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Tiga buku pertama yang ditulis dan diterbitkan saya.

The first three books written and published by me.

"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti".

ISBN 983-42031-0-1, Jun 2006

"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal"

ISBN 983-42031-1-x, Mei 2007

"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Sirih Pulang ke Gagang?"

ISBN 978-983-42031-2-2, November 2007

Buku keempat bertajuk "Rumah Azan". Diterbitkan April 2009 oleh syarikat Karnadya dengan pertolongan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, buku ini memaparkan gambar-gambar cantik berserta cerita di sebalik masjid-masjid terpilih yang boleh dikaitkan dengan sejarah Melayu Islam dan pembentukan negara Malaysia.

The fourth book titled "Rumah Azan". Published in April 2009 by the company Karnadya with the help of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, this book features beautiful pictures along with stories behind selected mosques which could be related to the history of Islam and the Malays and the formation of the nation of Malaysia.

Buku kelima saya "Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and Malay Sultanates" diterbitkan awal 2010. Ia merupakan terjemahan buku "Ahlul Bait (Keluarga) Rasulullah SAW dan Kesultanan Melayu" karangan Hj Muzaffar Mohamad dan Tun Suzana Othman ke dalam bahasa Inggeris untuk pasaran antarabangsa.

My fifth book "Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and Malay Sultanates" was published early 2010. It is a translation of the Malay-language book "Ahlul Bait (Keluarga) Rasulullah SAW dan Kesultanan Melayu" authored by Hj Muzaffar Mohamad and Tun Suzana Othman turned into English for the international market.

Seperti buku ke-empat saya "Rumah Azan", buku ke-enam "Kereta Api Menuju Destinasi" juga adalah buku mewah yang diterbitkan oleh syarikat Karnadya dengan kerjasama Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. Keluar Januari 2011 ia memaparkan gambar dan cerita tentang pengembaraan menaiki keretapi ke seluruh Semenanjung Malaysia berserta tempat-tempat menarik yang boleh dicapai dengan cara ini.

Like my fourth book "Rumah Azan", the sixth book "Kereta Api Menuju Destinasi" is also a coffee-table book which is published by the company Karnadya with the cooperation of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (the main Malay literary body in Malaysia). Coming out January 2011 it features pictures and stories on the adventure travelling by train to all of Peninsular Malaysia along with the interesting places which could be reached this way.

Buku ketujuh saya "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" pula ada sebuah coffee-table book atau buku mewah yang ditulis, disunting, direkaletak dan gambar-gambarnya diambil sendiri oleh saya. Keluar dari kilang Oktober 2011, buku yang menggabungkan sejarah keluarga dengan sejarah tempat-tempat seperti Singapura, Johor, Batu Pahat, Muar malah ada sejarah Pulau Jawa dan Inggeris sekali ini telah diulas dengan saya ditemu ramah secara langsung dalam program Selamat Pagi Malaysia di RTM1. Lihat artikel Siaran langsung ulasan buku "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" dan temu ramah di Selamat Pagi Malaysia. Sedikit isi terpilih ada dipaparkan dalam Sneak peek "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah".

My seventh book "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" in turn is a coffee-table book which is written, editted, designed and has pictures taken by me. Coming out of the factory October 2011, this book which combines family history with history of places such as Singapura, Johor, Batu Pahat, Muar and in fact the history of the island of Java and England has been reviewed with me interviewed live in the program Selamat Pagi Malaysia at RTM1. Look at the article Siaran langsung ulasan buku "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" dan temu ramah di Selamat Pagi Malaysia. Some selected contents have been featured in Sneak peek "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah".

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Untuk maklumat lanjut sila masuk http://www.merahsilu.blogspot.com/

For more information, please enter http://www.merahsilu.blogspot.com/

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Terbaru : Siri novel "Berpetualang ke Aceh" kini boleh didapati dalam bentuk e-book. Masuk http://www.e-sentral.com/, klik kategori novel am dan pergi ke mukasurat 4. Anda juga boleh taip perkataan "Aceh" pada kotak carian. Atau terus klik Buku 1, Buku 2 dan Buku 3.

Latest : The "Berpetualang ke Aceh" series of novels could now be obtained in e-book form. Enter http://www.e-sentral.com/, click general novel and go to page 4. You can also type the word "Aceh" at the search box. Or click straight Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Makam (Tomb of) Tuan Tulis

Dari Seri Menanti saya menghala ke Kuala Pilah untuk ke satu tempat bernama Tanjung Ipoh. Dari sana saya masuk ke Kuala Talang. Apa ada di sana? Ini ceritanya. Mari! :]
From Seri Menanti I head for Kuala Pilah to get to a place called Tanjung Ipoh. From there I went to Kuala Talang. So what is available there? This is the story. Come! :]



Ini adalah Masjid Kuala Talang...

This is the mosque of Kuala Talang...





Di hadapan dalam kawasan masjid kelihatan bangunan kuning ini!

Right in front within the mosque's courtyard one could see this yellow building!






Saya pernah pergi ke sini sekurang-kurangnya 5 kali tetapi semuanya lebih 5 tahun lalu. Seingat saya cuma 2 atau 3 kali sahaja saya sampai ke sini dan pintu bangunan ini terbuka... Apabila penjaganya, seorang wanita tua turut berada di dalam. Pada masa-masa lain, ia terkunci rapat.

I've been here at least 5 times but all were more then 5 years ago. As far as I could remember only 2 or 3 times I arrived here and the door to the building is open... When the caretaker, an old woman is around and normally sit inside. At all other times, it was securely locked.

Dalam perjalanan kali ini, saya risau juga tidak dapat masuk ke dalam. Maklumlah, tempat ini boleh tahan jauh daripada tempat saya menetap di Lembah Kelang sedangkan saya sudah lama tak datang sini. Alhamdulillah, ternyata pintu ini tidak berkunci walaupun tiada penjaganya!

In the latest visit, I was worried if I couldn't get in. What do you expect, the place is quite far from where I reside in the Kelang Valley while it's been quite a long time since I was here. Praise be to God, as it turned out the door was not locked eventhough the caretaker was not around!



Jadi apa yang ada di dalam? Relaks... Kalau boleh nampak, cuba teliti sedutan sebuah buku yang di copy dan digantung di atas ayat Quran ini. Tak boleh nampak?

So what is inside? Relax... If you could see, try to examine and study excerpts copied from a book and hanged up the Quranic verses seen here. Can't see it?


Baiklah. Biar saya tolong... Lihat objek di sebalik dinding ini. Anda boleh nampak sedikit di sini...

Fine. Let me help... Try to look at the object behind these walls. You can see a bit of it already...


Ha... Tu dia... Eh. Busut ke? Ya, memang busut. Tetapi busut itu tumbuh di atas satu tempat istimewa. Kalau nak tahu, inilah dia makam seorang wali yang dikenali sebagai Tuan Tulis!

Ha.... That's it... Eh. Is it a termite mound? Ya, it is a termite mound. But the mound sprouted on top of a very special place. If you want to know, this is the tomb of a saintly person known as Tuan Tulis (literally translated as the master who writes a lot)!


Tempat ini begitu istimewa sehingga diiktiraf sebagai satu tempat bersejarah...

This place is so special that it is recognised and gazetted as a historical place...


Jadi siapa dia Tuan Tulis? Saya rasa cukuplah informasi yang terpapar ini ya. Selebihnya cari sendiri. Sekian!

So who is Tuan Tulis? I feel the information provided here is quite sufficient ya. For more please look up yourself. That's all!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Makam diraja (royal mausoleum of) Negeri Sembilan, Seri Menanti

Masih di Seri Menanti... Kita ke makam diraja Negeri Sembilan pula. Mari! :]
Still in Seri Menanti... Let us go the the royal mausoleum of Negeri Sembilan. Come! :]

OK. Sebenarnya saya tergerak untuk ke sini setelah melihat sebuah bangunan yang menandakan makam diraja. Gambar bangunan itu akan saya letak dalam blogspot BERPETUALANG KE ACEH sebentar lagi. Tetapi setakat saya nampak tiada lagi sesiapa dimakamkan di sana kerana ia bangunan baru. Makam diraja yang wujud adalah di belakangnya dan di atas ini adalah jalan masuk ke situ...

Oh. Actually I felt like going here after I saw a certain building which marks the royal mausoleum. Pictures there will be shown at the blogspot BERPETUALANG KE ACEH later. As it turned, as far as I could see and surmise there's nobody buried at the building yet as it is a new building. The existing (as in already functional) royal mausoleum is actually situated behind and above is the path into...


Sebaik sahaja masuk, kelihatan makam Yam Tuan ke 7 Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhammad ibni Yam Tuan Antah paling terserlah. Rasanya semua yang dimakamkan di sini adalah kerabat terdekat baginda.

The minute inside, one could see the tomb of the 7th Yam Tuan (ruler) of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhammad ibni (son of) Yam Tuan Antah as the one which stood out most. I think all those buried are are his close relatives.


Bangunan menarik di hujung sana mungkin tempat persinggahan kerana tiada makam di dalamnya...

The interesting building on the far end could be a place for visitors to rest as there is no tomb inside...


Entah kenapa, dalam banyak-banyak makam, saya paling tertarik dengan yang ini... Milik Tunku Besar Burhanuddin.

For reasons unknown, among all the tombs, I was mostly attracted to this one... Owned by Tunku Besar Burhanuddin.


Tunku Besar Burhanuddin adalah adinda kepada Tuanku Muhammad. Ini adalah batu nesan bahagian kakinya. Batu nesan kepala bertulisan Jawi. Sekian...

Tunku Besar Burhanuddin  is the younger brother of Tuanku Muhammad. This is the foot tombstone. The one for the head has writings in Jawi. That's all...


Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Istana lama (the old palace of) Seri Menanti...

Dari replika istana di Rembau seperti terpapar dalam artikel Replika istana (The palace replica of Raja Melewar) kita beralih sekitar 70km ke Seri Menanti. Mari! :] 
From the palace replica in Rembau as potrayed in the article Replika istana (The palace replica of Raja Melewar) we move some 70km to Seri Menanti. Come! :]

Di tengah bandar diraja Seri Menanti (sebenarnya sebuah pekan kecil tetapi mendapat keistimewaan kerana menjadi tempat bersemayam Yam Tuan Besar Negeri Sembilan) terdapat istana lama ini...

Right in the middle of the royal town of Sri Menanti (actually it is a special village but with the special privilege of being the main place of residence for the Yam Tuan or ruler of Negeri Sembilan) there exist this old palace...


Maklumat yang terpapar menyebut ia siap dibina 1908. Tetapi ada percanggahan tarikh ia mula dibina pada maklumat ini. Versi Melayu menyebut tahun 1905, versi Inggeris 1902!

The information shown said it was completed in 1908. But here, there is a contradiction in the year it was supposed to be built. The Malay version says 1905, the English 1902!


Apapun, sampai masa untuk melihat ke dalam... ]
Whatever, come the time to see inside...

Hmm... Biar dilihat luarnya dahulu daripada beberapa sudut...

Hmm... Let us have a look at it first from some angles outside...



Pandangan hadapan istana. Oh... Untuk makluman ia telah dijadikan muzium diraja...

A look at the front of the palace. Oh... For information it has been converted into a royal museum...


Maaf... Ini sahaja gambar yang saya terasa mahu ambil di dalam, gambar singgahsana lama diraja. Adapun kebanyakan pameran lain yang terdapat lebih menekankan keluarga diraja sekarang yang saya rasa terlalu keBaratan. Maaf...

Sorry... This is the only picture I felt like taking, a picture of the old royal throne. As it turns out, the majority of the exhibits inside concentrate on matters relating to the present royal family which I feel is too westernised. Sorry...


Ini pula gambar laman hadapan. Sebenarnya saya bercadang untuk mengambil gambar ini dari tingkat tertinggi istana kerana pernah naik ke situ dalam beberapa lawatan sebelum ini. Ternyata jalan naik ke atas kini dikunci. Sekian...

This is a picture of the front yard. Actually I was thinking of taking the picture from the highest floor of the palace as I've been up there in a few previous visits. As it turned out, the way leading up is now locked. That's all...


Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Replika istana (The palace replica of Raja Melewar)

OK. Masih tentang Raja Melewar. Di sebelah kawasan makam baginda terdapat bangunan ini...
OK. Still on Raja Melewar. Just beside the area housing his majesty's tomb is this building...

Untuk makluman, inilah replika istana Raja Melewar...

For information, this is the replica of Raja Melewar's palace...


Sedikit maklumat tentang Raja Melewar dan istana ini...

Some information on Raja Melewar and this palace...


Di halamannya terdapat batu-batu ini...

In the courtyard are these stones...


Batu apakah ia? Sila baca maklumat yang tertera.

What stones are these? Please read the information shown.


Sampai masa untuk masuk ke dalam...

Come the time to go inside...


Di hujung kiri terletak replika singgahsana...

On the far left is this replica of the throne...


Ini pula informasi mengenai asal-usul nama daerah Rembau, daerah di mana istana ini terletak. Maaf ia kurang terang. Cukuplah diberitahu menurutnya, nama Rembau berasal dari sebatang pokok Merbau gergasi setinggi empat kali pohon kelapa dengan pangkal boleh dililiti tempat makan untuk 32 orang! Ia terpaksa ditumbangkan sebelum tahun 1540 Masihi setelah kawasan ini maju menjadi penempatan. Takut tiba-tiba ia tumbang sendiri tanpa kawalan.

This in turn is the information on the origin of the name of the district Rembau, the district where the palace is located at. Too bad it is not so clear. Enough if said, the name Rembau originated from a giant Merbau tree (sorry, I don't know the English equivalent) said to be as tall as four coconut trees with the base circumference equivalent to dining arrangement for 32 people! It had to be cut down before the year 1540 AD after the area has flourished as a settlement. For fear that the tree should suddenly fall down without control.


Rasanya ini pula replika tempat persandingan pengantin...

I think this is the replica of a wedding couple's pedestal...


Saya tak ingat langsung ini untuk apa...

I can't remember at all what is this for...


Ini pula adalah carta laluan Raja Melewar masuk ke Negeri Sembilan...

This is a chart of Raja Melewar's route on his journey to enter Negeri Sembilan...


Kemudian sampai masa untuk pergi ke bahagian lain replika istana merangkap muzium ini, melalui satu pintu yang awalnya saya sangkakan cermin!

Then came the time for me to go to another section of this palace replica cum museum, through a door which I initially thought was a mirror!


Di tepinya terdapat notis mengatakan pintu hadapan dan pintu ini berusia hampir 100 tahun, disumbang oleh Puan Zainab binti Adam dari Kampung Nerasau, Rembau.

At one side is a notice saying the front door and this door is almost 100 years old, donated by a certain Puan (as in a married lady) Zainab binti (daughter of) Adam from the village of Kampung Nerasau, Rembau.


Senjata lama yang terdapat di bahagian itu...

Old weapons shown at the other section...


Gambar makam-makam lama...

Pictures of old tombs...


Makam-makam lama ini milik pemerintah tradisional daerah Rembau yang bergelar Datuk Lela Maharaja!

The old tombs belong to the traditional rulers of the district of Rembau known by the title Datuk Lela Maharaja!


Makam Datuk Lela Maharaja yang hidup pertengahan abad ke 16. Tamat...

The tomb of the first Datuk Lela Maharaja who lived in the middle of the 16th Century. Finished...

Makam Raja Melewar di siang hari (The tomb of Raja Melewar during the day)

Akhirnya, setelah 2 kali sampai ke makam Raja Melewar pada waktu malam, hari Rabu lepas saya dapat melihatnya pada siang hari. Mari! :]
At last, after arriving at the tomb of Raja Melewar 2 times at night, last Wednesday I finally got to see it during the day. Come! :]

Kali pertama saya sampai ke sini adalah 3 bulan lalu. Ketika itu saya sedang membuat satu perjalanan sekitar Negeri Sembilan sambil membuat klip-klip video di beberapa tempat lalu cuma sampai ke sini sekitar 8 malam.

The first time I came here was 3 months ago. At the time I was making a trip round the state of Negeri Sembilan while shooting video clips at some places thus I only arrived here sometime around 8 at night.


Maka itu saya tidak dapat mengambil terang gambar-gambar seperti ini. Lihat artikel lama bertajuk Ziarah ke makam Raja Melewar waktu malam (Visit to the tomb of Raja Melewar at night!) yang dibuat 7 Jun.

And thus I couldn't take clear pictures such as this. Look at the old article titled Ziarah ke makam Raja Melewar waktu malam (Visit to the tomb of Raja Melewar at night!) published June 7.


Kini anda juga boleh membaca informasinya dengan terang. Untuk membaca lebih teliti, sila buka gambar di window baru. Untuk makluman, ada sedikit perbezaan informasi bahasa Melayu dengan terjemahan bahasa Inggeris. Apapun cukuplah untuk menyatakan bahawa Raja Melewar yang berasal dari Pagar Ruyung di Sumatera telah dijemput menjadi Yam Tuan pertama Negeri Sembilan tahun 1773 sebelum mangkat 1795.

Now you also can read the information with such clarity. To read it more thoroughly, please open the picture in a new window. For information, there's some difference between the information in Malay and the translation in English. Whatever, both are enough to indicate that Raja Melewar who originated from Pagar Ruyung in Sumatera was invited to become the first Yam Tuan (ruler) of Negeri Sembilan in the year 1773 before he passed away 1795.


Dalam kawasan berpagar, terdapat sepasang makam sebelah-menyebelah...

Inside the fenced area, there exist a pair of tombs positioned side by side...


Di hadapan terdapat informasi ini...
In front there's this information...


Tetapi dalam lawatan pertama ke sini seperti disebut dalam artikel Ziarah ke makam Raja Melewar waktu malam (Visit to the tomb of Raja Melewar at night!) , saya menyangkakan yang ini pula makam Raja Melewar kerana ia kelihatan panjang sedangkan makam berkembar berdekatan kelihatan seperti makam kanak-kanak, kerana jarak antara batu nesan kepala dengan kaki yang dekat!

But during the first visit here as shown in the article Ziarah ke makam Raja Melewar waktu malam (Visit to the tomb of Raja Melewar at night!), I thought the tomb above was the one belonging to Raja Melewar as it looks long enough while the pair of tombs nearby looked liked it belongs to children, because of the short distance between the head tombstone and that for the feet!


Dalam lawatan kedua yang juga dibuat waktu malam lebih sebulan kemudian baru saya tersedar bahawa informasi yang tertera menyebut Raja Melewar dimakamkan di sebelah permaisurinya! Di atas ini adalah makam permaisuri itu. Lebih menarik, dalam lawatan kedua itulah baru saya tahu makam ini ditanda dengan batu nesan Aceh.

In the second visit made also at night more than a month afterwards only do I realise that the information available nearby mentioned Raja Melewar was buried next to his queen! Above is the tomb of the queen. What's more interesting, it was in the second visit that I also found out the tomb is marked with Aceh-type tombstone.


Inilah makam Raja Melewar... Ia juga ditanda batu nesan Aceh!

This is the tomb of Raja Melewar... It is also marked by Aceh tombstone!


Makam Raja Melewar bersebelahan permaisurinya. Sekian! :]

The tomb of Raja Melewar next to his queen. That's all! :]