Friday, March 15, 2024

My dear li'l Habib.

Sat 5th Ramadan 1445 H. (16.3.2024).


Habib will be 3 in 6 months. This 12th. grandchild is Dekna's 4th, youngest, and  most likely last offspring. Born at 8.32 a.m., Monday 6.9.2021 (28 Muharram, 1443 H.) in HTJ Seremban, he weighed a good 2.76 kg. He's fair-skinned, like the mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. But like the other elder siblings, the birth was caesarian. That's one reason Dekna underwent a procedure that removed the possibility of another child.

Habib grew well enough into a lively 1 year-old. There appeared to be no feeding, nursing or cognitive issues - smiling when happy, crying when hungry or wet, and responding to touch, especially by the parents and grandma.

But after learning to walk at about 13 months, we noticed the lack of eye-contact and response to call. He was super-active, though, running around the house, often round and round the furniture. He makes childish sounds, and is often engrossed by the children's programs on tv. But no effort  at teaching words brought result. We often compare him with tots about his age we would see in the supermarkets. They made eye-contact and were already picking intelligible words.

Dekna took him for tests that found his hearing and eyesight ok. I didn't utter the actual word, but suggested several times that Habib be properly assessed by a pediatrician.

Dekna must have consulted her friends. Sure enough, there is a case that was given the proper professional care early, and that child is now responding well.

I'd read-up about the symptoms, and Dekna must have done the same. The wife is very critical of my comments made to her, not Dekna. I said you have to call it out, so the right action is taken. I didn't say this to Dekna. The wife said Dekna is quite upset by hints before, and had cried. I didn't see this coming.

Happily, on her own, Dekna had enrolled Habib for his first lesson at the special class in Senawang, yesterday. She said it costs RM1,600 per month. I kept quiet. There's nothing that is more important than the right care for Habib. 

One out of 100 children get this  condition. Many stories abound about autism, and the treatment.  I pray to God Habib would enjoy  the successes seen before, worldwide. 


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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

The 80th Ramadan.

 Tues, March 12, 2024.



The "80th" is mine.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) came 15 centuries ago.

This is my 80th year in this world. Today is the first day of Ramadan in the 1445 Hijriah.

But my first solat terawih, last night, was performed at home, not in the nearby surau or mosques. As ill-luck would have it, it was again the scooter that spoiled the plan. Just like last Ramadan.

The last time it was towards the end of the fasting month. I slipped 200 m. from the house going for my Subuh prayers.

This time it was half-way to the State Mosque for the first terawih. I slipped on the turn in front of the Tuan Said burial ground. And like before, I decided to abort that night's mosque plan. In fact there were just scratches on my right knee and right hand, with a little dried blood only on the knuckle of the right hand. But the shirt was soiled, and I wanted to tend to whatever injuries I might discover on closer examination back home.

So this morning I decided to change venue to my old Sg. Landak mosque. It's only 200 m. away. My right hand is swollen, and I can't handle the scooter. Taking the old car to the State Mosque is out of the question, because of the horrific parking woes.

Md.Noh Jidin knows why I went to the State Mosque these last few years. I met him at the Sg. Landak mosque this morning, and he inquired about not meeting me there. I said, without telling him of my accident, this year I'm changing venue. You see, the air-conditioned State Mosque is comfortable. Especially for the extended Ramadan prayers. Sungai Landak had struggled with the idea of better cooling for the congregation for years. Ever larger and larger fans have been installed, including the giants that took up the entire ceiling, but it was always the warm air being circulated, the breeze giving a sense of coolness. 

The last two years (yup, years !) the Sg. Landak mosque had been stuck with the operational problems for the finally installed air-conditioning system. When I met Md. Noh this morning, I didn't know the latest development on the a/c plight of the mosque. But I had braced myself for this year's non-a/c terawih. So it was a fan-cooled subuh prayers. But being subuh, it wasn't bad.

What a surprise when I came for my zohor prayers just now. The long-installed a/c was functioning!  At long last !

As I was leaving the mosque, I saw one of the crew that was still going over the a/c system's operations, and asked what had delayed things. He was eager to share the explanation. I concluded, and I told him, obviously the administrative jumble-up overwhelmed the technical issues. I didn't offer to elaborate. We both said "Thank God, everything's ok now".

I passed my comments to Md. Noh. He didn't answer my call. I wanted to gloat. I chose a venue change. In fact it has been a good decision.


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Sunday, February 18, 2024

Melaka Excellent Service Award'

 Sunday 18.2.2024.

Dekna had busied herself these last 2 weeks for the event in Melaka held last night at the Hatten Hotel, Bandar Hilir. Briefings were attended, apparently, and new dresses had to be acquired, obviously. And to top  it off, after lunch yesterday there was supposed to be a rehearsal. A right grand party had been arranged, and the AGC's bosses came down in numbers. We accompanied Dekna to Melaka, and she put us up in the same hotel, but were not invited to the actual function. No matter.

From our 19th floor window we could see  several tall buildings around us, clearly also large hotels. But they appeared unoccupied, because we saw no lighted windows.

The shopping mall opposite us, when we went there, is large and the floors we rode through on the escalator have well-marked, advertised shoplots. But all were unlighted and empty. Only when we went down to the Wisma Pahlawan side we found businesses in operation.

The Bandar Hilir area has clearly been marked for extensive development, and there are several huge buildings with on-going activities. But many remain underutilised or not at all. There must be an explanation. In the distant could be seen a huge uncompleted superstructure with the outline of abondoned engineering work silhouetted against the Straits of Melaka. That is part of the mystery here.

There is no mystery for Dekna's selection, for the 3rd time in her 14-year career in the AGC, as a recipient of the Excellent Service Award. I know for certain that she takes her work seriously from day one. She would bring work home, and regardless of the late hours, or the weekends, she would bury her head in the paperwork and the pc, often ignoring her kids clamouring for attention.  I can assure her bosses here that there's no skimping for Dekna for the legal responsibilities entrusted to her. I'm proud of her work habit. Maybe part of me could claim honour for the serious attention to duty I have bequeathed my only girl.  I haven't actually seen her in court, nor have I recourse to what her bosses and colleagues think of her. But if these awards are as seriously taken as I believe, then her selection as a recipient for the 3rd time is something to cherish.

Without any pretense, I declare that Dekna has exploited fully the opportunity that has come before her. She was offered a place in the top Girls College of TKC entering into Form 1. Instead of the one-year matriculation route earned after an excellent SPM/MCE, she chose the longer and apparently less prestigious DPA route, and I agreed, because, having chosen to read law, this would give her, we both felt, a more solid base for a practical, legal career. And securing the Dean's List after 3 years was cool. Then she was accepted into the BLS degree course . After another 3 years she got a First Class Honours and the Best Student Award to boot. After another 1 year she obtained her LLB Honours 2nd Class Upper, missing another First Class Honours by a hair. But again she secured the Best Student Award. And thus a double-degree in Law. Not bad.

Dekna got her first Excellent Service Award in 2013, when she was a Federal Counsel in the Prosecution Unit of the State Legal Advisor in Kuantan. Her second Excellent Service Award was in 2020, when she was the Director, NS Legal Aid Bureau. Her third Excellent Service Award yesterday was as the Director, Civil,  NS, under the LA.

The steps appear to be in the right direction. I pray to God my daughter finds continued guidance in an honourable profession, and do the right thing. I also pray to God I live long enough to see her on the Bench, somehow, Amin.


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Tuesday, January 30, 2024

A busy month's end.

 Wednesday 31.1.24.

The last two days had been frantic. A 3-year-old piggy bank was located, an old hand phone needed to be replaced, and sad news kept coming up. They kept  me off the tv altogether.

Cleaning up the mess under the ol' writing table, I found an old piggy bank under a pile of papers. It contained only 1-dollar bills. These can't go into the ATM. So I took them to Maybank, Jalan Rahang. The crumpled up plastic notes had to be forcefully flattened out, the bank clerk muttering under her breath about "don't do this next time" and so forth. After nearly an hour, 5,000 were banded up, with about RM 15 change returned to me.

Then I rushed to the Gateway Seremban to the Celcom shop. Last week they told me to come yesterday to renew my 2-year service contract and get a new phone. I had to pay RM 57 additional fee for the additional features on the brand-new "Honor" model (made-in-China, they're all this now). "It's worth it" was the answer to my question whether to accept this side offer. But I had to take it to a mobile service shop in Terminal 1 to transfer the data. Celcom has no staff and time for this. As of now, the new gadget still confounds me.

At 4 pm yesterday I waited at the appointed rendezvous for the other 2 blokes to arrive as promised. Foo came after 30 minutes,  Mokhtar  10 minutes later.  Obviously their sense of punctuality don't match mine. But we managed to reach Pantai Hospital, Air Keroh before 6. We saw Sainy one at a time. Two days ago he had hemorrhage of the brain. Today we saw him conscious but with limited verbal communication. His is a serious condition, and we impressed on his sons at the hospital to decide right now on the medical advice, or get Sainy out to a Government hospital pronto.

In Foo's car on the return journey, I learned that Daman Idris, my old classmate TMS 1958 - 60 had died last week in Paroi Jaya. I didn't hear about it. He was buried in his kampong. Boting, Kuala Pilah. He would often reach school well past the school starting time each morning because he cycled to school, TMS, and Boting is at least 7 miles away. His last post that I know of was the Post Master, Tanjung Ipoh.

Then we were debating about the current political turmoil, with Anwar intent on seeking revenge from his old enemies - Mahathir and Daim. Anwar seems unbending in getting his pound of flesh, digging through all the dirt, all these long years. Our failure to get the MB's ears about our problems seems doubly devastating, seeing how PKR with 5 seats got the MBship, with UMNO having 14, DAP 11, PAS 2, BERSATU 1, Amanah 1 and MIC 1. Obviously Zahid is cowed by Anwar. Mat Hasan is not even UMNO State Liaison Officer anymore. 

And at lunch at the Lake Club today, it was sad to see Hamid Arshat with the walking stick and the wheel chair. We were classmates, though he became a Specialist Medical Officer.  I have to get him to buy my book.


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Tuesday, January 16, 2024

First write in 8th decade.

Wed. 17.1.24.


Before the first month of the new year is out, I'd better write down something.

Looking back to the whole past year, as they say, it sure went by fast.  It's been 79 long years, and I thought that was quick. The kampong boy is an old man living in a town, now. All the shop-assistants call me "uncle" now, but that has been for many years already. But I don't feel I'm 80 ! In fact I don't know how I'm supposed to feel.

The wedding invitations  attended are no more for the children. It's the grandchildren. The funerals are all close relatives or close friends. And they're getting closer !  The medical check-ups line up the year's calendar. The eye-glasses don't help anymore, reading or playing golf. These things remind me about passing time.

The domestic economy looks bad. The politics look bad, domestic and international. What happened to "the good ol' days"?

I'm content to finish the daily chores I give myself.

I've published my first book last month, just making it before the year was out. My second book is with the same printers now. That should be out before the Chinese New Year. My golf is manageable at twice a week, with the same octogenarian playmates. With my official 18 handicap and spotting them 4 strokes, I still manage to make some money from the side-bets ha ha. I have my 120 golf books, and 40 Islamic books to repeat reading all year long, just like last year. Golf books and Islamic books ? You got to balance, lah! Just like last  year?  They're the same books bought long ago. Knowledge don't grow old. People do.

Maybe I should pause here. It's the first blog for 2024, anyway.


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Sunday, December 24, 2023

Bang Enon.

 Sunday, 24.12.2023.


We were supposed to leave for surau At Tarbiah, Taman Malawati, Ulu Kelang at 8 a.m., because the funeral prayers were set for 10. These things never meet the target times, and this one didn't. But the one-hour delay leaving Seremban put paid to our timely arrival. When we arrived, they had already started the post-prayer tahlil. So at least we didn't completely missed the whole thing. We were able to pay our last respects for Bang Enon, 86, shrouded and laid before us, before being taken to the burial ground in Kelang Gate.

Dato' Dr. Mohd. Nor Abd. Ghani was my first cousin, 7 years older.  He was "Bang Enon" to me. Pak Lang Ghani, ex Sub-Inspector, was my father's older brother.  As a policeman, he was posted all over the place. His last post was in Kelantan. Bang Enon didn't follow him, because he was attending school in Kuala Pilah. Part of the time he stayed with us, I was told, because I can't remember.  He finished his 5th form in TMS, and went on to Form 6 in Seremban, then to the University of Malaya. He did his Masters and PhD in the US, after joining the MCS, and after marriage. Two marriages, in fact. His last post was the KSU in the Ministry of Transport, under Dr. Ling Liong Sik, an exFMC boy. Probably of the same age.

Bang Enon passed away in Ampang Hospital yesterday afternoon. He was only brought back this morning. I didn't find out the cause of death. I followed him in his internet postings, and he was always doing something - here in Taman Malawati and back in Kuala Pilah, both in his parents' old home in Ulu Bendul, and the in-laws place in Juasseh. As far as I knew he was healthy.

Mashitok caused the hour-delay. Disorganized as usual, he didn't call Calit until Calit came to fetch me. With Seremban traffic being what it has become, by the time we got back to S2 for him, and got back on to Plus, it was 9 !.

Some of the prayer crowd had left when we arrived at the surau, but there was still a good number of mourners doing the tahlil. Before I helped carry the remains into the waiting van, I was able to greet a few of the sad first cousins. Daro, from Kampong Melang, was extremely emotional, and I said "sabar, sabar". Enai, a brother, said he's now settled in Muar.

I wondered if Bang Piei knows of Bang Enon's passing. He wasn't there, but his house is quite near, also in Taman Malawati. They knew each other. Bang Enon and his first wife, Zahrah, took me in their car when they attended Bang Piei's wedding in Lonek. That was back in 1964, I think.

Dad put me with Bang Enon in his Section 11 house when I enrolled into the university in 1965. I didn't get a place in the 3 male residential colleges available then. But I didn't stay with them long.

When I was in RMC, Sg. Besi, Bang Enon attended one of my Sovereign Parade Days in place of dad. Much later in life, as the GM of Felda Transport, I got Bang Enon's help to get Ling Liong Sik to reconsider the new ruling on the speed warning lights for all lorries in the country. Eventually they scrapped the useless ruling. 

Even while an undergraduate, Bang Enon made a name for himself as a short-story writer. His stories often got published in the Malay papers under the pen-name "Norzah", obviously the combination of "Mohd. Nor" and "Zahrah".

Just now I texted Hafizi in Ipoh, inquiring if he'd heard about Bang Enon's passing. Hafizi was together with me in the university 1965-1968. That was how I found out that Bang Enon's second wife was Hafizi's sister. He said he heard about it from his nephew, a Dr. Azlan.

I met Zaiton, the widow, pulled by Calit, who pointed her to me. "I know, from Felda" I said.

There was Hashim Meon (Tan Sri, exKSU Ministry of Defence). There was Rais Karim (Datuk, Dr. , from INTAN and several other ministries). There was Zainal Taib, ex TMS, Cikgu Taib's son. We chatted, took some photographs, and even managed to suggest a golf game soon. But among family and friends, and on going talk of life matters, we recorded our bereavement for someone close.


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Thursday, December 21, 2023

My book launch.

Fri, Dec 22, 2023.


Another year is closing in a week's time. It's the school holidays now, and Christmas is just 3 days away. And I just launched my first book last Sunday.

It took me 15 years to compile the notes that became the contents of the book. They were all there in my diary, sitting quietly, until Hank shook them out, exhorting me to let them see the light of day in a book. The jottings in my diary were never meant for publication. But Hank's challenge had to be responded to.  Finally, Sunday, I "tumpang" the FMC-PD's 70th Anniversary at the old camp, and "The Sungai Ujung diary - Talking Politics" was officially out on sale.

As required, I delivered my 243-word speech, and at the end of it presented a copy of the book to BB Wahab, our new Chairman of FMC-PD. And forgot to put my signature on it.

I said "tumpang" because the gathering was not about my book at all. It was a very well-attended, 2-day event, celebrating the birth of our old alma mater here in this very site in 1952.  Hank got Nawawi to include my book launch, although the book was not about the college at all. In my brief speech I mentioned that I don't feel I deserve this honour, but to decline would be rude. But in a way, the college had a lot to do in what I have eventually become as a person. I attended many schools in different places throughout my 18-year schooling, right up to university. But I credit FMC for some lasting friendships that leave positive impressions, leading to a mindset that was able to produce the written thoughts that filled my life diary.

The Dewan TSI had 120 seats, plus a row of sofa-seats for the VIP's. Every one was taken, with several more people standing around. It was a good crowd. In fact there were some of the wives with the children outside the hall, engaged in their own fun & games arranged. I could hear them from inside the hall.

Halim, the MC, made sure nobody spoke longer than necessary. Because all, except Nawawi, had notes, Halim didn't need to cut anyone. Nawawi, of course, was different. Normally he does the cutting, anyway.  He had no notes. He didn't need one. So it was easy for him to jump about, when speaking, and even took time to scold his nephew, one of the function's staff, for suggesting that he take the speakers' second rostrum, and not  Halim's.

We made good time in the hall, but wasted some time in the photograph session, but made it to the dining hall without much delay.

The durian supply, just like last year, was assigned to me. The durian feast nearly didn't happen. Strangely, although last year's function was  the same time of the year, this time the 3 suppliers I contacted in the previous 3 weeks couldn't guarantee quality and quantity to the 300 fruits we wanted, because of the ending durian season. Or so they claimed. Luckily, at about 11 p.m. Sunday 10th I managed to get hold of Deka, an old friend from Tanjung Jati. He got hold of Api, from Kampong Ibol, who confirmed that he had supply.

Immediately after our last committee meeting on Monday 11th, I pulled Hank to see Api and settled the order. I also wanted to test the fruit, because it was Orang Asli durian, and Hank could help vouch the quality. We found everything ok, and paid an advance. And my neck was safe.

Nawawi hinted that this might be his final act for FMC-PD, but don't believe him. Me, I'm more than happy I came for both days, and even brought my wife and a granddaughter to enjoy the outing. I'm very happy that my first book got a great launch. In fact I sold 29 copies in PD.



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