Today 24-2-2009 is the day I officially retired from my employer of 30 years in Ipoh. I redeemed my freedom from the employment contract that I have given to the employer when I first joined the company. I am a free man today. There is no farewell for me today, as I do not like to said farewell for the day, it is the beginning of new phase of my life. It should be a celebration, not a sad farewell. It is the beginning, not the end. So why said farewell........
I still remember the first day I walked into the Bukit Mertajam branch of my employer in 1979. The employer was at that time, rank first in the market position of the industry. But the day I retired from the employment, the employer has slipped into 3rd ranking in the industry. It is sad to see that happen during my retiring time.
What is retirement?
The retirement is defined as withdrawal or disengagement from one's occupation, business or office or a career job. The career job is the position occupied by a worker for substantial portion of the working life with single employer or in a single setting. But some said that definition is for the past, the retirement as permanent separation from the work place is being replaced with new definition. Retirement is a permanent disengagement from the career job, and enter into a bridging period of semi-retirement. Not complete retirement. He may go for a bridge job.The act of retirement is now redefined as bridge retirement. Bridge retirement is the form of partial retirement in which a senior workers ( I do not like to use an older worker), alternate period of disengagement from the work place with periods of part time, temporary, occasionally and self employed engagement in work. It is the start of second career or the start of second education.It is a beginning, not the end. For more reading, there is an article from www.ericdigest.org on the new meaning of retirement.
It was a pleasant surprise that, Kim Ta come all the way to from Penang to Ipoh, to celebrate the event together with me , the day of new beginning, and the day of my new freedom. It is a joy to see him here in Ipoh..
Loh help me to transport my belonging to Penang. We also stopped at Taiping for a dinner with Teh, Chan, Draz and Sashi. We have a good time in Taiping, talking about the new development in the state politic. By the way it was surprise to know that the coffee shop we have dinner is owned by Miss Koo's parent, what a coincident.
Ipoh is the state capital of Perak. The name Ipoh come from a local tree, pohon epu or pokok ipoh. It was formerly know as Paloh by Chinese. Ipoh is referred to old town & new town, which was divided by the Kinta River at the heart of Ipoh. I retired at Ipoh, which I worked for past 4 years(in New town), it will be a sweet memory for me and a special way to remember Ipoh.
Taiping, the city of everlasting peace. It is the wetest town in Malaysia. On the day of retirement, I passed through the town, and have dinner there- city of everlasting peace. It reflected that my retirement will be an everlasting peace. Life will be beautiful after retirement. Initially there will be period of adjustment and re-adjustment, but it is all part of life process, I need to learn how to face new challenge in my retirement.
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