Then & Now - Part 10

In this edition of "Then and Now", we feature another Fifth Former of 1976 ....

AM (Form 5 Arts 1,'76 and Upper 6 Arts '78), is now Dato' A @ FB, and someone who has made waves in corporate Malaysia.

He is currently CEO of  The New Straits Times Press (NSTP), so if any of their publications spell your name wrong in any interview that you guys happen to give, you know who to call, lah. Ha ha ha ...

Prior to joining NSTP, he was in the television business, as operations director of TV3, where he is credited for revitalising the channel with enhanced programming and content. Later he became CEO of NTV7. And before that he spent over 20 years in Bank Utama and Shell.

Banking, oil & gas, TV and now news publications ... what a varied and impressive career! Congratulations Anthony! Obviously another great product of St Joe. But enough of the boring corporate stuff. What's definitely more interesting is how some of his old kawan remember him. Here's a sampling ...

BC says: "... a word to describe AM in those days would probably be Mr. Cool ... mind you in our day that word didn't even exist but looking back, Mr.Cool was that kind of Fonzi (from Happy Days) - suave, detached, sardonic and yet likeable. The last time we saw each other was our time in UM ... but by then he was a serious no-nonsense bookworm who spent too much time in the library, though I think that cool factor never left him ... syabas, well done, Anthony".

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ELAS remembers: "the one with the innocent look ....quiet, unassuming at first glance... but still water runs deep...  he didn't seem to study much, yet always among the top in class. As he put it..."I do study...nature study....of the 'other species'.... that motivates me". A great pal to have around, once you get to know him better"

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SB speaks of: "a few weary occasions where we dozed off in the library and were rudely awakened by Bro Columba on his spot checks!! Also worked with him during the Bank Utama days, and rushing to complete cash balancing at the end of business days, so that A could go pick up his then gf (now wife) ... Oh ya, there was also this incident involving an Austin Mini exchanged/swapped for Toyota Corolla Hatchback for the weekend ..."

On the personal side, I learnt from Anthony that his hobbies include golf, a bit of tennis, some futsal and some cycling (forced into it by the kids). He also enjoys travelling, reading and of course makan-makan ...  He is married to a Teresian (the love bridge works its wonders again!), and they have four kids - two girls, two boys.
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Selamat Hari Raya, Anthony. Hope these recollections bring a smile and add to the festivities of the day ...

Then & Now - Part 9

In this installment of "Then & Now", we feature two of our old friends, both of whom were reconnected via this blog quite recently.

First we have CLF, from Form 5 Sc (1976). Back in the old St Joe Form 5 days, I always remembered him as the tall lanky guy, who sat on the left side of the class, and who was very strong in mathematics & physics. Naturally he became an engineer, after attending university in Singapore. He is now working for the Land Transport Authority in Singapore, managing underground train network projects. He is married with two children. Soon after reconnecting, he came on the recent Siem Reap reunion trip, and was responsible for many of the great photographs you see.

The "Then" shots were from Pri 6 and Form 6, and the "Now" photo is quite current.

Next we have BC from Form 5 Arts 1 (1976), who made his first comment only today. I go back a long time with Bertram, even to early primary school. I remember he was a talented artist, especially of action hero figures like Chinese swordsmen and kung fu types. I wonder if he still draws? These days, he is an accountant by profession, and is a Tax Director in a life insurance company. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada with his wife and son.

The "Then" photos were from Pri 6, Form 3 and Form 6 respectively. The "Now" shot was submitted by BC only today, so is current.

Looking great, guys!

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Then & Now - Part 8

Today we feature RC, our friend from Form 5 Arts 2 (1976).

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RC is a civil engineer by profession, based in Sarawak. From 1982 to 1993, he worked at JKR as District Engineer stationed in Bau and Lundu. From 1993-2007. he was with CMSB (Cahaya Mata Sarawak Berhad). Since 2007, he has been managing his own civil engineering construction business.

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He married a Marian, and is blessed with two daughters - the elder is now a teacher and the younger is pursuing a nursing course.

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RC also reminded me of a bit of ancient history. Prior to St Joe, he attended Catholic English Primary School until Primary 6 (1971), where his classmates included JK, WC, CM, MC, JKKH, SH, (Dato)AM and TBS.

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The "Then" shots were from 1971 (Pri 6) and 1976 (Form 5). The "Now" photo was taken in early 2009.

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Then and Now - Part 7

In this rendition of "Then & Now", we feature three old friends whom I've had the good fortune to meet recently.

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First we have LKF, who was my classmate since Primary 1 or 2 if I'm not mistaken. One of the most steady and friendly chaps I've known, with a ready smile and a helping hand. He's now based in KL, and is running his own business dealing with the chemicals. The "Then" shots came from Pri 6 and Form 3 school photos, while "Now" was at the recent gathering at Bangsar where we met for the first time in three decades.

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Next is CSKG whom I met early this month. I remember him as the Red Cross-er and sportsman. As someone commented in one of the other entries, he looks exactly the same, except for the hair colour. He has been with Shell for a number of years, and is now managing their plant at Port Dickson. The "Then" shots are from the 70's - from school and extra-curricular activities - and the "Now" shot is from our recent catch-up in Singapore.

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Coming right up, we have VK, also another early primary school classmate. I remember him as a very bright chap, always among top of the class. Others apparently remember him as the kid with short, spiky hair :) I met VK again recently after 37 years, as he had left St Joe after Pri 6 to take up a scholarship to continue his studies in Peninsula Malaysia. Today he is a senior executive in a firm investing in renewable energy projects, after a long career in banking. "Then" is from Pri 6 class photo. "Now" is in June 2009.

What wonderful memories ... All looking very good, chaps !

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Then & Now - Part 6

I've been receiving hints that it's time for another posting in the "Then and Now" series. Be careful what you wish for, as you might actually get it :-)

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Peter Tiong

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I was delighted to meet our long-lost friend in Bangkok recently. We go back a long way, all the way to St Joe primary school. Peter has always been the artist, designer, fashionista ... even way back then.

The "Then" shots are from Pri 6 (1971) as well as from London days in either 1979 or 1980. The "Now" show comes from Bangkok two weeks ago, where Peter is an established designer and has his own architectural & design firm, Magnusprojects, servicing some well-known global companies.

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Tony Chung

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I haven't met this good friend of mine for many years, though I saw his photo at a party with our lawyer friend GL. We had some crazy times back in London in the late 70s. I hope Tony has had a chance to take a look at this website, and will post some comments. Also hope I get to meet him in person soon!

The "Then" photo shows a groovy, long-haired Tony (circa 1979 or 1980), while the recent shot was at the party I mentioned (Kuching, Apr 2009).
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Leonard Sia

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This friend isn't exactly in the Form 5 Class of 1976 (he still has two years before he hits the Big 5) but as he's been a big part of this blog ever since it started, so you could say he's an honorary member of the cohort, and for that he qualifies to be ribbed just like everybody else. LOL
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The "Then" photo is one from his Red Cross days at St Joe (circa mid 70s) ... wow, look at the hair! The "Now" shot comes from the mini-gathering we had in Kuching in May 2009.

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Well folks, that's it for another edition of "Then & Now". Enjoy, and if you wanna see more, do send in your old and new photos, as I'm really running short.

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Then & Now - Part 5

This will be a rather brief "Then and Now" posting, only one person ...

Those who've been following this blog for a while will notice that I'm modifying the format slightly to allow more than one "Then" photo, when they are available. Sometimes having a time series of photos allows us to portray an "evolution", which can be very interesting ...

Today we feature our recently reconnected friend KC (Form 5 Sc, 1976) who now resides in Perth, Oz with his family. I understand he has 3 kids.

Qualified as an accountant, "Panjang" spent some time in Singapore before moving to Australia, where he is presently an investigator with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

The three "Then" photos came from 1971, 1974 and 1978, all during the St Joe days. "Now" is a recent shot (2009) that he sent me only yesterday.

As I said, folks, a short posting today. But as others send me their old and current photos, I hope to share more with you in future.

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Then & Now - Part 4

Ready for the next batch of "Then and Now" ? Here we go ...

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CM (Form 5 Sc, 1976) now resides in KL with his family. "Si Tiaw Mo", as he has long been nicknamed, studied in NZ and has been in business for many years. He now claims to be "semi-retired", a state that I'm sure most of us still in the rat race envy him for. "Then" shot was from mid-70s during his school days with the Red Cross. "Now" is a recent shot from early April 2009, when we had a wonderful mini-reunion in KL.

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CCN (Form 5 Sc, 1976), or rather Dr CCN now, is a senior executive with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) based in Manila, Philippines. A quick google of his name would reveal his active involvement in ADB's assistance and development efforts in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and other developing countries. "Then" shows CCN in 1985 as a postgraduate student at Newcastle University in Australia. The "Now" shot was taken in early April 2009 in Washington DC.

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Our next old friend featured is RZ. Once a short, skinny chap sitting at the back of the Form 5Sc class of 1976, he has since "grown" significantly. Now tall and lanky (and stylishly botak), this Petronas executive jests about being under-nourished in his school days. Again I don't have a very old photo of Roney, but the one I'm going to use as "Then" came from a reunion in 1994. "Now" is more recent, from an early April 2009 mini-reunion.

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Well folks, that's it for another rendition of "Then & Now". As always, I appeal to all those who haven't sent me photos of yourselves to do so quickly, so that we can continue this series of posts.

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Then & Now - Part 3

As you can see, the frequency of this "Then & Now" series has declined somewhat as very few of our former classmates have yet sent me photographs of themselves ... though I am encouraged by promises of a couple of "akan datang"s ...

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Can you recognise our old friend LC (Form 5 Sc, 1976) ? Still as friendly as ever, LC is now a senior executive in FSBM, one of Malaysia's leading IT and systems provider groups and based in KL. "Then" was of a scrawny teenage LC from a picnic shot taken in 1974 or 75. "Now" is a more buff LC from the mini-reunion in April 2009.

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Then we have JKKH (Form 5 Sc, 1976). As you might have read in a previous entry, Website Jaga had lunch with him in Singapore when he was enroute to Shanghai, where he's based. JKKH was for some time an executive in Coca Cola, and is very experienced in the F&B industry. "Then" was from our class photo in Ad Astra 1976 and alas of very poor resolution (KH, a replacement photo urgently required !). "Now" photo was taken in Singapore in Feb 2009.

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Next we have our friend SB (Form 5 Arts 2, 1976), a frequent participant in this blog. SB is an experienced executive in the aviation industry, and is now living in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where he also plays the de facto official host for dignitaries and celebrities. He'll be our tour leader when we have our class trip to the historic Angkor Wat later this year! "Then" is an artistic rendition (I've yet to find a photo of the youthful SB) but "Now" was shows a sharp looking Sinos in Cambodia, circa 2006.
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KCK (Form 5 Sc, 1976) is a sales director with HP and based in KL. "Then" shows a very youthful KCK in that same picnic shot of 1974/5. He spent some years in NZ, and we heard about some of his exploits (with another classmate CM who shall be featured soon) during a recent mini-reunion. The"Now"shot comes from that mini-reunion at Bangsar, KL in early Apr 2009.

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Well, that's it for Part 3, folks. Hope you liked it. Look forward to your inputs so that we can continue with the next part.

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Then & Now - Part 2 - UPDATED

It seems that many of you liked the 'Then & Now' coverage of our old friends. The blog's visitor count hit unprecedented levels for several days after that entry was posted (exceeding 60 unique visitors on one of the days!) We'll have to see whether we have enough material to sustain this series. I really need more of you to send in your photos - otherwise this may be one of the last of the "Now & Then" postings.

A challenge I face is when people don't have access to their old photos. My first recourse is to find their class photo from Ad Astra, but as you will see, the quality of the picture is not very good, and I'm still trying to find a higher resolution scan. If I can't show a picture of the person back then, then allow me some artistic license to substitute it - until such time you can provide or I can find a better photo.

First up is our old friend GL (Form 5 Sc, 1976). The "then" shots are of a very young Georgie boy taken from class photos from Primary 6 (1971) and Form 3 (1974). "Now" shows GL today, with the shot taken during CNY 2009. Looking suave as usual, our lawyer friend has his own law firm in Kuching and is actively involved in corporate and commercial litigation.

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Next we have NL (Form 5 Arts 1, 1976). On the left is a possible "then" picture of NL during those days on St Joe's sports track & field. The "now" picture was taken in Feb 2009 in Hanoi, where NL is based, managing the Vietnam subsidiary of a M'sian conglomerate. An avid golfer (handicap 10) , NL is keeping fit and looking good.

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Another well-known athlete from our St Joe days is JL (Form 5 Arts 1, 1976). "Then" is taken from the class photo in 1976. Apologies for the quality. JL is married to an "ang moh" lass and has been living in the UK for some time. He works for local government and is also active in the community. As playful as ever, one can expect funny and interesting e-mails on a regular basis if one gets on one of his distribution lists.
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Well folks, that's it for another "Then & Now" entry. Enjoy ... and do send in your photos PLEEEAAASSSEEE !