The Year 2001. The first day of the year was nicked "010101", obviously by someone who had a hidden obsession on computer, and in my case it was a mere in phase continuation of the "001231". And the month was actually a celebration month: a post-Eid on Dec 27 Wed, last year with Syawal ended on Jan 25 Thursday, plus Chinese New Year the day before, Jan 24 Wednesday. The school had its first break in the millenium on the CNY week Jan 20-28. Work in the new third millenium was actually began to kick on Jan 29 Monday with everything had fully recovered from the celebration mood.
At the home-front to begin the millenium, Rubaini is in her final (sixth) semester at UKM for her bachelor degree in food science and management. She graduated in April and received her degree in the 29th Ceremony on Saturday July 7. I attended in the staff row because I have all the reason to. She nonetheless continued in a program leading to a Master degree in the same "alma mater", and luckily by year ending was on a Pasca list. Malini has just began her second year in Cambridge after the home Eid break, and Zidni, now an ex-SASsian like myself, is in-and-out of the procedure course to gain an entry into a USA University: SAT I and II in Metropolitan College, Toefl in KDU, OBS in Lumut, etc. In April he got himself a place in University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and of no news from CalTech, Cornell, Michigan, and Minnesota, he decided to go there. Fortunately another of his colleagues was of about the same news. So they flew together on Friday late afternoon, June 15. We made a "spirtual" preparation for him since a few nights before Monday, June 4. It appeared that I was more worried about him than about Malini in 1999 because I had no imagination at all about the USA. What my mind tried to display is that it is very much more sophisticated that in the UK which had been very much more sophisticated than during my time in 1974 through to 1983.
Muzani is in Fm 4 of Commerce Class, in his fourth year at SMBBB Jln 2, while Alyani is in Yr 6, in her final (sixth year) in SRK BBB (Jln 2) like all her elders and has begun her tuition class to sit for UPSR this year. She made it in her UPSR in early Sep the results of which was announced on Nov 6 Tuesday. Syarbini is cool in Yr 3, in the evening session since last two years, while Ashbihani has just started his Taski Pinggiran PutraJaya (a walking distance from home), beginning second week this year; he is very keen indeed with his "lessons"; and Asrizalni is in his second month of life; on the 60th day he gained about 3 kg, just from his mother's mammary glands, to become a 6+ kg-er and began to deter his sisters and brothers from holding him and appeared to hurry in growing up. He made his first step of walking right on his first birthday.
In April, on 20th Friday, I began my first day of 51st year of life. I have lived for 50 years and alhamduliLlah, I was given all the blessing none to complain.
 No 8, Landsdowne Road, Monton, Eccles, Manchester M30 9, England. We stayed at this place 1981 April 29 Wed to 1983 March 11 Fri. My #2daughter Malini was born in Manchester 1980 May 14 Wed in Manchester (when we were staying in Whalley Range). In April 2001, eighteen years later (while in Cambridge from Autum 1999), she revisited the place; which practically had not changed. While in the vicinity, she also went to see Dr Huglin in Salford, who saw her a few times when she was a baby; and once in our home in 1993 Dec 24 Fri. 
It actually surprised Dr Huglin for he might have not expected these anecdotes to happen in real life. Reportedly, Dr Huglin was very proud of me, took the picture with the "Prinsip Kimia Polimer" which I complemented him in 1993 visit. He took Malini for a tour around the cold Cockroft, the places where I was around there for three and half years, 1979 Sep to 1983 Mar. Unfortunately, Dr Hulin's office then was not the one that I went in and out a thousands times in those years. It was a whole short time indeed. |
Some restructuring or rearrangement occurred in UKM which affected the GPS of Chito-Chem. Firstly a new portfolio, called UKM Holding (officiated in Mac), was set up in addition to existing Chancellor Foundation, perhaps to accomodate the excess 'professionals'. Biro, Pusat Kembangan Pendidikan, PJJ and UNIPEQ, which were under CF, were deposited in the new Holding. These four entities later in the year were dressed (and to be renamed) to become a fully commercial UKM-owned subsidiaries of the holding. Then the Innovation which housed CC, which was a section in Bureau was disected (in one piece with its "brain", the Deputy Director) and relocated very far away, under Research Management Center, a portfolio under Deputy VC (Research & Development). CC, being a first protostar, was to remain in Bureau (a paternity subject). All these currents apparently had inhibited CC's evolution, especially wrt the CRDF awarded late last year. To the end of the year, the Biro Director seemed to draw some pleasure from being the new Chaiman of CC, and somehow, CC was kept in Biro. It was discovered later that the other two 'money-makers', viz. UKM Optometri and HUKM Kesihatan were also deposited in the holding.
In June, to be exact on Saturday late afternoon, June 23, I met Othman Ali, my classmate in 1966 in Padang Midin, Terengganu. On this day he visited us in Sg Merab after he was alerted. The last time I saw him was in 1972, May 18 Thursday, in Kampung Pandan, then I was staying in tutoring for a small subsistance, and he had just graduated from Politeknik Ungku Omar and then working as a JKR technician. He was my classmate only in 1966, not in the two years before that, but I always remember him, a friend in every mode of my time; a source of humour, even to the mechanics of his smile, in the class and outside the class; during my initial boarding in SAS in 1967, he wrote letters to me giving me news on what was going on in PM and that had kept me away from feeling being so far away, until at the end of the year someone else took over.
Saturday July 28, 2001, to the time of writing, I think perhaps my last visit to my alma mater, SAS. It was the Excellent Day Award, and I was there on behalf of my son Zidni to receive his 2000 SPM all A's award (with 19 others). On the day, I met the regulars, Mohd Embong, my colleague Prof Ibrahim Baba, and a senior Dr Zahari Bakar, formerly a soil scientist in MARDI, then quit to join a private IPT. Most of all, I met Salamah Ali, a SAS-ian 1969-70 girl whose youngest son, Shamsul, was a close friend of my son Zidni, and whose eldest son was an Esso scholar like Zidni. We spent quite a while during the refreshment time, reflecting on the past, and after more than 30 years she remarkably still could understand my being in the 1970 and afterwards, and unhasitatingly narrating some of her experienced anecdotes that she was very sure I would be more than happy to share with. The time was so squeezed off to expand more than that.
RM8 began this year; in it was the IRPA phenomenon, but it was not as glamorous as before; everyone seemed unmoody about it. I did not apply either, I guessed for reason to avoid the same reason ditto was turned down five years ago. Nonetheless, Prof Pauzi, the designated head of Chitin Group made an unwholeheartedly move by filling to imcompletion the form by including Dr Osman and Dr Mamot to expand the field directly to the Food Technology. In the mean time Technology Park Malaysia, as represented by Joanne Chow, expressed their willingness to work with us on their integrated farm programme. Both did not kick. But in June Prof Salam, qv, gave a free ride on his IRPA application on functional food additives in meat products. However, in mid Sep a score of juniors persuaded me into leading them for an IRPA grant application. I obligated it with a crash workshop and completed, but proscrastinating by waiting for everyone's cv, by the the year it has yet to be submitted.
WTC was missiled (and Pentagon too), bombed, or imploded, or all together; the US said Osama did it, because US said the Muslim do not like the US way of life;         ...And Afghanistan was savaged by the US because US said Omar sheltered Osama. The real life Holywood's Unforgiven was ritualised;                    
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PPSKTM got its new numberone, a chairperson, Prof Aminah of Food Technology Programme from July 1 (effectively Monday July 2), taking over from Prof BMY who retreated into a sabbatical. The first meeting was conducted on Jul 17 Fri (5/2001); my "job" as chairman of the school's webmaster was renewed. It ended when the year ended; with top part of the University changed in the line terminating at the Chemistry Programme in PPSKTM. In a not too unexpected move, I was made the ICT coordinator of the faculty, a VC appointment, the main job of which practically was to compulsarily "ICT-wash" the 800 new students in the faculty, in two semesters, every year. With four elusive staff, the "job" was from Aug 15 for three years. Every body seemed to have deserted the job, and toward the year end, with companionship of Dr Kadderi, I suddenly metamorphed into an ICT expert in the faculty. I tried to make some initiatives at the beginning by rearranging some of the strategic elements in the ICT Lab, but the response was rather biting, so I decided to let the nature lead the way, sighting for any first opportunity for a peace exit. Nonetheless, out of the flavour, I was ushered in late Aug, into the organising committee of the Fifth Chemistry Seminar of Joint UKM-ITB to be held next year.
World event of the year: US's WTC (New York) and Pentagon (Washington) hit at 8.45 am local time Tuesday September 11 by four (one missed) hijacked commercial USA jetplanes. In Malaysia it was 8.45 pm Tuesday. At that time I was with my wife, sons #6, 7 and 8, munching fish-o-fillet at McDonald off Bangi Utama. And as never failed, US said it was the job of Muslim because the Muslim hated the US way of life, and Osama was the leader. In Nov US bombed Afghanistan to dust, almost all day even during the Ramadan, because US said Omar sheltered Osama.
We spent the Eid 1422, Dec 16 Sunday in Trg, practically in my in-laws home, with everyone, minus Malini in UK, and Zidni in US. Both called us on the phone in the morning, they both worked out accurately to be after Eid prayer at about half past ten. We had about a week, but the firat three days were very wet; a baby monsoon was just set in since the night before the Eid. In the few days left after that I had the opportunity to to go back to my childhood time, the last six full years in Terengganu before I preventured to KL. I drove around with a few of my smaller kids, stopping and snapping in a certain places without their comprehension of what and why I was doing; around Bukit Tunggal, Bukit Datu, Telaga Batin and Wakaf Baru. We left for KL on Friday, Dec 21, in anticipation of more wet to come, with a rest night in Segamat. Next year, 2002, seven days to come, is waiting with more things and more complicated things to do.
Edition dated Jan 2002