In Memory of Dear Friends. Part 2.

1. The last text I received from Wan Iqbal read:-saya sakit bang. Get well soon I said. He said he didn't know what his ailment was. I thought it was normal.

2. It was not. He was admitted to the general hospital in kuantan. He passed away later. I lost another dear friend.

3. His full name is Wan Iqbal Afza bin Wan Abdul Hamid. I knew his father Wan Hamid very well. He has supported me while I was in umno. Except probably when I contested against Wan Hamid's elder brother, the late Wan Razali.

4. I called him Za or simply dinda. In return, he referred to me as abang or kanda. Even though I am a DAP member he regarded me as a friend regardless of party affiliations.

5. He was the one who gave me the moniker panglima harimau berantai on account of my controversial blog articles. I have immortalised the nickname on my blog.

6. So that you all know now that there is a reason why I put panglima harimau berantai on my blog logo. It's not because of self inflation. I don't care how others view me.

He was masterful at the Malay quatrains or pantuns. He invented a special one for me to be used in my speeches.

7. It read thus:-

Antan dan lesung lagi bertingkah
Suami isteri bertikam lidah
Saya tukar wadah bukan aqidah
Kepada Allah jua yang saya sembah.

8. He hails from a village called kampung belimbing in Pekan. That's in the constituency of Pulau Manis. If you were to travel there, at the entrance of the village you will come across a stone monument of a star fruit.

9. Admittedly I do not know much of his childhood. But I do know that he graduated from a university in Jordan in islamic studies. He even took a second bride from there.

10. His first wife is a Malay lady from Pekan. He has a daughter with her. Whenever he invited me and a few other friends to his house, I would jokingly ask Tanah Melayu atau Tanah Arab?

11. He is a frequent visitor to Indonesia. Perhaps he has some businesses over there. I don't know. But I know he visits and learns from various kiyais or holymen there.

12. During my visit to Bandung at his behest I met 2 kiyais. One was at a place called Indramayu near Bandung and another in Bandung.

13. He would show me photos of these kiyais at their various pesanterens and villages.

14. Whenever he was in Kl he would call and looked me up. Usually he would bring some herbal medicine which he claimed was good for the male libido.

15. When I was the MP of Raub he visited me there. He got a lot of flak for remaining a good friend to me. But he explained to people that I was a friend who differs in political bearing only. But a friend nevertheless.

16. When I was struck by a stroke he would visit me often. Always he would offer me prayers. We also talked about politics.

17. He would ask me to recite shalawats. He sent me a shalawat to read. And a few other doas.

18. Once when he was in Indonesia he visited a kiyai to pray for me. He sent me a video recording of that meeting and I listened at the doa of the Kiyai.

19. I was very moved when he did that. It was after that i think he got sick.

20. I was shocked to hear of his untimely passing. But then man can only propose, but it is God who disposes.

21. Like my other friend ustad mat, may God places his soul among the virtuous. Aamiin. I will miss my two friends.