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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, March 10, 2017

Melaka river near Melaka Pindah

Peace be upon you this wonderful Friday. Something from last weekend.


Saturday afternoon 4th March 2017. Me and family returned to my native hometown Muar for holiday. On the way we took a slip road at Alor Gajah. At one part the road goes along this river...


I understand this is the Melaka river.





The location here is close to a place called Melaka Pindah...





Thursday, March 09, 2017

Small 51C reunion in Damansara Utama

Continuing from the article Sports day at Sungai Buaya village school. On to 2 days later...


Tuesday night 28th February 2017. I joined a small reunion meet and dinner with room-mates from my college days at the PPP?ITM 'A Levels' 1988-1989.


Its been some time since we gathered. There were only 1/3 of the whole lot of 20 or so who could make it but hey, it's still good to see them after all this while. Just for proserity's sake let me immortalise this meet in this article. For the record the last time we had such a meet was almost 8 years ago. It was done at the same restaurant close to our old college. Have a look at the old article Ngeteh' session at Viccudha Damansara Utama....



Sports day at Sungai Buaya village school

Bringing the storytelling back home after some time talking about things abroad. 


Sunday morning 26th February 2017. Me and wife went to our son's school at the village of Sungai Buaya, Rawang, Selangor.





Actually we just went to the school field.














I think most people can guess it was sports day...

















Just like other parents we were there to show support for the event, the school and our kids...





Kampar and Siak rivers along with some rivers outside of Malaysia

Some sort of follow up from the recently finished storytelling on Sumatera travel...



Its been my practice over many years that after finishing a series of stories on a significant travel I would compile all related articles made in this blogspot along with those made in the Malay language blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU and bilingual SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) . By significant I mean travels that take time, normally 5 days or more each. A compilation article for each travel would be formed to be featured in my main blogspot CATATAN.  A copy would be shared in this blogspot with English translation.

Since last year I've grown tired of making compilation copies here. Recently I've just finished the storytelling on my travel in the middle part of Sumatera 25th January - 1 February 2017 and a compilation article has been made for CATATAN. That series feature a number of articles showing the Kampar and Siak rivers from different place and angles, articles which are displayed in this blogspot to support the main storytelling in CATATAN. Those two rivers are among the main rivers in Sumatera and today I've decided to form a compilation of links for articles on the rivers. 

This should show my attention to the rivers besides forming additions to links featured under a permanent section called "Fascination with rivers" on the right sidebar of this blogspot. Here goes. As usual links are arranged to show upstream parts going downstream...


Kampar river

First proper look at Danau Koto Panjang

Danau Koto Panjang from the edge down the lakeside restaurant









Siak river


Siak river from Syahabuddin mosque





For the record "Fascination with rivers" features views from different places and angles of 33 rivers around Peninsular Malaysia. The sub-section on foreign rivers or those outside of Malaysia features only 3 rivers so far - The Aceh river in Aceh along with Brunei and Belait rivers in Brunei. Even then it has not been updated since the section was introduced many years ago. Here, while I'm at it I feel like adding more links on the Aceh river based on later visits and those on other foreign rivers visited but yet to be featured.


Aceh river




Babalan river (In Langkat, south-east of Aceh)



Riau river (Island of Bentan)



And the following 3 rivers are from my visit to West Kalimantan on Borneo island middle of 2015...


Kapuas river











Mempawah river





Sambas river




Tuesday, March 07, 2017

Last look at Pekanbaru

Continuing from the article Siak river from the bridge off Siak town.


From Siak I arrived at the fringe of Pekanbaru city at around 5. My flight back to Malaysia was scheduled to take off after 8. So I decided to go to the city centre first to spend some time...





From the point I was dropped by local transport I walked to the city's main road.












I walked to and fro and around it to savour the life and view before its time for to leave...
































Siak river from the bridge off Siak town



Soon its time for me to leave Siak town and head back to Pekanbaru.


To do that one must first take this bridge across the Siak river...






A look downriver. Siak town is about 2.5 km to that direction.





A look upriver. Pekanbaru is about 90 km away by river.


By road it is about 10 km further...


Monday, March 06, 2017

Siak river from Syahabuddin mosque

Continuing from Siak river from Siak town.


Further upriver lies the Syahabuddin mosque.


From its compound you could also get nice views of the Siak river...