Flood Kajang 9 Sept 2012

Merdeka Eve 2012

My trip to celebrate the eve of MERDEKA DAY 30/08/2012 at the Dataran Merdeka since last trip > 20 years ago with my small children. I took LRT at Taman Jaya (PJ) at 11.00pm and got down at Masjid Jamek. There was no crowd inside the coaches or at Masjid Jamek. However,once I stepped outside the station, it was noisy with many ppl blowing the horns (vendors rs were selling these items like hotcakes). Many ppl, mostly young ppl, were wearing the yellow T- Shirt (JANJI BERSIH) walking towards Dataran Merdeka. The police had put up barricades, but lucky no barb wire! at either side (old post office/Wisma trading, and the DBKL junctions) of the Dataran Merdeka. Significantly bigger crowd gathered at the junction DBKL vs the crowd at junction of the old post office. The young policemen were laid-back and did not bother with the few who ventured onto the padang area. I relaxed under the gigantic flagpole, admiring the lightings of the surrounding buildings, esp the Clock tower, but I left the area at about 11.45pm-- did not feel like celebrating the Merdeka

Massive earthquake 4.30PM (Malaysia time) 11/04/2011

USGS reported many ppl in Malaysia felt the shake, but I at home in Jalan Klang Lama (KL) did not feel anything. A tsunami would hv already happened along the coast facing the epicentre, but no news of any tsunami was reported by 8pm. Phew. Lucky this time.

A rat ran into my kitchen. Wife managed to press it down with a broom but my shout distracted her that the rat escaped and ran towards lower edge of kitchen cabinet. There it disappeared. We searched everywhere in kitchen yet failed to find the rat. Finally my fingers found a 50cents size hole in lower part of cabinet. The contractor did not seal this small hole!!. How the hell am I to find out if the rat has gone inside this hole?? I removed the oven in upper part of cabinet. Behind this oven is an opening from which I can see the floor but not the underbelly of the cabinet. Ah-hah My webcam. I fixed my web cam with a torch light to end of a metal bar which I then lowered from this opening to the underbelly of cabinet. Luckily the cable from webcam to lap top is long enough for webcam to reach the floor. Behold! as I turned the metalbar, the webcam gave me a wide view of the whole hollow underbelly of the cabinet. I could see small spiders crawling, dust and stones , BUT NO RAT! where has it gone? I bought mousetrap, fixed a BBQ sotong (yummy) and for 3 days,NO RAT. I hv sealed all exits in kitchen and hall, in case more rats run in, but where the heck is this damn rat. Hope it is not dead inside small holes beneath the kitchen cabinet, which will be costly to engage contractor to remove and fix back. I think I hv to hire a snake and let it run loose (of course tie a rope to it ) in the hollow underbelly of the kitchen cabinet. But one thing I learned, my webcam is really useful beside just for skyping. Hope I can find a similar joint (like the ADSL splitter) that can accert the USB port to extend the wire from webcam to laptop. I then can attach webcam+torchlight to a long bamboo stick to scan the wooden beams in the attic to check for white ants. No need to climb inside attic (fell once from attic to floor of room and broke few bones)

Insurance companies can be rascals-policy HQ -S0016555

I recently re-purchased medical insurance plan for my children and wife. But I did not buy for myself as it is expensive. When I signed up the polices for them, it brought back memory in 2009.

From 2001 till 2009, I purchased a family medical plan for myself and my family members. Annual premium was RM3,500 for 4 of us. The policy was issued by Jereh Insurance (subsidiary of Hong Leong group) but marketed by Sihat Rakyat. I read the terms and conditions and aware of the cause of '...right of Company the cancel the portfolio ...''. I inquired every year with Jerneh to buy this medical plan direct from Jerneh, but I was informed that though medical plan ccame from Jerneh, it was marketed by Sihat Rakyat and I must buy from Sihat Rakyat.

My wife had utilised the plan at private hospital in PJ. Jerneh Insurance was prompt to approve her admission to the hospital and subsequent compensation for follow-up medical visits. Alas, in 2009, I receiveda letter that Jernsh wanted to withdraw this medical plan, and if I were to buy another medical plan, we have to go for new medical check up. I wrote letter to Jerneh to complain but its GM (technical) replied that Jerneh was exercising the clause' .... right of Company to withdraw the portfolio.....'. Despite the good reputation of Hong Leong Group, its subsidiary Jerneh can do such to its clients. So, beware , regardless of the whichever insurance companies, as long as there is such a clause '' ..right of Company to terminate or cancel portfolio..', don't buy insurance from such company. Never know when they will do this to you. Over the years 2011-02009, my h ealth has deteriorated and pre- conditions have existed. My own insurance policy would have been expensive. I elected Not to buy new medical further policy for ownself, while I bought for my wife and children.

My Mother, 94 years, passed away 26/3/2011

My mother finally took her last breath while sitting on a chair in her own house. With no sign of life in her eyes, she took deep slow breath for 2 hours, before blowing a last loud breath at about 11.30 am 26/4/2011. A brother and I with our wives were caring for her till the last breath. Unfortunately, despite 'appeal' to her to hold on and wait for the arrival of rest of the sons/daughters, she just could not make that effort.

Prior to mid-Dec 2010, my mother only needed our help to get her up from the bed. Thereafter, she would need her walking stick and the other hand to push a chair as her other support. She would sit on the potty chair to pee/poo , or she would go to the toilet by herself. Generally she had been 'clean' and easy to care for. Brother /sister (those who retired) rotated to keep an eye on her, bought her food, brought food and drink on table in front of her and she would scoop the food with one hand (the other hand was weak to reach table top). A sister would bathe her every evening.

Unfortunately she had a slight fall in Dec 2010, and since then she could not standup or walk as she felt weakness in both legs. She had to sit in wheelchair. Within a month of this condition, she developed incontinence and loss of bowel control. She would then became 'messy'.

We decided to put her permanently (the moment we raised her from bed) on potty chair. To prevent sores, we put cushion or 'swimming ring' for her to sit on. Mostly the sons washed her anus after every 'poo'. For bathing, one sister would come with help of a brother. After clean washing by the sister, the brother would lift the mother (with arm aroudn her armpit, facing her) up from the potty chair so that the sister (or another brother ) would mop dry the lower body and buttock.

For past few months (from January till her death 26/4/2011), every sons/daughter made sacrifice (time and energy) to ensure comfort for the mother. Mother appetite decreased rapidly in these few months, and started to take only few sips of porridge only from mid-Feb. We bought nutrient drinks to suppplement her diet. Towards the last 3-4 weeks, she sometimes refused to even swallow the water in her mouth. I had to squeeze her nose to force her to open mouth which led to her swallowing the water. Even during her last few breaths on 26/4/2011, my brother has fer her in morning few pieces fo bread soaked in coffee, but did no swallow these. It was only when helping her to breath that I noticed some dark matter in her mouth. Upon opening her mouth, I noticed the dark matter was bread and removed them with a spoon. One hour after doing this, my mother then took her last breath.

With her death, the most burden that had been laying on me for the past years finally lifted off. I had bad dreams previously (even when my mother was 70-80 years old) that my mom would pass away while I was not able to be at her side. Now that I was able to see her go sway peacefully right in front of her eyes, I felt so at ease (though very sad).
I missed the chance to carry my mom again.

MAS finally delivered the hiking bag to Mulu

In morning 17/04/2011, MAS sent the lost hiking bag from Kota Kinabalu to Miri Airport where MAS ground crew packed this bag onto flight to Mulu Cave. My daughter LC then sms at 10.15am 'hooray- I received the bag and now I go hiking'.

Whew!!! me too -- to shout 'hooray'

I wish to express my apreciation to the staff of AirAsia and MAS at airports of Miri and Kota Kinabalu for their highly professional attitudes to resolve this problem. t LC has spent some money to buy shirts at Mulu Hotel (in case the the hiking bag fails to reach her today), and I also spent money on handphone bills in making calls to these staff.