Salleh Hassan.

 Thurs 25.5.2023

Salleh Hassan came with Khamis back in 1976. Salleh was from Felda LBJ near Seremban. Khamis was from Felda Solok Menggong, Alor Gajah.  These two Felda settler dependents joined the Felda service for NS. This was 47 years ago.

Salleh, 66, succumbed to cancer yesterday morning, about 8.45 am, at home, after a long  treatment. Khamis passed away many years ago, from diabetic complications.  Here I'm looking at two former staff  I knew from their first day of work, and both, sadly, are no more.

Wahid, another former staff from the same Seremban HQ, took me to visit Salleh maybe a year ago, upon hearing that he was ill. He was still up and about at that time, but the cancer was already affecting his health. That was the last time I saw him.

Wahid called with the sad news yesterday around 10 am from KL, so he couldn't visit immediately. I had a hospital appointment, and similarly was unable to visit right away. So we agreed to visit the house together in the evening, once Wahid was back from KL.

It turned out that the nearby mosque was having a tahlil for Salleh after Isya'. Wahid and I were entering the mosque compound just as the azan was heard. 

There was a good crowd at the mosque. Wahid said this is normal because of the large surrounding community. Quite unsual, the tahlil was right after Isya' before the sunat ba'diah. First, the imam led in reading surah al Mulk, asking for relief in death of the believer, a first time for me. Then the tahlil and the supplication for Salleh, named.

We spoke to Salleh's two sons briefly, before going to his house, nearby, to see his widow. She knows Wahid well, of course. She was the one who called Wahid in the morning. The night before Salleh had lifted a heavy umrah bag, and had gasped for breath. The Police permit for burial and the other documents for processing Salleh's remaining worldly business are in hand, the widow said.

When Felda LBJ was sold to the developer, the settlers receive very big payouts. I remember talking to Salleh, advising him to invest the money in ASB, and using only the necessary amount to purchase a Proton Saga if he wanted to have a car. The millions paid out would be gone in no time if not invested wisely, I told him. Wahid said last night that Salleh had managed his money well. He's wondering how the inheritance would now be settled. I said his sons are well educated, and one has a very professional job with Rahim & Co, the real estate people. So this inheritance thing would be in good hands.

The Seremban Felda HQ is vacant now. I was among the first occupants when the building was completed in 1976. We used to rent the vacant bungalow owned by the Dr. Chong family. Then we moved to the shop house at Jalan Rahang, next. Our own office building, when vacated, used to be rented by MAINS, but they now have their own tall tower with the letters "Allah" on top, like the TH building in KL. The 3-storey Felda HQ was where Salleh, Khamis, Wahid and I were, the time I was in Seremban. The lake gardens is just next to it.  Felda had a different set of people, then, Wahid contended last night.

Everything is a memory now.

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