Halim Dato' Ibrahim.

 Sat 1.2.2025

The last time I met Halim must have been at least 5 years ago, at SIGC. We'd never played together, but once in a while we'd see each other with our own different partners at the club. He always played with the late Zul, Muhsin's f.i.l. Last week Ajit texted about Halim's passing.

The connection was Bukit Temensu. 

Halim was Kayah's husband. Kayah is probably my age, because we sat for our LCE the same year (1960). Wan Esah (Kayah's grandmother) saw me and asked how I did in the exams, and I said I got 3 A's, and she said Kayah also got 3 A's. I never found out what Kayah's score was, because she was in TKS, while I was in TMS.

Kayah is Tengku Rokayah Tengku Fakharuddin. She had a younger sister from the same parents - Tengku Hasnah. We know her in Bukit Temensu as "Tekwa" - short for "cantik lawa" (very pretty). Probably because she's fair, like Wan Zarah, the mother. Kayah was slightly less fair, taller, and has a different facial look than Tekwa. I guess it's the father's side.

Kayah went on to work in a bank. Halim was a senior police officer whose father was once the CPO of Kelantan. Where they met, I don't know, but in the late 70's we found ourselves in the same place - Damansara Utama. I eventually moved to Seremban, and would you believe it, so did they. Tewkwa married Cikgu Sulan's army officer son. I don't know where they are now.

Tengku Fakharuddin sadly died tragically during the "14-day" Communist rule immediately after the Japanese surrender and before the British Administration re established rule of law.

Wan Zarah remarried twice. The second one produced Man, an only son, who now lives in a smaller house built in the same compound as the grand ol' house that still stands, though in disrepair, in that vast piece of land. This marriage ended in divorce, I think. Then she married Dr. Jeremaih, the only private practice in the whole of Kuala Pilah for donkey's years. It was said that every time an epidemic occurred, like influenza or small pox, the doctor "printed money". He had a large house opposite my parents' house (built later), before building a huge mansion near Kg. Parit. Being the only private clinic in town, Wan Zarah must have frequented it, because she eventually married the good doctor. They had an only daughter who grew up to also become a doctor, and a specialist to boot. The marriage didn't last long, and the daughter never got married.

KP being KP in the 60's, there was so little traffic on the Jalan Tampin that in the late evenings Kayah and Tekwa would join us boys playing "galah adang" on the road !

That grand ol' house also has memories for me. 

Once I attended a birthday party or something, with food and music and  dancing. I remember Mak Cik Zizah declining photographer Tony from "Bee Choon" who asked her for a dance. She danced with me instead. Tony emigrated to Australia. Mak Cik Zizah died at about 90, still single. 

Another time was when I was already working in Alor Gajah, and came back to attend a wedding there. It must have been Kayah's because this was 1968. There I met Raja Alias, who my dad introduced me to. Dad said "he's from LKTP (Felda)". A few months later I joined Felda and stayed for 21 years. That was when I bought the Damansara Utama house, just like Kayah. And Halim Dato' Ibrahim. 

Small world. Long memories.

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