Raya report - Day 8

It's the eighth day of Syawal and I have completed the optional puasa enam. Nothing much happened on this day, aside from the usual afternoon rain of course.

I basically spent the whole day with my family at home. And I dropped by one of my neighbours' house as he organised an open house today.

Other than that, things were pretty much quiet... as usual.

Raya report - Day 7

The 7th day of Syawal was spent in KL. And much like Kulim, the wet weather seems to dampen the Hari Raya mood somewhat.

Nonetheless, the morning was filled with a couple of tasks. Like I blogged yesterday, my father has an appointment at IJN. After that, I sent my sister back to her campus in Petaling Jaya. After that was done, I brought my parents to a hypermarket to buy some stuff.

Things were a lot more quiet in the afternoon after the Friday prayers. I managed to get some rest. The exhaustion from the 5-hour drive the day before could still be felt.

And the best thing about the 7th day of Syawal is that I have managed to complete all six days of optional fasting at one stretch. It really feels good to be able to complete this act of fasting. And somehow, I feel that I miss the month of Ramadhan. Personally, I cannot wait for Ramadhan to come again next year.

Around 9 in the evening, my sister-in-law came visiting with her two daughters and two sisters. My brother has not been able to celebrate Hari Raya with us for three years running now because of his duties as engineer aboard a sea vessel. It has been a while since we managed to celebrate Aidilfitri with all the family members around.

In any case, it was good to be able to see my two nieces.

Raya report - Day 6

I arrived in KL around 3 p.m. today. The drive was smooth. The traffic wasn't heavy at all. I guess most people will only be coming back to the capital during the weekend. The weather was pretty good when we left Kulim. It only rained once we got to Lembah Beringin but even then, it wasn't too heavy. But I did notice that KL was pretty wet by the time we arrived even though the rain had stopped. The rain must be quite heavy just before we got into the city.

Frankly, I am a bit exhausted from the journey. I managed to get some rest in the afternoon but still, the body still aches somewhat. With the sun setting today, that means that I have completed 5 out of the 6 days of fasting in the month of Syawal. Another day to go. While I did say that this year's Hari Raya has been quiet and uneventful, I guess there is a silver lining to it. I have managed to start the puasa enam as soon as the second day of Syawal and looks set to complete it on the seventh day of Syawal. This would be my best personal achievement in this regard.

Last night, Azhan gave me a call. He is back from Switzerland with his wife Ann and daughter Lana Alesha for Aidilfitri. His hometown is in Serdang (Kedah) which is not far from Kulim. He called me up thinking of coming for a visit today. It's unfortunate that I was returning home to KL today, otherwise we'd have been able to meet up. In any case, he's coming to KL next week. So, we're planning to meet up then. Here's hoping for that to take place.

Tomorrow will be quite hectic. My father has to go to IJN to give his blood sample for Monday's follow-up. And I'm also sending my sister back to her campus tomorrow as she has to sit for an exam paper on Saturday.

Raya report - Day 5

Guess what? Another uneventful - and wet - day. I noticed that quite a few friends have remarked that this year's Aidilfitri is so very quiet. Could it be the weather? Could it be something else? Your guess is as good as mine.

I'm on my fourth day of puasa enam. And today is my second son's first month anniversary. And we brought him to have his Hepatitis B second immunisation jab.

Also today, we're spending the night at my mother-in-law's house. I'll be leaving for Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning but my wife and newborn will be staying behind. My parents, sister and eldest son will coming along to KL. My sister will have her exams beginning this Saturday while my father has his follow-up at IJN. On Monday, I'll be coming back to Kulim to send my parents and son. From then onwards, I will be plying the North-South Expressway on a regular basis to visit my family.

I suppose the adventure of travelling northwards and back will be more eventful than this year's Hari Raya.

Raya report - Day 4

Today is another quiet day. Only my mother's cousin and her family came visiting. The weather meanwhile is relatively drier compared to the first three days of Aidilfitri. I am on my third day of fasting in the month of Syawal. Other than these, I guess there's nothing much to blog for today.

Raya report - Day 3

It is still wet on the third day of Aidilfitri. Like I said previously, I don't really mind as the showers keep the temperature down.

But things are quiet as with the previous days. I spent the whole day at home with my family. Only Saiful Sidek, whom I met about eight years ago in my alma mater during which I gave a motivational talk, dropped by for a visit in the afternoon. I have not seen him close to five years actually. So it was good to have met him today. We spent close to two hours catching up on old times.

Other than that, nothing much happens. I am on my second day of optional fasting. So far, I am confident that I would be able to complete all six days before the week ends.

And since things are rather quiet, I decided to start rereading the manuscript for my second novel tentatively entitled Transgenesis: Bisikan Rimba. I actually finished writing the novel during the first few days of Ramadhan. I hope to complete rereading and repairing the manuscript before returning to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, so that I can submit the manuscript to the publisher some time next week.

Raya report - Day 2

The second day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Kulim was wet. The first day rained too but only briefly in the afternoon. The rain on the second day however was longer, heavier and more persistent. I guess that was probably why we didn't get that many visitors today. Only my mother's half sister accompanied by three of her daughters and son-in-law in the morning, followed by a neighbour at mid-day, and later my mother-in-law who came with one of my brothers-in-law and family. I was expecting some friends to come over but I guess the rain could have dissuaded them from coming.

Other than that, things were pretty quiet and uneventful. While the rain must have made some people think twice before going out, I kind of welcome it. Since we arrived in Kulim, the weather has been pretty hot and dry. The rain has managed to cool things down a bit.

On a personal note, I have started the optional six-day fast in the month of Syawal. In the past, I'd start this fast towards the end of the month of Syawal but this year, since I won't be going to many open houses, I thought I should start earlier.

All in all, a rather slow day. Today's highlight for me? I watched "Cicak Man" on television.

Raya report - Day 1

This year's Aidilfitri is relatively quiet compared to previous years. This is because my wife is still in confinement, so we are not doing much visiting this year.

In any case, as with previous years, Aidilfitri started off pretty much as a family affair with the obligatory seeking for forgiveness from the elders. Then my father and I went to the masjid for the Aidilfitri prayer.

After that, we came back home, and not long after, a childhood friend whom I have known since 1986 came visiting. It was indeed good to be able to see Chee Hong again after all this while. Chee Hong was based in Australia for a good seven years. Now he has just returned to Malaysia - perhaps for good he said.

Later in the afternoon, we went to my mother-in-law's house. This would be the first time most of my wife's relatives meet our newborn. We had a simple membelah mulut ceremony for the baby which was conducted by my brother-in-law. In the meantime, my eldest son had a good time there playing with his cousins, and chasing after the chickens.

After that, I took my eldest son to the house of one of my teachers from secondary school who lives in the same village as my mother-in-law. It's almost customary for me to visit her on Hari Raya.

Then we came back to my parents' place. My eldest son was so tired that he fell asleep as soon as he entered the house.

Like I said, a rather quiet Aidilfitri, but a meaningful one nonetheless.

Salam Aidilfitri

With Ramadhan ending today, and Aidilfitri coming tomorrow, may I take this opportunity to wish all visitors to my humble blog, "Salam Aidilfitri" and "maaf zahir batin." Let us pray that this joyous day of Aidilfitri be a time for strengthening our bonds and ties with family members and friends.

Final frontier

To be able to watch a historic moment in our lifetime is indeed awe-inspiring and humbling. I was virtually glued in front of the television last night to watch the first Malaysian's flight into space. The news can be read here and the historic visual here. The full list of space travel by nationality can be obtained here.

Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor became the first Malaysian astronaut. I am sure this historic achievement is a day to be remembered by all Malaysians. Interestingly enough, while Dr. Sheikh may not be the first Muslim in space, he will be the first to be celebrating Eid there. The honour of the first Muslim in space went to a Saudi prince, Salman al-Saud in 1985.

In any case, I pray that the docking of the Soyuz TMA-11 at the International Space Station scheduled for tomorrow will go smoothly and that our first astronaut will return home safely in about ten days time.

This is certainly one for the history books. Just like Yuri Gagarin is remembered as the first man in space and Neil Armstrong honoured as the first man on the moon, Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar will be remembered as the first Malaysian in space by all Malaysians. Syabas!

10th October 2007 will forever be remembered as one of the most important dates in Malaysian history.

Sensational coverage

Yesterday in Utusan Malaysia, an article I wrote on the issue of organ donation was published. The original article was longer. Some parts were edited out. Though somewhat diluted if compared to the original article, the published one still managed to get the point across.

Have a read here.

Drive safely

Today, I drove back to my hometown in Kulim. The whole journey took under five hours. And the drive itself was pleasant - no jams, not so many lorries and the weather was just nice. I left immediately after Subuh, therefore avoiding the unnecessary jam in Kuala Lumpur.

I heard on the news that on the second day of Ops Sikap XIII, there has been a total of 23 deaths on the road. So, to all who will be travelling this festive season, drive carefully and safely. May this Aidilfitri be celebrated with joy and happiness with our loved ones.

Second heart transplant

Tee Hui Yi has rejected the first heart transplanted into her. And she has gone back into the operating theatre for a second heart transplant in 24 hours. Details of this can be read here. Hui Yi is lucky that there have been two donors in a short period of 24 hours. Had there been no second donor when her body rejected the first heart, it'd have spelt trouble for her.

Let's pray that she'll do better with this second heart.

[Update: Hui Yi is reported to be responding well to the second heart she received.]

Wide coverage on organ donation

I think today, more than any other day, the media coverage on organ donation has been most wide and comprehensive. Utusan Malaysia alone carries so many write-ups on the issue, including one which was written to look like they have interviewed me. [What they did was actually quoting an article I wrote which was published in January 2006]. I don't mind as this goes towards better awareness on the need for organ donation.

Below are the links to the articles in Utusan Malaysia for quick reference:

1. Penantian Hui Yee berakhir
2. Sumbangan terakhir anak saya
3. 13 kes lagi menunggu
   
4. Fatwa harus menderma organ
5. Faktor agama bukan alasan utama
6. Bisik-bisik Awang Selamat
7. Menyusuri sejarah panjang pemindahan organ
8. Soalan lazim mengenai pemindahan organ
9. Kempen mencari jantung mesti diteruskan

I hope that this kind of exposure would continue and not just be seasonal. In any case, I am also pleased to learn that there was another mercy flight, this time to Johor, to harvest organs from another donor last night. Not much information about this donor as yet. But I sincerely hope that the number of donors would increase.

Heart for Hui Yi

Last night at around midnight while watching the news, there was an item on a TUDM mercy flight from Subang to Ipoh. The mercy flight carries a team of specialists from IJN to harvest organs from a donor. I was pleased to hear this piece of news because deep in my heart, I hope that at least this offers hope for 14-year old Tee Hui Yi.

Today, I spoke with Sister Jamaliah Kario of the National Transplant Resource Centre (NTRC) who was also on the mercy flight. She confirmed that Tee Hui Yi indeed received a heart that she has been waiting for. I wanted to know whether there were other organs donated as well, but decided not to ask Sister Jamaliah as she sounded exhausted from last night's journey.

In any case, I came home this afternoon and got online. [Yes, the Internet connection at the office is still problematic]. There were some updated from the local papers on this. Utusan Malaysia carried the news on the mercy flight. I noticed aside from Sister Jamaliah, another name that I recognise is Dr. Mohamad Ezani Md Taib of IJN.

And this updated piece informs us of the heart harvested has been transplanted to Hui Yi. We also get more information of the donor from the same news article. The donor is apparently a Malay teenager who was killed in an accident, and his parents decided to donate the heart, lungs, kidneys and liver. Again, I am happy with this information. It goes to show that the level of awareness on organ donation amongst Muslims in the country have increased. I believe most Muslims in the country are becoming more informed that Islam does not prohibit organ donation.

Nonetheless, I beg to differ with the Minister of Health's statement as reported in this article in The Star. While it is true that there are greater number of pledgers compared to donors, I disagree that this is because families or next of kins object to organ donation. We have a good number of pledgers because of increased awareness. However, this number does not translate into donations because we have to understand that organ donation only takes place if the donor is brain dead while at the same time, the heart is still pumping because of the presence of a ventilator. If a pledger dies of natural death, then we would not be able to harvest organs such as heart or liver. We could only harvest tissues such as corneas, heart valves and the likes.

In most cases, people who die of brain death are not pledgers. Therefore, the doctors would have to ask their family members whether they wish to donate or otherwise. So, I don't think it is accurate to say that organ pledgers do not donate their organs when in truth, most of them are still alive and well. Even when pledgers die of old age, we could only take certain tissues, and not organs. The imperative phrase here is "brain death." For organ donation to take place, the person must be diagnosed as brain dead. Those who pledge, I believe, may not find themselves in such a situation unless they are involved in accidents or suffer from serious head injury.

This however does not mean that we should not be pledgers. By becoming a pledger and more importantly by letting your family members know that you are a pledger, should the need arise, for example if the pledger is diagnosed as brain dead, then the doctors and family members would know what needs to be done.

Another point that I would like to differ with the Minister is the reason for not becoming a donor. I disagree that it is because of religion. I have been giving talks on organ donation and religion since 1998, and I find that the masses understood that religion does not prohibit organ donation. Most of them said that their unwillingness or reluctance stems from the fear of the unknown (that is death). I think this is psychological in nature rather than religious.

Sorry for the rather long entry today. It's just that organ donation is a subject very close to my heart. And I would like to see Malaysians, who are always credited with virtues such as willingness to help others, take this esteemed virtue to a higher level. By donating organs, this could certainly give hope to a lot of patients with end-stage organ failure to carry on living. There is no greater gift than organ donation.

In the meantime, I pray that Tee Hui Yi would react positively to the heart she received. I am told that she is still in critical condition. My prayers also go to the other recipients of the other organs donated.

A special prayer to the unnamed donor in Ipoh. May this gift given in Ramadan be translated into bounties for the donor and his family in the Hereafter. And may Allah SWT bless the donor's soul.

High dependency

Since last Thursday, my office was disconnected from the rest of the world - cybernetically-speaking of course. It is quite frustrating when something like this happens. I had to put off all my e-mail correspondences until I get home. Earlier today, I even had to use the facilities at a cybercafe nearby as there were urgent matters that needed to be settled.

It is certainly no stroll in the park when using facilities at a cybercafe. The noise pollution was certainly a nuisance.

In any case, I am very happy now that the Internet connection is back on at the office as of mid-day. It is times like this that I realise that I have become highly dependent on the Internet.