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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, February 15, 2013

Just love 'em Segari turtles



OK. Whenever I'm in Lumut and has enough time I would go a bit north to a part of Segari where lies a conservation centre.


This place is perhaps the only one in West Coast Malaysia specially made for turtles.







Seems like the kids enjoy and love 'em turtles as much as I do.






And they have tortoises and terrapins too...




Going slightly inland at Batu Undan, Lumut


Going about a kilometre inland, the main bridge crossing the Dinding river became obvious.


I don't want to say more. Let's just look at the views...
















Dinding river from Batu Undan

OK. Stepping back to a time me and family spent in Lumut, Perak following an event we co-organised almost 3 weeks ago.


Monday 28th January 2013, I felt like bringing the family to Batu Undan, to get views of the wide Dinding river.


Looking to the right, going downriver one could see parts of the hill call Bukit Engku Busu where lies the Lumut town at its foot.


A look across. 


And a look upriver.



Thursday, February 14, 2013

1Malaysia Book Festival at PWTC

On to February 2013.


After a week of practically confining myself and the family (apart from work) to the house following a tiring program we co-organised in Lumut, Perak on 27th January, we decided to get out and go to the PWTC in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.


 
The date was 3rd February, last day for a book fair called the 1Malaysia Book Festival.




I believe this is the second edition of the book fair, after making its debut last year.




While it has yet to gain the stature of the more famous and much longer running KL International Book Fair held also annualy at the PWTC I could see that it has grown much and covered obviously more space than last year.










Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A cousin's wedding at Seberang Perak

Just wanted to share some rather recent pictures...


This picture was taken Saturday, 19th January 2013. It's just the family converging after the nikah or solemnisation ceremony of a cousin and his bride at a mosque in Seberang Perak, a settlement in Teluk Intan, bordering Kampung Gajah, in the state of Perak.


Breakfast came next at a local stall...


The wife and baby Johan.


At noon we went to the bride's house for the wedding reception.












The wife, baby and my aunties.


This is me and family with my dad and mum at a stall in Kuala Selangor at night.


On the way home we stopped by a store there where I found this rather interesting dragon mask...





Friday, February 08, 2013

Last trip of 2012 - Kelantan-Langkawi-Perak end of the year



Here let me put the links of a number of articles regarding a trip made covering a number of locations in Kelantan, Langkawi and Perak 7-12 December 2012. The trip was made to honour an invitation to give lecture at the mosque of Masjid Sultan Ismail Petra, Kota Bahru, Kelantan. It was extended to the island of Langkawi to bring the kids for holiday before returning home through Perak.

Note : This is the 1,100th article in this blogspot.


1. Terbaru (dan mungkin terakhir untuk 2012) : Perjalanan misi ceramah di Kelantan sebelum bercuti di Langkawi

2. Masjid lama (Old mosque of) Kedai Mulong

3. Masjid kecil berdekatan makam Tok Kenali (Small mosque nearby the tomb of Tok Kenali)

4. Video klip ceramah di Masjid Sultan Ismail Petra, Kubang Kerian 8 Dis

5. Kelantan-Langkawi-Perak hujung tahun - Kedai Mulong, Tok Kenali dan ceramah di masjid sultan

6. Masjid baru (New mosque of) Kok Lanas

7. Lake Banding during dry season

8. The waters just outside the Perlis river mouth

9. Kelantan-Langkawi-Perak hujung tahun - Ke destinasi yang ditunggu-tunggu

10. The views from Langkawi's Dataran Lang

11. The entry point to Kilim Geoforest

12. The waterfalls of Durian Perangin

13. The hotsprings of Ayer Hangat

14. Towards Tanjung Rhu







21. Kelantan-Langkawi-Perak hujung tahun - Pusing Pulau Langkawi sampai ke malam

22. Start of the island hopping

23. The island of Beras Basah

24. The island of Dayang Bunting and its lake

25. Masjid (Mosque of) Nurul Hidayah, Kelibang, Langkawi

26. Views from Gunung Raya

27. Masjid (Mosque of) Ulu Melaka, Langkawi

28. Makam purba (The ancient tomb), Langkawi

29. Makam (Tomb of) Mahsuri

30. Masjid (Mosque of) Al Hana, Kuah

31. Masjid lama (Old mosque of) Kuah

32. Kelantan-Langkawi-Perak hujung tahun - Dayang Bunting, Gunung Raya dan Mahsuri

33. Makam (Tomb of) Temenggung Wan Husain

34. Makam Tok Subang di siang hari (The tomb of Tok Subang during daytime)

35. Galeri (Gallery of) Sultan Azlan Shah

36. Kelantan-Langkawi-Perak hujung tahun - Kota Lama Kanan dan Bukit Chandan


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Views from Gunung Raya



From the open waters we retreated inland to a place practically right smack in the middle of Langkawi main island.


We drove up a mountain called Gunung (mount) Raya, the tallest on the island.




There's a nice road leading all the way up as there are three main establishments on top... a telecommunications station, a hotel and a satellite link-up station.




The signboard here says we have reached 2,800 feet above sea level.


To casual visitors like me the best place to really take in the views is from on top the tower operated by the hotel.