Saturday, October 17, 2015

Jali.

17.10.2015.

Jali was just 51 when he died, 14 years ago.  Sakinah, his widow, gave me his age just now during their son, Fitri's, wedding.

When Sakinah passed the invitation card to Idah about 2 weeks ago (unnamed, but the message passed was well understood), I had straightaway determined that I'd not miss this reception.

Jali was one of the three Terachi first cousins I'd felt close to, more than Bang Sarip, Kak Ngah, Daro,  Jamlus,  Wok and Wati,  although Bang Sarip stayed with us for a while in Tanjung Malim.  The other 2 were Udin, a teacher with an American M.A., and Khalid, a police sergeant.  

When in Felda I visited Jali at his staff quarters in Segamat and later in Seri Ledang. The first time I met Sakinah was at Induk's house in Terachi. It was Hari Raya or a wedding, I can't remember. But I remember noticing the rows of gold bangles she was wearing, and I said "so much gold !" At the wedding just now they weren't there, but I still asked about them. She laughed.

When I got the card and saw the address of the reception venue I knew Fitri must be doing well. This was at up-scale Bukit Jelutong. I was right. In fact all 6 children of Jali are university educated, the last girl doing her Law finals at UUM (GPA 3.2 she said). Jali didn't go to university, but would have been very proud of his children.

Sakinah said the Felda plot is now hers, all of 10 acres now about to be replanted with oil palm. My experience says that should give her nett 3K monthly for at least 25 years. With Jali's pension and the children doing famously, she'd be  comfortable. That is fantastic for the memory of poor Jali. Fitri himself has a First Class engineering degree.

I had to choose between Sakinah and Dek Ma, who had arranged for Dahlia's remarriage at the same day today, but as I said, it was an easy choice. In fact Ajit called while on my way to Bukit Jelutong and I told him, but Dek Ma's call came when I was inside the petrol station and the phone was in the car. I saw the missed call but did not call back.

We were the first guests to arrive - it was only11 o'clock , but stayed  until the couple had sat on the "pelamin", and then, in spite of the  light rain, took our leave. It was about 1.40. A nice wedding, we both remarked. I'm glad we came. We said prayers for Jali.



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Thursday, October 15, 2015

The sickness in UMNO.

15.10.2015.

Basically many Malays are sick of UMNO. That's its main ill. And it could be fatal for the party.

Maulud, at 75 a long-time member, this morning during golf said it. I'm sick of UMNO. "I dah meluat."

There are two main scenes.

Officially, party leaders high and low, new and old, say they support the President. So they attack everyone who sounds anything like critical of Najib. There seems to be no limits to their public condemnation and the offensiveness of their language. Even the statement made by the Malay Rulers has been painted over to show lack of substance.

However, on the streets to almost a man everyone says Najib should go.

Najib supporters say this mamak Mahathir is senile and made worse mistakes in his time.

So is that admitting Najib's mistakes now ?

We are talking about the current problems. Mahathir has left office. The questions waiting for answers are right in front of us. No clear answers are given. The committees set up by Najib to purportedly find answers have been saboteged by Najib himself. The whole world has taken notice, based on newspapers in the US, Singapore, Switzerland and others countries.

The Bank Negara Governor and the AG are publicly locking horns now. Those supporting Najib are calling Zeti careless and lazy. A State leader two days ago in a speech in a closed meeting said how can Bank Negara revoke something it has given 5 years ago ?  This is a world-recognized Central Bank Governor we're talking about, while everybody knows the questionable appointment of the new AG. It's not merely filling of form, as sneered by the AG. In which case all court cases are filling of forms, anyway. Any  permission can be revoked. Surely the AG himself accepts that. More so if some conditions have been broken, not known before the committment.

There was an analogy given about working together in a boat, and throwing the captain overboard would be disasterous.

That was not an accurate description of the current political mess. We are not in a boat out at sea. UMNO's President is not the captain sailing any boat. He has very serious questions he's unable or unwilling to answer.  That means big trouble for GE 14, the disaster waiting to happen to the party. If he cannot explain these issues, or if he's guilty of any crime committed, his downfall would bring UMNO down with him. UMNO has to be led by someone else before that happens. UMNO had rejected Onn Jaafar, its first President, when he tried to bring non-Malays into the party. The party had governed the country since then. Up to now, that is.

Party members, all of them, and not just the 25 Supreme Council members, and not just the 192 divisional heads, claimed to be  3.5 million strong, must decide between an erring President or the Party. This is "pening kepala" lah !


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Sunday, October 4, 2015

Acik at Boting.

4.10.2015.

For some time now I'd wanted to visit Acik at Boting. She'd moved in with Nosa Ngatngat, I was told, since Jimikoling moved back his belongings to Acik's Senaling house. At that time Jimikoling only came back weekends, but now apparently he's moving back for good. In fact he came to Boting about 10 minutes behind us this afternoon and said he's rewiring the Senaling house, so that was proof. Jimikoling is a trained wireman.

This Boting plot was acquired by Pakcik Udin, and is a few acres in size. Nosa built the original house when Pakcik Udin was still alive. This was my second visit to the house, and I was surprised by the rebuilt house. It's been tastefully enlarged and redesigned inside and out. The fixtures were also nicely done. I thought Nosa said it cost her 200 grand ! The original house was less than 80 grand.

I asked to see Acik's room and was shown the middle bedroom with two single beds, a cupboard, a wall a/c and a stand fan. So I said to Acik she should just stay with Nosa here and forget about her Senaling house. I said Jimikoling loves his wife (his third) and Acik must accept that, and not be bothered about her ways.

Acik is my last remaining aunty. All other siblings of my late mother are gone now. Acik herself is almost 80 now, I figure. She's still healthy, but is becoming more forgetful. She couldn't recognize No. 2 Son at Calit's kenduri yesterday.

The Boting house should be good for Acik. The house sits in the middle of agricultural land, and the green scenery looks pleasant to me. There's a surau and a mosque nearby, so that part of her daily routine should be covered, though I don't think she goes to the surau anymore The only drawback seems to be the distance to the nearest neighbour. 

I should try to visit her more often, I resolve.


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Saturday, October 3, 2015

Amal and her wedding.

3.10.2015.

Yesterday, Friday 2nd. of October 2015, Amal was married off by Calit, her dad, my youngest brother, at Husayn Mosque, S2 at about quarter to four, to Wassim. Today, Saturday, the reception was held at Warisan Puteri.

On both days it was the meeting again of relatives and friends of old that I more than anything else savoured.

I was seated at the main table next to Dato' Dr. Nordin Keling, a 90-year-old relative from Tg. Jati, the former Veterinary Sec.Gen. Like Suman a.k.a. Ibrahim Keling (Dato') his younger brother, Nordin is quite deaf without his hearing aid. Between the loud music and his condition, our attempted conversation largely failed.  I had to practically put my mouth next to his  ear ! He said he's 1 year younger than Mahathir, and they know each other. He said Mahathir would always ask how old is he. Dr. Nordin asked me what I think of Ku Nan, the UMNO Sec. Gen. He said he remembers him when he was a contractor for the veterinary services, and Najib was in the Ministry. 

I was part of the receiving party, so until the married couple arrived, I met most of the guests that came. Most of the old relatives and friends were still recognizable through the wrinkles and white hair.  Nab the "wassup girl" was there. "G-man" the PKR donation collector and Fahmy, my PKR nephew also came, and I corrected him about spelling his own father's name - it's Muhammad Fadzil, no just Fadzil, I insisted. Then "Jimikoling" and "Deka" and "Jingkung" and "Kito", Cikgu Othman's son, a very long-time neighbour from Tobek Koring  came, and  so many more, all seemed to have made the trip. My two ex-Appeal Court Judges golfing kakis also made it, and I put them together at one table.


Yesterday Timah prepared the high tea for 100. There were at least 150 that came. So you know what happened. To-day KRS prepared food for 750.  1,200 came. Guess what happened.  Food that was supposed to last until 4 p.m. didn't survive 1 o'clock.   Idah was so nervous, she was sweating, but Calit & Nina seemed cool. The next day Calit came to the house and cried in front of Idah. Luckily I was at golf.


After the "menyembah" ceremony at about 3.30, conducted by Bang Piei, the reception only slowly trailed off, in spite of the "food crisis". I met some more friends who had come late, and the food didn't seem to matter. Other than that, I think Calit pulled off a successful wedding reception.  I saw the 24-year-olds truly happy, and that was the important thing. 

We stopped at Man Tom Yum on the way home. I had a  coconut drink and mee ladna (no chicken), followed by black coffee. Everybody else ordered different food and drinks.  I saw Wok at   the next table with her own group.  So now everybody is refuelling because of the "food crisis". Wok is a cousin and a full-fledged  Police Superintendent now attached to SPRM Putra Jaya. I made her pay for our table  before they left ahead of us. I gave her Dekna's number, and asked  her to call Dekna, adding if they have lunch together  Wok should pay because she has  worked longer and has  a bigger pay.


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