“Tidakkah mereka berjalan di muka bumi, lalu mereka mempunyai hati yang dengannya mereka dapat memahami…” (Surah Al-Hajj : ayat 46)
Sahabat sejati bukan sekadar teman ketika senang. Dia tetap bersama ketika kita susah, malah ketika apa jua keadaan sekalipun.
Dalam Islam, sahabat yang baik ialah yang membawa kita lebih dekat kepada Allah.
Dalam kaitan ini, ada satu kata hikmah daripada Umar ibn al-Khattab RA tentang sahabat berbunyi: “Jangan kamu tertipu dengan solat dan puasanya. Tetapi perhatikan dia ketika berkata, ketika diberi amanah, dan ketika bermusafir.”
Musafir menguji akhlak. Bila letih. Bila tertekan. Bila di luar zon selesa. Di situlah terserlah siapa diri sahabat itu yang sebenar.
Adakah dia sabar atau mudah marah? Adakah dia bertimbang rasa atau pentingkan diri? Atau adakah dia menjaga amanah ataupun cuai? Sebab itu, penting untuk memilih dengan siapa kita bermusafir.
Pada Jun 2025, ketika menikmati bayu laut di Bagan Lalang bersama Yeop, Azudin dan isteri masing-masing, lahir satu idea. Untuk bermusafir ke Istanbul dan UK bersama-sama.
Saya dan Azudin memang pernah belajar bersama di kolej di Blackpool dulu. Rasa “nak balik kampung Blackpool” itu masih kuat. Ingin mengimbau kenangan lama.
Yeop pula belum pernah benar-benar menjelajah UK. Hanya singgah seketika di London. Jadi, dia juga ingin turut serta. Dan isterinya, Kak Jed pula "nak tengok tulips".
Di Istanbul!
Dari situlah perancangan bermula.
Siri “bengkel” diatur. Semua perkara dibentang dan diteliti secara bersama. "Collective decision-making". "Consensus-building" and what have you. Tapi sebenarnya, lebih banyak gelak ketawa dan makan-makan daripada perbincangan serius.
Namun bagi saya, itulah sebenarnya yang diinginkan.
Bila kita bermusafir, it is not just the destination that matters, but it is also about the journey itself. Sebenarnya, perjalanan kami sudah pun bermula… even sebelum kami menjejak kaki ke dalam kapal terbang lagi.
Perbincangan di bengkel tersebut menjadi kenangannya tersendiri. Dan melaluinya kami semakin mengenali antara satu sama lain. Ukhuwah terasa semakin erat. Dengan itu, semoga ia menjadi bekalan yang baik untuk perjalanan dua minggu yang bakal kami tempuhi bersama nanti, insya-Allah.
Yang lebih penting, semoga perjalanan bersahabat ini diredhai Allah SWT. Bukan perjalanan yang melalaikan, tetapi perjalanan yang mendekatkan hati kami kepada-Nya. Aamiin.
I have been thinking of overhauling our tiny little garden in front of the house. After all, the garden, in its current shape and form, has been around for fifteen years. It is, mainly, a result of ad-hoc plantings. No major design theme, nor systematic planning.
So what do I have in mind for the new garden?
Hmm, I think I'd fancy an English garden this time around.
English gardens are characterised by their "organised-chaos" look. Wild flowers, shrubs and herbs are the mainstays.
Of course, creating an English garden in hot, tropical Malaysia do present its fair share of headaches. Chief amongst these would be choosing the right plants to create the right look and ambiance of a true English garden.
After much googling, I have managed to come up with a short list (I mean, a very short one) of plants. Problem is, they are quite hard to find at your normal, local plant nurseries.
But a visit to a recently launched Herbal Garden somewhere in Serdang introduced me to the humble Misai Kucing. I had not realized before that this interestingly named local plant produce delightful looking flowers in hues of purple.
I saw the MAS advertisement for its new Airbus A380 in the newspaper today, and it took my breath away.
What a beauty she is in its all-new livery with blue being the dominant new colour. Yup, blue, my favourite colour.
Malaysia Airlines will introduce the A380 onto its KL-London route thrice weekly beginning 1st July 2012. This will increase to daily flights come August. Sydney will be the second destination when the third aircraft is delivered in September.
The MAS A380 will have capacity for 494 passengers compared to 359 on the current Boeing 747-400.
By the way, MAS is the eighth carrier to receive this giant of an aircraft. I am mighty proud to say the least.
After a long lay off (again) I finally had a good, enjoyable ride this morning
accompanied by my trusted riding buddy - Syafiq, my son.
Actually we were accompanied by Emak and Nadiah to Putrajaya. But they opted for a walk by the lake side in Precincts 2 and 3. Whilst Syafiq and I hit the road, and some dirt trail, in Precincts 1, 8 and 7 right up to the promontory where the Perdana Foundation is located.
What's Perdana Foundation? It is the former PM Tun Mahathir's office. Ok? So, now you know.
In all we covered about 16km over 1 hour 15 minutes. It was a nice workout. I was sweating profusely (as usual) with max. heart beat rate touching 160. But Syafiq, he didn't even break sweat!
Must do more exercise. If it's not riding, then some walking would be good enough.
We all have old, black and white photos which provide memories of old days and reminders of our loved ones.
Having scanned a few of my old photos with the help of my daughter Sakinah, it saddens me to see some of them showing signs of age. Some seems to be fading, whilst others have scratches and unsightly spots all over them.
But in this day and age of IT and multimedia, fret not.
Anything is possible – well, almost anything.
With the help of photo repair softwares – and there are many of them around – one could restore and retouch old, damaged photos and bring them back to their glory days.
The pic above was taken in 1979 or 1980. I was on a train from London (or was it Manchester) back to Blackpool.
I’m not very good at it yet. But it sure looks better than the old, damaged one.
It's been quite sometime since I went out riding. Okay, its been a long time, actually. But my desire and aspiration to continue riding burns on.
This morning, I saw this interesting article in the BBC news which would nicely serve to motivate me to ride again. After Ramadhan is over, that is.
Read on.
Flashy sports cars are out, now no mid-life crisis is complete without a souped-up road bike. Why?
Every weekend, across the nation's rolling countryside, watch out for the Mamils: middle-aged men in lycra.
And ladies, if you have a man at home taking an unusual interest in how you shave your legs, you may have a Mamil in the making too.
Research conducted by the retail analyst Mintel suggests there has been a surge in the number of middle-aged men choosing to get on two wheels.
Given the number of men aged 35-44 who are buying fancy-pants road racing machines, is this a 21st Century mid-life crisis? Has the silence of skinny tyres and carbon fibre framesets replaced the thunderous noise of motorbikes?
Back in the day, when some men with a bit of disposable income reached a certain age, they did some strange things. The grind of the office and home life convinced some that the answer to an expanding midriff lay in a pair of designer jeans and a flashy but cheap Japanese sports car. Teenage daughters ran away screaming. Sons were deprived of the role models seen in adverts for shaving products.
Gents, our womenfolk were right all along. It wasn't a good look. And did it do anything for the beer belly?
The middle-aged cyclist's role model, sprinting legend Mark Cavendish
But then came a confluence of coincidences that gave a man an option other than looking like a gigolo cruising Italy's glitzy Lake Como.
The past three years have seen the rise of the uber-techno, super-flashy, full-carbon fibre, bobby-dazzler road bike. The market for these bikes has expanded faster than a 45-year-old's waistline, partly thanks to the success of the British cycling stars at the Beijing Olympics. Marketing departments have produced smart advertising messages that encourage a bit of freedom, elite performance and memories of teenage derring-do.
And the result can be seen on Saturday and Sunday mornings as middle-aged blokes polish the rear derailleur, lower the mirrored shades and pedal into the hills. Every couple of weeks, you'll see a girth of Mamils gathering to race a "Sportive", a form of amateur competing that has taken the British cycling world by storm.
While the serious, younger riders are busy getting into the zone of elite competition, we're comparing the latest GPS route-finding cycle computer and pretending that we know how to stretch.
No Mamil's life is complete without the spiritual journey to the mountains”
We hit the first hill and suddenly we're a puffing, panting, heaving mass of sweaty humanity that is well past its sell-by-date. Sounds humiliating? I've never had so much fun in my life - and there are also some unintended benefits of being the older rider.
First, there's the no-questions-asked fan club. My kids, on the promise of an ice cream, will cheer me over the top of any climb. They're still young enough to think I'm Superman - and you don't get that kind of pick-me-up on the golf course.
Even better is the Mamil's solution to saddle sores. A teenage shop assistant in a too-posh-to-pedal London shop tried to sell me some balm for £30. What's the point of that, I asked. I've got loads of unused nappy rash cream at home. He thought I was terminally uncool. I know better son, learn from your elders.
But no Mamil's life is complete without the spiritual journey to the mountains.
Robbie McIntosh is 45 and has spent much of the past year clad in lycra after being talked into cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats with a group of fellow Mamils.
Robbie McIntosh on Mont Ventoux - one of the toughest climbs in the world
Ten days of pain, rain and groin strain later, he decided he was ready for Mont Ventoux. This mountain, the Giant of Provence, is one of the toughest climbs in the world - 23km straight up. British cycling legend Tom Simpson died on its slopes in 1967. Last month, with terror in his belly, Robbie began turning the wheels.
"I wanted so much to say I'd climbed the Ventoux. It's an amazing mountain and a serious challenge.
"I was surprised at my nerves but I had a sense that if I could do this on a bike I could do anything and that was a feeling I wanted so much."
And make it he did. He wasn't as balletic as the local, young French riders - but he stood alongside them at the 1,910m summit and surveyed the world.
"Cycling has given me an opportunity to feel sporting achievement of the very highest level," says Robbie. "It doesn't matter that the pros ride up Mont Ventoux at twice the speed or more. I can scale the same sporting heights as the best cyclists on the planet. I can walk with giants."
Flash road bikes definitely look like a midlife crisis”
So a man becomes fitter and happier. Where's the midlife crisis in that? Ah. The costs.
Ladies, look away now. Men who seriously cycle typically spend about £3,000 to live that dream. For a time, at least. That sum will cover the set-up and the first year, then about £1,000 a year, at least, on top of that.
The must-have bike of the summer is the Pinarello Dogma, the bike used by the British Team Sky in the Tour de France. Yours for about £7,000. Grown men stop and stare at this machine, like seven-year-old lads pressed against the toy shop window.
Thankfully, most Mamils don't have that kind of money to burn. But it hasn't stopped the rapid growth of a suburban money-laundering operation. It goes something like this. Man dribbles while looking at £100 bib shorts on cycling website - they're the kind that make you look like a wrestler. Partner says no, think about the starving children. Man continues to look at bib shorts and decides they will help conceal his 36-inch waist.
Ventoux brings some men close to collapse
He calculates that three weeks of hard pedalling will help on the belly front - which is coincidentally the same time it takes to receive a secret new credit card to pay for the shorts. Job done. Platinum status achieved with the online cycling retailer. Discounts on more kit, all of which is sent directly to the office rather than home.
When you run the slide rule over all of this, flash road bikes definitely look like a midlife crisis.
There's a look to strive for, expensive kit and excuses for weekends away.
I and my band of hill-climbing brothers disagree. It's about becoming a happier and healthier person rather than sliding towards mediocre oblivion at the bottom of a pint glass.
But I conclude with a message from my own Mrs Mamil to other cycling widows. She's discovered a precise form of retaliation. If your portly husband buys another stupid fluorescent jersey, buy yourself another pair of shoes.
Student days are meant to be enjoyed. If you have the time, that is.
But you have to make the time. For these are the days when one is young and energetic. One has to go out and about, see new places, and learn new things. Enjoy life.
After all, you are only young once. Once you hit mid-twenties, its downhill all the way. One by one your senses and physical well-being will start to give way.
One of the things which I used to do during my A-Levels in England was to pick up photography. And oh, how glad I am that I did.
Photography has given me much pleasure and taken me to new places when I go on one of my photo trips with either my housemates or visiting friends from other cities. It has taught me to be more observant of my surroundings. And it has enabled me to look at the beauty of seemingly even the most mundane of things such as a puddle on wind-swept, very cold Blackpool beach on a winter evening.
Today's ride is just a short one and I was accompanied by Nadiah.
Taman Botani Putrajaya is now almost ten years in existence. It is the first park to be developed in Putrajaya and one can see how the trees are maturing nicely.
Besides the trees and beautiful flowers, the botanical park is also home to a collection of plants including some rare species.
We planted the pokok bunga kemboja in our garden this morning. Bunga kemboja, or frangipani (pulmeria) as it is commonly called in English are tropical plants which produce big flowers with nice fragrance.
It is said to be native to tropical and subtropical Americas.But as far as I can recall, there have always been many frangipani trees in Malaysia even during my childhood days.
I remember spending many happy hours playing under the shades of these trees at my Ashby Road Primary School in Ipoh (now Sekolah Rendah Seri Kinta). In fact one of the games we used to have was to play keep ups using an improvised “ball” which was actually a handful of frangipani flowers tied together with a rubber band. Just goes to show how creative kids were those days.
Being about five feet in height, our frangipani tree is quite huge. So it took us quite a while, and with a lot of hard work, to dig the hole in the ground and then heave the plant it into place.
According to my friend who got this plant for me this particular variety bears bright red flowers. Which is just as well, because the Mem Besar had fore-warned me that the common white-flowered variety is a big NO, NO for the garden.
The tree doesn't have any flowers as yet. So I'm kinda looking forward to see it bloom soon. But the flowers had better be bright red in colour, or else I'd be in trouble with the Mem.
Bulbs of lilies which had to make way for the kemboja
It was deliberately designed to see greeneries in abundance and where its citizens would have nature at their doorsteps, so to speak.
Such planning has seen Putrajaya developing into a city where nature is woven seamlessly into the urban fabric. The lake, wetlands system, the wooded areas and endless green corridors, as well as the promenade all add up to an urban nature sanctuary bar none, dare I say.
This means that Putrajaya has - inadvertently perhaps - turned into a heaven for cycling.
For, besides the Putrajaya Challenge Parkwhich is now well on the way to becoming a "must ride" venue for every mtb enthusiast worth his salt, you also have the trails in the wetlands and the kilometers of promenade which offer interesting rides within cool, shaded environment with the sounds of insects and birds chirping in the background.
Enjoy some pics taken during my morning ride in Putrajaya Wetland today with three of my riding buddies: Pak Adib, his son Maher, and Maher's office colleague Henri.
Pak Adib and gang preparing for the ride
Cool, crisp morning air - fresh air!
The lone rider: being one with nature
Lake side wakaf stop
Tranquil, serene place for respite
Wildlife in the wetlands
Macho riders
Putrajaya Lake/wetland
Pak Adib: he walks, he cycles, and now he wants to sail too! Seen here looking longingly at a boat
With Liverpool languishing below the top four placing in the league table, and showing no signs of improving, my weekends have become all dull and nothing much to look forward to nowadays.
So, what to do?
Fear not. For the F1 season has arrived. And this season promises to be an exciting one, too.
First, Michael Schumacher, statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen, is back to rock the circuits. Secondly, my favourite McLaren team seems to have a more reliable car this season (if Lewis Hamilton himself says so, then who am I to question).
But more interestingly, there are two teams with the Malaysian connection this season.
Petronas now is the major sponsor for team Mercedes Grand Prix, with Schumacher of course, as one of its drivers.
And then there is Team Lotus F1. This team, a reincarnation of the legendary Lotus team of yesteryears, is now totally Malaysian owned and managed.
The race kicks off today at the Sakhir Circuit, Bahrain. Happy viewing.
Tired faces half way up the hill to the water tank (actually just one tired face, because Anas was just fine)
The view from Bandar Mahkota Cheras water tank (half way up)
This was my second ride after the accident last May (or was it June?).
Again my companion was Anas. I'm not ready yet to venture out with my riding buddies who are bound to be much fitter as they've been training continuously.
Today's ride took us to Bandar Mahkota Cheras, the residential area famous for its traffic light/junction blockage incident last year which saw scuffles and demonstrations.
Tried to attack its highest point, the water storage tank atop a hill. The mind said "weee...let's go, let's go!". But my body said "arrgh...tak boleh tahan....".
So we ended up just half way up. The view from up there was breathtaking nevertheless. But I got breathless, and sweated, profusely!
Summary
Date: 24 January 2010 (Sunday)
No. of riders : just the two of us
Set off/finish time: ~ 6.50am – 8.15am
Total duration: 1 hour 25 min.
Route: Home, Tmn Mahkota Cheras, Pekan Cheras Batu 11 river confluence, Taman Megah.
Distance covered: 15.8 km
Trail condition: Road plus a little bit of rough trails
The long end-of-year school break is over and life is back to 'normal'.
'Normal' in the sense that my weekends can be spent attending to our small garden, riding my mountain bike, or going to the surau for solat subuh and kuliah subuh.
Such seemingly not-out-of-the-ordinary activities become somewhat of a luxury during school breaks as I tend to be engrossed in this and that....err...I don't know what!
This past few weeks it has been balik kampung trips, khenduri trips, family outings, a driving vacation, a seminar, a workshop...you name it, I'd done it.
Today was the first Saturday - after quite sometime - that I could potter around in the garden.
The first thing that needed to be attended to was the lawn, for the grass had threatened to grow to be like lalang! Yes, that's how long they'd been left un-attended.
I like to mow my own lawn. It gives me more satisfaction, and I can be quite hard to please as to how I want the grass to be cut.
To help me out, together with me today was Anas, Nadiah, and of course the Mem Besar.
Incidentally, the Mem Besar had cut down the big bougainvillea tree by the front gate as well as another tree much closer to the house. So the garden looks a bit barren now. Somehow she had got into this chopping-off mood that day. Luckily not of the Bobbit stylechop-off (ouch!).
After this, I'll be off to Putrajaya to apply for Nadiah's IC.
She's a big girl now, my youngest. And this shall be a big year for her too. UPSR exam.
One happy fisherman with the one that didn't get away
Novice fishing family in action
Our whole catch for the day (after 3 hour's work)
The end of year school term break is almost coming to its end. Yet - apart from the trip back to kampong - my family and I have not gone anywhere for a holiday.
I have not been able to take a leave for the boss has gone to Makkah for his hajj. And yours truly has had to cover up for him whilst he's in the holy land.
Consumed with a sense of guilt, I had to think of something to make up for it and found myself having to resort to something a bit more creative, albeit quite out of the ordinary somewhat.
Just last week we took the KL Hop On Hop Off bus ride around KL.
Yup, you heard me right. We became like foreign tourists in our own country. But it was a joy nevertheless. Got to go to a few places that we'd never been to before.
For me especially, it was a much welcomed change because for once I did not have to concentrate on my driving. I just sat back and relaxed and had the full opportunity to view and enjoy KL streets, buildings and its people.
Today was a totally different experience altogether.
We went fishing in Putrajaya.
The Putrajaya Lake is teeming with fishes. This includes much sought after species like the baung, tenggala and even the odd kelah. More common species are the lampam sungai and predators like toman.
But one cannot just fish anywhere in Putrajaya. The lake and its flora and fauna are strictly regulated and managed by Perbadanan Putrajaya so that they are not plundered by overzealous fishermen.
To do fishing one can always head to the Lake Recreation Centre in Precinct 13. Here, upon paying a small fee, everyone can fish to their heart's content from 9.00am to 7.00pm.
For a novice fishing family, we did not do that bad today. For a three-hour's work, we managed to catch four lampam sungai.
One tenggala was donated to us by a kind angler by the name of Hassan who took pity on us upon seeing our meagre catch by his standard. Hassan managed to catch eight lampam and two tenggala in just two-and-a half hour!
We had the fish for dinner. They were just delicious. .
Boeing's new B787 passenger aircraft successfully completed its first test flight in Seattle, US two days ago.
Dubbed as the Dreamliner, it promises to be one of the world's most fuel-efficient planes due to its very lightweight design using carbon and titanium construction materials.
In this day and age of rising fuel costs, it is no wonder that the Dreamliner has attracted some 840 orders from all over with Japan's All Nippon Airlines scheduled to take the first delivery by end 2010.
The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry between 200 to 300 passengers on routes ranging from 5,650 to 15,750 kilometers depending on different versions of the aircraft.
The aircraft looks so sleek and beautiful that aviation enthusiasts would find it hard not to fall in love with it at first sight.
I wonder if MAS is one of those putting an order for one of this aircraft. It would look great in MAS’s colourscheme.
I think it is now almost five months since I last went riding on my mountain bike. That's a very long lay off.
Despite getting the green light from the good doctor to ride again, I am still some way off it. Reason being is that I am still searching for the replacement wheel sets.
Perhaps I have not been searching hard enough. If I were to head to the nearest bicycle shop in Sg Long, I am sure I could find a set. The problem is that they might be too expensive. I don't have a fat wallet. And this month my budget is a bit off, especially because the last pay-day came a tad too early due to the festive season.
I got a tip from a riding buddy, Jefri, that another rider friend have spare sets he'd like to sell off. But the tip came in a bit too late. I was beaten to the sets by Dr Azmi, yet another of my riding mate.
Sigh...I am still hoping to get my hands on a second hand set of wheels. But my patience is running thin. Just this evening whilst driving home I spied with my little eyes a middle-aged, slightly overweight rider with a decently bulging stomach to boot passing right in front of me at the traffic lights.
He seemed to be smiling at me as if teasing me "hey, aren't you supposed to be riding yet?"
Well, at least I think that's what he was saying in his mind. Or, was is just me being overcome with extreme jealousy.
Don’t be surprised if you read the above headlines in the newspapers over the next one week or so. Because, yes, I am (finally) planning my come back after a long lay-off from riding.
During the long break, I was reduced to merely reading emails about the exploits of my riding mates as they ride off into the sun set and enjoy their rides in such exotic places like Broga and FRIM.
That I missed my rides would be an obvious statement of the year.
Whenever I’m driving, the sight of dirt tracks such as those above would bring an inexplicable urge to grab a bike and hit the trail. Alas, I could only look at them longingly from afar. If I stumble upon a group of riders along the road I would watch in envy as they enjoy themselves. And to make things worse, the Mem Besar by my side would never miss the opportunity to tease and snigger at the sight of me ogling at the riders.
But just before Hari Raya I visited the doctor at HUKM and I’ve been given the green light to ride again, albeit with a stern warning to “behave yourself, and be extra careful next time”.
But, first things first. I have to get a new set of rims for my bicycle because the ones I had had been damaged during my fall last June.
Commemorative stamps on the occasion of the establishment of Malaysia Airlines System
Did you know that our flag carrier, MAS, had its beginnings as the Malayan Airways which was founded in 1937?
With the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the airline was renamed Malaysian Airways. It was soon renamed again in 1965 as Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA).
But when Singapore separated (some say “kicked out?”) from Malaysia, and what with both countries having differing aspirations, eager to develop and project their own distinctive identity, it was only matter of time that MSA would be disbanded.
This finally happened in 1973, giving birth to two different airlines. The Malaysian national carrier was from now on called Malaysia Airlines System (MAS).
MAS McDonnell Douglas DC10-30
Those early days saw MAS branding itself more of a regional carrier, connecting a myriad of remote destinations in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. But soon enough it expanded adding, among others, the lucrative KL-London route.
And it was just in time too, I might add. For when I flew to London on 9th September of 1979 to further my studies, it was in a beautiful, gleaming MAS McDonnell Douglas DC10-30 aircraft.
It was just awesome!
The economic boom in Malaysia during the 1980s further spurred the growth of MAS. By the end of the decade, it was flying to 47 overseas destinations. By this time it had also changed its name to the current Malaysia Airlines.
Today MAS serves over 90 international destinations in six continents and boasts a fleet of aircraft that is as good as any other international airlines you may get. This comprises the following:
Current MAS Fleet (Major Aircrafts)
Boeing B747-400SP: 13 crafts Boeing B777-200: 17 crafts Airbus A330-300: 11 crafts Airbus A330-200: 3 crafts Boeing B737-400: 37 crafts Airbus A380-841: 6 crafts ordered (year 2011 entry into service)
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Commemorative stamps on the occasion of the establishment of Malaysia Airlines System
MAS McDonnell Douglas DC10-30
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