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Moving
I am moving to http://why360.motime.com. Come and visit me over there.
This blog will still be kept alive and will be used as reference.
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a day at Ipoh
At the beginning of the week, went to Ipoh City and stayed at a very nice hotel, the Casuarina. And we had a room overlooking the race course and the far distant craggy rise limestone mountains. Very scenic, especially with the City having tress all over and no major tall buildings.
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its never peaceful in KL.
I am back in KL this week and until the New Year. But its never peaceful. For two months before this my front neighbours (with an ‘s’ mind you!) were renovating their houses. A lot of noise of cement mixing and knocking of concrete floors, and drillings and sand blasting and pneumatic drills. Now my immediate neghbours is having his house renovated. Again the same knockings and noises (and Indon labourers). Very disturbing, and I am never at peace. I wonder how long will this last. I wonder. There is
no peace. Wish I am in Kuantan, where its more peaceful, even thought the students who rent the apartments next to mine makes quite a noise at night. But its less nervy than the drill noises.
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pride and prejudice
Just rambling. The writeup below is an extract of one of my replies in a discussion group on politic and religion in Malaysia. A very friendly discussion though. The first para is just talking about my experience then and now, but the second para is more serious to me - about the malaise of Muslim Malays in Malaysia today. Its an indication on how selfish and unfriendly some are towards non-Muslims, be they local of oversea visistors. Some of the words used are Malay words.
Kita ni cakap cakap aja. But its the truth, and most of us finds it difficult to accept the truth. When I was small we used to have this saying, "Jangan buat apa yang guru buat, buat apa yang guru suruh". So even at that very young age you get bullied by your teacher. Then as you grow older, you go out of your comfort zone, into another environment. You gret bullied by the bigger boys, and also maybe by the wealthy boys. Sometimes not physical bully but mental bully, they seems always to have a lot of money, they spoke English (I did not even learn English untill I was 12 years old), they seems to have cars where you don't and they went on holidays where as you go back to the kampong to tap rubber to make some pocket money. And when you back to class after the holiday they tell you all about their holidays (the beaches and/or hills - if they told the truth) and you have nothing to speak of. Worse when the teacher ask you what you did during the holidays. So your self esteem is eroded badly. You learn to keep quiet. I am just talking about my experience, but others may have other experience when their self esteem get eroded. We live in a society with many invisible barriers, so the rich boys probably get their self esteem eroded by the richer boys (I did not know much about girls then) and so on. And of course it all end up at the very top level, in my days the Mat Salleh , earlier days the Royalty, (even today) (see my blog http://notime.motime.com/tag/abdullah) and after independent the polticians (you must belong to a certain party otherwise you are an outsider). And in your working life your bosses - dare you to speak back to your bosses or you suffer, you have to maintain your good PDA. And in the outside world you get threaten at everything that you do. "Nanti tangkap Polis" "nanti masuk lokap" "nanti kena ISA". macam macam gaya "nanti". So you keep quite. And you children see you very quiet and so they also keep quiet. With your worried mind, if they dare to speak, they may get shouted at! Even the newspapers give you the same news, whatever papers you buy, same article, same opinion ( and if you are not a politician don't speak up, and if a politician speaks up, they are told to keep quiet with the "nanti" again. "nanti tak jadi calon""nati stop bank loan"........."nanti kena ISA"). Now you see where we are. And our children and youths are watching. Capt., I wrote the above para before the Maghrib prayers and I am now continuing past the Isya time. I saw your remarks about PAS in Kelantan. Living in Pahang I am not sure if Pahang is that good now. (http://kiss-met.blogspot.com/2005/11/pahang-from-just-observer.html). Judge for yourself. But what irked me tonight was that just before the Maghrib prayers, some Orang Puteh from Switzerland wanted to watch us praying in the Big mosque in Kuantan, They asked me and I could not see anything wrong with that. (unless my religious knowledge is 'songsang'). So I invited them in just a few steps into the doorway, I suppose about 75 meters from the main prayer hall, not in anybody's way anyway. But they got waved away by the Guard who said, "The Imam does not allow visitors after 4.00 pm". Well I thought, that was nice - if Parameswara did not watch some Arabs praying on the Melaka beach then, we will probably not be Muslims now (to those who are Muslims anyway). And as for the Iman, one finger up from me - he is never in the Mosque, I mean the Big Imam, only his Assistant are there leading all prayers. He only appears when the Sultan is there. So Capt., gaji buta eh? Corruption?
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Don’t.
It’s a very common word, used in all sorts of situation and on all occasion. I only learned the word when I was first learning English in school. The teacher used to tell us, that before we learned any word of English, he made us remember these words, “I do not know Sir, I don’t speak English”. He specifically emphasised on the word “don’t”, though later on he did not encourage us to use the short form for ‘not’; the reason being that he wanted us to speak the English in full. But for that starting period he allowed us, so that every time when he asked anyone of us a question (in English) he expected an answer. Most of us then did not speak English, so we had to use that sentence often until we learned more English words and sentences. Of course after a couple of months we were proficient enough to answer him in English so we soon dropped that sentence which he wanted us to remember earlier from our daily conversation.
But don’t is a very funny word. It has got a negative connotation, a warning, an instruction and probably an emphasis. “I don’t speak English” probably has got all the above. It’s negative because it’s a backward ‘movement’, you make the questioner using the English language go back to another system of communication, verbal or sign. Its a warning because you are warning the other party not to speak in English, as you may not understand him/her and cannot answer him/her in that language. It’s an instruction indirectly, telling him/her to use another mode of communication. It’s an emphasis because to make it a point that you ‘cannot speak English’. So what the teacher taught us earlier had a very deep meaning. In fact I observe that many people trying to learn a language, not their mother tongue, has this similar sentence taught first.
I do not actually favour this word ‘don’t’. To me it’s a tool to make people unprogressive, loosing initiative, being frightened, unproductive and scared. When I was a young boy, there were many ‘don’t’ being told to me by the older folks. Each has his/her belief, so I used to get many ‘don’t’ from many people - we were a closed community then, living in a kampong. If you see a rainbow, someone used to say “Don’t point your fingers to the rainbow, you may loose that finger”. I could not see the connection. And if he sun is shining and if it rains simultaneously, they used to say,”Get into the house, don’t play in that ‘hujan panas’” (literally translated as ‘rain sunshine’). When you eat they said, “Don’t eat with your left hand”. This I know why, the left hand in a Muslim society is used to wipe your bot after you go to the toilet. When you eat, they used to say, “Eat your rice, don’t eat too much of the fish (or the meat)”. This I also knew, as then it was quite difficult to get fish or meat, the main source of protein. “Don’t bathe in hot water with the water in a container being left in the hot sun”. They say that by doing so you may get patches of white on your skin. When I think about it now, I wonder now what can happen when you bathe in hot water from a solar water heater? But in those days they had never dream of such a thing. “Don’t drink water while you are eating”. Why not? I never found out. “Don’t pee while you are standing waist deep in water or while you are swimming”. I suppose the reason is obvious, you pollute the water in which others may be there with you. “Don’t read (or stitch) at night, you may loose your sight”. Again it’s obvious, in those days, for light in the kampong they used kerosene lamps, so by reading or stitching you will strain your eyes thus spoiling them. “Don’t touch anything with your feet”. In this society, it’s a sign of disrespect. If you are so used to touching with your feet, you may even touch people with your feet, which is a no no. There were so many ‘don’ts’ that I cannot list them all down, and I cannot remember them all now. It’s only when you happen to want to do the ‘don’t’ that you will remember.
There is the tendency that most of us have. When we hear “Don’t!” we all want to find out why? Like a small child, if he/she goes near a fire we say, “Don’t go near that fire!”, and the result is that he/she will go near the fire. And when we say, “Don’t touch that fire!” he/she will naturally touch the fire, and the result? Most of us know. We say, “Don’t drink and drive”. Many will say, “I never get drunk”. But does a drunk know that he/she is drunk? These are bravadoes, and the result may be fatal. And in politic, if some politician tells us “Don’t vote for the other Party”, what do we do?
“Don’t” can be very effective if we are dealing with reasonable people. But dealing with people who believe in extreme right or extreme left, may result in us being trampled over. People with strong views never listen to “Don’t”. I can take it that believing in Communism is extreme left and being very religious is extreme right (I stand to be corrected). Now try telling these people, “Don’t have to believe in ............that or this”, and you will have a riot in your hands.
There are sometimes when “Don’t” is not used but instead we use “Do not”. For example “Do not disturb” signs on hotel doors or “Do not feed the animals” in zoos. These are actually emphasised and precise instructions. Certain repercussions will result if the instruction is not followed. But there are sometimes you see vague instructions such as “Do not sit” for benches with wet paint, perhaps added to it “wet paint”. In furniture shops they have identical instructions for say beds where they say “Do not sit” with or without the word “on the bed”. But when it comes to antique furniture the instruction “Do not sit” is very emphatic.
So “Don’t” is a very useful word, be it meant to be negative or positive. To me, when it is used in a negative situation, for example “Don’t eat with your mouth open”, it has a much generalised meanings. You can eat with your mouth open if you want to. When used in a positive situation, such as”Don’t wet the bathroom floor” it has a definite meaning and a definite instruction, which must be obeyed.
Well, if you don’t agree with what I have written, you don’t have to read the passage twice.
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sitting style
Comfortably sitting, Malaysia style, in an Indian coffee shop. Oblivion to actions around him.
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You are invited for tea.
A tea evening, cosy and easy.
But we Malaysian sometimes have a different concept of having tea. Plenty and filling.
Each to his/her own.
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“Krupuk lekor” in People’s stalls in the East Coast of West Malaysia.
People’s stalls , it’s for the people, people who do not go to Supermarkets to buy everyday stuff. And everyday staff I list here are unnecessary food – but not rubbish food - good to have but not essential. Things like fish crackers, fish and tomato sauce, fruits probably and maybe dried fish.
In many of these people stall they sell “krupuk lekor” a tail like dough of minced sea fish and sago flour. It’s soft enough to eat raw (?) but it’s strong enough to be held up with ones hands. It’s dry some time but slimy most of the time. See picture above. It’s of various sizes and various lengths, it may just be a foot long on average but sometimes they make it as long as over 2 feet in length, 2 in to 1/2 in. diameter. Taste? Fishy. How does one cook them? Cut them into small length, say 2 to 3 inches, and deep fry them in oil – in Malaysia mostly in palm oil. And when cook one eats them by dipping them into a sort of sweet sour chili sauce. They do taste nice (and not so fishy anymore). And how does one keeps them for a longer period? One may dry freeze them if you like, like sausages, and defreeze them when one wants to deep fry them or one may cut them into thin slices and dry them in the hot tropical sun. In these conditions it’s called “krupuk”. When dry one may pack them up in small packages for sale. Nutritious and very convenient especially to the rural (even urban) folk in the East Coast. And now these are also the favourites of some community in the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. In fact the “krupuk lekor” (and the “krupuk”) is now manufactured in a factory near Kuala Lumpur, making these in a highly modern method and in more hygienic conditions. I read some where that they have penetrated the market in Kuala Lumpur – and I understand that they have even export their products to other countries in this region.
Eating them raw I said? Yes they do in certain community in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, not really raw but those not yet deep fried. I tried it once and I must say that I have to get used to it before I can say “I like it”.
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A banana leaf meal.
A good start, but as the meal gets to be interesting more dishes are added.
What is that plate on the bottom left. The photographer does not eat rice, so he has to make do with the plateful of food with no rice, and no banana leaf.
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Western Dinner
I thought its time we invite some
friends for dinner at home. Its Hari Raya (Eid) time and we have not done anything really remarkable to entertain friends. So on the Sunday night my wife and I got some friends to our house and we had a Western
dinner served, home cooked. Luckily my daughter and her cousion were home to help out with the cooking and the dishes. These photos are not that good, very much out of focus, I was using the ‘camera’ function of the Nokia 6600 handphone given to me by my son a few weeks ago. Its not the fault of the 'camera' really, its the photographer who was not very good, and the photographer was I.
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sleeping rough
8.00 am, Kuala Lumpur, air - hot and damp, drizzling outside the LRT (Light Rail Transport) station. He is sleeping rough, inside – a vagabond? A drug addict? Nobody knows. Where does he come from? How old is he? – looks quite young when I saw his face. Its all questions. Quite a number are to be found in Kuala Lumpur.
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wet market
Wet market in a small town in Malaysia. Women selling home grown vegetables and some odds and ends relating to vegetables, and a scene of men fishmongers. A typical scene, and in this case it’s a daily wet market view in Temerloh Town new wet market.
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MacDonald
This has to be the highest MacDonald in Malaysia, at about 20,000 feet above sea level. (Maybe in the world!). Its at Genting Sempah, (on Peninsular Malaysia's backbone mountain main range) near the Pahang/Selangor border, at the tunnel entrance. And very close to the Genting Highland road.
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Smelly money
I would imagine that most people know that tyres, rubber gloves and condom are made of rubber, at least most of them. And rubber trees are found mostly in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Yes, rubber is from trees. It’s a long history really, trees originally found in Brazil, seedlings re-planted in Malaya then, and the trees grow so well in this area that soon countries like Thailand and Indonesia grow them.
Anyway its not an easy life planting, tapping and selling rubber. I call this write up as smelly money. Anyone been near raw rubber will find it smells like nothing on earth, intoxicating acidic smell. But that in its raw fore can be fetch a tapper as high at USD 0.50/kilo. That is a lot of money to the rural folks in Malaysia. And in its manufactured form the price may be 100 times that.
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Just a Malay wedding
The happy bride and the groom just after the “akad nikah” (legalising the marriage) on the night of 19 Nov 2005.
Went to Malay weddings at the weekend on 20 Nov. 2005. One was in the kampong and the other about 10 km away, one of my wife’s nieces got married (photo). Nothing special really, just big feasts. Quite enjoyable. This is actually the season when there are many Malay weddings all over the places in Malaysia, these weddings normally take place during the school holiday, and I do not know the reason why.
And on going back to Kuantan that Sunday, Kuantan Town was raining like cats and dogs, in fact it rained quite heavily until we left Kuantan the Tuesday morning. The monsoon rain, the type of rain that may bring flood to the East Coast of Malaysia.
Luckily at the weddings (in the kampong – about 100 km inland from Kuantan), there was no rain. Probably it rains at weddings in Kuantan and the surrounding areas.
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Begging in any form.
To the best of my knowledge begging in Malaysia is not encouraged. And Malaysian seems to always associate begging with Burmese Muslim immigrants (legal or illegal)
But many time, it is never peaceful walking about in the streets of Kuala Lumpur with people (Malaysian Malays, male or female, mostly young and very well dressed), ‘begging’; begging you to buy this or buy that – all in the name of charity, orphanage or something similar. You are never at peace to walk about, and they make you feel so guilty, especially if you are a Malay or a Muslim as most of those ’begging’ are for Muslim orphanage or some other supposedly Muslim good causes. They may be selling book markers or some Muslim religious titled books with seemingly very religious contents or sometimes showing you dubious (at least to me) letter of authority indicating that they are authorised to collect money for that or this charity. They seemingly selling (those who sell books) the books at a cheaper price than what is written on the cover, and may (those not sellling books) accept even as low as RM 1.00 (USD 1.00 = RM 3.80) for the ‘charity’. I wonder if these ‘beggars’ really work for the good cause that they portray.
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Ramadhan
A good month gone, the month of Ramadan, where good Muslims fast; its not just a culture but an obligation. And during that month, good Muslims try to be good, to earn as much ‘marks’ for the hereafter. A month of good deed, a month of prayers and a month of going hungry because Allah says so in the Koraan.
"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed upon those before you in order that you may attain taqwaa." [Soorah al-Baqarah (2):183]
I have posted some of those in my blogs.
I spent the month, in Kuantan (Malaysia) for about 15 days and then I went back to Kuala Lumpur (KL) for the other 15 days. Its really an uneventful month, fasting, sleeping, going to mosques for prayers and eating good food at night. It is a misused month for some people, a month when they buy excesses, from food stalls created just for the purposes of selling good food for the break-of-fast during the fasting month, and hotels and big restaurants taking advantage of hungry Muslims, serving excesses of good and variety of food at astronomical prices. And Muslims going for excessive shoppings preparing to celebrate the coming Eid which falls at the end of Ramadan – fist day of Shawal. In fact in my mind many Muslims had not really obeyed the call of Allah for fasting but instead they do almost everything in excess. The spirit of fasting was almost gone.
To me the interesting part of the month was in the Taraweeh prayers, the prayers done just after the Isya prayers; some do 8 raka’ah while others go as many as 20 raka’ah, and I am told that others may do more than those numbers – not including the Witir prayers, which is the closing prayers for the night. And its beautiful in those Taraweeh prayers when the Al-Hafiz recites the Koraanic verses by heart. Al-Hafiz are those people who can recite the whole of the Koraanic verses by heart, correctly, without even looking at the Book. These are very special people. And nobody can cheat because there are many Al-Hafiz and each will know when the recitation is wrong. And that is why nobody can alter the verses in the Koraan, any alteration can easily be detected by a Al-Hafiz.
In Kuantan, at the main Kuantan mosque the Al-Hafiz are already in existence, the many young Imams of the mosque. And the Sultan of Pahang prayed at the mosque a couple of nights prior of him going to Mecca for Umrah, and he only returning after Eid, a week or so after. So these young Imams had to show their Koraanic prowse. When I returned to KL, I found that the mosque in my locality have hired a couple of good Muslim young Al-Hafiz from Thailand. And I went for my prayers over there and I was very impressed with them. This poto showing two of them, 1st right and no. 5 from right.
On the 1st of Shawal my family and I celebrated our Eid in the kampong (village) like most Malay Muslim families. The usual family get together, innocent celebration, and eating a lot of sweet, curry (and rendang), ketupat and compressed white rice. That lasted for a couple of days, and after that we all dispersed, going back to places where we earn our living.
As adult it is just expected of us to go back to the village for the Eid gathering and the children enjoying themselves visiting houses, gathering whatever money (usually RM 1.00) given by friends, relatives and neighbours, whenever these children visit their houses. It never used to be like that in my young days, but in these days and age it is expected. But at least my mother-in-law has re-painted her house inside and outside to receive us all during the Hari Raya (Eid) celebration period.
Eid Mubarak.
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Courting danger
The photo was taken in Kuantan (Pahang, Malaysia) this morning. Some people do not even know that they are endangering their children, by bringing them like that on their moped. The other child, probably about 1 year older than the baby shown, was in front of the man (not in view) standing on the metal basket attached to the moped front frame.
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New old handphone
During the Hari Raya period (Eid) recently my son gave me his Nokia 6600 handphone which he does not need anymore. He has bought a PDA. And I let him have my Nokia 3 series handphone for whatever he wants to do with it. This Nokia 6600 is quite handy, it has got a camera at 1.3 megapixel and bluetooth facilities. I do not need any other of the fancy accessories anymore and I do not need a 3G phone, neither a PDA (not yet anyway). Well with the camera and the bluetooth facilities I took the above photo of my wife’s niece, Ella, when she came over to the house during the celebration. It comes out quite well I think.
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fasting
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The Pillars of Fasting
By: Abu Bakr Jabir Al-Jaza'iry
From: Minhaj Al-Muslim
© Dar-us-Salam
1. An-Niyyah (Intention):
It is the resolve of the heart to fast in carrying out the command of Allah The Mighty and Majestic, or to draw near to Him. This is due to the statement of the Prophet  :
"Deeds are judged by their intentions."
[Al-Bukhari]
If the fast is an obligatory fast, then the intention must be made during the (previous) night, before Fajr time (the first crack of dawn). This is due to the Prophet's statement:
"One who does not plan (intend) to fast during the night, there is no fast for him."
[At-Tirmithi]
If it is a non obligatory fast, it is correct (acceptable) even if the intention is made after the entry of Al-Fajr (the first crack of dawn) and the progression of daytime, as long as he has not eaten anything. This is due to the statement of A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
"The Messenger of Allah entered upon me one day and said:
'Do you have anything (to eat)?'
We said, 'No.' He said:
'The Verily I am fasting.'
[Muslim]
2. Al-Imsak (Refraining):
This is to refrain from those things that break the fast, such as eating, drinking and sexual intercourse.
3. Az-Zaman (The Time):
This means the daytime, which is from the entry of Fajr (the first crack of dawn on the horizon) until the setting of the sun. So if a man fasted during the night and did not fast during the day, his fast will never be correct (i.e. acceptable). This is the statement of Allah the Almighty:
And complete the fast until the night.
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 187]
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Tigers
Look at the parts that a tiger has for potential medicine, as assumed by some of us humans. No wonder they get cut up into pieces by some greedy people.
And no wonder their numbers are dwindling.
But aren’t tigers dangerous in the wild?
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Terang Bulan
Listening to this music, (off the background music first) makes me think that Terang Bulan might have been a copy of this.
If so then Negara Ku is also a copy.
We will never know.
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Chess
Can anyone spot the mistakes here?
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Laylat-ul-Qadar
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How To Seek Laylat-ul-Qadr Adapted from "The Night Prayers: Qiyam & Tarawih from works by Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Al-Albani (and other scholars)"
By: Shaykh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen Al-Albani
Compiled By: Muhammad Al-Jibali
© QSS
Laylat ul-Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has indeed missed a great amount of good. If a believing person is zealous to obey his Lord and increase the good deeds in his record, he should strive to encounter this night and to pass it in worship and obedience. If this is facilitated for him, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.
Praying Qiyaam
It is recommended to make a long Qiyaam prayer during the nights on which Laylat ul-Qadr could fall. This is indicated in many hadeeths, such as the following:
Abu Tharr (radhiallahu `anhu) relates:
"We fasted with Allah's Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) in Ramadaan. He did not lead us (in qiyaam) at all until there were seven (nights of Ramadaan) left. Then he stood with us (that night - in prayer) until one third of the night had passed. He did not pray with us on the sixth. On the fifth night, he prayed with us until half of the night had passed. So we said, 'Allah's Messenger! Wouldn't you pray with us the whole night?' He replied:
'Whoever stands in prayer with the imaam until he (the imaam) concludes the prayer, it is recorded for him that he prayed the whole night.'…" [Recorded by Ibn Abi Shaybah, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmithi (who authenticated it), an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, at-Tahawi (in Sharhu Ma`an il-Athar, Ibn Nasr, al-Faryabi, and al-Bayhaqi. Their isnad is authentic.]
[Point of benefit: Abu Dawud mentioned: "I heard Ahmad being asked, 'Do you like for a man to pray with the people or by himself during Ramadan?' He replied, 'Pray with the people' I also heard him say, 'I would prefer for one to pray (qiyaam) with the imaam and to pray witr with him as well, for the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: "When a man prays with the imaam until he concludes, it is recorded that he prayed the rest of that night." [Masaa'il]]
Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu `anhu) narrated that the Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Whoever stands (in qiyaam) in Laylat ul-Qadr [and it is facilitated for him] out of faith and expectation (of Allah's reward), will have all of his previous sins forgiven." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim; the addition "and it is facilitated for him" is recorded by Ahmad from the report of `Ubaadah Bin as-Samit; it means that he is permitted to be among the sincere worshippers during that blessed night.]
Making Supplications
It is also recommended to make extensive supplication on this night. `A'ishah (radhiallahu `anha) reported that she asked Allah's Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), "O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylat ul-Qadr, what should I say during it?" And he instructed her to say:
"Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuh.ibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee - O Allah! You are forgiving, and you love forgiveness. So forgive me." [Recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmithi. Verified to be authentic by Al-Albani]
Abandoning Worldly Pleasures for the Sake of Worship
It is further recommended to spend more time in worship during the nights on which Laylat ul-Qadr is likely to be. This calls for abandoning many worldly pleasures in order to secure the time and thoughts solely for worshipping Allah. `A'ishah (radhiallahu `anha) reported:
"When the (last) ten started, the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) would tighten his izaar (i.e. he stayed away from his wives in order to have more time for worship), spend the whole night awake (in prayer), and wake up his family." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
And she said:
"Allah's Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) used to exert more (in worship) on the last ten than on other nights." [Muslim]
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Rewards in the next world.
In one discussion group, a friend asked why is there so many people in India and Pakistan killed in the recent earthquake. He says that almost all of these people are innocent people. I replied to him, but I am using a different paradyme - a paradyme which some people find it difficult to accept. But its a different reality, different from what most of us have been told, in more ways than one or once. Our sentiment have been dragged in one direction, and when we see a different sentiment then we form an opposite impression of the writer. Here is my reply, and my sentiment is in a different direction.
There is nothing wrong with them. they are just people, 'hamba Allah' - literally translated as Gods servants - as we (those who understand Malays ) Muslims call them. These are just tests, Allah is giving them. Its bad enough in this world (from our current living point of view) but it may even be worse in the next world. If they can stand the suffering then its 'barakah' (and may be given 'rewards' by Allah) but if they cannot then they may love this worldly goods. And Prophet Muhammad PBUM even said in one Hadith (someone correct me if I am wrong) that one disease the Muslims will have is 'the love for this life in this world'. And thus these Muslims fear death. But its a promised land in the next world that if the Muslims are good Muslims in this world; they will receive the reward in the next world. Surah Yassin in the Koraan (Surah 36) gives some indications of the rewards. And the reward will be infinite times what we see in this world. How do we Muslims know? Its in the Koraan (as mentioned) and the Hadith - a true Muslim believes in the Koraan without question. Of course some may ask a lot of questions, but can I say that they are true Muslims? Difficult isn't it? Sufferings are only ways Allah is testing in the belief. And one cannot see the 'barakah' when Allah gives it. Neither one can see any 'reward' from Allah; Muslims are believers in the 'ghaib' (which may traslated as invisible, but its more than that - its probably something that our minds cannot even perceive) the unseen. But in the next world these will be seen, and we all will be going to the next world, whether we like it or not or whethe we want it or not. And in the next world, many will ask to return to this world, to reflect and to do the 'ibadah' as mentioned in the Koraan. But it will be too late.
I am going quite deep here, may not be appropraite, but it is just that in this Ramadan fasting month maybe I can earn some 'reward' by being open and direct about Islam.
Only Allah is all knowing.
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Angsana trees
The angsana trees (Pterocarpus indicus) - photo - lined street of Jalan (Road) Wong Ah Jang in Kuantan Town, Pahang, Malaysia is expected to be changed when all these trees are cut down - photo- to make way for tiles lined walkways, and probably different trees planted for shade.
It’s a pity really, as angsana trees is so beautifully green and the flowers carpet the road during its flowering season.
I suppose the authority must have their own reasons in cutting down these trees, the trees are really getting too big and not really manageable anymore, though very shady especially useful in this hot humid climate. Maybe their roots have damaged the road. Just my thoughts, but maybe the authorities have other reasons.
Even these hibiscus plants - photo - by the road edge will have to go. And hibiscus is Malaysia’s national flower.
Maybe after all these changes, Jalan (Road) Wong Ah Jang may look more presentable.
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Hospitalisation Insurance
In one discussion group I was asked on what I should if an Insurance Company does not pay the insured due when all premium has been paid up todate and when the insured is hospitalised. Here is my answer:-
Wish I can answer you but I am feeling like David fighting the Goliath. In the Bible, David won but in reality we can never win when we pick such a fight in Malaysia. By the time one tries to bring the Insurance Company to Court they will kill you; they will hire the best lawyers (probably paid by our premiums) and will fight us in Court until we surrender. We do not have the sustaining power.
In reality this health and private hospitals problems (money come first before treatment) in Malaysia its like us as a 3rd world country trying to live a 1st world situation. We want the best, and we have to pay for them on demand. Whereas in the 1st world, we still pay but in other terms, not in cash on demand.
Narrowing ourselves down to heart attack, a friend wrote this “I've posted earlier on the role of mega dose of Vitamin C in preventing heart attacks. I'm personally taking 3000-4000 mg/day. It's also helping to keep sore throats, colds, etc., at bay.” Sounds good but what if you suffer from other diseases like kidney failure or something like that.
But again sometimes you can see that the solution is obvious. Migrate and live under ‘their’ insurance scheme, in UK for example NHS. Easy!
Another recourse is to save money, say up to RM 100,000.00 in the bank (or ASB) in case you or any of your family falls ill. Good idea, but not many of us can have the mental strength to save such amount of money. For me when I have some money I ’gatal tangan’ (itchy hands) to spend. Someone said to me, “What is money for?” and another said “Money makes money”, while another said “If money don’t circulate the economy will be at a stand still”. I don’t know who to believe but I spend any money I have. And when I fall seriously ill then I will start selling any asset to turn that into cash. Not a good self finance management though eh?
Or one can take Insurance only as a back up, in case the Insurance Company pays when you claim. But the process of getting the Insurance cover can be very trying. As far as the Insurance agent is concerned he/she only want to be in the RM million group. And you see their pictures appearing in the local papers every year. I saw that for the Company I was insured with, (and I never got paid when I was hospitalized) but fortunately I did not se then face of my Insurance agent among those. If I did I would have screamed, and probably I would have another heart attack.
Actually I feel that the Malaysian Government has to start something on health Insurance scheme. They talk all the time about it but no one seems to know when they will implement it. Next 5 years? After the next GE? And after and after…………. until the cows come home. But the cows never come home. Malaysia oh Malaysia!
I have written enough, but I do not yet see any solution. So if you are ill whilst in Malaysia (if your employer or ex-employer does not cover you up for hospitalization) just go the GH (or in KL the Selayang Specialist Centre or IJN if you have a heart attack) and hope for the best that they will take care of you and cure you, like a normal Malaysian public.
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Imagination
Men's imaginations - photo - are very different from that of women, in many areas. Some are even impossible to achieve.
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testing
testing.....testing.....testing
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My Heart
At this time last year I was busy with the problem with My Heart. I did not realize it then I have had a severe heart attack. I was in and out of hospitals. In the end I had to have a heart bypass surgery/operation on 13 Oct. 2004. I was admitted to the ICU after the surgery, and I was hospitalised for about 10 days. I am well enough now, 1 year later, but I still feel some pain in my chest now when the nerves start playing with my old man-made wound. Not sure whether the twitching come from the heart or just my thorax wall.
I wrote in my blog a series of article on “My Heart” starting from Introduction and others on my experience.
