Say What, Zam?

I tried hard to figure out what our dear Zam was trying to say.
Classification of bloggers to distinguish the professionals from the non-professionals?
Perhaps you can make out what he meant. Read here.
The little that I can understand from his statement is that it would mean registering bloggers in order to "classify" them. Wouldn't it?
But how do you even begin to say who is professional and who is not.
Also, Zam's statement suggests another attempt at recommending control of/over the Malaysian blogosphere.

Oh, brother!

Raden Dalilah

I was curious to find out who this person was after she posted a comment in my blog. It was her name "Raden Galoh" that piqued my interest.
"Raden" is royalty among the Javanese, and being Javanese (on Bapak's side), I wanted to know more about her. I clicked on her nick.
What a surprise. Raden Galoh is a breast cancer survivor. Having lost two sisters to breast cancer, I found her blog, "onebreastbouncing", insightful. She tells us about how she is coping with life since discovering she had breast cancer and post-treatment.
Although she was already known to a lot of people, I did not know who she was.
About a month back, I thought she finally decided to "come clean" when I saw her real name on her profile.
The next day, it was gone. I thought I had dreamt it all.
Then, NST columnist Rehman Rashid made baseless disparaging remarks about women bloggers. I posted something in response and, in it, mentioned Raden Galoh among the many women bloggers who were nothing like what he had recklessly described.
Raden and I have "connected" since. E-mails, smses and phone calls. The wonderful thing about blogging is you get connected with people like Raden Galoh.
Another thing is that it proves what a wonderfully small world we live in.
I don't call her Raden anymore. I call her by her real name -- Dalilah Tamrin. She came clean about two weeks ago.
What made her finally decide to reveal her identity?
"I just felt that since I am writing about my life, then people should know who is the person writing," she told me.
And how did she think of the name Raden Galoh?
Raden Galoh Chandra Kirana, a Majapahit princess, was an ancestor, said Dalilah who is Javanese.
This was told to her by her grandmother.
It is a good nick, Dalilah.

Just A Little Birthday Party

Saturday, May 5 2007 @ Shakey's Pizza, Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
5pm to 7pm.
Birthday party for nephews Jazzlan (14) and Farhan (5) and nieces Sofia (10), Mariam (9) and Soraya (6).
Just a small gathering of family and the kids' friends. Food was the reason the party was at Shakey's. The children's favourite.
Pasta and pizza - what else?
I told myself to watch the portions but then decided that it was okay because I'd be working out the next day which was today (Sunday).
As luck would have it, it rained early this morning. I am a morning work-out person, so it was a no-go for me. I can feel the carbs building up around my midrif.

Back to the party. A lot of yakkity-yak and eating.
The musical chairs played to the sound of the Beatles. Cool. And the "DJ" wasn't even past 30. Either he's a Beatlemaniac or there was no other disc available.

Bapak couldn't join us because it would have been near impossible for him to climb up the stairs to the first floor of Shakey's. Even with our help.
We were, however, at Bapak's before Shakey's.

Here are the pictures of (from bottom) 1: Lalin, Kak Ton (standing), Azah (with Ayra) and Nina, 2: birthday boy and girls Jazzlan with Sofia, Mariam and Soraya. Farhan was somewhere, playing. 3; before the candle-blowing and cake-cutting.

Note: Just in case you are wondering. Jazzlan is Azah's son, Farhan is Kamal's, Sofia and Soraya are Lalin's and Mariam is arwah kak Eda's.
Ayra in the picture is Kak Ton's granddaughter. Ok ok, Kak Ton has 3 grandkids. She is one gutsy grandma.

Pulau Ketam

I know, I know. What's with Pulau Ketam. I hear you.
It's like this. My maid wanted to visit her sister who is working in Pulau Ketam or, in English - Crab island.
I have not been to Pulau Ketam and was a little embarrassed to admit to her that I had never been there.
But, well, I had to be honest but that did not mean that I did not know where it was or what Pulau Ketam was all about.
I was curious about her sister's job. I found out that she works as a maid in the day and as a restaurant helper in the evening and through the night. Same employer.
Modern-day paid slavery! I told my maid so but she said that her sister did not mind.
"Good money?", I asked.
Apparently so, I was told. Ok. It's her life.

Off I went to Port Klang on Saturday at about 11am to send my maid off.
Accompanied by my daughter, Shaira, I drove from Taman Tun Dr Ismail and headed towards the NKVE.
Took the Port Klang-North Port route. Some 45 minutes later, we arrived at the end of the route, -- the jetty.
Took the ferry. I had envisioned a f e r r y. You know, more or less like the same one I took years ago from Langkawi to Rebak Island -- big and nice.
Now this one's really a powered long boat which has been improvised. Ok., I am not a boat expert so I maybe wrong.
It was covered and airconditioned.
Shaira didn't like it because inside, it smelt of "minyak tanah". But, she enjoyed the ride because the seats were just at water level. Freaky at first for her. Then, it was exciting. Something she can tell her friends or write about in her essay or "karangan".

Ticket costs RM6 per person.
You pay for the ticket inside the ferry/boat. Kind of like in a bus where the bus conductor makes his/her way along the aisle and says "tiket, tiket".

The 1pm ferry makes a stop at Sungai Lima where some passengers get off.
Then it makes its way to Pulau Ketam. All in, about an-hour's ride. If there's no stop, the ride is about 20 minutes.
There is entertainment on board.
The one I was on had a video clip of an evergreen (read: not young) female Taiwanese artiste performing in Malaysia, I presume, because she sang in Mandarin and said "terima kasih" at the end of her performance.

Pulau Ketam is known for its sea food restaurants, so Shaira and I decided to sample some there.
But, nothing looked promising because most of the restaurants were closed.
We thought we should head back to Port Klang.
We stopped to buy some dried (sea) food stuff.
Shaira was hungry and bought some packed sotong.
Took the ferry back. The same one in which we came. So same music, same ticket conductor.

I am sure there's more to Pulau Ketam than the jetty, the police station, the hotels, the medical centre and the Islamic centre. I could not stay back to explore the island. Another time, maybe.

Meanwhile, here are some pictures of 1. houses on stilts at Pulau Ketam, 2. Passengers embarking on to ferry at Port Klang and 2. boats at Port Klang.

MJ or Zain Bhikha?

Give Thanks To Allah
Is it Michael Jackson or Zain Bhikha singing in praise of Allah?
And has Michael converted to Islam?
I know the story of Michael Jackson's serious flirtation with Islam is an old one. But it rekindled my interest over the May Day holidays when I happened to catch the nashid, "Give Thanks To Allah". My kids, Adel and Shaira downloaded it. I happened to be near Adel's room and heard a nashid sung by someone who sure sounded like Michael. You know, the Michael Jackson -- Ben, I'll Be There, Thriller, Billy Jean. Adel and Shaira insisted it was MJ. I was convinced too.

Here's a re-cap of the story:
For some time since his acquittal in 2005 on child molestation charges in the US and his move later to Bahrain, pop star Michael Jackson had been rumoured to have shown deep and serious interest in Islam. Then, last year, the rumour mill worked overtime with speculations that he would be converting to Islam.

I'd like to know if he has already by now. Just curious.
It is entirely possible. After all, his older brother, Jermaine Jackson (Mohammed Abdul Aziz since his conversion to Islam in 1989) was instrumental in encouraging him to read about the religion.
Really, anything is possible. Besides, stranger things have happened.

In February this year, Jermaine gave an interview to The Muslim News (UK), predicting that Michael will convert to Islam.
Jermaine was sure that his brother would convert to Islam because Michael had shown a lot of interest in the religion.
"When I came back from Makkah [Mecca] I got him a lot of books and he asked me lots of things about my religion and I told him that it's peaceful and beautiful. He read everything and he was proud of me that I found something that would give me inner strength and peace. I think it is most probable that Michael will convert to Islam," he was quoted to have said.

Now, the nashid, "Give Thanks To Allah" which, incidentally, was recorded about 3 years ago, has really piqued my interest. Like I said, it sure sounds like MJ. If it really is MJ singing Allah's praises, then it is indeed hard to imagine that he is NOT a Muslim because his enunciation and intonation of Arabic seem faultless. Perfect. It is beautfully sung.
Then again, MJ is such a professional that he would have got expert help to perfect his Arabic pronounciation.
There are sources who say that this song was sung by nashid artiste Zain Bhikha. I don't know Zain Bhikha but those who are familiar with him, are convinced that it was him, not MJ.
And then there are those who claim that it was sung by Yusuf Islam (the former Cat Stevens). This, I find very hard to believe. I mean, Yusuf? Michael? A world of a difference between them.
Anyway, while in Bahrain, Michael reportedly donated a large sum of money towards the building of a state-of-the-art mosque. He did so as a token of appreciation to the Bahraini people who had treated him well, as one of their own.

If you can download the song, listen to it. Here's the one in youtube. What do you think?

Here are the lyrics:

Give thanks to Allah,
For the moon and the stars
Praise Him all day for,
What is and what was
Take hold of your iman
Dont give in to shaitan
Oh you who believe please give thanks to Allah.

Allahu ghafur
Allahu rahim
Allahu yuhibbu'l-muhsinin,
Wa-khaliqhuna
Wa-raziqhuna
Wa-huwa `ala kull ah-sha'in qadir

Allah is Ghafur
Allah is Rahim
Allah is the one who loves the muhsinin,
He is our creator
He is our sustainer
And He is the one who has power over all.

Amin

The Worth Of A Homemaker

If stay-at-home mothers were to be paid wages, how much do you think each is worth?
Take out your calculators everyone.
They do not come cheap. And, rightly so.
When my maid was on her month-long leave sometime ago, I had to take leave from work as well. But, of course, not for a month.
Besides my normal domestic duties such as going to the market, cooking, cleaning the "upstairs" of the house, cleaning all the bathrooms and sending and fetching my two kids to and from school as well as their tuition classes, I had to take over my maid's chores - peeling onions, cleaning fish (generally preparing ingredients for cooking), storing fresh food in the fridge, laundry and cleaning the ground floor of the house.
Now if I were a stay-at-home mom, I certainly would not need a maid.
When would my days off be? Would I get any in the first place.
My maid does not have to do the things I have to do. She gets her days off. She has specific chores, and I send her off to bed by 9.30pm because she has to wake up early for her dawn (Subuh) prayers. But I am usually up before her, anyway, to get the kids ready for school.
So, how much is a homemaker worth?
More than you, brothers!
So, before you start demanding that cup of coffee after your hard day's work, think about her hard day's work.

Here is a Reuters story. We can help "localise" the calculations. But, you get the drift. And the picture.

NEW YORK - If the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as a housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would earn $138,095 a year, according to research released on Wednesday.

This reflected a 3 percent raise from last year's $134,121, according to Salary.com Inc, Waltham, Massachusetts-based compensation experts.

The 10 jobs listed as comprising a mother's work were housekeeper, cook, day care center teacher, laundry machine operator, van driver, facilities manager, janitor, computer operator, chief executive officer and psychologist, it said.

The typical mother puts in a 92-hour work week, it said, working 40 hours at base pay and 52 hours overtime.

A mother who holds full-time job outside the home would earn an additional $85,939 for the work she does at home, Salary.com.

Last year she would have earned $85,876 for her at-home work, it said.

Salary.com compiled the online responses of 26,000 stay-at-home mothers and 14,000 mothers who also work outside the home.

Gua Caya Lu, Norila!

Well, what else can I say to my old friend and former compatriot, Norila Daud -- Utusan Melayu journalist and presently president of the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM).
Here's why I think she's one cool (hot?) lady.
On this auspicious World Press Freedom Day (let's not get cynical), Norila has asked the Government to acknowledge the existence of internet citizen reporting and blogging as a new media for disemminating information. There! She has said it.
You go, girl!
Here's the full Bernama report.

And Rocky, National Alliance of Bloggers (All-Blogs) pro-tem president has this to say (in his Bru), in response to Norila's WPF Day message.

Also, do check out Marina's posting here.

Celebrating Press Freedom

Today is the World Press Freedom Day!
Several events are being carried out. Check them out at Screenshots.

Interestingly, on this day, Rocky's lawyer Edmund Bon will file in Kuala Lumpur his defence in the defamation suit filed in January against him by NSTP and 4 Others.

Tuesdays With Bapak (12)

The Red Sedan - May 1 2007
Kuala Lumpur, 1978: Toyota Corollas cutting in and out of traffic. Datsun 120Ys making sure their presence was felt on city roads.
There were Fiats too.
And everyone was competing with the mini buses that would make a deadly stop anywhere they wished to.
We were in Abang Med's mini minor trying to work our way around the traffic of Jalan Bandar, chasing a red sedan.
Trying, of course, not to be noticed by the driver and occupants of the sedan.

There is power in a mini minor driven by Abang Med. I suspect driving the way he did, was therapeutic for Abang Med.

Kak Eda and I were keeping an eye on the sedan which was not going fast at all. It was, in fact, cruising. But we were trying to keep up with it during lunch hour in the city and that was not exactly our idea of passing the time.

But, we had to know where they were taking Bapak. We had to know where they were keeping Bapak.

So far, we had a clear view of the sedan which was nearing the traffic lights. We kept pace while trying not to be too conspicuous.
Actually, it was easy because the mini was tiny and we could hide behind a mini bus or a Volvo. But that would mean we could not get a view of the sedan and risk losing it in traffic.

Abang Med's mini minor had no air-conditioning. How that never bothered us then, amazes me now. Strange too that we did not feel smothered by the city air.

The sedan, it seemed to us, was going around the city as though its driver was taking its occupants on a tour.

"You think they have noticed us?," Kak Eda asked.

"Don't think so," Abang Med said, quite confidently.

"So, why are they going round and round?," I asked.

"Maybe, taking Bapak for a ride. Hahahaa," Kak Eda quipped.

"Betul-lah. More like taking him on a tour. After all, he gets to go out only on Tuesdays. So, he probably wants to make the most of it," I remarked.

"But why the city, why not PJ or other places?" Kak Eda asked.

There were so many questions. And we could think of so many possibilities. We could be wrong on all counts. The SB guy driving the car was probably trying to find the best way out of the city. Or, he could have noticed us, and trying to shake us off.

How did we get involved in Abang Med's crazy idea to tail the SB car? We knew he had been wanting to do it but he never actually told us when.

Earlier, after the customary goodbye to Bapak, Abang Med told Kak Eda and I that we could get a ride from him as he was going home.

We were so excited when we found out that our aunts -- Wak Mah, Wak Lah, Wak Eichon, Cik Ah as well as our uncles and cousins -- were waiting for Bapak's car to pass by.

We wanted to see them but Abang Med hurried us along and asked us to get in the car with him.

"We'll meet them and talk to them when we get home. But now, come with me," he said, briskly walking ahead toward his mini minor which he had parked so near to the entrance of the police station.
As we got into the car, he told us that he was going to tail Bapak's car.
For a moment, we looked at him in disbelief. Just as quickly, it hit me that we really did not have a choice, because Abang Med looked so raring to go.

The sedan was now on Jalan Lornie (Jalan Syed Putra) and it was picking up speed.

"It's heading for PJ," Kak Eda said.

"Or Old Klang Road," I offered, dreading the thought of having to pass the road which was bumpy and so congested.

Abang Med stepped on the gas, trying not to lose the sedan which was already speeding way ahead, in the direction of Petaling Jaya. We were nearing Angkasapuri.

Federal highway was jammed with cars on both sides of the traffic. As Abang Med tried to keep up with the sedan, we noticed that there were other red sedans weaving in and out of traffic.

Ahead of us, just then was a Sri Jaya bus. Not good, I thought.

"It's okay, I can still see the car," Abang Med said.

Kak Eda got excited as we saw the car turning left past the EPF building, heading towards Jalan Gasing.

"They're going to PJ, they're going to PJ," she said.

In my mind were pictures of people in a detention camp hidden somewhere in PJ. I could imagine the red sedan entering a gate and then Bapak getting out and being met by camp guards.
He would be taken to his cell where he would have to change into his uniform. I could imagine just a small window on the wall.

But where in PJ was this camp? I have never heard of one in PJ. Was it anything like Kamunting where Pak Habib (Syed Husin Ali), Pak Cik Samani (Samani Amin) and Uncle Dollah (Abdullah Ahmad) and Pak Cik Dollah (Abdullah Majid) were?

Or, was it a safe house, as I had been told by the (NST) crime boys? There were several in KL and PJ, they told me.

And then something quite odd happened. As we were chasing the sedan, another car emerged from the left and kept speed ahead of us.

We didn't think much of it. We thought it was just one of those speed maniacs. Road hog! On Jalan Gasing too!

We were trying to follow the sedan which was now going down Jalan Gasing. By then there were other cars in front of the car which was ahead of us.

And then, we lost the red sedan. Just like that. And the car ahead of us sped off.

We were straining our necks trying to look for the sedan but it was nowhere to be found.

"Abang Med, it must have gone into one of the roads on the left... let's look for it," I said.

That was section 5, PJ. We used to live around that area from 1962 or 63 to early 1969. It was familiar to us.

So we set out looking for the red sedan. And then it hit us that Bapak could be staying in one of the houses in the area.

It was already 3pm and we were cruising the hilly road of section 5 in PJ, looking for a red sedan parked in a garage or compound of a house in the neighbourhood.

We drove past the government quarters --the bungalows and terraced houses. We went around the single storey detached houses and we looked at the beautiful bungalows in the upper part.

There were red sedans. But somehow it did not seem possible that Bapak would be staying in a luxurious double-storey house located on a sprawling compound, with a swimming pool! Unlikely too in another house full of kids.

It was a failed mission. We decided to call it quits and head for home across the highway to Section 16. Next time lucky, we promised ourselves!

Back home, we were met with excited and curious looks. Mak wanted to know what we had been up to. She was pretending not to know what we had been doing.
Everyone was just dying to know what happened.
Kak Ton went straight to the point and demanded to know if we found out "the location".

There was a little feast in the dining room. We were famished. As we sat down for tea, everyone gathered around impatiently waiting for either of us to tell our story.
Kak Eda and I looked at Abang Med. He got our message and told them how we attempted to locate Bapak's hide-away.

Our aunts who were so thrilled at having seen their brother, could not hide their emotion when Abang Med related our adventure on the road --from Jalan Bandar to Section 5.

We decided that we all should take a nice leisurely drive one evening around Section 5. Even Mak appeared thrilled.

We were looking forward for the following Tuesday for our rendezvous with Bapak. Perhaps we would be luckier.

Tuesday came. This time, Bapak was already in the room when we arrived.

Bapak smiled as we walked into the room. He asked how everyone was. We kissed his hand and sat around him as the SB guys stood behind us, smiling.

Then, Bapak turned to Abang Med and said gently, softly: "Lain kali, jangan ikut kereta Bapak."
He smiled. Abang Med's eyes almost popped out.
Bapak turned around to where the SB guys were standing. They smiled.

(Photos: 1.Studio photo of Kak Ton, Abang Med, Kak Olin, Kak Eda, Azah and Me, circa 1961: 2. Bapak and Tun Razak in Africa sometime in the 60s and: 3: Lalin and Nina in 1973)

Rubiah The Blogger?

Here is a sincere message to Rubiah --- please start blogging.

As you have already seen, your little comment has drawn so much interest. People have described your writing as so refreshing. Your tale of your the place where you grew up is such a breath of fresh air.
You know, I can imagine you, in all your innocence, with your "tocang" lepas, and the wind blowing in your face as you sit at the edge of the boat.
I have friends talking to me about your life. How cool is that?

So, Rubiah......what will you name your blog?

Parthiban's Their Man

Let's hope Yang Berhormat Cik Gu Parthiban will not disappoint the folks of Ijok. Let's hope all those promises he made to the good people of Ijok will be kept.
"Kata mesti di kota"!
Syabbas, Cik Gu!
And to the vanquished, Khalid Ibrahim of PKR -- don't be sore. There is always another time, another place, perhaps. If you want to serve the people, there is no time-frame.

And Cik Gu -- will you start blogging, as you have told us you would? Are you going to take over the Ijok.Net website? Will you have time, in the first place?

Till then, hope your kabare will always be waras!

(Picture of Cik Gu taken on Tuesday, April 24 2007 at Kedai Kopi King Kuan in Ijok.)

Ijok Wants Parthiban

BN Wins With Higher Majority

Here's the Bernama story.

KUALA SELANGOR. -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) continued its winning streak, retaining the semi-urban Ijok state seat with an increased majority of 1,850 votes in Saturday's keenly-fought by-election.
BN's K. Parthiban polled 5,884 votes while Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) received 4,034 votes in the straight fight.
There were 134 spoilt votes.
Returning Officer Haris Kassim announced the results at 8.42pm (on April 28 2007).
The BN had earlier won four by-elections. They are in Kuala Berang (Terengganu), Permatang Pasir (Kelantan), Batu Talam (Pahang) and Machap (Melaka).
In Saturday's by-election, which recorded the highest ever voter turnout in the the country's election history, a total of 10,049 or 81.88 per cent of the 12,272 electorate cast their ballots.
The predominantly Malay seat fell vacant following the death of Datuk K. Sivalingam, 59, of a heart attack in Chennai, India, on April 4.
In the last general election, Sivalingam retained the ethnically-mixed seat with a 1,649-vote majority in a three-cornered fight, beating PKR's Abdol Rahman Moharam and Mohamed Shariff Nagoorkani, an independent.
Ijok, a traditional MIC seat since 1990, is among BN's fortress in Selangor.
This is the second attempt by PKR to wrest the seat from BN, the first being in the last general election in 2004.

Parthiban Or Khalid

BN or PKR?
Tomorrow (Saturday, April 28 2007) the people of Ijok will choose their Wakil Rakyat.
Who will they elect to represent them in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly? To look after their interest and their welfare?
Ijok, nestled between Rawang and Kuala Selangor, is a Malay-majority constituency.
The last Wakil Rakyat (of BN), K Sivalingam, was from the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) which means he was an Indian.
But he won the seat, thanks to the Malay votes.
If you ask the BN leaders to go on record, the late Sivalingam was a friendly, committed and hardworking representative who had the constituents welfare at heart.
According to other people including the Malay constituents, he screwed up big time. He didn't care for the Malays.
All said and done, you cannot deny that the outcome of the by-election depends on which way the Malay votes go.
That is why the BN leaders have been going over their heads to convince the Malay voters to let bygones be bygones, to let's start afresh and support their 39 year-old candidate, K Parthiban, because he is different and will make things happen.
And this time, the BN top guns will make sure that their guy will not screw up.
And that is why PKR has picked a Malay as their candidate. Khalid Ibrahim, or "Tan Sri" as his party workers refer to him, is a former Umno politician. The 61 year-old is a former corporate man and is a millionnaire.
As a Malay millionnaire, he can make a difference to the lives of the people in Ijok. He has been campaigning as "the saviour of the Malays". An Indian will not be able to help the Malays., as had been proven in Ijok.

Ijok is not unfamiliar to me. It is near Kuala Selangor where we have relatives. My father would take us visiting there during Hari Raya or for wedding receptions.
There had been very little change in this largely rustic constituency. But, since campaigning started, Ijok has assumed an overnight change. Lots of BN money is being pumped to give it things that Ijok should have got in the last three years.

I have met Parthiban. I think the BN made the right choice in him. He is a local boy, a youth leader, a former teacher and well-known not only among the Indians but also in the Malay community. He can even speak Javanese. That is endearing.

I have not met Khalid. So I cannot say whether the PKR made the right choice, Someone said the PKR did a wise thing by having a Malay. I don't know about that "wise" bit. PKR did not have a choice, It was the logical thing to do. I also don't know whether they got the right Malay for the job. But my view is not important. It is the views of the people of Ijok that matter. And tomorrow we will find out.

Tomorrow, we will find out what the people of Ijok want. Will they vote for Parthiban or Khalid? Will they vote for BN or PKR?
Will they vote blindly or wisely.

Rubiah's Story

A regular reader of "Tuesdays With Bapak" is Rubiah Ariff. We have developed a kind of closeness. She was the one who asked a lot about my niece, baby Sharmaine. In a comment in the latest TWB, Rubiah alluded to her childhood. I caught a story there. I said that she had a story to tell.
She certainly has. Rubiah sent me a little tale about her life as a young girl in Sarawak and when she furthered her studies in Penang.
She said, perhaps it was not to be published in my blog, because her husband cautioned to not "steal Nuraina's blog".
Hai, suami, suami.
Forgive me, Rubiah. I have to post your story.
Here is Rubiah's story.

"Dear Nuraina, Assalamulaikumsalam.

Our life is simple saja. I was born in Long Lama (Ulu Baram). Pa was from Kedah (kerja polis) and Ma was a local (masuk Islam after kahwin -- umur 14 tahun). Have 2 sisters and 1 brother before myself and another bro and sis after me.

Long Lama is an outpost town (12hrs journey by boat from the nearest outpost-Marudi). At home, life is too simple. One clinic cum post office cum ofis pendaftar. School is just a small room at the back of the gereja (st. Anthony's). A priest comes in daily to teach. We were the only Muslim family there. (Tapi you can find several chapels in/around Baram, pelik, kristian dah sampai, Islam belum). So Pa susah hati, takut jadi kristian. So he packed us off (the older ones)to boarding in Marudi (malays everywhere).

Parents visit 3 bulan sekali (sebab jauh). Biasa lah, I was known as the "airmata" princess. (makan taugey hari2, no taste). Pa goes hunting weekends, payau (deer) and fishing (prawns, fish) nearby. No fresh beef! No peti-ais, no ais-krim. kalau sakit kena travel in a long boat to Marudi. Nasib baik, emak "murah" masa melahirkan we all. But one thing is clear, we are all brother/sisters to everyone back home. The elders are called Apai/Indai, kakak/Abang, Anak/Adik.

Kerja Pa senang, mana ada gaduh2. Semua peaceful folks. later on, SPM over, I studied nursing in Penang. Wah... sedapnya makan2 situ. By then the elder children dah kerja, Pa&Ma dah pandai naik "belon" (flight). They were at my "grad'tion".

I worked as a "reader" at Kindergarten in Penang (waiting for job). Then dapat kerja kat Adventist Hospital. Disitu bertemu jodoh dengan suami (Shariff Osman). Abah dia accident, kita onduty at A&E. Nenek dia yang jodohkan.

Okaylah, dia juga baik, tak banyak cakap. Saya juga budak "ulu".

Pa&Ma suruh terima pinangan (bukan apa, takut terpikat kat anak2 mamak Penang!) tak balik Sarawak!.

Tunang 2 tahun (suami masih belajar o'seas). Kahwin di Penang, suami dapat kerja (kerajaan) dan lepas tu' transfer to Sibu (sarawak).

Dah masuk 4 tahun di Sibu (another small town). Pa dah meninggal (heart attack). Sebelum Pa meninggal, ada beli rumah di Marudi sebab ramai kawan kat situ. Changes don't happen so fast in small towns.

I love going back to Marudi and Ulu Baram. Suami paling seronok mandi sungai, hunting, climbing. Adventure betul. No fear of crocs.

I remember, each time Pa takes us home for school holidays (year end, sebab holiday panjang) I would sit in the long boat, paling depan sekali, lepas my tocang and let my hair "fly with the wind". Kak/abang bising, menjerit "Ikat rambut, nanti botak". Kat sekolah, rambut ditocang 24jam, skearan bebas!

It still is fun! Good old days. But your life is more colourful. Alhamdulillah, kita semuanya selamat dan sihat.

Eventho' I live in Sibu, my family & in-laws selalu in and out juga. Mother in-law paling suka kalau diajak balik ke LongLama. Tak pernah complain apa2. Pandai swimming, tau! Dia pakai seluar sampai kelutut dan t-shirt besar. She forgets herself sometimes, berenang kat tempat dalam2. Bahaya, ada rapids.

Syukurlah. Terima kasih sebab sudi tanya pasal kita. My salam to everyone at home, baby, Bapak & family. Harap2 Nina dah sihat, jangan putus susukan baby, supaya baby cepat besar, sihat dan cantik.

p/s: Tolong jangan publish yang ni kat blog, ya? Suami kata "trying 2 steal Nuraina's blog". Muah Muah

Rubiah Ariff

7:02 AM"

(Note: Picture is of a highland in Sarawak)

Jeff's Case

On Tuesday, April 24 2007 blogger Jeff Ooi successfully withdrew an application to strike out the original claims in a defamation suit filed against him by NSTP & 3 Others, with no order as to costs. This is a similar outcome to Ahirudin Attan's case that was heard on April 2. The date for the hearing of the new striking-out application will be fixed later.

On Tuesday, June 19, 2007, there will be the mention of the inter-parte injunction and the hearing proper of Jeff Ooi's application to consolidate Jeff's and Rocky's case and for it to be heard in KL High Court before Justice Hishamuddin Yunus.

Meanwhile, the ex-parte injunction that resulted in Jeff Ooi having to take down 15 allegedly defamatory postings from Screenshots still stands.

By the way, Jeff's case on Tuesday was heard at the new Jalan Duta Court Complex.

Photos : (bottom) Jeff looking out from the balcony; (top left) the magnificent new court complex and: Jeff with his lawyer, Malik Imtiaz.

Tuesdays With Bapak (11)

A Tuesday Tail - April 24 2007
Life was much more settled now that we were allowed to visit Bapak every Tuesday at the Jalan Bandar police station in Kuala Lumpur.
But the uncertainty of Bapak's incarceration never dissipated.
We had no idea how long his detention would be. But for the time being we were simply happy and relieved to be able to see him every week.

With Tuesday being the most important day of the week, the family learnt to revolve their activities around it.

Most things would have to be attended to within the week before each Tuesday.
Any outstation trips, unless absolutely necessary or pressing, would have to be arranged within that period so that none of us would miss the visit.
Tuesdays were precious days which we took great care not to give up for other engagements.
Kak Eda was in college and I had already started work with the NST. Kak Eda and I were lucky to be excused every Tuesday to see Bapak.

Indeed, being able to see Bapak gave us some sense of stability and balance.
It meant that Bapak was kept abreast of developments in the family as well as those of our relatives in Singapore. -- who got married,who got a baby and who died. Yes, who died.

Bapak was very close to his older sisters -- Fatmah, Kamlah and Eichon. His only younger sister, Salhah also doted on him.
The age gap between him and his older siblings was very wide.
Because they doted on him, it seemed natural for them to dote on us as well.

Going to Singapore for us was a time of sheer luxury. We would be spoilt silly. Reluctant as we were to be spoilt, we were rendered helpless against the might and will of our aunts and cousins.

"Jangan basuh piring tu. Biar saja di situ," we would be told. We were always being shooed out of the kitchen.

We were simply not allowed to lift a finger to help. Of course, being the children of their brother who was in detention made it even more emotional for our aunts. That was why we had very little choice in this except to go with the flow, and enjoy the special treatment while it lasted.

It was sometime in 1980 that Mak received a call from Cik Ah in Singapore that our eldest aunt, Wak Mah, had died.

Mak was sure that the news would be devastating for Bapak whose incarceration had deeply affected her.

Everytime we visited her at her home which was just a stone's throw from my grandmother's, Wak Mah would break into tears at the mere mention of Bapak.It was the same with all his sisters.

Kak Olin and I were not around when Wak Mah died. Kak Olin was in England and I was in Boston. But we were duly informed of developments at home and in Singapore.
Kak Ton remembers Bapak's face when Mak told him of Wak Mah's passing. He momentarily lost his composure. Kak Ton thought he was going to weep. He didn't but you could tell that he was shocked by the news. You could see the pain in his eyes. More painful, perhaps, because he was not able to see his beloved sister towards the end of her life.

Yes, Bapak lost a sister he dearly loved while he was in detention. He never got to say goodbye to her. At least not in the way he wanted.

You see, years earlier, my aunts hatched a plan. A delightful scheme, as far as they were concerned. Little old ladies they were not. They were prepared to defy the laws of a foreign land just to see their little brother. And for Cik Ah, her beloved Abang Comel.

Whenever we went to Singapore or any of them came here, we would talk about Bapak. They insisted on knowing every little detail about their brother.

Naturally they knew that we visited Bapak on Tuesday, that each visit would last about an hour or so, that it was at the Jalan Bandar police station, that Bapak would arrive and leave in the same unmarked car, that sometimes they'd use a different car, and that the car would past by some shophouses.
These were details told over and over again. Like a broken record. But which my aunts enjoyed listening.

By this time, the Special Branch officers were no longer strangers to us. In fact, they were hardly the cold and harsh picture that we had of them. They seemed to treat Bapak with respect and were always gentle with him.

My aunts would not take no for an answer. There was no stopping them.

We were preparing for another Tuesday (sometime in late 1978). For Mak , it was going to be another day to look forward to. That it was just an hour's meeting seemed never to matter to her. Even 5 minutes with her husband would be fulfilling.
As always, Mak would be looking so radiant by Monday. By Tuesday, she was all ready, like a blushing bride.

That particular Tuesday, Kak Eda took the bus from Shah Alam and arrived at the Klang bus station about 9am. She walked hurriedly to the police station. So hurried was she that she did not see several familiar faces near the shops.

Inside the "meeting" room, Bapak was in his usual seat, puffing his cigarette.

He asked how Kak Olin was keeping with her law studies, how I was doing at the NST and my plans to further my studies in Boston. About Azah and Kamal, Lalin and Nina. About Pak Cik Tongkat and his family.
It was a time to catch up on everything and everyone.

We had our usual chat. Mak had brought some kuih-muih.

Perhaps Bapak did notice Kak Piah's nervous smile and Kak Ton's uncharacteristic quiet. Perhaps not.

Outside along the five-foot way of the nearby shops, Wak Mah, Wak Lah, Wak Eichon and Cik Ah waited patiently. With them were Wak Hussain (Wak Eichon's husband), Cik Salleh (Cik Ah's husband) and two or three of our cousins.

Should Bapak be told that his sisters were outside waiting just to catch a glimpse of him, so that he'd not be looking the other way?

Of course, at this point, the SB guys didn't seem intimidating at all. They even joined us for our regular little "picnic".

Kak Piah spoke first. Then Mak. And Kak Ton added her two cents worth. Abang Zul, Abang Ani and Abang Med decided to remain suitably silent.

Bapak did not bat an eyelid when told that his dear sisters, brothers-in-law and a couple of nieces and nephews were somewhere outside, along the "kaki lima" of the shops, waiting to catch a glimpse of him.

He leant back on his chair, took a deep puff of his Dunhill, and smiled.
What? No raised eyebrow! Not even a whimper of surprise! Not worried at the thought of his sisters weeping and wailing as they wave at his passing car along Jalan Bandar?

"Yah kah?" - was all that he remarked.

The SB guys smiled. The handsome one nodded.

Was that a signal that they would play along?

It was time to go.

"Mak Cik keluar dulu, ya. Lepas itu kami pulak," said the handsome one.

Well, this was not the routine. Usually, Bapak would be led out first before we could go.

So, off Mak walked with Lalin and Nina. Kak Piah and abang Zul and the rest followed.

Their cars, as usual, were parked outside the police station, along the road.
Usually, everyone would waste no time in getting into the car to go home, or sometimes in Abang Med's and Kak Ton's case, to their office.

Especially Abang Med who would try to look out for the unmarked police car in which Bapak had arrived. We always told him that it was pointless trying to do that.

"You can't follow their car. They're always gone by the time we leave the station," we would tell him.

To which he would quip: "I may have my lucky day yet!". Sure, Abang Med sure.

Abang Med never abandoned his plan to follow Bapak's car. We cheered him on although we realised at some point that it was impossible to tail the unmarked car. They did not always use the same car.

I think Abang Med relished the idea of playing spy. The idea of tailing a police car. Who knows, he might even succeed. Kak Eda and I liked the idea too.

In the beginning, the SB guys were careful to avoid being seen by us. Later, they seemed a bit careless. Sometimes they would arrive about the same time we did, allowing us - by design or otherwise - to see the particular car they were using that day.

I think Abang Med must have tried to remember the cars that they used for Bapak's rendezvous with us. I won't trivialise Abang Med's uncanny ability in remembering details.

Everyone lingered outside, taking their time. Except Abang Med who was already in his car. Kak Eda and I decided to take a ride with him.

Kak Eda was stumped to know that her aunts were "waiting in the wings".
"No wonder.... I thought I saw someone who looked like Wak Mah just now", she said, shaking her head.
I was just as surprised because nobody filled me in on this subterfuge.

As we reached the gate outside the police station, Kak Piah rushed to a row of shophouses nearby and disappeared in the five-footway.
Then, you could see Wak Mah and the Singapore entourage emerging. They stood in a line just at the edge of the "kaki lima".

Everyone waited. It was like waiting for the royal motorcade to pass. Indeed, the only things missing were little flags with which to wave.

Then, a red sedan emerged from the gate of the police station. It turned left and out the road. The car moved very slowly.

Wak Mah, Wak Hussain,Wak Lah, Wak Eichon and the others stood, their hands waving very unobtrusively. They eyed the passing car, trying to catch a good look at a particular occupant inside.

Everything moved in slow motion. The car, the waving of the hands, the turning of the heads. Bapak had his head visibly near the window and smiled at them.

They did not take their eyes off the sedan until it disappeared around the corner.

Then, almost in tandem, they broke into cries of joy, relief. Passers-by gave my aunts and cousins a second look, probably wondering what the fuss was all about.

"Alhamdulillah! Ya Allah" Wak Mah uttered. She was in tears. She was overjoyed.

That was their last goodbye -- Wak Mah and her beloved little brother.

Everyone finally regained their composure. Mak was all smiles as she hugged her sisters-in-law. It was a touching, moving moment. And if I could understand then what a feel-good moment was, that was certainly one.

Just as everyone was happily recounting that "slow-motion" event, they saw a familiar mini minor zoomed past them.

"Bye bye....", Kak Eda and I shouted from inside the mini minor as Abang Med tried not to lose the sedan.

I could see the stunned faces of our dear mother, sisters and aunts. Abang Ani's look of disbelief blurred past me. This was going to be an exciting adventure.

Jeff At the Jalan Duta Courts

Tomorrow, April 24, 2007, Jeff Ooi will be at the new Jalan Duta Courts Complex for the hearing of the defamation suit against him by the NSTP & 3 others.
The case is at 9am.
Join Jeff who is All-Blogs vice-president there.

Rocky has more in his Bru.

After our walk with Jeff, we' re off to Kafe 4-Teen in Section 14,Petaling Jaya for our Tuesday mee rebus date.

Back Down the Mountain

At 12.51pm, got an sms from MarinaM. She said: "I did it! Climbed 2 top n down again! Got the cert n aching legs 2 prove it too."
That's really great, I said in response. Cool.
I could almost feel her excitement and relief. The sheer sense of achievement.
Anyway, she said when she gets back she will be posting about her Kinabalu mountain experience.
We will be reading all about it soon.
All I can say is -- way to go, Marina!

A Very Sad Story of Poverty

Many things are happening today that should not.
Some time ago, the NST carried a story of how a few very young children somewhere in rural Sabah had to take a long journey to school, trekking high land and low land, from as early as dawn. I don't quite remember if it was a daily ritual. But, that is of no consequence. The fact that Malaysians still experience such hardship to just go to school is a very sad state of affairs.
I was shocked. I had asked myself why it was happening in this day and age, in our country.
What was the excuse for it to be happening? Never mind if it was in Sabah.

That was not the first time. There was an earlier similar story of a group of young children facing such hardship, also in Sabah.

The number of times such stories appear is inconsequential because we know that there are many similar cases across the country. Once in while, these stories get highlighted.

I'd like to share this news article of an interview with the mother of an 11 year-old boy who killed himself because he could not stand the poverty he was living in.
This is in Kinarut, Papar in Sabah.

Donni John Duin was found hanged from the ceiling of his house at Kg Suangon in Kinarut, Papar, on March 20.
The SK Kinarut pupil had tried it once before but his mother had advised him never to do so again.
His mother, Hina Joloni, 37, believed the abject poverty that the family of six siblings endured proved too much to make him want to try again.

"He told me he could not take it anymore living in the conditions we were in," she told the Daily Express.

She said that towards the end, Donni also had to endure cruel teasing at school by classmates who likened the porridge he brought from home daily to that of dog vomit.

Please read here for the full story.

To Go Or Not To Go To Ijok

Is that the Question?
All-Blogs plan to go to Ijok to see first-hand what is going on there in the run-up to the by-election.
That's a good thing so we know what's happening on the ground.
We go down to Ijok as All-Blogs because the alliance exists and for practical reasons too.
Of course, we all hope to blog about our visit, if we want to, as individual bloggers.
For some All-Blogs members, it will probably be their first time going to assess a constituency where a by-election is taking place.
For me, it certainly will not be, having been a (socio-political) reporter in my earlier life.
So, the experience will be good for the first-timers among us,
It goes without saying that All-Blogs cannot play partisan politics. But as individual bloggers, some have their own political predilection. Some don't. That is how diverse we are.
Bloggers have their own stand on politics, on a whole range of issues. Or not at all.
The decision to express our views in cyberspace is entirely up to us. There is no compulsion.
Because of our diversity, with each blogger subscribing to his or her own independent views and beliefs, what we write cannot represent All-Blogs.
All-Blogs, in the first place, cannot be having a stand on any political party or ideology.
I think we owe it to ourselves, as bloggers, to see what is going on in Ijok. We're not going there to campaign for anyone or any party. And certainly not for All-Blogs.
Personally, I don't think I want to confuse the people of Ijok about All-Blogs.
All-Blogs and what we stand for are irrelevant to the constituents.
And why get drawn into the campaign. In fact, the safety factor would be a good reason not to go, seeing that our brother, Jeff Ooi and his colleague got caught in somebody else's trouble yesterday.
Well, sh** happens, especially when the by-election fever gets too hot and desperation overcomes you. But we'll try to stay out of trouble.
Certainly, we're not going to literally blow our horns there. But, if they or anyone, do to us what was done to Jeff Ooi and friend, then there is really something to blog about.
Going to Ijok is not about making a political statement.
It is about getting to know Ijok and the campaigns by the BN and PKR to woo voters. Some of us are really curious.
As simple as that.
It's good that there is a debate on why All-Blogs should and should not go to Ijok. Just shows that there is democracy in blogosphere.
All-Blogs does not exist to fight for or against anyone. But as individual bloggers, we are entitled to our say.
As bloggers, we take responsibility for what we write.
And if we believe that we can continue to have a discourse on this or any other issue, then we're on the right track.