Post Graduation and Incidental Job Replacement

Much had been said about the past on my memoirs. I guess now is to take sometime off to talk about the post graduation and job placement

So what have I been doing these years, after completion of my formal primary / secondary educations? Well, to be precise after graduation from the vocational school and armed with an Electrical City & Guilds certificate, (those day cannot afford to extend college or further paper chase as Dad has only his pair of hand to feed the whole family of six).

Employments are hard to come by in the early days (circa 1974). With no luck in the electrical / electronic vacancies along the FTZ on the Penang island. Went for many job interviews but was not successful even as an electronic operator along the framed electronic factories (this post/s was much reserved for the lesser gender).

Those days the monthly salary as the electronic operator was RM160 with some allowances thrown in. A take home pay would comes to approximately RM200, a very good income in those days. A Honda club, 600cc would only cost RM700-900. A new Datsun 120Y takes approx. RM7k plus. A packet of Benson & Hedges of 20 sticks take you back by a dollar and a small packet of 6 sticks take 0.30 cents though.

So what job have I landed in myself?. Well, I started as an incidental car mechanic – Cantonese call it the “che fong chai” , (garage boy, paying a good rm40/ month) - following dad’s footstep into the automotive world.

This job calls for dirty manual works, with all the greasy, black oily and dirt ground works with the old automobiles. One has to lie underneath the undercarriage of the vehicles to get things done.(no availability of ramp or the 2 / 4 lift post in those days). On many occasions, my face was so blacken by grease and dirt and upon reaching home; my mother could not even recognize her own son.

In the year 1976/77, my big break came when I chance upon an opportunity (recommended by one Ah Cheng – a spray painter) to join Universal Cars (Ford / Bedford) as a contract workers. My contract work is mainly to check for water leakage in those new Ford vehicles. As I am able to read the car service manual and speak manglish with the gwai-lo (Workshop Manager has noticed this) I was quickly absorbed permanently into this organization as a Trainee Trades man – a feat in those days. I was also quickly promoted to Class 3 mechanic, later to workshop administrative and Service Advisor as my career progressed.

Within a span of 5 years (circa 1980 – 1985) I went through Champion Orchard / Federal Auto and BMW which takes me to states like; Selangor, Johore Bharu and Kuantan and finally landed on job with the newest and hottest auto dealership / distributor at that time – EON.

At that time (3^rd quarter of 1985) EON was recruiting service personnel from all over the motor trades. During the interview with Mr, K.C. Ho, I was asked two most simple and easy question. A) How much do you want? And b) When can you start work?.....

On 14th September 1985, the 1st Penang Bridge was official opened to traffic, And around this time, I am posted to Butterworth Service Centre. This make my travelling from the island to the mainland very much easier. Commuting during the first few months on the almost deserted lane of the Penang Bridge is also a memory. Not like these days where the traffic on the bridge is almost choked and jammed to the brink.
A 2nd Penang bridge is now in progress.