1/1/2026 GIVING BACK ..

2026 is the year I would say I'll be giving more of my brain thought for the State if not for the nation. In Shaa Allah I'll be busy in Sabah. Accordingly, those things that had been shelved in 2019-2025 are now picking up in Kuching. I then need to pay greater brain exercising for both Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Accordingly, personal matters - business and hobbies I would say In Shaa Allah are coming into stream as well. To add on to keep to my optimum times consumption, the Year 2026 I'll embark seriously into three personal drive that I had been working on years back. Just that between my professional responsibilities, now I have to be much strategic in dividing my brain power to move into much brain challenging exercise that I need to move on.

(2)    For a start, on the 15 January, 2026 I was bundled into a team to have a retreat in Jakarta. The retreat was suppose to be a very enjoy easy get together among junior and senior staffs. But my mind excitement is all about "what then issues". To me one minute spent for enjoyment must be compensated by "one minute or more of repayment." What has been built into my psychological soul was "in every matter that we enjoyed, all those were a blessing from Allah. Then once one consumed those blessing, then one must pay back by giving back to the society or ummah. In a simple words, what you consumed while your living, such is a debt your must pay for your greater benefit hereafter". To me, to gain better hereafter position, one must not consume all his herein privilege. My basis is - Muhammad SAw chose to be zuhud despite he can take all he wanted. Thus my enjoyed excited mind is always being pushed to look on how to pay back what I had consumed.

(3)    At this time, though Jakarta is wet and flooding in some places, the blessing was on long weekend, Jakarta is jam-free and most important, the air was fresh and cooling-green. On the 15th January night, I went strolling Jalan Manga Dua, having Kopi Tumbruk and nice durian from Sumatera. One thing I experienced the great Arab style of cheating practices here. In Mecca or Madina, once we bought something and there are suppose to be changes, they normally asked for "Halal without a change. At least they asked for Halal No Change." Here, upon arriving definitely I have no smaller denominators. All the Rupiah that I have are in Rp100K or RP50K notes. Kopi Tubruk cost me RP20K. Durian was around RM32K. Even Bajai ride back to hotel was RP70K. Once paid with not the exact price, they just said with lots of innocent drama: "Tiada kembaliannnya Pak - I have no small change". So what do I do? I just paid and deep inside me saying: "Will those rizki be barakah?". 

(4)    On the 16  January, 2026 at around  3:00 Jakarta Time, I woke up and glazed to the far distance into the rain. All over I heard people reciting the Al Quran. Then around 4:30 hours the azan calls ecoed the whole Jakarta. This is one thing very different about this City as compared to even Kuala Lumpur. 15 million packed population and surely there be hundreds of Mosque and smaller Musholla within the Jakarta-sphere makes big different in the intensity in celebrating the foremost Islamic pillars - sholat. My mind and heart quickly came into solitude to be among them - which came in as the piece I wrote into my memory then onto this screen: 

in the rain, people called onto Him on networks of Azan

while in theirselves, i sensed their tight hearts struggling for space

today, their joys suppose to be, for most at least 70-75 per cents of the strolling Jakartans is just another daily of struggles - a bit of another life for tomorrow

the Azan, collectively to bring all their hearts netted

but their unity was a mere spiritual-tenet with very less empathy of the nation growth and wellbeing

the rich struggling to be richer and blind

the poor "masa bodoh lu" creeping as cockroaches and rats scavenging what left

In Time Zone, Jayapura the far east city, is two hours earlier to Jakarta, while Bandar Acheh is synchronized to be with Jakarta. But Jakarta is indeed bundled with Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok yet, it is an hour lag. In economic and commercial environ, Jakarta is one hour late to the bustling world trade-deals and in fact two hours lagging due to their official and commercial opening hour at 1100 KL-time which is at 1000 hours of their local time. So by the sway of Allah in Wal Asri - "in time ..." it came across my mind, how could then these "cockroaches" be happy birds whom feed on the early worms and be free and happy?  The webs of Al Quran citation and the Azan - which calls for "let be on the winning path", so my querry - why are Jakartans deaf in mind & hearts - not heeding to the meaning of the calls?

(5)    By the way, Allah has many ways to make one to think and analyze to be better or worst to one choice. If one looks at a thing stupid, yet let it be stupid and useless, so be it for one will be sure among those. While one who sees things stupid and useless yet pushes his hands to get those rectify, as Allah promised, sure blessing will come to one and those one's helps.

(6)    I called on some friends I used to work with before the 2019 Covid 19 attacked. Rully and Tutty were my buddies then. To the far right is now my Kota Kinabalu buddy. We had initiated things in Kuching then but due to business slowed down and political instability, only in this 2026 I would say we would gain back our financial and business footing. Nonetheless things had changed so much since 2017 and new thinking had to be infused back into our business planning system. This time, my mind is working on how best to make urban living is a very interesting and secure system. Indeed Allah destine is never being wrong and I appreciated on what His tests and challenges onto me for such an interesting hard winding ways. I am also glade that I had never give-up. His longing tests had turned my mind and heart into solitaire in almost everything, and that is my biggest asset - now I dedicated myself to my belief and just leave everything to Him to decide on my success and fate. For the urban and properties development planning tasks, I had the following advantages.  First, my studied in Denver, Colorado was really a big asset to me. Studying in an environmentally concern and attached system, those now is a very strategic urban and properties planning and development for me. Secondly, I was a trained Botanist as well as practitioner farmer. Green is my natural soul. Thirdly, I have those artistic mind. I love arts and designs. With artistic mind, definitely I could see the blending of things for a much human soul values needs rather a mere short term face commercial values.

(7) To my shocking, while I was in Jakarta in 2017 working on a 3,000 acres urban planning, after work, Rully, Tutty and myself used to roam many parts of Jakarta to have Kopi Tubruk and all sort of traditional foods even to the very late night at 12;00 - 0200 wee hours. We then just want to avoid all the jams, crowds and pollution. At then, I had been none stop criticizing the Jakarta authorities over their neglect of Urban Green Space. So much so, the "cockroaches and rates" swarmed the road side and formed the "nostalgic of Jakarta (even Bangkok, Manila and Kuala Lumpur) living scenes". Now Tutty whom was very eager to take me around to show some of their efforts, reminded me of all my criticism and how at times of Ahok as the Governor of Jakarta then had agreed and being working hard to improve the "Jakarta Mess". I really admire this Tutty, she can still recalled all those passions that I have and she and Rully turned those into their architectural advantages. I would love now to visit their Danau Toba Project which is among their biggest success. Definitely, with my urban planning acquaintance, and their natural living architectural niche, I hope to work on something great for both Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

(6)    Insertion is how part of the Senayan Stadium area being transformed into public parks and spaces. Earlier this was a mere unorganized open space but now is a very profit making public entities. This is what I mean by urban development within the people spaces. The major setback of this Senayan Project (this excusive part) is the denial to the non-culinary customers. Here all these culinary outlets are more suited to the middle and upper classes.  But those were the authority requirement. Again, as usual Tutty then smiled to me, she said, "Pasti bapak punya kritik yang pedas". For sure she got it then. I told her, lately I turned "communist" minded rather pure capitalist. The full range of the people needs is always my concern.  The needs of the people be they the rich, middle incomes and or the poor must be given equitable chances to gain from the urban development. Such consideration is clearly shown by Allah in how He managed to sustain the best livelihood of the ants, bees and even lots of fauna and flora. Such approach is very much demanded for the multi-cultural societies. To me this enclave of the Project could still be "opened" to all users, if certain physical designs could be facilitated. The "have" needs are exclusivity. The "don't have needs" are more for the "eyes". Both could co-exist in certain sense just that extra creativities would facilitate both needs without denying any. My experienced in Denver, Las Vegas and even Los Angeles were examples of  the democratic ways in making the whole nation to love their country.

(7)    The open to all space of the Senayan Public Park project is also interesting to note. Rightly serve by the MRT services, the place is vary accessible to the all walk of lives. At least this part of the Project allowed the poor Jakartans to have a good quality of lives. One should  note, Central Jakarta was the Old Jakarta. Here as compared to the South, East, West and North are crammed by the "poors". Air pollution and traffic flows are worst over here. Their people Gang (villages) are made up of crowded unorganized hardly called homes. So much so, they live a very distress lives, so much so are easily manipulated. The Ahok case indeed was a mere instigation works of his political oppositions. Works wise, Ahok probably is the only person whom can get things done properly in Jakarta especially for the poor. Except, the biggest problem with Ahok was his crossing into the matter (the Al Nissa Gate) that he was perceived not at all should be in (similar to Nga Kor Meng and Lim Guan Eng cases).

(8)    My three solid day roaming Jakarta, I was lectured by my special rented car driver that after Ahok, there will be no body better to help Jakartans poor. Baswedan and even now Rano Karno, all are useless. But he was later silent when I mooted the idea that now Ahok is with Megawati PDI, probably that would one day giving him an upper hand as compared to Parbowo and Gibran partnership. Indeed I was having KDM - Kang Deddy Muliadi now the governor of West Java Province  as Indonesia best choice as next President. My belief is based on, Indonesia should emulate China in turning the nation into great economy - keeping Islam as the main choice but with "demokrasi terpimpin" as the key push.... to be continue In Shaa Allah.