The Best Daily Mobile Internet Prepaid Option in Malaysia

We all have different need of internet usage. I normally use an average of 400 - 500MB (upload and download data transfer) usage per day. Total that up for one month, that would take up almost 15GB per month of data usage. However I find it hard to reach 15GB per month except if I am on a downloading quest for movies and videos stuff. The best internet option for me will always be TM Net Streamyx. However when I go travel for example like right now I am in Tambun Ipoh, I would bring along my Huawei E220 USB modem which is powered by DiGi Internet Prepaid. Lucky for me, my in law's house is within the area of 3G Internet Broadband services for all the Telcos available.

A couple of months ago, I have no issue with DiGi Internet Prepaid as it serves my purpose quite well. Although the top download speed is capped at 384kbps, watching YouTube videos has not been a problem. The download quota of 3GB per month never been exceeded as I only use the pre-paid internet line for 3 - 4 days sometimes 10 days per month. At RM2 per day, it was the perfect internet replacement for me while on the go.

After haven't been travelling for a while, I realized something new happened. I got this SMS in my Mobile Connect application:

You have reached the 100 MB daily quota. However you will continue to enjoy unlimited Internet usage at 128kbps until the next quota reset at 12am

I was shocked. Immediately the internet speed dropped and my download was downgraded. This is not a good sign. I did some Googling just now using the now throttled internet speed of 128kbps:

DiGi Internet Prepaid



Oh dear, I need to find a solution for this. I did some checking around:

Maxis Hotlink Internet Prepaid



Celcom Broadband Prepaid



I am a Maxis postpaid user on my Sony Xperia X10 Mini. However Maxis has the most expensive plan with RM8/day and only 500MB per day. I also have a DiGi Prepaid sim-card which I hardly use, at RM5/day and only 100MB per day, this is even pricier than my DiGi Internet Prepaid at RM2/day. The best option for me right now is to go for Celcom Broadband Prepaid at RM6/day with 1GB per day.

I should make a comparison table for this but I am too lazy to do it right now. Now, I need to find myself a Celcom Broadband Prepaid™ Pack somewhere here in Ipoh.


Update 1st February 2011: I subscribed to Celcom Broadband Prepaid on Celcom Blue for RM18 weekly (Sim Card cost me only RM3 during a promotion). The line only managed EDGE connection with unstable internet connection even on the 18th Floor of Menara PJD, Kuala Lumpur. The same goes when I was in Tambun Ipoh. So, it was a no go for Celcom Broadband Prepaid for me.

Update 12th February 2011: I bought Celcom Broadband Prepaid pack just now at a Celcom partner's booth (Only RM12.50) at Giant Ipoh (Tried to buy one at Celcom Blue Sunway Pyramid but they said they ran out of stock). I realized that the Celcom Blue sim-card doesn't have 3G capabilities which is why I couldn't get a good speed the last time I tried. I am now on HSDPA line powered by Celcom Broadband Prepaid.

A Night At Tune Hotels Penang

Ever since Tune Hotels established 3 years ago, I have been wanting to try and stay there just to experience how the hotel is. Last September, I had the time and the chance to go to Penang after Hari Raya Aidilfitri to visit my mother's relative up north. One room was booked and paid online 3 weeks earlier at Tune Hotels Downtown Penang which total up only RM70++ per night. Arrived and checked-in at the hotel at 10pm after being stuck in a one hour jam just before boarding the ferry services.

Check out the photos I've taken:


Tune Hotels Downtown Penang


Tune Hotels Downtown Penang lobby


Tune Hotels Room Hallway


Loved the comfortable bed


RM5 toiletries


The stylish glass door bathroom

Unfortunately the room doesn't have a TV, however it wouldn't be worth the resting time if you spend it watching TV. The bed was astoundingly comfortable. I wish my bed was as comfortable as the bed at Tune Hotels. Overall, I give this hotel a 5 stars rating and would love to stay for another night there.

In Memory of My Proton Iswara Aeroback

5 year ago, together with my younger brother and my father. We went for 'car shopping' to replace the current car I was using at that time. Check out the colour of the Proton Iswara Aeroback car before I bought it from the second-hand car lot:



5 years later, check out what happened to the shiny red colour:



So it is true that car paint can only last for 2 years. For the past 5 years, the car has been through a lot together with me. It also served my wife for a couple of months before we got married.

I've written a couple of blog posts that talk about my car, mostly on the maintenance part of it.

• Car Maintenance at Fasfik Kepong


• Taking Care of Your Car CV Joints


• Benefit of Turning Your Air Conditioning While Driving

There were also incident that happened:

• KTM Segambut Car Park Daylight Thievery

All of them were memories that I'll never forget. So back in July 2010, I couldn't afford the repair of the car since there were too many broken parts within the car itself. I had to let go of the car eventhough I still owe the bank another 2 years of loan. It was a sad moment for me but the car has to go either way:













The car is still in its original state, so hopefully, the next car owner could take care of the car even better than I am. BTW, I sold the car back to the 2nd hand car dealer where I bought it.

TM Net Internet Streamyx Downgrade

On the 29th September 2010, after much thought and consideration, my family made a decision to downgrade the current package of Streamyx internet. This is to reduce our monthly payment for TM services that we are paying. At the moment we are paying RM149.40 for a rarely used telephone line with 1MBps Streamyx Internet line. The internet line is the busiest because my family has 4 computers connecting using WiFi. My mother is now an avid user of Facebook since she uses the internet to learn new stuff and interact with her old friends whom is also catching up using Facebook as well.

I discovered from my brother and also other people using Streamyx 384Kbps that the speed was sufficient for normal browsing and casual download. So the decision is final, we wanted to downgrade the existing 1MBps Streamyx to 384Kbps. After making calls to 100, the best way to downgrade is to go to the nearest TM Point which is for me located at Kepong. Since the line was still under my father's name and my father passed away last December, I first had to transfer the account to my name first by filling up a form before I can apply for the downgrade (RM10 was charged for the account transfer).



TM Point Kepong design is quite nice and comfortable, as usual the queue required me to wait for almost half an hour before my number turned up.



Here's another view of TM Point Kepong.



The only thing that surprised me was that my internet line would be disconnected for 2 weeks in order for the downgrade to proceed. I then asked when will the line would be cut, the guy at the counter said immediately. So, I was out of internet for 2 weeks. I had to use alternative broadband internet I have which is the DiGi Internet Prepaid that I've bought a while ago but the reception in my house was really slow. I then tried using Daily Unlimited Celcom Xpax Prepaid Internet during last weekend, the speed was acceptable but the budget was a bit steep for me.

I made a call to 100 last week which the operator told me the downgrade request hasn't been processed yet. So yesterday I made another call where I got the same answer with an additional information that I can request for a rebate for the entire stretch of my downtime (that was nice to hear). Last night, when I got back from home, my internet Streamyx was restored. A total downtime of 15 days.

So there you go, that was my experience downgrading TM Net Internet Streamyx.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2010

Hopefully it's not too late to wish all my readers (if any of them left), a happy Eid Mubarak or Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. My festive holiday was rather short because my wife and I are saving up our paid leave for a travel project we are planning next year. Hopefully our dreams would come true by then.

My Blog On Mobile

Once in a while, I browse the internet on my HTC Touch PDA. I have no interest yet in owning an iPhone because of the price so I make use of everything that I now own. Recently I've tried out Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini. It's an awesome piece of smartphone with amazing touch features.

There is a drawback when using mobile phone for browsing the net. Apart from having to pay for the data charges (that is assuming if you are not not subscribing to any data plan provided by your mobile carriers), the screen is just to small to look at all those amazing design and features a normal web browser can provide. Nevertheless, when using these tiny little small screens, we only want to read text or maybe some resized pictures or images.

Because of this, it would be best to provide your blog with tools to help people who loves your blog but only have time to read them on their mobiles. There's a solution for this, Onbile.



Whenever a mobile user logs, the javascript provided will detect whether you are browsing using a mobile phone or a normal browser. This would really help your mobile readers and encourage them to visit your blog more often.

The only issue I have is:

• Only 2 pages of your title list will be available (I am guessing this would depend on your feed setting)


• You can't revert back to your original layout once it's loaded on your smartphone

I am still going to try this tool for a while and see if suits my need or else I am going to remove it and search for another tool or Wordpress plugin.

An Intro to Oracle Enterprise Single Sign On (ESSO)

I've been writing a lot about Oracle lately. I'm not really an advocate for Oracle but I am a fan of Oracle's technology and I am supporting applications that is using Oracle's database. Oracle is very well known for it's database market share and also known as the most expensive product in the enterprise database market according to clients that I've dealt with. Expensive is of course a rather subjective matter depending on the perspective you are looking at. For me, as long as it can do the job well enough, that is all that is matter. Of course if you want the best, you'll definitely go for the best available choices. Let say if you want to drive a Mercedes, you'll never go for Proton even though both car can take you from point A to point B safely. It's a matter of preference or distinguish appeal.

Enough of the comparison crap. Last week, I represented my company to attend a brief presentation by Oracle Malaysia about Oracle's Enterprise Single Sign On (ESSO). I was a bit surprised to find that Oracle Malaysia has moved from Citibank building near KLCC to The Garden Midvalley City since my last visit there.



There were a handful of people already arrived when I got there. Had a cup of coffee before the presentation started. The presenter for Oracle Single Sign-On was Peter Rajnak, Solutions Specialist Director, Identity Management Fusion Middleware APAC from Oracle Corporation. What a long title for a job title.



Which Single Sign On (SSO) is right for me? I've heard about single sign on before, simply saying you only need to remember 1 username and password. The presenter did a very good job at explaining how the mechanism work, he somehow manage to balance between the technical aspect and the business aspect.



The next presenter was Swapnil Mehta, Director of Global Access Management Practice of SENA Systems of AurionPro. A winner of the Oracle Titan Award, the firm has taken a lot of identity management jobs for enterprise level of Fortune 500 companies.

Let's look at some brief "About Enterprise Single Sign On":

1. Too many users IDs and Passwords


2. Security Risk


3. Enterprise Single Sign On Must Be Easy to Use

In order to solve the issue above, Oracle has come out with Oracle Enterprise Single Sign-On Suite Plus. As usual, enterprise level product would require an enterprise level of implementation and that would involve some initial investment.

If your organization would like to lighten the IT department hassle in managing IDs and password, this would be a solution to look forward to.

Iron Man 2 featuring Oracle

I watched Iron Man 2 at Cathay Cineplex Damansara yesterday. I have looked forward to the movie ever since I watched the Iron Man 2 promotional trailer on Oracle's website. The creator of Iron Man, a company called Marvel is one of Oracle's client. I didn't see the first Iron Man at the movies, I only watched it on DVD. This time, I had to go and watched Iron Man 2 at the cinema. I even had my desktop with Iron Man 2 and Oracle wallpaper:



The Iron Man 2 storyline for me is quite fast pace. The movie reminded me of Transformer 2 where there were too much action going on at the scene. My wife who watched the movie with me didn't understand the story in the beginning and asked me a lot many questions. I then told her bits and pieces and told her to just enjoy the movie rather than trying to figure out the story. Since one the sponsors of Iron Man 2 is Oracle, I noticed a number of glimpse of Oracle logo. There was also Larry Ellison the CEO of Oracle himself shaking hands with Tony Stark.

Back home, I did some Googling and found out that Oracle and Marvel created a webisode titled "Two Worlds" highlighting the Oracle technology being used at Marvel. It's quite entertaining and contain a lot of information regarding how Oracle is being used in the business world.



Check out the 3D illustration which includes Tony Stark (the animated version) as Iron Man.



Truth to be told, there aren't any ideal environment where everything you need is just at the tip of your finger. There are other efforts and factors to be counted as well. However, having a positive thought is good enough to keep things moving forward.

Back to Iron Man 2 movie. I love the action pack battle between Iron Man and the drones. I love the technology being used by Tony Stark. Overall, its a great movie to watch.

My Own Shirt Store : Aisy T-Shirt House

For the past 1 year, I have been toying around with "Print On Demand (POD)" type of part time business. The business involves using any graphics editor software, resize an image to the right size, upload the graphics and finally place the item on a number of selected product. All of the activities mentioned are done using a computer with an internet connection. As simple as it may sound, being a person with no artistic background is kind of hard to adjust. Creating design is just too daunting for me. Copying on the other hand is so much easier. Anyway, there are too many downside of copying. Therefore I've decided to shy away from it and try to design stuff myself.

The best part about POD is this business model has produced a few extra hundred ringgits per month for me. It's one of the easiest "making money on the internet" business model that I have ever tried. In matter of 2 weeks, I've already seeing some flow of money coming into my PayPal account. I can imagine if I strategically built some dedicated tasks without procrastinating, this business model has the potential to match my current monthly salary. My only issue is within me where I am not able to leave 'the comfort zone' and the habit of procrastinating.

Enough complaining. If you have ever heard of Cafepress, it is one of the most popular "Print On Demand" website on the internet. You can make your own design and have them shipped the product to yourself or anyone else. The best part about POD is, your product doesn't have to be available right now for you to sell. Your job is just design and promote your custom made product virtually with no physical presence. How neat is that? Once your product is ready, the product will be sold over and over again every time someone purchased it online. Kind of a like a passive income once you reached certain level. But don't get too excited, this is a part time business so if you work more, you earn more. If you are lazy or can't get rid of procrastinating habit like me, you only get what you deserve..haha..

Here's to my own T-Shirt store on Cafepress : "Aisy T-Shirt House"



P/S: This store is completely brand new. I have another online store which is currently making some money for me the past several months without too much effort needed. The idea and money is exciting but the work is not...I need some motivation though..

Update 1 March 2011: The T-Shirt store is closed since I have lost interest in t-shirt design.

My Latest Ride - Mercedes 230E

After my father's passing last December, my family and I were left with a bunch of belongings of my late father. Apart from still trying to cope with our lost, we are still in the process to finish off a number of items related to my late father. This include 2 cars my father left, one is a 2004 Mitsubishi Storm L200 and the other is a 1990 Mercedes 230E (W124). I've been using the Mitsubishi Storm for a couple of months since the car almost got abandoned because it was a challenge for my late father having to maintain 2 cars at the same time.

My trustworthy red Proton Iswara Aeroback 1.3 is currently being used by my wife. I never drove the Mercedes when my father was around. Being the eldest son and the named driver based on the insurance policy of the Mercedes 230E, I was the most eligible person to take care of the car after my father's passing. The car cannot be sold yet because it needs a trust handler's authority to issue an authorization letter before changing changing ownership and being sold off. Because of that, I'll be driving around with the car until all of the other stuff relating to my father's death has been cleared.


Front view of the Mercedes 230E


Rear view of the Mercedes 230E

Some good review about this Mercedes Benz 230E, apart from being huge, it's much more comfortable from the cars I've ever own. Since the car's front hood is so long, I am guessing the Mercedes logo in front of the car is a good indicator about the length of the car's front end, if not you'll be kissing the bumper the car in front of you. The interior is roomy however, I seem to have trouble with the air conditioning being too cold. This car is has automatic transmission so driving short or long distance is a breeze to drive. Other than that, the raw engine power and the driving experience better than the Proton I've been so used to.


Interior view of the Mercedes 230E

The downside of having such a big car is the always, the fuel consumption and more money for both parts and car services. My Proton Iswara only consume around 15 - 17 cent a kilometer of fuel while the Mercedes would be using 20 - 24 cent a kilometer of fuel. That would translate to an extra RM15 - RM25 of fuel in a week since I drive to work almost 500km per week. If fuel consumption is not a problem, I would definitely keep this car for it continental driving experience. It reminded me of the old Volvo 240GL my father handed over to me when I was studying my Diploma in Mechanical (Automotive) Engineering.

I'm not a big fan of old cars anymore, therefore I would settle for a new car once I've finished off my car loan 2 more years to come.

A Tribute to My Late Father

On the 9th December 2009, something really sad happened which affected the lives of all who are in my family. My beloved father passed away after a really sudden heart attack. It all happened so fast, only my mother had the chance being with him during the final moment. I was fast asleep in my bed upstairs at 3.30am in the early morning only being awakened by my youngest brother who woke me up that time. I didn't had a chance to meet him after getting back late from work the night before. He was already fast asleep.

Anyway, no one knows when or where your final moment would be so it might be best to accept fate that god had written.

Al-Fatihah to Syed Azizan Syed Hashim Al-Idrus..