26 Oktober 2009, jam 0929, semasa menarik troli di lubang 18, saya menerima satu sms dari Cik Pushpaghandi '..Uncle say dh balik dr padang..skrg saya di kl untk interview di MAHSA esok..nanti lps saya habis interview saya akn msg uncle lg'.
Coretan ini adalah sambungan kepada '1MALAYSIA...1 DILEMA' yang mengisahkan seorang siswi Universiti Andalas. Pushpa telah terbang ke Padang pada 19 Oktober 2009 selepas mendengar taklimat oleh pegawai KPT di UPM di hari yang sama. Pada 22 Oktober, saya telah menalifon bapanya, WO 2 (B) Krishnan bertanya khabar tentang Pushpa. Menurut beliau, Pushpa memaklumkan kepada beliau bahawa keadaan di Padang memang tidak selesa untuk menyambung pengajian. Pihak universiti memberitahu bahawa pengajian 'perubatan' dilanjutkan ke 6 tahun, tidak lagi 5 tahun seperti kebiasaannya; malah ada kemungkinan sehingga 7 tahun! Ini sudah pasti melibatkan kos yang tinggi.
Masalah kedua pula, boleh dikatakan 90% siswa-siswi Malaysia tidak berhasrat untuk menyambung pengajian di sana, termasuk rakan serumah anaknya. Untuk makluman, penuntut-penuntut kita menyewa rumah di Padang. Saya difahamkan, dalam kes Pushpa, beliau dan 5 rakan menyewa sebuah rumah dengan kadar RM1,500 sebulan. Setiap seorang hanya membayar RM250 sebulan sahaja. Masalahnya, kesemua rakan beliau membatalkan niat untuk meneruskan pengajian di sana. Ini bererti, beliau terpaksa membayar RM1,500 sebulan. Tambahan setahun pengajian dan sewa rumah sudah tentu melibatkan kos yang tinggi. En Krishnan meminta pandangan saya. Jawapan saya ialah'....terpulang kepada Pushpa dan beliau sendiri kerana beliau yang akan membiayai kos pengajian itu nanti!'
Sebelum terbang ke Padang, Pushpa memberitahu bahawa MAHSA menawarkan kepada penuntut-penuntut yang tamat 'pre-medic' boleh terus masuk ke Tahun Pertama di IPTS tersebut. Beliau telah mendaftar dengan MAHSA sebagai satu opsyen.
Keesokan hari, saya telah menghantar e-mel berikut kepada YB Menteri Pertahanan dan KSU KEMENTAH.
BIASISWA UNTUK KURSUS PERUBATAN
Fri, October 23, 2009 7:51:44 AM
From: nor ibrahim sulaiman nibsny@yahoo.com
To: Dato\' Zahid Hamidi ro.ppm@mod.gov.my; KSU Indef abubakar@mod.gov.my
Assalamualaikum Dato'-Dato',
Di sini saya ingin merayu agar KEMENTAH dapat mempertimbangan memberi biasiswa untuk seorang anak perempuan kepada PW2 (B) Krishnan, Kor Jutera Diraja, melanjutkan pengajiannya dalam bidang perubatan. Pushpagandhi adalah siswa Tahun Pertama di Universiti Andalas (UA) atas biayaan bapanya, seorang penjual gas masak yang mengguna motosikal untuk menghantar gas ke rumah. Saya mengenali beliau kerana membeli gas darinya.
Pushpagandhi telah terbang balik ke Padang pada 19 Oktober 2009 selepas mendengar taklimat di UPM yang diberi oleh pegawai KPT di sebelah pagi. Saya difahamkan oleh En Krishnan, pihak UA memaklum kepada siswa-siswi mereka bahawa pengajian perubatan dilanjutkan sekurang-kurang 6 tahun, bukan lagi 5 tahun; ada kemungkinan 7 tahun! Ini sudah pasti melibatkan kos yang tinggi. Masalah kedua, kos penginapan tinggi kerana 'house-mates' beliau tidak berhasrat untuk meneruskan pengajian di sana. Ini bermakna beliau terpaksa membayar RM1600 sebulan untuk sewa rumah; sebelum ini hanya RM250 sahaja. Sebelum terbang ke Padang, Pushphaghandi telah mendaftar dengan IPTS sekiranya beliau terpaksa membatalkan pengajiannya di sana.
Sehingga kini, En Krishnan telah membelanja sejumlah RM73K untuk puteri beliau. Ini termasuk yuran 'pre-medic' dan Tahun Pertama, sewa rumah, dll. Mungkin jumlah ini hanya 'loose change' untuk sesetengah pihak, tetapi tidak bagi majoriti rakyat. Sebelum pemergian anaknya ke Padang pada 2008, saya ada mencadangkan kepada En Krishnan untuk memohon biasiswa KEMENTAH. Beliau diberitahu oleh pegawai KEMENTAH untuk memohon selepas lulus Tahun Pertama. Untuk 'pre-medic' dan Tahun Pertama tiada tajaan.
Walaupun Pushpaghandi hanya mendapat CGPA 3.88 sahaja untuk 'pre-medic'...tidakkah ini boleh dipertimbangkan? Saya ada menulis 2 coretan bertajuk "1Malaysia" dan "1Malaysia...1 Dilema" yang ada kaitan dengan Pushpaghandi dalam blog saya -xnuripilot.blogspot.com.
Pertimbangan Dato'-Dato' sangat saya hargai. Terima kasih.
MEJ (B) NOR IBRAHIM BIN SULAIMAN
Pushpa, ini sahaja yang termampu uncle lakukan....!
Isnin, 26 Oktober 2009
Sabtu, 24 Oktober 2009
A Tribute To Chopper Pilots
What is 'THANK YOU' to you? As a nuri pilot those days, this phrase is most gratifying when the pasengers, be it the VVIPs, generals or a soldier showed ...to borrow Capt. Shariff Uban '... thumbs up ' or said 'THANK YOU', all the stress, anger (if any) or anxiety disappeared into thin air. Now, it is my turn to say THANK YOU , once again, to Dato Arshad, who has posted a tribute to us, the chopper pilots, in his blog - mindnoevil.blogspot.com. And of course, also to those who give such laudable comments.
I am not speaking on behalf of the chopper pilots, however, I am sure they will agree with me that we feel honoured with such tributes.
For young chopper pilots, I import his article (with his permission) for your easy reading.....maybe you can learn something! And, the comments on his article through the link.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
HEROES OF THE SKY
I was at Kajang Town this evening to hold an unscheduled meeting with some old kampung friends. Upon my arrival, someone remarked, “Here comes the Hero of the Sky”. I was a bit puzzled and said, “Are you referring it to me?”. The person said, “Yes, and are you not from the Air Force?”. I replied that I am just a foot slogger, and the heroes of the skies were the air force pilots that flies in the army, in and out of the jungle. He then said that he has been reading my blog, especially the article on the Pingat Tentera Udara, and he thought that I was an Air Force officer as well.
Upon returning home, the 'Heroes of the Sky' remark is something I could write about, to refer to those RMAF helicopter pilots who were supporting the army throughout the period of the Communist Insurgency from 1969 until their eventual surrender in 1989, in both Sarawak and the peninsular.
My first 'hairy experience' on a helicopter was in 1969 operating in Batu Melintang, Kelantan. I was ordered to act as the advance party of my platoon, to reconnoiter a suitable landing point for the rest of the platoon in the Belum area. There were only to be four of us on the Allouette helicopter, excluding the pilot. To get to the Belum area, we had to cross the main mountain range and I could not imagine what it would be like to cross the high mountain range on an Allouette helicopter.
When the helicopter arrived, we were given the thumbs up by the pilot to alight the helicopter. We scrambled into the helicopter with our haversacks filled with 14 days of pack rations. I was invited by the pilot with a smile, to take the seat besides him. Little did I realised that the smiling pilot was my course mate, the late Lt Nasir Ma Lee. I could not recognised him because he had his pilot's helmet on, and he must have recognised me first; hence the smile.
As we were nearing the designated area, Nasir informed me that he was trying to located a suitable landing point to drop us off. I was by then a bit disoriented, not knowing actually where were we. I only noticed a large river, and Nasir pointed to me on his map that it is Sg. Belum. We circled the area several times with Nasir looking out to see if he could land the helicopter on firm ground.
As we flew along the river, Nasir pointed out to a patch of sand dune in the river that he intends to drop us off. I nodded to him, not realising that Nasir was not going to land the helicopter on the sand dune but instead, we had to jump off the helicopter.
Nasir brought the helicopter slowly down and at about the height of 6 feet, we threw out our haversacks and started jumping out of the helicopter, one at a time. This was to be my first jump out of a helicopter and we landed safely without any broken limbs. I gave Nasir the thumbs up to thank him, only to know that he left the Air Force several years later to join a private helicopter service. I would say that Nasir and me were true buddies, because a few days before he crashed with a trainee pilot a few years ago, he wrote me an email to ask me to watch the sky in Kuala Lumpur for the 'flying advertising plane'.
If one could recall sometimes in the 70's, Nasir was the pilot who was involved in the rescue of some building occupants during the burning of Bank Bumiputra in Jalan Ampang.
It was a sad day for me to see Nasir die in an aircrash, and I was there at the mortuary of the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital to bid him farewell. I was glad to be at the mortuary because I was able to meet Nasir's brother, Hj Mustafa Ma who happened to be my teacher in Kuala Lumpur back in the late 50's.
Another 'hairy experience' on a helicopter was during a routine resupply flight on a Nuri helicopter in the Gunung Inas forest reserve around the Kulim area some times in the early 70's. I accompanied the flight to drop off rations to my troops operating in the area. The drop point was constructed along a hill slope, since the troops were operating high on the hills, and they could not find a safe area where the helicopter could land. I could not recall who the pilot was, and due to the nature of the terrain in relation to the drop point, the pilot had to lower the helicopter vertically. The approach was tight for the helicopter and as we decended slowly, the helicopter suddenly dropped and swayed. The pilot reacted quickly to gain contol of the helicopter, with me muttering all the Quranic verses that I knew. I think I went white, but upon watching the pilot and the crew who seemed so confident and cool, I began to regain my composure.
I could continue to write my experiences flying on an RMAF helicopter, but surffice for me to say that the skills of our helicopter pilots is second to none. Many had sacrificed their lives, and I lost many friends too. But now that the nation is at peace, people tend to forget our helicopter pilots who were there when the army needed them. Never have they failed us, and I remembered an instant where we had to do a casualty evacuation when it was already getting late, but yet the helicopter came in even during fading light.
These are the 'Heroes Of The Sky', and to you Nasir, Chong, Nor and many others who have supported the army in the jungle during the period of the Communist Insurgency, we will forever remember you and salute you.
So why is the goverment having the big fuss of depriving some of the 'Heroes Of The Sky' of their gallantry allowances especially for all recipients the Pingat Tentera Udara? Are the pilots considered a lesser hero just because they are in the sky?
To our political masters, you will never know how our pilots have endured, flying the helicopters under the threat of being shot down like birds off the sky.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Footsloggers, once again......THANK YOU FOR THE GLOWING TRIBUTES!
I am not speaking on behalf of the chopper pilots, however, I am sure they will agree with me that we feel honoured with such tributes.
For young chopper pilots, I import his article (with his permission) for your easy reading.....maybe you can learn something! And, the comments on his article through the link.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
HEROES OF THE SKY
I was at Kajang Town this evening to hold an unscheduled meeting with some old kampung friends. Upon my arrival, someone remarked, “Here comes the Hero of the Sky”. I was a bit puzzled and said, “Are you referring it to me?”. The person said, “Yes, and are you not from the Air Force?”. I replied that I am just a foot slogger, and the heroes of the skies were the air force pilots that flies in the army, in and out of the jungle. He then said that he has been reading my blog, especially the article on the Pingat Tentera Udara, and he thought that I was an Air Force officer as well.
Upon returning home, the 'Heroes of the Sky' remark is something I could write about, to refer to those RMAF helicopter pilots who were supporting the army throughout the period of the Communist Insurgency from 1969 until their eventual surrender in 1989, in both Sarawak and the peninsular.
My first 'hairy experience' on a helicopter was in 1969 operating in Batu Melintang, Kelantan. I was ordered to act as the advance party of my platoon, to reconnoiter a suitable landing point for the rest of the platoon in the Belum area. There were only to be four of us on the Allouette helicopter, excluding the pilot. To get to the Belum area, we had to cross the main mountain range and I could not imagine what it would be like to cross the high mountain range on an Allouette helicopter.
When the helicopter arrived, we were given the thumbs up by the pilot to alight the helicopter. We scrambled into the helicopter with our haversacks filled with 14 days of pack rations. I was invited by the pilot with a smile, to take the seat besides him. Little did I realised that the smiling pilot was my course mate, the late Lt Nasir Ma Lee. I could not recognised him because he had his pilot's helmet on, and he must have recognised me first; hence the smile.
As we were nearing the designated area, Nasir informed me that he was trying to located a suitable landing point to drop us off. I was by then a bit disoriented, not knowing actually where were we. I only noticed a large river, and Nasir pointed to me on his map that it is Sg. Belum. We circled the area several times with Nasir looking out to see if he could land the helicopter on firm ground.
As we flew along the river, Nasir pointed out to a patch of sand dune in the river that he intends to drop us off. I nodded to him, not realising that Nasir was not going to land the helicopter on the sand dune but instead, we had to jump off the helicopter.
Nasir brought the helicopter slowly down and at about the height of 6 feet, we threw out our haversacks and started jumping out of the helicopter, one at a time. This was to be my first jump out of a helicopter and we landed safely without any broken limbs. I gave Nasir the thumbs up to thank him, only to know that he left the Air Force several years later to join a private helicopter service. I would say that Nasir and me were true buddies, because a few days before he crashed with a trainee pilot a few years ago, he wrote me an email to ask me to watch the sky in Kuala Lumpur for the 'flying advertising plane'.
If one could recall sometimes in the 70's, Nasir was the pilot who was involved in the rescue of some building occupants during the burning of Bank Bumiputra in Jalan Ampang.
It was a sad day for me to see Nasir die in an aircrash, and I was there at the mortuary of the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital to bid him farewell. I was glad to be at the mortuary because I was able to meet Nasir's brother, Hj Mustafa Ma who happened to be my teacher in Kuala Lumpur back in the late 50's.
Another 'hairy experience' on a helicopter was during a routine resupply flight on a Nuri helicopter in the Gunung Inas forest reserve around the Kulim area some times in the early 70's. I accompanied the flight to drop off rations to my troops operating in the area. The drop point was constructed along a hill slope, since the troops were operating high on the hills, and they could not find a safe area where the helicopter could land. I could not recall who the pilot was, and due to the nature of the terrain in relation to the drop point, the pilot had to lower the helicopter vertically. The approach was tight for the helicopter and as we decended slowly, the helicopter suddenly dropped and swayed. The pilot reacted quickly to gain contol of the helicopter, with me muttering all the Quranic verses that I knew. I think I went white, but upon watching the pilot and the crew who seemed so confident and cool, I began to regain my composure.
I could continue to write my experiences flying on an RMAF helicopter, but surffice for me to say that the skills of our helicopter pilots is second to none. Many had sacrificed their lives, and I lost many friends too. But now that the nation is at peace, people tend to forget our helicopter pilots who were there when the army needed them. Never have they failed us, and I remembered an instant where we had to do a casualty evacuation when it was already getting late, but yet the helicopter came in even during fading light.
These are the 'Heroes Of The Sky', and to you Nasir, Chong, Nor and many others who have supported the army in the jungle during the period of the Communist Insurgency, we will forever remember you and salute you.
So why is the goverment having the big fuss of depriving some of the 'Heroes Of The Sky' of their gallantry allowances especially for all recipients the Pingat Tentera Udara? Are the pilots considered a lesser hero just because they are in the sky?
To our political masters, you will never know how our pilots have endured, flying the helicopters under the threat of being shot down like birds off the sky.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Footsloggers, once again......THANK YOU FOR THE GLOWING TRIBUTES!
Khamis, 22 Oktober 2009
Serba Tak Kena
Di awal 2009, seorang rakan seperjuangan ketika saya masih berkhidmat di No 3 Sekuadron, TUDM Butterworth, Kol Haji Zainal Bin Piee TUDM, telah memberitahu yang beliau akan mengadakan satu majlis perkahwinan untuk puteri beliau pada Oktober 2009. Majlis tersebut akan di adakan di TUDM Kuala Lumpur. Beliau menjemput saya sekeluarga ke majlis tersebut. Ini disusuli dengan penghantaran 2 kad jemputan - satu untuk majlis tengah hari dan satu lagi untuk malam. Majlis perkahwinan ialah pada 17 Oktober 2009.
Semenjak berhijrah ke Jitraq pada 2000, saya boleh kira dengan jari kekerapan saya ke Kuala Lumpur. Itu pun kerana tidak dapat dielakkan. Apa yang saya perlukan untuk kehidupan seharian, semuanya boleh diperolehi di Jitraq. Bukannya apa....saya sudah sampai tahap malas hendak memandu jarak jauh. Sekiranya terpaksa pergi, dan jika bersendirian...saya akan mengguna perkhidmatan 'supir' (pesara pun ada kelas)......dengan bas atau keretapi lah...! He...he....
Tetapi, ini kawan lama dan beliau adalah satu-satunya rakan yang masih sudi menghubungi saya di 'ulu' ini. Saya berjanji dengan beliau, sekiranya diizinkan Allah dan tiada aral melintang, saya sekeluarga (isteri dan ibu mentua) akan menghadiri majlis beliau nanti, InsyaAllah.
Pada 17 Oktober 2009, jam lebihkurang 0900 bertolaklah 'Hill-Billy' Jitraq ini ke Kuala Lumpur. Tapi Hill-Billy moden ni memandu kereta boleh tahan jugalah....he...he...Sebelum sampai rumah tol Hutan Kampung, baru saya sedar yang baju dan seluar tidak tergantung dalam kereta. Saya tidak simpan pakaian tersebut dalam beg, sebaliknya digantung dengan 'hanger'. Apa hendak dikatakan, buat pusingan 'U' dekat rumah tol untuk mengambil pakaian tersebut.
Sebagai seorang veteran, keraplah berhenti untuk melunjurkan kaki. Semasa muda, bolehlah memandu tanpa berhenti. Singgah di R & R Tapah untuk ke tandas. Semasa memandu semula, isteri pula memberitahu yang beliau tertinggal kasut.
Pada mulanya, kami bercadang untuk tinggal di rumah bapa saudara isteri saya. Tetapi kerana dah lama tidak pergi ke KL, saya membuat keputusan untuk menginap di hotel. Satu bilik ditempah di Cititel, Mid Valley Mega Mall. Pilihan hotel ini kerana boleh pergi 'window shopping' dan lokasinya tidak jauh dari TUDM Kuala Lumpur. Itu sahaja. Sampai ke KL....pusing punya pusing selamat juga tiba di hotel.
Setelah menurunkan keluarga, saya pergi mencari tempat parkir di 'basement'. Berpusing-pusing hampir setengah jam masih tiada yang kosong. Sedar-sedar sampai ke lorong 'Keluar' dengan palang halangan (barrier). Saya telah memasukkan kupon seperti yang diarahkan oleh mesin. Masalahnya....kupon keluar semula....masuk....keluar. Dibelakang saya, kereta berbaris untuk keluar bangunan. Akhirnya, seorang supir menghampiri saya dan bertanya samaada saya sudah membayar caj parkir. 'Belum lagi'... jawapan saya. 'Encik kena bayar disana....' beliau menunjuk arah kiosk bayaran. Saya terus pergi ke kiosk untuk membayar parkir. Sungguh memalukan....tapi, sudah tukar ke?
Sudah keluar, kena pusing semula melalui Hotel Gardens sebelum masuk basement semula. Sekali lagi berpusing-pusing mencari tempat parkir. Hampir setengah jam, baru dapat parkir kereta; P1 dan saya catatkan C12 atas kupon. Setelah menentukan kereta dikunci, saya terus kebilik hotel yang telah didaftar oleh isteri saya. Selepas solat, saya dan isteri turun ke Mega Mall untuk membeli kasut untuk beliau.
Secara jujur, semasa mencari tempat parkir, saya rasa tidak 'sedap hati' untuk meninggal kereta di situ. Banyak berita yang tersiar dalam surat khabar tentang kehilangan kereta di kompleks membeli-belah. Selepas membeli kasut dan balik kebilik, saya membuat keputusan untuk 'check-out' dan menalifon sepupu isteri saya memberitahu beliau yang kami akan menginap di rumahnya selepas menghadiri majlis perkahwinan nanti.
Pada jam 1830, usunglah beg-beg untuk 'check-out'. Untuk 2-3 jam di bilik, pihak hotel caj RM195.00...caj asal RM235.00 (harga promosi). Apa nak dikatakan....!
Saya turun ke basement bersendirian untuk mengambil kereta. Ahli keluarga tinggal di lounge hotel. Turun ke P1 C12. Jalan punya jalan.....cari punya cari.....tak jumpa kereta! Oh....Oh....kereta ku sudah hilang...! Terduduk saya dibuatnya. Saya menalifon isteri memberitahu beliau kemungkinan kereta beliau telah hilang. Seterusnya, saya pergi ke kiosk bayaran dan memberitahu mereka yang saya tidak jumpa kereta. Terpaksa menunggu pengawal pula. Ketika itu, macam-macam perkara yang bermain dalam fikiran. Paling utama, kena buat laporan polis. Kemudian ambil teksi ke Batu Caves. Keesokan hari, atur teksi untuk pulang ke Jitraq. Sampai di Jitraq, kena pecah kaca tingkap dan grill. Ini untuk membolehkan 'roller shutter' dinaikan untuk kereta masuk dalam garaj. Semua ini terpaksa dilakukan kerana kunci gate dan roller shutter disimpan dalam kereta.
Apabila pengawal tiba dan diberitahu # parkir, beliau hanya menunjuk kearah P1 C12 untuk saya mencari kereta. Sungguh bengang dibuatnya.....sudahlah tak jumpa kereta, beliau enggan menemankan saya ke lokasi P1 C12. Ini sudah melampau.....dengan nada keras (maklumlah...bekas tentera..he..he) saya menyuruh beliau mencari bersama saya. Mahu tak mahu, beliau terpaksa menemani saya ke lokasi tersebut. Macam magis.....sekejap tak ada.....sekejap ada! Saya ucapkan terima kasih kepada beliau dan menalifon isteri yang saya telah jumpa kereta semula. Untuk makluman, November 2009 ini, kereta tersebut baru 7 tahun dengan hanya 75,000 km sahaja. Beli baru dan harga pasaran masih boleh dapat RM110K. Saya berniat untuk puasa nazar sekiranya dijumpa semula.
Sekali lagi satu pusingan ke Cititel untuk mengambil keluarga. Jam sudah 1930. Sekarang sedang memikir bagaimana hendak ke Jalan Istana. Fikir punya fikir, guna jalan ke Bangsar. Saya ingatkan akan bertemu Jalan Travers dahulu sebelum Jalan Bangsar....sudah tukar ke? Bagaimanapun, sampai juga ke Jalan Istana....tetapi sudah lupa jalan ke Pengkalan TUDM. Sedar-sedar.... Jalan Sungai Besi, belok kiri, masuk Jalan Loke Yew dan belok kiri lagi, Jalan TUDM. Berhenti dekat bangunan MAA untuk bertanya arah. Sampai ke dewan majlis lebih kurang jam 2020. KL....KL....sungguh banyak berubah! Patutlah kawan saya mencadangkan saya guna GPS. Saya ingat hanya pilot yang perlu GPS.
Oleh kerana semua para hadirin sudah mengambil tempat masing-masing, saya tiada peluang berjumpa ramai rakan-rakan seperjuangan yang hadir malam itu. Antara mereka yang sempat saya berjumpa ialah Jen (B) Dato' Sulaiman Mahmud (OC pertama sebagai pilot di No 10 Skn), Jen (B) Dato' Sri Abdullah Nasution (pemeriksa semasa mengikuti kursus penerbangan di SEA Helicopter), Lt Jen (B) Dato' Nawi Alias ( OC No 3 Skn), Mej Jen (B) Dato' Fauzi Hussein (CO TUDM Butterworth), Mej Jen (B) Dato' Razak (sama-sama terbang ke Malang, Indonesia), Brig Jen Dato' Mohd Sulong TUDM (rakan seperjuangan semasa di No 5 dan No 10 Skn) dan Lt Kol (B) Affendi Mustafa ('course-mate' semasa SEA Helicopter).
Majlis bersurai pada jam 2230. Saya pun terus memandu ke kawasan Batu Caves. Itu pun terlepas simpang ke rumah yang dituju. Syukur Alhamdulillah, selamat sampai walaupun lewat.
Keesokan harinya, 18 Oktober 2009, selepas berjumpa kaum kerabat dari Mantin dan Jalan Maktab, baliklah Hill-Billy ini ke Jitraq. Syukur Alhamdulillah, selamat sampai di rumah lebihkurang jam 1600. Tekan remote control untuk buka gate....gate tak bergerak pun. Tekan remote control untuk menaikkan roller shuter.....sama juga! Mungkin tiada elektrik. Panjat tembok dan buka gate secara manual. Selepas itu, guna remote control semula.....bergerak gate. Bermakna, ada eletrik. Cuba menaikkan roller shutter....tiada sebarang reaksi. Betul-betul macam cerita 'Ali Baba Bujang Lapok' dimana Kasim Baba tak boleh membuka pintu gua dengan jampi serapah 'Yat minseng mata kaji......' salah. Jawabnya, tinggal keluarga di luar rumah dan terus pergi ke kedai kunci di Jitraq. Towkay memberitahu bateri lemah dan perlu diganti. Tiba di rumah, tekan remote control dua tiga kali.....roller shutter pun gerak. Lega....!
Semua ini mesti 'ada makna'! Pengajaran dari episod ini ialah, tentukan ada check list untuk perjalanan jauh. Yang kedua, jangan sekali-kala tinggal di hotel yang berkongsi dengan kompleks membeli belah.
Biarlah saya tinggal di ulu Jitraq ini. Tak ada stres dan kelam-kabut. Ke RSAT hanya 5 km, hospital - 15 km, pasar - 5km, kelab golf -1 km. Apa hendak lagi dalam kehidupan ini....?
Semenjak berhijrah ke Jitraq pada 2000, saya boleh kira dengan jari kekerapan saya ke Kuala Lumpur. Itu pun kerana tidak dapat dielakkan. Apa yang saya perlukan untuk kehidupan seharian, semuanya boleh diperolehi di Jitraq. Bukannya apa....saya sudah sampai tahap malas hendak memandu jarak jauh. Sekiranya terpaksa pergi, dan jika bersendirian...saya akan mengguna perkhidmatan 'supir' (pesara pun ada kelas)......dengan bas atau keretapi lah...! He...he....
Tetapi, ini kawan lama dan beliau adalah satu-satunya rakan yang masih sudi menghubungi saya di 'ulu' ini. Saya berjanji dengan beliau, sekiranya diizinkan Allah dan tiada aral melintang, saya sekeluarga (isteri dan ibu mentua) akan menghadiri majlis beliau nanti, InsyaAllah.
Pada 17 Oktober 2009, jam lebihkurang 0900 bertolaklah 'Hill-Billy' Jitraq ini ke Kuala Lumpur. Tapi Hill-Billy moden ni memandu kereta boleh tahan jugalah....he...he...Sebelum sampai rumah tol Hutan Kampung, baru saya sedar yang baju dan seluar tidak tergantung dalam kereta. Saya tidak simpan pakaian tersebut dalam beg, sebaliknya digantung dengan 'hanger'. Apa hendak dikatakan, buat pusingan 'U' dekat rumah tol untuk mengambil pakaian tersebut.
Sebagai seorang veteran, keraplah berhenti untuk melunjurkan kaki. Semasa muda, bolehlah memandu tanpa berhenti. Singgah di R & R Tapah untuk ke tandas. Semasa memandu semula, isteri pula memberitahu yang beliau tertinggal kasut.
Pada mulanya, kami bercadang untuk tinggal di rumah bapa saudara isteri saya. Tetapi kerana dah lama tidak pergi ke KL, saya membuat keputusan untuk menginap di hotel. Satu bilik ditempah di Cititel, Mid Valley Mega Mall. Pilihan hotel ini kerana boleh pergi 'window shopping' dan lokasinya tidak jauh dari TUDM Kuala Lumpur. Itu sahaja. Sampai ke KL....pusing punya pusing selamat juga tiba di hotel.
Setelah menurunkan keluarga, saya pergi mencari tempat parkir di 'basement'. Berpusing-pusing hampir setengah jam masih tiada yang kosong. Sedar-sedar sampai ke lorong 'Keluar' dengan palang halangan (barrier). Saya telah memasukkan kupon seperti yang diarahkan oleh mesin. Masalahnya....kupon keluar semula....masuk....keluar. Dibelakang saya, kereta berbaris untuk keluar bangunan. Akhirnya, seorang supir menghampiri saya dan bertanya samaada saya sudah membayar caj parkir. 'Belum lagi'... jawapan saya. 'Encik kena bayar disana....' beliau menunjuk arah kiosk bayaran. Saya terus pergi ke kiosk untuk membayar parkir. Sungguh memalukan....tapi, sudah tukar ke?
Sudah keluar, kena pusing semula melalui Hotel Gardens sebelum masuk basement semula. Sekali lagi berpusing-pusing mencari tempat parkir. Hampir setengah jam, baru dapat parkir kereta; P1 dan saya catatkan C12 atas kupon. Setelah menentukan kereta dikunci, saya terus kebilik hotel yang telah didaftar oleh isteri saya. Selepas solat, saya dan isteri turun ke Mega Mall untuk membeli kasut untuk beliau.
Secara jujur, semasa mencari tempat parkir, saya rasa tidak 'sedap hati' untuk meninggal kereta di situ. Banyak berita yang tersiar dalam surat khabar tentang kehilangan kereta di kompleks membeli-belah. Selepas membeli kasut dan balik kebilik, saya membuat keputusan untuk 'check-out' dan menalifon sepupu isteri saya memberitahu beliau yang kami akan menginap di rumahnya selepas menghadiri majlis perkahwinan nanti.
Pada jam 1830, usunglah beg-beg untuk 'check-out'. Untuk 2-3 jam di bilik, pihak hotel caj RM195.00...caj asal RM235.00 (harga promosi). Apa nak dikatakan....!
Saya turun ke basement bersendirian untuk mengambil kereta. Ahli keluarga tinggal di lounge hotel. Turun ke P1 C12. Jalan punya jalan.....cari punya cari.....tak jumpa kereta! Oh....Oh....kereta ku sudah hilang...! Terduduk saya dibuatnya. Saya menalifon isteri memberitahu beliau kemungkinan kereta beliau telah hilang. Seterusnya, saya pergi ke kiosk bayaran dan memberitahu mereka yang saya tidak jumpa kereta. Terpaksa menunggu pengawal pula. Ketika itu, macam-macam perkara yang bermain dalam fikiran. Paling utama, kena buat laporan polis. Kemudian ambil teksi ke Batu Caves. Keesokan hari, atur teksi untuk pulang ke Jitraq. Sampai di Jitraq, kena pecah kaca tingkap dan grill. Ini untuk membolehkan 'roller shutter' dinaikan untuk kereta masuk dalam garaj. Semua ini terpaksa dilakukan kerana kunci gate dan roller shutter disimpan dalam kereta.
Apabila pengawal tiba dan diberitahu # parkir, beliau hanya menunjuk kearah P1 C12 untuk saya mencari kereta. Sungguh bengang dibuatnya.....sudahlah tak jumpa kereta, beliau enggan menemankan saya ke lokasi P1 C12. Ini sudah melampau.....dengan nada keras (maklumlah...bekas tentera..he..he) saya menyuruh beliau mencari bersama saya. Mahu tak mahu, beliau terpaksa menemani saya ke lokasi tersebut. Macam magis.....sekejap tak ada.....sekejap ada! Saya ucapkan terima kasih kepada beliau dan menalifon isteri yang saya telah jumpa kereta semula. Untuk makluman, November 2009 ini, kereta tersebut baru 7 tahun dengan hanya 75,000 km sahaja. Beli baru dan harga pasaran masih boleh dapat RM110K. Saya berniat untuk puasa nazar sekiranya dijumpa semula.
Sekali lagi satu pusingan ke Cititel untuk mengambil keluarga. Jam sudah 1930. Sekarang sedang memikir bagaimana hendak ke Jalan Istana. Fikir punya fikir, guna jalan ke Bangsar. Saya ingatkan akan bertemu Jalan Travers dahulu sebelum Jalan Bangsar....sudah tukar ke? Bagaimanapun, sampai juga ke Jalan Istana....tetapi sudah lupa jalan ke Pengkalan TUDM. Sedar-sedar.... Jalan Sungai Besi, belok kiri, masuk Jalan Loke Yew dan belok kiri lagi, Jalan TUDM. Berhenti dekat bangunan MAA untuk bertanya arah. Sampai ke dewan majlis lebih kurang jam 2020. KL....KL....sungguh banyak berubah! Patutlah kawan saya mencadangkan saya guna GPS. Saya ingat hanya pilot yang perlu GPS.
Oleh kerana semua para hadirin sudah mengambil tempat masing-masing, saya tiada peluang berjumpa ramai rakan-rakan seperjuangan yang hadir malam itu. Antara mereka yang sempat saya berjumpa ialah Jen (B) Dato' Sulaiman Mahmud (OC pertama sebagai pilot di No 10 Skn), Jen (B) Dato' Sri Abdullah Nasution (pemeriksa semasa mengikuti kursus penerbangan di SEA Helicopter), Lt Jen (B) Dato' Nawi Alias ( OC No 3 Skn), Mej Jen (B) Dato' Fauzi Hussein (CO TUDM Butterworth), Mej Jen (B) Dato' Razak (sama-sama terbang ke Malang, Indonesia), Brig Jen Dato' Mohd Sulong TUDM (rakan seperjuangan semasa di No 5 dan No 10 Skn) dan Lt Kol (B) Affendi Mustafa ('course-mate' semasa SEA Helicopter).
Majlis bersurai pada jam 2230. Saya pun terus memandu ke kawasan Batu Caves. Itu pun terlepas simpang ke rumah yang dituju. Syukur Alhamdulillah, selamat sampai walaupun lewat.
Keesokan harinya, 18 Oktober 2009, selepas berjumpa kaum kerabat dari Mantin dan Jalan Maktab, baliklah Hill-Billy ini ke Jitraq. Syukur Alhamdulillah, selamat sampai di rumah lebihkurang jam 1600. Tekan remote control untuk buka gate....gate tak bergerak pun. Tekan remote control untuk menaikkan roller shuter.....sama juga! Mungkin tiada elektrik. Panjat tembok dan buka gate secara manual. Selepas itu, guna remote control semula.....bergerak gate. Bermakna, ada eletrik. Cuba menaikkan roller shutter....tiada sebarang reaksi. Betul-betul macam cerita 'Ali Baba Bujang Lapok' dimana Kasim Baba tak boleh membuka pintu gua dengan jampi serapah 'Yat minseng mata kaji......' salah. Jawabnya, tinggal keluarga di luar rumah dan terus pergi ke kedai kunci di Jitraq. Towkay memberitahu bateri lemah dan perlu diganti. Tiba di rumah, tekan remote control dua tiga kali.....roller shutter pun gerak. Lega....!
Semua ini mesti 'ada makna'! Pengajaran dari episod ini ialah, tentukan ada check list untuk perjalanan jauh. Yang kedua, jangan sekali-kala tinggal di hotel yang berkongsi dengan kompleks membeli belah.
Biarlah saya tinggal di ulu Jitraq ini. Tak ada stres dan kelam-kabut. Ke RSAT hanya 5 km, hospital - 15 km, pasar - 5km, kelab golf -1 km. Apa hendak lagi dalam kehidupan ini....?
Selasa, 20 Oktober 2009
Never Ending Story - Pt 2
Well...Well...Well...Readers, I really thought this story about an allowance for the recipients of the gallantry awards, JPP, PTU and KPK, is over. Surprisingly, I am extremely delighted to know that there are people who support my struggle. I am thankful to Brig Gen (B) Datuk Arshad who posted an article, entitled "IS THE PINGAT TENTERA UDARA (PTU) SUBSERVIENT TO THE PINGAT GAGAH BERANI (PGB)?, on this subject in his blog -mindnoevil.blogspot.com. Thank you, Datuk, for supporting me and the others. And, readers, please spare your time to read the comments in his blog.
For those who are that pushed for time, I 'imported' his article for your easy reading (with his kind permission).
Monday, October 19, 2009
IS THE PINGAT TENTERA UDARA (PTU) SUBSERVIENT TO THE PINGAT GAGAH BERANI (PGB)?
I was introduced to a blog owned by an ex RMAF Nuri helicopter pilot Mej Nor Ibrahim Sulaiman (B) (http://xnuripilot.blogspot.com) recently. Having browse through some of his postings, I was caught by an email posted by an ex Nuri pilot Lt Col Chong Keng Lay (B) who argues that recipients of the Pingat Tentera Udara (PTU), a meritorious and gallantry award for bravery and valour for RMAF personnel, should also be receiving a similar allowance announced recently by the government for recipients of the PGB and the SP.
I do not know the reasons why recipients of the PTU are deprived of the allowance since both are awards for bravery and valour and has been gazette as such by the government. Or is the PTU considered of a lesser award for bravery and valour; hence they are deprived of the allowance?
Lt Col Chong Keng Lay (B) is a course mate of mine who took the greater challenge to be a pilot, and to discard his army uniform. He has flown me on many trips into the jungle operational areas, and I know the sort of person Lt Col Chong is. He is a strict disciplinarian, loyal to the service and had served the nation well. I do not see any reason why his award of the PTU is subservient to the PGB.
I hope the new Chief of Air Force should take a serious look into this matter, that not only affect Lt Col Chong, but to all other recipients as well.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Posted by ArshadRaji at 2:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: air force
Any comment?
For those who are that pushed for time, I 'imported' his article for your easy reading (with his kind permission).
Monday, October 19, 2009
IS THE PINGAT TENTERA UDARA (PTU) SUBSERVIENT TO THE PINGAT GAGAH BERANI (PGB)?
I was introduced to a blog owned by an ex RMAF Nuri helicopter pilot Mej Nor Ibrahim Sulaiman (B) (http://xnuripilot.blogspot.com) recently. Having browse through some of his postings, I was caught by an email posted by an ex Nuri pilot Lt Col Chong Keng Lay (B) who argues that recipients of the Pingat Tentera Udara (PTU), a meritorious and gallantry award for bravery and valour for RMAF personnel, should also be receiving a similar allowance announced recently by the government for recipients of the PGB and the SP.
I do not know the reasons why recipients of the PTU are deprived of the allowance since both are awards for bravery and valour and has been gazette as such by the government. Or is the PTU considered of a lesser award for bravery and valour; hence they are deprived of the allowance?
Lt Col Chong Keng Lay (B) is a course mate of mine who took the greater challenge to be a pilot, and to discard his army uniform. He has flown me on many trips into the jungle operational areas, and I know the sort of person Lt Col Chong is. He is a strict disciplinarian, loyal to the service and had served the nation well. I do not see any reason why his award of the PTU is subservient to the PGB.
I hope the new Chief of Air Force should take a serious look into this matter, that not only affect Lt Col Chong, but to all other recipients as well.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Posted by ArshadRaji at 2:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: air force
Any comment?
Ahad, 18 Oktober 2009
1MALAYSIA ....1 DILEMA
Ingat lagi coretan bertajuk "1Malaysia"? Coretan seterusnya....
Pada 15 Oktober 2009, semasa merarik troli golf, saya telah menerima panggilan talifon dari Encik Krishnan. Beliau menyatakan yang Kerajaan tidak menggalakkan penuntut-penuntut Tahun Pertama hingga Ketiga dalam bidang perubatan di Universiti Andalas meneruskan pengajian mereka di Padang. Beliau memberitahu bahawa saya adalah orang pertama beliau menalifon untuk mendapatkan pandangan.
Berikut adalah laporan Utusan Malaysia bertarikh 16 Oktober 2009...
Oleh THOMAS CHONG
pengarang@utusan.com.my
PUTRAJAYA 15 Okt. – Kerajaan bersetuju memberi pinjaman Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) bernilai RM150,000 setiap orang kepada pelajar Malaysia yang dihantar pulang dari Padang, Indonesia.
Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam berkata, bantuan pinjaman tersebut bertujuan meringankan beban pelajar berkenaan khususnya mereka yang tidak mendapat tajaan kerajaan.
‘‘Kabinet telah buat keputusan untuk bantu pelajar dari Padang seperti menyerap mereka ke institusi pengajian tinggi tempatan awam atau swasta.
‘‘Kerajaan juga bersetuju untuk memberi pinjaman RM150,000 kepada pelajar yang tidak mendapat tajaan kerajaan,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian selepas menemui dan berdialog dengan lebih 100 pelajar Malaysia yang terjejas oleh gempa bumi di Padang, Sumatera di sini hari ini.
Sebanyak 330 pelajar Malaysia yang sedang melanjutkan pelajaran di universiti di Padang telah dihantar pulang ke Malaysia akibat gempa bumi yang melanda wilayah itu.
Subramaniam berkata, kerajaan mendapati keadaan di Padang tidak lagi selamat untuk pelajar Malaysia melanjutkan pelajaran.
‘‘Walaupun pihak universiti di Padang telah meminta supaya pelajar kita meneruskan pengajian di Indonesia, tetapi kita rasa keadaan di situ tidak sesuai,” katanya.
Encik Krishnan memberitahu yang beliau telah membelanja RM73K untuk puteri beliau, Pushpagandhi. Sekiranya beliau menerima cadangan Kerajaan, wang tersebut akan hangus! Mungkin bagi sesetengah pihak RM73K hanya 'loose change' sahaja, tetapi bukan untuk kebanyakan ibu-bapa. Itu adalah satu jumlah yang besar. Kos untuk mengikuti kursus perubatan di IPTS di Malaysia di anggar RM380K. PTPTN hanya mampu memberi pinjaman RM150K sahaja. Ini bererti ibu-bapa terpaksa menambah RM230K....! Mana nak cari ongkos sebegitu banyak?
Masalah kedua pula ialah.....anak beliau terpaksa mengikuti 'pre-medic' semula....! IPTS di sini tiada dasar 'pemindahan kredit'. Bayangkan.....pengajian setahun di Padang hanya sia-sia sahaja!
Pendangan saya kepada beliau ialah sekiranya Pushpa bersetuju, teruskan pengajian di Padang. Rasionalnya masih sama....malapetaka boleh berlaku di mana-mana saja! Lagi pula, saya pasti siswa-siswi dari Indonesia juga akan meneruskan pengajian mereka di sana walaupun terpaksa mengikuti kuliah di bawah khemah. Mereka boleh...mengapa tidak kita? Sekiranya berjaya menamatkan kursus itu nanti, beliau boleh berbangga yang beliau mempunyai kekuatan mental semasa menghadapi dugaan yang sungguh mencabar. Bukan calang-calang orang yang sanggup berhadapan dengan keadaan sedemikian. Saya juga difahamkan seorang anak perempuan arwah kariah di tempat tinggal saya sekarang ini, juga akan meneruskan pengajian beliau di Universiti Andalas. Syabas...!
Pada pagi 16 Oktober 2009, sekali lagi saya telah menalifon Encik Krishnan untuk mendapat berita mutakhir dan untuk mengucapkan 'Selamat Menyambut Deepavali' kepada beliau dan keluarga. Beliau menyatakan bahawa anaknya telah membuat keputusan untuk terbang ke Padang selepas mendengar taklimat oleh KPT di UPM pada 19 Oktober 2009 nanti.
Pada saya, itu satu keputusan yang bijak.
Pada 15 Oktober 2009, semasa merarik troli golf, saya telah menerima panggilan talifon dari Encik Krishnan. Beliau menyatakan yang Kerajaan tidak menggalakkan penuntut-penuntut Tahun Pertama hingga Ketiga dalam bidang perubatan di Universiti Andalas meneruskan pengajian mereka di Padang. Beliau memberitahu bahawa saya adalah orang pertama beliau menalifon untuk mendapatkan pandangan.
Berikut adalah laporan Utusan Malaysia bertarikh 16 Oktober 2009...
Utusan
OnlineOleh THOMAS CHONG
pengarang@utusan.com.my
PUTRAJAYA 15 Okt. – Kerajaan bersetuju memberi pinjaman Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) bernilai RM150,000 setiap orang kepada pelajar Malaysia yang dihantar pulang dari Padang, Indonesia.
Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam berkata, bantuan pinjaman tersebut bertujuan meringankan beban pelajar berkenaan khususnya mereka yang tidak mendapat tajaan kerajaan.
‘‘Kabinet telah buat keputusan untuk bantu pelajar dari Padang seperti menyerap mereka ke institusi pengajian tinggi tempatan awam atau swasta.
‘‘Kerajaan juga bersetuju untuk memberi pinjaman RM150,000 kepada pelajar yang tidak mendapat tajaan kerajaan,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian selepas menemui dan berdialog dengan lebih 100 pelajar Malaysia yang terjejas oleh gempa bumi di Padang, Sumatera di sini hari ini.
Sebanyak 330 pelajar Malaysia yang sedang melanjutkan pelajaran di universiti di Padang telah dihantar pulang ke Malaysia akibat gempa bumi yang melanda wilayah itu.
Subramaniam berkata, kerajaan mendapati keadaan di Padang tidak lagi selamat untuk pelajar Malaysia melanjutkan pelajaran.
‘‘Walaupun pihak universiti di Padang telah meminta supaya pelajar kita meneruskan pengajian di Indonesia, tetapi kita rasa keadaan di situ tidak sesuai,” katanya.
Encik Krishnan memberitahu yang beliau telah membelanja RM73K untuk puteri beliau, Pushpagandhi. Sekiranya beliau menerima cadangan Kerajaan, wang tersebut akan hangus! Mungkin bagi sesetengah pihak RM73K hanya 'loose change' sahaja, tetapi bukan untuk kebanyakan ibu-bapa. Itu adalah satu jumlah yang besar. Kos untuk mengikuti kursus perubatan di IPTS di Malaysia di anggar RM380K. PTPTN hanya mampu memberi pinjaman RM150K sahaja. Ini bererti ibu-bapa terpaksa menambah RM230K....! Mana nak cari ongkos sebegitu banyak?
Masalah kedua pula ialah.....anak beliau terpaksa mengikuti 'pre-medic' semula....! IPTS di sini tiada dasar 'pemindahan kredit'. Bayangkan.....pengajian setahun di Padang hanya sia-sia sahaja!
Pendangan saya kepada beliau ialah sekiranya Pushpa bersetuju, teruskan pengajian di Padang. Rasionalnya masih sama....malapetaka boleh berlaku di mana-mana saja! Lagi pula, saya pasti siswa-siswi dari Indonesia juga akan meneruskan pengajian mereka di sana walaupun terpaksa mengikuti kuliah di bawah khemah. Mereka boleh...mengapa tidak kita? Sekiranya berjaya menamatkan kursus itu nanti, beliau boleh berbangga yang beliau mempunyai kekuatan mental semasa menghadapi dugaan yang sungguh mencabar. Bukan calang-calang orang yang sanggup berhadapan dengan keadaan sedemikian. Saya juga difahamkan seorang anak perempuan arwah kariah di tempat tinggal saya sekarang ini, juga akan meneruskan pengajian beliau di Universiti Andalas. Syabas...!
Pada pagi 16 Oktober 2009, sekali lagi saya telah menalifon Encik Krishnan untuk mendapat berita mutakhir dan untuk mengucapkan 'Selamat Menyambut Deepavali' kepada beliau dan keluarga. Beliau menyatakan bahawa anaknya telah membuat keputusan untuk terbang ke Padang selepas mendengar taklimat oleh KPT di UPM pada 19 Oktober 2009 nanti.
Pada saya, itu satu keputusan yang bijak.
Jumaat, 16 Oktober 2009
A Challenging LP
Gunung Korbu - the second highest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia
Well, I think it was some time in early 1980 when my task was to send supply to the ground troops. I was then still with No 3 Squadron, RMAF Butterworth. If I am not mistaken, the LP was at about 5000 ft high somewhere around Gunung Korbu. It was occupied by a squadron of MSSR - the commandos. I really cannot remember the pick-up point - it could be either Lasah or Ulu Kinta. Lasah.
The task was the first supply for them and I was the first pilot to fly there. They were there not for mountain climbing exercise but to chase the communist terrorists. When I first saw the LP, my goodness....it was so tight....well...well below standard! I expressed my opinion to the OC (Officer Commanding), through the HF radio, on the condition of the LP. To make the situation more unfavourable, after a quick recce of the LP, the only approach available was from 'uphill'. In other words, I had to make a 'tail-wind' approach. Logic will tell you, normally the wind will always blow from high to low ground, not vice versa.
Basically, all approaches for landings and take-offs should be executed 'head-wind', ie, facing the wind. This relative wind condition would increase the aerodynamic forces of "LIFT", whereas 'tail-wind' would reduce "LIFT". To put simply, just like flying kites. The kites will be lifted into the air with the wind from the opposite direction. Of course, you still can land and take-off in this condition, however, you must be......EXTREMELY CAREFULL!!
The OC came back to me with the promise that he would improve the LP for the next resupply. But for that day, he told me that he needed the rations badly. Before I took off from the pick-up point, I enquired who the OC was at the LP. When told of his name.... I knew him. He was Mej Ahmad RAshit of SSC 12 Intake, I think. I used to squat in his room during 13 May 1969 Tragedy at the Officers Mess, Sungai Besi. He was then with 5 RAMD.
For you my friend, I would try. Syukur to Almighty Allah, I managed to land safely and the rations were offloaded. The LP was so tight, so much so, I could not even make a turnaround - just 'ngam-ngam'. I had to execute a tail-wind take-off. Throughout my flying career, this was the tightest of all LPs...! Before taking off, once again I reminded my friend to ensure that the LP was big and safe enough for the nuri to land for future resupply. He promised me that he would surely improve the LP.
In May 1980, I was posted to No 10 Squadron as Flight Commander....an end to all those adventurous flying. My new area of flying coverage did not include Perak state where the actions were. Let others have the chance to be heroes too. Maybe those top brass felt I needed a good rest. In August On 19 July 1980, if I am not mistaken, I was told that a nuri had crashed at that LP......! It seemed the nuri crashed while lifting off from the LP with troops on board. The tasking was troops pull-out from the LP. Syukur Alhamdulillah, no casualty.....aircrew and the passengers were safe. When I went there as the President of the Board Of Inquiry, the OC had kept his promise.....the LP was big enough for nuri to manoeuvre. But, of course, he could not change the natural terrain of the mountain. Approaches and take-offs still had to be done 'tail-wind'.
The nuri was salvaged later on by an RAAF heavy lift 'Chinook' helicopter which airlifted it to AIROD, Subang. Ipoh.
In memory of my friend, the late Lt Col Ahmad Bin Rashid, OC of the commando squadron in the story, who passed away in a road accident on his way back to his unit at Kuala Kubu Baru from Malacca. Semoga Allah cucuri rahmat kepada roh beliau....Al Fatihah.
Readers, my humble apology if you find incorrect data. Please inform me through your comments and I will take necessary action to rectify it, InsyaAllah. You must remember this is a recollection of events that took place 29 years ago and I have to rely solely from my memory.....!
Nuri pilots, .... KNOW YOUR LIMITS AND NURI'S AS WELL!!
Note: Updated on 6/7/14.
Rabu, 14 Oktober 2009
Me....The Hollywood Actor
One of the flying collections that I treasure most is the flying 'log book' - "BUKU HARIAN PENERBANGAN PEMANDU"; a diary of sorts. It is an official document where we pilots have to record the hours flown, the name of the aircrew, airframe number, day/night flying, etc, etc. Well, it was while 'studying' the log book when I saw OD 494 Paper Tiger written in it.
Classic movie buffs.....if you 'accidentally' watch "Paper Tiger", starring David Niven, let it be known to you that yours truly 'acted' in that film too....he....he. I was then a co-pilot in No 10 Sqn, RMAF Kuantan. I did not know why the Flight Commander detailed me to fly for this task....maybe I was the most handsome co-pilot in the squadron...he...he, syok sendiri! Jangan marah.
Well, from 7th through 14th August 1974, one Nuri and one Alouette 111 (from No 3 Sqn) helicopters were tasked to assist in the filming of the Paper Tiger. Nuri aircrew involved were:
Review summary. Mr Bradbury (David Niven), an apparently posh and well-educated, ex-military Englishman is hired as tutor to the son of a Japanese ambassador, Koichi Kagoyama (played by Ando). He becomes a trusted friend, who boasts about himself during his British Army service being a hero telling hi "War Stories", but some painful truths are revealed after he and the boy are kidnapped by political terrorists. It comes to the point when Mr Bradbury has to live up to his "action man image he makes out to be.
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Classic movie buffs.....if you 'accidentally' watch "Paper Tiger", starring David Niven, let it be known to you that yours truly 'acted' in that film too....he....he. I was then a co-pilot in No 10 Sqn, RMAF Kuantan. I did not know why the Flight Commander detailed me to fly for this task....maybe I was the most handsome co-pilot in the squadron...he...he, syok sendiri! Jangan marah.
Well, from 7th through 14th August 1974, one Nuri and one Alouette 111 (from No 3 Sqn) helicopters were tasked to assist in the filming of the Paper Tiger. Nuri aircrew involved were:
- Capt (U) Eddy Yong - captain
- Capt (U) Nor Ibrahim - co-pilot
- S/Sgt Md Isa - AQM
- Airframe # - 1714
- Tasking # - Gading 494
Review summary. Mr Bradbury (David Niven), an apparently posh and well-educated, ex-military Englishman is hired as tutor to the son of a Japanese ambassador, Koichi Kagoyama (played by Ando). He becomes a trusted friend, who boasts about himself during his British Army service being a hero telling hi "War Stories", but some painful truths are revealed after he and the boy are kidnapped by political terrorists. It comes to the point when Mr Bradbury has to live up to his "action man image he makes out to be.
Release date: November 5, 1975
The role of the nuri was to fly the 'fictitious' troops in the mission to rescue the 'hero' and the boy. And the role of the 'mini cooper' was to fly the camera crew to film the nuri's flight. The flight took place around Bukit Takun, the limestone hill behind the present Perangsang Golf & Country Club. During those times, the club had not existed yet. In fact, it was still an active mining area.
The actual flying action was on 14 August 1974. I have forgotten whether we flew to Templer Park prior to the actual date of the filming since it was not recorded in my log book. Anyway, we took off from RMAF Kuala Lumpur early in the morning to position the aircraft and were briefed by the film crew. When the time came for A C T I O N, up...up and away around Bukit Takun. The captain flew the nuri while yours truly was just holding SSL (Speed Selector Lever- simply...throttle) and monitoring......Ts' & Ps' (Temperatures & Pressures).
Bukit Takun in the background of the Perangsang Templer Golf & Country Club, Rawang
The beautiful part was that, the film crew captured the face of your handsome co-pilot instead of the captain of the aircraft. I suppose all heroes must have moustache just like Zorro....and I have that...he...he!
Imagine, for that few minutes of filming, we had to stay for 1 week in Kuala Lumpur! By the way, the emblem/insignia of the fictitious Air force was painted over the RMAF emblem/insignia on the nuri. This was done at the KL Base. The film company used 'water-washable' paint. When the filming was over, all that was needed to be done was to pour water over it, and presto.......1714 and the emblem/insignia reappeared!
You know what we had for lunch? Nothing less than.......nasi bungkus! Fat hope to get the 5-star hotel meals served to those 'mat saleh' actors.
Capt Eddy Yong took our photograph with the late David Niven. Capt Eddy, if you read this blog and still keep the photograph, please e-mail it to me, thank you. It is a real pity that I do not know how to search and download the actual photograph of the nuri flying around the Bukit Takun. My level of computer literacy is still in the kindergarten stage. You can read my introduction to computer via this link - sitiroffinimy.blogspot.com under the title "The Quick Brown Fox".
Computer experts, if you happen to watch this movie, please capture the part where it shows the nuri flying around Bukit Takun. I would really appreciate if you could e-mail the photograph in question. Thank you.
Computer experts, if you happen to watch this movie, please capture the part where it shows the nuri flying around Bukit Takun. I would really appreciate if you could e-mail the photograph in question. Thank you.
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