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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, December 03, 2014

River views from the jetty near Bentayan



Next I went to an area called Bentayan, besides the inter-city bus terminal in Muar. Saw this wooden jetty and decided to check it out...



My 5-year-old boy joined for some more views of the Muar river.



A look upstream.



A look across.



A look downstream...



Parts of Muar from the 12th floor of a building

This is practically continuing from where we left in The esplanade at Parit Sulong.

More than 6 years ago I made the article Views from on top of Muar town.... showing views from what was then the tallest building in Muar. Two days after the trip to Batu Pahat I revisited the same building going up the highest floor to check out the views.


Except this time the views are limited from a north-west corner of the building.





Still it's not often you get to see Muar from such a vantage point.




The esplanade at Parit Sulong



To close the day I made a stop at the town of Parit Sulong. There is an esplanade beside the Simpang Kiri river and I decided to have closer look.


There is a pavilion offering a better look of the river.



A look downriver. The bridge is just 100-200 metres away...


A look across.



A look upriver.



Simpang Kiri river from the bridge of Parit Sulong



Going further inland and up north I soon arrived at the small town of Parit Sulong. Just before town is a bridge crossing the river of Simpang Kiri.





This is practically the 'left junction' of the Batu Pahat river. Refer to the article Simpang Kanan river near Tongkang Pechah for explanation.


A look downriver. The sun was setting then




A look upriver...



Simpang Kanan river near Tongkang Pechah



After exploring another part of Minyak Beku I returned to the town Batu Pahat then left heading towards the small town of Tongkang Pechah. Just about 1.5 km before the small town is a bridge crossing the river of Simpang Kanan.





The river is one of the two main ones forming the river of Batu Pahat. It is called Simpang Kanan which could be literarily translated as the right junction as towards inland it is the one that veered right.


A look downriver. Simpang Kanan joined the river of Simpang Kiri (literarily the left junction, the one that veered left inland) about 5 km downstream. From there on the waters are known as Sungai (river of) Batu Pahat.



A look upriver...





Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Views from the Minyak Beku ferry terminal



Moving 8 km west out of Batu Pahat town I next checked out the ferry terminal at Minyak Beku.


I only realised its existence about 3 weeks earlier. If not mistaken it is for ferries heading into the Sumatera island in Indonesia.





Minyak Beku is situated a distance out of the Batu Pahat river. The river mouth should be 1-2 km behind the jetty. But this place itself is like the extended river mouth....


A look out into the open waters of the Straits of Melaka.








Zooming in you could see a better known part of Minyak Beku. Look at the article Batu Pahat river mouth.

The old southern ferry jetty of Batu Pahat



Still I wasn't satisfied until I could see the Batu Pahat river from its old southern ferry jetty. Thank God after going around town for a few minutes I found it.





This is the place where people used to take the ferry to get to the other side of the river. It lies opposite of the jetty shown in the article Batu Pahat river from the old northern ferry jetty.






Stepping on till the very end of the still existing old jetty, here's a look upriver.


A look across where the northern jetty lies...


A look downriver.


Batu Pahat river from the Jabatan Laut jetty



Next I stopped at the jetty of Jabatan Laut.


This could be literarily translated as the sea department. While the buildings here looked like it was under repair I decided to go on and walk (also wade) to the jetty...








A look upriver.



A look across.



A look downriver.


Zooming in. I reckoned the old ferry northern jetty is somewhere inside this pix. Refer to the article Batu Pahat river from the old northern ferry jetty.