Theft makes for a really Bad Week

I read with interest an article about a survey done by Deloitte's Financial Advisory that co relate risk of fraud and corruption during tough economic times.
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You'd have guessed it correctly as the survey revealed a resounding YES as answer to a question of whether respondent believe that there would be an uptrend of fraud and corruption risk during economic downturn.
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And why do you think it should so happen?
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Three prime reasons:

1. Financial: financial pressure is heightened with expectations for continued growth or achieving targets. As wages stay static and the cost of living increases, employees feel the heat on their personal finances.


2. Opportunity: due to cost cutting there could be to lack of resources and poor assignment of duties, which would eventually weaken the internal controls'; an opportunity for some to venture into corruption.


3. Rationalise it: Opss! That means people - both employers and employees - are coming to term with accepting fraudulence and corruptions? What's happening to our conscience? The employee says "I've got nothing to lose" and Employer says "We've got to do what we've got to to to win business." Hence, the rationalisation of such act/behaviour. OMG!

I'll add this to that:- Thieves and theft become rampant during difficult times. Well maybe not at the same timing with economic downturn, but I have every right to think so. My residence, together with that of my neighbour's were broken into last week by burglars having studied our situation beforehand.
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Have we been able to comprehend those responsible, I would not be able to guarantee that some incensed people wouldn't take the Law in their own hands.
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What a bad week for us. Now should we blessed the culprits or should we curse them? For now, I can't see myself bend on the former, more inclined to the later, so lemme take a deep breath and compose myself before i utter something I might regret later.
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Frightful and shocking weekend!!
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Stealing Laptops from Your Car

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Is it real? Or could it be another hoax?

Should i argue and ignore it? Is it just a myth, urban legend?

Well no, according to Daily Express.

Daily Express carried a short story today about the arrest of two foreigners in Selangor, Malaysia for stealing laptops from parked vehicles. Apparently they are specialist in laptop stealing based on the tools in their possession which include special car break-in apparatus and this electronic gadget.

This gadget is an inductive amplifier commonly used by electricians to detect cable embedded in concrete and concealed conduits; also used to do some quick electrical trouble-shootings.

This means it is easily available in the market and these enterprising looters made use of it to their "advantage".

So friends, please be aware. You might have some reservation about such method in the past but things change fast and what seem "mere imagination" 2 or 3 years ago can very much be in existence today.

As practicable as possible, don't leave your laptop in your car. It could save you a lot of hassle.

INTEGRITY is the name of the Game

Barely two weeks ago we were shocked with the tragedy involving foreign workers while on their routine to demolish the old Jaya Supermarket building. Last week we were again shocked (or, should we be shocked anymore?) by the collapse of roof of Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium.

Oh, and if some of us have short memory there were countless more "pleasant surprises" of such nature, let's name a few:

1. MRR2 in Kepong, failed in 2006 and again in 2008 (approx Rm20-70mil)
2. Land slide at Bt Antarabangsa in 2008 (approx Rm70mil allocated for repair)
3. Leaking Parliament building (remember some smart Parliamentarians poking jokes out of this)
4. "Flaking" new Federal Administration building in Jln Sulaman, K.Kinabalu.
5. Cracked and unsafe JPJ HQ building at Jln Bundusan?

Photo from Berita Harian showing the collapsed roof. Did we have a slightest tremor that could have shaked the "tough-build" stadium recently?

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Photo from TheStar showing the section of Bukit Antarabangsa which failed and slid.

Photo by keretadotcom magazine shows motorist being deprived of better traffic flow due to mistake not of their doing.

Speaking of flake, if you frequent the big shopping mall,1Borneo Hypermart, you'll notice that the tiles are also flaking like the scales of a dead crocodile. They have to cover these sections with non-slip garment or even masking tapes to hide the scaled floor.

What I'm saying is that, these big structures were build at staggering cost and we choose to go slow and easy in solving them from the root cause. We tend to fire-fight everytime there are problems but we selectively ignore the real problems underlaying. The Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium was built for RM292mil, MRR2 at RM120mil (could someone tell me how much did it cost us to build teh new Putrajaya Building at Jalan Sulaman, KK?).

If the people seem not to be surprised anymore, it would not be because we are facing man made problems but rather at the pace the entrusted Leaders are handling things. I'm not surprised at why the roof of the stadium collapsed but I'd be really surprised if there is no party/ies held responsible for it after the thorough investigation.

For your own good, don't include "Act of God" as one of the reason in your report because God is not party to your man-made destruction. It is "Your Acts and My Acts" that ruin things!


Further readings:
a) Bernama - Roof Of Stadium Collapses
b) New Strait Times - Bukit Antarabangsa Tragedy
c) Daily Express - Sabah JPJ building unsafe