BAD Telekom service in LAHAD DATU, SABAH


Letters

(Barisan Nasional Sabah leaders are the biggest winners in the Najib Cabinet. But the people of Sabah do not share in this largesse, as seen by the following letter from Lahad Datu. Where is the Najib slogan of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now”?

I’m Pang, currently running my own business. my phone number is 089-883033, register under publix pharmacy. My phone line has been dead for the past one week and no action has been taken.

when i go telekom and complain to the manager, SAHABUDIN, he told me to call 100 to complain, my phone no tone how to dial up? He ask me to go telekom and call 100. Come on, we are doing business, every second count, my fax all cannot go out, my customer can’t even reach me. When i call this number, is normal, just that no tone from this side, phone no ring at all.

When i tell this SAHABUDIN, no tone cannot call all the problems. He just told me, ‘I tak tau’, as a manager how can you tell me ‘ I tak tau’, you as a manager must solve the problems. Every month i did pay my bill, my biz need the phone. I’m wonder what telekom is doing, the only landline provider also can do such lousy job.

Second, my housing area, TAMAN HAPP HENG. 2 years ago i apply streamyx, telekom told me no port, but still process my application and keep on billing me until i call up KL telekom only they terminate the line without charging me. Until now, i ask SAHABUDIN is TAMAN HAPP HENG got port for me to apply stremyx? He told me still don’t have, ask him when will have new port? Same answer from him ‘ I tak tau’, now is 2009 how sarcastic is it a place no streamyx.

I feel very disappointed with this TELCO provider, i believe is the worst in the world.


Regards,
Pang Wee Siang (Pharmacist cum Manager)
Publix Pharmacy
MDLD 4643, Kedai Taman Tabanac,
Jalan Segama, 91100 Lahad Datu,
Sabah.
Tel/Fax : +60-89-883033

  1. #1 by k1980 on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 11:55 am

    Count yer blessings, Wee Siang. People in Zimbabwei are dying of cholera because there is no access to clean water, and here you are complaining of no phone. Give your thanks to the great leader Pak Jib for allowing you to have water from your tap or else he will get angry and turn it off. Then you will have to trudge to the river for your water

  2. #2 by yellowkingdom on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 12:02 pm

    I sympathize with Pang. My telephone line was down yesterday morning with no dialling tone. I had a friend to report the incident to 100. Within two hours, a Telekom technician arrived at my house. Probably be’cos I live less than 3 kms from their service building along Pasir Gudang highway. Unfortuntely he was not able to solve the problem before a heavy downpour. By 7pm the technician called to apologise for the delay as he claimed the office was closed. He needed someone at the office to switdh the port or something. He promised to look into it the next morning.
    This morning another technician arrived promptly at 9am inspected my telephone extensions and discovered a faulty telephone the cause of the ‘loop’. Detaching the faulty phone resolved the problem.
    I believe in Pang’s case the Telekom service manager has to be pro-active in addressing the problem to win the customer’s confidence. He should take the initiative to diagnose the problem rather than claiming ignorance. He was put there to do a job and to ensure complaints are attended to satifactorily.
    Telekom has to pull up its socks and ensure that all its managers and emplyoees meet their KPI’s otherwise, replace these deadwood. Only then can Telekom ensure a smooth and satisfactory delivery of service to all.

  3. #3 by voice on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 12:24 pm

    It all started with a government like umno: “hey we can’t have too much streamyx penetration in sabah lah, if not the people become clever, how we going to win in the next GE?”

  4. #4 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 12:29 pm

    Why you no go see your State Assemblyman? MP? Musa Aman? Maximus Ongkili, Bung Mokhtar?

    They all think you happy, happy by supporting BN 59/60 Assemblymen, 24/25 MPs. Sabah got 4 Ministers 9 Deputies. They enjoy, enjoy, you suffer, suffer. They keep you all in stone age.

  5. #5 by Cynically Yours on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 12:37 pm

    MCMC who is the regulator is definitely NOT DOING THEIR JOB.

    With Rais Yatim now the Minister responsible for MCMC, I suggest he is as critical as Lim Keng Yaik. Otherwise, it really sucks when you get another non-performer.

    Wonder Rais will handle these GLCs and billion-dollar industry?

  6. #6 by sabahan26 on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 12:37 pm

    that’s really a routine norm in sabah.
    To be honest, all basic infrastructure such as water, electric supply, internet, road and so on and so forth are ONLY FULLY EQUIPPED in Kota Kinabalu. other than this city, all other areas in sabah are still struggling for this basic infrasctucture.

    some of u all may read from newspaper tht sabah is being developed in wat way..blar blar blar… but, in fact, only KK is being transformed into a real city. all other places are still in a “shitty” conditions. i’m absolutely sure that in the next GE, Sabahan will give a terrible lesson to the existing government, after the 2 political tsunamis demonstrated in west Msia. God bless sabahan! we want changes, we will hunt for reformation!!!

  7. #7 by OrangRojak on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 12:39 pm

    That sounds familiar. How much longer do we have to suffer the handicap TM places on us? Streamyx for me is unusable at least one day per month. It is time-suckingly slow 2 or 3 days a week. I pay more per month in Malaysia for the most abysmal Internet experience I have ever had than I did for broadband that was 4 times faster and faultless for 5 years in the UK. And I lived in a hill-farming area in the UK!

    I wrote to MCMC and TM’s head office, and they sent some teams around to tell me ‘we get no complaints’. I promised myself when I started my Streamyx contract again a few weeks ago I would keep detailed records. In the first two weeks, I had to phone TM 7 times, due to unusably slow or completely dead Internet. It cost me about 2 days of productive work. What is this sh!t?

    TM has to get out of the consumer broadband market – they’re crippling this country. I see lots of layoffs in the news by major companies – why not issue permits to small Internet Service Providers, and force TM to sell bulk connections? Malaysia could solve two problems at once: employ thousands upgrading private residences and small businesses to high-speed Internet (it’s cheap, and easy) and allow small ISPs to set up competing businesses to ensure people get the high-quality Internet access that is the hallmark of a functioning nation.

    The TM technicians visited my house to confirm for themselves that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with my equipment or wiring to their network. I have no issue with TM employees, in my experience they’re polite and friendly. I have even had emails from one or two that appeared to know something about the Internet. The technicians asked me about Internet in the UK and replied “you don’t have the weather we have”. Which is correct. Where I lived in the UK it occasionally rained non-stop for a month. No ground works were possible during that time. My phone never, ever stopped working. Heavy rain (like you get here) is unusual in the UK, but once every 2 years or so, we would get a storm that would leave all the roads around my village flooded to a depth of half a metre or more, and would also wash the hill-side road surfaces away, depositing it in a heap at one end of the village. The heap would take 2 days to remove with a backhoe. The phones never once stopped working.

    Telecomms technicians are probably paid between RM 10,000 and RM20,000 per month in the UK. All installations are made more expensive by the very strict standards that apply. So if I pay more for broadband in Malaysia, and it’s unmistakably rubbish, and the technicians are being paid less than RM10,000 per month (I assume? Am I right?), WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING?

  8. #8 by OrangRojak on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 12:48 pm

    Oh sorry, forgot my anger management lessons. Do me a favour? Don’t mention the phones.

  9. #9 by old dad on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 1:42 pm

    Dear Pang,
    I know how you feel.But you must comply with the TM’s (dumb)way.You see as long as you don’t call 100, in TM complaint system you never complained! So as far TM is concerned there is no complaint from you.
    As for those streamyx subscribers, you must lodged a complaint, of which there will be a number assigned to you.Insist on getting this number.But be forewarned these TM front people will wear your patience out.After going through some very humiliating ‘exercises’ like switching off your comp ect(just to make sure that your hardware is not the fault) they will very reluctanly give you a number. Then it 48working hours wait(Sat & Sun excluded) By then TM technicians will be highly efficient to clear your problem just to close their job.TM seems to have another set of people who will call you up to verify if you are happy with the job done.Never give them a affirmative reply, cos from my experience, the bb service will be dead in no time very often.And it all over that dumbo merry go round.
    For your infomation, TM does give you poor suffering streamyx subscribers rebates for poor service if you know how to nail them good and proper.Just make sure your own modem/hardware are ok first.
    Go on people go shake the ball shakers at TM down with your complaints.Flood them with your poor streamyx service woes.

  10. #10 by monsterball on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 2:23 pm

    It is typical of present government management.
    Complaints no over head bridge takes more than 10 years to fulfill.
    Electricity is the worst in everywhere….yet if you delay one month payment…..they come and disconnect the main fuse.
    RM60 billion and so many other billions used for developments…yet floods…poor electricity…telephone….lousy roads…all are still here .
    But if you live in a 100% Malay are and cocksure mostly UMNO BARU supporters…the roads..all systems…will shame the most developed place in any part of Malaysia.
    That’s why…….we must vote UMNO BARU out…always talk….no actions….clever to approve billions RM projects for huge commission….one for you…two for me..the rest for the party amongst themselves.

  11. #11 by chengho on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 2:36 pm

    hiya pang,
    there are so many many service provider ,why u defend on TM only?
    there are at least 14 vsats broadband service provider in the country …..

  12. #12 by Onlooker Politics on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 3:32 pm

    “there are at least 14 vsats broadband service provider in the country …..” (chengho)

    chengho,
    Please don’t try to cover an issue of business incompetence due to monopoly of backbone telecommunication services by TMB by recommending the other vsats broadband service providers as the alternative for problem solving.

    As far as I know, almost all other smaller broadband service providers only installed the transmission tower at city areas and the transmission coverage areas are very limited. Lahad Dato is a fast developing plantation areas of Sabah but I doubt that there is any broadband service provider currently operating in Lahad Dato yet. Even in the relatively much more advanced state of Johor, you may find alternative broadband service providers operate only in the city areas of Johor Bahru vicinity. You cannot use a handphone in the Rompin-Endau National Park even though this jungle park is the popular resort for many Singaporean tourists.

    TMB is really a shamefully inefficient monopoly business of backbone Telecom service in Malaysia.

  13. #13 by limkamput on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 3:48 pm

    If you walk around towns in Malaysia from Kota Bahru, Penang to Tawau, you will see bill boards depicting: “Jaga Kebersihan Bandar Kita”, “Jangan Buang Sampah”, “Cintai lah Bandar Kita” and also colourful pictures/photos of people who are least bothered with our life. You will also see arches and buntings with colourful lights everywhere. Then we must also have heard of campaigns – campaign gotong royong, campaign membaca, campaign car pooling, campaign tak nak, campaign kebersihan, campaign tanam sayor-sayoran, campaign anti dadah, dan lain lain.

    In the meantime, you and I know that the whole town is full of garbage, disorderly, clogged drains emitting stench, filthy hawker centres infested with rats, mosquitoes and cockroaches while teenage smoking and drug addiction remain unabated.

    Now, relate what I have just described above to “1 Malaysia, people first and performance now” and you will know what I meant.

    Over the years, I think Malaysia has become masters in sloganeering quite akin to the communist states. Resources and energy were channelled to doing all the nonsense while the real problems are left unattended to. Trust me, like the KPIs for GLCs before this, most personnel in each ministry will now have to spend valuable time and energy debating and discussing what KPIs to incorporate for their ministry or minister. The KPI processes will probably become more daunting than the actual work of the ministry. Honestly, if we form a ministry without knowing exactly what that ministry is supposed to accomplish, then in all livelihood that ministry is not needed. Trust me again; soon we probably have to debate on what constitute “1 Malaysia” also.

  14. #14 by chiakchua on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 3:52 pm

    Ha, this is ‘Malaysia Bolih’ at work!
    Many civil servants are only getting gaji buta. 10 people doing 1 people’s work. They don’t care what’s your problem. There is no where for you to complain because the higher up is also the same! They have all been pampered by the corruptive UMNOputras; to get their votes so that they can continue to be in the place to rob the rakyat!
    Pakatan Rakyat may be the only hope of seeing some change; tell everyone you know to vote parkatan in the next GE, ok!?

    Why the lose the 2 Bukits? Because we the rakyat are already getting too fed-up with their lies; and its sad those bloody MCA and MIC dogs are still helping them to cheat the rakyat, phuih! What they get? 4 ministers and 6 deputies. Oh, no, this time one more extra!

  15. #15 by limkamput on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 5:50 pm

    sorry out of topic:

    MIC mulls pulling out of new cabinet. I say go ahead. There will be no significant difference anyway. It is all because of the Samiboy. He was not appointed Senator and hence to become minister. So he sulks and threatens because he has nothing to lose. If MIC pulls out, it is Subra who is going to lose the ministership. Samiboy must have felt left out and is longing to become the minister again. I know power and privileges are hard to give up, Samiboy. But you must understand by now you are nothing but a disservice to Indians and this country. It is simply beyond me that you are so bloody thick skin. You have enjoyed long enough. The next step is for us to get back what you have unlawfully taken. So don’t you ever think you are so invincible.

  16. #16 by frankyapp on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 7:28 pm

    Dear Mr.Pang. My humble sympathy.Mr.Pang,since you are from Lahad Datu,did you know anything about the Abu Sayap terrorist group making a sudden attack on your shore recently ? I understand,the army has arrested several of the terrorists,is that true ?.The streets of main town Lahad Datu are fill with many troopers,is it correct Mr.Pang. Many people I understand are leaving LD,is it aslo true ?. We should appreciate it pretty much if you would enlighten us here both west Malaysia and Kota Kinabalu.

  17. #17 by OrangRojak on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 7:53 pm

    There you go franky, a Lahad Datu webcam, courtesy of Tiong Kheng Holdings:

    http://tkhldldu.dyndns.org/

    Of course, you can’t see anything because it’s connected via Streamyx:

    or@taiguima:~$ ping tkhldldu.dyndns.org
    PING tkhldldu.dyndns.org (115.132.124.174) 56(84) bytes of data
    or@taiguima:~$ whois 115.132.124.174
    % [whois.apnic.net node-1]
    % Whois data copyright terms http://www.apnic.net/db/dbcopyright.html

    inetnum: 115.132.0.0 – 115.135.255.255
    netname: ADSLSTREAMYX

    Only kidding – it might not be TM’s fault this time. TKH are using DynDNS (very good service) to provide name resolution for a Streamyx connection, so the address might have changed and TKH might not have updated the records.

    Did you know you can host websites from home on TM’s network? It would be marvellous if it was reliable.

  18. #18 by polarrev on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 7:57 pm

    1 Malaysia???
    Kerinchi, Petaling Street and Brickfields = tiga Malaysia!

  19. #19 by OrangRojak on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 8:00 pm

    Doh! Forgot about URLs triggering moderation. Tiong Kheng Holdings have a Lahad Datu webcam. That’s enough to get you a number 1 hit from Google. It appears to be offline. If he’s in your extended social circle, maybe you could ask him to switch it back on?

  20. #20 by waterfrontcoolie on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 8:14 pm

    This is disgraceful, China can promise connection in the middle of nowhere in Tibet using solar powered units. In spite of ‘piratization’ where the employees get ‘ commercial pay ‘for doing Gomen jobs, there is nothing more than making the Gomen supporters happy and damn the rest of the population.

  21. #21 by lee wee tak_ on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 9:06 pm

    NEP in some ways, offered pampering treatment and prevent free competition. This is the final result.

    While I agree the weaker segments of society require assistance to progress in the name of social equity, I am sure none of our parents want our children to grow up uncompetitive, not having much substance and initiative.

  22. #22 by mohrafael on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 9:57 pm

    This is small matter. you have to help yourself too. don’t treat yourself like a king and expect solution for every problem at speed of voice. Be hands-on. work harder (just like if you want a promotion) go to telekom office. lodge an official reports to right chief. if no action, go next level. if no action, seek MP’s help. and next.. and give Najib a chance and time and give Tsu Koon a chance. it’s not speed of light. Forget Badawi’s time.

  23. #23 by limkamput on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 10:32 pm

    Mohrafeal, precisely it is stupid Malaysian like you that we are getting all the stupid services. Remember we pay for the services. May be a moron like you may have the time to complain from layer to layer. Others need to earn a living.

  24. #24 by owlz on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 11:18 pm

    mohrafael Says:
    “don’t treat yourself like a king and expect solution for
    every problem at speed of voice. Be hands-on. work
    harder (just like if you want a promotion) go to telekom
    office.”

    ———————————–

    ERRKK!!! Abang mohrafael, I dont agree with that and
    I think its a wrong concept in delivering the services.
    Whatever level of complexity in operational issues, the
    service provider must do something to satisfy the
    customer. Its business and that is how it must be
    besides in only gaining profit. We can see here the
    monopoly is playing a big role where TM is providing
    domestic infrastructure for the whhooolllee companies,
    institutions and even every house in Malaysia with the
    phone line and Internet. If there are at least two
    companies in this business field, I think the TM must
    be much harder to find a customer. The wholesale
    market can do with another aggressive player as there
    is plenty of room for growth without monopoly.

    -Sekian dari saya, University of Malaya-
    Assalamualaikum (in Malay it means “sejahtera ke atas
    kamu” and goodnight to all brothers).
    Work hard for better Malaysia.

  25. #25 by owlz on Saturday, 11 April 2009 - 11:26 pm

    limkamput Says:
    “May be a moron like you may have the time to complain
    from layer to layer. Others need to earn a living.”
    ————————————
    HAAHHAAA!!! :D I agree with Abang limkamput… No time
    laah to complain… Everybody has to work, earn the living
    and preparing the lunch on the table for children, wife
    and parents… Seriously no time… Even I am still a
    student, sometimes even got to long queue and riding to
    post office already took more than one hour just to pay
    for one bill and take the receipt… How about the people
    that already working, already married and have to send
    their children to school? Aiiiyyaa…

    .

  26. #26 by OrangRojak on Sunday, 12 April 2009 - 1:23 am

    Even I am still a
    student, sometimes even got to long queue and riding to
    post office already took more than one hour just to pay
    for one bill and take the receipt… How about the people
    that already working, already married and have to send
    their children to school?

    We have all our bills on direct debit or use Maybank2u – when the phone works.

    Services telling me “you have to come to my office” strikes me as very funny! I don’t think I’ve ever been to a government / utility office in the UK. Some things do actually work quite well in Malaysia!

  27. #27 by James on Sunday, 12 April 2009 - 11:30 am

    Encik Pang,

    Kes anda macam ini…….. Telekoms workers do not earn much even their manager probably is paid peanuts. Of course he is more keen to aspire for promotion. You are merely a user who is of no consequence to his ambition.

    Now, if you are a ruling politician or connected to one then it is very different. He will wait on you with both hands & feet. He will even lick your shoes to curry your favour. My proposal is forget TM as they are now worse than even the civil service in terms of performance, period.

  28. #28 by kengsong on Sunday, 12 April 2009 - 12:49 pm

    Dear Pang,

    I’m a Malaysian who currently working in Singapore, and i felt what you feel. Malaysia Telekom indeed SUCKS.
    First of all, with the money we pay for subscription monthly i can get at least 10Mbps internet connection speed in singapore. Many will say, of course la because after convert it is doubled already. If you think like that you are so wrong, we earn SD1000+ and pay SD15 for a 2Mbps connection. In malaysia, i suppose you all too earn RM1000+ in average but you all paid RM50+ for internet connection. And what’s the connection speed you get? It is indeed not worth for the money.
    Secondly, Telekom neer ever take out complaint seriously. i experienced before whereby the internet connection down for more than 1 month but not action taken by them. Until i said i won’t pay any outstanding since i did not manae to use the service, then only the mechanic came down. If in singapore, even though you just paying SD10++ you complaint will be taken very seriously.
    Malaysia government should no longer promote monopoly business as it is not relevant anymore in this competitive world. No competition meaning no improvement you should remember. Sinapore did a good job by giving fair competition to all.

  29. #29 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 12 April 2009 - 3:51 pm

    Dear Pang. Did you Ping your line?

    Go see your local boy Maximum Ongkili who is in charge of “Science, Technology and Innovation” or whatever it is called to see if he knows anything about solving it.

    Maybe you are so far east its better for you to link up with the Phillipines Telecommunications Network if Telecoms Malaysia cannot resolve your problem.

  30. #30 by ringthetill on Sunday, 12 April 2009 - 4:15 pm

    Our government had it all thought out. Yes, follow Britain’s privatisation concept, reap the profits for cronies and our race BUT failed to follow through the whole script and true intentions of privatisation, which are:
    1. to provide a choice of service providers, and create competition
    2. improve service quality
    3. and reduce coss for all.
    RMbillions have been spent by the Govt, and what results do we get? What about availability of high speed, reliable broadband internet services for all? I can go on and on, but whatever for.
    FIX THE FUNDAMENTALS AND ALL OTHERS WILL FALL INTO PLACE. Let’s ponder upon the possibilities. As a matter of fact the One Malaysia website is calling for ideas, or are they really out of touch so much so that they can’t see all the wrongs and defects in society that need fixing? Come down fom you high castles.

  31. #31 by OrangRojak on Sunday, 12 April 2009 - 4:43 pm

    and what results do we get?
    According to wikipedia:

    TM has recently made a few new major acquisitions

    Dialog Telekom Sri Lanka
    Aktel Bangladesh
    Excelcomindo Indonesia
    MobileOne Singapore
    Hello Cambodia
    MTCE Iran
    Spice Telecom India
    Multinet Pakistan (Private) Limited Pakistan

    I think I understand where the money is going now.

  32. #32 by pangwl88 on Sunday, 12 April 2009 - 4:49 pm

    Pang:

    I am Pang too.. i am from Sandakan.

    I know your pains…..

    Maybe Sheriff Singh is right, maybe the Phillipines should take over Sabah. Mabye with the Phillipino Government here, we will be treated more fairly.

    And Hey!!! No more illegals…., and we will have ample workforce.

    AND WE GET TOP NOTCH TELECOMMUNICATION AND INTERNET SERVICE TOO!!!!!

  33. #33 by lopez on Sunday, 12 April 2009 - 9:51 pm

    TM is synonymous with TNB, if not being GLC , it is loooong gone

    if you still on denial mode call theri help line….now dont get angry your conversation is with a computer sweetie and remember to follow the bitton pressing order.

    it is world standard but only thing it does not rank at the top

    thats why now it is very very urgent to put in a 300Million emergency lines for emergency purposes for vvip use.
    Sorry other business can wait..

  34. #34 by de_Enigma on Sunday, 12 April 2009 - 11:23 pm

    So its true GLC can’t simply fire those under preforming staffs as well. Probably that’s how we had such Managers in less populated areas to minimize complaints.

  35. #35 by lee on Monday, 13 April 2009 - 4:59 am

    yah….streamyx in Kuching Sarawak seems to be even slower than 56K dialup…errm…how come??? actually it’s near Hui Sing, my parents place, the strange things about Malaysian is they don’t know how and where to complain…..even though everyday frustrated like Mr Pang…go all the way to Manager also nothing is done….

    sometime i admire Singaporeans even tho they complain unnecessarily….let’s compare price…paying RM60 for 500KB package of unlimited usage but super super slow like almost not moving…but here I am in Switzerland only pay CHF30 every month for 4MB package and i HARDLY have any interuption at all…..smooth, fast and of course, makes my life easier……who says living in Malaysia is cheap???

    can we have more options besides streamyx???

  36. #36 by OrangRojak on Monday, 13 April 2009 - 11:03 am

    For people in remote places in 3rd world countries, I think perhaps pragmatism may be the only option. Some idiot suggested satellite, and that is a good suggestion for people who want to go online in the middle of the Gobi desert or in a war zone. Everywhere else, national infrastructure should be present, funded by the easy money that metropolitan networks provide.

    In Pang’s case, I’d suggest walking around to his neighbours, residents and businesses, and suggesting they form a community network. Find a nerd somewhere local that can plug cables into routers and old PCs, and connect your shop to local shops and houses. Point the nerd at the ‘squid cache’ (from Google), the Wikipedia article on ‘Multihoming’ and get him to re-read his Networking 101 notes. Try to get everybody in the community network to have their own Internet connection: (dialup is good enough if you have a few), GPRS/EDGE/3G handphone, Streamyx. If you can find enough people to club together for a satellite connection, you could consider it.

    ‘Sharing’ an Internet connection is usually against the Terms and Conditions of most ISPs. Try to avoid making a profit out of the arrangement, that’s even more against the T&C. Ask the nerd to block all P2P traffic at the Internet connections. P2P won’t help you argue your T&C infringement. P2P will be super-fast. Ask your community to bring their favourite shared files back on CD / DVD / their laptops when they go somewhere with better Internet access.

    It’s a hassle to have to do this, but I understand it works well in places like Alaska, Siberia and Norway near the Arctic Circle. The capital cost should be below a year’s rent on Streamyx, usage should be free after that – and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy 10-100Mbit/s locally. That means free video conferencing in your community and almost instant file sharing. If there’s ever a relaxation in the telecomms licensing rules, you might be able to convert your community into SabahTel one day. The nerd might be expensive: try to impress on him the sublime ‘coolness’ of the project and offer him pizza, Red Bull and pr0n. Only kidding! Not all nerds like Red Bull.

  37. #37 by OrangRojak on Monday, 13 April 2009 - 11:29 am

    Sorry “P2P will be super fast.” On the local network, obviously.

    Maybe you could ask some of the big plantation owners to hang network cables on the tracks in their plantations. They won’t be able to charge, obviously, but they could (like Tiong Kheng) benefit from an ability to monitor and communicate in their plantations, and helping out their local communities (by connecting them together) would be good for their karma.

  38. #38 by OrangRojak on Monday, 13 April 2009 - 1:13 pm

    I feel a bit stupid. Just looked at google maps for Lahad Datu. It’s like Moonbase Alpha! If, like me, you don’t know what Lahad Datu is like, do yourselves a favour and look it up on Google Maps, and then zoom out. Maybe you should consider some of the techniques NASA use for the International Space Station…

    Have TM actually laid a cable to Lahad Datu? It might be that you’re all sharing a satellite connection anyway… At least one of those Tiong Kheng webcams has pings that take over a second, so there could be a satellite between here and there.

    What do you want most from the Internet? If it’s email and P2P, and you have a friend on the ferry or at the airport, you could put an old PC with a wireless adapter on anything that makes a daily (or better) journey between there and the … nearest … proper … country. Hahahahaha just zoomed out some more. OK, maybe it won’t be daily then! Uh, ok, you need someone friendly in China, Vietnam, Indonesia or Philippines… What made you choose to live there?! It would work, anyway, a PC and wireless adapter, running a mail server and P2P program would just fill up automatically at either end. Long latency (!) but probably better average bandwidth than from the satellite. Probably similar reliability to satellite in bad weather. But much, much cheaper.

    Sorry for all the comments – it’s an interesting problem. I think at the end of the day, you’re right to complain. The government should be guaranteeing basic infrastructure in all its settlements. But they don’t, and there’s no likelihood before the next GE. And even if we all get a less incompetent government, you’ll still have a long wait, because you live in the middle of nowhere. You need to sort something out for yourself. There are ways.

  39. #39 by madmix on Monday, 13 April 2009 - 2:56 pm

    TM is a GLC: Generally Lacsadical Company. I have always advised my friends not to buy TM or Axiata shares as they have one great handicap: poor management.
    TM launched a new product a week or so ago: For RM 10, if you are a Streayx subscriber, you can call any land line nationwide for free. Great deal no doubt and on top of that you get a free cordless phone. I called 100 on the day the advertisements appeared. The lady who answered astonishingly had no clue what I was talking about; she had not seen the advert and does not know that there is such a promotion! I do not blame her, she was quite courteous and her ignorance was no fault of hers. Her managers had somehow saw it fit to advertise the promotion before briefing the front line staff!
    Anyway, a few days later I called again and was able to subscribe to the promotion. I was told to collect my free phone from any TM point after 3 working days. Five days later I went to collect the instrument; guess what? stocks have not arrived! Do not know when they will arrive. Again failure of management. The bosses who thought out this promotion have screwed up again! Why can’t they make sure stocks are in place? why can’t they say come and collect in 30 days if they can’t get stocks in time?
    This episode only reinforce my perception that TM has third class managers who would only be fit to be janitors in a multinational company.

  40. #40 by fm2 on Thursday, 16 April 2009 - 9:02 am

    Here is the reply i got it from TELEKOM, i share it here.

    Dear Mr. Wee,

    Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

    We write in response to your e-mail dated 11th April 2009 pertaining to the matter above.

    Please note that, as our conversation through phone on dated 15th April 2009 we are unable to proceed with the further actions due to the problem has been resolved.

    Kindly be note that regarding to your request of register a Streamyx account please visit our TMpoint for new account registration once the problem of the port issue have been resolved. Please be informed that any update of the port issue only can be check at the TMpoint nearest.

    We apologies for the inconveniences caused. Your understanding is highly appreciated.

    We wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued patience and understanding, as well as extend our appreciation for your continued support of TM. We wish to assure you that we are constantly improving our service and listening to customer feedback to further improve on the level of our service and customer satisfaction.

    For further assistance or feedback, kindly e-mail us at: [email protected].
    Alternatively, you may also contact TM at 100 and select \Internet Services\.

    Thank you.

    Regards,
    Suraya Hani Saat
    Customer Care Support,
    Contact Center Management & Internet Services,
    Customer Service Management, TM Retail.

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