Dah masuk hari esok baru saya terasa nak menulis tentang March 8, dua tahun selepas tsunami politik Malaysia.
Sebab ramai lebih pandai buat analisa, saya pendekkan kepada beberapa 'cerita' yang saya lihat, dengar dan jalani sendiri.
Kerana ini pandangan peribadi, dan juga daripada seorang yang hanya berada di Malaysia secara part-time, tentunya ada yang tak setuju.
Tapi garis kasarnya gini:
1) Dari sudut nama negara di persada antarabangsa
Tentunya anda boleh bersetuju nama negara semakin teruk. Walau tentu ramai kata ini tak wajar.
Zaman Dr M dulu Malaysia dikenali sebagai negara Islam yang "sederhana", negara perdagangan yang ke-17 terbesar di dunia.
Dan sebagai negara yang lantang bersuara dalam isu-isu Islam-Muslim, Palestin, negara yang menentang pengembangan Amerika tanpa disekat orang lain (selepas kejatuhan Soviet Union sebagai kuasa dunia kedua).
Dr M pun berani selar Singapore jika tak puas hati! Terketar-ketar kadang Singapore nak jawab.
Masuknya zaman PM Abdullah Badawi, dan kini PM Najib R, banyak benda ni dah hilang.
Orang luar negara mempersenda nama Malaysia.
Malaysia kini dikenal sebagai negara yang melarang konsert Beyonce, bergaduh macam-macam tentang isu agama dan bangsa, nak sebat dan dah sebat pun wanita.
Itu kita boleh kata mainan media asing, media Barat.
Yang pasti, pemimpin Malaysia (maaf kata) kurang pandai jaga 'spin' atau mengawal keadaan apabila sesuatu isu itu muncul.
Apabila gereja mula diserang, s l o w betul kerajaan nak respons. Dan responsnya juga, pada saya, hanya dengan berkata: 'Rilek, brader, ini benda kecil'. Bukan nak tunjuk marah.
Itupun OKlah, kita boleh tuduh mainan media.
Yang saya lebih khuatir ialah berita ini - Jika dulu Malaysia di tangga ke 17 negara perdagangan terbesar di dunia (eksport + import) - kini katanya dah jatuh ke tangga 21.
Eksport semakin slow dan import pun sama. Ini cerita sensitif, saya berhenti di sini.
Cuma saya khuatir ini bermakna ekonomi negara semakin slow, jika dipandang dari sudut jangka masa 10 tahun.
Kena tunggu ada ke pemimpin yang akan umumkan berita tak baik ni. Sehingga itu, kata orang putih, I will hold my tongue.
Tetapi dari jarak jauh, isu-isu seperti ini boleh dipandang sebagai masalah sementara. Masih terlalu awal nak katakan damage terhadap nama Malaysia dah permanent.
Setakat demo sesakkan jalan dan 'gaduh' mulut, itu dianggap sebagai demokrasi biasa.
Selagi kilang yang dibuka tak diserang dan warga asing profesional tak kena serang, pelabur dan tourist tetap akan datang.
Yang lebih bermasalah ialah sama ada negara-negara yang bersaing dengan Malaysia di Tenggara Asia - seperti Thailand, Indonesia dan Vietnam - terus memperbaiki diri untuk menarik pelaburan ke sana.
2) Dari sudut ekonomi + pekerjaan
Terus kita masuk bab ekonomi.
Import + eksport seluruh dunia memang semakin slow, kerana ekonomi dunia pudar dalam jangka beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini (bukan salah Abdullah atau Najib).
Kini, kerajaan nak bentang New Economic Model, tetapi baru kelmarin katanya, benda ini akan dilewatkan lagi pengumumannya kepada June. Pulak.
Dulu katanya September 2009, lepas tu Februari, Mac.
OK tak apa, semua sedar memang susah nak terus pesatkan ekonomi brader. Pemerintah Singapore pun lagi senak nak terus naikkan ekonomi.
Masalah Malpura (Malaisia dan Singa pura-pura) ini sama saja: Rakyat dah biasa dengan ekonomi terus berkembang berbelas tahun, hidup semakin mewah, tetapi jadi orang atas kena fikir cara baru nak tarik pelaburan.
Yang bagusnya: Jika anda pekerja kilang mahupun pekerja biasa, pekerjaan anda masih selamat. Kadar pengangguran Malaysia adalah rendah.
Maknanya, walaupun dalam akhbar dan media online mahupun blog songsang sibuk hoo-ha hoo-ha tentang Umno, Pakatan dan Cina-Melayu-India ditindas dan menindas, hidup di Main Street Malaysia dari segi pekerjaan, tak banyak berubah.
Ya betul, jenayah masih berleluasa dan pendidikan negara masih tidak baik.
Saya khuatir kerana orang Malaysia ni susah sangat nak suruh belajar bahasa Inggeris.
Kenapa politik dipentingkan lebih dari mendapat jaminan lebih kuat bahawa anak-anak kita akan dapat kerja yang baik kelak?
Anak-anak Melayu dalam satu kelas tuition yang saya perhatikan dengan rapat, teruk apabila masuk bab Bahasa Inggeris ni. Dah besar-besar dan anak-anak orang berada, tetapi hancur dalam isu bahasa ni.
Ini mempayahkan anak-anak mendapat pekerjaan taraf antarabangsa di Malaysia kelak, apa lagi jika nak kerja di luar negara.
Sedangkan anak jiran saya pula, bukan saja dia pandai Mandarin dan Inggeris, Bahasa Melayu dia pun ok. Sedih memikirkan.
3) Dari sudut sekitaran politik + media
Yang baiknya kerana banyak perbincangan dan 'expose' (seperti enjin jet hilang, PKFZ, Teoh Beng Hock) isu-isu panas, dan saingan untuk support dari BN dan Pakatan, maka kerajaan dan 'orang-orang' jahat kini kurang nak buat jahat.
Atau kalau nak buat jahat merampok negara pun (termasuk yang di empat negeri Pakatan), terpaksa berhati-hati.
Kena lebih bijak, tak macam dulu. Suka-suka letak harga tinggi nak bina jambatan atau adakan monopoli yang menghakis duit rakyat.
Ini satu perkara positif dalam perkembangan negara: dulu Dr M pernah kata money changed hands bukan under table lagi, tapi above the table.
Kini mereka dah kena sembunyi bawah table kembali! Kalau tidak kena balon oleh NST, Malay Mail, The Star mahupun Kinisider (ini bila Malaysiakini kahwin Insider - sebab dua-dua anti-kerajaan).
Kalau tak kurang pun, perampok wang rakyat kini dah tak terlalu buat cara terbuka.
Conclusion:
Jika nak dipandang cara negatif, betullah. Sibuk sangat bincang politik sehingga kadang-kadang orang politik lupa sebenarnya rakyat dah muak.
Siapa dan di mana pun pemerintah, ramai rakyat biasa hendakkan benda-benda basic.
Anda buat ini, undi akan datang sendiri:
1) Jangan anggap rakyat bodoh apabila masalah timbul.
Ini saya tujukan kepada pemimpin Singapore juga! (Kadang muak dengar puak ini talk down dengan rakyat. Lain kali saya bawa cerita panas tentang pekerja asing di Singapore dan harga tinggi perumahan).
Explain dengan cara baik, bukan anggap 'Aku ni orang politik maka kami pandai, kamu bodoh. Nak ambik ni!'
Yang menaikkan tahap pendidikan kami adalah kamu juga, jadi kami dah pandai, jangan dianggap budak yang boleh diperbodohkan.
Tak boleh buat donno jika ada benda dah 'meletup', kena jelaskan dengan baik.
2) Keselamatan diri dan keluarga.
Jenayah perlu dikurangkan terus.
Susah abang polis kerana kerap kena buat kerja kotor orang politik.
Dan yang saya benci juga - pembangkang kata polis sibuk menjalankan kerja Umno, tetapi yang banyak sibuk buat Laporan Polis untuk siasat benda-benda taik pun mereka juga.
Samalah pada saya kedua-dua pihak BN dan Pakatan - harrass abang polis sehingga mereka pun keliru nak tangkap penjenayah ke nak tangkap orang politik!
Tangkap dua-dua sudah, abang polis. Biar aman hidup rakyat!!!
3) Mahukan pekerjaan selesa.
Tak semua orang boleh jadi, ahem, kroni atau CEO. Mahupun jadi arkitek atau manager.
Tetapi jika anak-anak kita dapat kerja kilang atau jadi security guard pun okaylah. Asal kerja mereka solid, tak kena retrench. Boleh besarkan keluarga, membeli rumah dan kereta kelak.
Dan ada keadaan aman nak gi kerja dan balik.
Dan harga makanan kat kantin ke restoran tepi jalan tak naik mendadak.
Mesej saya untuk anak-anak senang saja: Kau tak jadi jutawan belikan bapak Ferrari pun tak apa (kalau belikan pun aku terima! Yang warna kuning, please).
Tapi apabila bapak dah tua dah retire nak duduk dalam masjid (wee-weet), janganlah menyusahkan aku nak minta duit. Nak komplen tak ada kerja. Gaduh lakibini.
Sekali-sekali belikan aku kuih bakar ke anggur pun, jadilah.
Akhir kata, mesej mudah untuk siapa pun yang berkuasa di mana jua,
a) Utamakan hati rakyat.
b) Jaga hati pelabur dan *tourist.
Barulah c) Jaga hati kroni, keluarga dan puak kamu.
Yang dikhuatiri, pemerintah di banyak negara mulakan dengan c), lepas tu b).
[*Selepas eksport kilang dan penjualan komoditi - minyak/gas dan miyak sawit - wang tourist adalah ketiga penting untuk wang tukaran asing bagi menumbuh ekonomi. Jika mereka tak masuk, maka hotel, airlines, lapangan terbang, mall, restoran, teksi dan sebagainya terjejas teruk]
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Saya dah pulang, marah dgn MAS - Reaksi MAS
Terima kasih kepada rockybru, Pena Minang dan Kamal-talks, blog cilik saya ramai membaca dan komen tentang isu Malaysia Airlines dan KLIA ini.
Apabila saya menulis tentang isu ini, memang saya marah (although I have slept 12 hours at home before writing it! Jadi saya rasa baik saya lepaskan geram - yang baca pun dua tiga kerat orang saja. Tapi zaman internet, cerita kecil boleh meletup).
Memang pun saya merapu. Tetapi saya harap sistem dan planning dapat dibaiki.
Itu saja.
Saya letak nama, dan gambar-gambar saya lagi.
Sebab sebagai wartawan, saya tak rasa saya patut baling batu sembunyi tangan.
Di sini, saya nak komen sikit tentang apa yang dikomen oleh beberapa rakan.
Saya sebenarnya bukan marah secara peribadi dengan MAS dan KLIA.
Tetapi sebagai seorang penduduk tetap (PR) Malaysia - saya masih warga Singapura dan bekerja di pulau itu - saya mahukan dapat berbangga dengan kedua-dua negara saya ini.
Apabila saya berumrah, saya dan keluarga kerap ditanya Pak Arab di Saudi : "You from Malisia?"
Kami kata "Ya" saja sebab pada masa itu saya menetap di KL dan ke sana ikut Tabung Haji.
Jawapan mereka: "Malisia good!", "Mahathir good!". Ini di tahun 1997 dan 1999.
Siapa yang tak bangga?
Sama juga apabila saya ke India kali ini.
Mereka tahu saya dari Singapura (sebab saya wakil media Singapore), dan semua orang memuji "Singapore clean", "Singapore no corruption", "Singapore is efficient".
Syiok kita dengar. Negara dipuji.
Mereka tak cakap kepada saya tentang Malaysia sebab ada wakil wartawan dari Malaysia.
Jadi apabila benda ini terjadi kepada MAS dan KLIA, lemah semangat saya.
Sedih.
Saya pun dah banyak kali sangkut flight berjam-jam.
Pernah flight yang cancel lagi - bukan MAS.
Tetapi taklah sampai orang panik begini, sebab dah 10.40mlm waktu Delhi dan syarikat penerbangan macam buat donno.
Betul, selain Singapore Airlines, China Eastern ada dua tiga pegawai yang memekik-mekik membawa penumpang mereka naik bas.
Thai dan Continental pun sama macam MAS juga. Maknanya bukan MAS saja yang senget. Tetapi takkan kita nak ikut orang yang bodoh pula.
Biarlah syarikat penerbangan memberi penjelasan dengan baik kepada penumpang.
Dan beri arahan jelas agar penumpang tak marah. Lagipun kabus ni dah dua minggu di Delhi, jadi tentunya bukan perkara baru.
Dan di Delhi memang setiap tahun kebelakangan ini, kabus tebal dan flight kena cancel.
Tentu dah dapat pelajaran. Dah tahu apa nak buat.
Yang menulis bahawa pengurusan MAS patut ditukar, tak payahlah.
Jangan juga tukar pengurusan MAS di Delhi.
Itu bukan niat saya.
Yang saya harapkan ialah masalah diatasi segera, agar orang puji MAS dan Malaysia.
Lebih ramai nanti penumpang dan tourist datang ke sini.
Kerana saya dah bertahun naik MAS, ini kali pertama ada masalah sebesar begini hingga saya rasa malu.
Flight delay adalah perkara biasa. Tetapi ground crew yang seperti mati kutu walaupun benda ni bukan masalah baru adalah sesuatu yang memalukan.
Tentang makanan veg dalam pesawat tu, pada saya benda kecil. Sebab semua steward dan stewardess kerja teruk saya lihat. Macam-macam request mereka kena layan dalam 5jam perjalanan, jadi tak payahlah memayahkan mereka. Kasihan mereka.
Cuma sistem planning boleh diperbaiki: Tentunya flight Delhi-KL dah bertahun. Tentu ada statistik, dalam setiap flight secara purata berapa nak makan veg, berapa ramai nak makan ayam.
Dari statistik itu boleh diagak berapa banyak makanan jenis popular patut disediakan, dan mungkin ditambah 10 peratus? Tentu orang airline lebih pintar membaca statistik penumpang ini.
Begitu juga di KLIA.
Betullah maid pun pandai baca signboard dan tak sesat. Tetapi maid datang dari Indonesia. Flight 3jam saja.
Ini flight 5jam, selepas menunggu di airport Delhi empat jam. Dan sebelum itu sangkut semalaman. Dan dah lewat malam di KLIA - lepas 11mlm.
Penumpang dah letih dan ngantuk. Lagi kalau ada bawa budak dah merengek dan tidor.
Jadi kan baik jika ada pegawai pembantu.
Kalau tak silap, pada siang hari memang ada pegawai pembantu KLIA.
Tak ada shift malam ke?
Dan seperti saya kata, di Changi dan KLIA memang ada information desk.
Tetapi di Changi ditambah pegawai pembantu nak beri bantuan.
Di bawah ini ialah reaksi dari MAS.
Alamak, yang tulis ialah Wai Fong, tak tahu beliau ingat saya lagi ke tidak.
Dah lama saya tak cover MAS sejak tinggalkan Malaysia.
Jangan marah, maam. Ini feedback.
Walaupun bahasa kasar sebab ini bahasa merapu orang letih.
-------------------------------------------------------
Hi Rem,
Thanks for your feedback on your experience with Malaysia Airlines, we appreciate it as we value all our customers’ feedback and experience with MAS.
We sincerely apologize on the inconvenience you have gone through, as well as the poor service that the ground crew put you through. That kind of service and attitude is not acceptable in Malaysia Airlines and we will take necessary action after investigating the matter thoroughly. We will update you once we have conducted the investigation. Thank you.
Regards,
Tan Wai Fong
Head of Media Relations
Malaysia Airlines.
Apabila saya menulis tentang isu ini, memang saya marah (although I have slept 12 hours at home before writing it! Jadi saya rasa baik saya lepaskan geram - yang baca pun dua tiga kerat orang saja. Tapi zaman internet, cerita kecil boleh meletup).
Memang pun saya merapu. Tetapi saya harap sistem dan planning dapat dibaiki.
Itu saja.
Saya letak nama, dan gambar-gambar saya lagi.
Sebab sebagai wartawan, saya tak rasa saya patut baling batu sembunyi tangan.
Di sini, saya nak komen sikit tentang apa yang dikomen oleh beberapa rakan.
Saya sebenarnya bukan marah secara peribadi dengan MAS dan KLIA.
Tetapi sebagai seorang penduduk tetap (PR) Malaysia - saya masih warga Singapura dan bekerja di pulau itu - saya mahukan dapat berbangga dengan kedua-dua negara saya ini.
Apabila saya berumrah, saya dan keluarga kerap ditanya Pak Arab di Saudi : "You from Malisia?"
Kami kata "Ya" saja sebab pada masa itu saya menetap di KL dan ke sana ikut Tabung Haji.
Jawapan mereka: "Malisia good!", "Mahathir good!". Ini di tahun 1997 dan 1999.
Siapa yang tak bangga?
Sama juga apabila saya ke India kali ini.
Mereka tahu saya dari Singapura (sebab saya wakil media Singapore), dan semua orang memuji "Singapore clean", "Singapore no corruption", "Singapore is efficient".
Syiok kita dengar. Negara dipuji.
Mereka tak cakap kepada saya tentang Malaysia sebab ada wakil wartawan dari Malaysia.
Jadi apabila benda ini terjadi kepada MAS dan KLIA, lemah semangat saya.
Sedih.
Saya pun dah banyak kali sangkut flight berjam-jam.
Pernah flight yang cancel lagi - bukan MAS.
Tetapi taklah sampai orang panik begini, sebab dah 10.40mlm waktu Delhi dan syarikat penerbangan macam buat donno.
Betul, selain Singapore Airlines, China Eastern ada dua tiga pegawai yang memekik-mekik membawa penumpang mereka naik bas.
Thai dan Continental pun sama macam MAS juga. Maknanya bukan MAS saja yang senget. Tetapi takkan kita nak ikut orang yang bodoh pula.
Biarlah syarikat penerbangan memberi penjelasan dengan baik kepada penumpang.
Dan beri arahan jelas agar penumpang tak marah. Lagipun kabus ni dah dua minggu di Delhi, jadi tentunya bukan perkara baru.
Dan di Delhi memang setiap tahun kebelakangan ini, kabus tebal dan flight kena cancel.
Tentu dah dapat pelajaran. Dah tahu apa nak buat.
Yang menulis bahawa pengurusan MAS patut ditukar, tak payahlah.
Jangan juga tukar pengurusan MAS di Delhi.
Itu bukan niat saya.
Yang saya harapkan ialah masalah diatasi segera, agar orang puji MAS dan Malaysia.
Lebih ramai nanti penumpang dan tourist datang ke sini.
Kerana saya dah bertahun naik MAS, ini kali pertama ada masalah sebesar begini hingga saya rasa malu.
Flight delay adalah perkara biasa. Tetapi ground crew yang seperti mati kutu walaupun benda ni bukan masalah baru adalah sesuatu yang memalukan.
Tentang makanan veg dalam pesawat tu, pada saya benda kecil. Sebab semua steward dan stewardess kerja teruk saya lihat. Macam-macam request mereka kena layan dalam 5jam perjalanan, jadi tak payahlah memayahkan mereka. Kasihan mereka.
Cuma sistem planning boleh diperbaiki: Tentunya flight Delhi-KL dah bertahun. Tentu ada statistik, dalam setiap flight secara purata berapa nak makan veg, berapa ramai nak makan ayam.
Dari statistik itu boleh diagak berapa banyak makanan jenis popular patut disediakan, dan mungkin ditambah 10 peratus? Tentu orang airline lebih pintar membaca statistik penumpang ini.
Begitu juga di KLIA.
Betullah maid pun pandai baca signboard dan tak sesat. Tetapi maid datang dari Indonesia. Flight 3jam saja.
Ini flight 5jam, selepas menunggu di airport Delhi empat jam. Dan sebelum itu sangkut semalaman. Dan dah lewat malam di KLIA - lepas 11mlm.
Penumpang dah letih dan ngantuk. Lagi kalau ada bawa budak dah merengek dan tidor.
Jadi kan baik jika ada pegawai pembantu.
Kalau tak silap, pada siang hari memang ada pegawai pembantu KLIA.
Tak ada shift malam ke?
Dan seperti saya kata, di Changi dan KLIA memang ada information desk.
Tetapi di Changi ditambah pegawai pembantu nak beri bantuan.
Di bawah ini ialah reaksi dari MAS.
Alamak, yang tulis ialah Wai Fong, tak tahu beliau ingat saya lagi ke tidak.
Dah lama saya tak cover MAS sejak tinggalkan Malaysia.
Jangan marah, maam. Ini feedback.
Walaupun bahasa kasar sebab ini bahasa merapu orang letih.
-------------------------------------------------------
Hi Rem,
Thanks for your feedback on your experience with Malaysia Airlines, we appreciate it as we value all our customers’ feedback and experience with MAS.
We sincerely apologize on the inconvenience you have gone through, as well as the poor service that the ground crew put you through. That kind of service and attitude is not acceptable in Malaysia Airlines and we will take necessary action after investigating the matter thoroughly. We will update you once we have conducted the investigation. Thank you.
Regards,
Tan Wai Fong
Head of Media Relations
Malaysia Airlines.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Saya nak 'angkut' Taj Mahal bawa ke Malaysia
Di sini, gambar-gambar kenangan.
Seperti orang berkelana lain, tentu banyak cerita dibawa balik.
Di India, kumpulan kami - 10 orang wartawan dari 10 negara Asean - beruntung besar.
Dapat interview khas dengan businessmen besar India, dan pegawai kanan pemerintah.
1) KK Modi (pemilik low-cost Indian airline Spice, pemilik gudang-gudang rokok terkenal di sana, telecommunications, property developer. Dan anaknya Lalit Modi menguruskan Indian Premier League - liga cricket. Di Negara Gajah, mereka suka cricket lebih dari bolasepak. Dan bintang-bintang Bollywood seperti Shah Rukh Khan, memiliki team cricket).
2) HP Singhania, president FICCI, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry dan bos JK Paper - syarikat besar pulp and paper.
3) Sushil Kumar Jiwarajka, president FICCI Mumbai dan bos syarikat telecommunications.
4) Pegawai-pegawai kanan dari Exterior Affairs Ministry (Kementerian Luar Negeri).
5) Gabenor Maharashtra. Kami melawat rumah gabenor berbentuk colonial cantik di tepi laut di Mumbai. Maharasthra ialah salah sebuah dari 37 negeri di India dan ia negeri terkaya sebab Mumbai dan Bollywood terletak di sini (Malaysia ada 13 negeri dan Selangor yang terkaya).
6) Pegawai kanan Maharasthra.
7) Makan malam dengan wartawan India.
Kumpulan wartawanlah katakan - Bila ada peluang, kami dari Asean merambu tepi jalan nak tengok kehidupan manusiawi biasa di Delhi dan Mumbai.
Cuaca pun sejuk jadi OKlah, cuma Delhi ni tahap pollution (asap dan habuk kenderaan) teruk.
Dan di Mumbai orang miskin yang tidur di tepi jalan nampak di mana-mana.
Cerita-cerita businessmen dan orang politik ni di masa terdekat - sebab saya selalu teringatkan Malaysia dan Singapore, dan apa yang boleh dipelajari dari India.
Satu saja saya kata dulu: India ini di tahap Malaysia dalam pertengahan 1980s.
Tahap political unity dan confidencenya tinggi, dan mereka yakin ekonomi akan berkembang terus.
Malaysia hari ini banyak sangat karenah politik dan cerita busuk, sebab rakyat terlalu cynical. Semuanya suka main tuduh menuduh, bukan nak bekerja bersama perbaiki diri dan negara.
Singapore pun sama dalam tahap cynicalnya dalam isu politik dan ramai menuduh pemerintah naik lemak dan tidor, dan juga perkembangan ekonominya pun dah slow.
GAMBAR:
1) Taj Mahal saya angkut nak letak di kawasan saya di Datuk Keramat, KL.
Hanya tiga bangunan yang membuat saya terkedu bila berdepan dengannya - Baitullah di Masjidil Haram, Makkah (sebab akhirnya nampak bangunan masjid hitam yang menjadi kiblat saya), Dome of the Rock di Jerusalem (sedih sebab tak sangka akan tiba di tempat yang menjadi punca masalah dunia beribu tahun).
Taj Mahal ialah bangunan ketiga. Terlalu cantik bila dilihat dalam bentuk 3-D. Ia seperti cerita Arabian Nights. Betul ke bangunan ini? Besarnya. Macam fatamorgana (mirage). Unreal.
The pictures you have seen of Taj Mahal (Crown Palace) do not do it justice.
Cantik giler.
Kata tour guide: Ia adalah bangunan yang dibina dengan hardest material di dunia.
Diamond ialah material paling keras tetapi tidak ada bangunan diperbuat dari diamond.
Graphite ialah material paling keras yang kedua, tetapi tak ada bangunan dari graphite.
Yang ada ialah bangunan diperbuat dari marble (batu marmar) sepenuhnya, bernama Taj Mahal.
Ia juga menunjukkan kekayaan empayar Mughal - mereka orang Mongol (sebab itu dipanggil Mughal) beragama Islam.
Harga Taj Mahal apabila dibina? 40 juta rupees.
Pada masa itu 1 rupee boleh membeli 300kg beras.
Kau kiralah sendiri sekilo beras harganya berapa sekarang, lepas tu kau kali 300 dan kali 40juta.
Harga beras di Malaysia ialah RM4 sekilo.
Maknanya harga Taj Mahal ikut harga sekarang ialah RM48 bilion!!!
Bilion, bukan juta. Ikut duit Malaysia.
(Sebetulnya lebih tepat jika kita kira ikut harga sekilo beras di Agra sekarang ini).
Eeks! Harga a Petronas Twin Towers ialah US$1.2 bilion (lebih kurang RM4 bilion).
Harga Burj Dubai ialah US$1.5 bilion (RM5.3 bilion).
2) Kumpulan kami.
Berdiri, dari kiri ke kanan - Thailand, Brunei, India, tour guide, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapura, Philippines.
Duduk, dari kiri - pegawai pengiring dari External Affairs Ministry, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, ah moi Vietnam.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
From Padang to Bukittinggi to Bishan
I had the best sleep in eight days.
Just like 2hours long, but for the first time, I didn't have to worry about being wokened up by an earthquake.
Yes, I reached Singapore just now via Tiger Airways flight from Padang, after spending eight eventful days in Sumbar, Sumatra Barat.
Actually, my work in Padang and its surrounds ended on Thursday. I took a Kijang-Innova to Bukittinggi - 3 hours away - to cool my heels.
Bukittinggi, the most popular place touristy place on Sumatra island after Lake Toba, is a cool mountain high station like Cameron Highlands. Tidor tak payah pakai aircon.
I stayed at the best country resort there, Balai Campago, a retreat owned by the central bank Bank Indonesia.
Then went around shopping a bit for art and craft.
All that later dudes and dudettes.
For now, I am thankful of being home, but am thinking of all those poor souls out there. No home. Families killed. No money. No future.
Such is life.
PICTURE: Our last makan at Lamun Ombak nasi padang place, before flying out.
Four people eating here will be charged around 100,000 rupiah or RM40, ie about RM10 each. Duduk bersila please!
In pic are photographer Desmond Lim, Jakarta correspondent Lynn Lee and Remgold.
Our Jakarta corres Salim Osman who landed a day after the quake, had flown back to Jak - cannot tahan lah work 16hours a day in the hot sun with no proper sleeping place (gotta share room with others), no proper baths, drive around seeing nature's destruction, smelling dead bodies and interviewing sad people).
Monday, July 6, 2009
Why Service Matters
Yesterday we visited a quaint little town about an hour and a half from here on a lovely river. We’ve been talking about going here for ages and were really hoping to have a great day.
Unfortunately we did not.
We ended up leaving after thirty minutes. Everything about the experience felt uninviting and assaultive. From the sidewalks literally lined with cigar and cigarette smokers to the streets filled with motorcycles tuned to full sonic volume, Manhattan is less smoky and noisy! I was wheezing and coughing the entire time and you could literally see a cloud of exhaust and smoke above the streets. Everyone including the retailers seemed determined to make our afternoon...horrid. What should have and could have been a great experience was so awful, I don't see myself ever returning to this town.
When my husband and I had a shop, it was in my mind an extension of our home. Our customers were our guests. We wanted them to feel welcome to stay awhile and look around and not feel like we were ignoring them or trying to sell them. The sales happened because my husband and I worked tirelessly to have the most innovative products of any store in our little town. We had great merchandise, beautifully displayed at fair prices and we were pleasant. It’s not enough to have great decorations if the party sucks...if you’re going to sell anything you need to work on your ability to connect.
The one thing we can not outsource is service. It used to be what America did best. Those days have passed and I think it’s a monumental tragedy. Tourist towns need to consider the importance of making a visit enjoyable. We have to remember that one person's rights and freedoms however important can't supersede the rights and freedoms of others. I think it's okay to have sound ordinances and designated smoking areas. Retailers need to show gratitude and respect for their customers. The tourist, the customer is the reason you are there and you should do everything you can to make them feel valued. Retailers need to think deeply about how to lure customers back into their stores these days and I can assure you that good service is the ace in your hand.
1. Don’t make your customer your enemy.
The one store in town I wanted to visit yesterday had a fabulous huge window display filled with cool vintage clothes and accessories. As we approached the door we saw it was blocked with a sign that read, “Oink, oink. 20 cents admission fee. Can be used towards purchase.” Now twenty cents isn’t much...but the assumption that anyone who wants to enter your store is a ‘pig’ is a pretty offensive assumption or if they were announcing that they were a pig that demanded my pocket change in exchange for what may...or may not have been an interesting retail excursion was presumptuous at best. And so on principle...I refused to give them my damn twenty cents.
How about you give me twenty cents and if I like what I see I’ll give it back when I buy something? Hmmm?
I know how annoying people can be and how hard it is on super busy days to deal with crowds futzing up your merchandise, but you either opt to be open and be friendly or you take the day off. The way we viewed busy days like these in our shop was to think of them as an Open House. We knew sales wouldn’t be high, but we also knew if we were friendly and the store looked enticing, people would remember us when they needed a gift. I probably would have spent far more than twenty cents in that shop yesterday, but instead they got nothing.
2. Quality matters.
We stopped at a charming restaurant for an early dinner on our way out of town. The atmosphere was delightful and the waiter was attentive. The food was expensive and HORRIBLE. I had a gazpacho made with mealy tomatoes in a pulpy blob and an uninspired side salad served with the wrong dressing. I ate it all begrudgingly, but I wasn’t happy about it. The home made chips with my husband’s bean burger were stale and impossible to chew. My daughter’s Caesar salad was a wilted, gloopy mess. All signs indicated that the food would be fabulous. We really wanted to love our meal, but we couldn’t. Did the manager taste the food, look at the plates before they left the kitchen, test the recipes to be sure they were good, make sure they used quality ingredients...ask the guests if they were happy? Atmosphere is important...but quality is key. No one wants to eat crappy food no matter how nice the setting.
Whatever you’re selling, make sure it’s not just pretty on the outside. Quality matters.
3. Make it easy for your customers to do business with you.
We decided on the way home to treat ourselves to some home made ice cream. We drove up, parked and went in and placed our order. There were no signs indicating what methods of payment they took. We got our cones and then the cashier told us they only took cash. What? Are you kidding me? My husband had to take his drippy cone and drive across the street to an ATM that charged us THREE DOLLARS to get cash. We could have bought several pints of Ben and Jerry’s for what those cones cost us. Why wasn’t there a sign on the front door and on the register saying “Cash Purchases Only”? Why...because this merchant wasn’t serving his customer. I am fully aware that credit card companies charge fees to merchants for using their machines and processing transactions, but it’s a cost of business and you can write it off. You can build that cost into your prices to defray the loss in income. We’d have gladly paid another 25 cents per cone for the convenience of being able to walk in, buy our cones and sit down and enjoy them.
When you are in a service industry it’s not all about you...it’s all about your customer. Make it easy for them to do business with you and they’ll return again and again. I think this is a lesson that can also be applied to online sales. Treat your customers well. They are in essence your guest and it is your job as the host to make them feel welcome. I can’t tell you how many online purchases I’ve made and not even gotten a “thank you” from the seller. Is it really so hard to shoot an email and let your customer know you appreciate their business?
Good service is important. Remember that when you do business and you’ll never starve for customers.
Curmudgeonly yours,
Madge
Unfortunately we did not.
We ended up leaving after thirty minutes. Everything about the experience felt uninviting and assaultive. From the sidewalks literally lined with cigar and cigarette smokers to the streets filled with motorcycles tuned to full sonic volume, Manhattan is less smoky and noisy! I was wheezing and coughing the entire time and you could literally see a cloud of exhaust and smoke above the streets. Everyone including the retailers seemed determined to make our afternoon...horrid. What should have and could have been a great experience was so awful, I don't see myself ever returning to this town.
When my husband and I had a shop, it was in my mind an extension of our home. Our customers were our guests. We wanted them to feel welcome to stay awhile and look around and not feel like we were ignoring them or trying to sell them. The sales happened because my husband and I worked tirelessly to have the most innovative products of any store in our little town. We had great merchandise, beautifully displayed at fair prices and we were pleasant. It’s not enough to have great decorations if the party sucks...if you’re going to sell anything you need to work on your ability to connect.
The one thing we can not outsource is service. It used to be what America did best. Those days have passed and I think it’s a monumental tragedy. Tourist towns need to consider the importance of making a visit enjoyable. We have to remember that one person's rights and freedoms however important can't supersede the rights and freedoms of others. I think it's okay to have sound ordinances and designated smoking areas. Retailers need to show gratitude and respect for their customers. The tourist, the customer is the reason you are there and you should do everything you can to make them feel valued. Retailers need to think deeply about how to lure customers back into their stores these days and I can assure you that good service is the ace in your hand.
1. Don’t make your customer your enemy.
The one store in town I wanted to visit yesterday had a fabulous huge window display filled with cool vintage clothes and accessories. As we approached the door we saw it was blocked with a sign that read, “Oink, oink. 20 cents admission fee. Can be used towards purchase.” Now twenty cents isn’t much...but the assumption that anyone who wants to enter your store is a ‘pig’ is a pretty offensive assumption or if they were announcing that they were a pig that demanded my pocket change in exchange for what may...or may not have been an interesting retail excursion was presumptuous at best. And so on principle...I refused to give them my damn twenty cents.
How about you give me twenty cents and if I like what I see I’ll give it back when I buy something? Hmmm?
I know how annoying people can be and how hard it is on super busy days to deal with crowds futzing up your merchandise, but you either opt to be open and be friendly or you take the day off. The way we viewed busy days like these in our shop was to think of them as an Open House. We knew sales wouldn’t be high, but we also knew if we were friendly and the store looked enticing, people would remember us when they needed a gift. I probably would have spent far more than twenty cents in that shop yesterday, but instead they got nothing.
2. Quality matters.
We stopped at a charming restaurant for an early dinner on our way out of town. The atmosphere was delightful and the waiter was attentive. The food was expensive and HORRIBLE. I had a gazpacho made with mealy tomatoes in a pulpy blob and an uninspired side salad served with the wrong dressing. I ate it all begrudgingly, but I wasn’t happy about it. The home made chips with my husband’s bean burger were stale and impossible to chew. My daughter’s Caesar salad was a wilted, gloopy mess. All signs indicated that the food would be fabulous. We really wanted to love our meal, but we couldn’t. Did the manager taste the food, look at the plates before they left the kitchen, test the recipes to be sure they were good, make sure they used quality ingredients...ask the guests if they were happy? Atmosphere is important...but quality is key. No one wants to eat crappy food no matter how nice the setting.
Whatever you’re selling, make sure it’s not just pretty on the outside. Quality matters.
3. Make it easy for your customers to do business with you.
We decided on the way home to treat ourselves to some home made ice cream. We drove up, parked and went in and placed our order. There were no signs indicating what methods of payment they took. We got our cones and then the cashier told us they only took cash. What? Are you kidding me? My husband had to take his drippy cone and drive across the street to an ATM that charged us THREE DOLLARS to get cash. We could have bought several pints of Ben and Jerry’s for what those cones cost us. Why wasn’t there a sign on the front door and on the register saying “Cash Purchases Only”? Why...because this merchant wasn’t serving his customer. I am fully aware that credit card companies charge fees to merchants for using their machines and processing transactions, but it’s a cost of business and you can write it off. You can build that cost into your prices to defray the loss in income. We’d have gladly paid another 25 cents per cone for the convenience of being able to walk in, buy our cones and sit down and enjoy them.
When you are in a service industry it’s not all about you...it’s all about your customer. Make it easy for them to do business with you and they’ll return again and again. I think this is a lesson that can also be applied to online sales. Treat your customers well. They are in essence your guest and it is your job as the host to make them feel welcome. I can’t tell you how many online purchases I’ve made and not even gotten a “thank you” from the seller. Is it really so hard to shoot an email and let your customer know you appreciate their business?
Good service is important. Remember that when you do business and you’ll never starve for customers.
Curmudgeonly yours,
Madge
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