'EVEN WITHOUT US, SHE CAN SURVIVE': A precious lesson from Siti Aishah to insular Malays back home

KUALA LUMPUR - Siti Aishah Abdul Wahab, the 69-year old Malaysian `slave` rescued from the grasps of a south London-based Maoist sect, is happy in London and had a lot of friends, her sister was quoted as saying in The Telegraph.

Kamar Mahtum, 73, described the joy and sadness following her first emotional reunion with her sister in more than 40-years.

Siti Aishah, who was allegedly held against her will for more than 30-years, said she was happy in Britain and had a wide circle of friends who cared for her, fed her and loved her.

In the Nov 29 interview, the Telegraph quoted Kamar Mahtum as saying that Siti Aishah was so swept up in left-wing politics that she became totally isolated from her family and did not even know their mother passed away 19-years ago.

The two sisters were reportedly reunited at a secret location in the north of England after Karmar mahtum flew to London immediately after discovering her sister had been found.

Kamar Mahtum related to the English daily how Siti Aishah was doing well but was a different person compared to the fiercely bright quantity surveying student who left Malaysia full of ambition at the tail end of the 1960s.

How is mum? Mum is gone

The retired teacher said: “At first I did not recognise her. She looked very different of course; 40-years older, the beautiful young girl had gone. But then again I am also an old woman now.”

She said the first thing they did was to hug one another for a long time as the years of separation fell away.

“I cried, first out of relief, but then out of anger and then out of frustration. She asked me, ‘how is mum?’ and I said, ‘mum is gone’.

“She did not show any emotion at that point. She had tears in her eyes, but I think they were out of respect for me. But I had the sob of my life.

“The last time I sobbed like that was when I lost my mother in 1994. We could not contact Aishah to let her know because we did not know where she was.”

I love your smile

During the 40 minute reunion meeting, the pair did not discuss the conditions in which Miss Wahab and the other rescued women had been living, nor their alleged captors, Aravindan Balakrishnan and his wife Chanda Pattni.

She told The Daily Telegraph: “When I asked her about what had gone on she just clammed up. The only thing she wanted me to perceive is that she is happy.

“She told me, ‘I have got friends here, I work here. I do important work here’, but she could not reveal what it was she did.”

“Each time she said something that made me smile she would say, ‘oh I love your smile. Don’t frown, laugh, smile’.”

Siti Aishah and the other two alleged slaves – believed to be Josephine Herivel, 57, from Northern Ireland and 30-year-old Prem Davies – were released last month after the Freedom Charity received a call from one of the women complaining they had been held against their will for 30-years.

Police from the Met’s human trafficking unit described the case as unique and said as well as investigating allegations of physical assault they were also looking at the “invisible handcuffs” that had been used to keep them in “captivity”.

Hasnah Abdul Wahab holds an old portrait of her younger sister, Siti Aishah Abdul Wahab (C), during an interview with Agence France-Presse at her house in Jelebu, a district of Negeri Sembilan, outside Kuala Lumpur on November 27, 2013. Police in Kuala Lumpur said on November 27 one of three women allegedly held as slaves in London for 30 years was a Malaysian who went missing in the 1960s, prompting a joyous reaction from the long-lost woman's sister. AFP PHOTO / MOHD RASFAN

Even without us, she can survive

In the interview with the Telegraph, Kamar Mahtum said her instinct had been to reach out and help her little sister, but Siti Aishah insisted she had never been lonely in London and had people who looked out for her.

“Aishah said, ‘I’ve got enough’, ‘my friends feed me’, ‘my friends love me, I love them, they help me out.”

She added: “When she said that I felt that she was trying to tell me … that even without us, she can survive, as she has been for the last 40 years. We’re nothing that important. I felt a lot of disappointment.”

But she said Siti Aishah had promised to return to Malaysia to be reunited with the rest of her family once the investigation into allegations of slavery was complete, a process which could take at least a year.

She explained: “She promised that after the investigation was over she would come home. As the rest of her family I want her to come home very, very badly.

“I want her to know my children. I want my children to know her. Because part of her is me and part of her is in my children and I want them to recognise the similarity and the identity across the generations. I still feel emotional about it.”

Why do you speak in Malay: She could no longer read Malay

Kamar Mahtum admitted that her sister had been in London for so long that she now appeared to be more British than Malaysian.

“She was wearing a thick red cardigan and brown pants, very comfortable. She was commenting on my Malaysian attire, my attire is very delicate, velvety, she said this is not something to wear in this cold weather.

“When I tried to talk in Malay she said, ‘why do you speak in Malay, when I haven’t heard it for 40-years.

“I showed her the letter that I had written, but she said, ‘what is this word?’ she could no longer read Malay.”

Kamar Mahtum said the last time the pair had seen each other had been in 1967 when she won a place at university and moved to London with her fiancé.

Two years later when the older sister married in Malaysia, Siti Aishah failed to return.

She became more involved with radical politics, so the communication dried up and she has never met any of her older sister’s four children or 11 grandchildren.

40 years is nothing in time

Describing the meeting, which was attended by around 10 police officers and representatives from the Malaysian High Commission, Kamar Mahtum said seeing that her sister was safe meant she had achieved what she came to Britain to do.

She said: “It was a very emotional day, very revealing, but then I was contented that I got what I wanted and I can bring home the beautiful memories. I have a feeling that she does want to come home eventually and that we will work hard to persuade her.”

“At least I know that my feelings have never wavered, I love her as my sister as I loved her before. I think she loves me too but she’s not as ready to show it as much as I do.

She added: “The blood bonds us thickly as yet, 40-years doesn’t make much change as far as that is concerned.”

Balakrishnan and his wife Pattni have been bailed until a date in January. - Agencies

'PKR wouldn't have reps calling others kucing kurap'

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said if any of his party representatives were to use the term 'kucing kurap' on junior officers, they would be strongly reprimanded.

Anwar said it is demeaning to use the word although Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi may have meant it differently.

"Sometimes in a multiracial society, certain sensitivities (in people) may be lacking," Anwar said when met at the launching of Seberang Jaya assemblyperson Afif Bahardin's service centre in Tingkat Siakap 3, Taman Siakap.

"In Malay, the term 'kucing kurap' is really insulting to the lowest rank of society," he added.

"It also means a diseased cat and should not be used against the lowest," he said.

Anwar was referring to Ooi's remark on Nov 16 when the two-term MP was angered when low-ranking Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) workers met him over his complaints on illegal hawkering in Jelutong.

Ooi's comment irked several quarters, including state DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow and PKR Nibong Tebal MP and state PKR chief Mansor Othman.

Chow told Ooi his statement against MPPP was unfair, while Mansor said he should retract his remark as it was disrespectful.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng also said Ooi, his former chief of staff, should listen to Chow as his comment reflects that of the state government and party.

'Ooi should apologise'

On Wednesday, four workers' unions representing 2,000 workers, including those in the council, demanded Ooi to apologise and retract his remark but the latter has refused.

Anwar said Ooi (left) should explain himself if he did not mean to insult the officers.

Ooi had defended himself saying he grew up in a kampung and was familiar with the term, which he meant as 'small fry'.

Anwar meanwhile said, "I (once) used a vulgar Hokkien word before before knowing what it meant. When I found out I quickly apologised.".

"He (Ooi) may have grown up with the word, but to the public it is a very demeaning word."

Asked if Ooi should apologise for his remarks, Anwar said, "Yes, he should."

MIC elections witness confusion, tension

MIC's first party elections since 2009, which sees the top two positions uncontested, ended after a lengthy affair in Malacca today which witnessed confusion and also some early morning tension.

The fact that there are 96 candidates vying for top positions; eight for three vice-president seats and a party record of 88 for 23 central working committee (CWC) seats, was always bound to create tension and bizzare campaigning methods.

And the day started with former CWC member KP Samy allegedly throwing Tamil daily Tamil Nesan's newspapers in the dustbin after reading a "negative" report about him in the paper, causing him to be confronted by the paper's owner, S Vell Paari, the son of former president S Samy Vellu.

Though the election ended without any major incidences, it was not without its share of terse moments as delegates appeared confused about their voting turns, causing them to flood the lobby of the hotel where the election is taking place.

It also did not help that the media personnel were denied from covering the election process proper, with photographers also denied the opportunity to take pictures of the voting process.

Eight models roped in

A running sideshow to the contest were some of the candidates' odd way of campaigning, including former Youth chief T Mohan, now vying for a vice-president post, handing out T-shirts to rickshaw drivers near the hotel which calls for delegates to vote for Mohan.

A textile giant, R Raghu Moorthy, brought along eight models from his saree clothing line to campaign for him and urging delegates to back his bid to be elected to the CWC.

Incumbent vice-presidents M Saravanan and SK Devamany are both facing a tough time to retain their positions thanks to the eight-cornered fight.

Even if the duo do retain their posts, there would still be a closely fought battle to fill up the third VP post because the seat has been vacant since Samy Vellu vacated his president's seat in 2010, which in turn resulted in S Subramaniam moving up to deputy president from vice-president.

Among those in running are party treasurer-general Jaspal Singh, Mohan, another former Youth chief A Vigneswaran, and former deputy minister S Sothinathan.

The election counting process is currently ongoing and is expected to be announced later tonight.

Sister believes Siti Aishah wants to come home

Hasnah Abdul Wahab holds an old portrait of her younger sister, Siti Aishah Abdul Wahab, during an interview with Agence France-Presse at her house in Jelebu, a district of Negeri Sembilan, outside Kuala Lumpur on November 27, 2013. — AFP picKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — Reunited after 30 years apart, Kamar Mahtum Abdul Wahab came away with the belief that long-lost sister and so-called London “slave” Siti Aishah Abdul Wahab desired an eventual homecoming.

Earlier this week, Kamar, a 73-year-old retired teacher, flew to London clinging on to little more than the hope that a 69-year-old Malaysian rescued from a Maoist compound in the British capital would turn out to be her sister, Siti Aishah, who disappeared some three decades ago.

On Thursday night, this hope was realised when they were finally reunited, albeit briefly.

“But then I was contented, I got what I wanted and I can bring home the beautiful memories and I’ve a feeling that she do (sic) want to come home eventually and we will work hard to persuade her,” Kamar was quoted as saying by British daily The Telegraph.

Prior to their meeting, Kamar had reportedly penned a heartfelt letter in her bid to secure a meeting with the one-time student activist.

“I hope the letter and the fact that I came here to London will make my sister realise that she is loved by her family. It is my dream and sincere hope that we will soon be reunited and we can catch up on all the years we have lost,” read an excerpt of the letter reproduced in reports.

But a report today by news portal The Malaysian Insider cited an activist, who accompanied Kamar to London, as claiming that Siti Aishah insisted she had not been held captive and has no desire to return.

According to previous reports, Siti Aishah was currently being treated at an undisclosed London hospital for a recent stroke.

She was one of three women who were “rescued” from a Maoist commune by British police on October 25, after one of them contacted London-based Freedom Charity to say they were being held captive, but recent reports now appear to suggest they may not have been physically prevented from leaving the sect.

The leaders of the Maoist sect, India-born Aravindan Balakrishnan and his Tanzanian-Indian wife Chandra Pattni, were arrested the same day but later freed on bail.

Siti Aishah’s identity was confirmed on Wednesday by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, who also said she has been a student activist who fled to the UK in the 70s to avoid police action for communist links.

- malaymail

[EKSKLUSIF] Fadhilat Dan Kelebihan Wanita | MESTI BACA

by QUE ACHMAD 

Wahai suami2 dan bakal suami2 sekelian, tolong sampaikan dan bagitau bini masing2 ya. Fadillah wanita:

1. Doa seorang isteri yg taat memiliki kekuatan 70 wali

baca lagi klik TAJUK ENTRI ni

2. Isteri yg membuatkan minum suami tanpa di minta, pahalanya 3 x khatam Al Qur’an

3. Masakan isteri yg di lakukan secara sunnah dan di makan suami beserta keluarga pahalanya semua untuk isteri dan do’a suami yg memakan masakannya menjadi do’a yang di ijabah

4. Isteri yg membangunkan suami untuk solat / menyuruh solat berjamaah di masjid pahalanya 27+1

5. Isteri yg kelelahan bangun malam kerana anaknya minta susu sama dgn pahala 70 x haji mabrur

6. Seorang ibu yg menyusui setiap titis susunya senilai 2008 sollat khusu' wal khudu' dan doanya di ijabah

7. Burung di udara dan malaikat di langit akan selalu memintakan ampunan kepada Allah selama isteri dlm keredhaan suami

8. Bila seorang suami pulang dengan gelisah dan isteri menghiburnya maka isteri mendapatkan 10 pahala jihad

9. Bila seorang wanita hamil solatnya dua rakaat adalah lebih baik dari 80 rakaat solat wanita yang tidak hamil

10. Bila seorang wanita hamil akan mendapatkan pahala 70 tahun solat nafil dan 70 tahun puasa

11. Wanita yg mencuci pakaian suami dan anak-anaknya akan mendapat 1000 kebaikan dan akan diampuni kesalahannya, bahkan segala sesuatu yg di sinari matahari memintakan ampun baginya dan Allah SWT mengangkat darjatnya 1000 tingkat

12. Wanita yang menyusui anaknya, maka setiap titisan air susu tersebut akan mendapatkan 1 pahala dan apabila cukup 2 tahun menyusui maka malaikat dilangit akan mengabarkan berita bahawa SYURGA WAJIB BAGINYA

13. Apabila seorang wanita kedatangan haid maka haidnya akan menghapus dosa-dosanya

14. Apabila ia membaca pada hari pertama haid “Alhamdulillahi 'ala kulli haalin wa astagfirullaha min kulli zanbin” maka ALLAH akan membebaskannya dr jahanam, shirat & azab

15. Setiap hari haidnya ALLAH tinggikan dia dgn pahala 40 orang mati syahid apabila ia berzikir

GAMBAR PERKAHWINAN KEDUA USTAZ SYED ABDUL KADIR SYED HUSSIN AL JOOFRE DENGAN SALIMA AF TERSEBAR PANTAS DI ALAM MAYA.

Subhanallah!!! ... Tahniah diucapkan kepada Ustaz Syed Abd Kadir Syed Hussin Aljoofre yang telah selamat diijabkabulkan menjadi suami yang sah kepada Salima AF4.

Pihak Omak Kau difahamkan, pernikahan dan majlis resepsi diantara Ustaz Syed Abd Kadir Aljoofre dan Salima telah berlangsung di kampung halaman Salima di Chemor, Perak.

Kepada Ustaz Syed Abd Kadir dan Salima, Omak Kau ucapkan tahniah sekali lagi dan doa ini ditujukan khas buat pasangan raja sehari ini. Semoga dapat meluaskan lagi pengaruh dakwah di bumi Malaysia

Barakallahu lakuma wabarakah ‘alaikuma wajama’a baina kuma fikhair.

Makcik terkejut kena bayar zakat barang kemas yang dipakainya!

Mungkin ramai yang tak pernah dengar bahawa ada zakat barang kemas wanita yang mereka pakai. Selama ini kita hanya mendengar kewajipan membayar zakat emas simpanan termasuklah segala barang kemas wanita yang tidak digunakan. Tetapi kalau barang kemas itu berupa barang perhiasan dan digunakan senantiasa di lengan atau leher para wanita, itu dikecualikan.

Pusat zakat Pulau Pinang mengejutkan makcik-makcik kampung

Cerita ini saya dengar ketika balik kampung ke Kubang Semang baru-baru ini. Dalam satu kursus mengerjakan haji di salah satu kampung di Seberang Perai Tengah sana, pengendali kursus haji telah menjemput tiga orang wakil daripada pusat zakat Pulau Pinang untuk memberikan penerangan berkenaan zakat barang kemas wanita.

Dalam majlis penerangan itu semua kaum ibu yang terdiri daripada makcik-makcik yang yang menjadikan pemakaian gelang dan rantai emas penuh di badan sebagai hobi terkejut besar apabila diperkenalkan pada kewajipan mengeluarkan zakat barang kemas yang sedang dipakai mereka selama ini.

Mereka bertambah terkejut apabila jumlah wang yang perlu dikeluarkan bukannya sedikit, ada yang kena bayar RM500, ada yang RM800 dan ada juga yang lebih banyak dari itu setelah dinilai dan dikira oleh pegawai kutip zakat.

Demi untuk menunaikan kewajipan dan takut berdosa, maka berebutlah para makcik menyegerakan pembayaran. Tetapi bukannya semua jenis gelabah sebegitu terus taat dan buat bayaran. Ada di kalangan makcik yang hadir bukannya jahil sangat, mereka dan bertahun-tahun mengikuti kuliah agama dari para ilmuan kampung seperti Ustaz Bakar dan juga Ustaz Mutalib.

Tak pernah pula mereka dengar fatwa dari kedua-dua Ustaz tersebut bahawa mereka wajib bayar zakat gelang emas yang mereka pakai selama ini. kalau betul ianya wajib sudah tentu dah lama disaound oleh kedua-duanya yang bukannya buta melihat betapa beratnya lengan dan leher makcik-makcik yang sering pergi mengaji agama kepada mereka. Berat sebab terlalu banyak gelang dan rantai emas.

Hantar rombongan mendapatkan penjelasan

Untuk mendapatkan kepastian maka berpakatlah beberapa makcik yang berani ke depan menemui Ustaz rujukan mereka untuk mendapatkan penjelasan. Sah!!! UsTaz Bakar dan Ustaz Mutalib juga pasti tak ada zakat barang kemas yang dipakai. Maka legalah para makcik yang cerdik itu terlepas dari kena keluarkan wang tambahan yang tak pernah mereka keluarkan selama ini dari muda sampai ke tua.

Saya juga tak pernah dengar berkenaan fatwa tersebut dan merasa pelik dengan tindakatan para pegawai pusat zakat. Kenapa mereka berusaha mengutip wang zakat barang kemas wanita sekeliling kampung pula secara tiba-tiba?, wang zakat dah tak cukup untuk menampung kebanjiran fakir miskin di Pulau Pinang kah?

Puas saya berfikir dan akhirnya mengambil sikap berbaik sangka. Mereka yang berurusan dengan zakat bukanlah orang-orang yang jahil, bahkan semuanya para ustaz yang dalil serta nas perpahat kemas dalam kepala masing-masing. Lagipun jika orang jahil macam saya menyuarakan sesuatu hukum itu tidak pernah didengari, bukan bermaksud hukum itu tak wujud, tapi lebih kepada disebabkan saya jahil.

Lainlah jika seorang alim ulama menyuarakan tak pernah dengar sesuatu hukum atau fatwa, sudah tentu berkemungkinan besar hukum atau fatwa itu memang tak ada. Itulah bezanya antara si jahil dengan si alim. Maka sebagai si jahil saya diamkan diri dan mula bertanya mendapatkan maklumat.

Rupanya ada fatwa bayar zakat barang kemas yang dipakai

Selepas bertanyakan pada para ustaz dan kawan-kawan yang lebih alim, mereka juga berkata tak pernah dengar lagi hukum atau fatwa sedemikian. Saya masih mencari dan tak puas hati. Lalu saya menuntut bantuan Google. Walaupun ada ramai ustaz yang sering mengherdik pada orang ramai yang mendekati ilmu agama melalui pencarian maklumat di Google, saya rasa google merupakan salah satu sumber ilmu yang cukup popular, mudah dan pantas di zaman ini. Nak kata ustaz googlepun katalah, saya perlukan maklumat pantas dan mudah untuk dicerna.

Ternyata ada maklumat yang saya cari. Dari google saya dapat tahu ada dua kumpulan berbeza yang memberikan fatwa berkenaan zakat barang kemas wanita yang dipakai.

#1. Pendapat yang mengataan tak perlu

Pendapat yang mengatakan tidak wajib zakat ke atas emas yang dipakai sebagai perhiasan terdiri daripada Abdullah bin Umar, Aisyah, Jabir bin Abdullah, Anas bin Malik, Asma binti Abu Bakr dan beberapa orang lagi. Mazhab Maliki, Hambali dan pendapat yang ketara daripada Syafie dan Ja'fariyyah juga mendokong pendapat kedua ni.

#2. Pendapat yang mengatakan wajib

Pandangan ini dikeluarkan oleh Umar bin al-Khattab, Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Abdullah bin Abbas, Abdullah bin Amr bin 'Ash, Sa'id bin al-Musayyab, Sa'id bin Jabir, 'Atha', Mujahid dan lain-lain lagi. Mazhab Hanafi, Zahiri dan Zaidiyah juga menyokong pendapat ini.

(Bersumberkan daripada Utusan yang memetik kenyataan Eksekutif Zakat PPZ-MAIWP, Ahmad Husni Abd. Rahman)

Rupanya banyak lagi yang saya tak tahu!!!

Ternyata andaian saya jahil yang tak tahu wujudnya sesuatu fatwa memang tepat sekali. Dapatlah saya satu maklumat baru daripada apa yang berlaku ketika singgahan singkat ke kampung baru-baru ini. Ada caranya untuk mengira jumlah yang wajib dikeluarkan zakat pada barang kemas wanita yang dipakai. Semua ini menambahkan lagi sumber baru pada pegawai zakat bagi mengumpul timbunan dana zakat kerajaan.

Sebelum ini kita dikejutkan lama dulu dengan kemunculan zakat pendapatan dan sekarang koleksi zakat pendapatan dari semua para pekerja makan gaji dan menjadi satu perkara biasa walaupun ada tentangan dari para ustaz yang bertegas ia tak adalah aliran mazhab yang kita pegang di Malaysia selama ini.

Entah apa pula zakat selepas ini akan berjaya dicungkil oleh para ustaz pengurus pusat zakat tak tahulah. Sama-samalah kita tunggu dan lihat. Buat masa ini, kita bahaskan dulu bab zakat barang kemas wanita yang sedang mereka pakai...apa pendapat anda???