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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.


Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Of orchids and old college memories...

This is a picture of me, the wife, my dad and mum shopping for orchids at a farm near my house. Spending a full 3 nights and more days with them going around including to this farm refreshed my mind on the value of family ties. Except the articles on Batu Caves, the last few postings here directly or indirectly involved dad and mum... or at least thoughts of them as me and wife went to Jengka to attend a cousin's wedding. Then the four of us went to Bagan Datoh in the same car to attend the reception on the cousin husband's side.

In a way, the last few postings let off some sort of steam from my chest. Now it's time to return to some unfinished business, to let off plenty more steam from other parts of my inside.

OK. Sometime in June 2008, I started a writing which is supposed to make up a series in reliving the fond memories of my college days. But since then, I only managed to write a total of 3 pieces. And the last one was made in July.

Today, I felt I've released enough steam through other writings for me to be able to try again recalling what happened then. So here I would like to make a resolve... I would committ the next few writings at least to remembering the "A" level college days.

To be frank, I've forgotten a lot. That's why the act of remembering is important... for I believe therein lies a few missing pieces that could help me weather my future better and smarter. So I would continue writing the way I often do... by putting to paper (or rather the Net) what I could remember at any certain time. And this don't have to come in any particular order.

Anyway, down here are links to the 3 articles I've managed to write out so far. For the record, this is the 303rd posting in this blogspot. May it augur well for my effort. After all, I do like symmetrical numbers as this one I take as a good omen. Good night!



Remembering the "A" level college days some 20 years ago! Just to get the juices flowing...


Remembering the "A" Level college days. How I got the nickname Fly!

Remembering the "A" Level college days. Damansara Utama where the cool days started!

The Perak river mouth at Bagan Datoh

On Thursday 19th March, me, the wife, my dad and mum went to Selekoh in Bagan Datoh to attend a cousin's wedding reception. As the place was only 7 km away from the small town of Bagan Datoh, we decided to pay a visit afterwards, along with a few other relatives.


For Bagan Datoh is the closest town to the Perak river mouth...


Just look at the width of the river from here... it must be more than 1 km, perhaps 2-3 km across. For the record, the Perak river is the biggest and longest river on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. While the Pahang river on the east coast is longer, from my observation the Perak river is wider at least towards the river mouth.

A look from the jetty. There's some kids fishing here...


A look at the small town from the jetty. The town is so small, it probably have at most 4 rows of shophouse totalling some 20 shops or so...



What I do like is the view of the Perak river here. Seen here are my family members...




Actually it is still some 10km or so to the actual river mouth which could be seen in this picture, heading west from the jetty.





But the width and immensity of the river in Bagan Datoh is already huge enough to reflect on what's available at the actual river mouth. Just look at this picture... this is actually heading inland towards the east, opposite of the river mouth.






Here's another look across. That's all...




Monday, March 30, 2009

Inside Batu Caves...

Continuing from A climb up Batu Caves...


Here's a view at the entrance into the main cave of Batu Caves...

Here's a look going inside...


Above is small opening leading skywards.



A look at the entrance from inside...




There's set of staircase leading to the highest man-made platform inside the cave...





On the platform is a temple much respected by devotees...





Some of the staglamite and staglatite formation near the temple...




Above it is a huge opening allowing substantial amount of sunlight in.



Here is a view on the way down from the platform.




And one of the view going down from the main cave entrance. That's all! :]


A climb up Batu Caves...

Having stayed in Kuala Lumpur for almost two decades, I've climbed up the Batu Caves quite a number a times... if I remember correctly more then 10 times. But it's only recently I've made the latest climb after more than a year or so and this time I felt like sharing some pictures. Come! :]


OK. All city folks should know where Batu Caves is situated at. In fact it is quite reknowned internationally as the place were more than a million people annually converge to celebrate the major Hindu festival of Thaipusam, the biggest such event in the world outside of India...


Batu Caves houses perhaps the biggest concentration of Hindu temples outside of India...

Visits are often made not only by Hindus but also by tourist and locals, at least because it is the only limestone hill with caves easily accesible from the city...


Batu Caves is coveted by the Hindus such that they also have the biggest statue of a Hindu deity in the world outside of India.



Time to make a climb...




After a few steps, I felt like snapping a picture up. This couple happened to be in focus...


OK, a view over halfway up...






A look down from there...








And here, almost on top of the 272 steps. By the way this is the 300th posting in this blogspot. To be continued...

In Temerloh for a dish of ikan patin...

After the wedding the ceremony in Jengka is complete and done, we immediately head back for Kuala Lumpur. On the way we stopped at Temerloh, a main town beside the Pahang river...


Here's a look at the bridge across the river...

We were near these row of stalls...


Actually we stopped in Temerloh to sample the local delicacy, ikan patin (a type of fish) cooked in a style called masak lemak gulai tempoyak. Sorry, I'm not good at translating culinary delights and related terms.

Too bad the charges were rather exorbitant... perhaps the stall owner took advantage of the fact that we're outsiders stopping for their famous local dish without knowning its actual price. Never mind that, it did taste good. We console ourselves by saying that it's not often we get to enjoy the ikan patin masak lemak gulai tempoyak, quite famous in Kuala Lumpur too, at its place of origin!



Anyway, the stalls were near the old bus stand...




Then we saw these riverside parts which looks more scenic...





Apparently this is were the locals like to hang out...






Here you can get a clearer view of the river and across...




You could also get a better view of the bridge albeit from further away. Cheers! :]

A visit to Gua (cave of) Kota Gelanggi - Gua Balai and out...

Continued from A visit to Gua (cave of) Kota Gelanggi - enter Gua Tongkat...


Back to the spot some 2 km from the entrance...


As it turned out, there's 11 different caves within the Gua Kota Gelanggi complex while we had time to visit only those easily accesible from the stony path...

We had a look at these parts of the complex. There's some youngsters practising absailing...


Oh, these parts are called Gua Balai... which literally means the cave of the hall...



As the way in and up looks not so hard, we decided to make a climb...




Here's a look inside... roomy enough to set a quite a number of tents...





Another part with a small opening...



A look at the entrance from inside.







We then immediately head out. Actually theres another cave between Gua Balai and Gua Tongkat but it looks like the way inside is much harder to climb. Besides the people who took us on their van had to leave while we ourselves still have to attend another part of the wedding in Jengka by noon. That's all! :]

A visit to Gua (cave of) Kota Gelanggi - enter Gua Tongkat...

Continued from A visit to Gua (cave of) Kota Gelanggi - the way in...


As it turned out, the first cave (there's a series of caves inside the Gua Kota Gelanggi complex) is 500 metres away from the entrance while other caves are at least 2 km away or so!


Luckily at the entrance, we met a group of people in a van on their way in. They offered us to join them, so we gladly went along. That not only save us the problem of either having to walk on or retrace our steps to take our car in... we managed to go in comfortably without having to pay the RM5 per car charge for vehicles going inside!

There's some people camping at Gua Tongkat...


For information, the words Gua Tongkat could literally be translated as the cave of the support cane...



Maybe because its structure looks like it is supporting a sizeable amount of limestone above...




There's some parts which looks like it could lead to an underground river...





Then we went 2km further and nearer to the main limestone hill...






Here's parts of hill which could be seen from here...