The fierce waves in Pontian

After we're done at south Pontian we next went to the main town at Pontian Kechil...

Like Kukup it is situated besides the Straits of Melaka but the town is much bigger...

From the sea-side one could see the Indonesian island of Karimun far towards the south...

Closer to the west lies the Malaysian island of Pulau Pisang.

We then headed towards another part of town...

This part also lies beside the waters but it has a number of foodstalls...

It is not far from the main bus station.

As I came in to park I noticed the waves here looked much fiercer...

This prompts me to have a closer look...

The waves were so fierce that it practically 'jump' into the land!

There, at last managed to catch a 'jump' in action...

Better still, I decided to tape the next ones on video. Later did I learned that such fierces waves came only in a period of one to two days every year. So there... for the record this is the 242nd article in this blogspot.

p/s : Correction made 7th July 2014. I was searching for the 424th article in this blogspot but had trouble finding it. After checking in detail list of articles this turns out to be the one. After reading through the article then I knew the cause of the trouble... I had pointed it out as the 242nd article. Sheessshhh... :]

The little town of Kukup

We next went to the little town of Kukup...

While the town consist of just a number of shops, it can be quite busy at times...

This is because here lies an international ferry terminal...

It is a main gateway for Indonesians to get into Malaysia via Johor...

Other than that Kukup is quite well-known for its fisheries...

Thus it has number of sea food restaurants with patrons coming also from Singapura...

The southernmost tip of mainland Asia...

Continued from Staying above the waves at Tanjung Piai

Just outside the resort which lies on stilts there are signboards leading to another interesting destination...

It is a national park...

... which is situated at a very unique position...


How unique? See what is engraved on the stone...

The information here should explain it all. The map on the stone should be able to give a visual verification as Peninsular Malaysia itself lies at the southernmost tip of mainland Asia, and Tanjung Piai in Pontian is the southernmost part of the Peninsular!

Staying above the waves at Tanjung Piai

As promised in Baby Al-Rasyid's own little adventure... let's start the supporting articles for the series currently running in the blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU .

In CATATAN SI MERAH SILU I have explained how Al-Rasyid who was only 38 days old then was brought from our home at Bandar Tasik Puteri to Muar as a prelude to a coming planned journey to the south. Three days later the journey was official started as baby, mum and me visited place in the district of Batu Pahat before embarking on a night drive to Pontian. The story here started with what happened the following day. Look at the above picture... what can you tell about what we have been up to?

There, more walkways on stilts. What is this all about?

OK. Actually this is where we spent the night in Pontian, right inside this green building...

You see, these buildings are all part of a resort complex on stilts...

The resort lies above the waters of Tanjung Piai, at the southermost part of Pontian...

Look closely and you could see ships anchored off the southern harbours of the city-state of Singapura (again, excuse me for refusing to use the Anglicised name Singapore)...

This look back from the platfrom from the previous picture should give some idea as to how far this place lies from the mainland. Notice the radar tower in the background? It is used both to guide shipping and to guard the Malaysian border...

The green building where we spent the night lies halfway...

A look to the north-east shows the Johor port of Tanjung Pelepas. Sorry for not getting a clearer picture. Otherwise you could also see the bridge/second link which connects Johor to the island of Singapura.

Sains Johor upon reaching 40 reunion for batch 83-87...

Peace be upon you all. Today I would like to recount back a recent reunion held between my old school mates from Sekolah Menengah Sains Johor (Johor Secondary Science School). Come! :]

Friday night 1st of January 2010, 8 pm or so. Me, wife and our little baby arrived at the reunion venue where plenty of old friends were already waiting...

The reunion itself started at 6 pm. But me and wife got a number of things to settle first at our home. Besides the venue is 50 km away...

It's been a while since I met some of the guys. Some I did met at a family reunion held in Melaka 1 st May 2009 (see Reunion of SMSJ (Johor Science School) batch SPM 1987 in Melaka). But there were others I havent seen since leaving school in 1986!


As far as I could see, all of those present here left school after the SPM examinations at the end of 1987. I was among the few who had to leave earlier because of disciplinary problems.

Anyway we were all born in the year 1970. That is why this particular reunion is so special. Because in 2010 we are all going to be 40-years-old albeit at different times due to our different birthdates. Admittedly there are at least two who turned 40 on 1st Jan. But none of them were present because of certain obstructions. I understand one, Azmi Bachok @ Topoi has been stationed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for years. So he could not make it here.




Just in case anybody is wondering where this reunion was held. Perhaps the pix above could answer the question?





Yes, it was held at a petrol kiosk owned by our friend Sam who recently became a Haji along with his wife Raha (now Hajjah), also from the same school and batch...





Actually this was never planned to be a reunion. It's just that Sam has just returned from performing the Hajj in Mecca and so did another schoolmate Muzaffar with his family. Having enjoyed some sumptous lamb meals in Arabia, they asked some of us to join a dinner at one of the Arab restaurants in Cyberjaya back in Malaysia...






The invitation which was aired and discussed in our e-mail list got many interested. The number of those who would commit soon swelled pass 20 and it was decided Sam's petrol kiosk in Cheras would be the best place for everyone to meet and recall old times...

And so here's the final count. Let me try to list the names (or nicknames) of schoolmates who attended, from the top of my head ya...

1. Haji Sam

2. Haji Muzaffar

3. Adrian

4. Mamu

5. Amali

6. Shuhaimi

7. Lawi

8. Zaidi

9. Zul Mid

10. Saini Sintut

11. Azhar Kerang

12. Hafizi

13. Zafarin

14. Acul

15. Zaid

16. Faris

17. Jamil

18. Tajuddin

19. Boon Wah

20. Zulsafari

21. Mackay

22. Azreen

23. Lokman

24. Myself of course...

As for the girls they are...

1. Hajah Raha

2. Yana

3. Rozita

4. Aim

5. Nik Habsah

6. Foo Siang Mun

7. Hazlin

8. Nazirah

There... a total of 32 names. I hope I didn't miss anyone.

Anyway having 32 names listed for the upon reaching 40 reunion (it's not the 40th reunion ya... I don't think any of us has made any significant gathering for even 10 times) is indeed a superb achievement. Just compare to the family reunion held in Melaka on 1st May. That one was planned for months and we had a total of 20 names. This one was planned ad-hoc just about 2 weeks ago and we managed to have more than 30! Must be the blessings due to the Hajj...

Why, we even had a little jamming session with Sam, Boon Wah and me on the guitars. See the red electric guitar? That's my Washburn bought in 1992 during my UK days. Thanks to Adrian and Hazlin for also contributing to the vocals. For more pix (there' plenty of it) please check with our official cameraman, Adrian. He has already posted it in his facebook. Check the account Ad Rian. Cheers all! :]

Baby Al-Rasyid's own little adventure...

Here is a picture of my baby Muhammad Al-Aminul Rasyid's very own Malaysian international passport made last month when he was barely 38 days old. With this passport Al-Rasyid then entered Singapura (I prefer this rather than the Anglicised word Singapore) along with me and wife in a road trip which covered a number of places around the state of Johor. As it turned out, by the time we returned home, we have clocked a total distance of 1,820 km. A new series of stories regarding the adventure have already been started in the Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU . A supporting one will follow suit in this blogspot soon. With that I wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year 2010! Cheers... :]

Siti Fatimah, the pious one

Pix from the Net...

Peace be upon you all. It's been a while since I've made any voluntary translation for the website http://www.shiar-islam.com/ . The last one was in the article Siti Fatimah and her family posted almost 2 months ago. It happened that the original material is part of a series on Ahlul Bait, the family of Rasulullah which is yet to be concluded. So today I felt like continouing the effort and here is the result.

Getting to know the Ahlul-Bait of Rasulullah SAW:
Siti Fatimah, the pious one

By Ustaz Syed Hasan Alatas

Translation by Radzi Sapiee

BISMILLAHIRRAHMANIRRAHIM. In the name of Allah, the most Gracious the most Merciful.
FATIMAH AZZAHRA, the Prophet’s beloved daughter followed the footsteps of her father in the way she led her life especially in abstinence and piety. That is why she is also called "Al-Batul" (the very pious person).

Her daily grind in managing her household while carrying out responsibilities towards husband and children, milling wheat with her own hands until it is full of blisters, helping the poor and those in need, assisting in battles nursing the wounded including her own father and many other functions, all that never stopped her from carrying out the prescribed worship especially at night. Said her son Saidina Hassan:

"Every night I see my mother praying especially on Friday night, I heard her always supplicating first for every Muslim men and women and this made me ask:

‘Why do you never supplicate for your own self the way you supplicate for others?’

My mother just answered:" ‘We have to supplicate for our neighbours first, then only for our own family!’ "

Hasan al-Basri once said: "In this community there is no woman with such piety to rival Siti Fatimah Azzahra. She just went on praying until her legs swell.

"What is done by Siti Fatimah is exactly the same done by her father Muhammad Rasulullah SAW and he love others more than he love himself."

Fatimah Azzahra grew up and was raised under the patronage of her father the Prophet and guided by her own husband Imam Ali bin Abi Thalib KWH, a foremost Islamic fighter. She saw with her own eyes the hardship and struggles her father had to go through in defending and spreading the teachings of Islam. She and her own family experienced first-hand the sufferings of her father and husband in many battles until they finally gained victory.

A wedding on top a hill in Janda Baik

Here's one on a fun outing today...

Earlier I went again to Janda Baik in Pahang to attend a wedding function held high on top of a hill.

I said I went there again as last week I was also in Janda Baik to spend my time at another part. Anyway, this trip turned to be something quite special as the place I have to go to lies on the highest resort available in the already high Janda Baik. It's just the road is too narrow and the parking limited leaving the guests no choice but to park along the road...

So I was forced to walk up. The problem is my wife have to follow suit along with our 2-month old baby...


Luckily after 100-metres walking or so there appeared a 4WD vehicle which was made into a shuttle. The room was limited. But at least my wife can climb onboard with the baby. Being a man, I don't mind walking all the way up. Here's the view as I was about to enter the resort grounds where the wedding was held...

Here are the other guys who also decided to walk up. They also came with their womenfolk who were also picked up. Actually the driver of the shuttle asked us to wait for our turn. But we just couldn't wait. What's the problem with walking anyway? After all we are men and our women were safely being ferried to the top.


There, it shouldn't be that far now...


At last, the courtyard of the resort and the wedding reception...


And that's my dear wife (in blue) with baby already waiting at the entrance...


OK. We arrived sometime after 3.30pm while the program says the wedding reception would start at 3. As it turned out a number of guests have yet to turn up and these included the groom's family members. As have been shown before, the narrow road leading up to the top along with the lack of parking space which forced the cars to be parked down the road has blocked the way forcing everyone to take turns to be ferried up. That took some time but that's no problem with me... thank God, I was not as late as I thought...


Whatever your misgivings, once you are up here all mistakes are forgiven. You should see the view but here I have yet to catch the best, trying instead to capture the bride and groom posing (I'm sure you can spot them yourselves) before they walked on...


Here's a sample. One to the left of the pool outside the resort's main building...


Here's to the left where lies a gazebo and the musicians who provided the numbers...


By this time most of the guests, mainly family members have arrived...


Everyone got to admire the view as they picked up their food. For the record while Janda Baik itself stands at about 1,500 feet above sea level, this resort is some 500 feet higher...


My wife and baby took the opportunity for a pose...


Another one at the pool.

So the festivity went on...

Meanwhile I was more inclined to enjoy the views, more so as the winds shifted the clouds and mist to form a variety of scenarios...

It is so refreshing to be here. The last time I was on top this hill was probably 5 years ago. The resort was still under construction then and I thought it was a house belonging to a tauke sayur or something... no offence... :]

For the record the resort overlooks acres of vegetable farm...

Look closely in the picture and you can also see the cars parked way down below snaking up the road...

Here's a view of the main building...

As I walked back up past this man-made waterfall, I had another deja vu. For the record I had at least 3 deja vus in the two and a half hours or so I was here...

Soon it's time to check out what's happening at the entrance...

Some of the guests were about to be shuttled down on a pick-up truck..

It's also time for me and family to leave. But not before I took another good look out. Mind you, there were times when I was inside as it rained outside and caught glimpses of the view through the glasses and I began to get the same feeling I had while resting at a lodge near the top of a certain mountain in Switzerland, sometime in 1995...

And this is a video clip of the view as I was shuttled down by pick-up, my wife inside while I stood at the back. Too bad, I only started recording after having passed through the steep parts. I was so engrossed with the rollercoaster ride that I only realised it should be recorded only after some time. Never mind, this should give you an idea of how fun it was. I also have a number of articles on Janda Baik which could be accessed through the following links.

My latest trip to Janda Baik and the number 22222! (posted July 2008)

Janda Baik revisited again... (posted October 2007)

Janda Baik my resting place (September 2007)

So refreshing Janda Baik! (June 2007)

Good lord! Where are my manners? I forgot to say this. Congratulations to Nana and husband. Thank you Faiz, Kak Aina and family for inviting us to this beautiful wedding. Good night! :]