The Reader

Kuala Lumpur International Festival of Literature

To-day is the last day of The Reading Month campaign that took off on 1st July,2004. I attended the lauching ceremony at Hotel Renanissance,and then I did not hear much about it in the media. Honestly, I have doubts of the impacts on Malaysians to read...

On the 29th,July,2004, KL International Festival of Literature took off at the same hotel. A lot of programmes have been planned until 1st ,August,2004.At the same time, we are also having Mega Sales. From my observation, Mega Sales will win the Malaysians hands-down!

Similarly, our weekly pasar malam is always full of people compared to prayers at our masjid/surau.

Selling 'foods' for the minds/spirit is many times more difficult to sell 'foods' for the mouths and the body!

May be ,the organisers of the book-related festivals have to learn from Akademi Fantasia in the field of marketing?

Mixing with righteous people

As a father I am very concerned whom my children mix with. They are bound to be influenced ,one way or the other ,by the companions they keep.Not only friends, my children will be influenced by the media(TV etc) and what they read. One of the way I use to monitor what is in their minds is by observing what they do and talk to them as often as I could. According to my learned friend, we as parent must assist our kids to have the right ideology in their lives. Personal ideology will be their reference or baseline for them to make decisions that will have impacts in their lives.

Below ,let me share with you a few notes and paragraphs I took from the book The Ideal Muslim:

Mixing with righteous people has a good effect on a person,raising his level of taqwa,improving his speech and his behaviour,and increasing his understanding of religion and love of truth,until he himself becomes one of that group of righteous people.(My note: The reverse is also true).

The true muslim does not take as close friends any but the best of people,because he understands,from the teaching of his religion,that people are like metals,some of which are precious and others are base,and that good only attracted to good:

"People are metals like gold and silver.The best of them at the time of Jahiliyyah will be the best of them in Islam,if they truly understands.Souls are like conscripted soldiers,if they recognise one another,they will become friends,if they dislike one another,they will go their separate ways."( Hadith-Muslim)

Personally, my friends come in all shape,size and colour. As time goes by for the last 30 years of my adult life, I think I know who are the good, the bad and the ugly guys. May Allah guide me like those He has guided.Below is a poem by an Arab poet that I must take heed:

"Mixing with people of noble character,you will be counted as one of them.So donot take anyone else as a friend".

PS: How to be successful..An Islamic Perspective:
Download how_to_be_successful_in_lifean_islamic_perspective.rtf

Tasik Chini

I am shocked to read the level of pollutions as reported in the newspapers yesterday.However,I am not suprised. May be, more lakes are equally polluted but not reported. Our rivers and our lakes got polluted by irresponsible people.And at the same time, it is also due to lack of effective monitoring and enforcement by the authories.

One of the lakes in Malaysia that I like is at Pedas,Negeri Sembilan. It is really clean and beautiful;and source of water for the surrounding areas.

Do you know any other beautiful lakes worth visiting in Malaysia?
Please share with us and thank you.

Malaysia Hall/MSD Officially Open

For further information/photos,please read Atok's Blog.

My thanks to all who had responded by writing and sending their Malaysia Hall stories.

Terima kasih.

PS:
Tuan Haji Zainal Sikum: Please let's know the URL for the stories.

Cool speakers

More on IPod in Newsweek 2nd Aug;2004

Nine years ago..

Yesterday, I went to JARING office at KLCC to renew my subscription. This is the 10th annual subscription I have been paying to JARING....

Nine years ago, if I could remember correctly, I have less than five friends who have email addresses. Many of my peers don't even know the meaning of email address! What then was the reasons why I ever need an email address? I think ,it is more the connection to the Internet. Tengku Azzman of MIMOS told me that if I am not connected ,then I don't exist!

Looking back, I have seen many good, bad and ugly usage of Internet.It is nothing wrong with the technology;it is the users. As a heavy user( not abuser), I found the technology is very cool and useful if we put it to good usage.

One thing that I must give the credit to Internet. If it is not for the web, I won't be writing as I am doing now. It motivates as well as facilitates me to write. With so much information floating in cyberspace like now, I also read for information and knowledge online.

When I was the Chief Structural Design section for hospital project in 1984, we used computer at our office and used to connect it to our HQ using a modem that transmits data at 2.4kb per second! That will make young people now LOL. Well, at that time, that was the best we had. Just compare with what you have now and see how much technology had changed.

Internet has affected the way we live and work to a certain extend. The amount depends on individuals and corporations. However, there are some Malaysians who know about Internet but have yet to use it.

A few months ago, I subscribed to TM Net streamyx in order to join the broadband.It improves the speed about 5 to 10 times as compared to my Jaring dial-up, but it is not always there when I want it.many a time, I have to visit 'hotspots' at SFC in order to use faster broadband. Now, I look forward to JARING Wireless broadband. I hope JARING can do better than Telekom.

With the help of my techie son, my house is a 'hotspot'- a wireless connection to Streamyx landline.

Being in love..

Everyone has his/her own love.We love our family members as well as objects of desire. Like it or not,the time will come when we depart from them or they depart us. The only one that lasts forever is the love of Allah swt. This is the ultimate love...

Below is a short note to guide us to seek the Love of Allah swt:

Love of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala
Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
Madarij as-Saalikeen, vol. 3, pp. 17-18.
Quoted in "The Delight of Faith" by Abdullah bin Jarullah al-Jarullah
(Transl. J. Zarabozo; © Dar as-Salaam, 1996)
http://islaam.com//Article.aspx?id=58

Ibn al-Qaiyim mentioned ten causes that result in Allah's love for His slave and the slave's love for his Lord. [These ten are:]

First, reciting the Qur'an while pondering over its meanings and what is meant by it.

Second, getting closer to Allah by performing voluntary deeds after completing obligatory deeds. This is as is stated in a Hadith Qudsi: "My slave continues getting closer to Me by performing voluntary deeds until I love him." [al-Bukhari]

Third, continual remembrance of Allah under all circumstances, with one's tongue, heart and actions. The extent of one's love of Allah is determined by this.

Fourth, giving precedence to what He loves over what you love when you are overtaken by your desires.

Fifth, the heart being avid of Allah's Names, and Attributes and the heart roaming in that garden of knowledge.

Sixth, observing Allah's kindness, goodness and bounties, both hidden and open.

Seventh, and this is the most wonderful, the heart being soft, subdued and meek before Allah.

Eighth, being alone with Allah during the time when the Lord descends during the last portion of the night while reading His Book and ending that by asking for forgiveness and repenting.

Ninth, sitting with the beloved and sincere, benefitting from the most fruitful of their speech. And not to speak unless speaking is more beneficial and you know that it will improve your state and be beneficial to others.

Tenth, remaining away from every cause that comes between the heart and Allah.

These ten causes take the lovers to the station of true love and bring them to their Beloved.

PS:
Kata hikmat dari Imam al-Ghazali: "Cintailah apa yang kamu sukai;sesungguhnya kamu akan berpisah dengannya."

Property Investment

Last week, I had a discussion with a financial consultant about investment in properties.I told her that I could have more return on my capital than putting most of it in my business venture.Well, everyone is wiser after the events; and I hope it is not too late for me to invest in properties...

My late cousin was a smart property investor. He saved money for the initial down payment and the rental incomes paid for the property.After 15 years, his properties are worth much more,sometimes double the original cost!

Instead of buying properties, another way is to buy shares in well managed property listed companies.One can benefit from the dividend as well as the price increases,if any.

I bought my house 20 years ago in KL and the value now is almost double. I just wonder if my children can afford to buy a link house in KL in the next five years when they start having their own families?

Money saved..

Money saved is money earned.

Everyone knows that, but when it comes to practice more efforts are made to earn revenue than to save cost.It happens to all types-from governments,corporations,companies, families and individuals.

On my way back to KL yesterday by plane(economy class),I sat next to a chairman of a public listed company.On way out of KLIA, I went to buy ERL ticket but this gentleman excused himself that he had to go to another counter that sells train ticket for senior citizen that cost RM 20 as compared to my ERL ticket of RM35. He told me that he could save RM15 and he didnot mind the train to stop as a few stations.It was not that he couldnot afford the ERL RM 35, but that way he saved a few ringgits. And that is a good lesson for me!

That reminded me of another demostration of frugality by another CEO whom I traveled with to London a few years ago. We were all tired of 12 hours flight from KLIA to Heathrow airport and all I wanted was a bed to sleep on.As I was about about to buy the express train ticket to London, he stopped me. He said we were already late,nothing to rush.He went to buy the normal "tube" tickets for both of us and we saved about RM 50 each but the journey took 45 minutes longer.

The lesson I learned is that sometimes we just want the easier and the faster way without taking into account the cost factors.Business wise,it is easier to save than to earn.All we need is extra efforts and a little more patience.

HIV and AIDS

To-day I was invited to attend a discourse to identify new research projects with a group of our scientists and doctors. What shocked me was the number of deaths due to AIDS/HIV is scary and the growth is exponential.

We need more money and time is not on our side:-(