Loyalty

This letter to the editor which appeared in the Star of 26^th September 2007 speaks louder than words of my own predicament.

"Misplaced loyalty?

I’m writing about the misconception about loyalty. I have been a loyal customer of Bank Simpanan Nasional for at least 10 years and together with my wife we hold numerous accounts with them. As the bank has made the application for credit cards a much simpler process, I tried applying for one. It was very disappointing that my application was rejected.

My loyalty with Maxis is also a point to note. Despite being with the service provider for more than 12 years, it is sad that I’m still being billed RM40 for access fees as well as RM10 for my wife’s supplementary line.

Maybe I’m old-fashioned but loyalty to me means a lot and I’m sure that a lot of people will agree with me.

BERNARD GOMEZ
Kuala Lumpur. "

I like the definition I found in the thefreedictionary - A feeling or attitude of devoted attachment and affection. Often used in the plural: eg, My loyalties lie with my family.

Yes, in this day and age, this trait is an anomaly. A dinosaur age trait incompatible with the three minutes fame ambitions of the general populace. The public are not encouraged to nurture this trait anymore unless there is something to gain by both sides. Often times, it is a one-sided affair. Not a win-win situation. The world has indeed changed. For the better?