Wedding season .

I have been lazy lately to update my blog . Any way there is nothing much of sigificance happened to our fanily . This years Hari Raya Aidiladha ( Haji ) was a simple and modest celeberation . No one came to the house except brother in-law Encik Mahadi and his family . In the morning I and son Azman attended Aidiladha prayers at the local mosque . After that we had a sumptious breakfast consisting of ' nasi minyak ' , ' nasi impit ' with ' rendang ayam ' and ' lontong ' .

On 16th.December 2007 we attended a wedding reception at my cousin's house at Taman Alam Damai,Cheras , KL. We had the opportunity to renew relationships with our relatives whom we seldom meet except on occassions such as this .

On 23rd December 2007 we attended a wedding reception at another cousin of mine at Teluk Intan . We were accompanied by my brother Muttakin in another car .There we met many relatives whom I have not even met . I am glad I met them otherwise I would not have known that I have such a large number of relatives . Before we depart for home we went to the Teluk Intan town to see the well-known reclining watch tower and to have the famous ' mee rebus ' of Teluk Intan .

Next week on the 29th.December 2007 we are scheduled to attend another wedding reception of my good old friend's daughter at Taman Kenanga , Ampang . It seems it is a wedding season .

The urge to travel has struck me again .

The urge to travel has come back to me . I am planning to go to Manchester when Air Asia X launch it's inaugural flight to the UK in June/July 2008 . I have registered with Air Asia to be on board on it's maiden flight to Manchester . I hope my request would be successful . I then hope to cross over to Dublin to visit my daughter Eileen there . This however does not mean that I would not be coming to attend her convocation in 2009 . Insyallah in June 2009 I would be going there again , this time with my wife to attend her convocation . I hope my June/July 2008 flight to Dublin would be a reconaissaence attempt prior to our visit in 2009 . I reckon I have to dig down into my savings to make the journey come through . My last trip to London was about 10 years ago and I foresee there would be alot of development having taken place . However I might not be able to walk for long distances as I did when I was in London . My knee problem has not fully recovered yet . I enjoyed walking the streets of London and travelling on it's MRTs .

In 2009 our daughter Fareen would also be graduating from UTM . So that means in that same year two of our children would be graduating together . She is just 20 years old and would be too young to work . I hope she would be able to procede with her Masters degree programme either in Germany or in the UK . From her exams results so far , if she continues to be so , I foresee that she would get at least a 2nd Class Upper degree . The University of Bath , UK and the University of Karlsruhe , Germany have made positive reponses to her overtures .

I hope our daughter Eileen would procede to do her housemanship in Dublin where the pressure is not that great as in Malaysia . Moreover the housemanship in Malaysia has now been extended to 2 years beginning 2008. It would be too taxing for freshly qualified doctors to work in Malaysia . The senior doctors with the encouragement from the Health Ministry are out to bully these young graduates , the majority of whom are bumiputras . I suspect there is a hidden agenda behind this - that is to discourage bumiputras from taking up Medicine so that this profession would continue to be dominated by the non bumiputras . The Prime Minister recently announced that the government would allow medical graduates to extend their stay overseas to obtain specialisation in their fields of interest . The world too is getting smaller and we could come and go to any part of the world without much hitch .

My wife's niece Amilea has now regretted her return to Malaysia . She is applying to do her specialisation at the University of Malaya . But I doubt her application would be approved by the Ministry of Health considering the long waiting list . My doctor friend told me that the waiting list could be as long as 10 years before one could be even considered .

Ungrateful Malaysian Indians.

I was appalled after reading the demands by HINDRAF ( Hindu Rights Action Force ) which is totally baseless and incredulous .It claimed that the Indians in Malaysia are being marginalised and that they are not given equal opportunities in this country . While in the neighbourhood where I am staying I could see quite a number of wealthy Indians . While sending my grand daughter to school I also see many of them driving porch cars sending their children to school . There is even one street in Klang town ,Jalan Tengku Dziauddin ,which is dominated by the Indians .The buildings/shops in that area and the businesses are owned by them . Professions such as the doctors and lawyers are also dominated by them . The second richest man in Malaysia Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan is an Indian .Tan Sri Arumugam Pillay is another wealthy Indian man .I just find it hard and difficult to accept their claims as the truth .They must have been talking cock and bull stories . Of course there are poor Indians as the other races too . Those poor are those who are lazy and do not want to take the opportunities that are abundantly available to them . Infact the government have allowed the Indians to join institutions like Giat MARA , Institut Kemahiran MARA , MRSM and many more which were actually meant for bumiputras . The government too has allowed the MIC to establish it's own Medical Universities/Colleges like the Manipal Medical College in Malacca and the Asia Pacific Science and Medical College in Sungai Petani whose students are mainly Indians .

Hindraf actually is a society that projects extreme Hindu sentiments which could be dangerous to the stability of the country . Now it has gone too far by demanding equal status as of the bumputras . In other words they are demanding the special position of the bumiputras as enshrined in the Federal Constitution be abolished . This is a dangerous demand which any bumiputra would not accept that .

Hindraf also is suing the British government for bringing in their forefathers from India as indentured labourers and is claiming a certain trillion amount of US dollars which would entitled them a $ US 1,000,000/-each individual Malaysian Indian, if they succeed in the suit , which we all know is very unlikely . They have given the poor ignorant and illiterate Indians a false hope . They are just seeking publicity to become famous for their own personal agenda . Infact the Indians in Malaysia should be grateful to the British for bringing them here because their living standards are much better than their counterparts/relatives in India .They are ungrateful Malaysian Indians . The Indians are dangerous people just as the English proverb/idiom that says , " If there is and Indian and a snake infront of you , do not kill the snake first but kill the Indians first . " . The British knew about this years ago , only we the Malays did not want to believe it . Today , we regret it but it is too late .

The Election Commission has to be reformed .

I did not believe that the government won the election by unscruplous means until I received a letter from the Election Commission bearing the name of an unknown young Malay lady and having an address of our home in Shah Alam . This took place just a few weeks before the 1999 General Election . I believed that the lady was a Puteri Umno member from somewhere else who was assigned to vote in the Shah Alam parliamentary constituency . I did not know how many phantom voters like that were imported from somewhere else during that General Election .I believed the number could have been substantial so as to enable the BN candidate to narrowly win against the Keadilan candidate .That is why I am not surprised if the same tactic would be used again in the coming General Election .

Bersih - a loose coalition of NGOs and opposition political parties have been fighting very hard for the government to reform it's Election Commission so that the coming General Election would be a fair one . All their calls and memos have been received into deaf ears and no action positive was taken by the government to rectify . So , was it fair for the government to stop the masses to demonstrate and made known their grouses through street demonstrations ? The government had refused to listen and instead boasted that they did not have to demonstrate but should exercise their rights as voters in the General Election , just because they are sure of winning the election . But how can the people exercise their rights when the election is blatantly rigged ?

10th November 2007 was a sad day for the ordinary citizens of Malaysia because on that day the government used the Police to intimidate the people and had also unnecessarily used force on them who were just merely exercising their rights as per Article 10 of the Federal Constitution and Article 20 of the U.N. Human Rights Declaration . It was also amusing for the Chief Police Officer of Kuala Lumpur to come out with a preposterous statement that the Police would arrest anyone found wearing yellow shirt on that day . I do not know from where did he learned that wearing yellow was an offence . Worst still was the Minister of Information Zainuddin Maideen's telephone interview with Aljazeera TV news casters . His English was horrible and did not befit that of a Minister of this country . I just could not believe my ears and eyes when he categorically accused the Aljazeera as being bias in their reportings when actually that was the real situation . Infact it was the local TV and newspapers were the one of being unfair in their reportings when they mentioned that the crowd that took part in the demonstration were only about 4,000 (while in actual fact it was close to 50,000) and that the Police did not used force . Was it justified for the Police to fire tear gas on the peaceful demonstrators ? Some of them were even got beaten by them . Aljazeera being an independent TV station was very professional in their reportings and they would not bow down to pressures from the Minister. Bersih had done their part and I think this should be an eye opener for the government to be more responsive to the plight and grouses of the people .

The government's old tactic of suppressing fair reportings would not last long because the people are no more stupid and ignorant like those in the yester years . More and more people now have access to the internet and they gradually know the actual situation . I am not against the BN government but I believe in being fair . I am fed up with the misdeeds and wrongdoings of the government and want them rectified for the good of the nation and not to the advantage of the few privileged BN leaders .

My daughter in law is expecting a baby .

Last Friday 2nd.November 2007 , my son Azman and his wife Shidah left for a holiday in Bali , Indonesia . They are expected to be away till Monday . Before they left they told us they are expecting a baby soon . According to them it was confirmed by the doctor . I was so happy because our grand daughter Alisya is already big and no more considered a baby . I guess we miss the cries and the smell of babies in our home .

I have been praying very hard so that we would have a few more grand children to ensure the continuity of my offspring in this world . This time I would prefer a grandson . However I would accept whatever God decide best for us .

Visiting relatives in Perak .

Since my retirement I have always wanted to visit my relatives in Perak whom I have not met for many years . I realized that we are getting old and that we should renew our relationships at least before we part from this world . So last Saturday on 27th October 2007 early morning I and my wife left our home to go to Southern Perak . We stopped over in Sungai Besar town to have my favourite ' pecal ' and ' soto ' . After the meal I phoned my mother and asked her whether she would like to follow us to Teluk Intan and Bagan Datok . Surprisingly she answered in the affirmative . So , after picking her up in her house we proceeded to Teluk Intan .

We had some difficluties finding the house but after 2 or 3 inquiries finally we managed to locate it . It was a very decent house located in Kampong Padang Tembak , a few kilometers from Teluk Intan town . I was so happy to meet my cousin brother whom I have not seen for almost 40 years. We hugged each other and later we talked over our childhood days . He is about a year older than me . He had suffered from a stroke and was bedridden for almost a year . He went for therapy at the Teluk Intan Hospital 3 times a week since then and today he is able to walk again although his feet and left hand were not that strong any more . We remained in the house till about 12.20 pm. We then went to Teluk Intan town to have the so called famous the Teluk Intan ' mee rebus ' . After that we stopped by the town mosque to perform zohor prayers .

At about 2.30 pm. we came to Selekoh town ,a small town near Bagan Datok to visit another cousin by the name Baadin Ahmad , a retired Felda estate Manager . He was working in the Felda estates in Negeri Sembilan for many years before retiring in the kampong . He is now looking after his own oil palm plantation . There we also met an uncle who was about 80 years old . Later we came to a cousin sister's house nearby . She was already very old and almost senile . I did not know whether she recognised us . Selekoh town brought back memories to my childhood days .It was there that I had my primary school education before my family moved to Sabak Bernam .

On our way back to my kampong in Sg. Air Tawar , we stopped over a relative's house in Sabak Bernam . Here we met Hj.Abd.Latif a distant relative . He told me that he was already 74 years old and was getting weak . He was sad and cried infront of us . I told him not to worry so much because that could worsen his health .

As it was getting dark , we decided to put up a night in my mother's house .

The next morning we went to the grave of my late grand mother at Sungai Air Tawar. (That was the main reason of my coming back to the kampong ) . I recited the verse ' Alfatihah ' from the ' Alquran ' and the doa for her . I prayed to God that she be accepted among the faithfulls and be in Heaven . I was so touched and almost cried .

On our way home we stopped over in Sg.Lias ,Sunga Besar to visit an auntie who was also old and bedridden . She is the last of my late father's surviving sister . Unfortunately no one opened the door when we called . We had to leave the place although we suspected there was some one inside .

I was satisfied with the trip . We were able to meet the old relatives and God willing we hope we could visit them again next year's Hari Raya .

Today is another Hari Raya for me .

I am celebrating another Hari Raya today . Do you know why ? Because I've completed my 6 days of fasting during the Syawal month yesterday . My wife is still fasting today , her sixth day . I am happy I've performed the sunnah fast this year . I have another duty to do , that is to pay zakah which I was determined to do it each year but failed because of unavoidable reasons . I know not all the property that I have belongs to me absolutely . Part of it also belongs to the needy . I would like to share whatever I have with them too . Any way that does not mean I have not been paying zakah all these years . I do but not through the official ( via the Zakah's office ) way .

Age is catching up with me and I am determined to catch up with the loss years of living in ' fantasies ' . If during my younger days I had shirked my responsibilities to God , now I would want to follow strictly to the tenets of Islam . I know it would be almost impossible to catch up with the loss years . At least I would make attempts rather than give up hope . Our Prophet Muhammad ( pbh.) once said God hates people who easily give up hope . I do not want to belong to that category of people .

This week end I intend to go back to my kampong to pay respect to my grandmother's grave and also to visit relatives in Bagan Datok and Teluk Intan . I know I have not been paying them visits for some time because during my working days I was too busy with my ' work ' as not to find time to visit them . Now that I am retired I realized that I have not been fair to them . They are the remaining close relatives that I have in this world and we need to renew our relationships . One of my cousins of my age whom I have not seen for almost 40 years , is now wheel chair bound . He was a graduate school teacher . I would want to visit him in Teluk Intan . I am thankfull to Allah that I am still able to walk about .

May Allah guide me to the right path . The path that He had accepted all the faithfulls to Heaven .

Ameen.

In memory of Opah .

Today , eight years ago on 23rd.October 1999 , my dear grandmother whom we called ' Opah ' passed away at our mother's home in Sabak Bernam . She was then about 90 years old . She died alone in her room without anyone on her bedside ,without anyone to comfort her and without anyone to guide her to recite the ' syahadah ' . She died brocken hearted after feeling dejected because no one seemed interested to care for her . Even her own daughter who was supposed to look after her felt she was a burden to her . As a result she vent her anger on the poor old woman .I do not want to brood over the past because it would only make me angry over someone who had mistreated her .

Actually prior to living with my mother , Opah was staying with me most of the time . She was with me when I was in Muar , Segamat ,Johor Bahru ,Banting and Shah Alam . Of course not all the time . She came and went as she pleased . I do not know why she liked me so much , perhaps because I used to treat her well and entertained her to hear her stories .She liked someone to talk to . However when I was transferred to Port Dickson , she could not follow me because I was then staying alone . My wife remained in Shah Alam for the sake of the school-going children . Even that she did come to stay with me in Port Dickson once when I brought her there for a week or so .

When her health was failing she asked me to send her to my mother's place . Perhaps she was not very comfortable without my presence in the house in Shah Alam .The rest members of my family did not know how to entertain her .But sending her back to the kampong was the biggest mistake that I made which I so much regretted till today . Perhaps she would live longer if she had stayed with my family in Shah Alam .

Any way the majority of her years were with me . She was closed to me . I was told she was the one who brought me up when I was a kid . She would bathed me , fed me and put me to sleep when the time came for me to do so . Even when I was already big child she would also carry me around either on her hips or on her back to pamper me .I was closer to her more than to my mother . She was also closer to me than to my siblings .During the school holidays I would normally stay with my grandmother . She was the one whom I could look forward to . She was my adviser , teacher and mentor . Whenever I had any problem it would be from her that I sought advice .

When I was to get married to my wife she was the one who helped arranged everything . My mother and father were not supportive of my marrying my wife because I was told that they had some one else ( a relative ) in mind . My Opah was the one who did everything from A to Z to ensure that my marriage took place smoothly . My wife should be thankful to her for without her she would not have married me .

She was a strong lady until she had a fall at my brother's house in Subang Jaya during her short stay there . I was later told that she was accidentally pushed by one of my underaged nephews . However ,Opah never complained . After that , I took her back to my house and after finding that she was suffering from pain on her hips , I brought her to the University Hospital Petaling Jaya where she was operated on . An artificial bone ( steel ) was fixed to her hip bone to replace the broken one . However , after the operation she was still in pain and could not walk without the aid of a crutch . The doctor told me that it would take some time for her to adjust to the new affixed artificial bone . From then on I noticed she was not that lively as before . Once a while she would talk about death and told me that her days would come to end soon .Of course I would refute that as nonsence and told her she would live longer to see our ( my children's and mine )successes . She would then told me that she would still see ( from Heaven ) our successes even if she died .

If I were to be asked who was the person that I love most , I would definitely say without hesitation that it was my dear gradmother whom we called Opah . When she passed away I felt I had lost some one very very dear to me in my life . It took some time for me to overcome my sorrows .

Another the thing that I admire most about her was that she was a very kind person . She would want to help others even to the extent that would put her into difficulties .She never complained about others especially her closed ones . She kept all her agonies and sorrows to herself . Being closed to her I knew she was not too happy with some people . She did not want to trouble others . Infact she used to tell me that if she died she did not want to troble us .She had kept some money some money ( which she saved over the years which was more than RM2000/- ) for her burial expenses . I always told her that she should not worry over that because it was our responsiblity that she be given a proper burial .When she died we did not used a single sen from her savings for her burial expenses . I paid everything .

" Opah , you are always in my heart . Each time I go back to the kampong I would visit your grave and would recite the surah ( verse ) ' Yassin ' or the ' Alfatihah ' . Infact it can be said that if it had not been for the purpose of visiting your grave , I would not want to go back there . Opah I pray that you would be among the faithfulls in Heaven . May you rest in peace " .

Ameen .

A tribute to Abah .

( This year's Hari Raya bring back memories of my late father ).


Abah , it's 7 years since you left us,
your departure was a sudden one ,
it shocked us ,
the sorrow on us not easy to overcome .


Abah , how are you there ?
Is it a pleasant one ?
be retuned to the Creator ,
Allah , God the only one .


Abah , you are now in eternity ,
while we are still here .
We miss your company ,
which we cherish forever .


You brought and fed us ,
of which we are thankfull .
Regret we failed to repay the dues,
which you should get in full.


Abah , I feel sorry ,
you did not enjoy your life .
You left us before we could be ready,
to provide you the best .


However , as God says,
" that eternal life is much more fun,
than the worldly life " .
I am sorry most mankind accept that as better than none .


Abah , do not be unduly concerned ,
like you use to be when your were around .
For the seeds of success that you sowed ,
have begun to bear fruit and enable us to fend .


Abah , rest in peace in Heaven ,
Ameen .


Your loving son .

I am not that happy man .

I fasted yesterday am fasting today . I want to complete the six days of fasting (sunnat ) during the Syawal month as soon as possible . Moreover I have discovered that fasting is good for health especially to elderly people like me . I have reduced my weight by about 5 kgs during the fasting month .Besides it is a religious ritual which we will be rewarded by God, it is also beneficial to our health . I am determined that I would try my very best to fast on every Monday and Thursday .

Since the second day of Hari Raya I have been staying at home . I do not have the mood to go out . I just feel I do not know where to go . I spend my time by reading and watching TV . I find solace at home . May be that is how most elderly people like me feel . Azman has gone to Penang to his in-laws place and I do not know whether I want to go JB to send Farin back to her campus this Saturday . May be I would just allow my wife with Aizad to go . Instead I want to find a place somewhere on my own away from distractions . I need to think about myself ( muhasabah diri ) to seek guidance from the almighty on my complicated path life . Perhaps I may go to Port Dickson to fish .

People might think that I am a very happy man because I am staying in a posh bungalow house , having an expensive car and some property , enough cash to spend and have no worries on the future . In actual fact my life is not what as it appears to be . Physically I may look happy but spiritually I am not . I am not very happy looking at the situation of my family . My brothers and sisters are far apart . They are not that good to each other as if they envy at each others success . The not so successful one began to have an inferiority complex and seclude themselves from the others .As a result they shun each other . This is worsened by my mother who should be the unifying factor but took sides and instead became the instigator . Each time I made some effort to unify them by having get togethers and things of that sort were looked upon with suspicions . Some of them including my mother did not even attend my son Azman's wedding last year . Any way that does not dampen my spirit to make another effort to unify the family . I long to see my family as united as before my father's death .

Of late too my wife has been very rude to me and being an old man it hurts my feelings . I do not know what is wrong with her .Some say it is because of her menopause that caused her to be unstable both physically and mentally . I have been very patient . I do not know how long I can tolerate her behavior . If I am not that patient , long ago I would have chucked her away . Sometimes I feel I should live some where on my own . Infact I have been contemplating to live in a ' pondok ' /religious community at a Madarasah in Kelantan / Trengganu /Kedah .Any way that would be a last resort decision . I would still prefer to be home and hope my wife would change her behavior .

Alisya with her mama.

Alisya with her papa.

Azman and Shidah.

Alisya with her Mak Tok

My family on Ist.Day of Hari Raya .

Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2007 ( 1428 H )

As usual the Hari Raya Aidilfitri started with our Aidilfitri's prayer . We ( Azman and I ) decided to perform our aidilfitri prayer at the Selangor state mosque in Shah Alam because we wanted to pay our respect to my late father at the Muslim cemetry in Sec.21, Shah Alam . We reached the mosque at about 7.30 am and it was already crowded . By 8.00 am it was already full . The ladies prayer hall which was at the ground floor was also extra ordinaraly crowded ,the majority of whom were Indonesian factory workers who came by the buses . The Sultan of Selangor and his entourage came slighly before 8.30 am , that was when the prayer was about to begin . It was extremely cold inside the mosque because the airconditoned was set full blast . The prayer went well .However the khutbah was a little bit bored as if the Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor ( JAIS ) who prepared the text ran out of ideas . Some of the Bangladeshis and Indonesians left the prayer hall perhaps because they were either bored or they did not understand what the imam was mumbling .Everything was over by about 9.30 am.

After that we went straight to the Muslim cemetry at Sec.21, Shah Alam . We wanted to reach the place earlier because we wanted to avoid being caught in traffic jams . Unlike the previous years I did not find any difficulty in locating my father's grave . I recited the 'surah Yassin' and read the doa for my late father so that he would be among the faithfulls , rest in peace and be spared from whatever punishment . I miss my father so much . Although he might not be the best father , he had performed his responsibilities to the best of his ability of which I must be very thankful to him .

We came back home at about 10.30 am. Once everything was settled there was this yearly ' ritual ' of asking forgiveness . My wife ,children and their spouses and grand daughter would come to me to beg forgiveness and the young ones would get their angpows .

After that visitors started flowing to my house . Unlike last year the number of visitors were more because my old non Malay friends had found out that I am now living in Klang . I hardly had any time to rest . Close relatives like my brother and sisters in law with their families also came to visit us .

However the second day of Hari Raya was a quiet one and so in the afternoon we went to Puterajaya to visit our niece Asrina and her children . Brothers in law Mahadi and Hassan and uncle Pak Rashid were already there . From time to time the 3 room apartment was buzzing with laughter because the two brothers in law were real jokers . I think they are fit to have a slot -clown programme of their own on our TV .

In the evening after Maghrib prayer we came to Shah Alam at my wife's eldest sister - Cik Cah. There was a big crowd there and there was hardly any space to sit . We were quite contented when we finally managed to sit on the floor at one corner of the house . Again the two jokers cracked some jokes and we laughed heartily .

We came back home late at night .

On the 3rd day of Hari Raya some visitors came in the afternoon . My wife's cousins Raha and Yati and their families came . Later Azman's mother in-law from Penang came with some relatives from Langat . They came in 3 cars .

I have yet the time to visit my immediate neighbours .According to the ' hadith ' of our Prophet Muhammad ( pbh.) our immediate neighbours should be nicely treated .Infact the Prophet ( pbh.) said , it is our responsibility to ensure that our neighbours are having enough food to eat . Each time I asked my wife to accompany me to visit them she would find excuses . I do not know what is wrong with her . She expects people to come to her first . I think she has got some inferiority complex in her which nothing much I can do to help her . I guess I just got to give her an ultimatum - either she follows me or I may go without her . If that is the case I am sure she would never go on her own .

My journey was not an easy one.

This years Hari Raya is just around the corner . It is exactly just 12 days to go . Even this I heard over the TV this morning . I do not realize that we have been fasting for 18 days . Perhaps it is because I am getting old and I am no more eager to celeberate Hari Raya . I guess I do not enjoy Hari Raya as the others do .

Even when I was a kid I did not really enjoy Hari Raya . I could still remember vividly, for us ( me and my siblings , 7 of us ) Hari Raya was just like any other days except that perhaps we were served with meat either chicken or beef as part of the menu . Chicken or beef became part of the menu only twice a year , that was during Hari Raya Idilfitri and Hari Raya Idiladzha / Haji . No Hari Raya clothes for us . Our clothes were just the two pairs of our school uniforms. What a pathetic situation for us . My children may not believe this but I am not ashamed to admit that it is true .Sometimes I would cry if I reminisce of my younger days . I do not blame anyone for the predicaments we were in . My father was just a taxi driver and later became a bus driver while my mother was just a housewife . With a meagre income ( RM.150.00 per month ) it was not enough for our parents to support the seven of us . Being the eldest in the family I felt it was incumbent upon me not to burden them any more and I wanted to get a job as soon as possible . Fortunately for me I did quite well in my Secondary School Entrance Exams ( or UPSR as is known today ) and so was awarded a Federal Minor Scholarship by the Ministry of Education which entitled me to an allowance of RM.30.00 per month .It was in the 1960s and the amount was quite big at that time . My secondary education ( Form 1 - Form 5 ) was practically financed by the scholarship . From there on I changed my mind and determined not only to have a secondary school education but also to proceed further to have a tertiary education .

Nevertheless my journey was not an easy one . All along the way there were challenges I had to face which I am not going to discuss about it here .

Our daughter Farin who is studying at UTM Scudai , Johor would be back on 10th October 2007 for Hari Raya . She is expected to be home till the 20th. October 2007 . At first we were a bit worried that she would not be able to get a bus ticket home because it was announced recently over the TV and the press that there would be a shortage of buses due to the boycot by some bus companies .The bus companies were not satisfied with the government of strict enforcement actions by the JPJ. I would not allow her to drive home because of the distance and the congested roads which could pose danger to her safety. However a few days ago Farin rang up and informed us that she had bought her bus ticket . I guess we would have to send her back to campus on the 20th October . My wife too would want to visit her family in JB too .

The fish rots from it's head .

The former Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Anwar Ibrahim recently ( on 18th.Sept.2007 )revealed the video tape of a conversation between a senior lawyer and a personality who is believed to be the present Chief Justice . The said lawyer was said to have brockered the promotions of certain Judges including the present CJ. This was said to have taken place in 2002 but the VCD was just recently handed over by an informant to Partai Keadilan Rakyat Malaysia ( PKR ) .Incidentally what was said to have been brockered really did came through .What a coincidence ? I don't really think that that was just a coincident .However that made me wonder how powerful was that Indian lawyer . By the way the same lawyer was photographed holidaying in New Zealand with the previous Chief Justice some times ago . I was so curious to know about it and so surf on the internet (tube) which viewed the recordings . I was shocked to know that this state of affair could have really taken place in the highest institution of this country -the institutions which was supposed to be the guardian of the people - the Court . This is supposed to be the last institution where the people could hope for . But now it is all gone . Most of us have lost confidence in the judiciary . Where else could we go to seek redress to our problems since they are now not to be trusted ? What could have happened to the former DPM's trial , the Air Molek case and so many other high profile cases ? They were all craps .

The problem of cronyism and nepotism actually became prominent during the previous PM's eror . Apparently, the same PM was in power in year 2002 . With due respect to the previous PM , although he has done a lot of good things to the country , he has also brought the country into disrepute . In those days cronyism and nepotism was the order of the day . It happened in all government departments and in almost all aspects of life . Getting a job or a promotion was not based on what you know but was rather on whom you know . I could still remember vividly around the same year when my name was submitted by the Personnel Department of my Department to be recomended for a promotion but was turned down not once , but 3-4 times by the then IGP and his ' Promotion Board ' . This was confidentially revealed to me later by a very senior officer . Finally they had to transfer me to Port Dickson on a lateral basis .I could still remember when I was called to Bukit Aman to attend a briefing prior to my departure to PD where the then IGP himself told me that he was sending me to Port Dickson to learn about ' PR ' ( public relations ) . That was his exact word that he told me .What the hell he was talking about PR when I was then already a Superintendant and had been holding positions of OCPDs and Dy. OCPDs and had met and dealt with people of various capacities . Obviously he was implying that I did not know to take care of him and his bunch of cronies . Well that's it . I lost confidence in him but I still went to Port Dickson as OCPD but under protest .That means I would work according to the book . I was also ready to submit my application for early retirement if situation warranted me to do so .

While I was there as OCPD I refused to bow down to political pressures . The UMNO people hated me so much . On one occassion the UMNO of Teluk Kemang applied for a permit to have a funfare in order to collect money for their party's fund . I refused to give them the permit on security ground because normally whenever there was a funfare or anything of that sort , our crime statistic would shoot up . It would also lure youths from the nearby towns to come to PD and commit various crimes such as thefts , especially theft of motor cycles and create social problems . On another occassion ,the UMNO people were not happy with me because I approved permits for the opposition to have political ceramahs . They were not happy because according to them I should not have allowed political ceramahs as it was not election time . I told them that there was no law that forbid political ceramahs during other than election time and that they could also applied for the same permit to counter their ceramahs , if they wished . They refused to do that and they assumed that I was an opposition sympathiser . Infact I did not . I was just doing my job following by the book . As enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution , the people has the right to an assembly and to express their views/feelings . As a result of that they complained to my CPO , Bukit Aman and even to the Prime Minister himself . By then the PM was Dato Sri Abdullah Badawi . Soon after they spread rumours that I was to be transferred out of PD . I could still remember one day I received a call from the ADC of the PM informing me that the PM wanted to see me in his hotel room at the Regency Hotel during one of his visits to PD . I braved myself and went to see him in his hotel room . I told him that I refused to allow myself to be pulled by the nose by anybody and was just doing my job . I thought he understood my position and accepted my explaination since he did not make any comment . To my surprise a few weeks later I received a transfer order to Bukit Aman but with a promotion . I think they had no where else to send me and because of my seniority ( more than 8 years as a Superintendant ) in my rank , they had no choice but to promote me , otherwise I would create more problems for them .

That was then the scenario . The moral behind this story is that , it is no surprise it also happened in the judiciary as reported recently . True to the saying which says the fish rots from it's head .

Holy month of Ramadhan begins .

The holy month of Ramadhan begins on 13th September 2007 . It is the month when Muslims would fast ( abstain from taking food and drink and from indulging in activities considered sinful ) . Our age too is getting older and we do not know how many more Ramadhans we would encounter . My prayers to God have always been that I should be able to see my children or if it is possible my grand children too , grow and be on their own feet .

We went to the local mosque on the eve ( 12th. September 2007 )of the holy month of Ramadhan for the tarawikh prayers . The crowd was unusually large as large as the normal Friday prayers . The remarkably peculiar site was the number of women attending the prayers . It was almost 1/4 th. of the total concregation . The atmosphere inside the mosque was a bit unbearably hot . Obviously , the fans were not enough to make it cool . I was profusely sweating as if I was ploughing the padi field . I guess I would have to change my clothes every day ,otherwise the aroma from it would not be nice the the men next to me . I would also have to choose a position near to the fan or to the door for my next prayer at that mosque . Any way I could perform only 8 ' rakaat ' of tarawikh prayers due to my wife's leg which was in pain . I too have not fully recovered from my knee pain . However I completed my ' tarawikh ' and ' witir ' prayers at home after that .

Back to the village .

We ( me and my wife ) went back to my kampong yesterday ( 3rd.September 2007 ) after more than a year since we were last there . Nothing much changes there . The so called coastal highway roads were still incomplete after about 5 years since it began constructions . There were pot holes every where and the ongoing constructions were very slow .The contractors seemed to be taking their sweet time to complete the upgrading of the roads . I do not know how much of the tax payers money were unscruplously spent for their dubious job . I hope the government of Abdullah Badawi would look into this matter seriously because the people have been waiting for a long time for the completion of the roads . Do not take for granted of the simple kampong people that they would always vote for the BN government . They are now the new generation , well read and well informed kampong people who would shift their loyalty whenever the need arises .

Reaching the kampong , we straight went to the grave of my late beloved grandmother . We recited ' alfatihah ' and prayed that she would rest in peace and be among the faithfuls in heaven .After that we went to the kampong house where my mother lives by herself . She stubbornly stuck to the house although we would prefer she live with us .

We were updated of developments in our family . My brother Samson at 56 , brought his Indonesian girlfriend home to the kampong . Apparently we were told that he was not in talking terms with his wife for more than 4 years now . That probably prompted him to start an affair with the Indonesian lady . He was also not in the good books of our mother now because he had caused a misunderstanding between my brother in-law Makmor and her . It all started when my mother suggested ( this suggestion was told to my brother Samson only ) that my sister Fadzilah should named the inheritants to her property since she and her husband were childless . My mother obviously had in mind that she named her favourite grandchildren ie. my sister Narimah's children . The problem with my mother is that she practices favouritism on her grandchildren . My mother did not expect that Samson would tell Makmor of her suggestion .As a result of that , Makmor felt some one else outside was out to interfere into his family affairs . When Fadzilah came to know of the suggestion she too was not very pleased with my mother .

The above happened because of greed of worldly wealth . My mother should not have interfered into the affairs of my brother-in-law's family . The property of his wife, is his prerogative . It is up to him to decide who should inherit .

I am happy and relieved now because I have settled whatever misunderstandings I had with my mother . I had asked for forgiveness by kissing her hands if I had done any mistake or hurt her feelings ( although to my mind I had none ) . Now that our relationship is good , I hope she would not start a new row with me any more .

We love her .

Last night our daughter Eileen left Malaysia for Dublin to continue her 4th.Year of Medicine at the University College, Dublin , Ireland . All members of my family were at the airport to bid her farewell . She was in Malaysia for about 2 months for her holidays . No matter whatever misunderstandings that we have had between us , we still love her . We love her not because she is pursuing a noble profession but most of all we love her just because she is our daughter . At times I admit I felt so hurt and heart break due to her behavior which did not conform to our expectations . Sometimes I cried in silence blaming myself why I had failed to bring her up to be a good and obedient child . Frankly , my other children had not caused me to be in such a predicament as hers. I had almost gave up on her .Luckily God was always there to pacify me and to give me guidance in handling such a situation .She was also at loggerheads with her mother and I knew my wife cried in silence too . Sometimes I just pretended not to notice that tears were flowing from her eyes . However ,I was always there to coax her to bring her back to her feet .

I do not intend to brood on the past and my only hope is that she would concentrate on her studies .She should make it as a priority because only that would ensure her of a bright future .She would be making a grave mistake if she has other priorities . I do not want her to complicate her life with other matters .

May Allah guide and protect her . Amin .

A letter to Eileen.

( This letter was meant for our daughter Eileen before her departure back to Dublin .It was handed to her before she boarded the plane .)

24th.August 2007.

Eileen,

Assalamualaikum.......................................and I wish you a safe journey back to Dublin. I hope you are happy and eager to begin the new semester of your studies . I have always reminded you that your main task now is to complete your medical studies more than anything else .It would be a sad thing if you have any other priority other than why in the first place you were sent to Dublin .

Ever since I came to know of your relationship with that Kelantan man I was so stressed, worried and sad as to why ,you were so stupid as to allow yourself to get involved into a relationship which could interfere or may even disrupt your studies ? Why allow yourself into a situation that would only complicate your life ? I reckon you were worried that you would not be able to find a husband if you wait till you graduate. Don't you know of a ' hadith' that says , God decides for us on 3 matters ie. our bounties ( rezeki ) , life and death ( ajal & maut ) and marriages ( jodoh pertemuan ) . God already decide for us on these 3 matters , thus we should not worry too much over it because that is not our work/job . That is God's job . Just because you are so worried about the matter , you simply catches anyone that passes by , without realizing that you could be making a big mistake and that you would regret it later on . Now , one of the criteria that our Prophet Muhammad ( pbh.) have laid down in choosing a life partner is what we termed it as ' kufu ' or sekufu which literally means status or suitability either in terms of disparity of income , education , intellectuality and social standings . How can there be a sekufu if for example he only attain a SPM qualification ? You would then be thinking on different wave-lengths which could lead to a conflict . This may sounds trivial but it would really have a big impact on your relationship later on , otherwise our Prophet Muhammad ( pbh.) would not have listed that as a criteria . So , before committing yourself further into the matter , you should really-really think hard and wisely so that you would not regret later on .

You must ask yourself would your parents want to see you lead a unhappy life ? No normal parents would want to see their children unhappy. They would want the best for their children .So, please be reasonable and heed their advice .For the moment you should not think of anything else except your studies . Why should you be unduly worried over something which is not within your domain/power ? After all most of your colleagues are still not yet married ? Why should you want to follow in the footsteps of those few who are married , which does not necessarily mean that they have made the wise decision ? Now a days , ladies should not put too much faith in marriages . We can see around us of so many failed marriages .Therefore you must equip yourself with a good education which would guarantee you of a good , stable income and a bright future. Unlike those men of yester years, most men today are lacking in responsility qualities and they only look for shortcuts in order to have a good life .

For heaven's sake please do not make a decision which does not have the blessings of your parents . It would hurt us hard and would not be easily forgiven if that happens .Rather then being proud of your achievement , it would however bring us shame . Remember the sacrifices of your parents to see you through in getting the scholarship to be where you are. Do not think it is easy for a retired man like me setting aside a few thousand ringgits every year so as to enable you to fly home to be with us . We have to dig down deep into our pockets from the little savings that we have , just for your convenience . Don't you feel guilty that you could have deprived your younger sibling of that covenience too . Therefore please remember the sacrifices of your parents and that of your siblings too . So do you still want to break their hearts .

As parents we do not want anything in return from our children .We would just want to see them lead happy lives . That is sufficient to make us happy . I have always reminded your mother that we should not expect anything from our children . We should be able to sustain our lives from our own resources till the end of day .Our only request now is for you to concentrate on your studies so as to enable you to bring home the scroll ( degree ) that would ensure you of a good future . Without that , that man of yours would probably abandon you too .

I have said long enough and I hope you would understand what I have been trying to put across . I have been saying from my heart and it was done with sincerity . I hope you will accept this positively .

May Allah bless and protect you . Amin .

Dad.

p/s. Enclosed EU 500/- to start with your new semester .

The passing away of a fighter for the downthrodden.

12th. August 2007 was a date to be remembered not only by our family but also by many Malaysians who cares for the downthroddens . The late Abdul Razak Ahmad ( my wife's half brother ) who dedicated most of his life for the cause of the downthroddens passed away peacefully at about 1.20 am. at the Tuanku Aminah Hospital,Johor Bahru. In actual fact ,I have heard of his name long before I got married to my wife and I have been admiring him since then . It has been my passion to read and reasearch on personalities who sacrifices for a noble cause . That is why personalities like the late Ibrahim Yaakub , Pak Sako , Ahmad Boestamam ,Dr.Burhanuddin Al-Hilmi ,Prof.Zulkifli Mohamad and even so-called Communists like Rashid Maidin, Shamsiah Fakeh ,Musa Ahmad and many more who were the pioneers of freedom fighters of this country .They were responsible for fanning the spirit of patriotism/nationalism in this country .For obvious political reasons their names were almost obliterated from our history books . In actual fact they were the unsung heroes for independence of this country . In the case of the late Abdul Razak Ahmad , he was fighting for the rights of those people from the low class of society who have no way to go to , to seek for redress . Abdul Razak found it incumbent upon him to lend his hand to help .Since he was a lawyer , he would provide them to have access to justice in a Court of Law .

Although I was not close to the late Abdul Razak Ahmad I could feel how his perceptions about life and what he fought for . Due to my profession as a Police officer people might think that we were in the opposite camps . But they did not know that deep inside my heart I feel I belong to that camp too . Only fate that made us land into the opposite camps .

Now that he had gone , not only that I have lost a person whom I had admired so much but also a senior member of the family . I hope and pray that his souls would rest in peace . Amin .

Ladies ,beware of opportunists .

What has been boggling my mind of late is why the present generation do not seem to understand the predicaments of their parents . They seem to forget that their parents are now retired and earning only a 1/3 of what they used to earn . Despite our explainations to them ,they refuse to understand the situation . They seem to think that we are as wealthy as before . They expect the same amount of pocket money for them to spend . We do not mind much too if they spend on useful things but they like to waste unnecessarily . They go shopping as if they are already working and earning .They frequent the mega supermarkets which are away from their houses .They fail to understand how hard it is to earn . Much more now that we do not earn any more except depending on our meagre pensions .With the rate of inflation in this country now ,most of us are badly hit by it . Since then we have tightened our belts to make ends meet .

Their attitude is perhaps due to their social activities .They use to mix with children of well to do families and they would feel out of place if they do not retain the same status . They fail to understand and accept the fact that they no more belong to that category or class of people .They look at material wealth as something the most to look for in this world .They are quick to form an opinion of someone who throw them with presents as someone who is good and generous and someone to look for .Their eyes are easily blinded by that so called generosity.They do not realize that , that person could be laying a trap on them . They forget that what makes a person successful in life is not the money or the wealth . What matters most is his/her attitude and character . No matter how rich and wealthy one is , if his/her character is down in the drain ,people would not look upon him /her . Even a multi millionaire could become bankrupt if he or she does not know how to take care of his/her property properly . As the Malay proverb says ,' Even a mountain load of wealth would be finished if it is plundered daily without consideration for the future ' .

The attitude of these children towards their parents is worrying .They do not heed the advice of their parents . They think that just because they are educated ,more so having an overseas education , they think all their decisions are right and do not need their parent's advice any more . They seem to forget that their parents had already tasted and undergone trials and tribulations of life much earlier . Due to their experience in life they could almost sense whether some one is sincere or not .They seem to forget that in this world there are opportunists out there looking for some one to prey on . Present day men has been noted as those who would look for someone whom thay could depend on .Men of today are different from those men of yester years . My generation of men( except for the few ) were those who were very responsible towards their families .They were the bread winners and the providers of their families . But today most of them are lazy and looking for shortcuts for an easy life by looking for wives whom they could depend on for survival .Thus they prefer marrying career ladies .That is why most of the housewives today are working . As such the ladies of today should be wary of them so that they would not regret later on . With due respect to the Kelantanese , the ladies are the bread winners of their families . This can be seen at the Kota Baru Central Market .The majority of the businesses are run by the ladies . This can also be seen at the shops in towns and villages most of the businesses whether big or small , are handled by the women /housewives . Their ladies had to slog from dawn till dusk and sometimes even longer but they waste their time at the coffee shops talking ' politics( nuts ) '. How do you expect the state of Kelantan to develop if they do not change their attitude ? Strangely , that attitude persists till today .It is hard to change them because it is already instill into their thick brain - to refuse changes .I am not against all Kelantanese but that is the fact of the the majority of them . Having been in the force for a number of years and having ample opportunity mixing with them till some of whom are even my good friends too , I know their characters pretty well . Under the pretext of following the footsteps of the holy Prophet Muhammad( pbh.) , they like to marry more than once or easily get divorce and marry another . It would be a bit odd for a Kelantanese man to marry an outsider because their ladies are much more cute and beautiful than from anywhere else . If they still do they must be up to something .

Recent price increases of essentials has been bothering most Malaysians.

Lately rising cost of living has been bothering most Malaysians . Price of things especially essential food items has been spiralling on the upword trend . Today over the TV3 Prime News was announced the price increse of batteries for vehicles .Reason for the price increase was because of the increase in price of plumbums in the world market .Obviously this price increase would snowballed into price increases of other related goods and services. The Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumers Affairs has failed the Malaysian public . Cries for affirmative actions on the part of the Enforcement Division of the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumers Affairs has turned into deaf ears . The Ministry which is headed by a Sabahan has been ineffective . He only talks big but no action . It is high time for the Prime Minister to remove him and ship him back to where he comes from . The rakyat is suffering . The recent salary increments ( more appropriately called salary adjustments ) of government servants has failed to lessen any burden . Before they could enjoy the benefits ,retailers had already impose price increases of essential food items .

Over the same TV news today we were informed of the death of 5 in a family as a result of a fire in Kluang ,Johor. Electricity supply to the family's house was cut off by Tenaga Nasional for failure to pay the bills.The family had deferred payment of the bills because of the need of their 3 children who were studying in universities and college .The eldest at UPM , the second one at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn ,Batu Pahat and another at a Matriculation College . The husband was just a factory worker while the wife was a helper at a food stall .As a result they had to resort to using candles . Unfortunately this incident happened , when their house caught fire killing husband and wife and 3 of their children .This was a very pathetic incident which should not have happened in the so called rich and prosperous Malaysia . I wonder whether the TNB has any inkling of guilt feeling at all beacuse of their action , which had cost the lives of 5 innocent people .I almost cried learning of the poor parents who had sacrificed their lives for their children's education . Now that those remaining children are now left helpless as their only breadwinner ,their parents had gone .I wonder what would happen to them . I hope and pray that any good samaritan would come forward to assist them to continue with their education .

I know and understand well how it is to be poor because I was once also very poor . Only determination and our good education had lifted us from that pathetic situation .

This fateful incident should be an eye-opener for the government ,how serious the situation is that the rakyat has to live with .Many more incidents of similar nature would happen again in the future if the government fails to curtail the inflation rate of this country .

The passing away of a good uncle .

On 8th.Aug.2007 at about 5.00 pm. I received a call from my brother Muttakin informing me that our uncle Hj.Hussein was critically ill at the Ampang ,Hospital . A few minutes later I was informed by my cousin Yassin that our uncle had passed away . I was stunned for a moment and felt very sad upon hearing of his death because he was my last late father's surviving brother .

Spontaneously, I told my wife I wanted to visit his remains at his house in Kg.baru Ampang,Kuala Lumpur to show our last respect for him and that she should follow me . I was sad whe she told me that we should not go that day but to wait till the next day for his burial .I told her I might not be able to sleep that night if did not go because that uncle meant so much to me .Finally , after much argument and a small quarrel she agreed to go with me after our Maghrib prayers .We reached Kg.Baru ,Ampang just in time for me to perform mass Isyak prayers at the mosque just opposite my late uncle's house . After the prayer we went to the house . I then recited the verse 'Yassin' for my late uncle and pray to Allah that he would be accepted among the good faithfulls . We went back home at about midnight .We decided not to attend the burial .

The last time I saw my late uncle was about a year ago when he came to our house during my son's wedding . He was around 80 years old . He was the owner of a tailoring shop in Jalan Raja Muda , in Kuala Lumpur . My late uncle stayed almost 15 years in Mecca and Cairo where he had a tailoring shop there too .When he returned to Malaysia in the 1960s he continued his tailoring business in Kuala Lumpur .He got married a bit late and he is survived by his wife and five children . His only son is now following his footsteps to continue the family business .

What makes me feel indebted to him was whenever I came to Kuala Lumpur for my interview either to continue my studies or for a job , I would stay in his house ,then at Kg.Baru . This was because his house was the nearest to the venue of my interview . I still remember his house at that time which was just a wooden squatter house . When his house was demolished to let go for development he was allocated a piece of land at Kg.Baru ,Ampang ,where his house is today .

Like my late father , my uncle did not talk much . A very soft spoken person but very kind at heart . One thing good about him was I could see him at almost every weddings of our relatives .

Now ,I have lost a good uncle whom we would look for , either for advice or blessings . Perhaps it is my turn to be the old man in the family ,whom they ( the younger generation ) would look for .

Well , that is life . May Allah accept him among the good faithfulls . Amin .

Quick updates .

I have not been updating my blog for some time due to my busy schedule . Nothing much significant happened .Our daughter Eileen Farhana is back from Dublin for her long holidays . She would be going back to Dublin in early September 2007 to continue her 4th Year medical studies .

Our daughter Farin has reported back to her university at UTM Skudai after her 2 months holiday, to continue her 3rd.Year Electrical Engineering course . This time we allowed her to bring her Perodua Kembara which I officially gave her , to her campus to facilitate easy access to her classes . Any way I drove the car all the way down to Johor Bahru . I came back to Klang by express bus the next day .

On 21st July 2007 we went to Seremban to attend my old colleague ,Dato Kamarulzaman's son wedding . He married the NTV7 news reader Normanizam Dali . I had the opportunity to meet some of my old friends and subordinates who also attended the reception . As we were in Seremban we also took the opportunity to go to my wife's half sister Faridah's house . She was obviously surprised to see us at her house without prior notice . Unfortunately her husband Zaki was not at home . Any way it was a nice gesture on our part trying to unite the family .

On 28th July 2007 we ( my wife and Shidah ,Azman's wife )went to Serdang, Kedah to attend my former police detective Jamaluddin's daughter's wedding .Azman could not follow us as he he was having classes at UiTM ,Shah Alam where he is doing his MBA . For long I have been longing to see Jamaluddin in his house in Kedah . He is now retired and settled in his own village . Although we worked together only for a number years that was when I was posted to Segamat, Johor in the 1970s , the short stint had a great impact on me .It was from him that I learned the tricks of the trade of Police work . Day and night we were either on crime prevention rounds or laying in ambush for the criminal suspects .Then we would have our meals together . He is so dear to me and I regard him as a brother ( abang angkat ) .Jamaluddin retired much earlier than me and we were out of touch for a good number of years after that.He kept away from me because I was unable to fulfill his requests for a transfer and promotion .When I left Segamat he was also left in a corner by the officers there so much so that he was reverted into the uniform branch . I managed to trace him back in Serdang last year through the good office of DSP Zainal ,the OCPD of Serdang who happened to be my former subordinate officer in Bukit Aman .Last year when my son Azman got married he and his family came to see us in Penang and became part of our entourage to the bride's house . Now we are in constant in touch via the phone.

After about 3 hours in Jamaluddin's house , we then left for Penang . In Penang ,I had difficulty getting a hotel room as most of them were fully booked . It seemed that there was a Christian's holy celeberation ( St.Anne's ) and worshippers came all over the country . Luckily we managed to get the last room at Naza Hotel in Tg.To' Kong . After a refreshing bath and prayer , we sent Shidah to her house at Baya Baru which was in the vicinity of USM . It was a 5 storey flat and her family was on the 4th floor . I met her father downstairs for a while . As he was quite busy with his work , I left him and went up to his house . After being served with coffee and fried cempedak we left to go back to our hotel . On the way we stopped at a Nasi Kandar restaurant to have our dinner . We noticed that the price of food in Penang was still cheaper than anywhere else .

The next morning Shidah came to our hotel room with her father . Shidah's father apologised to us because he was unable to be with us in his house the previous day as he was busy with his work , selling durians .

We left Penang at about 12.00 noon . On our journey home we stopped at Kuala Kangsar town to buy some handcrafts and ' labu Sayong ' -drinking water container . We reached home at about 8.30 pm .

Grand daughter Alisya posing in her Chinese outfit.

Taking a rest infront of a shopping complex in Beijing.

At the Panda Zoo.

Infront of the 2008 Olympic Stadium.

The Ladies in our group.

At the Great Wall of China

At the Great Wall of China