Praise the Lord, I'm 80 !!!

Fri 6.12.2024.

80 !

That was yesterday. 

Sufficient good wishes came through from kith and kin to please me with the knowledge that I'm old but not forgotten.

I had fever the night  of 4.12.2024, and with a blocked nose not much sleep was enjoyed. So on birthday morning, I was the first outpatient at Dr. Miszua's clinic. I got my pills and left for the closing ceremony for the SKM accounting excersise at Klana Resort. Because of the fever, I had my jacket on. Which was good, because I bumped into the MB who was having his lunch with a group of ADUNs, and I was smartly attired.  I only know Ismail Lassim, who was there, the one who caught my attention first. It was when I was walking towards him that I saw the MB. I'd met and spoken to him a couple of times at 2 wedding receptions here in Seremban. 

"Thank you for the new allowances" I said. 

He knew what I was referring to - the State Assembly had just approved the revision to the allowances for the Assemblymen, and with it the pension for the ex ADUNs, like me.

"What about the pension ?" I asked.

"No, not included" he joked.

This morning I called Amin Ludin, the ASS in charge of the State Assembly. I related to him my exchange with the MB on Thursday. I'd wanted to see him today, but he said he's tied up the whole day. So I just asked him for the details about the allownces revision that he could not provide when I called him last week about the same subject. But the good news about the approval he broke to me at that time. Which was great, because the next day, Saturday, MUBARAK Malaysia was having its 21/2024 AGM in KL, and I was more than happy to pass a written note to Yazid Baba, our MUBARAK NS President.

In fact, with this revision, effective January next year, NS will jump from the bottom of the list for all 13 states to no. 2. It's about a 44% jump ! Only Sarawak pays more.

So in a way, my 80th birthday has been nicely honoured by the increase in my pension, Thank You Lord. But the family doesn't know yet.

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