MANILA - BAMBANG Maulidin has won South-east Asia Games gold medals and even an Asian Games bronze medal in karate.

But his most treasured possession by far is his cellphone, because of the priceless personal memories it holds.

It contains the only picture that allows the 25-year-old to remember the way things were - before he lost four members of his family to the tsunami that hit Aceh last year.

'That's my family before the tsunami,' Bambang said, pointing to the telephone screen with the picture of him, his parents, two brothers and two sisters.

'Now, it's just me and my brothers.'

At the Mandaue Coliseum in Cebu on Monday, he recounted how Dec 26 was supposed to have been a day of celebration.

His eldest sister, 21-year-old Merry Susanti, was to have been married.

He had to run some errands but did not need to rely on his alarm clock, waking up at about 8am when the house started shaking.

The powerful tremors lasted only a few seconds but made a mess of the home he had built with bonuses from the government for his hard-fought karate victories.

He said: 'I was going to help my mum clean up, but she told me I should get going.

'It was the last time I saw her.'

The killer waves that hit Aceh soon after 9am killed his father Mardeli, 50, mum Helmiah, 40, and sisters Merry and Intan Oktaria, nine, and destroyed the house.

His brothers Hendra Darmawan, 19, and Hermanto, 13, were at an athletics meet elsewhere in the village.

But it was not until three days later that Bambang knew that he was not the sole survivor of his family.

He said: 'I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat. All I did was think if I had lost my whole family in one morning.'

Then, while at the Banda Aceh city stadium searching for information on survivors on Dec 29, he found out that both his brothers were alive. But it took another 24 hours before they were reunited.

'Although we were happy we at least had each other, we were still hurting inside,' he recalled.

'It took us a while to finally accept the fact that they're gone.

'Till today, we still haven't seen their bodies. But we just take solace that they're with God now in a better place.'

The brothers are living in Jakarta, with Indonesia Karate Federation secretary-general Hendardji Soepandji and his family.

Said Hendardji: 'It's the least I could do after what has happened to them. I've known Bambang for a long time and he was already like family.'

Hermanto is also taking up the sport and is now in the national junior team.

Bambang is the 2002 Asiad bronze medallist and the 2003 SEA Games 55-kg kumite champion.

He added a team kumite gold at the Manila Games on Sunday but could not hold on to his individual crown on Tuesday, having to settle for the bronze instead.

He also works as a protocol officer with Bank Mandiri.

But karate remains his main focus and next year's Doha Asiad is in his sights.

His family, the way they were before disaster struck, still help him in his quest for medals.

He said: 'I look at their picture before my fights and say a short prayer.

'I know they are watching me and always give my best.'

As for his former home, he said: 'I have yet to return to Aceh. Our land is still there, but there's nothing on it.

'When we do return someday, I hope to have enough money to rebuild our home.'

The 30 million rupiah (S$5,060) he received for his part in winning the team gold will help.

marclim@sph.com.sg

Sea Games 2005