Weekend hikes keep this Singapore-based Malaysian connected to his hometown friends

From left: Chong Jenn Huat, Lim, Ngoi Yik Keong, Lim Ee Meng, Chua, Muhammad Lokman Muhammad Hakim Toh, Hoe Kim Ming and Choi share a passion for hiking. Photos: Chua Chee Yong

Almost every weekend, Singapore-based Chua Chee Yong, 50, makes his way back to his hometown in Kluang, Johor to visit his parents and in-laws.

One of the things the service manager looks forward to is hiking up Gunung Lambak, a 510m hill popular among locals.

He usually hikes with a group of his old schoolmates – some of whom he's known since primary school.

Chua (first from left) looks forward to his regular hiking trips with his ex-schoolmates to Gunung Lambak, Kluang.

"At 3pm on Saturdays, chances are you'll find me with my kakis (friends) at Gunung Lambak. That's been our standard weekend routine for over 10 years,” says Chua, 50, during an interview in Kluang recently.

It is admirable how Chua travels nearly 130km from his home in Bukit Panjang, Singapore almost every weekend to hike with his closest buddies.Over the years, their friendship has only grown stronger, forged by a shared love for the outdoors and a deep sense of camaraderie.

"We've always kept in touch since our school days," adds Chua, who studied at Sekolah Tinggi Kluang. "Before we got active in hiking, we'd meet up during Chinese New Year or whenever I was back for the holidays – just for a few hours to have a meal or some drinks and catch up."

Choi (seated, left) have been hiking with his Kluang buddies for over a decade.Chua, was encouraged to start hiking by his former primary school friend, businessman Choong Jenn Huat, 50, after falling ill when he was 38.

"In 2012, I felt numbness throughout my body, but I was still able to move and control it. I was in and out of three different hospitals, and it took about a month before I fully recovered. After that experience, I started exercising and began hiking up Gunung Lambak with my friends. It wasn’t easy as I wasn't a hiker, but over time, I managed to build my strength and stamina."

Their first major hike was Mount Kinabalu in 2014. Since then, they have climbed mountains across Asia, including Mount Rinjani, Mount Merapi, Mount Semeru, Mount Prau and Mount Arjuno-Welirang in Indonesia, and Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp in Nepal.

Chua says that each mountain comes with its own set of challenges, but the group is lucky to have good friends who always motivate and support one another.

"Sometimes we feel demotivated, especially during long climbs, steep terrain, volcanic ash trails or when someone experiences altitude sickness. But we always push each other to keep going," Chua shares."Some of our team members joke that even if they have to crawl, they’ll still make it to the summit."

Chua (left) and Lim strike a triumphant pose as Indonesia’s Mount Semeru emits smoke and ash in the background.

Brothers in arms

Among Chua's closest hiking buddies are his childhood friends – Kluang-based kopitiam owner Lim Jit Chiang, 50, and Kuala Lumpur-based business development director Davin Choi, 50.They have been friends since they were Year One classmates at Sekolah Kebangsaan Tunku Mahmood 1 in Kluang.

Lim says they have remained close buddies because they share the same interests – exercising and staying healthy.

"We’re the cincai (laid-back), shorts-and-slippers kind of guys. Maybe that's why we ngam (get along) so well.

"Chua, Choi and I have been friends since Year One. We used to do all sorts of things together – play ping pong, badminton, football. We lived nearby, so we'd cycle to each other's houses, play games, even catch fish in the streams."

(Clockwise from left:) Chua, Lim and Choi are lifelong friends who’ve stuck together through thick and thin. Photo: Davin ChoiEven though Choi now lives in KL, he stays in regular contact with the group through WhatsApp and makes it a point to return to Kluang often, especially since his parents still live there.

He pauses, smiles and shakes his head, thinking back on their childhood mischief.

"In lower secondary, we graduated from BMX bicycles to racing bicycles and would cycle all over Kluang, visiting friends and playing games," says the father of three with a grin.

"Once we got our motorcycle licence, all hell broke loose," he laughs. "We'd ronda (ride) all over town, have sleepovers and go camping in the jungles around Kluang.

"There was one time we sneaked out at night and rode our bikes to Desaru, the south-east part of Johor. The journey took us over two hours in the wee hours of the morning. Of course, our parents found out the next day – and we got quite a shelling. We were pretty naughty back then."

Chua (left) and Lim have shared many fond childhood memories, having been classmates since Year One.Photo: The Star/Sheela Chandran

Lim, who has two kids, knows that some friendships fade as people grow and change, but he considers himself lucky that theirs has stood the test of time.

"Even though we've all taken different paths in life, we've never judged each other or let pride get in the way. We accept one another as we are – that's what makes this friendship last," he says.

Chua agrees. "Over the years, people change; careers, families, priorities. But with us, the bond has always been there. Even if we don't talk every day, when we meet, it's like no time has passed. That kind of friendship is hard to find."