News Flash on SAPP

The Sabah Progressive Party or SAPP press conference took place as scheduled at the party headquarters at Luyang in Kota Kinabalu at 2pm just now. It just ended and I'm now blogging to you from Coffee Beans at nearby Damai in air-con comfort, sipping my favourite iced southern tea.

SAPP president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee didn't announce pulling his party out from Malaysia's ruling National Front or BN coalition as widely speculated. The lawyer-turned politician nonetheless did drop a bombshell of sorts - that SAPP has lost confidence in Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi or Pak Lah's leadership and that its two Members of Parliament will support a motion of confidence expected to be tabled against Pak Lah in Parliament which resumes sitting Monday.

This is just the news flash. I will follow up with a more detailed report in a few minutes complete with pictures. Give me a chance to sip my tea in the meantime. See you.

Remembering Double Six (Part 5)

The front page of the Daily Express dated Monday, June 7, 1976. The headline is self-explanatory. Notice the composite photograph showing the late Chief Minister, Tun Fuad Stephens and some of those who died taking part in a walkathon in Kota Kinabalu in the morning of June 6, 1976 - the day they were killed. They left for Labuan after the walkathon in conjunction with the visit of then Petronas chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah there. The accident took place in the late afternoon as the aircraft was about to land in Kota Kinabalu from Labuan. Stephens and Razaleigh (who travelled in a different plane with Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Harris Salleh) were supposed to have signed the agreement giving Petronas control of Sabah's oil and gas reserves, with the State getting only 5% of sales proceeds, in Kota Kinabalu the next day. Notice also the side bar saying (then Malaysian Prime Minister) Hussein Onn ordering a full scale probe on the crash. (Note: The Daily Express was the unofficial mouthpiece of the Berjaya party, with the paper's owner Datuk Yeh Pao Tzu throwing his weight behind the new party since its formation on July 15, 1975.)

The sight that broke many hearts while others could not bear to see, especially family members of the deceased - the wreckage of the Nomad aircraft which crashed at Sembulan, missing the nearest houses built on stilts in shallow sea water by merely meters. This was what the lower half of the front page of June 7, 1976's Daily Express looks like. Notice story which says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Harris Salleh having been sworn-in as Sabah's 6th Chief Minister in the evening of June 6, 1976, hours after the crash which wiped out practically half of the State Cabinet. Immediately after the ceremony at Istana, Harris chaired an emergency meeting of the ruling Berjaya party's supreme council during which he was made acting President replacing the late Tun Fuad. Appointed acting Secretary-General was Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, lawyer Joseph Pairin Kitingan who, ironically , would lead a new party, PBS, to topple Harris' Berjaya 9 years later.

This was how the front page of Kinabalu Sabah Times looked like on June 7, 1976, the day after the crash. The paper was the rival of Daily Express, not only in the business sense but also politically as it was the unofficial mouthpiece of the Usno-dominated Sabah Alliance, the party that Berjaya was formed to topple from power. Notice story which says "USNO/Alliance extend their condolences". USNO secretary-general Datu Haji Aliuddin Datu Harun, brother of former Chief Minister Tun Datu Mustapha spoke for the party while the Alliance (with SCA as the other partner) was represented by secretary-general Datuk Haji Dzulkifli Abdul Hamid. Notice also story which says a special investigation team was sent by the Federal Ministry of Communications in conjunction with the crash. The team left Kuala Lumpur for Kota Kinabalu on Sunday night itself, hours after the crash.

The lower half of the front page of the June 7, 1976 edition of the Usno-controlled Kinabalu Sabah Times. Notice in the main story it was stated that the late Tun Fuad was in Labuan a day earlier in conjunction with the visit of Federal Finance Minister cum Petronas chairman Tengku Razaleigh and Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Rahman Yaakub. It was also stated that Stephens' last official function was addressing the people at Layang-Layang on the island. Notice also the paragraph which says "He (Stephens) presented Tengku Razaleigh with a wooden table in the shape of Labuan island." I find this ironical because a few years later, Stephens' successor Harris Salleh would literally 'present' Labuan island to the Federal Government to be turned into a Federal Territory of Malaysia similar to the national capital, Kuala Lumpur. This became one of the main issues used by the Sabah United Party (PBS) in the 1985 State general election which saw the less-than-2-month-old PBS toppled Harris' Berjaya which ruled Sabah for 9 years.

(Please click on the images for larger view.)

Wedding at Limadang

Newly-weds Paul Woo and Carolyine Chau cutting their wedding cake.

The groom Paul opening the champagne, flanked by his bride Carolyine.

Angeline Wong cutting her surprise birthday cake watched by her husband Philip Woo and her son Paul and daughter-in-law Carolyine.

Birthday girl Angeline getting a kiss from her husband Philip.

Yesterday, my wife and I were invited to a wedding reception at Limadang village in the small township of Membakut which lies between Papar and Beaufort towns on the West Coast of Sabah.

Limadang is also where my fellow-Sabahan blogger Benny Liew of Ramblings of Limadang fame (limadang.com) comes from. His blog can also be accessed via From Sabah to the World (giuk.net).

The wedding was between Paul Woo, only son of Philip Woo and Angeline Wong of Limadang; and Carolyine Chau, only daughter of Flavia Nanny and the late Robert Chau of Tamparuli.

An impromptu item took place immediately after the newly-weds cut their wedding cake. Paul's mother, Angeline was given a surprise birthday cake. After cutting her birthday cake, Angeline was given another surprise - a kiss from husband Philip.

Both Paul and Carolyine are working for private companies in Kota Kinabalu. They were married at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in the State Capital recently. Last Saturday, a reception was held by Carolyine's family in Penampang.

Congratulations Paul and Carolyine and may you live happily ever after.

Happy Father's Day!

Today is Father's Day. First of all I would like to wish all fathers reading my blog a very happy Father's Day. May God bless you all. And thank you very much to those who sms or called me this morning to wish me, including my son Gordon who is studying in KL.

But I had been wished much earlier. The Bethel Prayer Group of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Kota Kinabalu (www.bethelprayergroup.org) had an early Father's Day celebration at its weekly Friday English Prayer Meeting two days ago.

At the end of the Meeting, children from its Youth Ministry performed a dance on stage and then distributed their handmade Father's Day cards in the form of a cross to all fathers present. I got one myself, which I was supposed to hang on my neck during the fellowship which follows each week's Meeting. (See image above.)

But how did Father's Day originate? According to homeschooling.about.com, the United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across America are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.

Homeschooling however stated that the origin of Father's Day is not clear. Some say that it began with a church service in West Virginia in 1908. Others say the first Father's day was held in Vancouver, Washington.

The president of the Chicago branch of the Lions' Club, Harry Meek, is said to have celebrated the first Father's Day with his organization in 1915; and the day that they chose was the third Sunday in June, the closest date to Meek's own birthday!

Regardless of when the first true Father's Day occurred, the strongest promoter of the holiday was Mrs Bruce John Dodd of Spokane, Washington. Mrs Dodd felt that she had an outstanding father. He was a veteran of the civil war. His wife had died young, and he had raised six children without their mother.

In 1909, Mrs Dodd approached her own minister and others in Spokane about having a church service dedicated to fathers on June 5, her father's birthday. That date was too soon for her minister to prepare for the service, so he spoke a few weeks later on June 19th. From then on, the State of Washington celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Children made special desserts, or visited their parents if they lived apart.

States and organizations began lobbying Congress to declare an annual Father's Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved of this idea, but it was not until 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event to "establish more intimate relation between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations." Since then, fathers had been honored and recognized by their families throughout the country on the third Sunday in June.

When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental. Most greeting cards are whimsical so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad.

My Say: I do not know if Malaysia is included in "one of the few countries" referred to by about.com but I just want the world to know that although Father's Day is not a holiday in my country, nonetheless Malaysians belonging to all races and religions do observe Father's Day by honoring their fathers on this day. They do the same on Mother's Day. Infact, it's a common practice among Malaysian Chinese to combine Father's Day and Mother's Day and celebrate it together as Parents' Day over grand dinners or other functions. The highlight of these functions would normally be giving special prizes, normally gold chains or pendants, to the oldest parents present.

Friday the 13th

'Friday' was named after Frigg or Frigga, the Norse goddess of marriage (above). Later she was confused with the goddess of love, Freya (top pic), who in turn became identified with Friday. When Norsemen and Germanic tribes became Christians, Freya was supposed to have been banished to the mountains as a witch. Friday came to be called 'witches' Sabbath. It was believed that on this day, each week, twelve witches and the Devil met - thirteen evil spirits in all.

Today is Friday the 13th. All over the world, people believe this to be an unlucky day. But why is this so? What is the origin of this belief or rather superstition? If you search the Net, you are likely to get all sorts of claims. Here is just an example:-

According to mythology, Friday the 13th superstition originated in a Norse myth about 12 gods having a feast in Valhalla. The mischievous Loki crashed the party as an uninvited 13th guest and arranged for Hod, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Baldur, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistltoe-tipped arrow. Baldur was killed and the Earth was plunged into darkness and mourning as a result.

That was mythology. But even in today's modern world, some people will be so paralyzed with so much fear on a Friday the 13th that they simply won't get out of bed. Others will steadfastly refuse to fly on a airplane, buy a house, or act on a hot stock tip. They are really freaked out.

Symptoms range from mild anxiety to full-blown panic attacks. The latter may cause people to reshuffle schedules or miss an entire day's work. A study found that one quarter of the 2,068 people questioned in a 2003 survey associate the number 13 with bad luck. People with such feelings, it was found, are more likely to be anxious on days like Friday the 13th and thus more prone to have accidents.


Credits: Internet, Google Search, wiresmash.com.

The 6th Malaysian Chinese to be a Tun (Updated)

In conjunction with the Malaysian King's birthday recently, His Majesty conferred awards on 1,862 people. Three were honoured with the Seri Setia Mahkota (SSM), the highest Malaysian award for civilians which carries the title Tun.

One of them was former Federal Minister and former Gerakan party president Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik who did not defend his seat in the recent Malaysian general election. The awards made him only the fourth Malaysian Chinese recipient of the Tunship who are still alive and one of the total six including two who had passed away. (When the quota for high-end national awards such as the Tunship is exhausted, it can only be awarded again when there is a 'vacancy' caused by the death of a title holder. I am not sure what the quantum is, but you can be rest assured that I will report back to you once I find out.)

The other 3 are another former Federal Minister and former MCA party president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, former Penang Chief Minister and former Gerakan president Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, and former Malaysian Senate President Tun Omar Yoke-Lin Ong.

The two Malaysian Chinese Tuns who had passed away were former MCA leader Tun Tan Cheng Lok and his son former Finance Minister Tun Tan Siew Sin. The duo held the distinction of being the only father-and-son team who both led the MCA (a Chinese party and a component of Malaysia's ruling coalition, the National Front) and both became Tun.

There you are - the only six Malaysian Chinese who were awarded the nation's highest civilian title since the formation of Malaya in 1957 and Malaysia in 1963.

My Say: It is not easy to be awarded the Tunship in Malaysia, just as it's not easy to become a Sir in Britain. You have to be really somebody in Malaysia to be called a Tun.

To illustrate my point, among those who became a Tun only after their retirement were long-serving (22 years) former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his predecessor Tun Hussein Onn (1976-1981), father of present Education Minister Datuk Hishamuddin. Hussein's predecessor Abdul Razak (father of present Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Najib) got his Tunship while he was Deputy Premier under first Prime Minister Tengku Abdul Rahman. (Hishamuddin and Najib are cousins as their mothers are sisters.) Other former Deputy Prime Ministers awarded the Tunship included the late Dr Ismail, the late Ghafar Baba and Musa Hitam.

At the State level (Malaysia has 13 States), those senior enough to qualify for the Tunship are normally the Yang Di-Pertua Negeri or Governor. Malaysia has 4 States (Sabah, Sarawak, Melaka and Penang) without a Ruler or Sultan and are governed by a Yang Di-Pertua Negeri. The remaining 9 States each has a Malay Ruler or Sultan and they are above the civilian awards as they have the own their Royalty awards. Even then, the Tunship is not immediately given when someone swears in as a governor. He (so far no she) only gets it when a 'vacancy' arises or at the next Agong's (king) birthday.

In the case of Sabah, those ever awarded the Tunship since the formation of Malaysia in 1963 can be counted by the fingers. They were the first Governor, the late Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun; 2nd Governor, the late Tun Pengiran Raffae; 3rd Governor, the late Tun Fuad Stephens; the 4th Governor, the late Tun Hamdan Abdullah; the 5th Governor, the late Tun Ahmad Koroh; the 6th Governor, the late Tun Adnan Robert; the 7th Governor, the late Tun Said Keruak; the 8th Governor, Tun Sakaran Dandai; and the present Governor, Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah (not related to Tun Hamdan).

So far no Sabah Chief Minister, past or present, has received the Tunship. Dr Lim Chong Eu of Penang, then, made history as the first ex-CM to be made one. However, I expect present Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud to be given a Tunship when he retires, being the longest-serving Chief Minister not just of Sarawak but also of a Malaysian State - 27 years and counting - beating Chong Eu's record of 21 years. For comparison, so far no Sabah Chief Minister has served for more than 10 years. Present CM Datuk Musa Aman is currently serving his 5th year, already a record of sorts since the National Front (BN) took over from PBS in 1994 as his predecessors never served more than 2 years under BN's unique rotation system for the Chief Ministership. The rotation was however scrapped after the 2004 election.

By the way, Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik and Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu have something in common; apart from the fact that they are both medical doctors, i.e. they were both MCA leaders (largest Chinese party in Malaysia) who ended up leading Gerakan (2nd largest Chinese-based party in the ruling National Front).

Infact Chong Eu (as he was fondly referred to) was a MCA president in the mid-1960s when for some reasons he left and founded the Gerakan party instead. MCA was part of the then ruling coalition of Alliance party and was a Chinese party. On the other hand, Gerakan, despite having a Chinese-majority membership, branded itself multi-racial as it also had some Indian members.

Despite being in the Opposition then, Gerakan crashed MCA in Penang (one of Malaysia's 13 states) in the 1969 election and formed the State Government. Chong Eu became the new Penang Chief Minister taking over from Datuk Wong Pau Nee of MCA. However, Gerakan joined the National Front (successor of Alliance) a few years later at the invitation of the then Prime Minister Tun Razak. Gerakan as part of the National Front government went on to rule Penang until the recent general election. However, Chong Eu himself had to step down as Chief Minister as he was fedeated in the 1990 election by 'Mr Opposition' of Malaysia, Lim Kit Siang. Anyway, it was only befitting that after serving as Penang Chief Minister for 21 years (only 1 year short of Mahathir's record as PM) Dr Lim Chong Eu was made a Tun after his retirement. After all, he was known as Penang's Father of Development. Under him, Penang became modernised and industrialised with multi-national companies investing in Penang.

Similarly, Dr Lim Keng Yaik also started as a MCA leader though I'm not sure if he was ever President. Infact, when I was a trainee reporter in the early 1970s, he was already a Federal Minister representing MCA. However, due to internal squabbles, Keng Yaik too left the MCA and, just like fellow-doctor Chong Eu, ended up in Gerakan.

When Chong Eu relinquished the Gerakan presidency in the 1980s, Keng Yaik became the new president, defeating Chong Eu's choice, Datuk Paul Leong. This was despite Keng Yaik then being only a State Executive Councillor (equally to a State Minister) in Perak while Leong, Chong Eu's anointed successor, was a Federal Minister and therefore supposed to have more clout.

With his elevated status in the party, Keng Yaik later succeeded Leong as Federal Minister. The doctor stayed in the Malaysian Cabinet until the recent election. He did not contest, having earlier relinquished the party presidency to former Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Khoon (Chong Eu's successor). However, unlike Chong Eu and Leong, Keng Yaik managed to get Gerakan members to accept his chosen successor Tsu Khoon. Unfortunately, Tsu Khoon was defeated in the recent election and therefore could not succeed Keng Yaik as a Federal Minister.

Whatever it is, Keng Yaik, having served as a Federal Minister for more than two decades in a political career spanning more than 3 decades, deserved the Tunship.

Congratulations Tun!