Just before I joined the Masters of Surgery programme in UM, I was sent to a small town, I never heard off in my life … Chenderong Balai. This is a small town, located about 40minutes from Teluk Intan and one a half hours south of Ipoh. I was the young boss of Klinik Kesihatan Chenderong Balai(KKCB). This clinic never had a doctor for the last 9 years before I came. One of the first staff I met was my ambulance driver, En. Jaafar. He was also my personal driver and thus over the two years with the staffs of KKCB, we became very close friends. A very supportive staff with dedication to the service and also very friendly.

Yesterday, I receive a call from another staff, informing me that Jaafar was taken ill. He had recently lost 30kg, and presented himself to the Teluk Intan Hospital with yellow discoloration of the sclera. He was diagnosed as having advanced cancer with involvement of the liver. The surgeons in Ipoh, will be operating on him in November and to commence chemotheraphy thereafter.

I am very sad to hear this. In a town, where I was the only non-Malay, he and the other staff made me feel at home. The memories are still very vivid. He gave me every ounce of support he could to me and always tried to make me feel happy.

next : My dear driver,En Jaafar and a silent killer

thereafter: My dying driver