First quarter of 2021.

Sun Mar 28, 2021.

Yesterday I joined Idah, Dekna & Wafa visiting Cik Ani in Taman Melawati, recovering from her horrific accident at home.

Sons No. 1,2 & 3 were supposed to join us for lunch there. Idah brought food from Seremban. Ibrahim & Tipah were supposed to join us, with  Hanif & the twins also. In the end only No. 2 Son & family made it. Work & traffic were cited as excuses. Wafa asked for Ali, but he wasn't coming.

On the way home late in the afternoon, Klemot called, and was updated on the Cik Ani situation. I called Ari. He was, as usual, at Shima's place. I told him, were he in Seremban, to pick up Klemot, because she said she'll pay for the petrol (though Ari claims he always pay for the petrol), but this is now academic.

The reversing car accident, and Cik Ani rolling away from the moving vehicle, could have ended much worse. We thank God for His Mercy. First, terrible as it still was, Cik Ani broke her upper left thigh, not the pelvic area. Second, Hafiz's surgeon gave information about the HKL orthopedic head.  Third, he happened to be the son of Cik Piei's police friend. And, most importantly, fourth, the good doctor remembered. So instead of the 3-week wait as informed by the hospital initially,  the major operation was carried out within 2 days of the accident. A delayed operation could have spelled medical  repercussions too terrible to ponder here. Dr. Amin hasn't returned Ari's call, the first thing he did when the news of the accident came.

As it is, Cik Ani looks well, reclining in the borrowed bed (thanks to Ari's Aminuddin Baki's Association). Tipah's better hospital bed had also been arranged, but Ari's came first, and serves the purpose. We reminded her not to forget the medication, and to move her resting position often, to avoid the deadly bed sores affecting bedridden patients. I cited friends' experiences and the Superman Reeves' case after he broke his neck from a horse ride.

Acad has managed to get into SEDAR next month, into Form 4. He joins younger brother Ameng, already there for Form 1. I told Ameng to get his friends and rag Acad, now a new member of the school.

Awe Donde also is joined by sister Cik Mek Tok Brek at the aviation academy. But I said to Awe, large airlines are folding up, so how's employment outlook for Air Asia? My golfing buddies also have family members who were senior pilots, now selling goreng pisang (or something in that line).

The Covid update says up to Friday the cases total 124.7 million worldwide, with 2.7 million deaths. The US leads with more than 30 million cases and more than 550,000 deaths. Malaysia records 336,808 cases and 1,246 deaths. But the figures for India and China, as I have said many times before, court deeper study. Combined, these 2 heaviest populated countries of more than 2.6 billion show a total of less than 13 million cases and less than 200,000 deaths. I have been to USA and India, but not China. I can assure you that the bad street scenes I saw in India cannot support the figures shown.

For late tea, and because Wafa was asking for food, Dekna decided to try Chef Wan's place in the mall opposite Tabung Haji on Jalan Tun Razak. We had 2 mee rebus, 1 laksa Johor, 1 udang goreng, 3 drinks including my esspresso in the thumbnail cup for 160. That worked out to RM 54 each. The consolation was the servings were "L" and not the usual "S". My daily "duit pasar" is RM 30. For the whole family.

I managed to retrieve my pressure cleaner from Calit that promptly went  kaput  the first time I used it to clean the scum from the kitchen drain. So now it's back with him, to try to repair it, or get it traded-in at the power tools shop we visited. Incidently, the last time we were there I managed to get my second  power drill in 2 months, by virtue of being sold on that Daewoo 820 W vs the first HYCO 500 W. Calit's already asking for it. I may have to take out a few of the smaller bits the Daewoo doesn't have. Now I'm waiting for the power stapler/nail gun the Chinaman promised in 10 days' time.

The golf's ok, though the walk is more strenous. But the low 80's are manageable without too much concentration. As I said to Cik Piei and Cik Ani during the visit, I just don't forget my pills, my supplements and my daily 9 holes, and my bi-annual medical ( the next one scheduled for September) should be ok.

No. 2 Son also informed about his progress at work. For his presentations, I just said keep a good script and make your point in the first sentence. Read your text, but look up occasionally for that important eye contact. And gestures help. Speak into the mike, and pronouce fully. The dua's ok - begin and end with salutations for the Prophet saw.

That's it for the first quarter, 2021.

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Back to school

 Mon March 1, 2021.

Dekna took leave and her mother to take Wafa, her eldest, and the 2 twins, Muaz & Miqdad, to report for school for the first time. It's KGV Primary at Gedung Lalang. I shed tears when Bang Jat went to kindergarten for the first time at Jalan Tun Razak, KL, 1975. But it was as I watched him entering class, and only for a brief moment. Dekna cried at home the night before, as she prepared the school uniforms for the 3 kids, and cried again at school this morning, this time joined by her mother, too.  Adik posted a pic of Aya, smiling his toothless smile, in school uniform for the first time, too, but no accompanying story of tears.

Non-parents may not understand the tears. They are not of sadness. The emotion is one of realization, how time has flown over care and parental love showered from birth to now, and the kid suddenly has become a school-boy or school-girl, and the world churns on, and you're part of that.

I take note of the date, Monday, the first day of March, 2021. How very long ago was 1975, how relatively far it was from here, how different were the circumstances, today in the middle of this baffling, deadly pandemic.

I take note how difficult was the birth of Wafa, back in 2014, rushed from GH Seremban to Sultan Ismail Hospital, JB, in the hospital ambulance with doctor & nurse, and making the OT just in the nick of time, and Wafa came into the world almost 2 months early, weighing less than a kilo. Now she's in real school and nothing premature about it. And she's already speaking English and spelling Malay and English ! And her handwriting is not much worse than her mother's !

I take note that when I came back from golf today, the 3 were chirpy and showed-off their handphones recording the happenings of school's first day, and when I woke up for Asr all 3 were asleep in different parts of the house, obviously fatigued from the day's event. Miqdad seemed comfortable enough, on the long bench. Wafa was very cosy in grandma's bed. Muaz was just as sound asleep even as he laid, face down, on 2 chairs joined together at Dekna's writing table.

Tomorrow it'll be back to school.

Life goes on.

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Japan, Japanese.

 Mon 15th Feb 2021

Last week I caught Mayumi Itsuwa, the 70-yr old Japanese songstress, on the media because of the hauntingly lovely song "Ribaibaru" that I also caught Jamilah Abu Bakar singing at a wedding function.

I remember that very old Japanese song I used to repeat the title of, and humming the rest of the tune "Shina No Yoru" ("Chinese Night"). I located on youtube the late Misora Hibari singing it in her own operatic style, though there are many more "pop" versions around.

There was a photo of dad with his other Malay-teacher friends taken in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation '41-'43. Everyone was in uniform, with Japanese peak caps. The photo is lost now, but I remember seeing the same copy in Cikgu Derus' or Cikgu Taib's house. They all went together. There's a War time Japanese tune dad remembered. He used to sing a little bit of it when I was small. P.Ramlee also sang a bit of it in one of his Shaw Bros films.

In 1954 I saw the famous Japanese film, "Rashomon", directed by the great Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa, at the S.I.T.C. Tg. Malim, where every Saturday night was a film show night at the "dewan makan Kolej".  Being 9 then, and watching a Japanese language movie, it didn't register much at that time. But I caught a gist of it - the rape seen from 3 points of view. Later of course I learned what a great piece of work "Rashomon" was.  In 1957 I saw "Sayonara, Japanese Goodbye" starring Marlon Brando. I saw it in the cinema in KP I think. There was a song with that title in the movie.

The first car I tested was a Toyota. It was 1968. I was posted to Alor Gajah, and the Chinese salesman came all the way from Melaka town. I also saw the first "Honda" car in Alor Gajah, mini sized with the gear shift on the dash-board, a first for me. I bought a brand-new Austin Mini, instead (RM 5,300 !) - NC 8157. Of course in 1965 I bought a "Honda" motorcycle when at university (BN 3950). It  was a black  90 cc motor that stayed a total of 10 years at the University of Malaya - 3 for me, 1 for Padir, and 6 for  Din Pendek, both younger brothers. When more securely employed much later, I simultaneously bought a "Honda CBR 600 " 600 cc superbike (BDP 600), and a "Kawasaki Vulcan" 750 cc cruiser (WCR 6600), in 1991, but sold both off in 1996 when I became Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri, Kawasan Senaling, N.S.,  1995 - 1999. 

Dad bought his first and only car, a "Mazda 1.0" before he retired, and kept it after. Ajit took over when dad was gone. Now the Mazda is gone. Dad spoke some Japanese after that stint in Singapore. He knew a bit of "kan ji", the Japanese script. So much so, once he told us the Japanese letters next to the Toyota sign at that time were pronounced "chi-karo". The 2 upsweeps on the letters made Padir and me say, maybe it should be pronounced "chi-garu" ! Dad didn't laugh.

When I got my golf handicap I bought a set of brand-new clubs, "Honma" made in Japan - pro-blade & steel-shaft and all, from Barie Bluah, at that time the golf-pro at S.I.G.C. For you golf-beginners reading this, as the name suggests, only a low-handicap player uses  pro-blade clubs. Beginners are asked to stick to  those easier-to-hit cavity backs.  Today, only golf equipment (and balls) made in Japan and USA are considered reliable.  

No.3 Son was selected to do Mechanical Engineering in Japan after doing well at MRSM Jasin. But he had to pass his Japanese Language at the University of Malaya first. Apparently he missed all classes and flopped the exam. (But when I asked him  what "opai ga ipai" means,  he knew, he he !) Fortunately one of the lecturers suggested he (together with the lecturer's son) switch to accountancy. He made it. And after the 3-year accounting experience requirement, he got his  ACCA, thank God.

The family made a couple of overnight stopovers at Narita Airport when travelling to USA, once to visit No. 1 Son in Hawaii, and the second time for holidays in Orlando.

These last few days I've ben looking up Japanese songs on youtube. You remember the famous song "Sukiyaki" and the singer Kyu Sakamoto back in the 70's.  Referring to the song "Ribaibaru", Mayumi Itsuwa later made world famous the sad song "Kokoro No Tomo". I think this was recorded in the US in the 80's. I suggest you listen to the other songs  by Mayumi - "Home Again","Dakishimete", "Amayadori", and "Atsui Sayonara". There are other singers, but I suggest Mayumi, because of her voice. Some are her own compositions, but all the compositions themselves are hauntingly good. I listened with the lights lowered in the quiet of my computer room. It's something, I tell you.

All this Japan, and all this Japanese stuff. 

Mata ai masho ! (Till we meet again lah !)

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2021

 Sun Feb 14, 2021

I've been delayed in this first 2021 entry for so many reasons. Things came up, and this followed that, and before you know it, it's February.

The Movement Controls keep our , well, movements controlled. Among others, even my golf has been pushed aside (until yesterday, SIGC has reopened its gates). Members can now play again, and Dato' Sulaiman was quick to get me to register for our first game this Tuesday. I don't know if I can hit the ball; it's been that long.

2021 is going to be filled with anniversaries.

This is my 77th. year, can you believe it ?  December 3 would be our 50th. wedding anniversary. We'll have to celebrate that. February is the anniversary of the Movement Control Order also. Covid 19 has consumed the nation in no small measure. Our 2020 politics  match other countries' politics in not slowing down, pandemic notwithstanding. This past month also saw some physical changes to the house because of the growing family.

There's a plaque taken from my father's grave, after some concreting that had to get it removed. I had it done in Jawi, and it says "Haji Muhammad Yunus bin Musa, Sabtu, 6 January 1979, 6 Safar 1399". That makes it exactly 42 years ago. Dad would have been exactly 100. Mom died on 10th. September, 2008, which was also 10th Ramadan, 1429, actually aged 87. Her i.c. says " 261117 - 05 - 5044", making her 84, but in fact she was 3 years older. You know the registeration in those days. So she would also have been 100, can you believe it, although she outlived dad by 29 years.

I got married on 3rd December, 1971. That means I was exactly 27 then. Dad and mom knew Cikgu Ujang and Makcik Bonun very well and  for a long time. They were more than happy to see me getting hitched to their daughter, 5 years my junior. I have 9 siblings, she had 11,  but 5 have died.

There are 11 grandchildren now, but hopefully another one is expected this year from Dekna, to make it an even dozen. When everyone is around, say during Hari Raya, the whole house is turned upside down.

February is also the anniversary of the "PKP" for Malaysia. The enforcement couldn't have been total, thus the spread of the virus was unstoppable. As in the US, Malaysians are not 100% in acceptance of the reality of the pandemic and the clinical controls devised. The death figures  worldwide are too big not to give  that chilling impact.  Let's face it. The death is real. WW2 caused 75 million deaths over a 4-year period. That's about 3% of the world population. Covid 19 deaths worldwide now account for 2.2% of those afflicted. For great, modern USA, it's 1.8%. For us, it's 0.4%. Much better for now, but will it hold ? 

Going back to the grandchildren, to make the house more grandchild-proof, whatever that means, Idah, No. 3 Son and Dekna "pakat" and added a new room. It measures 15' x 15' x 8'.  I chipped in 3K for deepening the drain that goes around Dekna's room out to the outside brick wall. You won't believe the amount of stuff that had to be moved from my old computer room, to make it the new No.3 Son's room. (By the way, he tested it this week. I asked how is it, without a/c ? I think it's ok, because he fell asleep and forgot to switch-off the light). 

Idah moved 8 book-cases and 800 books from the tv room to the new room. Alone. In one day.

I moved 2 large dress cabinets, 2 steel filing cabinets, 1 large writing table,  1 large swivel chair, 1 book case , 2 book cabinets,  200 books, 7 large laundry boxes and baskets, 1 computer table, 1 pc with CPU and printer, and endless electrical wiring and plugs. And 10 years of  various golf magazines.  Alone. But it's not finished yet.

The whole exercise threw up a nice surprise, though. Sifting through the rubble, I managed to sort out a few things.

The 1,000 odd books are from some really early collections.  "Hikayat Abdullah"  and "Kesah Pelayaran Abdullah" printed by Malaya Publishing House, Singapore, 1947, were both given to me by dad in 1958.  I was 14, and already an avid reader, if I may say so myself.  Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir Munshi wrote his books about 1852. There is also "Pantun Melayu" but written by 2 orang putihs - Wilkinson and Winstedt in 1955 and published in Singapore by the same publishers. 100 plus books are on golf. The oldest one is "The Complete Golfer" by Harry Vardon, 1905 - that's 116 years ago!  But the oldest golf book I bought is "How to Play Your Best Golf All The Time" by Tommy Armour (1954), in 1985, the year before I got my handicap in 1986, aged 43. Was it good ? The book is "old school", but I went down to handicap 9 in July, 2002, at the ripe age of 59 (before 60 lah!), so it's not bad. By the way I went down to handicap 6 later. These days 15 is a comfortable handicap to carry.

There are hundreds of "old style" photographs that I managed to sort and so far have put them into 2 large bags for further action. In the mean time I've put together those containing people who have left us. A few are really old photos that needed some cleaning up. Those of the children growing up, and travelling the world, all bring warm memories to me.

There are also some old notes that the children made. They never thought these would still be around, I'm sure.

Politics were something unavoidable for 2020. The "Sheraton Move" back home still reverberates through the ranks today.  What's legitimate is no longer clear. High-ranking convicted UMNO leaders still strut around with no shame, when a Japanese counterpart would resign simply over unproven public comments. The US Presidential Elections 2020 have produced stunning images and lay bare the clearly flawed American claim to a high standard of behaviour to a watching world audience.

These are  my opening remarks for 2021.

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Ungku Aziz.

 Tues Dec 15, 2020.

I saw the sad news of Ungku Aziz's passing on my whatsapp just now. Several of them were from the "FMC form 5 1962" group. Padir also sent one. Ungku Aziz was 98.  Older than Mahathir.

In 1965 when I enrolled into UM, I attended one economics class when he spoke to us freshies. He said "many of you would not do well in the university, because you don't work hard enough, or you are not good enough !".I'd heard him on the radio many times before that. It was the same style. Simple, straight forward. He looked "English", but sounded very Malay.

I saw several photographs in the papers, of him and the other personalities  involved in the Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka nascent activities back in the 60's. I think they predated Syed Nasir's helm.

Other than his Vice Chancellor duties, you remember also those cooperatives days and "Angkasa" and all the politicking that embroiled him but not of his design. Surely they owe the man something for the general development of the national  cooperatives  movement.

Economics was one of the 3 papers I did in my first year. The other 2 were history and geography. Many undergraduates I spoke with then said I was foolish to take together these 3 "tough" subjects in my first year. Many would take one of these 3, and then 2 "lighter" ones like Malay studies, or Islamic studies. But one time I hitched a ride in a senior's car and they asked me about my subjects. When I mentioned them, one female senior in the car said "good for you".

Ungku Aziz used to jog around the large campus grounds, when jogging wasn't fashionable yet. Even very late in life he continued with this exercise. I'd never heard of a sick Ungku Aziz.

I remember that thin economics book he wrote on rural economy. I remember the radio interview when he mentioned his stay in a fishing village in Terengganu when writing that book. A fisherman's wife asked him how many children he had. When he said just one daughter (Zeti), the woman said rich people are never fertile, or something like that.

Zeti joined UM the same year I did. She must be my age. But I retired  20 years ago, while ex-Bank Negara Zeti is now heading  PNB. I remember we couldn't tackle her at university. She already had a Chinese boy friend. He became her husband.  I remember I thought she stooped a bit, always in a dress.  I don't see that later when she appeared often in the news, always in a baju kurung Johor, like her late mother.

Ungku Aziz also wrote a lot on the common practice among the Malays of making savings from hard-earned income for the purpose of doing the haj. Eventually, his recommendation to the government brought about the creation of the Tabung Haji. Every haji since the start of TH enjoyed the comfort of their holy journey because of TH, created by Ungku Aziz.  Surely the blessings pile on his soul now.

One practice I did when working, and my brother also did this, was to emulate Ungku Aziz, and put a large clock on my table in the office, facing the guest. As Ungku Aziz said, this was a psychological trick of reminding the visitor that time is precious, and everyone is looking at time, and hopefully the visitor does not stay any longer than necessary. It worked in my case.

I don't know of the Federal or state honours bestowed upon Ungku Aziz. None is too great to be given to this man. In his life time he said not to ask him about his religious practice. In his death we shouldn't restrain our prayers for his soul. Amin.

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Perak: tarnished silver.

 Wed Dec 9, 2020.

Like the Federal government, the state legislature of Perak has no dominant party holding the sway of power. The difference is that in Perak they have balls. They called for the vote of confidence and the MB got 10, to the no-confidence group with 49 in the 59-seat house. So he had to go. Muhyiddin has consistently got 108 in the 222-seat Parliament. The old Speaker was removed. But there has not been a no-confidence vote  yet.

UMNO talks big now. But they are not that big in the Dewan. They have 25 seats, DAP 16, Amanah and Bersatu 5 each, PKR and PAS 3 each, Gerakan and Independent 1 each. DAP, PKR and Amanah, the remenants of the old PH,  have 24 seats. So, both UMNO and the remenants of the old PH need the remaining 5 seats held by PAS, Gerakan and the Independent.

That's a stalemate to me.

But greed and short-term gains could move PAS and the Independent chap to throw in with the better offer that most likely will come from UMNO. They are used to doing it.

PAS is Islamic in name only. Many dastardly acts have been committed by PAS leaders that cannot be further from Islamic. But 28 seats are insufficient. A minimum 30 are required for a simple majority. The picture is still murky. That's why the Sultan wanted to see the numbers personally.

The biggest loser is Muhyiddin. The MB is a Deputy President of Bersatu. UMNO as the instigator in Perak showed no qualms in kicking the ass of the Bersatu "strong man", even though they owe their illegitimate position in the Federal Government to Muhyiddin. They are spitting in his face. And so far Muhyiddin has said nothing. But then, Muhyiddin has nothing to say since becoming the backdoor PM except "kesini, kesana, kesini, kesana" when talking about the Covid 19 s.o.p. All too soon, Muhyiddin might become neither "sini" nor "sana".

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Harun Awal 1945-2020.

 Mon 7 Dec 2020.

Harun passed away at the HTJ Seremban Saturday night. He had a stroke about a week ago. Khamis sms'd his ward number (5A) but regretfully Hank advised we should obey the s.o.p. with the continuing Covid 19 cases especially here in Seremban, and hold our visit for the time being. Khamis had also mentioned that his elder brother had regained consciousness, though still in intensive care, which was one more reason to not disturb Harun yet. Alas, we misssed the visit.

Harun was one year my junior in age and in Royal Military College. I remember him as the cross-country champion at College. So when we met again in Seremban many, many years later, I was surprised to see a rather portly Harun who didn't look at all like a cross-country champion. But meeting Khamis later, I saw the gene's similiarity.

Like Khamis, Harun was also an avid golfer. Having played with both  brothers over the years, Khamis is probably a slightly better player. But Harun was no mean player himself. He had a power-fade drive which he used deliberately. The late Dr. Yokan was a famous victim in SIGC. When SIGC was closed for several months because of the tussle between the State government and the club, Harun and Dr. Yokan played all their golf at Staffield or Nilai ( can't remember which one, maybe both) and according to Harun he cleaned the doctor up. I believed him.

The last time we met was maybe one year  ago, when Khamis visited his brother, and called me to join them for tea at a Paroi Jaya restaurant. Harun looked ok then. He was always in well-pressed clothes everytime we met, if he wasn't in his golf garb. Even when playing golf, he always dressed well, and even had his money (for betting) neatly folded in his wallet. I knew because he showed me. "Yokan's money" he grinned.

I'd met Harun at the club some time before that and asked when he was coming back to play. At that time we all knew he had not come to the club for a long time. "I'll come back soon" he said. He never did.

Harun was with the government before he resigned and joined  the private sector. I don't think it all ended well for him, but let's not cast any negativity here. Let's give due respect to the memory of an old friend.

Khamis is a lot like Harun. Seeing Khamis will remind me of Harun. My prayers for Harun Awal. Amin.

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