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