40 years of NJC and G Tahan !

There were 10 of us original 1st Singapore Tahanners. However, at the 40th Dinner celebrations of NJC only 3 of us were able to make it.
Photo:
Unk Dicko with Francis Lee and T Jasudason. It was 40 years ago that we stood atop Gunong Tahan after that historic struggle in the thick Malayan jungle.
Today, Francis heads DP Architects a very successful firm and Jasu is currently our Ambassador to Malaysia.
It was pure joy to be re-united again after such a long time...40 years!

Photo:
Original 1st batch NJC students and their original teachers. Look closely and you should notice some well-known people.

Photo:

Syon, an original PE staff waving to me as I captured the moment.

Photo:

The who's who among the original sixty-niners.

Unk Dicko was spot on about Mas Selamat !

When Mas Selamat escaped from the WDC in February last year, almost everyone pointed out his likely escape routes. ...either in the direction of MacRitchie Forest or Bukit Batok forest and elsewhere. Many netizens blog about his possible escape routes too including seeing him so-called limping away along Thomson Road. Haha !

But when I shared my calculated reasoning based on what I know and have researched on the criminal mind ( include the terrorist mind ) and then posted how I thought he had escaped detection....by using the drains at the Bt Timah canal and even hoped that the authorities would have read my blogpost, I was actually not fooling. I was serious about my postulating! The trouble was who would listen to an old Owl even if he is wise. Right?

We could have save ourselves much embarassment, wasted resources, manpower and precious time if only the powers that be have asked for feedback from the public...of which I'm one.



Read my original post of 2008 by clicking HERE. You won't believe what I wrote...it was bull's eye!



unk Dicko

Mon, May 25, 2009The New Paper

His four-day hideout


By now, it is well-known that Mas Selamat Kastari swam across to his short-lived freedom in Johor.
But how did the terrorist leader make his way from the Whitley Road Detention Centre to the coastline near Woodlands when there was a massive hunt for him?
A Malaysian source has now revealed that Mas Selamat, 48, managed to elude his hunters by hiding and crawling inside drains over three nights before he reached the coastline.
The unnamed source told Malaysian newspaper Berita Harian that the terrorist, who was recaptured on 1 Apr, relied on the drains as his main escape route.
The Singapore leader of terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah had been planning his escape for about a year before he executed his plan on Feb 27 last year.
He broke out of the Whitley Road Detention Centre by climbing out of a toilet window.
Another report in Harian Metro quoted the source as saying that each time Mas Selamat went to the toilet, he would gauge how long his wardens left him there.
Said the source: 'Mas Selamat would test how long his warden would leave him in the toilet. The longer he was left there, the brighter his chances of escape.'
All this went into his final calculations on the best time to flee.
The source told Berita Harian: 'He decided to rely on using the drains as soon as he realised that authorities had intensified security checks over the whole island.
'He crawled through the drains till he reached the coast near Woodlands on the fourth day after his escape from the detention centre.'
It was from there that he swam to Malaysia crossing the Tebrau Straits to Stulang near Johor Baru.
The Malay-language daily said he relied on the cloak of darkness to make his escape. It was not mentioned where he hid during theday.
When asked how the fugitive managed to swim across, the source said he used an improvised float fixed on his arms, like how a child's arm-floats would function.
Making his escape easier was the relatively weak currents in the straits and the short distance between the two countries.
The source was also quoted as saying that Mas Selamat had worn several layers of different sets of clothes to throw off his hunters.
Harian Metro said this tactic was discovered when he went to his brother's house for a brief refuge before going on the run again. It did not give details of the brother or the house.
Said the source: 'To continue his run, he successfully evaded authorities by using women's clothes in order to slip through the security checks.'
On Mas Selamat's recapture on 1 Apr, the source said the police found him hiding in a cupboard when they raided a house in Skudai where he had been taking refuge.
Ready for capture
Said the source: 'Police believe that he was ready to be captured because he no longer wanted to live a life on the run.'
Earlier reports quoted a source as telling Bernama that he only managed to make contact with two friends who are ordinary JI members. They were captured together with Mas Selamat.
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng had earlier said that Mas Selamat had used an 'improvised flotation device' to swim across the Johor Strait from the north shore of Singapore.
He said that intelligence provided by ISD late last year helped the Malaysian authorities to make the arrest.
Mas Selamat's latest arrest is his third since 2003, and each time information provided by ISD proved crucial, noted Mr Wong.
Recaptured, thanks to close ties
THE recapture of Mas Selamat Kastari in Johor was the latest and very significant example of the long-standing cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said this in a speech at an official dinner last night in honour of Mr Najib Tun Razak's first state visit here since becoming Malaysian PM last month.
Mr Lee thanked his counterpart for Malaysia's role in recapturing the Republic's most wanted terrorist.
'On security matters, and especially on terrorism issues, our security agencies have a long tradition of close collaboration,' he said.
Earlier in a joint press conference, MrNajib said Malaysia would make Mas Selamat 'accessible' to Singapore.
When asked when the terrorist would be handed over to Singapore, he said it would be subject to further discussions.
He added he had shared with Mr Lee 'in confidence' some details learned from Mas Selamat.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
Read also:» My one-hour hideout

More on the MacRitchie Canoe Incident

The important details of this sad incident is still missing from most news reports out there. We can now confirm that he was coaching the NJC canoeing team. The incident took place in the late evening after 6 pm. The SCDF stated they only received a call at 6.45 pm and they arrived 15 minutes later which was at 7 pm...by which time, he was already past any help.
The 1st news report stated that his canoe sank. This is very different from just a simple capsize. Canoes do not simply sink when capsized. They remain afloat often in an upside down position. And most canoeists would have been taught how to cling on to the bow or stern of their craft until rescued or until help arrives. Or if they are not too far away from shore...to gently kick, breaststroke style, towards land. In addition, all must have on their life-vests or other flotation devices.
As a longtime canoeing coach and practitioner,I am still puzzled and mystified by this incident.
Unk Dicko

Straits Times online
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
May 24, 2009
Canoe instructor drowns
By Lee Xin En

Mr Chua Ee Tuck had already stopped breathing when the paramedics arrived on the scene. -- PHOTO: CHAN FAMILY
FREELANCE canoe instructor Chua Ee Tuck drowned while coaching some secondary school students last Friday at MacRitchie Reservoir.
According to the police, officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force received a call at about 6.45pm.
When they arrived 15 minutes later, the 35-year-old Singapore Polytechnic graduate had already stopped breathing. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
At the wake yesterday, his mother, Madam Choong Kam Choo, 64, said she found it hard to accept his sudden death.
'He was such a good son, and he was always responsible. If he wasn't coming home for dinner, he would SMS me ahead of time. Whenever I fell sick, he would take care of me,' she said in between sobs.
She added that she could not understand how the tragedy had happened because he was always careful. He cycled and jogged regularly and was a good swimmer.
About 50 students from the National Junior College canoeing team, including some who had already graduated, attended the wake yesterday. Mr Chua had been coaching the team since last year.
One student, who declined to be named, said:'We're going to miss him. He was very patient, and like a friendly buddy to us.'

Canoeing Coach Drowned in MacRitchie!

Man dies in canoe accident at MacRitchie Reservoir
By Julia Ng,
Channel NewsAsia
Posted: 22 May 2009 2159 hrs

SINGAPORE:
A freelance canoeing instructor is believed to have drowned while coaching some secondary school students at the MacRitchie Reservoir.
According to national water agency PUB, which operates Singapore's reservoirs, the man's canoe capsized shortly after 6pm.
An eyewitness called the MediaCorp hotline and said he saw a canoe sinking and some school girls crying near the shore.

Officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call at about 6.45pm.
When they arrived, they were taken across the reservoir in a speedboat.
The body had already been pulled onto shore.

Civil Defence officers found some people believed to be the victim's colleagues and friends attempting to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him.
SCDF officers took over CPR but the man could not be revived.
Paramedics pronounced the 35-year-old man dead at the scene.
Police are investigating how he fell into the water.
- CNA/yt

Unk Dicko says:
I'm extremely shocked by this report. If it's true as stated in the story then I am quite perturbed. Why?
Though the details are sketchy...it did say that the victim was a freelance canoe instructor.
And he was coaching some secondary school students.
It's a little puzzling to think that a qualified canoe instructor/coach falling into the water after
his canoe capsized should be drowned just like that. It may not be shocking to ordinary layman.
But in the context of the canoeing community hard questions would be asked, " how could this be? How can this happen?".
I myself have been conducting canoeing basic and advanced courses at the very same place, since the early 80's. And as part of my course content for my trainees they would all have to go through "capsize drill"...again and again, until it is 2nd nature never to panic when you suddenly capsize. More importantly, you know exactly what to do under water while submerged and also
very important ..what not to do.
The waters of MacRitchie Reservoir are fairly calm compared to the open sea.
I hope more details will be released as it is probably the 1st Canoeing fatality that I know of
at MacRitchie since we began using the reservoir more than 3 decades ago.

The 40th Anniversary Dinner of NJC

I had been advised to come early as parking within the college grounds was limited. NJC is still at its original location in Linden Drive. As I drove into the entrance, I could not resist thinking back and recalling how I was personally involved in any way with NJC back in 1969.
Early in that year, we had begun planning for the Tahan trip. And our plans included offering 6 places for any NJC male students who will be selected after our physical training and trials had been concluded.
Twang Peck Ee, Balbir and myself were always present for the Bt Timah hill climbs and our endurance treks in Mandai, Jurong and elsewhere...to assess the aspiring and hopeful participants, of which more than 120 had been a part of. At the Dinner I met one of these hopefuls,who although he did not make it...still recalled those testing times!
Photo:

Top:-
The original 69 niners with their original 1st founding principal Mr Lim Kim Woon who is in his 70's now.

Bottom:-

Seah Lye Huat autographing Julia's copy of the special Book.
Mr Seah Lye Huat was the 1st PE/CCA head of NJC. We were seated next to each other at our guest table hosted by the bubbly Julia d'Silva of the Project Sweet Sweet who co-ordinated the production of the Commemorative Book on the founding year of NJC.
Lye Huat is featured prominently in the book.
There were original 1st batch students as well as teacing staff present too.

EPL 2008/2009 Champions...Manchester United again!

There were many moments and occasions that the thought had crossed my mind ...that Man United may not make it a 3rd consecutive Win of the current EPL trophy. Their early season form was abominable to say the least. By sheer good fortune, the early pace-setters Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal then inexplicably began to drop points, either drawing easy games they should have won or worse still suffering the loss of 3 points in defeats to lesser opponents.
It was a roller-coaster ride for the top 4 teams but with one major difference when it happened...all of a sudden, Man U's defence became an impenetrable fortress! For over two months or an 11 match streak, no EPL team could score a single goal against the Red Devils! Unbelievable? Believe it. That purple patch was to end at United's home soil at the hands or rather feet of Liverpool...in a spirit-sapping, gut wrenching 1-4 defeat. Something almost unheard of in the modern era under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Earlier at Anfield, Liverpool had duly beaten the Red Devils 2-1. That was different. This is Old Trafford. So, can't really blame me for feeling it was an ominous and perilous time for Man U. However, the saving grace is this fact...that Man U have been through such a scenario many times before and came out victorious. As for me, I wasn't that confident they will pull through this time. But a few defining moments and matches changed my later perspective.
" When the going gets TOUGH, the tough gets GOING!"
1st Defining moment:
Aston Villa were cruising to a 2-1 win. With less than 10 minutes to go, C Ronaldo equallised making it 2-2. There was euphoria all round at Old Trafford. In came Federico Macheda a 17 year old youth team player in his 1st ever debut at the senior team level, in injury time and with practically his first touch of the ball, this boy scored what must be the most important goal of his young career. It was a beauty as I recall his exquisite shot. Man U won 3-2!
2nd Defining Moment:
Tottenham was leading 2-0 going into halftime. A transformed Man U tore them apart in the 2nd half with the final scoreline of 2-5! It was an exhilarating, stupendous comeback from near defeat!
3rd Defining Moment:
Man U had just returned from Japan with the Club World Cup. They were tired.
The match between them and Stoke City was heading for a goaless draw as the minutes ticked away. Then, super sub Carlos Tevez was released into the fray. He scored the only goal of the match.
So, overall I think Man Utd had the better endurance and consistency...right until the draw with Arsenal on Saturday that won them the Title.
This did not happen by sheer chance.
They had the mental toughness of a bulldog to fight to the very last second if necessary...as exemplified by the bulldog himself, Wayne Rooney...who was an inspiration for doggedness!

How United won the title
[ AFP report ]

AUG 08: Manchester United start their title defence with a flat display in the 1-1 home draw with Newcastle, setting the tone for the first two months of the campaign. Chelsea justify their status as bookmakers' favourites to reclaim the title by setting the early pace.

SEP 08: Liverpool claim first league win over United in four years with a 2-1 success at Anfield, helping the Merseysiders join Chelsea at the top of the table. United winger Cristiano Ronaldo returns from ankle surgery at end of the month.

OCT 08: Liverpool end Chelsea's 86-match unbeaten home run in the league to pull three points clear at the top. United continue to stutter and end the month eight points adrift of their rivals, albeit with a game in hand.

NOV 08: United's poor form against the other members of the Big Four continues with a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal but the champions remain in touch with pace-setters Chelsea and Liverpool

DEC 08: United undertake the gruelling trip to Japan to claim their first trophy of the season, the Club World Cup. Despite looking jaded on their return, they grind out 1-0 wins over Stoke and Middlesbrough to take advantage of points dropped by Chelsea and Liverpool in their absence.

JAN 09: Chelsea are humiliated as United romp to a 3-0 victory that secures their first win of the season against a Big-Four rival. United's defence looks impregnable at this stage and they don't concede a league goal all month. Not so Liverpool, who are held to draws against Stoke, Everton and Wigan.

FEB 09: United are in record-breaking form now as goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar shatters the British mark for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal during the 1-0 win at West Ham. Liverpool stumble, drawing against Manchester City and losing at Middlesbrough.

MAR 09: Liverpool end United's 11-match winning run as Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard inspire a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford. United then slump to a 2-0 defeat at Fulham as Liverpool underline recovery with a 5-0 win over Aston Villa.

APR 09: Liverpool keep winning but cannot close the gap as United get two crucial breaks. A stoppage-time winner by Italian teenager Federico Macheda secures a 3-2 win over Aston Villa and a mistake by referee Howard Webb results in the penalty that triggers a comeback from 2-0 down to a 5-2 win over Spurs.

MAY 09: With the finishing line in sight, United rediscover their form but still need a late Michael Carrick goal to claim a 2-1 win at Wigan that leaves them one point from retaining the trophy. A third straight title is wrapped up at the first attempt as Arsenal are held to a goalless draw at Old Trafford. -- AFP.

Photos: [ source BBC sports ]

The 40th Anniversary of NJC & 1st Tahan Expedition

Exactly 40 years ago, in April 1969, 4 very adventurous gung-ho teachers decided to do the unthinkable...attempt to scale the highest mountain in West Malaysia. As they were all teachers representing the teaching profession, they made the 2nd decision to train a small party of students and make it the first student-teacher group to climb a reputable mountain outside Singapore.



Read the FULL story of Singapore's 1st Gunung Tahan Expedition 1969 in the pages of this blog beginning...here.


There were just 10 of us. The 4 teachers and 6 students that we picked after a gruelling selection process. The 6 students all hailed from the only Junior College then in existence...the National Junior College ( NJC ).
The principal of the JC was then Mr Lim Kim Woon and the Head of the PE Dept was Mr Seah Lye Huat, a known badminton player.
Today, May 16 2009, NJC is having a big celebration in their college grounds.
They are celebrating their proud 40 year history and achievements.
They have much to celebrate about...being the country's 1st and premier college in the early days.
Many of our top leaders in government and industry hailed from there...including
our Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong.

Unk Dicko has accepted a Dinner invitation by the Project Sweet Sweet Team for the function. This team, comprising some very devoted and dedicated members of the 1st batch of NJC students from 1969, got together 5 years ago and made a promise to write a special book documenting their student life and the founding of the college. It was no empty promise. The special Commemorative Book titled," And they called us car park attendants "documenting the "original " people of the founding year 1969, has been produced and will be officially launched at the grand dinner. Inside will be a featured account of the "1st NJC Tahan" story of 1969. Most of the photos came from my personal archives...which I had enhanced
before sending to the key members of the Project team namely Wong Moh Keed, the Editor and the Project Co-ordinator Julia d'Silva ( aka Pau Ka Liau ).
It was Moh Keed who first contacted me after she chanced upon my blog while doing some research on Gunung Tahan and NJC last year. The rest as they say is history.
I am looking forward to meet some of my fellow Tahaners and others.
I have not seen some of them since 1969!
40 years ago!!!