More Malaysian houseowners invest in security equipment now

PETALING JAYA: Concern over house break-ins have led an increasing number of middle-income urbanites to install closed-circuit television that allows them to observe what is going on in their homes even when they are away.

Security equipment distributors said most of their customers are middle-income people living in terrace houses, condominiums and flats who pay between RM3,000 and RM10,000 to install a default package of eight cameras, a television set and a DVR recorder.

Market prices for CCTV cameras range from RM150 to RM600 a unit. A basic DVR recording device costs around RM1,500.

Checks by The Star showed that homeowners usually had CCTV cameras installed in the porch, side and back areas, living room, kitchen, stairs and bedrooms.

Centrix Security Sdn Bhd general manager Jeffrey Tan said the manufacturer has seen a 40% jump in sales of its equipment, particularly CCTV cameras, in the last three months.

According to market estimates, he said, Malaysians were spending over RM5mil per month buying CCTV units.

He said the company now supplied over 5,000 units a month to distributors and expected sales to rise as people became more security- conscious.

Secom Malaysia Sdn Bhd gene-ral manager Kenji Ishida agreed that residents had become
more concerned about home security.

“They have formed associations. Some even invest in CCTVs for the whole neighbourhood while others put up perimeter fencing and set up guardhouses,” Ishida said in an e-mail.

Tham Kok Hing, who runs his own CCTV distribution and installation business, said customers usually order a package deal which includes eight CCTV units.

However, an average double-storey terrace house requires only four cameras to cover all prime vantage points, according to Centrix Application and Development manager Fabian Low Soon Tuck.

“One camera should be placed in the porch area and another at the back of the house. Inside, a camera should be placed in the living room as that is the place where most robberies start and one in the kitchen because most robbers usually enter from the back or through the window,” he said.

Low said customers can have v-cards in their recorders which would sync their CCTV footage online, enabling it to be viewed on mobile devices like laptops and cellphones.

“When an alarm is triggered, users can log on the Internet and see what is going on at home despite being far away,” he said.

According to a National Key Results Area on Reducing Crime analysis by Pemandu (the Performance Management and Delivery unit), house break-ins accounted for 18% of the crime index last year.

Police spokesman ACP Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said there have been many cases where home CCTV footage had been used to apprehend criminals and solve cases.

By NICHOLAS CHENG nicholascheng@thestar.com.my

CCTV system affords safety and peace of mind

PETALING JAYA: Teacher Faruk Senan Abdullah installed 10 CCTV cameras in his house in Penang two months ago after reading about the spate of house break-ins in the newspapers.
“I felt my home needed extra protection besides the alarm system,” he said in a phone interview.

Faruk said he regularly checked on his home by logging into the CCTV footage with his mobile phone while overseas.

Extra eyes: Faruk pointing to the CCTV camera installed in his house after reading about the recent spate of crimes in the newspapers.

 

“The technology is very convenient and I can ensure that my family is safe even when I am away,” Faruk said.

A manager in Damansara Utama who wished to be known only as Ahmad said he and his family feel safer after he had several CCTV cameras installed in their home after a few scary incidents.

“Once, a few thugs tried to break into my house while we were at home. My wife was mugged in broad daylight outside our own house a few years ago.

“That's when I decided to install eight cameras in the hope that the sight of them would make criminals think twice about breaking in,” Ahmad said.

Despite several break-ins in the neighbourhood, Ahmad said he and his family feel safer and have not been targeted since installing the CCTV system.

For Yong (not her real name), the four CCTV cameras installed at her home did not just catch the robbers in the act, but also helped the police to bring them to justice.

The mother of four said her home was burgled by two men and a woman one afternoon while she and her family were out shopping.

According to the camera footage, they climbed over the front gate after realising no one was home.

“The two men pried the front door open while the woman blocked the front and back camera and distracted passers-by. But the side camera that was obscured by the air-condition unit caught their faces and the police could identify them,” Yong said.

The trio were later arrested in Mont Kiara.

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Malaysia paved with gold?

Malaysia is not paved with gold

A WRITER'S LIFE by DINA ZAMAN

Many Cambodians, who work two jobs in their homeland to make ends meet, see Malaysia as a country where life is good and where one can earn a lot of money.

MY guide Sey, an affable but quiet Cambodian man, asked how old I was. I had spent the whole day scrambling about the famed temples surrounding Angkor Wat. I was elated but bushed.

A temple guidebook in one hand and a bottle of mineral in the other, I grinned and asked him to guess.

Working for a living: Nepalase workers laying grass in the field. Many migrant workers choose to come to Malaysia in hope of a better future.

 

“Wrong!” I squealed at each attempt. After a few guesses, I showed him my passport.

He stared at me, and was silent. After a few seconds, he spat out: “Life in your country must be good. I am younger than you, and I look 20 years older.”

Sey is a graduate in hospitality and communications. He is 30 and cares for two families. He is in Siem Reap in the morning to guide tourists, and in the evenings and weekends is back at home, about two hours away, where he toils on a small patch of vegetables and does odd jobs.



His story is not unusual. Many young Cambodians work two jobs.

In the beginning, it was good. He found a job at a hotel, and worked his way up to the front desk. One day, he found his position had been filled by the child of someone important. “In Cambodia, to get jobs, you must know people. But I always ask why? Why? I am educated. I speak English. Is it like that in your country?”

He looked at me and asked, “Can you find me a job in your country?”

I stared at him.

“I hear in Malaysia you can become rich. Many Cambodians have gone there and earned a lot of money.”

I croaked: “Sey, if you come to my country as you are, you will be dooming yourself to a life of slavery. If you are not a high ranking government official or professional, or have business interests, you will end up as a waiter in some low-end restaurant or as a labourer in a construction site; and you may never see your money because some agents are cheats.

“Even worse, you might have to sell your body to unscrupulous men and women.”

He gawped at me. I had to be the worst ambassador Malaysia ever produced.

But no way could I promise heaven to a young man whose future may be doomed further. Perhaps I have too many activist friends. I have seen too many secretly taped videos of migrant men, women and children being abused. I love my country, but I am not blind to its dark side.

I looked at Sey. He looked so heartbroken I wanted to kick myself. I have never believed in destroying anyone’s dreams, but if this young man – whose intention was to just earn some money to help his families – comes here and ends up abused, I would not be able to live with myself.

It’s a lucrative job, hiring migrant labour, and my father, who had seen the ugly side of the building of our country, told me if I got myself involved in a maid or labour agency, I would be condoning human slavery.

My father does not tell me much, but from the few things he has hinted at, I know that only a person whose God is greed and power can stomach this.

One time, I had to pass Mont Kiara, and there were a couple of men comforting a worker whose head was bleeding profusely. The mandor was shouting at them to get back to work.

I sat in my car, transfixed by the sight. I told my friends what I saw, and one sniffed at me: “Your sentiments are idealistic. This country would not be built if not for these workers.”

And there was that other time when I went to a supermarket and the man who helped me with my groceries spoke to me in perfect English. He was a Bangladeshi and an engineering graduate and had come here to earn money. I couldn’t believe my ears. An engineer was pushing my trolley?

And there was also Rosa, the cleaner I befriended when I was a student pursuing my Masters in the UK. She cleaned up the rooms and houses in the area. She was from South America. She and her husband were graduates, too.

Before I left for Malaysia, she had written her favourite poet’s works on a sheet of paper. Alas, I lost that piece of paper over the years.

I was at the Bayon temple the next day but instead of pretending to be an archaeologist, I sat at one of the corners of the temple and thought of Sey. The grass is always greener on the other side, yes?

Sey and I communicate once in a while via e-mail. I told him that on my next visit I would want to see temples that tourists had not mauled yet. I can’t stand tourists, they should be shot.

“But you are a tourist, too. Hahaha!” he replied. By the way, he wrote in his e-mail, his patch was flowering and they were able to sell some of the vegetables he had grown. It’s still a hard life, farming.

Malaysia – so many Dick Whittingtons (a character in an English tale who went to London to seek his fortune) looking for that road paved with gold.

Different breed of entrepreneurs

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Photo courtesy of Technorati

The old school and new school think, feel and act differently – all in the name of business

ON YOUR OWN by TAN THIAM HOCK

SOME 50 odd years ago, my partner's father, Ang Toon Chew was staying in a hotel in Johor Bahru when he bumped into two reputable commodity traders whom he had heard of by reputation but never met before. That was the first time he had come face to face with Robert Kuok and Tan Chin Nam. They were among the early batch of famous entrepreneurs trading across Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

From this chance meeting, they created a business alliance that spawned many joint ventures and collaborations. Together with a few other associates, they created their own business empires by being pioneers in many industries. They pooled their financial resources in those days when capital was scarce and stayed united through a maze of cross holdings that were complemented by complete mutual trust.

Right after Malaysia gained independence, the Ang family initiated the setting up of Petaling Garden (PGB) and together with all their business associates pooled an initial paid up capital of RM1mil. In the early 60s, this capital enabled PGB to buy many pieces of land that finally became Section 5 & 6, Gasing Hill and Section 17. Ang's son, Ang Guan Seng was tasked to manage this company and he stayed there for almost 50 years and was believed to hold the record as the longest serving Managing Director of a Public listed company in Malaysia.

Robert Kuok managed the sugar and flour business and set up Shangri-la Hotel, again with these few close associates. Datuk Tan Chin Nam set up Ipoh Garden (IGB) and went on to own one of the most successful racing horse stables in the world. Their billion dollar empires were built brick by brick and often side by side. Just pure collective blood, sweat and tears.

I have admired a few master entrepreneurs in my short career and all of them tend to be “old school”. Nothing against the young entrepreneurs, as it takes more than one or two successful business ventures to earn the “master” accolade. The old Master has tasted more failures than success, cheated by those that he trusted and has sailed through countless economic storms and business cycles.

The entrepreneurs of yesteryear grow commodities, built factories that produce useful merchandise, built homes and create jobs. They work with the government to build a nation. Entrepreneurs nowadays create shareholder's value, just numbers on a piece of paper as it is the easiest route to instant riches.

I admire Robert Kuok for his vision. His ability to see beyond communism and poverty. His courage to commit himself to the Chinese market way before anyone else did. His code of honour in his dealings earned the trust of the Communist Government. This master entrepreneur will eventually build over a hundred hotels and malls in many cities across China on prime commercial land that costs him zilch.



I admire Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan for his non sentimental predatory instincts. Buy companies, build the business and sell for 10 times what he paid for. His negotiating skills are legendary. Just ask EON Bank. Take it or leave it. All young entrepreneurs should learn to study his poker face. Just don't blink first.

I admire Datuk Tan Chin Nam for his flamboyance. His gung ho enthusiasm made the “old school” look sexy. He built the first condominium in Malaysia when land was in abundance and Mont Kiara was still a rubber estate. He ploughed everything into the development of Mid Valley during a major recession to be the owner of the largest shopping mall in Malaysia.

Datuk Tan was well known for his charming disposition. He romanced Australia in the 70s and the 80s and was the leading Malaysian investor in properties and race horse breeding. His horses won the Melbourne Cup numerous times. He was on buddy terms with the first Prime Minister, Tuanku Abdul Rahman and was a proud friendship and business ambassador for Malaysia.

I admire my late partner, Mr. Ang Guan Seng for his generosity. Ever willing to help his friends and suppliers, he has helped many small entrepreneurs to become self made millionaires. He showed me the virtues of patience and humility, and taught me how to value friendship and properties. Honesty and integrity builds confidence among your business associates and bankers.

Now that my mentor is gone, I am truly on my own. Whenever in doubt, I always find comfort from his words of wisdom. The constant reminder to be thankful for what I have and to have survived the many mistakes that I have made.

Nostalgia aside, let's compare the “old school” with the “new world” entrepreneurs.

Highly educated and tech savvy, the “new world” entrepreneur is impatient to build his business empire. To fast track his ambitions, he engages the financial market to raise funds. With a suave personality and refined marketing skills, he entices fair weather fund managers to invest in his company with promises of enhanced shareholder values.

His reduced shareholdings is compensated by rising valuation but he is now exposed to takeover bids.

The old entrepreneur always works silently with the government and would avoid confrontation. The new entrepreneur derives his courage from his political affiliation. The emergence of sovereign funds like PNB and Khazanah has complicated the political equation. Throw in the ambitious GLCs and we have a battlefield where confrontation is unavoidable.

New entrepreneurs engage in marriage of convenience. Old entrepreneurs still believe in the institution of marriage where integrity and friendship are valued highly. The new image is all about high profile personal branding. The old stays anonymous and feels more comfortable operating behind the chaotic scenes.

If you believe in the old way of doing business like me, stay away from businesses that has attracted the interests of the powerfully connected funds, GLC's and politicians. Despite the shrinking economic pie, you can still make a comfortable living without compromising your integrity.

But if you intend to make a billion ringgit within 10 years, go ahead and be a “new world” entrepreneur. Embrace reality with your eyes wide open. Good luck.

l The writer is an entrepreneur who hopes to share his experience and insights with readers who want to take that giant leap into business but are not sure if they should. Email him at thtan@alliancecosmetics.com

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