MBJB E-Aduan

I have just lodged a complaint on MBJB's web site regarding a gaping manhole on the road near my apartment. The manhole has been left open for more than a week and is really a hazard to road users. The complaint web site is actually quite okay and seems professional enough. But what really matters is: I wonder how long does it take MBJB to solve the problem? I wonder if anyone is picking up on this complaint? Rakyat didahulukan, pencapaian diutamakan? Let's see... I'll definitely update on this issue.

And I didn't really expect my Taman is under MBJB. Thought it was all the while under MPJBT until I checked it out today. In other words, I am a city folk!

While we are on the subject of municipality, Pasir Gudang is scheduled to be officially proclaimed a municipality tomorrow - Majlis Perbandaran Pasir Gudang. This is after years (almost 30??) of being runned by a so-called private local authority. Actually I don't see the difference between the private and government local authority. And to celebrate the grand proclamation, they are lighting up the trees... They are busy installing flood lights (blue, red, green.... you know what I mean) illuminating the trees. Never mind the roads, the trees are more important. It seems that the leaves can't see its trunks at night. Never mind that some stretch of the Pasir Gudang Highway is so dark that it's just waiting for disaster to happen.... or rather how many accidents have already occured on the highway all these years!

I'm sure the ridiculous Menara Aqabah would also be lighted up for the grand proclamation. Yes that bloody tower in town to ensure continuous glut in the office space supply in an industrial town. Actually, I was wondering what 'Aqabah' means. Did a google on it and turned up Aqabah = Ugliest! I hope this is just a mistake in translation! Imagine Menara Aqabah = Ugliest Tower!

The KL MRT route in the future?

Got this from transit.org.my. Click for the details. If only this becomes a reality...
Meanwhile, for Johoreans: Don't expect an LRT or monorail line anytime soon in JB. According to the Iskandar Malaysia people, they have done a research and found that the existing JB population does not make constructing an LRT line an economical feat. Instead, they will spend money on improving the bus system. So, don't believe those new property launches with a "Proposed LRT" line on its map! But I guess most Johoreans would know it - the "Proposed LRT" line has been on the map for more than 10 years!

Random crap

Life can be full of craps. Craps from TV and craps from the work place.

Random crap from Mr. Siao Season 2 on tactics to subdue your enemies:

美人計 : No people's chicken
苦肉計 : The meat that tastes bitter

Random crap from K.C. Toh:

包山包海 : Cover mountain, cover sea
已经七七八八，还有二二三三 : Already seven seven eight eight, still got two two three three
有眼不识泰山 : Got eye don't know Tarzan

Random crap from S.K. Yap:

没见过大蛇哦屎 : Haven't seen a big snake shit
你估我唔知道你老母係女人? : You think I dunno your mother is a woman?
二五仔 : Two five boy
******** : Throw your mother's old shoes

Random crap from M. Wong:

唔飄唔賭終需幫趁藥材舗 : Don't fool around, don't gamble, end up visiting the medical hall
天有天公，地有地主公，够月拿人工: (Don't know how to translate this)

出国逛逛，把钱花光，为国争光 : Go out jalan-jalan, spend all the money, for the sake of the country

享受人生，不要人在天堂，钱在银行: Enjoy life, don't end up the heaven with all your money still in the bank

* Pardon some of my Chinese words which may not be correct. That's the closest in pronunciation that I could insert in view of my limited vocab.

Pudu Gaol

The old Pudu Jail in KL will soon be demolished. A chunk of KL's history and heritage is being broken down to pieces.

Why employees leave organizations?

This article was written by Azim Premji, CEO of Wipro.

Every company faces the problem of people leaving the company for better pay or profile.

Early this year, Mark, a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its China operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer. He had heard a lot about the CEO. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office, and the very best technology, even a canteen that served superb food.

Twice Mark was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined.

Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Mark walked out of the job.

Why did this talented employee leave ?

Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away.

The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called "First Break All The Rules". It came up with this surprising finding:

If you're losing good people, look to their immediate boss. Immediate boss is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he's the reason why people leave. When people leave they take knowledge, experience and contacts with them, straight to the competition.

"People leave managers not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.

Mostly manager drives people away?

HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave, but a thought has been planted. The second time, that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he looks for another job.

When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression. By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information. Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into trouble. You don't have your heart and soul in the job."

Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too suspicious, too pushy, too critical, but they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on too long, an employee will quit - often over a trivial issue.

Talented men leave. Dead wood doesn't.

Jack Welch of GE once said. A company's value lies "between the ears of its employees".

MRT Plan for KL

I note with excitation and reservations over the proposed RM30b MRT system for KL. It's high time KL has a proper rail network. But knowing Malaysia, I am not convinced until I actually see the trains running! I still remember, when I was in primary 1, my teacher showed us a picture of a monorail running smack in front of Sultan Abdul Samad Building in KL. That was actually an artist image of a proposed rail system for KL. That was in 1986. KL didn't have its rail line running until the late 90's when the STAR LRT came about. So, you see, it takes 10 years to turn a proposal into reality in Malaysia.

Not too long ago, the PM announced the LRT extensions. I wonder what came out of it? Are the tenders already out? When will work start? When will the trains run? That was only a RM7b project. Now a RM30b project is up for grabs. The idea of a wider rail network is actually not something new. Back in 2007, someone proposed a more extensive rail network:

The proposal looks quite similar to what is being bandied about now. Lets see what comes out of it in the end.

First world country flooded

Flood in Malaysia is a common thing. But flood in Singapore is something new. Yes, they have the occassional flash floods (barely above the ankles) that made to prime time news as if it was a major catastrophe. Yes, Beach Road and areas around canals get flooded occassionally, causing severe losses to flowers and grasses. But a flooded Orchard Road with shopping complexes inundated with storm water? An Orchard Road that has become Orchard River? That's something new.

I happen to be at Marina Barrage couple of months back where PUB was talking about that grand project which will resolve many flooding issues during high tide & storm. Unfortunately, all the grand plans and mega engineering could not defeat mother nature's fury. A freak storm assisted by clogged drains (are we really not talking about JB??) cause one of the worst floods in Singapore in years. Given that Singapore's news hardly have any news, this would surely be much talked about in their news & talk shows for some time.

And while we are at it, I wonder when the next big flood will hit JB. Both JB and Singapore had more or less the same storm that faithful day. Surprised, JB survived unscathed given our horrible drainage. Or maybe the worst has yet to come. I better not talk to soon, seems like there's been quite a lot of freak storm lately in JB too, blowing off roofs and uprooting trees. Think one happened couple of days back causing hours of horrendous jam on Pasir Gudang Highway. Yeah... the world's climate is definitely going crazy.

With the lifting of subsidies...

As our caring government starts removing the subsidies, we better get used to the prices of everything rising. Be it sugar, flour, cooking oil, petrol, diesel, electricity, gas, toll, bus ticket... everything will increase in price.

Rui En in "With You" (我在你左右）

Some pics of Rui En in Mediacorp's series "With You", which has just concluded its last episode tonight. In line with my earlier post on the series "Ghost Adventures", this Singaporean series is also about contact with the other dimension.

The show's story line is quite different from the typical Chinese series and there are some elements of surprise turn of events, which I quite like. Furthermore, Rui En is in the show. Haven't seen her acting for some time.

Ghost Adventures

Catch this interesting show on NTV7 every week. (Not mistaken, it's on Sunday nights). These guys visit places famous for hauntings and lock themselves in for the night. Armed with only night-vision cameras and voice recorders, they taunt the "ghosts" in hope of finding proof of their existence. A nice show to watch on a cold night with lights off!

New plans for Segget River?

Johor Baru losing its appeal (The Star)

I first heard of the "re-opening" of Segget River a few weeks back from a friend who happened to have attended a briefing by IRDA on the JB city renewal plan. This horrible, stinky, rat-infested river (or I thought it was a monsoon drain) has been an eyesore for years, smack in the middle of the city. Some JB old-timers claimed that the river was once clean and clear. In fact, they could actually swim in it and during high tide fishes wade in. However, after decades of pollution, the river has ended up becoming nothing more than a big drain. No thanks to the hawkers dumping their garbage into it, the river became the symbol of JB aroma.

Instead of cleaning up, the city council decided to sweep things under the carpet (favorite Malaysian strategy). Few years back, they spent millions to cover up Segget River. So you don't smell the stink and the rats can have a home with shade. Thereafter, everyone seems to have forgotten the river exists. That is until the above news came out that IRDA intends to open up the "drain covers", clean up the river and promote boating and recreational activities along Segget River. Some sort of a Venice in JB. I hope they have a comprehensive long-term plan for this for the river is so dead it may take more than 10 years to clean up. Meanwhile, the aroma of JB will be back for us to reminisce the smell of the city before the Segget Cover-Up.

Segget in early years

Segget now (the drain is covered)

Organized Crime