Mid Ramadan Umrah 2015.

It was my pleasure to send off fourteen (14) Jemaah for the mid Ramadan Umrah at KLIA on 29 June 2015. They left by SV 829, KLIA/ Riyadh /Medina at 1500 hrs. Ustaz Mokhdzar Abdullah would lead this group.

Insyaalah, the end Ramadan Umrah would depart KLIA on 03 July 2015 and I would be in this entourage. I am excitedly looking forward for this trip and hopefully I get to celebrate Aidilfitri at Masjidilharam in Mekah which I normally did for the past years. 

Surprised.

Though fasting, I had to make several errands in Kuala Lumpur 25 June 2015. Most important was to sort out my End Ramadan Umrah with the Umrah Travel Agent. It was a very good fruitful discussion. All systems as planned. Visas are in good order. 

The next appointment was to visit Ghazali Ahmad at Wad 7C (Neuro Surgery Ward). The poor guy is recovering slowly and hopefully. Insyaalah. He is still paralyzed in bed, helpless and requires complete nursing.

After visiting hours, I had to find a Mosque for solat zohor. As I drove towards the Mosque I saw a majestic building at the end of the road. It really surprised me and to my astonishment the Faculty of Medicines of University Institute Technology Mara (UITM). I was not aware such building and faculty exist in Sungai Buloh. It really surprised me. This building will eventually provide opportunities for the Malay and Bumiputeras to become Doctors.

Faculty of Medicines UITM.

On the way out from Ibu Sinna Mosque, I diverted to the Leprosy Center to see the Flower Farm. The last time I was here was sometimes early 80s. I picked up some fertilizers for my mango tree which had not been flowering lately. I shall return with the Home Ministry soon. The orchids really fascinating.

Masjid Ibnu Sinna, Hospital Sungai Buloh.

Things have really changed and developed to the places around Sungai Buloh. I am really proud to see the development.  

Am Going Again.

Today 22 June is the fifth day of Ramadan; simply it is the fifth day of fasting for civilized Muslims.

I can’t hardly wait, anxiously excited for the sixteenth (16^th.) Ramadan, that is on 03 July. Insyaalah, I am off to the Holy Land to complete the month of Ramadan and greeting 1^st. Syawal in Mekah (Aidilfitri). This year only fifteen (15) days visa was approved by the Saudi Kingdom unlike last year it was much longer, twenty one (21) days.

The massive renovation of Masjidilharam is the main factor that the Kingdom reducing the quota of Jemaah during Ramadan. The massive renovation expected to complete by 2020 and I would be seventy five (75) then. Only Allah knows whether I will still be alive. If I live to that age, I won’t whack the Prime Minister.

Masjidilharam massive renovation.

My flight vide Saudi Airline would depart KLIA on 03 July at 1500 hrs and ETA Riyadh at 1735 hrs. Break journey in Riyadh for iftar. Flight would resume at 2130 hrs for Medina and ETA at 2300 hrs.

Masjid Nabawi Medina.

My commitments for umrah begin then. The return flight vide Jeddah, insyaalah on 17 July @ 2300 hrs Saudi time and arriving KLIA on 18 July @ 1300 hrs.

Ramadan umrah is one occasion that I had not missed since 2005 Ramadan. This year 2015 is the least number of days I will spend Ramadan in the Holy Land. I seek Allah blessing for long life so that I can walk or crawl to the Holy Land during Ramadan in the forthcoming years.

If time permit, I want to visit my Date Farm.

Relaxing at a Date Farm.

Hahahaha……….      

The End.

It ended on 15 June 2015.

Dream on..........

Sorry …………..you cross my dead body.

Bamboo Rice.

It was shown in local TV about this Bamboo Rice Stall somewhere off the old highway between Slim River and Sungkai. I was born and bred around this vicinity and I was surprise this Bamboo Rice Stall suddenly shot to fame.

Rice is Malaysian staple food and normally cooks in pot over fire or at this modern time in Rice Cooker. Only glutinous rice with coconut milk is cook in bamboo and we call it lemang. From Primary school, I learnt only the orang asli (Aborigines) of Malaysia cook their rice in bamboo.

My cousin and I decided to have lunch at this stall on our recent trip to Sungkai. Upon reaching our destination we saw rows of cars with outstation number plates seen parking at both sides of the road. We wondered ……….. the food must be something special.

  

We settled for two set of bamboo rice, grill red tilapia fish, kerabu pucuk paku and ulam with sambal belacan. For the drink we had kelapa muda. The rice was wrapped in some sort of fern leaf and inserted into the bamboo. Perhaps they steam the bamboo. I did not find any special about the taste of the rice. Just for the kick of trying something new. I did not finish the rice, sorry to say.

The stall also provides varieties of chicken, fish and meat (no pork, off course) as side dishes but we did not order. They gave funny names to them and were smiling. Where the hell they got the chicken from Kampong Bunian?

Whatever, I am glad to see my own countryman venturing into something different in the food industry.. 

Nostalgic Reunion.

A Reunion of GESS Tapah Hostelites.

Amran Din mooted the idea of having a reunion among the 1960 – 1965 Hostelites and the date was unanimously agreed on 11 June 2015 (Thursday) at Sukho Thai Restaurant at Bukit Beruntung starting at 1000hrs. Amran Din played host and he made all the arrangement with the Restaurant.

Messages and words went around among the Hostelites of that era, hoping to round up as many as possible but only seventeen (17) managed to make themselves presence. They came as far as Ipoh and Port Klang. For a start it was not bad after all, as precedence had been set and photographs to witness how a buddy of the 60s looks like now. Some went bald and some with zinc roofing. It was a nostalgic rendezvous after about half a century ago. 

The attendees were: Amran Din (Host), Mustapa Hamid, Malik Ahmad, Daud Ariffin, Awang Shariff, Aziz Osman, Manan Buyung, Hatim Tai, Rahman Surur, Shaari, Desa Hamid, Jefrul Tariqh, Syed Jaafar, Kamaruddin Shaari, Fuad, Roslan Hashim and Rahman Jalaluddin.

(All Datukship, Royal title conferred and Military rank were left at the Bukit Beruntung toll gate and we were all reverting to the 60s).

The program for the day was brunch, eat and drink while chatting. Food came second; old time story rewind and laughter broke. Manan Buyung and Desa Hamid sang the same old bathroom song. Karaoke set would come handy at the next reunion.

Old friends that had returned to the Kingdom of Allah were not the least forgotten. Amran Din, who hosted the Reunion and stayed at the Hostel from 1959 – 1964, was given the privilege reading out the list of our fallen heroes. It was twenty three (23) of them as per list compiled by Mustapa Hamid. Malik Ahmad was given the honor to lead the Alfateehah and the Doa Tahlil.

Host....AMRAN DIN.

The Doa Tahlil.

For the sake of those who failed to attend, following were our comrade that had left us:

Mohamad Abdullah, Sulaiman Sahab, Hamzah De Souza, Fadzli Tajuddin, Jamaluddin Tajuddin, Zahari Yahya, Suhaimi Hj Osman, Ngah Abdul Wahab, Salam Sarijo, Syed Tajul Ariffin, Baniamin Jalaluddin, Fahami Yahya, Tamrin Yahya, Zulkifli Taib, Yaakub Abdul Rahman, Shaharuddin Basir, Haranai Mohd Nor, Shamsuddin Basrah, Muhamad @ Mokmek, Manap, Hashim Hawari Mustafa, Syed Zainal, Baharuddin Hj Rahim.

Alfateehah…….may their soul be group among the almukminin.

After the short doa tahlil, a group photograph to commemorate the Nostalgic Reunion.

The Attendees.

(Daud Ariffin, was MIA, left earlier as he had an important appointment at the Golf Course).

Here are some photographs taken during the Reunion.

 THOSE WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

At 1245 hrs Malik and I had to excuse ourselves as we had an appointment in Sungkai.

The Reunion broke up at 1430 hrs and Manan Buyung has in mind organizing similar at his Dusun Durian during the next fall. Insyaalah. Care to join us.

Footnote:

Among us, there was Brigadier General, CEO, Senior Government/Police/Military Officers, Contractors, Chef, Politicians and above all Toh Muda Orang Kaya Besar Maharaja DiRaja but we were just like during the good old Hostel days. Almost all had retired except the Contractors and the Politician.