Malaysiaku, Negaraku

It is such a wonderful morning to see another stateless person has been given a new lease of life. She wrote this message on March 29. And guess what? I have received an update today: Good morning, just want to update you, that I have already collected my IC 😊

  I was part of a chat group created by a friend in September last year. Eventually, she apologised for accidentally creating the chat group and began removing a long list of contacts before exiting the group. After that, an older lady was left as the sole administrator.           This morning, we received a message from an unknown number. The contact wasn’t saved under any name—just labeled as "ADMIN." Interestingly, the sender wasn’t actually the group administrator, but appeared to be impersonating one.          This was a red flag for me. Usually a government initiative like this would be published on the official website, and would usually have gov.my.          A quick check by forwarding this message to SEBENARNYA.my (save this on your mobile phone  +60 3-8688 7997).           Here is the reply:           Now, as I look at it again, ...

Telelink Bank Negara e-form for complaints https://bnmlink.bnm.gov.my/    IF YOU HAVE been encountering issues with insurance companies (Life, General, or Takaful), commercial banks, MiCare, Touch ‘n Go, Boost, or other financial services providers, it’s always better to lodge your complaint through this official e-form.           While I haven’t personally tried it yet, I believe this method should be more effective than sending direct emails to the companies. Often, insurance providers do not even publish their corporate office contact numbers on their websites.           I have urged Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to enforce a policy requiring financial institutions to disclose their corporate contact numbers publicly. This way, the public can bypass the frontliners who are often made to repeat scripted responses, while those truly responsible—the CEOs and senior management—remain shielded from direct feedback. As cons...

  I HAVE BEEN an admirer of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi since I was seventeen.           Many years later, I reconnected with one of the fellow participants of the Career Guidance Camp we attended—Brian Lariche, who was from another school. He still remembered me as "the guy who gave a bear hug to Pak Lah."           It was an impulsive act. I was generally reserved and avoided being too expressive. But that was the age when I was beginning to understand and embrace what some might call a brotherly hug. And to offer one to a minister? That was unthinkable for a student!           Yet, at that tender age, I was completely mesmerised by what Pak Lah shared about his early years. At the time, he had just transitioned from the Ministry of Federal Territories to the Ministry of Education and was invited as the guest-of-honour to present certificates to school Career Guidance Club representatives. ...

I HAVE JUST received yet another heartfelt `thank you' note addressed to the Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.           This time, it came from a mother of two—her children are about the same age as mine. A year ago, she received a message I had shared encouraging anyone who knew of stateless individuals to urge them to apply for Malaysian citizenship.           Although she herself was not stateless, she had been waiting for 14 long years for her Entry Permit, which would qualify her to apply for her Permanent Residency (PR) in Malaysia.          In Malaysia, the spouse of a citizen must first be granted the Entry Permit (Permit Masuk) before he / she is eligible  to apply for a red MyPR identity card, which officially confirms the Permanent Resident status.           You can imagine her joy—being the wife of a Malaysian citizen, she is ...

There are lessons to be learnt from The Chronicles of Narnia by Professor CS Lewis   THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE of government exists to ensure that society functions efficiently and that people can continue to live in peace and harmony with one another.           One of the most tragic flaws in our society today is the failure of government leaders—whether politicians or civil servants—to take decisive action against bullies. Flawed Argument           In a distorted interpretation of “democracy,” we often hear the phrase, “the majority wins.” But true democracy cannot allow the majority to oppress or silence the minority.           When a bullying culture is allowed to take root, it inevitably breeds widespread unhappiness. Bullies—who have no place in a civilised society—often gain power by riding on the support of a passive majority that prioritises self-preservation over justice. In doing so, the...

Come back to this page from time to time. I will update it with some latest input. THIS may not be a foolproof method but at least it is a good way to safeguard your money: park your banking apps in another device which you keep at home.           Some things to note:  This phone should be: Only dedicated to banking apps.  No other apps to be downloaded on this phone. Turned off at all times.  You don’t need another SIM card for your phone. Either use your home WiFi or your personal hotspot. If you are buying second handphone, make sure you do a factory reset. If you are buying a new handphone, make sure that you also do a factory reset before using the phone.  You should also make sure you are using your own DATA or your HOME WIFI when logging to any bank app. Do not use Public Wifi to access your banking apps Instal an anti-malware software on your phone           Your other mobile phone which you carry wi...