Wednesday 13 March 2024

1933 map

A very uncommon 1933 map of George Town issued in Singapore by Printers Limited (c1879-1940), a Singapore-based printing and publishing company active in the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century. Printers Ltd provided a range of commercial lithography and printing services ranging from business stationary to custom account books, to lithography. Among other projects, they issued the Singapore and Malayan Directory. Their offices were at 10 Collyer Quay, and their printing works on Trafalgar Street.


Tuesday 12 March 2024

Another Bukit Choras story

An interesting story from Al-Jazeera about the discovery of an ancient Buddhist stupa in Bukit Choras on the northern slopes of Kedah Peak or Mount Jerai. (NOTE: This discovery is not new. Previously, there had been stories in New Straits Times, Sinar Daily and the Star last September. Read my blog here for the details.) More than anything else, this story reemphased that Old Kedah was the hub of an ancient kingdom in the northern part of the peninsula; an ancient kingdom that was estimated as at least 1,200 years old. Older than perhaps Angkor Wat in Cambodia or even Borobudur in Java. The Kedah government should be proud that they are the site of possibly the oldest known civilisation in this part of the world, much older than Malacca. People from India, the Middle East and China had arrived here to trade, also bringing with them their early beliefs which were Hinduism and Buddhism, before they were later replaced by Islam. Embrace this fact and heritage, and do not be so narrow-minded and dogmatic to ignore this significant moment in the country's history. 

Ancient find reveals new evidence of Malaysia’s multicultural past 

Archaeologists in northwest Malaysia find new evidence of the region’s role as a thriving multicultural trading hub. 

 After archaeologists cleared vegetation at the top of Bukit Choras they discovered a Buddhist stupa [Courtesy of Nasha Rodziadi Khaw]

By Marco Ferrarese
Published On 10 Mar 2024 

Kedah, Malaysia – Until six months ago, none of the inhabitants of the village of Bukit Choras, set amid rice fields near the steep and lush hill of the same name in northwestern Malaysia, had any idea they had been living next to an archaeological wonder all their lives.

It was only after a team of 11 researchers cleared the thick bushes and secondary jungle from the top of the hill, and gently scraped away at the soil that a missing piece of Southeast Asian history was revealed.

The 1,200-year-old Buddhist stupa of Bukit Choras was discovered last August in Malaysia’s Bujang Valley – a river basin scattered with several clusters of protohistoric sites in the country’s northwestern Kedah state.

The stupa is the best preserved in the country and experts say it could hold the key to Malaysia’s long history of multiculturalism.

“This site is an anomaly because it stands all by itself,” Nasha Rodziadi Khaw told Al Jazeera. Nasha is the chief researcher of the team from the University of Science Malaysia’s Global Archaeology Research Centre (CGAR) in the northwestern island of Penang, who supervised the excavation between August 28 and September 12 last year.

Bukit Choras is situated near the small town of Yan on Kedah’s southern coast about 370km north of the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Nasha Rodziadi Khaw led the team of scientists who unearthed Bukit Choras’s stupa [Kit Yeng Chan/Al Jazeera] 

Unlike the 184 archaeological sites previously identified in the Bujang Valley, which lie to the south, the stupa is isolated on the northern side of Mount Jerai, which was once a cape and a pivotal navigation point for seafaring traders who ventured to this part of the world from as far as the Arabian peninsula.

“We are still not sure of Bukit Choras’s function. It may have been a military garrison or coastal trade outpost, but we need to do further excavation [to assess]. Based on our preliminary findings, it shows plenty of similarities with other sites found in Java and Sumatra, Indonesia,” said Nasha, whose team will continue to work at the site throughout the first half of 2024.

A forlorn discovery

According to Nasha, Bukit Choras was first reported in 1850 by a British officer looking for treasures, and then, in 1937, briefly studied by another British scholar, HG Quaritch Wales. Wales undertook some minor excavations, but only reported finding a squarish Buddhist stupa, taking note of its measurements. He never provided any illustration or plate for the site.

Nearly 50 years later, in 1984, the then-director of the Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum returned to Bukit Choras to do some site cleaning and documentation, but the site remained largely undisturbed.

“I realised that nobody had done proper investigation [since then] and managed to get a fund to survey the site in 2017,” Nasha told Al Jazeera.

“We used electronic waves to do physical detection of what was hidden underground and found there were some big structures underneath.”

Nasha received more funding from Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education to conduct proper excavations in 2022, and his team was stunned to discover how well-preserved the site was compared with those unearthed in the Bujang Valley between the 1930s and 1950s – some of which had deteriorated because of erosion, human activities and even accidental destruction.

“At first we only excavated 40 percent of the whole Bukit Choras site, finding a stupa about nine metres long,” said Nasha. “But the most important discovery was two stucco statues of Buddha in good condition that have never been found in the area before.”

Stucco, Nasha explained, was thought to only be found in Java and Sumatra in neighbouring Indonesia, as well as in India, at the time.

Ancient ties 

Placed in two niches together with an inscription in Pallava (the language of the Pallava Dynasty that ruled in South India between the 3rd and 8th century CE), Bukit Choras’s two Buddha statues have architectural features resembling those of other ancient artefacts from the Srivijaya kingdom that prospered between the 7th and 11th centuries CE, in an area from southern Thailand, through the Malay peninsula and into Java. The statues are now being studied and restored at CGAR on Penang island.

“The discovery of two still intact, human size statues and the inscription is very significant for further studies,” Mohd Azmi, the commissioner of Malaysia’s National Heritage Department, told Al Jazeera. “This shows that the site has not been disturbed and has the potential to give new evidence on Ancient Kedah’s history.”

Excavation trenches at the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex [Kit Yeng Chan/Al Jazeera] 

The discoveries in the Bujang Valley testify to an ancient civilisation that archaeologists refer to as the “Ancient Kedah Kingdom”. It prospered between the 2nd and the 14th century CE, stretching across the northwestern coast of the Malay peninsula and into Thailand predating the arrival of Islam in the region.

Ancient Kedah grew rich on international trade as well as the production of iron and glass beads, prospering as a multiethnic and multireligious ancient Southeast Asian polity where residents and foreign traders lived together.

Nasha points out that findings in the area suggest that for centuries, traders from China, India and even the Middle East came to the area to do business – and were often forced to spend long spells in Kedah when the harsh monsoon seasons made sailing back home impossible.

Temples and artefacts were built by local labourers mixing foreign architectural motifs and knowledge with two main influences.

“First is Buddhism, classified in areas such as Sungai Mas, Kuala Muda, and Sungai Batu in Semeling, plus the most recent being the temple site at Bukit Choras,” explained Asyaari Muhamad, a senior archaeologist and the director of the Institute of the Malay World & Civilisation at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, referring to some of the Bujang Valley sites.

“The rest, such as the archaeological site in the Pengkalan Bujang complex [near the village of] Merbok, received Hindu influences. This classification is [based on] the discovery of artefacts and temple structures symbolising the religious beliefs or influences at that time,” he said.

Promoting multiculturalism

All of Ancient Kedah’s temples functioned as places of worship mostly for the mixed population of migrant traders and workers.

“In [the area of] Sungai Bujang, for example, most of the temples are clustered together near the main trading area and used to cater for the religious needs of the traders, while in Sungai Muda, they catered to the traders and workers of the local glass bead and pottery-making sites,” said Nasha.

Tuyeres, or air conduits, for the ancient iron smelting sites whose remains were found at Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex [Kit Yeng Chan/Al Jazeera] 

“We believe it was the same in Sungai Batu, the main site for Ancient Kedah’s iron smelting furnaces, where we found evidence of a community and its temples. But in Bukit Choras, proof of economic activities or industry has not yet been found,” he said.

Archaeological discoveries suggest that while Ancient Kedah thrived for centuries, it went into decline when climate transformed the large maritime bay and accessible riverways leading to the iron smelting site of Sungai Batu into mangrove and tidal swamps that were impassable to ships.

“Multiculturalism is not new in the Malay peninsula and Ancient Kedah,” added Nasha. “It started with trade in the 2nd century, when there was an increase of connectivity between China, India and Southeast Asia, and continued well into the Melaka kingdom, which we know was also a multicultural society, and continues today.” 

The Malaysia of the 21st century is also a multiethnic and multireligious Southeast Asian nation made up of a majority of Malay Muslims, followed by Chinese, Indians and more than 50 other ethnic groups living across the peninsula and the northern half of the island of Borneo in the states of Sarawak and Sabah.

Asyaari said it was important for researchers to collaborate and reach a better understanding of the origins of civilisations in and beyond the Malay peninsula.

“Any statements about new or previous findings need to be carefully examined so that […] a theory, discovery, and the results of a study do not become an issue and controversial in nature,” he said.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

 

Sunday 10 March 2024

2024 Wu Lien-Teh public lecture

Born on 10 March 1879, Dr Wu Lien-Teh would have been 145 years old today. 

As a celebration of his life, The Dr Wu Lien-Teh Society organised the eighth edition of the Wu Lien-Teh annual public lectures at the Penang Institute yesterday. The speaker was Prof Dato Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, the President and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia. She was also the third recipient of the Dr Wu Lien-Teh Award for Leadership in Public Health.

Prior to her appointment at Monash University Malaysia, Adeeba was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya. She continues to be an Honorary Professor at University Malaya and as Adjunct Associate Professor at Yale University, USA. An infectious diseases physician by training, she is a passionate advocate for social justice, especially when it pertains to HIV prevention, treatment and care and drug policies. She presently serves as the Chairman of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation and is the Immediate Past President of the International AIDS Society. She is also the founding Chair of ROSE Foundation, an organisation that is committed to eliminating cervical cancer in Malaysia and regionally. At the international level, Adeeba has been an advisor to numerous WHO, UNAIDS and UNODC committees on HIV/AIDS and substance use. She is presently Vice-Chair of WHO’s Science Council and is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy and the Global Council on Inequalities, HIV and Pandemics. Her achievements are recognised through several national and international awards including as a two-time recipient of the prestigious Merdeka Award and recently, as Tokoh Akademik Negara. In April 2015 she was honoured with a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from her alma mater, Monash University, for her role as a health advocate and contributions to medicine.

Pre-lecture ceremony. Anwar Fazal receiving a mock cheque from Chan Looi Tat who was representing Cheah Cheng Hye
“All awards are special but this Dr Wu Lien-Teh Award is extra special because of who Dr Wu was and how it so closely relates to my career as an infectious disease physician and public health practitioner. Dr Wu was also a trailblazer - so to be recognised in his name is a tremendous honour indeed.”

Adeeba with Anwar Fazal and the committee members of The Wu Lien-Teh Society









Friday 8 March 2024

Selfishism

Facebook reminded me today that nine years ago I had shared this picture of tecoma blooms along my road. Three trees in full bloom in front of me and one more right behind me. Blooms in hues of white and pink. Sadly, out of the four tecoma trees, only one remains standing today, and that one is outside my house. The other three have been chopped down over the years. It is rather poignant that while people wants to green the earth, many of them prefer greenery everywhere except in front of their own homes. How selfish can that be?



Thursday 7 March 2024

Forward to the past, part 2

My old classmate, Lim Siang Jin, had held his first solo photography exhibition, “Our Legacy: Landmark Memories of Penang Free School”, over six days last September/October at The Old Frees’ Association in conjunction with the OFA’s Centenary celebrations. He is now organising a second exhibition of the same black-and-white photographs in Kuala Lumpur too. 

The exhibition of 31 photos, which began on the first of March, is ongoing until the end of the month at his own gallery, aptly called Jin’s Art Gallery, which is located at Unit A-3-17, Centrio Pantai Hillpark, 1 Jalan Pantai Murni, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. Opening hours on weekends are from 10am to 5pm, and by appointment on weekdays. They are to call 0192219680.

Anyone who had viewed his first exhibition in Penang will know that the photos will appeal to the Old 
Frees of any denomination. They are bound to evoke a lot of nostalgia, especially among the ones who have located to the Klang Valley, and there are countless! If they haven't returned to their alma mater for a very long time, now is the time to reconnect with their old schooldays. Do bring your old classmates and schoolmates to the exhibition. 

By the way, the photos are available for sale. I know of at least 10 people who have already purchased them and they are now displayed proudly in their living rooms. These six prints are among the 31 on display in the gallery. Each picture tells a story and the commentaries are by Siang Jin.

WELCOME. Penang Free School remains true to its name – to be “free”, to admit students irrespective of class, race and religion. This has been one of its distinguishing features for over 200 years – since its founding in 1816. All it asks of its wards in return are to be strong and faithful to the school’s ideals of overall excellence and multiculturalism.

AWESTRUCK. Many a freshie, like me in 1966, find these arches of the Pinhorn Hall intimidating and an awesome sight. They never fail to impress — even now. I like to see the hall empty with its main door wide open, like a grand tunnel welcoming activity. From resplendent speech days to the rigours of badminton practice. From timeless Shakespearean plays to captivating fashion shows.

PERPLEXING. For the first few weeks, indeed months, at school, everything looked and sounded different. Our first-year experience was amplified by the school’s Sesquicentenary (or 150th anniversary). We had joined the school with grand misconceptions, like seeing shadows on Plato’s “Cave”. As we moved from year to year, we gradually appreciated its essential worth – as an assiduous mentor to prepare us for our lives ahead.

MAGNANIMOUS. This is the Angsana under which we gathered before school in our first year in 1966. It gave us shelter and provided space to engage in small talk before the rush of class and other planned activities. It reminds me of many teachers, their zeal to develop as well as shelter us from the worst of the world. That did not mean we were spared punishment, a favourite being running to the far-end of the field and back.

POTENT. This is Free School in a solid but dynamic posture with clouds pushing right. This was once its hub, housing the headmaster’s office, a grand porch to receive VIPs and all, the school clock, and above all, visually, a commanding tower. This image leaves a bit to be desired; the top right has little texture. To me, it is a metaphor for the unfulfilled, of dreams and potential. One thing’s for sure: The school gave us a potent sense of idealism anchored to its grand design.

HEARTFELT. The sound of the school bell touches our hearts from day one. It is distant though, hanging 40ft above the ground in a simple housing. Yet it tolls for everyone, not just for starts and ends of rituals. It rings in my memories, for example, of decorum, order and respect for traditions — after its deep clangs, the hushed silence in the grand hall with 1,500 awaiting the headmaster’s entrance and the distinct sounds of his footfalls. This has been etched in my mind forever.


Wednesday 6 March 2024

Facebook was down

Facebook was down last night. Affected globally. Locally at about 11.30pm, I was suddenly locked out from my facebook account. The first thing that came to my mind was, oh gawd, someone's trying to hack into my account. But I was rather cool about the matter. I had always believed that my security measures were good enough. If anyone wanted to steal my facebook account, the first thing I would do - and this was what I did - was to change my password. 

Unfortunately, all attempts came to nought. I hit a wall when I wanted facebook send their six-digit code to me. On several tries, I did not receive any SMS message from facebook. Even right until this morning, no SMS from facebook. On several other tries, I asked facebook to send the code to me via email. I had registered two different addresses with facebook, one as a secondary back-up, and to much of my surprise, facebook sent different codes to the two email addresses. Now, which one should I use? I tried both, and both were rejected. That's very silly, isn't it? I should be receiving the same code through the two email addresses, not different codes. 

Anyway, I awoke this morning to learn that the problem has been resolved. I could now access my account on my mobile phone and the desktop computer. What a relief, although there's yet to be an explanation from facebook on what exactly hit them. 


Thursday 29 February 2024

Temperature soaring

The water from my taps is warm. It has been so for the past week, and I don't see it ending soon. Penang, like the rest of the country, is experiencing a heat wave. Searing temperatures in the mid-30 degrees with no rain in sight. Almost impossible to stay outside the house if there's no shade. 
Air-conditioning units working overtime to circulate cool air in the rooms. Electricity bill for February was already high enough due to the extra usage before Chinese New Year. I expect my electricity bill for March to be high too as the air-con is turned on, even for short durations. Only saving grace: no need to use the water heater while showering. The water's warm enough. And to add to this heatwave came unwelcome news from the government that domestic users will face a eight percent service tax if their electricity usage goes beyond 600kwh. I'm biting my fingernails and hoping I won't cross this threshold come this next meter reading.


UPDATE: I saw these stories today pertaining to the increase of service tax that comes into effect on the first of March. This is the first one:

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Over 80 per cent of domestic users whose monthly electricity consumption is 600 kilowatts per hour (kWh) and below will continue to enjoy zero service tax on their power bills, says Treasury Secretary-General Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican.

He said only domestic households who consume more than 600 kWh of electricity a month will be affected by the eight per cent service tax hike that came into force on March 1, 2024.

“We did not change the goalposts for those who are subject to the service tax; we just wanted to clarify that currently, the (six per cent) service tax has been imposed on this segment (over 600 kWh a month consumption), which is rather a small segment, ” he told an editors briefing here today.

Johan Mahmood said commercial and industrial electricity consumers will also not be charged for the service tax, as they are not subject to the tax all this while.

Similarly, the service tax will not be imposed on the water bill, he added.

The government is slated to raise the service tax to eight per cent from March 1, 2024, from six per cent currently.

And this is the second one from Business Times.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), in a notice on its website, has clarified that only if your electricity bill is more than RM231.80 a month, will you pay the 8 per cent service tax that comes into force on Mar 1, 2024. 

The government has widened the scope of services that are taxed and increased the service tax rate to 8 per cent, as part of the government's list of tax reforms this year to boost the country's fiscal position.

Before Mar 1, 2024 the service tax rate was 6 per cent.

According to a statement by the Ministry on Feb 28, 2024, only users of more than 600 kilowatt joule (kWj) will see a 8 per cent service tax on their electricity bill.

However, the increase will not include services such as food and beverage (F&B), telecommunications, parking space and logistic services that include delivery of goods.

About 85 per cent of electricity users  are below this threshold and will not be affected by the service tax.

It will however impact some 1.2 milion households.

Service tax is not charged on treated water.

Saturday 24 February 2024

2024 Chap Goh Meh activities

Today's the 15th day of Chinese New Year. Chap Goh Meh to the Hokkien community in Penang. As usual, I spent my time at the Swee Cheok Tong for the annual worship of the deities, principal among them being Tai Tay Eah. This year, I had to provide additional support to the Trustee that had always been responsible for our worship sessions. He had just had three stents put into him in the first week of Chinese New Year! Anyway, there I was at the Kongsi to oversee the burning of the gold jossip papers for the deities and silver joss papers for the ancestors. And then there was the packing up of the worship food items to ensure that those who turned up for the worship could collect their share. I shall be very glad when my Trustee returns to full strength in time for the third lunar month worship of Tai Tay Eah's birthday.

My Chap Goh Meh is also normally spent with a visit to the Poh Hock Seah (寶福社) temple in Armenian Street after clearing the foodstuff at the Kongsi. I've been doing this annually for quite some time now. The stroll from Carnarvon Lane to Armenian Street is a short one but lately, the heat has been very unrelenting. Despite sheltering from the midday sun by walking in the shade, being out in this weather makes me very tired indeed, My routine is to burn a bunch of joss sticks at the Poh Hock Seah, calling on Tua Pek Kong to bestow good fortune on me and my family. The previous night, the deity had been taken on a procession to the Hai Choo Soo (Tanjong Tokong Tua Pek Kong) (海珠嶼大伯公廟) temple for the annual flame watching ceremony. The return journey was made on Chap Goh Meh morning itself, and I had missed it by about an hour because I was still at the Kongsi. Come to think of it, I have only managed to meet the returning Tua Pek Kong once in the last 20 years or so. 

But actually, this year's Chap Goh Meh proved to be a little different from past years. Some of my former colleagues from the old Ban Hin Lee Bank days decided to have a small get-together at the Gudang Cafe in Armenian Street Ghaut. That was where I proceeded after my visit to the Poh Hock Seah: to join up with Daphne Saw, Wong Yuen Chee and H'ng Boon Hock, the latter two turning up with their wives. We spent some two hours regaling ourselves with old stories and gossips about our banking days, and good food too. Yes, the company was good. 

Friday 23 February 2024

Revisiting BM hill

Second day of Chinese New Year. Sunday, the 11th of February. We heard that the Bukit Mertajam forest park in Cherok Tokun had finally reopened after a two-year closure for repairs and rejuvenation. 

My daughter, back from Kuala Lumpur, was eager to explore the hill trails but my wife was unable to join us, So it was just me with my daughter as we set off along the trail beside the stream that ran through the park. Though the tarmac road had been improved significantly, the hill trail we took was basically untouched. A huge tree that had fallen across the trail more than two or three years ago was still uncleared and we had to clamber across the trunk. Because hikers were still finding ways to get into the forest park despite its temporary closure, the earthen and stone trail was still very much in use by them and thus, nature had not had time to reclaim it. 

At one point, I decided to veer off the normal path and took my daughter to find the park's biggest tree. Her first visit here. This is reputedly the biggest known tree in Penang, whether on the mainland or island. 

Eventually, we emerged from the trail to rejoin the tarmac road. I was surprised by the work done by the Public Works Department to improve the condition of the road and also the steep slopes beside it. But there was still one problematic part that was covered by torn blue sheets of plastic. I wonder what the Department is going to do next. They can't simply leave the job unfinished. It would be quite an eyesore. 

Oh, by the way, because we had rejoined the tarmac road at a bend where the metal ladder stood, we did not even reach the old Wawasan 2020 viewpoint. It would be interesting to see what has happened to this place. It shall be left to another trip, and perhaps I may even climb higher next time to the clearing where the tea house is.




Wednesday 21 February 2024

Tacoma @ cross roads

Of all the original tacoma trees planted by the housing developer about 20 years ago along the road where I'm staying, only one remains standing today. It occupies a small patch of public land situated directly outside my house and that of my neighbour. It is a splendid tree, providing me with shade in the afternoons especially when the sun has moved north of the equator for half the year. My only quibbles are that the tree blooms far too often and the road and my compound are littered with tacoma flowers which demand my time to sweep away constantly. If not the flowers, then it is the dried, brown leaves. Occasionally, small branches also break off and fall into my space. Birds also seek the tree for refuge at night and in the mornings, I see their messy droppings on my ledge. Despite these minor inconveniences, I remain grateful for the greenery outside my window. At the very least, I can say that I get some exercise and tranquility from sweeping away the flowers or the leaves. 

I was saddened when a similar tacoma tree opposite my house was chopped down by the City Council last month. My neighbour told me that they had not complained about the tree to the Council. If that is so, then the initiative must have come from somewhere else. Perhaps from the Tenaga Nasional Berhad because I could see that the electric power line was getting entangled among the branches. My side of the road though, there are no power lines.

So this tree outside my house is the last one standing, and I would want it to remain for as long as possible. However, I now notice that there is some leakage from the underground water pipe that feeds into the neighbour's house and I'm wondering whether this could have been caused by the roots. The water authority has been informed to get the leakage fixed and I should expect their workers to come any day. What I'm fearful of is the tree's fate. If it is determined that the roots are the cause of the problem, no amount of repairs will be safe from the ever expanding roots. There may come a time that this tree needs to go too. I shall rue the day when it happens. But for the moment, I shall still enjoy the shade and greenery that it provides me. 

Monday 19 February 2024

A hundred years' time

Paṭisota is the official facebook page for the sharings from Bhante Dr Gangodawila Chandima. This here is a wonderful story reproduced from his facebook. It is food for thought. We are all ordinary folks. Have you ever wondered how you will be remembered in a hundred years' time? Have you ever thought about this?

In 100 years, like in 2124, we will all be buried with our relatives and friends. 

Strangers will live in our homes we fought so hard to build, and they will own everything we have today. All our possessions will be unknown and unborn, including the car we spent a fortune on, and will probably be scrap, preferably in the hands of an unknown collector.

Our descendants will hardly know who we were, nor will they remember us. How many of us know our grandfather's father? 

After we die, we will be remembered for a few more years, then we are just a portrait on someone's bookshelf, and a few years later our history, photos and deeds disappear in history's oblivion. We won't even be memories. 

If we pause one day to analyse these thoughts, perhaps we would understand how ignorant and weak the dream to achieve it all really was. 

If we could only think about this, surely our approaches, our thoughts would change, we would be different people. 

Always having more, no time for what's really valuable in this life. I'd change all this to live and enjoy the walks I've never taken, these hugs I didn't give, these kisses for our children and our loved ones, these jokes we didn't have time for. 

Those would certainly be the most beautiful moments to remember, after all they would fill our lives with joy. 

And we waste it day after day with greed and intolerance.

Friday 16 February 2024

CNY paritta chanting

Yesterday would be my only opportunity to attend the paritta chanting sessions at the Nandaka Vihara meditation society for this Chinese New Year. Never thought that I would have the patience to sit through one hour of chanting by the visiting monks from Sri Lanka, but I did. They were superb. The nightly chanting sessions began last Sunday and will end this Saturday. On the last day, the monks will be chanting throughout the night until dawn.  



Thursday 15 February 2024

CNY lunch dana

Lunchtime on the first day of Chinese New Year was spent at the Nandaka Vihara Meditation Society at the foothills of the hill at Cherok Tokun. Although forewarned by See See, I didn't expect to see so many people in the old meditation hall. Along one side of the hall were some 20-or-so local and foreign monks, mostly from Sri Lanka. The most senior among them was this Bhante Meetalawe Vineeta Mahathero from the Polgasovita Vipassana Meditation Centre in Piliyandala. From the second to eighth night of Chinese New Year, the monks will participate in the nightly paritta chanting sessions at the temporary pavillion next to the stream.







(Image from Nandaka Vihara's facebook)

(Image from Nandaka Vihara's facebook)

(Image from Nandaka Vihara's facebook)

Wednesday 14 February 2024

Misplaced priorities

Saw See and the two ladies with the MC
Third day of Chinese New Year. Monday, the 12th of February. Left home early to drop my wife off at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O) where she was the main coordinator of a 88 Captains Chinese New Year luncheon. Quite impressed with the organisation. While a lot of credit must go to my wife for planning and liaising with the hotel on the event, I couldn't help but feel dismayed that her time had been monopolised by this endeavour. While the planning for this luncheon had began as early as last December, I felt as though she had been taken well advantage of as the weeks progressed.

Chinese New Year traditionally revolves around family reunions, and my wife found herself torn between familial obligations and the demands of the luncheon. This predicament was far from ideal for either of us. Despite the honour of being invited to the 88 Captains luncheon, I couldn't shake off my astonishment at the sacrifices made by her and two other ladies, who forfeited their lunch to ensure the smooth progression of the event. Their dedication was acknowledged with a mere token angpow each, a gesture that seemed meaningless considering their invaluable contributions. Of course, while it's acknowledged that the 88 Captains operates as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) reliant on member contributions and generosity, the stark contrast between the substantial efforts exerted by this dedicated team and the seemingly disproportionate rewards is hard to ignore. The revelation that the Personal Assistants of VIP guests received larger angpows merely for accompanying their bosses further underscores the injustice and misalignment of priorities.

In the final analysis, the issue transcends monetary compensation; it's about the profound lack of respect for those who laboured tirelessly during the most significant festive period of the year, only to be denied the recognition they rightfully deserve.


Saturday 10 February 2024

CNY greetings 2024


At long last, today is Chinese New Year. It's the Year of the Wood Dragon, and that's the reason why festive greetings and decorations are sporting the dragon as the main motif. As usual, we have our dear daughter and son back with us for a few precious days. We're all so tired after a final day of cleaning, cooking and feasting at the reunion dinner yesterday. We tend to alternate between a regular dinner and a steamboat annually. This year, it's a steamboat dinner but a roast chicken still features prominently in the menu.

Somehow, there seemed to be lots more for us to do last night because after dinner was over and the final cleaning was completed, I overshot the time to prepare ourselves for the late night worship to welcome in the New Year. And as a result, we actually began and ended the worship session a bit later than usual, after the whole neighbourhood had completed their worship and lighting off their fire crackers. We also managed a short trip to the Tua Pek Kong temple down the road. Not too many people still there at about 1.30am in the morning. As for today, there won't be many visitations to do except to my mother-in-law in Bandar Tasek Mutiara in Province Wellesley South. But that's in the afternoon. For the midday, we shall be going to the Nandaka Vihara for a Chinese New Year lunch dana. Other than these, it's basically lazing around the house for the rest of our time....



 

Thursday 8 February 2024

Zodiac coinboxes

Pages 46 and 47 of my book, Ten Thousand Prosperities

With this being our Chinese New Year festive period, my thoughts go back to those distant years when I was still with Ban Hin Lee Bank: that home-grown bank in Penang which transformed into everyone's preferred banking institution from the 1970s till the end of the 1990s. What possibly set the bank onto this journey to be so popular with their customers was the series of golden coinboxes. Alongside these cherished coinboxes, the printing of angpow, or red packets, for free distribution also contributed to the bank's allure, but that's a story for another time.

In my 2021 book, Ten Thousand Prosperities, I expressed the belief that the most enduring gift ever produced by Ban Hin Lee Bank was its series of coinboxes. These coinboxes played a pivotal role in fostering a culture of saving among customers, significantly contributing to the healthy growth of savings accounts. This happened approximately five or six years after the bank had introduced savings accounts into its banking services.

The first coinbox was shaped after the bank's iconic building in Beach Street and it remained etched in memory as a symbol of the institution's prominence. Interestingly, the concept initially faced resistance from the directors. However, witnessing the remarkable success of other banks implementing similar initiatives, they eventually embraced the idea. The angular design of the coinbox exuded an aura of strength and reliability, qualities that were particularly valued during the early 1970s as the bank started its journey of reinvention. 

In 1977, the year that I joined Ban Hin Lee Bank, a series of coinboxes based on the Chinese zodiac signs was introduced. For every year for the next 12 years, there was a new coinbox in the shape of the Chinese zodiac animal for that particular year. A plastics company was commissioned to produce the first of these – a horse’s head – which were given to savings account holders in early 1978, as the Year of the Horse began. The coinbox was very well received and in the years that followed, the bank increased orders to meet demand. 

Towards the end of 1982, there was a cultural dilemma as Chinese New Year approached. How would the bank respond to the Year of the Pig? The pig was considered unclean by Muslims and it was unthinkable to offer them a pig coinbox. The solution was to make two coinboxes in 1983: a pig coinbox to continue the logic of the series, and a bear coinbox for any account holder who would prefer that instead. 

Account holders and staff alike recall how every year, in the first fortnight of distribution, scores of people would wait patiently outside branch premises to open a new savings account and be eligible for a coinbox. Even though staff were mobilised from other departments to assist with this, those at the savings account department often worked well into the night to finish processing the day’s account opening forms, only to come back the following day to face a fresh crowd of people. But the surprising thing was that while they moaned in private among themselves, they took pride in the annually increasing savings account deposit levels.

Today, these Chinese zodiac coinboxes are collectors’ items. With the series ending in 1989, the bank turned to other designs and shapes to keep the momentum of coinboxes going but although the subsequent coinboxes were multi-coloured and appealing in many ways, there was no repeat of the fervour that had greeted the Chinese zodiac series.