Divechiefkaz

Arowana - Harvesting the babies

2012-01-07T05:57:00.001+08:00

A few days back, I paid a visit to our Arowana pond somewhere in Bukit Merah. As luck would have it, one of fish had babies. Thus I would like to share how the harvesting process was done. Only the male Arowana carries the eggs until they hatch. Then the babies are kept in the mouth still, for approximately 2 months, just about the time their egg yolk sac diminishes and they had to start eating thru the mouth.

The farm area is a Strictly Restricted Area

Harvest is every 55 days

The farm was bustling with activities

Our pond

The Preparation

2 workers were in the pond, one on each side

The worker ensures that there was no gaps between the sides of the pond with the net

A large net was dragged from end to end

The net was hiked up coz the arowanas are able to 'jump' out of the water at a considerable height

The Harvesting

The dude spotted a 'suspicious' looking Arowana

He gets it into the 'quarantine' net

Here he is feeling the underside of the mouth to check whether there are any babies in the mouth

The 'quarantine' net was replaced with a bigger net

Since the Arowana is an energetic fish, the only non-drug based inducement to 'tranqualize' the fish was by spinning it around until it gets dizzy...very basic...hehe

The fish was coaxed to open its mouth

Suddenly out comes the babies

And more babies...

Final check to see if there are anymore inside

The babies were quite mature...approximately 2 months old as there were no egg yolk sac left

The babies collected in a plastic bag...

...and immediately sent to the Nursery

The Nursery

The nursery...very hygienic place

The latest addition to the family...

...and his siblings

... and his elder brothers and sisters from the previous harvest

Strike a pose...camera whore like its owner :)

End of Chemotherapy

2011-12-30T00:57:00.000+08:00

The last few sessions had left my dad drained of energy, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing. The specialist had changed his chemo cocktail of drugs, and as explained in my previous posting, it was taking a toll on his health.

Before my dad had his 12th second level chemotherapy, a CT scan was ordered to see whether the development of the cancer cells had been halted in any way. Unfortunately, it shows that improvement, if any, was very minimal.

After consulting the various doctors, close friends and families....after 16 chemotherapy sessions (4 first level + 12 second level), my dad decided he has had enough of chemotherapy. So the relationship with Radiology and Oncology Department HKL remains as a palliative procedure, requiring him to pay a visit every few months. My dad was happy with his decision, and I was happy that the old man was happy. I had always, in the past, decided on all his medical decisions, but this time I let him decide on his own.

Sour Sop or "Durian Belanda"

We have now embarked on a new pathway, that is of alternative medicine. No...its not about witch doctors, voodoo dolls or the local Tok Bomoh.... its taking the natural pathway... fruits, berries etc. During our numerous visits for his chemo sessions, we heard tips and advices from numerous cancer survivors at the clinic. Among the consistent tip is to take Sour Sop on a daily basis, or locally known as 'Durian Belanda'.

After he started taking the fruit on a daily basis, his cancer marker showed an improvement, and this was after his 10th chemo session during which his cancer marker was increasing all the time. A myth or coincidence? Maybe...but quite a number of cancer survivors attest to the power of the Sour sop.

Maybe that is why the 'Durian Belanda' is quite expensive nowadays. For those of you who have large plots of unused land, maybe this would be a good business venture :)

A Rave Party Tiesto Style

2011-12-21T01:10:00.000+08:00

One fine day, my old friend Zeq suggested for us to attend Tiesto's concert in Sepang. Hmmm...sounds interesting. Then he said the magic word "My treat". That sort of seals the deal. hehehe. Zeq and I share this passion for what I call 'laid back' music...more of the music, less of vocals. We used to listen to Cafe Del Mare during long drives on dive trips. However I am not sure that Tiesto and Cafe Del Mare are of the same genre.

When CaTz heard the news, she thought I was kidding. After a few minutes of her laughing her head off, then she said..."you nak pergi concert budak-budak muda tu? Can you stand that long?". I answered "kalau penat duduk la kat kerusi". Then it dawned on me that it is not the same kind of concert as the Kenny G concert I attended way, way back in London, where there were plush dedicated seats in a nice concert hall. O M G.....early signs of regrets starts to surface.

However, it was a few hours away from concert time, it's too late to chicken out. So I put on my black tshirt, jeans, shoes and headed for Sepang. Little did I realised I was dressed as a rocker heading for a rave party.

There were local and international DJs spinning their music. The atmosphere was just nice, with soft wind cooling the scene, and a full moon in the background. Everyone was waiting for the star of the show, Tiesto to come on stage. Eventually he came on, to the tremendous applause from the crowd. Suddenly there was an influx of people. You can see rows and rows of hand phones videoing (is there such a word?) the appearance, and Tiesto did not disappoint us. Much effort went not only to the music, but also the video and special effects.

At last, I have to admit that I felt a teeny weeny out of place. I spent most of the time looking amused at the antics and dance 'styles' of those around me. Here are some of my observations:

the fatter they are, the skimpier are their outfits....ewwwwww.
stay away from those who have just left the centre court area, coz they are sweaty and smelly, from all that jumping around... of course.
the longer you stay, the more invisible you are...coz more people seems to be making body contact with you, as if you weren't there.
no matter how sexy you are, you look really ugly when you are drunk and vomiting everywhere.
any body movement qualifies as a dance move....even just putting your hand up (like when in school and you are asking permission to go to toilet).

At about 1am, we left the area. Somehow the thought of our beds seemed more inviting. Sign of old age....maybe. To all youngsters who were looking at us in disbelief, we have this to say... "we have been there, done that... when you were just an itch in your dad's pants" hahaha.

Reality Hurts

2011-12-02T00:17:00.023+08:00

It's been months since I last blogged. It does not mean nothing interesting happened in my life, but I was quite occupied between teaching,work and sending my dad for his chemotherapy. He has just completed his 12th second level chemo, plus the 4 first level chemo, totaling 16 chemotheraphy sessions. Until today, I had forgotten about his 'true' condition, subconsciously hoping that the chemotherapy was doing it's magic.

The person that snapped me back into reality was a good doctor friend who took time to call me and reminded me of the truth. You see, as it was his 12th session, he was asked to do a CT Scan to determine the extend of the damage done by the cancer and whether the chemotherapy actually worked. I guess my friend saw the result, and it's not good. The cancer is stage 4, has spread to his lungs and liver, and it's terminal.

Even though I had watched how life was literally sucked from my dad, from happy, strong old man to a frail and weak old man, I had always told myself that it's the side effects of chemotherapy, that inside the chemotherapy was doing it's magic. I believed that so much until I forgot that he was a stage 4 cancer patient and that the cancer cells were eating him up.

My friend had asked me to prepare myself for the worst, to spend every available time with my old man. The problem that is on my mind is how to tell my mum and my siblings. They too have the right to know the truth, but I am not sure whether knowing the truth would be best for them or my dad. No matter how many times I had been faced with death while rescuing people, it is not an easy subject to face, much more when it involves someone dear to you.

I hope and I pray that I have the endurance, perseverance and strength to go through all these to the end, to carry out my tasks and responsibility as the eldest son. The feeling of helplessness is simply overbearing.

It's true what some people say, chemotherapy is a bigger killer than the disease.

2nd Level Chemo...the saga continues

2011-06-23T10:51:00.000+08:00

The reason why I decided to blog about my dad's condition is hopefully it can be a informative source for anyone who has colon cancer. Hopefully, it would ease them to face this condition that saps the live out of a human. Continuing about my dad's fight cancer saga....

After his 4th chemo in Selayang Hospital, as mentioned in my previous entry, my dad was referred to HKL (Hospital Kuala Lumpur, formerly known as General Hospital) for 2nd level chemo. My dad was not in favour of going to HKL, due to the bad experiences from my late sister's case.

For the first experience with the Oncology Department in HKL was an eye opener for him. Though a bit cramped with people, the attending specialist was pleasant, soft spoken and full of empathy. Upon checking my dad, she was surprised to see the condition of my dad's hands. She was more surprised to find out that there was no medication prescribed for it.

She then recommended that a 'Chemo Port' be inserted to ease the infusion of the chemo. You have to purchase the device from the pharmacy though as its not provided for by the hospital.

Within days, the minor operation was conducted. The operation takes less than an hour, but you have to wait for your turn. My dad was admitted at 10am, the operation only done at 4.30pm. after the operation, Mr Tan, the surgeon told my dad that he can be discharged. Due to the incompetent ward MO who was unsure how to discharge a patient, we had to wait until 10.30pm when the specialists conduct their ward rounds. Instead of having my dad discharged, that MO chose to follow the specialists around the wards and only discharged my dad after that. Even the specialists were confused as to why my dad was still there.

After discharged, we had to go to pick up the medicine from the pharmacy ourselves. When I finally sent my dad back home, it was close to midnight. That MO has to wisen up to prioritise for 'warga emas' who has just completed surgery as compared to 'in-house' patients.

During our next visit, we got some good news. There is an option of having the chemo infusion at home, thus no more hospital stay. My dad jumped at it the moment the specialist has just completed her sentence. Seeing my dad's eagerness, I agreed to it. For this option, we have to purchase the disposable infusion pump (single use) ourselves as it's not supplied by the hospital.

The pump has no batteries or moving parts and operates by pressure. It infuses very slowly through his Chemo Port. So now the routine is on Friday to take blood sample. The following Monday from 9am - 4pm, he takes his infusion at HKL. Then they prepare his pump and attach it to the Chemo Port. After that he can go home and on Wednesday at 12pm, I send him to HKL to detach the pump. The cycle is every 2 weeks.
So far he has gone for 1 cycle of the 2nd level Chemo. Alhamdulillah, there are no severe side effects.

Why I haven't blog...Part 3 (Final)

2011-05-14T01:43:00.000+08:00

1 month on, and there we were, my dad and I, listening to Mr R, the specialist on Chemo. Mr R thought that my dad could not understand English, thus he was very blunt and straight forward in explaining about my dad's medical condition. He was saying things like "It is bad as its Stage 4 cancer and has spread to his liver and lungs", "We don't know how long he will live, but its gonna be worst" etc etc. I looked at my dad but he looks cool. Then I interrupted Mr R and told him "My dad understands English. You can explain directly to him". Mr R went red in the face, poor dude, but we understood that he meant well.

There are a few options in getting Chemotherapy. Option 1 is a daily dose but he has to come weekly for it, Option 2 is a 48 hours dose but on alternate weeks, Option 3 is 5 straight days in the hospital on a monthly basis. There is now a tablet form also that you can take at home but its a bit costly. After discussing with my dad, we chose option 2.

The good part was, treatment is at Ward 4C, a 3rd class ward, but for chemo, he would be placed in an isolation room, similar to a 2nd class. The first time everyone was nervous, including myself, coz we didnt know how my dad's body would react to the drug. The 3 days in the ward was with little interruption from the nurses, its as if we were just temporary visitors. First day went by, and apart from slight increase in body temperature, nothing else happened. Same goes for the rest of the stay. I was grateful that there were no serious side effects.

The 2nd visit was easier, with the ward already waiting for my dad to come in. A special mention to my dad's attending physician, Dr Farhan, a soft spoken Kelantanese, whom immediately clicked with my dad. He was in-charge for administering my dad's medication.

We have now come to our 4th visit next week. During the last visit, Dr Farhan said that the cancer markers were still increasing despite the Chemo. Thus, maybe my dad needed a much stronger 2nd level Chemo but could only be administered in HKL (Kuala Lumpur General Hospital). A stronger cocktail of drugs would certainly bring some side effects, I am sure.

My dad and I has gotten much closer since then. I was there by his bedside no matter how tired I had worked during the day because I know that the few moments together were very precious to me and him. Everytime on our journey back home, we would stop by our favourite Mamak restaurant, where we would have father - son conversations over lunch. The topics has gotten heavier though, and I try to digest them while trying to put on a brave face, not to show my sadness.

I am thankful to the Al Mighty coz I am blessed with the means and time to be with my dad. To me, it's the greatest gift of all. I hope and I pray that I am given the courage, perseverance, patience, time and the means to go through what's ever coming in the future.

For those of you who have yet to bond with your old man, now is a good time to start.

Why I haven't blog...Part 2

2011-04-15T13:42:00.002+08:00

Dad's room in Ampang Hospital

A second opinion was requested and my dad was transferred to Selayang Hospital, reputably the cancer centre amongst Government hospitals. The surgeon in-charge of my dad's case, Mr Raj immediately put my dad's fears at ease. He was very courteous, professional and most of all, a knowledgeable and experienced surgeon. The prognosis was not good, he has colon cancer. Within days, he had scheduled my dad's surgery. There were also indications that the cancer has spread to his liver and lungs. He stressed that the surgery was not a cure, but merely to 'improve his quality of life'.

The night before, my mom stayed overnight together with me. At that point, I didn't know how or what to feel. My dad was understandably a bit nervous, but the sleeping pill given to him helps. The next morning, very early, the nurses came to ask him to get ready as he was the first on the list. The journey from the ward to the operating theatre seems a long one. We said our goodbyes and they wheeled him in. The look of sadness on my mum’s face was heart wrenching, and slowly I put my hand around her and lead her back upstairs to my dad’s room.

Somehow we waited and waited, and yet there was no news about my dad. Time passed by …1 hour, 2 hours…5 hours. Could something have gone wrong? Asking the nurses didn't help either, coz every time they gave me the same standard answer..."nanti kita bagi tau". Luckily I knew someone who works in ICU, who then did some investigative work for me. "Belum lagi Rul, masih dalam OT" was the answer. That didn’t help. He called again 30 minutes later to tell me my dad was in recovery room.

Dad post ops

Still not getting any news from the nurses, I went down to ward 4A, the surgical ward for post ops cases. I went alone to ensure that everything is OK before my mum comes down. There he was, on the bed, on Epidural. The look of discomfort was on his face, but being dad, he didn’t complain. Luckily at the same time Mr Raj came by. My dad whispered that he was in great pain. The anaesthesiologist was called in and the Epidural dosage was increased. After that he was more at ease.

The next day he was better, probably free from the hallucinating drugs. He was no longer in pain and you could almost see the energy returning back to his body. Surprisingly, on the 4^th day, Mr Raj discharged him from the hospital. When I arrived that afternoon (you cannot stay at the wards after 7am until afternoon), he was all packed and ready to go…hahaha.

My 'bed' brought from home

Throughout the ordeal, I was there to look after my dad, as I was 'more independent' than my siblings. I am thankful to have a very understanding wife as I was away most of the time. Ampang Hospital was the best, as I had brought my camp bed along as the picture above. Selayang Hospital was still a bit conservative, as they still have the nursing/medical staff from the older generation, thus I had to make do with the hospital armchair as a bed.

...to be continued (Final part)

Why I haven't blog...Part 1

2011-04-12T01:29:00.004+08:00

It has been a long time since I had updated my blog. The main reason was, earlier on this year, my dad had some medical problems. One day, I received a call from my sister saying my dad was some serious stomach pains. You see my dad is quite reserved, funny and one who has above normal tolerance to pain or disgusting people (unlike his son haha). So when he is groaning in pain, it means that it was a above normal level of pain. Administering some skills I learned as a rescuer, the pain subsided when he finally went to the toilet. My dad refused to go to the hospital, so since his pain has subsided by about 90%, I decided to have a pep talk with him later.

The reason why my dad refused to go to the hospital was more of a traumatic emotional scarring by the death of my youngest sister. My sister was born much later than me and my other 2 siblings, about 7 years later, thus she was the baby of the family. She spent the whole of Ramadhan in Kuala Lumpur General Hospital (HKL) with a condition that baffles the doctors. So it was a barrage of tests, including a trial and error application of medicines. Everyday without fail, my parents would visit her, and everyday they carried a change of her clothes, just in case the doctor would say "you are well and discharge". At that time, medical care at public hospitals were quite bad. Facilities were limited, patients were overwhelming and the medical staff were overworked. All these leads to nasty, foul mouthed nurses, whom during my late sister's tenure in the ward, had unleashed some of these unprofessional attitude to her and my parents. My dad had prayed for her to be discharged in time for Raya, and true enough, the doctors discharged her a few days before Raya. My parents were happy.

However, on the second day of Hari Raya, she had a relapse of her symptoms and had to be brought back to the HKL. To cut the story short, that was to be her last Hari Raya with us. God had answered my dad's prayers, but her time was up. We were not prepared for her sudden demise. Everyone was shattered, and me being the eldest son, had to clench my teeth (to put on a 'strong face') and arrange for her burial. She died at the age of 15 years old. Ever since then, my parents had avoided going to hospitals, especially HKL.

2 weeks later, I had the opportunity to have a father-son chat with my dad. Finally he agreed to a check up at Ampang Hospital. With assistance from Ms Lynn, an appointment was arranged within days. As expected, he was admitted and a barrage of tests were performed on him too. While waiting during the Colonoscopy, a surgeon was called in. "This can't be good" I thought to myself. Sure enough they found a tumor which almost closed up his colon. An immediate surgical procedure was the only option.


My dad's room in Ampang Hospital

....to be continued

New Year Resolutions

2011-01-07T23:59:00.003+08:00

2010 headaches...hehe

Aahhhh the new year is here. Year by year, I always have "to blog a minimum of once a month" as part of my new year's resolution. Last year, I almost achieve it, except for January & March.

A few things occurred in 2010, but one major event outweighs the rest. 2010 shall always remain in the hallmarks of my life autobiography (should I become famous one day..hehe) as the year I re-married again after almost 5 years being the President of Persatuan Duda Semalaysia (I wonder if there is such a society). The event left a few girls crying...and I heard through the grapevine that there was a guy too...huhuhu. Adapting to married life again took some practice, and the 'bad habits' that we picked up in our previous marriages added some spices to the occasional disagreements. I am happy to report that we had overcame this teething problem.

2010 was also a year I got problems with Proton Edar service centres. It surprised me as to how such a big company that always saying how safe their cars are and how good their service is, does not have a customer complain tracking system in place. My experience gave me the impression that Proton Edar is only 'nice & sweet' when they want you to sign that S&P agreement. Once they have gained profit, then they start to f**k you in after sales service. NOTE: you CAN request what things you want to change & what you do not want to when you send your car in for periodic servicing at these service centres. If you dont ask, then they would change things to the maximum number of items.

2010 was also the year that I re-kindled my involvement in 4WD activities. Having my 'anak gajah' stuck in mud on the way to Damai paved the way to 'enhance' further my 4WD. To be fair, it was a bad track and I did managed to winch for 7 times almost until the batteries died on me. But men being men, we always find reasons to buy or upgrade our Big Boys Toys....same as women who always find reasons to shop for clothes, handbags, furniture etc etc. For the ladies, if your husband or boyfriend spend a little bit of money or time on his Big Boys Toys, just smile and thank your lucky star that he is concentrating solely on his toys, rather than another woman (I hope my wife reads this...hahaha).

The closing of 2010 was closed with a bang when I suddenly decided to quit my job for reasons that's best left for the court of the All Mighty in the After Life. It was not an easy decision, but after numerous prayers to seek guidance, one day I just woke up and decided to leave the company.

Though much more could be said about 2010, I am more incline to think or rather plan for 2011. Among the resolutions for 2011:

To blog for a minimum once a month
To achieve a slightly more than acceptable degree of creature comfort
To be financially stable to provide better life for my dependants (to buy more Big Boys Toys...hehe)
To certify more people in scuba diving & take them to see the u/water world

Of course there's the standard resolution of being a better person, a better son, a better husband, a better dad... in other words a better human being. I am learning much from my wife about myself, coz she's like that talking mirror in Snow White...she tells me how a third party sees me.

Last but not least, I find that people nowadays are too busy planning for the future, or dwelling in their past, that they sometimes forget to live TODAY....live NOW. To everyone, Happy New Year from the both of us.

International Volunteers Day

2010-12-05T14:22:00.006+08:00

Today is the International Volunteers Day.

Volunteerism in Malaysia is fast catching on, especially now under the stewardship of Prime Minister, with his 1Malaysia concept. As an active volunteer member of the Malaysia Civil Defence Department, or the 'Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia' or JPAM in short, I guess I have some say on this subject matter. JPAM is a government agency that operates almost entirely on the power of volunteers. A few years back, it was something like 90% volunteers 10% permanent staff. Now, the ratio is getting smaller, maybe 85% as the current management is expanding its permanent manpower, in line with the expansion of the department.

I always believe that the power of volunteerism has been, and always will be, nature's backup plan to counter the impact of all (not limited to) major disasters, not only in Malaysia, but all over the world. Volunteerism works across borders, and beyond the prejudice of mankind against gender, race, religion etc. Volunteers CHOSE to be there, in the thick of the action out of PASSION. That goes a long way in determining the quality of the services rendered. A volunteer working with passion can be MORE PRODUCTIVE than a few salaried people working on the same task without passion but merely for their paycheck at the end of the month.

However, much needs to be done here in changing the biased perception of the public themselves about volunteers. There are some, even in the government agencies, that do not truly believe that volunteers can be professionals. To these people, I would like to emphasize the following:-

Volunteers are not beggars, and certainly it is not reserved only for the jobless or unwanted.
Volunteers come from all walks of live, with different backgrounds. They might be carrying boxes or driving lorries for you today, but has a Mercedes at home. Heck, they may be playing golf with your Dato KP tomorrow morning.
Volunteers have knowledge ie management skills, training skills, auditing skills or any other skills that they might have mastered in their working life that would add value to your agency/group, so swallow your pride and work as a team.
Volunteers are there to help EVERYONE, so please do not use them as a pawn in achieving your political agendas.

It seems nowadays, everyone wants to be a volunteer, which is good. But in my experience during disaster relief ops around the country, there are those who do not truly understand what disaster relief means. A few examples:

A corporate company with a food catering subsidiary cooks and distribute hundreds of fried rice packs to post flood victims everyday, for lunch and dinner. They got offended when they saw traces of polystyrene packs thrown away.

Moral: they are flood victims, not beggars. You cant just cook distasteful food (I personally wasn't able to swallow it..too salty) and expect people to eat and show gratitude. Btw, even if they did eat, don't expect them to eat the SAME food for Lunch & Dinner over a few days.
My 2 cents: Give your BEST food and your BEST service to victims.

A bunch of volunteers, well actually 64 people in a convoy of more than 15 cars wanted to go to deliver post disaster contributions, which was half load of a 1 tonne lorry.

Moral: it doesn't take many people to distribute the stuff. Victims are affected not only physically, but emotionally as well. They are victims, not circus. You go with so many people that would only encroach on the victims already limited personal space at relief centres, not to mention cramp up the few toilets already shared by hundreds.
How would you feel if you are a victim, lost your belongings, staying at a cramped up school hall...and suddenly a few jokers asked their kids to pose with you, all because those jokers wanted to 'instill' the good values in their kids...DUUHHHH
My 2 cents: unless you have special skills to assist them e.g. electrician, plumber, brick layer etc, only go when you can add value to their lives.

Another big bunch wanted to be 'part' of the happening volunteer crowd. As it was a major disaster, accommodations were limited. They got a local 'powerful guy' to move the victims from one hall in order to make way for them, so that they can do their 'volunteer' work

Moral: the first time I heard it, I was so pissed. The first rule is....learn to RESPECT the victims. Like I said, as volunteers, you must be prepared to live, eat even shit in WORST conditions than the victims, or else what's your purpose dude? That's why when me & my JPAM team goes for disaster relief, we bring our own stuff. For us, sleeping is an option but a bed is a bonus.
My 2 cents: be self reliant, bring your own stuff, plan your own logistics. If you cant do that, then stay at home and sleep in your own bed.

Another company with substantial contributions engaged a group to assist them to get the stuff distributed and in the end also had to PAY for their FUEL, their TOLL, their FOOD and what ever other expenses; and guess what? They enlisted quite a few of their friends to tag along...all paid for by the 'victimized' contributing company.

Moral: there are people whom wouldn't think twice about making an extra buck out of other people's miseries. So make sure you get proper people to help you out. As in the example I gave, for their second trip there, I helped them to get assistance from JPAM...free escort, free lorry transport, no fuel or toll fees, direct distribution to victims via JPAM's local unit, no need to provide hotel accommodations.
My 2 cents: do some research on how best to contribute. If you have food or basic necessaties contribution to send and you dont know whom to contact, get in touch with government agencies e.g. JPAM. If you still don't know how, contact me and I'll help you.

As a Malaysian who believes in the power of volunteerism, I wish all volunteers, irregardless from which organization or country, or even if you don't belong to an organization but do good in your personal capacity..... happy International Volunteers Day.

Car Plunge Into Ravine.. KM35.4 Karak-KL Hiway

2010-11-20T23:13:00.005+08:00

The wreckage - Pic courtesy of Shamsul KLM1

The site of the Wreckage

On 18th November 2010, while I was having a teh tarik session with friends, I received an SMS about a car plunging into a ravine at 35.4KM Karak-Kuala Lumpur Highway. Initial reports of it plunging into a river at the bottom of the ravine requires the water rescue team on-site. Hitching a ride with an officer, we proceeded to the location.

Suspected 'entry' point

Abseiling down to look for clues

The rescue team faced difficulty to get any clues as to whom the car belonged to as the car was upside down in knee deep mud. Thus, getting the engine or chassis number was out of the question. Looking at the gradient, surroundings of the location where the wreckage was found, its mind boggling to figure out how this car could have ended up at the bottom this bridge. From past experience 'rescuing' in this area, me and a small team went through the old Gombak-Bentong road, which runs parallel to the highway, to look for clues. Without any reference to the wreckage location, we came upon an area that we suspected could be the 'entry' point of the car.

Coordinates taken from my GPS

Due to the darkness of the night, in order to confirm our theory, I had used my personal GPS to mark the coordinates, upload the data into my netbook and locate on the map. True enough, what I see on the map more or less increases the accuracy of our theory. Traces of landslide at this area also confirms the scene that the team scouting the ravine below came upon...a landslide. Also from the data, it clearly shows the gradient was a difference of 80m+ between the suspected point of entry and the wreckage location. At 0130hrs, we received instruction to Stand Down for the day.

Day 2

The K9 Units

At 0900hrs, my JPAM team comprising of 20 members met up with the police's K9 (Crime) team. The Bomba guys would not be joining the operations today. Under the command of Tuan Sam, the traffic police officer from Bukit Aman, we headed off to the location. The K9 team comprised of 4 dogs, German Shepherds. These K9s from the crime unit looks, barks and even acts more ferociously than those rescue dogs that we are used to...like the one in this story. I won't want to be on the receiving end of those fangs. Funnily, they bark with much enthusiasm everytime Jai, one of my team members walks by. I jokingly told him, "Jauh sikit Jai, uniform hang tu busuk macam bau mayat kot' (Stand further away, maybe your uniform stinks like a corpse) ...hahaha.

JPAM and PDRM Vehicles On-Site

The dizzying depth of the ravine seen from the Highway on top. Can you spot the car?

JPAM & PDRM's K9 scouring the area for evidence

We re-visited the wreckage location. During the day, the actual scene differs entirely. The depth of the ravine is of dizzying height. We assisted the police personnel to get down on-site together with their K9s. Our team securely setup anchors for the rope, enabling team members a safe abseiling access down below. In the meantime, the MTD was called in to extricate the wreckage, or at least raise it high enough for us to get to the engine or chassis number. The MTD brought in their 'Kembalik' team. Due to the depth of the ravine, they had to improvise to add some extra length to the cable.

The wreckage on the way up

Anyone wants a used Kia Optima?

The JPAM team below helped to secure the cables to the wreck, and also used their static rope as a guideline (so that the wreck doesn't twist or turn). As the wreckage was almost to the top, disaster struck. A few hoisting cable either snapped or slipped...until at last it was dangling precariously from one of the cables. Upon talking to the MTD guys, a decision was made to lower back the wreckage and reposition the cables. After all, safety first.

The 'kembalik' leaked its hydraulic fluid at the most crucial time...bummer

Apart from my nice car in the foreground...I wanted to show the sawdust that was used to absorb the hydraulic fluid

As the wreckage was being lowered, again...another disaster. Suddenly there was a gush of hydraulic fluids from the 'Kembalik'. There goes all hope of hoisting the wreckage back up for today. My concern was the safety of the other motorist, especially the motorcyclists. Hydraulic fluid is very slippery, and the impending rain judging from the dark cloud formation would only quicken and expand the rate of its flow. The MTD was quick to bring in sawdust to absorb the fluid. The operation was again halted to wait for repair works on the hydraulics and also for MTD to send fresh hydraulic fluid to the scene.

After some repairs, the 'lowering' activity continued. About a few metres from the ground, disaster #3. The MTD had, in its earlier efforts to secure the snapped cables, relieved some of the chains used by them to improvise (as mentioned earlier), thus causing the length of the cable to shorten by a few metres. As they were using 2 winches, a decision was made to let the cable of one winch (the shorten side) go. But guess what...they didn't have the right spanner...so more waiting for someone to send the spanner.

Massive traffic jam

At last, the whole operation ended at 1700hrs....more than 24 hours after it was first reported. This operation had forced MTD to close 1 or 2 lanes of the highway. Traffic jam stretched for a few kilometres. It was made worst by cars slowing down to look. I was wondering why some cars were like driving so slow....until I saw the drivers holding mobile phones discreetly under their arm, obviously video taping the scene. CRAZY!!!

Highway concessionaire should ensure that their equipments, especially safety/rescue related are well equipped and maintained, with trained personnel to handle them. Preparation for emergencies should cover the extremes...ie if you have ravines, make sure you have sufficient cable length for the deepest ravine you have. As how I had submitted a proposal to one Highway Concessionary, I had suggested to them to train their 'Response Team' not ONLY in Traffic Management, but to expand their scope as a trained First Responder. Most of the time, they are the first team to arrive at any accident scene on the highways. (They were interested until they came to the training costs...after that quiet, no response) Come on guys, you already have the personnel and the vehicles. All you need to do is spend a bit more for training and rescue equipments.

Oh ya, we managed to get the number plate. After all that effort, it was actually reported stolen a few weeks back. Sisshh...next time any of you want to dispose of a vehicle you had stolen, please, please, please...put up a sign on the dashboard that says ' Maaf, ini kereta curi. Tiada orang atau binatang tercedera atau terbunuh semasa kereta ini dibuang ' (Sorry, this car was stolen. No human or animal was hurt or killed during the disposal of this car)

Jalan-Jalan Cari Sungai - Ulu Tamu

2010-11-04T01:07:00.008+08:00

A few weeks ago, me and a bunch of close friends came up with the idea for a family weekend trip, preferably over the weekend. I had originally mooted the idea, because that was one of the reason why I bought a 4WD...to have a bonding time with my kids. Well, to tell you the truth, we didn't quite got around to that. So I was looking forward to this trip.

Last minute cancellations includes my significant other because she has to have Internet access to complete her work, my daughter because she's helping out her auntie who's appearing on TV3 for cake decoration thingy and my eldest son whom had to study for his exams. Well that left me with just my youngest son. That will do...for now.

We departed quite late from KL, around 4pm. In a convoy of 4WDs (4 wheel drive), we headed towards Batang Kali. We arrived at the resort aka base camp at 1830hrs. Abg Hamzah was waiting, smiling as always. After some brief introductions, we headed for our chalets to freshen up. At 2000hrs, the BBQ was ready comprising of prawns, chicken, sausages, nuggets, rice (special fried nasi goreng ulam) etc.

After eating, some of us wanted to stretch their vocal cords, thus a few rounds of karaoke was in order. The resort had quite a decent karaoke system, and what started as a stretching exercise soon developed into a marathon.

At midnight, we decided to have a dip at the local hot spring. All of us went, including the kids. There were 3 pools, with different temperatures. I classify it as half boiled eggs, hard boiled eggs and frying eggs. We first tried the coolest...the half boiled egg....great for the kids, but kind of wimpy for us 'men'. Thus, we moved on to the next hottest...the hard boiled egg. A quick dip of the leg and I could have sworn some hair got burnt.

There was a group of teenagers there, dipping and showing off their high level of tolerance to the heat. So us, being men (which simply means a slightly older version of the boys), decided to stay and show off our prowess as well. After much hair loss (chest, arms, thighs etc), just as we were leaving, the last car in our group from KL arrived. Perfect timing.

Wow, a dip in hot water certainly is one of the most relaxing thing. It kept me wide awake. I went on chatting with the guys until 0530hrs, when my 'screen saver' mode was activated.

At 0800hrs, we had breakfast, followed by more karaoke (can you believe it?). At around 1030hrs, the jockeys brought the horses out and the kids has a whale of a time riding them around the corral.

At 1230hrs, we headed of by 4WDs to the next camp, having to cross 2 rivers to get there. This camp could only be reached by 4WDs, unless you can drive a sedan through the rivers. Mind you, if the rain is heavy upstream, the rivers get swollen that even us 4WDs wouldn't be able to cross them. After setting up camp at our usual spot, the resort personnel came on 4WD to set up lunch by the river. Everyone had fun bathing in the river, especially the kids. Of course us dads had to accompany them...not that we want to (La La La). Then we came up for food, then went down to bath, then came up for food...and the vicious cycle continues...haha.

Around 1530hrs, we started preparing the 4WDs for the journey over slightly 'rougher' terrain. Tyres were deflated to almost half, wheels were locked and the 4WD engaged. Through hill climbing, mud and uneven tracks, we drove on. My jalopy being at the front, had to act as backup recovery vehicle for those at the back. Some of the vehicles were standard ie no modification, AT (All Terrain) tyres, standard height. We had planned this very 'light & easy' trail to let the 'newbies' get some thrill under controlled conditions.

After all that, we went down to the river and much like the Mahouts with their elephants in Thailand, that's how us 4 wheelers with our jalopies. We parked them dead smack in the river, and wash and bathe them. Hmm...maybe that's why the wives get upset ... like the wives of the Mahouts.

As we said our goodbyes, plans were underway to plan another slightly farther trip...maybe over 3 days. That one involves river tubing, slightly longer 4WD trail...and this time, I hope to have the whole family there. There's already inquiries from friends whom are interested to try it out...so hey, maybe I would just package these weekend family outings for them. Interested? Come on.... get off that sofa, the air conditioned room and head into the outdoors. Enjoy the greenery while we still can. Don't have a 4WD? Don't worry, I know a few Mahouts...oppss...4 Wheelers whom would be glad to take you on board.

A Makeover

2010-10-03T03:07:00.004+08:00

I had 2 days more of Raya leave. The kids were not around and there was just me and CaTz. Everyone that we know were either at their kampungs or holidaying somewhere. So we decided to make a trip to the shopping mall. This was the best time to do shopping, coz the sale was still on, minus the long queues, kids running, babies crying, aggressive mothers, foul mood husbands, smelly armpit smell....simply bliss.

The tranquility of the mall induced me into a buying mood. To cut the story short, we bought new curtains for the living room. The 2 amoi manning the counter commented "Waaa, lepas raya baru shopping ka?". Well, the purchase was not related to Raya, its was just time for a change.

As CaTz was trying out the curtains, I commented how a bit dated the walls were. Having a wallpaper border running across the wall irritates my eye. CaTz suggested we remove it as she had some left over paint. I was possessed with the spirit of a makeover interior designer...plus the fact that she asked me this question "you tau buat ke?" To all the women folks....if you want your husbands to do something fast....here's a tip....that's the question to ask them. I started to peel off that wallpaper border BEFORE she finished that question. I'll show her....

After peeling off, I proceeded to paint over the affected area. The color was the same....BUT off a different shade. In my haste to prove my manly skills, I forgot the fact that wall was painted a few years back. The environment had changed its shade. Now it looks uglier than before. Oh oh...now I was in trouble. Then the spirit of the makeover ID took over, and looking around I saw that the furniture including the new sofa was 'earth' colour, but the walls were pinkish, which was 'the' colour back then, but a bit dated now.

We then went out to buy the paint. I knew what colour I wanted. I would not mention who actually decide on the colors, for fear of 'perang saraf' at home...hahaha....let's just say it was a mutual agreement. My years of experience in the construction line slowly took over my soul. What started as a simple 1 wall project, suddenly exploded into a bigger project...I was determined to paint the whole house. It was a total makeover.

I started right after returning home, starting with the ceiling first. The more I paint, the more determined I was.. clearly possessed. Suddenly, I realised...painting was a good stress reliever. No wonder some people paint in their free time as a hobby...not my type of painting...art painting. My previous attempts at painting art stopped dead in its track when my kids (when they were smaller) laughed at it. when I saw their painting, I knew why they laughed...they paint better than me.

The 2 days was maximized with painting...usually the best time was from midnight onwards. The quietness, the tranquility....precious. When it was a working day, I started after dinner...and goes on until the wee hours of morning. The 1st phase - painting the living/dining area including ceiling, doors and door frames was completed before the weekend after the long holidays, good timing too as we had friends and family members that came over for Raya to the house.

Our guests were amazed when we told them that the paint job was done by myself, especially my sister, whom had never seen me doing any such 'heavy' work at home. Only then did they scrutinized the finished project. I waited in anticipation...nervous to hear their comments...but pretending not to bother. Alas..."dia paint tu lurus je ek"..."nice color combination"..."lepas ni you pulak can paint our house" were some of the comments overheard...not that i was straining myself to hear them :) hahaha.

My 2nd phase project is to convert the storeroom into a study cum prayer room. I wanted a room so that I can pray together with my wife...it was a dream and I am determine to make it come through. I had partially started on that, it is a slow process as weekdays I am occupied with work. That leaves the weekends. we had disposed almost 70% of that storeroom contents. Even the still good computer table including the 17" CRT monitor had to go. I had installed the new blinds, and gave it a fresh white paint. But the room looks 'too white', so it needs some colors on the walls.

The project was not so much on monetary issues, although I spent just a few hundred ringgit for the paint. It was the satisfaction of doing it yourself...which was priceless. Malays used to be well known for their craftsmanship...who knows maybe my ancestors were craftsmen. After a long hierarchy of descendants, maybe that craftsman blood is still there, but somehow diluted.

Hari Raya

2010-09-23T02:28:00.031+08:00

Some of those whom attended 'buka puasa'

The mood sets in when we had a buka puasa with close friends. Saliha, was back from Bahrain to spend Eid here, and thus was the guest of honor of the day. Huge portions of 'Lamb Mandi' and ' Chicken Mandi' were ordered. Hours were spent catching up on old times and updating ourselves with the latest info...aka gossip haha. One thing that is common between us all were our enjoyment for good food.

My playful twin nephews

The hamsters were the center of attraction

This year is the first year I am celebrating Eid as a husband...again...after so many years. CaTz, my significant other, has a kampung somewhere in Melaka. Thus, also a first in my whole life, I had a kampung to go back to (my original kampung is Kampung Baru right smack in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, thus does not really qualify as a kampung). This year, my 2 sons would only come over after the 3rd Raya (its alternate year cycle).

I never would have thought the 'balik kampung' affair would be quite tedious. CaTz had way, way earlier asked me to decide where we will be spending 1st Hari Raya...KL or Melaka. Over the duration of Ramadan, my mum showed indications that this year, she is not celebrating Raya. Thus, I made the biggest mistake of assuming that its OK to not to inform her earlier that I shall be in Melaka for 1st day of Raya.

My favorite picture

Tauke of SK Homebake

Thus, on Raya eve, I went over to her house, surprise, surprise...she was really upset that I would not be around on 1st Raya. What ensued was real drama...as I was distraught that my mum was upset with me. That evening I had no choice but to go back to Melaka. CaTz's father lives alone, and her siblings would only be back on the 1st day Raya after Friday prayers. So, she had to go back to clean the house and prepare meals for Eid.

I cannot tell them apart

No matter how hard I try to hide my sadness, somehow, my wife knew how upset I was. The next morning, after Hari Raya prayers, she suggested we go back to KL and celebrate Raya with my mum. We did just that, after Friday prayers. To cut the story short, I was much happier after that coz I got to kiss my mum's hands and asked for forgiveness.

Girls and boys...different styles

The highlight of my kampung trip is getting to meet 2 sets of identical twins, my 2 nephews, and 2 other relative's daughters. How often would I get to see that? My mood to take photographs were affected by everything that has happened between me and my mum. However, my twin nephews were too cute to resist... so here are their pictures...

I take this opportunity to wish all muslims 'Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, Maaf Zahir & Batin'. It was an interesting experience celebrating Eid this year.

Bukit Tabuh Rescue...Again

2010-08-30T03:09:00.007+08:00

Yesterday, Bilik Gerakan JPAM Dang Wangi, received an emergency call at 1512hrs about a climber injured after falling approximately 150 feet from the top. First response team arrived at 1545hrs. Total strength was 18 from JPAM and 8 from PDRM (police).

Bukit Tabuh is quite a favourite spot for climbers. However, due to its terrain, its also a dangerous climb. Rocks are jagged, trails are steep and some areas are very narrow. To add to all that, one false move, you could end up in a ravine easily 100ft below.

Since it is the Holy month of Ramadhan, most (?) of the rescue team members were fasting. When it was time to break fast, only water, cigarettes and dates for them.

The casualty was rescued using 11mm Kern-mantle rope, SKED stretcher and was manually carried all the way down the steep Bukit Tabuh. .

A trip to Balai Polis Taman Melawati was next for the climbers to have their statements recorded.

At approximately 2230hrs, the team members finally had a proper 'buka puasa' courtesy of the police at the local mamak restaurant nearby.

During the 'buka puasa' session, we (Tn SK, Tn Husni and myself) had a discussion with the SM from Balai Polis Melawati on ways to overcome the frequent incidents on Bukit Tabuh. One thing is for sure, the climbers did not report themselves at the police station before embarking on their climb.

Part 2 - Joint Training Exercise

2010-08-15T11:40:00.008+08:00

Part of the Technical Team

Continuing from Part 1....

On D-Day, I had to join my team later on Saturday after work. The team had three 4WDs and 2 scramblers.. all privately owned by its members. It was a good mix in our team, whom had worked together in various Ops.

The participants were broken into 'syndicates', of which each syndicate was made up of members from all 3 states and with different areas of specialty ... medic, survival, map and compass, high rope rescue. From the starting point, they were given the grid reference (GR- Golf Romeo) of checkpoint 1, where they shall be given GF to food dump and check point 2, where finally the GR to check point 3 (Dubai) is given.

The knife is used for rogue teams unwilling to cooperate...hahaha

I was attached to check point 2, from the off road track, go off that off road track (is this making sense to you?), go 45 degrees downhill to the river down below. My task was to ensure that no team passes the river without reporting to check point 2, which was situated across the river 100m from where I was.

Natural Jacuzzi

Since it was warm and the river looks soooo cool and inviting, after I had finished my task, I went for a quick dip in the crystal clear river.

Tech team after a meal of 'rendang landak'

During the exercise, the tech team had a taste of 'rendang landak' and BBQ Lamb. I was happily eating when a sudden discovery of a few strand of fur automatically shuts off my appetite. Luckily it happened after a plate of hot rice had gone down my esophagus.

A brief closing ceremony was officiated by Senior Asst Commissioner II (CD) Roslan bin Wahab, Pengarah Bahagian Pengurusan Angkatan JPAM. After that, its the Technical Team's photo session...and as evident by the pictures, though tired, we all had a great time...as always.

The 'Official' picture

The 'Relaxed' picture

The 'Variety' pictures

Part 1 - Joint Training Exercise

2010-08-13T23:44:00.005+08:00

Recently, a joint training exercise was conducted by the Malaysian Civil Defence Department (JPAM - Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia) involving 3 states, namely WP Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Perak. Its a series of joint training required to be conducted every 2 months to enhance the capability and agility of its members, especially in standardizing and addressing cross boundaries operational issues.

Since this time around, WP Kuala Lumpur was the host of the event, I was involved as a member of the Technical Team, comprising of 20 team members. Our task...was to design, implement and supervise the training, a daunting task since the total participants was 200 in strength. Nevertheless, in the true 'esprit de corp' spirit, we accepted the task with great enthusiasm.

Barret HF Man pack

Weeks before the event, on a beautiful Sunday, we went in for a short recce trip, a one day trip to Batang Kali. Since communication is essential in any training exercise, we brought along the newly procured Barret HF man pack to test out. There were three 4WDs... mine (Isuzu Trooper), the camp's (Toyota BJ) and JPAM's (Hilux). From the Orang Asli kampung, we had to cross 2 rivers to get to Kem Hamzah, the forward base camp.

After having 'Durian Hutan' courtesy of the Orang Asli, we started to head for Dubai...off road style. Abang Hamzah had warned us that the road has deteriorated tremendously. Being 4WD enthusiast, that's like an irresistible invitation to pitch our skills and knowledge against mother earth. Little did we know that it has been raining for a few days, making it super slippery and muddy. As soon as we made it pass checkpoint 2, we came to a very large boulder. The BJ almost tilted over sideways. Never mind, we thought, it has a PTO winch. Alas, the winch didn't work as the gearing went kaput. Thus, what else to do but do some bicep building manual winching.

The BJ and my 'anak gajah' facing their respective challenges

Then a decision was made to leave the BJ and Hilux at checkpoint 2, and went ahead using my 'anak gajah'. From the boulder onwards, most of the movement was by winching. Since I was using a high speed winch, it uses a lot of battery juice. I made a dumb mistake when I forgot to switch back the secondary battery with a higher capacity battery. After 7 times winching and in 4 ft of mud, the batteries just gave up, right in the middle of nowhere.

The calm face of a guy with his 4WD stuck in 4ft mud with no winch power

To cut the story short, I had to call in 4WD friends to help me out...and they came, recovered my vehicle and left, without any payment....try to beat that.

To be continued......Part 2

A Lazy Day Off Road

2010-07-16T02:02:00.005+08:00

It has been a while since I went on a 4 wheel drive (4WD) trip. My current job does not give me much time to go on leave. Thus, when recently a few friends went for a short trip over the weekend to Ulu Rening, Batang Kali, I jumped at the chance.

That Saturday afternoon, after work, we pushed off from Kuala Lumpur. It was a perfect day, the sun was shining, the skies are blue. At some point, there were not even clouds in the sky. I just had to take pictures of the sky or else very few people would believe me. It kind of reminds me of the clear blue sky over Komodo Island where I went diving.

This time I didn't bring my 'anak gajah', my lovable 4WD. Reason...lari budget haha...well the amount I had budgeted for insurance (to renew my roadtax) was RM500 less than the actual amount. It seems there is now a new policy that cars more than 20 years of age must be insured comprehensively and valued at RM10,000. Hmmm wonder how all the pakciks and atuks with old cars in the kampungs gonna afford this?

So I hitched a ride with my good friend Zeq in his trusty Pajero....

I had met Zeq way back in 199x, on a scuba diving Live-A-Board trip on MV Grace. Since then, we had our fair share of adventures. Back then, we were very spontaneous...I remembered one time we met up for teh tarik in Bangsar at 10pm, chatted about diving and wallah...on the spot made a decision to go diving in Perhentian, went back to pick up our dive gears and in 1 hour we were driving to Kuala Besut, heading for Perhentian Island.

Anyway, he brought along his trusty Pajero, to test its capability off road.

Another friend in the group is Muzlisham @ Botak...how he got that nickname is anyone's guess (hint!hint!). He is an avid 4WD enthusiast, and even brings his son....Muis....whom like his dad....

...likes to pose for the camera....

...like here......

...and here

Just to spice things up, we went through a few scenarios which involves snapping and winching....

Somewhere during the scenarios, the reality was so 'real' that we had to get the assistance of a dude in a White Pajero with a brand new winch. How we knew its new? We had to fix the control box for him...haha

Last but not least, I gave Zeq my version of setting up a camp bed, as illustrated below...

Spend a few minutes to read this...

2010-06-05T01:48:00.008+08:00

I am not going to touch on how the accident occurred, which unfortunately because of the stupidity of 2 dudes high on 'something'...or else why were they driving so fast until their car can crash to the opposite side of the road? So let's leave that to the authorities. I want to blog about safety and public awareness...to understand what I am talking about, please read these...

"Seorang perempuan rentung dan terpanggang hidup-hidup dalam kemalangan berdekatan Bandar Tun Razak. Seorang "passer-by" telah pergi ke sebuah stesen minyak untuk mendapatkan Alat Pemadam Api (APAK), tetapi pekerja di stesen tersebut tidak mengizinkan.......... Menurut "passer-by", beliau boleh menyelamatkan mangsa sekiranya mendapat APAK kerana ketika itu api masih kecil dan mangsa tersepit....."

Or you can read the English version here in The Star

How did you feel when you read the above statement? How much does it cost to re-fill a fire extinguisher? Less than RM100. That was how much the value of the poor woman's life was...Florina a/k Joseph, 27. Burnt alive mind you. I wont want to have been there, looking and hearing the moans and pleas of a woman being burn alive. Too traumatic.

On the other hand, the crime rate against petrol stations are so high, that this genuine plea for assistance was looked upon with such suspicion. However I wonder, if all the fire extinguishers were kept inside behind locked doors, and not at the fuel pumps, wouldn't that create a certain delay in reaction time if a fire were to break out while someone is pumping fuel? If the argument is that the fire extinguishers were taken indoors only at night, does that mean it is much safer to pump fuel during the day? Hmmmm......my theory is...actually they are more afraid of robbers using it to break through their glass window than having it stolen.

I have seen people (even public transport) who has fire extinguisher for their car. Very good indeed....provided they also know how to use it in an emergency fire. A true story...a middle aged man physically threw the whole fire extinguisher into the fire coz he thought that was the 'right' way to do it....funny but true....don't underestimate the power of 'fear' and 'panic'....really powerful stuff.

If indeed they have fire extinguisher in the car, and they know how to operate it....the next important question is...where did they placed it? The most convenient and common place people put it is in the trunk of the car...lots of boot space right? WRONG. The best place for you to put it is somewhere within the normal reach of the driver e.g. under the driver's seat (the front part...underneath the hips). Why you may ask?

This is because in the 'unlikely event'....(phrase most used by PADI, hahaha) ..... of a fire and the driver is trapped (tersepit), he or she can reach it and douse any fire threatening to burn him or her while waiting for external assistance. Don't be a wise guy (or gal :D) and ask me what if the whole car is burning? If that's the case, even a fire engine would take precious minutes to tackle that....sish!!! ...and for god's sake, please get smokers far, far away. I know it sounds like common sense, but I have seen people actually smoking while walking around an overturned bus incident. Idiots.....

You can learn interactively on what to do in an emergency by going to the Malaysian Civil Defence (or JPAM - Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia) interactive e-learning website by clicking here.

Moral of the story - Write down 'a portable fire extinguisher for the car' in your 'things to immediately buy once I can afford it' list. If I were you, I shut down the PC/laptop now and head for the nearest shop to get it.

Hmmm...oh shit, I forgot to put mine back in after taking it out to service my car....opps! how embarrassing :( Jangan marah aaa!!!

Another mistake about buying a Malaysian car...the saga continues

2010-05-31T22:44:00.008+08:00

To continue from my Proton Edar saga....

Ever since I blogged about this incident I am facing with Proton Edar, quite a number of friends contacted me to relate their own 'ugly' experience when dealing with Proton Edar's warranty and after sales service. Such a shame...thought I am an isolated case...but AM NOT. Most suggested that I go to the media..that's how they solved their's.

Being a former QA trained guy, I wanted to see how long does one get ANY attention from them using their 'normal' channel. Its obvious that Proton Edar FAILED in developing 'in-process' gateways or sensors when dealing with customer complains, or else my problem would have been escalated right to the top. What a pity....anyway...on with my story...

For the passed few days, I had continuously tried to call Proton Edar's Mutiara Service Centre. Same scenario, no change. Then on one occasion, a ray of hope...the receptionist gave the person in charge's mobile number. With full enthusiasm, I called. It was off...and I was disappointed.

On 29th May 2010, after FIVE days off writing to them, I received this reply from Proton I-Care....

Subject: RE: [Fwd: FW: Letter of Complain]
From: "I.CARE CENTRE PROTON EDAR"
Date: Sat, May 29, 2010 4:03 pm

Dear Sir,

We would like to apologize for all the inconvenience you have been experiencing. We will look into your concerns immediately and will investigate with the said service ctr.

Thank You sir
Best Regards,

KARTHIK
PROTON i.care
Proton Edar
1-300-880-888(General Enquiry & Feedback)
1-800-888-398(24Hours Assistance)
www.proton-edar.com.my

Today I got a call from Proton Mutiara Service Centre. No apologizes, nothing..the lady only said the parts are here and I could come in to have them replaced. Pissed off, I asked her why the delay. "Oh barang tu ada, dia orang lupa call" (oh the parts are here, they forgot to call you).

From 8th March until today, 31st May, nearly 3 months (short of 9 days), I finally got a positive answer from Proton Edar.

Knowing Proton Edar, I would continue to keep my fingers crossed until I see those parts physically fitted on my car.

Another mistake about buying a Malaysian car

2010-05-24T23:49:00.007+08:00

I thought when I got my new Persona SE a few months back, my bad experience with Proton Edar would be over... (read here). However I was wrong.

My latest experience with Proton Edar Service Centre really pisses me off, and puts to shame the higher powers of Proton Edar...and mind you not just any Service Centre...its Proton Edar's flagship Mutiara Service Centre. I had chosen that Service Centre for 2 reasons, 1) its Proton Edar's flagship centre, so I assumed their service level is at their best level 2) coz its nearest to my office.

I had on 8th March 2010 sent my car, a Persona SE, for major service there and was given a 'Workshop Parts Order Requisition' form for the following items:

1) Brake Pad - 1 pair
2) Brake Disc - 1 pair
3) Absorber - 1 pair

I share with you my emails to Proton Edar that would explain the predicament I am going through.....

For illustration purposes only

LETTER 1 - To Customer Retention Division
May 03, 2010 11:40 AM

I am writing to you to lodge a complain about the Mutiara Damansara Service Centre. I had on 8th March 2010 sent my car, a Persona SE, Registration Number Wxx xxx, for major service there and was given a 'Workshop Parts Order Requisition' form (number 12xxxx) for the following items:

1) Brake Pad - 1 pair
2) Brake Disc - 1 pair
3) Absorber - 1 pair

I had for the last 2 weeks tried to enquire the status of those parts but without any success. Its either I get through to the reception/help desk who then passes me to the relevant department but NO ONE answers OR lately I cant even get through the reception/help desk at all as no one seems to be picking up the phone. The number I called is the one stated on the invoice 03-77223221.

I had the same problem on my previous warranty claim for an orifice that was out of stock. After 1 month plus of waiting I called them and asked why no one has called me. They said there's no stock. But the next day, someone calls me up to say otherwise.

If the parts are not related to the safety of my car and its occupants, I would not have made a fuss, but these parts are related to the brake and absorber system that affects the stability and safety. Its almost 2 months, and I cant believe that these parts aren't available yet.

...etc etc etc

LETTER 2 - From Customer Retention To Total Quality
Mon, May 3, 2010 12:13 pm

Dear Mr. Sxxxxxxx,

Please kindly be advised that we have received a customer complaint as regard after sales service support from Mutiara Damansara Service Branch. We are concerned on the feed backs as reported and would seek your immediate attention to matter.

Thanks

LETTER 3 - To i.care@proton.com
May 24, 2010 11:35 pm

Hi,

After all these (please read the following emails I had forwarded to you), NO ONE from Proton Edar contacted me to solve my problem. I tried calling Mutiara a few times, but still facing the same problem.

So if your people at Customer Retention, at Quality Dept didn't do anything to help me, what more those guys at the Service Centre? WHO DO I HAVE TO CALL to get this done? Your CEO? Then please do me a favour and FORWARD MY EMAIL TO HIM.

The thing I couldn't understand is, brake system and absorber system affects the stability of a car. The thing that pisses me off is I carry my family members, i.e. my parents, wife and kids, in that car. When I am called for a rescue operation, that is the car I drive quite fast to get to the scene a.s.a.p.

I spend lots of money to send my car for routine maintenance at authorised Proton Edar Service Centre just to ensure the warranty is not affected. Everyone knows how ridiculously high the charges are at these centres. After all that, Proton Edar can't even find me a pair of absorbers, brake discs and brake pads? Heck, I could get those at the corner auto spare parts shop.

Proton Edar, of all people, should be sensitive to the safety of its customers as well as their families. This is typical Malaysia attitude, the lives of the common people means nothing to these big corporations. Its the same as what I had blogged before, why export models have a higher safety fittings and workmanship than local models? You guys are too focused on sales figures, that you overlook on the importance of after sales service.

Listen here you morons...people only go to your service centres because you would void their warranties otherwise. But what's the point of sending if you DO NOT HONOUR your warranty? MONTHS just to get the basic parts? Even a small kid would know that having a functional brake and absorber system is the core of a vehicle's stability and safety.

As a former Head of Quality Assurance & Management for a large Telecommunication corporation, this is no way acceptable by any one's standard. Its a wonder why major NCRs not issued out during your quality audits coz there is evidence to show that customer complains do not get attended to by anyone.

Wake up Proton Edar!!!!

Viagra for My Arowana

2010-05-16T09:45:00.003+08:00

About 6 months back, a few family members and I pooled our resources and invested in an Arowana breeding program. The program was run by a very successful Arowana Fish Farm in Bukit Merah. The species that we chose was the Malaysian Golden Crossback Arowana. This species is very high in demand and unique only to Bukit Merah lake area.

Every fish was inserted with a microchip. This process was conducted during our first visit. Firstly, the fish was tranquilised to ensure that its not under any stress. Sure enough, after the injection, the fish was just dozing off upside down, in an almost 'coma tic' state. Then the chip was injected and the scanner was run over the body of the fish to verify that it's in. After about 5 minutes, the fish slowly recovers back to its normal self.

The mating ritual of the Arowana is rather peculiar. The female releases the eggs and the male would release its sperm on the eggs. Once that's done, its the male that collects the eggs into its mouth to brood for the next 55 days. Once the egg yolk sac disappears, then the baby Arowanas are released from its mouth.

Thus, every 55 days or so, owners are requested to present themselves to witness the 'buka mulut' ceremony. First, a net is layed across the width of the pond. Then its pulled across the length of the pond. Then, using long poles, the net was raised up like a curtain. This is because the Arowana is capable of propelling itself out from the water in its attempt to escape.

Then using a scoop, one by one the fish is caught and its mouth inspected for babies.

If there is any developed eggs or babies, it is taken out from the mouth and transferred to an incubator. Here, the babies are kept for approximately 55 days until the yellow egg yolk sac disappears. Only then the babies are considered good enough to be sold.

At the nursery, there's a 'siamese twin' Arowana, attached together at the stomach area. According to the farm owner, he received numerous offers from people wanting to buy it, running into tens of thousands of Ringgit Malaysia. Ironic ain't it. Humans view OKU animals as one that brings them luck, but when it comes to OKU humans, they are considered 'bad luck' and despised. What has the world comes to....

The last time I went there was together with CaTz over the weekend. It was a first for her, and just like my first time witnessing it, she was as wide eyed as I was back then....hahaha.

Lastly, a video I took of how the eggs or babies are incubated.....

Krabi....mmmm

2010-04-19T23:44:00.011+08:00

When I had to make a decision where to go for our honeymoon, I had wanted to go to a new place where I haven't been before. I had been on live aboard dive trips around Krabi, namely Hin Daeng Hin Muang and Similan Islands, but I haven't been in Krabi, only Phuket.

Deep down inside, I had hoped for a dive or two off Phi Phi Island....but hey, it was our honeymoon, so I cant really leave CaTz back in the hotel, can I? I was contended by taking CaTz on a rented motorbike, sightseeing from Ao Nang Beach, right up North to Ban Klong Son, South to Laem Hang Nak, West to Tup Kaek Beach. A photo log would best describe what we saw there....

The Night Life

The Sunset

The Massage

The Sea

The Attractions

The Food

Overall, we both really enjoyed our stay in Krabi. However, it's not as cheap as other parts of Thailand. For example, a 'jagung bakar' costs about RM5, a seafood tomyam (for 1 person) costs Rm15.

However, it's a 'balanced' place i.e. there's water activities as well as there's land activities. Being on an almost paradise like island with CaTz, everything was perfect....until I saw this.......

The Nightmare

Well, as an avid diver, instructor and conservationist, the picture above was a nightmare for me. The magnificent shark (juvenile mind you!!!) ends up as a decoration at a seafood restaurant. Now I have one less shark to take photo off underwater :(

A New Chapter In My Life...Part 2

2010-04-16T00:30:00.003+08:00

.... continued

On to the 'kenduri' ceremony. My family were the ones in Turquoise while CaTz's family were the ones in Pink. Since it was a second wedding for the both of us, we were not that big with the idea of a too formal ceremony. We just want to be surrounded by families and friends, in a cozy and relaxing atmosphere. Thus to create the mood, CaTz added balloons to the standard decoration. We even had balloons on the 'pelamin'.

Originally I had just wanted to wear a songkok for the ceremony and no 'bersanding'. When relatives heard that there is a 'pelamin', plans were changed yet again to include 'merenjis' as part of the ceremony. When my uncle heard that I am using 'songkok' for 'bersanding', he persuaded me to wear a 'tengkolok' instead...less than 24 hours before the ceremony. Again, luck was on my side and managed to get a 'tengkolok' and 'bengkung' at 7pm. Of course when my headgear changed, CaTz just had to change hers to a tiara.

Before nap time

After nap time

CaTz's twin nephews, Amirul & Arif, 1 1/2 yrs old were gallantly attired with a bow tie and 'bengkung', with the task of leading the procession. Unfortunately, everyone forgot that the time coincide with their normal nap time....hahaha. But I must praise them for not complaining having to wear that nagging bow tie (while they were awake that is). Of course the real praise goes to their sporting mum, Diana, whom tailor made their costumes.

What is a wedding without door gifts? Clockwise: Wajik by Mak Teh, Main Table souvenirs by CaTz, 'Bunga Pahar' by Diana, Kiddie pack by CaTz, Cupcake box DIY by CaTz, Cupcakes by Sheily (SK Homebake)

Our wedding was made even more eventful by the band performance from Band 69, comprising of my ex schoolmates from Sekolah Sri Petaling (SSP) batch 1981. They made a tremendous effort to switch from their normal playing genre (rock, blues, jazz etc) to 'kenduri kahwin' genre (is there such a thing?) ... haha. You guys (and gal) certainly made my day. Thank you.

A brief breakdown of the friends that attended....

Special thanks to Jalal (MC), Azzat (Video), Shelly & Kamil (reception), Shariman (Best man... my long lost best friend), Elle Puteri (Maid of Honour), Kak Lijah (Coordinator) and those who contributed directly or indirectly to make it happen.

Last but not least, to all those who attended as well all the prayers and well wishes. I promise that you wont get another wedding invitation from me after this...hahaha.

A New Chapter In My Life...Part 1

2010-04-14T00:43:00.006+08:00

I had waited for 1 full month to write a blog about this new chapter in my life. Why? Unlike others who would blog instantly, for me its not the destination but the journey (such a cliche). This blog might sound a bit melancholy for some, a side of me seldom seen by my friends. But hey, it’s a once in a lifetime experience…well in my case, twice in a lifetime…haha.

After being single for years, I had decided to tie the knot. How did it come about exactly… well, cant be sure. When I met CaTz, one day I suddenly realized that I was actually leading a very lonely life. It was hidden for so long underneath the various activities I was involved in...scuba diving, 4 wheel drive, martial arts, alumni groups, NGOs, JPAM Rescue... and oh yeah, diving for dead bodies...haha. Don't get me wrong, I didn't do those stuff to forget my past, but take away all that, I am left...all alone.

Of course the biggest hindrance was actually in my head. Not to say that my ex traumatized me...well...at least not that much...it was just not meant to be after almost 10 years. Everyone walks out from a divorce wounded, with different level of tolerance, experience and scarring. Some visible, most suppressed so deep that it remains undetected, but plays an important role in the way we behave, think, socialize, live.. etc etc.

Some people asked me, "are you sure?", "why would you need a wife?" etc etc. The ironic thing is, the fact that they themselves, though divorced like me, have a girlfriend/boyfriend (or in the plural form) somewhere in this world, shows that they too need a companion, and yet question the logic of my decision to settle down...perhaps in a state of denial maybe??? Anyway..on with my story....

What started out as a 'simple akad nikah' ceremony during the planning stage suddenly evolved into something much more. So now we have 'akad nikah' AND 'kenduri kahwin'. We had chosen Felda Villa as its rather cozy and homely (can't stand banquet halls...too formal for my taste). As luck would have it, our date was the only date available for the 1st half of 2010. Coincidentally, it was CaTz's daughter's 14th birthday on that very day...14th March 2010.

I thought that getting married for the second time would be easier, but I was wrong. The process was still as tedious as before, if not worst. We had to attend 2 full days of 'kursus kahwin' .... surrounded by youngsters all eager to get married. The speakers capitalised on this by occasionally giving lewd remarks and scenarios. Everyone laughed except us....was it because we were the oldest couple there? Hahaha...been there, done that!!!

Oh, lets not forget about the HIV test... which was limited to only 10 couples per day, the hassle to get the approval from the respective 'Imam Jurunikah', the tailoring of wedding dresses, the determination to loose weight ...and the re-fitting of the tailored dresses due to the lost weight, securing photo/videographers, sending out invitation cards to relatives personally etc etc.

The 'akad nikah' ceremony went smoothly, without any hiccups, attended by close relatives and friends. Oh ya, in case you were wondering...I did it in 1 go ;)

Happy 1 Month Anniversary Babe

To be continued....Part 2

A New Chapter In My Life...Intro

2010-04-04T22:43:00.008+08:00

(Slideshow by CaTz)

Stay tune for the blog...

Gym Time

2010-02-23T23:10:00.010+08:00

Recently, I had started going to the gym again, this time at True Fitness. Ever since I had some back problem in March 2009, I had not really exercise that involves weights. I am allowed to bring another person, so I brought CaTz along. We had 2 sessions with the personal trainers, whom brought us up to speed on what and how to operate the various machines. After the first round, I felt more at home.

My first real interest in free weights happened during my teenage years. As a fan of Hulk Hogan, one day I saw a documentary about him on TV. His 'body building' supplement includes 7 raw eggs (whole egg including shell), banana and protein powder all mixed in a blender. I bought myself dumbbells, barbell and used my organ seat as a training bench. Maybe my association with uniform and martial arts organisations persuaded myself to be physically fit. I guess its also in the blood as my dad also train with weights in his younger days.

My real gym experience was at a gym in Puchong. It belonged to a former Mr Kelantan by the name of Samsuri. Since I was a regular, like everyday for 2 hours minimum, he paid special attention to me...even persuading me to train for bodybuilding competition...haha. Imagine that, me in speedos. I even tried shaving my legs once, to make my leg muscles look more defined, but I hated it...felt like a featherless chicken. So, that competing idea went out the window.

The last time I was in a gym was....sish I cant even remember when. Maybe in 2005 at the gym of Grand Seasons Hotel. Over there, there were no personal trainers, so I more or less trained on my own...everyday for 2 hours without fail. It was the determination to be fit coz I was involved with Rescue 991. I was fit, quite developed chest and strong legs.

After being plagued by back problems early last year, I had stop lifting weights or any sort of strenuous exercise. Since then, my fitness went downhill and my size went up. My developed chest became what I call as "man tits"...haha. Luckily for me, my chest is among the easiest and fastest muscle to tone. Hopefully, I have the discipline and the time to make this training regime part of my daily routine.

Tabuh oh Tabuh

2009-12-21T02:57:00.006+08:00

Last Friday evening, I received a call from Gerakan Dang Wangi, informing me of an injured climber at Bukit Tabuh. A group of Civil Defence rescuers were mobilised and dispatched to the scene. Upon reaching the victim, it was suspected that she may had a broken leg. After immobilizing her legs, she was wrapped up in a Sked Stretcher, flexible enough to be rolled up but yet sturdy enough when assembled.

The new (blue) and old (green) uniform...i prefer the latter

The very next day, on Saturday, I received a similar call from Gerakan...Bukit Tabuh, 4 kali mangsa, 2 cedera. Wow...now for those of you not familiar with Bukit Tabuh, the climb is quite treacherous. Bringing down 2 to 4 injured people would be a heavy task. Evaluating the seriousness,we called in the 'Penyelamat DBKL' to assist us Civil Defence guys as back up. Our first team of 4 rescuers managed to track the climbers. It was then that....we found out the 4 climbers were actually lost, but somehow communicated to the 999 emergency operator that they were injured!!! They were given a stern warning by the police.

The moral of the story? In the unlikely event that you need help...... please, please, please communicate the right information. Rescue needs proper planning, and its normally manpower intensive....especially when it comes to SAR (Search & Rescue). Giving the wrong information can cause a chain of events; causing unnecessary movement of vehicles and manpower, thus depriving others of its better usage.

Me & My Trainees

2009-12-18T00:44:00.001+08:00

It has been a long time since I had met some of my trainees. These are the trainees under the Train & Place program. Its a 6 months program by the Ministry of Human Resources to eradicate or minimize unemployment by 're-training' retrenched workers or unemployed graduates for better adaptation to a particular industry, in this case the automotive industry. The company I work for was chosen as a training provider for 100 trainees and I was their 'Guru Besar'..haha.

Towards the last 2 months, the trainees were sent to all 12 outlets to learn the working environment hands on. I was then seconded to Retails Operations as caretaker for 6 outlets, thus these trainees were the ones from the other group. I haven't seen them for almost 2 months.

Finally, a few days ago, I was in the area so I decided to pop by 2 of the outlets. It was a 'mini reunion' thingy, and what's a reunion without a feast right? Thus, an impromptu decision was made, and I had invited all my trainees from 2 outlets, namely Equine Park and Puncak Jalil, to join me for dinner at KFC after closing time.

After a few rounds of story telling and jokes, looking around, it reminded me of my 'personal mission' working here in this company, that is to nurture and guide this group of young people to realize their true potential, to become someone with a burning desire to succeed, of which complacency is not and will not be in their vocabulary.

I had always believed in Karma...and today is the day that the teacher gets reminded by his pupils.....of why he is here on this earth. May God bless every single one of them

SSP Batch 81 High Tea Reunion

2009-12-06T13:16:00.032+08:00

Over the past 1 ½ years, my ex-schoolmate from SSP (Sekolah Sri Petaling), had somehow re-connected, much of it thru the power of Face book. Some aged faster, some slower, and some looked as if they were stuck in time as they look as youthful as before. Unfortunately, I fell into the first category. Sigh!!! My good friend, Julian Khan, was the creator of the FB group. Much of the ‘recruitment’ was done by another friend, Derek Ho, about 88% of the total recruited. This feat may not sound extra ordinary if not for a fact he resides in Canada! How this guy managed to do that from there defeats my mind and tells a lot about the guy.

Rashidi...he can even sing in Chinese

The performance

After numerous sessions of teh tarik (as evident from the expanding waists), plus a few events... well one actually... buka puasa, I had proposed to the core TT (teh tarik) group to have a reunion. Little that I knew, the proposer gets the honour of spearheading the proposal. Shucks! Haha. Luckily for me, the TT core was solid as a rock, and a mixture of people with vast experiences. So the ball starts rolling and as the date gets nearer, the momentum starts picking up.

The band members...Shaizar, Azmi, Adli, Juiian, Jazlan & Nubly

Shariman, that night he was the star

The initial idea was a reunion dinner, but when the decision was made, we didn’t have a band. Later on, the SSP Alumni (for all batches) announced that they were organizing the SSP Alumni dinner and each batch had to perform. Alas, on the initiatives of Jazlan & Adli, they formed our ‘Band 69’. They had practiced vigilantly 6 songs for the event, but alas, they were only allowed to perform 2 songs. I was sad for the band members as I knew how hard they had practiced. Thus, I suggested that they perform during our reunion event and I told them I expect them to perform between 8-15 songs. To accommodate the band, a change of venue was in order. At last, it was decided to have the function at the Karaoke Lounge, Holiday Villa.

The band singers...Kamarul, Shukur, Harcharan & Sherly

Our teachers had the same problem to get us organized back in 1981

After much anticipation, the big day came, which was yesterday. Everything went perfect...the band was great, my former schoolmates were fantastic (40 year olds seldom gets the opportunity to let loose & not have people staring at them in disbelief or disgust..haha), the food was good, the party game was refreshing and the prizes were nice (tq to all that contributed). A special mention goes to my dear friend, Capt Andrew Lui, a great Master of Ceremony, who was pivotal at the heart of all the action.

Hey how come he gets to sing? haha...Isma

The 3 band singers, Shariman, Sherly & Aziana

Someone asked me what's the big deal about turning 40? Apart from the mid life crisis? Nothing really. I just thought that even now, I cant remember which class I was in 28 years ago or recognize some of my schoolmates. Heck, I have friends who cant even remember they were in the same kompang group as me or ever playing one if not for the pictorial evidence (now I know why we played 'sumbang'...haha). So I thought, I need a year that I can easily remember when we last had a reunion. Fast forward 10, 20 years into the future, I might not even remember where my sarong went to...haha.

Old friends just mingling, the 'TRULY' One Malaysia since 1976

My core TT buddies, Patrick & Lawrence, trying to sing a Malay song impromptu style

What's the difference between a high school/varsity reunion as compared to a primary school reunion? Primary school was a time when we were just friends for the sake of being friends. There were no racial prejudice, no political inclinations, no hidden agendas, no financial considerations ... nothing. We were the true 1 Malaysia as what our PM is campaigning now. That is why SSP69ers is strong, because people remember only the goodness in one another. However, sad to say that some chose to decline our invitation to join the group and some only wanted to come if there was anyone prominent in our group. Hmmm...

David Ong...queen's counsel, guitar player, photographer & a fast biker

A great adhoc performance by Syed othman, Azizi & Adis

Kamarul Adlan had made a slide presentation of pictures old and new of our schoolmates. It was refreshing to see everyone guessing who the heck was in the pictures. Everyone gathered in front of the screen, some standing, some sitting on chairs while some chose to just sit on the carpet. Some made funny remarks, some declared their old 'crushes'...but for me it was a time of mixed feelings...the time that has passed equates to lesser time on earth. Looking around, I cant help but just wonder when would I get to see all of them together like this...if ever there was another opportunity.

The prizes I won

The finale of the day was a birthday celebration for everyone. Cupcakes and candles were handed out. After lighting the candles, and with the lights dimmed, we sang 'Happy Birthday to us' and sang the old school song. I didn't realised that the Holiday Villa F&B Manager was standing in the corner. He was so touched that he extended the usage of the room by 1 hour FOC.

I did won 2 prizes though. Luckily, no one accused me of rigging the lucky draw. I won a CD dip courtesy of Aziana and RM100 Jusco vouchers. The CD was 'The Bangles'...hmmm....my friend was lucky as he got 'Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits'...but unfortunately for him, I don't think its his cup of tea....haha.

Me & Shariman, my BFF from school. I am glad that now everyone knows he was the Asst Head Prefect

Lastly, I am glad for my BFF from school, Shariman Samad for 3 things:-

He gets to show off his vocal skills...it was like a mini concert for the band. The way he sang 'Smoke on the water' really was awesome.
People got to see his cover album...he was vocalist for the group 'Acid' ages ago. I had wanted to paste it here, but since he was topless, I better get his consent first..haha.
Now people know that he was my assistant...Penolong Ketua Pengawas 1981...after all these years, he finally deserved the recognition that was long overdue.

CaTz was there to help out

I am still tired from yesterday but it was worth it. I would like to thank my fellow committee members and the band members for the cooperation extended to me. I would also like to thank the sponsors for their kind donation. Last but not least, to all my brothers & sisters from SSP Batch 81, I love you all.

P/S: I didn't get to take much photographs. These are the few I managed to snap.

My 'Cucu'

2009-10-16T16:02:00.003+08:00

During the recent Hari Raya, relatives came to my mum's house. Nothing unusual right? Suddenly I was 'introduced' to my 'cucu' (by rank). I went "OMG..nooooo...that cant be true".

To cut the story short, my 'cucu' and I hit it off quite well. She followed me everywhere and made numerous attempts to have a conversation with me. She's a big fan of Barney, and her favourite phrase is "Oh no.....".

How time flies....

The unfortunate 'Samseng Jalanan'

2009-10-13T02:10:00.009+08:00

The result of 'merempit', or street racing....this 'samseng jalanan' and his friend were flung down a slope when his motorcycle skidded. Both 'suffered' serious injuries and required urgent medical assistance.

However, due to the inclination of the slope, some technical rescue technique was required to safely extract them from where they were.

Upon receiving the 999 call, members of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (JPAM) were immediately dispatched to the scene. The first to arrive was the Fast Response Squad, the motorcycle team, which does the initial scene assessment and First responder tasks.

Next to arrive was the RQ, a heavy rescue vehicle, together with the ambulance. After careful immobilisation using standard suspected spinal injury protocol, and using angled rope rescue techniques, the two unfortunate guys were transported swiftly to the hospital.

All these are scenes from a mock demonstration by JPAM during the International Islamic University's convocation. It was so real that everyone stopped to enquire what had happened with frowned looks on their faces.

We also had an exhibition during the convocation, together with the Army, Navy and Air Force. Our exhibits paled in comparison to the various weapons including mock missiles, army fatigues, radar etc displayed by our Armed Forces.

Amidst all those equipments, a special mention goes out to the most famous and life saving equipment....the 'Jaw of Life'. This equipment alone had been used countless times to extract humans, dead or alive, from mangled vehicles. With it, you can cut, spread, prise, jack...using the power of hydraulics.

And where was I amidst all these? Busy entertaining the ladies as evident in the above photo ...haha. Errr...is this considered sexual harassment?

Fish Tank? Haiyo

2009-10-08T02:00:00.005+08:00

I cant sleep tonight...don't know why. Maybe its because I had slept in front of the TV while watching CSI. Maybe also coz they haven't bank in my pay even though its pay day. How to honour the numerous standing instructions for all my bills? Thus a round of juggling act, defeating the purpose of subscribing to the convenience of standing instructions in the first place...to no fault of mine. If this goes on, maybe I need to....well, we'll see.

The topic this time is on environment. Everyone is talking about it, in the papers, on talk shows, on radios (Ean from Hits morning crew diving with sand tiger sharks in Aquaria) etc etc. I came across this poster last week when I was over at this particular shopping mall across the road from my office.

I thought to myself...wah! very good la. I have always been passionate about protecting the environment and had blogged a few times about it. I was happy until I went through the door and what do I see? Something that irritates me......a tank of marine fishes. I just couldn't believe my eyes.

Hello....don't they know that marine life is also something that we must protect? Don't they know how these creatures were 'harvested' from their home among the reef? Don't they know how inhumane the method is? Don't they know the kind of devastation to the marine ecosystem as a result of this 'harvesting' method?

Let's not just talk about the environment....talk is cheap. Do something about it with sincerity... and not just for cheap publicity stunts. We are surrounded by insincerity all the time...insincere election promises, insincere community programs, insincere articles... lets not do the same to mother earth.

First Love...the myth

2009-09-21T09:42:00.006+08:00

Its been weeks since I last blogged. This new corporate life has been a bit taxing on my life schedule and sapping my daily energy level. I don't want to blog about Hari Raya, as almost everyone is doing that. So...maybe my 2centsworth on life sciences?

What is it with first love? Experts seems to agree that no matter how far or how many relationships has passed in one's life, the first love is still lingering at the back of one's mind. Maybe coz of the many first that comes with it...first touch, first 'stolen' kiss, first holding hands etc etc. Ask anyone whom their 3rd or 4th bf/gf, and most probably they have to think real hard to remember the correct sequence, but ask whom is their 1st love and faster than the blink of an eye, comes the answer...haha.

The first love is also normally the 'restricted' relationship, being in school and being too young to get married. Thus, most of the time, they parted ways at the height of their romance...due to circumstances, rather than loathing each other. That is why, when they reach adulthood, they seek each other out. Some when on to have relationships with numerous people, even marriage. When their marriage fails, they will secretly think of their first love, as he or she was the most 'romantic 'reference point' in their mind. (Of course la, at such an adolescent age without a care in the world and without responsibilities...even Upin & Ipin looks romantically adorable..haha).

I have seen the stupidity of people not realising that adulthood changes a person's soul. Everyone changes...job pressure, life experiences, satanic triumph in bringing out the devil in one's soul, etc etc can change a person 360 degrees the other way...like Arnikan in Star Wars...crossing over to the dark side. Its sad to see relationship/marriage break ups simply coz people gets stuck in the romantic fantasy of "living happily ever after"phase in the earlier chapters of their life on earth.

Too much Hindustani movie watching maybe?...ACHA

Moral boosting...I hope

2009-09-07T23:19:00.002+08:00

Today I made a point to see my eldest son, Ridhwaan, who is sitting for his UPSR starting tomorrow. It was to give my moral support to him and to give some 'fatherly' advice. As I was working today, it was a last minute planning. Luckily, the boys were on holiday since their school is in Selangor.

Ridhwaan (eldest son), Iman, Imraan (youngest son)

He had his best friend Iman, with him as they were doing some last minute revision studying. It was the first time I met Iman, and I was glad coz from what I observe, he was a good boy ... polite, courteous, brainy etc. My son looks up to Iman coz he's brainy, and it spurs him on to study and do as well as his best friend.

I picked up CaTz and Aishah, then proceeded to pick up my kids and their friend at my ex's house. They chose Kenny Roger's, and while eating, they came up with stories and theories on who Kenny Roger really is. Apart from me and CaTz, no one else had a clue, haha.

So what 'fatherly' advice did I gave my son? Not much really except the friendly reminder to re-check his answers. For me, the moral support should be expressed more in our actions, rather than in words. I learned that from my family during my schooling days, they don't speak much, but I could feel the love and affection, and that to me was priceless. I hope that my son has had that same feeling today... good luck son.

An introduction to my new love

2009-09-03T09:59:00.003+08:00

Finally I have received my new car...on the 14th August 2009. As what I had blogged earlier...I quote "To be honest, I have LOST that eagerness for my new car. Its gone...nothing, zero, zilch. No enthusiasm at all. Proton Edar has deprived me of that 'new car' feeling."...that was how I felt when Sam called me up and told me my car was ready for collection. Sam came to pick me up from my house the next morning, drove me to their showroom in Putrajaya and even treated me for breakfast.

When I saw it, I knew I love it. It may not be much, but its still mine. I have friends who change cars like the clothes off their backs, but I think for the fact that they change cars every other month shows there's no bonding or passion...its just purely lust. What a pity...

After signing all the papers, I had my very first experience driving a Persona. You see when I bought the car, I didn't even test drove it. My first impression...not bad indeed, a good value for money. I especially like the radio controls on the steering wheel, giving it a certain 'expensive' appeal.

The people who were really looking forward for the car are my kids. For the past few months, every time I pick them up, they would be disappointed coz I came in a different car. I think they may had been bragging in school that 'ayah' was buying an expensive car. Haha...how easy it is to please kids..for now :)

The next day, I received a call of injured hikers on Gunung Nuang, and on the Monday, the drowning case in Paya Jaras. Both times I had driven this car to respond. For me its a good omen...coz the start of my relationship was blessed with helping other people. Isn't that's what living is all about?

A sad day in Paya Jaras

2009-08-18T03:22:00.001+08:00

I was at the office around 5.30pm and was packing to go home when Gerakan called me to inform of a drowning case in Paya Jaras. I rushed from my office in Taman Equine to Gerakan in Semarak. The first team was already deployed when I arrived in my office attire. I had no choice but to put on a JPAM vest. After checking the inventory list, we started our journey in 1 Rodeo and 1 Delta lorry. With sirens blaring and strobe lights flashing, we made through the traffic quite easily.

When we arrived, the first team updated us on the Intel. Its a 3+ years old child who was washing his slippers by the river. Suddenly he fell in. An old man nearby shouted for help. The nearby villagers didn't pay any notice as the old man was known to have some 'problems' before. Only after noticing a pair of children slippers did they realised that it was true. By then it was too late.

I was just coordinating the ops, no heavy stuff, as I had a recurring back pain. My team (total strength 20) continued our search, wading through the river from the incident point right up to the 'bigger' river a few kilometres away. We called off the search at 0300hrs. I had returned home at 0200hrs coz its working day.

As I lay myself to sleep, I cant help but think of .... the body of adik x (cant disclose the name), still swirling in the river, or resting at the bottom of the river bed, or stuck among the tree branch...somewhere out there. I had problems sleeping now even though my eyes could barely open. I pray that we can find him soon, to enable his family to give him a final and proper burial.

Al-Fatihah.

Goodbye Old Friend

2009-08-13T13:21:00.001+08:00

Our final photo together

Yesterday I parted ways with my old friend. Known her since 1994 and she has been good to me. She has brought me lots of luck and brought me so much joy driving at breakneck speed...once a point a time when she was younger...haha.

It originally belonged to my Tok Guru. He used it for 2 years and during that time, I had the privilege to ride in it on numerous occasions. Secretly, I had a wish that I could one day drive a car like that. Little that I know, by the grace of God, 2 years later, I managed to buy the same car from my Tok Guru.

This is the same car that I had used to visit work sites, that got me my first project, that brought my babies home from the maternity ward, that rushed me to Bilik Gerakan 999, that took my family on holidays, that took me on my dive trips, that accompanied me during the trying times of my divorce etc etc. Its also the same car that caused me to miss appointments, had to hitch a ride with customers, ride my bike in the rain etc etc. So many memories as she was with me a good part of my adult life.

I had resisted the idea of getting a new car for so long. My mom, my friends, my clients..had directly or indirectly 'hinted', but I persevered. I had spent a lot of money on maintenance that finally it just doesn't make sense to keep it anymore. Its not coz of the money, its the 'downtime' and 'reliability' that gets on my nerves. I blame the workshop dude for this, it was not the car's fault. They simply treat cars like guinea pigs in a lab... 'trial & error' is the modus operandi when it comes to trouble shooting. Unknown to us, we are the one financing this 'not very smart analyzing method'.

Finally yesterday evening, it was a sad day indeed...its going to the scrap yard for its final resting place. Goodbye old friend. RIP

Scrapping...I wish they are as smart as Scrappy Doo

2009-08-08T07:37:00.007+08:00

Yesterday I received a SMS from Sam on how much balance I had to pay to Proton Edar. Nothing was mentioned about when my car would be delivered. So I called him up. He told me "lagi satu minggu". I got really angry coz that's the same exact words he told me on Tuesday when my voucher FINALLY came out. I needed the car badly coz my job requires me to travel quite a distance to the other side of town and back on a daily basis. Travelling using my Vulcan would normally leave me lethargic....sign of age catching up? :p

Months earlier, I had suggested to Sam to let me pay the RM5k upfront and reimburse the voucher when it comes out later. I don't mind waiting for the cash, but I cant wait too long for my car. Sam told me Proton Edar doesn't allow it. Hmmmm.....

I think this is one of the solution that Proton Edar should adopt. Let customers have an option. If you have one dude doing for the whole of Malaysia, definitely there is gonna be a backlog for months. Cost saving? At what cost? The scrapping program is to stimulate the automotive industry, right? People get TURN OFF when salesman say "tapi kalau mau scrap ambik masa sikit 1-1.5 bulan. lepas tu baru boleh start order kereta. persona 1 bulan, exora 3 bulan". Only fools (myself included) would actually believe that its all a myth, that things weren't really that bad and order a Malaysian made car.

The government has given Proton the 'edge' by allowing the scrapping program only for buying Malaysian made cars. But if it takes Proton Edar 2 months (if you are lucky and they don't loose your documentations) to issue out the voucher, that is counter productive and would actually shun away potential buyers. When we offer to pay first and redeem the voucher for cash as a solution, you wont allow it. Hello, that voucher is MINE coz it came from a car that's MINE and the car I am buying is also MINE. Prone to abuse? How you tell me? 1 old car gets scrapped off our road and 1 Malaysian made car bought right? Isn't that's what the government is trying to do? Duhhh

If you cant handle the problem, at least listen to your customers for solutions and always give options. This take it or leave it attitude is bad for you. Basic marketing mahh. Come on Proton Edar...buck up and listen to your customers.

The mistake of a buying Malaysian car

2009-08-03T22:54:00.006+08:00

Hmmm...after using my faithful Peugeot 405 SRI since 1996, and after thousands of Ringgits spent on repairs, and countless encounters with friends and acquaintances giving me the cynical "kereta masuk workshop lagi" remarks, I had decided to change my car. A very sad decision indeed as that car had sentimental values.

But what car to get? I had visited a few showrooms...namely Toyota, Honda...and last but not least, Proton Edar. Hmmm...that last one was originally just to pass the time...but wait, what's that? A scrap program for Malaysian made cars? How much? RM5000? Interesting.

I came up with a plan...trade in my Peugeot and scrap my Datsun C20 which I had used for my previous 'projects'. Sounds good. After meeting up with 3 dealers, with 3 different versions of 'scrap' programs explanations, I told myself that the dealer that comes back to call me would be the one I would sign up with.

At last, the nice gentleman name Sam did just that, and he took the trouble of actually doing most transactions at my house, which was on the opposite side of town from where he was. He told me that the 'scrapping' process would take between 1-1.5 months for the voucher to come out. Only after that would the process of buying a car can start.

At first I was eyeing the new Exora, but I cant wait that long (at that time, Sam told me waiting list was 3 months...and that is not including the 'scrapping' process). So the next best thing was the Persona...430 litres is ample boot space for dive bags, medical bag, rescue kit etc etc. I went for the Persona SE simply because it has everything (the safety aspect)...plus for just an additional RM3k, I get GPS, leather seats, body kit, sporty gauges etc etc.

I had initially told Sam that I wanted the car latest before 24th July, coz it was CaTz's birthday. Since it was end of May, it shouldn't be a problem, says Sam. Officially, its been 2 months (3rd June 2009) since Sam had submitted all the 'scrapping documents' to Proton Edar HQ, and its sad to say that the voucher has yet to materialised. After much hassling the poor guy, I found out that my documents went 'missing' at Proton Edar HQ, plus there is only 1 dude doing the documentation for the whole country. Downsizing? Rightsizing? Duhhh

To be honest, I have LOST that eagerness for my new car. Its gone...nothing, zero, zilch. No enthusiasm at all. Proton Edar has deprived me of that 'new car' feeling. If it wasn't for my french car already in the process of 'scrapping', I would have cancelled my booking and buy a Japanese car instead. I know my contribution is not much, maybe that's why Proton Edar doesn't give a hoots about 'little people' like me. So much for government's call to buy Malaysian products, but only a Malaysian company would treat a Malaysian buyer like this...the 'tak apa' attitude. Look at the export models...better quality, better safety. Why the double standards? Does the life of a Malaysian cost less than a 'Mat Salleh'?

Btw, its meant to be 'scrapped'. The initial inspection all done by Puspakom PRIOR to 3rd June. What could possibly be so meticulous 'processing' that it takes them months just to issue out a voucher? RM59k maybe small to Proton Edar, but for a 'normal' dude with a 'normal' income like myself, that car meant less diving, less saving, less partying, less money for my kid's education etc etc. Its high time that big corporations like this have some degree of respect for the normal 'rakyat'. What say you?

A joint birthday

2009-07-26T01:21:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I attended a joint birthday party for an auntie & her nephews. It was CaTz's xx birthday (she would kill me if mention here) and the identical twins 1st birthday.

Happy birthday honey

The identical twins

The candle blowing ceremony

The twins are a bit shy...but I know a secret on how to persuade a baby to 'cooperate'. Actually its the same secret for men...its through their stomach. So I practise it on one of them. He understood what I said (clever boy), e.g. when I pointed to the cake, he looked at it. After a while he became comfy...too comfy in fact that he soon dozed off.

Was it the cake or the 'extra sponges' on me? Hmmm...must be the cake...at least that's how I would like to think of it.

Redang & the OWDs

2009-07-20T13:31:00.000+08:00

I arrived home from my Tioman LOB trip on Sunday and the next day I started conducting an Open Water Diver training for a government agency. 2 days in KL for their Knowledge Reviews and Confine Water and 3 days in Redang for the Open Water modules. 5 straight days in 2 different locations. Phew....

The "BEFORE CONVERSION" pictures

The "AFTER CONVERSION" pictures

As evident by the above comparative photos, it supports my theory that people are more fun to be around with if they are divers. They are more friendly, cheerful, energetic...unless you are born with a non friendly, non-cheerful and non-energetic face...who's expression is always the same under ANY circumstances (try to figure out which one).

Long Beach

Teluk Kalong

Redang island is one of my favourite in Peninsular Malaysia. Its almost 'unspoilt' and pristine conditions...white sandy beaches, nice dive sites, variety of marine life...including the nice friends at Gypsy, makes it a total thumbs up for me. Of course it depends where you are staying. I prefer the laid back location of Teluk Kalong...a secluded spot away from the crowd at Long Beach. Here, the only entertainment are the monkeys, the Geckos...and fairly recently...Astro. My philosophy is...if you want the comfort of home...then just stay at home... haha.

As future rescuers, they were given the max of everything. All the optional skills became compulsory training such as buddy breathing. I also found cursing underwater using a writing slate so unfulfilling as opposed to direct verbal abuse, plus one can only curse so much on a slate before its full...haha. Shucks.

One thing I discovered way early in my career as a scuba instructor is...no matter how tipsy-turfy they are underwater, when it comes to taking photos, suddenly they are ok. Good buoyancy, controlled exhalation (no bubbles)...its an amazing transformation. Take the camera away and its back to chaos. Hmmm

We also had a good time playing beach volleyball...well actually they had a good time. Someone has to be the umpire right?

Oh ya, on the way to Redang, we saw this 'transformed' old junk (not junk as in rubbish, but an old ship). A friend of a friend of a friend (haha) told me that its part of the props for KRU's upcoming film on Langkasuka. I wonder if they need an actor as Penghulu Pulau Bertongkat? ...hmmmm

Kaleebso LOB & The AOWD Students

2009-07-18T03:13:00.001+08:00

I had organized a trip to Tioman group of islands, liveaboard style. What does that mean? Eat, sleep, dive...everything done on the boat.

This boat is famous for its food. Mary, the resident Iron Chef, who's cooking feat is by far 'unchallenged' was on board to make sure everyone's tummy gets a good filling every time. This is by far, the easiest diving to me.

Unfortunately on Saturday morning, the sea got a bit rough, so we had to make do diving off Tulai island. Only after lunch did we managed to proceed to the other dive sites.

We also had another group of OWD students on board. Its always a gamble to bring OWD students on board. You will never know how well they can stomach the lullaby of the sea. If they get seasick, then that is the end of their course. DOR - Drop On Request.

When the owner heard that I was coming with a group of 12 pax, they assumed it was my normal clients, the always hungry Malaysians. So on the trip to Pulau Aur a few days earlier, they decided to surprise us and bought .... Durians... 30 of them. So when we came on board, you should have seen the faces of KLee & Mary, coz majority of them are 'Mat Salleh'. That was a Kodak moment indeed.... :)

Pictures from the past

2009-07-10T16:33:00.001+08:00

I was cleaning my cupboard yesterday when I came across my old baby photo album. Looking at the pictures, it brought back memories....

Me & my younger brother Din

Me & elder sister Azee

Us & my dad

Think this was taken during kindergarten

Always joking from small

Trendy pants sewn from curtain left over material

Singing was one of my passion back then

Being the only cucu in the house has its perks, but always monitored real close

Tuurbo PBN 2315

2009-07-06T16:12:00.003+08:00

Recently I made a trip to Penang. Its been donkey years since I have been there. The last time I practically 'lived' there was in 1988-1989 during my studying days. The most recent was years back with my dive buddy Amin...a day trip just to view a Land Rover TD5 for sale. So the trip I made was also a trip down memory lane for me. CaTz also tagged along and I was determined to show her that I know Penang inside out. How wrong I was...embarrassingly so.

I tried to find the Nasi Ayam place behind the Penang General Hospital....didn't find it. Then tried to find the Mee Udang, Balik Pulau....didn't find it. Then tried to find the Char Kway Teow stall in Gurney Drive....dint find it. Then my favourite Kari Kepala Ikan restaurant near Komtar area...didn't find it. In fact I didn't recognize most of the roads anymore...couldn't even find the road to Gurney Drive from the bridge without the help of my trustee GPS. How things have changed so much.

I tried taking CaTz back in time by explaining the different spots (the one that I recognized that is) and the things I did there...like for example how me & my friends used to ride our bikes at midnight making a complete round of the whole of Penang through the winding roads of Balik Pulau, how Udini Highway was partially completed and was a favourite place to 'test' our bikes, how we use to race through the crowded Gurney Drive.

Back then, people knew me as Turbo, or spoken with the northern slang..Tuur bo. I was a 'rempit' fella back then (hard to believe ain't it). In those days, the 'rempit's were not violent people. We don't abuse other road users or conduct acts of gangsterism. We just enjoyed street racing. I was the only dude in a university there with a newly released RXZ 6 speed. Oh ya...the locals also know me by my number plate..PBN 2315. I used to 'pegang' Gelugor area coz I defeated Shim Race, the part time bike mechanic, who was the local hero. How I did this? Read on....

Me with my TZR, 1990, Swansea, UK

One fine day, as me & my friends were eating, suddenly this dude came and made a few spins. Suddenly he stopped across the road and 'challenged' us by ramming his bike. It was all my friends fault coz they are the ones who like to 'show off' in that area. I passed my keys to Man Tandok..he declined coz the day before he crashed a Suzuki Panther smack into the back of a car. Then I passed the keys to Syeh...he declined. S**t.

By then the locals were taunting us...saying things like "haa apa lagi, dia dah pangge tu"..or "kalau nak taw, tu la Shim Race yang pegang area Gelugoq ni". OMG I was so embarrassed. All eyes were looking at us. The pressure was mounting. At last I couldn't stand the humiliation. I took the keys, looked to the warung owner and said "ni biaq sini noo", and mounted my bike. I heard laughter..as if ridiculing me. Anyway, we did 3 laps...on every occasion I overtook that dude sitting upright while he was prone in a racing position. He tried to cheat each time we made a u-turn for the next lap, he didn't wait for me to start fair and square, but just bolted away. He wanted those people at the stalls to see that he's a winner...but I showed him.

I then rode back to the stall, sat down and continued eating my food. The locals who were jovial before just kept quiet. You can even hear a pin drop...so quiet. Ever since that day, when I came to that stall, they would 'prepare' my table and treat me with respect. This time, they tell their friends "Tu la Turbo...". Haaa baru depa ada mata cek oi....

Congratulations

2009-07-03T01:15:00.004+08:00

Last weekend, I was in Pulau Redang conducting a PADI Open Water Diver course. 4 brave souls dared themselves to overcome their fears to step over into the world of the privileged... the underwater world. Congratulations and welcome to our world....

Knowledge Review inc Theory Exam

Open Water

Graduation

JPAM Rope Rescue Technician Course

2009-07-02T00:03:00.012+08:00

Recently, Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (JPAM), Kuala Lumpur held our Rope Rescue Technician Course. This was a basic level specialisation training. A total of 29 participants attended the 3 days course. I was on board as part of the Technical Crew, in charged of safety and photography.

THE TECHNICAL CREW

Our Home

The technical crew as always was self reliant. We packed our stuff in 2 jalopies (4WD), mine and Sham's, which apart from our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), climbing equipments & ropes, medical kit, survival kit....includes our ration & cooking utensils. We had our place somewhere in a remote area of the campsite. Since we had our cooking team to cook the main course, we had our own special menu such as mushroom soup, french toast, sausages, fried mee at times when we had to mobilise early and also at the waterfall where we had to stay the whole day. Kerja berat, makan pun mesti berat....

The team

One thing about the Technical Team, it comprises of a good mix of young and the 'not so young', the strong and the 'not so strong' etc etc. Since we have been together in numerous trainings and actual disasters/operations, team work was almost seem less, tasks get done without much talking....and no one complains...whether hungry or in pain.

Scenario Preparation

THE TRAINING SCENARIOS

The participants were broken up into 2 teams, namely Alpha and Bravo. The main scenario on Saturday was to carry the trauma dummy (the size of an adult male and weights 80kg) through 2km of jungle and ravines, up to the base of the waterfall. The dummy was then 'placed' at 1/3 length from the top of the waterfall. The teams were required to 'rescue' the dummy using the best technique possible and using what ever resources available.

After that, the teams were to carry back the dummy through 2km of jungle and ravines back to base camp. The track was treacherous, slippery, with one stretch having to wade through water. They arrived at base camp around 2030hrs. I was taking a bath when they informed us that a few participants collapsed. The technical crew rushed to assist. 6 people collapsed and had to be transported to Ampang Hospital. After IV drips, and 2 hours observation at the Accident & Emergency, they were 'discharged'. We offered to send them back home, but they refused. They wanted to stay on to complete the course. Bravo guys..and gals.

Phase 1

The next morning, it was scenario simulation 2, where it is a combination of SAR (Search & Rescue) and Rope Rescue techniques. The Technical crew had hid the trauma dummy in a specific area and it is the task of the teams to search and locate the dummy.

Phase 2

Of course there is no such thing as an easy 'incident area'. After much packing, the candidates were allowed to enter the training zone.Upon locating the 'patient' tucked away under fallen branches, the teams were requested to 'pack' the victim while rendering first aid.

Phase 3

The teams were then required to 'transport' the victim back to base camp. Of course the Technical Crew were very generous with the amount of mental pressure exerted on them. This was not due to ragging, but as rescuers, in real life situations, they are required to perform under tremendous stress.

While we were there, we met a few groups of school kids on a day trip to the waterfall, accompanied by some army personnel. I had some fun taking snap shots of them. Of course during this time we refrain from taking any water from the area to cook or drink...just in case...I didn't see any of them going off for any toilet breaks, and the water was cold...haha.

Next training would be my part...water rescue & scuba

Entry from the past

2009-07-01T02:20:00.000+08:00

Since Yahoo 360 is closing down, I was reminded by Yahoo to transfer/download my blogs from there. I had completely forgotten about it since I migrated to blogspot. This particular blog from the past reminded me about my kids and worth publishing here again for safe keeping....

Entry for October 24, 2006

It will soon be dawn on the first day of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. The great thing about this year, my 2 sons are here with me to celebrate. Last year they only came here on the 3rd day. I am proud to say that my eldest son, Muhammad Ridhwaan 9 yrs old, fasted for the whole month. I am also proud to report that my youngest, Muhammad Imraan, 6 yrs old, fasted 10 days full, and the rest for half a day.

Imraan does sometimes almost break fast during the day, especially after playing 'perang2', but the elder bro always keeps an eye on him. Then the elder bro will give a comment like "when I was your age, I didn't have a problem fasting etc, etc". They are now closer to each other, and they look out for one another. After what they went through, its expected. As a father, I am both proud and sad. Proud because my sons are closer and wiser, but also sad because I know that its the product of my divorce.

As I look at my two sons, I realised that they shall grow up very fast. Soon, they shall go to college, university perhaps...before you know it, they shall have a family of their own. By that time, I know that I have reached the end of my journey in life and my life cycle ends as theirs begins.

Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-23T23:08:00.000+08:00

CaTz and I had sometime to chill so we headed to our favourite hangout place. Then I decided to check out the movies, to see whether there's anything worth watching. Then I saw...people selling Transformers merchandise at the entrance...hmmm I wonder why?. Then I saw people walking about wearing Transformers tshirts etc...hmmm I wonder why?. Then I looked at the board..then I knew why. It was a sneak preview of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. We just knew we had to see it.

We were struck by the awesomeness of the CGI, and of course the sound effects. I think the music played a major part in creating the right atmosphere for the scenes.

This movie has everything in it, the fight scenes, the love scenes and the humor scenes. What interests me about this movie is...honour...and how one fights numerous odds and conquer one's fears ...ultimately sacrificing one's life...just to keep that honour...something that we are lacking in this world today.Oh ya...btw be prepared to sit for quite a while. The movie is long...about 2.5 hours...so buy lots of popcorn and drinks...and maybe even a pee bottle. Go and see it....

A Recce Trip

2009-06-17T14:10:00.016+08:00

I dont know why, but after my 4WD outing, I felt so recharged, so energetic...like when I was young again...well, not to say that I am old now...maybe the correct word is younger..."like when I was YOUNGER". Hmmm that's more like it. I felt fantastic, terrific. Maybe I had found my fountain of youth perhaps? Is that true? Read on to find out the answer....

The night after my 4WD outing, I had drinks with my close JPAM buddies. Everyone had their own specialisation, me (water & medical), Awal (rope & SAR), Azzat (SAR), Tuan SK (hmmm..mengarah kot haha). We were discussing about our upcoming Rope Rescue Technician course, the training scenarios mostly. Then I suggested we make a one day recce trip the next day. So the next day, there were 6 of us in the JPAM vehicle, happily on our way to the training location.

I had everything with me, my camelbak, my Petzl helmet, my Petzl harness, my walkie talkie, my DSLR, my GPS, my cool shades...everything except...sweets or some energy replenishing stuff. I only realised this half way up, when things got a bit hazy...haha. At first I thought..hey why this jungle getting dimmer and dimmer?. Then I realised my body was giving me some warning signs. Azzat was saying "sikit lagi bang, balik selekoh tu je". When I got there, he said "Hmmm alamak salah selekoh la bang. Depan sikit lagi". Grrrrr I had the inclination to send this dude down a ravine somewhere...but then...I think he meant well...at least that's what I like to think.

Halfway up, the forward team (2 ppl) contacted by walkie talkie, " letupan satu". So Azzat lit a firecracker (a louder version of a normal firecracker) threw it and ... boom. I thought it was for the wild boars, only later back in KL, they told me "bau hamis tersangat kuat", which normally indicate the smell of a tiger. By the intensity of the smell, it was very, very near. Hmmm no wonder I felt like I was being watched since I was the last man but lucky for me, our 'esprit de corp' are strong, so the others compensated on my 'condition' and slowed down.

When we reached the waterfall, and after a short rest, the rope specialist guys started climbing and exploring the waterfall, which was to be one of the location for training scenarios. As for me...well I was the person in charge of safety, so I just stay at the bottom and catch anyone that falls...while having coffee & maggi...hehe. At 5pm it began to rain and we headed back down.

On the way back to civilisation, I received a phone call from CaTz. The slew of questions came almost non-stop. Reason? She couldn't get me on the line nor on the "Friend Finder". Aha...she knew where I was going but in her panic state, she overlooked the fact that there might be no coverage there. Duh! But I guess that shows how much she adores me, worrying her pretty head for no reason...hehe. I was tired, wet and hungry, and wasn't in the mood to argue. So I asked her "Have you had your dinner babe? Wanna have dinner with me?". That stopped her coz she didn't expected that one coming from me. Haha.

Today, I woke up a different person. As I had difficulty walking coz of my 'over-used' thigh muscles, I realised that the 'super' feeling were gone. After a few months of inactivity due to my medical condition, my muscles weren't as toned as they used to be. So I guess, that fountain of youth thing was just a myth.

Now where did I put that 'minyak tomoi' of mine......

4WD Testing

2009-06-15T16:19:00.007+08:00

On Sunday, me and a few friends went off on a short 4WD trip. The main reason was to test our vehicles before the real trip next weekend. Well...not really a 'real' 4WD trip, but we are attending a Rope Rescue Technician course as part of the technical crew. The course is conducted in the jungle, with steep cliff or waterfall as our training ground. Of course, we also need to find a reason to thrash out our 4WD, and since there is no 4WD track to the training ground, we plan to open up a new one next week. Will keep you posted on that...

The journey

Anyway, on with the story....

Sham aka Botak called me up on Saturday midnight. "Bang jom esok test jalopi. Kerengga (another friend) dah ada sana". So Sunday morning, we met up at Petronas Batu Caves. There was another car, my friend Awal EMT & family. I had Aizat, my trainee co-pilot driving my jalopy. We were the only 2 'non family bearing' people in the group. Too bad I had sent my kids back earlier or else they would have enjoyed it.

The BBQ

The campsite was on 'private' property, so when we got there there were just the 3 jalopies. It was lucky that Botak & Awal brought their wives, which simply means.....MORE FOOD. There were Nasi Lemak, Bi Hoon Goreng, sandwiches, cold/hot water...and of course...BBQ with chicken, squid, prawns.

The next best thing was...mandi jeram. This was the highlight of the trip. Cool refreshing water...I found 'my' perfect spot. The water was so clear, I can open my eyes and the sensation was better than 'Eye Mo'. I can also feel fish nibbling at my feet...of course i looked underwater to make sure it IS fish and not something else...haha. In the evening, another 6 jalopies came.

The Ibu Mithali

I was amazed at my friend Botak & his wife. They have a baby with them on the trip. Lucky for us off roaders, our jalopy is like our second home. We have inverters in our vehicles, that can convert the batteries to amperes, thus allowing us to use any electrical device. As in Botak's case, his baby's electrical 'buaian' and stand fan. Aaahhh the comfort of home right in the jungle. Ibu Mithali award maybe?

The Jalopies

On the way back, 2 things happened to me.

One, I was so busy chatting with Awal that I went through the 'deep' end of the mud trail. My jalopy was stuck in about 3 feet of mud. Awal volunteered to go to the back and get my strap while waiting for Kerengga to position his jalopy to pull us out. He was using the side step to avoid going into the mud. Suddenly, no more Awal. The poor guy slipped and feel smack into the mud.

Two, after that I was also busy chatting. Coming down a mud slope, I didn't notice a fallen tree branch. My left tyre was stuck behind it and followed the curve of the branch. Coming down a steep slope sideways is not a good thing. My jalopy was already tilted so much that the back left tire was barely touching the ground. I thought to myself, "habis la lepas ni kena repair bumbung lak". In the end, everything was ok.

The Orang Asli Village

Throughout both incidents, the camera was with me, so unfortunately no pictures. The moral of the story is....

"Concentrate on your driving even though you have gone through that route a few times. Never underestimate the ever evolving jungle, coz the path you took this morning is different from the one you are taking in the evening."

The second moral of the story....

"Make sure you are not the only one with a camera LOL"

What this trip made me realised how much I love the outdoors and how much I had missed it. I came back refreshed...as if half of my worries went flowing down that river. One thing is for sure....like what Arnold said..."I'll be back".

Majlis Penglibatan PLKN dalam Pertahanan Awam..Final Pt

2009-06-06T00:44:00.010+08:00

This second part of my blog was disrupted by the building collapsed Jaya incident. Thus, this is the final part of that blog....

PARADE

AWARDING OF JPAM BERET CEREMONY

VISIT TO JPAM EXHIBITION

SOME OF OUR RESCUE EQUIPMENTS

Field Mobile Kitchen (Dapur Medan)

Fiber Optic Camera

High Angle Rescue

Ambulance with Rear Floodlight

Operasi Jaya Pt 3 - What can I say?

2009-06-01T18:35:00.001+08:00

Someone actually asked me to blog about the incident. I don't have anything much to say... except for the following...

Different characters appeared on the scene. Some to do work, some to show who is the boss, and some just to 'take a look'. However, in the actual act of curiosity, they entered the yellow zone, stepping over the yellow police line. The line was there for their safety, as the remaining building could collapse at anytime. No matter how big a post you hold, or how powerful you are, that head of yours wouldn't stand a chance against all that concrete and steel. So people, next time, have some respect and do not step over the line.

I find this sign very amusing

A well built man came to our PKTK (Pos Kawalan Tempat Kejadian), he didnt say anything, but kept looking at the board as if looking for something. So I asked him, "encik ni cari siapa?". "Maaf pak, saya ini orang Indonesia, mau cari orang bernama F (not his real name). Saya bertanyakan sama kawannya, semuanya tidak tau". Then I looked at the board. There he was, MIA #4 on the list, Mr F. So I told him that F was listed as missing. He looked motionless, composed, said thank you but just stood there. Then I asked him, "Mas ini siapa dengan F?". "Adik saya" came the answer. That's when the emotions were too much for him. I saw tears swell up in his eyes and one of my guys immediately put his hand over him. We sat him down, put a hand over his shoulder, gave him a drink and offered words of encouragement/condolences. Its one of those scenes that would continue to haunt me for a long, long time.

Imagine having this info on the board, x Mangsa Cedera, x Mangsa Negatif, x Cebisan Manusia. How do you define 'cebisan manusia'? Worst still, how do you know whether 'it' actually comes from which victim? Pieces of flesh and bones that hours ago was an actual living human? Being crushed by 2 layers of concrete floor can mashed up a human body real bad. The cebisan could be Mr F, but then again it may not be.

May their souls rest in peace. Al Fatihah

Operasi Jaya Pt 2 - The day photos

2009-05-31T23:10:00.001+08:00

The Inter-Agency Relationship

The Carnage

The Possible Causes

The Retrieval

Operasi Jaya Pt 1 - The day it happened

2009-05-29T21:45:00.002+08:00

I was called by Bilik Gerakan to immediately report duty for a building collapsed operation. I was shocked when they told me it was the former Jaya Supermarket building in Section 14, Petaling Jaya. Why you may asked? When I was growing up in Petaling Jaya, that building was one of 'the' icon there.

The JPAM Team

The Heavy Machineries

The Working Relationship

The Carnage

to be continued.....

Majlis Penglibatan PLKN dalam Pertahanan Awam part 1

2009-05-28T03:42:00.007+08:00

Last Monday, I was involved in the 'Majlis Penglibatan PLKN dalam Pertahanan Awam', officiated by Defence Minister, YB Dato' Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi. The event took place at Kem Seri Perkasa, Mantin.

The event marked the launch of a collaboration between Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN) and Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (JPAM). What this means is that PLKN trainees now have the option to enlist as JPAM members at the end of their training. The following are some pictures taken during the event....

The 'tambor' from JPAM

The road accident demonstration by JPAM

The 'senamrobik' by PKLN

The dynamic Omega by JPAM

The 'Skuad Gerak Pantas' JPAM

to be continued....

Dino Land....

2009-05-26T23:09:00.001+08:00

Recently, we made a visit to the 'Monsters & Dinosaurs' exhibition at Mid Valley at the request of my eldest. Its basically an exhibition using hydraulics and a clever use of lighting to create that eerie feeling. The tickets were a bit pricey though...even more so after we saw how 'small' an area the exhibition was. So I thought since I had paid so much, I might as well share it with you....

So how did the kids like it? The following picture cant go far from the truth...

I was tagged....

2009-05-21T21:17:00.004+08:00

I was tagged by CaTz and in true spirit of a gentleman, I obliged her by doing this quiz. So here goes....

1. Rate your life from 1-10 (10 being very miserable)
3

2. Do you have many real friends?
I sure hope so

3. Name friends you last hang out with?
Shariman Samad

4. Who was the last person you hugged?
Hmmm...rahsia

5. Anything that made you smile today?
CaTz being upset with me again....as always

5. Name one thing you have in common with your friends?
Handphones?

6. Do you trust your friends?
Yeah...depending on their 'clearance' level...haha

7. Do you believe in love?
I do...but whether it still exists in this world...remains to be seen

6. Except for family and friends, who are you in love with?
Hmmm..is this a trick question?

7. Do you honestly believe you have found the right guy/girl?
The signs are there...except for the nagging...hehe

8. Are you someone’s best friend?
Don't know. I hope to be everyone's best friend

9. Do you consider yourself as a happy person?
Yeah

10. Who’s the first person you call when you’re having a bad day?
Who ever that is willing to hear me nag, nag, nag

11. Last person who made you laugh like crazy?
CaTz...at Nando's. She would kill me if I tell you why...

12. Who’s your greatest inspiration in life?
My tok guru

13. Who was the last person to sing your current favorite song and what song?
CaTz....but I still prefer the original singer...sorry babe haha

14. What have you been telling yourself lately?
Life begins at 40 KAZ

A drowning case

2009-05-19T03:17:00.003+08:00

Recently, my water rescue and scuba team from the Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (JPAM) was called to search for a missing person who's car went over a bridge in Kajang. At the time, the river was swollen as it was raining up river. Donning their scuba equipment, my team went down, found the car but with no one inside. After a few attempts, the search was called off due to night fall.

The next morning, the search continued. The water level had dropped and after a short while, the body was recovered. Our condolences to the family.

"Team members calming their nerves after the body recovery. Mind you , these guys are quite veterans, but seeing a decomposed body still takes a toll on the mind and soul"