I went to JB to open a bank account yesterday. I have to drive around the whole complex to find the entrance to the carpark. The carpark was packed and I have to wind my way down 3 floors before finding a space. All the while I curse the bad design and bad maintainence of the building.
Then I got to the shopping center and have to ask 3 people for direction before I found the bank. I thought the people I met were quite stupid and cannot give proper directions.
I approached the bank reception and was told to get a queue ticket. On the ticket dispensor was this security guard who just gave me a ticket already printed by him. I told myself ‘Mana ada system’. I cannot see any electronic display board to tell me when is my turn and where to go. What a useless bank. I ask a tudong clad lady behind the first dask and she pointed to where I should wait. In front of me with the bank officer was this about 80 year old Chinese Singaporean man. He had his pink I/C on the desk. It looks like this elderly man have difficult understand and deciding what he want but the Malay lady officer had her graceful smile all the time and patiently repeat her instructions. It went on for about 20 minutes. I was impatient.
Just then a very sweet young Malay girl with her colourful tudong stood up from next to me and invite me with her sweetest smile to have her seat. I did not notice her before.
It then dawn on me, what had become of me. I have become a grumpy old man, full of myself and with a mistaken superior attitude. I was blind to the patient, gracious people I was with but cannot see them. I recall everyone I ask for direction and met, including the security guard, had a friendly smile for me while I harbour disdain for them.
I have learnt a lesson form the little Malay girl with her bright colour Tudong.
Hi TS
What a brave confession! A promising start in the new year :)
Hi Tian Soo
It is amazing that you had such a life-changing moment… and that it happened when you felt most impatient, disgusted and annoyed.
Many Singaporeans like us have become this way because our society has made us so… no thanks to our leaders.
We pride ourselves on being “number one”, we push ourselves and our children to be successful, we crave material luxuries like cars and houses or the latest designer fashion, and, worst of all: we don’t give a da** for others in our pursuit of such ambitions.
We need only to cross the border or a bit further into maybe Thailand or Indonesia to see and meet people who are simple but honest, poor but content, generous and happy with their lot and status in life.
Yes, let’s start this New Year 2012 with kindness and a more forgiving spirit!
Hi Tian Soo
I must agree with Jassmine that it is a brave action which you have taken to share your ‘unpleasant’ encounter at JB. It takes great courage to write. Thank you for sharing.
For me, I believe kindness begets kindness. On one rainy afternoon, I had to deliver my completed ad hoc assignment but waited at the wrong bus-stop for my connecting trip. So, I had to take a cab as I didnt want to walk around wasting time to look for the right bus-stop in the pouring rain.
I waited for a cab near the wrong bus-stop outside a mrt station. There was no designatred taxi-stop along that stretch of the road. Shortly afterwards, a cab stopped a few metres away from me. A young lady stepped out but she had no umbrella. I ran over to shelter her from the rain and realised that there was another passenger in the cab, a young man. I told the man that I will come back to him after I walk the lady to the sheltered walkway.
After I have walked the man to a dry area, I took the cab. I put my wet umbrella away and started to send sms. About 5 minutes into my journey, I heard a phone ringing and then I felt vibration on the backseat. It was a phone left behind probably by the passengers who took the same cab earlier.
I answered. The taxi driver was made aware of the lost item. He said that he was in a hurry to change shift and had no time to turn back while I was still on the line with the owner. I told the young man that I could bring the phone to him later the same evening.
Guess what? When I showed the phone i found to the office staff, they all asked me why I need to return the brand new iphone4S? I stuck to my principle – finders are not keepers!
I returned the phone, got a small ang pow ($20) from him for Christmas which the young man insisted that I keep etc,etc. Then a week later, I got a full-time job which I have just started.
I am very happy with my new job. I hope that I will be able to connect some retired SHCians or any SHCians to do piece job under this company. I originally started with them on a ad hoc piece job basis.
Kindness is one of the values which my late mother instilled in us.
May we share a little kindness with all we meet along the way!
maywoo
Post #3
I have known the girls in the office for 2 years through my part-time work assignments with the company. They have faith that I will return the iphone to the rightful owner for honesty is my policy.
When I told my teenagers about my find, they were elated and asked to see the phone even before I could finish my sentence. I told them that I will feel guilty for the rest of my life if I kept the iphone. Anyway, knowing me, they were happy that I did the right thing.
Errhhhh TS,
After reading your post……
Mmmmmh……did you finally “opened” the bank account or not?
Or you got so “distracted” by the very sweet young Malay girl with her colourful tudong that you had totally forgotten about it……. :))
Your story ending didn’t mentioned this…
So, I am just wondering…..you know….about the lesson learned.
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Just kidding lah!! To brush away the Monday blues….
Ivan
The old Singaporean man was with a younger female companion about 55 years old. After a while she showed her impatience and walk away to wait at a distant. Eventually the old man gave up and they left. The malay woman officer was still smiling.
My wife and I took the seats and I said I want to open a joint account.
The officer said “Bagus. Did you bring your wedding certificate?”
“What” I ask
“Your wedding certificate” she said.
“Our wedding certificate is over 30 years old. I have not seen it since signing it. I think the ink must have faded or some termite may have eaten it. I don’t have it with me”.
” No certificate Tak Bulay Lah” she smiled
” Can I open an account with my sister?”
” Tak Bulay” Bigger smile
” Can I open an account with my friend”
“Tak Bulay” She said laughing
I don’t want to ask ‘why’ so that I would not return to my rude Singaporean self. I gave her my most friendly smile, say my ‘Terima Kasay’ and left.
Hi Tian Soo
From what I sse on TV1, Malaysia has a “Smile” Campaign going on. I just wish that they would do something about their Immigration Officers at the Checkpoints, though! I don’t remember seeing smiling faces during the times I’ve gone to Malaysia.
But you are right about the behaviour of Singaporeans. We are always in a hurry that we don’t bother to be gracious and do not have time for simple courtesies.
Hi May,
I once found a handphone on the SBS feeder bus. The driver looked surprised when I gave it to him to find the rightful owner. Everyone told me that I was stupid to give it to him because he would probably keep it for himself instead.
Anyway, my take on it is that as long as I have done my part and my conscience is clear, I have no control over what he does with it.
Aaarrh TS,
Now I know the KEY/REAL objective of this trip….
To prove to your spouse that it is NOT possible to have her name listed as a joint account holder of your bank account….
Mmmmmhhh, great! The next time if my spouse asked to have her name listed with/into my bank account……I know what to do! Let’s go to Malaysia to do it – hahahahhaa!!!
Btw, which Malaysian Bank? Just in case….u know…hahahaa
Yes Ivan. Go to Maybank at City Square in JB. They also do not accept mistress, girlfriend or boyfriend.
Be careful, your wife or girlfriend may ask to have the account in her name instead.
Hi Angela (#7),
I found a handphone in the restroom of a nightclub a year ago. As the nightclub was crowded and the fact that I didn’t trust to give it to Security, I held on to it and waited for the owner to call. Call she did the next day(guess she was tipsy and didn’t miss her phone that night), and the phone was safely returned to her. I received a lovely “thank you” card.
In another instance, I found a fat wallet (packed with money and credit cards) in the food court of Takashimaya Shopping Center. I didn’t trust giving the wallet to Security. I tracked down the owner with the help of my estate’s Police Post the very same day – her NRIC helped. Once I managed to speak to her, I told her not to panic and to collect the wallet from the Police Post, as it was a requirement for me to surrender the wallet to the Police. The next day she sent to my office a floral bouquet. It was not necessary but a very kind gesture. In the above two instances, I slept well knowing the rightful owners had received their lost items. Kindness begets kindness – I myself lost my money pouch, NRIC and credit cards at Outram MRT station late last year ad thought that was it, I will not see my money pouch again. Behold, it came back to me a few days later (all intact) by a group of Malaysian men in a JB registered car. Praise the Lord. I had to go back to Immigration to cancel my application for a new NRIC and got my $100 refunded.
Hi Winnie
It was wise that you did not trust the security on two occations.
Many years back, I lost my wallet in a coffee shop. I was very sure that I lost it there because I paid for the meal using money from the wallet. When I went back to the cashier to enquire about the loss, she was rather annoyed and uttered that she was not so greedy to keep the wallet.
Then shortly after, I received a call from the neighbourhood police post informing me about the wallet. Strangely enough, when I reached there, there was one lone police man. The only question he asked was: What is the colour of the wallet. Of course I was able to identify correctly. However, to my dismay when I opened the wallet, the money was gone.
I was puzzled as to who took the money. Can anyone offer an explanation.
Hello Robert,
When I surrendered the wallet to the Marine Parade Police Post, I had to spend an hour helping the Officer to complete a document. He was very thorough and listed down every item found in the wallet, right up to the various notes and coins (the lady had a lot of foreign currencies). I had to co-sign the document, list my particulars and given a copy. Next time, asked them for a copy of the surrender document which would have been signed by the person who returned the item. It is a requirement that such a document be filed by the Officer receiving the wallet. I am sure no one would surrender an empty wallet to the Police Post. This is the very reason why I made contact with the lady first and didn’t trust anyone else to do it. If you do lose any valuables in future (hope not), let me be the one to find it. Be sure to leave your contact number. Cheers!
Hello Winnie
All these years I was not for sure as to who took the money in the wallet. I could only make gueses based on the prevailing cirscumstances under which the event had happened albeit I had suspicion as to who was the culprit.
But after reading the life story of your encounter, my suspicion has undergone a transformation. I am much nearer to the truth in regard to the misappropriation.
At last my suspicion has been substantiated and the puzzle solved with your help and the case is closed. I thank you for the sharing of your life experience which is informative and valuable.
Cheers
Robert