Layakkah Kamu?

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI KEMERDEKAAN KE 52





"NEGARA KU"



NEGARA KU,
TANAH TUMPAHNYA DARAH KU
RAKYAT HIDUP BERSATU DAN MAJU

RAHMAT BAHGIA TUHAN KURNIAKAN
RAJA KITA SELAMAT BERTAKHTA

RAHMAT BAHGIA TUHAN KURNIAKAN
RAJA KITA SELAMAT BERTAKHTA'



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RUKUNEGARA



KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN

KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA

KELUHURAN PERLEMBAGAAN

KEDAULATAN UNDANG-UNDANG

KESOPANAN DAN KESUSILAAN



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Sesiapa yang tidak tahu
atau tidak mampu
berbahasa Malaysia dengan baik
tetapi enggan mempelajarinya,

tidak tahu menyanyikan "Negara Ku"
dan malas mengambil tahu,

tidak pernah tergerak hati
untuk mengamati apa itu "Rukunegara"
apatah lagi menghayati dan menghafalnya,

TETAPI

dilahir dan dibesar, menimba ilmu, mencari makan
berkeluarga dan memupuk generasi baru di bumi bertuah ini,

dan tanpa segan silu menikmati segala kemudahan
yang disediakan oleh pemerintah untuk semua
termasuk yang tidak berbelah bagi kesetiaannya seperti aku,

dikala mulutmu mencerca tangan yang menyuapmu,


MAKA


sesungguhnya kamu tidak layak dipanggil Orang Malaysia,
dan tidak layak memegang Kerakyatan Malaysia

kerana, sudah lebih setengah abad berlalu
tapi kamu masih di takuk satu
Tidakkah kamu malu?




"LUAHAN HATI ANAK MALAYSIA SEJATI"

The Mangosteens Did It

Way back in the mid '90s, just before the financial crash of 1997 that saw my public relations consultancy business nosediving into oblivion, I was asked by a businessman friend to organise an art exhibition for a local artist.

The painter was someone called Nunis (can't recall his first name) who hailed from Malacca's Portuguese Settlement. Nunis had a well-known offspring, the multi-talented Karen Nunis Blackstone, a singer/songwriter and noted painter in her own right.

The week-long solo exhibition, featuring about 80 of Nunis's best works, was held at the concourse of the Australian High Commission in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur.

To complement the show, the High Commission brought in several pieces of intriguing 'Dreamtime' artwork by indigenous Australians. Accompanying the heritage pieces were several didgeridoo-bearing Aborigines who put up an unforgettable cultural show.

For Nunis, it was a highly successful outing. Almost all the paintings were sold, much to my businessman friend's chagrin, for he had wanted to keep some really neat pieces for his private enjoyment (he did manage to snap up a few).

I knew nothing about art and had never understood artists and painters (still 'nyet' on both counts), but the exhibition taught me a good lesson; it's the inner eye in you that makes art appreciation possible (although I still have a tough time appreciating abstract art). That's why sometimes you can fall for a piece that looks unrepossessing to another's eye.

I also learned that artists and painters are a bunch of cantankerous loners (and I mean that in the most affectionate way!) But I'll be honest by saying that I envy people who can paint, because I can't draw to save my life. Frankly, even my 'Stickman' sucks.

This seemingly pointless meanderings bring us to the painting featured above, Buah Seto Tok Ma (Grandma's Mangosteens), painted by the very talented Mazeri Othman, a teacher-artist from Pasir Mas, Kelantan.

With the help of blogger Pak Zawi (whose insightful travelogues never failed to entertain), the painting was auctioned off to kickstart a project called Tok Sangkut Benevolent Fund, in aid of schoolchildren in and around Pasir Mas.

I made bid for it because I fell in love the moment I laid my eyes on it. I am happy to report that the real thing is even more beautiful than the picture, and that Buah Seto Tok Ma now occupies a place of honour at the Abu residence. It looks right at home up there on the wall next to the bookshelf!

The next project would be to organise an exhibition here in Kuala Lumpur, featuring the works of Kelantanese artists and painters (PESENI). A team has been assembled and preliminary steps have been taken; what's next is to try to get corporate support. We shall keep you posted...

Detikan Hati di Bulan Ramadhan

Pi mai pi mai dah hampir seminggu puasa. Ya Rabbi, cepat sungguh masa berlalu. Tak sempat nak rasa penat puasa pun. Bayangkan, dalam masa tiga minggu lagi, dah nak Raya!

Tiga minggu tu idaklah lama. Pejam celik pejam celik dah berkumandang takbir raya. Saya masih ingat tahun lepas, not long after pengumuman Raya di TV, takbir bergema dari masjid-masjid berdekatan. Saya duduk kat balcony menghayatinya dengan linangan air mata.

Kediaman kami ni smack in the middle of a 'tigasegi masjid' - Masjid Kg Sungai Pencala, Masjid Al-Ghufran di Pinggiran TTDI dan Masjid At-Taqwa di TTDI proper. So bila azan atau takbir, memang best sangat; seluruh ceruk rumah diresapinya.

Sebagaimana biasa, keluarga Pak Abu takder la bersiap bagai nak rak menyambut ketibaan Aidilfitri. Not for us new curtains, new furniture, new segala-galanya. Bukan apa, sebab bila dah agak-agak kena tukar, kami tukar aja, tak tunggu raya.

Kalau barupun, baju aja, to keep up with the spirit of Hari Raya. Ann and Awwa kebiasaannya 3 pasang baju baru each (maklumlah, pompuan); Naj dan Joe 2 pasang each and Pak Abu serta Mak Labu sepasang sorang saja. Kasut depa beli jugak walaupun kat apartment depa tak ubah macam shoe store dah, berpuluh pasang berderetan.

A new pair of Baju Melayu is a must for Pak Abu; sebabnya baju tu nanti boleh dipakai ke functions that require traditional dressing. Likewise, Mak Labunya will go for her perennial favourite, fashion-for-all-seasons Baju Kurung (sebab baju kurung boleh sembunyikan segala lipatan yang amatlah menggerunkan!).

So far, puasa amat menyenangkan. Mungkin berkat 'bertandang' ke Rumah Allah tahun lepas kot. Sejak pulang dari Tanah Suci, hati tenteram sungguh. Everything seems to fall into place. Rezeki pun alhamdulillah. Syukur, syukur dan syukur ke hadrat Ilahi.

Di bulan puasa yang syahdu ni hati saya bagai diguris bila teringat kat dua orang yang saya kasihi. Seorang sudah kembali menemui Ilahi, seorang lagi sudah jauh menyimpang dari jalan sebenar dan hidup dalam kesesatan yang amat mendukacitakan.

Ini tahun kedua Mak tiada. Bicara pasal Mak tak boleh lama. Memadai mengatakan rindunya tak akan padam sampai ke akhir hayat. Bila difikirkan tentang Mak, satu hari suntuk murung nanti. Sudah lama meredhakan pemergian Mak; semoga Allah swt merestui rohnya.

Adik bongsu ku Liza sudah hampir dua dekad di perantauan. Pergi ke Amerika Syarikat sebagai pelajar, tamat pengajian tak mau balik. Rela bayar balik scholarship yang beratus ribu ringgit. Masa dia pergi, Awwa baru nak masuk Darjah Satu. Now Awwa dah 24, dah tamat college dan dah bekerja.

Kami tahu keadaan hidupnya disana, betapa 'fully Americanised'nya dia, walaupun for reasons only known to herself, dia seolah-olah sudah menolak keluarga.

Masa arwah Mak tengah rindu kat dia dulu, my sister Idah bawak Mak pi ke US to be with her. Mak spent one month dengannya. Sampai macam tu sekali. Walau apapun, at least terubat kerinduan Mak padanya.

Bapak meninggal tanpa dia di sisi. Disuruh balik masa Bapak hospitalised, dia keberatan. Masa Mak sakit tenat, pun suruh dia balik. Ada aja helahnya. Kesudahannya, ibu tua itu kembali ke Rahmatullah tanpa menatap wajah anak bongsu yang amat disayanginya.

Setiap kali bertemu adik-beradik di sini, itulah salah satu topik perbincangan kami. Apa dah jadi? Where did we go wrong? What did we do wrong? Or, what is it that we didn't do that we should have?

Rasa-rasanya takder. Dia anak bongsu, ditatang bagai minyak penuh. Dia mewah segala; kasih sayang, makan pakai, wang ringgit. Bekalan rohani pun cukup. Ajaran agama didahulukan. Antara nak buat dengan tak saja.

Ramai yang pi belajar overseas tak terjejas pun aqidah mereka. In fact, ramai yang berubah menjadi lebih baik apabila kembali. Ann pun masuk universiti di US jugak, takder pulak apa-apa kepincangan. Alhamdulillah semuanya.

Di bulan Ramadhan yang syahdu ni, terkenang kat si Liza nun jauh di sana, yang terumbang ambing tanpa pedoman. Dengarnya sudah berpindah ke Minnesota.

Sebagai kakak yang sulung, impian saya ingin melihat dia kembali kepangkuan agama dan keluarga sebelum saya menutup mata, dan sebelum terlambat...

Where Love Flows

Ustaz Zawawi Ramli (Ayah), co-founder of Rumah Amal Limpahan Kasih. Kedah-born Zawawi used to teach in a religious school.

Rumah Amal Limpahan Kasih seen from across the road. It is located in Kampung Seri Aman, Batu 13, Puchong, Selangor.

Hostel for boys. It used to be two housing units tenanted out.

The cramped open-sided dining area for the orphans and other inmates.

The shelter's well-tended plant nursery. The majority of potted plants here are orchids donated by well-wishers.

The newly opened foodstall. One of the boys make a mean roti canai!

Ustazah Raba'ah Abdul Aziz (Umi), founder of Rumah Amal Limpahan Kasih. She once ran a boutique.

Rumah Amal Limpahan Kasih (also here) appeared on my radar two years ago when I was asked by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) client to prepare a list of deserving causes to receive its annual charity contribution.

Guided by a list provided by a relevant government agency, I duly identified an Indian orphanage in Sungai Petani, Kedah, a shelter for Muslim orphans and the poor in Rawang, Selangor, a church-run old folks home in Pandamaran, Selangor, a religious school badly affected by floods in Pagoh, Johor, and a hospital-based society for needy patients in Kuala Lumpur.

I remember only too vividly speaking on the phone for the first time with ustazah Raba'ah Abdul Aziz, founder of that shelter in Rawang. As soon as I introduced myself and told her the reason for my call, she broke into gentle sobs.

Quietly she confided that the year-old shelter was in dire need of funds to feed its inmates comprising orphans, old folks, single mothers and destitutes.

She added that our NGO's promised contribution was godsend, the culmination of her fervent doas. It was my turn to hold back my tears. We met a forthnight later at the cheque presentation ceremony held in conjunction with the NGO's annual dinner.

Our path crossed again three days ago when I accompanied a TV3 crew to visit the shelter. Someone close had called me two weeks before, informing that the shelter needed help, with the onset of Ramadhan.

After confirming the news, I did the only thing I could think of - alert a friend in TV3 - with the hope that the station could highlight the issue and give the good ustazah and her stressed-out team some breathing space.

Rumah Amal Limpahan Kasih has undergone a lot of changes since. Raba'ah and her husband Zawawi started the shelter in 2006 by renting a terrace house in Rawang and turning it into a hostel for orphaned girls, single mothers ad the elderly.

In 2007, her father generously bequeathed their ancestral home and the land where it stood in Kampung Seri Aman in Puchong, together with five other houses belonging to the family and previously rented out to tenants, to the cause.

"My late father was only a factory worker who didn't even have his own transport to go to work. He took the bus daily," Raba'ah recalled. "But he was as generous and kindhearted as they came and I'm only carrying on his good work."

With the help of donors, Raba'ah and her husband renovated the houses into several hostels for boys, a shelter for the homeless (including the elderly, single mothers and converts abandoned by wayward spouses).

The shelter currently houses some 100 inmates, of which 80 are either orphans or children from poor families. Due to space contraint, the girls remain housed in their rented premises in Rawang while the boys are grouped together in Puchong.

The shelter has three vans provided by generous donors, thus solving their transportation problem of ferrying the children to and from schools nearby. But Raba'ah opined that those vans sometimes break down because, more often than not, the shelter cannot afford to send them for service.

To help cut down expenses, the shelter started a vegetable patch. They even managed to grow green grapes. The vegetables however, are hardly enough to cover their own need and they still have to depend on market purchase.

Most of all, however, the shelter needs rice, lots of it. "Rice is so expensive and we have so many mouths to feed. But we have to replenish our stock very often because the poor around here also come to us for rice; we have never turned anyone down because we know hunger only too well."

Raba'ah said apart from shelter residents, they also have 300 orphans, 70 single mothers and 10 abandoned converts registered with Rumah Amal Limpahan Kasih. "They live nearby and we provide for them as we do our own."

In fact, the shelter provides seed money for single mothers under their care to start business so that they can be self-supportive. Currently, the women are involved in the business of Raya cookies.

"Some of our girls are also interested in baking and I would dearly like to see them getting professional training in bakery so that they can run their own business some day," said Raba'ah.

The shelter has a pretty well-stocked nursery with plants (nice orchids among them) donated by well-wishers. The boys make the compost themselves and take turns to water and care for the plants.

A month back, the shelter received a whole range of kitchen equipment, from freezer and fridge to cookers, crockery, cutlery and tables and chairs, from a kind-hearted stall operator who has ceased business.

An extension to the boys' hostel was duly built, turning it into a foodstall. The warong offers roti canai, local dishes like fried rice and noodles and laksa, teh tarik, juices and such. According to Raba'ah, business is not too bad, with support from villagers nearby.

Rumah Amal Limpahan Kasih needs RM40,000 a month to run the facility. Their only regular donor currently is Pusat Zakat, which gives RM50,000 a year, in two portions of RM25,000 each time. Understandably, the amount is sorely inadequate.

"We need to constantly find money to run this place. It's so stressful but we try our best; it's a responsibility we undertake. We wish we have regular donors to help ease our perennial financial problems," said Raba'ah.

The money is needed mainly to buy food and for the children's schooling expenses, apart from to pay utility bills, to put petrol in the vans, to pay the workers, general maintenance and upkeep of all the hostels and other premises.

"Our workers are not salaried; we don't have the means to pay them. We offer them a token sum each month which they, thankfully, accept."

Raba'ah and Zawawi are in the process of raising funds to build a new complex on a piece of wakaf land adjacent to the premises. The land has been donated by Raba'ah's family to the shelter.

This new complex would house among others, more hostels, quarters for the elderly, a bigger dining hall, an additional surau, a workshop for single mothers, a sick bay and a 'transit hostel' for visiting orphans from other parts of Malaysia.

Yet another piece of land, next to the premises, were recently bought for RM130,000 with the help of generous donors and local people, some of whom paid RM10 apiece for a stake in 'saham akhirat', as Raba'ah good-humouredly called it.

A new and bigger hostel for girls would be built on this newly purchased land. Raba'ah said it made good sense to house everyone within the same compoud.

"Susah orang susah kita, senang kita dikongsi bersama. Itu motto kita," (Your hardship is ours, but our wealth is for sharing. That's our motto)," Raba'ah concluded with a smile.

PS:

1) Please don't forget to visit the website of Rumah Amal Limpahan Kasih for details in the event that you want to pay your zakat or make your amal jariah. Giving direct is more personal.

2) Also, the children need Raya clothes.

3) If you wish, you may sponsor a child for RM200/month. This covers all his/her expenses i.e. food & lodgings, schooling & transportation, pocket money etc. Check out the website for more details.

To all my Muslim readers and friends

SELAMAT BERPUASA

May you have a blessed Ramadhan.

Filial (Im)piety

The story broken by local Chinese daily, Sin Chiew, and picked up by many other newspapers yesterday - the one out of Singapore about an elderly couple in Jurong forced to make the staircase of a school their home - was truly depressing.

The unfortunate duo (a retired manager and his wife) gave up their duplex to their only son as a wedding gift two years ago, hoping the newlyweds would invite Ma and Pa to stay and look after them in their old age.

The son and his wife did for a year, before selling off the property for close to a million ringgit to buy another condo. That done, the ungrateful son then packed his parents off to stay with their other child, a daughter.

A year down the road, the daughter too decided they weren't welcome after all. She callously changed the locks to keep them out. Homeless now, the wargamas couple had no option but to seek shelter on the staircase of a school.

This lamentable story came to light when the couple related their predicament to the school's secretary.

To think it was their own flesh and blood who did this is beyond belief. What kind of offsprings did they spawn? Heartless doesn't even begin to describe them.

Why didn't the children just abandon the parents in a charity shelter somewhere if they sayang their money so much, not wanting to fork out a single sen to park those sorry souls in an old folks home?

Whatever the parents' fault, I think turning a couple in their twilight years into the streets to fend for themselves is extremely cruel. Even unwanted pets get sent to the SPCA.

Last I heard (some years back this was), the Singapore Government had wanted to introduce a law that would make it a crime for children to abandon their parents.

That sounds just about right, coming out of ultramodern, uberdeveloped, metropolitan but soulless Singapore, where ageing (and jobless) Mom and Dad can be a real cramp to one's lifestyle.

Blame it on that unabashedly crude and materialistic "Singapore Dream", summarised by what is known as the Five Cs; Cash, Credit card, Car, Condo, Country club.

Sadly, they have forgotten to stack up the chips of the more important Cs - Caring, Concern, Consideration - the ones that would serve them well beyond this transient world.

The Road To Confusion

I am getting very confused. There are far too many e-mails with conflicting views with regards Influenza A (H1N1) in my mailbox that I don't know what to think anymore.

Just about the only common thread the senders of these e-mails share is that they meant well (at least I'd like to think they do). Still, I am pretty peeved to have found myself in this current state of uncertainty.

One e-mail said we should all be afraid - very afraid, in fact - because H1N1 will soon reach pandemic proportions (if it hasn't already) and thousands will perish. It's God's wrath upon mankind, muttered he darkly.

Another said the current death toll is much higher than what is let on but the authorities are keeping the lid on to avoid panic. "It's going to decimate our population!" screamed the writer, giving me unnecessary goose pimples.

Yet another said we are making too much out of this perceived threat. "It's just another strain of flu; it's the Press that's blowing it out of proportions," the writer poohed-poohed dismissively, conveniently taking potshots at mainstream media (sigh.. what else is new!) at the same time.

The fourth missive, claiming H1Ni as one monumental scam, was purportedly written by a paediatrician from Damansara Specialist Hospital, by the name of Dr Musa Mohd Nordin.

Calling the current H1N1-induced fear a 'sensational nonsense', he put forth a lengthy argument in support of this theory (half of which was lost on me, anyway), but I am not in the mood to humour him. Yet.

Now, who am I to believe? To paraphrase Mulder on X-Files: "The truth is out there." I'm sure it is. What remains is to sieve through the chaff to find it.

Did H1N1 begin life in a laboratory somewhere or did it really mutate from the common cold virus? Perhaps it truly is 'bala Allah swt' after all, or could it have come out of outer space? Such dizzying but not so improbable thoughts....

Conspiracy theories abound, naturally. Where would we be without these highly imaginative people, anyway. The world is having a field day blaming conspirators ranging from the US Government to Tamiflu manufacturers.

Whatever its origin, I'd rather err on the side of caution than adopt a lackadaisical attitude towards H1N1. Like I have said many times before, it's better to be safe than sorry.


PS:

Found this while scrolling my blogroll. It's a good write-up about H1N1 in Newsweek, reproduced by Hantulaut in his blog.

Pak Abu's Birthday Dinner

Nawwar and June (in red) hamming it up for the camera. Note the Mardi Gras paintings on the wall.


Pak Abu and Ann looking apprehensive. Must be the oversized knife. Looks more like a machete! On the skewer is Picanha beef cut ready for serving.

Pak Abu with his solitary candle nestling amidst caramelised bananas and vanilla ice cream.

It has been quite a while since I consumed a lot of meat at one sitting (eating 'satay' morsels doesn't count). I am speaking a whole range of red and white meats; roasted, grilled and barbequed.

Frankly, I am not a meat person. I love all kinds of seafood, with the exception of fish. Give me lobster, prawn, squid, crab, oyster, calamari and abalone anytime, washed down with any mint-flavoured lemony lime thirst quenchers, and I'm all yours.

Pak Abu on the other hand is big on chicken and loves meat, so off to Carnaval Churrascaria in Damansara Jaya we trooped for dinner earlier this evening to give him a treat well deserved, it being his 57th birthday today.

A bit of trivia: A churrascaria is a Brazilian or Portuguese steakhouse. Churrasco is a cooking style; roughly translated, it is Portuguese for 'barbeque'. It owes its origins to the fireside roasts of the gauchos of Pampas.

In modern restaurants, the 'rodizio' service is typically offered, In this, 'passadors' (meat waiters) come to your table with knives and a skewer, on which are speared various kinds of meats, be it beef, fillet mignon, lamb, chicken, duck, turkey ham, sausages, fish, as well as grilled pineapple and bread smothered in sour cream.

Carnaval Churrascaria is one such Brazilian restaurant in Petaling Jaya. It is located at the endlot of a row of shophouses (next to Maybank) just metres away from The Atria in Damansara Jaya.

The eatery, decked out in Brazilian national colours of yellow and green, looked bright and cheerful. Two flags - Brazilian and Malaysian - shared space behind the bar while paintings of the Mardi Gras, in a riot of colours, adorned the walls.

Pak Abu had eaten there once before a couple of years ago, with a group of corporate head honchos and avid golfers, and had spoken highly of it. So I decided it would be nice to surprise him with another 'churrasco' dinner.

The salad bar was filled to the brim. There must have been about 20 varieties to choose from, ranging from Thai-style glass noodles to fusilli, cole-slaw, green salad, potato salad, kidney beans, diced tomatoes in garlic and basil, fried aubergine slices, wedges, boiled ladies fingers with sambal....

The meats, tender and juicy, kept coming every so often that we eventually had to tell them to halt the conveyor belt of skewer-bearing passadors.

My favourite meat (the real thing, not the Brazilian passador although he was quite a looker himself.. hehehe.. ) was the lamb slices, eaten with mint sauce prepared from scratch, with fresh mint leaves.

For the customary candle-blowing, we decided to stay away from a cake; it's far too rich for Pak Abu who is a recent diabetic. I had wanted to get him his favourite (and less calorie-laden) tiramisu cake, but they didn't have it at the bakery I went to earlier in the day.

The restaurant instead prepared its specialty, caramelised bananas with three humongous scoops of vanilla ice cream, and stuck a candle in the middle of the dish. Still indecently rich, but not as bad as a royal icing overload on a normal birthday cake.

All considered, it was good night out for the family, our 'last kopek' really, before Ramadhan...

H1N1 Scare

Joe and Ann after getting their respective jabs at the hospital. They had to wait for 7 hours due to a big crowd thronging for medical attention. People are just not taking chances with H1N1.

It has been a rather unsettling week for the family, especially the sibling trio of Naj, Joe and Ann who share an apartment in Bandar Utama.

It wasn't too bad for us three (Pak Abu, Awwa and myself) in Taman Tun although I did come down with the sniffles and a rather severe bout of coughing. Thankfully, yesterday's temperature test proved everything was a-okay.

Some time last week Joe complained of flu. A slight fever then developed, followed by racking coughs. As he got worse, his sister Ann picked up the virus and suffered alongside.

They were still harmoniously sniffling and coughing when the eldest, Naj, got home from outstation, and promptly staked a claim in the misery.

In the meantime, Joe developed breathing difficulties. His asthma acted up and over the weekend he passed out. Luckily Naj and Ann were around to lend a hand. Self-quarantine was ordered and duly adhered to.

Subsequent blood tests revealed no H1N1. Syukur Alhamdulillah for that. One can never be too careful these days. Reports say H1N1 is expected to be around for at least one year - that's a scary thought indeed. It's like having a stalker in our midst. A silent killer is on the loose.

Let's not take this H1N1 scourge lightly. Do our part; wash hands frequently, stay away from crowded places as much as possible, wear a mask, see a doctor for a throat swab if you develop even a slight flu, and get your temperature checked if you feel feverish.

Cut down on your socialising; the parties and cinemas can wait. Drink lots of water too. And have enough rest. Take all the preventive measures you can possibly think of. Like they say - better safe than sorry.

Tuesday Rant

When I started blogging just over a year ago, the one thing I promised myself not to do was write political commentaries; in other words, indulge in so-po (socio-political) blogging.

Which is just as well, really, because there are so many good so-po bloggers out there. It doesn't matter where their political inclination or affiliation lies. What does matter is that they write with such passion and conviction that you can't help but give their thoughts due attention.

Of course, there are also those whose only claim to fame is their ability to spew venom in the worst possible way, by being obnoxious. These are the bigots whose political depth is suspect, but whose ability to swear and cuss is not.

There were times when I itched to hit back, especially when my race and religion came under attack by people professing to uphold freedom and justice. Despite being born here and living here all their lives, their reluctance to integrate is nothing short of bewildering.

Rubbishing other people's faith is something I can't stomach. If you have nothing nice to say, just shut the fish up. My religion is sacred to me as I am sure yours is, to you. So don't push your luck too far. Sarang tebuan jangan dijolok...

Having said that, I also abhor those who pontificate; their holier-than-thou attitude makes me want to puke. And I have no love for people who use religion as a political platform. Religion is above politics and those who use it for political gain should rightly be vilified.

I am writing against the grain of my promise because of what have been happening in the country lately. I don't have to expand on this; unless you have been living like a hermit in a cave somewhere, you would know what I am talking about.

Non-Muslims dispensing with 'fatwas' about pregnancy outside marriage and illegitimate children (don't cloud the issue here with rapes etc please) and the 'halal/haram'ness of beer?

Muslim scholars and respected royalty coming under fire for exercising their right to speak and express their own opinion? Gangsterism in "Utopia"? (Not quite as squeaky clean as you had made yourselves out to be, eh?) I need not say more.

1) mengata dulang paku serpih; mengata orang dia yang lebih.
2) meludah kelangit, jatuh kemuka sendiri.
3) menepuk air di dulang, terpercik kemuka sendiri.
4) semut di seberang lautan nampak, gajah di depan mata tidak.

Lest they forget, there is a SILENT MAJORITY out there of which I am a member. I don't need to take to the streets and disrupt the lives of my fellow peace-loving Malaysians to prove my point.

I have been doing it at the ballot box ever since I could vote, and like hell I shall exercise it again in the not-too-distant future. Just don't underestimate the collective power of 'us'. We don't need to resort to Bollywood antics to make ourselves heard.

Oh, a footnote before I conclude:- I was amused to read Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's comment (in yesterday's dailies) that the National Day celebrations in Penang could be postponed due to H1N1.

[For the record, I am not an advocate of independence day celebrations. I have no use for mega concerts, military parades and pyrotechnic shows. I celebrate the way I know best, by raising my country's flag at home and flying it on my car. I am unashamedly patriotic, so sue me].

I salute LGE for being a concerned leader. "Our priority is the people's safety." How gracious, how noble. But how come there wasn't a squeak from him when those kutus were having street demonstrations and illegal rallies in Kuala Lumpur recently?

After all, the H1N1 virus isn't discerning, to attack only Penang Merdeka Day revellers and not Kuala Lumpur's kaki protes jalanan, especially the kind who led children like cows to slaughter, to be used as a human shield so that the image could be flashed around the world for international condemnation, not to mention turning it into a "modal" to whack the authorities...

The 10-minute Poem

Today I attended a creative-writing workshop and was asked to write, among others, a poem within 10 minutes. Below is my embarrassingly feeble attempt at poetry.

[Berpeluh beb! Five minutes gone just wondering how to wriggle myself out of this 'trap', two minutes to get my act together after realising I couldn't use the old standby of 'migraine', and three final minutes of desperate scribbling!].

Strangely enough, the first thing that came to my mind was Lillie's (pix above) kitty litter.

Other people wrote about the magnificent owl in the night sky, a telephone conversation between two friends, and daddy's blanket, and all I could come up with was cat poo. I think I have too much crap dwelling in my head (sighh...)


Lillie's Poo

A lapse of just one day
was all it took to make Pa bray
for I had forgotten to empty the litter tray

Preoccupied with work
Lillie's toilet escaped my thought
until a familiar odour surreptitiously wafted

"Cats!" spat Pa contemptuously
"Why didn't they just poo out there in the yard?"

"Because......." soothed Ma patiently
"We live 10 floors up, Pa
And the yard is the big blue sky
That's why... !"

To Pee or Not To Pee

After Pak Payne's poetic lament in "What Is Becoming of Me...", I am feeling a wee bit 'Shakespearish', thus "To Pee Or Not To Pee..." [the next entry will probably be "To Pi Or Not To Pi, to Phi Phi"; THAT's the question!]

Is it true that you have to pay two ringgit to take a leak in KLCC? What exactly do they have in the washrooms there, paintings by Old Masters? The sprawling tourist magnet isn't exactly our playground, so we don't know. We hardly go to the city centre, by the way.

Everything that we need and want can be found in our own backyard; there's One Utama, The Curve, Ikea, Ikano, Damansara Uptown, and further up, Hartamas. In fact, we are within walking distance to One Utama that I sometimes go there on foot. It takes only 20 minutes, and at a leisurely pace too.

I certainly do not mind paying to use a shopping centre's toilet facility, but I think two ringgit is a bit rich, considering other places like One Utama and The Curve do not charge a single sen for the same. And their loos are as clean and spotless as those found in five-star hotels.

I wonder what the rationale is for charging two ringgit for a pee (or a poo). I may be wrong, but I still think the management is just trying to make a quick buck, well knowing that when you gotta go, you gotta go...

Oh, I forgot to mention I was told they give you a packet of 'wet-ones', presumably for you to clean yourself up afterwards. I guess that's their justification for the two ringgit charge.

But what if I refuse the packet because I have this habit of bringing my own wherever I go? Can I get a discount on the two bucks?

Two ringgit is a lot of money these days. For this amount, one can have two meals at Restoran Rakyat Ukhwah 1Malaysia, or two packets of that famous Nasi Lemak Taman Tun.

Be that as it may, I have decided I shall not enrich KLCC further by peeing in their first-rate toilet. No, I am not bringing a bedpan when shopping in KLCC, don't worry. [Psstt.. Pak Abu says he's not considering the bottle either.... it's too bulky to hide in his pocket!]

Pak Abu and I have found the solution; we shall continue to avoid KLCC as we have done in the past, unless there is a real need to be there.

I can't promise to stay away because Kinokuniya is gobsmacked in KLCC and it has some of the best collections of books ever. If you like Pablo Neruda, go to Kinokuniya for it carries an impressive stock of the poet's work.

If you are coming One Utama way, give me a tinkle. I pace the aisles of both Old and New Wings almost everyday. That's my routine. Perhaps we can have Ultimate Mocha together at The Coffee Bean. Best of all, you don't have to pay to pee!

Sweet Spots

"Make a memory with your children
Spend some time to show you care
Toys and trinkets can't replace those
Precious moments that you share.

Money doesn't buy real pleasure
It doesn't matter where you live
Children need your own attention
Something only you can give.

Childhood's days pass all too quickly
Happy memories all too few
Plan to do that special something
Take the time to go and do.

Make a memory with your children
Take the time in busy days
Have some fun while they're growing
Show your love in gentle ways."

Elaine Hardt

This entry goes out to every single one of you. It matters not if you are a grandparent, Mom or Dad, single adult, a teenager, or even a kid. Whether you are seven or 70, one common bond that binds us together is our unconditional love for our family.

As a parent, what and when was that last memorable moment you had with your child? In defining this moment, it would be a time spent together, or an incident experienced together that was significant enough to remain forever etched in your memory.

I know of a child who had hazy memories of an expensive family holiday in the UK, but could never stop talking about sharing a loaf of bread with his mom to feed the ducks at the Serpentine in Hyde Park.

I call such moments Sweet Spots. People I know call them by many other names - Happy Moments, Highlights, High Points, Twinkling Moments - but they are basically the same thing, that is, significant moments tucked away in the treasure trove of one's memory bank.

Despite the name, such memories need not even be saccharine sweet. There was one incident, neither sweet nor heartwarming but hilarious (with the benefit of hindsight, that is), that remains etched in my memory until today. It makes me laugh each time I think of it.

It happened 35 years ago when the ex, while teaching me how to drive in the vast compound of his father's official residence, jumped out of the car instead of grabbing the wheels the moment I careened out of control towards one of the pillars at the porch.

The cop manning the sentry box at the entrance looked in horror, expecting a crash-boom-bang! anytime. I managed to evade the pillar by ploughing through (soon-to-be) mom-in-law's precious bed of gladiolis and some potted plants, narrowly missing her much-prized orchid garden. [The family said it should have been the pillar and not the matriarch's flowers].

A close friend quoted the time when his friends ganged up on him during a poolside barbeque and threw him unceremoniously, fully clothed, into the pool. Another recalled singing in the rain at the top of her lungs with her siblings during one downpour, whilst walking home from a kampung school.

Never mind that they were soaked to the skin and had to dry their books on the pangkin (a raised wooden platform in the front yard of a kampung house) later on. Singing in the rain was simply fun, fun, fun. And the memory stuck.

I am sure you have your own sweet spots to share. Even everyday gestures can be just as memorable; a big hug from the kids when you walk through the door after a long day at work, the little ones 'helping' you cook in the kitchen, celebrating your team's goal together, playing the piano with your child and singing in perfect harmony together, watching the sunset by the beach with the entire family...

Unlike westerners, we Malaysians hardly practise the culture of capturing our moments on camcoders or any video recording devices. We are digital camera-inclined and use the video function only sparingly, to record only special events like birthdays, weddings and such.

[Taping other people's conversations and embarrassing private moments with malicious intent don't count, ok].

I think it's about time we start and let's not limit ourselves to just 'special' events, because a sneak kiss by the beloved is just as special, don't you think? Always have a camcoder handy. More often than not, sweet spots involve family members, people you are most emotionally connected to. I am inclined to think those involving small kids are the best - a baby's first steps or first word, for example.

Let's create memories and capture them visually for posterity. I used to be so technologically inept that I didn't even know how to handle the TV remote or operate the video recorder and the microwave oven. I fumbled with all the buttons on the mobile phone, and was absolutely terrified of the computer. And Internet gave me the chills; I didn' quite know what to make of it.

Today, at 55, I surf bigtime, blog, google and wiki-ed, download songs and videos and stuffs. And I carry a digital camera in my handbag at all times, ready to capture memorable moments at the flick of a finger. Seriously, I never thought I would come this far. Sweet spots, here I come!

PS: Somehow, I am not ready for a Blackberry yet. It looks intimidating (too many functions I'm sure I'll lose my bearing in the maze).

Memories Are Made of These

From left: Pok KU, Uncle Som, AG, Iain, Anak Si Hamid, Fatimah Abu Bakar and Mak Andeh (back to camera)

From left: Cat-in-Sydney (hidden by Kak Teh's photographing hand), Mamasita, Datuk Sak, HM, Raden Galoh and NanaDJ.

From left: Lovey dovey couple Mamasita & Datuk Sak, another pair of lovebirds MH & Raden Galoh, and naughty loyar Elviza, who came sans spouse (straight from work, said she).

From left: 3 orang Tranu - Uncle Som, AG and the Sydney Cat's Meow - Iain and Anak Si Hamid.

From left (back): Glamorous Ida Hariati & Kak Teh. (Front) Not-so-glemeres Kama and ever-smiling Mamasita.

From left: Ida (in black), Ishak Nengah, NanaDJ's number one supporter Mahadzir, Aishah Ali, Rocky, Nuraina, Raden Galoh and Datin Dr Nor.

Whoa! Macam perhimpungan agung parti politik lak!

"Our" Boys! Yeeeehaarrr!

Oh boy! What a blast it was last night. And to think that it wasn't even that way planned initially. All said, I am glad it turned out the way it did, for it sure beat a boring quiet chat with dinner thrown in. What a fun way to spend a few precious hours together with friends - old, new and long-lost!

I have known Zaharah Othman (she of blogworld's Kak Teh fame) and her oh-ever-so-handsome other half Wan Hulaimi (blogger Awang Goneng) since I married into the late Pak Rahman's (Tan Sri Hj Abdul Rahman Hashim, the slain IGP) family in the mid '70s. Kak Teh and my former in-laws are blood relatives.

Although Kak Teh and I were colleagues, it was her elder sister J that I was closer to, for J's senior police officer husband was a close aide of my late father-in-law. We saw the couple often at the family official residence in Lembah Guillemard and later, Jalan Kia Peng.

Kak Teh and I last met in 1979, in a lift at Balai Berita where we both worked as journalists. If I am not mistaken, soon after that she left for London to start a new life with her beloved Awang Goneng.

On the other hand, Wan Hulaimi and I share the common bond of being 'Orang Terengganu', something we both proudly wear like a badge of honour on our sleeves. All said and done, we 'budu' people (Terengganuese and Kelantanese) do tend to stick together. The presence of gracious Pok Ku just about summed it up.

When Kak Teh informed that she and AG would be returning to Malaysia for a three-week break July-August, Pak Abu and I decided we would take them out to dinner. I am glad we didn't stick to the original idea of a cosy foursome 'makan-makan'.

It somehow didn't seem right to have Kak Teh and AG just to ourselves that we decided we would expand the guest list to include some of the bloggers we already knew or have met. As the plan unfolded however, it began to take a life of its own.

In the end, we decided it was best to let Kak Teh herself do the inviting; after all she was in possession of their contact numbers. Kak Teh, you scored an A with that list; how I wished we could invite even more. [Psst, you all better start leaving your mobile numbers in my e-mail, for future dos].

The dinner invitation was for 8pm but we decided to go to the Club well before Maghrib so that we could pre-order the food. While in the lobby, a Club member (and regular commentator in my blog) told us that two of our guests had arrived.

Pak Abu and I hastened to the Bunga Raya Chinese Restaurant, only to be confronted with a wargamas couple coming down the stairs from the restaurant, and looking rather lost. I knew I had come face-to-face with the delicately-framed, quick-witted Queen GOW (Grumpy Old Woman) and her man Iain.

I must have startled the poor woman with my rude greeting (in jest, of course) of "Just where do you think you are going?" before introducing myself and hugging her tight and plonking messy kisses on her cheeks. We had never met but it felt like I had known her forever!

Dear Anak Si Hamid (Kak Maznoor) and Iain, Pak Abu and I couldn't thank you enough for gracing our get-together with your presence. It was such a pleasure, ma'am, to meet you in person.

Soon, the other guests began to arrive. Any semblance of normalcy took flight the moment Kak Teh and AG walked into the room, accompanied by Mak Andeh. We rushed to greet them, the ladies wildly hugging and kissing Kak Teh with joyful abandon.

Sorry AG, I know you felt you too deserved to be so enthusistically mauled by us ladies, but I can only speak for myself; I personally was afraid Pak Abu might retaliate by not signing the bill later if I did, for conduct unbecoming of a Mak Aji!

I was overwhelmed to note the presence of folks I used to work with in the Press (bloggers and non-bloggers alike) who are also close friends of Kak Teh and AG. Thank you Rocky (of Rocky's Bru) Nuraina Samad, former Sunday Mail editor Aishah Ali, well-known emcee Ishak Nengah, and Fatimah Abu Bakar of Akademi Fantasia fame, for making it to the dinner.

Conversation flowed freely. Gales of laughter followed good-natured ribbings as tales of yesteryears were recounted 'dengan penuh perasaan' by Kak Teh. The media folks present were her college mates as well; thus the outpouring of sweet, funny 'cerita-cerita silam'.

Dinner concluded at 10.15 and we adjourned to the mini-theatre for some karaoke. Ishak took the floor with Andy William's 'Love Story", followed by Hetty Koes Endang's "Demi Cinta Ni Ye" faultlessly delivered by Ida Hariati.

I contributed Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train To Georgia", Jaflam crooned 'My Way", Pak Abu paid tribute to "Beautiful Maria" while Mak Andeh gave a heartfelt "Saving All My Love For You." Wow MA! You have the vocals, man!

Aishah Ali proved she still had it with a rousing "Dancing Queen" by Abba. True to form, her back-up dancers comprising Kak Teh & Co, flooded the floor, gyrating the night away.

Rocky paid a sweet tribute to Anak Si Hamid (who happened to be his former schoolteacher!) by singing a lovely duet with Nuraina. The song was "Let It Be", popularised by The Beatles.

The dancing continued with Boney M's "Sha La La" and Yopie Latul's "Poco-Poco" by yours truly. I tell you, those ladies really could hold their own in the poco-poco department! How I wish I could sway my ample derriere in rhythm like they did.

Uncle Som proved his mettle by crooning "Widuri" with such soothing ease that I wondered if he had ever sang professionally before. He and my late father went back a long way; we lost touch and met again in blogsphere last year (he is also a close buddy of Pok Ku).

We finally called it a night at 12, just like Cinderella. A memorable outing that really was. Thank you folks - Datuk Sak, Datin Mamasita, Datuk Jaflam & Datin Dr Nor, Raden Galoh & MH, Cat-In-Sydney & her Meow, Kay_Leeda, Tireless Mum & Shah, Ida Hariati, Mak Andeh, NanaDJ & Mahadzir, Elviza, Pok Ku, Uncle Mohd Som, Anak Si Hamid & Iain, Rocky, Nuraina, Aishah & Ishak, Fati and last but not least, Kak Teh and AG - for proving that you folks are still "very happening" people!