Friday, December 31, 2010

Congratulations Malaysia!


I am glad that I spent my younger days in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Those were the days of The Beatles, the Vietnam War, Hippies, men landing on the moon, Muhammad Ali (who called himself The Greatest), P. Ramlee and to a certain extend the golden years of Malaysian Football.

Since the end of the Soh Chin Aun-Mokhtar Dahari-Arumugam-Santokh Singh era I had not followed Malaysian football. Once in a while names like Azman Adnan and Akma Rizal propped up but they were soon forgotten, at least by me.

The 70s and early 80s were the peak of Malaysian Football. We qualified for the Olympics twice and won the bronze medal in the Asian Games once. Winning the gold medal in the SEA Games was just a formality. Those were achieved by our footballers who were amateurs. In other words they did not play football for a living.

Likewise reception by our citizens were at par with the rise of our national football standards. Fans flocked to our stadiums whenever our team were playing. When games were telecast live on television there were less traffic jams on the streets.

The funny thing was Malaysian football plummeted down when our players started playing football for a living. It started with the semi-pro thing and continued when they were full professionals. This was in stark contrast to teams like Korea and Japan which improved tremendously once their players turned professionals. Before, our national team were at par or better than the two mentioned national teams. But until now we can consider ourselves lucky if we beat Thailand or Singapore.

Interest among the public towards our national team dropped too. It was a rare occasion to see a stadium half filled when our national team was playing. There were more fans watching the state teams playing compared to the national team. I myself did not bother to watch them playing on television.    

So it was a relief that our national football team won the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup two days ago. We beat Indonesia 4-2 in aggregate, after winning 3-0 at home and losing 2-1 away. It was fitting too, since Malaysia also won the gold medal in the football competition of the last SEA Games held only last year. At last there is hope in our national football after being in the doldrums for more than two decades. Suddenly Safee Sali and Khairul Fahmi Che Mat are becoming household names like Mokhtar Dahari and Arumugam more than twenty years ago. By the way does not Safee Sali look a bit like the late Mokhtar Dahari?

But we should not be overwhelmed by this victory. Our record in reaching the semi-finals were not impressive. In the final group game we had to depend on others to reach the next stage. It was Indonesia that gave us a favour by beating Thailand. It is ironic than in the final games we did not return Indonesia's favour.

I just hope that this victory is not just a flash in the pan. Remember Denmark in the Euro 1992 competition. They did not qualify for the final stages held in Sweden and had to replace the qualified Yugoslavia at the last moment. But the totally unprepared Denmark team won the tournament. The same can be said about Greece during Euro 2004. 

Still this is an achievement for Malaysian football. We won the AFF Suzuki Cup with players barely assembled since a few regulars were injured. Our players were born and bred in our own country and not naturalised with names like Gonzales and Bennet. Our coach is a citizen of our own country and not a mercenary. 

With that I say "Congratulations, Malaysia."

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

"Remember me?"

Yesterday I received a friendship request on Facebook from somebody with the question (in Malay) "Remember me?" Unfortunately I don't remember him but from reading his profile I guessed  that we could be related. After being confirmed friends I replied his message by telling him I cannot remember him but guessed that he is related to me. He replied that of course we are related and he mentioned a few names that I should know. Unfortunately too I don't recognize many of the names he mentioned although all are related to us and some had died. By the way this man is two years younger than me and we originated from the same kampung.

How could this be so? First of all although we were from the same kampung we stayed about three kilometers apart. My primary school was only about 1.5 kilometers from my house and walking to and fro school was fun. But he had to walk or cycle 4.5 kilometers if his parents wanted him to study in the same kampung school. So a few boys and girls staying in the same vicinity of his home went to a school in a different kampung instead. This school is about 6 kilometers from their viciniy and they went to the school by bus. So I did not mix with this relative of mine in school.

I could had mixed with him in secondary school. But fortunately for me and unfortunately for our relationship I was selected to enter a fully residential school outside the state. Those six years in secondary were the best years of my life. I found friends from all parts of the country and many of those friends are still in constant contact with me.  

After secondary school I found a job and I had to spend one year in Kuala Lumpur for my training and another year working in Kelantan. Then I returned to Seremban, got married and settled down. Although I am staying quite close to my kampung, my wife is from another state and this is another reason why I was sort of estranged from my own relatives. 

So it was small wonder that when he asked the question "Remember me?" I had to be frank and replied "No."   


Friday, December 24, 2010

Aziz Bai

Aziz Bai berbaju gelap dan bertopi hitam.

Sekali sekala dalam hidup kita, kita berjumpa dengan insan yang tidak boleh kita lupakan. Serupa juga dalam hidup saya. Saya telah menceritakan serba sedikit mengenai Bang Saad dalam pos saya sebelum ini. Kali ini saya akan menceritakan tentang seorang lagi insan yang juga tidak dapat saya lupakan. 

Bukan saya seorang sahaja yang tidak melupakannya, tetapi ramai lagi. Insan yang saya maksudkan bernama Aziz bin Sulaiman tetapi antara kami dia dikenali dengan nama Aziz Bai sahaja. Aziz berasal dari Kelantan dan sama bersekolah dengan saya di Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak, Tanjong Malim, Perak. Sekarang sekolah ini sudah berpindah ke Sungai Gadut, Seremban.

Dari gelarannya Aziz bukanlah 100% berbangsa Melayu tetapi dia amat pupolar dengan kami yang keseluruhannya berbangsa Melayu. Mungkin kelainan ini menjadikannya begitu. Cuma ia popular kerana kenakalannya. Sesiapa yang seangkatan dengannya tetap mengingatinya walau pun selepas meninggalkan sekolah. Tetapi saya tidak mahu menceritakan secara terperinci mengenai kenakalannya. 

Aziz junior setahun dari saya. Ia juga tinggal di asrama lain. Itulah antara sebab saya tidak mengenalinya secara dekat dan tidak tahu secara terperinci akan kenakalannya. Yang jelas ialah Aziz juga seorang yang mengharumkan nama sekolah dalam bidang sukan. Antaranya dia menjadi johan lari pecut 100 meter peringkat sekolah negeri Perak (kawan-kawan terutama Muhammad Abdullah A, tolong sahkan).

Kelebihannya dalam bidang sukan juga menjadi faktor ia tidak dihukum oleh pihak sekolah kerana kenakalannya. Kalau dalam filem karaktornya boleh diibaratkan sebagai 'anti-hero', buka 'hero' dan bukan pula 'crook'.

Seperti saya Aziz tidak berjaya meneruskan pelajarannya ke peringkat tinggi. Selepas keluar sekolah ia memasukki pasukan Polis berpangkat rendah. Saya mendapat tahu kenakalannya juga dibawa dalam kerjanya. Saya mendengar cerita pada satu hari Aziz yang bertugas sebagai seorang Polis Trafik menjadi sebahagian dari pasukan 'road block' Polis. Kemudian seorang pemandu kereta yang sama sekolah dengan kami menegurnya. Aziz kemudian berborak panjang dengan kawan kami ini menyebabkan kawan ini resah kerana menahan lalulintas di belakang. Tetapi Aziz tidak peduli dan berkata 'Dia orang boleh tunggu'. 

Selepas keluar sekolah Aziz tetap terus berkawan dengan kawan-kawan sama sekolah kami tidak kira apa pangkat kami. Dia akan pergi ke pejabat dimana kami bekerja dan terus berkata kepada penyambut tetamu, pegawai keselamatan, penyambut tetamu atau pembantu persendirian bahawa 'Cakap pada boss awak Aziz Bai nak jumpa'. Sudah pasti Aziz dibenarkan masuk dan berjumpa dengan kawannya.

Aziz juga hampir tidak pernah tinggal dalam apa-apa program sekolah dan murid tua sekolah. Dia sanggup datang jauh dari tempat kerjanya untuk hadir di program-program tersebut. Dia juga sanggup bermotosikal dan kadang-kadang ditimpa hujan. Tetapi kerana popularitinya tidak ada antara kami akan menolak bila   Aziz Bai ingin menumpang kereta kami.  

Pernah dulu Yang DiPertua Persatuan Murid Tua sekolah kami Allahyarham Dato' Mazlan Idris menegur sikap setengah lepasan sekolah kami yang menjauhkan diri dari aktiviti sekolah dan murid tua. Dia memberi contoh kepada Aziz Bai yang 'daif' (sebutan Allahyarham sendiri) tetapi sanggup datang dari jauh untuk aktiviti sedemikian. Ini betul-betul memberi peransang kepada saya.

Di dalam aktiviti kami, Aziz tidak malu-malu bergaul dengan kawan-kawan lama yang sudah jauh berbeza taraf hidup mereka. Tetapi bagi Aziz dalam aktiviti begini kami semua sama. Contohnya gambar di atas. Di antara dalam gambar itu ialah seorang mantan Setiausaha Kerajaan, seorang mantan Timbalan Ketua Menteri dan seorang mantan Datuk Bandar. Gambar diambil semasa kami meraikan kampus baru sekolah kami di Sungai Gadut, Seremban. Di waktu itu Aziz tinggal di Mentakab, Pahang.

Tetapi itu semua hanya tinggal kenangan sekarang. Aziz Bai meninggal dunia beberapa tahun selepas gambar di atas diambil. Walau bagaimana pun di mana-mana kami berjumpa nama Aziz Bai sering disebut.

Al-Fatihah kepada Aziz bin Sulaiman, lebih dikenali sebagai Aziz Bai.  

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Bang Saad

Saya, Bang Saad, isteri Bang Saad dan isteri saya.

Ada orang tidak suka masuk ke laman sosial Facebook. Kata mereka pengasasnya berbangsa Yahudi. Tetapi saya sudah lali dengan cerita Yahudi ini. Pengurus The Beatles, Brian Epstein juga beragama Yahudi. Tetapi kalau tidak kerana Brian Epstein, The Beatles entah ke mana.

Ketiga-tiga ahli asal The Three Stooges, Moe, Larry dan Curly juga beragama Yahudi. Saya ada koleksi DVD penuh The Three Stooges.  Setelah melihat kesemuanya saya dapati banyak idea The Three Stooges ditiru oleh P. Ramlee. Contohnya adegan Bujang Lapok masak gulai ayam ditiru dari idea The Three Stooges mengilang minuman beer. Cara Do Re dan Mi berbincang sambil berpeluk bertiga juga ditiru dari The Three Stooges. Malah idea 'trio' atau kumpulan bertiga yang digunakan oleh P. Ramlee untuk Bujang Lapok, Madu Tiga, Tiga Abdul dan Do Re Mi juga ditiru dari idea 'trio' The Three Stooges. Ada saya dengar di radio yang P. Ramlee menggunakan idea 'trio' ini kerana nombor kegemaran P. Ramlee ialah nombor 3. Salah  tu, The Three Stooges sebenarnya.

Berbalik kepada Facebook saya mendapatinya sangat berguna untuk saya berhubung semula dengan kawan-kawan dan saudara-mara yang sudah lama hilang hubungan. Baru-baru ini saya dihubungi oleh seorang dua pupu saya yang saya tidak dengar berita selama lebih dari lima tahun. Dia kurang sihat sekarang. Beberapa hari lepas pula saya dihubungi oleh seorang kenalan saya yang namanya serupa dengan saya. Setahu saya paling akhir saya berjumpa dengannya ialah pada tahun 1971.

Tapi yang paling mengembirakan saya ialah apabila dapat berhubung dengan kawan sekolah saya yang saya tak jumpa semenjak tahun 1963, iaitu 47 tahun yang lalu. Bukan kawan sebenarnya, kerana ia tua dan senior empat tahun dari saya. Saya ingat kepadanya ialah kerana dialah yang membetulkan cara saya sembahyang.

Semasa saya di sekolah rendah di kampung saya ada menghadiri kelas agama petang. Ustaz yang mengajar bernama Sulaiman dan kami memanggilnya Lobai Leman sahaja. Dia sudah meninggal dunia sekarang. Dia juga mengajar kami cara-cara sembahyang. Tetapi sebenarnya saya tidak pernah mengamalkan ajarannya di rumah.

Saya hanya mula sembahyang apabila masuk ke sekolah menengah, iaitu Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak (SDAR) Tanjong Malim, Perak, sebuah sekolah berasrama penuh. Apabila melihat kawan-kawan lain sembahyang, saya pun mula mengamalkannya sambil mengingati apa yang diajar oleh Lobai Leman. Di sinilah saya masih ingat seorang senior yang sebilik dengan saya membetulkan cara saya sembahyang. SDAR dahulu tidak mempunyai masjid seperti SDAR Seremban sekarang, apa lagi surau. Oleh itu amalan seperti sembahyang diajar oleh senior kepada junior di bilik sahaja. 

Berpuluh tahun telah berlalu dan saya masih ingat akan bimbingan senior saya ini. Sampai namanya pun hilang dari ingatan saya. Cuma saya tahu ia berasal dari Pahang. Tetapi terima kasih kepada Fecebook saya dapat menghubunginya. Saya memanggilnya Bang Saad sahaja.

Oleh itu bila mendapat peluang saya pun berjumpa Bang Saad. Bang Saad berasal dari Temerloh, tetapi sekarang menetap di Kuantan. Rupanya sudah banyak berubah. Dia tidak lagi memakai cermin mata kerana matanya sudah dibedah dan dimasukkan kanta baru. Jika saya terserempak dengannya di mana-mana sudah tentu saya tidak mengenalinya. Tetapi dia masih sihat dan masih cekap memandu kereta. Gambar-gambar lawatan saya ke Kuantan dan Pahang ada di sini.

Terima kasih Bang Saad kerana layanan yang tidak dapat saya lupakan.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Program berkhatan beramai-ramai tahun 2010

Seperti tahun lepas surau saya mengadakan program berkhatan beramai-ramai untuk anak-anak kami. Juga inilah kali pertama program ini dijalankan di surau bar. Sembilan kanak-kanak mengambil bahagian, tiga darinya adik beradik. Inilah berita bergambar yang saya dapat ceritakan.

Seorang bapa membawa anaknya datang ke surau.

Ketiga-tiga adik beradik ini dikhatankan bersama. Yang sedang makan itu bapa mereka.


Menjamu selera dahulu di kantin surau.


Kemudian kami berpindah ke dalam surau.


Tuan imam mengetuai doa selamat.


Sebahagian kaum ibu dalam surau.


Ini kanak-kanaknya.


Tuan imam menyampaikan cenderamata.


Bergambar ramai.


Mencuba penyembur air.


Kanak-kanak disembur air.


Kemudian menaiki kenderaan.


Lagi menaiki kenderaan.


Mereka sudah sampai di klinik.


Inilah kliniknya.


Menunggu dalam klinik.

Kanak-kanak pertama selesai dikhatankan.


Tak sakit pun.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Uda

Two days ago I received a request from somebody to befriend me in the social network Facebook.  It was from a second cousin of mine from whom I did not hear for quite some time, more than five years I think. We call him Uda.

Uda is the short version of  'muda' which means young. In Negeri Sembilan the title is normally given to any one brother or sister from the fourth sibling onwards but never for the first, second or third. It is not the same in the state of Melaka as I see it among my wife's family. My wife's sister, a third sibling, is called Mak Uda by her nephews and nieces. In Negeri Sembilan, she would be called Mak Lang. 

When Uda alerted me with his friendship request my memory went back many many years ago towards another person also called Uda. 



Me with the late Uda. He was wearing my specs and I was wearing his coat. This photo was taken in 1969.

After finishing my studies in a fully residential school I returned to my kampung while looking for a job. Somehow I became close friends with Uda much to the objections from my family members except my mother. They thought Uda was not fit to become my friend because of his low education. Uda's father died when he was still in primary school. After many years being a widow Uda's mother remarried. So Uda stayed with his mother and step father while his other siblings were with their own families.

Being the youngest in the family Uda was a spoilt child. Maybe this was another reason why my family members disapproved our friendship, me being spoilt by another spoilt person. Until today I am still puzzled as to why I had been close to him. Maybe after years staying in a fully residential school I needed the constant company of friends like before. 

I left the kampung when I got a job. But I still befriended Uda when I came back during the weekends though the friendship was not as close as before. It was during one of these weekends that  I received shocking news about Uda. He was getting married to a relative of his step father who himself arranged the marriage. 

Uda was only a few months younger than me and when he got married he was twenty years old. I sensed that Uda was going to face problems. Being very close to him I understood him very well. He welcomed my friendship as a way of getting away from being petted by his mother and family. Deep in my heart  I knew that Uda was not ready to become a husband or a father. 

But there was nothing that I could do to prevent Uda from getting married at such a young age. Nevertheless Uda asked me to become his best man during his wedding. My mother did not object, yet none of my family members attended my best friend's wedding. I remember seeing some of Uda's sisters and nieces crying when Uda stepped down from his mother's house to go to his bride's house for his marriage. Was that some omen? Deep inside I was crying too.

My predictions proved unfortunately true. After marriage Uda went to stay with his in-laws about twenty kilometers away from our kampung. Uda started having problems with his in-laws when his wife was pregnant with their only child. Uda had no choice except  to be separated with his wife even though they loved each other. Their marital bliss was only for a few months and eventually they divorced, although I am not sure whether the divorce came after the birth of their child, a son. To prove their love neither of them remarried after that.

Uda returned to his mother's house in our kampung devastated. Not long afterwards, his step father left his mother, rather disappointed that his marriage arrangement between Uda and his relative ended in a bitter note.

Uda's life turned for the better briefly after that. He was drafted into the army. But he did not finish his training in the army training camp in Port Dickson. There were stories that he was abused physically and psychologically there. Again he returned to our kampung a changed man. This time the change was for the worse. He was suffering from mental problems. There was a story that he sent his ex-wife a photograph of himself in army uniform. This irked his ex-wife's family that they charmed him through the photograph. I didn't believe the story, though.

Due to Uda's mental problems I did not invite him for my own wedding. So I could not fulfill my reciprocal promise to Uda that he would become my best man when I eventually got married.

Uda's problems did not end there. Not long after he returned from his aborted army training, his mother died. From then on Uda lived an aimless life made worst by his mental condition. He stayed with whoever relative who was willing to offer him shelter and food. When he passed by my mother's house he would always ask for me as to how I was doing and all that. My mother would invite him in, offered him food and sometimes asked him to take a bath. Our neighbours were shocked that my mother was willing to invite this 'Uda Gila' as he was called then, in. But to her Uda was just like her own son. 

Allah loves Uda. His suffering ended as he passed away when he was only in his forties. My mother only told me about his death months later. She knew that there was nothing I could do to help Uda. Until now I still believe that Uda's life became tragic the moment he agreed to get married at a very young age.

A few years ago when Uda was still alive my department had a joint enforcement operation with the police. Suddenly a police officer greeted me and introduced himself as Uda's brother in law (Uda's ex wife's brother). He remembered me because after his marriage Uda once invited me to his in-law's house and I stayed overnight. This police officer was still a young kid then.  I found out later that he married a cousin of my sister in law (my late brother's wife). 


Still a few years ago my mother called for an ambulance to bring my sick step father to hospital. In the ambulance the Medical Assistant said his late father was from my mother's kampung. When asked further by my mother, he said he is Uda's son. Even though he never knew his father his upbringing was taken care of by his mother's family.

Alfatihah to Uda. May Allah bless his soul. 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Bintang Klasik Nasional

Pada Hari Ahad 28 November 2010 baru-baru ini saya dan isteri telah pergi ke Kompleks Penyiaran Tuanku Muhammad di Sungai Gadut, Seremban untuk melihat Pertandingan Akhir Bintang Klasik Nasional. Kompleks RTM ini kebetulan terletak di sebelah sekolah saya iaitu Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak, Seremban. Saya muatkan gambar-gambar dan ceritanya di sini

Penggunaan 'flash' tidak dibenarkan di dalam auditorium. Juga kami tidak boleh bergerak supaya tidak mengganggu siaran. Oleh itu gambar-gambar yang saya ambil tidaklah sebaiknya.

Untuk pengetahuan, Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad ialah moyang kepada Yang Di Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan sekarang Tuanku Muhriz. Auditorium di mana pertandingan ini diadakan pula dinamakan Auditorium Tunku Puan Chik, isteri Tuanku Muhammad.

Saya sememangnya mendengar Radio Klasik Nasional tiap-tiap hari. Di kereta-kereta saya stesen radio itulah yang saya programkan sebagai stesen utama. Oleh itu apabila saya mendapat tahu pertandingan akhir ini diadakan di Seremban saya tidak melepaskan peluang untuk menontonnya. Kebetulan isteri saya Salmah juga meminati stesen radio ini. Hanya lagu-lagu klasik nasional Melayu yang disukanya. 

Tetapi berlainan bagi saya. Saya memang gilakan lagu-lagu kumpulan The Beatles, Deep Purple dan Led Zepellin. Tetapi lagu-lagu Melayu saya cuma lagu-lagu klasik nasional. Lagu-lagu rock Melayu saya tak mainlah.

Baik juga kami datang awal, iaitu sebaik sahaja solat Maghrib. Auditorium penuh akhirnya dan ramai yang berdiri di belakang. Mungkin ramai lagi yang berdiri di luar dan melihat di monitor TV sahaja. Siaran juga dibuat secara langsung di TV1. Nampaklah muka saya dan isteri di TV. Sampaikan ada seorang kawan sekolah saya di Port Dickson menalipon saya sebaik sahaja dia nampak muka saya tersiar.

Selain melihat pertandingan saya juga melihat kehadiran artis-artis veteran seperti Aziz Sattar, Maria Menado, Jeffridin dan Adre Goh.

Program berjalan lancar. Tidak ada langsung waktu-waktu yang membosankan bagi saya. Maklumlah RTM sudah banyak berpengalaman dalam hal ini.

Cuma saya rasa program ini cacat sedikit kerana semasa pembukaan semua peserta tidak menyanyikan lagu klasik nasional. Mereka menyanyikan lagu 'Khayalan' yang sebenarnya disadur dari lagu Bahasa Inggeris 'Fatasy' nyanyian Earth, Wind and Fire. Saya tidak tahu sama ada perkara ini disedari oleh RTM atau tidak.

Friday, November 26, 2010

When a friendship is destroyed by just a few words.

I have a friend who takes good care of his friends. This is understandable because my friends runs an auto accessories business and his many friends keep his business going. He used to sought for my advice when  sending messages to his friends through his mobile phone. If, for example a friend's daughter fell sick and was hospitalised he would ask me for the actual words to be used in consoling his friend.

So I had to compose the words and send them using my mobile phone. My friend only needed to forward the messages to his friends. The messages could be either in English or Malay depending on the situation. It also could be long or short according to the needs. I never asked for royalties from him for my compositions. What I want in return is his friendship. Sometimes this friendship is extended in the form of rides in his car which I refer as a limousine and ending with a meals in restaurants.

Just as words can strengthen or prolong friendships they can also end a few. I have a friend who was a colleague of mine in the same department. We are now both retired. This friend also used to have many friends, some close and some not. He was once very close to a man who inherited his father's transportation business. From the way his friend spoke I knew he was not well educated although he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.. He talked using profanities just like eating peanuts or smoking cigarettes. Sometimes I wondered whether he understood the profane words that he uttered.

Suddenly after years of friendship I realised that my friend was not that friendly with this profanity speaking heir. They still talked to each other, but I saw something was missing between them. This heir used to come to our department and mixed with us. Since we were workers of a local authority our friendships were much sought after for obvious reasons.

So one day I asked my friend why was he sort of cool to this heir. Then he told me that this heir had hurt him. I asked him how. He answered that one day this heir was talking and boasting about his experiences. Being an heir to a good business he used to spend his time in good restaurants, good clubs and good hotels. One day, one of his ventures was spoiled by a bad host. He mentioned this host to my friend as "a stupid chap like you." Had he ended his words with just "a stupid chap" he and my friends would still be friends. But my friend was really hurt when the words "like you" were added.

My friend, just like me did not go to any university. But he definitely is not stupid. His standard of English can beat most of the our heads of departments who have university degrees. Maybe his friend uttered the words as a joke just like he used to do to real stupid people. But my friend is a man of honour.

So a friendship was ended by just two unnecessary words.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

"Siapa tanam pokok kelapa ni?"

Itulah ungkapan isteri saya Salmah apabila dia mengikut saya berjalan ke kawasan tangki air yang terletak di hadapan rumah kami. Sejak bersara ini boleh dikatakan tiap-tiap pagi saya berjalan untuk bersenam menaikki tangki air itu. Sambil itu saya mengintai ke pangkal pokok-pokok yang saya lampirkan gambar-gambarnya di sini. Selang sehari saya saya dapati ada buahnya yang masak. Apa lagi, saya pun terus memakannya.

Pokok yang saya maksudkan disebut 'Lombo' dalam loghat Negeri Sembilan. Saya baru diberitahu oleh seorang senior sekolah saya, ia disebut 'Lembe' (seperti 'peka') dalam loghat Pahang. Sejak saya pindah di sini saya dapati banyak pokoknya di sekeliling tangki air tersebut. Sejak itu juga apabila saya menaikki tangki air ini saya akan mencari-cari buah lombo ini.

Beberapa bulan dahulu kawasan tangki air ini dibersihkan oleh Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan (SAINS). Di samping lalang yang liar, habis pokok-pokok lombo dicantas mereka. Jelaslah seperti isteri saya, pekerja-pekerja SAINS ini juga tidak mengenali pokok-pokok lombo ini. Tetapi pokok-pokok lombo saya segar semula. Dalam pada itu ia tidak berbunga kerana sedang tumbuh daun-daun baru. 

Sekarang pokok-pokok lombo telah berdaun semula, berbunga dan berbuah kembali. Keseronokan memakan buah lombo ini hanya terasa apabila kita meminum air selepas memakannya. Air yang diminum akan terasa manis. Cuma saya rasa buah-buah lombo di hadapan rumah saya ini tidak semanis buah-buah lombo berhampiran rumah ibu saya di Jelebu. Spisis di sana pula buahnya berwarna ungu dan tidak putih seperti  buah lombo saya di sini.


Pokok lombo. Kawasan sekeliling sudah lama tidak dibersihkan. Seperti lalang, pokok lombo pun hidup segar.


Lagi pokok lombo.


Tandan-tandan buah lombo.


Yang kuning itu ialah bunga lombo.

Buah lombo berukuran 2 cm panjang dan 1 cm tebal. Untuk memakannya badanya dipicit dan kita memakan isinya yang keluar di hadapan. 

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Solat Aidil-Adha dan Korban.

Buat pertama kali dalam hidup, saya menunaikan solat Hari Raya Aidil Adha di sebuah surau. Suraunya ialah surau taman perumahan saya yang mula digunakan empat bulan yang lalu. Pada mulanya hati saya berbelah bagi sama ada hendak bersolat di surau ini atau di Masjid Qariah Sikamat. Isteri saya telah membuat keputusan untuk bersolat di Masjid tersebut bersama anak-anak perempuan, menantu lelaki dan cucu saya Haziq. 

Saya bimbang pada mulanya surau akan penuh sesak. Tapi dari pengalaman, saya boleh meneka di mana terdapat ruang kosong nanti. Solat bermula tepat pada pukul 8.15 pagi dan selesai pada pukul 9.00. Kami terpaksa bergegas pulang ke rumah dan menukar pakaian untuk program korban pula. Lima ekor lembu dan tiga ekor kambing dikorbankan.

Imam besar kami, Ustaz Affandy membaca khutbah selepas solat. Waktu menunjukkan pukul 8.30 pagi. Saya difahamkan Masjid Qariah Sikamat belum memulakan solat di waktu ini.


Jemaah di dalam surau. Sebuah khemah disediakan diluar surau untuk menampung jemaah yang melimpah.


Jemaah perempuan selesa di bahagian belakang surau.


Di sinilah ruang yang saya jangkakan kosong, serambi sebelah kanan surau.

Jemaah bersalaman tepat jam 9.00 pagi. Kami segera pulang dan menukar pakaian untuk program seterusnya.

Lima ekor lembu, empat dalam kawasan surau dan satu di luar.


Tiga ekor kambing.


Tuan Imam bersedia dengan pisau sembelihnya.


Seekor lembu sudah sedia untuk dikorbankan.

Tuan Imam memulakan tugasnya.


Apa yang tertulis di hadapan baju.

Ini pula di belakang baju.


Daging dipotong-potong.

Sebahagian daging kambing dipanggang.


Motosikal merosakkan pandangan.


Kaum ibu di kantin surau.


Kolam yang memisahkan rumah saya dengan surau. So near, yet so far.


Daging dibahagikan. Kelihatan YB turut sama menolong.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Tak payahlah tubuh parti baru.

Saya terpaksa melanggar janji saya tidak mencampuri politik. Tetapi melihatkan apa yang sedang dialami oleh Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, saya rasa patut juga saya mengeluarkan pendapat saya.

Setelah ditendang oleh parti pertamanya dan sekarang dengan rela hati keluar dari parti keduanya, Datuk Zaid mengumumkan ingin bertanding dalam Pilihanraya Umum Ke-13 akan datang. Dengan itu juga dia mengumumkan mungkin akan menubuhkan satu  parti baru.

Nasihat saya kepada Datuk Zaid ialah: cukuplah tu. Tak payahlah tubuh parti baru. Negara kita Malaysia ni dah banyak sangat parti politik. Dari banyak sangat parti politik sudah tentu kita banyak berpolitik atau 'politicking.' Jadi secara tak langsung benda-benda lain kita tinggalkan. 

Tengok negara USA tu. Negaranya besar dan kuat. Tetapi setahu saya dia ada dua parti politik sahaja iaitu Democrat dan Republican. Simbolnya pula senang, kaldai untuk Democrat dan gajah untuk Republican. Tak tahulah saya kalau ada parti lain. Saya ni memang bodoh hal politik ni. 

Nasihat saya seterusnya, tak payahlah Datuk Zaid nak bertanding dalam pilihanraya lagi. Tumpukan usaha kepada profesion Datuk tu iaitu peguam. Teruskan usaha Datuk untuk memperkasakan peguam Melayu. 

Kalau Datuk nak berbakti ke, jadilah macam Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye tu. Sekurang-kurangnya orang akan hormat.

Sekian.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Stesen Keretapi Sungai Gadut.

Seperti yang dijanjikan saya lampirkan di bawah ini gambar-gambar Stesen Keretapi Sungai Gadut yang dalam pembinaan. 


Pandangan arah ke selatan. Stesen ini betul-betul terletak di sebelah Laluan Persekutuan 1.


Pandangan dari Jalan Negeri N7 (jalan ke Rantau dari Laluan Persekutuan 1).


Pandangan dari padang Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Sungai Gadut.


Pandangan dari bawah sebelah barat.


Pandanngan dari selatan.


Di atas stesen.


Sibuk menyiapkan stesen.


Pandangan ke utara.


Trek baru menghala ke selatan.


Lori air membersihkan Laluan Persekutuan 1.


Pandangan dari stesen. Taman Perumahan yang nampak itu ialah Taman Tuanku Jaafar.


Sudah tentu tempat letak kereta.


Trek lama yang sudah ditinggalkan.