There might be a lot of you wondering why I didn’t online for so long, and here is the reason why I didn’t online for so long.
If you have added me in your facebook, and got read my facebook status topic, you might know what is going on.

Yes, I was almost dead, and now I am still alive.
My house was on fire, and I almost die together with my family in the fire.

If you interested with the story, then continue read on.
If not, then do not bother to post any spam comment to earn a link-back using the spam comment.

At 18th July 2009 afternoon, somewhere about 12.30pm, I was sleeping at my living room, with the TV on, I was woke up by my cat(Meow Meow a.k.a Mashimaro). When I open my eyes, I see fire on the sofa in front of me, the fire is already very big. I was still very blur at that time, but I still know, that fire was too big to put off already. I then run to the rooms and find my wife and my son. I do not know what to do at that time, coz I was too panic at that time. It is very normal to be panic when this kind of thing happen. Some of you might say “oh, when this kind of thing happen, you should do this and that and bla bla bla…….”. But when this happen to you, I can assure you that you will not even able to think of what you said before due to panic.

At that time, I really have no clue what to do, I just asked my wife and my son to stay in my son’s room and I try to open the window so that we all can have some air to breath. It was so dark at that moment due to the dark smoke has covered to whole house. The smoke causing us not able to breath. So opening the window is the only thing I can think of that time. When I hugging my wife and my son, I thought of we will all going to die at that moment. Then refuse to give up our life. What I am thinking that time is, if I just stay here with my wife and my son, we will all surely die. If I try to do something, we all might still die. Since there is a tiny chance, why not try? Even if I will have heavy injury, at least we will all stay alive, or if I am unlucky, I will die first in the fire, then only my wife and son. At least I try, at least they live longer than me.

So I straight run back to the living room, and go to the place where I put my keys and my wallet. It was so difficult to find the keys that time, the fire was so hot, and that scene is so dark. During I was searching for my keys, I heard explosion sound, and I know that is my glass sliding door cracked due to heat (Don’t know why, I am still able to know that is the sliding door cracked). I ignored it and continue to find the keys. Then I found the keys, I quickly run to the door and opened the wooden door and the gate. The first thing I think that time, is not running out, coz I know my family is still inside. I quickly run heading to the room, and on the way running in, I tried to reach my hand to the main power switch box to turn it off to avoid bigger explosion. But I failed to reach the switch. I then run back to the room and shout for my wife. I am not able to see anything at all that time, it was so dark covered by the smoke.

When me wife shouted and I able to hold her, I asked her where is our son. She said she is holder him, then I dragged them out and run to the exit. During running, I try to reach my hand and check if my son is still holding my wife hand. And yes, he is still holding her hand. I bring them run towards the lift lobby, and I hug them so tight. It is the first time I hugged them so tight…

Although I have written so many things on above, but actually the whole escape process is just happen within 1 minutes.

When we are safe at the lift lobby, immediately I am able to calm down myself and I immediately take the fire extinguisher then run back to my house. At the time I try to press the fire extinguisher, only I find out that the fire extinguisher is not working. Most probably there is some kids played with it long time ago and the contents is finished.
Without wasting much time, I use the fire extinguisher to hit both of my neighbors gate and shout for help. The neighbor at my direct right side of my house is so “kind”. That pukimak just opened his door and splash a scoop of water to his floor so that the fire cannot spread through the door, and then he just closed his door. He and his family is already well known for selfish and giving a lot trouble, but I didn’t expect that he is so selfish until the house beside him is burning, he still can be selfish until like this.

After that, the condominium management maintenance officer arrived. He too, tried to use the fire extinguisher. Suddenly, those Nigerians and Somalians from other floor bring those fire extinguisher from their floor. The maintenance officer used those fire extinguisher to try put off the fire. The last one who arrive is the security guards. At that time, me and my wife refuse to leave, coz we wanted to save our documents like I/C and our phones to contact our parents. But the security guard insist to pull us to down stair…

While we are brought to the maintenance office, those busy body people all keep on trying to go in to the office and try to ask what happened. God dammit! People is still trauma there, they just ask what happened and try to busy body with it, didn’t even ask we got any injury or not!?

After more than 15 minutes, the Bomba still not yet arrive, the ambulance also not yet arrive. In Malaysia, normal lah, they will not come in time, until everything is over, only they will come. At that time, the resident committee members was there to try to comfort us and give whatever help we need at that time. I was lucky that I know them since I was a committee member last time. They really did help a lot that time. Then, one of the security guard come into the maintenance office and hand us a key, he said our house fire is already put off, and it is now locked with the new lock, coz those Nigerians and Somalians wanted to go into the house and steal our things. Although during the fire, they didn’t enter the house and put off the fire, but at least they did bring down the fire extinguisher, unlike my damn fucking neighbor.

About almost 30 minutes later, the Bomba arrived. Guess what they do? They just asked for my name to write a report, but not rush into the house and check the fire scene. After they get the information they need for their report, only they go into the house and check. Wah! we pay tax just for them to write reports, not to put off the fire and check the fire scene see whether there is still something burning or not ar?

After a while more, the ambulance arrived. At first, we refuse to go to the hospital, we wanted to see the house. But still, we were forced to go to hospital. In this kind of cases, any first aider will know that it is necessary to provide oxygen to the fire victim to breath, due to inhaled too much of toxic smoke with huge contents of carbon. Guess what? They din do anything, the ambulance is just function like a taxi and just for fetch us to the hospital. I know oxygen is expensive, but we already payed the tax, it is suppose to be use for this. If not we pay tax for what?

When in the hospital, those staff in the hospital is even more sohai. They asked for my I/C, I told them it is in the house, I think it might already burned by the fire. And they asked, “oh, your house is on fire ar?” Mah Cibai! They din read the damn report from the ambulance 1 ar? I was a first aider last time, I know the procedure, there is 1 report from the paramedic and it is hand over to the doctor in charge when the patient is handed to the doctor. Then they asked for my name. I told them my name, and my name is very obvious a Chinese name. And guess what? They write my name wrongly and written it like a Pakistan name!!!

Then they handed us our report folder and asked us to walk to the registration counter our self (WTF!?). Ok, now we are at the registration counter. Although that time my face is very dark due to the carbons on my face. Guess what the registration counter people asked? “Kau orang Pakistan atau Bangladesh?”, I said, “Orang Malaysia lah, and my name is not as written on the report, tolong betulkan balik.” Izzit so hard to recognize a English speaking Chinese which have “Sepet” eyes?

Ok, enough rant on these lazy ass holes. After detail check by the doctors, we were released by the doctors to go home. I have no phone at that moment, but I still remember one of my friend’s house phone number. So I go to the registration counter and asked to borrow the phone to make a phone call. Guess what they told me? “Public phone kat luar sana, awak boleh buat panggilan kat situ.” WTF!? My house was burned and I escaped without bring anything, and they told me to go to the public phone? I 1 cent also don’t have that time, how the fuck do they think I am able to make a phone call from the public phone? I told them that I have no coins with me now, and my phone was burned in the house. They said the damn public phone is the only phone I can use!? Then the phone that they holding on their hand is for what? Decoration only ar? Even it is just an intercom also, at least tell me where to get a phone that can dial out lar!

I am damn frustrated that time, so I asked some people to borrow their hand phone to make a phone call and told them what happened. An Indian guy borrowed me his hand phone and I called my friend to pick me up. I really like to thank that Indian guy. If there is a chance where I can meet him again, I will thank him again and help him as much as I can if he need any help.

Due to it was only a short phone call, and my friend is nervous when answer the phone call, he did not hear properly where am I waiting for him. So, I borrowed another phone from a Malay lady. At first, she see we whole family face are so dark with carbons, she asked what happened. Then after I told her, and I asked to borrow her phone for a while. She did borrowed the phone, and I successfully tell my friend about the exact location we wait for him. Again, I would like to thanks to this Malay lady.

When my friend found us and fetch us to his house, there is another thing happened. He received a call from home, it was his brother called and told him that his father is having complication breathing. My friend’s father had suffered very long for his nasal cancer and he had chosen to stay at home for his final moment. I feel very sorry to him coz due to he come and fetch me, he is not able to send his father before he leave… When my friend just reach home, his father just breath out his last breath. He quickly do CPR to his father, but still, he unable to revive back his father. I said sorry to him, coz of he come and fetch me, he is not able to see his father at his last moment. And he is very tough to say, it is ok. He didn’t regret anything coz when his father is still alive, he treat his father well, he have nothing to regret and he think that his father will be glad that he is helping those who still alive and be a good person.

His PC was still on that time, and since I have lost all my contact numbers, I have to go online and see what phone numbers I have in my online contact list such as Gmail. I found that I was so stupid to not save any of them on the Internet… But then, I logged in to irc in freenode server and informed by fellow Ubuntu Malaysia members and inform them that my house was burned down. Most of the members is just AFK (Away From Keyboard) that time. But they do noticed by the messages I sent.

At first, I thought of staying at his place until I found a new house, but since his father just passed away, I think it is not appropriate for us to stay there and disturb him and his family. But his mother told us, it is ok, we can still stay there. So we just stay there for 1 day, then when I am able to enter back into my house, and fortunately, my wallet is not burned, just melt a little bit. So I withdraw some money from my ATM to decide to stay in hotel to avoid giving my friend more problem. It was very fortunate that me and my wife’s wallet is not burned yet. But my phones is burned and my wife’s phone was stolen by those Nigerian and Somalian who brought those fire extinguisher.

The most lucky thing is, my netbook, laptop, desktop and my servers is not burned. My office room was not burn, just covered by very very tick toxic carbons. But still, my house is not able to stay anymore, there is no more electricity and we are very phobia when we were inside the house. I just took some of those important things and wallet, then I bring my family to check in into a hotel which have wireless access.

Some of the important thing I retrieved is my burned Nokia 7373. The SIM card in it is still usable, and that a good thing. But too bad, the contact memories is all in the phone memory. And 1 thing I am very amazed is, my Motorola C380 which is a old colour screen phone, it didn’t even melt in the middle of the fire and when I pressed it, the screen is still on and it shows that there is a lot of missed call from my fellow Ubuntu Malaysia friends. I remember that I still have 1 old phone in my office room, so I took it as well and put the saved SIM card into it.

I only contact my father the next day when most of the thing was settled, such as temporary accommodation and cash. Coz I am the kind of person who only will ask for help when I am totally in need, so I do not want my parents to worry about it. To let him not so worry, I settle most of the thing then only I let him know. He is not feeling well, so I do not want to add more things for him to worry.

To make it short, I straight forward the story until the part where my father, my brother, my sister and her BF come and help me move out my servers, desktop and other important things. When I arrive my house, that pukimak neighbor open the door and asked, “oh, move ur things ar?” I said “Yeah lor” with a polite tone. That time, the Solex lock was so hard to open, then I took some time to open it, he then said “The lock cannot open ar?” And without thinking much, my hand start to act itself by showing him this:

fuck you

And he still dare to talk saying “so late come and move things ar?” My sister immediately fuck him off “you think we all like to come and move things so late ar?! If not come and move things, then come to this fire scene to sleep ar?!”
During moving my things out from the house, my things filled up the corridor. And that pukimak pretend to trow rubbish and walk until like we blocking the whole corridor and causing him hard to walk. Mah cibai, just 1 plastic bag, need to trow out side our not? He is obviously trying to tell us that we are blocking the corridor. Then he stare at us and think we will afraid of him, and at the same time, my whole family stare at him in a very fierce way. He then feared and walked inside his house. He really sohai 1, we so many people there, he think we scared of him ar? He is accountant, so what? I am a company director, my father is also a director of his own company, my brother is an international grade company branch manager, and my sister’s BF is a heir of his family business. That pukimak want to fight with us, I will guaranty that he will go into hospital and we will all have no case at all. He think that usually I have no visitors come to my home, then I have no influence at all ar!?

Anyway, I would like to thank my fellow Open Source Community friends, especially those Ubuntu Malaysia members. When they heard about my house was burned down, they start a fund raising for me and also contributed some food supply and pass them to me. The person who is in charge of the fund raising is called Itiknila (nickname). He and others had work hard for doing the fund raising for me and helped me…

Although the amount of money raised is not much, but at least, it shows that they all are sincere. To me, they are my read friends, friends who will really help you when you in need. Unlike my others fucking relatives, they just know how to call and ask what happened, and then did not even bother to offer any help at all. They just make a fucking phone call to busy body there only.

At here, I would like to thank another Ubuntu Malaysia member, Ubuntu Seekers (nickname) who made effort to write an article to assist the fund raising. For others who did the same, I would like to thank you as well. And sorry that I did not mention your name here if you did do the same.

All these Ubuntu Malaysia members, they all had show the real spirit of “Ubuntu”.
Ubuntu is an African word with meaning “humanity to others”.
In this case, they had really showed their humanity spirit by doing this for me.
I am so happy and I wish to do the same to the others as well.

So, now I have a plan to start a foundation called “Open Source Community Emergency Fund” where any members or supporters of Open Source will get the benefit. Whoever who wanted to donate money, just donate to this foundation, then when any of the people in need, such as house was burned, fatal sickness, or any other emergency case, there will be an amount of money to channel to them in order to assist them.
I’ve been mentioned this to Itiknila and a few other friends in Ubuntu Malaysia. Once Ubuntu Malaysia is officially registered and have a current account, I would like to build this foundation under Ubuntu Malaysia since Ubuntu is a distro which carry the humanity message, and the account statement will be transparency to the public.

When all my current problem has been settled, I will bring this suggestion up and hope that people will agree with this foundation. Coz I know, if now I am in need, sooner or later, there will be people in need of this kind of help as well…

By the way, after this incident happened, some Ham Kar Ling who don’t know what the hell is going on made stories and spread around. So far, I heard a few version of stories.

  • I owed ah long money, then ah long com and burn my house.
  • This 1 is more interesting, those ass holes say I fight with my wife, then I set up the fire and burn the whole house. You say these people sohai or not? If I really is the one who set up the fire, izzit possible that I risk my life to save my wife and my son? These people sohai rite?
  • This 1 is even more sohai. They said when the house is on fire, me and my wife is not at home and left my son alone at home, and my son take the keys and open the door to escape. My son is still so small, don’t even know how to open the solex lock yet, and he can’t even reach his hand to the lock, how he open the door? They think he break the door with his hand like what Superman did ar? Damn fucking sohai!!!

Anyway, now me and my family is safe now, and we are living in the new house while waiting the bomba to release their detail report to the insurance company. It might tool several months, and within 2 months, no one is allowed to enter the house.

There is some injury at my ear and my neck due to the heat when I was searching for key, but now it is ok already.
And I miss my old house very much as I do not have Internet access at this new house. Only able to use steal people’s wireless access to online while they got turn on the wireless router. My old house Internet connection is so far the best Internet connection I ever had, although I am running on 1mbps account, my speed can reach up to 1.5mbps. I miss my old house……..

There is still a lot I want to write, but since I write until so long in this article already, I think I should end it here now.
Hmm, I can write so long, I think maybe I should publish a book about this, heheheh

In the next article, I will write about what precaution you should do to ensure you can survive in case if your house is burn down. I am regret that I didn’t do all these precaution, so I hope when you read the next article, you should prepare for it…