In Remembrance .....

TODAY, MARKS THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF A FRIEND AND FELLOW BLOGGER, BERNARD KHOO aka ZORRO UNMASKED, WHO HAS GONE TO A BETTER PLACE. 

REST IN PEACE, MY FRIEND, AS YOU LIE ASLEEP IN THE ARMS OF OUR LORD SOON TO BE AWAKEN TO A NEW ETERNAL LIFE.

We meet again, 40 years later ....

December 12 2016 was and will be a special day to remember for all ex-Merliners as we gathered for the second re-union at the Royale Chulan Mutiara Hotel. As for me, I knew many of them back then in the 70s when I was working with the hotel group (Faber Merlin) as one its managers. Although I left three years later to pursue my other careers, the rest stayed on making a name for themselves in the hospitality industry. Today, many of them, are managing international hotels overseas and some local.

For the event, ex-Merliners flew in from the Philippines, Melbourne and Bhutan to join in the occasion, and what tales we had to tell as we walked down memory lane of the time when the KL Merlin stood tall in the heart of the Golden Triangle.

To grace the event, we had the presence of the three children of the late Dato Lim Foo Yoong, Mr OB Lim, Mr OK Lim and Belinda Lim.

Everyone contributed something to make the evening a memorable one. As for me, I did my part with music.

The imposing and towering sight of the once popular Kuala Lumpur Merlin.

Remembering their roots and it all began at the KL Merlin.

Eddie Yeo (L), former GM of the Pulau Tioman Merlin with Julian Blaydes, GM of the Royale Chulan Mutiara Hotel. Julian Blaydes was once a staff of the KL Merlin.

The ladies were former secretaries and managers with the hotel.

Andre Sibert, former GM of the Pulau Tioman Merlin, and me doing a number.

It was also the moment for us to celebrate the 80th birthday of George Loong, former GM of Kuantan Merlin.

Annette Yeo (L) was the former industrial nurse based at the KL Merlin.

Belinda Lim (daughter of the late Datuk Lim Foo Yoong) with Julian Blaydes on her right and Eddie Yeo standing behind her.

The blogger entertaining the crowd.

Lee Kuan Yew's ancestral home to be turned into tourist spot

The local authorities are transforming Mr Lee's ancestral home (above) in Dabu county, Guangdong province, into a tourist attraction. Mr Lee's great-grandfather built the home with money he had earned in Singapore. -- PHOTO: XINHUA 

DABU (Guangdong) - The authorities in a county in southern China are spending 40 million yuan (S$8.8 million) to turn Mr Lee Kuan Yew's ancestral home into a tourist attraction, reported Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po daily.

The plan is to transform the site in Dabu county, Guangdong province, into an international rural tourist destination infused with Chinese Hakka cultural characteristics, the report said.

Work on the project officially began last year, it said, and the first phase, which comprises a Lee Kuan Yew Memorial Hall, will be completed by the end of this year.

Mr Lee's great-grandfather Li Muwen built the ancestral home, named Zhonghandi, in 1884 with money he had earned in Singapore.

Between 2007 and 2008, the house and its surroundings were refurbished by the local authorities, Wen Wei Po said.

They also set up exhibitions detailing the Lee family genealogy, Mr Lee's family and political life as well as an introduction of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the report added.

It cited an unnamed Dabu county official as saying that many local and foreign tourists visit the area every year to understand the life of Mr Lee

The Passing Of A Statesman

Ever since the passing away of  Lee Kuan Yew on March 23 2015 till his funeral on March 29 2015, many friends of mine have asked me why I have not written anything about the former prime minster of Singapore.  I just told them, I simply do not know him well enough to write anything on him except that he was a determined person to bring Singapore to what it is today.  That we must admit, was a great success and therefore attributable to this great man.

Other than this, I only met him once, in 1962, when I was only 14, and it was at the old Sungai Besi Airport where I was there to see a relative flying off to London to further his studies.  While waiting for the embarkation call, I suddenly felt the need to pee and went to the toilet.  As I was doing my thing, in came, a tall Chinese gentleman and immediately I recognised him as Lee Kuan Yew because of his broad forehead.  We stood side by side at the unrinals and he even gave me a quick smile.  When I returned to my parents in the lounge, I just had to tell them I saw Lee Kuan Yew.

The next day, I read in the Straits Times that he was in town with his cabinet colleagues for a series of meetings with the Tunku with regard to the impending merger.

As a mark of respect, I have posted two videos here, one is the announcement of his death and the other, an eulogy by Lee Hsien Loong of his father at the funeral.





Here below, are some of the books written by Lee Kuan Yew in my collections.  'The Battle For Merger' was a book I bought in 1962 and have kept it until today. 'Ousted', authored by Patrick Keith, was the struggle by Lee Kuan Yew in the post-Malaysia days and the events that led to Singapore being ousted from the federation.

The Thais show UMNO Baru what it means to be forgiving

A wreath of orchids from Thai princess Chulabhorn Walailak placed in front of the coffin of former CPM leader Chin Peng tells a story the Malaysian government is not likely to agree with.

In Wat That Thong, one of the more famous temples in Bangkok, it is this story that retired Thai generals, who came to pay their respects to Chin Peng this afternoon, will remember him by.


According to retired general Kitti Rattanachaya (left), who was given the honour of spraying holy water on Chin Peng's body before it was placed in the coffin, Chin Peng should be remembered as a hero, not as a terrorist.

Through signing the Hatyai Peace Agreement of 1989, Kitti said, Chin Peng "played a key role in maintaining peace" along the Thai-Malaysian border.

"He fought for the independence of his country, just like (Vietnam leader) Ho Chi Minh, but he did not succeed.

"It is proper to allow his ashes to be returned to Malaysia. Forgive and forget, let bygones be bygones. Once someone dies, everything is finished," Kitti told members of the media.

As a former military man who led troops against the CPM guerillas, he said, he viewed Chin Peng - who spent a third of his life in exile in Thailand - as an elder brother.

"(The Malaysian position) is just politics. When a peace agreement is signed, there is no longer animosity," Kitti said, stressing that this was his personal view and not that of the Thai government.

Forgiveness the only solution

Agreeing with him, Akanit Muansawad, a general who retired from the Thai army last year, said that for him, forgiveness was the only way to bring peace.

As the first Thai army officer to broker talks with Chin Peng in August 1973, Akanit said he made the decision to do after losing many of his men.

"I was a captain then and in one year, I lost 50 soldiers - 30 died and 20 were wounded. I got malaria 13 times from going in and out of the jungle.

"I forgave because I couldn't see any other way to solve the problem," Akanit (right) said.

The princess' wreath was just one of many in memory of Chin Peng today.

Among them was a wreath of yellow flowers from his children, with a message simply reading: "In loving memory of our dear father."

Of the 50-odd family members and friends who came to the quiet and sombre affair today, many were seen in tears.

According to Anas Abdullah, a family friend who helped arrange the wake and funeral, more than 100 former CPM guerilla fighters are expected to pay their respects in the next two days, before Chin Peng's body is cremated on Monday.

The son of a CPM leader and the son-in-law of one of the oldest surviving Malay CPM members Abdullah CD, Anas said his father-in-law was not able to make the 10-hour drive to Bangkok from the Sukhirin peace village, near Narathiwat.

"But about 10 people from the village will be driving over tomorrow," Anas said of the village that is home to former 10th Regiment fighters, who are mostly Muslims.

[Source: Mkini]

Those were the days, my friends ....

Wong Peng Soon was our favorite badminton player,



Ghani Minat was our favourite soccer hero, and

 

Rose Chan was our favourite entertainer.

You are not cool if you do not have a long side burn, greasy hair (held together by Brylcream) with a floppy "bun" infront.  Then you are either an Elvis fan or a Cliff (Richard) fan.  You cannot be neutral.

Films by P Ramlee always enjoyed by all Malaysians.  How can we forget classics like Do-Re-Mi and Bujang Lapok, and seeing P Ramlee dueting with Saloma on "Gelora", aaaaah ... that was something else.

 

 

Because we reared Siamese fighting fishes, the seller was our idol.

Driving license renewal was by pasting an additional slip at the back of a small red booklet

 
 

Susu lembu was house delivered by our big friendly and strong Bahiii ............. on his bicycle in a stainless steel container. The container cap served as a funnel.

 

 

Kacang puteh man came a-peddling, walking and balancing on his head 6 compartments of different type of murukus ...and we barter our old exercise books for a paper cone of kacang putih.

 

 

We can enjoy monthly credit "facilities" from our friendly neighbourhood sundry shop by using the little "555" book.  This was the "credit card" of the day.

 

 

F&N orange was served in wooden crates and displayed on the table in the homes during Chinese New Year.

 

 

M&M 's was called Treets ..

 

Eating chicken was a treat that happened only once on Chinese New Year and once on "Chap Goh Meh", Deepavali, Christmas or Hari Raya.

 

 

We always carried in our pocket a packet of fire crackers during the Chinese New Year.

 

 

We always carry a one ringgit note at night in case we are stopped by a mata-mata (policeman) for not having tail lights on our bicycles.

 

 

One noodle 'chow kway teow' cost 30 sen and we bring our own egg.

 

 

One 'roti canai' cost 15 sen and one banana for 5 sen.

 

 

We bought bangkali bread from the Indian roti man who paddled his bicycle around the neighbourhood with the familiar ringing sound from his bicycle.

 

Sometimes we bought cold storage bread wrapped in wax paper. Spread the bread with butter and kaya wrap with the wax paper and take to school.

 

 

Crop crew cut by the travelling Indian or Hockchew barber; 30 sen a haircut, all the way to the top. Reason?.. easy to dry when curi swimming. 

 

 

During weekends, went swimming in the river, no swimming trunks, only birthday suits.  No one laugh at you whether your "kuku bird" is small, crooked, etc. 

 

 

On Sunday morning, listened to Kee Huat Radio's "Fantastic Facts and Fancies", and Saturday, "Top of the Pops", both hosted by DJ Patrick Teoh who always ended his show with, "Here's wishing you blue skies."

 

 

Saturday morning, go for cheap matinee shows at the Cathay Cinema, usually cowboy shows or Greek mythology like "Jason and the Golden Fleece".

 

The Cathay Cinema at Jalan Bukit Bintang [opposite the Federal Hotel].  First opened in 1959 with the film, "Campbell's Kingdom".

Father gave 70 sen for cheap matinee shows which normally started at 10.30 am on Saturdays and Sundays - 50 sen for the ticket and 20 sen for return bus fare, makan not included.  Nobody paid 1 ringgit for the 'Reserved' seat.

 

 

Believe it or not, we had double-decker buses owned by the Toong Foong Omnibus Company.  Whenever we boarded the bus, we would run to the upper deck to get a view of the journey.

 

The familiar double-decker Toong Foong bus

5 sen for kacang putih and 10 sen for ice "ang tau".  Sometimes, ice ball only 5 sen "pau ang tau" and half red sugar, and the other half black sugar or sarsi.

 

 

Never, never, never talked or mixed with girls until Form 5.  Learned the Waltz, Cha Cha, Rhumba, Foxtrot and Offbeat Cha Cha from a classmate's sister.

First time dancing with a girl, nearly froze and the heart went "botobom, botobom ..."

 

 

Standard cure for headache, take Aspro.  We took a lot of sweet stuff like candy floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups .... and diabetes was rare.  Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was a remedy for fever.  Tonic water always taken at the first hint of Malaria.

 

 

First time used a modern toilet, I squatted on it as I was used to using the "bucket system" toilet.  Our children will not know the danger of visiting the outdoor toilet at night, nor jumping in fright when the man collect the bucket while you are doing your business.

 

 Toilet paper is torn up newspaper on a hook which you have to crumple first before applying.  White toilet paper was an unknown luxury until I left home.

 

With mere 5 pebbles (stones), we could turn it into an endless game.  With a ball (tennis ball best), we boys would run like crazy for hours.

 

 

We caught guppies in drains/canals and when it rained, we swam there.

We ate salty, very sweet and oily food, candies, bread and real butter, and drank condensed milk in coffee/tea, iced kacang, but we weren't overweight because we ran, cycled or climbed trees all day.  We fell from the trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and still we continued the stunts.

 

 

 We never had birthday parties until we were 21.

 

 

We never heard of "bumiputra" and neither "1Malaysia", because we were already one Malaysian.

When parents found out we were caned in school, it's certain we would get another round at home.  Parents always sided with the teachers.

 

 

We fly kites with string coated with pounded glass powder and horse glue, and we cut our hand on the string.  Happiness is winning a kite with a local samseng.  I forgot, we also have to make our own kites to suit our "fighting styles".

 

 

We are the last generation to know how to use logarithm tables and slide rulers.

 

 

We had telephones which were really, really heavy weights.

 

And I believe, this generation produces the best parents because we remember the hard times.