Retirement?

As the official retirement age in Malaysia is 60 years, that means I have met the official retirement age, and been 'out' of official duties. However, what actually is retirement? With so much to do, and to contribute, with the body of knowledge one has, there is no such thing as 'retirement'.

I have been re-engaged in a contractual position as a special officer to look into heritage ,matters at the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Sarawak. The mandates for heritage are provided for in several ordinances, inter-alia, with the specific mandates of several organisations, covering the heritage institutions as well as natural resources-related organisations in Sarawak. Heritage spectrum covers not just material culture but also those knowledge embedded in the intangible living practices of the indigenous people of Sarawak.  There are gaps, in the implementation of these mandates as stipulated in the ordinances, as well as the need to 'weave' these mandates together as collaborative efforts.

The main aim, is to have one specific 'window' which can display who has what where on Sarawak's rich heritage, in multivarious formats and from various platforms. Technology is there as an enabler, but this needs a willing, open-minded, non-territorial attitude to make this happens.

 Happy New Year for 2026!

Google prompted me for my inactivity for more than two years, and it would close down my libraryontwos gmail account. Thank you, Google, for the prompt! In my busyness, I have almost totally forgotten this little treasure of some of my life memories. Reading back all my previous entries, I questioned myself where I got those ideas to write? 

Come to think of it, there's a lot to write on, it just needs a little coaxing of the will and starting to crack the mind for the creative juices!

Last night was one example. My eldest son is now away off shore in an Africa country for his job,  texted me, with a queer question "Mama, is there space in your freezer ?" and I asked him back (as mothers always do) with a "why". Only then he said, please buy durians and freeze for him.

So, off my bubby and I went to the usual durian selling spot in Matang. Such a merry making crowd with loads of promotional callings from the sellers, making it not easy to choose or buy from which ones. there's durian from names of several places - Taee, Padawan, Pasir Pandak - for the durians. And Dabai Sibu for the dabai, an olive like fruit which is also a seasonal delicacy amongst Sarawakians. Asked one of the sellers, what's the difference in the durians from the various names of originating places ? and he mentioned, there are differences, in the taste, the flesh, and pulp presentation. This is one matter which can be taken by the State to protect these species on intellectual property geographic indicators.