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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.


Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The hill I saw in a recent dream... Is it Bukit (hill of) Sebabi at Olak Sepam?

Nearly a year ago, I wrote a piece called The hill I saw in a recent dream? ... after making a trip in and around the area of Jorak and Pagoh in Muar in search of a hill I saw in a dream. At the end of the piece I sort of admitted the hill that I climbed then was a hill from another dream, not the one from the recent dream which has the name Olak somehow attached to that hill.

Now, in that piece I did mentioned that there's an old man I met in Jorak who said that the place Olak as mentioned in the dream did not refer to Tanjung (cape of) Olak near Jorak but rather to another place called Olak Sepam nearer to Pagoh. Slightly just over a week ago, after spending much of the festive holidays of Hari Raya Aidilfitri at my parents' place in Muar, I got the urge to visit the tomb of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah (ruled Melaka 1477-1488) at Kampung Raja in Pagoh and here goes the story...

At the mosque besides the tomb, I met the local imam (appointed head of congregational prayers). I don't know how it actually came about but while talking to him about historical places related to Sultan Alauddin and his period, I suddenly remembered the dream about the hill which I have forgotten long.

Strangely, the imam without any hesitation immediately said that the hill in my dream is a hill which funnily is called Bukit (hill of) Sebabi! Huh? Came my sudden retort of reaction. Sebabi? I don't know what that means but Babi means pig! Any relation to that?

The imam just smiled. He said whatever, my dream referred to that hill. As it is near a place called Olak, or rather in this case Olak Sepam (there's only two places with the name Olak in Muar and the other, Tanjung Olak has already been ruled out as I've checked it out). And it is very near the Muar river.

He and another elder however cautioned me. The place is rather spooky. Few dared to venture anywhere inside even during daylight while I was about to make the trip quite close to dusk! But seeing how comfortable I was in coming to this mosque alone with the stated intention of visiting the tomb of Sultan Alauddin, the only known existing tomb of an ancient Melaka ruler, he was not surprised at my resolve to have a look.

And so there I was getting to the hill-top alone on my bike. I must admit, the place did felt very spooky. Then again, I've been to many spooky places. And in this case, I must have a look to make sure if the hill fits the one in my dream...


As it turned out, the whole hill-top was peppered with graves. Coupled with the rather thick foliage, it can be scary!


I went around to ascertain my position. That's when I saw the Muar river nearby. Now I could positively say this hill does fit into my dream. But I was still not satisfied so let's continue the story in another piece ya... :]

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