Common Sense on Parking Facilities

I would like to add on to Frustrated Citizen’s article on “Frustrated over the lack of parking facilities” in The Star dated 20th March 2009. Parking facilities are not just frustrating in LCCT. It is everywhere nationwide. Shop lot complexes are one of the worst. There were never enough car parks for customers.

I wonder how the project manager designed the site with minimum car parks. I also wonder how they obtained their approval from the authority to start operating. It seems that only 2 to 3 car parks allocated for each shop’s customers. How would the developer expect their shop owners to have good business when their customers struggle to find car parks? What would you do if we ourselves face the same situation? Won’t we go elsewhere to get what we want? How would this impact on businesses nationwide and especially during this economy downturn?

Developers need to take care of their customers’ customers in order for the shop owners to continue making money which leads to longer term leasing in the development. If developers don’t do so, how are the shop owners going to pay rent, loan to the banks and support future projects when they themselves are struggling to make ends meet?

It seems that no one learn from mistakes of others and think with common sense in putting up a project. I also wonder why banks borrow money for these selfish developers to put up their projects and risk loan payback. Doing business is not just about taking care of your own interest/ business but to go just an extra mile to take care of your customers’ customers will do wonders to your business empire. Imagine when there is ample car parks and patrons finds it easy to get car parks to go to shop lots in your shop lot complex and let the shop owners make more money, won’t the shop owners stay longer in that premise and will faithfully be this developer’s customers? Doesn’t this create a win-win situation ? Shop owners, wasn’t ‘can’t find parking’ your customers common complains?

RTC Wenn
Selangor

WHO SAY SLAVERY HAPPENS IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES?

Down under your nose, for years, Malaysian employers have not been rewarding their employees properly but demand at least 2 to 3 times more efforts of work from them. There is also no freedom of speech at work. If a staff were to raise the salary or remuneration issue, this person will be the first to leave the company even though maybe the most productive or hardworking staff.

Where doe this happen? This is not Africa ! Slavery is happening in Malaysia . It is happening everyday for a long time in Malaysia , Truly Asia! Is this how we as Malaysians who claimed to be friendly and helpful citizens suppose to treat our employees? Where are your hearts, bosses?

When Malaysians refuse to do tones of extra work without additional pay, companies hire foreign labours to take over. After working under improper remuneration and condition, now the government wants to terminate contracts of faithful foreign labours without any compensation.

Malaysian, especially bosses, have you ever thought that if you are the one being treated the way you treat your fellow workers, how would you feel? Do you think you will enjoy yourself in their shoes? Sadly, the common Malaysian mentality is “I will not be the unlucky fellor. Only good things will happen to me.” Think again. If it is your love ones like your children, spouse, siblings, parents or even mistresses, being treated like that, how would you feel? What would you do? Probably you may say, “Be patient.” That’s good. But if you interpret it, it means, KEEP QUIET and DO AS YOU WERE TOLD! DON’T COMPLAIN! You are lucky to have a job now.

Employers and bosses, if your senses are working and if you have a heart, would you like to see slavery in Malaysia and especially during the current economy crisis? Put your hand on your heart and think.

RTCWenn
Selangor , Malaysia

Will security guards really take care of us and our family?

On average, a security guard’s salary is around RM1500 a month including allowance and overtime by working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. How many households they have to support with this amount of salary? How many percentage the inflation rate has increased as compared to percentage of salary increment for security guards on an annual basis? When was the last time their salary reviewed?

With the current economy slowdown, many companies have taken the advantage to cut the pay of security guards by about 20%. How are they going to support their family? Many of them are breadwinners of the family. With this kind of situation, do we still expect them to be committed in their work and ensure our security? You must be insane if you expect so.

Lets take the recent robbery case in Taman Maluri, Cheras. Assuming there is security guard patrolling that area at that time. With the huge parang in the hand of the robbers versus a baton held by the guard, RM1500 salary a month which can barely support his household, do you think this guard will march forward and fight the robbers just to protect the victims and risk his life as the breadwinner of his family? Obviously not.

If we want to have a safer place to stay, we need to revise the salary of security guards seriously. Alternatively, companies can choose to provide subsidies.

Another ‘fantastic’ issue about security guards is, some of them look like criminals themselves. They do not dress properly (I think criminals dress much better than the guards) to the extend of unbuttoning the top of their uniform. As for their shoes, I guess their companies are training them to chase criminals with slippers or sandals. I see no reason why companies allow security guards to dress like that to guard the assigned area. When a security guard is well dressed, any criminal that targets the area will think first before they attack the target, hence may reduce the chances of crime happening though it does not prevent. It is the responsibility of the company to provide a full set of uniform to the guards from top to toe in order for them to perform properly.

Have you ever wonder how fit are our security guards? How often do they exercise or go for training? Will they be able to chase the criminals the distance of a football field?

Now folks, with all the above conditions of security guards, do you think we are staying or working in a safe area? Unless improvements are made, we will always live in fear even after paying our monthly maintenance fee.

RTC Wenn
Selangor

Pondok Fostering Reading Habits among Malaysians

I would like to give credit to a cafe, Pondok, in Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, for having a reading corner at the front of their premise. There is self-improvement books, magazines and daily newspaper for their customers to read. Not many food outlet is practising this concept.

In schools, we were ‘forced’ to read a book a week during language lessons. Why now that we’re working, many of us stop reading? Is it because we are not ‘forced’? Busy, no money, lazy-lah, were some of the excuses we gave to ourselves. Most of us rather gather with friends and gossip about how terrible their friends, cooleagues, family members...etc then to read books to improve their assertive communication. Probably not many of us are aware of the term assertive communication’.

According to Hopkins (Hopkins, L (2009) Assertive Communication – 6 Tips for Effective Use, http://ezinearticles.com/?Assertive–Communication---6-Tips-For-Effective-Use&id=10…) assertive communication is the ability to express positive and negative ideas and feelings in an open, honest and direct way. Are we talking about 360 degrees changeover? Drucker(Drucker, P, (2005) Managing Oneself, Harvard Business Review, pg 104) said “Do not try to change yourself – you are unlikely to succeed. Work to improve the way you perform”.

‘Hang-outers’ could use the gathering opportunities to check with each other on how to improve the “unhappy” situations rather than gossip about them. Of course a better way would be pick up a book on assertive communication(only available online e.g. http://www.amazon.com/) and discuss what would we do in order to improve our assertiveness. What good do you think we can get by gossiping about other people? Would the person know that their behaviour is annoying you? Would they stop annoying you after you finished gossiping? How much time have you spent gossiping all these while? Do you think it will be better if you use this amount of time on readings so that you can improve situations?

I know right now your heart is full of anger but just think of this topic with an open mind. Spending 15 minutes a day to read a book is achievable with determination in self-improvement but reading a page a day is easier. You may choose the smallest or thinner book to start with so that you can finish reading it. That will motivate you to read the next book. Not all authors’ style suits our reading so choose comfortably. Malaysians, unless you are blind (there’s even Braille for them), you need to read.

Have a reading corner in your house does help. Reading is a lifelong learning activity that will really bring us to the next level of our life. So start now, keep reading and stop gossiping.

Pondok
Pork-free
No 17-1 Jalan PJU 5/4, Dataran Sunway
Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya
Tel: (03) 6140 8170

Check out also

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/4/4/lifeliving/3555914&sec=lifeliving

RTC Wenn
Petaling Jaya, Selangor