Hari Raya terakhir

Bersama Haizir pada Hari Raya 2010


Aidilfitri 1431H merupakan Hari Raya terakhir buat Busu Jalil, suami kepada adik bongsu arwah ibu saya, Busu Lijah. Busu Jalil telah kembali keRahmah Allah pada hari Isnin 22 Ogos 2011 bersamaan 22 Ramadhan 1432H. Allahyarham memang telah lama tidak sihat dan sering keluar dan masuk hospital.

Minggu lepas, sepupu saya memaklumkan kepada saya bahawa Busu Jalil tidak sihat dan berada dirumah anak beliau di Kajang. Saya yang dalam kesibukan (bila agaknya kita tidak sibuk?)tidak sempat menziarah beliau. Malah saya beranggapan akan dapat bertemu beliau semasa Hari Raya yang tinggal tidak berapa hari lagi. Saya sebenarnya lupa bahawa ketentuan Allah tidak mengambil kira perancangan kita.

Akhirnya saya cuma sempat menziarah jenazah beliau pada hari Selasa, 23 Ogos 2011. Syukur juga saya sempat berbuat demikian walaupun terpaksa berhenti dua kali dalam perjalanan Kuala Lumpur ke Melaka dan sekali dalam perjalanan pulang kerana terlalu mengantuk.

AlFatihah untuk Busu Jalil. Semoga dipermudahkan jalan bertemu Pencipta.

A small part of Dubai in Pictures

Uncle Didi commented in my earlier post why there there was no photos of Dubai. So here goes.

Burj Khalifa (in the background), presently the tallest building in the world

A giant aquarium in Dubai Mall, purportedly the largest mall in the Middle East or was it the world?

Another image of the aquarium

In an area called the "Gold Souq" where there were numerous jewellery shops

A waterfall in the Mall

This was what I had for Iftar in my hotel room

One of the mosques that I went to for my tarawikh prayers

Inside the mosque, after prayers

Outside view of the mosque

The hotel where I stayed in Dubai

At the restaurant where we normally had our Iftar

With my hosts at Iftar

At our Principal's office

Sunrise as seen from the plane just before reaching KLIA

Dubai was too hot when I was there. As such, I only left my hotel when going to the office for my meetings except for the one day that I went to Dubai Mall.

First Ramadhan in Dubai

It is the first of Ramadhan 1432Hijri and I am in my room at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai. I arrived yesterday, Sunday, 31 July 2011 for a meeting which was scheduled to take place today. The meeting was however rescheduled for tomorrow as my colleague from Beirut will only arrive later today. Travelling from Lebanon, he needs a visa but being Malaysian, we can just hop onto a plane from KLIA and get into Dubai with no questions asked.

The temperature outside is more than 40C, so I have no intention of walking around in the heat. This trip reminded me of my first trip to Dubai in 2004. I arrived at around 2:00am and the flight captain announced upon our arrival that the outside temperature was 42 degrees C. It really caught me by surprise as I was in a jacket.

Initially I thought I would go to the office for a while today but later decided to do some work in the room instead. The office hours in our Principal's office in Dubai during Ramadhan is between 10:00 am and 3:00pm. Maybe they need the short hours as the temperatures can be uncomfortable.

My hosts have promised to take me to a good Lebanese restaurant for iftar today and I am looking forward to that. Since the restaurant is part of their group, we always have good food and service.

Have a good Ramadhan and May we be Blessed.

For heaven's sake......please

It is really going to happen. UiTM is going to have an award named after PERKASA's founder, Ibrahim Ali.

Now, I have always had high regards for the graduates of UiTM. In fact I recruited a few of them in my company and they are a credit to the university. Of all the local universities, I think UiTM produces graduates who have the best English proficiency. Closer to home, my wife and daughter were the products of UiTM. Presently my son and a few of his cousins are studying in UiTM campuses all over the country.

To name an award after maybe the most racist Malay in the country is definitely not sending the right message. I feel it is a disgrace to the esteem institution. I am very sure the winner of the award will not be employed by any private company without a political agenda which is in line with the present government. So why would anybody accept an award if it is going to be a liability?

To my son and his cousins, I have this to say:

"For heaven's sake please make sure you do not win this award because it is going to be detrimental to you"

Peristiwa 25 Jun 2011

Sudah beberapa minggu berlalunya peristiwa yang sangat bersejarah bagi keluarga kami. Hari berlangsungnya majlis resepsi sempena perkahwinan anak sulung kami Nurlina bersama pasangannya Zarizi.

Banyak perkara yang berlaku sebelum dan sesudah peristiwas tersebut. Saya bercita-cita untuk membuat beberapa entri mengenai peristiwa ini tetapi masih belum tercapai.

Untuk permulaan saya memuatnaik satu video yang diambil oleh adik ipar saya, Tuan Haji Zahidi.

Terima kasih Pak Ngah.

Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah

News from Malaysiakini
4 July 2011

Seventeen Malacca PAS leaders and members have been remanded for three days while they are being investigated under Section 47 of the Societies Act for possession of Bersih T-shirts.

The 17 arrested yesterday at around 2.15pm included state PAS Youth chief Yuhaizad Abdullah, PAS' Jasin division information chief Fauzi Maelah and 15 other party members.

Malacca PAS commissioner Adly Zahari told Malaysiakini about 50 PAS members were engaging in normal activities at Kemendur, Jasin about that time yesterday, when some decided to go back while others stayed behind.

"Those who stayed behind waited for the afternoon prayers and then suddenly 20 policemen raided the markas. The police found some Bersih t-shirts and leaflets. The members do not know how the t-shirts happened to be there and they were certainly not selling them.

"Nevertheless, the police arrested them and are investigating them under Section 47 for being in an unlawful organisation," he said.

Party premises crashed by police

Though yesterday's event was a closed door affair, the authorities raided the PAS premises, Adly said, adding that several women were arrested but later released by the authorities.

"It seems the authorities are phobic over the Bersih rally, but I have to stress here they were neither promoting the rally or selling the T-shirts at that time," he said.

Their lawyer Damian Yeo said the arrest took place around 12.30pm yesterday, according to the police.

"The police also recorded statements from all 17 of them between 5pm to 7pm and, hence, we are puzzled why they need to remand them further. I objected to the police applying to remand them further," he said.

Adly said police applied for four days' remand, but the magistrate only granted three days.

Yeo said those remanded are between 30 and 72 years-old and they will be remanded until Wednesday July 6.

Ya Allah Ya Tuhan kami, Kau berilah kemudahan kepada saudara kami yang teranianya dan kau hancurkan mereka yang menzaliminya.

This post is dedicated to my brother-in-law who was among those arrested.

UPDATE:
I received news from my sister that my brother-in-law and his 16 friends were released by the police today (6 July) without them being charged. I think there are about 30-40 voters within my immediate family. It is my believe that, after this recent incident, at least 95%, if not 100% of these voters will vote against those who are responsible for my brother-in-laws's detention.

Meluat

Saya tahu yang saya tidak patut membenci atau bersangka buruk kepada sesama makhluk ciptaan Allah kerana segala ciptaan Nya adalah sempurna.

Tetapi ada seorang ahli politik yang saya memang meluat melihat. Tindak tanduk dan kata-katanya seolah-olah meminta supaya saya "membenci"nya.

Saya seorang Melayu tetapi saya tidak pernah melantik saudara memperjuangkan nasib saya. Oleh itu, tolong jangan kaitkan saya dengan apa yang awak laung-laungkan. Saya tidak pernah berniat untuk menjadi tuan atas dasar bangsa saya. Saya juga tidak ingin dikaitkan dengan usaha-usaha saudara.

Sebenarnya saya telah meluat melihat saudara dan mendengar cerita-cerita saudara, so please get out of my sight.

The State of the Nation

I thought a recent speech by Tengku Razaleigh should be read by the young of the country who may have been led to believe that the government is trying to do something good for the future generations. Because it is given by an UMNO member, it may seem more credible to these "newly recruited government supporters". The same speech given by a DAP or PAS leader may seem unreasonable.

1. Malaysia's post-colonial history began with optimism and a grand hope in 1957. When Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, proclaimed our Independence at the Merdeka Stadium in the unforgettable words that "Malaysia is a parliamentary democracy with an independent judiciary," he had a vision of a happy people in spite of the formidable economic problems we needed to solve. After that dawn of independence, there was a search of how we could achieve this happy society, Fulfilling the needs and aspirations of all Malaysians which was to continue for the Generations to come. He symbolized the concept and conviction of generational responsibility in his vision.
2. Tunku Abdul Rahman and his generation were dedicated leaders, not for power but a sense of duty to the present and the future. They were not in politics for the money or for themselves. Indeed, even after they had assumed power, they never used their position to benefit themselves or their families, nor did they build loyal cronies who would act as their financiers or hold any wealth unlawfully earned at the expense of the people.
3. The guiding philosophy was responsibility of public office. Public office was seen as a duty, not as an opportunity. The public office was also part of their sense of political commitment to create a Malaysia that was fair, just, cohesive, and balanced. This was combined by a deep conviction of generational responsibility for those who would come after them.
4. One of the greatest losses in public life and in politics today in Malaysia is that loss of generational responsibility. Everything seems to be surrounded by greed and the desire to be billionaires. This had led to a pyramid of cronies within the incumbent political parties and their associates in business. It is this combination of the hierarchy of political cronies and business cronies that led to the centralization of power in the incumbent political leadership and in the office of the Prime Minister.
5. This power in one individual allowed the manipulation of the political system; I mean by this the institutions of power including the media. In exchange for the centralization of power greed and self-interest was encouraged by example and in the guise of racial loyalty deserving rewards. This is the case in all the parties within the power structure. This state of affairs is one of the most dangerous and difficult to dismantle because there has been three decades of centralized power.
6. The political style that has dominated in these lost three decades has been "double-think" and "double-talk". One of the features which is alarming in this plan to maintain status quo is the encouragement covertly of racial and religious obscurantism. The underlying theme was a policy of using a balance of racialism and religion on the one hand and talks of unity on the other hand in order to make the people hostage to the status quo of power. As a result, racialism and racial concerns seem to have a grip on all aspects of our lives, in politics, economics, education and employment, irrespective of the present reality which has got nothing to do with race or religion. We are deliberately made to feel that we are hostage to these forces.
7. Freedom of speech and expression of our political concerns to change the atmosphere are restrained by how it will be interpreted by those who want to deny us the right to differ. Article 10 of the Constitution which guarantees this freedom is almost non-existence or subject to fear of retaliation or defamation. Legal suits intended to silence legitimate concerns of public responsibility are increasingly used. Unfortunately, our judicial system has forgotten the fundamental importance of Article 10 to the democratic life of Malaysia. Common sense seems to have been taken out of the law.
8. On the economic front, income inequality in Malaysia has widened. Some studies suggest that Malaysia's inequality is wider than Thailand's or Indonesia's. Historically, the concern was about ownership and control of the economy. It was the view of some that if ownership was de-racialized or balanced at the top, economic justice would follow. It is no longer a valid premise for the future. Income inequality is no longer a problem between races; it crosses the racial divide and it is a problem of the majority of Malaysians who feel the pressure of inflation in almost every essential aspect of their lives, challenging their wellbeing of themselves, their families, and their future. Today and the in the near future, this is the most serious challenge we face. It is not an easy challenge to overcome. It is a time when Malaysia needs leadership of the highest quality and of those who have the moral courage to change and re-think our economic policies.
9. It is in these circumstances that we face the serious problem of rising food prices, inflation in price of houses compounded by shortage in housing for the vast majority of young Malaysians. Lack of economic expansion to give all levels an opportunity to use their talents to seek work that is commensurate with their contribution, their needs of daily life, and to narrow the inequality gap, is the threat of the future. Therefore, we should be concerned about the justification of the removal of subsidies that affects the low income because that will further widen the inequality and open the society to social disorder and disintegration, and increase social in cohesion. It is in this context that I raise the issue about Independent Power Production Companies (IPP). The privatization contracts are today protected by the Official Secrets Act, and therefore we are unable to really know whether or not the public and PETRONAS, as trustees of the public, are directly or indirectly subsidizing these companies and the tycoons who are benefitting at the expense of the public.
10. Related to the question of the withdrawal of subsidies is the deficit that the Government suffers from in managing the economy. This question cannot be separated from the way that the Government has managed the nation's finances. If the deficit is as a result of wastage, corruption and extravagance in the use of public funds, then the solution to the problem should not be passed on to the public. What is needed is a reexamination of the management of the country's finances before taking any drastic steps that would affect the well-being of the people. We need to know the reality behind the apparent subsidies that are given to the public and its relationship in the totality of the management of the public finance. Only after we know the truth – and the whole truth – should any change in the policy of subsidies be implemented, as the consequences would have life-changing impact on the livelihood of the people. In the circumstances of rising inflation in food, stagnation of the economy and income, we should not do anything that would widen the disparity of income which would cause social instability.
11. The challenge today is for the return to generational responsibility in politics and public office. This can only be achieved if we have democracy and parliamentary power which is responsible. Democracy was the basis of the founding of the state of Malaysia by the Constitution in 1957. When it was briefly suspended in 1969, the leaders of that generation were uneasy, and they restored democracy as soon as possible.
12. That is because they realized that democracy has an intrinsic value in creating a citizenship that is not made up of sheep but of responsible citizens. Only responsible citizenship that understands democracy can bring about stability, cohesion and economic prosperity. During those days, it was ingrained in that generation of leaders that democracy was not only a form but a value system that respected the essential institutions of democracy like the independence of judiciary, the supremacy of parliament subject to the Constitution, the respect for fundamental rights, and free speech. They also understood the meaning and primacy of the rule of law and not of men. They also knew that democracy is the common heritage of humanity that we inherited and have a duty to continue. The law that they understood was also from the common heritage of all civilized nations.
13. And one of our inheritances is the common law system of the rule of law which is enshrined in our constitution. They knew that the phrase "common law" meant the wisdom that is passed to us in the progress of law and the values that are encapsulated in the law governing public office and responsibility to society. That laws are meant to enhance democracy and freedom but not to maintain and continue political power that is inconsistent with the rule of law and the constitution.
14. Independence did not come with peace but with very difficult problems, particularly the management of the economy and transforming it to bring about a balance between all the racial groups. They realize that some of their problems had roots in the history of Malaysia. There was a serious imbalance between the countryside and the urban sector with racial dimensions which were too sharp. Indeed, poverty was also quite prevalent. There were open discussions and experiments.
15. Some of you may remember that one of the highlights of public debate was organized at the University of Malaya under the title, "The Great Economic Debate" every year. That disappeared with the changes in the University & Colleges Act and the decline of Universities' autonomy. The search was to eradicate a sense of inequality between the various peoples of Malaysia, whether because of one's identity and social origins, or for other reasons.
16. It was as part of this search that during Tun Abdul Razak's time, the Second Malaysia Plan was launched in 1971. We need to be reminded of the objective of that plan:
"National unity is the over-riding objective of the country. A stage has been reached in the nation's economic and social development where greater emphasis must be placed on social integration and more equitable distribution of income and opportunities for national unity."
17. That dream was slowly eroded from the mid-1980. The hope that we had at that time is now challenged in the most serious way.
18. Recently, PETRONAS announced that it had made a 90.5 billion pre-tax profit. If we accumulate the profit of PETRONAS over the years, it would come to a mind-boggling figure of billions and billions. Yet, the greatest poverty is found in the petroleum producing states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Sarawak, and Sabah. This moral inconsistency in a way exemplifies how the nation's economy is mismanaged and how the institutions set up in the 1970's have lost their objective and commitment to solving the immediate and pressing problems of the nation.
19. PETRONAS was set up with the objective of serving the nation's interest as a priority. It was never intended to give PETRONAS a life of its own as an incorporated company for selected individuals to profit at the expense of the national interest, nor was it the objective to allow PETRONAS a cooperate existence independent of national interest. 20. What is needed is for institutions like PETRONAS is to have a national focus rather than maintain a multinational status. The aim of making PETRONAS a multinational cooperation at the expense of national interest is contrary to the Petroleum Development Act. PETRONAS should have a Petroleum Advisory Council to advise the Prime Minister on the operation of the law as well as the management and utilization of its resources as spelt out in the Petroleum Development Act.
21. Another example of the abuse of power is the privatization of certain government institutions which were set up as a public service to serve the people. Bernas is one example of a privatization of an essential commodity as a monopoly for a group of people and owned partially by two companies in Hong Kong. An essential commodity such as rice should not have been privatized for business purposes. We are the only rice producing country that has privatized and given as a monopoly to one company the importation and distribution of all rice products.
22. The reality today is Thailand and Indonesia are self-sufficient in rice and we are dependent on 30% of imported rice. But because it is a monopoly, imported rice is cheaper in Singapore than Malaysia. Privatization for the benefit of private individuals to profit from such an essential commodity is a clear abuse of power. It would not have happened in those days. But with the centralization of power in the office of the prime Minister who had the party under his absolute control, anything was possible!
23. I will suggest to you that there was a deliberate plan to centralize power in the leadership in a surreptitious manner. Unfortunately the nature of racial politics blinded us of the reality behind certain policies and conduct of leaders at that time. The decline of democracy, the abuse of power, and the mismanagement of our economy and the nation's finances, the economic waste, the lack of national cohesion in our economic policies led to the flight of capital in the region of RM880 billion over the years from the 1980s. That was the beginning the lost decades and the full impact of the consequences of the economic policies which has continued since then, is yet to have its full impact on our national lives. And when it does the consequences are unpredictable.
24. The centralization of power in the office of the Prime Minister and the Attorney general had a major role in this state of affairs. The challenge today is to reverse the centralization of power and restore the check and balance of a genuine democracy.
25. We need to reclaim as citizens of Malaysia our rights in a democracy; that power and authority are positions of trust and responsibility, not to serve personal interest or as an opportunity for personal enrichment. We need to reassert as politically active and responsible citizens the concept of social obligation and public service in those who seek political office. Power is duty, NOT a prize.
26. We need to rethink our economic policies. Particularly in the focusing on the national objectives that are urgent; economic policies is not only about wealth creation but needs to have a moral dimension which takes into account the wellbeing of all citizens as the ultimate priority over profits.
27. I have given you a broad sweep of the past and a bird's eye view of the looming problems of managing our economy as it is today. I hope this will open a dialogue which benefits all of us.

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Sham Kamikaze

Saya terjumpa video ini di blog Dr. Mohd Asri. Cuma ingin berkongsi berita dan semoga mendapat menafaat.

Aizat Goes to UiTM

Just arrived at UiTM Bkt Mertajam
After Friday prayers yesterday, our whole family left for Penang. I thought we had completed our regular trips to the northern part of the country once Aizat completed his SPM, last December, after two years at MRSM Kepala Batas. But it looks like the almost 350km journeys (one way) is set to continue for another 3 years. Nak dapat menantu anak mami agaknya :-)
Aizat with the UiTM dress code in the poster

I was very tardy in making our hotel bookings so we had to settle for a 2-star hotel in Juru. But the rooms were alright and the rates reasonable. We had mee udang Sungai Dua for dinner (after a lapse of almost six months).
Afiq, Hani and Mama in front of Aizat's Kolej Baiduri

We left the hotel for UiTM quite early to make sure we reach it by 8:30am, the scheduled time the registration is to start. We arrived on time but there are already quite a crowd. As usual, for every student there was about 4 or 5 others sending them off. I was told by the seniors helping out with the registration (who are an enthusiastic lot) that they are expecting 2,000 new students today and another 2,000 tomorrow. So you can imagine the crowd. But I must say everything looks very well organized and things seemed to proceed rather smoothly.

Actually, it was not much of a registration exercise. They were only giving out hostel room keys today. The actual academic registration will only take place tomorrow (in the absence of the parents). I thought that was a very good idea. Normally, it is the parents who will be "creating the trouble" and making things difficult. Without the parents I am sure it will be much easier for the seniors to "manage" the freshies.
Mama making enquiries from a senior on duty
The room is for four people but look at the number of "helpers". No wonder it gets heated up in there

There was a bit of problem with the room when Aizat was given a room with 5 people in it when there was only 4 beds. It was not a big issue for me as it must have been a genuine mistake when the spare key to the room was also given out. But one of the mothers who came in earlier tried to sound unhappy towards us. When I told one of the seniors about this mistake he immediately rectified it and allotted Aizat another room next to it. I thought it was better for Aizat as his "new" roommates and their parents seems more friendly. The seniors kept apologizing for their mistake and I kept telling them not to worry about it.
Pust Islam UiTM Penang in the background, just about 100m from Kolej Baiduri

There is something interesting about Aizat's roommates. There was Ariff, Afiq and Amir besides Aizat in the room. My wife told them that we had all our sons plus a nephew in the room. All of them are taking Diploma in Mechanical Engineering.
Aizat's roommates from Room 430B flanked by fathers of Afiq and Aizat

We left UiTM Penang at 3:30pm. Actually we were asked to leave by the seniors since they were about to start their program and do not want the parents to be hanging around. We went to our car but only left the compound after the boys marched out from their hostel compound,
Saying goodbyes

We reached home at around 9:00pm after dinner and prayers. Good luck Aizat. May Allah's Blessings are with you always.

Its tough being an MU Fan

The deciding match of the BPL season was played last Sunday between Manchester United, the team I have been supporting since the early 70s when George Best was playing for them and Chelsea, the team bankrolled by Russian petro dollars.

Frankly, it was not much of a match but more of a game to showcase the capabilities of the champions in waiting. A first goal when the match was only 36 seconds old ensured that the Old Trafford faithful were in for a treat. With Park Ji Sung in the form of his life, winning balls and intercepting them at will and Antonio Valencia terrorising the right flank, it was just a matter of time before United score again. And they did it again in the 23rd minute when captain Nemanja Vidic headed home a goal from the evergreen Ryan Giggs.

Going into half time with a two goal lead looks like enough. At the restart United continued with its attacking ways and they are at their best playing this way. It therefore made me wonder why they were so defensive in the FA Cup semifinal against neighbours City a few weeks ago and against Arsenal last week. The chances continued to flow but nobody seems wanting to score the third goal and secure the proverbial final nail to Chelsea's coffin. Even Howard Webb whom some would say is a fan of United, decided to make live miserable for United fans. He brushed aside what looks like two perfectly justifiable penalty claims.

When Lampard stuck his foot to steer a header from Alex to score a goal with just over 20 minutes of play left, the United fans began to feel "Here we go again". The TV people must be the most ardent fans of United this season. After all which team ensures that the fans are glued to their TV sets until the final whistle is blown. United just refused to win (or for that matter lose) any game with more than 20 left on the clock.

As Sir Alex Ferguson said after the match:

"We should have been out of sight. But that is the nature of Manchester United. We take it to the wire all the time. We give these poor souls in the stands heart attacks. They are sitting on the edge of their seats and biting their nails. I was one of them."

It may not be mathematically over yet but I am looking forward for them to end the season next week when they play against Blackburn. I really hope they do not prolong this agony by waiting for the final game of the season against Blackpool at Old Trafford to secure the one point they needed just to take it to the wire, again.

It is tough being an MU fan. Apart from having to endure the final minutes of every game before securing the vital points we have to put up with the taunts from disgruntled Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and City fans who are so frustrated that their teams still cannot do better than a "mediocre United team". I am already preparing for the encounter with Barcelona at Wembley at the end of the month when the best team in England play against the so-called best team in the world.

Travelog Hidup Insan Biasa-Biasa

Bersama Prof. Kamil dan isteri beliau Pn. Roza

Pesta Buku 2011 sangat istimewa buat saya kerana dapat berjumpa seorang insan biasa yang luar biasa. Saya mula "mengenali" Prof. Dr. Muhd. Kamil Ibrahim beberapa hari sebelum saya mengerjakan ibadat haji pada tahun 2008. Buku Travelog Haji beliau dihadiahkan oleh adik saya untuk bekalan menunaikan haji. Saya dan isteri sebenarnya tidak langsung mengikuti kursus haji bersiri yang diadakan dibanyak masjid. Kami cuma menghadiri kursus haji Perdana di masjid Shah Alam. Itu pun cuma disebelah siang, malamnya kami balik kerumah.
Berjumpa dengan adik saya yang datang dari Melaka

Ternyata buku Prof. Kamil banyak membantu saya di Mekah walaupun buku tersebut tidak menyentuh tentang hukum dan rukun haji secara detail. Ia banyak mengajar saya menjadi "street smart" dalam mengerjakan ibadat. Tetapi apa lebih menyentuh hati saya ialah transformasi seorang Hamba Allah yang biasa kepada yang luar biasa. Ia sangat releven kerana majoriti manusia, termasuk saya, tergolong dalam kategori biasa ini. Saya sangat cemburu dan berdoa agar dapat meningkat ketahap yang lebih dari biasa walaupun bukan luar biasa. Apabila saya membca buku kedua Prof. Kamil yang banyak menyentuh tentang pengalaman beliau di UiTM Segamat, saya terasa yang beliau telah membuat satu "quantum leap" dalam perjalanan hidup beliau sedangkan saya masih ditahap lama.
Adik dan anak buah bersama Prof. Kamil

Mungkin saya silap mengkategorikan Prof. Kamil sebagai manusia biasa kerana beliau sebenarnya tidak biasa. Beliau dikurniakan kepintaran dan bakat dalam banyak bidang sehingga tidak langsung menghadapi masaalah lulus dengan cemerlang dalam mendapat Diploma, Ijazah, Sarjana dan juga PhD. Beliau kemudian menjadi Prof. termuda di UiTM dan sangat rajin menghasilkan buku dan rencana ilmiah. Cuma sebagai Hamba Allah beliau manusia biasa (mengikut pengakuan beliau sendiri). Jika diamati perjalanan hidup beliau tidak jauh beza dari perjalanan hidup saya dan malah ribuan orang lain. Itu yang biasanya.

Apa yang luar biasa ialah beliau dikurniakan anugerah yang amat berharga oleh Allah swt. untuk berhijrah ketahap yang lebih mulia disisiNya. Tetapi jika beliau boleh mengapa kita tidak boleh? Ramai yang bermula ditahap yang lebih tinggi dari beliau tetapi terus statik ditahap tersebut. (Mungkin saya sebenarnya tergolong dalam kelompok ini). Kisah hidup dan kejayaan beliau ingin saya jadikan "benchmark" untuk diri saya. Mungkin saya tidak akan naik setinggi beliau, tetapi memadai jika saya dapat mencapai tahap tertinggi yang "sepatutnya" saya sampai. Saya cemburu dengan beliau dan amat berharap untuk menjadikan beliau sebagai pengerak diri.

Majlis pelancaran buku Prof. Kamil yang terbaru, "50 Tips Haji dan Umrah", meninggalkan kesan yang mendalam pada diri saya. Alunan nasyid dan zikir oleh Imam Masjid UiTM Segamat menyebabkan saya sebak dan menitiskan air mata. Ucapan bersahaja oleh Dato' Zakee, sahabat Prof. Kamil di UiTM Dungun, memberi saya satu harapan bahawa masih ada jutawan yang terus berpijak dibumi nyata dan tidak leka dengan kejayaan dunia yang sebenarnya ujian dari Allah. Turut dilancarkan ialah buku Travelog Impian Abadi oleh isteri Prof. Kamil, Puan Roza. Terima kasih kepada Dato' Zakee yang menghadiahkan kedua-dua buah buku kepada semua yang hadir pada majlis pelancaran tersebut.
Dato' Zakee yang melancarkan buku Prof Kamil dan Pn. Roza

Majlis yang bermula tepat pada masa melupakan saya bahawa saya telah berada di PWTC mulai pukul 11:00 pagi, menunggu di depan pintu bilik Johor yang ketika itu dipenuhi oleh pelukis komik. Saya juga lupa bahawa saya cuma makan tengahari pada pukul 4:00 petang, itu pun cuma rojak dan cendol yang tak berapa sedap. Tetapi ia pengalaman yang tidak mungkin saya lupa.
Mendapatkan autograf dari Prof. Kamil

Saya masih belum mula membaca buku Prof. Kamil yang terkini tetapi saya telah menghabiskan masa 3 jam pada hari Ahad lepas untuk membaca 257 mukasurat, tidak termasuk 5 mukasurat Prolog dan 4 mukasurat Catatan Pengarang, buku yang ditulis oleh Puan Roza yang sebenarnya kisah cinta beliau dengan Prof. Kamil. Ia menceritakan bagaimana seorang senior yang mempunyai banyak kelebihan (bijak, ahli pidato, ketua pelajar) telah berjaya menggoda seorang freshie yang masih naif (baru lepas sekolah menengah, pertama kali berjauhan dari keluarga) tetapi ia dilakukan dalam kerangka yang terkawal dan niat yang baik maka akhirnya mendapat Redha Allah swt.
Isteri, anak, adik dan anak buah bersama Jawa Banting yang juga tuan punya PTS
Dunia ini mempunyai berbilion penghuni tetapi berapa ramai yang berjaya menjadi signifikan dalam hidup? Kalau pun tidak untuk orang lain tetapi signifikan kepada diri sendiri dan mereka yang terdekat. Prof. Kamil pada saya telah menjadi signifikan kepada ramai orang termasuk saya. Tulisan di blog beliau di
http://muhdkamil.org/blog/ saya ikuti setiap ada kelapangan. Ia memberi motivasi untuk saya membuat yang terbaik buat diri saya dan manusia yang terdekat dengan saya.

Tidak lama lagi Prof Kamil dan keluarga akan terus menaiki tahap yang lebih tinggi dan signifikan apabila mereka berhijrah ke Madinah. Bukankah junjungan Nabi kita juga berhijrah ke Madinah? Semoga hijrah beliau akan menambah lagi sumbangan beliau kepada penambahan ilmu dan pengalaman untuk kita semua. Kita doakan Prof. Kamil sekeluarga sentiasa diberi kemudahan dalam segala urusan.

Pesta Buku 2011

Saya semakin yakin bahawa orang Melayu memang suka berpesta. Sebab itu pameran dan jualan buku tahunan diberi nama Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur. Setiap tahun semakin ramai orang Melayu yang datang berpesta. Pada anggaran saya, mungkin 90% dari pengunjung pesta buku adalah orang Melayu.

Sebenarnya saya patut rasa bangga kerana begitu ramai orang Melayu yang berhasrat untuk menimba ilmu dengan membaca buku. Lebih-lebih lagi apabila kita melihat begitu ramai pelajar sekolah yang turut hadir dari seluruh pelusuk Semenanjung. Tetapi saya sangat-sangat berharap ada pihak yang membuat analisis terperinci tentang pembelian yang dibuat oleh pengunjung-pegunjung yang begitu ramai. Apa jenis buku yang mereka beli dan apakah kesan yang boleh diraih dari pembacaan mereka dengan pembelian tersebut.

Walaupun demikian, kita berharap budaya membaca (tanpa mengira jenis bacaan) akan menjadi penggalak untuk mereka lebih tertarik kepada pembacaan berbentuk ilmiah dimasa akan datang. Seperti biasa, gerai-gerai yang popular seperti Karangkraf dan penerbit majalah popular sentiasa dikerumuni pengunjung sehingga tidak boleh bergerak kita dibuatnya. Saya langsung tidak singgah di gerai-gerai tersebut kerana terlalu sesak.


Apa yang menarik perhatian saya juga ialah kecenderungan pengunjung kepada gerai-gerai yang menjual buku-buku agama seperti gerai PTS, Telaga Biru, Ana Muslim dan beberapa lagi. Saya yakin kesedaran orang ramai terhadap agama semakin mendalam walaupun kita sering melihat dan mendengar tentang kegiatan maksiat yang
berleluasa.


Tahun hadapan jika saya ada kesempatan untuk ke Pesta Buku, saya akan mengambil cuti dan pergi pada hari bekerja dan bukan hujung minggu. Semoga saya ingat pesanan saya sendiri.

Terima Kasih

Malam tadi adik saya yang "paling berani" dengan saya menalipon saya tetapi saya berada dimasjid dan tidak membawa telefon. Apabila saya perasan miss call tersebut, malam sudah agak lewat walaupun saya tidor lagi lewat kerana menonton BPL dan meraikan kekalahan pasukan yang disokong oleh adik bongsu saya, Arsenal.

Jadi pagi ini, dalam perjalanan ke pejabat, saya menalipon adik saya yang berani tu.

Saya: Assallamualaikum. Ada call semalam?
Adik: Waalaikumasallam. Ada.
Saya: Ada apa?
Adik: Takder apa-apa. Cuma adik2 Along semua bertanya saya bila Along nak panggil meeting nak bincang majlis walimah Lina.
Saya: Kan Along dah kata, Agenda mesyuarat belum siap. Macamana nak panggil meeting tanpa agenda.
Adik: Tu ler. Semua adik2 dan anak2 buah Along nak tahu apa kerja mereka pada hari tersebut. Makcik pun asyik tanya apasal kami tak tolong Along.
Saya: Nanti bila dah bersedia Along panggil meeting.
Adik: Saya kat Kelang semalam, semua orang tanya sebab tu call. Yang lain semua tak mahu call Along.
Saya: Apa pasal dia orang tak mahu call?
Adik: Mereka kata saya Setiausaha keluarga, so saya kena call.

Disini, saya nak ucapkan berbanyak terima kasih kepada semua adik-adik dan anak-anak buah saya yang tak sabar-sabar nak menolong saya dalam menjayakan walimah anak sulung saya yang InsyaAllah akan dilangsungkan pada 25 Jun 2011. Majlis pernikahan akan diadakan pada hari Jumaat, 24 Jun.

Sebenarnya memang belum bersedia nak panggil meeting sebab masih banyak perkara yang belum diputuskan. Saya pulak semakin sibuk dengan kerja. Isteri pun dah mula risau.

InsyaAllah dengan doa adik2 dan anak2 buah, semuanya akan dipermudahkan oleh Allah swt. Saya berasa amat bersyukur kerana mempunyai saudara mara yang amat perihatin dengan masaalah saya. Terima kasih semua.

Barakallahu lakuma, wa baraka alaikumaa wa jamaa bainakuma fi khair

"Semoga Allah memberi barakah bagi kamu dan memberkati keluarga kamu, dan mengumpulkan kamu dalam kebaikan dan kepada kebaikan."

Hong Kong 2011

I went to Hong Kong for a few days at the end of April to attend a Conference and also took the opportunity to meet with our Principals to discuss several outstanding matters.

Nothing much to write but I just like to share some photos that I took while there.

The last time I was in Hong Kong we had lunch of dim sum at Ammar mosque and I enjoyed it very much. So this time, I insisted that we visit the same place again. I took some photos but I did not take any of the dim sum. Maybe I was too busy enjoying the food to even remember taking photos.



We also made a courtesy visit to the Malaysian High Commission in Hong Kong.


The rest of our time was spent mostly at the exhibition hall.



The Popeyes outlet at Hong Kong airport serves Halal food.

Resting

It has definitely been a long while since my last post. There were times when I wonder if I will even continue with this though deep inside me I really want it to continue.

A lot has happened since my last post. Work has kept me busy. In fact there have been too many short trips over the past two weeks. I was in Hong Kong for a few days attending a conference. Then there were 3 two days trips each to Sandakan, Jakarta and Miri in quick succession. These trips have taken its toll on me. I am now down with cough, cold and a terrible headache, resting at home. In fact I am feeling all my 53 years at this point in time but I need to see the doctor to get some medicine.

I will stop here and maybe make another post later in the day if I am up to it. At least I have got the whole thing started again.

First Post of 2011

It is already mid February and this is my first post of 2011. I must have been really busy but the sad truth is that I have been plain lazy.

I still have not managed to blog about my Travelog that I had planned earlier. They (you see I had this grand vision that there will be a few episodes) could ultimately be "time-barred". But I still have high hopes that they will finally see the liht of day and find their way to this blog. Any way, this entry was "forced" so that I finally managed to "break the ice" so to speak and make an entry in 2011.


The last 2 days (Wednesday and Thursday) I attended a course for Secretaries of mosques in Selangor, organised by ILDAS (Institut Latihan dan Dakwah Selangor). The place is located in Sabak Bernam more than 130km away from Kelana Jaya. It took me more than 2 hours to reach there despite consistently breaking the speed limit.


It was a useful course especially for those that have just been recently made secretaries for mosques in Selangor but the majority of the participants are "otais" and I am not too sure whether they benefited a lot. But I still feel it was a brave effort by JAIS to improve the professionalism of mosque management in Selangor.

BTW it may be worth noting that all mosques Management Committees in Selangor have been assigned KPIs to achieve since the second half of 2010. And here I am, still struggling with my efforts to implement KPIs in my office.