THE PASSING OF A FRIEND

Picture of me with Encik Abdullah taken during an activity for Media Teachers

Last night Haji Hasnin sent me a message that one of our friends, Encik Abdullah who was the officer at the  Seri Manjung Teacher Activity Centre passed away yesterday.  After the articles about birthdays and birth yesterday, I am posting one of a white occasion.
I had known Encik Abdullah or Pak Lah as he was fondly called for about five years and had grown fond of him. For the past two years, he had been very ill and at one time lost his sight due to diabetes.  However, after a few eye surgeries, he managed to regain some vision.
It was about two weeks ago that I last met him.  At that time I had gone to the Teacher Activity Centre to send in the list of students who had achieved NILAM status for a reading programme.  Pak Lah told me that he was recently discharged from the district hospital but his health was still not good.  He told me that he was admitted to a specialist hospital before that.  Little did I realise that it was the last time that I'd see Encik Abdullah alive.
My friend is free from suffering.  May his soul rest in peace and may his family have all the strength they need to overcome this great loss