TEARS OF AN UNSUNG HERO -Zamkata

Read this on Zamkata.

It cuts very deep.

Brought tears to my eyes. I travelled many roads during the time mentioned in the story. One particular road was the Benta-Jerantut. Had to get "pass" from balai polis to travel the road after 6.00 pm.

It is very sad to read that "some of his friends who had retired from the army are living in hardship, in dilapidated homes and insufficient income to support them."

yet we have people who tunjuk punggung and pijak gambar our PM during Merdeka celebration. To me, such acts were not only disrespectful to the person of the picture but to the whole history of the nation kemerdekaan.
These people who cannot survive the equator's heat without air conditioning, without McDonald and KFC or coffee from Starbuck, who claimed the Malays would still be on trees had it not been for their TAX MONEY which develop this country, who CHOSE not to speak the TONGUE of this country ... they have different history book.

""The former soldier told me that as a member of the intelligence team, he entered the forest in a small group of four or five people after getting information on the communist movement.

He said they were ahead of the army team which had large number of people.

One of his bitter and sad memories was when his group bumped into a group of about 20 communist insurgents who immediately fired at them. One of the shots hit his friend on the head.

Another of his friend was shot at a coffee shop in Raub and a few others were left handicapped, with their limbs severed, from booby traps.

While recalling these incidents, his eyes became wet and he choked on his words when he said “our salary then was small, but our responsibility was heavy compared to now, big salary and light work.”

He said “When we went into the forest, we had to carry back packs which were very heavy as it contained the army kit and food for our long journey and the forest in the Cameron Highlands was very cold at night"

According to him, some of his friends who had retired from the army are living in hardship, in dilapidated homes and insufficient income to support them.

I saw him in tears, despite having been a brave and strong man, who could kill, but broke down in tears when recalling the huge struggle they had put up which now, is not remembered and unappreciated by some people. In fact they were further disgraced by pro-communist elements. ""

History
Work to build the East-West Highway started in 1967. Work was frequently interrupted due to the communist insurgents who launched attack on the workers throughout the Communist Insurgency War and the Second Emergency from 1967-1989, causing work to build the highway to take a long time. Even when the highway was opened, the army strictly monitored it and motorists were only allowed to use it during the day. The strict security system that was abolished after the communist surrendered in 1989. A monument was built by the Public Works Department in Pulau Banding in memory of the workers who were killed in the attack by the communist during the construction of the East-West Highway.

Midweek break

A picture tells a thousand words

Had wanted to do strawberry picking since forever. Never got the opportunity. Way back in Nottingham when friends with toddlers pushed strollers between strawberry rows during summer, I had to go gallivanting across half the earth tying to save thirteen years of marriage and lost miserably. 

Yesterday, someone very nice enticed me to take a break from work in the middle of the week to go pick strawberries in Cameron Highlands.

Heavy dark clouds hid the sun and light drizzlings dropped veils of mist on the highlands. Temperature of sixteen degree Celsius forced Ayong to bring out her pashmina. I boasted of thick layer of natural padding.

Thank you Rahim for a lovely day. Now I can shut my eyes tight when the time comes for me to go ...err let me do Istanbul first lah.

Bundle Of Joy 2

Uzma at almost 4 months old

came back on raya the third

dah pandai sengeh

gusi merah senyum termeweh

what joy you bring this old lady

you lovely cutey baby