I have called the Streamyx help desk practically every other night for the past eight weeks for help to sort out an intermittent year-old problem with my service. The connection inexplicably fails at or around 9:30pm every night, and remains so until the next morning.

Then, I found out that the help desk is staffed by an out-sourced vendor who can only 'escalate' the problem to the Telekom technicians. Read 'em and weep - here are the report IDs - 2455388, 2528015 and 2533712.

But the technician sometimes shows up in the afternoon unannounced and proceeds to declare the case closed, as the line was working then. Hey guys, the problem happens only at night (yes, n-i-g-h-t). I guess no one in Telekom is willing to fight the jungles and jams in Bandar Utama to visit my home to see for themselves.

(And speaking of jams, all of you, please go shop elsewhere on the weekends, ok? Please?)

I even wrote an e-mail to a Telekom product/sales manager. He tried to solve the problem once, but when the symptoms recurred, he stopped answering the mails. Ok, he's a sales guy - that's to be expected.

I have also sent a letter to UMW's Toyota Customer Care, also without a substantive response but that's another story.

So, I'm left with asking the help desk people for a name in Telekom where the buck stops at. 'Sorry, Mr Tan (I'm a Lee, not a Tan) - we can only escalate the case to Telekom. That's all we can help you with', they say.

I even wrote an e-mail to the Telekom's Customer Care with - yep, you're right - no response.

Before I go visit Lim Keng Yaik in his office as the second last resort, perhaps this letter can move some invisible hands, and presto! the problem gets solved. Then just maybe, I might think Malaysia has a chance fighting India for the outsourcing business. But, hey, I also believe in fairy godmothers.

Finally, if even the good minister cannot get my problem resolved, then can someone please pry the ADSL modem from my cold, dead hands? Or, open up the last mile.