Reflections One - JUST DO IT

I was an officer at the Logging Training Centre, Terengganu between 1978 to 1985. There I taught Forest Survey and Inventory certificate course and students came from both east and west Malaysia. Some were sponsored by their companies while some were fresh from school. After a year and upon passing the exam they receive a certificate in Forest Survey and Inventory. Teaching had always been an honourable job but what one learns in the process can be more rewarding than the years of teaching itself.


Many things happened in the years there and I would like to recollect some. Here's one.


The month was December, and heavy rain from the monsoon had caused the dirt road from Sungai Tong - Kuala Brang to be interupted at Kg. Teris. Three or four contractors had abandoned their job to upgrade the road because of this stretch that floods every monsoon season.


This part of Terengganu used to be the poorest part of the country and the Logging School had been placed there to bring some development to the area.


The Kenyir Dam had just been commisioned to Hyundai Corporation of Korea. That particular morning, about 17 lorries had lined up on their way to the Kenyir Dam to start work but stranded at Kg. Teris.The centre's principal and his deputy were away, leaving me to hold the fort.


The Korean supervisor and a malay guy, came to see me. They said that they need to pass this stretch but they could not as the road is not passable. However they have 17 lorries out there and I have the bulldozers and bucket loader as well as a stream in Bukit Kersing Concession area that could supply all the stones and gravel needed. All they require is my permission to start. All for Free. Here I remembered Dato Darus favorite quote; Just Do It. In those days there is no SMS or mobile phone and the other officers are not contactible to seek advice. So I agreed.


Just Do It, I said. I called the driver, Tengku Majid, Bakar and Mohd Kari, both instructors and told them what I am planning to do. They agreed that we had nothing to loose and in the long run we would benefit most.


So, we drove to the location, wade across, (in the worst times, it could be as deep getting the balls wet.) and took the Jeep to Bukit Kersing. We had alerted the team at bukit kersing by walkie talkie, and the bulldozers had then started to pile the stones into one big pile. That were then loaded into the lorries belonging to the dam contractors.


One after another lorry load was sent to the location.

A motorgrader awaits and slowly fills this stretch that had practically closed the road 3 months each year for so many years. After about 80 lorries of stones gravel and dirt, the stretch finally surrendered to us and by evening the road was passable.


The lorries horned loudly as the passed the Logging Training Centre and there onwards the Kenyir Dam

construction starts.


The lucky contractor that was commisioned next to complete the road quickly completed it not knowing why the many previous contractors failed.


Today the road is a major highway to Kelantan, via the Jerangau Jabor, Kuala Brang Sungai Tong and the Kenyir Dam is the largest dam in the country as well as a major tourist attraction.


LESSON: JUST DO IT.- If you think is a WIN WIN situation - even though you might be breaking some rules, Just do it.... by the way, was there any that I broke? If there is keep then that as your secret.