Bersih 2.0 - An Eyewitness' Account (Part 1)

Prologue

"From which news media are you?" the policeman shouted at my bro Fadhil.

"I am a blogger," he replied, matter-of-factly.

"So you must be the ones, spreading lies about the police," the policeman screamed. "Get out of the way and give me that camera," he shouted as he surged forward to snatch the Canon DSLR my brother was carrying.

But my bro would not let go his camera that easily. He practically fought back, ensuring that he would  hold onto his dear camera.

If the police thought my brother was an easy meat, he was sadly mistaken!

A Long Walk in the Sun

And empty hiway - no one is going,
I thought

Not unlike Bersih (1.0), this time around it was raining cats and dogs.

Unlike Bersih (1.0), it starts raining in the middle of the rally, and not at the onset of the rally.

Empty stations at 10 am

We arrived very early - around 10.30 am (Bersih 1.0 was more like 1 pm). As the train bypassed Hang Tuah station, I sensed something was not right and told my bro that we were disembarking at Puduraya (rather than our planned destination of Masjid Jame). I was pretty sure they would have closed down Masjid Jamek by then.

But there was nothing much to see at Puduraya, except that there are policemen/women everywhere, and that most roads had been cordoned off. There were perhaps more policemen than there were spectators at this stage.

This is Pudu near Petaling Street. This is at 1028 hours

There was no traffic at all. Occasionally you would see motorbike or police car. Forget about the traffic jam everybody was touting. It is heaven if you want to head to downtown.

We can sit and pose on the street. This is Leboh Pasar Besar and this is
the first battle ground an hour after this pic was taken.

So we moved from Pudu to Pasar Seni to Dataran Merdeka and to Masjid Negara, and take picture of an eerily calmed Kuala Lumpur. Many decided to take pictures sitting down in the middle of the streets of Kuala Lumpur; many tourists were walking freely and without any fear for their lives.

Dataran Merdeka -Pix by Hariri Photographers (MFH)

We were worried actually that we would not  be allowed into the city. We definitely know we should not be driving. We knew all roads leading to downtown have been sealed off. I could be the pillion rider on my bro's bike as an alternative. But then we decided to take our chances and take the LRT at Bandar Tun Razak.

To be honest, if the government were to shutdown the LRT, I was prepared to walk from Bandar Tun Razak to downtown KL! It will be a good 8 km walk, but only if we have no choice.

Nothing much here except police trucks.

But with downtown KL more like 'padang jarak padang tekukur' than a bustling cosmopolitan, we were beginning to wonder if it is going to take place at all. It didn't look that way at all. From Puduraya, to Pasar Seni to Dataran Merdeka and onto Masjid Negara to Station KTM, the crowd was sporadic at best. You see people loitering around, especially with the skull caps, but too few to be called a rally.

Did anyone mention about traffic jam? No rally
and yet no traffic jam.

The police blockade, the incessant warning and threat of ISA and Emergency Ordinance must have been effective in preventing people from attending. Actually I was not too sure about it myself. If not for my bro, may be I would have stayed at home.  I would not have much to take this time around - unlike Bersih 1.0 and Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA.

Our presence and preparation would be a waste.

But despite being told by the police at Masjid Negara to turn around and go to Central Market, we decided to cross the street and still head to Station Keretapi KTM.

Here they had taken truckloads of the train passengers. I would not term them as protesters yet as the protest has yet to take place. It was also here that the pakciks and makciks and adiks and kakaks loitering in the KTM compound chatting amongst themselves were apprehended by the police.

For nothing many groups of men and women, many in skullcaps
and long tudung were taken away in the truck. I did not see or
hear any protest or rally and yet...

For what? I have no idea. Honestly it surely looks like a police state to me. The passengers were taken in just because they were there and/or the police thought they have the right to take in anyone, just to prevent a rally from happening.

KTM Station under siege by the police

There was no chanting and no procession and they were all apprehended.

What a premature end, we thought. But that's part and parcel of life, and there is nothing much one can do about it.

There was not much actions here, so we walked back to Dayabumi.

On the bridge above the railway track, we heard chanting. "Ah, well, just now when we were there (at the train station, there was nothing," I lamented, "should we head back to KTM?"

And it got louder and louder.

We looked at each other; excitement filled up the air, and then I exclaimed, "This can't be coming from the station. It must be the central market! "

If you were to zoom in, you would see the procession that has just started from
Tun Sambathan next to Main post office. We were so excited to hear them,
and to see them. That is the pedestrian bridge from Dayabumi carpark
to the KTM Station and Dayabumi.

To me, it reminds me of the scene from Ali Baba Bujang Lapok, you hear the drum beating and people singing - you are not sure where it was coming from, and it was getting louder and louder. I was practically like Ali Baba - short of climbing tree to get better view.

It was an amazing feeling. Exactly what we have been looking for.

But then, I was practically cursing myself. I thought we could be everywhere, and yet we are no where near where the action was. While we were only 5 mins from CM - close enough in some respect, but not close enough in another sense. I really didn't want to miss a thing. And Dayabumi entrance had been cordoned off. So we decided to cross over to the Post Office. Practically running.

At last!

Out of nowhere, came a big crowd from behind the main post office onto the Dayabumi compound. They were chanting "Reformasi, reformasi" and "Hidup Hidup, Hidup Rakyat", and one could also hear the Takbir. We looked at each other and wonder how the group got to this big without attracting the attention of the police.

The crowd in the compound of Dayabumi. Did they riot and destroy anything at Dayabumi?
Pix by Hariri Photographers (MFH)

We went everywhere on foot and there was no crowd at all. KL looks like a dead city and now this!

For a good five minutes we took pictures of the crowd, people of all level of societies. We saw Malays, Chinese and Indian - a good mix definitely. The crowd keep on pouring for what seems like eternity.

I was conscious at that time on the enemy. Now where was the FRU? Were they going to be charging right from behind me? If they did, this crowd was going to be in trouble as the compound is narrow. I hope not, and they were nowhere in sight.

After the front leaders paused at the Dayabumi compound to ensure the crowd would be able to catch up with them (with Central Market on the opposite side of the Kelang River), the procession decided to continue walking. They were basically on a parallel road leading to Dataran Merdeka.

My bro told me he was joining the crowd; I declined and decided to cross the river and be on the other side of the crowd. I knew the FRU is waiting at the other end - we had been there earlier in the morning, I knew there would be stand off with the protesters, and one certainly need not be rocket scientist to know the outcome of such face off!

This lane between Dayabumi and the river is too narrow for my liking. It could lead to disaster once the crowd started running for their dear lives.

We could have stampede in our hands if we were not careful.

Waiting for the crowd from Dayabumi are these riot police with their
tear gas guns. Pix by Hariri Photographers (MGH) - Zali

As a veteran of four rallies in the last 10 years, I know that there is no two way about it.

On this end, are the rakyats facing off at Lebuh Pasar  junction near Dataran Merdeka. 
It is inevitable, but the crowd was prepared
for this eventuality. Pix by Hariri Photographers (MFH)

The face off at Leboh Pasar Besar right on the bridge was on. At one end was the rakyats, and this end the police.

Getting ready to fire. Pix by the Hariri Photographers - MGH (Zali)

And these people with the Malaysian flag are their targets.
Do you think these people have mob mentality and are bent on creating trouble
and destroying properties?
pix by Hariri Photographer (MGH) Zali

The battle right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur aptly within the vicinity of the court house and Masjid Jamek. I tried standing on the bridge's side, but I can't get good enough a height to take good picture. While I was contemplating on how to shoot my video, I heard a loud bang.

The police has fired into the crowd!

Look at the crowd composition. A big portion of them
are ladies with tudung labuh. Do they look like enemies of the nation?
Pix by Hariri Photographer (MFH)

I can see the pellets/canisters flying through the air. (Time was at 1238 hours)

My main worries then was the impact of such an object flying at certain speed if it were to hit me. It is more dangerous than the tear gas itself.

People started running for their dear lives.

Serve you right for being in an illegal rally.
Pix by Hariri Photographer (MFH)

So a part of the crowd and I ran towards Central Market to escape the gas cloud, while letting my camera running. My part of the area are quite spacious, so we have no problem escaping. I was shooting video mode this time around. I stopped at various points to properly shoot the camera.

I thought I was not in danger. I can see the tear gas cloud, and it was reasonably far from me. So many times I stop to take pictures.

I could see some people jumping onto the pavement of the river to escape. It was getting a bit too dangerous for my liking, hence I did not try to squeeze myself with the crowd at the narrow lane of Dayabumi.

But even as a chemical engineer with some knowledge on diffusion and convection, I underestimated the speed of dispersion of the cloud.

In no time, I was overwhelmed by the gas myself.

But fortunately I came fully prepared - a big bottle of mineral water and salt. In fact this time around, I distributed around my packet of salt to those affacted, and an Indian guy came over to satisfy his thirst with my mineral water.

It feels good to be able to do this very small thing.

The canister - Pix taken by Hariri Photographers (MFH)

The crowds regrouped on the other side of Dayabumi near Main post office and Jalan Tun Sambathan - where they had originally came from. It was here another bro called me and told me he was on the Dayabumi side of the river (while I was on the CM side. So now we have the four brothers with four lenses covering the protest.

With our pictures combined, I was able to write this entry with relevant pictures as we saw them. This is not hearsay, this entry is not about speculation.

More chanting, this time smaller as the group and this time the police is ready.

Pix by MFH

They had been ready at Jalan Tun Cheng Lok right in front of Central Market.

By this time, I was just an observer. I was behind the firing line at Central Market. I decided that I had enough of running and walking. More canisters were fired, one into the JKalang River and another was thrown by someone into the river!

So two canisters were wasted.

I guess by this time the crowd had been well dispersed. The second face off was practically muted. I think most of the crowd was just spectators at this point.

It was near 1 pm and the actions were limited. This was not fun at all.

We basically loitered around near the Pasar Seni station, and were getting restless.

We need to see the rally.

o to be continued
o All pix by ARH unless otherwise stated - MFH (Mohd Fadhil Hariri), and MGH - Zali
o All pix are original pictures shot by the Hariri Photographers and not downloaded from internet

Bersih 2.0 - The Story Behind the Picture - Part I

I am still yet to complete my writing on Bersih 2.0.

It is a long and tedious process and it will take a few more days for me to gather my thoughts and sieves through the tons of pictures, not all of which are good enough to be published.

May be I should break it into smaller pieces, and tell the human stories of Bersih 2.0 beyond the tear gas and chemical-laced cannon water.

I saw this picture at the al-Jazeera website. You can see them here.

What could be the fault of this lady that she ought to be apprehended
by these two police officers? Did she a) kill someone and C4-ed them, b) try to get
commission from Bank Negara for the polymer notes c) steal two jet engines
from the army d) sell two submarines that cannot dive? Haha..

 I like the expression - I thought she was in anguish, and I thought the composition is good.

Apparently, according to my brother Zali, there is a reason why she was caught and apprehended by the police. He was standing just next to her when it happened.

At the height of the face off, the police started to beat some of the public at the rally. She was a witness to the beating, and she was perturbed on what she saw.

"Tuan, tuan tak boleh pukul orang awam. Itu orang awam. Tuan kena jaga orang awam," she shouted, pleading for them to stop.

Initially they took no notice of her, but she was a persistent lady. My bro standing next to her was getting worried, and wanted to tell her to keep quiet.

Suddenly the policeman shouted back at her, "APA DIA?"

He then surged forward towards her with his baton in his right hand.

And these pictures below were their faced-off, and obviously the police went on to screamed and started threatening her right at her face.

You can try and put words into their conversation, and I am sure the picture by Reuters was the outcome of such face off between the public and the police. I am sure it was mainly a one-way conversation.

These pix were taken by the Hariri Photographer (MGH). Thank you very much for the hardwork. Good job.

He even had his name written upside down. Why?

In all six pictures, he was finger-pointing to her face,
trying to intimidate her.

Silap2 the one finger can become five.

Now they are ganging up on her.

Look at her facial expression in all the six pictures. Tak
payah la tunjuk terrer kat fellow citizen esp pompuan.
Dia bukan criminal pun.

And no, this was not a polite conversation. He was
practically shouting to her at close range, and I am
sure she should check her ear drum with an ENT
specialist this week.

I think there is only one way how this will end up. You can't plead and reason out with the police. We are living in an insane country at this moment. There was no way you would be able to win any argument with them.

But kudos to this lady - whoever you are, for standing up to your fellow citizen's right.

A superior American School System?

Why the American Education System is superior to the smartest of our Smart School System



(FIrst posted in April 2007)

Lately there have been a lot of talks about smart school or making our school smarter (pembestarian sekolah), and not the kids I guess! I guess this is due to the so-called smart school conference that is going in KL right now. In the news last week (Thu nite 19/4) was one of the directors of the smart school program (most likely of the Education Ministry) blowing her own trumpet; on how when she was in Philadelphia on a similar conference, the authority there in the US was amazed about our smart school program and all the facilities that we have here in Malaysia. “Things they don’t even have in the US,” she said, condescendingly. 


Wow, I am so proud, our schools are better than schools in the US. Tabik Puan. Yeah right! Typical Malaysia Boleh attitude. I have heard on too many occasions how we keep on telling ourselves that people from another planet think so highly of us! We love making statements like that, especially when it is good for our ego. You go to a conference in the US for 3 days and that gives you an authority to speak on behalf of the American government and people.

I smiled wryly. Assuming that she is correct, I think this another thing that is bad about us. We only think of the physical facilities and never of the human aspect of it - of the planning, the training and the commitment and to be honest, on how we, in general, view the education process of our children (i.e education is not a burden to the government but an investment, education is not about making money from school and unversity fees etc etc). Oh, and don’t forget our (exam-oriented) syllabi. Call it by any other name, but bunga tahi ayam will always have a stinking smell! (Sorry...but on the other hand, the Kemboja is still as sweet especially if planted in the graveyards!)

In 1998 Arif, my eldest went to primary school for the first time for his standard 1. For a couple of days I was there in the school in Kuala Ampang. On the very first day, the teacher was already shouting at her students (basically to keep them quiet), and within a week, the kids were starting to memorize the multiplication tables.

Three months later we left for the US, and my two sons had the opportunity to go to the US school (Arif at Lloyd R Ferguson Elementary in League City, TX (near NASA) and Akmal at League City Elementary for pre-schoolers).

Caption: The location of LR Ferguson Elementary school in Clear Creek and League City (near Houston). It is only a few miles from NASA HQ and is located near the scenic Kemah. The picture was taken during a visit I made during the school hour in 1999. Note the classroom arrangements compared to ours. Ferguson elementary has a student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1 while Akmal's League City Elementary has a ratio of 14:1. Compare that with Hussein Onn secondary school of ~35-45:1. Our schools are better? You be the judge. (MRSM KB during my time has a student ratio of 24:1 while MRSM Merbok has a ratio of 23:1. Not bad eh MARA?)

Let me relate this story. One day, Arif came back with a note from his teacher requesting that he brings a hose and a wire hanger. I was puzzled with the instruction, went to K-Mart looking for the garden hose. Well, at US$25, I was not willing to spend on it. So I took the note to the department secretary, Jane, and asked her about the hose. She was puzzled herself, but told me she will find out.

An hour later, she came to my room looking very pleased that she had solved the mystery. “Panty hose, Rahman,” she told me, “Your son should be bringing a panty hose to school!” Ah well, I should have known better. Panty hose is only 99 cents a set.

The next day, my son brought back – guess what! – fish made up from the panty hose, and the wire hanger. What will the school and teacher think of next? To me this is the creative side that education system in America is trying to impart to their students, while we in Malaysia are too regimented with memorizing multiplication tables. 


On the very first week, mind you! 


Every week Arif and Akmal would be bringing back some work of art that I would never have thought of doing with my kids. No wonder American engineers are more creative than their Malaysian counterparts! They were taught lateral and creative thinking from elementary level. If you ask me, the wire hanger is for hanging the panty hose!

Because of that, I think very highly of the American education system – it is worthy to be emulated in Malaysia. You know when I think about this, I think this was what En Wahab Alwi had envisaged for MRSM when he chose to emulate the American system as a model for MRSM (amongst others The Bronx School for the Gifted in Science in New York City). We were nearly there, my friends, we were nearly there, I must admit, but for the curriculum and the SRP and SPM exams that we still have to sit for! (The American system was dismantled after a few years; we are not known for having the willpower to stick with anything!)

Caption: Arif and Mrs Lancaster in their classroom. I was very impressed with her patience and the facilities in the class, unlike the bare minimum we have in our classrooms in primary schools. Trust me when I say what they have there is so much better than the best of our best primary schools. Oh, and the red t-shirt he was wearing in this picture, that was part of the class projects. The pic on the right is the birth cert of a 'scarecrow' they did as a class project. Unfortunately we lost the 'fish' project a few years ago, so can't post them here.

I once had an opportunity to talk to his class teacher, Mrs Lancaster. While we were chatting in her class, one student of Vietnamese descent went to her. Now, if we were in Malaysia, I am sure the teacher would shout at him or at the very least told him to sit down and do his work while the teacher is talking to a parent. Instead, she went down on her knees (to be at the same level with the child), and said, “Yes, dear, what do you need?” I was astonished by her very friendly response to her student. And for a full minute, she gave him her full attention. If only teachers in Malaysia can be more attentive and supportive to each student in the manner Mrs Lancaster had for her students. Don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming entirely to the teachers – they had too many students in the first place (read the captions above). I think we simply need to change our outlook at how we educate our children. 


This whole system need to be revamped. Parents included!

Caption: Akmal and his new found friend on the very first day at school and with his teacher Mrs Wolff. This class is for pre-K and it is part of the League City Elementary School (i.e. not a private kindergarten. Yes, they have pre-school session of 4 hours a day for a child 4-5 years old. Here in Malaysia, the government takes no responsibility for children in that age group and we had to rely on private kindergarten to do the job for us). Everything was free and so was the bus (you know the yellow American school bus). We didn't have to fork out anything - no school fees, no uniform to buy, no coop fee and other miscellaneous fees to be paid. Education is free - the way it should be. Food is given to those entitled for it (and that includes Arif and Akmal). Here the government just went back on their words on a free text books from next year!

As for Akmal, then a four-year old, I was at school on the first day towards the end of his pre-school (pre-K) session in League City just to ensure he would take the right bus home So I waited at the side of the school, watching Akmal from afar, i.e. basically out of his sight. Soon a teacher would come over to me, inquiring about my presence there in the school compound (which was not fenced). She was very polite though. But that basically tells you on how alert the teachers and staff were on the schoolchildren safety.

Two teachers for a preschool class of less than 20 students. Mind you they were not rookie teachers.

When we arrived at KLIA (we left using Subang Airport) for the first time, while I was admiring the marble interior of KLIA, what my son said will forever etch in my mind. “Abah, why KL has such a nice airport but has lousy school, while Houston has such a lousy airport but has very nice school?”he asked me.

Ah well, what can I say? I didn’t teach him to be to be so critical, but how right he was. It is all about priority my son, and obviously currently education is not a priority. We are putting on the emphasis on the wrong things - biggest this, longest that. (I must admit tho in the 70s and early 80s, the government of the day had their priority right.) But that my sons, is for another blog!

(Arif was so observant. Houston’s Bush International Airport (IAH) was in a perennial state of construction when we were there. I think even in 2005 it still was still in the same state.)

Epilogue

I don’t claim everything is perfect in the States and I don’t claim I know everything either. I am not a product of the American education system, nor do I work for an American company, so I know I am not biased towards their education system. I do know that one swallow doesn't make a summer either. As with any system, you do have faults here and there. But seeing what Arif and Akmal went through in elementary schools there and here in KL and from my own experience (and I don't believe smart school will lead to the dismantling of of our exam-oriented syllabi) led me to my conclusion as articulated in this piece. But this piece is not meant to be a PhD thesis!

I have read the paper titled The Malaysian Smart School - An MSC Flagship Application. I think even the title is too much about technology, and it is too idealistic. As with any Malaysian project, I worry about how long it will last and its maintenance.

Keropok leko terpanjang

PROLOGUE

From the NST:

KUALA TERENGGANU: A 400-metre long keropok lekor, weighing more than 2,000 kg made at the Dataran Shahbandar here yesterday went into the Malaysia Book of Records as the longest in the country and probably the world.
The mammoth effort was part of the attractions at the state-level Bank Rakyat Cintai Alam carnival.

Bank Rakyat managing director Datuk Kamaruzaman Che Mat said the giant keropok lekor gave a unique local touch to the carnival.

"It is also fitting as the previous record holder, a 300m keropok lekor was also made in Terengganu in 2006," he said.
The keropok was then cut up, boiled and sold to the public.

Kamaruzaman said the proceeds will be given to various welfare organisations.

The keropok was made with 1,200kg of fish and 850kg of flour.

The flour and fish paste mixture was put into the blender for two hours before being kneaded into shape.

Industri Keropok Warisan Sdn Bhd managing director Mohd Zaman Muda headed the team of 25 keropok lekor makers and about 100 university students to knead and shape the dough.

"We used a diesel-fuelled burner specially brought from our factory to boil the keropok lekor after it was certified to be the longest in the country by the Malaysia Book of Records."


Read more: Longest 'keropok lekor' http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/28kero/Article/#ixzz1QOD3TD8p

My take on this:

Honestly I applaud it, but at the same time I am appalled that the longest is only 479 m (beating the old record of 300 m that has been the record in the Guinness Book of Records).

I really do applaud the effort by Bank Rakyat and Warisan Terengganu in making this the longest yet.

In fact, I can't wait for this time next year, and really hope they will go out of the way to ensure it would not be beaten ever again.

Why stop at 479 m then?

I really hope that they would make long enough that it would reach Kuala Lumpur - that's nearly 380 km from Kemaman. IN fact I believe it is long enough to reach my home in Cheras, all the way from Kuala Kemaman.

What does that means to me?

I would be getting fresh leko, right here in Klang Valley. It means that I would not have to travel to Kuala (Kemaman) to get my monthly dose of leko

And why not? - I think the biggest market is here in the Klang Valley and not necessarily in Terengganu. Let's not forget that!

EPILOGUE

Actually as usual, I am being sarcastic here.

I have no idea on how doing the longest leko would get us anywhere, especially on attracting tourists to like the leko so much so that they would want to import leko fresh from Kuala Kemaman to Europe and Japan on a daily basis.

I have been thinking a lot about this everytime I would buy leko in bulk on my monthly trip to Kerteh.

How can we expand the leko market?

I don't know if the Malaysian market is expanding, and expanding fast enough. We need to be thinking big, and not limit the market to the Klang Valley or even just Malaysia. We need to go international. We need to think on how to ensure that the Japanese would need a dose of leko for their tea ceremony, the Brit during their afternoon tea, or even replace their fish and chips national dish to fish and leko instead, etc etc.

Fish and Leko is definitely healthier than Fish and Chips!

I am thinking that we need to have different flavours of leko for the different markets, and we need to freshly air-flown leko to the various markets. As it is, I don't think we can make an impact with the various taste-buds, so I am suggesting some modifications to the flavour of leko:

1. Wasabe Leko for the Japanese market
2. Cheesey Leko for the western/European market
3. Tomato Leko for the italian market
4. Curry Leko for the Indian Market
5. Salsa Leko for the Mexican market
6. Kimchi Leko for the Korean market
7. Soto Leko for the Indonesian market
8. Tom Yam Leko for the Thai market

I think you got my drift, right?

I am beginning to count my millions. Hmm...should I start changing my lifestyle? ;-)

Kenang-kenangan Hidup

Prologue

So my youngest two siblings want me to write about their bapak. I don’t blame them. They didn’t get the chance to get to know their bapak like we the elder siblings did. We spent nearly 20 years with him, while my youngest sis, for one, for barely for 8 month.

It is not easy writing about him. For one he is no longer with us. He can't defend himself in my writing for sure - not that he needs to defend himself. On the other hand I don't want to paint him like a saint that he becomes so unreal, even when he is a very religious person. But his exploits in the course of discharging his duties and 'amanah' would make him nearly a saint, especially vis-a-vis today's morale standards.

Another bro wants me to write more on Taiping, another topic close to my heart. I have a story on the Tekah airfield aka Taiping Aerodrome (in Assam Kumbang Taiping), where Sukarno & Hatta had landed in the 40s; another on a writing by one colonial officer in the 1900 beautifully describing Taiping after-the-rain that had me jumping and screaming “That’s my Taiping; that’s the Taiping I knew.” Yes, I have been wanting to write about both topics – it is in my mind all the time.

But where do I begin?

I am as clueless as to where to start as Pak Lah clueless about managing this country. No joke. Just relying on my memory and not talking say to his sister MakCak or his brothers PakLang and PCYa, I found it hard to recall all those memories of him. May be I don’t want to, I don’t know.

The life and Times of Hariri Bab

Bapak was born in Kuala Kangsar in April 1936 and went to Clifford School. The house they lived in was a row of government houses right in the middle of KK, which front the school. The house is more like a rumah berek on a stilt. Two room and a living room and you go down (and out) to the kitchen and another room, with an open space in between to dry your clothes. Of course in 2007, that row of houses is no longer there. It is now a bus stand and a new township for KK.

We had our chance in 1979-1982 (??) perhaps to re-live what he and his sibling went through living in the same row of houses. I remember coming back after SPM and that night after my arrival, I slept from after magrib till the next morning and felt like I had waken up from my death.

It was the most beautiful sleep I had ever had.

Sorry, I digress.

The Bab family in their KK home in the 50s
with their grandmother. Their mother had just passed away.

I don’t recall much of his life in KK to be honest. Life was difficult for the 8 sibling without a mother since 1947, and with a dad with a newly married wife (Tok Bab re-married after 3 months), it was not an ideal environment to excel. Tok Bab was a technician with Telekom and I am sure his pay in those days was peanuts.

But he played cricket a lot at a field near the house (not too far from KK's wet market). He had told me stories of his cricket exploit when I came back from summer holidays, but not having caught yet the cricket bug myself, I didn't give his stories much thought. Ah, well, those were the colonial times, I guess.

Bapak with PC Wan (on the left) at Bukit Bendera. This was probably taken in the 50s(??)

But he passed his senior Cambridge exam. Senior Cambridge, from my understanding, is the O level of the olden days, and going by the number who would passed SC, I think it was probably like getting a degree today. And during those days not many would have reached that level. I don’t know why he didn’t go on and further his studies. Money issue? Qualification issue? I had never asked him.

But upon passing, his eldest bro Zainuddin Bahari Bab (PakLong), who was then working at Utusan Melayu (which was then owned by the Ishak’s brothers – Aziz Ishak to bapak is Pak Jed) asked his friend for help for a job in the government sector for his brother Hariri. I remember this story well, as told by PakLong.

“But he is overqualified for the job,” Pak Long was told, “ I am not sure whether he would last there.”

YOu read it right. He was overqualified for the post.

“Trust me,” PakLong reassured, “I know my brother and he will not leave.”

Bapak at a field expedition in Batu Gajah (??) in the 60s.
This was his first job - and his last.

Leave he didn’t and Bapak died in office in 1984 in Taiping.

For as long as I can remember, bapak was a settlement officer (SO) at the Land & District office at the various towns in Perak (Taiping in the 1960s, Batu Gajah up to 1968, Lenggong from 1968-1972, back to Taiping (1973-1978), Kuala Kangsar (1978-1984) and then back to Taiping (1984)). Obviously he had gone up the ladder from being a junior officer to the most senior SO.

Bapak as a settlement officer in his Pejabat Tanah office

But the next step of the hierarchy eluded him. I remember that in the 70s he went to Ipoh and sat for an examination for promotion, but he didn’t get the promotion to ADO (assistant district officer). I don’t know why, I believe that may be it has something to do with his health; may be he didn't pass the interview, may be he didn't play the office politics well, who knows. He had stone in his kidney and hypertension, and especially in the 80s when it was at his worst, in some way I am glad he is not an ADO or DO.

While he was a government servant through and through, he never encouraged any of his children to seek a living with the government. "Enough that I am one," he said, "I expect you to work in the private sector." I think he can see it in the future, perhaps the private sector would be more rewarding. Except for one lecturer and one teacher daughters, we have basically steered away from the government sector (i.e. two out of thirteen).

He put emphasis on education for his children. “I have nothing to give you but a good education,” that was his mantra ("Bapak tak ada apa nak bagi kat anak-anak kecuali pelajaran.") I would get that small talk practically every time I came back from boarding school. He is right, he knew he didn’t have much to give his 12 children (excluding one adopted daughter) in term of worldly wealth. And he knew that the only way for the family to progress is through education.

That he went all out to get it for us. Nothing was spared in his pursuit of that objective. Even if he goes broke getting us there - which was most of the time.

While I don’t like to talk about other people’s salary; notwithstanding my own bapak, I know what he earned then was peanuts. And to support 13 of us was a burden to him but he carried it all in the spirit "They ain't heavy, they are my family." He had never had luxury in his life. No new cars for him throughout his life – the Morris Minor (AD 8479) was a second hand.

My brother and I riding a bike in the compound of SK Sentul
in Kuala Lumpur in 1967. IN the background is the Morris Minor  AD8479.

When he brought the 'new' car home in Batu Gajah, we asked him while he was taking us for a spin, “kalau kereta baru, kenapa dia buruk?” I don’t recall his answer – he probably took it in stride like that Burung Murai dad. He drove that car for nearly 20 years till he sold it in the early 80s and bought a second hand Opel Kadett (AW2002).

That was the car that we had a breakdown in the middle of the night in the early 70s that he had to ask us to wind up the window just in case if a tiger were to pound on him while he was out checking on the engine; at least his wife and kids were safe.

Oh, and you know what was his fav car - The Puegeot. I remember that he wanted it so much that a couple of times the salesman was at our house in Aulong. But he knew he could not afford the car, so in the end he resorted to buying an old Opel.

And still no aircond for us then.

He didn't get to taste living in his own house until the last week of his life.

That’s the kind of dad you have, Zali, Aisyah.

He would sit and read the books with us at night at our government bungalow at the edge of Lenggong. “Goodbye Aminah, goodbye Mei Ling, I’ll see you again tomorrow,” said Ali - we would read along (that was from a Std 1 book). That’s how he cultivated the love for books in his family. He would spend the time with us, and not just give a directive “Pegi baca buku!” like yours truly to his kids nowadays.

……….to be continued

Epilogue

If you want to get to know your bapak, listen to these two songs. We used to listen to this folk song by The Brothers Four & Theme from A Summer Place by the Percy Faith Orchestra in the early 70s on vinyl. Yes, the vinyl is still with me and safe in my collection. For some reasons everytime I listen to these two songs, it reminds me so much of him.

This is the ori vinyl (EP) from the 60s that is still in good working condition. There are two songs on this side - Theme from a Summer Place and Greenfields.

This song was a very popular song in the 60s. Even Peter, my associate was stopped on his track when he heard this song one day on my notebook. He is just a couple of years younger than bapak.

The lyric is so poetic. I for one knew the lyric by heart, ever since I was in primary school. For he was our Greenfields & our Summer Place.

If you want to listen to the recorded version of Greenfields, click here. Otherwise click on the youtube below for the live version from the men themselves - the Brothers Four.

Once there were green fields, kissed by the sun.
Once there were valleys, where rivers used to run.
Once there were blue skies, with white clouds high above.
Once they were part of an everlasting love.
We were the lovers who strolled through green fields.

Green fields are gone now, parched by the sun.
Gone from the valleys, where rivers used to run.
Gone with the cold wind, that swept into my heart.
Gone with the lovers, who let their dreams depart.
Where are the green fields, that we used to roam?

I'll never know what made you run away.
How can I keep searching when dark clouds hide the day
I only know there's nothing here for me.
Nothing in this wide world, left for me to see.

But I'll keep on waiting, ‘til you return.
I'll keep on waiting, until the day you learn.
You can't be happy, while your heart's on the roam,
You can't be happy until you bring it home.
Home to the green fields, and me once again

And this one by the Percy Faith Orchestra - Theme from A Summer Place

Kelate vs Ganu - A neutral's perspective

I am not one following football.

Malaysian football scene that is.

It does not provide me with a sense of excitement. Not in the way the English Premier League does.

Both leagues are skill-less, but at the very least the English Premier League is fast and furious, and hence it provides non-stop actions.

So, while I was yawning at Malaysian football, the FA Cup with two east coasts states vying for the trophy caught my attention. I spent five years in one state while a teenager, and another five in the other state while in my early twenties, so I thought I should watch it.

While I do have affinities for both states, I have no preference for one, so it should be an occasion with no stress or pressure for me.

Ok, ok, may be I have a slight preference for M Karathu as a favourite coach of mine since he was the coach for Perak in 1990 when Perak beat Selangor 4-2 after trailing 2-0. That was perhaps the last thrilling match in an FA Cup final.

But to be honest, I did not see any excitement at all during the match. It was a slow as tortoise as a match if one were to compare to the Premier League's pace. I did not see anything that would make me sit up and glued to the telly.

High leg and reckless tackles, two-footed lunge and wild shots.

That's all I can remember of last night's final.

OK may be the Kelantan's goal was a good lob, but that was about it.

Now if these were the two top teams in the Malaysia at this moment, I think we should all pray very hard.

We certainly have no future in football.

On the other hand, I am disappointed with the Kelantan state government for declaring Sunday as a public holiday in Kelantan. For what, I must ask.

There goes millions of ringgit of revenue and productivity for the Malaysian economy.

If you wish to travel from KB to KL to watch the game, you should be taking leave from your annual leave. For the sake of 40,000 fans who have saved a day off of the annual leave, another half million productive workers were asked to stay at home and do nothing.

Oh boy. I cringe when I heard that.

In some sense I am glad that Kelantan are not going to get the treble this year, though I do hope that they will win the league (for Karathu's sake).

I think acres of land in Kelantan will be given away to the players and trips to Europe and millions will be spent for the jaguh kampung. If this persists, then soon we will run out of state lands to give away!

I am really averse to spoiling our sportsmen for mediocre achievement i.e. those not achieved at the world stage. I wonder how many thousand of acres of land the Ganu government will give away now.

Anyway, let me get back to my afternoon nap.

Good night and congratulations Ganu.

Two Weddings and a middle-age guy

I had never thought it would come to this.

Seriously, this is a thing I had never planned for; not when I was young, not as an adult.

But I guess this is part and parcel of life. Things do happened, you just try to adapt and make the best out of each situation. But things can change also abruptly, and all you can do is go with the flow.

Never in my wildest dream that I had thought I would come to this. If it was, it would have happened a long time ago. Then it would be worth it. I would have to do it more than five times, so the experience would be important.

I have no daughters, and hence I know that there was no incentive for me to do this at all, despite the fact that I could have easily learnt about it from Youtube.

So when the Tok Kadhi at Kajang Mosque asked me to solemnize the marriage, I politely declined. I know I was the wali, but I was not prepared to do things other signing the papers to give her away. The Tok Kadhi seems reasonably understanding of my reluctance, and he didn't seems to be pushy.

And I thought that that was the end of it.

So when the time comes for the actual ceremony - after the long lectures, suddenly he turns to me and asked (again) me to do it. He put me in a spot there and then.

What do you do if you are in my shoes? Make a fuss and politely declined for the second time?

Or are you like me, an introvert who seldom wants to rock the boat?

Just go with the flow, and make it happen.

I guess I could have said no, and I am pretty sure he would do the solemnization without batting his eyelids. But then again, how difficult can it be.

It is after all one liner. I have seen it a hundred times over in Malay drama, and I presume I had attended numerous wedding to know exactly how it is done.

Unfortunately I have no daughter/s to give away the next time around, and
she was the last of my sis, so this experience will come to nothing
to be honest. But what the heck, you only live once, anyway.
(That's yours truly's hand in the familiar white batik.)

So that day I became the Tok Kadhi! Not many men, even dads, can lay claim to having done the deeds for their walis.

I don't remember now if I had to do it twice or whether single solemnization was enough that day, but in any case, I know that the fault was not mine (if it had to be done more than once).

Second Wedding

So when my uncle Capt Asgar invited me to join them for his son's wedding in JB on March 12, I didn't bat an eye lid. After all in February I had became the Tok Kadhi, and I presume by assuming that role, I would know everything that needs to be known about wedding - Malay wedding especially.

But at the last minute, he called me to his side.

"Aman, nanti they all minta wakil cakap, Aman cakapkan sebagai wakil rombongan," he said.

Alamak, I was thinking in my mind, what choice do I have, five minute before the nikah ceremony was supposed to begin. This one, I don't believe there is one in Youtube. I can't disappoint him by turning down his request, so after I ask the name of the bride's parent, I prepare in my mind the 2 minute speech.

Fortunately, the surau was such a beautiful and cozy surau. The architecture is traditional Malay, even though it is not a wooden surau. I fell in love with it the moment I entered it.

So my mukaddimah is made easier. All I need to do is praise their wonderful and cozy surau - just to break the ice.

Some of the intricate carving in this cozy surau.

I can present papers at conferences; heck I have even chaired a couple during my lifetime. But typically they are all came with a notice and I would know it ample of time ahead. But still butterflies in my tummy would be there typically.

But at these two weddings, no chance that that would happen.

I am richer for the experience, nevertheless.