HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GILBERT SIM! 15.10.2005
Topic: October Birthdays
Today Gilbert Sim Lim Chong celebrates his 51st Birthday. This unassuming gentleman of proud baba heritage was a hotelier turned lawyer cum human relations manager with an electronics manufacturing concern and also an early-learning franchising enterpreuner.
Gilbert is married to Lin, a Hainanese from Port Dickson, and they have a son Aaron (18, A-levels student at TAR College) and Anthea (13, in Form One). Both Aaron and Anthea speak fluent Hainanese having learnt from their grandma. If a survey was made to determine the majority group in the MACSian '71 extended community, this family of four will count as 3 sukinang and 3 peranakan! He spends most of his free time with his family and his SIP Academy business. Friday evenngs are reserved for his badmminton game to keep fit. Pixs left: A collection of old college and early family photographs. Pix below: Aaron, Gilbert, Lin and Anthea at Cerating Beach, Pahang. The men's bloated tummies are due to the strong sea breeae.

























Bio-data at a Glance:
Occupation: Human Resource Manager specialing in Industrial Relations Law at STATS ChipPAC Sdn Bhd
Early career: Joined Federal Beach Hotel (later renamed Ming Court) PD in 1979. Left in late 1982 to join RCA Solid State Sdn Bhd which later became GE, then Harris, Intersil, ChipPAC and now bought over by Singapore Govt and known as STATS ChipPAC Sdn Bhd.
Business: SIP Academy Sdn Bhd
Position: Executive Director
SIP Academy Sdn Bhd provides a proven Abacus, Mental & Arithmetic Program for child-development. This program is licensed out to operators of tuition centres who want to adopt the system. Currently SIP Academy also operates in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, UAE and Oman.

Old pixs from Gilbert(L): Movie Society: Gilbert at right end, standing. (R): Aerial view of ACS in 1968. Click on the pixs to enlarge.


SIP Academy Malaysia Home Page

SIP Academy Indonesia Home Page

SIP Academy India Home Page

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Koh Tiam Siew's Birthday Today 14.10.2005
Topic: October Birthdays
MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY TO YOU, JERRY! Jerry or Koh Tiam Siew as many would remember him as, is attached as a civilian staff at the Ministry of Defence at Jalan Padang Tembak, Kuala Lumpur. He is currently busily involved in the preparations for LIMA 2005 which is probably why he had overlooked to send me some recent pictures and information to be shared with us. Hence more will follow.

Pixs below: Jerry Koh during early 70s and with Chow Lin, Jiak Chon, Hui Chuan and Siow Mung Lin during the recent Reunion 2005 at Malacca Club.

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Happy Birthday Professore!
Topic: September Birthdays
Today is Dr Wong Yunn Chii's Birthday! All MACSians of '71 and in particular the ever proud Hainanese community rejoice on this day in recognition of this outstanding sukinang.

I am very pleased to share here with you Yunn Chii's own autobiography which he very sportingly obliged to specially pen for this blog:

"Datuk Larry Gan remarked over our sumptuous dinner in KL at his restaurant recently that I am a “perpetual student” who has not left school. (Was it a snide or compliment? Whichever, but from a sukinang, it is always endearing).

I would like to think that I am a perpetual learner. But, as a “do-er” I am a teacher.

In my trade, there is a self-effacing and cruel joke: if you cannot do, teach. And if you cannot teach, teach architecture. For some architecture is about building, thus it cannot be “thought” or taught. I can assure you that you can – and I have the good fortune of doing so at the National University of Singapore for the past 20 years – after work as an architect in America upon graduation. In between I spent 5 years to complete my doctoral studies in modern architectural history, on Richard Buckminster Fuller, an American architect-inventor. I have been writing more than I build. But building continues to fascinate me. Last year I designed and curated Singapore’s inaugural architectural exhibition at the Venice Biennale; and this year the nation’s 40 Years of modern architecture.

It has been a blessed 50 years, and I am always thankful for my family, my teachers and my friends. My wife Siew Leng is an urban designer. My two young ones, son Hee Jinn (11) and daughter Lu Yii (6), keep me on my feet.

Schooldays in ACS remain those special moments for me – horse-fight, jungle-bar, burong hantu in toilet, Flintstones, Saturday movie matinees in school hall, tai-bak & ice-balls, ice-Malaysia, sports day, Christmas concerts & plays, assembly, chapels, MGS girls, dental clinic & Vicki (of course). These memories are as fresh as yesterday; I hope they have also tingled your memories!

It is our good fortune that internet has brought us together again. Thank you".

Below is a snap-shot of a photo wall in Yunn Chii's cyber-study room. From Top Left Clockwise: Yunn Chii during younger days at the Coronation Park Gardens, daughter Lu Yii, son Hee Jinn, Yunn Chii with wife Siew Leng in Venice, the two professors, Moses Samuel & Yunn Chii and Yunn Chii with Tedin & Su at Danny's Simply Nyonya Cafe.





















As Yunn Chii had perhaps by oversight left out some important details, I add below a few words on his biography:

Wong Yunn Chii is assistant professor with the School of Design and Environment at the National University of Singapore. There he coordinates the visual collections in the Department of Architecture as well as History-Theory-Criticism Studies. His primary area of historical study is modern architecture and urbanism; the published works in these two areas include a study of PWD-Singapore in the inter-war years and the New World urban amusement park. Dr. Chii studied at Washington University-St. Louis and went on to MIT-Cambridge for his Ph.D. in the history of architecture. He is an affiliate of mAAN, the modern Asian Architecture Network, an organization that promotes the study, documentation and conservation of Asian modern buildings and environments. He is also a member of Singapore History Museum Board.

Press Release on Singapore@ Venice Biennale 2004


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A Salute to Captain Gary Ng Yew Hong on his 51st Birthday!
Topic: August Birthdays
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO NG YEW HONG who is 51 today, 22 August, 2005.
Gary joined the Merchant Navy in 1972 and in his own words "was nurtured by nature's bountiness and matured under harsh conditions" and "learned the skills of sea-survival and garnered living skills to adapt and to appreciate the beauty of other nationalities who sailed as our shipmates for months on ends. When at sea, the stars and the sea-gulls were our friends and the universe sparkled with mystery and vastness". He stopped sailing as a Captain in 1988 after having traversed almost every corner of the world and took up a shore job with Shell Malaysia. "My land career opened up many new chapters because land-lubbers and sea-farers are two uniquely different breeds of people. Our best friend had always been Johnny Walker but switching to Chinese tea or Teh Tarik was indeed a great effort!" he adds. Gary has worked in Sarawak Shell, Singapore Shell and now Shell Port Dickson and will be eyeing an overseas posting when the opportunity arises. Yew Hong vividly remembers his primary and secondary school years, of having lived in the same kampong with Mak Kai Kin, Tan Long Yong, Richard Goh and Wong Nee Kit; of the times they swam and speared lazing prawns along the banks of the Malacca river and of playing badminton with Ng Joo How, Charlie Song, Andrew Cheng Jew Wei, Chow Nam and Wong Nee Kit. Memories which he will dearly treasure for a long long time.

Pixs below: Gary and wife Jane honeymooning for the umpteenth time in Perth, Australia recently. That's one helluva a big sailor's bear hug!!! Incidentally, your emails to congratulate Gary this week will not be answered as Gary and Jane are honeymooning again at Langkawi - sort of a private Birthday potluck for 2!














Left below: Gary with 4 very lovely daughters, oops! wife Jane Kok (with Public Bank), daughters Joanne, 17, studying at Convent Bukit Nanas, Yvonne, 19, 1st year with Subang Metropolitan College doing Accounts/Finance and Jamie, 16, also at Convent Bukit Nanas. Son Daniel, 14, studies at Victoria Instituition. Right: Gary with Tedin and Kenny Ker who graciously hosted this pre-birthday dinner a week earlier at Fatty Crabs.















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Leong Chew Poon is 51 on 14.08.2005
Topic: August Birthdays
All the Best Wishes to Chew Poon on his Birthday!
Without doubt one of our more obliging, active and dependable friends since school. Chew Poon could always be relied upon whether to join a camping trip, excursion or party or these days for a teh-tarik, dinner gathering or voluntary work for the less fortunate.

As CEO of the Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA), a non-profit organisation for National Accounting Bodies in the Asia Pacific countries, Chew Poon is a busy person but finds time to pursue his intense interest of seeking "self - actualisation", which in his own words "is a grand way to say I am very interested in trying to understand philosophically man's relationship with religion, God, society and family. How experience, customs and environment shape the way we think and behave so instinctively that we have great difficulty in seeing our own emotional, mental and reactionary 'blind spots'". In between, Chew Poon goes hiking and plays badminton for the exercise and is planning to climb Mt Kinabalu early this September. Anyone interested? Share the same interests? Catch him at 03-2273 6817












Pix Above: Chew Poon with wife Kim Lan who is a dedicated home-maker spending most of her time with the children, fetching and chaperoning them wherever they go. Daughter Siong Quen, age 12 has completed year one as a music student in Chetham's School of Music located in Manchester, England. She specialises in the violin and piano. Although this is a specialist music school, she also has academic studies to contend with - all the way until she completes her 'A' levels with the school. Son Seng Chee, age 18 is studying in Taylor's College, doing Cambridge 'A' levels. He has a passion for writing - mainly stories and poems, writing and participating in dramas, amongst many other interests.


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Happy Birthday Lee Teck Chuan! (13.08.2005)
Topic: August Birthdays
Many Happy Returns of the Day, TC Lee!
During our schooldays some of us would understandably assume that Teck Chuan would perhaps one day become an outstanding photographer on account of his Lee's Photo background. It is obvious these days that the photography is just a hobby for him while he enjoys a career with the Berjaya Group which he has been attached to for sometime, including a 3-year stint in Sydney, Australia. Teck Chuan is currently attached to MiTV which is Berjaya's new pay-TV offering. He will also be taking up a new posting with a Berjaya car sales operation soon. Congratulations, Teck Chuan!

The Lees have two daughters; elder girl Yeing-Yeing is in UPM studying Statistics and younger girl, Yen-Ling is in NUS, Singapore doing Biotech.

It's Chow Lin's Birthday Today!
Topic: July Birthdays
Francis Lee Chow Lin joins our list of 51 year olds today. Chow Lin and wife Maureen have two daughters, Rebecca, a Quantity Surveyor with a consultant in Subang Jaya and Michelle who is sitting for her PMR this year. The Lees live in Taman Sri Manja (off Old Klang Road, near Taman Sentosa). Chow Lin was previously with the Malacca MAS office before transferring back to MAS KL Head Office in Jalan Sultan Ismail late last year. Chow Lin enjoyed playing a regular round of badminton, golf and futsal before suffering a slipped disc recently. Since recovering, he is swimming to keep fit and will be looking forward to some golf soon.

Pixs below: Chow Lin and family enjoying their European tour last June. Clockwise from Left: London Eye "Family Wheel of Fortune"; Up the escalators of Paris Airport, Michelle and Rebecca at Germany's Heidelberg Bridge; Francis and Maureen at the Eiffel Tower; the Lees enjoying a cruise along Amsterdam's canals and; taking a breather while shopping at London's Bond Street.


































Pix above: A very good reason to be grinning. Francis Lee living out every golfer's dream: Golfing as part of work responsibilities - in this case in Thailand... I'm really turning green with envy now!


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Gon Kai Min is 51 Today!
Topic: July Birthdays

<BGSOUND SRC="happybdayjazz.mid" LOOP=INFINITE> July seems to be a popular birthdays month. Today is Mike Goh Kai Min's birthday and we wish him a very happy day and many more happy, healthy and prosperous years to come. Like many of our other MACSian brothers featured so far, Mike Goh enjoys travelling and is a frequent business traveller in the South and Southeast Asian region. For personal travel with his better half Gan Chee Cheang (also from Melaka, ex-CHIJ) the favourite destinations are Europe and East Asia. Kai Min has contributed the following photographs to share with us. Want to get to know Kai Min a little better? Why not give him a call at 012-2013006.




Pixs below: Kai Min and Chee Cheang in Guilin, China, in the Swiss Alps and near the Eiffel Tower, Paris with god-daughter Janice.

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Posted by blog/macsian at 12:01 AM JST
Updated: Monday, 18 July 2005 4:55 PM JST
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