Walimah

Semalam, aku ke Chemor (luar Ipoh) untuk menghadiri walimah Kak Husna, seorang sahabat senior sewaktu menuntut di Permatang Pauh.

Asalnya, aku tidak bercadang hendak pergi, memandangkan kaki kanan aku kekejangan, dan pagi itu, aku bercadang hendak pergi membuat ujian darah bagi mengesahkan samada aku mengidap gout atau tidak. Namun, appointment dengan Dr. Nasir ringkas sahaja. Beliau mengambil tekanan darah, ambil sampel darah, sembang - sembang kejap.

Alhamdulillah, apabila mengambil tekanan darah, doktor tidak memberi reaksi negatif. Maknanya, OK lah tu. Selama aku kenal Dr. Nasir, kalau beliau melatah, tak bagus tandanya.

Namun, keputusan ujian darah hanya akan diketahui pada hari Selasa. Memandangkan jam baru menunjukkan pukul 9.15 pagi, maka aku mengambil keputusan untuk pergi ke Ipoh.

Sungguhpun kaki aku dah kebah sedikit berbanding 3 hari yang lepas, aku mengambil keputusan untuk membawa tongkat sekali. Manalah tau...

Walaupun berdepan dengan risiko kelihatan macam orang tua, akan tetapi kesihatan dan keselamatan diri lebih mustahak daripada persepsi umum.

Turut bersama aku, 3 lagi sahabat, dan dua buah kereta. Janji hendak berjumpa di R&R Rawang. Namun, oleh kerana salah seorang tersekat di MRR II, ditambah pula dengan kesesakan jalanraya, aku memutuskan untuk pergi dahulu dan menunggu di R&R Tanjong Malim.

Apakan nasib, seorang lagi terlepas R&R Tanjong Malim, lalu beliau mengambil keputusan untuk terus ke Ipoh bersendirian dan pandai - pandai cari jalan.

Dengan keadaan di jalanraya, dan menunggu sahabat lagi seorang di Tanjong Malim, kami tiba di tapak kejadian pada jam 3.15 petang. Waktu itu, ramai dah pulang. Alhamdulillah, sahabat - sahabat lain masih belum beransur. Sewaktu tiba, kaki kanan naik kejang. Nasib baik bawa tongkat.

Dan rezeki aku juga pada hari itu, dapat berjumpa dengan Husni (Boter) yang kemalangan kira - kira sebulan yang lalu, serentak dengan peristiwa demam kuat aku sewaktu naik ke Permatang Pauh.

Selesai makan, sembang - sembang, ambil gambar, maka kami pun pakat beransur. Sebelum berangkat pulang ke KL, aku membawa penumpang - penumpang aku (Abang Din, Mizan, Amirul) pergi bersolat di Masjid Kg. Sungai Rokam, alang - alang nak bawa tengok bandaraya Ipoh, dan juga nak beli limau bali di jalan Simpang Pulai.

Kami tiba di Klang, kira - kira jam 7.40 malam. Selepas solat Maghrib, dan bersembang - sembang dengan sahabat lain, aku berangkat pulang ke rumah. Alhamdulillah, tiada kesulitan di jalanraya....kecuali kes a/cond tak nak sejuk (bawak pergi kedai tadi, rupa - rupanya magnetic coil rosak).

Semoga Allah merahmati pernikahan Raja Nor Husna dengan Ahmad Safuan.

Dilema Di Klinik

Sejak dua tiga hari yang lalu, kaki kanan asyik dok kejang memanjang, khususnya di bahagian ibu jari kanan. Nak bawa kereta pun, dekat - dekat sahaja, sebab sakit kaki kalau tekan brek kuat sangat (emergency braking). Kalau ikutkan, bahagian tu dah lama sengal.

Mula sakitnya sejak tahun lepas. Masa tu, tengah belajar kat Permatang Pauh; baru beli kasut baru, jadi ketat sikit lah. Jadi, kasut menekan sikit kat belah bucu, sampai bengkak kaki dibuatnya.

Maka, selepas solat Maghrib tadi, aku terus pergi ke klinik berhampiran dengan rumah. Biasanya tak payah bayar, sebab klinik panel tempat kerja mak. Namun, selepas mengisi borang, kerani memberitahu bahawa nama aku telah dihapuskan dari data kerana telah melepasi usia 21 tahun. Aku lupa pula, masa umur 21 tahun, tinggal di Shah Alam. Masa umur 22 tahun, pindah ke Permatang Pauh. Tak jejak langsung ke klinik ini.

Maka penyelesaiannya, kena bayar. Dan, kalau nak terus ditanggung, mak kena jumpa dengan HR minta lanjutkan tanggungan. Namun, dek kerana dah naik rimas dengan sakit kaki, aku terus bergegas balik rumah ambil duit.

Sewaktu membuat pemeriksaan, doktor menyatakan bahawa ada kemungkinan aku kena gout. Kalau tak gout, mungkin tulang. Namun, untuk mengesahkannya, aku perlu membuat ujian darah. Dan kalau nak buat ujian darah untuk gout, kena puasa setengah hari. Jadi buat masa ini, doktor bagi ubat tahan sakit dan ubat bengkak.

Bila aku dengar ubat tahan sakit, aku naik seram. Sebabnya, 4 tahun yang lalu apabila aku diserang hypertension, aku diberi ubat tahan sakit. Kuat punya. Hasilnya, pinggang naik 4 inci dalam masa sebulan. Aku masih terbayang wajah ketika berdiri di hadapan cermin dahulu.

Kemudian, doktor mengambil bacaan tekanan darah aku. Doktor kata aku ada slight hypertension. Aku berasa hairan. Kalau betul aku ada, macam mana aku tak rasa tanda - tanda macam 4 tahun yng lalu? Lalu aku bertanyakan bacaan tekanan, doktor kata 130/90.

Walaupun atas sedikit daripada paras umum, aku lega kerana bukannya 150/100 sepertimana dahulukala. Dan juga, bukan kerana faktor pemakanan. Namun, aku risau juga; hypertension...dalam usia sebegini. Termasuk pula kemungkinan ada gout.

Doktor mancadangkan aku membuat Blood Management melalui pakar.

Entahlah. Aku cuma harap, hal - hal kesihatan aku ini diatasi sebelum aku ke Australia kelak...jika selesai segala urusan di sebelah pihak Universiti.

Sewaktu di Permatang Pauh dahulu, aku ambil berat tentang kesihatan diri. Namun, apabila pulang semula ke Kuala Lumpur, aku seolah - olah kurang mengambil perhatian. Mungkin kerana terlalu selesa berada berhampiran dengan keluarga, serta pihak - pihak yang sedia maklum akan kemaslahatan diri ini.

Rabu depan konvokesyen aku. Janganlah sampai ke tahap kena bertongkat apabila naik pentas.

Semoga Allah mempermudahkan bagiku...

Generasi Tanpa Tenaga

Sejak beberapa tahun yang lepas, terdapat banyak produk makanan/minuman yang berasaskan/bercampurkan tongkat ali, kacip fatimah, manjakani, ginseng, serta macam - macam lagi. Kemudian, disusuli pula dengan terserlahnya produk - produk penguat tenaga zahir dan batin.

Sewaktu menuntut di Pulau Pinang, saya selalu makan malam di simpang Kubang Semang. Kaunter bayarannya dimonopoli oleh ubat - ubat penguat tenaga. Bahkan ubat ma'ajun, jika dilihat dari jauh, rupanya mirip model mini peledak kapal selam.

Kalau pergi ke Jalan Masjid India di Kuala Lumpur, tak kurang hebatnya. Macam - macam jenama ada,

• Cap Superman
• Tupai Jantan
• Tarzan Mengaum
• Turbo
• Sure-up
• Awang Perkasa
• Badang Mengamuk
• Tok Su Gagah

Hal ini membawa kepada satu persoalan; mengapakah kebanyakan generasi hari ini menyeru kepada ubat - ubatan ini?

Apakah yang menyebabkan mereka senantiasa kekurangan tenaga? Kalau ikut cerita - cerita orang tua, generasi terdahulu tak pernah menghadapi situasi sebegini. Mereka dahulu sihat - sihat belaka. Bahkan, mereka meninggal dunia kerana sakit tua, dan bukannya disebabkan apa - apa penyakit kronik.

Datuk M. Nor Khalid (Lat) di dalam salah satu karya beliau menghuraikan ciri - ciri orang terdahulu (Living to be 100); bahawa mereka akan bangun pada awal pagi, mengerjakan tanah/sawah/ladang, minum kopi O tanpa sebarang ubat - ubatan, hanya herba, dan akhirnya masuk tidur awal.

Generasi hari ini telah menyimpang jauh daripada disiplin jadual kehidupan seharian yang diamalkan oleh golongan sebelum daripada mereka. Mana tidak, dunia sudah berubah, maka corak kehidupan turut berubah.

Corak kehidupan yang ketara dilihat di bumi Malaya ini, khususnya di kalangan golongan muda, mereka akan keluar beramai - ramai di kala malam, dan bergebang di tepi longkang sambil memetik gitar memainkan lagu Duhai Bangsaku.

Adapun golongan muda di kota, mereka akan bergebang di kedai - kedai mamak 24 jam, hisap rokok sekotak dua sambil menceritakan keanggunan markha masing - masing.

Bak kata Dato' Ismail Kamus,

"Kalau masuk waktu Maghrib, kambing pulang ke kandang. Kita pulak, keluar pergi pasar malam. Kambing pulak yang reti balik kandang. Manusia? Kalau nampak kat kambing, tak ke malu kita?"

Kemudian mereka akan pulang ke rumah apabila ayam sedang bersiap sedia untuk berkokok, lalu terbongkang di atas katil hatta matahari meninggi...silap hari hatta matahari tergelincir.

Maka, dengan corak tidur yang sebegini, yang sudah tentunya melawan hukum alam, tidak hairanlah mereka sering berasa kekurangan tenaga, kelesuan, rasa tak best.

Sewaktu menjadi mahasiswa di UiTM dahulu, saya sering memerhatikan ragam pelajar di waktu malam. Mereka suka tidur dengan lampu terbuka...bukan lampu meja atau lampu malam, tetapi lampu kalimantang. Tiba pagi, dalam pukul 8 - 9 pagi, mereka akan bangun, hisap rokok sebatang dua, kemudian basuh muka, tukar pakaian, dan terus pergi kuliah.

Tidur dengan lampu terbuka, sudah tentu tidur tak lena. Dan apabila bangun di waktu pagi, badan akan rasa lesu, kepala rasa berat. Tambahan pula, tidur dengan lampu terbuka sudah semestinya membantutkan penumbuhan sel - sel baru di dalam badan, serta menambah risiko kanser kulit. Mana tidaknya, sepanjang masa kulit terdedah kepada sumber cahaya, baik as-syams di langit, ataupun 'as-syams' yang tergantug di sana sini.

Dengan corak - corak kehidupan sebegini, maka tidak hairanlah generasi hari ini kurang stamina, tak lekang daripada pelbagai penyakit, dan terpaksa mencari sumber - sumber lain untuk meningkatkan stamina serta tenaga mereka.

Oleh itu rakan - rakan sekalian, jagalah kesihatan diri. Amalkanlah kehidupan yang sihat. Setiap diri kita ada peranan di atas muka bumi ini. Sayanglah jika kita terbantut sebelum sempat kita menabur bakti.

United Kingdom vs Australia vs Board of Engineers Malaysia

While involved in a camping spree deep in the heart of Kedah, I received a call from Kuala Lumpur. It was the International Education Office, stating that they have received a letter under my name.

The letter stated that I had been unconditionally accepted to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. Alhamdulillah to that. The only pending matter now, is the finalisation of the Advance Standing request. If it is approved, I will only be required to undertake the course for only half of the actual duration (2 years out of 4 years).

Last week, I received another offer letter. This time, it was from The University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. The offer was similar to that of the offer from Victoria University, only that upon my final year, if I were to meet expectations, I will be extended by another year to pursue a Master's degree.

The Portsmouth offer was tempting. Not only was I given the oppurtunity to return to England, I also stand a chance to upgrade to the Master's level.

However, to ensure whatever qualifications I am due to receive from any given institution does not cause problems in the near future, I decided to consult professional opinions.

And so, I went to the Board of Engineers's (BEM) office, which is located at the topmost floor of the JKR Headquarters in Jalan Sultan Salahuddin, Kuala Lumpur. What I was told there gave me quite the shock.

It seems that for Engineering courses, BEM only recognises UK qualifications at the Master's level. Any level below than that, no way! But, for Australia, BEM recognises its qualifications at the first degree level.

And so, it was with a heavy heart that I had to abandon all hopes of ever going to England. But then again, Australia is not a problem for me, mate. It's just that, England held so many memories of my childhood.

Anyhow, I've prayed and asked Allah to bless me with the the chance to be able to study overseas, with the best options. He knows more of what best befalls upon me. May the path I take be beneficial for me in the long run. Ameen.

As of now, there are two more pending results; one from the University of Newcastle, the other, from the University of South Australia (UniSA).

The Black Pepper Era

In the old days, black peppers are commonly referred to as a pinch of spice in any given food cooked on the stove. The humble peppercorns are merely garnishes then.

Nowadays, black peppers seem to be a booming trend, especially amongst youngsters. Black peppers are no longer pinches of spice, nor are they garnishes. But, they have become their own customized flavour.

BBQ sauces and marinades have been replaced with black pepper flavoured sauce and marinade.

Just go to any food outlets you commonly visited within the last five to ten years, and you'll see that they have added a new black pepper-based cuisine; Black Pepper Chicken Rice, Chicken Chop with Black Pepper Gravy, Black Pepper Sizzling Hot Plate Noodle...not to forget the humble tapioca chip (kerepek ubi), once lightly seasoned with salt, now dunked in black pepper prior to baking.

I commonly watch cooking shows on television. When they make roast chicken for instance, they only sprinkle pepper lightly onto the chicken. When I bought a roasted chicken at a local supermarket recently, the chicken looked as if it was dunked into pepper before being roasted. My, the appetite of people nowadays.

It so happened that when this trend was at its early booming stage, I was in final semester at the Shah Alam campus, roughly 6 months before migrating to the northern Bukit Mertajam campus.

On one occassion, I returned home late from night class. Before going up to my apartment, I had a dinner of chicken rice meat at the restaurant across the block. I was friends with the girl who tended the chicken rice section. She usually let me have the remaining chicken meats for half price.

Whilst having my dinner, a chap and his sweetheart came into the shop and sat at a table that was within hearing and visual distance. From the looks of the chap; a packet of cigarette in one hand, wrinkled jeans, uncombed hair, heavy regional dialect I could tell that he is a student of UiTM.

When he placed his order, he spoke in his heavy regional dialect. But then, when asked for the gravy flavour of his dish, the attendant had some difficulties catching the phrase "Black Pepper" that was pronounced in regional dialect.

It was then that it struck me; black pepper has become an elite product, one that is accessible to all levels of society. People would go to great lengths to uphold the glory of the black pepper, even to the extent of learning to pronounce it properly, despite the fact that most of them are known for their retaliation of using the English language.

Yesterday, bird's eye chilli/thai chilli (cili padi/cabai burung) replaced the common chilli. Today, black pepper replaced all common sauces. Tomorrow...who knows?

Ukhuwwah: Antara sesama kawan dan sesama keluarga

Akhir - akhir ini, perkataan yang sering tak putus - putus disebut ialah ukhuwwah. Semua ukhuwwah belaka; cinta ukhuwwah, biskut ukhuwwah, pakej ukhuwwah, bahkan nasyid pun tak lekang daripada melafaz - lafaz kalimah ukhuwwah. Tak kisahlah apa ukhuwwahnya sekalipun. Ukhuwwah sesama member, sesama sahabat, sesama ayang dan aling.

Di dalam banyak - banyak penekanan ukhuwwah di antara dua atau lebih orang, tidak pula disebut - sebut, disyair - syairkan, dinyanyi - nyanyikan perihal ukhuwwah sesama ahli keluarga.

Tanyalah kepada sesiapapun akan perihal ahli keluarga, maka jawapannya adalah abang, kakak, adik, mak, ayah. Setakat itu sahaja. Ya, jawapan itu memang betul. Namun, adakah ahli keluarga setakat itu sahaja?

Bagaimana pula dengan tok, nenek, opah, tok wan, tok nek, mak tok? Adik - beradik mereka, ibubapa mereka, sepupu - sepapat mereka?

Bagaimana pula dengan sepupu, dua-pupu, tiga-pupu, empat-pupu, ibubapa mereka, tok nenek mereka?

Sungguhpun mereka jauh sedikit daripada kerabat terdekat kita, tidakkah mereka juga sebahagian daripada keluarga kita? Tidakkah mereka juga bercambah daripada nenek moyang yang sama?

Sewaktu kecil dahulu, saya selalu ikut ayah pergi melawat sanak saudara. Kebiasaannya di sebelah ayah; di kampung sendiri (Kuala Kangsar), Ipoh, Parit, dan Taiping. Sewaktu raya, kami juga melawat sanak saudara di sebelah emak di Teluk Intan, Bidor, Gopeng, dan Tambun.

Alhamdulillah, apabila usia meningkat, saya menghafal secara semulajadi siapa ialah siapa, bagaimana mereka bersangkut dengan kita. Kalau kata terserempak di tengah - tengah lautan manusia, insyaAllah boleh cam mereka.

Sungguhpun saya kenal, bahkan rapat dengan tok nenek saudara (adik beradik tok dan nenek), dengan anak - anak mereka, serta sebilangan dua-pupu, dan tiga-pupu, namun saya sangsi akan ketahanan hal ini. Adakah anak - anak saya kelak akan mengenali siapakah saudara - mara mereka?

Sesungguhnya generasi hari ini, ramai yang sudah tidak mengenali tok nenek saudara mereka, dua-pupu, tiga-pupu mereka, serta salasilah keluarga mereka. Lebih teruk, ada yang sudah mula tidak mengenali sepupu mereka sendiri.

Jikalau generasi hari ini sudah sampai ke tahap ini, bagaimana pula dengan generasi akan datang? Adakah mereka akan mengenali sepupu mereka sendiri? Adakah mereka akan mengenali adik beradik mereka sendiri? Atau, adakah mereka akan mengenali tok nenek mereka...ibubapa mereka???

Generasi - generasi terdahulu berusaha sekeras - kerasnya untuk memastikan hubungan sesama ahli keluarga mereka utuh dan tidak terputus begitu sahaja. Namun, pada hari ini, situasinya adalah jauh berbeza.

Oleh itu, sahabat - sahabat sekalian. Menjaga ukhuwwah sesama sahabat, rakan - rakan memang perlu. Tetapi, jangan sampai ke tahap kita mengabaikan ukhuwwah sesama ahli keluarga. Takkan mantap ukhuwwah sesama sahabat, jika ukhuwwah sesama keluarga (cerucuk segala ukhuwwah) tidak kukuh. Kalau tak sesama sanak saudara yang jauh pun, sesama ibubapa dan adik beradik pun, memadailah. Jangan kita membelakangkan mereka semata - mata nak menjaga ukhuwwah sahabat - sahabat mereka.

Dan jangan sekali - kali mengaku bahawa hubungan sesama sahabat adalah lebih akrab daripada hubungan sesama keluarga (mak, ayah, dan adik beradik).

Al-Fatihah...

Sudah seminggu aku berada di Kedah. Di dalam tempoh itulah, aku mendapat berita bahawa sahabat akrab merangkap mentor aku, Yusfizal Mat Yusof telah kehilangan ayahandanya.

Aku mengenali Yus sebagai seorang yang ceria, namun bila aku ziarah beliau di rumahnya pagi tadi sekembalinya ke Pulau Pinang, beliau kelihatan agak muram, sungguhpun di sebalik keceriaan yang ditunjukkan.

Semoga roh ayahandanya dicucuri rahmat dan ditempatkan di kalangan orang - orang yang beriman...Ameen...

Al-Fatihah

Buat sahabat - sahabatku yang bakal tamat pengajian

Statistik terkini menunjukkan bahawa sebilangan besar dari sahabat - sahabat seperjuanganku di UiTM, baik di Shah Alam, mahupun di Permatang Pauh, bakal menamatkan pengajian...

Sahabat - sahabat sekalian, ana ucapkan setinggi - tinngi tahniah kepada kalian kerana bakal menamatkan pengajian di dalam bidang masing - masing, insyaAllah. Semoga Allah mempermudahkan bagi kalian.

Maka buat kesekian kalinya, kalian berada di persimpangan jalan, yang mana di persimpangan inilah, kalian menentukan ke manakah hala tuju selepas daripada ini. Boleh jadi kalian telahpun merancang hala tuju kalian di sepanjang perjalanan, maka tidak perlu lagi hendak berhenti di persimpangan ini.

Sedar tak sedar, kalian kembali ke situasi kalian yang terdahulu, iaitu ketika mendapat keputusan SPM. Pada masa itulah, kalian meneliti ke arah manakah perjalanan kalian; adakah ke Universiti, adakah ke Matrikulasi, adakah memasuki Tingkatan 6, atau adakah setakat itu perjalanan kalian. Kemudian, disusuli pula dengan memilih salah satu daripada beratus - ratus bidang yang ditawarkan oleh institut - institut pengajian.

Maka, samalah situasi kalian pada ketika ini. Kalian berada di satu kedudukan yang mana kalian harus meneliti arah manakah yang hendak dituju. Boleh jadi, ada yang merancang hendak melanjutkan tahap pengajian (dari diploma ke ijazah, atau dari ijazah ke Masters/PhD), ada yang merancang hendak bekerja, ada yang merancang hendak memulakan fasa - fasa mendirikan rumahtangga, dan macam - macam lagi.

Apa - apa sahaja perancangan kalian sekalipun, ketahuilah bahawa kalian adalah sebaik - baik perancang di dalam menentukan perjalanan hidup kalian, kerana kalian lebih mengenali kekuatan diri berbanding orang lain. Namun, kalian harus ingat, bahawa ke mana sahaja hala tuju kalian, adalah sukar untuk kembali ke titik asal, kerana mana - mana arah perjalanan sekalipun yang dipilih, kalian tetap akan bertembung dengan lebih banyak persimpangan di sepanjangnya. Bak kata Robert Frost,


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.


Ingat, sahabat - sahabat sekalian! Apa sahaja keputusan yang dibuat, keputusan itu MESTILAH di atas kehendak sendiri, dibuat di atas keikhlasan diri. Jangan harus sesuatu keputusan itu dibuat di atas desakan, paksaan pihak lain, meskipun mereka dari kalangan sahabat seperjuangan kalian. Namun, ambillah desakan mereka sebagai satu 'cadangan'. Kalau mak bapak hang, lain cerita la...gua tak masuk campur.... Sepertimana ana tegaskan tadi, kalian adalah sebaik - baik perancang.


Tersungkur


Ana yakin, ada dari kalangan sahabat - sahabat yang kerap tersungkur di sepanjang perjalanan kehidupan sebagai seorang mahasiswa/i. Tersungkur ini melibatkan gagal peperiksaan, dan melanjutkan tempoh pengajian.

Ketahuilah sahabat - sahabat sekalian, gagalnya kalian, dan/atau terlanjutnya tempoh pengajian bukannya kerana kalian bodoh, dungu, bengap, sepertimana yang dilabelkan oleh orang - orang tertentu, tetapi Allah telah menangguhkan kejayaan kalian higga ke suatu saat yang lebih sesuai...dengan syarat kalian telah berusaha, berdoa, dan bertawakkal kepada-Nya.

Ingat, hikmah Allah takkan lekang daripada setiap kejadian yang menimpa diri. Teliti setiap saat ketika kalian mengulangi pengajian, atau berada di dalam tempoh lanjutan. Ana yakin kalian akan jumpa kebaikan yang terselindung di sebaliknya.

Kalau kata mengulangi pengajian, mungkin kalian akan mendapati kalian lebih memahami apa yang diajar, dan memungkinkan kalian untuk memperoleh gred yang lebih baik berbanding dengan tahap kefahaman pada semester sebelumnya.

Kalau kata melanjutkan tempoh pengajian, mungkin kalian akan mendapati bahawa di dalam tempoh itu, kalian telah memperoleh pengalaman, atau bertembung dengan satu peristiwa yang manis kenangannya.

Secara psikologi, kegagalan yang datang sebelum kemenangan akan membuatkan kalian lebih menghargai kemenangan yang dikecapi, berbanding dengan kemenangan yang datang dengan begitu sahaja.

Kemanisan yang datang dari kepahitan, adalah lebih manis daripada kemanisan yang datang daripada kemanisan semata - mata...entah kau paham ke idak...

Ana mendoakan kesejahteraan kalian di dalam menempuh perjalanan hidup ini. Sungguhpun dahulu ana sering ketuk kepala - kepala kalian, namun ketahuilah; itu bukan suatu hobi, tetapi untuk memastikan kalian tidak leka dari perjalanan.

Kerana, setiap kali kita menghampiri matlamat kita, lebih cenderunglah kita untuk leka dan menyimpang darinya. Bak kata Paul Simon,

Slip slidin' away,
You know the nearer your destination,
The more you're slip slidin' away.

Selamat Maju Jaya!

Arrests at Malaysia opposition demo (Al-Jazeera)

Article taken from Al-Jazeera English

UPDATED ON:
Thursday, May 07, 2009
11:01 Mecca time, 08:01 GMT

At least 12 people have been arrested in the northern Malaysian city of Ipoh during opposition-led protests over the government's takeover of a state assembly.

The arrests on Thursday come amid an increasingly tense showdown between the ruling National Front coalition and the opposition alliance over who rules the state of Perak.

Opposition leaders had called for protests outside the assembly which was due to meet on Thursday for the first time since the previous state government was ousted.

In response police, some wearing riot gear and backed by water cannon, surrounded the assembly building and set up a 500 metre exclusion zone.

Several people wearing black, the colour chosen by the opposition to protest against the takeover, were arrested.

Jenice Lee, an opposition state assemblywoman from the state of Selangor near the capital Kuala Lumpur was among those detained.

"I am an elected representative, I am not fighting you," she said as she was dragged away.

Lim Kit Siang, a senior member of the national parliament with the opposition Democratic Action Party, was also barred from entering the assembly building.

He said the government's move had turned the area around the assembly into a "war zone" and said the refusal to allow protests was "a national and international disgrace".


Stand-off

The protests are the latest stage in a stand-off between the ruling coalition and the opposition, which last year scored its best ever result in national elections, taking control of five state governments.

In February however, in a move led by Najib Razak, Malaysia's recently-installed prime minister, three opposition politicians in the Perak assembly were convinced to switch their allegiance to sit as independents.

That deprived the People's Alliance coalition of its majority in the state.

In the run-up to the protests in Ipoh, police arrested a further 19 people, including a politician from the country's Islamist opposition and a voting reform activist.

Mohamad Sabu, the vice president of the Pan Malaysian Islamic party (PAS), was arrested in Kuala Lumpur in a move that a police spokesman said was linked to the situation in Perak where he was due to lead prayers on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Wong Chin Huat a voting reform activist was arrested and charged with sedition after he urged Malaysians to wear black to protest the Perak takeover.

He faces up to three years in jail if convicted.

The spate of arrests have raised concerns among opposition leaders of a crackdown against critics of the government.

Najib, who took office on April 3, came to power promising to "uphold civil liberties" and demonstrate "regard for the fundamental rights of the people of Malaysia".


'Draconian'

But Anwar Ibrahim, the head of Malaysia's opposition, said that despite Najib's "rhetoric of tolerance" the arrests showed the prime minister was "bent on using tough, draconian measures".

"That the campaign for people to wear black can be deemed as seditious and a threat to national security, this is ridiculous," he told Reuters ahead of Thursday's protests.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister is to stand trial in July for sodomy, charges he says are politically motivated.

The former deputy prime minister-turned opposition figurehead was imprisoned on corruption and sodomy charges in the late 1990s, although the sodomy conviction was later overturned.

Dozens held at Malaysian protest (BBC)

Article tken from BBC


Page last updated at 16:03 GMT, Thursday, 7 May 2009 17:03 UK

Dozens of people in Malaysia have been arrested for taking part in opposition-led protests over who controls the parliament in the state of Perak.

Police were deployed outside the state legislature, while inside ministers scuffled and shouted at each other.

The state has become the focus of a power struggle between Malaysia's ruling party and the main opposition.

The opposition lost its majority when three legislators defected to become independents earlier this year.

The Sultan of Perak fired the alliance's administration and asked the National Front to govern, but there is still no real agreement over who is in charge.

The high court will decide on the legitimacy of the new state government next week.


Speaker surrounded

The wrangling in Malaysia's second largest state has been going on for months.

Perak was one of five states that voted for the opposition in the March 2008 elections, in which the ruling party lost its two-thirds majority for the first time since the country's independence from Britain in 1957.

But earlier this year, three state legislators defected to become independents, tipping the balance in favour of the governing National Front coalition.

Thursday's violence happened as the National Front was holding its first parliamentary session since ousting its rivals.

Activists broke through police lines, and the speaker of the assembly, who oversees proceedings, was surrounded and forced from the chamber by plain-clothes police officers.

He had refused to stand aside after a pro-government member was chosen to replace him.

According to the BBC's Robin Brant in Kuala Lumpur, this is the first time in Malaysia's history that police have intervened in parliamentary proceedings.

There were no violent clashes but dozens of protestors were arrested, including several opposition members.

The opposition is campaigning for fresh state elections.

Najib Razak - who became the head of the ruling party and Malaysia's prime minister last month - was seen as playing a prominent role in the power struggle.

Mat Rigid vs Mat Sempoi vs Mat Jiwang

Seorang akhi (saudara lelaki) sedang terlantar di rumah kerana demam kuat. Badannya lemah hatta terpaksa memegang dinding ketika berjalan.

Syahadan, datanglah seorang ukhti (saudara perempuan) bertanya kepada beliau,

"Ya akhi, bagaimanakah keadaan anta? Adakah bertambah baik? Jangan lupa makan ubat. Mudah - mudahan anta sembuh..."

Apakah respon akhi tersebut? Mari kita lihat responnya jika beliau salah seorang daripada tiga jenis watak tersebut:

MAT RIGID

"Ana ok aje lah. Enti tak payah sibuk - sibuk nak ambil berat tentang keadaan ana. Biar sahabat - sahabat muslimin yang ambil tahu. Apa kata orang nanti kalau diorang tahu? Nanti diorang ingat wujud perasaan."

MAT SEMPOI

"Alhamdulillah, ana elok aje. Ana demam ni bukannya apa...saja buat lawak. Ana tak payah makan ubat dah. Ana yakin dah sihat...sebab ana tengok bila ana makan, boleh masuk 5 pinggan."

"Itu bukan sihat, akhi...itu nak mampos namanya..."

MAT JIWANG

"Alhamdulillah. Tak sangka enti ambil berat tentang diri ana. Ana bersyukur dapat sahabat macam enti. Syukran laki ya sayyidah. Ana akan berusaha untuk mengembalikan kesihatan ana, kerana ana tahu ada yang ambil berat tentang diri ana. Ianya memberi semangat kepada ana."

Chronology of University scouting

Towards the end of my final semester ever, I started scouting around for information on international universities, preferably those in the UK, and in Australia. However, during those period, I was restricted in terms of mobility due to academic purposes, and the fact that the nearest counselling office was in Pulau Tikus.

Luckily, one of my sisters-in-faith had the convenience to seek information on the same matter, thus she volunteered to help me seek information. By the time I returned to Subang Jaya some months later, a package was awaiting for me; a compendium of prospectuses from various Australian universities.

Alhamdulillah, my examination results enabled me to proceed with my plans. Eventhough the result was a bit on-the-edge, nevertheless I had the confident to try and apply. That's what matters.

My first phase was to identify as many universities as possible from the two countries mentioned. This includes their accreditations, academics, maximum advanced standing (credit transfer), requirements, documentations required, tuition fees, annual cost of living, accommodation, facilities and environments. But, most of all, I had to ensure that their geographical location(s) have very little external influences (eg over-socialising)

From this, the list narrows down. My next step was to enquire via each university's Islamic body/association/society. This is to identify the facilities for Muslim conveniences such as prayer facilities within campus, local mosques, Muslim students' welfare, Halal butchery and F&B conveniences, and most importantly, the Muslim students' point of view.

Surprisingly, for a foreign, non-Muslim nation, the prayer facilities are at their optimum condtion. So, no trouble with that. However, one particular Australian university has issues regarding the allocation of a Muslim prayer facility. Eventhough the campus involved is not that of the one that facilitates the Engineering School, there is still a sense of syubhah. Therefore, I decided to remove the University from my list, or to at least postpone until the matter has been resolved.

The finalised list goes as follows:

UNITED KINGDOM

1. University of Portsmouth

2. University of Plymouth

3. Manchester Metropolitan University

AUSTRALIA

1. University of Newcastle

2. Victoria University

3. University of South Australia

My second phase, was to obtain all documents required for the application process. This involved going up and down the Academic Department, and commuting to the Penang campus. This phase was the painstaking part. While some documents were obtainable immediately, others took up to a week or more, not to mention certain documents that had to be re-processed due to typing errors.

Having settled that, I now have to duplicate all documents. This process was not much of a money-squeezer, if you know where to get the best price. But, the most painstaking document duplicating, was the 112-page syllabus outline. I tried an alternative method; burning the PDF document onto a CD. But then, the file was a mere 315kB, thus making it unreadable by CD readers.

Having done all that, I need to have it certified, especially the translated documents. For this, one has to seek the Public Notary, or Justice for Peace. But, in Malaysia, we refer to them as the Commissioner for Oaths. Luckily, however, my mother is at aposition whereby she has the authority to certify such documents. So, my pockets are still jingling, thanks to that.

My third and final phase, took place throughout this week, which consists of filling out university forms and submitting them. This was being done by two methods; one being to directly mail the forms plus documents to their respected universities. The second method, was to go the the education exhibition, and submit the documents to them, after a thorough process of assessments and briefings.

Alhamdulillah, I can now relax and have myself a good time...whatever that's left of it of course. Judging by the time line, I spent a period of almost 8 months going through all three phases. Though time consuming, the outcome (information and shortlisting process) was worth the effort I went through.

I only hope that my efforts bear fruit. I pray to Allah asking Him with His blessing to grant me what I have worked for all this while.

May Allah grant me what I seek...