Aidilfitri is here

Please accept my apologies for not being able to update this blog regularly during this festive season.

Nonetheless, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone, especially my Muslim friends, a warm and happy Aidilfitri. May this season of forgiving bring forge a stronger friendship between us all.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, maaf zahir dan batin.

[I will be back in Kuala Lumpur this weekend, and this blog should be back to its usual activitiy by then, insya-Allah. In the meantime, between today and Sunday, I will try to blog at any possible opportunity].

New blogs of interest

I have added two new links to two blogs - both of children growing up.

The first is my second son's blog. The link is http://ammar-qusyairi.blogspot.com and can be found under the heading My Other Aspects found on the sidebar.

The second is a very special blog called "Kojiq's World", which is about growing up with autism. Have a look at the blog (http://kojiq.blogspot.com) and the link can be found under the heading Frequent Stops.

Caring, sharing and giving

In this auspicious month of Ramadhan al-Mubarak, my organisation organises a weekly tazkirah for our staff every Thursday. For this week, we invited Ustaz Mohd Ali Sarbini who is the Imam of Masjid Negara. [Info on Masjid Negara can be read here].

Ustaz Ali had earlier in the day attended a function at Hospital Kuala Lumpur to give away hampers and duit raya to the patients at Wards 23 and 24 of the hospital. Most of them at the wards are elderly people. [Info on Hospital Kuala Lumpur can be read here].

He related to me that this experience was indeed rewarding for a number of reasons. The first is that one would be thankful for being fortunate and healthy. The second is the satisfaction of helping others in need. And the third is that one could see the happiness in the eyes of those in need of help when they receive the aid - no matter how small the aid may be.

Doctors may be able to prescribe physical medication. But in order for the sick to get well, spiritual and emotional medications must also be prescribed. This is where people like religious scholars, volunteers, philanthropists and more importantly family members come in. Unfortunately, most of us are quite oblivious to these people in need, unless and until one of our family members or even our own selves, are in that very position of needing help.

I believe that Ramadhan not only trains us to be patient and strong in the face of hardship, but we are also trained to be caring, sharing and giving. These traits should be made a habit even after this auspicious month has ended.

That is the challenge for us all - to inculcate these traits in ourselves and made them a habit.

Aidilfitri mood

I noticed that many people are already in their Hari Raya mood. At this point in time however, I still don't feel the festivity of Aidilfitri. Perhaps, when I return to my kampung on Saturday, the feeling would be greater.

I am reminded of the time I spent Aidilfitri in Glasgow. The last Aidilfitri I celebrated there was in 1996, and it was perhaps the most memorable one. As we recite the takbir on the eve of Aidilfitri, suddenly snow started falling rather heavily. This was certainly odd because heavy snowfall was quite rare in Glasgow. Sure, sleet was normal but snow on the other hand, was not.

The next morning, as we were getting ready to go to the masjid to perform the Aidilfitri prayers, the snow on the ground was quite thick. In a way, it was a good parting give for me who was leaving Glasgow a few months later. I left Glasgow with memories of a white Aidilfitri.

I hope this year's Aidilfitri will be memorable. This will be the first time that my youngest son would be old enough to be taken along when we visit family and friends. Last year, he was 25 days old when we celebrated Aidilfitri.

Nonetheless, may I take this opportunity (since many will be away from this weekend), to wish all Muslim friends and visitors, a joyous and meaningful Aidilfitri. May the madrasah of Ramadhan improves our character and quality. And may the first of Syawal brings forth happiness and strengthen our ties, insya-Allah.

Eid Mubarak!

Access denied

Level 3 of my office is proving to be problematic.

Yesterday's electricity outage was resolved today. Apparently, the wiring of one of the air-conditioning units was faulty. When someone switched on any of the lights or air-conditioners, that particular air-conditioning unit would switch on by itself. This was caused by a short circuit in the wiring, and thus resulting the electrical overload that brought about yesterday's blackout.

And when I thought one problem was solved, out came another problem.

After the electrical problem was taken care of, I remained in my office to do my work. At around noon, I had to go down to the Ground Floor to take care of some matters. I left Level 3 by swiping the access card to unlock the door.

When I returned to Level 3, I swiped my access card again, this time to enter the office. Unfortunately, the device could not read my access card. Nor could it read any of the other access cards used by the other staff members. This problem had actually happened before, and both times it occurred right after an electrical supply problem.

We had to call in the subcontractor who undertook the security aspects of the office. When they came in at about 3 p.m., they restored the programming of the security access device. When further tests were done, they told me that the problem was caused by a faulty chip in the device.

With all these problems on Level 3, I wonder what will happen next?

In the dark

I was out of the office for the whole morning. Since I am the only regular occupant of Level 3 (the other is my boss who comes in only when he's in Kuala Lumpur), I have to unlock the doors, as well as switching on the lights and air-conditioner every time I arrive. [And switching them off and locking everything up before I leave].

I only arrived back at the office just after 2 p.m., and as usual I would do all the above. I went into my room, switched on my computer, and just as I was about to settle down, the electricity supply suddenly went off. I heard a "weird" sound just before everything went dark.

I notified my staff of the problem asking them to check what went wrong. I was literally in the dark for a good ten minutes or so. My staff checked the fuse box and noticed that one of the switches had kicked in. So most probably there was an electrical overload at Level 3. My staff switched on the master supply to Level 3 just as my boss arrived. Coincidentally, I went out to take care of some matters at the Ground Floor. And shortly after, the supply was again cut off by the fuse box. According to my boss, he noticed a spark.

We didn't dare to switch on the main supply again for fear of an electrical short circuit or worse still, an electrical fire. We had called the electrician, but he'll only be coming tomorrow morning. Till the problem is solved, I won't be able to operate from my office. I hope the electrician could identify what caused the fuse switch to kick in. Hopefully, it isn't anything serious or major.

Sigh.

I have actually lost track of how many times problems have struck my office rendering me helpless. The new office seems to be problematic from day one. Talk about poor workmanship on the part of the contractor and his subcontractors.

And if the current problem persists, I may just have to work from home tomorrow. Fortunately, my home is just a three-minute walk away.

Poor man's meal

Yesterday, my wife and I broke fast at one of my favourite restaurants in Ampang. When I made the reservation, I was asked whether I wanted buffet or a la carte. Since it was only the two of us, and since both of us are not "big eaters", I chose a la carte.

We got to the restaurant at about half past six. About half an hour before iftar (breaking fast), the waiter took our orders. I glanced at the others and noticed that many chose the buffet menu. And people started to flock the buffet table to "gather" as much food as they can eat - or at least, as much as they thought they can eat. I was astounded by the amount of food some people took from the buffet table. I wondered quietly whether they could actually finish all the food that they took or was it that they took that much food only to justify the price of the buffet?

Nonetheless, I assume they could actually consume all the food that they took from the buffet table. About ten minutes before iftar, our orders came. I had lamb shank nasi briyani and lemon tea, while my wife had nasi briyani with ayam masak merah and sirap bandung. Aside from our orders, there were two complimentary tamar (dates) on our table.

When it was time for iftar, we ate our food. After finished eating, I went to the counter to pay for the meal. It was around this time that my wife heard the people sitting next to our table (an elderly couple) making a rather cynical remark. "Poor man's meal," exclaimed the elderly man to his wife, after the wife gestured to him what we had for iftar. On their table, of course, was food aplenty taken from the buffet table. And I guess, the buffet meal was a "rich man's meal".

Naturally, when my wife told me about this as we were walking to the car, I was critical of the remark. To me, the remark was uncalled for, especially in this auspicious month of Ramadhan when Muslims are supposed to learn to be moderate (including in the consumption of food) as well as not be wasteful. Frankly, we chose a la carte because we knew that it would be wasteful for us to choose buffet. We would be paying more than what we could actually eat. So, it was more practical and realistic for us to choose a la carte.

Friends of mine know pretty well that I should never be taken along for buffet meals, simply because I don't eat that much. It's not cost-effective for me to have a buffet meal. And I definitely do not like to waste any food.

If an a la carte meal is considered a poor man's meal, then so be it. At least, deep in my heart, I know that I did not waste any food that would probably be better if given to the poor, rather than be wasted and thrown away by the so-called rich.

Sad news

I was taken aback when I read this piece of news sent by one of my former classmates through e-mail to my batch's mailing list. Our alma mater's current principal, Puan Azizah Rasol, lost her eldest son on the first day of Ramadhan. Her son was 27 years old, and drew his last breath at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

Upon receiving the e-mail, I immediately called up one of my former teachers to verify the news. It is unfortunate that we only found about this sad news today. While Puan Azizah never actually taught me, I know her quite well way back when I was in school and she was teaching Form Six.

On behalf of my friends, I would like to offer our deepest condolences to Puan Azizah and her family.

Al-Fatihah!

[This is unfortunately the third death in the month of Ramadhan that I have blogged about].

New addition

In the wee hours of today, I received a text message from a good friend and ex-colleague, Shahriza, informing me of the birth of his fourth child - a daughter.

Congratulations to Shahriza on this joyous news. May this Ramadhan baby bring forth good fortunes to Shahriza's family.
Update: I have been informed by Shahriza that he has named the baby, Siti Nur Shahindah. Unique name, I must say.

Scientist in me

This semester, I have been attending compulsory classes at the university as part of my PhD exercise. Prior to this semester, the last time I attended any class was way back in 1996. The 12-year gap certainly made me forget how interesting a life's student is.

And today, upon attending the latest class, I am reminded how much I actually enjoyed doing chemistry lab work. I even had goosebumps when old memories of labouring in the chemistry lab during the winter at the University of Glasgow suddenly flashed before my eyes.

I guess the scientist in me still lives.

Happy 1st birthday, Ammar Qusyairi!

Yesterday, my second son, Shaikh Ammar Qusyairi turned one. How much has he grown in this past one year. I can still remember holding him in my arms soon after he was born.

Unfortunately, he and his brother are now in Kulim. But we'll be seeing the both of them this weekend.

In any case, happy first birthday, son.

Unacceptable excuse

This is just me complaining out loud. Why is it people use tiredness as an excuse to avoid doing their responsibility? What astounds me is that people use this excuse even after they have been given ample notice that they should do something (which is their responsibility anyway). How do you know that you can't carry out your responsibility in 4 or 5 hours time because you're going to be tired? Can one actually plan their tiredness? You know, something like, "Oh, by the way. I can't do that at that time. I'm going to be tired by then."

Huh?

I am dumbfounded by this sort of excuse. Enlighten me, please.

Blog award from my sister

My sister gave me a blog award - a first for me since I started blogging.

The award's description is as follows:

"This award is for those bloggers who are nice people, good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you've been awarded please pass it on to others who you feel are deserving of this award."

Who to give this award to? I believe all my friends deserve them. So, feel free to pick up the award at your leisure and pleasure.

Public domain

Blogs can be considered as a diary of sorts, where bloggers write down their thoughts and experience. However, different from diaries, blogs can be read by other people. Blogs are in the public domain where others can access, read and comment on your entries. I have been told that some bloggers get a kick out of having people accessing and reading their blogs.

In any case, bloggers must really be sure that they want to post what they post because whatever that is posted would be read by people - including your family members, friends, family members of friends, friends of family members... - well, you get the idea. In this day and age, where the Internet makes the world smaller, one can never be sure who actually reads one's blog entry.

The following is a real case that actually took place. A young blogger posted in her blog that she was involved in a small accident involving her father's motorcycle. One of the readers of her blog told his wife about the story, as the wife works in the same place as the blogger's father. The next morning, the wife of the reader of the blog told the father of the blogger about the accident. When the blogger's father returned home and asked the blogger, she flatly denied it even though there was a small dent on the motorcycle.

Interesting, isn't it? One is willing to tell the whole world about what happened by posting an entry in one's blog, and yet lied to one's father about the very same thing.

Too bad the father is not a blogroller. Otherwise, he would easily find the entry which is still available in his daughter's blog.

Another passing

Late yesterday evening, I received a text message from a former colleague informing me that the mother of another ex-colleague had passed away in Alor Setar, Kedah. Coincidentally, the dearly departed was also the mother-in-law to my wife's colleague in school.

Our heartfelt condolences to Sholihin and his family on the passing of his beloved mother.

Al-Fatihah!

Heartfelt condolences

This morning we at the office received a sad news. The father of Dr Khairul 'Azmi Mohamad, Executive Chairman of Yayasan Ilmuwan had passed away in Johor.

My heartfelt condolences to Dr Khairul and his family.

Al-Fatihah!

Writing mode

Somehow, last night, I managed to switch on my writing mode. Currently I am having fun writing - both my PhD thesis as well as the sequel to Transgenesis: Bisikan Rimba, and a few other things in between.

The first chapter of the thesis is looking good. Coincidentally, I spoke to my supervisor yesterday and she is looking forward to the write-up. She wants me to send whatever I have to her next month.

The first chapter of Transgenesis 2 (working title) is also looking good. The original novel has been receiving very positive vibes from online commentators. So, I need to up the ante and deliver a story worthy for a sequel. How do I describe this sequel? Well, if Transgenesis: Bisikan Rimba is "Batman Begins", then Transgenesis 2 I hope will be "The Dark Knight". Tall order, I know, but one has to set high standards.

And soon, I will resume writing Fikri's memoir, Echoes of My Heart. I have not been able to focus properly on this previously, but I have cleared my schedule to make sure that this memoir is completed very soon.

Ramadhan tag

My sister tagged me. But this is a different kind of tag. One that does not require me to answer any long-winded questions. The tag is simple, just reproduce the following picture.

And I am also putting up the picture at my sidebar till the end of Ramadhan.

But I will not tag anyone else. However, anyone who likes to reproduce the above picture is more than welcomed.

Update on old memories

Since Yusrin Faidz posted this picture, we have been able to trace another two of our friends via the magic of Facebook. Unlike Yusrin, whom I met again while I was studying in the UK and later when we started working, I lost touch of both Adeline Er and Sabeen Wasi since 1985. After 23 years, we managed to communicate again albeit virtually. And it's a wonder that we still remember each other after all these years.

Adeline is now a banker in Johor Bahru, while Sabeen is also a banker based in Washington DC.

Close shave

A close shave for Malaysian vessel, Bunga Seroja Satu, when Danish warship, Absalon, helped thwart an attack by Somali pirates at the Gulf of Aden. Swift action on the part of both Bunga Seroja Satu and Absalon helped deter the attempted hijacking. Things do not seem to be improving as there has been at least four attempted attacks on trade ships in the past three days.

Should the situation at the Gulf of Aden does not show any sign of improving, shipping cost will increase as ships will have to ply an extra 3,501 nautical miles and add another 12 days by sailing around Africa to get to Europe (and vice versa). The Gulf of Aden is the passage to the Suez Canal. Unless and until the problem of maritime piracy is solved, chances are the Suez Canal would be relatively quiet - resulting in a loss of income for Egypt.

There is also a report that an unidentified warship has captured 14 Somali pirates on Sunday. Whether this will bring about a solution to the crisis remains to be seen.

I do hope that the international community tackles this piracy menace at the Gulf of Aden promptly and effectively. No doubt, the problem that occurred is a spillover from the socio-political problems plaguing Somalia. Aside from tackling the Somali pirates at sea, efforts must also be taken to alleviate the situation in Somalia itself.

100% halal?

The issue of halal is of particular concern to Muslims. It is the responsibility of Muslims to ensure that the food/drink they consume is halal. I will not go at length on this obligation, as most people these days are very much aware of it. [Read here for a simple explanation on halal].

Most definitely, when a product has a halal certificate, it adds credence to the product. And when this product is marketed in a Muslim area, the product would certainly be picked up compared to the same product of another brand without the certification. The halal certificate gives confidence to Muslim consumers on the permissibility of the product.

What irks me though is how some businesses use halal as a marketing tool rather irresponsibly. I notice that some businesses are marketing their product or brand as 100% halal. To me, it is as if they are saying that other people's product or brand is not 100% halal even if they have the halal certification.

As far as I know, a product is either halal or haram, period. There is no such thing as 90% halal or 75% halal or 50% halal or 10% halal. So, I find it ridiculous for these businesses to claim that their product or brand is 100% halal.

And I find it irresponsible to cast doubts on other brands or products. If you want to market your brand or product, do so ethically without creating suspicion or badmouthing others, directly or indirectly. It is ironic if a business promoting halal products be involved in un-Islamic ways.

A reminder from the Quran:

O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible); for suspicion in some cases is a sin; and spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it. But fear God; for God is Oft-returning, Most Merciful.

[Al-Hujurat (49): 12]

If indeed there is doubt about a particular brand or product's halalness, then report the matter to the proper authority so that the authority would be able to investigate and verify the authenticity of the claim. We should never proclaim anything, especially when it has to do with religion or cultural sensitivity, if we do not have the authority or credentials to do so. More so, if we have a vested interest in that matter.

Pirates of the Gulf of Aden

The hostage situation involving two MISC ships are still unresolved. Negotiations with the Somali pirates are still on-going. The United States meanwhile is also helping out to resolve the crisis.

The Malaysian Royal Navy has sent in three vessels including a frigate, F30 KD Lekiu, to the troubled waters to provide security cover for Malaysian ships sailing the Gulf of Aden. Nonetheless, all MISC ships are still prohibited from going through the pirate-infested waters until security is improved.

My family and I are hoping that things are well with my brother's ship, Bunga Melati Tujuh, remains safe. While his ship is not involved in the current crisis, it is still worrying because the ship is near the pirates' den.

As a side note, F30 KD Lekiu was one of two frigates (the other being F29 KD Jebat) built by Yarrow Shipbuilders UK based in Glasgow in the 1990s. I remember pretty well the launching of these two frigates because I was in Glasgow when the two frigates were built and eventually launched. I even had the pleasure of knowing some of the Malaysian navy personnel who was involved with the project, some of whom remained as friends till today.

F29 KD Jebat was launched in December 1994 while F30 KD Lekiu in May 1995. Remembering back, the launches of these two frigates were indeed something to be proud of. And knowing that one of the frigates is assigned to protect Malaysian ships makes me feel prouder still.

Jack Sparrow, they ain't

I am the eldest of three siblings. My sister who is the youngest in the family is doing Mathematics at the Kuantan campus of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). My brother who is two years younger than me is the Chief Engineer currently on board Bunga Melati Tujuh, one of the ships in the fleet of the Malaysian International Shipping Company (MISC).

Imagine my worry when news got out that two of MISC's ships - Bunga Melati Dua and Bunga Melati Lima - have been hijacked on 19th August and 29th August by Somali pirates at the Gulf of Aden. My brother's ship was in Sri Lanka and was heading towards the Gulf of Aden. I was informed by my sister-in-law who was in contact with MISC that Bunga Melati Tujuh has been directed to slow down while awaiting further instructions. And the latest instruction was that the ship was to return and not proceed to the Gulf of Aden. This area is seeing a surge in piracy of late.

I watched the news on television earlier tonight. Apparently, there are four Malaysian vessels near the pirate-infested waters. And that all four have been told to not enter to the high risk area. In the meantime, efforts are on-going to obtain the freedom of the 65 Malaysians being held hostage, along with 35 others.

I am indeed thankful that my brother who heads the engineering crew, as well as his shipmates, aboard Bunga Melati Tujuh are safe. At the same time though, I pray for the safe return of the crew members who are being held captive by these modern day pirates. And I also pray that their family members remain strong and hopeful.

Personally, if not for the fact that my brother works in the shipping line, I would be very oblivious to the importance of this industry to our nation's economy. And I suspect many are like that, too. The people who work on board sea vessels actually sail on dangerous waters, spending their time away from their family and loved ones for months at end, while transporting precious cargo crucial for the import-export business. They are, in fact, our modern day "unsung heroes" carrying out their duties for the sake of the nation and its people.

Let's not keep a blind eye on news that involve these "unsung heroes" just because they occur thousands of nautical miles away from home.

Old memories

This is one from the archives.

A close childhood friend from my primary school years, Yusrin Faidz, posted a picture of ours on Facebook which was taken in 1985. The group picture of school prefects from that year certainly evokes a lot of memories. Let's see if anyone could guess which one I am (or rather, was).

I wonder whatever happened to the rest? I know Yusrin (standing, second from right) is practising law, while the head prefect, Seth Mustaffa (middle row, fourth from left), is working with a Tabung Haji subsidiary. I have no idea what happened to the rest. It'd be difficult to trace them down after 23 years though.

Well wishes

There seems to be a lot of people I know who are not / have not been well this year.

The latest is the wife of my former colleague. She has a heart complication and had just underwent surgery at one of the hospitals here. I pray that all would be well for her. Let's pray for her speedy recovery.

Amin!