The broken stretch at Semenyih Dam

Continued from Exploring the upper level of Raja Alang mosque.

Tuesday, 12th Nov. After spending the night at a family house in Kajang I decided to ride down Semenyih before heading for Hulu Langat. That's when a found there's a stretch of road which have been closed for some time because of a major landslide.

The stretch lies along a lake created by the Semenyih Dam. Motorists would have to turn back and take another route to get ahead which is equivalent to more than 50 km travel!

However those on bikes can take their chance.

I saw about 2-3 bikes which managed to pass through but all of it were small bikes. It is much riskier negotiating the slippery paths on big bikes such as mine so I decided to walk first and survey.

So far so good. The stretch though slippery looked manageable as I have experienced much tougher terrain on my bike.

It's just that I've just recovered from a broken right leg. I could not afford to make mistakes.

Thank God I've survived the ordeal, the toughest being a climb at 30-40 degree upwards up a rather slippery read earth part. Here's looking back at the broken stretch...

Exploring the upper level of Raja Alang mosque

Continued from Putrajaya and its two big mosques.

The following day, Monday 11th Nov, I travelled from Bangi to Beranang using a rural road. Upon arriving I stopped by at Raja Alang mosque.

I've been here a few times before but can't remember noticing this steep steel staircase.

So I can't resist the urge to climb up and see what's up...

Putrajaya and its two big mosques

Continued from Global Economics and Monetary Crisis - What needs to be done?.

After the forum I went to Bangi then to a friend's place around. In the evening I went to Putrajaya again, this time with the friend who also rides a bike.

From on top a main hill we enjoyed the wide vista of this administrative capital of this nation.

I don't remember the name of the hill. Here stood this monument which should represent 21st century Malaysia...

Then we went down to the wide open circle in front of the Putra mosque.

At first we thought of just watching the activities around. Then I felt we should visit the mosque.

We ended up doing our Maghrib (after dusk) prayers here.

Next we went to Presint 4.

A look at the international convention centre.

Nearby lies a hill which is left out of development due to mysterious circumstances causing machineries like tractors to fail. It is believed that this area is the seat of government of an invisible kingdom...

From there we went to Masjid Besi, the steel mosque.

We did our Isyak prayers (the one after Maghrib) here.

Global Economics and Monetary Crisis - What needs to be done?

Sharing something from the weekend...

Sunday morning 10th November I went to Putrajaya for a function.

It is called the Internatioanl Islamic Forum Putrajaya and I was going for the 2nd session of forum titled "Global Economics and Monetary Crisis - What needs to be done?"

Apparently it was held inside the belly of a 'zeppelin'.

I came in late, when the 2nd last speaker Ellen Brown, president of Public Banking Institute of the USA was about to start, via teleconferencing.

Seated in front, from left is David Musa Pidcock, founder and leader of the Islamic Party of Britain, Amirul Haji Mohamad, host of tv programme Islamic Finance Today, Prof. Dr. Patrick, professor of economics at Azabu University, Japan and Prof. Dato' Dr. Aziuddin Ahmad, board member of Yayasan Putra Business School. All were speakers except Amirul who was the moderator. Everyone had impressive credentials. But I was particularly impressed with Dr. Aziuddin's as it says he holds a PhD in Reactor Physics and Masters in Nuclear Reactor Science & Engineering from University of London.

After Ellen Brown has finished speaking about the merits of setting up public banking owned by the state or responsible members of the public as opposed to greedy capitalists and private individuals, the last speaker Dr. Patrick Collins took stage.

Frankly I was surprised about his brutally honest take on the current world banking system and its financial instruments. I know for some time now that the system is a big fraud but to hear someone talking about it in a international economics forum? Boy, that did made my day.

His slides were very straight to the point practically calling the bankers as gangsters. Oh, he opened his speech with the fact he graduated in Economics from Cambridge University without anyone ever telling him that the Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve are both privately owned.

Now, I didn't take pictures of every slide.

But what is available should suffice to tell that the system needs changing.

As this is an Islamic economics forum the main idea is we should disentangle ourselves from a riba' or interest based system which is very oppresive. The question is how...

Collins advocated something called the Grondona System...

The whole economics matter was further discussed in a Q&A session.

Yours truly also fielded a number of questions along with opinions. While a number of solutions are available, I believe the actual problem lies in the willpower to implement and the speakers concur. Mr. Pidcock even goes to the extent of saying it is the cowardice of the politicians as legislators which is the stumbling block. When yours truly suggested perhaps we need a benevolent dictator, a strong charismatic person of royal stature to stamp his foot down to make things happen he added the real unifying factor would be the Mahdi. Enough.