Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Ill-fated Air Asia flight 8501







For Malaysians the year 2014 closes with a double tragedy of massive floods and the Air Asia Flight 8501 crash in the Java Sea possibly killing all 162 people on board. For some others there could have been other tragedies in their lives or in their families. Such tragedies are indeed a real source of severe pain and agony for them, which will take a very long time to heal.

Hope the authorities act fast and do their utmost to reassure the loved ones in grief so that they can overcome their agony as fast as possible.

We hope and pray the families of the victims find the strength and courage to overcome this painful events. May the coming new year bring a little relief from their grief and the hope for a happier life.
Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this time of great difficulty. God bless them.

Monday, November 24, 2014

A final tribute to Uncle George


                          Mr.George Anthony : 3 June 1920 - 22 November 2014                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
 The death of Mr. George Anthony at the ripe old age of 94 is indeed a sad new for me, my family and many old residents of Batu Gajah. To many in Batu Gajah he was fondly called Uncle George. He used to be known for his cheerful look and moving around on his bicycle wearing his typical Mexican hat.
I knew him since I was a child in the late sixties when I used to follow him to visit the sick in the hospital.  In fact it was these trips to the hospitals that had inspired me to take up medicine as a career. Uncle George played a very influential role not on me alone but many of my friends too in our church at that time as he was a senior member in the church then. After I left Batu Gajah, I used to meet him on and off whenever I went back home on vacations.

It was one these meetings about 10 years ago that brought me and my wife close to him. We bought him a simple breakfast one day and that opened a new chapter in our relationship. He was so grateful for the way we treated him that he wrote a letter thanking us for showing so much care and respect for him, who was old and unemployed then. In fact he had written about70 over letters since then.

 Soon he became a regular guest at all the functions in my family. He even became close to my in-laws in Ipoh who had lot of respect for him.It was during these 10 years that I learned much more about life from Uncle George. 

I was particularly impressed with what he said on 2 important issues, love and aging. After being married to his wife for nearly 60 years, he said, “Love grows with age. I think I love my wife more now than ever before”. He was 85 and his wife 82 then. These words came from a man at the final phase of his life and they are so real and meaningful. Yes, Uncle George was right; beauty, vitality and youth will die but love never dies contrary to what we usually tend to believe.

The second important lesson from Uncle George was about the fear of loneliness. He said the greatest fear as one  grows old is loneliness and this he really experienced to the fullest after the death of his only daughter and later his wife. His words, “It is not money, food or gifts we need now but the company of children, family and friends that we need most”.

The perpetual cheerful look and his loud laughter were trademarks of Uncle George that remained with him till the end. Today he may be gone but images of him cycling up Changkat hill daily wearing his trademark Mexican hat remains vividly in our minds. His vast experience is a treasure that we value so much.

Uncle George we will miss you dearly especially during our family gatherings but knowing that you have gone to a better place where you will be happier with your wife and daughter, brings us some comfort.

May you rest in peace  


Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Anwar Ibrahim: Pidato Umum Di Universiti Malaya

Sodomy II : Anwar’s final appeal



Last night Anwar Ibrahim returned to UM, the same place from where everything began for him 40years.His return was not as what it should have been as the legitimate parliamentary Opposition Leader but in his usual style of controversy and sabotage by the powers that be. Every of his moves is being feared by those in power and they go all out to stop him. Plunging UM into darkness by an alleged power failure speaks volumes of the fear this man.

Defying the warnings by the UM authorities, thousands of students waited for hours in the rain for Anwar at the locked gates of UM last night to give him a rousing welcome. It is an indeed triumphant return for a man who had been beaten to the pulp and charged with all kinds of crimes. He keeps coming back again and again after each setback. Anwar’s perseverance and resilience is admired by many even those who never liked him.

He has achieved what many have failed - united the people of diverse ethnicity and ideologies to "bring to its knees" a repressive and abusive regime that is ruling for over 6 decades. Within six years he managed to deny the ruling party its He may not have succeeded to bring it down totally yet but he has ignited the process which will can never be extinguished.
Today Malaysia is at its worst with racism, corruption and power abuses at their peak. Even hate is being used as a political tool to cling on to power. Only the younger generation of Malaysians can put a stop to all these dangerous trends of racial and religious hatred and confrontation. Will they do it? The UM incident gives some hope they will.


The following 28.October 2014 is D-day for Anwar Ibrahim when the Federal Courts convenes to hear the final appeal for his acquittal. The powers that be are all out to put him behind bars. But Anwar is not intimidated by all these. Age may be against him but definitely his spirit is not. They may imprison him but they cannot put out the spark he has ignited.

The UM rally today confirms that younger leaders are ready to carry his torch to bring change. Anwar may not personally succeed to bring down the government, he may not realize his ambitions to become the PM but definitely he will go down in history as the man who dared to do stand for justice against a power regime, something which many will not dare.

Anwar says he does not want to go to jail but is prepared for that if he has to saying that it will be his last service to the nation and the people. As the Federal Court goes into session, the nation prays for Anwar as he prepares mind and soul to go to jail for a second time. Like all men of his age, it will be heart-breaking experience being separated from his wife, children and especially   his little grandchildren with whom he is closely attached. We share his fears, his anxieties and sorrow for having to separate from his family.

At is age of 67,it will not be easy for him to endure all these but if he is willing to accept that sacrifice, the least we can do is give him the moral and spiritual support.

God bless Anwar Ibrahim, God bless Malaysia



CNY - Year of the dragon

Happy Chinese New Year to all, in particular the Chinese members of our bigger Malaysian family.May this Year of the Dragon bring peace &...