for a hero

while our local newspapers are busy censoring news from publishing, and only reporting news that are favorable to a certain parties, a friend of us is making news in australia.

kerk zi on is a school mate of mine back in teluk intan. not really close, but know each other close enough to be considered friends. besides, he's the only person i know back then that supports a football club not in the top four (man utd, arsenal, chelsea & liverpoo). he's a tottenham hotspurs fan.

he will know be remembered for his selfless act that saved the life of a korean lady, losing his at the same time. what supposed to be a nice day at the beach turned into a tragedy and a story of a brave young man.

according to the news, they were in the water in moreton island, when (i assume) the sea gets a little bit rough. everyone were swimming towards a rocks, and people on the rocks are rescuing and pulling people out of the water until they are left with zi on and another korean lady.

zi on was much nearer to the rescuers, and he could have saved himself had he grabbed the outstreched arms of the rescuers. instead, he chose to helpt he korean lady towards the rescuers and at the same time, himself drifted further away.

that was on the 5th of december 2007. i only found out about it this morning, when i read the bulletin posted by keng yan in friendster. it's 15th today - 10 days after that fateful event, the rescue team still had not found his body! from a rescue operation to a body recovery operation.

being put in the same circumstances, many will not do the things he chose to do. some will be undecided. some will save themselves first. there is no right or wrong. but it requires a huge amount of selflessness and courage beyond greatness to do what zi on had done.

it's an honor to just know him personally... and to come from the same school as him...

"...As they came out past the rocks, they were yelling and screaming, the Malaysians who made it to the rocks leaned over and grabbed the people as they went past. They got down to two people left, a male and a female in the water, and the man was within reach. Instead of grasping the hand stretched out for him, he pushed the woman towards it. She got pulled out of the water but in pushing her within reach, he pushed himself out of reach, he saved her life but it's likely that he lost his own......."

more...

google

pictorial tribute to zi on

facebook - for a hero

memories of zi on

http://oceanbiru.blogspot.com/2007/12/unsung-malaysian-hero-has-been-taken.html

http://oceanbiru.blogspot.com/2007/12/man-following-footsteps-of-his-parent.html

http://www.bobjots.org/2007/12/updates_on_missing_swimmer.php

http://www.bobjots.org/2007/12/greater_love_has_no_one_than_t.php

http://knotsofgervienetics.blogspot.com/2007/12/in-memory-of-zion-kerk.html

http://whimutt.blogspot.com/2007/12/unsung-hero.html

http://taipingcoffee.blogspot.com/2007/12/tribute-to-malaysian-hero.html

http://1stklbb.wordpress.com/2007/12/11/please-pray-for-kerk-zi-on-and-family/

http://blurangel.com/blog/?p=1463

http://understanding-axiao.blogspot.com/2007/12/nearly-end-of-year.html

http://zionkerk.blogspot.com/2007/12/initial-post.html

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6400931826

Shisira.blogspot.com

http://babybodybuilder.blogspot.com/

http://blueyjo.blogspot.com/2007/12/hero-rip.html