project rain

If you're looking for a place to send these clothes and blankets to, call nationwide express at 03-55121000 extensions 306, 237 or 297, and they'll advise you where to send them. They’ve been assigned by Mercy (Malaysia).

The Buddhist temple in Brickfields is also collecting food, clothes and anything else for them. Donations should reach temple by Friday.

If you have a Maybank account and want to help Mercy, you can bank in your donation directly to Mercy's Maybank account number 5621 7950 4126. You’ll be helping mercy doctors and volunteers bring medical supplies to penang, kedah, acheh, and sri lanka.

If you would like to donate money for relief to the victims, you can do so through Islamic Relief

Update: As some of you may have received emails or word of mouth about a relief efforts at Dataran Maybank, Bangsar, this is the latest news.

Items such as blankets and clothes are sufficient. In urgent need are baby or children clothes, disposable diapers, school stationery and dried/canned food products. Wrapped or packed merchandises are to be labeled as such and may be sent to the following location from 9:00 AM to 5.00 PM tomorrow (31/12/2004).

Automobile Financing Department
Level 16, Mayban Finance Tower (Tower A)
Dataran Maybank, 1 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar

For further information, kindly contact Mr. Amir Hamzah (603.2297.1744) or Mr. Razif Mohar (603.2297.2331). All collections will be sent tomorrow night to Kota Kuala Muda, Kedah by convoys.

I am posting here an email sent by my friend who was in Penang when the disaster struck

I was in Penang and had to evacuate our hotel coz the whole buidling all 17 storeys SHOOK. Ry was white as a sheet. I thought it was all a joke till i realized it was serious and i was trying to get my garndma, walking stick and all, down the stairs. Said my prayers and just hoped. Some idiot in the hotel said it was a bomb - and thats what scared us.

Then things were cleared and we went on with our day. Had a lunch reservation at the E&O at 2.30 - got there on the dot and found the hotel closed as it had been struck by a tidal wave FIVE times -and at 2.20pm. The waves were the height of the buidling. If we had been 15 mins earlier, we would have been drenched, if not swept away. My grandma HOBBLES with a stick. Thank God everyone was calm and there was no pandemonium.

What was sad though was after the waves crashed the shore, all the Malaysian tourist where busy checking out of the hotel and running for their lives, while the foreign tourist where giving a helping hand in clearing the damange, helping the people and things like that. They even got their kids to chip in.

That last statement just saddens me. What have we become?

There is a blog dedicated in providing information, news, aid and volunteer resources. Go check it out. Give your helping hand. Click here

I also received a link about a video taken during the tsunami. Devasting. Click here(WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT, LARGE CONTENT,12MB)

There are few places you can go but I suggest you to Screenshots for the most updated news.

NST Disaster Relief Fund

Contributions can be sent to the New Straits Times or Berita Harian at Balai Berita, 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur and cheques should be made out to New Straits Times Press Berhad. On the reverse side of the cheque, please write NST-BH Malaysian Tsunami Disaster Fund.

MackZulkifli Donation Campaign

For now, pledges are welcome and we will forward the list to the Red Crescent Society for them to make collection later. Please email your name, phone number where you can be contacted and amount pledged to prf@brandmalaysia.com or an email to Jeff Ooi.

I guess Asians were bad this year, Santa decided to give a very bad present this year.

It is really a devastation when an aftermath happens right around the corner. Things would have been worse if there wasn't a Sumatra. We should be thankful that most of Malaysia was protected by Sumatra island.

The day is not over yet, and they are expecting more tsunamis.



Till now, up to 24 earthquakes has been detected in the vicinity of the disaster. Click here for real-time information

My condolences goes to the families who have lost the loved ones. You can't help to wonder and pause why these things happen. May God bless your soul.

I am still looking for information for those interested to contribute. I shall post later when I have them.

The recent move of Bank Negara has been lauded by many parties that the Central Bank has finally has decided to collocate with the consumers. Banks have been imposing these “hidden charges” to trap consumers. With Bank Negara’s move to consolidate the banking industry, consumers have been reduced for choice as on limited no of competition is left. The trend was unsettling, as when one bank imposes new charges, the rest just follows. “If he can do it, why not me” mentally started to sprout.

But now all is good. Hopefully. This also reminds of a story between me and bank and my attempt to stop this atrocious behavior.

During the height of ATM card identity theft, commercial banks have decided to change all existing ATM cards to those chip-based cards. So basically everyone was forced to change to this new type of card. I approached the customer service to get my card replaced. After a brief chat, I was filling in all necessary details regarding the change. I was done, and the officer asked me “Would like to pay my cash, or just debit your account?” I was puzzled. Pay for what I asked. She happily told me its for the new card. I told her I didn’t ask for a new card, the bank forced me to change. Then she told me, its for your own security, it has better features. I asked her again, it’s the bank problem that there are lapse in the security system, and as far as the features go, the chip has nothing to do what the ATM can offer. She was stunned as obviously no one had challenged them for this charge. She had no answers to my questions. After an awkward moment, she replied “if you are not happy with the charges, then you can cancel the ATM card”. Then I thought, I am screwed. I cannot live without my ATM card. I have no luxury to queue in the bank for every withdrawal. Damn, whoever said “Customer is King” never met this people. I without choice had to accept the charges and curse the bank on my way home.

The man, Pok Ku has been nominated for Best Malaysian blog in this year's Asia Blog Awards. I think he really deserves it, and those who thinks the same can do that by voting too.

It was such a long layoff. Started off as a Hari Raya celebration for 11 days. I was going through "blog-detox" as no blogging, blog hopping or to the extreme of not even going to cyberspace. It was refreshing, revitalising. When I came back, I was sent off to Brunei. So now I am back.

p/s - I still haven't bought the new U2 cd, can't seem to find the Special Edition with the DVD. Have to try Tower Records this weekend.