Surau Pak Habib di Janda Baik sama dengan masjid lama di Perak (Pak Habib's praying hall in Janda Baik same as old mosque in Perak)

Nukilan kali ini dibuat apabila mengenangkan pertemuan terakhir dengan bapa angkat saya, penulis terkenal S.H.Alattas, juga dikenali sebagai Pak Habib. Hampir sebulan lepas, saya telah tergerak untuk menemuinya di pejabat di Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur untuk menghadiahkan buku kedua saya, "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal" atau BKA II yang baru terbit Mei 2007.
OK... Let's start the story. This writing is made upon remembering the last meeting with my adopted father, the famous Malay writer S.H.Alattas, also known as Pak Habib. Almost a month ago, I was moved to meet him at his office in Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur to present him with my second book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal" (literally translated as "The trip to Aceh: Advocating the true faith") or BKA II published May 2007.
Pak Habib ternyata gembira apabila melihat saya. Kami sudah agak lama tidak bertemu dan bertukar cerita lalu dia menyatakan bagaimana dia suka kepada buku pertama saya "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" atau BKA I yang terbit Jun 2006.
Pak Habib was visibly happy to see me. It's been a while since we met and exchange stories and so he voiced his liking for my first book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" (literally translated as "The trip to Aceh: In search of self and meaning") or BKA I which came out June 2006.
Buku itu telah dihadiahkan kepadanya kurang sebulan selepas ia terbit. Pak Habib sempat menggunakan beberapa sedutan isi buku itu terutama berkenaan konflik Sunni-Syiah untuk dimasukkan ke dalam penulisannya sendiri lalu dia menyatakan keyakinan bahawa elok juga saya mula membuat cetakan kedua... Kerana dia yakin buku saya ada peminatnya.
The book was given as a present to him less than a month after it was published. Pak Habib had the time to use some excerpts from the book especially in the Sunni-Syiah conflict to be included in his own writings and so he expressed confidence that I should start the second print... As he is confident the book has its own fans.
Jawab saya, nantilah... Tunggu sehingga selesai ketiga-tiga siri buku "Berpetualang ke Aceh" seperti yang dirancang dahulu. Seterusnya, saya menghadiahkan buku kedua. Terus Pak Habib terpaku melihat gambar masjid lama yang tertera pada kulit buku itu...
My answer, maybe sometime... Wait until all three books under the "Berpetualang ke Aceh: series are completed as planned sometime ago. Then I gave him the second book. Immediately Pak Habib was dumbfounded upon seeing the picture of an old mosque featured on the book's cover.
"Eh... Ini sebiji macam rupa surau baru yang aku tengah buat kat rumah aku di Janda Baik," katanya teruja. Terus ditunjukkan kulit buku tersebut pada semua yang berada di pejabat.
"Eh... This looks exactly like the new praying hall I'm building at my house in Janda Baik (in Pahang)," he said excited. Immediately he showed the book cover to all present at the office.
Apa yang berlaku menyebabkan saya terfikir... Nanti bila sampai Janda Baik lagi, akan saya ambil gambar surau Pak Habib dan buat sedikit perbandingan untuk tatapan semua. Saya sampai petang semalam dan pagi tadi mengambil gambar surau itu. Nah... Inilah hasilnya...

What happened made me think... One day if I go to Janda Baik again, I will take pictures of Pak Habib's praying hall dan do a little comparison for all to view. I arrived there last afternoon and this morning I took pictures of the praying hall. Nah... Here is the result...

Inilah surau Pak Habib yang terletak di bahagian hadapan kompleks rumah rehatnya di Kampung Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang. Saya terus tergerak untuk mengambil gambar daripada sudut ini. Tak sangka pula sudut yang diambil hampir serupa dengan sudut gambar masjid lama yang diletakkan dalam buku saya... Maka hampir ia kelihatan seperti gambar di bawah ini... Sila masuk Masjid lama misteri (The mysterious old mosque) untuk keterangan lanjut...
This is Pak Habib's praying hall situated at the front of his holiday home complex in Kampung Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang. Immediately I felt the urge to take a picture from this angle. Didn't expect the angle taken to be almost the same as the angle for the picture of the old mosque featured on my book... So it almost look like the picture below. Do enter Masjid lama misteri (The mysterious old mosque) for further explanation.

Di bawah pula adalah gambar-gambar surau Pak Habib daripada sudut-sudut lain...
Below are pictures of Pak Habib's praying hall from a different angles...

Bila dilihat daripada sudut-sudut sebegini, rasanya surau ini lebih menyerupai senibina masjid lama Sheikh Ismail di Ulu Bernam seperti yang tertera di bawah ini. Sila masuk Bangunan lama Tanjung Malim (Old buildings at Tanjung Malim ke untuk keterangan lanjut...
When seen from these angles, it feels like the praying hall is more similar to the designs of the old mosque of Sheikh Ismail in Ulu Bernam as seen below. Do enter Bangunan lama Tanjung Malim (Old buildings at Tanjung Malim for more information...

OK... Cukuplah bercerita tentang ini. Selepas ini, mungkin saya akan membuat cerita tentang sebuah rumah lama, mungkin sebuah istana yang dicabut daripada Perak lalu dipasang balik di Janda Baik, Pahang... Selepas pergi ke sana untuk berehat sebentar dan mengambil gambar. Insyaallah!

OK... Enough talking about this. Afterwards, maybe I will do a story about an old house, perhaps and old palace which was uprooted from Perak then reassembled in Janda Baik, Pahang. After going there for a short rest and to take pictures. God willing!

Rumah Melayu lama di Kampung Baru (An old Malay house in Kampung Baru)

Ini ialah gambar sebuah rumah lama di Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Rumah yang terletak sebaris dengan masjid Kampung Baru ini (terlupa pula nama jalannya, kalau tak salah ingatan Jalan Raja Muda) memiliki rekabentuk yang agak menarik sehingga saya terasa wajib untuk mengambil gambar agar dapat dikongsi bersama di blogspot ini. Lagipun bukankah blogspot ini asalnya diterbitkan untuk berkongsi gambar-gambar serta cerita yang melibatkan seni Melayu lama termasuk senibina? Lama juga tidak bercerita tentang senibina Melayu di sini... Terlalu banyak perkembangan lain turut ingin dikongsi bersama.
This is a picture of an old house in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. The house situated along the same block as the Kampung Baru mosque (forgot the name of the street, methinks Jalan Raja Muda) has a rather interesting design such that I felt obliged to snap pictures so it can be shared in this blogspot. Furthermore, wasn't this blogspot made for sharing pictures and stories which involve Malay olden arts including architecture? It's been quite a while since we talk about Malay architecture here... Too much other developments demand to be shared too.
Adapun umur rumah ini tidak dapat saya pastikan kerana tidak ada sumber rujukan yang boleh dipercayai seratus peratus ketika itu. Saya terserempak dengan rumah ini ketika hendak makan tengahari di Kampung Baru. Masalah mencari tempat meletak kereta membawa saya untuk pergi ke gerai yang tertera di gambar bawah... Rumah ini terletak bersebelahan sehingga terasa wajib bertandang sebentar. Sayangnya, tuan rumah ini sudah lama meninggal dunia, yang ada cuma penyewa rumah yang kurang arif akan sejarah sebenar rumah ini.
I can't verify the age of the house as there was no source of reference which can be relied on a hundred per cent then. I came across this house while going for lunch at Kampung Baru. The problem of finding a place to park the car brought me to go to the stall in the picture below. The house is situated beside and I feel I must make a short visit. Too bad, the owner has long died, what remained are people who rented the house and not well-versed in the actual history of the house.

Oleh kerana saya masih belum selesai makan, saya telah meminta teman wanita yang turut bersama supaya bertanya tentang sejarah rumah itu kepada orang yang kelihatan duduk di sana. Semasa itu, saya tidak tahu mereka sekadar menyewa sahaja. Tidak lama kemudian, teman wanita itu kembali ke tempat saya duduk lalu menyatakan rumah itu sudah berumur beratus-ratus tahun.
Since I haven't completed lunch, I asked a girlfriend which came along to find out the history of the house from some people who looked like they are staying there. At the time, I didn't know they were just renting the place. Not long after, the girlfriend returned to where I was sitting and said the house is hundreds of years old.
Bagi saya, jawaban ini kurang tepat kerana setahu saya, kawasan Kampung Baru itu sendiri cuma didirikan dalam abad ke 19 Masihi. Mungkin rumah itu berumur lebih 100 tahun tetapi 200 tahun atau beratus-ratus tahun? Rasanya mustahil!
To me the answer is not good enough since as far as I know, the area of Kampung Baru itself was only developed in the 19th century. Maybe the house is more than 100 years old but 200 years or hundreds of years? Methinks it's impossible!


Apapun, saya dapat tahu, perempuan tua yang duduk di rumah ini bersama keluarganya telah menyewanya lebih 20 tahun, selepas tuan rumah yang asal meninggal dunia. Perempuan yang berasal daripada Taiping, Perak ini telah menjadikan sebahagian rumah ini sebagai kedai makan. Whatever, I found out, the elderly lady staying at the house with her family have rented the place for more than 20 years, after the original owner of the house died. The lady who hails from Taiping, Perak turned parts of the house into a food stall.

Saya cuba bertanya kepadanya tentang asal-usul tuan rumah yang sudah meninggal itu. Apakah ada kena mengena dengan orang Bugis, memandangkan kawasan Kampung Baru itu sendiri pernah menjadi penempatan kerabat diraja Bugis dan para pengikut mereka... Sebab itu nama-nama jalan di situ banyak memakai nama raja seperti Jalan Raja Alang. Untuk makluman, kerabat diraja Selangor adalah dari keturunan Bugis... Anak cucu Raja Lumu ibni Daeng Chelak yang datang ke Semenanjung Malaysia abad ke 18.
I tried to ask her about the origins of the owner who died. Is there any connection with the Bugis people, considering that Kampung Baru area itself used to be a settlement for Bugis royalty and their followers... That is why the name of the roads there use the term "raja" (literally translated as "king", in this case a hereditary title for royalty) such as Jalan Raja Alang. For information, the royalty of Selangor (the state which in which Kuala Lumpur including Kampung Baru used to belong before it became federal territory) are of Bugis descend... The offsprings of Raja Lumu son of Daeng Chelak who came to Peninsular Malaysia in the 18th century.
Atau mungkin ada kena-mengena dengan Aceh? Kerana ramai orang Aceh berniaga dan bermastautin di sekitar kawasan Kampung Baru terutama di Chow Kit? Lagipun pada mereka yang tahu, memang wujud hubungan rapat antara kerabat diraja Aceh dengan kerabat diraja Bugis!
Or maybe it is related to Aceh? Because many Acehnese do business and settle in and around the area of Kampung Baru especially in Chow Kit? Furthermore for those in the know, there exists a close relationship between the royalty of Aceh and that of Bugis!

Saya bertanyakan soalan tersebut sambil melihat tangga di atas. Cantik! Itu yang saya ambil gambarnya. Perempuan tua itu berkata, mungkin saya patut mencari waris tuan punya rumah ini... Katanya, ada seorang bernama Sharif yang duduk di rumah lain di sekitar Kampung Baru ini!
I asked the question while looking at the staircase above! Beautiful! That's why I took the picture. The old lady said, maybe I should find family members of the deceased house owner. She said there is one by the name Sharif staying at another house around Kampung Baru!
Tersentak saya mendengar nama itu. Ini kerana perkataan Sharif ada digunakan sebagai gelaran untuk anak cucu Nabi Muhammad SAW terutama daripada cabang Saidina Hassan, cucu sulung baginda. Tetapi nama Sharif yang bermakna "Yang Mulia" juga digunakan sebagai nama rakyat biasa, contohnya Muhammad Sharif. Kalau ada darah keturunan Rasulullah, selalunya nama Sharif ini dipakai turun-temurun oleh setiap ahli keluarga lelaki, contohnya Sharif Ali bin Sharif Ajlan.
I was quite surprised to hear that name. This is because the name Sharif is also used as a title for the offsprings of Nabi Muhammad SAW (the last prophet of Islam) especially from the branch of Saidina Hassan, his eldest grandson. But the name Sharif which means "The noble one" is also used as a name for commoners, for example Muhammad Sharif. For people with the blood of the Prophet, often the name Sharif is used all throughout the ages for every male member of the family, for example Sharif Ali son of Sharif Ajlan.

Perempuan tua itu tidak dapat memastikan apakah nama Sharif milik anak cucu tuan rumah yang sudah meninggal itu adalah nama keluarga atau nama persendirian. Saya pula tersenyum lebar mengingatkan bahawa kerabat diraja Bugis juga ada kaitan dengan keluarga Sharif keturunan Rasulullah SAW, satu kaitan yang tidak semua orang tahu kerana sengaja disembunyikan.
The elderly lady can't confirm if the name Sharif of the deceased house owner's family is a family name of just a common name for a person. On the other hand, I found myself smiling wide recalling that the Bugis royalty are also related to the Sharif family who are descendants of (the Prophet) Rasulullah SAW, a relationship which not everyone knows since it was consciously hidden.
Tergerak pula mahu meletakkan gambar masjid Kampung Baru sebagai penutup cerita. Di sinilah tempat orang Melayu berkumpul mengembleng kekuatan suatu masa dahulu apabila kewibawaan mereka dicabar pihak-pihak tertentu. Sekian!
Came the urge to put a picture of Kampung Baru mosque to close this story. Once upon a time, this is where the Malays converged and combined strength when their dignity was challenged by certain parties. That's all!

Melihat burung di Bukit Fraser? (Bird-watching at Fraser's Hill?)

Sungguh berwarna-warni... Suasana yang menggamit para pengunjung di Bukit Fraser untuk perlumbaan antarabangsa melihat burung 23-24 Jun.

So colourful... The scenery greeting visitors at Fraser's Hill for the international bird-watch race 23-24 June.

Dua minggu lepas seorang sepupu yang sudah lama tidak berhubung tiba-tiba menalifon. Rupa-rupanya, dia terbaca ulasan tentang siri buku "Berpetualang ke Aceh" yang baru keluar dalam akhbar Berita Harian hari itu. Sepupu ini agak teruja dengan ulasan tersebut lalu mencadangkan agar saya membuat promosi di Bukit Fraser, sempena acara perlumbaan antarabangsa melihat burung tahun ini. Kebetulan saya telah menghadari acara yang sama tahun lepas dan ternyata ramai peserta serta pengunjung memeriahkan suasana, maka timbul rasa untuk menyahut cadangan sepupu itu.

Two weeks ago a cousin who have long not been in contact suddenly called. It turns out, he just read a review on the "Berpetualang ke Aceh" book series which just came out in the Malay daily Berita Harian that day. The cousin was excited with the review and suggested that I do promotion at Fraser's Hill, in conjunction with the international bird-watch race this year. It happened that I attended the same event last year and it was apparent lots of participants and visitors made it festive, so came the urge to follow the cousin's suggestion.
Khamis, 21 Jun. Saya pun bergegas ke rumah almarhum nenek di Raub di mana Mak Uda, ibu kepada sepupu ini tinggal. Baru saya tahu, tidak seperti tahun lepas di mana sepupu ini telah datang ke Bukit Fraser bersama keluarga iparnya, tahun ini mereka tidak dapat pergi kerana kesibukan hal masing-masing. Nyaris-nyaris saya membatalkan rancangan untuk ke sana, jika tidak kerana disebabkan beberapa 'kebetulan' yang saya anggap sebagai tanda perlu juga naik ke Bukit Fraser. Maka saya pun mengambil kesempatan atas kehadiran ramai manusia sempena acara perlumbaan burung untuk mempromosikan buku saya.

Thursday, 21 June. And so I rushed to the late grandma's house in Raub where Mak Uda, mother to the cousin lives. Then I found out, unlike last year where the cousin went to Fraser's Hill with his in-laws, this year they couldn't make it as everyone was busy with their own affairs. I almost cancelled the plan to go there, if not for some 'coincidences' which I considered as signs that I must go up to Fraser's Hill. Therefore I took the opportunity of the presence of many people there for the bird race to promote my book.
Pada awalnya, saya ingat saya perlu berada di Raub sehingga hari Isnin demi menolong ahli keluarga. Seorang bapa saudara telah mengalami kemalangan yang menyebabkannya tidak dapat memandu kereta maka Mak Uda meminta saya agar bersedia untuk bertindak sebagai pemandu untuk menghantar isteri kepada bapa saudara itu, Mak Ngah untuk pergi balik kerja.
Earlier, I thought I had to be in Raub until Monday in order to help family members. An uncle had an accident which prevented him from driving the car so Mak Uda asked me to be ready to act as the driver to sent the uncle's wife, Mak Ngah to and from work.
Demi keluarga, saya pun menyatakan kesediaan untuk mula 'berkhidmat' pada esoknya. Ternyata Mak Ngah bercuti hari Jumaat dan kemudian muncul saudara-mara lain mengambil-alih kerja, maka saya mempunyai masa yang terluang untuk berbuat apa-apa perkara yang disukai. Tetapi susah rasanya untuk pergi ke Bukit Fraser kerana saya tidak memiliki kenderaan... Tahun lepas, saya pergi menaiki kereta sepupu...

For the sake of the family, I announced my willingness to start 'service' the next day. As it turns out, Mak Ngah is on holiday Friday and then came other relatives who took over some task, and so I have free time to do whatever is liked. But it felt hard to go to Fraser's Hill as I don't have transport... Last year I went with my cousin by car...

Hari Jumaat itu, saya telah pergi ke bandar Raub seorang diri menaiki bas kemudian berjalan kaki hampir sebatu ke Simpang Kallang untuk makan tengahari masakan ikan keli gulai asam rong di sebuah warung . Oleh kerana masjid jamek baru terletak agak jauh sedangkan saya tidak memiliki apa-apa kenderaan, saya sudah terfikir akan membuat solat Zohor sahaja di masjid jamek lama yang terletak lebih dekat. Lagipun saya sedang bermusafir, tidak wajib menunaikan solat Jumaat.

That Friday, I went to the town of Raub alone by bus then walked almost a mile to Simpang Kallang to have ikan keli gulai asam rong (I can't make out the translation except it was a local dish using catfish) for lunch. As the new main mosque is rather far away while I don't have any transport, I was thinking of just doing the Zohor (afternoon prayer) at the old main mosque which is nearer. Anyhow, I was on travel, thus it was not compulsory to do the Jumaat congregational prayer.
Dalam perjalanan kembali ke pusat bandar selepas makan, saya bercadang untuk singgah di sekitar restoran Kentucky Fried Chicken kerana sepupu saya ada memberitahu di situ terdapat signal wi-fi Internet yang mungkin saya boleh tumpang. Seorang buah hati pula telah menalifon sehingga saya terleka lalu berjalan kaki 3 blok kedai melepasi restoran Kentucky!

On the way back to the town centre after lunch, I was thinking of dropping by the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant since my cousin did mention there is Internet wi-fi signal there which I might be able to hop on. A sweetheart then called making me so occupied such that I walked 3 blocks of shops past the Kentucky restaurant!
Rupa-rupanya ada hikmah kenapa ini berlaku. Perjalanan yang terlajak ini menyebabkan saya terserempak dengan sepupu yang ketika itu berada di sebuah kedai foto. Maka dapatlah saya menumpangnya menaiki skuter untuk menunaikan solat Jumaat di masjid jamek. Kemudian kami singgah di rumah keluarga iparnya dan di situlah si mak ipar memberitahu, terdapat perkhidmatan bas 2 kali sehari daripada Raub ke Bukit Fraser.

As it turns out, there is a good reason why this happened. The walk which saw me overshoot caused me to come across the cousin which happens to be at a photo shop. Therefore I could hop on his scooter to do the Friday prayers at the main mosque. Later we stopped by his in-laws' place and that's where the mother-in-law said, their is a twice a day bus service from Raub to Fraser's Hill.
Dipendekkan cerita, saya pun dapat naik ke sana untuk membuat promosi buku "Berpetualang ke Aceh"... Tetapi biarlah cerita tentang promosi ini dibuat dalam artikel lain ya, rasanya untuk blogspot "Catatan Si Merah Silu" sahaja... Di sini, saya sekadar ingin bercerita tentang apa yang berlaku serta suasana di sekitar Bukit Fraser 23-24 Jun lalu. Silakan... :]

Cutting short the story, and so I managed to get up there and do the book promotion for "Berpetualang ke Aceh"... But let the promotion story be featured in a different article ya, methinks for the "Catatan Si Merah Silu" blogspot only. Here, I just want to tell a story about what happened and the feel at and around Fraser's Hill 23-24 June. Come... :]

Jam besar Bukit Fraser... Ketika sedang duduk berehat di satu kawasan, saya dapat melihat sekumpulan pelajar perempuan yang masih muda, rasanya pelajar sekolah menengah berjalan menghala ke jam besar, masing-masing membawa kamera.
The big clock of Fraser's Hill. While sitting and resting at a spot, I could see a group of young female students, looked like secondary school student walking heading for the big clock with a camera each.
Tidak lama kemudian, kelihatan seorang dewasa dengan peralatan kamera yang lebih canggih, rasanya guru mereka. Orang ini menyuruh mereka mengambil gambar jam besar itu. "Inilah identiti Bukit Fraser!" katanya.
Not long later, there appeared an adult with much advanced camera equipment, looks like the teacher. This man asked them to take pictures of the big clock. "This is the identity of Fraser's Hill!" he said.

Sebahagian daripada gerai-gerai pamiran yang didirikan sempena acara perlumbaan melihat burung Bukit Fraser. Untuk makluman, acara yang diadakan sejak tahun 1988 (kalau tak salah ingatan) ini dihadiri juga oleh ramai peserta dan pengunjung daripada luar negara.
Some of the exhibition stalls set up for the Bukit Fraser bird-watch race. For information, the event held since 1988 (if not mistaken) is also attended by participants and visitors outside the country.
Ini memberi kesempatan kepada mana-mana pihak untuk mempromosi barangan jualan atau keluaran mereka ke khalayak yang lebih luas. Maka itu ada gerai mempromosi batik dan barang-barang optikal seperti teropong dan lensa kamera. Ada juga gerai mempromosi tumbuh-tumbuhan hutan terutama di negeri Pahang.
This gives the chance for any party to promote their goods or produce to a bigger crowd. Therefore there were stalls promoting batik and optical goods such as binoculars and camera lenses. In fact there were stalls promoting jungle growths especially in the state of Pahang.
Di latar-belakang gambar adalah hotel Puncak Inn yang juga merupakan salah sebuah bangunan identiti Bukit Fraser. Harga penginapan di sini, kalau tak salah ingatan sekitar RM50 hingga RM90 untuk satu bilik sehari, dikatakan paling murah di bukit peranginan ini.
In the picture's background is Puncak Inn which is also one of the identity buildings of Fraser's Hill. The rate here, if not mistaken is around RM50 to RM90 for a room per day, is said to be the cheapest at the hill resort station.

Pemandangan gerai-gerai pamiran daripada sudut lain. Kawasan ini juga dikenali sebagai 'pusat bandar' Fraser Hill. Jam besar (tidak kelihatan dalam gambar) terletak di sebelah kiri latar-belakang gambar.

View of the exhibition stalls from a different angle. This area is also known as Fraser's Hill 'town centre'. The big clock (not seen in the picture) is situated left of the picture's background.

Bangunan Kelab Golf yang juga bertindak sebagai pusat jawatankuasa dan sekretariat perlumbaan antarabangsa melihat burung Bukit Fraser.
The Golf Club building which also served as the comittee and secretariat centre for Fraser's Hill international bird-watch race.
Oh... Perlumbaan ini adalah perlumbaan berpasukan di mana setiap pasukan perlu bergerak ke kawasan-kawasan yang ditetapkan lalu mencari dan melihat seberapa banyak jenis burung yang terdapat di sesuatu kawasan dan membuat catatan. Pasukan yang dapat mencari paling banyak jenis burung dikira sebagai pemenang.
Oh... The race is a team event where each team must go to the designated areas and look for as many species of birds at the area and take notes. The team which finds the most type of birds is considered the winner.

Jam besar Bukit Fraser dilihat daripada sudut lain. Kelihatan bunting promosi buku "Berpetualang ke Aceh" hasil reka-cipta sendiri diletakkan bersebelahan pokok, lokasi pertama bunting ini diletak di sini dalam eksperimen untuk melihat reaksi orang yang lalu-lalang.
Fraser's Hill big clock seen from a different angle. Seen here the self-designed bunting for promoting the book "Berpetualang ke Aceh" erected beside a tree, the first location for the bunting here in an experiment to see passers-by' reaction.

Kemeriahan waktu malam ramai pengunjung di Bukit Fraser.
The festive atmosphere due to the number of visitors at Fraser's Hill.

Sebuah konsert turut diadakan untuk memeriahkan suasana. Kelihatan anggota kumpulan Kopratasa di atas pentas.
A concert was also held to perk up the atmosphere. Seen here are members of the group Kopratasa on stage.

Inilah masjid tempat saya bermalam untuk menjimatkan belanja... Letaknya sekitar 500 meter naik bukit daripada 'pusat bandar'.
Bukannya saya dapat tidur nyenyak pun, maklumlah saya sebenarnya sedang demam sambil mengharapkan jacket serta dua helai kain pelikat untuk melindungi diri daripada kesejukan malam udara pergunungan.
This is the mosque where I spent the night to spare expenses... It is situated some 500 metres uphill from the 'town centre'.
Not that I had a good sleep, after all I was actually having cold while counting on a jacket and two pairs of clothes to protect myself from the chilly night mountain air.
Untuk makluman, Bukit Fraser terletak sekitar 4,000 kaki daripada paras laut. Suhu harian selalu berada di sekitar 22 Celsius pada waktu siang dan 20 Celsius atau kurang waktu malam sedangkan saya sudah terbiasa suhu Kuala Lumpur dengan minimum 27 Celsius dan sering mencapai 31 Celsius ke atas.
For information, Fraser's Hill is situated some 4,000 feet above sea level. The daily temperature is often around 22 Celsius during the day and 20 Celsius or below at night while I'm used to the temperature in Kuala Lumpur at a minimum of 27 Celsium and often reaches 31 Celsius and above.
Hasilnya, saya tidak dapat tidur nyenyak kerana sering menggigil kesejukan malah sering sakit perut dan pundi-pundi kencing. Jam 5.15 pagi, saya terbangun lagi untuk ke tandas lalu bangkit terus untuk solat Subuh berjemaah kemudian turun ke 'pusat bandar' untuk mendirikan bunting "Berpetualang ke Aceh". Penat woo tak cukup tidur!
The result, I couldn't sleep properly and often shaking in cold in fact often got stomach-ache and uncomfortable kidney. At 5.15 in the morning, I woke up again to go to the toilet and thus went straight for congregational Subuh (early morning prayers) before going down to the 'town centre' to set up the "Berpetualang ke Aceh" bunting. So tired woo not having enough sleep!

Suasana kedai-kedai makan di kaki Puncak Inn. Cantik bukan warna-warninya?
The atmosphere at the food outlet at the foot of Puncak Inn. Colourful isn't it?

Hmm... Cukuplah saya bercerita di sini ya. Ketika menulis perenggan ini, waktu sudah melepasi jam 2 pagi sedangkan saya sebenarnya belum makan malam sejak kembali daripada pusat bandaraya Kuala Lumpur 9 malam tadi... Sibuk sangat nak buat update untuk blogspot. Selamat malam ya... :]
Hmm... Enough of me story-telling ya. While writing this paragraph, the time is already past 2 in the morning (actually 4am when I made the English translation up to this point) when I actually haven't had dinner after returning for Kuala Lumpur city centre at 9... So busy to update the blogspots. Good night ya... :]

p/s: Mungkin ada yang bertanya, apakah saya juga turut melihat burung di Bukit Fraser? Lagipun, bukankah tajuk artikel ini ialah "Melihat burung di Bukit Fraser?"
p/s: Perhaps some would ask, did I also watch some bird at Fraser's Hill? What more, isn't the title of this article "Bird-watching at Fraser's Hill"?

Hmm... Memang terdapat beberapa jenis burung yang kelihatan berterbangan di sana-sini. Mungkin saya boleh melihat lebih banyak lagi jika tidak sekadar berlegar-legar berhampiran 'pusat bandar'... Mungkin juga saya boleh turut mencari burung-burung yang tersembunyi jika ada membawa teropong sendiri.
Hmm... Yes there's some species of birds seen flying everywhere. Maybe I can see more if I don't just stick around the 'town centre'... Maybe too I could find some birds in hiding if I brought my own binoculars.

Yang pasti saya telah terjumpa 'seekor burung' yang cantik, siap memakai tudung dengan senyuman yang manis menawan. Kami sempat berkenalan, bercerita panjang sambil berjalan-jalan dan saya merasa senang dan suka dengannya.
What was sure, I met a beautiful 'bird', wearing head-scarf with a sweet and endearing smile. We got to know each other, share plenty of stories while walking about and I feel comfortable and like her.

Cuma saya rasa cukuplah kami sekadar berkawan... Saya ada memberitahu 'burung' ini bahawa saya masih ada perasaan sayang terhadap bekas isteri terutama apabila mengenangkan anak perempuan kami. Dan saya juga memiliki dua orang teman wanita yang sangat saya sayangi. Cukuplah setakat itu...
It's just that I feel enough we become friends... I told this 'bird' that I still have feelings for the ex-wife especially when I think about our daughter. And I also have two girlfriends whom I love dearly. Enough that way...

Kemalangan yang pelik! (A strange accident!)

Lihat gambar di atas... Sebuah kereta mewah BMW 3 series terperesok di dalam sebuah longkang yang agak sempit siang tadi... Perhatikan dengan teliti. Lebar longkang ini sebenarnya tidak cukup untuk menampung ketinggian kereta, lalu bagaimana kereta ini boleh terperesok sebegitu rupa? Kenapa tidak tersangkut di tepi tebing longkang?

Look at the picture above. A BMW 3 series luxury car stuck inside a rather narrow drain sometime during the day... Look carefully. Actually, the width of the drain is not enough to accomodate the height of the car, so how did the car got stuck in such a way? Why not stuck beside the drain?
Lebih pelik lagi, longkang ini terletak bersebelahan jalan kecil di sebuah kawasan perumahan di Ampang... Jalan besar iaitu Jalan Ampang terletak di sebalik penghadang dan para pemerhati serta hadirin di dalam gambar.

More curious, the drain is situated beside a small road at a housing estate in Ampang... The main road which is Jalan Ampang is actually behind the barriers and the witnesses along with those present as seen in the picture.
Daripada segi logik akal, mungkin kita senang menerima kemalangan ini jika longkang itu terletak terus bersebelahan jalan besar tanpa penghadang... Atau penghadang itu telah dilanggar sehingga pecah menyebabkan kereta masuk ke dalam longkang kerana kereta telah dipandu laju lalu hilang kawalan.

From a logical point of view, maybe it is easy to accept this accident if the drain is situated immediately next to the main road with no barrier in-between... Or the barrier has been hit until broken causing the car to plunge into the drain because the car was driven fast and then went out of control.

Ini boleh dikira perkara biasa di jalan-jalan besar di mana ramai orang sering memandu laju. Bagaimanakah perkara ini boleh terjadi di sebuah jalan kecil yang saya tahu ada banyak bump? Jalan di mana orang selalunya memandu di bawah kelajuan 30km/h?
This can be considered common at the main roads where many often drive fast. How can such a thing happen at a small road which I know have many bumps? A road where people often drive below the speed of 30 km/h?

Kemalangan yang agak pelik ini menyebabkan ramai orang berhenti untuk memerhati dalam keadaan terpinga-pinga. Memang ramai yang hairan bagaimana kereta sebesar ini boleh masuk betul-betul muat ke dalam sebuah longkang yang tidak sebesar mana pun...
This rather strange accident made many people stop to have a look while being dumb-founded. Many where perplexed how can such a big car plunge and then fit nicely inside a drain which is not that big...
Keadaan ini menyebabkan saya terasa patut mengambil beberapa gambar sebagai rekod. Malah saya terasa wajib menceritakannya di dalam ketiga-tiga blogspot saya sebelum dapat menyambung apa- apa penulisan lain!
The incident made me feel obliged to take pictures for record. In fact I feel I must tell the story in all my three blogspots before I can continue with any sort of other writing!
Itupun belum cukup rupanya... Saya ingat apa yang diceritakan di atas sudah cukup pelik. Rupanya, ada lagi satu fakta kejadian yang jauh lebih pelik!
It turns out, that is not enough... I thought what is told above is already strange enough. Actually, there is one more fact of incident which is far more curious!
Saya diberitahu, kereta ini datang daripada arah bertentangan sebelum mengalami kemalangan lalu terperesok di dalam longkang. Kalau dari arah bertentangan, bukankah bahagian belakang kereta yang patut kelihatan daripada tempat saya sedang berdiri lalu mengambil gambar ini? Kenapa pula kelihatan bahagian hadapan kereta?
I was told, the car came from the opposite direction before having the accident and got stuck inside the drain. If it was from the opposite direction, shouldn't it be the back part of the car which should be visible from where I was standing to take the picture? Why am I looking at the front part of the car instead?
Menurut seorang hadirin, kereta itu telah berpusing sekurang-kurangnya sekali pusing sebelum terperesok dalam kedudukan yang dilihat ini. Ait? Berpusing lepas itu dapat pula masuk cukup-cukup ke dalam parit yang agak sempit ini? Aduh... Pening memikirkan bagaimana kejadian ini berlaku!
According to one of those present, the car made at least one spin before getting stuck in the position seen here. Ait? Making a spin and then falling just enough to fit inside the rather narrow drain? Ouch... It gives headache thinking about how this incident happened!

Lihat lagi, daripada sudut yang lain pula. Pelik bukan kedudukan kereta ini?
Apapun, saya diberitahu pemandunya selamat, mungkin luka-luka sedikit walaupun dia dikatakan memandu agak laju ketika mengambil selekoh di taman perumahan sehingga terjadinya kemalangan ini.
Look again, from a different angle. Strange isn't it the position of the car?
Whatever, I was told the driver is safe, maybe suffering some minor cuts and bruises although he (or she?) was said to have driven rather fast when taking a corner at the housing estate until the accident happened.
Yang pasti, tidak terdapat apa-apa kesan darah kelihatan seperti yang sering berlaku dalam pengalaman ngeri yang menyebabkan maut atau mereka yang terlibat cedera parah. Cermin tingkap di sisi bahagian pemandu yang terbuka tanpa ada kesan cermin pecah menunjukkan, sekurang-kurang pemandu dapat keluar menyelamatkan diri dalam keadaan yang agak selesa.
What is sure, there was no hint of blood seen as often the case in fatal accidents which caused death or those involved to suffer badly. The side-mirror at the driver's side which was opened without any thrace of the mirror being smashed shows that at least the driver managed to escape rather comfortably.
Bayangkan jika cermin itu tertutup dan pemandu terperangkap di dalamnya. Bagaimanakah agaknya keadaan?
Bayangkan pula kalau cermin tidak dapat dibuka dan kemalangan ini berlaku ketika hujan lebat yang sering menyebabkan banjir kilat. Silap-silap ada yang nahas!
Imagine if the side-mirror was closed and the the driver trapped inside? What would it be like?
Imagine now if the mirror can't be opened and the accident happened during heavy rain which often cause flash flood. For all we know, there would be fatality!

Kereta ditarik keluar menggunakan lori pick-up... Seperti biasa, rakyat Malaysia agak 'prihatin' apabila berlaku apa-apa kemalangan jalanraya. Ramai yang sedia menyumbangkan 'kepakaran' dengan duduk atau diri memerhati sambil ternganga... Atau sibuk mengemukakan 'teori' bagaimanakah sesuatu kemalangan itu boleh berlaku, hehe!
The car being pulled out using a pick-up lorry... As usual, Malaysians are rather 'conscious' whenever there's a road accident. Many are ready to contribute 'expertise' by sitting or standing looking on wide-mouthed... Or busy forwarding 'theories' on how an accident can happen, haha!

Apapun, Alhamdulillah, kereta BMW 3 series ini berjaya dibawa keluar. Sekarang bolehlah saya menyambung penulisan lain ya... Teruskan membaca!

Whatever, thank God, the BMW 3 series was succesfully brought out. Now, I can continue with other writings ya... Keep on reading!

Nyamannya Janda Baik! (So refreshing Janda Baik!)

Pemandangan Sungai Chemperoh yang berjeram daripada sebuah warung makan di tepian jalan. Sungai ini merupakan salah sebuah daripada beberapa buah sungai yang menghiasi kawasan perkampungan di Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang.

View of the river of Chemperoh and its ravines from a foodstall besides the road. The river is one among many going through the village area of Janda Baik, Bentong, Pahang.
Tidak jauh dari sini, terletak sebuah surau yang sering menjadi tempat persinggahan ramai pengikut Tabligh serta mereka yang mahu beruzlah, beribadat seraya menjauhkan diri daripada hiruk-pikuk keduniaan masyarakat luar. Surau ini juga merupakan salah sebuah "rumah penginapan" saya apabila berada di Janda Baik.
Not far from here is a surau (small praying hall) often frequented by Tabligh followers ( a group of staunch Muslims who try to emulate closely the way of living of the Prophet and his companions) and those who want to meditate, worshipping in peace away from the madness of the outside crowd. The surau is also one of my place of lodging when in Janda Baik.

"Katakanlah: inginkah aku kabarkan kepadamu apa yang lebih baik dari yang demikian itu, untuk orang-orang yang bertaqwa kepada Allah, pada sisi Tuhan mereka ada syurga yang mengalir dibawahnya sungai-sungai, mereka kekal di dalamnya. Dan mereka dikarunia isteri-isteri yang disucikan serta keridhaan Allah, dan Allah Maha Melihat akan hamba-hambanya."

- Ayat 15, Surah Ali Imran

Say, "Let me inform you of a much better deal: for those who lead a righteous life, reserved at their Lord, are gardens with flowing streams, and pure spouses, and joy in God's blessings." God is Seer of His worshipers.

- Verse 15 from the Chapter of Ali Imran in the Quran

Assalamualaikum para pembaca sekalian. Hari ini, saya tergerak untuk berkongsi beberapa gambar yang diambil di sekitar Kampung Janda Baik, daerah Bentong, Pahang... Ketika berehat di sana minggu lepas. Adapun kawasan perkampungan yang nyaman ini terletak di kawasan lembah di celah Banjaran Titiwangsa, pada ketinggian 1,400 kaki daripada aras laut.

Peace be upon you dear readers. Today, I am moved to share some pictures taken in and around Kampung (the village of) Janda Baik, in the district of Bentong, Pahang... While taking a rest there last week. This refreshing village area is situated on a valley in Banjaran Titiwangsa (the main mountain range in Peninsular Malaysia), at a height of 1,400 feet above sea level.
Untuk pengetahuan, ia adalah satu-satunya kawasan tanah tinggi di Malaysia yang telah diwartakan sebagai Tanah Rezab Melayu. Kawasan tanah tinggi lain nampaknya telah dikuasai atau dimiliki bangsa lain. Lihat pada Genting Highlands yang terletak tidak jauh daripada sini sebagai contoh...

For information, it is the one and only highland in Malaysia that is gazetted as a Malay Reserve Land (meaning only Malays can own the land). The other highland areas seemed to be controlled or owned by other races. Look at Genting Highlands (where exist the only legal casino in Malaysia) which is situated not far from here for example...
Gambar-gambar ini disertakan menurut satu turutan peristiwa dan perjalanan. Sila lihat dengan teliti dan ikutilah rentak bercerita yang keluar secara spontan. Insyaallah, di sebalik ini, akan ada satu bentuk penyampaian ilmu yang tersirat secara batin untuk semua... Silakan!

These pictures are given according to a sequence of events and travelling. Please look carefully and follow the pace of story-telling which came spontaneously . God willing, behind all this, there will be some sort of transmission of subtle esotoric knowledge for all... Go on!

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Cerita bergambar ini dimulakan dengan gambar yang diambil sebaik sahaja turun daripada bas Kuala Lumpur-Bentong-Raub. Untuk masuk ke Janda Baik, seseorang itu perlu turun di pekan Bukit Tinggi yang terletak di tepian lebuhraya.
This pictorial tale is started with a picture taken immediately after embarking off the Kuala-Lumpur-Bentong-Raub bus. To reach Janda Baik, one must stop at the small township of Bukit Tinggi situated beside the highway.
Kelihatan dalam gambar adalah pusat peranginan Selesa Hill Homes di belakang. Di hadapan pula adalah rumah pangsa yang kebanyakannya didiami orang luar yang bekerja di sekitar Janda Baik dan Bukit Tinggi.
Inside the picture is the Selesa Hill Homes resort at the back. In front are the flats mostly dwelt by outsiders working in and around Janda Baik and Bukit Tinggi.

Ini pula lorong pejalan kaki yang perlu dilalui daripada perhentian bas untuk ke pekan Bukit Tinggi. Perhentian bas untuk menghala ke Kuala Lumpur terletak betul-betul bersebelahan pekan sedangkan perhentian menghala ke Bentong dan Raub di mana saya turun terletak hampir setengah kilometer jauhnya!
This is the walking path that must be taken from the bus-stop to the small town of Bukit Tinggi. The bus-stop heading towards Kuala Lumpur is situated right next to the town while the stop for those heading to Bentong and Raub where I embarked is situated almost half a kilometre further away!


Terowong bawah tanah menyeberangi lebuhraya untuk sampai ke pekan Bukit Tinggi.
The underground tunnel crossing the highway to get to the small town of Bukit Tinggi.

Keluar sahaja daripada terowong, kelihatan pula pasar lambak yang diadakan hari Selasa
The minute I got out of the tunnel, there looms a pasar lambak (the local variety market) held on Tuesday

Inilah dia pekan Bukit Tinggi. Asalnya, ia merupakan salah sebuah perkampungan baru untuk mengumpulkan warga Malaysia keturunan Cina, diterbitkan tahun 1960an untuk menangani masalah komunis ketika itu.
So this is the small town of Bukit Tinggi. Originally, it was a new village area for assembling Malaysia citizens of Chinese origin, created in the 1960s to combat the problem of Communist insurgency rampant then.
Warga di sini banyak berniaga dan menanam sayur-sayuran termasuk di sekitar kawasan Genting Sempah di mana terdapat tanaman halia gred satu untuk eksport ke luar negara. Ada juga warga Bukit Tinggi yang mengambil malah menanam sayur di Janda Baik yang merupakan Tanah Rezab Melayu lalu membawanya ke pasar borong di Selayang, Kuala Lumpur.
Most locals here do business and grow vegetables including around the area of Genting Sempah (near the underground highway tunnel cutting through the mountains) where first grade ginger are grown for export overseas. There are Bukit Tinggi locals who take, even grow vegetables in Janda Baik which is a Malay Reserve Land and send it to the retail wet market in Selayang, Kuala Lumpur.

Pemandangan di pasar lambak Bukit Tinggi. Perkataan "pasar lambak" adalah perkataan yang biasa digunakan di daerah kelahiran saya, Muar, Johor. Di Kuala Lumpur pula, pasar sebegini selalu dipanggil sebagai pasar malam.
The view at the pasar lambak in Bukit Tinggi. The word "pasar lambak" is normally used in Muar, Johor where I was born. In Kuala Lumpur, markets such as this are called pasar malam (literally translated as "night market")
Oleh kerana gambar ini diambil waktu petang, terasa janggal pula memanggilnya sebagai pasar malam. Maka biarlah saya gunakan perkataan pasar lambak ya...
Since this picture is taken in the afternoon, it didn't feel right to call it as pasar malam. So let me just use the words pasar lambak ya...


Ini pula gambar yang diambil keesokan harinya, daripada rumah Puan Ainon, pemilik syarikat PTS, sebuah syarikat penerbitan buku yang sekarang merupakan salah sebuah syarikat tempatan terbesar dalam bidang itu. Ada masanya, saya bertandang di rumah ini untuk menumpang line wi-fi Internet. Malangnya line wi-fi di rumah ini sedang menghadapi masalah sehingga Puan Ainon dan suaminya terpaksa turun ke Kuala Lumpur untuk menyambung kerja. This picture is taken the following day, from the house of Puan Ainon, the owner of PTS, a book publishing company which now features as one of the biggest local outfit in the field. At times, I would drop at the house to use the Internet wi-fi line. Too bad, there is a problem with the line, forcing Puan Ainon and her husband to go down to Kuala Lumpur to continue their work.


Ini pula gambar sebuah rumah, diambil daripada perkarangan rumah Puan Ainon. Untuk makluman, di sekitar Janda Baik ini terdapat banyak lagi rumah-rumah besar lagi mewah milik para hartawan juga orang-orang berkuasa yang menjadikan kampung ini tempat bersantai hujung minggu.
This is the picture of a house, taken from the lawn at Puan Ainon's home. For information, in and around Janda Baik, there are many more big and luxurious houses owned by the rich, also the powerful who make this village as their weekend hide-away place.

Ini pula gambar sebuah pohon yang tumbuh di tengah sungai berdekatan balairaya serta masjid Kampung Janda Baik. Lupa pula nama sungai ini tetapi kawasan ini dikenali sebagai Pulau Santap.
This is a picture of a tree which grows in the middle of the river next to the village hall and mosque of Janda Baik. Forgot the name of the river but the area is known as Pulau Santap.
Menurut ceritanya, ia dipanggil Pulau Santap kerana pernah menjadi kawasan kegemaran tempat keluarga diraja Pahang berehat dan makan-makan terutama semasa zaman pemerintahan Sultan Abu Bakar, ayahanda kepada Sultan Pahang sekarang.
According to local tale, it is called Pulau Santap as it was the favourite area for the Pahang royal family to rest and have meals especially during the reigns of Sultan Abu Bakar, father to the current Sultan of Pahang.

Sungai yang sama dilihat daripada sudut lain. Kalau tak salah saya, di belakang batu-batu besar itu pernah wujud timbunan pasir yang menjadi sebuah pulau kecil lalu dijadikan tempat keluarga diraja Pahang dahulu berehat dan makan-makan... Sebab itu dipanggil Pulau Santap!
The same river seen from a different angle. If I'm not mistaken, behind the big rocks there used to exist a pile of sand making up a small island which became the place for the Pahang royal family of old to rest and have meals... That is why it is called Pulau Santap (literally, "the island for having royal meals)!



Ini pula padang yang terletak berhadapan sekolah rendah Janda Baik. Di sinilah tempat anak-anak kampung bermain bola waktu petang.
This is the playing field in front of Janda Baik primary school. This is where the local village youngs play football in the afternoon.



Ini pula gambar yang diambil ketika berjalan kaki kembali daripada Pulau Santap untuk ke Sungai Chemperoh. Kelihatan di latar-belakang adalah Gunung Nuang setinggi sekitar 5,000 kaki daripada paras laut, gunung tertinggi di negeri Selangor.
This picture is taken while walking back from Pulau Santap to the river of Chemperoh. In the background is Mount Nuang at around 5,000 feet above sea level, the highest mountain in the state of Selangor.
Puncak gunung ini terletak di sempadan Selangor, Pahang. Tidak jauh daripada puncak pula terletak sempadan Negeri Sembilan iaitu di Kenaboi.
The summit is situated at the borders of Selangor and Pahang. Not far from the summit is the border of Negeri Sembilan, that is in Kenaboi.
Saya pernah memanjat gunung ini seorang diri lalu sesat lebih 19 jam. Ceritanya ada dinukilkan dalam buku pertama saya, "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" atau BKA I.
I've climbed the mountain alone and got lost for over 19 hours. The story is told in my first book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" (literally, "The trip to Aceh: In search of self and meaning) or BKA I.

Inilah dia "pekan" Janda Baik... Ada sebuah kedai yang merupakan mini-market serta 2-3 buah kedai makan, juga perhentian bas untuk perkhidmatan Janda Baik ke Bentong.
So this is the "town" of Janda Baik... There is a shop which is the local mini-market with 2-3 small restaurants, also a bus-stop for the Janda Baik to Bentong service.
Kawasan ini juga dikenali sebagai Simpang Tiga... Satu simpang ke Sungai Chemperoh dan kawasan seterusnya, satu simpang ke Bukit Tinggi terus ke Bentong juga ke Kuala Lumpur dan satu simpang ke Pulau Santap di mana jalannya berpusing jauh sebelum bersambung kembali dengan jalan ke Bukit Tinggi.
This area is also known as Simpang Tiga (T-Junction)... One junction to the Chemperoh river and the area further on, a junction to Bukit Tinggi and on to Bentong also to Kuala Lumpur and a junction to Pulau Santap where the road winds far before connecting back to the route to Bukit Tinggi.
Kalau mahu ke Kuala Lumpur, boleh naik bas dari sini sampai ke Bukit Tinggi, 10 kilometer jauhnya. Kemudian tunggulah bas Raub-Bentong-Kuala Lumpur yang berkhidmat setengah jam sekali.
If you want to go to Kuala Lumpur, you can take the bus from here to Bukit Tinggi, 10 kilometers away. Then wait for the Raub-Bentong-Kuala Lumpur bus which appears every half an hour.
Masalahnya, perkhidmatan bas Janda-Baik ke Bentong cuma ada 3 kali sehari. Maka itu saya lebih senang hitchike menumpang motor, kereta malah lori sayur untuk keluar masuk Janda Baik.
The problem is, the Janda-Baik to Bentong service is held only 3 times a day. So I prefer to hitchike the bikes, cars. even lorries carrying vegetables to get in and out of Janda Baik.

Gambar ini diambil ketika berjalan kaki daripada Simpang Tiga ke Sungai Chemperoh.
Mula-mula, saya ternampak seekor anak lembu berlari-lari sambil berbunyi seperti mencari ibu. Tidak lama kemudian, kelihatan pula tiga ekor lembu ini...
This picture is taken while walking from Simpang Tiga to Sungai Chemperoh. At first, I saw a calf running around making sounds as if looking for the mum. Then I saw these three cows...


Ini pula gambar bahagian Sungai Chemperoh yang menghiasi laman rumah ayah angkat saya, penulis buku politik S.H. Alattas. Untuk makluman, saya pernah menumpang di rumah ini selama lebih 2 tahun. Dalam tempoh itu, rumah ini dijadikan "markas" untuk saya berehat sebelum mengembara ke merata tempat.
This is a picture of a section of the Chemperoh river running beside the lawns of my adopted father's home, the political writer S.H. Alattas' house. For information, I used to lodge at this place for over 2 years. During the time, the house was the "headquarters" for me to rest before travelling all over.



Suasana di sebuah warung makan bersebelahan Sungai Chemperoh. Gambar sungai yang diambil daripada warung inilah yang dijadikan gambar pertama penghias artikel kali ini.
The scene at a food-stall besides the Chemperoh river. A picture of the river taken from this food-stall is the one that made the first picture to grace this article.

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Hmm... Rasanya cukuplah bercerita buat masa ini ya... Sambil bersantai melihat gambar pemandangan yang nyaman, harap-harap jiwa kita semakin cergas untuk melihat kebesaran Ilahi yang tersurat dan tersirat juga pengajaran di sebalik semua ini, insyaallah, wassalam! :]
Hmm... Methinks, enough story-telling for the day ya... While relaxing and looking at these refreshing pictures, hopefully we become more enlighten to see God's greatness apparent or hidden along with the lessons to be learned behind all this, God willing, so long! :]

Banjir (flood in) Kuala Lumpur 2007... Apakah ada yang tersirat? (Is there a hidden meaning behind it?)

Gambar kawasan mengambil wuduk di Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur. Perhatikan lumpur yang mengganggu perjalanan...

Picture of the area for taking wuduk (ablution). Note the mud in the way...

Assalamualaikum para pembaca sekalian. Siang tadi saya telah pergi ke beberapa tempat sekitar Kuala Lumpur terutama di pusat bandaraya untuk menyelesaikan beberapa perkara berkaitan buku "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal". Dalam perjalanan, saya dapat melihat bagaimana banjir yang melanda beberapa bahagian kotaraya akibat hujan lebat tak henti lebih 3 jam malam semalam telah mengakibatkan banyak kerosakan barangan terutama di kedai-kedai. Kesan lumpur yang masih tinggal juga sangat nyata di merata tempat malah ada yang meninggalkan bau busuk seperti bau longkang atau tandas yang sudah lama tidak dibersihkan.

Peace be upon you readers. Today, I went to several places in and around Kuala Lumpur especially the city centre to settle a few things regarding the book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal" (literally translated as "The trip to Aceh: Advocating the true faith"). During travel, I witnessed how the flood that ravaged some parts of the metropolis due to the heavy non-stop rain for more than 3 hours last night had destroyed so many goods especially at the shops. The mud left was also very apparent at many places, in fact some left such a bad smell like that of drains or toilet that has not been washed for long.
Pada mulanya, saya tidak mahu mengendahkan kesan peninggalan banjir ini kerana sibuk memikirkan hal-hal berkaitan buku di samping membuat catatan apa yang patut di dalam komputer laptop yang sering dibawa bersama untuk ke mana-mana. Tetapi apabila melihat kesan lumpur dan kotoran di Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur ketika hendak menunaikan solat Asar, saya rasa terpanggil untuk mengambil beberapa gambar lalu mencoretkan kisah berserta tafsiran yang tiba-tiba muncul dalam kalbu akan kejadian ini.
At first, I didn't want to take notice of the flood's aftermath as I was busy figuring out things related to my book while making updates of what is necessary using the laptop computer that is often brought along everywhere. But upon seeing the amount of mud and dirt at Masjid Jamek (main mosque) of Kuala Lumpur while on the way to perform the Asar (late afternoon) prayers, came the urge to take some pictures and then write a story alongside the interpretation of events that came suddenly.

Jemaah terpaksa bersolat di serambi masjid, bukan di dalam ruang utama akibat kekotoran yang ditinggalkan banjir semalam...
The congregation was forced to pray at the mosque's verandah area, not inside the main hall because of all the dirt left by the flood overnight...

Perhatikan gambar di atas di mana para jemaah terpaksa menunaikan solat di serambi masjid. Ketika melihat lumpur dan kotoran yang dibawa air sekeliling kawasan masjid, tiba-tiba hati ini terbetik... Apakah ada makna yang tersirat di sebalik peristiwa ini? Kebetulan banjir malam semalam berlaku sehari selepas berlangsungnya perkahwinan Perdana Menteri ke 5 Malaysia, Pak Lah dengan seorang janda berdarah kacukan Jeanne Abdullah yang pernah menjadi adik ipar kepada mendiang isteri Pak Lah iaitu Datin Endon. Apakah semua ini ada kena-mengena?
Look at the picture above where the congregation was forced to perform the prayers at the mosque's verandah. While looking at the mud and dirt brought by the flood at the mosque's compound, suddenly there emerged a question upon the heart... Is there any hidden meaning behind all these? Coincidently the flood yesterday happened a day after there occurs the marriage of Malaysia's 5th Prime Minister Pak Lah (as Abdullah Badawi is fondly known) to a widow of mixed parentage Jeanne Abdullah who was the sister-in-law to Pak Lah's late wife, Datin Endon. Is there a relationship between all these?
Sebagai seorang Islam, walaupun saya bukan tergolong dalam golongan mereka yang warak ataupun alim, saya rasa sudah patut Pak Lah memilih seorang isteri yang memakai tudung. Ini kerana Pak Lah sedang membawa imej seorang pemimpin warak yang sepatutnya mengenengahkan kelebihan serta kesyumulan Islam dan dia berasal daripada keturunan para ulamak - Datuknya Haji Abdullah Fahim adalah bekas mufti Pulau Pinang dan dikira sebagai seorang ulamak besar. Jika allahyarham Datin Endon tidak mahu memakai tudung, harap-harap isteri baru ini nanti lebih rela untuk menurut syariat Islam, Insyaallah!
As a Muslim, although I don't belong among the pious and knowledgable ones, I feel it is high time Pak Lah choose a wife who wears the head-scarf. This is because Pak Lah is carrying the image of a pious leader who should forward the advantages and purity of Islam and he hails from a lineage of religious scholars - His grandfather Haji Abdullah Fahim was the mufti (head of religious matters) of Pulau Pinang and is considered as a very reputable religious scholar. If the late Datin Endon don't want to wear the headscarf, hopefully the new wife is more willing to follow the prescriptions of Islam, God willing!
Dalam hal pemakaian tudung ini, mungkin ada yang berkata itu hak masing-masing... Lebih baik tak pakai tudung daripada memakainya semata-mata untuk memenuhi kehendak orang lain. Dalam hal ini, saya rasa lebih elok memakai tudung untuk memenuhi kehendak orang walaupun akan dituduh tidak ikhlas. Mungkin kita sendiri tidak bersedia untuk menutup aurat tetapi Tuhan tetap akan mengambil kira niat baik seorang isteri yang sanggup mengenepikan kepentingan diri sendiri lalu sanggup memakai tudung demi menjaga nama baik suaminya dan keluarga lebih-lebih lagi apabila sang suami itu dikaitkan dengan para alim ulamak dan pejuang Islam.
Regarding the wearing of headscarf, perhaps some would argue that it is a matter of individual rights... It is better not to wear the headscarf than to wear it just in order to please other people. In this matter, I feel it is better to wear the headscarf to please people eventhough one will be accused of not being sincere. Maybe one is not ready to cover the aurat (body parts that should not be exposed according to Islamic prescriptions) but God will surely take account of the good intention of a wife who wears the headscarf in order to safeguard the good name of the husband and family especially when the husband is being related to religious scholars and those who fight for Islam.

Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur dilihat daripada hadapan. Dalam gambar ini, lumpur dan kotoran yang dibawa banjir semalam tidak terserlah... Cuba pergi lebih dekat. Nescaya terlihatlah kekotoran yang mengaburi kesucian...
The Masjid Jamek (main mosque) of Kuala Lumpur as seen from the front. The mud and dirt brought by the flood last night was not apparent in the picture... Try going closer. For sure you'll notice the dirt that stains the purity...

OK... Berbalik pada apa yang tersirat. Apakah banjir yang membawa kotoran dan lumpur ke serata Kuala Lumpur itu ada kaitan dengan perkahwinan Pak Lah? Saya tak tahu. Yang saya tahu, hati ini berkata tentu ada makna kenapa semua ini berlaku... Ada makna yang menyebabkan jemaah masjid terpaksa bersolat di serambi, bukannya di dalam ruang utama masjid yang bukan tempat sebarangan - Kedudukannya di pertemuan Sungai Gombak dan Sungai Klang adalah tempat bermulanya asal-usul bandaraya Kuala Lumpur itu sendiri!
OK... Back to the hidden meaning behind things. Is there any relationship between the flood that carries dirt and mud all over Kuala Lumpur to Pak Lah's marriage? I don't know. What I do know, my heart keeps saying that there must be a meaning behind all these happenings... A meaning that forced the mosque's congregation to pray at the verandah, not inside the main hall of the mosque which is not just any ordinary place - Its position at the meeting of the Gombak and Klang rivers is the starting point of the origins of the city of Kuala Lumpur itself!
Seperti yang ramai tahu, pada zaman pentadbiran Pak Lah inilah berlaku banyak kes yang sebelum ini tidak pernah terserlah di Malaysia... Sekumpulan pemimpin bukan Melayu berani mencabar Artikel 11 Perlembagaan lalu menyentuh hak warga Malaysia untuk beragama. Si Lina Joy mencabar mahkamah agar orang Islam dibenarkan murtad melalui proses undang-undang. Selain itu, rasanya ramai tahu bagaimana syarikat-syarikat penting Malaysia sekarang telah mendapat "suntikan dana" daripada negara jiran. Melihat kesan banjir yang berlaku di sekeliling bandaraya terutama di masjid, hati saya berkata... Ini membawa makna yang tidak baik.
As many know, it is during the time of Pak Lah's administration that so many cases happens such that never took stage in Malaysia... A group of non-Malay leaders dared to question Article 11 of the Constitution touching on a Malaysian citizen's right to religion... Lina Joy (which took the limelights because of the gravity of the case) challenged the courts so that a Muslim may be allowed to leave the religion and convert using the process of law. Besides that, I'm sure many knew how the main companies in Malaysia have received "injections of cash" from a neighbouring country. Looking at the flood's aftermath all around the city especially at he mosque, my heart says... This means something is not right.
Adapun dalam ilmu firasat dan tafsir mimpi, air selalunya dikaitkan dengan duit dan rezeki. Maka mimpi di mana kita melihat air yang banyak seperti melihat sungai, laut malah banjir dikatakan adalah tanda kita bakal mendapat duit dan rezeki melimpah. Bagaimana pula kalau air itu membawa kotoran sehingga orang terpaksa keluar daripada masjid lalu bersolat di serambi? Apakah maknanya ini?
As it is, in the art of divination and interpreting dreams, water is often related to money and wealth. So, a dream where we see a lot of water like looking at a river, the sea, even a flood is said to be a sign that we will receive money and overflowing wealth. What if the water brings so much dirt that people are forced to get out of the mosque and pray at the verandah? What is the meaning of this?
Dalam pada itu, saya terfikir... Dari satu segi, "suntikan dana" yang datang dalam bentuk pembelian syarikat-syarikat utama di Malaysia oleh pihak tertentu di negara jiran boleh dikira sebagai kedatangan rezeki yang melimpah ruah sehingga berjaya menaikkan paras Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur ke tahap tertinggi melebihi 1,300 mata. Betul, ia bagus untuk perniagaan tetapi apakah ia bagus untuk masyarakat marhain terutama bangsa Melayu Islam yang merupakan tunjang kewujudan negara ini?
At the same time, a thought occured... From one point of view, the "injection of cash" which came in the form of purchase of Malaysia's main companies (such as through buying of shares) by certain parties from a neighbouring country can be considered as the advent of overflowing wealth which managed to push up the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange to its highest gain above 1,300 points. Of course, it is good for business but is it really good for the man on the street especially the Malay Muslims who form the backbone of the country's existence?
Lihat pada Pasar Seni atau Central Market di mana menurut ceritanya, sewa ruang perniagaan telah dinaikkan daripada RM600 sebulan menjadi RM2,000 sebulan setelah ia diambil alih sebuah syarikat milik negara jiran. Perhatikan, di manakah letaknya para peniaga Melayu yang dahulunya menjadi sebahagian daripada identiti Pasar Seni... Di manakah kedudukan mereka sekarang? Rasanya seperti melukut di tepi gantang!
Look at Pasar Seni (literally translated as "market for arts") or Central Market where the rent for space reputedly has been raised from RM600 a month to RM2,000 a month after it was taken over by a company owned by a neighbouring country. Look, what happened to the Malay traders who used to form a part of the identity of Pasar Seni... Where are they now? Methinks, they've become like those sitting beside bags of rice but with no chance of having a taste of rice!
Hmm... Cukuplah luahan rasa yang timbul tadi. Sila lihat gambar-gambar di bawah untuk mendapat gambaran akan kesan banjir malam tadi yang berlaku sehari selepas berlangsungnya perkahwinan Pak Lah.
Hmm... Enough of letting out steam. Do look at the snapshots below to have a picture of last night's flood aftermath which happened a day after Pah Lah got married.

Gambar di hadapan restoran McDonald berhampiran masjid jamek. Perhatikan longgokan sampah dan barangan yang rosak akibat banjir. Ketika ini, sekitar jam 5 petang, kawasan itu juga sedang mengalami black-out.
Picture in front of the Mc Donald outlet beside the main mosque. Look at the piles of rubbish and goods damaged by the flood. At the time, it was around 5 in the afternoon, the area was having a blackout.

Jalan Melaka yang masih ada kesan lumpur, sebelah stesyen LRT Masjid Jamek.
Jalan Melaka with some parts still immersed in mud, just beside the LRT (Light Railway Transit) of Masjid Jamek.




Kesan peninggalan banjir di kawasan Masjid India. Banyak barang perniagaan terutama kain baju yang rosak akibat banjir yang naik tidak kurang 2 kaki tinggi. Kelihatan dalam gambar ini satu jualan lelong yang diadakan di mana tudung wanita yang biasanya berharga RM10 sebuah dilelong dengan harga RM3 sebuah.
The flood aftermath around the area of Masjid India. Plenty of goods especially clothings where damaged becaused of the flood which went up not less than 2 feet deep. Visible in the picture is a sale where women's headscarf which normally cost RM10 each is being sold at RM3 a piece.
Di sebelah kedai ini (tiada dalam gambar) adalah jualan lelong kain buatan India. Kain yang biasanya berharga RM80 sepasang dijual pada harga RM20 sepasang, semuanya akibat barangan ini telah dicemari banjir maka perlu dibasuh balik oleh para pembeli.
Next to this shop (not visible in picture) is a sale for Indian-made silk. The silk normally cost RM80 a piece but now is being sold at RM20 each, all because it was spoiled by the flood and must be washed and cleaned by prospective buyers.

Kesesakan lalu-lintas di Lebuh Ampang akibat kerja-kerja membersihkan sampah-sarap tinggalan banjir.
The traffic jam at Lebuh Ampang caused by works to clean rubbish left by the flood.

Perhatikan bagaimana jalan ini terpaksa dihalang buat sementara supaya sampah-sarap dapat dipunggah lalu dibawa pergi.
Look, how the road is temporarily blocked so that the rubbish can be carried away.

Ini pula kotoran dan lumpur yang tinggal di sebuah lorong bersebelahan Lebuh Ampang. Bangunan tinggi di latar-belakang itu adalah bangunan Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur!
This is the dirt and mud left at a lane beside Lebuh Ampang. The tall building in the backgroud is the Kuala Lumpur City Hall building!