03 June 2012
Perginya Tun Abdul Razak
“ Hassan, Tun kita dah meninggal. ( Our Tun has departed)”. That was a brief few words which we pray we do not hear too often among us, the Group of ’55.
Sixty years ago, during the British colonial era I joined an ‘ English School’ after completing my ‘Malay School (Sekolah Melayu)’ and ‘Sekolah Arab ( Arabic/ Islamic religious school)’. The school only had one class of Standard 7 ( equivalent to the current Form 3). In those days we did not have the luxury of choice of schools, the likes of Sekolah Integrasi, Sekolah Elit, Sekolah Imtiaz, Sekolah Menengah Sains, Sekolah Cluster and so on and so forth today, not to count the various international schools. For the first time I was in a co-ed school.
The English School I joined had only one class of Standard 7 (current Form 3). A boy named Tun Abdul Razak (with hereditary title Tun, just like Megat, Wan etc) was there with over forty others comprising of Malays, Chinese and Indian boys and girls. A total of 42 of us survived the following three years to sit for the Cambridge Senior Certificate School examination (SPM exam of today) in 1955.
The Malayans (not Malaysians) of those days did not pride themselves with children passing an exam with all A grades etc. Getting a Grade One (of three pass grades) was most enviable and achieved by very few. Even getting a Grade Three was lauded; and a fail was acceptable to start life with. All national newspapers would carry the pass lists every year. No comparison was made between the success of one school and another and no state claimed to hold record passes.
Our ‘Tun’, with his towering figure, was a jovial boy and a crowd puller. With a third grade in the Standard 9 ( now Form 5) Cambridge examination in 1955 he earned himself a job with the state government. At the end of his service he retired as a successful family man. He was then holding the respectable post of Assistant District Officer (ADO).
Our dear Tun often joined us for lunch, a cheerful person as ever although of late his health was failing. His loving wife preceded him a year ago. So now we have lost our Tun, number 16th to have left of the original total of 42. We were friends for a good SIXTY years; and now I am left with lots of pleasant memories but with nothing to offer but prayers that our Tun will be among those blessed by Him.
Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan
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22 comments:
Dear Pak Cik,
Innalillahiwainnailaihirojiun! For one moment I thought...well, an old classmate! So it is! Relationships of old are treasured as they transcend region,race and religion (creed)
We on our part would rightly acknowledge with a 'syukur Alhamdulillah' for being blessed with extra bonus time!
Hank
Dear Pakcik, I have heard of his passing too. One of his sons (TAF) was my schoolmate in Kuala Terengganu. Al-Fatihah & takziah to the family.
OMG! What a small world, dear Pakcik. Mama and Dad have known the sons for yonks, through work and then the relationship blossomed into friendship. Al-fatihah for arwah TAR. purrr....meow!
Hank,
We are old enough to know that these things, death, separation, sickness etc are all part and parcel of life. A wound can cure leaving a scar but a loss leaves scars which are painful. Hope all is well. Your postings are of a high standard by nmy standard. It is not easy to commment when the subject is getting way beyond your understanding. Keep it up, Akhhi.
Haslina,
You have to tell me a bit more about your ffamily. All along you have been Kelantanese througth and through - but in school in Terenggganu? Next thing you will tell me that you dad and mine were somewhere some time!
I will scan through your blog if there is more I can learn of personal matters.
C-f-S
Haslina said somethiing abouut being in class with TAR's son. And you seem to know more. I thought I had written about something even a cat could not snif it. The world is too small.
Innalilahiwainnailaihirojiun.
Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas roh Tun dan menempatkannya di kalangan mereka yang dikasihi-Nya.
Bagi sesiapa pun, kehilangan rakan lama & karib pastilah amat menghibakan. Apatah lagi bila dikenang, kita yang pernah bersamanya, juga sebenarnya telah pun berada di ambang senja.
Sdr Al Manar
Welcome back after the forced break but sad to learn that you have lost an old friend. True our group of 54/55 are getting smaller. Syukur that we have these extended years. Take care
Dear Pak Cik,
Innalillahi Wa'inna Ilaihi Rojiun. We are constantly reminded that life is short and whatever time left for us is to do good to others as our investment for the hereafter. The memories of the past will be recounted with fondness as such relationship can never be equated with all the material possessions that we own.
Temuk,
Betullah kata kata sdra itu. Perasaan yang mendalam juga memperingatkan yang kita juga akan meninggal yang masih ada selain ditnggalkan yang pergi lebih dahulu.
KotaStar
ours are among the fast diminishing breeds. Let's make the best of the extended time..
AHS,
I agree that 'memories of the past will be recounted with fondness as such relationship can never be equated with all the material possessions that we own.'
I hope Pakcik's young visitors will look at such a posting as this with a philosophical approach; that they take today's friendship as something that one day will turn to a loving memory.
Tuan,
Tentu sekali amat sukar untuk menerima kehilangan seseorang yang telah bersama sebagai sahabat selama 60 tahun. Kehilangan yang tentu sekali amat dirasakan.
Semuga Allahyaram TAR dirahmati Allah swt hendaknya.
Amin....
AK,we have lost another great friend in THE person of TAR. May ALLAH BLESS him and his sole.Definately a lot can be related about arwah during our 60 years of relationships, but at the moment I am lost for words, I will probably continue back in KT.
ZUL
PakMail,
Sdra tentu mearasa kekosongan terhadap mereka yang seperjuangan dan terkorban sewaktu berkhidmat dahulu.
Zul,
Insya Allah the few of us enjoying the sunset days will sit and reminisce over our loss, praying for them and doing whatever good we can before meeting HIM for sure ourselves.
Pakcik,
This posting of yours confirms some important lessons in life. My alumni is becoming increasingly important to me. And Iman's friendships with her teen friends are going through the rough and tough phase where I watch and remind her, this is the bond that last a lifetime.
Thank you.
Ninot,
I have recently told my grandchildren who are in their secondary schools the need to keep permanent addresses of their classmates, and to remain in contact. They will be thankful many, many years from today that this is done.
Indeed, one does not realise this until one sits with regret one day.
I did have the honor of attending a school named after the great man..heard about his good deed.. Unlucky for us Malaysian that the current PM did not follow his father's way of looking after the rakyat..
Semuga Abang Hassan sekeluarga dikurniakan rezeki (kesihatan included) yang baik untuk terus menyumbang bakti ..
assalamualaikum pakchik. it's been a while. i hope you and makchik are in good health and spirit.
i am sorry for your loss. a long time fried's demise brings sorrow and we see our mortality staring us in the face.
i am still in contact with friends with whom i had spent five years of my life. friends with whom i had gone to classes, meals of nasi kawah,games on the almost bald school field,trips to the beach, waterfalls and the memorable redang island. we had played truant (only once or twice, mind you, and with good reason, at least it seemed so at the time). we had also shared a common uneasiness bordering on fear of nenek roslin (our resident hostel ghost). so many memories...funny how at this age, we become close to those we hadn't spoken even a word with when in school. i guess the bonding ingredients in all the nasi kawah we had consumed had finally kicked in.
Ayoh Wang,
Not every son takes after his father, Ayah Wang. We hope ours do. That is if we believe we are a good wxample!
Nalia,
I wondered often how busy you must be, perhaps with a new arrival as the family has started to expand.
I wonder what cyber friends will be like. How will they reminisce without being together doing what should not be done, brreaking into quarrels, pulling one another's leg and so on. I suppose you are still in touch with that busy businessman.
hopes he turns up once in a while. His blog has been in cold storage for a long time.
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