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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, December 08, 2006

The Zionist Conspiracy

Last night I had trouble going to sleep. So after spending sometime trashing my body to find a sleep-inducing position, I woke up and turned on the laptop and shifted through MyDocuments. And so I found something I wrote 4 years ago, an outline in English on what was to be my first attempt at writing a book, a book in Malay. This happened a few months after leaving my job as a journalist for the Malaysian English-daily, The New Straits Times.
The actual articles which would have formed the book following the outline was written in Malay. Nevertheless, due to some problems, the book was never completed... Instead I wrote the Malay novel "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" and published it in June 2006.
Anyway perhaps for posterity, perhaps to give others points to ponder and food for thought eh?Here is the outline as it was written 4 years ago...
Oh... The words "Yahudi ingin memerintah dunia" can directly translated as "The Jews want to rule the world"... So there!


YAHUDI INGIN MEMERINTAH DUNIA

Outline - main themes

1. Sept 11 attack on WTC was actually organised by the Jews. points - north tower was hit first but south tower which was hit some 20 minutes later was the first to crumble. Also to check. The first plane was from an NY airport, the second from Boston meaning the first had more fuel on board. The towers also crumbled like a proper demolition job which needs explosives put and detonated at intervals but explanation offered was they crumbled like this because of jet fuel. SO how can the second tower crumble first when less fuel was involved and it was hit some 20 minutes later? What about black boxes or communications with ground control. How can the planes approach urban areas without some warning from the ground. Also the global hawk theory.

Check the facts that some 4,000 Jews who worked in the WTC were all on holiday when this happened. Strange huh? Also that shares expected to fall like airline shares were sold just before this happened while shares expected to rise like those for companies dealing with security products were snapped up. Attack also happened after George W. Bush were barely months into his office. Note that the whole American politics was divided in half after the Bush-Gore presidential fight but now Bush got total support. Also attack happened when US economy were facing recession. Wars have been known to be waged to revive economies while making the people's attention turn abroad. The attack also opened the way for control like phone taping and all soemthing the American people are bound to oppose under freedom of speech and right to privacy. But now they are giving that away in the name of national security.

2. The Jewish plan - Protocols of the Elders of Zion - this was mentioned and taken very seriously by Ford motor company founder who wrote the book the International Jews. Control of world finances. Dispersion of opposing ideas - Capitalism versus Marxism and all. An economy run through usury of riba The Illuminati plan - the fomenting of three world wars. Note: The UN and Bretton Woodsa institutions were created for these purposes

3. Signs for a third world war - Use Aquarian age theory, the propechies and books Stories of Dajjal - the false prophet - the rebuilding of the Temple of Solomon

4. Were do we (Malaysians) fit in this - The meeting of descendants of Alexander the Great and Prophet Muhammad. The fact that we have nine Sultans in Malaysia when that of our neighbour Indonesia have practically been destroyed.Use Hikayats like that of Raja-raja Pasai. Also the story about Ratu Adil and the contention by some that barang-barang ampuh from Jawa are disappearing only to reappear in the Klang Valley.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

The return of Admiral Muhammad Amin's remains to the royal mausoleum of Perak

Praise be to God... In the labour (and wonderment?) of surfing the Internet and looking back at my blogspots while figuring out what to add, came the urge to show again an historical event rarely seen in Malaysia or at any part of the world. The event is the returning of the remains of two olden Perak warriors Laksamana Raja Mahkota (an official royal admiral title) Muhammad Amin and Menteri Paduka Tuan (minister) Ngah Ibrahim to their much beloved land, in September 9, 2006.
Both fighters were exiled to the Seychelles Islands in Afrika in 1877 after being implicated for involvement in the murder of the first British Resident in Perak J.W.W. Birch (died 1875 at Pasir Salak). Also exiled were Sultan Abdullah (Perak's 26th king, ruled 1874-1877) and Syahbandar (harbour-master) Uda Ma'amor. For information, they were all related. The Syahbandar and Menteri also happens to be the son-in-laws of the Laksamana.
Sultan Abdullah was "pardoned" by the British and so managed to return to Perak where he died 1922 whereas the others had to spent the rest of their lives still in exile but in Singapore. Thus here exist a certain confusion when there emerge parties who claimed Ngah Ibrahim managed to return back to Perak in secret... So they added, the remains brought back at the ceremony was not actually his.
Anyway, I'm here to bring forth the process of returning the remains of Laksamana Raja Mahkota Muhammad Amin out of love and respect as his 5th descendant. These pictures were taken personally while following the convoy to bring the remains from Lumut where the Malaysian royal navy ship KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin berthed after sailing over a day to bring the remains outside of Singapore. After the reception ceremony at Lumut, then only were the remains brought along the old road heading for the royal mausoleum at Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar where the Laksamana finally returns.
Oh... Sorry if the pictures are not so clear. This is because I've used the GIF format when putting the pictures on-line to show to some friends at a favourite forum. In fact this is the same pictures and same comments (except it was originally in Malay) as shown in the forum more than 2 months ago... Well, it's good to put it in this blogspot in turn so that more people can see it, God willing!




The convoy carrying the remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin and Ngah Ibrahim en-route from Lumut to Kuala Kangsar via the old road, after the completion of the reception ceremony by the army at the Lumut Naval Base. Here, the 1.5km-long convoy were somewhere in Sitiawan, at about 10.15 am.



The convoy passing near Kampung Kota main mosque in Beruas at almost 11am. For information, not far behind the mosque are situated tombs of the kings of Beruas of which many are marked with winged-type Aceh gravestones, similar to the ones found on the tomb of Sultan Malikus Salih situated at the former centre of the Samudera-Pasai kingdom in Aceh, also similar to the gravestone at the only remaining tomb of a Malaccan king in Malaysia, that of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah at Kampung Raja, Pagoh, Muar... And, almost the spitting image of the gravestones marking the tomb of Perak's first king, Sultan Muzaffar Shah at Telok Bakong, Bota Kanan.



Convoy arrives at the t-junction of the old Lumut-Ipoh road to head for Kuala Kangsar via Manong at about 11.15.


Convoy nears Kuala Kangsar. The time is almost 12 noon...



The remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin ceremoniusly brought into the Perak royal mausoleum area at Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar. The time is about 12.15... Many have converged there including guest, relatives and those who just want to be part of the happenings... Seen at the background is the main mausoleum building housing a few kings of Perak closely related to Sultan Idris I who opened up Bukit Chandan in the early 1900s...



The remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin brought near the mausoleum area which housed the bodies of the close kins of Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II, the Perak king exiled to the Seychelles Islands in 1877 along with the Laksamana, Shahbandar Uda Ma'amor and Nga Ibrahim for being involved in the murder of the British Resident J.W.W. Birch in 1875. Both Uda Ma'amor and Ngah Ibrahim are Muhammad Amin's son-in-laws while the Laksamana is the third cousin of Sultan Abdullah.



The navy and those present paying their final respect before the remains are to be lowered down the ground. Seen in the background is part of the Ubudiyah Mosque of Bukit Chandan.



Workers making sure the coffin is put properly in place along with the remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin inside the special box brought from Singapura.



Navy personnel working hard to cover the ground with red earth as prepared while those present watched.



The burial is almost completed



The remains of Laksamana Muhammad Amin safely buried at Perak's royal mausoleum, Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar. Those present followed the special prayers recited by the imam (prayer congregation leader), forgot to check who he is... Didn't realise the navy can follow the prayer with just one hand? Perhaps it's the way done during war-time?



The Raja dihilir of Perak (second in-line to the throne) Raja Jaafar with the poise of an admiral, the king of the sea coming forth to pay his respects while Perak chief minister Tajol Rosli watches on.



Tajol Rosli's turn to spread the flowers and water the tomb of Laksamana Muhammad Amin... In the picture were many palace people including those related to me but I don't know any of them except one or two.
DONE!

The tale of Keramat Kuala Bidor 2… Touching a bit on the world shadow government

Continued from the previous posting, “The tale of Keramat Kuala Bidor” based on the story in the Malay novel “Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti”.

At first Rasyid tried to shrug off the weird dream, pretending as if it never ever happened. At that time, he was into his third year as sports journalist and was busy covering all sorts of events and tournaments especially in hockey, equestrian and motorsports. But the September 11 disaster of 2001 which saw the World Trade Centre twin towers in New York crumbling down to dust pulled him back to the dream which happened about a month before. As if there was a strong connection to the disaster which he believed marked an all-out attack by Zionist forces against the Muslim world. And this in turn would spark the Third World War soon enough, all of it in turn connected to the end-time propechies mentioned by the prophet Muhammad SAW 1,400 years ago!
Previously, the guy had studied the document called Protocols of the Elders of Zion which he found by accident while surfing the Internet at the office, a set of protocols which seemed to contain a detailed plan to conquer to world and create a huge world government to be known as The New World Order. The plan which was conceived by Zionist intellectuals from a previous generation also listed wholesale control over all forms of mass media – dailies, all sort of news, articles, radio programmes, TV, entertainment and Hollywood films to shape the kind of apathetic society which is easily manipulated… And this runs along with popular promotion of interest-based economics “sponsored” by the international bankers while political support is given to smart and charismatic budding politicians around the world but with moral faults making them easier to be herded by the Jews.
By then, Rasyid who was starting to get acquinted back to a moral good Muslim life while upholding the compulsory prayers as often as he could have also learned about the Freemason, a group with far-reaching tentacles which prided itself as built on the “correct” principles of universal brotherhood with the good intend of building a noble world-wide civilisation but is in fact an underground machinery created to support the Protocols. The machinery is in turn supported by the Illuminati, an elite group of wealthy and powerful thinkers from all over the world who move hidden in the shadows not unlike the dark figures behind all the webs of lies in the popular TV series the X-Files.
The views and explanations given by Henry Ford, the founder of the giant car-maker in his book The International Jews which detailed the tactics and workings of the Jews to control the early 20th century American economy just serve to plant more firmly his belief on the existence of a detailed Zionist plan to rule the world. His heart told him all these were already implied in the dream he had sometime ago.
For over a week Rasyid was restless with questions asking what is the meaning of this. Why did he felt the Third World War which according to a document on the Illuminati is mentioned as the last well-conceived war before the world could truly be conquered is just around the corner. In fact, maybe the war has already started with September 11… In the same fashion that the First and Second World War which took millions of life started with just small-scale violence somewhere in Eastern Europe before escalating within a few years to cover the whole world.
In the end, the guy couldn’t stand it any more. His instint told him, only Nenek (his father’s mother) could elaborate the meanings behind his weird dream and explain what is happening to him. All this while, he was closer to his mother’s family but nevertheless, he made a point of visiting Nenek at least once a year… Except during his student days in England and the last three years.
God knows how, Rasyid managed to get a weeks’ leave without much questioning. Normally it is very hard to get such a long leave from the sports desk especially when the regional Sea Games of 2001 would be hosted in Kuala Lumpur in a month’s time. And so, after three years of not visiting her, the guy rushed to see Nenek.
Nenek was all welcome and this was apparent the minute he arrived. The 70 plus year-old woman was her usual pleasant self, all smiles with soft lights showing how caring she is radiating from her eyes. And she still likes to wear Kedah traditional blouse along with Batik down her waist. Although her eldest grandchild (Rasyid of course!) have not visited her for ages, Nenek was not the least slighted. In fact the radiance on her face looked much more pleasant than before, as if suggesting she was already expecting his presence.
Muhammad Al-Aminul Rasyid waited after lunch is completed before bringing out what has been troubling his heart for some time… By telling her about the weird dream which involved the Perak Sultanate and its relationship with the end-times. Imagine, after so long not talking to Nenek, in fact never once in his whole life had he showed any interest on the state where his father was born, suddenly out of the blue he appeared and started asking about the old tales of Perak. Surprisingly, Nenek was not perturbed or astonished at all! She was so casual about it, as if it is high time her grandchild knew about his family origin, as if the time has finally arrive for him to take on a certain task… And so Nenek opened up the story…

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

The tale of Keramat Kuala Bidor

Below is an initial attempt to translate/adapt parts of the chapter called "Dari Perlak ke Perak: Kisah Keramat Kuala Bidor" (From Perlak to Perak: The tale of Keramat Kuala Bidor)... From the Malay novel "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" - (The trip to Aceh: In search of self and meaning?)... Have a look...



Those studying the old history of Aceh must surely know the name Sultan Malikus Salih, the founder of the twin kingdom of Samudera and Pasai, very famous indeed especially in the annals of Islamic history and the Malay Archipelago. Long before the kingdom of Melaka existed and embraced Islam, his royal highness have made his kingdoms the main centre of Islamic knowledge, transmission and missionary activities of this part of the world.
Tales on this Sultan is immortalised in the old text Hikayat Raja-raja Pasai, considered by scholars and historians as the oldest Malay text available. His tomb in Aceh invites many who wants to get acquainted with Islamic civilization of yore. But how many knew his royal highness and the kingdoms would never have existed if not for a certain figure who used to live at Teluk Intan and died there? How many even realise the connection between the Sultan this particular Perak man?
Its just this man’s tomb is alienated inside a palm oil estate, unlike the prominent tomb of Malikus Salih in Sumatera which is marked by Aceh tombstones, symbolising the high status of the person. The one in Perak is only marked with stones picked from the river, enough to show there once existed a certain person who walked on this earth, once upon a time.
What shows this man is not just not any Tom, Dick and Harry is the yellow clothes tied to the stones, marking him as of royal prominence with saintly powers. And thus he was known as the Keramat Kuala Bidor, literally translated, the saintly person of Kuala Bidor (referring to the estuary of the Bidor river where he used to live).

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Rasyid came to know of the existence of Keramat Kuala Bidor when he was moved to search from Nenek (his grandma) some old stories regarding Perak. Before this, he had not the slightest interest in such stories, having been branded by his own family of being too Westernised… Maybe because of his four years of study in London sometime ago?
Muhammad Al Aminul Rasyid used to be very proud of his God-given intellectual capacity to digest Western studies like the philosopies of Socrates and Plato. And thus Western ideological texts such as the Das Kapital and Communist Manifesto of Karl Marx, Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith and of course, The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli, the Italian political strategist known for the quote “the ends justify the means” which has become a mantra for politicians became his daily diet.
The guy also happens to have “Western features”. If his younger days in primary school saw him being ashamed of his clear white-reddish complexion plus his rather brownish hair, the tables are turned during his youth. His natural looks which used to be reasons for others to take a pick and make jokes on him became assets instead as the girls began to show interest… And all this happened while many Malay guys were trying to find ways to smoothen and withen their skin and paint their hair in lighter shade to look like Westerners and so be deemed fairer and more good-looking.
Rasyid really enjoyed his assets as more and more girls especially the really good-looking ones praise his “Western” looks, although as far as family history shows, he has not a shred of European or Western blood. And so the Muar, Johor-born lad became sure there was no need to know anything about old Malay folklore and tales… Although he used to really loved it when he was small with local tales like Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa and Hikayat Inderaputra receiving as much interest as the tales of Greek Gods like Zeus and Aphrodite, also the Norse Gods like Odin, Thor and Loki… After all he loves stories with mythical themes and magic in it.
The guy only change his stance when a sort of “Malayness” feeling began to permeate his being, a kind of a bitter-sweet feeling “activated” when he first heard a collection of songs on the CD written by M.Nasir but sung by Hattan particularly the one titled “Lagu Cenderawasih”. This particular song has some sort of mystical tinge to it, at least that’s what he felt upon hearing it one early morning while cleaning the chimneys alone at a Malay restaurant in London. It was in 1995 and Rasyid was in his final year of his Degree in Mathematics. But he had to take a few odd jobs including rearranging the books at the university library, serving customers and cleaning the pots and pans at the University of London Union cafetaria and handing leaflets in front of Dillon’s bookstore nearby to make ends meet after his scholarship was discontinued for breaking the contract.
Too bad, when he returned to Malaysia, he was soon immersed back in Westernised activities which set aside good Islamic and Malay norms. His job as a journalist attached to a prominent English daily often made him lost in enjoyment at prestigious functions and parties… The kind with free mixing accentuated by really sexy and glamorous ladies egged on further by what seemed to be never-ending supply of liquor and beer. Imagine, exclusive Formula One parties at the best night-clubs in town attended only by a list of who’s who… With model-type ladies (waif, alluring, plenty of smiles and ready for action) which one normally found at motor-races to take care of guests, courtesy of the big companies eager to make journalists very happy in exchange for perpetual publicity. Who would ever thought, one day, after spending so much happy-go-lucky time in this Internet age and free-for-all information world, Rasyid had a dream which would force him to study old Perak tales and then on Aceh and anything to do with it? Who would have thought it would go on until this book, a rather weird piece of writing materialised and is now sitting right in front of your face?