The New Age Giveaway

Saw this neat package on the dining table last night when we got home after dinner at the Club. Wrapped in two layers of pink and red netting and adorned with rosebuds made of crepe paper, it looked like a gift of some sort.

Assumed it was Ann's because only she was around; Awwa had gone to spend the weekend with her grandmother in PJ, Joe was still in flight from Tokyo whilst Naj was at either at work or at his Muay Thai class.

The package turned out to be a starter kit for an herb garden, this particular one for parsley. Upon unwrapping found a plant pot, with three packets containing seeds, fertilisers and potting mix each nestled inside.

It was not until Ann returned from dinner later that I learned the package was actually a bunga telur (gift for guests at Malay weddings). Truly a New Age wedding giveaway, this.

The traditional "bunga telur" usually comprises one boiled egg (either plain or boiled with spices and called "telur pindang"), the shell of which is then dipped in red colouring.

The egg is either wrapped in decorative netting or crepe paper, or placed in dainty baskets or pretty little boxes, and adorned with ribbons, beads and stuffs.

I have attended hundreds of weddings over the years and have received all manners of bunga telur in place of the egg.

They ranged from chocolates in expensive, frivolous packaging like faux faberge, silk pouches or petite porcelain cups, to cupcakes or cake squares in dinky, beribboned boxes decked with colourful beads, to candies and sweets, traditional tidbits and facial towels packed in your standard printed mini paperbags.

Once, at the wedding of the daughter of a friend (owner of a publishing house) a couple of years back, Muslim guests each received a copy of beautifully printed and packaged palm-sized translation of the Quran.

Custom-made or mass-produced, it is not so much the gift that counts; it's the spirit in which it is given that matters the most.

Be that as it may, the aforementioned New Age bunga telur is indeed a charming idea. It's almost like a political statement; not surprising given that the newlyweds are dedicated, eco-conscious 'greenies'.

To Ann's buddy Nurul Alis and her husband Qa'is Abdullah (James Mitchell) who tied the knot in Gombak yesterday, Selamat Pengantin Baru, guys...

Looks like an herb garden is in the offing at the Abus with this starter kit. A row of potted herbal plants lining the balcony would definitely make a good conversation piece...

Tambah Cawangan

Semasa merayau-rayau kat Facebook tadi, saya terjumpa dengan posting ini. I find it very refreshing, lantas pohon izin untuk memuatkannya ke dalam blog ini untuk direnungi bersama.

Luahan Hati Lelaki 40-an yang dibenarkan berkahwin sorang lagi

Saya sendiri sebagai lelaki rasa tercabar apabila isteri saya sering mewarwarkan kepada saya bahawa umur saya dah melewati 40 tahun. Life starts at 40. 'Kalau U rasa U nak pasang lagi satu, I izinkan', kata isteriku.

Bila berangan tentang nak kahwin lain ni memanglah seronok. Tersengih-sengih ajelah I at that time. 'Dunia ni dah terbalik gamaknya, kawan-kawan aku siap pegi Siam sana nak nikoh lagi satu, ni bini aku siap suruh pasang sorang lagi...?!' Tak tahulah kalau isteri I tu main reverse psychology dengan I. Tapi lepas I berfikir panjang, rasa-rasanya tak naklah. Sebab apa? Bila mengenangkan umur I yang dah 40+.

Let's say kalau I kahwin dengan anak dara, katakan umur 22 tahun. Memanglah seronok beb. Tapi tentang makan minum pakai I, kemas rumah dan kegemaran I, rasanya I tentu asyik teringatkan my first wife. Tak perlu nak ajar, I suka makan apa, cam mana cara nak masaknya, baju I kena gosok cam gini, kalau I bangun tidur I suka kalau my wife dah siapkan segala-galanyalah. Tak perlu I bagitau, dia dah tahu apa I suka. Cerita apa I suka kat TV, teh atau kopi manis macam mana, hobi apa, sukan kegemaran ... semua dia dah tahu. Tak perlu start balik macam zaman umur 20-an dulu.

Rasa-rasa dapat ke isteri muda I suruh buat gitu? Tentu dia banyak ragam. Yelah, dia muda, I kan dah tua. Mesti dia kata I ni mengada-ngada. Sure I yang kena manjakan dia lebihlah, sebab dia muda. Silap haribulan, takut lari lak, kan. Isteri muda ni bukan macam yang dah bersama dengan kita sejak muda. Kalau kita rasa isteri tua banyak belanja, isteri yang muda pasti lagi teruk.

Eh, budak 20-an zaman sekarang, dengan henbeg Gucci, dengan nak tudung kain Mawi dan henpon jenama Nokia N95. Itu tak termasuk kereta, paling korok pun mesti nak Honda atau Toyota. Perempuan muda sekarang mana main naik Proton atau Perodua. Kalau I tak bagi barang-barang tu, dia tak nak bagi 'barang' dia lak malam-malam!

Sedangkan dengan isteri tua, awal-awal kahwin naik motorsikal cabuk pun sanggup, berpanas berhujan, dukung anak kita dicelah motor tu. Ahh ... terkenang juga zaman 'miskin' dulu tu. Rumah dengan bini tua dulu pun setakat apartmen 3 bilik. Tidur atas tilam nipis, dapur pun kecik, perkakas pun tak banyak.

Oh, untuk isteri muda, terpaksa aku buat OT untuk bayar rumah teres dua tingkat tu, nak bayar peti ais Samsung dan TV Sony Bravia 40-inci mu itu ... Dah umur 40-an ni, darah tinggi lak aku ni kena buat OT setiap hari. Hari minggu pun kena cari duit, nak tengok bola pun tak dapat ...

Lebih haru lagi, tentu anak anak I akan memberontak sakan. Yelah, sekarang nikan banyak kes bapak kahwin lain anak-anak lebih tertekan. Ramai jadi liar, hisap dadah, jadi mat rempit dan bohsia. Sebab tension bapak kawin baru. Takut mereka menjauhkan diri dari I, malah akan membenci pula. Disebabkan masyarakat kita ni memandang serong pada keluarga yang bapak mereka kahwin lebih dari satu.

Kalau I ada anak dengan isteri baru, tentu kecik sangat lagi di masa I dah tua dan memerlukan perhatian dari anak-anak, sedangkan rumah isteri muda tengah hiruk pikuk dengan anak anak kecil (kan dah ada experience dengan isteri pertama - bagaimana kelam kabutnya dia menguruskan anak-anak). Sedangkan di rumah isteri tua, anak anak dah besar, boleh tolong mak dan sedang seronok bergurau senda bersama ibunya membincangkan topik-topik terkini dan juga kehidupan mereka.

Duduk rumah bini muda, I yang tua-tua ni lak kena salin pampers dan bagi baby mandi. Haha ... kalau tak buat, takut isteri muda merajuk pulak. Tak boleh jadik nih. Banyak benda yang kena repeat. Mula mula kawin tentu seronok. Paling lama setahun dua. Bila dah ada anak, tanggungjawab baru bermula semula sebagaimana dengan isteri pertama dulu-dulu.

Tapi masa ni kita dah tak larat nak basuh berak anak, nak pegi shopping beli baju anak anak, nak dukung anak-anak. Lecehlah nak kena teman isteri muda buat semua tu. Silap haribulan orang kata tengah pilih baju cucu. Eii, tak sanggup pula. Paling takut, orang ingat isteri muda tu anak I. Lagi haru ...!

Balik rumah mertua pula, teringatkan masa akad nikah dulu, beria-ria kita nakkan anak dia. Lepas tu kita kawin lagi satu. Tentu muka nih tak tahu nak letak kat mana. Orang tua takkan nak straight to the point. Tanya itu ini. Kalau dia nak bercakap tentang tu cukup dengan jelingan dan kerlingan mata, buat kita dah tak senang duduk. Takkan raya asyik balik umah mak mertua baru aje. Apatah lagi kalau I ni lak umur nak sama dengan mak bapak mertua baru I tu .... Hisyy, banyaklah lagi.

Bagi korang yang suka berbincang pasal benda yang indah-indah kawin dua nih, silakanlah. Tapi bagi I selagi hayat dikandung badan, selagi tulah I taknak tambah. Taknaklah mendabik dada. Cakap besar. Tapi sekadar menurutkan nafsu dan benda dalam seluar tu rasanya tak pernah kurang pun layanan isteri pertama terhadap I. Keluarga ni, kita bina keluarga bahagia yang di depan mata. Bukannya yang di dalam kepala. Bukannya di dalam seluar dalam je. Hadapi hari esok yang tentu dengan keluarga yang banyak mengharungi susah senang dari mula.

Pengorbanan isteri (walaupun kadang kala dia pernah merungut salah kita juga, cuai dan mengabaikannya). Apapun semuanya bermula dengan kita. Insaflah. Kalau nak ikut Nabi, rasa rasanya solat subuh pun kita terlepas kalau isteri tu tak kejutkan. Bukan nak kata solat subuh, kekadang waktu lain pun terlambat atau terlepas.

Baca Quran pun sekali-sekala, baca Yassin pun hanya bila ada orang meninggal. Ikut sunnah Nabi apa nama tu. Tak payahlah yang lain lain. Kang ada yang nangis bila disebutkan. Cukuplah. Sesungguhnya amat bertuahlah suami-suami yang mempunyai isteri yang menyuarakan pendapat di ruangan ni. Membuktikan mereka sayang, kasih dan cinta pada kalian.

Apa sangatlah kita nih. Macam Nabi konon. Ye ke? Bab kawin kawin aje nih cam Nabi. Bab menegakkan benda dalam seluar dalam je nak ikut sunnah. Cuba bab menegakkan agama Islam, masih lagi terkial-kial.

Wallahualam.

- suami orang-

Tawarikh (Revised)

Nah, tak lama lagi mata pelajaran Sejarah (zaman saya dulu dipanggil Tawarikh) akan jadi subjek wajib lulus. Tak lulus kalo, pengajian kamu terbantut.

Diumumkan bahawa Sejarah akan diwajibkan lulus bermula peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) pada 2013 dan akan dijadikan salah satu subjek teras di sekolah rendah bermula 2014.

Saya antara orang paling gembira mendengar pengumuman Muhyiddin ini. Bukan apa, sudah sampai masanya sejarah tanahair itu MESTI dihayati sepenuhnya.

We learn from the past to chart our future. Kalau sejarah silam pun jahil dan tak ketahuan, macam mana nak rancang masa depan?

Tidak disangkal lagi rata-rata generasi sekarang, yang lahir ke dunia post-Independence, kurang peka dengan sejarah tanahair.

Mereka mengambil sikap acuh tak acuh, mungkin kerana tidak mampu menghayati (ataupun sengaja menidakkan) nilai-nilai perjuangan kearah kemerdekaan.

Betapa perit hati saya membaca bagaimana kejerihan para nasionalis negara dalam memperjuangkan kemerdekaan diperlekeh dan dipersenda oleh Generasi 'Aku' ('Me' Generation) ini.

Bagi saya, hanya orang yang tidak bangga menjadi rakyat negara ini yang merasakan tidak perlu tahu urutan sejarahnya, sepertimana golongan yang tak ambik kisah untuk memahami dan bertutur dalam Bahasa Kebangsaan.

Kini sudah kedengaran nada-nada sumbang mencebik bibir dengan kenyataan Muhyiddin berhubung subjek yang bakal diwajibkan ini. Sebagaimana biasa, the naysayers ini sepantas kilat berprasangka buruk.

Antara rungutan yang dijadikan dendangan ialah "Alah, sudah mesti sejarah negara akan diubahsuai dan diolah menurut citarasa Pemerintah."

Cemuhan seperti ini sebenarnya memperlekehkan daya pemikiran generasi muda. Apa anda ingat mereka senang diperbodohkan dengan sejarah rekaan?

Tahap kepekaan generasi sekarang kian meningkat, terutama dalam kesedaran politik. Mereka juga mampu menimbang baik buruk dalam public governance dan tidak teragak-agak menyuarakan pendapat mereka.

Zaman 'pak turut' dan 'lembu dicucuk hidung' sudah berlalu; kalau Pemerintah masih belum sedar hakikat ini, then they are signing their own death warrant.

Walau apapun, perlu diingat Pemerintah juga tidak sedangkal yang anda sangka. Memang kerajaan banyak kepincangannya, tetapi dari segi pembelajaran sejarah saya yakin mereka tidak akan menyimpang dari kebenaran.

Depart from the truth, and you know where you will be soon enough... kamu akan dikuburkan rakyat..

Hanya satu harapan saya, dan ini ditujukan khas kepada mereka yang mengajar Sejarah di sekolah-sekolah: Make the lessons of History interesting! Jangan sampai pelajar hilang minat.

Secara peribadi, saya amat meminati mata pelajaran Tawarikh semasa dibangku sekolah. Mungkin kerana saya memang suka membaca, dan mempunyai keinginan mendalam untuk mengetahui sejarah silam.

Apa sekalipun, Sejarah akan menjadi tawar hambar kalau cara penyampaiannya terlalu bersahaja, tanpa kreativiti dan inovasi. Jadi para guru kenalah peka sikit perihal ini.

Nada-nada sumbang juga kini kedengaran berikutan ura-ura memasukkan Artikel 153 Perlembagaan Negara berhubung hak-hak istimewa orang Melayu sebagai sebahagian daripada syllabus Sejarah.

Soalan saya, apa nak ditakutkan sangat bila Artikel 153 difahami semua? Apa asas mempertikai ura-ura ini? Bukankah sesuatu yang baik apabila generasi pelapis memahami apa yang termaktub di dalam perlembagaan negara kita ?

Cuba tanya generasi kini, apa yang mereka tahu akan Perlembagaan Negara? Bagi sesetengah mereka, usahkan Perlembagaan Negara, Rukunegara pun tak lepas, walaupun dah recite beratus (mungkin beribu) kali di zaman persekolahan!

Saya terbaca dalam akhbar sekejap tadi akan komen seorang guru sejarah yang menyatakan beliau setuju dengan saranan ini hanya kalau perubahan dibuat kepada syllabus semasa.

Katanya skop mata pelajaran Sejarah sekolah menengah hari ini terlalu luas dan merangkumi terlalu banyak maklumat dan fakta.

Difahamkan ada 10 bab yang perlu diliputi di Tingkatan Empat dan 9 lagi di Tingkatan Lima.

Andainya metodologi semasa dikekalkan, memang terduduklah budak-budak nak mempelajarinya. Apatah lagi bila dah jadi wajib lulus, alamat ada yang terkandas nanti.

Walau bagaimanapun, diharapkan pihak-pihak berwajib mendalami dengan terperinci dari semua segi sebelum saranan menjadi kenyataan.

Niat mungkin murni; mewujud dan mempertingkat kepekaan terhadap sejarah tanahair, sekaligus menanam semangat nasionalisme dan cintakan negara, tapi janganlah sampai memudaratkan pembelajaran anak-anak kita pulak.

Kembali Kepangkuan Ilahi

Amirah (seated, with kid sister Alya), capturing the moment with

Mum & Dad, brother Anas and sister Asma

during the recent Hari Raya

Amirah was very close to and much adored by her only brother, Anas,

seen here giving his kakak an affectionate peck..

Proudly holding her hard-earned degree....

On a well-deserved break in Perth last year..

With her mum..


Amirah, 25, eldest child of my sister Ana & her husband Anuar
lost her five-year fight with cancer this morning.

Innalillahi wainna ilaihi rajioun and Al-Fatihah.

May you finally find peace, sweetheart

In our grief, we find 'keredhaan' to let you go

We love you very much, Myra

We'll never forget how beautiful you were

and how much joy you had brought into our lives...

Mak May, Uncle Ash, Naj, Joe, Ann, Awwa.

When Fat Tush Meets 'Fattoush'

The front facade with its beautiful stained windows..

Eye-catching designs on the ceiling...

The jumbo-sized bread eat six, with some to spare..

Digging into lamb madghout.. somewhat like briyani kambing..

Kebabs of every shade...

For those familiar with Arab cuisine, you would know that fattoush is a salad dish made of toasted pita bread mixed with herbs and vegetables, and flavoured with lemon juice and olive oil.

Contrary to its provocative (even salacious) name, fattoush is not likely to make any tush fat.

(My tush, incidentally, is out of this equation; whatever I eat seem to inevitably find their way down there, thus I can definitely identify with Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls").

The last time we feasted on Arab food was in April this year, at a well-known Yemeni restaurant (the name of which escaped me) on the outskirts of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, when the family went for umrah.

That dinner was hosted by Pak Payne, that amicable, generous-hearted Malaysian expatriate based in Jeddah, whom I came to know through his blog Diary Sebelum Bersara.

Memories of that scrumptious Yemeni feast, where we ate lamb mandee (a rice dish with chunks of succulent lamb embedded in it) four to a tray, lingered on long after we returned home.

Perhaps that was why the mind went Arabia when Pak Abu asked about my preference for a birthday dinner Monday. Time to depart from the usual Mediterranean fare, I thought.

A quick check led us to Wadi Hadramawt in Jalan Ampang, just a few metres away from the residential enclave of Nomad Su Casa and across the road from that well-known steakhouse, Victoria Station.

A bit of background details about Hadhramaut (occasionally spelt Hadhramout, Hadhramawt or Hadramut): it's a historical region occupying the southeastern part of Yemen. The chief port and city of the region is Mukalla.

The Hadhramaut extends 640 km from east to west. It consists of a narrow, arid coastal plain, a broad plateau averaging 1,370 m high, a region of deeply sunk wadis (watercourses), and an escarpment fronting the desert.

The sedentary population, the Hadramis, live in towns built along the wadis and harvest crops of wheat, corn, millet, dates, coconuts, and coffee. On the plateau the Bedouins raise sheep and goats.

It was against this backdrop we made our way to Wadi Hadramawt, our imagination already running wild with visions of tabouleh and hummus, kebab and falafel, the rices of kabsa and madghout, the sweet sensations of baklava and basbousa...

With the exception of Nawwar and her cousin Nabilah, this was our first visit to Wadi Hadramawt, which opened its doors early this year and has since staked a claim in the popularity department among the few Arab restaurants in town.

Wadi Hadramawt is housed in an old two-storey colonial bungalow tastefully done up with glass-stained windows, attractive decorative lightings, framed pictures and interesting bric-a-brac reflective of its Yemeni heritage.

Although the menu was quite varied, the family chose to go with lots of lamb dishes; we had generous servings of lamb mandee, lamb kebab, lamb hummus, lamb madghout and lamb kashkash, washed down with piquant Arab tea.

A good night out that didn't burn a hole in Pak Abu's pocket, for the prices were very reasonable. I know I would be a repeat customer; the food was well worth it...

Tenda Biru... a Parody

Maka terjawablah persoalan "Tenda Biru". Enjoy the side-splitting parody..!

When Squatter Mentality Reigns

They finally fixed CCTV in each of the two lifts at the condo. Spied the orb-like thingy, black and opaque, stuck to the lift ceiling a couple of days back. Frankly, I'm glad to see them there.

One would have thought people living in a reasonably upmarket highrise in a middle-class housing development like Taman Tun Dr Ismail would be civic-minded enough not to litter and smoke indiscriminately.

Sadly, they do. Despite a big "No Smoking" sign on the lift wall, one could still catch tje occasional whiff of cigarette smoke when one stepped into one of the two carriages. It was very annoying, to say the least.

Yet another sign cautioned residents not to throw their rubbish out of their unit windows. I couldn't believe some people actually did this sort of thing. How uncivilised!

Every floor has a dedicated trash room/dumpster with a humongous green bin big enough to chuck one's freezer in. Use it, for God's sake!

And the other day, the bibik (maid) who comes in twice weekly to clean up our place told us to keep our 'good' slippers and sandals in the covered shoe rack inside.

"Bisa kecurian di sini, Puan (there have been cases of theft here, ma'am)," said she. Apparently, the ones swiped thus far were leather footwear. So now only our nondescript flip-flops are left out there.

PS: No finger-pointing here. Suffice to say lots of people move about daily at this highrise; househelp (stay-ins or otherwise), janitors and cleaners, delivery people, labourers and construction workers (all those neverending renovation works), guests of residents ......

Guess the security folks just have to be extra-vigilant in discharging their duties...

(Un)Islamic Fashion Festival...

Islamic Fashion Festival 2010, Monaco

(perhatikan perkataan 'Muhammad' yang terbalik menghiasi dada)

Islamic Fashion Festival 2010, Monaco

(entah apa yang ditutup pun tak tau)

Islamic Fashion Festival 2010, Jakarta

(tangan, rambut, dada semua terdedah...)

Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF) 2010 di Monaco yang begitu gah diwarwarkan seantero dunia tempoh hari sudah lama berakhir. Ia berlangsung selama tiga hari, 7-9 Ogos 2010, di Monte Carlo.

Antara tetamu kehormatnya termasuk Prince Albert of Monaco sebagai tuan rumah, Perdana Menteri kita Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan isterinya Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Turut hadir khabarnya Perdana Menteri Qatar, kaum kerabat diraja Malaysia di samping beberapa selebriti antarabangsa (tidak pula diperincikan siapa dan saya pun tak ambik pot nak tahu).

Difahamkan pengerusi dan pengasas IFF ialah pereka fesyen tempatan tersohor, Datuk Raja Rezza Abdullah, dan antara busana yang diperaga di Monaco adalah ciptaan tempatan, antaranya oleh Datuk Tom Abang Saufi dan Melinda Looi.

Mengimbas IFF: di asas di Kuala Lumpur pada tahun 2006, dengan peragaan di buat di KL dan Jakarta pada tahun yang sama, kemudian menjangkau ke Dubai pada 2008 dan kini sudah bertapak di "playground of the rich and famous", Monte Carlo.

Menurut Datuk Raja Rezza, impiannya ialah untuk menjadikan Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta dan Dubai sebagai "Islamic fashion capitals of the world", setanding London, Paris, New York dan Milan yang menjadi 'ibu' kepada fesyen Barat.

Banyak write-ups mengenainya di dalam dan di luar negara. Ramai yang kagum dengan busana yang diperagakan, kebanyakannya abaya/jubah, hijab/tudung dan pakaian tradisional yang telah ubahsuai dan dimodenkan.

Tak kurang juga yang bengang, menyatakan ketidakpuasan hati mereka terhadap fesyen yang dianggap langsung tidak mencerminkan cara pemakaian Muslimin sebagaimana dituntut agama.

Rata-rata mereka mengutuk penampilan sesetengah busana sebagai "un-Islamic"; lihat saja contoh gambar-gambar di atas.

Pada awalnya saya agak terkilan apabila kedengaran suara-suara sumbang melepaskan geram terhadap isteri DS Najib, yang turut hadir di Monaco. [Lepas geram kat PM tak guna, dia ikut jer!]

Dalam benak saya berkata apalah mereka ni, asyik condemn semedang. Kehadiran PM dan isteri tak ubah macam tetamu di majlis persandingan; kalau pengantin perempuan pakai baju nampak pangkal susu, takkan nak salahkan tetamu kot?

Kemudian saya teringat, IFF ini satu homegrown project dan DS Rosmah adalah penaung asasnya (founding patron), jadi pembabitannya bukan setakat luaran.

Dan lagi, ini bukan kali pertama beliau muncul di fashion showcase sebegini. Setiap peragaan beliau menghadirkan diri. Justeru itu, saya terkilan kat DS Rosmah lah pulak.

First and foremost sebagai seorang Muslimah, secondly sebagai isteri Perdana Menteri, thirdly sebagai penaung asas IFF dan fourthly sebagai wakil kami wanita Islam Malaysia (bab ni saya dah rasa berat nak terima), dia kena cakna lah sikit.

Datin Seri, you are in a position of power to dictate (takkan tak berani nak sound kat para pereka fesyen tempatan kot kalau kat 'cik abang' pun berani); janganlah memalukan agama kita di persada dunia.

Dah cukup sebenarnya Islam diperkotak-katikkan. Apa perlu kita tokok tambah lagi, merendahkan maruah dan mertabatnya di mata orang lain?

Bagi saya, perkataan 'Islam' itu dijaja dengan sewenang-wenangnya dalam Islamic Fashion Festival yang jelas terbukti tanpa ciri-ciri keislaman ini.

Cuba tengok fesyen kat atas tu; terdedah sana, terburai sini, tak sopan langsung. Tutup aurat jauh sekali. Apa ker jadahnya? Islam jenis apa yang dipertonton dan diperagakan ini?

Malu saya.. amat malu...

The Marital Spat

Having been nurtured in a household where voices were hardly raised, more so in anger, I learned from young not to raise my own.

Grandma's legendary blebe (nagging) sessions notwithstanding, she never went an octave beyond the norm. It just wasn't Opah to be noisy and loud.

Of Tok Ayah, one would truly be hard put to get even a squeak out of the old man. Quiet and reserved, Grandpa came across as scholarly, as indeed he was.

Most times he'd be lost between the pages of Reader's Digest or Popular Mechanic (specially subscribed all the way from England those long-ago days).

Otherwise he could be found hunched amongst strips of films hanging to dry in his dark room, for his other passion was photography.

The memories of these two lovely people came flooding back yesterday evening as I settled in front of my laptop, mulling over ideas for my blog.

It was all those hollerings from next door that did it, jolting me out of my reverie. As I readied to park by the window to check things out, I caught the warning look in Pak Abu's eyes.

Chastened, I lowered myself into my seat again, ears still trained to the ruckus next door. This wasn't the first time and my hunch tells me it won't be the last either.

How I wish they would take their spats into the privacy of their bedroom and thrash out their differences within the confines of those four walls...

A McD Wedding Kenduri, Anyone?

This bit of news from Hongkong, in the papers Monday, highlights an interesting take on old McDonalds (the junk food maestro and not 'yer ole Scot'). Read on:-

HONGKONG: Fast food giant McDonald's Corp is finding a new role for itself in Hongkong - as a wedding planner.

McDonald's, whose Golden Arches emblem is identified as an American cultural symbol, will offer a new "McWedding" service for couples in Hongkong next year, local media reported.

McDonald's will offer "McWeddings" at three restaurants in Hongkong, and will also host anniversary events, according to the Chinese-language Oriental Daily.

"Traditional weddings use cherries for the newlyweds to eat together and kiss. We will have French fries for them to kiss," the English-language newspaper South China Morning Post quoted Helen Cheung at McDonald's as saying.

[Phew! Thank goodness it's French fries to kiss and not the other way around!]

"People said they'd dated here (McDonald's restaurants), or met here, and wanted to get married here ... We see this as a business chance," said Cheung, McDonald's director of corporate communications and relations in Hongkong.

McDonald's started to accept reservation last week, Oriental Daily reported., adding that at least one Hongkong couple planned to take the chance as they often dated at McDonald's before they were engaged recently.

No price tag is mentioned in local media reports for the new "McWedding" service.

The traditional big Chinese wedding plan has become a growing burden for many young Hongkongers.

A table for 10 persons at a five-star hotel restaurant in Hongkong can easily cost more than HK$10,000 (RM4,030) and traditional Hongkong families usually like to host a dozen or more tables.

ends

Kama Says: Honestly, I don't know what to make of this. I mean, it's fine and dandy if you want to cut down on expenses, but inviting one's guests to dine at McDonald's in celebration of one's wedding is really breaking with convention.

I do wonder what the menu constitutes in McWedding's scheme of things; Happy Meals? Big Mac & Fries?

I found out that for the cake-cutting ceremony, they offer that old dessert standby, baked apple pie. It's soft drinks for toast and guests are given kiddie favours as gifts.

Personally, I have nothing against McDonald's. I'm not a regular simply because I'm not a fan of hamburgers.

Also, it has been a while since the family weaned itself off McD (read junk food); the kids would rather buy burgers from Ramly Burger's stalls, by the way.

Still, having a 'walimatul urus' feast at a McDonald's outlet is not an impossibility, given today's inclination to shove and shelve tradition in the name of modernisation.....

Petai's Da Word, Man!

Photo credit to here and you get a recipe for free too!

Parkia speciosa - long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds, which have a rather peculiar smell..... like methane gas.

So says Wikipedia. Sounds glamorous, eh. Fret not; it's good old petai to you and I, delicious when turned into sambal tumis, or eaten raw with sambal belacan and/or budu.

Don't know where the article below originated from, so I can't really vouch for its authenticity. It landed in my mail via MACOBA and quoting UKM, so I would like to think it's the real deal (I am sooo easily 'kow-timmed' by the internet... sighh)

Amusing in places, and smell somewhat suspicious, but one hell of a good read. For all it is worth, this gem could have been penned by some creative spark with a very fertile imagination AND with a petai orchard to boot!

Any which way, it does make perfect sense to take a second look at good old petai. I wonder if they already have petai in tablet form, as a health supplement, these days...


A Petai A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Petai contains three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fibre, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost ofenergy.

Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout (Really? Personally speaking, after two servings of petai and budu, I'd be 'terbungkang' like a beached whale!)

No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes (Eh, betul ka ni... haven't heard of Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay whacking petai before any of their races, though....)

But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND (what's this acronym, people?) among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai.

This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS (premenstrual syndrome): Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. (Listen ladies, it's petai or bust!)

Anaemia: High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure.

So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke (waaahhhhh..)

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.

(Biar betul...! Our London correspondents should check this out. This kind of story, about a whole bunch of Mat Salleh kids munching on petais three times daily just to get smart is truly mind-boggling, man!)

(These Twickenham kids should make a go at those brain-power 'kismis' as well. One 'kismis' a day and ZAP! they'll turn into instant Eisnteins!)

Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fibre, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives (Okaaay, I can manage this one without input from London correspondents..)

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey (Aha aha! Somebody's gonna puke all over again!)

The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness (Eerr, t'salright, you're already pregnant, no need to antagonise the poor man further la; just stick to 'not tonight dear, I've got a headache/backache..')

Mosquito Bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs.

The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady. (Heh, where's petai in this equation? See, this is where my problem starts. Petai and Austria just don't jive...)

Ulcers: Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness.

It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature Control: Many other cultures see petai as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.

In Holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature (Wah, so considerate these mothers-to-be. I whack petai because it goes well with sambal belacan and budu only..)

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan. (In other words, to cheer you up la, and not to keep you perpetually sad)..

Smoking: Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

[This one is pure hogwash lah. Any pre-schooler can tell you that. Smokers quit because they want to. If they don't want to, you make them eat petai by the lorryloads also they won't stop. They''ll be a helluva lot fatter, even stinkier, but they won't give up smoking, trust me).

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.

When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes: According to research in 'The New England Journal of Medicine, 'eating petais as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%'. (Haaa, takmau mati cepat kalo, makan petai!)

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

(Now, if you see me with a petai taped to my arm, you'll know it's just wart and NOT a fashion statement, ok?)

Conclusion

So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around..

So maybe it's time to change that well-known phrase to 'A Petai A Day Keeps The Doctor Away'. I say, bring on the petais folks!

[Please excuse me; I have this sudden urge to check out petai orchards for sale...]


PS: For more credible reading, please substitute 'banana' for 'petai'; THAT's the real deal, so I've been told. Ahaha ha.. dunia, dunia... macam-macam ada..!

Misplaced Loyalty

Transcribed below is one of the most telling newspaper editorials I have read in a long time.

I salute Sin Chiew Daily's editor, Tay Tian Yan, for his forthrightness (and thank you too to Shamsul Akmar of Marahku for highlighting it).

Sin Chew: Many Chinese here more loyal to China than Malaysia


By TAY TIAN YAN
(Translated by Dominic Loh)

Chinese Malaysians are funny.

If you criticise the Malaysian government, everyone will be elated, saying that you are right, just and courageous.

But if you criticise the Chinese government, you will be slammed as wrongful, ignorant and jeopardising.

I made the above conclusion from my own experiences.

For instance, after I wrote A Nobel Prize China Is Not Proud Of, I received plenty of e-mails and faxes from the readers.

They lashed out at Liu Xiabo as a criminal and said I was anti-China. As if that was not enough, they didn't even spare Norway and Western "imperialism."

A reader wrote in: "This article goes particularly well with Mr Tay's pro-Western democracy stance, ... human rights, democracy, freedom etc advocated by the West... He is not able to liberate himself from the confines of all these, and has been writing things that do not make sense yet still excessively conceited. I think he needs a brain swap."

What a lovely reader, with a string of well-conceived adjectives!

I think it is good that some readers would seriously and diligently defend what they believe, or imagine.

But why do they always separate things into Oriental and Western when it comes to issues about China? China is unique in its own ways and does not need to emulate the West.

And when it comes to issues about Malaysia, they will invariably base their arguments on Western standards and specifications. Anything that deviates from Western values are unacceptable.

It appears to me that only China deserves to have its own ways, not Malaysia or any other nation on Earth.

Take for example, to China, human rights, democracy and freedom are all things belonging to the West, which are not only unsuitable for China, but are potentially detrimental.

But when it comes to Malaysia, human rights, democracy and freedom are all cherished as acceptable and essential, as these attributes have been successfully proven in the West.

Confucius said this was "own wish" meaning a person can hold double standards towards the same thing.

It is called hypocrisy in the West; you think you have your own set of values but in actual fact you don't, as you decide based on nothing but your personal liking.

As Liu Xiabo is a convict, he does not deserve the Peace Prize. But how about Alexander Solzhenitsyn during the Soviet era, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in prison and was lauded by the world as the Conscience of Russia?

Liu Xiaobo's Charter 08 was said to jeopardise stability in China, but the Charter 77 of Czech Peace Laureate Václav Havel, who was later elected the Czech president, was hailed as the Voice of Civilisation.

Right, those people only have one standard answer: China needs 'stability'. Why is it that only China needs stability? Doesn't Malaysia or the United States need that same stability too?

In the name of 'stability', anything ranging from autocracy, corruption, persecution, human rights violation, income gap, etc. will become rationalised, acceptable and tolerable.

Perhaps these people should team up to form an alliance and openly call for single-party politics in Malaysia by abolishing the electoral system, suppressing freedom of speech and advocating unlawful detention, all in the name of 'stability'.

Sin Chew Daily

MySinchew 2010.10.14

Siapa Kamu?

Untuk renungan bersama di hari Jumaat:

Siapakah orang yang sibuk? - Mereka yang tidak mengambil berat akan waktu solatnya seolah-olah ia mempunyai kerajaan seperti kerajaan Nabi Sulaiman a.s.

Siapakah orang yang manis senyumannya? - Mereka yang ditimpa musibah lalu berkata "Inna lillahi wainna illaihi rajiuun" dan berkata lagi "Ya Rabbi aku redha dengan ketentuanMu ini", sambil mengukir senyuman.

Siapakah orang yang kaya? - Mereka yang bersyukur dengan apa yang ada dan tidak lupa akan kenikmatan dunia yang sementara ini.

Siapakah orang yang miskin? - Mereka tidak puas dengan nikmat yang ada dan sentiasa menumpuk-numpukkan harta.

Siapakah orang yang rugi? - Mereka yang sudah sampai usia pertengahan namun masih berat untuk melakukan ibadat dan amal-amal kebaikan.

Siapakah orang yang paling cantik? - Mereka yang mempunyai akhlak yang baik.

Siapakah orang yang mempunyai rumah paling luas? - Mereka yang mati dengan membawa amal-amal kebaikan di mana kuburnya akan di perluaskan saujana mata memandang.

Siapakah orang yang mempunyai rumah paling sempit lagi dihimpit? - Mereka yang mati tanpa membawa amal-amal kebaikan lalu kuburnya menghimpitnya.

Siapakah orang yang mempunyai akal? - Mereka yang menghuni syurga kelak kerana telah menggunakan akal sewaktu di dunia untuk menghindari seksa neraka.

Siapakah orang yang kedekut? - Mereka yang membiar ilmu ini dan tidak berkongsi dengan orang lain. Sebaik-baik manusia itu adalah mereka yang memberi manafa'at kepada manusia lain.

The Wedding Dinner

Jenn-Hui and Katherine, a beautiful couple indeed..

Datuk Tan and wife Datin Emily Tan, gracious hosts they were..

[Pixs credited to http://www.mwpstudio.com/]

By any yardstick, the wedding reception of Jenn-Hui Tan and Katherine Allport at the Prince Hotel in Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur last week was a grand one.

Jenn-Hui is the firstborn and only son of Datin Emily Tan, my Royal Lake Club karaoke buddy (not to mention a Club champion twice over), and her husband Datuk Tan.

She had approached me in our usual 'love nest' of the karaoke lounge some days before the fasting month with a tentative "Eh Puteri, if I were to invite you to my son's wedding dinner, would you come?"

I knew where she was coming from, especially with the yamsengs (toasts) and free-flow of liquor within range. She was at pains not to offend our sensibilities. Such thoughtfulness ....

I believe she didn't know quite where to place us in the light of our recent pilgrimage, for she had known us from our footloose, devil-may-care days.

But we have no hangups about such things. Give and take a couple of necessary (read 'must do') adjustments to our life, we are still the same easy-going, non-judgemental old farts.

When I told her we would be more than happy to be her guests, she broke into a smile and said, "Hokkeh, you'll get the invitation soon..!"

Some 500 guests from different parts of the world attended the wedding dinner. The Allport family and friends from England were also there in a show of solidarity.

And since the bride and groom are Hongkong-based, there was a sizeable group comprising their friends and colleagues from the island colony too.

But what struck me the most when I studied the dinner menu was the absence of shark's fin soup. A banquet as grand as this, and no shark's fin soup? That was so neat, Emily!

In its place was seafood soup; no less delicious - in fact it was exquisite to the taste - and a fitting alternative that truly complemented the rest of the dishes served.

To the Tans I say bravo for daring to be different, for I know both Datuk Tan and his wife are pretty 'old-school' and I am sure the decision wasn't an easy one.

Personally, I had sworn off shark's fin soup many years ago after learning of the cruelty involved in finning i.e. harvesting the fins. How I wish for the day when this delicacy is no more.

When we met some days later at the Club, Emily confided that the decision wasn't as easy as it seemed. "You know la, Puteri, I was more worried about perception, what would people think and all that.

'But my son and his wife and the entire Allport clan, not to mention some of our own, thought it was the right thing to do. So we went with the flow lah."

You did right Emily, you really did. Well done, Datin!

[Additional reading on shark's fin here]

Agnostic Muslims?

Can someone enlighten this weary old soul about being an agnostic Muslim? What in the world is an agnostic Muslim? To my understanding, you are either a Muslim or you are not.

It matters not if you are a Sunni or Shi'a Muslim for both share fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith.

The variance between these two stemmed not from spiritual differences, but political ones. [More reading here]

But agnostic Muslim? Maybe it's just me, but the qualifier seems redundant, grossly deceptive and may well lead to what is commonly termed in Malay as tergelincir aqidah i.e. when the faith falters or gets derailed somewhat.

An agnostic is described (in online dictionary) as 'One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God' / 'One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism' / 'One who is doubtful or non-committal about something'.

There are many other descriptions of the word 'agnostic' in various other dictionaries (online or otherwise) but the essence remains the same.

'Agnosticism' is described as an intellectual doctrine or attitude affirming the uncertainty of all claims to ultimate knowledge.

Be that as it may, as mere humans we are unlikely to achieve ultimate knowledge of anything at all, let alone everything. That is the sole domain of God.

Perhaps those who profess to be agnostic Muslims admit to this particular shortcoming, the knowledge that they don't know everything. A fair enough argument.

But the key to Islam is kepercayaan kepada Tuhan (belief in God) and this belief is absolute. You have to believe in God first. You can't afford to be non-committal about God's existence.

Now, if you profess to believing in Him, how then do you reconcile this belief with agnosticism? They don't converge at any point at all; they run parellel to one another.

The reason why I am bringing this up is because I have seen in several Facebook entries of people I know subscribing to agnosticism, describing themselves as agnostic Muslims.

Maybe my tergelincir aqidah fear for the aforesaid Muslim brethren of mine is unfounded and unnecessary, but it's always good to be safe than sorry.

Don't you think we have enough on our plate to contend with, than to further confuse ourselves insofar as faith and belief is concerned, with notions of agnosticism and such?

Food for thought, this...

Jenis2 Anak Syaitan

Untuk renungan bersama, semoga kita sentiasa berwaspada....

Umar al-Khattab r. a berkata, terdapat 9 jenis anak syaitan:

ZALITUUN
Duduk di pasar/kedai supaya manusia hilang sifat jimat cermat. Menggoda supaya manusia berbelanja lebih dan membeli barang-barang yang tidak perlu. [Aaaa, yang kaki shopping tuh, ambik extra perhatian ya..]

WATHIIN
Pergi kepada orang yang mendapat musibah supaya bersangka buruk terhadap Allah.

A'AWAN
Menghasut sultan/raja/pemerintah supaya tidak mendekati rakyat. Seronok dengan kedudukan/kekayaan hingga terabai kebajikan rakyat dan tidak mahu mendengar nasihat para ulama.

HAFFAF
Berkawan baik dengan kaki botol. Suka menghampiri orang yang berada di tempat-tempat maksiat, terutama tempat-tempat yang ada minuman keras.

MURRAH
Merosakkan dan melalaikan ahli dan orang yang sukakan muzik sehingga lupa kepada Allah. Mereka ini tenggelam dalam keseronokan dan glamour etc. [Aiiii, ini mesti ada kat karaoke lounge ni...]

MASUUD
Duduk di bibir mulut manusia supaya melahirkan fitnah, gosip, umpatan dan apa sahaja penyakit yang mula dari kata-kata mulut.

DAASIM
Duduk di pintu rumah kita. Jika tidak memberi salam ketika masuk ke rumah, Daasim akan bertindak agar berlaku keruntuhan rumahtangga.

WALAHAAN
Menimbulkan rasa waswas dalam diri manusia khususnya ketika berwuduk dan solat dan menjejaskan ibadat-ibadat kita yang lain.

LAKHUUS
Merupakan sahabat orang Majusi yang menyembah api/matahari.

Jepu' Makang

Pengumuman khas untuk anak-anak Terengganu yang bermastautin di Wilayah Persekutuan & Selangor:

Anda dijemput hadir kemajlis sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri anjuran PESAT (Persatuan Anak-anak Terengganu di Wilayah Persekutuan & Selangor) pada hari Ahad 10/10/10 di Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

Majlis bermula jam 2 petang hingga 6 petang, bertempat di bangunan baru PESAT (alamat di bawah) yang dirasmikan oleh DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agung Sultan Mizan Selasa lepas.

Sila hubungi 03-6142 4242 / 03-6142 4141 atau faks 03-6142 4343 ataupun sms ke 012 9360199 untuk mengesahkan kehadiran anda.

PESAT
15, Jalan PJU5/20B
The Strand, Kota Damansara
Petaling Jaya.

"Maghilah berama-rama menjamu selera. Makanang Tghanu akang dihidangkang katernyer. Lepah makang tu daftar teghuh jadi ahli Pesat deh! (Kalu dok register lagi laa..) Bui sokongang kepada negeri kiter!"

In The Shadows of A King

The peace and quiet of spanking new business enclave of "The Strand" in Kota Damansara was broken yesterday afternoon when the King came a-calling.

His Majesty the Yang DiPertuan Agong Sultan Mizan, unassuming as he has always been (a trait well-known to his Terengganu subjects), was there to officiate at the opening of the new building for PESAT (Persatuan Anak-anak Terengganu di Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan).

Present were some 200 guests led by Terengganu Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Mohamad Said and his Exco.

The guest list included several Terengganu-born Ministers and MPs, members of Terengganu royalty, corporate and business personalities, as well as selected members of PESAT.

The four-and-a-half storey building, purchased to the tune of RM4 million some time this year, will, among others, be the hub of information for those seeking to know more about the East Coast State, in particular business & investment opportunities and tourism.

The building will also act as the point of convergence for Terengganuese living out-of-state to meet and keep themselves in the loop of matters concerning their home state.

Pak Abu and I arrived at 2pm, an hour ahead of event proper as per invitation. My stomach by then was making wild music; we were too rushed to lunch before leaving.

But we more than made up for it after the official ceremony, with satay, mee rebus and kuih muih. His Majesty however didn't stay for the makan-makan; he was fasting.

Now, if you see Makcik Taman Tun with mouth drooping, looking miserable in the third picture above, you know why. Muka lapar tuu..

But Makcik's mood improved considerably after she saw an image of herself in one of the pictures displayed. Such vanity!

All because of a Pecker...

If you are somebody's mistress - I don't care how you get to be there in the first place and sure as hell I don't want to know - do heed some advice. [Itu otak kasi pakai sometimes, ok..]

Stay away..... far, far away in fact, from your married lover's matrimonial abode. You have a death wish or something, strumpet? Or could it be a swollen ego?

I am not giving your shenanigans with a married man a stamp of approval (and that goes to you too, Mr Married Man With A Wandering Prick!) So don't you both act smug with moi.

All I'm saying is... you may be a mistress whose function is pretty well-defined, but do use your grey matter too occasionally [Minda kasi buka juga, jangan lain-lain saja buka..]

Don't be such a knucklehead like this ichibawa, as highlighted in vernacular daily Sin Chew Jit Poh and quoted by The Star yesterday.

The dailies reported that a woman was injured after getting into a catfight with her husband's mistress in Kuala Lumpur.

According to the daily, the 28 year-old woman had caught the mistress, 34, in the master bedroom of her home.

Her husband was not home during the 5pm incident on Monday. [What was the trollop thinking, venturing into the lion's lair?]

When she confronted the mistress, the other woman claimed that she was just her husband's close relative. [Aaah, ahhhh.. bau-bau bacang or bau-bau p*p*t?]

However., all hell broke loose when the woman spotted the mistress' undergarments inside the room. [Whoa! Bikin projek dalam bilik tidur dan atas katil tuan rumah ka?]

During the fight, both women pulled at each other's hair before the mistress managed to stab the woman's hand with a pair of scissors. [See how it goes? It always starts with tarik-tarik rambut...]

The mistress then fled, leaving behind the woman (duhh.. apa punya reporting nih, surely you don't expect the mistress to angkut the wife sekali kot] who sustained injuries and bruises.

But her ordeal was far from over when her husband later called up and threatened to kill her.

She subsequently lodged a report with the police, who detained both the husband and the mistress to facilitate investigations.

Kama says:Well, nothing much to add to this sordid affair, really. But I can see another marriage going down the drain. The wife is not likely to forgive the rat for taking his harlot's side.

Dunia, dunia... all because of a pecker...