About me
I was born in the capital of Perak. And whenever I tell people where I come from, the usual response would be, “Oh Ipoh-Mali ah!”
The year was 1969. I came out into the world when Malaysia was undergoing massive changes to its social structure. A mere 12 years after independence, we were already witnessing the breaking-down of our social fabric in the form of riots. Now eventhough I did not nor could not have understood the significance of what had happened, growing up in that stigmatic year has infuse a sense of political affinity in me.
I spent the first 18 years of my life in Ipoh. Hailing from SRJK (C) Sam Tet, the famous school that everybody in Ipoh knows because it’s just opposite the Menteri Besar of Perak’s official residence. And when I finished my primary school, I went on to study in SMJK (C) Sam Tet.
After Form Five (SPM), I went overseas to further my studies in the United Kingdom. Initially at Friends School Lisburn in Northern Ireland for my A-Levels and subsequently to the University of Wales at Aberystwyth to read Law and Economics. Eventually graduating with a Joint Honours degree in both. Not wanting to come back as soon as graduation, I toured Wales and parts of Scotland to understand the life of the early settlers of the Anglo-Saxon people.
By chance I was offered a place in Cardiff Business School and took a further year to complete my Masters in International Finance and Banking before returning home. I settled down with a Merchant Bank upon my return to Kuala Lumpur and work there for a couple of years to gain exposure in the financial world.
Because of 1969, the political consciousness in me only took form in the year 1996. At the age of 27, I joined Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (PGRM) and since then have been an active member of that political party.
I love reading. I hated books up until when I turned 18. After that I was like a reborn book-worm. I love Scuba-Diving, having done so since 1987 (almost 21 years ago). I still make it a point to go diving at least once a year. I love Martial Arts, being a Certified Instructor of Pokji Chuanfa (Malaysia) since 1989. I have also been a long term student of Tai Chi and Qigong. And I continue doing my practise every night. I love cars, but too bad I couldn’t afford a Ferrari nor a Porsche so I just had to make do with a slightly souped-up Japanese car as an alternative.
I’m married to my wife since 1998 and ‘currently’ have an elder son, a daughter and my youngest is a boy.
