TIME is of the essence...

yes indeed. If there is any pressure in life, it should be 'time'!



i understand the essence & the importance of time the most, having being told that i ONLY had 3 years to live. well.. that was 19 years ago. yes... i had cancer. to be specific i had Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia but now i am okay. Although it had been 19 years since my diagnosis, half of my teenage life was to come to term with it and after going through 'hell'.. it kinda shape up my thinking... that luxury is not measured by money or any tangible items but instead by how much 'time' i have to do things that i want.



Now, 19 years later, i am still in the same predicament. i just simply do not seemed to have enough time to do everything that i want to do. we only have 24 hours in a day.. or 31 days in a months (or worse 28 days in a month in February). that is a fact and nothing can change that, even if we want to extend an extra hour in a day, we simply cannot.



If we lost a thousand ringgit today, we can always work harder tomorrow or save more in the future to recover the lost thousand ringgit. But if we lost an hour today... it is simply gone forever...!!!!!



With 24 hours aday, i had to have enough sleep and wake up as early as 6am to run daily as part of my get healthy 2008 new year resolution (yaa we all have resolution), write and complete my book that i targeted to launch next year, manage my 40 odd fasfik branches, make sure that my proton sales dealer achieve my target sales and most importantly, spend quality time with my love ones. Time is so scarce with so much to do.



It is base on 'time' that my Fasfik concept was developed... or at least one of it. Before i established my Fasfik workshop. I always relate my experience when i sent my previous BMW to the BMW workshop in Glenmarie after making a 9am appointment a week in advance, to be told that the car will be ready in the afternoon and when i came back in the afternoon, i was told that the car was not ready and to come back again later. Similarly with Mercedes. every appointment that was made a week advance will require a whole day without specific time of completion. That is why, i specified all timing for Fasfik principal products and services which is prominently display on a 42" plasma TV located at the entrance of every Fasfik outlets ala flight departure schedule at the airport. the plasma tv display the time the job is expected to began (incase there is a long waiting/que) and the time the job is expected to complete.



It is also because of 'time' that i never took up golf... i only have 24 hours in a day and i have other priorities... the most urgent priority now, is to ensure the success of Fasfik and to complete my book.... my book will provide an insight of the mind of a terminal cancer patient.. for those who wants to understand the predicament of their family members or relatives or friends who are suffering from a terminal cancer or undergoing major operation such as the Bone Marrow transplant that i underwent in 1990. i plan to launch the book next year, the 20th anniversary since i was diagnosed. Proceeds from the book will be channel to a cancer research such as MAKNA or Majlis Kanser Nasional.



But the most important factor about 'time' is how we spend it. If we win a RM1million lottery today, i am sure we all know where to shop and what we can do with the RM1m but here we are... gifted with 24 hours a day but do we really know how to spend our scarce 24 hours aday.



if we spend our time productively at work, we will be well rewarded (in bonus, promotion or incentives), if we spend our time attentively with family, even an hour or less, they will feel much appreciated. if we spend an extra few minutes listening to our customers/family/friends predicament, they will feel better. If we spend a few moment to pray, our prayers will be heard. If we spend a fix quality time daily to exercise, we will be healthier



The truth is, whatever problem anybody is facing.. is all related to time.

Proton & Petrol Price increase

When the government announce the petrol price increase a few media called me to comment in my capacity as the Deputy President of Proton Edar Dealers Association Malaysia. The first question that they asked was how the dealer's recovery from the downturn... I assume the downturn the media are referring to was the proton dealers 'gulung tikar' headline last year.

Many believe the downturn of Proton Edar dealers was caused by the downturn in the automotive industry pursuant to the announcement and introduction of the National Automotive Policy. yes, true to some extent it does hold some truth. Many too, believe that the downturn of Proton Edar dealers was caused caused by the uncertainties of a foreign partner.. ie Volkswagen. Perhaps that holds some truth too. Many also believe that the downturn of Proton Edar dealers was as a consequence of the poor quality of proton cars. these are all made-believe statements.

The truth is the national automotive policy does not have a direct significant impact to Proton sales but instead, the price and value of the second hand car market was badly effected from the introduction of the NAP. In my 11 years experience as a Proton Dealer, 7 out of 10 customers will want to trade-in their old car (to buy new Proton cars). But this too is not a major consequence of the NAP. Automotive sales are neither the buyers market nor the sellers market. Automotive sales are the BANK'S market. If the bank value the second hand car (or end-finance a higher loan amount) favourably, the used car dealers will be more incline to take the trade-in higher and vice-versa. If the bank so deemed a set of customer profile or a certain car brand, as high risk profile or high risk brand, then the loan approval will be more stringent. thus, the Bank are the culprit of the automotive sales downfall or the dealer's downturn.

Whatever make-believe of Proton Edar dealers downfall was a cover-up of Proton's previous management mistake to over-appointed the dealers as written in my earlier article. Political move to terminate EON as a super-dealer or distributor led Proton Edar to appoint more than 100 new dealers that led to the current predicament. Now, EON operation stay and the Proton authorised sales dealers network is over-congested. A simple rule of nature.. less people more share.. more people less share.. the real fact is.. too many people, there is nothing to share. except losses.

The media continue to ask me if the petrol price increase effect further the predicament of the dealers? or another way to look at it, will the petrol price increase effect the sales of Proton cars?

My answer is NO because Proton is a people's car, with cylinder capacity ranges from 1.1, 1.3 and 1.6, the car fuel consumption is fairly economical. Nonetheless, Proton Savvy is in the Malaysia Book of Record for the best fuel consumption with 24km per litre... yes call me to place a booking now (hihiii..). mind you, even Savvy is on waiting list now...

Thailand historically and currently recorded a higher petrol price (compare to Malaysia) and Thailand too historical and currently has a lower per capita income, or lower per household income. However, Thailand has always recorded a higher domestic passenger car sales. so, the impact of car sales will be negligible if not effected by the increase in the petrol price.

The petrol price increase will affect the disposable income of lower income earner. with toll, monthly car maintenance and now petrol expenses almost double up, the society may experience alot of job-hopping or people may change jobs nearer to their resident or they may change their job to where there public transportation is avail. customer behaviour may change but there will be less impact on car sales.

Henceforth, Proton dealers will not be badly effected with the petrol price increase but will still incur major losses monthly if the sales network is not consolidated or rationalize soon. the consolidation and rationalization in my recommendation, is the re-engineering of all Proton Edar own-branches as per my earlier article.

Extreme Measure: CLOSE ALL PROTON & EON BRANCHES

For a start, since my tenure as an authorised sales and service dealer for Proton Edar for more than 11 years and as the Deputy President of the Proton Edar Dealers Association Malaysia, i have seen 7 appointments of Proton Edar Chief Executive Officers. the first being Datuk Rashid Rahim, then En Abbas Mehad, Acting CEO Stanley Tan, Datuk Maruan Said, Ahmad Tifli, then back to Datuk Maruan Said and now the latest is En Shukor.

What do they all have in common? They have new ideas and every time a new CEO was appointed, policies will change. Considering that Proton Edar receive new CEO appointments almost on average every less than 2 years, new policies introduce were never fully implemented but with every new appointments of CEOs, there will be new appointment of dealers... (to some extend, that contributes to the over-representation of Proton dealers) except for the latest CEO Shukor who are still new. Every time policies were changed, we, the dealers will have to change the song we sing for better or worse. but in all those new policies that were either replaced or introduced or re-introduced, there was one policy that never change: The roles and responsibility of Proton and Proton Edar. Since Proton Edar is a subsidiary of a government-linked company (or GLC), it should pursue the government's main objective to constantly develop new Malaysian entrepreneur via its vendor or authorised dealer programme (inline with the 2nd Industrial Masterplan)

To the contrary, there were no entrepreneurship development program but instead a cognizance approach telling dealers to sell all the cars that their own branches are having difficulty in selling or they will be terminated... ok that may sound abit crude but it is in that note.

The roles and responsibility of Proton & Proton Edar should be re-looked upon if we want to be competitive and become a global manufacturer. Currently, Proton is the manufacturer and Proton Edar being the sole marketing arm and distributor. As both the manufacturer as well as the distribution arm of Proton cars, the quality production and quality deliveries of proton cars to the customer may be affected when the quantitative sales target is juggled with qualitative deliveries. Proton want numbers and customer wants better improved cars.

I am not the best expert but I believe Proton should focus its main objective in R&D to constantly introduce newer model and target a higher exports worldwide as well as improve and produce quality proton cars to compete with other brand whilst Proton Edar (the subject of this article) as the marketing arm of proton should focus in upholding the Corporate Image and protecting the neglected Patent rights of "proton' (now all unauthorised used cars and unscrupulous workshop are all displaying and bearing proton logo) as well as improving the Customer Satisfaction Index via attending, managing if not eradicating all problems complained by the public. This can be attain through re-engineering Proton Edar's owned-branches.

Currently, Proton Edar owned and manage 31 branches, 197 proton edar dealer and a total of 106 EON own-branches and EON dealers. Proton MD Datuk Syed Zainal had constantly reiterate that he will reduce the number of dealers in the network to less than a total of 250 dealers (now there are 324 dealers and branches including EON).

Tengku Mahaleel had over-estimated his influence to terminate EON as a distributor as well as EON dealers. In anticipation that he was able to terminate EON, and in fear that Proton sales will suffer without EON, Proton Edar had appointed more than 100 new dealers a year before his contract expires. with the new dealers being appointed, EON continues to be a distributor/super dealer to Proton doubling the number of dealers in the network to almost 400 Proton edar owned branches and dealers including EON.

With 400 authorised dealers and proton's own-branches in the network, the average that any dealers can sell per month is less than 20 cars with Proton & EON owned branches getting more cars per branch. Perodua has less than half the number of dealers in their network and is selling more than Proton total car sales per annum.

Since then, for the past few years, appointed dealers had exhausted its working capital to stay afloat. with an average of less than 20 proton car sales per month, each dealers will incur losses between RM10,000 to RM30,000 per month depending on the location of the showroom. The lackadaisical sales per dealer was not the fault of the dealers as the market could only take a maximum number of new proton car sales per year. Coupled by the absent of new sellable product range as well as constant productions of cars, the total sales cannot be further improved.
The appointments of dealers cannot be reversed because of the money already invested. The market was congested with dealers due to the over-appointment of dealers by Proton Edar and these dealers cannot be penalise for being appointed as the appointments were made by Proton Edarthemselves. The 'over-appointment' was a mistake made by Proton Edar that resulted in dealers non-performance (due to congestion of dealers in a stagnant market). Dealers were not at fault for not being able to meet the sales target set by proton because the market itself cannot absorb the targeted sales given for all the dealers.

Many think and believe that Proton dealers are parasites (thanks to sean-the-man.blogspot) and a money generating business and those who are not a dealer constantly write and apply to both Proton and Proton Edar to become a dealer. To run a Proton sales dealership comfortably, a minimum working capital of RM3million is required to sell an average 50 cars per month. with an approximate net profit per car after deducting all commissions at less than 2%, it is doubtful that a good return can be attain from the RM3million working capital invested, hence PEDA 'gulung tikar' press statement. Those who are already a dealer of Proton Edar, there is no choice and no exit plan as hundreds of thousand (if not millions) had been spend in the dealership. Those dealer who can afford to write-off the investment, has already surrendor their dealership.

Thus, what will be the extreme measure requires to maintain a healthy network for the benefit of the public? especially with the merger talk between Proton Edar and EON.

i suggest and recommend the followings: CLOSURE OF ALL PROTON OWN-BRANCHES AS WELL AS EON'S BRANCHES (if the merger talk materialise) and the main objective of Proton and Proton Edar can be summarize as follows:

1) Proton as a manufacturer should focus entirely in the R&D of new cars, improve the production quality of its existing cars and target export as the dominant market for Proton cars... hence what they are doing now.

2) Proton Edar as the sole marketing and distribution arm of Proton should focus their resources in the enforcement of Proton patent rights and uphold Proton corporate image. Proton Edar should eradicate all unscrupulous and unauthorised usage of Proton brand name. There are currently NO ENFORCEMENT on the usage of Proton branding.
Proton Edar should listen, attend, resolve and eradicate any problems complained by all customers. To eradicate all problems attached to Proton cars, and further improve its customer satisfaction index, proton manufacturer's warranty should be used as an incentive to the customer rather than punitive. Any warranty claim by any customer should be automatically approved (if it falls under the manufacturer's warranty period) unless otherwise proven. Coupled by strong after-sales network, the public will have more confident in Proton cars.

To ensure these objectives are achieved and without prejudice to the over-appointments of the dealers, ALL Proton & EON's (after the merger- if it really happen) own-branches should be closed and re-engineered to be:

1) a centre for Proton car display and test drive to enhance Proton Corporate Image
2) a centre for warranty and after sales service centres
3) centre for customer complain
4) a centre for development of dealers/entrepreneur development programme.

The sales of new proton cars should be left to individual entrepreneur whom had invested their life savings into the business. Historically, Proton produces what they deemed fit for the public and forced its sales network to sell whatever Proton can produce. The dealers have no choice but to pay and keep in stocks all cars that proton allocated to them. Dealers cannot refuse any cars or risk not having any cars to sell at all. Hence, the actual customers demand for cars are artificial. Dealers interacts daily and regularly with the customer and being the last end of Proton value chain, our feedback will be the closest to real customer's demand . In the absence of Proton's owned-branches, the sales network will be independent from Proton and dealer's feedback will be more constructive to meet the customer's demand. With their life-savings in the business, dealers are more sales-oriented and will only give productive feedback so they can sell more.

Thus, before any dealers who were appointed by Proton are terminated. Proton should first consider closing all its branches as it is also doubtful that their branches can even break-even (on a level playing field as the dealers).

Extreme activities

31st May 2008, 84km Ultra Marathon.... madness but i was very excited to run my longest marathon. not that i have done so many 42km marathon that i felt so confident that i can finish this marathon but i was more excited to push myself beyond my limit. i have thus far ran 3 full marathons. My first marathon was last year @ Salisbury, London but even that was not a real marathon. The Salisbury marathon was a trail marathon. It was a run across 5 rivers, 4 hills, 3 large countryside estates, 2 castle and 1 cathedral. Stupendous scenery and view... I ran together with Abu Lais and Nawal Aini but we got lost in the hills and enjoyed the beautiful scenery that it took us 10 hours to complete the run.. Yes recorded as DNF and everybody, even the marshals were gone by the time we reached the finishing line. The second 42km marathon was the Standard Chartered Marathon in Singapore... somehow my buddy Abu decide to run everywhere in the world beside Malaysia. I completed the Singapore 42km standard chartered Marathon in a gruelling 7 hour and 36 mins. somehow, no matter how much i plan my training, i will end up not train for any competition. it was never really a competition against anybody except for my own timing.

Having run in London and Singapore last year, this year i decided to run the Ambank Kuala Lumpur International Marathon that was held on 30 March and again, i lacked the training. Meetings and work schedule always hinder my training programme but since i have made my commitment, i ran the marathon and forced myself all the way to complete it in 5 hours and 46 mins. that was my best time so far.

on 31 May, i attempted the Adidas Sundown 84km ultra marathon. As usual, meetings after meetings and the endless work at office held me back from early travel to Singapore. i had my Singaporean friend Jackson Liew to collect my race number earlier and so that i can leave later on the 31 May morning. the run starts at 830pm and i should have ample time to travel.

I packed my travelling items and slept at midnight to start my journey to Singapore and woke up early at 5am. We left KL at 7am, after a few stops to eat along the PLUS highway and getting stucked at the causeway, we finally reached my friend's office in Singapore at 1pm to collect my race number and the race kit. There were 8 of us in my group but only me and my personal trainer Suhaimi that is crazy enough to attempt the 84km run. Abu Lais and Nawal Aini did the 42km and my sister Rose along with her 3 friends did the 10.5km relay. All of us were in FASFIK red runners vest.


After a good carbo lunch, i waited impatiently for the race to start. When the gun went off sharp at 830pm, enthusiastically i start running. everybody ran pass me but i was keeping cool and trying hard not to panic. my target was only to complete the race irrespective of the time taken. On the first 5km my polar watch happily display my heart rate at 155 or 83% max HR with a speed of 8.2. I remember reading in most running magazine that i should keep my heart rate below 60% if i am on a long distance run. if i want to run at 60% max HR, i will have to run at the speed of 6. so i decided to run at a HR of 150bpm. Yes, i am not as fit as most athlete. A good athlete would be pacing at speed 10-12 with a 65% max HR.

this is my first night run. i did not know what to expect. it was very dark and be it not for the volunteers from the local school girls that kept the direction and mood by cheering us up at every 5km, i would have been lost. i looked forward to running without the heat of the sun but never anticipated the exhaustion of not sleeping. I only had less than 5 hours sleep the night before the race and yes.. this run provides me a new insight into the real definition of 'sleepy'. i was yawning all the way after the 30th km.

when i complete the first loop of 42km, at the 'special needs' camp, i ate 2 bananas, a pack of power gel, and almost a bottle of mineral water... (runners beware..) i should have packed some sandwich and perhaps a hot coffee but i did not. After taking in all 'carbo' in less than 5 minutes, i continue to immediately run to avoid any time wastage. a few hundred meter later, i vormited everything i ate and drink. goodness. my stomach rejected everything i ate. i did think of turning back but i since i promise myself i will not give up easily, i quickly put myself together and began to slowly walk and back to running.

i ran feeling my head so heavy and my body was so stiff. i thought i was about to faint or drop dead when i could not see nor remember where i was running to and almost run into a lamp post.... then i realize i was falling asleep. i cannot described in word how it felt but the feeling is a mixture of half fainting and abit like stroke when i cannot open both eye.. or it felt like only one eye is open. but when i stopped and look around and felt my body feeling numb.. i realize i was really falling asleep and did not have any stroke or heart attack. falling asleep while running.. never knew it was possible.

I kept myself awake and keep running slowly again maintaining my pace at 150% max HR until i met Wei Kee on the 46km who was limping and walking slowly. we both decided to walk instead of running. we met Ailing a few metres in front who cannot stop expressing her disappointment in her timing for the first 42km loop. she expect to complete the whole 84km in less than 10 hours.. oh god! i was merely wanting to be a finisher even if it takes 20 hours.

10 hours since we started our run at 830pm, we reached the water station 4. it was at the 54km of the route. The wind was heavy signalling it was about to rain and at the speed we were walking, if we continue to the finishing line, our expected time to complete will be at 2pm!!! and everybody would have left the base. all our belongings are still at the special needs counter and will be kept at the organiser's office after 11 am. We can only collect it the day after. i have to leave back to KL the same day, Ailing had to work tomorrow and Wei Kee had all his wallet, bus pass and house keys in the bag... or at least these were the reason to abandon the race. After much deliberation and when we are pleased with all the justification, we approached the volunteers at the drink station and ask how to abandon the race. the girl said, we can wait with them for their pick up bus anytime now. It rain heavily and one of the volunteers gave us a black garbage bag as a shelter from the rain. we were too cold and decided to get into the garbage bag instead of just covering our head with the bag. the garbage bag was big enough to cover from head to knee. we poke a small hole for us to see and breath. Ailing happily said the garbage bag worked wonders to also shelter her from the shame of abandoning the race. but to think of it now, we were too exhausted and mega-sleepy that there is no way for us to even walk an extra metre.

We took the bus and reached the starting/finishing point at 730am almost 11 hours from the start time. i was soaking wet from the rain and half awake but have to FASFIK myself to travel back to KL. I have an important meeting on Monday and will have to leave back to KL today. in short, we drive to Singapore on Saturday at 7am, reached Singapore at 1pm. went to the race start/finishing to view the place visited the special needs camp. Carbo load and got ready for the race. start race at 830pm. abandon at 6am on Sunday. reached finishing line at 730am. Shower and freshen up. drove back to KL and reached KL at 7pm. Extreme crazy, extreme experience and extreme fun..... i love it.

Introduction.....

Since this is my first post as a blogger, i reckon i should first start by introducing what inspires me to create my own blog. i have been wanting to 'write' since the day i was diagnose to have leukaemia in 1989. i wanted to write about my experiences in dealing with terminal cancer. yes insya allah the book will be completed this year, so i can published it next year, 20 years since my diagnosis. The book was delayed for 20 years because i never had the time to complete it...(ya ya reasons reasons....) i had other priorities but the book will be completed this year which my sister who is a doctor in London is helping me out with some editing and details.

Having the experience in writing the book (that hopefully can be publish next year), I want to further express my thought, ideas, predicaments as a cancer survivor, entrepreneur, Managing Director of Fasfik, Deputy President of Proton Edar Dealers Association Malaysia as well as an individual and a Malaysian.

On various occasion, during various Press Conference held with various media, what i wanted to communicate was not published. There are also various extreme experience that i wanted to share with anybody that is interested but cannot find the time to share. i have also received many invitations to speak at many functions but because of other prior engagement and priorities, regrettably, i had to decline. i trust this blog will be beneficial to everybody as a point to interact, share extreme experiences, extreme ideas, extreme predicaments and find a platform to find FASFIK solution.

i was more inspired to create this blog when i met my Fasfik crew at Fasfik Putra height branch who created his own blog (when i am still figuring out how to create one) to draw more customers to his outlets to achieve my sales target. However, being new at this blog-thingy.. please aplogize if the updates is slower than expected.

see you on the next post.