REMEMBRANCE SERIES 11: NANA

Four years old Nana

Like mother like daughter. Four years old Nur Aisyah

Nana, a student of Sultanah Asma Secondary School,

Alma mater of her mother and three aunties.

Today is Nana's birthday and we would like to share the fond memories of our Nana.

1. Former Headmistress of SAS, Hajjah Nasriah Maghribi still remembers Nana vividly. For a teacher like Nana, there are only two factors whereby a teacher would remember his or her former student. The first factor is when any of his/her students were above average in both academic or co-curriculum during his/her school days. The other factor is when a student was very naughty beyond redemption during his/her school days.

Zam was thinking about the two main factors when she asked the reason that makes Hajjah Nasriah remembers Nana. However , Hajjah Nasriah gave us a unique answer beyond our imagination. Hajjah Nasriah remembers Nana for her part in becoming the main witness for a 'flasher' episode in her school. The flasher incidence occured one evening when I was late to fetch Nana at school.

2. Nana by nature is an adventurous person even at her early age. When she was in Form One, she took her brother, Shiwar for a bus ride to the PKNK Office in Serbanika Building to visit her auntie Rohani. After visiting her auntie, they took a trishaw ride to her grandmother's house in Kampung Pisang. As she has limited cash in hand, her grandmother has to fork out the the trishaw fare.

3. When Zam and I were performing our Haj in 1992, my children were left under the care of Nana who was just 19 years. Nana has already a valid driving licence. With Zam's car Daihatsu Charade TF 735, Nana took her siblings back to my Kampung Hutan Setali for the Aidiladha celebration. Her auntie, Hindon got a shock of her life when she found out Nana has only RM 2.00 with her yet she dared to go around visiting her relatives..

4. Her positive attitude towards life made us worried when she was an undergraduate at USM. One evening, she phoned us from the telephone booth at Alor Setar North Toll Plaza requesting us to bring some money for her to pay the toll charge. She has come back to Alor Setar from USM Penang without having enough money to pay her highway toll. During her semester break, she even took a bus ride alone from Kuantan to Betong, Pahang to visit her antie, Bi Za. It was her first trip to Bentong.

5. During one of the racial flare up incidences in Jelutong,Penang I phoned to Nana asking about her where about and also about her personal safety. I was shocked to find out Nana was joy riding around Penang Island together with her 5 lady friends. She was oblivious to any untowards incidence in Penang.

6. Like my mother, Nana also has the negative habit of conserving her grudge longer if some body touches the raw nerve of her feelings. During her lower sixth in SAS, one of her uncles chided her by saying that she would not be successful in her pra university exam because she liked to spend her free time watching TV. She took up her uncle's negative comment as a challenge to her and she has finally proved her uncle's prophecy was wrong when she was accepted by USM. Her policy of forgiven but not forgotten hold water until today whereby her resentment towards her uncle is still an amber in her heart.

7. What ever it is, Nana is still a very obidient and respectful daughter to us whereby we do really cherish her positive attitude towards us. We are proud that Nana has also carried the flame her grand father's firm grasp of integrity in performing her responsibilty as a teacher. Like her parents and aunties, Nana has also been awarded the excellent service award last year.

8. Nana has also improved tremendously on her skill of compereing official functions. Gone are the days when Nana used to ask for my guidance in protocol and rhymes. She is now a capable teacher and a lovable mother who can stand firmly on her own two feets. We in the family are very proud to have a responsible daughter and sister like NANA.

Motherly advice to Nana in solving frequent on board fightings

SIBLING SERIES 12: RELUCTANT CARETAKER

The old faithful

I bought this wheel chair in Makkah in 1995 especially for Mak while we were performing the Umrah. After Mak's demise in 2000, I brought it back to my house in Pumpong. After serving my mother faithfully for five years, it is still in its prime condition and has served faithfully to all temporary disabled persons in our family. The old faithful has also its own fond memories by itself.

In 1995, my family and Nami's family has decided to perform the Umrah. Zam was more confident if Mad was around in any of our overseas trip. To Zam, Mat was our only super hero that could take care of us in any calamity that may arise while abroad. Mat indeed proved his worth when he facilitated Ezman's return from Brisbane when Ezman came down with small pox while in Australia.

Mad (MAS Executive) accompanying us to the airport on our way to perform the Haj in 1992

I brought along all my three children i.e Nana (21 yrs), Ezwar (17 yrs) and Ezman (11 yrs.). Nami also brought all her three children ie. Alun, Azira and Alin. After consulting with my children, they agreed to my suggestion of bringing Mak to perform the Umrah. My children verbally agreed to the undertaking of looking after my late mother as I was also not in the best condition of health.

The Umrah was an eleven day trip i.e. from 16.11.1995 to 25.11.1995. Since Mat was a MAS executive, naturally we left it entirely to Mat to make the necessary arrangements for the Umrah trip. We agreed with Mat to have our Umrah trip organised by an established tour company owned by Haji Nasrun who was residing with his family in Makkah. Initially, Mak was not very happy with the duration of the Umrah. Haji Nasrun himself met us at the Jeddah Airport when we arrived on the evening of 16.11.1995. We were very lucky indeed as Haji Nasrun was very accommodating with us. After we have performed the Umrah successfully, Mak changed her prior opinion but instead told us that she very very contented with the Umrah.

As Mak was having problems with her knees, I decided to buy her a wheel chair in Medinah which cost about RM 550.00. Since Medinah city has a flat level topography, we did not encounter any problem with my children's duty of pushing Mak on the wheel chair. Nana would push Mak in the Nabawi Mosque while Shiwar would push Mak for the out door journey. Mak was in cloud nine when Haji Nasrun's spouse pushed her to the Raudah every day while we were in Medinah.

Problems did arise in Mekkah where the land topography was more hilly and undulating. One fine morning, while pushing Mak down hill, there was a temporary lapse when Shiwar did let go the handles of the wheel chair without putting on the braking pads. There were chaos when the wheel chair made its way by itself down the hill with Mak screaming on it. Luckily, Alun who was then a very agile pre-gout sportsman rushed to the rescue. Since then, Mak did not has faith any more in Shiwar and the wheel chair was out of bound to him. Mak was indeed very happy with the new sets of helping hands of Alun and Azira.

Looking back at the comical episode while browsing back at Shiwar's slumber tricky style, we then should be thinking whether it was indeed one of Shiwar's tricky ploy or it was actually a genuine lapse of concentration of on the part Shiwar. Only Shiwar alone could answer to this one million dollar question. What ever it was, to Mak, Alun was her hero of the day and she liked to relate that particular episode to us repeatedly.

The Mekkah's episode was not the only incidence of Mak and Shiwar. Shiwar was used to take care of Mak when she was warded in PPU and he used to accompany Mak at night time. Shiwar and his cousin Bang Daus accompanied Mak at the PPU ward one night but instead both of them slept soundly during the night. As a result, Mak fell down from her bed during the wee hours of the morning without the two of them realising it. Say what we like, after her demise, we found only three photographs in Mak's wallet i.e. Norin, Najwa and Shiwar. So it is an established fact that Shiwar, the reluctant care taker, was indeed one of her favourite grand sons even to her final breaths.

SIBLING SERIES 11: PLKN

National Service Training (PLKN) has a very noble objective of improving the character of trainees, their ability to work in teams and enhancing their understanding on cultures and religions of other races. These understandings would definitely enhance racial unity of the country and strengthen the spirit of nation building.

PLKN trainings will also instill in them a sense of patriotism as it would increase their appreciations on the sacrifices of the armed forces, police and other various uniformed bodies of the government. Our youth would benefit tremendously from this program physically and psychologically.

PLKN programme will also speed up the realization of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib “1 Malaysia’" concept. The concept stresses on unity and integration of races, religions and cultures to become one Malaysian race. The Director General of The National Service Training Department, Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang said a survey showed that the programme had been successful in promoting this concept as 85% of the 384,504 trainees that has undergone the PLKN trainings admitted that it had united them. Two of the trainees that concurred with these findings were the descendants of Haji Yaacob.

PLKN has also a deep impact on Haji Yaacob’s family as four of his great grand children were chosen to participate in the PLKN programs. The first Haji Yaacob descendant to be chosen as the pioneer participant was Nami's youngest son, Azril Nizam (Alin). Consequently three others were chosen for this year’s training programme i.e. Amalina, Lin and Farhana. Amalina has to undergo the PLKN training at Bukit Besar Camp, Kulim while Lin has to undergo PLKN training at Padang Besar Camp, Perlis. I was made to understand that Farhana was still searching for various escapism clauses whereby she would be exempted from the third phase of PLKN training in the middle of the year (2009).

Abang used to remind his nephews and nieces that PLKN programme is very beneficial to the trainees. If you were chosen, then you should consider yourself very lucky and grab it without any winkling. You should not think yourself as the unfortunate ones or even as bad omens for you. Abang cited that in the western countries, you have to pay by the thousands for the summer camp participation. Here in Malaysia, you are very fortunate indeed because it is free and you are also being paid a monthly allowance of RM 150.00. Abang's advice was that you should grab the opportunity and not feeling sad about it.

On 28 Disember 2008, both parents i.e Amalina and Lin accompanied their daughters to the pick up point at Stadium Darul Aman. In the early morning, Ezman also went to the Stadium to witness his cousins’ departure to the two camps or rather with the sinister intention of teasing them. We wanted to go to Noraini's house that evening but following Ezman’s advice, we dared not go to Kampung Pisang as the tears of Amalina’s father, Wan Mansur was still flowing freely even during the evening. We did not want to make matters worsened for the sorrowful couple.

Although he has physically let go off Amalina, yet psychologically he has not let Amalina go. He is too possessive of his only daughter as he still regards Amalina as still a little girl that has to be protected round the clock. Whereas physically and mentally, Amalina is already a grown up lady who can look after herself independently. Coming June, surely Amalina would leave them to continue her tertiary education. So indirectly, PLKN training programme has also provided the training ground for the couple in preparing for the eventual separation of Amalina who would then pursue her tertiary education away from home.

In order to douse their sorrows, so both Wan Mansur and Noraini visited Amalina at the Bukit Besar Camp every Saturday without fail. There were not simple social visits but there were instead more like humanitarian aid programs. They would bring along favourite foods of Amalina that would also cater for the needs of the other trainees. As such, every Saturday, Amalina and closed friends would wait anxiuosly at the camp without touching the camp's foods. On the other hand Noraini has also to endure five grueling hours of waiting without going to the squatting toilets which were sacred to her.

Under the watchful eyes and concern of her parents and also due to her capability as an able platoon leader, Amalina has completed her PLKN training with flying colours. Definitely both her parents attended her passing out parade. If ever there were any award for parents with the most number of visits to the camp, surely both Wan Mansur and Noraini would win handsomely ahead of their close rival that was the Indian couple from Kuala ketil.

Passing out parade

In contrast to the parents of Amalina, Lin's parents did not show any sorrowful reactions to Lin's departure. However both Mokhtar and Rohani were worried about Lin's allergy towards spicy foods. It seemed that PLKN Camps serve only two categories of foods i.e. vegetarian and the normal Malaysian foods. However they were consoled by the Camp Commandant that it would take only a week for any trainee to adjust to the new environment.

Unfortunately, on the fourth day at the PLKN Camp, Lin collapsed while on the parade ground due to over exhaustion but not because of her dislikes to the training. Luckily for Lin, at the same time she was offered a place for a Japanese/MARA preparatory course at Wisma Belia in Kuala Lumpur. With that concrete excuse, Lin left the PLKN Camp one week after reporting at the camp. Although she was offered a place for the Japanese/MARA program, in Unisel and Japan, she graciously refused the offer. It seems that Lin is the eventual winner as she has gained tremendously from both worlds of her two training episodes which she did not even pursue to the end.

Coming back to our first trainee Alin, all the members of Haji Yaacob's family would surely vouch with me that PLKN training in Setiu, Terengganu has done a total make over for Alin. Due to his capabilty, Alin was also elected at his Platoon leader. After the completion of his PLKN training , Alin who used to prefer western foods rather than the traditional Malay foods has experienced a round about turn of 360%. Since after completing his training, Alin began to prefer Malay delicacy such as nasi lemak which was sacred and alien to him before. Nami and Mat has only visited Alin once at the PLKN camp at Setiu.

Apart from that, he also began to take a deep interest in the Malay culture. He even took part actively in cultural performances of his University and he could also dance the Zapin effortlessly. In his final year at his University, Alin was even elected as the President of University Malaysia Pahang Cultural Association. In fact PLKN has changed Alin into a true blue blooded Malay who eats nasi lemak and appreciates Malay culture. Kudos to PLKN for the total make over of Alin. Nami should by now feels relief as Alin surely now prefers a Malay Terengganu lass rather than any Western lass who cannot consume nasi lemak and dance the Zapin.

SIBLING SERIES 10 : FAREWELL MADA

After I was appointed as the State Financial Officer on 27.04.1996, Zam decided to ask for an optional retirement on 1st January 1997. Her service in MADA at that date was 25 years 3 months which would enable her for a full pension. The fact that she would have to go for computerisation courses was the main catalyst that push her for an early optional retirement. Secondly, as the wife of the SFO, Zam thought it was unfair for her to skip her duties at MADA while she has got to accompany me for any State Official Functions during normal office hours.

When her application for optional retirement was approved by JPA, her colleagues at MADA decided to give her a farewell reception on Tuesday, 24th December 1996 at the MADA Headquarters Concourse. Since by nature she was nervous and easily agitated, Zam pleaded with me to accompany her for the reception and also to give her farewell speech on her behalf although she would be present at the same reception.

Initially her colleagues started laughing when I went to the podium to give the speech on behalf of Zam although Zam was personally present at the occasion. Halfway through when Zam has regained her composure and confidence, she stood up and gave her final farewell speech by herself. It was indeed a memorable and tearful occasion for Zam and her colleagues. Thank you MADA for giving us the oppurtunity to convey our sincere gratitudes to all the good things that MADA has given us.

Mr Zahelem, MADA Administrator (Service) giving his introductory speech

Giving farewell speech on behalf of Zam although Zam was present at her farewell reception

With brim of confidence, Zam giving her final farewell speech.

SIBLING SERIES 9 : COMING OF AGE

Haji Yaacob's descendants on the balcony of Hajjah Rodziah's former house at 21 B, Lorong Kampung Pisang, Bakar Bata . The house has been demolished and a new family house was built by Abang.

With Astro and all the other facilities that make our time flies without even we realising it. Five of Salleh Khir's grand children whose ages are nearer to each other has grown up in no time. During their childhood days, the five boys (Nalin, Ezman, Alin, Lan and Farli) were very closed to each other and their holidays were filled with never ending jokes and laughters.

Among the five Nalin is the most confident of them all. He is a natural born sportsman who can excell in any sport he participate. However he is more at ease as a rugby player which is in fact his life line. At a tender age where the other four were struggling with their studies, Nalin was already fending for himself and he was already firmer on his own feet. Nalin has survived in this challenging world through his contacts with his rugby fraternity. Although Nalin looks tough physically, yet Nalin is very respectful to his elders. He is at ease with Abang or any other uncles and aunties. In response to the call by the government for the Malays going global, Nalin has taken the challenge by going down south to the Land of All Blacks.

The innocent baby face Azira

The present innocent motherly face of Azira

Azira who is a little older than the five boys has also grown into a global lady. Gone were her painted face days while watching football in Shah Alam Stadium, she is now a docile lady with her beloved Bimo. In fact she would become a mother in a few months time. I think she has enough of her global exposure while accompanying Bimo in the land of Obama. Like mother like daughter, she is not a talker but she is a very good listener. She lets her music and her academic achievements talk for her in a much louder voice. We sincerely hope that she would get a talkative child who would make their home more noisier while Azira would be the first PHD holder among the Salleh Khir's grand children.

With Allah's blessing, Bimo and Azira would have a boy by next June. As a global lady, her beloved Ibu would join Azira to assist in the historic moment of the family. Ibu would be with Azira for the whole month and by that time Azira would have another title to her credit i.e. Azira the Jamu Master.

Alin

Azira's youngest brother Alin has grown up into a blue blooded Malay who appreciates Malay culture and consume Nasi Lemak. With his culculated silent Zapin moves, he has grown into a well disciplined lad who has yet to get the confidence of MAS to fly an aircraft. With his qualification of Robotic Engineering, Alin does not require physically the MAS plane to fly but instead he can easily teach the robots to fly for him. So for the present, please do not regard your students as robots but at the same time he must also not be too close to the girl students. I think Alin must has misunderstood Dr. Mahathir's Look East policy.

Ezman

With his S.Jibeng looks, Ezman looks very confident to face life. With his high level of self disciplined and very motivated to become a somebody, Ezman has proven his critics wrong. He has passed his Accountancy diploma and still busily pursuing his ambition to become an accountant through OUM distance learning. He is not a natural sportsman who cannot kick the ball straight like his nephew Afiq. Apart from frequenting the karaoke, Ezman has also the ability to play the flute which he is aspiring to play with Azira at the organ and Lin at the drums. We hope Abang can provide the opportunity for his nephews and nieces to show off their musical prowess.

Wan Mohd. Fazli and Mazlan Khusairi

Mazlan has graduated with a diploma in electronic engineering and he is a working man in Penang. When ever we are in Penang, Lan Bulu will be there to accompany us. If he is cleaned shaven, Lan is a handsome chap from Bollywood and in no time I think Ani will get a new menantu. Farli has also graduated with a diploma in Business Studies and he is now pursuing his degree course in UITM Shah Alam. By the way Farli is the joker of them who can create jokes out of nothing and he is very good at mimicking others especially Pak Teh Khalid's utterance of 'nak balik dah aih'. By the looks of it, Balakong Selangor would be nearer to Alor Setar in the near future.

SIBLING SERIES 7 : MAK NGAH

SIBLING SERIES 8 : PAK SU

Pak Su Eeq's last kenduri on 25 May 1999
From left: Syed Izhar (my cousin),Syed Jaafar (my brother in law),

Haji Muhammad (Zam's brother in law) and Omar Yaacob (Pak Su).

Omar bin Yaacob was the youngest of the Haji Yaacob bin Haji Yunus six children. His comical jovial behaviour has made him the favourite among his siblings and his nephews and nieces. He was very close to Abang and Idrus as their ages were very close to each other. So naturally they shared the same interest and hobbies. If he was around in any family gathering, he would surely be the star attraction and thus making the gathering more merrier.

His grand nephews and grand nieces used to call him Tok Su Eeq as he used to play comical jokes on his grand nephews by making their private parts which he referred as 'naga' to disappear. So when they saw him coming, they would try to evade from him so as to avoid their nagas being snatched away by their favourite Tok Su Eeq. In one incident, when one of Mak Ngah grand children naga was snatched by Tok Su, innocently he tried to replace his naga by snatching away Tok Teh Khalid's naga. Pity him, as Tok Teh Khalid was not that of a happy go lucky chap, he was instead given a showering inferno by Tok Teh.

Pak Su Eeq has a lot of stories to tell. He used to tell us that when he was the radiography assistant in Kulim Hospital, he was always assigned to fetch their monthly salaries from their headquarters in Alor Setar. As there was no other transport available, their mode of transport was usually one of the hospital's ambulance. With the ambulance, their journey to Alor Setar and back was speedier than normal. All the way through, they would switch on the ambulance siren. As such, all the other motorists on the road would make way to them and subsequently they would get their pay much faster.

On working days, he would dress in his official attire which was white bush jacket and trousers. On one occasion, when he found out that some road side workers were very jittery while doing their jobs, with his skill of impersonation, did gave them a feiry scolding. The workers were shivering when answering to his queries as they thought that he was from the Municipality. To avoid more harrassment from Tok Su, the unsuspecting workers gave him RM 50.00 for him to take his lunch. Pak Su was laughing all his way through to the Pokok Cherry Restaurant.

Pak Su also liked to play practical jokes on his siblings or even to his late father, Haji Yaacob. He even placed a rope that looked similar as a snake in front of the footsteps of their house in Lorong Kelompang. He started laughing when Tok Wan was frightened and started jumping aimlessly. When Mak Ngah was frighten of the monkey, Moon, Pak Su would suddenly grab Mak Ngah's leg from behind. He was very satisfied when Mak Ngah started to shreik.

When he was short of cash, he would usher his neighbours' bullocks or goats into the compound of Tok Wan's house. Then he would threaten their owners who were his neighbours that he would report to the police about their livestocks trespassing into Tok Wan's compound. Succumbing to Pak Su's threats, the livestock owners would pay Pak Su some money as a settlement without going to the police. Pak Su would then gleefully let the livestocks go after getting his ransom payment.

Pak Su and Idrus were classmates at SMI, Alor Setar. Pak Su was an ordinary prefect while Idrus was the Head Prefect. Their private policy in prefecting was 'it takes a thief to catch another thief'. Both of them were body builders enthusiasts but Pak Su's body frame was much bigger than Idrus. Both of them liked to wear sarongs in their free times. So when there were any girl that happened to pass by in front of Tok Wan's house, Pak Su would suddenly grab Idrus by the legs and hold him upside down beside the window. Naturally his sarong would come down covering Idrus upper part of the body but simultaneously would expose his lower part of the body including his private parts. What could Idrus do except to shout at the top of his voice just to camouflage his utmost shame of being bared to the ladies passing by. The girls would also run for their lives afraid of the flasher.

Pak Su did not show any change in his normal behaviour when he attended our pre-preparations for our daughter's wedding in May 1999. One week before the wedding, he used to drop by at our house daily. He would always be bringing some goodies for his grand nephews and nieces. Family members of mine would also become closer to Pak Su with his entertaining ways.

One day before the wedding ceremony, my house was hilarious when Pak Su met with his childhood friends, Idrus, Abang and all the other immediate family members that converged to give their helping hands to the wedding preparations. As usual, Pak Su jokingly told Idrus that according to his horoscope, he would live much longer than Idrus. He told Idrus that with Allah's blessing, he would live up to 99 years far beyond Idrus death. Idrus instead chided him by saying that Pak Su would live up to only at the end of the year (1999).

True to the prophesy of Idrus, Pak Su Eeq did passed away peacefully on 31 May 1999, seven months before the end of 1999. Idrus could not hold his tears when I informed him about the sudden demise of Pak Su. He was in England and he was crest fallen when he could not attend Pak Su's funeral and he really regretted tremendously that his prophesy really came true. From that day onwards, Idrus never played his words around on the prophesy of death among his friends.

As Pak Su was the favourite of Haji Yaacob's descendants, all his grand nephews and nieces from far and near came down to pay their final respects to their beloved Tok Su Eeq. Even on the day of his funeral, his nephews and grand nephews still managed to laugh when somebody started narrating Pak Su's antics to them. Although Pak Su has left us nearly 10 years ago, yet deep in our hearts, we do really miss Pak Su with his comical jokes and expressions as compared to our only surviving uncle who is a straight forward simple minded guy. We will continue to cherish fond memories of Pak Su forever and ever. May Allah bless Pak Su and place him among the faithfuls. Alfatihah.