Sekolah Menengah Sri Perhentian, Pontian

Address:
Jalan Parit Ibrahim,
82000 Pontian, Johor
Tel: 07-687 1606
Fax: 07-686 3225

LBTS - Lesson 1

Dear All,

Several of you expressed the interest in knowing more about Low Body Temperature Syndrome (LBTS). As such, i shall begin sharing about this condition beginning today. Let's be informal, and i shall try to respond to all possible queries that generated from this sharing as soon as i can.

Lesson 1 is a case taken from my second book dedicated to Low Body Temperature Syndrome (to be released in end 2009). Hope it's useful.

TT is a young man (age 32) from Penang. He has been working in Singapore for the last 6 years and is now married with a Singaporean wife. He came to see me asking for help. The following is TT’s account:

After reading your low body temperature syndrome account in your facebook, I found your description is precisely what I’ve been experiencing in the last 4 years. I have extreme cold hands and feet in the early morning. I’ve stiff backs. I also have serious fatigue, after a vigorous basketball game, it takes me 3-4 days to recover. I cannot concentrate in my work, luckily my present work responsibility is not too heavy. I have a weak stomach and easily get diarrhea after meals that last for 3-4 hours. I easily get sick and down with flu frequently. At times, I’ve sinus, sneezing 30-40 times continuously early in the morning before stopping, and may return to sneeze again at a later time. I exercise regularly and have been eating healthily and living healthily but I am still growing sideways, I am over 90kg now.

I’ve given up hope on GPs. I saw several of them. After checking on me, they said I was there to ask for MC as there was nothing wrong with me! How can it be? The Chinese physicians are better, at least they told me that I am 虚寒(cold), and gave me medications to rectify the problems. It works slightly but the problem never got resolved. They also recommended “tuina” and acupuncture which I took up, but the problem kept coming back again and again. More recently, the problem list seems to be growing, and I’ve exhausted all the available options that I know.

This is a typical case of a patient suffering from low body temperature syndrome.

On further questioning, TT revealed that he started to suffer from some of the above conditions 4 years ago. During that period, he experienced extreme stress. His work place stress plus his mother being diagnosed of terminal stage breast cancer. Although he is no longer having any stress now (his mum passed away and he has since changed job) but the problems he was experiencing still persists, in fact getting worst!

Again this is a classic example of LBTS. His conditions will NOT get better unless he can raise his internal body temperature by 1 degree Celsius! Once he achieves that, his health conditions will miraculously improve substantially!

This real life account is a clear cut case of LBTS, it is well documented, but I must sadly say that many GPs are ignorant of this condition because medical textbooks don’t describe this.

To know more about the possible symptoms of LBTS, read the attached flyer that I’ve produced. They are available from my hydrotherapy centre or nearby clinics of GPs whom I am working with.

If you have family members or friends who are suffering from this condition for years, refer them to me. Within 3 months, they should have very good results.

Best regards,

Meng Kwang

The legend of Pontian

The former Pontian government office which has since been demolished.

PONTIAN: The south-western district of Johor, derived its name from a not-so-glamorous source.

The old mosque in Pontian Kecil.

A sundry shop in Kukup, which was once the district capital.

Stilt houses are still common in Kukup.

If you think it was from the blood-sucking pontianak, or vampire, you would be wrong.

Rather, the name has to do with the pirates in the Straits of Malacca, who hijacked vessels near Kukup at the south-westernmost tip of the peninsula.

One of their hiding grounds was called Perhentian Besar (Big Stopover) while another was Perhentian Kecil (Small Stopover), both located at the estuary of two different rivers.

The pirates shortened the names to Pontian Besar and Pontian Kecil, and the rivers to Sungai Pontian Besar and Sungai Pontian Kecil.

Ironically, Pontian Besar is merely a small fishing village today while Pontian Kecil has evolved into the district's capital and commercial centre.

Some, however, say Pontian does not have its roots in either Pontian Besar or Pontian Kecil but in Kukup. Yet others say the name came from Pulau Pisang.

According to historical records, an Arab merchant from Singapore, Syed Muhamad Alsagoff, appealed to the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Abu Bakar, to let him develop a piece of agricultural land in Johor in 1878.

Not only was his request granted, he was also allowed to choose his site.

The merchant left Teluk Belangah in Singapore in a boat and toured along the southwestern coast of Johor to find this ideal land. He earmarked Kukup, a fishing village populated by Malays from Malacca.

During the era, Kukup was the capital of Kukup District.

The Sultan of Johor granted the land at Sungai Pontian Besar, Sungai Pontian Kecil, Sungai Permas and Sungai Jeram Batu to Syed Muhamad, who later brought in the Javanese to plant rubber, sago, coconut, coffee, pineapple and spices.

He named his farms Constantinople Estate, and printed his own currency in denominations of two, one, 25 and 50 cents for use in his farm.

All produce were sent to Singapore by sea through Kukup.

Syed Muhamad also leased out part of the land to his workers and other merchants.

His ambitious plan for the land prompted more and more Javanese to migrate to Kukup, and the port grew in size.

When Syed Muhamad died in 1906, his son Syed Omar Alsagoff took control of the land until the British came in 1914.

For administrative purposes, the state government eventually bought back the land at RM1 million in 1926.

To further develop Kukup, the state government built a road linking Kukup and Pontian Kecil.

In 1929, another road was built to link Pontian Kecil and Johor Baru.

The Kukup folk were happy with the two projects, but what they did not realise was that the roads would eventually lead them to their economic demise.

The Pontian Kecil-Johor Baru road helped Pontian Kecil to boom due to its proximity to Johor Baru and Batu Pahat.

With more businesses and government offices set up in Pontian Kecil, Kukup's days of glory were numbered.

Eventually, Pontian Kecil replaced Kukup as the district capital while the district was later renamed Pontian.

Another version says Pontian was first established in Pulau Pisang, a small island with a lighthouse off Pontian Kecil.

Hundreds of years ago, the island and Pontian Kecil were so close to each another that if a cock were to crow in Pulau Pisang, it could be heard in Pontian Kecil. Because of earth movement, the two places are now 12 nautical miles apart.

Based on records, it was Penghulu Merdang who established Pulau Pisang, with villagers planting padi and fruits, especially mangoes.

After his death, his son Basok migrated with some villagers to Pontian Besar to develop the place.

Another story has it that it was Hassan Koris who turned Pontian Besar into an agricultural land and sold its produce to Singapore.

For the older generation, Pulau Pisang is a legendary island formed from a shipwreck.

Legend has it that the only son of a couple from Tanjung Piai ventured into the world and became a big merchant with many vessels years later.

When his vessel stopped at the existing Pulau Pisang one day, his parents were so happy that they prepared much delicious food and travelled in a boat to see their long lost son.

However, their son refused to acknowledge them and chased them away.

While travelling back to Tanjung Piai, the mother cursed her son.

Suddenly, the sky changed colour and a storm came, sinking the vessel, which became Pulau Pisang.

It was named Pulau Pisang as many banana trees were found there.

But whichever version is right, Pontian is inarguably an important agricultural district in Johor today, offering many resources for agro- and eco-tourism.

Kukup has the world's biggest mangrove forest, and Tanjung Piai is a landmark due to its location on the southern-most tip of continental Asia.

Pulau Pisang remains as remote as it was, although the lighthouse there remains a contentious issue as it is run by Singaporeans although the island belongs to Malaysia.

Parenting by Steven Loh Hong Boon

Through all the years of parenting and dealing with young children and youth, I realize that there are always times we do not know what we were talking about. A man's meat is another man's poison sound so true when the channels of communications are colored and distorted according to our whims and dreams. Somehow we want our children to live out our broken dreams!

My point is, we do not owned the children, God place them in our bosom to warm our hearts and let us enjoy the fruit of our procreative power, and at the same time enjoy and to rebuild relationships and teach us to communicate more effectively. Responsible even when things went real wrong and still have to address them rightfully. Very much a humbly act.

A miracle indeed to see live spring forth and blossoms under cares and love. We are steward and their keeper. To take care of them and enjoy them for as long as they
Are with us. Then one day, they will live a live apart from us. The only thing that bear our resemblance and our trade mark: the values we transferred to them and the little actions that they copied from us.

Thus we embraced them each night while they are with us and say, dear, you are special and we love you dearly.

~~~~~

I must say that it is very humbling when bringing up children. I have five of them and all of them have some resemblance to both of us,on the character scale of: loving kindness, generosity,expressiveness, gentleness, zeal, passions, diligence, intellectual,and obedience, all of them have different marks. If taking my
character and my wife, we are so different that we become complimentary. And the character of the children just taken some of mine and some of hers. Nothing is right or wrong, good or bad. We are all just unique and this to a call to be celebrated. We always have family conference to discuss major family issue and the decision is make when everyone feel at peace and agreeable. Due to our many movements throughout our lives, this has help us to build a strong bonds and friendship. Although we also have time of sharp disagreement! Some of their horns are like mine! And we learn to
shake off our anger before the sun came down. Not always true but we try.

The one who took the photos during the CNY Kukup gathering is currently studying A-level in Singapore under ASean scholarship offered by Singapore MOU. I do admire most of your children who build friendship in one locality, all my children are out of Malaysian educational system since couple of years ago when we decided to come to China. Now all of them possess some characteristics of third culture kids. One consolation, they are very closely knitted in their relationship and their spirit. They pray for one another, help each other, console and comfort one another, and spend time to Encourage one another when ones is down or fell out of love, and celebrate with each other when they received rewards or achievement. I think that bring us the greatest joy as parents.


Steven

Yesterday When I Was Young

	Gm	C7	Fmaj7
Yester	day when I was	young, the taste of life was	sweet as

	Bb	Em7
rain upon my	tongue, I teased at life as	if it were a foolish

	A7	Dm
	game, the way an evening	breeze may tease a candle flame.

	Gm	C7
The thousand dreams I	dreamed, the splendid things I	planned, I

	Fmaj7	Bb
always built	alas, on weak and shifting	sand, I lived by night

	Em7	A7	Dm
and	shunned the naked light of	day, and only now I	see how the

years ran away.

	Gm	C7	Fmaj7
Yester	day when I was	Young, so many drinking	songs were

	Bb	Gm	A7
waiting to be	sung, so many wild	pleasures lay in store for	me,

	Dm
and so much pain my	dazzled eyes refused to see.

	Gm	C7
I ran so fast that	time and youth at last ran	out, I never stopped

	Fmaj7	Bb	Gm
to	think what life was all	about, and every conver	sation I

	A7	Dm
can now re	call, concerned itself with	me, and nothing else at all.

	Gm	C7	Fmaj7
Yester	day the moon was	blue, and every crazy	day brought

	Bb	Em7	A7
something new to	do, I used my magic	age as if it were an	wand,

	Dm
and never saw the	waste and emptiness beyond.

	Gm	C7
The game of love I	played, with arrogance and	pride, and every flame

	Fmaj7	Bb
I	lit too quickly, quickly	died, the friends I made all

	Em7	A7	Dm
	seemed, some how to drift	away, and only I am	left, on stage to

end the play.

	Gm	A7
There are so many	songs in me that won't be	sung, I feel the bitter

	Dm	G	Gm
	taste, of tears upon my	tongue, the time has come for	me pay for

	Dm	A7	Gm	Dm	Gm
	yesterday, when	I	was	young

SSP76 50th Birthday Celebration (II) Part 1: Getting Ready

Just before six p.m., the first batch of members comprising mainly of the organizing committee arrived at our venue of rendezvous – Pontian Shangri-la Restaurant. Behind their smiles which reflected unison jovial mood, there was a keen sense of purpose as Lee Chaw Leng and Ng Chun Lan – the registration team, Chin Sik Foong the organizing chairperson and Seah Yong Kwong her assistant, Loh Bee Heng the secretary, Tan Kui Chen the treasurer, Tan Ban Hua the banquet organizer, Tan Soo Gek the door gift/lucky draw coordinator and grogram planners Lee Song Kia and Neo Say Yew set about getting the dinner hall ready to welcome the guests together with Ong Chee Peng and Lin Lian Yin who were part of the welcoming committee.

Appropriately attired in casually smart jeans and shirts with a general demeanor of youthful enthusiasm about the get-together not unlike any similar school events in SSP in their school days so long ago, they seemed young again though they were celebrating their 50th birthday!

Now there is reason to marvel at the ingenuity behind the idea of celebrating midlife birthday with former classmates; it imparts an indescribable meaning to the occasion.

Loh Bee Heng and Tan Ban Hua took specially care to run a final check on the set-up of the premises including banner display and the sound system while early guests Yap Kok Meng and Lim Hong Koon looked on and gave comments. The color combination of the banner, with its blue background which contrasted well with the yellow balloons rendered it striking in the simplicity of a small town restaurant and the wordings on it were appropriate and meaningful whilst the large-print class photos added to it a special touch. In addition, SSP school magazines available for circulating around during the dinner had received much appreciation too. All this was the result of attention to details by these two organizing committee members.

Ho Siew Foong, Yeoh Ah Yong, Goh Yong Khiaw and Koh Mui Cheng took delight in helping to pin the orchid corsage on organizing committee including Master of Ceremony Tan Meng Kwang and Tan Ban Hua. Early guests Yap Foon Peng, Tan Soi Moi and Mr. & Mrs Lee Chai Eng joined in the fun. They laughed, hugged and chirped merrily like a flock of delightful birds.
Such was the fun participation.

SSP76 50th Birthday Celebration (II) Part 2 Guest Arrival

Tan Siew Kiat and Tong Siew Bee were among the first to arrive to be followed by Loh Hong Tian and Oon Pek Choo . TMIS teacher Mr. Chew & wife and Mr. Chua and other students filled in by and by. En masse, an account of such nitty-gritty seemed trivial and unnecessary, but being thus welcome has a special personal meaning to each guest. Worth mentioning is one late comer to the group – Yeo Sak Aip (5SD)who took the trouble to drive all the way from Penang just to be part of the group. The reunion had meant so much to him.

The company and conversation must have been excellent judging from the sustained enthusiasm and the how deeply they had engrossed themselves in the lively exchanges. Good natured bantering and hearty laughs filled the whole place as people got into high spirit seeing more and more once familiar faces appearing before them. Identifying ‘who was who’ became an exciting game as guests tried to guess who each other was.

Think about it, when is the last time in a social setting in which you can turn around and come upon people with whom you have no reservation about striking up a conversation? There is some truth in what Tan Jin Wah and Tan Boon Chip had mentioned in the very beginning while we were deciding on the mode of rendezvous for SSP76’s first reunion : that a three-hour gathering would be too short a time for adequate intermingling for such a special occasion. There was just too much to catch up.

I arrived a little late with Lee Fei Fung at about 7 p.m. as my friend who drove had a busy schedule on that day. The first moment of contact was scintillating and walking past the ‘tunnel’ of former schoolmates to be greeted warmly by each was such a touching sensation. There was no time to register each person as extended hands were offered me but that I must do:
…‘Chan Kok keong ‘…. ‘Ng Bak Seng’…. ‘Tan Ban Hua’ …..‘Tan Ee Keng’…..‘Yeoh Ah Yong’…. ‘Chin Sik Fong’… ‘Tong Siew Bee’… ‘Tong Siew Peng’…….

The Pekan Nenas representatives comprised of Tan Jin Way, Chin Kek Ming, Koh Hoi Eng and Tan Mei Leng. They seemed well pleased with the crowd and joined the party earnestly though they had had their own close-knit reunion a few months ago this year.

The rest of the teachers including Mrs. Mattew & husband, Mr. Tan King Sik, Mr. Wong Kim Hong, Mr. Josepf Santiago etc arrived to be welcome warmly by all. Some of them greeted SBS actor Yap Say Ping, recognizing him from television drama series. I went forward to shake hands with him and his companion Sim Kian Chua and they commented that I was easily recognized. In turn, I had no trouble identifying my Bin Chong Primary School classmates Lee Beng Huat, Goh Yok Loong and Yeo Chan Huat. It was such a happy moment just to see their faces yet once more.

Once most students had arrived, they sought out their classmates in SSP for more in-depth catching up as relationships among them are especially intimate. It was interesting to note how they had intuitively gathered together and seated themselves at a chosen table.

SSP76 50th Birthday Celebration (II) Part 3: The Party Begins

For a long moment, there had been an interlude of disconcertion among the guests as Lee Song Kiah, the Invocator attempted to call them to attention in order to begin the program for the evening. But they seemed to be caught in the web of deepening conversation and were unable to free themselves from the tangle. The Master of Ceremony, Tan Meng Kwang came to his rescue to no avail. Perturbed, I looked around, wondering what could be done. It was too late for remedy at that point in time and all the two gallant gentlemen on stage could do was to laugh the disorder off and impute it to the strength of the first flush of reunion fever. In retrospect, I can envisage how a drinks reception prior to the dinner proper as proposed by Sam months before would have toned down the unrest.

-------Three Degrees: Ma ma mia …..

No real harm had been done though and Lee Song Kiah finally got the audience’s attention and introduced the Master of Ceremony. His excellent academic achievement was certainly enviable but his commitment to fostering a caring community through his involvement in Eldercare is even more worthy of praise. The crowd laughed at Song Kiah’s jokes while Meng Kwang performed his duty according to the planned program. He called upon the Organizing Chairperson, Chin Sik Foong to deliver her speech. All focused their attention on this slim ‘nyonya’ whom many were still trying to associate with the authoritative lean young girl who seemed to be a perpetual class monitor akin to disciplining. But before one could form any association she had already finished with her welcome speech. Surprise, surprise. But come to think of it, who needs a long speech that makes you snooze in a gala such as this?

-----John Denver: You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest……

The one-minute silence in remembrance of our deceased batch mates was solemn and respectful of those who we can but keep alive in our memory.

Kok Pu Long, Ng Ngiap Peng, Pang Hui Kim and Yip Miao Leng , may you rest in peace! Your generous offer of warm friendship will live in us for as long as we live.

-------Willie Nelson wails: you are always on my mind…you are always on my mind…..

‘To Sir with love’ was played to get us into the mood of expressing our gratitude to the teachers in attendance by arising to sing ‘You Raise Me Up’. Yap Fong Peng’s sparkling eyes gleamed with genuine feelings for the teachers, touched by the eloquence of the lyrics which said it all on the students’ behalf. Right before the screen at forefront, Lee Chow Leng and Ho Siew Fong stood posed in their feminine manner to serenade in earnest while Loh Bee Heng sang with gusto in his sonorous voice, raising his arms at some points to help his feelings flow. Ong Chee Peng was seated too far away to see the lyric on screen but dutifully finished the song by referring to a song sheet in hand with conviction. Go Wee Ser looked at him with admiration to cheer him on.
The teachers sat at their tables in a somber manner, obviously moved by this emotive interlude.

----All students & Gosh Groban:
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; You raise me up: To more than I can be.

The first course was served. Some of those at the vegetarian table grumbled at the deep fried starter but I thought it tasted better than what is normally served at regular ones. However, it was understandably hardly an occasion for gastronomy; there was simply no time for masticating. Relatively settled for the first time since arrival, I had the opportunity to greet Tan Eng Bee who crossed over from the next table to our left where his clique comprising of Irene, Ivy, Elsie, Loh Chok Hian, Lam Lee Ring and Yap Kok Meng. He was as congenial as I have remembered him. Neither had he put on too much weight; I am sure he can still play good basketball if he still has the zeal for the sport. This was one of the two tables with more sophisticated taste where wisp of smoke mingled thickly with the scent of alcohol. On our left, 5AA students bombarded us with the same combination of aroma of equal strength. The Providence has a way of balancing things up in its amazing ways termed ‘coincidence’. The health conscious vegetarians inhaled enough second hand smoke to make up for not consuming the high oil and cholesterol content food served at other tables.

------Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…..

Neo Say Yew came to chat with us while we commented that Tan Mei Leng looked quite changed from her prefect’s photo in the SSP school magazine conveniently placed on the table. I apologized to Chin Kek Ming for requesting Chai Ten Chun to persuade him to come as he seemed quite alone, being unfamiliar with most except the 5SE students. We are quite a reserved bunch and this made boisterous non-5SE vegetarian Koh Mui Cheng a little out of place as she chatted volubly to everyone and made cat-calls during the roll-call. I was delighted to see normally low-keyed Koh Hoi Eng all dressed up formally in electric blue for the occasion, looking really smart.

------Teresa Teng : Xioa chen gu xi doa…

Then a very personal moment - the high point for each and every member participant had come : the Roll-Call. Tan Meng Kwang called out each name in alphabetical order in his animated manner:

Chew Hui Guan! (Oh…….clap, clap, clap…)

Chin Kek Ming! (Yeh, ......clap, clap, clap…)

Chin Sik Foong! (Wooooooo………………….)

The whole room sudden came alive, charged with the excitement of having the limelight shown on a particular individual though it lasted no more than a few seconds

-----(Song played completely drowned by the exaggerated uproar of cheering.)

Yap Say Peng and Sim Kian Chuan joined us then. We stood up for a first round of photo session for 5SE. It would be some mementos for us as it was a rare occasion for the eight of us to be together after all these years.

-----Three Degrees: When will I see you again….

Everywhere else in the dining hall, students took indefatigable delight in posing for group photos with different combinations of friends. They were so engrossed that they failed to realize they had neglected the teachers who seemed a bit left out. Fortunately, some sensitive students who took up the responsible to oversee that everything ran smoothly noticed this and made amend by asking students to approach the teachers for conversation. This soon restored harmony in the party and the joyous ambience resumed itself.

----- Lulu:but how do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume? It isn't easy, but I'll try…To Sir, with love….