Lengthy Road Notices
While I was visiting relatives in Malaysia over the weekend, I noticed there were a lot of road notices worded in lengthy Bahasa Melayu. I wonder why there is a need for such lengthy notice if there is equivalent Highway Code that conveys the same message. It is not only taking away drivers' precious attention time, it is also wasting tax payers' money. Furthermore, Malaysia, sandwiched between Thailand and Singapore, has its fair share of daily cross-border drivers who would not be able to read these notices. If the Tourism Board can to tell the world it is "Truly Asia" in English, I don't understand why it can't adopt the same spirit in its road signs. Driving visitors are tourists too, you know. They bring in revenue by paying for goods and services during their stay here.Notices like…
Lebuhraya sedang di naik-taraf, sila pandu dengan berhati-hati (Upgrading work in progress, please drive with caution)
Kawasan zon sekolah sila kurangkan laju (School zone area, please reduce speed)
…are totally unnecessary and can be replaced with International Highway Code signs like
"MEN AT WORK" and
"SCHOOL ZONE". 
i saw this sign "Banji lalulintas sedang dijalankan, sila pandu dengan perlahan" (Traffic census is being conducted, please drive slowly) between Taiping and Gerik. I scratched my head over this. Isn't it peculiar to ask drivers to slow down for traffic count when you wanted to obtain actual traffic flow data for planning and design purposes?
Maybe this is the tip of an iceberg of what could be…. ahem… this is entirely burung pipit's wild "conspiracy theory"
Malaysia is conducting a feasibility study to tax all cross-border drivers. What bettter way to start than by counting the number of foreign-plate cars in Malaysia to establish a cost-benefit study of such a move. To be counted, you need to slow down enough for counter to read your license plate. This may explain why drivers need to slow down in a traffic census.
Malaysia government wants to certify all cross-border drivers to ensure familiarization with common Malay used in their highways and roads. Something like the undang undang (Highway Code) test drivers took before getting their "L" licenses in Malaysia.
…to ensure all kopi license drivers understand the hazard in front of them as these small and dwindling (I Presume?) group of drivers may not be too familiar with the Highway Code. Pak Lah's way of a more compassionate government?
Whatever it is, lenghty road notices are here to stay. For non-Malay readers, it is time to pick up a bi-lingual guide to Highway Code in Malaysia. One tip here…the ubiquituous blue colour "Jalan Sehala" is not the most common jalan (road) in Malaysia, it is the sign for "One-Way Street".
Apology
Thank you Maggieluerva and Mother Superior for alerting me through your sms on the problem with my blog comments function.
I had accidentally turned ON the "moderated comment" function without leaving a return email. Hence, i believe some of the comments left on the earlier entries had been lost.My sincere apology to those who had taken time and effort to comment.
I had since rectified the matter and again, a big "SORRY" to visitors to my blog for the last two weeks.
Table Service & Service Charge explained at Cafe Cartel
SO and i were pleasantly surprised when we patronised the Cafe Cartel outlet at Marina Square yesterday. Instead of the opening line “May i take your order, Sir?”, we were greeted by CC table service statement. We were told that our dinner would come with table service and it would cost us 10% of our dining bill.
The service would entail free cold/hot plain water (a contentious issue that was press fodder recently), free flow of bread & butter and having our dinner served at the comfort of us not having to leave the table. I don’t know whether this latest move is mere gimmick or a reaction to the recent bad press on customer service, CC had just upped our satisfaction index.
Our only lament was CC could have trained their staff better on the line delivery. The waitress was rushing through her lines and fumbled half way through. She had to repeat twice for us to catch what she meant.
Table Service & Service Charge explained at Cafe Cartel
SO and i were pleasantly surprised when we patronised the Cafe Cartel outlet at Marina Square yesterday. Instead of the opening line “May i take your order, Sir?”, we were greeted by CC table service statement. We were told that our dinner would come with table service and it would cost us 10% of our dining bill.
The service would entail free cold/hot plain water (a contentious issue that was press fodder recently), free flow of bread & butter and having our dinner served at the comfort of us not having to leave the table. I don’t know whether this latest move is mere gimmick or a reaction to the recent bad press on customer service, CC had just upped our satisfaction index.
Our only lament was CC could have trained their staff better on the line delivery. The waitress was rushing through her lines and fumbled half way through. She had to repeat twice for us to catch what she meant.
Table Service & Service Charge explained at Cafe Cartel
SO and i were pleasantly surprised when we patronised the Cafe Cartel outlet at Marina Square yesterday. Instead of the opening line “May i take your order, Sir?”, we were greeted by CC table service statement. We were told that our dinner would come with table service and it would cost us 10% of our dining bill.
The service would entail free cold/hot plain water (a contentious issue that was press fodder recently), free flow of bread & butter and having our dinner served at the comfort of us not having to leave the table. I don’t know whether this latest move is mere gimmick or a reaction to the recent bad press on customer service, CC had just upped our satisfaction index.
Our only lament was CC could have trained their staff better on the line delivery. The waitress was rushing through her lines and fumbled half way through. She had to repeat twice for us to catch what she meant.
Table Service & Service Charge explained at Cafe Cartel
SO and i were pleasantly surprised when we patronised the Cafe Cartel outlet at Marina Square yesterday. Instead of the opening line “May i take your order, Sir?”, we were greeted by CC table service statement. We were told that our dinner would come with table service and it would cost us 10% of our dining bill.
The service would entail free cold/hot plain water (a contentious issue that was press fodder recently), free flow of bread & butter and having our dinner served at the comfort of us not having to leave the table. I don’t know whether this latest move is mere gimmick or a reaction to the recent bad press on customer service, CC had just upped our satisfaction index.
Our only lament was CC could have trained their staff better on the line delivery. The waitress was rushing through her lines and fumbled half way through. She had to repeat twice for us to catch what she meant.
Table Service & Service Charge explained at Cafe Cartel
SO and i were pleasantly surprised when we patronised the Cafe Cartel outlet at Marina Square yesterday. Instead of the opening line “May i take your order, Sir?”, we were greeted by CC table service statement. We were told that our dinner would come with table service and it would cost us 10% of our dining bill.
The service would entail free cold/hot plain water (a contentious issue that was press fodder recently), free flow of bread & butter and having our dinner served at the comfort of us not having to leave the table. I don’t know whether this latest move is mere gimmick or a reaction to the recent bad press on customer service, CC had just upped our satisfaction index.
Our only lament was CC could have trained their staff better on the line delivery. The waitress was rushing through her lines and fumbled half way through. She had to repeat twice for us to catch what she meant.
Table Service & Service Charge explained at Cafe Cartel
SO and i were pleasantly surprised when we patronised the Cafe Cartel outlet at Marina Square yesterday. Instead of the opening line “May i take your order, Sir?”, we were greeted by CC table service statement. We were told that our dinner would come with table service and it would cost us 10% of our dining bill.
The service would entail free cold/hot plain water (a contentious issue that was press fodder recently), free flow of bread & butter and having our dinner served at the comfort of us not having to leave the table. I don’t know whether this latest move is mere gimmick or a reaction to the recent bad press on customer service, CC had just upped our satisfaction index.
Our only lament was CC could have trained their staff better on the line delivery. The waitress was rushing through her lines and fumbled half way through. She had to repeat twice for us to catch what she meant.
Table Service & Service Charge explained at Cafe Cartel
SO and i were pleasantly surprised when we patronised the Cafe Cartel outlet at Marina Square yesterday. Instead of the opening line “May i take your order, Sir?”, we were greeted by CC table service statement. We were told that our dinner would come with table service and it would cost us 10% of our dining bill.
The service would entail free cold/hot plain water (a contentious issue that was press fodder recently), free flow of bread & butter and having our dinner served at the comfort of us not having to leave the table. I don’t know whether this latest move is mere gimmick or a reaction to the recent bad press on customer service, CC had just upped our satisfaction index.
Our only lament was CC could have trained their staff better on the line delivery. The waitress was rushing through her lines and fumbled half way through. She had to repeat twice for us to catch what she meant.
Table Service & Service Charge explained at Cafe Cartel
SO and i were pleasantly surprised when we patronised the Cafe Cartel outlet at Marina Square yesterday. Instead of the opening line “May i take your order, Sir?”, we were greeted by CC table service statement. We were told that our dinner would come with table service and it would cost us 10% of our dining bill.
The service would entail free cold/hot plain water (a contentious issue that was press fodder recently), free flow of bread & butter and having our dinner served at the comfort of us not having to leave the table. I don’t know whether this latest move is mere gimmick or a reaction to the recent bad press on customer service, CC had just upped our satisfaction index.
Our only lament was CC could have trained their staff better on the line delivery. The waitress was rushing through her lines and fumbled half way through. She had to repeat twice for us to catch what she meant.
