The Reunion.

The Host & wife.

The Pengantin.

Manan Buyong of Kampong Sekkah, Ulu Behrang in the Diostrict of Tanjong Malim and the state of Perak held a wedding reception of his daughter on 29 January 2011. I last met Manan in 1962, my two years junior when I stayed in the same School Hostel in Tapah from 1960 – 1962 during my Lower Secondary . We went our separate ways and just came to know our existence through friends. I went to Technical Institute Penang and he went to MCKK. Somehow this time around, Manan managed to get my contact number and invited me and the rest of the Hostel resident’s of era 1960 to 1964 to his daughter's wedding.

I was excited to meet my old Hostel colleagues and I arranged with Amran Din and Shariff @ Awang @ Porcupine to go all the way to Ulu Behrang. We rendezvous at Bukit Sentosa and we headed north to Perak.

We arrived at about 1240 hours and Manan who was fifty years older since I met him was there to welcome the 65 years greyed hair old man, the retired Broadcaster and Awang the Porcupine. There was a short greeting with Brigadier General (Rtd) Dato Daud Ariffin as he had to attend to another function. We were ushered to the last tent where the rest of the ex Hostel residents congregated.

There were shouts from all corners to greet our arrival. I have not changed much except for my grey hair. The problem was they could easily recognize me but I don’t. There was Kamaruddin Mydin (Kama Nana - the sprinter), Kamaruddin Ibrahim ( Kama Garok – the self made Engineer), Desa Cameron of Hotel Merlin chain, Hatim Tai (ex Army), Lotfi Tajuddin (ex Banker), Jefrul Tarikh Ahmad (ex polis DiRaja), Saadullah (Nyak ), Ismail Zainal Abidin (Mael Sxxxxt the Healer) and the once small boy, Suffian Hashim.

Amran Din, me and Lotfi Tajuddin.

Front Row: Mokhtar Ibrahim, Me, Kama Nana, Lotfi Tajuddin.

Back Row: Kama Garok, Desa Cameron, Amran Din, Saadullah.

Then Yazid Basir came with his crutches due to an accident, Khazin Hassan (KTM), Ishak Bxx Cxxk, Shaari, Halim Said and Mokhtar Ibrahim. The profile of Mokthar Ibrahim was completely changed from the 60s era. It took me several minutes to figure out who he was. We recollected the good old times not forgetting to acknowledge those who had passed away. I brought along several photographs from the Hostel days and we were laughing all out seeing how we looked 50 years ago.

Mokhtar Ibrahim and Ismail Zainal Abidin.

The last to join us was Madame Alma Mustaffa, a very special guest, the darling of the school. Alma was the energetic and active sportswoman during school days. She chose teaching as her profession and now fully retired. She cancelled all her appointment, coming all the way from KL alone to attend the wedding to meet us, especially “me” as Manan said. I had not met her since 1962 and we had a lot to talk about recollecting memorable clean outdoor environmental adventures. I inquired from her the well being of her sister Alina and cousin Hendon. All the “crazy” group members still survive today but making our own separate ways living happily ever after. She laughed when I told her at anytime I drive up to Cameron Highland, I always try to locate the Hot Springs.

Madame Alma Mustaffa and the Pengantin.

The three of us from Bukit Sentosa and Alma Mustaffa were the last guests to leave at 1600 hours. Amran, Awang and me went cross country to Slim River town Mosque to perform our jamak. We took the old colonial communist infested highway from Ulu Bernam to Slim River. It disorientated me for a while where I was.

Joined the PLUS Highway and I touched base just before Isyakh after stopping at Ulu Bernam R & R for mee rebus and Bukit Sentosa to pick up my Proton Ferrari.

Amran Din, Lotfi Tajuddin and Jefrul Tarikh.

Mokhtar Ibrahim, Ismail and Shariff @ Awang.

Time really flies and we surely glad that the wedding and the reunion was to bind the long lost comradeship. We hope that it would not stop here and would extend the lost gap of comrade at arm during future occasions. It was during the Hostel days when we were in the early teens that we started to learn about life, studying, eating and playing together. For the reunion on 29 January 2011, I must say thank you to MANAN BUYUNG.

Special memories and Alfatehah to the Comrade that had gone back to meet the Creator:

1) Fadzli Tajuddin 2) Baniyamin 3) Syed Zainal 4) Hamzah De Souza 5) Zahari 6) Mohamad Abdullah 7) Sulaiman Sohab 8) Abdul Salam 9) Tajul Ariffin 10) Ngah Wahab.