Happy New Year 2018

Dear readers,

Happy New Year 2018, everyone!

The number of hits for this blog has gone up to 565,671 on 12 January 2018. That's more than half a million!

I have good and bad news.

First, the good news.

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) in KL will host a Medicine Exhibition from March to October 2018. Come one, come all!

I have been invited to speak about my research on The Early Malay Doctors at IAMM in conjunction with the Medicine Exhibition. In sya Allah, I will be speaking at IAMM in KL on Saturday, 28 April 2018, between 10 am and 1 pm. Meet you there! Please buy my book online and bring it to IAMM if you want my autograph.

I met a few of the doctors' families at wedding receptions where I was invited and was able to attend. I managed to obtain better information about one doctor - Dr Omar bin Din. I thank his family for inviting me.

Second, the bad news.

Ampang Park closed on 31 December 2017. This was covered on national TV. I chanced to listen to Tan Sri Dr Ridzwan Bakar speak about his mother's clinic as I was working near my TV that night. I managed to record that and listen to it again. I managed to obtain help from 3 people to get me photos of Klinik Salma. One lady who helped me was Noraini Ismail, my former classmate in 1972 & 1973 at Malacca Girls' High School (MGHS) who happens to live in the vicinity. The other two persons are my eldest daughter Nuraishah Bazilah and my son-in-law Mohd Nizam. So now I have some photos of Klinik Salma at Ampang Park.

I have started updating some biographies from 2011 as I received more (better) photos and updates from the respective doctors' families. However, not all the doctor's families have submitted new (better) photos and updates. I hope many more families will be willing to send in photos, stories and updates.

I am still collecting information on The Early Malay Doctors, especially those whom I did not include in the first round of publication in 2012. There are 12 doctors who have not made it into my books. I hope that the respective families will come forward and participate so that we can have all the biographies and complete the research by December 2018.

I lost 3 siblings between 2015 and 2017. My younger brother Farid died in Dec 2015. My eldest brother Sharif died in July 2017. My elder sister Sharifah died in Dec 2017. The world is now a sad place for me. I will miss my deceased siblings.

I retire from USM and academia on 15 October 2018. I don't know if I should still be writing and maintaining this blog or shut it down beyond that date. The Facebook accounts for my 2 books are still open to public. If there is no more interest on The Early Malay Doctors, then I will close this blog and the 2 Facebook accounts on my 2 books.

The heavy rain has not ceased since December 2017! My Internet access is poor or none at all. C'est la vie ...

I want to wish everyone a good life ahead and many happy moments whenever you have time for them. Eat well and exercise more. Leave the handphones alone and out of reach. They are no good if you want health. Rest well and sleep well. Enjoy life and whatever remains of it.

Keep your good friends and make more friends.

Thank you for being my loyal readers and followers.

Faridah