SAHOCA 25: CLOSER LOOKS AT SMI 56

During our SMOne 1956 Reunion in 2002 at Hotel Seri Malaysia, Haji Yaacob informed us that his utmost dream in life was to become a millionaire. We were baffled whether he really meant what he said. Haji Yaacob was a retired teacher but he does inherited some agricultural land from his late father. During my tenure as the District Officer of Kubang Pasu (1990-1995) I used to see Haji Yaacob coming often to the District Office to settle the disputes of land ownership with his other siblings.

When we enquired about the means that he would use to achieve his dream, Haji Yaacob gladly said that he has enough savings from his entire career as a teacher and also from the produce of his vast land. He has invested his entire savings into Amanah Saham Nasional. From his calculation, he would become a millionaire in a few years time based on the amount of dividends that he would derive from his ASN shares.

Sure enough when I asked Haji Yaacob about his dream in 2002 at our third reunion on 1^st. May 2010, Haji Yaacob contentedly told us that he has already achieve his dream to become a millionaire. Apart from that, Haji Yaacob also told us that he has built his million dollar dream house in Kampong Sungai Baru and he has also acquired the disputed hereditary lands . We were really proud and happy that our classmate has achieved that status quo without being a businessman but instead through his sheer frugal thrifty way of life for the past fifty years.

Meanwhile in the same breath, we also wondered whether Haji Yaacob is really enjoying the fruits of his labour. Although Haji Yaacob is a millionaire but Haji Yaacob does not drive a car but instead travel around on his old faithful kapcai motorbike. His hearing is also impaired and we have to raise our voices when communicating with him.

Whereas in contrast we have another classmate Abdul Halim Abdullah who rides around on his superbike or his caravan visiting places when ever he desires. He would also go to any extend just to have his foods which he really admires such as Mutabak Pak Awang in Changloon. Halim rode his superbike from Penang to Changloon just to have the taste of Mutabak Pak Awang during the fasting month. When I asked Halim about the identity of Mustabak Pak Awang, Halim told me just to watch the mutabak stall which has the customers queuing to buy the murtabak and not the other way round whereby the murtabak were piled up queuing and waiting for the customers.

Apart from his mode of transportation and foods, Halim enjoys his golf and also his hobby of music and carpentry. He has also took up the challenge to become a Global Malay that has been ardently propagated by Tun Dr. Mahathir just by having Japanese and Australian in laws. The morale of the story is that every classmate of ours should enjoy the fruits of their labour according to their likes and fancy within the parameter of Islam when we have crossed the bonus age of sixty four and above.

Haji Yaacob bin Haji Mohamed.
He resides in Kampong Sungai Baru, Gunung. He has 4 children with 9 grand children. He was already a Haji before he registered as a student of SMOne in 1956.

Haji Yaacob's dream bungalow in Kampong Sungai Baru, Gunung.

Haji Abdul Halim bin Abdullah
He resides in Kelana Jaya, Selangor but frequented hi summer house in Bandar Darulaman, Jitra. He has 4 children with 6 grand children. He has gone through double angioplasty procedure

Vision of tranquility from the veranda of Halim's house beside Darulaman Golf Green

Abu Bakar Yaacob.
He resides in Jalan Kolam renang, Bakar Bata. He has 5 children with 3 grand children. Abu Bakar's favourite daily place of rendezvous is Warung Cucur Udang at Bakar Bata.

Harun bin Ali
He resides in Tanjung Bendahara, Alor Setar. He has 6 children with 6 grand children.
He has a very good memory of SMOne class and he is very energetic in locating his classmates

Yahaya Ahmad B.
He resides in Tanjung Bendahara. He has 4 children with 8 grand children. He has also gone through by pass operation


Ismail bin Ibrahim
He resides at Jalan Datok Kumbar. He has 9 children with 6 grand children. He is aided by a pace maker for his heart problem

Ibrahim bin Subhan
He resides at Taman Golf. He has 4 children with 9 grandchildren.

Shamsuddin Hussein @ Din Dongga
He resides at Bandar Darulaman. He has 7 children with 10 grandchildren. He is the most prolific student of SMOne 1956 with the most number of grandchildren

Annuar Khamis
He resides at Taman Aman, Pendang. He has 4 children with 5 grandchildren

Mohd. Saad Shafie @ Ad Tot
He resides at Jalan Tunku Bendahara @ Jalan Maxwell, Alor Setar. He has 6 children. Saad has gone through heart by pass operation


Shariff Saad
He resides at telok Kechai. He has 5 children with 6 grandchildren