It was a tough week. Assignments, tonnes of reading - journals, emails and books. Also group meeting...argh... I'm overwhelmed... but hey, Thursday is Ahmad's birthday!

As for the ceremony, I was quite occupied in making the preparation for a group
meeting that day and but managed to squeeze some time to get some KFC from the Fawkner Halal outlet. We all just love KFC and that simply switched on the celebration mood. So, we've got KFC, a big cake and a little present for Ahmad, which
the birthday boy picked his own present the day before. He got himself his favourite toy, Bionicle Robot by Lego. It's a bit cheaper here than KL.

The ceremony was short and brief, starting at 4:30 pm with the usual
song and cake cutting ceremony. It was really fun not only because of
the whole occasion but the way my youngest, Batrisyia, reacting to the
occasion. She was really shy and was behaving kinda funny. Well, that
would be the first birthday ceremony that she could have contextualise
since she's only 7 days off her 2 year old birthday. Yup, another
birthday is coming soon on 30 March 2006...

Happy birthday son...Next, saw the little cheeky girl in the pic... her birthday is just 7 days from the big brother... stay tuned!

Tahniah Bro,

Keep it up!

6 cendekiawan negara terima Zamalah Awam Asia

I was quite lucky with my Mitsubishi Magna 1989 when I first bought it end 2004. Thanks to Adi who took me to Dandenong and helped me with the arrangements. For a 16 year old car, my expectation is not that high. I'm happy with the car. Little problem so far and comfortable to drive especially in the hot summer as the aircond is still in working condition.

As I said, I was lucky... others may not be that lucky. The National Roads and Motorists' Association of Australia has this website that has a thorough checklist for buyers to consider. I've pasted it in this blog for the readers to have a read.

The link is http://www.mynrma.com.au/used_car_check.asp to get further details.

It gives me a thought, do we have this in Malaysia and I do remember the Automobile Association of Malaysia too has similar checklist.... I'll try and get it on this blog as well after I finish my Intel strategic analysis...

~Re-flectionz of my mind~

Used car buyers' checklist

Shopping for a used car can be time-consuming and, at times, unnerving. Print out our kit and take it with you to make sure you leave no stone unturned. It includes a DIY inspection checklist, handy phone numbers and a receipt form.

Inspection checklist

Inspect in bright light and when dry

Accident damage or rust
Check inside the boot, the floor wells, doors and lower sills for red or other dark stains, dimpled or bubbled paint. Use a soft fridge magnet to check panels for plastic body filler.

A vinyl roof may conceal rust or other damage.

Hail damage
Found mainly on horizontal panel surfaces (eg, bonnet, roof, boot lid). If hail damage is evident, check with your insurance company - they may not insure the car until it's fixed.

Panel fitment
Loose panels may indicate accident damage or that the car has been regularly driven over rough roads.

Doors and boot lid/tailgate
Catches should close firmly. Rubber seals can perish over time.

Paint
Look for colour variation, overspraying, dents or ripples.

Upholstery, trim and carpets
Check for wear and tear.

Engine number and VIN (vehicle identification number)/body number
These numbers must match the numbers on the Certificate of Registration. Check for signs of interference - scratches, grind marks, drill holes etc, as they could indicate illegal interference with the numbers.

Year and month of manufacture
Check these are as advertised by inspecting the compliance and/or build plate (compliance plates are fitted to most cars made for Australia since 1970; usually attached to a panel in the engine bay).

Engine appearance
Build-up of dirt or oil may indicate mechanical problems or poor maintenance.

Engine oil
Dirty/thick oil and a build-up of sludge in the engine may indicate a lack of maintenance. Grey or milky coloured oil may signify the presence of water, which can indicate serious engine problems.

Engine at idle
Listen for irregular running, or any knocking/rattling noises.

Oil fumes
Remove the oil filler cap while the engine is idling. Fumes may signify worn piston rings or cylinder

Radiator coolant
Should be clean and brightly coloured. Oil in the coolant may indicate a cracked cylinder-head or a leaking gasket.

Radiator cooler fins and core tubes
Check for corrosion or damage.

Battery and mounting platform/bracket
Check for acid corrosion.

Tyres (including the spare)
Uneven wear may indicate worn or misaligned steering or suspension.

Oil leaks
Check the engine, transmission, axles, brakes, power steering and shock absorbers.

Exhaust system
Fumes or excessive noise indicate holes or rust in the pipes or mufflers.

Seat-belts
Check that the belts are not frayed or damaged, and that the belts, buckles, adjusters and child restraint anchorage points are in good condition.

Lights
Check the operation of all lights, both inside and outside the car.

If the vehicle is fitted with ABS and/or SRS (air bag), check that the dashboard warning light/s illuminates for a short time when the ignition is turned on.

Equipment and accessories
Check airconditioning, ventilation fan, electric windows, sound system, etc. Inoperative items can be expensive to repair or replace.

Jack and tool-kit
These items should be in place and in serviceable condition.

Handy phone numbers

Receipt

Date:
Seller's name:
Address:
Phone:
Mobile:
Seller's drivers licence no & name:
Car registration:
VIN/chassis/engine no:
Agreed condition:
Amount received:
From (buyer's name):
For (cross one out):	Deposit / Full payment
This agreement is subject to the purchaser obtaining an inspection report from NRMA Vehicle Inspections. If the reported condition of the vehicle is not satisfactory to the purchaser, he/she may rescind the contract, and any deposit paid shall be refunded in full to the purchaser.
Seller's signature:
Buyer's signature:
Download the receipt only as a PDF

Before you drive off...

• Make sure you get all the keys for the car (ignition keys with transformers are expensive to duplicate).
• Get the service book, owner's manual and log book.
• If there's an alarm, find out how to de-activate it.
• Is there a hidden ignition switch?

Taken from http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/special.asp?pr=komanwel2006&y=2006&dt=0313&pub=komanwel2006&sec=Corat-Coret&pg=kc_02.htm

13/03/2006

Kekalahan sulung

Dua hari setibanya di Melbourne, kebanyakan pengurus pasukan Malaysia mendapat pertarungan pertama.

Urus setia Malaysia membekalkan pengurus pasukan kita dengan kad SIM bagi penggunaan tempatan tetapi selepas dua hari mencuba, mereka tidak dapat mengaktifkannya dan kebanyakannya sudah menyerah kalah dan melupakannya.

Ramai antaranya cuba menggunakan jenama lain dan berharap mampu mengaktifkannya.

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:cANqNDNsZKEJ:www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp%3Ffile%3D/2006/1/22/nation/13184625%26sec%3Dnation+prepaid+service+registration&hl=en&gl=my&ct=clnk&cd=5
Nation

Sunday January 22, 2006

Pre-paid service at stake

CHERAS: Telecommunications companies (telcos) will lose their pre-paid subscriber services if they fail to meet the Dec 31 deadline set by the Government to register all pre-paid subscribers.

Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said there would be no more extensions to the deadline.

“They must register by the end of this year or have their (pre-paid subscriber) service terminated,” said Dr Lim after the Gerakan monthly meeting in Cheras yesterday.

Initially, the cellular companies (celcos) were given a six-month period between Jan 1 and June 30 to carry out the nationwide registration for pre-paid subscribers.

However, after receiving feedback from the celcos and advice from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and ministry officials, Dr Lim extended it to the end of 2006.

“I am not happy with the cincai (sloppy) attitude of the celcos in this registration exercise,” he said.

Dr Lim said he was surprised that only 10% of pre-paid subscribers in Penang and Malacca registered their numbers during the pilot exercise between October and December last year.

He said celcos used this period to remind their customers to register their pre-paid number.

“There is no more time for reminders, they must register,” he added.

Dr Lim said celcos must look into improving their services for their subscribers such as helping them protect their cell phones.

He said developing a database of registered customers could do this.

Once a registered subscriber’s phone details were in a database, it could help recover the phone if it was stolen.

Dr Lim explained, each cellphone had a designated serial number which subscribers could retrieve by keying in *#06#.

When customers registered their SIM cards and made a call, the first thing the celcos would pick up is the serial number.

“This can help recover phones faster and help prevent thefts.

“Thieves would think twice about taking a phone after that as it can be easily located even if the SIM card has been changed,” Dr Lim said.

He said celcos should consider introducing this service and charge their subscribers a reasonable price, which he suggested should be RM1 a year.

“I think a RM1 annual fee to protect your phone is reasonable, don’t you?” he said.

G'day mate

Melbourne 2006, the Commonwealth Games. It's my second Com Games after
KL that I had the opportunity to be part of. It was a very cold morning
for a Malaysian like me and my son to be up and awake at 6 am. But, for
the spirit of Malaysia Boleh, both us were eager to see the Malaysian
hockey team in action against it's old nemesis, India. For my son, it's
very special form him as it's his first time watching the Malaysian team
playing in a competition. He's going to be 7 years in less than 2 weeks
time and this trip would be a good story to write after his school
resumes in 2 weeks time. Back to the Malaysian team, it was a slow start
for them. But the soon settled in and looked very promising. The Indian
team was well organised and very fast on counter attacks while ours was
more European in their approach. It was a well contested match between
the two teams. However, the Malaysian team was awarded with a penalty
stroke after one of our forward was brought down by the Indian goalie.
Md Amin Rahim didn't waste the golden opportunity with our first goal.
The game continued till the break with Malaysia leading India 1-0.

The 2nd half was a different story. Our players seems to be slowing the
tempo but maintained their counter attacks on the Indian goal. However,
India managed to secure a penalty corner, 2nd of the game, and managed
to equalised with a well executed drag flick. The game went on till the
end with both teams locked in a 1-1 draw

After the match, I asked my son about what has he learned from the game.
I highlighted some aspects of hockey that he already knew such as the
right stance for hitting, running with the ball, stopping and tackling.
Hopefully he could gain interest in the game. Why? I'm a hockey player
too.... :-D

Go hockey!

Being in charge of something is not easy... it requires more than just skills but also passion and commitment. Accountablity also come into play. One colleague is currently in charge of a group of people in a business operations. He seems exhausted... mentally and physically. Can't seems to understand why... till today... Met him and found the reason why... He and his team wasn't fully prepared to meet this challenge... knowledge, skills and context was a bit out... felt sorry for him but I'll let nature does it by itself... He'll learn a few things, if not all, about his current endavour...I hope he does... Human beings has been given the ability to learn and re-learn. That's what makes us different as compared to the animals...