FRANCIS FOO FOONG FONG (F 4):

A BLESSED LIFE
A memoir

FRANCIS FOO
2
 FOREWORD
By Foo Hui Min

My father Francis Foo Foong Fong is one of the most blessed

and luckiest men I know. That makes me, his eldest child, and my
siblings Hui & Nin Nin, blessed and lucky too. How many people
in their mid-80s can walk 6km in the hot sun to play an 18-hole
round of golf three times a week, attend daily mass and have a
hearty breakfast with friends after, and hang out regularly with a
good number of friends - many of whom are his children’s age?
That’s my dad, the man with four Fs and five Os to his name.

With his beloved Kah Tin by his side these past 56 years, a
youthful heart and bountiful energy, Dad has been able to
pursue his interests in golf, church work and travels extensively.
When we were growing up, Dad was always the faithful sole
provider who supported us in what we wanted to do, whether it
was a foreign education, or overseas holidays or hobbies. He
was broad-minded and allowed us to pursue our interests.
Thanks to him, we were never in a position of want, and we are
eternally grateful. Due in no small measure to his easy-going,
friendly and kind (and cheeky!) personality, Dad continues to
maintain a close network among schoolmates, church friends,
golf kakis both here and abroad.

Many of you are close friends and relatives who love my Dad
and have known him for years. We hope this will give you a
deeper insight into his varied and exciting life and experiences.

3
 Chapter One

MY EARLY DAYS

My grandfather John Foo and grandmother Chang Chu Lin

lived in a large wooden bungalow house in Kajang about
40km from Kuala Lumpur in the state of Selangor in
Malaya. The Foo Clan apparently owned quite a few rubber
estates in the Kajang area. These estates were acquired by
my great grandfather and managed by some relatives. As
rubber is a precious commodity, the Foo Clan must have
been quite well off. 

Unfortunately, in the early

My grandfather, John
1900s, my grandfather John
died very young – at the
age of 27 years, when my
father Joseph Foo Voon Kai
w a s o n l y 4 y ea r s o l d .
Grandmother single-
handedly brought up my
father, sending him to Kuala
Lu m p u r f o r s e c o n d a r y
education and later on to
Shanghai to obtain his
degree in Commerce and
Law.

4
Upon completing his studies in
Shanghai he proceeded to enrol in
George Washington University in
Washington DC, USA where he
obtained his PhD in Law. In those
days it was unusual to proceed
overseas for studies, especially
to  the US, and one wonders how
grandmother managed to do that.
We believe grandmother must My grandmother, Chu Lin
have received some inheritance
from her family’s wealth to do this.

After returning from

Joseph Foo and Loh Mee Yong,
1920s
Washington, he married Loh
Mee Yong, a Cantonese lady
whom he knew during their
high school days in Kuala
Lumpur. Her father happened
to be the owner of the
biggest undertaker and
traditional Chinese coffin
making shop in the heart of
Petaling Street in Kuala
Lumpur. They lived in Kajang
w h e re m y e l d e s t s i s t e r
Margaret Sook Cheng was
born.

5
However, as an American Law degree was not recognised
by the British colony in Malaya, he could not practise the
law profession and so he left with his wife to work in
Shanghai. He practised law in his own law firm with
professor Huang Ying Jung, who was years later to become
the Vice Chancellor of Nanyang University in Singapore.
Father even wrote a law book in Chinese, but we’ve
unfortunately lost it as we were unable to keep it from
being eaten up by white ants.

In Shanghai, my two older brothers Men Fong and Chung

Fong were born in 1931 and 1932 respectively.

The family moved to Xiamen in 1933 when Father was

offered a teaching job in Xiamen University, founded by
Singapore tycoon Tan Kah Kee. My family arrived in Xiamen
in 1934, with my brother Alex being born shortly after.

My story also begins in Xiamen, China…


6
 My one and only baby photo, probably taken in early 1936

I was born on 30 November 1935 in Xiamen University

Hospital, which happened to be the same date as my
mother’s birthday. In later years, we would always celebrate
our birthdays together. I was very young then, so I do not
remember much of Xiamen – except that we lived in a large
house by the beach, and Father often went swimming
there. Father was happy teaching at the university; but alas
war broke out with Japan in 1937 and the Japanese
invaded Shanghai and then moved down to Xiamen. It was
then that Father decided to take the family back to Malaya.

When I was born, the administration in Xiamen did not

issue my parents a birth certificate - so there was no official
record of my birth. When we were leaving for Malaya,
Father asked some relatives in Kajang to arrange for all the
boys born in China to have birth certificates registered in
Malaya. My Malayan birth certificate was issued with the
7
birth date (wrongly) stated as 10 August 1937, and the
place of birth as Kajang, Malaya. Back then, records were
not kept too carefully and clerical errors were common, but
it’s given me the distinction of having two birthdays!

My only birth certificate, recording my birth as occurring on

10 August 1937 in Kajang, Melaya

Although my name on the birth certificate was correct, my

Father’s name was Foo Foong and his profession stated as
‘potong getah’, which means rubber tapper in Malay. In the
years that followed, I’ve been most fortunate to have two
birthday celebrations every year.

From Xiamen, Father decided to move to Singapore where

he worked for OCBC. It was in Singapore that my younger
sister Jean was born. I find it strange that of the six children,

8
the eldest and youngest girls were born in Malaya and
Singapore whilst the four boys in between were all born in
China, two in Shanghai and two in Xiamen. 

Me and my siblings – there were six of us in total (L-R): Alex,

Jean, Margaret, Vincent, myself and Michael

However, not long after starting work in Singapore, Father

was asked to manage the OCBC branch in Klang near Port
Swettenham (present name: Port Klang) in the state of
Selangor – approximately 40km from Kuala Lumpur. Only
Alex, myself and Jean stayed with our parents in Klang. The
older siblings went back to Kajang to be looked after by
grandmother and grandaunty and were schooled there.
OCBC owned a four-storey building in Klang. The office
occupied the ground and second storeys, while the third
storey was used as a store. Our family occupied the fourth
storey together with the roof garden. Jean was very young,
so only Alex and I attended a Chinese kindergarten.

There was one particular incident which I remember very

clearly. I had been having a toothache in school and the
teacher called for a trishaw in which I returned home. Upon
9
reaching home I did not tell my mother and instead went
upstairs to look for money to pay the trishaw puller.
However, the rickshaw driver quickly became impatient
and started to shout loudly, thinking I was not going to pay
the fare. It was then that my mother found out what had
happened, and I had to explain myself to her.

Life was pretty good in Klang. We often went to Port

Swettenham or Port Klang for seafood. Almost every
weekend we would go back to Kuala Lumpur to visit our
maternal grandfather and grandmother ‘Loh Kong’ and
‘Loh Po’, who ran an undertaker and coffin business. Loh
Kong would bring us out for dim sum or ‘yam cha’ at his
favourite restaurant, Seng Kee, just a few doors away.

I can never forget the fear and nervousness I felt whenever

I visited Loh Kong and Loh Po. Loh Kong’s shop was the
largest undertaker and traditional Chinese coffin maker in
Kuala Lumpur at that time. To get to the living quarters, one
had to climb the stairs at the back of the shop. However, to
reach the stairs one would first have to walk through rows
of coffins and those in the process of completion.  Some of
the workers would sleep in the unfinished ones and you
would get quite a shock if they happened to get up just as
you were walking past… it seemed like the dead rising
from a coffin. Often we would hear from these workers that
if one of the coffins was to be sold the next day they would
hear noises coming from that coffin the night before – real
eerie!

When Loh Kong passed away just before the Japanese

occupation of Malaya, the funeral was an incredibly
elaborate affair. The whole of Petaling Street was closed for
10
the ceremony, and Father, being the son-in-law, was
ceremoniously dressed up to lead the funeral procession.

The undertaking business was discontinued after the war

and after Loh Po passed away in the 1950s at the age of
100 the shop premises were converted into a very popular
pedestrian shopping area (with shophouses reminiscent of
those at Emerald Hill) along Petaling street in the heart of
Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur. 

When Japan started to invade Malaya around 1940, our

family had to take refuge and hide away from the
Japanese. From Klang we moved into a large rubber estate
owned by one of our uncles – Father’s cousin. It was a well-
managed estate many miles away from the nearest town,
Semenyih, and in a deeply forested area accessible only by
narrow roads. There were a number of buildings
designated as dormitories for workers, and for processing
latex into rubber sheets. 

Living conditions were fairly primitive; there was no

electricity so the only lighting was from kerosene lamps,
while water was pumped from wells and collected from
streams. However, there seemed to be a sufficient supply
of food as we never went hungry. We reared chickens and
ducks for eggs and grew vegetables too. As children we
enjoyed ourselves so much so that bathing in the streams
and catching fish became daily routines of fun. Toilets were
deep trenches with planks placed across them on which we
squatted to do our ‘business’.

In spite of being deep in the jungle, we were never

completely free from the threats of Japanese soldiers.

11
Once, an alarm went off to alert everyone that the
Japanese soldiers were coming, and all of us quickly went
into hiding. Fortunately, it was only a false alarm. Then one
day, to our surprise, a group of Japanese soldiers arrived
on our doorstep. It was odd that none of our scouts
managed to warn us of their imminent arrival. How had the
Japanese found our hiding place? It was obvious that they
were led by some spies who were disguised as ex-
plantation workers. The workers hid themselves and were
not found. My uncle, being the headman of the community,
was taken away, and that was the last time anyone saw him.
My brothers were too young and my father escaped arrest
because he had a big sore on his leg.

Not long after that episode, the Japanese managed to

successfully occupy the whole of Malaya, so there was no
reason to hide anymore. Our family moved to Kuala
Lumpur and stayed in rented premises along Pudu Road
just next door to Pudu Jail. 

My elder brother Men Fong was very resourceful and went

to work as a delivery boy in a Japanese army camp. Chung
Fong, Alex and I enrolled in a Japanese school. Father went
to help a good friend who was employed as general
manager at Shaw Brothers Amusement Park and Cinemas.
As we often received free tickets for the cinema and
Cantonese wayangs, Mother watched Cantonese wayangs
often and most times I accompanied her. To my surprise,
over time I began to enjoy and develop an appreciation for
the performances. Life was relatively stable and we were
practically used to our circumstances and surroundings. 

12
One fine morning sometime in 1944, I happened to look
upwards to the sky, only to see many planes flying. Before
long, bombs were being dropped and the sound of
explosions rumbled through the air. The British were back
and bombs were dropped at strategic places in Kuala
Lumpur like railway stations, factories, and fuel dumps.
There was hardly any resistance from the Japanese forces
on the ground. Not long after, the official announcement
came that Japan had surrendered and World War II had
officially ended. Days before we had hidden and gotten rid
of all our Japanese currency known as ‘banana notes’. All
we got were some snacks from the stores and some
desserts from a coffee shop. My brother Men Fong was
most resourceful, and he brought home a trishaw full of
dinner crockery from his Japanese employer as they no
longer had any use for them. They were of fine quality and
we were all very happy to have them.

After the war had ended, in 1946 Alex and I attended Pasar
Road Primary school, a government feeder school for
Victoria Institution, the premier government secondary
school in Kuala Lumpur. During my time at Pasar Road
Primary, I became the best of friends with Goh Tuck Keong,
a very good natured and friendly classmate. His father
owned a coffee shop in Bukit Bintang Road not far from
where we now lived in Tong Shin Terrace.

I walked to school every day with some other boys living

nearby, mainly in government quarters as their parents
were civil servants. Often on my way home from school I
would stop by Tuck Keong’s father’s coffee shop and he
would offer me a drink and some snacks. Tuck Keong and I
were classmates for three years, from primary one to
13
primary three (1946 – 1948) and even now, after 74 years,
we still keep in touch, making our friendship my longest
one.

Our home in KL, Tong Shin Terrace

Tuck Keong and I met up in November 2019 - we’ve been friends

for 74 years!

14
From Pasar Road, Tuck Keong went on to Victoria Institution
and on to Hong Kong University where he graduated as a
medical doctor. Now 83 years old, he is still practising as a
general practitioner in Kuala Lumpur.

One funny incident that has remained with me is when Alex

played a prank on me. One day, we spotted our sister
Margaret ironing clothes. Alex had a brilliant idea – which
was to iron my hair and straighten it out. Being the younger
brother, I went along with the plan. He took the hot iron
and placed on my hair, but he slipped – the iron made
contact with my forehead, singeing the skin immediately.
Both of us were scolded by mother for our mischief. For
years, the scar remained on my forehead; it only faded in
my later years. It is now no longer visible.

In 1949 the whole family moved down to Singapore when

Father was offered a managerial appointment with the
newly established Chung Khiaw Bank. All my siblings
studied in Singapore except for Men Fong, who enrolled
himself in Penang’s prestigious Chung Ling High School.
Elder sister Margaret remained in Kuala Lumpur to
complete her senior Cambridge school certificate. 

15
 Chapter Two

LIFE IN VICTORIA
SCHOOL

In 1949, I enrolled in Primary 4 in Victoria School, a premier

government school in Singapore. I was pretty nervous at
the beginning as most of my classmates were “originals”
from the school whereas I was a completely new student
from Malaya.

A class photo from my Primary 4 class in Victoria School – I’m in the

third row from the bottom and fourth from the left (circled). Our
form teacher in this photo, S.J. Joseph was well-known for
punishing students by pinching student’s bellies; this practice
wouldn’t be accepted today!

16
Fortunately, I got to know my classmates soon enough and
a few of them – Cheong Boo Hong, Chang Ming Yu, Lin Wai
Mun, Tan Heng Hoe, Tan Hong Nghee and Sim Keng Yeow
became my life-long good friends! Victoria School turned
out to be my one and only school from primary 4 in 1949
till pre-university in 1956 when I left to join the University of
Malaya in Singapore. In 1951, S Dhanabalan, Ng Cheng
Onn, Khor Thiam Chye and Tay Meng Kuang joined our
class – and this merry band later became known as the Kub
Koos. Sadly, we’ve lost three friends in recent years: Heng
Hoe in 2006, Meng Kuang in 2008 and Hong Nghee in
2018.

When we arrived in Singapore our family lived in a rented

house along McNair Road, which was an enclave of
government quarters provided for government servants. In
those colonial days, most of the English educated worked
as civil servants. I got along pretty well with the McNair
Road “kampong” boys, which consisted of boys from
Victoria School as well as from St. Joseph’s Institution. Most
of these boys were keen cricket and hockey players, so
before long, I picked up these sports as well. I became
relatively good and was selected to play for the school’s
first team from 1952 to 1956. In 1953 I was also selected to
play for the combined schools hockey team – the
equivalent of the current schoolboy’s international team.

Over the years, many events and incidents took place in my

alma mater that were both pleasant and ugly, but are
nevertheless memories I will never forget. 

One amusing incident that comes to mind happened one

morning in 1953, when I was in Standard 3. That day, the
17
headmaster called for an urgent assembly in the school
hall for an important announcement. He told us that King
George VI had died – and since we were a British colony
then, he was regarded as our king as well - and that as a
gesture of respect a school holiday had been declared. At
that moment all the students began to clap and cheer, but
our joy was short lived as upon returning to our
classrooms, we were lectured sternly by our form teacher
for our insensitivity and foolishness, exhibited through our
most inappropriate behaviour.

From 1953 to 1954, Heng Hoe and I were invited by senior

members of the Singapore Chinese Recreation Club
(SCRC) to represent the club’s cricket team during
weekend inter club matches organised by the Singapore
Cricket Association (SCA). In the 1950s, all cricket clubs in
Singapore were formed by ethnic groups. The Europeans
had the Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) at the prime spot at
one end of the Padang. The Eurasians had the Singapore
Recreation Club at the other end of the Padang. The
Singapore Chinese Recreation Club (SCRC) had theirs at
Hong Lim Green in Chinatown. The Indians and the
Ceylonese had the Indian Association and Ceylon Sports
Club along Balestier Road. It was only after independence
in 1965 that clubs were opened to all ethnic groups. The
same went for the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC).

The clubhouse and cricket greens were located at Hong

Lim Green which was acquired by the government in the
1980s and is now better known as the Speakers’ Corner.

18
 The old clubhouse of Singapore Chinese Recreation Club (SCRC)
at Hong Lim Green – it was demolished in the 1980s to make way
for Speakers’ Corner

As a young schoolboy, it was an honour and privilege to

play alongside such great cricketers like Wee Chong Jin – a
Cambridge Blue, captain of SCRC and the Singapore and
Malaya national team. He later became our first local Chief
Justice after Singapore’s independence. I also played with
Dr. Ong Swee Law the chairman of PUB; Lawyer Dennis Lee
Kim Yew, the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Kuan
Yew; Cecil Wong, prominent chartered accountant from
Evan Wong & Co.; which later merged with Ernst & Young. I
also played with the greatest all-rounder of that era,
Cheong Thiam Siew. He was the only player to score a
century and take 10 wickets in one game in the whole of
Malaya and Singapore at the time, but only those who
understand the game of cricket will know what I am talking
about.

19
What I enjoyed most – besides playing cricket at SCRC –
was the food provided and cooked by the 'Ah
Ko’s’ (Hainanese cooks) employed by the club.

While mixing with the McNair Road boys who were mainly
Catholics from SJI, I became interested in the Catholic faith.
I was referred to the assistant parish priest at St. Peter &
Paul Church, a Fr Bertholt. He gave me one-to-one religious
instruction, and on Holy Saturday in 1953, I was baptised at
Sacred Heart Church on Tank Road.

Before 1965, the Singapore Golf Club at Bukit (Sime) was

for Europeans only, while the Island Club at Thomson was
for locals. It is said that after independence, Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew wanted to play a round of golf at the Bukit
course but was refused because he was not European. He
immediately instructed that both clubs be merged as one,
and that all members be able to play at both locations. The
merger resulted in the Singapore Island Country Club with
two clubhouses in two locations, four 18-hole golf courses
and other social facilities. Thanks to Lee Kuan Yew, we are
members of the most prestigious golf and country club in
Singapore.

Another cherished memory in 1954 was related to a

special Chinese tuition class held in Victoria School. It
consisted of students from other schools, both girls and
boys. There were a number of pretty girls but I noticed one
particular girl clad in a St Anthony’s Convent School
uniform that caught my attention. Little did I know that 10
years later, that the pretty girl, whose name was Chua Kah
Tin, would become my wife. I didn’t think she knew that I

20
had my eye on her then and neither did I know that we
were to become lifelong partners. 

One ugly incident in 1955 which I will never forget

occurred during an inter-school cricket match. I was the
captain of the school team and at one point of time during
the game, our cricket master, a British expatriate known as
Mr. Barker instructed me to act on his instruction which I
did not follow as I thought my own actions were correct.
Immediately after the game, Mr. Barker charged me for
insubordination and reported the matter to the
Headmaster. Similar to what happens in the army,
insubordination was regarded as a serious matter and I was
suspended from my captaincy. On top of that, I was also
relieved of my duties as a senior prefect. Luckily for me, our
school’s senior sports master, Mr Edwin Doraisamy, an
Olympian hockey player and our previous cricket master
Mr Roy Jansen came to my rescue. They both appealed to
the Headmaster and got my suspension revoked, which
was of great relief to me, and in that same year, I was
awarded the school colours for cricket and hockey.

With regards to hockey, which was my favourite game, I can

proudly say that I was the only schoolboy player who
represented and played for the Singapore Combined
School team for four consecutive years from 1953 to 1956,
until I left Victoria School to study at the University of
Malaya in Singapore.

21
 The Victoria School cricket team in 1954 – I am in the second row,
second from the right. Standing at the extreme right is Mr Barker.

The Victoria School hockey team in 1954 – I am in the second row,

second from the right. Seated at the extreme left is Mr Edwin
Doraisamy.

22
In those days, we had inter-state quadrangular matches
between four states: Singapore, Selangor, Malacca and
Negri Simbilan, who took turns hosting the tournament
annually; and I was the only one who took part in all four of
the tournaments.

One year, Selangor hosted the tournament, and we

travelled to Kuala Lumpur for our matches. To my surprise,
my father, who was in town for business, and who never
knew what hockey was all about, turned up to watch me
play for Singapore against Selangor. It was a real morale
booster for me and I could see and hear him shouting and
cheering away. We drew with Selangor, which was
impressive since Selangor was the favourite to win.

For my outstanding play over the years, I was awarded the

Singapore combined School Colours for Hockey in 1955. I
also enjoyed all the other games which were held in
Malacca, Seremban and on home ground in Singapore.


Me in my combined school colours, awarded for outstanding

Hockey play

23
After school I used to spend a lot of time on the sports
field; when not playing cricket or hockey I also participated
in athletics and won many medals over the various school
sports days. In 1955, as House Captain, I helped “Blue”
House win the annual school sports meet. It was the first
time the House had achieved this honour, and the House
Master Mr. O.K. Abraham was so happy that he hosted a
dinner for all participants and supporters at The Islamic
Restaurant, the then-number one Muslim restaurant in
Singapore. That same year, I was selected to run for the
school and ran alongside Kesavan Soon, the Singapore
sprint champion of the year for the inter-school 4x100yard
relays. Unfortunately, we did not manage to win but came
in first runner up behind Anglo-Chinese School. In the
evenings we had the opportunity to watch Olympic
athletes train on our own sports field. Three of those
Olympians were the female hurdler Teng Pei Wah, hurdler
Ng Liang Cheang, and High Jumper Lloyd Valbert. They
trained using our school field because we had the best
school field among all Singapore schools, and since then it
has always been used as training grounds for Singapore’s
top athletes. 

Victoria School was well known to be good in sports but

never really excelled in academics. However, in the 1954
Senior Cambridge Exams (currently known as the ‘O’ Level
exams), the school scored 90% passes, the first time it had
achieved such a good result. That same year, my class
produced two Queen’s Scholars, one for science and one
for the arts. The pre-university science class had by then
been conducted for some years, and since it was regarded
to be very good, a number of girls from other schools also

24
enrolled in the class. However, there was no pre-university
class for arts students, so the school decided to start one
instead of sending students to Raffles Institution or Anglo
Chinese School. The six of us – Dhanabalan, Teh Ee Kheng,
Khor Thiam Chye, Jimmy Chew, Tan Hong Nghee and
myself – were the pioneers of the Pre-U Arts class.

The Victoria School class of 1954 at a dinner celebrating the

excellent results from the Senior Cambridge Exams with our
teachers and principal. I’m in the third row.

In 1955, the Pre-U science and arts classes decided to

organise a social and dance night in the school hall. As
most of us could not dance well, the more experienced
classmates gave us a few lessons that were held in Keng
Yeow’s house. Our dance partners were friends of our
female classmates and they were from Raffles Girls’ School,
Methodist Girls’ School and Anglo Chinese School. The
music played during dance night was provided by 45 RPM
records of the music of Victor Sylvester, Joe Loss and his
orchestra and Latin music Emundo Ross and his orchestra,
25
and the ever popular “cha cha” – “Cherry Pink and Apple
Blossom White” by famous trumpet player Xavier Cugart.
There was no alcohol, and only soft drinks and snacks were
allowed while two senior teachers were present as
chaperones. Nevertheless, I think we all had a jolly good
time. 

I was on the Editorial Board of the School Magazine in 1955 – I’m

standing at the back row on the far-right

26
 The Victoria School yearbook from 1955 – I was a Prefect alongside
my friends Dhanabalan, Heng Hoe and Sim Keng Yeow

In late 1955, a number of our classmates went camping at

Loyang, where they pitched proper tents not far from the
sea. We felt that it was a good time to get together as we
would soon be leaving school and going our own separate
ways; some went to university or technical college, while
others found jobs, some as teachers. It was more to share
our past experiences and a way to keep us in touch with
each other, that we mooted the idea of a joint investment
to which we would each contribute $100. We called
ourselves the “Kub Koos”. They would go on to be perhaps
my closest and most important group of friends.

That same year, I began cycling every day after school to

Nan Hua Primary School in Bencoolen Street to teach
English to its students to earn some pocket money. I
continued to do this for over a year until I left school for
university in 1956.


27
 Chapter Three

UNIVERSITY LIFE

When I entered the University of Malaya in Singapore in

1956, the first thing I experienced was ‘ragging’. It was a
tradition that freshmen were to be ragged by the so-called
‘senior gentlemen’. The ragging usually took place in
hostels and the ‘raggers’ particularly liked to target
freshmen who were known to them previously in school, for
instance, prominent sportsmen. Although I was one of
those hauled in and ragged, luckily for me they were not
overly harsh, albeit rather crude and sadistic. One of their
favourite practices was the “Royal Flush”, where they would
force the student’s head into the toilet bowl and then press
flush, but fortunately I never experienced that.
Subsequently as some of the ragging went overboard,
complaints were lodged and a number of the worst
raggers were expelled from the hostels.

While in university I continued to play hockey and I

represented the University in the Singapore Hockey
Association inter-club league tournament. Once while
playing in a league match against SCRC at the Bukit Timah
campus sports field, I was hit on the left eye by a deflected
ball, which smashed the left lens of my spectacles and
caused splinters of glass to enter my eye. Kirpa Ram Vij
(who later became the Director of General Staff of the
Singapore Armed Forces) was watching the match

28
immediately took me in his car to the emergency room at
SGH. The doctor cleaned my eye up and removed the
pieces of glass around it. Thank God my eye was not
seriously injured, but I had to have eight stitches to treat
the cuts on my face just below my eye. I did not even tell
my parents about the accident as I was still living in Raffles
Hall. 

The Catholic Students Society of the University of Malaya

(CSSUM) was an active society with a chaplain that looked
after the spiritual welfare of the Catholic students. The
more active participants were students from Malaya that
lived in hostels as it was easier to come for functions held
in the campus. On the other hand, Singaporean students
would just disappear after lectures and head home as not
many of them were living in the hostels. Once out of
campus, it was difficult to entice them to return for
functions. I was fortunate as I got along well with the
Malayans and became quite active in the society. I was
elected as the Honorary Secretary of the society for a year.
Our activities included participating in local retreats usually
conducted by a Redemptorist priest and also attending
talks by prominent speakers. The highlight of the society’s
activities was the annual retreat held in the ‘White House’ in
Cameron Highlands. We would take the train from Tanjong
Pagar to Tapar Road in Perak. Upon arriving a chartered
bus would bring us up to Cameron Highlands, a precarious
26-mile long journey along a winding and narrow hilly
road.

Those years were still emergency years as the communist

resistance forces were very active particularly in the hills
and jungles in Pahang and Perak. In fact, the British High
29
Commissioner in Malaya Sir Henry Gurney was ambushed
and killed by Communist guerrillas along one of these hilly
roads in 1957. So it was not surprising that security forces
would board the bus and make a thorough search to
ensure that we were not bringing supplies to the
insurgents.

It was very peaceful at the White House, which was just next
to a golf course, and we would have daily morning mass,
spend quiet time in reflection, have small group sharing
sessions and go on evening walks. At night it was cold and
sometimes we could see white clouds descend upon us.
The food prepared by the in-house cooks was always
good, especially the fresh vegetables grown right there in
the Highlands. Walking along the forest trails was most
refreshing as it was cool and shady. One could walk for
miles without feeling tired because of the cool and fresh
air. It was a good retreat which never failed to attract
participants each year.

In 1959 I was asked by the society to represent it in the Pax

Romana of the International Movement of Catholic
Students conference in Manila. The conference venue was
at the sprawling campus of the University of Santa Thomas,
the Philippines’ oldest university.

30
 With friends from Pax Romana

It was truly an experience to meet so many students from

different countries, and to learn about the rich culture of
the Philippines’ during the social functions. We were even
taught the steps to the farmers bamboo dance and the
“itek itek” or duck dance. For the first time I also saw and
visited a circular church in Manila which must have been
the first of its kind in the Philippines. The highlight of our
stay in Manila was a visit to Malacalang Palace to have an
audience with then-Philippine President Macapagal. Also
present at the meeting was the President’s young daughter
Gloria, who would go on to become President Gloria
Arroyo herself, years later. 

University life was pleasant, especially my one year's

residence in Raffles Hall. It gave me the opportunity to mix
with students from various states in Malaya. Some of those
whom I knew quite well were later to become politicians,
senior civil servants, corporate tycoons and prominent
doctors and lawyers on both sides of the Causeway. A
number of them became my personal friends and business
clients. One prominent politician Musa Hitam was to
31
become the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaya during
Mahathir Mohammed’s time as PM but was subsequently
sidelined by him. I remember how on one occasion Kah Tin
and I were invited to Musa Hitam's house in Kenny Hill,
Kuala Lumpur for the Hari Raya celebrations. Anwar
Ibrahim was also present. When PM Mahathir arrived we all
greeted him. I noticed, however, that when you shook his
hand, he never looked at you! I noticed that he also
greeted the other guests in the same way. At that moment,
I knew that I would never like the man because of the
cunning and sly look he had about him. Fortunately, Musa
and his wife Julika were gracious hosts. 

At that time the university had two campuses, one in

Singapore and one in Kuala Lumpur. For the year of 1959,
the graduation ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur. A few
of my friends proposed we drive up to Kuala Lumpur for
the occasion, so I borrowed my father’s old Austin A40 for
the trip. In order to save money, we stayed one night at a
cheap hotel along Batu Road, a red light district in Kuala
Lumpur. All four of us shared one room and we drew lots to
decide who would sleep on the bed and who would take
the floor. We did not sleep well that night, however,
because there was constant knocking on our door followed
by a female voice saying in Cantonese, “sin san oy um oy
ah”, which in English translates to “Mr, want or not?” I guess
business must have been quite bad that night!

The convocation ceremony took place in Kuala Lumpur’s

Chin Woo stadium and Malcolm McDonald, the University’s
chancellor and the British Commissioner General for
Southeast Asia presided over the ceremony. My parents
were present for the ceremony as well.
32
 With my parents at my convocation

Receiving my degree from Malcolm McDonald

33
After the ceremony, we left for Ipoh, Taiping and Penang,
where we met up with all our college friends in their
hometowns. We stayed in modest lodging houses like the
Clan Association clubhouse and later in an unoccupied
bungalow up in Penang Hills that belonged to a friend’s
relative. It was supposed to be haunted but luckily nothing
happened to us that night. It was an inexpensive but
enjoyable motor trip.

Kah Tin and her friends also went up to KL for the

graduation ceremony too - I believe they stayed at a nicer
hotel.

Kah Tin’s graduation portrait

34
 Chapter Four

SEEING THE WORLD,

AND COMING HOME

I knew Kah Tin casually throughout my varsity days, but

never really got to know her well. She was an Arts student
studying Geography, English and Chinese, and like most
Singaporean students, she spent a lot of time in the library
and headed home after lectures as she did not live in the
hostel.

Kah Tin in 1961

35
It was only after graduation and when I started work that I
decided that I wanted to get to know her better. As time
went on, we grew close and spent much time together. We
knew then that we had fallen in love and were committed
to each other. But alas, our courtship had to be interrupted
as I had to leave for London for a training attachment at
HSBC’s London office, which was to last approximately two
years. It was difficult to be apart from her for so long, but
we managed to work something out, realising that
although we were physically apart, we could still be
together in spirit. 

My colleague Ng Toong Seng and I (the first batch of

university graduates recruited as trainee officers in HSBC)
left for London sometime in the middle of 1961 after
working for several months in Singapore as trainee officers.
In London, we were joined by several officers from Malaya,
the Philippines, Japan and Thailand. They were all
experienced staff and were in London for attachments
lasting a few months to prepare them for senior
appointments on return to their home countries.

My fellow officers from various countries in London

36
Our new home in London was a room (or ‘digs’, as the
locals called it) at 71 Ken Court, Queensborough Terrace,
near the Queensway shopping area and Bayswater in West
London. Kensington Park was located nearby. Our 'digs'
was quite spacious and Toong Seng and I shared it for a
while.

Queensborough Terrace today – when it was Ken Court, the

room just above the main entrance were my ‘digs’ in London
from 1961 – 1963

37
When Toong Seng's girlfriend came to join him, he left to
stay with her in another room in the same premises. Louis
Fung from Sandakan, Sabah then joined me and shared the
room with me. Bayswater/Queensway was a very vibrant
and cosmopolitan area, boasting a shopping mall,
international restaurants, Chinese, Italian, North Indian and
Middle Eastern eateries. There was also a small Catholic
church called Our Lady Queen of Heaven in the
Queensway area, where my Catholic friends and I attended
mass on Sunday.

The Queensway tube station along the Central Line

connected me directly with the Bank station in the City of
London, near where HSBC was situated at Gracechurch
Street. The City of London was, and still is, a major financial
centre in the world. Located in the midst of it was the Bank
of England and the Head offices of all the major British
banks such as Barclays and National West.

The famous Lombard Street, widely regarded as the

counterpart of New York’s Wall Street, was also in the
vicinity. HSBC was founded in March of 1865 in Hong Kong
where the head offices were located at the time. In 1997,
colonial Hong Kong was handed back to China, and the
London office became a recruitment and training centre for
all its expatriate staff.

Those recruited were mostly educated in public schools

and came from good families. Having completed public
school, most of the boys were probably around eighteen
years old; very articulate and confident. They drank a lot
and liked to play games such as cricket and rugby, but not
soccer. They were typically not very interested in work and
38
spent most of their time organising parties, most of which
lasted overnight. Hence not all trainees were qualified to
be posted overseas. Those selected would be sent for
overseas postings to HSBC branches in British colonies, like
Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, Japan, India, Sri Lanka,
Thailand and the Philippines.

The initial or first posting was four years, and one was not
allowed to get married during those four years. One of the
trainees whom I got to know quite well was Cornal Rankin,
who was to become my CEO in Singapore in 1997, with the
rank of General Manager. Another trainee was John Bond,
who was with me in London and would later work with me
for a while in Singapore. Subsequently he would become
Sir John Bond, the Chairman of HSBC.

In those days, communication between London and

Singapore was a big problem. In the pre-internet era,
overseas calls were very expensive and telegraphs were
also fairly costly. Posting an airmail letter was the only
economical method for frequent communication. I
received airmail letters daily from Kah Tin, and hence I also
wrote back daily. I normally did my writing during office
lunch hours. I would have a quick lunch at one of the pubs
near the office and once done would return to the office to
write my letters. I didn’t want to write back in the “digs” as
ever so often I had to go out for dinner with friends and for
parties with colleagues on weekends. Writing and receiving
letters from Kah Tin on a daily basis kept us together
spiritually. Over the years, Kah Tin and I must have
exchanged no less than a thousand letters between us, and
even up till this very day Kah Tin has kept all the letters I
wrote to her. 
39
 A postcard I wrote to Kah Tin in 1962

During my days in London, I got along quite well with a girl

from Kuching, Sarawak. Her name was Judy Chu and she
worked as a clerk for the Bank on a short term basis as she
was waiting to do a professional course in London. I
accompanied her to the theatre a couple of times, and one
of the plays we watched at a West End theatre was Agatha
Christie’s “Mouse Trap”, London’s longest running play.
Once we also went to see the ballet “Swan Lake” at the
Royal Opera House at Covent Gardens performed by top
British ballerinas.

Judy’s older brother Chen was an engineering student in a

London university and lived in an apartment. Chen and
Judy invited me and my friend Han Min to parties in his
apartment, which usually lasted all night. During one of the
all night parties and in the middle of the night, Han Min
either accidentally or purposely turned on the light, and oh
my, I still remember what a sight it was – we saw couples
doing all sorts of things in the corners of the room. There
was much screaming and the lights were turned off at
once.

40
As I was committed to Kah Tin, I didn’t want to get involved
with Judy - besides, she was a very popular girl who knew
many boys from Hong Kong. To this day, I have kept in
touch with Judy, whose husband David Zai is in the
diamond business in Antwerp, Belgium. Kah Tin and I
visited her in Antwerp during our stay in Amsterdam. We
stayed in her house and she brought us to see their
diamond “factory”. It was quite an experience to see so
many diamonds as Antwerp was regarded as the centre of
the diamond industry in Europe. We continue to see Judy
and David now and then as well as Judy’s younger sister
Susie, who is a close friend that attends St. Ignatius. We
have also gotten to know her husband Dr Gabriel Oon,
who is a prominent oncologist.

During those years in London, the Bank organised

excursion trips for all overseas trainees to places of interest
in and around London. We visited places such as Windsor
Castle, Hampton Court, Shakespeare’s home in Stratford-
upon-Avon amongst many others. With my boss’
permission, I even had the opportunity to take time off
during office hours to watch a cricket “Test” match between
England and Australia at the Oval and witnessed the best
players of that era in action. Watching the match brought
back fond memories of the early 1950s when television
had yet to exist and since I was very keen on cricket,
whenever there was a cricket “Test” match being played
between then-top countries like the West Indies and
Australia, I would be glued to the radio after school,
listening to the “live” ball-by-ball commentary of the match.
And it was there in London, where the matches were held,
that I finally had the chance to watch one of them live.

41
While in London I often visited the Malaya Hall at Branyston
Square to meet with friends from Malaya. I was invited to
play cricket for Malaya Hall against Loughborough
Teachers’ Training College. The 2nd secretary of the
Malayan High Commission to the UK, KT Ratnam, whom I
knew during my Varsity days was the captain of the team.
Loughborough is in the Midlands of England and we had a
great time during the game and our visit to the county. In
HSBC London, I played my last game of hockey for the
Bank during its annual hockey festival with other Eastern
banks (i.e banks with branches in India and the Far East).
We travelled to Rye, a pretty town with cobbled streets in
the South of England where the games were hosted. We
stayed there over a weekend and for me it was another
opportunity to enjoy the English countryside.

During my 20 months in London I made a few trips to

Europe. The first was with Toong Seng (before his girlfriend
came to join him). We went on a semi-conducted coach
tour covering Brussels, Amsterdam, Italy, Greece, and
Interlaken, a beautiful resort in Switzerland. From there we
took a train that went along the mountain slopes to
Jungfrau, one of the highest mountainous regions in
Europe.

There I experienced my first real snowfall! It was so exciting

to play in the snow and somehow I didn’t feel cold at all. In
Greece we saw the Acropolis of Athens; the ruins of
Pompeii in Italy, and in Amsterdam, the famous “window
shows” of the Red Light District. We also visited Cape
Sounion in Greece to watch the famous sunset.

42
On another long Easter weekend, Han Min and I flew to
Paris (which cost only 10 pounds, or SGD $85 at the time)
and spent four days visiting many famous attractions, such
as the Louvre, where we saw the Mona Lisa, Notre Dame
and the Eiffel Tower.

Posing in front of the Eiffel Tower One of the stops on our

European tour - me in the Louvre
with the Venus de Milo

43
At night we visited the Pigalle and watched a cabaret show
at Moulin Rouge. Just pottering along the Champ Elysees
with its fabulous shops and sidewalk cafes was such an
experience. On our return trip we decided to take the
overnight ferry from Calais across the English Channel to
Dover, and what an experience it was! We encountered the
worst storm ever; the ferry was getting tossed about so
badly that all the tables and chairs were sliding around and
all we could do the whole night was to hang on tightly to
the railings by our couch, which meant that we did not
catch a wink of sleep. By the time we finally arrived at
Dover early the next morning I felt so sick that I had to get a
medical certificate for not turning up for work. 

My most enjoyable European holiday was with Mike Lamb,

my colleague in the Collyer Quay office before I left for
London. Mike was an international (expatriate) officer
posted to Singapore for his first overseas assignment. We
got along very well. When he was on home leave after his
four-year duty in Singapore, we met up in London and he
drove me to his home in Dorset where I met his wife Ann. It
was a nice house with many fruit trees in the garden. I
remember the juicy pears on a tree creeping up the walls
of the house and apple trees with many fruits scattered
around the garden. I was also on leave then, so Mike and I
decided to go on a driving trip to Europe in his new
Hillman car. After crossing the Channel, our first stop was
Hamburg. We visited our office in Hamburg and the
manager whom we knew while in Singapore hosted a
dinner for us. It was then when I had my first glass of
German beer and it proved to be too strong for me on an
empty stomach. I had to excuse myself to make my way to

44
the back lane where I got sick before going back for
dinner.

From Hamburg we drove along the Autobahn to Munich. I

found Munich to be a beautiful city, made iconic by its old
buildings. We found the capital of Bavaria to be very
charming. The Bavarians are great beer drinkers who drink
by the mug, and the famous ‘Oktoberfest’ is celebrated all
over the world. BMW, or Bavarian Motor Works is also
headquartered in Munich. Nestled in the forested hills
nearby is the Neuschwanstein Castle – the inspiration for
the Walt Disney Company’s famous castle logo. From
Munich, we crossed over to Austria and then to Innsbruck.
Innsbruck is an old city with beautiful stained glass
churches in the Alps region and is known for fun winter
sports such as skiing in the winter. 

From Innsbruck we went to Lucerne

in central Switzerland. It is by the
shore of Lake Lucerne and is known
for museums, lakes and peaks such
as Mount Pilatus. We took a cable
car up to Pilatus and had a great
time wandering around the snow
covered mountain plateau. From
there you had a wonderful view of
the city, the surrounding snow-
c a p p e d m o u n t a i n s a n d L a ke
Lucerne below. Building a snowman in
Switzerland

45
However, the best part of our trip was Venice. We parked
our car on the mainland before walking around popular
places such as St. Mark’s Square, the Doges Palace and also
a glass blowing factory. A ride on a gondola moving slowly
around the numerous canals and going below the Bridge
of Sighs and the famous Rialto Bridge were also good
experiences.

It was truly a wonderful holiday and I am grateful to Mike

for driving me around and covering most of the expenses.
Mike was not posted to Singapore again but was sent to
other South-East Asian countries. However, we still kept in
touch and Kah Tin and I even stayed in his home
“Marandor” during our trip to the United Kingdom in the
1980s. Mike retired early from the Bank in his early 50s and
unfortunately passed away not long after. We continued to
keep in contact with Ann, who on several occasions visited
us on her way to Australia to see her children. 

In early 1963, it was time to return to Singapore. In

retrospect it was a relatively enjoyable and successful 20-
month stay in London. I experienced the work environment
of a typical British bank – I witnessed many British bankers
in their dark suits and bowler hats walking briskly through
the streets. The daily commute on crowded buses and
trains and the usually unpredictable English weather
(especially the cold and smoggy winters) are experiences
you never get in Singapore. On the bright side, visiting
famous places in the UK like Oxford and Cambridge
University, Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, and
Wordsworth country in Lake District was very enjoyable –
and the numerous opportunities for short trips to Europe
were fantastic.
46
Back in Singapore I started work as a regional officer in
Head Office Collyer Quay in 1963. Singapore, together
with Sarawak and Sabah had joined together to form the
State of Malaysia with the blessings of the British colonial
government. The formation of Malaysia was not well
received by Indonesia and it began to stage acts of
confrontation. One day in 1965 when I was in Collyer Quay
there was the sound of a huge bomb not too far away. The
explosion was at MacDonald House in Orchard Road. It was
planted by Indonesian saboteurs who were opposed to
Singapore joining Malaysia. Part of MacDonald House and
several nearby offices, mainly motor showrooms, were
severely damaged. Two HSBC staff, one of whom I knew
quite well, were killed. MacDonald House has since been
gazetted and preserved as a historical building. 

47
 Chapter Five

COURTSHIP, MARRIAGE,
AND EARLY WORKING
LIFE

Meanwhile, Kah Tin and I had resumed our courtship. We

bought our first family car, a Fiat II with registration number
SP9503, for $5000. We spent time together whenever
possible and drove to places we liked to go to. We
frequently spent time in my father’s residence (a bungalow
house) in Nantah (Nanyang University) where he was the
Dean of Commerce.

We often drove to places we liked to go to, including Kota

Tinggi.

48
 Kah Tin and I in Kota Tinggi

Our engagement photo

We finally decided to commit ourselves to one another and

chose to get engaged as the first step towards marriage.
We celebrated the auspicious day sometime in late 1963
with a dinner party at my parents’ house at 87 Pheng Geck
Avenue, Sennett Estate with all my Kub Koo friends and
their partners in attendance.

49
 A photo from our engagement party

Kah Tin’s father disapproved of our relationship from the

very beginning, and had his own ideas of what he wanted
in a son-in-law. So when the wedding took place, he
absented himself from the proceedings, and did not even
attend the wedding dinner. When Kah Tin decided she
would marry me, she became a rebel of sorts. And by
doing so, she also had to forgo a substantial portion of her
inheritance from her father. I admire her great courage in
going against her father's wishes.

Our wedding portrait

50
Our wedding date was 19 January 1964. It was unusual as
it was a Sunday and so  the matrimonial mass was held in
conjunction with the ordinary Eucharistic Sunday mass. It
was held at the Church of St. Bernadette at Zion Road. Fr.
Abrial was the presiding priest, and Kah Tin’s uncle gave
her away. We sat in front of the altar with the whole
congregation around us. It was just a normal Sunday mass,
except for the wedding rituals and special blessings in
between. When Fr. Abrial pronounced us man and wife
there was loud applause from the congregation. After
signing the register we had a family photo taken in front of
the Church. It still puzzles me how the wedding mass could
be held in conjunction with ordinary Sunday mass.

Our wedding, held at the Church of St Bernadette

Our wedding dinner was held in Emerald Room, an

upscale Chinese restaurant in Amber Mansion, a residential
cum commercial complex along Orchard Road. The
complex is now the site of Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. My
guests included all the Bank’s senior staff, one of whom,

51
Michael Sandberg, was later to become the Chairman of
HSBC Bank’s Head Office in Hong Kong. Kah Tin, who was
then an administrative officer in the Ministry of Home
Affairs, invited her own guests, who included Minister Inche
Othman Wok, his wife and the Permanent Secretary of the
Ministry. A table of Muslim food was specially prepared for
our Muslim guests.

Kah Tin and I greeting Michael Sandberg

Minister Inche Othman Wok (2nd from left) was present at our
wedding dinner
52
Our honeymoon was a simple affair. Instead of flying off to
a faraway destination we simply hopped into our Fiat and
drove up to Malaysia. We drove casually and stopped
overnight at whatever places we fancied. Our first stop was
Port Dickson, a seaside resort near Seremban; then to
Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and finally Penang. On our way back
we spent a few days in Cameron Highlands, the popular
hilly resort. There we stayed in Cluny Lodge, the Singapore
government’s holiday bungalow for its senior staff. At the
foot of the hill was the ‘White House’, the lodging house
where as an undergraduate I had stayed at for annual
retreats.

When our honeymoon was over it was back to work for

both Kah Tin and myself. The work environment in
Singapore then was not too good and there were frequent
industrial disputes between militant workers unions and
employers resulting in several strikes. However, bank
employee unions were not permitted to go on strike as the
banking industry was considered an essential service, and
hence strikes were illegal. Union workers then adopted a
“go slow” attitude which proved to be more lethal and
troublesome to us officers. The workers would turn up for
work and sit around, doing minimal work and subtly
causing disruptions and sabotaging operations. Officers
had to clean up the mess created. Malaysia was not spared
either as “go slow” also took place in some offices. I had to
drive up to Johor Bahru to help out in our JB office every
morning for two weeks at the height of the industrial
disputes there.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s membership in Malaysia was not

going well. Singapore’s call for a Malaysian Malaysia was a
53
threat to Malay supremacy. The cultural and economic
differences between Singapore and Malaysia created
communal tensions which resulted in racial riots (between
ethnic Chinese and Malay groups) on the 21st of July and
in September 1964. In July, riots took place in several
places primarily in Geylang, and a curfew was imposed. We
had to leave our offices and return home. Kah Tin was in
the later stages of pregnancy with our first child. I had to go
from my office to look for her in her office at the Ministry of
Home Affairs at Empress Place. People were running
around trying to get home as fast as they could. Thank God
I managed to find her outside the office and we managed
to arrive home safely. The curfew lasted several days. That
particular racial riot was considered to be one of the worst
incidents in the history of Singapore, with 22 dead and
close to 500 seriously injured. The later riots in September
were also attributed to political and religious tensions
between ethnic Chinese and Malay extremists.

After our marriage, Kah Tin and I lived a series of

temporary homes – for a while, Kah Tin and I stayed at a
friend’s house at Jalan Sembilan, off Thomson Road. We
later stayed at Kah Tin’s sister, Kah Choo’s apartment at
River Valley Road. Of course, this was not an ideal situation,
so in1964 Kah Tin and I decided that it was finally time for
us to buy a house. We chose a semi-detached house at
Hillcrest Park which was being built in the Bukit Timah area
at the cost of $40,000. I approached my boss Mr. Sandberg
for a loan of S$30,000. Sandberg countered – why so
much? After all, houses elsewhere cost around $20,000 at
the time. I explained that the price depended on the
location and that Bukit Timah was a good residential area,

54
and so he approved my request. That was probably my
best-ever investment decision as Bukit Timah is now a
highly sought after area, with properties that have greatly
appreciated in the last few decades.

On 27 January 1965, our first child Hui Min was born in Mt.
Alvernia Hospital. It was the most joyous moment of our
lives when we laid eyes on her. She was baptised as Felicia
at St. Bernadette Church as we were living in an apartment
at River Valley Road then while waiting for the completion
of our house. To us she was the cutest baby we had ever
laid eyes upon.

Hui Min, our first child

On 9 August 1965, the Malaysian parliament voted

overwhelmingly in favour of a Constitutional Amendment
expelling Singapore from the Federation of Malaysia.

55
That same day, Singapore established itself as the Republic
of Singapore, an independent and sovereign republic.

After independence, Jurong Industrial Estate became the

first and foremost of Singapore’s industrialisation estates
and many factories operating there were given “pioneer”
status.

I was transferred to Jurong to start up a small branch to

serve some of our customers which included steel mills,
feed mills, veneer and textile factories. Our branch also
served as bankers to the Singapore Armed Forces Training
Institute (SAFTI) at Pasir Lebar, near Tuas. Life was quite
tough then, as there was no township yet. The only food
available was at a couple of nearby coffee shops, and there
was only one medical clinic nearby, managed by a Dr. Oh
Swee Leong. I was not feeling well one day and went to
consult him. Besides prescribing me some medicine, he
advised that I should start taking a multi-vitamin
supplement called Pharmaton to improve my health.
Pharmaton has proved to be an excellent supplement for
me and I have been taking it for over the past 50 years, and
I’ve been blessed with generally excellent health. When I
left Jurong after two years, the township had begun to
grow as more and more factories were built. Many more
Housing Board flats were also built to accommodate the
increase in workers in the industrial estate.

After Jurong, my next assignment was to manage the

Queenstown branch. Business in Queenstown, which is
probably the oldest public housing estate in Singapore was
entirely different as it catered to retail customers residing
or working in the vicinity.
56
My next posting was at the Orchard Road branch in
MacDonald House, a target of the Indonesian “Konfrontasi”
campaign against Malaysia and Singapore. One of the
working tables kept by the bank as memorabilia had a big
hole in it caused by falling splinters of glass from the
ceiling. After several years at Orchard Road, I returned to
the Head Office at Collyer Quay.

Shortly after the birth of our second child, a boy - Chi Hui,
in July 1966, Kah Tin made a great personal sacrifice by
leaving her job to look after our two young children. I thank
her deeply for this sacrifice as it
certainly helped as she spent
her time as a housewife and to
nurture the children.

Over the years I moved from

the banking operations
department to service
departments such as
administration and training. We
had a very large cash
department because being the
Head Office we had to maintain,
Chi Hui, 1966 supply and receive cash from
our 11 branches in Singapore.

When we were short of cash we had to indent cash from

the Treasury department of the Currency Board (Central
Bank) office at Empress Place just across the Singapore
River, which was a few hundred metres away. If we needed,
say, a million dollars, I would just carry ten $100,000 bills to
Empress Place and exchange them for various
57
denominations. An armoured security car would then bring
the cash back to the office. Every evening, as the Head of
Department I had to manually count all the big notes ($50
and above) before they were kept in the vault. Up till then I
had never counted so much money in my life.

As Manager of the Administration Department I had the

opportunity to see all the expatriate staff houses as the
property maintenance staff were under my charge. The
General Manager’s house was “Mt. Echo” in Tanglin Road. It
was a huge colonial bungalow perched on top of a hill. You
had to drive quite a long way past a huge garden before
you reached the house. Senior staff would visit the house
once a year when the G.M. held a reception during the
Christmas season or when he had to entertain any senior
executives from the Hong Kong Head Office. The other
expatriates residences were in a huge estate called “Sri
Menanti” and were bordered by Jervois Road, Chatsworth
Road and Bishopsgate. All expatriates lived there in smaller
bungalows and cluster houses, the size of which depended
on their seniority. To have an idea of how large the estate
was, there was a 6-hole golf course in between the houses!
The expats really lived comfortable lives in Singapore, with
everything paid for by the Bank.

However, sometime in 1990, the Singapore government

passed a new law prohibiting foreign companies from
owning too many landed properties. And so “Mt. Echo”
was sold to the Brunei government and this is where the
Chancery now stands. “Sri Menanti” estate was sold for
private development, and the Bank sold it for I believe $28
million! The estate would probably be worth a couple
billion dollars by today’s valuation. The only residential
58
property the Bank now owns is at Swiss Club Road where
the current CEO lives.

The Bank’s training centre in Singapore provided various

levels of training for clerical and junior executives in
operational banking. As Manager of Training, I had the
opportunity to visit our Head Office training centre in Hong
Kong for meetings and consultations.

The centre was located at The Peak with full training

facilities. It even employed cooks to provide meals for
residential trainees and training officers stationed there. It
was there that I experienced my first taste of snake soup,
which was excellent. Not far away and almost at the top of
the peak was the Chairman’s residence, known as “Sky
High”, and from there you had a magnificent 360 degree
view of the city of Hong Kong below. Incidentally most of
the expatriates lived in mid-level apartments in the Peak
area.

59
 Chapter Six

FAMILY LIFE AT
GREENMEAD AVENUE

On 20 July 1966, our second child Chi Hui (Frederic) was

born. In 1967, we finally moved into our new house at No.
34 Greenmead Avenue, Hillcrest Park, off Dunearn Road.
It’s been our home for over 50 years now.

Left: Kah Tin and Chi Hui, Right: Hui Min carrying Hui Lin, our 3rd
and youngest child

60
Residents given priority for buying property in this housing
estate were academic staff of the University of Singapore
as the Bukit Timah campus was not far away. Some of the
residents included the vice-chancellor, several professors
and lecturers. Politicians included the Deputy Prime
Minister Dr. Toh Chin Chye, several top civil servants and
senior officers of the Economic Development Board (EDB).
We made the Church of St. Ignatius at Kings Road our new
parish. It is about 10 minutes’ drive away from our home.

in 1968, I made the second best investment decision when

I joined the Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) as an
ordinary golfing member. It cost only $650, and my wife
also became a spouse member while my children became
junior members. The value of the club membership is close
to $200,000, and my three children are members. I started
playing golf shortly after joining the club. As a previous
sportsman, after just one golf lesson from a local pro I
became pretty good at the game, only being able to play
on weekends. It became my only sporting activity and
exercise as I walked 18-holes each round while pulling my
trolley. It is approximately 5km each round. As my game
improved, I participated in several club competitions and
also in a few interport games with the Royal Selangor Golf
Club in K.L. and the Royal Bangkok Golf Club.

61
 An outing in the 1970s at SICC with Judy and David Zai from
Belgium

In the early 70s we started our own golfing groups and we

played regularly over weekends. Our group has been
together for more than 40 years, and over the years we
made overseas trips and played in courses in Australia
(Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Gold Coast), China
(Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, Zuhai, Xiamen, Haikou),
Hong Kong, Japan (Kobe, Tokyo), Korea, Indonesia (Jakarta,
Surabaya, Bandung), Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai,
Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin), and Malaysia (West
and East – Sabah and Sarawak). Our group in SICC is
probably the longest lasting group of golfing buddies I
have, and is the result of our long friendship and tolerance
of one another. Many of us are now in our late 70s and 80s,
and we are still at it every week. Of late, a number of our
fellow players have opted out due to poor health or injury.
Our regular overseas trips have also scaled down.

I have encountered all kinds of incidents on golf courses

over the years. I accidentally hit a dog while it was resting

62
in the cool sand of a fairway bunker, and hit a pregnant cat
on a bridge. I haven’t hit any golfers, but I was hit by my
brother Alex, which caused a hairline fracture on my right
leg. I have even witnessed a caddy being struck by
lightning, which was very frightening.

There’s no doubt that golf helped me in my job while I was

still working. My former boss, CEO Angus Petrie, who was
also member of SICC, invited me to play for Singapore
banks (Association of Banks in Singapore, or ABS) against
the Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) in their annual
golf tournaments which were alternately hosted by
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. I participated in these
tournaments for many years and even played against
Malaysian bankers who were my contemporaries in the
University.

In 1975, our third child, Hui Lin, was born and baptised in
St. Ignatius. All three children went to Nanyang
Kindergarten but different primary and secondary schools;
Hui Min at CHIJ; Chi Hui at SJI and Hui Lin at RGS. They all
did their pre-university education at NJC which is down the
road from our house.

Some photos from the 1970s at Greenmead Ave - posing with our
beloved dog, Miya (shortened from ‘Marina’)
63
 Kah Tin and the kids, sometime in the 1970s

When the children were growing up, during the school

holidays I would on many occasions drive the family up to
Kuantan on the east coast of Malaysia to enjoy the quiet
and beautiful beaches there. On several occasions we even
drove further north to Terengganu to watch turtles lay eggs
on the beach. The guides there would know when the
turtles would come and alert us, usually late at night or
early in the morning. On one particular occasion we rose
from our sleep at 1AM and drove about half an hour to the
site where the turtles lay their eggs. It was a wonderful
experience and we felt sad seeing the tears rolling from the
turtles’ eyes as they left their eggs behind on the beach
and returned to the sea. I believe the eggs were collected
by the keepers there and most likely sold instead of being
left there to hatch. There is now a turtle sanctuary there to
protect them.

Another favourite destination for our family holidays was

the hill resort in Cameron Highlands in the state of Pahang.
The Bank owned two lovely bungalows, "Wayfoong" and
"Sri Menanti", in Tanah Rata town for the use of its

64
executive staff. It was a tedious 2-hour drive over 26 miles
of narrow, winding roads from Tapah to the bungalows
perched on a hilltop more than 4000ft above sea level.
Once we reached our destination at Wayfoong or Sri
Menanti it was extremely refreshing and relaxing to bask in
the cool, fresh air. Both bungalows are about 50 metres
apart and shared the same garden with beautiful flowers,
especially roses. Strawberries and other fruits were also
grown in the vegetable garden beside the houses. There
was a log fire in the fireplace as it could get quite cold at
night. The meals prepared by the cook were excellent and
we would never miss a single meal. Every single day, he
would prepare a different menu for breakfast, lunch, tea
and dinner. I would sometimes play a round of golf while
Kah Tin and the children enjoyed other activities. We
always enjoyed our week-long stays in Cameron Highlands
over the years until I retired from the Bank in 1998.

"Wayfoong" in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands

65
 Chi Hui, Hui Lin and Hui Min in Cameron Highlands

Wayfoong and Sri Menanti were probably the best known

bungalows there. Our family scarcely took overseas
holidays. Once we went to Pattaya, Thailand during the
long Chinese New Year holidays, and enjoyed the sea
sports there. I even tried riding the water scooter and
parasailing.

On normal weekends, we sometimes went to the bank’s

local holiday bungalow at Loyang, called Seven Bells.

66
In 1979, our whole family went on a package tour of
Europe. It was a disaster from the beginning. While on
transit in Bangkok we were delayed for several hours
because the DC 10 plane we were to board was grounded
due to severe technical problems and all DC 10 planes
throughout the world were not allowed to fly. A
replacement plane, a DC 9, finally took off from Bangkok
and we arrived in Rome several hours later. The result was
that we rushed through the greater part of our city tour, but
still missed part of our scheduled program. The Italian
coach driver was hopeless. He seemed unfamiliar with
cross country driving and took a longer time to reach our
destinations such as Geneva, Brussels and Paris. It was a
very disappointing trip and on our return our group sued
the travel company and duly received some compensation.

Clockwise from top left - Monaco, Switzerland, Vatican and Holland

67
 Some highlights from our 1979 Europe trip

In late December 1984, I accompanied Chi Hui to the US as

he had enrolled in Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in
Prescott, Arizona. We flew over the Pacific and stopped for
a day and night sightseeing at Honolulu, Hawaii.

Enjoying the waves in Waikiki Beach, Honolulu

68
Then we went on to Los Angeles for a day long stop before
taking a domestic flight into Phoenix, Arizona. In Phoenix
we stayed in a motel where our friend Robin Yap lent us his
Mustang and we drove around the city. Phoenix was a very
nice and neat city with straight roads, hence it was easy to
drive around. Though it was already winter it was still pretty
warm and there were clear blue skies. Through the
courtesy of Peter Bose, the owner of Winston’s Sports in
Singapore (an agent of Ping golf clubs), I had a round at
the Palm Valley Golf Club in Phoenix, owned by Ping, while
accompanied by the Public Relations Manager. Later he
took me around to see the club manufacturing factory,
which made their famous Karsten Ping putter.

With Robin Yap, who took us around Phoenix

Before driving up to Prescott, which is 100 miles from

Phoenix, we drove to the Grand Canyon which is about an

69
hour’s drive from Phoenix. It is a magnificent place and you
really cannot imagine how huge the Canyon is.

At the Grand Canyon

We took a Cessna plane down the middle of the Canyon

and if you looked across and saw another plane, it would
look just like a fly. No wonder it is considered one of the
Wonders of the World. We also visited Sedona, an Indian
town famous for its red earth, rocks and native pottery.

Prescott was not far from Sedona, and was basically just a
university town. It had clear blue skies even in winter and
throughout the year, making it an ideal place for flying and
the training of pilots. We stayed at the Apache Hotel, a
typical Indian style hotel just outside the university. We
arrived in Prescott on New Year’s Day and as there was
nothing much to do I played a round of golf at the
university golf course.
70
It was very cold and I had Hui as my caddy. It was even
colder at night and icicles had formed on the windscreen
of the car. The next day, after Hui had completed his
registration and checked into the dormitory, I drove back
to Phoenix and returned the car to Robin.

I flew home from Phoenix, first spending a few days in

Maryland with my sister Jean, then on to Las Vegas as I
wanted to see the famous casino city. It was fascinating, as
besides the numerous casino hotels, practically all shops
and restaurants had in-house jackpots or what we call “one
arm bandits” in those days because you literally had to pull
the arm (lever) after you had inserted your coins. At the
black jack table friendly croupiers often joked with you and
would advise you on how to play your hand when you were
not sure whether or not to take the card. The exchange rate
back then in 1984 was US$1 to S$4.50.

On the frozen-over Potomac River

71
I did not visit Phoenix and Prescott again until April 1988 to
attend Chi Hui’s graduation. Hui Min came along with me
as Kah Tin does not like to fly long distances. By this time,
Hui Min had already graduated with a degree in Law from
the University of Singapore in 1988. My sister Jean flew in
from Maryland and joined us for the ceremony. By then
Prescott had one good hotel – the Sheraton, where we
stayed and where the graduation ceremony was held. It
snowed in Prescott during April, which was a pleasant
surprise. Over the years the US dollar had fallen
substantially against the Singapore dollar, becoming US$1
to S$2.40, which was a blessing and great saving for me
over the years. On our way home from Hui’s graduation,
Min, Hui and I stopped over at San Francisco for a few
days; then on to Hawaii for another few days before
returning to Singapore.

Kah Tin and I made a trip to London to see my friend and

ex-colleague Mike Lamb and his wife Ann. Mike had since
retired but had joined another financial institution as a
consultant.

Visiting Mike Lamb and his wife Ann at

their Dorset home

72
While in London, we stayed in a Singaporean friend’s
house in a mews just off Bayswater Road and not far from
Marble Arch and Oxford Street. We went to one of the
West End theatres and watched “Cats”, the Andrew Lloyd
Webber show. The musical was entertaining and the props
were good with the singers often coming off stage to sing
next to our seats. The lead singer’s rendition of the theme
song “Memory” was first-class. We also met up with London
Private Banking Head Julia Attfield at her posh and well-
furnished office in Mayfair and had lunch with her.
Afternoon high tea at Harrods was a good experience. With
just ten pounds, you could help yourself to a wide spread
of food and thus many people who had their fill would no
longer need dinner. While walking along Oxford Street,
Kah Tin’s wallet was stolen – resulting in the loss of her
identity card and credit cards. We had to make a police
report on that incident.

From London, we took a Cook’s coach tour to Scotland. We

visited Edinburgh and toured the famous castle where the
annual Edinburgh Arts Festival took place. We walked
around the streets and saw the statue of Robert Burns, the
well-known Scottish poet. From there we moved north to
see the Scottish Highlands with stretches of rolling fields
and hills. Then we drove along the shores of some of the
Scottish lochs, including the famous Loch Ness!
Unfortunately, we didn’t see Nessie. The last place we
visited in Scotland was Glasgow, the capital city. It was a
highly industrial and rather drab city.

On our way back to England, we stopped and stayed at the

scenic and beautiful Lake District. We stayed in Lake
Windemere, a charming township with lots of thatched
73
roof cottages and cosy pubs along narrow and cobbled
streets. It is also known as poet Wordsworth country. We
also visited Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s hometown
before returning to London.

Back in London, we hired a car and drove to Oxford to visit

Oxford University. Back then it was another wholly
university town with many old-style cottages in the vicinity
of the university. In Oxford however, we had another nasty
experience. We had parked our car by the side of the road
and were fined for illegal parking. Kah Tin wrote to the
traffic police explaining her unpleasant experience in
Oxford Street, London where she was pickpocketed and
that this was our first visit to Oxford, and how we didn’t
want to leave with a bad impression of the compassionate
township. Fortunately we got away with just a warning.
Back in London we took a train to Dorset where we stayed
for a few days with Mike and Ann Lamb at their home the
“Marandor”. We had a great time together recalling old
times at the Bank in Singapore and our holidays in Europe
many years ago. Mike drove us to Heathrow Airport for our
flight home.

I continued to enjoy playing golf throughout the years.

One year, my boss Stan Fairchild was invited to play in the
Dunhill Cup Pro-am at the Bukit Course of SICC. He asked
me to take his place and I had the privilege of playing with
a Swedish professional in the Pro-am preceding the
tournament.

In 1976, I achieved my one and only hole-in-one at SICC

New Course. As is the customary practice I had to buy
drinks for all members present at the 19th hole. It cost
74
quite a bit because at that time there was no insurance
covering this – however, insurance today can cover these
celebrations within a fixed budget. I also had the
opportunity to attend a golf clinic and played 3 holes with
the legendary South African golfing great Gary Player at
the Laguna Golf Club, courtesy of the Executive Club of
Liang Court. It was a wonderful experience and honour to
have played with Player.

Playing at the Dunhill Cup Pro-am - on the extreme left is the Swedish
professional

I won the C.L.Edwards

Cup (HSBC internal golf
competition) three times -
in the 1970's, 80's & 90's.

75
 Playing golf with Gary Player was a highlight

Golf is certainly a good sport, and knowing how to play it

has definitely been an asset in my work as a Private Banker.
Very often I have had to spend time with my clients on the
golf course where we would discuss business instead of
just visiting them in their office. Where else can one spend
time with a client for two hours, other than on the golf
course? It is also a healthy game which anyone of any age
can play - for example I myself continue to play in my 80s.

76
 With my colleagues from HSBC Private Banking

I joined HSBC Private Banking in 1987. Shortly after I

started work, the Asian Financial Crisis occurred and a
number of my clients suffered losses. However, when the
crisis was over, the Private Banking team consisting of
Barbara, Lilian, and myself led by Alastair Riley (and with
the assistance of Esther) did pretty well together. We
assisted each other in serving the many clients when we
were unable to attend to them ourselves. My clients were
mainly from West Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Ipoh,
Sungei Petani and Penang), East Malaysia (Sabah and
Sarawak), Thailand (Bangkok) and Indonesia (Jakarta,
Bandung and Surabaya). Clients from these countries all
had their own preferences in investments because of
cultural and traditional differences, and it was interesting to
visit them in the various cities. The business trips to these
places were unforgettable experiences.

For example, from Kuching to Sibu and Miri I had to fly a

small twin propeller engine Fokker plane that seated about
10 people and flew at an altitude of about 4000ft. It was
very safe and you could have a wonderful view of whatever
was below. From Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan and Tawau I
77
also flew by Fokker, and one could have a clear view of the
top of Mt. Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Sabah and a
favourite of hikers and mountain climbers.

In Sibu, a typical timber town, the tycoons who were mainly

Foochow (a Hokkien clan), were always warm and gracious,
and hosted dinners which always included the famous
fresh water fish Ampura which was rare and only available
among the logs in upstream freshwater. Ampura is a really
delicious fish but it was also very expensive – it could cost
up to 400RM (Malaysian Ringgit) a kilogram. In Sibu you
did not need a car to visit clients, as our client’s offices were
usually within walking distance. In Miri, one client would
personally fetch me from the airport, straight away for a
round of golf after which we would talk business over a
meal or sometimes while driving in his Land Rover, which
also served as his mobile office.

Kota Kinabalu was different as it was more a resort city with

its famous Mt. Kinabalu, sandy beaches and several good
golf courses and resort hotels. Seafood was extremely
good, with lobsters and the famous fish “Sou Mei” which
was readily available at reasonable prices.

Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, is the state’s administrative

city with rich timber and oil resources. Hotels are good and
there are many shops selling local handicrafts and
artefacts. I liked Kuching and its local food. My clients were
also very hospitable and knowledgeable about
investments.

Penang was different as it has less natural resources and

almost everyone liked hawker food, which was good and

78
cheap. One of my clients would bring me for early morning
9 hole golf and then adjourn to the famous Burmah Road
hawker centre for char kway teow, laksa and other local
delicacies. We would have our business chats in the coffee
shops.

In Ipoh, the rubber magnates and former tin miners were

prolific drinkers, and a few of them could finish a couple of
X.O.s over dinner. I would just drink a bit as a token and
they didn’t insist that I drink with them. Not surprisingly,
one of them - my best friend - died of liver cancer at the
early age of around 60.

Bangkok was totally different – the traffic jams always

caused delays in appointments, hence it was not possible
to see many clients a day. If I had to meet a client in
Chinatown, the cab would stop me at a main road, then I
had to walk down a narrow and congested side street to
find the office, especially in the Sampeng area. The Thais
were hospitable and gracious hosts. Clients were mainly in
the textile, jewellery and manufacturing business – Chinese
Thais, Indian Thais, but they all spoke Thai and English, or
Mandarin and Teochew.

In spite of frequent traffic jams, I still enjoyed Jakarta,

where my clients with business in manufacturing, shopping
malls, logistics and finance were generally gracious and
good hosts. I remember I was invited to one of their son’s
weddings and it was a wonderful experience to witness the
local traditions. Indonesian food is very good, with various
regional cuisines such as padang, Sanu, Javanese, etc. Sop
Bundut (oxtail soup) is particularly delicious and so is the

79
famous grilled fish. I often had to take a train from Jakarta
to Bandung to see my clients.

In 1990, I completed 30 years with the bank. I was awarded

a watch worth $1,500 (of my choosing), and a month’s
salary.

In 1994 I made a short trip to London, this time to

accompany Hui Lin as she enrolled in the University of
London. We arrived very early in the morning and checked
in at a hotel along Baker Street. Hui Lin was so eager to see
her university that we walked all the way to Russel Square
to see the campus. I returned home after she had enrolled
and settled down in the university hostel.

With Ay May in Rotterdam

My last trip to London was in 1997, to attend Hui Lin’s

graduation. Kah Tin and I wanted to see our friends Ay May
80
and Hong Djoo in Holland, so we transited in Amsterdam
and stayed at their home in Schiedam, not far from
Amsterdam, where they have a successful dental practice.

We had a few hectic and wonderful days in Amsterdam

visiting tulip gardens, windmills, famous art museums and
canal rides. We even visited the seaport of Rotterdam. The
hectic schedule must have taken a toll on me.

On the last day before we left for London, I felt tired while
walking and had shoulder aches. I decided not to do
anything. Upon arrival in London, I contacted Julie Attfield
and she immediately referred me to the Private Banks
doctor at Harley Street.

When I saw the doctor he immediately gave me an aspirin

and sent me to the consultant cardiologist as he thought
that I had a heart attack. Professor Robertson examined me
and immediately admitted me to Wellington Hospital in
Regents Park. The hospital catered mainly to Arabs and
famous personalities, including Elizabeth Taylor. I had to
stay overnight to prepare for an angiogram the next day.
Kah Tin stayed with me in hospital as we did not have time
to check into my friend Datuk Liang’s apartment in
Queensgate. It was a historic and unforgettable day.
Princess Diana had just passed away and the TV
programmes only showed the story of her death and
nothing else. The next day, I had my angiogram done and
thank God Professor Robertson told me that I only had
angina but that it was not serious as the blockage was at
the lower end of my valves, so no surgery was needed. He
gave me all the films and reports and asked me to follow
up with a cardiologist when I returned home. I was
81
discharged and we moved into the apartment at
Queensgate. It was a very nice apartment next to Hyde Park
and near Imperial College, where Datuk’s four sons had
studied. The procedure and stay at Wellington Hospital
cost more than 5000 pounds, but thank God I was covered
by insurance. My sister Jean who lives in Maryland, USA,
joined us at the apartment, and the next day we attended
Hui Lin’s graduation ceremony which was held in the
college’s courtyard.

It was a simple but dignified affair. We celebrated the

occasion with a good dinner in the evening. Hui Lin was to
stay on at UCL to complete a master’s degree, so we
returned home. On my return I went to the National Heart
Centre for a follow-up examination. The cardiologist gave
me a thorough check and certified me fit and well, with no
further check-ups or treatment required. Thank God, as it
was such a great relief.

82
 Chapter Seven

RETIREMENT TRAVELS

In 1998, at the age of 62 – the official retirement age – and

after 38 years of working, I finally retired from the Bank. My
last 10 years at Private Banking had been most satisfying,
enriching and rewarding, and gave me easily the happiest
days in my banking career. My CEO, Cornal Rankin, whom I
had gotten to know during my London training days,
hosted a farewell and thanksgiving dinner held in my
honour at the function room of SICC’s Bukit location. My
guests were mainly clients from overseas, stock brokers
and a number of my regular golf buddies. I felt really
honoured and appreciated Cornal’s kind gesture and
friendship with me. The bank had been a very good
employer to me - back then, they paid for my income tax
and my utility bills - that would be unheard of today!

Kah Tin and I at my retirement dinner, hosted by Cornal Rankin

83
Although retired, my colleagues Barbara, Lilian and Esther
remain good friends and every year we still continue to
meet for lunch on each other’s birthdays. A few of my
clients also became my personal friends and we meet
whenever we have the opportunity.

After my retirement, Kah Tin and I went on an extended trip

to the US to visit my sister Jean and my brother-in-law
Daniel in Maryland, Washington DC. From Maryland we
drove up north to visit and stay with Jean’s son Adrian and
his family in Detroit, Michigan. Adrian has been working for
Nissan, which like other auto companies is based in
Michigan. We stopped at several resorts en route and I
managed to put in a couple of golf games in between. We
even stopped by a cherry farm and it was interesting to
note that at the farm you could pluck as many cherries as
you liked and just leave your money behind in a box –
whatever amount you wanted to pay.

We then crossed over to Toronto in Canada, where we

went up the Toronto Tower (CN Tower) and were scared
stiff looking down the glass floor. We had a very good
Chinese meal in Toronto’s Chinatown where many Chinese
from Hong Kong had settled. From Toronto we then went
on to the Niagara Falls and enjoyed views of the falls from
both the Canadian and American sides.

We even took a boat ride to the bottom of the falls.

Raincoats were provided on-board as one would certainly
get wet from the spray of the falls. It was a wonderful
experience to stand by the edge with safety barriers to
watch the tremendous amount of water falling down.

84
 At Niagara Falls

Kah Tin with my sister Jean and my brother-in-law Daniel at a cherry

farm

On our return trip to Maryland, we stopped at New York

and spent a couple of days there. we visited the Empire
State Building, the Twin Towers, Rockefeller Centre, St.
Patrick’s Cathedral at Fifth Avenue and a bit of Central Park.
We couldn’t get tickets to the theatres so we went to the
cinema. The next stop was Atlantic City, the home of
Donald Trump’s casino. It is said that the casino business in
Atlantic City was even bigger than that in Las Vegas.

85
 Kah Tin and I at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City

Before returning to Maryland, we stopped by Delaware

state and stayed overnight in a mobile home (trailer) near
Rehoboth Beach.

It was a leisurely driving holiday and I even had a chance to

drive some of the way, particularly on the motorways. We
also visited the famous sand hills nearby.

Back in Singapore there was going to be a big

transformation for me in my spiritual life. Up till then I had
been just a Sunday Catholic and prayer was never on my

86
 At the famous sandhills

schedule. At the influence of Kah Tin, who had been

attending Friday morning masses, I decided to follow her.
At these masses we met other parishioners who also
attended weekday masses. We managed to get to know
them better over time, and not long after we also started to
attend morning 7am masses daily. We soon became good
friends with these parishioners, who were younger than us
but some were recently retired professionals and senior
executives. Every morning after mass we would adjourn to
a hawker centre for breakfast and fellowship.

The hawker centres we visit frequently are Ghim Moh;

Holland Drive; Commonwealth; Tanglin Halt and on
Saturdays, Mei Ling Street; Bukit Merah; Alexandra Village;
Bukit Timah and nearby Farrer Court. The food we eat
comes from a wide selection, which includes char siew
wanton mee, bak chor mee, hay mee, kway chap, yong tau
foo, chai tow kway, char kway teow, popiah, laksa, you tiao,
and Muslim food such as mee siam, mee rebus, roti prata,
and soto ayam. We also have Indian food such as thosai,
appong, and puttu mayam etc. This was a radical change
for me because my standard breakfast at home would be
just coffee, cereal, bread and occasionally eggs. We were
87
known as SIBC (St Ignatius Breakfast Club) and Fr Colin Tan,
who was then the novice master and our spiritual director,
often joined us. Most of these friends are quite active in
church ministries such as communion ministers, choir/
music, pastoral care, praise and worship ministry, lectors,
altar servers, wake ministry, the intercessory prayer group,
opening church doors and counting weekend mass
collections every Monday.

I participated in quite a few ministries but have left one of

them after many years (Spiritus Sanctus choir) and am
currently still active in weekday altar service, opening
church doors in the morning, preparation for morning
mass, counting church collections (since retired),
intercessory prayer group and activities organised for the
NCC. Whenever possible, I attend church feast day
activities like the Day of Recollection, Penitential Service,
Triduum and religious or social talks.

In 2006 the Church of St Ignatius celebrated the 500th

birthday of St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit
Religious Order, known as the Society of Jesuits or SJ. The
combined celebrations of the Jesuit churches in Singapore
and Malaysia took place in Malacca, with mass at St Paul’s
Hill and dinner and musical performances. Our contingent,
which included myself performed a musical skit depicting
the life of St Ignatius. We practiced very hard for several
weeks and some of the songs included old favourites such
as “I believe”, “I will follow you wherever you may be” and
“Bachelor Boy”. Father Charles Sim played the role of St
Ignatius. The event was held at the auditorium of St
Michael’s Institution, and it was an enjoyable evening.

88
Inspired by the life of St Ignatius, some of us suggested
that it might be a good idea to make a trip to Spain to trace
and follow in the footsteps of St Ignatius in his conversion,
and at the same time make a pilgrimage to Fatima in
Portugal.

Fr Charles Sim was our spiritual director as he was familiar

with St Ignatius' conversion. The trip in April 2006 was to
be the forerunner of a few other pilgrimages. Our group of
30 plus, who were all parishioners of St Ignatius, arrived in
Barcelona, Spain. We did some sightseeing through the
Gothic Quarter of Barcelona with classic medieval narrow,
winding streets and quaint little plazas. We drove through
the Olympic village and were told that Barcelona had since
been transformed into a beautiful and modern city after it
hosted the Olympics in 1992.

The next day we

attended mass at the
magnificent Cathedral of
Santa Maria del Mar, the
most impressive Gothic
church in Barcelona and
all of Spain. We also
visited Gaudi’s great
a r c h i t e c t u r a l A photo from our pilgrimage to
masterpieces including Fatima
the Church of La
Sagrada Familia (Church of the Holy Family). Construction
of Gaudi’s church started in 1882 but still remains
unfinished to this day - its expected completion date is in
2026.

89
From Barcelona, I shall now highlight the trail that St
Ignatius took on his return to Loyola after the war with
France. At Monserrat Abbey, we visited the room – a little
cubical – where Ignatius laid down his sword and decided
to live according to Christ's teachings. With special
permission we were allowed to enter the room one at a
time for just a few minutes each. Our next stop was
Manresa. We visited the cave (stone cave) of St Ignatius
and had mass celebrated by Fr Charles at the shrine where
Ignatius spent 8 months in solitude and contemplation. It is
interesting to note that the chapel and all its seats are hewn
out of stone. From Manresa our next destination was
Pamplona in Northern Spain, the town where during the
civil war, Ignatius was hit by a cannonball and his leg was
severely injured. A plaque of St Ignatius was installed at the
site where he was shot. During his convalescence, he read
the only book available, which was on the life of Christ
which ended up changing his life.

The next stop was Javier, the hometown and monastery of

St Francis Xavier. We had a mass at the shrine of Francis
Xavier, after which we toured the castle and viewed the
many exhibits depicting Xavier’s missionary work in India,
the Far East and China, where he died before he could start
his mission. I remember at that one point during the tour Fr
Charles was dressed like a pauper and sitting in a corner of
the castle begging for alms, re-enacting what Ignatius did
at one time.

We finally arrived in Loyola, had a short tour of the Basilica

and then spent the night in an old but comfortable hotel
rumoured to be haunted. Luckily there were no ghosts!

90
 Our pilgrimage group at Loyola Basilica

The next day we had a guided tour of Ignatius’ family

mansion, the chapel where he spent time and finally
discerned and decided to become a Jesuit. There were
paintings of St Peter visiting Ignatius when he was very ill,
recovered, and his eventual death in Rome. Mass was
celebrated at the place of conversion and a relic of St
Ignatius is displayed after mass. I served mass, wearing a
cassock. The local priests thought I was the priest, as I
looked so much older than Fr Charles!

We toured the garden of the Basilica, where priests had

their retreats as well as the family burial site before leaving
for Salamanca, the old university town. Founded in 1100,
the University of Salamanca was a key intellectual centre in
Europe, and is purportedly as old as Oxford and
Cambridge Universities. Today the University of Salamanca
remains a prestigious school that continues to attract not

91
only Spanish but international students as well. Quite a
number of Jesuits studied there.

Relics of St Ignatius of Loyola

Not far from Salamanca was Coimbra in Portugal. We

visited the historical University of Coimbra, famous for its
centuries old library with a touch of Chinese influence. We
had time to do some shopping before we left for Fatima,
where we stayed in a small hotel just outside the plaza of
the Basilica. Many people were already there as it was a
national holiday, and many were pilgrims like ourselves.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima is set in a huge area

with a shrine and pilgrimage complex where the Virgin
Mary appeared to three children with a huge central
Basilica and several side chapels.

We visited the shrine of the 3 children who witnessed the

apparitions of Our Lady in 1919. They were Lucia,
Francesco, and Jacinta. Fr Charles arranged for a private

92
mass in English with 3 other English priests at the Chapel
of Apparitions.

At the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima

The canonically-crowned image of the Lady of Fatima is

enshrined within the Chapel of Apparitions. Some pilgrims
were seen crawling on their knees from the entrance of the
square to the chapel of Our Lady, more than 100 metres
long, as a way of doing penance.

Fatima is a good place for silent prayer and reflection when

not during peak season, when it is quiet and less crowded.
In the evening there was rosary and a candle light
93
procession at the square and thousands of pilgrims took
part. We spent some time in the Adoration room and
watched a video on the lives of Lucia, Francesco and
Jacinta.

Some of us, including Fr Charles took a train to nearby

Lisbon to visit the St Jeromino Monastery and St Anthony
Padua, the Franciscan friar’s birthplace. St Anthony is
known to be the patron saint of lost and found and for his
intercession in times of need. We also had a chance to
taste the original Portuguese egg tart before returning to
Fatima.

From Fatima we returned to

Spain and visited Avila, the
walled cloister of the Carmelite
nuns’ religious order founded by
St Teresa of Avila. We were very
fortunate because our guide
knew the place well and we
were able to enter and see
Teresa’s inner private sanctuary.
St Teresa was canonised at the
same time as Francis Xavier, St
John of the Cross and St
Ignatius.
Statue of Our Lady of Fatima
From Avila we proceeded to
Madrid where we spent a day
before flying home. Madrid is a
large city with huge plazas and is also notorious as a
pickpocket city. One of our friends almost had his wallet
pickpocketed but was warned by his alert friends.
94
A few of us decided to transit in Paris for a few days before
flying home. Fr Charles was with us and he took us to see
the Jesuits’ retirement home. We also visited and attended
mass at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
which is an important place of prayer and pilgrimage that
draws believers from all over the world. This is the chapel
where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St Catherine
LaBoure in 1830 and requested the creation of the medal
which came to be known as the Miraculous Medal for
“great graces” and used for miracle healing. It is also the
home and motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity of St
Vincent de Paul. During mass I noticed for the first time that
the nuns were altar servers
and also communion
ministers. We spent some
time sightseeing in Paris and
enjoyed good French food
before flying home.

Over the next two years, I

made two more pilgrimages.
In March 2007 we went to the
Holy Land with Fr Tom O’
Neill as our spiritual director.

After much persuasion, Kah

Tin decided to join us and
that was her only pilgrimage
with us. It was a very
Kah Tin and I with Fr Tom comprehensive 13 day trip so
O’Neill I shall just give the highlights
of the trip.

95
For 13 days we followed in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
Our tour started in Tel Aviv. En route to Nazareth we visited
the Amphitheatre, the Roman ruins and the water
aqueduct. In Nazareth we visited the Annunciation Church,
and then went to St Joseph’s home, Mary’s well and
springs. We then went on to Cana, where Jesus performed
his first miracle by turning water into wine. At the Church all
married couples had their marriage “solemnised” by a local
priest, with each couple then receiving a mock certificate.
After that we went to Mt Tabor, the site of the
transfiguration of Jesus Christ.

Renewing our vows at Cana

The next day we attended mass on top of the Mountain of

Beatitudes, visited the Church of the Multiplication of Fish
and Loaves, and took a boat ride in the Sea of Galilee.

We then continued on to Capernaum, visiting the town of

Jesus and the house of Peter. Next was the beautiful city of
Haifa where we ascended Mt Carmel to enjoy a panoramic
view of the bay of Haifa and the Hanging Gardens of the

96
Bahai shrine. We then proceeded to the River Jordan, and
here Fr O’ Neill performed a token baptism for us. We saw
a group of Korean pilgrims fully immersed in the water in
baptism.

Kah Tin and I visiting the Sea of Galilee

Our next stop was Jericho, the oldest town in the Holy
Land. We visited the Sycamore tree where Jesus asked
Zacheaus the tax collector to meet him, then on to
Qumram where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. We
also visited Masada, the last Jewish stronghold against the
Roman invasion. We visited the Dead Sea, the lowest point
on earth at 400 metres below sea level, and it was one of
my highlights of the trip. Many of us dipped in the sea to
experience the weightlessness of the water which is full of
mineral salts. We were warned not to get the water into our
eyes. It was a wonderful experience.

97
 Visiting the Dead Sea

Next we visited Mt of Olive, the Church of Ascension, Peter

Nostar Church and enjoyed a panoramic view of the old
city of Jerusalem. We continued on to visit the Garden of
Gethsemane, King David’s tomb and the Upper room. Then
we proceeded to visit
Bethlehem, the Nativity Church,
the milk grotto and the
shepherd’s field. We also visited
Bethany, the house of Mary and
Martha and the tomb of Lazarus.

Back in Jerusalem we had to

wake up early in the morning to
get into the queue to see the
underground tomb of Jesus in
the Holy Sepulchre Church. We
could only crawl down one at a
time, and only stayed for a short
while. Visiting the tomb of Jesus

This was followed by a

wonderful experience walking through the 14 Stations of
the Cross in the old city of Jerusalem. Most of the stations
98
were located at narrow street corners. The shops on each
side were mainly souvenir shops run by Palestinians and
Jews who worked and lived side by side harmoniously. We
visited the Wailing Wall which was also an experience as
every male needed to wear the Jewish cap before
approaching the Wall to insert messages. The women
visited a separate wall nearby. We also visited the Church
of John the Baptist and the Church of Visitation, and even
walked along the road to Emmaus.

Serving mass with Fr O’Neill

Our last tour was to the new city of Jerusalem and the
Israeli museum where the Shrine of the Dead Sea scrolls
are displayed, as well as the model Holy Land during the
times of Jesus Christ. We concluded with a visit to the
Holocaust museum.

It was in Jerusalem that we saw for the first time how the
Jews observe the Sabbath. Since they did not cook on the
Sabbath, only cold food was served in hotel restaurants.
They could not even press elevator buttons, and thus
99
everything had to be programmed beforehand. There were
no cars on the road in the Jewish quarters. This showed
how disciplined they were, and how efficient, wealthy and
strong, the country was, despite its small size.

The following year, in 2008, I went on my third and last

pilgrimage. This time it was to Lourdes in France and then
to Italy. Fr Ponnadurai was our spiritual director. We
encountered some problems as Fr Pon had problems
walking and the pilgrimage involved lots of walking. We
arrived in Paris and took the train to Lourdes in Southern
France. Lourdes is a religious complex well known for
pilgrimages and healing of the sick, encompassing a
grotto, baths and sanctuaries. Our group stayed in several
small hotels across a river from the sanctuary where there
were many souvenir shops and restaurants which were
crowded with tourists and pilgrims day and night. The
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes or the Domain surrounds
the Catholic shrine (grotto) to our Lady of Lourdes, and is a
final destination for pilgrims and also the sick hoping to be
miraculously healed by Lourdes’ holy water. The grotto is
one of the most visited places and here we had our own
private mass celebrated by Fr Pon.

Near the grotto were many fountains where we collected

holy water. We had Stations of the Cross in certain areas of
the sanctuary designated for this purpose. I went for the
bath despite the long queue as I wanted to experience it,
and what an experience it was! I couldn’t believe that as
soon as I emerged from the water, my skin was dry even
though I had not wiped it!

100
 Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes

One evening we attended a candlelit procession with our

Lady’s statue where a huge crowd was gathered to recite
the rosary, and it was held in the massive underground
Basilica, the largest church in the domain with a capacity of
2500 worshipers. The upper Basilica is known as the
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. There is also the
Chapel of Reconciliation where priests are present all the
time to hear confessions in different languages. It was a
good pilgrimage, and my only regret was that I did not
have the chance to visit the tomb of St Bernadette and to
view her uncorrupted body at Nevers, France.

From Lourdes we moved south to the French Riviera and

Nice, which is notable for its annual international film
festival. We had a brief stop to walk along the famous
Riviera Beach to take photos of the numerous bikini clad
women sunbathing on the sandy beach. Fr Pon was
probably somewhat embarrassed to see so many scantily
clad women. We drove past Monaco and had a brief view
of the Palace and Casino of Monaco. It was a scenic and
hilly coastal drive through Monaco into Italy. Our first stop
101
was Venice and we walked to places of interest like St
Mark’s Square, Basilica and even visited a glass blowing
factory. Fr Pon had great difficulty walking, and especially
when we had to go up and down the Rialto Bridge.

From Venice we proceeded to Rome and the Vatican. Fr

Emmanuel Lim, S.J., who was based in Vatican radio
broadcasting, was there to welcome us. He was our guide
in the Vatican and showed us all the places of interest
including St Peter’s Basilica. He even took us down to the
basement to see St Peter’s tomb as well as the tomb of
Pope John 23. We wanted to visit the Sistine Chapel to see
the ceiling painted by Michelangelo but it was too
crowded. Instead Fr Emmanuel brought us to see all the
relevant paintings in the chapel that were displayed in the
garden. I am not too sure but I think we went back to the
square to catch Pope Benedict XVI’s appearance at noon in
St Peter’s Square. Before we left the Vatican we enjoyed a
hefty pizza lunch with Fr Emmanuel in a café just outside St
Peter’s Square. Next we visited the Papal Basilica of St Paul
outside the wall. It is the second largest Basilica after St
Peter’s Basilica and was built on the burial ground of St
Paul.

After that we visited the ancient Catacombs of Rome, the

underground burial places of Romans. It was a huge tunnel
and it took time to walk from its entrance to the exit as it
was several kilometres long. Apparently, in Rome there are
more than 60 catacombs consisting of hundreds of
kilometres of underground passages that hold thousands
of tombs but currently only five of them are open to the
public. We then went on a tour visiting the Colosseum, the
ancient Roman amphitheatre used for gladiatorial games,
102
which was seen in the movie Gladiator where many bloody
games took place. We then visited the Roman Forum
where we saw the ruins of former buildings, memorials and
other statues in the famous Roman public plaza. Before
leaving Rome we stopped by the Trevi Fountain, which is
one of the world’s most famous fountains. It reminded me
that I had seen it years ago in a Hollywood movie “Three
Coins in the Fountains”. It is believed that if you throw a
coin into the Fountain, you are likely to visit again. It
seemed to come true for me, though, because the first time
I visited Trevi in the 60s, I did throw a coin in, and I have
since returned there more than once over the years.

Next we went to San Giovanni

Rotondo, the home of St Pio the
Pietralcina, who is popularly known
as Padre Pio. He was a friar, priest,
stigmatist and mystic who joined
the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.
He is one of the most popular
contemporary saints much
v e n e r a t e d b y C a t h o l i c s . We
managed to view the uncorrupted
Fr Padre Pio body of Fr Pio lying in his casket in
the old church. Next we visited the
Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, the
founder of the Franciscan Order of the Friars. St Francis is
the patron saint of ecologists, a title honouring his
boundless love for animals and nature. The Order of
Franciscans is also the custodian of the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre in Jerusalem Holy Land. Our last place of visit
was the Benedictine Monastery at Monte Casino. It was like

103
a walled city, and once inside there
was a beautiful sprawling garden.
The Benedictines or the Order of St
Benedict is a monastic religious
order of monks and nuns that follow
the rules of St Benedict, which are a
vow of poverty, chastity and
obedience. They are also
sometimes called the Black Monks,
in reference to the colour of its
members’ religious habits. The
Benedictine crucifix with the medal The Benedictine cross
in the middle signifies the power to
ward off evil, hence it is popular as a religious gift. Some
people bring one along with them when they travel and
place it in their hotel room to protect them from evil spirits.

We also visited Lanciano and celebrated mass in the

church where we had a close view of an Eucharistic Miracle
which occurred in the 8th century, where Jesus' flesh and
blood was actually seen inside a monstrance after
consecration. After Lanciano, it was back to Rome for our
trip home. As we had some time before our flight, Fr Pon
suggested that we visit the Jesuit church and attend mass
before departure. He was so long winded that together
with the heavy traffic we actually arrived at the airport late
where we were barred from checking in. We explained to
the officials that if we were to miss the flight we would also
miss our connecting flight from Paris to Singapore, and that
there were more than 30 people in our group. As they were
sympathetic and let us board the flight, Fr Pon later said

104
that he was not worried as he prayed very hard that it
would be alright and it was.

I have completed the three major pilgrimages in Fatima,

Lourdes and the Holy Land and experienced the spiritual
aspects of these trips. After these pilgrimages it was time to
travel for leisure.

In 2007, I celebrated my 70th (official) birthday with a

dinner at the “Bunker” room at SICC. Guests included my
relatives, old school mates, golfing buddies, ex-colleagues
and church friends including Fr Colin, Fr Charles and my
good friend Mr Lee and his wife from KL.

Some highlights from my 70th birthday party

105
Kah Tin and I made several trips over the years, to Australia,
China, Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand, with different
groups of friends, church friends, Malaysian friends, and
the Kub Koos. I’ve also been on various golfing trips with
my golf buddies to Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Japan,
Korea, Australia, Thailand, and Indonesia over a span of 40
years.

One of our golfing trips to Japan in the mid 1990s was

special because Lim Chin Beng, our regular golf buddy
(who was then our Ambassador to Japan) was our host,
and we stayed in his residence. He took leave from work to
personally drive us to all the golf courses we played at. In
the evening we strolled around Roppongi to look for good
Japanese food. We were very fortunate as it was the cherry
blossom season and we enjoyed the beautiful sights at
Ueno Park. On one occasion we even stayed overnight in a
Rakuen as it was too late to drive back to Tokyo after golf,
and we had dinner served by beautiful geishas.

Cherry blossoms in Japan

Our trip to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai was also interesting
because we visited the Golden Triangle where Thailand,
Laos and Myanmar meet. We actually crossed the borders
106
of all three countries in one place where our passports
were stamped. Santaburi golf course in Chiang Rai is one
of the best golf courses in Thailand.

Our first trip to China with Mr Lee and friends from

Malaysia was particularly interesting. We started off in
Beijing where we spent several days visiting prominent
places such as the Great Wall of China, the Summer Palace,
Tiananmen, Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum, the flea market, “Ku
Cheng” and the Forbidden City. We also visited the old city
in Beijing and its hutongs. Hutongs are alleys formed by
rows of siheyuan, or traditional courtyard residences. Many
neighbourhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to
another to form a hutong, and then one hutong was joined
to another to form a neighbourhood. We stopped at
several residences and had refreshments. We travelled by
trishaws to get to the hutongs as the passages were very
narrow. We had Peking Duck in a well-known restaurant
served by ladies dressed in Qing Dynasty costumes. From
the restaurant we had a good view of the “Bird’s Nest”
Olympic stadium nearby. Beijing is a big city with many
modern high rise buildings consisting of offices and hotels.
The Shangri-La under the Kerry Group has a big presence
here and we stayed in one of their hotels – Central World –
in the heart of the Central Business District and Financial
Centre. Traffic is always heavy and chaotic in and around
Beijing.

From Beijing we moved on to Taiyuan, an old historical

town. It was the provincial capital of many dynasties in
China. It had a main manufacturing base and was one of
the greatest industrial cities in China. It was also the
original financial centre where the first Chinese currency
107
note was printed and also first minted coins. Taiyuan was
noted for its coal mining and we visited a mock-up mine.
We took a lift many feet below ground to see how coal was
mined from the rocky walls, and we even sat in a carriage
that was used to transfer coal to a lift, which would then
bring it to the surface. It was quite an experience and it
made me wonder how dangerous it was for the miners to
work hundreds of feet below the ground, and the hazards
they had to face. Even now we still hear about mining
accidents in different parts of China. We walked along the
location where Zhang Yi Mou’s famous movie “Raise the
Red Lantern” was filmed. The actual sets are still kept intact.
The film is about three concubines living with palatial
luxuries in the Master’s house that are competing against
each other in a struggle for his affections, which inevitably
leads to deception, jealous rages and the revelation of
each other’s darkest secrets. It is an award winning film,
and is one of the few movies I went to see in Singapore.

Taiyuan, the setting of the movie "Raise the Red Lantern" by Zhang Yi Mou

From Taiyuan we flew to Qingdao, a port city with

skyscrapers, parks and beaches in China’s eastern
Shandong province. It is famous for its beer, the Tsingtao
108
beer, which is a legacy of the German Occupation
(1848-1914). There was much German-style architecture
and a German house in the old city centre. The good hotel
we stayed in belonged to the Shangri-La group and we
enjoyed wonderful seafood. The city had been spruced up
to host the water sports for the 2008 Beijing Olympic
games.

Next we flew to Shanghai and stayed in Pudong, the new

commercial and financial centre, but we spent most of our
time in Puxi across the Huangpu River that separates
Pudong and Puxi. The famous Bund is one of the most
popular places to walk along. Many of the old late 19th/
early 20th century-era Western-style/colonial-style
buildings are still there, and one of them was HSBC’s
Shanghai Head Office until it was acquired by the
government in the 1950s. The next most popular place to
be is the famous East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall. It is at
least one km long with shops, restaurants and hotels on
both sides. On the 2nd floor balcony of a restaurant/hotel,
we saw a man playing a saxophone to the tune of
“Shanghai Tang”, or “Shanghai Beach”, the theme song of
the famous movie sharing the same name. Apparently he
was there the whole day playing the same tune over and
over again. In the evening, Xintiandi was the most vibrant
place. It was a modern mixture of commercial and
entertainment complexes where the young like to hang out
as there are many boutique restaurants offering both
international and local cuisines.

Not far from Xintiandi was the beautiful former French

Concession in Shanghai, with leafy boulevards, historical
landmarks, commercial buildings and residences. They
109
were built by the French after the British and European
forces defeated the Qing Dynasty during the Opium War in
1842. Despite rampant redevelopment over the last few
decades, the area retains a distinct character and is a
popular tourist destination.

Next we took a day

trip to see the
Wuzhen Water
canal town. Wuzhen
is a 1300 year old
water town and it
was a pleasant
experience strolling
along the
alleyways, ancient Wuzhen Water Town
bridges and classic
Chinese houses. We even took a boat trip along the canals.
We ended our trip with a delicious dinner at a Hangzhou
lakeside restaurant with a beautiful view of sections of the
lake with willow trees all around.

Our next trip with the Lees and our KL friends was to
Chiang Mai, Thailand. Although I had been to Chiang Mai
before, it was only for golf and hence I did not go to any
places of interest for sightseeing. We visited the tribal
villages where we saw tribal women wearing gold bands
around their neck and arms. We also saw their traditional
handicrafts. One of our friends went for an elephant ride,
but I stayed behind to watch the monkey shows. Chiang
Mai has many Thai Chinese who are mainly Teochews,
hence there are many good Teochew restaurants. Good
western and traditional Thai food is also readily available
110
there. The ladies enjoyed shopping for northern Thai
goods in the night market and everyone then adjourned
for traditional Thai massage.

Between 2010 and 2012, Kah Tin and I made several trips
to Hong Kong with church friends, mainly for food and
shopping. On one of the trips we played golf at Fanling
and on another occasion we even crossed over into to
Macau for food and sightseeing (and also to see the
Casinos!) On yet another trip we took a ferry to Zhongshan
to enjoy the famous roasted pigeons or yekap, as it more
commonly known.

One major trip with the church group was to Jiuzhaigou in

Sichuan province in the southwestern region of China. We
flew to Chendu, the capital of Sichuan and took a domestic
flight to Jiuzhaigou which took less than an hour.
Jiuzhaigou Park has altitudes ranging from 2000 to 4500
metres or 6000 to 14800 feet, hence the moment we
arrived we needed oxygen to counter the effects of the
high altitude and thin air.

To view the many clear, sparkling lakes we had to walk

several hundred feet up the hills. Most of our friends
walked, but a few of us including myself decided to take a
sedan chair carried by two people. We stopped at several
levels of the hill to walk around and look at the beautiful
lakes as each one of them has different colours like blue,
green, turquoise etc. Apparently the landscape was shaped
by glacial activity and dammed by rockfalls and other
natural phenomena. It is then solidified by processes of
carbonate deposition.

111
The colours of the lakes were so beautiful and clean and it
was a joy to be able to look at them. The site was granted
the status of UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992,
however, in 2017 a severe earthquake destroyed part of
the park and it was closed for several months before
reopening in mid 2018. Returning to Chengdu, we visited
the famous Dujianyuan Irrigation System, honoured as the
“Treasure of Sichuan ”. The project is the oldest non-dam
irrigation facility with its ingenious 3rd century BC design
(made of bamboo).

We then spent some time at the Chengdu Panda Breeding

Centre. Accompanied by a panda keeper, we strolled
through the baby and adult panda area and learned about
the behaviour and habits of this cute and rare animal.
There is no shortage of bamboo in the centre to feed the
pandas. The opera is another fascinating experience in
Chengdu, and I particularly enjoyed the face changing and
acrobatics.

In 2012 Kah Tin and I made another trip to China with the
Lees and his KL friends. We flew to Kunming and took a
connecting flight to Lijiang which, to my surprise, had a
new and modern airport. In Lijiang we stayed in the Banyan
Tree Resort with individual chalets, and buggies were
provided for each chalet which we had to drive ourselves
to the restaurant in the main lobby building. We spent
some time in the old city of Lijiang which is another
UNESCO World Heritage site. There were many boutique
hotels (I stayed in one of them during one of our earlier
golfing trips), restaurants, shops selling famous Yunnan tea
and other local products. It was very pleasant to walk along
the many streams with clear flowing water.
112
We took a day trip to see one of the many tributaries that
form the beginning of the Yangtze River flowing through
deep gorges, also known as the First Bend of the Yangtze
River. This is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
legendary Tiger Leaping Gorge is a scenic canyon that
forms part of the upper Yangtze. We took a walk along the
track for about one km to get a close-up view of the gorge
and the point where a tiger supposedly leaped over it
(hence the name).

At the Tiger Leaping Gorge

Back in the chalet we had to

drive our buggy to the lobby
restaurant for our dinner. It
was a rather cold night and I
might have caught a chill from
the cold night air. However, I
did not feel sick. On our way
Beautiful fields of Canola
back to Kunming, we stopped
by Luoping country between
Lijiang and Kunming. It was the time of the year that the

113
canola flowers were in full bloom. It turned the whole area
into a sea of spectacular yellow flowers as far as the eye
could see. What a magnificent sight! The fields of canola,
also known as rapeseed, are used in the production of
cooking oil.

By the time we had finished our simple meal at the food

stalls nearby, I was feeling a little tired and out of breath. By
the time we arrived at our hotel in Kunming I was feeling
quite sick and had no appetite for dinner. Seeing my
condition, my friends cancelled our booking at a top notch
restaurant for dinner and instead accompanied me to a
government hospital that catered to foreigners.

The doctors at the hospital checked me thoroughly and an

x-ray was taken; after which they told us that I could have
pneumonia and should be warded. However, Dr Teo of our
group was against the idea since we were leaving for home
the next day. To get me discharged from the hospital we
had to sign some forms of guarantee absolving the
hospital from liability should anything happen to me. To my
surprise the bill was only a paltry RMB100 (S$20) for the
whole process. Back at the hotel I was feeling quite unwell –
apparently my face turned grey during the night. Kah Tin
must have felt very frightened herself that night but thank
God I pulled through. It was strange, because I had been
up the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on a previous golfing
trip to Lijiang and I had felt normal except for a little
drowsiness due to the lack of oxygen. But this time it was
somehow different.

I was very apologetic to Mr Lee and the rest of the party for
upsetting their schedule and causing them to miss out on a
114
good dinner at a famous restaurant. However, Mr Lee said
that he had had bad diarrhoea that same night and could
not eat well either – it must have been the food we ate at
the stalls in Luoping! We all left Kunming for home the next
morning. It was a good but memorable holiday.

Upon my arrival at Changi Airport, my son-in-law Michael

came to fetch us and we went straight to Mt Alvernia
Hospital’s emergency department, and after initial checks I
was warded immediately. A respiratory doctor came to see
me and said there was lots of water in my lungs. He
managed to get the water out. After taking the medicine, I
got up almost every hour to go to the toilet to relieve
myself. The next morning the respiratory doctor told me
that his job was done and that he would now hand me over
to a heart consultant as my heart had been affected by the
respiratory problem.

Dr Ho Kheng Thye, the heart consultant at Mt Alvernia

Medical Centre saw me for the first time. He checked me
and said my heart was in good condition except for some
irregular heartbeat. In order to be certain of his diagnosis
he sent me for a CAT scan. The scan showed that I had no
blockage in my heart valves and my heart was generally
good except that I now had arterial filberation or AF in
short. It is the condition of irregular heartbeat. No surgery
on my heart was required; I only have to take medicine to
make sure that blood still flows well in my heart to ensure
that no blockages occur that can cause a heart attack or
even a stroke. Thank God, as that was wonderful news.

Dr Ho has since been my consultant cardiologist for the

past 7 years. He advised that I must stay healthy, and that
115
walking and golfing are just several ways of ensuring it. He
encourages me to continue to golf regularly, and even
walking in shopping malls is good. Kah Tin was extremely
happy to hear that as she likes going to shopping malls
after dinner to walk and shop.

After this episode, over the years Kah Tin and I continued
our travels with various groups of friends, but only to
nearby places like HK, Bangkok and KL. Going to places of
high altitudes is definitely out of bounds. I still continue
golfing overseas in Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Haikou,
Hainan Island, China and Bangkok as I did before, but
places like Kunming and
Lijiang are definitely out.

I even went to visit a

refugee camp in Thailand
with some church friends.
The camp near the
border of Myanmar is
one of many refugee
camps for Karen
refugees who want to Tribeswomen of the Longneck
seek asylum in western Karen Hill Tribe Village
countries, especially the
US and Canada. To reach the camp we flew to Chiang Mai
then went by car to Mae Sot where we stayed overnight
before driving a 4-wheel drive Land Rover to the camp
called Mae La Oon.

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) helps to run the camp

manned by local officials who are English speaking. The
refugees at the camp number about 100 plus young adults
116
both male and female. There is a makeshift school where
the ‘students’ learn English and some other technical skills.

At Mae La Oon

Most houses are built

out of wood and stand
on long stilts and the
ones we stayed in had
wooden plank floors.
Minimal electricity is
supplied by a small
generator. Water is
obtained from wells. We slept on the floor with mosquito
nets. It was comfortable but could become quite chilly at
night. The only inconvenience was that if you needed to go
to the washroom at night, you needed to walk out to
another outhouse nearby, without shelter and only a torch
for light. We brought with us some cash (as a private
donation) and some basic supplies for the camp. A priest
from Mae Sot came once a month to celebrate mass at the
camp. Despite having to endure a bit of hardship the trip
was a good experience.

117
 Chapter Seven

CELEBRATING
MILESTONES

On 19 January 2014, Kah Tin and I celebrated our 50th

wedding anniversary. A thanksgiving mass was held at St
Ignatius Church and celebrated by Fr Colin Tan with 5 other
Jesuit priests as co-celebrants.

It was very well attended by relatives and friends. To us, this

was a “proper” wedding mass as the one we had 50 years
ago was held during an ordinary Sunday mass, hence we
did not have the readings of our choice nor the choir
singing the songs of our choice. After mass a lunch
reception was held at the Singapore Island Country Club
ballroom at Thomson Road. In my thank you speech, I
highlighted the value of having friends, good friends as
seen from the attendance at mass and the reception. I
specifically pointed out the various groups of friends.

First were my longest and oldest friends, my classmates

from Victoria School (Kub Koos) since 1949 (so it’s been 65
years), my golfing buddies of over 40 years, my ex-
colleagues of over 25 years at HSBC Private Bank and my
church friends (St Ignatius Breakfast Club) of more than 10
years. Kah Tin’s university friends were also present at both
functions.

118
A number of my Malaysian friends also joined in the
celebrations. Our guest speakers were Dr Chang Ming Yu
in English and Clara Lee, our church friend, who spoke in
Mandarin. I think it was a good party and most of them
enjoyed themselves. All angpaos were donated to the
Novena Church Building Fund; St Peter and Paul Church
Restoration Fund and St Ignatius Spiritual Centre. 


Some highlights from day with our family and friends

(center-right: Datin Liang and family; bottom left: Fr

James Tan; bottom right: the late Fr Ponnodurai)

119
 With our church friends

Our 50th Wedding Anniversary certificate from the

Vatican

120
More highlights from day with our family and friends

121
At this juncture I would like to elaborate a little more on our
group, the Kub Koos. The idea for the group name was
mooted during one of our camping trips in Loyang in 1955.
It has no meaning and is not a swear word, so I think it is
more likely that we liked the song Cuckoo Waltz as often
heard during our parties, hence we coined the name “Kub
Koo” or “Kubs” for short.

The Kub Koos in 1954 and 1990

122
That was in 1955 when we decided to start a fund for our
future get togethers and camping trips. After we dispersed,
some went to study in universities and some went to work
in different places such as Kuala Lumpur and Australia.
When we regrouped in 1960s we gave $100 in cash each
to kickstart the fund for investment. We were ambitious. We
wanted to buy land and build a clubhouse for ourselves. It
was just like “building a castle in the air” as Ming Yu called
it.

We could not initially agree on what to do with the funds,

but eventually decided on stocks, so we bought shares. I
was assigned to look after the investment. Initially we
bought local stocks, sold and made some profits. Then we
went with HSBC shares. HSBC was very generous those
years in giving year-end bonus issues and generous
dividends, hence our HSBC shares began to multiply in
value. We collected dividends and it was enough to pay for
periodic dinner presents whenever our children got
married, wreaths when our parents passed away. We had
over the years accummulated a tidy sum in the kitty.
Sometime in 1996 when most of us were way in our 60s,
we got to thinking that
maybe some of us
would not be around
for much longer. So we
started thinking in
terms of dispensing
what we had
accumulated. So we all
decided and sold some
Kub Koos at the Great Barrier Reef
of the shares and went

123
for an eight-day holiday in Cairns and the Gold Coast in
Australia with our wives. It cost us more than $42,000. We
even went out to the Great Barrier Reef and did some
snorkelling in the clear waters there.

Some of us went golfing while others went shopping or

sightseeing. At dinner we occupied half the dining room of
the restaurant from 7pm to midnight reminiscing about the
things that went on in school. We all had a jolly good time.

In 2001 we went on another trip to Yunnan, China. We flew

to Kunming, spent a day sightseeing, then took a cruise
ship to Dali and Erching Lake. It took a few hours and it was
a pleasant cruise with charming scenery on both sides of
the river. We particularly noticed quite a number of huge
statues of Buddha and pagodas. We didn’t spend much
time in Dali as the bus was waiting to take us to Lijiang
about 200km away. It took around several hours as it was
an ascent all the way and the roads were not particularly
good. We didn’t stay in the old city of Lijiang but spent a lot
of time there. We spent time watching how they made
Yunnan tea and other cottage industries for instance local
silverwares, or just pottered around the beautiful clean
streams that flowed across the city.

From Lijiang we went further north to Zhongdian (Shangri-

La). It is about 170km from Lijiang and takes more than
three hours to get there by minibus. It is quite cool as it is at
an altitude of more than 3000 metres. We visited Tibetan
monasteries with large limestone steps. What we
particularly liked were the grasslands at the foot of the
mountain as they are used for horse riding and horse
riding events. More adventurous members of our group
124
 On horseback in Zhongjian

including myself tried horse riding. Each one of us had a

horseman or guide to walk with the horses while we rode
horseback. My horseman was a young boy who could not
handle the horse properly, and it started to take off with me
on it. Luckily another experienced horseman nearby got
my horse under control, otherwise I would have been
thrown off unceremoniously and possibly suffered serious
injuries.

Meanwhile, Thiam Chye suffered severe heart problems

and it was a touch-and-go situation on the flight back to
Kunming. An SOS plane had to take him back to Singapore
from the Kunming airport.

The Kubs celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2004 and we

had a grand dinner at a nice restaurant to commemorate
50 years of friendships. We also decided to donate
$30,000 to Victoria School as an endowment fund with the
measure to be granted to needy students. The fund was to
be named “Bursary Fund from Form 4 Class of 1954” with
the acknowledgement that it was donated by the

125
following: (12 Kubs) Chang Ming Yu, Cheong Boo Hong, S
Dhanabalan, Foo Foong Fong, Khor Thiam Chye, Lim Jit
Ming, Lin Wai Mun, Ng Cheng Onn, Sim Keng Yeow, Tan
Heng Hoe, Tan Hong Nghee, Tay Meng Kwang.

In 2006 we decided that since all 12 of us were past 70

years and are no longer certain as to how much time we
have left to live, that we should liquidate all our shares in
HSBC and distribute the funds. That we did, and we each
received a handsome payout. Over the intervening years
we sadly lost three Kubs – Heng Hoe in 2009, Meng Kwang
in 2010, and Hong Nghee in 2018. However, the remaining
nine of us continue to meet for lunch whenever possible
and for CNY dinner every year with wives and widows.

Kub Koos and wives, 2015

Kub Koos in 2016

126
Kub Koos in 2018

Kub Koos in 2020

127
 Chapter Eight

MY GROWING FAMILY,
AND REFLECTIONS ON
MY LONGEVITY

I left China for Malaya as a small kid with my family to avoid

the Sino-Japanese war in 1937. Unfortunately we had to
live through the Japanese Occupation of Malaya for
several years. When Japan surrendered in WWII in 1945,
my family moved to British Colonial Singapore where we
made our home. Years later came the formation of Malaysia
in 1963 of which Singapore was a component state;
however, in 1965, after two tumultous years, Singapore was
forced out of Malaysia and became an Independent
Sovereign Nation. It is truly an experience to have seen and
lived through it all, those eventful years.

After that came working life, courtship, marriage and finally

family. As far as marriage is concerned, it wasn't easy from
the very beginning as Kah Tin's father objected to our
relationship. However, through love and perseverance I
succeeded in winning KT's hand in marriage. I think this
has to be my greatest achievement and the happiest
moment of my life; but at the same time, I admire and
sympathise with KT's courage and her personal sacrifice

128
(including the loss of a personal relationship with her
father) for love.

In the beginning, it was just the two of us - KT and myself.

Then came Hui Min, our first daughter and Chi Hui, our son.
Ten years after the arrival of Hui Min, Hui Lin, our younger
daughter, came on board. As there were now three kids,
we had broken the (Government's) rule to "Stop at Two".
It’s ironic, then, that now the Government wants you to
carry on and have three or four kids if you can manage.

Our first child, Hui Min

Our first child Hui Min brought us a lot of happiness and

instilled in us a sense of pride because she was a lovely
baby. Whenever we returned from work we would take her
for walks and on weekends we would go to the Botanic
Gardens to enjoy the flowers, plants and ancient trees. One
favourite was the swans sailing in the lotus pond.

Next came Chi Hui and by this time, our hands were full,
trying to juggle work and family as we wanted to be good
parents but were both still working full time. Fortunately,
helpers were readily available at very reasonable salaries.

129
When Hui Lin joined us 10 years later, the older children
were good playmates to their much younger sister, and she
was doted on by everyone in the family.

Throughout their growing years all three children attended

Nanyang Kindergarten and later Hui Min was enrolled in
CHIJ, while Chi Hui joined SJI and Hui Lin attended RGS.
They did commendably well; Hui Min joined the NUS Law
Faculty, Chi Hui joined Embry Riddle Aeronautical
University in the US, and Hui Lin went to University College
London to study biochemical engineering. Both Hui Min
and Hui Lin also managed to attain a Masters Degree.

Over the next few years the three grown children found
their life partners and settled down to married life one by
one. Hui Min wed Michael in 1993, Chi Hui and Margaret in
1996, and Hui Lin to Wee Teck in 2004. Between them they
brought us eight grandchildren, four boys and four girls -
Marcus, Melissa and Matthew from Hui Min, Gillian,
Gabrielle and Gideon from Chi Hui, and Timothy and Claire
from Hui Lin.

Photos from Hui Min and Michael's wedding in 1993

130
 Chi Hui and Margaret, 1996

Hui Lin and Wee Teck, 2004

Kah Tin and I with our first

grandchild, Marcus, in 1994

Gabrielle and I in my favourite

chair, early 2000s

Kah Tin, Marcus, Melissa, Gillian and

I, 2000

131
 Fun with the grandkids when they
were younger

When they first started married life and had their first child,
each of the couples would stay with us for a period of two
to three years before they moved out into their own homes.
So in the early years we were also carers, drivers, playmates
and so on to the grandchildren in our home. They were so
attached to our house and accustomed to living with us
that when the time came for granddaughter Gillian to
leave, she asked why she had to leave her own home. Two
of our grandchildren are now in Nanyang Technological
University and the National University of Singapore, while
one has already graduated and started work.

Melissa, our oldest granddaughter, was the one who

orchestrated the planning of our 50th wedding anniversary

132
celebrations in 2014. Together with her classmates, she
took the photos and videos at the church service and lunch
reception during the event. It was all thanks to her that the
celebrations went smoothly.

The eight grandchildren

Our family of 16, taken during CNY 2020

There are now 16 of us in the family, comprising KT and

myself, three married couples and eight grandchildren. The
133
oldest, Marcus, is now 25 years old while the youngest,
Claire, is 8 years old.

Between them and us we make a happy crowd that

overflows at the dining table when we gather every
weekend for dinner together. Saturday dinner has become
a family tradition cherished over the years and it is also
unusual for any family member to be absent. Everyone
enjoys grandma's cooking even though it is not restaurant
standard and style. But it is grandma's pleasure to see all
the dishes and plates get emptied out each time. During
birthdays, anniversaries and other memorable occasions,
we eat dinner outside.

It’s always a pleasure to host a gathering for the family and

it warms my heart to see all of them gathered. The Saturday
dinners are also opportunities for Kah Tin and I to tap on
the expertise of the grandchildren in solving our computer
and phone problems. It is always amazing to us that what
we find such complex problems can be solved by them in
the blink of an eye.

I pray that the Lord will give me good health so that I can
continue to carry out my church duties; to golf and attend
social activities for many more years; and that I can
continue to enjoy my two birthday celebrations every year.
And most of all, I feel that I have been truly blessed in my
most treasured and beloved possessions, my family
members, who truly "warm the cockles of my heart".

I have come a long way, having experienced wars, political

crises, financial crises and social unrest. I managed to
survive and come out on top of them unscathed. Francis

134
Foo, you've had a jolly good innings, as the cricketers and
those who know the game would say.

Thanks be to God!

Francis Foo Foong Fong

February 2020

135
OTHER MEMORIES IN PHOTOS
My siblings and their spouses throughout the years


As of 2019, three of my siblings have passed on - Vincent in 2009,

Men Fong in 2018 and Margaret in 2019. Grandmother passed away
in 1955, aged 77, Father in 1977, aged 75, and Mother in 2001, aged
95.

136
Golf trips to Zhongshan

Eating freshly plucked lychees in Guangzhou - these were so good that

the owners supposedly had to pay thousands of dollars to buy the trees.

Holiday at Mt Bromo, Surabaya, 1980s

137
China trip, 2000s

Great Wall

138
Tiananmen

Dali

139
 Jiuzhaigou trip, 2005

Being carried to the lakes in a

sedan chair

140
 Golfing throughout the years

Founding members of our golfing

group, in the early 70s

L-R: the late Chan Hon Chee, myself,

Teeing off during charity
Chew Weng Kong, John Chou
golf, early 70s

L-R: The late Edwin Chan, Peter Lai and myself, 1980s
in Bangkok

141
 In China in the 1990s

Golf with Dato Arul in RSGC Kuala Lumpur, 1990s

With Gek Choo at World Bank's Bretton Wood Golf

Course in Washington DC in the 1990s

142
 Spring City Golf Course in Kunming, 2000s

Golfing in Japan hosted by Lim Chin Beng and

the late Winnie Lim

On Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang, 3000m

143
 Other family photos

Outing with Gabby, Gillian, Clara Chan and family to

KL, late 2000s

Group photo with Jean and Dan at the Kings Hotel, late 2010s

Group photo at Melissa's 21st birthday celebration

144
 My 83rd birthday celebration

Celebrating Chinese New Year 2020 with St Ignatius

of Loyola

145
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book was a family effort. I owe many thanks to the following:

Melissa Chang

Gabrielle Foo

Matthew Chang

Marcus Chang

K.T Chua

Felicia Foo

146
147
 FRANCIS FOO FOONG FONG (F 4):
A BLESSED LIFE

SELF-PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY 2020