BERPETUALANG KE ACEH: 2013-12-15

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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, December 20, 2013

The Aceh tombstones at Bukit Beruang

Continued from Bringing the Aceh guys to Pengkalan Kempas.

Late in the afternoon we went to Bukit Beruang in Melaka where lies a certain Muslim cemetery.

What is special about this place is there are so many Aceh tombstones around.

It has the most amount of such tombstones I've seen in Melaka.

It is said that all the tombs here belong to the family and descendants of Dato' Aroom, the first Malay kapitan or leader during the Dutch era (conquering the city of Melaka since 1641). Aroom is said to be a Chinese Muslim convert. It is a mystery why his family is honoured with such tombstones made normally for royalty, noblemen and religious figures of high standing.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Bringing the Aceh guys to Pengkalan Kempas

Continued from Looking at Teluk Kemang.

On the way to Melaka from Port Dickson one could make a foray to a certain historical place.

So I brought the Aceh guys here...

It is popularly known as the megalithic stones of Pengkalan Kempas.

The place also has a tomb said to belong to a religious preacher known as Sheikh Ahmad Majnun who lived some 600 years ago.

Looking at Teluk Kemang

Peace be upon you all. The recent Monday me and a friend brought some friends from Aceh for a visit to Melaka. Somewhere on the way near Sepang I felt like making a diversion towards the coastal town of Port Dickson, fondly known by Malaysians as PD.

It happened that all the Acehnese, 7 of them came from a place called Pidie... pronounced PD.

So it seems a visit to Malaysia's PD is proper. And the part of beach known as Teluk Kemang seems most cosy...