One early January morning in 2005, something memorable happened to me. An old friend, Aziz, who
is the president of MARES (Malaysian Amateur Radio Emergency Service) called on the phone
asking me whether I'm interested to volunteer and go to Aceh, Sumatra. A team of doctors and
assistants were preparing to go there to give relief and medical services to the victims of tsunami
disaster which occurred just 10 days earlier. This team required a radio ham for communication
back to Kuala Lumpur for situation report. Since I'm a licensed radio ham, they needed my services.
I readily agreed - what a golden opportunity. We had anti-cholera, anti-malaria injection before
leaving.
In Aceh, in a disused store-room, we set up our make-shift accommodation.  I quickly installe d
the radio antenna and communication was established to our headquarters in K.L.
We visited several villagers, the doctors dispensing medicine and treating the sick.  We also
disbursed camping materials, tents badly required by those whose houses were destroyed.
I saw a lot of corpses rotting in the mud, being wrapped in black plastic bags by volunteers and
placed on the roadside to be collected by lorries for mass burial.  The enormity of destruction was
enormous. Very sad spectacle this.
One villager informed us, in a very serious voice, that the day before the tsunami occurred, a very
religious man, in flowing white robe, white turban scolded a group of merry-making youngsters,
with girls, singing, drinking and dancing on the beach.  It was Xmas eve. He commanded them to
cease and desist or else a major disaster will befall them.  They laughed and ignored him.
"That's why the tsunami occurred" proclaimed the villager.  I gave a polite smile when I heard this.
At another village, the same story was recited, and again in another village. I began to feel alarmed
and sad.  How could so many people were so gullible and naive as to believe in such absurdities.
Sad, very sad indeed.  It was a real culture-shock to me.