Alphanet Solutions Sdn Bhd

✅ Enhanced Efficiency – Our IT-managed services ensure smooth operations, proactive maintenance, and minimal downtime, allowing your team to focus on core business activities.

✅ Cost Savings – Through software automation, we help reduce manual tasks, improve accuracy, and cut operational costs, making your business more productive and profitable.

✅ Stronger Security – Our advanced cybersecurity solutions protect your business from evolving threats, safeguard sensitive data, and ensure compliance with industry regulations.

✅ Scalability & Flexibility – Whether you're a growing startup or an established enterprise, our solutions are designed to scale with your business needs, providing the flexibility to adapt to market changes.

Sales Manager

Linexcom Sdn Bhd

Assistant Sales Manager

Reptron Sdn Bhd

Sales & Service for KVM Switch Peripherals.

Sales Executive

HI-RES Graphic and Peripherals Sdn Bhd

Selling & Provide Office Automation & Solutions

M One Computer Sdn Bhd

With over 18 years of experience in the ICT industry, I am passionate about helping business owners streamline their workflow through tailored software automation. 

Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to delivering IT solutions that not only meet client needs but also drive their success. Since starting my journey in 2007, I have grown into a trusted partner for businesses looking to optimize operations and protect their digital assets.

What I Offer
✅ Custom Software Automation – We develop tailored solutions to simplify processes and boost productivity.
✅ Outsourced IT Services – Leave your IT management to us so you can focus on growing your business.
✅ Cybersecurity Solutions – We provide strong security strategies to safeguard your business from evolving cyber threats.

Why Choose Us?
What sets us apart? Our dedicated team takes the time to understand your unique challenges and delivers innovative solutions aligned with your business goals. By partnering with us, you can:
💡 Focus on What Matters – Free up your resources to drive business growth.
💰 Save Costs – Avoid the hassle of managing an in-house IT team.
🚀 Stay Competitive – Leverage our expertise to keep your business efficient and agile.

What’s Next?
Ready to take your business to the next level? 🚀 Let’s connect and explore how I can help you optimize operations, enhance cybersecurity, and achieve your business goals.

Feel free to reach out to me here on LinkedIn or visit our website to learn more about our services. Let’s build a more efficient and secure future for your business—together!

Darren Leow

WHAT I DO
💡I help professional services firms (accounting, audit, cosec, tax) in Malaysia get paid in 30 days instead of 365 days by enabling their end clients to pay via online installments💡

WHO I WORK WITH
👉I partner with associations of professional services firms including CTIM, MIA, MAICSA etc to assist their member firms who are facing challenges in collections👈

WHY IT WORKS
🏆When you partner with us,  you immediately benefit from our know how and skill sets resulting in the most secure, efficient and effective online platform catering for professional services firms right now🏆

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
⭐️The most number of partner banks for installment plans⭐️
⭐️Best Startup Showcase 2 in PJ Startup Festival 2019⭐️
⭐️One of the 108 startups accepted into Cradle's Coach & Grow Programme in May 2020⭐️
⭐️One of the 20 startups (out of the 108 above) selected for CGP's IRP in Oct 2020⭐️
⭐️Accepted into BNM & MDEC's Fintech Booster programme in August 2020⭐️
⭐️Partnered with MDEC, digi, Exabytes, MIA, CTIM to organize an online webinar in July 2020 that garnered over 70K views⭐️

HOW IT WORKS
📆We start with a free evaluation via an online session (Google Meet etc) to discuss your needs📆

OUR HISTORY
🔎We started off as a humble premium gifts company in 2003. In 2004, we were appointed by MasterCard Malaysia to identify, negotiate and secure privileges for their cardholders in Malaysia. 

We did this for 11 years and in 2015, we decided that there are other ways to make purchases affordable, other than extending upfront 50-90% discounts which negatively impacts the bottom line for companies🔍 

🚀We fine tuned an earlier concept that we came up with back in 2009 and decided to make happy and fun trips to amusement parks of various categories (adventure, edutainment, safari, theme, indoor, outdoor, water etc parks (except car parks lah) affordable via installments in 2016. 

Since then, additional categories such as Play & Stay and cruise companies were onboarded – all of which were made affordable by leveraging on in house developed payment module offering 0% IPP (Installment Payment Plan) with the largest regional banks in Malaysia🚀

We focus on digitalizing professional services firms' collections by establishing a win-win situation for the firm and their end clients resulting in:

✅ end clients enjoy 6 or 12 months installments = WIN🏆
✅ firms are paid upfront, less charges = WIN🏆

Contact Me If You Want Your Firm to Delight Your Clients 
📢 Reach out to me directly here on LinkedIn
📧 ca@map-sb.com 
👉🏿 https://www.map-sb.com/

Choo Ann NGOH

TNB sent a team to my house because they thought I was 'hacking' my electric meter 😱😅

The reality? 

I just applied some Business Sense to my electricity bill

Since July 2023, my electric bill was about RM650 - RM700 every month 😱😅

I thought that was just price of keeping my minions and Finance Minister comfortable at home lor 😭💸

Then, I made a strategic swap: replaced existing non-Inverter with Inverter Airconds

The Result? 

My electric bill plummeted to RM220 - RM260 

The drop was so sudden and so significant that Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) actually sent a team to my house in Dec 2025 to check if my meter was err tampered with!

See photos below

They even replaced the meter just to be sure 

The new meter was the exact same model as the old one too 🤦‍♂️

And after replacing, my electric bill for Dec 2025, Jan and Feb 2026 is still between RM220-RM260 🙊🙈🙉

Efficiency > Effort (The Surgical Tap): 

In business, we often use the "Garden Hose" approach - use existing  resources but but but wondering why our costs are so high (I moved into a new home with existing non-inverter airconds lah)

Switching to inverter airconds is something I should have done but but but didn't until March 2025

To my fellow Malaysian entrepreneurs: but but but what other tips / tricks / hacks that you use to reduce your TNB bill wor?🤷‍♂️

Anything and everything

Except 'hello CA, turn off your aircond lah' plis 🙏

And only legal things plis 🙏

🏆I help accounting and audit firms get paid in 30 days instead of 365 🚀 Digitalizing professional services firms 🔥 Online Payments 💲 Fintech 💳 Startup💡 CEO 📢 Ask me how we sold 450% more in 50% of the time ⚡

That gold Toyota Vellfire in the middle of a Malaysian traffic jam is the perfect lesson in personal branding 

It definitely stands out, but does that make it outstanding?🤷‍♂️

In the crowded landscape of 2026, many Malaysian professionals and business owners confuse these two concepts

Standing Out vs. Outstanding: 

1️⃣ Standing Out (The Gold Paint)

This is about visibility lah, kan?

It’s the Gold Vellfire" strategy 

You use bold colors, loud headlines, or disruptive "Pattern Interrupts" to ensure people see you

The Goal? 

To be noticed in a sea of white and black cars (or generic LinkedIn profiles)

The Risk? 

If there is no substance under the gold wrap, you’re just a distraction 

As my Finance Minister tells me: Not every that glitters is gold one lah🙉🙈🙊

2️⃣ Outstanding (The Supercharged Engine)

Look closely at the rear window 

Being outstanding is about what’s under the hood

Your Resourcefulness and your Surgical Tap

The Goal? 

To provide a level of service or expertise that is significantly better than the competition

The Result? 

People don't just see you; they remember the value you provided long after the traffic clears 

Why This Matters for Your LinkedIn Account

LinkedIn's 2026 algorithms are built for Relevance, not just noise 

If you try to "stand out" using the wrong shortcuts, the "fallout" is severe:

The "Gold Wrap" Trap: 

Using unauthorized automation or scraping to boost your numbers might make you "stand out" temporarily, but with a 99% detection rate, it is a guaranteed way to a permanent ban one lor 😱😅

The IDK Death Sentence: 

Sending loud, irrelevant connection requests to strangers is like revving your engine in a residential area 

Just five "I Don't Know This Person" flags can permanently restrict your your LinkedIn account oredi 😱😅

Don't just aim to be the brightest car in the jam 

Aim to be the one with the most reliable engine 

On LinkedIn, outstanding value will always outlast a stand-out gimmick

To my fellow Malaysian entrepreneurs: Are you focusing on your "paint job" (what people ken see) or your "engine" (which usually remains unseen) wor? 🤷‍♂️

Photo credit: me lor (yes, yes, yes one of the rare moments when my Finance Minister was the unpaid Grab driver instead of me lah)

Why did I stop walking to take this photo? 🛑📸

Earlier in Jan this year, I was briskly walking through KLCC 

Thinking about the appointments for the day, pending emails and deadlines when this giant red wall hit me

GENTLE MONSTER 

OPENING SOON

No products 

No glass 

Just a massive, bold Pattern Interrupt

What is a Pattern Interrupt? 🤷‍♂️ 

In simple Business Sense, it is a technique to change a person's mental state or habit 

Imagine people on LinkedIn, scrolling and scrolling and scrolling until something catches their attention

A pattern interrupt is the "Surgical Tap" that catches their attention

Why this is relevant for Malaysian Business Owners in 2026?

We are bombarded with AI-generated noise left, right, up, down, inside, outside, everywhere.....

If your marketing, your emails, or even your LinkedIn posts look like everyone else’s, you are invisible 😅😱

You are just another shop window

How to use "Gentle Monster" logic in your work?🤷‍♂️

Don’t blend in

Stand out lor

If everyone is posting corporate headshots, post a Ghibli-style comic

The Power of Red: 

You don't need a red wall, but you do need a "Red Hook"

Start your post with a question that breaks the "common sense" of your industry

Less is More:

Notice how the wall isn't cluttered? 

It doesn't list their 10,000 features 

It just creates curiosity 🤫

Yep, I went to ask my fren Google who or what is a 'Gentle Monster' lor

To my fellow entrepreneurs: 

What was the last thing you saw that made you "stop the scroll"? 

Was it a bold design, or a brave opinion? 🤷‍♂️

Plis share lah your "Pattern Interrupts" below

We often blame "bad luck" for business disasters 

But usually, "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" is just the final result of "Wrong Leadership, Wrong Protocol"

It was the night before Lunar New Year 

My two older brothers and I were "launching" Thunderclap rockets from a used Coke glass bottle 

I was the 7-year-old observer, squatting directly behind the "launchpad"

Then, a gust of wind (the "Market Volatility") hit 

The bottle toppled 😱😅

My brothers, with their 5-year and 7-year "seniority" advantage, pivoted instantly and ran 

As the most junior member of the team, I didn't have the Response Agility 

I blur sotong so continued to squat lor 
 
That night, I was introduced to the smell of burnt flesh 

I still carry the scar on my right arm today—a permanent reminder that when a "Rocket" topples, the person at the bottom of the hierarchy gets hit the hardest

The "Actual Intelligence" Reality Check: In the Malaysian SME ecosystem, we often see "Thunderclaps" topple 

When a project fails or a client leaves, the "Seniors" often have the exit strategy ready 

They "U-turn" and run

But as leaders, we must account for the Collateral Damage of Seniority:

The Proximity of Risk: 

If you are the leader (the one lighting the fuse), you have the benefit of knowing when to run 

Your "junior" team members (the observers) are often the ones who take the full blast of your "failed launches"

The "Rotan" of Accountability: My brothers were eventually introduced to my best fren

His name?

Rotan lah 

In business, the market (or the regulator) eventually finds the person who lit the fuse, even if they ran away first

Gratitude for "Near Misses": 

I’m thankful it was my arm and not my face

In business, a "Scar" is a cheap price to pay for a lesson that could have been a "Total System Failure"

My brothers always said: "If you were not there, this wouldn't have happened" 

They were right 

But as a leader, the goal isn't to hope your team "isn't there"—it's to make sure the bottle doesn't topple in the first place lah

Are you lighting "Thunderclaps" without checking which way the wind is blowing for your team?

BTW, I spent over an hour debating with Gemini Veo to help me recreate my childhood memory

Apparently built in safety guard rails resulted in Gemini Veo generating an entirely blank video

Checkout the screenshots 

Kudos to Google for incorporating the safety guard rails

I didn't realize my childhood memory didn't comply with their safety guard rails one leh 😱😅

Is your business "Real Berries"🍒 or just artificial decoration? 🤷‍♂️

I’ve never had green fingers

As a child, I actually thought people were talking about ladies' fingers (the vegetable)—well, it's green mah! 🙊🙉🙈

Recently, my Finance Minister suggested a visit to a plant nursery before CNY 

Usually, she stays far away from my gardening skills (if you ask her, she will tell you I have the opposite of green fingers, and she is absolutely right) so I knew this was a special mission 😱😅

That’s where I saw it: the Ardisia crenata (aka Christmas berry, coralberry, spiceberry)

At first glance, I was skeptical 

I thought the bright red berries were artificial decorations pinned on for the festive season 

But but but when I walked over and touched the leaves and berries? 

They were REAL leaves and berries😱😅

The 2026 Reality for Malaysian Entrepreneurs: 

Authenticity is the new "Green Finger" 

Whether you are a solopreneur or leading a team, your customers can tell the difference between what is pinned on and what is grown from the soil

To my fellow leaders: In your industry, what is the most common "artificial decoration" people use to hide a lack of real growth? 

Let’s keep it real in the comments! 👇

*PS: BTW, do you have green fingers?🤷‍♂️

I cek, double and triple cek my fingers, confirm not green lah 🙈🙉🙊

You can have the best NASA-grade technology in Malaysia, but if you don't ask about the "state of the chicken," your strategy will still smash into pieces 😱😅

I heard a story years ago about the gap between Process and Clarity 

After the moon landing, the British asked NASA how they tested the durability of space shuttle windscreens 

NASA: "We use a cannon to fire ayam (chickens) at the glass." 

Brits: "Live chickens?" 

NASA: "No, dead ones. We keep them deep-frozen to manage the logistics."

So, the British engineers went home, loaded frozen chickens into their cannons, and fired

The result? 

Total disaster 

Every single windscreen shattered

They went back to NASA, confused 

"We followed your advice to the letter Why did our windscreens fail?" 

After a long silence, the NASA engineer asked: "The frozen ayam... did you defrost it first?"

The "Actual Intelligence" Reality Check: 

In 2026, many Malaysian business owners are busy "firing cannons" 

We buy the latest AI, we copy the "Global Best Practices," and we follow the "SOPs" to the letter

But we fail because of the Assumed Variable:

The Context Gap: 

A strategy that works in a "defrosted" environment (Silicon Valley/NASA) might shatter your business if applied in a "frozen" state (local market realities/limited cash flow)

The "Big Ears" Rule: 

Real leadership isn't just about giving instructions; it’s about asking for clarity 

If your team is failing despite following the "SOP," the devil isn't in their effort—it’s in the details you didn't define

The Right Question: Knowing how to fire the cannon is common 

Knowing what state the ammunition should be in is "Actual Intelligence"

Following "advice to the letter" without asking about the "temperature" of the data is a recipe for a smashed windscreen 😱😅

Are you firing "frozen chickens" at your business problems? 

Or are you asking enough questions to defrost the truth? 🤷‍♂️

But but but during CNY, the only question I ask or want to hear is:

"Have you tried eating this yet?"

What's the question you want to ask and / or hear during CNY wor?🤷‍♂️

72.1% of our SPM leavers are choosing to earn instead of continuing to learn 

Is this a crisis or a new breed of entrepreneurs?🤷‍♂️

Aristotle said the roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet 

Aiya, but for 72.1% of our youths today, the roots look a bit too bitter, but but but the Gigs look a lot sweeter 😱😅

In 2022, a headline read: 72.1% of Malaysians do not want to further their studies after SPM

As a parent, this "crossroads" is worrying 

But as an entrepreneur, I see a different side of the coin

The "Thomas Edison" School of Resourcefulness: 

We all know the story: 

Edison failed 10,000 times before the lightbulb worked

The Financial Reality: 

In business, failure costs money

Failing once is painful; failing 100 times can bankrupt a family

The Formal Gap: 

Edison had very little formal education

The Pivot: 

If Edison had a PhD, would he have quit after the 10th failure because "the data says it's impossible"? Or the 100th?🤷‍♂️

Maybe his lack of formal "bitter roots" allowed him to develop the one skill that separates good from great?

Ie resourcefulness?

The 2026 Reality for Malaysian Business: 

Whether our youths choose a degree or the "University of Life," the goal remains the same: 

Leveling up resourcefulness

If they start earning early: I hope they use that income to fund their own "entrepreneurial lab"

Failure as Tuition: In the real world, your "failed" startup or side hustle is often the most expensive—and valuable—degree you'll ever earn

The Financing Feat: 

Edison wasn't just a scientist; he was a master at finding people to finance his 10,000 failures 

That is a skill you don't always learn in a classroom

So, is it jahat (bad) to skip the degree? 

Not necessarily

But skipping the learning? 

That’s where the real danger lies

To my fellow business owners: When you hire, are you looking for the person with the 'Sweet Fruit' (the degree), or the person who has the 'Resourceful Roots' to survive 10,000 failures?

Why are people paying RM150 to watch a waiter dance? 💃🥘

If you use "Common Sense" (which is anything but common), you’d say a restaurant is for eating 

You go in, you order, you eat, you pay, and you leave

But have you been to Haidilao?

You’ll see waiters performing the err Haidilao dance (I think it is known as the Subject Three dance), staff giving free manicures, and chefs doing "noodle kung fu" at your table 

(switches to whisper mode) but but but the moment I saw the veli veli veli long queue, I oredi u-turn lah 😱😅

But many "traditional" business owners look at this and say, "Adoi, so much extra work! Is it necessary meh?"

The Business Sense Breakdown:

Haidilao knows something most Malaysian businesses miss: 

They are no longer selling food 

They are selling an experience

The "Bitter Root" of Waiting: 

Most restaurants ignore the queue, Haidilao turns the queue into a lounge 

They treat the "wait" like a "surgical tap"—fixing the customer's frustration before they even sit down

The "Finance Minister" Approved Value: Is the soup expensive? 

Maybe 

But when you factor in the free snacks, the massage chair, the hair ties for the ladies, and the spectacle—the "Value" sky-rockets 

They aren't just charging for soup; they are charging for the memory

Heart-count over Head-count: 

The staff isn't just "serving" 

They are performing with ownership 

They have the "Business Sense" to know that a smiling customer who records a video for TikTok is worth more than a 10% service charge

The Reality Check: Whether you are running a boutique agency in Bukit Jalil or a manufacturing plant in Bangi, ask yourself:

Are you just giving them the "Hammer" (the basic service)?

Or are you giving them the "Dancing Waiter" (the unexpected joy)?

You don't need to dance in your office, but you do need to find your version of the "Haidilao Dance" 

What is the one thing you do that makes your customers stop, smile, and tell their friends about you?🤷‍♂️

To my fellow entrepreneurs: 

What’s the most "think-out-of-the-box" service you’ve ever experienced in Malaysia? 

Did it make you spend more? 

Let’s discuss below lah

My Finance Minister says I’m gila (crazy) because I think 1+1 = 3 😱😅

Sure, my teacher taught me 1 + 1 = 2

But but but in 2000, my boss told me whatever I learnt in school is no longer applicable

She told me to lim-member 1 + 1 = 3!

When I told my Finance Minister that I’m doubling down on a new partnership because 1+1 doesn't equal 2, it equals 3, she gave me that look,  the one that says, "Confirm hair white because brain wire short circuit oredi lor" 🙈🙉🙊

But here’s the "Business Sense" behind the madness:

In the traditional corporate world (The 1+1=2 mindset):

You hire a person to do a job

You pay for 8 hours, you get 8 hours

It’s linear 

It’s safe 

It’s also how you stay small

In the Entrepreneurial World (The 1+1=3 mindset): 

When you find the right partner, the right employee, or the right "surgical tap" for your business, you aren't just adding—you are aligning

The "Banana" Connection: 

I might be a "Banana" who can't read, write or speak Mandarin, but if I partner with someone who can, we don't just "double" our market—we open a portal to a whole new ecosystem 

That’s a "3" level move

Resourcefulness over Resources: 

Just like Thomas Edison, I don't need to know everything 

I just need to be resourceful enough to find the "1" that stands next to my "1" to create a "3" impact

The "Minion" Logic: My kids (the minions) are great individually, but when they gang up on me? 

They are 3X more effective at getting what they want That's synergy in its purest, most "jahat" (naughty) form (think Super Saiyan Level 3 lah)) 😱😅

The 2026 Reality for Malaysian SMEs: We are currently facing high costs and a talent war 

If you are still trying to solve every problem by yourself (1+0=1), you are going to burn out before you hit your goals

1+1=2 is for accountants (a thousand apologies to my Finance Minister lor)

1+1=3 is for leaders who know how to multiply their influence through others

The "White Hair" Wisdom: 

Question for the solopreneurs and bosses: Who is the "1" standing next to you that turns your "1" into a "3"? 

Tag your partner/team below and tell them they are the reason people think you're gila!

Are you charging for your time, or for the 30 years it took to save someone else's time?🤷‍♂️

Growing up, I worshipped MacGyver 

I thought problem-solving meant running around putting out fires every single day

Back in my outsourced contact centre days, it was "hali hali ada api" (every day also got fire🔥)😱😅

My solution? 

I hammered everything 

I ignored the SOPs, broke things to fix things, and honestly? 

I made more enemies than friends because I didn't understand Precision

Then, someone shared the "Ship Repair Man" story with me

You know the one: 

A giant ship engine fails

The owners hire every "pro" in town, but the engine stays dead 

Then comes an old man who’s been fixing ships since he was a boy

He looks 

He listens 

He pulls out a small hammer and gives a tiny tap 

Vroom!!! The engine roars to life 🚢💨

The Invoice? 

RM10,000 😱😅

The Reaction? 

"What? But but but you only tapped it for one minute! Itemize this!" 

The Revised Invoice?: 

* Tapping with a hammer: RM1.00

** Knowing exactly where to tap: RM9,999.00

The 2026 Malaysian Business Reality: In our current market—whether you’re a solopreneur in Kay El or a business owner in UK (Ulu Klang), we are still obsessed with "The Hammer" 

We reward employees for staying late (pounding the nail) rather than for the "Surgical Tap" that solves the root cause in 5 minutes

Effort ≠ Impact: If you're hammering everywhere, you're just making noise

The "MacGyver" Trap: Creative fixes are great, but knowing the "SOP of the Soul" of your business is better

Value Your Expertise: Don't apologize for a high fee if your "10-minute fix" is backed by 10 years of failures you've already learned from

My hair is white today because I spent too many years hammering nails that didn't exist 🙊🙈🙉

Question for the leaders today: When a crisis hits your team, do you reach for the sledgehammer, or do you take the time to find the "RM9,999 tap"?🤷‍♂️

How ignorance landed me behind bars?🤷‍♂️

And how you can avoid this by not repeating what I did

LinkedIn is known for restricting accounts when users violate the terms of use, whether intentionally OR unintentionally

Me?

I've have been err invited to check out LinkedIn's maximum security facilities not once, twice, thrice but but but four times oredi😱😅

I was told there is a limit to this 'Get-out-of-LinkedIn-jail-card' so I've been on my veli veli veli best-est behaviour

The first mistake I did?

Not reading LinkedIn's User Agreement lor 🤦‍♂️

(https://lnkd.in/gFRxpndR) 

It's alot shorter now, only 10 sections🙊🙉🙈

Down from 17 sections back in 2022

How I know?

Aiya, because back in 2022, I didn't read the User Agreement and I err accidentally violated Clause 17.1 and 17.2 and 17.3 in Section 17

What was Section 17?

User will agree to use their legal name as indicated on their government issued ID 

Or sumtin to that effect lah

I have been using my initials C.A since I started working in 1995

Never had any problems

Even registered my LinkedIn account under 'C.A. Ngoh' in 2009 successfully

But but but someone on LinkedIn decided I did not have the right to use C.A. and reported me to LinkedIn😱😅

I blur sotong, wondering why I kenot login on my computer and henfone

When I reached out to LinkedIn support, they requested for me to email a government issued ID to them

I emailed my driving license and I could log in

However, I could not like, comment, post or do anything

Until I changed my profile name to my legal name 😱😅

Which as some of you may know, is a girl's name lah 🤦‍♂️

I used NotebookLM to prepare an infographic on LinkedIn's User Agreement

But but but it still does not do justice as to actually reading the entire thing lah

I assure you it is much shorter now

Please do check it out first

At the veli veli veli least, do check out Section 8 of LinkedIn's User Agreement

(raises hand)🙋‍♂️but but but do you read User Agreement OR do you click 'Agree' without reading wor?🤷‍♂️🙈🙉🙊

Plis be honest ya 🙊🙉🙈

Happy Satay-Day🎉

Why your "Garden Hose" leadership style is killing your team’s productivity?🤷‍♂️

I used to think every plant needed ALOT of water 

One size fits all mah🙊🙈🙉

I’d be checking my henfone, replying LinkedIn komens and watering the plants all at once 🙊🙉🙈

My Finance Minister bought an Ardisia crenata (aka Christmas berry, coralberry, spiceberry) and issued a "Restraining Order" against me

Apparently it couldn't survive my method of watering 😱😅

Apparently this spiceberry does not need alot of water one leh🙊🙈🙉

1️⃣ Frequency: Only once or twice a week 

2️⃣ Method: Bottle spray (Precision) 

3️⃣ Instruction: Check the soil first; if it’s damp, pull henbrek and u-turn from spraying! And avoid spraying on the berries😱😅

The "Business Sense" Lesson: 

If I had my way, I’d use the garden hose on that poor plant twice a day while multitasking 🙉🙈🙊

In business, we do the same thing:

The Multitasking Trap: 

When we "water" our team while distracted by our phones, we miss the signals 

We don't check if the "soil" (the workload) is already damp

The Hose vs. The Spray: 

We blast our team members with a firehose of instructions instead of the "Surgical Tap" they actually need

The "IDK" Death Sentence: On LinkedIn, multitasking leads to "cutting corners"—sending generic requests that get you flagged

The 2026 Reality: 

Efficiency vs Effectiveness 

Efficiency is about doing more things at once 

But but but effectiveness is about doing the right thing with total focus and doing it right

My Finance Minister appointed herself "Guardian" of the plant because she knows my "Common Sense" (watering everything with a garden hose while checking henfone) isn't "Business Sense" (knowing how to water) 😱😅

Which is probably the reason why her fingers are green while mine are not 🙊🙈🙉

(raises hand)🙋‍♂️but but but do you multitask while watering or not?🤷‍♂️

Do you want to sync your contacts?

I started posting daily on LinkedIn on 1st Oct 2020

In Dec 2020, LinkedIn asked me the question on the 1st line of this post

I blur sotong, clicked yes without giving it a second thought 

Because I had about 600 connections on LinkedIn back then

But but but I had over 6,000 contacts in my henfone 

I tot by sync-ing my contacts, I would immediately 10X my connections 

Only to discover I still have to manually click on the 'Connect' button with the 6,000 connections 🤦‍♂️

I was using my computer, so I click on the 'Connect' button one by one lor

There was at least twenty connections (or was it fifty, who counts anyways? I sure didn't🙊🙉🙈) on one page

I must have clicked on at least ten pages 😱😅

Thinking to myself, the sooner I finish clicking all 6,000, the sooner I will  10X my connections lah 

Next morning, I discovered I couldn't log into LinkedIn on my computer🤦‍♂️

And I was logged out from LinkedIn's app on my  henfone too 😱😅

Why?

Apparently back then, the daily limit for sending connection request was 100 per day (this was then reduced to 100 per week back in 2022 and apparently it is now 30 per week for newly created accounts 😱😅)

This is for those err non-premium (aka FREE) LinkedIn account lah, which I am using lor

I guess what I am trying to say, ignorance isn't bliss on LinkedIn one lor 🙈🙉🙊

Do you know what you can or cannot do on LinkedIn?🤷‍♂️

Checkout the infographic I used NotebookLM to generate lor

*PS: BTW, I just realized LinkedIn no longer allows sync contacts oredi, so ALL of you are safe from making this mistake that I made 🤦‍♂️

*PPS: Did you know there is a daily limit for the number of LinkedIn profiles you can view?

I didn't

No prizes for guessing who ended up in LinkedIn Jail again in 2021🤦‍♂️

"Don't limit your challenges. Challenge your limits." — Unknown

Of course the above isn't applicable for limits set by LinkedIn lah 😱😅

Which for some reason unknown to me, comment limit isn't made known to everyone on LinkedIn

Many have posted about this on LinkedIn

Some going to the extent of saying there is no much thing as comment limit

Huh?😱😅🤷‍♂️

For me, I have to say yes, there is a limit to the number of comments I can make on LinkedIn a day, everyday

For my own posts, I can comment and / reply to comments on my posts without any limit

However, when I comment on other people's posts, I am limited to max 100 comments a day

Some of you may remember I actually tried to count this sometime in the past by numbering my comments (unfortunately, I can't seem to find which post of mine was this😱😅🤷‍♂️)

But but but don't just take my word for it

Check out the video captures 

(raises hand)🙋‍♂️but but but do you think the daily 100 comment limit is sufficient OR insufficient?🤷‍♂️

Plis let me know in the comments below lah🙏

(raises hand)🙋‍♂️are you running your business on a dead battery 🪫 mindset? 🤷‍♂️

I recently looked at my two car batteries 

And the numbers tell a very interesting story about Expectation vs. Reality

The Tale of Two Batteries: 

1️⃣ Bosch: 
Installed 23.10.2023 
Replaced 19.12.2025
Lifespan: ~26 months 

2️⃣ Varta 
Installed 07.04.2021  
Replaced 03.02.2026
Lifespan: Nearly 5 years!

Looking at these photos, you’ll see the date markings I leave—because in business and in life, if you don't measure it, you can't manage it

The "Business Sense" Question: 

Do you replace your batteries (and your business tools) BEFORE they die? 

Or do you wait until you're stranded in a middle of a KL flash flood or a crucial client meeting before you realize your car can no longer start? 🤷‍♂️😱😅

The High Cost of Cutting Corners 

As my recent research into LinkedIn Risks shows, trying to "stretch" a resource past its limit is dangerous

In a car: You save RM300 today, but you lose a half-day of productivity when the car won't start 😱😅

On LinkedIn: You save time using unauthorized automation or sharing passwords (a Section 8 violation!), but you risk an irreversible permanent ban 😱😅 
But but but are these so called 'savings' worth it?🤷‍♂️😱😅

To my fellow Malaysian entrepreneurs: 

What’s your policy? 

Do you replace your critical business "batteries" (software, talent, equipment) on a schedule? 

Or do you wait until the car no longer start? 

Let's discuss the cost of "Waiting vs. Acting" below! 👇

Papa, why do we have to learn Mandarin when you didn't have to?

During the pandemic, my minions interrogated me

Yes, they asked me the above question

They’ve noticed the gap

Their father is a proud "Banana" (long time student of Pineapple Hill from Fatimah kindergarten to SRK St John to St John's Institution), yet he’s "forcing" them to master one of the world's most difficult languages 😱😅

Why the double standard? 

Why so "jahat" (cruel) syllabus? 🤷‍♂️

The "Banana" Reality vs. The 2026 Market: 

I studied at Pineapple Hill where Mandarin wasn't part of the curriculum

Back then, we navigated the world differently 

But as a business owner today, I see the landscape shifting:

Language as a Logic Framework: 

Mandarin isn't just about speaking; it’s about a different way of problem-solving and persistence

The "Practice or Perish" Principle: Just like in B2B marketing or corporate storytelling, if you stop practicing the craft, you fall behind

Both my minions learnt this the hard way during the pandemic lockdown 

Market Relevance: In the Malaysian entrepreneurial ecosystem, being multilingual isn't just a "nice-to-have" anymore—it’s a bridge to regional trade and deeper stakeholder trust

The "Finance Minister’s" Verdict: My wife is (ALWAYS) right—the syllabus is harder 

The world is getting more complex 

As parents and leaders, our job isn't to make things "easy" like they were in our time; it's to ensure our team (and our minions) are equipped for the current, as well as future difficulty level

My hair isn't turning white because of the exams; it’s turning white from ensuring they don't end up with the same "language roadblocks" I faced

Are we "jahat" for pushing our teams/minions into difficult territories, or are we just future-proofing them for a world that doesn't speak only one language?🤷‍♂️😱😅

Never reply when you are angry, never make a promise when you are happy, never make a decision when you are sad ~Anonymous~

I am sure you have seen this quote before

Me too

Is this applicable on LinkedIn?🤷‍♂️

Sure

Everyone is wired differently

For me, I am wired to have fun and be happy lah

(Which is probably the reason why my Finance Minister insists she has to take care of 3 minions at home when we only have 2. I could never find the 3rd minion 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️)

Back in 2022, I received a greeting from someone that I didn't know on LinkedIn

Let's call him D

I just finished an interesting online discussion earlier and it ended on a positive note

So I was feeling happy lah

Plus it was a Fry-Day wor, lagi happy loh, kan?

The happiness spilled over to LinkedIn

It began like this:

D: Hello

CA: Hello

After waiting for 2 minutes without any further message from him, I asked him:

CA: Is it me you are looking for?

(I thought I could start a karaoke duet. Song? Aiya, Lionel Richie's Hello loh)

D: Yes, how are you doing?

Yes

CA: 'Cause I wonder where you are

And I wonder what you do

D: I do shop in Amazon

And you?

And then I forgot the lyrics already, alamak 😭🤦‍♂️!

When he insisted we should chat outside LinkedIn, not once but 3 times, that was when I reported and blocked him lah

I guess I should add the following never to the list of nevers lah:

Never exchange contact details with someone new on social media lah

Do you have any other 'Never' to add to the never-to-do-things-on-LinkedIn?🤷‍♂️

Share lah below

Are you leading a team of "Bananas" and "Sifu," but speaking different languages?

30 years ago, a language barrier almost cost me my spinal health at Old Klang Road

My brother dropped me off at an acupuncturist 

The Sifu was from China 

Me, on the other hand, am a proud "Banana" 

I can speak basic Mandarin, but my minions still laugh at my accent today 🙊

(switches to whisper mode) prior to the pandemic, I tried to speak to my minions in Mandarin

You know what my boy minion told me?

Papa, it's ok, we understand English too 🤦‍♂️

Anyways, back to the Sifu

The Scene: I’m face down on the table 

The Sifu inserts the first needle 

I heard him ask me something like "Suan bu suan?" 

Now, in Mandarin, this phrase could mean:

1️⃣ Is it sour?

OR

2️⃣ Is it painful?

I was confused 

I couldn't taste anything sour, so I shook my head 

Second needle in, I heard him ask me the same question:

"Suan bu suan?" 

Still no "sour" taste 

I shook my head again lor

By the third needle, and I still blur sotong and shook my head, the Sifu broke into frustrated English: "YOU REALLY NO PAIN?!"

The Breakdown in "Actual Intelligence":

The Sifu's Assumption: He assumed that because I looked like a Chinese, I will automatically understand his question in Mandarin 🙈🙊🙉

My Assumption: I assumed he was asking about taste, not the 'ant bite' sensation of a successful acupuncture needle 

My brother stepped in just in time to explain that I was a banana 🤦‍♂️

The 2026 Leadership Lesson: In business, we often "insert the needles" (start projects, set KPIs, give instructions) assuming the other party is on the same page 

But in a diverse workforce, "Suan" can mean two very different things

Check the Pulse: 

Don't wait for the third "needle" (the crisis) to realize there’s a misunderstanding lah😱😅

Admit the Gap: Whether you’re the CEO or a solopreneur, shamelessly admitting "I don't understand" saves more money than pretending you do

The "ASS-U-ME" Rule: As my brother told me that day, never assume 

It makes an "ASS" out of "U" and "ME"

How do you ensure your "Sifus" and "Bananas" are aligned before the work starts? Is your communication "Suan" (painful) or "Sui" (beautiful)?

taplio

The Battle

Darren Leow

Choo Ann NGOH

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The Battle

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Choo Ann NGOH

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