My second
brother, John, passed away on 1 January - the New Year in 2012. He was supposed to have
his gangrenous foot amputated after the New Year but the gangrene got to him
first.
John had a very hard life. He had to stop school when my father was incapacitated by illness and lost everything. He joined the Kinta Valley Home Guards as a private soldier but managed to rise in rank to corporal. However, he was soon demobilized when The Malayan Emergency ended.
Handicapped by limited education, he was unable to find gainful employment so he rented a small car from one of his former colleagues and ran a pirate taxi service plying between Ipoh and Singapore. Life was tough for him as the earnings were quite meagre as he had to pay bribes whenever he was caught by traffic police or road transport officers. Finally, he had to stop when the heat became too much and there was the fear of imprisonment if nabbed again by the authorities.
He then managed to rent a stall at a new market to sell poultry. However, the market was about ten kilometres from his home. He had to get up at around 3.30am daily and cycle to the market. He did this for years until he was able to buy a small Honda motorbike.
John did everything to provide and bring up a family of five. He was a survivor. It was unfortunate that he would miss the convocation of his oldest grandchild who would graduate a week after his demise. However, everyone would remember John's death on every New Year in the future.
ltbs
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Paul 1 Timothy 5:8
To the memory of my brother, John - a dedicated and caring person.
John had a very hard life. He had to stop school when my father was incapacitated by illness and lost everything. He joined the Kinta Valley Home Guards as a private soldier but managed to rise in rank to corporal. However, he was soon demobilized when The Malayan Emergency ended.
Handicapped by limited education, he was unable to find gainful employment so he rented a small car from one of his former colleagues and ran a pirate taxi service plying between Ipoh and Singapore. Life was tough for him as the earnings were quite meagre as he had to pay bribes whenever he was caught by traffic police or road transport officers. Finally, he had to stop when the heat became too much and there was the fear of imprisonment if nabbed again by the authorities.
He then managed to rent a stall at a new market to sell poultry. However, the market was about ten kilometres from his home. He had to get up at around 3.30am daily and cycle to the market. He did this for years until he was able to buy a small Honda motorbike.
John did everything to provide and bring up a family of five. He was a survivor. It was unfortunate that he would miss the convocation of his oldest grandchild who would graduate a week after his demise. However, everyone would remember John's death on every New Year in the future.
ltbs
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Paul 1 Timothy 5:8
To the memory of my brother, John - a dedicated and caring person.
