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This blogspot is a medium to share my thoughts and adventures apart from promoting my books. Below are the books which have been written or authored and published by myself.


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti".

ISBN 983-42031-0-1, Jun 2006


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal"

ISBN 983-42031-1-x, May 2007


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Sirih Pulang ke Gagang?"

ISBN 978-983-42031-2-2, November 2007


It is interesting to note that while these books were written in Malay it has gained enough attention to merit being part of the collections of the American Library of Congress and National Library of Australia. Look here and here.


While the first three books were published by my own company, the fourth titled "Rumah Azan" was published in April 2009 by a company called Karnadya with the help of the Malaysian national literary body Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. It features beautiful pictures along with stories behind selected mosques which could be related to the history of Islam and the Malays alongside the formation of the Malaysian nation. Look at the article A collaboration of old collegemates - the book "Rumah Azan".


My fifth book "Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and Malay Sultanates", an English translation and adaptation of the Malay book "Ahlul Bait (Keluarga) Rasulullah SAW dan Kesultanan Melayu" authored by Hj Muzaffar Mohamad and Tun Suzana Othman was published early 2010. Look here... My 5th book is out! Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and the Malay Sultanates... . For more information check out my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU.



Like my fourth book "Rumah Azan", the sixth book "Kereta Api Menuju Destinasi" is also a coffee-table book which is published by the company Karnadya with the cooperation of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (the main Malay literary body in Malaysia). Coming out January 2011 it features pictures and stories on the adventure travelling by train to all of Peninsular Malaysia along with the interesting places which could be reached this way.


My seventh book "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" in turn is a coffee-table book which is written, editted, designed and has pictures taken by me. Coming out of the factory October 2011, this book which combines family history with history of places such as Singapura, Johor, Batu Pahat, Muar and in fact the history of the island of Java and England has been reviewed with me interviewed live in the program Selamat Pagi Malaysia at RTM1. Look at the article Siaran langsung ulasan buku "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" dan temu ramah di Selamat Pagi Malaysia. Some selected contents have been featured in Sneak peek "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah".


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The "Berpetualang ke Aceh" series of novels could be obtained in e-book form. Enter http://www.e-sentral.com/, click general novel and go to page 4. You can also type the word "Aceh" at the search box. Or click straight Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3.


Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Enter Tok Pulau Manis

Just before afternoon 21th December 2006, I left Kuala Berang. After walking for some distance and hitchiking two lorries, I managed to get to the point seen above...

From there I walked and reached the fringe of Kampung (village of) Pulau Manis.


I passed the mosque of Pulau Manis. Normally went travelling, I would stop by at the main mosque in the area where I intend to spend the night. But my target was somewhere else...


There. The signpost pointing to where I want to go, the tomb of Tok Pulau Manis... Literally translated the elder of Pulau Manis. The title Tok is also used to denote a grandfather. In this case, it is for a respected elder, a very respected one at that! So who is he? A village headman, a prince? Be patient ya...


There... See the blue coloured building? It is the surau (small praying hall) of Tok Pulau Manis...

Right in front of the surau is an old cemetery perhaps in the region of 400 years old or so! Spooky for some but very peaceful for spiritual travellers like me.


There's a roofed pathway leading to the tomb... There's even a building housing the remains of Tok Pulau Manis. Must be a person of high standing isn't he? So again, who is he?


Hmm... Graves here and there. Again, scary for some but perfect solitude for me...


Look at this one. A friend who followed me once here commented: "It looks like water tumblers!"... Indeed it does. But bear in mind, this is an ancient type of tombstone and from the looks of it, it belongs to someone of high standing too!

The door leading to the main tomb inside. Suddenly the words Tomb Raider came to mind. Would the real Lara Croft step up and join? For a round of.... Um... Err....



Here it is, the tomb of Tok Pulau Manis. Or as the Jawi inscriptions say, Tok Sheikh Pulau Manis, Sheikh as in a religious teacher... Beginning to get the idea?


And up there a description of the life of Tok Pulau Manis, who is he and such in Malay... Suffice to say, he was a famous Muslim saint of 17th century Terengganu, the teacher, also a father-in-law to Sultan Zainal Abidin I, the first ruler of Terengganu from the current dynasty!

Oh... His real name is actually Sharif Abdul Malik. He was called Tok Pulau Manis in respect of the village he came from, that is Pulau Manis! Then again some, said the village got its name because of him! Because more than 300 years ago, the area is a pulau, an island... And the name Manis which is Malay for sweet came about when Tok Pulau Manis did a miracle by dipping his feet into the salt water around (they say it was salty then) and turned it into sweet freshwater fit for drinking!


After a night there, it's time to go. So off I went through this meandering path...


Then only I reached this cute bus-stop... The travel must go on. Cheers!


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Pulau manis was named after a large island which in the middle of Trengganu River. Back then, it was quite spacey and width enough, even villager used to cattle cow there. My late grandmother told me, when she was small, the island used to be agricultural land, planting peanuts and vegetable.

Today, the island was totally diappear, after extensive and uncontrolled sand extraction project.