Bang Enon.

 Sunday, 24.12.2023.

We were supposed to leave for surau At Tarbiah, Taman Malawati, Ulu Kelang at 8 a.m., because the funeral prayers were set for 10. These things never meet the target times, and this one didn't. But the one-hour delay leaving Seremban put paid to our timely arrival. When we arrived, they had already started the post-prayer tahlil. So at least we didn't completely missed the whole thing. We were able to pay our last respects for Bang Enon, 86, shrouded and laid before us, before being taken to the burial ground in Kelang Gate.

Dato' Dr. Mohd. Nor Abd. Ghani was my first cousin, 7 years older.  He was "Bang Enon" to me. Pak Lang Ghani, ex Sub-Inspector, was my father's older brother.  As a policeman, he was posted all over the place. His last post was in Kelantan. Bang Enon didn't follow him, because he was attending school in Kuala Pilah. Part of the time he stayed with us, I was told, because I can't remember.  He finished his 5th form in TMS, and went on to Form 6 in Seremban, then to the University of Malaya. He did his Masters and PhD in the US, after joining the MCS, and after marriage. Two marriages, in fact. His last post was the KSU in the Ministry of Transport, under Dr. Ling Liong Sik, an exFMC boy. Probably of the same age.

Bang Enon passed away in Ampang Hospital yesterday afternoon. He was only brought back this morning. I didn't find out the cause of death. I followed him in his internet postings, and he was always doing something - here in Taman Malawati and back in Kuala Pilah, both in his parents' old home in Ulu Bendul, and the in-laws place in Juasseh. As far as I knew he was healthy.

Mashitok caused the hour-delay. Disorganized as usual, he didn't call Calit until Calit came to fetch me. With Seremban traffic being what it has become, by the time we got back to S2 for him, and got back on to Plus, it was 9 !.

Some of the prayer crowd had left when we arrived at the surau, but there was still a good number of mourners doing the tahlil. Before I helped carry the remains into the waiting van, I was able to greet a few of the sad first cousins. Daro, from Kampong Melang, was extremely emotional, and I said "sabar, sabar". Enai, a brother, said he's now settled in Muar.

I wondered if Bang Piei knows of Bang Enon's passing. He wasn't there, but his house is quite near, also in Taman Malawati. They knew each other. Bang Enon and his first wife, Zahrah, took me in their car when they attended Bang Piei's wedding in Lonek. That was back in 1964, I think.

Dad put me with Bang Enon in his Section 11 house when I enrolled into the university in 1965. I didn't get a place in the 3 male residential colleges available then. But I didn't stay with them long.

When I was in RMC, Sg. Besi, Bang Enon attended one of my Sovereign Parade Days in place of dad. Much later in life, as the GM of Felda Transport, I got Bang Enon's help to get Ling Liong Sik to reconsider the new ruling on the speed warning lights for all lorries in the country. Eventually they scrapped the useless ruling. 

Even while an undergraduate, Bang Enon made a name for himself as a short-story writer. His stories often got published in the Malay papers under the pen-name "Norzah", obviously the combination of "Mohd. Nor" and "Zahrah".

Just now I texted Hafizi in Ipoh, inquiring if he'd heard about Bang Enon's passing. Hafizi was together with me in the university 1965-1968. That was how I found out that Bang Enon's second wife was Hafizi's sister. He said he heard about it from his nephew, a Dr. Azlan.

I met Zaiton, the widow, pulled by Calit, who pointed her to me. "I know, from Felda" I said.

There was Hashim Meon (Tan Sri, exKSU Ministry of Defence). There was Rais Karim (Datuk, Dr. , from INTAN and several other ministries). There was Zainal Taib, ex TMS, Cikgu Taib's son. We chatted, took some photographs, and even managed to suggest a golf game soon. But among family and friends, and on going talk of life matters, we recorded our bereavement for someone close.

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