Danapal Govind: The Journalist Who Mused About Death … Then ‘Planned’ For It
One afternoon in the early 90s, Danapal Govind sat bemused at his desk after returning from a graveyard in his Johor Baru town in southern Malaysia. He wasn’t there to…
Ng Poh Tip: The Star Editor Who Towered Over Her Paper, Like None Other
“I am not the editor of a newspaper and shall always try to do right and be good so that God will not make me one,” American humorist Mark Twain…
Wong Juat Wah: Malaysia’s ‘Sugarcane Granny’ Who Tackled Tamil And Tigers Alike
When Vikings invaded the holy island of Lindisfarne in England, they killed everyone except Æthelstan, the monk. He survived for one reason: His knowledge of Old Norse, the language spoken…
Jugjet Singh Randhawa: A Loss For Malaysian Sports
Malaysian sports lost one of its colourful characters with the demise of writer Jugjet Singh Randhawa. In his 30 years as a newshound, Jugjet had left significant footprints on the…
Lucy Lee Yee See: Aunty Tidbits
Lucy Lee Yee See, 72, never married but was known for always being a favourite among her nephews and nieces for her constant laughter and frequent tickling. This second-youngest child…
Gerald Miranda: A Don Of Malaysia’s Ad Industry
Gerald Miranda, 72,was dedicated to his work at Invictus Blue ad agency (formerly Zenith Media) that he founded in 1994 - turning up for work almost every day till he…
Khaldon Abo Shakra: He Gained Life From Dance
Seeing the bright smiles on Khaldon Abo Shakra, 25, when he danced merrily as a regular with the KL Dance Alliance (also known as KL Social Society or KLSS), one…
Thayalan Balakrishnan: Leaving A Sounding Impact On The World … In His Own Quiet Way
Introversion is the behavior of focusing on inner thoughts and ideas, rather than expressing them openly. Introverts enjoy spending time with just one or two people, rather than large groups…
Devaki Krishnan: First woman elected to public office in Malaysia
Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, the first Malaysian woman elected to public service (an honour recognised in the Malaysia Book of Records), achieved eminence in Malaysian politics before the country was…
Chandramalar Chelliah: Matriarch of Malaysian police force
THE send-off was remarkable. Dressed in their full uniforms, the police officers reverently lifted the coffin onto their shoulders and carried it to the hearse nearby. Once the coffin was…
Lewis Pragasam: The Drum God Who Was Too Human
Macaques, the most brilliant of monkeys, have a habit of intimidating uninvited guests by beating the trees they are on. Chimpanzees also make crude drumming sounds to signal distress. Humans,…
Malaysia’s Mother Mangalam: New World Care in Old-School World
The 15-year-old was about to put the buttered slice of bread into her mouth, when it was yanked from her hand. “This bread belongs to Pure Life. It’s not for…
Elyse Bree Nantha: A Go-Getter Extraordinaire
It is rare for undergraduates to be awarded honours in competition with tenured staff. The University of Nottingham UK does exactly that with the annual Vice-Chancellor’s Medal (right), recognising those…
Johnny Loke: Coke, Ice-Cream or “Big Brother” — He Was MBSKL’s “Real Thing”
What’s in a Coke? If you asked the kids back in the 70s and 80s, they’ll tell you: “It’s the real thing” (one of the marvels of advertising, no doubt).…
Subramaniam Harihar: The Journalist Who Taught His Gardener About Fonts
Till his last breath literally, Subramaniam Harihar, possibly Malaysia’s oldest working journalist at 79, was thinking of “the story”. On the afternoon of his passing, at about a quarter to…
Jit Murad: The Malaysian Who Pushed The Boundaries of Laughter
During the 1990s, Malaysia’s longest-serving premier Mahathir Mohamad — an authoritarian loved, despised and feared almost in equal measure by his people — was invited to an evening of comedy…
Monica Moorthy: Behind The Smile and Glare of One of the Greatest Teachers Ever
It was still early in the school day, probably a couple of hours after the opening bell. In the corridors of Form Four (Americans would call it Grade 10) of…
Nagalingam Nagaraju: Covid’s Angel of Mercy for Food
“You do good, good will come to you. I follow this mantra,” Nagalingam Nagaraju says in an inspiring message broadcast on Malaysia's 64th Independence Day. While he wouldn’t make another…
Wong Sai Wan: Never Short of a Laugh or Witty Word
As I approached the hotel room, the door was ajar and a boisterous voice could be heard inside. Someone was singing; it sounded like one of those patriotic anthems in…
Tony Francis: The Malaysian Champ in the Ring of Heavyweight Journalism
Among Tony Francis’ prized possessions was a pair of boxing gloves from Muhammad Ali, which when he put on, made him a very unlikely looking champ. It was a perfect…