Achievements
KH ONG

MALAYSIAN ARMED FORCES SQUASH LEGEND - SGT ONG KHAI HOCK RMAF
16 Apr 21
The game of squash was introduced by the British in the 1930s at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), Perak. The first championship recorded was in 1939 at the MCKK. The final was between two great leaders of Malaysia, the Late HRH Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 10th YDP Agong and the Late Honorable Tun Hj Abdul Razak bin Dato' Hussein, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia. HRH Tuanku Ja'afar won 3-1.

Squash was officially registered to be one of the national sports in 1972 and the man behind it was YAM Tunku Imran. Squash Rackets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) was formed at the Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur on Sun 25 June 1972.

The British Forces introduced squash in the 50s. There were squash courts in several camps, Majidee Camp Johor Bahru, Terendak Camp Melaka, Taiping Garrison, RAAF/RMAF Base Butterworth and Sungai Petani Camp.

KH Ong took up squash when he attended an Air Force course in UK in 1971 - 1972. Upon his return he was posted to Butterworth Base and he took up the game seriously with the RAAF players. KH Ong became the national squash player in the 1979. He represented Malaysia in various regional and world level championships. The national players then were Tunku Imram, Nik Mohd Din, Tony Tiah, Hood Salleh, Maj S Maniam, Syed Mustafa and KH Ong.

KH Ong retired in 1980 after 12 years of service and started his squash outfit at the Lake View Club Subang Jaya. He spent most of his time training his son Ong Beng Hee who was 7 years old. He decided to stop Ong Beng Hee from schooling after Form 3 in 1996 and to train full time in squash. In early 1998, a special recce team was in London to scout for a training centre for Ong Beng Hee. The recce team members were YAM Tunku Imran, the Late Tan Sri Alex Lee, KH Ong and AJ Wong, Executive Director of SRAM. YAM Tunku Imran picked me and KH Ong from our hotel in an official chauffeur driven Rolls-Royce!!!

In mid-1999, Ong Beng Hee left for London to train under Neil Harvey. Among the players in the training centre was the British and World No.1 player Peter Nicol. Ong Beng Hee was fortunate to train with Peter Nicol. KH Ong had to sell his house to finance Ong Beng Hee's training and to participate in tournaments in Europe. The funding from SRAM and National Sports Council was insufficient for Ong Beng Hee's full time training in London. It was the most difficult years for KH Ong but he strongly believed Ong Beng Hee will make it.

In 1998, Ong Beng Hee rewarded his father KH Ong by winning the coveted World Junior Championship in Princeton University, USA and became the first World Junior Champion in the country. Ong Beng Hee turned professional player in 1999 and won the Asian title and several major squash championships. Upon his retirement from professional squash, Ong Beng Hee was offered to be the National Chief Coach for rackets sports in Qatar.

Today 12 April 2021, KH Ong became a member of MACVA and AJ Wong handed the MACVA Membership Card to KH Ong at the Lake View Club Subang Jaya.

KH Ong, 74 years old, is a squash legend in the Armed Forces and the country spanning more than 50 years in the sport. MACVA is very proud of KH Ong's contributions to the Armed Forces and national squash and we wish him all the very best.

The latest news, Ong Beng Hee has been offered to be the national chief squash coach of USA effective June 2021. MACVA would like to wish him every success in his new job.

Lt Col Wong Ah Jit (Retired)

ONG BENG HEE
KH ONG & AJ WONG (12 Apr 2021)
KH ONG'S SQUASH RACKETS IN THE 70s
SOME OF THE TROPHIES OF ONG BENG HEE
THE MOST WELL EQUIPPED SQUASH AND TENNIS RACKETS OUTLET IN THE COUNTRY

MACVA MEMBERS ARE MOST WELCOME TO VISIT SYKT KH ONG AT LAKE VIEW CLUB SUBANG JAYA OR TO CATCH UP WITH KH ONG. KH ONG CAN BE REACHED AT 012-2085900.

Alan Soh Yean Heng with daughter Mona Soh Poh Choo

Ms Mona Soh Poh Choo - Winner Of The Prestigeous
President Halimah Yacob Nursing Award 2018
16 Aug 18
President and members of MACVA extend our congratulations to Ms Mona Soh Poh Choo, daughter of our brother member WO1 Alan Soh Yean Heng RMN (Rtd) for her outstanding achievements in the nursing profession which earned her the coveted Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob Nursing Award 2018.

The Passing of the First King
1 Apr 17
I feel proud and honoured to have participated in that historic event at such an early stage of my military service to King and Country.

The first Yang Di Pertuan Agong, Al-Marhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Muhammad died in his sleep on 1 April 1960. The lying in state was held at the Banguet Hall of Istana Negara. Here officers of the 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment (me included) together with other officers including those from the RMN were involved taking turns in keeping vigil rotating every two hours throughout the period.

On 2 April 1960, a State Funeral procession full of pomp and pageantry was accorded to the late King. The royal coffin placed on a Gun Carriage was towed by personnel of the RMN in the British tradition. Right in front, ahead of the Navy leading the procession was the dismounted Sovereign Escort (sometimes called the King Escort) of 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment. This small party consisted of twenty four personnel was led by Major Zain Hashim with 2/Lt Tan Siew Soo bringing up the rear (in the photograph you can see him ahead of the Navy personnel).

We led the procession with reversed arms/swords on slow march all the way from Istana Negara, Bellamy Road to the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station where the royal coffin boarded a special train to Seremban and then by road to Sri Menanti.

The No 1 Dress of the Reconnaissance Regiment then, was the envy of the other arms and services. The officers wore scarlet caps, chain mails, cross belts, tight fitting slacks and Wellington boots with Spurs.

The Other Ranks uniform were only slightly less impressive, also wore peak caps, chain mails, simple cross belts and not so tight fitting slacks without spurs. As we slow marched on that bright, hot sunny day beads of sweats were streaming down our foreheads. Overheard some comments from the roadside crowds: see they are crying. Indeed, if we were crying it must surely be for King and Country!

Lt Col Tan Siew Soo (Rtd)

WO II Hong Swee Chui (Rtd)
26 Dec 16
Congratulations to WO II Hong Swee Chui (Rtd) for being the Top MACVA Member Recruiter for 2016. WO II Hong successfully brought in 60 new members. For his sheer dedication and tireless efforts; WO II Hong was jointly presented with a hamper by MACVA President Brig Leong Weng Foon (Rtd) and a bottle of Old Parr by MACVA Deputy President Lt Col Fabian Wong Boon Soon (Rtd) during the closing Committee Meeting of the year on 23 Dec 16.

Maj Lee Yat Thong (Rtd)
17 Dec 16
MACV Maj Lee Yat Thong (Rtd), is the international trainer for Siemens Project Management training at Siemens University China. The targeted audience for the PM course are Siemens active project managers, project engineers due for job upgrade, commercial project managers and project controllers.

Siemens emphasized on systematic Global standard project management practices, processes and methodologies for its project managers as Siemens derived 50% of its revenue worldwide from project business. This course give the participants the grounding on Siemens project management DNA. The course is not run as a technical project management course but heavily tied to Siemens project business philosophy.

The three modules course cover wide variety and diverse topics related to project life cycle including systematic project planning, project opportunities and risks management, project contracting, project negotiation, project leadership, team dynamics, systematic project solving, project controlling and financial controlling.

The course is designed as adult experiential learning working on real life Siemens project management issues and challenges. This course is part of the Siemens project managers' career path in the project management job family.

Maj Lee Yat Thong (Rtd) comes from extensive project management business background having ran a construction company and being head of project cum operations management of one of the business Divisions of Siemens before embarking onto his current portfolio as Siemens international trainer.

We are proud of our Maj Lee's high achievements.

 Module 1 Session
 Module 2 Session
 Module 3 Session

Lt Col Wong Ah Jit (Rtd)
2 Nov 16
Congratulations to our MACV, Lt Col Wong Ah Jit (Rtd), who is the manager of the Petaling Badminton Club that won the Junior Purple League for 2015 and 2016. Lt Col Wong has been in the forefront of national sports administration and management the last 15 years. We are proud of his achievements.