The Idea of a Second Family Car - Kia Sportage

Today, 1 January 2009, I am celebrating the 7th birthday of my wonderful Kia Sportage.

7 years ago, there was a necessity for a second family car. Don’t blame me for the contribution to the congestion of the city traffic. The traffic system in Kuala Lumpur was so bad. During working days, I had to wake up as early as 5:30am, had myself washed-up and dressed, and got my wife to send me to the nearest Light Rail Transit Station (STAR) which was more than a kilometer away.

Mad rush along with the public and school students and squeezed myself into the coach, I would consider myself very lucky if I managed to get a seat, or else, I need to wait till the train arrived at the Masjid Jamed Station, where a number of passengers would change to another transit system (PUTRA) for Petaling Jaya or KLCC.

On arriving at the designated station, I need to walk another kilometer to reach my office. By that time, I would be quite exhausted to start a day’s work.

I desperately need a second car, but why Kia Sportage?

Being a member of the Malaysian Nature Society, I involved actively in bird-watching activities. A vehicle that allows me to move freely off-road was most appropriate. I’ve gathered and studied in depth the specifications of various 4WDs, which includes Toyota RAV-4; Hi-Lux, Honda CRV, Perodua Kembara, Hyundai Santa-Fe, Suzuki Vitara, Ford Ranger.

Putting cost, performance, quality, structural design etc into considerations, and also seeking advices from various 4WD users, Kia Sportage was finally voted.

Till today, I am still confused whether I had made a right choice or otherwise. My Kia Sportage is now 7 years old. It occurred once that it almost took away me and my loved ones’ life. On the other hand, it had also saved my life once. I’ll tell you what had happened later.

Bird-watching at Panti Forest and Sedili, 12-15 September 2008

The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Selangor Branch organised a 4 days bird-watching activity at the Panti Forest and Sedili, situated adjacent to Kota Tinggi town of Johore State.

How to go to Kota Tinggi from Kuala Lumpur? Just Travel towards south at the North-South Highway, exit at Kulai and drive eastward, then you’ll be at Kota Tinggi.

Our birding activity commenced almost immediately after checking into the hotel.

Our destination : The Bunker Trail of Panti Forest Reserve.

Look at the picture below, so now understand why was it called the “Bunker Trail”?

These bunkers were built by the British during the Japanese occupation, part of their strategies to halt the enemy’s further intrusion.

Panti Forest Reserve is a well known birding site worldwide. 27,500 hectors had been gazetted as forest reserve. The logged forests on both side of the Bunker Trail were made into birds’ sanctuary.

Picture below shows the entrance of the trail.

Bird-life here was fantastic. We had spotted quite a number of exotic birds.

Our star bird, the Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker, had only favoured our leader, Alan. This resulted in much envy and commotion amongst the team members. Alan had thus gave this feather friend a nickname = Lollipop.

I had a good glimpse of my lifers like the Orange-backed Woodpecker; Violet Cuckoo; Grey-chested Flycatcher; Malaysian-eared nightjar, but unfortunately I didn’t have their pictures taken.

The above picture is aTiger Shrike, a winter visitor from Northern China/Russia, arrived rather early.

Scarlet-rumped Trogon. Suprisingly, quite commonly seen there, and were rather friendly.

The movie of it.

The Pale Blue Flycatcher with its melodious call attracted all of us.

On the last day, we were rewarded with a big bonus, the Javan Frogmouth.

Birds were uncomfortable, and their worried calls led us into the discovering of this snake.

What a beauty

Watching waders at the coast around Sedili was quite good experience. One should be able to stand the heat generated by the hot sun.

Our target bird was the Malaysian Plover, where the sandy shores in the East Coast were preferred by them. The Sedili coast of East Johore met their requirement.

Sorry that I don’t have a descent picture of it.

But instead, I had a picture of one of our team member, who had put herself under the hot tropical sun, just for the craze and love for her avi-friends.

I salute you, my friend.

Trip to Endau-Rompin National Park

Part 1 : Kluang 5-7 June 2008

The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Selangor Branch organised a 3 days 2 nights bird-watching activity at the Endau-Rompin National Park. I immediately registered with the organiser.

Heard so much about Kluang, so I decided to go there with my family 2 days earlier.

On arrival at Kluang, the first place to visit, of course, is the railway station, its cafe.

Railway station was packed with travelers waiting for the train arrival. I was told that the train was delayed - as usual.

Unfortunately, the cafe was closed for business for the day, instead, we went to the cafe outlet in the town.

The next morning, went over to Gunong Lambak Eco Resort for a walk. A group of health-conscious citizens practicing Tai Chi.



Went up to the place where hornbills ?spp. were spotted for nesting, but no sight of them. People around there told me that the hornbills had not appeared for quite some time.

Coming down from Gunong Lambak, went to a coffee shop in the town for breakfast.

Name of this shop was "Old Market". Inside the shop, a giant cup of coffee and food were displayed. Very unique and fascinating.



How about food served? Mostly hawkers' type of food. We ordered the famous fish ball & 'yong taufu' soup noodle. Taste? OK la, They had their preparation in favour of the locals. I still prefer the Ipoh mee soup or mee curry, served together with various type of fish/meat balls, fupei, sar-gord-yun etc.


We also ordered the famous kluang coffee and toasted kaya bun. Quite different from Hainam style.

A delicacy that was specially promoted in the shop.

Taste of coffee? OK also la, but it stimulated my urge to go back to Ipoh for the old town white-coffee.

After breakfast, drove towards Kahang. Just before Kahang town, turn left into the oil palm estate.

The road was quite bad due to last night's heavy rain. My 4WD proved to be very handy.

Quite a number of birds seen, which includes Greater Coucal, Red Junglefowl etc, and an injured White Collared Kingfisher.

The king had apparently injured its left wing. It couldn't fly high or far, but I saw it picking up some food from the ground. Hope it would able to hunt for food, otherwise it would die of hunger.

Back from Kahang, drove straight to the Kluang Railway Station.

Look at the signboard. It was Kluang Rail Coffee, not the usual one we saw in KL - Kluang Station.

We were told that Kluang Station Cafe had nothing to do with them.

We ordered the nation-wide famous coffee, bun and kaya.

The most recommended food – Nasi Lemak wrapped in banana leaves, really tasty and cheap. It’s only RM0.70 per packet.

On the 7^th morning, took a walk at the little Genting as described by the locals. This place was located on the northern part of Gunong Lambak.

I saw a flock of Great Hornbills. Soon, they flew further away from me. As I could hear them calling, I knew they were quite near but unfortunately my view was blocked by the slope. I tried to climb the slope, but failed, because the path of the slope was covered with thick bushes.

There were also a lot of Pink Neck Pigeon. I too saw a raptor perched at a dead branch far away, believed to be Changeable Hawk-Eagle.

Trip to Endau-Rompin National Park

Part 2 – Endau-Rompin National Park, 7-9 June 2008

After a palatable breakfast at the station Café, and took away a few more packets of nasi lemak, we proceed straight to Kahang town, where all the participants of the trip were supposed to meet up before 11am.

To locate the office of Endau Rompin National Park, once you enter Kahang town, watch out for the two-storey shop-lots on your right. The said office was squeezed in between a restaurant and a motorcycle repair shop.

Many of us had lunch at the restaurant. The owner should be very pleased over the sudden increase of customers.

We were packed into five 4WD vehicles that brought us into the National Park which was 56 km away from Kahang.

There had been raining for the past few evenings. The road to the National Park was not accessible with normal vehicles, especially at the site where we need to slope down to a flooding bridge.

On arrival at the visitors centre (VC) of the park, we were welcomed by a heavy downpour. It caused us much inconveniences. With lots of difficulties, we finally checked into our chalet,

To access to the canteen from the chalet, we need to cross a hanging bridge. The planks of the bridge were wet and very slippery. In fact, someone slipped and fell.

Rain had not stopped the bird-enthusiasts from performing their act of bird watching. As the rain began to retreat, they had put themselves into actions.

It was dinner time. We cater food at the only canteen available in the park. Very expensive, cost us RM12.00 each. After negotiation by the organizer, the next day’s dinner was much better.

This was Rm12.00 food – an improved version on the 2nd evening


On the 2nd day morning, lorry ferried us from Visitors Centre to NERC as early as 7:00am. From there, we did bird watching along the narrow tar road.

While we were concentrating on birds’ activities, one young lady in a motorcycle informed us that there was a herd of elephants ahead of us.

Cautiously and silently we walked by. True enough, a herd of them which includes a mother and its young were enjoying their breakfast at the bushes just next to the tar road, and were about 30 feet away from us. We speed up our steps. Fortunately, they were quite comfortable with us, never attempt to charge. In fact, this was my first experience of close encounter with the wild jumbos.

Freshly manufactured. Awful, isn’t it?


Around 100 species of birds were recorded during this trip. Amongst them:

Banded Broadbill. It was carrying some nesting materials.

Red-bearded Bee-eater, a juvenile.

If you wish to know more about birds of this trip, I suggest that you visit:

http://wcm-birding.blogspot.com/2008/06/birding-at-endau-rompin-kg-peta.html

A trip-report wrote by Susan Wong. She is a very experience and enthusiastic bird watcher.

Observe the rule of the park,

otherwise our next generations don't have a chance to see this.

We had to bid farewell to the park. On our way back to Kuala Lumpur, we stopped by at the Kluang station again for a cup of coffee and nasi lemak.

Form 5A1, Year 1967, St Michael's Institution, Ipoh.

The Reunion of Form 5A1, Year 1967
St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh.

I am indeed grateful to the SMI Alumni Association Klang Valley for organizing the Annual Dinner on the 28 April 2007, where school leavers for year 1967 were invited in conjunction with their 40th anniversary of leaving the magnificent Institution naming after His Holiness St Michael.

How to describe the feeling of someone who suddenly met up with the long-lost-acquaintances, of whom were totally parted for the past 40 years? It was really beyond description.

Before the dinner ended, the next appointment was made.

Our next gathering would be on the 5th January 2008, in Syuen Hotel, Ipoh, in conjunction with the marriage reception of Simon Yau’s son.

Trip to Ipoh

Left for Ipoh on 5 January 2008 before dawn. After checking-in at a hotel in the heart of Ipoh City, I contacted Meng Bok, who agreed to pick me up from the hotel where I stayed to the Syuen Hotel before 7:00pm. He came right on time with Choong Kooi.







View of the roof top of SMI from the hotel room.

The Dinner

Stepping into the ballroom where the wedding reception was held, amazingly saw so many familiar faces. Some I had met during the Alumni’s dinner, while a few others I had not seen for the past 40 years, and what a shame that I couldn’t even recognize Moo Choy (Class monitor), Kah Guan and Joseph Leong.

There were altogether 14 old classmates and 2 teachers, namely Mr. Chan Khin Seng, our Form Master, and Mr. Wong Kee Fah, our History teacher.

Not all the 14 of us were staying in Ipoh. Michael Loke traveled all the way from Kuantan, while Marcel rushed down from Penang.

Kah Guan, Simon Lim and I were from Kuala Lumpur.





Tracing the images with a nostalgic class photo.

Chatting with Sirs.

Mr. Wong Kee Fah is still good with history.

He remembers the dates well.

In class, he taught us history without using text books.

All events were in his mind.

Let’s have a photo with Sirs.

“Sir, remember this person?”

Mr. Chan Khin Seng looking through the class photo.

During school, he conducted the moral class every morning.

For sure, we had not failed him.

The dinner ended,

but yet there were so much unfinished topics.

Still on the subject of the good old time.










Group Photo

A group photograph was taken before we left.

Seated: The spouses with Mr. Wong Kee Fah, Mr. Chan Khin Seng, Rev. Bro. Vincent.
Standing (L to R): Lee Keen Seong, Simon Yau Sai Yan, Yee Weng Hoon, Marcel Augustin, Loi Yew Kee, Divakaran, Ng Choong Kooi, Wong Meng Bok, Vincent Khoo Kah Guan, Simon Lim Bor Aik, Fu Suan Seng, Lai Moo Choy, Joseph Leong, Michael Loke Wai Leong