Hope Is All We Have....

I know Sharlinie is still out there. I pray she is still alive. I quiver thinking about her condition now, the state she is in now, if she is still alive.
It's been more than three weeks since she went missing.

I wonder -- Does she still remember her name?
Does she remember anything, anyone anymore?

I read about another child who was almost abducted in Bandar Baru Puchong at 9pm on January 21. I am utterly dismayed.
Read it here.
Two women witnessed the incident in which a 12 year-old was in a "tug-of-war" with a man who was intent on bundling her 5 year-old sister into a waiting black-coloured van.
The older girl was playing with another sibling, 7, along the walkway outside a restaurant where they had earlier been dining with their parents.
Their parents were still inside when all this was happening.
The man appeared and attempted to lure the 5 year-old with a sweet. Her 12 year-old sister saw this and pulled the little girl away.
The two women came to the rescue just as the man was about to push the older girl into the car. They must have given the man a scare because he vamoosed in the getaway van.

The girls only told their parents about their "ordeal" and rescue when they reached home.
They also said they saw a terrified little boy sitting on the floor of the van.

Of course, I have tons of questions like -- why didn't the women restrain the man or scream for help? Or why didn't they take the girls back into the restaurant to their parents? Didn't the entire scenario hit a nerve somewhere? You know -- Nurin, Nini, black van, man attempting to abduct the kids......

A police report has been lodged by the girls' parents. I hope they can locate the two women who can certainly help in investigations.

I do hope the two women were quick enough to have got the van's registration number and other details including the man's appearance.

Lucky girls!

The next child the next time though may not be that lucky...

Meanwhile, the Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar has urged Taman Medan residents to alert the police if they know of anyone who suddenly moved out of the area about the time Nini went missing.

Read the rest of the Star Online story here.

Tuesdays With Bapak

Darling Datuk -- January 29 2008

Bapak's youngest grandchild, Sharmaine maybe only 10 months, but she knows her Datuk is one fun guy.
Playtime with her Datuk is usually in his room. You can hear Sharmaine's squeals of laughter whenever she's there.
You'd think that Bapak is tickling her all over, or making funny faces. Well, it's nothing like that.

Just the other day, I couldn't resist peeking into Bapak's room when I heard Sharmaine squealing almost uncontrollably.
I had expected Bapak to be swinging Sharmaine around the bed, or doing a "timang tinggi-tinggi".
It was nothing of the sort. My step-mother was holding Sharmaine up on the bed and Bapak, who was lying down, was just softly calling her name.

"Sharmaine. Sharmaine. Siapa tu? Sharmaine, ya. Cucu Datuk, ya," Bapak was saying, his eyes twinkling and his face grinning.
Sharmaine was thrilled and loving every second of this little "game" with her doting grandpa. She was squealing, her little body jerking with delight.
This little scene, which takes place 3 or 4 times a day is a replay of bygone years everytime there was a new baby in the house.
Only that Bapak today is a less energetic grandpa.

Bapak was a young grandfather when his first granchild, Jasmine, was born.

Jasmine is the eldest of Kak Ton's and Abang Ani's two children. She was born in Sungai Petani Kedah when Abang Ani was a Magistrate there in 1972.

I remember how excited Bapak and Mak were the day Kak Ton and Abang Ani were expected to arrive with their bundle of joy.

During Kak Ton's pregnancy, we were coming up with all sorts of names. And they were all boys' names.

Abang Ani was driving a mini cooper and then an Opel Manta.

So, we'd come out with "Adam Cooper", "Iskandar Cooper" and "Afandi Cooper" just for fun. And then they were "Adam Manta", "Iskandar Manta" and "Afandi Manta".
We never counted on Kak Ton delivering a baby girl.

Oh, I'd be using superlatives just to describe how my parents doted on Jasmine. They simply adored their first grandchild. The way grandparents did their grandchildren.
As for Jasmine's aunts and uncles - they spoilt her rotten.

I was in form five then. Kak Ton did not have a nanny yet by the time she had to resume work after her maternity leave. So she'd leave Jasmine in Mak's care. Somehow I got to babysit Jasmine throughout her stay at our house. I'd bathe her, put her to sleep and play with her until Kak Ton came to fetch her.

I enjoyed taking care of her and would rush to be with her the minute I got home from school. Even after she finally got a maid, Kak Ton would still leave Jasmine at our house. Invariably, it would be Mak who'd be taking care of Jasmine.

It was like that with every grandchild.

When my eldest nephew, Irwan Hakim, was born, we were all ecstatic. Not surprising that he was a little king in section 16. We'd "kidnap" him every chance we could.

In our household, the youngest grandchild gets to enjoy superstar treatment. He or she gets to ruffle or pull Bapak's hair or mess up his work desk. Older ones ONLY get to mess up his bed or bedroom. That had always been the unwritten rule.

Lalin's youngest child, Sonia, is still very attached to Bapak and Mak Cik. She is the second youngest grandchild and still gets the privilege of "monopolising" Bapak's TV remote control. I have caught Bapak many a time watching "Totally Spies". One cartoon programme after another.
Never mind if a special programme on Benazir Bhutto was on BBC.

While Bapak was under ISA detention, only one grandchild was born-- Kak Ton's second and youngest child, Jehan who was born in 1977.
After Kak Ton's "confinement", she took baby Jehan to see Bapak regularly until Jehan was three years old. That was when Kak Ton was transferred to Johor Baru to be Bernama's Johor bureau chief.
By that time, little Jehan had already got to know her Datuk.

In 1980, Kak Olin completed her law studies and returned home. She got married soon after, while Bapak was still in detention.

I was still in Boston then and returned home just a few days after her wedding. I also missed Kak Eda's engagement ceremony which was a day after Kak Olin's wedding reception.

Kak Olin's eldest child -- Khairil Ahmad -- still retains the honour of the grandchild most spoilt by Bapak.
When he was born in 1981, the only other grandchild around was Irwan who was, by that time,
already schoolgoing.
Kak Olin stayed at Bapak's during her "confinement" and when she had to get back to work, she'd leave Khairil with Mak.
As I was still single and was living with my parents, I'd be the one who'd be babysitting him. Khairil grew to be pretty attached to me. I adored him.

Bapak was the quintessential doting grandfather. He broke every rule on parenting. He seemed to hold on to the maxim that grandfathers exist to spoil their grandchildren.

He'd take Khairil to Jaya Supermarket everyday to buy him....a toy. Khairil had He-Man, Transformers, dino-riders, star-com and lego...and all manner of toys. You name it, and Khairil would have it.

Kak Olin would be shaking her head and would be making such a fuss about Bapak's over-indulgence with Khairil.

"Stop spoiling him, Bapak," Kak Olin kept reminding Bapak.

Did Bapak listen? Did he even care?

If Bapak today is as active and energetic as he was in those "Khairil" days, Sharmaine would be one very spoilt little lady.

I do believe I can hear a sigh of relief from Nina...my youngest sister and Sharmaine's mummy.

No Buy! No Lies!

A "Paper Free Tuesday" was launched at Blog House in Bukit Damansara today.

This is part of the "Boycott the Newspapers" initiative undertaken by 8 individuals concerned with the way the "mainstream media" spin news reports which "do not always tally with the facts".

Lawyer and social activist Haris Ibrahim of The People's Parliament blog , who is a committee member writes about it here.

Farewell Felix..

Public Relations practitioner and former journalist Felix Abisheganaden passed away this morning. He was 85.

He was founding partner of Prestige Communications.

Before opting to become a PR practitioner way back in 1976, he was News Editor with the NST --at that time the country's largest national daily. He had held the position for over 25 years.

He joined Hill and Knowlton and became its chief executive in 1985.
At Prestige, he served as counselor for strategic planning and corporate communications.
He had a fortnightly column, "Human Factor", in the NST.

Here's a bit written about him when he was a speaker at an international forum a few years ago:

"Felix Abisheganaden belongs to that singular breed of journalists, ‘local boys’ who made good and helped shape a generation of journalists in the country after independence. He was a news editor, in the then Straits Times in Singapore and the then New Straits Times in Malaysia for 14 years. He believed in on-the-job training having had the credentials of personal experience to show for it.
He chronicled the nation's first two Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tunku Abdul Razak extensively during those heady days of a newly independent nation out to chart its own destiny. During that time, he was also the Malaysian Correspondent for Time Magazine.
As a journalist, he was in the frontline of a series of major events covering the 12-year Communist insurgency, confrontation with Indonesia, the split with Singapore and the 1969 racial clashes in Kuala Lumpur.
After the 1969 racial clashes, Felix was appointed member of the National Goodwill Council, which helped restore order in the country."

My condolences to his family.
May he rest in peace.

Read Bernama's story here.

11 Participants of Protes Rally Freed

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- Eleven of the 56 people arrested Saturday for participating in an illegal assembly at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) have been released unconditionally, the police said.
The other 45 were still being investigated for participating in the illegal gathering and for defying court order, said a statement from the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.
"They were also arrested for obstructing public officers from discharging their duties," the statement said.
Meanwhile, the proceedings to obtain remand orders for those who were still under police custody were still progressing at 8pm tonight at a Kuala Lumpur court, with 13 of them had already been issued with the remand order until tomorrow.
Yesterday, police arrested 56 people including several opposition leaders and members of the non-governmental organisations (NGO) for participating in the illegal assembly which they said was to protest against rising cost of living.-- BERNAMA

Let's hope the rest will be released real soon!

Across The Universe - The Movie

Ok, so I'm a bit behind. I didn't know it was the fall (autumn) MOVIE in the US last year, and that people raved about it. Somewhere between last fall and January this year, I got left behind.

But, I did get to watch it.
I'm talking about "Across the Universe" - a movie directed by American Julie Taymor.
I mean, how could anybody pull this one off? You could really go wrong making a musical featuring 33 Beatle's numbers, including a few not-so-known songs.
The songs were re-recorded and sung by the actors.
Taymor more than pulled off this 60s musical fantasia (aptly described by the New York Times).

I therefore watched the movie without prejudice.
Needlessly to say, I fell in love with the movie. More and more, every second I sat there, watching. I laughed, I wept and most of all, I sang along.

The songs accompany unfolding scenes, some of which are lightly fictionalised historical events such as the civil rights movement and anti-war protests in the US. And of course, there is a lot of love.
Hey, all we need is love, right? Imagine that.
The characters take on names featured in or are titles of Beatles' songs.
The story revolves around Jude (Jim Sturgess), a Liverpool dockworker who falls in love with Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), a girl for upper-crust east Coast suburbia.

It's very 60s. You get taken on this psychedelic trip with Jude and Lucy. You get to see a Jimi Hendrix and a Janis Joplin lookalike too, though not in those roles.

Sure, there are imperfections, but I can't seem to remember them. After all, if Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harris have found nothing in the movie that they dislike....

Suharto Dies

FORMER Indonesian President Suharto died at the Pertamina Hospital in south Jakarta at 1.10pm local time (2.10pm Malaysian time) after slipping into a coma earlier today. He was 86.
The announcement was made by former Minister of State Secretariat Moerdiono over a local radio station to the nation after a team of doctors treating Suharto since Jan 4 confirmed the death of the former Indonesian strongman.
Suharto helmed Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, for 32 years from 1966 to 1998.
Suharto had been in critical state since admission to the hospital on Jan 4.
Earlier today, the team of specialists attending to Suharto said the former president's condition turned very critical at 1am, with all his vital organs having failed.
Suharto was breathing with the help of a ventilator, they said.
Moerdiono said Suharto's children were at his bedside when he died.-Bernama.

Al- Fatihah!

Read about his legacy here.

Police Vs The People

I don't know how else to put it!

Court order against the 5 Protes representatives preventing them from being at the the KLCC and its vicinity yesterday.

What was the protest about -- anti-price hike, anti-inflation et al.

What is wrong with that?

And then the police rounded up 50 people and arrested them.

Do that more often until election day... do that.

Read it here.

The protesters are not the bad guys.....

Police Warns PROTES 5

There's a court order against the rally planned by NGO Protes to be held in front of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) today.

This is to protest against the rise in prices of goods.

Police have named 5 Protes representatives -- Dr Hatta Ramli, Tian Chua, Arutchelvam Subramaniam, Simon Ooi and Ronnie Liew -- and warned them against taking part in the rally.

Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman said if they ignored the order, they could be detained immediately.

Police obtained the court order from the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate Court yesterday.

Here's the rest of the Bernama story:

The (court) order was also relevant for any associate member of Protes and anyone suspected of participating in the rally, he said.
Zulkarnaian said the police would put up copies of the order tonight in the vicinity of the area where the rally was likely to be held.
"The police have designated two restricted zones within a one-kilometre radius of the KLCC building encompassing Jalan Ampang, Jalan Lumba Kuda, Jalan P. Ramlee and the area around the KLCC Assyakirin Mosque.
"If they defy the order, the police will not hesitate to take stern action," he said.- BERNAMA

But, Polytikus is inviting everyone to experience democracy. Click here for more.
And don't miss Rocky's 2-sen here.

Nini, Where Are You?

It's been more than two weeks that 5 year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar has been missing.

Much has been done in efforts to find her. Still, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.
But let's not lose hope. I know we're still holding on...

I hope too that the police will not give up.

I'd like to suggest - as is being done under AMBER Alert and the proposed NURIN Alert -- that the police (IGP, OCPD or some high-ranking officer) get some air-time and "engage" Nini's abductors.

Not, ad-hoc responses to the Press. But, arrange for a programme to really "talk" to the abductors, tell them to not harm Nini and to let her go because the whole country is on the look-out for Nini and them.
In other words, issue them a warning.

Put the fear of (not just the police) but the people in them!

This tactic seems to have been effective in the United States when AMBER Alert is activated in the event that a child goes missing.

The community can do its part every effectively by knowing their own neighbourhood and neighbours. In some instances - though this is not the done thing here -- residents help in the search for a missing child by going door-to-door.

Most often, residents willingly open their doors.

This could be unlawful but for the sake of a missing child, most people cooperate with their residents' associations.

I think if every neighbourhood's Rukun Tetangga or residents' association initiate this -- check every house including vacant houses --we'll get somewhere.

If no one is home, leave a note to the absent occupant, or return to that house to make a check.

I'm sure there's a way of going around this.

And this is not a lot to ask from the community, let me assure you.

We have to help find Nini before it is too late!

Condolences

Former Cabinet Minister Megat Junid Megat Ayub passed away after "subuh" today. He was 65.
He had been battling prostrate cancer for some two years.

Megat Junid was the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister between 1997 and 1999 and Deputy Home Affairs Minister for 11 years before that.

He was also Umno information chief.

He was also active in sports associations and headed the Malaysian contingent for the Jakarta South-East Asian Games in 1997.

He leaves behind two wives, Faizah Shuaib and Ziela Jalil, as well as five children -- three sons and two daughters.

My condolences to his family.

Al-Fatihah...

UPDATE

According to Bernama, Arwah was buried at the Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery after Zuhr prayers.
Here's the Bernama story.

Get Ready!

Never mind when the general election is, just get ready to go out and VOTE.
It is anytime soon and I am all ready.

Are you?

This will be the first general election I am NOT covering as a journalist (with a mainstream media).
The first GE I covered was in 1982 when Dr Mahathir Mohamad had just taken over from Hussein Onn as Prime Minister and Musa Hitam, was his deputy.

Together, Dr M and Musa was dubbed the Two Ms and they traversed and toured the country expounding and exhorting the slogan the BN coined -- "bersih, cekap dan amanah".

That was a household slogan.

When Dr Mahathir announced the date of the GE that year, I was assigned to Alor Star where Dr Mahathir was campaigning.

I was, of course, a little nervous. Kedah was pretty alien to me. Strange it may seem for anyone in this day where a foreign country is just a click away, but Kedah was to me a faraway place where people spoke differently, ate different food and where even the currency was foreign.

I had lived in Petaling Jaya for some 23 years and the only northern state I had been to was Penang (in the north).

Okay, so I had been to the United Kingdom and had studied in the US but I had not been to Kedah.

I went to Penang as a child some time in 1962 or '63 to visit Mak Busu (my mum's youngest sister) and her husband Ayah Chu who was sent to the island to assume a post at the Penang Port Commission.

All I remember was that people there had a strange accent.

Of course, I knew many Kedahans-- at ITM (my room-mate, Naimah, was from Kedah) and at work.

But, I had never been to Kedah.

By the time I got to Alor Star, I was fine. My senior colleague, Zainon Ahmad (Pak Non) was already there, having been assigned the more important task of assessing the situation.
There were also my colleagues Farush Khan (then the state correspondent) and Balan Moses who was the NST journalist in Alor Star.

With me from KL were Kadir Jasin (then associate editor of Business Times) and Nazri Abdullah who was Berita Harian journalist.

So, I was really in good company. Thanks to all of them, my assignment was a lot of learning and very gratifying.
And yes, I learnt to use "kupang".
It was a good experience.

And that seems like just yesterday.

So today, I am just waiting for the announcement on when I can go to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sultan Abdul Samad in Section 11, Petaling Jaya.

There will a booth with a ballot box waiting for me!

THAIPUSAM -- A Celebration of Faith

Today commemorates the day Lord Siva's consort, the powerful goddess Parvathi, gives her son, Murugan, the vel (lance) to vanquish three demons and their large army which were plaguing the world.

Thaipusam falls on a full moon day in the auspicious 10th Tamil month of Thai when the constellation of Pusam, the star of well-being, rises over the eastern horizon.

For me, I often think of the Batu Caves temple near the city where devotees converge for as long as I can remember.

I was there for three consecutive times as a young reporter assigned to cover the festival. At one occasion, I interviewed a priest there who told me why and how he embraced hinduism.

The first time I was there, I almost fainted when I saw - at very close range -- devotees with their bodies pierced as they made their way up to the caves. It was an experience.

The Batu Caves temple began to attract devotees as early as 1892 when two Tamils (among the earlyTamils who migrated to colonial Malaya) trekked up the ancient limestone hill and planted a vel in the cave.

The cave now houses a temple dedicated to Lord Murugan.

The vel, made of metal and shaped like a lance, symbolises Murugan who is also known as Velan.

Today, the tallest statue of Lord Murugan stands at the foot of the hill.

To my friends celebrating Thaipusam and those enjoying the holiday, may I wish everyone a Happy Thaipusam!

Tuesdays With Bapak

Back In '73 -- January 22, 2007

Years ago, I enrolled at Institut Teknologi Mara (now Universiti Teknologi Mara or UiTM) in Shah Alam for pre-University studies.
It was not my plan actually because all I had wanted to do was the the regular thing most kids did after their form five -- do sixth form.

Since Kak Olin wanted to study for her LLB (law) after her HSC and Kak Eda, architecture -- both at ITM -- Bapak thought it best that I applied there as well.

You see, studying at ITM was not in my scheme of things, It was in Bapak's.

I was not interested in doing a professional course. I wanted to continue sixth form, sit for my HSC and do a degree.

(Kak Eda and I had both sat for our MCE the previous year.)

Bapak knew that, of course. But I think he wanted to support ITM, in his own way. Kak Olin had also applied to University of Malaya to do English Literature for which she was offered a place. After some discussion with Bapak, Kak Ton and Abang Ani (Kak Ton's husband), she opted to do an external degree in law at ITM. Kak Eda and I both got a place in a Petaling Jaya school to do sixth form. But Kak Eda opted for ITM.

There is sixth form at ITM?
Bapak knew about ITM's pre-University course that prepared students for HSC and about how good the lecturers were.

He asked me whether I wanted to do my pre-U at ITM. I was at first reluctant because the idea of having to stay in a God forsaken place like Shah Alam was not appealing at all. Eventually I agreed after reading about the course in the ITM prospectus. But mostly, I think Bapak convinced me about the merits of studying there. Also Kak Eda had impressed me on "campus living".

You know, campus vs school.

"You'll learn to be independent...make your own decision. Anyway, Kak Olin and I are there," she said. And did I mention that I had three cousins and a few close friends from Singapore there as well?

The snag was that I had not submitted my application early enough. Kak Olin and Kak Eda had already submitted their application to ITM. I hadn't because studying at ITM did not figure in my (own) academic plan.

I was late in sending my application although I did not miss the deadline. The reply also came late. Actually very late because I missed orientation week.
In fact, I thought my application was rejected. But I was called just at the end of the orientation week for freshies.

In those days, there was orientation which was akin to "ragging" but I think a little milder. At least for the girls. I don't know whether there is still now at UiTM the kind of "orientation" that "siswa-siswi ITM" had in my day.

Kak Olin and Kak Eda came home the weekend after Orientation Week and told me stories about what they had to go through the whole week. Real horror stories although it was easy to see the funny side of things when they were well and over.

Kak Eda seemed to have got more "teasing" than Kak Olin.

During Orientation Week, the "siswa" and "siswi" were made to wear "uniforms". The boys in batik and songkok and the girls, also in batik baju kurung and scarf.

They had to wake up for the "kuliah subuh" and attend talks at the lecture theatres all day long (with solat breaks) during which they would be at the mercy of the "senior ladies and gentlemen". Which means that the hungry seniors would pick you out from the whole mass at random or otherwise, for several reasons -- 1) they liked your face, 2) they didn't like your face 3) you looked like easy game and 4) you were from PJ or KL, an "anak Lord" or royalty.
Or for all of the above.

If you were smart like Kak Olin was, you'd try to be as inconspicuous and invisible as possible. Be a mouse. Be nothing. Be quiet. Boy, if they only knew......

So, Kak Olin got away with the not being "ragged" while Kak Eda got pretty much the routine treatment although the seniors weren't sadistic or mean to her. She was lucky.

One thing that came out of the Orientation Week was that my two older sisers were called Jawa Murtad or JM for short. Kak Olin was JM1 and Kak Eda was JM2.
I think this happened because we had some "saudara-mara" who were already senior students there.
Some of the seniors also called my sisters Jaling (acronym for Jawa and Mendahiling).

Let's just say I was quite prepared for the full monty when I finally went to Shah Alam to begin my pre-University studies. But that never quite happened.

However, before long, the very same seniors who called Kak Olin and Kak Eda Jawa Murtad found out that there was another JM. And that was me. So, I was JM3. But since orientation week was over, I escaped the hard stuff.

But not so at my hostel (hostel 2C) after some seniors saw me arriving by car. Nothing serious, though. One "garang" senior lady named "Sam" who was doing business studies, decided that this new freshie must be easy game and"summoned" for me.

Oh...I played the part of the new kid on the block pretty well. Speak when spoken to. Don't be a smart aleck. Just be sweet. Before long, I was "declared a junior".

At that time (in 1973), Bapak (then managing editor of NST) was one of the "professional lecturers" at the School Of Mass Communication which he had helped set up.
He'd be at the 13th floor (the MassComm floor) of the multi-storey building some week mornings to lecture news reporting and language translation.
I think he was a hit with the students for very known (not unlawful) reasons but which I cannot mention.

Now, how could I have known that some of the MassComm students would actually know the three of us.

In my first month there, a certain guy (son of a then sitting Ruler who shall all remain unnamed) got to know me and we became friends.
According to him, we had actually met in my neighbourhood which apparently also happened to be his neighbourhood. He was not lying because I did remember the incident but not him although by the time he related it to me, it all came back. So, we were actually neighbours.

It was pretty innocent as far as I was concerned. But he must have had casual conversations about me with his classmates who happened to be my hostelmates. I suppose, him being who he was, an exaggerated version spread around like wildfire.
The story was that we were a couple. Which was not true.

Someone or some people in the School of MassComm must have mentioned this to Bapak.

When I was home that weekend, Bapak asked me if I was "going around" with a certain anak Sultan. I told him the truth and said that there was no such thing.

He did not press further. I did ask him who had been telling him this tittle-tattle. He didn't name anyone but told me that I had been seen with this guy in question.

"Just friends. Nothing to it," I said. But, really, what was wrong with being seen with anyone. It was campus. I guess, as far as Bapak was concerned, anyone was not just anyone.

The following week, he sent someone to fetch me home from campus and got Kak Piah to take me shopping for material to make baju kurung.

"Bapak wants you to wear baju kurung in campus. He has given me some money and instructed me to take you shopping to buy materials and then to take you to my tailor to make baju kurung," Kak Piah told me when I reached home.

I was, to say the least, stumped. What was all this about? What was wrong with wearing t-shirts and jeans. This was college, after all. Besides, I had a few sets of baju kurung. In fact, really nice ones.

Kak Piah said I needed some for daily wear not formal silk ones.

"But why.....what have I done?" I asked, so bewildered, so despondent. I felt I was being punished for something I had done but I had no inkling what it was.

And then I asked: "What about Kak Olin and Kak Eda? Aren't you getting for them as well?"

Kak Piah shrugged her shoulders and said she had no idea why Bapak's instruction to her was to make baju kurung for only me. Only moi.
But I knew that she knew why.

I was a little upset. How could Bapak curb my dressing? What was wrong with jeans and t-shirts and skirts?
I was only 17, fresh out of secondary school. It was 1973. It was the era of James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne and ...Led Zeppelin, Crosby Stills Nash and Young (CSNY), Three Dog Night, Grand Funk Railroad, Deep Purple.....

Baju kurung in campus? What will Bapak make me wear next, I shivered just wondering about it.

Most importantly, I kept wondering "why, why, why...."

When I told Kak Olin and Kak Eda, they tried to console me.

"Maybe just for a while," Kak Eda remarked.

So, the obedient me did as I was told. I had five or six "pasang" of baju kurung made and I wore them over two weeks.

Bapak still had not told me why. I had figured out but I was not entirely sure. Mak, however, confirmed my suspicion. It did not make sense at all to me then. Was I supposed to be making a statement with my dressing?

"You did nothing wrong. He just feels that you need to be less conspicuous," Mak reasoned.

So, I reasoned that everybody else was wearing jeans and t-shirts and very casual clothes.
Mak said that Bapak thought it best that I dressed in a way that would not attract anyone's attention, so that I would not be distracted and I could concentrate on my studies.

"Itu punish-lah," I told Mak. As far as I was concerned I had not caught anyone's attention, I was not distracted by anyone or anything and I was able to concentrate on my studies.
I told Mak that if I wore baju kurung, I would really stand out in a crowd of jeans-and-tshirt students.

"He wants me to dress modestly.....," I thought aloud. Mak smiled.

I was prepared for further instructions to make more baju kurung when at the end of the second week of my "punishment", Bapak took me aside. I was home for the weekend.

He told me that I did not have to continue wearing baju kurung in campus if I did not want to. He said it would be good to wear them occasionally. I nodded. But I needed to make one thing clear to him.

"Ena tak ada boyfriend di campus," I said. He leaned back on the chair, and, well....chortled. It was not a mocking chortle but more like telling me "yeah, yeah....maybe not now.."

Well, I did not have a boyfriend and that was the truth. At least at that point in time.

I had always liked wearing baju kurung. Even then. It was having to be forced to wear it that bugged me. If I were forced to wear t-shirts, I'd just as much protest. Besides, I was aghast that anyone would even think that my dressing was in any way responsible for anyone's reaction to me.

I was all of a youthful 17, remember?

Needless to say, I continued wearing baju kurung. Only on Fridays, though.

I might have not understood Bapak's intention then. I realised that he was a little worried for me although he really did not have to be. I learnt to appreciate his act of being fatherly but never stopped wondering why he handled his "fears" -- whatever they were -- the way he did.

So, one day I asked him whether we were still living in a feudalistic world...

"Fairytale Kampung" Wedding for Ning Baizura and Englishman

Whatever that is, you may wonder.

Exactly what it says -- "fairytale kampung wedding". Just let your imagination go wild, although I think it needs little imagination.

This fairytale kampung wedding will be an informal affair, according to her.

Yes, our very own Diva Ning Baizura is to wed her fiancé Omar Sharif Christopher Layton Dalton.

According to the Star, she wants her wedding to be a "fun event". It will incorporate the Malaysian concept of gotong royong.

Ning is 32 and her fiance is 33.

The Star spoke to them when they were at a fitting for Omar at Lord’s tailor in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Here's the rest of the story by Rubin Khoo:

To create the atmosphere, Ning and Omar have used the concept of village life for the decor of the wedding, which will include the construction of a wooden house for the bersanding ceremony, set to take place at the Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre on Feb 2.

The ceremonies are planned on different days to ensure that there will be a build-up to the bersanding. The celebrations will begin on Jan 29 with the berinai, and the akad nikah and a private reception will then take place on Jan 31.

For the bersanding, the couple will wear three outfits. The first will be the traditional outfit of the state of Pahang, designed by Riezman & Ruzaini. Next, Ning will wear the Java Ceribon outfit - because of her Javanese heritage - created by Jovian Mandangie, and finally, she will wear a colourful gown designed by Michael Ong while Omar will complement her with a suit by Lord’s.

“I didn’t want to wear white because it is so cliché,” she said.

The artiste will, however, not be taking time off from her career as her English album is planned for a March release.

Ning met Omar, a 33-year-old gas and consulting manager from England, in September 2006. The couple were engaged in July last year.

Since their engagement, he has been adjusting to the fact he was marrying one of the nation’s biggest celebrities.

“I accept it and go with the flow.”

---------

Well, I wish the couple all the best and hope that their wedding will really turn out as they had planned it to be.

And...aaah... Ning has Javanese in her blood..

Looking For Nini -- Police Check 10,000 premises

If the police continue to do this -- going door-to-door to look for Nini who has been missing since January 9 -- I have no doubt that they will find a lead or 2...or Nini.

I have to believe that she is alive -- somewhere. I pray that she is safe and sound. Like the rest of you, I am also always on the look-out. Who knows....

Meanwhile, according to the NST, police have visited more than 10,000 houses and buildings in the (PJ) district since 5 year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar (Nini) was abducted.

They have drawn up a list of possible hide-outs of her abductors.

Read the story here .

To Debug Or Not To Debug...

People's fear of being watched by spying or prying eyes is real after the DVD sex scandal of former Health Minister and MCA leader went public recently.

Convince them all you want that no hotel would allow their guests' privacy to be violated by compromising security, they're still wary.

In case you didn't know, this is a very hi-tech world we live in. Anything can happen. Sometimes, anything goes. And if you don't already know, some not-so-strange things have happened before our very eyes.

That's why debugging equipment or battery-operated spy camera detectors have seen brisk sales.
Read here.

It's not just hotels. It's anywhere and everywhere. Meeting rooms, houses and apartments, offices -- people are really paranoid.

According to Bernama, some 1,520 units of a spy camera detector, called Shieldbug, has been sold in the past one week.
Shieldbug weighs only 25 grammes and about the size of a car remote control.

Nada Sepakat Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd is the sole distributor of the gizmo.
Its chief operating officer Al Hardy Fakharuddin said the comapny stared marketing Shieldbuf last month but after Chua's scandal hit te headlines, sales went up. Like really really up.

Al Hardy said Shieldbug is compact, easy to use and effectively scans for hidden wireless pin-hole spy cameras.
It is an Australian product manufactured under licence in China and currently retails at RM277 per unit.

Now, before you rush to buy one, consider what counter-espionage expert Akhbar Satar has to say.

He told the Star, in an interview recently, that it's always best to get the professionals to sweep the room or building for you.

“Those detectors are like cheap toys and there is no guarantee they will work,” said the former Negri Sembilan Anti-Corruption Agency director who is a certified fraud examiner as well as a forensic polygraph examiner.

Read here for the story.

Thaipusam To Be a National Holiday?

UPDATE (Sunday, Jan 20, 7pm)

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has declared Thaipusam a public holiday in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya from this year.

Thaipusam falls on Wednesday (Jan 23).

Bernama quoted the PM as saying that the government made the decision "in respecting the request of the Indian community and the Hindus in the country".

Thaipusam is currently a holiday in Selangor, Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.

Read the Bernama report here.

Also, what Rocky has to say in his Bru, here.

And Barisan Nasional gets the Indian votes, says MIC president S Samy Vellu who thanked the PM for that decision to declare Thaipusam a holiday in KL and Putrajaya.

Read here.

MY EARLIER POSTING:

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has given an assurance that he will consider declaring Thaipusam a "national public holiday" after approval from the Cabinet.
MIC president S Samy Vellu has thanked the PM for this.

Here's the rest of the Bernama story datelined Kuala Lumpur, Sunday, Jan 20:

"It will be a long-awaited decision to have Thaipusam declared a national holiday or even a public holiday for the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory," Samy Vellu told Bernama.
Samy Vellu said he contacted Abdullah in Madrid from New Delhi recently to request him to consider declaring Thaipusam a public holiday and this was followed with an official letter to the prime minister.
Abdullah was in Madrid for an official visit while Samy Vellu was in New Delhi to attend the People of Indian Origin Conference.
Samy Vellu said the MIC has been asking for Thaipusam be declared a public holiday for more than a decade "but now we are confident our request will be fulfilled".
He said Thaipusam is currently a holiday in five states, namely Selangor, Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.
"More than 1.2 million Hindus converge at Batu Caves every year for Thaipusam from all over the country. As such, it will be good if Thaipusam is declared a national public holiday," Samy Vellu said.
Samy Vellu said he raised the matter with the Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique at the last Cabinet meeting to have Thaipusam declared a public holiday at least in Kuala Lumpur.
"I will raise it again at the next Cabinet meeting," he added.

Always My Little Boy...

We - my son, Adel and I - were watching a DVD -- "The Pacifier" at home the other evening. An old film but we just picked it out from our collection of DVDs for no good reason at all.
At the end of the movie, Vin Diesel and his leading lady Lauren Graham kissed.
Instinctively, I put my hand over Adel's eyes. Then, as quickly, I took my hand away, remembering that he is not a little boy no more, for heaven's sake!

Oh. Call me old-fashioned or stuffy. Whatever. And I don't know why I would always do that, although that was not a regular occurence.

But, just as I was taking my hand away, Adel remarked:

"Mummy, I'm going to be 18 in a couple of weeks...". He wasn't irritated. In fact, he seemed so amused by it all.

I almost slapped myself. I felt a little embarrassed for that unnecessary display of "over-protection".
My little boy is going to be 18! Did I know that he went through 15,16 and 17?

Why.....it was just yesterday that I changed his diapers! And how I remember him holding my hand ever so tightly as I led him into his kindergarten classroom which must have seemed to him to be a strange new world.

He is a big boy now. He's grown to be a very thoughtful, considerate and responsible son.

A man.

And soon he will be flying the nest...sigh!

Too Little Too Late?

Let's hope not.

I'd like to think that it is never to late (for anything) if it means there are people who will benefit from it.

According to Bernama, MIC president S Samy Vellu said today that the party had applied (to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) for an annual allocation to conduct economic, educational, social, housing and health-related activities as well as skills training for Indian youths.

He said the party made the application three months ago.

Here's the rest of the story:

Samy Vellu said Abdullah was deeply concerned with issues facing the Indian community, especially in getting employment with the public sector.
"The Prime Minister agreed to act and we believe he will have the answer soon," he told reporters after presenting certificates to contractors who attained the ISO 9001:2000 certification via the "Do It Yourself" 9001 CIDB scheme.
He refuted claims by certain quarters that the Indian community had remained backward despite 50 years of independence.
"The many Indian graduates, teachers and businessmen are proof that the community has progressed but the opportunities may be limited. We will try to help the youths so that they will have a brighter future," he said.

I'm just hoping that the allocation goes to where it is supposed to go!
I hope this is not election balderdash!