If the article in the Straits Times is anything to go by, I am a complain queen. Apparently, Singaporeans like to complain, but just amongst themselves and not to the organization involved. This was shown to be true by a survey done earlier. Simply Jean, however, does carry out her words when the service level is really bad - which probably gave a lot of PR people a lot of additional work that they don’t really need. Very soon, Simply Jean will find herself left out of many soft launches, product launches and other PR events. =(

But… Simply Jean really feels that if service levels are really that bad, then some attention should be warranted, no? Then again, most replies are usually politically correct statements that seem to be taken out of templates; and what does on behind the scenes could be something similar to this:

PR manager: Eh, Ah Tiong… you kenna complained for the 6th time this month already. Why your driving so bad? Why you never wait for the passenger?

Ah Tiong: No la… I cannot see the person running to the bus mah. Moreover, you all always want us to stick to the bus timing. Now you all go and install all those dunno-what Iris crystal ball thing at the bus stop. How to be late?

PR manger: Still, that doesn’t mean that you can don’t wait for passengers right?

Ah Tiong: Eh, lao ban, you want 1 complaint from 1 passenger who cannot get the bus or 10 complaints from people who are waiting for a late bus?

PR manager: Er… ok. You may sure you really can’t see the running passenger next time ok?

Of course, the above illustrations is fictitious and does not represent any particular company… no, not in Singapore. =)

FROM kopi-swigging punters whingeing in coffee shops to armchair critics spewing diatribes on their blogs, casual griping is a beloved Singaporean pastime.

But does the average Joe here put his money where his mouth is?

Going by the findings of a recent national survey, no. The poll found that only 6 per cent of people here will lodge a formal complaint to seek redress, say, after experiencing below-par customer experience.

The rest prefer to whine privately.

This ‘talk only, no action’ trait contrasts with that of consumers elsewhere.

A similar poll in the United States, for instance, revealed that 14 per cent of Americans would file a complaint about poor treatment.

The results of the Singapore survey, called the Customer Satisfaction Index for Singapore, were released two weeks ago.

More than 12,000 people here, 17per cent of whom were tourists, were polled in this first wide-ranging survey of customer satisfaction. Its results are being taken as an indicator of service standards.

Observers who spoke to The Straits Times pointed to the difference between complaining and whining.

Sociologist Terence Chong of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies said Singaporeans prefer to indulge in ‘informal private whining, rather than formal complaining’.

Lodging a formal complaint, he added, is regarded as a ‘rigmarole’, and Singaporeans, being non-confrontational, are conscious of ‘losing face’.

Dr Chong added: ‘There is a line between the individual and an authority, or citizens and institutions, and many Singaporeans don’t want to cross the line.’

Dr Marcus Lee, academic director of the Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University, which released the study, agreed.

He said: ‘I think Singaporeans do like to complain - but not to companies, just among themselves.’

This, he said, could come from the cultural mores that discourage people from calling attention to service lapses.

Some respondents in a straw poll conducted by The Straits Times agreed.

Undergraduate Dionne Lau, 22, is one who would not file a formal complaint ‘because it is very troublesome’ and because ‘I look bad, the staff look bad, so there’s no point’.

To mobile phone dealer Quek Kim Huat, 47, complaining takes too much time - and it may not even change anything.

‘You have to go and talk to the manager, fill in forms or write in suggestions. Sometimes, you don’t even know how effective your complaints will be. The best way would be to just not patronise them any more.’

Most of the 50 people polled by The Straits Times said they were surprised at the low number of complaints.

Mr Irwan Sahrul, 32, an executive director of a non-profit organisation, said his impression was that Singaporeans complained a lot.

‘I guess that is in our culture. We all tend to take things for granted and like to complain here and there because we expect things to be done a certain way.’

Consumer-rights vigilante Tan Geok Hoon, 43, who made the news in February for having won her David-versus-Goliath fight against mobile phone giant Nokia over a faulty cellphone, said many Singaporeans were unaware of their consumer rights.

Said the sales manager: ‘I also feel that we have very little consumer rights.

‘The Government should do much more to promote good service and consumer rights. If it can do this, we can make Singapore into a more successful country.’

twong@sph.com.sg

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LEE PEI QI

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 21st April 2008

I think I ripped the header off some forum somewhere - not intentionally, but I’d figured that someone would have done something like this before. Well, you see, Straits Times is trying something like this - searching and listing out all the cheap $2 per bowl food. I’m not sure if the quality is good, but here’s a list of all the cheap and good food. Please add on in the comments if you know of any place with good food and reasonably cheap prices.

Last week, the Ministry of Trade and Industry revealed that 65 per cent of hawkers are holding their prices steady - down from 75 per cent two months ago - amid rising food bills. Samantha Eng and Aw Cheng Wei scoured hawker centres and coffee shops across the island in search of really cheap hawker fare.

They found 27 which have kept prices at $2 and below, two that sell Western-style food for $3 and $2.90, and one selling Japanese-style dishes at $3.

Some areas like Bedok have a rash of such stalls, no doubt because of competition. At other areas like Hougang and Thomson, they are hard to come by.

 

EAST

Guan Hiang Nasi Lemak

Temporarily at #01-195, Block 46, Bedok South Road due to renovations at Block 58, Upper Changi Road

Nasi lemak at $1.60. With fish, egg and ikan bilis.

‘We keep prices low to maintain business.’

Owner Khoo Cheng Guan, 46

Bao Xiang Vegetarian

Block 69, Bedok South Avenue 3

Vegetarian bee hoon from $1.50. With cabbage, mock char siew and mock duck.

‘My business caters to the old people in the neighbourhood.’

Owner Toh Peck Hwa, 43

Wong Porridge

#01-245, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Western fried rice at $3. With egg and chicken chop or fish fillet.

‘We make less profit with each plate but we sell more.’

Owner Wee Jee Kin, 42

Ji Shen Cooked Food

Block 16, Bedok South Road

Nasi lemak at $1. With fish, egg and ikan bilis.

‘We own this stall so there’s no need to pay rent.’

Owner Lee Siew Lan, 49

Warong Jawa

Block 16, Bedok South Road

Mee rebus, mee soto, gado-gado and mee siam at $1.70.

‘Most of my customers are housewives who are very mindful of price.’

Owner Mohammed Said, 68

Yong Tau Foo Stall

#01-145, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Yong tau foo at 15 cents per piece. Minimum order: $1.50.

‘Our food is cheap and healthy.’

Employee Oh Beng Gek, 57

Bedok South Niu Ji Prawn Noodles

#01-199, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Prawn noodles (soup) at $2.

‘We cater to older customers who prefer cheaper food.’

Owner Wee Chew Huat, 50

Ban Seng Choon Cooked Food

#01-203, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Xin zhou bee hoon, Hong Kong mee and fried kway teow at $1.20.

‘I have not changed prices for 30 years.’

Owner Tan Choon, 55

Vegetarian Food

#01-139, Block 16, Bedok South Road

Vegetarian bee hoon at $1.70. With cabbage, mock char siew and mock duck.

‘If your prices are too high, customers won’t buy from you.’

Owner, Mr Sim, 45

Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa

Block 216, Bedok North Street 1

Mee siam, laksa, mee rebus at $2.

‘My food is good and cheap.’

Owner, Mr Cheng

Yong Kee

Block 216, Bedok North Street 1

Carrot cake from $1.50, with egg.

‘I’m part of the first batch of hawkers, so my rent here is cheap.’

Owner Tay Yong Joo, 49

Lee Huat Curry Vegetable Rice

#01-26, Block 216, Bedok North , Street 1

Rice with a meat dish and vegetable for $1.80.

‘We don’t want to raise prices and make customers unhappy.’

Owner Lily Soh, 45

You Yi Pork Organ Soup

#01-08, Block 216, Bedok North, Street 1

Pork organ soup for $2.

‘This way, my customers will keep coming back.’

Owner Lee Kia Juan, 44

Xian Jin Mixed Vegetable Rice

#01-02, Block 216, Bedok North, Street 1

Any three dishes with rice for $2. Can choose all meat dishes.

‘The prices keep customers happy.’

Owner, Mr Shi

Xin Zhai Stall

Bedok Interchange hawker centre

Any three dishes with rice for $2. Can choose all meat dishes.

‘By not increasing prices, we can increase our customer base.’

Partner Low Kiah Keong, 27

You Ji Jia Chuan Ya Fan

Bedok Interchange hawker centre

Chicken rice, char siew rice and roasted meat rice at $2.

‘We’ve been selling at this price for a very long time.’

Employee Ng Shea Keong, 53

820 Hainanese Chicken Rice

Block 823A, Tampines Street 81

Chicken rice, char siew rice and roasted meat rice at $1.30.

‘By selling at a lower price, I sell more.’

Owner Tan Hwa Joon, 43

Yummy Talk

Block 820, Tampines Street 81

Western fried rice with chicken wings at $2.90.

‘We don’t make much for this dish but we use it as a crowd-puller.’

Partner Thomas Heng, 32

SOUTH

101 Wanton Noodle

Golden Mile Food Centre

Wanton noodles from $2.

‘We’ve not raised prices for 20 years.’

Owner Hong Jim Bin, 55

Nan He Wanton Noodle

Golden Mile Food Centre

Wanton noodles, laksa and pork porridge at $2.

‘I don’t make a lot but it’s better than selling at $2.50 and having no business.’

Owner Ke Xiu Luan, 60

Boon Siu Kee

#01-31, Amoy Street Food Centre

Wanton noodles at $2

‘It’s okay that we charge less because there are quite a lot of customers.’

Owner Loh Kah Fai, 55

Konomi Zen

#01-38, Amoy Street Food Centre

Teriyaki chicken set meal at $3.

‘Having prices this low is very attractive for customers.’

Owner Lim Fong Heng, 47

WEST

Hup Lee

#01-27, Redhill Market

Nasi lemak at $1.90.

‘As long as I don’t suffer losses, I will keep to this price.’

Owner Tan Li Mee, 47

Heng Guan

#01-09, Alexandra Village Food Centre

Nasi lemak at $1.90.

‘We hope to build a regular customer base.’

Owner Tan Keng Leng, 47

42

#01-42, ABC Brickworks Food Centre

Nasi lemak at a minimum of $1.60.

‘There are more customers if we sell at this price. ‘

Partner Sng Kok Hwa, 52

Cheng Mei Shi Hao Wei Dao

Tanglin Halt Market Stall 14

Fried carrot cake at $1.50.

‘You cannot raise prices because customers have supported you for a very long time.’

Partner Soon Hock Seng, 50

Wei Yi Laksa

Tanglin Halt Market Stall 21

Laksa for $2.

‘If we can sell food cheaper than others, China workers will buy from us.’

Owner Ang Kee Fong, 42

Fu Yuan Vegetarian

#01-114, ABC Brickworks Food Centre

Vegetarian bee hoon at $1.50.

‘This area has a lot of old folk.’

Owner Kwek Chin Mei, 62

Mei Jia Fried Beehoon

Tanglin Halt Market Stall 18

Fried rice set with chicken wing at $2.

‘If the food is cheap, we get more customers.’

Owner Soh Tiong Ann, 35

NORTH

Shi Mei Chicken Rice

Block 110, Yishun Ring Road

Chicken rice at $1.80.

‘A lot of students come here for lunch.’

Owner Loh Chee Heng, 57

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 20th April 2008

The Sunday Times ran the juicy headline screaming out "Are you having an Internet affair?". It’s a set of 6 questions that readers can answer to determine if they are (having a high propensity of) having an affair. Being an avid blogger, I took the questions and realised that I am indeed having an Internet affair! In fact, it seemed like I am having an affair with everyone else!

So, let’s look at the questions together:

1 In the past week, have you spent more than three hours talking to an online friend?

Yes. In fact I spend more than 3 hours talking to any online friend

2 Do you look forward to your next communication?

Yes. To any of them.

3 Do you feel that your online friend understands you more than your partner?

I don’t have a partner yet, but it’s beginning to look as if any of them at any one time understands me pretty well.

4 Do you exit the screen if someone walks into the room while you are chatting?

Yes! This is an absolute Yes! In fact, I use the shortcut Start-D or Start-M to hide all things ultra fast!

5 Do you tell your online friend more about your thoughts, feelings, achievements and disappointments than your own partner?

Yes! Oh yes, at any one time, they are the only ones I tell.

6 you think about sending your online friend photos, talking on the phone or meeting for coffee?

Yes!!!!! We meet for coffee almost every other day!

Shucks! And who are these people that I am talking about? Ridz… DK… Tianhong… Alice… Nicole… Edmund… and the list goes on!

*faintz*

Are *you* having an Internet affair?!

Are you having an Internet affair?

If your answer is ‘yes’ to these questions, you are having an Internet affair.

1 In the past week, have you spent more than three hours talking to an online friend?

2 Do you look forward to your next communication?

3 Do you feel that your online friend understands you more than your partner?

4 Do you exit the screen if someone walks into the room while you are chatting?

5 Do you tell your online friend more about your thoughts, feelings, achievements and disappointments than your own partner?

6 you think about sending your online friend photos, talking on the phone or meeting for coffee?

WHERE TO SEEK HELP

Touch Cyberwellness Centre: 6273-5568

Institute of Mental Health: 6732-6837 (6-R-E-C-O-V-E-R) or visit www.imh.com.sg and go to ‘community addictions management programme’.

Online: Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery in the United States at www.netaddiction.com

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 20th April 2008

… but do you think so? I’m not hungry yet, so I am not hungry anyway. =)

Click when you are ready.

Read the rest of this entry »

Nowdays, many institutions are getting shamed in public - at least from a one-sided story from a disgruntled victim. However, if the letter here is anything to go by, the admin lapse that’s in Republic Polytechnic is really shocking. Not only did they make the poor guy book out of camp a few times during his BMT, they failed to process his deferment and their system started to threaten to suspend him from school due to non-attendance.

And I thought Singapore aspired to be an Education Hub.

How Republic Polytechnic handled a student’s deferment application

SINGAPORE’S educational system has always been widely regarded as one of the best in the world, with many local and foreign talents being cultivated from polytechnics, tertiary institutions and universities.

Started up in 2002 as the country’s fifth polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic has nurtured and educated many batches of highly skilled individuals. The school has also achieved several significant awards such as the Singapore Quality Class in 2005. However, one recent encounter with the school has tremendously changed my perspective on the school’s management towards its students.

Last month, my brother was successfully enrolled into Republic Polytechnic. However, as he is already serving his National Service when he received the letter of approval, he has to defer his studies and complete his National Service before he continues to further his studies.

On March 27, my brother received an SMS from Republic Polytechnic, requesting him to go to the school personally on the 28th to settle his enrolment. Given the short notice, my brother had no choice but to apply to book out early from BMTC in Pulau Tekong to complete the enrolment and request deferment of his studies. Worried that there might be some procedures which my brother might have difficulties in, I took leave from work and accompanied him to RP. After we had handed in the necessary documents to process his enrolment, we told the staff that my brother needs to defer his studies till he completes his NS. However, we were alarmed to hear from the staff that there is no way deferment of studies can be done and there was only two choices, either defer his NS and proceed with his studies or re-apply two years later when my brother has successfully completed his NS. Also, my brother had to make another trip to school personally on April 1 to complete his enrolment.

Why can’t the school be more efficient and complete the whole enrolment process in one day? It is very difficult to apply leave from NS, especially when my brother has just enlisted and is still undergoing BMT. This disruption in his training will take a toll on him as he will have to stay in camp during Saturdays to attend the lessons that he has missed. Isn’t this making life more difficult and putting unnecessary stress on him?

I went back home and surfed through RP’s website. On one of the pages on deferment issues, it states that ‘Successful applicants who are still serving full-time National Service may apply for deferment of their studies to reserve their place until they have completed their service’. I called up the school immediately and they confirmed that deferment of studies can be done. By giving false information and misleading applicants, the staff of RP must take full responsibility for their actions if the applicants decide to choose either of the two options that were given earlier. If the applicant chooses to complete his NS, re-apply two years later but this time round he is unsuccessful in his re-application for a course in RP, the applicant’s opportunity to further his studies will be diminished. This is very unfair to him as he is not fully informed of the choices that he can make and this decision may affect his path in life and even career opportunities in the future.

Thinking that this was a one-off mistake from the staff, we decided not to pursue the matter. However, the situation just got from bad to worse.

On April 1, my brother booked out from camp and went back to school to complete his enrolment. He went through eight stages, with each stage telling the person in charge that he was requesting deferment. At one stage, the person in charge asked him to purchase a laptop so that my brother can be issued with his student ID and password to gain access to the RP’s website and wireless Internet within the school. However, my brother told him that he was going to defer his studies so there was no need for him to purchase a laptop for the time being. After finalising his enrolment and requesting deferment, he went back to camp.

Despite all the necessary actions taken to proceed with the deferment, there was no letter of confirmation of deferment from RP. Recalling the bad incident that we had in the past, I decided to call up the school once again on April 4. This time round, the staff told me that my brother has to complete an online deferment form, located in RP’s website, and to log in to his account, he needs to have his user ID and password which will be issued when he purchases his laptop. Earlier on, my brother had already informed the staff that he was requesting for deferment and that was why he did not purchase the laptop. Why was he not given his user ID and password on the spot and instead insisted on having him purchase a laptop to get the user ID and password? I believe that technology is so advanced now that his user ID and password can be generated and issued by the IT Department immediately.

Finally, after filling up the online form, we thought that the whole saga can finally die down. However, the best part has yet to arrive.

On April 9, we received a call from the Program Chair in charge of the course which my brother was enrolled in. To our shock, it was pertaining to my brother’s absence from school. From that moment we knew that nothing was done by the school about the deferment and we were advised by the lecturer to wait for the confirmation letter by the Office of Registrar. At the same time, he explained to us about the five stages to successfully apply for deferment, one of which was to seek his approval. We adhered to his advice and waited another week, hoping that everything can be completed as soon as possible.

We received a letter from RP on April 14, stating that my brother was absent from school from April 7 to April 11 and that if he continues to be absent from school till April 18, ‘we will change his/her student status from enrolled to dormant and he/she could be liable to be dismissed from the school and pay the administrative fees equivalent to the 100% of semestral tuition fees and annual supplementary fees’. This is ridiculous. Why should we forfeit the semestral fees that we have already paid when we have already asked for a deferment which was not taken up by the school on the very first day of enrolment? The school has to take the blame for the messed up system and inefficiency in resolving such a simple issue. If the staff are not educated in handling such issues, why allow them to oversee the enrolment procedures? In the very first place, they should already be notified whether the applicants are currently serving National Service ( for those who are eligible to serve NS).

With things going out of hand, I called up the Deputy Principal (Academic Affairs) and Registrar, Dr. W.A.M. Alwis, who took a very defensive and protective stand. I was given absolutely no chance to explain our current situation as he continued to rattle on through the phone on how the school had to handle more than 4,000 students and why the whole procedure was taking such a long time. Throughout the conversation, I was interrupted countless times as I pressed on to ask for an explanation on the poor handling of the situation. When I requested a deadline for the deferment issue to be settled, he could not even provide me with an estimated date. In the end, without any further explanation that he could provide me regarding this issue, he hung up his phone.

I sincerely hope that Republic Polytechnic can improve on its management system as it is causing a lot of unnecessary stress and time wasted in resolving such a simple issue. I believe that this issue can be settled within the day of enrolment itself if the school’s management system is efficient. This will reduce the time spent on follow-up cases and save a lot of trouble for the parents/guardians of the applicants and the applicants themselves.

Cheong Jian Ping

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 19th April 2008

Nets, following the trend of the EZ-link, has decided to charge a non-refundable $5 for each CashCard. Since this policy is to kick in from 1st May 2008, many people are rushing to get their CashCard, resulting in a temporary repletion of the cards. If this were to persist, one can’t help but wonder if this is going the path of the rice and fuel.

THE rush is on for the cheaper $7 Nets CashCard while stocks last.

Petrol kiosks and convenience stores island-wide report brisk sales of the blue butterfly-designed CashCard in the last three weeks, with some outlets running out of supplies.

This comes on the heels of the electronic payment provider’s announcement in late March that it would start charging consumers a non-refundable $5 for its new orange laser-designed CashCards from May 1, bringing the total price to $10 per card, inclusive of $5 in stored value.

Now, consumers only pay a refundable $2 deposit on each $5 card. Since the cards were technically ‘free’, the deposit is to encourage consumers to return the cards - which have a five-year life span.

Twenty of the 25 stores contacted by The Straits Times reported a rise in blue CashCard sales, some by as many as seven times more. At least four stores had run out of the cards completely.

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 18th April 2008

When you start poking poking your pussy cat too much, it’ll bite, scratch or somehow retaliate. So, is the recent revoke of visa-free privileges a reaction to what happened in Singapore? Is it because Singapore is still having military cooperation with Taiwan? Is it because Singapore has somehow offended China in some political red tape? Or does it have anything to do with the jailed journalist?

No lah… apparently there’s speculation that it’s probably due to the China Beijing Olympics and they probably want to know who’s coming to watch them. For a start, however, they are just revoking the multi-visit visa, but Singaporeans are still allowed in for 14 days visa-free. Come 1st June 2008, all Singaporeans will require a visa to go to China.

Hmm… do I have to apply for a visa for Hong Kong then?

SINGAPOREANS planning to visit China multiple times within a short period will have to hold off their trips for a while.

The Chinese government has stopped issuing multiple-entry visas to foreigners since end March.

And although Singaporeans can still visit China for up to 14 days without a visa for business, holidays, visiting relatives and friends or transit, this may all change.

From July 1, Singaporeans will need a valid visa to enter China - but this requirement is only temporary, according to the China Embassy website on visa information.

Travel agencies said the Chinese Embassy in Singapore have sent letters to them stating that multiple-entry visas will cease until further notice.

While no reason was given, they believe the move was due to the upcoming Beijing Olympics, and the prevailing unrest in Tibet.

But single-entry and double-entry visas are still available.

Some agencies have reported cancellation of planned holidays to China or travellers changing their trips to other destinations.

Ms Ruth Lim, manager of marketing and communications at SA Tours, told The Straits Times the fallout is between 5 and 10 per cent.

Travel agents say the restricted multiple entries into China may not affect holiday-makers, but it might have an impact on people travelling in and out of the country regularly on business.

Multinational corporations said the new move will not affect their operations in China as their executives are usually stationed there on long-term postings, with work permits lasting up to a year.

Work permits are not affected by the latest change.

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 17th April 2008

We usually hear of rude taxi drivers, but apparently, someone decided to go one step further to make the taxi driver look rude. In the end, the taxi driver got told off and the person who filmed got what he wanted (I guess). I haven’t watched the video yet, but it’s embedded right here so that you don’t have to go open another window.

COMFORTDELGRO has apologised to the man, who filmed a road rage incident with a Comfort taxi driver and later put it up to YouTube and sent it to STOMP.

The company said disciplinary action has been taken against the cabby, who let off a string of expletives at the man in front of MediaCorp complex on Caldecott Hill.

The man claimed that he had politely asked the taxi driver to move his cab which was parked on the wrong side of the road.

Instead of moving, the cabby swore at him with expletives and this escalated into a shouting match. Cisco officers later came to the scene to try and stop the argument.

The three-and-a-half minute video has since been uploaded by three different users on YouTube and has attracted some 9,000 hits since it was first posted on April 14.

One of the YouTube posts claimed that the original video was uploaded by andrewteo777, who is said to be the man in the video.

Ms Tammy Tan, ComfortDelGro Group Corporate Communications Officer told straitstimes.com on Thursday morning: ‘Firstly, we would like to extend our apologies to Mr Teo with regards to the actions of our taxi driver.

‘ComfortDelGro cabbies have been told to wait for booking customers at pick-up points that do not obstruct traffic. In this instance, the cabby should not have parked against the flow of traffic, and he certainly should not have behaved the way he did when confronted.

‘Cabbies have been advised to stay calm even under difficult and unpleasant situations so as not to escalate the situation. Where necessary, they are advised to alert the police to assist.’

But Netizens on straitstimes.com, which has received over 50 comments on this story, and YouTube have strongly criticised the man’s actions, saying he was the real bully and that the taxi driver should not be punished.

williampcwong said ‘the taxi driver was wrong to park or wait on the other side of the road’ but the real rude bully was the man who filmed the video clip.

tuiniasin agreed: ‘The driver had self-disciplined himself by not stepping out of his taxi and challenge the bully. He made ComfortDelGro proud.’

Some posts also called for action to be taken against the video maker, instead of the taxi driver.

‘I want action to be taken against this person making the video. He clearly thinks he is above the law, and was heard instructing the officers on what to do. His boorish behaviour cannot be condoned and is worse than the taxi driver’s,’ said yeusmarn.

What’s with these people nowadays?

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 17th April 2008

Simply Jean is running heavy duty backup and maintenance scripts currently and some lag may be experienced. Meanwhile, if you are feeling a little free, do feel free to navigate around Simply Jean and help to report any bugs? Yes, things will start feeling strange as things get patched up slowly. Hehe.. so it does turn out that 15 April 2008 is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If we don’t close it, someone will close it for us. Sigh… but we want to close it in one piece mah!

Speaking of which, we are going to do the next post on how Simply Jean was being hacked. Yes, we have forensics scientists here who can almost re-enact how the site got hacked. guess how the site got hacked.

But don’t steal the script and hack elsewhere, ok? =)

Update: I need some help. All the wordpress pages have been removed. Does anyone know how I can retrieve these pages? Or if anyone has any history of them? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Ya… not quite sure when it happened, but all the plugins got unloaded, got a lot of spam, but posts are still in tact. Restoring the whole site now. Is there something going on around blogs or some vulnerability that I do not know of?

Sian… another night burned. =(

Close blog doesn’t mean must tear down everything mah… these people so impatient! Hmmph!