Thank You My Friends..

During our small farewell gathering held yesterday I was asked to provide some pep talk basically on how I felt during my tenure in UTP. I started off philosophically with a story about colors and how I painting it for the last 7 years in Registry. During the first few years I’ve tried so many colors painted to the white canvas hoping that somehow or another, my superior and colleagues would appreciate it heartily. And I did just that. I’ve painted it with nice metallic blue in color. Though sometimes it was not really blue, not even near the color blue, but being Fadil that have been well received in Registry, my painting was generalized and well accepted.

My tenure in Registry will end in few days’ time. I will be relocated to a new place with a new environment, new perspective and definitely new challenges. I need to re-paint and will not be able to depend on the nice metallic blue color that was well received by my superior and colleagues in Registry. I need to paint using different sets of colors now and hoping one of them will be accepted by my new superior and colleagues. I just need to continue painting and put new effort to the work.

That was my piece of advice not only to Siti that will leave us for good but also to myself – which really lack of motivation at this moment of time. I’m hoping God will bestow his mercy on me, I really need that…

P/s – 

To Siti, thanks for all the nice words. You are good on your own now as you’ve transformed yourself from ‘white and naïve’ to a wise ol’ lady..

To others, my superior and colleagues in Registry, thanks for being with me through thick and thin, laughter and sadness. My respect to all of you…

Congrat Kiki, Capri

Kiki has made it. Although it was not a straight As but still it is a flying colors as far as I'm concerned. I guess you deserve what you are struggling for. 

 

Next is to get a good boarding school for him. I prefer SMKA Al Mizan as compared to others that he has chosen. But let see whether with that kind of result could bring him anywhere. Otherwise, let just continue with PMR and SPM at home. I did that last time and I'm sure he could do the same too. Anyway, congrats Kiki. Jangan mintak lebih2 untuk hadiah...

 

 

APPOINTMENT

 

After five years at the Registry, I've been summoned to be transferred to other department starting early next year. It's a promotion that comes with new challenge, new perspective, new staff, new environment and so many new things. Am I glad? Frankly speaking I am not so sure whether this is good or otherwise. One things for sure, my BP rose to a record 170/105 last week that makes me wonder whether I still have the joie de vivre to push myself forward. 

 

 

P/s - Aku kena lagi byk relakkkkss.. 

 

After So Many Years…

Seingat-ingat aku kali terakhir aku warded di hospital adalah pada tahun 1986, masa kena jaundice kecik2 dulu… kira lama sangat dah tu. Biasa la in and out dari hospital sebab anak2 yang warded. Tu biasa tu.. tapi bukan  warded diri sendiri. So bila last Saturday yang lalu, aku diminta untuk warded..pehh!! stress tahap maksima lebih2 lagi bila kena duduk diam2 dalam MRI lebih 25 minit.

Trauma 26 tahun lalu sebab ‘bertarung’ dengan doctor cina tu pegang tangan kaki aku nak ambik darah masih belum habis lagi, memang sah la jangkaan aku yang post-MRI impact lebih menyiksakan. Daripada perfect BP 124/79 sebelum MRI kepada 150/100 setengah jam selepas tu. Lemah lutut sama lenguh2 bahu kesan kenaikan BP tu masih terasa walaupun dah keluar wad 3-4 hari ni. Stress tahap dewa2 betul..

Ceritanya tulang C5 paling bawah aku dah slipped. Kata doctor sebab duduk lama2 sangat. Mungkin betul tapi yang confirmnya sebab aku stressedkan pinggang masa nak mula main bola balik. That way like a year ago. Lepas pada tu sakit di pinggul tu on and off. Kalau angkat berat sket, sakit. Kalau duduk lama sket sakit. Nasib baik kalau masa tu tu..tak pulak sakit. Lagi kuat ada :-)

So lepas ni nak kena buat laser treatment sebab C5 tu taklah terlalu kritikal. Maknanya dia belum terlalu kuat menekan saraf walaupun kaki kiri dah mula terasa sedikit insensible (numb). Doktor suruh secepat mungkin tapi aku rasa kena settlekan hal pejabat sama tenteramkan jiwa lara ni dulu. Esok2 lain pulak jadinya kalau BP tetiba burst.

P/s - aku kena byk rilekkkkkks……

Thank You Datuk...

Selepas tujuh tahun dan tujuh bulan di Tronoh, akhirnya pada 31 Oktober, 2012 Datuk Dr Zainal menamatkan kerjayanya di institusi ini. Datuk memulakan kerjaya pada 1 Mac 2005 kira-kira sebulan sebelum aku mendaftar sebagai pekerja di ITPSB. Dua hari lepas adalah hari yang menyedihkan bagi semua warga institusi, melebihi misteri persoalan bagaimana keadaannya pengganti kepada Datuk nanti?

Satu makan malam penghargaan kepada Datuk dan isterinya, Datin Rosemi diadakan dan telah dihadiri oleh lebih daripada separuh warga UTP. Meriah dengan aktivti tetapi keseluruhannya penuh dengan emosi. Prof Fadzil dalam ucapannya menggambarkan keseluruhan penghargaan atas segala pengorbanan Datuk kepada UTP. Aku juga beremosi tapi memandangkan Zaihan di sebelah kanan, Nuzah di sebelah kiri, staf2 lain di hadapan, maka ku tahan juga air mata dari jatuh berderai….

Antara kata-katanya seperti berikut: -

“……..Tonight, as the UTP community gathers to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to Datuk Dr Zainal, we are also honouring and celebrating an individual who is leaving behind a huge impact on the university with a legacy to be cherished and remembered in our hearts and minds. We are here to commemorate the successes that this university has enjoyed under his leadership over the past seven years and seven months. 

If you recall Datuk, when you first arrived at UTP and chaired your first Management Committee meeting – you had asked us a question. In particular, your question to us was - where are we now? That simple, but thought-provoking yet a correct question had sparked a lot of imagination within us – and we started to imagine things that were at one time, almost unimaginable. Thus, one cannot speak about the achievements that the university has experienced thus far without mentioning the  Transformation Plan, which is the brainchild of Datuk.

That's how I get into the transformation study team. I had few good moments with Datuk when we struggled in preparing presentation especially...EAC, AAC, TP, etc.. Good moments that I will cherish forever..

Datuk had realized the challenges that were staring at our faces at a very early stage, and being a true leader, Datuk showed his proactiveness by taking a bold step to embark upon a journey – a journey that have since then, transformed our lives almost entirely, and had changed the way we think and act. These changes have impacted all aspects of the university, from academic delivery, research output, student development, operational excellence as well as linkages with our stakeholders….”

Datuk’s traits that I could not agree more: -

“….Perhaps the most notable and appreciated quality of Datuk Dr Zainal is his genuine warmth and concern over his people. I believe this springs from Datuk’s sincere interest to develop his people, both the employees and the students. Datuk is always ready to listen to our suggestions and even problems, and is ever willing to engage with staff as well as students. This has actually made our life easier as the management is able to make informed decisions based on the feedback solicited.

Another particular trait of Datuk Dr Zainal that is extremely important for us to remember and emulate is his motivational skills. I am always, and still am amazed by Datuk’s ability to motivate everyone around him, especially the students. As a lecturer myself, I find it an excruciating task to motivate them, but for Datuk – it seems like a breeze. 

When you are with the students, you are at ease – you can sing, you can dance and you can even play music with them – and not many of us can do the same. You have been generous with your time spent for this purpose, and you have touched the lives of countless students, and even the staff and alumni. In fact, I was made to understand that just last night, you spent more than three hours with the students – giving them advise and sharing them your personal experiences in life…”

Something for Datin too...

“…Behind every great man there stands a woman. On behalf of the university community, I would also like to express our gratitude to YBhg Datin Rosemi Hamdan for her strong and gracious support of our university. It is clear that Datin’s unwavering support and sacrifices have been vital to Datuk’s success and we deeply appreciate her selflessness in sharing her husband with us for the past seven years. So Datin, you can now have him back full time…”

Prof Fadzil could not bear his emotion when uttering these words…

“…No words can express our deepest gratitude to you but..

Thank you for your wisdom

Thank you for your guidance

Thank you for your advice

Thank you for always listening

Thank you for understanding

Thank you for the sacrifices made

Thank you for leaving us a treasured legacy

Thank you for your leadership

Thank you for everything

And most of all, thank you for your willingness to be away from your family to be with us for the past seven years….”

Not to miss some of the quotes from prominent figures: -

“A nation or race is only civilized if it knows how to appreciate its leaders” – the late Tun Azizan

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the mind of others, and the stories they share about you” – famous author, Shannon Alder

“Leadership is not magnetic personality - that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not "making friends and influencing people" - that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations” – management guru, Peter Drucker

P/s - To YBhg Datuk and family, thank you for everything, I hope you will cherish all the good moments in UTP as we do. Happy retirement Datuk.

Trapped

It was a lovely day filled with beautiful smile, delightful words, big bright sun that give a tight warm hug. Kind of wonderful day that gear up your excitement.. mmm..

.. just to be a bit dramatic in presenting some contradictory scenario between a perfect scenes and what was really happened on that day. I was alone trapped inside a 4x7 dark elevator last few days back. It was hell of a horrible 25-minute of experience, fear of being restricted in a small place and also fears of suffocation. It was just not my day. Everything went malfunction, the alarm, the support lighting as well as the ventilation. I called some friend to inform about my situation and start to cool myself down. I sat down, talk to myself and start to pray. Something that we need to do in that situation, else we might end up having claustrophobia, start to sweat and eventually choked to death. At least those are some of what runs inside my head during the situation. Nevertheless, I was extremely grateful with the effective and efficient response by the Security personnel and maintenance people. Within 25 minutes the door to the elevator was unlocked from outside with ease. It was an electricity breakdown on the whole campus due to technical problem with our GDC. 

I received and apologizing remarks via my cell phone by the Maintenance people but a routine checking on the elevator should provide a freedom of discomfort should there be any cases of trapped-in-an-elevator again. The ventilation, support light and alarm should be in function with no excuses. That was my message to him.

Could you imagine being alone inside the small, dark hole inside your grave? It does cross my mind for an obvious reason while being trapped inside the elevator. Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala), praise and glory be to Him, and Him only..

P/s - Nora was so worried, I could 'smell' it from the choices of word she uttered and uncomfortable tone of voices...

And in the end...

It was a rather quiet Monday, not like any other Monday that this office ever has gone thru. It’s a weirdo kind of feeling with this unnerving situation but at the same time I do feel so relieve, so un-stressful. Why, all bosses are not in place. Now, I’m the boss, the Sivaji, the Singh is Kingg. This situation is expected for another couple of days before snap@! coming back to usual work, and more works.

Not that I do not have any jobs line up to be completed. I do have abundant pile up next to me right now but no worries everything is in a good command of Fadil Ariff, the jack of all trades (but obviously master of none). All one need to do is to phrase a magic word ‘we will do it accordingly’ and Walla, Fadil Ariff will complete it proficiently. As a Muslim you got to be nice and positive at all time. That’s what I’ve been taught. But then you know some people are so dumb, ignorant, and selfish that they will never take lesson to be learned. Maybe not intentionally but circumstantially, usually, maybe. Hence, I guess, I will take up seriously Feng’s word of skepticism “grain of salt” in whatever I do in future. How to do that I will have to figure it out later or maybe the coming Ramadhan will assist in its very own inexplicable way.

Sound so negative, eh? Don’t worry this was just a reflective of a bit Monday blues. It should be ended up here…

P/s - the Beatles’ end song…

“Oh yeah, all right Are you gonna be in my dreams tonight?

Love you, love you Love you, love you Love you, love you

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make” 

Mascot Man & MADID

Aku dan Amin ke Mydin Meru semalam. Tempat baru warga Ipoh untuk ber’shopping’ dan menambahkan seri pada Ipoh yang ekonominya semakin menunjukkan tanda2 positif di bawah pemerintahan si ‘metalik’ – mengambil ayat kononnya sinikal, yang agak bodoh bagi aku, oleh Ngeh Koo Ham. Banyak barang2 kemudahan di situ dan harganya memang murah. Turun escalator di tingkat bawah, ada promosi Astro, agak meriah dengan cabutan bertuah dan mascot man. Hari minggu dan cuti umum memang beginilah aktiviti yang disukai warga Ipoh bersama keluarga masing-masing. 

Aku teringat sekitar tahun 1992, MPOC (Malaysian Palm Oil Council) mengadakan satu promosi minyak sawit di The Store, Ipoh. Entah macam mana punya arrangement, aku dapat salah satu watak jadi mascot man untuk promosi MPOC tu. Panasnya costume tu ya amat tapi disebabkan elaun RM40 ¼ hari punya kerja.. beress!! RM40 zaman-zaman tu kira kaya woo!! Siap dapat ambik barang-barang promosi lagi, susu, sabun mandi, segala bagai... Kalau Tan Sri Yusof tahu aku pernah jadi antara mascot man untuk MPOC, mahu digelakkannya aku masa meeting AAC baru-baru ni. Tan Sri Yusof adalah CEO MPOC dan merupakan ahli Academic Advisory Council kami. Beliau merupakan seorang ‘fighter’ untuk Malaysian Palm Oil industry especially when dealing with market discrimination (shielding US domestic biodiesel industry from foreign competition) by the US. Dia juga ada blog sendiri... so cool!!

Esok Amin akan ke tempat baru untuk menyambung pengajiannya. Kali ini dia akan ke Madrasah Idrisiah yang bersebelahan dengan Masjid Ubudiah di Kuala Kangsar. Mulanya kami tak berapa pasti dengan sekolah ini tetapi setelah membuat sedikit homework, fahamlah kami yang sekolah tersebut merupakan antara sekolah ugama terulung di negeri ini. Ianya diasaskan semenjak 1922 oleh almarhum Sultan Idris I Mursyidul `Adzam Shah dan Tuan Guru Sheikh Haji Nawawi bin Haji Tahir. Madrasah ini telah mengalumnikan ramai tokoh antaranya mufti Perak sendiri, Dato’ Seri Harussani. 

Aerial view MADID

P/s - semoga Amin berjaya..