I was on my way back to Perak for the Chinese New Year Holidays when I received received an SMS from Ching Kim Lye from Kedah informing me of the death of Pn Hjh Khatijah Na. For those who don't know she is the mother of the strongest women chess player in Malaysia, WFM Siti Zulaikha(picture). Her brother, FM Johan Iskandar once played for the GilaChess Team in the 2005 Merdeka Team. I had the privilege of meeting Puan Khatijah a few times at tournaments where her children played. She was obviously a woman of great intellect and humor. I was always amazed about her fantastic memory of chess players she has met before - detailing their playing styles and even their weaknesses. She will be greatly missed. Condolences to her family.