takbir dan air mata

ada tangis ada tawa
ada duka ada suka
ada takbir ada raya
ada hiba ada ria

pada rakan, kawan dan saudara
di medina, makkah dan nusantara
aku mohon restu yang maha esa
pelihara kami dan mereka

bagi pejuang bumi tersayang
badan dan nyawa taruhan perang
pattani, chechnya mahupun gaza
moga2 kau kecapi nikmatNya

aidiladha bawa segala
ampunkan segala dosa
kecil mahupun besar

aat
27 nov 2009
kuala lumpur
bumi merdeka

catatan: aku rakam gambar ini semasa berada di gaza awal mac '09

One night only, the show stealers...

I SHOULD have brought my real camera! What a waste. Not that I take good pictures, but each of these guys have stories of their own. Look at the talent on this stage. Performing only one night, these guys are the show stealers at the relaunch of the Malay Mail, the paper that cares. I took these pictures using a small Olympus, forgetting that the night was going to be filled with Malay Mail supporters, friends and readers. It was held at La Bodega at the Bangsar Shopping Complex. It was good to catch up with familiar faces. Good Luck Rocky bro...

Daim said Najib doing well

IN AN exclusive interview with Mingguan Malaysia today, former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin gave a general thumbs up to PM DS Najib's administration, saying that the people's confidence have returned to the Government. The one-page interview, among others, said the 1Malaysia concept has come at the correct time too. He was also asked on the KPI introduced by Najib, to which he said ministers should not be obsessed with their KPI but to serve the people well and effectively. When asked what are his hopes for Najib, Daim said he wished the PM would continue to bring positive changes in the administration in the interest of the people.

Lagi satu pilihanraya kecil...jom jalan2

KITA akan berhadapan dengan satu lagi pilihanraya kecil. Kali ini di Kota Siputeh, Kedah. Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya dijangka membuat pengumuman selepas semua rayuan dari pihak berkenaan selesai. ADUN yang menang dalam pilihanraya lepas, Datuk Abu Hassan Sarif dari BN, gagal hadir di sidang DUN sebanyak dua kali. Hakim Datuk Alizatul Khair Osman Khairuddin membuat keputusan petang semalam. Selepas ini bala tenteta semua parti politik yang berkepentingan akan berpusu-pusu ke Kedah untuk tujuan ini. Jangan bincang siapa kalah dan menang. Bincang apa sudah jadi dengan individu yang beria-ia nak jadi wakil rakyat tetapi kemudian tidak hadir di dewan untuk menjalankan tugas. Pertandingan kali ini akan berlangsung dalam suasana dimana setiap parti politik yang berkepentingan berhadapan dengan masalah dalam, kecuali Umno yang sudah memulakan sedikit sebanyak proses transformasinya. Sama-sama kita tunggu perkembangan seterusnya.

Bob Geldorf: i was refused entry into KL

THE audience would have stayed glued to their seats if Bob Geldorf, Sir Bob that is, had wanted to continue speaking. He had a bit more than an hour at the inaugural Youth Engagement Summit in Putrajaya. It was inspiring, to say the least. Others said it was awesome. I agree. Sir Bob is the benchmark where fund raising is concern, and the funds are not for the normal causes that we often hear. His commitment has changed mindsets the world over. Sir Bob has changed from charity fund-raising to something even more challenging - seeking political and economic justice. One of his famous quotes, which he repeated at the Summit yesterday, is: "We need finally to move from charity (Band Aid, Live Aid) to political and economic justice. Charity deals with the pain of poverty, the hunger, disease and conflict. But to finally end these things, one must focus not only on the symptoms of poverty but on its structures. Why does it exist? How does it exist? What can we do to stop it and its awful symptoms? That can only be addressed by political change."

Sir Bob related the story of how he was refused entry into Malaysia for some musical engagement many years ago. Today, his words inspire others to change for the better. Engage - that's the word he kept repeating. And give your undivided attention to the cause you serve once you've given your word. I walked away from his talk fulfilled. I know some young participants were disappointed for not being able to ask Sir Bob their burning questions, having lined up to make their point.

SMS dari Makkah dan Medina

Salam semua! Beberapa hari yang lepas saya banyak menerima SMS dari tanah suci. Ramai juga kawan-kawan yang berada di sana. Tak kurang juga rakan-rakan wartawan yang bertugas dan yang pergi mengukit rancangan masing-masing. Ada antara SMS yang saya terima yang tidak menyenangkan. Saya percaya sebahagian besar jemaah mengerjakan ibadat mereka dengan penuh ikhlas dan khusyuk. Namun, maklumlah, apabila berada dengan bejuta orang lain, sudah tentu ada keadaan yang tidak menyenangkan. Pihak Tabung Haji sudah tentu akan membantu jemaah kita sebaik mungkin. Dalam hal ini mungin ada juga insiden yang terlepas pandang atau yang diluar dugaan. Kalau didedahkan semua rungutan jemaah, sudah tentu kesannya agak negatif. Tabung Haji banyak pengalamam dalam mengendalikan jemaah dan sudah tentu ia sedia menerima sebarang maklumbalas dengan dada yang lapang dan fikiran yang terbuka. Satu cadangan _ tengok-tengokkan Karim Sulaiman yang berada di sana. Dalam berjuta yang mengerjakan ibadat haji, Karim seorang sahaja yang mengidap penyakit yang belum lagi ada penawarnya. Belum ada doktor atau saintis yang berjaya mencari ubat penyakit ini. Good PR for Tabung Haji to take a look at Karim, and other physically challenged pilgrims.

Karim Sulaiman tunai haji tahun ini

SAHABAT yang selama ini menanggung sejenis penyakit yang sukar diemboh akan terbang ke Kota Makkah dan Madinah Sabtu ini. Karim Sulaiman, salah seorang bekas pengarang Berita Harian, akan berangkat dengan isteri dan anaknya untuk menunaikan rukun Islam kelima. Karim mengidap penyakit scleromyxoedema, satu-satunya penyakityang setakat ini belum ada penawarnya. Karim sudah mengidap penyakit ini beberapa tahun tetapi berkat kegigihannya dan kesediaan pakar penyakit kulit di HKL, Karim beransur pulih sedikit demi sedikit. Kini beliau akan menunaikan haji setelah melaksanakan umrah pada 2004, ketika beliau sudahpun mengidap penyakit ini. Anak Karim yang kini menuntut di MRSM Kuala Kubu Bharu di Tingkatan 1 akan menjadi temannya di sana. Anaknya akan pulang ke KL Jumaat ini dan mereka akan berangkat Sabtu ini dengan penerbangan MAS pukul 11 malam. Karim diberi pemeriksaan doktor sebelum terbang. Saya sempat ke rumahnya malam tadi untuk mengucapkan selamat jalan. Semasa di rumahnya, wakil masjid yang berhampiran dengan rumahnya menyerahkan hadiah untuk Karim sempena pemergiannya. Moga-moga pemergiannya diberkati. Semangat Karim seharusnya menjadi pendorong kepada kita dalam menghadapi cabaran hidup.

One week in hospital to reflect on life

SALAM all! Alhamdulillah I'm up and about after spending one week in a hospital immediately after the Umno general assembly. I stayed in bed for two days after taking some cough and fever medications. But n the third day, my good family GP referred me to a nearby hospital where I was duly warded. It was a first time experience for me. The good doctors at the hospital gave me more medications for my fever and cough. Very soon I was on the mend. It was quite a week actually. My son was warded a day after me for a minor surgery. One of my younger brothers was also warded on the same day for observation after complaining of pain in his back. It was a family affair for a week for all of us, with nasi lemak breakfast for a couple of days. We were all discharged at the weekend but I was told to rest till I'm fully recovered. In the two weeks I was in sick bay, I missed DS Najib's maiden budget presentation in parliament; the criminalise war conference where I had earlier agreed to share my experience in Gaza (my apologies to the organisers) and several other meetings and engagements. But I did managed to lend a hand to Yayasan Salam volunteers on Friday at the end of their work camp. In the middle of the week, I lost a dear aunt who had been hiding her weak heart until it failed her six months after her pension. Life's like that. You win some, you lose some.I want to thank friends and colleagues who sent 'et well soon' text messages in the last two week or so. I appreciate it very much.