On making a difference

Tan Boon Lin is part of a very rare breed of educationist. When it comes to Penang Free School, I know that he’s one of only two people to have gone from being a pupil at the school to returning as a teacher, and eventually becoming the headmaster. But in Headmaster Boon Lin’s case, he didn’t stop there – he went on to even greater heights in Malaysia's education system.

I still call him Headmaster, out of respect, even though others might refer to him as Master or even Dato’ Tan, after he received the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN) award from the Penang Governor in the 2018 Penang state awards. To me, though, he’ll always be my headmaster, even though more than 50 years have passed since his footsteps echoed through Pinhorn Hall at Penang Free School during the Monday morning assemblies.

The last time I saw him was at his home in Petaling Jaya on the 24th of March this year. He was frail, but still in good physical and mental health for someone who's now 97. For a long time, Headmaster Boon Lin had been thinking about publishing his autobiography but held back for reasons of his own. Back when I was writing Fidelis for The Old Frees' Association in 2011, I had a chance to look at an extract from it, which covered his experiences during the war years. He was still a pupil at Penang Free School then, and wrote about the chaos and carnage when Japanese planes bombed George Town in December 1941.

Earlier this year, I found out that Headmaster Boon Lin was finally ready to release his autobiography. After the usual search for a publisher, his family chose Areca Books. At the family's request, I stopped by the publisher’s office about ten days ago to help review the proofs before they went to print. I was lucky enough to see the nearly finished book – 320 pages and it’s packed with photos, showing his long journey through life and his career in education. I’d say about a third to half of the book focuses on his years as a pupil, teacher and headmaster of Penang Free School. So, any Old Free, especially those who were at the school during his time as headmaster from 1963 to 1969, would definitely want a copy. At RM80 a copy, it’s very reasonable!

An autobiography titled "𝑳𝒐𝒈"

I never got to ask David Hwang Hong Shi why he named his pictorial autobiography as Log but I was offered an answer by his wife, Molly Ooi. 

In his younger days, David had been a very active Scouter and he was a King's Scout from his schooldays at St George's Institution in Taiping. His interest in Scouting had continued throughout his working life, first as a Scout Master at Westlands (Primary) School in the 1950s and which carried through to Penang Free School in the 1960s and early 1970s, later at Westlands Secondary School until his retirement from government service, and finally at the International School of Uplands. The Scout movement will remember that they had to keep a log book of their activities and this was the reason why David's autobiography was simply called Log. 

The book chronicled his life's work from his schooldays till his final retirement as General Manager of Penang Club and then the founding of the Taman Sri Nibong Residents' Association. Log is privately produced and there is not more than 50 copies in print. I consider myself lucky to have received a copy. 

Actually, I visited the couple yesterday afternoon to collect it and we spent time reminiscing on the past: not that our careers crossed paths but he was already a school master at Penang Free School when I entered Form One in 1966. True to his outdoorsy lifestyle, he was a Physical Exercise teacher at the school. Fast forward later to 2012 when Molly and I were co-editors of FIDELIS, the coffee table book of The Old Frees' Association, David was always in the background to give advice on certain matters when required. That was when I got to know him well.

Bless you, Capt Neo Kim San

In 2011 when we were preparing FIDELIS, the commemorative book of The Old Frees' Association, I received a submission from Captain Neo Kim San from Singapore. Capt Neo was a former secretary and oftentimes committee member of the Old Frees' Association Singapore.

At first, I welcomed his contribution but after I had opened his file to take a look at it, I began having second thoughts about including the story into FIDELIS. And it was a decision that was backed up by the others in the Editorial committee. For you see, no amount of editing could have done any justice to the good captain's rather, umm, colourful story.

But now that Capt Neo has passed on - he died on 24 July 2015 - perhaps I should now reproduce his article as a fitting tribute to this man. He lived his life to the fullest. Here it is.

BLESSED BE THE TIES THAT BIND

In 1963 while I was in Form Six, and due to my involvement with the Four Holes, I was invited as a guest of the State. My father, realising that any prospects I had had were greatly curtailed, decided to send me to Singapore. Through the intervention and recommendation of  my pastor, David Nilsson, I had been slated to attend Trinity Theological College. (more of that later)

Sending me to the ferry point, my father gave me RM50 and a TITONI watch, saying sheepishly that that was all he could afford. He admonished me not to get into trouble again, gave me a pat on my back and sent me on the way to the Prai railway station.

Reaching Singapore, I walked from Tanjong Pagar Railway station to Chin Chew street where my mother had arranged for me to stay with my uncle.

The next day I went to call on Pastor John Nelson at the Dukes’ Road Lutheran Church. He took me to Trinity college on Mount Sophia and enrolled me. However, a few months later, when the semester started, I did not report as I felt I did not have the calling and it would not be fair to the Lord to take up the place and deprive the Lord of a more committed servant were I to take up place. I thus did not commence my studies. After a few weeks of interaction, Pastor Nelson, impressed with my command of the English language, offered me a position as supervisor of the Lutheran church kindergarten at Queenstown at $60/= a month plus the servants quarter to stay in.

IN THE BEGINNING
There being no classes on Saturdays, I had a lot of free time and started missing school life, especially detention class where I was a constant attendee. I had brought a copy of the 1962 School Annual with me and glancing through it, I saw a letter from Mr Lim Thean Soo addressed to the school, under the auspices  of the Old Frees Association, Singapore. The address given was No 13 Jalan Belangkas. I decided to pay him a visit to see if he could connect me to the other Old Frees. Reaching No 13 Jalan Belangkas, I rang the gate bell and instantly a boy came to the gate and asked me what I wanted. He replied in the positive when I asked if Mr Lim Thean Soo lived here. I continued by telling him I am from the Penang Free School and was looking for the Secretary of the Old Frees Association. He said he understood and asked me to wait. Returning to the house, he came back with a sheet of paper. It was a cyclostyled list of members of the Old Frees Association of Singapore. Thanking him profusely, I took my leave. On the way back, I studied the lists, rating names like Ernest Clark, Kok Weng Qn, both of Frasers and Neave, Dr GK Lim, TQ Lim, Dr Chan Kong Thoe and Woo Kam Seng (Shell). I had a hankering to better my station in life and thought that the Old Frees might be able to help me and might have opening where I could fit in.

MAH KAM SENG
That Saturday morning I reserved the office telephone for my use. At about 10am I rang Woo Kam Seng. The reply was “Tadak, tadak, tadak Woo Kam Seng.” Thinking that I might had dialed a wrong number, I asked if this was Shell’s office. The reply was “Ya, ini Shell, Batul.” I reiterated “Mr Woo Kam Seng, Sales Director, please” to which the reply was “Tadak Woo Kam Seng, Ada Makan Singh.” I then realised that Shell works five days a week and the phone must have been transferred to the watchman or jaga whose name must have been Makam Singh.

H3 Double
Still thinking of a higher pay than $60, I looked again at the list but by this time I had met one of my classmates, Lim Weng Yoke, who was working in Singapore. I invited him to join me on a visit to Heah Hock Heng since he was in our class. The address was at Cluny Road. Dropping off the bus at the junction of Farrer and Bt Timah, we made our way to Cluny Road. Cluny Road was very long and after thirty minutes we came to the house. We rang the door bell and a stout gentleman of about 30+ opened the door and we asked whether Heah Hock Heng lived here. He replied that he is Heah Hock Heng. Weng Yoke and I were stunned as he was not the Heah Hock Heng of our year. We apologized profusely and explained that we thought he was the Heah Hock Heng, one of our classmates from the Penang Free School. He said he is an Old Free. We were only too happy to meet him and we chatted for an hour about the school. He asked us for our contact numbers and promised that the OFA Singapore will contact us. With that, we took our leave and left for lunch.

MAIDEN ATTENDANCE AT OFA PICNIC
At the end of march 1967, I received an invitation and application form to join the OFA Singapore. Accompanying the form was an invitation to attend a picnic in one of the colonial bungalows. When Weng Yoke and myself reached the venue, a goodly number of members had turned up. We were welcomed by Mr Heah Hock Heng who introduced us around, especially to a Mr Wee Chong Jin who was Chief Justice then. Both of us were in awe of him but also proud to be Old Frees. Mr Wee sat on an armchair on the porch and watched the members and their families frolicking in the sea and on the shore. A repast had been prepared and everybody had a good time.
In early October 1967 I received a notice to attend an AGM at the Kelong Restaurant, Cathay building. Payment was $30. I sent back my returns declining since attendance would have meant 50% of my pay.

MAIDEN ATTENDANCE AT AGM
For the rest of 1967 and half of 1968, I worked at various odd jobs on top of my supervisory job and managed to accumulate $100, so when I received the notice towards the end of  September, I was prepared to attend the AGM again to be held at the Kelong Restaurant at Cathay Building. When I reached it, I found it to be a small cozy restaurant. I felt at home immediately with the crowd using Penang patois which could be distinguished among the bubble. When the AGM was called to order, I found myself seated next to member Kok Weng On who introduced himself to me. He told me his father was also a customs officer when he heard I was staying in the Customs village, Bukit Glugor. A friendship developed between us and which has been cemented with time. I immediately had a feeling of euphoria enveloping me. The friendship formed that day has withstood the test of time and has in fact grown stronger.

When the meeting concluded, I made a promise to attend every meeting which I did without fail until 1975 when someone made a serious mistake and proposed me for the post of secretary. Well and good. Remembering the first picnic I attended, I hankered for another. So the first function I organised was a picnic, not at the seaside but at Mitsukoshi Gardens in Jurong. My wife had learnt to cook Penang laksa, probably from my kaypoh cousin of Siam Road, so she provided the laksa for the picnic. No doubt the venue had no salt tainted air but all in all we had a good time.

OLD FREES ARE NEVER TARDY
Over my many terms of office, two incidents remained clear in my mind. The first was Dr GK Lim or to give his full name, Dr Lim Geok Khooi. I remember him telling me Somerset Waugham (sic) was a personal friend. Somerset Waugham was the author of “Pygmalion” later made into the film “My Fair Lady”. GK graduated from the Hong Kong Medical College, joined the British Army and was the first Asian doctor of the Royal Medical Corps, He took over Rommel’s’ troupes of the German Africa Corps in North Africa on the surrender of Germany. After he was demobbed, the Military Administration rewarded him with any residence of his choosing. GK chose No 37 Stevens Road. Perhaps he smoke “Abdulla 37?” Who knows?

I had made it my task to fetch GK to and from the committee meetings. On one occasion, I was five minutes late from our appointed time. He was not waiting for me outside his gate, as was his wont. I called out to him. He opened the front door and told me he wasn’t going to the meeting for virtue of  my being late, he will be late and might be labelled as being tardy.

(My note: Capt. Neo got it wrong here. W Somerset Maugham was not the author of Pygmalion. The person who wrote this book was George Bernard Shaw.)

THE SPYROS INCIDENT
Sometime in early October 1978, the committee met at the Goodwill Restaurant in Hong Leong Building to finalise arrangements for 21st October AGM. After the agenda had been dealt with, the Committee sat down to dinner. In the midst of partaking the food, a committee member called Oh Kean Hock said, "I hope you guys do not mind me bringing up an item out of the agenda. It can be itemised under any business.” Ernest Clark gave him the green light to proceed. Kean Hook then went on to state.

“What is the OFA for? To eat, yak and hold useless meetings now and then? Let us do something useful and meaningful for once. I propose we do something to help the families of the 17 victims of the Spyros accident. Don’t just yak and enjoy yourselves.”

GK Lim immediately sputtered with the food he was masticating while Ernest Clark stood up and begged to be excused from the meeting. GK then pronounced that he had never been so insulted in his life but he had best answer Oh Kean Hook.

“Kean Hook,” Dr GK. said. “please consider carefully before shooting off your mouth next time. Do you know that to do what you have suggested we would need to call for an EGM, obtain the approval of the majority of the members before we can even collect one cent? We are on the committee not for our own glory but to plan activities and functions for our members, ex-students of the Penang Free School and also to remember and honour our school.”

Kean Hook had no answer to that except to get up and follow Ernest Clark’s lead and excuse himself from the meeting and leave.

ONE-UP ON ERNEST CLARK
To my memory, the most hilarious committee meeting was during the tenure of Dato Ng Kong Yeam. Following the tradition of the OFAS, whereby the newly elected President had to stand the committee to dinner at the first committee meeting, thus Dato Ng invited the committee to dinner at his Queen Bee Restaurant in Johor Baru, to be followed by drinks at his Queen Bee lounge to watch a strip-tease performance, not surprisingly the full committee turned up. In actuality, the Queen Bee was to give the Merchinta  nightclub, a well established strip-tease club in JB, a run for its money.
Well and good, everyone did not eat but rather gobbled it down, eager to adjourn to the lounge for the show. Dato Ng took us over to the lounge as soon the plates had been cleared. Was he eager also? The lounge manager met us at the door and Dato instructed him to close the doors for a private show.

The manager complied (which manager would not at the behest of his boss) and the music started. Presently a gossamer clad girl sashayed out from behind the curtain, Ernest Clark exclaimed “wow” before moving his chair to the edge of the catwalk to get a closer look (at what?). The dancer went through her moves, moving closer and closer to Ernest Clark (who must have been on cloud nine by now) and before he could realise it, the dancer had plucked his spectacles from his face, did a pirouette and dropped his spectacles down the front of her G-string. She performed another number, edging closer to Ernest again, took the spectacles out of her G-string and gave it back to Ernest. The spectacles were all fogged up with the dancer’s body heat. Asking for a piece of tissue paper to wipe his glasses clear. I quipped him “Careful Ernest, she may be infected with VD.”

Ernest rejoined angrily, “Shut up, stupid, wearing the glasses won’t infect a person with VD.” All this time the committee members were in stitches at Ernest’s discomfiture. To console him, I said, “Ernest, I do not mean Venereal Disease, I meant Visual Diarrhoea.” Ernest harrumphed and came back to our table, receiving hearty claps on the back for his bravery.

APPRECIATION AND THANKS
In all my years as an office bearer of the OFA Singapore, I had tremendous support from the following co-committee members, who were unstinting in their support, never missing a meeting unless more important things cropped up. They include Moey Sek Pan, Chin Pak Kim, Goh Khek Sian and the following members who gave their moral and vocal support, chief of whom were Hwang Tiaw Hoe, Hwang Tiaw Sooi, Wee Chong Lim, Tan Ban Hoe, Lim  Chong Hock, Teng Lye Hock, Loh Peng Chee, Oh Siew Leong, Professor Chan Kong Thoe, Gory Yeang, Khoo Boo Aik, Yam Mow Lam and the happy-go-lucky Larry Lim Yam Hum.

Oh, before I forget, my thanks to each and every member who has encouraged and bolstered my passion for the OFA in their own individual ways.

OLD FREES ARE COMPASSIONATE
The title of this caption has been chosen with care and after much thought for it captures the heart and soul of the Old Frees. I say this with conviction because of two incidents where the Old Frees truly and unstintingly demonstrated their compassion.

One evening, I received a call for Mrs Yip Mun Kong imploring help from Lee Seng Teik to attend to her son, who had just suffered from a deep cut on his cheek. She was frantic, afraid that her son would be saddled with with an ugly scar on his face for the rest of his life. On reflection, it could be that Mrs Yip was afraid that no girl would marry her son, depriving her of grandsons or granddaughters. I thus called Lee Seng Teik who was at dinner. When he heard my request on behalf of another Old Free, he left his dinner there and then, and rushed to the general hospital. The last I heard, Mem Kong’s son has a scar but a very faint one.

WAH SENG’S MAGNANIMITY
Another incident, which strengthens my passion for the OFA Singapore. In 1996, I needed an X-ray report for my employer and my thoughts turned to Chin Wah Seng. Proceeding to his clinic, I registered myself and waited for my turn. When my turn came, I was pleasantly surprised when Wah Seng himself walked up to me and conducted me to his laboratory. Strapping me to a large machine himself and switched it on. The machine rotated for a few minutes and stopped, Wah Seng told me to put on my shirt and I dressed up .

Stopping at the registration counter to make payment, I was taken aback when the receptionist told me that Dr Chin had taken care of it. I did not leave but waited at the receptionist area to thank Wah Seng personally but the number of patients waiting made me leave after an hour so as not to disrupt Wah Seng’s schedule.

DIALYSIS MACHINE
I was diagnosed as diabetic in 1998 and was weak when I visited Yam Mow Lam. A few days later, I received a call to lunch with Ooi Teng San. Over lunch he enquired about my diabetic condition. After hearing about my details, he told me that should I have to be treated by dialysis, he is willingly to sponsor a dialysis machine so that I can self-treat by dialysis at home as treatment at dialysis centres are very expensive.

A word of caution to all readers. Anybody who bad-mouths the Old Frees will have me to contend with.

I cannot recall when we started holding our AGM at Kings Hotel, perhaps when they launched the Penang Food Promotion but I remember when we changed venue for once in 1999 and held it at the Concord Hotel. At the registration desk, three young men approached me and, their spokesman told me they were from Free School and wanted to be members. Handing me their name cards, one name stuck out - Malcolm Tan Ban Hoe. He then asked how they could help out. Having matters under control, I thanked him and told him I will let him know later.

When the AGM started, the president thanked me for the years of accepting and discharging the duties of hon. secretary through the years and since I was leaving to take up a post in China, the OFA would like to present me with a gift in appreciation. He then gave me a Samsonite briefcase by courtesy of Gary Yeang who was the Samsonite representative for South East Asia. As the office bearers had not been elected, I announced to the meeting that we are very fortunate that there are three young Old Frees who have volunteered to help in any way and I suggested that such enthusiasm should be rewarded by being elected to the committee. They stood up and graciously accepted to be elected. Thus Malcolm Tan, Boo Aik and one other (the name which I am unable to recall) were elected.

AN ASIDE
During Chong Soon Khean’s term of office as President, he narrated an incident that occurred just before he left for the meeting. He confessed he is very forgetful (Alzheimer’s?) and many a time had to return home to retrieve items that he had forgotten. He told us that it will be a thing of the past from now onwards as he has formulated a system to overcome his memory lapse. He told us he has composed a ditty to remind himself each time he leaves the house and has pasted the ditty behind his door. The ditty goes like this

KEYS

WALLET

SPECTACLES

TESTICLES

He then recounted to us what transpired between Sue (Mrs Chong) and himself as he left the house. He chanted the ditty and as he chanted, Sue said “Jimmy you can take the first three but leave the last at home” to which Soon Khean rejoined “cannot, lah, I will have no courage to do business if I leave them.”

ADDENDUM- the Advent of OFA Singapore
When I first joined the OFA, I remembered Weng On telling me the OFA was born in 1962. My thanks to Mr. JC Rajarao who corrected me on 15th November 2011 where he was my the guest at the Committee meeting. He pronounced that he has a newspaper clipping and photo  of the Committee taken in 1953 perhaps in tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation.

Submitted by
Neo Kim San @ Neo Ah San

 

Fidelis the newsletter

This is a sneak preview of the cover of the FIDELIS newsletter of The Old Frees' Association which shall be released to members at the OFA Annual Dinner on 21 October 2012. FIDELIS the newsletter builds on the goodwill of FIDELIS the commemorative book that was launched earlier this year. Of course, I had a hand in producing it. What's inside? All that I am prepared to reveal now is that the newsletter will bring everybody up to speed with the latest developments at the club. But what's really inside? Not saying more. Find out on the 21st of October itself.

Minding your Ps and Qs

Today's story is dedicated to my family and also my relatives in the Klang Valley. You see that chap with a guitar on Page 192 of FIDELIS, the commemorative book of The Old Frees' Association? He's my cousin, Tony Oh Keng Kooi.

He was two or three years my junior at the Penang Free School. Tony and I were members of the school's Chess Club. He played Chinese Chess. Way back then, I was staying in Seang Tek Road while he lived in Jahudi Road. My mother and his father were first cousins and that made us second cousins.

When I was working on FIDELIS, this old picture revived a lot of my memories. Tony, you see, although he may still not realise it, was the factor that brought me face-to-face with another cousin, one that I didn't know existed.

In 1974 I was studying in Petaling Jaya. The nascent chess scene in the country was just getting interesting. The Chess Association of Selangor was formed in that year and they were holding their first state championship. I was taking part but since the Royal Selangor Club was quite a distance away, I had made arrangements to go to the house of another of the participants and someone else would come by to pick us up. For four days or five days I would do just that.

After the event had ended, I continued to visit Phuah Eng Chye because I had developed a close bond with him. We could speak in the Hokkien dialect of Penang and befuddle anyone who couldn't understand us. His mother was very friendly and after learning that I was from Penang, she would sometimes even join in our conversations. Part of her extended family still lived in Penang, she said.

One day Eng Chye and I were talking about our connections in Penang. He had a cousin, he revealed to me, studying at the Penang Free School and also playing chess for the school - but only Chinese Chess. My ears pricked up. I still had very good ties with the chess club and there couldn't be many players that I wouldn't know about. Now who could that be, I wondered. So do I, I told him, I also have a cousin in the same chess club. If Eng Chye were to tell me his name, I would know for sure.

And that's how Tony's name cropped up. I almost fell off the chair. Tony Oh. He's Eng Chye's cousin? Why, that's also my cousin. How could it be, not unless we were also related in some way?

Eng Chye's mother was summoned summarily and I related my story to her. The excitement rose in her eyes. She questioned me about my mother and then she disappeared somewhere and rushed back with a photograph album. She stopped at a page and pointed out my parents' wedding picture. The black and white image of my father and mother stared out at me from the book. "That's my cousin in Penang," she blurted out happily.

What a happy revelation that I had to discover in Petaling Jaya the presence of relatives that I didn't know of at all. She was one of the three Oh Sisters that lived in Port Swettenham. My mother grew up with them.

She always mentioned them with enthusiasm but unfortunately, she never shared much information about her childhood days. Thus, I'm as much in the dark today as I was then about her - to me, mysterious - female cousins. Every Chinese New Year though, she would dutifully exchange festive cards with them. It was the only time that they could still be in touch. So here was one of them, settled down in Petaling Jaya. The other two remained in Port Swettenham.

Eventually, I returned to Penang in 1976. In the meantime, Eng Chye had gone on to Manchester and then came back to work in the Klang Valley. Despite the long years that have passed by, my friendship with Eng Chye remains strong although of course, we no longer keep in constant touch like before. We were very close in those days so much so that the joke was you should better mind your P(huah)s and Q(uah)s when you are with us. That was how close we were.

As a postscript, I must mention that when I was getting married, Eng Chye was the Best Man at my wedding. I could have asked any of my friends in Penang to be my Best Man but no, the only person that came readily to my mind was him and he came up all the way from Petaling Jaya just for this purpose. I never had the chance to thank him properly so this is as good a time to tell him, "Thanks, buddy!"

Made my old headmaster's day

My daughter had been back in Penang for a short holiday and yesterday, Sunday, was the day that she was due to drive back to Kuala Lumpur. Like any concerned parent, I offered to accompany her down to KL as I didn't want her to travel alone. All this was arranged quite some time ago.

However, what was not in the works was a last-minute plan to deliver a copy of FIDELIS to my old headmaster, Dato' Tan Boon Lin.

You see, he had been rather anxious in the last two weeks or so regarding this book. He knew that it had been launched and he was due to get his copy. I've been asking the office of The Old Frees' Association to dispatch a copy to him as soon as possible but the OFA office had been delaying it. Not only for him but all the other contributors as well. Reason? The staff was rushing to prepare for the annual general meeting that's due on 29 Apr 2012.

That was when I suddenly realised that I could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. If I was going to go to KL, why not deliver FIDELIS to Tan as well? So I signed off a copy from the OFA office. That was last week.

Yesterday, my daughter and I arrived in Damansara Utama at about six o'clock. We rang the miniature school bell on the wall. Tan was out somewhere but his daughter, Gaik Cheng, invited us in to wait for his return. And pretty soon he did. He stood at his front door and there I was, inviting him into his own house! It should have been the other way round. Quite a reversal of roles at his house, wasn't it? He should've been in and I was out. Instead, I was in and he was out. But no matter....

We spent about an hour chatting about the book and about the school. During our conversation, some fresh snippets of personal information were offered. Like how his grandfather made the momentous decision for him to apply for admission to the Penang Free School. He could have gone on to a Parit Buntar or a Nibong Tebal school instead. Or how his predecessor, JMB Hughes, never forgave him for using the swimming pool fund for building the school library that was named Khutub Khanah Tunku after Tunku Abdul Rahman. Nevertheless, Tan admired Hughes for his adventure streak and love of the great outdoors. He commented that Hughes organised several expeditions with the schoolboys to Langkawi at a time when those isles were still pretty much off the tourist map.

After Tan's retirement from government service in 1982, he became the Director of Student Affairs at the Tunku Abdul Rahman College. He said that he was thrilled to be dealing with students again. He remained in that post for five years, deciding to leave after hearing many comments that he was only there to fill the position until an MCA-appointee could take over. He didn't like that insinuation. Politics, as usual, had reared its ugly head in this country.

I was just about to push the Publish button on this blog post when an email arrived from Tan. What a coincidence! Anyway, here is his email message to me. Thought it be interesting to share it around:

Hi,

Please accept my grateful thanks for your visit yesterday evening. As I told Chang Moh it was a wonderful surprise and certainly made up for all the anxieties I experienced due to the delay receiving a copy of FIDELIS after it was launched on 30 March. FIDELIS is a wonderful publication. Congratulations to you and those in OFA who were responsible for its production. Reading it certainly took me back to some of the the best years of my life in PFS: as student, teacher and Headmaster. Thanks once again.

Fortis Atque Fidelis.

Boon Lin

Book debutantes

I had mentioned a few days ago that the change of programme at the Gala Dinner on 31 March 2012 meant that the editorial team was no longer required to climb on the stage in front of the glaring eyes of the dinner guests. Instead, we were invited to meet the dignitaries while in the banquet hall itself.

So here we are. Molly, Hwang, Rajendren, myself and William with the Raja Muda of Perlis, the Raja of Perlis and the Governor of Penang.

 And that's us with a very sporting Chief Minister of Penang. I guess you MUST already know who that is! If not, shame on you....

Fidelis, the OFA commemorative book, part 30

FIDELIS, the commemorative book of The Old Frees' Association, was unveiled to the public by distinguished Old Free Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, the Raja of Perlis, on 31 March 2012 as part of a ceremony to launch the Penang Free School Bicentenary Celebrations.

Moments before the unveiling of FIDELIS by the Raja of Perlis. Standing around with expectancy were OFA president MS Rajendren, PFS Board of Governors chairman and also chairman of the PFS Bicentenary Committee chairman Dato' Abdul Rafique bin Abdul Karim, Penang Governor Tun Dato' Seri Utama (Dr) Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Perlis Raja Muda Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail.

Here goes.....

 Recapping the pen after the Raja of Perlis had added his signature to the cover of FIDELIS

Getting ready to take a first look into the book

The Raja of Perlis getting some help from Rajendren

One of the first copies of FIDELIS being sold outside the hotel's banquet hall

Some of the dinner guests pouring over the book and discovering delightful nuggets of information

Fidelis, the OFA commemorative book, part 29

Today is D-day. The day of reckoning. The day of launch of the Penang Free School Bicentenary Celebrations. To me, the most significant will be the launch of FIDELIS, the commemorative book of The Old Frees' Association.

The books will be on sale at the E&O Hotel later in the evening once the launch is completed by the Raja of Perlis. I understand that the price will be RM100 per copy.

At yesterday's meeting, I had my first peek at FIDELIS. The consignment had been fully delivered to The Old Frees' Association. But everything is strictly kept under lock and key, away from prying eyes and inquisitive minds.

I was really over-awed to be able to hold a precious copy in my hands. Although I had realised earlier that it was going to be bulky, I never expected it to measure two centimetres thick inclusive of the hard cover and eventually tipping the scale at one kilogramme. A great deal of satisfaction over everything that I had achieved in the past five months. I have done my duty to The Old Frees' Association.

And tonight, my wife and I will be making our way to the E&O Hotel for the Gala Dinner. So, to everyone who have already purchased their tickets from The Old Frees' Association, see you there!

Fidelis, the OFA commemorative book, part 28

I wasn't surprised to receive an email from The Old Frees' Association office a few days ago requesting for my presence at a meeting this afternoon. After all, today is D-1 days till the launch of FIDELIS, the commemorative book of The Old Frees' Association.

But more importantly, tomorrow will see the official launch of the Penang Free School Bicentenary Celebrations by the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, at the E&O Hotel in George Town. He shall be launching the Bicentenary celebrations first, followed by that of the book.

So by 3.15pm this afternoon, I was already at the OFA clubhouse. I sauntered in and was met by William and Boopalan. Pretty soon, Rafique, Rajendren and the rest of the Bicentenary Committee members arrived. There were also representatives from the E&O Hotel, the PFS and two or three others.

I could see clearly that there were lots of concern over the organisation of the Gala Dinner function at the E&O. The committee had rightly worked themselves up into a frenzied worry over the past fortnight and I could see that the tension was most telling on Ban Seang, who was the organising chairman for this Gala Dinner. But he's used to it, I am sure, and all his experience came in very useful.

He was the one calling most of the shots at this meeting and he, together with Rafique and Rajendren, wanted to ensure that everything went according to clockwork. This was one occasion where nothing, absolutely nothing, could afford to go wrong. He went through everything in his checklist and made sure that the persons in charge of every little detail fully understood their roles and responsibilities.

Everything single action and consequence was being anticipated, from the playing of music, the grand entrance of the guests of honour, the order of the speeches, the serving of the dinner, the movements of the hotel's waiters, right until the careful choreography of the launch which would include the firing of confetti from the toy cannon and the unveiling of FIDELIS. Oh yes, including the singing of the School Rally. Everything that could be thought of was brought out for discussion in detail.

To me, there was a lot of underlying frustration over the protocol that everyone was required to observe. So far, it would seem that the ADC from the Penang Governor's office had been the most demanding, insisting that this could be done and that couldn't be done, and the Bicentenary Committee was powerless but to agree with them. But I can tell you that once the ADC from the Palace in Arau comes into the picture later, all of that will become useless in the face of final instructions from the Palace's ADC. Even the Governor cannot over-ride the Raja.

Suddenly, I found myself without a significant role to play at the function. Originally, part of the plan at the launch of FIDELIS was to call the co-editors to meet with the Raja of Perlis on the stage but with the insistence from the protocol people that only certain designated persons would be allowed on the stage - and the co-editors are not among them - all that's left for my wife and I to do at tomorrow night's Gala Dinner will be to enjoy the occasion and our food! Others may feel miffed with this new development but to me, it is no great deal whether I'm allowed on the stage or not. Such things have never bothered me much.

Fidelis, the OFA commemorative book, part 27

It is D-2 days till the joint launch of FIDELIS, the commemorative book of The Old Frees' Association, and the start of the PFS Bicentenary Celebrations at the E&O Hotel in George Town, Penang. Apart from the Raja of Perlis and the Governor of Penang, the other distinguished guest will be the Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng.

Guan Eng's attendance at the gala dinner function at the E&O Hotel was the subject of many speculations in the past week or so.

Firstly, I've got to make it clear at the onset that we - and by "we", I mean the PFS Bicentenary Committee and The Old Frees' Association (and naturally, myself too) - had absolutely no idea that the date of the dinner would become a source of contention. To me, all these were just innocent arrangements and coincidental. There was nothing ominous or deliberate about them. Nobody was stealing anyone's thunder away. No body-snatching beneath anyone's nose. But I'm writing this in my personal capacity only, and based on my private conversations with some members of these two committees.

It so happened that the PFS Bicentenary Committee had wanted the Raja of Perlis, he being an Old Free himself and who is also the Royal Patron of The Old Frees' Association, to launch the Bicentenary celebrations. Several dates were suggested to the Palace in Arau and word came back from the Palace that 31 Mar 2012 would be a convenient date. We were also informed that the Penang Governor would attend too. As such, with the two distinguished guests having confirmed their attendance, everyone hoped that the Chief Minister of Penang would soon follow suit. And he confirmed soon afterwards.

Everybody was elated and the Gala Dinner sub-committee then went their way to book the venue at the hotel and make all the other necessary arrangements. I was well aware of this as at the same time, our Fidelis editorial team was working on the commemorative book and much information was being shared among us all.

Then out of the blue, I received a text message from an old friend who happened to be an Old Xavierian. "Aiyoh," he texted me, "SXI planned their 160 years on 31 March and all of a sudden, PFS did the same at E&O." In another message, he said that the Chief Minister had already agreed to attend their SXI function on the same evening. And he added, "I kena from the former PFS corporates for snatchng CM away. Too bad, SXI planned for almost six months."

More in alarm than anything else, I emailed Rajendren to ask whether he was aware of the Chief Minister's whereabouts on the evening of 31 March and if not, it would be prudent to re-check with the Chief Minister's Office. The reassuring reply from the OFA president was that he was aware of the SXI event but he confirmed that the Chief Minister would be at our function.

Then in The Star's Metro North section today, a very interesting story appeared about both the Penang Free School and the St Xavier's Institution. Somewhere in this story, the writer touched very briefly on the unenviable position of the Chief Minister, saying that he was due to make an appearance at the PFS Bicentenary launch but only after he officiated the SXI dinner.

I suppose everything must run at clockwork if the Chief Minister must arrive at the SXI to officiate at their grand celebration which starts at 7.20pm before rushing across the road to the E&O by 8.30pm in time for the arrival of the Penang Governor and the royal party.

I am confident that a warm reception awaits the Chief Minister. But it can jolly well turn into a hot or cold reception too, depending on what the Chief Minister says in his speech at our Bicentenary launch. There are several matters that he can touch on which will interest the Old Frees.

For instance, on the 14th of September last year, the PFS Board of Governors had paid a courtesy call on the Chief Minister on the 28th floor of the Komtar Tower. During this courtesy call, there were some important discussions on issues affecting the Penang Free School.

I was told that the first matter raised with the Chief Minister was on the Penang Free School Trust Fund, originally established under the Laws of the Straits Settlements to provide scholarships and prizes to the school’s pupils. As the Chief Minister is officially a trustee of this Trust Fund, the Board requested the Penang Government to contribute at least RM20,000 annually to the Fund.

The second issue was about the heritage status of the Penang Free School. Actually, this should be a matter for national consideration but seeing how the decisions of the National Heritage Department tended to be swayed more by federal politics instead of down-to-earth, matter-of-fact considerations, the Board of Governors urged that the Penang Government should take the lead to declare the Penang Free School as a state heritage.

And thirdly, the Board of Governors requested the Penang Government to return the Headmaster’s residence to the school and not let Puspanita use it for their homestay programmes. This is very unbecoming and desultory for both the Penang Government and Puspanita to use the Headmaster's official residence for such an activity that's totally incongruent with the school's objectives. Moreover, proof has been given to the Penang Government that this particular building within the school's vast compound does not belong to the state but the federal government.

Six months have passed by since that Board of Governors' visit to the Chief Minister. I am hopeful that at the Gala Dinner on Saturday, the Chief Minister will be responding with favourable news to the Penang Free School, The Old Frees' Association and the PFS Bicentenary Committee. However, I am not holding my breath.

Post-press conference

I was woken up this morning by a text message from Rajendren, the president of The Old Frees' Association. Four days after the press conference was held, The Star has finally reported on it in its Metro North section.

THE Old Frees Association (OFA) will be organising a dinner on March 31 to launch the Bicentenary Celebrations for the Penang Free School (PFS), which will be turning 200 in the year 2016.

Bicentenary committee chairman Datuk Abdul Rafique Abdul Karim said the celebrations would begin this month as it was too momentous and historical an event to be celebrated in just one year.

“As the bicentenary is an important milestone in the history of Penang Free School, many programmes have been arranged from March 31 till Oct 21, 2016,” said Abdul Rafique.

About 400 Old Frees (alumni) and guests are expected to attend the dinner at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, where a commemorative book Fidelis will be launched.
OFA president M.S. Rajendren said the title of the book was extracted from the school’s motto Fortis Atque Fidelis (Latin for ‘Strong and Faithful’).

“This is an important heritage project for the PFS and the OFA where it contains records of the school’s glorious history, academic excellence, great sportsmen and rich traditions, as well as those of OFA which was founded in 1923,” said Rajendren.

The 208-page commemorative book will be priced at RM100 and is expected to hit bookstores nationwide soon after its launching on March 31.

The dinner also serves to raise funds for the Bicentenary Celebrations, among which are to establish a Bicentenary Scholarship, to be launched on Oct 21, 2016.

Abdul Rafique said the dignitaries who would attend the dinner include the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, Raja Perempuan of Perlis Tuanku Fauziah Tengku Abdul Rashid, Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, Raja Puan Muda of Perlis Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil, Penang Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, Toh Puan Majimor Shariff and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

The prices for tables are from RM1,000 to RM5,000 while VIP tickets are priced at RM1,000 per person.

Tickets are sold at the OFA in Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah which is open from 10am to 6pm on weekdays and 10am to 1pm on Saturdays. For details, call the OFA at 04-2269290.

Penang Free School is the oldest English school in Southeast Asia, founded on Oct 21 in 1816 at a rented premises in Love Lane by Rev Robert Sparke Hutchings, an Anglican chaplain.

The school then moved to its first building in Farquhar Street which now houses the Penang State Museum prior to its present location in Jalan Mesjid Negri in 1928.

The now 196-year-old school has produced notable luminaries such as the country’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, legendary plague fighter and the first Malaysian Chinese Noble Prize winner Dr Wu Lien Teh, former Penang Chief Minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, actor and singer Tan Sri P. Ramlee and four-time All England badminton champion Eddy Choong.

Old Frees from all over the world are encouraged to provide suggestions to the Bicentenary Committee on ways to hold the four-year celebrations after they kick-start on March 31.

For details, email to admin@ofa.my.

I've just a little comment to make on the above report. All the information is basically correct except for the fact that Dr Wu Lien-Teh was never a Nobel Prize winner. Certainly, he was nominated for a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1935 - the nominator being Dr WW Cadbury, the professor of medicine at the University of Canton in China - and his nomination was evaluated but he was passed over in favour of someone whose contribution was, in the words of the Nobel Prize committee, "for his discovery of the organizer effect in embryonic development".

I wonder how the discovery of the organiser effect in embryonic development measures against the millions of lives saved from certain death through plague. How do they do this sort of evaluation anyway? I'm sure that if Dr Wu had been a Westerner instead of an Asian, the Nobel Prize would have been his. Such was his immense contribution to society and medicine.

PFS School Rally, part 3

It is very clear to me that the impending approach of 21 October 2016, though still some four years away, has made Old Frees become more aware of the Penang Free School's rich history and traditions. The Grand Old Lady of Malaysian education will be 200 years old then.

Last November when I visited the daughter of GS Reutens to ask about the School Rally, Esther had expressed much surprise that this was the first time in decades that anyone had ever asked about the School Rally or about her father.

She shared with me the original music scoresheets of the School Rally, all painstakingly written down in her father's immaculate handwriting. I had taken several photographs of the scoresheet then. My intention was to write a story on the origin of the School Rally for Fidelis, the commemorative book which The Old Frees' Association wanted published.

Last week, Esther and her husband, Teck Chye, visited the school and presented the music scorebook to the headmaster, Jalil Saad, for safekeeping in the School Archives. It is wonderful to see her doing that. The school will see to it that the scorebook will be stored properly for posterity. It is a part of the school's long history.

Throughout the decades, I have noticed that the School Rally has undergone several ever slight changes, no doubt through the misinterpretations of (well meaning) people who may not have fully comprehended the lyrics. In order to settle all the confusion over who's right and who's wrong, here below are the hallowed lyrics of the School Rally, as GS Reutens had originally written them. Do sing along with gusto as you read, especially the Old Frees:

CHORUS:
Let us march on to fame, let the aisles proclaim,
Till our anthem will dare us to do.
Let us onward to win and new laurels gain,
Free School for the brave and for the true.

VERSES:
It matters neither how strait the gate,
Nor how charged with dangers the goal,
Let the tempest rage and fell odds inflate,
We'll to it with heart and soul.

When duty calls be it school or state,
We to it with God by our side,
For the sons of Free School don't hesitate,
Nor let cool their zeal and pride.

Let's all then join in this jubilee,
All with one loud voice to proclaim,
Our true loyalty and our constancy,
To our Mater still remain.

---

Further reading:

PFS School Rally, Part 2
GS Reutens and the PFS School Rally

Fidelis, the OFA commemorative book, part 26

D-8 days till launch. There is nothing else that we can do now except to wait for Fidelis, the commemorative book of the Old Frees' Association, to be ready. After all the hard work of the past four to five months, I'm left twiddling my thumbs most evenings.

This afternoon though, there was still one thing to do. We all met up at The Phoenix Press print factory in the Prai Industrial Estate on the mainland, having been invited there by their chief marketing officer, TC Hon. While we had initially hoped that, maybe, we could see the pages in the process of being printed, we were told instead that the pages had all been completed.

The few of us at The Phoenix Press. Left to right: Saik Mun, Jin Teik, myself and Rajendren.

It's not exactly rolling off the press but there is still a kind of excitement in seeing the commemorative book in the raw.

They were now in the process of being folded into their signatures and stitched together. The cover is being printed separately, as well as the slip cases, but with the others in a hurry, we could not see the processes.

Part of the book being carted from one area of production to the next.

Nevertheless, we have been assured that the whole book will be ready before the launch of the Penang Free School Bicentenary Celebrations by the Raja of Perlis on 31 March 2012. In fact, as we were leaving The Phoenix Press, Hon was already discussing with Rajendren and William about the delivery next Thursday.

A cacophony of Old Frees

What collective noun should I use to describe the Old Frees in their natural environment? A group or gang of Old Frees is too unimaginative, mundane and unexciting. And among others, I've thought about suggesting a market place, a bench and a diversity of Old Frees and concluded that nah, there's nothing really special.  But then I realised again that we are such a bunch of self-opinionated old farts whose main purpose in life is presumably to make our own noise heard above all others, especially at the annual general meetings. So maybe, a cacophony of Old Frees will best describe us! [UPDATE #1: Someone just suggested a civilisation of Old Frees. Sounds good but it is giving us too much credit. Ha ha....] [UPDATE #2: A convulsion of Old Frees?]

In the meantime, here is the first official use of a cacophony of Old Frees in this blog or anywhere else in this world. This picture was taken with William's mobile camera at yesterday's press conference at The Old Frees' Association to announce the launch of the PFS Bicentenary celebrations.

As it would seem to be the norm nowadays, I was unfortunate enough to stand out from the rest of the cacophony with my non-conformity but this was not by design. In the first place, it never occurred to me that everyone else (except for Molly, my co-editor, but then unlike the rest of us, she's a Lady!!) would want to wear the OFA tie.

(In my opinion, the present OFA tie, and for that matter the PFS tie on which it is based, is a fashion disaster. An awkward fashion statement. I have yet to see anyone wear this tie in good taste. It doesn't go well with any colour of shirt; not even against the neutral white.)

In the second place, neither the president nor the secretary had indicated that we should be dressed formally, or was this expected of us all along? In the third place, I had thought that I should be proud enough to turn up in a T-shirt that displays the OFA crest on the breast. Oh well.....

So who were we, this cacophony of Old Frees at yesterday's press conference? On their hind legs, left to right, were Zahari Zachariah (Bicentenary Committee treasurer), Lo Liang Kheng (Outdoor Games sub-committee chairman), William Tan (in charge of the layout design for the Fidelis book), myself and Molly (the two co-editors of Fidelis), Hwang Hong Shi (Sesqui Education Grant sub-committee chairman) and Billy Yeoh (OFA deputy president). On their bottoms, left to right, Ch'ng Jin Teik (OFA secretary), Ong Ban Seang (OFA vice-president), Dato' Haji Abdul Rafique bin Abdul Karim (Bicentenary Committee chairman), MS Rajendren (OFA president) and Saw Saik Mun (OFA vice-president).

Fidelis, the OFA commemorative book, part 25

D-11 days till launch. I attended a press conference at The Old Frees' Association this afternoon. The occasion was to announce the start of the Bicentenary celebrations of the Penang Free School by the chairman of the PFS Bicentenary Committee, Dato' Haji Abdul Rafique bin Abdul Karim, who incidentally is also the chairman of the school's Board of Governors. From now until 2016, Rafique will be taking charge of all matters regarding the Bicentenary celebrations.

But why are we starting the preparations from today? After all, October 2016 is still more than four years away. According to Rafique, the Penang Free School is steeped with so much history and  tradition that one year is not enough for all the celebrations. Moreover, by kickstarting the celebrations from today, the PFS Bicentenary Committee hopes to create enough public awareness, especially among the Old Frees who are not aware of the significance of 2016.

The press conference then shifted its focus onto Fidelis, the coffee table book on which my co-editor, Molly Ooi, and I have been working on since November. The mock-up copy was flashed to the reporters and the news team from RTM.

Photo by William Tan

Rafique announced that the book will be launched by the Raja of Perlis at a Gala Dinner which shall be held at the E&O Hotel on 31 Mar 2012. Apart from him, other dignitaries who are attending will be the Penang Governor (he is the honorary patron of The Old Frees' Association) and the Penang Chief Minister (he being a Trustee of the Penang Free School Trust Fund). Hopefully, we'll also have the Human Resource Minister present too.

The book is now with the printers. I've been hearing some rumours that the book may not be ready until well after the launch but the OFA president, Rajendren, said he has received an assurance from The Phoenix Press just this morning that delivery of the books will be made on schedule on 29 March. Well, the printer had better deliver or else the consequence will be totally unthinkable.

One final thought for the day. It's time to stop calling this project a "coffee table book." This is no longer a coffee table book. It is a commemorative book and it now bears an official name: "Fidelis, the Commemorative Book of The Old Frees' Association." So Fidelis it will be known from now on in this blog.

OFA coffee table book, part 24

D-15 till launch. Yet another meeting of The Old Frees' Association coffee table book project editorial team finished and done with. Today, we were going through the latest copy of the draft and sad to say, we still picked up one or two minor areas for alteration. There seems to be no end to our final tweaks.

Hon from The Phoenix Press was pleading with us not to make any more changes as time was fast running out at his end. But there can't be any compromise as we need to iron out all the minor glitches. But, we assured him, this would be the final of all final amendments.

We were also viewing the plotter copy provided by him, as well as several colour pages, including the cover itself. To me, they looked nice but according to William, some of the pictures would require some final re-touching to brighten them.

Oh yes, one other thing: we also discussed the slip box for the book. They would be an elegant addition to the book once we present it to the VVIPs. Hon suggested a solution to this slip box - I would believe he wanted a quick way out - but the OFA president, Rajendren, would have none of that. Cost was no issue, he declared, and then he spelt out all our requirements for the box. Yessiree, I think this book will turn out fine.

There's only the press conference left to handle next Tuesday and that's it! Breathing easy until the book's launch on the 31st of March.


 

OFA coffee table book, part 23

D-16 days till launch. That's the countdown for the launch of Fidelis, the commemorative book of The Old Frees' Association. People will laugh when I tell them that I had very little Internet connectivity whilst in Singapore but that was the truth of the matter.

Effectively from last Tuesday afternoon, my connection was cut off when my sister-in-law had to take back their laptop and USB modem for work. I could still have made use of the computer on Wednesday morning if I wanted to, but realised that getting ready to come back home to Penang was more important. Still, when I touched down at about six o'clock, my first telephone call was to William!

When I opened up my own computer here in Penang this morning, I found an email from the layout gang giving us in the editorial team the third proof for checking. At long last, we have settled for 208 pages, after the OFA president, Rajendren, had asked William to include, remove or rearrange various pictures.

Unfortunately, while both Rajendren and William have been busy adding captions to these pictures, they have not been consistent with the style guide. As was to be expected, there were errors strewn all over the place. Thus, I have been spending the better part of the morning going through all the pictures again as well as their captions. Twenty-five, to be exact, were discovered and they have been conveyed to the layout team for last-minute rectifications. (Twenty-six, according to Molly, who later emailed me one caption to add.)

I hope to receive the final proof back by tomorrow. Most probably by Monday, we should be able to wrap up everything with the final meeting. I'm rather anxious to look at the mock copy which the printer will provide us.

OFA coffee table book, part 22

Today is D-19 days till the launch of Fidelis, the commemorative book of The Old Frees' Association. I should be excited but I am more anxious than excited. Ylou see, I've been in incommunicado mode with the rest of the editorial team. They are in Penang whilst I am in Singapore.

I've been in Singapore since Saturday and shall not be back to Penang until Wednesday evening. My wife and I had been planning this trip for more than a year now. Ever since we were told that her brother would be buying a new HDB apartment in Singapore, we knew that we had to come visit him and bring the old folks along.

The trip had been postponed so many times because of delays to the renovation of his place but finally, word came through that he would be moving in last December. Still, the only time to arrange a trip and bring my in-laws to visit Singapore was during the Malaysian school holidays. That's how I am in Singapore right now.

But that aside, I found out on Saturday that my brother-in-law's Internet wireless connectivity is limited. There is no wireless hotspot in the apartment. I'm reduced to sharing the one modem on the laptop with so many people here. As a result, I am unable to use the ipad to connect to the Internet for my emails.

Luckily, though, I still have some mobile connections, thanks to my friend Jeff who lent me his Singapore mobile SIM card. Jeff is a wonderful guy; he has really gone out of his way to ensure that I can keep in touch with the world while in Singapore. Strange comment about Singapore but it's true... Ha ha.

So what about the coffee table book? I'm feeling rather helpless right now because there has been no text message from the layout people. In my absence, the OFA president has taken it upon himself to be in full charge of decisions. He has free rein as the OFA president, anyway, to over-ride the editorial team.

The only message I've received from him through the mobile phone is short but I've learnt enough that he has asked the layout people to do this and to do that, combine this story and that story together, remove and replace this picture and that picture. Gosh, the way events are developing, I hope to be able to recognise its altered state by the time I get home!

But despite the free rein and the alterations, I shall still have to do the very last part of the book which is to give page numbers to all the image  credits. And I jolly well can't do it without the book's layout completed. So with me here in Singapore and the book there in Penang, with no idea when I can see the final draft, it's been a very frustrating wait....

OFA coffee table book, part 21

D-22 days. I shall be glad when everything is over. Yesterday evening at about 7.30pm, I finaly received the full set of the second proof of the OFA coffee table book from the layout team. Frankly, I was not impressed with the work done. To be more frank, I was disappointed. There was no real thinking behind the job. Little creativity. Just plain "I want to finish this job as soon as I can and go home" attitude.

So for the whole of last night, I had been going through this draft, checking against the copy that I had given the layout team. At least, I'm satisfied that about 90 percent of the errors in the text have been corrected. By midnight, I had already emailed my response back to the layout team. They'll have to work on the corrections this morning.

This afternoon, there is another meeting with the layout people. Hopefully, it will be the last one. We shall need to finalise everything by today. Especially the choice of the pictures to fill the empty spaces in the book. And the captions that will go with them. Big rush. The deadline looms....