Earning RM5,000 pm in KL, without a job. A Street Boy Talks Part 2

This is Part 2 of yesterdays post Earning RM5,000 pm in KL, without a job. A Street Boy Talks

This is a story about Steven, a 24 year old guy, how he earns money and his lifestyle.

In this second post, Steven tells about his studies, his previous jobs, his current lifestyle – how he works and how he plays, and how he earns more than RM5,000 per month in his trade, without a boss.

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Steven said that as he does not come from a rich family, he had to learn about real life, fast.

Steven said that he attended a private college in KL to study business administration. He studied up to the diploma level and did not continue to pursue it at degree level. "In college, I didn’t learn anything practical for doing business" he said.

"I always wanted to do business. But I look at my lecturers, they are earning very little – and they have got bachelors and masters degrees", Steven observes.

His first "real jobs" were helping his parents to do "odd jobs" at their stalls since he was 6 years old.

He learnt early that, in business, you must know what your customers want, how much they are willing to pay for it and where to source for the products at a cheaper price than your competitors.

"In college, I had to learn so many theories that were simply useless for my business". Steven complained, "I couldn’t ask the lecturer how to apply all these in real life, because he himself doesn’t know…if he did know, he wouldn’t be working for people".

Steven however feels that higher formal education is essential today for people who want to get a job working in a company earning a steady monthly income. "Its ok, if you just want to get a job and ‘makan gaji’ – without a degree these days, it is very difficult to get a decent job" he said.

He came to KL when he was 18 years old. He shared a small rented room in SS2 PJ with a friend each paying RM150 per month. "I didn’t have a car then, I only had an old ‘kap chai’; that was our mode of transport" Steven recalled.

When he first came to KL, he started working part time at a stationery shop while he was studying. "In my second year here, I started giving private tuition" Steven said.

After obtaining his diploma, he got a job working for a telemarketing company full time, selling "holiday, hotel and dining packages". Steven said that "although there was a basic salary and commission each month, I could only earn about RM1,800 per month. I had to call 100s of people per week".

He claimed that he couldn’t earn more money at the telemarketing company because he "didn’t have control over the products" – he had to sell whatever "package" his company was promoting. He couldn’t sell what the customers wanted.

"I have always tried to think of other ways to earn more money." Steven said.

He also got involved in a multi-leval marketing company selling "vitamins, shampoo and other household stuff" on a part time basis. He found that it was very difficult for him to earn very much in multi-level marketing, as competition is very stiff and the products offered are quite generic and relatively expensive. "It is very difficult to convince someone to buy a bottle of vitamins for RM90, when similar generic brands are sold at about RM25 in the pharmacies." he said.

Steven quit the multi-level marketing business after a year. "I know of people who have made it big in the multi-level marketing business, but that business is not for me…I want to have control over the price and demand of the products I sell" he explained.

He admitted, however, that the multi-level marketing company exposed him to many new ideas on entrepreneurship, "I learnt a lot from doing multi-level marketing. I was introduced to books and cassette tapes that motivated me to succeed. I learnt how to approach people, how to be professional, manage my time, how to network, etc".

Steven explained that he got into his current direct sales business by accident, "one day while eating at a ‘Bangsar mamak’, there was this guy who came to my table trying to sell me a chess set for RM30. I talked to him for a while and he then introduced me to his team leader".

After discussing with the team leader, he realised that he faced a problem should he decide to join that company – it does not give its sales representatives a basic salary. The arrangement was purely on a commission basis. "I was thinking, how was I going to pay my basic monthly expenses, if I quit my job ?" he said. Then, he came upon an idea, "I resigned from my telemarketing job and took a job with a cyber café doing night shift, my basic salary was less, but I knew I could earn more with the direct sales company in the morning".

The following month he started his new adventure – cyber café personnel at night and direct salesman in the morning. The first two months was tough, he said "I had to work from 7pm in the evening to 2am in the morning at the cyber café, then at 8am I have report to work at the direct sales company and work until 5pm".

But his plan worked – he earned more. "In my second month, doing two jobs I earned a total of RM3,000" he said proudly. In the third month, he was confident of earning a steady income from only his direct sales job, so he quit his cyber café job. "I worked for the direct sales company full time for about eight months, every month earning from RM2,000 to RM3,000 depending on the products, price and timing", he explains.

With his new found ‘success’, he bought himself his first car – a Proton Iswara.
"I know it is not a big deal lah, but for someone my age at that time, it is. I bought it with my own money" he said proudly.

"These days, if you’ve got no car, you can’t get any ‘chicks’" he said, while grinning.

However, he wasn’t satisfied with his current job earning a max of RM3,000 per month. "I know, RM3,000 is a lot for most diploma holders my age, at that time. Most of my ex college mates were either still studying, unemployed, or were earning much less than I was, but I still was not happy", he said.

To look for alternatives of earning more money, he contacted his ex-supervisor of the stationery shop he used to work for part time when he was still studying. "My ex- supervisor suggested that I sell stationery products to small companies and also do retail sales to customers on my own" he said.

With this idea, he contacted various stationery suppliers for quotes and met with them to discuss business possibilities. "Once, I got the ‘jalan’ I knew I could sell these stuff to small companies along the LRT routes".

He quit his job at the direct sales company and became his own boss – getting supplies directly from suppliers and selling it directly to small companies along the LRT route. "I just park my car near the Kelana Jaya LRT station, and take the LRT. I service the small offices in the buildings near the LRT stations. I made friends with the secretaries and receptionists…when they need small and odd stationery supplies, they will call me and I will go to their offices. It is a very convenient arrangement for them, although the price can sometimes be a little bit higher." he explains

"Sometimes, the bosses ask me to go into their rooms and privately ask if I can supply to them ‘blue movies’, they are willing to pay up to RM50 per DVD - they are too embarrassed to buy it themselves at the ‘pasar malam’ or DVD shop. I don’t want to get involved in this kind of business, so I politely decline", he said.

During lunch hour he walks the food stalls selling pens, calculators etc to office workers. He also gets new ‘contacts’ this way. "These are things people need. You don’t have to explain to them why they need it" he explains.

He admits that whilst the work itself isn't very difficult, not everyone can be successful at this trade. "This work is not hard. But not everyone can do well in this kind of work. You must be very 'thick skinned' and have the guts. You must not care what stangers will say when you approach them. You must also be very street wise" he said.

He said in a good month he can earn up to RM7,000. In an average month he earns about RM5,000. "The worst month so far was when I earned only RM3,500" he admits.

"I meet a lot of people in this line of work, some people ask me to join their company as sales rep, some ask me to join their insurance agency…each month I get two to five job offers, but I politely decline. I will never work for anyone again", he said.

He said he loves his current business and lifestyle, "I am my own boss, if I want to work, I work. If I don’t feel like working that day, I stay at home and watch Astro or go ‘kacau’ my friends working" he said with a mischievous laugh.

"I start work at 10am and finish at 4pm. I don’t work weekends." He said with a smile.

He goes clubbing at least twice a week and "have bottles" in 3 clubs in KL. "I am still young…only 24 years old, I work hard and enjoy lah", he said.

He doesn’t have a steady girlfriend but has many temporary "lovers". "A steady girlfriend takes up a lot of time, anyway, I’m still young. I prefer ‘no strings attached’ type relationships. I can meet ‘chicks’ anywhere…in clubs mostly. Just buy a bottle and you are set to make friends with the ‘chicks’.

Although he has experienced some financial ‘success’ compared to his peers, he is embarrassed to tell girls he meets in clubs what he does for a living. "You tell ‘chicks’ you sell office supplies door to door, they will look down on you lah." He said. He usually tells the girls he meets at clubs that he is the marketing manager for a foreign company. "Aiyah…just throw some money and they will believe whatever you tell them lah’, he said with a laugh.

He is currently working on expending his business with a friend. He also intends to buy his own condo and a new Satria. "I have so many things on my mind now, but I hope things work out well with my new business partner, it is possible that I can earn more than RM10,000 per month. At the mean time, I want to buy my own condo and change my car lah" he said.

I asked him if I could publish his phone number so he could get more business. "Not yet lah, I’m just a small fry now. Maybe next time, when I have my own office" he declined humbly.

By the way, I asked him how much profit he made from the gel pens he sold my friend and I - at RM10 per packet of 5 pens. "Small profit only…my cost is less than RM5 per pack", he said, laughing. What a pleasant bastard ! Anyway, he paid for two rounds of coffee and cakes, so I laughed too.

As usual, please post your comments about this story, so others can learn from you, and you can learn from others.

The Batu Ajaib Speaks - Week 1

Thank you for all questions sent. These are the questions picked randomly for the Batu Ajaib to answer. Here are the selected questions and answers:

Q: Why doesn’t my girlfriend like to swallow my sperm ?

From: Pete (no location given)

The Batu Ajaib:

Maybe yours taste awful. Why don’t you swallow your own sperm and set a good example for her.

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Q: I read the article about ghosts in Malaysia. What kind of ghosts can live here ?

From: Bulu5 - Kajang, Selangor

The Batu Ajaib:

There are 3 main kinds of ghosts who live in Malaysia:

• Malaysian Ghosts
• "Kwai Lo" – foreign devils / ghosts, in Cantonese
• Red Devils – also called "Huntu Manchester United"

But the ghosts must all be either Malaysian citizens or have a valid Visa.

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Q: I work very hard but never get noticed at work by management. How do I get noticed and be placed in a more appropriate position ?

From: Shirley - Singapore

The Batu Ajaib:

For 3 consecutive days, go to work late wearing a playboy bunny costume. You will immediately be noticed by management and placed in an appropriate position in the company or somewhere else.

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Q: Do hungry ghosts only eat Chinese food ? Do they eat any other food ?

From: K.C. - Ipoh, Malaysia

The Batu Ajaib:

Hungry ghosts only eat Chinese food. Sometimes when they are very hungry, they also eat KFC and McDonalds, but they don’t eat the French fries.

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Q: How do I come up with new stuff to blog about every day? Some days I am as dry as trying to squeeze water out of a batu :(

From: Yozoranitesky (no location given)

The Batu Ajaib:

You can come up with new stuff to blog about everyday by knowing your audience. For instance, if your audience is mainly horny Ah Bengs, then write about things that will interest horny Ah Bengs. Keep updated with Ah Beng culture by reading Ah Beng blogs and websites. Speak with Ah Bengs to get their views.

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Q: Who is going to win the EPL match tonight, Chelsea or Liverpool ?

From: Mr. Potato- Penang, Malaysia

The Batu Ajaib Speaks:

The team that will win the EPL match tonight is the team whose manager did not masturbate 24 hours before the match. If the game ends with a draw, that means both team managers masturbated 24 hours before the match.

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Q: What is the winning 4D number today ?

From: Ricky - Malaysia

The Batu Ajaib Speaks:

The winning number is 7, I will give you the other three numbers next week.

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Ok folks, thats all for this week. Have a good week ahead.

Remember, read the instructions for The Batu Ajaib Speaks posted earlier, if you want your questions answered here.

Earning RM5,000 pm in KL, without a job. A Street Boy Talks.

Im looking back at an incident that happened early last month. It was an otherwise regular Tuesday afternoon at a corner Chinese coffee shop (a "kopi tiam") during lunch hour. I had just ordered a plate of chicken rice and my friend ordered a bowl of laksa.

We were chatting about how expensive the price of things had become in KL. We were calculating how much a single early 20s to mid 30s white-collar worker needs to earn per month, to live comfortably in KL.

Having factored in the basic necessities for "a comfortable living" and debated how "an average single (unmarried) male and female white-collar worker" is defined, we rather arbitrarily come to agree that a net income of RM5,000 per month is the ideal figure.

Yes, RM5,000 is the net take home pay, after deducting tax, EPF and Socso. This should be sufficient for an unmarried white-collar worker to live comfortably in KL. Without boring you with details, but just to give you an idea about what we consider an "average white collar worker" and "a comfortable living", this is what we had decided upon:

An average white-collar worker is someone with basic tertiary education (eg. a bachelor’s degree), able to communicate reasonably well in English and Malay, uses his or her "knowledge" (brains – some don’t have even that !) rather than muscles, to earn a living. A comfortable living would mean living at least in a medium cost rented / own apartment (whether shared or not) of approximately RM800 per month, owning at least a Proton Wira, going for a holiday yearly, going for movies, drinks and eating at restaurants during weekends, buying clothes and accessories, having some money to save and invest etc. I must emphasise that although this criteria is purely arbitrary, it is not far from the ideal.

Given this case, then, looking at the salary scale today, a person who earns a net income of RM5,000 per month is someone at a managerial level with an average of 5-8 years working experience, post graduation. This is pathetic !

What we realise was that the majority of white-collar workers in Klang Valley are only earning anything from RM1,600 to RM3,500 net per month.

While we were discussing this, we looked around the coffee shop and played a game of guessing "how much do you think that guy earns ?", "do you think he is the boss or subordinate ?" etc etc – purely based on appearance and demeanour.

Suddenly, a pleasant but urgent voice interrupted our "game". "Hello, sorry to interrupt your conversation…". WTF ! I looked up and there was this guy grinning at my friend and I.

WTF ! …you £%$*fu%ker ! Hello ??? can’t you see I’m having a private conversation ! (I didn’t say this aloud, of course).He held up a packet of pens and said, "gel pens…going for RM10 a pack". I gave him this very irritated WTF look and crossed my arms. But then, looking at the packet of 5 gel pens, I asked "how much, again ?". He said, "RM10, only for today". I was thinking to myself, "don’t bullshit lah, tomorrow it will also be RM10’.

Anyway, my friend was already holding a pack of pens and testing one. So, I forgot about being irritated with this £%$*fu%ker and proceeded to also test one pen…signing my name, then cancelling it – I did this 3 times, hahaha – bad habit. Testing, testing !. Don’t laugh…I know you guys do it too. Peasants !

My friend then asked, "got discount ah ?" The £%$*fu%ker said, "Sorry miss, this is very cheap and usually it is sold at bla bla bla….bla..bla". I could see that my friend wasn’t listening and proceeded to take RM10 from her wallet and gave it to the £%$*fu%ker. I also took RM10 out and gave it to him but asked him for a new packet (hahaha, kiasu).

Then he said, "do you want to buy a packet for your friends at the office ?". I looked at my friend and we both decided through some kind of "telepathy" to buy another packet each for our "friends". So there, RM40 sales from the two of us, for 10 minutes easy work – not bad at all.

After the £%$*fu%ker left (with a huge grin on his face…of course) – he made RM40 easy money, I asked my friend, "I wonder how much this guy earns per month ?". We speculated with different figures for a while, then decided to ask the £%$*fu%ker, personally – get it from the horse’ mouth. Such "kay-poh" people we are !. We looked around and saw him at the other corner of the shop, pitching his gel pens to a group of girls.

I told my friend that after he is done, we will get him to come over to speak to us. I looked at my watch and it was already almost 2pm and the office crowd at the coffee shop were dispersing – have to get back to work. My friend and I being "the bosses" can go back to work fashionably late (or not at all) – "meeting outside, with clients".

At last, the £%$*fu%ker finished with his last customers. We called him over to our table. He came over our table, grinning again - thinking we wanted to buy some more of his pens. I said, "you speak and present yourself very well" (he did actually, despite his fake grin). I continued, "we wonder if you have some time to chat with us…about your type of job…err…I got a friend who wants to join…" (such a liar, I am). He looked at his watch and said "sorry, but I have to go off somewhere else". To that, I said, "just for a while…I will buy another packet of your pens if you sit down and chat with us for, awhile". Hearing this, he sat down – greedy fu%ker !.

We introduced ourselves. He said his name was Steven and is 24 years old. Steven is about 5’7" tall, slim, has short hair, doesn’t wear glasses, dresses in office attire but doesn’t wear a tie, and carries a medium sized black pvc / leather bag. He does not prefer that we take his photo with our handphones, neither is he comfortable to reveal his full name (the full story will reveal why).

I asked Steven about his background, his previous work and of course, how much he earns per month doing his current "business". When Steven said that he was from small town called Menglembu in Perak, my friend gave me that "where the f&ck is that ?" look. I ignored her – bitch !. Steven said that his father is a hawker and his mom runs a stall in the pasar malam.

Steven’s story was so interesting that we decided to leave the Chinese coffee shop and continue listening to his story at a nearby café – I bought the first round of coffee and Steven bought us the subsequent two rounds and cakes (he was very generous – read on and you will learn why). We chatted until about 4pm - he seemed to have cancelled his "prior appointment" he had told us about earlier.

He has a diploma in Business Adminstration from a private college. He said he starts work at 10am in the morning and stops work at about 4pm. After work, he usually heads for his regular massage joint. "For real massage lah, no hanky panky", he said. As he has no paperwork to do, no responsibilities, no deadlines, no overtime etc, he has plenty of free time after 4pm. He also has no boss and doesn’t work on weekends.

He drives a Proton Iswara (which is moderately modified) and he was thinking of buying a new Satria. He lives in a fully furnished rented apartment in Kelana Jaya with housemates – He is the chief tenant. He goes clubbing at least 2 twice a week and "have bottles" in 3 clubs in KL. He has been to Bali twice and Phuket once, for holiday. He doesn’t have a steady girlfriend but has many temporary "lovers". Bastard !

He admits that, normally, someone doing this kind of business – direct sales, does not earn as much as he does and has to work so much harder. He said the reason is, "they don’t know the ‘tricks’ lah…everything also got the ‘right jalan’…"

Ok folks, to be continued tomorrow…in Part 2 - Steven reveals about his studies, his previous jobs, his current lifestyle – how he works and how he plays, and how he earns more than RM5,000 per month in his trade, without a boss.

Meanwhile, please post your comments about your ideal job and earnings per month, or tell us about people you know who are earning a comfortable living with a job.

Read Part 2 here

Powerful Wealth Amulet

Can this amulet make you rich ? Millions of people believe so.

The Jatukham Rammathep amulet is believed by millions Thais and to some extent Malaysians and Singaporeans, to bring wealth to its possessor.

It is reported in the Thai press that during the unprecedented Jatukarm amulet craze just a few months ago, the temple where the talismans originated, had been fully booked for rituals. Now, only a few amulet makers made requests for the temple to perform rites for new models of the talisman. Previously, the temple received nearly a thousand requests a month but now it seems very quiet.


With the craze now being over and the oversupply of amulets for the last few months, including the sale of the fake ones, has caused prices to drop sharply.

Thailand is known as the largest market for amulets. Each year several classes and types of amulets are produced and commercialised by numerous producers and investors, most of whom have links with famous monks and masters of meditation.

Whenever there is a demand for something, even if it is something considered "spiritual", there will always be willing suppliers. First, demand will exceed supply and the price will be high. Then eventually supply will exceed demand and the price will start to drop.

As with anything in life, the law of supply and demand reigns supreme. Remember the Flower Horn fish craze a few years ago ? Mature fish had an average selling price of RM250 each. After the craze, people were releasing their Flower Horns into public lakes or giving them away, for free.

Read the story about the Jatukham Rammathep amulet featured in The Star early last month.

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By KEE HUA CHEE

Aside from ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the other hot topic on the Thai people’s lips is Jatukarm, a highly sought-after talisman said to be driving the Thai economy.

I had never heard of the Jatukarm until I visited Thailand last month. Immediately I was bombarded with newspaper articles and TV stories of the Jatukarm craze. It seems all of Thailand is in its grip.

I’m told even academics in universities are writing theses on it.

So who or what is this Jatukarm?

Jatukarm Ramathep is a god associated with wealth, success and happiness. People who wear a Jatukarm talisman believe the deity will help grant their wishes. According to a friend, Krichsakol Khemamnat from Finansa Securities, Jatukarm was an 8th century king.

“He ruled over Nakorn Si Thammarat. When he died, many who worshipped him had their wishes granted. But he was only a secondary deity and not particularly revered. Even I had not really heard of Jatukarm. Jatukarm was not famous until last year when the craze started.

“We believe this is the era of Jatukarm, as he has entered the charts. As this is his golden period, he is now very, very powerful so we are all trying to grab some of his power!” Khemamnat explained.

He likened the ascendancy of Jatukarm to the Chinese animal cycle.

“We are now in the Year of the Pig, so the Boar has more power than the Dog or Horse. Likewise, this is the Year of Jatukarm! Er, actually we don’t know how long this will last but it usually lasts a few years before interest wanes.”

Most Buddhists see no harm in improving their odds in life with a Jatukarm charm, since the cheapest, “entry-level” clay amulet only costs RM3. All the popular malls sell them. Just keep an eye out for any place with heightened activity. If there is a small crowd huddling around a counter, chances are Jatukarm amulets are being sold!

Having succumbed to the craze, I bought not one, not two, but five talismans.

I paid RM200 for my jade Jatukarm at Chatuchak Market. My two flashiest Jatukarms are embellished with Swarovski crystals and cost RM350 each. They have been mistaken for rapper’s medallions or a piece of hip-hop accessory. A particularly lovely golden-hued version set me back only RM40.

The most expensive is from the original Jatukarm Temple in Nakon Si Thammarat. It came in a plastic box with the name of the temple: Wat Phra Mahatat. I was told not to throw the plastic container away for it was proof the amulet was from the temple.

I paid RM550 for this amulet at the Areewan Jewellery Shop in MBK (Mah Bung Krung) Shopping Centre. When I protested that it was scandalously expensive, owner Areewan said indignantly: “We cannot make a profit from the gods. Your Jatukarm comes from the original Jatukarm temple in Nakorn Si Thammarat, and I only make a little money from the gold and ruby locket. I sell you the pendant for the same price I paid the temple. I not make money from Jatukarm!”

Every Thai I met had a Jatukarm – from taxi drivers to the immigration officer who whipped one out of his shirt pocket when he saw mine. The bellboy at swanky Legua Hotel told me his tips had increased dramatically after he started praying to the deity!

Nakorn Veerapravati, president of the Bangkok Critics Assembly and a wealthy businessman, was kind enough to fill me in on Jatukarm Ramathep’s background.

Nakorn Veerapravati believes that the Jatukarm does bring luck.
The guardian angel(s)

“As far as I know,” Veerapravati began, “Jatukarm is the name of a guardian angel, and Ramathep is the name of another. This pair protected the stupa of Wat Phra Mahatat. I don’t know why Ramathep is not worshipped like Jatukarm, but since the name includes both, I guess we are paying homage to both.”

The story has it that 30 years ago, a policeman (or general or monk or layman, depending on who you ask) commissioned the temple to make 300 Jatukarm amulets, and these he gave away as thanksgiving presents for a wish fulfilled. Made of clay, each cost him just a few ringgit but is now worth a small fortune.

“These 300 original amulets are the most sought after! People go mad searching for them. These originals have the most power, and it is said they grant one’s wish within the hour.

“Last year, the newspapers reported that each one costs 500,000 baht (RM50,000). One was sold two weeks ago for 1.2mil baht (RM120,000). A millionaire bought one from the family who gave the originals away for 2mil baht (RM200,000).”

Last year, when his mother fell ill, Veerapravati rang a friend in Nakorn Si Thammarat to buy a Jatukarm amulet and have it delivered to him in Bangkok.

“My friend then told me something which almost gave me a heart attack: he said why should he bother doing that when I already had an original Jatukarm from the temple! He reminded me that he gave me one of the original 300 Jatukarms 17 years ago as a good luck gift when I left Nakorn Si Thammarat for Bangkok.

“Of course, back then it probably cost him only 80 baht (RM8)!

“I dropped my handphone in shock and joy. I rushed home and dust flew as I searched the cupboards and drawers for it. We Thais never throw amulets away, so I knew it was somewhere although I only wore it during my first year in Bangkok and hadn’t seen it in 17 years.

“Finally, to my relief, I found it in a drawer!”

Like David Copperfield, Veerapravati slowly and tantalisingly pulled out the precious Jatukarm from under his shirt to show me. His Jatukarm looked ordinary enough, being made from earth and clay with the embossed image of Jatukarm.

As with all collectibles, there are specialists in Bangkok who say they can verify the authenticity of such 30-year-old amulets.

“I had mine checked and the specialist said he didn’t even need a loupe, magnifying glass or scientific instrument to know that it was in perfect condition. It was hardly worn and never exposed to the sun.”

Alas, Veerapravati’s mother died anyway, though she regained her health briefly and was coherent enough to enjoy her last few months. She told her son she dreamt an angel told her that it was time for her to go since she was meant to be reborn soon.

At her funeral in Nakorn Si Thammarat, Veerapravati commissioned 1,000 Jatukarm talismans to be given away free. Word spread and there was a veritable stampede as 5,000 people queued up for his gift. The police had to be called in to restore order. He was told never to attempt this again.

According to some, this overnight craze started last year when King Bhumibol Adulyadej emerged from hospital following a successful treatment. On His Majesty’s neck, it was said, was a Jatukarm pendant.

The small pendant was assumed to be that of the Buddha but when a picture of it was magnified, it proved to be a Jatukarm. The Jatukarm juggernaut snowballed after that. Stories of its miraculous powers abound. Tales have been told of car crashes where people who wore the pendants survived whereas those who didn’t, died.

So far, sales of the amulets have topped a staggering 20bil baht (RM2bil) from an estimated 600,000 amulets produced so far. Jatukarm sales are said to have pushed up the Thai economy by nearly 0.5%!

Factories producing Jatukarms normally approach the temple in Nakorn Si Thammarat and pay anything from RM1mil to RM2mil for the rights to use the temple’s name.

Does the Jatukarm work?

Armed with my five Jatukarm, I managed to get an airport limousine for 1,000 baht, instead of the usual 2,000 baht. Upon reaching Suvanabhumi Airport, I discovered the airport tax had been done away with, thus saving me RM50! At KLIA, somebody gave me a ride home, thus saving me RM70.

In my letterbox, I found a cheque for RM980. Then out of the blue, a friend rang to offer me a 6ft tall, wooden Buddha statue I was admiring at his home two months back! He even delivered it to my condo the next day! A few days later, a friend sent over a juicer I was so taken with at her home?

Hmmm, maybe there really is something to this Jatukarm craze.

The Star

The Batu Ajaib Speaks

THE BATU AJAIB SPEAKS

"Batu Ajaib" in Malay literally means Magic Rock or Magic Stone or Mystical Rock / Stone . Some batu ajaib are small and are thus called stones, whilst the larger ones are called rocks - I got to point this out just in case some readers get confused.

In Malaysian mythology, a "Batu Ajaib" invariably refers to a stone or a rock (depending on its size) that serves as an oracle of sorts.


Just to digress a little, please note that this has nothing to do with Harry Potter's philosopher's stone (in the US film it is called the sorcerer's stone).

The correct term is actually the philosopher's stone; which in ancient alchemical text is the essential ingredient necessary to change base metal into gold. And that is a stone, not a rock.

Anyway, the batu ajaib I'm referring to is a large stone - something like what the picture above illustrates, thus, it is a magic rock.

The point of all this is that I'm going to start a new category called The Batu Ajaib Speaks - "the magic rock speaks". Here, you will have the opportunity to ask the batu ajaib questions and receive its answers. Feel free to ask anything.

Send in your questions via email to thebatuajaibspeaks@yahoo.com and I will pose your questions to the batu ajaib. Your questions will be randomly selected and the answers will be posted here weekly.

P/s: please type in the title of your email The Malaysian Life, so I'll know it is not some spam. Also include your name or nick, and where you are from, eg. KL Malaysia, Sydney Australia, Bongkok Thailand etc, just to identify you.

Format

Title: The Malaysian Life

Hi Batu Ajaib,

Q: How do I have an affair with my boss ?


Thanks,

Susan, from PJ Selangor

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Don't send me any spam - you know what I mean:

• internet marketing newsletters
• free ebooks
  
• affiliate links
• product info
  
• sales letters
• financial planning stuff
  
• scams - "Im a Nigerian prince....bla bla bla..."
• anything MLM
  
• any other fucking crap !
  

How loyal are employers to their employees ?

How loyal are you to your employer ? How loyal is your employer to you ? In todays fast pace world, where stiff competition is the order of the day, how do you know how long your company or industry will remain competitive (and survive) and thus keep you as an employee ? How do you know your skills will remain relevant to your industry ? In short, employment security does not exist any longer. Peter Cappelli, professor of management from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania speaks about the fallacy of job longevity. Read the article by the Star below. Read also a related post in this blog of how Peter Drucker would approach this new employee predicament.

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By THEAN LEE CHENG

LOYALTY and the notion of a secure, long-term career are becoming increasingly difficult to grasp in today’s fast pace world, says a professor of management from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Peter Cappelli was speaking at the Wharton Executive Series The New Deal at Work: Managing the Market Driven Workforce at PJ Hilton on Monday organised by KDU Management Development Centre Sdn Bhd.

Cappelli: Investing in employees is like investing in the organisation

“The issue of loyalty started in the US because American companies began laying off people. All the while, there was this belief that the employer will look after the staff, and the staff in turn should remain loyal and act in the interest of the company.”

Today, this lack of loyalty is found everywhere – at the office, in the hospital, at the CEO level and among young entrants into the job market. It cut across all sectors of the economy,” he says.

Cappelli says that in the 1950s, the tenure of the president or CEO was about 10 years. This was reduced to five in the 1960s. Now it is a mere three years with Japan having the highest CEO turnover today.

“US brags about it, Japan hides it. So you think it is happening only in the US.”

Since 1995, CEO and executive team turnover is up 53%. Cappelli says this is rising twice as fast in Britain and Europe as in the US. Firing for non-performance is the biggest cause, twice that of retirement. He asks: “If the situation is such at the top, what about those below?”

Restructuring, mergers and acquisitions add to the challenges taking place around the world, at a non-stop pace.

“At one end, employers have to deal with the issue of loyalty. At the other end of the spectrum, they have to deal with the uncertainties and manage changes and challenges.

“With such a scenario, is there little wonder that companies and corporations around the world have issue with investing in their employees?”

Cappelli was speaking to about 80 participants comprising vice-presidents, directors, CEOs and managers from industries from across the board.

He says the US used to invest 2% of their payroll in their employees but this has dropped. It is a bigger problem there than over this part of the world. Here, companies are continuing to invest in their employees and they must.

“When a company invests in its employees, it is ultimately and essentially investing in the organisation,” he says.

He says lest the participants think staff retention is difficult today, he says it is no different than from before.

“Staying on for years and years on the job is a fairly new phenomenon. In the 1910 and 1920, people go from job to job. Companies grew too fast, like today. And then came the 1930s and the Great Depression. The men went to war and the ladies and older men remain behind to work. After the World War Two, companies started to become more complex and the need for company specific knowledge became greater.”

The situation is pretty much the same today.

“The product cycle is becoming shorter. New products require new skills. Most companies have a one- to two-year business plan. Added to the short product cycle is variety.

“Added to this is the impatience of employees in their 20s. Young people act different from older people. They may be impatient, but they are also adaptable. With this scenario, companies cannot afford not to train.

“It is something beyond one’s control, it is driven by something out there, in the economy. As an employer, spot talent early and give opportunities before they can get it elsewhere. People thrive in challenges and opportunities. They want to know right at the beginning how far they can go with you.”

The Star

How to get ahead in Malaysia

It appears from my experience that in order to get ahead in Malaysia you must:

1. be able to speak at least english and malay
2. be sociable with excellent "PR skills"
3. behave like the crowd - individualist are not preferred
4. have "contacts" and continue making "contacts"
5. be good at "ampu bodek"
6. just follow instructions - do not "think" and ask too many questions
7. not show how smart you are - do not be perceived as a threat to your superiors or potential superiors
8. not be an intellectual or behave like one
9. speak broken english; to fit into the crowd
10. be an expert in image management - be cleaver at manipulating people's perception of you.

Dina Zaman whose article in the Star below addresses this interesting Malaysian phenomenon.

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A WRITER'S LIFE
By DINA ZAMAN

It doesn’t matter any more where graduates and professionals attended school, what they all want is a short cut to fame and glory.

THERE’S a sense of deja vu as I write this because I think I wrote about this particular issue a few years back – for which publication I can’t remember – but here we go again: getting a job in this town will be the death of a good number of us.

In April itself, I witnessed the departure of a few friends and their families as they moved lock, stock and barrel to pastures far away from home, simply because there were no opportunities for them here.

These individuals are highly educated, professionals and be they Malay, Chinese, Indian, they can’t seem to get the lives they envisioned for themselves here. I also had a new function: I acted as career-postman for friends looking for middle to senior management positions.

I don’t know about you but I really do think that something is not right here. For people in their late 30s with family to up and leave a country they say they love and to see friends with the skills, experience and yes, the emotional intelligence, not getting the positions they so desire – what is Malaysia Inc looking for?

Obviously everyone would point out that to succeed in Malaysia, he or she would need contacts. The network. It’s not just your education and fantastic organisational skills; you need to be on first name basis with VIPs and the young turks that rule corporate Malaysia.

D went for an interview a while back and was asked if he knew any Datuks. Being the rather gullible and exuberant fresh graduate, he blithely replied that the only datuk he knew was his late grandfather.

His interviewer pointed out that if he wanted a job with them, he’d need to know bona fide Datuks, not paternal or maternal ones. And since it was obvious the young man hadn’t any connections with VIPs, he was not fit for the position.

Likewise with A. Thinking that with her biomedicine degree she’d be up a GLC, she was surprised to be told by an acquaintance who worked there that she was not what they were looking for; they only accepted bluebloods from Oxbridge or MIT. A is a local graduate, you see.

On the other hand, I also have friends who have attended illustrious overseas universities and have friends who belong on KL’s social register, but because they don’t play ball, they’re put in cold storage or assigned to a “lateral position,” which really means a demotion.

I have a friend who’s a genius and attended all the best schools locally and abroad but because she wears the hijab, she’s persona non grata. Go figure. This country is weird.

What is corporate Malaysia looking for, apart from the obvious? I met with my old CBN friends over the long holidays we had, and these are women who can be considered high-fliers, influencers and personalities who hire and fire.

SC, an old friend, observed that it didn’t matter anymore where graduates and professionals attended school; what they all wanted was a short cut to fame and glory. And in her industry, it wasn’t just business and people smarts that got one ahead in the race; it was also sheer drive.

“None of them wants to work hard! It’s so different from our time, when we spent the first year of working stuck at the Xerox machine, doing dogsbody work,” she lamented.

Other successful friends echoed similar sentiments. They weren’t where they were because of their connections and degrees – the two would have been redundant if they had not battled it out at work.

Surely, young graduates are not such sloths? I have met with a number of young professionals who are very inspiring and work very hard. D, who’s now working for a foreign bank, is one, and thrives on pressure. I met a young man who’s farming cili padi and selling it to supermarkets – he lives and breathes cili padi!

And what of mid-range professionals like you and me, who are at a professional crossroads?

As a friend who’s based in Europe said to me over an email, she would not be accepted for work in Malaysia, simply because she “knew too much, she was too smart.” And potential employers back home have hinted as much that her presence would mean that she would want to change things, which would not be “healthy” for the organisation.

I can only think that what a person would need to get a job in Malaysia are the following: high proficiency in English and Bahasa Melayu, written and verbal (and already many recruiters that I know have pointed out that many Malaysians lack these skills; yes, even young Malays who are supposed to be more fluent in their language); relevant degrees and activities; enthusiasm, initiative and having innovative ideas for the organisation; the list is endless.

I do note another criterion that a Malaysian professional may have to look into: is he or she viewed as part of the gang?

Because just like how it is socially in KL, it’s high school all over again for the professional. If he or she is seen as too much of an individual with personality, that very fact can be his or her professional liability.

In this town, there are rules to be played.

Dina Zaman’s father wants her to be in the corporate sector. Her mother wants her to remarry. The writer wants to save the world. Help.

The Star

A good blog that illustrates work life in Malaysia is - Strategi Bina Kerjaya

Please post your comments.