I am now back home after full two weeks at the Pantai Puteri Medical Centre as you know and came back home to my dear kampong only last 9th June , past week or so ago. I am not fully recovered yet. I feel I may take another month or so to be part of my normal self again. As you you know I am such a restless person thus I am trying on my computer writing to you again!
If you are attending the Kelab meeting at any time soon please extend my most grateful thanks to all my dear friends who came to visit me at the hospital. Tan Sri Azizuddin visited me very early when I was in a very crucial and critical condition that I could barely say a word to him but to sign off to say “sorry” to him from afar. He fully accepted my situation. I remember those others who came a visiting…Dato’ Syed Azman and his Datin , Dato’ Ahmad Ismail, Dr Ameen(?) , our dear Secretary Haris and family, my great friend Dato Mohamad Hamzah who together with Razalli, our artiste, brought me a very valuable gift on behalf of the Club that of a “robotic” hospital bed! (I heard it cost the Kelab almost a fortune!)!! But I feel that I will NOT be that bed-ridden as long as I can, Insya Allah!
But one of the greatest gifts in all these many years of my life was the “surprise” visit of our beloved Tuanku Raja Azlan and Tuanku Bainun to me at the hospital. A day or two earlier I heard rumours of the impending visit but I totally ignored about it. Who was I to be so visited? I am just an ordinary kampong boy. I was told that those in the know did not want it confirmed to me earlier for fear of “upsetting” me. NO way , Dato’ Ariff , I l never would! Only earlier that afternoon when I saw four or five chairs being set up in my room, I thought the family was arranging for a makan for us at dinner time until I was informed that Tuanku and Tuanku Bainun would be arriving a-visiting me at the hospital and the room clock showed that it will be in about another 45 minutes or so! I knew it was all agog outside; the doctors, nurses and staffs trying to make the hospital cleaner when it is already more than clean!
Waiting for the Tuankus I was already seated on my “relaxed” plastic reclining chair by the hospital bed and both the Tuankus were to be seated on both sides of me!. Tuanku entered seemingly cheerily and and asked me, I think in jest, “what are you doing here?” The two doctors took up this matter up to Tuanku. While doing so I mentiond to Tuanku that the doctors were looking after me well and Tuanku quipped “They are doctors and they have to be good!”
My chit-chat with both the Tuankus took a full 40 minutes! Can you believe it? The chats were nothing serious. Tuanku Azlan queried about my age again and compared my age with our Tun Bendahara’s age! Of course, our Tun is about 4 or 5 years senior, I am 83. Then Tuanku asked me about my College contemporaries and I rattled off…late Sultan Idris, late Sultan Selangor, Tuanku Jaafar Yang Dipertuan Besar ,Negeri Sembilan (my Head Boy ) his brother Tunku Abdullah ( a big corporat - my classmate), Hamzah Abu Samah once a Minister (another class-mate ) and then Tuanku added a few names himself to confirm or not! Then we rambled away over other matters like my sporting days and I gladly mentioned to Tuanku that once I was a good hockey player and perhaps wanting to check on me Tuanku asked me what position I played and spontaneously I replied that I was a “right winger” which in fact I was. I said further to Tuanku that I was once “quite a nippy hockey player”. After a few seconds of silence came again from Tuanku “apa lagi cerita?‘ So I had to continue build up something to talk about to Tuanku and Tuanku and I talked about Scouting in which we both were solidly ingrained even to-day! Tuanku was a 2nd Patrol Leader during his days!!! I apologized to Tuanku that I have not been to Tuanku’s Birthday Celebrations these few years. Tuanku understood my conditions but I told Tuanku I never missed watching the ritual ceremonies. I myself have gone through the rigid ritual when I was given myself the gelaran Orang Besar as Toh Maharaja Indera. I settled with Tuanku that the Istiadat is almost sacred when the recipients were accompanied by the Nobat unlike almost all other datoship ceremonies when such pingats are just serahan by Tuanku! Tuanku added that the accompaniment of the nobat is really keturunan and it will continue to be so! I said I fully concurred with Tuanku specially with the non-Muslim observers at such rituals showing the strength of the adat istiadat dalam kewujudan kesultanan Raja-Raja Melayu. ….”Apa lagi cerita?...we talked about the “political” situations in the State but it was Tuanku more than me voicing his feeling of the uneasiness among the rakyat! Tuanku enquired from me about my time at leisure at home. I mentioned to Tuanku I helped support Ju in her efforts to alleviate the problems of the “Ibu Tunggals” in Kampong Buaia and around. Tuanku and Tuanku Bainun complimented Ju on her efforts. Ju also mentioned her efforts encouraging the Ibu Tunggals to be on their feet through various government agencies in which Ju is getting a good support other than the very supportive NGO’s i.e , the RCs of Ipoh , KK and Kelab Bakti. Hearing about this topic both the Tuankus appeared to have perked their ears especially Tuanku Bainun! Ju was very fluent in her discourse with both the Tuankus. We mentioned to Tuanku that our own family has just started our very own a small agro-project planting SERAI on my own land around the house and when I mentioned it is only 5 acres, just a small attempt as an example to the Ibu Tunggal, Tuanku exclaimed that it is BIG! Then “apa lagi cerita?” and I was almost out of topic now but I mentioned about my interest in writing and now I have my own blog but the blog is only for the family and the inner clans. I mentioned to Tuanku that one of my “articles” was picked to be published in the Ipoh Echo No 47 about me and my brothers when we were young kids in the kampong and enjoying our very happy lifes. Tuanku was impressed and goaded me on! (KBGKs , come and visit my new kampong set-up and try look up my article in the Ipoh Echo series 47 although it is only on a small scale in Ipoh and for its surrounding districts).
My four anak-anak i.e Ida, Lahn. Ju and Shima ++ Rais smartly in samping after Jumaat were at hand to give me a booster when I fell out over some points. Both Ida and Ju attended to Tuanku Bainun who was so very sweet, homely and friendly. However, Shima panicked a bit informing me afterwards that she was so struck by Tuanku's charms that she was speechless! Ya-Ya , Ida's teenager daughter was “assigned" to take some photos at the “session" but last minute lost her courage and so we lost a treasure box of pictures! When the Tuankus left our Sultan Azlan left some words to my anak-anak i.e never ever allow your father to be lonely. He said your father is still OK!
Ida escorted both our beloved Rulers to their car. What a day for the family! Thank you Tuanku!
Dato' Seri Yang Rashdi bin Maasom
Kampung Buaia
Note :
(Sadly missed by the family. Dato' Seri Yang Rashdi passed away on 3 Jul, 2008 at 2.05am. Alfatihah)
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