Separation Anxiety-Neutralised !

This year, celebration of my birthday was held at the 5-star Peppino and joined by Sam, a rare coincidence these days! This also happened to be Sam's parents' 30th marriage anniversary. Hence, this expensive feasting was more than justified.

Trust

Last Friday, I almost asked one of my residents engineers to "leave".

This RE (Mr. X) was posted to an east coast town to look after a project. He was entirely on his own and I would not know whether he actually carried out his work responsibly and diligently or otherwise. Everything seemed to be under control whenever I called him. Reports from other sources were that the work quality was comparatively worse off than other areas in Sabah and the work progress was also behind schedule.

Then on that Friday, another staff (supervisor) who is also posted there, told me, " Boss, I can't 'tahan' anymore and I want to tell you something". He continued, "This Mr. X has been absent from work and he was practically not on site half of the time". Immediately I called Mr. X. There was no reply even I called him twice and sms'ed him. Then, the supervisor called him in another number and Mr. X told him he was in fact in 1 Borneo Shopping Centre. Mind you, that was during office hour.

Finally, I sms'ed him using the new number and asked him to call me back. Finally, he called and when asked where he was. He answered, "I am now in Semporna".

I was really angry over such lying but I kept my cool. I told him, "I know where you are. Come and see me at 4.30 later in my office in KK". He was still trying to be funny by saying that he could not make it as he was not in KK. I said, "I do know exactly where you are. You better come to see me at 4.30!". That was 1.30pm on my way to the airport taking a flight back to KK.

By the time I reached my office at 4.45 pm, he was already waiting there. I could see he was really pale, almost shivering and almost in tears.

I had made up my mind before seeing him to ask him to go. He was extremely remorseful and begged to be given a second chance. After almost an hour of tongue lashing, I finally decided to give him another chance. One crucial factor in his favour was that this project is at the tail end and it would not be easy for someone new to take over. I showed him the resignation letter I had prepared beforehand. I said, " Well, I won't ask you to resign this time and be very very sure not to repeat this ever again". Just to add, I was diplomatic in the "tongue lashing' and was not too harsh in the words used. In Sabah, one may never know that staff you asked to "leave" may one day sit high up in some government department literally being your boss taking charge of one of your projects ! So, always have this in mind!

Trust once broken is not easy to reinstate again. Hopefully Mr. X learn his lesson and this gesture of mine would spur him to really buck up and work responsibly again.

Leadership Remembered: A Farewell Tribute

As the spouse of the outgoing Timbalan Pengarah, I was honoured to attend a farewell dinner organized by more than thirty lecturers of IPG Gaya in recognition of her past service.

The evening was marked not only by good food but, more importantly, by an outpouring of heartfelt tributes. One after another, the lecturers stood to express their appreciation. They described her as fair, approachable, humble, attentive, and always willing to help. Many lamented that her two-year tenure had been far too brief, wishing she could have continued serving at the institution. Every word spoken reflected genuine respect, admiration, and love.

“She was fair in all her dealings.”
“She was always approachable - I felt like I was talking to a friend rather than a superior.”
“She is humble.”
“She always listened to our concerns and did her best to find solutions.”
“Her two years with us were far too short. I wish she could stay longer.”

The list went on, painting a portrait of a leader who led with humility, fairness, and genuine care.

These reflections revealed the depth of her influence and the enduring respect she had earned in a relatively short period of time. It was a moving testament to the kind of leader she had been - one who combined authority with compassion, and professionalism with humility.

For me personally, it was an emotional moment, as I realized how deeply she had touched the lives of her colleagues. To witness such admiration and genuine affection was a reminder that true leadership is measured not only by position, but by the hearts one leaves behind.

The Pengarah's Residence

The single-storey house is built in an L-shaped design. One wing is dedicated to the family’s private quarters, featuring a master bedroom with an attached bathroom, along with two additional bedrooms and another shared bathroom. The other wing accommodates the functional spaces: a kitchen, two more rooms, and separate bathroom and toilet facilities for the maid. At the junction where the two wings meet lies the living room, serving as the central hub of the home.

The compound itself is expansive, set atop a hill that offers a commanding bird’s-eye view of Keningau town and the scenic landscape beyond. Its wide-open grounds provide ample space for children to run and play freely, while also making it perfect for family gatherings, outdoor activities, and barbeque evenings under the open sky.

Front view.

Huge compound to the left of the residence.

Another huge compound to the right. The tree is perfect to be decorated and lighted up as Christmas tree during Christmas!

The New Pengarah's Office

The office is cosy, well-arranged, and entirely self-contained. One corner is furnished with a table and chairs for discussions or small meetings, while another is set aside for a comfortable sofa and a TV set - perfect for short breaks or casual conversations. I noticed two desktop computers and a laptop neatly arranged, suggesting a space ready for both work and collaboration.

What makes the office even more impressive is the attached toilet and bathroom, thoughtfully equipped with a wardrobe and a water filter for convenience. Honestly, if a bed and a small kitchenette were added, this place could easily double up as a practical office-cum-living quarter! 🙂

The chap in black jacket is the Timbalan Pengarah.

Introducing the New Pengarah

As our car was about to enter the main entrance to the compound of Keningau Teachers Training Institute, I drew the attention of the "Pengarah" to a huge banner erected by the road side with the new Pengarah's picture printed on it. May be it is too large for the Pengarah to focus and she yielded, " Where! Where!". I had to literally point to the direction to get her focus.

The guard seemed to have done their homework by studying the Pengarah's portrait well in advance. So, when we drove pass, they stood attention, smiled and saluted and pointed to the direction toward the Administration Building.

As we reached the Admin. Building, another same huge banner hung right in front of the building greeted us. In my mind, it wouldn't be long when she can consider putting up herself as a candidate for the local election:).

The New Pengarah on the Way to Report for Duty

The much-anticipated day finally arrived on 12 September 2008, when the new Pengarah officially reported for duty at the Keningau Teachers Training Institute (IPG Keningau). I volunteered - half proudly, half playfully - to be her driver and escort for the journey.

Instead of taking the familiar Kota Kinabalu–Penampang-Tambunan-Keningau highway, we opted for the then-newly opened Kota Kinabalu–Papar–Kimanis–Keningau route. This highway had already attracted controversy because of its steep slopes. In some sections, the gradient reaches an astonishing 18%, well above the recommended 12%. At first, I was skeptical. But after driving through it, I realized there was little choice - after all, the road must cut across the rugged Crocker Range. Perhaps tunneling, extensive hill cutting, or even elevated highway structures could have made it more driver-friendly, but such options would have driven the cost sky-high. Understandably, economic considerations prevailed.

That said, the drive itself was nothing short of spectacular. The sweeping views alone made the journey memorable. On the return trip to Kota Kinabalu, the sight of Kimanis Bay shimmering in the distance was simply breathtaking. At certain stretches, I felt transported elsewhere - the winding descents evoked memories of the Sydney-Newcastle drive, some coastal views brought back the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, while other landscapes reminded me of my journeys to Augusta in Southwestern Australia.

For all its design flaws, the road left me with a sense of wonder, both for its daring engineering and for the memories it stirred.

JOKE OF THE DAY

A friend sent me this joke which I find it very amusing :

A little boy wanted RM100 badly and prayed for two weeks but nothing happened. Then he decided to write GOD a letter asking for the RM100. When Pos Malaysia received the letter addressed to GOD, they decided to send it to the Prime Minister - Pak Lah.

The PM was so impressed, touched and amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a RM5.00 bill. Pak Lah thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. The little was delighted with the RM5.00 and sat down to write a thank you note to GOD, which read:

'Dear GOD, Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reasons you had to send it through PutraJaya and, as usual, someone took away RM95.00.'

Well Done

This is a significant day. I posted the final cheque that I started posting way back in mid 1999, non-stop for the last nine years. The financial support for my children overseas tertiary education is finally over!

Thank God, I have now crossed another threshold.

70 Storeys above Ground Zero

Malaysian in general were substantially affected by the recent petrol price increase. Well, is that the case in Singapore, I had wondered before going there. Probably not. This may be because majority of the people travel by public transport. The pinch was therefore not felt as there may not have been any fare hike sanctioned by the Government.

But, I did gauge some murmurs from at least one taxi driver who was unusually talkative about his heart-felt concerns knowing I am somebody not from within. Two things he mentioned:

• The Government is going to import Mainland Chinese to become taxi drivers. I doubt it is workable as they can't speak English which is prerequisite in a country like Singapore.
• Government's ministers are paid exorbitant salaries, why can they have a cut to benefit the less fortunate or the poorer sector ?

I was surprised that Singaporean taxi-drivers are a dying breed and that the country needs foreigners to keep this important trade going.

Well, on the exorbitant salaries of the ministers, he was not convinced that high pay is a deterrent against corruption among politicians.

While murmurs and complaints are unavoidable and remain daily routines, my lunch date fortunately was still on. This time at a staggering height of 70 storeys above ground zero. The food and the views were both spectacular and unforgettable!

Sleep - A Must in Sydney

What We Ate in Sydney

Red Bellies at The Pub, Nelson Bay Sidewalk Cafe, Nelson Bay

Super Bowl Chinese Restaurant, China Town, Sydney

Cableway Cafe, Blue Mountain Treasured Teapot Museum, Blue Mountain.

Zilder Restaurant, China Town, Sydney.

Blue Mountain, Sydney

Well, as a diligent tourist, we tried not to miss any of the key spots promoted by the tourism promotional materials. We faithfully visited these spots and have pictures taken. In our case, not mechanically but with passion and nostalgia.

Three Sisters Skyway Cable Car.

Scenic Railway.

Strolled through the bush land.

Three Sisters Giant Stairway.