Markus Ng

Tekst

Hey all! I'm totally new here and wanted to say hello!

He Made A Difference

No More Ceteris Paribus Bro!

It is just a few more hours before your birthday strikes the clock. I mentioned earlier on that i would revisit with a better article about you. This is your birthday present bro. Dont strike me with thunder tomorrow.

I will always recall meeting you in a scout camp. A camp meant for hardship as well as torture. Nick Yoong approached me and said "hey you!!, meet markus!, he is the greatest of them all". Yet you showed no signs of arrogance neither did you show any signs of regret for that statement. You were just being you. Accepting flaws in people as well as being humble to people. How do you ever stay that way for so long? You are freaking thin bro, but your heart is fat (huge).

Our lives pretty much went our own individual ways in high school, you being the prefect, and i being the student getting caught by a prefect for coming to school late. You had to catch me when i jumped over the wall to escape the punishment of picking up rubbish. Grrr....

*fast forward*

Then a remarkable incident happened. We were all going for our 40km hike by foot for one scouting activity of which our time limits were 24 hours. Within the last 10 km you were the only still going strong. Most of us were already on our four limbs. Once again grrrr.

When my house was on renovation in 2002, and i needed a place to bum after school, id know where id go; Markus's house with the blue gates. And the funniest thing is, YOU would invite me in to the house and say "Here have a seat". Then you will get me a drink. And then tell me to wait for you for two hours just because you were going for tuition. And you left me alone in your house. Your kindness knew no end. I hope you know that i appreaciate those deeds. I really do. Hahah something just came into my mind. I remember you telling me about how you use to train soccer with your brothers which involved alot of gate wrecking sounds.

You were one of the only few people i knew from school who treated me without judgement despite how awful i can become. The funny thing is, ive never heard anyone saying any negative remark about you as well as who you might have had a crush on in school. You were a target of all the right attractions. Thomas Chew taught me how to pluck the guitar. You taught me how to feel the music. I will always remember how you made me sing my "second voice" out just to explain to me about the music harmonies.

School was over. Hello college/uni life.

We were in the same class for the same subjects; which was an extremely tough degree to get through. We surprisingly became writers for three seperate entities together; HELP Herald, Ceteris Paribus and Malaysian Today. You were always the better writer. We entered football matches together and you were one of the few who played gracefully on the field even when someone tackles you hard. I can remember we had a match with some Sunway boys. I was the goalkeeper and you were well err...playing everywhere just because you can. One guy was so pist at you because he just couldnt get past you in the field. I believed you had a 100% rate of stopping him run into your area. Haha how he cursed you with awful languages and you just smiled and apologized!!! A few of us were saying hey lets roughen that guy up on the field for being a prick to Markus. But noo.... you had to know of our plan and say its ok, leave him be.

When we worked in Malaysian Today, and you were driving that second hand black proton iswara of which you bought it for RM6k you actually taught me to drive with bravery in the streets of Ampang. Mind you i just got my driving permit a few days ago (then). Grrr again. Oh that car was contaminated with all of our sweat after football; probably a hub of football germs. Haaha i would always remember how i shared the experience of your first, second and third car accidents when i was at your passengers seat. And sometimes you would dissapear into the night just to go around the streets of KL for fun. You are unique!! I will also remember the time when you were driving at the speed of 150km on the street just because we had to cover a report in Bukit Jalil at 6pm and another report in Inti College, Negeri Sembilan at 630pm. The car was shaking when we cruised the highway. Bubble gum kids!! You risked your life for them. You had to ask them where they were. You had to put us in the eyes of the syndicate. You had to call the police to save them. Hey, maybe you did save those kids, cause there was an article on the newspapers about the bubble gum kids a few days later.

Every staff in HELP who knew you is missing you. It feels like ive known you for so long but not long enough. You were the only one who did not give up on me about my smoking habits. By the way, im clean of that crap now. And i am truly glad you got to know that i was clean of it before you left. No one really went to college as early as us; 615 am just because we wanted to free parking. haha. We were crazy. You still have one of the fastest time record for Bukit Gasing run. And your fav lecturer, Mr B. is retiring from teaching in a few months from now. Our football team VS the ADP dutch team was epic.

After you left HELP, we never really talked much even though we always saw each other online. Sometimes your monkey display picture would say "hi" when i am taking a dump; and when i reply back; you wil say "im rushing for class now". But i knew u were doing fine there with all the new food you learnt to cook with your roomates over there. I can also remember you and Peter being the wierdos who plays football by yourselves at 7 pm at the field in front of my house. I couldnt resist and joined you guys  too. No one plays football in front of my house now. Those were the days when all of us would play football from 2pm to 530 pm on a daily basis.

Your friends are doing well here. Hope your mandarin is improving up there. I am treasuring the book you gave to me in helping me to describe the purpose of life. You knew your purpose. Do me a favour and strike a lightning up Micheal's end. The rest you leave it to me and rest. Assignments bro, its messing my biological clock. A story of you is a story of no end....

Your friend,

Gene Lim

Markus was a remarkable man. When we first heard about news of Markus leaving us by Idhlan, our first response was one of shock and unbelief. Markus had become a very special family friend. Our  two daughters enjoyed playing with him and they invited    Markus to their birthday which he graciously accepted. He  always had time for people,  he was always there when you needed him. Our early introduction to him was when he organised a welcoming reception for those  going to Essex University  for the first time from Malaysia. On first impressions, he was a very helpful person, unassuming  and polite but we had not yet discovered the depth and substance of this  man. Over the course of getting to  know him better as president of the Malaysian society and as a friend from 2007, we discovered that under his humble and thin appearance was a man of many talents. A talented guitar player, a football whizz kid and also one who was well able to articulate complex issues of life.

 

Outstanding was his love for Malaysia, a love for all the races and a big vision to contribute towards nation building and a bangsa Malaysia. He was a natural leader, not one who imposed himself but his vision, enthusiasm, helpfulness and care for people marked him  as an obvious leader.

He was clearly years ahead of his peers in thinking and maturity. We shared precious  moments of talking about life, politics, the economy and nothing. Whilst enjoying life, he was also deeply concerned with how to  build a better world. it was clear to us, wealth and power were not the driving motivational forces of his life. He wanted the best for everyone, for humanity and for a united and progressive Malaysia. He had little tolerance for racial propaganda and narrow mindedness. Instead, he had an unusually matured approach of inclusiveness- seeking to bring all Malaysians together for a better
tomorrow- especially the poor and marginalised of all races.  In 2008, under the University  of  Essex Malaysian Students society,  he very ably  organised a national student conference to highlight the plight  of the Orang Asli. A community known to be the poorest among the poor in Malaysian society.

Markus also struck us as a man who had a deep faith in God. He was above all driven to love and accept everyone as taught in his Christian faith. He struck us as one who lived out  what he believed in,  putting away  hypocrisy, struggling but authentically applying
his faith values in a challenging environment as best as he knew how. We came to know later that during his exams, he was going through a personal crisis  and did not inform anyone. He did not want to burden anyone with his own trouble. His personal  success was never more important than his desire to do what was right.  He struggled in
understanding his faith without over simplifying  harsh realities of life.

This is the Markus we had the privilege to know and one in whom we loved and will miss dearly. We are so thankful to God for a life so beautifully lived. Perhaps, Markus would through his life  have us think; there is only one life to live and that will soon pass away.
And only what is done for God will last for eternity. Love and accept one another.

 

Onn Sein  and Sook Wah

It’s been a year since u left all the people that u loved for a long journey… to tell u the truth, I just knew about this saddest news when Jamil, our former friend n schoolmate asked me to join him attending your special memorial service which be held on 19 Feb,

a week ago…u know the worst part was when I asked Jamil, Markus do what ceremony? n he said, don’t u know that he was leaving us almost a year ago? Only God knows how shocked and surprised I was when I first hear about the painful news bout u Markus n I kept searching for memorial blogs created specially for u by person that u loved n for sure really love u…I spent almost one day reading this blog n guess what, my eyes were so full of tears…I really regret it when I realized that I maybe the last person knew about this, I regret it when there is no one tell me about this saddest news n I regret it that I cannot say goodbye to u for the very last time…n for that, I beg for your apologize…

 

I still remember when we  still very young when we were n the same class (1 Anggerik) in SMKDU.U r the class monitor…Yes, A very great monitor while Salmi was your assistant..Even though we r only in the age of 13 at that time, I still can see your potentials n credibility to be a very superior leader in the future…Even we are malay students but u never discriminate and treated us fairly with the others and n u r always willing to share your knowledge with all your classmates  n u know Markus, u’ve proof to the nation that u r such a very great person n my thoughts towards u were not wrong…Being your little friend, I am so proud to know that u’ve involved in so many charitable programs, served and gave your full of heart to your beloved country…I am so impressed about your achievements and I would like to express million of thanks for cheering up so many peoples life. See Markus, all the good things u have done really gave impact in so many lives that we just cannot accept it when u left…but I know that God took u for good reason, because He loves u n want to take care of u there…cause in God u trust right? U may not even remember me cause I left the school after PMR but  I always remember u cause u are a person who’s so full of kindness and gentleness which for sure hard to be forgotten, forever…

 

For Markus family n friends, my deepest condolences n sympathies for your loss of Markus .I know it  was a very difficult time for you, and I wish you all  to keep strong…May he rest in God's hands and bless his soul. My thoughts and prayers are always with you... I know that words are not enough in difficult times such as these but sometimes it helps to ease the pain. I wish that he has found peace wherever he is and that your family will find the inner strength to cope with his departure. Please do not forget that you have much of family n good friends to share your sorrows…With that, please accept my deepest sympathy the heartfelt thought that there is hope in each new tomorrow, take care…

I didn't know you Markus, but it seemed to me that you have touched many lives, and will continue to touch the lives of people who have never met you through many ways, this memorial page being one way. My sympathy goes out to the ones who loved you most, who will miss you on family occasions, on your birthday, during small events, every time they laugh, every single day.

I hope this poem I found on the internet will shed some awareness on how the family and friends you left behind may be feeling almost one year after your passing, almost one year after the influx of condolences. I myself found this very comforting as I emerged from an emotional stupor after I lost my mother.




I hope this will bring your family the small measure of solace as it brought me.

Suan.

n the conversations we had in the past there was an element of familiarity in the struggles Markus faced when we shared with one another. Those struggles were your average Christian struggles that you and i faced but the difference was in how Markus faced it.

He was humbled yet unwavering, fearful but courageous, he took on problems determined to make a difference in the circumstances faced, his choices made in the midst of adversity was what made him shine like a beacon to all whom he touched.

I was one of those who was thoroughly impressed at the depth of maturity, humbleness,  love for God, selflessness, passion for humanity, not forgeting his great love for our country, i could go on but regrets and tears fall down as i come to terms with his death and my failure to reciprocate in kind to his words of encouragement, prayers and kindness that he showed without hesitation.

In the few months we have come to know each other, i've learned of all those attributes that Markus himself bore as mentioned by Wei Wenn below.

Life has never seemed so short till the passing of our dear friend Markus, nevertheless his legacy, dreams and aspirations live on in all of us.

Life has never been the same since his passing, but though grieved let us not rest in the regrets of his lost but let us stand up and be counted just as Markus has stood up and be counted to live life to the fullest just as he had.

A verse came to mind as i came to terms with all that had happened over the past week.

John 12:24
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

My dear fellow friends and campers, let us continue to encourage one another through and to start standing up tall and be counted for.

Markus has gone before us and now the torch lie in our hands brothers and sisters...

As a tear falls down, as i envision him passing the torch.... It's my turn now.

A poem to My lover's Markus
By John Cung

     I watch the sky and think about what is love?
     I scratch my arms where I am going to put my burden?
     I know how the world is wide but I do not have a palace for sleeping
     When I walk in to the city, I see everything what I need
     I rather a needy than greedy
     It is so-called a needy

     Suddenly, when I heard about my lover has passed a way
      I feel like the whole world is break.
      Because, he is my shelter and I put my burden in him.
      I love him so much and he love me, too.
      That is a beautifulness of the world

       The man was created with a mud by God,
       and one day it will moulder by itself.
        But I did not love my lover body,
        I love his ethic and his kindness
        I like his purpose for the world
        He encourage to disable persons
        This is so-called “AGAPE LOVE”

        Markus, we just separate by living and dieing,
        but we hope is one.
        We have one God, we must meet a gain in our father's house
        But I am plea I couldn't see your body before they buried.
        I am very sad without saying a word before you passed a way.
        People are saying you have died but you are still alive in my heart.
        You were my shelter on the world and you were my provider whatever I
         need.
         I promised you,I will try to become which one you want,you have
         spoken to me.
         I will speech about you wherever I go and I stay
         One day, I hope to see you a gain in our father's house in heaven
         At that time, we will be singing together forever and ever.

Some friends and I went to visit Markus a week ago.

 

Found out he had our letters with him, and felt content. We are all grateful that Aunty, Uncle, David and Peter had placed our parting words with him in his eternal sleep.

 

When we left, we didn't say goodbye, but "See you later," instead.

 

 

 

Sleep well, Markus. We'll come visit again soon.