My brother is now a septuagenarian. Cheers mate!

Every time I reminded my brother Mus about how he intends to celebrate his 7th decade he would reply - with a cheeky glint in his eye - I'm 69, you have to wait till December.

Okay - it's just two more days to your big decade and I am throwing the book at you!



1. Here's the birthday boy in the second decade of the 21st century. ...

2.  It all began in in the first half of the 20th century ( 1946, to be precise) at Pasir Panjang Hill Singapore.

Where on earth did Abah get that beret?

Now that beret is replicated in this ..

3.  How did he manage the strength to carry all that paraphernalia in his 60s?

His training began at a very early age - hugging a broom.

Linus (from Charlie Brown) had his security blanket but Mus was more innovative.  All he needed was a yellow T-shirt but that was not the fashion in the late 1940s!

4. During his early years he had a dream of being a great hunter.

On an elephant at Haw Par Villa with Donald (Trump?) Duck behind the wired fence as his first capture.  Little brother Akim was appointed as his lookout man.

But it was not to be.  All little hunters have to go to school, get a solid education, hang on to a steady job,

..... find a nice girl and get married..

.... and start a family.

His three joys.

5.  But he has always been a rebel and cocked many a snoot at the tyranny of authority in any shape or form.  Ask him about his exploits at Pulau Merlimau Primary School.

This family trait of sticking up for justice and dignity, and getting punished as a result, had its antecedents when he was just knee high to a grasshopper.

Yah! Boo! Sucks!

6.  But don't ask me what this picture is supposed to prophesy.

Heaven knows what he's biting on

Maybe it has to do with helping his grandson to deal with a drink.

But there's a degree of similarity in their facial expression when dealing with beverages.

Where's the teh tarik??

7.  I do not know how he manages to keep looking young for a septuagenarian - still has lots of thatch on his head, still walks with a strong, steady stride, still curses and swears at stupid drivers in Malay, English, Hokkien, Cantonese, Punjabi, Tamil and even in French and German!

Fabian and Frankie Avalon rolled into one.

Ahem!  Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.  I choose  this theme song to celebrate  his teen years and his dynamite youth.

8.  I understand he's spending his birthday at Sepang with his son.  His (and Shah's) passion for cars are in his genes, from our Abah.  In his life, Abah had about 6-7 cars, not at the same time.

The Sunbeam Talbot - our first family car.

The Armstrong Siddeley - a much loved family car which kept us going for years.  Mus and Mother are on the far right.

But this Lambretta is his good friend.  If only that scooter could talk .....

Many happy returns, Mus .

He wrote this in our sister's Autograph book when he was just eight.

 
We won't burn our lips but we'll always love and remember you.