I'm a Malaysian by nationality and by heart. Although my forefathers were from Java, Indonesia and I claim Javanese is my mother tongue, I am still a Malaysian. After all, Java still lies within the Malay ethnic group if we look at the larger picture.
I love my country, I love the seas and beaches, I love the mountains and forests, I love the cities, I love the harmony people especially those who live in the countryside. I love my both my paternal and maternal kampungs, Pasir Panjang & Muar. Last but not least, I love my national car.
The Cars of My Family
I remember that my family never used any national cars, regardless whether they are Proton, Perodua, or Naza until the invention of Proton Waja. The first car my father used was a very old fashion Toyota Corolla E70 (the forth generation) until he went to the Japan for his post graduate studies. Later on, he drove Talbot, Ford Escort Mark III and Mercedes W123 when he furthered his studies in the UK. When he came back to Malaysia, he drove the Mercedes, then changed to Mitsubishi Pajero and right now Honda Accord. My mom drove a small cute little Daihatsu Charade Aura when my dad had his Pajero, and right now she drives a Proton Waja. All the cars were sold before the new ones were bought.
Toyota Corolla E70
Mercedes Benz W123
Although my family never drove a national car, I started to love it since my primary school and became kinda proud of it...... Until I realized the harsh truth.
The Harsh Truth of National Cars
Never before the cars my family drove had any minor problems which occur in Proton. These include problems with the power windows, problems with the door knobs not opening, problems with here, there...problems with everything and anything minor. Although they were minor, trust me it becomes irritating. Within just a couple of months or maybe a year owning the car from brand new, I assure you you will experience any of these problems. Neither of these were experienced before in our previous cars.
In addition to that, the most important aspect I'd look for in a car is the safety it provides me. Malaysia is known for its festival nightmares. During festive seasons like Eid, Chinese New Year or Deepavali, there will be loadsa news about fatal crashes, sometimes between cars and lorry and so on. Sadly, most of these road accidents involve the national cars. Even more sad, one of my friend was involved in one, he passed away in a car crash on his wedding day! (Innalillahi wainnailaihi roji'un)
Therefore I can understand why people are willing to pay more to get the comfort of driving and traveling whilst retaining the performance and safety of the car they drive. That is why people prefer imported cars like the ones from Europe (Mercedes, Audi, BMW, etc) and from Japan (Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, etc).
Don't Blame Us For Not Buying National Cars but Give Us Hopes!
Alright, I am still at the point of wondering what should be my first car when I start working. Most probably, I'll drive my mom's Proton Waja, which I don't really mind. But judging from the safety and other problems, I'd rather look for a nice second hand Japanese made car. I know I can't afford one yet, but buying a second hand one won't cost that much, will it? After all, I don't wanna get killed in a road accident, driving a 3 stars car. Wanna know the definition of 3 stars, 4 stars and 5 stars cars? Do watch this video.
Well, I've heard that Proton will be launching its replacement model of the Proton Waja. Its real name is still unleashed but most probably Proton Inspira. What ever it is, Proton please listen to this. Please provide the Malaysian hope by producing cars that are competitive, world class, 5 stars in all the specs and at the reasonable prices. Sounds crazy, but the truth is, it is not.
The news reported that this new car will start its price at under RM80k for a 1.8 manual transmission and around RM95k for 2.0 automatic transmission.
Snip preview of Proton Inspira
I can buy a used Mercedes Benz W203, year 2004 at around £7000 and add another £7000 to ship it to Malaysia, settle the customs and whatever tax concerned and I know I'm driving a good quality car in all its aspects. Convert that, it will turn out to be around RM70k, and the cost of a new Proton is more expensive than that. Why would a person risk his lives, buying a more expensive car with the less specs? That is just not rational.
Mercedes Benz W203
Proton, Please Don't Disappoint Me
I love being optimistic. I love looking things at the bright side, and always be positive. I hope that Proton has produced a competitive car that has all the safety features which are WORKING, eliminated all these minor problems, good in performance and at a reasonable price.
Otherwise, you lose a valuable customer like me. If you do, definitely I'll buy an imported car and won't allow anybody in my family or my friends to buy your product.
Alhamdulillah, almost all new students have arrived safely to their respective universities. Welcome and ahlan wa sahlan wa marhaban bikum I wish to all. I hope all of you have already settled down, get the feeling of how university life is, plan your time, get involved in society activities and you control your life.
It is the time of the year, when event organizers will be promoting all out for people to join their program. Subhanallah, only Allah can reward the intention and hardworking in delivering awareness of Islam in the most entertaining, easy going and fruitful while enabling the participants to create new networks and strengthen bonds that are present.
I remember when I was in my first year. I went to PUISI 2006 and that time the main speaker was Ustaz Hasrizal Abdul Jamil (SaifulIslam.com) and what happened was amongst my batch from KYUEM, a lot of us decided to register in a bulk. Therefore during PUISI, it looked like we "invaded and colonised" it. Nevertheless, new bonds and friendships were formed. I even still keep in touch with some of the new people I met back than. Alhamdulillah, what a nice brotherhood it is.
However during that year, I didn't planned to tour Dublin and other places on Ireland which I should have done. Therefore, I was looking forward to attend PUISI in the following year in addition of planning to travel interesting places around Ireland.
What I did was gathering few of my friends and planned the trip with a good friend of mine, Im Koyube. But I firmly inform everybody in the group that I wanted to go to PUISI as the main agenda, and traveling around Ireland and other places are included because PUISI is always in Ireland. If I didn't use the opportunity to travel there when I attended PUISI, chances are I won't explore Ireland at all. This is important to ensure all the new students are well informed before making a decision.
Regardless of how polite a senior is or the uncountable the helps and lending hands given to welcome you, you must have a grip of your life. You run your life and never let other people, regardless who the person is, how mature or more experienced they are you have to get grip of your life. You determine your path, you determine your future.
I keep on emphasising this every year because there is a great tendency that the senior students here in the UK to "control" the lives of the junior students. The seniors tend to be very very very very very very very very very kind to the juniors when they arrive, pick them up from the airport privately although in Nottingham we have the official entity to do so, cook for them and invite them secretly and so on. I believe the intention is to promote the organisations where they belong to so that the juniors and to prevent the "clean" senior students who are not part of them from "poisoning" the minds of the new students.
I remember when shamefully, some of these people even "prevent" and "discourage" the new students from joining events and programs which are not theirs by saying this and that about the respective events. Who are you to do so, and to the juniors, don't be such a fool to follow these bullshitty ideas. Please don't. You are all the bright students of the clever, the successor of the leaders and the Malaysian hope. Don't allow yourself to be a fool. To the seniors who had done it before, please stop it and be gentlemen. Do things at the right way, do things professionally.
Alright, I'm going too far already. But the gist of what I wrote are you decide on your life pathway and if you don't have anything in mind on what to do this winter, I recommend you go to PUISI and travel around Ireland. It didn't disappoint me, so I dare say it won't disappoint you insyaAllah.
Today is the 19th Syawal 1431H. We only have roughly 10 or 11 days left for this year's Syawal. So to all who have not yet fasted the 6 voluntary days of Syawal, please do so as the time is running out. Please do start it today but if you forgot or decided not to fast today, have the intention and fast starting tomorrow!
I remember what I learn from Quran Workshop in university which discussed about verse 184 of Surah Al-Baqarah. It was mentioned that the previous generation, they were prescribed fasting like us now days. However, they fasted 3 days every Lunar Calendar throughout the year. Therefore, the total days fasted were 36 days every year. I see it that since this fasting was done consistently, 3 days every month, it is like doing it through out the year. The ummah of Muhammad SAW, we are prescribed with compulsory Ramadhan fasting for about 30 days and 6 days of voluntary Syawwal fasting. Hence the total is also 36 days and the reward is similar to fasting throughout the year.
One of my passion since school is photography. It started in secondary school but never got it bloom because I had no camera that time, always have to "make bookings" first with my sister as we shared our parent's compact camera and back then I didn't get the exposure I'd love to have. This lovely passion came back to life during my A-Levels when I joined the photography club. That was when I started to get my hands on digital point-and-shoot cameras and single lens reflect (SLR) cameras. Boy, how I love them so much. Thank you Dr Foord for the guide you shared with me.
However, during A-Levels a lot of my friends developed the skills and knowledge of photo editing especially using Photoshop. Up to one level, I can't really tell which of their photos were original, which were edited. They claimed that the purpose of digitalisation of everything, including photography, is to make post editing more easy and convenient. True, but I don't buy that.
Until I bought a DSLR, went some photo outings with new friends who share the same interest, then only I realised that post-editing is as important as snapping the greatest photo. Thanks to 2 of my lovely friends; Syafiq and Faiz, who taught me some post-editing techniques, now I can appreciate what photoshop can do.
But I still prefer something fresh, straight out of camera rather than editing them afterwards. After all, I would like to claim myself as a photographer, not a photoshoper.
Anyway, here are some of the photos I produced after learning some basics of HDR photography. Have a look. The first photos are original and the seconds are edited into HDR photos.
Photo 1: Kensington Gardens, London, England
Photo 2: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
Photo 3: Shakespear's Birthplace, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, England.
Photo 4: Attenborough, Nottingham, England
Yup, post editing does bring some life to the original photo but I still prefer straight out of camera photos.
Credit to Waris Jasid for sharing this picture on Facebook.
Credit to Waris Jasid for sharing this picture on Facebook.
