SAHOCA 27: ISMAIL IBRAHIM'S WEDDING FEAST

Haji Ismail Ibrahim who has a pace maker embodied on him, diligently receiving his guests while sitting down . The mutton kurma that Mat Ka has brought for Bakaq savoury.

From left: Ismail Ibrahim, Ad Tot and Hashim Murad.

From left: Hashim Murad, Ismail Ibrahim, Pak Ya Kalut, Ad Tot and Bakaq Aloq Belat

Bakaq Aloq Belat enjoying his popularity at Hotel Seri Malaysia


Bakaq's personlised coffee mug at Hotel Seri Malaysia

In conforming to our mutual agreement made on the 1^st May 2010, the classmates of SMOne 1956 converged on Haji Ismail Ibrahim’s house at Lorong Sepakat, Jalan Datuk Kumbar on Saturday, 5^th. June 2010 at 2.00 pm. After Halim’s Dollah’s departure back to Kuala Lumpur on the Thursday night (03.06.2010), I took over the role of fetching Bakaq Aloq Belat at his home in Bakar Bata.

Bakaq was at ease at the feast because he could converse in his mother’s tongue with his associate Mat Ka, Ismail Ibrahim’s son in law. Although Bakaq was close to Mat Ka, but he did know that Mat Ka is the son in law of Haji Ismail Ibrahim until he attended the wedding feast.

At Ismail Ibrahim’s house, Harun Ali and Shariff Puteh were already there to receive us. Later on, Pak Ya Kalut, Hashim Murad and Ad Tot joined us at the table. We were quite sad because the prime mover of our SMOne 56 third reunion, Halim Dollah could not attend the wedding feast. However, Ismail Ibrahim consoled us by telling us that he has another four weddings to go.

Hashim Murad could not attend our third reunion on the 1^st May 2010 for reasons only best known to him although he did received our invitation. I failed to contact Hashim Murad by phone because he has changed his phone number. For our convenience, Hashim Murad furnished me with his latest mobile phone number. The irony of the episode was that I came to know that Hashim Murad is related to Bakaq only at the wedding feast. Otherwise I should have asked for assistance from Bakaq who could then effortlessly has contacted Hashim Murad. Whatever it was, our intention of having informal gatherings among the classmates of SMOne 56 has a very favourable beginning.

After the wedding, I have another surprise from Bakaq when he invited me for a cup of coffee tarik at Hotel Seri Malaysia. Since 1956, Bakaq has shown his natural flair in his public relation skills and at Hotel Seri Malaysia Bakaq did not fail to impress me.with his PR skills. He could even removed the No Parking sign at the hotel lobby for my convenience in parking my car. Even the very satisfying coffee tarik of Hotel Seri Malaysia Alor Setar was derived from Bakaq’s home brewed coffee. Adding to my astonishment, Bakaq even has his own personalised coffee mug stamped with his name ‘Dato’ Abu Bakar’.

Kudos to Abu Bakar Yaacob who hails from Kampung Alor Belat which only has the facility of KTM Railway Halt back in 1956 for the main means of transport to the outside world. While disembarking from the train during our university days, Bakaq used to jump from the train first when the train has slowed down for a very brief stop at Aloq Belat while we then threw his baggage down after him. Those were the days.

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