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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.


Thursday, October 20, 2016

Songket sales booth at the ASEAN Songket exhibition in Muzium Negara

Peace be upon you all. Detouring for a while to a recent happening in Kuala Lumpur.


Muzium Negara (the national museum) recently started an exhibition on ASEAN songket, a type of elaborately woven cloth which can be found in South-East Asian countries.




The exhibition would last till the end of the year, Booths are opened for sales of the songket.



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I was involved in the official opening ceremony of the exhubition held on Tuesday. So I spent some time looking at what's available...











 
It was definitely a feast for the eyes.

















Too bad as it that was all I could afford to do. The songket here are exquisite works of art. It could cost quite a fortune for one to even acquire a piece...





















Sunday, October 16, 2016

From Pengkalan Kubor towards Tumpat town



We left Pengkalan Kubor via a different road heading back southwards.






If previously we took an inland road this time we took a coastal one.





This is the main road here closest to the South China Sea.














Then we went back inland and reached the junction to Tumpat town...




Sungai Golok closer to the estuary



Besides the duty-free complex lies the ICQS complex. Within the complex lies a jetty for boats to cross Sungai (river of) Golok and enter southern Thailand.



I have shown pictures from the jetty in the old article Sungai (river of) Golok at Pengkalan Kubor. Closer to the river estuary lies this small observation deck.


Time to check out the views...


Towards the estuary about 200 metres from here.


A look across...


A look upriver and one can see the jetty...





The duty-free complex at Pengkalan Kubor

On to the 2nd day of the recent Kelantan trip. Continuing from Subang airport after more than a decade or so...


I arrived at the Kota Bharu airport in Kelantan at 9pm then headed for a religious school in Tumpat. Tuesday afternoon, 11th October 2016 after taking some lessons on the keris, the Malay traditional dagger at the school me and some friends headed for Pengkalan Kubor about 15 km north of the school.


Pengkalan Kubor is a town situated next to the Kelantan-Thailand border. There is a duty-free complex around and we went to have a look.






However we arrived after 5pm when most of the shops were already closed.





Still it was good to just walk around and see the going-ons...














Saturday, October 15, 2016

Subang airport after more than a decade or so

Peace be upon you all. Recently I made another trip to Kelantan and was away for 3 nights. I returned home on Thursday night. Today I want to start the storytelling...


The trip was started Monday afternoon 10th October 2016. My wife sent me to the Subang airport to take a flight to Kelantan from there.


It has been more than a decade since I took a flight from here. Seen here is the official name of the airport...


If I remember correctly the last time I took a flight from Subang was in 1999. I was then still a sports journalist at The New Straits Times. I was assigned to follow the Petronas-Sauber F1 team for an F1 racing car street demonstration in Penang. That was just a few days before the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix made its debut at the Sepang F1 Circuit. 


We mingled with team members which included the then much younger Kimi Raikkonen. He was a rising star who became a world champion albeit with another team a few years later.



A year or two earlier if not mistaken, when I was assigned to the general desk I remembered covering a motor show and exhibition here.


I remembered test-riding a new Triumph (I think that was the brand) big motorbike on the tarmac. It was supposed to be within a certain bounds. But I don't know what came over me. I decided to shoot off into the runway and soon was chased by 3 or 4 airport security vehicles! :]





What I do remember much clearly was the day I returned to Malaysia after 4 years of study in London.


That was in 1995 and I returend late October or so via this airport.


After that, I can't remember which year, the Subang airport was closed as the new and much much bigger Kuala Lumpur International Airport or KLIA in Sepang took its place. Since then I took flights out from there.



The Subang airport was turned into a convention centre of sorts. Then it was reopened to allow certain flights to take off from there. This is more convenient for those residing around the city of Kuala Lumpur. For the record KLIA is situated much further to the south.