I WAS browsing through the contacts list on my faithful companion – the smartphone – recently when I noticed numbers of people whose lives were taken away by the dreadful Covid-19 – a virus that just infects and infects.
The coronavirus has destroyed many families in the past 18 months and scuppered the global economy, making the rich less wealthy and the poor, poorer.
I think I can safely assume that many have also come across a similar situation: contemplating what to do with the phone numbers of those who have passed on.
If we delete the numbers, we may not be appropriately honouring the dead, but if we keep them, there are just too many contacts to save.
Covid-19 is no longer just about numbers, but also the names of the people who are either infected or have lost their lives to the biggest threat to mankind in recent memory.
As Penang exco Chong Eng points out, the victims are fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, cousins and so on.
It will leave psychological scars that will be imprinted on us for a lifetime if we are fated to be the fortunate ones to have survived this pandemic.
After reflecting on what I should do with the numbers, l concluded that I will make the call once I needed more space on my device.
But out of respect, I felt that I should, at the very least, pen a tribute to some exemplary people, whose numbers I store for now before they eventually slip into the archives.
This is a different sort of tribute. It is not about who they were, but their legacies, what principles they stood for and what they left behind for us to continue with their good work.
Right off the bat is none other than property consultant Michael Geh Thuan Peng, 57, whose cheerful demeanour was one for the ages.
A fellow Xavierian at the De La Salle Brothers, Geh was not just a consultant whom I could reach out for comments about the property scene, but a friend to many journalists.
His passing left a void in many around the region in Penang and the Klang Valley.
He would send me a voice message singing “Happy Birthday” on my birthday every year without fail.
Since his passing on May 15, Geh has received a flood of tributes on social media, but I would rather dwell on his legacy.
For Geh, it was his tireless effort to transform the International Real Estate Federation (Fiabci) property awards show into a showcase on which his peers can continue to build.
Geh, who was Malaysia Fiabci chapter president, was the leader behind the scenes, spurring the organisation and generating the mileage to ensure serious developers will go the extra mile to construct better buildings, homes and shoplots.
He was known for his personal struggles of making affordable housing a reality in land-starved Penang.
He played his role well to convince the state they could help developers migrate downstream to construct more affordable units but still make profits, albeit at a lower margin.
Before his sudden death, Geh was liaising with me about rebooting confidence in the real estate market after the virus brought down the credence level of investors.
Hopefully, more consultants can take the cue from his initiatives by coming out to market the projects, most importantly to address the glut, particularly in the commercial shoplot segment.
He was also instrumental in convincing a Bumiputera holding company to invest in a conservation project in a world heritage site. It was a symbolic move as it was the first time that a Bumiputera firm had invested heavily in the inner city of George Town.
Geh, or Mike to his friends, has paved the way and it is for us to emulate and execute.
The property awards show generated spillovers – providing new jobs, creating new revenue streams for mass media, and allowing networking prospects for fellow developers and their staffers to meet and exchange ideas on improving the real estate scene.
His other legacy is his work to make affordable housing more accessible – a struggle in which every authority and the private sector must come together, especially in the post-pandemic era.
This includes bringing down costs so that the finished products are affordable to M40 and B40 income earners.
From Geh, we move on to two other towering individuals, who are Andre Ong Lay Siang, 54, and his mother, Jane Loo Nee Sim, 83.
Both lost their lives two weeks apart, Loo being the first to pass on last month.
For the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Ong and his mother were both forces of nature reaching out and interacting with almost everyone who went to the church.
But what set Ong apart was his relentless work with the Youth and Sports Ministry to motivate many of his peers and youth to pursue the idealism of life and keeping the faith.
He sang and preached, but most importantly he was a friend to those in need. Loo did the same for the people in her age group.
Their legacies are basically intertwined with the people they inspired, and losing them to the virus was difficult to fathom for those who had the pleasure of knowing them.
A dark cloud has descended and the slow roll-out of the touted cure (the vaccines) amid record numbers of infections and fatalities makes one wonder if we can indeed survive this killing spree by an invisible enemy.
For those who have lost loved ones and friends, my sincere condolences. We can only hope that the authorities can complete this do-or-die mission soon. It is either the virus or us.
For those who do survive, we owe it to Geh, Ong and Loo to carry on their good deeds and legacies. – The Vibes, June 21, 2021
Ian McIntyre heads The Vibes’ Penang bureau
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