A Gentle Soul Who Did His Best

We will remember Jubal as a gallant fighter for human rights and dignity.

by P Ramakrishnan

Irene and Jubal were highly regarded

My earliest memory of Jubal goes back to an historic occasion on a date that is deeply rooted in the history of Aliran. The date was December 23, 1987 and the occasion was an event dubbed as “Welcome Home, Chandra”. It was a happy occasion.

Chandra, the founding president of Aliran, was released from prison five days earlier after having been incarcerated for 52 days under the nefarious ISA on trumped up charges. Aliran organized this event so that members and friends could meet and greet Chandra and share his experience of being under ISA detention.

Jubal was there that night to greet Chandra. He had just turned 23, three days earlier. He had his beard on and he had his Irene with him. They were not married then and Jubal was not yet an Aliran member.

It was a social gathering with dinner thrown in. Irene and Jubal sat side-by-side under that huge banner that welcomed home Chandra, each holding a plate and carrying on a conversation. They were happy.

My last memory of Irene and Jubal is one filled with pain and sorrow, lying side-by-side, dead and lifeless, in two coffins ­ inseparable even in death - at the funeral parlour at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. It was Thursday night, December 4, 2002 ­ 16 days before Jubal’s 38th birthday. Their bodies had just arrived from Bali. To welcome them at the funeral parlour, there was a wreath ­ the first ­ from Aliran with the wording: We will miss you, Jubal and Irene ­ From the Aliran Family.

This was the second tragedy to befall Aliran. More than 12 years ago, on May 20, 1990, three of our members - Punja, Winston and Joyce - perished in a car accident while returning from KL. It was a terrible blow for us in Aliran.

And in this latest tragedy both Irene and Jubal, who were holidaying in Ubud, drowned in a freak accident in the swimming pool at the Bali Spirit Hotel and Spa. There were no witnesses and no tell-tale signs to provide an inkling as to how they met their untimely deaths. It will remain a mystery.

But there was no mystery about their lives. They were gentle souls who did their best and stood out as a loving couple who wanted the best both for their children and society at large.

Jubal's dedication and contribution to the Aliran cause will not be forgotten. We will remember Jubal and all the other committed Aliran members who are no longer with us as gallant fighters for human rights and dignity. We will cherish their memory and they will remain forever as members of this unique fraternity, the Aliran family.

Jubal joined the Aliran family on January 3, 1988 at the age of 23. While others of that age were more concerned about their career and dreaming of their fortunes to be made in the future, Jubal chose to be part of Aliran’s struggle to reform society and fight for justice.

He was elected into the executive committee in October 1991and continued to serve as an executive committee member until October 2001. He had served the cause faithfully and to the best of his ability for nine unbroken years. And it was with a heavy heart that he stepped down from the executive committee. He was compelled to decline nomination as he had to move to Kuala Lumpur in connection with his new job.

For 15 years he was with us through thick and thin. He served as Coordinator of various bureaus at different times, organizing social gatherings, internal education, talks and forums. His easy mixing and pleasant demeanour was a great asset for the interaction and intermingling that was required for this task. He was not given to any ostentations or pretences. He was genuine in warmth and friendship with that infectious smile that touched one and all. Sometimes he would laugh loudly at the crack of a good joke flashing his white teeth. His beard adorned his handsome face for most of his life. There were also occasions when he had shaved that beard, giving him a fresh look that made him boyish-looking. But he would always return to keeping his beard. When I first met him, he had that beard and when I bid him farewell he also had that beard. Not many people look great with a beard but Jubal was an exception ­ he looked distinguished!

There were so many people at their funeral ceremony to bid them farewell on December 6. It spoke so eloquently of how well they were regarded and the many friends they had to mourn their deaths. It was a poignant moment that left many teary-eyed in the church.

What makes their untimely deaths such a devastating tragedy is the fact that in one cruel stroke, misfortune rendered their two children orphans. Our hearts go out to their children, Daniel, 10, and Dwayne, 8. To add to our misery and agony, the New Straits Times came out with a new twist to this tragedy, implying that both Irene and Jubal had committed suicide and that they had left behind a letter for their two children. This irresponsible reporting horrified their friends and families and scandalised their character. The Indonesian police, however, subsequently demolished the NST’s lie by confirming that their deaths were due to drowning and that there was no letter addressed to their children.

Aliran knew the couple well enough to realise the absurdity in this ‘reporting’. We came out with a media statement condemning this terrible report and demanding that they apologise to the bereaved families. The New Straits Times, which boasts of reporting “All the News that Matters”, did not see it fit to carry our media statement nor did it tender its apology for misreporting. It appeared that it did not matter to the NST that decency demanded this little act of good behaviour.

All the misreporting in the world cannot tarnish the character of good people in the eyes of those who know them. Their memory will remain intact and we will remember Irene and Jubal for what they were: decent and gentle souls. Irene and Jubal were truly a winsome couple who made a handsome pair. They were a pair in life and they continue to be a pair in death.

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