Some photos from my recent trip to Taipei (31 Jan 2010 – 4 Feb 2010) to attend the International Democrat Union executive meeting.
February 8, 2010 • 12:33 pm 6
Launch of Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS)
(I have been so pressed for time, I did not get the chance to update this blig as regularly as I would like. Many apologies)
IDEAS was officially launched today at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Memorial. Some initial press coverage can be found below, but obviously the online media is quicker to publish than printed ones.
Report 1:
In new think tank, the Tunku’s vision is channelled”
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — Tunku Zain Al-Abidin Muhriz remembers the story of how the country’s first Prime Minister, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, had stopped “Umno ultras” from burning the Royal Lake Club here “for being too white.” The Tunku had prevented its destruction by appointing himself as the club’s president, he said at the launch of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), a new think-tank set up by him to promote democratic ideals and rooted in the Tunku’s vision for the country. Today was chosen to launch Ideas to coincide with the Tunku’s birthday
Report 2:
Razaleigh to Umno: Don’t compromise on democracy
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 8, 2010): Veteran politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has warned Umno that the party risks losing its grip on power if it fails to live up to democratic ideals as laid out by the founding fathers. “My concern is that Umno will be booted out of power … and I don’t want to see that,” said Razaleigh after launching a new think-tank called IDEAS (Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs) at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Memorial in Jalan Dato Onn this morning.
Report 3:
Tunku would have been a blogger
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — If Tunku Abdul Rahman were still alive he would not only be 107-year-old but a blogger too, said his grand daughter Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan today. “He had a vision of a different Malaysia and if he were alive he would take up blogging.” said the 25-year-old programme coordinator with Wild Asia, referring to the online journal popular among the younger set. She pointed out Tunku had always been vocal and even after he resigned as prime minister, he didn’t stop. “He had a column in the Star and is famous for criticising Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed”. Sharyn who was among three generations of Tunku’s family at the launch of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, at his memorial in Jalan Dato Onn, pointed out he was a proponent of “unity and racial acceptance.”
Report 4:
Ku Li says Malaysia is a sham democracy
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (picture) called Malaysia a democracy which only existed in name only, and said that reforms could not be expected from the incumbents in power, in an apparent attack against Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN). “To modify Tunku’s words, we now have a democracy existing in name, but grievously compromised in substance, reality and fact,” Tengku Razaleigh said today when launching Ideas, a new think-tank set up to promote democratic ideals, at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Memorial today.
Report 5:
New Think Tank IDEAS Launched on Auspicious Day
KUALA LUMPUR, 8 FEB, 2010: A new think tank called the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) was launched today rightfully on Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Memorial Day. IDEAS is to replace Malaysia Think Tank and is Malaysia’s first think tank dedicated to promoting market-based solutions to public policy challenges. The main purpose is to advance market-based principles without being bound by race or religion.
Filed under: Freedom & Liberty, Malaysia
February 8, 2010 • 12:09 pm 1
Maxis continues to provide abysmal customer service
I have written before how useless Maxis is (see here, here and here).
I urge everyone to not use Maxis.
My main complaint to them is that I have never opened a Maxis account and they have allowed a fraud to happen. Over the last few weeks, Maxis has been trying to reply to my complaint.
I asked Maxis to send me a copy of their formal complaints procedure. They do not have one that can be sent to me. It seems like they deliberately want to hide from the public knowledge about where to go to resolve disputes. If you have a dispute with Maxis, you can only talk to the officer they appoint. If you disagree with the findings that officer supply to you, then tough luck. Maxis does not care.
I wrote in my complaint to them how I have been forced to submit the same documents twice. The first time they lost my papers. The second time the papers did not get to the right place. Then their so called “Forensic Department” staff are extremely unhelpful, and the Assistant Manager at Maxis Gardens could not care enough that a customer wants to make a formal complaint.
The written reply I got from Maxis was this: “Please accept our apologies on your expereince in having to resubmit the documentation over again. As spoken on this matter, we would take note of this gap and would continue in our efforts to enhance on our service standards.” A simple apology without any regard about the time I had to spend and the effort I had to make to repeatedly pursue the case. Well done Maxis. When a customer faces a problem taht is caused by you, you make the customer work to just get your attention.
I asked Maxis how they could approve the application when the address on the application form was clearly different from the address on my IC. I asked them what is the security procedure they used to verify an applicant’s identity.
This is the answer I got from them: “We regret that we are unable to share with you our internal processes in relation to our investigation and procedures.
We however would welcome any further information or update that you may wish to share on this matter for our onward review.”
Maxis refuses to provide evidence that they have a secure procedure to verify the identity of the applicant. I think Maxis just simply do not have any procedure at all. Otherwise, why not tell me? And they still maintain that their “procedure” is safe enough and they want me to pay for an account I have never opened.
They sent me a copy of the unpaid bill, but it was addressed to a place that I have never heard of. How does Maxis expect me to know anything about the account when they sent the bills to an unknown address???
But Maxis has the balls to ask me to pay, now. This is what Maxis said: “In line with our position above, the total amount due on the said account is RM949.35 and this amount is inclusive of the 1st letter of demand that was sent to you dated 11thJuly 2007. We seek your kind understanding on this matter and trust you would make the relevant arrangements on settling this accordingly. You can visit the nearest maxis centre to you and please quote the said account number when remitting the amount.”
Well done Maxis. You have proven that you are very quick at asking for money from people, but very poor at ensuring you are charging the right person.
The one thing that I can commend is that this time they did provide me with a number I can call. They now say that the number for Maxis Complaint is 03-74914483.








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