IT was truly a bittersweet homecoming. As Malaysian angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor touched down on Earth on Oct 20 last year after his 12-day space journey, he was blissfully unaware that his younger brother, Sheikh Mustapha Shukor al-Masrie, had slipped into a coma after a fall just a few hours earlier.

As fate would have it, by the time Dr Sheikh Muszaphar returned to Malaysia from the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Russia, his brother had passed away.

When interviewed by the press shortly after the funeral, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar said: "Ajil (as Sheikh Mustapha was known to friends and family) was my devoted fan and since the start of the space programme, he had given me solid support."

Unbeknownst to his older brother, Sheikh Mustapha had been quietly working on a book to honour him. His death left it unfinished, so the family took over where the 32-year-old had left off.

Led by Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, they have worked relentlessly over the last few months to realise Ajil's dream of seeing the book come to fruition.

The result is Reaching for the Stars, which comprises two parts: In the first, Ajil writes about the angkasawan's aspirations and journey, and in the second, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and his three other brothers write a touching tribute to their departed sibling.

Ajil's wife, Haryati Mohd. Redza¹, also writes a tribute to her husband in the closing chapter.

Says the angkasawan of his brother's initial work: "It was a shock and surprise when I walked into his bedroom and discovered the pictorial dedication to me."

"There were pictures pasted all over the walls, scribbled transcripts on serviettes, downloaded visuals of me in space, and a bowl of kuaci seeds, half-finished," the doctor says, looking visibly emotional.

He is glad that they were able to finish what his brother didn't manage to.

"I burnt the midnight oil to publish Reaching for the Stars and now that it will be launched soon (it was launched on Friday), I feel a sense of achievement."

"It is a celebration of the memory of my dear brother as well as my country, family, and friends. I hope he can hear me say 'Thank you, Ajil – and I miss you so much'."

This is the first time Dr Sheikh Muszaphar has spoken of his brother since his demise, and as he poured his heart out over coffee and pastries at his KL restaurant, Rebung (which he co-owns with Chef Ismail Ahmad), one can't help but wonder: would he have gone ahead with his space adventure had he known Ajil wouldn't be around when he got back?

"That is a very hard question to answer. I really don't know, but he would have wanted me to go, that’s for sure," he says.

It is no secret that Ajil adored his older brother (Dr Sheikh Muszaphar is the third of five boys and Ajil was fourth) but it is obvious from Dr Sheikh Muszaphar's tone that the admiration was mutual.

"We are an exceptionally close-knit family. Growing up, we were so close that we would finish each other's sentences," the 35-year-old orthopaedic surgeon-turned-spaceman says.

Apparently, their boisterous characters are thanks to their father, Negri Sembilan-based businessman Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor. Their mother, Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad, is less chatty, so together, they strike the perfect balance, says the cosmonaut.

"She had her way and we were all sent away to residential school, and were given every opportunity to excel."

Unsurprisingly, astronomy dominated many conversations between the brothers: "Ajil and I would debate for hours about whether there is life in space."

And when the national space programme selections began, three of the siblings registered.

"My eldest brother, Sheikh Ahmad didn't make it to the final 100, and shortly after that, Sheikh Taufik² was dropped short of the final 59."

When Dr Sheikh Muszaphar made it all the way to the end (he pipped Dr Faiz Khaleed to win the coveted spot), it was the great Malaysian dream come true.

"As excited as I was to carry the Malaysian flag to space, I also lost my privacy. Somehow, Ajil made it all bearable for me, putting everything in perspective whenever things got too intense," he says.

Thankfully, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar is a firm believer that life goes on no matter what hurdles come along.

"I now have made a commitment to care for my nephew, Aiman. It saddens me still when he occasionally asks for his father." (Ajil left two children, Aiman, three, and Siti Balkish, one.)

According to the family, Aiman was initially very affected by his father's absence. However, lots of love and patience have comforted him somewhat.

"He has come to terms with it, I believe," says Dr Sheikh Muszaphar. "The other day in school, I overheard him telling his friends that his father has gone away further than his uncle has (in space) ... he has gone to heaven. Woah! That was like a kick in my gut," the doctor says frankly.

Will he allow Aiman to fly to the moon some day?

"That'll be totally his decision but I'd be over the moon to hear that!" he laughs.

Since his big adventure, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar's life has not really gotten back to normal.

"It has been a non-stop flurry of talks and interviews. It's hectic but I embrace it. I still believe I have a commitment to my country and my fans," he says.

Not content to rest on his successes so far, the cosmonaut embarked on a nationwide road show in support of Barisan Nasional during its recent election rally.

"I'd like to dabble in politics too ... someday," says Dr Sheikh Muszaphar.

Until he adds another job description to an already long list (which includes model, doctor, restaurateur, and cosmonaut), his fans are being kept busy with rumours of an impending marriage that is being keenly discussed in the media and in blogsville.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar says matter-of-factly: "No! Romance is not on my list of priorities at this point of time."

"Yes, I have been seen with a certain lady doctor and photographed – but she is a good friend, nothing more."

He lets rip a bellowing laugh, "I love children – I do wish to settle down and have children of my own some day but until then, I'm practising on Aiman."

On his to-do list at the moment is more publishing.

"Now that Reaching for the Stars is done, I hope to publish my own work soon. I am working on a draft now. But I'm taking my time on that one."

"Ajil's account was just the first of many and it was deliberately written in clear, uncomplicated English for all to enjoy and be inspired."

The book has also been kept at an affordable RM20, and will be published in English, Malay and Chinese.

"I am not aiming for it to be a best-seller. My wish is that the parents read this to their children before bedtime to make them realise that to reach a goal, you need to start with a single step. Mine led me to the stars."

'Reaching for the Stars' is published by MPH Group Publishing and was launched in Kuala Lumpur on Friday by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak. 

Source: The Star Online

Site Editor's Note:
1. The spelling of Ms Haryati Mohd. Redza's name has been amended and is different from what appeared in the original article.
2. The 3 siblings who registered for the programme were Sheikh Ahmad, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and Sheikh Arwiz.

Mustapha, or "Ajil", 32, died without regaining consciousness after knocking into a pillar outside a restaurant in Jalan Klang Lama here on Oct 26.

Najib said the government's decision to send a Malaysian to space was a right one, as it had captured the imagination of those who dared to dream.

To underline this fact, Najib pointed out that before Dr Sheikh Muszaphar's space odyssey, almost all of the students who received awards from him would normally list, among others, medicine, engineering and law as the profession that they would most like to venture into.

"But not anymore. Now, many would say that they are aiming to be an angkasawan."

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar said his brother's death was a tragic moment for the family, more so for him personally as it happened just hours before he was due to return to Earth.

"Among the five (siblings), the two of us shared this unbreakable bond since we were young. Today (the book launch) is not about me, it is about my brother."

His father, Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Syed Shukor, in his speech, spoke about how he had trained his five boys to face the hard knocks in life.

"Words cannot describe the feelings of a father who had experienced a joyous occasion and a tragic moment, both at the same time."

In Reaching for the Stars, Sheikh Mustapha wrote about his perspective on his brother's journey to space in the first part of the book.

The second part is a tribute to the author himself from his parents, his wife and four brothers.

Soon after his arrival at the KL International Airport (KLIA) at 5.30pm, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor was whisked off to Seremban to visit the grave of his brother, Sheikh Mustapha Al Masrie, at the Tuan Haji Said Muslim cemetery.

Sheikh Mustafa Al Masrie, 32, had died on Saturday without regaining consciousness from a coma which he had lapsed into after hitting a pillar outside a restaurant in Jalan Klang Lama on Sunday.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor had missed the flight out of Bangkok after his flight from Russia was delayed and the brother's funeral had to go on in his absence.

He was greeted at the KLIA by Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Abd Hanan Alang Endot, about 100 Umno Youth members from the Sepang Branch and a number of students from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and UKM Hospital.

In Seremban, after visiting his brother's grave, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, told reporters he needed some time to recover from the sadness over his brother's death, and would return to inspire Malaysians with stories of his space venture.

He said his family, particularly his mother Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad, needed his support most of all now.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor had arrived at the state mosque at 6.15pm in a convoy of vehicles of the National Astronaut Programme and some policemen.

He was greeted by his father, Datuk Sheikh Mustapha, mother, elder brothers Sheikh Ahmad and Sheikh Taufik, and youngest brother Sheikh Arwiz and other close relatives.

He hugged his father and carried the son of his late brother, Sheikh Aiman Shukor, three.

Dr Muszaphar, who rushed home from Moscow where he was under quarantine after returning from space, was scheduled to arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 2.10pm yesterday.

But bad weather held up his flight in Moscow which caused him to miss his connecting flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur.

He had to take the next flight which arrived at KLIA about 5.30pm. He went straight to the state mosque where his father, Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Abdul Shukor, was waiting before he was taken to the Tuan Haji Said cemetery where his younger brother was buried just hours earlier.

It was an emotional scene at the cemetery when Dr Muszaphar hugged his mother Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad and consoled his brother's wife, Haryati Mohd Redza.