Posted on 31 July 2011 - 08:51pm
IN JUNE 2000, two teenagers walked
into the office wanting “work experience”. Erina Ramli and Alexander
Paul had just finished their “A” Levels and wanted to do something
useful before their academic term started in September. I was then
tasked with setting up the SunValley Desk – the Metro Section of this
newspaper. Reporters Terence Fernandez, Arion Yeow, Ng Kar Yen, Anne Francis and Noreen Samad made up the team but filling up 12 pages of news reports was a challenge.
That’s when then boss, Ho Kay Tat gave the nod for the use of interns and part-timers. Lim Ee Lenn, who was then in college (and whom I knew as a prolific writer) joined the team.
Word got around about the opportunities for “work experience” and soon G. Mahendran, Lau Ai Leen, Elaine Kwong and Vanissa Daniel came on board in the weeks that followed. A month later, Zabrina Fernandez who had done work for TV stations joined us and we had a full-fledged team.
With the closure of the section a year later, the team was disbanded with each going his or her way. By then, Erina, Alex, Ee Lenn and Ai Leen had come to England to read law. Mahendran had completed his Certificate in Legal Practice while Vanissa chose to do her LLB programme locally.
We hold regular re-unions – usually on each other’s birthdays – to share the good old times. We missed Alex and Erina who were still in the UK. All have grown from teenagers into young adults. I missed Zabrina’s wedding but before that, she had already won the inaugural “Amazing Race Asia” which was organised by the AXN Channel.
Last year, we attended Ee Lenn’s wedding in Kuala Lumpur and reminisced about the good old days at the Valley. Last month, I was at Alex’s wedding at a picturesque setting in Cotswold near Oxford. There, I met his father, Jacob Paul, who was the boss in my days on the NST subs-desk. And of course the conversation veered to journalism and we concluded that “they don’t make ‘em like they used to”.
Fast forward to the present – Ee Lenn is legal counsel for a Japanese motor company in Shah Alam, Elaine is an editor of a women’s magazine, Vanissa looks after legal affairs of an international insurance company. Arion is a sub-editor at theSun and Kar Yean is a markets and financial consultant. Ai Leen did some corporate work in Shanghai before going into the pub business in Petaling Jaya, following which she has packed her bags for Australia. Mahendran has a successful law practice in the city, and picks us up for lunch in his BMW once in a while. Zabrina shuttles between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney doing work for TV stations in both countries while Alex has now become a high-flyer in the international Mergers and Acquisitions market. Last week, he was named one of UK’s “Young Dealmakers of the Year” and has been appointed a director of an international banking group.
In between, we had two interns at the Special Reports and Investigations Desk – Amanda Toh and Geraldine Chong. Both had great potential and were told that could join us after thery graduated. Sadly for us, they have chosen different career paths. We even had overseas interns – Daniel Appadurai from Frankfurt and James Hyams from Brisbane. Both enjoyed their month-long stints with this newspaper.
Four weeks ago, Terence called to break this news to me: “I don’t want you to hear from a third party. I am putting in my resignation letter today and other than my wife, you are the first to know. I will discuss my future when I see you in London.”
In June 1999, Terence joined me on an adventure of sorts to start Brunei’s second newspaper. We lasted less only four months due to various problems (our
salaries were delayed etc). The paper shut down a year later. I joined theSun on Nov 15 and Terence followed a month later. We had been close colleagues and friends ever since.
“I have several offers,” Terence told me over a beer in London two weeks ago as he spelt out his plans, which included returning to his studies.
We talked in-depth about career prospects and he made an important point – age. He is turning 40 and felt it was time for a new chapter in his life. He not only has the knowledge, experience, skills and temperament but also the knack of being able to handle old and young people, some of whom have blinkered views and prejudiced opinions. I must confess, I have little patience or time for them.
(This is one of the reasons why I am known as the bad cop, and Terence, the good cop)
Terence’s departure leaves me as the sole survivor of the original team whose female members were often referred to as “Nades’ Babes” by an envious sports desk next door!
Looking back, I can only feel proud that those whose formative years were moulded in the true spirit of old school journalism have made their mark in their respective chosen careers. I had many mentors when starting out – notably Philip Mathews and the late Ratan Singh. I was fortunate to be able to pass on most of my knowledge and skills to the young people who came to work at theSun.
We adopted the “Work Hard, Play Hard” view of the bosses at The Malay Mail in the Seventies and Eighties.
We had our share of ups – Terence and I shared five SOPA awards between us and several moments of fame and glory. We also had our downs – five legal suits and several mouthfuls from officialdom. We call them occupational hazards and continue nevertheless. Wherever we go, we will continue to give our best in our chosen vocations, which has been our trait and trademark.
Eleven years have passed. Time may not be healer but a great leveller. It is only human to take immense pride and pleasure in seeing that your charges have made a mark wherever they have gone. And to Terence, pass on whatever you have learnt. You’ll derive colossal satisfaction and when you call it a day in 20 years’ time, you’ll be able to scribble a nostalgic piece like this.
R. Nadeswaran enjoys mentoring young people who view journalism as a profession – not a source of income. He is theSun’s UK correspondent and can be reached at: citizen-nades@thesundaily.com
No comments:
Post a Comment