Al Fatihah

The weekend was supposed to be a brand new life for me, moving in a new place, adapting as an adult. Unfortunately, on Friday evening i received a devastating news from mak. My grandmother, Mak Nek passed away. I was in a brainstorming session for our new project when Mak rang. My heart just drops and I had to leave the scheduled meeting to take a breather.

Mak Nek was a loving grandmother and obviously a great mother to all her 16 childrens. I grew up in the Kampong with her whilst my father was studying in the UK. I was very close to her as Mak was always at work to cater for us all. I remember occasions where she will always come to the rescue whenever mishaps happened. Mak being a strict mother herself often locked me in the toilet when i misbehave, but Mak Nek will always let me out and give Mak a few words of advice. She took care of me when I fell down the stairs and broke my arm, and often made me follow her wherever she goes be it the kebun, the pasar and visiting friends...I feel guilty now for not actually trying to go back home for Raya, I could have atleast be by her side before she left us for good. The last time I meet her was 2 years back, she was suffering badly from alzheimer back then and could not remember any of us well. She did remember me though....

I havent got much to say now, things just hit me hard when I read the article about her with a picture of her forever resting place...

Thank you Mak Nek for all that you have provide us, for if it is not your effort, we all wont be where we are now...

Al Fatihah

Bernama - Monday, September 29

KUCHING, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Ibu Mithali award recipient Rakayah@Ayot Rajak, 82, who died of old age on Friday, was described by one of her 16 children as an exemplary mother for raising all her children to be successful in their chosen vocations despite being uneducated.


Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Deputy Director of Health (Dental) Dr Ahmad Abang said today his late mother would be an inspiration to many for her tireless sacrifices to put him and his siblings through university as well as for her active involvement in social work, including at the Women's Institute.

"She was a good mother who managed to put all of us through university by taking up sewing and doing other chores to supplement the family income. She was also very kind and generous, and will not hesitate to invite anyone who had come to our house for a meal although we were not from a well-to-do family," he told Bernama here today.

Dr Ahmad, 54, the sixth child, said Rakayah, who was survived by eight sons and eight daughters as well as 58 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, received the Ibu Mithali award in February 1991 from the then Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku Bainun Mohd Ali in appreciation of her contribution.

Six of Rakayah's children are either medical doctors or dentists, including Dr Ahmad and her eldest son, Dr Abas Abang, who is one of Kuching's pioneer and most prominent Malay general practitioners.