My Own Hall of Fame

A man who has friends must himself be friendly Proverbs 18:24

A friend loves at all times Proverbs 17:17

I once read some where that if you have two friends, you are rich, and if you have three, you are filthy rich! I have been thinking of my friends lately. I think by the criteria above, I can consider myself a billionaire. By friends, I do not mean the “hi” and “bye” variety. I meant those that have come alongside me during some period of my life and have enhanced my life by their friendship. I have lost touch with many of them and kept in touch with some of them. I would like to write about them. They are all in my own hall of fame.

Eng Kheat
I met this guy during my first year in varsity as a Science undergraduate. We are still in touch, albeit only occasionally. I credit him for introducing me to flossing, Seba Med facial wash and fine dining! He has a fine sense of humor, and is one of the most generous guys I have ever met. We were housemates for a while back then. I feel truly blessed to have a friend like him.




Amidy Evans Malagob
A Kadazan guy from Sabah. We met through the Christian Fellowship in the university and became great friends, more like brothers even though we were from different ethnic groups. He was of small built, quiet and unassuming. Blessed with a witty sense of humor and great faith in God, he has been a great friend and someone who encouraged me in my own walk in the faith. The last time I saw him was when I saw him off at the airport after he graduated. Subsequently we lost touch. I wonder where he is now. Where ever you are now, Brother Amidy, thank you for blessing my life.

David Teh
Got to know this guy while he was a medical student in UKM (University Kebangsaan Malaysia). He was in his second year while I was in my third year. I got to know him because he was after my girl at the time, not knowing that she was my girl! Heh heh! When I moved over to the medical hostel in Kuala Lumpur for the final year of my Bachelor of Science in Clinical Biochemistry, we became great buddies. He was in my bible study group. Blessed with a great physique and great stamina, he was a good squash player. He was everything I wasn’t in the sports department.

My room at the hostel used to be his place to unwind at the end of the day. We would talk about this and that. We would go for supper at the local mamak stall in the wee hours of the night. He would borrow my car on and off, especially when he wanted to see the girl who eventually became his life partner. We had great times together and I have many fond memories of him.

Last I know he is a surgeon some where in Kuala Lumpur. We sort of drifted apart when I went overseas to study medicine. Regretfully, I have not made the effort to keep in touch since coming back. Where ever you are, David thanks for being a blessing to me.

David Ong
Another David in my life! Here is one whose head is oozing with grey matter. We hit it off right from the start in med school. He was small in stature but big in personality. He excelled in everything he did. He is now a surgeon in one of the district hospital. I remember us getting together every Saturday evening in one of the local hotel for dinner (usually some western cuisine) followed by coffee and great conversation. He was one I could relate to intellectually as we talked of just about anything under the sun. We are still firm friends though we seldom keep in touch, work and other commitments being the main reasons.


Abdullah Saad Siddique
One of my best buddies in India. We were in the same class in med school. He was raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Blessed with charming good looks which set many a female hearts aflutter (and unfortunately a few males too….heh heh), he was my occasional gym partner and a great friend. Whenever he goes back to Saudi for the hols, he would return with a gift for me, usually in the form of concentrated masculine parfum of various well known brands. Saudis are well known to use perfume excessively.

We kinda drifted apart in the final year of med school as we were posted to different postings. Last I heard from him was a Christmas card sent to me without a return address one year after I returned to Malaysia. My letters to his address in Riyadh were not replied. I don’t even know where he is now. His father was an employee in Grohe (the maker of fine bathroom utilities).

Saad, wherever you are now, I just want to say thanks for being a great friend. I miss your friendship and hope, perhaps; maybe you will read this blog and keep in touch. It would be great to hear from you again.

Laji Samuel
When I first saw this bloke, drinking water from the water cooler on the second floor of the hostel where I stayed, I was thinking “Wow, what a guy with an awesome physique!” He was a gym “bunny” at the time. You see, in med school in India, there weren’t a lot of things you can do there back in those days after classes, so most of us would hit the gym. Laji was my senior in med school and hails from Bangalore (a divine city for shopping!!!).

Later I got to know him as a fellow believer in the Christian faith and I was a member of his Bible Study Group. He has one heck of a sense of humor and a very infectious laugh. He was like a brother to me, always looking out for me. I think the most wonderful thing was the fact that his family treated me as one of their own. Uncle Samuel and Aunty Remany (his parents) accepted me as if I was one of their own. It’s a joy to stay in their home whenever I had the opportunity to visit Bangalore. Laji came all the way from India to attend my wedding!

He is now married and is working as an anesthesiologist in a missionary hospital some where in India. We still keep in touch by email. I am indeed blessed by him and his family.

Jim Matthew
The man who inspired me to become a physician. By the time I went to med school he was already a postgraduate student in Medicine. His faith in God and his dedication to his work really inspired me. He became a close personal friend to me. I am thankful for the many times when he would take the trouble in the evenings to bring me around the wards and show me the patients there as well as coach me in the art of medicine. He opened his home to my girlfriend (who is now my wife) when she came to visit me in India. He is now a physician working in USA. Jim, I am still wearing the watch you gave me as a farewell gift! :-)

Wymen Seet
My own little brother. He was my junior in med school. He has blessed me in so many ways, from lending me his motorcycle in med school, to praying and encouraging me on when I am down, even as recent as my exam last November. He is currently pursuing a postgraduate qualification in anaesthesiology. You can read about him on his own blog at http://sbanboy.blogspot.com/. Wymen, thanks for being there always for me. You are a great blessing to me.



Srinivas Chakravathy
Or Chinu, as he would like to be called. He was my gym partner in med school. He was a postgraduate student in Biochemistry when we were first met. I was a final year student in med school then. He was from Andhra Pradesh, India. Most of my gym sessions were spent with him. Other than that we both share a passion for photography and traveling. Maya, his girlfriend then, now his wife, was an accomplished traditional Indian dancer. They are now residing in USA. Chinu, thanks for everything man. It’s been great knowing you.



Chee Mun
Another little brother of mine. He came to the faith in India and has never looked back. He now works as a general practitioner in one of the towns in Selangor. We still keep in touch via the phone though we have not met for years. He and his wife are expecting their second child. May God bless you richly even as you have blessed me and my family so richly.

Tony Yong
I first met him when he was just graduating from med school. Here is one guy who knows more about me than anyone else. He is now the “big boss” in Sabah, having been entrusted with the heavy burden of setting up a hospital in Kuala Penyu. Anyway, brother, good luck and I hope you can get out of that cowboy town real soon and return to the glitter of a big city.

Ben Kho
Ben and I have been friends for more than 2 years. He is a lot younger than me but we clicked well. I wrote about his graduation some time ago. Here is another guy who has always been there when I needed a friend. He, like Tony, knows more about me than most other people do. He has great ambitions. Thanks Ben for your friendship. I really appreciate it.

So, there are twelve in my hall of fame. Don't get me wrong, I don't have any Messiah Complex! They are simply people who came alongside and touched my life significantly, and perhaps, even changing the course of my life. For all you have done fellas, thank you very much. All of you have in your own ways made my life better, added colour to it and have blessed me with your friendship. By all accounts, I think I have been blessed by great friends, more than friends in fact, more like brothers actually.


There is ONE MORE, perhaps I shall write about HER one day….