The Environmental Angler

Happy New Year 1432 Hijriyyah

2010-12-07T08:24:00.001+04:00

Wishing all Mukmins and Muslims a Happy New Year.
May Allah grant all our wishes and guide us to the righteous path. InsyaAllah.

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Malay supremacy unIslamic, suggests chosen race, says Asri

2010-12-04T16:41:00.001+04:00

By Clara Chooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — A renowned Islamic scholar silenced arguments today over the controversial "Malay supremacy" concept, charging that it was un-Islamic and akin to the Jewish's " chosen race" claim.

Dr Asri: Should this be the case, it can be likened to the Jewish claim that they are the 'chosen race'.

Former Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin wrote today that the act of placing the Malay race as more supreme than the others was against the teachings of Islam, which preaches tolerance and the equality of all races.

"If someone considers himself more noble simply because of race or ethnicity factors, or considers others lower than himself because they are not of the same race, such belief is wrong and goes against the teachings of Islam.

"Should this be the case, it can be likened to the Jewish claim that they are the 'chosen race'," he said.

The outspoken scholar added that such "pride" was rejected by Islam.

Dr Mohd Asri's view on the contentious concept is a direct blow to Malay rights group Perkasa, whose leaders have been blaring the "Malay supremacy" rhetoric to push for Malay rights.

In recent days, Perkasa clashed head-on with PKR leaders on the issue, with the latter group arguing that "Malay supremacy" or "ketuanan Melayu" was undemocratic, irrelevant and should be replaced by a more inclusive concept of "ketuanan rakyat" (people's supremacy).

PKR leaders, like its de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, his wife party president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and deputy president Azmin Ali have openly rejected "Malay supremacy", interpreting it to mean the supremacy of the Malay race above the others.

But Perkasa leaders shot back with a biting insult on Dr Wan Azizah and called her a "political prostitute" for rejecting the concept, claiming that it was tantamount to showing disrespect to the Malay Rulers and the Federal Constitution.

The right-wing leaders have argued that the concept of "Malay supremacy" was provided for in the Constitution as it referred to the special positions of the Malays as well as the Malay Rulers.

Today however, Dr Mohd Asri appeared to back PKR's view on the topic, pointing out that while there was no clear definition on the "ketuanan Melayu" terminology, the concept was also not formally expressed in the Federal Constitution.

"Hence it is strange for any party to attempt to defend such a fuzzy concept, whose meaning remains unclear," he said.

Despite this, Dr Mohd Asri described the concept as one that propagated the supremacy of the Malay race above others, explaining that ultimately, the word "ketuanan" was derived from the word "tuan" in Bahasa Malaysia.

Its English equivalent, the scholar claimed, was "supremacy".

"It refers to the root word 'tuan' and when combined with 'Melayu', it means that the Malays are in the status of 'tuan' or in Arabic, it is called 'siyadah' (supremacy).

"If you refer to the meaning according to the language, it means that the Malays are always on top, are more supreme and more noble if compared to the non-Malays," he said.

A clearer definition, added Dr Mohd Asri, would mean that the "Malay race is supreme and most noble".

He continued to assert that such a belief was un-Islamic and cited several verses in the Quran to back his claim.

As an example, Dr Mohd Asri pointed out that Allah himself had declared in Surah al-Hujarat verse 13, "Oh mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other, not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sigh of Allah, the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well-acquainted (with all things)."

"This verse explains that human dignity comes from one's core values, which is noble faith and morals that is defined as righteousness," he said.

Dr Mohd Asri added that Islamic teachings also preached principles in assessing man without looking at his skin colour or race but at the moral values that he possesses.

"If a race should be viewed as noble, this nobility must be proven in how they lead their lives. The Malays or the other races can achieve this through their efforts towards upholding dignity, and not just by relying on their races or different ethnicities," he said.
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Misi kemanusiaan Yayasan Amal di Kassala, Sudan

2010-11-01T17:01:00.001+04:00

Di salin-lekat dari email seorang sahabat...

KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Nov: Yayasan Amal Malaysia (Amal Malaysia) akan melaksanakan misi kemanusiaan di Kassala, Sudan dari 15 November hingga 20 November akan datang bersempena sambutan Aidiladha.

Misi kemanusiaan bagi membantu pelarian Eritrea di bandar sempadan Sudan itu akan disertai 15 anggota termasuk pegawai perubatan.

Amal Malaysia juga akan melaksanakan ibadah korban di khemah-khemah pelarian Islam di Kassala sepanjang berada di wilayah sempadan Sudan itu.
Presidennya, Husin Ismail berkata, pihaknya mensasarkan 50 ekor lembu bagi ibadah korban itu dan setakat ini berjaya mengumpulkan 20 ekor lembu bagi tujuan tersebut.

"Bagi program ibadah korban kita menetapkan RM295 untuk satu bahagian lembu dan RM500 untuk seekor kambing," jelasnya.

Sehubungan itu beliau mempelawa orang ramai yang berminat menyertai program ibadah korban bagi pelarian Eritrea di Sudan menghubungi Amal Malaysia di talian 019-951 1860 (Cikgu Husin) dan 019-664 4796 (Jamuluddin).

Kini terdapat 116,000 pelarian Eritrea di wilayah Sudan ekoran konflik etnik, politik dan agama di negara pinggir Laut Merah itu. Ia mewakili jumlah terbesar pelarian di wilayah Sudan.

Sudan turut menampung 25,000 pelarian dari Chad, Ethiopia (11,000), Uganda (7,800) dan Republik Afrika Tengah (5,000) selain konflik dalaman di wilayah Darfur yang membabitkan lebih 5.3 juta penduduknya.

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Seeing Positivity in Defeat

2010-11-01T16:56:00.001+04:00

I'm not a fan of Malaysian football, at least not anymore. Not since that famous Gold Medal finish in 1989 Sea Games when we beat Singapore 3-1. After that game, Malaysian football has been lost somewhere, somehow.

But watching the Malaysia Cup Final Saturday night, I saw something that has been missing in our favourite past-time. Young players playing their socks off, all for the love of the game and fopr the glory of lifting the most famous trophy in the land.

I was quite dissappointed though that Kelantan beat my home state Negeri Sembilan 2-1. But seeing two teams, consisting of a majority of players under 25 years of age, playing a good game of football was a feast to the eyes. Don't compare them to the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal though... They are too far ahead. Even our national teams would struggle to beat their U-18 sides.

But it's a sign that Malaysian football is not starved of young talents. The best thing to do will be to give them enough exposure... International exposure... And a good and sound management...and I'm sure the future would bright for Malaysia...

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Khoda Hafez FB

2010-10-27T05:04:00.003+04:00

Khoda Hafez, literally means "May God Protect You" in Farsi... It's a common farewell greeting in Iran where I used to spend a lot of my professional life while in the Middle East. When you say it, it means you are saying "Goodbye"... So, Goodbye FB.
I'm not sure whether I'm going back or not but as for now I want to go back to blogging.
I have a lot things on my mind that FB just can't cater. And I want to be free expressing my thoughts and feeling... in my own web-space.
A few of the people who are close to me (including my sister) testified that they felt more "relieved" once they quit FB-ing. I want to feel that too.
So, from now on, this web-log will come alive again... Cherios!!!

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Bracing For FB Withdrawal Syndrome

2010-10-23T23:11:00.001+04:00

Eversince I got active with the social network called Facebook (FB), this blog has becoming more and more dormant. FB has been taking up and occupying plenty of my precious time.
I think it's high time for me to bid my FB account farewell and return back to blogging. I have been reading some of my past blog entries and they actually sound very good (hehehe).
I also have readers who like my blog and I don't even know them. I'm not actually much of a writer (not like my sister) but I like to write and express how I feel. I suck at verbally expressing my thoughts and feelings.
To begin with, I have already deleted the FB application in my BlackBerry. I am giving myself until the end of this month before deactivating my FB account.
What about all my FB friends? Hey, FB is not the only way we can communicate... There're other ways... Text messages, emails, phone calls, GoogleTalk and, if they own a BlackBerry, BB Messenger. I can even install a ChatBox in my blog.
So, one more week of FB, then I'm gone from that virtual network.

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15 years ago

2010-10-15T06:50:00.001+04:00

Date: 15th October 1995
Time: Between 3-4pm
Place: Wincell field, Wincell Rd off Fulton Avenue, Sacramento, Ca

Incident: Sports injury - twisted right knee causing damage to interior meniscus and ligaments.

Impact: The end of my footballing "career", and also all kinds of contact sports. The beginning of the "horizontal expansion" process.

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Satu Revelasi

2010-10-02T04:36:00.003+04:00

Assalmualaikum dan Salam Sejahtera...
Rasanya dah lama betul laman blog ni tidak terusik... entri yang terakhir bertarikh 28 April 2010... beberapa hari sebelum berangkat balik dari Dubai.
Hmm, sebut pasal Dubai ni, masih ingat lagi pertanyaan seorang sahabat di Dubai pada hari terakhir kami kat Dubai.
"Apa pengalaman pahit dan manis di Dubai?" tanyanya.
Masa tu tak pasti apa yang harus dijawab... banyak kenangan pahit dan manis di Dubai khususnya dan UAE amnya.
Rasanya pengalaman yang manis ialah dapat berkenalan, bersahabat dan ber"saudara" dengan warga-warga malaysia di Dubai dan UAE. Sebelum tiba di Dubai, tak pernah lagi jumpa satu masyarakat Malaysia yang betul-betul rapat antara satu sama lain... betul-betul 1Malaysia... hehehe. Perhubungan rapat tu berevolusi dari kenalan ke sahabat ke saudara ke kerabat. Bak kata pepatah, cubit peha kiri satu badan rasa sakit.
Tapi, pengalaman yang pahit pun ada... dan sebahagian besarnya menjadi sebab-musabab kenapa aku ambil keputusan untuk balik ke Malaysia dan tak sambung kontrak kerja.
Biarlah aku mulakan cerita macam ni.... bagi aku bila kerja, kena proffesional... walaupun aku tak suka kau, tapi kerja dan personal kena ada sempadan.
Sejak mula aku jejak kaki ke Dubai dan jumpa ketua jabatan tempat aku kerja tu pun aku dah boleh rasa. Tapi rasanya keadaan jadi lebih teruk bila ada Ex-pat Negara Matahari Terbit (BG) dari ofis di Malaysia transfer ke Dubai pada awal 2009. Dia ni memang dah dikenali ramai sebagai seorang yang suka main tikam belakang. Aku dah dapat rasakan sesuatu yang tak berapa diingini akan berlaku. Kebetulan dia di"station"kan di negara Parsi tempat aku selalu pergi untuk urusan kerja. Bila kerja di sana tu... kebebasan dan kreativiti aku jadi terhad sebab dah ada si BG ni... apa yang aku buat semuanya tak ok... sampai kat depan pekerja kat sana pun diboleh malukan aku, seolah-olah aku tak pandai buat kerja.
Bila balik ke ofis di Dubai, setiap bulan akan ada mesyuarat untuk present results bulanan. Bila aku present result yang bagus untuk kilang-kilang yang aku lawati, semua (termasuk si Ketua Jabatan dan MD) puji si BG ni. Seolah-olah selama setahun sebelum ni aku tak buat apa-apa. Bila datang je BG ni, semua jadi perfect.
Si Ketua Jabatan aku ni (YT) muda dari aku setahun, tapi takde respect langsung (dan aku pun tak respect kat dia). Seperti kebanyakan orang dari negara dia, dia ni kuat mabuk dan kaki perempuan (ni kena bukak satu entri lain), tapi tu biarlah.... dia punya pasal. Yang aku rasa tak bestnya ialah bila di ofis di Dubai, aku rasa macam orang asing pulak. Nak kata aku orang Malaysia, yang sorang lagi sahabat yang datang dari ofis Malaysia pun orang Malaysia jugak. Aku tak faham apa yang dia "jaki" sangat dengan aku. Dia amat-amat jarang sekali cakap dengan aku (kecuali kalau nak "belasah" aku) apatah nak bergurau, kalau ada apa-apa aktiviti yang melibatkan jabatan, aku selalu ketinggalan (contohnya bila ambil gambar jabatan dengan cermin mata 3D, semua orang ada kecuali aku).
Semua ni meyebabkan aku rasa terlalu tak sedap untuk terus kerja.
Tapi "the ultimate" datang bila YT panggil aku dah bagitau dia dapat informasi, dari "sumber yang dirahsiakan", yang bila aku pergi urusan kerja ke negara-negara Mesir dan Parsi aku selalu curi tulang. Tu lah yang dikatakan orang putih "the straw that breaks the camel's back". Memanglah cara kerja aku tak pulun... aku work smart... kerja teruk-teruk tanpa results tak guna. Dia pertikaikan aku selalu balik kerja awal bila di negara-negara ni. Dia pertikaikan aku selalu duduk ofis je dan "tak turun padang". Dia pertikaikan aku sampai di Dubai awal dari negara-negara ni tapi terus balik rumah dan tak pergi ofis. Sebenarnya, dia pun buat benda yang sama... takde pulak orang pertikaikan? Kalau dia boleh buat, kenapa pulak aku tak boleh? Bukannya kerja aku tak siap... dan mana-mana kerja yang tak siap, aku plan untuk siapkan bila aku pergi lagi ke sana atau aku "assign" orang di sana untuk buat dengan "guidance" daripada aku.
Kemudian dia melalutlah bab family aku yang company support (rumah, utiliti dan anak-anak sekolah company support). Yang ni memang masa sebelum pergi lagi diorang (ofis Malaysia dan Dubai) dah cuba pujuk aku supaya tak bawak family. macam-macam diorang kata.... anak-anak susah nak dapat sekolah la, susah nak sesuaikan diri la, nanti isteri aku boring la dan bermacam-macam lagi. Agaknya sebab pujukan tak berhasil, aku masih berkeras nak bawak family, maka diorang berkomplot untuk buat aku tak sambung kontrak.... WaLLahu a'lam.
Kemudian faktor gaji.... cuma tinggi sikit dari gaji aku di Malaysia... dan 70-75% kena hantar balik Malaysia untuk bayar bill-bill di Malaysia dan gaji aku di Malaysia bukannya banyak... kurang dari RM5k je. Bayangkan duduk Dubai dengan duit tunai macam tu... kalau takde duit elaun kerja luar negara, tak tau lah family nak makan apa.
Tapi bab ada orang tikam belakang nilah yang membuat aku tawar hati untuk sambung kontrak lagi. Dah la belakang kena tikam, salah seorang yang menikam tu pulak dapat semua puji-pujiannya. Bukan aku kebulur untuk dipuji pun, tapi sekurang-kurangnya bagilah kredit sikit. Takkan takde langsung kontribusi aku sebelum yang layak dapat kredit? Teruk sangat ke aku ni?
Sorang lagi yang menikam tu aku tak pasti identitinya tapi warga Malaysialah jugak. Sebab si BG ni jarang-jarang ke Mesir... dia boleh kata 98% di Parsi je. Tapi aku boleh agaklah sapa yang tikam aku kat Mesir tu... sebab bila aku jumpa dia di ofis Malaysia, dia buat muka "cam hampeh!!!" dia... serious, muka dia memang cam hampeh!!!.
So, cukuplah 2 tahun. sekurang-kurangnya keluarga aku merasa hidup di rantau orang, anak-anak aku merasa sekolah di sekolah antarabangsa, isteri aku merasa jadi surirumah sepenuh masa dan kami dapat berkenalan, bersahabat, bersaudara dan berkerabat dengan warga-warga Malaysia di sana.
Lagipun di Malaysia sekurang-kurangnya aku dekat dengan Mak dan Ayah (kandung dan mertua) yang semakin berusia. Kalau apa-apa hal senang nak balik kampung.
Tapi kalau ada rezeki dari Allah, aku masih lagi berminat untuk kerja di luar negara...mungkin di Dubai semula....mungkin di tempat lain....semua tu aku serahkan kepada Allah....
Bila di luar, fikiran dan minda kita lebih terbuka.... kita dapat tengok negara kita dari perspektif orang luar....
Tapi buat masa ni biarlah di Malaysia dulu.

Let's Learn Farsi

2010-04-28T10:59:00.003+04:00

Here are some Farsi that I picked up....

yek - one
doh - two
seh - three
chahr - four
panj - five
shish - six
haft - seven
hasht - eight
noh - nine
dah - ten

bale / a-re - yes
nah - no
khub - good
khub nis - no good

khubi? - are you ok? (informal)
salam - hello
sobh be kheir - good morning
asr be kheir - good evening
shab be kheir - good night
khoda hafez - good bye

Yek shambeh - Sunday
Doh shambeh - Monday
Seh shambeh - Tuesday
Chahr shambeh - Wednesday
Panj shambeh - Thursday
Jumaeh - Friday
Shambeh - Saturday

Farudgah - Airport
Benin Melali - International
Musafiri - Passenger
Tabaghieh - Floor
Medan - Square

Agho-ieh - Mister (Agho-ieh Haza = Mister Haza)
Hanum-eh - Miss (Hanum-eh Ziela = Miss Ziela)
Mohandes - Engineer

Mohandesin - Engineering
Benzin - Petrol (fuel)
Jadeed - New
Khaleej - Gulf
Musykil - Problem
Masalan - Example

For more info about the Farsi language, click this link http://www.masteranylanguage.com/cgi/f/pCat.pl?tc=MALFarsi

Dubai In Moments

2010-04-28T10:08:00.001+04:00

Where does the name Dubai come from?
There are several theories as to how Dubai was named. One theory is that the word Dubai is a combination of the Farsi words for two and brothers, the latter referring to Deira and Bur Dubai. Others believe that ‘Dubai’ was so named by people who considered its souq a smaller version of a thriving market named ‘Daba’.Another possibility is that the name came from a word meaning money - people from Dubai were commonly believed to have money because it was a prosperous trading centre. It is worth mentioning that there is another town named Dubai in the Al Dahna' region of Saudi Arabia, between Riyadh and Ad Dammam.
1833-1958
In the 18th century, Dubai was a small fishing and trading village inhabited by members of the Bani Yas.The Al Maktoum family settled in Dubai in 1833 when members of the Al Bu Falasah seceded from Abu Dhabi.
Although he was young, Sheikh Maktoum bin Buti ruled Dubai effectively and it grew into a flourishing coastal town. As the population grew, Dubai branched into three distinct areas: Deira was the largest and the main commercial centre. On the western bank, Bur Dubai and Shindagha were separated by a wide stretch of sand called Ghubaiba, which would flood during high tide. Shindagha, situated on a narrow strip of land separating the sea from the creek, was the smallest area and the main residential district. The ruling sheikhs traditionally lived here and the late Sheikh Saeed's house is still standing. Shindagha was probably the site of the original Bani Yas village.
Donkeys and camels provided transportation on land. Crossing the creek meant a long and arduous journey around the end of the creek or a ride in an abra, a small wooden boat that ferries passengers to this day. Abras were also used to transport people to ships.
Deira's souq, the town's public market, was lined with narrow, covered passageways. With 350 shops of commodities from around the world, it was the largest market in the region. ‘Many of the craftsmen in the suq had no shop, but worked on a vacant piece of ground as close as possible to their clients. They were known by name, and the cry would go round the suq, "Where is Hassan the mattress-maker?" until it reached him and he was able to make contact with the potential client. A mattress-maker's creation was vulnerable to visits from passers-by, who might stop to pray on it or simply to rest and chat.Prior to the introduction of electricity in 1952, kerosene lamps or candles were used for lighting and charcoal, imported from the interior of Oman, was used for cooking and making coffee. Sweet water came from wells around Dubai.The majority of the inhabitants lived in barastis, huts constructed from palm fronds. Extended families dwelled in compounds amid the compounds of relatives. Houses were constructed of gypsum from the salt marshes at the end of the creek and coral stone.The town's highest points were the wind towers of the coral stone houses, the watchtowers and Al Fahidi Fort. Wind towers were used for ventilation - a house would cool as water on the floor beneath the tower evaporated. Built in 1799, the Fort is Dubai's oldest surviving structure and it has served as the seat of government, the ruler's residence and as a jail.

Extracted from HERE

Ila Liqa’ Dubai الى اللقأ دبي

2010-04-21T09:43:00.006+04:00

We will bid farewell to Dubai in two week’s time... Looking back to the two years that we have spent here, they are not without any events or things that we will remember for the rest of our life....

I arrived in Dubai on the 1st of May, 2008... Knowing no one except for the colleague who had arrived 2 weeks earlier... The family didn’t arrive until the middle of June that year.

The first contact with the Malaysian community was when we gathered at a Lebanese restaurant for a dinner... We “wined and dined” until the wee hours...

One weekend I joined some friends who were going to the Blue Souq in Sharjah and Dubai Outlet Mall... I was beginning to like it here... despite the searing summer heat...

Then I was occupied with work... travelling to Iran for 2 weeks... until the beginning of June 2008.

When 3 leaders from PR came, I took that opportunity to meet other Malaysians... I found out later that Malaysians here welcome visitors... especially those who are going to stay here long, like myself.

My life was made complete again when the family joined me on the 13th of June, 2008. There we were... together in Dubai at last.

A few weeks after they arrived we attended the Agong’s birthday celebrations in Matrade and we met more Malaysians that day.

Before that, we had to enrol our two elder daughters into a school. I had done a lot of communicating with a number of international schools even before I arrived in Dubai. At last, one school, Raffles International School in Umm Suqeim, accepted them. They aced the assessment tests (English and Maths). They started their first day in school in early September 2008. And thanks to the host company that the school and the bus fees would be paid by them.
We celebrated our first Ramadhan and Eid holidays away from home that year... new experience for the family.

Perhaps, the most obvious thing about us that time was that we didn’t have our own mode of transportation. We didn’t have a car and I didn’t have a driving license. When we wanted to travel anywhere, it would be either by walking or the taxi. I knew it was quite hard for the family but at least they learned how hard it was to be in a foreign land and how to survive. Surprisingly I heard little complaints from them... especially Apit, my youngest child.

Nevertheless, we were lucky that we have friends who offered us a ride whenever there was a gathering or during the Eid celebrations... We were so grateful that we made a promise to ourselves, if ever we had the opportunity, and means, to buy a car here, it would be a big car.... So that we can offer other people a ride.

I had started my driving lessons towards the end of October 2008 and, after failing the first driving test, I got my Dubai driving license on the second test (valid for 10 years) on the 5th January, 2009.

The first major event that we joined was the Island Escapade, in early March 2009... Organized by MyUAE-Pro, in a small island off the coast of the Emirate Umm Al Quwain. About 300 Malaysians from all over UAE gathered there for a day of funs, games and get-together. Mabrook to MyUAE-Pro and the organizing committee for the wonderful and meaningful event.

We managed to buy a big made-in-Korea minivan later in the middle of March 2009 and all praise be to Allah, our prayers were answered.... and true to our words, to the best of our knowledge, we never denied any one who wish to hitch a ride with us. For a family of 5 like us, a car is a necessity... and the company didn’t provided us with it... one of the down-side of things for us in Dubai. With a car for ourselves, we were free to go anywhere... we wouldn’t have to trouble any one because we wouldn’t have to depend on our friends to take us where we wanted to go. And we didn’t have to depend too much on the taxis and other public transports.

When MyUAE-Pro had its first AGM and officially called MY-UAE, I was elected as one of the ExCo members. As I mentioned personally to the elected President, I was honoured to be elected to serve my fellow Malaysians... and I meant it.

Meanwhile, our two daughters had been settling well in school. They have made a lot of friends, really good friends. One of the wonderful things about Dubai and the international school is that they really open the minds of our kids. They befriended almost everybody regardless of religions, race, skin-colour, mother tongue, etc.

I was really grateful they settled in well because we had always thought that they would have a difficult time adapting to the new environment. They had proven their mother and me wrong. Their friends are consist of students who come from a well-to-do families... whose fathers didn’t have to rely on BizTrip allowances to make ends meet, they were still accepted as one of them. Frankly speaking, I am quite sad that they have to live Dubai and their friends.

July 2009 came, and I took the whole month off and took the family back to Malaysia for a holiday.... but 1 month was not enough... we only managed to go to visit a few relatives and a weekend trip to Singapore.

We came back to Dubai just a few weeks before Ramadhan... our 2nd Ramadhan in Dubai.
We joined the Ramadhan Bazaar.... we shared a table with a couple from Kelantan who were one of our good friends in Dubai. My wife made karipap, koci and etc.... it was our first experience as entrepreneurs and I think we did well.... and we got to make new friends too. The kids also helped in their own ways despite having to fast... well, except for Apit.

Ramadhan passed and Eid Al-Fitr came.... this time around, we didn’t have to worry about not having to join in on the celebrations. We had our own car. It was one of the busiest Eids for us.... we travelled around from morning until midnight, attending open houses... and as for every Eid, we held our own open house at our small 2-room apartment. The menu was, as usual, my Soto Ayam and Spaghetti... and a number other delicacies. Shukran jazilan to all our friends who had attended our open house...

The new school year started in early September 2009. Apit started his KG education this year. Once again, we were worried that he would not settle in, but once again we were proven wrong. He settled in well and seemed happy to start learning and making new friends. He didn’t have that “Day One” syndrome that most kids his age had.

With all the kids at school, my wife was left at home from morning until the early afternoon. She passed the time honing her baking skills (I bought her a Kenwood bread maker as a motivation) and chatting with friends and family back in Malaysia on the internet (YM, FB and etc.). I started a new assignment at home in the morning when not on BizTrips.... waking Apit up, bathing and dressing him... It’s more like a father-and-son thing... the Hilmy clan version of male bonding.

In late November 2009 until the middle of December 2009, we had some important guests... My mother, father and my two nieces came for a 2-week visit to Dubai. I picked them up at Terminal 1 and brought them to our apartment. It was a kind of small re-union for the Mat Zean clan. They couldn’t come at a better time because in early December, we had a long weekend due to the UAE National Day celebrations.

We brought them to places around Dubai, Abu Dhabi and we also joined the trip to Musandam, Oman... My sister said it was a motivational trip for my mother who had just recovered from a diabetic-induced complication.

When we were growing up, our parents used to take us to places such as Kelantan and Penang during the school holidays... and the roles were reversed when they came to Dubai. It was my turn to take them for sight-seeing and savouring the delicacies that Dubai had to offer. My parents particularly liked the Lebanese food as it lacked oil and served with complimentary pita breads and vegetables. Traditional Arab food is actually good for people who are health-conscious as it is cooked with less oil and salt... My parents even brought home some pita breads with them when they left Dubai.

In mid-January 2010, it was my sister’s, the Running-Mom, turn to come. She was running the Standard Chartered 2010 Dubai International Marathon (read HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE).

One of the highlights of our 2 years in Dubai would be our family trip to Istanbul, Turkey, during the New Year Holiday (2010). There’s another entry for that HERE.

New Gregorian year 2010... the news came that the company might not be extending my contract... so, the preparation to leave Dubai started... Frankly speaking, we had mixed feelings about leaving Dubai. We have made a lot of good friends here... The kids have settled down in school... they have also made a lot of good friends, including Apit. It’s really sad to leave, but we know that life has to go on... who knows, there could be better things for us in Malaysia...

One of our friends asked me, what would be the most memorable moments for me (and us) in Dubai... after 2 years. Trust me, I don’t have the answer for that... every moment in Dubai is a memorable one.... We will never forget each and every one of it. But the most important thing is the friends that we met and made here will always be in our hearts... I hope the friendship will continue for as long as we all shall live.

We will always cherish the memories in Dubai... who knows, we will come back in the future... who knows? ;-)

Earth Hour

2010-03-27T18:05:00.003+04:00

Let's celebrate Earth Hour...

Turn off your lights, electrical lights that is, for one hour tonight.... Starting from 830pm to 930pm.

Lend your supports to the initiatives to make our Earth, our home, a better one.

An hour of our time will go a long way....

Sent from Haza Hilmy's BlackBerry® device

Of the Letter and Countdown

2010-03-25T11:03:00.010+04:00

I was expecting it actually... since the day that my boss told me that my contract won't be extended... and since the day that I told them I want to come home. There's a related entry in Bahasa Malaysia HERE.

So, on Sunday afternoon, I received it... by hand from the HR Director himself.

Last day of employment (or the last day on "Host Company" payroll): 17th May, 2010
Repatriation leave: 7th May ~ 16th May, 2010
First day of employment in "Home Country": 18th May, 2010

If everything goes a planned, InsyaAllah, we'll be back in our beloved Malaysia on the 8th May, 2010 at about 935pm.

So, that's it... my "Tour of Duty" days in Dubai are numbered.... and I'm actually counting them down now.

Still, there some items need to be settled... the car, the visas, the bank, personal effects shipment and etc.

Hope everything will be okay... and we'll go back home to Malaysia with a happy feeling that we have spent 2 wonderful and eventful years in this land....

Istanbul (New Year 2010) - A very belated entry

2010-03-25T10:57:00.010+04:00

This way to Istanbul

Actually, our year-end holiday plan could be called an Ad-Hoc one because I initially planned to take my family to Tehran. That was my plan from a few months ago. I made a promise to my wife that I will take them somewhere for a vacation when I have a 4 day weekend during the New Year break.

Due to the instability in the Iranian capital, I turned to Cairo. But, unfortunately the Economy Class seats were all sold out. Only the Peak Economy seats were left vacant and at the price that I couldn’t afford.

One of my colleagues suggested Istanbul. I checked the flight tickets, searched for the accommodations... and the rest I will share later... in a nut shell (I am not much of a writer...)

30/12/09
I went to have my hair cut in the morning. All the things to bring with us to the Turkish capital were already packed.

At about 12:00 noon we left the house to catch the taxi to the airport.
We brought:
1. One suitcase of clothes
2. One small bag of food items and
3. Two knap-sacks and my wife’s laptop computer
4. Our Sony H-50 camera and the Nikon compact as a back-up
This was actually considered light for our standards.

Upon arrival at the airport, we checked in our two larger bags at the self check-in kiosk and went on to the passport control and the departure hall.

We performed Jama’ and Qasr for Dzuhur and ‘Asar at the prayer room and walked to the boarding hall for our flight to Istanbul... EK121. We checked in at Terminal 3, but had to walk all the way to Terminal 1 for boarding. But since everybody was in a good mood, nobody complained.

-----
The flight took us to Istanbul in about 4-4.5 hours. We didn’t have any problems with the immigration and the luggage delivery.... everything went well (except that they didn’t informed us at which carousel our luggage should be collected from).

Coming out from the Arrival Hall, there were so many people around, most travel agents, waving the placards with names on them. I was looking around for my name when my wife said, “there it is...”. In capital letters “HAZA HILMY ZEAN”.

The agent ushered us to a corner as he was also waiting for some other passengers. After about ½ hour of waiting, he took us out to the waiting shuttle bus (a big van, actually). We got the first taste of Istanbul’s weather.... It was not very cold to my standard (I’ve experienced colder temperature when I was in Iran) but not to my family. They never experienced this kind of weather before (which was why I wanted to take them for the winter vacation in the first place).

The trip to the hotel took us from the Ataturk International Airport to the heart of Istanbul in about half an hour’s time.

The taxi stopped a few meters from the hotel, Star Holiday Hotel, just in front of Diva Nyolu Cadesi (or Diva Nyolu Street). It will be our home for the next 3 nights. It wasn’t very cold actually... except when the wind blew.

We checked in and with the help of the hotel staff, climbed three flights a narrow staircase to our room, a quad-room, in the 3rd floor. The room wasn’t that big for a quad-room... there was hardly any space to walk around... but we were not actually planning to stay in the room all day.
The room has 3 beds; 2 in the front and there’s another one, a bigger one, in a small “sub-room”. It’s separated from the rest of the room by a door-way.

Once we were settled in, we went out to see the night-life... It was about 8pm and quite chilly...even at night we could see that Istanbul is a beautiful city.

The night out in Sultanahmet

We walked around the Sultanahmet area... checking out the sights and sites... took some pictures... and went back to the hotel when Apit was beginning to have one of his “Apit penat lah...” acts...

-----
31/12/09
We were awakened by the Fajr Azzan... from multiple directions... for a country without any official religion in its constitution, Islam is something special here... historically and spiritually. We can see from afar, there were a lot of mosques (camii in Turkish) in Istanbul and when it comes to azzan, every mosque would seem to try to outdo its neighbour. The closest mosque to our hotel was the Agha Firdaus Camii and the Sultanahmet Camii (or the Blue Mosque).

We went to have breakfast at the 4th floor terrace... just overlooking the Blue Mosque. If we panned our view to the left, we would see the Haghia Sophia (or Aya Sofiya), a one-time cathedral, then a mosque and now a museum.

The breakfast was simple... freshly baked bread (the size of a small coconut), hard-boiled egg, cheese, some pickles, fresh olive, thinly-sliced sausages, tea and coffee, fresh milk... but it’s enough to keep us full until lunch-time.

-----

Inside the boat - Bosphorus Cruise

The agenda for today will be the Bosphorus Cruise. So, we took the tram from Sultanahmet station, past Gulhane and Sirkeci stations towards Eminonu station. We got off and went directly to the Eminonu Port just a few meters away from the tram station. It was about 1045am.

The official Bosphorus Cruise boats were already departed and we chanced upon some people who offered the “mini-cruise” for TL20 per head.... Apit would get to ride for free.

So, off we went... from the quay just adjacent to Galata Bridge towards Bosphorus Bridge... one of the two bridges connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. The other one being Fatih Sultanmehmet Bridge, about 7km up the Bosphorus Strait from Bosphorus Bridge.

The view was ultimately breathtaking... the undulating movements of the small boat were almost forgotten and ignored... the only thing that made us dizzy was the smell coming from the diesel engine. We were with about 20-30 more tourists on the boat... most of them looked European or Caucasian.... I think we were the only Asians on the boat. We saw the Dolmabahçe Palace, which used to be the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire as well as the Presidential resident of Kamel Attaturk.

On the boat - Bosphorus Cruise

We also saw so many beautiful buildings... seagulls and cormorants were everywhere, feeding in the waters of the Bosphorus, perching on the side of the jetty or simply flying along following the boats.

At Beylerbeyi town park

Our small boat made a u-turn upon crossing under Fatih Sultanmehmet bridge and made a stop-over at a small town of Beylerbeyi, just next to the Asian side of Bosphorus bridge. We spent about an hour there, appreciating the weather and the view and taking pictures.

At about 130pm, we board the boat for the last leg of the trip; a return leg to Eminonu. We arrived about 40 minutes later. Since we hadn’t had lunch yet, I bought a fish sandwich at a nearby stall. A meal of the sandwich and soda cost just TL5. To kill the fishy taste, you had to eat it with some salt and lemon juice. We finished the small lunch and headed to the next destination which was the Masir Carsisi or Egyptian Bazaar or the Spice Bazaar.

It was the 2nd largest bazaar in Istanbul after the Grand Bazaar. We weren’t planning of doing any shopping, so each of us pick a small souvenir for ourselves and a few more for friends and family.... that was it.

We went back to the hotel to take a much needed rest. We were planning to go to Taksim Square that night to watch the new year celebration.

After solat (about 630pm) we went out and have Turkish kebab dinner at a road-side restaurant halfway between the tram station and our hotel. We had our first taste of authentic Turkish cuisines and the aromatic and tasteful Turkish apple tea.

Then, we took the tram towards Kabatas station. Kabatas is the last tram station in the Zeytinburnu-Kabatas tramway. After that, we had to take the Taksim Fenikuler train. It is a train system that connects Kabatas and Taksim Square. It actually runs up the hill towards Taksim Square in an underground tunnel. The train itself was design to tilt at about 40o – 45o.

Taksim Square is located on top of hill.... it serves at the gathering points for Istanbulis.... equivalent to our own Merdeka Square. It is a place where people gather for almost everything from demonstrations to celebrations. But we didn’t wait for midnight because judging by the in-coming traffic of people, we were sure that at midnight there would probably be no place for us to even sit down.

So, after taking a few snaps of pictures, we decided to leave Taksim Square. We went down the stairs to the Fenikuler station to buy the tokens for the ride back. That was when I realized that my wallet was gone.... (but I don’t want to tell sad stories here....maybe another time.... just maybe)... hehehe. Luckily, we still have some TLs because I split the TLs between my wife and me.

So, we went back to the hotel and called it a day.

-----
01/01/2010

Ain and Apit enjoying themselves at the Blue Mosque ground

I went to settle some issues in the morning and promised to meet my family after Jumaat solat. It was the first experience for me to listen to the Friday sermon and perform solat with tourists all around me, sitting on the outer rim of the square. I guess, on Fridays, they don’t restrict visitors to the Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet Camii for Muslims only.

I rendezvous-ed with the family later, right after I finished doing some errands and the ‘Asar prayers. We went for a tour around the Sultanahmet Mosque and Aya Sofiya. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to enter Aya Sofiya as it was already late and the visitors’ entrance already closed. We just took some pictures and went instead to the Topkapi Museum. On the way there, we stopped by the road-side shops because my wife was looking to buy some souvenirs to bring home.

The museum was also closed by the time we arrived at the entrance, and once again we were only able to take pictures outside the huge museum complex. We walked back to our hotel......the kids were already tired and in need of a rest.

We had dinner in the room... just to finish off the food that we brought with us... When kids were settled down, my wife and I decided to go out and experience the cool Istanbul night, just the two of us.

We took a walk along the tramway towards Gulhane tram station... taking some pictures along the way... while appreciating the wonderful Istanbul night.

We got back at about 1100pm... tomorrow would be our last day in Istanbul.

Me and Hotel Manager, Mr Altin Decko

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02/01/2010
We got up early and started packing our things after breakfast. After bidding farewell to our host, we took the tram to Ataturk Airport.

From Sultanahmet station, we travelled by tram to Zeytinburnu station. It’s a transit station to the airport. From Zeytinburnu, we took the Metro line towards Havilamani (airport).
The journey took us just under one hour.... and it rained and hailed halfway through the tram and metro ride.

We arrived at Ataturk Airport, checked in, perform Dzuhur and ‘Asar prayers (Jama’ and Qasr), had a light lunch at BK and went straight to the boarding gate.

That’s the end of our Istanbul trip... but deep in our hearts, we knew that 2-3 days were not actually enough for us to really experience Istanbul. We made a silent promise that we will return one day, one fine day, InsyaAllah.

More photos HERE

Hachiko, the Faithful Dog

2010-03-23T14:56:00.003+04:00

In 1934, a bronze statue of a dog called Hachiko was erected at the Shibuya Train station in Tokyo, Japan. The story of this dog is mentioned below.

Hachiko was born in 1923 and was owned by Eisaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. The professor used to take a train from the Shibuya Station every day to go to the university. Each day Hachiko accompanied the professor to the train station when he left for work. Upon returning, the professor would find the dog patiently waiting for his master and wagging its tail. This happy routine continued until one fateful day in 1925, when the professor was taken ill on the job and unfortunately died before he could return home. As usual, the dog waited at the train station that day for his master to return back. However, seeing that he wasn't coming back, Hachiko waited till night fell and retuned back home. The next day Hachiko went back to the train station again, waiting for his master to come back. He patiently waited till sunset and then retuned back home. The dog was so devoted to the professor that he continued to visit the train station everyday for the next 10 years! The people who passed the loyal dog each day were so touched by his story that they erected a statue in his honor in 1934.

In 1935, Hachiko died at the very same spot where he used to wait for his master.

Dear readers, we should take a lesson from this story for ourselves. By reciting the kalimah of Tawheed, all of us have taken an oath to be loyal to our Master, Allah Ta'ala. Now, we should look deep into ourselves and check to see how much love we really have for Allah in our hearts.

Source: Partially extracted from Wikipedia and Fabulous Travel.com.

Dubai International Peace Convention (DIPC) (17th - 19th March, 2010)

2010-03-19T15:43:00.004+04:00

With the motto of "Aiming Global Unity Through Peace", the DIPC is held under the patronage of H.H. Syeikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai.

The world renowned Islamic scholars and orators will be holding talks, along with handling Q&A sessions. Notable personalities such as Syeikh Yusuf Estes, Syeikh Dr Hussein Yee, Sheikh Mishary Rashid Al Afasy, Adv. Mayan Kutty Mather and etc. will be talking about various subjects.

For more information, visit http://www.peaceconvention.com/Home.aspx

** An update (21/03/10):

My wife and I went on the 2nd and he last day of the conference... and for the first time in our lives, we were the witnesses to the Shahaadah proclaimed by our new new brothers and sisters. Alhamdulillah, they were shown the lights by Allah to return back to the righteous path of Islam. To tell the truth, I just couldn't hold back my tears... All that I could do was just to praise the Almighty Allah... Allahu Akbar!!!!

We went home a little late last night... because Dr Zakir Naik was giving his talk... he wasn't scheduled to give any talks, but, I guess, due to respect to a man of his stature, he was given a cameo appearance.... But it seemed like his appearance was what people had been waiting for.... Read more about Dr Zakir Naik HERE

** Another update (22/03/10):

We left a bit too early that night when the Q&A session with Dr Zakir Naik was just starting. A friend who stayed back related that a total of 25 brothers and sisters made their Shahaadah that night and revert to Islam... Masya Allah....

UN rejects export ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna

2010-03-19T15:40:00.000+04:00

By MICHAEL CASEY, AP Environmental Writer Michael Casey, Ap Environmental Writer – Thu Mar 18, 2:24 pm ET
DOHA, Qatar – A U.S.-backed proposal to ban the export of Atlantic bluefin tuna prized in sushi was rejected Thursday by a U.N. wildlife meeting, with scores of developing nations joining Japan in opposing a measure they feared would devastate fishing economies.
It was a stunning setback for conservationists who had hoped the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, would give the iconic fish a lifeline. They joined the proposal's sponsor Monaco in arguing that extreme measures were necessary because the stocks have fallen by 75 percent due to widespread overfishing.
"Let's take science and throw it out the door," said Susan Lieberman, director of international policy with the Pew Environment Group in Washington. "It's pretty irresponsible of the governments to hear the science and ignore the science. Clearly, there was pressure from the fishing interests. The fish is too valuable for its own good."
As the debate opened, Monaco painted a dire picture for a once-abundant species that roams across vast stretched of the Atlantic Ocean and can grow to as big as 1,500 pounds.
It has been done in by the growing demand for raw tuna for traditional dishes such as sushi and sashimi. The bluefin variety — called "hon-maguro" in Japan — is particularly prized with a 200-kilogram (440-pound) Pacific bluefin tuna fetched a record 20.2 million yen ($220,000) last year.
"This exploitation is no longer exploitation by traditional fishing people to meet regional needs," Monaco's Patrick Van Klaveren told delegates. "Industrial fishing of species is having a severe effect on numbers of this species and its capacity to recover. We are facing a real ecosystem collapse."
But it became clear that the proposal had little support. Only the United States, Norway and Kenya supported the proposal outright. The European Union asked that implementation be delayed until May 2011 to give authorities time to respond to concerns about overfishing.
Fishing nations from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean complained any ban would damage their fishing communities and that fears of the stock's collapse were overstated. Libya, in a rambling defense of its position, went so far as accusing Monaco of lying and trying to mislead the delegates before calling for the snap vote.
Japan, which imports 80 percent of Atlantic bluefin and has led the opposition to the ban, acknowledged stocks were in trouble but echoed a growing consensus at the meeting that CITES should have no role in regulating tuna and other marine species. It expressed willingness to accept lower quotas for bluefin tuna but wanted those to come from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, or ICCAT, which currently regulates the trade.
"Japan is very much concerned about the status of Atlantic bluefin tuna and Japan has been working so hard for many years to ensure recovery," Masanori Miyahara, chief counselor of the Fisheries Agency of Japan, told delegates. "But our position is very simple. Let us do this job in ICCAT, not in CITES. This position is shared by majority of Asian nations."
Afterward, Miyahara welcomed the decision but admitted the pressure would be on his country and others who depend on the Atlantic bluefin to abide by ICCAT. It ruled in November to reduce its quota from 22,000 tons to 13,500 tons for this year. The body has also vowed to rebuild the stock by 2022, which could include closing some fisheries if necessary.
"I feel more responsibly to work for the recovery of the species," Miyahara said. "So it's kind of a heavy decision for Japan too. The commitment is much heavier than before."
But the European Union's Gael de Rotalier said the vote set a worrying precedent and showed there was widespread mistrust about giving CITES any role in marine issues.
That could bode ill for several other proposals still pending, including several regulating the trade in sharks and one dealing with red and pink corals. If that would occur, a meeting that was expected to boost the protection of marine species wood be seen by many environmentalists as a failure.
"We were expecting to have a real debate but it was not possible," de Rotalier said. "There was a strong feeling in the room against any involvement of CITES in marine issues. They were making it a matter of principle and not looking at the merits of the case."
The tuna defeat came hours after delegates rejected a U.S. proposal to ban the international sale of polar bear skins and parts, suggesting that economic interests at this meeting were trumping conservation.
The Americans argued that the sale of polar bears skins is compounding the loss of the animals' sea ice habitat due to climate change. There are projections that the bear's numbers, which are estimated at 20,000 to 25,000, could decline by two-thirds due by 2050 due to habitat loss in the Arctic.
But Canada, Greenland and several indigenous communities argued the trade had little impact on the white bears' population and would adversely affect their economies.

More HERE

Plight of the tiger

2010-02-18T17:12:00.003+04:00

There are less than 3,000 tigers left roaming the planet, a drastic decline from 100,000 tigers just a short century ago. There used to be nine tiger sub-species worldwide, but in the last 70 years, three have gone extinct - the Balinese, Caspian and Javan. Globally, the tiger has lost 93% of its habitat in the last 100 years.

The Malayan tiger Panthera tigris jacksoni found only in the Malay Peninsula, was recognized in 2004 as the ninth sub-species. In the 1950s, there were an estimated 3,000 tigers in Peninsular Malaysia. Today, only about 500 Malayan tigers are believed to remain, but no one knows for certain.

The initial decline in tiger numbers was primarily due to large-scale loss of habitat but in more recent times, the most urgent threat is poaching for its body parts, persecution by angry villagers, and starvation as their prey is over-harvested.

Threats to the survival of wild tigers are mounting and a world without wild tigers may become a reality in our lifetime unless drastic measures are taken.

The tiger is endangered. It is in trouble, and the time to save the tiger is now or never. The Malayan tiger needs greater interest, concern and action from the Malaysian public.

More Malaysians must join the fight to save the tiger. It may not take much to push our tiger closer to extinction, but Malaysia must act urgently if we are to save our national icon of strength, beauty and courage.

________________________

Tiger beer worth more than real tigers in Malaysia

12 February 2010

Kuala Lumpur – We are just a day shy of entering the Year of the Tiger, the year of hope for wild Malayan tigers.

While news of heightened awareness for tigers flood the media, articles about a tiger brutally killed in the Bukit Tapah Forest Reserve in Perak, Malaysia, speak of the harsh reality faced by our Malayan tigers.

Responding to reports that a tiger had attacked an Orang Asli, the Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks made the gruesome find of a dead tiger with a wire snare still entwined around its severed left forelimb. The tiger was trapped in the snare for a few days, shot in the eyes and other parts of its body and attacked with spears fashioned out of hard palm stalks. It is also believed to have been poisoned.

Bluefin on the brink

2010-02-15T23:05:00.002+04:00

Monday 15 Feb, 2010
Sushi craze is pushing one special tuna close to extinction, reports Ocean Correspondent Cheryl-Samantha Owen

Life without sushi…? Judging by the popularity of the fishy food across the world, one wonders if we could cope.

But the day those perfectly timed (not too slow for fashion conscious diners to lose patience - not too fast to dry out the fish) conveyor belts present little more than rice and seaweed could be just around the corner. The Japanese-born sushi trend has turned out to be as big a threat to our oceans as pollution and warming temperatures.

Tuna, especially bluefin tuna, crowns the menu for sushi lovers and forms the basis of many fisheries world-wide.

All seven commercially fished species are being unsustainably exploited and three are already listed on the IUCN’s Red List as threatened with extinction.

Though they may be the golden goose for the fishing industry today, these magnificent fish will soon become the dodos of the sea if they are not offered immediate protection.

More than half a century of overfishing is pushing the bluefin to the brink, and scientists estimate that stocks are within three years of total collapse.

The stock of Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna has already dropped below 15 per cent of its pre-exploitation levels, qualifying it for a ban on trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Due to the rarity premium paid by diners, it is very possible that the bounty on their heads will ensure that bluefin are hunted to actual extinction.

Last month a single bluefin tuna sold at a Japanese auction for $175,000.

Perverse as it is, the faster the tuna population plummets, the higher the price of this fish soars.

Pound for pound, bluefin can be more valuable than ivory.

Most people find the idea of tucking into a plate of elephant, snow leopard, whale, dolphin, or any of the perceived “cuddly” creatures of our world hard to swallow, yet serving up slices of this marvellous apex predator is like dining on sashimi of African cheetah.

The name tuna stems from the Greek “to rush” and for good reason.

The bluefin tuna can reach bursts of speed of 90 kilometres per hour. Its extraordinary internal and external designs combine to ignite an explosive power that gives the fish its astonishing attack capability.

It is one of the most highly evolved of all fishes. Starting life as microscopic larvae they can reach 15-feet in length and grow to almost 700 kilogrammes.

It’s the widest ranging of the tunas - stretching from the tropics to the Arctic.

Once revered and traditionally fished in the Mediterranean for three millennia, today there is a scramble to catch the last bluefin. Gone are they days when bluefin the size of cows were landed and fishing was fair.

Today fishermen are catching fish a third of the size in massive purse-seine nets that can capture three hundred fish in a single haul of the net.

With spotter planes radioing to boat captains the location of schooling bluefin below and “super freezers” stockpiling thousands of tonnes for a time when they have emptied our seas - the bluefin and other shark species like it do not stand a chance.

They will lose the battle unless immediate action is taken.

Tuna farming or ranching is no panacea.

Tuna ranching relies on the capture of juveniles from the wild.

It removes immature bluefin before they have even had a chance to spawn.

In addition, almost 20 pounds of fish go into the feed that makes one pound of bluefin - a ratio even worse than prawn farming.

The end of wild stocks will be the end of ranching and the end of bluefin sashimi.

How you can help
• Avoid eating bluefin and bigeye tuna
• If you don’t know what the tuna is, where it came from and how it was caught - don’t eat it. (Tuna cans often omit this information).
• Boycott restaurants that serve endangered species, such as bluefin tuna.
• The CITES meets in March this year to debate the fate of tuna.

Encourage your government to ban the trade on bluefin tuna.

From HERE

SAVE OUR SEAS.... Visit HERE

The Unforgettable Love Story

2010-02-15T14:13:00.004+04:00

This was emailed to me from a friend....

By Dr. Hesham A. Hassaballa
She was one of the noblest women of her time, coming from a very prominent family. She was also quite beautiful and the holder of a considerable amount of wealth, for she successfully ran her own business. To marry her would have been a great feat for any man, and indeed, quite a few of the most prominent and wealthy men in society had asked for her hand. Yet, she rejected them all; already being a widow, she had lost the desire to marry again.
Until he came into her life. He was young man of 25, and although he was also of a noble family, he was an orphan and was not a man of many means. He had made a meager living tending sheep in the hills surrounding the city. Yet, he had an impeccable moral character, and he was widely known as one of the most honest men around. That is what attracted her to him: she was looking for someone honest who could conduct business for her, as she “a woman in a fiercely patriarchal society“ could not do it herself. So, he started working for her.
After he came back from his first business trip, she asked her servant, whom she had sent with him, about him and his conduct. The servant amazed her by his report: this young man was the kindest, gentlest man he had ever met. Never did he treat the servant harshly, as many others do. Yet, there was more: as they traveled in the heat of the desert, the servant noticed that a cloud had followed them the entire time, shading them from the blazing sun. Upon hearing this, she became quite impressed with her new employee.
Not only that, this new employee proved to be an astute businessman in his own right. He took his employer's merchandise, sold it, and with the profits bought other merchandise that he sold again, thus profiting twice. All this was enough for her: the embers of love in her heart that were once extinguished were re-kindled again, and she desired to marry this young man, who was 15 years younger than she.
So, she sent her sister who asked him, "Why are you not married, yet?"
"For lack of means," he answered.
"What if I could offer you a wife of nobility, beauty, and wealth? Would you be interested?" she told him.
He replied in the affirmative, but when she mentioned her sister, the young employee chuckled in amazement.
"How could I marry her? She has turned down the most noble men in the city, much wealthier and prominent than me, a poor shepherd," he said.
"Don't you worry," the sister replied, "I'll take care of it" (Ibn Al-Atheer).
Not long after, this wealthy business-owner married her young employee, and it was the beginning of one of the most loving, happiest, and sacred marriages in all of human history: that of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwaylid.
When they were married, the Prophet was 25 years old, and Khadijah was 40. Yet, that did not bother the Prophet one bit. He loved her so deeply, and she loved him as deeply. They were married for 25 years, and she bore him seven children: 3 sons and 4 daughters. All of the sons died at a young age. Khadijah was a source of immense love, strength, and comfort for the Prophet Muhammad, and he leaned heavily on this love and support on the most important night of his life.
While he was meditating in cave of Hira, the Angel Gabriel came to Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the first verses of the Quran, which Muslims believe is the word of God, and declared to him that he was to be a Prophet. The experience terrified him, and he ran home and cried to Khadijah , "Cover me! Cover me!" She was startled by his terror, and after soothing and comforting him for a while, the Prophet was able to calm down and tell her about his experience (Al-Bukhari).
The Prophet feared he was going mad or being possessed.
Khadijah put all his fears to rest: "Do not worry," she said, "for by Him who has dominion over Khadijah's soul, I hope that you are the Prophet of this nation. Allah would never humiliate you, for you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress." She then took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal “a Christian scholar well-versed in the Judeo-Christian scripture“ and he confirmed to Muhammad that his experience was Divine and he was to be the Prophet they had all been waiting for (Al-Bukhari).
After his ministry began, and the opposition of his people became harsh and brutal, Khadijah was always there to support Prophet Muhammad, sacrificing all of her wealth to support the cause of Islam. When the Prophet and his family were banished to the hills outside of Makkah, she went there with him, and the three years of hardship and deprivation eventually led to her death. The Prophet Muhammad mourned her deeply, and even after her death, the Prophet would send food and support to Khadijah's friends and relatives, out of love for her.
Once, years after Khadijah died, he came across a necklace that she once wore. When he saw it, he remembered her and began to cry and mourn. His love for her never died, so much so, that his later wife Aishah became jealous of her. Once she asked the Prophet if Khadijah had been the only woman worthy of his love. The Prophet replied: "She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand" (Al-Bukhari).
Much has been made and said about Prophet Muhammad's multiple marriages. There are many who smear him as a womanizing philanderer, citing those multiple marriages. This is, of course, totally false. If, God forbid, the Prophet was as they claim, he would have taken advantage of his youth to act on these desires. But he did not. Rather, he was with no other women before Khadijah, who was 15 years his senior, and he had no other wife alongside her, although multiple marriages was common custom at that time.
It was only after Khadijah died (God rest her soul) that he took on more than one wife at a time. All his subsequent marriages were undertaken based on divine instructions. Most of these wives were widows, whom the Prophet married to care of, or they were the daughters of prominent Arab chieftains, so that the Prophet could form a cohesive Muslim society out of a fiercely tribalistic Arab culture. The smears against the Prophet fall flat on their faces once the light of truth shines brightly upon them.
In a song about the Prophet and Khadjiah, Muslim rappers Native Deen sing:
"We look for stories of love in places dark and cold. When we have a guiding light for the whole world to behold."
Many of what we call "love stories" today are nothing more than stories of lust and desire, physical attraction disguised as love.
Yet, I can find no love story more powerful, more spiritually uplifting, more awe-inspiring than that of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah. It is a shining example of what an ideal marriage is, and if I ever claim that I love my wife, I must gauge my actions with that of the Prophet. As the country commemorates Valentine's Day, and everywhere we turn this month, "love is in the air," I cannot help but reflect upon, what is to me, the greatest of all love stories: that of Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah. Even with all of its amazing creative talent, Hollywood could not have come up with a story greater than this.
Works Cited: Ibn Al-Atheer, Ali. Usd al-Ghabah. Vol. 5. Cairo: Dar Ihya Al-Turath Al-Aaraby, 1996.

Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago doctor and writer. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, being published in newspapers across the country and around the world. He has been a Beliefnet columnist since 2001, and has written for the Religion News Service. In addition, his articles have been distributed worldwide by Agence Global. He is a guest blogger for The Chicago Tribune. and is a contributing writer for the prominent news website altmuslim.
Dr. Hassaballa is author of the essay "Why I Love the Ten Commandments," published in the award-winning book Taking Back Islam (Rodale). He is also co-author of The Beliefnet Guide to Islam (Doubleday). In 2007, his blog, God, Faith, and a Pen, was nominated for a Brass Crescent Award for a blog that is "the most stimulating, insightful, and philosophical, providing the best rebuttals to extremist ideology and making an impact whenever they post."

"Have Breakfast… or… Be Breakfast!"

2010-02-07T22:52:00.002+04:00

From a colleague at the office... a good read
-------------------------
By Y. L. R. MOORTHI
[Management Views from IIMB is an exclusive column written every two weeks for India.wsj.com by faculty members of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.]

Who sells the largest number of cameras in India?

Your guess is likely to be Sony, Canon or Nikon. Answer is none of the above. The winner is Nokia whose main line of business in India is not cameras but cell phones.

Reason being cameras bundled with cell phones are outselling stand alone cameras. Now, what prevents the cell phone from replacing the camera outright? Nothing at all. One can only hope the Sonys and Canons are taking note.

Try this. Who is the biggest in music business in India? You think it is HMV Sa-Re-Ga-Ma? Sorry. The answer is Airtel. By selling caller tunes (that play for 30 seconds) Airtel makes more than what music companies make by selling music albums (that run for hours).

Incidentally Airtel is not in music business. It is the mobile service provider with the largest subscriber base in India. That sort of competitor is difficult to detect, even more difficult to beat (by the time you have identified him he has already gone past you). But if you imagine that Nokia and Bharti (Airtel's parent) are breathing easy you can't be farther from truth.

Nokia confessed that they all but missed the Smartphone bus. They admit that Apple's Iphone and Google's Android can make life difficult in future. But you never thought Google was a mobile company, did you? If these illustrations mean anything, there is a bigger game unfolding. It is not so much about mobile or music or camera or emails.

The "Mahabharata" (the great Indian epic battle) is about "what is tomorrow's personal digital device"? Will it be a souped up mobile or a palmtop with a telephone? All these are little wars that add up to that big battle. Hiding behind all these wars is a gem of a question – "who is my competitor?"

Once in a while, to intrigue my students I toss a question at them. It says "What Apple did to Sony, Sony did to Kodak, explain?" The smart ones get the answer almost immediately.

Sony defined its market as audio (music from the walkman). They never expected an IT company like Apple to encroach into their audio domain. Come to think of it, is it really surprising? Apple as a computer maker has both audio and video capabilities. So what made Sony think he won't compete on pure audio? "Elementary Watson". So also Kodak defined its business as film cameras, Sony defines its businesses as "digital."

In digital camera the two markets perfectly meshed. Kodak was torn between going digital and sacrificing money on camera film or staying with films and getting left behind in digital technology. Left undecided it lost in both. It had to. It did not ask the question "who is my competitor for tomorrow?"

The same was true for IBM whose mainframe revenue prevented it from seeing the PC. The same was true of Bill Gates who declared "internet is a fad!" and then turned around to bundle the browser with windows to bury Netscape. The point is not who is today's competitor. Today's competitor is obvious. Tomorrow's is not.

In 2008, who was the toughest competitor to British Airways in India? Singapore airlines? Better still, Indian airlines? Maybe, but there are better answers. There are competitors that can hurt all these airlines and others not mentioned. The answer is videoconferencing and telepresence services of HP and Cisco.

Travel dropped due to recession. Senior IT executives in India and abroad were compelled by their head quarters to use videoconferencing to shrink travel budget. So much so, that the mad scramble for American visas from Indian techies was nowhere in sight in 2008. (India has a quota of something like 65,000 visas to the U.S. They were going a-begging. Blame it on recession!). So far so good. But to think that the airlines will be back in business post recession is something I would not bet on. In short term yes. In long term a resounding no.

Remember, if there is one place where Newton's law of gravity is applicable besides physics it is in electronic hardware. Between 1977 and 1991 the prices of the now dead VCR (parent of Blue-Ray disc player) crashed to one-third of its original level in India. PC's price dropped from hundreds of thousands of rupees to tens of thousands. If this trend repeats then telepresence prices will also crash. Imagine the fate of airlines then. As it is not many are making money. Then it will surely be RIP!

India has two passions. Films and cricket. The two markets were distinctly different. So were the icons. The cricket gods were Sachin and Sehwag. The filmi gods were the Khans (Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and the other Khans who followed suit). That was, when cricket was fundamentally test cricket or at best 50 over cricket. Then came IPL and the two markets collapsed into one. IPL brought cricket down to 20 overs.

Suddenly an IPL match was reduced to the length of a 3 hour movie. Cricket became film's competitor. On the eve of IPL matches movie halls ran empty. Desperate multiplex owners requisitioned the rights for screening IPL matches at movie halls to hang on to the audience. If IPL were to become the mainstay of cricket, as it is likely to be, films have to sequence their releases so as not clash with IPL matches. As far as the audience is concerned both are what in India are called 3 hour "tamasha" (entertainment). Cricket season might push films out of the market.

Look at the products that vanished from India in the last 20 years. When did you last see a black and white movie? When did you last use a fountain pen? When did you last type on a typewriter? The answer for all the above is "I don't remember!" For some time there was a mild substitute for the typewriter called electronic typewriter that had limited memory. Then came the computer and mowed them all. Today most technologically challenged guys like me use the computer as an upgraded typewriter. Typewriters per se are nowhere to be seen.

One last illustration. 20 years back what were Indians using to wake them up in the morning? The answer is "alarm clock." The alarm clock was a monster made of mechanical springs. It had to be physically keyed every day to keep it running. It made so much noise by way of alarm, that it woke you up and the rest of the colony. Then came quartz clocks which were sleeker. They were much more gentle though still quaintly called "alarms." What do we use today for waking up in the morning? Cell phone! An entire industry of clocks disappeared without warning thanks to cell phones. Big watch companies like Titan were the losers. You never know in which bush your competitor is hiding!

On a lighter vein, who are the competitors for authors? Joke spewing machines? (Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, himself a Pole, tagged a Polish joke telling machine to a telephone much to the mirth of Silicon Valley). Or will the competition be story telling robots? Future is scary! The boss of an IT company once said something interesting about the animal called competition. He said "Have breakfast …or…. be breakfast"! That sums it up rather neatly.

—Dr. Y. L. R. Moorthi is a professor at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. He is an M.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and a post graduate in management from IIM, Bangalore

UAE National Environment Day (4th Feb, 2010)

2010-02-04T23:07:00.003+04:00

Introduction
The last year has been a phenomenal one for progress in the fields of environmental protection and wildlife management in the UAE. While much of the progress has taken place without fanfare or publicity it is clear that government commitment, corporate support and greatly enhanced awareness of the general public all factors that have received sustained attention over previous years have borne considerable fruit. The evidence for this progress is to be seen almost every where one looks in the Emirates, from the widespread improvements in environmental controls to the impressive wildlife breeding, conservation and public display projects. The fact that, after 10 years of careful study and habitat development, the greater flamingo finally bred successfully in Abu Dhabi during the winter of 1998–99, the first confirmed breeding of this species in the UAE and the first confirmed breeding anywhere on the mainland of the Arabian Peninsula, is much more than an ornithological triumph. It is also a reassuring confirmation that UAE policy on environment and species protection is actually working. As is well known in the UAE and among the world's leading conservationists, the role of Sheikh Zayed in protecting and rescuing Arabian wildlife has been crucial. He grew up close to nature and with a deep respect for the plants and animals that he encountered in the mountains, deserts, oases and coastal waters. While seeking to provide his people with the benefits of the modern world, he has never lost sight of the vital need to protect the natural one. Sheikh Zayed's government and the people have both been led by and, perhaps more importantly inspired by, his own appreciation for the environment and wildlife.

Over the years a number of government organizations have been established with the role of studying and protecting wildlife. Abu Dhabi’s Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA) has a major national role in this regard. In addition there are other regional departments which have their own programmes for environment protection, wildlife protection and, most importantly for increasing public awareness.

ENVIRONMENT DAY
The UAE's National Environment Day is by now a well established event that serves to focus the attention of government, the corporate sector and the general public on matters of environmental concern. On the occasion of the 1999 National Environment Day, Sheikh Zayed once again commented on the importance of the environment, calling it ‘a dear part of our heritage, civilizations and future’. This year's event focused on the particular needs of the marine environment, with the slogan: 'Together for the protection of our marine environment'. The President also announced that he had ordered there levant authorities to issue any new regulations they deemed necessary to ensure protection of the environment.

Read more HERE

Protecting The 'Malayan Tiger'

2010-02-02T10:26:00.004+04:00

By Mazani Chan Yat Sin

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 (Bernama) -- English poet William Blake of the 17th century era became fascinated by the tiger to the extent that he wrote a poem entitled 'The Tyger' where the opening lines are:

"Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?"

As the Chinese community in Malaysia and rest of the world await the countdown for the arrival of the Year Of The Tiger, experts on wildlife conservation are struggling in their efforts to prevent the Malayan tiger from becoming extinct.

Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department's Director for Biodiversity Conservation, Mohd Nawayai Yasak said the population of the Malayan tiger in the Peninsula now is about 500.(According to sources, the Malayan tiger is not found in the jungles of Sabah and Sarawak. As for its cousin, the Sumatran tiger which is found in Sumatra, is bigger in size and length as compared to the Malaysian species).

MALAYAN TIGER

The Malayan tiger, Panthera Tigris Jacksoni, can only be found in the Peninsula and most of these mammals are in the thick jungles of Perak, Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu.

"The population size of the Malayan tiger is getting smaller and we need to do something before this species become extinct," he told Bernama in Perhilitan's office at Jalan Cheras here recently.

Throughout 2008, Perhilitan's game rangers carried out 174 operations and destroyed some 1,000 tiger traps and snares.

"Most of the snares set up by poachers are of the wire type where it can endanger not only the big cats but other animals that pass through the spot," he said.

WILD AND BREED

The tiger population in the country dropped significantly from the some 3,000 in the 1950s to only about 300-400 in the 1990s.

"From 1989 to 2008, we have successfully bred 50 tiger cubs at the Melaka Zoo.

"We carried out two methods. The ex-situ breeding where the tiger born in the zoo is left to be with its group while the in-situ breeding involves the tiger that roam in the jungles and allowed to breed and move freely there," said Mohd Nawayai.

"However the cost for the ex-situ breeding is high as it incurs various expenditures like the tiger cub's upkeep, its food and the likes as a tiger is known to consume a lot of food," he said.

In the move to improve the conservation efforts, the authorities are reviewing the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 to enable stiffer fines to be imposed on poachers and wildlife smugglers.

NGO AND STATE GOVERNMENT

The cooperation from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and state governments is crucial towards protecting the tigers, he said.

"We cannot do this alone. That is why we are hoping for the collaboration from the NGOs like the WWF, the public and state governments."

"We welcome the effort of the state government to gazette the state forests and reserve jungles as the permanent place for the conservation of tigers in the country," he said.

Meanwhile the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Malaysia has created a unit known as 'Team Ronda' to curb activities that can lead to the extinction of the mammals.

"Team Ronda comprises 10 volunteers from WWF and will conduct patrols at spots that draw the presence of poachers," said the programme's officer Ahmad Zafir Abdul Wahab at WWF Malaysia office in Petaling Jaya.

"From early January 2009 until today, Team Ronda and Perhilitan have destroyed 114 tiger traps installed by poachers at the areas fringing Tasik Temenggor and Belum Forest Reserve," he said.

PUBLIC AWARENESS

Inconjunction with the arrival of the Year Of The Tiger, WWF has conducted a programme known as 'TX2' to double the population of the Malayan tiger.

WWF Malaysia corporate communications officer Sara Sukor said the programme is staged to boost public awareness on the importance of conserving the tigers.

"The programme is organised by the WWF and held worldwide. We want to deliver a message via this programme that the Malayan tiger is in danger of extinction," she said.

"The TX2 programme is not only to double the population of the tigers but also to ensure that the mammals are free from extinction," she said.

The programme uses the tiger as its mascot and contributions received from the public as well as the corporate and private sectors will be used to carry out protection and conservation efforts for these mammals.

From BERNAMA

Has the Prayer Lost Its Power?

2010-01-11T23:20:00.002+04:00

This is an article that I got from one of my colleagues. It's kinda long but worth reading....

By: Abul 'Ala al-Mawdudi

Brothers in Islam! Undoubtedly you often ask yourselves: Why is it that the Prayer, good and beneficial as it is, seems to make no difference to our lives? Why does it neither improve our morals, nor transform us into a force dedicated to Allah? Why do we continue to live disgraced and subjugated?

The usual answer will be that you are not offering the Prayer regularly or in the manner prescribed by Allah and the Messenger. Such an answer may not satisfy you. I shall therefore try to explain the matter in some detail.

Parable of the Clock

Look at the clock fixed to the wall: there are lots of small parts in it, joined to each other. When you wind it, all the parts start working and, as these parts move, the result appears on the clock face outside it which you observe. Both hands move to denote each second and each minute. The purpose of the clock is to indicate correct time. All those parts which are necessary for this purpose have been fitted together and the winding system has been made so that each of them moves as required. Only when all the parts have been assembled correctly and the clock wound up properly will it begin fulfilling the purpose for which it is made.

If you do not wind it, it will not show the time. If you wind it but not according to the prescribed method, it will stop or, even if it works, it will not give the correct time. If you remove some of the parts and then wind it, nothing will happen. If you replace some of the parts with those of a sewing machine and then wind it, it will neither indicate the time nor sew the cloth. If you keep all the parts inside the case but disconnect them, then no part will move even after winding it up. The presence of all the parts will not serve the purpose for which the clock is made because you will have disrupted their arrangement as well as their connection.

In all these situations, both the existence of the clock and the act of winding it become useless, although an observer from a distance cannot say that it is not a clock or that you are not winding it. He will surely consider that it is a clock and will expect it to be useful as a clock. Similarly, when from a distance he observes you winding it, he will take it as a genuine effort on your part to do the job, hoping to notice the result which comes from winding the clock. But how can this expectation be fulfilled when what looks like a clock from a distance has in reality lost its 'existence'?

Aim of Muslim Ummah

Imagine Islam like this clock. Just as the purpose of the clock is to indicate the correct time, so the aim of Islam is that you should live in this world as the vicegerents of God, as witnesses of God unto mankind and as standard-bearers of truth. You must yourselves follow the commandments of God and bring all other people under Him:

You are indeed the best community brought forth for mankind: you enjoin the doing of right and forbid the doing of wrong, and you believe in God (Al Imran 3: 11O).

And thus We have made you a just community, that you might be witnesses unto mankind (al-Baqarah 2: 143).

God has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely make you to accede to power on earth (al-Nur 24: 55).

And fight them, until there is no rebellion [against God], and all submission is to God alone (al-Anfal 8: 39)

Wholeness of Islamic Teachings

To fulfil this purpose, various parts as were required, like those of the clock, have been brought together in Islam. Beliefs and principles of morality; rules for day-to-day conduct; the rights of God, of His slaves, of one's own self, of everything in the world which you encounter; rules for earning and spending money; laws of war and peace; principles of government and limits of obedience to it - all these are parts of Islam. As in a clock, they are linked to each other in such a way that as soon as the winding is done, every part starts moving and, with the movement of all these parts, the desired result is obtained. Rule of God's law in the world, domination of Islam, start manifesting just as, with the movement of the parts of the clock in front of you, the time appears on its face.

In order to fasten together different parts of the clock, screws and small pieces of metal have been used. Similarly, to join all the parts of Islam together, there is an arrangement called the Jama'ah or organization. Muslims should organize themselves, and have leaders equipped with proper knowledge and endowed with taqwa; the brains should help them and the limbs should obey them, as they all strive to live under God.

When all the parts have been brought together and properly assembled, regular winding is necessary to set them in motion and to continue their movement: Salah which is offered five times a day provides that winding, creating the energy which sets an Islamic life in motion. Cleaning this clock is also necessary: fasting observed for thirty days a year cleanses hearts and morals. Lubrication, too, is required: Zakah is like the oil which is applied to its parts once a year. Then it is also necessary to overhaul it periodically: Hajj is that overhauling which should be performed at least once in a lifetime. And the more often it is done, the better.

Abusing the Clock

The processes of winding, cleaning, lubricating and overhauling are of use only when all the parts are present in the frame, when they are linked in the order designed by the clock-maker, and when all are so trained that immediately on winding they start moving and begin showing results.

Alas, today the situation has become very different. For a start, the very Jama'ah, the organizational structure, which was supposed to link the parts of the clock together has ceased to exist. The result is that all the fittings have come apart, each has gone its own way. Everybody does whatever takes his fancy. There is nobody to question anything. Everyone is autonomous. If someone wants to follow the Islamic code, he can; if he does not want to, he need not.

Since even this so-called freedom has not satisfied you, you have pulled out many parts of the clock and in their place put anything and everything: a spare part from a sewing machine, perhaps, or from a factory or from the engine of a car. You call yourselves Muslims, yet you render loyal service to Kufr, yet you take interest, you insure your lives, you file false law suits, your daughters, sisters and wives are forsaking Islamic manners and your children are being given secular materialistic educations. Some have become disciples of Gandhi; others are following Lenin. Which un-Islamic gadget is there that you have not fixed into the frame of the clock of Islam?

Despite this, you expect the clock to work when you wind it! And you suppose that cleaning, lubricating and overhauling it will also be of use. With a little reflection, however, you should see that in the condition to which you have reduced the clock you can wind it, lubricate it, and overhaul it, for the whole of your lives without any effect. Nothing will happen until you remove the parts brought in from other appliances, replace them with the original parts, and restore the original priorities. Then, and only then, will the winding and so forth produce any results.

Why Worship Rites Are Ineffective

This state of affairs is the real reason why your Salah, Sawm, Zakah and Hajj make no impact upon your lives. First, there are so few among you who perform these acts of worship. Due to the dissolution of Islamic Jama'ah everybody has become autonomous. Whether you fulfil your obligations or not, there is nobody to care. Nor do those who do apparently carry out their obligations do so in a proper manner. They are not constant in attending the congregational Prayer. People are selected to lead the Prayers in the mosques simply because they are fit for no other work: people who exist on the free bread doled out to mosques, who are uneducated, who lack moral calibre. How can congregations led by them turn you into the leaders of mankind? Similar is the situation regarding your Fasting, Almsgiving and Pilgrimages.

Despite all these facts, you may argue, there are nonetheless many Muslims who do discharge their religious duties conscientiously. Why does that make no difference? But, as I have said, when the parts of the clock have become unhinged and numerous foreign bodies have been inserted in it, it makes no difference if you wind it or not, clean it or not, lubricate it or not. From a distance it does look like a clock. An outside observer may say: This is Islam and you are Muslims. But what he cannot see is how badly its inside machinery has been tampered with.

Our Deplorable Condition

Brothers! You understand why it is so that you pray and fast and yet remain trampled under the heel of cruel tyrants. But, should I tell you something even more distressing? Although most of you no doubt regret this situation but, I would say, 999 people out of 1000 are not prepared to change their situation. They have no urge in their hearts to assemble the clock of Islam again properly. They are afraid that any such reconstruction would mean that their own favourite imported parts would be thrown out, and this they are not prepared to accept. They are afraid that any tightening of various parts would mean that they will have to discipline themselves, and this they are not willing to undertake.

Instead, they prefer that the clock remains a piece of decoration on the wall for people to be shown and told how wonderful Islam is, what miracles it can perform. Those who are supposed to love this clock more than others would like to wind it repeatedly and zealously and to clean it most laboriously; but they want to do nothing to reset its parts properly or tighten them, nor will they seek to get rid of the extraneous parts.

I wish I could endorse your attitudes and behaviour, but I cannot say anything which I believe is wrong. I assure you that if, in addition to praying five times a day, you were to offer Tahajjud (pre-dawn), Ishraq (post-sunset) and [Duha] (mid-morning) Prayers, read the Qur'an for hours every day, and observe, over and above Ramadan, extra fasts for five and a half months in the remaining eleven months, it would not be enough. What is needed is to restore the original parts to the clock and fix them firmly. Then even the little necessary winding will make it work smoothly; and the minimal amount of required cleaning and lubrication will be needed.

Wa ma 'alayna illa 'l-balagh

There is no responsibility on us except conveying the truth.

Activist aims to fly around the world on solar power

2010-01-10T10:31:00.002+04:00

Bertrand Piccard, 51 from Switzerland, plans to push the boundaries of solar power by flying around the world in a solar aircraft. Bertrand Piccard from Switzerland plans to push the boundaries of solar power by flying around the world in a solar aircraft. He will talk about the project during the forum.

Abu Dhabi: Renewable energy experts and enthusiasts will throng the capital this month for the World Future Energy Summit taking place from January 18.
Among them will be one man who plans to push the boundaries of solar power by flying around the world in a solar aircraft.
Bertrand Piccard, 51 from Switzerland, is the President of Solar Impulse and an internationally renowned lecturer. He is recorded, along with Brian Jones, to be the first to travel on a non-stop balloon flight around the globe.
While in Abu Dhabi he will present his current project to fly around the world in a solar aircraft.
Promise
"I came up with this idea following the first non-stop, around the world balloon flight in 1999. To achieve this success, we took off with almost four tonnes of liquid propane and landed with only 40 kilos," said Piccard, whose grandfather also set world records in gas balloons.
"Realising that the lack of fuel could have failed our expedition, I made a promise to myself. The next time I'd fly around the world, I'd do it without fuel."
Piccard will be among the speakers of a session titled Achieving the unachievable: around the world in a solar plane. Other panellists include Duncan Hedditch, Chief Executive Emal and Peter Gutman, Global Head, Renewable Energy and Environmental Finance, Standard Chartered Bank and or Katrina Landis, Group Vice-President, BP Alternative Energy. "I am looking forward to talking about the project…[I] hope that it helps to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies," said Piccard.
Solar Impulse's project and core challenge involves flying an aircraft while generating its own power, both day and night, by solar energy. To create this zero fuel aircraft Solar Impulse has been working on new aeronautical solutions. The focus is on reducing energy consumption by using new construction and aerodynamic features.
Daily lives
Other sessions will be taking place on examples of how renewable energy can and is being applied to people's daily lives, including e-mobility, green building and architecture, vehicles, fuels and power trains.
The third edition of the World Future Energy will gather world leaders, experts and investors from 100 countries. Over 600 exhibitors from 50 countries will be exhibiting at the event.
Fast facts: when and where
WHAT: World Future Energy Summit
WHEN: January 18-21
WHERE: Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre
For more information on the programme or to register, visit www.worldfutureenergysummit.com

By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter, Gulf News (HERE)

2010-01-04T11:15:00.001+04:00

BYE-BYE BURJ DUBAI...

WELCOME BURJ KHALIFA...

HANDBOOK 2010

2010-01-01T12:41:00.000+04:00

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time for prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time wi th people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your innermost is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

Lucky Number 13

2009-12-28T15:30:00.005+04:00

13 years ago, today

An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow

To My Lovely Wife:

Happy 13th Wedding Anniversary

Family Visit

2009-12-15T11:37:00.009+04:00

30/11/09
Left office exactly 1730 for the airport.
Parents and nieces arrived in Dubai at 1810.... and came out at 1850... Thanks to Marhaba.
What a great feeling to kiss my parents hands again after 4 months.

Cousins, enjoying themselves in the pool

01/12/09
Had to go to work... parents and nieces needed some rest after the long flight.
Wife took them up to the swimming pool... they had a good time.
Came home late... had to help with the setting up of the 5-aside Asean Cup.
More photos HERE

The family, after a hearty dinner at Tawassol Restaurant

02/12/09
UAE National Day.... 5-aside Asean Cup... was on duty in the morning as a volunteer.... left at about 12 noon.
Planned to take the family and watch the National Day parade in Jumeirah.
Went to send something to a friend’s in Umm Suqeim. Make a round at the kids’ school to show Atuk & Uwan and Aisy & Iman their school.
Went to Jumeirah Rd afterwards... missed the parade but saw some young Emiratis doing the “Drift”.
Went to DFC to buy Bakugan for Apit.
From DFC, went to Tawassol Restaurant for dinner. They really enjoyed the Mendi and Bukhari rice with chicken and fried sherry fish.
Went home at about 2200.

More photos HERE

Cousins at Ski Dubai.... (-4degrees C)

03/12/09
Spend the morning resting.
After Dzuhur, took them to MOE. Atuk and Uwan wanted to take their grandkids to Ski Dubai.
So, we took the nieces to buy a pair of gloves each and the entry tickets.
Suit them up and send them off to the Ski Dubai entrance.
Their Atuk and Uwan stayed with us.... we took them for a late lunch at MOE food court.
They came out at about 1600.... hungry.... we took them to the food court and bought them their lunch.
The next day, Musandam, Oman beaconed....
More photos HERE

At the Khasba, Musandam jetty

04/12/09
Woke up at about 0400... got everybody ready.... we left home at about 10 minutes to 0600.
Destination: Musandam, Oman.
From the rendezvous point (Emarat station near Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club), we travelled in a convoy of 7 vehicles....the time: 0730
Reached Al-Dahra, RAK, UAE exit point at about 0900... Spent about 15 minutes with the immigration processes.
Exited UAE into Oman.... bought Oman insurance worth Aed100... after about 30 minutes standing in the line.
Then, went to the Omani immigration and got the immigration form....and start queuing... the time: almost 1000.
The line was so slow.... didn’t move for almost an hour.... the Omani immigration people should do some Kaizen to their system.
Then, there’re these queue cutters who thought that they could do it because they are Arabic.... WTF!!!... What the heck are you thinking about.... being an Arab doesn’t mean that you can do whatever you like.... Get in the line please!!!!
Aside from that..... we’re finished at the Omani immigration at about 1230... and proceeded with the journey.
We stopped by at what seemed to be like a fishermen’s small port area.... with small boats, fishing nets and etc. We ate lunch and performed Dzuhur & ‘Asar (Jama’ & Qasr... remember, it’s Friday and we missed Jumaat when we got stuck at the immigration counter).
We left the area at about 1330.... along the winding coastal road of Musandam towards Khasba. On the right were the rocky cliffs and on the left was the Arabian Sea (or the Gulf of Oman?).
We didn’t get to see a lot of dolphins, tho’.... only a few of them and they are too far away for a good snapshot.
Returned at about 1700... after some group photos, we went back.
Luckily, there were no hassles at both Immigration points.
We stopped by for dinner and prayers at an Eppco station not far from Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club.
More photos HERE

At Karama Wet Market

05/12/09
Resting.... took Mak to the wet market in the afternoon.

Uwan, Atuk, Imn & Aisy in front of Atlantis Hotel, Palm Jumeira

06/12/09
Felt unwell.... got an MC from the doctor.
Felt better in the afternoon... took the whole family out to Jumeirah area. ‘Asar with Ayah at a near-by mosque.
Took photos at Jumeirah Public Beach... with Burj Al Arab as the background. Everybody was enjoying themselves, especially Ain and Apit...
Took them to the Palm Jumeirah.... took some photos at the Atlantis...
Stopped at Mercato Mall... performed Maghrib and had dinner at the food-court. The girls wanted to watch New Moon....(KKG betul).... Send them off to the movies at 1900 and went back.... the movie will end at about 2115.
Picked them up at about 2130 and went home.
Tomorrow....first day at the office after a long holiday.
More photos HERE

------------------------------------
07/12 – 10/12/09
At the office...during the day... no activities for them....
On Thursday evening, took them to Naif... Ayah wanted to buy Kanduras.... Mak wanted to see some “yard cloth” (Kain ela).... so, took them to Phulwani’s .
------------------------------------

Syeikh Zayed bin Sultan Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

11/12/09
Mission: Abu Dhabi
Left Dubai at about 1100.
Ayah wanted to see where I work...so, did a little de-tour into Jebel Ali Free Zone.
Stopped at a mosque 20KM outside Abu Dhabi for Jumaat prayer
Arrive in Abu Dhabi... first destination Syeikh Zayed Grand Mosque.... the 8th largest mosque in the world.
Lunch at a KFC restaurant near the Zayed Sport City.... it’s beginning to rain...
Next destination... Corniche and Marina Island.
Unfortunately, no parking spaces and rain got heavier....
Turned back and headed for the Grand Mosque once again for Maghrib & Isha’....
Went home....it rained all the way from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
More photos HERE

12/12/09
Took them shopping at Max, Oasis Center.... Mak & Ayah bought something (clothing mostly) for the family in Malaysia and the Kids....
Then, to Dubai Mall... the Kids wanted to go to Candylicious.... Mak & Ayah spent some time looking at the fishes in the Aquarium... just in front of the candy store.
Got home at about 1830.... had MY-UAE exco meeting at 2000 at DFC.

13/12/09
At the office..... itching to go home early....when suddenly got an email from the HR Director.....
“Dear All,
Due to the incessant rains, the company transport buses will leave at 4:15 p.m. today.
We have arranged for one more bus to leave at 5:30 p.m. for those who need to sit awhile longer to complete their work.
For all others in their personal transport, I would suggest that you also leave by 5:30 today and be extra careful whilst driving.
Thank you.”
Yesss....Thank you Sir....

14/12/09
Final day.... went to the office in the morning.... got back at about 1200....
Waited for the Kids to come home from school....
Left for the airport at about 1600... the wife and kids took taxi... Mak, Ayah, Aisy & Iman rode with me....
The flight was re-scheduled to 1930 (originally 1840).
Checked them in at MAS counter.
The hardest thing came.... it’s really hard to say good-bye and let them go.... but we had to....
Hugs & kisses... said good-bye..... and went home...

* Looking forward to next month when Mak Long & Pak Long come for the Dubai International Marathon

P/s: Along, Ain & Apit wish Atuk Mat Zean a Happy 64th Birthday......

12 tips to prevent climate change

2009-12-09T14:26:00.005+04:00

In light of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, we look at 12 simple ways to help prevent the threat of climate change
Gulf News Report
Published: 15:38 December 7, 2009

Leave the car, take the Metro
Driving your car an average of 16,000km a year can release up to 2.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Try using public transport whenever you can especially now Dubai Metro is up and running, or carpool to work. You can also keep your car in good health with properly pumped tyres to minimise air pollution. Driving with under-inflated tyres can affect your vehicle's gas mileage by two to three percent. Over a year, this is like wasting an entire tank of petrol.

Go local
Did you know that the average food product travels about 1,500 miles to get to the supermarket? And that transporting food accounts for 30,800 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year? Try to shop for locally produced fruits and vegetables whenever possible. You can even opt for organic produce once in a while which is grown with no pesticides or fertilisers that can pollute groundwater reserves.

Water waste
Making plastic water bottles for drinking water releases significant amounts of air pollutants that you should try to use multi-use bottles, like the one you'd use during exercise. The manufacture of one kilogram of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) - enough to make about 17 1.5-litre bottles - entails the release into the air of 40 grams of hydrocarbons, 25 grams of sulfur oxides, 18 grams of carbon monoxide, 20 grams of nitrogen oxides, and 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

Bin the burgers
Burgers not only harm your waistline but also the environment. From field to fork, growing animals to eat accounts for about 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions globally - more than emissions from transportation. Beef and lamb require by far the greatest amount of energy while poultry, dairy or pork requires far fewer energy inputs. For people who choose to eat meat and dairy products, reducing your consumption of animal foods is the most effective way to reduce your carbon "FoodPrint." According to a recent study, the fossil fuel requirements of an omnivorous diet were more than twice that of a vegetarian and seven times greater than a vegan. Every meal makes a difference, so you can begin by switching to a veggie option once a week.

Recycle, recycle, recycle
Despite the fact that bottled-drinking-water bottles can be totally recycled, of the 14 billion water bottles sold in the United States in 2002, 90 per cent wound up in landfills. There are recycling bins in the UAE so locate one immediately in a school or supermarket near your home. You can also recycle paper packaging and glass. It might take the extra effort of getting your valuable recyclable material to a bin rather than have someone pick it up, but it is well worth it in the long run.

Offset when you jet off
Going home or on holiday can put a serious amount of CO2 emissions into the air as you will most likely be flying out of the UAE. Dubai to Paris will emit around 1200 kgs of CO2 according to www.carbonfund.org which calculates the distance of your trip and offsets on your behalf by financing three projects based on renewable energy, methane, energy efficiency or reforestation and avoided deforestation. Offsetting that return flight to France will cost just Dh44. Try it with any destination.

Save water, save money
Save water to save money and save the environment. You might not realise it but the UAE is suffering from a serious water shortage. The water that comes out of your taps is essentially sea water that has gone through an expensive and energy-consuming process called desalination. All the salt is removed so the water meets international quality standards, but isn't it a waste to just let it run out the drain? Take shorter showers to reduce water use. It's precious. And make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.

Go easy on the A/C
Turn off the air conditioning. As temperatures drop around the region, open the window and let the breeze in. You should also use a drying rack to dry your clothes all year round - there's enough sunshine to dry it quickly. You could also set your thermostat a few degrees lower if you really need to have it on. In the summer set it a few degrees higher and you'll notice the savings you make on your bills. Behind the scenes, less energy will be consumed to create the electricity that powers your A/C.

Recycle your phone
Keep electronics out of the rubbish. You don't need to throw your mobile phone away, or your television because you can also recycle it. There is an ongoing phone recycling campaign going on with Nokia, who accept all phones. Drop-off points are listed here: http://mea.nokia.com/find-a-store-en/store-locator/application-container?storelocator_content_country=AE. Your local municipality should have information on where you can take your hazardous products. E-waste contains mercury and toxics that never degrade and can accumulate in soil and water bodies year after year to levels sufficient to contaminate the food chain.

Switch to energy saving lightbulbs
How many residents does it take to change a lightbulb? Change all your lightbulbs to energy saving bulbs which consume about one-fifth of the power of incandescent bulbs, last 10 times longer and emit 70 per cent less heat, thereby reducing the need for air conditioning. Lighting accounts for about 15 per cent of the electricity bill. The best way to reduce the bill is to reduce the cost of lighting by using energy-efficient LED light bulbs. When you reduce your bill you reduce your impact.

Turn it off
Don't leave your electrical equipment on. A third of household energy use is down to TVs, DVDs and computers being left on stand-by which uses almost as much electricity as it does when it's switched on. So to turn it off and unplug. In the UK it was found that gadgets left unnecessarily on standby or connected to chargers squander electricity worth £740m each year and are responsible for 4m tonnes of excess carbon dioxide emissions each year.

Say NO to plastic bags
Say NO to plastic bags and use one of your own made of cloth, jute or even a backpack. As long as you reuse it and even minimise the amount of plastic bags leaving the store, you are helping. Those 'free' bags are not really doing you any favours so pack your own shopping and use your own bags. Plastic bags are ugly, kill wildlife and pollute the environment as they are discarded of carelessly.

From HERE

Welcome to Hopenhagen

2009-12-08T09:14:00.004+04:00

On December 7, leaders from 192 countries will gather at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to determine the fate of our planet.

Hopenhagen is a movement, a moment and a chance at a new beginning. The hope that in Copenhagen this December – during the United Nations Climate Change Conference – we can build a better future for our planet and a more sustainable way of life. It is the hope that we can create a global community that will lead our leaders into making the right decisions. The promise that by solving our environmental crisis, we can solve our economic crisis at the same time.

Hopenhagen is change – and that change will be powered by all of us.

OUR MISSION

To connect every person, every city, and every nation to Copenhagen. To give everyone hope, and a platform from which to act. To create a grassroots movement that’s powerful enough to influence change.

UAE - 38th National Day

2009-12-01T23:55:00.005+04:00

HAPPY 38th NATIONAL DAY

TO THE CITIZENS & RESIDENTS

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Eidul Adha 1430H

2009-11-30T15:40:00.001+04:00

For the 1st time, our Eidul Adha this year was different. We use to treat Eidul Adha as a 2nd-rated holidays. That means, no open houses or makan-makan. The Raya mood is usually gone on the way back from the mosque. The only "grand" thing about Eidul Adha is the Qurban.
But in Dubai, we realized that we celebrate this Eid as much and as hype as the Eidul Fitr. Open houses... that included BBQ... And 2 days of tiring but satisfying trips around the Emirate.
On the Eid morning, for the first time we went to the Matrade building for Eidul Adha prayer and takbir... followed by a small buffet-styled breakfast.
Then the makan-makan session started. It was almost midnight when we got home.
The 2nd day was also the same. We had 3 (or 4) invitations, including one in Dubai Ladies Club which my wife attended (it's only for Muslimat). Once again, we arrived home late at night.
On Sunday evening we had a BBQ dinner in Arabian Ranches... Got home almost midnight as well.

To everybody who had invited us, thank you very much for your hospitality. May Allah bless you and your family with HIS sustenance.

Eid Mubarak to all Muslims... From Dubai, UAE.
Sent from Haza Hilmy's BlackBerry® device

Ain's New Look

2009-11-22T00:25:00.003+04:00

Last week, he class teacher told us that she had some problem with her eyes... she couldn't see the white-board in front of the classroom clearly.
She referred her to school clinic and they told us that she had to see the optometrist for further examinations.
We took her to the nearby optometrist in Rolla St... and sure enough he told us, after a lengthy examination, she needs glasses...
Her prescription... 1.50 (Left) & 1.25 + 0.50 cyl. (Right)... Go ask an eye doctor for the meaning of that.
He also advised her to take care of her eyes.... no reading in dimmed lights, eat healthy... give the eyes proper rests and etc....

Happy Birthday, Nor Azilah aka Sayang aka Ibu

2009-11-21T00:36:00.002+04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...

WITH LOVE FROM ME AND THE KIDS...

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE OUR INSPIRATIONS...

Happy 5th Birthday, Ahmad Afiq Hilmy

2009-11-19T00:30:00.003+04:00

I'm so happy....I'm floating!!!

A special pose from Apit...

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY APIT....

AYAH, IBU, ALONG & AIN LOVE YOU...

EVERYBODY LOVES YOU...

BE HAPPY AND KEEP SMILING...

MAY YOU GROW UP TO BE A SOLIHIIN...

BBQ dinner for Dato' and Datin (30/10/2009) - A belated entry (...also)

2009-11-16T16:30:00.005+04:00

One of our Malaysian friends in the UAE, was just being conferred the Datukship title. Now instead of calling him Doctor (he's one of the Dean in Sharjah University), I guess we should all address him as a Dato' now... and his wife a Datin.

Well, being a down-to-earth couple, I don't think they would mind if we skip the Dato' and Datin titles when we address them... at least in un-official situations.

So, in order to honor them, we held a BBQ dinner at their place in the Sharjah University campus.

I don't want to elaborate further... but when it comes to Malaysian in the UAE, occassions like this one will surely meant pot-luck... So, food was abundance... and everybody had a good time.

And...Congratulations to both Dato' Dr Rani and Datin Dr Nizam...

Click HERE to see the photos.

Destination: Kalba (24/10/2009) - A belated entry

2009-11-16T15:18:00.003+04:00

I have been planning this for quite some time. Our first long distance trip... to Kalba, in the Emirate of Sharjah. Kalba is a small town on the east coast of the UAE (Gulf of Oman), just a few km from the UAE border with the Sultanate of Oman. It’s about 130 km from Dubai.

Early in the morning, my wife cooked Nasi Lemak among other things. We were planning to have a picnic there. So, after Dzuhur, at about almost 200pm, we left Dubai. We headed for Sharjah by the Emirates Rd.

Then at the National Paints round-about, we took the Maliha Rd which will take us directly to Kalba. On each side of the road, we were greeted by sandy deserts and sand dunes.... but because we didn’t want to arrive in Kalba after dark, we didn’t stop to take photos.

We continue our journey pass the town of Maliha.... into the mountainous road towards Wadi El-Helo. The road was carved into the rocky mountain that separate the Oman Gulf plateau from the rest of UAE.

Sharjah-Kalba Road

Highway through the rocks

Wadi Al-Helo town, in the middle of nowhere

Wadi Al-Helo tunnel (reminiscent of our own Menora tunnel)

We're almost there... Oman is to the right side...

We arrived in Kalba at about 430pm... the weather was wonderful with temperature in the mid-20s. We performed ‘Asar at a small mosque and, afterwards, went to find a picnic spot by the lagoon.

We found a spot a started our picnic... feasting on the nasi lemak and the karipap that my wife made. There were quite a lot of people jogging and walking along the lagoon... women in abayas, children. There were also a few Arab families having their picnic not too far from where we had ours.

Nasi lemak & karipap...a Malaysian picnic in Kalba

I found this fox wondering in the clearings across the lagoon from us...

Sunset in Kalba

When the muezzin from the near-by mosque sounded the azzan, it was time for us to start packing and cleaning up. We left the lagoon to find a mosque to perform Maghrib and ‘Isya (Jama’ and Qasr).

We took a different route back to Dubai.

We headed north towards Fujeirah (by entering Fujeirah, we’d completed our trips to all the 7 Emirates), then to northwest towards Masafi, Al-Dhaid and Sharjah. Traffic was quite heavy that night... but we arrived home safely.

Harun Al-Rashid mosque, Kalba

My Mr Dependable in front of the mosque

A Malaysian furniture store in Kalba???

More Kalba photos HERE

Of Upset Stomach and Traffic Jams

2009-11-11T19:25:00.002+04:00

We were coming back from the factory yesterday... taking the Ismailiya Hiway from the 10th of Ramadhan.... We left the factory at about 430pm....

A few KMs from Cairo, we were stuck in a really bad traffic jam.... it took us almost one and a half hour to cover about 3KM.... Why? Basically nobody knew.... it just happened... Maybe road constructions... or maybe there were just too many vehicles yesterday going into Cairo...

The worse thing was that my stomach wasn't feeling so good... Might be because of that Mo'meen Seafood sandwich that I ate for lunch...

Didn't want to take the chances.... I asked my driver friend to stop at the next mosque or gas station... There were none to be found along the way, unfortunately...

2-3KMs from the hotel, we found a Mobil station and.... aaahhhhh.... what a relief.... but....this was something that you don't expect to find in Egypt's toilets......

NO HOSE OR TAP TO WASH!!!.... YIKES!!!

* Today I told them, no more Mo'meen please.... and we had Baladi bread and tuna chunks for lunch... which was not bad, not bad at all.....

Champions At Last.....

2009-11-08T16:40:00.005+04:00

61 years is a long time to wait for anything. But as they say it, it's better late than never. Negeri Sembilan football team is not known to be a power house in Malaysian football. They only featured in quite a handful of finals and a few league championships to add to that. The coveted Malaysia cup have alluded them for 61 years. The closest they got was in the 2000 and 2006 seasons when they lost the finals to Perak (0-2) and Perlis (1-2), respectively. The wait ended last night.

Going into the final with good goal scored and against results, and unbeaten through the earlier rounds of the Cup, they were still considered as underdogs (or at least they considered themselves as underdogs).

But inspired to win the Cup as a coronation present to the Yang Di Pertuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz (who was watching from the royal stand), the team nicknamed Rusa, or the Deers, played the game of their lives against the battling Red Warriors from Kelantan....winning, 3-1.

The goals were scored by Shahruain Abu Samah (18th mins), Hairudin Omar (46th mins) and MohdZaquan Adha Abd Razak (penalty, 59th mins). Kelantan's solitary goal was scored by Indra Putra Mahyuddin (93rd mins).

I was watching the game through the internet live streaming at CG residence in Al-Barsha... the streaming was not that good but at least we could hear the ever-green voice of Mr Hasbullah Awang who wEre doing the commentating.... Most of the friends at the residence were from Kelantan (including the CG) and I was the only Negeri Sembilan supporter there. Naturally, they were quite disappointed with the results.... I would feel the same had Negeri Sembilan lost the game.... but in the end, the better team walked out the winner.... no hard feelings I hope. It's just a football match.... there'll definitely be a winner and runners-up.

To all players, officials and supporters, I congratulate you... This is a big achievement for us... I hope we can do it again next year....

HOBIN JANG HOBIN!!!

Football, that Malaysian malaise...

2009-11-06T10:30:00.000+04:00

While the hype of the Malaysia Cup Final is still on, I found this interesting opinion from Idlan Zakaria in The Malaysian Insider

NOV 1 — When I wrote about the funnelling of petrodollars into European football, a commenter queried the level of knowledge I had on the state of the beautiful game in Malaysia. Knowledge, good sir, I have little of; the Malaysian football business – for in this day and age, it is a business — is fairly opaque and I am struggling to uncover any investigative journalism on the matter bar the works of one Rizal Hashim. Opinions on the local game, though, I have a few.

Amateur and professional pundits alike have taken the state of Malaysian football to pieces and tried to glue it back together again; but despite all efforts, as we see it today Malaysian football has proven to be Humpty Dumpty*. When I speak to older football fans, they tell me tales of Mokhtar Dahari running defences ragged; of Soh Chin Aun and Santokh Singh, our formidable back line; of R. Arumugam, the safest hands in all of Asia! I often imagine myself in their shoes some 30-40 years down the line, talking about Malaysian football to the youths of the future. What do I say? Who should I name as our midfield maestro, our wizard on the wings? Indeed, who should I really think of as the footballing heroes of my time when there are little heroic feats to boast about?

Listing what is wrong with Malaysian football is easy. Many others before me have done it, and others after me will do again. Most of us are aware of the history, which I admit is still a sketchy picture for me. (Is there a book on the history of Malaysian football, anywhere, which readers can recommend? Or at least a thesis or dissertation, maybe?) But here goes my attempt at painting this picture as I see it.

A formidable force in the 1950s and 1960s, we announced our arrival on the international scene in the 1970s and 1980s, qualifying for the Olympic Games twice. But unlike Korea and Japan, who built on their successes, we seem to have reached our plateau at this juncture.
The 1990’s began promisingly, with a new professional league in place and the introduction of international players seemed to pique fans’ interest. But just as attendances at games were about to scale the heights it enjoyed in earlier decades, the bribery scandal tore the Malaysian footballing world apart.

It was a scandal like no other, stabbing fans right in the heart. The implication of national heroes Matlan Marjan — once honoured with the national captain’s armband — and crowd favourites Abbas Saad in the scandal shook the faith fans had in the game. Sports was, after all, the last bastion of gamesmanship and honour. Once this was taken out of the equation — and for personal gain at that — nothing could really heal the wound.

In recent years attempts have been made to rejuvenate the local scene. The local league now features club sides as well as state teams, and recent success by club side MPPJ seemed like a breath of fresh air albeit only momentarily — the club went under only a few years after their success amidst rumours of financial irregularities.

The MyTeam program, in which usual channels of talent spotting were bypassed in identifying potential stars of the future, captured the public’s imagination, but despite this, the overall state of dismal international performance continues.

In my own personal list of “things that are wrong with Malaysian football” — of which I am sure every Malaysian fan has his or her own version — I cite the following: First, mismanagement at the league level. Whether it is of the financial resources or of existing talent, more needs to be done to stop us repeating mistakes from our past. Malaysia cannot perform well internationally if the system that feeds players into the national team is broken. And things cannot be fixed for as long as governmental politics is not divorced from the game.

Gone are the days when token Datuks are named as managers. The state of our football is so dire we do not need further levels of feudalism to muddy already opaque waters. The new batch of football clubs in the Malaysian leagues which are not state run seem to run on a business model not unlike other professional football clubs abroad — maybe this is a step in the right direction. Let’s hope there is professionalism involved in its management, and that corporate sponsorship of these teams translates to a more efficient business model rather than being the CEO’s pet project of the moment.

Second, I cite education as being the problem. In a country world where credibility is won by the number of A-grades one scores at SPM level, parents have been known to discourage talented footballers from pursuing a career in sports because it does not guarantee financial security.
And quite rightly so, because as a profession football is very precarious. All you need is one bad injury, and without academic qualifications to fall back on, the risks outweigh the potential benefits, especially taking into consideration that Malaysian footballers are not quite earning the same wages as their colleagues in other countries.

I wonder whether the system in place during the pre-professional football era, where players were given salary-paying jobs in banks or the semi-government sector, allows more stability, and perhaps would encourage more talented players to opt for playing football as a feasible post-high school career.

Or perhaps FAM could adopt the Malaysian Hockey Federation system that allowed their players to play while supporting their academic pursuits, which has seen graduates of Nor Saiful Zaini and Brian Jayhan Siva to name but two.

Third, lack of professionalism and the absence of proper attitude. Signing professional contracts is the start of the journey, not the destination. The David Beckhams and Ryan Giggs of the world put in hour after hour of training day in day out, even after winning international caps. Despite winning almost every major trophy to date, the players at Barcelona still turns up for training on time — and coach Pep Guardiola would have a lot to say if they didn’t. With our players more interested in making the pages of Mangga, should we really be surprised that we are where we are?

But on darker days, I dwell on the alternative explanation. Maybe, just maybe, there is no point in trying to resurrect Malaysian football because perhaps, just perhaps, it is not meant to be for us. Maybe we were just lucky with Mokthar and Chin Aun, and we need to stop hoping that the Akmal Rizals and Titus Palanis are here to recreate our past glory.

Was it even glory in the first place, considering that we merely qualified for the Olympic Games? If there was any glory to “recreate”, surely it would be to do with reaching that pinnacle of footballing heights, the World Cup!

Maybe we’ve maxed out all the credit we have, and it’s time to cut our losses. Maybe it’s not the lack of drive or infrastructure or money, but merely the fact that we’re not cut out for this. Maybe we’ve fallen too far behind to catch up; the game that we used to know has evolved into an industry while we were busy banishing our top players who accepted bribes to throw games.

Perhaps we are the Asian equivalent of Hungary — once great, but never again. Maybe we need to take football as it is, enjoy it as it is and not ask for more. Instead, we should funnel our funds into that 1 Malaysia Formula 1 team, so 1 Malaysia that, I hear, it even has its own KPIs!

*Colchester-related factoid: Humpty Dumpty was a canon used during the siege of Colchester in 1648. The church from where it fell from is now the Colchester Arts Centre. Or so I am told...

Tangkap!!!

2009-11-04T09:58:00.000+04:00

Sedih betul bila dengar berita penangkapan Dr MAZA dua-tiga hari lepas.
Bukannya sedih sebab dia kena tangkap, tapi sedih dengan apa yang berlaku selepas tu. Penjelasan oleh pihak yang menangkap, pendedahan yang beliau tiada tauliah atau kelulusan yang membolehkan beliau berceramah dll.
Nampak sangat macam ada sesuatu di belakang semua ini. Hmm, tak tau nak cakap apa.
Tapi kalau betul beliau tipu sijil ijazah tu, takkan la dua universiti ternama di Malaysia boleh luluskan beliau untuk sambung belajar atau ambil beliau sebagai pensyarah... Dan macamana dengan Tuanku Raja Perlis yang lantik beliau sebagai mufti dulu?
Banyak persoalan timbul dari episod ni.
Sebagai orang dah pernah jumpa beliau dan dengar ceramah beliau (siap ada gambar dengan beliau lagi) maka penulis boleh kata yang beliau ialah seorang 'alim muda yang tinggi ilmu dan baik peribadinya. Tak lokek untuk menyebarkan ilmu pada sesiapa sahaja. Orang yang macam beliau ni la yang sepatutnya dihormati... Bukan ditangkap macam terroris...
Apalah nak jadi dengan negaraku ini???

Sent from Haza Hilmy's BlackBerry® device

Malaysia Cup Final 2009

2009-11-02T21:35:00.003+04:00

Congratulations to the Negri Sembilan football team for making it through to the Malaysia Cup final on November 7th, 2009. I hope that the 61-year wait will end that night and the coveted Malaysia Cup trophy will make Negri Sembilan its home for the next one year.... at least until the 2010 Champions are crowned.

Let this also be a present for our beloved Yang Di Pertuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz... in occasion of his coronation as the 11th Yang Di Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan.

To Coach Wan Jamak and the boys... and all Negri fans out there....

HOBIN JANG HOBIN!!!

Regina Brett's 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on

2009-10-27T18:07:00.002+04:00

I received this interesting piece of writing through my email. Of course, there're a few things that she wrote that are not quite suitable to us, as Muslims... but, overall, most of them are quite useful for us to face the challenges of our every day lives.

By Regina Brett

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay-check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

To reach this Plain Dealer columnist, email to: rbrett@plaind.com

From HERE

Daulat Tuanku

2009-10-26T17:28:00.004+04:00

Congratulations to His Royal Highness Tuanku Muhriz ibni Al-Marhum Tuaku Munawir for the occasion of his official coronaration as the 11th Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan; and to Her Royal Highness Tengku Aishah Rohani Tengku Besar Mahmud for her installation as the Tunku Ampuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan (on April 14, 200).

May Allah bless His Royal Highness and his family, and may Allah bless the beautiful state of Negeri Sembilan.

------------------

Lagu Kebesaran Negeri Sembilan

Berkatlah Yang Di Pertuan Besar
Di Negeri Sembilan
Kurniai sihat dan makmur
Kasihi rakyat lanjutkan umur
Akan berkati sekalian yang setia
Musuhnya habis binasa
Berkatlah Yang Dipertuan Besar
Di Negeri Sembilan

Listen to the song HERE

Don Corleone

2009-10-20T16:24:00.007+04:00

I brought the family to Magrudy's book store a few days ago. My kids and wife are readers.... they like to read. Even Apit reads... although I don't know if he understands any of the words. But it's good to start them early.

My parents have brought us up well... instilling the reading culture in the three of us. I am planning to do the same with my three kids.

I remember that my father used to travel and brought back books as one of the souvenirs. At my parents' home in Kota, we have a lot of books from all kinds of genres.... from academics to fictions to history... you name it.

Back to our visit to Magrudy's... I was actually thinking of buying myself another James Patterson's Alex Cross novel. But I found a few titles that were available and I didn't know which one to chose. Had I just got my paycheck, I would have bought the whole collection.

Then I saw it... The Godfather by Mario Puzo. To tell the truth, I am a fan of those Mafia films... especially those set in the 1940s & 50s... They really looked cool in those fedora hats and long over-coats, weilding those drum-magazine-fed M1 Thompson machine-guns.

I have read about one half of it now and found Signor Puzo a really great story-teller.... with simple and easy language & plot-lines.

Ok.... enough for now.... I want to finish reading this... After this, maybe, I'll look for the film trilogy... The Godfather (1972), The Godfather II (1974) & The Godfather III(1990)... starring Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Al Pachino, Andy Garcia & Robert De Niro among others.... talking about star-studded cast.....

Save the Rain Forests

2009-10-20T10:37:00.008+04:00

I was watching CNN in my hotel room in Tehran when a promo showing, among others, Robin Williams, Harrison Ford and Princes Charles, William and Harry appeared. It was about the Prince of Wales’ initiative to save the rain forest.... It's called The Prince's Rainforests Project.

Suddenly, the environmentalist in me came out.

I realized that we have been destroying and polluting our world, our home, with our activities (in the name of "Development") and we seemed to content that it will heal itself. Well, obviously, we were wrong.

How can we expect a fallen tree to grow back if we didn't plant a new one? I think most of the people associated with the environmental movement may have heard about the principles of Sustainable Development.

Sustainable Development has a lot of definition, depending upon from which perpective we are looking from. One of them is:

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." - Brundtland Commission, 1987

In layman's term, "we shouldn't take more than we can give back, for the sake of our future generations".

Let's look at the issue at hands.... the rain forests. If we keep destroying our rain forests, which is one of our natural heritages, our future generations will have to pay for it dearly.... to the very least. If nothing is done now, the Green Lungs of our World will be just a piece of history then. The whole world will be ecologically un-balanced. And the effect will definitely be devastating. It would be like a self-inflicted Armageddon, if I may say so.

So, let’s stop tropical deforestation, in fact all deforestations, and lend our hands in keeping our heritage intact. If not for us, let’s do it for our children, our grandchildren....and the future generations.

Please click HERE and send your message. Insya-Allah, your effort will not go in vain.

---------------------------

Here are some important things to know about our rain forest.....

Rainforests wrap around the equator of the earth like a green belt. After millions of years of evolution, they are the most biologically rich ecosystems on our planet. Tropical rainforests contain a hugely rich diversity of species of plants and animals. They are also home to many different indigenous people, who have unique and treasured cultures.

Valuable resources for everyone
Rainforests are precious resources for all of us – not just for the nations in which they are found. They provide vital ecosystem benefits for the whole world. They store water, regulate rainfall and provide a home to over half the planet’s biodiversity. But more importantly, they also play a crucial role in climate change. And that’s why we’re worried.

When it comes to climate change, the destruction of rainforests has a double whammy effect for everyone. Rainforests absorb almost a fifth of the world’s man-made CO2 emissions every year. But tropical deforestation releases an extra 17% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. So if the rainforests are destroyed, it’s bad news on both counts.

Rapid deforestation
Rainforests around the world are being destroyed at an alarming rate. This is increasingly due to destructive logging operations and conversion of the land for farming use. Cutting down and burning tropical forests to clear the land in this way enables rainforest nations to provide globally traded commodities, such as timber, palm oil, beef and soy. The world’s population is likely to increase from 6 billion to 9 billion over the next 40 years. This population growth, combined with rising incomes, will lead to a continual increasing demand for food, animal feed and fuel. And this, in turn, will lead to more destruction of rainforests – with devastating effects for everyone.

The need for urgent action
The Prince’s Rainforests Project believes that emergency funding is needed to help protect rainforests and to encourage rainforest nations to continue to develop without the need for deforestation.

If we don’t take action, we could lose another 100 million hectares of tropical forests over the next 10 years – that’s an area the size of Egypt.

Saving the rainforests will give the world a better chance to achieve its goals of stabilising climate change, while also preserving important ecosystem benefits, not to mention the fact that over one billion of the poorest people on Earth depend on the rainforests for their livelihoods.

The need for action is urgent. Recent research shows that it will be impossible to avoid catastrophic climate change without it [1].

Sources
1 McKinsey & Company, ‘Global GHG Abatement Cost Curve v2' (2009); ClimateWorks Foundation / McKinsey & Company ‘Project Catalyst'

From HERE

Rebranding America – Bono

2009-10-18T21:36:00.002+04:00

OCT 18 - A few years ago, I accepted a Golden Globe award by barking out an expletive.

One imagines President Obama did the same when he heard about his Nobel, and not out of excitement.

When Obama takes the stage at Oslo City Hall this December, he won’t be the first sitting president to receive the peace prize, but he might be the most controversial. There’s a sense in some quarters of these not-so-United States that Norway, Europe and the World haven’t a clue about the real President Obama; instead, they fixate on a fantasy version of the president, a projection of what they hope and wish he is, and what they wish America to be.

Well, I happen to be European, and I can project with the best of them. So here’s why I think the virtual Obama is the real Obama, and why I think the man might deserve the hype. It starts with a quotation from a speech he gave at the United Nations last month:

“We will support the Millennium Development Goals, and approach next year’s summit with a global plan to make them a reality. And we will set our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time.”

They’re not my words, they’re the president’s. If they’re not familiar, it’s because they didn’t make many headlines. But for me, these 36 words are why I believe Obama could well be a force for peace and prosperity — if the words signal action.

The millennium goals, for those of you who don’t know, are a persistent nag of a noble, global compact. They’re a set of commitments we all made nine years ago whose goal is to halve extreme poverty by 2015. Barack Obama wasn’t there in 2000, but he’s there now. Indeed he’s gone further — all the way, in fact. Halve it, he says, then end it.

Many have spoken about the need for a rebranding of America. Rebrand, restart, reboot. In my view these 36 words, alongside the administration’s approach to fighting nuclear proliferation and climate change, improving relations in the Middle East and, by the way, creating jobs and providing health care at home, are rebranding in action.

These new steps — and those 36 words — remind the world that America is not just a country but an idea, a great idea about opportunity for all and responsibility to your fellow man.

All right ... I don’t speak for the rest of the world. Sometimes I think I do — but as my bandmates will quickly (and loudly) point out, I don’t even speak for one small group of four musicians. But I will venture to say that in the farthest corners of the globe, the president’s words are more than a pop song people want to hear on the radio. They are lifelines.

In dangerous, clangorous times, the idea of America rings like a bell (see King, M.L., Jr., and Dylan, Bob). It hits a high note and sustains it without wearing on your nerves. (If only we all could.) This was the melody line of the Marshall Plan and it’s resonating again.

Why? Because the world sees that America might just hold the keys to solving the three greatest threats we face on this planet: extreme poverty, extreme ideology and extreme climate change. The world senses that America, with renewed global support, might be better placed to defeat this axis of extremism with a new model of foreign policy.

It is a strangely unsettling feeling to realise that the largest navy, the fastest air force, the fittest strike force, cannot fully protect us from the ghost that is terrorism .... Asymmetry is the key word from Kabul to Gaza .... Might is not right.

I think back to a phone call I got a couple of years ago from General James Jones. At the time, he was retiring from the top job at Nato; the idea of a President Obama was a wild flight of the imagination.

General Jones was curious about the work many of us were doing in economic development, and how smarter aid — embodied in initiatives like President George W. Bush’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief and the Millennium Challenge Corporation — was beginning to save lives and change the game for many countries.

Remember, this was a moment when America couldn’t get its cigarette lit in polite European nations like Norway; but even then, in the developing world, the United States was still seen as a positive, even transformative, presence.

The general and I also found ourselves talking about what can happen when the three extremes — poverty, ideology and climate — come together.

We found ourselves discussing the stretch of land that runs across the continent of Africa, just along the creeping sands of the Sahara — an area that includes Sudan and northern Nigeria.

He also agreed that many people didn’t see that the Horn of Africa — the troubled region that encompasses Somalia and Ethiopia — is a classic case of the three extremes becoming an unholy trinity (I’m paraphrasing) and threatening peace and stability around the world.

The military man also offered me an equation. Stability = security + development.

In an asymmetrical war, he said, the emphasis had to be on making American foreign policy conform to that formula.

Enter Barack Obama.

If that last line still seems like a joke to you ... it may not for long.

Obama has put together a team of people who believe in this equation. That includes the general himself, now at the National Security Council; the vice president, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; the Republican defence secretary; and a secretary of state, someone with a long record of championing the cause of women and girls living in poverty, who is now determined to revolutionise health and agriculture for the world’s poor.

And it looks like the bipartisan coalition in Congress that accomplished so much in global development over the past eight years is still holding amid rancour on pretty much everything else. From a development perspective, you couldn’t dream up a better dream team to pursue peace in this way, to rebrand America.

The president said that he considered the peace prize a call to action. And in the fight against extreme poverty, it’s action, not intentions, that counts. That stirring sentence he uttered last month will ring hollow unless he returns to next year’s United Nations summit meeting with a meaningful, inclusive plan, one that gets results for the billion or more people living on less than $1 a day. Difficult. Very difficult. But doable.

The Nobel Peace Prize is the rest of the world saying, “Don’t blow it.”

But that’s not just directed at Obama. It’s directed at all of us. What the president promised was a “global plan,” not an American plan. The same is true on all the other issues that the Nobel committee cited, from nuclear disarmament to climate change — none of these things will yield to unilateral approaches. They’ll take international cooperation and American leadership.

The president has set himself, and the rest of us, no small task.

That’s why America shouldn’t turn up its national nose at popularity contests. In the same week that Obama won the Nobel, the United States was ranked as the most admired country in the world, leapfrogging from seventh to the top of the Nation Brands Index survey — the biggest jump any country has ever made. Like the Nobel, this can be written off as meaningless ... a measure of Obama’s celebrity (and we know what people think of celebrities).

But an America that’s tired of being the world’s policeman, and is too pinched to be the world’s philanthropist, could still be the world’s partner. And you can’t do that without being, well, loved.

Here come the letters to the editor, but let me just say it: Americans are like singers — we, just a little bit, kind of like to be loved. The British want to be admired; the Russians, feared; the French, envied. (The Irish, we just want to be listened to.)

But the idea of America, from the very start, was supposed to be contagious enough to sweep up and enthrall the world.

And it is. The world wants to believe in America again because the world needs to believe in America again. We need your ideas — your idea — at a time when the rest of the world is running out of them. – NYT

* Bono is the lead singer of the band U2 and a co-founder of the advocacy group ONE and (Product) RED.

From HERE

Of Back-pain and Petai

2009-10-13T10:43:00.007+04:00

It has been quite some times since I last logged in my own writings in this blog.

It’s not that I didn’t have anything to write, though. It’s just that I was too lazy to write anything.

So, let me start with this painful and irritating back ache that I had for the past few weeks. I don’t remember how it started... but probably some times during the first few days of Ramadhan. At first, it was ok... I was able to instruct my body, and mind, to ignore it.

The pain got worse after the Eid celebration (it a bit redundant, isn’t it because Eid also means celebration)... with all the lemang, rendangs, ketupats, an occasional carbo-drinks....

It got even worse when I had to attend the meeting with our business partners. It’s not actually a meeting, though. We were showcasing the new lines of product and our business plans for the next 6 months. So, most of us had to stand up because the chairs in the room were only meant for the guest.

Well for me, the pain was still manageable... but when the spasms hit... hehehe, then you’ll know how painful it was. I had to stay stationary for about 10-20 seconds because it was so painful to move.

I remember 1-2 years ago when the worst of my back pains hit me. I was just finishing my morning shower and was bending down to take the ablution for the Fajr prayer. Then, suddenly I felt it in my lower back.... but it was still bearable. So, I went to work as usual. But in a few hours after that, the pain got worse.... I couldn’t walk straight and it was a labour for me to get into the car to go home. When I got home, I couldn’t climb the stairs to the 2nd floor of our house because each time I raised my legs the pain would hit me like, well, hell.

Then, came the spasms. My family was actually at the receiving end of my tirades.... I pity them, but what could I do.... I was in so much pain. Well, actually, I don’t think I can tell this story further without any derogatory remarks....so, I should stop here, shouldn’t I?

I figured that there’s too much gas (angin) and toxic in my circulation, coupled with my weight and my belly, of course. That didn’t do my back any favour.... and from time to time, I also had to carry Apit... especially during the fasting month (he didn’t fast but when nobody else was eating, he ate less and grew tired easily).

So, my wife and I thought that we have to find something that could dispose off some of the gas and toxic from my system.

The answer was PETAI (Parkia speciosa). We found some in the Karama market. My wife cooked them with some prawns (sambal udang petai)... I also ate them raw as “ulam”s. The results... hehehe....need I say more....?

The only negative thing is that it smells, and it will make your breath and you flatulent smell bad as well.... and you will incur the ire of the cleaning guy/lady at your office toilet.... hahahaha.

Now my back is getting better. At least the spasms are gone now.... But I know that I have to start exercising now.... I have not been feeling great for a few months now.... I figure that if I can reduce my weight by 1kg every month, I’ll be 10kg lighter before my next birthday. Here's hoping......

Before I end this entry, let me share some benefits of the petai from a Prof in UKM. I'm not sure if there're really true scientific studies done but it's interesting to know and it doesn't hurt to try, does it?

------------------------

Interesting Facts about PETAI (PETE)

Little did you know..... after reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at petai
in the same way again!

Petai contain three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose - combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS (premenstrual syndrome): Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milk shake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see petai as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking: Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%".

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, you see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe it’s time to change that well-known phrase so that we say,

"A Petai a day keeps the doctor away".

PM Dr.Aminuddin AHK
Dept. of Physiology
Medical faculty of UKM
Kuala Lumpur
Tel:6(03)40405157
fax:6(03)26939687

Side effect: This fruit give bad breath and smelly stomach gases

Iran a good market for Malaysian goods, says Matrade

2009-10-12T13:17:00.002+04:00

DUBAI, Oct 12 — Despite the challenges of doing business with Iran, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) views the Islamic republic as a fertile ground for Malaysian exports.

Matrade's senior trade commissioner based in Dubai, Dzulkifli Mahmud, said Malaysian exports to the Islamic republic were valued at RM1.19 billion in the first seven months of 2009.
In a further sign of Iranian importers and buyers' growing confidence in high-quality Malaysian products, a Matrade-led Malaysian business delegation succeeded in securing export orders worth RM13.39 million at the just-concluded Ninth Tehran International Industry Fair.

"Most of the Malaysian companies which participated in the fair are new to this market and they're very pleased with the export sales and orders received from Iranian buyers," Dzulkifli told Bernama on the outcome of the Oct 6 to 9 trade fair organised in the Iranian capital.

Malaysia exported RM2.45 billion worth of products to Iran last year. A total of 28 Malaysian companies took part in the exhibition which also marked the fifth participation by Matrade since 2005.

Among Malaysian products which had been well-received by Iranian buyers included building materials, vacuum cleaners, wooden items, industrial rubber products, agriculture pumps, chemicals for oil and gas sector, brake pads and rubber autoparts, solar water heater and car accessories.

"Matrade sees the prospect of exporting more products from Malaysia to the Iranian market as very bright. Iranian buyers now look at Malaysia as a country to source high quality products and services," Dzulkifli said.

He said the Matrade office would continue to assist Malaysian companies in penetrating the Iranian market comprising around 70 million people, 2.6 times the size of Malaysia's population.

"The Iranian market is a growing market and there's good demand locally for consumer products imported from overseas," he said, adding that Iranian buyers preferred high-quality and value-for-money products. — Bernama

From HERE

She's in the web

2009-10-11T15:16:00.000+04:00

My Sayang... at Raffles International School International Day 2009.... Manning (or ladying) the Malaysia Booth...(sambil makan satay)

From HERE

Evergreen Giggs continues to shine by Norman Hubbard

2009-10-02T13:53:00.005+04:00

Dimitar Berbatov is rarely described as animated. Indeed, the caricature of the Manchester United striker is that neither face nor body moves. At Stoke on Saturday, Berbatov broke into a smile and a sprint at the same time, the natural delight of a goalscorer accompanied by a desire to attribute credit where it was due. Running towards the left wing, pointing at the provider, his gratitude to Ryan Giggs was clear.

Berbatov shows his appreciation for Giggs.

• Fergie purrs over Giggs performance

His sentiments are being shared by increasing numbers of others. One banner at the Britannia Stadium said: "Arise Sir Ryan Giggs". Written before the Welshman marked his first 22 minutes on the pitch with assists for Berbatov and John O'Shea in United 2-0's win, it is a cause that is gaining currency.

In Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton, the club already has a pair of knights. For Giggs OBE, recognition for a lifetime's work appeared to have arrived in April, when he was crowned Player of the Year by his peers. It had a valedictory feel; despite his magisterial performance in the January win against Chelsea, he had only started 12 Premier League games in the season. The obvious expectation was that a 35-year-old would figure less frequently in the future.
Instead, Giggs has now become the early front-runner for another award. At this formative stage of the season, he is among its most influential performers, playing a pivotal part in a quartet of invaluable victories, against Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Stoke. While in the Champions League against Wolfsburg he netted his 150th goal for the club and added another assist for Michael Carrick's winner.

He has an official total of six assists in those five games, but an involvement in ten goals is a greater indication of his influence. Against Arsenal, his pass enabled Wayne Rooney to win a penalty, while his free-kick was accidentally converted by Abou Diaby for what proved the winner. At White Hart Lane, it was a perfectly placed Giggs free kick that brought the equaliser.
During the derby, his role in Rooney's opener was, admittedly, small, with a quick throw; the next three goals, however, were fashioned by a craftsman. Darren Fletcher headed in two balls from the left wing before Michael Owen, the recipient of an impeccable pass, scored the injury-time winner.

It illustrated that Giggs is capable of bisecting a defence with one ball while a set-piece expertise that has been obscured for several years has ensured Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kicks have not been missed. The Portuguese liked to operate with a flamboyant flourish; as Giggs showed when setting Berbatov up with a deceptively simple pass, making things look easy is a skill in itself.
That is one of Giggs' gifts. Other 35-year-olds can labour when running; he is blessed with the kind of natural fitness that gives his game a freshness. He no longer ranks among the game's sprinters, though that merely added to Micah Richards' difficulties in the derby. The younger Giggs would have had the acceleration to wave the right-back farewell on his way past; the footballing pensioner did not need to escape Richards. He simply beat him for a second occasion. The flecks of grey around the winger's temples may have added to the defender's embarrassment as Giggs jinked away from him again.

Speed was his original forte. If it is now skill, it is a sign of an ability to reinvent himself. Once a fixture on the left flank, he has been a second striker, a deep-lying central midfielder, a right winger, though this season has brought him full circle with a return to his old territory.
Minus Ronaldo, Giggs is now much the best option on the wings. Nani offers ingenuity, but can infuriate. Antonio Valencia, like a younger Giggs, has the pace without always providing the delivery. Ji-sung Park's game is based more on high energy than high quality. Yet there is a tendency for many of football's senior citizens to retreat to the centre of the pitch, rather than returning to the touchline as Giggs has.

The 35-year-old is showing no signs of slowing.

It means that, apart from Ronaldo's remarkable final three seasons at Old Trafford and a couple of years when Andrei Kanchelskis was in his electrifying prime, he is likely to end his career having been United's premier winger for three-quarters of a two-decade career at Old Trafford.
Yet it is one that could have been curtailed several years ago. Giggs' brace against Juventus in 2003, an undoubted highlight of even his career, came at a time when Ferguson was pursuing first Damien Duff and then Arjen Robben. Chelsea's superior purchasing power then may be benefiting United now.

Familiarity can prevent appreciation. That may have been an issue in the third quarter of Giggs' time in the United team. Now, however, it has brought a belated sense of admiration, perhaps because each year has a deceptive sense of finality. This is the fourth successive season that threatens to prove the Indian summer of Giggs' career.

In 2006-07 as United won their first title for four years, he was shortlisted for the PFA Player of the Year award; the following campaign, he equalled Charlton's appearance record by scoring in the game that clinched the Premier League and passed it in the Champions League final, converting United's final penalty in the shootout; last season, of course, brought Giggs the elusive PFA prize. This could yet bring a repeat for the oldest winger in town. As a teenage prodigy, he started out being compared to George Best; given his longevity, Giggs may be 21st century football's answer to Stanley Matthews now.

From HERE

Ferguson’s faith fulfilled in former Red turned Red Devil - K. Anand

2009-09-24T13:27:00.002+04:00

SEPT 24 — Back in July, Manchester United fans faced the stark reality that the £80 million (RM540 million) the club received for Cristiano Ronaldo was not going to be used to bring in some big-name players the fans were craving for.

Karim Benzema found Real Madrid irresistible, Franck Ribery was happy to give Bayern Munich another season, Samuel Eto’o was involved in a strange striker-swap between Barcelona and Inter Milan, and even Emmanuel Adebayor found the money more appealing at the blue half of Manchester than the higher potential for success at Old Trafford.

Alex Ferguson only had Antonio Valencia to show amidst all the hype about potential players coming in to replace Ronaldo.

But unbeknownst to these fans, the wheels were actually set in motion for one of the most astonishing transfer stories of last summer.

One Michael Owen, a former Liverpool legend according to some reports (but not anymore, say Reds supporters), signed on the dotted line at Old Trafford on July 3 and immediately questions were raised by the fans, media and critics.

The questions mostly focused on Owen’s history on the treatment table. He had been out injured far too many times over the last couple of years or so most people thought.

When interviewed by club website manutd.com, Owen hit back with a simple statement: “I’m 29, I’ve played 500-plus games at the highest level. For me to play that many games, I think everyone would agree you can’t be on the treatment table all the time.” Good point.

To be fair to Owen the facts are on his side — if people even bother to look at the facts these days, that is. Sadly, most don’t and only rely on hearsay and innuendos. This is not unlike what some local mainstream media are prone to do of course when publishing local “news”. But that’s for another story on another day.

Getting back to Owen, he is constantly mocked about his record at Newcastle when he actually played 58 games and scored a decent 26 goals. This in a struggling team and in unfamiliar territory at times, having to play in midfield.

MU got him on a free transfer and the deal was supposedly incentive-based where his salary was concerned. It was obvious that Owen was desperate to: a) get out of Newcastle, and b) revive his international career.

I believe he was wise in not going for the assured high weekly salary that other clubs were offering in favour of the conditional package from MU. He doesn’t really need the money anyway.

Five games into the season, there were still more questions asked of Owen than answers. Then came game number six.

Trust Ferguson to get it right in terms of timing by giving Owen his ultimate moment of glory in the red of Manchester United, putting him on for the last 17 minutes of a pulsating derby match at Old Trafford last Sunday. All his previous minutes for MU in the Community Shield, Premier League and Champions League this season did not matter anymore.

Owen’s inspired last-gasp winner against city rivals Manchester City might only ease the pressure on him, for now at least, but it also means he has delivered on Ferguson’s key reason for signing him — to give an added edge in the box for MU.

This was something Fergie probably felt Carlos Tevez lacked and so was willing to let him go. For all of Tevez’s appearances last season, he scored only five league goals for MU.

I am willing to wager with anyone that Owen will at least double that tally this season. At £25 million cheaper and £50k a week less wages, that’s brilliant business by any standards.
Sure, there won’t be any of the energetic chases that Tevez puts in (one of which resulted in City’s first goal on Sunday), but MU have Park Ji-sung, Darren Fletcher and Anderson to do that. What the club needs is a fox-in-the-box-type striker and in Owen they have the right man for that specific task. Anything else he delivers is simply a bonus.

I also feel that Owen’s contribution in the match finally put an end to the debate over Tevez’s acrimonious departure from MU.

On Sunday, Tevez showed the Old Trafford faithful just why Ferguson was not too downhearted to see him leave. The Argentine looked distraught throughout the match and perhaps the only good thing he did was pressure Ben Foster into making an error that led to Gareth Barry's goal.
While City arguably have a talented enough squad to challenge for honours this season, they do not have the mentality. I say this after seeing them play 45 minutes of football where they barely made an attempt to get out of their own half.

You may say MU pegged them back but in reality they never wanted to push on and try to win the game. Even Shay Given delayed picking up the ball just to waste time at 2-2 after only 52 minutes played.

Would any of the big four have settled for a draw this early against a rival, be it playing home or away? I doubt it (though Liverpool’s tactics against Arsenal in recent seasons do come to mind). City clearly are still in the mindset that they are inferior and must try to hang on in games where they should be looking for more.

They were fortunate to have scored the way they did against Arsenal the previous week, with the Gunners going all guns blazing looking for a winner, instead of sitting back at 1-1. Yes, Arsenal lost, but it’s a risk one has to take if you are a club with a must-win mentality.
The records speak for itself with the same four clubs always at the pinnacle of English football year-in year-out for the past four seasons.

Speaking of records, I am not sure if Ferguson knew about a particularly unique achievement by Owen, but if he did, that might have helped him decide in bringing on Owen in the 78th minute, with the score still at 2-2.

Owen has now achieved the unique record of having scored in four major derby matches while playing for different clubs in the top-tier of league football in England and Spain. These are the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, “El Clásico” in which he scored for Real Madrid against Barcelona, the Tyne-Wear derby where Newcastle United take on Sunderland, and now the Manchester derby.

Actually, we can make that five “derbies” if we include his past achievement for England. Owen scored a hattrick against England’s greatest rivals, Germany, in a World Cup 2002 qualifier played in Munich on Sept 1, 2001.

Now, this latest derby goal may just have given him the right platform to work his way back into the national side in preparation for World Cup 2010.

From HERE

No curvy mannequins in Iran shop windows

2009-09-23T14:31:00.004+04:00

TEHRAN, Sept 23 — Iranian police warned shopkeepers yesterday not to use mannequins without headscarves or which exposed body curves, official news agency IRNA reported.
"Using unusual mannequins exposing the body curves and with the heads without hijabs (Muslim veil) are prohibited to be used in the shops," Iran's moral security police in charge of Islamic dress codes said in a statement carried by IRNA.

Iranian police have stepped up a crackdown on both women and men, boutiques and small companies which fail to enforce strict religious dress codes since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to office in 2005.

The measures are the latest in a country-wide campaign against Western cultural influences in the Islamic Republic, where strict dress codes are enforced.

"Both showing necktie and bowtie behind the windows ... and (the) selling (of) women's underwear by men are prohibited," said the police statement.

In the past, crackdowns tended to be launched at the start of Iran's hot summers and petered out soon after. But last year they extended into winter and included a drive against tight women's trousers and even men with spiky "Western" hairstyles.

Those who violate dress codes are usually cautioned on a first offence, sometimes after a brief visit to a police station. But they can be detained for longer, taken to court and required to have "guidance classes" after repeat offences.

Dress codes are most often flouted in wealthier, urban areas. Conservative dress is the norm in poorer, rural areas. — Reuters

From HERE

PAS embraces women at work

2009-09-23T14:10:00.004+04:00

KOTA BHARU, Sept 23 — Malaysia’s main Islamist party may not like Muslim women doing yoga, drinking beer or wearing trousers, yet in one of the country’s poorest states, going out to work is something they encourage.

Recent headlines over the caning of a woman who drank beer and other religious edicts or fatwas restricting the behaviour of Muslims have triggered concerns that this traditionally moderate Muslim country was becoming more intolerant.

In Kelantan, however, things are a little different. Women are a vital part of the economy in the state, which has been ruled by the country’s opposition Islamist party for almost 20 years.

“We are better than our men at business. Thankfully, the ulama (Muslim clerics) see that we make a big contribution,” said businesswoman Fatimah Mahmud, tending her stall at the Siti Khadijah market named after Prophet Muhammad’s first wife, who was a successful businesswoman.

In the market, about 300 women set up stalls just after dawn prayers and close shop in the evening after collecting up to RM1,000 a day. All were decked out in gold chains and bangles, symbols of their wealth, and of course headscarves.

The women’s incomes exceed Kelantan’s current GDP per capita of RM8,700, which is 45 percent lower than the national average, according to official data. Many of the women do not always declare their earnings, economists say.

Initially shy of encouraging mothers to work, PAS which is Malaysia’s fastest-growing political party, now actively encourages it.

“Islam liberates women and with supporting this culture of strong businesswomen, we are legitimising them,” said Husam Musa, a PAS official who is part of the state executive council running Kelantan.

“Most of the receipients of state’s business development funds are women,” Husam said, although he did not specify the size of the fund.

PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan chief minister Nik Aziz Nik Mat had said earlier that mothers should stay at home as long periods of separation could affect the children.

Analysts say the move to support Kelantanese women might be a way to soften the image of a party that has said women wearing lipstick and sexy clothes would attract rapists and that hiring beautiful women would be a distraction to men in the workplace.

“PAS is trying to show it can encourage women and business. Perhaps it is shaping itself up for the next general elections in 2013,” said Osman Bakar, deputy chief executive of the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies Malaysia.

PAS, part of a three party opposition alliance, could be part of Malaysia’s next government in elections if it succeeds in breaking the grip of the National Front government that has ruled this country for 52 years.

PAS, however, maintains some strict laws for women in Kelantan as supermarkets must have separate checkout counters for women and men and concerts are a no-go for females as well.
Billboards across Kota Bharu, known as “The City of Islam”, show how women should wear all-covering headscarves and clothes.

“Women have to cover up because they are like gold. They are important to the family,” Nik Aziz said at his weekly sermons last Friday, popular with both men and women who sit in different tents.

The women at the Siti Khadijah agree.

“These laws are a part of Islam and its our duty to follow. But strong women businesswomen are also a part of Islam and that is good enough for us,” said Norisah Che Wan who sold vegetables. — Reuters

From HERE

Facebook: Antara Pro dan Kontra

2009-09-22T14:14:00.002+04:00

September 14th, 2009 by Abu Saif (http://saifulislam.com/)

“Ustaz, do you have any networking account?” tanya Saeb kepada saya.

“You mean, like Friendster and Myspace?” saya meminta kepastian.

“Yes. But in the States we don’t use Friendster. We’re more into Facebook,” jelas Saeb kepada saya.

Beliau adalah anak kepada pensyarah saya, seorang warga Amerika Syarikat.

“Oh yeah. I have registered an account but completely forgot about it because there’s no one there,” saya memberitahu.

“Great. Probably Malaysians are still hanging around Friendster. But anyway you’ll find us there. I’m trying to bring Dad into Facebook, too!” gurau beliau.

PENYERTAAN AWAL KE FACEBOOK
Saya mendaftarkan akaun Facebook pada awal 2007 tetapi hanya mengaktifkan penggunaannya semula kira-kira enam bulan selepas itu bagi menguruskan jaringan sosial antara kami, AJK IYEP dengan peserta yang datang dari seluruh dunia.

Ketika itu, amat kecil bilangan pengguna Malaysia yang berada di dalam jaringan Facebook. Namun, saya berasa selesa menggunakannya berbanding dengan Friendster kerana suasana di dalam Facebook lebih teratur, kemas dan ‘tidak kebudak-budakan’. Di kala itu, memang sudah menjadi buah mulut orang menganggap pembabitan anak muda di dalam Friendster di negara kita amat mengundang mudarat. Perkongsian gambar-gambar tidak senonoh hingga membabitkan beberapa artis ketika itu, menyebabkan saya langsung tidak terfikir untuk mempertimbangkan soal menyertai Friendster, biar pun untuk tujuan dakwah khususnya pada mendekati golongan remaja.

Berbeza dengan Facebook, rakan-rakan yang lebih ’sekepala’ dan ’seusia’ bertambah dari semasa ke semasa melalui Facebook dan ia sangat berkesan dalam usaha ‘menjejak kasih’ teman-teman lama dari seluruh dunia.

Keadaan ini sedikit demi sedikit berubah apabila semakin ramai pengguna internet Malaysia menyertai Facebook.

Saya tidak pasti apakah yang patut ditunding kesalahan. Apakah kerana kelompok yang membanjiri Facebook kebelakangan ini adalah remaja bermentaliti kebudak-budakan, atau mereka bekas pengguna Friendster, atau mereka mewakili suatu ngomelan tentang budaya kurang sihat di Malaysia yang disebut sebagai ‘First Class Facility with the Third Class Mentality’. Facebook mula comot dengan pelbagai aplikasi seperti kuiz, permainan dan pelbagai fungsi yang menghilangkan hemah Facebook selama ini.

Keadaan menjadi lebih merunsingkan apabila kita memiliki 5000 orang ‘rakan’ di dalam senarai jaringan kita. Apabila beberapa ratus daripada 5000 itu menyebarkan sampah sarap, ia sudah cukup untuk merosakkan fungsi asal Facebook yang menjadi asas tujuan kita memilih jaringan sosial ini.

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Dare To Forget About Alzheimer's Disease?

2009-09-21T16:54:00.000+04:00

By Ummi Nadiah Rosli - In conjunction with World Alzheimer's Day 2009 on 21st Sept

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 (Bernama) -- The 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan, English author Iris Murdoch, American boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, and Malay film legend Ahmad Mahmud, they were among the exceptional personalities that we remember for their legacy.

But they had struggled to remember theirs.

Of differing ethnic origin, gender and social background, these icons shared an unfortunate relationship in the form of an unforgiving health disorder - Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease or AD is a brain illness which results in the progressive loss of brain nerve cells, leading to a gradual decline of mental functions and is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for over 60 per cent of all dementia cases.

(Dementia is deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain.And unlike most diseases, there is no prevention or cure yet for AD.

ONE NEW CASE EVERY SECOND
According to a report from Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), 4.6 million new cases of dementia are reported worldwide annually, which translates to one new case every second.It is estimated that there are currently about 18 million people with AD worldwide, with one in ten individuals over the age of 65 years suffering from the condition.

The number of new cases of AD in the Asia Pacific region is projected to increase from 4.3 million per year in 2005 to 19.7 million new cases by 2050.

In Malaysia, approximately 20,000 Malaysians are currently diagnosed with the illness.

However the illness affects a significant number of people, estimated at 60,000 remain undetected as the disease is not generally known or is wrongly attributed as part of the aging process.

ADI highlighted that in 2005, the prevalence of AD in Malaysia is 63 per 1,000 people, and the incidence rate at 20.1.

This number is expected to double by 2020, and reach a staggering prevalence of 453.9 and 138.8 incidence per 1,000 people by 2050.

AD DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE
Met at a press conference organised by the Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM), in collaboration with Novartis Corporation Malaysia recently, Head of Geriatric Unit, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Dr Lee Fatt Soon said that AD was a result of deposits of 'plaques' and 'tangles' which begin to form in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells.

Patients with AD also have a shortage of important chemicals that are involved with the transmission of messages within the brain.

"We cannot single out a specific factor as the cause of AD, which means it could happen to anyone. However, the risk factors that have been identified among others is age, in which the incidence of AD doubles every five years after turning 60. Presence of mild cognitive impairment, as well as specific genetic variants increase the chance of getting AD too".

"Other risk factors include diabetes, family history of dementia, high systolic blood pressure, smoking, stroke, and traumatic brain injury," Lee said.

Those with AD will most commonly show signs beginning with loss of short-term memory, in which they could remember an old school experience but forget what they ate for breakfast that morning.

A patient will also forget how to get to a familiar place or misplace common objects and even forget simple things like familiar people's names, commonly used phone numbers, or what month it is.

Other symptoms, he said, are that AD sufferers will repeat things often and feel more suspicious, cautious or anxious and lose interest in things and people that used to be enjoyable.

Dr Lee added that since AD displays similar behavioural and personality changes to other illnesses, such as lack of empathy, and agitation, these symptoms should not be mistaken for depression or stroke.

EARLY DIAGNOSIS ESSENTIAL
AD comes in stages, whereby it can progress slowly or rapidly, usually over three to 10 years.

Over time, AD impairs cognitive and behavioral functions such as the ability to perform even the most basic tasks like putting on clothes, brushing teeth and bathing.

This year's World Alzheimer's Day, themed 'Diagnosing Dementia: See It Sooner' is an urgent call for early diagnosis."AD cannot be cured currently, and the earlier it is diagnosed will enable proper management of patients and to plan for the future of the patient and his/her family.

"The need for early diagnosis is also pivotal for the caregivers to identify sources of support. We should not forget about the impact of AD on caregivers. It's a physically, financially, and emotionally straining experience to take care for an AD patient," said Dr Lee.

Saying that there was no straightforward test for AD or for any other cause of dementia, Dr Lee described a usual diagnosis made as excluding other physical or psychological causes which present similar symptoms.

Diagnosis can go through various specialists such as psychiatrists, physicians, or neurologists to rule out other possible causes of AD symptoms.

Along with full physical examinations, assessments will also be carried out for changes in memory, intellectual functioning, functional abilities and behavior determine what stage of the AD the patient is in.

"Since there is no cure for AD, the drug treatment that are available aims to slow down the symptoms and disease progression. There are also non-drug therapy provided."

TO FURTHER EDUCATE THE PUBLIC
At the similar event to mark World Alzheimer's Day 2009, ADFM patron Puan Sri Wendy Ong said the public still needs to learn more about the disease.

"We need to instill awareness that AD is a serious health issue as many still dismiss it as a 'disease for the elderly,'" she said.

To commemorate the special day, she stated that ADFM will carry out a series of events nationwide such as having public forums in Penang, Johor and Melaka, a 'Memory Walk' in Ipoh as well as pre-diagnostic screenings.

"In addition, we are marking the occasion on the 21st by embarking on a nationwide signature drive for the Global AD Charter. The World Health Organisation has not recognised AD as a critical illness, and this charter aims to make AD and other Dementias a global health priority," she said.

Further information on Alzheimer's Disease and World Alzheimer's Day 2009 can be found on http://www.adfm.org.my/

-- BERNAMA

From HERE

Salam Eid Mubarak from Dubai, UAE

2009-09-19T22:30:00.001+04:00

Salam Eid Mubarak & Maaf Zahir Batin

for all our family and friends....and whoever is reading this....

May Allah's Love and Blessings be upon us on this Holy Day

-------------------------------

To the Holy Ramadhan... see you again next year, InsyaAllah...

From:

Haza, Ziela, Lina, Ain & Afiq

Dubai, UAE

Hari Malaysia (16hb September)

2009-09-16T12:19:00.002+04:00

Selamat Menyambut Hari Malaysia

untuk semua rakyat Malaysia

tak kira agama, bangsa, budaya atau warna kulit

Hari Raya Bukan Hari Sedih

2009-09-15T23:31:00.001+04:00

Disiarkan pada Sep 13, 2009 dalam kategori Dakwah

oleh: Dr. Mohd Asri bin Zainul Abidin

Masyarakat melayu kita sering mengaitkan hariraya dengan hari kesedihan. Perkara ini diransang tambah oleh media kita. Apabila tiba hariraya, takbir raya ala melayu berirama sedih, alunan melodinya mendayu dan mengundang airmata, drama dan cerita dalam media akan dikaitkan dengan kisah-kisah sedih dan pilu, puisi dan lagu juga begitu. Apakah hariraya dalam Islam hari sedih, atau hari kemenangan dan kegembiraan?

Terlebih dahulu kita hendaklah tahu bahawa hari raya dalam Islam bukan sekadar tradisi atau cetusan idea mana-mana pihak, ia adalah syariat yang diturunkan oleh Allah dan ada hukum-hakamnya yang tersendiri. Di samping ia adalah hari yang Allah peruntukkan untuk kaum muslimin membesarkan Allah, kemenangan dan kegembiraan.

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My Iftaar

2009-09-14T15:36:00.004+04:00

I have been fasting for the past 30 years of my life..... I can say that I have had some wonderful experience with my iftaar.

I have had my iftaar just by the road-side, gulping on a bottle of water.
I have had my iftaar just with glass of tap water.
I have had my iftaar at the airport terminal....eating the food that the airlines supplied.
I have had my iftaar 35000 feet above sea level.
I have had my iftaar barely a few minutes before the plane touched down.
I have had my iftaar 20 minutes before the locals had their iftaar.
I have had my iftaar at the airport lounge.
I have had my iftaar in the car, driving home.
I have had my iftaar at the entrance of super-market
I have had my iftaar at a multi-star hotel's restaurant

But, one think I never forgot was this du'a:

Allah! I fasted for You and I believe in You and I put my trust in You and I break my fast with Your sustenance

I will always be thankful to The Almighty Allah, because no matter where I have had my iftaar, it will always with His sustenance.

Al-Hadith:

From Abu Huraira (R.A.), the Prophet (S.A.W.) said, "Allah said: The Fast is for Me and I will give the reward for it, as he (the one who observes the fast) leaves his sexual desire, food and drink for My Sake. Fasting is a screen (from Hell) and there are two pleasures for a fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord. And the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better in Allah's Sight than the smell of musk."
– Hadith from Al-Imam Bukhari (Shahih Bukhari: Hadith No. 128, Vol. 3)

Dubai Metro launches tonight (09/09/09)

2009-09-09T17:41:00.010+04:00

The number 9 is always a favourite number of mine. Being a resident in this small desert city called Dubai, I am proud that another milestone has been achieved.... Dubai Metro.

It will be another "must-experience" thing in Dubai.....

At 7:45pm tonight, Syeikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will officiate the opening of this new pride of the people of Dubai.....
----------------------------

Hugh Naylor
Last Updated: September 09. 2009 3:08PM UAE / September 9. 2009 11:08AM GMT

Trains undergo last-minute testing outside the Nakheel Metro station in the run-up to today's launch. Randi Sokoloff / The National

After suffering through four years of disruption and dislocation caused by rail construction, Dubai’s residents today finally get to welcome the Metro, which many hope will make the city far more user-friendly.Launch formalities begin at 7.45 tonight, when VIPs gather in the Galleria of the Mall of the Emirates before boarding the first train and the Metro’s Red Line is declared open by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

More news HERE
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From The Gulf News Aug 30, 2009:

"His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will officially launch the Metro on September 9. The stations to be opened include: Al Rashidiya, Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport, Deira City Centre, Al Rigga, Union Square, Khalid Bin Al Waleed (BurJuman), Al Jafiliya, Financial Centre, Mall of the Emirates and Nakheel Harbour and Tower. "Launching of the Dubai Metro on September 9 is a true manifestation of the vision of Shaikh Mohammad to uplift the infrastructure of the emirate of Dubai," Al Tayer said. He said the RTA vision, which is based on Dubai's Strategic Plan 2015 is now being realised"........

Respect for other faiths in Islamic Jerusalem

2009-09-08T11:59:00.003+04:00

I received these excerpts in the email from one of my YahooGroups. They're about how the Commander of the Faithful, Sayidina Umar ibnul Khattab (R.A.), one of the great leaders in the post-Prophet era, deal the people he conquered and the religious minorities. It's a sign of a true leader.... a leader for all the people. It makes you think about what had happened recently in the country.

We call ourselves Muslims..... the followers of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.).... but some of us can't even follow the footsteps of his Companions, let alone the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) himself.... in this case, in terms of religious and racial tolerance.

Read on....

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When Caliph Umar, one of Muhammad's successors, conquered the Jerusalem of the Christian Byzantines in 638, he insisted that the three faiths of Abraham coexist. He refused to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher when he was escorted around the city by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch. Had he done so, he explained, the Muslims would have wanted to build a mosque there to commemorate the first Islamic prayer in Jerusalem.

The Jews found their new Muslim rulers far more congenial than the Byzantines. The Christians had never allowed the Jews to reside permanently in the city, whereas Umar invited 70 Jewish families back. The Byzantines had left the Jewish Temple in ruins and had even begun to use the Temple Mount as a garbage dump.

Umar, according to a variety of accounts, was horrified to see this desecration. He helped clear it with his own hands, reconsecrated the platform and built a simple wooden mosque on the southern end, site of al-Aqsa Mosque today.

Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock, built by Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691, was the first great building to be constructed in the Islamic world. It symbolizes the ascent that all Muslims must make to God, whose perfection and eternity are represented by the circle of the great golden dome. Other Islamic shrines on the Temple Mount, which Muslims call al-Haram al-Sharif, the Most Noble Sanctuary, were devoted to David, Solomon and Jesus.

Karen Armstrong is the author of Islam: A Short History and, more recently, Buddha

Time Magazine, 16 April 2001

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Omar in Jerusalem

The Caliph left Ali in Medina as his deputy and himself left for Jerusalem. He had only one attendant with him and only one camel to ride. Omar and the attendant rode the camel by turns. It happened to be the servant's turn to ride on the day when they were to reach Jerusalem. "Commander of the Faithful," said the attendant, "I give up my turn. It will look awkward, in the eyes of the people, if I ride and you lead the camel."

"Oh no," replied Omar, "I am not going to be unjust. The honour of Islam is enough for us all."

Abu Obaid, Khalid, Yazid and other officers of the army went some distance to receive the Caliph. All of them were wearing silk cloaks. This made Omar angry. He took some pebbles and threw them at his generals, saying, "Have you changed so much in just two years? What dress is this? Even if you had done this two hundred years from now, I would have dismissed you."

The officers replied, "Commander of the Faithful, we are in a land where the quality of clothes worn tells the rank of a man. If we wear ordinary clothes, we will command little respect among the people. However, we are wearing our arms underneath the silken robes."

This answer cooled down the anger of the Caliph.

Next the Caliph signed the treaty of peace. It ran as follows:

"From the servant of Allah and the Commander of the Faithful, Omar:

The inhabitants of Jerusalem are granted security of life and property. Their churches and crosses shall be secure. This treaty applies to all people of the city. Their places of worship shall remain intact. These shall neither be taken over nor pulled down. People shall be quite free to follow their religion. They shall not be put to any trouble..."

The gates of the city were now opened. Omar went straight to the Temple of David (Masjid-i-Aqsa). Here he said his prayer under David's Arch.

Next he visited the biggest Christian church of the city. He was in the church when the time for the afternoon prayer came.

"You may say your prayers in the church," said the Bishop.

"No," replied Omar, "if I do so, the Muslims may one day make this an excuse for taking over the church from you."

So he said his prayers on the steps of the church. Even then, he gave the Bishop a promise in writing. It said that the steps were never to be used for congregational prayers nor was the Adhan [call to prayer] to be said there.

By Prof. Fazl Ahmad who has written many books on Islam, the Prophet Muhammad and the Caliphs

Car Prices

2009-09-07T16:25:00.004+04:00

Living in Dubai for the past 1 year, there's one big different that I notice between Malaysia and Dubai.... CAR PRICES.....

They said if one wants to know how much it would cost them (at a very basic level) to buy a particular brand of car in Malaysia, then one can time the price of the car in Dubai by 3.....

So, let's say a car in Dubai costs about Aed90,000.... then in Malaysia, it would cost us RM270,000.

Why? I think the article written by Syed Akbar Ali below would shed some light on the issue.....

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Car Prices in Malaysia - by Syed Akbar Ali

Digest this article, after that, you may need to vomit. What is the Malaysian Govt doing all these while. Ripping off our Rakyat for the last 30 yrs with APs designed to benefit a few well connected Bumis, the UxxO/Bx have robbed millions of citizens in this fiasco, under the pretext of protecting our local industry. The Govt have forgotten we Malays are the largest customers in the country. What is the NEP policy doing ?? Ripping off the Malays (which forms 65% of the consumer base) to benefit a few UxxO politicians !!!

”We cannot choose the things that will happen to us. But we can choose the attitude we will take toward anything that happens.. Success or failure depends on OUR attitude” Malaysia Boleh…Buy Malaysian Products….Long Live Malaysia.. Malaysia Ku Cemerlang…!

BMW 535i sells for RM178,000 in the USA.
In the United States of America (a developed country which we are also aspiring to become by the year 2020) a 2009 model BMW 535i Sedan is selling for about USD50,367.00. This is only RM178,000 - about the price of a Toyota Camry 2.4L here in Malaysia . The same BMW sells in Malaysia for about RM450,000.

BMW 328i sells for RM155,000 in the USA.
The 2009 model BMW 328i 2 door Convertible sells for USD44,014 or RM155,369.00 in the US . In Malaysia the same car sells for over RM460,000. This is an untenable situation.
Audi A4 2..0T Cabriolet Convertible sells for RM142,000 in the US.

The 2009 model Audi A4 2 Door 2.0T Cabriolet Convertible sells in the US for USD40,328.00 or RM142,357. In Malaysia the same car would sell for about RM265,000. VW GTI 2.0T sells for RM85,000 in the US. In the US the 2009 model Volkswagen GTI 2.0T sells for USD 24,039 or RM85,000 only. In China the same car will cost around RM60,000. Over here the same VW car sells for about RM200,000.

And the 2010 model Toyota Camry 2.4L sells in the US for USD 19,659..00 or RM69,396 In Malaysia the 2008 Toyota Camry 2.4L sells for RM170,000. Toyota Camry 2.4L, 2010 model. RM69,000 in the US [cL: it's RM70k in Au]

Car prices in Malaysia are about three times higher than the prices in the United States. We are a developing nation. Our land and labour costs are so much cheaper than the US . Why are our cars so expensive? It does not make any sense. Tak masuk akal.

Then here are some car prices from our neighbour Indonesia . The Toyota Altis sells in Indonesia for about RM46,000. The same car sells here for around RM 112,000. Again we are three times more expensive than Indonesia.

The Honda Jazz sells here for RM108,000.. In Indonesia the Jazz sells for RM 36,000. Three times more expensive.

We are paying ridiculously high prices (and actually impoverishing the Malays - who are the largest buyers of cars in Malaysia) to support an out of date, out of touch with reality motor car policy.

We are paying the highest car prices in the world to support the Proton and other locally made cars as well as support a mind boggling AP policy which only benefits a relatively few rich Malays. A disproportionately large number of Malays and other Malaysians are being impoverished to subsidise the wealth of a few inefficient rich.

26 million Malaysians have to pay three times more for their cars just to support Proton and 120,000 people who are directly and indirectly involved in the motor sector in Malaysia and the AP holders. That is a ratio of 216:1.

This ratio of 216:1 is too skewed. 26.0 million happier people can contribute many more votes than 120,000 members of an inefficient motor industry. 26 million unhappy people can change a Government. (The maths is not really difficult here). And this outdated policy is impoverishing the Malays more than anyone else.

Here is some news from our DPM Tan Sri Muhyudin Yassin about our car policy. This is truncated:
Muhyiddin assures govt support for automotive parts and component sector
1. KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 - The deputy prime minister said special focus will be given to “facilitate and encourage” the development of the automotive parts and component sector despite the current global and regional economic downturn.

2. “Under the CEPT and Asean Trade in Goods Agreements, Malaysia has agreed to eliminate import duties on all products in the Normal Track on January 1, 2010. This includes motor vehicles, auto parts and components,” he said.

3. He pointed out that . .. . the motor vehicle sub sector in Malaysia will not be directly impacted because of its heavy dependence on the domestic market.

4. “The Malaysian government recognises the contribution of the domestic automotive industry towards the development of the country.”

Para 2 sounds promising but then Para 3 and 4 basically says that the Malaysian motor car industry will continue to be protected. This means we will continue paying the highest car prices in the world for automobiles.

Cuba kita kira : kalau kereta Honda Jazz di jual dengan harga yang sebenarnya (lebih kurang RM36,000 saja) dan bukan pada harga sekarang (RM108,000) maksudnya bayaran bulanan pembeli kereta akan jadi kurang, mungkin sepertiga sahaja daripada bayaran bulanan sekarang.

Jika sekarang orang bayar RM1,500 sebulan untuk beli Honda Jazz, kalau harga kereta lebih menepati harga pasaran dunia, orang kita perlu bayar sekitar RM500 saja sebulan.
Maksudnya tanpa Kerajaan perlu membuat apa pun (merangsang ekonomi, belanja berpuluh billion Ringgit duit rakyat untuk stimulus dan sebagainya) setiap rakyat Malaysia yang membeli kereta yang seharga dengan Honda Jazz akan dapat menjimatkan sehingga RM1,000 sebulan daripada kos sara hidup bulanannya.

This is like giving the car buyer an RM1000 pay rise without incurring any extra costs for the taxpayer, the Government or the economy. It will greatly reduce the cost of living in Malaysia and spur greater economic growth too.

Tapi sekarang, yang menjadi mangsa dulu dan yang menjadi miskin dulu orang Melayu juga. Orang Melayu yang paling ramai sekali menjadi pembeli kereta dalam negara kita. Orang Melayu kebanyakannya makan gaji - tiap bulan dapat gaji tetap. Bila harga kereta naik gila, yang menjadi miskin di saf depan sekali adalah orang Melayu juga.

In absolute numbers, the Malays are suffering the most because they are the most in number among the fixed income people who also buy cars.

Some folks said the other day that Proton has 150 major component suppliers, dealers, distributors and about 500 other parts suppliers too.. Of the 150 major component suppliers, about 15 of them are listed companies. In total they employ about 120,000 people. The Proton supply chain is a mix of bumiputras and non bumiputras. But here is a sadfact : none of them are operating at their level best efficiency.

Our motor car policy is forcing Malaysians to subsidise Proton so that Proton can sustain major inefficiencies in the Malaysian economy. This is not a good thing at all.

We have to unwind this situation. Set a target of 18 months from now to unwind all protection for our motor industry. Remove the impoverishing AP policy also in 18 months. Let Malaysian car prices reflect world market prices for the same makes of cars.

If a BMW 535 sells for RM178,000 in America , it should sell for a little less here in Malaysia (our rentals and salaries are cheaper).

Fw: Car Prices In Malaysia
The Ministers continue making pronouncements about the car industry as though nothing has happened. I hope everyone will please wake up. The Government has a real chance of getting thrown out of office in about three years. The people will not accept inept answers anymore. The ridiculous car prices in Malaysia is an issue that is just beginning to get more attention and publicity. It is going to become a really big issue in the near future. Be forewarned.

From: http://308gt.blogspot.com/2009/08/car-prices-in-malaysia-by-syed-akbar.html

Geng Bas Sekolah (GBS)

2009-09-06T15:09:00.003+04:00

Geng Bas Sekolah

The Kids started their new school year on today.... with the addition of another member of their GBS..... Apit.

Today is the real acid test for Apit.....he's full day at school (Ramadhan timing for the school is 830am to 1030am for KGs an 830am to 130pm for the other grades).

It's quite a labour waking him up in the morning for the early morning shower....(now I know how Mak felt then.... about 30 years ago). I had to practically carry him down from the bed....stood him up.... took off his night clothes and ushered him into the bathroom. I brushed his teeth.... bathed him.... helped him put his school uniform on.... and combed his hair..... By then.... his engine was already warmed up....

The above photo was taken right before we sent them down to the waiting school bus.... see the huge grin on Apit face? That means his ready to take on the day.

GBS... about to get on the bus

Deep in my heart, there was still some doubts that Apit would "survive" the day.... considering that he has never been away from us... his family... with total strangers.

Apit and Along in the bus

So, after they got on the bus, we followed them in the car. We arrived at the school much earlier than the bus. We watch from afar.... one by one, the children got off the bus.... then, we say Apit... still grinning.... Ms Eileen, the Phillipino helper, took his hand and took him to the class. She's also Apit's class helper.

In the class, he seemed lost... and actually, so were all the KG kids inside.... Then, we saw that he was given something to do....such as coloring, educational toys etc.

We left Apit to check on the girls....his sisters. They didn't seem to have any problem because almost all the kids in their classes were their friends from last year. They are big girls now....and they can take care of themselves.

We left the school to buy some groceries.....

At 1030am we went back to fetch Apit. He was still grinning...hehehe.... We guess he had enjoyed his first day at school....

He told of his teacher Ms Meneka, telling them a story about a mouse/rat with a strawberry... hehehe.... Well, we weren't in the class...so we didn't know whether it's true or not.... and how Apit understood his teacher...(he doesn't understand English very well.... at 4 1/2 years old, what do you expect?). But we assume that what he told us was true.... because he was enjoying it.

Before we went back... Apit got his wishes.... to play at the KG playground. We let him play for a few minutes....but just as he's beginning to enter into his "Pushka-pushka" mode, we called him in and drove back.

We told him that tomorrow (and onwards), he will have to stay back a little longer as Ayah and Ibu won't be fetching him at school at 1030am... "Ayah nak pegi Egypt".... So he has to go back with his sisters at 130pm.

I hope... We hope... and pray that Apit will do OK.....

Just enjoy your days at school, learn new things, make new friends.... Ayah, Ibu, Along and Ain will always be there for you.

Cuti-cuti Malaysia (Julai 09)

2009-09-04T02:15:00.003+04:00

Alahai....rasanya hari tu dah janji nak tulis pasal Cuti-cuti Malaysia masa balik Home Leave bulan Julai hari tu.....

Hmm.... malas lak rasanya..... Buat ringkasan je lah....

Minggu Pertama:
-Sampai KLIA hari Jumaat 3hb Julai
-Balik Kota and Teluk Kemang lepas tu balik Bangi balik
-Sempat rasa Cendol Madu Rembau dan Mee Sup Kendung.... masakan Mak jangan cakap lah
-Hujung minggu lepak rumah Angah (ipar) di Melaka

Minggu Kedua:
- Pergi Selatan....rumah Pak Ngah (Skudai) dan tidur rumah Andak (BBUda)
- Farid and Nore (cousins) jadi hosts...Andak dan Pak Andak kat SA jaga cucu
- Masuk Kota Singa dua hari.... malam balik tidur rumah Andak.
- Pergi Zoo, Arab Street dan Merlion Park (Day 1)
- Pergi Sentosa (Day 2)
- Hujung minggu melayan kunjungan Manchester United (gambar-gambar di SINI)

Minggu Ketiga:
- Ulang alik ke PD....Abah (mentua) masuk wad
- Hujung minggu pergi melawat Bandar Melaka

Minggu Keempat:
- Plannya nak duduk Bangi je....
- Pergi ke tempat kerja "lama" sebab jumpa Boss and ada beberapa urusan rasmi
- 2-3 hari sebelum balik, pergi KLCC (Dome) jumpa kawan-kawan lama dari zaman SAS dulu
- 31hb Julai... berlepas balik ke Dubai......

Sebahagian dari gambar-gambar boleh dilihat di SINI

Pulang Merantau - Lagu Rakyat Negeri Sembilan

2009-09-03T21:46:00.002+04:00

Di pautan ini: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6s2xplTlhs

To put Malaysia first, put Malaysian second – Paul Si

2009-09-03T14:37:00.002+04:00

I got this article by Paul Si in the Malaysian Insider.....quite an interesting piece of writing.....

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It’s all in the grammar. Specifically, in adjectives and nouns. I realise that language skills have declined significantly over the years, and that decline has something to do with people not wanting to learn, and the authorities shifting the goalposts to suit the people’s wishes.

But I hope you will bear with me on this because it is important, because it is the root of the problems Malaysia is beset with.

Back to basics. A noun is a thing, an object. It could be a tangible thing or an intangible thing. “House”, for example, is a noun. “Idea” is also a noun, albeit an intangible thing.
An adjective is a modifier or enhancer of that thing. “Big”, for example, is an adjective.
So, you have a house. What kind of house? A big house. The house is the thing, and big tells us more about your thing. See, it’s not that hard.

Ah, but there are words that are nouns, that are also used as adjectives. An example is a mountain bike. A bike is certainly a thing, but so is a mountain. Used in this context, though, the mountain is an adjective that describes the bike. So, the bike is still the thing and the mountain tells us what kind of bike, or thing, it is. As opposed to, say, a road bike, or an exercise bike.
And so to the problem with Malaysia, where the population thinks of itself in terms of Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Indians and, well, just Malays.

Gramatically speaking, Malaysian is a noun, and so are Chinese, Indian, Malay, Iban and Kadazan, and all can also be nouns functioning as adjectives. So the phrase Malaysian Chinese is grammatically correct, as is Chinese Malaysian. But they mean different things.

In a nicely written article headlined “Proud to be a Malay Singaporean” published in The Malaysian Insider today, Khartini Khalid tells us why she is proud to be a Singaporean. A Malay Singaporean.

Likewise, we now hear a lot about Native Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans, and so on. Not, mind you, American Chinese, or American African.

The thing about English is that the noun, the really important thing, comes after the adjective or descriptor. So, you know that a person is a Singaporean or an American, or Indonesian, or Australian, and he/she is of African or Chinese descent. He/she could also be a tall American, or fat American or ugly American, but still an American.

We, meanwhile, are Chinese, or Indians, or Others, who happen to hold Malaysian citizenship. We have the Malaysian Indian Congress and the Malaysian Chinese Associations. These are groups of people who are Indians and Chinese, respectively, who happen to live in Malaysia.
If they were Malaysians who happened to trace their roots to India and China, respectively, then the bodies would the Congress of Indian Malaysians and Association of Chinese Malaysians, again respectively.

Of course, the relative placement of noun and adjective is reversed in Bahasa, as well French, Spanish and many other languages. So, we have “rumah besar” instead of “big house”. Could this explain why these groups are so named?

Ah, but Persatuan Cina Malaysia and Kongres India Se-Malaysia tell us that this naming convention is not a simple transliteration that gives rise to confusion. No, it is deliberate and intentional.

So, there you have it. 1 Malaysia is a nice idea, even a noble goal to aim for. But day-to-day reality, conscious or sub-conscious, is very different, and it is all because we put “Malaysian” ahead of our ethnic or cultural background.

For that nice idea to become the new reality, we have to be Malaysians first, which means we put Malaysian second, after Chinese/Indian/Dayak. Are you confused yet? I know I am.

From HERE

14 Amalan Yang Keliru Di Bulan Ramadhan

2009-09-02T11:02:00.008+04:00

***Dapat maklumat ni melalui emel dari seorang sahabat....dari segi bahasanya mungkin datang dari negara jiran... Tapi rasanya ada maklumat ni yang relevan dengan amalan-amalan kita di Malaysia... Bukannya apa, cuma kadang-kadang amalan-amalan tersebut hanya mengikut tradisi sahaja dan bukan berdasarkan dari dalil-dalil yang sahih... Kesimpulannya, jika Rasulullah dan para Sahabat tak buat, maka eloklah kita renung-renungkan.... Kenapa kita buat?***

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Berikut adalah beberapa kesalahan yang dilakukan di bulan Ramadhan yang tersebar luas di tengah-tengah kaum muslimin.

1. Mengkhususkan Ziarah Kubur Menjelang Ramadhan
Tidaklah tepat keyakinan bahwa menjelang bulan Ramadhan adalah waktu utama untuk menziarahi kubur orang tua atau kerabat (yang dikenal dengan “nyadran”). Kita boleh setiap saat melakukan ziarah kubur agar hati kita semakin lembut karena mengingat kematian. Namun masalahnya adalah jika seseorang mengkhususkan ziarah kubur pada waktu tertentu dan meyakini bahwa menjelang Ramadhan adalah waktu utama untuk nyadran atau nyekar. Ini sungguh suatu kekeliruan karena tidak ada dasar dari ajaran Islam yang menuntunkan hal ini.

2. Padusan, Mandi Besar, atau Keramasan Menyambut Ramadhan
Tidaklah tepat amalan sebagian orang yang menyambut bulan Ramadhan dengan mandi besar atau keramasan terlebih dahulu. Amalan seperti ini juga tidak ada tuntunannya sama sekali dari Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam . Lebih parahnya lagi mandi semacam ini (yang dikenal dengan “padusan”) ada juga yang melakukannya campur baur laki-laki dan perempuan dalam satu tempat pemandian. Ini sungguh merupakan kesalahan yang besar karena tidak mengindahkan aturan Islam. Bagaimana mungkin Ramadhan disambut dengan perbuatan yang bisa mendatangkan murka Allah?!

3. Menetapkan Awal Ramadhan dengan Hisab
Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, إِنَّا أُمَّةٌ أُمِّيَّةٌ ، لاَ نَكْتُبُ وَلاَ نَحْسِبُ ,الشَّهْرُ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا “Sesungguhnya kami adalah umat yang buta huruf. Kami tidak memakai kitabah (tulis-menulis) dan tidak pula memakai hisab (dalam penetapan bulan). Bulan itu seperti ini (beliau berisyarat dengan bilangan 29) dan seperti ini (beliau berisyarat dengan bilangan 30).” (HR. Bukhari dan Muslim) Ibnu Bazizah mengatakan,”Madzhab ini (yang menetapkan awal ramadhan dengan hisab) adalah madzhab bathil dan syari’at ini telah melarang mendalami ilmu nujum (hisab) karena ilmu ini hanya sekedar perkiraan (dzon) dan bukanlah ilmu yang pasti ( qoth’i ) atau persangkaan kuat. Maka seandainya suatu perkara (misalnya penentuan awal ramadhan, pen) hanya dikaitkan dengan ilmu hisab ini maka agama ini akan menjadi sempit karena tidak ada yang menguasai ilmu hisab ini kecuali sedikit sekali.” ( Fathul Baari , 6/156)

4. Mendahului Ramadhan dengan Berpuasa Satu atau Dua Hari Sebelumnya
Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, لاَ يَتَقَدَّمَنَّ أَحَدٌ الشَّهْرَ بِيَوْمٍ وَلاَ يَوْمَيْنِ إِلاَّ أَحَدٌ كَانَ يَصُومُ صِيَامًا قَبْلَهُ فَلْيَصُمْهُ “Janganlah kalian mendahului Ramadhan dengan berpuasa satu atau dua hari sebelumnya, kecuali bagi seseorang yang terbiasa mengerjakan puasa pada hari tersebut maka puasalah.” (HR. Tirmidzi dan dishahihkan oleh Al Albani dalam Shahih wa Dho’if Sunan Nasa’i ) Pada hari tersebut juga dilarang untuk berpuasa karena hari tersebut adalah hari yang meragukan. Dan Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, مَنْ صَامَ الْيَوْمَ الَّذِي يُشَكُّ فِيهِ فَقَدْ عَصَى أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ “Barangsiapa berpuasa pada hari yang diragukan maka dia telah mendurhakai Abul Qasim (yaitu Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, pen).” (HR. Abu Daud dan Tirmidzi, dikatakan shahih oleh Syaikh Al Albani dalam Shahih wa Dho’if Sunan Tirmidzi )

5. Melafazhkan Niat “Nawaitu Shouma Ghodin…”
Sebenarnya tidak ada tuntunan sama sekali untuk melafazhkan niat semacam ini karena tidak adanya dasar dari perintah atau perbuatan Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam , begitu pula dari para sahabat. Letak niat sebenarnya adalah dalam hati dan bukan di lisan. An Nawawi rahimahullah –ulama besar dalam Madzhab Syafi’i- mengatakan, لَا يَصِحُّ الصَّوْمَ إِلَّا بِالنِّيَّةِ وَمَحَلُّهَا القَلْبُ وَلَا يُشْتَرَطُ النُّطْقُ بِلاَ خِلَافٍ “Tidaklah sah puasa seseorang kecuali dengan niat. Letak niat adalah dalam hati, tidak disyaratkan untuk diucapkan dan pendapat ini tidak terdapat perselisihan di antara para ulama.” ( Rowdhotuth Tholibin , I/268, Mawqi’ul Waroq -Maktabah Syamilah)

6. Membangunkan “Sahur … Sahur”
Sebenarnya Islam sudah memiliki tatacara sendiri untuk menunjukkan waktu bolehnya makan dan minum yaitu dengan adzan pertama sebelum adzan shubuh. Sedangkan adzan kedua ketika adzan shubuh adalah untuk menunjukkan diharamkannya makan dan minum. Inilah cara untuk memberitahu kaum muslimin bahwa masih diperbolehkan makan dan minum dan memberitahukan berakhirnya waktu sahur. Sehingga tidak tepat jika membangunkan kaum muslimin dengan meneriakkan “sahur … sahur ….” baik melalui speaker atau pun datang ke rumah-rumah seperti mengetuk pintu. Cara membangunkan seperti ini sungguh tidak ada tuntunannya sama sekali dari Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam juga tidak pernah dilakukan oleh generasi terbaik dari ummat ini. Jadi, hendaklah yang dilakukan adalah melaksanakan dua kali adzan. Adzan pertama untuk menunjukkan masih dibolehkannya makan dan minum. Adzan kedua untuk menunjukkan diharamkannya makan dan minum. Ibnu Mas’ud radhiyallahu ‘anhu memiliki nasehat yang indah, “Ikutilah (petunjuk Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, pen), janganlah membuat bid’ah. Karena (sunnah) itu sudah cukup bagi kalian.” (Lihat pembahasan at Tashiir di Al Bida’ Al Hawliyah , hal. 334-336)

7. Pensyariatan Waktu Imsak (Berhenti makan 10 atau 15 menit sebelum waktu shubuh) Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلاَ يَهِيدَنَّكُمُ السَّاطِعُ الْمُصْعِدُ فَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَعْتَرِضَ لَكُمُ الأَحْمَرُ “Makan dan minumlah. Janganlah kalian menjadi takut oleh pancaran sinar (putih) yang menjulang. Makan dan minumlah sehingga tampak bagi kalian warna merah yang melintang.” (HR. Tirmidzi, Abu Daud, Ibnu Khuzaimah. Dalam Shohih wa Dho’if Sunan Abu Daud , Syaikh Al Albani mengatakan hadits ini hasan shahih). Maka hadits ini menjadi dalil bahwa waktu imsak (menahan diri dari makan dan minum) adalah sejak terbit fajar shodiq –yaitu ketika adzan shubuh dikumandangkan- dan bukanlah 10 menit sebelum adzan shubuh. Inilah yang sesuai dengan petunjuk Allah dan Rasul-Nya.
Dalam hadits Anas dari Zaid bin Tsabit bahwasanya beliau pernah makan sahur bersama Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam , kemudian beliau shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam berdiri untuk menunaikan shalat. Kemudian Anas berkata, “Berapa lama jarak antara iqomah dan sahur kalian?” Kemudian Zaid berkata, “Sekitar 50 ayat.” (HR. Bukhari dan Muslim). Lihatlah berapa lama jarak antara sahur dan iqomah? Apakah satu jam?! Jawabnya: Tidak terlalu lama, bahkan sangat dekat dengan waktu adzan shubuh yaitu sekitar membaca 50 ayat Al Qur’an (sekitar 10 atau 15 menit)

8. Do’a Ketika Berbuka “Allahumma Laka Shumtu wa Bika Aamantu…”
Ada beberapa riwayat yang membicarakan do’a ketika berbuka semacam ini. Di antaranya adalah dalam Sunan Abu Daud no. 2357, Ibnus Sunni dalam ‘Amalul Yaum wal Lailah no. 481 dan no. 482. Namun hadits-hadits yang membicarakan amalan ini adalah hadits-hadits yang lemah. Di antara hadits tersebut ada yang mursal yang dinilai lemah oleh para ulama pakar hadits. Juga ada perowi yang meriwayatkan hadits tersebut yang dinilai lemah dan pendusta (Lihat Dho’if Abu Daud no. 2011 dan catatan kaki Al Adzkar yang ditakhrij oleh ‘Ishomuddin Ash Shobaabtiy).
Adapun do’a yang dianjurkan ketika berbuka adalah, ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ “Dzahabazh zhoma-u wabtallatil ‘uruqu wa tsabatal ajru insya Allah (artinya: Rasa haus telah hilang dan urat-urat telah basah, dan pahala telah ditetapkan insya Allah)” (HR. Abu Daud. Dikatakan hasan oleh Syaikh Al Albani dalam Shohih wa Dho’if Sunan Abi Daud )

9. Dzikir Jama’ah Dengan Dikomandoi dalam Shalat Tarawih dan Shalat Lima Waktu
Syaikh Abdul ‘Aziz bin Baz rahimahullah tatkala menjelaskan mengenai dzikir setelah shalat, “Tidak diperbolehkan para jama’ah membaca dizkir secara berjama’ah. Akan tetapi yang tepat adalah setiap orang membaca dzikir sendiri-sendiri tanpa dikomandai oleh yang lain. Karena dzikir secara berjama’ah (bersama-sama) adalah sesuatu yang tidak ada tuntunannya dalam syari’at Islam yang suci ini.” ( Majmu’ Fatawa Ibnu Baz , 11/189)

10. “Ash Sholaatul Jaami’ah…” untuk menyeru Jama’ah dalam Shalat Tarawih
Ulama-ulama Hambali berpendapat bahwa tidak ada ucapan untuk memanggil jama’ah dengan ucapan “Ash Sholaatul Jaami’ah…” Menurut mereka, ini termasuk perkara yang diada-adakan (baca: bid’ah). (Lihat Al Mawsu’ah Al Fiqhiyyah Al Kuwaitiyyah , 2/9634, Asy Syamilah)

11. Bubar Terlebih Dahulu Sebelum Imam Selesai Shalat Malam
Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam bersabda, إِنَّهُ مَنْ قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كُتِبَ لَهُ قِيَامُ لَيْلَةً “Siapa yang shalat bersama imam sampai ia selesai, maka ditulis untuknya pahala qiyam satu malam penuh.” (HR. Ahmad dan Tirmidzi. Syaikh Al Albani dalam Al Irwa’ 447 mengatakan bahwa hadits ini shahih). Jika imam melaksanakan shalat tarawih ditambah shalat witir, makmum pun seharusnya ikut menyelesaikan bersama imam. Itulah yang lebih tepat.

12. Perayaan Nuzulul Qur’an
Perayaan Nuzulul Qur’an sama sekali tidak pernah dicontohkan oleh Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam , juga tidak pernah dicontohkan oleh para sahabat. Para ulama Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah mengatakan, لَوْ كَانَ خَيرْاً لَسَبَقُوْنَا إِلَيْهِ “Seandainya amalan tersebut baik, tentu mereka (para sahabat) sudah mendahului kita untuk melakukannya.” Inilah perkataan para ulama pada setiap amalan atau perbuatan yang tidak pernah dilakukan oleh para sahabat. Mereka menggolongkan perbuatan semacam ini sebagai bid’ah. Karena para sahabat tidaklah melihat suatu kebaikan kecuali mereka akan segera melakukannya. (Lihat Tafsir Al Qur’an Al ‘Azhim , pada tafsir surat Al Ahqof ayat 11)

13. Membayar Zakat Fithri dengan Uang
Syaikh Abdul ‘Aziz bin ‘Abdillah bin Baz mengatakan, “Seandainya mata uang dianggap sah dalam membayar zakat fithri, tentu Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam akan menjelaskan hal ini. Alasannya, karena tidak boleh bagi beliau shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam mengakhirkan penjelasan padahal sedang dibutuhkan. Seandainya beliau shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam membayar zakat fithri dengan uang, tentu para sahabat – radhiyallahu ‘anhum - akan menukil berita tersebut. Kami juga tidak mengetahui ada seorang sahabat Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam yang membayar zakat fithri dengan uang. Padahal para sahabat adalah manusia yang paling mengetahui sunnah (ajaran) Nabi shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam dan orang yang paling bersemangat dalam menjalankan sunnahnya. Seandainya ada di antara mereka yang membayar zakat fithri dengan uang, tentu hal ini akan dinukil sebagaimana perkataan dan perbuatan mereka yang berkaitan dengan syari’at lainnya dinukil (sampai pada kita).” ( Majmu’ Fatawa Ibnu Baz , 14/208-211)

14. Tidak Mau Mengembalikan Keputusan Penetapan Hari Raya kepada Pemerintah Al Lajnah Ad Da’imah
Komisi Fatwa di Saudi Arabia mengatakan, “Jika di negeri tersebut terjadi perselisihan pendapat (tentang penetapan 1 Syawal), maka hendaklah dikembalikan pada keputusan penguasa muslim di negeri tersebut. Jika penguasa tersebut memilih suatu pendapat, hilanglah perselisihan yang ada dan setiap muslim di negeri tersebut wajib mengikuti pendapatnya.” ( Fatawa no. 388)

Demikian beberapa kesalahan atau kekeliruan di bulan Ramadhan yang mesti kita tinggalkan dan mesti kita menasehati saudara kita yang lain untuk meninggalkannya. Tentu saja nasehat ini dengan lemah lembut dan penuh hikmah.

Semoga Allah memberi kita petunjuk, ketakwaan, sifat ‘afaf (menjauhkan diri dari hal yang tidak diperbolehkan) dan memberikan kita kecukupan. Semoga Allah memperbaiki keadaan setiap orang yang membaca risalah ini.

Wa shallallahu wa salaamu ‘ala Nabiyyina Muhammad wa ‘ala alihi wa shohbihi ajma’in. Walhamdulillahi rabbil ‘alamin.

Apit at the school (1st Sept, 2009)

2009-09-01T02:40:00.007+04:00

Today is Apit's orientation day at Raffles IS..... We have all been waiting for this day..... Another big step for my little boy.....I woke him up early....bathed him.... and put on the KG uniform on him..... He looked really sharp...smiling all the way down to the car.

We registered.... they took Apit's photo for the ID Card. Then we took Apit to his class....met Ms Meneka, his KG class teacher and Ms Eileen the class assistant.

We left him in the class.... he was busy coloring.... We went to the Uniform and Book stores to buy uniform and books for the new year. His ibu fetched Apit at the class.... seemed like he was enjoying himself the first day.... alhamdulillah.

Well, the true test will be next week..... the first few days of school.... Here's hoping that he will do all right....

To Apit, Ayah, Ibu, Along and Ain hope you will do well in school....and you will always have our supports.... You can count on us....

SALAM MERDEKA

2009-08-31T11:22:00.005+04:00

SALAM MERDEKA UNTUK SEMUA RAKYAT MALAYSIA

MERDEKA DARI PEMIKIRAN YANG JUMUD DAN CETEK,

MERDEKA DARI KONGKONGAN KEZALIMAN,

MERDEKA DARI MENTALITI CHAUVANISTIK BANGSA,

MERDEKA DARI UNDANG-UNDANG PENJAJAH,

MERDEKA, MERDEKA, MERDEKA, MERDEKA.

Lembu Punya Kepala, Islam Yang Dapat Nama

2009-08-30T14:29:00.002+04:00

Memang tak bertanggungjawab dan berfikiran sempit la orang yang buat kerja ni.

Dalam kitab Ustaz mana entah diorang dapat Dalil bahawa kita boleh menghina agama lain demi mempertahankan Islam. Bukan ke dalam Quran dah ada sebut, "jangan hina agama lain, nanti diorang akan hina Islam" (terjemahan lebih kurang).

Islam ajar kita supaya berfikiran terbuka... Jangan sempitkan fikiran tu. Islam juga ajar kita hormat kat agama lain... Supaya diorang hormat pada Islam.

Walaupun nak jadi hero, janganlah sampai nama Islam tercemar. Negara ni ada undang-undang dan peraturan... Ada mahkamah... Kalau rasa tak puas hati, gunakanlah saluran yg betul. Janganlah lembu yg tak berdosa tu jadi mangsa pulak.

Lagipun, bukan ke lembu tu makanan kita... Kenapa lak di'kaki-kaki'kan... Mak bapak tak ajar ke hormati makanan?

Satu hal lagi... Badan lembu tu pegi mana? Buat kenduri ke? Makan masa bila tu? Hehehe, tak elok tau buat kerja-kerja camni masa bulan Ramadhan yg mulia ni.

Sent from Haza Hilmy's BlackBerry® device

The Holy Guest is Here.... Again....

2009-08-20T13:09:00.003+04:00

Ramadhan.... the holiest of month... is just around the corner....

It's time to reflect the ups and he downs since last Ramadhan....

But for me, I am truly greatful that Allah has allowed me to welcome this Holy Guest again this year....

To everybody.... I wish you RAMADHAN KAREEM....and please forgive me for everything I had done wrong since last Ramadhan.... Let's make this Ramadhan the best we ever had so far....because we wouldn't know if this is the last Ramadhan for us....

-------------
I just received a good news that my mother will be discharged today....alhamdulillah....

But then, my father-in-law was hospitalized a few days ago due to (guess what).... Diabetes as well.... He has been suffering from a cut on his toes since a few weeks ago.... It wouldn't heal and the doctor had to resort to the extreme measures....

I hope everyone is facing these predicaments with an open heart. Allah always tests those people who are the most righteous. Our prayers are with our loved-ones in Malaysia....

My mother

2009-08-11T15:22:00.004+04:00

My mother has been hospitalized since a few days ago due to a diabetis-induced complication. If I could have it my way, I will take the next flight out of Dubai, to KL, to be by her side.

Even then, it could never repay what she has done for me... for my sister & brother... and for the whole family as well. Her sacrifice is beyond reimbursable.

“Tell him not worry about me”, my sister related to me the other day. My sister said that Mak will feel much better knowing that I am OK... not worrying.

But as a child, the eldest son who is supposed to shoulder the responsibilities to his parents, no one can blame me if and when I get worried. I am thousands of mile away when I was supposed to be with her.

Anyhow, for her sake, I’ll stay put and just wait for any updates from my sister and brother. Thanks to the modern technology called the Internet.

May all the blessings of Allah be with her.

This is a beautiful song from Brother Yusuf Islam... I dedicate this to my mother...with love from your son and family in Dubai.

Your Mother
Who should you give your love to
Your respect and your honour to
Who should you pay good mind to – after Allah,
Comes your Mother,
Who next? Your Mother
Who next? Your Mother
And then you Father

Cause who used to hold you
And clean you and clothe you?
Who used to feed you
And always be with you?
When you were sick, stay up all night,
Holding you tight?
That’s right no other, your Mother

Who should you take good care of
Giving all your love?
Who should you think the most of – after Allah?
Comes your Mother,
Who next? Your Mother
Who next? Your Mother
And then you Father

Cause who used to hear you
Before you could talk?
Who used to hold you
Before you could walk?
And when you fell, who’d pick you up?
Clean your cut?
No one but, your Mother, your Mother

Who should you stay right close to
Listen most to?
Never saying no to – after Allah
Comes your Mother,
Who next? Your Mother
Who next? Your Mother
And then you Father

Cause who used to hug you
And buy you new clothes?
Comb your hair and blow your nose?
And when you cried who wiped your tears
Knows your fears?
Who really cares?
Your Mother

Say Hamdulillah,
Thanks to Allah
Thank You Allah for my Mother

A generation of activist idealists

2009-08-11T14:08:00.000+04:00

AUG 11 - A trauma can make or break a person. It can make or break a generation, too.
In an inconspicuous house in Bangsar, a group of individuals belonging to the generation that I identify myself with has been meeting consistently for the past few weeks. There is only one agenda in their list and it involves a very global issue of climate change.
They endeavor to spread awareness regarding it to Malaysian youth. More ambitiously, they seek to influence national policy on climate change.
The idea began modestly and has been very much fueled by conviction and commitment to a cause. Friends and strangers met and discovered that they share a passion. With that passion, they banded together to act.
They started making calls and sending email seeking support among larger circles of friends to garner resources required to get the ball rolling.
Climate change was an issue close to my heart. A number of factors prodded me into the realm of economics, and climate change was one of the topics that caught my attention.
It was back in the late 1990s, when I was still a teenager, that I found myself attracted to a concept where a person could trade carbon as currency. With no training in economics whatsoever at that time, it was easy for me to be amazed at the concept.
The concept – pricing carbon to combat negative externality – and many more ideas surrounding the issue are not alien to me any longer.
Just as understanding of physical sciences inevitably render what used to be perceived as magic and supernatural events by the unenlightened into natural phenomena, so too does command of economics wash away my awe of this strange concept.
Ironic as it may seem, economics has made me less enthusiastic about the subject. The tools of economics have made me realise how hard it is to solve the issues.
Meanwhile, the politics of climate change conspire to make it impossible. Just weeks earlier, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd admitted that the odds of success at the much-anticipated climate change meet-up in Copenhagen, Denmark are bleak, and rightly so.
Yet, there they are in Bangsar, speaking so passionately about the issue, trying to affect and effect it. A row of ants standing in the path of an elephant, as I first saw it.
I am tempted to be sceptical about how much they can achieve, especially given the reality of climate change politics. Each time I want to express my scepticism however, my mind races back in time to the day of my graduation.
Amid a melancholic mood, uncertain of what the world holds for me, the president of my alma mater, Mrs Coleman, inspired me. She said, “…stand up for what you believe in, and what is right. You just might change course of events for the better.”
This is the hallmark of an idealist.
A friend of mine jokingly called them the Planeteers (remember the cartoon?)
Jokes asides, these Planeteers are but one example of idealists who make up this generation below 30s.
Another group of friends is working hard to share educational opportunities that exist in the United States with students in Malaysia.
They are out that to smash the myth that gaining admission into the best schools is either impossible or expensive, or both. They are already in those schools and they are inspiring others to be ambitious, just as they had been.
Together, they hold an ideal that Malaysians should have access to not just basic education but fulfilling the quality education that many in my circles believe that the Malaysian system is simply unable to provide, for various reasons.
Yet another set of brilliant cohorts with sterling education joined politics in drove as interns and assistants to politicians whose ideals they share. And they, too, sign up out of conviction, not for power.
There is a dangerous generalization here for surely, in every generation, there are dishonest individuals out merely to acquire power. That seems irrelevant to my circle of friends. In their eyes, I see a cause.
This surprises me greatly. For a generation condemned by others as highly disinterested in politics and societal issues at large, and only out and about listening to unbearable noise on their iPod and out large at night in roaming the city, the manner in which they have come in to shape politics is one big finger to such condescending generalisation.
A common criticism directed against idealists is that they are still young and naïve. The real world, sooner or later, will break them.
This generation of mine, or at least my circles, in a trend so overwhelming like a 50-metre tall wave to a sampan, is different. They are a different kind of idealists, for whom criticism is like a hard stone to a knife.
These idealists recognise harsh reality. Contrary to typical characterisation of an idealist, these idealists found their ideals out of disappointment and from that disappointment, a call to activism.
They have been all over the world. They witnessed it, made judgment about it, made comparison out of it. And they are disillusioned with Malaysia.
They are angry at everything that is true. All promises have been broken and they are posed to inherit a broken country with disrepute institutions, diminished national pride and worsening race relations.
While the older generations tend to dismiss this generation as unappreciative of past sacrifices, this new breed of idealist activists see that the older generations have failed them.
What else can so comprehensively explain why the nation's youth, in so overwhelming a manner, voted against the establishment in 2008?
The disillusionment is traumatic, but it has hardened, not broken, them.
Rather than consoling themselves, they decide to not tweak their ideals, but almost outrageously go out to fix the reality. They endeavor to close the gap between ideals and reality, to improve the lamentable state that we Malaysians are in.
These circles of mine have been privileged but not overly so in their upbringing. After all, not too many attended the likes of Harvard, Dartmouth, Colby, Berkeley – and, ahem, Michigan – among others.
Experience tells me that outliers exude contagious confidence. The arithmetic mean is susceptible to outliers.
Such confidence is bound for greatness. It is individual confidence that is no longer dependent on the state or the community. They are, by themselves, individually, a whole army.

At maddruid.com, Hafiz Noor Shams shares how he is proud of his generation.

"Permata (Untuk Isteri Ku)"

2009-08-11T10:10:00.000+04:00

Telah ku siapkan satu daerah paling sunyi
Dalam hati ini untuk kau isi sebagai isteri
Untuk kau penuhi dengan kemuliaan seorang wanita
Untuk kau beri erti dengan kelembutan
Untuk kau hargai dengan kasih sayang

Ku ingin kau jadi wanita mulia
Yang tahu harga budi dan hati
Seorang lelaki bernama suami

Kerana engkau isteri
Ku ingin kau mengerti bahawa hidup ini
Tak semudah yang kita janjikan
Yang kita janjikan
Kerana kau isteriku

Artis: Kopratasa
Lirik: Allahyarham Abdul Aziz HM

Fraudulent defenders of our faith — M. Bakri Musa

2009-08-10T16:46:00.002+04:00

This is a nice and a thoughtful piece of article that I found HERE. It make us think about ourselves as a Muslim... Have we done enough to better ourselves before we go around "defending" our cause?

AUG 10 — With Ramadan soon upon us, Muslims everywhere are caught up in a heightened sense of spirituality. That is the good news.
Take last Thursday evening, for example. The San Jose, California, masjid was inundated with believers staying late into the night. It was the 15th of Shaaban, an especially blessed time in the Muslim calendar. Shaaban is the month before Ramadan, and serves as a “warm up” to it. As my imam Ilyas noted wryly in his Friday khutba, what struck him was that many that evening had never before set foot on the premises. That is the bad news.
Malays too are struck by this wave of religious fervour with the impending arrival of Ramadan. Thus the recent local authority raid on a 7-Eleven store in Selangor, stripping the store of its beer inventory. Never mind that the store had been selling that beverage for decades without any harassment from the authorities.
Then there was Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin calling on his PAS counterpart to “unite” against DAP (and thus Pakatan) for allegedly “insulting” Islam. Not to be outdone, Datuk Khir Toyo, a fellow “fighter” in Umno Youth, chided PAS for not standing up to the Pakatan state government’s “insulting” Islam by ordering the beer loot be returned to the store.
It turned out that the local agency had no authority to conduct such a raid. Alas, observing the niceties of the law has never been a strong point with these Malaysian jihadist wannabes.
Our Malaysian jihadists may consider themselves “modern” and of a different breed. After all Khairy has been to Oxford while Khir is a trained dentist. Alas they are “modern” only in their outward appearances, what with their fancy suits and palatial bungalows. In mindset and attitude, however, they are no different from those madrasah-educated, dishevelled bearded Talibans dwelling high in the caves of Afghanistan.
More to the point, I am not all assured that these overzealous “defenders” of Islam are doing our faith any favour. On the contrary, these fraudulent defenders of our faith are smearing the image of Islam.
As my imam Ilyas rightly pointed out on noting the large crowd at the masjid on the evening of 15th Shaaban, while he was pleased with the turnout he gently reminded us that it is far more important to do the many little “good” gestures required of us by our faith all the time than be focused on doing the spectacular ultra religious deeds during Ramadan.
For example, it is much more important to be generous throughout the year rather than making a highly publicised generous donation during Ramadan. On another level, there is no point for us to live a life of vice and corruption and then once a year undertake a haj or umrah in an attempt to “cleanse” ourselves.
If the average citizen can see through the hollowness of such “pious” gestures, rest assured that Almighty Allah would have minimal difficulty figuring out the hoax.
The late Zakaria Mat Deros, a former railway guard turned fabulously wealthy politician with the obscenely ostentatious bungalow squatting amidst the squalor of the Malay kampung in Port Klang, was a prime example. He was accompanied on one of his frequent umrahs by no less than the head of Islam Hadhari, then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
I wish that characters like Mat Deros were the exception; unfortunately they are the norm. Consider that self-admitted adulterer Razak Baginda. Not only did he try to cleanse himself religiously by visiting (yes, “visiting” is the appropriate term) Mecca, he went on to “purify” himself by going to Oxford. Presumably he thinks that a doctorate from that august institution would purify him in the eyes of the secular crowd.
I wonder how Razak Baginda felt when he undertook his umrah knowing that a young girl his daughter’s age was blown up to smithereens as a consequence of his philandering. Did he offer any prayers for the soul of his former lover and for her still grieving family? Charity and generosity after all are one of the pillars of our faith.
These Malays should heed the advice of my young but wise imam. They should instead focus on being “good” in their everyday existence instead of trying to display their piety in dramatic ways during special occasions.
The central injunction of our Quran — Amal makruf, nahi mungkar (Command good, forbid evil) — should be our daily creed. Frequent trips to Mecca, glamorous iftar parties during Ramadan, and having a surau as part of your palatial mansion will not make up for your ignoring this elemental and recurring Quranic refrain.
I wish that Khairy and Khir, being young and the future leaders of Umno, as well as others would address the gross injustices perpetrated on our citizens, the corruption that is infesting our society, and the poverty that blights far too many Malaysians, instead of being unnecessarily obsessed with 7-Eleven stores selling beer. In the same vein I do not see Khairy, Khir and others of their ilk being outraged at Umno stalwarts serving on the boards of Carlsberg and the Genting casino company.
The pair’s selective outrage baffles me. Or stated differently, I, like others, readily see through their hoax.
There is nothing Islamic about a society infested with corruption, dehumanised by poverty, and riddled with injustices. It would be the height of hypocrisy, and mocks our great faith to boot, for Khairy and Khir Toyo to claim the mantle of Islamic leadership if they are a part of the state apparatus that allows these evils to continue. — bakrimusa.com

ISA

2009-08-04T12:03:00.004+04:00

Beberapa hari lepas puluhan ribu rakyat Malaysia dari pelbagai agama, kaum dan bangsa berkumpul di Ibukota. Tujuannya hanyalah satu... untuk menyampaikan satu memo kepada YDP Agong tentang perlunya suatu undang-undang yang bernama Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) dimansuhkan (khabarnya ada juga kumpulan yang berhimpun untuk menyokong akta ini pada hari yang sama, tapi kurang mendapat perhatian... terutama dari pihak berkuasa).

Pada hematnya aku bukanlah ahli politik atau aktivis untuk mana-mana badan... tetapi aku dah banyak baca tentang bagaimana akta ini digunakan untuk mengekang mereka-mereka yang di”cop” boleh membawa bahaya kepada keselamatan negara.

Ya, baiklah...ada juga logiknya ISA ni. Tapi apa yang menghairankan, hanya mereka yang menjadi peneraju dan penyokong parti yang tak sehaluan dengan parti-parti kerajaan pulak yang selalu kena tangkap. Khabarnya akta ni membolehkan pihak berkuasa menangkap mereka yang disyaki boleh membawa bahaya kepada keselamatan negara. Jadi sejak beberapa tahun ni, maka ramailah mereka yang di”cop” sedemikian ditangkap. Yang bestnya, mereka yang ditangkap ni, majoritinya, tidak dibawa ke muka pengadilan.... Cuma “disimpan” dipusat tahanan untuk disoal siasat. Hehehe....ada yang kena soal siasat sampai 8 tahun....

Ini menunjukkan pihak berkuasa kita ni tak pandai menyoal siasat.... mungkin tak belajar betul-betul dari siri-siri TV macam Law & Order, CSI, Numb3rs, TJ Hooker, Starsky & Hutch dan lain-lain. Kalau tak, takkanlah ada yang dah bertahun-tahun terpaksa berpisah dengan anak isteri....dan dah bertahun-tahun anak-anak hilang kasih sayang ayah dan isteri hilang belaian suami. Banyak dah keluarga yang menderita sebab hilang orang yang selama ni jadi “bread winner”. Atas alasan apa mereka ditangkap? Wallahu a’lam... Takkan nak soal siasat ambik masa terlalu lama?

Tapi yang pastinya, akta ni memang sepatutnya dah takde lagi dah.... Kalau tak salah Allahyarham Tun Razak dulu kata akta ni hanyalah untuk mengekang bahaya pengganas komunis. Rasanya Arwah Bapa Pembangunan Malaysia ni pun tak pernah terfikir pun yang akta yang dia bawa ke Parlimen dulu akan digunakan oleh kerajaan (termasuklah anaknya PM sekarang ni) untuk tangkap ustaz-ustaz, aktivis-aktivis hak asasi manusia, pemberita, penulis blog...dan yang lebih teruk lagi ialah ahli-ahli politik dari parti-parti pembangkang (tak pernah pulak dengar ahli-ahli politik dari parti-parti kerajaan yang kena tangkap.....Pelik, kan?). Ada juga yang sepatutnya jadi saksi, jadi plaintif...ditangkap.... Pelik juga, kan?

Selalunya bila aku cakap macam ni.... maka adalah di kalangan kawan-kawan dan sahabat yang kata aku ni anti-kerajaan lah, sokong pembangkang lah, tak bersyukur kat kerajaan sebab bantu bayar untuk pendidikan aku lah.... Dari satu segi memanglah betul.... Tapi sebagai seorang Muslim, kita diajar supaya berlaku adil... tak kiralah kepada siapa....tak kiralah samada orang-orang tu berlainan fahaman agama atau ideologi politik... ataupun sekadar berbeza pendapat. Jikalau betul seseorang tu bersalah...siap dengan bukti-bukti dan saksi-saksi...maka hadapkan dia ke mahkamah, dakwa dia....bagi dia perbicaraan yang adil.... kalau terbukti bersalah tanpa keraguaan yang munasabah, maka hukumlah dia.... “Innocent until proven guilty”....

Kalau keadilan tak ada dalam negara, maka visi untuk jadi negara maju akan tinggal visi sahaja..... Sebab dalam sesebuah negara maju, kerajaan dan rakyatnya juga mestilah ada mentaliti negara maju.... Apa dia mentaliti negara maju? Kalau nak tulis....”confirm” menjela-jela.... Faham-faham sendirilah...cubalah tengok negara-negara maju.... tapi tengok yang “part-part” yang baik je lah...kemudiannya, cuba “assimilate” ke dalam konteks negara pelbagai kaum macam kita.... Mungkin susah, tapi kalau tak mula, sampai bila pun kita akan “tersangkut” kat “3^rd World mentality”.... sampai bila pun kita takkan maju...

Rakyat berdemo, bukan sebab rakyat benci kerajaan.... tapi sekadar untuk suarakan ketidakpuasan hati kepada sesuatu isu.... takkan lah itu pun membahayakan keamanan.... “come on” la bang.... Cuba ingat balik, kerajaan dipilih oleh majoriti rakyat.... ye betul...tapi janganlah lupa kepada yang “minoriti”. Diorang pun rakyat Malaysia jugak...bayar bermacam-macam cukai kat kerajaan.... Tapi bila diorang cuba “tegur” kerajaan....kerajaan buat “dek” je.... terlalu sibuk meng”hibur”kan hati yang majority tu je.... mana boleh...tak adil lah namanya....

Jadi sebagai penutupnya.... renung-renungkan lah.... jangan jadikan kuasa yang ada pada kita tu sebagai benda yang buat kita buta.... dan jangan lupa, nanti di Hari Akhir kita akan ditanya oleh Allah apa yang kita buat dengan kuasa yang kita ada....

Apa kita nak jawab nanti?

Back In DXB

2009-08-02T16:58:00.001+04:00

How time flies so fast when you are enjoying yourselves. It was about a month ago when we packed our things and went home to the Motherland.
I am still trying to remember things that we did, ate... and places that we went...people we met.
All this will be posted in the next entries, insyaAllah...

Sent from MY BlackBerry® device

Football honours Sir Bobby Robson

2009-08-02T10:08:00.004+04:00

Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE (1933 - 2009)

Leading figures from the world of football and politics have paid tribute to Sir Bobby Robson after his death at the age of 76 following a long battle with cancer.

Robson was a renowned and revered figure in football and led England to the World Cup semi-finals at Italia 90, the closest they have come to repeating their 1966 success on home soil. Fellow managers, his former players, Prime Ministers past and present, and the presidents of Fifa and Uefa were among those saluting his life and achievements.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson mourned the passing of a "great friend, a wonderful individual and tremendous football man."

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair called him "one of the nicest, most caring and genuine people I ever met - a real Geordie gentleman".

Here is a selection of the tributes paid by the football fraternity and others to one of the game's most respected and popular figures.

MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER SIR ALEX FERGUSON
"I was never too big or proud to ask him for advice which he gave freely and unconditionally. And I'm sure I am speaking for a lot of people when I say that.

"In my 23 years working in England there is not a person I would put an inch above Bobby Robson. I mourn the passing of a great friend, a wonderful individual, a tremendous football man and somebody with passion and knowledge of the game that was unsurpassed.

"His character was hewn out of the coal face, developed by the Durham mining background that he came from. His parents instilled in him the discipline and standards which forged the character of a genuinely colossal human being. He added his own qualities to that which then he passed on to his sons.

"The strength and courage he showed over the past couple of years when battling against his fifth bout of cancer was indescribable. Always a smile, always a friendly word with never a mention of his own problems.

"The world, not just the football world, will miss him. Let's hope it won't be long before another like him turns up because we could never get enough of them."

FORMER ENGLAND MIDFIELDER PAUL GASCOIGNE
"I'm speechless. I'm devastated. Bobby was like my second dad. I was like a son to him.

"I can't describe how much he meant to me. I've just been crying for three hours, and I've come to see my mum and my dad. It's just unbelievable.

"He gave me a chance to play in the World Cup. I can't really talk that much because I just want to cry, that's all.

"I love him. And his wife Elsie - I'll always be there for her. I'm sort of numb."

FORMER ENGLAND CAPTAIN BRYAN ROBSON
"He called me his Captain Marvel and it stuck for the rest of my playing career. It made me very proud but it was only typical of the respect he earned from myself and the rest of the dressing room.

"I have never come across anybody with such a passion for football. We had a tremendous personal relationship as manager and skipper.

"Any criticism he had of a player was kept very private and publicly he gave all of us his total backing.

"We stayed pretty close even towards the end and, along with many other friends, I enjoyed his company in Portugal playing in his Golf Classic. He will be missed by everybody who knew him."

PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN
"I was extremely saddened to hear of the death of Sir Bobby Robson. I had the privilege of meeting Bobby on many occasions. He epitomised everything that is great about football in this country.

"His passion, patriotism, dedication and professionalism knew no equal during his time both as a player and a manager.

"His remarkable achievements as manager of Ipswich Town and then of England are among the most distinguished in English football history, and he was able to replicate that extraordinary success during his time at PSV Eindhoven, Porto and Barcelona."

"Over the past few years, he fought cancer with his characteristic tenacity and good humour.

"He will be sorely missed - not only in Newcastle and Ipswich, both of whom he served with such devotion, but by all sports fans in our country. My sincere condolences go to his wife Elsie and his family."

INTER MILAN BOSS JOSE MOURINHO

"Bobby Robson is one of those people who never die, not so much for what he did in his career, for one victory more or less, but for what he knew to give to those who had, like me, the good fortune to know him and walk by his side," said Mourinho, who was Robson's assistant at Barcelona.

"My thoughts and embraces go to all his loved ones."

SCOTLAND MANAGER GEORGE BURLEY (& EX-IPSWICH PLAYER)
"It was a big decision for me and my parents to make such a long journey at that age," said Burley, who played under Robson after leaving his home in Ayrshire to join Ipswich as a 15-year-old."

"But Sir Bobby was like a father to me, taking a personal interest in me right from the start, always checking whether I was happy. His support and enthusiasm was the perfect cure for homesickness and helped my career to get off the ground and thrive."

"I'll never forget when in 1973, the day before we played Manchester United at Old Trafford, he took me to one side and told me I would be making my first-team debut. I was 17 and the player I had to mark just happened to be George Best."

"My parents came down from Scotland to watch the game and I remember him getting off the team bus and presenting them with two directors' box tickets. We lost 3-0 but Sir Bobby was magnificent, telling me how well I'd played. It did wonders for my confidence."

"I went on to play over 500 games for Ipswich in a side that drew inspiration from its manager. From 1972 we qualified for European competitions nine out of 10 years which was remarkable considering the size of our squad and our standing as a small-town club."

"That was all down to his man-management, tactics and judgement. No finer example of that was when, after we won the FA Cup, he sold Brian Talbot to Arsenal for £450,000 and spent less than that to bring in that fabulous Dutch pair Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen."

"I could not possibly get my head round how my career would have gone had it not been for Sir Bobby Robson. I owe him everything and I only hope I can be guided by the example he showed me."

ENGLAND MANAGER FABIO CAPELLO
"Sir Bobby was a wonderful man, a real gentleman. I remember very well the times I managed my teams against him."

"The first time being when Bobby was manager of Barcelona and I was in my first season with Real Madrid. Later, when he was Newcastle manager and I was with Roma we faced each other - as opponents, but always friends."

"Of course, I recall Bobby as a manager with Ipswich, but more so with England. To manage the national team for so long was a remarkable achievement, and we all remember how close he came to leading England to the World Cup Final in Italy."

"He went on to enjoy success with PSV Eindhoven, Porto, Sporting Lisbon and Barcelona before returning to 'home' with Newcastle."

"Earlier this year I spent some time with Bobby when he opened the new cancer treatment centre, for which he worked so hard to raise funds. He was a fantastic man, and loved by so many people. His spirit and courage was incredible. To fight cancer so many times really showed the strength of the man."

"All the time we spoke over a cup of coffee with his close family, his passion for football shone through."

"He loved the game and was extremely proud of his country and the North East region."

"I also recall the tribute dinner the LMA [League Managers' Association] hosted for Bobby when he wasn't planning to say more than a few words. In the end he stayed on the stage for a very long time, telling story after story, much to everyone's amusement."

"It's extremely sad that Sir Bobby has lost his final fight against cancer, but he will never be forgotten. He really was a great man."

FORMER NEWCASTLE CHAIRMAN FREDDY SHEPHERD
"It's very sad, especially on Tyneside. The whole of Tyneside will be grieving. Sir Bobby Robson was a great man and will be sorely missed."

"I worked with him for five years every day. He was certainly the best manager I ever worked with at Newcastle. He never put me under pressure and always tried to see my side."

"He wouldn't put up with fools and didn't take any nonsense. He came across as a very kind guy but underneath was very tough. He thought about football 24 hours a day and he would ring me at all hours of the day and never stopped thinking about football."

BARCELONA COACH PEP GUARDIOLA (who played under Robson in the 1996/97 campaign)
"It was a pleasure to know him, not only as a coach but also as a person. It was a marvellous experience."

"It was a very difficult season, even though we won three trophies. Despite the problems of that year, he never lost his composure and always behaved like a gentleman."

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT PRINCE WILLIAM
"I am deeply saddened to hear about Sir Bobby Robson's death.

"His contribution to English football as a player, manager and superb ambassador for our national game has been immense."

"He will be sadly missed by football fans everywhere, and I am thinking about his family at this difficult time."

FORMER ENGLAND AND BARCELONA BOSS TERRY VENABLES
"It is a really sad day. He has always been a fighter and he has really fought everything that has been thrown at him but he has just run out of luck this time."

"We came across each other many times whether on ITV for World Cups, or playing against each other - we go back that far."

"You just thought he was indestructible and he would get over everything, but of course it comes to everybody. He has been suffering for a while and he has shown great bravery and always in a dignified fashion."

"He has been a credit to everybody, he has been a credit to his country, his family and himself. I spoke to him five weeks ago on the phone and he was as you imagine to be, still talking about football and he was trying hard to battle away."

FORMER ENGLAND MANAGER GRAHAM TAYLOR
"I first met Bobby in the very early 70s when I was a young manager at Lincoln City, just finding my way."

"I met him on a coaching course at Lilleshall. From that meeting, he invited myself to spend a day with him at Ipswich to see what he was doing, what he was trying to do."

"He was so enthusiastic. For a manager to do that for a young manager now, you don't get that too often. So I owe Bobby Robson a lot."

FORMER ENGLAND MANAGER SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON
"First of all he was beyond football a great man, one of the kindest people I ever met."

"He helped me a great deal when I was a young coach and I visited him in Ipswich. He took me, an unknown coach from Sweden, down into the dug-out and explained the tactics."

"The year after Ipswich won the Uefa Cup, my team Gothenburg won it and he came and presented the trophy to me."

"When I became coach of England I called him many times and he was always generous with his advice and helpful."

"It seems he was as friendly to everybody as he was to me. In fact for me, he was the special one."

UEFA PRESIDENT MICHEL PLATINI
"He will be remembered not only for his playing career and his outstanding managerial career at both club and international level, but also because he was a truly warm and passionate human being."

Den tak cayo ekau oghang N9!!!

2009-07-10T20:18:00.004+04:00

Menguji yang anda benar benar anak jati Negeri Sembilan (dari seorang sahabat menerusi emel)

1. N9 ado ompek undang, yg mano botul ?

( ) sg.. ujong, rembau, jelobu, johol
( ) seremban, rembau, bahau, kualo pilah
( ) sg. ujong, kualo pilah, rembau, jelobu
( ) seremban, kualo pilah, jelobu, tampin

2. Susunan ketuo adat N9 dari kocik sampai bosar

( ) menteri besar, buapak, lembago, undang, yamtuan
( ) penghulu, lembago, undang, menteri besar, yamtuan
( ) buapak, menteri besar, undang, yamtuan
( ) buapak, lembago, undang, yamtuan

3. ibu negeri N9

( ) sepang
( ) seremban
( ) sungai ujong
( ) rembau

4. ayat mana betul menggunakan perkataan "ghoman"

( ) ghoman bulu tongkuk den lalu dopan kubur tuh...
( ) cubo cormin ghoman tuh sikit...
( ) nak lontur buloh, kono ghoman lam sungai dulu...
( ) apo ghoman nak jadi den tak kisah... den ondak yo

5. bukit apo yang menghubungkan paroi dongan sri menanti

( ) bukit timah
( ) bukit putus
( ) bukit tanggo
( ) bukit omeh

6. tompek bernamo "Pantai" terlotak kek mano ?

( ) jln antaro rembau ngan senawang
( ) jln antaro kualo pilah ngan sri menanti
( ) jln antaro rasah dan pok dek sen
( ) jln antaro paroi dan bukit tanggo

7. apo makno "cenekel"

( ) aksi mencungkil lubang kecik
( ) main tipu
( ) aksi merotan
( ) cangkul batas

8. apo makno "hongeh"

( ) terlalu konyang
( ) terlalu suko
( ) terlalu ponek
( ) terlalu sodap

9. apo makno "pembongak"

( ) kaki tipu
( ) orang yg bongkak
( ) kaki curi
( ) kaki pancing

10. Dari seremban sebelum sampai Sri Menanti, kito akan lalu satu tompek air terjun... apo namo eh ?

( ) Ulu Bondol
( ) Jeram Toi
( ) Air Terjun Klawang
( ) Jeram Besu

11. Berikut pernah jadi menteri besar N9 : Isa Samad, Rais Yatim, Mohamad Hassan, Isa Bakar

( ) 4 betul
( ) 2 betul 2 salah
( ) 1 betul 3 salah
( ) 3 betul 1 salah

12. Laluan kajang seremban, kita akan lalu sebuah pekan kecil iaitu

( ) nilai dan sepang
( ) mantin dan longgeng
( ) pajam dan mambau
( ) bongek dan klawang

13. tompek yang popular kek pok den sen

( ) toluk komang
( ) salak tinggi
( ) toluk tinggi
( ) pantai klebang

14. kuala klawang dalam daerah mano ?

( ) rembau
( ) jelobu
( ) kualo linggi
( ) kualo pilah

15. semuo adolah tompek kek sempadan N9... yg mano satu bukan

( ) simpang ompek
( ) lubuk cino
( ) bongek
( ) tampin

16. apo makno "hongap"

( ) dengkur
( ) hinggap
( ) nafas
( ) gatal

17. Wisma apo yg paling glamour kek seremban sekitar awal tahun 90 an

( ) wisma emas
( ) wisma MPS
( ) wisma punca emas
( ) wisma dagang emas

18. senaling kualo pilah terkonal dengan apo ?

( ) taik lombu yg banyak (den ghaso yg ni la...dh lamo tk ikut jln ni...banyak piuk api)
( ) perusahaan telur itik
( ) tanaman buah nago
( ) pusat pemprosesan baja taik ayam

19. kalau masak lomak cili api... bahan apo yg ponting skali

( ) lado api, bawang, kunyit, air
( ) lado api, kunyit, soghai, santan
( ) lado api, kunyit, halio, santan, limau purut
( ) lado api, daun kunyit, santan, sengkuang

20. namo salah satu undang N9 yg menanda tangani perjanji kemerdekaan malaysia

( ) Tengku Adnan Mansor - Tengku Besar Tampin
( ) Dato Lela Maharaja Hj Ipap
( ) Dato Paduka Demang Lebar Daun Hj Isap
( ) Dato' Kelana Kamaruddin kacha (Den agak yo)

21. stesen keretapi lama di bongek terletak di

( ) congkau (Ni pun den main agak yo)
( ) penajih
( ) miku
( ) tiroi

22. apo makno "menyonggau"

( ) lidah kelat kelat makan nenas
( ) memikat burung
( ) mengacau dodol
( ) pijar-pijar terkena lada (menyonggau ko?)

23. apo makno "menghungap"

( ) lari tercungap cungap
( ) menhendap ayam hutan
( ) penat kekenyangan
( ) menerkam makanan

24. apo makno "hunggeh"

( ) keadaan tersengih mcm kerang busuk
( ) proses mencabut ubi kayu
( ) teknik mengumpil daun pintu
( ) teknik menggigit buah jambu batu

25. tali air tepi sawah merujuk kepada

( ) lombok
( ) lompak
( ) bonda
( ) bendong

26. apo dah jadi kek tapak lamo stadium seremban

( ) Taman Botani
( ) Bangunan TNB Baru
( ) Terminal One
( ) Seremban Parade

27. ayat mano yang botul pasal ghemah

( ) ghemah ghemah jugak, hutang den bilo nak bayar
( ) elok lah sikit makan tuh jgn sampai bersepah ghemah
( ) bawak keto tu biar ber-ghemah sikit
( ) apo yg ghemah ghemah kek luar tuh... suruh dio sonyap

28. apa makno "okap"

( ) otai
( ) tamak
( ) cekap
( ) lembab

29. apo makno "bosolumak"

( ) kusam
( ) suara lunak
( ) comot
( ) berlemak

30. ado satu skolah bersebolahan taman tasik seremban... skolah apo tuh ?

( ) SM Saint Paul
( ) SM King george V
( ) SM Convernt
( ) SM Seremban

31. Ado satu fast food dokek taman tasik seremban, dokek dongan bangunan TM

( ) A&W
( ) McD
( ) KFC
( ) Burger King

32. Dopan pagar utama istano yamtuan kek seremban ado satu round about, dopan tuh ado satu bangunan putih.... tompek apo tuh

( ) pejabat agama
( ) perpustakaan
( ) rumah MB
( ) balai polis

33. Ayat berikut, yg mano satu botul utk perkataan "ontok"

( ) sumo kojo den kono ontok-ontok, biar lah dio plak yg buek
( ) tak leh duduk diam, cuba lah ontok-ontok sikit...
( ) lopeh bakar lomang, ekau ontok-ontok lah lomang tu sikit
( ) ontok-ontok nie sodap klau makan paneh paneh

34. Sapo namo MB N9 skarang

( ) Isa Bakar
( ) Isa Samad
( ) Mat Hassan
( ) Rais Yatim

35. Nama yamtuan N9 yang baru

( ) Tengku Mukhriz
( ) Tengku Antah
( ) Tengku Jaafar
( ) Tengku Imran

A calculated gamble

2009-07-05T10:50:00.004+04:00

03/07/2009 12:00, Report by Steve Bartram

I believe the word is ‘bombshell’.

United fans across the world were still digesting the news of Karim Benzema’s decision to join Real Madrid, rather than act on alleged interest from Old Trafford, when the wheels were set in motion on one of the most astonishing transfer stories of the summer.The odds on Michael Owen joining United took less than 12 hours to plummet from 20/1 to 4/9. Still, it was dismissed as nothing more than fanciful by the majority of supporters on message boards and fan sites.As the rumours gathered credence, with more and more news agencies running with the story, the scoffs soon died out.

It’s undoubtedly a polemic issue: for years Owen was regarded as the finest English goalscorer of his generation, yet his nightmare spell at Newcastle has done little to uphold that reputation.

Let’s start with the business angle. There's no transfer fee and reports suggest his wage would be highly incentivised and greatly reduced from the astronomical fees he commanded at St James’ Park. So, nothing ventured, something gained, perhaps. Should he sign for the Reds and fail to impact, he won’t be regarded as an expensive flop.

The tabloids’ claims that United were pipped to Benzema’s signature seem to carry weight. For all the talk of Ribery, Villa, Aguero et al, the massive majority of the names thrown into the transfer blender are either too old, too expensive or both. If indeed Benzema was the Reds’ primary transfer target, a move for Owen is a quick, decisive reaction to missing out.It makes a lot of sense, really. There would be no point in splashing out big money on a player Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t regard as good enough to make his first choice.

Without Benzema on board, the first-choice strikers for next season will be Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, so any new signing would either have to be better than them both – names, please – or that rare breed of footballer who will not kick up a stink if he’s used primarily as an impact substitute.In Owen, United would appear to have found that middle ground: a player who brings much but asks little. Yes, there have been plenty of injuries. But he was rushed back far too often during his time at Newcastle, such was his importance to their increasingly desperate cause. At United he can take his time and iron out any niggles. Should he be injured and then be joined on the sidelines by either Rooney or Berbatov, then Sir Alex can call on Danny Welbeck or Kiko Macheda.

And how those two young bucks will benefit from training alongside Owen. Not only can they call on coaching from Reserves boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they can now train alongside Michael Owen – and is there a better finishing school around than learning from those two?As for Owen’s motivations, he has a chance to resurrect a once glittering career in which he became famed as England’s finest goal-poacher since Jimmy Greaves. He has another crack at the Champions League and can play his way back into the England set-up in World Cup year. Surrounded by better players and playing alongside a more potent supply line, he can still improve. It’s not even a case of teaching an old dog new tricks, since he’s still the right side of 30.

There are naysayers among supporters and the media, which is inevitable with an injury-prone former Liverpool striker who hasn’t enjoyed a memorable, prolific season in four years.The crux of any gripes with United’s summer would appear to lie with the departure of two big-name, glamorous players in Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. Antonio Valencia is the antonym of a glitz and glamour arrival, while Owen’s signing on a free would be a move most noteworthy for its shock value.While Europe’s top talents form a winding queue to be paraded before a backdrop of trophies, fireworks and giant screens at the Santiago Bernabeu, United’s summer activity is infinitely more understated.

The papers are having a field day, portraying United as the mugs who are left rummaging around bargain bins while Real sweep the shelves.But why waste money if what you want isn’t available? It’s not often Sir Alex misses out on a player he covets, but he’s had it happen enough times to know not to panic buy in response. The signing of Owen would buy some time to reassess future signings, while not compromising the present.It’s an unexpected punt, but then Sir Alex and Michael Owen both like the odd flutter.

The views expressed in this blog are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Manchester United FC.

From: HERE

Heat survival tips you can learn from Animal Planet

2009-07-01T11:48:00.005+04:00

by Alex (http://www.hacktheday.com/)

Living in the city during high-temperature season is not for the weak-hearted. These days it’s getting more and more difficult to survive summers in the city if you don’t have air-conditioning all around.

Even so, getting out of the cool office into the street is something we all have to do once in a while. And, for the unprepared, this can be hell.

By carefully looking at the nature and the way animals handle extreme heat waves, you’ll get inspired and learn a few tricks of your own. I’m going to introduce you to the most obvious heat-survival tips inspired by nature. Even more, if you know your way with heat-waves and would like to join the discussion, why don’t you add your own advice in the comments below?

Water!

Seen any documentary on buffaloes, antelopes, hippopotamus and giraffes? By noon, they all gather to the water source. Drinking, splattering around or simply laying in it. Do the same - there has to be a public pool in the neighborhood of your office. Just take a longer lunch break and go for a swim. The fresh water will revigorate you for the rest of the day, and your boss will be pleasantly surprised.

Take the afternoon off!

Look at any documentary on nature: during summer, all animals get active in the morning and the evening, while taking the afternoon off. But not you… no! You have to work all day to earn money and pay mortgages! Or.. do you? Why don’t you ask your boss if it would be possible to come earlier to work but to take the afternoon off? You could go take a nap with the drapes shut, wake up in the evening all refreshed and even get some more work done afterwards. After all, nature adapts to the season and weather, why won’t you?

Take it slowly!

We are humans, our lives are a lot more complex than those of our fellows animals. We are bound to have to get out in the heat, as we can’t stay in the air-conditioned office all day long. Why don’t you take a peek to animals in the desert? Whenever in the sun, they react slowly, economically. No unnecessary movements, no waste of energy. Moving energetically will make your body burn more calories and thus increase its temperature; as if the surrounding one wasn’t enough. You’d better, then, make no useless efforts. Save your breath, save your energy, just stroll ass calmly as possible carefully avoiding the sun or hot spots.By controlling the rhythm of your breath you can actually reduce your temperature. Ever noticed how panic or stress make you sweat? The opposite works as well - calming yourself down regulates the breath and heart and make your body cooler.

Light Colors!

During summer, animals change their furs to lighter colors than the winter ones. You studied this in your secondary school - any fabric absorbs some light and reflect some. White-colored fabrics absorb the least and reflect the most, while black does the opposite. Since light is energy, the conclusion is that dark/black colors will absorb the most energy and will get a lot hotter. Conclusion? To keep cool, dress in lighter colors.

Clothes!

Have you ever seen a bald savannah buffalo? No, you didn’t. First of all it wouldn’t be very decent, and the others buffaloes would laugh at it - Jokes aside, however, furs, feathers or shells protect the animals bodies from the scorching heat. No matter what you’ve seen on Fashion TV, you’ll never survive desert heat wearing nothing but a bikini. You need protection, light-colored clothes that cover your body and absorb sweat. The most effective clothes materials for standing the heat are wool(yeah, wool is a great insulator fabric, used by bedouins in the desert), linen, silk and cotton. Forget the synthetics, as they’ll only make you hotter and sweaty. Look for large garments, with lots of folds where air can help act as a natural insulator.

Drink slowly!

Whenever we are thirsty and hot and we open a new bottle of water or soda, we have the instinct to drink fast in large gulps. Don’t! Although thirsty, your body will be surprised by the sudden excess of water and, as a consequence, it won’t assimilate it but rather will turn it into sweat. You instantly get sweaty, your forehead wet. And it won’t do anything for your thirst. Instead, follow the lessons of nature - drink slowly, in small sips. Take breaks between them and drink only as much as you need to. By avoiding getting sweaty you’ll increase your comfort, remain calmer and generally feel better.

Eat healthy!

Last, but not the least of my nature-inspired advice would be to watch your diet. Junk food, sugary sodas and alcohol will only make it harder to bear the heat. Alcohol dehydrates you and make you thirstier, sugary drinks as well, while junk food(especially meat) is a lot harder to digest in the hot temperatures, and requires more effort and energy(meaning increased temperature). What you need instead is to eat healthy, with more vegetables in the menu, and drink water or tea. Avoid alcohol, caffeine or other energy kicks. What you need in this hot weather is calm, not energy.

To sum it up, we are part of nature, we influence it, get influenced by it and, most importantly, can learn lots of useful stuff from it. Living the natural ways is probably the most underrated secret of a successful and peaceful living.

Other Sources:

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=63080

http://hubpages.com/hub/Cool_Tips_For_Hot_Days