Cheng Beng duties

I've been terribly busy this month and only now do I have time to write something about this year's Cheng Beng festival. My family had identified last 31st March for Cheng Beng at the graves of my two sets of grandparents as well as at the Triple Wisdom Temple where the memorial tablet of my parents and aunt is located.

How to do Cheng Beng under these circumstances?

Well, that was the plan. But as good plans occasionally went, there were last minute hiccups. It all started about two weeks prior to the Cheng Beng date. I had already contacted my regular grasscutters on the island to spruce my grandparents' graves at both the Batu Lanchang and Wat Pimbang On cemeteries. The grasscutter at Batu Lanchang said okay, he'd get the grave ready for me. The other grasscutter responded with a thumbs-up emoticon which I assumed that he would do the job as well.

Came Cheng Beng day, I was annoyed when we discovered the grave at Wat Pimbang On was unkempt. Nobody had cleared it of the weeds and undergrowth. My attempts at calling the grasscutter went unanswered for at least six or seven times. Nothing much we could do about it; we'd simply have to call another person to spruce up the grave. But the big question was who? The Wat Pimbang On cemetery was not a popular cemetery. Only God knows why my father chose this site for my grandparents' final resting place. There was simply no other people at that cemetery when we arrived there on that day.

How my grandparents' grave looked like after the weeds
and dried leaves had been cleared and the surface
thoroughly washed. But note the uncleared mess behind
the grave.

Luckily, social media came to the rescue. I posted an appeal and someone responded with a lead to a grasscutter from Batu Gantong who agreed to the job. Of course, I had to pay lots more to get this job done, but there were no alternatives. So finally, on the third of this month, I made the journey - alone this time - to carry out my Cheng Beng duties to my paternal grandparents.

I should add here that this Wat Pimbang On cemetery is in a really deplorable state. Simply no one from the Siamese temple is willing to take responsibility over its upkeep despite the cemetery is located on its ground. Thus, the whole place looks like a jungle. Completely overgrown with weeds and full of uncleared fallen leaves. Luckily my grandparents' grave is located near the southern edge of the cemetery which we could reach by the back entrance. But I pity those people whose ancestors' graves are located in the centre of the graveyard. With the thick undergrowth, those graves can be totally impossible to reach. 

One of my former schoolmates who now live overseas told me that he visited his relatives' graves earlier in March to spruce them up but was attacked by ants that fell from the tree branches. Huge ants, he told me. I wonder whether he has successfully managed to clean them up. 

In the meantime, there was an additional Cheng Beng destination for us this year: that of my father-in-law, at the Nirvana Memorial Park in Sungai Lembu on the mainland. It is going to be a permanent fixture from now on. As this year was the first time we went there with the rest of my wife's siblings, we faced the prospect of facing huge crowds with some trepidation. We decided to go there in the afternoon because we heard that there would be lesser people. We were surprised when able to drive easily into the Nirvana ground at about 3pm. It would have been impossible to do this in the morning, especially on Cheng Beng Day itself, one of the staff told us. 

Meal in Nibong Tebal

This year is going to be the year of re-unions for me. Come this third of May, some of my old friends from the PFS Class of 1970/72 will be meeting up at the E&O Hotel for lunch. I'm hoping to see about 18 or 19 of us at this gathering. Then in August, there'll be this reunion of some 200-plus former colleagues from Ban Hin Lee Bank at the same hotel as well. What will really close the year for me will be The Old Frees' Association's Centenary annual dinner on the 21st of October. I don't know how many will attend, but it will sure be grand. But first, last Thursday, a batch of my former colleagues met up in Nibong Tebal for a meal. Great year for meet and eat, I tell you!

The nyonya kebaya story

A lot of things happened in April. On the 15th, we attended a talk at the Straits Chinese Association on the nyonya kebaya, presented by Kenny Loh who is a well-known designer of nyonya kebaya outfits as well as nyonya manek (beaded) shoes. But basically, this talk was on the nyonya kebaya and nothing more.

My own fleeting interest in this subject is because my nyonya grandmothers wore these dresses during their lifetimes. Almost exclusively, if I can add. Relatives of their generation - my grandaunts - were also dressed in similar attire. To an extent too, my mother and my aunt both also wore the kebayas on and off. Nowadays, the nyonya kebaya is only seen when the modern-day nyonyas wear them to functions or special occasions.  But without Kenny Loh explaining the different types of nyonya kebaya to his audience, the outfits would still remain virtually mysteries to me. But now, I can claim to know a little bit more about it.

Kenny commented that the baba nyonya community in Penang lost their wealth during the dark days of the Japanese Occupation from Dec 1941 till Sep 1945. My own grandparents weren't wealthy but they were comfortable enough before the occupation. Sadly, they were among the countless that lost almost everything by the time the Japanese were defeated. I could relate to Kenny's little tale because it proved impossible for my grandparents to regain their old lifestyle.

It was actually a packed hall ath the Penang Straits Chinese Association. The empty seats at the front were for the state assemblyman who came to officiate at the junction. Thereafter, he went off, leaving the empty seats behind.

Kenny Loh

The other chappie in the picture was Adrian Cheah who happened to be the graphic designer of my book, Ten Thousand Prosperities. The lady with us was Susan Tan, an ex-colleague from Ban Hin Lee Bank. She is very active in promoting nyonya culture in Penang.

OFA Patron's Night

Thoroughly enjoyed the Patron's Night at The Old Frees' Association on the 17th of this month. The occasion was, of course, the official launch of our OFA Centenary Celebrations by the Regent of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Jamalullail who is an Old Free. His Old Free father, the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, was supposed to have graced the event but he had already indicated last January that he wouldn't be able to attend owing to a scheduled operation on his ankle. He had appointed his son, Tuanku Faizuddin, as Regent to represent him at our Old Frees' Association function.

Thus, we were all ready - all of us from The Old Frees' Association's Management Committee and the Centenary Celebrations Committee - waiting for our VVIP guests (the Regent of Perlis and the Raja Puan Muda of Perlis) to arrive. Also invited were some 30 or so selected guests who were all life members of the Association. Among them, I am pleased to mention, were Lim Siang Jin and Loh Lean Kang. It was good recognition for the work we have done for the PFS Student Leadership Workshops since 2017.

Apart from the VVIP table, the guests occupied five tables around the hall. We committee members were fairly distributed at these tables. I ended up having to keep an eye - or both eyes - on our oldest guest, Khoo Yeoh Gan Hong, who must be only a few years short of his own centenary mark. Despite his age and unsteady legs, he was having the time of his life, very gamely delivering an impromptu pantun and then following us out to the porch later where the Centenary Celebrations was launched by Tuanku. He unveiled the plaque and sealed up the time capsule.  

Amidst all this fun, I must also mention that the Penang Governor and Chief Minister of Penang, although personally invited to the function in early March, were unable to attend. The Governor did send his regrets, saying he had already committed to a buka puasa event much earlier. A few days before our Patron's Night, the Chief Minister's Office sent a note to say that he would be represented by the Deputy Chief Minister (I), Ahmad Zakiyuddin.

On the night of our function, however, we had our anxious moments when this fella, who called himself the Deputy Chief Minister (I), failed to turn up. Royalty had already arrived and were in our holding room, but this Zakiyuddin was absent. We were prepared to bundle him through another side entrance so that he could wait with the rest of the two Committees until Tuanku made his formal appearance. But I was told that attempts to call his personal assistant went unanswered. He was simply uncontactable. In the end, we abandoned the wait for him and removed his chair from the official photoshoot as well as from the VVIP table. Our function was more important than him. By breaching Protocol with his unexplained absence, he had stood up Royalty and insulted The Old Frees' Association. Till today, there has been no apology of any sort. Sorry if I have to use this term, but he is simply a fucked up, failed politician.

The official photoshoot of Tuanku with the two Committees

Tuanku cutting the anniversary cake

Happy 100th anniversary to The Old Frees' Association

Behind the scene: Shannon and Barath with the anniversary cake

Tuanku agreed to have this informal picture taken at the end of the function

Tuanku Syed Faizuddin unveiling the plaque which was signed by his father, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin

The three of us from the PFS Student Leadership workshops

Me babysitting the evergreen Khoo Yeoh Gan Hong

Anwar Fazal, who is also the President of the Dr Wu Lien-Teh Society, having a nice chat with Cheng Soon Keong from the Management Committee....until he was interrupted

Patron's night

Tomorrow, Monday, marks the exact 100th anniversary of The Old Frees' Association. We were founded on 17 April 1923. To mark this Centenary, the Association has drawn up a phletora of activities for the members, starting with this Patron's Night tomorrow. A lot of effort has gone into its preparation as the Regent of Perlis, an Old Boy of Penang Free School, will be attending. 

We had a dry run to prepare ourselves last Friday and here, we were lining up in the patio to see where we should stand tomorrow evening when taking the official photograph with the Regent of Perlis. The Patron's Night will launch our The Old Frees' Association Centenary Celebrations. 

The Raja Muda of Perlis was appointed the Regent by his father, the Raja of Perlis, who is taking an extensive rest after surgery on his foot. Thus, we - referring to the joint OFA Management committee and the OFA Centenary Celebrations committee - were preparing ourselves ahead of the event. I foresee a lot of Ampun, Tuanku is expected and I must remember not to sembahyang the Regent and his Ku Puan instead.... 

😅

How tomorrow's photography session with the Regent of Perlis will look like:

The stage for tomorrow's big event:

Bogus monk

How would you, as a lay person, distinguish a real monk from a bogus one if you were to meet a man in robes in a public space? 

To me, there are three clear signs:

1. A real monk would be accompanied by a helper (called a kapiyah) who would collect the alms presented to him.

2. A real monk would never accept any money as alms; only food or foodstuff which would be collected by his kapiyah.

3. A real monk would never go on his alms rounds after his midday meal.

Thus, I was surprised today to see his man in robes standing with an alms bowl at the Batu Lanchang market food court at around 1pm. Seeing him standing alone with no kapiyah in sight sent my suspicions working overtime. There are too many of them roaming the market place on the island and the mainland. Worse still in this case, he was standing right next to this banner telling people to say No to giving money to bogus monks.

One of my old friends related to me that last February. he encountered two fake monks in a coffee shop behind Chowrasta market. They noticed him taking pictures and came to ask him to erase the pictures. But he stood his ground and threatened to call the Police on them.

Timeless friendships

Well, it's time to get ready for the exBHLBankers' latest get-together or reunion in August! I can't quite remember how many times we have had our big reunions since Ban Hin Lee Bank (or BHL Bank) was taken over in 2001 but in my opinion, they are just not often enough. Thus, every big reunion should be treated by everyone of our old colleagues as opportunities to renew our old friendships. As many as possible should try to attend. And it is no laughing matter that we are still largely atuned to one another after all this time. It struck me, when I first posted about this reunion on my facebook, that if Ban Hin Lee Bank were still around today, the establishment would be 88 years old. 2023 would have been an auspicious year for a now non-existent bank. So here we are, we shall celebrate the 88th anniversary of a non-existent bank come this August 2023. 😄

Venue: Macalister Ballroom, E&O Hotel

Highlights: Buffet dinner Lucky draw Table draw Door gift

Cost of dinner: RM150 nett per pax, as charged by the hotel.

Good news! We pay only RM100 nett per pax. Everyone, including spouse, gets a RM50 subsidy. Those who were of messenger level in the bank will be fully subsidised (but they need to register and confirm their attendance).

Registration is by payment: 1. Pay to Johnny Phun Chye Jin (CIMB Acct No: 7022955638) 2. Send a a copy of the transfer to Johnny (016.4404066) by WhatsApp. Include your name, especially if your bank account name is different from your facebook name, and your last branch in BHLB.

Early Birds registration with payment: 

The first 50 registrations will receive an early bird gift. We will go by payment order.

Please spread the news and encourage your friends to participate to make this a success!

Too big for my wall

Nope, this wall clock does not belong to me. I had just brought it back from the clock shop, Tat Seng, in Bukit Mertajam. They had donated this clock and another slightly smaller one to the Nandaka Vihara meditation centre quite some time ago and the mechanism on this one had become faulty. Traced to a leaky battery that had corroded the contact points at the back of the clock. The clock shop had offered to change the mechanism and I had brought the clock to them. It was ready to be returned to the Nandaka Vihara but first, it found a place in my house for overnight storage. I hope the workers at the meditation centre will be more diligent with changing the batteries from now on. It's easy to be lazy with their duties especially when things don't belong to them personally.