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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, October 13, 2010

A Hari Raya do with all batches (well, almost...) from my old school

On the 4th week of the Raya festive month, on 3rd October 2010 to be exact my old alma mater Sekolah Menengah Sains (Science secondary school of) Johor, Kluang held a Hari Raya do at University Kebangsaan (National university of) Malaysia in Bangi.


With old boys from all batches invited it was the first time I attended such a do since leaving school in 1986.


For the record the first batch of school was the ones who came for Form Four before doing their MCE exams in 1975. A few years later or so the MCE which was taken by 17-year-old boys about to finish school was renamed as SPM and I took mine in 1987... hence the identification of batch by when the SPM was taken (despite the fact that I was kicked out of school in 1986 due to disciplinary problem and changed to another school).


Thus they do practically have old boys who finished school in 1975 on to those who finished in the 2000s. Among those coming I've seen some wearing patches saying they are from SPM 2003 but no later. Perhaps I've missed the younger ones. Then again while those who finished school in 2009 could also be considered old boys, they are perhaps too young to come to this do as meets like this are normally attended by those who are already established at work.



Relaxing in the hall next to the dining area. Normally after school, one continues with around 2 years of pre-university studies followed by 3 to 4 years doing their first degree. Then only they started working. Confirmation at a work place would take an average around 6 months. Only then one could say they already have a career and could be considered matured enough to mingle with their more established seniors in an old boys do.

Logically the youngest lot to qualify should be someone who finished university in 2009 before gaining enough footing at work in 2010. Such a person would have done 6 years of studies after finishing school (2 years pre-university plus 3-4 years in university) meaning he/she did his/her SPM in 2003. Hmm... that could explain why the youngest old boys to attend (at least the ones I saw) was from SPM 2003.


There were younger attendees of course such as this young girl and my then 11-month old boy Muhammad Al-Aminul Rasyid. But they were not graduates from our school, at least not yet. By the way my boy turned one year old today! :]


OK. While the boys tend to gather among their own batches or the ones closest to them there were enough interactions to go across all ages. Granted we tend to mingle with those we remember from our own time. For example when my batch were in Form One the eldest we knew was those who did their SPM then which was in 1983. Then when we turned 17 and started taking the SPM ourselves, we knew our youngest junior who was in Form One in 1987 (and girls too, but we hardly use the word old girls from a school except if it was an all-girls school right?), juniors who took the SPM in 1991.

In other words each of us tend to remember at most those who are 4 years older and 4 years younger. Well, in this do there are old boys 12 years older than me and 16 years younger. But in the working world such a divide means nothing.

That's why earlier I said normally one has to have enough footing in the working world to attend a do like this, a do of which all batches were invited. For it is easy for an 18-year-old out of school to immediately start a reunion among themselves as obviously they have much in common. But when you have to address super seniors who are up to more than 20 years older than yourselves and some of them have gained enough status to be on the country's top echelon of politicians, businessmen and noted individuals, you obviously need some acumen that could only be gathered after at least a few years in the working world.


On a lighter note, propping up the atmosphere was a professional musician. Then there's the two old mates from my batch Sam and Adrian.


Ah. I must say I totally enjoyed attending this do. While the attendee numbered a small percentage of all graduates from our school we still have almost 30 years of representation (MCE 75 to SPM 2003).


My wife who is 5 years younger and hailed from another science school (Sekolah Menengah Sains Teluk Intan or SEMESTI in Perak) was also pleased. I think our boy Al-Rasyid enjoyed it too...


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