Anything Goes

End of an era

2013-05-17T15:51:00.004+08:00

First David Gill leaves, then Alex Ferguson retires, Paul Scholes quitting and now, David Beckham hangs up his old shoes...

Vanishing sight, vanishing point

2013-05-16T13:50:00.003+08:00

Yes, there are still breath-taking padi fields in some parts of Penang, although they are far from expanding. This - an almost 180 degrees picture - scenery was taken in northern Province Wellesley just last week. Will this plush expanse of green still be around 10 years from now? Or will the farmers sell out and resign themselves to the inevitable encroachment of concrete development?

Your friendly neighbourhood taxmen cometh

2013-05-15T16:37:00.003+08:00

I had heard yesterday that a group of people from the Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri descended on Penang to conduct a spot check or survey on businesses operating in the Church Street area of George Town. I didn't pay much attention to this piece of news.

Then today when I was at an economy rice shop in Bukit Mertajam, I overheard people saying that there were several taxmen that had made spot checks on the small-time traders and merchants around the Kampung Baru market.

So maybe yesterday's news was true after all. Yesterday on the island, today on the mainland.

Immediately after that as I was driving through the Jalan Maju commercial area to the bank, I had a jolt when I came face to face with a bus and a van that bore the LDHN markings.

Some seven or eight people were pouring out of the bus as I whizzed pass, many of them carrying a bag slung over their shoulders. A few wore vests with the unmistakeable HASIL name on their backs.

As I was parking the car, I noticed this lady standing outside a shop and asking to enter. I doubt she was much interested in the collagen products that they were selling.

I noticed too this guy taking details of the shops along the road. I wonder whether any of them wandered into the bank further up? Nahh, they wouldn't be interested to befriend this big giant of an establishment. Or would they? I don't know. Perhaps one day, I'll just go and ask the bank manager.

DAP appreciation dinner

2013-05-15T09:46:00.000+08:00

This was the huge crowd of about 400 people at last night's appreciation dinner at the Penang Chinese Town Hall which the Democratic Action Party had held for their members and people who had volunteered their services to the political party at the General Elections 10 days ago. It wasn't as formal as the one two nights ago for the Air Putih volunteers but definitely, it was more animated.

Mind you, this was an appreciation in kind in lieu of services volunteered. Nobody gave out any angpow. Nobody gave out any redeemable lucky draw ticket. No money, ever, changed hands from party to people or from people to people. No cash payment at all. Everything was above board. Just like to make it clear, as I saw it.

Of course, Lim Guan Eng spoke at the function. It's totally obligatory. Who else would you expect to speak at such a function if not for the party's secretary-general who so happens to be the Chief Minister of Penang as well?

He spoke of three significant classes of people who contributed to the success of the Pakatan Rakyat during the general elections:

In the first instance, he acknowledged the role of the first-time voters. Many had come back to Penang from working in the other states of the country while some had even chosen to return from overseas just to exercise their constitutional right. With touch-in-cheek, he termed them as virgin voters.
Secondly, he was much gratified to observe that the youth in our country have finally come out to fight for their own future. They have a voice and they have a mind of their own, and they have chosen to make themselves heard,
And finally, he paid an immeasurable tribute to the women of all races, both young and old, who had joined the queue to make their votes count.

Later, LGE weaved around slowly from table to table to greet all the diners. Needless to say, everybody wanted a group photograph to be taken with him and Chow Kon Yeow, and that delayed his momentous stop at our table. But eventually, they did finish making their rounds.

But was there any respite for them and some of the other Members of Parliament who were around too: people like Jeff Ooi and Lim Wei Aik? You'd be rather silly if you think there was. Immediate after his walkabout and group photograph, he was waylaid by people all clamouring for his autograph. Rock(et) star treatment for this man, indeed. Such adulation, I haven't seen in a politician before.

By the way, during Chow Kon Yeow's pre-dinner speech, he was mentioning that the sales of merchandise - including T-shirts, vests, caps, badges, banners and stickers, Ubah toys and books - at the DAP Penang headquarters in Rangoon Road during the crucial weeks leading up to the general elections went far beyond their expectations.

The above picture does not do enough justice to my comments above as I took it about 10 days before the general elections but the crowd swelled up significantly as the date drew closer. Anyway from the sale of the merchandise, I heard from inside sources that more than RM1 million was collected at the DAP Penang headquarters alone, what more from the other DAP branches across the state? This amount excluded the moneys donated by the people of Penang at the political ceramahs during the campaign period. I did heard a figure mentioned as well but sorry lah, you'll have to excuse me. I can't remember everything I heard at my table.

Steel rod street art at Che Em Lane, George Town

2013-05-14T08:32:00.000+08:00

I had a bit of extra time on my hands last Sunday as I headed down to the E&O Hotel and decided to stop at the junction of Beach Street and China Street Ghaut. For some time, I had wanted - very curious, actually - to see what the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) had cooked up for the wall art at our Quah Kongsi building at the corner with Che Em Lane.

Trouble was, you see, after we had given the MPPP the go-ahead to use the wall for one of their their steel rod sculptures in January, we had not heard back from them. We did not know whether the MPPP would go ahead with their plans or abandon this particular one, the reason being we had responded a little late to their request. And so, this was the first opportunity for me to visit that part of Beach Street and see what had developed since giving MPPP the permission.

My opinion of this type of street art sculpture? Personally, I would prefer the Zacharevic wall drawings over these steel rod sculptures. The former were more realistic and less confusing, though also less permanent. But for this particular design on our wall, well, it looks okay, lah.... Anything to play our part in promoting the cultural heritage of our old city of George Town.

Oh, by the way, I felt that the cemented wall imparted a real character to the sculpture as well.

Air Putih appreciation dinner

2013-05-13T11:13:00.000+08:00

Some pictures from the appreciation dinner which the DAP Air Putih had given to their volunteers who gave their time at the recent General Elections on 6 May 2013. I was thrown into the melee of the GE13 when I became a polling and counting agent (PACA) at the Kong Min School in Ayer Itam. Memorable experience that came with witnessing a bonus scuffle, which unlike the infamous ink was really indelible.

Met up with an old friend of some 20 years (Has it been that long, Jeffrey?) and made some new ones along the way. Willy nilly, we were all caught up in it together that afternoon and night at the Kong Min School.

A bookmark in football history

2013-05-12T23:32:00.000+08:00

Just a few memorable pictures from the team's final home game under Alex Ferguson.

Black 511 @ Batu Kawan Stadium

2013-05-11T23:59:00.000+08:00

So this was the 80,000-strong crowd at the Batu Kawan Stadium in Province Wellesley, Penang on 11 May 2013. Speakers included Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng and Mat Sabu.

Penang exco line-up: Then and now (2013 version)

2013-05-10T16:49:00.001+08:00

Since I did a comparison in 2008, it will be very pertinent if I were to make it again in 2013. So here goes, I present the Penang state exco 2.0 and compare it with the initial line-up announced five years ago.

2013 Government:

Lim Guan Eng - Land Matters & Land Development, Information, Heritage & Non-Islamic Religious Affairs
Email: limguaneng@penang.gov.my
Mohd Rashid bin Hasnon - Industrial Development & International Trade, Co-operatives & Community Relations, Entrepreneur Development
Email:
Dr Ramasamy a/l Palanisamy - State Economic Planning, Education & Human Resources, Science, Technology & Innovation
Email: ramasamy@penang.gov.my
Chow Kon Yeow - Local Government, Traffic Management, Flood Mitigation
Email: chowkonyeow@penang.gov.my
Abdul Malik bin Abdul Kassim - Religious Affairs, Domestic Trade, Consumer Affairs
Email: abdmalik@penang.gov.my
Chong Eng - Youth & Sports, Women, Family & Community Development, Arts
Email:
Lim Hock Seng - Works, Utilities (energy, Water & Telecommunication), Transport (Air, Sea & Train)
Email: limhockseng@penang.gov.my
Danny Law Heng Kiang - Tourism Development, Culture
Email: lawhengkiang@penang.gov.my
Phee Boon Poh - Welfare, Caring Society, Environment
Email: pheeboonpoh@penang.gov.my
Jagdeep Singh Deo a/l Karpal Singh - Town & Country Planning, Housing
Email:
Dr Afif bin Bahardin - Agriculture & Agro-based Industry, Rural Development, Health
Email:

2008 Government:

Lim Guan Eng - Industrial Development and International Trade, Land Affairs and Land Development Committee
Email: limguaneng@penang.gov.my
Mansor bin Othman (replaced Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin) - Religious Affairs, Entrepreneurial and Co-operative Development and Information and Community Relations Committee
Email: mfairus@penang.gov.my
Dr Ramasamy - State Economic Planning, Education and Human Resources, and Science, Technology and Innovation Committee
Email: ramasamy@penang.gov.my
Chow Kon Yeow - Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee
Email: chowkonyeow@penang.gov.my
Lim Hock Seng - Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee
Email: limhockseng@penang.gov.my
Danny Law Heng Kiang - Tourism Development and Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee
Email: lawhengkiang@penang.gov.my
Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim - Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee
Email: abdmalik@penang.gov.my
Phee Boon Poh - Health and Welfare and Caring Society Committee
Email: pheeboonpoh@penang.gov.my
Wong Hon Wai - Town and Country Planning and Housing Committee
Email: wonghonwai@penang.gov.my
Law Choo Kiang - Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Rural Development and Flood Mitigation Committee
Email: lawchookiang@penang.gov.my
Lydia Ong Kok Fooi - Youth and Sports and Women, Family and Community Development Committee
Email: ongkokfooi@penang.gov.my

Red replacement

2013-05-10T16:09:00.000+08:00

Yes, this is David Moyes in 1982.

Black 505

2013-05-10T15:39:00.002+08:00

Below was the scene at the Black 505 rally at the Kelana Jaya Stadium on Wednesday, 8 May 2013. I hope when the Pakatan Rakyat holds the rally at the Batu Kawan Stadium in Penang tomorrow, 11 May 2013, it will be equally filled up.

Gaffer goes!

2013-05-08T23:45:00.000+08:00

Thank you, Alex Ferguson, for 26+ wonderful years at Manchester United.

Second term for Guan Eng

2013-05-07T15:02:00.000+08:00

At Sri Mutiara this morning, the swearing in of Lim Guan Eng as the Chief Minister of Penang for the second term.

GE13: Commotion at Ayer Itam Road

2013-05-06T18:22:00.003+08:00

What a day I've had! Yesterday morning saw me going to Taman Siakap in Seberang Jaya to cast my vote in the General Elections. As usual, the roads leading to the polling station, a primary school that my children had attended when we were still staying in this town, were jampacked with people and vehicles.

I only managed to park the car some distance away, squeezed between two other vehicles,and then walked pass the makeshift stalls that were set up by the supporters of the two main political parties, the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the Parti Keadilan Malaysia (PKR). I didn't pay much attention to their last-minute attempts at canvassing for votes and proceeded directly towards the school.

At the gate, I was given directions to my voting lane but there, a mild shock awaited me. A queue of about 50 voters were already there waiting in line. Luckily, a cool breeze blew throughout my long wait till the front of the queue. Possibly waited about 50 minutes or so but the time passed by quickly enough. Friendly faces around who were all too willing to strike up a conversation with me.

Then it was my turn to enter the classroom. The polling clerks asked for my identification and then covered my left forefinger with their supposedly "indelible ink" which washed off later with soap and water. Then was issued with two folded slips of ballot paper and directed to the polling booth.

I took a look at the two pieces of paper. The only name that I could recognise was that of the parliamentary candidate for Permatang Pauh: Anwar Ibrahim. I have to admit that the other candidates were all aliens to me. In fact, when it came to marking my ballot slips, I had to make doubly sure that I was selecting the PKR symbol.

Voting over, I made my way to the island where, for the very first time, I was scheduled to volunteer my services as a polling and counting agent for the Democratic Action Party (DAP). My destination, the Kong Min school beside the roundabout at Ayer Itam, was one of four or five polling and counting centres for the Air Putih state constituency.

As I made a slow drive towards the roundabout, traffic was already heavy. I was wondering where to park when suddenly, I noticed an empty parking space on the opposite side of the road. Instinct made me mmediately swing my car round the roundabout and park there. As it turned out, it was a very good decision as the road from the roundabout towards the Ayer Itam village soon became the scene for dramatic vocal exchanges between groups of people supporting rival political parties.

At first, I had put all the noise down to rowdiness and people who were simply enjoying the carnival-like air of a general election. Air horns were blaring and shouts of "Ubah" were heard regularly. Then almost without warning, a group of young Chinese motorcyclists - obviously, these were the paid BN mercenaries - dressed in blue tees made their way down from Ayer Itam. As they rode past, they were jeered good humouredly by the DAP supporters. What would you expect? The moment ended but my fellow DAP volunteers who had gathered within the school compound knew that they would soon return.

True enough, around two o'clock or so, we again heard a commotion outside the school. Further up the road, a group in blue tees had gathered. The leader among them, a bulky Mamak gorilla with a permanent scowl on his mug led his Chinese machai riders right into the DAP supporters.

They were booed and jeered at the face-off. There were lots of tension when this happened. Though I had a vantage point from within the school compound, unfortunately I couldn't see much as my view was generally blocked by people.

Suddenly, the blue mob turned around and the two groups of people began jostling one another. Amid pleas to stop from spectators on the road, plastic chairs and motorcycle helmets became projectiles. Sticks were suddenly being used to attack and whack people.

What made this incident into a farce was the attitude of the traffic policemen on duty. I know that they were supposed to deal with the traffic but to turn their back to the commotion which was just feet away and ignore it? Was traffic more important to them or stopping fights? A policeman is still a policeman, no matter what's his assigned duties, right? And it was several seconds later that a group of blue-clothes policemen donned their vests and rushed over to investigate the incident, by which time everything was over. Huh!

In my opinion, the provocation was all done by this mob of BN hooligans led by this Mamak gorilla. He was the instigator. Somewhere in the video below, you can see him gesticulating and waving his hand to urge his people onwards. If that is not provocation, I don't know what is. Anyway, here is the video of the incident. You can make your own conclusion.

How much will our votes matter at the end of today?

2013-05-05T07:03:00.000+08:00

Today is an important day for everyone in my family. We are going to the polls to choose a better Malaysia not only for ourselves but for all Malaysians of all ages, race and religion.

I shall be going to Seberang Jaya in a few hours' time to cast my vote in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency while my wife will be joined by my daughter and son to vote in the Bukit Mertajam constituency. I have full confidence that they will do right with their choices.

This shall be the first time that my two children are able to exercise their constitutional rights. They are pretty excited over it. My daughter, while working in Kuala Lumpur, arrived home yesterday. My son returned from the island.

Yesterday, we were a complete family unit again and we sat down to dinner discussing the political process. We haven't done that before, imagine that!

Also yesterday, I bumped into a neighbour. He used to run a sundry shop amidst a Malay-populated area along Jalan Permatang Pauh - that's multi-culturalism for you - but gave up the business several years ago as he was getting old and no one among his children wanted to follow his footsteps. He asked me whom I was going to vote for. "Anwar Ibrahim," I answered unhesitatingly. "Me too," he told me. We looked at one another and laughed. There was an irony. Although we now stay in Bukit Mertajam, we did not want to change our voting centre from Permatang Pauh. We wanted to be a part of the history in this constituency.

My neighbour mused to me. He told me that he had been a party member of the Malaysian Chinese Association since 1969. Until 2004, he had been voting for the Barisan Nasional party. But after the injustices suffered by Anwar Ibrahim, my neighbour had been voting for the opposition since then. He told me that suddenly, he saw for himself all the excesses and hypocrisy of the ruling political party.

As for me, I do not remember the first time that I was able to vote. I registered myself late and so I think it was only in the 1980s that I began voting. Perhaps in the past too, I had been politically naive and just didn't care who won in my constituency. Sometimes, I just thought that all the candidates in my area were useless.

In fact, what I remember vividly was that in 1995, it was on purpose that I had spoilt my vote because I couldn't bring myself to vote for Anwar Ibrahim (at that time, he was still in the Barisan government) or his PAS opponent. But ever since that same year, 2004, it had been Anwar Ibrahim or his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, all the way.

Tomorrow's the day!

2013-05-04T09:35:00.000+08:00

Does Penang need the free port status?

2013-05-02T13:44:00.000+08:00

I was greatly puzzled when first Teng Chang Yeow and then Najib Razak promised to return the free port status to Penang. Were they kidding? Ever since this status was removed from the island in the 1970s, time has moved on. With so much development in Penang, do we still need this status to survive? Okay, I understand that in the past, Penang island was mainly an entrepot. If you don't know what this French word means, just look it up in any dictionary. But basically, it means a centre where goods are received for distribution, transshipment and repackaging without incurring any Customs import or export duty.

It worked well in Penang prior to the 1970s. The whole of Penang island was a duty free area, but not Province Wellesley on the mainland. Movement of goods was very well monitored because there was only one link - the ferry services - between the island and mainland. Of course, it did not mean that nobody attempted to smuggle duty-free goods across because they did, and were generally caught. But as a whole, the Customs checkpoints at the Butterworth end of the ferry services were quite efficient.

I do remember the few occasions when I had to cross over from the island to the mainland. At that time, I was still staying on the island and going to the mainland generally meant to catch an inter-state bus or a train down to Kuala Lumpur. There were two ferry services: one connecting directly to the Malayan Railway station and the other connecting to the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal. The ferry that connected to the SAH terminal was served by the ferries that existed until today (although the old ones have been replaced.)

No matter, whenever passengers alit from the ferries, they would be required to pass through rows of Customs staff who would open their bags and luggage to check for duty-free goods. Similarly, people that had crossed by cars were herded into lanes and asked to declare their goods. (We still see this today when passengers and cars cross over from Singapore to Johore Bahru.)

Generally it worked very well because there were only two crossing points. It took the ferries about 20 to 25 minutes to travel one way across the channel and this was more than sufficient time for the Customs to complete checking all the passengers and cars.

But Penang has moved on since the free port status was removed. We have become industrialised and there is now a Penang Bridge that facilitates quick travel between the island and the mainland. Pretty soon, there will be two Penang Bridges and in the longer term, an undersea tunnel as well.

I dread to think how the Customs will implement their checks if the free port status is returned to the island. Okay, the situation at the ferry terminal - there's only one now, unfortunately - will still be manageable but I don't see how Customs can work out the logistics nightmare at the mainland end of the Penang bridges and tunnels.

Will cars, buses, lorries and trailers be stopped for hours in order to enable a complete Customs check? Or will Customs close an eye, generally allow the vehicles through and only perform random checks? If so, that is a dereliction of duty by allowing duty-free goods to be openly smuggled across a free port boundary. Imagine the loss of revenue to the country.

And another thing: if this free port status is confined to only the island, I shall be among the first ones to protest this discriminatory implementation. Isn't the mainland not considered part and parcel of the state of Penang?

I would demand that Teng Chang Yeow and Najib Razak make the whole of Penang - regardless of island or mainland - into a free port. To order to provide equitable treatment to all the people in Penang, I would demand that these two fellas then shift whatever Customs checkpoints to the borders into the state wherever there is an access point ... along the north-south expressway, the federal highway, the Butteworth-Kulim highway and all the secondary roads that connect Province Wellesley to Kedah and Perak. Nothing less than this will satisfy me or else it will show up their chauvinism and insincerity.

Unless they are prepared to do that, please lah, don't make stupid promises to the people of Penang. We were actually very disappointed with the federal government when our free port status was removed but we moved on. We moved on to succeed despite all the odds against us. Now just because they are shaking in their boots and underwear with the General Elections round the corner, they are promising returning the free port status to us if they win back Penang. We see through you. Go bugger off, okay?

Pakatan Rakyat rally

2013-04-30T14:42:00.002+08:00

For the record, last night's mammoth Pakatan Rakyat ceramah at the Han Chiang High School grounds attracted some 70,000 people, all standing in the rain for five hours. Like Lim Guan Eng said, there was no free food, no free drinks, no free angpows at the ceramah but only free (rain) water for everybody. And yet, people came from far and near to listen and to support.

Sad to say though, I could only be there in spirit. I don't want to give any excuses for my physical absence but I'll willingly share the reason in private with anyone that cares to know. But thanks to Ubah.tv, I managed to catch some of the speeches. I did get to watch Anwar Ibrahim, Gobind Deo, Ong Kok Fooi, Chong Eng, Karpal Singh and Lim Guan Eng speak. The only frustration was that Ubah.tv's transmission terminated before Lim Kit Siang appeared.

I would like to congratulate the courageous folks out there that had braved the weather and the traffic jam, and who had readily donated some RM236,000 towards Pakatan Rakyat's general elections war chest. Such was the traffic congestion that I also heard some people arrived home past one o'clock in the morning.

My old mathematics teacher

2013-04-30T11:49:00.001+08:00

Bumped into an old teacher of the Penang Free School. Haven't seen her for ages. She taught me mathematics in Form Three. Problem was, my mathematics wasn't the best in the world. It wasn't even of average standard. Fact was, at that time, my mathematics was on very shaky grounds.

I remember after one of the monthly tests, I received very appalling results and there were a handful of us in the class that were singled out for our, erm, outstanding results. When it came to me, she just turned around and looked at me with her eyes wide open. Then, very slowly and dramatically, she mouthed out my precious marks. I can still remember it. And still see it in my mind's eye. "Twenty five," she said voicelessly. Boy, the silence was so very deafening. You can just imagine my discomfiture. What could I do in response but to stick out my tongue?

I am unsure how this result affected me later on but to my credit, I did receive an A for my mathematics paper in the Lower Certificate of Examination (LCE). Maybe I was lucky and ting-tong-tiang'ed correctly in the objective test papers.

I didn't meet her again for several years. Then in the 1990s when I somehow got mixed in with The Old Frees' Association - I was in the management committee for three or four years - she was already involved as the Sesqui-centenary Loan Sub-committee chairman.

Eh? I didn't introduce her to you? Sorry, folks, please meet Ms Tye Chwee Hoon.

Blue Penang

2013-04-29T11:18:00.000+08:00

I had a reason to go out to the island last Friday: to go search for a particular pharmacy along Campbell Street that sold a certain brand of Chinese embrocation oil for my aunt. Finally found the pharmacy but it was a rather long walk from Kimberley Street where I had to park the car. Whilst walking back to collect the car, I detoured into Rope Walk and was quite astonished to see the length of the road decked out with banners and flags.

On Sunday, I happened to go out to the island again to attend the annual general meeting of The Old Frees' Association. My homeward drive took me through the heritage zone of George Town and this time, I was truly appalled by the desecration of common property.

This was Kimberley Street on Sunday. Almost overnight, the flags and banners had appeared along the whole length of the road.

This was Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong. As I drove down the road, I confronted this wall of blue flags outside the old Prangin Road market.

Even the street art in the city were not spared. Flags were shoved inbetween the metal railings without a care whether they would affect the artwork.

Now, if these idiots do not appreciate our street art, how can they even appreciate the UNESCO world cultural heritage status that took George Town so long to obtain. How can we ever trust them to uphold our cultural heritage? Do you want to trust them to build the monorail line in George Town at the risk of our beloved city losing its UNESCO status? The Barisan Nasional party makes mockery out of all of us. With every promise, they mock us every step of the way.

Mind you, these are not supposed to be political flags if the words of the caretaker Prime Minister in 2010 were to be believed. But does the corrupt Barisan Nasional regime care nowadays? They continue to indulge in money politics, more so during this General Elections campaigning period.

How much money has been thrown away to provide free food, free lucky draws, free entertainment to the people in Penang. How much money has been siphoned off too by the people who were contracted to provide these free. How much money goes into their personal pockets? How much?

I continue to see the corruption everywhere, and in blanketing the island and the mainland in swathes of blue, it has become a BIG turn-off. If those jokers had hoped to be able to sway the minds of every right-thinking Malaysian that free food and free entertainment can buy their political party support at the polling station, they better have another think coming!

PACA for GE13

2013-04-28T07:25:00.000+08:00

Come this Sunday week, 5 May 2013, I'll be doing something which I have never done before and that is, to be a polling and counting agent for a political party. How this came about is actually a long story but to cut this long story short, yes, I did agree to volunteer my services at a friend's request.

Previously, a very, very long time ago when I was still staying in Ayer Itam on the island, my father and I had worked as counting clerks. I think it must have been 1982. Or was it 1978? Can't remember exactly.

I also don't remember where we went to but all I remember of the occasion was that we spent the whole night at the counting centre until the wee hours of the morning waiting for the arrival of the ballot boxes, then the unfolding of the ballot papers, flattening them out, getting them scrutinised by the counting agents that represented the political parties, separating them into as many heaps as there were candidates, then starting the counting process as if we were counting currency notes.

It helped that I was already working in a bank then. The experience counting other people's money must have certainly come in useful. People were impressed with our efficiency. My father and I swiftly breezed through the pile of ballot papers with a lot of confidence. There weren't any hitch.

This time however, I shall be on the other side of the counting process. This time, I shall be scrutinising the counting clerks and ensuring that the interests of the political party I'm representing are looked after. People tell me that it is all very easy but I don't believe it. It is going to be a daunting task. There is a lot of responsibility involved. All I can say to my friend is that I shall try my best. Wish me luck!

An early Led Zeppelin mini concert

2013-04-27T10:05:00.001+08:00

People who know me well will realise that I'm a self-confessed fan of Led Zeppelin. Have been since 1969 or 1970. Back then, the Radio RAAF Butterworth was blaring out Whole Lotta Love a whole lotta times over the airwaves. I was so taken by the music that I saved up every dollar I could have until there was enough for me to buy not their better-known second album but the first, a bluesy kind of heavy rock music.

Recently, I learnt from this website, Guitar World, that there was some vintage, high-quality video from a 17 March 1969 Led Zeppelin television appearance in Gladsaxe, Denmark on surfaced on the Internet. The band — Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham — played four tracks from this first album. The videos are available on YouTube but I'm copying the links here so that I can enjoy them one by one in any sequence I want:

First off, this is Communication Breakdown. What a delightful way to start off the mini-studio concert.

Dazed And Confused. Not for the first time, though, that Page puts a bow to his guitar strings to draw out the magical notes. And Plant wailing away in unison. Ooh!

Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You. Plant in full flow again as he rend out a lot of emotion in this song. A fabulous effort.

And finally, How Many More Times closed out the four-song mini-studio concert. How lucky could those guys be, getting the chance to sit down before the nascent legends of rock music.

PFS 1816-2016

2013-04-26T17:08:00.000+08:00

As my alma mater, the Penang Free School, gears up towards celebrating its bicentenary or 200th anniversary in October 2016, I see that this sign has been erected to the right of the archway at the entrance into the school.

Oh Seng Pin

2013-04-25T13:45:00.002+08:00

Initially, I had thought of calling this post as "Oh Cheng Chan, part 3" as it followed naturally from my previous write-up on my great-great-grandfather but as this newspaper's clipping (The Straits Times of 18 July 1898) was a report on Oh Seng Pin himself, I think that I should name this post accordingly.

As can already be gathered from the intro paragraph, Oh Seng Pin was my great-grandfather. Actually, I wouldn't have known his name or that of my great-great-grandfather if not for information sent to me by one of my Oh cousins in the Klang Valley.

The National Library in Singapore filled in a vital blank when I searched through their online archives and managed to extract these short newspaper reports about my two ancestors. But as they were not exactly that prominent pillars of society in those days too, this is unfortunately all that I can uncover about their past in 19th century Penang.

In all likelihood, The Straits Times report was a reproduction from a Pinang Gazette story which read:

"We have to record the death, yesterday (14th) of On Seng Pin, a son of the late On Cheng Chan, a wealthy Chinese gentleman who, it will be remembered, was attacked by gang-robbers at "Belle Vue" last year, and died on the 14th of July. It is noted as a strange coincidence that his son, after only a day's illness, died on the same date. The news of his death came as a surprise on the Chinese community. The young man, who was 29 years old, only recently obtained letters of administration to his father's estate, and on Friday last received a cheque of upwards of $110,000, being his father's share in the late Singapore Opium and Spirit Farm."

The name of Singapore Opium and Spirit Farm featured very prominently in Penang's history. Many well-to-do people in Penang had investments in this lucrative business. I had heard that the business was owned by Cheah Chen Eok himself (the person who built the 60-foot Queen Victoria memorial clock tower in George Town and who owned, among many other properties on Penang island, the "Belle Vue" mansion in Western Road from which my great-great-grandfather had injured himself seriously) who later divested himself of all his shares in this Singapore Opium and Spirit Farm.

Without putting too much effort into starting conspiracy theories and the like, when I first read this news clipping, I was wondering how a healthy 29-year-old man, just five days after collecting a cheque of $100,000, could fall ill suddenly and succumbed within a day.

Strange coincidence, according to the news story, but was there more to it that met the eye? Perhaps the newspaper (Pinang Gazette) knew more at that time but they were not saying anything at all. And we, the descendents of Oh Seng Pin, are left not knowing the answer.

Oh yes, I managed to uncover one more news clipping dated 18 Sep 1908 in which Oh Seng Pin's name was mentioned:

"The marriage of Mr Ong Huck Khye, a nephew of Mr Ong Hun Chong, tin and pepper merchant, of Chop Ban Tin Lam, Penang, and Mr Ong Hun Siew, rice merchant of Chop Tin Seang, and a younger brother of Mr Ong Huck See, Penang, and Miss Oh Leang Cheen, the only daughter of the late Mr Oh Seng Pin, and the grand-daughter of the late Mr Oh Cheng Chan, of Chop Cheng Chan and Company, Penang, took place on Monday at Penang."

The above report may not be exactly correct because according to the family tree which my cousin was attempting to draw up, Oh Seng Pin had another daughter named Oh Liang Siok. Before he died, my great-grandfather also had two sons in Oh Joo Siew and Oh Joo Hock. Oh Joo Siew was my grandfather.

Election excitement

2013-04-24T09:11:00.000+08:00

You know that excitement over the whole General elections thing is escalating wildly when people that you hardly converse with start talking to you about politics.

For example, while I was at the vegetable seller's stall at the Kampung Baru wet market in Bukit Mertajam last Sunday, the proprietor suddenly opened his mouth to tell me that there would be a Pakatan Rakyat ceramah (political talk) at the market's car park that same night.

Okay, so I do know this chap. He sees me every time I go to the market with my aged aunt - only nowadays, it is me that goes alone because she now walks with much difficulty - and we hardly say anything to one another. I would pass the vegetables to him and he would tell me how much they cost.

But not that Sunday morning. Like two guys in a conspiracy, he lowered his voice and told me to "come round tonight" to the ceramah. "Okay," I whispered back, "I'll be here."

So when eight o'clock came around, I left the house. A brisk 15-minute walk took me to the market. the public address system was already cranked up loud. I could here someone talk long before I reached the car park.

Already, there were lots of people standing around. Or sitting around the perimeter of the market. And all eyes were watching the speakers. One after another, the Pakatan Rakyat candidates were introduced to the people and they went on and on to talk about themselves, what they stood for and the excesses of the previous Barisan Nasional federal government.

I looked around. The crowd were enthralled, drinking in every syllable from the speakers. But I must admit that their words were mostly lost on me. Couldn't understand, see. For not the first time in my life, I regretted not knowing Mandarin. But around me, people were listening intently.

Despite my handicap, I was greatly surprised to find myself staying on for so long at the ceramah. Ordinarily, I would have left long ago, but not that night. Sorry, but I have no reasonable explanation for this. Perhaps, like the vegetable seller, I too had been caught up in the whole excitement of the General Election. Can't wait to cast my vote.

P.S. By my guestimate, there must have been around two to three thousand people gathered at the ceramah by the time I decided to make my way home.Now the question remains: since I can't catch a word of what they are saying, should I continue to attend these political talks??