CIMB Bank ... A Work In Progress

Being a Malaysian living in Malaysia, I've more or less gotten use to s*it service by our local banks. In this blog I would like to highlight CIMB Bank Berhad. I was trying to pay my housing loan and credit card and this usually happens.

I don't want to say much, so just watch the video and tell me what you think. Porra!

I Need Motivation : Robert Drysdale, I Give You the Job!

I'll admit this much, as far as motivation to train is concerned, 2010 is a bad year. The kids are growing up fast and I'll be reaching the big 40 soon and instinctively I've been pushing hard towards work ie. filling the coffers.But it is what it is. Sometimes we have to prioritize in life but that doesn't mean I've given up training completely. At the bare minimum I still train at least once a week. This week I've trained 3X. So it's not all that shabby.

The immediate plan (if I can achieve it) is to tweak my work 'system' so that i can free up more time to train. There's still several months till the end of the year, so let's see how it goes.

Here's Robert Drysdale giving me the motivation needed (he does not know it but he's doing a great job, hahaha).

Come On 0% Interest...Come To Papa

KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — Malaysia’s annual inflation slowed marginally in March, leaving scope for Bank Negara to ease interest rates further next week to combat the economic woes facing the export-dependent country.

Government data released by Ban Negara today showed Malaysia’s consumer price index rose 3.5 per cent in March, slower than February’s 3.7 per cent rise. Economists in a Reuters poll had forecast a rise of 3.6 per cent.

“The improvement further highlights the easing in inflationary pressure. It will be an opportunity for Bank Negara to cut rates further,” said Action Economics’ David Cohen.

A rate cut of 25 basis points is expected in next week’s Bank Negara meeting, according to a Reuters poll conducted before today’s inflation figures were announced.

The rise was due mostly to higher food and alcoholic beverage prices, while transport costs fell in tandem with lower oil prices.

Malaysia’s inflation rose to 27-year peaks in the middle of last year after the government slashed fuel subsidies because of soaring oil prices, but since then it has cut fuel prices seven times, helping push down inflation.

Inflation peaked at 8.5 per cent in both July and August.

Moderating inflation in recent months has allowed many central banks around the world to step up rate-cutting campaigns to kickstart flagging economic growth, but some have nearly exhausted their rate ammunition, forcing them to look to unconventional measures to stimulate business activity.

The Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan have all cut rates to near zero.

Malaysia has employed aggressive measures in a bid to counter the global economic slump that has sent demand for Asian goods crashing. It unveiled a RM60 billion stimulus package spread over two years and cut interest rates by 125 basis points this year.

“A couple of further small slashes with the overnight policy rate this month and next may serve as collateral to ensure the foundation is laid for an economic revival the latest by late 2009 or early 2010,” said Bank Islam economist Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajudin. – Reuters

5 Tips to Kick Inflation's Backside

Unless you've been living in a cave these past few months you would have noticed that the price of stuff has gone up. By stuff I mean, oh well, petrol, bread, electricity...you know the stuff we can't live without. So I thought why not come out with a list of cost-saving tips. This list is by no means exhaustive but but hey, these are the things that's echoing inside my head...eheheh...echoing inside my head!

1. Be creative with your tax returns. I am not advocating not paying your taxes, gosh that would be wrong. As a loyal and patriotic Malaysian I pay my taxes but sometimes you may feel a liiiiiitle need to be a fiction writer and so in these inflationary times why not write fiction in your tax forms. You are only limited by your creativity. You can't escape paying taxes anymore than avoiding death but a little civil disobedience will go a long way in helping out with the finances.


2. Lunch can be an expensive affair nowadays. So if you are going out with a bunch of colleagues to a kopitiam , make sure that you only have RM100 bills with you. When you have to pay for your Char Kuey Teow, hand your RM100 bill to the CKT man and watch him reject it. "Boss, sorry no change lah?" Don't worry, the sucker next to you will volunteer to pay for you. Hint : repeat when your drinks arrive.


3. This next tip is one I personally live by. Tip No. 1 & 2 above are just suggestions....I've never ever ever ever done it but I put them there 'cos it's all about sharing. Putting vanity aside, everyone should just go bald or botak as it is better known here in the local circles. It makes plenty sense if you think about it. With a botak hairdo, you only need to go to the barbers once every 3-4 months as opposed to those with normal hair. They go once a month at least. Think about the savings. Applies to the ladies too. I like it!!


4. Wifi. This word is synonymous with the internet age. If you are young & savvy, you've got to be online but since you are young, you are most probably broke too. You can't be hanging out at Starbucks too often for it's 'free' wifi since you are broke remember? So what do you do? Well sometimes you may have an unsuspecting and not so techno-savvy neighbour with a wireless home connection. If your consicence is clear then you are just tumpang-ing lah.


5. Get rid of that mistress/girlfriend/boyfriend/sheep or whatever. If you don't really want that bitch or that he-bitch (well you can still keep the sheep as a pet), you've to get rid of him or her. They may look nice around your arms but they're costing way too much, times are bad and its high time you go back to being a wanker.

There you have it, my 5 tips to kick Inflation's backside. And oh, if your daddy or granddaddy has set up a trust fund for you (you know who you are), what the hell are you reading this for? You don't need these tips. Do something positive like paying your taxes.

Forgedebouddid.