In August 1979, I attended an interview at the Meeting Room General Manager Office DCA Subang Airport.Really hoping for a Goverment job after failing London Chamber of Commerce - Accounts exams .Still attending Form 6 Upper Arts 2 in Setapak High School in Air Panas and the  last few months of 1979 was so hectic and challenging as I  took preparatory steps and strategize my focus  to win over the HSC exams.                                                 

On the 1st February 1980 I reported duty and attended a few courses at Aviation College Subang,Mac 1980 I succesfully passed my HSC exams and was absorb to a higher scheme of service and remuneration, as I navigate my  way to become an  Air Traffic Controller.The most difficult hurdle was how to transform ownself from a teenager to an officer! Later, in the month of August 1981 I began my career and a brand new life episode in Kota Bharu Airport .

                                                       

Life was tough at the early stages in KB as I had to adjust to my work, enviroment, food and threats from the locals who branded me  an alien.However my colleages & housemates Nagaindran and Kandasamy-both from KL supported me in many ways.Equipped with their Honda Cubs, we manage our life remarkably well.

December 1981 we had to face the raging monsoon season which brought flood to the state. Goods sold at the sundry shop had to restricted to any individual  buyer and all 3 of us went to buy rice and sardines as the road to the main town was cut off.

I had a scary experience with Naga when we tried to go to Kota Bharu town during the continous heavy rain on a motorbike.We had no raincoat but used plastics to cover our body.The road at a place Baung was submerged and water was flowing across the road.We nearly fall & almost being swept away by the strong water current rushing towards a nearby river.Looking as the eyes could see, the road that takes to KB was totally  submerge we decided to return home.....

                                                

Good times never last and eventually one by one of us was transfered back to the west coast.One place that we all use to spend the evening eating keropok lekor was Pantai Sabak.Shown here is the remnants of the said beach as it eroded due to the constant fierce ferocious waves and wild winds of the South China Sea.

Later,in June 1983, with my employer endorsement, I managed to get a place in Singapore Civil Aviation College located in Seletar to study Airspace Management.The expenses was borne by Singapore Foreign Ministry and I had SD1100.00 a month for 9 months (apart from my normal 'gaji' from the goverment of Malaysia).The course was at a certificate level but that piece of certificate carried me very far and high in DCA.Nobody bothered what the accredition was, but holding a paper with your name on it and the prestigious Singapore Aviation College makes your market value jumps the steps.One thing I notice Singaporean Chinese, if I may note it down here, they are better in many ways than us.I saw they are commited to their work and aimed for excellence in no matter what job they do.If the readers in this blog doesnt agree, I have no problem, but I saw ,I learned the ethics and continue to practice nilai nilai murni penjawat awam SIngapura.Even the college driver who is a chinese is not like any Pemandu Jabatan Kerajaan.Majority of the DCA drivers talk more than the officers during the journey, becoz they thought the the officers 'menumpang' kenderaan Bapak mereka.Maybe they work as part time taxi drivers and continue the taxi driver culture into the Malaysia Civil Service.Infact nobody listen to their opinions coz during travelling , is the best chance to get ready for a presentation or meetings.

The finest example the mentality & fluidity of the Singapore Civil Service is when I collected my monthly allowance cheque  at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs .It was a total shock as they spelt my name wrongly and this will prevent me from cashing the cheque at DBS bank.I was stunned and my thought raced towards a negative side 'oh my , it will take months to correct this mistake'.I was right if the mistake happened in my country.But in Singapore, the officer who handed me the cheque earlier told me a take a seat and wait.I saw him rushing in and out of different rooms and after about 40 minutes, he handed me another cheque with the right spelling typed.Kalau dinegaraku,hmmmm definitely the dialoque wil be 'maaflah, encik balik dulu dan tunggu sehingga kami panggil , kite kena buat baucar tu semula dan hari ini Pembantu Akauntan pergi kursus,Penolong Akauntan pi meeting,  Akauntan baru saja pi mampuih...........................ha..ha..budaya orang kite.