Awang Goneng commented – I do it my way (part 4)

For Pak Cik’s earlier blog entry, ‘Ha Ha Ha – I do it my way (part 3)’ – the famed Awang Goneng (Kecek-Kecek blog) sent some comments. I have in the past highlighted certain individuals’ comments which deserve to be viewed by visitors to Almanar. So here are the main parts of what Awang Goneng had to say:

"....
I am in total agreement with what has been said here about the teaching of English. If only the politicians would stop messing about with our schools, changing this and that each time a new man arrives at the Ministry, to suit a superior ego's needs. I remember a man saying this about the fate of Bank Islam Malaysia (and he was one of its founders). "I know when an incompetent person has arrived at the bank. He starts to meddle with the branches and things of that sort instead of spending his time with general policies." He was bitter that all that they had achieved had gone to nought. We have every right to be bitter too, our education system, one that worked very well for you and me, is now in shambles. And as you rightly said, we are all put into this great big sausage machine, and some of our young students are made to go through the ridiculous Matrikulasi course, which is not recognised by anyone outside our system, and which is actually eduaction-in-a-hurry for our young kids.

There must be hundreds of good, retired English teachers throughout the length and breadth of our land. Forget the Kiwis and the Kangaroos, call all these people back to work. In London there is a wonderful man (a loyal Malaysian) who has been teaching English successfully for many, many years to people from all over the world, is an expert on English verbs, and who speaks English with the clipped received pronunciation of the Beeb. Has anyone come to him to ask for advice or help? No. I was talking to him once when another Malaysian made this remark. "In Malaysia, my friend, it is not what you're worth that matters. It's how much you're worth to anyone in backhanders that counts." I once saw a group of Malaysian officers here in London on a course at an idiotic college that I wouldn't even send my cat to for a feed. And I wondered who sent them all there? And how much was that worth in kickbacks to some idiot?
...."

Pak Cik' s comments :

I am not at all surprised if the majority of Malaysians share the above sentiment, not just the two TRENGGANU (watch the out-dated spelling) folks like Awang Goneng and Pak Cik. We may spell Cina or China, Kota Baharu or Kota bahru or Kota Bharu, technology, teknologi or teknoloji, i’lan or iklan, and what else, but the real values are not in the clothing and the way we pronounce them.

Indeed we have to change. But I do not believe, for instance, in the way Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka has made the changes to modernise Bahasa Melayu ( or Bahasa Malaysia or is it now Bahasa 1Malaysia? Pardon my ignorance.) Look how Pak Cik spell the word ‘modernise’ never mind if a million others choose ‘modernize’.

It is sad in more than one way that many of us, old timers, look with disdain at the quantum leaps in our education. Even the mind-boggling names of educational institutions in the country are too much for an old block to comprehend the difference. Here are some school categories I often hear:

Sekolah rendah (kebangsaan?)
Sekolah menengah (kebangsaan?)
Sekolah menengah agama ( or is it ugama?) negeri
Sekolah menengah- ditto – persekutuan.
Imtiaz
SBP ( Sekolah Berasrama Penuh?)
SBT ( the latest 20 I believe)
MRSM
MRSM-imtiaz ( because it has a new chairman?)
Sekolah bestari
Sekolah integrasi
Sekolah elit
Sekolah wawasan
Sekolah kelaster ( klaster or cluster?)
…… and so on

The list does not include ‘Sekolah Teknik’ group which now is about to undergo drastic changes in names and contents as quoted in the local papers last week.

I have known of the ‘loyal Malaysian’ quoted by Awang Goneng, and I have been his silent admirer. Awang Goneng is in a better position to confirm whether the man does claim himself to be a Malaysian or a Malayan. When interviewed in KL during a visit home some years ago he expressed his views on learning of English by Malaysians. I can never forget one statement he made that, from his observation, of the three main races in Malaysia, Malay children would find it most difficult to study English. Indian pupils have a definite edge. After some years of running Almanar, I realise how difficult it is for kampong Malays to express in English, as an example, a string of adjectives which precede a noun. Sepasang baju Melayu bewarna biru - a pair dress Malay with colour blue!

To help overcoming some of these difficulties Almanar pupils have to do lots of exercises involving translation work from Malay. This is my way.

Additionally, if I were allowed to dream, I would think very hard about that very person in London who had successfully run for years and years a school for English study in the very heart of England. The man has to be back and work in Malaysia, full stop. To achieve that I would blackmail him with a ‘Tan Sri’ and lots and lots of money to design and run a special school for English language without any interference. To lend credence to his work, as is our general perception and practice in Malaysia, he would be honoured by a local university of ‘taraf antarabangsa’, of course, with a PhD and Professorship so that when addressed in public he will always be referred to as ‘ …. Tan Sri Datuk Prof Dr …..’. All those in the ministry of education and the respective politicians involved, in particular, will have to earn a certificate from his new school before they are allowed to mess up their jobs in upgrading the standard of English in Malaysian schools to the ‘British’ English. This, to my simple and uneducated way of thinking, will be more cost effective than importing 365 English teachers, who probably would have to work in super air-conditioned rooms at the temperature of English winter plus six months of general acclimatisation and adjustments to enable them to usefully participate in the celebrations of Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Thaipusam, Gawai, Harvest and so forth – the 1Malaysia. And this would be my way.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

Ha Ha Ha – I do it my way (part 3)

The Education Minister was reported in the New Sunday Times to have said that language arts and use of correct phonics will be the core of a new curriculum for English language to be implemented next year. “What is important is standard and the new curriculum will teach students according to the standard British language phonics so that our students will know how to pronounce English words as spoken by native speakers.”

That is truly fantastic.

It was also reported (in another paper) that 365 English language teachers ( any reference to 365 days in year ?) will be imported in June to train local teachers to teach this language.

--------------------

Two years ago I met a very senior member of ‘Kementerian Pendidikan’ (or is it Kementerian Pelajaran?). In the course of our friendly conversation we touched on the subject of teaching English in schools and where to send our students to study. Not to show a total ignorance I tried to make a smart remark by saying that the University of Kent, England, was a good place simply because I happened to know of a number of Malayan students being sent there in 1980’s. That truly aroused his enthusiasm. He spent the next minutes giving me a lecture on selection of universities for English language studies. Obviously seeing my ignorance, he teed off with gusto,“England is not the best place for learning English.” At length he concluded that “New Zealand and Australia are the best for English language.

“Oh, is that so?’ was my meek response.

To lend credence to his powerful discourse, a young boy entered the house. “That is my boy and he is going to Australia to do TESL”. How convincing his argument was and I congratulated him for having a clever son who would one day teach good English like a genuine native.

I have never been to New Zealand and I wonder whether he had ever been to England, which may be, for all you know, a different country from UK and GB. In 1956 my Scottish (not English) landlady asked me whether Malaya was somewhere in Singapore! And I could hardly understand her strange accent although she was a native; then, I had newly been shipped to an English speaking country which I thought would have a kind of ‘bahasa baku’.

------------------

And last year a group of young American graduates of various disciplines (not English) were seen around and one, a girl, was stationed at a secondary school in Pakcik’s vicinity. Soon I began to hear from pupils coming to Almanar about the new celebrity in their school and her ‘strange accent’.

------------------

So (I must learn to use this new Malay word because that is the most commonly used word on TV today, and it will soon be in Kamus Dewan, I am sure) we are now about to go for standard British language.

In April last year Pakcik made some reference to PPSMI, the hot topic of that moment. Refer to PPSMI – I do it my way (Part 1)

Now it is ‘buy British first’. With his typical smile, our Tun Dr Mahathir must be wondering. At the same time I, too, wonder how my friend in the Dept of Education will take it now that we are not going to Canterbury of New Zealand for good English – possibly back to the old Canterbury.

Well, Pakcik will carry on doing it the way I believe, irrespective. Old habits die hard.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

My Way – Introduction

Three months ago Pakcik had that Bell’s palsy which turned my face more ‘attractive’ than usual. People gave long looks at me – admiring, wondering, maybe? Even Makcik, in spite of having chalked up more than forty-five years of living together, could not resist studying my face – tenderly and lovingly, of course - anxiously hoping that the look on Pakcik’s face would not last too long.

No sooner the Bell’s palsy had disappeared than a charming couple arrived. For the first time Pakcik and Makcik met Dr Umi Kalthum Ngah, a Professor Madya and a writer of at least five interesting books for children, and her husband, Sofian, both of whom are with a well known university up North. They had driven all the way to K Terengganu. Apart from a nostalgic journey to the East Coast which they had planned, they were intrigued by the work of Almanar. They wished to know ‘my way’ of achieving my objectives at Almanar. Both are dedicated educationists who have spent a great deal of their time on voluntary work for the less fortunate in their area. What is ‘my way’?

They returned home and Umi Kalthum unexpectedly posted in her blog, Hues of dewdrops, and its Malay version, Biasan Embun , an unnecessarily flattering description of our simple retiring home - ‘That white house beside the beach.’ That, I suppose, is her way of thanking us for accommodating them and for the simple meals - which we enjoyed having with them.

This week, three months later, we hosted the famed Wan A Hulaimi, now better known as Awang Goneng the pen-name of his popular book Growing Up in Trengganu (and his Kecek-Kecek blog). Unlike Umi Kalthum, he was alone because his beloved wife - now best known for her Kak Teh’s Choc-a-Bloc Blog) - chose to return to London from KL and by-pass K Terengganu, probably after having heard and read enough of the famed ‘bandaraya persisiran pantai’ and its world-class miniature mosques of Pulau Wan Man, and the ultra modern sports stadium with its ‘collapsible roof’.

During the short stay of Awang Goneng, Pakcik managed to pick his brain on a number of points on teaching of English and creative writing. I could not have a better opportunity and a better person to ask. On blog writing, he suggested that I spend some time on highlighting problems faced in running Almanar and the way I had attempted to overcome them. So it is another ‘My Way’ of doing things in this sleepy town.

Having two parties who talked of ‘My way’, insya Allah, Pakcik will make this a mini series like ‘Pakcik Reminisces’ and ‘End of the Tunnel’. To the couple and Wan Hulaimi, the two of us must register the pleasure we had of their company.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

Dia Sahaja Yang Kekal - 2

Hawa was the name she wanted to be called some fifty years ago, and Hawa has been the name I have known her ever since. Say the name and her face comes to my mind. And to her I was just AK and makcik was Kak Salmah. Today, I grieve inwardly because early this morning a short sms told me that my Hawa passed away last night.

Salams AK & Kak Salmah,

Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers. Insyaallah, I hope I can manage to undergo the tough period and recover soon.

Have just sent my pet scan results to my doctor here and am still waiting for his call.

Will let you know as soon as I start my chemo.

Hawa. ( 7/12/09)

That was Hawa’s last e-mail to Pakcik just one month ago and I replied soon after with all our prayers. A brave lady she had been over the long period of her illness, with chemo after chemo, knowing it too well that, after series of such treatment and still bravely awaiting more, her chances were becoming slim.

Hawa was my secretary then, a very dedicated one. She was handling some sensitive issues but I had no compunction to have confided in her. She was absolutely trustworthy. Perhaps she was ‘berkhidmat kerana Allah’ not just for me and the salary she earned; and perhaps she knew that I went out of expected line of duty for Him.

This is Pakcik’s fourth entry on this sad subject. I feel the need to record the demise of people the memories of whom touch me deeply. It is not of general interest, I realise fully. But a person like my Hawa meant a lot to me somehow. I simply have to have it recorded for my personal reference in future.

I will continue to say my prayers for her and those who mattered to me in their lives and who served ‘kerana Allah’. Al-Fathihah.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

Going Stealing No More !

Hurray, the line is back! There is no longer any need to go snooping outside computer shops STEALING people's signal - feeling as guilty as the copper cable thieves not feeling guilty.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

Great copper cable thieves!

No, it is not of the same scale as the famed great train robbery of England in the fifties. Desperate to make a living (or to purchase drugs?) in this bustling new city, some choose to wonder in the dark cutting about 100 meters of telephone cable each time for copper to sell.

In the New Sunday Times of 17^th Jan there was a short news of similar happening in Maran where two syndicates had been smashed. But Maran is not a city like where Almanar is. The stealing around me has been a nightly affair, each time Telekom Malaysia losing about 100 meters of cable. The thieves are having heyday. The person in charge of the local substation informed me that, having lost so much recently, they had run out of cable to replace the stolen. So, without a telephone line, there is no modem, hence no streamyx. And I cannot afford the sophisticated hand-phone! Poor me have to have patience ( patience being part of iman).



But Pakcik am not without resources. I go to an unaffected computer shop and share its streamyx signal. In fact after Almanar class this morning I drove to one, stopped by the road-side beside it and read my inbox mails. Now I am drafting this entry offline and will get it posted before the shop closes! Isn’t that clever?

----------------

Now I wonder.

- I wonder when I shall have my line, my streamyx.

- I wonder whether anyone or anybody (like the police, Telecom headquarters, ADUN or MP of my constituency) is doing anything about this.

- I wonder how the affected schools handle their high tech teaching equipment and how the pupils, many provided with an e-book each, do their homework.

- I wonder whether Telekom Malaysia cannot justify setting up its own cable manufacturing factory here.

With a lot of time on hand I can afford to sit back and wonder ----

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

Will this be a better year?

Late last night Pakcik received a short New Year message from an ex-Almanar girl doing pharmacy in Bandong. She expected to read my New Year resolution. No, last night, I had no wish to write one. So Pakcik happily turned in soon after watching on TV the arrival of New Year celebration.

Then early this morning, another New Year message came through from a dear English friend of my yester-years, Ian Sanderson, now happily settled in the States with children and grandchildren.

“Hassan,

Happy new year to you & your family.
A few recent pictures for you.

All the best,
Ian”

HMS Endeavour

One of the six pictures is a sketch he made of HMS Endeavour, the ship used by the great English explorer, Captain James Cook in the 18th century. My friend must be reflecting of his life, his migration across the Atlantic. Indeed, I have had a kind of migration, too, from a busy life on the West Coast to the East, across the great Banjaran Titiwangsa! So, hurriedly I went in search of one of my old diaries. And I found one.

As usual, the first entry of that diary carried a ‘doa’ - in Arabic. Translated, here is a part of what I wrote 55 years ago:

“ ------------ Engkau telah mencipta diriku. Jadilah aku salah seorang daripada mereka yang berimam dengan hati mereka, bukan dibibir; membuat kebaikkan dan berjaya. Kiranya Engkau mengambil aku kembali biarlah selepas aku membuat kebajikkan ------------”

At the end of the diary was a list of 41 classmates and their addresses. Of that number, 16 persons, including two ladies, are no longer around. I say Al-Fathihah for these friends, people who coloured my life.

As always, the present and the past pupils of Almanar, I urge you to make your wishes and write them down. Years down the road you will be able to reflect whether in your fancy free days you made wishes that you are not ashamed of today. Have you got it all right or all wrong?

I have ceased to keep diaries but Pakcik still have unwritten wishes. I am not happy with Almanar classes in 2009 because an unusually large number dropped out during the course of the year. It is my wish that I will find a way in 2010 to keep as many pupils tuned and determined to improve themselves in life.

In the old diary mentioned above, Pakcik concluded with two lines in English,

“A year of success. May it be followed by similar years.”

Today, the first day of 2010 I ask myself, “Will this be a better year?”

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

P.S.
Incidentally, I immediately asked Ian Sanderson why he did the sketches and here is his reply (not quite the reason I surmised above):

Hassan,
I did the ship pictures - some done on old marine charts -something different that might appeal.
I started with the Cutty Sark [a famous tea clipper ship that is at Greenwich, London]- I had made a model some time ago, same with America'- In 1880 it sailed across the Atlantic & beat 13 UK sailboats. Queen Vitoria asked 'who came second' -answer- 'there is no second'!

Cutty Sark

America

Free Spirit

Free Spirit 2

Great Harry 2

DIA Sahaja Yang Kekal

Al fatihah

Novelist Ariffin Ngah Dies

KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 25 (ernama) -- A well-known novelist in Terengganu, Ariffin Ngah, 70,died at his house in Kampung Bukit Tunggal on Friday.

Ariffin, who was said to be suffering from various diseases since five years ago, died at about 1.15pm.

His wife, Zainab Muhamad, 67, said her husband had diabetes, kidney problem, and high blood pressure and was discharged from hospital last Sunday.

She said Ariffin, who used to work with Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka, had been writing Malay novels since he was a teacher and had won several awards, including the Terengganu literary award last year.

His works included "Anugerah Wahyu", "Tangisan Pusaka Bangsaku" and "Revolusi Kenyir".

Ariffin, who has 12 children and 50 grand children, was buried at the Kampung Bukit Tumbuh Muslim cemetery after the Asar prayer.

-- BERNAMA

Last pose for Pakcik's camera

... eyeing with a smile ... not really seeing.

Pakcik have little to say but a lot to remember of the gentleman I dearly addressed as ‘Cikgu’. Indeed he was a very established writer with many awards, and a real ‘cikgu’ at heart, full of compassion for children and their education and well-being.

“ Hassan, tulislah riwayat hidup …..biar saya editkan….” I cannot help recalling his gentle voice urging me over and over. He was so sure he could make something worth reading of what I see as my simple life. A great writer made the offer and I kept on giving excuses. Pakcik only began to see his point of view too late, when his eyesight had started to fail him. I knew I had missed the chance of life time.

And now I remember Cikgu Ariffin with a lot of affection for what he stood for in life, but with regret because I had failed to live up to his expectation. Now I harbour the hope, oh, but just a dream, that one day I shall be able to dedicate a work for him. May Allah bless him.

Sinar Harian 6 months ago

.. Perjuangan yang belum selesai ..

- Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan -

Whither Goest Thou?

By now all discussions and excitement over the results of UPSR examination should have petered out. For the children concerned and their families, it is still an unsettling time. It is so until the children are placed in their respective schools by mid-January. Strange enough, Pakcik have my concern that has nothing to do with my own family.

-------------------

In April this year, Pakcik received an SOS from a primary school situated about 25 km away. The school serves a relatively poor community. There were just 40 pupils in standard 6. Could I help with a group of 20? UPSR results over the past years had been dismal, often a year without a single pupil with 5A’s; the best year on record was when 2 pupils scored that elusive result. How ironical it was when the country as a whole and the state of Terengganu in particular had been jubilant over great successes through the years.

Somewhat with a heavy heart but duty bound, Pakcik obliged the school. So the next five months saw Pakcik driving that 25km distance once a week. That was all I could afford. However, the sight of cheerful faces of about 20 small boys and girls, the age of my two younger grandsons in Kuala Lumpur, welcoming Pakcik, was reward enough. All the same as I watched the innocent faces I could not help asking myself, “Why should I do this for these children and not for my own flesh and blood?”


Finally, on the day the UPSR results were announced, an excited call came through just to tell Pakcik that THREE children from that school scored 5A’s. Of 40 candidates, this small number gives a success figure of 7.5%, a far cry from the state’s acclaimed performance of 15.3%. There was a celebration, nevertheless, as that was a new record for the school.

Yet away in Kuala Lumpur, the school headmistress of one of Pakcik’s grandchildren could not conceal her disappointment that only EIGHTY candidates of her school scored 5A’s, a drop from the previous NINETY; how ironical that was when in my corner of the country, a school celebrated over an increase of ONE pupil from TWO to THREE, a whopping 50% increase!

----------------------

Who are the three pupils who jointly broke the school record?

1. A girl whose very poor father passed away barely two months before her UPSR exam. Without hard counseling and coaxing by her teachers the distraught girl would have abandoned school for good there and then.

2. A girl whose parents operate a small village food-stall.

3. A boy whose father braves the South China Sea in a small boat at the mercy of the weather – for a few ringgits a day or nothing.

----------------------

One would expect the poor families to rejoice over the success. It came as a shock to learn that they would not allow the children to get into any boarding schools. They could ill afford the few hundred ringgits to prepare their children to join one. After all the village secondary school had been there for ages, within easy reach and for free. So what was the fuss all about? Their children and other children had been conditioned to accept this reality.

I was saddened by what I heard. Would the families concerned allow their children to go into boarding if there was a sponsor who would take care of all expenses, was my next question. The answer to Pakcik’s question came a few days later. Yes, in that case the families would allow the children to leave home. Accordingly, their teachers have helped to submit the necessary applications for the three children. .

-------------------------

It is Pakcik’s hope that the three children will get admission into a boarding school, giving hope for a better future for themselves and their families. It is strange that Pakcik have no such concern for my own flesh and blood. It is of no consequence that they do not wish be separated from their parents, but these three from this community do. Perhaps, this may be a prelude to Almanar starting the sponsorship/anak-angkat scheme, an idea that Pakcik have been towing with for some time.

----------------------------

Will 2010 promise another record-braking year for this school and its poor children? Pakcik have been requested to continue helping next year’s standard six but teachers see gloom ahead. I was horrified to be told that of the new group of about 40 pupils moving from standard 5 to standard 6, TEN pupils, or 25% of them, do not know how to read and write! “ Pakcik’d better believe this”, I was warned. I can only give a sigh – negeriku, tanah tumpah darahku, kebanggaanku.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

P.S.:For their past good performance the four boys of Pakcik’s clan earned a short trip ‘overseas’ early this month to see ‘Cat’.

What A Smile!

( Note to Redline : This is the answer to your question – what were the two pictures of the previous entry for.)

Four months ago Makcik and Pakcik were given a clean bill of health. I went home with a broad smile.

When one gives a broad smile to Pak Cik I take it that he or she is pleased over something. What if Pak cik am given a half smile or a little smile? I take it a lesser degree of pleasure, not a cynical one. There is also a dry smile. I wonder what a wet smile is.

But there is a kind of smile which Pakcik experienced with discomfort and embarrassment. I went through that about six weeks ago. It all began early one morning when I looked at my handsome face in the mirror. I usually give myself a smile but that morning I failed to form a smile on my face. The right half of my face showed the smiling expression but the left half of my face refused to move, however much I tried. I tried a wink. It was OK with my right eye but the left refused to obey. I opened my mouth and to my horror it was a distorted O. “Have I got a stroke?” ran through my mind.

Over the phone a doctor I know assured me that I had what is known as Bell’s Palsy, a temporary loss of control over one side of the face. It was named after one named Bell.

Awang Goneng’s younger brother, a medical specialist who happened to drop in with his wife three weeks after the event, asked Pakcik whether I experienced bell ringing in my ear. According to him some people had that, or something bothering in one eye. No I did not hear any bell, but it was Bell’s, nevertheless, according to him. Those in London, I can imagine, must have started to hear bells ringing everywhere as 25th December approaches. To them, PakCik, an experienced Bell’s ringer, can assure that it is all OK!

--------------------

Now that it is over, Pakcik can afford to take it light-heartedly, not during the first couple of days. The array of advice, suggestions, offers of help, prescriptions, comments and so on was impressive. At Almanar, the faces of the pupils displayed expression of horror and concern. I am very grateful indeed for the sympathy shown to Pakcik. No one smiled except for a nasi dagang seller (who is ever so grateful that her daughter was an Almanar pupil and is now a nurse, earning good money and driving her own little car). On seeing Pakcik’s failed smile, she gave a broad smile, exclaiming, “Pakcik dah dapat macam saya dulu. Lapan minggu, baik!” Her smile was a way of assuring me that all would be well because she had gone through it. Sadly I cold not return her smile except for a funny half, crooked smile!

For my own record Pakcik must list down some of those remarks made by the concerned individuals. Here it goes:

Use of morphine ( sounds deadly )

Steroid pills ( sounds less deadly)

Warm baths

Acupuncture ( Awang Goneng had this in his well researched thesis on Bell ’s palsy)

Johnson’s Baby Oil for rubbing with lots of salawat

Olive oil (minyak zaitun) to massage he face with

Jampi-jampi to scuttle away the ‘uninvited’ visitor

Plenty of rest ( teaching Almanar pupils, no exception)

Gentle massage on the affected area ( the doctor who advised this gave a good laugh when Pakcik enquired whether it would be best done by a lady – I meant Makcik of course!)

A complete body massage

And other remarks and comforting words.

When Pacik entered a sundry shop for Johnson’s Baby Oil, I was conscious that the lady owner was curious why this not-so-young man wanted baby oil. So, I had my Johnson’s, my minyak zaitun and went through most of the items listed – including some other pills (in addition to steroid). Alhamdulillah, it was all back to normal three weeks later.

--------------

Bell’s Palsy over, Pakcik decided to tackle the next bothering condition, the cataract on my right eye. The problem on the left eye was successfully done two years ago. So on 11/11 (hence the Poppy Day entry), Pakcik went through a half-an-hour operation, by laser. I had the earlier experience, totally painless but scary. Imagine someone working on your eye when that very eye was wide open, seeing the spotlight overhead and vague shadows of moving objects working on your very eye-ball!

That too went well.

So I am as good as new with full control over the degree of a smile I wish to flash around, winking like mad, but, sorry, not driving with eyes closed.

--------------

So, now if any of you hear loud sound of bell ringing in any one ear and you are not anywhere near a school or around the period about 25th December, try a half smile in front of a mirror, or stand outside a shopping mall winking left and right at passersby. See the outcome!

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

11 / 11 The Poppy Day

The occasion is not a good enough reason to close our Almanar. But, regretfully, Pak Cik will not conduct any classes from 11/11 to 14/11. For what is worth, let us say Pak Cik will be busy for my SPM exam!

Pak Cik Reminisces (Part 5) : 11-11-11

To those associated with Almanar, who will be sitting for the dreaded SPM exam, Pak Cik can only hope and pray that you will do as well as you can. Please remember, how important we see the SPM exam, we, human, cannot dictate its outcome.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

Pak Cik Reminisces (Part 9) – Pencapaian

Sifting through a not-so-old file of documents, Pak Cik spotted the copy of a letter dated 12th March 1994, fifteen years ago. The letter, a four-page of type-written, was addressed to my number three who was then 22 and a long away from home. He was struggling to prove himself academically. Pak Cik had just been released from serving a ‘sentence’ of 30-year of challenging working life ( not quite 'hard labour' catagory!). He was under ‘trial’, so to speak, waiting to see what kind of sentence would be passed on him. The long letter was a typical father-and-son communication, heavy on philosophy of life. The year 1994 was just before Pak Cik began my voluntary labour at Almanar.

Pak Cik chose to end the letter with the following poem which very much reflected what was going through my mind.

PENCAPAIAN

Ku sampai kemuncak gunung
Menyedut udara nyaman
Dada yang lega fikiran tenang
Tercapai hajat dan idaman
Itukah PENCAPAIAN?

Keringatku mengering
Yang panas mula mendingin
Sang matahari yang terang
Masih tinggi dipandangan
Apakah PENCAPAIAN?

Nun jauh di bawah awan
Yang ku tinggal di belakang
Tak ada yang kurang
Tak ada yang hilang
Di mana ada PENCAPAIAN?

Andainya langit tercapai tangan
Melangkahi bintang-bintang
Memerah awan
Mengeluarkan hujan
Itukah PENCAPAIAN?

Ku tunggu bisikan angin
Ku tunggu liputan awan
Ku tunggu sinaran bulan dan bintang
Ku tunggu ilham
Ku tunggu PENCAPAIAN

Yang hampa membawa harapan
Yang kosong minta penuhan
Yang kurang menunggu tambahan
Yang rendah mengingin tinggian
Mendoa PENCAPAIAN

Dari YANG tak kekurangan
Dari RAHMAN
YANG memberi sinaran
YANG menghidupkan
MEMPUNYAI HAKIKAT PENCAPAIAN

Indeed I thought I had achieved something in life, yet so many around were seeking for help just to survive.

Today I look at this poem, holding back my tears for whatever reason it may be, and keep wondering ……

Apakah erti PENCAPAIAN hidup pada hakikatnya?

when " ................glory but leads to the grave" ( Wonder which English poet said this.)

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

End of The Tunnel ( Part 5 ) – The Last Fisherman

“So this girl, Yani, attended English class at Almanar, did she?,” the lady was looking at Pak Cik askance. “That figures out,” she continued before I had time to reply. Her puzzled expression began to change as the answer began to dawn on her. She had just been transferred to this school as its Head.

That scene was in a room of a secondary school 11 years ago. Pak Cik had come to introduce myself to the new Principal in the first instance, and to find out the 1998 PMR results which had just been released. A small group of 12 Almanar pupils were involved.

“I’ve been puzzled by some odd results of this school. This girl, Yani, for example, scored grade A in two subjects only, English and Bahasa Malayu, Nor is another one like her. ” Now she knew the answer to her puzzle was the class at Almanar. In this locality, a pupil is more likely to get A grades first of all in any other subjects like Pelajaran Agama Islam, Sejarah, Kemahiran Hidup, etc. before an A grade in English. Furthermore, Yani did not show any flare in that subject in her UPSR exam three years earlier. She did not have a family likely to help her.

After completing her SPM, Yani gained entry into UITM to do a course in tourism following which she acquired some experience working for a couple of holiday resorts. Then came her break when she was given a job as a lecturer in tourism at a private college. After proving her worth, she is now the head of a department. Today, still determined to improve herself, Yani is pursuing a degree course in Food Service Management. Compared to the achievement of many high performers we often read about, there is nothing glamorous in what this girl has managed to do unless one understands her background.

Pak Cik can claim to know Yani and her family well enough. She and three others sisters attended classes at Almanar. Two elder sisters are working and her younger one is doing a nursing course. I call their father ‘Pak Mat’ although many villagers know him as ‘Pak Yas’ (for Alias).

The proud fisherman and his daughter

Pak Mat, now 59, came from a typical fisherman family. As a boy of 16 he started to follow his elders, going as far as Tanjung Dawai in Kedah to fish ‘ikan bilis’. Being a junior he was paid only half what others earned although he claimed to have laboured no less. It was years later when he was paid the normal share of an adult member. That was FORTY-THREE years ago. Today he still goes fishing. Pak Cik worked for THIRTY years, mostly in the comfort of air-conditioned offices – and I have had enough of it!

“I will never depend on my children for money as long as I have the strength to go to sea,” he responded quite firmly when Pak Cik suggested that, perhaps, his children would now support him and wife. I know his children do not fail to give him money, but Pat Mat is too good a father to sit back relying on his children and, above all, he is a proud fisherman, proud of his profession.

A year ago Yani dropped by our house. In her hand was an invitation card to her own wedding. It was not a surprise to Pak Cik and Mak Cik. She was ready for it. And it was no surprise too when Yani turned up at our house again a day before the recent Hari Raya, this time with a smart HUSBAND and a healthy BABY BOY hardly two-months old.

The bride and Makcik

Will Yani’s boy be following his grandfather’s footstep? No, not likely, and I doubt his proud grandfather will ever regret it either – that none in his family will ever go to sea again.

The proud mother

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

A Special Note For Ex-Almanar

For the first time Pak Cik had a record book ready during the recent hari raya season for Almanar- associated pupils to jot down their phone numbers and e-mail addresses - a few having own blogs. Surprisingly enough there were about 60 of them arriving in groups at different times during the course of these few days. Some were on leave from their far-away places of work, such as the rural areas outside Tawau and Sandakan. But most of the sixty odds are still studying at various IPTA's and IPTS's. Only a handful of them were current pupils at Almanar - perhaps still too shy to muster their courage to show their faces; no doubt in good time they will.



One of your old friends proudly brought along her HUSBAND and a baby SON who was barely two-month old. Just like his parents and grandparents, the baby would have addressed me as "Pak Cik" too, if only he could talk! Of those who came around, Mak Cik and Pak Cik could hardly recognise a few girls ( young ladies, to be precise ) looking matured and beautiful, a far fetch from the shy little ones we used to see those years at Almanar - dengan hidung masih berhingus. Whreas the gallant boys, heavily outnumbered, were nearly swarmed to a swoon at the unexpected sight!



Some of you could not make it to Nuri this time around, simply 'kirim salam' through friends who turned up. Thank you for the thought. If any of you wishes to have contact numbers of your lost friends, check up with Pak Cik. I will give them to you - this time for a fee of course!



Apart from expressing our appreciations to those who remembered us through visits, salaams, SMS's, e-mail messages etc we must not forget to thank those who came along with ketupat, nasi dagang, nasi minyak, keropok, laksa, tapai, akak, cookies and so on and so forth - enough for the two of us to last till next Hari Raya had not our children, granfdchildren and our other guests helped themselves.



Thank you, children.



To those who will return to their work places, particularly schools and hospitals, please remember, it is now your contractual obligation to live uo to our motto:



Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

A Special Thank - for an unexpected gesture

Some 25 years ago a pretty girl with fair skin and curly hair was a friend of Pakcik’s daughter at an SMS (boarding school). Since then I have not seen her, now happily married with children. Pakcik was totally taken by surprise this morning when advised that a sizeable sum of money had been credited by her for Almanar.

“What triggered her to perform this charitable act before a Hari Raya?” I keep asking myself. But no, really I do not wish to know the answer. I pray that He will not just grant her what she dreams of but, instead, will bless her with whatever He alone knows is best for her and her family.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

Tokens Of Appreciation ( Pt 2 )

Before this holy month of Ramadhan leaves us, Pak Cik should say a few words of thanks to many who have paid compliments in various forms, encouraging words, gestures and personal gifts, to Pak Cik and Mak Cik. For Almanar we have received, voluntarily and unsought for, cash, books and other materials. A local company has for the first time offered each ‘anak yatim’ associated with Almanar a sum of RM100/= as a Hari Raya gift.

As Pak Cik once wrote Tokens Of Appreciation in January 08 of the simple gestures shown by parents. Likewise the two of us, Pak Cik and Mak Cik continue to receive these small gifts,

a small paper bag of duku (in season, costing about two ringgits)

some rambutan ( dari pokok sendiri),

a bunch of bananas,

cempedak (from kebun Tok Ki!),

a packet of keropok, and packets of kurma.

The real value is in the desire to express a deep-seated feeling, no matter what the monitory value of the gift is. They are invaluable tokens of appreciation, humbly and sincerely presented, for which words are never adequate for us to express our thanks.

A real surprise was when a girl handed Pak Cik a neat bag made of cloth, containing two boxes of good quality dates.


“ Pak Cik, ini buah tangan daripada Pengetua sekolah saya.” This came from a new principal of a fairly new secondary school which in the last three PMR examinations did not have a single pupil achieving 8As, mainly for weakness in English and Mathematics. Two months ago Pak Cik offered help for the first group of fifteen Form One pupils to be tutored at Almanar. Apparently the principal is very pleased with the initial feedback. Pak Cik do not promise grade A but I promise to give the children as good a foundation as possible in these subjects.

To all the well wishers please accept Pak Cik’s many thanks. To the Muslim readers Selamat Berpuasa dan Selamat Berhari Raya.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

Another Son Commented – Tanah Tumpah Darah Ku

Pakcik’s No 3 , my second son, has sent me a comment related to Merdeka. He is a senior manager for a multinational consulting firm. What he discovered during a recruitment dialogue with a group of young Malay graduates was somewhat beyond his expectation. Pakcik would like to have it posted here, with the hope that readers can share what he had to say. I would certainly like to think that his is not an isolated case – the awakening of our young ones. Here is what he wrote:

“Babah,

Contributing to the nation – there is hope yet.

As an aside to Abang Nuar’s comment on Merdeka and nation building, I’d like to share what happened in the office last month.
I was asked to help recruitment with figuring out how to better attract good capable Malays into the firm, something which the firm has always struggled to do. As a way to gauge what makes the freshies ‘tick’, we organized a forum with a group of our newly hired to understand what were their career aspirations and why they had joined us.

I opened the floor to the young and energetic group for them to share their thoughts. Sure enough, it started with the ‘usual’ ideas of what makes a great career. They wanted an exciting job, something that challenges them, somewhere that allows them to learn, to build skills, to be paid (..and paid well!), to travel, to open up their minds. This is not going to help me very much I thought initially. Haven’t I read about all these things in our recruitment brochures somewhere before? However, as the discussion went on, another theme seem to emerge. It was about how they would like to give back, about contributing to society, about building the nation.

Was this just a ‘politically correct’ answer to my tired prodding of “is there anything else?”, or did they genuinely feel this way? Can I trust these young twenty somethings? What do they know about contributing back? Wouldn’t they at this age be more concerned about getting that first car, or that flashy new phone, or travelling or generally having a good time?

The answer was a heartwarming no. Pragmatically, of course they wanted these things, but somehow beyond achieving all that, real fulfillment comes when you have left behind a legacy, have touched the lives of others and have, ultimately, help build a nation. One even quoted Raja Nazrin’s speech “You don’t have to be in public service to do service to the public”.

I think we can sometimes get despondent when all we read about these days are how the young are selfish, how for Generation Y it’s all about me me me, how no one appreciates the struggles of the past and how society has become less and less caring.

Well, after listening to this group of ‘kids’, I feel a renewed sense of optimism. It’s not all bad, there is hope yet.

Love

Amran “
-------------------------------

Pakcik’s response to him would be:
Amran,
During babah’s time in office there were occasions when I faced young graduates. Certainly babah did not detect your finding. Perhaps I was using different and ancient recruitment tools. If this is the prevailing attitude among the young graduates - and I would like to wish that to be a trend - there is hope indeed as you said. But of course we do not lose hope.

“ ……..and never lose hope of God’s soothing mercy ……” Yusuf : 87

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

A Son Commented – Tanah Tumpah Darah Ku

This time Pak Cik’s No 2, Anwar, sent me a comment which I prefer to enter as a posting. Here is what he wrote:

“I would neither be too embarrassed nor too proud to proclaim that being a post-merdeka child, I lived my formative years in a peaceful , staggering economic growth and politically rock solid Malaysia under Tun Mahathir’s stewardship. Digesting babah’s absorbing account of Merdeka, I cannot help but feel humbled by the contrasting thoughts that ran through our minds when I was around babah’s age. Yours was of hope for the community, Tanah tumpah darah babah, whereas mine was of self interest and an individual pursuit of happiness. Half a century of merdeka , of stability and familiarity, certainly bred contempt to many post-merdeka children who were emotionally detached from the struggles of Malaysia’s independence forefathers, myself not excluded.

Over the years, eyes wide open to the journey of this young entity called ‘Malaysia’, I began to realize that this God-sent peace, harmony and prosperity are not our rights, but ours to strive for. Nothing is guaranteed for my children, my grandchildren, and the many generations beyond that. The onus is on me, in my own, small, individual way, to contribute to nation-building.

Today, on the morning of Malaysia’s 52nd year of merdeka, I watched the black & white recording of Almarhum’s Tunku Abdul Rahman’s proclamation of Merdeka. His seven shouts of “merdeka” followed by the band’s heart rendering ‘Negara Ku’ finale brought tears of happiness, joy and hope to many Malayans on that day….. and across time, on 31st August 2009, to one much “enlightened” mid-aged person in PJ.

Yes, we live and hope for another day. And to borrow babah’s sacred words, ‘berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.’ ”

My response to him would be:

Anwar,

That you have moved ‘ ….to one much ‘enlightened’ mid-aged person ..’, as you said, is an indication that you are capable of evaluating. Insya-Allah nothing will be very wrong with any of us as long as we do not fail to use the special faculties we have been endowed with, and we do not become what He says:

“ …………..men who have hearts with which they fail to grasp the truth, and eyes with which they fail to see, and ears with which they fail to hear. They are like cattle – nay they are even less conscious on the right way ……..” Al-A’raf : 179
With love,
Babah
Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

Pak Cik Reminisces (Part 8) – Tanah Tumpah Darah Ku

On the page for 31st August of my 1957 diary, my entry carries the following baffling line:

“Am I happy to see Malaya’s Independence?” – yes, MALAYA it was.

That was written 13,000 km away from where possibly the greatest national event of this country was being celebrated; Pak Cik at a young age, lonely and feeling being left out.




As I read and reread that line and try to fathom the depth of my feeling 52 years ago, I am convinced of one thing. I was being possessive. I did not want to lose MALAYA, tanah tumpah darahku. It did not matter who would govern it but I wanted that country intact as I had grown to love, enhanced by the distance that separated it from me at that very instance. I did not know whether Merdeka and Malaysia would carry anything meaningful to my future.

Today, my fortnightly lunch group consists of just four regulars, two Malays, a Chinese and an Indian. Not many years ago there were four Malays, two Indians and three Chinese in that very special and closely knit group. The number has whittled away. In time, like the ‘sepuluh budak hitam, there will be none. All of us would have been Malayans as much as Malaysians today. Nothing would change, needing no spirited slogan to keep us together with love and respect, drawing our spouses along.

And Pakcik would want my Almanar pupils to learn from that, patriotism in its essence.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

A son commented – A clean bill of health - almost

The following comment from Pakcik’s son was the first received but withheld on purpose:

Babah and Mami,

Wow, look at that young couple, with all their hopes and dreams still ahead of them! I hope and am sure, looking back, many of the dreams have come true.

Happy anniversary Babah & mami. We are truly blessed that you are both still healthy. Last weekend was a little sad for my office because an ex-colleague who had just left the company passed away due to a heart attack. He was only 45. Many of us went to his house, and it was heart breaking to see his teenage children, robbed of a father whilst still so prime in their lives. Some had just met him a few days earlier, making golf plans and dinner plans etc. How something like this remind us of our mortality, and sometimes how insignificant all our planning are! I think almost everyone there (including me) vowed to go for a full medical check up soon.

Nadia hit 39.5 degrees a few hours ago. We rushed her to the doctor and after some drugs, her temperature has come down a little. We will be monitoring all night to be sure. The doctor said at ANY sign of breathing difficulty, head straight to Univ Hospital.

Please, Kak Enon and Abang Nuar, monitor the kids closely.

Love

Amran
------------

And here is Pakcik’s response:

Amran,

You are right to say, “ – am sure, looking back, many of the dreams have come true.” That young couple have had their dreams answered. You are one them. The elderly couple can now sit back and watch how you worry and handle your problems. They have gone through it.

At about midnight of 17th July, 37 years ago that young man in the picture rushed his young lady from their Damansara Heights home to Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya, worried and hoping against hope that nothing untoward would happen on the way. He knew the young lady lying on the back seat could not deliver by natural birth. Adding to the desperation, Dr McCoy, the gynecologist, had to tell the couple, after exaimining her at Assunta, that he was sorry the operation could only be performed by him at Tock Seng Chinese Maternity Hospital on Jalan Pudu. Again the couple were on the nearly-deserted roads of KL, driving like mad. Adding to the agony, having located the hospital the young man took some desperate moments to find its entrance.

Then, at last, at 2.15 am you came out into this world. Now it is your turn to worry over one of your three "Charlie’s angels” hitting 39.5 degrees. The old couple share your worry no less, but in a seasoned way. They have given the three of you what they have had in their lives, and rest assured they are ready to serve in whatever way they can, as long as they are around.

From Babah and Mami - with love to all of you.