Pada Hari Ini.......

Pada hari ini, buku 'Social Roots of the Malay Left' dan 'Failed Nation?' karya Allahyarham Rustam A. Sani, telah di lancarkan oleh Anwar Ibrahim di Perpustakaan Shah Alam. Dengan hati dan minda terbuka, saya akan membaca buku-buku ini.

Pada hari ini, pesta hari lahir A.Samad Ismail @ Pakcik Samad ke 83! Syukur...alhamdullilah. Semoga panjang umur dan sihat walafiat Pakcik Samad. Orangnya masih kelakar dan ketawa selalu. Mungkin ini resepi panjang umur!

Pada hari ini, saya dah mula mengedit terjemahan ke Bahasa Inggeris puisi-puisi usman awang yang saya buat untuk buku 'Jiwa Hamba/Enslaved Soul'. Oleh kerana itu, saya mungkin tidak selalu menulis di sini.

Adieu, Rustam A. Sani

Early this morning, while still sleeping I heard my handphone sms buzz but thought I was dreaming. Later, when I looked it was an sms. Shocked, stunned ......before sadnes set in. A good and loyal friend of my late father, Rustam A. Sani, passed away suddenly about 2.30am.

Last I saw him was 15 November 2007, at the launch of ayah's latest book 'Turunnya Sebuah Bendera' at ASWARA, launched by Dato' Seri Rais Yatim....the only minister so far who has helped me. I was so happy to see ayah's friends like him and Kak Ani still supporting me morally. These are times when you know who your good friends are!

Anyway, he and kak ani looked well and enthusiastic about my latest achievement. I was talking to kak Ani bout helping me contact the Singapore National Library as I have trouble researching for some of ayah's works that I can't find in our National Archives. I was hoping Arkib Negara would take the initiative to find whatever they don't have. Well, I guess they must be too busy and shorthanded! Anyway, they are always nice to me.

Okay...I've wandered from what I really want to say. Rustam A. Sani's father was Ahmad Boestamam, one of our country's Nationalist. Pakcik Bustamam as I knew when I was little was my late father's friend...one of his good friends. They were nationalists who helped shape our country through their writings. Ahmad Boestamam was a great man and a true friend of ayah. They went through a lot together....one of the major events they rode together was the Utusan Melayu Strike. That was the time ayah wrote one of his famous poems 'Duri Dan Api'. Nelson Mandela recited its last verse when he came to Malaysia. Incidentally, I've included that poem and its translation by Adibah Amin, in UA Enterprises's next publication entitled, 'Jiwa Hamba/Enslaved Soul'.

I was a little girl then but funny how I can remember things. There was the time when I thought there was a festivity but actually they were cooking for those on strike right on the lawn of our house! Of course I didnt know that then. I was just happy to see so many people at our house.

Okay what I really want to relate is about friendship through thick and thin. My ayah was not only good friends with Ahmad Boestamam but also good friends with his son Rustam A.Sani. When Abdullah Sani @ Ahmad Boestamam was not well and then passed on, Rustam continued the 'perjuangan'....fighting for the rights of the people..for their land, etc.

The late Rustam A. Sani was an intellectual who writes what he believes, a true and loyal friend, a good man who will be missed by many like me but especially deeply for a long, long, long while by Kak Ani, his children and relatives like my good school friend Zaidah Omar Baki.

There is a hollow, numb , mixed feeling of lost somewhere....that was how I felt I guess when ayah passed on.........

KLIBF 2008

Novel "Tulang2 Berserakan" dan Antologi Cerpen "Turunnya Sebuah Bendera" Karya SN Usman Awang, terbitan UA Enterprises Sdn. Bhd.

Booth Wira Bukit yang happening dengan bossnya
Helmy Samad sedang....

Mantan SN A. Samad Said sedang ditemuramah oleh si cantik jelita wartawan Korea di bawah pohon-pohon Gingko yang sedang berbunga di Korea.

The KLIBF 2008 was an eye opener for me. This was the first time I was exposed to the real public. Before, besides family and friends, there's ayah's friends. My exposure was some journalists, people who attended ayah's book launch and some book distributors and probably 2 ministers. This book fair was something else.

My feelings was from one extreme to another till I was so inspired to start my own blog. There is so much I want to say that I can't just shove it aside. At the fair I laughed hard with the Wira Bukit gang especially Pak Samad who is actually one of the funniest ayah's friends I've ever met! Besides his advises he would make his daily anecdotes and jokes....and we would carry the joke/s to the next day. Every morning we would all wait for him to arrive at the Wira Bukit booth and salam with him and kak shidah will never fail to ask how am I between kissing each other's cheeks. We would ask whether 'bapak' wants to have tea, coffee or something to eat....I was reminded of how I use to ask my arwah ayah what he wants for breakfast. When mak was alive she was the one who would ask ayah.

Another thing that made my heart missed a beat was when people say....itu usman awang ke? yang mana satu usman awang? Usman Awang masih hidup lagi ke? Dah meninggal ke? Bila dia meninggal? And ...siapa usman awang? It was very difficult to keep a straight face without breaking down ....or screaming!

When I watch Pak Samad being surrounded by fans...it was like deja vu. But I'm very happy for bapak because this is his time, he deserves it. I feel he has wormed his way into my heart unintentionally ofcourse!

The exciting part is when I meet enthusiastic people. People who love the arts like me. People who still love ayah's works. After being flat out almost a week....first timer handling book fair booth...I missed the excitement! I missed the Wira Bukit gang!

Actually, I was never interested to do a blog....cuz I'm not into pc's. I still prefer writing by hand. But when I read blogs and my memories are juggled...I just had to have a blog to release what's on my mind. There are many more....later...