How to write like a CEO

Morten Lundal's last email to DiGi staff, sent out yesterday. No harm in sharing this one (I hope).

Time to Change

Well, this time the Time To Change slogan applies to me. This is the last thing I write as CEO of DiGi. I will send this as an email, close this PC, pick up my very few personal things and leave this adorable building. Oh, and I will remember to hand back the yellow access tag. A strange moment indeed, so allow me to look a bit back for a moment.

It’s been nearly 4 years. Is that possible? When I look at the number, 4, it looks so big. 4 years is long time, even in a life’s perspective. But it feels like such a short period, like an 18 months project.

Oh, I’ve enjoyed it. I enjoyed every bit of it.

First the big picture: I like Asia (and therefore also Malaysia, you know, truly Asia and all that). The brand “Asia” represents so many positive attributes to me. It’s about tomorrow more than yesterday. It’s about vibrant colors more than a palette of grey. It’s about smiles and service mindset instead of “cold execution of mass market processes”. It’s about simple food in unpretentious settings, instead of pretentious food in complex settings. It’s the relevance of (even the extended) family, the struggle for (new) identity, the (slow) mass transformations of businesses and government systems, the epidemic adoption of mobiles and internet, the difficult preservation of unique heritage and nature, and the ongoing strive to secure progress versus the previous generation and at the same time the struggle of dealing with the consequences of that same progress. I know this is a gross generalization, but I do see most of these attributes in all of the 10 south Asian countries I’ve visited the last few years. It all adds up to my very strong overall positive feel for this thing called “Asia”. It’s captivating. Positive.

And then; Malaysia. If I were to come to Asia again, and I could freely choose country, I would choose Malaysia again. It is not that one thing stands out about Malaysia, but it is the positive balance of it all. The combination of the modern with the traditional, the very urban and the very rural, the hyper shopping and the isolated beaches, the widely used English language and the multi-racial composition, the generally low cost and the good quality, the protection from natural catastrophes, the climate, the relative economic and political stability. It’s all here in Malaysia. We enjoyed the stunning under-water life by Sipadan island, the unspoiled Cherating beach, the low key luxury of Langkawi, the history of Penang, the exotic KK, the view from Mount Kinabalu, the trekking in Taman Negara, and so on and so on. Such a privilege to have been here.

In most surveys, Norway is ranked as having the highest quality of life in the world. Not bad. But that is defined in cold, academic, quantitative United Nation well-being terms. If you as a Norwegian live in a country like Malaysia, you discover that quality of life has many dimensions, and Malaysia can in many ways compete with Norway and any other country in having a rich balance of quality of life to offer to the curious soul.

And then: DiGi. What a company. I’ve enjoyed it so much. I’ve enjoyed seeing the transformation from what we were to what we are. I’ve enjoyed seeing the results improve steadily, quarter by quarter, the end-results of all our collected efforts. I’ve enjoyed seeing our enthusiasm for our values and progress spread to people outside the company. I’ve been energized by the many meetings we’ve had where I observe DiGi values in full force, the open-mindedness, the commitment and the mutual respect. I truly enjoyed our CSR program, Amazing Malaysians, both the purpose and the execution of the program, but also the places it took us and the people we got to meet. I have enjoyed the intellectually challenging debates about what’s the best next step, but I’ve also enjoyed all the jokes, the gotcha moments and the laughter. And, yes, I enjoyed our parties (some now legendary) both in KL and in the regions – I bring with me photos that prove that it all actually did happen.

The kids have fought against this move. Maybe all kids will fight all moves, but at least my two kids did. They adore their superb school and are of course unhappy to lose their good friends. But they have also liked so much the warm air, the cooling pool, the monkeys on our terrace, the frequent dining out and our exotic travels (you know, any travel in Asia is exotic for us). Mandius said, “I was born in Norway” (actually, he was born in Switzerland), “but I grew up in Malaysia”. And grow up they have done in this period, it’s shocking to look at their before and after pictures. That’s a big transformation in itself.

I don’t know if I am doing the right thing, there is a lot of uncertainty in the choice we and I have made. But several factors entice me. I like that we will be a short plane ride from our respective aging parents. I like that the boys will (continue to) go to a great school. I like that we can live 25 minutes from one of the real cultural centers of the world, but still live where we are surrounded by greenery and where we can finally take our dog for long (wet…) walks again. And I like that I have to sharpen all my senses in order to establish myself in a totally new setting, in this big thing called Vodafone. It’s going to be different, in many ways life will be tougher and less attractive for us, but again, I see many reasons for why we will continue to grow as a family and individuals in London, and personal growth is maybe on top of our lists right now.

DiGi is work in progress, it always will be. So there are many things on the to-do list, also when I leave. I am happy that Johan came back to start on the next phase in DiGi’s life, and I am convinced that he and DMT will take this company to new and even better places in the future. I look forward to following it, this time from afar.

Life is a series of small and long projects. Now we are closing the (great) chapter called DiGi and Malaysia, and we are opening up the first page to an all-empty chapter in our life. I promise you I will often look back at my previous life in Malaysia, and I will smile when thinking about the happy moments and I will be sad thinking about the relationships that were real and daily that now just are bound to be occasional and electronic. Thank you for making this the best period in my life, and I wish you all from the deepest of my heart Good Luck going forward. Whatever is ahead, I will always be a DiGizen.


Morten

Standard Chartered debit MasterCard headache - Update (1)

It took Standard Chartered over 16 days to resolve my disputed debit card transaction.

That's ridiculous considering that the usual process takes between 3-5 working days. While the officer handling my case was polite and patient, I do believe that there were serious miscommunication issues between the customer service team and product managers.

The questions I raised in my last blog post (and letter to the bank) have yet to be answered, but here's what I've gathered thus far:

1) RM100 refund: what is the status of this process, and exactly how long would I have to wait?

16 days. The process usually takes up to 5 business days if you're lucky.

2) Debit card limitations: can debit card transactions be voided? The information I have received from the Customer Service hotline has not been consistent.

Yes. Debit card disputes are treated just like credit card disputes.

3) Customer Service runaround: Why was I given the runaround? Mr.
Kunen indicated that the the fax was only received on Tuesday, the 22nd, when I had sent it 72 hours earlier. I am not aware of whether fax machines are available in most homes, but I had to go to a local copy centre and paid RM1.50 just to have my document faxed.

Still waiting for an official response.

4) Implications to interest earnings: I stand to incur losses to my interest calculation until the refund is made. What is the bank's stand on this matter, and will I be reimbursed?

Supposedly, yes. According to the officer I spoke to, the bank will calculate the interest for the days in question, and credit the interest into my account. Depending on the amount, you're unlikely to be able to decipher whether or not this happens as you won't see it until the end of the following month. It may just be small talk.

Related posts:

• Standard Chartered debit MasterCard headache

TwoSen.com & your two sens worth

Jeff Ooi made a couple of generous mentions of TwoSen.com today. Thanks, Jeff!



TwoSen.com is a project that I am involved with to help raise awareness of current issues in Malaysia. This website keeps track of letters written to the major English newspapers and automatically aggregates them on a daily basis. For now, it pulls letters from The Star, NST, Malay Mail and The Sun.

Suggestions for improvements are always welcome. Drop me a comment or email anytime.

Related links:

• Lemak Lemang: Web extension to Letters to Editors
• Screenshots: Web extension to Letters to Editors

Standard Chartered debit MasterCard headache

My recent letter to Standard Chartered. I'll post updates as it develops.

Dear Standard Chartered,

I am writing with regards to a disputed eSavers debit MasterCard transaction. This email also outlines my experience thus far, as this matter has not been resolved, 10 days after first calling in.

On a recent trip to the local petrol station, I had the unfortunate luck of being there when their outdoor credit card system was offline. I then proceeded to the counter, and asked for a full tank. However, the sales assistant claimed that their indoor credit card system could only charge a fixed amount, instead of the usual credit blocking. She proceeded to charge RM100, and advised me that she would void the transaction if I pumped less.

My bill turned out to be RM94. I got the initial transaction voided, and signed a new sales slip.

I proceeded to call the Customer Service hotline to follow up on the status of the RM100 refund. I called once on the 14th, and again on the 16th. On both these occasions, I was told that the amount would be refunded within 3 to 5 days, as it was a standard procedure for the bank. I was advised to call again if the amount was not refunded by the 18th.

As the amount had not been refunded, I called again on the 19th, and spoke to Mr. Kunen. This time around, I was told that the debit MasterCard did not support voids / refunds, and I was supposed to have received a cash refund on the spot from the merchant. After clarifying my case, I was advised to fax in my voided transaction slip for further investigation. I was specifically told that the case would be
investigated within 3 business days. Despite the inconvenience of having to fax the necessary documents, I managed to do so within an hour of that phone call. I also called the Standard Chartered hotline again to confirm receipt of the document, and the personnel on the line acknowledged this.

Sadly, when I called again on the 22nd, I was told that the documents had just been received, and would take another 3 business days to process from that point. Mind you, this was a Tuesday, over 72 hours since I had faxed the document.

I am extremely disgusted with the runaround thus far. It's been 10 days since the transaction took place.

I would be grateful if Standard Chartered could clarify the following issues:

1) RM100 refund: what is the status of this process, and exactly how long would I have to wait?

2) Debit card limitations: can debit card transactions be voided? The information I have received from the Customer Service hotline has not been consistent.

3) Customer Service runaround: Why was I given the runaround? Mr.
Kunen indicated that the the fax was only received on Tuesday, the 22nd, when I had sent it 72 hours earlier. I am not aware of whether fax machines are available in most homes, but I had to go to a local copy centre and paid RM1.50 just to have my document faxed.

4) Implications to interest earnings: I stand to incur losses to my interest calculation until the refund is made. What is the bank's stand on this matter, and will I be reimbursed?

I had assumed that after consolidating my accounts and switching to Standard Chartered, I would enjoy a superior banking experience. I now hesitate to use the bank's facilities altogether.


Sincerely,

Praveen Rajan

Also read Melissa's recent poor experience with Standard Chartered:

• Melissa Lai: Oh Lordy Lord! I am now a complainer
• Melissa Lai: Poor Customer Experience with Standard Chartered

Lost trust in postal service

My friend, Marina Lynn, recently faced an ordeal with Pos Malaysia. She wrote to the papers, and got her opinion published in The Sun and NST.

Last year ended for me in a most shocking way. It was supposedly the season for receiving and giving but sadly that was destroyed by Pos Malaysia.

What happened?

Read both letters at TwoSen:

• The Sun - Lost trust in postal service
• NST - Lost gifts: No faith in parcel service

Simei, Sin Meng & SMRT - Update (2)

My letter to SMRT has been published verbatim in the Singapore Straits Times ST Forum.



Read: SMRT taxi driver made customer's day with kind act

For context:

• Simei, Sin Meng & SMRT
• Simei, Sin Meng & SMRT - Update (1)

Simei, Sin Meng & SMRT - Update (1)

I just received a response from SMRT, acknowledging receipt of my email.



Hope it makes Mr. Teo's day =)

For context: Simei, Sin Meng & SMRT

Simei, Sin Meng & SMRT

I just got back from a weekend with my best friends in Singapore. Here's my letter to SMRT (a Singaporean taxi operator) regarding a taxi journey on Sunday.

Dear SMRT,

The following email highlights my recent journey with an SMRT taxi, of which the experience exceeded my expectations despite the initial dissatisfaction.

My partner and I boarded the taxi with registration number SHB5507S near Neptune Court, on Sunday, December 16, around 2:15pm. The intended alighting point was Simei Street 1, which I mentioned to the driver upon boarding. Being weekend travelers from Kuala Lumpur, we were not familiar with the routes, but were happy that the driver asked us if it was okay to use the CTE, of which we duly acknowledged while stating that we preferred the fastest route.

As the journey progressed the meter fare and travel time exceeded our initial estimates. We then realised that the driver had taken us towards the Sin Meng area. At this point the fare was already about $12+, as compared to $8 when we traveled earlier in the afternoon (Simei - Neptune Court).

Upon clarification that we intended to go to Simei and not Sin Meng, the driver was unable to provide us with a travel time estimate, but assured us that he would get us there in the fastest time. At this point our itinerary was in disarray as we had spent over 20 minutes in the taxi, and were due to board a bus out of Singapore at 4:30pm from Novena Square.

Upon finally arriving at our destination in Simei, the meter fare was around $23. The driver apologised for the inconvenience, and offered to accept a fare similar to what we had paid for the past journey. We offered $10, but he refused and only took $8.

We were comforted by this act of genuine kindness, and acknowledge that even though it was an inconvenience, it could have very well been an honest error.

We would like to thank the driver for making the journey a memorable experience, and for getting us to our destination safely. Many a times we hear stories of unfriendly and dishonest taxi drivers, but not on this encounter. I believe this SMRT experience under the circumstances is a worthy benchmark to emulate.

It is definitely a "uniquely Singapore experience", and we look forward to riding with SMRT again on our next visit.

Thank you,

Praveen Rajan

Faulty parking meters strike again!

Just received a comment from Fairuzan, on my previous post. Excerpt:

You know what, i just kena saman yesterday at the same place, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Petak F2. I faced the same problem as you. I inserted coins RM1.50 for 3 hours but it only shows 1:25 (1 hour 25 minutes). At first i thought the coins got stuck or something, then i add some more coins and it still showed 1:25. At 11.40am i kena saman. Will it make any different if i call DBKL or take a video using my phone of the broken parking meter as a proof ?

Fairuzan, hope you get it sorted soon. The system is flawed. We have to stand up to be heard!

How do we avoid a fine? - Update (2)

The following article was published in the Malay Mail on June 7, 2007. It refers to my letter and meeting.

USE LOCAL COINS
By Khairun Nizam Ab Ghani

FAKE coins, paper, foreign coins, pieces of wood as well as pieces of iron.
These are among the items found in parking meters in Kuala Lumpur, resulting in losses to IIUM Holdings Sdn Bhd, the com- pany given the job to manage parking space by City Hall, and Syarikan Kejuruteraan Elektrik Suria, the maintenance company appointed by IIUM Holdings.

Yesterday, The Malay Mail was given an insight on the acts of vandalism and its extent by representatives from City Hall and the two companies.

This was a follow-up to a letter from Praveen Rajan to New Straits Times on Tuesday, who wrote that he was issued a compound for parking in a lot that had a faulty meter.

Parking manager Raymond Sim, of IIUM Holdings, said inevitably there would be parking meters damaged every day as a result of vandalism .

“Even though technicians repair the damaged meters everyday in the morning, it is common to find them vandalised the next day,” he said.

“Luckily, the parking meters are manufactured with high security features, with rechargeable batteries that can be used for five years, ” he added.

IIUM Holdings took over the parking concession from Seripati (M) Sdn Bhd on May 1.

Engineer K. Subramaniam of Syarikat Kejuruteraan Elektrik Suria said when vandalised, or when vandals insert materials other than local coins, the meters become faulty.

He also said the meters are meant to take only local coins, but there are numerous cases of foreign and fake coins being in- serted by motorists who wanted to get some ‘free’ parking time.

But as the meters are not be able to trace foreign and fake coins, no parking time will be displayed.

“Our technicians do maintenance rounds everyday from 8am until 6pm to repair the faulty meters, ” he said.

“But sometimes motorists do not know how to use the meters properly even though they function. They insert coins at quick intervals without allowing the meter to read them.

“Subsequently the meter doesn’t register any coins.” City Hall director-general Datuk Salleh Yusof also admitted the widespread vandalism against parking meters in the city.

“We have asked the operator to frequently monitor the meters to check for vandalism.

“We want the operator to put up a notice on the damaged meters so that the public are aware of them,” he added.

On the complaint by Praveen, he said it would consider the complainant’s case and ask him to appeal at City Hall. If there is evidence to proof that the motorist is right, then City Hall would either reduce the fine or nullify it.

Subramaniam also said he could help motorists who had been wrongly issued with fines by the City Hall provided they have genuine evidence to support their claims.

When met yesterday, Praveen said he was happy with the assurance given by Syarikat Kejuruteraan Elektrik Suria to help him with the summons.

“I’ve already given Subramaniam the summons letter and he will help solve the problem with City Hall,” he said.

“Now, I understand how the meters work. I hope the public will know how to use them properly, ” he added.

Click on the image below to view a full screenshot of the article as published on Malay Mail's website:


My thoughts:

• The burden of proof remains on the motorists -- having to call, and provide evidence is time consuming.
• There's a high percentage of fake coins in circulation, and this could be in the hands of the general public. Fake coins tend to show differing metal qualities which will fail when used with parking meters such as those deployed in Brickfields. These meters contain a magnetic sensor that measures the magnetic ratio of the coins. Any ratio that falls beyond the boundaries of an authentic coin will fail.

Related links:

• How do we avoid a fine? - Update (1)
• How do we avoid a fine?
• Faulty parking meter & my letter to the Mayor

How do we avoid a fine? - Update (1)

I met representatives of NST (En. Nizam) and the company in charge of supplying the parking meters for the Brickfields area (Mr. Subramaniam, Syarikat Kejuruteraan Elektrik Suria) yesterday. Gave my side of the story, again.

Mr. Subramaniam has offered to settle the summons with DBKL on the basis of good will. While this resolves a minor issue, it does not really address the actual problem with the system. Fact of the matter is that they do acknowledge that there will always be a percentage of erratic faulty meter cases.

Some quick updates:

• I believe NST has received more than 10 complaints on faulty parking meters, and it now warrants the need for a report
• I was given an overview of the parking meter system in the area, and the types of problems faced by motorists
• I was also shown fake 50 sen coins. It's usually almost perfect in its cut, but fails with parking meters due to its magnetic ratio. This specific parking meter is solar-powered, runs with a microprocessor and has two main sensors: an optic sensor and a magnetic sensor
• In my case, the meter was supposedly working on that day according to their maintenance team which examines all meters on a daily basis -- a case of being unfortunate?

What I was told:

• I can just go to the DBKL office in such cases, and seek a waiver -- but this requires physical effort and time!

What is unresolved:

• The burden of proof is still upon the motorist

Points to ponder:

• The Brickfields area generates RM15k in cash collections every alternate day -- that's about RM50k per week!

How do we avoid a fine?

My letter to the Datuk Bandar was published in today's edition of the New Straits Times (Letters, page 27, June 5, 2007). Thanks to some excellent editing, it emphasises the questions arising from my experience.

Click on the thumbnail below to read the article in full:


Thank you, NST. The publicity was a great boost to my day!

Related links:

• Praveen Rajan: Faulty parking meter & my letter to the Mayor

Faulty parking meter & my letter to the Mayor

I was recently fined for a "traffic offence" in Brickfields due to a faulty parking meter. I am sure many motorists in Kuala Lumpur have faced similar situations, hence the need to seek clarifications.

Here's a copy of my letter, e-mailed to DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) on June 2nd, 2007:

Dear Datuk Bandar,

I would like to highlight the problem of faulty parking meters facing many motorists in Kuala Lumpur.

The following is an account of my experience with a faulty parking meter along Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4, KL (Petak: F312B). The parking meter was not working yet an enforcement officer issued a traffic summon. This email seeks DBKL's views on such cases and has been copied to the relevant public awareness channels.

On Friday, 25 May 2007 (10:15 am), I had parked my car in a valid parking bay along Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4, KL (Petak: F312B). The designated parking meter was a digital unit. I tried putting up to 90 sen in coins (2x10 sen, 20 sen & 50 sen), but the meter kept displaying 00:00. I took it that the meter was not functioning as it should have. I then tried to call the given number for "Aduan Kerosakan": Saripati (M) Sdn Bhd (03-92876986), but received no response. I then decided to leave my car to proceed with my errands.

Upon returning to my car at 11:45am, I noticed that a summon was left on my windscreen. I was fined for breaking Perintah 8(1) - "Letak tanpa bayar caj meter". I have attached a copy of the summon with this letter.

I then proceeded to call Saripati (M) Sdn Bhd again, and this time I was directed to call another company -- Syarikat Kejuruteraan Elektrik Suria (SKES, 03-78476657). As I was told, Saripati (M) Sdn Bhd was no longer in charge of the maintenance of parking meters in the area. Upon calling SKES, a lady by the name of Ms. Devi attended to my call and mentioned that their company was now in charge of handling
maintenance on a daily basis, and it was up to me to prove that the meter was not working in the event of a summon.

I strongly believe my recent experience affects many other motorists in KL on a daily basis, and I would like to seek answers to the following questions:

1) In the event of a parking meter failure, what should we as law abiding citizens do? Are we allowed to park in these parking bays?
2) Why hasn't DBKL made changes to the notice boards in Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4 to indicate the new maintenance company?
3) In most cases, motorists would write a note and stick it on their car windscreen / parking meter -- is this an accepted practice to avoid getting fined?
4) Is the burden of proof laid upon motorists? If so, what proof is required for a waiver?

I would like to seek DBKL's clarification on the status of the fine imposed on me, and would appreciate your understanding on this matter. In actual fact, I did insert sufficient money into the meter, and also tried calling the designated number for maintenance. As such, it would only be appropriate for DBKL to waive the fine of RM10. While this is a small amount, I believe it is necessary that the local authorities take steps to curb a recurrence of such matters.

For your information, this complaint was initially lodged with the e-Aduan service (http://bhea.dbkl.gov.my) on 26 May 2007. However, it was rejected on 28 May 2007 and I was asked to refer the case to Pengarah, Jabatan Hal Ehwal Undang-Undang. I have attached a screenshot of the E-Aduan rejection (bhea-e-aduan-rejection.jpg) for your reference.

Thank you for your time and attention. I am looking forward to hearing from DBKL and can be reached via email or mobile (012-XXXXXXX).

I have also copied the email to The Star and New Straits Times. I am hoping for some answers, at the very least to clarify the question as to whether I should avoid parking bays with faulty meters.

Copy of my traffic summons:


Screenshot of my e-Aduan filed online which was subsequently rejected by DBKL: