Feelings

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Feelings

Assalamu ‘Alaikum,

Feelings

It was an ordinary day at the office, plenty of applications to review, plenty of admin stuff to handle, the guys and the ladies were working merrily beyond my office divider. On my left was the window giving me a bird’s eye view of Jalan Tun Perak when some historic happenings were to take place in later days. The building was called Menara Tun Razak and the pride of  Jalan Raja Laut at the time. We took a group picture once, I looked so thin.

Many a time we gather at various resorts where the bank decided to have it’s Manager’s Conference. They made sure we roommate with different people all the time so that we bond with as many different people as possible.

Just some memories of the days at Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. For me it was between 1990 to 2000. It was magical, we were a group of dedicated souls determined to implement the demands of Shariah in economic life. Many joined at reduced pay just to get the opportunity to serve. That was why it hurt so much when at one time those baseless accusations were flung at us with merciless acrimony. We never knew what it was all about; we merely served as best expected of us. Sure there were inefficiencies in some of our ways when benchmark against giant international banks. We never had the size to benefit from scale. Sure we could have been more profitable, we could have been more machine like and efficient, but we were not corrupt. To accuse us of such is really the unkindest cut of all; to souls who cried in the darkest of night. We were anything, but.

That is why the ukhwah is so sweet when we meet now in greyer years. We have moved on, matured, went to greener pastures, shined  and return to roost. Such sweet , sweet memories we saviour. Today we meet at Mcoba building, the ex Bank Islam staff of old in a memorable get together to renew sillaturrahim and find out about old friends. We treasure those memories of old; may Allah accept our deeds and forgive us our shortcomings. We seek no rewards. Allah knows best.

Wassalam,

Zahid