A few days ago, a couple of people received and email from our Prime Minister @NajibRazak wishing them a happy Chinese New Year. Naturally, many were concerned on where he obtain their email addresses.

At first I thought it was sent to people/bloggers who signed up for his tea parties and dinners that he has organized to meet and greet his online friends. This was not the case. Neither was it sent out to people who registered to vote.

Amanz.my (full article in BM here) later reported that the email was obtained from “media prima database and others”. This information was in fact given by the CEO of Media Prima himself @FaridRidzuan stating “Congrats! Its from our media prima database and others. He just want to reach out to as many malaysian personally from now on! Please reply to him” (source).

It’s surprising how Malaysia’s leading media investment group who owns numerous tv stations, press and radio stations could blatantly ignore or forget about confidentiality and privacy issues. Not to mention that, on the Terms of Use page of TV3, it states the following :

• Information Use
  • • The Personal Information you provide will help our team deliver user support (including processing any complaints or enquiries) and for any other purpose related to the operation of our websites, its services and its advertising.
• Passing on Your Data to Third Parties
  • We will not sell, lease or share your Personal Information except as set forth in this Privacy Notice.

Sadly…..

For some, its not a big issue. In fact, I came across my MrKay’s facebook posting where his friend was saying or implying that its not a big deal and that we were blowing it out of proportion. In fact, she said, and i quote “if you think emel is privacy and you dont think uninvited people can send it to you…stop using email..just use snailmail.”

My response to this was was below:

“Adda, the issue here is not about him emailing the greetings. If he emailed it to all the people who signed up for something like the Tea Party then it’s understandable how he got your email.

In this case, it’s clearly stated that it was taken from the media prima and other databases. When you sign up for these sites, they usually have a disclaimer that your info is private and will be not shared to a 3rd party.

What if other info is also shared? Your phone number? Your mailing address? Would you like to receive spam SMSes? Or tons of letters? The other question is, who else has media prima shared this information to? Other companies? Other government bodies?

According to your logic of “takyah la Pakai email”, then why be online at all? No néed to FB, chat, surf. The thing is, we can’t. Coz that’s whr the future is. Also, isn’t it ironic that the govt is pushing for maximum Internet penetration in the country when they can’t guarantee the privacy of the data?

Please Try to think Beyond your little scope and think of the implications of what this information sharing means to you and the privacy of your data.”

p/s: Urgh, I hate this “you tak suka, you keluar” mentality

Edit : 01 Feb 2010

Some update for today. Apparently some people received an SMS with NajibCNY wishes as below:

Salam 1Malaysia. Selamat Tahun Baru Cina kepada semua rakyat Malaysia. Ikhlas dari Najib Razak & keluarga. najib@1malaysia.com.my

Screenshots below from @nicklwc and @ChelsiaNg

Apparently not every mobile user received it. I’m also not sure if there is any correlation between receiving the email & receiving the SMS. Some people who received the SMS did not receive the email or vice versa. (re: @hewyk @atreyustrange @hawkstah). Some people received both (re: @nicklwc @azrinarizz @wernshen @saldali707 @spectreoutreach).

What are your thoughts on this issue?

I work somewhere nearby the Bangsar LRT and usually eat around that area. I needed to withdraw money so I took the escalator upstairs with a colleague to the Bangsar LRT because there’s a Maybank ATM. I owed her some money so I need to break my RM50s I just withdrew.

So around 3.30pm, I went to the myNews kiosk to buy something to break the note. The cashier was a male of mixed descent who was holding a bunch of notes in his hand. I’m not too sure but maybe he was sorting money in the till.

I picked a roll of mentos berry and gave to the cashier. He punched it in and it came up to RM1.50 and I took out my RM50. He looked and the note and made an annoyed face, clearly displeased with the amount of the note. I said “I need the change” and he said “Satu lima” with the same displeased face and refused to even take my note.

I was disgusted and appalled by his behaviour so I said “tak apa!” and my colleauge and I instantly walked out of the shop. So I walked to the 7-Eleven located downstairs.

I bought a Mentos Berry & Twister Apple which totaled up to RM 3.20 and gave my RM50 note & 20 cents to the cashier. It was also a male cashier. He didn’t have sufficient amount in the till to give me my change so he reached under the counter and took out a new roll of RM10s and gave me my change.

I came back into the office and tweet-ed about it and surprisingly, two of my twitter friends had the same experience. (click to see the direct tweets)

Apparently the service in myNews Bangsar LRT is lousy and I doubt I would be going there again.

Edit : I have sent an email to the email address located on their site to complain about this matter. We’ll see the response

How dare u say Im sitting on my ass doing nothing?? Or in your words “someone malas kerja then complain not enough money”. Grrr

There is a reason why im not taking the tutoring job in my old college. Its Kota Damansara to Cyberjaya every single day. Fourty minutes ONE WAY and thats not including the jam. Not to mention toll would be around 6-12 bucks depending on which highway. Do that for FOUR BLOODY YEARS and tell me you want to do it for another 6 months (min contract) or more.

Cakap je mmg senang.

Edited : I wrote a much more harsher version earlier but decided to edit it

Haih~ had to wake up one hr earlier. Tired tired. Why? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? *guling2 on the floor hentak2 tangan dan kaki*

Urgh! *gets up and gets ready* I got flu also now. crap!

(just an obligatory post to let my readers know I’m still alive – albiet with on going flu and lack of sleep)

Going to watch Quarentine tonite ;)

Yes people, I got into another accident. This time I swear its not my fault! Someone hit the back of my car. I actually had2 TTs (Teh Tarik sessions) to go to yesterday. First one was in PJ at 8.30pm and ironically it was with a group of Vivarians. Then another was meeting some frens in SS2 after that.

So it was around 8.15pm and I was driving near Riana Green (somewhere near Tropicana) traffic light. The light turned green then a taxi suddenly came from the right side, the car in front suddenly stopped and I also suddenly stopped. Manage to miss that car in front.

Then i looked into my rearview mirror and saw this iswara coming towards me quite fast and my first thought was “she’s so going to hit me” right before the impact happened.

I parked at the side and came out of my car and my heart dropped when I saw this:

What a relief when i turned around and saw that my car had minor damage. The back was dented and had scratches at the bumper. the bumper was also mis-aligned with the body.

My parents came, about 3 tow guys came, then her mechanic came and we all went to the police station. Finally finished at around midnight. Was tired and hungry by that time because I was out since 7.00am and havent gone home yet.

So yea, my wheels are in the workshop for a week or so. Sad :(

[Nov 28] – Second accident at NKVE
[Apr 17] – First accident in Cyberjaya

Nope, is not a good day for me today.

• For starters, my presentation for my final project is this afternoon (more on that later.
• I didn’t get enough sleep. My fault perhaps.
• I can’t figure out why the registration part of my project isn’t working on my laptop. Its my third attempt to run it. I tried online, on my pc and finally on my laptop.
• I’m doing last minute work and I don’t like it
• I found out that apparently the presentations were postponed to Thursday and Friday and the timetables (for the timing slots) were only released today
• None of my classmates who went early to campus (coz there was this interview thingy for ppl who were interested) bothered to tell me when my slot was
• I had to go all the way to Cyberjaya just to check a timetable and see what time my slot was
• I found out that my name was not on the list. Yeap, my name was NOT in the final project presentation list. Crazy rite? I had to ring up a number of lecturers before being told that I should just come on Friday at 3pm. Great, pushed to the very end – where the lecturers are already tired and cranky.
• Met up with a fellow classmate and her project looks nice – she’s taking a different course so its Java based.
• Two accidents on the way back caused huge jams on the LDP.
• Was hungry coz didn’t really eat much for lunch and called a few friends, but everyone was busy :(

I am *this* close to throwing in the towel and giving up. Repeat pon repeat lah. I should hv gone to study in London when I had the chance, would have eliminated all this drama. *sigh*

Where are you when I need you the most.

Yes, what’s new. Especially now that I’ve got tons of work to do. I’m feeling cranky and irritable.

I’m home alone for four days, from yesterday till Saturday. My family went to Jakarta. They’re having a ball of a time over there. The reason I couldn’t go was because I have a deadline this Friday. Its actually a good thing I didn’t go coz I had to go and pick up my exam slip this week.

So yesterday I sent them off at KLIA then dropped by Cyberjaya then went back to Kota Dsara, then he called and asked if we could meet up so I shot off straight to his place (a 40 min drive), went for dinner there. Then I got a call from Aree asking us to play Catan so we went home, took a shower then wen to her place and ended up going home at 2.30am.

Woke up so early this morning to send him off then cleaned up the house – washed all the dishes (the family left with a pile of dishes for me to clean), washed all my clothes and the clothes that’s been left soaking (also left for me to settle), and cleaned my toilet which has been dirty for some time. LOL

*He* tak jadi to come back this evening. He wanted to go back home to rest and do laundry. Like he can’t do it at my house la? Perhaps I’m too much of a distraction? Well, it would hv been nice to tell me earlier like this morning so that I won’t be hoping as much and feeling cranky now.

Oh, and to make matters worst, it rained again this evening while I was sleeping so all my clothes are wet. And it happened also YESTERDAY. Dammit!

p/s: I might not be contactable until Friday because I got lots of work to catch up with so when I do sleep, it will be at weird hours and my phone will be on silent.

p.s.s : Can I say that I’m absolutely so jealous my family is in Jakarta? They’re staying in a 2 bedroom service aprtment in one of the most expensive hotels there – The Ritz Carlton (company’s paying for it coz my dad has a meeting/conf there).

Why should i be involved in your petty squabbles and disputes? That’s what happens when you revolve your real life around your online life. You get too over emotional about something intangible, something you cannot see, something you cannot touch, something that you cannot guarantee that will be there forever.

For example, crazy bloggers who always cari gaduh and get super sensitive over their blog. When they get a malicious email they overreact and say they want to go to the police and all to report. Puh-leese, how most STUPID can those bloggers be?

okay, I understand you have put your blood and sweat in this. But have you thought what if suddenly it all disappears? Does it mean that your life is gone? Wana go commit suicide meh?

My blog has been around since 2004. Maybe not as long as your long 10 yrs devoted to your site. But I wrote my heart and soul in this and if one day it all disappears. Of course, I’ll be sad for a while, but then life goes on.

You put me in a bad situation today. Someone came to me in confidence and I was torn in between telling you, holding to my philosophy that everyone has the right to choose and keeping their confidence.

Well, you won. And he’s going to know that its me who told you. Happy?

I’m not.