Friend in Vancouver: Leslie

If not because of Leslie Chong's brother in my Church who gave me his address, the meeting with this old friend would not have materialized.

I first got to know Leslie way back in 1971 when I was doing my Upper Six in Sabah College. I, Leslie and three other Upper Six students were selected by Shell Brunei for a scholarship interview in Seria, Brunei. At that time, there were only four schools which offered A Level in Sabah. They are Sabah College, La Salle, All Saints in KK and St Mary in Sandakan. 

For the scholarship, only two among the five would be selected to undergo a Bachelor Degree in Engineering in university in UK

At that time, it was a big thing to be given a chance to fly overseas. I remember I had to make my first passport for my first ever flying experience in an airplane. Seria at that time, was the oil town where Shell Head Office was based. When we landed in Seria, we were taken to their staff quarters, a very nice and well equipped building complex in today standard. The facility was complete with staff canteen and swimming pool, an enviable thing! We felt like being treated as VIP throughout our stay!

In the end, unfortunately or rather fortunately, both I and Leslie Chong were not selected. I said fortunately because had I gone to UK, I would have led a totally different life and would not have met my wife in University of Malaya! 

Leslie eventually went on his own to do a degree in Electrical Engineering. In my case, due to financial difficulty, I had to work for over a year in 1972 before I was offered a scholarship in early 1973 by Borneo Development Corporation to undergo a degree in Civil Engineering in University Malaya. BDC as it is known is a Government-Linked-Company (GLC) jointly owned by the Sabah and Sarawak State Government. In that year, BDC only offered two scholarships for UM degree courses. The other recipient, Vincent Gadalon, a Kadazan was offered to do a degree course in Economics.

For George Chin, a classmate of mine in Sabah College, he was offered the Shell scholarship to do a Civil Engineering degree course in Strathclyde University UK. He eventually returned to work in PWD. He is now living in Adelaide, Australia. Damain Lee, a student from La Salle moved on to become a successful businessman securing a PhD in Business Management later on.

Leslie is still working full time with the Canadian Government. Unfortunately, I did not manage to meet up with his wife during my visit to Vancouver. His wife, a medical doctor by profession attended Sunday worship service in my Church before they moved to Canada. As Leslie told us, his wife had stopped working in her medical profession after moving to Canada.  She is now more occupied by the grand kid.

Leslie took us for Japanese food with the 

Lo's in Kawawa Japanese Restaurant in 

Metropolis Metrotown,Vancouver on 20.08.2017. 

From left: George Chin, Damian Lee,
Leslie Chong & me in Seria, Brunei
- 1971.

From left: Me, Another student from La Salle whose name 

I can't remember, George Chin, Damain Lee and 

Leslie Chong taken next to the swimming pool of 

Shell Staff Quarters, Seria, Brunei - 1971.