"I cannot change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination" -
Jimmy Dean
It was from the Ancient Mariner's blog
http://cyusof.blogspot.com/ that I came to know about the first MB Negeri Sembilan. I wrote in his blog but he didn't reply. I came to know that his home address was PJ. Since he lived in PJ, I contacted Norman Noordin, a friend, to see if he lived close by the Ancient Mariner. Still couldn't contact the Ancient Mariner.
Back in Kelantan, there was a couple who said they new the MB. I visited and talked to them. The story was very confusing because I had many names and they were not connected but in tangles. But I managed to call a lady who gave me a lead to the youngest daughter of that MB. I contacted Datin Halimah and we agreed to meet. She drove me to Seremban and we met her two male cousins and also visited Galeri Jasa in Gedung Lalang in Ampangan.
I am grateful that the Ancient Mariner posted re the MB or else I wouldn't be able to write the chapter on Tan Sri Dr Mohamed Said bin Mohamed.
I visited his blog again tonight (16 April 2011, 11 pm) to check the url. The Ancient Mariner or Captain Muhammad Yusof bin Haji Ahmad had passed away peacefully in his sleep on 19 July 2009. Innalillah hi wa inna ilai hi rajiun.
Tan Sri Dr Mohamed Said's two illustrious children are his only son Dr Mohd Yusof and his youngest daughter Datin Halimah.
Dr Mohd Yusof bin Mohamed Said (MBBS U of Singapore 1970) is a retired plastic surgeon.
Datin Halimah Mohd Said had previously taught Linguistics at the University of Malaya before she retired in 2001 and joined IBHR Sdn Bhd for a while. Datin Halimah is a heritage enthusiast and writer. Together with Zainab Abdul Majid, she co-authored the book,
Images of the Jawi Peranakan of Penang (2004). She is presently a magazine journalist and writes for the Malaysian Airlines Systems' (MAS) in-flight magazine,
Going Places, and the historical travel magazine,
Heritage Asia www.heritage-asia.com