2008

Jan-Mar

Apr-Jun

Jul-Sep

Oct-Dec


April Home Away

April was always beautiful even though "orang putih" associate it with "fool". April after all was a full blossom. The dissipating monsoon blued the sky and calmed the sea, so calm, it gave the fluid mirror-like surface very alluring to sea-goers. Which would had been so much fun if not for the bad luck in 2000 Dec. Including the luxury fun of having the grand-children around.

Right after office, 2008 Apr 1 Tue, the "mission" drive back to Kuala Lumpur to attend the Solution Envisioning Workshop for the KRSTE.my of MASTIC in Eastin, Sect 16, PJ, 2008 Apr 3-5 Thu-Sat, for the PFB Dean of UDM for the TNC (Academic). In which I was voted uninamously to lead the Sea-to-Space (S2S) Cluster, after which I directed En Shahrizal Ide Moslin, a young contending Research Officer from National Space Agency (ANGKASA) to present the finding during the presentation day of the workshop. The venue, in its eastern prefix name but all were western in the speghetti of the concrete and ways and sub-ways, did not attract much of my attention because the place was an indifferentiable woods and palms during my tenure around Sect 17 in early 1970's, and SS22 Damansara Utama in late 1970's.

But meeting new colleagues of diverse involvement and making new aquaintances were more fun on top of the supportive, concertive and cooperative working atmosphere every one would remember. Which inevitably squeezed the world into a smaller sphere in which one element was rightly seated on the point in the lattice. Especially the facilitator who in this event was my second time crossing her whose husband I successfully persuaded to come over and reminisced to the wee hours. And many others in the cluster who I would get in touch with again for matters in the faculty when I return to the office. Especially from the MACRES, and the MOSTI/MASTIC itself. From the latter, I was hinted the switch on the green light to bug a transfer of the e-science 02-01-02-SF0125, approved shortly after my expiry last year in which I was the second third of it.


GP 9, Sea-to-Space Cluster. Seated in front L-to-R: En Ahmad Safwan Mohd Makki, MIMOS, the cluster rapporteur; En Shahrizal Ide Moslin, Research Officer, National Space Agency; Dr Zainol Mustafa, FST, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; and Tn Hj Shahruddin Hj Yusof, Chief Assistant Secretary, National Oceanographic Directorate (MOSTI). Standing at the back L-to-R: Prof Dr Nor Aieni Hj Mokhtar, Director of National Oceanography Directorate (NOD), the cluster facilitator; En Halim Aziz, Head of Information and Technology Promotion Section, National Remote Sensing Centre, Malaysia; Assoc Prof Dr Mat B Zakaria, Universiti Darul Iman Malaysia, the Cluster Leader; Dr Shamsul Kamal Sulaiman, Senior Research Officer, Mineral and Geology Research Centre, Ipoh; Assoc Prof Dr Jumat Sulaiman, Universiti Malaysia Sabah; En Md Shahid Ayub, Manager of Research Management Centre, Nuclear Malaysia; Assoc Prof Dr Shamsul Rahman M Kutty, Universiti Teknologi Petronas.

The Apr background was the "decommissioned" of the one-sen coin dated from 2008 Apr 1 Tue. The one-sen coin quantum for ordinary cash trade was enlarged to five-sen quantum. It was said that the cost of producing the one-sen "copper" coin was more than one sen. This is a sheer indication that the cost of living has been greatly inflated - an operation of capitalism to keep their gain margin.

They even instructed their machine to hide and swallow the one sen in the total. I lost two sen in the first instance because I realised it only at home that they took my two sen. Otherwise I would have fought for my money, even though it was only two sen, even if I have to yell to the manager of the store. The money they took was mine and it was from my sweat. They were lucky to escape my notice. But, I did not concede on the second instance. I fought tooth-and-nail for my one sen reminder. For whatever the policy was, that one sen was MY money. My absolute right of ownership on it. Because without that one sen I might have been defied from being a millionaire. I hit the cashier's desk, and demanded to see her superior, in front of the innocent ignorrant other customers, who were all selling their right of ownership for one, or two sen. AT LAST, I got the one-sen MY MONEY.

I still lost two sen from the "fight". And I was thus two sen short of becoming a millionaire. One or two sen from a customer. Every living soul is a customer. Thus one or two million sen per million customer. In the ringgit unit, it comes to tens of thousands too. Per million customer. That was the moral of the story. In the world where every creature lives in the rat race to make money, and seemed to be for nothing else, we always lost in such a fight.

The letter in the pigeon hole, on returning to the office 2008 Apr 8 Tue, dated Apr 3 Thu, effective from 2008 Apr 1 Tue, which confirmed the ripple that had been pounding the academia in the faculty for the past three weeks. Together were the four department heads. And that pulled the schedule tightlier, which seemed to overlap with my routine weekend, beginning from last Apr 1 Tue which trickled down from TNCA. Followed by the Student-Management Dialogue 2008 Apr 10 Thu evening in KT Golf Resort, Tok Jembal, in which pairs of eyes kept on unrolled while the NC on my left was making many references to our acquaintance while dialogueing, even to the Bursar on my right, and the Registrar in front, and the KUSZA campus director, and the Dean of Contemporary Islamic Studies . Followed by a day-trip outing in Tok Bali Sweet Beach, Kelantan, 2008 Apr 12 Sat, teaming the evaluation panelist with the invited from UMK, Dr Wan Solihin Wong Abdullah, and UMT, Dr Awang Soh Mamat, in FRGS application exercise for other faculties in UDM, plus other small deanery matters along the days, to end the two initial weeks which in the future would become a routine. Excluding a drive home for a rather long "break" to Apr end, which covered the six days MatriQ biannual matters, 2008 Apr 21 Mon - 26 Sat.


April 19, 20


There is always some one who always remembered us, in the way the one see us, no matter who we are.

It was just the Apr 20. This year 2008 Sun, meant a complete 57. Started counting the 58th. But from last year 2007 Apr 19 Thu it was the last day in UKM after 32 years 8 months 8 days service. With the undergraduate tenure from 1971 May 17, it made 35 years 11 months 4 days. But as I put it last year, that Apr 19 Thu 2007 did not abode very much in my memory even though it had then taken more than half of my life. Even the rooms 2154 and 2144 which I homed since 1983 Mar in which all my "ghosts" keep on guarding my history. The three years plus of the undergraduate were more funful. The few "new" acquaintances and the staff in UDM from all walks of stratum had more than covered the frolics of the hundreds that I had just passed by in the three decades. But, along the way, interestingly, as I used to say, "we meet the people we have met before." The fun part of it is that many times they are in the lateral inversion.

A nano-touch that had made a giga-impact. A difference that defined a defferent world of "biosphere". Not undone even in a nearly six thousands population, with about half a thousand permanent staff. A matter of mere concern.
Standing L-R: Dr Mat Zakaria; En Hassan Ali, a teacher from Kelantan. Seating L-R: Pn Nor Hayati Abu Bakar, Pn Hasnah Idris, Pn Mimi Malini Md Fuzi, Pn Noriah Md Isa and Pn Zabidah Zainal. Otherwise joining was Pn Zuriana Zulkafli. All from KM Pulau Pinang.

2008 Apr 21 Mon - 26 Sat was in the middle of another "April Home Away". It was the biannual MatriQ conggregation in the nearby Residence. Leading the Gp 10, with members from KM Pulau Pinang; none were with me before. Apart from the group matters, many of the anechdotes were repeating, especially like those of last year Nov, with a few twists which I could simply adapt because "things" had cooled, and many took for granted that life must go on.

All were "seniors" in the business, as are inferrable from their names; thus very straight forward throughout the period. Including the place, the Residence Hotel at UNITEN, Bangi, which was a simple non-holiday place. The first Gp which I could keep their names locked on the second day. But I always admired for the rest, who kept on looking up, but who I could not superimposed. Avoiding answers that I had to lie to myself. Which I might have forgiven, but not my children, unexplicitly. For theirs, the "due" was growing, and was waited as they grew up.

The nicest thing about being there, as always, was being able to meet the acquaintances, of various stereotypes. Familiar ones or new ones. Many of them were otherwise unreachable in one touch. The setting for the April "blossom" end was by the month edge. The waiting May was ballowing out in UDM by the SMSs.

I used the RV2 version in all my research in Salford 1974-1976. It thus very easy for me to master it and taught it to the LA Jamil Ujang since mid Mar. During my interview in Feb about expanding my research projects, this instrument was in my mind; plus all the abundant cashew trees throughout the east coast.


Haake Rotovisko RV3 in UKM Pantai, 1977. It survived till UKM moved to Bangi in 1982. Then as always, neglected to be repossessed by the natural entropy.

On returning to office 2008 Apr 30 Tue, the instrument I ordered arrived, assembled, and commissioned. It was RotoVisco_1. Extremely "modern" compared to the one I used, RV2 in Salford 1974-76, and RV3 in UKM 1977 (which stopped "breathing" in late 1980's). Integrated into a software which readily produce output in the otherwise takes days to calculate and manually plot.


I could now get the pace accelerated a bit. So much things could be done, like it was in the early eighties. The history does repeat itself, but in different configuration. Thus its historical significance is different. The tool could invoke both fields of chemistry and food science. I anticipate the latter would open up my new interest.

Like the history was, I would miss much of the pace, because right on my tables were academic matters towering on my shoulder, which would not grow to bigger than a midget because of blank tool that was needed. It will, if any, trickle from my science officer, lab asst, and the two postgraduate students.

Currently the Lab has been furnished with the basic "modern" instruments. The AA, GC, HPLC. CHNS is on the way to be delivered. The supplier said any minute, whatever it meant. MS is on the "conveyer" to be hooked to GC/HPLC. FTIR is next. I needed time to set up a glass blowing lab.

A May in Terengganu

May in Terengganu was windless but cloudy, unlike in Apr which was scorching the beach to desertion until the sun of the day was rather low. The boats began to ferry the "strangers" to the sea by the late afternoon weekends for a "paradise" taste of the ocean life some of their forefathers had had. Raining on some nights, with thunderstorm, akin to KL routine. The elders were nostalgia-ing in their young days that this time of the year was the padi harvesting time. In May all padi would have been harvested. The night rain came to wet to rot the straw to re-soften the soil for easier ploughing (actually hoe-ing) to plant rotational crops like sweet potatoes. And I joined the chat by nostalgia-ing the time we were busy making the kite and flew it overnight when the night rain ceased.

The boats began to ferry the "strangers" to the sea by the late afternoon weekends for a "paradise" taste of the ocean life some of their forefathers had had. Including me, on two consecutive nights, 2008 Apr 30 Wed through to 2008 May 01 Thu. The former in a charted private boat among colleagues of UDM and UMT. And the latter in a more official trip involving many state high ranking officers which reduced the fun of sea-going into just a giant icon on the KPM PAUS anchored off Pulau Kapas receiving guests who were ferried in KPM PARI from Chendering Deep Sea Fisheries Port. And sea-going is going to perpetuate in May. And in Jun too.

2008 May 5 Mon, signed and submitted the form to cont the contract with UDM. 2008 May 6 Tue, I chaired the first meeting in the fac, in the presence of the dean; the vehicle I calld JK Akademik (with members of all the academicians), discussing the LI document and to stabilise the course codes for submission to the senate, eventually for the JPA archive. The minutes of which would be re-read in the fac meeting under the C/M minutes agenda. Next in the near Q would be the student grade, then the time-tabling for next semester. Since then, I think I had the trust of the dean, and commanded the due respect from the fac senior members, and the obedience of the admin staff. I made several decisions and execute several orders in the absence of the dean. The taste of "greatness" inside the regalia of commanding, crept in.

A Sign of Imortality

2008 May 7 Wed, a farewell. The word which carries a sweet and sour taste. It cuts deep, and left a hump of scar. Dr Abdul Ghani was leaving us. So did, Hj Yusof Mamat. The former was one of the faculty pioneer of the pioneers. He was the second academician after the founding dean, Prof Dr Manaf. An agriculturist, he started the agriculture in UDM with twenty five students, seventeen months ago, on a briss soil from an arid land of the KUSZA edge to a nursery full of baby plants. The latter was a veterinar assistant, duly to embark on some kind of living animal farms in the campus. The former was to retire for good, the latter was to take up a new better buttered ECER-branded career. Both joined the faculty in their retirement age, like many other pioneers.

While the dean paid the tribute to both of them, his deputies presented some faculty icons. My guess, judging by the youngness of the faculty, of insignificant price, but "zorro-ed" deep into the heart of both of them who would remember the bravery of the dean in "ploughing" the UDM unwatered soil to sow a few academic seed. The farewell was rather immature, but it showed some kind of immortality among us who were not much different from Dr Ghani. It's going to be. This was the beginning, and one at a time. In a short time to come. And that was right among a standing "ghost", watching, as whispered by the dean, that our future contract, would be made more skinny.

2008 May 11 Sun, attending the meeting, for the Dean, for the first time, in what the members were needed to smartly attired. The important one, said the CEO, because it gathered all the sub-CEOs, on whose order the wheel turned fast or slow, smooth or bumpy. A long one from nine to past twelve. During which the ghosty shadow, first spotted last week, appeared to be bigger than the size I thought. And apparently in double, enantiomering with each other. The last they met was about six months ago. Looked like since then the fate would befall faster on the University than the usual for there were talks from the "level 5" about the printer, scanner, stolen PC, parking lots, etc. The things which bogged the thin grey matter of the likes. And avoiding talks about the office space, the right to the facilities, the charted aids, etc. The ordinary academia which is the support structure that merries the campus of any university was to become the least important component when their number swelled sufficiently visible. After transforming from a college into a typical university like in the 'west'. The phenomenon of Piper sarmentosum was about to prevail. Now I remember the 'stone-age' lesson: do not teach a sarmentosum to become a betle. Not because the former is never cleverer than the latter. The former is just not equipped, even though its mind is wider than a galaxy.


Another "secret love" I wanted to rejuvenate. The beetles that feed on the cashew.

A scene in memory, back in late 1963. A trial of life unblessed by the destiny.

2008 May 14 Wed, while the "bulk" of the colleagues were "frolicking" in the Working Visit to Thailand's Agro-Centres in Bangkok and the vicinity, I took my graduate students for a sample spree in Jambu Bongkok, in the jungle beyond the neglected FELCRA Berhad rubber-palm plantations. Collecting Ficus deltoidea, an epiphyte on the old oilpalm trees. And on coasting back, strolling the sides of the road for cashew gum. From Jambu Bongkok to Pasih Putih, where by then, sufficient amount was acquired for the next few months experiments.

A micro-sphere it was, but a wholesome biodiversity. Muddy, sandy, and hilly soils within that short area. A stream running lazily, with a dark water which I believed hosted many long "keli". The flora grew right from the water margin, from the shortest hardy grass, resam, kemunting, senduduk, to gelam, to a full blown timber trees with a densely vertical straight trunk, to the top of the hill. The apparently fauna-quietness indicated that they were actually somewhere there, resting, like in Kenyir, during the day-light. From a distance, "hanuman" were seen hopping on the branches. A lot of soil-marks of merry activities of wild boars. And there were leaf-dens, the Triton driver said, one of which actually was sheltering the "owner". Sleeping.

The air was cool. Mosquito-free near the water margin, indicating a rich aquatic life, but swarms of them at the foot of the hilly ground. Which confirm the existence of mammals other than "hanuman". Droppings, fresh and old, perhaps of the strayed cattle. Domestication was not seen in the vicinity. A site of some deserted gelam "logging" near the stream.

Minus the rubber and oilpalm trees, the place reminded me of my kiddy days in late 1963 in the vicinity of Tanjung Jaafar, off Wakaf Baru, in now where it is grossly called Gong Badak, where with a few local mates, I reared a few cattles as my first taste of the trial of life. It was before the SSE results was announced, after which CheGu Ismail Yusof "hunted" me down right to my "den" to "catch" me to resume to the secondary schooling in Sultan Sulaiman Sec Sch, Kuala Ibai.

While my students were busy collecting their samples, I sneaked off the area; I tried very hard to identify two woods that had become too companionly to me in those days: the "anak kuat" which, in thumb-size, was really very strong, it could make the wall and floor of the living huts (even in those days the primitive stilt-houses in the interior of beach area of Mengabang Telung-Batu Rakit-Merang); and "janggut keli" which the boys used to make the handle of push-cart, because it is a straight wood, and has a hole through which the bicycle wheel spoke could easily be pushed through to make the axle the wheel (used condensed milk can). I failed. I failed also to rejuvenate my "secret love" with the three-beetles: the white ("kabo kapur"), black ("kabo hitam") and red ("kabo gambir"). They were not there any more on the cashew trees. The creatures that partly imbibed me to enjoy life with in my kiddy days. It was narrated by the elders that these beetles, and the cashew flowers, and the squid in the sea were in triangular co-existing when the season arrived. The fishermen studied these "fabrication" in order to go or not to go to the sea at night for the squids.

But not the "sisik puyu", the leaves of which were cut and carried home, most of the times on my shoulder, sometimes on the borrowed bicycle, to feed the goats during the monsoon season (because goats do not go out in the rain - they would rather stay hungry - and keep on "mengembek"). And unmistakenably, the pitcher plant ("periuk kera"), with its strong flexible stem that was spined to make ropes for every purpose, from tying the firewoods to "tali hidung - nose-tie" of the cattle.


I was even driven (by the shadow of a little tree) to park the car beside Mansor's car.

Followed by a rather long home weekend during which a moment 2008 May 17 Sat night, when all sixteen of us were together for a meal.

A Little Point for Dimensionless Time

2008 May 23 Fri, late afternoon. The venue was a small eatery. I had passed it, then after ca a km, decided to U-turn to stop by for a sip to quench the thurst. Alya especially who was riding along. That was the only little part that I was instinctively driven to decide. The rest were the waiting "destiny". The eatery was supposely a 24-hr eatery which was branded "siang malam", the name I contented many years ago to be the approriate in Bahasa Melayu since its first appearance from the wetern concept. Then I spotted "lempeng nyior" on sale, the one that drifted from my kiddy past. But, from the deep past, unnoticed I was "studied" by a retiree who was sipping his teh tarik alone at a table after finishing his "lempeng nyior". Once I noticed, I responded, and with that apparently he quickly gained the confidence to make a "guess" while I was still in a dark blank. He striked the spot correctly. He was Mansor from Bkt Tunggal who I came to acquaint in 1971-73 time in Sect 17, UKM's FPI when we pioneer undergraduates, frolicking in the hostel and foyers in the small campus. Who then became more acquainted for he was staying in the vicinity of my newly "discovered long lost" paternal relatives. We reminisced for quite a while over the teh tarik. That he was a teacher upon graduated from UKM, then asked for a service transfer to teach in the KUSZA, in which he then asked to be relocated into HR department from where he retired ca four years ago. That had made me forgotten to order the "lempeng ntior", until he asked himself to go to visit his daughter in law in KT Hospital in the maternity ward which sounded like having a complication similar to a UDM JPP staff residing outside my office. And "mysteriously" she was the same person, Nor Sakinah who married to Mansor's son. It was hard to comprehend the relitiness of the diversed anechdotes into one lattice moment derived from just to quench the thirst.

On to Batu 6, I stopped for the evening parayer at what was known as "Surau Pak Cha". The current name is "Surau Banggol Air Leleh". I do not know why the name of the surau's elder "Pak Cha" was dropped. The first time I prayed here since my kiddy days from way back in 1963, or before that, although I passed by many thousands times. The location was original, preserved, in the hecticity of the development, but ostensibly, the structure was refurbished from a wooden surau to a well-painted concrete. The place was in the opposite side of the road of the very first market-place of Batu 6, "atas banggol". Today there is not any sign or relic of once it was a merry market place.

Incidentally, along the road from Pengkalan Arang to the "forest" in my kiddy days, I passed through three water crossings: Alor Terebor (current land mark: Forest Department Check Point), or via alternative route, Tiang Lima Amas, which cross the same water way, at upper place; Air Leleh (current land mark: the Surau); and Tiang Kulat (once land mark: the demised Tropical Vineer Plywood Factory).

But the most, adjacent to the surau is a graveyard. Three of my love ones were laid to rest here, but none I knew the tombs. The giant tembusu had apparently disappeared. Today was my second "view" of the graveyard. My first was sometimes in the second half of 1963 when my much-loved little sister, Aini (aka Zabedah) was laid to rest. My father's father, Hj Ahmad, was laid to rest in this graveyard, I do not know when, perhaps before I was born. I remembered my father never miss visiting his father's grave every eve of both Eids until he was made home-ridden. Both my little sister's and my father's father's graves were side by side. In 2006, my father's youngest brother, AyohLi was laid to rest in this graveyard while I was still in Kuala Lumpur.

Three Consecutive Fridays

A rare occasion I have long missed. "Hujan panas" (lit trl: sunny rain), 2008 May 25 Mon, 1339 hrs.

For the first time since 2007 Aug, I spent quite a while at 'home', spanning three consecutive Fridays, 2008 May 23 (PA), May 30 (Buluh Gadng), and Jun 6 (PA), the first of which was the commencement of the school break, the Sunday after which the kiddies arrived in Adik Beradik to spend the break here to Jun 4 Wed. Which included a 3d-2n board in Rumbia Resort in Paka. And a sea-food spree nightout in Kuala Kerteh's Fisherman Assocn Jetty.

Perhaps no body remembered the sleepy Paka and Kerteh, 30 km south of Dungun, ca 30 km apart, of the sixties, because like other places in Terengganu, they had changed beyond recognition. Especially the southern Dungun-Kemaman beach belt which was "oilly" phenomenal. For that no one will ever regret for the "uninvited" development that had been "imposed" on Terengganu. The serenity of Paka and Terengganu had long been a tale, like that of the Pawang Ana's narration in the "Selampit". The fishing villages. The under-nourished coconut trees had been replaced by fat pillars of the oil industry. The cool road I was biking in Dec 1969, then motor-biking in 1972, with open roadside like quiet camping sites.

Terengganu was always a strange place, and would remain strange for many years to come. It born many good people to grow up somewhere else. Those who remained were obliviated by the fate of being always in Terengganu with Pak Kadok. Kelantan and Terengganu are like the two faces of the same coin. And their people too. Always in the elemental opposite values.


And that included another look at Manir Market 2008 Jun 7 Sat to "watch" the variant of life while searching for any "nostalgiums", like the oldy scent rice. The rice "industry" that had nourished the people had dwindled to a mere market roadside "stowaway", as seen by the unmaintained "chupak". The "spirit" of rice had gone. Even the seller did not know the name of the species which was a very inferior one. And the pair of beautiful sturdy steed with female human head and wings. Which were the two thousands years old imagination of a fast travelling in any which way.

And, in the late afternoon, another trip to the near edge of the South China Sea with my boy-buddy, Raja Mohsin, et al., et al .


The skipper was an experience old man, a sea-goer since his young days, known as Pak Wan Duyong. Ho took along three other crews. The young pilot, the anchorman, and a "part-time" steward, who only boiled three kettles of water.

To sea-goers, "squidding" was never more enjoyable than fishing.

Enjoying myself watching them enjoying their kiddiness themselves, as I did when I was at their ages. Once having their respect commanded, I rest assured of my gears in their care, and took a breezy sleep on the top deck after midnight when there was a long lull waiting for the anchor to be pulled and headed home to reach the Custom jetty at the wee hours.

They were all in conjunction with the SUKMA XII 2008 TERENGGANU, 2008 May 31 - Jun 9 in which the host state was the contingent winner for the event due to which Jun 10 Tue was declared by the state MB a state leave day. Which was in the middle of a phenomenal petrol hike of 78 sen to 2.70 rm per litre from 0000 hrs Jun 5 Thu. Which created an unprecedented traffic jam polarizing towards every petrol pump from 5 pm Wed which by the morning drained all the petrol stock.

In the mean time my kiddies in Selangor read different version of the related matter, depending on whether it was in English or in Melayu. And in the same n.p.

2008 Jun 12 Thu, for three consecutive weekends, a routine drive for a rather long home weekend in KL, two days after which, Jun 14 Sat that I missed, ECER DC was launched in UMT by the PM, in which COE (two of them, were hosted by UDM), were also launched. While in Terengganu, the PM had other matters too to straighten. The precious oil royalty, snatched by the federal after GE10 1999, was restored, to whatever its meaning or re-meaning to the people of Terengganu. UDM for one had a great desire for it -- for the Medical, which stalled many times when it came to the Hospital matter.

From SnO2 to CaCO3

MatriQ took us to Ipoh, Perak this time, 2008 Jun 17-20 Tue-Fri, which accounted for my rather long home weekend. Spanning through three consecutive weekends from Jun 12 Thu to Jun 29 Sun. Perak, the most unique state after the recent GE12 2008 Mar 8: a PAS mino CM among DAP majo reps. My first encounter with Ipoh was 1973 May 21 Mon. It was a study tour (to Ipoh) for the 3rd and 4th year chemistry students UKM when I was in the undergraduate. Visiting the Geological Survey Dept Malaysia, Tasek Cement, Malaysian Chemical Industries, and the night in New Hong Kong Hotel; Veterinary Dept, and Mining Dept. Even watching a movie A Promise of a Bed in the Odeon (Ipoh). Which the current student missed. And another brief "presence" in 1985 Sep 30 on the serial visit to UKM Matriculation Centres (when I was the Chemistry Coordinator) - MRSM Kulim and SMSAHalim Jitra, and KM Ipoh, Perak, - together with the Central teachers Suhaimi Muslim (biology), Osman Said (Math), and Andrew Sowell (Physics). The director, Dr Harun Hamzah was also with us. [During that long together, I learned a lot about Andrew, originally an American PC, married to a Losong girl, later I knew as one of my hons student.] Since then I just passed Ipoh on the way to the north to-and-fro, and especially in the highway-era. I passed over Ipoh many times especially during my chitosan times with the Eastern Global in Parit Buntar from the late 1980's through to close to 2000's.


Approaching Ipoh which is in the Kinta Valley, the valley which once was a prosperous tin mining fields. Ipoh in fact grew up on the tin valley of the Kinta river.

The unsymmetrical shape of the hillside, some even vertical, was the peculiar scene on approaching Ipoh. I learned in 1973 Geology, that this is a typical limestone hills.

A closer look at the hillside. Being "salvaged". Just wondering. All the way to the top. Limestone parent name is calcium carbonate, CaCO3. An amorphous it may look, limestone has many polymorphs of beautiful crystal rocks by the name aragonite, calcite, vaterite or (m-CaCO3), chalk, marble, and travertine. Many of the names would not ring any bell to the non-mineralogists. Except the second last. That may explain the hillside being man-made vertical to the top.

The welcoming party. For KL-dwellers, it is very much the feeling of at home.

The Hotel, 8th floor, facing the race course. The New Hong Kong Hotel I stayed in 1973 was in down town Ipoh.
I think, Kinta Valley had some bearing in the JPJ Vehicle Registration System. The cassiterite deposited in Kinta Valley had driven the British to rush to it when they were firmly set foot in Malaya in the 1800's. A quite concentration of them were in Kinta Valley. Motorised cart landed in Port Weld (Kuala Sepetang). Once the transport and the road were built, they need to register the vehicle. Having the "nawaitu" Malaya just for the raw resources that would not become a country by her "aboriginals", they opened up the system with the first letter of the alphabet "A". So Ipoh got "A". Obviously the cassiterite rush led to Kuala Lumpur which get the letter "B". Which in turn extrapolated to other than cassiterite to as far as Raub which got the letter "C". By then the locus had to be expanded to become "A" for Perak, "B" for Selangor and "C" for Pahang. Then they changed their mind about the "countryness" of Malaya because the Strait Settlements were communicable not just by the sea, but also by the road. But they could not decide which of the settlements should carry the letter "D", because common sense of superimposing a state name on alphabet was un-prevailed. Instead, the first letter of the settlements was. And thus "M" for Melaka, "S" for Singapore, and "P" for Penang. The sub-settlement of Province Wellesley was given "W". By the eve of Merdeka, all states, Federated or non-Federated, had their letter each. Kedah with "K", Negeri Sembilan with "N", Johor with "J". Perlis with "R" because "P" had already been designated for Penang. Terengganu and Kelantan were so "slow" that they shared the letter "T". The Singapore's "S" was revamped to fully British when the state seceded Malaysia in 1965. The Malaysian "S" then was given to Sarawak. And for Sabah the letter "Q". Since Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai) was the land part of Penang, it was joined during the post-merdeka. The obsolete "W" was re-designated to Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur in 1972 which began with "WA". When Terengganu and Kelantan got their pace, they were separated, with Terenganu went solo with "TB", and Kelantan was designated with the letter "D", the one which was "argued" for the Strait Settlements during the colonial time. Kelantan having "D" was rather weird. It was post-merdeka when Kelantan deserved one. Perhaps at that time, the alphabet-state name superposition was resumed, i.e. after "C", since "K" was for Kedah already. So did "N", and "T". Perhaps "L" was more approriate, which incidently later was designated to Labuan Federal Territory when it was created in 1984. The "H" apparently was given to the hired car (taxi), while "Z" was made exclusive to the armed forces (not including the police). Well, evolution had made vehicle licensing complicated. Here for much more on the current state.

During the while in the loneness in the Casuarina room, the nearness of UDM, the hidden bless that was reserved for me, crept into the feeling by e-mails, a few calls and SMS. I felt that they missed me too. Because soon when July descends, a new intake, the third batch student of the fac is going to commence. But I needed a week more in KL to be with the kiddies, to the end of Jun.

Including, 2008 Jun 21 Sat, the acquisation of an 04 Sentra on "patience pays" strike after a close deal broke down for an equivalent Altis a km down the road over a thou less. After many others alluring pieces including an Accord and a Camry. It was for the matters uninterrupted at home while I was away in UDM. Hopefully.

There are more than 50 dealers along the Cheras-Kajang road. Perhaps there are more than a thousand on display. How many piece each have to part to survive? In the one I dealt with, I noted, it was just one from the day I landed Jun 16 to the day I disembarked Jun 21. I think their survivality is not a mystery. What is the mystery is their concertedness to keep the margin at the level more than just to survive with no one brave enough to break it.

And, 2008 Jun 28 Sat, accompanying Asri to SRA LEPAI Bangi for a moral support in his struggle to become an ordinary pupil in the school. He was right in the path, said his Utzh Munirah who is the wife of my long time buddy Prof Dr Kidin. She had duly continued actually from his std one (1B) Ustzh Zawiah, last year who had successfully "educated" him.


Followed by a peek at SMK JE Bangi to see how CB and SB were doing. It was the KOMPUTHON day. A PIBG acitivity which was a non-new rebranded project to mellow down the demand of fifty rm no less from each pupil. The school currently horboured ca a thousand pupil in forms one to five. While watching the specs moving about in the compound, I met (or rather was) a few "ex-buddys", all had the common non-commitals which I inferred that the news was well 'broadcasted'. And much comments had been wielded to the public for interpretation and comprehension of the "singled-out" event.


A natural entropy at work.

A majority congregated at the food stall which was at the centre of the court yard. As always, the computer hardwares, which currently was the laptop season. The used to be 15k piece is now only 1.6k plus hundred times more capacity and capability. Desktops are for the "amateurs". And in turn, no one paid any interest to the book stall.

The young men and women were indeed very exothermic.

And that ended the three consecutive weekends. Jun ended with a drive back to UDM Terengganu, 29 Sun, to brace for the new session 2008/09, the third for the Agrobiotech faculty. The day the Diploma intakes registered, followed by the degree intake the following day 30 Mon.



Dated 2008 Jun 30

Prof Dr Nor Aieni (NOD) En Halim Aziz (MACRES) En Ahmad Safwan (MIMOS) Dr Mat Zakaria (UDM) Dr Shamsul Kamal (MRG) En Shahrizal Ide Moslin (ANGKASA) Dr Jumat Sulaiman (UMS) Dr Zainol Mustafa (UKM) Tn Hj Shahrudin Hj Yusof (NOD) Dr Shamsul Rahman (UTP) En Md Shahid Ayub (Nuclear Malaysia)