Up North.

Happy day.

We left early at 0800 hours on 27 November 2010 for Nibong Tebal Seberang Prai Polis IPK. Along the highway we stopped by at Kuala Kangsar Riverside R & R for refreshment. The R & R had been renovated and was surprised but glad to see the various fruit stalls and the Food kiosks are now very well organized. It is good for the country’s image especially to foreigners and local tourists on their way up north.

Haji Fisol and Hajjah Khalidah were very pleased to see our presence that made the journey all the way from Port Klang. With the PLUS Highway it was not a problem at all. The wedding function of Haji Fisol’s daughter was held inside the IPK complex and security as concern it was excellent. Simple setup but the reception was overwhelming. Haji Fisol a Sergeant attach to Polis Di Raja Malaysia had served three (3) sessions as UN Peacekeeper at Timor Leste. Police personnel of all ranks from various stations attended the reception.

After the luncheon and “bersanding” we hit back the highway and we stopped again at the Kuala Kangsar Riverside R & R. The idea was to pack for dinner later in Ipoh. I did not miss the “gulai tempoyak”, my favorite. We toured the various stalls and was attracted to the beautiful decorative craftsmanship of “labu sayong” cum lampshade and decided to pick a set. Though it was a little bit overpriced, I considered it was my contribution to my countrymen local industries. Next time around, I will go to Sayong itself.

We put a night in Ipoh at my mother’s place - balik kampong. We had family dinner and pep talk about various family matters.

Sad day.

After breakfast the next morning 28 November 2010, my cousin Dato Malek Ahmad send a message that my grand aunty Hajjah Halimah aged 92 had passed away in Kampong Pauh, Behrang Station. It was ethical to pay our last respect and attended her funeral. Together with my mother, niece Arfah Harun and Brother Mahmud I drove all the way south to Behrang Station. Hajjah Halimah was the last surviving of my paternal senior generation. She was the sister in law of my late grandfather.

The last time I met Opah Limah, she advised me to get to know all the relatives on her side fearing that we may lost and break the chain of the blood relationships. “Karam nanti kita weh” she said.

Her funeral also gave me the opportunity to meet and be acquainted with my long lost relatives from my father’s side. To some, it was the first encounter and we started asking each other who are/were your parents and how are you related with Opah Limah? One cousin lives nearby to Port Klang, in Meru Klang but it was the first time that I met him. After her “jenazah” left the house for the Mosque at 1400 hours I drove back to Ipoh as later in evening I had to make the journey home all the way to Port Klang from Ipoh. I had to skip the solat jenazah and the burial ceremony as time constraint. My other half and my daughter were left behind in Ipoh. Apparently my brother and sister from Kuala Lumpur arrived later in Kampong Pauh and were in time to pay their last respect, perhaps the burial. We had left Kampong Pauh earlier and did not get to meet them. We reached Ipoh at 1530 hours and finally had late lunch.

Left Ipoh at 1700 hours, the usual tropical rain along the Titiwangsa Range and a bumper to bumper piled up along the highway slowed our journey. We broke journey at Ulu Bernam R & R for refreshment and dinner.

We hit base at 2100 hours.

My Honey is on the way............

The Golden liquid.

My stock is depleting and the Yemen honey is good for health up keeping. It strikes my mind that my ex Guthrie buddy, now Tuan Haji Farid Mohd is in Mekah, counting the days for the hijrah to Medina. I send a short message whether he could do me a favor by visiting Al-Nour Honey Outlet at Safwah Tower, Mekah and get me a bottle of the 120 Saudi Riyal value. Tuan Haji Farid Mohd and Puan Hajjah Rashidah Zakaria is currently staying at the Zam Zam Tower Hotel. I told him about the several Yemen honey varieties available and suggested to taste the mixture that cost 400 Saudi Riyal which is more oomph! The one that I requested is a mixture with “Habatus Saudah” (Black seed).

Within hours Tuan Haji Farid responded “Already bought, had tasted the 400 Saudi Riyal honey, sedapp…..and now thinking to buy”. Tuan Haji Farid Mohd now knows my secret and favorite ingredients from Mekah. So my honey is on the way ……………and will be also making the hijrah to Medina. Masyaalah…..hope the atmospheric of Medina is an additional ingredient to my honey.

I used to patronize a Honey Outlet from my Yemeni’s friend, Abdillah but he changed profession as Children outfit Retailer when I was in Mekah, last Ramadan. Abdillah recommended Al-Nour and it was good bargain. Yemen honey is very popular with the Pilgrims as the honey bees get its nectar from the desert blooms.

My experience – Yemen honey with “habatus saudah” is a good antidote for cough and influenza.

It has also been found to ease diarrhea, insomnia, sunburn, and sore throats. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Yemeni honey has unique healing properties, particularly for wounds that have resisted treatment.

The Quran lauds the salubrious effects of honey. “And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men’s) habitations; There issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men,” says the passage, written 1,400 years ago…

In addition, the Prophet (pbuh) said:

'Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Qur'an is a remedy for all illness of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies, the Qur'an and honey.'- Hadith narrated by Bukhari.

Both the holy Qur'an and Hadith refer to honey as a healer of disease.

Liar....Liar....Liar.

A very interesting article about Obama’s speech in Indonesia and the analysis by Philip Giraldi. It is a known fact the biggest culprit to “world peace” is none other than Israel. The saddest part, Israel is allied to USA. The Muslims will continue to suffer, killed or maimed.

Quote:

Liar, Liar

by Philip Giraldi, November 18, 2010

President Barack Obama’s speech in Indonesia in which he conceded that the United States must do more to establish a good working relationship with many Muslim nations would have ranked as one of the more pathetic performances by an American president in recent years but for the fact that there have been so many awful performances to choose from. The president’s grammar and syntax were perfect and the speech was cleverly crafted, exactly what we have come to expect. It was replete with carefully designed pauses, Indonesian words and phrases, and some self deprecating humor, but it was characteristically bloodless and completely tone deaf. One almost longed to see Bill Clinton choking up and shedding a tear or two.

Obama’s spin team made a heroic effort to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. They likened the Indonesia speech to his Cairo offering seventeen months ago, in which he likewise committed his administration to establishing a new, more convivial modality for dealing with Islamic nations. That speech was received respectfully and even positively in many quarters, but this time no one was fooled. It’s funny how a year and a half of inaction and even retreat can reshape how someone thinks. One Indonesian commented afterwards "What will Obama do in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? If we don’t see any progress, what he says is just a speech."

Obama’s offering was full of the usual bromides, about how respectful he is of Islam and its traditions. He even touched on Israel-Palestine, not surprisingly blaming both sides for not taking the necessary courageous steps to find peace. It is a familiar argument for American audiences who are used to hearing that the conflict is bilateral, but did not go down well in Indonesia where the listeners are all too aware of the details of the brutal Israeli occupation.

What Obama should have said was that it has now become clear that Israel’s Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has no desire for any peace agreement that does not provide for perpetual and absolute Israeli dominance over the Palestinians. He should have added that he knows that Netanyahu has nothing but contempt for him personally in the wake of the midterm election debacle and he might also observe that his ability to act independently is conditioned by the Israel Lobby so he can do nothing to help the Palestinians achieve statehood or even to recover a measure of dignity under Israeli occupation. He might admit that he has now been reduced to offering multi-billion dollar bribes of military equipment to Israel just to tempt it to suspend some settlement activity for ninety day. Obama’s words would not have changed reality on the ground, but at least he would have told the truth for a change and the candor would have been refreshing.

If Obama wants to establish some kind of modus vivendi with the Islamic world he must speak to it in language that it understands and not lie about things that all Muslims know to be true. And it is also past time that he begins to speak the truth to the American people also. His administration’s retreat from any confrontation with Israel in an attempt to make a recalcitrant Netanyahu conform even to minimal standards of behavior confirms what all the world already knows: Israel will act and the United States will follow, even if those actions will inflict grave damage on the American people and on the US national interest.

And what will that mean for the United States? It means that the decision about going to war for the US is essentially controlled by Israel because Tel Aviv can start a conflict with Iran at any time that will quickly draw Washington in. Those who think that the White House still is managing the situation are completely naïve. There is no indication that the Obama administration has warned Israel against bombing Iran because the US has no cards to play, having ruled out exerting any sort of economic or military pressure on Netanyahu. And there should be no doubt that an attack by Israel on an Iranian nuclear facility would trigger Iranian retaliation and immediate calls in Congress and the media to support Tel Aviv, leaving the president no option but to enter the conflict. A third war in the region would mean goodbye to any American ability to disengage from the other conflicts that are bleeding the US white and would possibly lead to even more dire consequences if neighbors like nuclear armed Pakistan and India somehow enter the fray.

Bibi Netanyahu surely understands that the cost to the United States in lives and treasure from war with Iran could potentially be catastrophic but it is a price he is willing to pay as his own people and economy would largely be spared, at least initially. No American leader should tolerate such a situation but, deplorably, those who have spoken out at all on the Middle East have lined up behind the Israelis as if they were part of the United States, or even more esteemed than any of the fifty states. Vice President Joe Biden told the Jewish Federations of North America annual gathering in New Orleans last week that "the ties between our two countries are literally unbreakable" and described how he is "absolutely certain that our support for Israel must continue … forever," echoing similar statements made by both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama. Biden knows full well that Israeli and US interests do not coincide and his comments amount to political pandering of the worst sort. It is even more disconcerting to think that he might actually mean what he says.

Meanwhile Steny Hoyer, who calls himself a Zionist and frequently expresses his love for Israel, and has spoken of "our responsibility to stand by Israel and the Jewish people," is poised to take over as Minority Whip in the House of Representatives. On the other side of the aisle, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Eric Cantor are unrelenting advocates of Israel who are about to step into senior positions in the Republican dominated congress. Cantor recently met privately with Bibi Netanyahu and said the Republican Party would serve "as a check on" the Obama Administration over its policies in the Middle East. Then "He made clear that the Republican majority understands the special relationship between Israel and the United States, and that the security of each nation is reliant upon the other." In other words, Cantor was meeting with the leader of a foreign country and promising to do whatever he could to influence and even subvert the foreign policy of his own country. Think about that one for a minute or two.

And while Cantor, Hoyer, Biden and company are ceding US national security to the Israelis, who actually is calling the shots on shaping American policy? None other than the redoubtable Dennis Ross, perched in the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Central Region. Ross, who has been described as Israel’s lawyer, is poison in the very heart of the policy making apparatus. He recently spoke at an AIPAC Conference in Hollywood Florida where he said "Just last week, I participated in the US-Strategic Dialogue, a biannual event that includes a comprehensive exchange of views on regional issues crucial to both the United State and Israel. But more importantly, the Strategic Dialogue is just one of many, ongoing, and high-level exchanges that occur regularly between the United States in Israel. I’m not aware of another country that we engage more regularly on such a wide range of issues. These types of exchanges not only provide opportunities for discussion of ideas on policy, but they also help solidify connections between our two governments. Over the last two years, I have seen four-star generals, intelligence officers, and high-ranking diplomats all develop personal relationships with their Israeli counterparts. Frankly, this degree of coordination is unprecedented. I have participated in these types of discussions for the last 30 years, and they have never been as intense or focused, reflecting the serious cooperation that we have today with Israel. But our commitment to Israel’s security is defined not by talk. It is defined by the kinds of actions and deeds that help make both of our countries safer and stronger in the face of common threats."

So if you doubt that the United States is tied hand and foot to Israel in terms of its ability to take independent action in the Middle East, just listen to what Dennis Ross, Joe Biden, and Eric Cantor are saying. Does it sound like they are articulating policies beneficial to the US? They are insisting that Americans have to support Israel unquestioningly no matter what it does and are little more than advocates for monsters like Bibi Netanyahu, pure and simple. The word Quisling comes to mind when one thinks of them and also Hoyer and Ros-Lehtinen. If their failure to be truly loyal to the country that has nurtured them brings about a new war in which many of their fellow citizens will die, their actions and posturing should be defined by one and all as treason. If America is to be taken back in a new revolution that will lead to a restoration of the vision of the Founding Fathers it will only take place after the betrayers of our constitution are removed from government, every single one of them. When American politicians and senior government officials speak of their love of a foreign government that pursues policies inimical to US values and interests they should be disowned by every true patriot and also by every respectable media outlet. It should be grounds for their immediate removal.

Unquote:

Kereta jenazah.

Parking at the Mosque.

The nameplate.

Kampong Raja Uda.

The number plate.

The sideview of Toyota Estima.

It was managed under the banner of: Tentuan Jawatankuasa Saham Saham Wakaf,Kampung Raja Uda.

D/A YM Raja Nazri Raja Mazlan. Account signatories: Three shareholders. (YM Raja Nazri excluded).

Now the Kereta Jenazah is under the management of the Mosque Committee under the Bureau of Kereta Jenazah with one of the Nazir appointed Siak as Chairman cum Driver. Nil experience on management compared to YM Raja Nazri a retired Malaysia Army Captain specializes on Logistics.

YM Raja Nazri took over the management of the Kereta Jenazah from late Cikgu Hussin effective 28 February 2002.

The Kereta Jenazah then was a Toyota Van with the number plate BEM 400. It was acquired from the shares (saham) of RM 100 or less/more (within affordable) from the Kampong residents sometimes in the late 80s. That’s why the name of the association is Saham Saham Wakaf Kampong Raja Uda and not Masjid Kampong Raja Uda. Not one cent from the Kampong Mosque was ever utilized. Petrol as concern, Petronas Kampong Raja Uda is willing to sponsor as their contribution (sedekah) for the welfare of the Kampong. The Mosque only provide parking space.

Unfortunately record and file pertaining to this association is untraceable, therefore the original shareholders and history cannot be traced.

As time went by there was a need to replace the Kereta Jenazah and YM Raja Nazri was kind enough to work single handedly and obtained several kind Samaritans to donate. The former Kereta Jenazah was taken over by someone to be use at his kampong at the cost of RM 10,000.00 only. The sedekah of the former Kereta Jenazah shareholders was being extended, insyaalah.

The following Philanthropist contributed to the purchase of a new Toyota Estima Kereta Jenazah on 04 May 2009. Number plate: BKH 4730.

Due to privacy, names are withheld and Raja Nazri has the complete listings.

1. Dato………………………RM 10,000.00

2. Raja………………………RM 10,000.00

3. Dato Paduka………… RM 5,000.00

4. Haji……………………… RM 2,000.00

5. Tengku………………… RM 2,000.00

6. Raja …………………… RM 2,000.00

7. Tengku………………… RM 5,000.00

8. Haji…………………… RM 2,000.00

9. Tan Sri………………… RM 5,000.00

10. Tan Sri’s mother…. RM 1,000.00

11. Dato…………………… RM 5,000.00

12. Arwah Haji………….. RM 2,000.00

13. Haji……………………… RM 2,000.00

TOTAL: RM 51,000.00

(MYR Fifty one thousands).

Purchase price or amount paid on 04 May 2009 to Pantai Holding for the Toyota Estima: RM 50,695.00. (MYR: Fifty thousand six hundred ninety five).

Total cost of the Toyota Estima was unknown as the balance was taken up and accounted by the Proprietor of Pantai Holding, a Dato.

Current balance in Bank under the custody of Raja Nazri as at 01 November 2010: RM 14,480.09. Part of the money derived from the sale of the former Kereta Jenazah: RM 10,000.00. (MYR: Ten thousand).

During the delivery of the Toyota Estima Kereta Jenazah, there was about RM 20,000 balance in Bank, other than the RM 10,000.00 sale from old Kereta Jenazah. From the RM 20,000* it was used to purchase accessories, installing stainless steel stretcher, coffin, matting, warning blinkers and repair to the jenazah washing room. The balance thereof as existing is RM 4,809.09 plus the RM 10,000.00.

*Receipts and bills with the existing Kereta Jenazah management.

I don’t see any problem if the Kereta jenazah remain under the care off YM Raja Nazri and gratitude should be given for his effort and hard work to furnish the Kampong with a much better off Kereta jenazah. For the greed of power, moreover they are in power reflecting of a new power however failed to see the rationales. Power does not cling forever but perception is. The Kereta Jenazah is about Kampong not about Mosque.

The Kampong residents (not all) are thankful to the thirteen (13) Philanthropists and the Dato from Pantai Holdings for their kind donations to make some of the resident proud of having the first Toyota Estima Kereta jenazah in Malaysia. Thank you and well done to YM Raja Nazri, Allah knows your nawaitu.

Lastly: PKR is currently in turmoil and the Pakatan Rakyat pact is heading for Perpecahan Rakyat. Allah is watching.