FROM THE CHESS KING TO PURPOSEFUL LIFE

FROM THE CHESS KING TO PURPOSEFUL LIFE

Back in the seventies, there was this little boy in Georgetown, who was born with a big head and handsome face, interestingly he liked engaging in all kinds of mind boggling, creative and imaginative activities!! He neither had many toys with him; nor did he know of any cartoon characters. To him all these were of not much benefit to him.

Very active, adventurous, naive and of course the real description would be “playful”, he was well-known as the chess king among his childhood mates. The name “chess king” was not given but awarded, due to his active participation not only in playing good chess, but always sustaining his number 1 position in his school and residential areas. He even represented his school in individual and team event in the Penang State Chess Competition under 12- category in 1973. The chess activities can be mounted at any time, week day or weekend, so long he has time to do so. He was so persistent that he would steal any of his available time. He even can play solo, by either playing both sides of the players or analyse every possible move of his past game he could remember.  His circle of players could come from players that are more than 5 years older than him. They even organise their own tournaments with their own ranking in mind, but without trophy.

The game would begin with any chess set, regardless whether Chinese or Western form. His standard of playing good chess also deteriorated as he aged. This was because he almost stopped his chess game after he failed to deliver his mentor's expectation in the individual event at the State Chess competition. Today he is still a reasonably good chess player, once in a blue moon he plays at home or in the office!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, yes that is me, James Oh!! I still have a big head with handsome face. Very obvious I am a man with a young heart. I am 52 years old, born 25 Feb; my birthday has just passed. Married with one wife, one daughter, three sons, but one is in heaven.

I come from a “big” family of 6 siblings with 1 girl and 5 boys of which only 1 is single and available, any takers? Dating can be arranged secretly, openly or indirectly.

I am, the only one in the family, with two professional degrees specializing in Accounting and Law. I graduated with my first degree in a local university and second degree from the University of London, UK. I am self-financed since my secondary school through some part time jobs to cover the fees and pocket money. I worked as a lottery seller, tutor, marketing surveyor during my university breaks.

Though it was not easy, I enjoyed these challenges as they shape me stronger, better and tougher. No regrets! Honestly, I appreciated my studies more compared to my other university-mates. I picked things up fast and achieved much greater results. My working experiences allowed me to understand my studies faster, better and deeper. Similarly, I had opportunities to apply my acquired knowledge to gain an edge in any workplace. I love and enjoy whatever challenges, because I do not like routines and am more inclined to think.

I began my very first professional career in 1987 as audit assistant. I learned how to develop audit plans, audit report and assess clients' internal policies and procedures effectiveness. Though I have slightly more than 1 year in the audit field, I gained a name for having most up to date IAS standard, company act whereby I even qualified the audit report due to significant effect on its financial report arising from non compliance of foreign exchange loss, which I was the first person to pick up this issue. I moved to commercial sector due to the denial of the recommended promotion put forward by my immediate superior as I was much junior than other staff in the office. At that time, I had gained a well diverse and broad exposure in the various industries such as Insurance, Manufacturing, Trading, Plantation, Co-operatives and professional firms.

I had spent a short span of my professional life with each company I worked with, except the Aviation company. This did not stop me from contributing significantly to the respective companies. I have proposed a change of accounting policy, from operating lease to finance lease that resulted in the company booking in more than RM two million before its right issues exercise; to generate a million in the form of interest income through managing the treasury more appropriately; eliminate the issuance of official receipt; improve the internal control through extending a copy of Purchase Order without unit price to the store; restructuring of loan to cater for the company's expansion program; to tap public fund through listing exercise in order to obtain cheaper borrowing rate and turn around the company after the financial crisis.

I love to read and travel. Reading and travelling are eye openers for me as I learn and see new things. Hence, I wish to leave my foot print in as many hearts and countries as I could so as to leave a good legacy and to repay those kind souls and people who have touched my life.

I have found an unusual path of re-fire-ment instead of retirement, what I would love to see myself hanging around with my buddies, actively involved in writing, contributing to society and coaching people to live more fulfilling lives.

Therefore, I urge more people to embrace lifelong learning and pass our learned knowledge to the young generation, to have a better tomorrow.

As such, you are strongly encourage to join this Lift you Up community so as it can function as what I have planned one day.

James Oh

http://my.linkedin.com/pub/oh-james/12/a11/29b