I was born on Saturday, June 07, 1954 as stated in my ID but my late parents told me that I was born a year earlier in June 13, 1953. It was the trend at that time (may be at my village) to register their children one or two years after birth so that when the children go to school they will be a bit older, 8 or 9 years old and smarter. I just couldn't bother, I may be 55 years now but the look is more important... People told me that I look 45 ! (sure I believe them) after all age are just numbers ! Remember this....The older you are, the harder the horns !!!
As I can recalled, my late father came from a very religious family. He, however was quite an open minded man, but very strict. He married my late mother when she was 17 years old, He was 35, and it was his 2nd marriage after he divorced his 1st wife for not cooking his lunch !! My late mother being 2nd last in the family was staying with her 3rd sister who married quite a well-known family and quite rich, who owned few acres of coconut lands and padi fields. I was never been told how they first met and get married as my parents were very secretive and never want to talk about it with their children, a very old fashioned but acceptable at that time . Children should't mix with elders or never listen when elders are having talks or discussions. I have to keep away !
The first year of their marriage, my late parents were staying together in my mother's sister house but later they moved out to rent a house about 5 kilometer away . My father was quite an educated man who studied until secondary school, but stopped during Japanese occupation.He had an offer to be a "Sidang" an assistant to "Penghulu" (Village Head Man) but my late grandfather didn't allow him to move to other places. So being an obedient son he stayed at the village Bagan Nira, Sabak Bernam, Selangor. He started his small business, "Salai" a smoked house, buying all coconut at the village and turned them into dry and smoked coconut and sold them back to wholesaller to turn them to coconut oil. He had the business for few years until his smoked house was caught on fire and he stopped. With some savings, he built a small wooden house to call his own. We moved to the new house at that time half completed, no electricity, no pipe water and only pelita (karosene lamp) a small multi-purposes man made well to depend on.
My late father was jobless and only depended on odds jobs to support us. By then I have 2 brothers and a sister. It was quite tough for him, my late mother helped by selling pulut udang at a mamak restaurant, and during the padi harvesting seasons, she went to crop padi at her mother's house only using her hand with a "tuai" a small knife with a small wooden handdle. There was no other mechine at that time. With that extra income they managed the family but it was still a very tough one. Most of the times my late parents quarrelled because of the heavy loads. At young age, we were unable to help.
I only remembered clearly, when I was first sent to a Malay school. My late father will send me on his bicycle. I was sitting on the rod near the handle. As the journey will take 20 minutes, I used to feel numb on my buttock and my late father had to put a batek sarong to act like a cushion to comfort me. I was an intelligent boy. I used to get 1st or 2nd in class and my parents were very proud of me. My results continued to be excellent until I was in standard 6. At that time I had a bicycle of my own and cycled to school with my 2nd brother. To help the burden, I started selling ice cream with the bicycle in the evening and weekends. With the profit 3 -4 ringgit a day, I gave it to my late mother . During months of Ramadhan, my brother and I will sell ice cubes or ice blocks to the villagers as none of us at the village owned a fridge. With that small profit, we saved and managed to buy clothings for Hari Raya.
Being religious, my late father just sent me to a Malay school (English are Christians) until one day he realised that English school will be a better place for me, furthermore my school results was always excellent. He decided to send me to a remove class (from a Malay medium school to an English Medium school) for a year.I was given a monthly scholarship from State and Federal Government at RM15.00 and RM20.00 respectively. I started learning English in the new class then. I managed to catch up well and still no 1st or 2nd in class. A year later I was admitted to form one in an English medium school. All the other students were from Primary English medium school who had a better full English classes , written and spoken English for six years. As I had full English class only for a year, I was left behind. The 1st term I was no 26 in class and later improved to no 15 and the third term I was no 9 out of 35 students. It was quite an achievement.
My 1st cousin Ali , son of my late mother's sister who was quite rich was sent to Klang High School from form 1 and when he came back he will talk alot about his school. I was attracted but how can I afford? I spoke to my late father of my intention. He was very supportive and promised to send me eventhough If he cannot buy or change his sarong again !!! (At that time , my father wore only sarong everywhere he goes) and I didn't know how he managed to look for the money. My father arranged for the transfer and sent me to Klang High School by bus. I remembered we had to take a ferry at Kuala Selangor to Klang and I had a mixed feelings as it was the first time that I will be staying away from my parents, brothers and sister. I was very happy and at the same time very sad.
Being religious, my late father just sent me to a Malay school (English are Christians) until one day he realised that English school will be a better place for me, furthermore my school results was always excellent. He decided to send me to a remove class (from a Malay medium school to an English Medium school) for a year.I was given a monthly scholarship from State and Federal Government at RM15.00 and RM20.00 respectively. I started learning English in the new class then. I managed to catch up well and still no 1st or 2nd in class. A year later I was admitted to form one in an English medium school. All the other students were from Primary English medium school who had a better full English classes , written and spoken English for six years. As I had full English class only for a year, I was left behind. The 1st term I was no 26 in class and later improved to no 15 and the third term I was no 9 out of 35 students. It was quite an achievement.
My 1st cousin Ali , son of my late mother's sister who was quite rich was sent to Klang High School from form 1 and when he came back he will talk alot about his school. I was attracted but how can I afford? I spoke to my late father of my intention. He was very supportive and promised to send me eventhough If he cannot buy or change his sarong again !!! (At that time , my father wore only sarong everywhere he goes) and I didn't know how he managed to look for the money. My father arranged for the transfer and sent me to Klang High School by bus. I remembered we had to take a ferry at Kuala Selangor to Klang and I had a mixed feelings as it was the first time that I will be staying away from my parents, brothers and sister. I was very happy and at the same time very sad.
I was placed in a hostel, 1st time ever. I was lucky I had a cousin Ali there, otherwise the "ragging' wil be worst. I was introduced to hostel's mates and hostel's leader and what he did was to ask me to wash his dirty linen, and polished his cadet's shoes. Not that bad compared to others who had to do alot of "stupid" things. I had to adjust to a different life altogether. I have to do my bed, own washing, ironing etc. Food was provided but I didn't fancy hostel food. I was lucky I made good relationship with the cook, Pak Unggal as everybody called him and I always had a better kind of meals everyday !!
Hostel life was always full of memories. It was a cultural shock for me !! As youngster and first time away from parents and without proper guidance from my parents, I ended mixing up with few friends who didn't really keen on their studies. I followed them to" slip out " at night to Klang town, went to "dark bars," smoking etc. I didn't drink but coca cola was RM1.50 per glass and I have to buy one for the hostess. How can I afford ? My late father didn't know, How difficult was he, he had to send me money out of his sweat just to cover my expenses as I lied to him !! I told my late father that I needed money for school materials !! I was caught twice for slipping out and the warden a Singh "awarded" me with a public canning in the hostel !! Well, during the school holidays I came home to my family and my father will cut a chicken and my moher will cook special food for us and the villagers sometimes came to see me as I am the first boy from the village to study away from the village.
Hostel life was always full of memories. It was a cultural shock for me !! As youngster and first time away from parents and without proper guidance from my parents, I ended mixing up with few friends who didn't really keen on their studies. I followed them to" slip out " at night to Klang town, went to "dark bars," smoking etc. I didn't drink but coca cola was RM1.50 per glass and I have to buy one for the hostess. How can I afford ? My late father didn't know, How difficult was he, he had to send me money out of his sweat just to cover my expenses as I lied to him !! I told my late father that I needed money for school materials !! I was caught twice for slipping out and the warden a Singh "awarded" me with a public canning in the hostel !! Well, during the school holidays I came home to my family and my father will cut a chicken and my moher will cook special food for us and the villagers sometimes came to see me as I am the first boy from the village to study away from the village.
Time went by and I had to sit for my LCE (Lower Certificate Of Education) examinaion. I studied quite hard but a bit too late as I enjoyed almost every week. I just passed and admitted to form 4 Arts. My parents were happy as long as I passed and proudly told me that I could become a lawyer in Arts stream. I never had a proper ambition, sometimes I wondered why I never thought it was an important thing to have an ambition. But doing own business was always on my mine.. What will be will be !!!???
Almost everybody in class said form four is a honeymoon year, so did I. I never study after school, sometimes I didn't complete homeworks given. I felt quite lost and just waiting for the night to come. I was addicted to go to "dark bars" with "beautiful ladies" under the dark colourful lights (when I met them at the toilet, these ladies.... an ugly ladies with thick makeup). And still I like the place , maybe I could touch them, hold them.... etc etc At that age, I was not able to differenciate between the "Beauty and The Beast" . I was so "sexited"...!!!
It was time to sit for my MCE (Malaysian Certificate Of Education) and I tried to catch up. I studied but not good enough. Few of the students in the hostel were on "pep pills" to prevent one from sleepy. I tried too as the time was so close. I can stay all night long.. but during the examination I was blurred. I forget what I had read. Then when the result was announced , as expected, I had a 4 grade - failed , I could re sit but I decided not to because I wanted to work.
I went back home to my village. As I have a lot of times, not decided what to do I was offered a temporary teacher in an Islamic School teaching Bahasa Malaysia and English with a monthly allowance of RM50.00 and I accepted it. During weekends, I used to work as grass cutter at someone's land just to earn extra income for me and my family.
It was time to sit for my MCE (Malaysian Certificate Of Education) and I tried to catch up. I studied but not good enough. Few of the students in the hostel were on "pep pills" to prevent one from sleepy. I tried too as the time was so close. I can stay all night long.. but during the examination I was blurred. I forget what I had read. Then when the result was announced , as expected, I had a 4 grade - failed , I could re sit but I decided not to because I wanted to work.
I went back home to my village. As I have a lot of times, not decided what to do I was offered a temporary teacher in an Islamic School teaching Bahasa Malaysia and English with a monthly allowance of RM50.00 and I accepted it. During weekends, I used to work as grass cutter at someone's land just to earn extra income for me and my family.
About six months after that my cousin Ali , told me that MARA had a course for LCE holders in Hotel & Restaurants Management and he helped me to register and I managed to study again, though it was a short course but it gave me a long new life.... to be a hotelier !!!
1 comment:
Dah macam Memoirs of Datok Zeq le pulok! hehehe
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