End of the tunnel (Pt 21) – Little girls no more

  (Section I)

I wish he were still around that I 
could ask him,
 “Can you still 

remember thirteen years ago when I asked for your permission take Ana to stay in our house?” But he has long gone.  

It was a hard life for that ex-soldier 
and family. Pakcik could 

not imagine how Ana, one of his children, could make it in her PMR examination unless she could be spared from having to struggle to share the burden of the family. To earn money the family prepared breakfast foods for sale at a number of the village coffee stalls. Being the only helping hand in the house, Ana had to spend her evenings helping her mother and could only start doing her school work after nine. When other children were still in bed she had to be up by four to finish the final preparation, steaming and frying and wrapping cooked the food in small packages of banana leaves and old newspapers. By six her father had to ride his old motorcycle to deliver the finished products to the coffee stalls ready for villagers to buy on their way home after their ‘subuh’ prayers at the mosques/suraus.

Over the years Ana never failed to 
regularly attend afternoon

classes at Almanar and had shown to be promising. But it was a job for the little girl to fight her drowsiness and keep her eyes open. It was then Pakcik discovered her problem, and that prompted Pakcik to seek her father’s consent to allow her to stay in our house for the whole of the three months preceding her PMR examination.

What followed is history. Seven years later 
she turned up at our

house to tell us that she had made it. She had graduated from a university. She was no longer the little girl (see my Part 1 of my ‘End of the tunnel’ series posted on 21/6/2008 – click here)

Indeed a lot of water has passed under 
the bridge. For one thing 

her dear father has gone. Life is easier for the family. Four years ago she began her career in Tawau as a teacher at a technical college. She did not mind being there as the extra allowance was a big help.

Two months ago, Ana turned up with 
an invitation card for her 

wedding. Of course we would never miss that. Yet, while Pakcik was heading for her house with Makcik and two grandchildren, what appeared to be a desparate call came through my hand phone. “ Pakcik, jangan lupa hari kahwin saya hari ni ! “ ( Pakcik, please don’t forgotten my wedding day today !” Did she do that to everyone?

She held my hands tight and 
released them only to pose for this 

photo.

Today she is a young lady, no longer 
our adopted little girl.

If only I could hold his father’s hand to 
say, “ Tahniah ! 

(Congratulations !)”. I can only have prayers in my heart.

  ___________ 

p/s:

I must not forget to note here what I 
learned from her on one 

of her visits to our house a year or so ago. Among the people around her in Tawau she was known to be a good cook. Regularly she prepared ‘nasi dagang Terengganu’ on order.  It was an extra income, she said with a smile. And Makcik still remembers today how well Ana could prepare certain ‘kueh’ even when she was a young girl in our house.   

======================= 

( Section II )

Joining the same class Almanar at Form 1 
fifteen years ago with 

Ana was another girl we lovingly call Neni. Yesterday, while Pakcik was finishing up this entry she came over. She is two years ahead of Ana. She does not call at our house alone any longer. Yesterday a one-year old boy was tagging along and her husband as well. She is a nurse working in Perlis, and I am pleased to hear that she intends to further her studies. Even on a short three days’ leave home to see her parents she did not fail to call on us.

____________________   

Can our life be more fulfilling and 
satisfying than seeing success 

in these young people? We have our little investment in them.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

End of the tunnel ( Pt 16 ) – Some distance ahead

Six years ago a new secondary school was declared open about ten kilometers away. As the school needed initial bulks of students at various forms, the principals of two existing secondary schools closest to it saw the rare opportunity to improve the performance of their respective schools. Drastic steps were taken to rid of their problematic pupils, especially those in the bottom classes. I was horrified and saddened to notice how a number of pupils, who were living within walking distance from these schools, were being mercilessly forced to move to the new school, causing unnecessary transport problems to them and their poor parents. No body cared for their plight. None of the victims’ parents, simple kampong folks, dared to raise their legitimate grouses. Thus transfers were made with signs of objections arrogantly ignored. It was all done in the name of improving school performance!

It was no secret that the new school was at times referred to as 'sekolah buangan'! ( school for the rejects ).

‘No skin off my nose’ was my attitude then. But I was saddened enough to approach the principal of the new school a few months later. Would the principal consider help from Almanar? Unfortunately, no, the principal had his plans. Three years later I heard the principal had been transferred and, as expected, thus far the initial performance of the school had been far from satisfactory. I made another approach and to my surprise the new principal was more amiable to external help. So three years ago Almanar sponsored the cost of transporting a group of students of poor families to and back from Almanar, whilst a few parents helped to transport others in their cars in turn.

Somehow, unavoidable reasons put a stop to that after about two years, though a few children from that school still maintain their presence at Almanar today.

Until a week ago I thought that was the end of the episode which had a glimmer of initial promise. But, most unexpectedly, I received an invitation by card and words of mouth to attend a prize-giving ceremony at the above school. It was a pleasant surprise indeed and I made a point to attend.

The school had achieved its best PMR results. Five ( repeat f i v e ) pupils out of 90 had all 8 As, a result worthy of being scoffed at when schools elsewhere in the country had all As literally by hundreds. Nevertheless, in this particular instance the result was significant enough achievement to be celebrated. And I shared their joy because those children were part of the group that came to Almanar. The chorus of “Pakcik, Pakcik …” I heard on my arrival was an invaluable present to me, something they could never understand. And they were all too eager to pose for their Pakcik. Today, they are proud pupils of once a 'sekolah buangan'.

These are my children and for them I pray that, in the distance, there is light at the end of the tunnel.


Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

End of the tunnel ( Pt 15 ) - Now she owns a ring

A) - Just a prologue

The sound of an incoming sms woke me up. A message at 1.13 am was not likely to be a good news, unless from another time zone. The message read, ‘Ayh sy meninggal dunia 12.33 am.'

Only then I noticed an earlier message which read, ‘ Salam pakcik. Ayah sy tenat.’ It came at 11.20 pm when I had just retired, too tired to be awakened after a long drive from KL.

Those short messages came from an ex Almanar pupil who regarded us as her second parents. Early this morning we went to her home and at 10.30 I went for the prayers to send off a very dedicated ‘bilal’ of a mosque here. The girl will, insya Allah, be a subject of my ‘End of the tunnel’ series.

The deceased, whom I knew well, has left without a chance to have the worldly satisfaction of seeing the success of his beloved daughter. Alfatihah to this wonderful man whose passing should make his loving daughter realise that he had not lived for nothing. She has a debt to settle.
_____________________________

B) - Now she owns a ring

As I was driving home from the funeral, feeling sorry for the now fatherless girl, I decided to sit and post a new entry before the end of the day, perhaps another of the ‘End of the Tunnel’ series – but not about the bereaved young lady mentioned above. I will pick a boy whom I call Syami.

The boy from Batu Rakit

Not so long ago this boy, Syami, came over to Nuri to hand a wedding invitation card. No, it was not his wedding as he passed his SPM just a year ago. The card was for the wedding of one of his three sisters, he being the youngest of four children from the same mother.

When I first knew Syami seven years ago he struck me as a high potential and a determined boy. Life was not easy for him, his mother selling nasi lemak to raise five clever children. Circumstances brought Syami and Pakcik close together and I was able to counsel and speak freely to him.

I remember how, during the year he sat for the PMR exam, he had to spend a lot of his time helping classmates rather than for himself, a good quality which might not do justice to his own need. A number of his friends did well in that exam; and as I expected Syami did very well himself and that earned him an offer to join form 4 at a premier secondary science boarding school in Kuala Terengganu. When others would jump with joy, he did NOT want to accept the offer!

I was pretty sure had he continued at his old school he would succees to lead his class and continue to be haunted by his class-mates for help. This was a case of a big fish in a small pond, feeling very comfortable, completely oblivious to the great competition among the giants outside. He was certain Almanar could continue to help him through. Pakcik had a hard time to persuade that young boy to leave his comfort zone. Thank goodness , in the end, he grudgingly took my advice.

Hardly three months later, he came around to admit feeling rather ‘small’ against the giants in his class, especially those from schools in the West Coast. That challenge made him produce his best.

Three years has gone down the line. Today my Syami is attending a two-year course leading to Cambridge A Level exam. He has to take German language as he is slated to read engineering in Germany. He knows he has no alternative but to make it if he wants to go forwards; but this young man seems mentally prepared.

______________________

Syami (extreme right) and two classmates

Syami’s family is no longer what it was because his elders, given proper education, are earning good money, thanks to their mother’s tireless sacrifice. If for a long time the great mother enjoyed no luxury, today, according to Syami, ‘She can boast of having a ring on her finger.’ Her children have made her stop selling nasi lemak.
________________________


Both Makcik and Pakcik, as a matter of course, attended the wedding of Syami’s sister. At the end of enjoying our food, and as we were leaving for home Syami came to say that her mother wished to see Pakcik before I left. So I went to look her up. The moment she saw me approaching she left her lady guests. What she had was just to express her thanks for what I had done for her son. “ Kalau ada apa apa masalah saya selalu suruh dia jumpa Pakciklah ( Whenever there was a problem I would normally ask him to see Pakik)”; a compliment I least expected from a wonderful mother who could now smile with a ring on her finger.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

End of the tunnel ( Part 14 ) – Once a fisherman, always a fisherman

The bell rang and I knew someone was at the gate. As I pushed open the main door a young girl was stepping in through the gate.

“Pakcik ingat saya lagi, tak?” ( Can Pakcik still remember me, or not?)

Her face was beaming with excitement. Of course she was a familiar face; but before I could pick a right name from that long list answer she already answered her own question, obviously so exhilarated to let something off her chest. “ Fiza, Pakcik. Nak bagi kad lah Pakcik.” ( Fiza, Pakcik. I have a card to give.)

A kad (a card). I knew it. It had to be an invitation card for her wedding. So that was it.

FIZA

Fiza is no stranger to Makcik and Pakcik.(click) End of the tunnel (Part 5 ) featured her elder sister who now has two children, holding a senior position in a private college in Klang Valley. Fiza herself is a nurse at a hospital in Kedah.

A few minutes later, sitting comfortably and obviously relieved after letting off her chest the reason for her visit, she talked about her job and family, a happy family. Her father, now at 61, is still a fisherman and has been one for 46 years. Shouldn’t he call it a day when children have begun to earn good income? I wondered and asked her so.

“ We all have told him again and again that he must stop going out to sea. But can you believe it? If he does not take his boat out for a few days he gets sick – rindukan ombak ( missing the waves)!”

Ten days later we duly attended her wedding, a grand kampong wedding, the second we attended in that particular house. When I looked at the brick house my mind wondered back some fifteen years ago to picture an old wooded house on stilts, often flooded during monoon season. They often needed a small wooden boat to reach the steps of the house from the higher ground around it.

Wedding day

Pak Yas (for Alias), the proud father, the ‘old man of the sea’, was equally excited to see us. “ I told Fiza she must send her card personally to Pakcik.” He stressed the word ‘sendiri’ (personally).

Pak Yas - Standing tall

And before we left the proud fisherman confided, “ I hope you will have a chance to come for a third wedding.” Indeed three daughters were ‘graduates’ from Almanar. Two are married and one to go.

In his pink dress the proud father looked young for his age. The secret cannot simply be the happy ending for his family but it has a lot to do with his 46 years of dripping his sweat in the sun and the storms, and being washed by the sprays of salt water of the South China Sea.

Makcik and Pakcik share the happiness of the family of this master fisherman.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

End of the Tunnel ( Pt 13 ) - What is success?

Almost seventeen years ago Yani and Zira, two timid kampong girls, joined the form 1 tuition class at Almanar. Yani, currently working with a private college in Selangor, is already a mother of two kids. And early this year, Zira was married. She is working at a hospital, also in Selangor. Perhaps she too will be a mother before long.

An old picture of Yani with her second kid, Makcik and the new couple, Zira and husband

_______________________

One morning last month a young couple gave us a surprise visit. The young man gave me a broad inquiring smile, " Pakcik dah lupa saya?"( Have you forgotten me?)

No, the face was too familiar to easily forget. He spent three long years as a pupil at Almanar. Despite the seveneen years that had lapsed I could not forget that face. He was one of two boys having the same name, Hafiz. I called this one 'Hafiz tinggi' and the other one 'Hafiz Maradona'; the latter being stouter resembling Diego Maradona, at that time the idol Argentine footballer who captained the country to win the World Cup. These two boys were in the same group at Almanar with the two girls, Yani and Zira.

"Ini kad jemputan saya, Pakcik( This is my invitation card)" his murmur was hardly audible, caused by the big grin on his face. By nature he is soft-spoken as well.

"After all these years only now you decide to turn up to this house again." I made it sound like a reproach. Indeed, the last time I saw him was fifteen years ago.

In the course of the following conversation Hafiz repeatedly apologised for staying away from Pakcik and Makcik. He repeatedly said, " Malulah Pakcik ( am ashamed)".

This Hafiz was not a star performer in school those days. His namesake, 'Maradona' is today a civil engineer and this one is not. He was ashamed that, in his mind, he had failed Pakcik who, he was convinced, had expected only the best of Almanar pupils. And he did not quite make it.

Now he was getting married. We promised to be present without doubt. And we did.

______________________

Before he left our house Pakcik managed to have a few quiet words with him, assuring him that he was wrong. A degree is not the certificate of success in life. He now has a permanent job with the state government and his very charming bride is with a university here. That is a better start than his own parents. And he now has every chance to place his children a step better in life. He smiled - pleased with himself.

The wedding party we never failed to attend

The happy couple

And Pakcik and Makcik pray that this new couple will have a life blessed with success and happiness. We know he is in a position to contribute something to his parents.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

End of the tunnel (Pt 12) – The path less travelled by

Today it all looks nice and rosy, a young bride with her own loving parents and now a love of her own. What, then, is so different about Zira?

Very few know the tumultuous family life she went through at the first crucial stage of her education, the year she sat for her PMR exam. No one would want to go through what she did. The subsequent painful years brought her closer to us.

After her SPM she failed to get an offer to do a medical-related course. “ I like to work in a hospital,” she lamented. She was obsessed with a job in hospital.

Knowing that she could not have everything, she accepted to do a three-year course in mechanical engineering, a far cry from her aspiration. Nonetheless, she accepted, worked on it, succeeded, and saw herself as a technical instructor at a factory within a cycling distance from her house. Most would be satisfied but not this girl. She worked for nearly two years, all the while harbouring her a dream. She kept her applications going.

Then one day she turned up at Nuri all excited. She had received an offer to do a course in pharmacy – orang mengantuk disorongkan bantal! ( a sleepy one being offered a pillow ).

“ Pakcik, what do you think? Do you think I can do it?” She poured out her questions at Pakcik. I knew this girl too well. Over the years she never failed to call on us, to keep us in the picture on how she was faring in her job and otherwise.

She simply wanted a ‘yes’ answer. I knew it and she got it. Almost six years after leaving SPM she was about to begin again. Had she not forgotten her biology and chemistry? I was somewhat concerned. Many would tell her to forget it. After she hah had a good job close to her family.

This gutsy girl worked for her dream, and today, she is attached to a hospital – never mind the distance being a good 500 km away from home. She has got her dream:

Zira took a path ‘less traveled by; and that has made all the diffeence’, a girl who can offer us a lesson in life.

and finally she is alone no more

And today, she has her own man as well, with blessings from both parents. She deserves what she owns today. Today, too, she can look back - and cry.

Al Quran - Surah Al-Njm - Ayat 35

"Dan bahawa manusia tidaklah akan memperoleh, melainkan sekadar usahanya." – Dr Hamka



Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan


P/s,

Syaharahan Dr Hamka dalam Tafsir Al-Azhar:

“ ….. Inilah yan pernah saya sya’irkan waktu permulaan Revolusi Indonesia:

Insan medapat kadar usaha,
Tidah lebih tidaklah kurang;
Ajuk hati, tanyai jiwa,
Jangan menyesal kepada orang.

Hasil dari pekerjaan kita , kita dapati sekadar usaha yang telah kita lakukan. Apabila kita malas, akan mendapat sedikit, atau tidak mendapat sama sekali, tidaklah boleh kita menyalahkan orang lain, mengapa sedikit kita dapat …..”

End of the tunnel (Pt 12 – sec 1/2) – Two children later

Two children ago, Yani was the subject of my End of the tunnel (Pt 5). Yes, that was what I said, two ‘children’ ago, covering a period of about two years. Yesterday Makcik and Pakcik met her again at a wedding of her old classmate, Zira. Yani ‘baru lepas pantang’ ( a 44- day period of detention indoor after delivery? ).

Almost seventeen years ago Yani and Zira, two timid kampong girls, joined the form 1 tuition class at Almanar. Yani has been working with a private college in Selangor and she delivered her second child one-and-a half months ago. And yesterday, after Yani’s second child, Zira was married. Today the two are no longer girls, nor timid any more.

----------------------

Zira, all the years I had known her, used to live just a couple of kilometers away from us; but the family moved to a new home about a year ago. “Please come to visit our new place, especially during a fruit season,” said Zira to us a couple of times. Somehow we never made it there until her wedding day, yesterday; and that was not without some difficulty.The new house cannot be more than about 30 kilometers away from us; but such a distance from the coast line of Terengganu can take us to some uninhabited and very deserted areas indeed.

Guided by a sketch we reached the vicinity of Zira’s house in under thirty minutes. But we took another half-an-hour getting ourselves lost, driving up and down, stopping here and there seeking directions. As we were in the midst of it, my handphone rang. It was none other than the bride herself. In a tone tinged with disappointment she asked, “ Pakcik, aren’t you coming to my wedding?’ No, I would not miss her wedding for the entire world. And I realised then what our absence would mean to her, this very special girl.

------------------

Towards the end of our search, very certain of where we were heading for, we found ourselves driving along a road running through what looked like a virgin jungle. We were told that only a lone Felcra office was at the very dead end. Then somewhat relieved we began to notice some vehicles parked on both sides of the road. We knew for sure we had finally reached our destination. After parking our car at the end of the row we took a foot-path leading to a clearing in the middle of nowhere, a two-acre piece of land with coconut palms, assorted fruit trees and trees of all sorts – and perhaps animals of all sort, too, lurking around!

A road to nowhere

The path into nowhere

A dream house on two acres of land in the middle of nowhere

Somehow the wild surroundings looked beautiful to me. In this wild but peaceful environment I could imagine myself reminiscing, perhaps with greater details and clarity. Poets and writers would surely find their ‘enlightenment’ and inspiration in this sort of place.

So it was Zira’s wedding. How radiantly happy she was seeing us around after all.

X

Yani and first child (L) and the grooms (R) flanking pakcik's bride

---------------------------

So what is so special about Zira that deserves a place in this End-of-the-tunnel episode?

She took the less traveled road.

I had no hesitation to tell her newly wed husband, “You are a very, very lucky person. Look after her as well as you can.” And I meant every word of it. And my Zira smiled and looked straight at me with eyes brimming with tears.

….. to continue

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

Is It The End of The Tunnel - For Almanar ?

On 15th December last year I posted 'Do I call it a day or carry on?', a reflection of frustration and a sorry state of mind. The number of attendance for my classes had fallen to below fifty. Two months have passed and the situation is no better. But my gut feeling tells me something interesting will happen soon, and I hope to be able to draw a sigh of relief, and write about it.

In the meantime Pakcik will sit back, do whatever there is to do for the reduced number of pupils attending Almanar, and watch the sea from the verendah of my house,
NURI

The verendah to watch the sunrise and the sea from


The middle part of Nuri to watch the young coconut palms from

----------------------------

The question is why should ‘Nuri’ be the name given to a simple retirement home – after all, I once said in a sarcastic tone, what’s in a name? Insya Allah I will clarify this.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

End of the tunnel (Pt 11) – No more nasi dagang

Note: This is a belated posting with Pacik’s apology to Neni in particular.

The traditional 'telor merah' of Terengganu wedding.

“ Pakcik, anak anak tak beri kita berkedai lagi ( my children would not allow us to operate the stall any longer)”

That was uttered by a fine lady soon after the wedding of her daughter whom we all call ‘Neni’ lovingly - befitting her personality. Neni is no longer that shy little girl who joined Almanar tuition class twelve years ago. She is today not only a qualified nurse but also one lucky guy’s wife.


Neni’s mother was the best nasi dagang cook in our vicinity. For years and years she was the one who would prepare nasi dagang for our Hari Raya and our other special occasions. We would not dream of placing orders from another person. Until the intervention of her children she and her husband had been operating a road- site stall that we often frequented for her nasi dagang. We had to be early to beat the crowd unless, as we often did, we called their house the previous evening to keep whatever quantity we wanted.

Today this lady can draw a sigh of relief that her children chose to stop her and husband from working so hard. She used to be up at unearthly hours, as early as two to start cooking. Her main regret was their inability to attend the morning (subuh) prayers at a surau nearby together with their village community. Now that is all over. She and husband can enjoy the community life. With his husband’s pension and children’s contribution they are living a happy life which they deserve, having raised their children to be better educated than they were themselves.

We are sad to miss our best nasi dagang but our joy is greater, that the parents enjoy a leisurely life and, above all, our Neni has a career and has started to have her own family. Perhaps, her next visit to see us, as she often did, she not only bring her smiling face but her man plus a child. Insya Allah.

This is a typical joy that compensates for Pakcik’s occasional frustrations – to see that all is not wasted.


Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

End of the tunnel (Pt 10) - With love from Bandung - Fara

I sat wondering what subject should be chosen for my next posting when the following message appeared on the screen:

“ Salam …….
Pakcik, just dropping by to share some good news. Yesterday was the day I officially graduated with a degree, alhamdulillah, after 4 years. I’ll be heading home by December, looking forwards to meet you and makcik.
Lots of love from Bandung.”

-------------------------

That is from Fara Waheda who hails from the fishing community of my neighbourhood. Here is another lass I admire and am proud of. She will now return to Malaysia as a graduate in pharmacy, a pride for her family and the community as a whole.

In response to her message I have this to say to her:

Dear Fara,

Makcik and Pakcik congratulate you on your success.

It does not seem such a long time ago when you first stepped into Almanar. You were not happy with the facility at the boarding school you enrolled yourself a couple of months earlier. You had a mind of your own and decided to join a day school instead. Almanar was more than happy to accept you for extra tuition.

I do not easily forget how you strived to be among the best.

I do not forget that easily when you were faced with personal problems and accepted a shoulder to cry on.

And after all these difficult years you are leaving Bandung behind to return home qualified, hopefully ready to serve. You are an asset to your family in the first instance and to the community at large. Challenging times are ahead. Life is never that simple. Bur I know you have learnt that over the years. Perhaps one day Batu Rakit may yet see its first chemist’s, owned and managed by one belonging to its community.

We look forwards to seeing you, Fara.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

P/S

I regret not having your photograph to accompany this entry. We will put it right when you are home later. We will record you cheerful smiling face.

End of the tunnel ( Pt. 9 ) – from burger stall to MRI T.0 Tesla

Din, the name I prefer to use at times, is today a young man of twenty three.

Nine years ago Din joined our tuition class at Al-Manar after getting 2A’s, 2B’s and 1C for his UPSR. That was not much of a result to boast about. Under better circumstances, if life had not been rather hard on him, I am quite certain he would have done better. His father, now in his mid fifty and like many man folks in the area, has been depending on the generosity of the rough South China Sea for livelihood. According to Din his father began his ‘apprenticeship’ at sea as young as eight. This, too, is nothing new in this part of the world. And Din’s mother helps to supplement the family’s earning, working for keropok makers and operating a burger stall in front of their house. Din himself helped out at the stall, making it hard on him to attend Al-Manar classes regularly.

So if we talk about making burgers, Din knows all the tricks.

From the UPSR results of 2A’s,2B’s and 1C, Din improved his academic performance three years later to gain 5A’s and 3B’s for his PMR. He went on to do it even better two years later to score 7A’s and 2B’s in his SPM examination. Seeing how hard he worked, not forgetting his commitment to the burger stall, Pakcik knew that I had not yet seen Din at his best.


“Pakcik apa patut saya buat? ( What should I do ?)” was his question when his SPM results were known. Now he wanted to map out his future. Whatever it might be, he wanted to start something that he could realistically expect success. He did not want any uncertainty.

We discussed at length various possible courses for someone like him who did not make all A’s at SPM. Personally he would like to see himself doing a hospital-related job. That being the case, and having excellent results particularly in science subjects and mathematics, backed by reasonably good English, he should go for a diploma in radiography. The odds would be against him to compete for a place to do medicine. For Din there was no room to gamble. Ukur baju dibadan sendiri. With a good diploma in radiography he would be able to find a job and would still have the opportunity to continue for a degree in due course.

It had already been decided between us that joining Kelas Metrikulasi should be avoided. Accordingly, Din sent his applications and a month later he received three offers one of which came from a university hospital for a diploma course in radiography. This was one which he wanted most; but he needed to get through an interview.

Din had no idea what an interview was like and how he should conduct himself. To give him all the confidence he needed Pakcik lent him a book on radiography and pointed out parts he should try to familiarise himself. A few days later we sat rehearsing mock interviews. It amazed me to see how much of the subject he had digested from the book. So, reasonably assured of himself he left for KL.

When Din returned to brief Pakcik how his interview was conducted, I was reasonably certain he would make it. I had my doubt any normal candidates could engage on a discussion on radiography as he could. Indeed, a couple of weeks later he turned up with a broad smile. He did it.

-----------------------

Din spent the next three years shuttling between KL and KT, never failed to brief Pakcik of his progress each time he returned home.

-------------------
It was not all in vain. Din did it in style. At the end of the course he topped the group, emerging the only one in the Dean’s list. He was particularly happy realising that his brilliant achievement was his greatest reward to Pakcik. For that performance he was given a choice to start his contractual service at the university hospital or continue on a course leading to a degree in radiography. Following a brief discussion Din expressed what he personally preferred, “Pakcik, I would like to work for a couple of years to save some money. Then I will join the degree course.” I supported the idea. A couple of years’ experience would stand him in good stead to perform well for his first degree course and beyond. However, deep in my heart I knew the true reason for his preference to work first before continuing for a degree - to earn some money so that his family would see the first ringgit from him.

------------------------

Early next month Din will start working at the unversity hospital, and have the satisfaction of seeing the fruit of his patience and sweat over the years.

I have a vision that Din will ultimately be at university lecturing in radiography.

I have a vision, too, that many years into the distant future, his children will sit around him listening how their father once operated a burger stall, and how their grandfather rode the rough sea, all for them to emerge from the long dark tunnel. The children will realise how far his father has travelled from frying burgers to operating a sophisticated MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) T.O Tesla machine. I wish him all the best.

----------------------
Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

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End of the tunnel (Part 8) -Al-manar : Kenangan Terindah

One of the readers of Pakcik’s last posting, named Mohammad Khazaidi bin Kamaruddin, left a brief comment, almost subtly inviting me to visit his blog. Yes indeed, I did so out of curiosity. And what a surprise it was! Heading his most recent posting was :

Almanar : Kenangan Terindah

So that was it, a posting that he began with “I would like to dedicate this entry special to Tuan Haji Hassan bin Abd Karim and all the family of Al-Manar “.

To be able to write what he did he must have done bit of research not to mention reading through my early postings and one in When Less Is More where he picked up a couple of photographs.

I could not recall anyone named Khazaidi, a rather uncommon name in this part of the world. I gave a hard knock on my memory bank. The best it could produce was that of a popular boy in my class. ‘Edy’ was what everyone called him. But of course, trust Terengganu people to butcher a name; the ‘aidi’ of khazaidi can be ‘Edy’, giving a bit of Englishness. To be sure I asked the person himself who confessed he was the boy I knew as Edy during the three years he was in my class. That was good 13 years ago.

In 1997, Edy ( let me go on using that name) came to Almanar with a group of about 30 pupils of Standard 4 from a local Primary. It was part of an experiment I agreed to do with a young teacher in English, Cikgu Azmi about whom I wrote in February 2009 ( see To Sir With Love ). I gave my help in English and Maths. At the end of the three years ‘Sir Azmi’, as he is fondly remembered today, declared that his school had never achieved as well as it did in the UPSR exam of 2000. Having performed well Edy was admitted into Sekolah Menegah Integrasi, one of the prestigious boarding schools in this locality. He performed equally well in his SPM that he was selected by Petronas into its university even before SPM results were known.

Today, Edy, the son of an Imam, is reading Petroleum Geosciences at the university. And, adding to my pleasure, he still remembers Al-Manar with tenderness.

Such gratitude as expressed by this young man may not make Pakcik’s day any less tiring but it does give a sense of joy and an added reason to keep on despite occasional frustrations.

My response:

Dear Edy, you have done yourself and family proud to have come this far. Keep it up to the end. Today it pleases us that you still remember Al-Manar, Makcik and that old man,Pakcik, but when it is all long gone, do remember that he expects you to give back something in return to your community. We pray and wish you success, and hope we have not heard the last of you.

Berkhidmat Kerana Tuhan untuk Kemanusiaan

End of the Tunnel ( Part 6 ) - A glimmer long way ahead

Pak Cik wrote in December last year (‘Whither Goest Thou?’) about three pupils, one boy and two girls, who performed well in their UPSR examination when the odds were against them. Their parents had resigned to the fact that as far as their children were concerned, irrespective of their achievement, they would continue their Form 1 studies at the nearest normal secondary schools. To them life is painful enough without having to gloat over an expensive dream.

Assured of sponsorship, however, and with persuasion from concerned teachers, the families relented. The teachers helped to apply for entry of the three good performers into the better known boarding schools. Today, Pak Cik am happy to report that the three musketeers have started life in a better environment.

Three of these four are fortunate

The sole boy among the three is in a prestigious Sekolah Menengah Sains (Kuala Terengganu) and the two girls are in two MARA schools (MRSM Pasir Tumbuh and Besut). There they have begun their Form 1.

The boy is lucky to qualify for a special scheme whereby his parents are required to pay nothing from day one. All the initial fees on registration were waived, boarding and all.

The two girls, as expected, had to get things prepared and have a specific initial sums ready to be settled on registration. These were what the parents dreaded most, apart from the unknown requirements in the course of their children studying and living there.

The reactions of the families on receiving one thousand ringgits each from Almanar were beyond belief. The feel of that sum of hard cash in hand was probably a dream. An old friend of Pak Cik living more than one hundred kilometers away, one I had not seen and talked to for over three years, chose to ring me up a few evenings ago. He wanted to relate a story how he came across a man who was a total stranger to him. The man was proud to talk of his daughter going into MRSM and of a man who helped with an unexpectedly enormous sum!

That signals the start of Almanar sponsorship. What would be the on-going requirements and future commitments for these three children will have to be monitored. At this stage, there is no necessity to cry for any donation. It is gratifying for Pak Cik to know that out there, generous individuals are ready to chip in. Pak Cik will not hesitate to speak of the need when it comes.

For the moment let us hope the children will perform as they should for a better future. Their families can now, probably for the first time, afford to own a dream - that at the end of this long dark tunnel surely there is a glimmer of hope.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

p/s:

What about Pak Cik’s own two grandchildren who earned themselves a trip to Bandar ‘Cat’ after their UPSR? Well, they were adamant that they had no wish to leave their home environment. What they wanted most was to be with their respective elder brothers at the Victoria Institution, the day school in Kuala Lumpur. So we save money.

The four cousins and grandma

End of The Tunnel ( Part 5 ) – The Last Fisherman

“So this girl, Yani, attended English class at Almanar, did she?,” the lady was looking at Pak Cik askance. “That figures out,” she continued before I had time to reply. Her puzzled expression began to change as the answer began to dawn on her. She had just been transferred to this school as its Head.

That scene was in a room of a secondary school 11 years ago. Pak Cik had come to introduce myself to the new Principal in the first instance, and to find out the 1998 PMR results which had just been released. A small group of 12 Almanar pupils were involved.

“I’ve been puzzled by some odd results of this school. This girl, Yani, for example, scored grade A in two subjects only, English and Bahasa Malayu, Nor is another one like her. ” Now she knew the answer to her puzzle was the class at Almanar. In this locality, a pupil is more likely to get A grades first of all in any other subjects like Pelajaran Agama Islam, Sejarah, Kemahiran Hidup, etc. before an A grade in English. Furthermore, Yani did not show any flare in that subject in her UPSR exam three years earlier. She did not have a family likely to help her.

After completing her SPM, Yani gained entry into UITM to do a course in tourism following which she acquired some experience working for a couple of holiday resorts. Then came her break when she was given a job as a lecturer in tourism at a private college. After proving her worth, she is now the head of a department. Today, still determined to improve herself, Yani is pursuing a degree course in Food Service Management. Compared to the achievement of many high performers we often read about, there is nothing glamorous in what this girl has managed to do unless one understands her background.

Pak Cik can claim to know Yani and her family well enough. She and three others sisters attended classes at Almanar. Two elder sisters are working and her younger one is doing a nursing course. I call their father ‘Pak Mat’ although many villagers know him as ‘Pak Yas’ (for Alias).

The proud fisherman and his daughter

Pak Mat, now 59, came from a typical fisherman family. As a boy of 16 he started to follow his elders, going as far as Tanjung Dawai in Kedah to fish ‘ikan bilis’. Being a junior he was paid only half what others earned although he claimed to have laboured no less. It was years later when he was paid the normal share of an adult member. That was FORTY-THREE years ago. Today he still goes fishing. Pak Cik worked for THIRTY years, mostly in the comfort of air-conditioned offices – and I have had enough of it!

“I will never depend on my children for money as long as I have the strength to go to sea,” he responded quite firmly when Pak Cik suggested that, perhaps, his children would now support him and wife. I know his children do not fail to give him money, but Pat Mat is too good a father to sit back relying on his children and, above all, he is a proud fisherman, proud of his profession.

A year ago Yani dropped by our house. In her hand was an invitation card to her own wedding. It was not a surprise to Pak Cik and Mak Cik. She was ready for it. And it was no surprise too when Yani turned up at our house again a day before the recent Hari Raya, this time with a smart HUSBAND and a healthy BABY BOY hardly two-months old.

The bride and Makcik

Will Yani’s boy be following his grandfather’s footstep? No, not likely, and I doubt his proud grandfather will ever regret it either – that none in his family will ever go to sea again.

The proud mother

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

The End of the Tunnel – In Sight (Part 4)

“How can I accept this boy with 1A, 2C and 2D at UPSR?” I questioned and moaned.

English ----------D
Mathematics --- D
Science --------- C
Malay ( comp)-- C
Malay (writing)- A

On the basis of these results, after six years at school, what chances has he in the academic world? He is already on the alien rocky moon surface, not just a non-level playing field. For that matter can he qualify to compete in a feather-weight championship, if boxing is the game? These were the questions running through my mind ten years ago. Sadly, the same questions still run through my mind today despite several claims made that ours is a state having spectacular UPSR results for years and years. UPSR results such as shown above, and even worse, are still prevalent today.

The boy in question is generally known as Lan. Being somewhat lanky, taller than many of his peers, he is sometimes called ‘Pak Lan’. Now, two months after the UPSR exam results were known, a relative of his approached Pak Cik for his admission into form 1 class at Almanar. Almanar is never fussy over UPSR results. One with 3B and 2C is good enough to be admitted, but Lan’s performance cast great doubt over his ability to keep up with the rest. I expressed my reservation so. Just as I was marshalling more arguments to justify my turning down his request, he dropped the bomb-shell.

“Dia anak yatim (He is an orphan),” was a simple statement, an assault against which Pak Cik can never have a defence. Almanar, as a rule, has to bend backwards for an orphan, full stop.

It was a sad story. Lan’s father, a general worker, was killed when a lorry crashed into his motorcycle three years earlier. His mother refused to entertain the idea of allowing her son to have a stepfather, how hard her life might be to raise her loved ones. Perhaps, Lan’s performance in UPSR exam was a reflection of the hard life that followed.

Thus, Lan became a new form 1 pupil at Almanar. His withdrawn nature gave Pak Cik a cause to worry. But he followed every lesson diligently, getting from Pak Cik a bit more attention than the rest of the class in English and Mathematics. Over the weeks and months Lan grew in confidence, absorbing practically everything being dished out to him. His performance graph was climbing steadily. By the end of form 3 he must have committed into memory not less than 2500 new English words, as expected of Almanar’s pupils.

Then came the big surprise. PMR exam at the end of 2003 saw Lan getting away with the following results:.

English ------------- A
Mathematics ------- A
Kemahiran Hidup -- A
+ 5 other subjects - B

So Lan had done it his way.

Last week, after a long silence, Lan surfaced from nowhere at Pak Cik’s house, Nuri. He was a picture of confidence, wearing a thin layer of dark beard under his chin, a token of maturity, perhaps. His appearance was a reunion of some sort for the two of us. We had a lot to talk about of the years he was at Almanar.

“All has gone well, Pak Cik, and in November, God willing, I will get my diploma in Mechanical Engineering. What do you suggest I do then, Pak Cik?”

Yes, it is just a Diploma, nothing glamorous, a far cry from a degree in medicine, accountancy and so on. But he was a poor candidate to begin with, hardly qualified as a feather-weight competitor – yet a champion in his own right he will soon be. I am happy for him and his loving mother.

“Get a job first and look after your mother. She has waited long enough. Later on, with some practical experience, you can think of going further to be a full fledged engineer.”

“Thank you, Pak Cik. I think I will do that,” he responded. His grin began to fade as he picked up his hankerchief to dab his watery eyes. Was it the tender thought of his mother ? Blessed is a son who thinks so.

Having regained his composure he whispered,“By the way, Pak Cik, I top my class in English!” That was meant to be a reward for Pak Cik.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

Chong’s Journey Through the Tunnel

Under the anonymous category and calling himself Chong, a visitor to Pak Cik’s posting, ‘Higher Education – I do it my way (part 2)’, wrote a comment that, to Pak Cik’s mind, justifies to be accorded a posting in itself as my comment. Chong chose to express what he felt on the subject of higher education. There seems to be a sigh of injured despair and a tinge of disappointment over injustice. What impresses me is the manner he expressed himself without being offensive. Above all Chong echoes Pak Cik’s constant reminder to Almanar pupils, that life is not a bed of roses. Out there one can expect challenges and what appears as injustice. Count your blessings and move on. Below is what Chong said:

“ Pak Cik. Saya Chong. Result SPM saya baik. Lebih baik dari kebanyakan kawan-kawan Melayu saya. Kerana saya China, saya tak dapat biasiswa walaupun dah dapat tempat di U. Duit nak pergi KL daftar pun tak ada. Bapa sudah mati. Mak jual makan dekat pasar. Saya teruskan ke tingkatan 6. Lepas sekolah saya kerja angkat simen, angkat batu dgn Uncle saya. Kumpul duit. Lepas habis Tingkatan 6, saya masuk U. Sekarang ada duit. Tahun 2 saya berhenti. Tak cukup duit. Walaupun saya kerja sambilan, tapi tak cukup. KL mahal. Saya cari kerja KL. Mula-mula buat sales. Kejar orang sana-sini jual buku. Tak boleh tahan. Kerja teruk, komisen sikit. Saya berhenti dan dapat jadi kerani. Siang saya kerja, malam saya part time belajar. Dekat 5 tahun baru dapat ijazah. Sekarang saya sudah kerja ada bagus sikit. Saya juga tengah part time buat Master. Ada org senang, ada susah. Kita kena lawan. Kerja kuat. Jangan give-up. Melayu susah, belajar pandai, ada biasiswa. Melayu senang pun ada biasiswa. China susah, tak ada kabel, sendiri carilah... Tapi saya rasa dengan cara ini saya lebih 'kuat'.”

Chong has honoured Pak Cik with a visit and some candid comments. Chong has left a strong message – “Tapi saya rasa dengan cara ini saya lebih ‘kuat.’” He outlined his plight and the manner he maneuvered himself to succeed, and is rewarded with added strength. He has shared with us his bitter experience, a lesson that our young should learn. Pak Cik am thankful to him. I wish he was at Almanar.

Pak Cik can only hope that some-how, some-day Chong will see that ours is not the only bitterness in life. It does not have to be any particular race. Almanar was founded with the hope of correcting some of the quirks of fate. It is suffice for Pak Cik to say that, despite all what we see as injustices, we all should be thankful to be living under the Malaysian sky. At least, not matter how hard it is, no one stops us from striving to a satisfactory end. Somewhere else there may never be such an opportunity.

Thank you, Chong, for the visit and the positive aspects of your comment.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

STOP PRESS - Congratulations

This is one of the days that make Pak Cik forget my age and how tired I can be. I have just heard two pieces of good news. Firstly, the person, of whom I wrote in The End Of The Tunnel – In Sight – (Part 3) – It Is His Lucky Day, has obtained all 9A1 in the recent SPM exam. His dream of becoming a doctor is non-stoppable now, insya Allah. I wonder whether his father stops manning his road side ‘sugar cane’ stall to celebrate the day. He stopped for a while yesterday just to send a second daughter to Almanar on his old motorbike.

Secondly, a girl associated with Almanar has obtained 8A1 and 1A2 (in Ugama of all subjects!) in the same nine subjects. Since she has A1 in all the maths and science subjects she may want to consider going for a first-class honours degree in Islamic study, to make good!

I am lost for words on such an occasion as this. Hope there will be more good news coming.

My heartiest congratulations go to all of you my dear.

The End Of The Tunnel – In Sight- (Part 3)- It is His Lucky Day

An old office colleague, now a successful entrepreneur, turned up from Kuala Lumpur with his family, grandchildren and all. How pleasant it was for us, living in this quiet part of the world, to receive such a visit and sit lingering over a lunch. Before parting he passed Pak Cik a sum of money in cash plus one cheque, saying that it was to be used at Almanar for whatever purpose I found it appropriate. That was two days ago, a visit unexpected and fund unsolicited.

Yesterday afternoon, an ex-Almanar pupil came over to consult Pak Cik over an offer she received for a one-year foundation course for medicine. On successful completion of the course, the sponsors would send him to an overseas university. SPM results will only be known in two months’ time. That a pupil is selected today for such a highly demanded course must reflect an expection of an excellent SPM result. He must also have satisfied his interviewers at a session a month ago. I have known him since he joined Almanar five years ago after getting 4A and 1B in his UPSR exam. Three years later he obtained 8As in his PMR which earned him a place in a prestigious boarding school. So to all intents and purposes he is a good bet. So all things considered, Pak Cik advised him to accept the offer.

Alas, there was a snag, an immense problem to him, as a matter of fact. He was advised that some expenses, including the registration fee, had to be borne by him. A normal family may not bat an eye over a sum of the size quoted. But for a bread-winner, working at a factory and with eleven mouths to feed, the sum creates a major obstacle. How on earth can the family afford the sum which must be ready on registration in less than one week? How timely it was that a do-gooder came to Pak Cik’s house just one day earlier. Pak Cik handed my ex-pupil some cash from what I had received, telling him that it was not out my pocket. He cried bitterly over the unexpected gift. God works in a mysterious way.

Pak Cik, as a facilitator, an intermediary can only pray that one day this pupil will be a doctor, one with humility and huminity – Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.

Judging from the way he has performed thus far, he will, in a matter of time, be out of the long dark tunnel. And so is Pak Cik’s continued expectation of you all, ex-Almanar pupils. But do not hope for it without sustained effort, your own sweat.

P/s:
Pak Cik cannot at this point disclose this pupil’s identity. Hopefully, I will be able to do so when he has gone through the tunnel, Insya' Allah.