A Treasured Friendship

Written by Corporal Brian Eu Che-Zheng of the 12^th Kuala Lumpur Company

A friend is a person whom one knows, likes and trusts. This relationship is called friendship. To me, friendship is definitely one of the most precious gifts in life. Without friendship, this world will definitely be a dark and lonely place to live in. I’m really blessed to have a bunch of good friends to accompany me through my ups and downs since the very first day I have known them. Among them, however, there’s one who has changed a lot since Form 1. From the cheeky and restless boy I once used to know, he has turned over a new leaf after he has known and accepted Christ. He’s the one and only, Sergeant Ong Wil Sern – as he is fondly known by his close friends.

I first knew him when I was in Form 1. We were classmates and joined the Boys’ Brigade together.  A cheeky and playful lad, he would do many foolish things back then. He would do weird actions and funny poses, especially during photo shoots. I still remembered on the first day during our recess, he claimed that he could finish a ‘roti canai’ in one bite. The next we knew, he folded his ‘roti canai’ into a small piece, and stuffed it into his mouth.  That made us laughed our heads off. As a Buddhist back then, he would try his best to keep himself away from all sorts activities related to Christianity. When we were Form 1, Chapel sessions were compulsory for us – the Form 1s. While everyone was singing P&W songs, he would be chanting mantra. He would then be called out by the teachers for doing so. Even last year, during our post-exam activities, he had done something that a boy would never do. He represented our class and took part in the traditional dance competition, plus he danced the Fan Dance; a Chinese traditional dance. He might have been a pain in the neck for the teachers, but he is definitely a great friend to us. Without him, there wouldn’t be loads of laughter. 

Despite his actions and attitude in school, he has been an active Member of our Company, the 12^th Kuala Lumpur Company. As I thought back, Wil Sern and I, along with a few of our classmates, decided to join the Boys’ Brigade out of interest. Unfortunately, as days gone by, our friends left one by one due to various reasons. Some left because they thought that the first Boot Camp back in 2011 was too tough for them. Some said that Boys’ Brigade was boring, while some just preferred to stay at home and spend their Saturdays playing video games. But he chose to stay on. In fact, including my brother and me, we were the only three left in our Form in school who still attend the Company’s Parade today. It has been through The Boys’ Brigade, he was exposed to Christianity, and he has changed his attitude gradually ever since then.

Through his four years in The Boys’ Brigade, he slowly learns to take up responsibilities. He always volunteers himself to help in anyway; big or small tasks, that he could help out. Besides that, he never gave up even he has failed a numerous times. One good instance is when he failed the written test in BNTS, he still continued to attend BNTS for 3 years in a row. He attended BNTS for so many times until some Officers would have already recognized him or even asked him, “Wil Sern, you’re here again?” In the end, his hard work paid off as he final ly pass his written test last year and was promoted to Lance Corporal shortly after that. Other than that, he has definitely learned to be more disciplined. From the restless boy he used to be, he has learned to think before he act or even speak. And most importantly he has accepted Christ into his life. Without God, all these changes would not have taken place. He is now the Sergeant of our Company and also the first NCO ever in our Company to be double promoted.

Time sure flies. We’re already friends for four years and still counting. He has not only been a great help in the school but also and in the Boys’ Brigade – specifically our Company. Seeing his change in his actions and attitude, I am definitely proud of him. To me, this friendship is really important and I hope that it can last forever.