Class of ’76 reunion 2009

Last Sunday some old boys from the MACS class of 76 got together for a celebration of sorts. We had a great meal and shared lots of stories! As usual, Kiam Hann did not disappoint us; organizing a wonderful reunion and providing entertainment to go with the good food. I have assembled here some of the portrait photos of those who attended the do and short commentaries to go with it. I am sure the comments do not do justice to describing my fellow friends who have lots of interesting success stories to tell of their own and the short time we spent together did not allow us to get to know each other better. But the fellowship was great and we walked away with a feeling of déjà vu; the good old time is back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I  hope that this light hearted summary of those who came for dinner ( + one who was supposed to join us later but went AWOL) makes for interesting reading; no offence intended and trust that none will be taken. There is much we do not know about each other, hopefully over time, we will be able to fill in the blanks.

We had some good exchanges and some names remembered; eg Woon Chin Chan, Woo Kai Wah, Pang Ah Lim, Loh Wai Yu, Ng Ee Chuan, Simon, etc.

Those were the days!

Keep in touch guys,

1st Dec 2009

Seasons Greeting

Year end is always a time to look forward to. It is the time for holiday, travelling, celebration, meeting friends, reunion and exchanging of gifts, to name a few.

It is once again an occasion for us to reflect upon the year that is coming to an end and to take stock of what we have been blessed, make plans for the next and prayerfully, all that you wished for will come through.

Have a wonderful celebration,& Happy New Year

A Time for Change and Healing

America today voted in a black President, a most unlikely candidate, but Barack Obama with much tact and perseverance managed to convince the electorate of a need for major change. Americans have spoken. What a change it was. Obama scored a bigger electoral victory than Bush did in either 2000 or 2004. He polled 349 against McCain’s 174, a margin of 2:1 America has shown the world leadership in race relations. They have put aside their racial differences and voted as a united people disregarding petty differences for a greater good.

With three small words, he captured the hopes of not just America, but of the world. ‘Change has come,‘ said Barack Obama. In his acceptance speech, President Barack Obama spoke of the dreams of the people and the values they all share. This phrase is meaningful: “…we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, ‘We are not enemies, but friends though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.’

All across the world, people of various nationalities and colour celebrated his victory. Kenya declared Thursday a public holiday. Obama’s father was from Kenya. In Singapore, a post in the Straits Times wrote, ‘This is our moment. This is our time…that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond…Yes, we can.’

Yes we can, the campaign theme of Obama resonates even now to the rest of the world, telling us that we must unite and promote peace if we are to build a future for our next generation.

Spreading Peace and International Understanding Through ART

The Lions Club of Subang Jaya organised the annual World Peace Posters Art Contest on the 12th October in conjunction with the Health and Sightfirst Project which saw many students aged 7 to 13 participating.

These are our children who envisioned through their innocent minds their idea of world peace. And their visions were translated into drawings and colour for everyone to see and appreciate. And what a colourful display they gave on that day. The paintings depicted people of various races and nationalities from around the world living in harmony with doves flying symbolising peace and harmony. Colourful display of flags and national buildings add to the multinational approach in promoting international understanding.
This year’s contest was won by Vivian Teoh for the age 11 to 13 category and by Tey Li Sin for the Junior category of 10 and below.

Each poster is judged on originality, artistic merit and expression of the theme. The international grand prize winner will receive a trip to a special award ceremony with the sponsoring club president and two family members at Lions Day with the United Nations in New York City, New York, USA.

The theme of the 2008-09 Peace Poster Contest is “Peace Begins With Me.”

Last year Ming Yang Soong a 13 year-old from Ipoh, Malaysia did the country proud by winning the international grand prize. Judging by the good response and performance from our children, the country would very likely be represented once again this year among the winners.

Happiness in sharing

I had the privilege of presenting a kidney dialysis machine on behalf of my company to a non-profit dialysis centre that provides discounted service to members of the public last Friday. Together with a reprocessor (a steriliser-like equipment), the two costing USD20K were donated to Pusat Dialysis Touch in Sunway Damansara. (Article in News Straits)

With this addition, their capacity increases to 66 patients. At the time of presentation, the centre serves about 3o patients.Each patient requires 4 hours three times a week and each treatment costs not more than RM110 (USD30). The centre also helps patients to apply for government subsidy of about RM50 per treatment thus reducing their cost to RM60. I spoke to some of the patients undergoing dialysis during the tour around the facility and many were in good spirit. They attributed their end stage kidney failure to many reasons including TB and stress. Hepatitis patients were isolated with use of their own machine to prevent infection.

The centre is clean and well laid out. Volunteers managed the centre while salaried nurses (two shifts per day) serve the patients. The promoters of the centre are individuals commited to serving the community. There is an increasing need for such facilities as number of kidney patients continue to rise. I encouraged them to continue this good cause and wished them success. (Article in The Star)

A Memorable Birthday Celebration

 

Shirley cutting birthday cake

It is not often that we can spend our birthdays with celebrities or beauty queens at that. So it

was a pleasant surprise when last December, Shirley was surrounded by Mrs World 2007 (who was the reigning Mrs America) and her fellow contestants for a special dinner together.

The occasion was made possible by ‘The Passions’ magazine who specially invited the world beauties to a Charity event in aid of National Hearts Foundation. Altogether some 11 beautifully married women from around the world including Mrs Malaysia visited various sites and participated in events including one hosted by the company in which I worked in.

They are parents who have taken their valuable time to help raise funds for the needy, and in this case for the sick. They were full of enthusiasm, spontaneity and energy, travelling from place to place and participating in the fashion parade during the Charity Ball Night as well as posing for the cameramen.

And for Shirley whose birthday coincided with one of their visits, it was most opportune to spend the happy and memorable moment with world beauties who themselves were married and parents. They showered her with praises, not forgetting the hugs and kisses to go along. There were lots of photo taking opportunities and the friendly atmosphere will bring back happy memories for many years to come. The cake cutting with all of them surrounding her and the hugs and wishes were indeed the highlight of the day for Shirley.

It was only after the long day when the beauties return to their hotels for a well-deserved rest that we too returned home for a private celebration with the children. Happy Birthday Shirley! May you have many more of such wonderful and blessed celebrations; and good health to go along! God bless.

Revival Camp – Pantai Hills

On the 1st and 2nd Oct 2008, a group of 34 brethren and 4 visitors went for an overnight camp at Bro Charlie’s orchard farm in Pantai Hills, Negri Sembilan. It was intended to be a revival retreat with lots of fellowshipping among brethren and friends. Over time, the retreat transformed into a “Win the World to Jesus Christ” Camp with lots of lessons, discussions and healthy family outing, thanks to the committed organisation skills of our Chairman, bro Charlie, ably supported by his dear wife Sis Katherine.
We arrived in groups from about 10.00am onwards and by 11.30am we were ready for the first lesson by Bro Edward Low. His topic, I will make you fishers of men covered our duties as evangelists for God. Indeed we are all commanded to love our fellow men and to be soul winners. The deliberation after the 30 min delivery was led by Charlie and it solicited ideas from participants how we can be better soul winners. Notes were written on the white board how we can reach out to others. These points were recorded by Kelly to be converted into minutes for distribution.
We were then served a hearty meal that was prepared by the ladies led by Sis Lillian Chan. What a delicious spread of mee hoon, dishes of meat, vegetables, cakes, fruits and refreshments.
The weather in the afternoon was fine and we decided to go for an early outing. For the adventurous (18 ) among us, we went for jungle trekking to be closer to the wonders of God’s creation. A 2-hour journey into the interior which was landscaped with waterfalls and many kinds of jungle trees and plants took us to a rest area were we played with the clear water in the rapids. Along the way we met giant millipedes, and not forgetting the blood sucking leeches. It was an experience that will stay in our memory for a long time. From the youngest to the older of us, from first time trekkers to seasoned King scouts, the return to Mother Nature was a good respite from city living and the pressures of work and studies.
The return journey (1 hour) was faster as we were by now experts of the terrain and wanted to get back to dry land to avoid the leeches.
After washing up and comparing notes of how many leech bites each has and our anglers returning back with their catches, we settled down for another discussion led by bro Eng. The topic, on “How to make cell groups more effective in soul winning” gave some suggestions on ways to improve our current format. We reviewed how lessons should be facilitated and visitors made welcome. There were more ideas contributed during bro Richard’s session on being conquerors through Christ. The participants were divided into 3 groups and discussions on weaknesses in our current cell meetings were jotted down for presentation by the leader of the group.
After the evening session some of the participants had to leave the camp. And so with a slight tinge of disappointment, we waved goodbye to seven cars making their way with their passengers back home. It was past 10.00pm and so the remnants took an early rest.
The next morning we were woken by the sounds of birds chirping and the cheerfulness of well rested early risers. The air was cool and fresh and we could see the KL skyline in the distance. Yes, it was so clear that the silhouette lines of the KL highest towers were visible from about 100km away. Bro Yeow Kong came early to share his highly motivated lessons on “Counting your blessings”. Indeed the sharing brought tears to some of the participants who were touched by the warm support and acts of love by wonderful friends and brethren.
After lunch, we parted ways with lots of wonderful memories of the time we shared together as a family of God and promised ourselves to return next year for another time of togetherness.

7th Oct 2008

White water rafting at KKB

White Water Adventure

Last Saturday, a group of us (18 all in) decided to go for some water adventure. I heard of this activity more than a year back and have since been persuading Meng Fui to organize one for me and my two boys. At the time of the request, I did not know much about the level of risk associated with this rafting adventure except that it is quite challenging. I soon discovered that it is between Level 4 to 5, depending on the season. The previous two outings for me (one at Jeram Besu and the other at Bali) were Level 3s and thus this one is definitely more challenging. In the words of Len’s son, you ‘will’ get the rush.

 

We awoke early, so as to be at the Kuala Kubu Baru meeting point at about 8.15am. Here we were introduced to the expedition leader Mr Yoo, who made us comply with basic formalities (like filling in of our personal particulars and signing disclaimer of indemnity form). From the town we then drove to the starting point just before the dam. After waiting for our drivers to park their cars at the finishing point, we were given a briefing concerning safety precautions. We were each given a life jacket (professionally called personal flotation device [in short PFD], a device designed to keep the wearers afloat and their head above water), an oar and a safety helmet. After posing for a group photograph, we eagerly descended to our rafts (everyone was in high spirit). These are inflatable rubber dinghies that can seat about 8 people and are suited to the rough water terrain.

 

The adventure started at about 10 am in relatively shallow water. The recent low rainfall has taken a toll on the water level of Sungai Selangor (this river feeds into the larger Sungei Selangor, famous for its fireflies at Kuala Selangor in Kampung Kuantan). After the construction of a dam, the river water level is controlled by overflow or releases from the dam. Despite the low water level, we went for it. The fun started almost immediately with all of us happily rowing over the many rapids along the river. After a couple of interesting small falls, we came to calm waters where we were taught some basic skills in maneuvering of the dinghies. Then it was off to more adventure. There was a captain and helper in every dinghy with the captain seated at the back. He shouted commands for us to row forward and backward, moving to either sides or to either ends of the dinghy. The helper at the front steers the boat. When we approached a steep fall, they recced the site and then allowed us to proceed if deemed safe. The leader will station himself at a vantage position to survey the site and also take photographs of the actions. Despite the precautions, we had a victim in the person of Leong who was tossed into the fast moving waters when his raft hit one of the charging rapids. Those of us in the first raft waiting downstream were able to throw him a line and brought him into our raft about 50 metres away. He emerged unscathed but quite shocked from the fall.

 

The conquest of each fall brought the adrenalin ‘rush’. The greater the difficulty we encountered, the more we enjoyed it. The first of such falls was the ‘Chicken Drop’ fall which saw the river falling several feet in a rather steep manner. We braced ourselves and held the oars high as we approached the edge; and soon we were in the thick of it, plunging into troubled waters. Water rushed into the dinghy from all sides and we were swung left and right but it was over rather fast; we overcome and emerged the victor.

 

There were several more of such falls and some were quite treacherous and difficult to maneuver (we were practically at the mercy of nature) and the shallowness of the water made the rocks appeared ominous. The normal time of two and a half hour was extended to 3 + hours as a result of the lower water level. At one point the organizers had to carry the dinghy over shallow water. Along the journey, we stop at a small waterfall for some light refreshment and snack plus a shoulder massage from the rushing fall above. The water was clean which was not quite what I expected. This wonderful stretch of clear water is a rare find so near to KL, almost in our backyard. Many of us also took the opportunity to float along the way, looking upwards at the sky and the tree lining the shores. A certain calm was about us as we move effortlessly downstream. A great stress reliever.

 

At the end of the adventure we had a good shower, a simple lunch and some time to fellowship. It was all in all a good healthy family outing. And we look forward to the next adventure, the ultimate white water adventure in Malaysia – Sungai Singor in Grik, Perak.

26th May 2008

SEMINAR ON PARENTING SKILLS

“COMMUNICATING POSITIVELY & CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH YOUR CHILDREN”

At a seminar on the above subject, organised by CEFL, parents were given some ideas of how to strategise communicating with their children as a means to develop constructive relationships and minimise hindrances to their progress. Our guest speaker was Dr Goh Chee Leong, the Director and Head of HELP University’s Centre for Psychology, who lectures on a broad range of courses, including motivation and counselling psychology, and also works as a corporate trainer, specialising in conflict resolution.
Dr Goh gave an arresting talk, analysing the various ways we can and do communicate with our children and giving food for thought to all present.
He started by looking at the purpose of communication and identified three main areas for consideration: conveying a message, sharing feelings and building relationships. He focused particularly on building relationships which he characterised as making connections with the other party. Parents can and should communicate with their children both to encourage and strengthen a relationship and, importantly, to steer children towards an end objective which parents have identified. In other words the person they would like their child to be when he/she grows up. To achieve this, Dr Goh encouraged parents to have a regular ‘retreat’ where they discuss and agree how they can best help their children to move towards the objective they have agreed upon. And it’s not just a matter of considering academic attainment or career options; parents must make a conscious effort to identify important characteristics and values that they want their children to acquire. These characteristics may be compassion, a concern for health (physical and emotional), an appreciation of the value of education, spirituality, integrity, independence, etc.
There must be unity of mind between parents. At the same time punishment meted out must be consistent with the value parents are trying to instil. Be careful about misplaced anger, which is destructive. Parental expectations must be appropriate to the child’s age and ability.
Dr Goh discussed 5 ways of communicating with children.
Positive–Conditional, parents offer praise and rewards for the accomplishment of the child. For example, when the child does well in exams, parents may then encourage him/her by saying ‘well done’ or rewarding with a present. The child has done something to deserve recognition and such recognition must be meaningful.
Positive-Unconditional is what parents give without a need for the child to achieve or perform something e.g. a vacation for the family or just an expression of love. Parents must be careful not to use love as a discipline tool or punishment. Parental love cannot be linked to a child’s action or else it may affect his/her self-esteem. Further it is useful for the child to spend some quality time with the parent on a one-to-one basis without the presence of other siblings.
Negative-Conditional takes the form of punishment to promote adherence to values established. The child then understands when he/she has crossed certain defined boundaries or has been guilty of unacceptable behaviour. Punishment may take the form of omission-training as in depriving the child of certain privileges like TV or computer access. But parents should be careful not to mete out punishment based on mood or in anger. Parents should also be realistic when considering their children’s achievements and perhaps focus on the effort they have made as much as the result. And parents should always explain to their children why they are being punished.
Negative-Unconditional communication is unhealthy and unconstructive usually arising as a result of a flare up or moodiness. This is to be avoided and Dr Goh suggested various ways to reduce the stress that can cause this kind of outburst. This includes buffer time e.g. reflective moments travelling home from work, physical exercise, a happy hour drink, listening to some music, etc.
The most unwelcome of all is NO communication.
It seems some parents are not talking with their children very much – and when they do say something to them, it’s not likely to increase their sense of self-worth. We must change this dismal state of parent-child interaction by changing how and why we speak with our children every day. We must have more real conversations, in which we show a genuine interest in their world and we share our world with them. Telling and showing our children how much we love and appreciate who they are should become a natural habit.
Dr Goh then took questions from the audience and there was good participation from everyone. There were useful ideas for everyone to take home and try on their children. While we do not learn good parenting skills in school or through a formal learning process, nevertheless we must make a conscious effort to set a good example and to chart our children’s future. The effectiveness of the seminar prompted a suggestion from parents for CEFL to organise seminars for teenage children.

DESTINATION CHINA

A MUST VISIT

When I first made plans to travel to China it was intended for business purpose with two extra days thrown in for sight seeing. We booked a booth at the Franchise China Expo 2006 held at the World Trade Centre in Beijing an event sponsored by Matrade, a division of the Ministry of Trade entrusted to promote Malaysia to the world.re for sight-seeing, business, education, shopping, a taste of its culture, food, art or sports, China does not cease to amaze you. And if affordable holiday is what you are looking for, then this destination is the one for you especially given the increasingly higher cost of airfares, the result of higher fuel prices.help if I had read before hand or viewed the many movies depicting Chinese history. reliving the past, from what he has read in books and seen from movie reenactment of the rule under various emperors by directors who preserved much of what was recorded. It was interesting but for those of us who are hearing it for the first time it was rather a lot to digest. Now that I have been introduced to the subject and have seen it personally, I am more inclined to read the history books.The Great Wall of China thought to be visible from the moon is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This makes the visit almost mandatory if one is to claim having been to Beijing. The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by Emperor Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China during the Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty (221 B.C – 206 B.C.). In Chinese the wall is called “Wan-Li Qang-Qeng” which means 10,000-Li Long Wall (10,000 Li = about 5,000 km). During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall was enlarged to 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) and renovated over a 200 year period, with watch-towers and cannons added. We visited the Badaling Great Wall located 70km northwest of Beijing, the earliest section to be open to tourists. Built from the end of the 14th century until the beginning of the 17th century, during the Ming Dynasty, it protected China from raids by the Mongols and Turkic tribes. The top of the wall can permit five horses to be ridden abreast. There are arched doors at the inner side of the wall with very little distance between each two doors. It was an awe-inspiring experience to walk along the top of the wall which meanders along the hills and one wonders how early day Chinese were able to construct without modern day equipment and technology. The coolness of the air makes walking along the wall a delightful experience, with breathtaking scenery and lots of photo-taking opportunities. Certain portions of the journey are rather steep and the exercise is good for the body.d name like Versace, Nike, Channel, Swiss Army, Adidas lined the shop fronts. But the most memorable experience is the bargaining which one learns as he moves from shops to shops. And it takes a very disciplined shopper not to over-spend as the items on display are tempting to the eyes and the retailers very skilled at persuasion. Never mind if you do not have luggage space as the luggage bags shops are plentiful with modern designs and are inexpensive. And if this is insufficient for your appetite, there is the Wanfujing and Xidan street where rows of shops on both side of the street invites you to part with your Rmb.

While we do not know what to expect having received mild success in Shanghai last year we nevertheless hope for the best. The exhibition spanned over 3 ½ days and was participated by some 200 companies, mainly Chinese organizations. Most of the companies exhibited the franchise of consumer products. Our booth drew much interest and we have a couple of serious enquiries with one making a visit to KL mid May to see first hand our business model.

The experience nevertheless left me with an even greater impact of what China has to offer in all aspect of our life. We have always known that China is big and the diversity it provides makes for interesting visit. But it is only until we see first hand do we understand the meaning of BIG. For those of us who are western educated, it is normal to place China last in our travel plans, and only when we have seen most of the western world do we make a beeline for China. This will however change when you step foot on the middle kingdom. Whether you are the

There was a time (about 20 years ago) when Malaysians were not allowed to visit China without approval from the government. This makes China rather intriguing, especially when we have read so much about the history and geographical attractions of China. Now that there is no restriction in travel, we tend to think that it can be deferred. But procrastinate no further.

If you are one who is attracted to its rich heritage and history, then the visit to the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Great Wall is sure to inspire you. A journey to Beijing is not complete without visiting these places. I am not one for history, but it will

The Forbidden City, lying at the center of Beijing (also called Gu Gong in Chinese), was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is now known as the Palace Museum. My colleague Allen was so taken in by the sight that he made the most of his entry into the Forbidden City reading the many notices placed outside the exhibits.

A Tang Dynasty poet wrote a line about the royal palace of his time, which says “Without seeing the magnificence of the royal palace, one can never sense the dignity of the emperor.”

To illustrate the vast expanse of the palace ground which covers 74 hectares; Allen told me there are altogether 8000 over houses in the compound which would mean that a day’s visit would not be sufficient for those who intends to catch all its attractions. As he made his way around the city he related portions of the rich history of the past, the rise and fall of each emperor, their wisdom and legacy. There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. These afford views over both the palace and the city outside. Until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven from the Inner Court, fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty reigned here. It houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities. To Allen it was like

A short walk south of the palace lie the Tiananmen square, the location of students protest and government crackdown where the army fought its way past barricades in June 1989. All around are magnificent buildings housing the China National Museum, the Great Hall of the China National People’s Congress and Chairman Mao’s mausoleum where his body lies in a crystal coffin. Here as well as in many parts of China, tourists of all nationalities throng the places of interest numbering tens of thousands each day bringing with them large sums of foreign exchange; significant contribution to the country’s economy.

 

A visit to Beijing must include the shopping experience of the Silk Street market much like the flea market at Xian Yang street in Shanghai, only more comfortable (with air-conditioning and clean floors) minus the touts. The market housed over four floors is located close to the world trade centre and embassies. It is a shopping paradise for those seeking designer brands but not the price. Bags, garments, shoes, ties, belts and many others of famous bran

Well I have taken some time to introduce Beijing, the rest is up to you. If you need a travel guide, buy me a ticket and I am on the plane with you. Cheers!