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At the beginning of the year, my colleagues contended a joke in this.

The year 2003. The faculty began the year on the new day with the new dean, Prof ALM who used to be a deputy for a short while when the faculty appeared from a metamorphosis in July 1999. April 3, I attended the 23rd "istiadat" meeting of FST. This was the second time I attended such meeting since its hatch in July 1999. The first time I attended was during its inauguration, meeting #1, July 28. In that meeting it was decided that the following meetings would be attended by selected representatives (numerically about 25% of the staff and to be revised every three years) from each school; and I was not tall enough to get selected. After about twenty meetings in about three years, it was clear that the representatives were no different from those non-representatives: they were normal "bona-fide" staff; the attendance had dwindled to the intrinsic number. The out-going dean decided to redecide by referendum because resolution in the meeting would not be bonded by the quorum. I opted for the status quo (for nonpro-reason), but apparently the majority opted the opposite, beginning with #18 last year Jun 12.

In	Out	Up	Out	In	Cool
Aug 30 Sun, 1970 afternoon on the beach of Telok Kemang, Port Dickson;

Apparently the outgoing dean was ascending to assume the DVC post which was vacated by a contract-retired staff. The ascension was followed by the VC itself on the May 1, Prof Dato' Dr Mohamed Salleh Mohd Yasin, ascending from DVC (Student Affair) replacing the outgoing retired Prof Datuk Dr Anuwar Ali. The exercise was for the period to 2006 Aug 27, the date of the personnel's compulsory retirement; about eight months preceding my turn. However, if things run well, extension phenomenon would prevail and perhaps I would be the one who precede. It was a hiccup in the ascending of the replacement to the ascended VC since by May all three vice chancellories were from sciences faculty. When the third move was about to take place to fill the fourth chancellory, a ripple appeared because he was also from the same faculty, even from the same chairmanship as the one ascended in Jan. The ripple propagated even into local newspaper that the Jan ascension was a mistake, both in personnel and in choice. The exercise did take place effective from June 1; twice similar error repeated, demaged irreversibly. Perhaps this was the biggest ever churning exercise in the 30-years history of this university.

At the home front, matters cooled down quickly after a long march of sequential events last year, quenched by telescopic breaks of Eid 1422 in the long end year school break. It was full of untold thankfulness. The kids were very much looking forward for the new year school after a long eventful end of the year break, especially SB who was very eager to begin as a pengawas in Year 2. So did Alya, who began her penolong ketua pengawas (equivalent to HG) of the evening session in the Form 2, like she was in Year 6 in SRKBBB 2001. Both Alya and CB (year 5) were sent to tuition centre at EduTech, Diamonds, as early as late Jan, on their insistence. But the former quitted in Jun; she said the class was too noisy.

Sanah Muslim in 1970, in 2003, and Tuan Haji Ismail. The team from Terengganu in Kedah, Muzani photographed. Tuan Haji Ismail on the foreground. Plenty of helps from relatives and neighbours in Terengganu. The Kedah family in Terengganu.

February, my youngest brother Jo's wedding; Feb 1 in Bandar Darulaman, Jitra, Kedah (CNYear break); and Feb 14 in Terengganu (Eid Adha 1423 break), at the house used to be our home, thus finalising the promises I made to my mother on her death bed in 1989. The second last was in Feb 1994, the wedding of my sister Ani. All my sisters and brothers (minus Abang Ra, who was ill in Jaya Gading, Kuantan) were doing their best for this last one for our mother and father. In Kedah, my presence was evidently indispensable since the occasion was in a "high" place and "culture"; the others in the party (minus Hah's family), including those staying "not far" from there (Mek Tok Chik from Ipoh, Jimmi from Pokok Sena, and Sah Abang Wi from Kulim, families) were helping with the peripherals. As evidently always, a marriage is a destiny. Jo's mother-in-law, Puan Hajah Sanah Muslim is a SASian-71 from Johor, who knew me too well (although I could not paste a picture of her at all), as well as the guys and gals (her seniors) around us in 1970. Obviously this had facilitated my brother in gaining confidence during his "long distance" relation, and in fact he got into most of the decisions. The father-in-law, Tuan haji Ismail Ibrahim, a UUM lecturer, a local of about my age is, despite all our "foreigness", is a very nice and understanding person, the kind I have had in the case of my daughters last year. Ustaz Mohamad Said was assigned to represent us, in case we need one, in all the occasions, but only after we met that he gained a double confidence to do so, alas, as a chairman, for it was discovered that he was my brother's lecturer in ITM Dungun in late 80's before moving to the present lecturing in ITM Arau; and more, while lecturing in Dungun, he had a close colleague who was a friend I knew, Utz Zakaria Mat, presently in KUSTEM. Concluding the day, we were again very much blessed, and every one was looking forward for a return occasion in Terengganu, including the Tok Wan.

Obviously, I made the occasion in Terengganu, a better one than that in Feb 1994, because this time I had more hands, more experience hands, more capacity, and freer capacity. It differred slightly from a such occasion normally done in the area after taking into account several elements, most importantly: my last promise to my mother, and the arrival of VIP guests from Kedah to whom we had an obligation for their hospitality in Kedah a forthnight before. This more or less explained more explicitly to the Kedah family on why we had to do the reception in Terengganu, instead of in Bangi. In a few days time my youngest sister-in-law (Mak Su to our children) would soon know that we are a large extended family. Every time we go home for a break we would have more and more relatives to be visited than the days we have. As always, I never let the reason d'etre loose unabused to get my own old friends closer. Since the card printed many hosts, I just typed a note and an acompanying copy of the location map and mailed to the respective address. Abdullah Yusof, Omar, Ku Halim, and Wan Mohamad Musa turned up; Jalil missed the mail in time which went to his office, but requested to be met on the returning day 16 Feb Sun in KT; got at last Husin and the family to come all the way from Jabi.

SPM 2002 results were out on Wed 26 Feb. Muzani's results was his results; but on Mac 19 night by 1-600 line, he was told that, from the form he filled just before the SPM last year, his next phase was in Kolej Matrikulasi Perlis, Arau, for a pre-U course in business/accountancy. He was very happy and very much looking forward to go. We took him (every one in the jeep wagon) to the College on April 4-5 Fri-Sat. With him very far away, I was getting very much dependent on his fate more now than before. His first taste of real study was rather bitter during his first semester exam in September. Every one felt relieved every time he learned.

Nationwide, SSM salary scheme took effect for the MCS, the academia being included, after its launching in late october last year, replacing the almost fifteen years old highly fortified SSB. Practically it was just a new name for the old engine and resprayed body. Not many unsderstood exactly what was the difference. Even the registrar circulated a letter withdrawing his erlier interpretation in a previous briefing session.

The PTK phenomenon in the SSM became so ubiquitous that it masked the university to no longer an academic institution, instead it was like civil sevice centre such as JPA. The campus was swarmed with PTK buzzing, everywhere. There were many sets of PTK courses and exams to the end of the year; breaking for Ramadan in late October, to be continued in top gear from Jan next year (2004). The organizer attended the organised courses on how to run the courses and the ordinary staff went through the "organised courses". I had to go too, Oct 18-24, public holidays or not; and I had to give PTK exams to my IT lab technician staffs too, by the middle of Nov. It turned out the courses were like the non-SSM courses we used to attend, by the same persons that we have had several times before, and in some parts contained the courses that I gave to others in the faculty.

In my course, apart from some solvos being unleashed, it was interesting to get reminded that "The Bangi Thoughts" was incepted in the 1970's in Jalan Pantai Bharu as soon as the permanent campus of UKM was announced to be in Bangi. I recalled that it had developed and evolved, unfortunately not necessarily as it was firstly thought and intended. On its first surprise announcement it was "Bangi Land Fiesta" or "Bangilandesta", in which senior staffs went into land buying frenzy at about 500 to 2000 ringgit per acre (per about half hectre) - thirty years later swollen to about half a million. They could do so because then their carrier had matured enough that they had sufficient money for the twenty years investment. Some of them today stayed in big bungalows surrounded by big orchards displacing the original inhabitants and that changed the human ecology irreversibly. Those who did not have sufficient fund were assisted by state land corporate with 2 ringgit per sq foot raw land, and they survived to these days. In the late 1970's, it hatched as "Bangi Pesta Ria" or "Bangiria" in which for the first time the tradition of pesta ria was brought from the sole original Pantai Bharu site to Bangi. This was the first-hand experience for the locals to feel being in the "academic envelop", the envelop they were told earlier that would post themselves into a more developed people. With the dessimination of night market concept at about the same time and the reciprocal activities in the neighbouring Serdang, the pesta ria was just another night market, annually though. Year in and year out; in one pesta ria, the big wheel collapsed at about the same time the sun was setting, and it costed a life of the university general staff. Since then the pesta ria was without the fun-fare and the night market phenomenon became phenomenal. In about the same period, there was once a fierce “Bangilogue” in a symposium in a local university, the results of which was a simultaneous 24-hrs resignation of the top two admin posts of the university: the registrar and the bursar. That was the last of the fiesta the academia were given the ears to listen to. Since then the top two posts were filled by among the academia with the results of a monsterous difference of salaries of the two post takers; there were no other measurable differences. In the 1980’s the academia had grown to a sizeable and was growing and many of the thought inceptors hatched on the sixth floor. Many conceptual ideas emerged, most of them were in absolute virtuality. From times to times “Bangi monologues” were in appearance. One sang or said something, but no one take any notice. Virtuality was not yet deviced, but virtually all the monologues were of virtuality. In one of the monologue, it was suggested that all events were to be given a quantum value, or in IT-term: to get digitised. Unfortunately the dispensers were still in the decimal scale; they had only one device - divide everything into one hundred. They just noticed that the tiger was without the stripes only after thirty years it was ‘born’. The university was without a slogan: they found one - University of Discerning Knowledge (like Rothman ads in 1970's), and changed to another one a few years later - Research University. In the 1990’s, prior to the advent of the third mellenium, the Bangilogues were so complicated, they became unmanageable because the staff had polarized into many clusters of biospheres with their own ecosystem. "Bangiphobia" descended a few times; once when the firms did not prefer the graduates from certain faculties due to inadequacies. Then "Bangifuzzias", when it was narrated that the outside industries needed a good fundamental scientists whereas the faculty response was of a more industry-oriented courses. The PPA, and its predecessors, which used to handle only academic matters for development, now misfunctioned to become the proxy of the admin to handle, destitute of academic matters, the academia themselves instead, although, ironically it comprises the elite fraction of themselves. The "Bangifallia" intensified in the year 2000 when most of the original 70-ers had retired with a selected few survived a few more years on contract basis; then at about the same time it was the "Bangifolia" in which young staffs were sucked in after the place was first turned into a vacuum, thus unconnected. That "The Bangi Thoughts" had metamorphed into Bangi's multiple monologues of phenomenal numbers of academia which is better be acronymed into BANGILOGUMENAMIA which is not impossible though that it would mutate to BANGI KEMETOT and then its virtuality would continue to propagate into the third millenium.

My most invaluable gain after the course was the conclusion of two friendships and the winning of five new buddies, I think permanently; members of Group 3: Dr Jamal (an economist), Dr Azrin (an optometrist), Dr Ahmad Ismail (a phycologist), Dr Arawati (a business administrator), Dr Shamim (a microbiologist), Dr Lilia (an educationist), and Dr Che Hassan (a mechanical engineer), all were assoc professors looking forward for an appreciation from the university. I met Dr Ahmad often, we were equally ICT nerds in the faculty. I used to have discourses with Dr Jamal very often before, in RU; I was trying to understand the non-scientific understanding of the society. Since the RU was closed, I rarely met him, but we never stopped being at heart whenever we met. I saw Dr Arawati often, either in RU, or in the SRK BBB bay-road collecting or delivering our children, but never had a chance to talk. Now we are talking, and a lot. Dr Lilia and Dr Che Hassan perhaps had seen and heard about me before since they are in Bangi, especially the former since I frequently visited her faculty to meet my partner; none of us however anticipated this destiny. Dr Shamin and Dr Azrin were total strangers before, but after this PTK6, I think we had some chitosanic common denominator. I was thinking of deliberating further, especially with the latter.

The RU was closed down since Ramadan last year, depriving the easy-reach break to hundreds of staff and students, particularly all FST, Economics, Bisness, and sometimes Library. It had dwindled for nearly six months into stall-type take-away. The reason was: unhygenic; the unreason was: its discovery after nearly twenty years of operation. The difficulty was non-solved by broadcasting the rumour that a new cafe was approved in a building to be constructed. Since the deanery plan of which I had seen (to verify the adequacy of ICT labs) two years ago had not even been surveyed to this date, the cafe thing would be a thing in a different galaxy. No body cares any thing any more!! I rebegan the routine with Dr Jumat at the Admin after log-on, but from March, it was more economical to drop by on the way, forget about logon time, the Jan dean used to say, as long as one logon, even once. Dr Jumat joined (regular), Dr Osman sometimes, Prof Supian and Prof Yusof were as elusive as ever; but most of all, I got closer to lecturers from FPI, even together into deep knowledge discussion: Dr Ismail (DIman), Dr Mudasir, Dr Ismail (DNaim), Dr Faisal, Dr Tg Ghani, Dr Abd Rahim, and many more. For the first time I could feel their academic tenderness and very vulnerable to subtle and abstract changes. Nonetheless, by mid Jul, it was so regular, and the cars that was so regularly visible parking along the disused roundabout early in the morning before eight that might have sored the jaga's eyes; we were 'harrassed', again. I was reflecting that I was just not born with a lucky appearence; or simply that it was an annoyance to see something so regular and predictable; perhaps like they had bored enough knowing that the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening; and their bored knowledge that tomorrow comes after today.

Some of the SAS-ians 1963 pioneers: teachers and pupils. More or less a tribute by the alumni's president, an upper-six former 1966. The soul of the lyric meant sayonara .... !!! SAS 2003 clone address

Feb 8 Sat, ASAS hosted a dinner, 40th year of SAS in the Palace of the Golden Horses, The Mines, Sri Serdang. The PM was supposed to be the GoH because it was the occasion to mark the end of SAS, Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, born in Jan 1963; it was the day the history of SAS to be written. Many turned up and was oversubscribed and PM was actually represented by YAB. Dato' Seri Utama Tan Sri Hj. Mohd Isa b. Dato' Hj. Abdul Samad, an upper-six former 1968, and the captain of my house, Halimi (B). It was a farewell dinner, many refused to realise, and ignorantly enjoyed out of "extremism esctacy". I did not go, although being driven by many friends, formal reason: I was needed in Trg for my brother's wedding; true reason: I dare not see the History of SAS being officiated. SAS original, together with the sister Sri Putri, was being moved to Putra Jaya (newspaper reason: promotion); the site would be camouflaged for the time being until a boom is ignited for a biggest scale 'destruction' of the historic "Dataran Ilmu". What a very simple illogical was that, if a new school was to be built, then build it with a new name, new pupils, teachers, principal etc; why drag the already firmly stood school? Since the new school carried a new modified name, the original SAS was rumoured to be renamed: Sekolah Menengah Sains Alam Shah. A petition was launched by some alumnis to mantain its one-piece-ness (which I believed would not take any effect). What crime did SAS commit? No one knew why SAS was so hated.

Intrinsic 'love-affair' rekindled. In Apr, one from MSSC of Technology Park, rang to lure for a repeat writing job. It simply did not interest me, did not even bother to tell my partner Rashidi. Then Anuwar post-DPI followed up with the same theme. After a promise, and conditional, some actions to trek PAP with a 300 thou unpaid royalty fished out the latter, said to be on a new contract of practical books to be commissioned by BBT. After three meetings in Aug it evaporated as before and the said commission did not materialise, I wish due to BBT's acknowlegement of the staggering PAP's bad records with its authors. A former UIA top hat asked to team up with him on educational forum in a leading school/college intitution, but to the end of the year that was the only call he made. Perhaps I failed a vet. In May, Puan Rosna, of the MOE's Matriculation Division rang for consultation. It took me three torrential periods till Nov to deliver, and three outings too: Guoman (PD), Eden Garden (JB) and Arwana (Genting).

World event: USA invaded Iraq because Iraq refused to let US rob its oil for the Yahudi, bombing started Mac 20 Thu to commence the GW2. After six weeks, US "liberated" the humanity of Iraqis back to its pre-civilisation 3000 years ago, the time man had not yet discovered oil, and the first man to discover oil was the American. It was anticipated that the next US Army "liberation (read: oil) adventure" would be GW3 in Iran or Syria, so I ready-created a new folder to archive the material leading to the "liberation" day. Ending the year, US suffered a daily subtle humiliation of loosing its army's life, one or two or a few at a time, steadily to the Iraqi's anger. Iraq's President Saddam Hussien, the press-orientated mother of all the causes was reported to have been apprehended in mid Dec. Zidni bought an LA-KL returned tiket and in Jan for a scheduled home break on 16 May. On Feb 27 he was told by his sponsor: "Do not come home," as though the sponsor was pre-told that the war would break in Mar. His attempt for another home break in Dec was futiled by a too high cost.

May 19 Mon - I managed to overcome the taumatic effect of the day my mother left us - completed the fototeks charting of 1989, left for many years could not finish to 1994.

And another comedy (what is it?), compiled by Anthea de Lima, Sofianni Subki and Sharifah Sakinah Aljunid, published by the NST - Life & Times, Thu 10 Jul, 2003; and another by Nor Affizar Ibrahim, published in BH (under the same publishing house) Wed, 16 Jul 2003. It is amazing these days to witness how a divine social phenomenon like this could turn into a highly scientific "curriculum", I mean, a phenomenon observed and analysed by different observers; presented differently, in different languages, resulting in an entirely different 'application'. The bottom line is that each had an end purpose to dip into, the end of which is rather ugly wrt each other. Note that these are in the words of the elements of the phenomenon itself.
	It was like the nuclear splitting observed by Bohr, supported by Eistein, pursued by Seaborg, developed by Oppenheimer, applied by Truman and Churchill, fortified by Groves and Spaatz, and defended by Szilard. It was a phenomenon to be handled with an uttermost responsibility the contrary of which had shown to have demonised the divine beauty of the phenomenon itself.

They did every thing they possibly could to get us wrestled into the black-hole of debt. I had two reused-used cars to trade-in with worth 25 grans. I wanted to trade in for a 200 grans brand new; I was allowed for only 150 grans loan at 3 percent. For seven years (84 months) I would be poorer by a monthly [1+(0.03*7)]*150/84 = 2.1607 grans; a total differ of 31.4988 grans. If I opt for a 150 grans used one, I would be allowed a 100 grans loan at 4.75 percent. That would work out to be a monthly [1+(0.0475*7)]*100/84 = 1.5863 grans; a total differ of 33.25 grans. Whatever I decide, I lost my two reused-used cars, the finance sucks 30 grans from my salary irrespective of the thermodynamic state of the car I acquired and the autoshop would have one merchandise sold. It's like spending for two cars, one for me and another for the finance. Great! The power of capitalist! If I were to get hooked, I would "berputih mata" for the seven years no matter what happens to the AFTA things.

I believe 2003 was a very recessive year, judging by the things popping up around. Firstly it was the credit card sales by banks. The whole fleet of their salesmen/women (perhaps including their managers) swarmed the offices of the lecturers to lure us to buy more credit cards, in need or not, with usual false/misleading free "cookies". June 19 Thu alone four sales drops in my office. I just asked from which bank he/she came from, then picking the right form left by their colleagues the day before and then wigglling it was sufficient to deter them from getting my rebuttal. Then there were cars everywhere for sales, in the supermarkets lobby, even at bus terminals. The loan facility was even cheaper than the gov loan. Loan earners do not need a gov loan to buy a car. This was in b/w contrast to 1997 when I wanted to purchase an affordable car, I had to beg the sales through an acquaintance to let me have one on the university loan; and that was after twice I was humiliated in Terengganu, and once in Banting, by the car sale persons as though my money was not good for his car. These were played on the background of AFTA qv things which were hoped for a lower price in 2004 and onwards. In the media, AFTA was not very comprehensively said and not very much looked forward by the rakyat, because it would not change very much as to their hope. But silence was like a "lubuk buaya", one never know what will jump out when something is thrown into it, it may be a croc or it may be a fish the croc is up to.

The last third of the year was full of reunion of young days acquaintances; as I always contend, life will be reunfolded at the ending, for whatever one's wish for. Aug 7 Thu, we 'celebrated' two of our prominent SAS 70 teachers: CheGu Ramli (Add Math) and CheGu Hassan (Ele Math) in a lunch in Equitorial Bangi. Aug 17 Sun, Jamalluddin Shamsuddin, one of my close friends in SAS 1970, rang for a cup of tea, also in the same place; so instead I took him to my home to get to know my family. Sep 7 Sat, while on our way to attend the wedding ceremony of Mahadir's daughter in Parit Buntar, we dropped by Padang Rengas, Kuala Kangsar and searched and met Osman Musa, a close buddy in England who I last met in 1976. It was a warm reunion of unproportionate surprise. We got in touch a few months back by phone, but on that day only the familiar voice of us that confirmed ourselves; he changed physically so much; unlike Amin, the other close buddy in England who came to my home on my day in Aug 2002. Osman returned the visit to Bangi, taking along all in his family, Dec 27 Sat. The occasion was merried by the accompaniment of Jamaluddin_Siti and Md Soot. Sep 13 Sat, from a card arrived in my pigeon hole, I went to attend and met Zakariah Awang, on his son's wedding ceremony in Titiwangsa Stadium; a colleague in SAS 70 board of prefect and a house captain (E - Hishamuddin) who I last met in 1973 in UKM. I have yet to locate the last of my house captains in 1970: Munir Tusat (D - Tan Sri Jamil Rais). Oct 11 Sat, a mini SAS-ian 70 lunch in Pan Pacific, hosted by DCP Dato' Zainal Mohd Tahir. We were 'paying' gratitute to our teachers: Dato' Dr Ariffin Suhaimi (HM - 1967-69), CheGu Aminah Abd Rahim (Biology), Chegu Ramli Ismail (Add Math), CheGu Aishah Zahir (Geography), and CheGu Baharin Shamsuddin (Add Math). They are truly amazing teachers, keeping a close watch on their pupils and, ... I felt it was so utterly senseless when I was addressed "Prof" (and others, 'Dato'') by the persons who 33 years ago initiated the beginning to that. I just wanted to see and to express my gratitute to my old teachers and to meet and to see how my buddy boys and girls had changed after they turned adults and made their lives.

About 33 years apart: 2003 Oct 11 Sat, Pan Pacific KL, a mini reunion of SAS-ian 70, (L to R): Prof Kamaruddin Mohd Yusof, Dr Mat Zakaria, DCP Dato' Zainal Mohd Tahir, Dato' Dr Ariffin Suhaimi (Pak Pin), Dr Md Soot Ahmad, Prof Mohd Wahid Samsudin, Mohd Embong, Jamalluddin Shamsuddin, CheGu Aminah Abd Rahim, CheGu Aishah Mohd Zahir, Dr Mohd Md Tan, Prof Ibrahim Baba, CheGu Baharin Shamsuddin, Md Sharif Ninggal, CheGu Ramli Ismail, Abas Adam, and Dr Jariah Hj Masud.

Ramadan 1424 clocked in on Sep 27 Mon. As always things became more viscous, even the university prolonged its inter-semester break to after Eid on Nov 25 Tue. The following day Tue, a state fellow, a colleague of my friend Abdullah travelled all the way from Terengganu by bus to have me parted with my Pajero, the iron horse which took my family to everywhere, minus only Sabah and Sarawak, for everything since late 1989 in its 4th yrs. In less than an hour of dealing between 16 KR, the fellow drove the car and on his way back to Terengganu. A week later its congener C70 also parted to a friend of Edi for a 3 HR. We managed to spend the Eid on Tue Nov 25 at home, but my primary intention was the Class of 66 reunion which Abdullah, Jalil and I quietly e-organised since April. Eighteen nuclear alumni turned up; it was a short two-hrs gathering of a nostalgic extract of almost in 40 years span. It was an amazing reunion because they were all innocently similar to those in 1966's amazing years.

Back Row, from left: Omar Taib, Wan Mohamad Sulong, Draman Muda, Wan Mohamad Wan Musa, Razali Yusof, Jalil Abd Ghani, Anwar Rushdi, Abdullah Embong 'B', Ismail Mohd 'A', Mat Zakaria. Front Row, from left: Zaharah Ahmad, Abdullah Yusof, Mohamad Sulaiman, Khamsah Mohamad, Razak Mohd, Abdullah Embong 'A', Mohd Embong, Zawiah Chik. Berkirim Salam: Ismail Mohd 'B', Hamzah Ngah, Othman Ali, Ramlan Mohamad, Mariam Jusoh. An ovum was planted for perhaps a final reunion in 2006; the final year before we all would retire. It would probably take the school alumni itself if the venue is to be at the alma mater itself.

The first four Prime Ministers who was his predecessor's deputies taking over the premiership in turn.

The 4th PM, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed and his four consecutive deputies: Tan Sri Musa Hitam (1981), Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba (1986), Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim (1993), and Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (1999). The 4th survived and ascended to the 5th Prime Minister (2003 Oct 31 Fri).

Equally interesting questions were: Would the 5th premier have more than one deputy? Would his immediate deputy succeed him to 6th Premier?

Unambiguously, the event of the year was the exit of the 4th Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir (instantly made one from a Dato' Seri on the exit day, 31st Oct 2003 Fri) after 22 years in power since Jul 1981, and the ascension of the 5th Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the former's 4th deputy (since 1999). Dr Mahathir thus kept his words he made in June 2002. It is of interest now to recall the Sopie's Map of Malaysian Premier (SMMP), appeared in mid-80's, about the name and thus the person who would become Malaysian Premier. It was observed that the name of Malaysian Premiers are those initials coined in the name RAHMAN, the name of the 1st premier himself. The map appeared in mid-80's when the 4th premier, a one with an "M" initial, was reigning and was running into difficulties with his (1st) deputy, whose initial was also an "M". The deputy, to the nation surprise, conceded, and the map was pointing to that the 5th premier would be the one with a name of "A" initial. To begin with, the name RAHMAN is the second word-name of the self-consumed 1st premier with a multiple words-name not many knew it exactly. The 2nd premier aligned at the initial "A" of the first word-name, which is not a unique for a few like him alone. He was more well-known by the second word-name. The 3rd premier with an initial "H" was genuine (a single word-name), and so did the 4th premier with initial "M". Apparently the map is rather fuzzy, giving accurate navigation more after the event rather than before the event. Had the deputy of the 4th premier succeeded in turning into the 5th premier, the map would had been reread or respelt into RAHMMAN, or RAHMAN (the bold M is for two consecutive 'premeirs' all with "M" initials), after all the word is an Arabic origin transliterated into Malay and spelt in roman characters; a lot of its intrinsic volume is unspent. So, in 1986 the second deputy to the 4th premier was appointed, and happened to have a name the first word-name of which is of "A" initial like that of the 2nd premier. The validity of SMMP was clearer than ever even though he was of the 1st and 2nd premiers generation. The 4th premier then again faced with the problem of the deputy, not with him, but said to be among those who wanted the deputy job. So the 2nd deputy conceded and the 3rd deputy came in in 1993. And in the shadow of the SMMP his name was a genuine "A" initial. And thus SMMP stood firmer than ever. Unfortunately the 3rd deputy suffered the same fate as his two predecessors, he even took up from the opposite way; he was booted out and humiliated in 1998. For sometimes, the 4th premier did not have a deputy, but he was lucky because in the scarcity of the candidature he was blessed with one other also with a genuine "A" initial. He was appointed deputy in 1999, his 4th deputy. Eventually, the 4th premier had to submit his limitless fate to his limited time; and thus his 4th deputy fullfilled the much awaited 5th premier of the "A" initial. Had all the four deputies of the 4th premier's consecutively became the premier, with the 4th deputy became the 8th premier, then the SMMP would read RAHMMAAAN, which is not incorrect to some arabic form. This is not impossible considering the marathon duration taken by the 4th premier was 22 years compared to the 3rd premier from whom he ascended. The 4th premier episode had caused a nation addiction for deputy; thus when the 5th premier ascended, the nation asked more on his deputy-to-be, and less on his incoming duty, without realising that the 4th premier had already shown that the SMMP was pointing to the premier, not the deputy. Nonetheless, the question "Who would the 6th Premier be?" is imbibing. That is why the nation began by asking who would the 5th premier's deputy be? The SMMP is pointing to an "N" initial, but could it be, in its fully spent intrinsic volume, that the map be spelt RAHMAAN and the 6th premier take an "A" initial again, like the 5th, or plausibly consuming two initials "AN" instead of just one, leaving no room for the "N" 7th premier, and thus completing the cycle?

The 4th IGP Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor, the 5th, Tan Sri Norian Mai, and the 6th, Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Omar.

About concurrently, was the appointment of the 6th IGP who took over from the retiring 5th IGP who took over from 4th IGP in Jan 1999 when the 4th IGP's extended service was terminated after he was found by a Royal Commission to have physically beaten, while being handcuffed and blidfolded, the former Deputy Prime Minister in Sep 1998 to the infamous "Black Eye". The other most remembered note of the 4th IGP was his TV3 end-year chat on 31st Dec 1996 that he successfully rounded up the Arkams with the cooperation of the Thai Police in Southern Thailand.

The year ended with full of hopes of better things to come. One was on the e-warga on the day of the year end, that the university would launch a new (read: revert) traffic flow in the campus: a visitor would no longer get confused to go to after entering the gate; to take effect on Jan 2 Fri 2004, and as always, on experimental basis for 'a month'.

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Edition dated Jan 2004