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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.


Tuesday, September 09, 2014

The Orang Asli village near Bukit Beruntung

This is more recent...


Five days ago I found out there is an Orang Asli (indigenous people) village near Bukit Beruntung not far from my house. So in the afternoon I took a drive and checked it out.


Not that I haven't been to one before. I have been to many including at Serendah not so far from my house.


It's just I never thought there is one so near, just about 12 km or so from my place.


It is at Bukit Manchung, off the road to a housing estate called Prima Beruntung.


Friday, September 05, 2014

The bridge across Tasik Raban

Continued from Around the town of Grik.


Next we headed to the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, some 100 km south of Grik. Along the way we passed this bridge.



It crosses a lake called Tasik (lake of) Raban. It is a man-made lake created when a part of the Perak river was dammed.















Around the town of Grik

Peace be upon you all. It is good to note that within the last 12 hours or so the pageviews of this blogspot has surpassed the 3 million mark. When the last article, From Pasar Payang's upper level was written 8 days ago, it was somewhere around 2.7 million. Now let us continue from there...


After Terengganu we entered the state of Kelantan, spent a night there then entered Perak. The following night was spent at Grik the closest town to the Kelantan north-west border. The town seems to have its own quaint charm.


There's its morning market...





A rather bustling scenery of people carrying out daily chores...





Then there are wooden shops...





I spent a some time just driving around observing the going-ons..




















Thursday, August 28, 2014

From Pasar Payang's upper level



Later we went to the market fondly known as Pasar Payang. As fate would have it, we had problem finding a parking spot and was forced to go up the upper levels of the market's car park.


As it turned out we found superb views from up there. You can see a part of the city of Kuala Terengganu facing the Terengganu river close to the estuary...













On top Kuala Terengganu's 'floating' mosque

Peace be upon you all. The last article here, Reliving some childhood moments at Muar's Masjid Jamek made almost a month ago showed pictures from on top the Muar mosque. Now let's see some from Kuala Terengganu.

The Muar article was made on 1st August. The day after me and family including my mum and dad went to Terengganu. On the following day we visited the famous white 'floating' mosque at Kuala Ibai just outside the city of Terengganu.


It is called the 'floating' mosque because it is surrounded by water. I have been here a number of times but it was only in this recent trip that I suddenly got the urge to try something new.


I felt like climbing up the mosque's tower and soon find the way...


A view from halfway up.






There were still a number of ladders to climb up.



On to the highest part.



Savouring views from every angle...




































Friday, August 01, 2014

Reliving some childhood moments at Muar's Masjid Jamek



That night I went to Masjid Jamek, Muar's main mosque to conduct the Tarawih prayers. For information Tarawih prayers are supplementary or extra/optional prayers conducted at night in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan.


This mosque is very special to me as I grew up spending a lot of time praying, also playing around here. I decided to relive some of the memories by climbing up to the upper levels of the mosque which is actually off limits to the public.





This parts are only opened to mosque officials especially for maintenance purpose.


I remember when I was very young, probably around 6-7 years old looking up to the tower wishing I could go up to savour the views.


And 2 years later of so I have developed enough strength, confidence and dexterity to do so.





See the pool down there? As the doors concealing the staircases leading up to these parts were mostly locked throughout the year it is no mean feat to get here. I used to climb from the lowest level, besides the pool that is to get up.


If I remember correctly I only got up 2 or 3 times via staircase.


Now let's just savour the views as I lived up the childhood moments...



































A view of the mosque from outside.