INTAKE 12 OF 1968 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

We realised of our existence when we receive an e mail from Khalid Saad on 08 May 2012, that it was our 44th anniversary that day.
‘ In case you have forgotten, today 8 May is our 44th Anniversary. Apai, Mike, Burn and me had a mini get-together this morning over nasi lemak and teh tarik in Setiawangsa
HAPPY 44th ANNIVERSARY SQD
Sent from my iPhone’
Apparently Khalid, Marzuki Apai, Marzuki Taharim and Burn met for breakfast that day. And during the meal Burn reminded the other 3 of the existence of Intake 12 on 08 May 1968.

 Yes 44 years ago.

That mail started an avalanche of mails amongst us. Starting with the Presidente:
Dato KS
Thank you for the photo. If I have obtained early notice, I wouldnt want to miss the breakfast engagement. I know many have forgotten the Anniversary date. I am one of them until Bakar and you reminded me.
Forty four years is a long time. Thats how long we have been friends. With 30 of us and multiply by 44, we have 1320 years of friendship. Many do not live beyond 44 years.
So, let us supplicate to Almighty ALLAH swt, for the kind gesticulations and providence He has offered us. All praises to ALLAH and his Prophet Muhammad saw.
At this age, dawn of our lives, at times, I feel a little insecure at night. Insecure in the sense that will I wake up in the morning? Will I be able to see my family etc etc, very agonising at times.
As LKY said , at his age, if he is alive the next morning, he considers it as a luck of the draw.
Back to Guilin, I have passed my passport to Hilmi this morning.
RJ has been very kind in reminding me , in such a diplomatic and clinical fashion that I am driven to send the passport to Hi Point myself. So I see you guys on the 22 May between 3 to 3.30pm. We shall wait for the die hard golfers to appear before we proceed with the meeting.
Any news from Dato Malek ?
Best wishes and salam
ISMAIL
Khalid Saad again:
Presidente
Thank your for all the great words. As usual, right from our SD course days I always adore your English. If those days I have to open the dictionary, but today my mental faculty is capable enough to make out whatever you have written. Salute
The email which I sent out earlier today could not reach a number of our squadmates. Namely Yusof K, Ahmad Ismail,
Regards,
Khalid SaadBilly Gooi:
Dear Squad, Happy 44th Anniversary , wish every one are in the best of health and high spirit , only regret unable to join you guy in Guiling my thoughts are always with you warm regards billygooi.JohnHamzah:
Dear Squads
Happy Anniversary. That was 44 years ago? Wow. Thats long. Let’s try and reach the 54th anniversary. I wonder how many will be able to celebrate it. Good of you Khalid. Reminding us, that is. Now trying to remember my wedding anniversary. If forget, 'Die One'.
Regards To All
Fathol:
Dear All,
Thanks for the timely reminder. It's been 44 years since the day we took our oath of allegiance to King and Country. I now wonder how many of us still stand by our promise to defend the nation till the last drop of our blood. However, there's a significant event attached to May 8. It's VE (Victory in Europe) Day in remembrance of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. VJ (Victory in Japan) Day came many months later in September 1945.
Have a pleasant trip to Guiling. Bon voyage.
Cheers.   
fathol.
Jamil Rais:
hello squad-squad,
happy anniversary to us all and may God bless .... i am sorry i dint know or realise this occasion ... and apologies also for the belated wishes ... baru buka mail today ...
mr. presidente, i would like to propose that the hon. secretary, squad burn, "shall henceforth remind all squad members (who are still alive then) of future impending anniversaries and i would volunteer to offer my services to organise a simple no frills get togather lunch ... nasi kandar perhaps at kayu or pelita restoran ..... or buffet lunch at a hotel (for so long as i am alive then too and fit enough to organise it kahkah!!!)"
salam and best regards to all and your families and take care
Jamil Rais
the Presidente again:
JR and Others
Once again happy anniversary.
I concur with RJ's suggestion that , starting from our 45th Anniversary, lets organise a simple event of get together.
Nasi kandar/daun pisang is almost a perfect choice.
So Mr BURN we shall have to leave it to you, for this task, just like all other tasks, before and after this. He he
Best wishes mates
ISMAIL
Philip Lim:
It's just amazing what toil has taken of us all these years
Good news is that all 4 of you are distinctly 'recogniseable'! 
 Hope all is well with each and everyone. Many have retired and enjoying the 'payback' time; others are still cranking seemingly the volkswagen way. I'm contemplating retiring at 65 and spend sometime to share in the joy of nasi kandar.
 All those embarking on this coming trip, have a great time and Happy Mother's Day to your better halves
 Those of you who chance into New Orleans or around, you get a treat of my best jambalaya - the least of my hospitality!
Salam. Philip
Hadi:
Dear Sqd,
Thanks for reminding me of the  44th anniversary.  Sorry for late
response. Busy  we lost two arty officers in the last two days, lt kol
Jamaluddin (jimmy) our senior and yesterday Mej Nasaruddin Endut our
junior. Well  sqd  plse take care , we are all  in the last 1/4  .  So
 be happy  and may God bless  all of  us . Salam  hadi .Apai:
pRES,
Orait. Will get SECRET RECIPE for it. The Wording "CLUB 121/68 :  HAPPY 44TH ANNIVERSARY"
aPAI
Hj Hamdam:
Squad, happy 44th anniversary. Semuga kita dan setiap ahli keluarga dirahmati Allah selalu.Hamdan.
Mat Pin:,
Dear squad,
I really feel humbled to receive emails from our squad members in  country and overseas in wishing all of us a happy 44th Anniversry since we joined RMC. Saya juga "terpanggil" untuk mengambil kesempatan yang sungguh istemewa ini untuk turut mengucapkan "Happy 44th Anniversary" to all our squad members and I hope it is still not late for me to also wish everyone; not forgetting the presidente who has been the pillars of the club 12/68 since the early days  when on every annual get-to-gather I was always being made to organise the children's games whilst the rest will enjoy the golf competitions..........bloody hell! Anyway those were the days where I could really cherished the memories and it really has a very nostalgic feelings and am sure all of you feel the same way.
Time travels very fast and we are now moving into the second half of 2012 and by 06June, i'll be reaching 63 years old and am sure  isa hassan will also be celebrating his 63th birthday in Guillin!  Anyway my sincere wish is to be blessed with continued health, insyallah  and able to continue meeting our squad members at every opportunity whenever time permits.
As Phillip Lim stated in his email that he plans to retire at the age of 65 yrs old . In fact I also have the same feeling too. Maybe I'll also slow down about that age and spend more time at surau, apart golfing occasionally. Mana2 squad yang tak cukup empat bola, bolih lah panggil saya to complete one flight.
Warmest Regards,
Mamat Ariffin- 410443
Mr Presidente again:
Mat Pin
I am still waiting for my poncho Brother
ISMAIL
Isa Hassan:
Dearest Sq Mat Pin and everyone,
     Thanks for the kind reminder that we are going to be 63 years young. Mat Pin ..happy B"day inadvance to you and happy anniversary to all...Mine will be the 17 jun..the week we come back from Guelin..so Mat Pin i am in country and would be too happy to accompany you for dinner and off cause on YOU!!
     By the way..pse allow me to be abit direct to you. Off late you have been shying away from us or missing from action!! Too busy?
We miss you bro...so come back and join us Ok. Salam hormat.
Hashim Yahaya:
Dear All,
  Happy 44th anniversary to us who survived the up and down in life. Thanks to the Almighty who until now still tolerate,love and unite us together inspite of the many differences that we have. 8 May is very significant to me and am sure to Khalid too. My wife Halijah and Khalid"s son Khairul share the same birthday, 8 May. So whenever our Club celebrate our Intake anniversary Khalid and I can always "tumpang" on behalf of our dear one..he..he
To day 11 May, I would like to humbly announce I got my 3rd "cucu". My eldest daughter gave birth to a baby girl at 1030hr at Sunway Hospital. Both mother and daughter are well and healthy, Alhamdulillah.
 Salam hormat untuk semua.
Rahman Jabir:
Tahniah to Pak Hashim n Datin Jah dpt cucu lg. Pompuan, mesti  comel. Mth of May is a very memorable  to u n family, incl to your daughter n spouse. Semoga sntiasa d berkati Allah. More relevant for u to rejoice n enjoy out trip to Guilin as well crlebrate our intake 44 anniversary. Hope e'one will help Pak Marzuki Apai to settle all dues in good time to make our preparations for d Guilin trip speedy n complete. God Willing.
Salam : RJ.
Congratulating one another and also in jest challenging each other of getting past-the-post for the 54th anniversary. Phew. It’s a tall order so to speak. But then who knows, some might just make it. To those who past that point on 08 May 2022, have that breakfast and say a prayer for those who did not reach that point. As the Presidente ‘instructed’ a cake was to be made available on 22 May 2012. Its not for a celebration per se. It was taking an opportunity of our meeting to coordinate our Reunion in Quilin, China.
It was a ‘boisterous’ meeting. As always, everybody got and want something to say. I am not sure who was chairing, though I saw the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Rahman Jabir seated at the head of the table. As always the Presidente, immaculate, complete with tie, playing it cool just let things proceed under the multi-facetted chair. And of course, our friends Hans and Helmi from Hi-Point was trying very hard to put certain facts across to us. Most of the time they were drowned out by us. Credit goes to them for being professional and able to keep their cool. After organising our trip to Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City, I guess they know us better. Kudos to them.
The table was ‘full’. Full of papers, personal paraphernalia, food (lots of them) and pots of drinks. Prior to our conclusion of the meeting, a cake was brought out. Candles were lit – no, not 44. Just a token amount. We sang Auld Lang Syne and Happy Birthday To Us. It was a touching moment. We realised that 44 years have pass since we entered RMC, Commissioned, Joined Our Units and Retired. Many many things happened during that 44 years including loss of friends through enemy actions and through diseases. We could only pray for them. May their soul rest in peace. And for those still ‘frolicking’ around, lets touch 08 May 2022.
We concluded by having our Imam, Haji Hamdan Salleh lead the recitation of the Doa. We asked for a Healthy life, a Happy Life and a wish to be able to meet in the days ahead.  
Warmest Regards
John Hamzah

ps: I hope Apai and Khalid can send the photos they took on that day. I'll post it once received. KolJohn.