Eggs-traordinary’ lesson for kindy kids

GEORGE TOWN: A group of pre-schoolers squealed excitedly when an egg seemed to magically “stand” on its end.

The Learning Garden Kindergarten kids were conducting an experiment to see if it was true that the strange phenomenon could only occur during the Chinese Bak Chang Festival.

The festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, usually coincides with the summer solstice. It is also the longest day of the year.

Six-year-old Lois Tolley said she was surprised to see the egg “stand” and would try it at home.

Kindergarten director Chow Chee Keong said the egg experiment was organised to expose children to local culture and astronomy.

“This egg experiment was held to celebrate the Bak Chang Festival but we also explained the reason behind the phenomenon,” said Chow, who is also the Penang Pre-school Association president.

Universiti Sains Malaysia Astronomy Club academic advisor Dr Chong Hon Yew said the fifth day of the fifth lunar month was “just like any other day”.

“Even during a total lunar and solar eclipse when the earth, moon and sun are perfectly aligned, the difference in gravity is insignificant.

“Yesterday, none of these were aligned but even if they were, Newton’s Law of Gravity states that it wouldn’t affect the raw egg’s balance,” he said, adding that a raw egg can stand on its end at any time of the year.

“Eggs with a rougher shell surface are easier to balance,” he said, adding that the Chinese myth has inspired many youngsters to get involved in astronomy.

“When they try the egg experiment during the Bak Chang Festival, they start asking questions about gravity and astronomy, which is a good thing,” he said.

Passion for pies

By FARIDAH BEGUM
Photos by RICKY LAI

He started out by eating them, ended up making them, and now this accountant has carved a name for himself as the hottest pieman around.

AS an accountant, Thomas Romal had the luxury of travelling and living in different cities around the world.

And wherever he went, he always took in the sights and foods of the places where he sometimes stayed for long stretches of time.

Say pie: Thomas Romal is having the time of his life, making and selling pies.

It was during his last posting in New Zealand, about a decade ago, that he was introduced to the ritual of eating pies as snacks every other day.

Given his ease in the kitchen, it was just a matter of time before he started making and eating his own pies.

He worked on improving the pastries and fillings and before long he was making pies not only for personal consumption but also for sharing with friends and neighbours.

While in Australia, he saw a notice about a pie franchise. Romal, who was then preparing to come back to Malaysia, decided that it could be the ideal thing to break the monotonous cycle of dealing with figures.

He met the Australian behind the set-up and they talked about possibilities of setting up a pie production company in Asia.

To the Australian, however, Asia meant China so he went on to suggest that both of them each pitch in AUS$1mil and get the wheels of their plan moving.

Romal explained that he meant Malaysia, and even as he said that, he felt a sense of apprehension as to whether Malaysians would actually take to pies.

“Well, everything starts with a dream and if it fails, I can only say I did try,” he said when met at his outlet in the Hartamas Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

On Sept 1, 2004, he put his plans into action. He began making pies in his kitchen and supplying them to several outlets in the capital.

He also tried to sell them himself at the Mont Kiara flea market on weekends.

“It was really funny seeing people buying several pies and eating them in front of the stall. I would approach them and ask how the pie was.

“They would look at me strangely but open up when I say: ‘Sorry to bother you but I am Mr Pieman’,” he said with a chuckle.

That strategy won fans over, enabling him to open his own pie outlets at the Hartamas Shopping Centre, Mid Valley Megamall, Sunway Pyramid and One Utama.

Romal still supplies pies to other cafes and restaurants although he currently has four outlets and is preparing to open another soon in the KL city centre.

His operations begin at 3am and the last batch of pies are on the road to the outlets by 10am.

The pies are baked fresh daily and if there are any leftovers at the end of the day, they are destroyed.

“Here’s a tip to knowing if you are eating a fresh pie or not: If it’s fresh, the juices or gravy in the filling will flow or drip when you bite into the pie. If they don’t, then it is not fresh,” he said.

There are chicken, beef, vegetable or apple pies to choose from, and these are available in different sizes. There are big pies that would make excellent lunches or dinners with a side of salad and also an array of little pot pies that make great snacks.

Romal also makes potato-top pies or taewas, smaller versions of cottage pies.

Romal also obliges customers’ orders for big pies. He can be contacted at TRC Resources Sdn Bhd, 11-1, Jalan SS 5A/11, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor (Tel: 03-7874 2581).

A humble beginning for late tycoon

By NG SU-ANN

MANY of the rich and famous have humble beginnings in the pre-war houses of inner city George Town in Penang.

Among them is the late business tycoon Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew who was a teenager when he arrived in Penang in a small boat from China in 1924.

According to local historian Datuk Khoo Keat Siew, Loh, who could speak only Hok- kien and had virtually no formal education, worked as an apprentice car mechanic upon his arrival in Penang.

"The teenager stayed in a coolie keng (workers' quarters) at 4, Katz Street.

"Loh supplemented his income by washing buses at nights for a meagre 10 sen per vehicle," Khoo said.

4 Katz Street, which was once a coolie 'keng' where Loh lived.

This young man, who was destined to make something out of his life, was not just hardworking but thrifty. He saved almost every sen that he earned, he said.

Many old timers described Loh as a man with fore- sight and a superb memory. Because of his inability to read and write, he depended a lot on his memory.

His adventurous and diligent nature eventually led to his rise to fame and fortune. Also, one must not forget the legacy he left behind as the man responsible for bringing the Honda motorcycles to Malaysia.

After the workers' quarters were closed down, the double-storey house was rented out to several tenants.

The current one is grandmother Gan Ai Tee, 82, who lives there with her two sons.

"In the 1930s, my father brought the family from Singa-pore to live in Penang. We were staying a few doors away from the coolie keng but I don't remember meeting Loh," she recalled.

Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Lee Hack Teik said: "Such inspiring stories of locals who started out from scratch should spur our youths of today to make something out of their lives.

"They may come from destitute families but bear in mind, self-determination and endurance are the keys for one to choot tau (make it big).

"When we fail, remember to get up and try again. Those who don't give up easily are the ones who are likely to triumph at the end."

He said many entrepre-nuers may now be living in mansions and bungalows but they had once lived in the far humbler quarters of inner city George Town.

Apart from Loh, other rags-to-riches examples include Yew Lean Foundry's founder Loh Eng Kim who lived in Noordin Street Ghaut during his youth while manufacturer Teoh Guan Lee used to reside in Weld Quay , he added.

Botanic Gardens ride

By CHRISTINA CHIN

IF all goes well, the Penang Botanic Gardens will soon have a new attraction - an environmental-friendly mini-tram to take people for a ride around the green enclave.

Tram operator Richard Wong told The Star that four mini trams would run at the oldest botanical garden in the country from Wed-nesday for a month-long “trial run”.

It is learnt that the tram ride will be launched by state Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Danny Law on tomorrow.

Children having a feel of the tram.

“If public response is good, we may continue operating at the garden on a profit-sharing basis with the state. It is still pending discussions,” Wong, who is the managing director and chairman of Aqua Bike Malaysia, said.

“The trams can ferry a total of 100 passengers if all are running at the same time. Two of the trams have been specially decorated with orchid motives for the Penang Floral Fest.

“This will be the first tram ride in the Botanic Gardens since the garden was opened in 1884. We are expecting a lot of visitors,” he said, assuring the public that the trams would not pollute the surroundings.

“It travels very slowly. In fact, people will probably be zipping past it.

“The 1,300cc engine runs on unleaded petrol. The head of the tram is imported from Japan and the coach is made locally.

A family of tourists from Thailand admiring the tram during the Floral Fest.

“The tram is small and will only occupy one-third of the path so there will be plenty of walking space for visitors,” he said.

The company also operates the tram service at the Taiping Zoo and Sungkai hot water springs resort in Perak and the Terengganu Museum and Islamic Civilisation Park in Kuala Terengganu.

Botanic Gardens agriculture assistant officer Ahmad Razali said the trams were brought in for the upcoming Floral Fest from May 31 to June 7.

“We hope the public will come and enjoy the trams as part of the whole Floral Fest experience.

“The rides will be available from 8am until 9pm daily.

“We will set up a booth where visitors can purchase the tickets for the rides,” he said, adding that the rides would cost RM1 (adults) and 50 sen (kids).

The 1.5km trip will take between 15-20 minutes.

The best ways to learn

SIGHTS AND SOUND WITH XANDRIA OOI

I HAVE always believed that there are two good ways to learn: Learn from a mentor/teacher/boss, or learn through experience.

Either way, the learning process is fulfilling, Both allow us to make mistakes, and the more frequently we fall, the quicker we learn.

I have never had a full-time corporate job; hence, I have never had a boss. I have had mentors for brief periods of time – teachers, editors, producers – but only my parents have consistently mentored me at every major turn of my life.

Parent mentors can be quite different from boss or teacher mentors. Parents usually coach us on life’s issues while bosses and teachers train us to excel in a particular field or business.

A very good mentor, however, coaches us on life and work. To me, the two are two halves of a whole that complement each other.

Some people might say that work is a subset of life, which, logically, is not untrue. However, for many people, work all but consumes their lives. Money is essentially the drive to work harder and in the pursuit of it, we tend to forget that the reason we desire money in the first place, is to live a good life.

How can life be good if it is all about work?

By that, I do not just mean the hours we invest in work. Work becomes larger than life when we are easily angered by mistakes, frustrated by problems and so afraid of being out of the game that we compromise our values or choose to stay in the safest corner of the box.

In some of the most successful companies of this era, work is not about merely surviving or being safe – it is about being different. Take Google, for example.

The Google headquarters (also called the Googleplex) in Mountain View, California, has 20,164 full-time employees. Google hires people not for their skills, but for their attitude.

Douglas Merrill, former chief information officer and vice-president of Engineering of Google, was quoted as saying: “I’ll ask candidates who aren’t engineers how to build a Web crawler. The right answer doesn’t matter. I want to hear you think the problem through, because the odds are good that since we’re an innovative company, you’re not going to know how to do what you’re going to be asked to do. You’re going to have to figure it out.”

At a time when many businesses have resigned themselves to the pursuit of sameness and safety, Google takes risks and gives employees the autonomy to make judgment calls.

It makes perfect sense to me. Why would we hire people and then micromanage to the point of hindering them from doing their jobs? How will a company innovate if people do not present new ideas?

During a job interview right after I graduated, a potential employer had asked: “What is most important to you? Money, workplace culture or career development?”

I thought it over and replied: “Work culture is most important to me; career development, second, and money, last.”

“If I don’t fit into the work culture or if it is not conducive, then I will be miserable and my job performance will suffer,” I explained. “Where there is good work culture, there will usually be good career development possibilities; and if the first two exist, it will enhance my job performance, and when I excel at my work the money will come.”

I have always found that using money as the main motivation is a very dangerous business strategy as it can impede one’s ability to make good and fair decisions.

Not being in the corporate workforce and being my own boss means that the only way I get to advance on the learning curve is to learn through experience. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this.

I have expressed my discontent to my mum on several occasions: “I wish I have someone to show me the ropes instead of groping in the dark!” If I had someone to teach me, the learning process would undoubtedly be faster.

However, the lack of direction was also the reason I took the initiative to be creative and learnt how to troubleshoot problems to make my next project twice as good.

It also means that I dare to think out of the box and be different. Because the faster I fail, the earlier I learn and the sooner I avoid making the same mistakes later on a bigger project.

I have also recently realised that I do not have to grope in the dark. We live in the incredible age of technology. Not only do we have thousands of willing teachers to learn from, we can choose our own mentors.

Websites, articles, blogs – these are the teachers of tomorrow. That is the greatest gift of the Internet – information at our fingertips and at our command.

The time has come when companies are rewarded for being different. It is not a good formula to live our lives well, yet have a separate set of work ethics. The most successful companies incorporate their lifestyle and infuse their personality into their corporate culture.

My company is still an infant, and it is at this stage that it needs clear direction and culture to achieve success in the long term.

Google’s corporate philosophies are casual principles, like “you can make money without doing evil”, “you can be serious without a suit” and “work should be challenging and the challenge should be fun”.

Funny; that was what my mum had been saying since I was old enough to read and write.

Life and work philosophies are not, and should not be, all that different, and I am looking forward to having a good time in my pursuit of success.

Beating a wonder trail

By CHRISTINA CHIN
Photos by RONNIE CHIN

PENANG Island’s beautiful coastline stretching all the way from Batu Maung, Pantai Jerejak and Bayan Bayan Lepas to the clan jetties, Esplanade and Gurney Drive in George Town and Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bunga, Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang can be developed to become the latest tourism attraction for Penang.

Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin, who said this shoreline was currently under-utilised, has proposed the creation of the Great Penang Trail.

“The aim is to create a 3m-wide lane along a 30km scenic route from Batu Maung right up to Teluk Bahang.

“From Batu Ferringhi, the trail will pass the popular tourist belt and sandy beaches of Tanjung Bungah. In Gurney Drive, there will be famous food and shopping outlets. Trail users will find a different scene in George Town where they can admire colonial heritage buildings and visit century-old jetties.

“Up in Bayan Lepas, the trail will pass Queensbay Mall — the largest shopping complex on the island — before ending in Batu Maung, a small sleepy fishing village famous for its tasty ikan bakar,” he said.

Sim said the trail could be used by cyclists, joggers, trishaw riders, roller skaters, pedestrians and those using Segway personal transporters.

He added that viewing platforms,cafes, gift shops, barbecue areas, food courts and recreational facilities could be constructed at certain parts of the trail.

“We can build mini playgrounds and shopping areas like those at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angles and Pier 39 in San Francisco. This concept has proven to be a success in many other countries,” he said.

Sim noted that the Great Penang Trail would also create job opportunities for food operators, petty traders, hawkers and those in the hospitality and service industries.

“The cyclists can soak in the view, browse at the shops or grab a quick bite,” he said, urging the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) to conduct a study to determine the cost of designing and constructing the trail.

He said the MPPP could initiate the Great Penang Trail by linking up the existing partial trails like the ones in front of Queensbay Mall and the Jelutong Expressway (JE) pedestrian promenade.

Sim proposed that an open tender be called to design the trail using the California Transportation Design and Standards as a yardstick.

Sim said he drew inspiration for his idea from the San Francisco Bay Trail (SFBT) where he used to cycle.

“To date, the trail is 288 miles long and will eventually connect San Jose in the south to San Francisco and eventually Napa Valley up north,” he said

Test of grace and agility

By MANJIT KAUR, Photos by CHARLES MARIASOOSAY

Young talents: 120 gymnasts from throughout the country stretch, skip and leap their way to glory at the three-day Pela[is Carnival in Penang.

Sweet success: Nur Aqila Junaidi doing the ball routine and finally clinches a gold and a silver medal in two events.

DOLLED up and clad in glittering leotards, some 70 girls fluttered gracefully to the background tune while mesmerising the crowd with ball and hula-hoop tricks.

The gymnasts, who came from throughout the country, were among 120 girls aged between six and 11 participating in the annual three-day Pelapis Carnival held at Queensbay Mall in Penang recently.

Not letting go: Amisha Sofia Azli wins a bronze medal for the Grade One free-hand category and a silver medal for the ball category.

The event, jointly organised by the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF), Malaysia Schools Sports Council (MSSM) and Milo, saw the gymnasts performing using ropes, balls, hula-hoops, ribbons and free hand (without any apparatus).

The participants were given a maximum one-and-a-half minutes to showcase their skills.

The judges had a tough time selecting the winners, as all the cute little girls with broad smiles fascinated them in their own way. The parents were all excited, as they were seen clicking away their cameras and giving moral support to their children.

Stretch: Aesyah Umairah showing her agility during a ball routine.

There were four categories — Little Gymnasts, Grade One, Two and Three.

In action: Cindy Law Pui Yee from Perak doing the hula-hoop routine.

The overall winner for the Little Gymnasts category was Arisha Amalyn Mohd Arif, with Yap Jane Ling and Tham Ling Ling trailing behind.

Nurfatinah Mohd Anuar was adjudged the overall champion in the Grade One category, clinching the gold medal at the same time, while Mariah Izabelle won the silver medal and Sharifah Zeynah Alhada took the bronze medal.

Nurfatinah, nine, who also won a gold medal last year in Kuantan, said she had been active in the sport since she was seven years old.

Smile: Izzah Azman stretching her way to a bronze medal in the Grade Two category.

As for Grade Two, the overall winner was Fariza Alia Mohd Nasir, followed by Zaily Neesha Zainuddin and Izzah Azman.

And in the Grade Three category, the overall winner was Nuryn Syarafana Saupi, followed by Puteri Nellissa Syarifah and Shasangari Sivaneswary.

The technical chairman of the event, Petrina Low, said the event was held twice yearly, with the next meet to be held in Malacca in August.

She said besides gymrama, the carnival included other sports such as swimming, boxing and archery that were held at various locations in the state.

Practise makes perfect: The gymnasts practising before the start of the competition at Queensbay Mall in Penang.

Help for the Unfortunate

GONE are the days when less fortunate members of society seeking government aid are confronted with lots of red tape or simply do not know who to turn to.

Instead, under the new ‘Projek Cari’ (Lookout Project), the government will actively seek them out and provide them with financial aid.

The project is targeted at the elderly, disabled, sickly and hardcore poor families with school-going children, and is open to all Malaysians.

The programme was initiated by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and is also a joint effort with the MCA Bukit Gelugor division, Social Welfare Department and Special Affairs Department.

To qualify for assistance, one needs to be a Malaysian citizen and residing in the country, have a combined family income of less than RM700 per month, or is disabled and have special needs.

Several other factors are also taken into consideration including number of offspring, age of applicant, deformities or disease-related disabilities as well as dwelling conditions.

State Social Welfare Department community development assistant Wong Kok Wai said that needy people could obtain and fill in application forms from their respective Rukun Tetangga.

“The applications will then be forwarded to the department which will in turn send officers to the respective applicants for follow-up evaluation.

“In the past six months from November 2008 to May 2009, a total of RM135,420 has been disbursed to 78 applicants in the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency,” he said.

A special ceremony will be held this Sunday from 4pm to 6pm at the community hall in Block 9/11, Taman Terubong Jaya to raise public awareness on the programme.

Paya Terubong MCA service team chief and project advisor Koh Wan Leong hoped this would help inform the public about the existence of such a programme, as many were still unaware of it.

Good service: Koh (centre) helping disabled Farlim resident Dass Anthony (right) to fill out an application form. With them is Wong (left).

He also urged people to spread the word so that those really in need could come forward and apply while those approved would usually be notified within several weeks.

“In the past, the poor and needy need to look for the government.

“But now, the government will look out for them instead, as we are very concerned about their welfare. This is in line with the government’s efforts of promoting 1Malaysia,” Koh added.

He reminded applicants to bring along two passport-sized photos, photocopied MyKad (front and back), disability card (if any) as well as a referral letter from government doctors (for medical cases).

For application forms or more information, contact Wong at 016-4150480, Koh at 017-4665577, or the respective Rukun Tetangga area chairmen: Ooi Eng Kooi (Taman Paya Terubong Satu - 016-4683066), Chiew Siew Kam (Taman Paya Terubong Dua - 012-4740418), Frank Lee (Tingkat Paya Terubong - 012-4126352), Khoo Ah Tit (Taman Lau Geok Swee - 016-4699933), Goh Teong Eng (Mk13 Relau 1 - 017-4231014), Lee Kok Poh (Tanjung Court - 016-4768558), Patrick Soo (Desa Delima - 012-4670868), Kung Cheow Teik (LMC Taman Lone Pine - 016-4400193), Goh Kok Aun (Desa Permata - 012-4252534), Yeoh Ah Leong (Jalan Teo Chew - 012-4515393), Teh Chee Leng (Desa Ixora - 016-4729317), Kathires (Sri Impian - 012-4614769) and Chooi Foo Cheong (Desa Intan - 012-4891813).

New Attraction on Penang Hill

Story and photos by JEREMY TAN

A PANAROMIC view of the island is not the only thing visitors can enjoy at the top of Penang Hill. There are now exciting stage performances on weekends to keep visitors entertained.

Performers Marsita Saad and Mohd Ali Dastagir have been wowing the weekend crowd for the past four months; the former with her fire tricks and the latter with his snake handling skills.

The performances, held at the hill’s main stage, was a joint idea between the pair and the Penang Hill Residents’ Association.

Their aim was to draw more tourists to the hilltop.

Visitors enjoying a fire show on Penang Hill

“The fire show is something quite special and seldom seem locally. The state government has allowed us to use the stage so we provide the entertainment,” said Residents’ Association secretary Beh Chin Siang.

Beh said that performances were held every Saturday.

Additional performances are also held on Fridays if it’s a public holiday, and on Sundays if the following Monday is a public holiday.

On show days, the snake show is held at 12.30pm and 3.30pm, while the fire show mesmerises tourists at 8pm.

“Penang Hill is one of the state’s tourist icons. But at nights, it could be quiet with nothing much to see.

“The fire show will provide some exciting entertainment for visitors at night,” Mohd Ali explained.

Fellow performer Marsita has been literally been playing with fire for the past four years, performing her stunts at hotels and bistros.

“I learned a lot of fire tricks from the Internet. The important thing is practice.

“Although it may seem dan- gerous, it’s an exciting hobby,” she said.

The snake shows are both entertaining and educational.

As Mohd Ali charms the snakes, he also gives the crowd tips on how to deal with emergencies resulting from encounters with snakes or from snake bites.

Wesak joy

BUDDHIST temples and the Malaysian Buddhist Association (MBA) premises in George Town were abuzz with temple monks, officials and workers making last-minute preparations to usher in Wesak Day today.

Workers preparing the float for Wesak Day procession in Penang.

Many devotees were also seen streaming into temples offering prayers, flowers and incense, lighting candles and giving donations while monks blessed them. Buddha statue bath tubs were also spruced up for the big day. At the MBA premises on Burmah Road, the main float was being given the final touches.

The Star pixmen K.E. OOI and RONNIE CHIN checked out the temples and the MBA premises to take pictures of the final preparations.

10 Questions with Michael Chong

You’ve helped so many people, but in which area do you think you have failed to help the needy? Tony Oon

Whenever somebody comes to see me about an Ah Long (loan shark) problem, I try to help. The victim is often not the borrower, but the family, because the borrower has usually run away. Over and over and in so many press conferences, I’ve been urging people not to borrow from Ah Longs. And yet, this problem never ends. Honestly, I’ve failed in this matter. It’s like prescribing Panadol when a person has a fever. There’s some relief but I just can’t cure the illness. But I will not give up. I will continue to attack the root of the problem and it will take time.

Have there been times when you wanted to quit your job? When did you get close to actually walking away? Douglas Peters, KL

This is not an easy job. You have to take care of other people’s problems before you can attend to yours. You face all sorts of risks and come across so much hardship and suffering. Who wants this type of job? But in doing my job, I not only have problems from those on the outside, but sometimes, I have to face my own people (those in MCA) who are envious of me. They don’t want to do the work but they don’t want me to do it either. These are the little Napoleons. Many times, after encounters with them, I have come close to throwing in the towel and walking away. However, I’m lucky to have understanding party leaders and the support of the media and the public. This gives me the strength to carry on. I’m a fighter.

Datuk Michael Chong: For over two decades, Chong has been helping people solve a myriad of problems ranging from the tiresome to the heartbreaking

What does it take to be effective at what you do? Sammy Tan, Kamunting

The most important thing is teamwork. You can’t do everything yourself. I get assistance from the Ministers, Deputy Ministers, State Assemblymen and other wakil rakyat. Above all, I have the backing of the media and the people to make my work effective. For example, when news of a missing girl comes out, I’m sure to get information from the public.

What have you achieved in your work that you are most proud of? Jasmy Ariff, Kepong

One way or another, people from all walks of life support my work. For instance, when I ask for donations to help the less fortunate, even schoolchildren sacrifice their pocket money to help others. This shows that people in this country care. This doesn’t happen everywhere. From my work, I realise that it’s the Malaysian culture to help the needy and I’m proud of that. It’s something money can’t buy.

What is your most complicated/toughest case? W. Seng, Kluang

People sometimes come to see me thinking that I can even deal with supernatural problems. In March, I had a case involving five young men from Alor Star who went to Cambodia on a holiday. There, they were possessed by the spirit of a man who asked them to look for his long-lost wife and son. When the five men came back, they spent RM12,500 to take out newspaper advertisements. That didn’t work and the spirit kept harassing them and mentioned my name. The men thought it would be difficult to meet me but the spirit told them to go to my office on a Monday morning. And true enough, I was available that time. A reporter covering the case couldn’t take photographs of the men – the camera didn’t work – until he “asked for permission” from the spirit. So how do you explain things like these? I failed to help the men locate the two persons, but the spirit has since left the men alone.

In your work with MCA what was the worst situation you have encountered and how did you deal with it? Bulbir Singh, Seremban

In 1997, I received phone calls from Macau from an 18-year-old girl pleading to me to save her, as she was trapped in vice. There were so many calls and I could not sleep. I was a bit scared because she told me her pimp was a powerful gangster. I went there with three journalists (including the late Kuldeep Singh from The Star). We also got help from the then Malaysian High Commissioner in Hong Kong and a TV station there. We had gone to rescue the girl but we ended up needing to be rescued. We were chased by the gangsters but fortunately, the police picked us up in a van and we were saved.

What do your wife and children feel about your work? T.K. Rajah, Klang

My wife and I came from very poor families. So she understands and accepts my work. It’s the same with my children. When we just started our family in the 1980s, life was a bit tough because I was the only one working, earning RM1,200 a month as a salesman. My wife and children are very supportive of my work. We’re Catholics, and every case I handle gives us satisfaction. Now, my eldest daughter, Marina, works for me.

What’s the one thing about you that most people don’t know? Shima

Many people think that I’m Chinese-educated because I work in MCA. But I’m English-educated. I speak Mandarin and some other Chinese dialects. I can only read and write Chinese a little. The most important thing is that I can communicate properly with everybody.

How do you relax after a tough day at the office? Terry J, Kemaman

When I go home after work, there’s usually no traffic jam because it’s already 7.30pm to 8pm. My favourite after-hours spot is Champ’s in Centrepoint, Bandar Utama, where I have a mug of beer and some conversation with friends. I come home in time to watch the 12 o’clock news, and it’s just nice. Sunday is family day, when my wife and I go window-shopping or watch a movie.