2.   A tribute to Ang Chin Heng (by Foong Thim Leng)
Former branch committee member Ang Chin Heng died on December 25 of a heart attack. With his sudden demise at the age of 45 we lost not only a dedicated member but a dear friend. Ang had on many occasions led in interesting and enjoyable caving and trekking trips and also helped out in nature education camps. With the jovial Ang around, jokes were abundant and outings had been fun. Those who knew him can testify that he used to go out of the way to oblige members who needed any form of assistance or transportation for a trip. There were occasions when his former car, a Honda Accord, had to function like a 4WD vehicle when entering Ulu Groh or some dirt tracks in the Cameron Highlands but Ang never complained. He would just laugh and said that his car was an All Terrain Vehicle.      His generosity was also well known. On many occasions he would be the fastest to come out with his wallet to pay for food ordered by members during ``makan time'' during or after an outing. I have known him for 30 years and it was he who introduced me into the MNS a decade ago. He had been a marathon runner, a HHH member but appreciating nature had remained as his main interest. Without him, I would never had the opportunity to witness a Rafflesia in bloom or seen on some of wonders of Mother Nature.      Our love for nature had taken us to many places and we shared many exciting moments like fighting the raging currents crossing Sungai Tapah in the Cameron Highlands when we were caught in a storm during a recce trip and, on another occasion, groping our way in the dark to Teluk Harimau. While trekking, Ang and I, sometimes with former chairman Leow Kon Fah, had always chosen to play anchor men to make sure that no member would be left behind.      Another interest we shared was mountain climbing. Although we always found the task gruelling but by giving each other the necessary encouragement, we had never failed to make it to the summit. At the end of the day, we always enjoyed ourselves despite the exhaustive journey and return with fond memories. A story which never failed to amuse us was during a trip up GunungYong Yap when an orang asli guide complained that he had to stay awake all night to guard our tent because Pak Belang might be attracted by Ang's snoring which sounded like the gruntings of a wild boar. Other memorable trips I made with Ang included a hike up the Cameron Highlands in search of the Force 136 camp, trekking to G. Irau, G. Bujang Melaka, G. Chabang, G. Korbu and G. Gayong, caving in Gua Datuk, Gua Tempurong and the 6-Mile Tunnel and several birding outings.      I have never seen Ang losing his temper when things went wrong or when the jokes were at his expense. One of his favourite quotes: “No problem... problems haven't arise yet.'' If he could not find time to go on any outing when invited, Ang's reply had always been ``Go ahead and enjoy yourselves. My spirit will be with you.''     Now that he is gone, I am sure that his spirit will live on in the memories of those who knew him.May he rest in peace.

Chairman’s Note:  Ang’s jovial self and love for food is well-known among MNS Perak circle. Every time I see a large Niltava in Fraser Hill, Ang’s jovial character comes to mind as he was the one who helped us remember it as a large “Murtabak”.

1. New Members
We welcome the following who applied to join as new members either directly to HQ or through the Perak Branch. If anyone is left out of this list please write in to inform the Chairman.1. Bernard Lee Boon Sian2. Dato’ Chan Yew Mun3. Lau Pin Sian4. Jesmit K. Dhillon d/o Ragbir Singh 5. Dr. Sobha a/p K. K. Gopala Kurup6. Ling Sing Kiong7. Yeap Sau Choo