Sat 5.7.2025
Our grandmothers were sisters, Amat Teleng and I. His was "Wan Aji" the elder sister to my "Wan Che' Mbin". Their houses are 200 meters apart in Kampong Bukit Temensu. Wan Aji, while she could, would walk over to Wan Che' Mbin's house almost every morning. Those days the traffic on the Jalan Tampin road was sparse. I remember I played "galah adang" with Kayah and Dekwa on the road in the evenings. You'd be insane to do that now. Wan Aji would talk and talk, and Wan Che' Mbin would just listen. She used to show me a scar on her forehead. "Kak Aji hit me with a "gayong" when we were small" she related.
Atok Awang, Wan Aji's husband, I remember vaguely, because he died early. But I remember all the children: the late Pak chik Lai, a retired soldier who married in Peraku, along the Senaling-Senanti inner road; the late Pak Chu Kamil, who retired as a Sarawak High Court Judge; the late Pak Chik Chup, who used to live with us in Tanjung Malim until he got into a fist-fight with the late Pak Chik Haris, also with us, sharing a room at the back of the government quarters "rumah empat" we stayed in 1951 -1956; the late Mak Chik Jenap, Amat Teleng's mother, who smoked, and when she went to "Godong Ating" near the 1930 English school, TMS, for fresh packets, usually around Magrib prayers time, would scratch the wall of Wan Che' Mbin house to frighten the late Mak Tam, my auntie, staying with us there, after her divorce from her ex policeman husband because of his mental health; the late Mak Ngah Biah who settled in Air Hitam, Johor when her Forest Department husband retired, and he got a piece of land as a retirement gift from the Johor State Government for those serving the state; and the late Mak Lang, the "bidan" who spent her last years in Datuk Keramat and died there.
I spent a brief period of my youth with Amat Teleng while in Bukit Temensu. I visited Wan Aji's house often, where he stayed. I remember the note that Pak Chu Kamil pasted on the wall that said "Study Little But Often". I think it's very good advice. We played football with the other Bukit Temensu boys on the TMS padang, when we could. Amat Teleng was quite a dribbler in spite of his "teleng". This was a congenital condition, where his eyes drooped, and he had to lift up his head slightly if he wanted to look up. Surprisingly, all his children, except for the second boy, have the same congenital affliction. There must be a medical explanation. We used to tease the children about it, but they always responded seriously, taking exception to the tease.
Amat Teleng's siblings and first cousins I also knew well, except for his elder brother, Ali, the retired Civil Service officer who died last year. I've never met him, although he did make the very rare visits to Bukit Temensu. Amat's late sister and an elder brother, Shafiei, were with me as UM's undergraduates when I was there 1965-68. Then the cousins: Zahari, who retired as the Melaka State Secretary; Zaharum, who was single and died and was buried in Beting ; Sharif, who was with me in Felda, and resigned and went to do his degree in USA; and his sisters, one of them married to the late Nordin Johan, a key witness in the late Mokhtar Hashim's case. Nordin was Apandi's brother. Apandi was with me in the NS State Assembly. Apandi's ex nurse sister is Datuk Sulaiman's wife. Datuk Sulaiman is an ex Appeals Court Judge. He has been playing golf with me twice a week for the last decade. Before he took up law, he was an HA (now called Medical Assistant or something), That explains the connection to the nurse, I think.
Pak Chu Kamil, before he became a judge, was close to my father. Whenever he came back to Bukit Temensu, he would visit my father and would talk for hours. I knew my father was trying to make him an UMNO member, with an eye for the MB's job. He would have made it, too, I believe. But he never joined UMNO. He drove a Peugeot 404 bearing the number plate BT something. The late Tok Ungkai said it stood for "Bukit Temensu". Regretfully, Sharif sent me the news only one day after his death, and I missed the funeral I would definitely have attended, just like Zaharum's and Mak Lang's.
Muharram is one of the four "special" Muslim months: Zul kaedah, Zul Hijjah, Muharram and Sya'aban. 9, 10, and 11 Muharram are special fasting dates. Friday is considered a "holy" day.
Amat Teleng was taken by ambulance from his Bukit Temensu house on Thursday 3.7.2025, which was 7 Muharram, because of breathing difficulties. He had been bedridden for the last 3 years because of a stroke. At about 8.45, which is considered a Friday night, Amat Teleng breathed his last.
Sharif whatsapped me the same night. I left the house for Bukit Temensu after my Subuh prayers on Friday 4.7.2025. The usual heavy traffic made me reach the house at almost 8 a.m. I was told the hospital had not released the remains. I took Indoyo's grandson to the mortuary, and met 2 of Amat Teleng's sons there. I confirmed with them about the "mandi jenazah" (at the Masjid Jame'), funeral prayers (after Juma'at prayers), and burial site (Kampong Petai, Batu 46), and had to take my leave. The hospital had still to attend to the body release, and I had to return to Seremban for my own Friday obligations.
May Allah Bless you, Amat Teleng.
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