'Different but with same hopes'

'Different but with same hopes'

'Different but with same hopes'

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:03 AM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: UNITED States President Barack Obama says the US and Malaysia can draw strength from their ethnic and religious diversity and hope from history to carve a brighter future for the next generation.

In his remarks at a state banquet at Istana Negara last night, Obama said while the US and Malaysia might be different as nations, their people shared similar hopes and aspirations.

"I believe that whether we come from a remote village or a big city, whether we live in the US or in Malaysia, we all share basic human aspirations -- to live in dignity and peace. (We want) to shape our own destiny, to be able to make a living and to work hard and support a family. And most of all, to leave the next generation something better than what was left to us."

At the banquet graced by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah, Obama said these were the aspirations that could illuminate a new era of partnership between the US and Malaysia.

He expressed gratitude to Malaysia for hosting his visit and recalled the inaugural visit by the 36th American president, Lyndon B. Johnson, some 50 years ago.

Obama said Johnson was impressed with the Malaysian people's tenacity to develop the country.

"He was impressed with the extraordinary vitality and eagerness he saw on the faces of the people of Southeast Asia.

Turning to Najib, he said: "Mr Prime Minister, I look forward to our work together, and I pledge to infuse our efforts with that same spirit.

"Tonight, I simply want to express my gratitude for the generosity that you've shown us today -- a generosity the people of Malaysia have extended to my family since I was elected (as president)."

The American president sprinkled his remarks with a few Malay words, a gesture that was well received by the audience as shown by their appreciative applause.

At the start of the speech, he wished those present selamat petang (good evening) and ended it with terima kasih banyak (thank you very much).

In between, he used the word bekerjasama when touching on the partnership between the US and Malaysia, as well as the boleh spirit in reference to the Malaysia Boleh mantra, which loosely translates into "Malaysia can do it".

Obama also thanked Malaysia for displaying some of his late mother Stanley Ann Dunham's artwork at the Islamic Arts Museum two years ago.

"My mother loved batik. I remember when I was a boy growing up in Jakarta, she'd come home from village markets with her arms full of batik and she'd lay them around the house and look at them, and make dresses out of them," he said.

In his royal address, the king reciprocated Obama's gratitude by acknowledging unwavering US support and cooperation in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong said the assistance rendered summarised the close bond between the two countries.

"Your involvement since the beginning of the search and rescue mission, and ongoing recovery operation, has indeed exemplified the strong commitment established between our two countries," he said.

Present at the banquet were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman and cabinet ministers.

The king was also pleased with the flourishing ties between Malaysia and US over the years.

He said the strong economic ties forged between Malaysia and the US would spur the country's growth to be a developed nation by 2020. He added that Malaysia would continue to build a lasting relationship with the US to strengthen mutual stability and prosperity.

United States President Barack Obama, flanked by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah, taking a commemorative picture at the state dinner at Istana Negara yesterday. With them are (from left) Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, prime minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Muhyiddin's wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman. Bernama pic

My family were revered healers

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT

"IT all started with my great-great-grandfather, Koo Suk Chuan, who came to George Town in the early 1780s, with the early wave of Meixian immigrants from China.

"Koo was then the man to go to if you felt ill. With his own concoction of Chinese herbs, he would peddle medicine, carrying them in two baskets at each end of a pole the way nasi kandar was originally sold, in every nook-and- corner of the city.

"His hard work paid off within seven years, and he managed to set up a small shop named Yin Oi Tong, which means The Hall of Benevolence."

Playing raconteur to this success story is Koo Hock Chuan, a fourth-generation Koo, at his home in Genting Highlands, Pahang.

Hock Chuan was recounting the glory days of Yin Oi Tong in the 1930s, when the business was managed by his father, Kuet Kuen.

The hall, aptly located next to the Goddess of Mercy temple in Pitt Street (now Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling), was a household name among Chinese immigrants, who were then wary of Western medicine.

"In the years to come, Koo's efficacious Chinese medicine became highly sought-after outside the Straits Settlements, and in Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia.

"Being the only Chinese medicine wholesaler in Southeast Asia, the family-run Yin Oi Tong thrived and relocated to three triple-storey shoplots in Lebuh Penang.

"Back then, the family business had grown to what you can compare to a full-fledged private specialist centre. We had also opened another hall, called Yin Choon Tong, located right opposite our Yin Oi Tong," said the 81-year-old retired architect.

At Yin Choon Tong, which comprised two units of triple-storey shoplots, locals would consult a resident sinseh (traditional Chinese doctor) to help them identify their ailments and be prescribed with medication.

Hock Chuan said both outlets were a hive of activity each day. His father and an army of employees had their hands full tending to walk-in customers as well as orders by mail from all over the country.

"I remember the pulley system at the three airwells. My father and uncle would shout orders to the top and the employees stationed there would prepare the medicine in a jiffy and send them down."

The pulley system was used to lower bundles of herbs to the ground floor from the upper floors, where herbs were stored in racks and jars. Home for Hock Chuan and his extended family of 19, including his uncles and their families, was on the top floor of Yin Choon Tong.

The good life and business for the Koos, however, came to an end during the Japanese invasion in 1941.

The traditional medicine empire that his ancestors built was reduced to rubble, recalled Hock Chuan as he remembered the chaos on the island that fateful day.

"Butterworth was first bombed and there was widespread panic. I was only 8 years old then. All of us got into the family station wagon and rushed to the deep forests of Air Itam, close to Flagstaff Hill (Bukit Bendera).

"And all this took place a day after my second youngest sibling was born, so you can imagine my mother's anguish."

The arduous drive was accompanied by the frightened cries of Hock Chuan's siblings and their driver's prayers.

"I remember how our driver was chanting prayers aloud as he dodged bullets from a Japanese fighter plane shooting at our car."

Reaching the safety of the forest in Air Itam, they sought refuge under an attap shed.

Three days later, his father ventured to George Town with an uncle and the driver.

"He was devastated by what he saw. The shophouses were ransacked and a bomb had landed on a shop opposite Yin Oi Tong, narrowly missing it."

Frightened but relieved, Hock Chuan's father tried to salvage whatever valuables and stashed them in the family car. On the way back to the jungle, a Japanese patrol tried to stop them.

"At this point, the still traumatised driver panicked at the sight of the Japanese guards. He veered the car off the road and crashed into a tree. The soldiers took away the valuables but let them go," he said, adding that the jungle and shed was their home for the next few months.

After the massive looting and bombing had stopped, Hock Chuan's father and uncle decided to pick up the pieces at Yin Oi Tong.

Business picked up but after a year without sufficient supply of herbs, his father, with a dozen men in tow, travelled to China to replenish their stock.

"They hid gold bars by tying them around their waists and traversed the jungle tracks and rivers to reach China."

The elder Koo used the family savings to build a 100-room ancestral home in Meixian, in northeastern Guangdong province. Upon his return to Penang, the family business continued despite the dwindling supply of herbs.

After the Japanese left in 1945, Hock Chuan's father was forced to close Yin Choon Tong. The Koo family fortune took a turn for the worse when the civil war broke out in China, forcing most of Hock Chuan's relatives to seek refuge in Penang.

Hock Chuan said with the dwindling interest in traditional Chinese herbs because of the influx of Western medicine, his father was forced to divest the family fortune in rubber planting and tin mining.

"After high school, I pursued my education in Australia despite my father urging me to take up the reins of our family business.

"For three days, my father tried to convince me but later, reluctantly gave in."

Down Under, Hock Chuan took up odd jobs but was forced to send home his savings after the family's foray into the tin and rubber businesses bore no fruit.

"With the money I sent home, my father bought more herbs but by then, people were less interested in traditional Chinese medicine.

"My father's health was also failing, so he handed over Yin Oi Tong to his brother."

Hock Chuan's uncle ran the business for about 20 years but later sold it to a salesman who used to work for him.

"The family business has ceased and its glory days are gone. Every time I pass the building, I can't help but feel sad at our heritage lost through tribulations.

"The laughter of my siblings and the clacking of the abacus still rings clearly in my ears. I will forever cherish the moments when we healed people for generations," he said with a tinge of sadness.

Bottles and packages of old medicine and equipment

Koo Hock Chuan retelling the heydays of his family's traditional medicine business, which used to operate from the Yin Oi Tong building in Lebuh Penang

Cultural custodians of Carey Island

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT

THEY have Princess Diana, Christina Aguilera and Diana Ross walking among them every day. But no one bats an eye when they see these women at the Mah Meri Cultural Village in Pulau Carey.

After all, the namesakes of these celebrities are the ordinary women folk of the indigenous Mah Meri tribe who have inhabited the island for generations.

Rashid Esa who works with the community, says the Mah Meri are similar to the Red Indians when it comes to naming their children.

"Whatever they see, or whenever something happens, such as a natural disaster, they will name their children after them.

"They also like to name their children after celebrities or famous people whom they see on television. When the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami happened, many Mah Meri named their daughters 'tsunami'.

"It is also common for them to name their children after animals or anything to do with the environment."

There are 4,200 members of the Mah Meri tribe, with more than half of them living on Carey Island, off Banting, Selangor.

Once seafarers, the Mah Meri have come a long way over the last four centuries.

In ancient times, the tribe relied on the sea and land for their livelihood but now, most are working in factories, plantations and offices to earn a living.

It is believed that the tribe originated from the south of the Malay peninsula.

"There is a possibility that the Mah Meri people could have moved here after the fall of the Malacca Sultanate," said Rashid.

The Mah Meri tribe practised a nomadic lifestyle and wherever they went or settled, it was always a slash-and-burn culture.

Like most indigenous people, they believe in spirits and practice various rituals for all celebrations and events.

"These people are good wood carvers and sculptors, and many make a living from selling their craft to collectors.

"Never underestimate their ability to do business as they are good at trading despite not being well-versed in the business world," said Rashid.

When the British came to the island in the 1800s, the Mah Meri had already established themselves there for generations.

The island was originally known by different names, such as Pulau Si Alang, Pulau Bangsar and Teluk Gunggeng.

It was renamed Carey Island after an English planter, Edward Valentine John Carey, acquired the land from Sultan Alauddin Sulaiman Shah of Selangor.

Carey occupied the west of the island while the Mah Meri lived on the east. Carey turned the island first into a tea plantation, then a coconut grove and later, a rubber estate. The island now has palm oil plantations.

Rashid said Carey Island was also the world's first underwater tea plantation because it sits three metres below sea level.

To start the tea plantation, Carey, had to built a bund around the island.

"Despite building the bund, the tea plantation failed. It was replaced with a coconut grove and later, a rubber plantation."

Interestingly, Carey Island wasn't originally an island. it was linked to Banting via a small strip of land.

To improve water flow to the area, the small parcel of land was cut off by the Langat river, turning the area into an island.

Today, the island attracts visitors for its seafood, golf courses, and especially, the Mah Meri Cultural Village.

A 51-year-old Mah Meri villager, who goes by the name of Madu (honey in Bahasa Malaysia), said she was born and bred on the island and did not know of life beyond Carey Island.

The mother of six said her parents were also born on the island.

"In the early years, things were different here because we lived a very simple life, living off the land and sea, with no electricity or water supply.

"But as the years progressed, the government provided us with houses, water and electricity.

"While many still carry out farming activities and fishing, there are many others who have gone to work in factories, shops and also the oil palm plantations."

Dana Siam, 21, a mother-of-two, said her husband worked in a sundry shop a few kilometres away from the village.

"Since we can both speak Bahasa Malaysia, it is easy for us to get jobs outside the village.

"My husband is the sole breadwinner because we have two young children to look after and it is difficult for me to work."

Sometimes, Dana, together with Madu, help out at the village to earn extra income.

"Whatever little bit we earn is enough for us."

The Mah Meri tribe lived off the sea and land, and used small sampan to catch fish.

An old building on the island that has been upgraded and turned into an office of the plantation company.

21-gun salute for US president

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT

 KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIA rolled out the red carpet and bid a warm welcome to the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, who arrived here yesterday for a three-day state visit.

The president arrived via the Boeing 747 presidential jetliner, Air Force One, which landed at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Base in Subang at 4.50pm.

Clad in a light blue shirt under a dark suit, Obama showed no sign of fatigue from his visits to Japan and South Korea, and appeared spirited as he briskly strode down the aircraft stairs onto the red carpet.

He was greeted in a welcoming ceremony by Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Present were Malaysian ambassador to the US Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin and Special Envoy to the US Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis.

Khairy, via his Twitter account, said he had greeted Obama with "Selamat datang, Mr President" (Welcome, Mr President), to which Obama replied, "Terima kasih" (Thank you).

This was Obama's first time on Malaysian soil and only the second visit by a sitting US president since Lyndon B. Johnson's in 1966, 48 years ago.

The significance of the event was not lost on the scores of Malaysians who had gathered near the airbase, some since 11am, to catch a glimpse of the well-known aircraft and its equally famous passenger.

Obama then flashed a grin and waved to the crowd before he was whisked away by US Secret Service agents in his bulletproof presidential limousine, dubbed "The Beast", for an official state welcoming ceremony at Parliament Square.

The square was abuzz with activity prior to his arrival as Malaysian police and US security personnel made last minute checks to ensure top-notch safety.

Secret Service agents, clad in their trademark dark suits and sunglasses, were the epitome of seriousness as they meticulously combed the area and examined the belongings of media personnel.

Police K-9 units were also deployed to scour the vicinity for security threats, while government and embassy officials were on site to oversee logistics for the state welcome.

Although rain had earlier threatened to dampen the outdoor proceedings, clear skies greeted the president and his entourage as they arrived at parliament grounds at 5.37pm.

The presidential limousine was escorted by a motorcade of more than 20 vehicles, comprising his staff and security detail.

He was greeted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The trio proceeded to the royal dais where the US national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner and Malaysia's Negaraku were played, with the customary 21-gun salute accorded to the visiting president.

Obama then proceeded to review the guard of honour comprising four officers and 103 men from the 1st battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment, led by Major Amriza Mohd Asshari.

Present were Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa, cabinet ministers and deputy ministers, senior government officials, ambassadors, embassy officials and senior dignitaries.

Obama then exchanged greetings with Muhyiddin and other dignitaries before leaving at 5.52pm.

His motorcade proceeded to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Bukit Bintang, where the president will be staying, before attending a banquet at Istana Negara later.

Obama is expected to head to Putrajaya today for talks with Najib followed by a joint press conference.

Prior to that, he is expected to meet US embassy staff at the embassy grounds in Jalan Tun Razak, before making a private visit to the National Mosque here.

US President Barack Obama inspecting the guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony at Parliament Square in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Pic by Effendy Rashid

Green Ridge activist dies at 85

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT

27 April 2014| last updated at 12:34AM

Well-known for his three-decade push to get the Federal and state governments to recognise and gazette Green Ridge, the site of the fiercest battle between 1,500 British Malaya forces and the 4,000-strong Japanese Imperial Army, as a national heritage, the former teacher's wish remained unfulfilled. He died on Wednesday at Ipoh Hospital.

He was cremated at his birthplace here yesterday afternoon.

Fellow history buff and friend of the late historian, Harchand Singh, said Chye will be remembered for his passion in guarding and highlighting historical places of the pre-Merdeka era.

"He was getting weak because of his old age. Despite his deteriorating condition, he had been waiting for the state government to fulfil its promise to study his proposal to gazette Green Ridge as a heritage site," said Harchand.

Perak Heritage Society president Mohd Taib Mohamed said as a war historian, Chye tried to promote and preserve sites of historical significance, especially those in Perak.

He spared no effort in aiming to preserve Green Ridge here, the Elphil Estate in Sungai Siput where European planters were killed and which led to the declaration of Emergency and a site in Tanjung Hantu, Segari, where Force 136 landed.

"For as long as his health permitted, he was a permanent face during the annual Remembrance Day ceremony for the fallen heroes who died during the communist insurgency."

Chye, who is survived by his wife and two sons, wrote The British Battalion -- Malayan Campaign 1941-1942, a 206-page study of the campaign involving the British, Japanese and Indian armies.

The book is now used as a reference by the British Army to study battle tactics.

Chye Kooi Loong at his house in Kampar. Chye worked tirelessly until his death trying to preserve places of historical significance.

Gritty grad shines at PTPL convo

Posted: 26 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT

27 April 2014| last updated at 12:14AM
By EUNICE AU | euniceau@nst.com.my

SHAH ALAM: DESPITE having nine eye operations and spending countless nights in  hospital, Nor Azrina Shahrul Zaman graduated from  PTPL College with a 3.7 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).

The 28-year-old Medical Lab Technologies Diploma graduate suffers from psoriasis with psoriatic arthritis since the age of 10.

The rare disease is a type of inflammatory arthritis that will develop in people who have the chronic skin condition psoriasis, in which they have an immune system disorder.

Whenever the disease flared up, she would experience fever, severe pain and swelling in her joints, and peeling skin.

"When I was admitted into the hospital, I brought along my laptop, and did assignments from my bed and emailed them to my lecturers.

"Hospitals grew to become like my second home and I had to extend my studies several times," she said after receiving her scroll at the college's 18th convocation ceremony at the Management and Science University (MSU) Shah Alam campus yesterday.

Azrina attributed her success to her parents' love and support, and help from lecturers and friends.

"My friends carried my books between classes and kept notes for me whenever I was warded for up to two to three months at a time.

"My lecturers gave me extra lessons for free over the weekends. I plan to take forensic science at MSU but will have to take some time off to try a new treatment."

Her mother, Rozita Zainuddin, 51, said she was proud when her daughter received the President's Awards three times.

"She usually fell sick when nearing the exam due to the stress and had to be hospitalised afterwards. Besi des aid from several government agencies, I took up part-time sewing jobs to pay for her RM6,000 monthly medical costs.

Yesterday's convocation also saw five pairs of twins, who were educated in the same field as their siblings, graduating.

Nor Izzuwany Sulong and Nor Izzyliyana Sulong, 25, scored 3.94 and 3.97 in their CGPA, respectively.

Born five minutes apart, the Diploma in Tourism Management graduates from Terengganu said sharing the study load had helped them get through the course.

Top student Nur Fatin Syahirah Rasudin, 24, from Kota Baru, said her past failure during the matriculation had spurred her to excel in her studies.

The Medical Lab Technologies Diploma graduate scored 4.0 CGPA despite her commitment to the student council.

The ceremony saw 2,805 graduates, PTPL's largest graduating batch, comprising 2,560 diploma graduates and 245 who obtained certification in professional business management, hospitality and culinary, information science and engineering.

Nor Azrina Shahrul Zaman with parents Shahrul Zaman Jaafar and Rozita Zainuddin after the convocation in Shah Alam yesterday. Pic by Abdul Jabar Idris