25th Anniversary

Our family Association is 25years old. Started by my late Father and Mum, a family association was formed about 25 years ago for the purpose of getting all of us siblings in one big family for a common cause of getting everyone close together, do charity and be noticeable as a group in the community. Members contributed funds regularly so as to enable the above objectives be met and also any projects we had planned be executed. Funds were also invested to make it grow. We have gone through various phases of change in the last 25 years and have achieved some good things and met some disheartening things too along the way. We progressed and we learnt from the mistakes we made.

As the eldest amongst my siblings I was appointed Chairman of the group, (maybe by default I was re-elected every time), and Mum remained Patron of the association. There are ten of us and together with our spouses there are twenty and with our grown up children there are now 80 adults in the association. Many are professionals in their own fields. There are two confirmed Doctorates in the family, with one more in the final stage of getting her PhD. There are managers, engineers, accountants and finance disciplined members, teachers, businessmen and businesswomen, all with their own expertise to contribute to the association. Amongst them a secretary and a treasurer with assistants were elected to sit in a management committee with me and several others elected as committee members to head various portfolios in order to further progress the cause of the association.

The group met annually and celebrated as a big group traditionally on the third day of Syawal, ie. during the Eid celebrations when most or all siblings and their families meet in JB and spend time with Mum and other elders there. A big hall with full catering is required to accommodate all members and we usually hold the gathering in hotels or large restaurants that have a big hall for private functions.

This being the silver jubilee, a working committee was formed to look into the preparations for its celebration. The venue selected was a fairly new hotel and the menu for the night was mixed traditional and modern cuisines. The committee chose to make several surprises that night, and decided to launch a family book and a logo of the association. Mum as Patron was to launch the book and logo.

The function went well that night. We were a little delayed in starting but everything went as planned. Mum took centre stage in the launch of the book and the logo. Ram and I had a surprise for Mum when we presented her with a token gift, a woolen shawl, in honour of her contribution and dedication to guide us in our lives and for being instrumental in guiding the association to what it is today. As Chairman I was asked to give the opening speech and I opened by highlighting the background of the association, as many were still not born yet when it was formed, and specifically mentioned the sacrifices Mum made to make the association one that can be reckoned with. Sita was asked to do the honour of presenting the token gift we had brought along and placing it on Mum. I could see that she was really caught by surprise. There were other surprises that night. One was an award for me for leading the association throughout the 25 years, and a special award to Mum too. The citation for me mentioned the sacrifices I made and also for Ram who stood by me all throughout. I thought an award for Ram would have been more appropriate!!


One of my nieces, who is a very good singer having had proper training, and who was a finalist in the national singing competition, and her younger sister who attends a special school for artistic children, performed several songs between that night. They were really good and performed just like professional singers. Others too helped keep us entertained that night. Games for the children were played. Hifzhan and Haziq took part in some of the games and I could see that the kids all had a good time. Mum of course was the happiest that night. She was really enjoying herself too watching all her grandchildren and great grandchildren having a good time. The night ended almost at midnight.

The next morning we gathered again for a general meeting to decide on several policy issues and others about the association. This was held in Mum’s house which is considered the base address of our association. We had a good meeting and several good decisions were made that day.

My hope is that the association will go on doing well and that Mum will still be around to guide it for many more years to come. She is 86 now but is still very alert and strong for her age. May the Almighty protect her and extend her life, bestowing upon her the best of this world and the hereafter. May He be pleased………


Sita Presenting Shawl to Mum


Mini and Tessa



Fahrul, Sita and Najla


Shaffik, Mini, Hifzhan, Haziq and Haadieya



The PeeJay Clan



MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Ramadan and Syawal

Ramadan has ended and Syawal has begun. The last few days of Ramadan saw us preparing for the coming of Syawal, shopping for various food essentials to be cooked for the guests expected on the first day, cleaning the house and the compound etc. etc. We lack sleep that couple of days. It was just Ram and I doing the chores with Tessa helping out the weekend earlier. Our children returned only on the eve of the big day. Fahrul and Sita with little Najla on the other hand had returned to Fahrul’s parent’s house for the celebration, so it was quite convenient for us to do our chores in the house without Najla tagging along with us all the time. But it was fun though. When Shaffik returned with his family there were more hands to help do the chores and having our three grandchildren with us was a pleasant relief even for the aches and pains due to the lack of sleep.

The Eid celebration started with the men from the neighbourhood gathering together, with children (about 30 of them) in tow, and went from house to house to recite the Eid ‘takbir’ glorifying the Almighty for the opportunity given to meet Ramadan and all the benefits that came with it and then meeting Syawal. Of course when we went house to house there was food galore…… different houses different types. We covered all the houses in our street in about four and a half hours and finished just before 1.00 am. The children were the happiest though as they not only get to enjoy the food, they also get to collect little packets containing money. We also prepared packets for them and we added sweets and chocolates too. Hifzhan and Haziq were very happy to receive many packets that night.

The Eid prayer was at 8.30am in the local mosque. The mosque was overflowing with people, usually it is on Eid Fitri and Eid Adha, most dressed in their finest and colourful traditional dressings. Hifzhan and Haziq followed their father, Ram and me to the mosque. After prayers we had breakfast of those foods we prepared for this occasion. We had prepared sweetmeats, curried chicken and beef to be taken with plain rice and also steamed rice packed and wrapped in coconut leaves.

My sister and her family, children and grandchildren, came later in the morning followed by Ram’s nephews and nieces and their families. The stream of family members continued until about 5.00pm. We left for JB just after the dusk prayers to continue the celebrations there and also visit our elders in JB. The celebration culminated in a gathering of all my siblings and their families in a hotel, for dinner, on the third day of Syawal. We have a family association called Tabung Cahaya Cita-Cita or TCC and have kept the tradition of gathering everyone on the third day of Syawal. This time it’s the 25th anniversary and special programmes were made for the occasion. Mum of course was the happiest. As chairman of TCC (by default, being the eldest sibling!!) I gave a speech at the opening and paid tribute to Mum and late Dad for their sacrifices and all that she has done for the family. One can see the glow in Mum’s face registering satisfaction of a job well done, and the token gift we prepared for her enlightened her further. Sita did the honour of presenting the special gift of my family to her. Mum was also called upon to present the TCC logo and also launch the TCC book which will be a compilation of TCC’s background and write ups on each of the siblings and their families. The highlight of the book, as planned, will be on Mum and late Dad. We have set ourselves one year to complete the book. I also received a special award for my role as Chairman having led TCC all these years.

There were singing and games for the children that night. Everyone had a good time, I think, and all night long, Mum was beaming and grinning at the antics of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Yes, there were four generations in the hall that night and our prayers amongst others were for Mum to continue in good health and be able to be present at many more of this annual gatherings. May the Almighty grant us our wish and may He be pleased……..

My Immediate Family




Four Generations Gap - Haadieya Presenting Flowers to the Patron



The Patron and Senior Members of TCC



Part Of The Crowd




Hifzhan and Haziq After the Balloon Game






Najla Playing By Herself




MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

End of Ramadan

We are in the last week of Ramadan. This is the time most devotees, true to the demands of self submission to the Almighty, spend waking hour’s time, especially at night, in full devotion to Him. It is only at night that the call for submission is greatest. It is not easy, and only those used to the routine of waking up in the wee hours would be able to get into the routine. I struggle, every year I do, and I try my best to devote time to Him. I am neither pious nor religious but I do realize the need to connect with Him, if not for anything else, for my self esteem and inner peace. I think I have had good training and guidance in the religious aspect of life and I try to impart the same values to my children and possibly my children’s children. So, when the time comes to answer the call for submission I do my utmost, within my means and ability, to submit. I would expect my children to do the same too. May the Almighty be pleased……..

Every Ramadan our community mosque, just as all other mosques and prayer houses in the country, hold prayer congregations daily especially in the evenings following the breaking of fast, performing additional prayers to the regular obligatory ones. The additional prayers called for are twenty non-obligatory but highly called upon prayers and is usually performed immediately following the after dusk prayers. However there are some people who would only perform eight and not twenty, supposedly following the Prophet’s practice of doing eight in his time. The reality is, after the completion of eight prayers, more than half of the congregation will leave the mosque. There are a lot of sideline dialogues, some fanatically inclined even, on the whys and what fors of doing eight or twenty. To me eight or twenty is not the issue. It is how sincere you offer the prayers that matters. It is not the form but the substance that is called for. The obligatory prayers must be performed without fail. The twenty or eight are non obligatory, hence no detriment if it is not performed, so why argue? If it is performed and performed with full sincerity and in total submission to the Almighty then it meets the spiritual obligations demanded from us. No need to snigger upon those who do not do what we do. Be thankful that He has granted us the will to do it.

Another practice that I think is not according to the demands made upon us is the import of persons able to memorize the whole Holy Book (Hafeez) to lead in the non-obligatory prayers and reading verses from the Book during the prayers, end to end, over the thirty nights of Ramadan. It is traditionally done that way in the holy mosques in Mecca and Medina. But do we have to ‘ape’ what they do in the holy mosques? You are asked to read verses from the Holy Book in your prayers, yes, but for all within your capability. To import someone to do it for you when you cannot do it yourself is a bit much I think. I do not think that’s what is called for. I think there is no difference, to the Almighty, in reading short verses that you know of and memorize from reading the whole Book. Again I would like to go back to the basic principle of sincerity in what we do. Do we import Hafeez to show off? If we do then it is against the basic principle of total submission. May the Almighty guide us in the right path always, Amin………

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Double Birthdays

Some birthdays in my family are close to one another. Granddaughter Najla’s birthday is just one day after mine. My other granddaughter Haadieya and two grandsons Hifzhan and Haziq (all siblings) have birthdays in the same month but on different days. However, granddaughter Haadieya’s birthday falls on the same day as Ram’s. Tessa, Sita and Mini all have birthdays in the same month whilst Shaffik’s and Fahrul’s birthdays are ‘standalone’ days. Traditionally we will group together on certain selected days for dinner or lunch, home or away, and celebrate the birthdays with everyone trying to accommodate time for the gathering. This means that there will be three or four birthday gatherings in a year, and opportunity for the family to get together.

Najla’s birthday this year and mine fell in Ramadan and hence not much was done to celebrate other than the usual wishes and gifts. No fanfare. We have got into the
daily Ramadan routine and hence continued with it and did not feel like it was a birthday. Sita took Najla out shopping on her birthday and some of Sita’s friends and workmates who are very familiar with Najla joined them.

Sita’s live-in maid who takes care of Najla when Sita is at work ran away and left Sita stranded without help to look after Najla. We volunteered to take care of Najla, thus Najla stays with us in PJ and Sita returns home to PJ on her weekend off days. It is nice to have the sounds of the little girl and the patters of little feet running around the house. She would alternate playtime with her grandmother or with me and is not difficult to handle at all. But……… not so when her mother is back. She will demand a lot of attention from Sita and would not allow Sita to do anything else except tend to her. She screams, she cries and she throws tantrums when Sita is around, a complete opposite behaviour to when her mother is not around!!

On certain days of the week we would join the community in breaking fast in the mosque and on these occasions Najla would follow us. We have to bring her along or else Ram will miss out on these gatherings. She will insist on wearing a full dress complete with headgear to go to the mosque. So cute. And when in the mosque she will sit quietly beside Ram during prayers and gave no trouble at all. Other children would be running around and be boisterous and all but Najla will just sit quietly and watch the other children. It is nice to have her around, a little tiring for us having to ‘chase’ after her, but the house seems more lively now. I am wondering now how it will be once Sita gets a replacement maid. Ah well …….. lets see how it goes…..


No prize guessing who this was for!


All dressed up ready to join us to the mosque



This is when her mum is not around!!



MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Month Of Ramadhan and A Funeral

We are already in the third week of Ramadan. The month where Muslims all over the world fast during the day hours and devote themselves to the Almighty much more than they do in other months of the Muslim calendar, and especially so in the last ten days of the month. In the evening, after dusk, most will spend time in the mosques and prayer houses praying in congregation and submitting to the Almighty, seeking His forgiveness and blessings. Other times various supplications are made to Him including glorifying Him and His Prophet, reading the Holy Book or doing deeds to the community, the poor, orphans and others, all done with sincerity in seeking His blessings. It is said that there is one night, within the last ten nights of the month, where the Almighty bless those who submits to Him with blessings equivalent to a thousand months.

Apart from doing the above I was busy throughout, running errands and doing chores that are never ending. However there is one chore both Ram and I enjoy doing now. It is looking after little Najla. It is not a chore really as it is something we really enjoy. Sita’s live-in maid who has been looking after Najla ran away (We found out later that she had gone home perhaps to spend Ramadan with her family). So we volunteered to look after Najla while Sita make some other arrangements for Najla. We told her not to rush into things. Najla should be ok with us. Sita comes back over the weekends and leaves Najla with us during the weekdays when she is at work. Najla is always like an angel during the weekdays when she is with us but when Sita is home in the weekends she quickly turns into a moaning, crying baby difficult for her mum to handle, and is very demanding of her mother. We understand that. Its normal for little kids to demand their mothers’ attention and time one way or another.

Last week we had a funeral to attend. My uncle, Mum’s younger brother, passed away in his house in KL just before the breaking of fast. He was 76 last May. Some years ago he had to be operated on to remove a tumor or growth in the brain. That tumor or growth had affected his vision and stability and at one stage had made his face swollen and badly distorted on one side. He was ok after the operation and was very cheerful, but only for a couple of years. There was a relapse and then whatever doctors did to him could not get him back to his normal self. His condition deteriorated and deteriorated fast. He was bedridden the last year and was completely oblivious to people around him the last six month. He was a uniformed army man who rose through the ranks and retired a Major. A much disciplined man who would do things around the house by himself and at specific schedules and intervals, of course certain chores were shared with his wife. Silverwares, brassware, copperwares and others in the house will be polished spick and span. When he dresses it will always be smart dressing, typical army style. I think his wife is also as disciplined as he is after all the years of being an army wife! So, it was heart rendering to see him so helpless at the very last stage of his life. He needed help for everything. The look of dismay and disappointment was always obvious when you look at him. May the Almighty protect him and place his soul amongst the chosen ones.

Mum came to see her younger brother and pay her last respects. My sister and husband brought mum from JB. His other surviving siblings, another sister older than him and several others younger were also there. Two of them are younger than me (one aunty and one uncle!!). We sat together to pay our respects and read the Holy Book as much as we can before the funeral rights were performed. There was a steady stream of people dropping by, neighbours, family and friends from near and far. Prayers were held in the mosque nearby immediately after the midday prayers followed by burial and the last rights. So ended the life of a man whom I admired for his strict disciplinarian attitude. It will only be cast in memory now. He has three children, all married with families of their own, two living in KL and one living in San Francisco, California. Any of them as disciplined as the father? I wonder………………….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Golden Anniversary

After attending the Merdeka Awards Launch I began to visualize the changes that have taken place over the 50 years of independence, and when I thought about it even more I realized that it was really what I saw and, experienced and went through all my life. It was about all the changes that have taken place around me. I also realized the impact these changes have on my life and how it was shaped.

I can still remember the excitement in my house over the merdeka or independence issue. My mum and late dad were both very active in the then current political issues to the extent that their lives were dedicated towards the achievements of the time and maintenance thereafter. Pre-merdeka, dad would be working as an auditor during the day and mum as a religious schoolteacher and in the evenings and night they would be away attending meetings and other functions related to the political movement. Dad was later transferred to the Marines department as Deputy Port officer and Mum rose to be the headmistress of the school she taught in.

I was born in the era of Japanese occupation. Life was difficult then I was told. I practically lived on tapioca as rice and milk were scarce then. Mum would boil tapioca and add extra water, the excess was used to feed me supplementing mum’s breast milk. Things changed slightly when the British took over after the Japanese left and I could vaguely remember those times. Various canned foods and other daily needs and goods were available and almost all British made. We had none of the luxuries of life we have now. Commuting was always on foot although dad had a bicycle to ease his movement. We could count the number of cars on the road then and that too belonged only to the prominent ones in society. When I started schooling I had to walk to school every day. When I was halfway through primary school a bus service in the town was started and that eased our commuting needs somewhat, but the buses they had were few and it took a long while for one to catch the next bus if one missed it. So I ended walking to school everyday just the same ha ha!

In the process of my growing up through pre and primary school I saw a lot of changes in the way things were done around me. Development slowly took place, starting with the basic infrastructures like piped water into the houses, flush toilets, electricity supply into the house and so on. Telephones were those for the public strategically located around the town and were the oversized ones like those you see in the movies of the forties and fifties!! Vandalism was not known then!! So, you can imagine how the people aligned themselves to the authorities of the day, the British and the Malay Administrators. We were so used to obtaining water from wells, lighting up kerosene lamps in the evenings, toilets being located outside of our houses with the night-soil man coming around to collect our toilet ‘spoils’ daily. Hence when these changes took place people were just elated. We thought of them as wonderful and unbelievable developments.

Campaigns for independence started then. The leading political party of the day, of which my mum and dad were heavily involved in, went around in their campaigns to garner support for independence. The support, I think, was overwhelming and the three major races in the country worked together to achieve the objectives. Although the communists that were anti British were strongly fighting to liberate the country through its communist ideologies the general population was not in their favour. They were literally ‘hounded’ into the jungles and they fought the British from there.

Then came independence, Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka shouted the first Prime Minister followed by resounding cries from the throng of people gathered there. I heard the proceedings over the radio at home. I was as excited as my parents were. I was about 13 years old then. I knew what it was all about but had no inkling of what was to follow. My friends and I shouted Merdeka but did not really realize the implications. My dad and mum told me that Merdeka was for us, for my generation to carry on the torch of independence and for future generations to reap the benefits. It had not much impact on me then. All I knew, or rather was told, was that the ruling political party had the mandate to run the country without intervention of the British. We were on our own to chart our destiny my parents said. You must study hard, educate yourself so that you can contribute to society later on. Slowly, as I grew up I realized those words that my parents told me. I realized how important education was. I slowly realized that my knowledge and skills helped me to shape my working life while at the same time gave me the opportunity to participate in nation building and the well being of society. My parents’ involvement in community work, political work and so on gave them a good standing in society. These attitude and attributes somehow brushed on me as well, such that I would voluntarily involve myself in community work whenever I get the opportunity.

Independence has been obtained, 50 years on now, and the time of nation building has passed. We are surrounded by the fruits reaped out of the nation building. Now is the time to carry on the nation building and its maintenance. We need to sustain the chain of development and advance forward to better things. What we thought was a wonderful facility once, like that public telephone, or the piped water in to the house, has become an ordinary thing now. What was wonderful and unbelievable when I was young is very basic now. The era has changed and improved our quality of life. It is the continuance of discovering the wonderful and the unbelievable that should be the order now, such that the chain can continue, and that our grandchildren can then have at least their basics then from what we now discover as wonderful and unbelievable……. Am I making sense? Ah well…… I am entitled to some nostalgia and also dreams ………. May the Almighty continue to guide us always…..

Some Very Very Old Pictures .......

















MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya.

Merdeka Awards Launch - Down Memory Lane

A few days prior to the national 50th Merdeka celebration or the celebration of independence, Ram and I attended a dinner for the official launching of the ‘Merdeka Awards’. The award is to recognize individuals who had made high impact on the nations’ development in five specific areas which includes education, arts and culture, community development and other categories. The launch was officiated by the Prime Minister and the founding members of the award are the three major oil and gas players in the country and of course led by the national oil company where I used to work for and where Tessa is now.

Tessa and her mates in the office had been working very hard for weeks prior to the occasion to put up a good show and she did not tell us much about what to expect but we could read from the ‘things’ she referred to us while putting her ‘acts’ together that we can expect something extraordinary. She had now and then asked me or her mum, for confirmation I suppose, titles of old and traditional songs, culture and recipes of traditional cuisines which, I guessed then, she will be using as display on the launch night. She also said that the function will only be launching the award and that the individuals to receive the award will be identified through a very stringent selection process by a team of respected individuals yet to be identified. This will be a very prestigious award. It will definitely take a long time for the recipient to be identified. The identification of Nobel prize award recipient and the Raymond Mc Saysay (I stand corrected for spelling?) award recipient take many months or years to be identified!!

I was invited in my capacity as the secretary to the Retirees Fraternity and was indeed looking forward to the occasion. Dress code was Malaysian batik, so we had our batik ready. We went early to avoid the evening traffic jam and arrived at the Convention Centre, the place where the launch was to be held, just before the dusk prayers. We prayed at the prayer room provided and then proceed to the function hall. I did not bring my walking stick with me and braved it through with a very slight limp!! On arrival at the foyer we were asked to register at one of the many registration tables provided. We could easily identify the organizing committee members and those at work that night as they were all in very pretty, colorful, uniform, batik outfits as well. They told us our table number and ushered us through.

They had built a tunnel, soothing soft green colors, leading into the hall. It was quite a long tunnel, sort of a time tunnel, and all along the sides were electronic display screens showing pictures of old and excerpts of speeches and writings etc. Soft music and traditional songs of years gone by were played. We were transported back to the past 50 years or more.

On arrival at the main hall there were more staff (ushers) dressed in the colorful batik, waiting, and one showed us to our table. The orchestra was at one end of the hall and the main stage was at the other end. On the two side walls were big screens (several on each side) screening changing scenes and pictures of old, the old KL, traditional houses, children of the time, old landmarks, cars and other vehicles, and so on and all in black and white! We immediately became nostalgic and tried to identify the pictures. I remember all of them I think. All along piped music, songs of years gone by, were played.

I looked around the hall and noticed that most were elderly. Except for the staff and ushers, most were beyond fifties. Most with white hair and a majority of them with receding ‘crop’ while there were a few without any!! One outstanding person was the well known local poet, now in his late sixties I think, who had hair all over his head and face and white too. Just like this person others in the hall were well known past personalities in their own fields most of whom have already retired and many are in some way or other still contributing to society. I could identify the film maker, the sports personalities and captains of teams, captains of industries, well known songwriters and musicians, culture experts, historian, museum curator, educationist, scientist, and many more. A few came in weel-chairs and yet a few more came with walking stick. I should have been braver and brought my walking stick along too. It was heart warming to see all these personalities as guests at the function and I felt very small and humbled when I realized that I was also there as guest but nothing compared to all of them. I have retired and I am still contributing to society but nothing when compared to what these other guests have contributed to the country.

The Prime Minister with his new wife (he remarried recently after his wife passed away a couple of years ago) arrived at the appointed time accompanied by the Presidents or Heads of the three founding member companies. He was very lively and shook hands with most personalities seated along the main passageway and waved at others seated further away. His wife did so too. Speeches followed and the PM graciously launched the Merdeka Award.

Dinner followed. Surprise, surprise!! Food served were those that Tessa had asked us about and all prepared the traditional way by the Convention Centre. There was none of the dinner function dishes normally served in hotels and at official functions. (So, that was why she kept asking for this and that but never really told us what for and I thought it was just for display!!) We noticed that some ingredients were missing in some of the traditional dishes, can’t blame them as these ingredients especially the herbal leaves are difficult to get nowadays, but the tastes were good, almost authentic. Even desert, fruits and door gifts (consisting of sweets) were those that are quite difficult to get nowadays. They had gone all out to make it really authentic and nostalgic for the old folks like me and the rest present that night!! Music from the orchestra was also from the fifties and much earlier.

It was down memory lane that night. We realized that we have gone fifty years after independence. We have made our contribution in some way or other in nation building. Our wish is for the present and future generation to have the courage, stamina and perseverance to bring the nation to greater heights and sustain it for many many more years to come.

With the launch of the award I hope the selection of recipients will be properly scrutinized to reflect its authenticity and that only the ones most deserving receive them. It should be based purely on historical milestones and not colored by any political inclination.

The team put up a really good show that night. They worked hard at it and they most certainly achieved the impact the event was designed for. 'Congratulations'. May the guidance of the Almighty be within our and their reach always…..

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya