MAHATHIR Corrupted the nation!

Condensed from a speech at the 2010 conference of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association in Sydney in November. Tunku Abdul Aziz is Senator for Penang, national vice-chairman of the DAP, and former vice-chairman of corruption watchdog Transparency International. 

A nation corrupted by Mahathir and cronies

By Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim

Malaysia is, ethically speaking, in dire straits.
Mahathir founded his administration on corruption, lies and subterfuge. He lied to the nation about the many schemes that were blatantly dishonest. Worse, they were criminal, such as gambling with the EPF money, your money and mine, to corner the international tin market, and later the country’s reserves to speculate on the currency market, pitting himself in the latter case against George Soros. The country lost billions.
Mahathir succeeded in planting and nurturing a culture of impunity and disinformation that, even long after he left office, has continued to flourish. Of course, the man who cut his business teeth minding a stall at the Pekan Rabu in Alor Setar during the Japanese Occupation can explain all this away by saying that whatever he did, it was done in the national interest. We have heard it all before.
Corrupt officials do not enforce the law. Our corruption has turned Malaysia into a conduit for human trafficking into Australia. When we add to this the corruption in the ruling elite, the police, the judiciary, the customs and other key institutions, we have a thoroughly ugly picture of a country fuelled and driven by ethically reprehensible behaviour.
We have, as a nation, been truly sold down the “river of no return” by Mahathir, who now continues to set his version of the moral tone of this country. In what capacity I neither know nor care any more. Flood or pestilence, it is business as usual. In this country, we privatise and politicise everything, including corruption.
[Can anything be done] to take Malaysia back to the pre-Mahathir values? It is possible, by turfing out the present administration so that a thorough and complete review of policies and procedures, with mechanisms for checks and balances firmly put in place. All institutions must justify their existence; those no longer relevant will be closed down. Institutions rendered dysfunctional will be strengthened. The deadwood and the corrupt will be encouraged to take early retirement. Meritocracy will be the sole criterion for suitability to lead.
Transforming the administration is not only desirable, but absolutely essential to [claim our] right to a seat at the top table, among the clean nations, that will shape the future of the world.
Change, and complete change, is the answer. Malaysians must decide the kind of future they want.
I am anti-national by Najib’s latest definition because I speak the truth in a foreign country about Malaysia’s unsavoury reputation for massive corruption. I suppose living off corruption as many of our leaders do with panache and impunity is part of being a true Malaysia.
TUNKU ABDUL AZIZ IBRAHIM 

   

Our Young Generation Speaks .......

A reply to Tun Mahathir's atrocious blog post-
by Valerie Mohan on Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 3:20pm
 http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/2010/10/human-development-seminar-melb.html#_login

I really don't understand how someone as intelligent as you can come up with statements that are so blatantly ignorant.I'm 25 years old, my grandparents came from Kerala and I only speak English and Malay. I've never been to India , don't speak the language and all I can say is tanah tumpahnya darahku. How dare you talk about fair distribution when you and your cronies have amassed vast fortunes at the expense of others?

I don't see you going out among the less fortunate Malays and equitably distributing your wealth! If I follow from what you wrote you didn't deserve a place at medical school which means you took the place of someone who better deserved it. Which is what is happening all over this country in every arena. Its not racial issues that the people are most concerned about its a lack of competency that is perpetuated because of racial policies. Malaysians would not care if the vast majority of the government were Malay if they were able to discharge their duties competently. If there were 10 doctors and only one was Malay I would go to him if he was best at his job. But we have idiots running this country (the government, the police, the MACC, the judiciary) to the ground and they happen to be a Malay majority so of course people are pissed.

Do you think Malaysians would be angry if the country was well run and everyone's rights were upheld just because it was run by a Malay majority. Take a serious look at the majority of politicians and the rest of the people running the country (non malays included) - they are morons! The government is in shambles, the police are seen as the enemy and the judiciary is a joke - you really think intelligent Malaysians are angry at the Malays in general? We are angry at those in power because we cannot trust you to do what's in Malaysia's best interest, we don't feel safe in our own country, we have no freedom of expression because you need to keep us quiet in order to stay in power and we don't believe that when there is a crime commited you are actually to get to the bottom of it unless it serves your own interests.

This racially charged hate mongering has to stop, it's stupid and unnecessary. The real issue is our country is badly run and yet the government insists on discriminitory policies that seems to ensure its continuity. Did you ever stop to think that the person who's place you took in medical school could have been the one to lead Malaysia the way it deserves? Maybe that merits discussion? 

 

Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page (Stereo)

The soothing, melodious voice of Patty Page has always remain in my memory. I first heard her over the loaud-speaker of a movie theater - THE HAPPY THEATER in Padang Serai KEDAH, Malaysia (my old old hometown where i grew up as a kid). I was then merely 10 years old, circa 1952. Our house was situated juz 200 meters or so frm this movie theater and whenever there is an Western movie on, the theater would play western songs (blaring frm its loud-speakers...naturally in those days there was no law to control "noise" pollution) and one of those songs is this soothing waltz number by Patty Page. But when it played a lively march tune we all knew the show is going to start.

'PM's private secretary pocketed RM200m'

'PM's private secretary pocketed RM200m'

Wan Azizah of PKR officially condemned KETUANAN....

Wan Azizah struck at Umno's soft spot

Columnists

Written by Kim Quek

Thursday, 02 December 2010 10:43

PKR President Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail seemed to have struck at the Achilles' heel of Umno when she officially condemned 'Ketuanan Melayu' (Malay the master race) as the fraudulent ideology that has propped up Umno all these years. their political power. As a result, the majority of Malays and bumiputera have remained poor and neglected despite 53 years of Umno rule. Calling the Malays to discard this ideology, she said: "The concept of Malay supremacy must be left behind so that our children will grow up with the vision of a dignified race." By any democratic standard, Wan Azizah's clarion call to abandon racism must be applauded as the voice of reason that is in consonance with fundamental values embraced by every member of the world community. After all, isn't it true that the last country practicing institutionalized racism - South Africa - had given up its racist policy 20 years ago? Though Malaysia has largely escaped the kind of world condemnation accorded former apartheid South Africa, thanks to BN government's skilful image polishing, nevertheless, endemic racism remains a plague that has sabotaged national integration and thwarted economic growth. Ketuanan Melayu indefensible   Perhaps aware that Ketuanan Melayu is indefensible in the eyes of the world, Umno was at a loss as to how to respond to Wan Azizah's unexpected frontal assault. On the other hand, to defend the ideology would be to invite worldwide ridicule and condemnation. And that would not be pretty, keeping in mind that with the myriad of modern communication gadgets instantly transmitting news and messages, international backlash could be swift and unpalatable. So, after a short interval to recover from Wan Azizah's surprise initiative, responses began to drip in from Umno's top leaders, but these are either evasive or irrelevant, and none has dared to take Wan Azizal head on. Deputy Umno President and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin described Wan Azizah's assertion as an attempt "to salvage a sinking ship", and to regain public support after a divisive party election. What about the Ketuanan issue? Not a word of rebuttal. Umno Vice President and Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi said Azizah was "only trying to divert public attention from the party's serious problems." He said PKR wanted to please the Chinese and Indians to gain their support for the next general election. Again, he avoided touching the Ketuanan issue. Not unexpectedly, the dirty job of savage counter-offensive was left to Umno's ultra racist wing Perkasa. Its youth leader Arman Azha Abu Hanifah attacked Azizah as "political prostitute". He said that she and other PKR Malay leaders owed their professional achievement to Ketuanan Melayu policy and that they had now betrayed the race for the sake of gaining Chinese and Indian support. Interestingly, Arman's bad manners and insensitive blast at other Malay leaders seem to justify Azizah's advocacy to abandon the Ketuanan mentality so as to regain dignity for the race. It is not only abhorrent conduct to call a respected national leader "prostitute", but his inference that Malays are not capable of achieving success unless they are propped up by racial favouritism is outright humiliating to the race. In fact, Arman's crass outburst has unwittingly made him the best poster boy of the ill fruits that Ketuanan Melayu has borne. However, the icing of the cake in this episode is undoubtedly the novel theory put up by the vociferous Umno cabinet member Nazri Aziz to deflect Wan Azizah's criticism. He said Ketuanan Melayu is not about the Malay race, but about the Malay Sultans. He said the word was coined to protect the sovereignty of the Malay Rulers, not to emphasize racial supremacy. Glaring evidence of racism While Nazri may consider himself ingenious in coming out with this new interpretation to escape the Ketuanan trap, it sure holds no water. The bedrock of Umno's hegemony is its racial ideology which has captivated its core supporters, and Ketuanan Melayu has been coined to symbolize Malay supremacy. It is through the indoctrination and implementation of this ideology that Umno has been able to win election after election; and Umno is not about to give it up for whatever reason. That Umno has practiced pervasive racism is manifested in the gradual and progressive Malay-nisation of the entire government machinery since the 1969 racial riots until it has become an almost mono-racial entity. This applies to our civil service, army, police, judiciary, attorney general's chamber, election commission, anti-corruption commission, various statutory bodies and even government-linked corporations. These publicly funded employees are not only almost entirely Malays, but are indoctrinated to be loyal to Umno while remaining hostile to its political adversaries who include Malays. If Nazri insists he is right, he can put his interpretation to the test by asking his Umno cabinet colleagues whether they agree that Ketuanan Melayu is not about Malay dominance or Malay power but about Malay Sultans. I bet none will agree. If Umno denies that it has embraced the racist Ketuanan Melayu as its core ideology, it should explain its persistent racist conduct and answer some questions such as the following: Delivering her policy speech during the party's annual congress on Nov 27, she said that the Malay supremacy concept was used by Umno's elites to deceive the Malay masses for self enrichment and for maintaining their political power. As a result, the majority of To keep silent would be to acquiesce to Wan Azizah's assertion and that would spell trouble - big trouble. For it is through inciting the primordial instinct of race that Umno hopes to scrape through the coming national election. So, how can Umno give up Ketuanan Melayu? When Selangor's Pakatan Rakyat Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim proposed that the mono-racial Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) open up 10% of its student admission to non-bumiputera and foreign students, why did top Umno leaders including then minister of higher education Khaled Nordin condemn Khalid Ibrahim as "traitor selling out Malay special privileges"? When the Selangor state-owned PKNS' (Selangor Development Corporation) general manager retired in late 2008, Khalid wanted to appoint deputy general manager Wong Siew Moi as acting general manager. Why did Umno and PKNS staff protest against the appointment on the ground of her ethnicity, if Umno was not racist? When the Perak state government under Pakatan Rakyat during its tenure in 2008 wanted to grant land titles to have-nots of all races who had long occupied the land (majority being Malays), why did Umno leaders criticize the move to grant land titles to non-Malays as a betrayal of Malay interests?

My Letter for December 2010 - THEtree #36

PLEASE CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW READABLE VERSION.

High Noon -Tex Ritter - Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin'

Truth never hurts...Lies will!!

 A small piece of History for our future generation..Why Kota
Gelanggi (lost city) touted as earliest civilization in Malay
Peninsula news were banned as they were Buddhist.

      The Johor find of 2005 which was quietly dropped was none
other than Kota Gelanggi lost city reflecting Srivijaya and its
Buddhist splendour. But they deliberately disregarded it because that
would have sidelined Malacca Empire and Islam which was smaller and
came some 500 years later. I met Dr Lee Kam Hing, a former History
prof at MU in Singapore recently at a seminar.Dr Lee, who is now Star
research director, told me he was trying his best to highlight Kota
Gelanggi, but that the govt killed it off. This is clearly another
case to cover up the real history of Malaya and fool the younger
generations into believing that our history only began from Malacca
1400.. Not only that, they try to show Parameswara as Malay and
Muslim, but actually he was Hindu! If one were to condemn these UMNO
scumbags on how they distort history, it will never end......the
condemnations will more than cover 10 PhD thesis!

      A small piece of  History for our future generation Hitler's
public relations manager, Goebbels, once  said, 'If you repeat a lie
often enough, it becomes  the truth.'

      Once again our government wiped out any references to a famous
Melaka prince as being Hindu and belonging to the powerful Hindu
empire Sri Vijaya.So all of a sudden our museums, school text-books
etc. all refer to Parameswara as a Malay prince.

      What race ruled or did not rule is besides the point. What is
important is not butchering history to create your own truths. You
cannot change your race even if you convert - Parameswara could have
been responsible for Umno's proud heritage of ' Ketuanan Melayu '.

      If this is what it is based on, there is no ' Ketuanan Melayu
'. The lineage of Melaka Sultans are Indians, not Malays.
      It is no secret that Parameswara was an Indian and a Hindu prince.

      It is clear from records that Parameswara never converted to
Islam. He was an Indian Hindu who fled Palembang in Sumatra to
eventually found Melaka circa 1400 AD. It was Sri Maharaja who
converted himself and the court of Melaka to Islam, and as a result
took on the name of Sultan Muhammad Shah sometime after 1435...

      The most famous of Indian Hindu Kings were Raja Chola and his
son Rajendra Chola who invaded Southern Thailand, Kedah, Perak, Johor
and Sumatra about 1000 AD. This is Raja-raja Chola - the Indian/Hindu
kings and not Raja Chulan - a Malay king. But what is really sad is
that our children are taught as though Malaysian history suddenly
began in 1400 with an Islamic Melaka.

      We are led to believe that the Indians and Chinese first
arrived on the shores of Malaysia in about 1850 as desperate
indentured labourers, farmers and miners . Nothing could be further
from the truth.

      The cultural influences of India in particular, and China, in
South East Asia span over 2,000 years, starting with the arrival from
India of the Brahmanical prince/scholar - Aji Saka in Java in AD78,
through to Vietnam, Cambodia (Indo China), Thailand,Burma, Indonesia,
Bali, Borneo, Brunei and beyond.

      The findings at Bujang Valley speak of an ancient Indian/Hindu
presence in Kedah. There were Chinese settlements in Pahang and
Kelantan around the 13th-14th  century and in 12th century in
Singapore .

      The early Brunei Sultanate had a Chinese Queen. One need not
ponder at length the implications of Angkor Wat and Borobudur or that
40%-50% of Bahasa Malaysia comprises Sanskrit/Tamil words. To
illustrate, some of these word are :

      bumi = boomi                            singgasana = singgasanam
      putra  = putran                           perdana      = pirathamar
      raja = rajah                                 menteri       = manthiri
      desa = thesa                              kapal           =  kappal
      syakti = sakthi                           samudra     =  samuthiram
      kolam = kulam                           sepatu        =  sappattu
      bahaya = abahya
      jaya = jeya
      maha = maha
      aneka = aneha
      nadi = naadi
      kedai = kadai
      mahligai = maaligai
      mantra = manthrum
      tandas = sandas
      (This list can go on)

      An extremely important archeological find that pointed to one
of the greatest empires in history - the Raja Chola empire that ruled
from the Maldives through India , Sri Lanka and right down to South
East Asia found deep in the jungles of Johor a few years ago and made
headlines in the mainstream newspapers in 2005, suddenly disappeared
from the news…..

      The time has arrived for us to record our history as the facts
tell us and not as we would like to  wish it.

      The truth will never hurt anyone. Lies, always will .


      National Institute of Education ( Singapore ) http://www.nie.edu.sg/

Oh!! It is juz a local call.....

A good old friend forwarded me this hilariously crazy humor...and i laff so much omost piss in my pants..whoa hahahaha..hohohohoh What a Joke. Thank you old buddy....anymore comin?..we r waiting lor....

Friendship 4ever!!
Dave, Your buddy on THEtree 

Joke of the day
>
> Mahathir, Queen Elizabeth, and Vladimir Putin all die and go to hell.
>
> While there, they spy a red phone and ask what the phone is for. The devil tells them it is for calling back to Earth.
>
> Putin asks to call Russia and talks for 5 minutes. When he is finished the devil informs him that the cost is a million dollars, so Putin writes him a check.
>
> Next Queen Elizabeth calls England and talks for 30 minutes. When she is finished the devil informs her that the cost is 6 million dollars, so she writes him a check.
>
> Finally Mahathir gets his turn and talks for 4 hours. When he is finished the devil informs him that the cost is $5.00.
>
> When Putin hears this he goes ballistic and asks the devil why Mahathir got to call Malaysia so cheaply.
>
> The devil smiles and replies: "Since Najib took over, the country has gone to hell, so it's a local call."
>

WikiLEAKS!!

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---

Don't Cry Joni+Lyrics Conway Twitty And Joni Lee

Animal Abused......

Subject: Fwd: The Tiger Show - Shame on you!!!

A friend forwarded to me this piece of artricle on Abuse of Tiger ..... from the looks of it, I am quite sure the tiger is drugged...poor tiger!
SO FRENS...STILL WANNA SUPPORT AND VISIT A FAMOSA IN MALACCA?  I THINK THEY HAD DRUG THE TIGER...THIS IS CALL ABUSE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ACVn73YL0 Mr. Sales Manager - Shame on your company. Please send this mail to Allan Chee he must see what he has said and what the recording shows. Quote Allan Chee Shame on you A'famosa, and lady seems to to be pleading on behalf of the Tiger, and your trainers do not seem to care too much. And to you Allan Chee if you actually said that, please do not take us for fools only fools  will do that. Take a look click on the link above, this is a shame to you, and the Management of A'Famosa, I shall be circulating his mail, as a Malaysian I feel this Tiger needs a better deal. Regards A'Famosa resort general manager Allan Chee denied the tiger was abused at the park, which has more than 20 tigers and numerous other species. "There was no abuse to the tiger, the tiger was just drowsy and lazy after being fed and so was being prodded by the handler to get into position," he told AFP.

Mr. Sales Manager - Shame on your company.

Please send this mail to Allan Chee he must see what he has said and what the recording shows.

Wash and then wear; unwashed clothes may have formaldehyde

Wash and then wear; unwashed clothes may have formaldehyde

G-Clefs - I Understand (Just How You Feel)

Mambo No.8-Perez Prado

My old old hometown, Padang Serai Kedah, Malaysia thrived mainly on rubber, coconut, paddy. Circa 1956 it was a boom town because its produce fetched good prices on the global market. Rubber Tappers and Rice Farmers from the outskirts came into Pdg.Serai in droves in the evening and the only entertainment then were the Toddy Shop, Movies and The Joget Modern. This kind of dance called the 'mambo'  was very popular among the village folks and rubber estate workers....and The Joget Modern stage in town became real popular (Joget Modern = Modern Dances, where one have to pay for a dance with the pretty dames lined up maybe be 10  in all on a stage). This number Mambo No.8 became a craze and its impact upon me is deep and lasting. 

On Patriotisms

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010

Why Malaysian Chinese do not want to join the military

Author Koon also famous for having his donation rejected

Koon Yew Yin

Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently said in Parliament that the reason Chinese and Indians made up only a tiny proportion of Army recruits was because their "patriotism spirit is not high enough". This is a narrow view of patriotism and it is misleading the public. It is akin to saying that if you do not vote for the Barisan Nasional Government you are not patriotic’. 

Dr Lim Teck Ghee in his article on this issue published a few days ago suggested that the Government should engage independent researchers who are not afraid to tell the truth to find out why the non Malays are not so keen to join the military. 
I am not sure I agree with Dr. Lim that we need further studies to ascertain the reasons as to why non-Malay recruitment is at a low level, and if this is owing to non-Malay lack of patriotism or to some other factor. The reasons are clearly obvious. 

I suspect that Dr Lim, being a fair and objective scholar, decided not to jump the gun and to single out the widely held public opinion that it is the discriminatory policies of Government against the non-Malays that are responsible for the low level of participation in the military and for the alleged lack of patriotism.

How to Measure Patriotism

The sense of patriotism is a complex one but it does not include supporting your country and your Government all the time. It can include supporting your country but not the Government of the day, especially when that Government is perceived to engage in policies and programmes that treat you as second class citizens.

Unfortunately, the Malaysian Chinese do not feel that the current Government has treated them fairly or deserves their loyalty. They have come to the point when they are now saying “Go and do your own killing”. 
Patriotism can be expressed in many ways, including campaigning against a corrupt or unjust Government.

True patriots hate injustice in their own country more than anywhere else. Those who stand up in defence of human rights and good governance are patriots. The ordinary people who work diligently, pay taxes and bring up their families to be good citizens without being dependent on the state are also real patriots. Law abiding citizens are patriots as compared to law breakers or those who bend the laws. Finally, no one can say that I am not patriotic just because I do not agree with the Defence Minister’s statements.

I concede that there may be other reasons to explain the Chinese reluctance to join the military but these have nothing to do with the lack of patriotism. There is a Cantonese saying “Hoi chai mu tong ping, hoi chai mu cho kait”. Literally it means that the “good son does not become a soldier and good wood does not become sandals”. Perhaps this deep seated cultural aversion to the military also explains why Chinese youth are reluctant to join the military. However, a fair, just and widely admired government and equitable policies can overcome such cultural complexes.

Let’s not forget that the courageous defence to the Japanese takeover of Malaya in the Second World War was mainly put up by the Chinese who paid for their patriotism to the country with countless lives and other sacrifices. Let’s also not forget that the emergency was won with Chinese blood and that the majority of Chinese rallied round a non-communist government. The historical evidence is clear that when their country is in danger and they are fighting for a cause they believe in, Malaysian Chinese are not lacking for patriotism.

The Price of Patriotism

Besides the military forces, the Government and its agencies require millions of employees but clearly, non Malays have been denied a fair share of the employment. When I was working for the Public Works Department from 1957-1962, there was a large majority of non-Malay employees. But, when I recently visited my old office, I could not help wondering if I was in Indonesia as there was hardly a non-Malay worker in sight.

Hundreds of thousands of patriotic non Malays are trying daily in vain to get employment in the Government services. That is why so many non Malays immigrate to find better countries to live in. Many have gone to work in nearby Singapore which incidentally is doing much better than us as a result of this non-Malay exodus.

Today, Singapore is poised to overtake Malaysia as the third largest economy in Southeast Asia with a GDP of UDS 210 billion and a GDP per capita of USD 36,537. The Malaysian GDP per capita of USD 6,975 is 5 times smaller than that of Singapore, although we are nearly 500 times larger in size. It does not take rocket science to find out why this situation has come about. The human capital gain that Singapore has obtained at the expense of Malaysia is making all the difference.

Patriotism in Malaysia – if you are a non-Malay - does not find you work in the Government service or pay your bills. It does not ensure a bright and equitable future for your children. UMNO leaders – rather than mourning and groaning - should appreciate the fact that millions of non-Malays continue to be loyal and patriotic to the country despite the many reasons for not doing so.

(Koon Yew Yin is a well-known philanthropist and a former engineer)



 

Raunchy - Billy Vaughn (1957)

My letter to you...THEtree #35, Nov.2010

My real story in pictures

 

c1954 @ Padang Serai Kedah,Malaysia. The "ugly duckling" on the left is me.

My school, SBS High, Kulim, Malaysia. c1958

End of school term social gathering party. c1959 @ 594 Bukit Awi, Kulim Malaysia.
 

                                      

 

Days when i was a young man.....

Hailed from the Orient, I once became quite a famous actor and my pictures appear on billboards countrywide. They honored me with pictures of me on Postage stamps....many wanted me koz i was then a great asset to them. They finally got me and stared me in a movie "No Country for Old Men".....and in my senior age they did one thing that is really beyond my wildest dreams....they put my picture on the Statue of Liberty......
           My salute to LIFE....back to life...back to reality.....

Malaysia Chronicle: The rise of China and the downfall of Malaysia

Malaysia Chronicle: The rise of China and the downfall of Malaysia: "Sam Chee Kong LETTER Now I know why all the Malaysian talents are no returning home to work. Even with the government’s Talent Corp, with t..."

PEREZ PRADO Mambo No 5 - 1950s (from LP) (Slide)

Don Williams -- I Believe In You

Sax Quartet - First Things First

THEtree #34 - October 2010

My Letter

My Letter - THEtree

Hi !! Teens of Kulim of the late 1950s and 1960s ......

Friends! The teens of Kulim of the late 1950s and 1960s - I am Dave (anyway that's the name most people especially schoolmates and classmates knew me back then c.1958 and after)but my real name being Wan Mokhtar Bin Ramlee. In 1960 I graduated from SBS High but went in again with Ronnie Heng (Eow Meng now in Brisbane, Australia), Sam Hafiz and Radzi Mahmud for our "masters" degree ha ha ha so in 1961 we graduated again with "masters" degree frm SBS High, Kulim, Malaysia.

This Blog THEtree is named after my monthly letter to my friends of Kulim. Since retirement I have been writing every month to those friends of Kulim who used to play around with me in those years (1958 thru to about 1968). Why THEtree? Well that rain-tree or the locals would call it Pokok Pukul Lima (because it sleeps at 5 o'clock hahaha)near the padang by the clock tower in downtown Kulim has become a nostalgic icon for us teen of the era. That TREE is certainly more then 68 years old and that TREE bears witness to all the happenings around it all these years. AND that TREE is still growing.....it juz refuses to stop growing no matter what the local authority did to it (they chopped off its branches...the lopped off its majestic canopy...they castrated it!! poor thing BUT it still grows in spite of all that!!!) Just like our friendship...it NEVER dies.