Aftermath......

PRN Melaka 2021 ended yesterday evening and I guess, what is there to say, right? Except that the echoes of disappointment, a tinge of hopelessness and despair rings loud and lingers on. Everyone knows what the results were and all of the Melaka people would have to accept that decision made whether we like it or not. I guess, while some of us feel down, disappointed and agitated but let us not forget that there are others who are celebrating and revelling in joy and rightly so too. If there are winners in any competition; then of course , we have to be gracious in defeat too. For me, I congratulate the winners for they are chosen on the ballot paper. Whether they did it in the right manner or not the right manner, the results speak for themselves. Sure, we can all be sore losers , sour grapes and talk loudly at coffeeshop; straining our neck muscles and neck blood vessels by saying this and that but what is the point if we ourselves, do not even understand the fundamental basic of what voting is all about. If you do not turn up for voting, then, you are as guilty and as dumb as a piece of ass because you chose not to exercise your right as a citizen of this country. Then, you do not have the right to make any comments on the election process or even how good or how bad the state government if going to be. In all truth, you do not even have the right to make any noise because you did not even lift your bloody finger to the mark the ballot paper nor have the guts to do so. You are as good as an empty vessel with all your excuses and what not that is only known to you. 

Please, spare me your excuses of “what’s the point to vote if the assemblyman/woman would then jumped to another party?”, “what is there to vote for?”, “ Aiyoo! Covid-19 lah. Can you guarantee my family members would be safe?” (Dumbass, we will all die eventually and it is all in the hands of God, dumbass! ) ,“Ah! This fella will sure win in this constituent! “ bullshit etc etc.  My answer to you is :-  So what! These excuses are flimsy and irresponsible. I want to tell you that irrespective of all these excuses, first and foremost, you are to exercise that right to vote - Who you vote is none of my concern but just come out to vote and the next thing is to do the right thing on who you place your trust in for your vote. Then, that is called a democratic process and even if our preferred candidate losses, at least, it is a fair duel, got it? Never mind if the opposing candidate blatantly uses the influence of money ( Cash is King slogan! ) or goods or even essentials for his/her campaign; the important thing is that you just do your duty as a citizen. 

I am appalled of the low turnout for voting. It is either we are overly concern of the hyped up Covid-19 scare to deter people from coming out to vote or simply assuming the seat is safe for this candidate and that candidate. I’ll tell you what I did on the election morning. I woke very early that morning. I sent my daughter to vote at the nearby centre at a different constituent. It was all done in less than 20 minutes. Then, we proceeded to my voting centre together for another constituent with my wife to vote. The SOP for voting was super relaxed, safe and good. Within 20 minutes, we got our verifications done, collected out voting papers, marked our preferred candidate and both of us were done. It was one of the fastest voting process I have ever done in my life though there was good control of crowd and voting process was early. It wasn’t like in 2018 whereby the crowd was big but very controlled under a very hot sun then.  We weren’t thinking of who is going to win and so on. Sure, we have our own preferred candidates to win but what was important is that we did our citizen’s duty that morning. We casted our votes and that was important. Then we went for breakfast and looking around the noodle shop, we could see so many abled bodies and people enjoying their meals and not even having their fingers marked meaning they have not voted that day. Overhearing conversations that some of them are not going to vote this time sickens me in the gut. These are able young/old bodies. Hey, even the handicapped and the wheel-bound tried their best to cast their votes while these morons won’t even go to the centres. That sickens me that morning.

As we proceeded to the mall as it was our usual way to spend some time as a family, I noted many young people were without markings while there were some older /middle-aged people were without ink dipped fingers. That indicated that they have not voted. I guess, I had to be thick faced and I approached these strangers and normal able bodied folks if they have voted and that they should vote and exercise their right to vote. Though I received dirty looks, unhappy responces and glaring looks, I was undeterred because voting is the right of everyone and every vote counts to make or break for a candidate.  I really did my best that morning and I even made sure that I sent out Whatsapp messages to friends and family in the afternoon to continue to ask their friends and loved ones to go out to vote. I guess, some people just couldn’t be bothered. I wasn’t ashamed to approach strangers as you might have thought because this action of voting will make or break the future of state and country. There is no such thing as protest and no voting or whatsoever. If you don’t vote because of your protest, you are even dumber than the bloody rat on the street as state laws and legislation will continue to be passed whether you like it or not. With voting, we can, at least , put our voice representative in the House via the elected representatives, to prevent unfair, not good laws or even unbalanced laws to be passed. That’s what voting rights does and means – elect a representative who will bring our voices to the House. Look, this is not ideal talking or things that cannot happen,ok? If our elected representatives are not doing their job to represent our voices, we have that power to vote them out the next time and we should.  That is the power of our vote. Hence, it is essentially important for us to go out to vote in the first place. We may say that our vote is only one vote but when the rest joins in, that, my friends, becomes a majority. Think about it diligently, shall we? Yeah, the elected representatives may screw us this time, but the next time around, we will vote him/her out. That’s the power of voting, ladies and gentleman! You are not insignificant as people paint you to be. Singularly, we may not be strong but in mass, unity is strengthened!

Personally, I really felt very sad for our state and nation. It is that ignorance and stupidity to continue to put the same corrupted people into power by giving them our vote of approval that sickened me. The reflection and implications of the election horrendously sickened me. It also appalled me that people, in their whatsoever excuses, chose to sit this one out. It is always a wrong thing to take yourself out when it comes to elections. This time, by choosing to sit out, we virtually allowed crooks, robbers and thieves to creep right back into the administrations and public office. I am appalled that the public still do not realised nor recognised how seriously failed our state and nation are these days. We are billions in deficit and all the “you scratch my back and I will scratch your back” remunerations will kill our society effectively. Sure, these ill-gotten monies and remunerations will help you short term but in the long run, we will all suffer as a society. I am most frustrated. Are we going to accept corrupted ways and corruption as a norm of our lives now? It sure seemed like it! What a perverse generation we are! Our leaders in high places shout at the top of their voices till their blood veins at the necks almost burst, condemning it but in reality, the opposite occurs and occurs to corrupt from the young to the old as if it is a daily thing in our lives! It’s shameful and it’s a disgusting culture! A disgusting culture exists only to make the corrupt and the corruptors stay in power to loot and plunder the state and nation’s wealth to oblivion.   

I guess, that’s the ugly truth of what is happening and totally my own personal view, totally. Whatever your reasoning, I hope you are happy with it now that you have got your wish. So, stop complaining that life is hard or unfair when you are at the coffeeshop or eateries or cafes or anywhere because you are the main reason all these are happening. I am reminded of a story whereby a newspaper publishing house asked the scholar, G.K. Chesterton ,” What is wrong with our world today?” Chesterton simply wrote back and answered, “ ME “. That’s what is wrong with the world today – ME/ YOU! You could have made a difference and what did you do with that opportunity? Well, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! 

Ladies and gentleman, that’s what wrong with our world today. Evil triumphs when good men/women does nothing! Think about it! However, Hope gives us light and enough reason to continue to fight on, persevere and strive for goodness. Pick up the broken pieces, re-coup, find solutions, encourage and let's start again, shall we? 

Let's re-build our country again and let's be very sure about one thing : Public Enemy No. 1 in this country is CORRUPTION not drugs!  Make no mistake of this! 

Your Vote Counts!

Come 20th November, 2021, the state of Melaka will hold her State General Elections to elect her 28 seats assembly to govern the state of Melaka for the next 5 years. Presently, torrid, fast & furious campaigning from all sides of the front were carried out ceaselessly but with very strict SOP from the Health Ministry, SPRM and even the MKN. Notwithstanding, if you look at the SOP for this state elections, you could have laughed and fall off your seats with some of the idiotic rulings. Sure, the rules are in place to safe guard the people from the re-occurrence of Covid-19 but seriously, who are you trying to kid la….There is definitely the predictable rulings to adversely affect all sides of the parties involved. However, it is definitely not an easy process to carry out a campaign if you are unable to meet with the people. That’s where the multi-media and electronic media platform will come into place. I must say, it is definitely quite interesting to see how these political parties will take part in this election. 

As for the political parties involved in this unnecessary election, it is interesting to note that there are 118 candidates from Pakatan Harapan ( PKR, DAP, Amanah ) , Barisan Nasional ( UMNO, MCA, MIC ), Perikatan Nasional ( Bersatu, Gerakan & PAS ) , Putra , independent candidates and one Indian Muslim Party  (IMAN) are involved this time around. As for the candidates, there are some familiar faces while young stalwarts are definitely at the forefront this time as political parties are moving uptrend towards a blend of young and old. I am most disappointed that I won’t be able to see and hear the “political ceramahs” this time as there won’t be any. I guess, in the last election, I would travel from one place to another to hear the candidates speak of their aspirations and points for the candidacy. So, I guess, it would be quite different this time as ceramah gives you an opportunity to gauge the strength and weaknesses of the candidates. Their body language, their intonations, their presentation of ideas and the way they bring forth their salient political points are the early indicators of what type of leaders you would be expecting. Anyway, of late, I’ve been seeing some campaign ceramahs on Youtube and I must say that the experienced candidates are quite eloquent but the younger ones are not far behind. I guess, there are some rising young leaders which I do find interesting in terms of aspirations, work done so far and their achievements thus far.

For me, I am still very appalled that there are people who will still support a corrupted government. To me, I would be not hesitated twice to vote out a corrupt government without blinking an eye but somehow, there are still people who are of the view that corruption is okay as ALL politicians are corrupted anyway. I begin to think if we, as society, had begun to “accept” such practices in our daily life and lost our bearing and real life compass of our lives. Luckily. I do still find many people hate the thought of corruption in any form in our society today. I believe many of us are against any form of corruption, racism, nepotism and blatant disrespect for the law. All the more for us to cast our votes to vote in a legitimate and good governance government. 

I have said it many times that our country is not poor and our people are a unique blend of people. We are different in our culture, our way of living, our religion and our way of thinking but we are Malaysians. This is our land. This is the place we call HOME.  We must stand up together to preserve goodness, good will and mutual respect for all of us to thrive and survive not just for ourselves but for our future children, grandchildren and generations to come. 

Let us continue to fight against penyamun, penyangak and pencuri who steal our nation’s wealth away and lived like some pompous asses around the world while most of us scrapped through our days with little essentials we have. It is dirty politicians like these that we have to put a FULL STOP! Politicians who get easy money and couldn’t care less about the Rakyat should be voted out. We need to do this by voting these people and out. Really, it doesn’t take a genius to understand this. If we continue to vote these people into office, we are shooting ourselves in our assess every single time. Until and unless we see these people out the door, we would have to continue to vote them out each and every time. True, there is no perfect political party in our country today but we can definitely see ( nor are we so blind !!! )  who are the genuine ones who work for the Rakyat and who are the ones that play lip service only. 

This is not a political rally nor a support campaign. I am fed up of politicians stealing our nation’s money and go SCOTFREE! Aren’t you fed up of such criminals still running around as though nothing has happened even though the courts had found them guilty while many had still court proceedings ongoing? This is truly embarrassing for a nation like ours and there are huge banners that say “Bersama Kami Lawan Rasuah” or “ Abah Sayang Melaka” or “Bersama ke Syurga” ( To be in syurga, you have to die first la, ngok! Who wants to die yet? Pening! Pening! ) when all the leaders on the poster are in one way or another involved in major corruption scandals and mismanagement of the country!!!!!! 

Thereby, I want to exercise that right as a citizen of this country to cast my vote. You should vote too. Please do not let the Covid-19 situation stop you from doing your duty as a responsible citizen of Malaysia. We can always take precaution such as double mask up, face shield and even have a distance so that we can be safe to vote. Sanitize our hands and body after voting while ensuring that we clean ourselves after coming back from voting centres. Do not let evil triumph in this land of Melaka. 

So, I appeal to my fellow orang Melaka@Malaccans, please come out in full force to vote. Your EVERY vote counts in every way. Let’s vote, shall we? 

Thought process.....

There are times, I have often questioned myself if I have lost the ability to pen down my honest thoughts these days. I could never find the words to pen down my actual feelings and yet I am frustrated that I am constantly curbed by the “law, rules & regulations” we have in this country. I feel that my freedom of speech and thought had been bastardised and curbed in order for multimedia trolls to survive in their exploits for their hirers for a fistful of dirty monies! These trolls doesn’t care about the country or the situation we are in. Their main concern is the monies lining up in their pockets when their evil masters get their loots! It is just a damning shame that people are afraid to share their thoughts; all for the fear that they would be hauled up and faced fines for what they say and write. These are serious matters and I grew up having to fight for that freedom to choose, write, speak and even think. “Don’t fight against the tide”, “Don’t even think of writing that”, “Don’t speak like that” etc etc. How many of us had gone through that “age” of control, suppression and oppression of the freedom to speak, write and voice out?  

This “silencing” and curtailing had done a lot of damage to this country. Had it not been the exposing of these horrific financial crimes like the 1MDB and a host of other financial ruins in our country by the brave young men and women in the electronic media, I believe the perpetrators would have gone off scott-free from their crimes. (They are still wriggling their way out of the corruption charges and some have managed to somehow! I hope they burn in eternal hell! ) It really doesn’t matter who runs the government of the day. If they are dirtying their hands in coveting the nation’s purse or kitty bank, they are ROBBERS and THIEVES! We are all Malaysians. It doesn’t matter if that person is a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Dayak, Kadazan, Sikh or whatever, if that person dipped his/her hands into the kitty to rob the nation, they are thieves, robbers and liars. Logically, there is no other names to call these people as I know except aptly known as thieves and robbers.  If we do not fight this despicable act or condoned these robberies and corruptions, we are cowards and traitors to the people who had fought hard and died for this nation. 

The country had suffered so much in financial terms that we are on the brink of collapse! We are too “bodoh sombong” to admit this especially our ruling government to admit that we are on the verge of a financial collapse. I am appalled that we continue to support a government of kleptocrats and power hungry racists that continued to harp on racial issues and religion matters to stay in power. Lest not forget that there are people on the streets tonight virtually hungry and homeless. These are newly evicted families, men and women who lost their jobs and a growing number of people joining the already swelling numbers of homeless and destitute people we have on our streets today. Let us not pretend that these people do not exists because if you walk down the town at 2.00am onwards you will see the tragedies that had befallen these people. Just because you are able to sleep in your comfortable and warm bed with a hearty dinner doesn’t mean that the others are the same. There is this numbing truth that the nation is sinking further into the abyss of hopelessness and dire frustration. Food and shelter had never been an issued with some higher ups but when you lose your job and soon to lose your shelter call home, you tend to realise that the tsunami of reality will hit you like a bullet train in your face. As leaders, are you so dumb to realise this? Everyday survival is the order of the day today. You will never ever look at the humble eggs or the dried noodles in the same way anymore. It is such an integral part of our lives these days! I remember the earlier days when ikan kembong or even ikan selar kuning were just the fish for the day but nowadays even these fishes are even beyond the purchasing means of the poor whatmore the middle income folks. It is devastatingly sad and unthinkable in many ways. Let’s not thread on the poultry and beef matters or else it might end up in some condo somewhere! I remember one moronic leader mentioning that the price of poultry went up because of the expensive price of the chicks!!! I really don’t know where he gets his education from but I strongly believe his Economics teacher would have been rolling in his/her grave for having such moronic student! 

Like I used to say to my friends, we are NOT a poor country. We have ample of agricultural and natural resources to boost our country economy. Our oil reserves , our natural resources like rubber and oil palm including our rice fields and agricultural products are squeezed dead out to the last drop and messed up big time by kleptocrats, robbers and thieves! Maybe the folks in the kampongs could be tricked into believing that our resources are well managed and maintained but the urban folks are not so gullible. These are including the learned, the educated and some portions of the rural areas. The annals of massive corruption, mismanagement, stealing and gains are rampant and demoralizing to our country’s economy. These are blood , sweat and tears of the fishermen, farmers, labourers,  industrial and SME players doing their part for the country and where does it all go? Right into the dirty pockets of the very same fraudster who call themselves people’s representative today. How many more people like this who will be freed from their day at the courts?  

I am baffled at how a government turncoat/spy was not asked of how did that person had come to acquired USD 6million cash in the house but instead the issue was that some of the returned monies were fake! Charges of espionage among others were dropped! OMG! How the hell did a government servant had come to acquire USD6 million should be the No.1 question, man! The corruption cases in Malaysia are truly unthinkable indeed. Look at the massive charges being brought on but virtually the public has lost confidence in the judiciary and the authorities like PDRM, AG Office and even the SPRM for their conflicting views of what corruption or breaking of the law is all about. It is as though these people did not commit any act of corruption in the first place. I am even more appalled when the entire resources were mobilized to track and to nab poor Nur Sajat merely for doing his/her part of alms/donation. Hounded and tracked like an animal, Nur Sajat was finally nabbed in Bangkok. Fulamak! Right in the heart of Thailand, man. When I went to Bangkok about 3 or 4 years ago, Bangkok is like a city that never sleeps while a crowd of people is always noted on the streets. Wow! I must congratulate our authorities for finding Nur Sajat,man. BTW, my question is :- What about the whereabouts of Indira Gandhi’s husband and children? Where is the whereabouts of Jho Low? Where and what happened to Nicky Low? What happened to all the allegations made by the then outgoing Police Chief? Just look at all the charges being dropped at all the corruption charges to the political people?!!! Just look at all the wasteful resources just to nab Nur Sajat. His sexuality is really none of my concern but his liberty and his rights are the concerned of all Malaysians. Wasteful resources and unwarranted abuse just to nab one transgender! Billions and millions had been siphoned off without a fraction of remorse nor guilt in this country. What a country we live in! Surely the pits of hell could not go any lower but it apparently did! I am sure, there will be many more scandals and whatnot coming our way soon enough. 

I am sickened to my arse when I hear some of these politicians speak in our Parliament. There is no real serious effort to help this country grow and strengthened. It is like a gimmick in a circus show! There is simply no seriousness in their efforts to help this country grow. Fielding questions for the sake of answering with no real moves to help out our ailing nation. Except for the efforts to fight Covid-19, basic amenities such as water supply , electricity supply, floods mitigation and natural disasters are still being discussed without a sight of end. I am pretty sure this wasn’t the first time I’ve heard all these issues being discussed and brought to the fore front!  64 years of independence and there are still places in MALAYSIA without clean water supply and electricity supply! What a failed nation we are! I remembered those years when I was serving in a rural area in Sabah, water supply was like teh tarik while electricity supply was like 8 hours -12 hours of the day with frequent trippings and breakdown. Till to date,  I still hear of places with no proper clean water and electricity especially in OA villages and interiors in Sabah and Sarawak. You seek votes and made promises during elections but never fulfilled when votes are casted. Electrical poles are up together with the tele-communications poles are up but the service is not there! You threatened when you lose. You threatened even more when you win.  I sometimes wonder why God would not smite you to death just like the olden days in the Holy books?

People used to say that pay back time in during the GE. However, every damn time the GE is around the corner, there will be many suggestions that we give this government or that government to try to make this country right. My answer is simply this : Take the bloody courage of yours and change the bloody government! Vote for what is right and make a difference. I cannot do it alone but it takes a whole load of us to have that perspective to change the government for the better! We need to punish corruptors, pretenders of justice and that asses of power maniacs. We need to return to the spirit of giving our country a breath of hope and a chance to be a clean government. We should not entertain corruption and religious bullshit at any level. We must ensure that our younger generation knows this and wants a clean nation to start with ; not with saddlings debts and restrainment in their hands. Old, racists, religious bigots and corrupt politicians should go. 

I really look forward to GE15 so that I live to see a real change this time in our country minus the pretentious traitors, alarming schemers, power cartels, religious pretenders and corrupted individuals. GOD save our nation, MALAYSIA!

Mom's Vaccination - DONE!

Seeing mom finishing her 2nd dose of Covid-19 vaccine was the most satisfying feeling of all on Monday,5th July, 2021. I guess, just like any child, I was particularly relieved that at least she got vaccinated and there is some form of protection against this deadly Covid-19 virus which is still going through much mutation. It often makes me wonder how crippled our country had been, together with the rest of the world, when this pandemic hit the nations of the world!

My mom, Tan Ah Moy is 78 years old and she is still very much an alert woman. She is strong mentally but her legs had started to fail her at this stage of her life. I guess, mom’s tenacity each morning of 100 leg lifts had somewhat helped her to be better a bit these days. I was pleasantly surprised that she could walk a good distance but I insisted on using the wheel chair when I wheeled her into the vaccination hall as it would be faster and more efficient. Mom smiled and agreed with me when I told her the logic behind it. She said I was being in my wily side again! Well, I was just doing what was best for her.

You see, mom has always had this side of her that she would no inconvenient us in any way. Even in her pain peak at her legs, she would just walked on and endured the pain. Hmmmnnnn…..somehow, now I know where that stubbornness and high pain endurance ability comes from. Afterall, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree , right? Anyway, she has been cheerful about getting her Covid-19 vaccine and when I informed her that she would be getting the Sinovac vaccine during her first vaccination, she said it is alright. It doesn’t matter what vaccine was given as long as it is not salt water! I guess, mom is like that – a little “cincai” type. 

This time around , there was more question of how she coped with the 1st dose, any side effects and so on and so forth. Mom was cool and answered calmly that she is okay and ready for her second dose. I was also proud of mom as she is calm and very steady in a sense. I still told her that I needed to put her in the wheel chair so that it would ease our journey to the vaccination booth. She laughed and smiled at my reasoning again. Honestly, the long walk from registration to verification to final vaccination can be quite a walk away for a woman of her age. So, it would much easier to get her on the wheelchair and moved her around. I must say that the frontliners working at the vaccination centre are really professional people. They had ensured that everything is in order and ensure smooth transition from one counter to another. I must thanked them for really taking the trouble to ensure that everything is in place and running with machinery smoothness. In all honesty, you could see the fatigue creeping on them but they just shouldered on. Patiently explaining , questioned and even ensuring that all data are correct before the administering of the vaccine. I am extremely thankful for the dedication, care and hardworking in ensuring the smooth running of the vaccination process.

As I walked mom to the vaccination booth, two nurses had readied the vaccine and politely asked me to leave the booth so that one of the nurses could administer the vaccine. I did so politely but at the corner of my eye, I wanted to make sure that mom got her dose. I guess, I was just being paranoid in a way but I just wanted the best shot for mom. Who wouldn’t want it that way for their moms , right? Luckily, I came to my senses that I shouldn’t be doing this as these are professionals and they should know what they are doing. So, I just averted my gaze away from the cloth opening and prayed that mom would be in good hands. Within minutes, the vaccination is over and I managed to wheeled mom out of the booth. I immediately asked mom if she was alright. She quipped, “ No pain at all. Everything is good.” I was happy for her and went to another counter to get the registration of the full vaccination digital certificate and finally the required “sit and rest” area.  We posed for photographs at the vaccination stand before heading put of the centre. Before we left, a small crowd has started to gather at the centre for their vaccination shots.  More people are now getting the vaccine shots. 

In all honesty, I wished more centres could be opened up for quicker vaccination. I am really hoping that people at the outskirts and the inner sanctum of the country would be able to get their vaccination. At this pandemic and difficult times, the Health Ministry should be getting into these inner places and areas to administer to the people their vaccine shots.

Just glad and relieved that mom had had her shots done and completed. What a relief, indeed! I am often reminded by this wise old saying : “ A mother can take care of 10 children but not all 10 children can take care of one mother.” So, take care of your father and mother especially at this difficult times and at all times!

White Flag - Enough!

Bombarded with further bad news of what is happening to our beloved country, I went to bed restless and troubled though the lure of watching the Euro 2021 match between Germany and England seemed to be the easiest escapism I could get but somehow I simply bypassed that as I thought of all the children in this nation of ours who would have gone to bed hungry that night.  What a devastating thought that totally rocked my conscience and my whole soul being indeed. As I tossed and turned early this morning, I could not help feeling the experience I had gone through as a child ( as I am the eldest ) and though we seemed happy enough to get through our childhood, I knew from an early age, how much my dad had to go through just to feed the three of us. ( my younger brother, sister and I ) Illiterate, hardworking and patient, Dad would always ensured that we have food on the table. At times, we had porridge with lots of water and salted fish as our best accompanying dish but we roughed it through. Other times, it would be the faithful salt or soya sauce. I could never forget the day when I overheard Mom telling my Dad one day that we have had no rice left in our rice bin. Mom made coffee that evening and we had some scraps of white bread for our dinner that night . As children, we never complained and we went to bed hungry but we understood it all because we knew what position we ( my siblings and I ) were in. That night after everyone had slept, I heard Dad cried softly as he slept inside our house corridor. I knew because I slept together with him at the corridor. That etched on my head and heart for a long time and I would never ever forget that as it is a reminder for me to understand in all humbleness what it meant to go to bed hungry and the humble ability to provide for your family always. You see, you cannot hide the stomachs rumblings even when you are asleep. It would growled loud and often no matter how you tried to hide it. Ever been in such position before? If you have, you would understand exactly what I am saying.

Today, the Covid-19 figure stood at 6,276 affected and 62 deaths! There is not a day that I pray that the figure would fall but the figures don’t lie, ladies and gentleman. What is wrong with our authorities?!!! I believe, the Rakyat had  been very patient and very accommodating in ensuring the success of the MCOs (PKP) and the "Stay at Home" call but there are still durian parties ( cornered, documented proof and analysis - CSI also lose, man! Then finally "admitted" !! )  and blatant disregards of SOPs and MCO restrictions among the VIPs and “the so-call rich & famous.” For crying out loud, people are dying and getting affected! People are hanging themselves due to economic woes and people are suffering mentally, economically and socially. Which part of people dying that you idiots do not understand? Are these lives “less important “ than yours because they don’t fall into your pay grades or status? Are you forgetting that there is a heaven and earth? Are the people/rakyat a play thing or a play pawn in your games of thrones and play of power? These are lives,man. The rakyat is painfully driven to a corner like a rat cornered to the edge of the wall. You, the VIPs sits high and mighty on your personal thrones and pedestal with unaffected salary and allowances and yet, you scorned, make fun, mocked and shamed the public by asking them to pray rather than hand out food and necessities for the rakyat! I want to remind you so-called caliphs of religions or religious bigots that Yes, it is important for us to pray to God for His provision but it also must be followed by the action to provide to his people. Have you heard “words without action is dead?” Most certainly, my faith tells me so.

What is the use for us to say to a hungry man “ Don’t worry , brother.  I know you are hungry. I will pray for you.” But give out nothing to the man and left him to die of hunger. Therefore, my answer to you is get the hunger man some food first so that he could LIVE! I am sure, the first thing he would do is to give the food to his children and wife. That is the heart of a good man. If you tell him that you would pray for him without providing anything to him, you are the murderer of his children and his family! Gosh, Oh My God! We have such a cruel and evil people in our government today. This is the worst of the worst of human beings! People hiding behind the religious robes and proclaiming that it is better to pray! Isn’t it better to provide for the needy rather than getting the funds in the poor people’s fund being channeled into the corrupt pockets and annals of corruptors? It makes me mad seeing such things happening in our nation.  Wake up, you clowns! People are pressed to the very end and people are really dying. The other day, a friend send me a Whatsapp message of a man committing suicide at the pedestrian bridge in town and then another sent me a message of another suicide at the parking shade of a hypermarket. Such is the hopelessness people are feeling about this country of ours under this sickening administration. I want to say barbaric administration but I guess, I would rather stick to some “kindness” or I would mencarut freely as I usually do. The other day, a friend sent a picture of a single mother who had lost all her income due to the lockdown for about a year plus now and seeking help. I immediately did my part and gave what I could without hesitation though I am a retiree now. I thought nothing but about her children who could go to bed hungry that night. I guess, I didn’t have to “ wait and pray” about it, right? Niamah! Insolent idiots of the highest level! 

The Rakyat is already very patient in a lot of matters. Please stop scamming the Rakyat.  You can still get away by scamming the orang kampongs, illiterate and poor but you cannot do it all the time.  This I-Sinar, I-Lestari and I-Citra is just another financial jargon as far as I am concerned. Maybe it should be followed by I-Burit and I-Cirit later on! Look, this “I” funds comes from where? It comes from our old age fund in the EPF ! In the first place, this is rightfully our money! Our hard earned blood, sweat and tears money! These help is not even from the government but from our own money! So, tell me, financial geniuses, which part of these monies are government money? This is money from our hard earned sweat , blood and tears! Monies for "our hari tua!" There is this saying, “ You can lie to some people at some time, but you cannot lie to all the people all the time!“.  Taking out our own money is our right, to be exact. It is our money in the first place! Where is the money from the government fund? May I ask, where is the help fund from the government? Not even a shred of money! All squandered away in high salaries of 70 ministers and the failed government itself and channeled out through the annals of corruption and corrupt practices. Don’t you ,as leaders, have a conscience? These are people’s hard earned monies for their old age and to be used in their old age. That too you want to whack their money and sapu licin leaving nothing for their old age? Have a heart la…..we will all grow old one day and this is the only monies we have for our old age. Dosa besar curi duit orang kita yang akan tua ini, yunno. Dosa besar! Dosa yang tak boleh diampuni!

Then the fiasco of loan moratorium next. Enquiries with banks revealed that you still have to pay your loan interest later. Meaning it is dragged further in your loan repayment period! The only difference is that the compounding interest should not be charged for “late payments”. So, Mr. Finance Minister , can you care to explain to the people how does that benefit us as rakyat with car loans, business loans etc etc.? This steps definitely help “eased” us in a way by prolonging the loans but at the end of the day, we still have to service the interest. It takes us longer to pay up and nothing changes and the banks are still smiling away as they did not lose anything at all! So, you see, you care only of the banks pockets but not the rakyat. So, don’t say you serve the rakyat in your pledge! It is an embarrassment indeed. Likewise, there is no money involved from the government again. At the end of the day, the rakyat had to tanggung everything again! Adoi! Kepala pening seeing such failed government Ministers! Luckily, I still have some sense of logic of continuing to service my loans despite being told of the moratorium. Right now, the word moratorium sounds like crematorium to me! 

Another thing I cannot tahan is one of our of “bright” minister asking the public to get money from licensed money lenders if they feel they need money! Tunafishmadder! It is like asking the public to die early and jump off building faster! This is the most reckless statement I’ve ever heard from a woman Minister! I can accept “drink warm water”, “make Doraemon voice” and “play bodoh-bodoh to get husband” and some of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard in my life but this is the worst of the lot. It only shows the level of mentality of our Ministers. It is virtually asking the rakyat to go to the “Along”. What will they think of next? Promote Pajak Gadai Shop! Wait! Wait! They are already thinking of that, isn’t it? Or asking people to go to betting houses to put their money on Euro 2021 football bets! BLM ( I am really sorry! I really am! Hainanese swear word! ) Life is hard enough la..….Please give solutions not solutions that will lead you to jump off buildings!!! Please call upon the think tank of the country to come up with better solutions! 

That’s why I am particularly irked at where has all the monies and richness of our country had gone. The reserves we are so proud of to proclaim. Where are they? Siphoned, stolen and even channeled somewhere….God knows where. I am terribly upset and angry at where this country is heading. The attitude and level of “bodoh sombong” is extremely high that it chokes the very society we live in. 

I joined the movement amongst the rakyat and raised my ‘White Flag” telling the authority of the day that I am fed up with you and fed -up of your antics of stupid arrogance ( bodoh sombong ) and lack of transparency! It is not a sign of surrender or retreat but rather giving up on their inhumane ways and selfish thinking ways! Cukup dah!

I promise that I will do my best to help out fellow Malaysians who are in need at this hour of despair and difficult times. If you raise a white flag in your house compound and if I see it, my wife and I will get you the groceries and do what we can to ensure that your children and your family will not go to bed hungry. Yes, we may just be retiree and we may have little but the little that we have will be given because our God says so and our hearts say so. No pictures, no hesitation, no fuss! 

So, Malaysians, care to join me ?

Outright blunt........

For weeks I have not been able to write anything as I was numbed to my core in regards to the many things that had happened in our country today. Being “isolated and confined” to my home as I was adhering to the nation’s call to “Stay At Home”, I was doing my patriotic duty to the nation and the people of this nation. However, like so many beloved Malaysians out there, I could not help feeling angry and disgusted as the VIPs and "above the law" whatnots are constantly out there breaking the SOPs as Covid-19 numbers climbed and peaked. For the past one week, the affected Covid patients are somewhere in the region of 40,000 people! (in my rough calculations, I can be exact though if I want to, actually ) Imagine this, 40,000 people per week! I am utterly disgusted and disappointed as law abiding citizens DO play their part to stay at home but yet there are some back-door clowns and profoundly sickening of all, flouters who continued to remain happily out there to spread Covid-19. I am not saying this for the hardworking individuals who are out there to eke out a living for their family and put food on the family table but many VIPs who pretended to eat Maggi mee to beg publicity and rake in the sympathy. Poodah! 

To me, it is utterly useless to have 1001 MCO’s and whatever COs lah when there is no evidence of a total lockdown. At its best, I could call the present lockdown as a “feeble partial lockdown.” There is just no seriousness in getting this pandemic numbers to go down. It is simple mathematics and pure stupidity to not know where the numbers of affections are and in which economic sectors! Instead of clamping down these sector, you clowns in the authority continue to open the door wider for more infections. These various Covid-19 variants just cannot walk into our country, man. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that they came from crossing border la…. by carriers through our borders. I charged you, the government authorities for being reckless in allowing these variants to come in to our country due to your lack of governing the borders! 

It is sickening enough to know that our hospital ICUs are running at almost full capacity and the strain on our front liners are truly stretching. I could not help but feel sorry for these overworked folks while the people at authority are squandering lives day after day. I shudder at the thought of the doctors having to make a decision on who lives and who dies due to the shortage of ICU beds and spaces. It is a horrifying feeling or gut wrenching decision if it is your father or mother or brother or sister or even a relative lying on the ICU bed which had to be vacated to make way for another needy Covid -19 patient. To me, that is the most  terrifying and devastating feeling of all. I can’t help but sympathized with the doctors who had to make such call! Yes, we all have to DIE someday but to let someone else to decide your fate whether you live to fight another day or left to die because of lack of medical facilities can be quite hard to swallow. Don’t you think so?

I am not an idealist when it comes to such matters. Lives matters, ladies and gentleman. We can be careless in our lives, in which we sometimes do and we do tempt fate at times but having someone else  make a decision whether we live or not can be real in pandemic times and it sucks big time. That’s devastating. To be honest, I am one who is never fearful for my life and I never will but I do empathized with those who had lost their loved ones or friends. I can only pray that God’s balm of comfort be upon their hearts as they grieved for their loss. 

The vaccine roll out is another joke as far as I am concerned. My mom who is 78 years old just got her jab 2 weeks ago. Praise God for that but the wait is way too long. The other thing is that I do see some younger looking folks also lining up to take their shots! It puzzled me if the 70 million ringgit system had “technical glitch” kah when it comes to who should get their vaccine first? I am still puzzled over this matter. Yup, some of these folks don’t look a day older than in their 40’s while older guy like me is still waiting for my 1st vaccine shot appointment.

I am sure if you see people like that having their shots ahead of the elderly ones who may need it earlier, you definitely will have your blood boil too! Interestingly, reports whether we have enough vaccine or not is still a debate. Which is which now? Do we have enough vaccine or not? The debacle in Selangor is sticking up like a sore thumb to our Vaccine Minister at this time while being satirely compared to the Disney character, Pinocchio. We need no further elaboration on Pinocchio as I believe, all 70 ministers in our government are Pinocchios,man!  I began to wonder if so much monies had been squandered and swallowed off that if we even have the funds to buy these vaccines in the first places despite assurances from the government that the vaccines had been paid off. What about those vaccines that had been donated by foreign countries to us? I do hope these vaccines got in to the arms of Malaysian citizens! Rightly so, we have to take their word for it! Oh! Btw, all parlimentarians have had their 2 doses! Then it is accounted as 440 shots ( 220 fellas X 2 doses ) plus a few hundreds more for Speakers and Senators and but still cannot convene and meet for Parliament for fear of mass infection and 1001 excuses.  They kiasi ( takut mati ) but they think, we, the public are not kiasi ( takut mati )! Niamah! Tunafishmadder!

Then it got me thinking, if you have paid for the damn lot, where the hell is the vaccine then? To me, it is illogical for another department to handle the vaccination roll out when the Ministry of Health or the hospitals units are more than capable in administering these shots. Look at the polio shots, BCG shots etc etc. during our school/younger days. These are run by the hospitals mobile teams and they did it good at schools and community halls all those years. Why are they not being activated to do the same for schools, community halls and rural township mobile units to hasten the vaccination process? It is interesting to note that when you want the people to go and vote in the election, you do know how to transport and get those people to vote, huh? You go to every crook and corner of the rural and urban areas to look for voters and bring them to the voting centres but you will not do the same for this vaccination process?  Pelik! Pelik! Pelik!

The other thing I want to touch on is the political stability in this country. The political scene is like a cows trading market these days and I do mean, real cows, the two legged ones! Get your act together, man. This country needs a stabilized government. The welfare of the people needs to be looked after. We need a leader with backbone with good character, honest, morally sound and capable ministers at work. We , the public/rakyat, do NOT wanted washed up, morally corrupt and dirty ministers at work! Until today, I cannot understand why a road tax disc could not be produced despite the MCO but you could get it produces at MyEg, Fatberry or Bijak digital platform! So, these platforms are the higher authority than JPJ now? Interesting,man.  Is it so difficult to allow 3 or 4 staffs to work in JPJ office to switch on the computer system and work as usual? Are they going to die if they work in the JPJ office? This is just one example of a government department that had caused much anxiety to the public in general.  Look, cow herders, this is the digital age of technology but we are having mentality like a third world country! There is no real concerted effort to find solutions at all in whatever we had to face in this country. Every damn technology means bleeding more monies into the wrong pockets of the crooked policy makers and business community just like exploding handphones and yet to be delivered laptops promises! Sheesh! For crying out loud! Cut the crap and just do your work properly, ministers! Don’t cause any more inconvenience to the general public. I believe, the general public is very fed-up of the ministers antics and whining! Get serious and GET TO WORK! 

Not driving around in big and fancy Mercedes doing nothing! That’s what we’ve been shortchanged all these years. The rakyat is suffering and bleeding excessively in terms of finance, physically and mentally! There are people who are in difficulties to pay for food, utilities and even keeping their home afloat. Don’t line your pockets and squeezed dry the coffers as the people suffers further. Test driving new car, flamboyant food parties, buying Mercedes for public office use, flaunting gold and blink blink here and there days and many other “activities” are not the ways leaders should behave. Even if the public forgives you, God would not forgive you for the arrogant show of extravagance and lack of care. How is it attractive to God and the people if you steal from the public coffers,  monies from various organisations and monies meant  for the future of our country?  

Is there no hope in this country? The dark dawn had risen and covered our land but I always believe that there is a silver lining in every storm and dark days ahead. I will not forget the words that will always ring and sound in my mind - “ The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” -Edmund Burke.

I pray that we will see better days ahead. I am optimistic, that's the least I can do.......

Raya treat....We care...

“Terima kasih kerana membantu kami,” exclaimed one petite Indonesian woman as she received her food pack consisting of ketupat, chicken rendang and a pack of light condiments from Pastor Jarren yesterday evening. Her smile and grateful expression on her face says it all, really. As the other workers who had just came back from work started to line up, the team of volunteers consisting of Pastor Jarren , Jionn, Shwu Yuen and Pastor Daniel gave out the special food packs to them. You could see the beaming joy on their faces, the widened smiles and that grateful endeavor in them. I guess, as a volunteer, it really gives me a lot of joy and blessing knowing that all of us in the Hope Kitchen team of City Community Church, Melaka had played a small part in not just feeding the needy but also attending to the comfort of the matters of the heart and mind especially during this difficult time of pandemic and Hari Raya celebrations.

Pst.Daniel, Pst.Jarren, Shwu Yuen and Jionn

Shwu Yuen & Pst.Jarren preparing the Raya food packs

Hope Kitchen, an initiative from the Youth Ministry of City Community Church, Melaka had its first spark sometime in May, 2020 by a group of youth leaders who wanted to do something more for the community. Under the tutelage and leadership of Pastor Daniel and Pastor Jarren, the boys and girls made their rounds at the nearby Malinja flats and saw first hand experience for themselves the reality of living and living conditions of the various migrant workers ( Indonesians, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Myanmar, Cambodians ) and the locals at the flats. Somehow, the trip experience touched their lives and after some discussion, they picked up the idea of Hope Kitchen. Soon ideas flowed and flourished while the initiative took off with the first sharing with the needy during the 1^st MCO period whereby many lives were touched with simple food groceries such as rice, salt, sugar, eggs, dried mee hoon, flour and other simple groceries. Needy folks in Banda Hilir, Kg.Jawa, Bukit Baru, Ujong Pasir and many other areas benefitted from this food grocery drive. It has been on-going ever since and with the grace of God, Hope Kitchen has been a blessing to many in the community ever since. With donations and givings in kinds ,thus far, Hope Kitchen had been able to produce approximately 100 packs of food groceries to be given out each time. The team faith grew from a small number to about 100 packs today. Indeed, God has been good and merciful.

Waiting for the workers to arrive...Shwu Yuen, Jionn & Pst.Jarren..

For me, I took part in the latest two events of food grocery giving and Raya food pack blessing which was held yesterday (15/5/2921 ). I had the opportunity to serve together with some really nice people in Bro Shaun, Suzan, Yeona, Sean Teh, Aidan Teh, Jionn, Shwu Yuen, Daniel, Dave, Pastor Jarren and Pastor Daniel. With the raging pandemic and the constant scrutiny for SOP, everyone worked well, masked up, kept our distance and packed the food groceries diligently while spreading a lot of cheer and happiness as we go about packing the food. I guess, everyone is well aware of what we are supposed to do as we took the proper precautions in sanitizing our hands, masks on, keeping distance, wear gloves but ensured that we greeted our recipients well, with much enthusiasm and with cheery quips to boost the atmosphere. Truly remarkable people with wonderful spirit of cheerfulness. Undeterred but always under the watchful eyes of the presence of the police personnels, we made sure that the food groceries were all given out with the proper procedures like registration, temperature recording, a good spray of hand sanitizer and social distancing procedure which were strictly adhered to.

Arrival of the workers and asking them to do safe social distancing........

Giving out the Raya food packs....

I believe that despite all the gloominess of the prolonged pandemic situation, I could not help but noticed that we are truly a joyful lot of people when serving. Everyone is always on high spirits and the right attitude. I guess, all of us understood the need to spread some cheer to the already despairing situation and to lift up the spirits of others.  I guess, it also rings true that it is more blessed to give than to receive thus, bringing joy to others and helping out in whatever way does bring out that inner satisfaction that no one could ever experience. I remembered distinctively when two older folks from the Malinja flats came over to collect the food groceries but they weren’t capable of carrying them, immediately Daniel and Dave volunteered to carry the groceries for them and to their homes. It was really so touching and such a blessing to see such rare acts from these young people nowadays. This reflects very well of their upbringing and mannerism plus effective youth ministry lessons. Personally, to me, nothing beats the gratefulness, the cheer and the smiles we bring to the people with food groceries/food packs in hand. I guess, we would never be able to gauge the joy and the blessings we bring to these folks but I believe, God is watching above us.

Each getting their Raya food treats.....

It is never about glory, fame or populist move to do what they did. The team did it because they had fine examples of giving, blessing and love from GOD, the Elders of the church  ( Pastor Chua, Dr Pang CW and Wong FM ) and the shepherd of the church, Pastor Joanne. This trickling of blessings from the top right to the bottom hierarchy helped in formulating the very essence of the heart of God and serving the people. Like I always say to people out there, you can only do what you see your top fellas do, right? That care, concern and blessings trickled generously from the very top of the church right to the congregation of the church and that made a big difference in our mindset and our journey to do what is right for the community around us.

Nearby migrant worker......

Raya treat food packs.......

Recipient of the last pack of Raya treat food packs....

As we packed up yesterday evening after giving out our final food pack, I can’t help but noticed that there was another bus load of workers who had just arrived after work ; who had missed out the Raya food packs we gave out. Pastor Daniel and I looked at each other and we kinda have the same thought of what if we could have had another 50 Raya food packs to give out to these latecomers. It was already 7.20pm and Pastor Daniel had to sadly informed them that we had given out all of our food packs for the day. You could see the disappointment in some of them but I guess, they knew our limitations too.  Well, Pastor Daniel and I consoled ourselves that we did what we could and we would do better the next time and try not to missed anyone out the next time. Armed with this determination, we prayed that in our next giving, we would be able to help more people in the future! Btw, the food packs were catered from the nearby food vendors ( food condiments ) and food sellers (ketupat & rendang). This is our way to help out the local food vendors and help out their small businesses. At least , they have a chance to eke out a living at these times, don't you agree?

Food condiments......

Food condiments and the ketupat & rendang pack....

On the way back home, I have asked my daughter, Shwu Yuen about her experience of helping out in the Raya food packs distribution that evening. She confided in me that it was truly a wonderful experience of serving as we discussed further of what it meant on the inside of our hearts rather than the exterior service. There was also a wide smile on her face when she informed me of how great the food condiments looked and how grateful the people who received the packs. To me, that’s a quiet satisfaction for me and I’m happy that she was able to serve alongside me and the people who were there that day.

I realized that in this difficult and trying times, everyone is strapped tight in terms of business, monetary planning and even on survival mode. I truly understand your situation and I feel for you.

However, if you would like to help sponsor food stuff or give any financial assistance to help Hope Kitchen or if you really need any assistance in grocery needs ( only in Melaka for the time being, my sincerest apologies!)  the team would be very blessed indeed. You could speak to Pastor Daniel Teo or Pastor Jarren Chua of City Community Church , Melaka or you could email : cityccmelaka@gmail.com

Getting the food packs ready.......

I am not being critical nor being judgemental in any way but I would like to request that may you please seek assistance when you are really in need. Here’s the irony. Last week, a woman in a Honda Accord car came to seek for a pack of food groceries as the team gave out the food grocery packs.  The car was sparkling clean and pretty new while the woman and the driver were decently dressed up. Personally, in my view, they weren’t poor nor seemed to be in need of food grocery pack. Pastor Daniel had to inform them that the packs were meant for the needy only. The woman retorted by saying that she thought it was just free giving out of food groceries! So, she came because she thought it was free NOT because she was in need of it. You get what I mean. So, people, please spare a little thought for the team who worked hard to feed the folks who are really in need. Don’t take away whatever little we can provide for the needy and the low income community. Have a thought for them. Sometimes, they too are shy to come forward to receive any aid. It’s just how it is with the community. Let us all play our part to help the community around us, shall we?

Go ahead, spring up more Hope Kitchens wherever you are and help the community around you. Just stay safe, be safe and have a heart!  

Worthy Lives....

 

Aunty June and me. This 94 year old woman is awesome!

Today I want to share my experience of serving during this difficult pandemic times. I know that what I did was just a very meagre fraction of the many things the people who could have contributed more to the society during these times. It all started in the living room of my home when I had cried my heart out  on some difficulties the family had to face over time and the general anxieties of life. I must acknowledged that we do have a good God who hears our prayers despite our constant barrages of “shopping list” wants and needs to Him! I am no different and I am also a mere human with much flaws and inadequacies but that night in the living room, I cried a lot. There seemed to be a lot of matters to handle and to go through that I was overwhelmed by it.  It was as though I poured out all my sorrows to the Lord and had sought for that one moment of small relief. Well, I have bad news for those who needs constant relief, it is not going to happen! That’s for sure. It’s going to take a lot of soul searching and a lot of reflective thinking when you are dealing with yourself and with matters of the Lord. It was no different for me that night. I just trusted the Lord for His leading in times like this. That night, I asked the Lord for the opening of doors in my life so that I would be in His service and I would rend my heart for what seemed to be a period of hardness I have felt in my life.

As the pandemic worsened each day, SLing and I went on with our lives and then came the call from Pastor Daniel if I could help him out by taking Aunty June for her 1^st Covid-19 vaccination at Dewan Tun Ali, Bukit Katil. I have no reservation nor hesitation in agreeing to help out at all. In fact, I would be glad to help out as I told Pastor Daniel. I was to be the driver for Aunty Wong Junetta Gock, a 94 year old “young lady” who stays about an hour drive from my place. Never mind the distance as I was most willing to help. No qualms about that.  She is truly one of the most amazing and inspirational figure I’ve ever met in my life! She is our church member and seeing her was a great encouragement for me. I’ve seen her teach in the Sunday School class in her age and she would put us all in shame when teaching the children of the love of God. Such passion, love and commitment were certainly applaudable but most important of all, she was an epitome of God’s love even in her late age. Truly a remarkable person and a wonderful personality plus she speaks very well and audible. That morning, I drove an hour to meet her and then an hour to the vaccination centre. During the one hour drive, I was absolutely floored by the amount of knowledge this woman had of what is happening in our country and the world! It was the most pleasant journey to be able to speak with someone that knowledgeable. Even though I was just the driver for the day, Aunty June made it a point to engage me with some interesting discussion points and daily matters. It was such a joy being able to engage in such an interesting volume and range of topics. We both had some good laughs on certain matters while the entire process of vaccination was a good experience for her.  I guess, if I could do my part to calm matters and to make it a good process of vaccination for her, I would be glad with that. That day, I just did all I could to ensure a smooth process of vaccination for Aunty June. We even had some photographs together and also at the end of the vaccination. I thank God for Aunty June’s life and such vigour in her spirit for the Lord. I could only marvel at her strength, courage and love despite losing her loving husband, Uncle Peter a number of years ago. Alone, slightly immobile except for the support, she was able to eke out her life daily despite the pandemic. What a woman indeed! God gave me a good lesson that morning of which I am eternally grateful indeed.

Aunty Juneat the completion of the 1st dose vaccination.

Weeks later, SLing and I received a call from Pastor Daniel if we could ferry Aunty Chan,a church member too, to the vaccination centre in Dewan Tun Ali. This time both SLing and I were able to ferry her to the vaccination centre together. Meeting Aunty Chan was indeed a blessing. This petite 83 year old was going for her 2^nd vaccination. She too is truly a remarkable woman. We talked happily that morning on various subjects and she was truly a good conversationist. She gave SLing and I two juicy and beautiful looking mangoes and they were truly very good when we ate them later that day. As usual, during the vaccination process, somehow, there was a larger crowd that day. I helped Aunty Chan during the registration and ensure a smooth process for her. There was so much uneasiness at the centre by the larger presence of people whom were identified as pilgrims who would be performing their Haj sometime soon. They were being put together with the older folks who are on their second dose vaccination. I guess, I tried to make it as smooth as possible for Aunty Chan to have her vaccination. It was all done within 40 minutes and soon, we were off to her home. Along the way, SLing and I had asked Auntie Chan if she wanted to have some lunch. She declined our offer but would like to buy a loaf of bread. When I got her the bread, she thanked me and offered to pay for the loaf but I insisted that she need not pay for it. She then said that she would pray for us during her quiet times. To me, that was all we needed and the best deal ever. I was so blessed and impressed with Aunty Chan simply because she is alone since the passing away of Uncle Chan YT but she lived her life the best she could and making the best of what she could. Such strength and tenacity! I guess, it is never easy but she made it through thus far. She is quiet, timid but a woman of faith. I guess, my heart goes out to these two ladies and I am truly blessed listening to their stories and their experiences in life. Their life experiences motivated, refreshed and encouraged me to be a better person in life. I learnt that having faith in God and standing firm to His words helps to refine and mould you in perspective and how you lead your life. I learnt that even in old age, you can inspire many people just like these two “young ladies” whom I have the great honour to be with that day. They are truly beautiful people who just needs a little ear to listen to and an open heart to hear their stories. Afterall, with wealth of life experiences and vast perspective in life under their belt, who wouldn’t , right?

Aunty Chan and me. This petite 83 year old woman is wonderful!

Look , we would all grow old one day. What story would we be telling to the people or even our family members one day? Would it be a good story to inspire or would it be a story of bitterness and sorrows? To me, these two women told their stories with much truth, honesty, enthusiasm and love. Just like everyone else, they do have their ups and downs in life but they lifted their chins up, bear the brunt and moved on in their lives. To the both of them, when they do a count back or take stock of what had happened, God has been good and God is good.

Aunty Chan on her 2nd dose completion of vaccination! Well done!

To me, the greatest lesson I take away from this experience is that when God opens the door to be a blessing – just do it well, listen well and care for the needs. In return, the love, joy and peace in your heart are truly enormous and uplifting. That day, I felt so blessed.

I felt joyful and blessed being able to be the chauffeur for these beautiful ladies that day. Even the most menial works of all, it gives my heart such a warm feeling.  That , my friends, is priceless. No money, power nor status can even come close to that! Priceless!

So, thank you , Aunty June and Aunty Chan for blessing and enriching our lives with your lives!