Thanks, Malaysiakini!

If not for my article being featured in Malaysiakini, I would not have known about its wonderful existence! Now, I can click on Malaysiakini and be updated with news from Malaysia.! Ironically, I read about the publication of the May 13 book by Dr. Kua in www.harro.blogspot.com! Harro is a blog featuring influential bloggers, and I am honoured to be one of those featured in Harro's blog.

It has been 30 years since I left Penang for my tertiary education in Canada, and subsequently on my return, to work in Singapore because my degree was not recognised by the Ministry of Education. (I had mentioned that in my article, "I am drained ....to Singapore).

I love Penang and I am extremely fond of my second brother and relatives who are still living in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Kuching. Hence, I visit them as much as time can permit. Although it is a joy to see my loved ones, I miss my classmates and my best friend, Koh Gim Hong, whom I have lost contact with. I hope that with my articles featured in Malaysiakini, my classmates from Green Lane Convent Primary and Secondary would remember me and we can keep in touch again! I am one of those insiginificant and quiet students, but my unique name of Choo Choo will definitely ring a bell in people's memory! I remember how I was smart enough to realise that I had to pay great attention whenever we started a new term in a new class. For the first month, teachers would always call upon me to answer questions because my name was the easiest to remember! I still remember a few names of my classmates. There was Lean Heng, the head prefect and the smartest girl in the whole school. Then there was fat Cecelia who resembles Lydia Sum and I now apologise for joining everyone to call her "Fatty Bom Bom". If there is any consolation to Cecelia, I am now a Fatty Bom Bom myself! Then there was our beloved Malay comedienne, Siti Jauwah who often sent the class rolling with laughter! What joy when I think of the past! What greater joy I will have, if only I can meet some of my classmates again!

I guess most of my teachers would have passed away. How nice if I could meet any of my form teachers and say to her, "Madam, I am now quite successful. I was such an utter failure as a floor speaker in the school debate, but now I have won champion prizes for humorous and table topics contests in toastmasters' activities. I was too shy to hold a monitor's or prefect's position in school, but now I am a leader!"
I still remember my favourite teacher, Miss Lee, who was my form teacher for Prmary 5 and 6. She used to live very near the school.

Although we were raised in Jelutong Village, papa brought us up well. Due to our great love for him, we tried to please him and make him happy. I still remember all the things he had taught us. Papa always reminded us to be transparent and truthful. He said, "Don't hide especially when you have made mistakes. Because the more you hide, the more I want to find out. You will have caused me to be distrustful and paranoid. "Sesiapa yang makan cabai, tahu pedas nya." (Whoever eats chilli knows how hot and spicy it is) is papa's favourite idiom whenever he suspected any of his children hiding something from him. I remember once I had red marks for all my subjects except English and Art. I delayed showing my report book to papa. Towards nightfall, I summoned all my courage and brought my book for papa to sign. To my surprise he said, "My child, papa knows you're more capable than this. Find out for yourself why you failed so badly this term. I'm sure you will give me good results next term". Papa's understanding and gentleness made me burst into tears. After that incident I became one of the top ten students in class.!

On this same note, I hope the Malaysian government will not ban the book by Dr. Kua,
because the more the government wants to hide, the more people will want to find out.
People generally become more forgiving when we openly admit our mistakes.

As I have always said, I do not understand politics. I only understand how people generally function because of the way papa has brought us up. Having lived on this earth for 53 years, 5 months and 20 days, I have found out that we all react the same way towards lies and honesty; cruelty and compassion; failure and success, etc.
This is because we are all humans, regardless of the colour of our skin.

Gan Chau