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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.


Friday, May 30, 2008

Journey to Negeri Sembilan. On to Kuala Klawang and what's around...

Continuing from the posting Journey to Negeri Sembilan. A new chapter begins... From Jeram Gading, me and my friend decided to take the old twisting road on to Kuala Klawang...



After sometime veering through the jungle, we came across the first settlement in Titi Kenaboi...


It is a quite area with just a few shops around...


We went on and at the end of the twisting old road we enter into a better built one... And thus this sign-board shows 10km to one of our main destinations in this journey, Makam (the tomb of) Moyang Salleh..


Soon enough, we arrived at the town of Kuala Klawang, the main town in the district of Jelebu...


Saw this Muzium Adat or museum of the local culture...


Decided to go in and see what's inside. Video clips of our venture here are shown in the blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU , under the posting Kembara Negeri Sembilan: Asal usul nama Jelebu? Serta lawatan ke Muzium Adat di Kuala Klawang! ...


Here, right in front of the museum is one of the more interesting sights around... A hall depicting the local Minangkabau culture in the designs of its roof, pointing up at the sides like buffalo horns.

Sorry, the picture is skewed. That's what happens when one takes a picture using my cheap digital camera from inside a moving car!



Before long it's time to head for our main places of destination, at the outskirts of the town of Kuala Klawang...


One of it is the mosque of Kampung Dulang. For a short story on it, do have a look at the blogspot SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) , in the posting Masjid (mosque of) Kuala Dulang, Negeri Sembilan ...

Next, we went to the Makam Moyang Salleh...


Here is the tomb. Have a look at the posting Makam (tomb) of Moyang Salleh...


That's when we realise, there's another interesting place just besides the tomb, on top of a small hill...


For here lies a cannon of certain significance... Have a look at Meriam (the cannon of) Datuk Undang Abdullah...

Anyway, a 15 minute video clip on the visit to Masjid Kampung Dulang, Makam Moyang Salleh and this cannon is being uploaded for use in the blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU even as this sentence is being typed. Then again, it is still in the process of uploading since almost 3 hours ago... Hopefully it will be completed soon enough. Do have a look there later OK! Cheers... :]

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Journey to Negeri Sembilan. A new chapter begins...

OK... It's time to say something here again after a week of silence. So the storytelling for the East Coast journey is completed with the last posting titled Raub... My last stop before the East Coast journey officially ends... But the wrap-up was done in my other blogspot, CATATAN SI MERAH SILU .

To be honest, I've been concentrating more on that other blogspot. Last Sunday, I went on a trip to Negeri Sembilan with a good friend and decided to make video clips on it with running commentaries in Malay and since then I have been posting the clips into CATATAN SI MERAH SILU .

Tonight, I would like to share the still pictures in this blogspot...Up to the point where the latest video clip of the trip was posted earlier tonight. Here goes! :]

It started spontaneously when we decided to go for a trip that weekend. It could have been to anywhere but the state of Negeri Sembilan have been on my mind for some time, practically since I closed the East Coast journey over a month ago.

My good friend Zaidi @ PerpatihTulus (his on-line name) picked me up at my auntie's place in Ampang. That's when I got the urge to go to Negeri Sembilan through the Ampang to Hulu Langat route...

Above is a picture of the city of Kuala Lumpur from the hills on that route...


This area provides one of the most scenic view of Kuala Lumpur. I'm sure many would be tempted to pull a stop and enjoy the view from this juncture...


The journey continues...


We decided to stop at the top of the hill. There's an interesting rest and stop area here...


And a viewing tower to boot... It is on top of the tower that we first got the idea to record our trip on video and try to make it like a proper travel documentary on TV.

Actually, Zaidi brought his video recorder because it also serves as his digital camera. He always does when we got outstation. That's when I decided to chip in with a stupid act, just for fun... Come to think of it, I've never thought about making such a video before! The result and the following try-outs resulted in the video clips shown in the posting Mukadimah journo kembara Negeri Sembilan yang akan datang...


The view of Kuala Lumpur from on top...


Then the journey continues on to the small town of Hulu Langat... Then again this whole area and its sizeable surrounding is also known as Hulu Langat. So the town of Hulu Langat is also known and better refered as Batu 9... In reference to the fact that it is 9 miles (in Malay, miles is Batu) from the city of Kuala Lumpur...

We went on until Batu 16 (the 16th mile) and saw the above sign-board. It leads to another interesting place...


There... Another sign-board explains it best... "Kolam air panas" which means there's a hot spring here. "Kolam" means pool,"air" is water and "panas" is hot. Get it?


We decided to enjoy what's available. View the video clips in the posting Kembara Negeri Sembilan... Mandi air panas dahulu di Hulu Langat untuk "mengambil" kesegaran...


Then the journey continues. We drove past the Batu 18 and took the route heading for Semenyih and Kuala Klawang. Saw this nice hut... Decided to turn back and stop, at least for brunch... Got to appease our growling stomachs!

There's a nice stream here. And this prompted me to act in the short video clip shown in the posting Kisah "beruk" pencen... Satu tatapan hujung minggu sebelum cerita kembara Negeri Sembilan mula jadi serius...


The drive continues... The signboard shows right to Semenyih... We took left to Kuala Klawang...



After a while negotiating the curves up the mountainous route across this part of the Penisular's main mountain range of Banjaran Titiwangsa, we arrived at the Selangor-Negeri Sembilan state border. Here is where the actual journey inside Negeri Sembilan starts. And here is where we decided to get serious with our video clips...

For the result, look at the posting Sampai ke sempadan Jelebu... Merangka arah perjalanan di Negeri Sembilan ...



At first we thought of going straight to Kuala Klawang. But this signboard made us turn back...



For it leads to a place of certain interest... A recreational area with a nice rapid which also serves as resting area for Malays of old travelling to and fro Negeri Sembilan and the state of Pahang.

The video clip was just uploaded into the blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU less than an hour ago. Have a look at the posting Kembara Negeri Sembilan... Singgah sebentar ke Jeram Gading... ... To be continued. Good night! :]