THE ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY CUM EID OPEN HOUSE IN PUTRA HEIGHTS

   4TH APRIL 2026    ~ Puan Maslinda Mohd. Dahalan, a friend of UPM TESL Class of 1993, held the Engagement Ceremony for her youngest daughter. It was also the Open House for Eid. So people came to The Glades Clubhouse in Putra Heights for two events at one time.

I was lucky because my ex-student, Mr. Raja Mohd. Hilmi, was willing to drive me to Putra Heights all the way from his house in Seremban. And I managed to persuade him to follow me to the feast.

There were a few other TESL friends and a lecturer at the clubhouse.

I could not stay for too long as I had to go back to Seremban to catch my train back home later in the evening. We are now looking forward to attending the wedding reception of Puan Maslinda's daughter in August.

THE ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY OF A FRIEND'S SON IN PASIR GUDANG

    4th SEPTEMBER 2023     ~ Puan Suriana Ali and her other family members were in town, all the way from Kuantan, for the engagement ceremony of her son at Taman Bukit Dahlia in Pasir Gudang. In a Malay community, it is a tradition for the family of the groom-to-be to pay a visit to the house of the bride-to-be to ask the hands of marriage from the family.

When my friend of UPM TESL Class of 1993 invited me to join her company of relatives from Kuantan, I agreed and even bought a new kurta of the same colour worn by her family members.

This was something I rarely did actually. All this while, it had been attending wedding receptions but not an engagement ceremony where I had to observe the event from the beginning until the end.

There was a short introduction session where the representatives from both sides exchanged "Pantun" [the Malay rhyming verses] before the mother-in-law to be put the ring on the finger of her daughter-in-law to be. Eventually, the couple was officially engaged.

The engagement ceremony looked more like a mini wedding reception and I was impressed with the spread of food served on the buffet tables.

Thank you Puan Suriana Ali and family for kindly asking me to be there at the beautiful ceremony. Hopefully, I will be invited to the grander event that should take place next year, either in Johor Bahru or Kuantan, or both places.

A "SOLAT HAJAT" AND ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY ON A WEEKEND

21ST JANUARY 2017 ~ Mr. Hisham Abdullah and Puan Norhafizah Zulkifli invited me to attend a "solat hajat" event held at their house in Taman Mutiara Rini. It was a special prayer performed to ask for a wish to be granted by Allah the merciful, and in this case, for the expecting mother and the father-to-be. Another event held was the engagement ceremony of Puan Norhafizah's younger sister.

 

It was always a joy to meet with my old friends, my ex-colleagues of SMK Taman Universiti.  Many male teachers turned up on that day to attend the prayer, while the ladies might come a bit later. I hope I would be invited again in similar events in the future.

ATTENDING AN EX-STUDENT'S ENGAGEMENT

I was invited by Zulfadzelie (and his father) to attend his sister's engagement. So I had actually sat through the whole session, even though I was thinking of going for the food only at first and I had another appointment right after that. Luckily everything was over in a short time and the food was really good, and with the door gift and take away home packed food, there was nothing to complain. Thanks abound to Zul and his family for the invitation.

I met another ex-student, Hamim (SPM batch 2007), who is now studying in UIA, doing architecture course. He is Zul's neighbour and that is the reason why he was there. I taught him when he was in form 1 and form 2.

So this is the lucky girl, Norazimah, from SPM batch 2001. I taught her when she was in form 1EK2 and 2EK2. So congratulations Azimah, and will see you again for a bigger event in about one year from now.