I just sent a note to Starhub’s customer care about an upsetting episode. I’ve been offered to renew my MaxOnline contract which has expired, in which, with the renewal I will receive points for my account and also a portable plug&play modem at no charge. Unfortunately from the point that this particular outsourced company called me, I was away in KL and that I had outstanding amounts on my account so the renewal can’t be processed. I was not going to pay my bills anytime soon. Most importantly, I cannot get I-Banking to work at all for me to settle my bills in Malaysia. I was not in any hurry. So I told them to call back on the 17th when I came back for the Iftar.

This girl called me back right when I arrived home, fresh from off the coach. I told her I’ve not settled it and that she can call me again the next day. I paid my internet bills that night and she called me again the next day. This time around, she passed the phone to her colleague who wanted to ask if it’s really me, as in, errm, Imran Ajmain on the phone. Now she tells me I have not paid my outstanding bill on my mobile number and the deal can’t process still. Ok fine. They don’t have the facilities to check what is my account balance, that I don’t get.

After I said I’ll get onto my I-Banking to settle the bills, she tells me paying my bills via the internet will take 4 days for them to receive the payment and that she will only be able to check in 4 days time and she sighed. SO YOU CHECK IN 4 DAYS TIME, YOU DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT WHETHER I’VE PAID MY BILL OR NOT.

So every day or every other day a different sales personnel calls me, one asking if I’m interested, the other asking me to settle my bill. There was once she even confirmed the delivery date with me, and I was sure I was going to be in Singapore. Later she smsed me using HER OWN MOBILE NUMBER saying that it cannot be processed. SO WHICH IS IT? YOU CAN OR CANNOT? YOU WILL OR YOU WON’T?

They called me two days ago, they called me yesterday, and they called me today, in which when I did not pick up the 4-6 missed calls back to back, they called my house number. If people don’t pick up your calls, means they cannot come to the phone, try again later. Is the commission that lucrative? Your on-your-knees service has just become ridiculously unprofessional and highly untolerable!

I told my mother to say that I’m sleeping and that I’ll call them back. In less than half an hour, THEY CALLED AGAIN. I did not pick up the phone call, and THEY CALLED THE HOUSE NUMBER AGAIN. I picked it up and with all perkiness, she greeted me. I immediately raised my voice, and said “You guys call me so often for something so simple. So many people from the same company call me again and again, to the point one of your colleagues used her mobile number to SMS me! This is so unprofessional”. She stuttered a bit, and said that now it can be processed because I’ve paid my bill in full. I PAY MY BILL IN FULL BECAUSE I HAVE TO PAY MY BILL IN FULL, AND NOT BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO REWARD THIS OUTSOURCED COMPANY WITH PROSPECTS. I said “I don’t care. I don’t want to renew the contract with you guys. I will speak to Starhub myself. Please stop calling me!”

I’m sorry to be such a bitch but they have been a pain in the butt, with the persistent calling, the inconsistencies, the inadequate facilitation, the invasion of privacy, THE PERSONAL SMS-ING, and most of all, the laidback you’re-that-popular-guy/I’m-your-friend/you-won’t-mind-because-if-you-do-we-know-what-kinda-bastard-you-are attitude. I DON’T CARE IF YOU BITCH ABOUT ME AMONGST YOUR COLLEAGUES AND FAMILY THIS RAYA BECAUSE I KNOW I’M NOT WRONG AND ITS PEOPLE LIKE YOU SOME PEOPLE IN THE WORK FORCE GET A FKING BAD NAME.

I LOVE MY STARHUB, I HATE OUTSOURCED TELEMARKETING COMPANIES!

ARGH!!!

I did countless Raya greetings for TV/Radio promotions and this one was for Mstar, online version of a daily newspaper. Check out their collection!

Imran Ajmain – Raya Greetings

Ahmad Fedtri Yahya, co-writer for my new single, mentioned the song in his Hari Raya interview for Harian Metro (Malaysia).

Fedtri Tak Kisah

Oleh Nor Akmar Samudin
akmar@hmetro.com.my

Rap
ORANG bujang seperti Penerbit Malaysia Hari ini, Ahmad Fetri Yahya, 27, kerap balik ke kampungnya di Pantai Remis, Perak. Tidak perlu menunggu tibanya Aidilfitri. Ini kerana tiada yang menghalang langkahnya untuk ke mana-mana.

Oleh itu, Fedtri tidak begitu gelisah apabila sudah empat tahun berturut-turut terpaksa bertugas pada pagi raya. Dengan jawatan yang baru disandangnya itu, kesibukannya bertambah kerana dia perlu memutuskan sendiri kandungan MHI setiap hari dan memilih panel yang perlu dijemput untuk memperkatakan pelbagai isu semasa.

“Saya diberi kebebasan bekerja dan mesti bijak membuat keputusan. Bulan puasa ini pun saya tidak berehat. Kerja berjalan seperti biasa. Saya perlu berada di pejabat seawal jam 6 pagi. Selepas bersahur ala kadar, saya terus ke pejabat.

“Pernah juga terbabas tidur. Nasib baik rumah saya berhampiran pejabat, bersiap ala kadar terus ke pejabat. Itu antara cabaran kerja saya. Segalanya mesti cekap dan pantas. MHI ada enam penerbit yang bertanggungjawab mengendalikan segmen masing-masing.

“Kalau ada kelapangan, saya terima tawaran menjadi pengacara. Apa yang saya lakukan untuk menambahkan lagi pengalaman bekerja,” katanya.

Khusus untuk Aidilfitri ini, Fetri menerbitkan program Linangan Syawal yang mengisahkan kesedihan insan yang kurang bernasib baik menyambut kedatangan Syawal.

Antara kandungan program itu memaparkan ibu kehilangan anak dan wanita mualaf yang terputus hubungan dengan keluarganya di Sarawak.

Menurut Fedtri, wanita mualaf yang dipaparkan dalam program itu bernama Nor Ain Fatihah, 24. Dia kehilangan pancaindera mata sejak kecil tetapi amat berminat untuk mendalami Islam.

“Dia datang ke Kuala Lumpur atas bantuan rakan. Dia akhirnya memeluk Islam dan kerana kekurangan dirinya dia tinggal di Rumah Kebajikan Masyarakat. Sejak itu sudah tujuh tahun dia tidak bertemu keluarganya.

“Menjelang lebaran ini, dia berharap dapat bertemu mereka. Mungkin selama ini keluarganya ada mencarinya tetapi mereka tidak tahu di mana dia berada. Semoga dengan paparan itu, Nor Ain Fatihah dapat bersatu dengan keluarganya semula. Walaupun tidak mendapat sokongan keluarga, jiwanya kental dan sehingga kini dia masih berpegang teguh kepada ajaran Islam,” katanya.

Menyentuh persiapan raya, awal Ramadan lalu Fetri membeli-belah di Bandung, Indonesia. Bergelar selebriti yang sering mendapat undangan mengacara dan menghadiri pelbagai majlis pada bulan puasa ini, Fedtri perlu menyediakan beberapa pasang baju Melayu.

“Di Bandung murah dan mempunyai banyak pilihan. Jika membeli baju Melayu, saya suka fesyen Teluk Belanga kerana ia tidak merimaskan. Saya ada banyak koleksi baju Melayu. Tidak kelam-kabut apabila ada undangan dan sesi bergambar dengan media,” katanya.

Dalam kesibukan bekerja, Fetri aktif mencipta lagu antaranya Lagu Cintamu yang diilhamkan untuk Dina (MI), Pawana (Ziana Zain), Cinta Berdarah (Ramlah Ram), Cinta Sebenarnya (Nora), Doa Kerinduan (Fazli Zainal), Enjut (Noraniza Idris), Cinta Lebaran (duet Noraniza Idris dan kumpulan Akasia), Dusta Berkala (Eiman Akademi Nasyid) dan Selamat Ulang Tahun Sayang (Imran Ajmain).

Alam’s Story

In Malaysia, winning something is big deal to the media. Alam is the winner of Malaysia’s version of “So You Think You Can Dance” which ended earlier this year. In August, a drama series based on his life and tribulations as a dancer was aired on 8TV, and with Altimet’s hook-up, they used my “Hanya Menari” off my first album as their main love theme.

The visuals are so beautiful, it gave me goosebumps two times over. Thank you to  8TV, the production, of Alam’s Story, cast and crew. Shout-outs to Alam and Noor Sytycd! 

There’s still 2 episodes left, airs Sunday at 10pm.

For the first time in my music career, I get to work with live strings. Eddie Marzuki, as my arranger for the first single had commissioned some sessionists. I was in awe the entire time. How the strings sounded in my head very much differs from the luscious actual violins and violas playing.

Stay tuned for the Youtube teaser for the first single.

Check out the elaborate decoration. This is inside a shopping mall! They don’t come cheap, these decor. I appeared at Plaza Shah Alam with Nurul, and later had supper with her nearby. It wasn’t widely publicised but the passerbys all stuck around to have a good time. Check out the two chubby sisters!!! Penuh muka dia. So cute.

10 points for the brilliant lighting and stage decor.

Spent a night at Penang, before heading off to Sungai Petani near Alor Setar for a show at Carnivall, a water theme park a fraction of the former Fantasy Island back in Sentosa. There was naturally nobody there because it’s the fasting month. The boys from Infinatez and I entertained the old folks from a Rumah Kebajikan in Bidung.

It reminded me of the Middle East Fair that North-East CDC organised a few years back at Hougang Interchange and fed a whole group of elderly a feast spread. Especially when the organiser started to tear a bit when the bus the grannies and granpas were in started to move away after the whole affair was over. We waved like crazy because we were not ever going to see them again. Nadrah, kau ingat tak? The same thing took place again. The lady organizer named Iza was crying when she was waving goodbye. The only difference was that we’re 800km away from Hougang Interchange and we ate masakan kampong instead of Le Caire. 

We were also joined by the lead singer of Umbrella and Zally Hussein, the actor from Susuk. 

The past week I’ve been in the studio to record the new single “Selamat Ulang Tahun Sayang” and also another track called “Harapan Kecewa” from my 2nd album “Punca Dan Tindakan”. It was arranged by Eddie Marzuki (Flybaits) and he had commissioned some of the best musicians as well as a string quartet for the song(s).

Every time I’m in the studio, coincidentally, I would be in Raya gear because we’d be fresh from a Raya shoot or show or Buka Puasa affair. So when the promo pictures and the Youtube teaser comes out, you’ll see that I’ll always be in Baju Melayu. This one I was from the Media Hiburan Majlis Berbuka Puasa Bersama Julies at Vistana Hotel.

I hope those who regularly read my blog stay tuned to the development of the new album and also, like me, await for the release of the new single now slated for mid-October. I’m also doing a music video with the folks from Media Chantek (Singapore).

“Selamat Ulang Tahun Sayang” is co-written by Ahmad Fedtri Yahya and composed by yours truly.

I’m on NTV7’s Breakfast Show Pagi Raya. Cheryl Samad appears in a different segment. It’s hosted by Sharifah Aleya and Naz, and in the picture also appears Adi, a new jazz-pop singer, who debuts on the show. The Breakfast Show starts at 6 til 10am everyday. 

A blogger spotted my samping and commented about it here! It’s a Malaysian living in Manchester who happened to visit the same shop in Arab St, Singapore!