Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts

Tuesday 28 September 2021

A time to watch

Over the past year, with the enforced lockdowns and restricted travel, I have indulged in a new hobby. Collecting wristwatches. Perhaps not quite a new pastime because I have been buying new wristwatches every few years or so but I had not paid much attention to the details of the watches that I bought. Neither did I make any proper attempt to take care of them or store them in a neat way. I had mostly bought them based on looks and of course, price. All my watches are cheap, or to use a more polite term, in the budget range.

With the extra free time because of MCO restrictions, I began to read up additional information about wristwatches and viewed many Youtube videos on watch reviews. I learned many new things which I had previously not cared about. I began to understand the significance between quartz and automatic (mechanical) movements, the important case dimensions to take note of and many other aspects of a wristwatch such as dials, hands and lume. To a wristwatch enthusiast, the term 'complication' does not mean a problem. And jewels are actually bearings and not precious stones. I noted that watches can be classified into a number of types : divers, field watches, dress watches, chronographs and pilot watches, just to name the most common categories. Looking at my personal collection, I mostly have quartz dress watches and chronographs. My next target would be an automatic field watch. I already have one in mind (launched a few months ago) but am holding out until the price drops to a more affordable level.

As a first step towards organizing my collection, I bought a watch storage box made of wood with a glass top. It has 12 slots, each with a small black velvet pillow or cushion to enable the watches to be nicely displayed. Initially, the box held six of my watches and six belonging to my better half. When I bought a few more of my own, I decided that another storage box is needed. The next box that I ordered has 6 slots and is made out of PU leather. Not as classy looking as the wooden box but not too shabby either. This smaller storage now holds all of the lady watches in the house.

As of today, I have six (6) watches that are in working order and wear on a rotation basis. I have a few which are not working, either the batteries have run out or the movements are totally gone. In my younger days, I would simply throw these faulty ones away but now, with this new hobby, I will attempt to check first by replacing the batteries myself. The watch repair toolkit I ordered via Shopee arrived yesterday. I am now able to open the caseback of the non-working watches without the need to send them to a watch shop.

In this post, I do not wish to give a full list of the watches in my collection but rather, introduce the latest acquisition which I ordered online and arrived earlier this month. It is the Timex Expedition Metal Combo Black Dial TW4B17200 analog/digital quartz movement. I bought it from the Timex Official Store on Shopee because it had a huge discount during the 9/9 sales. I ended up paying less than RM300 for something that was normally sold at RM480.

To me, this watch looks great. Very suitable for day-to-day wear. It is 40mm in diameter with a lug-to-lug length of 46mm, a lug width of 20mm and a thickness of 12mm. It fits nicely on my thin wrist. The caseback is made of steel but the material of the watch casing itself is not indicated. A youtube reviewer has mentioned the case is made of brass, which gives the case a seasoned and tarnished look. It is a look that I actually like. There is a rotating black plastic bezel but since all the bezel markings are also in black, I fail to see how it can be useful. No matter, I prefer the black look anyway. But the feature that I like the most is the digital display window at the bottom. The digital component of this watch is in effect, a separate counter. We can use it to mark a second time zone, set an alarm, use it as a day-date display or utilise the stopwatch function.

Prior to buying it, I had searched Youtube for reviews of this watch. Not many of these reviews are positive but I went ahead and bought it because the discount was too good to ignore. Furthermore, this is the second Timex Expedition that I'm buying. The first Timex I own is also an analog/digital combo that has served me well for more than 15 years and still works.

Timex is an American watch company with some history. Nowadays, most of its watches are assembled outside of the USA. This particular model I believe is made in the Philippines. 

The watch originally came with a tan leather strap but I swapped it with a black nylon one. I think it looks even cooler. I am extremely happy I bought this one.

As is, out of the box

On wrist photo shot

My 1st Timex. Has undergone a few battery and strap replacements. Still reliable.

Monday 29 March 2021

A year into the life under new normal

The first Movement Control Order (MCO) imposed by the government of Malaysia to control the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic was announced by the Prime Minister of Malaysia on 16 March 2020. It was to commence on 18 March 2020 and would be in force for two weeks ending on 31 March 2020. This very first lockdown rule was something unprecedented and caused confusion, anxiety and loss of livelihood.

When it was announced, many people have the view that two weeks of restrictions would not cut it. The virus is spreading too fast and drastic measures are needed. Indeed, what started as 14-days was later extended for another fortnight and as we continue to fight the war, the MCO was constantly extended under its various forms or derivations. We are now one year into the life of the so-called new normal, which to my mind, is not something I would like to make normal for any length of time.

Looking back at the past twelve months, the following are some of my observations which I'm putting down in writing, perhaps as interesting future reading when we do get to return to real normalcy.

1. Seriousness of a plague

When we read of disease outbreaks that have occurred in history, it seldom triggers any alarm in our minds on how serious it could be.

The Black Death, considered the most fatal pandemic in human history, occurred over a period of eight years from 1346 to 1353. The bubonic plague caused deaths estimated in the regions of 75 to 200 million people. It affected countries in Europe, Central Asia and North Africa. But since it happened so many years ago and in places so far away, why worry right?

Okay then. Closer to home and in more recent times, the Nipah Virus outbreak in peninsular Malaysia occurred from September 1998 to May 1999. There were 265 confirmed cases of infection and 105 deaths. The other significant impact was huge losses to the swine-rearing industry when more than a million pigs were culled. Again, since it happened over a short period of time and caused a relatively low number of casualties, why worry right?

Well now, we shall not be taking contagious diseases so lightly anymore. The covid-19 virus has made sure of that.

2. Almost total shutdown of economic and social activity

Only essential services are allowed to operate. What are these? Utility companies like electricity, water supply and telecommunication services. Provision stores and supermarkets are allowed to open, subject to a limit on the number of customers and shorter operation hours.

Schools and offices are closed. No sporting events or any form of large social gathering. No praying at mosques or any places of worship. No wedding receptions. Restaurants shall sell food and drink items for take-away consumption only. No overseas travel. No crossing of state borders. Indeed there so many things that were not allowed that staying at home became the catchphrase. To say it was a shock is an understatement.

The announcement of the MCO was made two days before it was to come into effect. Despite assurances from the PM that essential daily supplies are adequate, there was panic buying all over the country. I had dropped by a Tesco supermarket one day before the lockdown and noted the almost empty shelves caused by a rush of shoppers the day before. I wrote about it in this post -> Panic buying.

3. Standard Operating Procedures

With the imposition of restrictions, the government regularly issued guides on what can and cannot be done. These guides, named as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), can somewhat be divided into two categories which I shall call (a) Fixed rules and (b) Fluid rules.

Fixed rules refer to the SOPs that more or less remain constant since the start of MCO. These include the scanning of body temperature before entering a premise, wearing face masks, adhere to social distancing and practice regular hygiene (washing hands and sanitizing).

Fluid rules are those that change as and when the situation of any particular state or district also changes based on the number of infected cases. The restrictions would then change in line with the category of MCO that is applied (RMCO - Recovery MCO, CMCO - Conditional MCO, EMCO - Enhanced MCO). There were rules regarding the number of people allowed to travel in the same car, the distance one is allowed to travel from home, the number of people sitting at the same table when dining in a restaurant, the number of days to be quarantined, the number of people allowed to congregate in a mosque. Some of these rules change so often that many become confused. What makes it worse is when enforcement authorities are not consistent in applying these rules.

Initially, certain SOPs were just guidelines intended as measures for voluntary compliance. Over the past twelve months, some of these have become law. Failing to comply would result in fines or legal punishment.

Take the example of wearing face masks. I still remember the Senior Minister of Defence (in his role as National Security Council chairman) clarifying in one of his press briefings, that compulsory wearing of face mask apply when one is in a public place with many other people (example: traveling in public transport). It is not required if one is not in a crowded location such as in one's car or in a public park. Nowadays, it seems that a face mask is mandatory once you step out in the public domain. Failure to do so could mean being slapped with compounds by the enforcement authority. Even not properly wearing the mask could be reason for being fined. We have read reports of individuals being fined by the police for mere mistakes as not wearing a mask after getting out of the car or wearing the mask under the chin.

I do understand that rules are put in place so that we can all play our part to tackle and eradicate the pandemic. My main gripe is in the unclear regulations and inconsistent enforcement. We have read many news reports of politicians being able to travel overseas or cross state borders and meeting large groups of people where social distancing measures are not observed. Yet these politicians get away scot-free or are only fined after public pressure. Double standards.

Social distancing while queueing.
Reminds me of a song by The Police - Don't stand so close to me


4. Closure of mosques

I wish to record something relating to this subject here, as a reminder in some distant future that there was once a time when the faithful were prevented from performing worship at a place where it is supposed to be.

I do not dispute that not allowing congregational prayers at mosques was a necessary step. However, I believe it is reasonable to allow certain sections of the mosque be made available to individuals such as travelers, lorry drivers, food-delivery riders and policemen on roadblock duty to perform their prayers. The main prayer hall of the mosque can be closed, no problem. At least allow some space on the verandah or corridors. Such spaces can be properly marked to ensure no close standing if need be. At the very least, do not lock the gates during the daytime. It is not a huge thing to ask and the risks are arguable.

During the early days of the MCO, I had tried to forward this suggestion to the Minister-in-charge of Islamic Affairs via a message on his Facebook page. After three attempts, I got a response from someone who I assume is a page administrator but the reply was disappointing. I had also shared the suggestion on my own Facebook page in addition to voicing it to an alumni Whatsapp group. Some friends who know the Minister personally had remarked that they would forward my suggestion to him.

After months of closure, mosques were open for congregational prayers but subject to very strict SOPs. Apart from the fixed SOPs mentioned earlier, individuals who come to the mosque must bring their own prayer mat, done the ablution rites at home and shall stand in prayer at least one metre away from each other. In other words, the traditional requirement of the close (shoulder-to-shoulder) and straight prayer line (in Malay known as rapatkan saf) cannot be implemented. This particular rule has seen continuous heated debate among Muslim scholars until today.

At first, when the mosques were allowed to open under RMCO category, only a small number of people were allowed to attend. For the weekly Friday prayers, only 40 persons were allowed. This was later increased to one-third the capacity of the mosque and controlled on a first-come-first-served basis. With such reduced capacity, foreigners were barred from attending. I once was able to attend Friday prayers at a mosque in Kota Damansara, Selangor where they employed a ticket-numbering system to keep count of the number of attendees. It was where I saw the security guard deny entry to certain persons who looked like they were Indonesians or Bangladeshis. A sad situation indeed. Sad for the security guard who had to spot persons who do not look like locals and sad for the Muslim foreigners who just wanted the chance to perform an obligation.

Main prayer hall of Masjid Kota Damansara


Which now brings me to the final bit of story that I wish to share. For the past year under the various MCO categories, I have performed Friday prayers (when allowed) at Masjid Tun Hussein Onn at Larkin in Johor Bahru, other than the single occasion in Kota Damansara mentioned earlier. This mosque is not the nearest to my home and also not my regular Friday prayer venue prior to Covid-19.

When Friday prayers were first allowed at reduced attendance of 40 persons, I had tried to attend at the two mosques nearest to where I stay. Entry was controlled at the gate. Only those on a pre-selected list of names were able to enter. Of course, I was turned down. Trying to be in a list of 40 persons from a kampung of a few thousand residents is a very slim chance indeed. Priority would go to the mosque committee members for sure. Totally understandable. But I did not give up. I drove to another mosque located about 3km away in a neighbouring kampung.

Masjid Tun Hussein Onn is quite a large mosque and relatively recently built. Apart from the main prayer hall, it has a wide expanse of corridors and verandah which are unlocked. It also has a concrete gazebo that would make for a good prayer spot as well. This mosque is only fenced and gated at the front boundary that adjoins the main road. The rear perimeter is bounded by a large monsoon drain and external car park. Access from the car park to the mosque is by way of two small pedestrian bridges that are not gated. Only temporary red/white tapes were tied across the entrance, so it was a case of simply ducking under the tapes to gain entry. Technically a wrong thing to do but I took my chance. I was prepared to be turned away. Praise the Almighty, there was no-one to turn me back.

I went to the empty gazebo, placed my prayer mat on the clean floor and prayed. Terubatlah rasa rindu solat di masjid.

In the following weeks, I continue to head out to Masjid Tun Hussein Onn on Friday. I noticed that a number of other like-minded people had taken the chance to perform prayers under the main foyer and external sidewalks. In essence, anywhere that is clean and proper to lay down a prayer mat. For this, I have to acknowledge the kindness and bravery of the mosque committee for not chasing us away. The committee may have ignored SOP requirements in this situation but I am glad they decided to practice common sense and discretion.

The gazebo at Masjid Tun Hussein Onn


We have now entered the second year of MCO-imposed new normal living conditions. It seems that we may have to experience the long haul. The old normal does not seem to be coming back anytime soon.

Friday 1 January 2021

Selamatkan Dua Jiwa...

Saya tidak ingat bagaimana saya mula dapat tahu tentang Baitus Solehah, sebuah pertubuhan kebajikan yang menyediakan rumah perlindungan untuk remaja perempuan Islam yang terlanjur atau mengandung tanpa nikah. Yang pastinya ialah melalui laman media sosial Facebook. Besar kemungkinan maklumat tentang Baitus Solehah dipaparkan pada `feed' saya bila ada salah seorang sahabat FB memberi klik `like' di `page' rumah kebajikan tersebut.

Saya mula membaca kisah-kisah tentang begitu ramai remaja perempuan Islam yang terlanjur, samada atas desakan nafsu sendiri atau terpedaya atau dianiaya. Apabila kandungan telah bernyawa, maka timbullah rasa menyesal, takut, kusut dan malu. Dan apabila bentuk badan yang berkembang tidak boleh lagi disembunyikan, maka terbocorlah rahsia dan berdepanlah dengan kemarahan dari ibubapa.

Masalah sosial ini sangat serius dan memang sudah lama berlaku. Tidak perlu kita berselindung atau berpura-pura ianya satu perkara kecil. Ada remaja yang mengandung luar nikah yang umur semuda tigabelas tahun. Ada yang mengandung luar nikah berkali-kali. Ada remaja yang tidak tahu apa itu mandi wajib. Ada juga remaja terlanjur dari kalangan pelajar universiti. Ada yang telah di `grooming' dari kecil oleh lelaki tua yang hanya berniat untuk ambil kesempatan.

Baitus Solehah telah diwujudkan dengan objektif untuk membantu remaja-remaja sebegini dengan menyediakan tempat perlindungan sementara untuk hadapi krisis serta memberi didikan dan tarbiyah dengan harapan remaja-remaja ini dapat insaf dan bertaubat. Mereka juga diberi latihan dan tunjuk ajar tentang cara penjagaan bayi dan kesihatan diri. Tempoh latihan di Baitus Solehah adalah selama enam bulan. Tiada bayaran dikenakan. Perbelanjaan untuk pelatih (makan/minum, tempat tinggal, kos rawatan hospital, keperluan bayi) ditanggung sepenuhnya oleh Baitus Solehah. Selamatkan dua jiwa.

Berbagai cerita dan coretan ditulis oleh Pengurus Baitus Solehah, yang membahasakan diri beliau sebagai Mak Liza. Tagline beliau juga cukup menarik... opah cucu seribu.

Ada cerita tentang pelatih yang datang bukan rela tetapi dipaksa oleh ibubapa. Ada cerita tentang pelatih yang begitu liat menerima ajaran agama. Ada cerita tentang pelatih yang lari tinggalkan asrama setelah selamat melahirkan kandungan. Ada cerita tentang ibu muda yang tinggalkan bayi dan hilang tanpa khabar berita. Ada cerita tentang waris yang membawa keluar anak perempuan mereka sebelum tamat tempoh latihan, di mana Baitus Solehah hanya digunakan sebagai tempat menyembunyikan anak mereka yang bukan lagi dara dari mata jiran tetangga. Ada cerita tentang datuk/nenek yang tidak mahu terima kelahiran cucu luar nikah mereka (nota : tiada urusan pemberian anak angkat di Baitus Solehah). Ada cerita tentang waris yang setelah anak mereka selamat bersalin, memberi gambaran buruk tentang Baitus Solehah, kononnya anak mereka hidup dalam keadaan terdera.

Namun tiada seorang pun dibuka aibnya oleh Mak Liza kerana tiada nama individu dikaitkan dengan kisah-kisah tersebut. Kisah-kisah itu disiarkan sebagai iktibar dan makluman umum tentang cabaran yang dihadapi dalam menjalankan kerja amal dan sukarela. Dalam dunia ini, alhamdulillah terdapat ramai orang yang baik-baik dan suka membantu. Tetapi tidak kurang juga manusia yang tidak bersyukur dan berterima kasih atas usaha kebaikan orang lain. Allah swt telah tetapkan sebegitu.

Di sebalik cerita-cerita tentang cabaran dan kerumitan yang dihadapi, terdapat juga kisah-kisah kejayaan yang memberi semangat untuk terus meneruskan kerja amal ini. Kisah tentang remaja wanita yang dilamar oleh lelaki budiman untuk dijadikan isteri walaupun maklum tentang sejarah wanita tersebut. Kisah tentang remaja yang dahulunya sesat tetapi kini sudah bahagia hidup berumahtangga. Remaja yang kini punya kerjaya tetap setelah semangat untuk berdikari disuburkan kembali. Remaja yang sudah berhijrah tetapi mengambil masa untuk datang ziarah semula ke Baitus Solehah bagi mengenang jasa keluarga angkat yang membimbing mereka ketika suasana kemelut.

Saya sangat suka baca coretan-coretan Mak Liza. Straightforward, direct and with empathy. Tidak tahu saya bagaimana hendak terjemah ayat ini ke Bahasa Melayu dengan tepat. Ada masanya tulisan beliau agak pedas dan menyengat. Saya sokong tulisan sebegitu kerana ianya kena pada tempat... memang sesetengah pembaca perlu merasa pedas sebab mereka sudah termakan lada.

Semasa mula-mula dapat tahu tentang Baitus Solehah beberapa tahun yang lalu, saya dapati lokasi rumah perlindungan ini tidak dinyatakan di Facebook. Memang disengajakan agar tidak disalahguna oleh pihak-pihak tertentu. Saya pun menghantar pesanan whatsapp kepada Mak Liza, minta izin dapatkan alamat dan berkunjung ke sana dengan tujuan untuk memberi sedikit sumbangan. Beliau membalas whatsapp saya dengan memberi lokasi serta masa yang sesuai untuk datang. Saya dan isteri telah berkunjung pada masa yang dicadangkan. Dapatlah kami berjumpa Mak Liza dan berbual-bual sedikit tentang latar belakang rumah beliau itu. Sejak kunjungan tersebut, saya terus berusaha untuk menyampaikan bantuan sekadar yang termampu.

Pada bulan September tahun lepas, saya mendapat tahu dari Mak Liza yang jiran sebelah rumah beliau berhasrat untuk menjual rumahnya. Harga jualan rumah teres 3-tingkat itu ialah RM500,000. Mak Liza memang bersungguh sangat untuk membeli rumah jiran itu dengan tujuan untuk menambah ruang asrama untuk pelatih. Semakin hari semakin ramai permintaan untuk remaja datang daftar masuk dan ruang sediada sentiasa penuh. Beliau tidak sampai hati untuk menolak permintaan pelatih baru. Orang datang minta tolong, jangan ditolak kalau boleh. Cuma harga jualan itu agak mencabar. Mana nak cari duit sebanyak itu? Lagipun beliau tidak berniat untuk berhutang dengan bank.

Dengan hati yang cekal, beliau bertekad untuk membeli rumah tersebut dengan membayar sedikit `down payment'. Selebihnya beliau akan usaha untuk dapatkan sumbangan dermawan dari kalangan orang awam dan follower page FB Baitus Solehah. Penjual pun bermurah hati untuk beri Mak Liza tempoh bayaran secara berperingkat.

Saya berbincang dengan Mak Liza tentang cara hendak buat rayuan derma untuk pembelian asrama tambahan itu. Antara lain, saya bantu beliau buat poster rayuan derma yang boleh disiarkan di Facebook serta mudah dikongsi dengan kenalan lain melalui whatsapp. Setelah poster itu dilancarkan, Mak Liza memberi makluman berkala tentang ansuran bayaran yang telah dibuat kepada peguam yang mewakili penjual.

Pada pagi 30 Disember 2020 (tarikh akhir kempen kutipan derma asrama tambahan), Mak Liza umumkan bahawa masih berbaki sebanyak RM25,000 yang belum ditunaikan. Beliau membuat rayuan terakhir agar followers dapat menderma untuk mencukupkan baki tersebut. Syukur alhamdulillah, rayuan beliau dapat sambutan yang sangat baik. Sekitar jam 12 tengahari, dana asrama tambahan telah ditutup kerana berjaya mencapai target. Apa-apa sumbangan yang lebih akan digunakan untuk menampung kos operasi. Terima kasih tidak terhingga kepada para dermawan yang percaya akan usaha baik Mak Liza dan keluarganya. Maha Suci Allah swt yang mendengar rayuan hambanya yang perlukan bantuan.

Kira-kira jam 2 petang, saya terima pesanan whatsapp dari Mak Liza yang memaklumkan bahawa Allah swt telah menyempurnakan hajat kita, walaupun pada mulanya nilai RM500,000 nampak semacam terlalu jauh untuk dicapai. Beliau turut ucapkan terima kasih kepada saya atas bantuan yang telah saya hulurkan. Allahu akbar... apa yang saya buat tersangatlah kecil jika dibandingkan dengan pengorbanan Mak Liza sendiri. InsyaAllah akan terus saya bantu di mana yang terdaya.

Pada hari esoknya 31 Disember 2020, Mak Liza telah membuat bayaran ansuran terakhir baki RM25k kepada pihak peguam. Maka pada penguhujung tahun 2020 yang penuh dengan cabaran dari berbagai sudut, Baitus Solehah telah berjaya memperolehi bangunan asrama tambahan sebagaimana yang dicitakan.

Semuga tahun baru Masehi 2021 terus membawa perkhabaran baik untuk Baitus Solehah dan pasukan pengurusannya.

Opah cucu seribu... selamatkan dua jiwa.

Dana asrama ditutup tetapi sumbangan masih diterima utk perbelanjaan operasi

Facebook : Baitus Solehah

Saturday 24 June 2017

Salam Aidilfitri 1438 Hijrah


Ramadhan berlalu Syawal menjelang,
Yang jauh datang yang dekat hilang,
Pergi kembara tak akan pulang,
Jasad tiada budi dikenang...

Salam Aidilfitri buat sahabat-sahabat dan pembaca di blog ini. Saya doakan agar semuanya sihat dan selamat sampai ke destinasi masing-masing. Mohon maaf dari saya sekiranya tersilap kata, terkasar bahasa dan terlebih bicara. Tersinggung perasaan, tersalah pesan mahupun tertulis yang bukan2...

Semuga Allah swt panjangkan umur kita untuk bertemu dengan Ramadhan sekali lagi...

Thursday 12 November 2015

The brief encounter...

Ashraf wakes up earlier than usual that day. The sleep of the night before was not sound. And now a full bladder is forcing him to leave the comfort of his bed.

He heads for the bathroom located at the back of the kitchen. It is not yet daybreak but the light from the streetlamps outside filters in through the rear windows. As he is about to turn towards the kitchen, he catches a glimpse of a familiar figure in the dim hallway by the entrance door. He freezes.

He recognizes his father who is putting on his shoes and looking ready to go out.

'Dad, is that you?' he asks, just to be sure.

'Yes, son. It's me. You are up early. I'm just about to go to work.'

Without missing a beat, the son asks another question, 'But you know you're dead, right?'

He sees the figure in the hallway smiling back. 'That indeed I am, my son. But I am going to work anyway. You take care now.... and tell your sister to finish reading the book that I gave her.'

The figure then makes a move for the door and without the need to open it, leaves the house like a fading mist.

The young man remains rooted to the spot. He wonders if he is dreaming or he has just really seen what he has seen. After a while, the urge to pee makes him realize why is up from bed this early.

He makes a shake of his head and walks towards the bathroom...

Sunday 19 July 2015

Aidilfitri 1436H / 2015M

The aidilfitri celebration, like most other religious and cultural festivals in Malaysia, is a time when family members gather for the chance to reinforce or renew relationships. It is a time when sons and daughters, who work in the city, make the trip back to their respective home-towns or villages to spend the first day of Syawal with their parents. For those whose parents have already departed, it then becomes a day of remembrance and reminiscing the memories of hari raya days of a long time ago.

I am very lucky to still have both father and mother to celebrate this special ocassion with. However, for the past two years, the annual family gathering had been a bit different. Last year, my father spent his hari raya in the ward of National University Hospital in Singapore. He was suffering from pneumonia and was hospitalised for a total of 42 days. This year, on the third day of fasting, my mother had a heart attack and was transported to the same hospital in an ambulance. She was discharged just 2 days before Aidilfitri, after undergoing treatment for 24 days. She is now staying with me for a short while before I have to send her to be re-admitted to another hospital for further therapy.

Praise be to the Almighty. I am counting my blessings each day.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all my friends and readers. May all of you be in good health and joyful spirit.

Masjid Ubudiah in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. Pic taken in May 2015.

Sunday 31 March 2013

When things don't go your way, think of the times when they do

Life indeed, has its ups and downs. Sometimes we are lucky while at other times we are not. Nobody goes through life in a flat line; it would be such a boring experience if there is such a life.

For some of us who have gone through very tough times and faced many problems, it would seem that the downhill stretch of our life journey is always longer than the uphill part. Personally, I do not believe it to be so. We only remember the downward journey because of the suffering. We tend to forget the upward movement because we enjoy the nice view too much and forget the blessings that come with it. It is therefore worthwhile for us to appreciate that the good times which come our way more than sufficiently compensate the bad ones. To illustrate this point, I relate to you the following story which comes in two parts.

Some time in the middle of February, my wife called me while I was at work. She said that a motorcyclist had crashed into the front of her car on the very road in front of our house. The biker was coming from the opposite direction at very fast speed and apparently was not looking straight ahead. The lane in front of my house is not that wide and the passage is made narrower by cars parked along the side. The collision could not be avoided.

The young man who rode the motorcycle was flung off his bike but luckily for him, no serious injuries were sustained. My wife's car suffered quite a bit of damage; the right headlight and signal light were totally smashed, the hood and side panel were badly dented. To make matters worse, the biker has no valid license and it is quite doubtful if he had the required road tax and insurance cover too. To avoid a formal police report being made, he offered to pay for the damage to my wife's car. But he does not have any cash on him, so he told the story that he has a sister who would come later in the day after work, with some money as initial payment. The balance would be paid at the end of the month when he gets his salary. As a measure of his sincerity, he left his identity card for my wife to hold on to. Being the kind-hearted soul that she is, my wife accepted the proposal. Besides, there wasn't much else she could do; the guy was broke.

When I got home from work and had a look at the car, I estimated that repair works would cost in excess of RM500. While we waited for this so-called sister of the biker to show up, I had a look at the IC that was left behind. It shows an address within the same kampung but my wife said she actually went to the street mentioned in the IC but nobody in the area knows the man. That was when we had a feeling that we've been duped. The so-called sister never showed up. I called the phone number that supposedly belongs to the sister but the call was not answered.

The next day, I told my wife to proceed with making a police report. The guy has already disappeared and it became clear that we have to bear the full cost of the repair. I considered a few options on how I can try to go after the biker but in the end I decided just to let the matter go and swallow the loss.

The damage to my wife's Proton Wira
So that's the first part of this story which touches on misfortune. Now to the next part.

About two weeks after the incident mentioned above, I was on my way to Kuala Lumpur to attend a meeting at my Head Office. It was Sunday evening and I was driving alone on the North-South Expressway. As I reached Senawang, the traffic became heavy and all 3 lanes of the highway slowed down to a stop-go movement. It was a real struggle to be stuck in such a jam especially since I was driving a 4-wheel drive pickup with manual transmission.

The slow crawl took me past Seremban interchange when the unfortunate happened. During one of the stop-go cycles, I had a lapse in concentration and did not brake in time when the car in front had stopped. I hit into the back of this car which in turn caused it to jerk forward and hit the car in front of it. As I stepped out of my car to survey the damage, I realised that I had run into a Beemer. Crap, I thought... the repair to this car is going to be expensive. Since it was my fault, I'd better be prepared to cough out a sizeable sum.

The driver of the Beemer got out. He was a young man probably in his late 20's. I saw the initial disappointed look on his face and so quickly admitted my fault and said sorry. He then went to inspect the car that he had hit. The driver of this car, another young man, also got out and the three of us we looking at the damage to the rear bumper. There was a slight dent and some scratches. The two young men then had a quite discussion with each other, after which I saw the driver that I hit took out his wallet, gave some money to the driver of the front-most car who took it and drove away.

We then had a look at his car. There were some dents to both the front and rear bumpers. I asked him how much he needed but he politely declined. When I insisted on paying something, he said to pay whatever I can afford. I took some RM notes from my wallet which I'm sure is not enough to cover his cost but he took the money without question. I offered him my phone number just in case he needed more after the repairs were done but he simply said, it's okay, no need. He got into his car and we both resumed out journey. It was all over in a matter of minutes. No fuss and no aggravation. I didn't even have time to take note of his license plate number.

As I drove away from the incident, I couldn't help but be thankful that it turned out all right. I'm left thinking that the young man's parents had brought him up well. He's obviously rich but never once did he show any arrogance. And I'm not implying that rich people are. To the young man who drives a dark blue BMW 3-series whom I accidentally ran into on the NSE somewhere near Seremban, thank you for your kindness. Your parents must be proud of you and may Allah swt bless you.

And so my friends, when things don't go your way, do take a step back and think of the times when they do...

Friday 31 August 2012

Sometimes it doesn't last...

I have been pondering for a while whether to post this, the reason being that it is not a happy story. There is always this reservation of possible regret, or being ashamed or causing embarrassment. As the Malay proverb goes, membuka pekung di dada.

But then life is not always about the rosy things that happen. It is not always a fairy tale. We have to take the bitter with the sweet. Langit tidak selalu cerah. Writing about it may not change anything but hopefully it will serve as a reminder to myself that things do go wrong sometimes, and that there is nothing that we can do about it. Except to learn and persevere.

In the past year and this one, two of my closest kin ended their respective marriages. By some twist of fate, it is the youngest sibling of each family, one from my side of the family while the other is from my wife's.

My youngest and only sister got married in January 2000. It was a very happy occasion. I played a lead role in the wedding arrangement, helping to plan the proceedings and even became the `ketua rombongan', a role traditionally held by my father. Things went nearly perfect and we received praises from guests and relatives who attended. It was a good training for me because in the near future, the experience would be useful when I plan for the weddings of my own children.

My sister's marriage lasted almost 12 years. She and her husband divorced some time last year. I had suspected that things were not going well for quite a while but I have never asked her on the details. It is not that I don't bother but I prefer that she comes to me voluntarily for advice. She chose not to.

She has never revealed to me the real reasons for the break-up except to offer the well-used reply of `we are not compatible any more'.

So who is to blame, if indeed there is a need to find fault? As it stands and based on my own assessment of the situation, I would not blame my former brother-in-law. In the years of being married to my sister, he has behaved in a very respectful manner. He speaks in a soft tone and gets along well with my sons and his other nephews and nieces.

I know it is hard not to side with my own kin but that's the way it is. Some things will never change... although we pray hard for them to. Subsequent to her separation, my sister's life has been going downhill. I helped her out of trouble on occasions but sadly she does not keep to her promise of changing for the better.

Am I disappointed? Yes, I am.

Do I love her any less? No, I don't. But my patience has its limit.

Ok then, now to the other sibling story. Two weeks ago, during the aidilfitri gathering on my wife's side of the family, we received news that my wife's youngest brother is now back to being single. The divorce actually occurred a few months earlier but my brother-in-law chose to keep most of his family in the dark. Needless to say, my wife (plus the other sisters) are very disappointed. But we will leave it at that, for now.

Selamat Hari Merdeka to all Malaysian friends and readers. May the Almighty grant us peace and patience in all the tough situations we face in our daily life.

Sunday 8 July 2012

Hitting the half-century mark

Around this time ten years ago, I was struggling to make a living in Kuala Lumpur. I was into my second month in a new job at a construction firm belonging to a friend. He had invited me to join his company with the objective of having me lead a new road project that he said he had secured. He even showed me the Letter of Intent issued by a certain government department indicating that the project was genuine.

Since I was out of work, I decided to accept his offer with a meagre allowance on the promise that a salary revision would be considered once the project gets under way. The first month passed by but no salary was in sight. As the first week of the following month elapsed without any news of the overdue pay, I decided that the place was not for me and approached my friend to tell him I was leaving. He immediately apologised for the salary delay and promised me that some funds would be available in the next few days and that I would get paid soon. But once I make up my mind, I seldom turn back. And so I left the firm with no money in my pockets and entered the jobless scene yet again.

I had just celebrated my 40th birthday... well, `celebrated' is an overstatement since I was alone and miserable in the capital city. Whoever coined the phrase that `life begins at 40', certainly had other things in mind.

From that point onwards, the next 10 years of my life has been a roller coaster ride, at least for the last few years anyway. But then, isn't a roller coaster ride meant to give you that thrill of adrenalin rush, that feeling of excitement? Indeed, such ups and downs gives life that colourful spread of variety that we call experience.

I reached my 50-year birthday two days ago. Nothing special happened, just a simple family dinner at a restaurant in town. But I am happy and grateful. I have my reasonably good health and my sons are doing well in school. We have a roof over our heads and our debts are manageable. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Now that I have reached this milestone, half-a-century doesn't seem to be long time at all. May the Almighty grant us all the life and good health to be meeting again in another blog post next year... insyaAllah.

My youngest son Imran and his grandfather (my father) at our simple dinner last night


Tuesday 3 January 2012

A rolling stone...

Wow, it's the new year already. On New Year's Day last year, I was in Temerloh attending a friend's wedding before heading to Kuantan where I spend the night. An unplanned exchange of messages during breakfast the next day saw me having afternoon tea with blogger Versedanggerik and her family. Later on the way back to Kuala Lumpur, I made a detour to Triang, somewhere deep in the Pahang heartland, to visit a nephew whose wife had just given birth.

For the first post of 2012, let's have a discussion on English proverbs for a change.

I spent the first half of last year based in KL, with my family rooted in JB. It was a regular trip up and down the North-South Expressway every other weekend. Sometimes driving but mostly on the express buses. It wasn't something I particularly liked but what to do? Later on in June, a friend introduced me to a job opportunity in Pontian and after a quick interview, I was offered the post. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, that job didn't last... but I decided to remain in Johor Bahru and look for something new. Alhamdulillah, I recently received an offer for a job that would put me back at familiar grounds.

I am what you call, a rolling stone. The full English proverb goes like this : A rolling stone gathers no moss. Now why would we want to gather moss, you may ask. Why not gather something more valuable? Well... proverbs being based on metaphors, are not meant to be understood literally. The meaning of this particular proverb is that if we move around too much (as opposed to sticking around for a long time), then we wouldn't be gaining much experience. Jumping from job to job is an obvious example.

I hadn't actually made a count of how many companies I have worked for since I graduated, until a few days ago. While updating my resume to include this latest appointment, I realised that I have been employed at eleven (11) different firms throughout my 27 years of working life. That number does not include a few short stints at companies owned by friends and relatives. Some people say that this hopping around is not a good thing. Perhaps they are right... but it is not that I purposely seek new jobs every few years just for the fun of it. Each and every job resignation I went through has its own story. Sometimes, things happen that are not within our control. But I'm not the type to live in regret although I admit that the constant job changes had caused difficulties.

I therefore do not fully agree with meaning of the proverb about rolling stones. While I may not have gained a deep knowledge of one particular field, my different job postings have afforded me with a varied exposure of civil engineering disciplines. In which case, another familiar English proverb would apply : a jack of all trades but the master of none. It's okay... I have accepted that I'm not a master, but the little that I know of a few specialised areas are valuable enough for me to survive on. Nonetheless, I do hope this present job will last for some time. A rolling stone can't go on rolling forever.

I may not have gathered moss by not staying still but I can tell you what I've gathered over the years... bank accounts. For the purpose of salary payment, different employers want me to open account at banks of their choice. To date, I have/had accounts at the following financial institutions :

- Malaysia Credit Finance (now defunct)
- HSBC Bank
- Bank Bumiputera (a/c revived as Bank Muamalat when BB went kaput)
- Public Bank
- Maybank
- CIMB Bank (this is the latest)

As I have mentioned previously, nak harapkan akaun bank je yang banyak, duit dalamnya tak se berapa...

The stones in Sungai Bernam that no longer roll...

Saturday 12 November 2011

Stories from Makkah

I didn't post anything yesterday, the eleventh of November, 2011. I initially wanted to... but then couldn't think of anything significant enough to write about. Well, a friend of ours did complete her wedding vows yesterday but the reception was earlier today. So I guess, let's forget about this eleven, eleven, eleven thingy for a while and talk about something else. I mean, really... did you do anything special on the 3x10 date last year or on triple 9 date the previous year? And what about 12.12.12 for next year? That day falls on a Wednesday.

Ok then, let's write about some real stories... or maybe I'll start with just a sampler.

The Hajj season for this year is now over. In the next few days, pilgrims would be returning from the holy land, hopefully in good health and in high spirits. Most would be very grateful for the experience despite the difficulties and challenges. Pilgrims returning from Makkah always have plenty of stories to tell... and these stories range from the sad, the tragic, the heartmoving and sometimes even the mysterious too.

Before pilgrims embark on the holy journey, they are often reminded to be on their best behaviour when they reach there. This sounds like common sense but humans being humans, reminders are definitely needed. Especially when it comes to controlling what comes out from one's mouth. People tend to say things without giving much thought to what they are saying. If improper things are said while you are in the holy land, it wouldn't be a surprise if the payback is almost immediate. `Cash on Delivery' is the term that I use... God uses his discretion to decide if you get your dividend on the spot rather than wait for the hereafter.

There are many stories that fall into this COD category. If you complain that the air temperature in Makkah or Madinah is too hot for your liking, then don't be surprised if you'll feel the heat throughout your stay there, even when you are in your air-conditioned hotel room. If you grumble that the food served by the hotel is not to your taste, then you run the risk of eating tasteless food no matter where you buy the food from. If you think that you live in a big city and proudly claim to know your way around places, then you might just get lost within Masjidil Haram mosque itself. If you complain that some pilgrims within your group are always late getting on the bus and causing delays, then just wait for the time when you get lost and couldn't find the bus to get you back to your hotel.

Does it mean that we cannot complain about poor service or bad conditions? I don't know... but what I know is, it doesn't hurt to be doing otherwise. The underlying message here is always to be kind, patient and humble, especially when you are His guest.

A few of my friends are on Hajj trips this year and I await their return... not just to listen to their interesting stories but primarily to know that they are back home, safe and healthy.

In the meantime, I'll share with you my own story from Makkah... also in the cash payback category, although this is not for having bad intentions (I hope).

The hotel where I was staying is only about a few hundred metres from the mosque. When walking to the mosque from the hotel for the daily prayers, I would pass by a shoe shop with a large window display. In the display was a pair of leather sandals that caught my eye and I thought that maybe I'd buy it on my way back. After prayers, I stopped by the shop window, looked at the sandals again but decided to defer the purchase. This went on a few more days... I stopped by the shop window every time on the way back to the hotel but never stepped inside the shop. Nak beli ke tidak? Nak beli ke tidak?

Until one day, the decision was made for me.

When I go the Masjidil Haram for the daily prayers, I would normally enter by the same gate and store my footwear in a pigeonhole-type shoerack just inside the gate. In fact, I would try to keep it in the same pigeonhole every time so that it is easy to remember. Stories of lost or stolen (or probably misplaced) footwear is so common in Makkah. I had been quite lucky in not losing mine... until one day, after Asar prayers, I note that my sandals were not in the particular place where I had stored them.

This of course meant that I had to buy a new pair... and so that day, I walked barefooted from the mosque to the shoe shop and finally bought the pair of new sandals which I had been eyeing the previous few days. Now, let's ponder this : if I had not been indecisive in purchasing that leather sandals, or no footwear in that shop window had taken my interest, would fate still determine that I lose my existing pair?

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Are you a keeper or a thrower?

The title of this post has nothing to do with sports. It is something that relates to human nature and behaviour. According to a study I read somewhere, when it comes to possessions, human beings fall into two main categories... either you are a keeper (one who likes to keep many of his old stuff) or you are a thrower (one who prefers to discard old items and replace them with new). Actually, I cannot remember the proper term used in that study to identify these two types of people but I'm sure you know what I mean.

I am declaring upfront that I am a keeper. I keep a lot of my old stuff. Knick-knacks, souvenirs, handwritten letters, postcards, books and of course photographs. These things are kept because they all have some form of memory or history attached. But you cannot call yourself a true keeper until you keep other items as well. Things that are outdated and in most cases, practically useless. Under this group of stuff, I have in my possession old receipts, credit card statements, ATM slips, my university lecture notes, shoes, spectacles and my box of LP records bought when I was still a student. Crazy, huh? I mean, who listens to music played from vinyl albums nowadays? Firstly, you'd have to look for a turntable to play it. Secondly, the sound quality is not as good as the widely available CDs. Even if you crave to listen to music from the '70s and '80s, much of them are available today in MP3 form and downloadable from the internet.

Just to let you know, I still have my first turntable. It no longer works, of course... and sits there in one corner of my store gathering dust. Why haven't I thrown it away? Why do I still keep receipts of items I bought many years ago? What use can I have of those old round-shaped John Lennon type of spectacles which I thought looked cool when I was in my twenties? Why do I hang on to a bunch of keys that open doors or locks that I do not know of anymore?

I really can't give you a simple answer... but if you put a gun to my head, I'd say,"It's in the genes..." It is not that I don't throw stuff away. I do carry out spring cleaning every few years (the `few' here is very subjective) but when carrying out such tasks, I end up flipping and reading up old items and re-living the memories attached to them. Like for example, when I wanted to dispose off large files of my lecture notes... I flipped through one of the folders and found an old assignment paper regarding construction law. I re-read what I wrote nearly 30 years ago and felt a certain kind of warmth. It brought to mind the time I spent reading up on the subject and the effort in writing that paper. After finish re-reading it, I decided to keep my notes for a while longer.

Envelope containing handwritten letter from Japanese friend Akemi Koga. The letter is dated 12 April 1992 and she wrote the first two paragraphs in Bahasa Melayu. How can I throw away such a lovely item like this?


British Railcard from student days
Apart from memories, another factor that holds back keepers from disposing off stuff is the thought that there could be some handy use for the item at some particular point in the future. When any of my household appliance breaks down, I always try to salvage parts that still function. It gives me satisfaction when the occasion would come where the part that I saved becomes useful... but more often than not, such parts are never re-used and end up being stored as junk. Call me stingy, if you like, but re-cycling is in my blood.

My mother is also a keeper (did I not say earlier that it is in the genes?), even more hardcore than me. When we were renovating our house many years ago, she instructed that a separate shed be built at the back to be used as a store. Half of the stuff in that store today belongs to her. You can probably guess what some of these things are... plates, bowls and cups. Pieces of china from the '60s era.

My youngest sister, on the other hand, is a thrower. She doesn't like to keep too many old things. When she moved to a new house, she bought mostly new furniture and disposed off the old ones. When her hobby of keeping aquarium fish waned, she wanted to get rid of the lovely wrought-iron tank stand. Guess who offered to take the thing off her hands?

My habit of keeping stuff is still not that serious... not reaching the stage of being a hoarder yet. But I seriously need to get rid off a lot of objects in my store because it is too crammed now. Throw away a lot of the old junk... so that I can create some space for newer junk...

Friday 31 December 2010

Time to move on...

I have been mulling about posting on this subject for some time now... the reason being that it touches on something that makes me feel a bit sore. But I decided that it may actually be good for me to write about it so that many years later I can read about it again and recall that being knocked down once in a while is part and parcel of life. And since this is the last day of the year, it seems a good time to close the issue and move on for better things.

Regular readers of this blog may recall an earlier post in March about my job transfer from my hometown in Johor Bahru to the head office in Kuala Lumpur. I wrote about that change and my hope that it would bring me some good. Actually, it didn't.

After only four months working in KL, I was told by my boss that I wasn't needed anymore. To put it in crude terms, I was fired. The official reason given was that the company was feeling the economic pinch  and the directors have decided to downsize the staff. But I wasn't born yesterday... the real reasons are not that difficult for me to speculate.

What really disappointed me was that my move from JB to KL was at the request of the boss, purportedly on the need to have someone of senior experience to lead the team of young engineers and also to represent the boss at high-level meetings with clients. I initially declined to be transferred, preferring to be released from the firm so that I can look for another job in JB itself. I have been on the move for so many years in my career and I thought that the time has come for me to stay in one place. The boss pleaded with me a few times and I finally decide to accept the transfer because I believed that it would be good to share my knowledge with the young engineers. I made the move to KL in February this year but my family was left behind in JB. In my first day at the new office, the boss expressed his deep appreciation for my decision to come over. His words of thanks were so superfluous that it embarrassed me a bit to think that I am that valuable a staff to him.

Not even half a year in my new post, in June I was given a letter of termination. Although the termination comes with some monetary compensation, the principle of it is entirely wrong. You don't retrench someone whom you asked to join just a few months earlier. Now tell me if that doesn't leave a sour taste in your mouth...

So that is why my friends, I have been taking a break from blogging for a while, just to cool my nerves so that I am not tempted to type posts that would contain nasty words.

Many friends who knew of my situation came to give words of support and encouragement... you know, the standard stuff of : things happen for a reason, you'll be tougher after this episode, God has planned better things for you etc... But the real considerate friends are those who are willing to sit with me over a glass of teh tarik and simply listen to my grumbles and rantings. Listening to my grumbles won't change a thing... but it helps release the tension in my mind and body, and allow the calm to return.

Perhaps as a means to pacify myself, I say that this event is the thing I need to push me to do something on my own and to pursue that unfulfilled ambition. And that someday, I would probably thank my former employers for giving me that push.

Well.... as it is for now, I am on my way to chase that ambition. But until I do achieve what I hope to achieve, any words of gratitude will not be forthcoming.

Happy new year to all friends and readers. Selamat Tahun Baru Masehi 2011. May the Almighty grant you all your wishes. Stay healthy and happy always...

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Taking a break...

In my post of last year at this same time, I mentioned that, to me, nothing marks the passage of time as significantly as the arrival of the holy month of Ramadhan. It seems like only yesterday that I was helping my father cook the bubur lambok at Ba' Alwie Mosque in Singapore to be served to the congregation on breaking of fast.

The fasting month is the preferred time to practice restraint and patience... and for that reason, I have decided to take a break from blogging to reflect and resolve some issues on the personal front. The past two months or so has been quite trying and although I have tried to keep this blog updated as frequently as I can, my effort is obviously half-hearted.

Thank you to blogger-friends and readers for your support and company. Hope to come back soon when things are a bit better..

To all my Muslim friends, selamat menyambut bulan puasa yang mulia ini.... semuga Ramadhan ini menjadi yang terbaik dalam sejarah hidup anda.

Wednesday 24 March 2010

A change would do you good

In the past month or so, my blogging activity has been somewhat reduced compared to previous months. The amount of time I spend online nowadays is more to check/answer emails relating to stuff about work. Both blog-posting and blog-hopping are temporarily taking a back seat.

There is a particular reason for this.

Since the beginning of February, I have transferred to work at our head office in Kuala Lumpur. I am no longer based in Johor Bahru. With the said transfer comes added responsibilities and workload. While I previously oversee things at a regional level (Johor), I now have to handle projects at other locations in the country. That is why you see me sneaking in posts about Penang and Perak.

My preferred time to log on to blogger.com is usually late evenings. I like to read the stories posted by other blogger-friends and then dropping a comment or two. It is a nice way to relax the mind after a hard day's work and before turning in to bed. However, the place that I'm now renting in KL does not have Streamyx broadband and so I am deprived of my nightly dose of online reading and writing. I am thinking of getting one of those wireless broadband service from the mobile telcos but feedback from friends who have subscribed to the various packages are somewhat mixed.

Until then, please excuse my sporadic posts and visits. It was actually quite tough for me to decide on the move... but a voice within me said that the change would do me good. More about it, soon...

Thursday 17 December 2009

Last weekend

This post is a bit outdated. I've been meaning to upload the pics much earlier but I was under the weather for the past few days. Just posting something so that this blog is not neglected for too long.

We were in Singapore last Sunday to attend the wedding reception of the niece of an old friend and classmate. I have not met this friend for more than twenty years and it was nice to be meeting him again and catching up on old stories.



In Malay wedding ceremonies, the procession of the bride and groom is normally accompanied by a kompang group. In this instance however, the family opted for a kuda kepang troupe. First time that I've seen this and it does make an interesting difference.



Later that evening, I decided to take a drive down Orchard Road just to have a look at the Christmas lights. It has been quite some time since I was last in the area and the changes are quite surprising. The beautiful lights gave photographers ample chance to practice their night photography skills. Makes me wish to get my hands on a DSLR soon...

To all muslim friends and readers, selamat menyambut tahun hijrah yang baru.

Thursday 12 November 2009

The power of prayer

Over the past few weeks, many of us have said farewell to friends who are headed towards the Holy Land to perform the Hajj or pilgrimage. It is custom for the pilgrims to seek forgiveness from relatives and friends before they depart. In return, we wish them a safe passage, ease in performing the required rituals and hopefully blessed with a haji mabrur, and finally a safe journey home.

Some of us would take the opportunity to request a small favour of our friend, and that is to pray (doa) on our behalf when he/she is in front of the Ka'abah. It is said that the Masjidil Haram in Mecca is the preferred place on earth where The Almighty listens to his subjects and grants them their requests. It is also mentioned that, within the mosque itself, there are a few spots where such prayers are especially heard and have a good chance of being answered. No doubt, such places are highly sought after by all pilgrims and one must really be brave to compete with the crowd to secure such a spot, especially during the Hajj season.

One such place or tempat mustajab as we say it in Malay, is the small zone of the Ka'abah wall between the door of the Ka'abah and the corner of the black stone called Hajarul Aswad. I was advised by a learned man that if I can squeeze my way to a spot on this wall, I should then spread my arms and place my chest flat against it as if in attempt to embrace. And then I should fully open my heart and reveal to Allah swt all that I have longed for all this while.

My first visit to Mecca was during hajj season many years ago. I wasn't brave enough to fight the crowd for this coveted spot. However, at my next visit a few years later for umrah, I managed to find a place on the Ka'abah wall after solat subuh and draped myself on the holy house of Allah for a precious few minutes.

It was one of the most moving experience in my life... with my chest flat against the wall, the house of Allah can feel my every heartbeat. It is as close as you can physically be to the symbol of your Maker.

In such moments, what do you pray for? What do you actually ask of God? You are there as his guest and you feel so humble. Would it then be proper of you to be asking of so many things?

Yes, it is... for Allah swt is All-Listener. And hence, there I was, embracing the Ka'abah with my eyes closed and pouring my heart out to the One and Only, seeking forgiveness, asking for compassion and requesting for help. After some minutes of saying my personal prayers, I continued with prayers requested by some friends back home. Among these is a doa by a female colleague who was still childless after being married for a number of years.

The first few years after my return from umrah, there wasn't any sign that the Almighty is answering her prayers. She was still childless... until one day, someone came to her with the news that a baby is available for adoption. She and her husband decided to take the baby.

We may well say that God has not actually answered my friend's prayers yet... but to me, seeing that the child has become the light of her life, it is a wish that was granted.

Perhaps the point of my story here is to say that we should never give up hope. Some of us may be facing problems that are so complicated that they seem insurmountable. Even after putting in all the effort to try this, that and everything else, the solution is still not in sight. In times like these, when there is possibly nothing else we could do, the only thing left for us to fall back on is the power of prayer.

If we can afford to travel to Baitullah in Mecca, then do so. If we can't, then do not despair. If we know of a friend who is going there, then do ask their favour to say a prayer on our behalf. Good friends would be glad to do it for us.

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Memories in black and white (2)

I am now carrying out a mini project to re-arrange my parents' old black and white photographs into new albums. The photos are now in a few slip-in albums but I remember they were originally in the old stick-on type albums with the black matte paper.

There are many classic pictures including those of my father and my mother before they married. My father's collection in particular, has many photographs with captions written on the back, thus giving them some history. I am thinking of grouping them into themes in a new stick-on album with proper caption and notes. And since both my old folks are still around, I'd better get them to tell me something about those pictures that are uncaptioned and undated.

I've selected a few choice pieces for scanning and I'm sharing a few with you today.

Photo 1 : Yours truly in a pram circa 1963

Photo 2 : Family photo taken in 1966. The eldest boy on the left was 4 years-old.

Photo 3 : Family photo in 1967. My parents now have 4 sons.

Photo 4 : This one was taken in 1968, the last family pic in B&W.

Friday 31 July 2009

Notes to close this month of July

July is a birthday month for me. Nothing really spectacular happened this time around except for the experience of my first gout attack. As I ponder on the addition of another year that the Almighty has extended me, I cannot help but reflect on other events that happened in our country this month.

While birth is the beginning of one's journey in this world, death signifies the end. The deaths of two personalities brought about controversies, albeit for different reasons. I wasn't intending to post about something sombre but the following are my observations on this, and other issues.

1. Will be missing those sentimental TV ads

The talented film director/producer Yasmin Ahmad, passed away on 25 July 2009. She collapsed during a business meeting at Sri Pentas (TV3) and slipped into a coma. Although surgery was done at Damansara Specialist Hospital, Yasmin did not make it.

It is not necessary for me to list out her achievements in film-making. Her movies won international awards but failed to gain the recognition of her peers in the local film industry. Why is this so? We can only speculate.

Her movies touched on subject matters that most other local producers dare not explore. Things like inter-racial romance and religious understanding. Some consider her movies to be controversial but to me, she's simply telling the true face of our society... the prejudices, the mistrust, the differences, the cooperation and the understanding. It is a pity that there are some among us who cannot see beyond our narrow self-interest.

Even in death, allahyarham Yasmin is tailed by controversy. A local Malay daily newspaper published stories of her in an apparently distasteful manner and this has prompted journalists from other publications to launch a protest to that paper's publisher. What surprised me was that it took the demise of a talented individual for the journalistic circle in Malaysia to realise the lousy reporting standards some journalists and editors have practiced. If something good can come out of this, then the nation owes Yasmin a lot more. May Allah swt bless her soul.

Yasmin's death reminded me of what happened to my cousin a few years ago. The way my cousin died is very similar. She was a lecturer at UiTM and was having dinner with some friends at a restaurant in Subang Jaya. During the after-dinner chat, she felt a sharp pain in her head and then collapsed. Her friends rushed her to the nearby SJMC. The doctors said a blood vessel in her brain had burst. She went into a coma and two days later, left us forever. She was in her late 40's.

2. Death under interrogation?

On the 16th of the month, the nation was shocked to read of the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the political aide of a Selangor Exco. Teoh's body was found on the fifth floor podium roof of a building that housed the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission's Selangor headquarters.

Teoh had been summoned by MACC to answer questions relating to an investigation of purported misuse of the state assemblymen's allocations. The circumstances of his death are most mysterious. Did he fall? Was he pushed? Was he killed first and then thrown out of a higher window? Is is suicide?

The general public were told not to speculate and not to make it a political issue. Under these conditions, how not to speculate? You tell me. And of course it's a political issue because the deceased was a political aide and the MACC investigation involves politicians!

An inquest is presently in progress, although some parties had pressured for a Royal Commission of Inquiry. I'm not sure if that would make any difference because, as I recall, the last RCI conducted on a top lawyer (who said that a video recording of a person, looked and sounded like him, but was not him) doesn't seem to be getting anywhere.

Nonetheless, I do hope the authorities get to the truth of the matter. Whoever caused Teoh Beng Hock's death must be brought to book.

3. The necessity of recycling

Still on the subject of death. Around two weeks ago, my mother told me that the grave of my youngest brother who died at birth, would be unearthed and his remains be repacked and shifted elsewhere. He is buried at a very small plot in the Muslim cemetery of Pusara Aman in Singapore.

Due to scarcity of land, the Singaporean authorities have decided that the graves of Muslims who have been dead for more than twenty years, would be unearthed. The remains from eight graves would be grouped and re-buried together in a presumably much smaller plot. This would free the original cemetery to be re-used for future `occupants'.

You have to hand it to the Singaporeans to come up with ideas on recyling. They are already experts on recycling sewage water. They are now doing the same for burial plots. Muslims in Malaysia should count their blessings.

The exhumation was carried out on a working day and my mother informed me too late for me to take leave. Otherwise I would have liked to be there. I've been to my brother's grave only two or three times. I didn't get to see him when he was born... I was studying in the UK at the time. If he is alive today, he would be 29-years old.

To Mohd Taufik, the little brother that I have not met... if by the grace of Allah swt, we cross paths in the hereafter, do say hello to your eldest brother, will you?

4. No escape from the taxman

The two things in life that you cannot run away from are death and taxes. And it seems that the taxman is not giving me a break at all.

When I completed my income tax returns at the end of April, I calculated that my total monthly tax deductions is more than the tax payable. I was therefore, expecting a refund from the Inland Revenue Board. However, in early May, I received a letter from IRB saying that my account does not show any credit that can be refunded. But the letter does not give any details on how much I owe them.

Last week, IRB sent me another letter saying that they have instructed my employer to further deduct from my salary, a total of RM4,986.01 spread over the next 7 months. How they arrived at this amount, they didn't say. No calculations, no details, no explanation. Nothing. Just the instruction to cut.

The folks at IRB must be so heartless. The language in their letters is so dry. They should include an explanation or two on why they are taking away more of our money. At the very least, they should include the name of the person in charge of our account so that we can call for clarification. So much for the new administration's `Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan' approach.

5. Art and charity

One way to reduce the amount of tax you pay to the government is to donate to charity. But this applies only to charities that have obtained the approval of IRB. The charity that I want to talk about next is not on IRB's approved list... maybe not yet, I do hope sometime in future (actually I'm just making a feeble attempt to link the previous thread with this one).

I was most heartened to read that blogger-friend Pak Zawi is helping to organize a sort of online bidding process for a piece of drawing done by En. Mazeri Othman aka Deen. The objective of the bidding is to set up a benevolent fund known as Tabung Kebajikan Tok Sangkut. The first piece on offer is an oil painting named Grandma's Mangosteen.

Do pop over to Pak Zawi's blog to learn more about the charity. Alternatively Pak Zawi has set up a special blog to handle the online bidding here -> Tok Sangkut Benevolent Fund. Your's truly has made the second bid.

The artist Deen also has his own blog that can be accessed here -> Exploring and relaxing the countryside.

It's nice to end this post with the story of an honourable effort. Let us see what the month of August, our merdeka month, has in store for us.