Reminiscence: Remembering 6/6/66

What do I remember about 1966 ? Well, I started 1966 as a  8 years old and by 6/6/66, I was already nine. What I clearly remember was that I sat for some examinations and wrote the date as 6/6/66 !

In the above picture, my Class Teacher for Standard 3A, Westlands Primary School, Penang was Mrs Ang. On the first day in Standard 3, I remember a shocking incident whereby one of my classmate (Arabi) was chased out of my class and never to return. Why ? I haven't got the foggiest idea.

From the picture, I can still identify quite a few of my 49 Std 3A Classmates, some of which their names escape me :-)

Front Row, L-R
Loh Chiew Hor, Khaw Teik Gim, Me, Lim Weng Chew, Goh Yoon Wah, Tan Kean Teong, Mrs Ang, Lim Ewe Saik, Zainal Abidin, Barney, Leong Kok Wai, ???, Tang Heem Moh

2nd Row, L-R
???, Leow Teow Wah, ???, ???, Lim Kean Song, Khoo Chee Eng, ???, Ang Chuan Hin,??,Sek Wai Mun,???,???,???,???,???,???,Khoo Kay San,???,???,???,???, Seng Hai


Back Row, L-R
???, Hor Chan Wye, ???, Chin Keat Hoe, Akbar, Lim Seng Hin, Ooi Boo Chuan (Deceased, 2006), Khoo Kah Hean,???, Chee Kin Leong, ???, ???, Ibrahim, ???, Ooi Cheng Chye

As far as I can recall, Chiew Hor, Weng Chew, Yoon Wah, Kean Teong, Ewe Saik, Kok Wai , Heem Moh, Teow Wah, Chee Eng, Chuan Hin, Kay San, Chan Wye, Boo Chuan and me  eventually went on to Penang Free School in 1970.

Since Standard 2, Goh Yoon Wah was always without fail the 1st Boy and the best that I did was 2nd Boy most of the time :-) AFAIK, he left PFS after Form 3 to join the Technical Institute and eventually qualified as a Civil Engineer. He was with the PDC for quite a while before commencing his own Professional Engineering practice. My Mum used to talk to his Mum and till today, I can still visualise his Mum waiting for him outside Westlands Primary School. An avid chess player, he is one of the earliest Penang player to be rated a National Master.

Sadly, Westlands Primary School is no more due to very low pupil enrollment and was converted to the Westlands Sports Excellence Centre.

Reminiscence : Chartered Accountants are very powerful...

Chartered Accountants are very powerful... So said Lim Soo Keat aka Lau Kiah on a date between 1964-1969.

It was on an evening and we were a bunch of neighbourhood boys sitting at the drain side at Immigration Road, Georgetown. I asked him why ? He replied that Chartered Accountants have the power to go into any bank or government office to check their books ! Wow, I was properly impressed by what he said.

Moving forward to 1978, I started my Accountancy career with M.S Ahmad Abdullah and Goh Certified Accountants and qualified as a CPA in 1983 and became a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) in the same year as a PA(M). Guess what ? Some years ago, the MIA after a restructuring redesignated me a Chartered Accountant :-)

Reminiscence : Ah Hock Ko, I don't think your son can walk...

I was told by my mum that I was a late bloomer when it comes to walking. In fact, quite a number of my relatives told my worried father that I would probably be unable to walk although I was already 4 years old !

So, how did I go from I place to another ? Apparently, I moved around on my bottom i.e by Cheh Lai Cheh Khee (in Hokkien).

So, when I did I actually start to walk ? The story told to me was that one day, I saw my your sister Alice (then about 2 years old) started to walk and I just stood up and started to walk :-)

Reminiscence : Going Up the Roof

One day in 1960, I found myself on a Hin Bus and half an hour later I was in front of a house in Georgetown.

It had a large hall and going to the second hall, I notice some steps that seems to be going up the roof. As far as I can recall, I asked my mum whether I can "Khee Choo Teng"  as I have never been inside a double-story house before and was amazed that one can go up the roof :-) 

I was about 3- 4 years old then that was the beginning of a 16 years stay in 3 rented houses at Immigration Road, Penang.

Reminiscence : Saved by My Brother

After Choong Lye Hock Road, for some reason or another, we moved to stay at an attap house in Tanjong Tokong. I clearly remember my Dad being extremely angry about this move :-(

One day, we are playing in front of the house and I was sleeping on a foldable canvas bed (Pang Poh Ee in  Hokkien) and for some reason or another, my brother Alvin asks me to wake up and shifted the Pang Poh Ee to another location.

Guess what ?  A short while later, a coconut tree just fell down and would have probably crushed me to death if Alvin had not moved the Pang Poh Ee.

Reminiscence : My Earliest Recollection as a Child

Have you ever wondered how long back you can remember ?

Speaking for myself, my earliest recollection was being carried by my Dad who was standing on a road and seeing ships passing in the horizon. I knew that I used to stay at a single-story house in Choong Lye Hock Road, Penang and some years ago, I actually stopped by at this very house.

Guess what ?  Standing on Hock Hin Terrace, just beside my house, I could see ships passing by in the horizon !

Now, when was that ? Well, I remembered seeing cars plastered with pictures of sailing ships going around. Now what does that mean ? Well, in August 1959, there was a Malayan General Election and the symbol of the Alliance Party was the Sailing ship !  Given that I was born in 1957, my earliest recollection was at 2.25 years old :-)

It may be relevant  to note that the next Malaysian General Election was in 1964 and by then I was already in Standard One and living at Immigration Road in Georgetown.