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| My father, Prof Dr Ismawi Hj Zen (3rd from left) with the other recipients of Anugerah Maulidur Rasul 2011 |
When I found out that abah was one of the recipients of the Anugerah Maulidur Rasul 2011, I was very happy and proud of him. A few moths ago, he also recieved one of the Anugerah Maal Hijrah (Sarawak).
He came from very humble beginnings and worked very hard to be the man he is now. Growing up, he was quite strict with my brother and I, and really stressed upon us the importance of the quest for knowledge. He was also very firm about never forgetting our roots. I used to love hearing stories about his life in Gedong, and all the hardships he faced as a child. Like almost having to drop out of school at the age of 13 to support his siblings and not having proper shoes to go to school. I also remember how hard it was for us, when we were in edinburgh for his PhD. How we could only afford second hand clothes and my mother had to clean people's houses to help support us. But through all this, we (my brother and I) never lacked anything. I will never be able to place into words the love, respect and gratitude that I have for this man (although I used to dream of writing his story, when I was younger). All I can say is, I am grateful that I have such wonderful parents, and I hope that one day, I can also make them proud of me.
A link to one of his greatest achievements: Arkitek tempatan cipta sejarah di Mekah
