16/12/11 THE BEST GIFTS....

(Reading, the bridging to knowledge, learned person. Literally in Malay: membaca, jambatan ilmu)

Tonight at LCCT while waiting for my flight back to Kuching, I sat facing a cute lady kid. She has dark round eyes. Her pig-tail hair hangs to the shoulder. Cute body built. On jean. In her hand was a book. A bedtime book. The mother was next to her. I was please seeing both reading. The kid read aloud. She was curious on what she read. An interactive kid-mother acts. At least, I was really at peace, seeing a young Malay mother and her kid reading. With me I have two books: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman and Being the Boss by Linda A Hill and Kent Lineback.

Seeing the act of the kid, remind me of those whom I would like to thank for their precious gift, ie knowledge:

(2) After my Form Three at SMR Kuala Krai, in 1975, the school presented me a novel titled Perdana. I can’t recalled the author and the real title of the novel, but I have a good feel it was Perdana. It was about a Kampong youth whom worked hard to be an entrepreneur immediately after the downfall of the Japanese occupation in Malaya. He succeeded after numerous of pains not only in the business per se but facing the Malays' killing PhD characters. The novel inspired me since then to be though and determine about many things.

(3) In one of his usual visit to the ground, in 1999, Adnan Satem, Datuk Sri, gave me a book about the Singapore Malays Dilemma. The book revealed a research findings of the educational achievement of the Singaporean Malays. It is a revelation of disturbing facts that the Singaporean Malays were in the verge of marginalization, if not extinction. The book was presented coincidently with my effort to intensified the pre-schools facilities among the Malays Kampung in Bintulu at that point in time. At that point in time, KEMAS, an Organization suppose to focus on building the small nation, their focus were mostly on political deception and tak ada peruntukan, tak payah buat kerja, dah nasib!., which to me are Malays civil servant dilemma that will exist till the end of the world!

(4) After serving R&DO Bintulu, in 1999, in a farewell and welcoming dinner, the Resident Engineer of MLN3 Project, Norazak, presented me a book on Jack Wells. His remark while presenting the book to me was :I’m not sure who copy who, ie either you copied him or he copied you. Your characters and the way you do things are just like Jack Wells. In 2002 onward I began to make lots of collection on Jack Wells books. Some of his ideas, I followed closely. MLNG, Shell and many others corporate bodies work closely with me on many social and development matters while serving the Division.

(5) Sometimes in 2007, Julaihi Narawi, YB sent me a book on Mahathir. It was about Mahathir patriotic thought. The book was sent over a few days after he made a visit to my office to discuss on how to develop his Simunjan-Sebangan-Sebuyau region. In the discussion, we talked mostly about the need for civil servant and the YB to work together closely to impart significant development in the area. Later I tried to infuse FELCRA and FELDA to come into the area, but it seem, patriotism spirit among these Organization had worn fast. Again the Malays civil servant, ada tukul, ada bunyi, most seem to be busy come the election, thereon, que serra serra!

(5) In 2008, in one of the Senior Management Meeting, I raised the issue for us, Malaysian to be alert of the Chinese economic uprising. Apart from the possible expansion of Malaysian business opportunities, there is also a possibility of power grabbing within the region. I believe, thinking that I need to know more about China, Bibi Umaizah presented me with a book on the same topic. Malaysian, especially among the intellectual particularly within the government system, they must have a very critical mind to analyze those countries within our enclaves. We must know the possible threats and opportunities derive from the economic growth and decline of these countries. We can't just hang around with our multi-generations PhD die hard values, yet we don't really know what our real threats are. The Malays must change, their outlook must transcend their tempurung!

(6) In 2009, MyBloq articles focused a lots on the need for the Malays to be actively involve in the retail and wholesale business. My reasoning was simple, ikut sunnah Muhammad SAW. Muhammad SAW was much greater excellent than any Muslim scholars because he was a businessman before he being raised to be a prophet. His close buddies, Abu Bakar, Othman, and Omar were all businessmen. Even his wife, Khadijah was a rich successful business woman. Unfortunately, our Uztazs, our Uztazahs, our Ulamas, who among them were and are businessmen or women. There are just busy-man and woman, yet they cried aloud, ikutlah sunnah nabi!. Were and are they not our deadly wrong model. It seem the Malays, they take one, they abandoned one. What a joke! Probably thinking that I don't have a book on Muhammad business characters, Busrah Bujang left on my table a small book about Muhammad business system, just like a book written by Mahathir about how to grow from penjual pisang goreng to greater entrepreneur. It seem so difficult for the Malays to take the challenge and understand why Allah, firstly made Muhammad as shepard, then businessman prior to his prophethood! Equally bad, Busrah himself seem not able to absorb the spirit of the book that he gave me. An attitude, handing over the axe to someone to fell a death tree, rather taking the axe to cut the tree ourselves. It may look smart, but in fact, an ignorance!. A deep pitty!

(7) Intan Rahmah, my great loyalist, did presented me with books, but I can't recalled the titles. Anywhere, she deserved my thanks and I pray that her PhD will help to build a better Malays Neighborhood that will pave the way for the elimination of those die hard PhD values among many of them.

(8) Maizan Ismail, my dearest friend, at our visit to Pekan Rabu in Alor Setar in May 2009, paid for the novel Karamnya Kapal Van Der Vick by Hamka. I read the novel, when I was kid, but now I just keep it as my archive document and dare not read it again. Probably later.

(9) Surely my long loving friend, Junaenah Solehan, Dr., used to passed me lots of books and journals that she collect while oversea. Most of it are about sociology, development and economy. Everytimes I paid her a visit, I will go through his book rack to take away some. I do hope, since now she is deadly occupied with her international duties, she will halal all those knowledge that I have by forced taken away from her archive

(10) I would also love to thanks Latiff Mohammed, Datuk Prof, Osman Rani, Prof, and Ishak Shaari, Prof (late) for passing me lots of their personal writings.

(11) Early this year, 2010 I received a book from Daud Abdul Rahman, YB Datuk, on the Singapore Way of Nation Building. Since earlier I had bought the book, thus I passed the book to somebody whom I had forgotten. The book is about one sacrifice in the Nation Building Process. Lee Kuan Yew, has his dream, and he pushed his dream without fear and favor. Ruthless act in fact. Doesn't matter what other said or continue to say, now Singapore is the Asian Forefront Economic Power, despite she has nothing except dream and determination. The Malays dream, they dream while sleeping. Lee Kuan Yew dreams while working! That why his dreams were realized yet even our Jambatan Bengkok we don't have the ball to get it done!

(12) Adnan Datuk Zain gave me on Dr. Mahathir, A Doctor At Home, but since I already have one, thus I just passed the book to another friend of mind, Hazrina Ilyas, whom her brother seem to love reading. I hope, the boy will slowly develop his Mahathir's mind. Why one must have the Mahathir characters? My answer is simple, then whose characters one must have? Muhammad, the prophet, Kus semangat, jauh Pak Awi.

(13) In the early Ramadhan this year, 2010 I went over to look around into the mountain lives of Bandung, Indonesia. I met a nice friend named Mas Jajang. We spent time together for about three days, and upon my departure, he presented me with a real nice Al Quran Translation. I placed the Kitab in MyKampung for others to share.

(14) During my solo traveled to Indochinese countries, Mary had been following MyBloq. I wrote a series of touchy feeling based on the trip. Upon returning home, she presented me a book titled Follow Your Heart. In fact, at all times, I must assure to Carry My Heart any where I go, or else, I would need the Live Support System. After many encounters in the way I do my works, I believe she began to notice my thinking style, she then presented me with Steven Job book. She and another friend of mine, Abg Ismawi (Awek), said, there are elements of Steven Jobs in my characters. Nonetheless, I believe, now I lost my job, thus to keep me employed she gave me the Jobs.

(15) Upon returning from her Haj in last Nov., 2010, my ex-wife through my daughter, Dewi passed me a Sajadah and a real nice palm size Al Quran. Though I lost my small Al Quran which I gave as our weeding gift in 1992, now at last I have a nice replacement which I carry wherever I go.

(16) Omarali was my good friend since I was serving the R&DO Bintulu. He used to organize football games among senior citizen while I was there, and never fail to make me present. After Busrah Bujang, he took over as my loyal volunteer Bloq Administrator. He visited me one day in 2010 and present me The Blue Ocen Strategy. His nice words were: I can see, you are always a head in your thinking and act. You actions are always different from others. The Book remind me of you.

(17) To those whom had presented me with books, I tried hard to honor all those knowledge by trying to implement what I knew and got from those books. InsyaAllah, in Islam, all with get the pahala from the good effect of those gifts. To those that I can't recall for doing the same, thousands of thanks. May all of us be give the greatest strength in fulfilling our true duties and responsibilities.

(18) Be lated Merry Christmas and advance Happy New Year to all. May Allah be with us always. InsyaAllah. SubhanaAllah.

Matang Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak
28 Dec., 2011