A phone call to bliss

Instead of tolerating increasing angst and sleepless nights from a disturbance, sometimes all it takes is a phone call.

COMMENT

I moved to my new place in SS2 Petaling Jaya some three months ago. Ever since I have been complaining non-stop to friends and family about the surau behind my condominium and its ridiculous loudspeakers.

Every time during the call for prayers or azan, I can almost feel my floor and furniture vibrating. To make matters worse, the surau not only begins Quran recitals as early as 5am but also tends to hold ceramah agama (religious sermon) as and when they feel like it using the loudspeakers.

A few days ago, at 6.45 in the evening, I returned home tired after a long day at work. As soon as I lay down on the couch, hoping to enjoy some peace, another ceramah agama took place at the surau. I got up and closed my sliding doors and windows and even covered up under a thick blanket – but thanks to the ridiculously loud speakers, the sound somehow still managed to reach my eardrums.

I couldn’t tahan anymore. So I got up, pushed my sliding door wide open and headed to my balcony like I was going to battle. With a frown, I stared at the corner unit on the first floor of the low cost flat situated right opposite my balcony – that’s where the surau is situated.

I observed the run-down building and for a brief moment, I pitied the residents of the flat. If I who live in a different building could not stand the sound, imagine what the residents of that flat went through every single day!

But then it occurred to me – if the sound of the loudspeakers troubled them as much as it troubled me, why were they not doing anything about it? By right, if there is something we aren’t happy about, it becomes our responsibility to make an effort to find a solution, kan?

Ouch! I then realised I was no different from them. Like the residents of the flat, I too was doing nothing about the loudspeakers at the surau. There was only one solution to the issue – lodge a police report. So that’s exactly what I decided to do.

On my way to the Sea Park police station that same night, I received a phone call from a friend. Upon finding out what I intended to do, he asked if I was out of my mind. According to him, making a police report required me to give my personal details and he assured me that it wasn’t something I would want to do especially when filing a complaint based on religious matters.

Thinking maybe he had a valid point, I made a U-turn and returned home only to find the ceramah agama replaced by the strains of the azan. Wonderful! Hoping I would have some peace after the Isyak prayers, I took my shower and got ready for a simple break fast dinner. And that’s when I heard the ceramah agama commencing, taking place right after the prayers.

I told myself, “Ini tak boleh jadi ni.”

Upset, angry and frustrated, I called the Petaling Jaya police station.

“Cik, repot hanya boleh dibuat jika ada gangguan selepas jam 12 tengah malam,” said the police officer.

“Tapi ceramah agama yang dikendalikan oleh surau ni mengganggu ketenteraman saya,” I replied.

“Okay, macam inilah. Cik berikan saya nama penuh dan nombor telifon, saya akan arahkan pegawai saya pergi ke surau tersebut dan minta agar bunyi speaker tersebut dikurangkan,” he assured me.

Reluctantly, I gave him my details, hung up the phone and waited.

Less than twenty minutes later, the speaker was turned off. I heard no more ceramah agama that night. On top of that, on days that followed, even the sound of the azan was much reduced. And now, it has been three days and the volume of the speakers have been controlled. I can have blissful sleep again.

I am amazed at the level of professionalism, efficiency and kind assistance of the officers at the Petaling Jaya police station. Thank you!

I guess sometimes we are too consumed by negative thoughts that we tend to indulge in unending complaints yet put no effort into finding a solution. If only I had taken the initiative, I wouldn’t have had to endure countless sleepless nights from the ridiculous loudspeakers all those weeks.

It is true, we kill all the caterpillars, then complain there are no butterflies. How typical of us!