The Mystery Call

This is another true un-explainable episode. It happened in a hotel room. After quite a long and tiring meeting, I headed to my room. It was around 4.30 pm, and I was busy cleaning myself in the bathroom when I heard a ringing tone..

Ring-ring..ring-ring..They were sharp and tiny little rings. I have two handphones with me, but they were not from mine. I looked at the hotel room`s fixed line, it was not ringing, but just to make sure, I picked it up. Confirmed, the rings were not from the hotel room`s phone. I could still hear the ringing..went to pick up the one in the bathroom, they were also not from it. Ring-ring..ring-ring..I looked around the room if there were any other phones or alarm clocks around, there were none. The rings suddenly stopped. I was puzzled but ignored it.

I went out for dinner and came back around 7.45 pm. I was so tired, and was about to take a bath when the room`s phone rang. Urgh..who would call me via that? Argh..why would the hotel staffs call me? I have put up a DND sign clearly, and did not want to be disturbed! Okay..I thought I better answer it, or else it would not stop ringing. I picked it up.."Hello..". Something answered, "@#$%^&*()+~<>?!" Now what was that? I thought I heard a baby answering on the other side of the phone, but then I could not understand what "it" was saying. It could not be a baby, it sounded too loud for a baby, and the language was not of any that I could recognized. What was it saying, it was not a man`s voice, it was not a woman`s either. It was like a noise from outer space, the un-explainable of the other kind. It sounded like an alien voice. It became louder, so I put the phone down. I began to feel scared and uneasy, something was trying to scare me, or want to have fun fooling around with me. I just ignored it and focused on my lappy and the tv.


Around midnight, I went to the bathroom to cleanse myself before heading to bed. When I was about to stand up from the sitting toilet bowl, something pushed me from the right side. I fell down to the left and my face hit the sink bowl, my glasses almost fell off. It was so painful, my left cheek was bruised. I just took a deep breath and went straight to bed with the tv on, Yassin by my side and a scissor on the other side. I said a mantra in my head that I will not leave the room, I will stay and fight it off no matter what. In bed, I heard a few knocks just above my head. I just smiled and dozed off. Stupid alien!!

S U D I R

..is one artist I will never forget for the rest of my life. He is one true artist who was so passionate in his work and really loved and cared for his fans. His voice was not perfect and not the best but he sung with his heart and soul, and his stage performances were the best ever. He had a storyline drawn up for every single performance, he was a perfectionist and the "asal boleh" attitude was never in his dictionary.

Sudir, notes in Malay

Sudirman Haji Arshad took part in a singing competition in Malaysia called Bintang RTM in the year 1976. At that time, I was in form one in Sekolah Menengah Aminuddin Baki, Johor Bahru. My best friends and I were so in love with him. We would talked about him all the time in school. He won the competition with his songs Seruling Bambu and Big Spender. Sudir was in University of Malaya, studying Law. I wrote a letter to him.

A year later, in 1977, when I was already in form two, a teacher told me that there was a letter for me in the school`s office. When I opened the letter, it was from SUDIR, he wrote me a four page letter in his own hand-writing, with a photo of him signed. He said he was sorry for the late reply, it was because he had taken my letter and kept it in his drawer to reply quickly but then he was so busy he had forgotten, and the moment he realised it, he quickly replied. He was so friendly and wrote all the good things, like advising me to concentrate on my studies, to work hard and to achieve the best in life for my parents and myself. He was the BEST. He never took any advantage on his fans. No matter what happened in his life, and no matter what people said about him, he will always have a part in my heart. I LOVE U Abang Sudir! You were the best Number One artist in Malaysia, and will always be..

The existing number one artist in Malaysia, is no where near his league..

SUDIR left us on February 22, 1992. His most meaningful song was Salam Terakhir..(lyrics by Puan Habsah Hassan)

Sampaikan salam buat semua
Salam terakhir salam teristimewa
Kepada kau yang tersayang
Pada teman yang ku kenang
Pemergian ku ini tak dirancang

Usah bertanya mengapa aku
Mengucap salam terakhir kepada mu
Kerna waktu berputaran
Bimbang tak berkesempatan
Melahirkan kerinduan terhadapmu

Demi sebuah kenyataan
Yang amat menyakitkan
Aku yang tidak berdaya
Hanya berserah padaNya

Salam akhir
Salam yang teristimewa
BersamaNya ku memohon keampunan
MelaluiNya ku beri kemaafan
Kepadamu

Andainya aku punya waktu
Masih ku ingin mengulangi semula
Saat indah bersama mu
Sayang tak berkesempatan
Abadikan saja salam ku di ingatan

Salam ku yang terakhir..

AL-FATIHAH
Sudirman Haji Arshad
25 May 1954 - 22 February 1992