Wed. 26.1.2022
To the day - the 25th day of the month - Amir sadly passed away at 4 pm yesterday, 25.1.2022, at HUKM. He was 79 years and 5 months old. Apparently he was hospitalized 2 weeks ago.
I last met Amir at the shooting range, Kuala Pilah the year before the Covid 19 Closedown - 2019. We were renewing our firearms licences.
Hank and I managed to find our way and were among the earlier arrivals at Amir's house in Kg. Jijan, Labu, this morning. We said our silent prayers before his covered remains laid in the sitting room. I met Zainab in the kitchen (and surprisingly she recognized me straight away). We were classmates in Form III, TMS 1960. I utterred my condolences, and went out as the "kereta jenazah" drove into the compound. The funeral prayers were to be at the nearby mosque at 10 that morning. I spoke to a few people, and to one of Amir's children, and to Mokhtar Yasin who had come earlier. I don't know of his connection to Amir. But Zainab is from Tanjong Ipoh, where Mokhtar is from, so that must be it.
I'd known Amir since 1961, at FMC PD and later Sg. Besi. Because we're from KP, school and later university holidays meant we'd bump into each other in town. Amir was always with the late BB Ismail Mansor. Amir was from Kg. Parit, just outside town. Ismail was from Kepis, some distance away, towards Bahau through the Sawah Lebar road. They seemed close even then. Maybe it was not only the FMC/RMC tie (and both were SUO's), through athletics (Ismail the long jumper/Amir the pole-vaulter) and coming from little KP. There was more to it. Both were after KP girls. From their university days.
Ismail's girl Hank can attest to. Because Hank was tackling the younger sister, Cikgu Zainal's daughters. The difference was Ismail won her hands and honoured his promises to his darling; Hank didn't/ wouldn't/couldn't. And there is Sharom Dom, a university-days pal, married to another one of Cikgu Zainal's daughters.
Amir met Zainab through Wahap Acin, another Budak Boy, my batch. That's not his official name - it's what his parents (and I) call him. Wahap was, like Zainab, a classmate in Form III. Wahap and I joined FMC PD together. Wahap is also from Kg. Parit, like Amir. One day Wahap was with Zainab, going to the movie at Rex Cinema. KP, and they bump into Amir and Ismail. Amir asked Wahap who Zainab was. "My girlfriendlah". Wahap introduced them. That's how one relationship ended, and another started. A lifelong one, it proved. But actually Wahap couldn't have carried on with Zainab. Because they found out right at the beginning that they're from the same "suku". That's a no-no in adat-bound KP.
Both Ismail and Amir became NS' State Secretaries. Being SS, they were also SIGC's Vice Presidents, and the MB, the President, being a non-golfer, meant the SS ran the show. But golf appeared a chore to Amir. Ismail played more. Both also went on to become KSU's, the top gun, to Ministries before retirement.
We met several times over the years, Amir and I. I even visited him at the Entrepreneur Development Ministry where he was Big Boss. Napsiah, another KP product, was the Minister. Once driving on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, I stopped at the lights and a car came up beside me and somebody shouted something from inside it. It was Amir calling out to me.
I also knew Amir's two brothers, Tajuddin and Zid. Both are even bigger than Amir, both sportsmen in TMS. I never met Zid after TMS, but see Tajuddin once a while, because he's married in Bkt. Temensu or something, which is close to my parents' place.
Hank called yesterday about Amir's passing, and wasn't sure if it was genuine news. I made several calls, some promising to call back. None did. So this morning we met, intending to go for a morning walk. I came prepared, and suggested instead we make an attempt to locate Amir's place and pay our respects, even if they had buried him. Last night Nawawi had posted the confirmation of Amir's passing. Hank agreed. We both got hold of our ketayaps and agreed our clothes were acceptible, and Hank put on "waze" for "kedai makan, Kg. Jijan", and followed the voice guide. At the kedai makan when waze declared "You have arrived", I got down and asked for directions. I did this again when we stopped at another eating place as suggested by the first shop. It seems they all know him. When I mentioned this to Wahap Acin this afternoon, he said of course, Amir sat the surau everyday.
Coming back from Kg. Jijan, Hank said to forget about "waze". He knows the way now. "Trust me", he said, when I sounded doubtful. "That's when I get worried" I said. He promptly missed the turn to Gadung, and stopped on the side road to connect waze back. But it was a morning well-spent. Not to have at least made an effort to see an old lost friend when we are quite near would have been unforgivable.
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