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Johnson Fernandez: It was a little past 1.0am when my wife called. “Are you on your way home?” she asked. “Yes, I am back,” I replied. “But I didn’t hear you,” she said. `My wife does not sleep until she hears the main gate being opened and closed and the beep of the car’s reverse sensor. When she knows I am safely in, she’ll automatically knock off. Unbeknownst to her, I was parked about 100 metres away, as I usually do, whenever I return home late after Malaysia Cup matches or a Friday night out with the boys. I just want to be sure there were no trackers, before I enter the house. Cautious? Paranoia? Well, both. I have had death threats. Contracts actually, which were not unusual in our line of work. This particular story (there are others, which I shall get to later) is one of many reasons for that. It was in March of 2003 when I received a call from a contact in a State FA. This was a team I covered regularly in the M-League.
“Do you have a minute? This is important,” the caller said. “Yup, what’s up?” I replied, the rest of the conversation taking a dark turn. “I just got out of a closed door meeting. I know you as a friend and I don’t agree with the discussion regarding you.” I waited. I suspected it was going to get more sinister. “Be very, very careful. They had just put a contract out on you.” When I asked who else was at the meeting, he rattled out a few names. I responded: “You mean the top man was there too?” My contact replied: “I am very sorry to tell you this, but it was his idea.” I profusely thanked my contact for the heads-up. Now what, I thought. I was not about to change my style of writing, that the truth will always be told. I was not going to be intimidated. But I had a young family.
My wife was a home-maker. My three children were teenagers – my sons were 17 and 16 and the youngest, a girl, was 13. Needless to say it was a sleepless night as I contemplated my next move. As I mentioned earlier, I was not going to compromise. I can’t even recall if I ever discussed it with anyone, definitely not with my wife. My concern was the future of the family. If ever something was to happen to me, they needed to be on solid ground.
The next day I made an appointment with my insurance agent. “I want a life policy for RM1 million,” I said to him. “No matter what happens to me, how it happened, why it happened…if I am killed, I want my family to receive RM1 million. My wife should be the sole beneficiary. Work out the premium.”
Shocked at my hitherto unseen agitated state, he asked for the reason and I related the story to him, in strict confidence. Fifteen minutes later, after consulting with his bosses, the agent reverted with a figure and the deal was done.Well, I have lived to write this story.

So, what happened? Some months later, I bumped into my State FA contact and I did ask him. “Though there were not many of us at the meeting, still there were one too many. If it had happened, someone would talk. As a politician, the boss had too much to lose. Too much of a risk,” he explained.
I wish I still had the policy to authenticate this story. Only last year, I cleared all my old files, which included this lapsed policy certificate. However, my insurance agent was able to trace the approved application form for the policy. It would be pertinent to point out here that particular policy was for only one year.
I have learned to look into the rearview mirror at every turn I took. I used different routes to and from work. Became more aware of my surroundings, looking if there were loiters near my car when I was done with my pints.
No, not because of this one incident. There were others. Several years earlier, there was another contract hanging over my head. And I know this because the “contract-holder” himself told me about it.
I can’t remember the year, except that my daughter had not been born yet. I had my two sons. So, it would have been sometime in 1988-1990., and the boys would have been two to four-years-old.
This time was a State team official. I turned up one day for one of my many football assignments, and this person is there as well. He sees me, walks straight up to me and without even blinking he says, rather callously: “Go and thank your wife and kids that you are alive today.
And he walks away from me but remains in the function hall. I was stumped. What was that all about, I thought to myself. Of course, I confronted him after the event and he tells me that he had me tailed for three days.
On the day of the hit, or just before it was all supposed to go down, the “contract killers” had called him to confirm the assignment. “I asked them where you were. They told me you had just got into your car. I asked them if anyone was with you, and they replied a lady and two little kids also got into the car.
“That’s when I called it off. I thought about your wife and children. If you had been alone, we wouldn’t be having this conversation now,” he said. It is strange though how that caustic relationship with that official matured into one of mutual respect. We remain very good friends today though. Occupational hazard
I could write about how a national hockey fullback, when I turned up while they were practising, sent a high ball in my direction because he didn’t take too kindly to my description of his performance in a tournament.

I heard the whistle of the wind in my left ear as I dodged the ball. The national coach saw what happened which resulted in practice being stopped and a dressing down for the fullback, all out of earshot (pun intended!) of course.
The threats on my life didn’t come only from this side of the Causeway. There was one from Singapore which I vividly recall. I was not amused that someone had given my home number to this person, who was a regular on the Malaysian golf circuit.
It was about 3.30 in the morning when I was forced out of bed. When the phone rings at that time of the day, it’s always chilling. You fear the worst. A death in the family, perhaps…Then, I hear this unfamiliar, irritated voice booming at the other end of the line: “Hello, is this Johnson Fernandez of The Malay Mail?”
“Yes, but who is this?” I ask. He retorts: “I am ……. (Name withheld). You don’t simply implicate me in match fixing. You better watch what you write.”
Excuse me, but I had not mentioned this sorry-excuse-for-a-golfer’s name anywhere in any of my numerous reports on the bribery scourge that held Malaysian football by its jugular at that time.
But, I had implicated a Singapore pro golfer who plays regularly on the Malaysian circuit as a “fixer” for infamous Singapore bookie Rajendran “Paal” Kurusamy. I had not mentioned names.
As the Malay proverb goes “siapa makan cili, dia rasa pedas”.Or, the English equivalent: “If the hat fits, wear it”.
Even after I had clarified that I had not mentioned anyone by name, especially given there was a large horde of Singapore golfers on the Malaysian and Asia-Pacific circuits, the ranting didn’t stop.
“Don’t f..k with me. You don’t know what I can do. Don’t you dare step into Singapore. You will never return to Malaysia,” he threatened. Sick and tired of the ranting of a lunatic, I just said “F..k off”, slammed down the phone and left the receiver off the hook. I needed my sleep. I was in and out of Singapore numerous times after that. Still here.
Yes, we took the risks. We didn’t write to please. We wrote as we saw it, we fashioned our thoughts without fear or favour.
Would I choose this profession again? Without a second thought!

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Sonny Soh: Winning the Malaysian Motorcycle GP was my childhood dream since I started riding motorcycle at the age of 14. In 1976 I was riding with a lot of confidence, finishing second in the Selangor GP, third in the Malaysian GP and third in the Macau GP.
Following that relatively successful year, I told my sponsor, RJR-Camel Cigarette, that I needed a new bike for the 1977 season. They agreed, and Yamaha flew out a brand new TZ 750, to my delight.
Under normal conditions before the Malaysian GP or any other major race, a team takes at least two weeks of preparation, especially for a brand new bike. When I mentioned ‘team’, I meant I was the one and only member. My two brothers and my wife will help out during the weekends.
Unfortunately, due to some hiccups, the new bike only arrived three days before the GP as it went to the other side of the world, to Brazil. Later I found out that the Japanese thought it was meant for Johnny Cecotto, the world champion.

By the time I cleared the bike from the airport, it was already Wednesday. Thursday was the unofficial practice, while Friday was the official practice and grid positioning. Saturday was the class race and Sunday was the GP.
With time against me, I began work on the bike by myself, setting up the carburettor setting, gearing, riding position, etc. It was only by late evening on Wednesday, that I was ready to fire up to start up the bike. But to my shock and dismay, the engine refused to fire up. It was past 11 pm already and I was totally spent, tired and hungry and could not do anything more.
Early next morning, I completely stripped down the engine for a rebuild. I found out the cylinder was badly scarred, which was why the engine didn’t fire up. I changed all the parts that needed to go. And what do you know, the bike started up, it was music to my ears. At the Batu Tiga Race track on Thursday, all the local and foreign riders were already tearing down the track and fine tuning. I was just testing and sorting out the new bike and getting used to it.
Next day, at the official practice, I finished 4th behind Trevor Discombe, John Boote and John Woodley, who just returned from the 500cc World Championship.
On Saturday, in the Class race for 250cc, I came out tops, after a tough race with Fabian Looi from Singapore. The win gave me more confidence.
It is always difficult to decide on the right tyres and compound for the 60-lap race. I was sponsored by Goodyear. I could not decide which tyres to use for the race. Although the Dunlop tyres had a slight advantage over Goodyear, I went for Goodyear as it had a harder compound, which turned out to be the right decision. For the 500cc and above Class race, I managed 4th position overall and 3rd in my class after Trevor, John Woodley and John Boote.

It was a hot and humid Sunday and the GP started at 2 pm. At that time, it was a push start mode. I managed to lead the race for about 10 laps or slightly more, but Trevor Discombe passed me on the 15th lap. Shortly after that, my crew put up a sign to let me know that John Boote and John Woodley have both crashed out on the first corner.
When Trevor passed me, I reminded myself that it will be a very long race, to be patient and just keep him in sight. As the race wore on, my pit crew put out another sign, telling me that Trevor was out of the race due to mechanical problem. After inheriting the race lead, it was still a long way to go.
Throughout the remaining laps, I felt the pressure coming onto me. I had to be focused, stayed calm and tried not to make any mistakes. Just prayed that there will not be any mechanical problems.
When I saw the chequered flag, the feeling was like someone had lifted a ton off my shoulders. I won by a huge margin, even lapping the 2nd place rider by 2 laps. The rest is history.
I did not realise what pressure is all about until my sponsor brought out promotional items like tee shirts, umbrellas, banners and other items to broadcast the win. What would have happened, if I had not won and what will happen to all the promotional items?

It was my dream coming true, and I never imagined that I would do it again the following year. Up till today, no local boy has won the Malaysian Motorcycle GP twice. I retired in 1980 to concentrate on my career and family.
The Malaysian GP event was held in April every year and attracted drivers and riders from all over the world. Riders had to endure the 60-lap race under the hot blistering sun with temperatures over 30 C in leather suits. Track surface could be as high as 40 C.
To be able to take the punishing 60-lap or 126 miles race, just under one and a half hours, one has to be mentally and physically fit. In order for me to endure the physical punishment of each race, I had to prepare myself at least 6 weeks before the race.
I would do uphill jogging and carry weights to tone my arms for the push start. The motorcycle weighs about 450lbs including fuel. It took a lot of strength and energy to move it. The Yamaha TZ750 was a 4-cylinder, 2-stroke, 6-speed gearbox with a top speed in excess of 180 mph.

At that time, the Batu Tiga Race Circuit was one of the best circuits in Asia after Japan. The track surface was very good and had a good grip, which provided a lot of traction. But if you crashed or had a fall, it will hurt you badly, like what happened to Jerry Looi in 1980.
I have raced off and on for 12 years. After my accomplishment of winning the Malaysian Motorcycle GP twice, I retired in 1980. I could have carried on, but my desire of winning was not there anymore. Just to be on the podium was not good enough for me.
When I won the Malaysian Motorcycle GP, I was 34 years old. I won again the following year. I won races in Penang, Selangor, Singapore, Indonesia, India and Macau. I have boxes and boxes of trophies from all over. I have also raced in Australia and New Zealand. Other than racing, I have also worked as a race mechanic for British world champion Barry Sheene during my short stay in UK.

Racing has been an enduring achievement for me, one which I hold dear to my heart with all the memories, be it grand or otherwise, forever.

By
Eric Ooi: Chinese medicine made me a better driver. I started race driving way back in 1959, more than half a century ago. The TR2 was the first car I raced in.
The Singapore motor sport calendar that year had only two sprints and 1 hill climb if I remember rightly.
My first race was a sprint on a straight course. I came second behind an Ace Bristol.
The second event was the Gap hill climb.I was again second behind that Ace but this time I was very close behind and my time was one of the fastest for a TR2. I felt great and began to believe that I was the best.
The third event was over a twisty course and I was sure it would not be a problem.
On the warm up lap I made the stupid mistake of going fast on an unfamiliar track. Over a crest into a tightening right hander I ended up well and truly off the road. One look at the front of my car and I knew it was going to be expensive, certainly much more than I could afford. I sat on the road beside my car and held my head.

I was trying to decide whether to kick myself or to cry.
It was then that Lim Peng Han came and sat beside me assured me the car could be fixed and that he would help get a good mechanic to do the job as a favour, cheaper but not free.
Lim Peng Han was an old hand at racing and taught me my first lesson. A fast entry into a corner looked spectacular and felt fast for the driver, but a quick clean exit was really the winning edge. He then mentioned some formula involving V and R .I was wondering what the hell he was talking about.

He said the formula simply meant that when cornering V and R vary directly where V is the speed and R is the radius of the turn. This simply meant that the speed round a turn is limited by the radius of the turn. To get a quick exit the trick was to enter the corner on a smaller radius i.e. slower and then to progressively increase R as you turn on the power before the apex.
I wish someone had told me this earlier.
The second lesson I learned was at home. And it was the lesson that really hit home.
My sister’s old servant a great believer in Chinese medicine said I must have been banged around a bit and could be hurt internally. So Chinese medicine. A big packet of stuff was put into a pot and boiled for hours.

As I watched the cauldron boil and bubble, I knew for sure I was in double trouble.
That night I had to drink a big bowl of the most foul tasting and evil smelling brew imaginable.
I swore I would never crash again and I never did. I made very sure I knew the track thoroughly, that I was fit and the car was double checked. The fear of Chinese medicine drove me to safety.
So you see Chinese medicine really works. Maybe the police should try this too for traffic offenders.