly from the taxi? I don’t have his insurance details?”

The taxi driver had conveniently claimed ignorance when I asked for his insurance details. He said he had to call his company to find out and until today, I haven’t managed to get an answer from him. I was told by several people that this is to be expected.

“I hope you have his registration number. As long as you have it, you can find out from JPJ.”

“Does the workshop charge a fee for this service and if yes, how much?” I asked.

“Yes, I think they charge a fee but I really don’t know how much. What I can do is to give you a contact. You can call them and enquire.”

I called the number and to my great surprise, the lady who answered the phone said they don’t charge anything if I can furnish them with all the relevant documents. If I am unable to do so, they will charge a runner fee of RM150.

I’ve also talked to another workshop recommended by someone else and according to the workshop, as long as I send my car to my insurance panel workshop, I can make a KFK claim.

My insurance panel workshop offered us two solutions: 1) submit a ODN claim but our NCB will be forfeited and our insurance will cover the cost of repair, or 2) submit a third party claim but we’ll have to pay for the NCB adjuster fee and cost of repair first. We may be able to get it reimbursed by the taxi’s insurance later but it is entirely up to the latter’s discretion.

My husband and I haven’t quite decided yet what to do with our car. Although no injuries were inflicted (albeit a huge bruise to our morale), the simple principle of justice remains that we shouldn’t be paying for other people’s mistake. It isn’t just about the cost of repair but the time spent on dealing with it.

In my attempt to find answers, I’ve remained utterly confused and defeated. My French husband has cheekily asked me, “Why didn’t I marry a Swede? Why do you have to be Malaysian? It’s the first time I’ve heard of such stupid policies.”

Just like my friend, Lee, who shouldn’t have smiled, we shouldn’t have rejoiced so quickly with the knowledge that it was someone else’s fault when the accident happened. Just like Lee who asked the question “Is it a crime to smile?” and was then punished without any clear reason whatsoever, we are being punished in a similar fashion.

How safe can you be on the road if the rules do not punish those who inflict damage and injury to others? I can be a responsible and safe driver but it doesn’t protect me against those who aren’t. Something’s clearly wrong and how do we get to the bottom of this?

If you ever encounter an accident with a public vehicle (which I sincerely hope you won’t), it’ll be wise to obtain the vehicle’s insurance information immediately.

Meanwhile, do stay safe on the road.

Technorati Tags: AIA Malaysia,AXA Affin Malaysia,Bank Negara,Etiqa Insurance,General Insurance Association of Malaysia,Knock-For-Knock,Kurnia Insurans Malaysia,Lim Ka Ea,Loss Adjustor,Loss of Use,No Claim Bonus,No-Fault Own Damage,Road Transport Department,third party claims,Zurich Insurance Malaysia Berhad,Road accident+Public Transport

The World’s Worst Spouse

This was first posted on The Malaysian Insider on 11 October 2010.

If there is a competition for the world’s best spouse, I’ll be stuck at the bottom two with Ike Turner.

“Why do you say that?” my husband asked when I read this line aloud.

Sounding a bit too sorry for myself, I answered, “It has nothing to do with you. It’s me. I’m just horrible to be around.”

“Well, why is that?” He wanted to know since it wasn’t the time of the month.

“Nothing is working! I’m tired of every single thing; the bank’s incompetency, the traffic, the bloody noise outside our windows, the brainless drivers on the roads. Sometimes I get so tired of trying to deal with stupid people doing stupid things that I become this horrible monster who’s ready to tear anyone apart! It has nothing to do with you. Just let me rant, OK?”

He looked at me sympathetically and said, “OK, but don’t say you’re the world’s worst spouse ‘cause you’re not.”

I was left burning with my own thoughts as he walked out of the room quietly.

For the past few months, I’ve been experiencing what I call “being-on-an-overtime-job-and-home-for-too-long” syndrome. After working on a demanding public campaign for close to a year, I am feeling rather burnt out. In addition to this, what’s left of my energy has been spent mostly on sorting out my own personal affairs and to rectify mistakes made by service providers who are not only completely clueless of what it means by customer service, but also don’t seem to care too much for it.

Bottom line is, I have been spending most of my waking hours away from work fighting. I have fought with a waiter who told me that I could not use my credit card because the system was down and another who neglected to return my five sen worth of change simply because he unilaterally decided that I wouldn’t mind.

I have fought with a taxi driver who decided to pick up another passenger on the way without my consent. I have fought with my bank for mistakenly deleting my record on their computer system and a hospital staff for failing to call me up when I left my medical reports behind.

I also fought with the only good electrician I knew who made me wait without feeling remorse or shame for three hours. A sincere apology would have flushed away any ill feelings.

Hence, I am constantly irritated whenever my husband asks for my help to sort out some administrative matters with local service providers as he doesn’t speak the local language and still finds it difficult to understand Manglish.

The thing is, if I encounter bad service in another country, which I most certainly did during my travels, I would have been more forgiving and patient in trying to deal with them. I would shrug it off and convince myself that there is nothing I can do but to accept those flaws as part and parcel of life.

But not in Malaysia. No siree!

I keep riling myself up at the slightest mishap; whether they are being carried out intentionally or not, simply because I witness every day, in and out, how badly we’re doing in every aspect of our service sector. There is so much more room for improvement and yet not many of us have the will to push for these improvements. I hear people constantly moaning about how bad a service is but yet they do nothing about it and then wonder why the service continues to be bad.

Perhaps it is true when older people often say that we tend to be tougher on people whom we love. I am more tolerant and patient when confronted by poor customer service in other countries but not in my own. Contrary to what many people may believe or think, I love this country so much so that I’m allowing my blood pressure to rise every time I try to make Malaysians account for their mistakes.

“These carrots are bad!” I shrieked as soon as I tasted the acidity of a deceitful stick of baby carrot on its way out. “We should take it back to the store and demand for a replacement or get our money back,” I suggested to my husband.

“What? Waste fuel just to complain about a bag of carrots that cost less than three ringgit? Are you mad?” He slammed my suggestion down despite knowing how much this kind of thing usually annoys me.

“But how else would people know that they’re not supposed to sell expired goods if we don’t say something? You know this is not the first time it has happened. All you ever know is to complain but what are you going to do about it? I’m sick and tired of people thinking that they can get away with anything. I am even more tired of people who allow others to think it’s perfectly ok to give sub-standard services!” I screamed out in exasperation.

Like most spoiled brats I have encountered, their annoying habits are mostly manifested from the absence or lack of discipline and reproach from adults around them. That is my theory anyway and the same applies to how we, as Asians, rather stay mum than confront or find faults in others. We allow people to get away with bad habits and mediocrity while we complain behind closed doors.

My husband just shook his head and tossed the bag of carrots into the bin. That signalled the end of our discussion while I continued to stay irritated for the rest of the night.

Perhaps I am difficult, nasty and arrogant to many people but in all fairness, I do give credit when it’s due. I show my appreciation when I am pleased with a service. I tip generously when I’m satisfied that a waiter or waitress has made sure that all my dining needs have been attended to with a pleasant disposition.

I will salute and treat a policeman who does not take bribes respectfully. I will be generous with my compliments and encouragement when I know that the person sitting behind the counter has tried very hard to solve a problem I raised.

Recently I was hosted by a religious organisation in Kinarut, Sabah. The hospitality and courtesy extended to me were both abundant and unconditional. This was not the first time I had been given the royal treatment. It was the same in Kedah and Sarawak. My hosts had countless times humbled me when I think about how good traditional values such as kindness, generosity, selflessness and politeness are no longer practised in Kuala Lumpur.

It is not often one gets to be humbled or inspired by city folks. Whether you agree or not, I find it easy to unleash the demons in me when I’m in Kuala Lumpur. I have lost count of the number of times when I feel like taking a baseball bat and swing it at a bunch of ruthless boys speeding back and forth along the road outside my windows with their modified exhaust pipes.

I have heard comments from different people about how scary I can be when I am annoyed and upset about something. When my husband told me yesterday that I’m turning into someone we both know, who is critical of everything, I was stunned and it silenced me for a long time. I was shocked to learn that I may have turned into someone I despise and I asked myself these questions repeatedly: What and who created this ugly monster in me? And how do I get rid of it?

Day 5: A day to remember - hype, labour pain, yeast infection, tea party and a moment of borrowed pride

 

Picture above: The ginormous “mini” bus that takes us around the city for our meetings.

HYPE HYPE HOORAY

Kristin, looking slightly concerned, asked everyone on the bus ride today, “Is everyone ok? I’ve noticed that some of you look a little bit under the weather.” She was referring to Dil and I  who have been trying hard to muffle our coughs during several meeting sessions today.

I may be physically under the weather but my spirit soars far above the Metro stations. Today is one of those days that reminds me of the reasons why I should still believe in humanity. Today is a day when my heart flutters in its attempt to tell me that I’m happy to be living this moment.

We had a series of eventful and interesting meetings from 9am to 4:30pm and it culminated in a high note when we finished the day with a night tour of the White House. The icing on the cake was fresh, delectable and sweet.

Picture above: Mozelle Thompson reminds the delegates that it’s important to manage one’s hotness on Facebook. Laura Burton Capps looks on amusingly.

We first met up with Laura Burton Capps and Mozelle W. Thompson who talked about traditional  and new media strategies for a successful political campaign.

Laura has spent 15 years developing strategic communications and issue advocacy campaigns for former President Bill Clinton, late Senator Edward Kennedy, former Senator John Kerry and other notable academic and non-profit organisations.

Mozelle is on the Advisory Board of Facebook and CEO of Thompson Strategic Consulting. He provides legal and policy advice to technology companies and was a Team Leader of the Obama/Biden Transition where he led the review of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Both presented very compelling arguments on the strengths and importance of traditional and modern media respectively but they also mutually concluded that for a campaign to be truly successful, both methods should always be adopted to complement each other.

Mozelle aptly calls the Facebook phenomenon as “a book club on steroid”. He described the effectiveness of Facebook as a campaign tool by giving an example that someone is likely to be more inclined to buy a Ford if he finds out on Facebook that his cousin has bought one.

He also imparted his wisdom on how to handle bad press/publicity. “The thing with owning a Facebook page or a blog is this, you’ll have to expect people to disagree or criticise you on your page or blog. But do you try to censure or remove these criticisms? Of course not cause here’s the thing. You can remove the comments, but that doesn’t mean they stop criticising you. You need to confront it because it will also provide you with an opportunity to rebut and to replace the bad with good publicity.”

LABOUR PAIN

Picture above: Left – Chuck Rocha and Jun Kim sharing their “union” stories. Right: Dil with the beautiful Anna Durett. Notice what she has on her dress?

We quickly moved on to our next meeting with people from the Communications Workers of America (CWA). CWA is the largest telecommunications union in the world. We were addressed by a charismatic Chuck Rocha and his amiable and down-to-earth colleagues, Jun Kim and Anna Durrett. Chuck’s introduction was  personal, human and inspiring. He shared the story of how he climbed from the bottom of a worker’s ladder to being a union leader and an effective activist for labour rights.

What was interesting about this session is how the whole argument about civil and political rights being as equally important and inter-connected with economic, social and cultural rights (the so-called “third-world rights”) can be personified in the role of a trade union. Chuck said that the sole purpose of a trade union is to defend and promote economic rights and security of workers and one of the most effective measures is to lobby for workers’ rights through legislative change.

Picture above: Denise Ferriozi sharing a light moment with some of the delegates.

A VERY GOOD KIND OF YEAST INFECTION

We then met Denise Ferriozi, Director of Women Vote! of the Emily’s List. The acronym Emily stands for Early Money is Like Yeast, signifying the yeast’s role in raising the dough.  EMILY's List is a political action committee (PAC) in the United States that aims to help elect progressive female candidates who are pro-choice to office.

I was curious to find out whether the organisation would support a female homosexual candidate and Denise affirmed that they had in fact helped Tammy Balwin to become the first openly gay woman elected to Congress in America. Here’s an interesting video promo by Emily’s List.

A TEA PARTY, ANYONE?

Our last meeting was with Phil Kerpen, Vice-President for Americans for Prosperity (a name which should never be confused for a Chinese-American movement). He shared a lot about the philosophies behind the tea party movement and surprisingly it makes a lot of sense to have what they call an “outside organisation” which plays an important role in American politics. For instance, this group is neither Republican nor Democrat and I personally see them as being in the middle. Although it was not specifically mentioned, I believe that they generally call for the decentralisation of federal government, oppose increased taxation in order to increase welfare and their main drive is to maintain the economic prosperity of hardworking Americans.

A MOMENT OF BORROWED PRIDE

Top left: Everyone in great anticipation at the entrance of the White House waiting for security clearance. Top right: At the Press Briefing room where the President delivers his press statements. Bottom: Araz  at the far left and Lindsay at the far right.

Unlike 10 Downing Street, the White House is probably one of the most iconic landmarks in the history of cinema and television drama. Although I have not watched The West Wing (which I should), I can just about imagine the thrill, honour, responsibility and glory of being in the White House. After all, most major foreign policies, whether good or bad, are being deliberated there.

When I first stepped into the White House, it felt as if I was stepping into Tengku Razaleigh’s office and resident in Kuala Lumpur; which for some bizarre reason, emulates the White House. It was a feeling of indifference. It wasn’t until when I saw the generically framed photographs capturing the daily life of President Obama lining every corner of White House walls, that I began to feel a sudden rush of pride and greatness. Being Malaysian, it was indeed a bizarre feeling and I felt guilty almost instantaneously.

As I walked along with the other ACYPL delegates, I tried to understand why being in the White House has touched me that much and these are my conclusions. As a stranger to this country, I was able to feel that sense of pride and honour as any average American would feel because the photos show a regular human being who shares an extraordinary and inspiring story. Barack Obama was a regular  man who tenaciously fought his way up to become the first African-American President. It is clearly a powerful human story and the photos depict him not only as a President but also a husband, father, son and man, help strangers like me to connect with him. (You can view the photos here)

I also think there is another possible contributing factor. To me, Lindsay Mueller and Araz, the two officers who gave us the tour, are the two best people the White House could have as “ambassadors”. It was extremely telling that they were both zealous, proud and honoured to work there. Lindsay spoke about the President, the incoming Chief of Staff, the “jumbo” (photographs) and even the infamous Colonnade with such affection and love that I feel almost envious of her.

Today is definitely one of the highlights of this trip. It almost reminded me of the day when I went to the Gandhi Smitri Museum in New Delhi quite a few years back. I went in feeling indifferent but came out inspired to be a better person for humankind. The people I met today taught me that being good at what they do is ultimately what makes the difference and change.

 

The land of great contradiction

I was at the Malaysian Law Conference recently. It was my first time stepping foot in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and it knocked the breath out of me.

The view from the tall glass windows protecting all four corners of the convention centre was nothing short of magnificent. As I stood there appreciating the sight of the Petronas Twin Towers looming splendidly from above, I felt a sudden rush of pride.

Picture above: Temple of Jupiter, Baalbek, Lebanon

During my travels, I’ve managed to see many places and human-made structures which have blown my mind. If you really must know, the Petronas Twin Towers’ magnificent facade is pale in comparison to structures such as the Angkor Wat, Al-Hambra Palace, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Temple of Baalbek, Taj-Mahal, Mont St. Michel, Stonehenge, and even the remnants of the Buddhas of Bamyan.

Picture above: Borobudur Temple, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Of course, you can say that this is not a fair comparison and one which is likened to comparing apples with oranges since these structures were all built at different time periods and hence bear far more weight than our very own modern mega-structure.

You are absolutely right, but my point is not about how shabby the Petronas Twin Towers are.  It’s about how I find the more I’m blessed with the good fortune of being able to witness the wonderful work of humankind everywhere in the world, the harder it is to take my breath away.

I am no longer amazed by the mystical beauty of Borobudur Temple just because I’ve seen the Angkor Wat or that I’m less impressed by the Ancient City of Carthage because I’ve seen the Temple of Baalbek and think the latter is far superior.

All right, my shameless boasting above is not the point. The point is, as I stood on the third floor of the convention centre that day, I felt that tingling sensation down my spine and my cheeks grew hot as my heart fluttered at a quicker pace than normal. It has been awhile since I have had that feeling and I was just honoured and thankful to be a part of this civilisation.

The one simple thought that came to my mind was this: We are a civilised nation after all.

Sadly, this feeling of pride and gratitude lasted for only as long as I was still at the convention centre. The moment I stepped out from the spacious, plush carpeted and pristinely clean building, I felt as if I had lived in a dream for the past few hours.

After spending a whole day trying to avoid judges and lawyers while hunting down belligerent student volunteers, I dragged my sore feet and tired body to the LRT station. I was mortified to find that the LRT had broken down that night as I tried to get home from the convention centre as quickly as I could.

There were long queues of hot, sweaty and quick-tempered people straining their necks trying to find out the root cause of the unwelcome event.  The staff on duty did not even think about putting a sign up at the entrance so that people didn’t have to walk that far in only to find out that the LRT was not going anywhere.

Unwilling to wait, I decided to take a taxi and that was when I quickly discovered how undisciplined and anarchic Malaysians are, far removed from the frozen civilised world I had experienced earlier on that same day.

None of the taxi drivers were willing to take me home. The excuse was one I’ve heard far too many times. “Jam-lah.” Spoken in a manner that seemed to indicate as if the meter doesn’t run while being stuck in traffic. I wondered whether it was they who are providing us a service or the other way round.

I spent about 20 minutes waiting in total chaos. There were taxis that stopped right in the middle of a busy intersection to pick up customers, causing traffic to come to a standstill.

Traffic policemen were completely oblivious to the cantankerous honks of angry drivers, involuntarily delayed for dinner with their families or lovers, as they focused their attention on a motorcyclist parked on the curb.

I also heard loud cries of frustration as people cursed and spat on taxi drivers who had shamelessly asked for exorbitant fees rather than abiding by the meter and most of the time used as an excuse to pick up Middle-Eastern customers.

As soon as I thought I wouldn’t make it home before midnight that day, I managed to hop on a bus that took me to the LRT station at Masjid Jamek.

From there, I was delayed again by a good 10 minutes because the three ticket machines were not working and I had to queue along with 20 other passengers at the ticket counter. By the time I made it home at around 10pm, I had cursed a million times under my breath.

If Malaysia were a movie, it wouldn’t be called “Pleasantville”. Instead, “Misery” may be more befitting. I personally see Malaysia as “In Pursuit of Happyness.”

I fancy myself as Chris Gardner going on a chilling roller-coaster ride, never knowing which steep bend would throw me off guard and send me howling and crying out for mercy. My heart is palpitating because I would never know what will go wrong and what challenges will be waiting for me around the corner.

All I know is this: I am just pursuing my happiness in this great land that is filled with contradiction.

This article was first published here at The Malaysian Insider on the same day.

Technorati Tags: Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre,Petronas Twin Towers,The Malaysian Law Conference,LRT,Angkor Wat,Al-Hamra Palace,Leaning Tower of Pisa,Temple of Baalbek,Ancient Carthage,Buddhas of Bamyan,Stonehenge,Le Mont St. Michel,Pleasantville,Misery,In Pursuit of Happyness,Chris Gardner,Masjid Jamek

Who are these people?!

It has been a love-hate relationship for me whenever I go to Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur at night. In the past 5-8 years, I’ve noticed a group of people operating illegal parking services along the stretches of restaurants, bars and clubs in Telawi area. If you frequent the area, you’ll know that it’s close to impossible to find a parking spot around that commercial area without having to pay a hefty parking fee in Bangsar Village I and II.

Since I live close to Bangsar, I usually shop, eat and socialise with my friends there. However, it has become such a nuisance for me everytime I am lucky enough to find a parking spot along one of those roads at night. Since they are public roads, one has to pay a decent parking fee through a vending machine which charges about 20-50cents an hour and after 6pm, it’s free. But since it’s Bangsar, it’s never free after 7pm because a bunch of men have started making business out of it and who are these people?! Nobody knows because nobody seems to question them.

About a year ago, I was meeting some friends in La Bodega for dinner and by some miracle, I found a parking space just right across the restaurant. (Whenever I manage to find a parking lot close to where I am going, I feel sad giving up the space when I’m done and that shows how grateful I am towards such small miracle!) As I turned off my car engine, a man approached me and demanded RM10 for parking fee.  If there is one thing which bothers me, it’s extortion and that night, I decided not to give in to such illegal demand, although it’s only RM10. So needless to say, I got into a squabble with the man and I didn’t make any effort to be polite. So was the man. The bottom line was, I just walked off without giving him anything.

When I reached the restaurant, I asked to talk to the manager to enquire about the parking business operating outside the restaurant. He told me that the business is illegal and there’s nothing anyone can do. They have reported to the police a couple of times but nothing has been done. What a great surprise, eh?

I must confess that throughout dinner, I was occupied with the thought of someone slashing my car tyres or scratching my car. Being alone, the thought of driving back to my apartment with the possibility of a flat tyre left me feeling uncomfortable and uneasy. At the same time, the feeling of being at the mercy of people who think they can do whatever they want made me angry and unrepentant.

When I got home, I wrote a letter to my district assemblywoman, highlighting the problem but I guess she has more important things to do than my petty squabble with people who are trying to make a living. For me, that was still besides the point. The fact that this bunch of people just stand there at night and all they do is help direct your parking (as if I won’t be able to park my car unless someone is there to help me!) and then ask for RM10. It’s very different from jockey service, mind you. It’s flat on easy and illegal business. With the number of cars parked there every night, I’m sure they earn more than 100% of profit margin after subtracting the bribe they pay the police.

This happened a couple of times more and the latest one was just a few days ago. Again, I was relentless and yet the same feeling of paranoia and discomfort occupied me the whole night.

Truly, I’m just fed up with how things are. I realise that this is just a petty issue but in the end, it just boils down to how our whole law enforcement system doesn’t work and how people are often threatened into submission because we know deep down that the system doesn’t work and hence, we’re on our own. It’s us against these thugs.

I wish that more people will not give in to these so-called parking attendants. Once they realise that they can’t make money out of it, hopefully they will disappear and let us have our right to free parking space without feeling hassled and insecure. Bangsar is already a prime target for petty crime without the need to pay for a miracle.

Bid for IJN on hold

So, much has been said about the potential privatization of the National Heart Institute (IJN) and today’s news comes as a reminder that not all is lost in the Malaysian hearts.

Prime Minister Ahmad Badawi has decided to put off the bid by Sime Darby to take over IJN, most likely a result of a petition signed by all IJN’s medical consultants. 

I have been highly critical of the state of things in Malaysia but there comes a time, often rare, but yet worthy of great applause and validation. The medical consultants’ petition is one of them. Read below.

19^th December 2008

Statement from IJN medical consultants

We read with concern the perceived perception that the medical staff of IJN are demanding higher pay and will leave IJN if these demands are not met.

We feel it is important that these negative perceptions are correctly put into context.

The institution was set up in 1992 as a corporate body directly under the purview of Ministry of Finance. Its board of Directors include representatives from Ministry of Health and MOF to ensure its direction and objectives of providing good quality and affordable medical care to Malaysians from all walks of life are adhered to.

In that respect, IJN has done and continue to do well, both in maintaining its moral as well as financial obligations. The institution has been self-sustaining since its inception (and has been able to pay year end bonuses annually without fail). For 2007 and up to end Nov 2008, we have accumulated 285,764 number of outpatients, performed 15,084 cardiac catheterization interventions including angiograms and angioplasties, 6,094 heart and lung surgeries, 7 mechanical hearts and heart and lung transplants surgeries.

As true with any organization of our size, there will be people leaving the organization at various times in order to pursue different career paths. Over the last 7 years of operation, out of a total of 35 consultants, only 7 have left IJN to work either in local or overseas private centres. Therefore, our consultants' annual attrition rate is only 3%, and we have responded consistently over time to promote our home grown talents to fill up the voids accordingly. Currently, 75% of IJN consultants have been in their posts for more than 10 years.

All of us are salaried based on a different pay scale than that of the MOH though not at par with the private centres. Periodic review of salary scale is usually undertaken, subject to approval from Ministry of Finance.

As proven from our consultants' attrition rate and longevity in serving this institution, it is logical to surmise that on the whole we are happy with the current scheme and proving it by remaining with IJN. Many of us have served more than 10 years, excluding time spent within the MOH Hospitals prior to setting up of IJN.

Being responsible employees of IJN, we are not in the position to dictate the outcome of the privatization proposal from Sime Darby to the stakeholders of IJN. However, the perception that the privatization proposal is in response to demands for higher remunerations by its medical staff is misconceived and must be corrected accordingly to safeguard and preserve the trust placed upon us by our patients.

Brain drain and now the heart too?

I have a friend (“E”), whom I have known since we were 13 years old. E is probably one of the most intelligent women I know, a consistent straight A student. When we were 15, she received the ASEAN scholarship and went on to study in Singapore. As soon as she completed her A-Level examination, she received another scholarship from a government agency in Malaysia to study medicine in the United Kingdom.

Thirteen years later, E is still in England, working in a hospital in London and training to be a cardiac surgeon. In a way, I am proud to know someone as brilliant as E and we often try to persuade E to return home since Malaysia is in desperate need of more medical experts of her calibre. Sadly, her response is that the country lacks incentives and professional motivations.

Malaysia is stuck in a quagmire, in its attempt to entice local foreign graduates to return home. It has no one to blame but itself, considering the fact that the national economic policy of Bumiputera special privileges has a lot to do with it. As many non-Bumiputeras are being deprived of equal opportunity to study in local universities, they are forced to further their studies overseas.

Once there, they have the sweet taste of knowing that it is merit and not skin colour, which will be highly valued in the job market. In addition to that, many feel that a local salary will not be able to compensate for the amount of university fees already paid by their parents.

Today, I read on the news that the Malaysian National Heart Institute (IJN), one of the leading medical heart centres in the region, will be privatised. IJN, currently owned by the Ministry of Finance, has held a reputable record in serving high quality medical services to disadvantaged people. Although the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has assured the public that the government will continue to ensure that the centre will not marginalised the poor, many have raised concern as to whether this will be practised in reality.

I wrote an article not too long ago (“When you are rich, you can afford to be sick”) emphasising the profit-making orientation of private hospitals in Malaysia. Now, I can’t help but raise the question of “when you are sick, can you afford this kind of kick?”

It is bad enough that we do not have sufficient first-class doctors and surgeons, now the government is giving away the only one institute which seems to have served its purpose well, to a bunch of capitalistic vultures, waiting to feed on sick but “juicy” people.

In matters of the heart, is it wise for the government to make such a decision? Perhaps, time can tell and let’s hope that it will continue to heal as well.

Malaysia, Truly Ass Yeah!

Have you seen a monkey swinging in mid air from branch to branch? That’s how they come to name a job which is being passed on from one to another in everyone’s attempt to escape having to deal with the job.

When dealing with government departments here, it’s taking the whole proverbial monkey management style to a whole new level.

I recently had to follow up some land compensation issues for my Father with the Department of Land. Two years ago, our local town council decided to take over some  plots of industrial land to construct road work. They offered compensation to the affected landowners, which my Father is one of them and of course we could not do anything but accept it.

Two years have lapsed and yet the cheque is yet to be seen. For the past year, we have been  following up on the compensation vigorously by making trips to the local land office every now and then.  Every time we are at the office, the same thing happens again and again. We wait for hours for someone to attend to us, only to be asked to come back again later because they can’t find the files, etc. etc.

Then I will get fed up and decide to call them instead. Guess what? A call will be followed by another and another, all in vain. To add salt to injury, come Chinese New Year, one of the senior officers, not so subtlely, asked my Father  to give the office some money in the spirit of the festive season. What a shocker, eh?

So anyway, last week, I paid them another visit. Only this time, I was told that I should deal with the Department of Public Works myself if I want to see the cheque soon.You see, since it’s a road construction project, the Department of Public Works is responsible for the payment of compensation but of course, it’s the Department of Land’s job to liaise and work it out with them.

I put my feet down  because I am not willing to get involved in this monkey business. When I told the senior officer that I would prefer her to follow up with the Department of Public Works, her patronizing smile turned sulky immediately.

I, however, took the initiative to call up the Department of Public Works just to see what’s the deal there and surprise, surprise! They need some time to find the file. Come on! Are we dealing with a bunch of imbeciles or what? They take our lands and they refuse to pay.

In the end, my Father concluded that we will never get to see the cheque this year because they will deliberately wait until Chinese New Year to get that annual “token” before moving their asses, if we are lucky.

Does anyone know where we can lodge a complaint on this without being victimised?

Yes, welcome to Malaysia, truly ass yeah!

Malaysia Boleh Tidak Apa

Recently I had my regular health checkup at a private clinic in Kuala Lumpur. The doctor was professional and attentive, not to mention computer savvy. She helped me through a rough patch while I undergone health problems in Afghanistan. She made my life easier by communicating with me through emails and sending me scanned copies of my health reports and medical leave certificate.

Needless to say, my husband was well impressed with the service provided by this doctor and her nurses during my recent check-up. Although the consultation and treatment costs are much higher than public clinics, the services and attention received are worth every extra ringgit spent. My French hubby told me, “When you look at the professionalism of the doctor and the services provided, you don’t feel that this is a developing country.”

Sadly, it isn’t often the case for many other services here. It took my husband less than six months to decide that he does not want to participate in the My Second Home programme and I don’t blame him. While he was trying to settle here, he encountered countless difficulties and unfriendly faces; the immigration department, telecommunication company, construction workers, home renovation companies, etc. He concluded that the quality of the services is unsatisfactory and many people appear to be indifferent and rude.

Hence, I’m really not sure whether the satiric first class facility, third class mentality often attached to Malaysia is quite true. We have perhaps embellished the standard of our facilities and services. Let me give you an example.

Recently, I went to a TM Point branch to apply for temporary suspension of some of the services I subscribed to. I was going away for a few months and decided to take up the government’s call for us to become smarter consumers. I also thought I should start to become a thriftier wife after listening to a radio message claiming that wives spend too much. So, this was the big opportunity to prove myself by saving the cost of paying something which I would not be using for the next few months.

A staff told me that I could not suspend my Streamyx service. When I asked why not, he said it has been decided by the management, without giving me any further explanation. He then told me, I have only two choices; I either keep the service by paying RM99 every month or I terminate the service completely, which would then cost me RM163 for the reactivation and reinstallation fee.

I gave him a spontaneous incredulous laugh. In many other developed countries, suspension service is part of the facilities provided to customers because at the end of the day, it is a win-win situation. The customer stays happy and the service provider gains the loyalty and satisfaction of the customers.

In my moments of frustration and anger, I decided to terminate the service. I was then told that I could not appoint a date of termination and the service will be terminated with immediate effect. I asked him why since I was only leaving in two weeks’ time and would need the service until then.

The answer he gave was something I wasn’t prepared for, “What if I lose your application form?” My jaw dropped and I asked him why would he lose my form? He answered, “We don’t keep a filing system here.” From that, it strikes me that I have wasted my time with a public service company which makes no effort whatsoever to provide service.

The indifference of the staff is unbelievable and how is it possible for me to trust a service provider that smugly admits to the act of negligence? Is this first class facility?

I often wonder how much of censorship is being practiced in the media. We often read happy stories about how pleased the foreigners are with our hospitality although The Reader’s Digest poll would have told you otherwise.

At the end of the day, the tidak apa attitude is going to send many people home despite the enticing Malaysia Truly Asia advertisement running on the TV channels ten times a day.

Wrtitten on 29 November 2006