REMEMBRANCE 26: KING MANGO

3 kilograms mango from my birth place, Kampung Hutan Setali



Nur Aisyah cradling the 3 kilo. mango

Adli admiring the king mango

From left: Afiq cradling the mango, Nur Aisyah with Adli on her lap and Nur A'liah



Anticipating that Nana would come back to Alor Setar for the school holidays, my sister Norin and her husband, Fadzil dropped by at our house on last Saturday's (06.06.2009) evening. Norin brought with them 6 fresh young coconuts and the biggest mango that I have not seen. I was bewildered as the 3 kilo. mango was the product of our own kampung in my birth place, Kampung Hutan Setali. The king mango tree was planted by my brother in law, Syed Jaafar. With his mechanical engineering back ground, I was very surprised that he could manage to nurture the tree correctly and was able to produce such a big size fruit.

When Nana and her family did come back to Alor Setar on 05.06.2009, Zam peeled the king mango for the grand children. The mango was so big that Zam got tired peeling the mango half way. The mango flesh was also very delicious in tandem with its size. We are very appreciative to Norin and Fadzil who has tenderly looking after the fruit trees that has been planted by Mak and Lid for the benefit of their future descendants.

REMEMBRANCE 25 : IDRUS @ TEH

From left: Syed Idrus @ Teh, Zam, Afiq, Nur Aisyah, Nur A'liah, Rohaya (Teh' wife) and Nana

Main table on the stage



101 years Tok Su Esah


Sharifah Norlis and her Indonesian maid

Tok Su Esah and her grand son in law, Syed Kadir

From left: Kak Nab and Zam

After two days of attending six wedding feasts, I was down and out with gout. On Monday (08.06.2009) there were two more wedding feasts to be attended i.e. Syed Idrus (my cousin) at Jitra and Y.B. Dato' Taulan Rasul (EXCO Member) at Tokai. Another engagement ceremony was between Pijan, Dato' Ismail's son and Che Gu Rahmatullah at Jalan Syed Mohammad, Alor Setar. With my gout curtailing my mobility, I have got to skip all the three ceremonies.

Since it would create unnececessary frictions between our families, Zam, Nana, Jim and the three grand children attented Syed Idrus @ Teh's wedding feast at Dewan Utama, Kompleks Pentadbiran Daerah Kubang Pasu at Jitra. Congratulations to the newly wed couple i.e. Teh's son, Syed Nazrul and his wife, Nursyuhada Abd. Aziz.

REMEMBRANCE 24: KU HAMZAH

Standing from left: Salim and Ku Hamzah, the groom's father

Top upper table: Shukur, the District Officer of Pendang and his family

From left: Mak Chik, Zam, Nur A'liah, Jim, Afiq, Nur Aisyah and Nana

My third wedding feast for the day was at No. 64, Taman Seri Temin, 06050 Bukit Kayu Hitam. Ku Hamzah bin Ku Saad is my second cousin from Mak's side. As Nana was already in Alor Setar, so we took the ride to Bukit Kayu Hitam on Nana's Toyota Estima. I took the opportunity to introduce Nana's family to Ku Hamzah's family.

REMEMBRANCE 23: PAK ALI PENDEK

Habsah and her husband, Radzli Kassim

Last Saturday morning (06.06.2009), we found Habsah Ali @ Shah’s invitation to her daughter, Shazliza’s wedding on the same day at her house No: 1555, Jalan Mawar, Taman Sultan Badlishah, Persiaran Sultan Abdul Hamid, Alor Setar. It was to be our third wedding feasts for the day apart from from two other wedding feasts of Azizan and Noraini. I insisted to Zam that we should fulfill Shah’s invitation as Shah symbolizes the nostalgic historical links between the Forestry Department Staffs.

In 1964, my late father was the Changlun Forester Grade One while Shah’s father, the late Pak Ali was a Forester Grade II. As there were not enough Forestry Quarters at Changlun, some of the Forestry Department Staffs were placed at the Immigration Department Quarters located at the Changlun/Sintuk road.. The late Pak Baharum, Agricultural Deputy Minister Johari’s father was the Changlun Immigration Chief.


Pak Ali’s family and mine were immediate neighbours at the Immigration Quarters. As such we were very closed to each other as your next door neighbour would smell what were you cooking for the day. During the fasting months, surely there were a lot of barter trade (foods for breakfasts)activities taking place between the neighbours. We would also share the common deep well that supplied all of us with the domestic water. Pak Ali’ eldest son is Aziz who is now the Perlis Deputy Director of Forestry Department. Aziz is much younger than me while Shah is the same age as my sister, Norlia. Both of them were classmates at the Changlun Primary School.


I would like very much to attend Shah’s wedding feast as it would provide me with the opportunity to see Shah's mother, Mak Syam as it has been quiet a long time I have not seen her. My hope was dashed when Mak Syam could not attend Shah’s wedding feast as she has fractured her leg in the morning. Any way I was very happy to meet some of the Foresters’ sons at the wedding whereby we have the opportunity to rekindle our child hood memories.

SIBLINGS 24: SEMUA BOLEH

Pengantin perempuan, Lydia Ezzaida di bilik pengantin




Azizan telah membeli bunga-bunga di Padang Besar dengan harga RM 90.00 dan menambahbaikkan dengan adunan sinaran lampu-lampu yang amat menarik

Hantaran yang disediakan oleh Azizan yang hanya mengambil masa 3 jam

Pelamin yang yang direka oleh Azizan

Khalid dari Pejabat Kewangan Negeri adalah penyanyi asli yang berkaliber

Kumpulan muzik tradisional dari Kedah dan Perlis

Dari kiri: Zam dan Kak Chik, anak Tok Su Hussein

Hari ini (06.06.2009), saya dan Zam telah hadir di kenduri perkahwinan Lydia Ezzaida, anak kepada Azizan Hussien di 114, Lorong 6A Fasa 2A, Taman Mahsuri, Bandar Darul Aman, P.O. 60000 Jitra. Azizan adalah anak bongsu kepada Tok Su Hussein dan beliau adalah seorang seniman dan amat kreatif sekali. Semua dekorasi di dalam rumah and set pelamin disediakan oleh tangan seni Azizan. Begitu juga dekorasi hantaran juga disediakan oleh Azizan. Azizan hanya mengambil masa semalam sahaja (05.06.2009) untuk menyediakan dekorasi 9 hantaran di pihak pengantin perempuan.

Cenderahati perkahwinan juga adalah lain dari yang lain sepertimana yang pernah kami terima di majlis-majlis perkahwinan yang lain. Yang paling istimewa bagi Azizan ialah beliau membeli barangan asas yang biasa tetapi beliau mampu menghasilkan hasil kraf tangan yang nampak berjenama dan amat menarik. Azizan adalah seorang yang serba boleh dan majlis perkahwinan anaknya diserikan pula oleh dendangan lagu yang lunak-lunak ihsan dari kenalannya di bidang seni.

SAHOCA 13 : SPECIAL MALAY ONE 1956

From left: Syed Zain, Halim @ Ropie, Halim Mat Ninggal, Harun Ali and Halim Abdullah

From left: Harun Ali, Halim Abdullah, Halim Mat Ninggal, Halim @ Ropie and Syed Zain

I was the only non-Halim with the three Halims

Our very cooperative spouses

On Thursday, 04.06.2009, three of us (Halim Abdullah, Halim @ Ropie and Syed Zain) raided Abdul Halim Mat Ninggal's house in Kuala Kedah. Four of us are the survivours of the Special Malay Class 1956 at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College Primary School, Alor Setar. Coincidently, I was the only non-Halim with the three Halims. Halim Mat Ninggal was from Tunjang, Kubang Pasu, Halim Abdullah was from Yan while Halim @ Ropie was from Kuala Kedah. Later in the evening, another classmate, Harun Ali came down from Alor Setar to join us. Harun Ali was from Tandop.

Halim Mat Ninggal has suffered a stroke and as such his mobility was very limited. When we joined the Special Malay Class in 1956, Halim Mat Ninggal was the bully of the class as he was the biggest. One of the factors that Halim Mat Ninggal was the biggest size in the class was because we were born in 1946 while Halim Mat Ninggal was born in 1944. In the football field, Halim Mat Ninggal used to rule the field as there were not many players who dared to face his brutal reactions. Although he has suffered a stroke, yet Halim Mat Ninggal's memory was excellent as he could relate the 1956 episodes which we ourselves could not remember.

SAHOCA 12 : FEAST FOR HEALTH

Majlis Kesyukuran Dato' Syed Azizan dan Datin Asiah di Kuarters MADA RPM 8, Jalan Lumba Kuda, Alor Setar pada hari Ahad, 31.05.2009. Majlis Kesyukuran ini adalah bagi meraikan perkahwinan anak bongsu Dato' Syed Azizan.




Dari kiri: Kassim dan Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli
Rakan sekelas yang nama dilupai bertembung di kenduri kesyukuran Dato' Syed Azizan

Majis perkahwinan Mohammad Azari Adam, anak lelaki Dato' Paduka Bakar Taib di 2821-K, Lorong Menteri 2, Jalan Menteri , Alor Setar.

Pada hari Ahad, 31.05.2009 bekas pelajar Kolej, Dato' Paduka Bakar Taib dan Dato' Syed Azizan telah mengadakan majlis perkahwinan anakanda mereka berdua. Sebagai Collegians, Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli dan Dato' Abdul Halim Abdullah telah pulang dari Kuala Lumpur khusus untuk menghadiri majlis perkahwinan tersebut. Saya dan Zam tumpang sekaki bersama mereka berdua.

Oleh kerana terdapat banyak juruaudit, saya tidaklah dapat menjamah makanan seperti daging kambing dan daging rusa bakar seperti yang dihidangkan oleh Dato' Syed Azizan. Oleh kerana kuota telah mencukupi, saya juga tidak dapat menghayati sepenuhnya hidangan Ramli Ikan Bakar di kenduri rumah Dato' Bakar. Nampaknya kenduri ini adalah kenduri kawalan ketat terhad untuk kesihatan.