Independence Day...

3 Days from now, we will be celebrating our 48th National Day.

Yes...in case you haven't notice, it has been 48 years of independence ....it has been 48 years since we are govern by some foreign powers, be it the Portugese, Dutch, British, Japanese etc.

For me, the national day is just a holiday for me.

Call me unpatriotic or even a communist, i have again fail to live up to the National Day Celebration.

Last year my blog did say the same thing and i felt my opinion aren't swayed again this year.

It is just a holiday just like any other holiday we have in this country. With the exception of Hari Raya...31st August is just like another Bank Holiday or just a day break in a long week.

Why?

Do i not love Malaysia? Do i not cared for the nation and its fight? Do i forgot about the sacrifices of our national heroes??

Those who read my entries will testify that though my views are strong....i voiced it out becoz i love this country...probably more than some of the Minister entrusted to run this country.

I cared for the nation just like you, i cheered for our Malaysian Badminton Team, Nicol David, Esther Cheah being World Bowling Champion, Karamjit Singh-Asia Rally Champion etc.

I do remember the sacrifices Mat Kilau made, Tok Gajah, Tok Janggut, Mat Salleh in Sabah, Leftenan Adnan in defending this nation from the colonies.

The why i am somewhat lacklustre about National Day?

Difficult to say...but there are myriads of factors like err..err difficult to pinpoint laa

However, i havent to say that listening to Patriotic Song by Sudirman over and over again kinna get on my nerves. By putting flags on my car which gonna wither away in two weeks somehow not a good investment for me. Standing in Cinema when hearing the National Anthem also for me falls into a long list of stupid ideas.

Personally, the pride of the nation comes from the heart...it cannot and will not be force into an individuals. When the Japanese came and require our dad or grandad to bow to the sun and sing the Nippon...it doesnt work either. The British tries to institutionalise the British way of thinking, raising the Union Jack ..but it doesnt work either. Again...history has already shown that this National Pride cannot be force upon....it must come from within.

How many of us visit the Tugu Negara in the last 5 years?

The answer probably ...err i was there when i was a kid.

Or probably the answer will be " Melawat patung itu haram..so i tak pie laaa..." eventhough the same person will probably happy wearing a shirt that says " Mawi World!!!" ...idolization is also haram, you know!?

Though i hate to say this, look at the Americans and probably you will learn a thing ot two.

They love their country more than us eventhough our flag have 90% resemblenes.

They remember their struggle to create the USA compared to some teenagers in Bangsar happily dancing away to DJ Tiesto in Modesto or Zouk without the faintest idea on who Loke Yew, Tun Sambathan or Ahmad Bustamam was.

The Americans instill their national pride since kindergarden...they re-enact their forefathers struggle in school plays and poetry, they teach idioms about the fall of Troy and the breach of Great Wall of China because of treachery and egotism.

What do our school kids learn nowadays about our nation?

We learn abt the facts not the story of the person itself.

That is why we cannot relate to their struggle. That is why half of us will only be raised from their bed on the 31st August this year and years to come at 11 or even 2 o'clock in the afternoon. That is why some of us will only watch the National Day Parade in Putrajaya in its full session only when browsing thru channels at Astro.

National struggle and pride must start from kindergarden straight into university days.

The story of Leftenan Adnan, Tok Janggut, Raja Haji in Johor and the betrayal of Raja Abdullah in Perak must be told again and again in order to be ingrain in our future generation.

That is why i failed to understand the weekend before the National Day ...TV3 showed " Cinta Si Penngali Kubur" as a prime time showing on Saturday. Just imagine, nobody has yet to make a movie abt "Tunku Abdul Rahman" abt his fight for Merdeka. The worst thing that cross my mind was "Was it even worst to be colonise by a foreign power rather than be undermine and bluff by my own race?" At least, colonisation by a foreign power...i know my enemy clearly.

That for me just probably explain just why i failed to have the joy of Merdeka this year.

Penang

Today i am off to Penang

Got a lot to write but havent got the necessary space to do so....

Till then you guys keep busy and act whatever you wanna act because there is only you and the consequences.

Fuel prices…theory, opinion and conspiracies.

Back in May 2005, when there were some hush-hush on another fuel price increases, PM stated not to speculate for it is bad on business.

Lo and behold, July 2005, the price for petrol per litre raised another ten cents to a new price of RM 1.62. Diesel was hike up another twenty cents to a new price of RM 1.34. Based on the data given by The Star on the 21^st July and The Edge later that week, these price has increased the cost of driving by 25% - 40% depending on the intensity and frequency of movements.

During the reign of the current PM alone, price hike for fuel alone has been increased by forty cents, with a gradual increase of 10 cents each. Factors cited are the constantly rising price oil per barrel traded internationally (currently USD67 per barrel), the need to be more conservative in our subsidies and the tightening of govt. purse.

Data given by the govt stated that our price level is still the lowest in the region especially in the ASEAN group of countries. Our price level is still lower compared to Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia but higher by 15% in Brunei.

My opinion is this.

First, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand is a net importer of oil i.e. they consume more than they produce. In the case of Singapore, they hardly have any resources to boot no it is not a mystery. Thailand and Indonesia do have oil but it is not enough to sustain domestic demands.

Second, the average numbers of cars/vehicle in our country is a lot higher than our ASEAN region. The car per citizen ratios in Singapore and Thailand is a lot lower compared to Malaysia because the cost of owning a vehicle in Singapore is lot more expensive whilst the income per capita in Thailand is lower than us. Vehicle di sini bermaksud kereta and motorsikal.

Penduduk Malaysia rata-ratanya mempunyai satu kereta utk satu family dan bagi keluarga berpendapat rendah satu motosikal mesti ada. In fact, Malaysian market is moving into second car segment…kereta kedua keluarga yg lebih kecil dan fuel savings. Maka timbullah Savvy and MyVi, datanglah Chevy and Honda Jazz.

Ketiga, none of the ASEAN countries have a national petroleum agency that is in the Top 10 Petroleum Company in the world. In terms of revenue and income return, Petronas is second to none, better than ExxonMobil, Shell and BP. Apatah lagi dgn kenaikan harga minyak yg melambung ini, maka keuntungan Petronas juga meningkat lebih 50% berbanding dgn tahun lalu i.e. estimated to be RM 500M for the first six months. Petronas is getting bigger and more competitive.

Berdasarkan kepada 3 faktor di atas, saya berpendapat bahawa kenaikkan harga minyak tidak wajar malah membebankan rakyat terutamanya golongan berpendapat rendah. The fuel subsidy should be maintain simply becoz WE CAN AFFORD IT! Dari sejarah pembangunan Malaysia, seandainya harga minyak setong turun ke harga asalnya iaitu USD 40 per barrel, rasanya harga minyak tidak akan diturunkan juga pasal malas agaknya. Jika diteliti buku “Wealth of Nations” by Adam Smith , kerajaan sepatutnya govern sahaja dan biarkan rakyat compete and set the equilibrium price.

Secara peribadi, saya merasakan bahawa rakyat yang terpaksa menanggung beban kenaikan ini. Di manakah perginya cerdik pandai negara ini yang mampu menyelesaikan kemelut kenaikkan harga minyak ini? Pasti ada cara bagi mengimbangi subsidi minyak ini jika kerajaan berani menaikkan cukai bagi golongan kaya yang mampu mempunyai rumah seperti di bawah. Ketidak samaan pembahagian kekayaan negara amat ketara di negara ini di mana jurang di antara golongan “ada-ada” amat jauh dgn golongan miskin negara ini. Keadaan ini lebih menonjol bagi kaum India dan Melayu.

Kemelut subsidi minyak ini juga jadi beban apabila pada masa yang sama kerajaan menurunkan kadar faedah kepada taraf yang terendah bagi tempuh 18 tahun. Anda mampu mempunyai kereta baru dgn kadar faedah hanya 2.5% dan kereta terpakai 3.85%. Maka panjanglah jumlah pesanan MyVi hingga ada yang terpaksa menunggu hingga hari Raya untuk mendapatkan. Ada ke yang tempah Savvy?? I wonder….

Petronas merupakan syarikat kepunyaan negara maka wajar jika keuntungan ini di laburkan kepada rakyat. Kenaikan kadar minyak ini tidak memberikan kesan yang mendadak kepada rakyat Amerika Syarikat kerana biarpun ekonomi mereka di kuasai yahudi. Harga minyak per gallon hanya berganjak sebanyak 5% sahaja(The Economist July 2005) manakala Malaysia sudah meningkat sebanyak 30%.

Maka ada yang mengatakan semua ini adalah salah US juga kerana tindakan mereka menyerang Iraq menyebabkan pengeluaran mintak di Iraq menurun secara tiba-tiba. Perumpamaan yang digunakan adalah jika minyak di dunia ini dihasilkan oleh 10 negara ..maka ditutup pengeluaran di satu negara maka pasti harga akan naik kerana permintaan lebih daripada pengeluaran. Ini basic rule of ecomony.

So there are many theories that US is storing these fuel in Iraq because they wanted to make record profits. Mind you, the Bush family from Texas are fuel land owners..so inadvertently they also benefits. Another theory is that the Jews are conspiring to halt the explosive economy of China that seems to eat every single resources in the world. Mana satu yang betul hanya tuhan sahaja yang tahu.

Pada saya yang berugama islam, kerajaan yang dipimpin oleh org yang mengaku Islam juga harus memikirkan hal ehwal rakyat juga. Ke mana perginya wang BaitulMal Malaysia dan Pusat Zakat Negara sehingga pihak persendirian terpaksa mencari derma melalui rancangan television “Bersamaku” ? Apa ertinya kamu memakai Mercedez S Class ataupun BMW 7 Series apabila bergelar Menteri ataupun CEO jika nasib meraka seagama masih tidak terbela. Apa ertinya poket kamu penuh dgn wang RM100 jika derma di masjid masih berat tapi tidak seberat mengundi Mawi di AF3 menggunakan kad prabayar RM30? Menangnya mereka-mereka ini sejauh mana menguntungkan kamu?

Lebih baik sokong Liverpool kerana jika Liverpool menang, hati pun senang heh..heh..heh.

Well, that just my small drop in the vast ocean called Malaysia tanahairku.

HOME OF THE AP KINGS!!

Setelah 48 tahun merdeka...akhirnya anak melayu kita berjaya juga mempunyai taraf kemajuan ekonomi yang sama dgn bangsa lain. Mereka telah berjaya merubah status mereka daripada bekerja makan gaji kepada pemberi gaji kepada orang lain juga.

Kemajuan ini merupakan usahasama kerajaan Barisan Nasional dangan rakyat Malaysia terutamanya rakyat Melayu. Ini harus kita bangga kerana kesenangan mereka juga melambangkan bahawa kita orang Melayu juga mampu melangkah kesetapak lagi ...lebih tinggi ke arah cemerlang, gemilang and terbilang.

STATEMENT DI ATAS MERUPAKAN JIWA PENULIS JIKA DIA PERCAYA SEGALA APA YANG DISOGOKKAN MELALUI MEDIAMASSA NEGARA INI SELAMA 30 TAHUN DIA BERNAFAS!!!

Namun jika kita teliti diri kita sendiri....mereka-mereka disekeliking kita...sedara mara kita...jiran2 kita...masih ada yang merempat di bumi yang mereka panggil tanahairku!

Ada baru2 ini seorg menteri besar negara ini mengelarkan negerinya " Negeri Maju"..sedangkan anak2 melayu di Sabak Bernam ada yang masih tiada bekalan air, tiada jalan berturap ke kemudahan asas...tiada kemampuan utk talian telefon apatah lagi kereta.

Ada lagi anak2 melayu kita di Perlis yang masih terpaksa berhenti sekolah utk bekerja menyara keluarga kerana kesempitan wang! Ada lagi wajah org2 kita yang muncul di siri "Bersamaku" yang kurang jumlah penontonnya berbanding AF3, menelan siput babi sekeluarga kerana kesempitan ekonomi, banyak lagi anak2 muda yang menghiasi lorong2 bandar sambil menyuntik dadah ataupun pil khayal agar tinggi lompatannya semasa di kelab malam nanti.

Ramai lagi org kita masih kais pagi makan pagi biarpun bekerja di bangunan tinggi ataupun jawatannya tinggi namun hutangnya juga membusun. Ramai lagi anak2 muda yang lebih suka menunggang motorsikal di waktu malam minggu sambil menjerit-jeritkan ezkos motornya kerana dia merasakan itu sudah hebat. Di mana bangsa Cina ketika dia ramai2 naik motorsikal itu? Kemungkinan besar dia tokey kedai motorsikal tersebut yang baru diservis petang tadi dengan harga RM 65/=

Sejumlah besar lagi org2 kita di kelantan dan terengganu yang berada di bawah paras kemiskinan....hidup sekeluarga seramai 10 hingga 12 org dibawah satu bumbung sehingga menyumbang sumbang mahram.


Di mana silapnya kita?? Sehingga ada di antara kita menjadi terlalu kaya sementara masih ramai lagi yang tertinggal lagi arus kemajuan.

Saya tidak mengata bahawa kerajaan sekarang gagal menaikkan taraf kehidupan org kita cuma saya merasakan " WE COULD BE BETTER" if the people chosen actually do their job honestly.

Well my two cents...but below are the houses of successful Malay "Entrepreneur"





The gate is gold plated


The land itself cost RM5 Million


The entire house is estimated to be worth around RM30 million


A new house of Syed Azman-another AP King


Estimated worth is RM28 million


With fixture and fittings-it could spiral up to RM35 Million


That's how big the house is...



Man....i could get use to this...


A helipad in the making!

My complaint for the high electrical bills..and their response

I complained about my recent electric bill and here's the response !!

Dear Electric Customer,
Just a little note to let you know we understand your
anger in the recent price hike. But it should be noted
that you have no choice. We are a big company and you
will pay what we tell you. You have no choice. We have
the power, you need the power. So sad, too bad. Sucks
to be you. Have a nice day and keep those
checks coming, loser!

Sincerely,

Your Local Power Co.

My way or the highway?!!

There i was, in the baking hot sun.

Trying to make my way to my car insurance company adjacent to Jalan Sultan Ismail. Those who are aware of this lane in KL would surely attest that the bloody road is never free of traffic jams and rude drivers. Except during 2 days of raya, chinese new year etc.Most of the time, you are in need of tremendous patience and acute driving skills. Enough of that...

I survived unscathed...park my vehicle happily and walked straight to the Kurnia service counter. Readily took my number and waited, not so many customers waiting so i guess i am in luck. After a while, my numbers is up and i brisked to the nearest counter. I smiled and said " Renewal" and handed over my car cover note. He smiled and said "sure..."

There is was believing that i am in good enough hands but this will not be a good story unless there is some suprises la kan...

" I am sorry sir...i cannot renew your car insurance because you need to install Captor first. Your car is on a hotlist that is why you are required to install this Captor ...otherwise you cannot renew the insurance"

I was shocked but tried to keep calm..."errr what is a "hotlist"?

"Hotlist are list of cars which are usually stole or targeted to be stolen...models like Vios, Camry, Estima, Jazz and City are required to do this"

" what i do now?" I asked humbly

"You can go to Captor installation center which we have in multiple locations. This device will tracked you, immobilizes it should you reported it stolen just in a matter of minutes..."

"Man, that's good...so how much?" i gingerly asked.

" Captor cost RM1,988.00 plus your insurance of RM 1,085 after deducting your NCB....that will be RM 3, 073.00"

"F*ck, &,!,%,$,@,+,!,.........."

"aiyoh..so expensive...can i opt not to install this?"

" No sir...because you are required to install this"

"Very authocratic....huh...err what if i am willing to pay extra premiums instead of installing that device?"

" No..." he becomes slightly agitated

" Can i pay the devices in installment ..because RM2K is very expensive la friend...especially for something that you do not know gonna happen..."

"No..."

" can i this....." another brilliant suggestion by me...

"No"

" can i that...." another brilliant suggestion by me

" No.."

" i am sorry ...it just simply cannot be done...either you install this device or you go to another insurance company" he vented his anger due to the barrage to question asked

" OK ....Fuck Kurnia then!!!" I walked off

I have no intend to discredit the insurance company but only in Malaysia the consumer is constantly kick on their backside without them knowing it.Remember the new bankcard where you need to pay just to use the service?? remember that?? You are a customer...??

Sorry for the languange but i felt strongly about this. The insurance company didn't inform me on this new policy but simply dictate what need to be done. For motorist yang insurance memang nak expire esok atau lusa memang panik la ...pasal kena cekau lagi RM2K pasang...maka gosok la mastercard anda...jika silap..kena declare bankrupt hujung tahun...parah tuh?!

A call by my partner also confirms this....Amfinance also requires the captor to be installed as well, Mayban on the verge, PIAM (body that governs insurance company) should be aware of this because this totally disregard the voice of the customer....we should be given an option because i am a paying customer. Now, isn't there a saying that a customer is always right?

I refused to install it...so i registered with another insuarance which doesnt requires me to install that device.

I failed to understand this. While i can digest that this device is good but why it is very expensive. If this is very good, why not all cars required to install this?

I remeber the last initiative taken which was the black box install in a car by the insurance company...that was a total disaster as well. Nothing happen.

Now since the device is install...wouldnt the thief disable the device as well? Even Cobra anti-theft device pun kena jack....apatah lagi benda nie??

Yes the device is good...it can stop the car, locate the car anywhere in Malaysia..yes it is marvellous but it is also an invasion of privacy.

Since the device can tracked your car, it can also detect where you favourite hang-outs, your favourite shopping malls and place of interest. The data gathered can readily be sold to another marketing arms that utilizes this information to con you some more!!

For those who like frequenting Lorong Haji Taib or Chow KIt to get some quick action..hear me, they know you are there!

Now that a scary thought huh??

hahhaahahahha....i leave it at that...

AYAH PIN ….KENAPA DAN MENGAPA

Aku malas nak menulis pasal benda nie tapi pasal asyik dapat front page coverage, maka terpanggil la jugak aku menulis pasal benda nie…pada saya, bagus juga saya menyumbang komentar terhadap benda nie kerana ianya melibatkan agama dan cara hidup kita.

Rata-ratanya ramai yang sudah tahu atau dengar pasal Ayah Pin ini, sudah lama dah dia beroperasi ..persoalannya kenapa dia dibiarkan sebegitu lama?? Dulu kes2 macam ini cepat aje kena tangkap….

Alasan yang diberikan oleh Jabatan Agama adalah kerana kesulitan teknikal dan atas what charge are you going to detain him. Ini pada saya pun tidak tepat….malah menampakkan Jabatan Agama takut disaman semula kerana Ayah Pin mendapat sokongan pelbagai golongan sama ada professional mahupun drummer Def Gab C.

Jika benar pun, sila jelaskan pada saya bagaimana kerajaan kita boleh menahan Azmin Ali, Lim Kit Siang, Mat Sabu, Fernandez, Ustaz Ashaari Muhammad dan pelbagai lagi menggunakan ISA. Kenapa boleh, adakah mereka ini ditangkap kerana menentang kerajaan atau masalah akidah? Sepanjang pengalaman saya, kamu boleh ditangkap menggunakan ISA tanpa sebarang tuduhan mahupun perbicaraan??

Kenapa ISA tidak dapat digunakan bagi menangkap ayah pin?? Double standard la kan…atau sememangnya sukar. Don’t get me wrong, for me the freedom to embrace any religion is your right but by virtue of what is religion, we usually think of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddha & Hindu etc…..nie totally new belief that he concocted by combining all other religion, i.e. cult. Mind you, sejarah cult nie tak pernah berakhir dgn baik…malah ada yang berakhir dgn kematian beratus-ratus ahlinya.(Doomsday Cult).

Yang aku heran macamana ada org mengikut dan sama2 berjuang mempertahankan kepercayaan mereka ini….kalau seorg dua org boleh la aku kata pukau tapi kalau dah dekat ribu pengikut …lagi la heran! Drummer Def Gab C berubat dgn Ayah Pin sanggup berikan isteri dia utk ayah pin …diceraikan serta merta dan dijadikan isteri Ayah Pin.

For me this deserve a study on its own…why is it some people have this sort of charisma that can lull somebody else senses and abandon whatever your life belief and follows theirs?!!

Ayah Pin is one of many, imagine other leaders like Adolf Hitler who not only convinced a nation to belief that their race is superior but also to eliminate another race (Jews). Mussolini is another example, an extremist in any aspect of his life…considered too dumb in school yet with his fascist party, he single handedly removed the Italian prime minister and establish a new government in his image….Sukarno also another good example, manage to convince Indonesian to fight off the dutch influence and attack Malaysia after our inception. Mao Tse Tung also another excellent example….with its cultural revolution and peasant empowerment.

To me, the ability of one man to change the course of history is remarkable. Mind you, Hitler write his best-seller “Mein-Kempt” on his own…in his own solitude..in prison. Kenapa dengan dengar ceramah dia org sahaja…ada antara kita yang boleh menangis, menyanyi dengan semangat dan pick up a weapon and bash another person skull all in the name of thy fuhrer!

Yes ..it is remarkable and amazing but it is also dangerous. If today, ayah pin propagate harmony and unity but when push come to shove (100 over mobs torched his commune lately)…he will not be reluctant to lashed out and ordered counter offensive. You never know because a man like him can easily influence his followers that this is their jihad as well!

That’s for me is more dangerous than one man like Mat Sabu, who simply asked the government to be more transparent to be jailed under ISA for 6 long years ….

Now that irony, eh??

THE LURE OF MONEY

I submitted a new proposal to our main client the other day. This project will be the biggest undertaking for us, which need to end before Raya and Raya will be the biggest Raya of all.

Insya-Allah, all I wanted to was to make to a living …if along the way, I make extra money..alhamdulilah. To many of us especially Bumiputra get easy money and lost their way because at one time, money was too easy to come buy. Yelah sapa tak mahu duit tapi banyak sangat duit pun mengundang masalah pasal partner pun boleh jadik gaduh pasal dah kelabu mata nampak duit.

Entah, kita pun tak tahu apa depan mata kita tapi kita berusaha sehingga kita mampu. Itu sahaja, yang lain kita tawakal pada Allah SWT pasal rezeki datang dari dia.

Dalam kesibukan mengejar projek agar cepat abis, tubuh aku finally gave away. The exhaustion finally get to me…I have been working practically for 26 days without any time of breaks or weekends. Saturday & Sunday pun pulun….mungkin tu sebab aku jadik letih sesangat. Maka aku tadi terlelap kat ofis selama 3 jam tanpa sedar …letih la sangat!

Hmm..sekiranya dalam kesibukan ini, aku mengabaikan tanggungjawab aku sebagai ketua keluarga, maka bukan aku sengaja…atau melayan kerenah rakan-rakan, bukan apa….bukan aku suka pun tapi aku sememangnya certified workaholics!!

Selagi kerja atau project belum settle…kepala aku sentiasa semak. Jika aku ada free sikit esok, aku spend time laa…malah aku memang bercita-cita nak berehat selama seminggu tanpa bunyi handphone!!

Persoalannya…boleh ker??

IT’S HAS BEEN BUSY

I wanted to add something to my blog for the longest time…somehow I never get around to it or whenever free time I had, my energy has long abandoned me.

However, today is kinna a slow day…which allows me to write what been going on. Well, my life is no more interesting than yours but I am kinna a “flesher” of a writer….i.e. telling a story about nothing, now that’s an art on itself, you know.

Been spending time on the project site and the people assigned to oversee it. Most of the conversation revolves around the suspension of Tan Sri Isa Samad and Osu Sukam.

I know everybody has in their own right to comment and deliberated on this issue because Malaysia is a free country i.e foreigners can come in and buy whatever property we might have, take our woman and sell it back to Malaysian at a higher price!

A lot of people who are staunch UMNO supporters generally supported the move because it reflect the hardline measure the Discipline Committee in UMNO willing to take to stem out money politics. These people agreed that while money politics in rampant in UMNO, Isa Samad is too obvious or too much for some other people liking. I don’t wanna add anymore because these people that I talked to are high brass people in UMNO hierarchy. Who am I to dabble in politics, huh??

But NO!!

I just had to asked….i throw one question to them “ Kalau betul pun dia guna duit, duit sapa dia pakai hah?? Takkan gaji Menteri Besar and Menteri Wilayah boleh spend millions of ringgit buying votes?? Duit nie tax-payers punya money la kan…??”

Man, when will I stop asking stupid question to a very obvious situation. Funny though…because they couldn’t garnered any real answer to a simple question.

The best reply was “Ala kau nie, semuanya berbau anti-kerajaan…apa yang kau tanya soalan yang bodoh nie”

“Yelah, kalau bodoh pun…apa jawapannya …? Katakan gaji Menteri Besar plus allowances mungkin jejak RM12K, 10 tahun jadik MB baru…RM 1,440,000.00 tapi korang kata dia spends berpuluh juta…mana dia dapat?”

“Err…err…err..”

I added that “ Bukan aku sokong pembangkang, tapi aku bertanya sebagai pembayar cukai selama 10 tahun….mungkin tak sebanyak juta aku bayar tapi aku rasa aku bayar cukai ada dekat ratus ribu…bukan setakat cukai pendapatan, sales tax makan kat Mcdonald 5%, Pizza Hut 5%, Carrefour 5%, macam2 laa….semua bercukai, don’t tell me I am paying for all these crap”

“ Kalau pembangkang jadik new government pun, aku akan tanya juga pasal aku masih pembayar cukai…sapa2 pun, aku tetap akan tanya?”

Nie mentality yang sebenarnya tak ada pada majority rakyat bumi yang fana ini bernama Malaysia, tanggungjawab sebagai pembayar cukai. You pay but you never asked what is being spend…

They rebuffed my statement dgn statement “ Kau nie sentiment sangat, takkan benda detail cam nie ko nak tanya…dia ada la fund dia sendiri”

So, aku tak sabar tak tanya “ O.K la kalau Isa Sama ada fund sendiri….abis, Osu Sukam boleh belanja 1.5 Pound Sterling main judi kat London, mesti dia banyak fund yek?”

“Setahu aku, judi merupakan dosa besar sebagai org Islam…kenapa Lembaga Disiplin tak ambil tindakan?’

I added “ you know what, with all of this revelation the most job in Malaysia should be a Minister..because you can actually earn millions”

Our IPTA & IPTS should offer a course “ Ministerial Science” because it pays more than most of the CEOs in Malaysia.

Hmm…the discussion ended with a lot of blank space on their faces and a bewildered face on me because they cannot answer my initial question. Buat ponek aje jadik perwakilan atau ketua Bahagian.

Alahai…Malaysiaku!

JARUM DAN CONDOM

La nie mana aku pie melepak dgn geng2 aku yg kerja sendiri gak, rata-ratanya mengeluh yang project tak ada…kalau ada mesti berebut macam org gila.

Nie lebih ketara project supply atau trading base, ada yang mengadu yg dia masuk sebutharga supply 12 bijik notebook kat satu agensi kerajaan tapi yg masuk sampai 53 company, punya la frust dia.

Competition memang fierce pasal everybody wants to make money, The recent fuel price hike, other goods pun follows suit. Most of the material has increased in price …be it 10 cents or any amount but the effect is there.

So when one so-called “enlightened” minister, claimed that only fuel price increase only gonna effected those who are capital intensive. May be he forgot that even if the industry is human intensive, people travel via cars or motorcycle which requires fuel to run. The last time I checked, cars and motorcycle stills run on fuel…so enuff said, the minister is an idiot!

There has been 3 price hike in a matter of 2 years…in a matter of litres, may be you wouldn’t be effected as much but multiples litres, the effect also come in multiple. I feel sorry for my partner who had to travel quite far to her place of work…that’s I am working harder so that she would not be carrying much of a burden anymore….heh..heh ( I like to tell that in order to please myself…keh..keh)

Tapi hakikatnya sama, duit is getting scarce but the cost of living has been steadily increasing. So cam no?

Memandangkan kerajaan amat berhasrat utk mensupply jarum dan kondom kepada penagih, aku sarankan pada kawan2 aku tadi supaya buka kilang jarum atau kondom. Depa semua pandang aku …sikit lagi kategori nak kena terajang dgn dia org pasal bagi idea bodoh.

Tapi aku teruskan lagi …aku kata nie prevention better than cure, so we must support this. Depa semua marah…kata apa kejadanya nie?!! (Wan Kamaruddin of “Edisi Siasat” fame will be proud of this word that has become famous since…)

Dia org kata kalau mahu prevent org isap dadah, bagi education at school that drugs is dangerous. Depa kat US, the government spend billions on the danger of drugs at schools and university. That should be a better alternative rather than giving needles or condoms. Depa kata kalau di drug addict dah high on cocaine, bila la pulak nak sarung kondom?? Mind you, putting that thing on is quite a challenge on its own…heh..heh.

Baik educate school children, kata depa. Dari bagi jarum and condom, yang mungkin depa jual balik…baik letak drug addict nie kat satu pulau dan bagi medical attention kat sana. Lagipun, depa kata sakit nie depa yg carik sendiri…so tanggung sendiri,

Aku tanya kalau yg kena anak dan bini mereka, salah dia org gak ker??

Semua diam.

Hebat gak aku yek??

So apa pendapat korang?

IT HAS BEEN SO LONG

It has been quite some time since I last blog.

Bukan tak mahu tapi masa tak berapa nak mengizinkan.

So much has happen, I practically do not know where to begin.

The last couple of weeks has been quite hectic to say the least…tapi sebagai org yang bekerja sendiri, lebih baik tiada masa utk melepak daripada asyik melepak kerana itu menandakan awak tiada kerja…awak tak ada kerja, maka tiada gaji…hey, itu yg aku takut.

I have managed to secure a big job with our biggest clients, alhamdulillah…that project will eat up my weekend until August. In the meantime, I am finalizing another big proposal that will hopefully keep me occupied until raya.

Malas nak fikir lagi jauh takut tak terbuat…bukan tak mahu, hendak tu hendak tapi takut tak terlayan ..maka tak berjalan lak. Mungkin itu bezanya businessman Cina dgn Melayu, aku ada sedikit takut utk undertake multiple job in the hundred thousand while they probably take it in their stride.

Dalam masa tu, ada la sekor kutu kat tempat client kita org…kerja admin tapi tak la besar pangkat mana pun….tapi gayanya mengalahkan senior manager. Boss dia namanya A, besar la pangkatnya tapi tak ler eksen mana.

Aku biasa deal dgn A aje pasal dia decision maker tapi mamat sekor nie, S, sibuk ler…buat2 dia tahu..mencelah sana sini. Aku kira baru, so aku diam ajelah. Partner aku advise aku supaya jangan layan dia sangat…so I take heed the advice ler.

So masa kami dapat LOA big project tuh, dia call our officemate, Mr H, mintak duit kopi. Kalu sikit tak pe…mintak RM5,000.00 la pulak. Dia mengadu masalah kesihatan dia la apa laa…kata nanti the RM5K nanti tolak komisen dia dgn Mr A la..

Personally, aku tak ada masalah bagi duit dgn dia kalau dia betul2 susah tapi cara dia tak kena. Aku tahu lifestyle dia mewah…dia setakat executive biasa aje, gaji dia RM1,600.00 tapi dia pakai Perdana V6, jam tangan Tag Hauer RM5k, baju Valantino dan pakai talipon 3G. Umur dah jejak 36 tetapi masih menyewa…

Dulu sebelum aku masuk, partner aku ada bagi dia sikit duit sebagai tanda terima kasih tolong kami dapat project besar. Dia amik ¾ dari jumlah tu dan bagi A sikit . Dia kabo kat A yang itu aje yg dia dapat…padahal dia dah kebas dekat RM18K. Mana tak panas A dgn dia bila dia dapat tahu.

Aku tahu dia kuat berpolitik dgn platformnya UMNO dan sibuk dgn launching Putera UMNO. Dia selalu lepak Lotus sampai pagi…agar GRO mana2 yang tak dapat teksi…dia boleh tolong hantarkan balik. Pendek kata….duit nie macam air la pasal berlagak kaya tapi sebenarnya papa.

Aku sebenarnya marah tapi pasal partner aku dah sikit berumur, so aku cepat cool laa….kalau ikut nafsu mahu aje aku tempeling kepala dia. Bukan apa, kawan2 aku umur ratanya belum jejak 30 tapi boleh simpan duit beli rumah, settlekan kereta, kahwin. Nie pada aku menunjukkan kawan aku lagi matang dari setan sekor nie..

Nego la jugak bila bersemuka..tapi lebih sibuk ceritakan susah dia daripada nak faham susah aku, aku nak bertekak pun tak guna ..so mahu tak mahu bagi la jugak. Tapi aku tak bagi sebanyak yg dia mintak ler…aku bagi separuh aje. Ikut nafsu aku, aku mampus tak bagi pasal aku tahu dia bukan buat apa pun…dia tumpang nama aje pasal yang buat paper dan proposal, boss dia A yang buat dari awal sampai abis.

Bila aku tanya lebih sikit mampus dia tak boleh jawab tapi kelentong dia, masya-allah punya la pusing sampai Alor Star baru dapat cover satu point.

Aku terima hakikat yg org macam nie mesti ada punya, tapi aku tak sangka la sampai macam tu gayanya. Buat masa nie aku buy time dulu laa….esok nanti si malaun tuh mintak lagi, siap la nanti…

After all, it is the time when the Sith has its revenge!!!

Muahahhahahahhaha

THE DAY THAT NEVER WAS….

Early in the morning, I received multiple SMS-es congratulating me on my day of inception to this world. Yup…I am hitting the big 3-0! So most question asked me …how do I feel about hitting the initial 3? I appreciate all the gesture but ....

Well…to be honest with you, I don’t feel anything. Personally, I am not that big on birthdays especially mine, not that big on New Year celebration either. I am not that kind of a person who drawn up a long list of resolutions of what I ought to be in the end of the year. I am also not the person that needs to be governed by a certain numbers that much…except the numbers on the purchase orders I received or the numbers on my paycheck ler…that I really care!

Don’t get me wrong…it is not that I am a kill joy or anything…there are moments that I felt that I have come of age…like when I get circumsize heh..heh. Or the first wet dream, or first kiss, the first second base…the first wife (erm..ermm), the first child, the first car, the first house…but it is more of a long series of accomplishment rather than a milestone that I set to achieve at a certain age.

Some of the friends I had since my school and univ. days told me that I hardly change…still the one who plays pranks, crack senseless jokes and a kid at heart. Nie buskin masuk bakul angkat sendiri but an honest response by old acquaintances. Age is a number, for me, and that’s about it. It should not be a barrier or a threshold to do whatever…

I remember reading an article by Rina Omar on Sunday mail about hitting the big 3, (yes…she is the current host of quickie on 8TV)…about lifestyle that change with age, when you start reading Cosmopolitan rather than Remaja, you started taking vitamins supplement, sleep earlier because the body is no longer have the same metabolism rate and jest of life.

May be it’s true but I don’t see myself suddenly stop listening to music sang by Justin Timberlake, Anuar Zain, Robbie Williams in favour of Pavarotti, Symphony No.5 or Engelbert Humperdink. Or I stopped playing futsal, enjoying my lepak time with my buddies… (who are younger than me).

A day is still day no matter what pans out to be. Personally, I believe an average day that is mired with works and meetings can be the most exciting day in your life or a day out in Gunung Tahan planned for months turned out to be a dud because the rain couldn’t stop pouring. Who knows what lies out there….everyday can be exciting, perhaps we can be bold and brave enough to try something new…perhaps everyday will be a new day.

Well, at the moment I need to see my doctor…my back is hurting me! May be a sign of old age…..

Nah!!

Heh..heh..heh…

A life in a day of a small time and sometime small minded businessman….

Today I presented a drawing that will make the company bigger, undoubtedly….May Allah shows me the way ahead and ease the passage through….

I believe we had done what best effort we can mustered through this aging frame, the will stays strong and self belief undeterred. It left me wondering though about those who has had tried their hand on business…many were burned, many were left broken and many has become financially independent.

I had seen quite a few of my partner colleagues, who were left almost penniless after their business failed. Once were a driver of Toyota Prado and Mercedez “Avantgarde”… now forced to drive a kancil for he has lost everything. Another was a successful business for years in a real estate industry, fully paid his house before his 35^th Birthday…were driving BMW and holidaying in Spain in 1996…all were wash away in the wake of financial crisis of 1997-98. Now, he drives a taxi to supplement his wife income….lucky his house is fully paid la kan…

Of course, there were also many examples of those who are successful …make millions but I am not interested in them but those that I know are usually able to do so because of their “political” connection. Only genuine people who have to go through tick and thin, self reliance…and sheer determination….be a better person out of this sort of experiences. Believe me! you cannot learn this in Harvard, The Apprentice, AF or Nona. I applauded them for not only they wade the water with all their might…the families becomes closer as well. The wife joins the working population again, the children started to save and becomes good students because they know educations will provide them with better prospect.

Only god knows where this road gonna lead me on….but I will try my very best ..should I fail, perhaps there is a lesson I learn from that too…and should I succeed ..may I be a philanthropist and an evil sith lord!

Working on your own has its own benefits and disadvantages too…but I have no complaint because I choose to be here. Who knows what is right or wrong huh? We all try our best in anything…be it in our work and relationships.

Till then…may you find your peace!

The tale of two brothers,,,

Once, there was a family known as Malaysia. In 1985, they were blessed with their first born, Proton.
The family loved Proton all they can. They gave Proton everything. They protected Proton from the bigger
boys in Kindergarden. They told Proton, "You're young, you need protection from them. It's okay to
make mistakes, you're young. Even if you don't learn from mistakes...it's okay...you are young."

Proton became spoilt. He always depended on parents and used up all his allowance on useless things.
When he had to do his chores, he paid people to do it and the work is lousy, causing the parents having
to call repairmen to fix all the mess that he made.

Anyway, when Proton was 10 (but he still acted like he is 1 or 2 years old), he had a younger brother,
Perodua. At first, everyone thought this younger brother will be like Proton. Anyway, this new baby was more
handsome and looks smarter than Proton. Malaysia knew there is a possibilty Perodua could be smarter
than Proton. Since they love Proton so much, they decided that Perodua can only learn a few things. Cannot
learn the same thing as Proton. This is so that Perodua wouldn't beat Proton at what Proton is doing.

Although Perodua was also protected by Malaysia, he learn to be independent very fast. He made good
friends with Daihatsu, who had an elder brother Toyota. The two of them helped Perodua in everything.
Perodua, being independent and smart, learnt a lot and in a short while, was becoming as good as, if not better, than Proton.

Malaysia realized that Perodua was becoming better than his brother.Although proud of Perodua, they still love Proton best.
They paid Lotus (which is older and well known worldwide) to be friends with Proton.
Using this advantage, Proton mentioned Lotus everytime he wanted to tell people about himself. On this own,
he was still the same.

Moreover, Proton is always not updated. When doing his work, he still uses the typewriter and refuses to use the computer.
Perodua, so much younger, used the computer, with broadband for his work. Perodua was improving so much that
Toyota has assigned him with his work, codename Avanza 2005.

Proton is 20 years old, Perodua only 10. It was obvious that Perodua was the more successful of the two siblings.
What is worse,Proton said he still need his parents to help him for another 10 years. He still need to protection from the big boys.
In May 2005, Perodua was about the show Malaysia his best work so far...codename Myvi. Proton, being jealous...quickly
came up with an unprofessional remark about Perodua's work and show his work at the same time as Perodua on purpose.

The future of Malaysia and her two kids are still unknown. But it would be obvious that Perodua will shine, leaving Proton crying.
It would be a wonder if in 2015, Proton will ask Malaysia for another 10 years of help and protection...maybe this time...
protection from Perodua as well........

It has been some time...

It has been quite a while since i last blog.

The need to do it has lessen over the days....may be i have longer days at my office and lesser things to say.

I am not complaining for i have been more persistent in my life, i have a new of objective and determined to achieve it.May Allah guide me and show me the right path....i am a weak, a very weak servant but i do try to be a good disciple as much as i can.

Time has been moving very fast, one day you were in your office starting your week and suddenly you are enjoying your weekend already. Time does ..really wait for no man. You just have to make do what you have and fulfilled whatever tasks given.

I have been to a lot of places lately and there i have seen poverty still have a strong grip on most people in the rural areas. In an instance, i wondered whether those kids borned in this environment has a shot of being a fully independent individuals.

Will he get a proper education? Will his parents even afford the school fees? The extra tuition ...the extra set of books?

I was lucky..in fact, i considered myself extremely lucky for i was borned into a middle income family. I was somehow given the right tools and avenue towards a proper education.

But nowadays, some kids predominantly Malay drops out of school because their parents can no longer afford their school fees. Gone are the days where the school took extra compassion and lend an aid...people need to fend off themselves. You either have it or leave it.

This somehow left me feel emptied and hollowed. Where is Baitulmal...in aiding this sort of people? Where is Yayasan Kemiskinan? Mana dia Yang Berhormat? Mana dia pemuda Hijau? Mana dia puteri Pink??

Bila Harizal sudah ditangkap akibat tidak pergi PKN, semua heboh dan membahaskan kemunasabahan tindakan ini. For god sake, his family was poor!! He drop out of school when he was 14 yrs old! That should be a beacon to his penghulu or Y.B already?! But no.....let leave him to rot! Only when the papers highlighted his case...sympathy were shown...but believe me, the damage was done long before the aid came....the remorse will always be there!!

Apa nak jadik dgn society kita hari nie? Bila kita sentiasa dimomokkan dgn hiburan demi hiburan sehingga kita alpa dgn kesusahan org lain. Apa kemiskinan harus kita "batik"kan juga baru kita beri perhatian? Apa Harizal harus di "batik"kan juga baru dia tak perlu bayar denda PKN?

Maaf jika saya berbunyi cynical tapi saya pembayar cukai yg tidak tahu kemana perginya duit cukai saya? Bukankah bagus jika duit cukai saya tahun lepas yg beribu2 ringgit itu dibayar kepada keluarga miskin yang hanya mahukan anaknya ke sekolah seperti org lain? Jika mereka tak dapat, ke mana perginya duit ini?

EPF sahaja mempunyai lebih RM16 billion simpanan...sebulan FD sahaja sudah cukup membiayai beberapa kampung ke sekolah selama setahun!

Entah....kita tak perihatin....kita semua lebih suka menceritakan perihal Mawi yang dapat masuk semula AF3 agaknya!!??

I need therapy!!

I am a sore loser!

Yes..i admit...i don't like to lose....

Losing sucks especially when i knew it wasn't entirely my fault.

I played sports every now and then....

In fact, most of my schooling days are usually spent on sports..tried everything...there are some games i just totally sucks at....ping-pong, basketball...snooker and pool.

I reckoned i am quite good at badminton, football and hand-ball....a little bit of hockey.

I dont know why but i believe i am a bit too competitive even if it just a friendly game..

However, i understand why being a Sith is more tempting than being a Jedi because you can fight with passion and hate! i cannot remember a single game i had that i can win when i am totally casual and laughing. Some people..perhaps most people can enjoy a friendly game and having a laught at it later...but unfortunately not me, i guess.

I remember i played a game of badminton, i was laughing and giggling...i lost 15-1 in both sets. i asked for a rematch next week...and i am totally focused, chanelled my hatred and walla! i won comrehensively....i smashed better and harder, one i recalled totally straight at his forehead!

In football, i played to win and i will do some crunchy tackles..that will make even Paolo Maldini shirked!! I will shout and played until my body gave away...winning is somehow very important to me.

I need theraphy,i know.... but this attitude is somehow good for me as well...throughout my adult life, i have carry this attitude in my work and it has brings me to some heights that i was personally happy for because it was way too early for some guys my age to achieve.

But i know i can't carry on like this forever...there will be moments when my body gave away and i will no longer able to push myself harder, faster and bolder like i used to. It may even lead to despression when you can no nonger do the things you used to...after all, vanity is one of the sins?

May be or perhaps. Err...org lain ada masalah nie ker?? Mesti menyampah tgk org cam aku....yang nak menang aje. Aku pun tak suka ..tapi entah?! Tapi aku bukan la kalau aku kalah akan maki hamun opponent aku, i will shake his hands because he is a better athlete than me. I tried my best so...he is better ler! Cuma masa main tuh aku tak la gelak2 ke apa, kena concentrate giler....la kan...heh..heh

Why I blog and why do you blog?

I have been wondering on this question for quite some time now..especially when time is not as structured like before. Structure meaning previously I go to the work at 8.00 am….till 6pm….went home, watch some tv…and play with the kids.

Nowadays, it is more like I go to work at 11 am, prepare some paperwork, invoices, proposal…see dozens of people…perhaps till 10pm…or most of the time 3am. Finally, I have fall into the nocturnal creatures category after all. So kalau ada masa terluang, memang tidur or lepak main game.

Anyway, back to the original situation….why do I blog? Initially, I wanted to voiced out against the tyranny and manipulations that happened in every day office. Working in a structured organization, small or big…having a functional orgn.chart bounds to create dissatisfaction. What I experienced and gone through ….i thought will be good for young graduates and those who are strange to the word “office politics” or “ Kaki Bodek”.

While it is easy to say or even deny that this sort of things are neglible, the fact remains that situation where even your closest friends can turned into your worst enemy because of promotion or desire to be loved by the boss…is unfortunately real.

This is same in any organization, while many will easily say…”I do not get involve into office politics” …it is easy to fall prey to it and those who have a rebellious spirit like me, are often strangled by your ethical and principal beliefs.

Now, I am no longer working for some old git, who probably wouldn’t know what and where he/she is taking the department ….i am working on my own, I chart my own schedules and I decide daily what I wanted to do the day after next.

I enjoyed what I do , don’t get me wrong….but I am no longer angry or pissed off with some old prick who refuse to listen to another young man idea simply because he was there when Krakatoa blew up or when Japan invade Malaya. I used to….but not anymore.

I beginning to wonder why do I blog? Am I just one of them who wanted to feel that I am hip and trendy or just happy writing about my not so happening life?

Or is it I am one of those sexually confused person who write about acting like a whore because I felt my choice of sexual orientation will marginalized me?

Or may be….i am in a closet?! Yeah right?!! I have a lot of male friend who are good looking and sexy like if I am gay, I would date them but i don’t think so…I extremely like what woman comes equipped with… Or I write because I simply like to write?

It has been quite some time….and I haven’t been able to find the answer yet….perhaps the answer I get is a positive ones because being me, the moment I felt it no longer worthwhile ….i would not do it i.e. stop blogging.

Till I found the answer….i guess I keep the status quo.

CREDIT CARD SCAM!!!!!

CREDIT CARDS SCENE 1

A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself "Funny, I thought I locked the locker. Hmmmmm." He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order.

Everything looked okay - all cards were in place. A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whooping bill of $14,000! He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions. Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen.

"No" he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made. An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.

Verdict: The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy? $9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely trigger a "warning bell" with some credit card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!

SCENE 2

A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card.

The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along. Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person.

He called the waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man. All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card. No exchange of words ---nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.

Verdict: Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours. Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time. Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, thinking that it has to be theirs.

FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!

SCENE 3

Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in. I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking account. The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it flat on the counter as he waited for theapproval, which is pretty standard procedure.

While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing. I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture. He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on. It then dawned on me: the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is
doing.

He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved. Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a picture of my credit card. Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have known what happened.

Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlor. All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times. Whenever you are using your credit cards, take caution and don't be careless. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card. Be aware of phones because many have a camera phone these days.

When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off. Some restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of them are still putting the whole thing on there. I have already been a victim of credit card fraud and, believe me, it is not fun. The truth is that they can get you even when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them.

FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN THINK OF.

LET'S GET THE WORD OUT!