Life is short
As I see people around me or those I do not know had departed, it makes me wonder am I next on the list.
As I see people around me or those I do not know had departed, it makes me wonder am I next on the list.
Went for my doc appointment, the wound on my left heel is very bad (new area on my heel). As I am alway on wheelchair and alway putting pressure on my left foot, hence will have the pressure and will develope wound. To avoid the same cycle, it is to ampute the left leg, bt others think tat I am crazy for amputating my left legs. If it is hygiene issue why wld my right foot is ok. There r ppl tinking I am being negative. If u tink I am being negative then dun be my frenz.
Friends come and go. I only heard the news today tat u pass away on 2/5. I thought it was a joke. Was shocked after hearing from Mullai tat you passed on. Sorry I couldn't visit you for the last time. Sorry if you were ignored by me whenever you were trying to message me via WhatsApp or you message me via FB. I literally cry when I was talking to A on Thursday on the phone. Till then see you in heaven one day.
As we say goodbye to 2020... let's welcome 2021. As 2020, we may have a difficult period because we were hit by the pandemic. As we were hit by the pandemic, we have a lockdown for 2 mths w/o any income. Basically just coping at home, not able to go anywhere let alone travel overseas. I was totally broke down during the 2nd week of lockdown. In 2020 I also lost yet another childhood frenz of mine. As we welcome the 1st day of 2021, I hope it is a better year and happy news comes along the way. Signing off, Yuan Ping P.S: Sorry for not updating my blog. Cause when things had passed I tend to forget to write my blog. đ
18 July 2020 Received news via WhatsApp that 1 of my childhood frenz, had passed away. Yesterday attend his wake, was tasked to present my impromptu eulogy on the spot, I was lost of words and my mind simply went blank and I anyhow present my eulogy.
Today s Handicaps Welfare Association's Flag Dae. It s my 1st time helping out as a staff during Flag Dae. Actually I requested 2 station @ AMK MRT station & @ the same time I ask Jackie, Kathy & 1 other frenz 2 help in the Flag Day, bt in the end my Assistant Director assign me 2 station @ Parkway Parade & so I hav 2 tel my frenzs tat my Assistant Director hav assign me 2 Parkway Parade bt 1 of my frenz who s staying far away do nt wan 2 go Parkway Parade bt I ask him 2 persuade his mum 2 let him & his mum hav agree 2 let him come so they hav agree 2 go 2 Parkway Parade instead of AMK MRT. 1 dae b4 the event Kathy call me & tel me she s nt gg then she passed the phone 2 her mum 2 let her tok 2 me & her mum told me tat she hav no mood 2 go out as her PMS s coming & so I told her mum s ok if she do nt wan 2 go. Finally the dae has come it s the dae 4 HWA's Flag dae. I got up @ 5.30am 2 take a shower b4 the transportation picked me up @ 6.45am. At abt 6.30am the driver called me & said tat he hav reached my hse & I ask the driver 2 giv me 5 mins & so aft hanging dwn the phone I quickly off the computer & leave my hse. I tht I wil b the 1st person 2 reached Parkway Parade & so I saw my 2 other colleagues who hav alr reached the destination followed by another colleagues of mine who hav juz reached. I reached there abt 7 plus in the morn. 1st thing we hav 2 exchange our IC wif the pass frm the security guard & aft exchanging our IC wif the pass we went 2 our booth & set up the place. Aft setting up the place my female colleague & I went 2gether 4 donation & the person in-charge saw us 2gether she was like angry & shoutting @ us. Then I tell myself my female colleagues cannt b wif me. Coz if I nd help then it s easier 4 her 2 help me. After staying there 4 a while I saw sum familiar faces frm church, 1st s Andy, followed by Chealsea then David (the driver) & lastly Glory & Melissa. I was so suprised tat I wld bump into them & so I continued wif my donation & @ abt 5 we call it a dae as my colleague the person in-charge wanted 2 count hw many tins r there. After we hav fiished packing my frenz & I decided 2 go 4 our dinner & aft dinner we went hm.
On 19 Jul it was Gladys's wedding & I was invited 2 her wedding. It was held @ Marine Parade TOUCH Centre. I was the 1st person frm HWA 2 reached there. Wen I was hanging around outside, Mingchun (who was already inside) appeared outside & he saw me & ask me 2 go in bt I cld nt go up the steep slope & so his BB boys help me up. And aft a while sum of the staff, ex-staff of HWA came, they were surprised tat I was there early. Haha... It also give the opportunity 2 meet up wif old frenzs. Hehe...
Today went ACCESS @ ard 9 plus close 2 10am 4 Toastmaster meeting 1st @ No 9 building b4 gg 4 my guitar lessons @ 11am @ No 11 building on the stage. We practice our guitar on the stage 2 get familiar wif our seating arrangement and 2 get the feeling of hw it feels 2 perform on stage during the Special Award on the 1 Aug @ ACCESS. We practice on the stage for few rounds and soon it s alr 12.30pm & I ask them 2 take my guitar 4 me & so I head back 2 No 9 building 2 close the meeting session after the meeting session we hav Exco meeting dwnstair as we cannt hav our Ex-Co meeting as Bala hav 2 go somewhere else & so we cannt use the office 2 hav our meeting & so we hav our Ex-co meeting started & so the meeting was gg on til 2 plus which they said they wil stop @ 2pm which they hav overshot the time & so I said I nd 2 go off as my guitar team s waiting 4 me @ Hougang Point 2 start yet another series of guitar practice. Wen I reached there they were nt @ the place where we normally practice our guitar & so I cal Amanda & ask where r they & they said they r accompanying Janice @ Macdonald & so I looked 4 them @ Macdonald & they were having ice-cream & so we stay @ Macdonald til 3 then Janice said tat she wil join us @ CCK 2 see power soccer aft tat she went hm while we went 2 our "home-ground" 2 practice our guitar. While gg 2 our "home-ground" the rest of them wanted 2 go 2 the toilet & so I went 2 the "home-ground" alone 2 wait 4 them. I wanted 2 call them 2 inform them tat I am @ "home-ground" 1 instead of "home-gound" 2 bt they did nt answer the phone so I assume they kw tat I am waiting @ "home-ground" 1 & so we begin our practice again & again til Janice sms Amanda saying tat she wil meet us @ CCK MRT station @ 6.15pm then we play another round of guitar b4 rushing off 2 CCK station bt awhile later Janice sms Amanda saying tat she wil meet us @ CCK @ 6.30pm which were alr on our way 2 CCK MRT station. Wen we reached there it s stil early & we wait 4 Janice & we waited til 6.30pm bt Janice hav nt show up so I call her & she said she wil b late & ask us 2 go 1st & so we (Amanda, Jer, JX & me) go ahead w/o Janice & we reached there @ 7 plus almost 8pm & we saw Rafi, Bala, KN, Rafi's maid & Shin Ming's father came dwn & I heard tat KN wil send him 2 the hospital so @ tat point of time I was wondering y does Rafi nd 2 go 2 the hospital, "go hospital 2 see Zaki" or "he was nt feeling well", then we went level 2 where they hav their tournment then I saw Kevin was @ the corner of the other side of the hall. He was having difficulty breathing so he was wearing the oxygen mask 2 let him breath on the other hand I saw his mum crying & aft tat I also saw Sherena rolling wif tear bt I do nt kw wat hav happen bt I sumhw kw wat had happen bt I do nt kw if my answers s correct. Bt I hope they wil b fine & so @ 8.45pm we went off as JX's mum ask him 2 go hm & the 3 of us decided 2 hav our dinner outside as we initially do nt wan 2 hav dinner outside & Jer wanted 2 cal his mum tat he s coming 4 dinner which in the 1st place he told his mum tat he s nt coming back 4 dinner & so we ask him nt 2 cal his mum so as 2 nt get scolding frm his mum & so we went 2 Yew Tee MRT 2 hav our dinner then wen we hav finished our dinner I waited outside 4 them & we head back hm. I & Amanda took the same train back hm & wen our train came we(Me & Amanda) board the train while Jer took the other side of the train back. Amanda & me board the train & wen we r 2 station away frm where we board the train Amanda realized tat Jer's hp s wif her & so we were shocked & tat we do nt kw wat 2 do wif his hp & if by the time we take the other side of the train 2 go back 2 the station tat we board the train he might nt b @ the station alr & so Amanda wanted me 2 cal his hse as she scared tat his parents wil scold her & so she ask me 2 cal his hse & 2 my surprise his mum was nt angry @ all coz I too also scared tat his mum wil scold us too. His mum told me tat if the hp s left wif us she wil nt scold Jer bt instead if he really lost his phone his mum wil scold him 4 sure, wen I heard wat his mum said I was relieved. Jer, tis lesson tells u tat u shldn't ask Amanda 2 hold ur phone wen u wanted 2 push her.
On 5 July 09 s Handicaps Welfare Association's Wheel, Walk & Jog event held @ Lebrador Park & I hav 2 get up @ 5.30am 2 get ready b4 Uncle Lee picked me up @ 7am. Wen I get out of my hse @ 6.30am I realized tat the lift s spoilt & tat I cld nt go dwn I was so angry & I cal the maintenance 2 come & repair the lift ASAP as I am late 4 work & right aft tat I called Uncle Lee frm my hse phone, & also tel him tat my SIM card was giving me prob so ask him nt 2 cal my hp & also tel him tat I am stuck @ hm coz my lift s down & I am unable 2 go dwn & tat I nd 2 wait 4 the maintence 2 fix the lift. Wen the maintenance guy came I was so angry & told him tat bcoz of the lift spoilt I am late 4 work & tat I cld nt take my transport in time 2 go 2 work. Hence the maintenance guy who hav nt done fixing the lift he said he cld get me dwn manually & aft tat I cal Grace 2 send a driver 2 my hse 2 fetch me. She was so angry tat y everytime it s the same prob. Aft hanging dwn the phone I was manually getting dwn by the lift & tat I waited dwnstair 4 the driver 2 come. Wen Johnson reached he told me tat Grace ask him 2 fetched me bcoz he was @ Boon Keng MRT driving ard 2 see if anybody was left behind b4 coming 2 my hse 2 pick me up. Wen I reached there it was already ended & so I stayed there til everything officially ended @ 1pm & it was Godfather who was the 1 who send me back wif the rest of the member. I was surprised tat it wld b him 2 send me back. Hehe...
Frm nw til 1 Aug we only hav 8 weeks 2 practice our guitar & we are stil lack behind as we r stil practicing our Guitar 1 & nt the whole song of Connon D. Starting yest we (Jer, Amanda, myself TJ, Peter & JX) decided 2 hav our own extra practice lesson after our official guitar practice @ ACCESS @ 12.30pm as we kw tat we r stil nt able 2 play the whole music pieces. On the 1st week of extra practice we went 2 Hougang Point 2 hav our lunch 1st then we find a place 2 practice our guitar @ 1 of the void deck near Hougang Point Mall. Jer cld only stay wif us 2 play 4 a while as he hav 2 go 2 his grandma's hse. So he played wif us til 3.30pm & wen 3.30pm reaches Jer hav 2 leave & so the rest of us continued 2 play. As we were playing we realized tat Peter hav stopped playing as I tink he was tired. (I was tinking 2 myself r we in as a whole group 2 play guitar during the extra practice and I also wonder if it s the right choice 2 hav Peter 2 join us 4 the extra lesson)or izzit tat Peter hav no interest in playing the guitar. So the rest of us continued 2 play our guitar & suddenly TJ hav stop playing guitar as well so we tht Peter was the 1 who distract TJ frm playing guitar. Then left me, Amanda & JX 2 play & so we continued playing til we r hungry. And so we stopped playing @ 6.30pm 2 hav our dinner @ Mac.
Believers gather at the New Creation Church every Sunday for upbeat services conducted in ultra-modern surroundings that are helping make Christianity the spirituality of choice for Singaporeans.
The Theme for our Overseas Community Outreach Project s "Sharing The Love".
Counting down 2 5 days to flying off to do Community work @ Manila for 4 daes. Tis s my 2nd time doing Community work @ Philippines. We had juz started our briefing discussion yest bt there s more discussion 2 b done in our indivdual group as we r divided into 4 grps 2 arrange activities 4 those ppl in Manila b4 we fly on Fri. If any of u wan to send me off I wil b @ Changi Airport T2 @ 10.30am. Hehe... If u wanna send me off u cn cal me if u r really coming. Hehe...
2dae s the 2nd dae of Chinese New Year and tat I am staying @ hm. U must b wondering y I am nt gg 4 visiting 2dae. Well, I went 2 my aunties hse yest and I hav collected all the hang bao on the 1st dae alr. Tat was frm my father's side. My mum s a Malaysian so all her brothers and sister (my cousin) s in Malaysia so i nv go 2 Malaysia 4 visiting. Very boring... Wen I resume to work on Wed I stil get ang bao frm my colleagues. Bt it s nt all I wil stil get ang bao tis Sun. Haha...
Take a look at this video. You will realized that I am in this video.:)
Every yr is nt a gd yr 4 us. For instance wen my mum wanted to pack red packet she juz realized tat she lost 700 dollars and tat she kw tat my dad would hav stole it bt he denied it and he claims tat it s my brothers who hav stolen it. He only pushed the blame on my brothers. My dad wil alway ask my mum 4 money even though he went bankrupt alr. They even suspect tat I steal the money. I am juz a handicap gal hw could I steal the money. Everytime wen she lost her money she accused me of stealing wen she tink tat it s nt my brother who steal the money. I do nt kw y she wil hav the thinking tat I steal her money. Y wld I wan her money wen I alr hav my own money. Wen I said I did nt steal y I hav 2 b nervous and nt admit. I get agitated bcoz I dun like ppl 2 accused me of stealing. If I did steal of coz I wil admit. Actual fact s I did nt even steal hw cld I juz admit the things tat I did nt do anyhw. Sumtime human r so stupid where on earth do ppl keep valuable in the hse. If they do keep the money in the hse the family members would kw and of coz wen he or she realized tat nobody s @ hm of coz he or she wld ransack the hse 2 look 4 money. S it nt true. Coz sumtime wen my dad kw tat there s nobody @ hm he wil come back and who kw wat he hav been doing alone @ hm. Sumtime I wish I cld get out of tis bloody house bt I hav no choice bt 2 stay here.
As of 1st Jan 2009 I am nw a permanent staff @ Handicaps Welfare Association. I kw I hate Accounts. Bt come 2 think of it I nd 2 stay 2 1 job already since I am a permanent staff coz nw it s nt easy 2 look 4 a job coz everywhere s retrenchment. Sigh... Poor me hav 2 stay put here. Sob... Sob...
On Fri morn while on my way gg downstairs I saw the surrounding was tying wif plastic-Police sign all the way until I was out of my void deck and I was wondering wat happen and I tht something hav happen and on my way 2 the bus stop I saw few policeman car parking @ the bus stop and I was thinking how come there are so many policeman bt aft a while the policeman left the scene and I continue to wait 4 my transport to come and fetch me to work. Sigh... 1st thing in the morning have to see this scenerio. Why so unlucky?
Tis is the day I hav been waiting 4, it s a Mini marathon held @ RJC and it was the student (Sin Er, Hui Ehrr, Xiao xi, Chen Lin, Si Kai and Charmaine) project tat they are currently doing bt we need to be @ RJC at 12.45pm coz b4 the marathon there s a motivational talk by Dr William Tan bt I went out with WJ 1st and I left my house @ 10 plus almost 11am and we went Plaza Sing to get hansplast just in case wen I wheel myself for the marathon I wil get blister and after getting it we went 2 hav our lunch. Wen we finish our lunch we proceed to RJC and wen I reach there I call Xin Er and told her tat I hav reached Bishan MRT and she said there are students on their way 2 pick me up and as I wheel myself frm Bishan MRT 2 RJC I realized tat it s nt very near to the MRT and tat it s a very long distance and I push and push myself until I sweat all over and I was tinking since I alr push myself frm Bishan MRT to RJC such a long distance I shouldn't run 4 the marathon alr coz I was alr tired and couldn't do the 6KM (15 round on the track). After the start of the marathon there is a motivational talk by Dr William Tan. He show us a video about his life story. It was touching and inspirational too. The talk ended @ 2 plus and we headed to the track to change into our sports chair and a series of warm-up b4 the start of the race and during the start Dr William was also wif us pushing on the track. He was so fast til I can't catch up wif him and while stil trying 2 catch up wif him I feel tat my hands are tired and couldn't wheel anymore and wanted to give up but I remember tat Dr William Tan talk about ERP in his motivational talk. You must b wondering wat s ERP. It is nt the ERP gantry tat I am toking abt, it is E=Extra-Miled R=Reinvent, Relevant and P=Perseverance. Finally I managed to finished the 6KM(15 rounds) at a timing of 1hr 54min 46sec. I came in second whereas my frenz Amanda came in 1st and Manisha came in last. Well it was tiring 4 me. Bt @ least I manged 2 finished my 6KM mini-marathon. Aft the marathon Wei Jie and I go TTSH to visit Eric bt we went 2 the Kopitiam 2 hav dinner 1st b4 gg up 2 see Eric. Luckily I did nt bump into his parents or else his dad wil offer 2 buy drinks 4 me liao. Hehe...
Yest aft work I went TTSH 2 visit Eric. I was the 1st person 2 reached there bt I did nt go up and visit Eric 1st instead I wait 4 the rest 2 come. Bt I went up 1st and I was trying 2 look at the msg tat Shahidah send me and suddenly his dad frm in front ask me if I am looking 4 Eric and I said "Yes". And I ask the father wat exactly hav happen and the dad said tat he cannt breath on his own. And suddenly tears rolled down. And the parents told me tat we can't cried in front of him if not he hav difficulty breathing and Eric too does not want us 2 cried. Finally Tarin, Lynette, Janice, Kai Soon, Shahidah, Jonathan, Asraf and 1 more lady, I tink she s TEACH ME staff came. And so we went in to visit him. Although we see him like this we are sad and wanted to cried bt we stay strong and nt cry in front of him. Today I went to visit him again aft work and before I went there I gav Tarin a call @ 6 plus and she was there alr and she said tat Eric is in the operating theatre. And the operation lasted 2 hr plus. Becoz of his condition he can't breathe on his own anymore and he can't be on a respirator permanently and the surgery on the throat s an opening for the tube to bring oxygen 2 his lungs. Now with the opening on the throat the tube can go into his lungs directly. U may wonder wat s respirator. Respirator s a machine tat pumps oxygen/air. It wil also affect his speech. In future he will hav 2 carry a portable respirator or ventolator wif him where ever he goes. We must be strong and spend the rest of the time wif him.
After a very very long time, here I am blogging again. Cause I have been busy with my work. Well this is my 2nd time attending Encounter Weekend and after much waiting, I finally going for encounter weekend organised by my church [Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC)]. It is a 3-days teaching sessions held at Marine Parade Touch Centre, from 10 - 12 October 2008.
Hi, I have been busy with work in my new workplace and that I do not have time to update my blog as I have transport to fetch me at 6pm so I do not have the time. Since now I am at home I can just update my blog. I feel that I am not up to standard to work in the Accounts Department as I gradually make mistakes twice and I feel that I might lose a job again. But I hope instead of losing a job I hope they will transfer me to another department. But even if I do not want to work there anymore now I also cannot quit just like that cause I have not work there for 6 months. Cause I am on probation period now so they would not let me quit just like that.
It's been 2yrs and 1 month that I already work in Temasek Holding and 2dae it is the end of a chapter working in Temasek Holding. Tomorrow start a new chapter working in Handicaps Welfare Association. It is pretty sad to leave Temasek Holding but it is nice knowing everybody here.
Sorry for not giving updates about my job. Well the workplace that I am working now Dhoby Ghaut, they will not renew my contract cause they do not have anymore projects that need my help already and so I am not working in Dhoby Ghaut starting on 19 August. My official last day working here would be 18 Aug. When I heard that the company will terminate my contract on 10 Jul 08 I have not found a new job at that time while searching on my own I call Handicaps Welfare Association and ask Gladys if there are any job opportunity for me cause my official last day working here is 18 July but they extend for 1 more month which my contract would be 18 Aug officially ended. And so Gladys ask me to send my resume to her. And the following week (14 Jul 08) she called me and ask me if I want to work in Handicaps Welfare Association and so I told her that I will work in Handicaps Welfare Association cause I donât know if I really could find a job within 1 month when I leave my present job and so I went for job interview on 24 Jul 08. I will be working in the Account Department. The salary wise they are paying me $1000 which is less $300 then my present job which I think they pay me $1000 is good enough already cause they actually wanted to pay me $900 plus CPF. And that I will be under probation for ½ a year and they will see how I mange and if I do well they will convert me to permanent staff and my pay will also be increased. Thanks God that I found a new job within a week.
Sob... Sob... Sob... My contract is officially ended this Friday but they extend my contract till next month cause I told the Human Resources that it is such a short notice for me to look for another job. But now I don't know what job to work as. Sigh...
This coming Friday would be the 2nd year that I have work in Temasek Holding. I don't know if my contract would be renewed for another year or likely to be an on-going job for me. I hope that I could be converted from contract staff to a permanent staff. But I think I would still be a contract staff if I am still continuing to work here as they think that I do not have kids to look after and that I need not support the family that is why I think they will not convert me to perm staff on this aspect. I really don't what to do if I am not working in Temasek Holding anymore and that surely my mum will nag at me again and still she would thought that maybe my performance is not good that is why the company does not want to renewed my contract. She is more anxious then I am. Sigh....
I really have no idea that there is Singapore Bay Marathon coming up. I got an email from Boon Pin yesterday saying that Toa Payoh SAFRA is having a Singapore Bay Marathon and that I tried to call the person-in-charge but there are nobody answering the phone and so I call them this morning and still nobody answer the phone. And at last there is someone answering the phone and I said I would like to enquire about the Singapore Bay Marathon that is held on the 24 Aug (Sun). I ask them if a wheelchair-user can participate in the marathon and I ask if I can take part in the 21KM but they told me that it is not advisable to have anything that s related to wheels to be on the track. And they said that I can only run the 6KM or 10KM run cause for the 21KM run it is a competitive run whereas for the 6KM and 10KM it is a non-competitive run. Competitive run means to run for the medal and non-competitive isn't getting a medal cause if I run for the 21KM it will be dangerous and they said they will confirm with me if I can run the race. And so in the afternoon the organizer call me back with regard to whether I can take part in the marathon. Hurray... The organizer said that I can take part in the race but I will be the last in line with the rest so as to be safe. Well this is my 2nd time taking part in the marathon. The coming up 4 the next marathon which is the Stand Chart Marathon will be on the 7 Dec. Asian Women's Welfare Association is incorporated with NCSS for the Stand Chart Marathon. If they agreed that wheelchair-user can take part in the race of cause I will be taking part again. But this time maybe I will take part in the 10KM run. Please pray that I am still fit to run for the race.
Everything about Lawrence Khong, from the many hats he wears, right down to his choice of shoes, screams unconventional.
This is a man who does not conform to normal expectations, and his red-rimmed spectacles, red Converse sneakers and stylishly gelled hair are testimony to that.
His appearance is not something you would expect of a 55-year-old, and certainly not of someone who is a senior pastor, social worker, magician, businessman and national athlete all rolled into one very energetic body.
When you compliment him on his trendy appearance, he replies with a boisterous laughs: âIâm just a lao hiao.â
The Hokkien term means old vainpot.
âWe shouldnât be afraid of who are. Flamboyance is not wrong and it depends on how I use it. I can use it to flirt around and be immoral or I can use it to just add colour to an occasion.â
Still, it is hard to reconcile the image of a God-fearing man delivering a heartfelt sermon with that of an illusionist who has performed magic as shocking as âdecapitatingâ his daughter and walking down into the audience, holding her head.
âThe young people love it. It is our version of a horror movie,â he says with a twinkle in his eyes.
Pastor Khong may not be a household name but his resume is so long it can be an article in itself.
He is the senior pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC), which he started in 1986. One of the megachurches in
He is the founder and chairman of Touch Community Services, a non-profit welfare organization which has 18 centres in
He is a magician and has performed in sell-out shows to more than 200,000 people in
He is a businessman, the creative brains behind his production house, Gateway Entertainment, which produces magic shows and makes drama feature films and television movies.
To top it off, he is also a national polo player who won a silver medal with his team at last yearâs
âIâm someone who cannot sit still,â he says. âWhen I was doing my masterâs in theology, I would be working on three papers at the same time.â
He demonstrates his yen for multitasking by pretending to type furiously on the table, then suddenly turning his attention to something on his right and then thumbing an imaginary stack of papers.
He adds: âI can think of nothing worse than a beach holiday where I do nothing.
âWhen I go on a skiing trip, I find out what time the ski resort opens and I will be the first in line, and the whole day will be packed with activities.â
It goes without saying then that the past few months have been pure bliss, as he squeezes daily rehearsals into his already packed schedule.
From Saturday till July 20, he and his 27-year-old daughter Priscilla will be performing in a magical theatre show called MagicBox at the Esplanade.
They have also teamed up for the popular magic musical, Magic Of Love, which debuted at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2001 and has since toured over 15 cities.
Pastor Khong, who has been performing magic since he was 13, has a well rehearsed answer when asked if there is a disparity between his roles as a pastor and as a magician, since some Christians frown upon magic as it is deemed to be demonic.
He says: âYes, Iâve always been asked this question. âPastors are supposed to tell the truth, and here you are bluffing meâ.
âActually, the most honest person in this world is a magician because I tell you I am bluffing you and then proceed to deceive you. Iâve warned you.
âThere are some people who deceive you without warning you at all.â
Charismatic and forthcoming, he is the sort of person whom you will never feel bored being around as he is, in the words of his wife Nina, âfull of surprisesâ.
Dr Khong, 55, who gave up her medical practice six years ago to help him run his production house, says: âHeâs not the kind to be contented with the status quo, doing the same thing day in, day out.â
Besides Priscilla, they have three other children, who can all perform magic: Anthony, 26, works in the IT industry; Michelle, 25, is pursuing a degree in architecture at the National University of Singapore and Daniel, 21, is doing his national service. They live in a condominium in Serangoon.
Describing her husband as a very easy-going man who never sulks, she adds: â
For example, when he turned 40, he decided that he wanted to learn how to ride a horse and promptly enrolled the entire family in riding school.
Six years ago, he developed a passion for snow skiing and, of course, everyone in the family ended up loving the sport too.
He brings a lot of fun to this interview too, as he has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve â literally.
One moment, he is telling you about the two horses he owns,
He can be munching hungrily on a hot bun with his left hand, and before you realize what is happening, he is already producing one card after another using his right hand, seemingly from thin air.
âThese are all tricks. Everyone can do what I do. Itâs not like you need some spiritual powers,â he says almost nonchalantly.
Then, in a more serious tone, he adds that he sees the art of magic as âjust a medium to communicate good messages of love and familyâ. He says: âThis is why I feel very integrated. As a pastor, I want my members to value family. As a social worker, I realize that (the lack of love) is an issue behind most social problems.
âAs a magician, if I can have a great piece of entertainment that makes money for me, puts me onto the path of success and yet allows me to do something very valuable for society, why not?â
That last part refers to Project Smile (Sharing Magic In Love Everywhere), a programme which he pioneered and conceptualized in 2002. It trains youths and adults in magic, and they then entertain the under-privileged in hospitals, day-care centres and homes.
That, along with his gentle persistence, constant dialogue and explanation and growing success in the positive aspectsâ, has helped him gain more acceptance from his church members about his love for magic.
But he acknowledges that there are people who find that this is something they cannot reconcile with and have left to join other churches. âGiven my profile, there will always be people who donât like me.
âItâs okay. Donât make life so difficult for yourself, go find something that you like. Iâm not the only pastor in town.â
His father, a general commodities wholesaler who came from
As a boy, Pastor Khong was naughty and had the worst conduct in class when he studied at
âI was one of those hyperactive kids. I would stand up in the middle of a lesson and walk around or I would suddenly push my classmate for no reason,â he recalls.
At home, he was always running into trouble and getting caned for things such as jumping down from the tallest cabinet.
âMy mother used to say: âWhen I gave birth to you, I was in a lot of pain. Now, youâre still giving me so much painâ.â
When he was 10, his sheltered life was over. His father died, sparking a bitter fight over the inheritance from his family in
Overnight, he went from being a pampered rich boy who traveled to school in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes-Benz to a poor kid who had to learn how to take the bus for the first time in his life.
Life became hard as his mother developed high blood pressure and started blaming him for it. She would say things such as âIf I die tonight, it will be because of youâ, prompting him to wake up in the middle of the night to check if she was still alive.
He also remembers how, when he was about to take his O levels, his frail mother told him: âThe future of the whole family depends on your exam results. Our fate lies in your hands. If you fail, I will kill myself.â
He says: âI was an angry child back then and I was very angry with my mother.â
He says he has long since gotten over his anger and his 83-year-old mother now lives with his sister.
But at the time, he found support and peace in his church.
âIâm motivated by levels of difficulty. The more difficult the trick, the more I loved to do it,â he says. âAnyone can collect stamps. But how many people can make things disappear?â
Fortunately, he did very well in secondary school at St Josephâs Institution and went on to
But he turned rebellious in the army and became a chain smoker, lighting up three packs a day. He also stopped going to church.
But he cleaned up his act when he had a spiritual awakening at vacation time during his first year as a business administration undergraduate in the
He had followed Nina to a church camp in Port Dickson,
Focused and goal-driven
About five years later, he returned to serve in his church, then set up FCBC. It has 10,000 members today and it was at one point the biggest church here, although other megachurches such as
Reverend Kong Hee, 44, of
âI know him to be someone who is passionate in whatever he does and he has helped many people through his community service,â says Reverend Kong.
Indeed, Pastor Khongâs most significant contribution â and one that he is most proud of â is setting up Touch Community Services in 1992.
With 132 full-time staff and 800 volunteers, the non-religious charitable group has helped more than 100,000 people through activities and programmes.
Among other things, it provides free meals, offers counselling services and conducts health screenings for children from low-income or single-parent families, people with special needs and the frail elderly.
He admits that with their Christian roots, he and his colleagues were greeted with suspicion initially. Now, he says they have established themselves as a genuine welfare group âwith no strings attachedâ.
Touch won the Outstanding Non-profit Organisation Award from the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre last year.
âIâm a very focused and goal-driven person. Some people see this as arrogance. So in the church, you either love or hate me,â he says.
âBut this is me. The other day, Priscilla fell from a height during a rehearsal and the first thing I asked was: âDid you damaged the prop?ââ
Mr Eugene Seow, 52, executive director of Touch, says Pastor Khong is a leader who is open to new ideas and gives people the freedom to try out different things.
âHeâs also a very transparent and honest person. He shares things about his personal life so that people can understand him better,â he adds.
One of the very personal things that he volunteers to Life! without any prompting is that Priscilla is a single mother, with a five-year-old son born out of wedlock.
âIâm not ashamed of talking about it. In fact, I told my church members when it happened,â he says.
But he says it broke his heart when he first knew that she was pregnant and he was so mad that he wanted her to leave the family home.
However, his wife talked to him and he forgave Priscilla. His grandson Isaac is now the apple of his eye and he sends the boy to school every day.
âI donât hold grudges. Whatever youâve done, whether youâve taken drugs or committed a crime, if you say âIâm wrong, please help meâ, I will bend backwards to help you,â he says with quiet resolve.
âThis is my job. But if you continue to sleep around or beat up your wife, then Iâll say, leave my church. I will not help you, but I will help your wife to get a divorce.â
Don't let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a