Nostalgic journey down memory lane, attending to Raja
Suffian’s reception in honor of his son wedding at Merdeka Hall in Tapah on 20
October 2012 (Saturday). Hit the North South PLUS Highway and detoured at Bukit
Beruntung to pick up Amran Din.
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| Raja Suffian - the Host. |
Raja Suffian extended a special invitation to all GES Tapah
Hostelites, the era of 1960 – 1965 to attend the auspicious day. Manan Buyung of
Tanjung Malim voluntarily coordinated. Very much regretted, some could not make
it. This type of reunion should not be missed as we had been distance for ages and
never know when we can ever reunite. Hairs are getting silvery and dropping; some
teeth went missing at the Dentist chair and at any moment we may be summon to
face the Almighty.
In spite of fifty years of not meeting each other, I was
glad Raja Suffian could easily recognize me upon arrival at the Hall entrance.
He looks very much different the last time I met him and for sure I would have bypass
him if I met him on the street. Not as handsome as before, he laughed when I
commented. Raja Suffian two (2) other younger brothers who were also ex
Hostelites, Raja Faisal and Raja Fauzi were also presence. Their white beard
made me more difficult to pick them out. Surprisingly I was easily
recognizable; maybe I stayed young as ever, (ha ha) except for the zinc roofing.
Honestly I wasn’t really keen on the wedding and the banquet.
I excitedly wanted meeting my old Hostel buddies; that were my top priority. Manan
Buyung had pre communicated who would probably attend. Aziz Osman, my senior the
biggest Hostel prankster and I still remember all the pranks and the bully. It
was all forgotten, instead I hugged the Old Man. Kasim Hamid came all the way from
Johore Baru by train and Alias Rashid (Cik Gu) descended the Banjaran
Titiwangsa, Cameron Highland. Alias Rashid has lost lots of weight. Arbain
Saidi, the most unpredictable guy who threw my blanket on the roof was also
presence. Finally after five decades, the notorious Hostel three Musketeers
met, Aziz Osman, Kasim Hamid and Dato Panglima. Kasim Hamid still maintained the
same P. Ramlee hairstyle.
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| Me in green batik, Aziz Osman in white and lutfi Tajuddin with the songkok. |
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| Note the silver hair. |
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| Alias Rashid with the cendol and Jefrul Tariqh. |
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| Lutfi Tajuddin and Amran Din enjoying Tapah cendol. |
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| Kasim Hamid and Halim Said. |
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| Aziz Osman, Dr Yusuf Hashim and Kasim Hamid. |
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| Kasim Hamid and Lutfi Tajuddin. |
Some of them brought their other half but some prefer single
as the old stories and laughter would make the wives bored. Others that were
presence were Khadzin Hassan, Manan Buyung, Dr Yusuf Hashim, Hatim Tai, Desa
Hamid, Nyak Abdullah, Halim Said, Jefrul Tariqh, Lutfi Tajuddin, and Ishak (BC).
The title is highly classified as it was conferred by late Baniyamin.
We gathered under the tent reminiscing the good old days.
Raja Suffian was laughing loudly but discreetly when I recollected his memories
of the Batu 8 Hot Springs. That was a daring adventure which Raja Suffian,
Idris and me undertook but it was clean fun. No casualty whatsoever. Kasim
Hamid recollected the miracle when the tricycle packed with the Hostel cookeries
slipped down into a ravine but only two plates were broken. The mishap occurred
on our way back from a picnic at River Corner. I could not recall who was managing
the handle? We laughed about the incident when Dato Panglima scored an own goal
during an inter school soccer tournament. We were talking about Ibrahim Mamak,
where he went missing? Each of us had their own story to tell. Cameras and IPad
came handy to record the moments. At the gathering we acted like we were still the
same young “budak hostel” during those days. Nicknames still remembered after
50 long years.
To commemorate the get together we had a group photograph
session with the newlywed and Raja Suffian & Puan Mariam. Manan Buyung is
preparing a Directory and would forward to the individual concern in due
course.
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| The group photograph with the Newlywed. |
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| Halim Said with Aziz Osman. |
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| Me with Arbain Saidi (Red Batik). |
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| Sandwich between Alias Rashid on the right and Khadzin Hasan on the left. |
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| Dont know what was the conversation between Dr Yusuf and Dato Panglima. |
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| Dr Yusuf Hashim and Raja Suffian. |
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| Kasim Hamid and Amran Din. |
It was very much regretted, though near yet so far, we could
not get back to the Hostel as it is now turn to a Girls Hostel. I would love to
see whether the huge old “binjai” tree at the neighboring compound is still
standing.
As we were recollecting the nostalgic moment, we paid
tribute to those Hostelites that had gone back to the Almighty: Fadzli
Tajuddin, Baniyamin, Syed Tajul Ariffin, Wak Salim, Aminuddin Basir, Hamzah De
Souza, Tamrin, Mohd Abdullah, Sulaiman Sahab, Zahari Yahya, Jamaluddin Tajuddin
and Ngah Wahab. Do I miss any? I suggest one fine day, Manan Buyung can arrange
for a “tahlil” ceremony for the fallen comrades. The venue: At the Hostel
Dining or Prep Hall.
I was a boarder at the Hostel from 1960 – 1962, never
regretted the life that I went through with the guys. “The Good, the Bad and
the Ugly”. Amran Din stayed longer from 1959 to 1964. Manan Buyung and I left
the Hostel at about the same time, early 1963. I continued Upper Secondary
education at TI Penang and Manan Buyung started his secondary education at
MCKK.
To Manan Buyung – you did a splendid job at your own cost
and time rounding up the Comrade. Thank you. I hope to attend more gathering of
this nature.
