Abdul Wahid Shamsuddin, Datuk.

Thu 30 August 2018.

An old Damansara Utama community friend, Datuk Abdul Wahid Shamsuddin, died this morning at hospital. Sad. Only Tuesday we'd stopped at his house in D.U. on the way back from Ipoh, having heard that he was ill and hospitalised, but everybody was with him at hospital. Idah called Kak Zah, his wife, who cried on hearing Idah's voice and couldn't talk. They were close when we were in D.U. 1978 - 1995. That's 17 long years, more meaningful because the growing children were all in primary school. Kak Zah even calls No. 3 Son "ustaz" because he attended the religious class conducted by the Mujahiddin Mosque in D.U. I was one of the founder Committee members of the mosque. We collected 1 million ourselves to build the mosque back in the 70's and still had leftover we used to set up the religious classes. Now it would probably cost easily 10 times more.

Wahid had been ill for 2 months, mainly for refusing to eat. I'm sure there were other problems. We had visited him in Tawakkal in Jalan Pahang some years ago. He was then diagnosed with dementia. He already couldn't remember us even at that time. Kak Zah said the last few years he couldn't even recognize her and the children. But at Tawakkal he was eating well and looked well. That was the last time we met him. His body looked thin now.

Wahid was a classmate of Bang Tai's  at MCKK. Later he joined the Police, and upon retirement worked at Istana Negara for a short time. He was 81.

The one sad story is that Kak Zah had wanted to go for the haj, even when we were still in D.U., but Wahid didn't. So in the end they both didn't. Now even if Kak Zah wants to, she probably can't because of her weak legs.

When No.1 Son was staying at our old house in D.U. alone, Kak Zah used to send food for "buka puasa". Often she would find him sleeping. Idah can never forget this. Most people won't bother to do what Kak Zah did. When No.1 Son got married in Seremban, Wahid and almost the whole family came and stayed overnight at a hotel.  I think they came for all four weddings we had, 3 in Seremban and 1 in Merak Kayangan, Felda.

Kak Zah called when Wahid passed away. I was in KP to collect my gun card and the permit to buy ammunition from the OCPD. At about 4 Idah called. So after Magrib we drove to D.U. It took us more than 2 hours because of the massive jam on PLUS because of the National Day and the long weekend. That accident at Dengkil didn't help. No.2 Son was already there, and Auntie An had waited for Idah's arrival before going home herself.

We left D.U. at almost midnight, and this time took the Sg. Besi way. The traffic had by then thinned out.

One by one they're all leaving, forever. It's sad to reflect, I guess. But the memories will always remain.

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