Bank charges

I remember when i was in primary school. Maybank sent representative to my school to encourage the primary school students to save. The slogan the bank used at that time was “Sikit sikit lama lama jadi bukit” (Save bit bit, it will become a hill eventually). I opened a bank account with them, thinking that i might be rich if keep up the habit. But now the bank who taught me the value of saving has turn their back on me. They started to charge me for all their services, for no fucking reason. To get a clearer view of the whole issue, Claudia Theophilus wrote an article in Malaysiakini

The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry wants banks to furnish it with details of the service charges they are currently imposing on customers. Deputy Minister S Veerasingam said the ministry had made the request to all the banks two months ago following numerous complaints about the increasing number of charges that were being imposed for various online as well as over-the-counter transactions.

“Although we have so far only received verbal complaints, we have acted on it by asking the banks to give the full detail on the type of charges they are imposing on customers,” he told malaysiakini yesterday.

“In fact, many were totally unaware of these charges until later, when they realised that small amounts were being debited from their accounts.”

He said one of the complaints involved a third party who wanted to cash a cheque and was shocked when told to pay a RM2 service charge.

“This does not happen if the cheque is cashed personally by the account holder.”

Promptly and seriously only one or two banks have responded so far, said Veerasingam. He hoped the rest would come in soon.

“This is something that Bank Negara must look into promptly and very seriously.”

None of the central bank officials could be reached for comment.
Effective Dec 20, Maybank will start imposing a RM12 annual subscription fee for customers using its Internet banking facility, Maybank2u.com, where an upgraded posting explains the service charge.

The Maybank2u website states that fees and commissions are levied on various products and services provided by Maybank. The move has prompted hundreds of protest e-mails to the Maybank Group Contact Centre whose response has been a standard format e-mail to all customers, regardless of their queries or suggestions. An online petition is currently making its rounds via e-mails asking the Malaysian, Singaporean and Filipino customers of the country’s largest banking group to show the power of consumers by signing it before Dec 19. Don’t remain silent

Referring to the latest charge by Maybank2u.com to be imposed, the petition said it was ridiculous to pay service charges for “keeping our money in your bank”.

“You (Maybank) use our money to invest in your projects. You give us minimal interest, and you ask us to pay for using services that are given free by other banks!” read the petition, partly in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

The protest note also claimed that Maybank was the only bank to charge 50 sen for withdrawing “our own money” at the ATM for every withdrawal exceeding four times a month.

In Bahasa Malaysia, the note expressed regret that customers did not protest against the 50 sen charge when it was first imposed a few months ago.

“If we continue to remain silent, I’m sure the banks will impose more charges on us in the future.

“It is because we had failed to protest previously that this is happening now. Come, let’s act. Enough is enough!” the petition concludes.

“Let’s teach them (a lesson) by clicking on the ‘reject’ option on the subscription page in protest of their new terms.”

The petition ends with a call to all Malaysians to show their consumer power by uniting behind this one issue.

Sometimes, i wonder if the bank care about us, the consumer. As my friend put it “Every businessman will try to cheat money off the consumer no matter how ethical they are”. Isn’t the Bank suppose to be our most trusted business companion?

(Potential) HEADLINE: Girl gets fired for blogging at work

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! I’m blogging from work and I really dunno if I am allowed to. Am I? 😀 Only a few minutes left before I am able to get out of work and have Mr Wong (wei chen), my personal driver take me home!

And yes, I have managed to manuever in such chekap and cunning ways to avoid driving to work for a few weeks already! And to all the people who have been trying to get me to drive anywhere at all, you can stop shaking your heads now and give up altogether, aight?

Hope everyone had a splendid new year celebration – my new year’s was weird in many ways coz I had to spend it in Dataran Merd3ka, yups I had to worked on new year’s eve! But having a quiet new year’s supper at Ming Tien with Chen made up for everything. He was like SO SWEET to wait for an hour plus for me at the Kelana Jaya LRT station eventhough he was sick. He rawks, huh?

Things between me and him are pretty peachy in paradise right now. And I wonder why we haven’t had our weekly or monthly world war$ (to the chagrin of our wary mediator, Leong :D) in a WHOLE month, but hell, who’s complaining? 🙂

Ok, logging out now before anyone catches me blogging 😉 Take care all and have a great year ahead! MWAH!

you? Dee? WORKING? HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA….

I got the job. 😀

This being my last week to spend late nights out with friends, I mentally ran through what we have been doing the past few nights. We went Breaker$ the other night? we planned to go yamchar the day after but ended up in the foos scene? and then it was foos again the next night? then we really really planned to go yamchar but HAH surprise surprise, no prizes for guessing where we ended up once again. You guys are ADDICTS, I tell you.. ADDICTS! But it?s nice to be able to play with them coz they are ever so patient with me (What are you doing?! My grandmother also can shoot harder than you-ar!) and so willing to teach me (First you set the ball then push then you pull then you slide there then set the ball again then flick your wrist like this then you then you then you? by which I start to space out?). So where ARE we going tonight? Coo? the choices seem endless? coo?

Anyway, almost similar to Leong?s latest post, an animal was also found in my house compound today ? but alive! A Tortoise! Not those mini terrapins but a big tortoise! No idea how he wandered into the house though. Now he?s chilling out, swimming around a basin my mum put him in. And he?s named Coolio for now coz he looks so damn cool. We probably keep him for awhile and check if anyone in the neighborhood lost a pet tortoise. If there are no takers, we probably release Coolio in the pond behind my house where there would be abundance of bread and kangkung thrown in by the kids, men and women daily who go there for their evening walks. All the tortoises, terrapins and fishes living there must be so goddamn sick of bread, man.

It?s funny though, this isn?t the first time a pet of some sort has wandered into the house. A Persian cat once came into the house and wouldn?t leave, hence our first pet Puffy who has since left us for a better place (heaven, of course) 3 years back. Then there was the hamster that ran into our kitchen, whose gender was mistaken right until she gave birth to 8 healthy hamster babies. So, hehe, the name Dexter was promptly changed to Desiree. Both those animals have naturally left their footprints on our hearts, contributing to the loveliest times of our lives and I wonder if Coolio wandered into the house for a predestined reason or other. 🙂

Next week will be the start of a new beginning for me. And I wonder if it is going to apply in more ways than one. Here’s to new beginnings, health and happiness to all readers of this site and their loved ones? *clink* 😉

Seong Sum Dou HAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

I went for my first ever job interview last week at a bank. naturally, I wasn’t prepared for the tests and essay-writing they had ready for me and I seriously think I screwed up the English test so let’s not talk about the IQ test, shall we? On my essay, the director interviewing me was kind enough to say he liked my hand-writing (but what about my essay?? You like? Oh right, maybe I shouldn?t try my luck).

Got called for the second interview at the end of that week (he must have really liked my handwriting!!) and the motherly director in Human Resources gave me a pep-talk/lecture on flying out of the nest, on being independent, to grow up from the intense glower of my parents, to ask my parents to let go ? I guess I must have looked like one helluva kid to them. Oh and did I mention that my mum followed me to the bank for the interview? 😀

If all things go well, I start work next week. I tried negotiating with them to start in January but the director of my department wants me to familiarize with the company before he comes back from his holiday in January. Oh man? bad timing in so many ways ? friends are coming back from Australia, USA and UK, pre-planned family holiday and most of all, no time to spend with my sis before she flies off exactly a month from now. From such a slow long break, it?s hard to suddenly see so many things happening all at once.

One thing I really really really got to work on is my driving. How the hell I am going to drive every morning to the heart of KL? I can?t even see myself driving to the other side of the road, let alone KL!! *panicking*

Another thing that needs working on is my relationship with him. Many people have told me that it?s probably coz he has started work and that I have too much time on my own to think of nonsense. So I was looking forward to less time to think about him when some of my good friends came back from Australia and Singapore and it was lovely to be out with them again. But it was no use, it only made it more obvious how much I really missed him.

Hey Leong, Siew Lee ? you guys think it?s the Watson 16 curse once again? Seems like it, huh? 🙂

Sorry for the melancholic post but everybody have their down-days?

Entry 000

I am currently busy with my assignments but i will try to write as often as i can. I made a photo album in Yahoo recently. Feel free to go there and check it out. Since i do not have a digi cam, most of the photos are from my friends. The birthday photos are from Philip Chin’s collection, Amsterdam’s are from Wen dee’s and, 2 of the photos date back in 2001 are complimentary of www.xes.cx. I hoping to get a digi cam soon. I have found the right one, i am just waiting for the right time to go and get it. Maybe after my exam.
http://photos.yahoo.com/frankwgj
02:52AM “Power is neither male nor female”

Hit all those pins! Strike! Strike!

This entry is supposed to be posted on Wednesday but I was too tired to write it.

I went bowling today with Frederick, Chuo Ming, Hun Chong, Jonathan, Su Ween, Kai Fei, Janet and Michelle. That was the first time I ever played bowling in England. Fred, Hun Chong, Janet, Michelle and me played in one lane while the others played in the lane next to us. We all had fun there. I was a lousy bowler. I got the least points among all of the people. After bowling, Fred, Hun Chong and I joined Chii Der and Cindy for a movie at UGC while the rest went to KFC. We watched Shanghai Knights.

Movie Title: Shanghai Knights
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis: Jacky Chan went to London with his partner Owen Wilson, to find the murderer of Chan’s father and the stolen imperial seal.
Comment: Apart from Jacky Chan and Owen Wilson, Singapore actress, Fann Wong also starred in the show. Fann Wong is very pretty. After seeing Fann Wong on the big screen, I think Cindy resemble Fann Wong a bit (I hope Chii Der will not kill me when he sees this). The show is hilarious and the action is good. The best part of the show was when Fann Wong kicked Jack the Ripper into the river and said “You fucking loser”. Another good part was the scene when Fann Wong appeared in Owen Wilson’s Wet dream. She was hot and she licked Owen Wilson. Owen, you lucky bastard!

Thursday
Today, I went bowling again with Fred, Hun Chong, and Wen Dee. My bowling skill improved a bit today. =)
2:35 People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.”
– Soren Aabye Kierkegaard

Another Social Casulty

Chuo Ming invited me to his house for dinner today. I had not been to his house for a week now. The moment I stepped into his living room, I was so surprise to see how messy his house had become. The kitchen floor was very oily and the rubbish bin was giving out foul smelling odour. I guess everyone in the house had been busy with their assignments. Chuo Ming cooked his infamous fried rice and Frederick fried two “Bawal Putih” fishes for dinner. Chee Feng and Adrian were there as well. I was the centre of attention on the dinner table for the wrong reasons (as usual). It goes something like this:
Cheng Leong: The fish is good.
Cheng Feng and Adrian: yeah, it’s good.
Me: I think its okay only.
Chee Feng: Mahai, its damn good lar! If you think it is not good then don’t eat lar.

Later when we were drinking Pepsi Cola, I told the people on the table that Pepsi Cola did not taste as good as Coca Cola. Chee Feng was furious with my comment again. He said that I complained too much especially when I was drinking free Cola.

I think I deserve to be told off when I said that “the fish was okay only” because as a guest even if the food is not that good, I should always tell the host that it is good for the sake of politeness. I must confess here that the fishes were good and the answer I gave was a foolish one. Although, I think I am not wrong when I say that Coke is better than Pepsi, It is not right for me to be angry at Chee Feng since he was the one who bought the Pepsi.

Well, all I can say is that the whole incident is another social casualty. If I keep acting like this, I might kill myself off from the social circle soon. I seriously do not know how am i going to make a living in the future when i am such a lousy conversationist. Sigh…

Anyway, Chuo Ming was not eating dinner with us. I think that was strange because he was the one who invited me to dinner. I hope he is alright.
2:22AM Whenever you wonder if you’re being a “fruitful” Christian, ask yourself, “Am I like Jesus? Is His life flowing through me in the ordinary activities and relationships of each day? Do the ‘grapes’ of my life point others to the Vine?” —David McCasland

Movies

Confession of a Dangerous Mind
Seen it on 4th April 2003 with Frederick, Chuo Ming and Hun Chong at UGC cinema, Centertaiment, Sheffield.
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis: A real story based on the unofficial autobiography of Chuck Barris, the infamous American TV producer. Chuck was famous TV producer but secretly he was a hitman for the CIA.
Comments: A superb movie directed by George Clooney. Sam Rockwell’s superb acting brings life to the character. The story was a bit too slow for Frederick; He fails asleep during the show. If you like “Catch Me if you can”, you will like this show

The Phone
Seen it on 5th April 2003 alone in my uncle’s place in London
Rating: 2/5
Synopsis: A reporter who wrote an article on youth prostitution in Korea changed her mobile phone number when she started to get blackmailing phone call from the Korean mafia. Strange thing started to happen from then. She started to get weird phone call from a woman and She kept seeing the ghost of a school girl appearing in her house and even in her car. At first, she thought the ghost was just her imagination and the phone call was from the mafia. Hence, she embarked on an investigation to find out the culprit. Things started to get even freakier when her friend’s daughter was possessed by a spirit after the daughter accidentally answered her mobile phone call. Her investigation later showed that the two previous owners of her mobile phone number had all died mysteriously.
Comment: This is a Korean movie. I was not intending to watch the movie at first but when I saw the beautiful actress on the back cover of the VCD, I decided to watch it for awhile. The show was quite scary and the idea of the getting ghostly phone call on your mobile phone was indeed very freaky. Unfortunately, the crappy ending spoiled the whole show. However, Credit should be given to the little actress who acted as the girl who was possessed by the evil spirit. Her acting skill was almost as good as the girl in “Exorcist”. If you think “the Ring” is scary, you should see “the Phone” as well.
12:32AM “God did not write the gospels in the bible only but He writes it on the trees,the flowers,the sky and the cloud as well”

Crazy Cd drive.

My Cd drive on my Compaq Presario is dying. It refused to open when I pressed the button. After several attempts, I gave up. I used a straightened clipper pin to open it. Well, if the cd drive really dies on me then I can still use my USB external cd-r/rw as my cd drive. Then again that is just a short term solution because if my Windows OS die on me (touchwood), my USB drive will not work at all. I will not be able to install a new copy of the OS on my computer. Also, my cd drive cannot read cheap burned cds and some of the pirated cd as well. That mean the Len is approaching its depreciating life span. I think my cd-drive will be able to survive for at least another 12 months or longer if I don’t use it anymore. I am still thinking whether I should send it for repair. Hmmm…It might cost me more than GBP100 since the warranty on my computer has long expired. Argh!!! I hate laptop. Apart from being portable, all its spare parts are expensive and it is very hard to upgrade them!!! Okay…enough bitching about my Cd-drive. Hmmm…Let me test my cd drive again. *press the button on the cd drive* Aiks, it opens…Crazy cd drive.
7:13PM “We live by faith not by sight”