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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

An 'Incursion' to Besut


From Pulau Manis, I got the bus to Kuala Terengganu. Walked around to have a final look at the town before heading for Kelantan. Saw this rather interesting building on the round...
All this walking about looking at things made me miss the express bus to Kota Bahru, the capital of Kelantan. Never mind, I take this as a signal I might have too stop at other places before going there. But first, must make the move to get out of Kuala Terengganu...


So I took the non-express bus to Kerteh... Or was it Jerteh? It sounds almost the same but the places are two different places far away from each other. Whatever, one is at the south of Kuala Terengganu, another at the north. I went to the northern one to get a connecting service to Kota Bahru. Then suddenly the words Tok Bali, the name of a place which I've passed through one night some years ago came to mind...

I found out that to get to Tok Bali, one must take the bus through or to Besut. It happens that the last bus heading that way that day stops at Besut. So I just follow 'the winds' and go there!

There... I found the streets of Besut quite endearing... Should be worth it to stop for a night...


The Besut bus-stop. Most outsiders know Besut as the embarkation point to get to the resort island of Pulau Perhentian, nothing more... Today (as in 22 December 2006), I intend to find out more that meet's the eye, God willing!


One of the cute buildings which caught my eye...



The old surau (small praying hall) of Besut... Felt a slight spiritual pull coming out from it but decided to walk one... Feels like there a place somewhere with a stronger spiritual pull but don't know where.


As it turn out, 10 minutes later I came across this old mosque. Immediately I knew this is where I should spent the night. Suffice to say, I did get some spiritual lessons there but no need to elaborate... :]


Perhaps, one of the reason there's a strong pull there is the amount of old graves beside the mosque... One or two might belong to a saintly person who might have long left this world but still leaves a certain spiritual aura that can be detected by some!


Look at the design, the positioning of the door... There's certain something more than meets the eye... Ah.. The description of the eye as the door to the soul suddenly came to mind...



This picture taken in the brightness of the following day should tell a story or two about the mosque...


Hmm... Flowery motifs inside. Makes one wonder the philosophy behind the building of the mosque... Peace? Make love not war? After all, the word Islam came from the Arabic root word Salam which means peace. One only wage war in order to bring peace, that is trying to patch things up after the order is disturbed. Otherwise, one would avoid any form of conflict and concentrate only on God and doing peaceful things and such...

Now I'm beginning to sound like the Buddha. Then again, some say the Buddha is a Muslim, an adherent of Islam... That is, Islam in its real sense not the perverted one which we often see as practised today!


The Asmaul Husna, 99 beautiful of God inscribed on a wood panel in gold-colour lettering. Need I say more?


The surau seen under the bright daylight. Still I find myself just moving along without stopping by, my mind thinking out what is it at Tok Bali, Kelantan which 'forced' me to alter my route and make this 'incursion' to Besut...


A last look at the activities in Besut. It is after all a fishing town, a place of fishermen... Cheerio! :]

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