Mikael left this world - AlFatihah

Amidst our ever busy life, the world is triggered by the news - Michael Jackson is gone. Michael Jackson is dead.

There goes another piece of my childhood memories.

I grew up with his music. I was eight years old when hit songs such as 'Beat It','Thriller' and 'Billie Jean' introduces me to the passion that music can offer. Back in the 80's, The Jacko Craze had a big impact on Brunei. Before CD or VCD was here, Bruneians would consider it cool to play his cassette and it was almost every child's dream to get his red jacket on 'Thriller' video's, nagging their parents to buy for them. The red jacket became a fashion hit, even in Brunei. I vividly remember a guy who always walks around Bandar with his jacket in the 1980's.

I was one of those children who would play the Beat It song over and over again during those years. I remembered how my school mates would try their best to do the moonwalk although no one was really able to imitate his moves perfectly.

It was 1996 when he came to Brunei and perform a big concert at the then-glamorous Jerudong Park Playground. I never had a chance to meet him in person but my late grandfather was lucky to shake hand with this legend a day after the concert.Thanks to Awang Yunus.

A humanitarian and a music legend, Michael is a martyr for he has done a lot to the people and music but he gets accusations, bad publicity and forced to create his own little world just to be normal. That's what i think. However, news of his conversion seem to be a plight in a bid to find peace and tranquility he had yearn so much of. He finally found peace.

A lot had been said about his religious beliefs but as Jermaine Jackson had stated in a press statement to the media following the death of his brother- "and may Allah be with you Michael, always" and so it has been confirmed that he died as a Muslim.

There goes another childhood memories and indeed May Allah bless him.