Chaptert 9 The Ragging Fire Re-kindled.

Ten peaceful years thus gone by,the itch in Ken for wanting to improve himself and lift himself and beyond.Encouraged by the many friends who were successful in business,Ken thought it was wise to move on into business.He do not want to be an employee he hope to become a Boss himself.

When the opportune time arrived he served his Boss a notice of resignation.He had wanted a peaceful and amicable departure but it was not be.No sooner had he submitted his resignation his Boss astonished him by behaving angrily.He initiated Ken with a hailed of all sort of accusations.

He accused Ken of being the most corrupted and dishonest towards him and threatened with prosecutions etc..The sudden changed was so quick and intense.Ken was stunted by all these accusations.In any case the damages already done he thus had to face them.

Following he had a discussion with the Boss which ended the Boss wanted him to pay back what he claimed Ken had swindled him.There was no concrete proofs that Ken ever took those money,but he insisted.Ken pondered over this and surrendered to him the requested sum.The Boss promised he will further investigate the matter,and should Ken be not guilty return him the money.A thing this Boss never did,nor did he investigated,he just wanted Ken to pay him that was all,some mean B.......

Ken had given thoughts over those matters and he yielded to his demand because he knew pretty well that he was at a disadvantage what ever the circumstances, guilty or otherwise.Ken was at the threshold of the peak of his working career and he therefore can not effort any spot or blemishes to destroy his planting career.

He had been dishonorably discharged in Good Tree therefore and any prosecution would definitely demarcated his future.He had by now bigger responsibilities - his immediate family to think of.To lose a little can lead to a long way of goodness,was he right?Yes he was.

Further more in good fate he had just struck four digits for a small sum and to save his skin this money came in handy.Perhaps God had sensed it coming to him send him that money.Maybe yes maybe no,but the money was surely came in good time.After all what was a few thousand dollars when your name is at stake.Losers must also be smart.

Harboring within the fire of anger rekindled and glowing with this fuel,and to knock this damn wretched Boss off the surface of the earth was the easiest.Because this stupid Boss like to eat in the estate office whenever he came for visits.

Most the time he will packed fried "Keoy Teow" from a local restaurant.He had a very salty tastes.In that he had small bottle of "kitchap",or black "soya" source in the office solely for his used.To avenge, Ken all had to do was only simply add in one or two drops of paraquat into that tiny bottle,that will definitely transport him to hell after some sufferings.A good idea in deed but that can wait when the time come.

Ken knew the plantation like the veins of his palms.With ease he can come back in future without being notice.Even notice so what most of the workers still respect him,so there was never a problem to finish him off.He actually can take his time to kill him slowly and gently.

The money paid to silent his ego was never wasted.He erred in letting Ken go,had he had the proves to prosecute Ken.But he does not have them that was why he took the money,for this he will pay doubly in due course.

Ken actually resigned to venture into business.With friends they started movable mini-sawmill sawing fresh rubber trunks into serviceable timbers for furniture etc.They first had their sawmill on site at Sungai Tinggi Estate.They had three band saws running at full strength.Production was good.

But what they do not know was that the furniture manufacturers were extremely strict in accepting their deliveries.First the sawn timber or rubber wood must be treated with insecticides to prevent borers attack.Secondly these timber must be air dried before deliveries.Thirdly all notch and all black pigments and splits must excluded from the dispatches.

On paper the project was very attractive and viable,but in reality it was not so because of just the above reasons.All the above were overcome with difficulties but when the tine for collection of their payments Ken and company hit another hitch,that was that the payments were unduly and extremely late.

Late payments will mean further deduction of profit.Workers and fuel had to be purchased and paid fully in cash.Without it the mill will stop indefinitely so they adhered to borrowing from every where possible.All these cut down their profit margin.

They even sold their timber to other dealers but unfortunately all of them the same.Thus profits became no profit.Since it was in operation they had to carry on.

As if insufficient another problem arose and that was licensing of the machinery used.The District Forestry Officer were uncooperative and were directing them here and there,running from Shah Alam to Petaling Jaya and then to Rawang.Thus sending on a "merry go round" wasting a lot of time and money on a wild goose chased,

This was so because these people do not know what to do themselves.Timber from the forest they understand but rubber wood,they and nobody seem to know how to go about it.So they ran into problems with the Forestry Departments.Time and again their band saws were put under locks by their enforcement officers.

Since there was nothing or any warrants to stop them they broke those locks and began production again that include changing of localities to avoid them.It worked for sometime.

Securing rubber wood was not an issue for one of the partners had no problem in securing felling contracts,thus one head ache solved.

They later started an estate supplies business hoping that since they know most of the plantations and planters around their business should not failed.It went on for several months before all the partners quit because of some differences in matters in the running of that shop.Thus Ken took over the business.

The sawmilling despite of its many problems ran for three years before the partners called it a day.The never ending problems finally won and they had to close shop.Had they the capital to run that mill till today all of them could end out to be millionaires but it was not.

Ken in fact had secretly applied for an Industrial site for the expansion of its mill operations but as it was the project failed and Ken had no means to continue his ambitious plan to expand.

Ken carried on with the estate supplied business.Business was not very good though many friends from the planting sector gave him some support.Estate supply business was never so lucrative as it seem to be.It was so competitive with prices so low and profit margin only a few percents or even nil.

Ken had to handle everything himself like sales and deliveries,with his wife watching over the shop most of the time.Turn over was slow and had to rely on bank loans etc.Many a time petty buyers swindling them.Some small loses was common.So clouded with problems and most important not making any profits.

Despite the fact he tried to develop more business,the low profit margin could not cover all his expanses. Bank loans were also on his heel ,with so much to deal with and with so little he pulled on until the middle of 1985.

One of the most important Ken learned from his business ventures were firstly,if one does have sufficient funds to run any business ,do not indulged in it.Secondly should one share business with any partners,he should be the controlling partner.Thirdly do not get involved with any business without full knowledge of it.
Those were certainly an expensive involvements.

Thereafter he surrendered the shop and selling it he retreated to Bentong.He was jobless in Bentong and resided in a rented house.With no income his wife was forced to tap rubber in her mother's holdings.Ken had to help out every morning.Life was definitely difficult.He was angry with himself,he was never a businessman he was a planter a wage earner never a businessman.

His venture into business was a stupid mistake,for he should have stayed on as paid employee rather than a businessman.He thought that hard work can make a successful businessman,how wrong he was.He was never a salesman,no way.

The fire in him kept burning with more rages.This time he was annoyed with himself.He was now not alone he had a family that would make the difference.Therefore he must get out of that wretched position fast to keep his growing children together.