Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Headlines That Catch the Eye Today

Two items in the news today July 28, 2010 were a bit unsettling while a third was a whiff of a goodness that sent a breath of fresh air to offset the doldrums.

The 1st item had been hogging the limelight even before this, but confined only to one party. But what came today affects the opposing party. It was just out of sych as though it came off a page of ‘Dallas’( am I that ancient?) where the sub plots would go through twists and turns just to sustain the serial.

‘DPP dropped over Saiful link’
the headline screamed! You can never imagine a member of the prosecution team in Sodomy II was revealed to be romantically linked to the main witness. You can never get it more weird or more worst than that. It was just an utter shock!

Never mind, it was an allegation by rogue fugitive RPK in his blog ( a few weeks ago ) or there’s any truth in it and that it involved a junior member of the team , but the govt had to act immediately and rightly so. The person, Farah Azlina Latif who was alleged to be currently dating or having an affair with Mohd Saiful was not only dropped from the team but also transferred out from the AG’s chambers.

This is not something deviously planned with bad intentions ( very unlikely ) It appears ( if true ) to be just an unfortunate, unlucky and a bad coincidence. Tough luck!

On hindsight, Azlina could have refused to be included in the team ( without having to state or give reasons) in the first place. It is just tough luck!

The other was headlined ‘PKA will pay ‘ so said the new Minister of Transport. This is relating to the release of the final payment of RM222.58mil. to be paid to Kuala Dimensi ( KDSB ) the turnkey contractor of PKFZ . The PKA ( Port Klang Authority) board had earlier on refused to make the payment but the Minister (under Sec 3 of the PKA Act 1963) which gave him the power to override the board decision made it happen. This is to meet the bond obligations of KDSB through its special purpose vehicle ( SPV) ) which falls due on July 31, 2010. It goes without saying that failure to meet the bond obligation would rock the bond market which is disastrous to say the least.

It makes you feel sick to know that after all the jiving, mucking and ruckus over the PKFZ issue, KDSB gets its payment. The legal eagles had made certain all the guarantees and safeguards ( favouring the govt ) are in place but what if KDSB couldn’t meet its payment obligations if found in the wrong later on. It would be a long legal battle again on the cards.


Strut your stuff, Ana, we need to see you winning more than just one game in a tournament, any tournament!



The whiff of goodness comes in the form of a pretty Ana Ivanovic , the pin-up girl of tennis in the Sports Section. It showed Ana who won her game in the B.O.W Classics in Stanford, California triumphantly exhibiting her delight to the crowd. Ranked 63rd in the world, she’s not expected to progress far, but still a good thing to know she is still in the game.

Her presence gave life to the sports. The endorsements she gets are more than enough to last her a lifetime. She doesn’t need tennis but tennis needs her. If only she can win more often , then we'll get to see her ‘live’ more often too.

Monday, July 26, 2010

The Neighbourhood Street Party


The MC Wowing the Crowd


Norman and Kimie on Stage, part Of the Merry-Making Kids


The Crowd Queuing Up for the Roast Lamb


Wati and Shadah Helping Themselves


Zaf, Adura and Shadah


Wati, Norman and Kimie


The Queue has Thinned off Now and Looked Relaxed


Together with Mr.and Mrs Gan, our new found Neighbours


Adura and Friends


Oh, the Bashful Little Darling




On Sat Jul 24, 2010 the Resident’s Association of our neighbourhood organised a gathering at the open space next to the Playground.

Previously there were ‘carnivals’ at two different locations around the vicinity of the Clubhouse. This time it was of a smaller scale termed as a ‘street party’. Kudos to the organisers as they did a good job at it.

The idea was to try and get residents to get to know one another on a more informal basis. When we do meet at the Club we tended to either be among those that we know or just together with our family members. A street party managed to break that barrier that allowed us the luxury of mixing around among the crowd.

The idea may appear simple enough but the initiative to initiate one is rarely given priority. The availability of club facilities tended to fill that void so much so that it would seem foreign or inconvenient to organize one. Coupled with modern living, where one tends to keep to oneself, a cool response is always dreaded.

The one organized last Sat had the ingredients of success worked out before hand that left everyone happy. There was food galore and good food prepared. By early evening we could see 5 marinated lambs ready for roasting. The aroma was so overpowering that it had already permeated the air enticing us even before we arrived.

There were no formalities, no speeches. Even though there was a stage erected, the committee members were not seated there but were mingling with the crowd. The MC welcomed us and invited the kids on stage. There was impromptu merry-making on stage with the parents snapping away.

After some pleasantries, we were then invited to sample the food. The array of food available catered for all tastes. The crowd was manageable being a gated community. There were around 500, maybe more. It was a mixed crowd. It comprised young couples with young kids in tow or pushed in prams from the town house, and also elder folks those with older kids and teenagers and grown up kids from the link house, semi-d and bungalows around the vicinity. We were there which otherwise we may not have the opportunity of mixing around freely together.

The Organising Chairman later took the mike from the MC and said a few words off the cuff. The crowd clapped and cheered at the end of it and continued with their food and seeing to the new-found neighbours at the next table. This was one open gathering that the MC had to coax those present to get to the food which was aplenty ( a few were also requested to bring home some to avoid wastage)

It was refreshing, the weather was kind, we met new faces, food was more than enough and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Love is Blind, How True It Is!


She, waits forlornly.....


He, walks out to go home eagerly....


They, in each other's arms longingly.....



There she is, sitting forlornly waiting for her beau. All of her 108-year old thin frame patiently . It had been many months, 12 months and 8 days to be exact. She certainly missed his loving arms to cuddle in. She is an epitome of love and honour rarely seen. Frail in stature but true to her beloved.

There he is walking out from the drug Rehabilitation Centre, Besut a few days ago. He had been in for 12 months and 8 days to be exact. All of his 38-year old self , ever so strong and steady, eagerly in anticipation of his sweetheart.

Love is blind, so it has been said. How true it is!

This couple was featured once before when they got married more than 5 years ago. Their love had to take a backseat for a while when he was sent in. When it happened she had vowed to wait for him.

Now is the moment she waited for!

She is not everything that Paris Hilton is - young, pretty, a socialite and a heiress. May be she has money but not as much as Paris Hilton has, certainly. This was indicated in her appeal that her love be given a job (now that he is out) so that they can set out to plan for the future.

Love is blind, it certainly is. This may be an extreme case but certainly it has lots of love elements than that of wealth elements to set things going.

What we are used to seeing is the other way around. He, a dashing, good looking, monied businessman ( complete with a nicely trimmed moustache may be) middle aged, a Datuk or an MP leading a pretty sweet young thing ( syt ) in tow, a singer or an actress both beaming for the whole world to see in awe and admiration.

Yes, love is blind. In the case of Mohd Noor Che Musa it truly is. We sincerely hope he gets a job soon to live happily ever after with his dear darling, affectionately and fondly known as Wook Kundor! We wish them well, and may ALLAH the Almighty bestow HIS blessings and good health for a blissful marriage and a wonderful future!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Juicing and Juicers


Ozone the Okamizu Way: This photo was taken in our kitchen when my maid ozoned chicken bought from the supermarket. We can see the foam, bubbles and slime forming up ( enlarge to see better ) These are the combination of impurities, toxins,bacteria and chemicals discarded from the chicken flesh. If not ozoned then all will be gulped down into our stomach, 'finger licking good' chicken as fodder for a build up leading to cancer maybe. Looking at what comes out through the process it certainly is worrying. The Okamizu process has solved this problem through its innovative technology.

The Okamizu food detoxifier makes our food safer to consume.


----------------------------------------------


I eat vegetables and I drink fruit juice. That’s what I’ve been doing and that’s what most others are known to do also until someone tells them to the contrary!

'Yes, you can now safely change that habit . You eat fruits and drink vege juice'. That was what my son Hafidz told us a few months back.

What a novel idea, I’ll say it again, ‘eat fruits and drink vege juice’. The health freaks must have discovered this a long time ago. It is not too late to start, in any case, for me at least.

The idea is to eat raw . You eat fruits raw but you can’t possibly think of munching spinach raw. So just with a little bit of imagination, we can get to eat both raw. True enough. Through juicing that is!

Furthermore eating vege raw will cut off the sugar intake prevalent in fruit juices whether fresh or otherwise. Also eating vege raw would mean we get to exploit 100% of its goodness. Otherwise we lose:

a) most of the nutrition and vitamins when we peel off the skin ( as we know it , most lie just beneath the skin which get thrown away in the act of peeling)
b) the goodness of nutrition lost arising from heating and cooking.
c) as juicing of vege avoids the sugar content present in most fruits.

So it is logical to eat vege raw but our stomachs are not made for it. So juicing is the answer.

My son Hafidz swears by it. ‘It is good for those with a sensitive nose,’ he said .Those who get irritated easily by dust, cold weather and even seasonal happenings of pollen in the air ( the beginning of flowerings, so it seemed)

‘But you must do it right to get the full impact and the fullest of its benefits’ he advised. It has to do even with the right hardware. Let's see how we go about it.

1. First you must have the vege ozoned ie to detoxify your food:

The Effect of the Ozone Process:
When fruits and vege are ozoned and put back in the ‘fridge, they last longer, retained their freshness and colour and remain crunchy. And when meat is ozoned especially chicken the fats discarded could be seen easily. The water in the container turned murky, full of foam and bubbles and looked like gutter wastes. When you see it you’ll never would want to take KFC again. ( in fact what is discarded is not just the fats but also the chemicals and whatever else that contribute to the alarming cancer cases that we have now)

An ozoned meat tastes better! You must also ozone your drinking water and it’ll be sparkling and again tastes better ( filtration is for other purposes)

2. Secondly, the juicer best used is the Masticating Juicer:

The Effect of the Masticating Juicer as opposed to the Centrifugal Juicer:
I have in the house a centrifugal juicer easily available in the market costing a few hundred ringgit. But a Centrifugal Juicer works like a blender and is not recommended.

The better choice is a Masticating Juicer which costs more. Quoted herewith from ‘ juicing for health.com’ which best describes what is the effect of a Masticating Juicer:


Quote
“A single-gear juicer is also known as a masticating juicer. To masticate means to chew or to grind to a pulp. A single-gear juicer has a 'worm-like' gear that drives the produce and squeezes them through a stainless steel screen.

This action tears open the produce's cell membranes and releases its deep-seated nutrients and enzymes. It also breaks up more of the phytochemical from the produce, resulting in a richer colored juice which is also richer in its nutrients and minerals.

Unlike the centrifugal juicer, a masticating juicer operates at a much lower speed which does not disrupt the cellular structure of the fruits and vegetables. This eliminates oxidation to the juices, therefore, preserving the precious enzymes and nutrients that are closest to its natural form.

If you have tried the juices resulting from both a centrifugal and a masticating juicer, you will notice a marked difference in the quality of the juices between the two. For example, an apple juiced on a centrifugal juicer will produce an oxidized brown colored clear juice (only water content with no enzymes and nutrients) which has a metallic taste; whereas the apple juiced on a masticating juicer will result in un-oxidized, even-colored and great tasting juice. Oxidized juice is effectively, spoiled juice” unquote.

3. Thirdly have a Revised Edition of ‘ Raw Vegetables Juices ‘ by N W Walker’

This copy helps as a guide to create the combination of what vege to juice and to zero in against what ailments. It listed the proportion that is found to be consistently helpful when used in the combination and proportion as indicated for eg Diarrhea ( 1, 2 ) Cancers ( 1, 61) where:

1 - Carrot (16 oz)
2 - Carrot (7 oz) Celery (4 oz) Parsley (2 oz) Spinach (3oz)
61 - Carrot (10 oz ), Spinach (6 oz)

From the above it appears carrots seem to be a wonder vege. There are other combinations for other ailments to choose from.

Happy juicing!

Note: I have been advised to juice raw unpeeled and unripe papayas to include the seeds as well. A ripe papaya is not ideal as it has a high sugar content. An unripe papaya ( can be considered a vege) but it is not easy to get unless you ask from your neighbor or plant one at home.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Annual Camp 1961 - Cameron Highlands Revisited


Image:1 Brinchang Camp: A 1961 Postcard take from the air showing the whole Complex


Image:2 Outside Brinchang Camp ( a few yards up the road - the signboard says ' You are now 5000 ft above sea level') From Left ( foreground) : OPs Hank and Jalal ( at the back ) Weng Yin and Zawawi ( Datuk)

Image:3 Jungle Trekking/Map Reading Excercise: From Left (front row) OPs Bachik, Zubir,Saifuddin (middle row) Pathma, Hank, Rahman ( Maj Gen Datuk) (middle/back row) Choon Yeow, Weng Yin, Jugjit (back row) Andrew and Taharim


Image:4 Farewell, Just Before Leaving, From Left: ( front row) OPs Andrew, Raja Aman ( Datuk) Pathma,Jalal,Zawawi (Datuk) Middle Row: Hank, Zubir, Jugjit, Bachik,Taharim, Rahman (Maj Gen Datuk)and Weng Yin
Back Row: Eng Lay, Choon Yeow, Megat (Datuk Dr) ,Ronald,Saifuddin and Mansor (Datuk Dr)

( Eng Lay, Megat and Saifuddin were in civilian clothes as they had to break journey before reaching Sg Besi. The rest proceeded to Sg Besi first and then home for the rest of the term break)


Image:5 Present Day Brinchang Camp: From Left Hank and my 2 cucus Norman and Kimie. ( notice in the background the new structures of a few storeys up)


Image:6 Strawberry Farm showing Strawberries Grown on the Racks and Hanging above.


Image:7 Strawberry Goodies ( my cucus enjoying Strawberry Ice Cream ) From Left: Kimie and Norman
( Credits : Photos and text in collaboration with my buddy Weng Yin who was also there when it happened)

The Annual Camp 1961 ( from Aug 08 – 20, 1961) was at the Brinchang Camp in Cameron Highlands. At most of our annual camps we had to construct our own tents using materials that we brought along with and improvised with what’s available on the ground.

In Brinchang however we were housed in barracks just as we were in Port Dickson with all the basic amenities. While it was convenient to just unpack our ‘barangs’ when we arrived, it deprived us of the joy of constructing our very own shelters.

At the Annual Camp in Kuala Kubu Bharu ( KKB ) in 1960, the architect, the builder and the materials provider would huddle together before anything else to discuss on how best to go about building a shelter. The architect determined the design (sometimes just in his head ) the materials provider scoured around for wood and branches and the builder ( upon consultations with the 2 ) and a parang in his hand, chopped away.

The end result was fascinating! Some of these tents were just 2 ft above the ground, and you could sit up when resting while some were nearly 4ft above ( to avoid wild animals, so it seemed ) and they needed to crawl in and remain in a lying position. Whatever it was it had better work as otherwise we would be subject to the vagaries of the weather the next 12 days.

A peculiarity with Brinchang was the cold. At 5000ft above sea level where Brinchang was it was pretty chilly especially in the wee hours of the morning. For me and most others as well this was the first experience of such weather conditions.

We had warm water showers at least, with compliments of the big boiler shed that sent hot, warm water through a network of pipings to the bathing and toilet areas.

Something hilarious , which could have been a calamity (near enough) happened at the boiler shed. It was after our map-reading exercise when we came back all wet because of the extreme cold and rain the night before. The jungle boots were muddy, socks and the PD Green uniforms were all soiled and sweaty. There was no prospects of drying them out in the sun because there was no sun – just mist and light rain.

A smart Aleck placed all his wet things nicely arranged in the boiler shed next to the furnace ( with the hope that these would dry up fast) Others followed. After an hour the smart Aleck went to check on how dry were his boots, socks and uniforms.

He came running back and that was when the alarm was raised. Those who had placed their things in the boiler shed scrambled to retrieve their belongings. Even though the things were placed quite a fair distance from the furnace, the heat within the shed was enough to melt the rubber materials of the jungle boots, given time, while some clothing materials were singed. Those nearer the furnace got more of it.

The Q ( Quartermaster) alleviated the woes of the more serious ones, with replacements ( that we heard) However luckily nothing serious came of it eventually, except for some burnt out socks or burnt out holes in some PD Green shirts ( as though they had been sprayed with shot-gun pellets)

On the 3-day expedition, another round of stories were heard again relating to the Orang Asli, this time regarding distance. Capt Bradley besides his haversack and water bottle had also a .303 rifle slung by his shoulders this time. It must have been pretty tiring to carry around.

On a few occasions, he had to restrain OP Megat ( later Datuk, Dr) who was then leading the pack, to slow down. OP Megat would be in front in the single file when we moved and Capt Bradley would shout out loud from the back, sounding like, 'May Guard, May Guard’ calling for OP Megat to stop for a breather every now and then. Capt Bradley would then just ‘plonk’ by the embankment and we all got some time to rest awhile. It was very sporting of Capt Bradley to accompany us during our Annual Camps both in 1960 and 1961. I’m not so sure about the other Company Commanders if ever they did.

While proceeding towards the confluence of a stream which was in the map but still not seen on the ground we bumped into an Orang Asli and enquired about it from him. After some seemingly serious discussions and gesticulations we were told it was just about ten minutes in front. That boosted our morale and we got up and proceeded on. There were smiles all round.

We found it but only after about 1hr but somehow the stream had dried up. That explained the absence of the sounds of running water which was the tell tale signs of a nearby stream in the jungle (even though not seen by the eyes).

But why the Orang Asli’s estimation was way off ? Was it because he could walk very much faster. Maybe yes but someone suggested it could be also be a case of the ‘one cigarette time frame syndrome’ An Orang Asli would say it only takes a cigarette to reach it ( meaning time to smoke a cigarette, by our standards say, 10mins) Unlike us an Orang Asli would smoke awhile then extinguish the cigarette and place it above his ear and later would light it up time and again. The idea was apparently to make one cigarette last longer. It would take about 60mins in all. We all had a good laugh!

Besides that we also reached the ‘Trig. Point’ atop the summit of Gunung Brinchang. I can’t recollect how we did it, either it was jungle bashing or running up the narrow road. My buddy Weng Yin however remembered that we were at a height of 6666ft above sea level ( The perculiar figure stuck in his mind ) So we were definitely up there.

( I remember how we did it in Taiping when we had the Annual Camp at Kamunting in 1963 - we ran up Maxwell Hill as part of our Endurance Test, but that’s another story!)

We also had the normal inter-Coy games like Volleyball. And also rather unusual at an Annual Camp, I thought, was a 7-aside hockey at the town padang, somewhere ( which was abandoned when heavy mist descended and enveloped the field)

We also made some visits, namely to the Hydro Electric Dam, some rose gardens, vegetable farms and also a strawberry farm.

I was there in Cameron Highlands during the recent school holidays (June 07 - 09, 2010). I took the opportunity to see where Brinchang Camp is now. It is there still but different from before. It is now just like the structure in Sg Besi that went a few storeys up and made of the flimsy material that we have nowadays. The surrounding areas just jungles before are now apartments and shophouses.

We also visited some farms. I notice a fundamental difference in strawberry cultivation. In 1961, strawberries were planted on the ground. The ground was covered with black plastic sheets akin to present day garbage bags. This was to protect the fruits which were left on the ground. The present day technique is to have them in pots hanging very much like dendrobium orchid growing and on racks below. We just need to pick the fruits from above our heads or from those on the racks and these are immediately edible.

So much for Cameron Highlands. It is very much worth a visit despite having Fraser’s Hill or Genting Highlands ( both nearer to K Lumpur and Gentings with its entertainment and gambling attractions) as rival hill stations.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Freedom of Information ( State of Selangor )Enactment 2010 Bill

I’m in the inquisitive mood. Being a layman in things law, legal and political, I put myself in ‘a wanting-to-know-more mode’ about the Freedom of Information ( State of Selangor ) Enactment 2010 Bill. The Bill was tabled in the Selangor State Assembly at its sitting on July 14, 2010 ( 3 days ago)

What does it entail. How will it be beneficial to a law abiding citizen like you and me? Let us see.

For a start, it is a piece of legislation making its appearance for the first time here (whereas more than 80 countries have already done so) The reason given by the Selangor Pakatan in wanting the legislation, ‘ is to improve the administration of the state, as a transparent government will be more efficient and responsible’.

Well and good! I like that. Furthermore, ‘ it will more than help stamp out corruption or intended corruption ( before anyone gets some funny ideas to indulge in one) and boost accountability.

As a rejoinder, however, the Pakatan state government stated its limits, that ‘ it applies only to the state government and their subsidiary departments ‘ This means federal-controlled departments do not come under its purview but under the OSA as it is now.

At least we are clear on one point even though it was superfluous for them to even mention it, they should know their limits. Maybe it was more to clarify and to dispel the feeling that the proposed enactment was not prompted by any ulterior motives.

If we are curious to know about the ‘hows and the whats’ of the state government how do we go about it?

It is simple enough. Anyone can do it. All we need to do is to apply to the information officers based in each department. They must respond within 30 days ( or within 7 days for urgent cases). All applications must state the reasons and purpose obviously and a small fee may be charged.

When is it possible to do this? Not immediately as there is a process it’ll have to go through before it becomes law ie

1. It will be tabled for the First and Second Readings in this July 2010 sitting.
2. Public consultation ( feedback from the public), research and study would be through a Select Committee
3. The Select Committee would then table its findings and recommendations to the state Assembly sometime in April 2011 for its Third Reading.

The final Bill then would have the ideal inputs of the executive, legislative and the people of Selangor.

This is great. Seen positively, at least we are assured that we can have access to information that can be made available within a stipulated time frame.

However knowing how politics work, what stops the Pakatan Selangor government to get one of its cronies to apply for info, just so to open the can of worms ( on what it perceived were wrong-doings of the previous BN government) The Pakatan Selangor government is protected by this piece of legislation, where ostensibly it is done with good intentions.

Since they are running the state now and they have access to sensitive information it is political survival to bring out the ‘shit’ with gusto and work out a frenzy against YB Khir Toyo right up to the impending G13.

This ability, I anticipate would be exploited to the fullest by the MB, YB Khalid Ibrahim with relish and glee in the 2nd half of 2011.

Even though this is negative thinking on my part, I’m sure it will happen ( with a lot of ‘dirt’ dug up from both sides of the political divide eventually )

We’ll see some fun, definitely!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Port Dickson Revisited - The Submarine Island


At the Roadside End of G Coy 1960, From Left: OPs Hank,Weng Yin,Zawawi ( later Datuk)
In the background can be seen part of the H Coy Barracks.


On The Beach 1960 ( The beach is now fronting the Regency ) From Left: OPs Hashim Amin (later Lt Gen Datuk) and Hank. ( Hank has his Bronze Medallion insignia stitched onto the left side of his swimming trunk.) We were then standing on the wreck of a boat left to rot on the beach. In the background can be seen 'The Enclosure' a seaside swimming enclosure together with a seaside house.


The Resorts and Condos lining the Road., snapshot taken from the beach


Undisturbed Beach: Taken at the UPM Marine Research Station: Somewhat akin to the natural beauty and tranquillity of the 1960 beaches ( this snapshot was taken in 2010)

Images: All from Hank's collections

The Current Scene

I was in PD last week-end Jul 09 -11, 2010 and I took the opportunity to recce some of the familiar grounds around the vicinity of our alma mater, the FMC.

There is a detachment of the Armed Forces occupying the place where we were before. The area occupied by the 2 barracks nearest the road where G and H Coy were before is now the entrance to the detachment. There are none of the old wooden barracks. Instead new structures dotted all of the areas previously occupied by us.

Further in, what appeared to be the classroom blocks could be seen in the distance. It is difficult to determine if they are still being used. The old Dining Hall building appeared to be still standing, though the same cannot be said of the Cadet Wing next to it . The Parade Square in front of the classroom blocks is still intact. This we discovered when we were there for a function a few years back.

The Guard House next to the Square that held ‘fond’ memories of those who were ‘gated’ is no more there now. Gone also was the ‘brass bell on the tripod’ that John, the bell-ringer used to faithfully ring ( without fail ) to signal the end of each class period.

What fascinated me most is the development of areas on both sides of the road right up to the sea shore. What was just waste-land of tall grass, shrubs and odd Casuarina trees before are now tall buildings ( of condos and resorts) and shop-houses that lined the stretch from where we were right up to the old Sungala Camp.

Let us trace the new structures. On the inland side ( on a southerly direction) is the Armed Forces Detachment , a government Hospital, The PD Golf and Country Club, and a Nurses Training College before coming to the roundabout on the PD-Seremban Highway. All of these were wasteland and marshes before.

Across the road ( again on a southerly direction) we have now the The Facility Unit JKR, the Regency, Selesa Beach Resort, Residence Desa Lagoon Resort, Admiral Marine Bay Condo and the PD Perdana Condo Resort in that order. All these resorts and condos occupied the very beach that we used to laze around on Sundays in it’s then natural settings.

The Submarine Island

The Unit JKR was where Capt Preedy had his boat-shed for his catamaran. Capt Preedy was one of the seconded officers/lecturer from England. He apparently saw action in the war and walked with a slight limp as a result ( It seemed he was decorated with a Military Cross).

One Sunday, I was fortunate enough to have volunteered together with 1 other to help out at the shed. After some cleaning and clearing chores, Capt Preedy decided to take the catamaran out to sea. Surprises of surprises, the 2 of us were invited on board.  Was not certain whether Ahmad Chik was also there with us then. It was such a thrill as it was as fast as any boat but more open. We were taken for a spin not far from shore for quite sometime ( I don’t quite remember how long now) I have been on a boat, sampan, and raft, ( later kayak at the OBS) but nothing beats a catamaran. It was such a thrill for us then.

Capt Preedy later went into retirement in Trengganu to continue with his sea-faring days there.

At the boat-shed were two rowing boats. We used to see them lying there not often used. On one Sunday morning, OP Wan Dollah and I got the idea of ‘borrowing’ one of them from the security guy.

The 3 of us carried the boat to the water and after a quick lesson on ‘rowing’ we put out to sea. There were some awkward moments initially but we managed. We rowed southerly towards the direction of Telok Kemang, keeping close to shore.

Just where the present Residence is was an outcrop of rocks that jutted out to sea. Since it was low tide, we had to go a bit further out especially in trying to avoid the rocks. That was when we got close to the ‘Submarine Island’. The ‘Submarine Island’ comprised one big island ( that looked like a sub) surrounded by a few smaller outcrop of rocks around it. Most would be submerged during high tide except some parts of the ‘Submarine Island’.

We decided to ‘explore’ the island. We slowly approached it. We weaved around the rocks. We somehow managed to guide the boat in and got down. It was mid-morning and quite hot. We were sweating and OP Wan Dollah on seeing a log ( about 20ft long and 2ft in diameter ) just went over and sat on it. I was just standing looking across to the sea. After about 10 mins we suddenly saw a movement, a slithering 2ft green ‘thing’ that went under the log.

OP Wan Dollah jumped up and the log moved. Apparently it was a crooked log. It moved when we pushed it a bit when its centre of gravity shifted. We looked at each other. Without saying a word we decided to both together push with our legs. One mighty push and the log rolled over.

‘What do you know!’ There was a whole colony of them under the log. They slowly started to move. Each was about 2ft to 3ft long, green in colour with yellow and black rings around its body from head to tail. Its tail was like that of a cat-fish, flat, dorsal upright ( I saw on Nat Geog one day that it was one of the more poisonous sea snakes around)

A few slithered into the water, one or two came at us ( I shudder when I think about it now) OP Wan Dollah took a stone as big as a young coconut and heaved and smashed it to the one that came at us. I followed suit. It was such fun we thought. We continued throwing stones, most as big as double our fists, others a bit bigger. We were lucky there were a lot of stones. The stones we threw would smash them against the hard rocky surface and blood splattered and raw snake flesh were smashed to smithereens. We must have smashed about 5 or six of them. We didn’t think then about cruelty to animals nor the danger we were in. We were just two boys on an outing.

When there were more movements in the nest , because of the heat ( they were now exposed to the sun - we could not make out the number probably 20 more) we decided to leave. We jumped into the boat and rowed away.

With parched lips we decided we needed a drink. We never thought about food or drinks when we decided to borrow the boat. In fact we did not think the security guy would give us the boat in the first place.

We rounded the rocks and came to a bay. We rowed slowly in. It was about noon. We could see coconut trees . We decided to get some young coconuts. We beached the boat and OP Wan Dollah who always seemed stronger than me decided to climb one that was not that tall. He brought down about 3 green but not so young coconuts. They were too hard to smash. We decided to go further in, in search of other coconut trees. We found some trees but they were too tall to climb. We were tired and hungry. We rested for about 30 mins.

We then went back to take the 3 coconuts back to the boat. When we arrived, there were no coconuts under the tree. To this day I still did not know who took them.

We then proceeded to the boat. Suddenly there was no boat. The tide came in and the boat had drifted away. We made that silly mistake of not tying up the boat.

We were lucky it was a bay. The water was relatively calmer. The boat could be seen in the distance about 40 yds away. OP Wan Dollah then kept telling me, ‘you are a swimmer and a life saver, you have to get the boat’ 

(digression:  About a dozen of us Budak boys had taken the life-savings test/exam conducted at the Specialist Teacher's Training College pool in KL sometime in early 1960.One was OP Ir Qua Hock Chye. Being a swimmer with broad shoulders he heaved down hard on my shoulder blades when he did the 'push and pull' the Holger-Nelson way.  I remembered it well. On its successful completion we were later awarded the Bronze Medallion from the Royal Life Savings Society of England, as a certified life-saver. One of the group was awarded an Instructor's certificate) I do not remember of any more of such test/exam as there is no sea-side convenience to train in Sungai Besi)

I kept thinking of the sea snakes we had just killed barely 2 hrs earlier and I was thirsty and hungry. Now, I was to swim 40 yds to get back the boat! With each little seconds ticking away, I knew we did not have much choice.

Given the same situation now, I wouldn’t do it, definitely! But in 1960, as a 15 yr-old you didn’t think about these things.

I slowly swam to the boat, towed it in slowly to the beach. I was exhausted. We found a shady spot and rested for a while. We only got up and climbed into the boat when we thought it would be dangerous to linger on. Someone with a parang (a long knife)  might just appear for trying earlier to ‘take’ their coconuts! (to us these were wild coconuts, even then we felt unsafe)

We then decided to explore further and rowed along the coast southwards. After sometime we realized it was faster and much easier if we were to just walk. We beached the boat (and this time we had the good sense of tying it up to a log) Wan Dollah put on his rubber shoes and we merrily walked along. It was a mistake! To walk on loose sand on a hot afternoon was a mistake. It was too hot on the bare feet. The wet part of the shore was cooler but full of debris, sharp broken shells and pebbles. Wan Dollah took one of his shoes off  his foot and asked me to put it on. We walked some distance but looked rather clownish each with only one shoe on. It was no go! It was too hot on the one bare foot and we were hungry.

It was early afternoon and it was high tide. The sea was beginning to be a bit choppy. We decided to row back and not a moment too soon.

We reached the boat-shed when the sky was beginning to darken. It was then 1500hrs. We were dead tired. Luckily the security guy helped us carry the boat in. He thought we would be just rowing around the boat-shed area. He was worried that we took longer than he had expected.

I would not have taken similar risks now. No water, no food nor life-jacket . It was just madness. As youngsters we never thought about such things, dangers and all. We acted on impulse.

OP Wan Dollah was a colourful character. A brilliant guy, an avid reader ( he digested James Michener’s ‘Hawaii’ - a 3 inch thick book within days). Naturally his English was fantastic. He was also a very talented cricket and hockey player representing the College at both games when he was a new boy in Form III. .

He officially left the College sometime in April 1961. He did not make it to Sungai Besi when we made  the move.  He left word, saying he wanted to join the French Foreign Legion - to look for real excitements. He was always on the lookout for adventure

I've had no news of OP Wan Dollah until in the late 90’s when I met his brother. I was then organizing a friendly golf with KTM and his brother was the coordinator for the KTM team,. He confided to me that OP Wan Dollah completed his Form Five here, read medicine in India, married to someone there and had a thriving medical practice in Chennai.

It was just a pity the email culture was not rampant then, that we could have connected otherwise. I’ve not seen him since!.

Postscript: Jan 02, 2016
Hank recently connected with OP Andrew Hooi through FaceBook. Interestingly enough,OP Andrew browsed through 'birdhouse' and stumbled upon this posting. He made his comments on FaceBook. OP Andrew came back with a surprise for both of us. Hank took the liberty of uploading OP Andrew's FaceBook comments below (with permission)

Andrew Hooi says: 
"port dickson revisited - the submarine island ". lo and behold you brought back memories of my first year in fmc port dickson as a form 3 new boy. and guess what : the same wan dollah (i only recall the name at your mention) took me on a similar sampan trip to submarine island one weekend morning; and he did the same thing on the island exposing the sea snakes, but this time under some large rocks, not a log. we did chuck some smaller rocks at the snakes but i don't think we did much damage this time. i was most impressed with wan dollah, being a new boy: he seemed full of confidence to me and somehow he took a liking to me and sort of took me under his wing even though he only knew me for a short time. later i often wondered what happened to him as he seemed to have left the picture in my memory as we moved to sungai besi. this is the first time i have read your blog about submarine island and i am grateful for the triggering again of this warm and wonderful memory of an episode of my young life with the unforgettable wan dollah. and thanks hank also to the filling in of dollah's subsequent story, albeit not in great detail. if wan chances to come upon this message i wish him the best in life. thanks again hank...happy new year.
Like · Reply · 1 · December 30, 2015 at 10:18pm

Note: Both of us experienced a similar episode with Wan Dollah (at different times) but were not aware of it until recently. It was fun when we looked back on these things now!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

On The Mend and On The Road To Recovery


Tiger Woods : 'How do I look. Do I look happy, naughty or guilty?' (It doesn't really matter. You are Numero Uno of Golf and no one can take that away from you. Just strut your stuff. We're with you!)


Hank Before Tee-Off, Choosing the Right club is Essential.


Hank Teeing-Off, Addressing the Ball and also having a Correct Stance


Hank After Tee-Off, The Follow Through: Taken during the TNB Friendly at Kajang Hill Golf Club on April 30, 1995


Mindef Friendly Golf, From Left : OP Bakar Jamal (Tan Sri) Datuk Khalil, OP Ghani Yunus ( Datuk) and Hank


Valley Golf Club, Phillippines: Together with the Royal Selangor Club golfers at 1 of 3 venues played. Hank at front row extreme left.


Lunch at KGNS after Competition, From Left: OPs Leon,Shah, Ahmad (Datuk) and Yahya (Datuk)


Lunch at KGNS after Competition , From Left: OPs Yahya (Datuk) Hank and Mohamad ( Datuk)


After Lunch At KGNS, From Left: Yusuf Jr,OPs Leon,Mohamad (Datuk) Yahya (Datuk) Norshaari,Ahmad (Datuk) Hank,Rahman and Shah


Lunch at KGNS after Game, From Left: Hashim ( guest), OP Ahmad Nazri, Guest


Lunch at KGNS after Game, From Left: OPs Rahman,Wan Salleh, Norshaari


Lunch at KGNS after Game, From Left: OPs Syed Hamid (Dr), Guest, Mahfar ( Datuk)


Lunch at KGNS after Game, From Left: OPs Mahfar (Datuk), Hamdan, M Noor ( Datuk, Dr)


After Lunch At KGNS, The ' Budak Boys' OP Golfers and guests




The come-back kid of golf , Tiger Woods has not made any creditable impact on his come back trail. His woes since the sexual tryst surfaced had persisted. His game is no where near to where he was before.

He’s played in 5 tournaments ( 2 of them a major) and he found himself in unfamiliar territory - trailing others when he should be leading and winning.

Tiger might be back at the Mines Resort and Golf Club for the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic this October 28-31, 2010 which offers USD1mil to the winner( Tiger was here at the same venue in 1999 where he walked away as the Champ)

On the home front, at home the divorce is as good as done. The discussion is now centred on the settlement figure. Tiger is reputed to be worth USD700 mil and Erin the wife feels USD100 mil should be hers ( not including child support which is additional)

Let's not be taken up with the unsavoury stuff. We'll just talk golf! The goodness of golf.

The road to recovery is long and hard. The British Open ( 1 of 4 majors) played on the weekend of the third Friday in July is just a little over a week away. In 2010, The Open will have prize money of £4.8 mil, with £850,000 going to the winner. It is the only "major" held outside the USA. It is the third major to take place each year, following The Masters and the U.S. Open, but before the PGA Championship.

Tiger has to be in the game again to maintain his position of the Numero Uno of golf. Tiger has discovered that lots of sex is not good for your golf, that is if you are not caught!

I face the same situation also. No, not the juicy part, not the sex part. It is the road to recovery and the desire to play again part.

I’ve laid off golf for quite sometime now, a couple of years maybe? Yes, that long. It becomes more urgent and necessary again as my handcap in KGNS has been obliterated and my right to play jeopardized.

Beginning March 2010, all handicaps obtained prior to 2008 have been withdrawn or cancelled. However way you say it, translated in terms of right to play at the Main Course is also now withdrawn.

Not that I just want to play at the choice Main Course and not at the ‘kiddie course’. It is just that I cannot join my usual ‘Budak Boys’ group which is played off on the Main Course on every 1st Wednesdays of the month. To be allowed to play there I need to have a current handicap.

There is also the Setiakawan Golf Club group comprising those previously with Mindef where I have been encouraged to join in by OP Nawi ( Lt Gen Datuk). This is on every Wednesdays ( 52 times a year) It would mean regular golf for the asking.

I’ve to tone up my golf muscles at the Driving Range for a start before anything else. That’s what I need to do, on the mend, and on the road to recovery.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

It’s a boy!


The Doting Grandma, my loving wife Shadah with little Naqib, barely 4 days old.


The Awesome Foursome, Our Pride And Joy : From Left: Nabil, Sarah Aishah ( at the front) and Kimie and Norman.




Last Friday July 02 had been expected to be just an ordinary day. It all started in the morning when Norman and Kimie (read: grandchildren) had their ‘Report Card’ day. Adura, my eldest daughter had dutifully accompanied her 2 boys to confer with their respective teachers . Parents were required to present themselves for a one to one with the teachers to gauge and discuss on how they ( the 2 boys) had fared during the term.

It was all well and good and I was supposed to pick them up later in mid-morning as there would not be any more classes for the rest of the day.

Then it happened. My loving wife, Shadah received a text message from Hafidz, my elder son. 'Qhaty’s in labour! ' . What?.. Now? Gosh! We knew Qhaty was in the family way and it was ‘anytime now’, and it was expected. But not now! ....It was still a surprise that it should be that morning.

Ok, ok, Shadah decided. ( in this sort of situations, I would let her decide) We’ll pick up Norman and Kimie and then we'll go. Hopefully we'll be in time. From PJ, to Ampang Puteri Hospital , taking the DUKE highway would be a breeze. Then another text, ‘ 7cm now. Baby otw’

To tell you the truth, I was not at all knowledgeable nor familiar nor accustomed to such technicalities. But I could guess. It must be pretty soon.

Sure enough, before we could recover, another text came, 'Baby boy safely arrivd naturally 2.96kg, 52cm. Mommy is doin fine. Happy and grateful!. Alhmdlh.’

We were relieved!. We were just relieved. With a tinge of regret though as we were not there when it happened. Then another message . ‘It’s a boy! ‘

Maybe Hafidz was just as relieved as us that he just couldn’t resist sending the confirmation or maybe he was just overwhelmed with joy ‘

There’s Muhamad Nabil the eldest, Sarah Aishah, now followed by Muhamad Naqib ( Naqib a pleasing and pleasant sounding name means ‘noble ‘) It is an ideal boy-girl-boy sequence .

The tally a foursome is now upgraded with the addition of little Naqib to a quintet (together with Norman and Kimie, my other 2 grandchildren)

Congratulations to Hafidz and Qhaty for making it happen! We are extremely proud that we have now a new grandson. Alhamdulillah, it is a joyous and happy occasion.

Come to think of it. If there's none of the ubiquitous hand phones and the corresponding sms texting culture , as what we are having now, life would have been pretty much mundane and uninteresting! Yes, I suppose so!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Capt.(later Col) Jim Bradley, Company Commander of G Coy.


G Coy in 1960. Front Row, From Left : OP Salleh (SUO, now Tan Sri,Dr )seated 5th, Capt Jimmy Yusof ( later,Brig Gen Datuk)seated 6th, En Salleh ( Tutor)seated 7th


G Coy in 1962. Front Row, From left : En Sheik Salim (Tutor)seated 5th, Capt Bradley, seated 6th, Eng Lay (SUO) seated 7th, En L.Fredericks( Tutor)seated 8th



Annual Camp 1960,Presentation by G Coy , From Left: OPs Zawawi ( singer) Siew Fang and Agil (on guitars) and Hing Kok ( on jerry can)


Annual Camp 1960,Presentation by H Coy , From Left: OPs Bakar and Shah (acting as a lovesick couple)


Reunion Dinner at Lake Club 1988 , From Left: OPs Weng Yin,Mohana,Jagjit,Capt Bradley,Mazni and Hank


After Dinner on the Steps of Lake Club, Front Row, From Left: OPs Jagjit, Mrs Jagjit,Mrs Bradley, Mrs Salleh (Puan Sri),Mrs Pik Hock
Middle Row: OPs Mazni, Tissa, Capt Bradley, Hank and Weng Yin
Back Row: OPs Salleh (Tan Sri), Pik Hock and Mohana



It was way back in 1960 when Capt. Jim Bradley arrived in the then FMC (now RMC) Capt. Bradley was assigned to be on the teaching faculty, being one of the many expatriate officers from UK.

Capt Bradley took over as Company Commander of G Coy ( 'Coy' is short for Company) from Capt ( later Brig Gen Datuk) Jimmy Yusuf Abu Bakar sometime in the 1st quarter of the year.

I had the the privilege of Capt Jimmy Yusof’s command for barely 3 months ( early months of 1960) But it was enough to leave a lasting impression on me. It was football season and he was there always immaculately dressed, in track bottoms or sometimes in whites ( jerseys and shorts, with long white stockings)

'This is not kampong football' he told OP Razali who was at centre half in the 1960 G Coy team. 'You must learn to distribute well to your team-mates, not just kick blindly.'

He gave instructions in an English drawl that left us new budak boys in awe and admiration.

A Company Commander took on the role of a House Master and Warden combined. He took on classes during class hours in the day (as a teacher) and made his rounds in the evenings (though not necessarily every day but often) He was available to his charges to help on matters relating to discipline and the well-being of everyone in the Coy in residence as well as on the sports field. As such he may be required to act as a football coach or of any sports for his Coy ( if he was endowed with such skills) as any glory or otherwise would fall on his shoulders.

Each Coy also had a Company Tutor ( sometimes 2) made up of the civilian teaching staff. They were equally responsible for the Coy though the Company Commander took on a leadership role and those mostly relating to military matters under his wing.

We most appreciate their presence when they were required to counter-sign with comments on each of our annual ‘report-cards’ to be given to our parents . We then had the opportunity of their inputs glowingly written ( for those deserving, of course) to show back home.

Some of the expatriate officers were bachelors but most of them brought their spouses along. In the case of Capt Bradley, there were not just Mrs Bradley but also a pair of twins barely 4 yrs old. They were such cute little darlings who on occasions were brought to the college’s functions and even on the sports field.

Capt Bradley also took the opportunity to involve himself directly in our activities. When we had our 1960 Annual Camp at Kuala Kubu Bharu ( KKB) he was there with us. ( for 2 weeks during the Second Term Break - in early August)

In the 60’s Annual Camps were confined only to those in the Lower Six and Form Fours ( including those in Form Three in my time ) The highlight at all Annual camps was the 3-day expedition where the Company Commander would lead assisted by the seniors (those in Lower Six) to put into practice their map-reading skills ( those in Lower Six would have acquired their Cert A, Part One and Two in military training) The 2 certificates would have equipped us with skills in map-reading and weaponary for jungle trekking and survival in a jungle situation.

In KKB, our target was to ascend up Bukit Kutu and back. The route had been worked out (on the map) for 2 nights to pitch camp in secondary jungles and back to Base Camp on the last day.

On the first night, we were soundly asleep when it suddenly rained cats and dogs. The jungle track where we pitched tent was a slight slope. Even though our ponchos above were intact, we were all wet to the skin as water just flowed from uphill under us. The ponchos underneath took water freely and we were horribly wet and cold right through the wee hours of morning. I could only sit up against my haversack and shivered waiting for daybreak.

Capt Bradley we were told later was left with an empty water bottle which he had earlier filled up with beer. He needed to drink. In our case we were given survival tablets ( I cannot recall its name) which we could just put into the water bottle and we could even drink river water quite safely. He must have resorted to doing it the same way as we did.

The next morning Capt Bradley apparently ran out of cigarettes. When we passed by an Orang Asli dwelling ( this episode was collaborated with my buddy Weng Yin) Capt Bradley made a gesture of wanting a smoke. The Orang Asli guy quickly came out of his dwelling carrying a basket containing tobacco and rokok daun and some rolled leaves (maybe tobacco leaves) It was no go. It was quite hazardous not having a 7-Eleven in the jungle in the 60’s.

Besides the 3-day expedition, we also had friendly inter-Coy games, such as volleyball and some others. On the last night we would have a camp-fire sort of, where each Coy was to give a presentation or sketch.

Capt Bradley ended his tour of duty sometime at the end of 1962. But his heart was with us all along. Sometime in 1988, ( I stand corrected) in the course of a tour to this region, Capt Bradley dropped in to town. OP Salleh hurriedly got a few of us together and we threw a small dinner at the Lake Club.

Capt Bradley ( Col then) looked just as tough as he was in the 60’s and Mrs Bradley was demure and charming, just as before though a bit greyish at the sides.

When we enquired ‘how’s the cute little twins’. Mrs Bradley replied confidently in a motherly way, ‘ they’re still cute but no more little. They are now in their early thirties!’

Quite rightly so!

Friday, July 2, 2010

‘Congratulations, Datin Chom, on Your Latest Book!’

I was pleasantly surprised to see a news item in the Star datelined June 29, 2010. It featured our elder statesman YBM Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah during the launch of Datin Kalsom’s latest book.

On the other hand I am not at all surprised that Datin Chom (as she is often affectionately known ) has now written her 3rd biography.


Extracted from the Star of June 29,2010 on the book launch of 'The Shafee Yahya Story'


The two earlier books written by Datin Chom : Taib Andak - In a Class of his Own and Zainab Ahmad - A Truly Remarkable Woman


The Two Books Individually Autographed By the Author


The Happy Family , From Left : Datin Dr Aminah, OP Datuk Yusof Ali , Datuk Shafee, the lovely bride Shaniza, Datin Kalsom and the dashing 'groom, Arif on the wedding day, April 29, 2007


------------- --------------- ----------


It all goes to show that once a writer has set in motion her talents in writing, the passion takes over and she continues. What makes it all the more remarkable was the fact that a biography is factual and imposed lots of efforts and discipline towards research of written materials, of verifying records and of interviewing individuals.

This was aptly captioned in the Star as ‘ A wife’s labour of love’ when Datin Chom undertook to write ‘ The Shafee Yahya Story , Estate Boy to ACA Chief ’, a biography of her beloved husband

Datin Chom had written 2 books earlier. One was on her late father , Tan Sri Taib Andak followed by one on her late mother Puan Sri Zainab Ahmad. I have the privilege of having in my possession both books personally autographed by Datin Chom. These were given to me around August last year. I have since digested both. Autographed copies from the author are of prized sentimental value and I thank Datin Chom once again.

I am fascinated with the narration. Datin Chom comes from an illustrious family from both sides of her lineage. Reading through both books one gets into the official history of Johore of that time. More than that. What Datin Chom had written came in greater details than officially available in certain aspects of Johore history. The passion and determination must have meant a lot of nights pondering over details and factual information. It should also be rightly described as ‘ A loving daughter’s labour of love for her illustrious parents.’ If Datin Chom had not painstakingly taken on the responsibility, we are all the more deprived of knowing such aspects of Johore history and likewise the literary circle is all the more richer now with her contributions ( which otherwise would have passed us by)

Interestingly enough, Datin Chom attributed a lot of credit in making things easier for her through the invaluable efforts and support of her brother the late Mod. Apparently her late brother had the foresight and the passion of collecting and keeping information of their family with him, all nicely catalogued.

We knew her brother as Allahyarham OP Mahmud Taib our contemporary in RMC. A forthright guy, who did not mince his words, expressing his opinions and getting things into line again. He exuded a certain kind of charisma that readily gained the respect of others around him who may be seniors and more so from the juniors.

He would do things that he felt needed to be done and felt right to be done. I remember one day when we came for a Bank Negara interview ( sometime in early 1966) While those around were dressed in classy long-sleeved shirts with ties the late Mahmud was dressed differently. He came in straight from work ( it was temporary vacation employment with Shell). He came in the typical Shell garb, a dark blue -one -piece overalls with the word SHELL above the top left hand pocket. ‘No time to change-lah ’ he said. Invariably he was one of the successful candidates.

The book on Datin Chom's late mother also contained a photo of the happy family with Datin Chom’s besan, my buddy OP Yusof Ali ( Datuk) and Datin Dr Aminah. I remember attending the wedding of OP Yusof’s eldest son, Arif, and Datin Chom’s darling daughter, Shariza an Accountant by profession.

(Arif belted out a rendition on his saxophone during that wedding)

Arif is an accomplished musician and a lawyer ( a barrister from Lincoln’s Inn with a Masters in Music Performance– a very rare combination ) Arif is working towards a PhD in Music Law, one of a very few known to have done so. He hopes to be an authority on royalties, intellectual properties in music, of matters of the internet, downloading music etc that are mired in uncertainties presently.

So what a small world this is!

We are not going to hear the last of Datin Chom nor Arif in their respective fields of expertise.