Professional hunter

I have spent 20 years hunting wild animals in the Sarawak jungles. The leopard is one of the most unpredictable animals I have ever come across. A cunning animal, it will change its direction for no obvious reason. Although I had faced numerous encounters with ferocious creatures, none scared me the way the leopard did, the day it attacked me.

On January 24, a goat was killed at a nearby farm. Two weeks earlier, farmers had reported missing livestock. A leopard had been seen around the area at dusk. On that very day, fifteen experienced men volunteered to track it. Before the hunting party arrived, I went out to look for the tracks. Without a thought, I left my rifle in the car and that was the worst mistake of my life. Unarmed, I was exposed to danger.

I stepped into the bushes where the goat was killed. Suddenly, I sensed danger from behind. I looked around and there, under a tree, all set to strike, was an adult leopard. I remembered my rifle and turned back to my car to get it.

Then it happened. The leopard leapt onto my back. I heard nothing when it hit me as it happened very fast. The impact was enough to set me off balance. For a moment I felt dizzy, as if the surroundings were spinning. I could not make sense of the things around me. They seemed to be blurring. Before I realised it, I slumped onto the ground with the leopard clawing at my back. I could faintly hear the grunting from the leopard. Although I could feel sharp pain all over my back, I still managed to gather enough strength to roll over. My sudden action took the creature by surprise - I had caused it to let go of me and I was free for a short time.

That was the best chance I had to run away. However, before I could do anything, the creature had grabbed my right shoulder. This time, the leopard became more aggressive. It was certainly not going to let me escape and started shaking me vigorously. The sheer strength of the mighty animal was incredible. There was simply nothing I could do to stop it. At that instant, I was sure I was going to die.

Without thinking, I placed my hand on the leopard's neck. I realised that to gain control over the animal, I had to act swiftly before it could overpower me. This was something I had learned from my past hunting experience. I never hesitated. I wrestled with the leopard's head and neck over my chest. Knowing that it was either me or the leopard, I had to fight for my life. There was no time to waste. With whatever strength that was leftin me, I wrapped my left arm tightly round the leopard's neck, trying to choke it. Furious with my action, the animal let out a loud and deafening growl. In fighting back, it struggled with such force that I had to put more pressure on its neck.

A young man, who was a member of the hunting group, was scouting the area. Suddenly, he heard a loud growl. Sensing someone was in danger, he rushed towards the scene. He stood hesitatingly about three metres away from the leopard, not knowing whether he could shoot accurately. Frantically, I yelled at him to move nearer. Bang! The first shot went off target. Then the second shot hit the leopard in the spine. This time he did it. There was a loud growl before it went limp. Seeing the lifeless animal next to me, I was overcome with relief.

Looking back, I think the leopard had every reason to attack me. It was starving. When I looked straight into its face, I felt sorry. This was the closest encounter I have ever had with such a fierce animal.

(Adapted from Reader's Digest, July 2003)

Professional hunter

I have spent 20 years hunting wild animals in the Sarawak jungles. The leopard is one of the most unpredictable animals I have ever come across. A cunning animal, it will change its direction for no obvious reason. Although I had faced numerous encounters with ferocious creatures, none scared me the way the leopard did, the day it attacked me.

On January 24, a goat was killed at a nearby farm. Two weeks earlier, farmers had reported missing livestock. A leopard had been seen around the area at dusk. On that very day, fifteen experienced men volunteered to track it. Before the hunting party arrived, I went out to look for the tracks. Without a thought, I left my rifle in the car and that was the worst mistake of my life. Unarmed, I was exposed to danger.

I stepped into the bushes where the goat was killed. Suddenly, I sensed danger from behind. I looked around and there, under a tree, all set to strike, was an adult leopard. I remembered my rifle and turned back to my car to get it.

Then it happened. The leopard leapt onto my back. I heard nothing when it hit me as it happened very fast. The impact was enough to set me off balance. For a moment I felt dizzy, as if the surroundings were spinning. I could not make sense of the things around me. They seemed to be blurring. Before I realised it, I slumped onto the ground with the leopard clawing at my back. I could faintly hear the grunting from the leopard. Although I could feel sharp pain all over my back, I still managed to gather enough strength to roll over. My sudden action took the creature by surprise - I had caused it to let go of me and I was free for a short time.

That was the best chance I had to run away. However, before I could do anything, the creature had grabbed my right shoulder. This time, the leopard became more aggressive. It was certainly not going to let me escape and started shaking me vigorously. The sheer strength of the mighty animal was incredible. There was simply nothing I could do to stop it. At that instant, I was sure I was going to die.

Without thinking, I placed my hand on the leopard's neck. I realised that to gain control over the animal, I had to act swiftly before it could overpower me. This was something I had learned from my past hunting experience. I never hesitated. I wrestled with the leopard's head and neck over my chest. Knowing that it was either me or the leopard, I had to fight for my life. There was no time to waste. With whatever strength that was leftin me, I wrapped my left arm tightly round the leopard's neck, trying to choke it. Furious with my action, the animal let out a loud and deafening growl. In fighting back, it struggled with such force that I had to put more pressure on its neck.

A young man, who was a member of the hunting group, was scouting the area. Suddenly, he heard a loud growl. Sensing someone was in danger, he rushed towards the scene. He stood hesitatingly about three metres away from the leopard, not knowing whether he could shoot accurately. Frantically, I yelled at him to move nearer. Bang! The first shot went off target. Then the second shot hit the leopard in the spine. This time he did it. There was a loud growl before it went limp. Seeing the lifeless animal next to me, I was overcome with relief.

Looking back, I think the leopard had every reason to attack me. It was starving. When I looked straight into its face, I felt sorry. This was the closest encounter I have ever had with such a fierce animal.

(Adapted from Reader's Digest, July 2003)

Professional hunter

I have spent 20 years hunting wild animals in the Sarawak jungles. The leopard is one of the most unpredictable animals I have ever come across. A cunning animal, it will change its direction for no obvious reason. Although I had faced numerous encounters with ferocious creatures, none scared me the way the leopard did, the day it attacked me.

On January 24, a goat was killed at a nearby farm. Two weeks earlier, farmers had reported missing livestock. A leopard had been seen around the area at dusk. On that very day, fifteen experienced men volunteered to track it. Before the hunting party arrived, I went out to look for the tracks. Without a thought, I left my rifle in the car and that was the worst mistake of my life. Unarmed, I was exposed to danger.

I stepped into the bushes where the goat was killed. Suddenly, I sensed danger from behind. I looked around and there, under a tree, all set to strike, was an adult leopard. I remembered my rifle and turned back to my car to get it.

Then it happened. The leopard leapt onto my back. I heard nothing when it hit me as it happened very fast. The impact was enough to set me off balance. For a moment I felt dizzy, as if the surroundings were spinning. I could not make sense of the things around me. They seemed to be blurring. Before I realised it, I slumped onto the ground with the leopard clawing at my back. I could faintly hear the grunting from the leopard. Although I could feel sharp pain all over my back, I still managed to gather enough strength to roll over. My sudden action took the creature by surprise - I had caused it to let go of me and I was free for a short time.

That was the best chance I had to run away. However, before I could do anything, the creature had grabbed my right shoulder. This time, the leopard became more aggressive. It was certainly not going to let me escape and started shaking me vigorously. The sheer strength of the mighty animal was incredible. There was simply nothing I could do to stop it. At that instant, I was sure I was going to die.

Without thinking, I placed my hand on the leopard's neck. I realised that to gain control over the animal, I had to act swiftly before it could overpower me. This was something I had learned from my past hunting experience. I never hesitated. I wrestled with the leopard's head and neck over my chest. Knowing that it was either me or the leopard, I had to fight for my life. There was no time to waste. With whatever strength that was leftin me, I wrapped my left arm tightly round the leopard's neck, trying to choke it. Furious with my action, the animal let out a loud and deafening growl. In fighting back, it struggled with such force that I had to put more pressure on its neck.

A young man, who was a member of the hunting group, was scouting the area. Suddenly, he heard a loud growl. Sensing someone was in danger, he rushed towards the scene. He stood hesitatingly about three metres away from the leopard, not knowing whether he could shoot accurately. Frantically, I yelled at him to move nearer. Bang! The first shot went off target. Then the second shot hit the leopard in the spine. This time he did it. There was a loud growl before it went limp. Seeing the lifeless animal next to me, I was overcome with relief.

Looking back, I think the leopard had every reason to attack me. It was starving. When I looked straight into its face, I felt sorry. This was the closest encounter I have ever had with such a fierce animal.

(Adapted from Reader's Digest, July 2003)

Harun's hands

Do you know that blocks of ice can become beautiful pieces of art? These pieces of art of ice sculptures are the work of artists called ice sculptors. Ice sculptures capture our imagination. They glisten at every grand function and wedding and appear in a variety of shapes and sizes. Depending on the occasion, they can resemble anything from kissing swans and love birds to Santa Claus and glittering palaces.

But do we ever wonder about the artist behind these magnificent works? All we see are the results of their creativity, skill, vivid imagination and hard work. One of these artists is Harun Jalil, a Malaysian ice sculptor who is noted for his outstanding work. He has developed his own distinctive style over the years. Ice is extremely difficult to carve and is a real challenge to work on. But in Harun’s hands, it can be transformed into art to reveal its hidden beauty. Before Harun can begin sculpting, he prepares tools like chisels and hammers of different lengths and sizes.

Harun usually imagines the picture before he starts his work on ice. After that, he makes an outline of his chosen subject onto the block of ice with small chisels. He stresses that if a sculptor has not fully mastered the technique of carving and sculpting, the ice an added bonus.

Then he chips away. As small parts of the ice slowly flake off with each hit, the object takes on a three-dimensional appearance. It takes 20 to 45 minutes to complete a sculpture, depending on the complexity of the design. An aeroplane carved in ice took him almost two hours to complete.

Chainsaws are used to saw off huge chunks of ice. This step is the longest and most exhausting of all. The chainsaws are rather heavy and difficult to handle. Gradually, the ice block begins to take on the desired shape. The edges are rough and jagged from the sawing and chipping, hence the next step is to make the sculpture smooth, using a flat chisel.

Using his bare hands, Harun holds and moves the ice. To fine-tune the piece, he uses his chisels to create eyes, swings, feathers and other unique features. From a mere block of ice, Harun makes a majestic eagle. The sculpture is then placed on a small flat tray.

It takes more than just talent to do ice carving. One must concentrate on what one is doing and work tirelessly without any break. Dedication and experience in ice carving goes a long way in gaining respect from fellow ice artists. It also pays to be strong, for lifting ice blocks is not easy.

It may look simple but there is a great deal of work that goes into ice carving. Harun values the satisfaction he feels when a piece is completed and admired by others. His knowledge, creativity and experience make Harun different from other ice sculptors.

(Adapted from Going Places, November 2001)

Professional hunter

I have spent 20 years hunting wild animals in the Sarawak jungles. The leopard is one of the most unpredictable animals I have ever come across. A cunning animal, it will change its direction for no obvious reason. Although I had faced numerous encounters with ferocious creatures, none scared me the way the leopard did, the day it attacked me.

On January 24, a goat was killed at a nearby farm. Two weeks earlier, farmers had reported missing livestock. A leopard had been seen around the area at dusk. On that very day, fifteen experienced men volunteered to track it. Before the hunting party arrived, I went out to look for the tracks. Without a thought, I left my rifle in the car and that was the worst mistake of my life. Unarmed, I was exposed to danger.

I stepped into the bushes where the goat was killed. Suddenly, I sensed danger from behind. I looked around and there, under a tree, all set to strike, was an adult leopard. I remembered my rifle and turned back to my car to get it.

Then it happened. The leopard leapt onto my back. I heard nothing when it hit me as it happened very fast. The impact was enough to set me off balance. For a moment I felt dizzy, as if the surroundings were spinning. I could not make sense of the things around me. They seemed to be blurring. Before I realised it, I slumped onto the ground with the leopard clawing at my back. I could faintly hear the grunting from the leopard. Although I could feel sharp pain all over my back, I still managed to gather enough strength to roll over. My sudden action took the creature by surprise - I had caused it to let go of me and I was free for a short time.

That was the best chance I had to run away. However, before I could do anything, the creature had grabbed my right shoulder. This time, the leopard became more aggressive. It was certainly not going to let me escape and started shaking me vigorously. The sheer strength of the mighty animal was incredible. There was simply nothing I could do to stop it. At that instant, I was sure I was going to die.

Without thinking, I placed my hand on the leopard's neck. I realised that to gain control over the animal, I had to act swiftly before it could overpower me. This was something I had learned from my past hunting experience. I never hesitated. I wrestled with the leopard's head and neck over my chest. Knowing that it was either me or the leopard, I had to fight for my life. There was no time to waste. With whatever strength that was leftin me, I wrapped my left arm tightly round the leopard's neck, trying to choke it. Furious with my action, the animal let out a loud and deafening growl. In fighting back, it struggled with such force that I had to put more pressure on its neck.

A young man, who was a member of the hunting group, was scouting the area. Suddenly, he heard a loud growl. Sensing someone was in danger, he rushed towards the scene. He stood hesitatingly about three metres away from the leopard, not knowing whether he could shoot accurately. Frantically, I yelled at him to move nearer. Bang! The first shot went off target. Then the second shot hit the leopard in the spine. This time he did it. There was a loud growl before it went limp. Seeing the lifeless animal next to me, I was overcome with relief.

Looking back, I think the leopard had every reason to attack me. It was starving. When I looked straight into its face, I felt sorry. This was the closest encounter I have ever had with such a fierce animal.

(Adapted from Reader's Digest, July 2003)

True Story

Most people look forward to a relaxed life once they retire but not 57-year- old Mokhtar Shah. He is still up and about. Mokhtar is his own boss and keeps busy driving a taxi, more as a hobby than anything else. Mokhtar’s life tells us the reason for the contentment he feels today. How did it all begin?

Mokhtar was originally from Muar, Johor. After leaving school at the age of twelve, he worked for his uncle at a small food stall. He earned RM30 a month. After three years, he decided to set out on his own instead. He became an odd-job labourer doing different things for different people. He manage to make a little more.

Not along after that, Mokhtar moved on to greener pastures. He worked as an odd-job labourer in Kuala Lumpur. Later, he was employed as a gardener, keeping a rich man’s lawn neat and tidy. During this time Mokhtar got married and began to raise a family. However, the pressures of raising a family of four children and living in the city were too much for him. So, he opted for a better –paid job and became an ambulance driver with the General Hospital in Jalan Raja Muda.

Those were difficult days. He realized that the duties of an ambulance driver included duties like picking up patients and doing dispatch work. At other times, Mokhtar had to ferry sick students to and from examination centres. The working hours were long and the salary was still not enough.

Mokhtar had to support his growing family. He decided to become a part-time fruit and vegetable seller. In the evenings, after he had finished his work at the hospital, he would go home and pack fruits and vegetables to market them at the pasar malam in his neighbourhood. The extra income he earned came in useful to pay for amenities, medical bills and his children’s education.

His four children became the focus of his life. Mokhtar had only completed primary six and therefore wanted his children to do better than he had done. He believed that although he could not teach them, he could give them support by being there with them while they were studying. He made it a point to take his children to the public library and often spent his hard-earned money on books for them.

In the 1980s, when his children were growing up, Mokhtar and his wife were worried. They needed to ensure their children would not influenced by the teenagers in the neighbourhood who played truant or indulged in unhealthy activities like using drugs. “My wife and I kept a strict eye on our children,” he said. “Every time they went out, we would check on them to make sure they were in good company.” Once in a while , the Mokhtar family could be seen at picnic spots enjoying themselves. Mokhtar’s children have grown up to be responsible and independent adults.

A typical day in Mokhtar’s life now begins at 5 a.m. with morning prayers. Then, he has breakfast and begins work. His work ends before lunchtime after he has done at least four hours of driving his taxi.

It has been some thirty years since Mokhtar left Muar. He is a contented man. “The years of hard work and the sacrifices I made for my family have paid off.” he said. He takes pride in his children: one is a lecturer, another, a development project consultant, the third, a secretary and the youngest, a bank employee. As for what the future holds, Mokhtar’s only hope is that he remains healthy and is able to lead a useful life, both for his family and society.

(Adapted from The Star, July 2003)