JOGINDER SINGH JESSY, CHAPMAN ... OF DAYS BYGONE

The book 'Who's Who in Malaysia" by Victor Morais which I bought at an old bookstore in Ipoh many years ago turns out to be a  gem to me. From it I came to know more of important people who had imprints in my life when schooling and even working.

Joginder was the Headmaster at Tunku Besar Secondary School. He did not spare the rod. One morning he lined us all in front of the hostel and gave the cane  for demonstrating (the previous day) for the ikan bilis and boiled egg dinner issue at the hostel!

Mrs. T. Chapman was the Headmistress of Tunku Besar Primary School. I used to see her husband at her office during lunch breaks. They have a beautiful daughter who taught English in the school. 

Robert Chapman was our Std V to VI classmate. Razali (who left for MCKK) and I played a dirty joke on him.  

Mohamad Jamil was the DG when I began working in MARDI. His daughter, Rosminah (deceased) was a classmate during Kolej Pertanian days.

I recall that at least once, my father and I went to see Taha at his house to recommend for state scholarship during my primary school at TBS. Thereafter, for a couple of years I received $20 a month, a lot of money then. I remember vividly that his habit was to read newspapers in the morning in his car parked by the roadside in Gemencheh.

Taha was killed by gunshot in a political imbroglio in Gemencheh. 

AKU TUNGGANG, BINI TIGA

mentari serik
pasir tandus
unta

tunggang
bini
tiga
rela
masyaallah

DAKAR - WESTERN MOST TIP OF AFRICA

Dakar in Senegal is made famous by the endurance motor-cross rally. It is an old established town at land's end on the west coast of West Africa. It is connected to the desert inland by rail lines. 

(The information below is decades old but would give insight of the past).

(If anything to be said to give unity to West Africa is the striking influence Islam exerts. Evidence of this is in Senegal, which is almost completely Mohammedan, is seen in the superb Mosque (above) at Dinarbel and (below) in the numbers of the faithful attending Friday prayers in Dakar).

(The African market stands in the centre of Dakar. Though it may be less convenient than it is in the European quarter, for the discriminating housewife the food is good ...)

 (Two scenes of Senegal that memory must vividly recalls are the beautiful White Mosque at St. Louis ...)

(El-Hadji Ibrahima Diop, the much-decorated leader of the Tidjanou Mohammedan sect and chief of Lebous, the indigenous tribe of Dakar, is here seen on the steps of his house in the Medina).

MAN OF THE ARCHIPELAGO - SHAYKH TAHIR JALALUDDIN

Shaykh Muhammad Tahir Jalaluddin – noted religious reform journalist and writer, 1900-41

1930. Perisai Orang Beriman: Pengisi tentang Madzhab Orang Kadian. Setia Press, Singapura

1932. Ini Huraian yang Membakar “Taman Persuratan” Haji Bakar. Al-Matba’a al-Marbawiya

1938. Ringkasan pada Mengenalkan Kandungan Kitab Huraian yang Utama atau Pati Kiraan pada Menentukan Waktu Lima dan Hala Kiblat dengan Logaritma. Malaya Press, Singapura

1953. Risalah Penebas: Bidaah-bidaah di Kepala Batas. Persama Press, Penang

Abu Bakar Hamzah. 1988. Sheikh Tahir Jalal ‘uddin. Medium 1, 1 Sept 1988

Hamdan Hassan. 1973. Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin: pelopor pemikiran Islam di Malaysia. Dewan

       Bahasa XVII(9):405-19

Mohd Sarim Mustajab. 1977. Sheikh Muhammad Tahir Jalaluddin al-Falaki: pelopor gerakan Islah Islamiyah di Tanah Melayu. Malaysia in History XX(2):1-11

ROH TGNA

LET'S MEET AT GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, FLOM

Apparently, FLOM's second home or backyard is USA. Why not? Her celebrity son is in New York and Hollywood. Brimmer and FLOM were in Hawaii recently. After that, she was reportedly jet-setting to Indianapolis. 

The politicians declare that we welcome second homers here. Why is that so? It is because many of them (and others) have second homes - in England, Australia (Dolah, Taib), Riviera (Effendi), Brimmer (Khazakstan?), AKJ (Switzerland), Daim (Africa).

Whether the US like or want me or not, whether I like that country or not I have the same backyard as FLOM's by default. Suffice to say for now that my first car (minus the lady) was a dark green 1970 Vega Cheverolet bought from a Venezuelan student.

The proposed rendezvous with FLOM at the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is not to push her into the Bay. Nay, I do not harbour ill thoughts or bad intentions towards her. It is a ploy to persuade her hubby Brimmer to see beyond his nose bridge and learn a thing or two about real bridges. 

GGB is a sight to see and a wonder of an engineering feat. It is more than 80 years old. I passed that bridge several times during our travels.

OF GENOA (1481), ROME (1493, 1596), FLORENZA

Florence (Florenza) and Rome were among the centres of renaissance during 15th and 16th centuries. Whereas Venice and Genoa were the centres of maritime trading with their rich merchants. Shakespeare made famous the "Merchant of Venice".

During the renaissance period, Malaka was on the rise as a trading port and at its peak was likened as the Venice of the East. It was said that whoever is in control of Malaka will have a chokehold on Venice.