SELAMAT TAHUN BARU!

setahun telah berlalu
ada tawa ada pilu
ada senyum manis
ada jeling sinis

lebaran baru menjelang tiba
pasti bawa berita suka
pasti juga ada yang duka
pahit manis diharung jua

ingat
wahai sahabat, rakan dan taulan
semangat jangan luntur
hanti mesti berani
jiwa mesti merdeka

aat
31 Dis. 2007

On the Duties of Brotherhood

My heart is open to all forms
it is a pasturage for gazelles
and a monastery for Christian monks
a temple for idols
and the kaabah of the pilgrims
the tables of the Torah
and the book of the Koran
mine is the religion of love
wherever his caravans turn
the religion of love shall be my religion
and my faith

- A passage from Tarjuman al-Ashwaq by Abu Bakr Muhyiddin ibn Arabi (1165-1240)

A good friend sent this via sms a few days ago. I'm reproducing this because it speaks volume for the openness with which the quote represents. I'm quite sure that in our society, much of what is contained in the verses can be put to use, if not already practised in varying degrees.

As we strive towards trying to fulfill our lives, we, or a good many of us, tend to compromise some of our values along the way. The quest for material wealth, position, fame and power can sometimes be overpowering. Often, it is at the expense of friendship and brotherhood, honour nd dignity.

The narrow-minded among us would probably take on a fanatical perspective, clouding their hearts and minds with self-righteousness and a false sense of magnanimity. How easy for us to fall prey of our selfishness and greed.

That text message set me on a small search through some reference material collected over the years. I came across Al-Ghazali - on the duties of Brotherhood in which he said: "Know that the contract of brotherhood is a bond between two persons, like the contract of marriage between two spouses.

"For just as marriage gives rise to certain duties which must be fulfilled when it is entered into, so does the contract of brotherhood confer upon your brother a certain right touching your property, your person, your tongue and your heart - by way of forgiveness, prayer, sincerity, loyalty, relief and considerateness."

Al-Ghazali was born in Tus in what is now Iran in 1058AD. The records show that he studied law and theology and had also taught at Baghdad University. It is also said that his work became an invaluable stimulus to western thinkers and had a strong influence on the rebirth of Western civilisation in the Middle Ages.

Al-Ghazali listed eight items or rules as key elements governing the duties of brotherhood: material assistance, personal aid, holding one's tongue, speaking out, forgiveness, prayer, loyalty and sincerity and informality.

I suppose it may not be altogether possible to subscribe to all of Al-Ghazali's principles. He has elaborated on each of them, and many of us may be guilty of selective adherance. For instance, in his first rule, he said this entails a common participation in good fortune and bad, a partnership in the future as in the present moment, an abandonment of possessiveness and selfishness. Even here, Al Ghazali spells out the various stages in trying to fulfill the first duty.

The second duty appears easier to follow: "..render personal aid in the satisfaction of needs, attending to them without waiting to be asked, and giving them priority over private needs." In dispensing such personal aid, one should do so with "joy and cheerfulness, showing pleasure and gratitude."

The third duty concerns the tongue, which should sometimes be silent and at other times speak out. I think most of us may find this easier said than done.

It is the same for the fourth duty, which also concerns the tongue, which he specifically said is to be used for speaking out. Here, Al Ghazali cautioned against silence, saying: "..anyone satisfied with silence alone might as well seek the fellowship of the people of the tombs."

Some may say that the fifth duty is quite straight-forward where he says one must forgive mistakes and failings. Al-Ghazali devoted a long chapter to this duty and quoted: "..you cannot run with a brother and fail to catch him in some disarray. What man is immaculate?"

In the sixth duty, Al Ghazali said: "..pray for your brother, during his life and after his death, that he may have all he might wish for himself, his family and his dependents. You should pray for him as you pray for yourself, making no distinction at all between you and him." This is the shortest chapter, suggesting that this is perhaps the easiest among the lot.

As for the seventh duty which deals with loyalty and sincerity, Al Ghazali says: "The meaning of loyalty is steadfastness in love and maintaining it to the death with your brother, and after his death with his children and his fellows."

In the last duty, Al-Ghazali merely said: "You should not discomfort your brother with things that are awkward for him. Rather should you ease his heart of its cares and needs, and spare him having to assume any of your burdens."

Al-Ghazali's wisdom presented in the book was translated by a Muhtar Holland, who was born in Durham, England in 1935 and embraced Islam in 1969. He has been a lecturer in Arabic, Turkish and Near Eastern History at the University of Toronto and in Islamic Law at the University of London. I'm not sure of his present status but he was working with the Islamic Foundation in Leicester, England.

The lines above sums up my Selamat Hari Raya Haji and Christmas Greetings. Let us gather our thoughts and prepare for a new year in 2008. A friend suggested that we should plan and hope for the best, but to always prepare for the worst. Salams!

Perutusan Karim Sulaiman pada semua

TOK MAT,ASSALAMUALAIKUM. ESOK 18 DISEMBER 2007 GENAP SETAHUN KUNJUNGAN DATUK DR LATIFF DAN RAKAN MEDIA KE RUMAH SAYA. KUNJUNGAN ITU MEMBAWA SINAR BARU DALAM HIDUP SAYA. INILAH CORETAN SAYA UNTUK SEMUA PENGUNJUNG BLOG TOK MAT YANG SENTIASA MEMBERI SOKONGAN DAN DORONGAN KEPADA SAYA.

PADA waktu sebegini tahun lalu, saya duduk bersendirian memikirkan keadaan kesihatan yang menurut doktor – mereka telah melakukan apa yang terbaik – supaya saya pulih. Banyak perkara bermain di fikiran.Apa akan terjadi kepada keluarga jika keadaan kesihatan semakin memburuk. Mereka tempat saya bergantung hidup.

Pada waktu itu tidak ramai yang mengetahui dengan jelas keadaan kesihatan saya. Ada yang tahu saya sakit – tetapi sakit yang bagaimana.Kalau sebut nama penyakitya - scleromyxoedema - bukan saja orang biasa, malah doktor pun ada yang tidak pernah mendengarnya. Saya sendiri pun kurang mendapat maklumat mengenainya kerana apa yang diterangkan doktor selama ini pun secara umum.

Pada waktu ini, keadaan kesihatan saya berada pada tahap paling rendah. Hanya semangat serta sokongan isteri dan enam anak memberi kekuatan untuk terus menjalani hidup ini.Saya sudah ‘tidak mahu’ berjumpa orang.. Bukan apa, kerana percakapan saya semakin kurang jelas dan kadang kala suara saya hilang. Kalau bercakap pun orang tidak faham. Saya ingatkan pada masa itu saya akan jadi bisu.

Berat badan semakin susut hanya tinggal 35 kilogram kerana kesukaran menelan makan. Padahal beberapa tahun sebelum itu berat saya sekitar 60-70 kilogram.Paling membimbangkan keadaan fizikal semakin sukar digerakkan. Anggota badan seperti kaki, tangan, kepala dan pinggang semakin mengeras. Banyak kegiatan harian tidak dapat dilakukan.

Makan pun sudah disuapkan isteri dan anak-anak.Pada waktu itu setahun yang lalu – saya menyerahkan segala-galanya – kepada ketentuan Ilahi kerana sudah melakukan apa saja usaha untuk merawat penyakit ini.Namun, pada 17 Disember 2006 saya menerima panggilan daripada boss lama di Berita Harian saudara Mior yang memberitahu Timbalan Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Abd Latiff Ahmad ingin melawat saya di rumah.

Kunjungan Datuk Abd Latiff pada 18 Disember 2006 bersama-sama rakan media termasuk Datuk Ahmad A Talib adalah rahmat yang membawa sinar baru dalam kehidupan saya sekeluarga. Saya menyedari rupa-rupanya tidak bersendirian dalam mengharungi ‘penderitaan’ penyakit ini.

Hasil daya usaha rakan-rakan, saya dirujuk ke Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) untuk mendapat rawatan selanjutnya. Saya kemudian menerima rawatan ivig setiap bulan dan baru-baru ini rawatan fototerapi tiga kali seminggu di HKL.

Kini genap setahun, saya amat bersyukar kepada Allah kerana walaupun tidak sembuh sepenuhnya, terus diberi kesempatan untuk menjadi hamba di bumi-Nya.Dengan keizinan-Nya, kekurangan setahun lalu telah dapat saya ‘peroleh’ semula. Percakapan saya semakin jelas, sudah boleh makan sendiri dan berat badan pun naik sehingga 50 kilogram.

Saya akan terus menjalani rawatan sehingga doktor berpuas hati dengan keadaan kesihatan saya.Mengikut pengalaman di luar negara (tiada rujukan penyakit ini di Malaysia kerana kes saya adalah yang pertama dirujuk ke hospital kerajaan), penyakit ini tidak boleh disembuhkan 100 peratus, lebih-lebih lagi tahap penyakit saya pada waktu itu berada pada tahap ‘teruk’.

Apapun saya bersyukur dengan keadaan kesihatan sekarang walaupun ada doktor pernah memberitahu umur saya tidak panjang berdasarkan keadaan penyakit pada waktu itu.Selama setahun menerima rawatan di HKL saya insaf bahawa ada orang yang lebih malang dan teruk penyakitnya daripada saya. Apa yang saya alami ini tidaklah seberapa berbanding penderitaan mereka.

Kelebihan saya kerana mempunyai rakan-rakan prihatin yang sentiasa memberi semangat dan dorongan supaya tidak berputus asa dan meneruskan kehidupan ini. Rakan-rakan memberi kekuatan kepada saya untuk melawan penyakit ini.Sokongan dan bantuan rakan-rakan dalam apa saja bentuk dan cara , amat saya hargai dan kenang sepanjang hayat ini.Terima kasih tidak terhingga kepada semua kerana mengambil berat dan sentiasa mendoakan kesejahteraan saya.

Terima kasih juga kepada Datuk Ahmad Talib dan saudara Rocky yang pertama membawa kisah saya di dunia siber.Hanya Allah yang dapat membalas kebaikan saudara semua.. Saya juga mendoakan supaya Allah merahmati saudara semua.Wassalam. 18 Disember 2007

Will cool heads prevail?

IT'S not the traffic jams that worry us so much. That's more of an irritant than anything else. But it's the possibility of some explosive reaction from several quarters that keep many of us wondering whether or not we'll see history repeats itelf.

The street protests by Bersih and Hindraf seemed to have caught the people's attention, to the point that they have been the major talking point in recent weeks. The lawyers' Human Rights March on Human Rights Day over the weekend wasn't as bad as it is made out to be. The fact that a few arrests were made managed to get some attention, in and outside the country.

At a coffee shop outside the city a few days ago, I was asked what really is happening in KL, especially when television networks are allocating a lot of space to the street walks or demos (as against the picture of traffic jams carried by the mainstream media last month when BERSIH took to the street to state their case).

The coffee shop talk outside the city is just as potentially explosive, if not more, than the street action. I say this because the coffee talk, more often than not, is based on rumours, heresay and speculation. In the absence of consistent dissemination of information, the folks make all sorts of conclusion and offer a varity of solutions, some of which can make your hair stand on ends.

While Hindraf and Bersih continue to get considerable publicity, and some say relevance, I can't but wonder whether their open show of force would invite an equally forceful reaction from their opposite factions. The text messages that have been going round are rather disturbing, to say the least.

While the majority of those who receive the SMS may ignore them, I'm sure there are those who believe them. Or want to believe them. And all it takes is a little bit of misunderstanding or name calling to ignite what could be the mother of all street battles!

There are those who believe that the authorities are hesitant to act; and there are also those who question the arrests. Somehow, at this stage of the confrontation, I don't see how things will cool down or cease without some form of firm action. And even then, the issues won't just disappear into thin air.

There are grievances that need to be addressed, and addressed rationally. Only cool heads can see what these issues are and deal with them seriously and with full sincerity.

Demos are skirmishes before main bout?

I'M really worried. And I think there are others just as worried too. First there was the Batu Burok street demonstration a couple of months ago. This was followed by the Bersih Rally and then came the Hindraf protest last Sunday.

That's three protest rallies in as many months. I'm talking about the big ones only, and not counting the smaller ones in between. Regardless of the reasons why these rallies are held, and I believe some of the objectives set by the organisers have been met, there is the inherent potential danger that the next one will not be as 'peaceful' as the previous one.

I have young friends who chuckle with considerable sarcasm when I explained why I have this big fear of street protests. They just can't seem to understand why I need to be really afraid of thousands of people marching in the streets in support of their grievances.

I have no quarrel with people wanting to voice their opinions and demanding what they believe to be theirs. There are many ways of doing that, and all of them will be strongly justified by their backers or promoters. Some may say that after all the talking or negotiation is done, then it's time for some action.

There are also those who believe that action speaks louder than words. They may be right, but only if the action does not trigger violence, in the same manner that many had witnessed and been traumatised ever since.

There were near misses in recent years. The Kg Medan incident of a few years ago is still vivid in my mind. And it's the same in Penang where a Hindu temple and a mosque had been in existence side by side but had some differences which could have turned bloody and ugly.

If the differences are just political, chances are they can be reigned in. And violence is surely not the way forward to settle political disputes, as seen in many parts of the world. But when politicians decide to close one eye, and not take seriously the undercurrents in their backyard, the chances of such differences escalating into chaos becomes more enhanced.

How much of these street protests are mere posturing? How much is genuine? I can already hear whisperings that any show of force must be met with likewise responses, and they may not necessarily be from the uniformed authorities. If might is to be met with might, you can guess where we are heading.

At the rate things are going, I don't think we have seen the last of these street protests. With the prospect of the general election round the corner, these protests would fit in with political ceremah and house-to-house campaigns after polling day has been announced. As was seen in recent by-elections, there could be ugly scenes during these campaigns.

There are examples of how fistfights broke out on nomination day. If this can be controlled, I suppose I can live with that. But what worries me most is the verbal exchanges which could turn physical and ugly. Could all these street protests be pre-election skirmishes before the main event or bout?

I hope I'm wrong.

Will the real protester please stand up?

ON PROTEST DAY

I received calls very early in the morning asking whether it was safe to go to town, meaning the city centre. I'm not a policeman of course but I did make some calls and later went for a drive to check out the streets.

Traffic was less than normal and my thosai joint in Bangsar, Pelita, was rather quiet. On Sundays, Pelita Bangsar have a fairly good crowd. Some well-known and wealthy personalities would often park their Ferraris, Porsche and M5 BMWs while having a quick breakfast. Today, there were none.

News of the street protest by Hindraf must have discouraged many from venturing out. A friend informed me that policemen in patrol cars used loudhailers asking residents in Taman Permata in Ulu Klang to stay indoors! This, I thought, was really serious.

In truth, many parts of the city were quite normal. Motorists avoided the roads leading to KLCC and Jalan Ampang where the British High Commission is located. I attended a wedding outside KL and there was hardly any discussion about the steet protest.

I suppose only the city folks and those directly involved in the protest talk about it. I'm not sure if this is good or bad. But if one is to get information from radio news bulletin, then one will have to wait for hours before getting a two-liner. Sigh.

I guess the radio people don't want to cause undue alarm by extensive reporting of the protest. While this may be true, I'm of the opinion that a 'straight reporting' of the event will not lead to chaos or disturbances. To me, this is surely better than getting SMSs which need to be verified and double-checked.

I got more information fom taxi drivers than listening to the radio news bulletin. One taxi driver told me that the Hindraf supporters had gathered as early as 6am at Jalan Ampang while another said Police and protestors had ran into each other at Batu Caves last night. (And this was confirmed by TV3 news at 8pm - incidentally TV3 showed more footage of the protest this time than RTM).

What I'm saying is this - manage the flow of information rather than blacking it out altogether. Not putting the news out on news bulletin is irresponsible, perhaps even more irresponsible than SMSs sent by individuals whose sources of information are suspect.

MY ORIGINAL POSTING

IT'S another week of long and unnecessary traffic jams, courtesy of Polis DiRaja Malaysia. All roads leading to the city centre have road blocks, said to prevent the entry of unwanted elements for this Sunday's proposed rally organised by Hindraf, a Hindu-based NGO.

I first got wind of the rally when an MIC blogger sent me an SMS advising me and all his friends not to take part in the Nov 25 Rally. The text message have been circulating countless times. No one really knows if the rally will actually take place but we all know how we feel about being caught in traffic jams created by PDRM.

I don't really mind police road blocks if they achieve what they seek to do. When I passed the Jalan Duta toll booth today and heading towards the city, I joined all other motorists going through the bottle neck. All motorists in front me (easily 100 cars) passed by without having have to stop or being inspected.

On Thursday, I was caught in the traffic jam after exiting Putrajaya on the way to the city. And you must have friends who were caught in the snarl all the way from UPM highway to the Technology Park section of the KL-Seremban highway!

I'm not sure if those wanting to attend the rally would raise their hands and gleefully announce to the policemen on duty that he's on the way to the rally! And I'm also not sure if the men-in- blue would be able to single out the would-be protestors by just looking at the person.

Since the rally is planned by a Hindu NGO, would that make any Indian or dark-skinned fellow a possible participant, and have to be taken aside at the road block to explain their travel plans? How would a rally protestant look like anyway? Mean-looking with tattoo on his arms? I really don't know lah...

What about those who actually live and work in the city? Would they have to be inspected too?The unwanted elements could still sneak in to the city since the road blocks are not manned throughout the day. I wonder how they could be stopped from entering the city. And what if they troop in on foot?

My take on the road block is simple - make every road user suffer and get them riled up against the rally organisers! That's all! Get the public to curse the organisers and blame them for the traffic jams! Hopefully, the police reckon, less people will turn up for the rally.

I for one am not sure if street rallies, especially if they are violent and bloody, would yield the right results. It would certainly attract media attention, if not local then certainly the foreign lenses and scribes. I would prefer dialogues, genuine and sincere ones that is.

At the end of the day, after all the fighting is done, the feuding parties would still need to talk and iron out their differences. So why not engage and talk now rather than take the protests to the street with no real control of the outcome. Of course dialogue is a two-way thing...

If not for the blogs & Al Jazeera...

IT'S impossible not to visit the various blogs anymore. Last weekend's march and street demonstration have compelled many to resort to visiting blogs to get news update which are not available from mainstream outlets such as radio and television.

From the hospital bed where my son was warded, I could see the traffic jam caused by the closure of several roads as the Police mounted road blocks, diverting traffic away from Dataran Merdeka where the crowd was supposed to have converged.

Friends were also forwarding text messages reminding each other to avoid certain routes. The telcos must have made tons of money, I thought to myself. And when friends alerted each other of long footage on Al Jazeera, woh, you can guess what happened next.

I wouldn't exactly agree with the way Al Jazeera covered the march. The station covered the more dramatic side of the event, showing how the Police had used water canons to disperse the crowd. If I'm overseas, I'd probably think that KL was on riot mode, and probably try catch the first flight back home.

I wasn't sure if the radio stations had given hourly bulletins of the march. I won't hazard a guess but I believe that keeping the public informed would have been a priority, given the possibillity that the march could get out of control. It's not as much as giving nationwide publicity to the march organisers, but more to alert the public against any potential danger.

When the public had to depend on sms, phone calls and Al Jazeera for updates, one begins to wonder where is the public service in public-owned radio stations? And TV too! And what if irresponsible elements were to spread ugly rumours...?

When May 13 broke out in 1969, Radio Malaysia was about the only source of news breaks. But they did well, alerting the public about the curfew that came soon after. Radio Malaysia did the responsible thing then. I remember staying glued to the old hand-me-down Grundig as my body trembled at the sight of flames from nearby Kg Kerinchi roads.

With information dissemination the way it is now, it's no longer possible to curb news flows. It's also irresponsible. In trying to win the intellectual battle, the authorities should do the right thing, unless they no longer care about their credibility.

One blog had 54 pictures of the Saturday march. Compare this with one Sunday newspaper which showed one picture of the massive traffic jam in KL. And then there's a prominent member of the Cabinet on world TV explaining his views with broken English. Painful, painful...

At the end of the day, one needs more than just the blogs, Al Jazeera and the dailies to get every information they want. But when the normal channel of information are not forthcoming, then you can't blame the public for sourcing their news and updates elsewhere. Agreed?

Divali - day of new sarees and kurtas!

DIVALI Greetings to all! May my Hindu friends have a meaningful and enjoyable day with family, relatives and friends! Like all other Malaysian festivals, Deepavali is also a day of open house and merriment.

For almost 10 years during my teens, I celebrated Deepavali with my Indian neighbours without fail. Very early in the morning, my Hindu friends would wake up and switch on their radio blaring out songs intended to wake everyone up.

Periasamy and Apu would be among the firsts to send trays of cakes and goodies to my house. Since we all lived within earshot of each other, the Deepavali morning would inevitably be a rather noisy affair.

Later in the day, we would visit our friends and the usual bottled drinks of Mirinda, Green Spot and Sarsaparilla would fill the table and everyone would be joking and having a good time. It was fun.

There were no such thing as Deepavali angpow but everyone would be just happy to go from house to house enjoying the muruku and mutton curry. There were times when my Hindu neighbours would ask my mother to cook chicken curry and the dish would be served when Muslim friends drop by.

My late father too would make his Deepavali rounds. But more often than not, he would have to work and deputise for his Indian colleagues, and this would be reversed when we celebrate Hari Raya.

As our society become more sophisticated, the celebrations too become more organised. Some of the spontaneity are no longer there. I suppose this is inevitable as we take our time management more seriously and visits are more than just an outright social occassion.

To my childhood friends Rasathi (who married Leong), Apu, Periyasamy, Bala, Muthukaruppan, Yogarajah, Aya, Puvi, Raj and Sinniah, may you have the happiest of Deepavali! May you enjoy many more Deepavali in the future too!

Would you spare RM1 a day for orphans?

WOULD you spare RM1 a day to help some underprivileged children? More specifically, orphans. At RM1 day, that would be RM365 a year; and that can go a long way to help ease their daily burden.

This is a small initiative that a few friends and I are undertaking. This started last month when I attended a special breaking of fast event in a village mosque. The village people, mostly rubber tappers and odd job workers, had organised the function a few days before Raya. They managed to give the orphans RM20 each to spend for Raya.


This was a one-off initiative. The following days I spoke to a few friends and sought their views - whether they would mind depriving themselves of one teh tarik a day and spend the money on the orphans instead. They all said yes, these kind souls.


God willing, these orphans will start the new year with extra money in their pocket. A register of orphans in the village is being done with their thumbnail sketch. The orphans' details will be distributed to potential donors so that they know where their money is spent.


In the village, most of these orphans stay with their relatives, who themselves are not rich. But in the village, the community share their hardships and little joys. For many years, they are trying to get together for some self-help initiatives to raise the academic achievements of school-going children in the village.

If there's enough support for this initiative, we may enlarge the scope to include some tuition classes for children sitting for their UPSR and PMR examinations next year. I'm not sure how far this can go but it's worth trying. If there's anyone who want to take part in this initiative, do drop me a line.

From my experience, a small village like this are very thankful for whatever help they can get. But they need good grassroot leaders who has the necessary resources and network to help them. It will also help if wealthy corporates were to lend a hand by offering small donations of a few thousand ringgit a year.

In fact, corporates should adopt villages or schools near where they are operating. They should actively participate in the school or village activities and be part of a support system to make the school children do well in their studies and the village more willing to change for the better.

Anyway, back to the orphans. Remember, all I want is RM1 a day for the whole year. A committee comprising village headman, the imam and mosque officials and other village leaders will form the management team to look after the funds. I look forwards to getting calls from friends to support this initiative.

Who cares if Faizudin can't read!

ISTIMEWA - an eight-letter word that a Std 4 pupil couldn't read! Istimewa is Special in English but there was nothing special in Faizudin whom I met yesterday when he dropped in with his friends to my house for Raya.

I've been sitting with my junior guests when they came for Raya. Angah would prepare the drinks and the kueh and I'll sit with them to chit-chat. It has been a habit in the last week or so to ask these children how their schooling were.

I'd ask them how they fare in their studies. Of the 50-odd children who dropped by, I've met only two boys who seemed to be doing well, reading the newspapers and magazines with confidence. And able to converse reasonably well too. Most of them are in primary school while a handful are in lower secondary.

It's this age group that makes the Raya rounds. Those who are older wouldn't visit houses of people they don't know.

Faizudin was in his Chelsea jersey, bought by his father for Raya. He sat in one corner enjoying his root beer when I asked him about his studies. He wasn't talkative at all, unlike the others who were joking and chatting non-stop.

Faizudin's father is a driver and his mother is a full-time housewife. He has 2 other siblings. He was looking at the pictures in a magazine when I asked him to read aloud. He just sat there, staring at the first word, not uttering anything. When I put my arm around him, he whispered that he couldn't read.

I just couldn't understand it. Here's a Std 4 pupil and he couldn't read a word! Who's responsible for this? His parents? The school? The education system? All of the above? What will happen to this boy when he grows up? Doesn't his parents know and realise that their son couldn't read? Didn't the teacher in school spot this? Nobody cares?

Adoi! I don't know what to make of the situation. My conversation with these boys always reveal the same facts - their parents work day and night to make a living; they play all day; they go to a school nor far from their flats; they went back to their kampong every Raya; they can't speak English; they enjoy television programmes; most want to be soldiers or policemen when they grow up.

My chat with them also revealed they all have a minimum of two new shirts for Raya. Very few of them have new shoes. And most of their parents bought nothing new for themselves for Raya.

It was almost deja vu for me. I went through the same Raya when I was a boy. But I was lucky I guess. I lived in a tough neighbourhood where everyone knows each other, and we played and studied together. Our parents were coolies and labourers, and none of us were spared the rod if we were not with our school books as night falls.

I guess times have changed. Faizudin will have to realise soon that he's got a long way ahead of him. I don't see a future in him unless his parents or teachers realise the small boy has a major problem.

It's back to the grind folks!

THERE'S been a lot of dramas the past week. TV dramas that is! Every local TV station have some sort of dramas screened during the Hari Raya period. There were some re-runs of local movies, obviously aimed at entertaining the public during the festive season.

If you stay home, chances are you'll be watching one or two of the dramas. Or be made to watch one or two. And I've come across families who do their Raya rounds dictated by what time particular dramas are aired on TV.

Some people may argue that the dramas keep people indoors and turn them to be anti-social. The TV chaps argued that their ratings have gone up based on the dramas. And that's good for business, they quickly added.

I've no real complaint about dramas. Inevitably, the plots revolve round the balik kampong theme, filial loyalty, which kampong to go back to this Raya, etc. Most of the dramas were tear jerkers too. The endings were almost predictable, though you may come across some technical flaws in the story line.

The remaining three weeks will see open houses everywhere. You'll get to see the mad rush from one house to another as the invitations come thick and fast. Pak Ya the lemang maker sells about 1,000 lemang a day averaging RM8 per pole. Which explains why he's having such a wonderful Syawal.

Some friends who dropped in open houses of VVIPs (read politicians) came away surprised that they too received RM100 duit raya gifts! And they are not kids and certainly not orphans or disabled. I wonder why they do this. Assuage some sins? Buying influence? Your guess is as good as mine...

(But this can't compare with the giving of pre-Raya duit raya at breaking of fast events hosted by VVIPs!)

But folks, it's back to the grind now! It's still Syawal and the Hari Raya mood is still in the air. But work is work, and there are outstanding tasks to finish. I'm sure some of us would be bringing our cakes and pastries to the office to have mini open house within the department or jist among friends.

The roads in KL are getting congested again. For several days city folks enjoyed free flow of traffic and were were spolit for choice for parking in any part of the city. It's business as usual because a couple of traffic police issued summones to cars parked along yellow lines near Pelita Bangsar! Days before, one can park anywhere without too much of a bother.

While the Raya gave us a few days of despite and shielded us from life's daily toll, I'm afraid today's realities will engulf us again. Rising oil prices will also hit us despite the Government's assurance that there won't be any this year. Highway tolls too are set to be revised upwards.

We'll need to be extra vigilant in the face of rising violent crime; traffic accidents resulting in fatalities have also not declined despite Ops Sikap; and the politicians continue to trade punches as talk of a general election becomes louder.

But I've really enjoyed my Raya. I don't believe Raya is for kids only. As one gets older, every Raya is to be enjoyed and cherished. On that note, I'll light up my bamboo decorative lamps once I get someone to source for some kerosene. Mind you, kerosene is not always available in your neighbourhood sundry shop..

Selamat Hari Raya & count our blessings!

THREE teenagers dropped in to my house this morning, making them the first visitors on Hari Raya day. Mohd Saiful is 13, Adam is 15 and Azhar is 12. As they sipped their cold drink, I threw them a few questions but the answers stunned me.

Saiful should be in Form 1 this year but has dropped out of school; Adam sat for his PMR but seemed dazed when I asked him questions about his studies and family; Azhar is the son of a taxi driver whose ambition is to be a soldier inspired by the war movies shown on TV>

Saiful's family moved house and he had to change school too. He had some fees to pay but his parents couldn't raise the money. He just dropped out of school and is now enjoying his childhood by doing nothing except play with friends in the multi-storey flats. It's now almost a year since he dropped out of school. He has two other siblings, one still in school.

Adam is a gangly lad whose father works as a guard in factory not far from his house. Questions thrown at him had to be rephrased by Azhar. Only after this could he answer. Through some supplementary questions, I found out that he's the sixth among his siblings. When asked who's the youngest in the family, he had to ask Azhar for the answer.

Adam and Azhar are not related but Adam just seemed unable to comprehend basic questions. I wonder how he would fare in his PMR exams.

Of the lot, Azhar was the one who appeared to have some semblance of responsibility and awareness. He came out fifth in his class. His father is a taxi driver and mother is a housewife. His father is not driving his taxi today and everyone has gone out for their Raya rounds.

I was disturbed by the attitude of the other two boys. They just didn't seem to know what's happening around them; just didn't seem to even care about themselves. Today, they have only one mission - to go to as many Muslim homes to celebrate Raya (read collect duit raya), regardless whether they know the households or not.

In my days, children would go only to homes of people they know. But times have changed I guess...

I know kids will always be kids, and going on Raya rounds is a normal thing to do. I love having visitors on Raya day and it feels good if they are also well-mannered. Raya has less meaning and enjoyment without children. Hari Raya is also a time of giving and sharing. Just look at the faces of the children when you pass them the duit raya and you'll see how their eyes lit up!

I wonder how many more children are there like Saiful and Adam - who seem to know nothing else except to have fun, play with their handphones all the time, have no inkling about their studies, and knows even less about what they hope to get out of life. You can't blame them for some of their problems and the situation they are in.

What does the future holds for them? What happened to big plans mapped out by people like Puteri Umno who boasted about their tuition centres in flats and residentials areas? have these boys escaped the safety nets provided by Puteri Umno and other like-minded bodies?

It's not easy I know. But we just can't turn a blind eye on these children. Giving them the duit raya is not much of a help and won't go a long way in easing their hardships. But then again a boy like Azhar, staying in a similar environment like Saiful and Adam, is still able to at least show a decent result in his school exams.

(I take him at his words but he does show a more pleasant and intelligent personality). I told Azhar to study hard and make something for himself. Fine if he wants to be a soldier but make sure he becomes a good one, and strive to rise to the very top.

While one must acknowledge the initiatives of people like Puteri Umno and NGOs, more has to be done if we don't want to see our children end up as street urchins and hooligans and irresponsible individuals. Some sustained self-help programmes perhaps?

My sincere wishes and warm regards to everyone who drop in to my blog. May your days be blessed always and may all your dreams come true! Maaf Zahir Batin.

Who spread pictures of Nurin on the Net?

THE first beast was the one who murdered Nurin Jazimin. The second is the one who circulated what is believed to be her post-mortem pictures via the Internet! The gruesome pictures surfaced this morning and they are enough to make one's blood boil!

The pictures show various injuries the little girl suffered. I assume they are meant only for medical record. But today, they are spread over the Internet in what can only be described as a dastardly and an inhumane act of violation on a dead person.

How could this happen? Who is responsible for this? Where is the right of the dead to privacy? Where is respect for the dead? Isn't there any trace of human decency at all by those who did this? What kind of action can be taken against the petpetrator/s? How many more of such acts of indecent exposure?

Let's get to the bottom of this once and for all!

Doa for Tun M on Lailatul Qadr night

MY religious Guru often say that one of the best times to offer a doa is when it rains. Tonight it rained. And many also believe that tonight is the Night of lailatul Qadr, a night whose blessings exceed all other nights!

And this was the night when the small mosque in my dusun held a doa selamat for Tun M, who, an IJN statement said earlier, has been moved out from the ICU to the Bunga Raya ward. This in itself brought much cheer and an audible sigh of relief all round.

The doa selamat was held after Isya' prayers and after the majlis khatam Quran, where the Quran reciters concluded the remaining surah from the Holy Book. In Ramadhan, Muslims are encouraged to read the 30 chapters of the Quran while seeking to enhance their understanding of the teachings of Islam.

The old imam then led the terawih prayers, joined by youngsters in their teens. This, the kampong elders said, wasn't a common sight. Not that he was displeased, he quickly remarked. Just before supper, the mosque committee gave away donations of sarongs and duit raya for the village orphans.

My dusun is located in Behrang, about an hour from KL and less than five minutes from Proton City. Some of us are trying to move the kampong folks to become more involved in kampong activities and gradually bring them into the mainstream of social and economic developments. It remains to be seen whether we can achieve anything at all, given the lethargy often seen there.

The kampong comes to life when it's the fruit season. Or when there's a wedding, when the young boys would rent musical instruments and offer some form of entertainment to guests!

But tonight the congregation seemed to speak with unity of purpose. They had all come to offer their doa selamat to Tun M for "his services to the nation, a debt that we owe to him," said the bilal in his short opening remarks.

The bilal also led the tahlil, special doa for the departed. In all, it was a night where everyone sought blessings and forgiveness for themselves and their loved ones. InsyaAllah, our prayers will be answered.

Bob ends duel with Alongs

AMIDST the announcements of several new economic and growth corridors coming up in the country, there are also sad stories of companies closing down. Chased by creditors, both institutional and individuals (read Alongs), these entrepreneurs are calling it a day.

I know a few who are still struggling to make ends meet. One had to scale down his operation by giving employees half pay and told to take long Raya leave. If they get job offers, they are free to go and start afresh.

Bob, a character I had highlighted before, is one entrepreneur who was forced to cease operations. Declined credit by banks, blacklisted by the likes of CTOS even though he had cleared himself of those debts a long time ago, and chased relentlessly by Along, Bob celebrates this Raya as a beaten (though not out) businessman.

The last year or so has been the worst he had ever experienced. Bob survived through heavy borrowings from Alongs. For a brief spell, he couldn't tell whether he would survive especially when the Alongs turned nasty and threatening. His three-story office was almost gutted after a kerosene can was used to start a fire about three months ago.

This was the last straw. Bob has decided to sell his operations to a foreign party. He's not making profit but he gets enough to reclaim his sanity and save his live. By the end of Ramadhan, all the Alongs would have been paid. As do several more big creditors.

He's taking a short break. He wants to enjoy a day out with his family without having to fear for his and their lives. He wants to take things easy for awhile.

What next,. I asked him. Small time agriculture, he said. He wants to try his hand at some herb gardening and maybe go into agriculture trade. He has relatives and freinds who seem happy in their agricuture business. If I can't sell the produce, at least I can eat them and feed my family, Bob said.

He's also afraid of doing business using political connections. He found out that there's a limit to political patronage in his business. If you want to get big projects and make big money, you have to spend big money to secure those deals, he argued.

"Enough is enough. I want to go below the radar and work quietly. I've been hit too hard and I'm not sure if I can survive when competing on an uneven playing field. I want to rear some goats, plants some herbs, maybe rear some fish and feed my family. I'm not prepared to share my livelihood with Alongs and ungrateful people in authority anymore," he told me last week.

Well, what can I say except to wish him Good Luck. I hope he writes a book and give advice to young entrepreneurs. Ramadhan has offered him a period of contemplation. When Raya comes, Bob will assume a new role in a new business. Things can only get better!

Adopt a home after Ramadhan!

IN ABOUT one week's time, Ramadhan will be over. Syawal will come bringing with it new clothes, ketupat and rendang and much merriment. And soon, Life goes back to what it was before Ramadhan. It's back to the grind, as many would say.

Malaysians have been most charitable and generous during Ramadhan. You see this on TV, and read about it in the newspapers. Hardly a day goes by without some corporates donating something or other to old folks, the handicapped and the orphans. Corporates compete for their visuals during such acts of charity to be splashed on TV and in the papers.

I know that corporates "give back to society" under their corporate social responsibility programmes. This is done in many ways - via sponsorship of events, supporting some worthy causes, initiating some projects intended to pave the way for a better Life. All this is well and fine.

The truth is clear and simple - CSR is good for business. Only genuine CSR separates the good business with the great ones! Some corporates profess to adopt good CSR projects, but the challenge lies in the sincerity and philosophy of their managers. Some CSR projects are stopped because there's a change in company policy, change in management personnel, change of ownership of the corporates, and a host of other, sometimes petty, reasons.

But I have a suggestion in the case of donations to orphans, old folks and the handicapped. Maybe, just maybe, some rich corporates may want to "adopt" an old folks home, an orphanage or home of the handicapped. By doing so, they will be extending an all-year round assistance to these homes.

Even if they allocate RM1,000 a month to their "adopted" homes, that would go a long way towards easing the burden of these shelter houses. Of course, the corporates are encouraged to spend more during the festival period!

Many homes are deprived of basic amenities. Some homes operate way below the radar that they are hardly known, for some reason or other. Often, the inmates survive on the generosity of well-wishers, many of whom are individuals. Some shelter homes barely survive.

Some big giants spend a fair bit of money supporting animals in the zoo or supporting a sports they like. Nothing wrong with that. They should continue doing so. For companies who are already doing that, maybe they want to spare some loose change supporting homes of the really under-privileged and the deprived.

So there! Scan the horizons and one can easily spot a deprived home in dire need of all sorts of support. Corporates and their owners may not get prime time exposure if they do this, but rest assured you'll be remembered 24/7 by those whom you help. The doa from the recipients count for more than the one-time splash in the media.

Are we under siege?

ARE we under siege, I was asked by a businessman over the weekend. Not an external siege but rather, an internal one. I would have ignored the question but it was asked with all seriousness and he went on to cite examples reflecting his query.

First, he mentioned the gruesome murder od Nurin Jazimin. And this was preceeded by several other killings of young persons in the recent past. The fact that so many of them are missing and not found triggers fresh fears among parents and society at large.

Second, violent crime appear to be on the rise. Killings appear to be more rampant, he said, arguing that one needs only to go through the newspapers to check that out. The recklessness of road-users too have contributed to many deaths on our roads and highways.

You must have known friends and relatives whose houses and offices have been burgled. A friend had his new house burgled and there wasn't much the Police could do to help! He's decided to get a couple guard dogs instead.

Third, food prices have been increasing steadily. In fact, in some cases, food items are not available. Maybe it's just the festive season but there's going to be a number of festivals between now and early next. Does this mean consumers are going to be deprived of these items for that long period?

Some trade unionists are talking about boycotting some items. This is not the first time they've been talking about this but in the past they were nothing but empty threats.

Fourth, jobs are hard to come by, this chap complained. He asked where are the new jobs being created? And what's wrong in choosing jobs, he said. I told him that jobs are available but our boys and girls are choosy.

Fifth, we now have marching lawyers demanding freedom for the judiciary! This was unheard of before, the businesman said. Not wanting to be an alarmist, he said that the recent march appeared to have sparked renewed interest among members of the legal profession about the state of the judiciary.

I for one would urge restraint on all parties. But the authorities must handle this very carefully. Engaging the thinking public by show of force would not work. Pakistan's Musharaf is sweating when lawyers march and things almost got out of hand.

The monks are marching in Myanmar and nobody knows how this is going to turn out. If the ordinary people in Myanmar were to join the monks, more blood could spill...

Nearer to home, the Batu Burok incident is still fresh in our mind, thanks to the repeated footage on national television. I wonder what impact the violent confrontation has on the local population. And elsewhere too for that matter...

So, you tell me - Are we under siege?

Our doa for Tun M continues

TUN DR Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali has not left the IJN from the moment Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had his second open-heart surgery on Sept. 4. And that's where I found her last night, on the fifth floor of the IJN.

According to Mokhzani, one of the sons, her mother has been camping at the IJN from Day One, and doesn't look like she's going to take a break by going home or doing something else other than tending to her husband, the former PM.

By now, she knows her way around quite well already in the IJN. She's either on the first floor where the ICU is, or on the fifth floor where the Bunga Raya ward is located. Tun M is now in the ICU after undergoing a second surgery intended to facilitate his recovery process.

The fact that he had to undergo another surgery, and it being done at night, had somehow led to some rumours that the surgery didn't go very well. By Monday evening, the rumours went as far as saying that Tun M had passed on. Text messages were being sent and replied and forwarded, each seeking confirmation and asking for any news of the former PM.

I got calls and text messages from all over the country asking if I know of his condition, and whether there's any truth to the rumours. Others later gave their version, saying they too had received similar enquiries.

When I got to the IJN with two other former newspaper editors, Mokhzani told us that his dad is conscious and able to communicate with his doctors and immediate family members. He too confirmed that he had been receiving similar enquiries from friends and acquaintances, including those from overseas.

If you must know, a police station did call the IJN asking if there were any truth to the rumours!

But such is the concern for Dr Mahathir. He's very much in the news. As far as I know, three Cabinet ministers visited the IJN wanting to know his condition while a few more made phone calls asking similar questions. Former Cabinet colleagues of the Tun also visited the fifth floor wanting first-hand information.

Our doa for the Tun's speedy and full recovery has not stopped. God willing, Tun M will continue to walk with us soon and continue to serve the nation in whatever capacity possible. Get well soon, Tun!

As for Tun Siti, I hope she paces herself well too. She was wearing an IJN pullover when I saw her last night. She wore an expression of concern but the look was not of real worry. Tun Siti knows that she's not alone in her vigil of her husband. Our doa is with you too.

Killer/s must be made to suffer same pain

NO WORDS could described how stunned the public is when news reports revealed that the body of the young girl in a sports bag found in PJ on Monday was that of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin. Only 8 years old, the Std 2 girl was brutalised in a manner that makes even the most mild-mannered person in society capable of turning into a beast should the person lay his or her hands on the murderer/s.

Missing since Aug 20, today marked exactly one month since her parents, relatives, the Police, friends, neighbours and well-wishers searched nooks and corners trying to find her. And when news and picture of a dead girl found in a sports bag was released through the newspapers, normal people everywhere stood stung by the bestiality of such an act.

If there's a crime that the police has to solve, this is surely one that demands high priority. This, to me, is the mother of all crimes that this country has seen in a long while. Which leads many of us asking one simple question - what's happening to this beloved country of ours? Have we lost control of ourselves that there are persons who can turn to become savages at the mere sight of an innocent 8 year old girl?

The beast must be found, and found quickly. And when found, justice must be dispensed with swiftly. The normal view is that the full weight of the law must be brought to bear on the culprit should he be found and brought to trial. But many will join Nurin's parents is asking - even punishment by death may not be fair enough in seing justice done on a victim who knows no evil and was innocent in all matters pertaining to her short life.

I am of the view that normal laws cannot be applied when punishing Nurin's killer or killers. The killer or killers' act of savagery must be met with no less primitive and brutal acts of punishment. Why should rationale people punish savages with decent laws when they have committed such barbaric acts?

Friends in the legal fraternity will argue otherwise, and I respect their views. But I'm sure all parents harbour similar thoughts as me.

Handle UPM-student dispute wisely

WHAT'S happening at the Universiti Putra Malaysia? I read media reports of the UPM authorities confiscating the laptop of a student said to contain pornographic materials and using it to print some unwanted items. This led to an open confrontation between a group of students and the University authorities.

The scenes of the confrontation was videoed and shown on a news portal. For many reasons, I found the scenes disturbing and potentially dangerous. Any open confrontation between students and university authorities can erupt into a major conflict and can easily undermine the credibility of the institutions whose basic premise is to produce students with academic excellence, guide them to some level of maturity, nurture a sense of purpose in life and encourage them to think and contribute to nation building in the long run.

This confrontation cannot be covered up. It will invite media attention. And this may not just be local media boys and girls. A battle to claim who is more right or more wrong will ensue. The party who is able to articulate their case better will win the day and look more credible.

But this is not about an intellectual battle. Not about a debate. It's about managing situations and making sure that problems are addressed according to set procedures so that a more accountable system is put in place, one that encourages a more a healthy environment for excellence.

I'm sure many people are waiting for full the disclosure of what really transpired at the campus. Varsity students involved in national political issues is not a new phenomenom. University authorities having have to grapple with so-called difficult students too is also not new. Political parties woing student leaders and students to their side have been happening in campuses for a long time.

Against a background of rumours and one-sided explanation, the situation can be explosive if not addressed quickly and effectively. By now, word of mouth would have spread; and various versions of the "truth" have been told.

As usual, questions abound. What is the standard operating procedure in handling grievances of this nature? How effective is the channel of communication between students and the university authorities? Was the confrontation a manifestation that a bigger problem exists within the campus?

Will we really know what really happen in the campus? And for that matter, in all campuses?

I'm sure those who witnessed the open confrontation first hand or via the video recording would have formed certain opinions, and their views may be coloured by their own historical perception. There will also be people who are convinced that the whole episode is racial, given the high social, political and cultural polarisation that exists in most campuses!

Confiscating a student's laptop will not guarantee obedience (if that is what the UPM authorities wanted to do); confronting the UPM bosses by obstructing their vehicle will also not yield anything good; and the relevant authorities not taking immediate action to settle the dispute will only be guilty of encouraging the situation to escalate and this will have far-reaching impact and consequences.

Dear Tun - follow your drs, not your heart!

Dear Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,

Salam Ramadhan to you! I join many fellow Malaysians who are glad and relieved that you went through your open-heart surgery successfully and is now recovering at the IJN. I'm sure the doctors there are keeping a very close watch on you and that is very comforting to know.

It's likely that you'll be spending the early part of Ramadhan at IJN rather than at home. No Sir, you can't take time off and go for a walkabout at Kg Baru to buy your kueh koci or popiah or anything like that. If you want them, just press the button and many will gladly send those items over.

We wait, sometimes impatiently, for news update of your condition. Your aide Sdra Sufi has been keeping us duly informed via his Press Statements. Occassionally, we get sms from your family members. Be assured that every bit of information is shared with others who are always eager and anxious to see you on your feet, fully recovered after a complete rest etc.

Have you been reading the papers? We all know that reading the papers in the morning is a must for you. If you are not, I'm sure you are duly informed of what's going on in and around the country. You'd probably want to comment on some of these developments, but I think you better keep that on hold and concentrate on your immediate task.

And that task is quite simple and clear - to get well ASAP! While we may not have direct access to the doctors treating you, we are told that you are making excellent recovery. For someone who is 82, and having gone through a second open-heart bypass, you are making one helluva recovery!

If only the doctors can share some of their thoughts, I'm sure their stories would make good reading. In fact, I hope they are documenting their work on you! Come on, how often do they get the chance to do a major surgery in the way they did last week! The whole medical world would want to know what went on during that history-making operation!

On hindsight, you wanting to go ahead with that surgery is quite typical of you. You are forever challenging the odds, forever testing the parameters, always willing to show the way even at the risk of your own life! Is that why your favourite song is Old Blue Eyes' May Way? Must be lah...

I know you don't take advice too kindly, especially when it's unsolicited. But I'll go ahead and give you one - please don't rush your recovery process! I'm told that doctors are often bad patients. I hope you are not one of them though!

When I was told that you were sent back to the ICU yesterday, I was wondering what's up! You've been sent to the normal ward and then wheeled back to ICU soon after. What's going on, as my nephew Sonjay would say!

Whatever the reasons, your doctors know best. Just listen to them and you'll be fine! I'm not saying that you don't listen to them, but sometimes you can be one stubborn fellow. I've seen how your aides had often advised you to go slow on your bicycle exercise, and you just pretended you didn't hear them!

Well Tun, whatever you do this time, just make sure you adhere strictly to their instructions! Your doctors aren't the only ones who want to see you alive and kicking - the rest of us share that feeling too!

I got to go now. A couple of night hounds want me to join them for roti canai (oops sorry!) and thosai. You take care and rest. Do know that a great many of us have you in our daily doa. Salams!

aat
almost 2am
Sept 16 '07

ps - join us for tea at the Dome KLCC when you get back to work!

Roti canai satu!

THE picture may be a bit blur, but as everyone can see - our Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is well on the road to recovery after his open-heart surgery last week at the IJN! And Tun Dr Siti Hasmah have reasons to be pleased with what she sees, as do most, if not all, Malaysians!

It's great to see you Tun, even from someone else's camera lenses! The Great Almighty have answered our prayers and we are very grateful. We are told you had one roti canai for breakfast today! That can only be good! This Ramadhan will be even more special, I can tell you! Syukur Alhamdulillah!

Karim's Ramadhan greetings

MUSLIMS start fasting on Thursday, InsyaAllah, and that includes our friend Karim Sulaiman, the former editor who is fighting an extremely rare skin disease, scleromyxoedema. Today, Karim went back to HKL for his eighth round of treatment.

Karim now weighs 51kg. and doctors said this is remarkable. For someone who went down as low as 35kg at one time, Karim is showing very positive signs of recovery that has excited medical practitioners in and outside the country.

HKL's Department of Dermatology must be credited for much of Karim's treatment and the manner with which they pursue his case is most encouraging. In fact, Karim provided a rare and important opportunity for them to study the disease and see what good can come from their treatment and research.

As I understand it, the lady doctor who has been following and documenting Karim's case made a presentation at a medical seminar in Johore recently and walked away with the best presenter award. Let us all hope that Karim continues his recovery and may he walk with all of us again as a meaningful member of society.

A few days ago, Karim sent me an e mail wishing everyone Ramadhan greetings. And Hawa, his wife, told me that Karim will also fast regardless of his condition. He did the same last year and is none the worse for it.

Hawa said: "I'm very thankful that Karim is able to do the things he wants to do. I join him in thanking everyone for helping us. May this Ramadhan brings joy and fulfillment to everyone!"

Our football is a disgrace...

NIGERIA beat Spain in the Under 17 World Cup Finals, a game that was shown live on Astro a short while ago. At about the same time yesterday, the people of Kedah sat through the finals of the Malaysia Cup and saw their team trounced Perak without too much of breaking a sweat.

Fortunately, I didn't wait to see the whole Kedah-Perak finals. I made the right decision by turning down an invitation to see the game at the Bkt Jalil Stadium. And this was justified because what I saw on TV was a game where Kedah came out very much eager to win and Perak had apparently forgotten that there was a trophy at stake!

Based on what was shown last night, Perak should perhaps just forget about football and focus on orchard farming where their durians are still tops! After two goals down, Perak had given up any thought of fighting for the ball, let alone trying to salvage whatever pride left remaining.

Kedah deserved to win. Their players showed more determination, were very focussed, not afraid of the big stage, and displayed glimpse of skills that delighted the crowd. Perak's famous cry of "Kejor, Yob, Kejor" was just a whimper at best.

In the Under 17 World Cup Finals, Nigeria showed just how much the future holds for African football! The players played with pride and determination, technically mature and displayed good team spirit. They were obviously hungry and had something to prove!

I just couldn't help concluding that the young players from Nigeria and Spain could have taught our Malaysian chaps a lesson or two on the pitch. It was the kind of skills that this country sorely need. It was a pleasure to see them play, really!

Our football, a sports activist told me between teh tarik, is nothing more than a political vehicle where favours are asked and given; deals are made on a 'you scratch my back and I scratch yours' basis; where corporates spend their money hoping to land big contracts.

Very simply, our football is a disgrace. And I know it's not a new realisation.

YBs - Start your own Blog!

MP and Minister Nazri A Aziz held court at a seminar for journalists a few days ago in PJ. Organised by the National Union of Journalists, the seminar was part of the union's Merdeka celebrations. Some 100 NUJ members, students of journalism and guests sat and listened to Nazri lamenting that he sometimes didn't get enough space in the newspapers.

In fact, this is not an uncommon grievance of MPs and ministers. State Assemblymen and MBs also complain at various times of the same thing. It's a fact that politicians have a love-hate relationship with the media the world over, and most believe strongly in the saying that "bad Press is better than no Press at all."

On this occasion, and with the technology readily available in the country, those who complain that they don't get enough Press have an immediate solution to their woe - START YOUR OWN BLOG!

It takes less than three minutes to create a blog. Those who are really IT-savvy can start one with half an eye closed! When MPs, MBs, Ministers and CMs have their own blog, they can have total control of their media space. They can shut people out, lecture and sermonise to their hearts content, receive feedback from voters and engage their constituents all the time.

I know that they are very busy and may not be able to update their blogs as often as they like. But why not take the first step and see if it works. Hello! You and I know a couple of high-profile politicians who blog, and one must give them credit for doing so. The frequency with which they update their blogs is another matter altogether!

Having cyber-warriors doing the articulation is not the same as having a genuine YBs operating their own blogs. Politicians in some other countries have their own blogs and they have found this to be useful and convenient.

Come on YBs, let's see you put up your blog soon! It'll be fun too!

PS - would YBs who blog be referred to as liars, rumour mongers and goblok too? I wonder...

sebak dadamu sebak hati kami

kau umpama pelita tua
masih menyala menerangi semua
usia tuamu penuh khidmat dan jasa
mana mudah dilupa saja

kini kau terlantar lagi
berjuang sendiri tanpa henti
kesetiaanmu harus dicontohi
bukankah kau yang mempelopori

kau umpama pelita tua
perjuanganmu untuk semua
penyuluh jalan kami segala
mengisi hidup ruang negara

dengan teladan penuh yakin
menjadi pemangkin tulen
peka pada si miskin
yang sukar kini dah mungkin

dulu kau dipuji tiada henti
sekelip mata ramai menyepi
kini kau terlantar lagi
mungkin ramai yang ingin mendekati

dalam diam ramai tak mendiam diri
mengikuti jejak mu setiap hari
sebak dada mu sebak hati kami
menanti kembali mu ke pangkuan kami

demi negara demi bakti
kami iringi doa setulus hati
kami mohon restu ilahi
agar kau terus bersama kami

ahmad a talib
430 pagi
3 sept '07

salam merdeka

salam
rakan dan kawan
teman dan kenalan

salam
eratkan setiakawan
teguhkan perjuangan
kuatkan iman

salam
pahit manis ditelan
perit jerih jadikan laluan
simpan seribu kenangan
jadikan azimat sepanjang zaman

ayuh teruskan perjuangan
semangat jangan luntur
hati mesti berani
jiwa mesti merdeka!

aat
2145
30 ogos, 2007
kuala lumpur

Kelantan Delight - goodbye and good luck!

MIKHAIL S Zhovner walked into the Kelantan Delight restaurant at KLCC last week asking if he can try the nasi kerabu, a famous rice dish from Kelantan and the east coast. He insisted that he wanted to try the rice because it was recommended by the author of a Russian tour guide book!

Restaurant owner Juhaidi just couldn't believe his ears. Here was a genuine Russian tourist, who hails from Moscow, and was asking for nasi kerabu! Zhovner had walked into the restaurant on Aug 22 with four other friends who had all heard about the dish and were so eager to try it out.

But they were disappointed. They came on the closing night of the famous restaurant. The kitchen has been closed and the owners had instead organised a private function to say Thank You to their loyal patrons over the years. Instead, the Russians were treated to the buffet spread and went away happy and cheerful.

You see, Kelantan Delight had to close it doors to customers, and have to move out to a new location near KL Sentral in the next couple of months. High rental and some strange policy used by the management of KLCC Suria had forced the restaurant to close.

Its owners, Juhaidi and Zainab, have been at KLCC since 1997, operating at first from the food court before opening a proper restaurant, one that has done so well, beyond the expectation of its owners.

I had thought that Juhaidi had invited the Russians to the restaurant's final night, a sort of farewell to regular customers and friends. As it turned out, the Russians were indeed genuine tourists.

The restaurant is no stranger to local and foreign food hunters; and they seldom go home disappointed. Specialties such as lompat tikam (desset) have long been a favourite of many. My favourite is the daging masak merah and tom yam.

On the closing night, Juhaidi had invited orphans and old folks and gave then a treat. With Ramadhan just round the corner, I thought that it was a fitting farewell. The owners of Kelantan Delights are not shy of sharing their wealth with the less privileged and have-nots.

Many people have good memories of Kelantan Delight. The owners have done well for themselves, especially for sticking to their guns when they opened the restaurant 10 years ago. The naysayers have been plentiful, but most have been won over.

But Juhaidi did not succeeed in winning over the policy makers at KLCC Suria. It seems that retail outlets at KLCC Suria have to refurbish and refresh their outlets regularly to maintain a 'new' look all the time. This costs money, big money.

And not many retailers have the capacity or deep pockets to do this, without eating into their margines. Operators like Juhaidi and Zainab braved the competition and did well for themselves. But to continue operating at the KLCC, they have to spend more to make their outlet look 'new and fresh.'

And how would they recover their costs after spending on renovations and new tables and chairs? Pass them to customers? Would the rental remain the same after all the renovations? No way! Rental will go up and the price of the lompat tikam and daging masak merah will all carry new and revised (upwards that it) price tags!

I wish Juhaidi and Zainab will find a more reasonable landlord when they reopen soon. They are a victim of their own success. Good luck with your new outlet!

In this corner, weighing 50kg...Karim S!

COME August 12, Karim Sulaiman, celebrates his 46th birthday. Which is just about a week from today. And he celebrates it with extra kilos to his weight - 50kg to be exact! In Dec last year, this award-winning journalist was only 35kg, and reducing.

Karim, as you may be aware, suffers from an extremely rare skin disease called scleromyxoedema. The disease makes his skin taut, stiffen his joints which makes eating solid food difficult and sometimes impossible. To date, medical scientists are still trying to find a cure for this ailment.

I spoke to him today after getting a text message from his wife, Siti Hawa. Siti Hawa had given me an update and she sounded happy and excited on the phone. When Karim came on the line, he was even more excited:

"Cik Mad! Alhamdulillah! I'm most thankful to Him for allowing me to continue to survive this far. I've gone for my sixth treatment at the Department of Dermatology at Hospital kuala Lumpur and the doctors have just been wonderful.

"They are going all out and have been very thorough in their examination. I have only Thank You to say to them!"

His voice is also a lot clearer and stronger. Last year, it was almost difficult to make out his words. One has to strain to try and make out what he was saying. Often, his wife had to intervene and translate his slurred speech.

Today, Karim moves about in the house more independently; he can climb stairs unaided; and is also able to climb the higher stairs in the mosque near his house much better and with less difficulty. He's also an avid Internet surfer.

I asked him if had seen his picture in the Berita Harian special supplement to mark it's 50th anniversary a few days ago. He said No, but he's heard about it. I suspect he no longer buys newspaper. Maybe Berita Harian should send him daily copies of the newspaper...

Three of Karim's children are in boarding school and each of them receive some financial support from the SP Setia Foundation chaired by Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye. Since Karim was still salaried, albeit only a half-month, each child can claim up to RM500 per year for their school expenses.

They can claim up to RM1,000 a year if Karim is no longer getting his salary. Siti Hawa is very grateful that many well-wishers have poured help to Karim and the family. They are just as grateful to everyone who offer doa and words of encouragement as they battle this hardship.

Karim's progress has been so encouraging and he's very eager to meet deputy health minister Datuk Dr Latif Ahmad, the person who helped facilitate his treatment at HKL. Maybe we can all drop in at his house and celebrate his 46th birthday together.

Engage bloggers for they are here to stay

AAH! What a week for bloggers! RPK of Malaysia Today was summoned to a police station to be quizzed; a seminar on blogging was held at UKM with some well-known personalities giving their views; Ahirudin 'Rockybru' Attan was invited to give his views on blogging at a conference in Bintan; and many politicians jumped on the bandwagon giving their two-sen worth on the issue at hand.

There's no shortage of accusations and counter-accusations too! We also read statements by international bodies expressing their concern for the blogging community in Malaysia and the manner in which the Government views blogs and bloggers. Hah! It's almost come to the stage where a person can be considered to be unfashionable for not knowing or visiting a blog.

Not cool at all, many say!

About three weeks ago I was invited to speak on blogging at a seminar which was attended by some 40 bloggers and IT promoters. This is small, considering the number of bloggers and blogs that have mushroomed in the country in recent months. But to me, the number is not important.

What is noteworthy is that the political party (not Umno or PKR) which organised the seminar had acknowledged bloggers and the influence this group of people may have on society (read voters). Blog followers are generally urban-based for the moment, because the digital divide in this country is still wide and not adequately addressed.

By engaging the bloggers, the organisers had actually begun the process of two-way communication, done in a relaxed environment and with the clear objective of seeking an understanding of what is blogging, what it can do, and where it's heading. Agreed that there weren't many established and controversial bloggers in attendance. But mind you, this is just the beginning.

Blogs provide a platform for intellectual articulation and debate. There are also blogs which provide updates on people and events; some blogs may just be the owner's personal diary - penning stories about their work, their hobbies and other pursuits. Some blogs are hardly known and visited because they are just the owner's personal space in blogosphere.

The Muhammad Muhd Taib and RPK duel has given blogging considerable attention and publicity. RPK more than Muhammad would certainly welcome the coverage given by the national media! Not all blogs get that kind of national attention and free promotion courtesy of the Umno information chief.

A number of working journalists too have blogs of their own, suggesting that they find blogging a good platform for intellectual interaction and engagement. They aren't able to do that in their own media organisations, you may ask. Well, they blog for reasons of their own, and this could also mean that blogging provides them with some degree of satisfaction.

I believe that lodging police reports and making threats are not the most effective and appropriate way to engage bloggers. There's a limit to what brawn can do when addressing situations involving intellectual discourse. A duel to the death won't help matters too, I think.

A meeting of the minds is needed, lest the antagonism fuel unwanted attention at a time when we are being led to believe there is greater freedom of expression than ever before. Blogging is here to stay. The faster the relevant authorities recognises that, the better.

Nuri - where are the answers?

The death of the six members of the RMAF when their Nuri helicopter crashed a couple of weeks ago must have numbed everyone. Like everyone else, I offer my condolences to the families of the deceased and pray that their soul rest in peace. Al Fatihah.

Much has been said about the tradegy. We all know that this is not the first Nuri to have crashed. If what we read in the newspapers is true, that fateful crash could be the last. The grounding of the Nuris could trigger a new set of helicopters taking to the sky to enable our airmen and women to do their task well and with the minimum danger.

I've flown in the Nuri before. Not once but several times. Many journalists had flown in them during assignments in and around the country, whether on assignments with the RMAF or with members of the Cabinet on site visits etc.

There wasn't much fear among the journalists in the chopper. We felt save, partly because the fun of riding in one caused us to forget about any safety aspects. Prime Ministers and their wives had flown in the Nuri too. In fact, on one particular flight, Tun Dr Mahathir would stand near the door to see what's on the ground.

I recall one flight the early '80s when the Nuri took me and other journalists from somewhere in the east coast to Gemencheh in Negri Sembilan. We were in one chopper and Tun Musa Hitam, then the DPM flew in another.

We followed him when he made an unscheduled visit to see the slain Umno politician which became a major talking point in the country then. We flew back in the late evening and the crew took us back to Sg Besi safely even when it was getting dark. I remember vividly Tun Musa giving a Press Conference on the doorsteps of the deceased house, saying that the slaying was not a political killing.

Anyway, whenever a Nuri crashed, many questions surfaced. Many of these questions are repeat questions, meaning they have been asked each time a crash occurs. Besides the families of the deceased, we the rakyat also deserve full explanation of the incidents.

Was the crash due to mechanical failures? If so, what were the faults? Weren't the faults detected earlier? Can we see records of these faults and what kind of repairs were done? What lessons did we learn from each crash, from every previous crash?

Can we do an audit of each Nuri to gauge and determine the exact airworthiness of each aircraft? What is the life span of each Nuri? Would new avionics extend the airworthiness of the Nuri? If so, by how many years? What were the economic justification for extending the airworthiness of these aircraft?

Were all the crash due to mechanical failures? Were there any that could have been due to human errors? If so, which ones? Again, if so, have these been comprehensively explained to the families of the deceased and their loved ones? What kind of action taken on those found to have been the cause of the crash? If there were human errors, why weren't they made public?

Whenever enquiries are done for each crash, would the families of the deceased be represented, maybe by a family lawyer? Can the family actually request representation when enquiries are made, so that there is better transparency in these exercises?

The list of questions are endless actually. As each question is posed, and no adequate answers found and made known, the public will continue to speculate and come to conclusions of their own. Most, if not all, of the conclusions could be wrong ones as they are based on hearsay and rumours.

This is unnecessary, and dangerous. If these deaths are to have any meaning at all, then let's get the answers quickly and truthfully. Let's find where, or who as the case may be, the fault lies.

Hutang budi dibawa mati...

On the occassion of Tun Dr Mahathir's and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah's birthday, which fall on July 10 and July 12 respectively, I penned the following verses:

Bismillahirrohmanirohim
penghulu kata, pendulu bicara
izinkan saya sedikit masa
berkongsi sepatah dua kata
sambil duduk bertentang mata
sebelum kita menjamu selera

Assalamualaikum dan Good Afternoon
kepada hadirin dan kedua Tun
jika bunyi kurang santun
mohon maaf, mohon ampun

kita berkumpul sebagai keluarga
meraikan bapa dan ibu tercinta
tak ada mereka tak ada kita
itulah ayat pendekar tua

bukan tujuan mahu meminta
tidak juga ingin bercerita
cuma mahu bertentang mata
mengatakan kasih kepada Tun berdua

di sini kita duduk bersama
adik kakak, abang dan anak
dalam suasana penuh gembira
kerana kita berkeluarga semua

jika dahulu Tun Mahathir berkuasa
didamping pula Tun Siti yang setia
kini, mereka dah ada yang lupa
mungkin tak sengaja...

Wahai kedua ibu dan bapa
kami ikuti kisah mu berdua
ke sana ke mari seia sekata
pahit manis dirasa bersama

tempoh hari Tun terlentang
dalam kesakitan jantung diserang
kami, adik kakak, abang dan anak
risau dan gundah, tidor tak nyenyak

namun, berat mata memandang,
berat lagi bahu memikul
dari jauh ramai juga yang datang
meninjau kesihatan berdoa panjang

berkat doa kita semua
dengan usaha tabib istimewa
permintaan kita dikabul jua
tun pulih sediakala
berjuang terus tanpa kira
kadangkala menunggang kuda
membikin kita risau semula

jika diikut langkah mereka
semakin jauh kita menjaja
membawa khidmat mengebar bendera
negara tercinta semakin ternama

jangan dikira usia mereka
ia cuma angka semata
cuba selami jiwa mereka
mungkin terasa semangat waja

budi dan jasa ditabur merata
tunjuk ajar diberi percuma
ramai penerima mengumpul harta
tak kurang juga yang mudah lupa

years ago when you were in power
never did once you surrender
Acknowledged by all as the consumate leader
taking the nation to the world yonder

ninety-seven, and, ninety eight
turbulent years, everyone said
street wars and currency raid
we found ourselves going into the red

when others were full of doubt
instead, you chose to shout
and proved beyond a shadow of doubt
why we need to stay above board

if, today we have excelled
it's partly because you taught us well
now, allow us to wish you both well
and may your good fortune continue to swell

still,
if there's anything you need, pray tell

udah, cukuplah dulu kita bercerita
insyaAllah disambung di lain masa
mari kira raikan ibu dan bapa
tak ada mereka tak ada kita

pulau pandan jauh ketengah
gunung daik bercabang tiga
hancur badan dikandung tanah
budi yang baik dikenang juga

pisang emas dibawa belayar
masak sebiji di atas peti
hutang emas boleh dibayar
hutang budi di bawa mati

kalau ada jarum yang patah
jangan disimpan di dalam peti
kalau ada silap dan salah
jangan disimpan di dalam hati

ahmad a talib
10 julai, 2007
kuala lumpur

CTOS - still not too late to put things right

CTOS and Bob goes in hand. Now the story received a bit more prominence when Dep Min Kayveas joined the fray and began to highlight the woes that have affected other Bobs in the country.

One must take one's hat off to the Dep Minister in the Prime Minister's Dept over this. While this may be a bit late in the day for some, it could possibly help many others whose loan applications at various banks may be pending.

As the banks rightly said, they don't depend on CTOS information alone when processing loans. This is true no doubt. But one wonders how many loan applicants had their submissions rejected based on CTOS information? It could be revealing.

CTOS and the banks can also help by owning up. Small businessmen like Bob and thousand others had gone through bad times but recovered through perseverance and staying the course. These people have mouths to feed and are also responsible for their staff and other dependents.

This is perhaps where Bank Negara can step in. It can launch a special unit to process loan applications which had been rejected by banks, provided they can show documented evidence that they have clean records but not reflected in CTOS files.

Many people like Bob are about to fold up. Some are on the verge of losing their mind as well. Help them before they resort to something drastic or tragic.

Bosnia - safe and ready for investments

BEFORE the genocide of the early '90s, most Malaysians hardly knew the existence of a state in the Yugoslav federation called Bosnia. After the mass killings which lasted several years that shook the world, a new independent nation emerged to stake its rightful claim in the world community of nations - Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Two weeks ago, two Malaysian delegations were in Sarajevo, the bustling capital city of Bosnia-Herzegovina. One was led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the other by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Such was Malaysia's affinity with the Bosnians that the old and the new were in the capital at the same time.

Both were there to help promote business in the war-ravaged country. Both leaders had separate programmes and did not meet, contrary to what some political observers may think. The Prime Minister stayed one night in the city and officiated a bilateral business seminar. He left for Italy after that.

Sarajevo appears right for some real business. Being summer, the days were long and one can cover a lot of grounds if one is doing some serious search for potential businesses. It was this search for business collaboration that the proponents for the Global Alliance for Partnership in International Development (GAPID) sat huddled in one of the quieter villas on the outskirt of Sarajevo last week.

Foreign friends of Bosnia had gathered to work out a plan of action which they hoped could help chart the country's destiny. There are altogether some 5 million Bosnians in the world, with about 3.5 million residing in the country. The others had fled for their lives between 1992 and 1995 and are now making a living in their adopted home. Many have promised to return, and this has given the Bosnian government confidence and hope.

Bosnia Herzegovina had a fiery and painful birth, witnessed by a world who played deaf and mute while mass killings - ethnic cleansing as described by some people - went on for several years with minimum intervention by the UN and other world powers. Today, that nation is hungry for jobs, development and wants to share its domestic wealth with the rest of the world.

Sarajevo, which suffered heavy bombardment from the Serbian armed forces in the four year period in the '90s, is gradually rebuilding itself. Showrooms of luxury cars and new buildings and apartments stand side by side with old buildings pockmarked by scars made by mortar bombs and bullets.

Dr Mahathir sat with friends of Bosnia for three days (June 23 to 25) to help work out new initiatives to facilitate further the reconstruction of the country. The president of the Islamic Development Bank joined CEOs, businessmen, think tank members and other parties as they brainstormed possible ideas.

In fact, Bosnian Prime Minister Nedzad Brankovic joined the group on Monday morning, lending the discussion strong support and official endorsement. Gapid is an initiative by Dr Mahathir to get the private sector of Islamic countries to work together and strengthen their national economy and improve on their international networking.

It's early days yet, and Gapid has to work extremely hard to make its plan achieve the desired effect. Bosnia is a country that is aggressively pursuing a free-enterprise economy after years of conflict and even longer years under a centrally-planned economic system. Let's wish Bosnia well. And if you have the money, make a short trip there to do your own assessment.

Doesn't take much to please dads

IT DOESN'T take a lot to make fathers happy. They won't be asking their children for millions of ringgit; or expensive watches and sumptious dinners at big restaurants and/or five-star hotels. Father's will be happy just to have their children healthy, happy and stay out of trouble and mischief.

Many fathers will tell you that their children give them this, or give them that; some glow with pride when their children succeed in life; some lament endlessly at their offsprings who follow the wayward path to harm themselves and others.

Often, fathers are also a misunderstood lot. The concern for their children is often mistook for control - don't stay up late; be careful who you go out with; don't waste time by sleeping late; exercise; don't do this, don't do that! Alamak! Life sucks, the children will say.

But kids, listen, and listen good. Fathers generally know best. It's been proven time and time again. Fathers don't encourage their children do drugs; live a life of destruction; they may smoke but they tell their children not to! Fathers know best after the tough times they've gone through.

In four days time, it'll be nine years since my father died. It feels like only yesterday I took him to the hospital for treatment; seems like only yesterday he refused me RM3.50 to join friends and neighbours to enjoy a bus ride to Port Dickson for a day by the sea.

It's also like only yesterday he borrowed from the chettiar to buy my school uniform and school bag. His philosophy was simple, and one that I try to follow as best as I can: "Do no harm to others. Respect your elders always. Be the best you can."

And he often whispered: "Live a better life than me. Take your responsibility seriously. Serve God and the community, and you'll do fine."

There are thousands, millions, of fathers out there who want the best for their children. Kids, make your fathers happy by being happy. He probably has less years ahead than you. Learn from him.

Belated Happy Father's Day!!

Karim's on holiday in PD!

KARIM Sulaiman, our one-time Special Project Editor with Berita Harian who's down with a rare skin ailment, scleromyxoedema, is well enough to take a holiday! He's gone to Sri Pena, the NSTP Training centre with a beach in Port Dickson.

I caught up with him on his mobile. He sounded chirpy and very much enjoying his short break with family members. Sri Pena offers a swimming pool and enough rooms to accomodate at least 200 people at any one time.

Karim said he has been told by Malaysian researchers that he is one of 151 people affected by the disease worldwide. He was also told that he was the latest. But in terms of treatment, Karim said he's getting "the safest and the most successful" so far. Even though no cure has been found, Karim's progress has inspired medical researchers to double their work.

In fact, karim's response to treatment has made him a subject of study by skin disease experts. His case will be studied further at two national and international symposiums on skin diseases in Kuala Lumpur and Seoul before the end of the year.

Karim's progress has been very encouraging. Recounting his story, Karim said: "Cik Mad, I can walk the stairs better than a month ago. I can eat better. I've gained another kilo, and my skin is not as taut as before. That's why I can move better too. I'm due for another round of treatment next week."

Karim's progress has partly been due to the support he's been getting from friends and well-wishers. I'm sure we'll continue to give him that support, and we must acknowledge his wife's dedication to look after her ailing husband. God Bless Karim!

Let's wish Rayyan well!

I promised Nik Aiza, a former colleague of mine, to blog her son's ailment a few weeks ago. I must apologise to her for not doing it earlier. I was travelling and doing some NGO work that made me forget what I had set out to do. I now want to rectify that. Hence, this piece.

Aiza's son, Rayyan, went through an extremely difficult period recently, As the doting mother, Aiza focussed all her energy into her son, The following is her e mail to me, which she had also sent to other friends.

It shows that one is never alone when faced adversity. There'll always be families, friends, acquaintances and complete strangers who, out of the kindness of their heart, will come out with deeds or kind words to help us see through the tough times. Aiza certainly had her share of such goodwill.

Let's hear her story:

"I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you for the well wishes, kind thoughts, encouragement, contribution & prayers during this difficult period. Rayyan was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in early March & was hospitalized in Pantai Medical Centre & then the Pediatric Cancer Ward in University Hospital.

"The total count of his white blood cells were extremely high & his platelets were really low, causing him to bruise easily. He is now undergoing chemo treatment which has several phases, depending on how well he responds to each phase & each phase lasts from about 2-5 weeks. He will finish his 2nd Phase by end of this week, followed by the next round of chemo.

"As the pictures show, he’s generally in high spirits when he’s not being jabbed or treated by the doctors. He especially enjoyed the visitors & gifts (especially Shakirah who is always excited to go to the hospital – never before in her whole life!) – and thank goodness for the portable DVD player! The hospital has volunteers who come over every week with small gifts & balloons.

"And sometimes there are organizations or companies that have small parties – it’s certainly an eye-opener to see that small efforts like these have a huge up-lifting effect not only for the patients, but the affected families & hospital staff as well.

"Rayyan is now at home & needs to visit the hospital every 3 days for his treatment. His blood count is still sometimes low & they’d give him a blood transfusion. There are several types of chemo drugs & ways to administer them. He has oral pills to be taken daily, medication to fight against pneumonia to be taken every 3 days, his hospital treatment is a jab on the butt & also another one thru IV.

"Every 15 days they also take a sample of his bone marrow to test & also to administer another drug thru there. The side effects differ from one person to another & this round of chemo drugs have increased his appetite & made him extra hyper as it works like steroids.

"As we go along, the chemo drugs will intensify & might cause him to get weaker, lose appetite & hair. He’ll need to go for surgery next week to insert something like a chemo-port, which is a tube that’s inserted thru the neck and comes out from his chest.

"The drugs will be administered thru the tube as it is more central & his tiny veins might not be able to “carry” the strong drugs. The doctors have assured us that this is a better choice as it reduces the frequency of his jabs, but we’d have to take extra care of the tube so that it’s not exposed to bacteria.

"When we go for his check-ups, he’d be extremely distressed when we’re in the treatment room, but he’s immediately cheerful again once we leave. I’m relieved that he doesn’t really act like someone who is ill. Insyaallah he’ll be alright as long as things go as planned & we don’t face any set-backs such as fever or falling down.

"With his low blood count & weak immune system due to the chemo, these would be his biggest challenges.

'It’s certainly a difficult journey, but one that must be done for him to return to health. On behalf of my whole family, I’d like to say thanks again to everyone. There are no words to express how thankful we are to have the support of so many. We can only hope that all the blessings will be returned to you & your respective families as well.

"With warm regards,
-Aiza, Izlan, Shakirah & Rayyan."