Fond memories of our beloved classmate Khee Sien

Eulogy delivered by Dr Ang Yong Guan.  Khee Sien died of ureter cancer; a rare form of cancer. Between 1968 and 2007, there were 118 cases (in other words, 118 cases in 39 years or 3 cases a year). Dr Ang was in Raffles Institution with Khee Sien from 1968 to 1973 and in the University of Singapore Medical Faculty from 1974 to 1979. Khee Sien was truly an unassuming, quiet, dignified, compassionate, gentle, humble, helpful, and outstanding Rafflesian. His forte was in swimming; buttterfly stroke having represented Raffles Institution. Dr Ang shared anecdotes to show Khee Sien's selfless attitude in helping others; constantly putting the needs of others above his own. What characterized Khee Sien was his  soft-spoken and agreeable personality. His early demise is a great loss to many. We have lost a wonderful person.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYtcZ_TSARc&feature=youtu.be

Khee Sien with another orthopaedic surgeon and classmate Hee Kit

at 25th Medical Class Reunion on 20 Nov 2004

Khee Sien at our 25th Medical Class Reunion 

on 20 Nov 2004 

Khee Sien with class rep Yong Guan.

Khee Sien (extreme left) at RI 30th Reunion on 10 Nov 2003.

With Chong Lye at the RI 30th Reunion on 10 Nov 2003

With RI Science G gang at Changi Beach 1972

Khee Sien is 2nd from left at RI Science G gang 

camping at Changi Beach 1972

Dignified and man of few words.

Always in introspection.

At our 25th Medical Class Reunion on 20 Nov 2004 at age of 49.

Singing Doctors' Society organising Charity Dinner to raise more funds for Balaji Medical Students' Fund.

The Singing Doctors' Society is organising a Charity-cum-Dinner Concert on 2 August 2012 at 8pm at the Four Seasons' Hotel. Click on the poster above to enlarge it and to see more details. Let us do our part to show our class support for this magnificent effort. Dr Tham Siew Nee, from the SDS,  wrote: "I hope you can support this meaningful event and kindly help to forward this appeal to your friends or associations. Thank you, Siew Nee" 

She is contactable at clinic number 64766821 or email her atsiewnee7@gmail.com.

From our classmate Pauline Cheong:

Dear Classmates

 Point of clarification: as the dinner is fully sponsored, all collection from the sale of seats/tables will be considered a “donation”,  so will be eligible for 2.5x tax rebate.  Please see the attached forms in my email to all of you. Dr Tham Siew Nee from Gleneagles Hospital has identified the Balaji fund as the charity to support for the singing doctors society charitable efforts, and she is hoping for support from our class.(she needs the bodies!!) Please support.  Swee Choo, Kok Foo and I are forming a table.  Please join us and form a few more tables. It would be a good time also to catch up.  If you want to get individual seats, email me and let me know.  I volunteer to organise the tables. 

Cheers

Pauline

Our medical classmates at Joyce Ho's funeral wake

Wanbao was curious about the obituary ("Normal colours, nothing black") in the Straits Times and immediately carried a news item in its evening edition on 4 May 2012.

Paul with Chee Chong and Yong Guan; 

drinking red wine and bidding farewell to Joyce in a most colourful fashion as she would have wanted it.  

Some of the medical classmates with Paul. Can you recognise some of them? Some as youthful as ever (except for their white or scanty hair).

Chee Chong and Cynthia in their colourful best . 

Chee Chong keeping Paul company. 

Yong Guan comforting Paul.

Chee Chong and Cynthia bidding farewell to Joyce before heading for home.

Paul telling his favourite stories here and in the next 5 photos.

Paul and his 3 sons (from Left): Kenneth, Paul, Kevin and Lawrence.

Paul Ho says come in colour dress code for Joyce's funeral wake

Our classmate Dr Paul Ho’s wife Joyce Leung Yeo Ching has passed away .

The funeral wake will be at2 Eng Kong Crescent on Friday and Saturday. Funeral is tentatively on Sunday.

Our classmates will be at the wake on Friday, 4 May 2012 from 8pm onwards.

Paul: “Joyce would like you to come for a farewell party and not a funeral. She is so bubbly even colours are important to her!. Please let the rest know of the colour code. Nothing black”

Balaji's new book was launched on 22 July 2011

 Click here to go to Cherishing Balaji Website 
to find out more about the book launch.

The 1978 Medical Bond: How we the final year medical students fought for 88 days to have the bond (with $81,000) replaced with a declaration of intent (without $81,000).

In the middle of 1978, the government announced that all new medical students had to sign a $81,000 5-year bond. At the same time, to make it equitable, all existing 2nd to 5th year  medical students had likewise to sign a similar $81,000 bond regardless of duration of their bond (the duration varies for 2nd to 5th year with the 2nd year student having to sign a 4 year bond and the 5th year student a 1 year bond). To make it more acceptable, the bond is concurrent with national service for the male medical students who have to serve national service. Hence, a 4th or 5th year male student is not affected as his 2 or 1 year bond is covered by the period of national service.  

But most of the existing private medical students protested because we argued that when we joined the medical school, there was no such medical bond. To impose a bond half way through our studies was in principle wrong. We protested for 88 days. The bond was revised twice and in spite of the revision, we the final year private students who were supposed to sign in batches of 10, refused to sign the revised bond. 

 

Finally, Dr Toh Chin Chye, the then Health Minister, agreed to see us and he accepted our declaration of intent (the deed) as proof of our intent to serve in public hospitals without the sum of $81000.

For more about the medical bond, click here.

Balaji was Guest of Honour at SMA Annual Dinner on 8 May 2010

Kok Foo, Balaji and Yong Guan at the SMA Dinner

A repeat of what they did at the 25th Class Reunion at Hyatt Hotel in 2004

A hearty laugh with (from left) James Khoo, Kok Foo, Robert Kwok. 

Neurosurgeon Puay Yong is smiling behind.

With  Colorectal Surgeon Ngoi Sing Shang and wife.