Pengalaman Kanser:
Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood
SHORTLY before the Umno general assembly in July, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi received a telephone call from his wife Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood,
who was undergoing treatment in Los Angeles.
Kak Endon, as she was fondly known to her friends and
admirers, had reminded the Prime Minister to remember to wear the baju Melayu and kain samping that she had bought him.
She could not be by his side this time.
It had always been customary, almost a ritual, for Endon to help Pak Lah
dress for the party's most important event each year.
Clearing his throat, the Prime Minister paused as he looked for an
appropriate word to describe his wife.
Then, looking at me, he broke into a smile, pleased with himself for the
quick mental search.
“The word is stoic. It must be the Japanese blood in her. She told me that
she was ready to undergo chemotherapy despite the difficulties and discomfort
ahead,” the Prime Minister told his listeners.
The family was told by her doctors at the St John's Medical Centre in Los
Angeles that she had to undergo radiation and physiotherapy, which was crucial
after the surgery.
She had undergone a radical mastectomy on April 17, 2002.
Never one to complain, Endon, 64, never gave up fighting since she was
diagnosed with the illness about three years ago.
She said she had never given up hope and was determined to fight the
illness. She certainly fought the battle well.
On Oct 2, she returned home hoping to celebrate Hari Raya with her family
and the people but was admitted to Putrajaya Hospital for observation as she
was physically weak following the chemotherapy and long flight from the United
States.
Yesterday morning, Endon passed away, with Abdullah, her two children,
Kamaluddin and Nori, and family members by her side at Seri Perdana, the official
residence of the Prime Minister.
After 15 days at the hospital, Endon had been brought home on Tuesday to
enable her family members and close friends to be with her.
Her sister Rahmah Mahmood said Endon demonstrated her caring attitude until
she breathed her last, constantly reminding Pak Lah and her sisters to look
after the family.
“With Endon, it was never about herself but her family and the people. Her
life had always been about being concerned for the welfare of others, even
until her last breath.
“In the final moments, she kept asking about family members, always showing
her care and love. Her last reminder to us was to take care of everybody. I
promised her that I will do it myself,” she said.
Fighting to control her tears yesterday morning, Rahmah described Endon as
her sister, best friend and a mother and said she had lost someone very dear in
the family.
It has not been easy for the family. Her twin sister Noraini died on Jan 4,
2003, after having been diagnosed with the illness in 2001. Endon then realised
that she, too, would have to fight the illness.
My last meeting with her was in March when she attended the KL Fashion Week
at the Shangri-La.
As I walked up to her to greet her, she asked for my wife, reminding me, in
a motherly fashion, that a husband must never leave his wife at home.
As in previous meetings, whether at her home or at functions, she seldom,
if ever, asked about politics or my work.
Her questions were always about my wife and daughter.
On a trip to Cyprus many years ago, when her husband was attending the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting as foreign minister, she asked me to
help her look for a restaurant serving Chinese or Indian food.
Eventually, I found a Chinese restaurant belonging to a Malaysian.
During dinner, she thanked me for making the dinner a success but asked
whether I had telephoned my family in Kuala Lumpur to find out whether they had
eaten.
Never mind the time difference between Cyprus and Kuala Lumpur, but that is
Kak Endon for you, always remembering the family members.
As the First Lady, Endon helped raise funds for many social, community and
charity causes, particularly for the welfare and well-being of women and
children.
One of her last successful projects was a breast cancer awareness project,
Walk With Pride, in Kuala Lumpur.
Her daughter-in-law Azrene said Endon would telephone to find out about the
progress of the project even as she was undergoing treatment.
That was how committed she was to welfare projects.
Malaysians have not just lost the First Lady but a caring woman who
inspired all of us and enriched our lives.
Farewell, Kak Endon.
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