Strengthening Bonds Through Celebration Meals

On 17.03.2026, we hosted a Ramadan buffet dinner for our staff at the newest hotel in town, Sheraton. This took place just one and a half months after our pre-Chinese New Year celebration dinner (Read here). As far as I can recall, organising lunch or dinner gatherings during major festive occasions - such as Chinese New Year, Christmas, and Ramadan - has long been an annual practice (Read here).

In a culturally diverse setting like Sabah, celebrating different festivals together has proven to be both meaningful and impactful. Such occasions foster unity, boost morale, and help staff feel valued and appreciated. 

Staff who attended and group photo taken outside the hotel after the meal. My wife and I are not in photo because we left earlier.

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Two days later, on 19.03.2026, we attended another Ramadan buffet, this time at Le Méridien. This gathering was made possible through the generosity of a church friend, who invited some of her cell group members and other church friends to join in the celebration.

Surprisingly, the dish that drew the longest queue was the Gearbox Soup, a popular and hearty preparation made from large cow leg bones, particularly the knee or shank. The name “gearbox” comes from the resemblance of the bone to a car’s gear stick or mechanical component, giving the dish a distinctive identity.

The main attraction of this gearbox soup lies in its rich, deeply flavoured broth and thick, collagen-rich texture. The highlight, however, is the marrow itself, which diners like us enjoyed by using a straw to extract it directly from the bone, savouring its creamy and somewhat peculiar taste.

An Evening of Festivities and Friendships

This Chinese New Year has been rather eventful. We found ourselves attending yet another festive celebration dinner, this time at one of the local hotels on 26.02.2026, courtesy of an invitation from one of my banks. Occasions like these add a pleasant extension to the festive season and provide moments to pause and enjoy the company of others.

Before dinner began, we had the opportunity to watch a Lion Dance troupe perform at close range. The beating of the drums, the movements of the lions, and the festive energy of the performance brought the hall to life. It was a reminder of how these traditions continue to enliven the spirit of the Chinese New Year.

We also had the chance to participate in the customary lou sang once again. Earlier on just before CNY, we had already enjoyed our first lou sang during our company’s Pre-Chinese New Year Annual Dinner with the staff on 02.02.2026. Yet repeating the ritual did not diminish its meaning. As always, the tossing of the colourful ingredients together was accompanied by cheerful wishes for prosperity, good health, and success in the year ahead.

Perhaps the most meaningful aspect of such gatherings is the opportunity to meet people - sometimes new acquaintances, but often old friends whom we have not seen for many years.

That evening, two of the guests I met long ago instantly brought back many memories. One of them was Mary, a former staff member of the Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) Pulp and Paper Mill in Sipitang. The first time I met her was during a reunion on 10.03.2017 - almost nine years ago. That gathering was arranged by Mr. Cheng Lik Seng mainly for several former staff of SFI and some of his acquaintances. I was invited because we had once worked together at Permodalan Bumiputra Sabah Berhad (PBSB). At that time, Mr. Cheng was the Property Development Manager and my immediate superior during my four-year stint in PBSB from 1984 to 1988.

How I eventually came to join PBSB was itself quite an eventful story (Read here). After four years there, I left in 1988 to join Antah-Biwater, where I was involved in the implementation of the Sabah Rural Water Supply Schemes (Read here). A couple of years later in 1994, Mr. Cheng also left PBSB to assume the position of Managing Director of SFI. SFI originally a wholly-owned company of the Sabah Government was privatized in 1994 and Lion Group acquired the majority share of the company. Tan Sri William Cheng, the CEO of the Lion Group appointed Mr. Cheng to be the MD of SFI Pulp and Paper Mill in 1994.

Sharing the meal together in the same table was Charles Wong, who is now retired. Our acquaintance goes back even further, to 1988, when we first met during a job interview shortly after I had left PBSB. That was thirty-eight years ago. On this occasion, he came with his son, now 45 years old. Moments like this make one pause and reflect on the swift passage of time.

Indeed, time has a way of moving quietly yet relentlessly forward.

Guests at our dinner table on 26.02.2026. Mary is second from left while Charles is second from right.

An old photo taken on 10.03.2017 during a reunion dinner of former staff of SFI and friends of Mr. Cheng. Mary is the third from the left, while Mr. Cheng is the third from the right.

Francis Yee (first on the left), a cousin of mine, joined SFI as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Pulp & Paper Mill after leaving JKR Sabah.

On the far right is Lau Siew Ching, a former colleague of mine at PBSB (Read here), who was later invited to join SFI as an assistant to the MD, Mr. Cheng.

Company's Pre-CNY Annual Dinner 2026

Pre-Chinese New Year (CNY) annual dinners have been a long-standing tradition of the company, dating back to its inception in the late 1980s. As the company grew over the years and welcomed a diverse workforce drawn from Sabah’s multi-ethnic communities, this tradition naturally expanded. Annual lunch and dinner gatherings were subsequently introduced to also mark the Christmas season and Hari Raya, reflecting our inclusive culture and appreciation of cultural diversity.

The most recent pre-CNY annual dinner was held on 02.02.2026 at a local seafood restaurant. This year’s gathering saw a record attendance of thirty participants, comprising twenty-seven staff members - including the directors and the spouses of the directors. The strong turnout was a testament to a growing workforce and the close-knit spirit and sense of belonging within the company.

As is customary for a Chinese New Year reunion meal, the dinner began with lou sang, where participants gathered around the table to toss a colourful salad together, symbolising prosperity, good fortune, and abundance for the year ahead.

Group photo after the dinner.

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Group photo after the dinner on 21.01.2025.

Last year’s Pre-CNY Annual Dinner was held on 21.01.2025 at the Shangri-La Tanjong Aru Resort, attended by twenty-seven participants. It was an evening of warmth and fellowship, offering another moment to pause and appreciate the journey we have taken together. For more insights into the company’s annual CNY dinners and lunches during the earlier years, please (Read here).

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I joined the company in 1989, just one year after its establishment, and over the past decades I have witnessed its steady and resilient growth. The company has been fortunate to receive a continuous flow of work, allowing it to sustain operations and provide stable employment through both good times and challenging periods. Significantly, no staff members have ever been retrenched. Even during the trying years of the 1997 global financial crisis, the company chose compassion over expediency, implementing reduced working hours so that every employee could remain on the payroll.

As I reflected during the dinner, it was striking to realize that nearly thirty-eight years have passed since the company first commenced practice. Many among the present group had not yet been born when this journey began. Over the years, countless individuals have come and gone, each leaving their mark and contributing in their own way to the company’s story.

From its inception, the objective of the company has been clear: to contribute meaningfully to the infrastructural development of the State, thereby uplifting the well-being of the local community. At the same time, the company has sought to provide a platform for successive generations to apply their skills and knowledge, earn an honest living, support their families, and pursue their aspirations. This, I believe will continue to be the core value in guiding the company's practice.

Chapter 39: Bingkor Raw Water Intake, Keningau - An Unplanned Journey Back in Time

After our visit to the Keningau Oath Stone, we continued our drive to another much-publicized accommodation in Keningau - Taman Bandukan Riverside Resort. Its advertisements had been so impressive that I had even considered staying there, had its location been closer to Keningau town.

However, a brief chat with the resort reception after arrival and a stroll around the compound turned out to be a letdown. The fleet of bicycles for rent and the boats for hire on their lake were all in various states of disrepair.

The Bingkor River nearby is certainly pleasant enough, with its calm, scenic surroundings, but it, too, falls short of being a compelling reason to spend an entire day there.

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On our way back after visiting Kampong Bandukan, just as the car rounded a bend, my wife suddenly exclaimed, “Hey, I just saw the Bingkor Water Intake!”

I instinctively made a U-turn and pulled over to take a closer look. In an instant, a flood of memories came rushing back - this was one of the many sites I had visited while working for Antah Biwater back in 1988, some thirty-seven years ago.

At that time, my task was to inspect the location and assess its suitability for the construction of a raw water intake. The visit was part of a series of site inspections and evaluations of potential sites for numerous schemes under a federal rural water supply project in Sabah. I eventually left Antah Biwater before the intake’s construction was completed, but standing there again after all these years felt like unexpectedly turning a page back in my own professional history.

Raw water intake.

Bingkor River, a short distance upstream
of the intake.

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Back in 1988, Malaysia was emerging from the severe 1985-1986 economic recession. I had just left Permodalan Bumiputra Sabah Berhad, a government-linked company that, like many others, was grappling with financial difficulties. Soon after, I joined Antah-Biwater as a Senior Engineer.

An old photo taken at the office of
Antah-Biwater in 1988.

Discussion with a British colleague of
Antah-Biwater from UK.

With Simon Chin, a fresh graduate engineer
who also worked for Antah-Biwater.
He later joined our consultancy practice
for a few years as an Assistant Resident
Engineer for a major
KK Water Supply Extension Project.

At the time, Antah-Biwater had secured a massive RM1.4 billion Design-and-Build contract to implement rural water supply schemes across Malaysia. Ten locations in Sabah were identified under this programme: Kota Marudu, Beluran, Keningau, Kota Belud, Tambunan, Telupid, Beaufort, Tungku, Kuala Penyu and Sipitang.

The rural schemes were spread across the state - reaching the northern stretches of the Kudat Division, the eastern reaches of the Sandakan Division, the southeast in Tawau Division, as well as the West Coast and the Interior. With a company vehicle at my disposal, I spent countless hours travelling through winding roads, remote villages and river crossings. My duties included securing permits to enter sites for the construction of intakes, treatment plants, reservoirs and pipelines. Along the way, I built professional ties with many engineers and officers from the PWD, DID, local authorities and the Lands & Surveys Department.

On the home front, life was equally demanding. My three children - then aged seven, five, and three - were in the care of our stay-home maid. Whenever I was away and couldn’t fetch my daughter from school, my wife, who was then the principal of SMK St. John in Tuaran, had to make the long rush back to do it herself.

Those were indeed challenging times - a constant balancing act between career demands and family life. My tenure with Antah-Biwater lasted just over a year. By mid-1989, I decided to leave the company and move into engineering consultancy practice, opening a new chapter in my professional journey.

Engineering Consultancy Practice after 35 Years

On 28.11.2024 at a dinner function at Hilton Hotel, I met one of my ex-engineer staff, Wui Chung who is now known as Datuk Ir. Yong Wui Chung. Wui Chung first joined our C&S engineering consultancy practice way back in the 1990's as a fresh graduate engineer at our old office at the 9th Floor of Wisma Karamunsing. He left our company a couple of years later and joined another company. He and another engineer eventually formed a new C&S engineering consultancy practice. He later joined a local political party, LDP and eventually rosed to become its Secretary General. He was nominated as a Senator in the Dewan Negara of Malaysia for three years from August 2017 to August 2020 (Read here). 

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Wui Chung is not the only one who has made a name for himself. Many who have joined us have left and set up their own consultancy practices or becoming contractors. Some have moved overseas and continued practicing engineering while some have switched to doing other professions.

Occasionally, we met some of them in unexpected occasions. 

Met our ex-engineer, Low Wooi Kiang ai KLIA2
on 21.01.2015 who left the company and moved
back to West Malaysia in 2007.

Met ex-engineer, Johnny Ting for coffee at
Damai on 04.09.2024

With David Sun (Middle) on 25.02.2024

David Sun who worked as one of the engineers of the supervision team for the KK Water Supply Project in the 1980's now resides in Hong Kong. He came back in February 2024 and dropped by to join the Sunday Church Service at our BCCM KK(E). The photo was taken immediately after the service together with the founding Director just outside the church hall. David no longer practices engineering but has gone into Christian ministry.  

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The changes of staff throughout the company 35-years operation are best appreciated in some of the photos taken during the staff lunches or dinners during Christmas and CNY over the years.

CNY Staff Dinner at Silk Garden, Pacific Sutera
Hotel on 02.02.2024

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CNY Staff Dinner at New Gaya Seafood Restaurant at Plaza Shell on 23.01.2023.

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A staff dinner at Hilton Kinabalu.

CNY Staff Lunch at Kampong Narayan Floating
Seafood Market Restaurant on 21.01.2019

CNY Staff Lunch on 19.02.2018

CNY Staff Lunch in Jan 2007.

One of the old photos of CNY celebration lunch for staff taken in January 2007. ln those years, practically all the engineers recruited were fresh graduate engineers.

Jonathan Wong (Seated 1st at right). 

Seated second from right is Lai Pui San who was with the company for 5 years from Feb 2002 to Feb 2007. She later left the company after marriage and moved to Hong Kong. After spending 12 years in Hong Kong working for an international consultancy practice, Aecom Asia, her family moved to Melbourne in 2019 and she continued working for the same company in the Australian office.

Frederick Yew (standing second from right) worked only a year with the company from June 2005 to June 2006. He has since his departure worked for numerous companies. Currently, he is the General Manager of a Development Company.

Ian Wong (Standing 3rd from right), He worked for the company for a significant period of time principally in engineering design and project management. 

Low Wooi Kiang (Standing 2nd from left). He joined the company immediately upon graduation from UMS in June 2006 (Read here). A year later, he left the company and moved back to West Malaysia and joined Lumut Naval Base. I recalled contacting him when my wife and I visited Lumut in 2012 soon after spending CNY in West Malaysia (Read here). 

Coincidentally, my son Paul who happened to undergo internship training at the company during his third year at Newcastle University, Australia also joined us for that particular staff lunch.

Interestingly, among the staff in the photo, only three are still with the company to this very day. They are Liew PC, Searon and Tony George. Liew PC who joined the company in January 1992 as a trainee draftsman has risen to become a Senior Engineering Assistant taking charge of drafting work and project management.

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Significant change has occurred since I first joined the consultancy practice in mid-1989, a year after the practice was set up by the founder in 1988. At the time of switching to consultancy practice, I was working as a Senior Civil Engineer with Antah-Biwater in the implementation of the Rural Water Supply Scheme for Sabah.

In October 1994, the practice was re-structured to become a private limited company. Together with the founder, we were the only two directors of the company.

Today, the company has four Directors and an Associate Director. Ir. Wah was made the third Director in 2011 after working for the company for a couple of years. Ir. Arzahri joined the company as a fresh graduate engineer in 2007 and upon his securing his professional practice license in 2016, he was made the fourth Director.

Unlike some of consultancy practices, we manage to have secured the second generation of engineering consultancy practitioners to continue the consultancy service.

Chapter 32: Aerogram's Story - An Aborted Trip to Paris

When clearing some of the old files, I found this aerogram written exactly thirty eight years ago on 5 March 1984. This air letter, a thin lightweight piece of folder paper was popular in the 1970s and the 1980s. But by late 1990s when the use of emails exploded worldwide, this mode of exchanging news almost disappeared instantly.

I received this aerogram from my wife when I was in UK for a short course at the Loughbarough University of Technology, UK. The course on "Airports and Environment" lasted a mere five days from 12 March to 16 March 1984. 

Participants of the course on "Airports and Environment" organized by Loughbarough University of Technology, UK.

I had planned to do some sight-seeing including a trip to Paris after the end of the course. After the course, I was supposed to travel south from London to Sandwich after which I would cross the English Channel via the Euro-Tunnel to Paris. That's the reason why the letter was addressed to my sister-in-law's house in Sandwich. That letter arrived to its destination slightly too early. It was re-directed by my SIL to an address in London, a friend's home where I stayed. 

I was supposed to have visited Paris. Unfortunately, at the very last minute, I had to cancel the trip and rushed back to Sabah for a new job interview. Earlier,  just before leaving for UK for the short course which was near the end of my second 3-year employment contract, I had applied for a new job in Permodalan Bumiputra Sabah Berhad (PBSB) - a GLC. In the event I was successful, I would not renew for a third contract with PWD.

According to my wife, the Property Development Manager of PBSB, Mr. Cheng Lik Seng was insistent that I return as soon as possible to attend the interview. In the end, I abandoned the trip to Paris in favour of opting for a new job opportunity. I was fortunate to be successful in my new job interview after I returned. That decision changed the course of my whole life. 

By the time I returned to Sabah, it was just a couple of days before my contract with PWD would end on 7 April 1984. The trip to UK turned out to be a sort of a paid overseas holiday trip for my employment contract.

The decision to forgo the trip to Paris was a bitter-sweet decision. It took another thirty years before I finally visited Paris in 2014 (Read here).

Sourcing Water for Portable Water Supply Schemes

Searching for suitable water sources for portable water supply schemes often takes us deep into forested catchment areas. These treks are not always easy - steep terrain, dense vegetation, and unpredictable weather can make the journey physically demanding and logistically challenging. Yet, every so often, the hard work pays off, not just in terms of technical findings, but also in the breathtaking views and untouched natural beauty we encounter along the way.

Our most recent excursion brought us to Kiulu, where we set out to assess a small river upstream of the Tuaran River as a potential intake site. Although we attempted to access the area via an alternative route, the effort proved unsuccessful due to difficult terrain and unclear trails. Nonetheless, the journey was far from disappointing. The scenery along the way was simply spectacular - rolling hills, cascading waters, and panoramic views that made the entire trip worthwhile.

However, tapping into rivers in this part of Sabah comes with its own set of challenges. The river system in Kiulu is well-known for two things: white water rafting and the Tagal System. The Tagal System is a traditional community-based river management practice whereby fishing is strictly prohibited in designated zones, except during specific times of the year. These zones are managed by individual villages or kampung, with each section of the river falling under the stewardship of local communities. Fishing is typically permitted during the dry season, usually between February and April (Read here).

This sustainable system ensures the preservation of fish populations and river health, but it also means that any water extraction efforts must take into account the social and ecological frameworks in place. As such, any plans to draw water from the Kiulu river system will require close collaboration with local stakeholders and careful consideration of both environmental and cultural factors.

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While in Kiulu, I took the opportunity to visit my maternal uncle, Wesley Dungko Pai, whose house is nestled right beside the Tuaran River. It was a meaningful stop, as I hadn’t seen him since my last visit in February 2013 (Read here).

I was fortunate to catch him at home - just in time before he was due to leave for Kota Kinabalu to attend a birthday celebration organized by his children later that evening. Coincidentally, it was his birthday that very day - 9 November 2016 - and he had just turned 79.

Uncle Wesley has always been supportive and open-minded when it comes to community development. He expressed a receptive attitude toward the idea of the government abstracting water from the river system for a public water supply scheme. His perspective, grounded in both local knowledge and community experience, adds valuable insight as we consider the viability and acceptance of such projects in the area.

Moderate Voice in Rising Extremism in Malaysia

Mission schools and government-aided Chinese schools in Sabah have long had a love–hate relationship with the Federal Government. On one hand, they often find certain education policies difficult to accept, sometimes even repugnant. On the other, they are occasionally “appeased” by grants or handouts to their institutions. Since education falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal rather than the State Government, this dynamic has been a recurring theme for decades.

That said, the State Government of Sabah has also played a role in supporting education. A good example is the new wing of the Kindergarten operated by the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia in Kota Belud. The project would not have been possible without a state grant. Even so, the grant only partially covered the costs, and it took seven years (1999–2006) before the building was fully completed.

On 14 November 2014, the Kindergarten celebrated its 20th Anniversary. I had the privilege of being invited to the celebration, having served as the Consulting Engineer (C&S) for the new block on a pro bono basis - a contribution that made the project personally meaningful to me.

It was evident that the Kindergarten had chosen the right guest of honour for the occasion: former Chief Minister and current Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly, Salleh Keruak. On that day, he spoke less like a parochial politician and more like a national statesman. His message was not the rhetoric of exclusivity often associated with his political party, but one of inclusiveness - affirming the place of all Malaysians regardless of race or religion. He explicitly supported the Kindergarten’s policy of welcoming and educating children from both Muslim and non-Muslim families, a stance that resonated deeply with the audience.

What set him apart even further was his courage to take a moral stand against his party’s prevailing narrative. He was, in fact, one of the few within his circle who openly “admonished” the former Prime Minister for tacitly endorsing a Muslim NGO that had outrageously suggested the burning of Bibles containing the word Allah. In a political climate where silence or conformity is often the safer path, his voice stood out as rare and refreshing.

The audience responded warmly - his speech drew such enthusiastic applause that it fell just short of a standing ovation. His support for the Kindergarten also appeared genuine, underscored by his consistent annual allocation of RM15,000 from his YB fund to sustain its operations.

Sadly, in Malaysia, too many politicians speak not out of conviction, but out of calculation. They say what they believe will secure votes, not what they truly believe is right. Their priority is to cling to power; everything else is secondary.

Whether Salleh’s sincerity marks the beginning of a shift, or merely a solitary voice in the wilderness, only time will tell.

Becoming an Adjudicator

I flew to KL on 4 July to attend the Launch of the Malaysian Society of Adjudicators and the Dinner for the Class of 2012/2013.

There were only four of us from Sabah out of the first batch of 300 graduates. In fact, 20 from Sabah passed the exam and made it to the list of the Adjudicators.

The CIPAA, the Construction Industry Payment & Adjudication Act 2012 has already been passed by the Parliament well before the recent GE13. The implementation of the Act however is still pending because the Minister has yet to sign the document on its actual implementation.

In the meantime, all the adjudicators are still unsure when will be their first test as the actual adjudicator!

Professionals are Leaving for Singapore

Yesterday, I had a conversation with another engineer who has decided to resign after more than four years in our office. When I pressed further, he confided that he and his architect girlfriend (with Innotech) are planning to move to Singapore to pursue better opportunities.

It is becoming increasingly clear that many young professionals are discontented with the pay situation in Sabah. Sadly, professional salaries here remain noticeably lower than those offered in West Malaysia and Singapore. I cannot fully explain why this disparity persists. Some argue that it is due to Sabah’s smaller market, where the volume and value of professional services generated from local projects are simply insufficient to sustain competitive wages in the long run. Others suggest that employers may be reluctant to allocate a larger share of their earnings toward staff remuneration, preferring instead to retain the greater portion for themselves.

This is not a trivial matter. It is a critical issue that needs to be addressed if local professional practices are to remain viable in the long term. The current trend is troubling: many engineers, after only a few years of experience in Sabah, eventually leave for Singapore, where their skills are valued more highly. The result is predictable - the beneficiary is Singapore, while the loser is Sabah.

We are then left in a perpetual cycle of training fresh graduates, only to see them move on once they become experienced enough. It is both frustrating and unsustainable.

As for me, perhaps fortunately - or unfortunately - I am nearing the end of my journey in full-time professional practice. But the questions remain: unless this issue is addressed seriously, how can we expect the next generation of professionals to stay and build their future here?

My Blood is Boiling

It can drive you nut when you call and call and sms and there is no response. Wonder what's the point of having a hand phone !

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Then there is this case of a total stranger keeps on calling and bugging me through the hand phone. It all started when a site staff of one of the site offices who drove the company's vehicle and knocked one unfortunate fellow's car.

This victim must have called our staff countless of times for the police report and for his insurance claim but without success. Then there is another staff who chose the easy way out of passing the boss' hand phone number to the victim to allow him to pursue his case all the way to the top. The funny thing is that this staff has since gone silent and was unreachable when he also conveniently decided to switch off his phone.

I told the person-in-charge in no uncertain term to get the report from him by whatever mean by Monday morning latest so that the poor soul can have his case settled.

I hope the ringing will stop.

Hand phone, a curse and a blessing !