Labour Materials

Gaji minimum RM900 untuk lebih lima juta pekerja swasta bakal dilaksana Julai

2012-01-04T11:47:00.006+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Cadangan gaji minimum RM900 yang diputuskan Majlis Perundingan Gaji Negara (MPGN) bulan lalu akan dibentangkan ke Kabinet hari ini, manakala pelaksanaannya dijangka berkuat kuasa Julai ini.

Ini bermakna lebih lima juta pekerja sektor swasta termasuk tenaga asing di pelbagai industri termasuk perladangan serta pembinaan akan menerima manfaat itu, kecuali sektor pembantu rumah dan pekerja yang mengikuti skim latihan.

Sumber berkata, penetapan RM900 dipersetujui sebulat suara, termasuk wakil Persekutuan Majikan Malaysia (MEF) dan Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC), manakala laporan terperinci MPGN sudah dihantar kepada Kementerian Sumber Manusia, baru-baru ini.

“Jawatankuasa teknikal MPGN sudah selesai menjalankan tanggungjawabnya dan kami difahamkan laporan MPGN itu akan dibentangkan pada mesyuarat Kabinet esok (hari ini) oleh Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam.

“Semua pihak yang terbabit dalam MPGN bersetuju RM900 sebagai gaji minimum. Malah, laporan itu turut disertakan tempoh pelaksanaannya iaitu dalam tempoh enam bulan selepas mendapat persetujuan Kabinet,” katanya kepada Berita Harian semalam.

Pada 2010, bekas Presiden MTUC, Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, berkata kira-kira 2.2 juta pekerja tempatan menerima gaji pokok di bawah RM1,000 sebulan dengan lebih 1.8 juta daripadanya berpendapatan di bawah paras kemiskinan dan kemiskinan tegar.
MTUC sebagai kesatuan sekerja terbesar mewakili pekerja sektor swasta negara, memperjuangkan isu gaji minimum sejak 1999 bagi memastikan tiada pekerja menerima gaji di bawah paras kemiskinan.

Sumber itu berkata, pelaksanaan gaji minimum mampu mengurangkan kebergantungan terhadap tenaga pekerja asing, selain mampu menarik minat pekerja tempatan untuk bekerja dalam negara.

“Namun, MPGN hanya menetapkan gaji minimum..., tidak membuat sebarang keputusan atau perbincangan lain mengenai elaun sara hidup (COLA) sebanyak RM300 seperti diperjuangkan MTUC sebelum ini,” katanya.

Dipetik dari Berita Harian Online

Selangor unveils RM1,500 minimum wage policy

2012-01-04T11:34:00.001+08:00

SHAH ALAM, Nov 9 — A RM1,500 minimum wage floor will be introduced at all Selangor-linked corporations, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim announced while tabling the state Budget today.

He also said a half-month bonus or at least RM500 will be paid out to each of the state’s civil servants.

The Bandar Tun Razak MP said the minimum wage policy “will begin with state-owned companies with stable finances” such as the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) and Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS).

“A RM10 million fund will also be set aside for those (corporations) that are still financially unstable and unable to bear the cost of this policy,” he said.

In unveiling the state’s RM1.6 billion Budget for 2012, Khalid (picture) said the balanced budget was made possible due to a RM300 million infusion from the Mentri Besar Inc as well as dividends from other state-linked firms.

At a press conference later, Khalid explained that the RM10 million fund would go towards workers’ training to justify the increase in salary.

“Wages are paid because of productivity,” he explained, adding that workers may choose further training to enhance their skills.

“Because the company may not have the money or resources, we will pay (for the workers’ training),” he said, adding that the move would help deflect detractors who may call the move unjustified due to inadequate skill or capability.

“The state government will strive to increase productivity of the state and its companies so the implementation of minimum wage is justified,” he said.

However, Khalid stressed that the pay hike was also not a gift.

“We don’t want to give away money just like that; people have to earn their living,” he said.

“The earning of their living must be structured so that their productivity will support the rationale for giving them the income.”

Learning English has its advantage

2011-12-30T09:00:00.003+08:00

One day I was at one of the popular fast food restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. There was a line of about five people queuing to buy their food and drinks. I noticed that the person who was taking the order spoke in Bahasa Malaysia to all his customers which was perfectly fine with me. After all, we are all Malaysians and we have no problem communicating in Bahasa Malaysia. It wasn’t long before a family of four stood behind me. Clearly, this family was not from Malaysia. I think they were from a Middle Eastern country. When it came to my turn, I decided to see if this person taking my order would be comfortable conversing in English. Unfortunately not, he spoke to me in Bahasa Malaysia. Before anyone starts accusing me of being bias or racially inclined, I would like to state that the person who was taking my order was not a native speaker of Bahasa Malaysia (ie: he was not a Malay person). I spoke to him in Bahasa Malaysia and he gladly took down my order.

When it came to the next customer, the Middle Eastern lady gave her order in English. While she was doing that, the person at the counter was scratching his head. When she finished giving her orders, he asked her in Bahasa Malaysia which meal set she was ordering. The Middle Eastern lady looked confuse and asked him whether he spoke English. He didn’t quite understand what she was saying and repeated his earlier question. To be honest, I was quite amused to watch from where I was standing. I was still waiting for my food when I decided to interrupt and asked the lady to repeat her order so that I could translate it for the gentleman at the counter. Suddenly both of them looked relieved. When my food and drinks arrived, I decided to excuse myself and quickly find myself an empty table. Just when I was about to sit down, the Middle Eastern lady came up to me and said, “Excuse me, do you mind helping me to translate what the man is saying. I have no idea what he is talking about”. So again, I went up to the person at the counter and enquired what was he trying to convey to the Middle Eastern lady? Apparently, he had run out of coins and was asking the lady whether she had any coins with her. Most of us would know that the word for coins in Bahasa Malaysia is “duit syiling” but to a foreigner they do not have the slightest clue when the word “syiling” is mentioned.

So what I have learned from all of this? I strongly believe that the people at the front line should have at least some general command of the English Language so that they are able to communicate with non Bahasa Malaysia speakers. It was quite surprising to me that a fast food restaurant such as the one I went to did not put someone who has some proficiency in English at their counter. I wonder why? I did ask a friend of mine and he said it is quite difficult to find workers nowadays, so they have to make do with whoever they can get. By saying this, I wish to compliment the A&W Restaurant in Petaling Jaya. I have noticed that the A&W Restaurant have on board a good team of people ranging from the able and young to senior citizens and people with disabilities. This shows the company does not discriminate in its hiring and is indeed a caring company that one can be proud of.

"I don't know, I just work here"

2011-12-23T12:17:00.003+08:00

Those were the exact words spoken to me when I went to the Golden Screen Cinema at One Utama Shopping Complex. My family and I wanted to watch “Johnny English Reborn” one Friday evening. I went up to the ticketing counter and wanted to purchase four tickets. They only have seats available for the first 3 rows from the screen. I asked the person manning the ticket counter whether for those seats I needed to lean back and stretch my head to get a good view of the movie. The lady who was attending to me at the counter simply said “I don’t know”. She didn’t look concerned nor bothered about the customer’s query. I thought she didn’t understand my question, so I asked again. This time with some irritation in her voice, she said “I don’t know, I work here. I don’t work inside”. I was rather shocked with her answer, so I said “Excuse me?” She repeated “I don’t work inside, I work here. So, how should I know what is going on inside there?” I was shocked beyond words and just shook my head in disbelief with this young lady’s attitude and rudeness. I replied, “You are working in this cinema, if you don’t know, shouldn’t you find out?” She looked confused and puzzled. Luckily, her colleague who was attending the ticketing counter next to her came to her aid. He said the seats are fine as the cinema has a relatively big barrier in front, so the screen is not as close as it looks in the computer monitor. I thanked him for his explanation.

I looked at the young lady and told her, “See it is not difficult. All you need to do is to ask your colleague or someone who knows”. I told her, “Golden Screen Cinema is one of the top leading chain of cinemas in Malaysia. My family and I visit the cinema four to five times in a month. As a shareholder of Perlis Plantation Berhad group which is a well managed company that owns Golden Screen Cinema, I feel that your attitude and behaviour could be better to reflect the high standard of the company”. I don’t know if she understood what I was saying, she just shrugged her shoulders which I felt again was a no-no when it comes to customer service. Perhaps she couldn’t understand what I was saying or maybe she was indifferent, I do not know. I can only hope this lady will learn and grow like all of us.

Back To Reality In Kuala Lumpur

2011-07-07T15:39:00.002+08:00

Seumas Tan Nyap Tek*,

Advocate & Solicitor

After an enjoyable holiday in Borneo, it was time to go to work. The first thing I noticed when I got out from my car in the office was a foul smell coming from the drain. I decided to investigate and noticed that there was a dead cat in the drain. There were some flies flying around and the cat must have been dead for sometime now as rigor mortis had set in. Not sure who to call, I decided to call Muthu, someone whom I met sometime ago who specializes in cutting trees and removing branches. I have engaged Muthu a number of times and found him to be a decent fellow. I asked him whether he could arrange for someone to collect and dispose of the dead cat from my drain. Muthu replied he would arrange for someone to come as soon as possible. So as not to have any misunderstanding, I asked Muthu how much I should pay the person? Muthu asked me to just “belanja teh”. In other words, a small token sum to buy a cup of tea would be sufficient.

About a couple of hours later, a man came to my office with 2 plastic bags. I showed him the dead cat and he immediately placed the dead cat into the plastic bag. As Muthu suggested to just “belanja teh”, I gave him RM20.00 for less than a minutes work. Surprisingly, the person whom I shall call “Mr. X” was extremely unhappy. He unfolded the money and said he wanted more. I asked him how much he wanted? He replied he wanted RM50.00 for less than a minutes work and he needed to share it with Muthu as well. I doubted that Muthu wanted any commission from this piece of work and if he did, Muthu would have been frank with me like he always was and wouldn’t say to “belanja teh”. Furthermore, Muthu was more into cutting trees and branches where he earns a substantial amount. In my previous dealings with Muthu, I paid him a four figure sum each time he assisted me in cutting trees and branches. Some people may say it is expensive but I would counter that by saying Muthu and his team had provided me with very good service. Not only did they cut the trees and branches but they also tidied up the area. All in, it took them about an hour but it was worth the money. Coming back to our story, since Mr. X was becoming quite a nuisance, I took out RM50.00 in exchange for the RM20.00 which I already gave him. As I was taking the RM20.00 from him, one of the RM10.00 notes fell. Mr. X quickly picked it up and said that he wanted RM60.00 instead of RM50.00. It was obvious that Mr. X was a greedy fellow and trying to get as much as possible. I was in no mood to argue with Mr. X. I told Mr. X to make sure he gives Muthu some money. He smiled slyly and said “of course”.

A few hours later, Muthu called me to make sure that the dead cat had been removed. As I had a few people with me when Muthu called, I didn’t want to create a scene so I quickly thanked him and said I would call him later. After my guests had left, I called Muthu. I again thanked him for arranging someone to pick up the dead cat. I then told him that Mr. X was not looking for money to buy “teh”, he was looking to buy a full course lunch with a dessert thrown in! Muthu was shocked and informed me that he would reprimand Mr. X. I informed Muthu that I would leave that to him but I wanted to make sure that Muthu got his commission from Mr. X regardless whether it was agreed or not amongst themselves. I further informed Muthu that normally, I would not tolerate such nonsense from greedy people but since Mr. X is his friend (I assumed Mr. X was indeed Muthu’s friend), I relented. Muthu sounded apologetic and kept on apologizing. With that, I ended the call. The whole exercise here is to make sure Muthu knew how much I actually paid Mr. X so that Muthu did not get conned if Mr. X told an untruth and secondly, to alert Muthu that Mr. X had informed me he would give some commission to Muthu.

That experience was amazing as I just returned from Sandakan (please read my previous post) where people were genuinely friendly and sincere and I could safely say that if the same thing happened there, the person would not have demanded for additional money like what Mr. X did. I can’t help but think that when Mr. X gave me that sly smile, he was actually saying “Welcome back to reality! Welcome back to KL!” Ah, that feel good sensation I had in Sandakan was wonderful while it lasted!

*Seumas Tan practices in the area of Employment Law covering issues dealing with human resource matters. He practices under the name and style of Messrs S. Tan & Co. and may be contacted at Seumas@STanLawyers.com.my.

A Pleasant Experience In Exotic Borneo

2011-06-20T11:38:00.007+08:00

Seumas Tan Nyap Tek*,

Advocate & Solicitor

During the recent school holidays, I took my family to Sandakan to experience what was themed as an “adventure tour of Exotic Borneo”. It was going to be a no frills kind of holiday with basic amenities. I had prepared my children to “rough” it out and be closer to nature. Before we left for Sandakan, many friends told us that Sandakan is like Kuala Lumpur, 30 years ago where life was more relaxed and things moved at a slower pace. They told me that most of the shops in Sandakan will be shut at 6.00pm and Sandakan town will then be a sleepy town. Though that was true, what really impressed me the most was the people. The people were genuinely friendly and when they help you, they do it sincerely.

We joined an adventure tour package organized by a Sandakan based company called S.I. Tours. Apparently, “S.I.” stands for “special interest” tours where the company specializes in all kinds of tours relating to adventure in Sandakan and the surrounding areas. We had a very knowledgeable nature tour guide called Leo who is a Malaysian of Filipino descent. He was very proud of the Company when he spoke about his bosses. He related a story to us about how the owners (husband and wife team) made it from rags to riches. Leo told us that because the owners had experienced hardship in their lives at one time, therefore, they could relate and have a better understanding of the staffs’ welfare needs. Leo mentioned that some staff members were given loans to purchase their first house. The owners realized that having shelter, especially one that was your own, is a dream come true for many people. Therefore, the owners assisted the staff members to achieve that dream.

When my family and I visited the private jetty which S.I. Tours owned, I was surprised at the level of loyalty that the employees showed when talking about their bosses. As a customer, you will immediately know that there must be something special about the employers. The employees at the private jetty showed us some of the photographs taken at the various company functions. The first thing my wife and I noticed was that the bosses looked like very simple and humble people. No wonder the employees looked up to them as fine examples. Leo told me that most of the employees had worked there for many years for a very simple reason – they were treated well and with respect by the bosses. Therefore, the employees repaid their bosses by making sure that the Company’s customers were happy. I must say that I was certainly happy with the services rendered to me and my family.

We had a wonderful time in the Sukau rainforest, the Selingan Island, Guamantong Cave and the Sepilok orangutan sanctuary. Based on our itinerary, the last day of our stay in Sandakan involved a city tour and it was anticipated that the city tour would end at 12.30pm. Thereafter, we would be sent to the airport for our flight back to Kuala Lumpur at 7.00pm. Realizing that it was going to be a long wait in the airport, I asked Leo whether there were any other attractions in Sandakan that we could visit. Before he could reply, I suggested the crocodile farm that I saw on the way from the airport to the town. Leo said that could be an idea, though, not many tourists visited the farm as they normally like to see the animals in the wild. I informed him that I would gladly pay for the tickets as this was not in the itinerary given.

After a sumptuous buffet lunch at the Sabah Hotel, my family and I met up with Leo at the appointed time. Leo had been an excellent tour guide. He was patient, knowledgeable, helpful and guided us for the last 3 days. To show our appreciation, I gave him a tip. He was reluctant to accept it but I insisted that he take it as we truly appreciated his services in making the tour a fantastic one.

It was raining when we reached the crocodile farm. Leo immediately went to the ticket counter where he took out his wallet and wanted to pay for the tickets. When I saw that, I immediately ran towards the ticket counter and asked him to put his wallet back as I was the one who suggested visiting the crocodile farm and this was not included in the itinerary. Leo wanted to use the money I gave him to pay for the tickets. I told Leo that the money I gave him was for him to keep. Payment for tickets was a separate issue. Leo was embarrassed but nevertheless, he thanked me. I was impressed that there are still honest and sincere people around. Needless to say, we had a great time in Sandakan. I must also add that I am extremely proud of my kids – Ashley and Douglas for roughing it out there. As a matter a fact, they were the only kids in the Sukau Rainforest at that time.

No Medical Leave For Fakri Even When He Was Ill

2011-06-07T12:06:00.002+08:00

KOTA BAHARU, June 6 (Bernama) -- Mohd Fakri Mohamad Noor has been working at the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board for 25 years now and never once took medical leave. Not even when he was sick.

The 48-year-old director of corporate communication of the board said that he had observed that many government and private sector employees were "too ready" to take medical leave.

"Maybe I was trying not to be like them. That is probably why even when I fall sick, I take emergency leave instead of medical leave," he told reporters at the a staff gathering here.

At the gathering, Mohd Fakri received a certificate of appreciation for being the only employee who has never taken medical leave.

Mohd Fakri joined the board in 1986 as a technician and was later made assistant principal of the training centre.

He became the corporate planning officer and director before assuming his current post.

He said that another reason he did not take medical leave was his accumulated annual leave.

"If I need time with the family, weekends are enough. I still have 80 days of annual leave left," said the father of five.

"So, should I become ill at work, there is always the annual leave to draw from," Mohd Fakri.

"Certainly, there won't be any medical leave."

-- BERNAMA

Indonesia-Malaysia Ink MoU On Maids

2011-06-07T11:47:00.002+08:00

BANDUNG, May 30 (Bernama) -- The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta today ended a two-year freeze on Indonesian maids working in Malaysia, thus paving the way for the arrival of maids in two weeks.

Indonesia stopped sending maids to Malaysia from June 2009 following reports on cases of abuse by employers, and a lack of benefits like a minimum monthly salary and a day off for maids.

The signing of the MoU will supercede the one signed in 2006 between the two countries.

Under the revised MoU, the roles of the Indonesian maid, employer and agent would be clearly spelled out together with guidelines and responsibilities of those concerned.

Maid agencies in Indonesia would be required to send only trained maids and provide replacements if the ones they send do not meet employers' requirements and agents providing assurance for maids under their care.

The maids will be allowed to hold their passports, get a day off in a week while a Joint Task Force would be set up encompassing representatives from both countries, to monitor the situation.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam signed on behalf of Malaysia while Indonesian Labour and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar inked on behalf of his country.

Both countries also agreed that the salary would be determined by market forces but Indonesia requested that such wages cannot be lower than the minimum wage in Indonesia.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysian Bar Wants Employment Act 1955 To Be Amended To Protect Domestic Workers

2011-06-07T11:42:00.003+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- The Bar Council wants the government to amend the Employment Act 1955 to ensure comprehensive statutory protection for domestic workers.

Its president Lim Chee Wee said domestic workers only received minimal protection under the Act, which did not confer them the same measure of protection as other workers.

The Act among others excluded the domestic workers rights on rest days, paid public holidays, annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave and termination benefits, he said.

"Consequently, they are not entitled to a day of rest per week or to a limit in the number of hours that they can be compelled to work," he said in a statement here Tuesday.

Lim said relying on the employment contract to protect domestic workers was inadequate as they did not have the bargaining power to negotiate contractual terms in their favour and furthermore, local workers generally did not have such contracts.

Further, as such contracts were private in nature, aggrieved workers would have to pursue legal remedies under private contract law, which accorded them less protection, he said, adding that once amended, it would allow the Human Resources Ministry to enforce the provisions and prosecute those who breached them.

-- BERNAMA

A Story from My Father - Helping someone “effectively” when in need

2011-02-07T11:57:00.006+08:00

Seumas Tan Nyap Tek*,
Advocate & Solicitor

My father teaches me that if you want to help someone, make sure you help the person “effectively”. What did he mean by “effectively”? “Effectively” here means assisting the person when you know the person really needs all the help he/she can get at that point of time. It is of very little use if you help the person later (though you may still be helpful). My father being a very successful businessman shared with me his story.

Story: Tun Sardon’s election

My father was a close friend of Tun Sardon Haji Jubir who later on became the Malaysian Minister of Health, Minister of Works and Communications and subsequently, the Governor of the State of Penang. When Tun Sardon first stood for election as a Member of Parliament, he needed all the help he could get especially land transportation (ie: cars) to ferry the voters to the polling centres. In those days, cars were not many so to get a pool of cars was an enormous task. At that time, my father had a small car which he relied on in his line of work. Though he needed the car for his work, he knew that his close friend was in need of help and my father felt it was his duty to assist him wherever and whenever he could. One has to remember at that time, Tun Sardon, was an unknown figure so he could use any help he could get.

My father who was an employee at that time took unpaid leave from his work as he had to help his friend during the election including carrying chairs, tables and of course, ferrying the voters to the polling centres. Even though, he was not affiliated to any political party, he went out of his way to help Tun Sardon. His action demonstrated the true spirit of friendship between two people. My father did not expect anything in return for his help. Imagine how this would play, if we have the same scenario in today’s world! Tun Sardon did win the election and my father returned to his work. Tun Sardon did ask my father that if he could help him in anyway, to let him know. My father thanked him and said that he had everything he needed in life and went on his way.

Many years down the road, Tun Sardon became a Cabinet Minister and was based in Kuala Lumpur. One day, my father was visiting Kuala Lumpur and decided to pay a visit to his old friend at the Ministry. In those days, the security in the Ministry was not very tight, so he went straight to the Minister’s office. In the Minister’s office there were two other gentlemen who were waiting to visit the Minister. One was a State Executive Councillor and the other was a Director General of an important Government Department. The Minister’s secretary asked my father to take a seat in the waiting room together with the other two distinguished gentlemen and proceeded to buzz the Minister using the intercom. In the waiting room, the three gentlemen could hear the secretary asking the Minister that he had three guests waiting to see him and who would he want to see first. Everyone in the waiting room knew that whoever the Minister saw first must be someone special to the Minister. After the secretary gave the names of the three guests, the Minister instructed her to send in my father and instructed the secretary to inform the other two guests that the meeting may take a bit longer. The other two distinguished gentlemen stared at my father in disbelief and amazement. Here they were sitting in the room fully dressed with suits and yet the Minister was going to see someone ordinary who was in smart yet casual clothing. Until today, my father could not forget this story and said he felt so proud when he heard the secretary said, “The Minister would like to see you first”. Apparently, Tun Sardon could still remember the help that my father gave him when he was a “nobody”. Of course, when he became a popular figure, there was no lack of help from people and there were just too many cars to choose from!

My father told me that an important lesson to learn here is that when a person really needs your help, you should go all out to help him and the person will surely appreciate that help. An analogy I would give here would be if you give a nice Management Diary to a CEO of a company, the most the person will say to you is a “thank you” and place the management diary together with the rest of the other diaries received by him/her on the table. However, if you give the management diary to someone who really needs it and didn’t have one, the person will truly appreciate it and will remember your kind gesture for a great many years to come. A small gesture goes a long way.

Competing at the same level has its advantages

2011-01-27T13:20:00.007+08:00

Seumas Tan Nyap Tek*,
Advocate & Solicitor

Well, you have probably heard, read or seen this statement many times either in the newspaper, radio or television where it says that to raise the standard of the performance of athletics, etc or for us to pose a formidable challenge globally, we must expose ourselves by competing with people of higher standard or of international class. Generally, I agree with the statement but with some reservations. If you have been following my articles either in this blog or in the Practical HR Management blog, you will realise that I like to share stories and experiences. Well, I am going to do just that by sharing with you why I say that competing with people of the same level has its advantages.

Story: My schooling days I will start by saying that I did not excel in my studies when in school. I am more of a practical sort of person who will likely ask “In theory, it should work, but tell me, realistically or in all reality what will most likely happen?” More often than not, the person will provide an answer which differs from the theory which was given earlier. Back to the story, even though I may not have been a good student academically, I remained in the “A” class throughout my primary and secondary education. However, my position in class during my secondary education more frequently than not fell below the half mark in class. I must add here that I was competing with brilliant classmates such as Tan Wee Keong, Peter Goon and Harjeet Singh who are now doctors and an engineer respectively, and whom I deeply admire until today. Somehow, being around brilliant and top students did not push me to improve myself academically, instead I began to develop low self esteem and low self-confidence. Why? I suffered from shyness. I couldn’t bring myself to ask questions or to raise my hand to answer a question even though I knew the answer due to fear of being laughed at or being ridiculed. Not that my beloved classmates would do that to me but there was always that possibility. You can say that I developed an inferiority complex. Just imagine this, when you are in the class and you think you have the perfect answer to a question and suddenly someone raises his hand and gives a marvelous answer, all of a sudden you feel the answer you had a few moments ago was just incomplete. I put unnecessary pressure on myself and started to do a no-no which was to compare myself with others. Looking back, I ought to have used my classmates as role models rather than compare myself to them. My favourite spot in class was either in the last or the second last row of the classroom. The reason being that I did not want the teacher to spot me and call my name to answer questions. I was just too embarrassed. All of this started to change when one day, at the beginning of a particular school year, I was asked to go to “B” class which was the second best class. That year, the school decided to reduce the number of students in “A” class, so I was one of the students asked to leave. My first reaction was of disappointment and sadness as I was leaving a class where most the students were known to me since the day I started my primary education. When I stepped into “B” class, a few of them whom I had met previously welcomed me warmly. For some strange reason, I decided to sit right in front, as a matter a fact, right in front of the class teacher’s table! So there I was in a classroom, practically a stranger with a majority of students whom I had not met before. Since I had not met many of them before, I didn’t feel any pressure and I wasn’t embarrassed to ask questions. I was quick to raise my hand whenever the teacher posed questions in class. That certainly didn’t go unnoticed. The teachers began to praise me saying I am always prepared for lessons and for the first time my peers (my fellow classmates in “B” class) began to admire me and a few commented that I was really smart. I was elated because this was the first time I received praise from teachers and classmates. My confidence and self-esteem began to grow day by day. Then one day, I was informed that there was a place available in “A” class and that place was offered to me. I had mixed emotions as I was caught in between. Here in “B” class, the students thought highly of me and the teachers were showering praise and then there was the “A” class where I knew all of the students. Then, the ego in me set in, thinking that people (ie: family, relatives and friends who were not classmates) would respect me if I entered “A” class. I suppose when you are a teenager in the 1980s, all these things seem to be very important to you regardless of you knowing what is right. So, I took the offer and re-entered “A” class. Immediately after entering “A” class, that old feelings returned. I became quiet, found a seat at the back of the classroom and hoped the teachers would not call on me. The only consolation was that I had all my old friends back. Now, looking back, one can say that I should have remained in “B” class. It would probably have done me good in the long run as it would have increased my confidence and uplifted my self-esteem to face future challenges. Well, that could have been the appropriate decision but then things were different back in the 1980s where getting yourself accepted by your family, relatives, friends and the community was very important. Also, I had a brother who was a star student in the school and that added pressure on me to match up to him as an “A” class student and nothing less. I suppose I may have put unnecessary pressure on myself by placing more value into other people’s perception rather than determining what was good for me. An important lesson that I learnt there was that competing with top students will not necessarily mean that it will motivate you to do better (though we hope that would be the case!) but it may also work as a double edged sword. In other words, it may put you in a position where you may feel inferior, especially when you can’t catch up with them. Yes, I know that is negative thinking but that is the reality of things.

So, does that mean that we should only compete with people who are of the same standard with us? Well, my answer will be “yes” and “no”. I am of the view that initially, it will be better if we compete with people who are of the same standard or similar so that we are able to see how we fare on a level playing field. Once we have achieved our target and are satisfied that we are Primus Inter Pares or first among our peers (equals), our self confidence will increase which will then lead to higher self esteem. Thereafter, when we compete with people who are better than us (well, at least better than us for now!), we know that we have done well previously and are moving up a notch. We will use them as a gauge to measure our performance and at the same time to be a role model to us. In other words, from competing we will learn about what makes them tick – ie: how they got to where they are today.

My second story is on exercise. Have you ever wondered why you don’t see many people who are obese or fat in the fitness centres?

Story: Exercising in an environment that makes you comfortable I was visiting a friend of mine who works in a well-known fitness centre in Kuala Lumpur. He showed me around and I could see that the majority of the people exercising there were rather fit and had good bodies to boot. My friend informed me that most of them were regulars and in the gym virtually every single day including weekends. I remarked “How come I don’t see people who are fat or obese working out in the gym?” To put it simply, why is it that people who really need the exercise are not in the gym but people who do not appear to need to lose weight are here almost every day? Before anyone starts accusing me of insulting our over-sized friends, let me say that I, too, fall under the category of overweight and obese. My friend replied that they do have members who are rotund but they don’t come in very often.

Why is that so? Is it because they are too lazy or too tired to go to the gym? Or perhaps, it could be due to other reasons?

I asked my friend whether there was any gym that caters for people who are over weight? In other words, a place where all the “rotunds” can exercise together without feeling embarrassed or having the added pressure to compete with those fit people that we see exercising regularly in the gym. When we are on the same level playing field, we all know that we have an equal chance to compete against one another, in this case, the amount of weight we lose each week. If you watch the “Biggest Loser” series, apart from the rigorous exercises and the controlled diet that the participants have to deal with,, I would say the driving force that makes the participants lose weight is the spirit to compete against their peers. The participants were willing to push themselves knowing that everyone has an equal chance to win the competition and take the title home. I have been undergoing a “wellness” programme in a physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre for sometime now. “Wellness” programme means an exercise programme for overweight people like me. Do I feel uncomfortable or embarrassed when I do workouts there? Not at all, in fact, I began to appreciate life even more. I began to develop a deep gratitude to God that I am so much more fortunate than many other people when I see some of the people in the rehabilitation centre undergoing different exercises to regain strength and movement in different parts of their body. You begin to realize that a lot of things that we take for granted can be taken away just like that and to regain it needs a lot of hard work, determination and patience. Keeping that in mind, every little exercise that I do in the Centre is done with passion and appreciation. Why? Because I am able to do it and for that I am thankful.

The above are just my experiences. I suppose how successful you will be when competing with the best will depend on your level of confidence and your emotional strength in accepting rejection, criticism and defeat and then quickly learning from it and bouncing back. Then you will no longer just be competing but you will be leading the way!

It Pays To Be Attentive

2011-01-27T13:17:00.009+08:00

Seumas Tan Nyap Tek*,
Advocate & Solicitor

This is an extension from my earlier article called “SOME TIPS ON MAKING A CUSTOMER FEEL COMFORTABLE”. If you recall, in the earlier article we talked amongst others, about being prompt and not keeping the customer waiting. If you need to keep the customer waiting then you should inform the customer and give an estimated time when you will be able to deliver the order, etc. In today’s article, we will talk about attentiveness and how being attentive to your customer’s needs goes a long way to ensuring repeat business.

I will be sharing with you 3 stories where 2 of them deal with food eateries while the other was an incident that took place at a board meeting.

Story: The tissue and the plate This story was told to me by a friend. Recently, this friend of mine went to a popular restaurant that serves good Indian cuisine somewhere along Jalan Gasing. Those people who are familiar with this restaurant will know that this restaurant is often packed but it has a “moving crowd”. In other words, the customers will have their food and then leave which makes the turnaround really fast. This is possible because of the efficiency of the staff in serving the food and seeing that the customers are satisfied so that they leave the place happily. My friend has a habit (a good one I must add) of carrying tissue paper with him whenever he goes to a restaurant. He will almost immediately take the tissue paper out and start wiping the utensils and the empty plate in front of him. On that particular occasion, the restaurant was packed as usual. He found a table and ordered his food. Not long after he ordered, the waiter brought the utensils and an empty plate. My friend immediately took out a tissue paper and started to wipe the plate and the utensils. While he was wiping the plate, he noticed that the “captain” or the head waiter was looking at him. When he was done wiping, he placed the used tissue paper on the table. Immediately the head waiter asked one of the waiters to remove the tissue. My friend thought to himself that this must be super efficient service. However, what surprised him was that the used tissue paper was not thrown away but was brought to the head waiter for “inspection”. The head waiter unfolded the tissue paper and examined it closely before it was handed to the waiter with instructions to dispose it. Out of curiosity, my friend asked the head waiter why he examined the used tissue? The head waiter replied that he was checking for stains. He said that if the tissue should reveal that there was stain on it, he would not hesitate to remove the staff responsible for cleaning the plates and utensils. The head waiter went on to say that even though they are not a fine dining restaurant, they take pride in the restaurant’s cleanliness and hygiene. My friend was truly impressed with the head waiter and the restaurant. It wasn’t just “lip service” but the head waiter actually “walked the talk”. There were 2 things that impressed my friend. One, the cleanliness of the restaurant and two, the head waiter’s attentiveness. In other words, paying attention to what was going on in the restaurant and making sure that things are moving on well. It was because of these 2 reasons, my friend continued to visit this restaurant every week. Even though the food prices are relatively higher when compared with other similar restaurants, but my friend felt that he could sit down and enjoy his meal with comfort and that to him, was an important factor. Another experience which I wish to share is a personal experience that took place a couple of days ago. Coincidentally, it was in one of the hawker stalls in the Royal Selangor Club that serves good Indian food, especially the “banana-leaf” rice set with curry. Story: The “banana leaf rice” stall It was during lunch time, I was starving and craving for some nice hot curry lunch. Since I was near the Royal Selangor Club, I decide to pop in and have my lunch there. The place was already filled with customers/members. The waiters were running everywhere – serving food, taking orders, clearing the tables, etc. A waiter spotted me and quickly took my order. The food came rather quickly. For those who are familiar with “banana leaf rice” set will know that it comes with rice served on a banana leaf and you will have 3 or 4 types of vegetables, 3 different types of curry to choose from (usually chicken, fish or dhall) and “papadam” (a type of crackers). I ordered some “resam” (a type of soup which is a bit spicy and sour but according to many people, the soup is good for digestion) and some “chicken varuval” (dry chicken curry). All the food came except for the “resam”. I was half way through my food when I looked up trying to get hold of someone’s attention when the waiter who took my order spotted me. As soon as he saw me lifting my head and before I could even signal for someone to help me, the waiter immediately got one of his colleagues to bring me the “resam”. What makes the service impressive was that the place was crowded and yet the waiter who took my order and incidentally was dishing out some food had this attentiveness in him to make sure that things were running smoothly. Some people may consider this as just a small deed but it certainly left a lasting impression on me. The final story I am going to share with you was related to me by my father. He was so impressed with this well known public figure that my father always reminds me to be observant and humble like this person. There must be something which this person did that earned my father’s admiration. Here is the story. Story: The incident in the Board Room My father was a director in a major public listed company. Amongst the directors were well know public figures. My father was the only person without a title to his name. As a matter a fact, to put it simply, you can say that he represented the normal “Joes in the street” in the Board. At that time, my father was a smoker. At his first Board Meeting, he was going to light up a cigarette when one of the titled well known public figure directors went to look for an ash tray and walked from the end of the room to where my father was sitting and gently placed the ashtray in front of my father. Initially, my father thought it was one of the office staff that got him the ashtray and thanked the person. When my father turned around, he noticed that it was actually the public figure director. My father was surprised and quickly stood up. The person gestured my father to sit down and offered his hand when he introduced himself. He introduced himself only by his first name without title, etc. However, my father already knew who he was and addressed him as such. It may only be a small gesture by the public figure director but the lasting impression he left on my father was a lasting one.

Until today, my father still talks about that incident. My father said now he understands how this person could reach to the highest pinnacle of his career in the Government. This person knows how to humble himself and shows humility. These traits certainly did not go unnoticed. Therefore, it definitely pays to be attentive.

Foreign workers' insurance stays

2010-12-04T13:42:00.002+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry stands firm on its decision to make it mandatory for all foreign workers to be medically insured effective next year.

Speaking to The Malay Mail yesterday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai assured that the move was for the nation's good and the annual cost of RM120 for the insurance premium was "minimal".

Liow said the government ruling should not worry employers as the annual insurance premium is borne by the employees, not employers.

“There are only two industries where the premium is borne by the employers, namely, the maid and plantation industry,” said Liow, when met at Parliament.

“Otherwise, the costs are borne by the employees themselves. However, RM120 is not a high premium.

"With it, the worker is insured up to RM10,000 in hospital fees instead of only RM750 under the current Foreign Workers Compensation Scheme, which awards compensation due to illness, injury or death during accidents at work only.

“It is, after all, for their health. They don’t have to worry when they visit the hospital because they are protected.”

Liow said the ruling was important because the government had to address the escalating uncollected hospital debts due to foreign workers who sought treatment at government hospitals.

“Last year, uncollected debt at hospitals was estimated at RM14 million. This year, it is about RM18 million.

"We have to do something because this is too much.”

Liow said the move was also one of the EPPs (Entry Point Projects) of the National Key Economic Activities for his ministry.

“It’s for the good of the nation. We hope reducing the uncollected debts will help our country’s economy.”

However, foreign workers outsourcing company, IRC Global Search (M) Sdn Bhd, called on the government to rethink the move.

It claimed the ruling would affect operational costs of small and medium enterprises.

The ruling takes effect on Jan 1 next year.

* * *
Joseph Kaos Jr
Friday, December 3rd, 2010 13:55:00

Malaysia Sees Reduction In Unemployment, Says MoHR

2010-12-02T16:05:00.001+08:00

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysia registered a reduction in the number of unemployed in September 2010 which stood at 364,200, said Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam Wednesday.

"This is a positive sign to renewed business strength, increased stakeholder confidence and ultimately economic recovery," he said in his speech at the K-Workers Development Initiatives (KID) Certificate Presentation Ceremony 2010 here.

KID is an initiative championed by Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC) in efforts to create a highly competent and knowledgeable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) workforce.

He said due to the recent economic crisis, unemployment rose to 3.6 per cent in 2009 to 413,700 from 3.1 per cent in 2008.

Elsewhere, Dr Subramaniam said the ministry will continue to support MDeC in its vision to create 85,000 jobs by 2015.

"We urge institutions of higher learning (IHLs) to continue to strengthen their ties with MDeC so as to enable their students to grasp the talent development opportunities that MSC Malaysia offers and for private sector employers to contribute in job creation."

Dr Subramaniam said that more than 6,000 students and 400 lecturers have been trained and equipped with industry-relevant skills and knowledge through these various K-Workers Development Initiatives.

"I hope the collaboration will expand further with a higher participation and commitment level from private sector players.

"This is already visible with the recent announcement of establishing ICT finishing schools to train 25,000 k-workers which will take MSC Malaysia to its third phase of development," he said.

KID offers five programmes namely, undergraduate skills; undergraduate apprentice and development; graduate trainee; skills training and enhancement; job camp; and industry-academia collaboration.

-- BERNAMA

Govt urged to review health insurance for foreign workers directive

2010-12-02T13:47:00.002+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to review the directive requiring all foreign workers except domestic maids in the country to have health insurance coverage beginning next year, which is said to benefit only the insurance companies.

The president of the Malaysian Association of Suppliers and Managers of Foreign Workers (TEKAM), Datuk Baharom Abdul Ghani, said based on the maximum premium of RM120 annually involving two million foreign workers in the country, the insurance companies would be collecting approximately RM240 million a year.

"Looking deeper into the matter, the insurance companies would be making a clean profit of more than 90 per cent," he said in a Press statement today.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai recently announced that all foreign workers in the country, except for domestic maids, were required to have health insurance coverage beginning Jan 1, next year.

The enforcement of this requirement is said to ensure that the arrears in hospital bill, which has now reached RM18 million, would not pose a burden to the government.

Baharom said the insurance coverage under the Foreign Workers Compensation Scheme, which had been implemented, was sufficient to ensure the requirement of foreign workers for coverage for health treatment and the compensation for loss of limbs and lives was met.
***
Bernama
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 15:01:00

Some Tips On Making A Customer Feel Comfortable

2010-12-01T13:52:00.001+08:00

In this article, I am going to share with you 2 different experiences at 2 different places in relation to customer service. I will not represent myself as an expert in customer service but what I can do, though, is to relate to you my experiences with this “service providers” (if you can call them that). One was a popular fusion food outlet in Solaris Dutamas while the other was a physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre in AmpWalk, Ampang.

Let me relate to you my experience in the food outlet in Solaris Dutamas where I visited with my family one weekend. The first impression I got was that the food outlet was clean, nice décor and seemed to be orderly. To me, orderly means that the restaurant has a fixed menu with the food clearly listed and the price clearly indicated. Apart from that, the restaurant has a “push button” service where you can press a button for water, the bill or general service. That is very convenient and good for the customer. Feeling relaxed, I placed my order by ticking the food which I wanted, pressed the “push button” and was promptly attended to by the waiter.

The waiter took the sheet of paper from me and repeated my orders clearly. I acknowledged the items and the waiter left to process the order. Within 5 minutes, our drinks were promptly served. I was impressed with the prompt service. After the drinks, the food followed suit. Everything was on the table except for the “otak-otak” (curried fish paste). After 15 minutes, there was still no sign of our “otak-otak”. I pressed the “service” button and the waiter came to enquire. I asked the waiter about the “otak-otak” and he said he would check our order. After 10 minutes, the waiter did not show up. As a customer, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. I saw a man walking pass and assumed he was the Head Waiter. I asked the Head Waiter if he could help us check our order. I also told him that if the “otak-otak” was not ready then to cancel it and give me the bill as we had been waiting for far too long. The Head Waiter just took the order sheet from me and walked away. I assumed that the Head Waiter was going to check on my order and get back to me. After 10 minutes there was no sign of the earlier waiter or the Head Waiter. However, I noticed that the Head Waiter was chatting away with the other waiters and waitresses. Imagine if you are one of the customers waiting for the waiter to “enlighten” you on your order but instead seeing that waiter chatting away without a care, I believe it doesn’t speak well for the food outlet when it comes to service. I walked to the Head Waiter and asked him “What happened?” The Head Waiter told me it will take another 10 minutes before the “otak-otak” will be ready. I commented that the least he could do was to inform me or at least keep me updated. The Head Waiter remained quiet and didn’t seem concerned or bothered.

As a customer, I wish to make a few comments on how to make the customer feel comfortable in a food outlet. I am not going to comment on the décor and the furnishings as they are too subjective and each person has his own preference. What I am going to comment is on the service. One, if any of the food listed in the menu is going to take longer to cook, then kindly state that in the menu. There are certain restaurants that state this very clearly in their menus so that the customer can make an informed choice. Two, from my talks with the people in the food business, I understand that the rule of the thumb is that the food should not take longer than 10 minutes to prepare. The waiter or waitress should advise the customer if anything takes longer than 10 minutes to prepare. It is also a good practice that if for some unforeseen circumstances the food takes much longer than normal to prepare, the waiter or waitress should keep the customer posted. Most of the time, customers become irritated because they feel that they have been ignored. As long as they are kept posted and reassured by the waiters or waitresses, most customers will be understanding and rationale.

In my case, the Head Waiter or the waiter would have scored brownie points with me if they had said something like “Let me check on your order and I will get back to you immediately” or “I am sorry Sir, it looks like your order will take a little longer than expected, I will make sure that it will get to you within the next 10 minutes, I do apologise for the delay”. Just saying these few words or something similar would ease the tension and diffuse the situation.

In comparison, let me share with you my experience in a physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre in AmpWalk which I have been going to regularly for the last few months. On the advice of a Consultant Surgeon, I registered myself with a physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre called DBC Malaysia in AmpWalk (“the Centre”). It originated from Finland but the one in AmpWalk is a local outlet with some international flavour. The first day when I stepped in, I could feel the warmth of the staff in the Centre. I was promptly attended to by a physiologist. She assisted me in filling up a form and proposed an exercise and rehabilitation programme for me. Some of us may say that this is a normal affair or procedure in most fitness centres but to me, it is the positive projection and smiles from the staff that makes the difference. Keeping in mind that the Centre is not exactly a gym but rather a physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre, therefore most of the customers would require a lot of cheer and positive moral support.

When one enters the Centre, one can actually feel the genuine welcome from the staff when they wish you “Good morning” or when asked “How are you today?” I noticed that in the Centre, no one utters any negative words. I am not sure if there is a policy in the Centre that prohibits or discourages such words but whatever it is I think it is excellent! Most of the people who come to the Centre have some existing condition such as stroke, spinal challenges, etc. Therefore, it is only appropriate that the physiotherapists encourage the healing process by bringing in good cheer and changing the mindset of the customers from negative to positive. I hear words like “You are doing great!”, “Absolutely wonderful”, “You are doing much better than yesterday” and “You are getting fabulous and getting better everyday” been uttered generously everyday.

These may just be words but it definitely helps a lot in the healing process. To give you an example, there was this elderly gentleman who comes to the Centre quite regularly. I reckoned that he must have been a rather fit person before he got a stroke. He was frustrated, grumpy and basically complained about everything. However, the Physiotherapist attending to him did not give up and gave him encouragement all of the time. One day, a customer at the Centre commented to the elderly gentleman that he looked much better than when the customer first saw him. The physiotherapist explained that the elderly gentleman’s movements had improved tremendously and he could move on his own without much assistance. I could see the elderly gentleman’s face light up and he was smiling and he reminded me of a young boy opening up a big box of chocolates! Somehow, that “feel good” and positive feeling spread all over the Centre that day. Not only was I inspired but it made me feel great and accept myself for the way I am!

One can draw a contrast between the 2 places I mentioned – the food outlet and the Centre. Of course, one can always say that the 2 places are carrying out different businesses but the gist of it is that the customer must feel comfortable and accepted rather than ignored. Do you remember how you feel when you are in the company of a group of friends laughing and having a good time? It gives you that happy feeling, doesn’t it? Somehow the laughter melts away all the challenges you are facing at that time. If only all places could have that wonderful atmosphere, all of us then would be in a happier and positive mood.

Foreign workers' health insurance only from registered insurers

2010-11-29T13:44:00.003+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign workers' health insurance which is mandatory from Jan 1 next year must be obtained from a panel of 32 registered insurers, said Deputy Human Resource Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan.

She said action would be taken against employers who failed to do so and that the work permits of their foreign workers would also not be renewed.

In relation to this, the ministry would hold dialogue sessions with the stakeholders to explain the new ruling, she told reporters after launching the Hitachi Charity Flea Bazaar at Saloma Theatre Restaurant here today.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai recently announced that health insurance for foreign workers would be made compulsory from Jan 1 as it was costing the government RM18 million a year to treat foreign workers at government hospitals and that the cost was ever increasing.

The annual premium has been set at RM120 per foreign worker. - BERNAMA

Read more: Foreign workers' health insurance only from registered insurers http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Foreignworkers_healthinsuranceonlyfromregisteredinsurers/Article/#ixzz18uX9jUB1

Some Tips On Making A Customer Feel Comfortable

2010-11-16T09:08:00.004+08:00

Let me relate to you my experience in the food outlet in Solaris Dutamas where I visited with my family one weekend. The first impression I got was that the food outlet was clean, nice décor and seemed to be orderly. To me, orderly means that the restaurant has a fixed menu with the food clearly listed and the price clearly indicated. Apart from that, the restaurant has a “push button” service where you can press a button for water, the bill or general service. That is very convenient and good for the customer. Feeling relaxed, I placed my order by ticking the food which I wanted, pressed the “push button” and was promptly attended to by the waiter.

The waiter took the sheet of paper from me and repeated my orders clearly. I acknowledged the items and the waiter left to process the order. Within 5 minutes, our drinks were promptly served. I was impressed with the prompt service. After the drinks, the food followed suit. Everything was on the table except for the “otak-otak” (curried fish paste). After 15 minutes, there was still no sign of our “otak-otak”. I pressed the “service” button and the waiter came to enquire. I asked the waiter about the “otak-otak” and he said he would check our order. After 10 minutes, the waiter did not show up. As a customer, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. I saw a man walking pass and assumed he was the Head Waiter. I asked the Head Waiter if he could help us check our order. I also told him that if the “otak-otak” was not ready then to cancel it and give me the bill as we had been waiting for far too long. The Head Waiter just took the order sheet from me and walked away. I assumed that the Head Waiter was going to check on my order and get back to me. After 10 minutes there was no sign of the earlier waiter or the Head Waiter. However, I noticed that the Head Waiter was chatting away with the other waiters and waitresses. Imagine if you are one of the customers waiting for the waiter to “enlighten” you on your order but instead seeing that waiter chatting away without a care, I believe it doesn’t speak well for the food outlet when it comes to service. I walked to the Head Waiter and asked him “What happened?” The Head Waiter told me it will take another 10 minutes before the “otak-otak” will be ready. I commented that the least he could do was to inform me or at least keep me updated. The Head Waiter remained quiet and didn’t seem concerned or bothered.

As a customer, I wish to make a few comments on how to make the customer feel comfortable in a food outlet. I am not going to comment on the décor and the furnishings as they are too subjective and each person has his own preference. What I am going to comment is on the service. One, if any of the food listed in the menu is going to take longer time to cook, then kindly state that in the menu. There are certain restaurants that state this very clearly in their menus so that the customer can make an informed choice. Two, from my talks with the people in the food business, I understand that the rule of the thumb is that the food should not take longer than 10 minutes to prepare. The waiter or waitress should advise the customer if anything takes longer than 10 minutes to prepare. It is also a good practice that if for some unforeseen circumstances the food takes much longer than normal to prepare, the waiter or waitress should keep the customer posted. Most of the time, customers become irritated because they feel that they have been ignored. As long as they are kept posted and reassured by the waiters or waitresses, most customers will be understanding and rationale.

In my case, the Head Waiter or the waiter would have scored brownie points with me if they had said something like “Let me check on your order and I will get back to you immediately” or “I am sorry Sir, it looks like your order will take a little longer than expected, I will make sure that it will get to you within the next 10 minutes, I do apologise for the delay”. Just saying these few words or something similar would ease the tension and diffuse the situation.

In comparison, let me share with you my experience in a physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre in AmpWalk which I have been going to regularly for the last few months. On the advice of a Consultant Surgeon, I registered myself with a physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre called DBC Malaysia in AmpWalk (“the Centre”). It originated from Finland but the one in AmpWalk is a local outlet with some international flavour. The first day when I stepped in, I could feel the warmth of the staff in the Centre. I was promptly attended to by a physiologist. She assisted me in filling up a form and proposed an exercise and rehabilitation programme for me. Some of us may say that this is a normal affair or procedure in most fitness centres but to me, it is the positive projection and smiles from the staff that makes the difference. Keeping in mind that the Centre is not exactly a gym but rather a physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre, therefore most of the customers would require a lot of cheer and positive moral support.

When one enters the Centre, one can actually feel the genuine welcome from the staff when they wish you “Good morning” or when asked “How are you today?” I noticed that in the Centre, no one utters any negative words. I am not sure if there is a policy in the Centre that prohibits or discourages such words but whatever it is I think it is excellent! Most of the people who come to the Centre have some existing condition such as stroke, spinal challenges, etc. Therefore, it is only appropriate that the physiotherapists encourage the healing process by bringing in good cheer and changing the mindset of the customers from negative to positive. I hear words like “You are doing great!”, “Absolutely wonderful”, “You are doing much better than yesterday” and “You are getting fabulous and getting better everyday” been uttered generously everyday.

These may just be words but it definitely helps a lot in the healing process. To give you an example, there was this elderly gentleman who comes to the Centre quite regularly. I reckoned that he must have been a rather fit person before he got a stroke. He was frustrated, grumpy and basically complained about everything. However, the Physiotherapist attending to him did not give up and gave him encouragement all of the time. One day, a customer at the Centre commented to the elderly gentleman that he looked much better than when the customer first saw him. The physiotherapist explained that the elderly gentleman’s movements had improved tremendously and he could move on his own without much assistance. I could see the elderly gentleman’s face light up and he was smiling and he reminded me of a young boy opening up a big box of chocolates! Somehow, that “feel good” and positive feeling spread all over the Centre that day. Not only was I inspired but it made me feel great and accept myself for the way I am!

One can draw a contrast between the 2 places I mentioned – the food outlet and the Centre. Of course, one can always say that the 2 places are carrying out different businesses but the gist of it is that the customer must feel comfortable and accepted rather than ignored. Do you remember how you feel when you are in the company of a group of friends laughing and having a good time? It gives you that happy feeling, doesn’t it? Somehow the laughter melts away all the challenges you are facing at that time. If only all places could have that wonderful atmosphere, all of us then would be in a happier and positive mood.

South Africa: Labour Law - Companies Act, Directors have rights

2010-11-03T13:25:00.000+08:00

As key aspects of the Companies Act come into effect in the next year, one feature of the new law is the heightened role and responsibility of directors, including penalties for those found to be delinquent or criminally liable

As key aspects of the Companies Act come into effect in the next year, one feature of the new law is the heightened role and responsibility of directors, including penalties for those found to be delinquent or criminally liable.

The act gives direction for the removal of a director but is silent on what a company should do if that director is also an employee.

However, a recent labour court judgment gives clarity on the issue, finding that a director who is also an employee of a company effectively holds two positions and therefore acts in two different capacities.

In the case Chillibush vs Johnston & Others, the employee, a 20% shareholder and director of communications and marketing company Chillibush, was also appointed managing creative director, responsible for the management of the company’s business affairs.

When the employee tendered his resignation as a director of the company, the remaining shareholders also removed him from the position of managing creative director.

The dismissal was challenged at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation & Arbitration (CCMA), eventually ending up before the labour court.

The court found the employee’s rights in terms of the Labour Relations Act could not be limited by the Companies Act, and that an automatic termination of the employee’s employment, if he or she ceased to be a director, was unconstitutional and in contravention of labour law.

“This recent labour court decision should send a warning to companies that hold the view that the Companies Act is the only legal point of reference when dealing with its directors,” says Anastasia Vatalidis, head of the employment law department at Werksmans Attorneys.

Vatalidis says companies should be aware that when dealing with the removal of a director, labour and company law should be used in a parallel process.

In his judgment, labour court judge Dion Basson said that, from a company law point of view, it was clear shareholders were entitled to terminate the directorship of any of the directors and that their discretion was unfettered. However, when dismissing an employee in terms of the Labour Relations Act , the discretion was not as unfettered and the procedures to be followed were far more complex.

Basson was not persuaded by the argument that the shareholders agreement superseded the employment contract.

He added that a limitation of an employee’s right against unfair dismissal was in conflict with case law and fell foul of the constitutional right of every employee to fair labour practices. “Fairness and not lawfulness is the overriding principle in labour law,” said Basson. “The fact that a director has been lawfully removed as a director does not mean this decision will also result in a fair dismissal as an employee.”

Prakash Naidoo
Thursday, 28 Oct 2010
http://www.fm.co.za/Article.aspx?id=125162

Report: Labour Market Stabilises

2010-10-16T09:53:00.002+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR -- The labour market has stabilised with employment increasing 1.3 per cent to 11.8 million workers this year, according to the 2010/2011 Economic Report released here Friday.

The report said the labour force was expected to expand 1.3 per cent to 12.2 million workers, offering 152,800 new job opportunities.

It said the male participation rate remained high at 79.8 per cent while female at 46.5 per cent.

The 25-34 age group represents the largest proportion, accounting for 31.4 per cent of the total workforce, followed by the 35-44 age group (25.8 per cent).

The services sector is expected to account for 53.6 per cent of total employment, followed by the manufacturing sector (27.8 per cent), agriculture (11.8 per cent), construction (6.5 per cent) and mining (0.4 per cent).

The report said in six months of this year, there were 992,035 jobs offer with 40 per cent contributed by the manufacturing sector and 30.4 per cent from the service sector.

The number of active job seekers was 368,877 as of June, mostly diploma and degree holders.

The report said, in order to achive objectives of the New Economic Model through the 2011 Budget, the goverment had aggresively upgrading the early education system to enhance human capital development.

-- BERNAMA, Oct 15
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=535568

A Story from an Enterprising Locksmith

2010-09-27T08:30:00.006+08:00

Seumas Tan Nyap Tek*,
Advocate & Solicitor

One rainy afternoon, I was at the Ampang Park Shopping Centre browsing around. Since it was raining and I wasn’t able to walk back to the office, I decided to stop by the Locksmith’s stall on the 1st floor of the shopping complex. The Locksmith’s name is Mr. Wee and he is an interesting person to talk to as he has an opinion on everything and anything under the sun.

As there were not many customers that afternoon, I decided to sit down on one of the stools at Mr. Wee’s stall. We chatted about the local and world news in the newspapers when the topic came to careers. I decided to take the opportunity to ask him what motivated him to be a locksmith. I was quite apprehensive as I wasn’t sure if he was willing to share something so personal. But Mr. Wee being an open minded person was more than willing to share his story which is one which we can really appreciate and be inspired by.

Mr Wee was born and raised in Penang. Being a young man at that time, he decided to seek his fortune in Kuala Lumpur. He managed to get a job as a factory worker. He was happy working in the factory but felt somewhat bored, especially on his off days. One day, while walking in downtown Kuala Lumpur, he saw a machine that made duplicate keys which were for sale. Mr. Wee was interested but at the same time mindful of the cost of the machine. He went home that night and did some deep thinking as to whether he should purchase the machine or not. After a sleepless night, he decided to go for it. He took a huge chunk of his savings and went to the shop to buy the machine. Mr. Wee knew that it was a big investment and he was not going to look back and regret the decision he made.

Now, that he got the machine, how was he going to start the business of duplicating keys? Being an enterprising man, Mr. Wee, who was still working in the factory at that time, decided to make an offer to his colleagues in the factory that they couldn’t refuse! He offered to make duplicate keys for free. Each colleague would be given one free duplicate key. I admired Mr. Wee for his generosity but surely there must be a good reason for doing this. Mr. Wee said he wanted to find out what were the most common keys in the market used by a majority of people. When starting out a new business, Mr. Wee said a person can’t expect to buy keys of all shapes and sizes. So, the best way to do this was by offering to duplicate keys for free. That way, he could also get to practice his key-making skills by using the machine. Mr. Wee took down the shapes and sizes of the common keys and then proceeded to place an order for those uncut keys.

When Mr. Wee was confident enough to duplicate keys commercially, he decided to put up a small sign at the house that he was renting. Actually, he rented a small room in the house but the landlord was kind enough to allow him to put a cardboard sign at the gate. Mr. Wee was not getting as many customers as he had hoped for, so he went back to work in the factory on a part time basis.

One evening, a young couple came knocking on the door asking for him. Mr. Wee came out and was ready to assist the young couple. They looked panicky and asked Mr. Wee if he could follow them to their house. Mr. Wee was taken aback and asked why he should follow them. The young couple explained that they have locked themselves out of the house and they didn’t have a spare key with them. Mr. Wee said he couldn’t help them as he only duplicated keys and didn’t know how to pick locks. The young couple looked puzzled. They said to Mr. Wee, “If you can duplicate keys, surely you should know how to pick locks”. Mr. Wee had no answer to that question and remained quiet.

When the young couple left the house feeling disappointed, that got Mr. Wee thinking. He knew that duplicating keys would not be enough to sustain him in this business, he must learn an extra skill. Continuing education was important. In this case, the extra skill was learning how to pick locks.

Then came the second hurdle, where could he learn the skills of a locksmith? A locksmith’s skill in picking locks is a closely guarded secret. Mr. Wee went through many advertisements and he couldn’t find any school or person willing to teach him how to pick locks, so Mr. Wee did the next best thing. Mr. Wee asked around. Finally, someone in the wet market told him that there was an old experienced locksmith in Bangsar who used to teach those who were interested in picking locks. The person in the wet market warned Mr. Wee that the locksmith’s fee would not be cheap. Mr. Wee took the contact number and immediately called the locksmith in Bangsar. The old locksmith told Mr. Wee that he was willing to teach him the skills provided Mr. Wee paid him RM5,000.00 which was a hefty sum at that time. Mr. Wee tried to get him to reduce his fee but the old locksmith refused. Being an enterprising and crafty fellow, Mr. Wee proposed to the locksmith that he pay the locksmith by way of installments. The locksmith agreed since he thought he could get his money quicker that way.

On the first day, Mr. Wee went to the locksmith’s house cum office in Bangsar. When he reached the locksmith’s house, he was asked to sit down and wait. Mr. Wee was getting fed-up after sitting for half a day doing nothing. He complained to the locksmith but the locksmith asked him to be patient. Finally, the phone rang, the locksmith picked up the phone, finished the conversation and then looked at Mr. Wee and smiled. The locksmith said, “Now, you begin your lesson”.

The locksmith took Mr. Wee on his motorbike to the customer’s house. The locksmith taught Mr. Wee how to pick the locks using some tools. Mr. Wee was a quick learner. He learned fast and by the third week, he was able to pick locks on his own. The old locksmith just stood back and watched. The old locksmith basically got Mr. Wee to do the job for him! Being an equally crafty person, Mr. Wee decided to stop going for “lessons” after his first month! All in all, Mr. Wee paid the old locksmith RM250.00 for the “lessons”.

With this additional skill, Mr. Wee gained confidence and started his locksmith business full time and never looked back ever since.

There is an important lesson that we can learn from Mr. Wee’s story. First of all, we shouldn’t be complacent as the world is a competitive place. We must continue by whatever ways and means to improve our skills and techniques. In the legal field, lawyers are constantly updating themselves on new developments in case laws and legislation. In the medical field, doctors and researchers are constantly finding new cures and methods to improve and prolong the health of human beings. The second lesson we can take from Mr. Wee’s story is that to succeed in this competitive world, we have to be enterprising and find ways to achieve the end result. When Mr. Wee offered to duplicate keys for free, it may have cost him a bit but the end result was well justified. One can consider such expense as the cost of “research” or “marketing” but in the end it was worth it. As an old saying goes, “spend money to make money”.

ON THE JOB TRAINING - The Story of the Shopkeeper and His Grandson

2010-09-06T09:44:00.006+08:00

Seumas Tan Nyap Tek*,
Advocate & Solicitor

It has been said that without practice, theory means nothing. To me, having practical training is an effective way of learning. That is why in legal practice, we have something called the chambering period or pupilage where a qualified law graduate is required to work in a law firm (commonly known as reading in chambers) for 9 months before being admitted to the Bar. A similar system is also in place for medical students and graduates. Why is there a need for it? The answer is simple. When undergoing on the job training, you are dealing with real events and real people. You will see that things can be quite different from what we have read in books or appears in theory. Let me share with you an incident which I encountered a few years ago.

Sometime in 2007, I was back in my hometown in Klang. For nostalgic reasons, I decided to visit some of the old places where I used to frequent. That included an old grocery shop which was just the round the corner where I used to live. The person who started the shop was a kind but a shrewd businessman. He has since passed on. The grocery shop is now managed by his son known as Ah Meng. Ah Meng is now in his fifties and is the second generation in his family to run the shop. I knew Ah Meng when he was still a young man. He studied up to Form Five and he speaks very good English. Today, like me, Ah Meng has aged with a head covered with grey hair and a pair of reading glasses hanging around his neck. Ah Meng’s son has been helping him in the shop mostly in delivering goods to the customers. The layout of the shop had changed tremendously. The goods were stored orderly on the shelves and systematically labeled. Instead of the tin can pulley system which was popular a long time ago to keep the money safe, the shop now has an electronic cashier machine.

It was a week before the Chinese New Year, I was busy chatting with Ah Meng in front of the grocery shop while his 9 year old grandson was busily drawing in his little sketch book when a boy about 10 years old walked in and enquired about purchasing “pop-pop”. For those who are not familiar with “pop-pop”, it is one of those little white things shaped like the tip of a cotton bud which gives a “pop” sound when thrown onto any hard surface. Sizing up the young boy, Ah Meng decided to let his grandson handle the transaction. The conversation between Ah Meng’s grandson and the young boy went something like this:-

Young boy: “Uncle,do you have any “pop-pop”?

Ah Meng: (Calling his grandson) “Ah boy, come and help this young man”

Ah Meng’s grandson: Yes?

Young boy: Got “pop-pop”?

Ah Meng’s grandson: “Got”.

Young boy: How much?

Ah Meng’s grandson: “RM1.00 for 1 box”

Young boy: “Wah! Too expensive. Cheaper a bit. 50 sen for a box?”

I must say I was impressed that for a 10 year old boy, he was able to bargain and did not take the first offer.

Ah Meng’s grandson looked confused and didn’t know how to reply. Meanwhile Ah Meng who had been observing the conversation instructed his grandson in Hokkien (a Chinese dialect which the young boy did not understand) to inform the young boy that if he buys 3 boxes for RM3.00, he will throw in another box for free!

Ah Meng’s grandson: If you take 3 boxes for RM3.00, I will throw in one for free.

Ah Meng who was observing looked pleased that his grandson had carried out his instruction well. Meanwhile, the young boy kept quiet and was in deep thought. I was beginning to admire this young boy who was an astute negotiator. The young boy didn’t want to give in and this was how the conversation went:-

Young boy: Too expensive! How about I pay RM2.00 for 2 boxes and you give me 1 box free?

I was looking at Ah Meng’s grandson and I must say, for a 9 year old boy, he was rather calm. Perhaps, he knew that his grandfather was nearby to assist him in handling the situation.

Ah Meng to his grandson: (In Hokkien) Tell him, we only have 4 boxes left and we will be closing for Chinese New Year soon. There will be no more stock after this, if he wants it he better buy it now.

Ah Meng’s grandson followed his grandfather’s instruction and conveyed to the young boy. The young boy finally relented and agreed to buy 3 boxes of “pop-pop” for RM3.00 with an additional box thrown in free.

After the young boy paid the money and was about to leave the shop, Ah Meng turned to his grandson and said in Hokkien: “Eh, eh! Now ask him whether he wants to buy some sparklers! Since, he bought ‘pop-pop’ from us, we are giving him special price for the sparklers”. There was another round of negotiation between these 2 young gentlemen with the old “sifu” giving instructions from behind the scene. Unfortunately, I had to leave. I didn’t get to see what transpired after the “pop-pop” transaction.

However, I learned an important lesson relating to “on the job training” from the above scene. Ah Meng could have easily handled the situation as he is an experienced grocer but he decided to let his grandson handle it. Why? Maybe, because he noticed that the young boy was about the same age as his grandson and this would be perfect training for his grandson. However, I must say Ah Meng probably didn’t expect the young boy to be a tough negotiator. But then again, in his line of work, you have to expect the unexpected and his grandson did manage to close the deal after all with some help from his grandfather. I am sure the experience undergone by Ah Meng’s grandson will remain with him for a very long time. Here, he learned how to communicate, how to position himself, how to shift that position and then close the deal. Further, his grandson also learnt that closing one deal may lead to another – remember, from “pop-pop” to sparklers! Ah Meng can be assured that the grocery shop started by his father will continue to be in good hands with the 3rd and 4th generations who are well trained while being on the job!

Life After Retirement

2010-09-02T10:32:00.002+08:00

RETIREMENT. To many people, it refers to the period in life where one should be kicking back, relaxing and catching up on the things they never could during their long, gruelling working lives.

Realistically, however, not many people get a chance to enjoy their retirement period, usually due to financial constraints that comes once we stop earning a living.

With the rising cost of living, many retirees are finding it difficult to make ends meet with their EPF (Employees Provident Fund) savings or pension scheme alone and are forced to continue working.

For the purpose of this article, we’re going to skip that group of people who, during their working lives, were prudent with their expenses and shrewd with their investments and are now laughing themselves all the way to the bank till the day they die.

For those who still need to earn a living post retirement, embarking on a job can still be fun and need not be a burden. In fact, many of today’s retirees view retirement not as an end, but instead as a new and exciting phase in their lives.

Work from home

For a retiree, working from home has its advantages, says Janice Tam, a retired school teacher.

“You can work at your own pace and avoid the hassle of travelling to and fro to an actual office,” she says.

Tam today provides tuition classes for kids below 12 years of age.

“Providing tuition classes is a very popular side income alternative. Baby sitting is also a good post retirement job choice, especially when the parents drop the child at your place and saves you the hassle of having to go to their home.”

Starting your own business

Many a times, the experiences of a long career can provide retirees with the confidence and knowledge to launch a successful business.

G. Murthy used to serve with the armed forces and now, at 57, is heading his own security firm.

“My experience with the armed forces allowed me to gain invaluable knowledge in self defence and now it not only allows me to help protect people, it also provides me with a decent income.”

Sometimes, the knowledge and experience could be gained from a family business.

Growing up, Rashid Abu Bakar, now 67, used to enjoy the nasi lemak his mum sold to the local village-folk to earn a living.

After serving with the Government, he is now retired and is continuing the family business and claims that it is “good pocket money.”

“It makes for a good side income on top of the pension that I get every month.”

Rashid says he enjoys eating the nasi lemak just as much as he does making them.

“As it’s important to find pleasure in what you do, or else it would just become a burden. I have to wake up very early in the morning to prepare the food but it is something that I enjoy doing.”

He adds that it is important to understand the demands and dynamics of running your own business, its prospects and needs.

Become a consultant

Many people retire from their jobs only to become consultants to their previous employers or advisors to organisations within the industry.

Says Alvin Loh, 63, an advisor to a local property developer: “Consult-ing provides you with a lot of flexibility and due to the person’s invaluable years of experience, demand for such jobs are good and so is the salary.”

Go back to school

It is not uncommon for senior citizens to enrol part time or even full time at a college or university to learn a new skill and take up a new job, says Kajang-based private college tutor Rashid Ali.

“There are many senior citizens where I teach who are taking up something new. Some of them even come back to do another course!”

Rashid admits that taking up a part-time diploma or degree can be a huge sacrifice for someone who is married.

“There are many private institutes that offer night-time or weekend courses to cater to this group of people. There are many genuine courses that one can do online.

“Having an extra qualification on your resume carries a lot of weight and if it means better job and salary prospects, it’s worth it,” says Rashid.

Become a volunteer

There are many organisations out there that are eager to accept volunteers, regardless of a person’s age, says Jacob Wong, a committee chairman for a Kepong-based non-profit organisation.

“Because we have to constantly keep our budgets down, we’re always looking for volunteers. Believe it or not, a lot of times we prefer to work with retirees because they are less demanding and are quite satisfied with the pocket money that we give them.

“Many of today’s youths are just interested in making money and are not interested with volunteering. That’s why we prefer to work with senior citizens,” he says.

Schools, libraries, religious and relief centres and charitable organisations are among some of the places that are always on the look out for volunteers, Wong adds.

By EUGENE MAHALINGAM
eugenicz@thestar.com.my

Erti Kemerdekaan

2010-08-31T10:30:00.001+08:00

PUISI PATRIOTIK 2000

ERTI KEMERDEKAAN

Dan jatuhnya hanya beberapa hari
lalu terbelenggu 400 tahun
suatu tempoh yang amat payah dan panjang
pengabdian dan kehilangan yakin diri
43 tahun kita berdiri menebus maruah
merdeka mentafsir diri sendiri dan bangga pada apa yang ada
masih mahukan harga itu diperjudikan?

Kita tidak akan mempertaruhkan nasib itu
di tangan kita masih panas
keringat, tulang belulang dan tenaga fikir
menghayun langkah membina wawasan
waspada harimau di matahari terbenam
tidak akan hilang belangnya
mengisytiharkan dirinya yam tuan tunggal sejagat
yang lemah longlai
yang gagah gergasi
akan meruntuhkan segala sempadan rimba
atas nama membina perkampungan dunia
mahukah kita biarkan
mereka menginjak-injak dan menghancurkan taman kecil permai ini?

Rimba tanpa sempadan
atas nama “kebaikan” menyelinap menusuk matafikir
hidupan dunia ketiga terpaku takjub dengan slogan
‘kasih alam
ketelusan hukum
keadilan timbangan
kesatuan warga dunia
kebebasan mutlak’
lalu beraraklah anak-anak bumi ini meraikan kesatuan alam
dengan sorak sorai
‘runtuhkan sempadan!
runtuhkan sempadan!
runtuhkan korupsi
runtuhkan kolisi’

dan di belakang mereka tidak melihat
bayang-bayang belenggu halimunan
yang lebih ganas daripada segala yang ganas
kita pun akan kehilangan harga dan erti diri
mengapa diundang mereka
dan mereka tiba-tiba berada di depan pintu rumah kita?
Kita telah bangun dengan segala kepayahan
membuka belantara dan mempertahankan warisan
kita tafsir merdeka mengikut acuan sendiri
merdeka kita dengan fikiran
dan kita pertahankannya dengan fikiran
dunia sudah melihat kita
dunia sudah menghormati kita
Timur dan Selatan mengharapkan kita
mereka datang berbondong-bondong mencari bumi ini
perlindungan dan erti hidup
mengapa kita sendiri masih belum mahu melihat
dengan tangan masih terbelenggu ke belakang
dan hanya sesekali menjulangnya
mengikut rentak genderang dunia matahari terbenam?
Bijak pandai pernah berpesan
‘mereka yang tidak belajar dari sejarah mereka didera
dengan mengulangi kesalahan-kesalahan mereka berkali-kali’
sejarah mengajar kita betapa kukuh sesuatu bangsa
akan tetap kecundang bila ditikam dari belakang
mengapa kita mula halalkan sejarah hitam berulang?

Nasib kita genggam
dengan tangan sendiri dan segala kudrat kurniaan
kita jalin kekuatan sulaman kasih bangsa
kita didihkan dia dengan tradisi semangat juang
maruah bangsa kita julang ke mercu alam
kita bangunkan suatu tamadun cinta damai
di sini kita ajar anak-anak kita erti sayang
di sini kita tawarkan dunia menaja kemanusiaan
dan bukan alat peperangan
dunia belajar erti merdeka sejati
mempelajari dan menerima segala perbezaan
merdeka menafsir hidup tanpa paksaan kuasa

Di sini kita yakin segalanya boleh
Di sini kita yakin segalanya boleh
Itulah erti kemerdekaan

Perjuangan ini mesti diteruskan.

DR. MAHATHIR MOHAMAD

Part-Time Work Regulations To Take Effect From Oct 1

2010-08-29T09:51:00.002+08:00

Starting Oct 1, the government will enforce the Part-Time Work Regulations under the Employment Act 1955, which will ensure certain benefits to part-time workers.

Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S.Subramaniam said the new regulations which were gazetted recently, were aimed at ensuring that the rights and protection for part-time workers in terms of employment were clearer and comprehensive.

The regulations comprised, among others, the formula to determine salary as well as contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organisation (Socso), he told reporters after opening the ministry's Meet-the-Customers Day here Monday.

Subramaniam said the new regulations would benefit about 6.5 million latent workforce in the country who were willing to work part-time, including housewives, single mothers, retirees, people with disabilities and students.

He said the regulations were approved to help employers hire part-time workers, besides encouraging them to give priority to local workers.

Subramaniam also said the new regulations could prevent any disputes between the employer and the workers pertaining to part-time work.

Hence, he hoped that housewives, especially those with tertiary education, would benefit from the government's move to enforce the regulations.

Civil servants could also benefit from the regulations, especially if they wished to do a part-time job after their official working hours, he added.

-- Aug 16 (Bernama)