Con Job Involving Four Local Banks

A friend's friend working in one of the mentioned banks below warned his circle of friends not to reveal any of their personal or banking particulars if they were to receive any emails requesting for such. Banks will not request their customers to respond via emails at all.

A sample of such scrupulous emails is shown below. Worst of all, there are people who will still fall for it .......... no matter how many times it was reported in the mainstream media.

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From: Online Banking [mailto:alexanderaubuchon@bankinginfo.com.my]
Sent: 19 May 2005 7:28 AM
Subject: *****SPAM***** HIGH * Hong Leong/Bumiputra Commerce/AmBank Group/Alliance Bank

Dear Hong Leong/Bumiputra Commerce/AmBank Group/Alliance Bank Member,

This email was sent by the Bank server to verify your e-mail address. You must complete this process by clicking on the link below and entering in the small window your Hong Leong/Bumiputra Commerce/AmBank Group/Alliance Bank online access details. This is done for your protection - because some of our members no longer have access to their email addresses and we must verify it.

To verify your e-mail address and access your account, click on the link below:-

If You Have Hong Leong Bank Account:
http://www.hlb.com.my/DF3RwiNBzvjz37l7c1h1p

If You Have Alliance Bank Account: http://www.alliancebank.com.my/86uZyaeeCm8nf5tu31i0vdq

If You Have Bumiputra Commerce Bank Account:
http://www.channel-e.com.my/0khaSRO3JT2s7q09iu53j26e33

If You Have AmBank Group Account:
http://www.ambg.com.my/s55a3m02A007h703iyr9
------------------------------------

I really wonder how the con job could be executed with a url connection that ties in with the actual bank's url address. The exception was Bumiputra Commerce's url address where it's totally different ......... it's a local e-commerce website promoting local products.

Something's very fishy somewhere ...............

P/S - don't know where will those url address lead you too ......... I didn't try as I'm not wasting my time with it

Related post - Scammers Used Malaysian Bank Without Fear
Tags: Hong Leong Bank Berhad, Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Berhad, AmBank Group Berhad, Alliance Bank Berhad, E-Channel, Con Job

Special Food

This dish is known as Yee Sang, something like a mixed vegetable salad ala Chinese style.

Took this picture when I dined at Golden Sun Restaurant at Jalan Kuchai Lama. That was my first taste of yee sang for this year bearing in mind we ate this few days prior to Chinese New Year.

My sis who was there said that would be her fifth time. Fifth time before Chinese New Year has even started ??????????

Those days, yee sang would be served by restaurants on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year. Later on, restaurants started to serve it within the second or the third day. Nowadays, the over commercialised yee sang could be ordered two weeks prior to Chinese New Year.

The same thing goes for the chinese restaurants. Those days (when I was young of course), chinese restaurants would be closed beginning from the eve to maybe the third day of Chinese New Year. Nowadays, chinese restaurants made its bulk of profits on the eve as people tend to eat out for the reunion dinner. The chinese restaurants would only close for business right after the full fifteen days of Chinese New Year.

The last minute shoppping for Chinese New Year brought me to Tesco at Taman Midah area.

Saw this pricing tag for the chiffon cakes - RM009. My itchy fingers were telling me to place the numeric 9 right at the front to make it RM900 ................. HAHA









First time buyer of the Big Apple Donuts And Coffee's donuts (or doughnuts). Those days I have only one choice or you can say no choice. Nowadays, there were too many choices to pick. Selecting this six donuts gave me a hard time ....... had to forego others which I wanted too.


Was fascinated by the way they baked the donuts. Instantly placed on a conveyor belt and it turned colour upon going through a 'burner'. Instant donut?

Not long after that, a hole caved in right at the centre of the donut as it travels along the conveyor belt.

Oh yea, Big Apple is a local food company ...... what a success!
Tags: Yee Sang, Chinese New Year, Golden Sun Restaurant, Chinese Restaurant, Tesco, Big Apple Donuts And Coffee, Instant Donut, Donut, Doughnut

The Ostrich Story

A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him.

The waitress asks them for their orders. The man says, 'A hamburger, fries and a coke,' and turns to the ostrich, 'What's yours?' 'I'll have the same,' says the ostrich. A short time later the waitress returns with the order 'That will be $9.40 please,' and the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, 'A hamburger, fries and a coke.' The ostrich says, 'I'll have the same.' Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.

This becomes routine until the two enter again. 'The usual?' asks the waitress. 'No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and a salad,' says the man. 'Same,' says the ostrich. Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, 'That will be $32.62. 'Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.

The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. 'Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket everytime?' 'Well,' says the man, 'several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes.

My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there. 'That's brilliant!' says the waitress. 'Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!' 'That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there,' says the man.

The waitress asks, 'What's with the ostrich?' The man sighs, pauses and answers, 'My second wish was for a tall chick with a big ass and long legs who agrees with everything I say.'

MORAL OF THE STORY
When you make requests, be specific. Precision is of utmost importance.
Tags: Ostrich, Request, Precision, Genie, Funny, Humour

Fishy Meal Across the River

Lots to share about my frequent trips to Sudan.

One fine day, me and two colleagues decided to try out a well known (to Sudanese of course) restaurant famous for its fresh fish.

It's right on the other side of the capital city, in Omdurman. About twenty minutes drive from the city centre.

While crossing the river, we could see the land below the bridge very fertile as it has the Nile River besides it.

Nobody's there as Sudanese people would have been there much earlier. As we were there for lunch, it doesn't clash with the local lunch time which is usually around 3pm.

Nothing spectacular of the surrounding area. Lots of desert sand.










This man took the fishes and dipped into their self blended sauce / gravy.

The fishes were snapped from the nearby Nile River.












Can be rest assured that the fishes in the Nile River is very different from those found in Klang River near my Kuala Lumpur home.














Thereafter, it was thrown into the basin full of flour just before it was.















Deep concentration on the discussion about the meeting that was held just before we adjourned to this restaurant.









The piranhas that we have ordered.

It looks like one but we don't know what kind of fish was that. We just swallow it. It ends up the same thing for whatever kind of fish we eat .... hehe











My colleague ordered ten fishes and surprisingly we finished all of them.

Together with three big pieces of bread and three bottles of mineral water, it cost us 33 Sudanese Dinar (US$16.50).
Tags: Fish, Omdurman, Nile River

Is Interest Rate Really That Low?

The Bank Negara Malaysia ("BNM"), the central bank of Malaysia, has announced a deduction of 75 basis points on the Overnight Policy Rate. With the cut, the new policy rate is 2.5%.

Besides this, BNM has also lowered the statutory reserve requirement that financial institutions have to place with the central bank, to 2% from 3.5%. Banks will have more liquidity to fund their lendings.

With this new policy rate, banks in Malaysia get to borrow at the rate of 2.5%

This is really good news for existing loans as borrowers will be paying lesser on lower interest rate. But how much will be passed on to the banks' customers?

Bearing in mind that the current Base Lending Rate ("BLR") imposed across the board is 6.5%. A difference of 4%. Banks are expected to reduce the BLR to reflect the cut in the overnight policy rate.

Two major local banks have announced that their new BLR will be 5.95%, only a deduction of 0.55%. Most banks will follow suit. But I find that the banks are still looking for more profits even at this trying times. BNM reduced the rate due to "downside risks to world economic growth as inflation cools amid weakening demand and falling commodity prices".

Banks don't see the same for their profit oriented businesses. Public Bank Berhad ("PBB") had just announced a RM2.58 billion profit for year 2008. That's only superb in the eyes of their shareholders.

Banks borrow at 2.5% and loan out their funds at 5.95%. Whatever rates that BNM decided to lower may not reflect savings for banks' customers as the BLR determines the actual rate that borrowers will pay in the end. 5.95% is still high.

I'm happy with that cut in BLR as my home loan with PBB is BLR minus 2.1%. Effectively, my interest rate is at 3.85% now.

Reading: Interest rates could fall further - The Edge Daily
Tags: Bank Negara Malaysia, BNM, Overnight Policy Rate, Base Lending Rate

Works Halted for World's Tallest Building

The Nakheel Harbour & Tower project in Dubai that was launched in Oct 2008 was indeed an eye catching development which will include the next world's tallest building in the midst of the development.
The US$38 billion harbour front project by the Nakheel Group covers about 270 hectares. Offices to be built could accommodate 45,000 people and housing areas for 55,000.

The Nakheel Tower is the main part of the whole project. It's an engineering feat just to construct this tower as it will be at least a kilometre tall. Besides that, four individual towers will be built within a single structure.

After all the fanfare, the financial crunch has to his Dubai (and the world too). Somehow, it did affect the planning for the world's tallest building - the Nakheel Tower. News came about that the skyscraper will not be built according to the planned schedule.

How bad is it affecting Dubai? Even the condominiums situated in Burj Dubai (the current world's tallest structure) are being sold at 50% discount. So, if you have the funds ...... go get one for yourself. Invite me for a stay when I'm in Dubai.

Reading: Cash Crunch Halts Work on Dubai Skyscraper - New York Times

(Pictures sourced from Nakheel website)
Tags: Dubai, Nakheel Group, Nakheel Harbour & Tower, Burj Dubai

Intel To Streamline Its Malaysian Plants

Intel Corporation, the chip manufacturer that produces your computer's processor, will be consolidating their worldwide manufacturing operations. Their plan is to close two existing assembly test facilities at Bayan Lepas, Penang.

These consolidation exercise will affect Intel's plants in Cavite, Philippines and Hillsboro and Santa Clara, USA respectively. All in all, 5,000 and 6,000 employees will be affected.

The affected employees, in Penang, numbering up to 1,000 people will be transferred to other existing plants in Malaysia. Intel has a total of six plants in Malaysia (including the affected plants) with three in Kulim, Kedah and three in Penang. The six plants employ up to 10,000 employees.

Any Malaysian companies who are ready to absorb these employees if the world economy becomes worse?

Intel is already facing problems and had to close down its plants owing to current market conditions. They reacted even before we could start boycotting them. What if we continue to boycott Intel and cause them to completely shutdown their Malaysian plants ........ that will be powerful indeed! Now, who will support the 10,000 employees?

I did hear that quite a number of foreign owned related manufacturing plants would be streamlining and restructuring their operations too.

Reading: Intel to Consolidate Manufacturing Operations; Company to Halt Production at Five Older Factories - Intel Corporation
Tags: Intel, Intel Corporation, Assembly Test Facility, Bayan Lepas, Penang