Remembering Zabri Adil.

[ I received requests from friends who are not familiar with the English language to have a Malay version of this posting. So at the end of the English version will be the Malay, in Perak style, the lingo that Zabri love and enjoy in his conversation with me ]

19 April 2012. I was in shock on receiving an SMS message from Muhammad Rizal Hashim (Blogger Loose Canon of Malaysian Sports), one of my friends on Face Book asking me if I knew about my good friend Zabri Adil being involved in an accident. I was in Klang. When such news arrived my first instinct was to know details. I gave him a call. He didn’t have but was informed by the family that Zabri had passed away and his remain was to be taken home from Hospital Kuala Lumpur HKL for burial after Asar Prayer at the Muslim Cemetery at Taman Ibu Kota.

I made contact with some friends and by 2.30 pm we (Zulkarnain Hassan, Tengku Mohd Ali and Sidik Shamsudin) were making our way to Zabri’s house in Taman Perwira, Gombak. Arriving at about 3.30 we were told his remain was still at KLH and will be on the way. I had the chance to have words with his son Adlan who still remember me when he was a school kid tagging along with his father to see football matches at Stadium Merdeka.

Zabri Adil was a well known name in TV broadcasting in its early days. He was one of the early News Reader on TV Malaysia as RTM was known then. RTM has never had the post of News Reader on its payroll. As a talent post, News Readers are paid on piece meal basis. Zabri was one of them. He was reading once a week normally during weekends which fit into his schedule as “Court Interpreter” in Ipoh. He travelled from Ipoh to fulfil his interest. Those were the days when there was neither Plus North-South Expressway nor the so-called trunk road with the defunct toll in Slim River. He took the winding road all the way from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur to be at the temporary TV studio in Jalan Ampang beside the Dewan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. That was how much interest he had in being a TV personality. He has a pleasant voice. I rated him as a good news reader.

                            photo: compliment Adlin Z Adil

When TV Malaysia was increasing its air time expanding with a second network, Zabri opted to leave his Court Interpreter post in Ipoh for a more lucrative position of “Coordinating Producer”. The post entails him to make sure that the broadcasts be on the air according to the detailed on the schedule. It must have been at the encouragement of his confidante and good friend Dato Abdul Aziz Wok who was among the early batch of Producers in TV Malaysia. Aziz migrated from being a school teacher to be a broadcaster with interest in Drama.

Zabri and Aziz were classmates at Anderson School, Ipoh in the 50’s. I used to see them in school being my super senior by a good many years. We became good friends in RTM. They stayed at the school hostel for a good many years. Aziz hailed from Chemor to the north of Ipoh, while Zabri was from Gunong Mesah in Gopeng to the south of Ipoh, a place known for its durian orchards.

When the civil service decided to shrink its rank and post in an exercise sometime in the later part of the 70’s the post of Coordinating Producers was bundle together with the post of TV Producers, Programme Assistant in Radio and similar posts in RTM, making way for interchange of posts much easier. Zabri was one of those involved in the exercise later in his career. He became a Producer involved in TV production. In fact he fit in easily to be a sports producer for his keen interest in the field. He enjoyed the job as he is more of an outdoor man than being locked in the office.

                             photo: compliment Adlin Z Adil

However Zabri’s name is more associated with being “Coordinating Producer” taking charge of TV broadcasting schedule to the dot. He rose to be its Head. The schedule was at his finger tip. I found it easier dealing with him in this matter as he didn’t need to refer to the schedule proper. He always told me he has to return to the court all over the country whenever there were cases involving the exact time of happening according to the TV schedule. He would be away from his office as the cases would take days. He seems to enjoy this part of his job at being court witness.

He served in Penang and Ipoh for a short stint but his based was always in KL as his wife was a Senior Nurse at KLH and his growing up children (3 sons and a daughter) were still in school in KL. Zabri is a family man. He doted on his children in his own way and would always mention them in his conversation.

I knew Zabri as a jovial person and never at loss for humour at any time. He would produce anecdotes at the most unexpected time. This part of his character served him well among his many close friends. There was no airs in him. I would rate him as the life of the party. He would never miss any occasion of getting together among friends and colleague. He was a regular at the bimonthly lunch occasion of RTM’s veteran. We will miss him.

Zabri is loyal to his friends. I still remember the days when his close friend Dato’ Aziz Wok was having crisis in career being transferred from being Director of Sabah Region to be Head of Suara Malaysia, the external radio broadcast of RTM. A transfer to Suara Malaysia would equate to be exiled from mainstream RTM. Aziz was sort of an island. I was his deputy then and the only person who visited and talked to Aziz regularly was Zabri. Their friendship and companionship was so closed that Aziz decided to take along Zabri for his by-pass surgery in New Zealand. I was curious and asked Aziz why he chose Zabri and not a member of his family, especially his wife. Aziz told me humorously he would die should his wife tag along because he had to carry the baggage himself. With Zabri around he got a porter and a spokesman with the hospital and other authorities in New Zealand. He said Zabri has to work for his all paid “holiday”.

On his demise at the age of 78 Zabri took with him vast knowledge and experience of broadcasting of this country which was part of his life and career. The broadcasting sphere in this country would miss a point of reference.

Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat keatas rohnya dan menempatkannya dikalangan mukmin yang soleh.

Alfatihah. 


[ Mengenang Rakan Seperjuangan:

19.04.2010. Terkedu teman menerima pesanan ringkas SMS dari Muhammad Rizal Hashim (Blogger “Loose Cannon of Malaysian Sports”) salah seorang kawan baru teman di FB bertanya samaada teman tahu sahabat karib teman Zabri Adil terlibat dalam kemalangan. Ketika itu teman di Kelang. Berita seperti ini biasanya menggerak teman menalipon balik menanya butiran lanjut. Rizal tiada butiran kecuali dia diberitahu oleh keluarga, Zabri telah kembali kerahmatullah dan jenazahnya akan dibawa pulang kerumah dari Hosptal Kuala Lumpur untuk disemadikan di Tanah Perkuburan Taman Ibu Kota selepas Solat Asar.

Teman menguhubungi beberapa kawan rapat. Pada 2.30 petang kami (Zulkarnain Hassan, Tengku Mohd. Ali dan Sidik Shamsuddin) bergerak kerumah Zabri di Taman Perwira, Gombak. Setibanya disana jam 3.30 kami dimaklum jenazah masih di HKL. Teman sempat bercakap dengan anaknya Adlin yang masih ingat teman semasa dia seorang murid sekolah yang mengekori ayahandanya menonton bolasepak di Stadium Merdeka dahulu.

Zabri Adil ialah nama terkenal dizaman penyiaran TV mula menapak di Semenanjung. Zabri ialah salah seorang Pembaca Berita di TV Malaysia, sebelum wujudnya RTM. RTM tidak pernah ada jawatan Pembaca Berita hakiki dalam senarai perjawatannya. Sebagai jawatan “bakat”, Pembaca Berita dibayar secara runcit (ada kerja ada bayaran). Zabri adalah antaranya. Dia bertugas seminggu sekali biasanya dihujung minggu, sesuai dengan jadual kerja hakikinya sebagai “Jurubahasa” Mahkamah di Ipoh, Perak. Ketika itu mana ada jalan pantas Leburaya Utara-Selatan Plus atau jalan federal yang  bertol di Slim River. Dia terpaksa mengambil jalan sempit yang berbengkak-bengkok seperti ular dari Ipoh ke Kuala Lumpur untuk berada di Studio Sementara TV Malaysia di Jalan Ampang, bersebelahan Dewan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. Begitulah kuat azamnya untuk menjadi personaliti TV. Zabri mempunya suara parau yang menarik. Teman menganggapnya seorang Pembaca Berita yang baik.

Bila TV Malaysia menambahkan waktu siaran dengan mewujudkan Rangkain Kedua, Zabri mengambil keputusan meninggalkan jawatan Jurubahasa di Ipoh kepada jawatan “Penerbit Penyelaras” (CP) TV Malaysia yang lebih lumayan gajinya. Jawatan ini memerlukanya memastikan siaran TV Malaysia adalah mengikut jadual dan masa tepat yang telah dirangka, memerlukan penyelarasan rapi dengan beberapa pihak lain. Rasanya perubahan sinario Zabri mungkin atas galakan sahabat karibnya Dato’Aziz Wok, salah seorang  Penerbit TV dalam kumpulan awal TV Malaysia. Aziz berpindah dari tenaga pengajar sekolah untuk menceburi lapangan penyiaran, dengan minat di bidang Drama.

Zabri dan Aziz adalah rakan sedarjah di Sekolah Anderson, Ipoh ditahun 50an. Teman sering melihat deme berdua disekolah; deme lebih kanan dari teman buat beberapa tahun. Namun kami menjadi rakan karib di RTM. Deme menginap di hostel sekolah buat beberapa tahun. Aziz berasal dari Chemor, sebelah utara Ipoh, sementara Zabri berasal dari Kampong Gunung Mesah, Gopeng, sebelah selatan Ipoh yang amat terkenal dengan dusun-dusun durian.

Bila perkhidmatan awam mengecutkan jawatan dan pangkat dalam satu kajian pada penghujung 70an, jawatan “Penerbit Penyelaras” (CP) telah disatukan dengan jawatan Penerbit TV, Pembantu Rancangan Radio dan seumpamanya di RTM membuka pintu pada banyak pemegang jawatan yang terhad peluang naik pangkat beralih kepada bidang lain di RTM. Zabri adalah antara yang terlibat dalam kerjayanya kemudian hari. Dia berpeluang bertugas dalam Penerbitan TV sebagai Penerbit. Nyata benar Zabri dengan mudah berjaya menyesuaikan dirinya sebagai Penerbit rancangan Sukan TV kerana minatnya dibidang itu. Zabri sungguh seronok dibidang itu, kerana dia lebih merupakan seorang yang minat kerja luar daripada terpengap dalam bilik pejabat.

Bagaimanapon nama Zabri lebih tersemat sebagai CP mengawal jadual siaran TV. Dia meningkat sebagai Ketua bahagian itu. Jadual siaran TV tidak lekang dari ingatannya, hingga tak perlu merojok kepada jadual yang dirangka. Bagaimanapon Zabri memberitahu ianya adalah kerja berat kerana kerap jadual siaran TV dijadikan rojokan apabila berlaku kes dimahkamah yang memerlukannya memaklumkan waktu tepat sesuatu rancangan TV apabila ia ditimbulkan dimahkamah. Zabri sering tiada dipejabatnya kerana menghadiri mahkamah bila diperlukan sehingga memakan masa berhari-hari. Gaya dia bercerita nampaknya dia seronok kembali kemahkamah sebagai saksi.

Zabri pernah bertugas seketika di RTM Pulau Pinang dan Ipoh, tetapi pengkalan tetapnya ialah Kuala Lumpur kerana isterinya ialah seorang Jururawat Kanan di HKL dan anak-anaknya yang sedang membesar bersekolah di KL. Zabri menyayangi keluarganya, sentiasa memberi tumpuan kepada 4 orang anaknya, 3 putra dan seorang putri. Dia sering menyebut mereka dalam perbualannya.

Teman mengenali Zabri sebagai seorang yang periang dan sentiasa bekelakar, tak kering gusi dibuatnya. Dia sentiasa mengeluarkan kata-kata hikmat yang luar biasa. Perangai ramahnya ini membikin dia sangat popular dan disenangi dikalangan rakan-rakan dan yang mengenalinya. Dia tidak menyombong atau bongkak. Teman menganggapnya sebagai tokoh yang menghidupkan sebarang perjumpaan dan perbualan. Zabri sentiasa hadir di sebarang perjumpaan dengan rakan-rakan seperjuangan. Dia jarang ketinggalan di “Lunch Veteran RTM” setiap 2 bulan. Kawan-kawan semua sudah tentu kesunyian tanpa kehadirannya.

Zabri sangat setia dengan kawan-kawan. Teman masih ingat ketika sahabat karibnya Aziz Wok menempuh krisis dalam karyanya ketika di tukar dari jawatan Pengarah Penyiaran Kawasan Sabah kepada Ketua Suara Malaysia, siaran luar negeri RTM. Ketika itu pertukaran ke Suara Malaysia adalah dianggap sebagai “buang negeri” dari arus perdana RTM. Aziz semacam terpulau. Teman ialah timbalannya. Orang yang sentiasa melawat dan berbual mesra dengan Aziz ialah Zabri. Rasanya pertukaran itu menyebabkan kesihatan Aziz terganggu. Persahabatan deme berdua yang begitu rapat sekali membikin Aziz mengambil keputusan membawa Zabri dan bukan keluarga atau isterinya menemaninya ke New Zealand ketika dia menjalani pembedahan pintas jantung disana. Pada teman ini luar biasa. Secara berseloroh Aziz memberitahu teman dia akan “tumpo” cepat sekira isterinya menemaninya kerana dia sendiri terpaksa “mengendong” semua barang-barangnya. Dengan adanya Zabri semua kerja itu akan menjadi tanggung jawabnya sebagai “porter”, setiausaha dan jurucakap dengan hospital dan pihak berkuasa lain New Zealand. Katanya Zabri kenalah berkerja untuk “cuti” percuma itu.

Dengan pemergiannya pada usia78 tahun, Zabri membawa bersamanya sejarah, pengalaman dan pengetahuan bidang penyiaran negara ini yang tiada ternilai harganya sebagai legasi hidup dan karyanya. Bidang penyiaran negara ini kehilangan sebutir permata rujukan.

Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat keatas rohnya dan menempatkannya dikalangan mukmin yang soleh.

Alfatihah. ]