The Loss of 2008

Several of my friends, relatives and others left this short lived world to meet the Creator in the year 2008. To record their departure, and as a remembrance, I would list them below.


Alfatihah.


1) 3rd. January 2008: Tuan Haji Ghazali Adam. He passed away at 0245 hours due to heart attack. I came to know Ghazali Adam when he was just an Executive in Ben Line Port Klang in 1969. He later became the General Manager of MISC Panocean. He was the first batch of RIDA College (now UITM) student. When I was transferred to Port Klang in 1977, I called him and he helped me to find the suitable bungalow to stay. I normally called him King Ghaz.

2) 7th January 2008: Tuan Haji Salleh Abdul Hamid, one of my elder brothers. He passed away at 2345 hours due to heart attack. He had his last breath on his wife’s lap. He was educated in Malay College Kuala Kangsar and served Telekom Malaysia. One fond memory when he took me to Bukit Kledang Transmitting Station in Ipoh. He showed me the live transmission of horse racing which was only telecast live to Race Courses in Malaysia and Singapore.


3) 14th. February 2008: Cik Amnah Ramli, my cousin sister on my mother’s side. She too passed away due to heart attack. The beautiful part, she just finished her maghrib prayer and while waiting for the Isyakh prayer, she went back to meet the Creator. The sad part, she was still a spinster and no husband or children to mourn for her departure. I performed an umrah for her when I visited the Holy Land during last Ramadhan.


4) 8th May 2008: Kak Yah, the wife of my wife’s cousin. She passed away at 1400 hours and buried after the maghrib prayer. Tolerant and a very patient lady, did not talked much. She just smiled when we talked to her. During those days before the Plus Highway, we normally stopped by at Balai Polis Trolak when my wife’s cousin was the Station Officer in Charge.


5) 6th August 2008: Encik Ishak, my neighbor’s brother. He was already on dialysis for the past several years. Never failed to say hello and stopped for a chat whenever we met. I was glad that Baitulmal assisted him on the dialysis fees. He was only a Driver with one of the Chemical Company in Shah Alam.


6) 30th August 2008: Raja Adam Jalaludin. He was the youngest brother of my friend Raja Rosedin. I know Raja Adam since he was a small boy. When he was growing up, I did not know for what reason, he became slightly retarded and reserved. It was a pity that someone found him sprawling by the roadside and already gone. His demise happened when I was in the Holy Land and I only came to know later when I came back to Malaysia.


7) 04th September 2008: Tuan Haji Mohd Zan an ex Penolong Pengarah Kastam Selangor, my mosque buddy. I got the sad news when I was in Mecca. He passed away due to leukemia. Very nice buddy and we often jokingly greeted each other with “good morning” no matter what time it was. Hailed from Melaka but studied in Ipoh Perak. He carried the Perak slang and very well accustomed to my way of speaking. F1 driver on the highway. So fast that the speed trap camera could not record his number plate, he claimed.


8) 27th September 2008: Puan Noriah Manan. She was a Stenographer at Esso Refinery Port Dickson, that’s where we became acquainted. She later married Tenaga Malaysia Bhd Engineer who is the brother in law of my colleague in Guthrie. Small world. When her husband, became Kapar Power Station Superintendent, she invited me for tea at their residence. The last time I met Noriah was at my colleague daughter’s wedding at Bukit Jelutong.


9) 29th September 2008: Datin Hajjah Zainab the wife of late Dato Haji Ghazali Abdullah, the former Mufti of Selangor and Perak. The Mufti was my late father’s cousin. When I got married at Telok Panglima Garang, in 1973 the Datin was the Head of the women delegation. The entourage gathered at the Mufti’s residence in Klang before proceeding to attack Telok Panglima Garang. Datin Zainab passed away due to long illness. I picked up my eldest brother and we went all the way to Ipoh to attend the funeral.

10) 27th December 2008: In memory of 205 Gazan Palestinians, my Muslim brothers, sisters and children killed by the Zionist Regime. Due to several crazy Hamas Freedom Fighters who launched home made rockets to the illegally occupied Zionist settlement, the arrogant Zionist retaliated with air strike. I wonder when this eye for an eye will end. Only the American Presidency and his Cabinet can solve the problem. Will they do it? I don’t think so because they are still thirsty of Muslim’s blood. When a Jew being killed by the Palestinian Hamas, it would create a world headline and the Americans would condemn the killing as if the world had lost a Statesman. On the other hand, the Americans Administration would just fold their arm when 205 Palestinians including babies were massacred by the Jews. God damn it! What the hell is happening to this world? To them it doesn’t matter, the more dead the better. That’s my perspective of the American Administration attitude towards the handling of the Palestinian/ Israelis conflict. Can the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) do something? I afraid not, for reasons best known to them. For that matter, I respect Dr Mahathir who was daring enough to speak out. I can only sit and pray for miracles to happen so that the Palestinians can live in peace and some to return home to their homeland.


11) 27th December 2008: Last but not least, he was neither my friend, nor my relatives. At 1145 hours, my 10th King, His Royal Highness Yam Tuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 86 passed away at Seremban Hospital.


To all those who had gone back to meet the Creator ,…. Alfatihah.
May your soul rest in peace and may Allah bless you..