I could have done better

Contributed by Rtr Harnniann

“I could have done better”

The above is one of the worst things to be said to oneself. It implies that you did not try your best, there were things you knew you could have improved but nevertheless you failed to do so.

What could be more terrible than knowing very well that things were within your reach but you simply failed to put in extra miles to get it?

When I was a student, things were much straightforward. Efforts could be easily measured. How many hours you revise your exercise books per day? How much time you spend in the library doing research? What kind of grades you get? The questions that you answered wrongly in exams, were you able to answer them correctly had you spent extra time on revision or paid more attention in class?

But now since I am no longer in the educational system, things become wide and uncertain. You can never be too sure whether what you are doing now is actually the best thing to do. Or the way you are doing it is the best way to do it.

I see many job seekers, after finishing university, they simply send out CVs or resumes to companies. It is like shooting blindly at the tree tops then wait and see whether any bird drops dead.

Once you are hired, you start the normal routine of a working class without asking too much question. After all wasn’t that what we were taught in school? Get great grades, look for jobs, work hard, feed yourself, and then think about how to take care of your loved ones and community.

How many of us really say, “wait a minute, why am I here? Why am I making phone calls to strangers and asking for money due and owing to my boss? Why am I calculating and analyzing the company’s past years’ accounts and performance? Do I really enjoy what I am doing? Is this really what I had hoped for all this while? Or am I doing it because I have no choice?”

Do I have a choice? Is this the right choice? Or maybe I could have done something better?

Or am I just thinking too much? Maybe I should just bury my head and continue with whatever I am doing, take whatever that comes along and learn to live with it.

Life seems a lot easier when you don’t question it. But is that the life you want?

DRR Official Visit 1st March 2007

Dear all,

Hope you guys had great fun this whole chinese new year so far. So, did the movies session happen? Sorry I have been missing all the fun so far, was out of town most of the time. Anyways, would like to inform you guys that DRR Chandra and his crew will be dropping by this coming meeting (Thursday, 1st March). It will be the DRR's official visit, so appreciate all members' participation in this. The meeting time will be changed to 8:30pm as DRR will be working till late that day. There will not be any guest speaker for the day and members, try not to bring guests on that day coz during the DRR session it will be a closed door affair, it would not be nice for the guests to step out while we are having the session. So, see you guys there and please inform me if you're not coming soonest possible ya? SAA for the night will be Eng Tee. Thank you and see you guys then!

Gong Xi Fa Chai!

Together, We Learn

President Feldman

RAC Port Klang Centennial

The world is simply too big for just ironing cloths!

Contributed by Rtr Harnniann

“The world is simply too big for just ironing cloths!”

That was what I thought after my friends had left my house after a simple birthday celebration.

Last night, I threw a party for a best friend of mine Andy to celebrate his 28th birthday. A few friends came to my house to get together.

After a few rounds of chit-chatting, the corkscrew was in action and wine was served.

The topics that centered the table were serious and heavy. We were toying with the idea of living oversea.

Among us, the most experienced traveler was Alice (a former Rotaractor of our club) who works as a tour guide. She shared with us the funny moments and experience she had while traveling abroad. Her stories seemed endless. Our focus was all on her colourful and vivid account of the many oversea trips of hers.

Alex, the guy who sat next to me is a qualified accountant. He is getting married in May and shortly thereafter he will be migrating to Australia with his wife as a skill migrant.

“What you gonna do there?” I asked.

“I don’t know but I think I’ll figure it out over there…”

Then we talked about our good friend Bom (also a former member of ours) who is now working in Shanghai. Alice met him in Shanghai recently and she made us all envy by telling us how good a life and how big the paycheck Bom is living now in Shanghai. "Bom said he wanted to buy a SMALL tv and he ended up buying a 31 inch and still claimed that it was a small TV!"


I was thinking, ten years ago if you tell someone you plan to go “back” to China, most probably people will think you are out of your mind. Going west like USA, UK, Australia or even Singapore was the trend then. Things change amazingly fast. Now, if you tell others you are going to work in China, a 5 digits monthly salary and comfortable working environment will pop up in their mind.

After we are done with Bom, Alice shared with us how she surfed in Gold Coast, Australia. Although I only half-believed her story (which I smelled exaggeration), it still left me stunned for a very long time.

I told Alice, “you know, while you were out there enjoying the waves and the cold seawater, thrilled by the likelihood of shark attack, I was in this house, here in Klang, ironing my white shirts for the next morning court works…”

Of course everybody burst into laughter. I was laughing at myself too. But something inside me was getting very uncomfortable and disturbing.

Is it time to venture out? I do not wish to list down all the things in Malaysia that are worrying me (that topic itself can be my thesis for doctorate). But I am pretty sure the Malaysian readers will understand what I am hinting.

Is it time to do something different?

Is it time to look at our future as citizens of the planet Earth and not only Malaysia?

Is it time to follow PN Lloyd Cheam for an adventurous but not so comfortable trip to the Golden Triangle?

Or is it time to stop ironing cloths but watching Astro? Speaking of which, do you believe I have not even installed an antenna for my TV? I must be from the Stone Age!

Happy Chinese New Year - Enter the Golden Piggy

"you know what Darling, President asked us to start making babies... pressure lar"

The Wishes:-

"Have A Safe and Prosperous Chinese New Year ! May the pigs be bigger and the pockets be deeper this year !"

-- Rtr Shunglee


"May the year bring auspicious energy to grant all wishes and endeavours to everyone." -- PE Hui Hui


"Wishing all a happy year of the boar! Those who are married can start producing like one, those who haven't please faster faster so we got many family of rotaract :)" -- President Feldman


"Happy Chinese New Year’s and I wish all of you a very fantastic year ahead of you." -- Friend IPP Harley


"I wish I have more T.I.M.E." -- First Lady Diana

"Dear member, Happy Chinese New Year.. wishing u all the best in the coming new year.." -- Rtr Engtee

"GONG HEI FATT CHOI, May the year of the boar usher in with blessed of HEALTH (stress free), WEALTH (rise in saving interestrate, strengthen in RM agaist Pound Sterling and USD,I want to see it depreciate till USD 1 = RM 2.89!), and HAPINESS (no more hike in petrol and toll price and disaster free).. Most of all of all, a 'prosperous' piggy bank account throughout the year!" Oink! Oink!

-- Rtr Feilin


p/s: Other members who was unable to meet the dateline but want to put in your wishes, you are encouraged to do so by leaving your wishes in the comments section.

Happy Chinese New Year!!

The Missing Link

Contributed by Rtr Harnniann

It’s a strange phenomenon.

I just did some study on our previous activities and projects.

It is fair to conclude that some of our activities derive its strength mainly from non-members i.e. guests.

Look at our Paint Ball Tournament, only 2 out of 6 Centennial Dragons were our members. Look at the Scuba Diving trial, some participants I could not even remember their names now.

It can also safely conclude that it is a rare occasion when we do not have guests in our activities or project, take Dodge ball, Sunway Project, Wall Climbing, Parliament visit, for example.

From the above observation, It can further concludes that our activities are attractive and interesting, that explains why our guests (who has no obligation to take part) were there with us. People simply want to have fun or learn something or maybe do something to the community!

Yet, after having said that, we still face the universal problem of having difficulty in recruiting new members. Just like middle age man starts losing his hair, we are losing members at not so comfortable rate.

Maybe we forget to sell our club during these activities? Maybe we just say to our friends, “come and join us to climb some walls, it’s fun!” after that we shake hand and say, “thanks for coming bye!” instead of saying, “see you in our club meeting next week”?

Or perhaps it’s about marketing? The 4 Ps I know?

Place: Most of our activities are held in Klang Valley area, though not so convenient for KL friends, the pool of Klang people is big enough

Price: it is always our philosophy to make joining Rotaract an affordable affair

Product: As I have said above, the product we offer is the learning and fun experience which had proven to be attractive

Promotion: is this the missing link and the cause of our problem?

Scuba Diving Trial

Contributed by Rtr Jia Thiam

Scuba diving in a swimming pool with a bunch of rotaractors. It is something I wouldn’t have imagined. But that is what happened on the 16th of September, 2006. First of all, thanks to Rtr Eng Tee for giving us a chance to try out scuba diving. Instead of costing us a fortune, we’re only burning RM30 from our pocket. If we have only ordered “ais kosong” and “roti kosong biasa” at mamak for at least three month, definitely all of us can afford the RM30.

The whole members are divided into two groups; first are those one who knows nothing about swimming and the other does. We started off with the first group. What happened to the next group? What else can they expect but to swim around while staring at the clock and kept questioning themselves “When is my turn? I also want to scuba.” Instructor Lily brought in six scuba gear. Therefore, we needed to share those gears amongst ourselves.

Briefing by Instructor Lily was long. It is to ensure that the entire scuba diving features are understood by us. But some of us wouldn’t bother much about the briefing. I am one of them.

Finally the second group got their chance to scuba dive too. To me, I personally think that the oxygen tasted different. Probably due to the previous person who have used the scuba gear. NAH! In fact, the oxygen you’re breathing in as according to Instructor Lily are dry and therefore, drink plenty of water before doing your scuba. To me, water is everywhere when I do my scuba. =D

Anyway, as what Toh have mentioned earlier, “Some can sink like a rock while some floated like a rubber boat”. Thank god instructor Lily have foresee this to happen. She brought extra load for those who can’t sink. After equipping themselves with these extra loads, they sank beautifully. Scuba diving has opened our eyes to a whole new world. Not only we have experienced breathing underwater, we have also seen how dirty the swimming pool can be. Thank god we’re breathing though oxygen tank.

It is a waste to those who didn’t make it. I believe there’s plenty of chance for others to experience this new thing and brag to others about it.

Medical Camp 11 March 2007

Dear fellow members,

Please book this date in your diaries, PDA and mobile phones- 11 March 2007 (Sunday).

There will be a Medical Camp (with games) project for the Orang Asli. It will be joint project with Kelana Jaya Rotary club with participation of 50 Interactors.

For those who had volunteered, this is the outline of what we are suppose to do.

We will be assisting Rotarian Patrick to organise fun games for the orang asli. Duration is about two hours. The place will be in an open hall area.

The key idea is to have fun and make them HAPPY! Here are the proposed list of games for adults and children.

And this is an opportunity for us to get to know the Interactors for membership recruitment.

PN Lloyd, I had spoken to Rotarian Patrick on making this project as part of the club comm service project. The idea is feasible.

The manpower is needed particularly on administering the participants that is coming for medical care. Do suggest your ideas to all of us and take the lead on this.

Members, please provide feedback and suggestions on games that can be played. I need your feedback for the list below. ASAP!

Proposed games (by Rotarian Patrick) - Adults

1) For ladies - ketupat making competition and 'Dandan' competition (??)
2) For guys - 'Sumpit' competition and Elastic competition (shooting tin cans)
3) For all - team game - telematch-tie legged and walk competition

Proposed games (Children) -by Rotarian Patrick and Rtr Jia Thiam

1) 'Tiup' balloon - we have done this in Philea Home with the children, remember?
2) 'Fish-'Lawan Pancing' the botol game
3) Water balloon - it is time to get wet!
4) Flour game (idea is to retrieve an item from a bowl of flour)5) Transfer the ping pong using spoons
6) Grabbing marbles in a pail with oil game7) Make up game - who is the fairest of them all - using provided materials

The prizes will be given by the Rotary Club of Kelana Jaya. This will be based on a point system awarded to each team or individual for exchange of prices.

The more points each person gets, the bigger the prizes.

Eg: 30 points - get a small prize (key chain).

The idea is to get continuous participation from people to play the games.

Copy Rotarian Patrick, this is one of the suggestions which I had spoke to Rotarian Joy to prepare the prizes. Suggested no of prizes is 50 (Since expected participants will be: 200-300).

Copy Rotarian Joy, as spoken, please take note of the suggestion. There will be more updates from my side. Need my club members' ideas and suggestion on how to run the game, do the point system and event.

Thanks and regards

Lee Hui Hui
President Elect
Rotaract Club of Port Klang Centennial
Together, We Learn

Hi! AG!

Contributed by Rtr Harnniann

This telephone conversation took place yesterday evening.

Toh: Hello?

AG: Toh! AG Lim here.

Toh: Ooh AG! Hi! How can I help you?

AG: Hey! Just want to check with you, your club not supporting* tomorrow's International Understanding Day Dinner ar?

(NOTE* one thing I learned in Rotary, you do not "attend" the meeting or function, you "support" the meeting or function. So, in a Rotary function, you are there not because you want to be there, it's because you want to "support" the function and the organiser. They are 2 very distinct concept)

Toh: No or... my club sending 3 mar, not enough?

AG: You know Port Klang is the only club in my jurisdiction with Rotaract Movement, how can you all not supporting (you see? again) the dinner?

Toh: AG, promotion very lousy lar... no excitement at all, no members want to go lor

AG: What you are talking about? What promotion you need?

Toh: AG, you can't expect just sent emails out then wait for overwhelming response right?

AG: I see... But I think you all must do something about it lar...

Toh: ok ok... (trying very hard to sound polite and hoping this conversation to end the next second)

AG: Ok bye.

Toh: Bye! (Whooosh...!)


This is a typical phonecall I received from our sponsoring Rotarians on and off. I guess I have to attend their club meetings and shout that I AM NOT A PRESIDENT ANYMORE!!! PLEASE LOOK FOR PREZ FELDMAN!

So, the next president in line, you may want to learn a few tricks to explain why your members are not "supporting" the rotary organised activities. Or better still, learn the tricks to get your members to "support" the activities... then you will be fine and, if luck permits, you might even be rewarded with "Excellent Leadership Award".

Good luck President Feldman for the remaining of your office and certainly Good Luck to PE Hui Hui, please "support" our rotarians : )

Pictures of Wall Climbing

Centennial Dragon - The Courage of the Club

Our team-the Centennial Dragon fought well during the paintball tournament on 20-1-2007. They made our club proud. Lets introduce the our heroes:-

Captain JT--The Hell Raiser

KH Chia--The Torment Master

ChewWW--The One-Arm Injured Wolf

Nelson--The Widow Maker


Edmund--The Silent Assassin


JT Bro--The Fearless Flagger



last but not least...


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Harley--The Joker

"Ice cream, anyone?"