Living in JB

[ginfreely]

Wow! Avalon, you have so many policies from so my insurance co.

My hubby is not a believer of insurance and so I bought policies early in my life to cover for myself. Since he was young then he did not need so much insurance. He also find it a waste of money. I hope that the cash value from the policies I bought for myself back then can more or less cover him in times of need. I also coaxed him into taking up education policies for the children's too.

Earlier this year, my hubby had an accident with a motorcylist. He wasn't at fault but the insurer just compensated S$70k to the motorist without informing my hubby about it. The motorcyclist was injured very badly and had engaged a lawyer to claim from insurance. I guess the insurance company didn't want any hassle in dealing with such cases. They stopped covering for his van completely. We had been with this company for more then 10 years. Then when we went around hunting for a policies from another insurance provider, 1 of them quoted S$7k plus per year. !!!!???!!! We had to register another new company to transfer this van to the new company inordered to get it insured again.

So you see? Insurance company lend you an umbrella on a sunny day and takes it back when it starts to rain. Money in another's pocket is as good as gone!

Sorry if i too kaypoh but i think your hubby is the sole breadwinner and your children still young, so adequate insurance covering him is pretty essential ...may be can explore cheaper group insurance option, last time heard that SAF group insurance is quite low premium or something like that...or at least can get a accident cover which is very low premium...just my personal thoughts becos my late father fell sick when i was in secondary school, find that got to be always prepared for life's uncertainties, btw i'm not an insurance agent...

 

[ginfreely]

Agreed AP, by the way, i read you bought at Nusa Duta as well? A learned friend of mine brought his friends to Nusa Duta on Sunday, found out that all of Nusa Duta Clusters has been sold out already.

That's good news. Went to check the site progress that day and saw it is building up quite nicely

 

[ginfreely]

But then again, every generation blames the one before, every old generation thinks the next is rotten to the core

Yeah lor, people always think own generation is the best and find the younger or older generation irritating

 

[ginfreely]

Others like those from Philippines, i notice they become very/extremely arrogant once they reach mid level. My friends in the industry shared this with me many times, only when they need you then they bring themselves down to beg you for help. Once you help them and they get to keep their jobs, even when walking pass you in the corridor, they don't even acknowledge you.

I find the Filipino nurses very friendly and helpful but that was back in the 80s to early 90s when there were not many of them, now I do not know. But those I see in the sales, F&B and counter staff nowadays do not give me the same impression as the nurses, their service is mediocre and sometimes nonchalant. Hong kong sales staff service attitude are much more enthusiastic and better.

 

[ginfreely]

actually is triple quadruple standards. m'sia is any pattern also can so long as its done which in a way is refreshing vs. just follow law that we're so used to in SG... =p

yeah that day i was also not asked to give thumb print...

 

[ginfreely]

As Wuqi said as long as you get some signal from Starhub anywhere in your home, you can then install a booster. That will amplify the signal and make it available for a certain radius around the place where you position it.

Serves as a mini base station...

Hi wuqi/AP, i'm not a technical person...by adding the repeater etc, is it the same as creating a mini telecom tower at home? We know that telecom tower pose a radiation risk even few hundred metres away, want to be sure it is not the same thing....else people will be introducing radiation risk to own family and neighbours, any savings will not be worth in the long run.

 

[hangyong]

Hi wuqi/AP, i'm not a technical person...by adding the repeater etc, is it the same as creating a mini telecom tower at home? We know that telecom tower pose a radiation risk even few hundred metres away, want to be sure it is not the same thing....else people will be introducing radiation risk to own family and neighbours, any savings will not be worth in the long run.

for those with internet at home (in Malaysia), I suggest the following:
1. get yourself a Basic account at pfingo.com which gives you a Singapore number (this is about $2/mth)
2. buy a Siemens VoIP DECT phone (a cheap one is less than $200 now) and install in Malaysia
3. register the pfingo account to your DECT phone
4. Forward your mobile number to the pfingo number (charged at your local Singapore calling rate)

When people call your Singapore number, your DECT phone will ring. (this basically works anywhere in the world)
*note, you will have to pay for your data charges in Malaysia, unless it is unlimited.
DECT coverage is pretty good usually, so big house also no issue (unless 3 story kind of building).
No worry about booster amplifying the signal power (which I dun like too)

 

[ArtIsEverywhere]

Fire in nusa perdana apartment minimart near gelang patah at 530am. Loud explosion can be heard for 15 minutes...gas tank explode. Soon will be in news. Everyone is save i guess...no ambulance arrive. Living there but moving put soon.

 

[Analytical Professor]

Wah heavy rains this mornin.

Despite the rains must still go to church

so im done with church now

cant find a place to stop for breakfast unless wanna get wet

so headin home

 

[Analytical Professor]

There is lots of radiation out body is already exposed to on a daily basis especially cause of the number of cellphones in our home.

In addition turning on bluetooth, or accessing wifi also leaves you susceptible to radiation.

Apart from radiation from electronic devices (and you have plenty of them at home) you also have natural radiation which varies depending on which part of the planet you live in.

Finally you are also exposed to the magnetic fields around you.

In simple terms any current carrying conductor (eg wire) has a magnetic field around it.

Just imagine how many magnetic fields you are exposed to.

Its simply not possible to mitigate the risks posed by technology. How to not use DVD players, Fridge, TV, washing machine, iron box etc....???

for home repeaters the radiation should not be greater than 0.1 watt.

in addition steps can be taken to ensure that the surroundings around you can absorb radiation. There are methods.

 

[Analytical Professor]

Nice morning..... Nice weather.....

Could not go anywhere for breakfast.... cause of the heavy rain.

So wifey n mum making breakfast together.

Im listening to gold 90.5 and supervising the academics of my kids....

 

[hangyong]

Was stuck inthe jam for 1.5hours at second link... Just reached HH...

 

[Analytical Professor]

How many km = 1.5 hour?

Was stuck inthe jam for 1.5hours at second link... Just reached HH...

 

[Analytical Professor]

And the reason:

Chaos at Causeway
New Straits Times
Sun, Jun 05, 2011

JOHOR BARU (Malaysia) - There was chaos at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint at the Sultan Iskandar Building (SIB) yesterday when the biometric fingerprint scanning system had problems coping with the huge number of tourists in light of the weekend and school holidays.

The security system was implemented just four days ago.

The delay had forced many of them to change or scrap their holiday plans.

There was a sea of people at the SIB's arrival hall and immigration clearance was reported to take as long as five minutes for each tourist.

This is five times longer than the Immigration Department's target of one minute per tourist.

A similar situation also occurred at the CIQ checkpoint in the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (SABC) at the Second Link, with most cars and buses taking about 150 minutes just to reach the complex.

Chiew Kok Leong, 48, who took a bus service from Woodlands, in Singapore, to attend a relative's wedding in Muar, said it took him nearly two hours to have his passport stamped.

"The long delay has upset my schedule for the day. I will be late for the reception."

S. Karasima, 55, who was with a tour group for a one-day visit to Malacca, said the group had to cancel the trip and go on a tour of Johor Baru instead.

"It is unreasonable to make us wait for so long for immigration clearance.

"Do you have any idea how tiring it was to stand for almost two hours just to get through Immigration?"

Checks with local tour guides showed about 60 tour coaches at SIB and 100 at SABC were affected by the delays. The number of tourists involved were 6,400; most of them Singaporeans and Japanese.

The biometric scanning system, introduced on June 1, requires foreigners entering and leaving the country to have their left and right index fingers scanned at entry and exit points.

It is a new security feature aimed at curbing transboundary crimes and terrorism threats.

Previously, tourists only needed to have their passports stamped.

The system has been implemented in 96 entry points in the country.

Malaysia Tour Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said the tourism industry suffered a severe blow as a result of the hiccup, adding that this had left a bad impression on tourists.

He said it was disappointing that the problem occurred during the school holidays, which was the peak season for the tourism industry.

"I will be writing to the Prime Minister's Department and Tourism Ministry to highlight the matter."

Elaborating on the severity of the situation, Leong said it took him three-and-a-half hours to wait for three coaches transporting Singaporean and Japanese tourists to get through Immigration.

"It normally takes about 20 minutes for each coach to pass through clearance at the SIB's CIQ checkpoint. Today, it took about 90 minutes. This excludes the time loss for each coach to reach the complex from the Causeway.

"My Japanese customers are so angry that they blamed me for not informing them about the situation at the checkpoint. They were supposed to reach Malacca by 12.30pm. However, they only managed to have their passports stamped at that time.

"Their one-day Malacca tour was scrapped as a result of the delay."

Checks from other tour guides revealed that many groups from Singapore had cancelled their tours today (Sunday) in view of the anticipated problems at both checkpoints.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad urged travellers to be patient with the new security system.

He said travellers took a much longer time than expected to have their passports stamped and fingers scanned as the system was moving towards stabilisation.

"For some people, it takes only a minute. For others, it takes about two to three minutes. We welcome feedback and will improve the system as soon as possible."

Alias urged Singaporean motorists to apply for the Malaysia Automated Clearance System at any Immigration office for faster immigration clearance as the system would do away with the need to have their fingers scanned again after their first visit

 

[Analytical Professor]

Malaysia starts fingerprinting visitors
New Straits Times
Thu, May 05, 2011

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - Foreigners entering and leaving the country will have both index fingers scanned at Immigration checkpoints beginning next month.

The procedure is a new security feature to curb transboundary crime and terrorism.

Called the biometric fingerprint security system, it is aimed at enhancing security in the immigration clearance process, which currently involves only the stamping of passports and matching photographs in the passports to faces.

As forgery of travel documents is common these days, the new security system will allay this worry.

A trial period for the project is ongoing at 61 of the 96 entry points in the country.

Immigration Department directorgeneral Datuk Alias Ahmad said such a security measure was deemed necessary in view of the increasing number of foreigners who had abused their privileges as visitors.

He said three per cent of the 24.4 million foreigners who visited the country last year had been involved in various crimes.

"Usually, foreign criminals will use a different passport when they re-enter the country. If we have their fingerprint records, we will be able to check if they had previously used a different passport.

"If the answer is positive, it will be justified for us to suspect the motive of their visits and bar them from entering.

"The records will also assist police in checking if the foreigners had committed any criminal activities in the country, or if they are overstaying.

This will enable us to arrest them on the spot with the help of the police," he told the New Straits Times.

Scanners will be installed at Immigration booths in all air, land and sea entry points in the country by the end of this month to facilitate the full implementation of the system from June 1.

The new security feature is expected to delay immigration clearance at entry points but Alias said the total time would not exceed a minute once the system was in full swing.

"During the current trial period, there are bound to be hiccups. However, all the problems encountered will be identified and rectified." Alias said fingerprint scanning was a globally-recognised security feature as good as the facial biometric scanning introduced in countries like Thailand and Indonesia.

Several countries have implemented similar procedures.

In Japan, the prints of both index fingers are taken along with a photograph, while the United States in 2009 upgraded from a two-finger to a 10-finger system at ports of entry.

Brazil is another country that employs such a system, while the United Kingdom requires digital fingerprint scans for visa applications.

South Korea and the European Union will begin fingerprinting foreigners next year and in 2015, respectively

 

[Analytical Professor]

did some reading up about pfingo....

Not bad.... i must say....

only concern the reliability of my data line....

for those with internet at home (in Malaysia), I suggest the following:
1. get yourself a Basic account at pfingo.com which gives you a Singapore number (this is about $2/mth)
2. buy a Siemens VoIP DECT phone (a cheap one is less than $200 now) and install in Malaysia
3. register the pfingo account to your DECT phone
4. Forward your mobile number to the pfingo number (charged at your local Singapore calling rate)

When people call your Singapore number, your DECT phone will ring. (this basically works anywhere in the world)
*note, you will have to pay for your data charges in Malaysia, unless it is unlimited.
DECT coverage is pretty good usually, so big house also no issue (unless 3 story kind of building).
No worry about booster amplifying the signal power (which I dun like too)

 

[29ers]

The situation at the 2nd link over the last few days including friday was bad!!! I left for SG back to JB via 2nd link at 2pm+ there was a jam (400m), took me 30mins or so to clear custom.

I also notice the signboard overhead saying something about "twitter" so this is what i googled
http://twitter.com/#!/tengkuazman/traffic
It's in malay though, not sure if it's an up to date traffic annoucement.

No Rush for me so i took it easy and joined the Q, without the thought of doing Q cutting.

French Open finals .... anyone? Was in SG asking PUBS whether they screen the French open.......unfortunately most of the PUBS are with Singtel, cos of the BPL, thus they don't have StarHub Cable which own the rights to Rolland Garros and US Open. Here in JB i think u can just go to any good Kopitiam and they should have it screening....cos here only got ASTRO.

Cheers

 

[hangyong]

How many km = 1.5 hour?

About 500m. Past the 500m road sign and jam.

 

[hangyong]

did some reading up about pfingo....

Not bad.... i must say....

only concern the reliability of my data line....

For those who wants a Singapore number while overseas, this is the best I can recommend.

However, if you are looking for a more comprehensive VoIP provider, try pennytel.com.
They can provide you with a number in Australia, and Malaysia.

Calling Malaysia, China, USA, etc is as low as A$0.08/call (depending on your plan).
I was one of their pioneer users and having the above service with no monthly fee.
As I make alot of calls to China... it saves me a whole load.

 

[maxpark]

And the reason:

Chaos at Causeway
New Straits Times
Sun, Jun 05, 2011

JOHOR BARU (Malaysia) - There was chaos at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint at the Sultan Iskandar Building (SIB) yesterday when the biometric fingerprint scanning system had problems coping with the huge number of tourists in light of the weekend and school holidays.

The security system was implemented just four days ago.

The delay had forced many of them to change or scrap their holiday plans.

There was a sea of people at the SIB's arrival hall and immigration clearance was reported to take as long as five minutes for each tourist.

This is five times longer than the Immigration Department's target of one minute per tourist.

A similar situation also occurred at the CIQ checkpoint in the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (SABC) at the Second Link, with most cars and buses taking about 150 minutes just to reach the complex.

Chiew Kok Leong, 48, who took a bus service from Woodlands, in Singapore, to attend a relative's wedding in Muar, said it took him nearly two hours to have his passport stamped.

"The long delay has upset my schedule for the day. I will be late for the reception."

S. Karasima, 55, who was with a tour group for a one-day visit to Malacca, said the group had to cancel the trip and go on a tour of Johor Baru instead.

"It is unreasonable to make us wait for so long for immigration clearance.

"Do you have any idea how tiring it was to stand for almost two hours just to get through Immigration?"

Checks with local tour guides showed about 60 tour coaches at SIB and 100 at SABC were affected by the delays. The number of tourists involved were 6,400; most of them Singaporeans and Japanese.

The biometric scanning system, introduced on June 1, requires foreigners entering and leaving the country to have their left and right index fingers scanned at entry and exit points.

It is a new security feature aimed at curbing transboundary crimes and terrorism threats.

Previously, tourists only needed to have their passports stamped.

The system has been implemented in 96 entry points in the country.

Malaysia Tour Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said the tourism industry suffered a severe blow as a result of the hiccup, adding that this had left a bad impression on tourists.

He said it was disappointing that the problem occurred during the school holidays, which was the peak season for the tourism industry.

"I will be writing to the Prime Minister's Department and Tourism Ministry to highlight the matter."

Elaborating on the severity of the situation, Leong said it took him three-and-a-half hours to wait for three coaches transporting Singaporean and Japanese tourists to get through Immigration.

"It normally takes about 20 minutes for each coach to pass through clearance at the SIB's CIQ checkpoint. Today, it took about 90 minutes. This excludes the time loss for each coach to reach the complex from the Causeway.

"My Japanese customers are so angry that they blamed me for not informing them about the situation at the checkpoint. They were supposed to reach Malacca by 12.30pm. However, they only managed to have their passports stamped at that time.

"Their one-day Malacca tour was scrapped as a result of the delay."

Checks from other tour guides revealed that many groups from Singapore had cancelled their tours today (Sunday) in view of the anticipated problems at both checkpoints.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad urged travellers to be patient with the new security system.

He said travellers took a much longer time than expected to have their passports stamped and fingers scanned as the system was moving towards stabilisation.

"For some people, it takes only a minute. For others, it takes about two to three minutes. We welcome feedback and will improve the system as soon as possible."

Alias urged Singaporean motorists to apply for the Malaysia Automated Clearance System at any Immigration office for faster immigration clearance as the system would do away with the need to have their fingers scanned again after their first visit

Sometimes you really cannot help but call these fellas moron!

Do they actually do any planning at all?

Why the need to start a brand new 'biometric' system on 01Jun, right smack in the peak school holiday season?

Why cant they start, say 01July and take their own sweet time to "stabilise" the system in time for the December peak season (stabilisation the was word used by the Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad aka m***n)

Really Very Boleh!