Retirees look ahead to new chapter in life

IPOH: For Mervyn Lim, retirement couldn’t come any sooner.

Having held a senior position at a logistics company for almost 15 years, the 62-year-old has his eyes set on embarking on a new journey – seafaring.

“I’ve always wanted to do so but due to my work and family responsibilities, I didn’t have the time to really pursue this.

“The silver lining now is that my children are all grown up and doing well, so I can finally embark on this long-awaited hobby.

“With my savings, I even bought a boat and obtained a licence to begin trips,” said Lim, who hails from Melaka.

Retired government officer Pola Singh said investing more time in his health after his retirement 14 years ago ensured that he stayed in good shape.

“I wake up every morning without any aches or pains. This allows me to live my life to the fullest and I can do whatever I want,” said the 74-year-old, who exercises at least an hour daily.

Pola, who is a former Maritime Institute of Malaysia director-general, added that his routine consisted of hiking, jogging and various other exercises.

“Exercise should also be treated with the same priority as eating and sleeping,” he said.

Recently retired H. Holly is planning to do some charity work with her church now that she has “all the time in the world”.

The former marketing executive said charity work was something she had long wanted to do but could not find the time to pursue during her 35-year career.

“As someone in marketing, I spent most of my time chasing and stressing over sales figures.

“Now that I am no longer burdened with these, I can start to do things I have been wanting to do for a while.

“My church has also been asking me about it and I am definitely thinking about it.

“As I just retired two weeks ago, I want to take some time to plan out the next chapter of my life,” she added.

Holly also said she wanted to catch up with her friends, including some of whom she had not met for a long time.

“In short, I just want to take it easy in life now. Without the work stress, I wake up chirpier,” Holly added.

Yus Amirul Mohamed Yusof, 61, who retired last year, is now pursuing his interest in photography.

“I have always loved photography but didn’t get to do much about it as I was busy with work.

“I like taking pictures of landscape and nature,” said Yus Amirul, who was with the Ipoh City Council for over 40 years.

“I also got a tablet to edit my photographs after my children showed me how and it is easier than using a laptop.

“I am also tending to my small garden, which has bougainvillea, cacti, money plants and some vegetables.

“If I am not in my garden or on my tablet, I will be cycling around the neighbourhood for about 7km daily. I try to be as active as possible because I can get bored quite easily,” he added.

Yus Amirul said he planned to travel abroad after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

“I want to bring my family for umrah first, then maybe travel to the United Kingdom with my wife to visit our friends and my niece,” he added.

Former human resources general manager Gordon Jude Seneviratne, who retired last year, said he was currently doing some consultancy work.

“While taking a short break after my retirement, I felt I was still able to take up an advisory role.

“Having been in the field for many years, I felt that some of the younger generation still need guidance and I wanted to share my knowledge with them,” he said, adding that he also conducted online lectures.

The 63-year-old father of two said he was ready to take another break in June to pursue something else.

“I want to go cycling and maintain my physical health during the break. I already have some plans in mind and am still working on them,” he said.