This is a bit backdated, but last week, I was invited for an Iftar in Warisan Kaseh, a house for retired folks in Banting with my Denaihati friends. For those who are not familiar with the term ‘iftar’, iftar is a term used for breaking fast, and iftar is usually done in groups of people, where men and women are gathered together to break fast during the break of dusk, and after the breaking fast session, the group in question will proceed for a special Ramadan prayer known as the Terawikh. (Unlike the  normal 5 times a day prayers, Terawikh is a special kind of prayers that done only during the fasting month of Ramadan)
Let me be honest with you, I was supposed to attend the gala premier for ‘Hantu Gangster’ on the same evening of the iftar, but since I wasn’t really pleased on how the folks in RAM Entertainment managed the guests and did not attended to the bloggers RSVP until the day before the event. I feel that they did not respect the bloggers time, and they seems to think that it is all right to make bloggers be at their beck and calls, so I opt to join my friends in Denaihati and went to Banting instead.

I suppose I can say that I’m truly glad that I went for the iftar with the Denaihati friends and the good folks from e-Qurban instead, as it was truly an eye opening experience. The purpose of this iftar was to celebrate the blessings of Ramadan with the old folks who are the resident of Warisan Kaseh.

It was the first, yet meaningful iftar for me. I have never went to any old folks home, or rather a retirement home before, and I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.

Truthfully speaking, I was expecting the environment to be dull, uninteresting and full of sad faces. But that’s not the case with Warisan Kaseh retirement home. It was a completely different environment from what I imagine and from what the public’s general perception on old folks home and retirement home.

I certainly did not expect a truly relaxing environment like this…the ‘kampung’ feeling in Warisan Kaseh was truly great, to say the least…

It is an oasis in the middle of a secluded place. There was a small but functional swimming pool for the residents over here, and I was informed that there are various activities being done over here as a part of their recreational program.

The garden was nothing but serene… and being in Warisan Kaseh, even just for a moment made me feel as if I was having a short getaway of my own. At some point during my short stay in Warisan Kaseh, I wish that the visit was way longer than just one evening. Yes… I like that place that much, and just a couple of hours over there is not enough. I wish I could get to spend more time over there.

Since this retirement home is a Muslim base retirement home, there is a ‘surau’ (prayer hall) for the resident to make use of for their daily prayers. The surau is also occasionally used for motivational talks sessions every now and then.

The rooms that accommodate the residents in Warisan Kaseh was fairly moderate with basic amnesties that includes bed and wardrobe along with a common area where modern facilities like TV and whatnot is situated. There was also a kitchen where the residents are encouraged to cook their own meals whenever they feel like it. This place… was a home away from home for some of the residents here.

Now, you’ll be asking me why there are no pictures of the old folks over here despite the fact that this place is a place for old folks. Well, I’m not putting those pictures in here in respect of their privacy. The owner of this place, Haji Masrukhin Marzoki has specifically made a request for the media not to expose any of the residents pictures here. They did not wish for their pictures and their personal lives to be on display anywhere on the media, and I respect their requests.

According to Tuan Haji, who is the owner and founder of both Warisan Kaseh and e-Qurban (e-Qurban is a company that helps the Muslims to perform the ritual ‘Qurban’ -the sacrificial slaughtering of lamb, sheep, cows, etc for religious purpose via online), Warisan Kaseh is aimed to be recreational place for the old folks instead of a place for the old folks to waste away and wait for Death to come.

It is a misconception that old folks homes is a place for old folks to waste away, as Warisan Kaseh is more like a retirement home where most of the residents in this place admits themselves voluntarily to spend a quiet, recreational and spiritual time with friends their age.

It is wrong to accuse the children who sent their old folks here as dumping their parents, as it’s not the case with most of the residents here. Most went willingly to spend their time here, and every now and then, they will go home to their families after spending their time in this place.

In short, Warisan Kaseh is not exactly an old folks homes, but a retirement homes for the golden boys and girls to spend their time doing things that they want to do with friends of their age freely, without interruption. The old folks here may come and go as they pleased, and I think the concept is really great.

A lot of old folks feels bored just staying at home in their children’s place and whatnot, and this place is just the thing that they need to get perky again.

After browsing around, it’s time for iftar… or rather, breaking fast.

The cendol drinks. Gosh, this is something to really WOW for. I had a few go at this… and it gave me sugar rush at the end of the night. LOL!

Satay guy, preparing satay for iftar session

Whole roasted lamb…. lol… turned into lamb-chops when it was done. I had a terrible headache after having this, though. I suppose lambs are too ‘hot’ for me. 🙁

Some friend chickens

Finger food…my son loves these the most…

Not exactly my favourite as I don’t really like veggies, but the caterer nailed it with this dish. It was lovely!

Some sweet-sour prawns…

And of course, the guests during the iftar…children from the nearest orphanage were also invited to the iftar with the good folks in Warisan Kasih.

Overall, it was really a good and eye-opening experience for me, and I hope that there will be more events like this in the coming future.

Here’s the address to Warisan Kaseh case you’re interested: