Going to the biggest Party in town

Touted as the biggest old boys alumni reunion dinner in the country the OPA is customarily held on every first Saturday of September and this year it took place on the 1^st September 2018 at the Regent Hall in Seremban. 

‘We’re applying to be inducted into the Malaysia Book of Records as the biggest Lasallian alumni in the country and that’s indisputable’ said Mr David Wee Toh Kiong, The President of Old Paulian Asociation Seremban (OPA) 

David also added that the OPA dinner was formerly held at the town hall before moving to the Royale Chulan Hotel and with the expanding capacity they are now at the Regent Hall. 

'It's the only hall that could cater up to 188 tables in the year 2017 and to date it was the highest number of tables sold’

'So what’s new with your batch this year?’ he asked and I replied ‘We’re celebrating our 30th year anniversary and we’re calling it Class of 88 Homecoming’    

‘Great to have you guys and welcome to the biggest party in town!’ yelled David.

C88 Homecoming. The origin, past, present and future. 

The Class of 1988.

The Origin.

When the doctor told my mom that she would be expecting her first child in January 1972 she was ecstatic as during that time it is believed that January child has advantages in terms of academic excellence, sports and favoritism.

But I came out 3 days short of the New Year.

She was really happy to have me as her first born and it didn't matter which month as all she wanted was a normal child.

As I was growing up she kept reminding me that I'm very lucky to be a December child but I just didn't understand why.

Until much later I came to know that she was worried that I could have developed low self-esteem or felt disadvantaged for being born just a few days short of the New Year.

I went to a co-ed primary school in Dato Klana Maamor Seremban and it was a breeze but at the first day of secondary school at St Paul’s Institution Seremban (an all boys school) I vividly remember what my mom said to me ‘Just look at the big boys and you’re so puny so if you get into a fight just run sunnyboy!’

Despite my ‘shortfall’ it never occurred to me to feel disadvantaged, not until I met the classmates of C88 and here's our story.

The Han Solo of the Skies. 

From the left Captain Nurul, Selva and Theva.

What made you apply for a pilot's job?

Selva ‘Basically it was always a dream job of mine ever since I was in lower secondary. All the trips to the airport when I use to follow my parents to send or pickup relatives/friends, viewing planes from the gallery in the old Subang Airport Terminal 1was such a fascination for me and all I wanted to do was to be a pilot one day.

And after finishing SPM when there was an Ad in the papers from Malaysia Airlines calling for applicants to join their cadet program to become new recruit pilots, I immediately applied and off course with the blessing of my parents (after some begging that is)

With a couple of dollars in hand I took the Mara Sban-KL service then somehow found my way to Putra World Trade Centre where the interviews were held.

After approximately 6 months when I was mid-way through Lower Six in SPI, I got word from MAS of being selected together with a catch of 10 others to be sent to Perth, Australia to do my training.

Theva “As much as I loved aviation in school I didn’t plan for a career as a pilot initially but growing up with a dad in the air force I was constantly surrounded by military aviation lifestyle (growing up in bases around Malaysia and changing schools regularly until my dad finally settled down by buying a house in Seremban when I was in form 2)

My dad was the one who wanted me to get a job as soon as I finished SPM as he had opted for early retirement from the air force and was working as an instructor in the Malaysian Flying Academy in Melaka in 88 and that was the same year that MAS started hiring cadet pilots again.

So he got me enrolled as a private student first at the academy in 89 before I got absorbed into the MAS cadet program on my second attempt applying to MAS. That’s how I ended up being a pilot.

Nurul ‘I always had a love for aviation, the thought of something that weighs a few hundred tons can stay afloat in the air amused me. Coming from a family of doctors, I was always expected to following suit or at least do something that had a degree. Hence I took up electronics engineering at a University but when I had the opportunity to take up flying I jumped at that and never looked back.

What was your feeling when you first earned your wings to fly?

Selva ‘It was like a dream come true’

Theva ‘I was proud of myself and grateful to the support of my batch mates. There was a lot of pressure to do well being the son of the chief instructor at the academy. Everyone expected me to have the ‘flying gene’. At that time I guess I was just grateful that I didn’t suck at it and was just relieved that I finish well in my group and not be an embarrassment to my dad. Reporting for duty in MAS in Aug 1990 was a anxiety filled day being just 19 years old and coming to such a well-established airline. I remember my first ever commercial flight was in ‘91 when I was sent to Kota Kinabalu to be based there to fly the Fokker 50. A few months later Selva ended up in KK too and we were housemates until we came back to KL in ‘92. It was great fun having him living and working together in KK’

Nurul ‘It was a very proud moment for me as I had achieved my dream; not knowing that this was only the first hurdle in many hurdles to come in becoming a full-fledged commercial pilot. As this was also the time when there were too many pilots around but way too few jobs available. I practically had to fly rubber dog shit (quote from Top Gun) before I landed my first airline job'

Do you remember your first long haul flight and what was the experience?

Selva 'My first medium haul flight was to Nagoya in 1994, 6hrs long,on the DC-10 airplane which had 3 engines, 1 on the tail and back then planes could only do hops via cities to get to a further destination

First actual long haul was on the 747 in 1997 to London, 12hrs 56mins long and it was a great experience since it was my first time flying over so many different countries, different sceneries & different weather phenomenon and of course the first time getting to go to Europe & stay there with all the expenses paid by the company’

Theva ‘My first ever flight on the wide body aircraft in MAS was on the DC10 flying to Narita (Tokyo) in 94. It was my training flight as a first officer on the DC10.

Although it was about 7 hours it was the longest trip I’ve ever made on an aircraft up to that time as I had a really good instructor and he made me feel very comfortable on that trip.

Our batch was the last group of pilots to fly the DC10 before it got phased out of MAS. From the DC10 I moved up to the 747-200 cargo aircraft, another classic plane in MAS.

They were the very first 747s MAS got and was flying as passenger aircraft until the arrival of the 747-400 as their replacement. The company then converted the old 747 to cargo planes. That was my very first trip to the US and Europe, flying to places like Anchorage, LA and San Francisco and also Amsterdam and Frankfurt’

Nurul ‘When I landed after my first long haul flight, I told myself...finally you have made it (again young and stupid...not knowing that I still had tons of hurdles to overcome) and felt like a true airline pilot that you see on TV… ha ha ha ha….'

How does it feel to be responsible for so many lives?

Selva ‘After a while you really don’t think about that as the training given before releasing a pilot is rigorous and one just need to believe in self-ability and get on with the job with the experience and ability to handle any abnormalities’

Theva ‘I guess as a First officer you don’t think too much about it as you always had the captain to turn to so that gave us a sense of security but once I became a captain in ‘99 I had to assume all that responsibilities.

We used to joke that when we were copilots we could always look to the left (as we were seated on the right side in the cockpit) when we were flying for guidance and decisions from the captain on what to do next if we have any problems or situations to deal with.

When we became captains, looking to the left, we would only see the reflection of ourselves in the cockpit side window, reminding us that we were the ones everyone was counting on to make the decisions.

I’ve always been of the opinion that if I just made sure I made the best possible decisions that got me home safely, the rest of the crew and passengers would be taken cared of as well’

Nurul ‘It's a responsible that can never be taken lightly. It is something most pilots take very seriously. Knowing that I have about 390 lives behind me expecting to see their loved ones again is something that keeps me very discipline and make me always want to better my skills and knowledge'

What is your aspiration in life?

Selva ‘To strive to be the best I can at my job, have a balanced family life and hope to stay healthy enough to continue doing what I love….flying until I retire’

Theva ‘To be the best possible version of myself and a productive part of humanity. I’ve been fortunate to have been selected as a trainer and have been a part of training many young pilots joining the airlines. 

With my kids being much older now I hope to do more charity work and contribute to society as a whole. I have a passion for training and teaching which I found out by accident and would love to continue in that line if possible’

Nurul ‘I've come to a stage in my carrier where I've worked with many companies and many different types of aviation flying and it saddens me to see where aviation is heading...it's all about the dollars and cents now. 

Decision makers are hiding behind the cloak of safety to a point they have created 1-2 generations of pilots that lack the power to think and lost the skills to fly.

Pilots have stopped being pilots and become robots. As Sullenberger put it best (he was the Captain on US Airways flight that landed on the Hudson River) so when asked about my aspiration in my aviation life; I hope to see these attitudes change’

Do you prefer landing or taking off?

Selva ‘I think almost all will say landing because it’s the most challenging part of flying especially when it’s in adverse weather conditions such as rain, wind, fog and etc.

Theva ‘I find landings more challenging and it gave me the greatest sense of accomplishment when it’s done well. A good landing is great way to end a flight for the passengers.

We have a saying among pilots that a good landing is any landing you can walk away from but passengers normally judge a pilot’s skill from the smoothness of the touchdown.

The Airbus A330 was known to be a difficult aircraft to land smoothly and it gave me the greatest pleasure whenever I managed to achieve it when I flew it over an 11 year period’

Nurul ‘Of course the landings without a doubt because it's different every time due to the multiple variables involved in any landing.

How long have you been flying and with which airline past and current.

Selva ‘I joined Malaysia Airlines in 1990 till 2016 then China Airlines 2016 till 2018 and now back in Malaysia Airlines so its 28 years in total’

Theva ‘Joined Malaysia Airlines in August 1990 until March 2008 and now with AirAsia’

Nurul ‘Been flying for 24 years with too many companies to name but now I'm with AirAsia X'

Throw 🔙 to our schooling days

What was the most memorable experience you had in school?

Selva "The extra-curricular activities such as scouting, athletics, football and also the Junior Jaycees.

It was a great way to mix and get to know all the different characters we had in school and not to mention enjoying the success we had in Seremban Barat and that's when I earned myself a nickname 'the Bison’

Theva ‘I only joined SPI in Form 2 as I've been to 6 different schools altogether and I was the most proudest of my time in SPI together with all my lifelong brothers there.

The morning assembly with the roll call of all the various achievements of the SPI students especially in sports was something I had never witnessed before.

It really made me want to strive to achieve something so that I could go up there one day and have my name call out over assembly. It never happened but it definitely pushed me to try my best.

SPI finally gave me a place to anchor my childhood and until today if anyone asks me where’s my hometown I will say Seremban because of my memories from school’

Nurul ‘My most memorable experience would be getting to know my Paulian brothers, going for school games, winning medals and the teachers that had the passion to teach wildlings like us’

What's your favorite subject and why?

Selva ‘Geography was interesting because it covered the matters and the weathers from different countries which I found to be very interesting & Physics because it was like a fun form of Mathematics’

Theva ‘I didn’t have a favorite subject but I truly hated Add Maths’

Nurul ‘Add Maths and chemistry’

Who's your favorite teacher and why?  

Selva ‘It has to be Cikgu Razak who taught us Bahasa Malaysia in Darjah 6 Utarid he was fun yet strict not to mention he was also our school football coach and had an unorthodox way of doing things but I believe it molded us the right way to be good young boys back then’

Theva ‘In Form 5 Anslem where we had SS Lim as our class teacher and we all adored her and she taught us Mathematics.

I remember when we were voted ‘The dirtiest class of the month’ (I think it was voted monthly) as punishment we had to pick up rubbish around the school and we could see the disappointment written all over SS Lim’s face as she watched us going around the school collecting trash.

So we made a vow to not ever finish at the bottom again and made a decision to paint our class as part of sprucing it up. After discussing with our teacher and getting permission from the school we bought a few cans of paint and over the weekend painted our class pink (including the ceiling fans too)

Even SS Lim joined in to paint and thankfully it didn’t turn out too bad and we came out tops the next month! And after that many more classes decided to paint their class but we were the ones that started the trend!’

Nurul ‘They were all my favorites, great and passionate and I can say I was really lucky to have them throughout my schooling years at SPI’

What advice would you give to young Paulians.

Selva ‘Be strong at heart and in the mind head.

Never give up on your dreams.

Always be respectful and kind to others.

Just be the best you possibly can.

Life has a funny way of working things out so always be patient and lots of perseverance’

Theva ‘To my fellow junior Paulians- Work hard, play harder and be thankful of your opportunities and your failures. In a world where everyone is saying ‘look at me’... do the opposite. Engage with your family, friends, community and the world. Respect all of God’s creations. Live a life that will make your family and fellow Paulians proud!’

Nurul ‘We may not have the Brothers anymore but never forget what they stood for...always make the school proud because at the end of the day when your old...all you have is the stories of your school days...don't believe...just go to the OPA dinner Ha ha ha…’

The Legal Eagles.

From the left Balbir Singh, Indran Kumaraguru, Dhanaraj and Julian Hashim (JH)

Why did you choose law?

JH: I guess it was in the blood. My grandfather was a High Court judge and at his time there were only 9 judges in the whole of Malaya. My dad’s brother was also a Supreme Court judge. We have some lawyers too but I think at the moment, I am the only one in the family that is practicing.

Balbir: My SPM results was not as good as predicted I got grade 2 and my parents sought opinions from friends and relatives for a science stream student like me as I managed to only passed all subjects. The advice given was either to take up medicine or law (which was the in thing at that time) so I decided to take up law as there were lesser subjects to study and memorize.

Indran: I didn’t choose law. It chose me. I tried accounting first but didn’t like it.

What is the area of your specialty?

JH: Mergers & acquisitions and equity capital market.

Balbir: I do mainly civil matters in cases involving personal injury or death cases.

Indran: Civil litigation and industrial law.

What was the feeling when you first got your license to practice?

JH: Don’t really remember. But I think my parents, especially my dad was quite proud that day.

Balbir: It was full of excitement as I finally told myself that I can do it and my parents were very proud, it is the first in the family to finally produce a professional (my parents were petty traders)

Indran: It felt really good but it’s just the start of a long journey.

How long have you been practicing law and with which firms (past and current)

 JH: I have been in practice for 23 years. Started out with a medium sized firm which had a bungalow in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, KL and I am now with Kadir Andri & Partners, Kuala Lumpur since August 1999.

Balbir: Been a lawyer since 2001 and that’s about 17 years.

Indran: 20 years in basically 2 firms previously at Indran Guru & Co and now with Krishna Dallumah & Indran.

What do you like most about your job? Least?

JH: I still wake up in the morning and want to get to work.

Balbir: Coming across new challenges everyday single day.

Indran: (Like) There would be something new every day (Least) that it can be sedentary with lots of deskwork.

Tell me about the hardest and most complex legal case you worked on.

JH: There have been a few where Kadir Andri has worked on many blockbuster deals; many have been the market first. The first dual listing, the first merger involving 4 listed companies to name a few.

Balbir: Currently just finished a trial which lasted a few months but decision is still pending and my opponent was very difficult to deal with and obnoxiously cunning.

Indran: Hardest case is a construction contract which was heard twice in High Court and twice in Court of Appeal and almost 11 years later it is still being battled at the Federal Court.

Name 3 of the most challenging legal issues facing our country in 5 years to come.

JH: I guess the use of technology as a tool in our practice. We will have Artificial Intelligence for certain aspects and that will be a game changer in how a legal practice will be managed and run.

Balbir: Afraid of losing my job as Artificial Intelligence might be a thing of the future and it will affect all sorts of sectors in the country. Secondly the cost of basic and necessary goods keeps on sky rocketing and thirdly that the new government of Malaysia under Tun Mahathir being toppled.

What's your biggest achievement in the legal profession?

JH: I don’t really blow my trumpet.  Hope my work speaks for itself.

Balbir: Nothing great so far but you’ll never know what lies in the future.

Indran: Winning a case which all thought unwinnable.

What motivates you in your field of work?

JH: Piecing things together and solving problems like McGyver for legal issues.

Balbir: Challenges on a daily basis.

Indran: Being my own boss motivates me.

What advice would you give to aspiring law graduates?

JH: Keep on learning no matter from whom. Be hungry but never greedy.

Balbir: Make your parents proud, the sky’s the limit and don’t feel ashamed with the results you obtained because nobody will ever remember what you obtained for SPM but what really great is the achievement and self-satisfaction of your hard labor after you have tried your best.

Indran: Do law only if you really love it otherwise it’s just a tiring job!

Flashback to the 80's

What was the most memorable experience you had in school?

JH: Hmm… don’t think it should be printed.

Indran: Most memorable experience was a punch up in the school at the Pavilion on the first day of Form 1 against the biggest gangster in school named Ronald Gan.

What's your favorite subject and why?

JH: I guess it was Chemistry. Seeing different elements (people these days) interacting with one another and producing at time interesting results.

Indran: History because Mrs Moorthy always put me to sleep during most of her classes.

Who's your favorite teacher?

JH: I loved all of them though some smelled better than others.

Indran: No favorite teacher.

And what advice would you give to young Paulians.

JH: Be proud of who you are and where you came from. Never forget your roots. Strive always to do better. Be hungry to learn, to do better but never ever be greedy.

Indran: Enjoy your schooling days it’s possibly the most carefree and fun time of your life.

Doctors in the house.

What's your field of specialty?

KSP: Ophthalmology.

Seet: No field of specialty I’m just a normal medical officer.

What led you to the area of your specialty?

KSP: I’ve always have an interest in microsurgery and Ophthalmology is one of them.

Seet: I wanted to help people especially those who could not afford and the poor so that’s why I stayed on with the government.

What steps did you take to become a Doctor in your area of specialty?

KSP: I was working in an eye clinic and I grabbed the opportunity to pursue Masters in Ophthalmology.

Seet: I did my Pre University at Karkala and then continued with my MBBS at Kasturba Medical College Manipal, India.

What does a typical day look like for you working on a patient?

KSP: Seeing outpatients & doing surgery in between.

Seet: I work in Klinik Kesihatan Nilai.  I had been posted in the outpatient department (OPD) so I will see the patients who are registered at the OPD. Sometimes I am also seeing patients at the emergency department if I am on the roster.

Could you name 3 of the most challenging aspects of your role?

KSP: 1.Getting through professional exams. 2. Midnight emergency calls 3. Examining children 😅😅

Seet: 1. Patients who are hostile. 2. Trying to convince the patient to be more proactive in my way to managing their illness and making them realize that they are not helpless. 3. Patients who believe Mr Google more.

What is your aspiration in life?

KSP: Never stop learning.

Seet: To touch lives for God.

How long have you been in practice and with which hospitals or clinics past and current?

KSP: Been in practice for 20 years as I first started as a houseman in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and now practicing in a private eye clinic in Kuching, Sarawak.

Seet: I have been working since the year 2000 started as a housemanship in Hospital Klang before moving to Hospital Kuala Pilah and was transferred to Hospital Kuala Lumpur from 2005 to 2015 and I’m now currently in Klinik Kesihatan Nilai.

What was the most unforgettable experience you had in school?

KSP: I was a part of school football and athletic team and the good times of travelling around with my buddies all over the state.

What's your favorite subject and why?

KSP: Add Maths especially in solving an equation as it was a self-achievement on its own.

Who's your favorite teacher and why?

KSP: Mrs Chang taught us Add Maths and sorry I can't remember which class but it was in Form 5 & 6.

And what advice would you give to young Paulians.

KSP: ‘I wonder if young Paulians nowadays enjoy the good times like ours but anyway life is not just good grades as one needs to be honest and face life obstacles openly.

Natural Born Entrepreneurs.

 

A street smart pharmacy owner Prabagaran Jaganathan fondly known as Prabu owed his success to his mother ‘My mother is the source of my inspiration as she was the one encouraged me to find my pathway in the pharmacy line’

Not long after finishing SPM Prabu joined Negeri pharmacy which was located next to the Ruby theatre in town and worked as a trainee.

He slowly learned the tools of the trade until the pharmacy was sold off and coupled with the experience and support from his customers, suppliers and doctors he quickly grabbed the opportunity to set up Seremban Premier Pharmacy in 1997.

And today it is one of the most reputable pharmacies in Seremban with plenty of accredited awards, recognition and followers.

Describe the challenges that you face in your industry and how do you overcome them?

‘Tough challenges in getting the government tenders because it is monopolized by certain players but now with the recent change in the new government we’re hoping for more open tenders that would level the playing field for businesses like us’

Looking into the needs of the layman ‘If you look in Seremban town there are a staggering 30 over pharmacies but how many can you find in the rural areas? It’s very less. 

People living in rural areas are forced to come to town for their medical needs and this problem needs dire attention’

The intensity of the competition.

With so many pharmacies littered all over town with it’s nearest competitor Alpro pharmacy embarking on an aggressive market expansion Prabu knew that worrying would not solve the problem.

So when Alpro planned to open near his shop he immediately had to fend off competition by claiming ‘Within a kilometer radius there cannot be two pharmacies and that’s the rule’ 

And with good business acumen Prabu applied the rule above and his competitor had no choice but to withdraw.   

Fending off the competition by keeping an eagle eye over a kilometer radius.

Do you feel being marginalized because you didn’t have the required paper qualifications?

‘Yes people tend to look down on me but I owe my success through good business relationships and an astute CSR program which led me being awarded with the Pingat A.N.S (Ahli Setia Negeri Sembilan) and to further receive a Datukship I was asked for my degree of which I don’t have so I figured that I don’t necessarily need as I am still capable of contributing back to the society’ said Prabu.

Congratulations Prabu being awarded the ANS medal and we're sure you'll get your Datukship pretty soon.  

And what advice would you give to young Paulians.

‘Education is the most important thing in life but if you cannot excel it is not the end but in fact it is the beginning of your embarkation towards a street smart education’

Believing in giving back to the society Prabu had recently financed two students to further their studies to degree level.

Stressing on the point on what he earned where a certain portion would be contributed back to the needy he quoted the phrase below.

‘When someone ask you for a favor of which you can provide please don’t say no’ Ref. Prabagaran Jaganathan , 2018.

Cerita kedai kopi 2020@Temiang.

Yeoh Boon Cheong the owner of 2020 kopitiam has plenty stories to share of his days of growing up in the tough neighborhood of Temiang.

After SPM he tried doing plenty of stuff from odd jobs to peddling hawker food and it didn’t work out until finally he did some stuff that cannot be mention here ‘Hey I grew up in the streets of Temiang so whadaya expect?’ he lamented.

Until one fine day he tot to himself he cannot continue living like this forever and when the opportunity arise in the year 1999 when the owner of 2020 food court decided to quit and he quickly seized the opportunity and never looked back since.

  

‘Not all of us excelled in our studies and I didn’t have the opportunity to continue my tertiary education so most of the time I ended up on the streets but luckily it is the community of the Temiang people that took care of me and nurtured me until today’

Out of a sudden a teenager darted pass us and Cheong said ‘Today he’s selling home cooked food from the basket he’s carrying but when he was little he would always fight behind the alley and many times ended up in the hospital or in jail. Today he’s all grown up and knows in order to make a living he needs to be hardworking and to stay out of trouble’

‘Btw did you read the China Press few weeks ago I was in the news, a kid broke into my kopitiam via a narrow gap of the ventilation grill and he only stole RM20.00 while the beers, cigarettes and other valuable stock were untouched. This really shows how desperate kids are nowadays’ he grunted.

http://www.chinapress.com.my/20180813/%E3%80%90%E4%BB%8A%E6%97%A5%E6%A3%AE%E7%BE%8E%E8%98%AD%E9%A0%AD%E6%A2%9D%E3%80%91%E9%80%9A%E9%A2%A8%E5%8F%A3%E6%BD%9B%E5%85%A5-%E7%8F%BE%E5%A0%B4%E7%95%99%E8%85%B3%E5%8D%B0-%E7%AB%A5%E5%8C%AA%E7%88%86/

‘Although it was hard growing up in a rough neighborhood but now everything is in the past and we are bracing ourselves for a better tomorrow’ he remarked.  

'I still prefer the old fashion way of keeping the books manually and if I keep a PC here it would have gone missing in 60 seconds'  he joked.

Best place for Cerita kedai kopi and on EPL Football night it's gonna be packed and it is usually open from 3pm until the wee hours of the morning. 

People from all walks of life congregate here to share their stories over a hot cup of coffee and you would be blown away with stories of how a triad boss turn over a new leaf, ex-prostitutes that were duped into the sleaze trade, former drug addicts that had gone clean for a boastful period of time, a gambler that lost his family due to his incessant habit, a drunkard who swears that he is sober as a judge whilst clutching tightly on to the bottle.

But nevertheless there are plenty of friendly people in the kopitiam and you just need to ask ‘Can I tumpang your table?’ and you’ll be guaranteed with a positive reply ‘Yes sit down and join me’

Order a cup of your favorite brew and make sure you're all ears as it is very easy to start a conversation with a stranger and you’ll never know what story the people of Temiang has to offer.

The Whatsapp group that never sleeps.

I would always remember the day our OPA committee Yam Kait Wah created the C88 Whatsapp group on the 24^th August 2013. It was a roller coaster ride together with all the brothers on board.

And here are the comments that were used to describe the group.

‘Welcome to C88 and it is like the song, Hotel California you can check-out anytime you like but you can never leave’

‘Make sure that your wife and kids don’t get hold of this chat group’

‘Welcome newbie get your power bank ready its going to be a long ride’

‘The C88 Express disarankan Whastapp chat jangan dibuka atau dibaca bila duduk bersebelahan orang rumah kang nahas pulak. Gerop chat ni juga berfungsi hampir 23 jam sehari segala hal dunia, politik, ekonomi, harga saham, harga kuih, laksa, gambar/video porn, hal bolasepak EPL dll’

Question: ‘So does this chat group have any cut off time?’

Annswer: ‘24/7 365 days and there are 3 types here. Those that contribute day in and day out or those that contribute occasionally and those that we never hear from’

‘Welcome to the craziest group ever and please be careful where you leave your phone and you’ll never know what will pop out’

‘Welcome newbie and my advice is everyday whenever you’re free. Go to gallery and start deleting stuff coz merbahaya if others read or watch them’

‘Welcome newbie hope you read the bylaws of this chat group it is only 156 pages long but I’ll summarize it for you.

1 No repeat posting.

2 Don’t get offended by anything and everything you see or hear.   

3 Don’t offend the OCDs in the chat group (I implemented this myself)

4 Repeat No. 1-3 all over again.

‘Early warning we’ve got everything and its better you mute your Whatsapp notification and best not let your wife see but most importantly life won’t be boring’

  

Question: ‘How long should I mute this C88 group?’

Answer: ‘Mute it for 100 years’

I wake up to hundreds and sometimes thousands of messages every morning and C88 alone contributed close to 30% and this is only on a weekday night and on weekends it could doubled or tripled.

C88 tops the list most of the time.

Yi Poh Loh Shee Fun姨婆老鼠粉的故事 - The untold story.

‘So who is the person you called Yi Poh?’ I asked Thong Chee Kong the owner of Yi Poh Loh Shee Fun and he answered.....

Full story:  https://signpost2indulgence.blogspot.com/2018/09/yi-poh-lou-shu-fun-untold-story.html

An Eye on Tai.

Christopher Tai from Eyecon Optometry Network emphasized a lot on contributing back to the society.

Chris believes in doing volunteer work helping school children to get better visions and you can read more about his practice in the link below.

Full story: https://signpost2indulgence.blogspot.com/2017/01/an-eye-on-tai.html

Meet the guy from Bernama and the OPA host.

Patriotic Paulian - Gerard Vincent Ratnam.

How did you get involved in broadcasting and how long you've been with Bernama?

It was tough after finishing SPM and jobs were scarce so I had to work in factories in Senawang and I also did a part time job as a DJ to supplement my income.

Eventually I knew broadcasting would be my bread and butter so I adamantly worked towards it and I’m very thankful for what I am today.

I’ve been with Bernama for 10 years now.

How long have you been hosting the OPA dinner event and how did you get the job?

I’ve been here for 7 years and the president of OPA David Wee roped me in when he spotted me doing a show on TV and btw do you want a change of host next year? Someone should succeed me and maybe he can do a better job.

How do you normally prepare the questions to ask your guests?

I do lots of research but sometimes it’s really difficult to go according to the listed questions so I just ask what spontaneously bounces off my mind.

Who’s the biggest political figure you have interviewed?

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, I interviewed him twice the first time when he stepped down in 2003 and the second time when he was gearing up for the GE-14.

Which political figure would you find difficulty in interviewing?

I would be scared to interview Rafizi because he’s very intelligent and secondly our Foreign minister Saifuddin Adbullah as he has a very good grasp on the current issues.

What is your advice to young Paulians.

First they must master the language and secondly education is hardly a denominator of how far a person can succeed in life. It is the will power and the hunger for success that would get you to your destination.

A Paulian interviewing a Paulian.

Gerard  with the newly appointed Minister of Transport Mr Anthony Loke Siew Fook.  

A very special Thank You to our host of the night. 

p.s. I am very angry at Gerard because he didn't draw my ticket number. Demit. 

The special guest. 

Half way into the event suddenly a lone figure walked into the hall and it took the guests a fraction of a millisecond to scream ‘The Minister of Transport is in da house!’ 

Thus sending everyone into a Selfie frenzy mode with the guest of honor.    

Thank you YB for sparing so much time to have selfie taken with so many of us. 

The crowd went wild when Loke said ‘I would like to announce that I will be donating RM10,000.00 from my parliamentary allocation to OPA’ 

And on the behalf of the school Thank You YB for your generosity. 

He also hinted that next year he'll be celebrating his 25th Anniversary with the class of 1994 and they'll be back with a bang! 

The demurely elegant YB Nicole Tan Lee Koon at the VIP table and Thank you YB for gracing the event.  

It is a tradition every year for those celebrating their 50th Anniversary to go on stage and this year it's The class of 1968.

And same goes for Class of 1993 celebrating their 25th anniversary.

‘St Paul’s Institution has produced plenty of talents and it is time that we contribute back to the school and I’m part of class of 1994 and we’ll be celebrating our 25^th anniversary next year so we’re thinking of starting a project to give back to the school and hope this would set a tradition for the rest to follow’

'What advice would you give to young Paulians'

‘Young Paulians must always keep the school tradition alive and always have pride in whatever you do; it’s a trait that’s been inculcated in us so go and make us proud’

Loke together with Nicole officiating the customized car contributed by the Class of 1993 to the school. 
Video courtesy of Thynalan Mohan Das.

Dear Mr Loke Siew Fook we may find it hard to say this without sounding condescending but ‘We're really proud of you’

'From the bottom of our hearts Thank You teacher for your guidance, dedication and patience throughout our schooling years'  From The Class of 1993. 

The Yellow Van.

How many of you noticed this van? It is always parked on the side of the hall and when we saw the number plate we immediately placed bets on Toto, Magnum & Kuda but we manage to hit nothing so far however we know one day we will definitely hit the jackpot as the saying goes 'Paulians Never Give Up'     

Finally all good things must come to an end and the SPI 3rd's Own King Scouts bidding everyone 'Goodbye and See you again next year' and their act must have startled this little girl as she must be wondering 'Everybody has already gone back and why are they standing on the chairs and waving like madmen?'  

The Class photo of 5 Casimir with Puan Norliah in 1988.