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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.


Saturday, May 08, 2010

The trip back from Pulau Semat

Continued from Visiting the mystical island of Pulau Semat.


Once we're done visiting the tomb of Sultan Tajul Ariffin, it's time to head back to Manong. However there's a condition we must observe said the boatman. You cannot simply leave Pulau Semat and head back to the mainline. You must go anti-clockwise first and circle the island, otherwise you might risk bad luck and capsize or drown! Here's a picture as we head downstream to get to the island's tail...



Now, Pulau Semat is more than 2 km long. After the tail is another island situated very close to it and so you must pass around its side too. Here's the pix when we have made it past that island and started heading upstream.




Here we have totally cleared the smaller island allowing Pulau Semat to fill in the view...





As we headed further upstream, Gunung (mount) Bubu became more prominent in the background. The sky appeared pinkish in this picture. Little did I realise then that my beloved Olympus Stylus digital camera was showing signs of permanent damage...




How I could I realise when it could still churn out beautiful pictures like this? On the right one could see parts of another small island...





Here's a look towards our left on to Pulau Semat. The boatman said this is actually the closest approach to get to the tomb of Sultan Tajul Ariffin. It's just there is nobody coming from here due to the fact that there is no populated area at the nearest mainland, and the banks are just too steep...





A look again towards Gunung Bubu and of course Manong.





The Manong jetty as we were ready to land.


This satellite picture from Google Earth should show Pulau Semat in relation to Kuala Kangsar and Ipoh...

Note the actual position of the island and two smaller ones...

Here one could see the path actually taken by our boat. Click on the pictures or open it in new windows to get a clear look.

Visiting the mystical island of Pulau Semat

Continued from Mouth of Sayong river and the palace of Bukit Chandan.


After we're done visiting places in Kuala Kangsar we next travelled to the small town of Manong to get a boat at its jetty.


We almost didn't make it as the locals were reluctant to transport us upon realising our destination was Pulau Semat, an island in the middle of the Perak river. You see the island is considered mystical. You can't simply set your foot on it, you have to be pure in thought and intention.

The were many stories of people drowning or boats getting capsized on the way there. Thank God after a while waiting there were those willing to help...


So here we are. In this picture one could see parts of Pulau Semat to the left.



This is the proper jetty to get onto the island...




But the boatman was worried that the path there could be blocked by falling trees and foliages. So we embarked a bit further downstream on into a banana orchard...




From there we walked towards the path connected to the jetty.






There was substantial clearing to make it easy...





Yes, there are parts were the foliage made it hard...





But as it turned out the path we were looking for itself was free from fallen trees and such despite what the boatman was worried about.






The path leads to our real destination, tomb of the fourth Sultan of Perak, Sultan Tajul Ariffin. Ruling the kingdom more than 400 years ago from this island, his highness is said to be a religious saintly person and that is why the Pulau Semat is mystical.


Thursday, May 06, 2010

Mouth of Sayong river and the palace of Bukit Chandan

Continued from The bridges across the Perak river at Kuala Kangsar...


After the Sultan Abdul Jalil bridge, I decided to follow the small rural roads further downriver and reached this part...


In the background once could see the towers of the palace of Bukit Chandan, the official household of the Perak royal family...

Towards the south one could the range that forms Gunung (mount) Bubu...

Here's the wife posing with our baby...



Further downriver we could catch a better view of the palace.




Actually I took these small rural roads because I wanted to have a look at the mouth of the river Sayong, wrongly spelt as Saiong in this picture...





The last time I was here was sometime in 2001 while this recent visit was made last month. Then only did I know that they have practically cut the mouth to extract sand...




So I can't really tell where old river mouth lies. Hazarding a guess, perhaps this is where the Sayong river originally merges into the much bigger Perak river flow...


The bridges across the Perak river at Kuala Kangsar

Peace be upon you all my dear readers. Today I'm going to start the supporting articles for a series on Perak recently started in the blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU. Come...

On the old trunk road from Kuala Kangsar to Ipoh lies an old bridge across the Perak river...


Known as the Iskandar bridge, it was built in the year 1928. Here's a view from the other side...



Some 7 km downriver nearer to the town of Kuala Kangsar lies the Sultan Abdul Jalil bridge...


Completed less than a decade ago, it connects the sub-urban area of Sayong to the fringe of Kuala Kangsar town.