1993. A year full of functions. Since the first sitting on Dec 2 last year, the PSN Task Force Committee met regularly this year, almost every month, mostly in the MOSTE's Info Centre in Wisma SD, Jalan Raja Laut.


Left, the late Dr Ismail Mohd Nor, a leading geologist; right, the late Dr Rusli, an emerging chemist.
APCCS1 throughout the year, meeting started as early as Jan 20. By end of the year, it swayed a little with the sponsorship: many times I chaired the meeting in Arisol's absence who was chasing the notorious sponsor. And a pause of sad event with the passing of Dr Rusli Ghani on June 16 Wed. It was a second lost of the faculty after last month passing of Dr Ismail Mohd Nor, a prominent geologist on May 21 Fri. The late Dr Ismail signed my application form in 1984 when he was acting the dean (some how the dean went for a long month break), and he was the only colleague who congratulated me on the confirmation of my assoc professorship in Jan 1985. Chitin group in Biro's foster, made a day in Hilton KL on Nov 4 Thu: MOU signing ceremony involving many agencies, viz, Sarawak's SDC, Promali Chitin Perdana (Medan, Indonesia), PT Bahari Lestari (Acheh, Indonesia), and MTDC, all were about to set up a comprehensive chito-based industries in their respective locality. The MOSTE Minister, Datuk Law Hieng Ding witnessed. The new session which began on the week July 12, took my youngest brother Jo for his BA in FPP, a continuation from his diploma in ITM Dungun when he finally sat in June.

Ramadan 1413 clocked in on Feb 23 Tue. On the third day Ramadan, I took Pak Dahan to see a person in BPG in Bandar Damansara, to appeal for her daughter's admission into a Teacher Training College. The person in charge was Datin Aishah, my geog teacher in 1968 in SAS. She did not recognise me and I kept I am to myself perhaps for use as a trump card in a more critical case. Pak Dahan's daughter was not admitted (but was in the following year 1994). By Ramadan end I was called by my mother's uncle, TokDa Berahim (and sons and daughter) who was in Num's home in Segambut on Mar 19 Fri on their visit for TokNgah Timah was admitted to HBKL for some hepa illness. The next night, the hospital rang me to take her home for they could not do anything about it and it was better for her to 'rest' at home. I went to the hospital with my brother Num, signed the undertaking letter and arranged a private ambulance to take her by about midnight, Mar 20 Sat, to Kuantan (TokDa's home). By ten the next day I received the call that TokNgah passed away. It was about the Eid break, so we packed the same day and headed for home via Kuala pilah, Keratong and popped in Tanjung Api after iftar in Kuantan to pay homage to TokNgah (and incidently to TokDa too!). The evening second-last Ramadan Mar 23 Tue, I gathered all my brothers and sisters and their children for an iftar together, the first time I could do after our mother left in 1989. It was on this occasion (and officially on Mar 27 Sat, Eid #3) I was asked the consent to marry off my sister Ani to our cousin Mustafa, Ayah Endut's #6. The Eid was on Mar 25 Thu and we returned to Bangi in the evening Mar 29 Mon, immediately after the ijab of Norizan, Azizah's brother, to his bride who lived in Jeram.

Obviously this was our first home break. The next break was during Eid Adha, May 31 Mon. During last Eid break I spent mostly with my mother's relatives in the 'beachland'; this Eid Adha, I spent mostly with my father's relatives, and mostly on korban feasts. In Nov (7-18) break I sent the children to spend their holidays in Terengganu since the University was only about the end of the first semester.

Dec 1 Wed, the school preopened for the 1994; the day before, Tue, PMR results were announced and Rubaini got what she worked for; her mother was exceptionally happy: a recover for the little less she earned in UPSR in 1990. We all went to her school in the late morning to see the results since she would set the precedence for her sisters and brothers. Nonetheless, since SMAS was only a lower secondary school, she would have three possible places to continue her Form 4: KISAS Kelang, SMAP Kajang, or the bottom line, Maahad Hamidiah Kajang, in which she (and every body else) checked in (temporarily) on Dec 16 Thu. One her friend, Azlin Ishak (Cheras), we took home to stay with us because the hostel was not a priority for Kajang area dwellers. When Rubaini eventually received the offer to check in KISAS on Jan 2 the following year (1994), En Ishak obviously collected her daughter, Dec 30 Thu. Malini moved on to Form 2 in TKC Seremban while Zidni in Year 5 and Muzani in Year 3 in SRK BBBangi, the (perpetual) primary alma mater for all my children.


Highland Towers UKay.
But many other events took place in Dec right through to the end of the year. SSB, the newly much publicised salary scheme was to begin next year, the briefing by the University's registrar office was on Dec 10 Fri, to replace the Cabinet II scheme (which replaced Cabinet I scheme which replaced Harun Scheme which replaced the scheme when I began a wage earner in Aug 1974). The 'cost' of modern development befall on Dec 11 Sat ca. mid-day after a heavy downfall: one of the three 12-storey Highland Tower (Block A) in UKay hills collapsed, taking its tolls of many 'important' lives. Rescue teams from Japan and France did not rescue any one. The dwellers of the spared two building were asked to vacate their dens, and thus the legal tug-of-war commenced.


In Dr Huglin's home in Liverpool, 1981 Oct 30 Fri.

Dr Hunglin (left) and Dr Ibrahim Abdullah, Chem Dept head, after a talk by Dr Huglin
Dr Huglin in my home in Bangi in 1993, Dec 24 Fri.

Shirley, Dr Hunglin's wife, and the 'ladies'

In mid Dec, Prof Huglin, my PhD supervisor in Salford (1979-1983), visited Malaysia, on a UPM ticket. I spent a full afternoon on Dec 14 Tue 'frolicking' and reminiscing with him, through to lunch. I took him for a quick talk in my Chem Dept on Dec 23 Thu (on hydrogel and degradable polymers - in which he included the photographic method of swelling measurement technique I designed in 1982 as a standard technique), and showed him my office, and the next day, Dec 24 Fri, a dinner in my home, in which Shelly (Prof Huglin's wife), Dr Ibrahim and Dr Maimunah joined. That was right after I attended (and presented) the 4-days (Dec 19-22) Second UKM IRPA Workshop in Allson Klana, Seremban.



Tekam Plantation Resort office.
Dec 31 Fri, I went to Tekam Plantation Resort, Jerantut, to join the students (Material Science and Nuclear Science Departments of FSFG) motivation programme (Rubaini accompanied). This programme took me through to the new year. For the first time I was 'cornered' to sink into the IT port for FSFG; that was when they heared that I had embarked on a five gran of complete 386 at Idwall, on April 26 Mon, plus another used 286 in Subang Jaya for children to play games at home. My hidden agenda was the translation of Greenwood&Earnshaw's mammoth Chemistry of the Elements ushered to me by Sulaiman of Pantas Set on the same day. With two sets of PCs, one in the office and another at home, I could well deliver alone, in time.

Edition dated: June 2003