Monday, June 8, 2020

Khairuddin Ahmad.

Mon 8.6.20.



I had a shock just now when I saw on the whatsapp about the passing of my old friend, Khairuddin (lion).

It was only a couple of days ago that I heard he had a fall in his house. I didn't know how serious it was. What with this pandemic and travel restrictions, and not knowing exactly where he was admitted to, I'd allowed myself the loss of any opportunity to visit him and lend support in his hour of need. I'll regret this forever. But I pray that Khairuddin finds selected company before our Maker, amin.

Khairuddin first saw me before I joined FMC, according to him. I took part in the "Minggu Bahasa Kebangsa'an" oratory competition in 1960 at State level, at the old Seremban town hall, and he and a few other "Budaks" were in the hall, but we didn't meet. I was in "B" coy with him. He was a senior. But when I enrolled into University of Malaya in 1965, he also enrolled in the same year. By right he should have been ahead of me by 2 years. I never did ask him the reason, but we resumed old friendship. 

I was staying in section 11, close to campus, in the early part of my first year. So did Khairuddin. He was putting up with a relative or something, a MARA officer, I think, in his quarters even closer to campus. I used to visit Khairuddin there, and one time even spent a night there. That morning I saw the owner coming down the stairs, going to work, but we  just looked at each without saying anything.

Khairuddin was doing different subjects from me. But in 1965 the student population was small, and we met often. The Arts Concourse was close to the library. In between lectures the undergraduates would linger in the common area, chatting, smoking, or on some days making speeches and the the usual student commotion they figured they had to make being university undergraduates.

If not in the common area or the concourse, the students would be in only 3 other places: the Union House, Amjal restaurant just outside the varsity main entrance, or the 4th. College. The canteen was at the Union House; Amjal restaurant was the closest eating place outside of campus; 4th. College was the girls' college.

One evening we decided to go to the movies together. Khairuddin rode a Vespa, me a Honda 90 motorcycle.  We decided to go on my bike. We went to Cathay cinema in Jalan Raja Laut, close to Chow Kit. The cinema is no more there, of course. On the way it rained. We were soaked, but didn't change plans. The air con dried us up, and fortunately we didn't get sick the next day.

When I started working in KL after a brief stint in Melaka, I opened a bank account at the new City Bank on Jalan Ampang, at the AIA building, later made famous by the terrorist attack. At Felda HQ and Jalan Gurney  there were no banks. There was Malayan Banking and  Chartered Bank at Jalan Ampang.  But Khairuddin was with Citibank. He came to my office and asked that I open an account with his bank. That was how it started. Bank Bumiputra wasn't thought of yet at the time. Khairuddin was  one of the officers in the back room. So every time I went to the bank, I'd call him out if I wanted to meet him.  Citibank now has another branch near the now defunct Ampang Complex. And I still have a Citibank credit card. 

In 1977 or 1978 while posted to Seremban, I was walking in the State Secretariat car park when a BMW drove past me. Khairuddin was driving it ! He stopped and we chatted briefly. He came to see OP Ismail Mansor, who was the SS at that time. He didn't say what for, but I think it was about the car registeration number, because some time later I saw Khairuddin's car with a nice 2-digit Negri plate.

Sha and Nor Shaari used to arrange for golf for us in KGNS at one time. Those days the traffic wasn't what it's now. I would join them, and Khairuddin would be there, too.

Khairuddin couldn't attend one of my son's wedding because he had to be with his son in USA. But for my third son's wedding, he almost missed it,too. We had arranged for the ceremony in KL, at the Dewan Merak Kayangan Felda. My other children's wedding were all in Seremban. My invitation card clearly stated the venue. But Felda has two halls, one is Merak Kayangan, the other the Dewan Perdana. It so happened that there were two different weddings that evening. Khairuddin went to Dewan Perdana. By 9 p.m. he realized he must have been in the wrong wedding because he couldn't recognize anyone. Luckily the two halls are within walking distance. When he and his wife finally made it, he came to me, and I made arrangement to seat him among my in-laws' group.

The last few OP gatherings we had were not attended by Khairuddin. So the last time I met him was too many years ago. And now he's gone.

May your soul be among the blessed, dear friend, amin.


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