Lunch Date With Dato' Yap Pian Hon

On Friday, January 25, 2019, I attended a lunch at Restaurant East of Highway (大道东酒家), Serdang Raya, Seri Kembangan hosted by former MCA vice president Dato' Yap Pian Hon.  

It was a gathering of Yap's friends including three of we former MCA HQ staff, namely Anthony Kon (of property services etc, having served for 38 years before retirement), Andrew Goh (of organization/registration etc., having served for 31 years before retirement) and myself (a short stint of service of  1 year 4 months, initially as an executive secretary with the New Village Development Centre and later MCA Youth HQ from December 1986 till February 1988 during economic recession when I was retrenched as engineer).  

After I left MCA HQ in March 1988, I have been in constant contact only with one ex-colleague Anthony Kon.  I haven't met Andrew Goh for 31 years to date.

It was a good gathering in which we chit-chatted and exchanged views on the current political  affairs among other things.  The lunch lasted from 12.30pm till 2.30pm..

图左: 黄华泳, 曾学友, 王清华, 葉炳汉, 陈国振, 李丽友(前马青总财政), 吴安德, 官振业, 刘泰安 (均为总部前职员), 许闻文, 蔡惠丰.

Pic from left: Andrew Goh (吴安德), Anthony Kon (官振业) and the blogger

Veteran politician Dato' Yap is now still very active in social activities

A Visit of Two Old Friends at ICC Pudu

On Tuesday, January 22, 2019 and as invited by old buddy Anthony Kon, my wife Soh Ai and I left home at 10.30am to catch a RapidKL bus to Pudu, KL.

We reached Integrated Commercial Centre (ICC) Pudu at about 12.15pm and met Anthony and a former colleague from MCA HQ (my short employment there from Dec. 1986 till Mar. 1988) 趙财生 (AhFook Chiew) whom I haven't met for more than 3 decades.

Chiew now runs 2 stalls at the Grd. Fl. food court of ICC, namely AhFook Yong TauFu & Chee CheongFun, and another Penang Mee Yoke.

I ate Yong TauFu and Chee CheongFun and found them delicious. Soh Ai took Penang Mee Yoke. I also tasted popiah bought by Anthony and found it not bad too. I was told that ICC food court has now become a food heaven frequently patronized by many free-and-easy tourists from China.

Chiew, Anthony and I had a good chat on various subjects. Chiew who is 4 years more senior than Anthony and I is found to be still very hard-working and he enjoys running his hawker business.

Soh Ai and I left Pudu and took a bus at 2.15pm and returned home at 3.30pm.

Main entrance of ICC Pudu 

A view of the food court at ground floor

Pic from right: Anthony Kon, Chiew and the blogger.  We were once colleagues at MCA HQ from 1986 till 1988.  My tenure is the shortest while Anthony worked there for 35 years.

A pose with Chiew at one of his stalls

Chiew in front of his signature stall

Hong Kong superstar singer Alan Tam publicized AhFook stall

A pose with Anthony who invited me many times to visit this stall but I didn't make it until this day for the first time.

The various kinds of Yong TauFu

The other stall of Chiew selling Penang Mee Yoke with the cooking recipe carried down from his grandfather

Our plates of Yong TauFu / Chee CheongFun and Popiah

Chiew personally handling his customer food 

A view of the city from the window of HXC Grand Ballroom located at Level 6 of ICC Pudu

Tsun Jin Former Classmates/Schoolmates' Gathering on January 13, 2019

On Sunday, January 13, 2019, I attended the anuual luncheon organized by Tsun Jin Old Pupils’ Association at the hall of SJK(C) Tsun Jin, Kg Pandan, Cheras, K.L. from 12.00pm noon till around 2.40pm.    

There were 3 tables of our classmates/schoolmates of the senior middle graduating class of 1973 and one table of my primary school classmates of the graduating  class of 1967.

It was a joyful gathering having met and chit chatted with many former classmates and schoolmates on this occasion.   

I must thank Alex Seow for graciously paying the ticket of RM80 for me (and others at the same table) for the second consecutive year. Hope to see them again next year! 

A group photo of former high school classmates/schoolmates

A group photo of former primary school classmates

A view of the luncheon hall

Renewal of My Professional Engineer Registration for 2019

On Wednesday, January 2, 2019, I left home at about 10.00am to go to the office of the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) at 11th Floor, JKR Headquarters, Kompleks Kerja Raya Malaysia, Jln. Sultan Salahuddin, KL to renew my annual registration for Professional Engineer with Practising Certificate (PEPC) for 2019 (annual fee RM400).

Although I have retired from work since June last year, I am still keeping my PEPC registration just in case I am asked to do some freelance design works. My PE registration dates back to 1984 and I am not ready to give it up yet.

I parked my car at the open car park space next to the Cultural and Tourism Ministry and walked quite a distance to JKR Headquarters. Reached BEM’s office and submitted my application forms at 10.45am. Today is the first working day of the new year and there were about 10 over people waiting for business with BEM. My queue number was 7 behind the serving number.

By 11.20am, I collected my certificate and left BEM. Before returning home I dropped by Batu 9 Cheras to buy some 10 nos. of various kind of pau (filled bun) and 2 nos. loh mai kai (glutinuous chicken rice), all-in RM 19.60 only. Cheap-cheap! Reached home at 12.15pm.

The traffic from my house to JKR HQ all along Jln. Cheras was smooth sailing and it was a wonderful trip for the record!