Turned 70 yesterday. Humbled and overwhelmed by the avalanche of well wishes and greetings by Malaysians, from all parts of the country and abroad, whether in person as at the 70th birthday reception at the Equatorial Hotel Penang on Saturday (Feb. 19) organized by my family (happy to learn that many numbers-cognosenti made money as the winning numbers in yesterday’s 3D and 1+3D were 219 and 0219) or through sms, email, facebook, twitter, blogs or through the forums provided by online media like Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider, Malaysia Chronicle, Free Malaysia Today, etc.
Pleasantly surprised from the greetings that I share the same birthday with at least two others – firstly, with the hot online media columnist Mariam Moktar who said in her email:
Dear Mr. Lim. Two people share the same birthday today….. The first is you……THANK YOU for all your help in trying to make Malaysia a more just and fair country with a conscience. You are a ‘good’ man. What more can I say… The other is me……….hehehe……I am the devil in disguise though… as I cannot conform to the Ketuanan ideals and must be a disappointment to the extremists Many happy returns of the day…….. Cheerio Mariam
The other is from my friend Sarajun Hoda who said in Malaysiakini:
Sarajun Hoda I share the same Birthday with Lim Kit Siang, my hero. May Gpd give health and longer life so that Malaysia could be continued to be led by this great man who walked this earth. We are so lucky to have this man amidst us. Never has any man given so much in his life for the people of Malaysia irrespective of race, religion or creed. He is more than all Tuns put together. He deserves much much more. For his contribution, he puts Mahathir to shame.
Who else share our birthday. You are invited to speak up!
I want to thank Mariam, Sarajun and all for their well wishes and greetings as it is not possible for me to respond individually.
I am particularly touched to receive the following email from Noelene Heyzer (Mrs Fan Yew Teng) and her twin daughters Lilianne and Pauline:
Our Dear Kit, This is to wish you a Very Happy 70th Birthday on the 20th. Unfortunately we are not in the region. Lilianne is on her way to Haiti to complete her assignment; Pauline is in Oxford and I am in New York returning to BKK on the 23th. However, from all the different corners of our world, we want you to know that we have started thinking about you and sending you best wishes and all the blessings you so richly deserve. Fondest wishes from all three of us, Noeleen, Lilianne and Pauline.
Noelene, Lilianne and Pauline also graced the occasion, like Karpal and others, with delightful bouquets.
Undoubtedly, if Sdr. Fan Yew Teng had not unfortunately passed away in Bangkok last December, he would have been among the party stalwarts including all the old comrade-at-arms who had a rare re-union on Saturday – going back to the sixties with Dr. Chen Man Hin, Lee Kaw, Liew Ah Kim, Chian Heng Kai, Lau Dak Kee, Ngan Siong Hing, Madhavan Nair, Clement de Brito, Choong Quek Thiam, Tan Heng Swee; and seventies like Karpal Singh, Ngoi Thiam Woh, Dr. Kong Cheok Seng, Loke Swee Chin, Lip Tuck Chee, Pang Su Pin, R.K. Muthu and Chan Kok Wah.
A real pleasure of the 19th Feb gathering was the get-together of my old class and school mates in Batu Pahat High School, including Aminah from TIGS who came with her specialist husband and two specialist children!
Today is the birthday of Allan Goh, one of my two companions in our bicycle trip from Batu Pahat to Malacca during our secondary schooldays.
On behalf of the Class of 59 of Batu Pahat (our Form V year), Allan had composed the following:
A Salutation: Lim Kit Siang(Classmate Extraordinary) To our most respected classmate, The politico, ultimate; Hail, the lad from Batu Pahat, Who lives in the Malaysian heart. In School, you were most decisive, In politics, most perceptive. Integrity is your shadow, You strive for the best tomorrow. Prisons could not break your spirit, Nor deprivations, your principles rid. With ideals, courage and passions, You fight against exploitations. You inspire the dream of a life, Where real values thrive, without strife! You truly abhor the racial sin, You want it sent to History’s bin. Intolerant of unfairness, That cleaves the Nation’s consciousness; Faced with unmitigated offence, You reply with reasoned defence, Seeking truth, nothing but the truth, Exposing lies and traits uncouth. In adversities, your spirit rules supreme, Despite provocations, threats extreme. Classmates salute and stand by you, True Malaysians share your view, Giving firm support as your due, With confidence, follow your cue. Let’s have eternal harmony And a just common destiny! Lest we forget: united we stand, Divided we fall, strand by strand!! Class of ‘59
Allan is not the only poet of the class. Dr. Michael Ong, who came back from Canberra specially for the birthday do, had a poem on the Australian National University Asia-:Pacific website, New Mandala, which Michael never told me until I stumbled on it today, viz:
Happy birthday, Lim Kit Siang MP Long has been the struggle In your just journey of Life Moving ever so slowly but surely Knowing that the elusive end Is well worth every sacrifice To achieve the ultimate aim of Saving the nation’s soul from Insidious intolerance And leading it increasingly towards a New national harmony Graced by a Malaysian majority May this materialise in your lifetime, so Press on, press on, as you see the finish line!
(to be contd)