PAK LAH

A MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER

I have since made it a goal. Every return trip to my home state Kelantan, I will visit at least 1 relative whom I have not met for a long time. I chose not to be too specific about the "long time" though.

First visit was promised while I was still in KL, before doing the cycling trip back to KB. I promised this Pok Sepupu (Father Cousin...aiya) that I will cycle to his house. He probably thought it was a joke! His name : Abdullah or better known as PAK LAH! Of course, we called him Pok Loh.

PL has been a favorite "Father Cousin" since I was a kid. He was a carpenter, house builder, motor mechanic, barber, and self-defense exponent in his younger days. He with several other relatives built our house back in the 1960s.

His passion now is fishing. Give him a fishing rod and all his worries are over. When the fish bites and the rod trembles, he will not part with the rod, not even for cash. That ecstacy he must relished, never mind if the fish is ikan buntal. That's his love, now that his wife has passed away several years ago. With his blocked heart, he will not be able to stand a new wife! So he goes fishing.

He was scheduled for an angio-plasty until GH told him he had to fork out RM15,000. So he politely told the government he'll wait for his time to see the maker.

So, as promised, on my second day of arrival (31st Mar 07) to KB, we (my brother Rahimi, his wife Sufia and I) made the trip to the PM's residence. After a ravishing Nasi Kerabu at Warong Siti Aishah, we cycled the 15kms to Kg Beris Kubor Gajah. No one appeared to be home. We sat ourselves at the benches under the shady pokok ketapang and I called PL on his mobile. He answered coyly and he was in the house. We "invited" him to join us under the Ketapang tree.

He narrated many funny stories. He recalled staying over in my TTDI house eons ago. He went out to buy cigarettes at the shop, remembering the number of right and left turns to the shop and back. He got lost and couldn't locate my house, as all houses were similar. He didn't realise he was actually at my gate until my maid asked him why he was standing outside the gate. Embarrassed, he said he was just taking some fresh air!

When I was a Branch Manager of a bank in Tg Karang in the late 70s, he spent a few days with me. He became a local celebrity because of his relationship with the Bank Manager! And that Bank Manager was not aware.

We had a great time relishing our youths. We stayed in excess of an hour before we bade goodbye. One goal accomplished.