My Son, John

Peter Soo, 60, is a retired teacher who lives at Taman Kerjasama, Kluang. He is pictured here with his son, John. Story sourced from NST online.

I can now heave a sigh of relief. My son, John, had graduated on June 30 with a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) in Physics from the National University of Singapore, where he had obtained a scholarship from the Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He is now furthering his studies at a top-ranking university in the United Kingdom where he is pursuing a PhD in Astrophysics.

He had also received a MyBrainSc scholarship from our Education Ministry which enables him to complete his PhD in the UK but on the condition that he comes back to Malaysia to serve the government.

John assured me that he would come back as he wants to be in the field of education, like me.

John told me: “I believe in the potential of Malaysian students.

“My vision is to become a physics lecturer in the local universities, to encourage and inspire the future scientists to do great things for Malaysia.”

My wife, Khoo Bee Lee, 56, and I are so proud of John and so glad that he is our son.

We may not be in such a state of joy now if we had not made the decision to adopt John back in 1999.

John lost his father in a car crash when he was still in kindergarten. His mother was suffering from cancer.

Bee Lee knew John’s mother because they attended the same church.

Before John’s mother lost her 
battle with cancer, she wrote a will.

The only thing she asked of us was for John to be given a tertiary education.

I am glad to say that not only is John a grateful boy, he is also very bright.

If I were made to choose, I would say being grateful is more important than being smart.

Since John has both, I feel that we are indeed blessed.

My wife and I just gave him our love and treated him like our own flesh and blood.

After John came into our family, Bee Lee got pregnant.

Our daughter, Soo Jacinth, is now 14 and gets along well with John, who is 24.

Although I am 60, I, too, am pursuing a PhD.

Now John and I are competing with each other to see who gets the PhD first.

I believe a father can turn a boy into a good man.

I learnt how to be good from my father, who led by example.

He moulded me into what I am today, and for that, I am grateful to dad.

For couples who are childless, 
I want to say this to them: Have faith. My John turned out fine.

I would say more than fine.

I know there are stories of adopted children who failed to show gratitude and caused pain to their families.

I have also heard stories of foster parents who regret their decisions later in life.

But there are also positive stories, like mine, for instance.

There are children out there who have lost their parents.

Give these kids a chance in life, if you can.

Partings

We had so much fun at the R&R Bistro in Bandar Baru Uda, Johor Bahru, tonight.

It was a farewell gathering organised for these two ladies.

Siti Nadirah Hafidzin (left) and Nur Aisyah Mazalan, both 26.

Dira is going back to the headquarters in Kuala Lumpur while Aisyah will be joining another local daily, and will probably be based in Kuala Lumpur. 

“Every meeting led to a parting, and so it would, as long as life was mortal. In every meeting there was some of the sorrow of parting, but in everything parting there was some of the joy of meeting as well.” Cassandra Clare,
Clockwork Princess

The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.

Charles Dickens 

Dira, Aisyah and Mary Victoria Dass.

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.

William Shakespeare

Bertemu dan berpisah adalah adat manusia biasa, hilang di mata tapi hati tidak lupa.

Si Barbie Sulu

Blur

My favourite blogger Annie started her blog post Friends calling herself  "blur".

I don't think anyone can beat me in that department.  Shortly after leaving my house this morning for work, I suddenly realised I didn't bring my press kit.  I went back home.  Luckily I had just started my journey.  As soon as I went into the house, I saw the press kit and beside the press kit was my hangbag.

If I didn't remember my press kit, I probably would have to "puasa" for the rest of the day.

Speaking of puasa, I'm attending a special "buka puasa" gathering tonight.  It's not only the breaking of fast for my Muslim friends, it is also to bid farewell to two workmates.  More on that in another post.

Meanwhile, my story on stray cats saw print today in the Johor Streets.

JOHOR BARU: Stray cats are getting a taste of the spirit of sharing as feline lovers feed them near the Taman Perling Ramadan bazaar close to the Taman Perling wet market here every night.

  "There are many kind-hearted souls among the local community here.  There is an elderly couple who bring food to the strays quite regularly, and it is not only during the Ramadan month," said veterinarian Dr Edwin Singam.

  Dr Singam, who is also the deputy chairman of the Johor Baru Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said every evening, the stray cats would converge in the area knowing that people who come to the Ramadan Bazaar will give them some food.

  Dr Singam said the non-governmental organisations such as Noah's Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS) and the SPCA have been picking up cats here to neutering them to curb the stray population.

  "As most animal shelters are already full, we put the strays back into the streets while we try to organise adoption campaigns.

  "Our campaigns have been quite successful.  In the last adoption campaign that was held in KipMart Tampoi, 50 stray cats found new homes," he said.

  Dr Singam said this was the best way to help the strays.

  "There must be other alternatives besides killing them.  But we need dedicated volunteers.  Volunteers who will collect the strays from the streets, send them for neutering, and help to find homes for them," he said.

  Siti Nurhayati Bakar, 35, a mother of three, said she understood the suffering of hunger, especially in the month of Ramadan.

  "As we Muslims fast, we know what it is like to go hungry.  These cats do not ask to be strays.
  "They already do not have a home with guardians to love and care for them.  They are deprived of food.  The worst thing a human can do is to harm them," Siti Nurhayati said.

Fairer Chance Before Pontius Pilate

JOHOR BARU: FORMER Johor DAP deputy chairman Norman Fernandez said he would have a fairer chance before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who had Jesus crucified, than at DAP’s disciplinary committee.

Fernandez quit his party membership after the party leadership voted on Saturday to refer him to a disciplinary panel over his Facebook posts, which they deemed compromising to the party’s image.

“There is no way they are going to give me a fair hearing.”

Fernandez pointed out that during the meeting on Saturday, non-commitee members of the state DAP leaders, namely Liow Cai Tung (Johor Jaya assemblyman), Cheo Yee How (Pengkalan Rinting) and Yeo Tung Siong (Pekan Nanas) cast votes to refer him to the disciplinary panel.

He said although DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang did not vote, his presence at the meeting was enough to cause detriment.

“There is growing hypocrisy among DAP leaders. I have been searching my conscience for some time, possibly before the last general election, and I don’t want to be part of a party that has become subservient to Pas,” he said in reference to DAP’s and Pas’ alliance in the opposition coalition.
Fernandez said he was not planning to join Gerakan as speculated by certain quarters.

“The thought never crossed my mind, and the speculation probably came about because I support multi culturalism.”

Fernandez, who blogs at Normanfernandez.blogspot.com, said he refrained from blogging for the past 3 ½ years because of the fear of antagonising DAP.

However, now that he was just a member of the public, Fernandez said he would start blogging again.
Fernandez served as the Johor deputy chairman for one term.


Some additional info where Fernandez, who joined DAP officially in 1996, also told me that he started supporting DAP when he was 11.
  "At the age of 16, I was already helping out the party wherever and whenever I can.  When Lim Kit Siang's first book "Time Bombs in Malaysia" came out in 1978, I saved 20 sen of my pocket money everyday until it reached RM10 to buy the book."

Stray Cats and Dogs

This scrawny kitten is a stray.   It was found lazing at the Perling wet market in Johor Bahru yesterday.  It has been rescued.  A vet will have it neutered, then hopefully, volunteers can help to find it a new home.

Another case of "to feed" or "not to feed".   There are animal lovers and people who can never understand animal lovers.

I've got a story about stray cats enjoying the Ramadan spirit of sharing but it's so crazy I don't know if it'll see print.  Sometimes crazy ideas sell, sometimes not.

And my interview with Dr Edwin Singam on helping stray dogs came out in the NST today.
Dr Edwin Singam, 67, is the deputy chairman of Johor Baru Society For Prevention of Cruelty To Animals. He operates a veterinary clinic in Taman Johor Jaya.

Let NGOs, volunteers help council 

I AM very concerned about the plight of strays dogs and cats. I understand why the local councils have to get rid of strays, but I hope they will do it in a more humane way as the whole world can see what we are doing due to the advancement of technology.
The recent dog culling video showing Johor Baru Central Municipal Council bludgeoning the dogs to death is a case in point.
We need to handle the matter in a civilised manner.
The public, especially cat and dog lovers, can do their part in helping the strays that would not have been one if their owners had not cruelly abandoned them.
Four months ago, a property developer was kind enough to build a small shelter complete with cages on a piece of land for stray dogs.
It is only a small shelter, but that small gesture can buy some time for the strays to find new homes.
It was an exemplary move by the developer, and I hope other developers will also adopt this move.
There are about 10 volunteers helping out at this shelter.
They all have jobs and families to take care of, but they allocate a little time to bring food to the dogs at the shelter.
Meanwhile, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (Nanas) and the Johor Baru Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) help to neuter or spay the dogs.
The dogs are all picked up from coffee shops or from the streets. It is unsafe for dogs to loiter on the streets.
The dogs’ presence on the street can cause accidents or someone may get bitten, so I can understand why the local councils have to get them off the streets.
But like I said, euthanisation of a stray must be done in a proper manner.
With the concerted effort of the property developer, as NGOs and volunteers, we can reduce the number of strays in the neighbourhood.
But for this exercise to work, we need people or factory owners to adopt these dogs. To give them a new lease of life.
These dogs can become guard dogs at factories.
I am reluctant to tell people the location of this shelter because people have the habit of dumping dogs. We do not want to encourage this. Two months ago, about 30 puppies were dumped outside the shelter.
Fortunately, people adore puppies so we managed to find new homes for the puppies.
It gets harder to rehome a dog as it grows older.
I am also trying to save some dogs at a different shelter. The local council is checking out the shelter as there have been complaints by the neighbours.
The shelter operator — whether she is aware or not — is practicing some form of animal cruelty.
There are just too many dogs in the house and none of them were spayed or neutered. Some of the dogs are tied outside where there are no shade.
And the neighbours have been complaining for some time now.
Due to this, the local council has no alternative but to step in and stop the operation.
My plea to the local council is to let us assist them in the matter. Let us help in rehoming the dogs. I also hope that more people will help us make the rehoming programme work.
For those who would like to chip in and make the programme a success, can call Valerie at 016-755 1893.

Solitude

Started the day with a 3-minute workout. It was a busy day so three minutes was all I could spare.  Besides, three minutes was all it took to snap this picture.

There are so many new retail outlets and cool clubs sprouting in Johor Baru now.  So much have changed.

Last July, I wrote about a strange dream I had  Interpreting My Snake Dream. Now it looks like that strange dream is turning into a reality.  The transformation of Johor has been a favourite topic of late, among bloggers, investors, financiers, politicians, the man on the street.

Some say Legoland Malaysia Resort is so expensive, the locals simply cannot afford the ticket.  Another say Legoland was built to attract the tourists.  It was not meant for the locals who have other places they can go to.

On the soup kitchen issue.  Some are condemning the ban while others support it.  Giving food to the poor is a compassionate gesture.  On the other hand, it's encouraging sloth.

Why must there be conflicting and opposing views?  Does it really make the world more exciting?