Kamaruddin Maidin

We were in our primary school when Kamaruddin Maidin wowed the country with his triple jumping skills. It was something that one could not just brush aside as a bit of news in the newspaper. Kuala Trengganu was a small town with fishing boats and snail-powered trishaws, and the smell of kerepok and belacan in the air on a breezy day. But that our own son was going to Rome to represent Malaysia in the 1960 Olympics was something out of the ordinary. He made us all proud that day.

Kamaruddin Maidin, our Kamarudéng Maidéng, son of an equally famous father, the flamboyant Trengganu court pleader Maidin Loyar, died at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital in Kuala Terengganu , aged 66, last Sunday April 19th.

We all spoke of Kamaruddin Maidin when he went to Rome for Trengganu, we read about him in the Asia Magazine and the national newspaper, and then we knew that we had lost him to the outside world. In Trengganu, anyone from outside were orang luar, outsiders, and our Kamaruddin had gone from the confines of the playing field of our Sultan Sulaiman School to the world beyond our borders. But we were proud that he had made the name Kuala Trengganu known to those folk in Kuala Lumpur, if not the world.

Kamaruddin was a handsome lad, the heart-throb of the senior wing of our Sultan Sulaiman School. He had hair that reminded us of a famous singer, and boy he made us famous as a nasi dagang-fed local lad who went to Rome to compete for the world title.

Rest in peace, Kamarudéng, you did us all proud at the Sultang Slemang Skol. Alfatihah.