Holiday Season

Another posting which was left unposted for close to a month in my list....glad that I finally find some time for it.

The original posting time of this posting was 3rd January 2010.

Happy New Year to all my friends!

It has been a while since I last update my blog...just didn't have the urge to update my blog especially during this festive season.

I was in holiday mood since the week I was suppose to visit Sungai Lembing in Pahang. However thanks to rain god, our trip has to be reschedule and most probably without me in it :S

As we were already in Karak Highway when we received the call from the owner of the chalet, we diverted our journey towards Bukit Tinggi instead. Though Bukit Tinggi wasn't much like I have anticipated, I enjoyed my trip there with the companies...I have much great time sweating ourselves trying our luck to get a synchronous jump shot.
So from the initial plan of 3 days 2 nights trip at Sungai Lembing, we spend our time in Klang Valley. So much has been done together...karaoke at Neway, One-U, bowling at Times Square, hiking at Broga Hill, flying kite at Kepong, 'chor tai tee' at EP's house, shopping at multiple malls and on food hunt. Love spending time with them...

my favourite meal...I just love those desserts

Bloody money sucking & inefficient UTM

Forgive me if you feel offended by this article. This was just my way to express my uneasiness and my dissatisfy towards our tertiary education system.

This is how my story went and ended up in a havoc...

I made up my mind to do my postgraduate in February....initially i have UTM's Master in Engineering (Microelectronics & Computer) and MMU's Master in Engineering (Telecommunication) and its Master in Engineering (Microelectronics) in consideration. However I chose UTM looking at my interest and the relevance to my current position in Intel.

So on February 23, I sent my application form to UTM on a registered express post for I have been mislead by the date mentioned in their website....which I was later told by the officers who came to Intel to do the introductory sharing that the date was meant for their current final year students who wish to continue on....this was the 1st wrong do of them.

In early April, my friends told me that they have received letter from the university saying that their applications have been received and in the mid of processing them. I did not receive any news about my application but I was sure that my application must have arrived after checking with Pos Malaysia....my friends application forms arrived in UTM in the end of Feb but only heard from them in early April...this was the 2nd wrong do of them...why would it take a month plus just to send out a simple computer generated letter to confirm that our applications have been received....worse when I heard nothing at all from them.

I grew more and more anxious as the days, weeks and months past.

By mid of May, my friends started to receive their confirmation letter and documents...yet there was no news about my application.

Finally on May 20, the uni authority rang me, telling me that they did not received my application payment. So I quickly fax over my receipt. One week later, I finally received the 1st letter my friends received...a little relieves after such a long tense up period.

Time flies...as the reporting date was drawing closer, I could no longer wait patiently. I called the SPS office...after being diverted few times, I was finally in touch with Cik H***m. I was told that I have been accepted and they are now in the process of sending out the acceptance letter.

Then on 25 June, I called Cik H***m again. This time I was told that the letter has already been delivered and I should be expecting it next week. The delay was due to the tuition fee review.

I waited impatiently till the following Monday, 29 June.I called Cik H***m to confirm the status of my application and again I was assured that I have been accepted and the letter was sent out on 26 June...this was their 3rd wrong do.

During this call, she claimed that the letter has been delivered but this time, she said it was only delivered out a day after our last call.So I asked for a hard copy to be delivered to me via fax. Surely I would not make the RM2k payment without any hard copy confirmation...

In the noon of 30 June, the mentioned letter has not arrived in my house yet. So I thought I may be more efficient if I made a request via an email.So here goes my email.

Dear Sir,

I am Lim Sze Wan (ARN: M091014069). I have called previously and have been informed that I have been accepted and official letter has been sent out. As of today, I have not received any related document from your university. Kindly verify and get back to me on my application status.

I have learned that the course registration has been scheduled in Vistana Hotel this weekend. If my application is successful, can you send the document again on pos express for I will need to submit those documents to my company’s HR and need to get the medical check up done?

Thanks.

Another 2 days of waiting. They got on my nerves. It was Thursday, 2 July and I was expected to register on Saturday morning. In my mid of headache, I wrote an email to their Deputy Dean, Dr O****n, and CCed it to a whole long list of people involved...Sadly still no news from them by the end of the day.

Dear Sir,

I wish to get your attention into the subject mentioned above.

I have called Cik H***m for numerous times and have been informed that I am accepted for the Sarjana Kejuruteraan (Elektrik – Komputer & Sistem Mikroelektrik). I was told that the official letter and documents have been sent out last week, 24 June 2009 and expected to register myself this weekend. However up till this moment, I have yet to receive such documents from your university. I have also requested for a copy to be sent to me via fax and I did not receive any as well. Without any proper document from your university, I can neither proceed to get the medical check up nor made arrangement for fees payment.

Kindly get back to me at my email XXX@intel.com on the steps for registration for the course above.

Thanks.

3 July, a day before the registration, I received a call from Cik H***M. Never expected a call from her as early as 8.30am. This time her intonation wasn't that pleasing.

H***m : Lim Sze Wan
Me : Ya.
H***m : Kamu datang sahaja hari Sabtu ini. Surat itu boleh kamu dapatkan di kaunter nanti.
Me : Tapi boleh faxkan surat tawaran kepada saya, baru saya boleh proceed dengan payment. H***m : Saya sekarang ini sudah nak pergi Penang. Tak sempat nak send. Untuk pendaftaran esok, kamu bayar dua ribu sahaja.
Me : Jumlah yuran berapa?
H***m : Semua yuran adalah tiga puluh ribu ringgit.
Me : Ok.
(bump...heard her hang off so quickly)

Minutes later, I received an email from Dr O****n. This is his email.

Dear Sze Wan,
The registration will begin at 12noon tomorrow, vistana hotel. You can collect the second copy of the offer letter there. We are on the way to Penang now. Call my number 019XXXXXXX after 2pm today for clarification.

Regards

No wonder Cik H***m called that early morning in that rude intonation.

Anyway I just rang Dr O****n, wanting to see what he has got to say. By the end of our conversation, I felt so upset. He gave me no explanation for all the delay nor any explanation for the fee increment. I could only recalled a remark from him on the increment "What an unfortunate." Huh? Deputy Dean saying it's an unfortunate...guess not for the case of the university.

So with all this havoc, could one still continue in this university? Not sure about others, for me surely not in this bloody money sucking university and such an inefficient one.

Btw...the letter finally arrived in my house on that very last day, 3 July. The stamp on the envelope dated July 1, 2009.

CCC after a year - White water rafting & Caving in Kampar

Hmm...after a year...a lot of things have changed.

The most significant one...everyone is richer by 2 to 3k a month...many with new cars and 2 with a new house....envy of them...I am stuck with my 3584 but am satisfy to at least have him now rather than my 15 years old SLK.

2ndly, we all have only 1 common topic or rather standard questions which were 'What are you doing now, where are you working in, which department, hows life, hows work and etc...all revolves around working life.

3rdly, we were not as crazy as we did...no more rushing for photo shots...I was not sure if it was due to lack of cameras during our outing or it was just because we were too tired with our normal hectic schedule and 2 days of tiring activities together.

Anyway this was really good for us to get together. I enjoyed it very much but was super tired as I could not recover from my Bangkok trip which was only 3 days apart. Take away my tiredness, my post trip MC and the stuck time during white water rafting, this was a great outing.

Thanks to HJ and HF for organizing it! Hope to see everyone again in our 2nd yr gathering!

Day 1 - Drive down from Pg, white water rafting (*sad for no photographs taken during the raft), Gunung Lang & 豆芽鸡

penang* and ipoh lang at destination first...good to be on time

at gua tempurung area...while waiting for others

heading to our hostel...after the white water rafting

CCC at Gunung Lang

Gunung Lang lake from the tower

replica of traditional houses on the island
boat to the island

another lake view from the top

it was about to rain

1st and only complete group photo...CCC08 is here in Gunung Lang!

our chicken...good but too much...CCCers are small eaters now

this was yummy...better than chicken

YY after few hours under the sun during water rafting...YY, u need more outdoor sports to be a MAN!

at pasar malam during kampung adidas hunting

Day 2 - Dim sum at Ming Court, pomelo feasting at Gerai Limau Bali Tambun 100, caving at Gua Tempurung and finally 游记面包鸡

dim sum breakfast at Ming Court

got a shock...the moment we got the table, the waitresses started to load the table with all these dim sum...may be 100+ of them at first

pomelo feasting

bought 2 home

Gua Tempurung...khazanah negara

these were thousands years old

wah...best shot in the cave

very humid in the cave....

now we are up, the next moment we were meters down

oups...1 missing...it was too dark...the cameraman just pakai hentam

best shot in the cave...due to the humid and less of light, this was the best shot

not sure if it is that extreme good or not but it finished within minutes

makan...makan
last group photo before adios..missing in the photo is HF...thanks her again for this!

What's best for Penang?

It is really sad to learn that we have such a short sighted MP in Malaysia.

MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN – Kinabatangan) questioned the rationale of 2nd Penang Bridge.

This Datuk wanted to know the rationale for spending RM4.3bil for the bridge, adding: “If RM4.3bil is to be given to the poor rural folk, how wonderful. They will be elated especially now, when the economy is not doing well. Voters in Kinabatangan will be thankful for that.” I wonder if he is aware how much Penang has contributed to the country's GDP.

On another development plan by the state govement

CM defends tiger park idea


At a glance, I think this will be a very cool idea to develop Penang tourism sector but thinking twice, it is true that we need to take many factors into our consideration.

Factors to consider

1. Safety of the general - Precaution steps to asure the safety of the people
2. Safety of the giant cat - Are we able to provide them a natural habitat and will this project affect them in any ways?
3. Enviromental issue - this project may involves 100-acre Relau Community Park with many durian farms around the area...any major changes to this place to accommodate to this project?
4. Continuity of the mega project - Will this project last or this is just merely a dream of YB Lim alone. Wondering what will happen if we are to invest millions here but the moment the Lim Dynasty is over, will this project be buried along?

I am not convience with this project but if the experds can provide all the supporting documents and able to justify the project, then why not? I am just one of the another concerned Penangites.

Anyway I only hoped for a better Penang. MPs, please do not politicise people's interest and our country's development!

How much do I have to pay them?

How I wished to be able to spend loosely? This will never be possible for I have got into a stable but low income profession. Engineers are averagely very poor or at least I am sure I am poor!

Recently the Selangor state exco declared their income and assets. I was rather shocked to learn about the amount. An average exco members would receive salary and allowances from the state government of approximately RM17,000. Their income may go up as high as RM40,000 per month with few other positions such as the chairman of subsidiaries companies of the state government.

So if the opposition ruling state's exco can have this figure, what about the BN's ruling state and the central government servants? Really curious to learn how much money could the PM of a developing country like Malaysia could earn per month?

For exact figures of their earnings, please visit http://www.selangor.gov.my/main.php?Content=vertsections&SubVertSectionID=139&VertSectionID=3&CurLocation=3&IID=
And Elizabeth Wong's form is a must see there...look for the #3 and #4 of Borang Pengisytiharan Harta to learn how humorous our EXCO can be :P

Attention to all Malaysians especially Penangites and Butterworthrians

Please be extra careful especially Malaysians, Penangites and Butterworthrians. This happen to my family. My aunt was shocked but relieved to learn about her sons' safety and the well being of all my other cousins. She wrote the notes below to warn everyone else.

Hi,
My family has just received a call fr a stranger abt half an hour ago, requesting for ransom money of RM100k..claiming he has got hold of a child. The receiver heard a background sound of a child crying pleading for the mummy to rescue him.
We were all so panicked then and started calling to check on our childrens' safety.. and were all relieved to find that they are all safe.
Pls be alert that this syndicate is around our neighbourhood now in Butterworth. Do be extra careful and should highlight to our kids of the danger of strangers.
Do take care. I do not want any of us to have the fear that my family have just gone thru. But Thank God, they everyone is safe now.

Best Regards,
LLP (2-March-2009)

CCCers' CNY in Penang

"Kita tambah kat Utara, kes berlaku di Selatan. Kita tambah kat Timur, kes berlaku di Selatan."

Yes...this was quoted from one of the many policemen we have in Malaysia. Thanks to our PDRM academy for training such an idiotic officer and thanks to JPA for even consider hiring such an irresponsible officer.

This was the answer my dad and I got when my dad asked if they would take any action on my case...perhaps increase the frequency of police patrol around the neighbourhood?

And he answered 'we increase in North, cases happens in South. We increase in East, cases happens in West'

I was not joking or trying to make up some case here. This was real and I have heard it myself. Those words were from an Inspector during the investigation session on the robbery case that happened on me recently...Yes I have have to admit that it was my wrong for not rebutting or filed any complain on this incident.

Firstly, after the robbery I was emotionally and mentally half paralyzed. I could not further question him on his remark. Secondly, I didn't believe and do not believe and not convinced with the performance and efficiency of these officers. They have always claimed to uphold their most dignity with the slogan 'Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah' but I doubt it. Thirdly, filling another complaint against that officer might get me into more trouble. 2 police report and 2 investigation sessions were enough for the day. Who would want to stay on in that damn cold place for minutes or hours longer?

Not to forget to mention about the so called investigation that took place. It was barely a Q&A session. I was seated right opposite that officer while looking at him writting at a super slow speed...but applause for the tidynesss in his handwriting...see...the investigation trend that we have here...oups or perhaps his way, 'investigation = Q&A'....unlike what we have seen in those CSI...so if I was the robber, I will surely continue looking at the way the officer carried out their investigation was going no where, no conclusion or solution...

So from this experience I could conclude on how the officer carried out his duty...

Investigation = Q & A

Hence

Policemen = Documenter a.k.a Clerk

Then days after my case, there was an accident which happened right infront of my house. It happened at close to 11pm involving a car with 1 driver in it and a motorcyclist on a motorcycle. The motorcyclist was badly injured, so my family called the police station and for an ambulance.

The scene was crowded with passerbys aka 'kay poh ci' and the traffic was initially in the state of chaos. But thanks to a group of people from the efficient and well networked tow and mechanic shops, the traffic was under control. They arrived at the scene within minutes...and they were using walkie-talkie just like the PDRM but I guessed theirs would be older and less expensive models.

Could you guess how long it took for the 'clerks' to arrive at the scene? They arrived 40 minutes later with their loud siren on...announcing their late arrival to the public...the police station was at most 15 minutes away counting in the traffic lights...but wonder who actually believe police car with siren on would wait for traffic light?

Can we still trust policemen? I mean as in relying on them to maintain our national safety and protect lives. With the increasing criminal rates and more cases reported on the media daily, are we safe now?

Looking at these 2 cases, I have lost my very least confidence on PDRM...and counting in bribery practise, I dispice them...dispice the career...dispice the force...

UPM 32nd Convocation

Lessons from uni

After 4 years in UPM, I could only conclude that UPM was and is and will be super racist...I bet many would agree with me...my past experience and encounter with the university authorities for numerous clubs and societies best describe how unfair and injustice it was....and what politics were about....yes...I was saying 'politic'...how we were forced to act to their wish and how corrupted the e-system could be...well it may not be true as propagated by some students saying that the e-undi result was 'diubah-ubah dan diprogram' but it was surely manipulated by them...not sure if how many UPM students realized that clubs and societies leaders were in ways forced to attend those crappy camps which intended to brain wash us...these camps have been on for years and have always been classified as secret...and to the extend that, there were times that students were blindfolded on the journey....the venue had been kept secret...we were only told to be on standby...departure date and time announced only days before...

Besides having have to attend those camps, we were treated that if we were found engaged in any ways with those pro-mahasiswa activities, then our clubs' activities approval would be jeopardized....and due to the passion we had towards our own societies, we have to keep away from those pro-mahasiswa movements...due to my position here, I have to refrained myself from voicing my thoughts to the public and including my friends especially those that worked so hard and placed their future in big risk just to fight for our rights. I supported them and gave my moral supports to all our 'heroes'.

I bet many could still recalled back on the gangterism act issue among the MPP in UPM...it was really a 'berita gempar' to all Malaysians...my parents called asking if the situation was under control and asked me to take a week or 2 off if the university compound was unsafe...

The most unbelievable thing in this case was my course mate, Simon Ooi who was actually being victimized in this incident was charged with 7 sentences where else the barbarians were running wild freely with warnings...no hearing and no tribunals formed...And for poor Simon, he was charged in the tribunal but was not allowed to have his lawyers to represent him...so was this fair? AUKU sucked!

Luckily, thanks to the media power, his case was postponed indefinitely...guessed the university authorities could not figured out ways to shut their mouths so they chose to keep silent and let the time past....So congratulation to Simon for he has finally managed to work out of his hell in his mortar and red robe!

Finally my advice to the younger ones are do not choose UPM if all that you wanted from your university years is freedom...local public universities are not the right choice for you! But however if you want to try out my challenging experiences and brushes up your 变脸神功(meet people speak people language, meet ghost speak ghostly language)...then UPM welcomes you! Or in the case you are those apathy ones, then UPM may be fine for you!

Apart from the crappy administration, UPM was still fine for me... :P excluding the encounter with that Dr 羊咩咩...who actually said this...."Ini Melayu punya, ini Cina punya" while pointing to 2 stacks of examination sheets when I visited him in his office to remark my paper...don't worry for he has been fired....

*All these were true and based on my personal experience….I am free and not liable for any trouble caused by this article...so if you feel uneasy with those remarks, ignore them!...And just for the info of those unwelcomed personnel....I am no longer an undergraduate...so AUKU doesn't work on me...haha!

My Convocation

I have been waiting long for this moment...not sure if this will be my last but surely a moment to be remebered.

Oct 21 2008 was the day. The day which I could proudly call myself a graduate. The day which I could fill in my applications saying that my highest qualification is tertiaray level.

Honestly, I was still very excited about it eventhough there were times I was saying that I didn't have much feeling bout it since it was long after I have joined the working force. It was hard to describe the moment. Yes...thinking of it made me sick...waited for months to my convocation and now that I have started working for months ready, the cert was no longer that important anymore....but I was so happy just for being able to put on the red robe, my name being read out loud and me walking up the stage before all our parents and friends. So the pros of this ceremony were it was a protocol or event for me and my family to share and talk about and it was a great opportunity for photography sessions...haha :P

smile before pro-chanselor

Oh yes...the suckiest and crappy part of this ceremony was the university authority barring me into the ceremony with a pair of pants...forcing me to put on the ugly looking long black skirt...This was what that old Malay official said "Kamu tak boleh masuk dengan seluar...ada kawan atau keluarga yang boleh bawa skirt labuh? ...belakang tu ada gerai, boleh beli kain..." Why would I need a skirt labuh when my pants were long enough...I didn't expose a single inch of my body parts else that my face and neck area as well as my 2 palms. Sometimes they would justify that no pants were allowed because pants were tight at times, and may be menjolok mata to certain parties but today, with the long robe on, nothing could be revealed at all...so stupid wasn't it?

Other than that, it was still a great day....So here are some shots for the day and some on my gifts and flowers.

before entering the hall...morning blues

from my parents...sunflower signify bright future

pink roses...from sis....

bear1...thanks Mang Rui...ex-roommates cum junior

bear2...thanks Phaik...

and...the Parker....thanks 雪婷

bear3...from mummy and papa

And not to forget to express my gratitude to my parents and family members, my 'lecturers', my coursemates and friends who made my past four years in uni be fruitful and memorable.

Stay tune...more photos are coming up here...have yet to collect them from studio and Wesley

Time to catch up with friends

Seriously, there were too many unhappy news and regrets recently. I wish I could have longer days, more time with my friends and family members.

These were from my recent gathering with CCC members.

our dinner at Saisaki

'CCC jie mei'

where's the others?

thanks YY...we got a great journey to and from KL.

Oh yes...food at Saisaki was ok...worth the money if you are really a Jap food lover like me...or else not a good choice...fresh oyster is a must there.