Winds of Change for the OPA

OPA stands for the Association for Old Putras, of which I am a life member and it was OP Sheikh Ghazali aka Arab who urged me to convert from ordinary membership so that I save myself the hassle of settling my dues every year. When I first got a job after graduating as a Settler Development Officer in FELDA, Arab and another OP whose name I have forgotten were already there as Agricultural Officers.

I am indebted to Allahyarham OP Ridzuan Md Piah and OP Hamzah Pilus for making me to give some effort to attend OPA activities initially. I thought that the least I could do in order to show my appreciation and have a sense of belonging to my alma mater is to be involved in one way or another with the activities organised by OPA.

In the past from what I perceive the OPA's focus had been to keep abreast with developments of the RMC and provide the linkage with those who had been fortunate enough to go through the regimented life as a Budak Boy and the thing that I always associate it with is the Annual Dinner. Apart from that I hardly could connect with the association except for recent attendance of talks organised with the support of the OPA secretariat.

However at the recent Buka Puasa do organised by the OPA I begin to see a wind of change in the OPA when the President spoke of amongst other things the effort he's taking to see to the welfare of the less fortunate OP's or those who had taught there as teachers who otherwise suffer their predicament silently where only those who are their family members and close friends rallying to extend a helping hand. I welcome this new focus and I agree with Maj- Gen(B) Dr Termidzi that as more and more OP's are getting into the Senior citizen's list they also are prone to all sorts of health problems and are too shy to ask for help from the Association. So it is a welcoming news that a fund is set up for the purpose of extending this badly needed service whenever it merits anyone in such a situation. For those who are still young and have the means to plan for their future in health matters should give this a serious attention. No matter how careful one could be, but there's no guarantee that one could not fall ill in their old age. Let us give generously to the newly established Welfare Fund.