The Mines Resort Golf Club.

30.10.2010.

Last week it was the girls. This week it's the boys. It's the PGA Tour /Asia Tour co-sanctioned tournament for 40 selected golfers, including a solitary player from Malaysia, being held for 4 days at the Mines Resort Golf Club. Like the international feature at last week ladies' tournament, this week's men's game also drew world class professional golfers,  from 13 countries. The set-up here is different from last week's KLGCC. For one thing, the big, deep lake here is like one very large water hazard that dominates the entire area when compared to all the ponds that seem strewn about to frustrate at KLGGC. Five of the inward nine holes are adjacent to the lake and it can certainly become a factor if the players fail to hit it straight. For another thing, while several holes end up toward the clubhouse in constrict fashion at KLGCC, here the outward and inward nines  are like two loops going out and away from the clubhouse and coming back and ending again at the clubhouse. Otherwise the preparation and maintainence of the courses are similiarly spectacular and worthy of the international attention given by the golfing world. As I said before, well prepared international events like these give good exposure to the country. Being the world's leading producer of oil palm is fine, and in fact is probably more substantive to the well-being of the country, but big sporting events are very newsworthy, and we need all the good exposures that we can get.

Unlike at KLGCC, though, this time we posted ourselves at the first par 4 green until the entire field went through. Surprisingly, if my count was correct, there were only 5 birdies, one double bogey, maybe three bogeys and the rest all pars here. Surprising because this is not a long par 4 and except for a strategically placed large angsana almost in the middle and three quarterways to the green, there are no obvious treacheries here. Nobody was put off by the tree, and the three or four who went into the greenside bunker all came out with aplomb. And yet birdies were rare birds indeed. 

After the last and currently leading flight went through the first hole, Pak Itam ,who like Tiong Meng last week, is responsible for my being here, and I decided to look for lunch or something. He said let's go to the Sapura kiosk, Sapura being one of the sponsors has a hospitality tent, and Pak Itam said he might be able to get ourselves fixed up. Sure enough, the two girls manning the kiosk were more than happy to oblige. In fact they called over another lady who seemed more senior. She said to follow her, and we ended up inside the expensively laid hospitality tent overlooking the 18th. hole. It was 12.45 and we needed little prompting to dig into the six-star hotel fare. Pak Itam must have been hungry because he filled his plate to overflow and cleaned it up. I was more choosy and started with the expensive-looking cold cuts. Would you believe it; as we were enjoying our free lunch who walked in accompanied by several very attentive ladies but the former Tunku Ampuan Najihah of Negeri Sembilan, and they just sat at the next table.

Pak Itam ordered coffee, but I suggested we disappear before more royalty came, and we left without waiting for the coffee. To morrow is the fourth and last day of the competition. Ustaz Ahmad invited me at the mosque Friday for a doa selamat at 12 tomorrow at his house just behind mine. I think I'll go to the competition for a short while in the morning, and come back early to go for the doa selamat. Kill two birds with one stone. 

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Tiada sapi batu di galas.

27.10.2010.

Actually it's Batu Sapi and Galas. And the old Malay proverb goes "tiada beban, batu di galas." It means doing unnecessary work, or more pointedly, carrying out a stupid undertaking. We're talking about the next upcoming bye-elections, of course. One in one end of the country, and the other at the other end. In the peninsula we'd call Galas east. But on the map of Malaysia, Galas is west, and Batu Sapi east. East or west, both sound remote to me. And the undertaking, though not stupid, seems needlessly burdensome.

Needless to say, these were tragic times for the two bereaved families whose losses necessitated the whole thing. The clever reporters have been quick to catch the negative undercurrents in both areas of contest. Ku Li is said to be miffed by some negative remarks by his own candidate. or rather "adoptive" candidate. That could spell trouble later. Teck Lee is already having differences with PKR, with whom there was supposed to be a political deal. So it's a three-cornered affair there, and much vote splitting is certain. In a way bye-elections are  parochial, and Kelantan and Sabah each tends to be more parochial than others. State and local issues will weigh in more than national ones. Candidates' personalities would carry more significance than expected, and the hard work and clever campaigning at the house-to-house level right to the last day, especially counter -  and multiple visits, are going to cause trouble.  Linda and Teck Lee can build up on their past experience, although in the BN's candidate's case it will be the late husband's record. The PKR candidate is said to be a prominent lawyer, but to the general public he would have to start from scratch.

Hak Tam has a rm 5-wager with me. He takes PAS for Galas, and I take BN for Batu Sapi. I think he'll win in Kelantan, but I think I'll win in Sabah. That means it'll be all square. We shall see.

For us the bet is just " tak da kerja, lawan Batu Sapi dan Galas." 

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KLGCC

24.10.2010.

The last time I stepped on to the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club must have been in 1994, a full 16 years ago. Unsurprisingly, when I visited again this morning for the third & last day of The Inaugral Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2010 ladies' golf competition, I couldn't place anything back from memory. It's been too long, and changes have been too great, for anything to come back into recognition. And with added  decorative structures and cosmetic touches  for the big event, everything  looked unfamiliar  to me.

I'd come because Tiong Meng had an extra ticket and knows that I'm a fan of Michelle Wie. So to day I not only followed her for 16 of the full 18 holes, but also met and spoke to her father, and later had a close look at her mother at the 16th hole.Now I know why Michelle is 6-foot tall. Both parents are large by Asian standard. 

I only watched a few other flights after Michelle had completed her round. On the 18th. par 4, she obviously laid up because of the water hazard. The second shot was from a free drop from the cart path and it was not a particularly good one because of the grass and the slope and a small tree close to the right of the target line, and there was the large pond protecting the front of the green. It was a brave effort but the ball went straight into the water.It was the next shot that probably best describes her game. Facing the water hazard again, and the high likelihood of a double-bogey 6, she hit a high ball that dropped softly about a foot from the hole and spun back about another foot away. She made the put for what was under the circumstances a great bogey 5. 

We watched five of the last seven flights that teed off from the back nine, all at the par 4 ninth, their last hole. This hole, too, has a pond on the right protecting it. Everybody we saw made the green on the second shot except for a few who laid up and went on for their three-on. Excepting again the famous Englishwoman, Laura Davies. She did not get a particularly good drive - it must have been an iron because she's a prodigous hitter. Her ball was on the left slope and it was a half-club short, and it hit the concrete embankment on the slope of the green, and the ball ricochetted about 90 degrees into the middle of the water. The general comments on KLGCC by the sportswriters, and I agree, is that this is not a particularly long course, but it's a tricky one. Number one, there are plenty of water hazards. Number two, the fairways are narrow. And thirdly, all the greens are undulating, and at stimpmeter 10, and with the grass used slow and grainy by professional standards. And the misses I saw Michelle made I think were because of these. But those who scored on this last day were those who read their putts well. In fact these professionals cannot win if they cannot putt. And watching the remarkable shotmaking of Michelle Wie - the drive, the mid-irons , the pitching and chipping, and especially her the sandwedge - I think it's her putting that is preventing her from becoming a truly great golfer. 

One thing that one gets from watching these sportswomen (or men) up close is the difference between reality and what one gets from the tv. All these people are less "bulky" in person. Laura Davies looks big and heavy on tv. In person she looked lighter. Michelle is downright thin in person, though taller than I expected. The Korean girl, Hee Young Park, who was in her group, is downright small, maybe 5-foot, but could she belt the ball ! On the short driveable par 4 on the back 9, using her driver while her two much bigger playing partners did not, she reached the green in one and narrowly missed her eagle putt. 

I must remark on the very Malaysian crowd control. We hear about the crowd control in China, where golf is supposed to be new and the spectators haven't learned the proper etiquette. Well, the Malaysian crowd today probably can easily be similiarly rated. Despite the repeated calls by the large number of marshalls to not use the mobile phone, not use the camera, not move, and not talk while the players take their swings, many continued to do so.  More than once the players had to regroup themselves. There was even one occassion when two or three spectators blithely walked across the fairway in front when a golfer was about to tee-off. 

I think the tournament was a success. I think these well-run international sporting events are newsworthy and give the country a big impact. Sports surely cross multinational borders while extolling the physical prowess of well-trained athletes that speak of national pride more than mere individual achievement. The country could do with a better overall sports development, as shown by the large and very successful Korean contingent to day. Just don't let the politicians run them. 

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UMNO General Assembly 2010.

23.10.2010.

Just managed to catch on tv the PM at his quite short closing address at the 2010 UMNO GA in PWTC. Of course"short" is relative, but seeing that this is in fact the 4th. day of the deliberations and the tons of bombast that must have been sprayed in the Merdeka Hall and splashed on newspages with the usual journalistic spin , short was refreshing. 

At times dead serious and other times quite ribald, Najib was on familiar territory, and the audiance seemed to have given him fair hearing in spite of the yawns picked by the cameras. The centre of his message was simple. He is asking for the Malays to appreciate the "great things" that UMNO have done in the last 6 decades and to show this appreciation by returning UMNO to power in all future elections because only UMNO can deliver while its detractors can only offer rethoric. 

Having attended many of these conventions in the past, I know that there were surely plenty of speakers from both ends of the quality spectrum, and much more in between. That, I can assure you, is one area where UMNO lacks little. 

I remember Najib , when he was a junior Minister, was not shy of using some Bengali phrases to add punch to his speech, as others used their Islamic knowledge fully to embellish their  lengthy discourses with  strategically placed Arabic quotations. This time around even the non-Islamic educated Youth leader liberaly injected intellectual-sounding but opaque Arabic words into his prose when in fact more limpid sounding Malay words carrying the exact same meaning were available. So much for bombast. 

The truth of the matter is, talk is cheap. Results matter, and in the last two years many results face the so-called "Malay agenda" right in the face. Only time, and there isn't too much of it left, will tell whether all this talk can regain the lost electoral votes, resolve the unfulfilled social promises, and in general remedy the lingering public malaise somehow sensed by the bigger majority of the Malays. And that is not even beginning to talk about racial issues.

What is certain, though, is the fact that the opportunists among the top UMNO leadership must be culled, and quickly. They are easy enough to identify. If they are not quickly removed from position of influence, the rakyat may well make their feelings known in the next GE. They have done that in 2008. They can do it again. No idle talk here.

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This week's round up.

19.10.2010.

Had to be early at the "blood centre" at the KKA (Klinik Kesihatan Ampangan) this morning. In fact I was first to arrive ( 6.30 a.m.) and also first in line. The last time, three months ago, I was also first to arrive but was around eighth in line because I did not immediately go to the numbering machine, you know, the contraption they all have at banks and other crowd-collecting centres that quite effectively calm people down to waiting in a more orderly fashion. To day the machine was kaput, but the double-numbered slips were already made available and this was a practical replacement. The only complain to day was the young Malay orderly who came at 7, and at that he was being pressed by an older, more experienced looking female staff who apologised on his behalf - "orang baru, encik" (new staff, sir). I asked what happened to the elderly tall Indian guy who usually opened at 6.45 ? Apparently he had just retired. 

While waiting for the doors to open, I spoke to the old man who came behind me as he opened up his portable chair, and asked how old he was. I did not expect him to mention too old an age, but was surprised that he was, in fact, 83 ! I congratulated him for  his years, forgetting for the moment we were all here in the still dark wee hours for a health check-up. He said that he also sits on a chair when praying in the mosque. The guy behind him joined in and said many old men now bring chairs for prayers, while the young and healthy don't even bother to come. The banter then went to the budget, cheating cases and "Ah Longs" and "orang putih" laws. By then the discussion group had widened up, and I just stopped participating. Then the young Malay orderly came and I went in quickly. 

I had told Tiong Meng to delay play at the Club to day because of the KKA appointment. In fact because I was "no: 1" there was no delay - we teed off at 7.30, our normal time, and I even managed to buy some Malay cakes by the roadside, which was my breakfast because for the blood test I had to fast, so the last meal last night was at 9 p.m., ten hours ago. 

After the game, Tiong Meng, Ah Man and Yu Kan left early after our refreshments at the Club's cafeteria, but I lingered and joined Pak Itam, Sulaiman "Saturday" (Sabtu) and Maulud who came in later because they were two flights behind. As usual the "political talk" was about the MB, Anwar, the PERKASA-UMNO clash and similiar-vein connundrums. 

But Maulud brought mirth when he went tangent to the arguements at hand, and suddenly said he told Baha yesterday about this young chap being interviewed by an old Javanese religious teacher. "How many prayers do we have to perform daily ?" The young man seemed ignorant and keep quiet. "What is the first one ?" he was further asked, and that, too, he did not give an answer. "Subuh !" the old Javanese answered his own question, with some exasperation. "After Subuh ?" he next questioned. Again the poor chap couldn't answer. " Johor !" the old Javanese said in his thick accent for "Zohor" the mid day prayers. "After Johor ?" the old Javanese now quiet angrily queried. The young man now perked up and this time quickly answered "Singapore !" We all had a good laugh. 

Tiong Meng called when I was driving to town for lunch (instead of my Maggi mee) and said there's a golf sale at Jusco, so after lunch I went. But while eating at the stall, alone, because this was almost three and the lunch crowd was gone, I asked the stall staff about the notice "Layan Diri / Self Servis" and said the second part was in Malay or what, because "self" obviously was English, but "servis"? Like the young chap in Maulud's story, no answer was offered.                                                                                                                          There was nothing much at the golf sale, so I decided to pop into the supermarket and looked around. I bought a few items and on the way out saw the "Roti Papa" kiosk and stopped and asked for "Roti Mama". The old Chinese operator grinned and said no mamas, only papas. His Malay assistant joined and said go to Econsave. In fact at Econsave they have a "Roti Mama" kiosk. Actually Roti Papa costs 1.80 while Roti Mama 1.50. I suppose the difference  figures. 

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Madinah and Maggi mee.

17.10.2010.

We finally saw Idah enter the Kelana Jaya LTH departure hall well past 1 a.m. Thursday 14th. October. Since we were "KT18" and "KT 17" had left by 9 p.m., I don't understand why they couldn't let the KT 18 crowd enter the air-conned hall earlier, as that also would lessen the crowding. The last phone call was made from the car as we travelled back to Seremban. Imar sms through her phone when they were waiting to be processed at Madinah airport at about 1 p.m. Thursday, Malaysian time. Idah did not sort out her sim card until the next day, and the children were duly informed and all but Banjat have called. 

Today I saw the missed call while playing at KDRSM with Dato' Ismail and Taib, and called back. All the calls thus far showed Idah in good spirits and good health, except for some running nose. I told her to rub on the "vicks" ointment I gave her. Calit called yesterday and said I should have enough stock of Maggi mee. Well, I have a few packets left. I have already drawn up the week's menu:

Day 1: Maggi mee with eggs.

Day 2: Maggi mee with sawi.

         Day 3: Maggi mee with anchovies.

             Day 4: Maggi mee with large onions.

                Day 5: Maggi mee with hot Thai sauce.

           Day 6: Maggi mee with mushroom.

 Day 7: Maggi mee with eggs.

After that I'm in trouble. Firstly, the "Maggi mee with eggs" is coming around again. Secondly, I'll be up to here with Maggi mee by then. Thirdly, if there's any truth in what they say about too much Maggi mee, I'd probably be crawling on my knees by the end of the week.

Idah said yesterday she had posted some Madinah dates. I hope this packet arrives soon. Then I can have Maggi mee with Madinah dates. For a change.

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Idah's fulfilment of her Holy Haj.

14.10.2010.

It's not a done deal, but in the early hours of Thursday morning, the 14th. of October, 2010 C.E. or the 6th. of Zulkaedah, 1431Hijriah, Idah entered the departure hall at the Kelana Jaya LTH complex, on the first part of a lifetime journey to be the "guest of God" at the Holy Land. Her group will land in Madinah at approximately 1 pm Malaysian time, Thursday, where she'll do the ziarah and the 40 solats over about 8 days at the Mosque of the Holy Prophet before travelling by road  to Mekah to await the day of the "wukuf" or "stay" in the plains of Arafah, then with the stoning of the devil at the three pillars in Mina over 3 days, the completion of the haj with the "tahlul". And then it'll back to the Holy Mosque for the "tawaf" and "sa'i" . 

We arranged for an all-ladies do'a on Sunday afternoon. I suggested that she just call the immediate neighbours because going for the haj nowadays doesn't involve the whole village like the old times.  She agreed, but before you knew it about 60 ladies of various ages and sizes  descended upon our humble abode. Anyway I was glad that Idah managed to get most of her close friends to come. I felt that it gave her a sense of satisfaction that they all came to bid her a good journey. 

Before we left the house immediately after the Magrib prayers, everybody had the chance to spill the expected tears, and with the call of the Azan by Salleh from the surau,  I drove out of the porch with Dekna by my side and Idah, still wiping her tears, at the back. After the very long wait at Kelana Jaya, there was another round of parting tears with the children before she finally entered the departure hall.

Dekna managed to make a last phone call from the car as we travelled back on the Plus highway to Seremban. It would be a long 45 days for me, but if she does what I told her to do, it would be a deeply meaningful and busy stay, and all too short an experience for her. I pray that she remains healthy, because this is the most physical of the Islamic rituals. Good health, not always guaranteed, makes a big difference. Dr. Miszua and my brother, Dr. Din, have given her all the medical advice, and she's stocked with enough pills and ointments to last two hajs, but God Determines everything, insya'allah. 

On her part, she said I should avoid living on Maggi mee and eat proper food, but I said not to worry. I eat like a bird, anyway - very little, though often. I had already pictured it in my mind - get a lot of eggs and beef sausages, the said Maggi mee, and plenty of fresh fruits and orange juice, and I'm set up. 

As usual many also asked that she prayed for them, in Mekah and at the grave of the Prophet. In fact I saw several pieces of paper with names and notes to remind her.This is customary. Take the opportunity of being on Holy Ground and make supplications to the All Mighty.  But God Listens from everywhere. 

I did my haj 27 years earlier, but without Idah. I was not yet 39, but the friends from the new surau at Damansara Utama didn't find it hard to convince me to join them, "while young and healthy", they said. But there were other reasons,to tell in another story. The 3 kids were young, Memi being only one (no Dekna yet), and that meant I go solo. 

Years ago Idah said for her first haj she'd like to do it with Dekna. Well, looks like that is now not happening. Anyway, I don't think Dekna is ready to embark on such a holy journey. So she has plenty of time to accumulate all her worldly sins. That would make her own inevitable pilgrimmage not only more meaningful, but also infinitely more necessary.

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Reflections.

1.10.2010

In just 12 days' time Idah will leave for her pilgrimage, and I'll be "home alone" for about six weeks. That was about the length of time that I left her when I went for my pilgrimage, alone, twenty seven years ago.

She had three small children to keep her company then. We have four of them now, but they've all flown the coop, as they say. In fact Dekna, our only girl, was conceived after I returned from that pilgrimage. Checked the dates. 

Dek Ma, my sister, sms'ed me (how else, nowadays) saying Nora, her third daughter, is doing her housemanship now. So she's following Dr. Din's, her uncle, footsteps. Good for her. Only, I used to tease her about her skinny frame. But she's the tough outdoor kind, actually. 

Memi is still trying to get his bosses at CIMB to transfer him to their audit department. He needs the necessary experience for his ACCA, but they're not obliging.  Unlike his brother Ashraf, Memi, in spite of his girlish sounding nickname (I gave him a masculine name; the mother shortened it and it sounds girlish now) is not so diplomatic, and that of course explains a lot. 

The recent Raya saw a lot of weddings to attend. I went to some, the wife went to the others, and between us we covered all the invitations. I purposedly declined going to those invitations addressed to "Mak Idah & keluarga." There was also one with a double-reception; at home and a 5-star hotel. This was from her niece, a doctor, but the hotel part was conveyed verbally and only to her, and that, too, by a secretary. This I declined, but she went. Apparently a number of royalties also came, so I guess I wasn't missed. 

Ashraf  says the stork is coming again. If it's true, that would be no. 3. Banjat remains stagnant at one. Adib has said something to Idah, and she has taken her to "berubat" but I've kept my nose out of the ladies' conspiracies. 

Usop's spa is apparently operational now, after some problems with the Melaka authorities. I heard the Fire department was giving her a hard time, as was with  City hall. I don't understand the attitude. Where's the help for Bumiputra enterpreneurs ? I think they just want grease on their palms, honestly. 

My golf game is slowly, slowly coming back, after the 6-week break. I checked my 555 notebook, and see that I'm still in the black, so that's ok. I'm trying out some of the putting tips I see on youtube. You won't believe what you can catch on  webbsite. 

OK, I have to go back to the delayed Ryder cup match in Wales on Astro now. The first day, shown live, is delayed by rain, lots of it. Why they choose this place, I don't understand. I have been to Wales. It's wet. wet, wet. So, I may have to wait, wait, wait. 

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