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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, April 04, 2008

Now, a look at the northern parts of the Pahang river estuary...

Greetings dear readers... A few days ago I made a posting titled A look at the Pahang river estuary and what's around... The southern part that is... At the end of the article, I did say that I would soon feature the northern parts of the river next...
What happened was, after a day in Pekan, I went to Kuantan and stayed at a auntie's place, planning to go to Terengganu next. Then one fine Monday morning, the auntie's husband who actually hailed from Pekan but haven't been there for many years decided to take me to his hometown for a little tour.
It happened that just a day after arriving in Kuantan, then I realised that there's other parts of Pekan which I should have visited before moving on elsewhere. Thus the invitation for a ride to Pekan is indeed God-send and here are some pictures from the northern banks of the Pahang estuary, from around a fishermen landing area there... Without any need for further explanations ya... Cheers! :]












Monday, March 31, 2008

From Pekan to Kuantan... The East Coast journey continues...

Continuing my current streak of storytelling across all my three blogspots... Let us continue from where I left off in the article (The place known as...) Makam Chondong started last night but completed in the blogspot SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) just moments ago...


Soon its time to leave Makam Chondong, time to leave the town of Pekan too...


I came out of Makam Chondong through the village of Kampung Mengkasar. Upon reaching the main road, I saw this old surau (small praying hall) which I've noticed upon arriving in Pekan the previous day... So I decided to take a picture...

The very moment I took my camera out, came a white Kancil (seen in the right-down side of this pix) parking in front and spoiling my angle. Immediately came out the man seen here standing as if posing for a picture!

I don't have much time to wait and choose a better moment to snap a picture as some 200 metres down the road I could see the bus to Kuantan heading my way. As it is, I have to position myself right in the middle of the busy road just so I could cover as much of the surau as possible using my cheap digital camera. So I snapped away anyway... Once done, I ran across the road just in time to flag down the bus to Kuantan...

Soon enough I'm on the way... Here is a look at the Pahang river from inside the bus, while crossing the main bridge...

Soon enough the bus arrived in Kuantan...


The main mosque of Kuantan seen from inside the bus...


The non-express bus stops here...


The station is nearby the river Kuantan...


Here I could take a better shot of the giant letters spelling "Kuantan" across the river...


Then it's time for lunch...


Once that is done, I have enough energy to walk around town...


This is the old part of Kuantan...


I walked across towards the new part where the other main bus station, the one for express buses lies. I just want to check the ticket prices for next possible destination after Kuantan, that is one of the main towns of Terengganu... Probably Kemaman or Dungun if not straight to the capital Kuala Terengganu...

Along the way, I had a good look at the main mosque... Pretty impressive structure it is!


Once I'm done checking out, I head for an auntie's place in the north-east parts of Kuantan. I planned to rest there for a few days before making my next move.

In the picture is a main hill around Kuantan. The hill known as Bukit Pelindung (literally translated as the "protective hill") looms at over 250 metres high, quite near my auntie's place.

For the record, this should be my 181th posting here. I'm writing this story from Kuala Terengganu 200km north of Kuantan after leaving the town about a week ago... So that should give some idea of the travelling route I already took...

Whatever, we'll continue the story-telling another time ya... Afterwards, I intend to head for Kelantan. Take care... Cheers! :]

Sunday, March 30, 2008

A look at the Pahang river estuary and what's around... The southern part that is...

OK... This story practically continues from the article Dan perjalanan diteruskan ke Pekan... in the blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU . Here goes!

This is the view down the small road, next to bend of the major route heading southwards to Rompin and Mersin from Pekan, Pahang... The signboard shows the way to a place called Tanjung Agas, at the estuary of the Pahang river 6km ahead...

Now, I've wanted to see the estuary of the Pahang river for sometime. So naturally I must go there before I can continue with my other plans...


Thank God, there is bus service heading all the way there... But it is only after 3km or so did I decided to snap pictures...


Finally, Tanjung Agas. The name reminds me of a place with the same name in Muar, right at the northern part of the Muar river mouth.

Here I learned, there's an island called Pulau Teja near the estuary of the Pahang river and the land in the background of this picture is the island... The name in turn reminds one of the legendary 15th century princess Tun Teja who was smuggled from Pahang by the warrior Hang Tuah, to be matched with the Sultan of Melaka...


The estuary of the Pahang river slightly to the east... It seems there's plenty of sand on the other side...


Then I took the same bus to head back towards Pekan...


But I decided to drop down at this cemetery nearby the bend to the south where I first took the bus...


Somehow this particular grave attracted me the first time I saw it right after boarding the bus to Tanjung Agas...


I just had to have a look at what's inside...


I also found this rather interesting grave in the same cemetery...


Then, there's this tree with a lot of "warts"...


Once that's done, I head back to Pekan. The story will be continued later in the blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU .

Oh... In case you are wondering why the title of this story is "A look at the Pahang river estuary and what's around... The southern part that is..." Why mention the sourthern part? Well, it is because later, I would have a look at the northern part of the river estuary... A few days later that is but that is another story. Cheers! :]