The world is shaking.

First quarter of 2011 – we are seeing disasters after disasters and deaths after deaths.

Successful people Revolution in Tunisia followed with Egypt. Two Presidents fled the country and the throne. Seeking for democracy and Freedom, some lives had to be spared, either being stupid or innocent bystanders. Ongoing crying for democracy is Yemen, Bahrain and Libya. Are we expecting to see more around the Middle East or anywhere in the world? Philippine was one of the country that was successful with the People Revolution or the terminology of People’s Power. Are their living standards far better off now?

Christchurch in New Zealand was struck by an earthquake of 6.3 magnitudes on the Richter scale on 22 February 2011. Hardly a month later, on 11 March 2011 another earthquake struck on the north eastern of Japan of 8.9 massive magnitudes followed with a tsunami aftermath of 10 meter height. Numbers of deaths is counting. It broke my heart to see houses and cars being swept away like matchboxes. I cannot imagine someone trying to run away from a 10 meter height of gushing water.

We Malaysians are damn lucky as we are not on the Ring of Fire. Malaysia is only on the Ring of Fire from Pakatan Rakyat (PAS, DAP, PKR) and HINDRAF. We should be thankful to Allah (GOD) as the only disaster that struck us is the heavy tropical rain and cause flooding. Sometimes it is seasonal and sometimes unexpectedly. A Lady from PAS who lost a recent bye election commented the flood came due to penance by Allah (GOD) for voting the Barisan Nasional BUT she forgot about the seasonal flood that occurs at the PAS control state almost yearly. That’s when the words came out from the mind of those who just want to oppose for the sake of opposing. If the Malaysians are not careful without using their brains, Malaysia can shake too at the coming General Election.

There are second, third and fourth quarters to go, nine (9) more months to complete the 2011 and I pray (doa) that Malaysia is all safe and peaceful so as the rest of the world. My greatest fear now, that US is going to utilize military intervention into the third Muslim country – Libya. Colonel Muamar Ghadafi is hot and wild protecting his throne. The “Infidels” is more than happy to see Muslim countries shaking and remain unstable.

(Will be back blogging after 27 March 2011, a spiritual mission to the Holy Land).

The Results.

Merlimau Melaka.

Roslan Ahmad – BN – 5962

Yuhaizah Abdullah – PAS – 2319

Majority: 3643 votes.

2008 Majority: 2154 votes.

Majority, increased.

Kerdau Pahang.

Tuan Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad – BN – 4960

Hassanuddin Salim – PAS – 2336

Majority: 2724 votes.

2008 Majority: 1615 votes.

Majority, increased.

Barisan Nasional won both the bye elections. Bravo to all the BN voters in Merlimau and Kerdau and they had surely handed a TKO to PAS.

However, my night was spoil when Manchester United lost 1 - 3 to Liverpool. Damn!! But MU still tops the League Table as now.

Merlimau & Kerdau.

Rocket Carriers.

I like the above pictures. PAS is contesting both the seats but small Malay boys (surely Muslim) being used to carry DAP flag. Surely the fathers of those boys are PAS staunch supporters or maybe those small boys was merely being stupid just picked a flag and proudly carried it around. They like the ROCKET for it can take them to the MOON, maybe.

Come to think about it, sometimes how stupid Malay father can be. At a young age, they teach their sons to be "BARUA". We don't see non Malay fathers asking their sons to carry political flags.

Merlimau and Kerdau will go to the poll on 6 March 2011 and decide who will present them in the State Assembly. Results will follow.

KRU New Mosque as at 05 March 2011.

The only incomplete part.

The brick walling fencing (East entrance).

View from the east.

Ceiling the Multipurpose Hall. The holes are for lighting.

Provisional gate for the Jalan Puspa residents.

The Moorish arches of the Mosque corridors.

The Dome and the minaret.

The courtyard and the main prayer hall.

The pigeon hole elevated Mimbar and the Imam pulpit.

Side view of Minaret.

Frontage view of Mosque.

It was projected to complete by February 2011 but now it’s already beginning of March 2011 the New Mosque is far from completion. Why? It’s anybody guess. It’s none of my business. I merely record the progress in portraits.

The pictures above will tell no lies that the structural building of the New Mosque is near completion.

Wiring work is aggressively in progress. Brick walling fencing of the east and west perimeter is in progress and the north and south chain link completed. Provision made for a small gate for the Jalan Puspa residents access at the south perimeter. Ceiling work is in progress at the open covered area near the Cafeteria. The Laborers Quarters had been relocated to make way for tarmac surfacing and brick walling fencing at the Mosque frontage.

My present projection is May or June 2011. Whatever, I hope and pray that the New Mosque can be use during Ramadan that will be August 2011. Insyaalah.

Old Tech Reunion.

My batch mate of 1963 – 1965, Saruji Che Din a permanent residence of Germany escaped the cold winter of Germany to his hometown in Nibong Tebal. The last time I met Saruji was in 1978 when he dropped by at my residence with his newlywed German lady.

Accidentally, I came to know that Saruji was home from his elder brother and over several phone calls; I insisted that we should meet. He obliged by travelling all the way down to KL by the night train for the reunion. He was guided by another batch mate, Osman Awang to take the Putra LRT upon arrival at KL Sentral and Osman would be waiting for him at Kelana Jaya Station. Osman could easily recognize the same old Saruji but Saruji however did not recognize the present chubby and oversize Osman. I wish I was there to witness the fun.

I drove all the way to Osman’s residence, had to be picked up by Osman at an allocated point as I am not too familiar with the Kelana Jaya elite residential zone. I was glad to rendezvous with Saruji after all these years but I could not recognize a stranger who was presence. Blimey!! It was Ir. Mansor Salleh, my one year senior who took time off to meet Saruji. I used to play hockey with Mansor but now he had grown bald. The four (4) Hajis had a good laugh and sat down reminiscing the good old days at Technical Institute Penang. Osman claimed that he had grown in size after he left TI because the Hostel was under feeding him.

From Left to right: Me, Mansor Saleh, Saruji Che Din, Osman Awang.

We adjourned for lunch at a Mamak Restaurant nearby for nasi kandar and continue relating each other well being during the missing time zone. We also recollected about some missing batch and school mates. I tried to convince Saruji to set home permanently in Malaysia. Perhaps he has his own plan that I wouldn’t know. After all his family is all settle in Haidenberg Germany.

Saruji was in KL only for a night and Osman played host. I picked up Saruji the following morning and accompanied him to KL Sentral Station for the afternoon train back to Parit Buntar. He also took the opportunity to sort a reimbursement from MAS office at KL Sentral due to voluntary dropout from his flight at Frankfurt. Due to the lengthy formalities he had to abandon the procedure as the train was about to depart.

It was nice to catch up with old friends. We are all aging and we never know whether we can ever meet again. Saruji would be back in Germany sometimes late April 2011. For aging people like us, Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) gave Saruji the complimentary discounted train fare for “warga emas” (senior citizens) for those who had crossed the 60 year mark. So am I.

Saruji……if you read this, take good care and look after your health. So far you are doing fine. We both have something in common as we both tasted and share with the others the rattan from the Sadist. However we came out and doing all right in life. Looking back, we can laugh about it. That was part of growing up, though an unfortunate incident but it was fun.

Northern Break.

I had to visit my Ramadan 2010 umrah buddy who is currently recuperating at the northern state of Malaysia, in Perlis. He was diagnosed of cancer and the stage is medically acute and critical.

I left with Haji Zailan to Jitra Kedah on Sunday morning 26 February 2010. Haji Zailan was to meet several Kedah Businessman and at the same time an informal meeting with his business associates. Top of the agenda was to visit our sickly buddy. We stayed at Haji Zailan country home at Desa Tanjung, Jalan Istana in Jitra, a Housing Estate which his Company developed.

The Country Home.

In the evening we visited an interlock brick factory near Changloon. I was keen to see how interlock bricks being manufactured. A new concept of manufacturing building bricks originally from Sudan and improvised in Thailand. They brought in the technology and machineries to Northern Malaysia and now the interlock bricks being successfully implemented at several new building projects. It had obtained SIRIM certification.

At night Cik Gu Zaki showed the direction to Arau Perlis to visit our sickly buddy. It broke my heart to see my buddy who was six months ago strong and healthy in Mekah but now bedridden. His eyesight and hearing were deteriorating and he could hardly walk. I travelled all the way up north, cancelled my entire program just to visit him. It was after about an hour that we bid farewell and promised to revisit him in the near future. Come to think of it, sometimes life can be so cruel but it’s all fated and a destiny. I left him in the good hands of Allah blessings.

After breakfast on Monday I was given a guided tour of the Housing Estate and showed the Guest House, the model bungalow unit and those under constructions. I like the whole concepts with all units are single storey, fence less, security upkeep and the green environment. It is like a Malay kampong with modern buildings and infrastructures. Very conducive for Retirees like me but Jitra is too far off and out of my way to spend the balance of my life. The cost is comparatively low, equivalent to a double storey unit in the Klang Valley and here at Desa Tanjung you get a bungalow with land. No staircase to climb.

The Guest House and its garden.

Part of the Housing Estate from the Guest House entrance.

Dato Zaki Suffian the local Travel Agency Proprietor and an ex kampong mate came to meet me in the evening at Desa Tanjung as he had just completed the formalities of sending eleven (11) Pilgrims to perform the umrah on 14 March 2011 through the Company that I recommended. He was surprised that I was in town. We talked about the good old time and the current political scenarios in Kedah. He decided to “balik kampong” to Jitra Kedah since six (6) years ago.

At night, while Haji Zailan was having a business discussion in Alor Star, his associates took me to Kubang Pasu Ikan Bakar for dinner. Early on Tuesday morning 01 march 2011, at 0215 hours we decided to drive back home to the Klang Valley stopping at Bukit Merah and Tapah R & R for refreshment. The weather was fine all the way.

We reached Port Klang at 0700 hours and before Haji Zailan retired to his residence at Bukit Jelutong I entertained him to a “nasi kandar” breakfast at KRU Mak Minah.

It was a long journey up north, tired but I fulfilled my sole intention of meeting sickly Haji Suran, the guy whom I befriended at Mekah in August 2010. We were in the same entourage and resided in the same Hotel. I hope to revisit him in April 2011 in a much better improved situation. Insyaalah.