Saturday, December 19, 2009

Farewell...RMC (Part 2)

All of these pics were taken within a week before I move out from the property..


Her Excellency Governor General of Australia is inspecting the graduation parade.

Me and Zahra watching the parade.

Zahra with WWII Machine gun in RMC Museum.

Farewell dinner hosted by our Defence Attache, Col Hassan..wives club!

Husbands club..

My living room...all the furniture already gone! hehehe

Some of the furniture I left inside the garage waiting for the removal

We spent one night at Quality Clifton Apartment, Canberra..sponsored by Australian Defence.

Zahra is relaxing herself after too busy 'helping' mum do some packing

More pics will be uploaded, InsyaAllah...

Monday, December 14, 2009

Farewell...RMC (Part 1)

Salam...

Lama sungguh rasanya x menulis dalam blog aku ni. Pertama, sebab aku busy dengan urusan kadet dan pers admin..dan kedua aku rasa macam aku x cukup masa utk mngadap komputer/ blog aku ni lama2 bagi sesi penulisan..hahahaha..facebook lebih cepat dan efisien namun, x dapat dinafikan, kita leh express macam2 kat blog..tulis saja apa yg ada dalam kepala dan hati. Once dah tulis, rasa lapang je fikiran.

Ok, kali ni aku cuma nak fokus pada tamatnya tugas aku sebagai seorang jurulatih kadet di bumi asing ni. 2 tahun berada disini macam x terasa...cepat sungguh masa berlalu..sedar2 je dah 2 tahun! Anyway, bagus gak..kalu lama2 kat sini, dan buat tugas (skop) yang sama selama 2 tahun, aku rasa boring gila aaa..masuk hutan keluar hutan plus tugas2 'berat'..kalu setahun, aku rasa sudah mencukupi dan tahun yg kedua tu patutnya buat penugasan lain. Tapi sini, memandangkan tugas tu sudah termaktub dalam agreement between Malaysian and Australian Defence Force..so xleh la nak apa2. Aku terima dengan seadanya.

Pengalaman 2 tahun kat sini amat bermakna bagi aku..bermula sebagai seorang kadet lepasan institusi yang sama, dan kembali sebagai seorang jurulatih..aku rasa satu pencapaian yg pada diri aku amat bermakna. Bukan bermaksud aku bangga, tapi lebih merupakan satu pencapaian peribadi bagi diri aku. Ye laa..sapa sangka dulu aku ni anak seorang pesawah yg rumahnya di tengah2 sawah, jauh daripada rumah orang..bermandikan air telaga dan berpelita di malam hari.
Makan mewah jauh sekali cuma bersyukur dengan apa yg ada. Biarpun aku ni kategori yg 'buas'dan 'nakal'...asyik kena rembat je ngan arwah Tok Wan aku...namun, jauh disudut hati, aku tahu apa yg aku mahukan dalam hidup. X sangka selepas tengok gambar ayah aku masa dia join RELA..gambar pegang senapang M-16 ngan baju uniform..tambah pulak bila tengok gambar perarakan hari Merdeka..part yang paling aku tunggu ialah lintas hormat oleh kontinjen ATM..so, bila kat tadika cikgu tanya aku bila besar nanti nak jadi apa?..aku terus je jawab, "Saya nak jadi askar, cikgu"...Heh...Alhamdulillah, tercapai gak hajat aku nak masuk askar ni..semuanya bermula dengan join Sekolah Perantis Putera (AFATS), PD...sampai la masuk kadet.

Budaya kerja kat sini memanglah tsangat berbeza dengan budaya kerja kat Malaysia..dari perspektif cara askar bekerja la. Mat saleh ni sangat komited dengan tugas, namun cara diorang bekerja amatlah 'relax'..xde nak pressure2 cam kita kat Malaysia. Diorang amat professional, xde nak 'shortcut2' bila buat sesuatu perkara...kiranya kita boleh panggil 'straight' la..namun, x semuanya bagus. Ada golongan yang tahap hampeh pun ada..baik dari segi kerja atau attitude. Pada aku, sepanjang pemerhatian aku kat sini, aku boleh rumuskan yang mat2 saleh ni ada golongan yang hipokrit..nampak baik didepan, namun tidak di belakang. Suka menganggap diri dia sendiri saja yang bagus, cakap dia saja yang bagus orang lain x, suka pandang rendah pada orang lain dan suka mengumpat cam org2 kita gak. Contohnya, pagi ni bila Boss buat 'morning prayer' dan bgtau apa yg dia expect, diorang semua ni kata..bagus..baik..idea yg bernas etc...Pastu, masuk lepas tghari..mula la cakap idea orang bodoh la..patut buat camni bukan camtu..itu ini dan berbagai lagi. Seperkara lagi, sudah terang lagi bersuluh...90% golongan ni tidak suka kepada agama Islam. Biarpun dia baik ngan kita, namun jauh disudut hati kebencian kepada Islam itu boleh dilihat. Aku dah beberapa kali dengar puak2 ni dok bersembang pasal agama Islam ni..macam2 perkara buruk yg aku dengar. Namun begitu, diorang hormat aku dan so far xde la cakap terang2 kat aku..cuma telinga aku ni boleh tangkap apa yg diorang bualkan..lagipun, gelaran glamour aku kat sana ialah 'Spy' so, act like one laaa.

Overall, biarpun begitu..banyak gak pengalaman yang mggembirakan sepanjang aku dan keluarga berada disini. Kalu nak ceritakan satu persatu mahunya sampai minggu depan aku x habis menaip lagi ni! Seronok dapat bergaul dengan pelbagai lapisan masyarakat, melancong tengok tempat orang dan yang paling best, dapat baby kat sini biarpun berhabis duit sendiri dan xleh nak claim balik dari askar kita..xpe la..aku ni cuma Kapt cabuk je. So, farewell RMC of Duntroon, 9 Gymkhana Road (umah aku), YEV 07X (keta Ferrari aku)...dan Australia. InsyaAllah kalu dipanjangkan umur dan dimurahkan rezeki, aku datang lagi.

p/s: Kalu ada masa, nanti aku uploadkan gambar2 dalam Part 2.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Let's consider this as Malay/ Muslim/ Malaysia..

Debate on Muslim population in AustraliaAAP October 29, 2009, 1:33 pm
Debate on Muslim population in Australia
AAP October 29, 2009, 1:33 pm


The Australian Greens have described as "despicable" a suggestion that Australia needs to have a serious discussion about the growth of its Muslim population.
At least one Liberal frontbencher has distanced the party from the views of the last immigration minister in the previous Howard government, Kevin Andrews.
How would you respond to Kevin Andrews?


Mr Andrews says the issue of a growing Muslim population is a topic that has to be discussed.
"To have a concentration of one ethnic or one particular group that remains in an enclave for a long period of time is not good," the Liberal backbencher told Macquarie Radio Network on Thursday.
"You should be able to talk about it ... it's ridiculous if you can't talk about any subject," he said.
Greens leader Bob Brown says the comments reflect the racist political agenda of former One Nation MP Pauline Hanson.
"(It's) a pretty despicable comment," he told reporters in Canberra.
"We are seeing a far right, pretty disgusting point of view."
Opposition frontbencher Greg Hunt distanced himself from Mr Andrews' comments when quizzed by reporters in Canberra.
"Our approach should be colour-blind, ethnicity-blind, background-blind and simply focused on their ability to contribute," he said.
"I believe in a diverse and multicultural Australia."
There was a 70 per cent increase in the number of Australians of Islamic faith between 1996 and 2006 - during the Howard government's term in office - census data shows.
The latest census data shows that in 2006 about two in three Australians identified themselves as Christian.
The most popular non-Christian religion was Buddhism (2.1 per cent or 418,757), followed by Islam (1.7 per cent or 340,390), Hinduism (0.7 per cent or 148,127) and Judaism (0.4 per cent or 88,826).
921 Comments

ben.walters6 2 minutes ago Report Abuse
I live in a very muslim populated community,they are not willing to live the australian way.They cover their woman and teach there kids we australians are not good mix with.Maybe if they were not always trying to be so over powering then it would not be a problem.They are always in the newspapers ...

Sumon Dewan 2 minutes ago Report Abuse
Its wrong.everybody have the equal right.catholic spread before as well.catholic used take same kid as the muslim doing today. Australia alwasy have the problem embracing the new people.If australia want ot consider as part of world they should accept the concept that all are equal.If there is a pro ...

David 2 minutes ago Report Abuse
Adz, bend over for Bob Brown and take it like a man

Bilinda 2 minutes ago Report Abuse
We've come out of the dark ages so wouldn't be comparing what was 100 years ago.. As long as they conform to 'the australian way now', and yes, there IS an australian way, always has been and always will be. part of that being, having respect for women and not looking ...

PETER 3 minutes ago Report Abuse
Be patient with those who are patient... be hard on those who are HARD .. !

Kevin 3 minutes ago Report Abuse
14300 deadly Terror attacks have been carriod out by Muslim terrorists since 9/11, and they say theirs is a religion of peace?

amd 3 minutes ago Report Abuse
In this country, we are very tolerant. This is now our downfall. We must no longer tolerate the intolerable. Islam is the very essence of intolerance and hatred. Send them home. No more imports.

grant 4 minutes ago Report Abuse
Where is my comment ?

peter 4 minutes ago Report Abuse
its great that people from other countries see australia as an opportunity to live in peace and we should indeed welcome them BUT to assimilate and embrace the culture of australia not demanding that we change our laws and rules to the ones they left behind .

Maryanne.A 4 minutes ago Report Abuse
the muslims I know that live in australia want nothing to do with the sharia law. They love Australia and the way of life and freedom it has given them. Also, my muslim landlord several years ago was the best ever. I am a single mum and he gave me a chance by letting me rent his home

Sunday, October 18, 2009

I'd recently watching "Dateline", a documentary prog produced by Australia. There was a documentary about Tamil's Sri Lankan people who'd been arrested by Malaysian Govt..and to be honest..I was so mad about this. Attached here is the copy of the transcript from the prog.


DAVID MANNE, REFUGEE AND IMMIGRATION LEGAL CENTRE: It's a place which simply does not provide any viable protection to refugees, and in fact, and in many respects, provides a place of further place of danger for them.

CHRIS EVANS, MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION: Well I've had no evidence of mistreatment in recent times raised with me. Certainly, we encourage our neighbours to treat people fairly.

REPORTER: Has Australia ever raised the question of human rights and the treatment of refugees here?

ABU SEMAN YUSOP, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS: Can you cut that?

If you're an asylum seeker in Malaysia, hoping to reach Australia, your journey might start here - the ferry to Pulau Ketam, or Crab Island. From these mangrove swamps and stilt villages, it's not far to Indonesian Sumatra, just across the Malacca Strait.

VILLAGER: It's easier to get over there from here. You can go straight to the west and get to Indonesia. You go by boat. If it's a powerful boat, it only takes four hours.

There are no immigration controls here or at the port on the mainland. Most of the illegal traffic across the Strait is made up of Indonesian workers, but locals recall seeing Iraqis and people smugglers here earlier this year.

VILLAGER 2: Everything is organised. Snake heads are around. They wait here for the snakeheads to take them over. We know they're going to Australia. There are women and children as well. Through binoculars we saw women dressed in black.

In June, 42 Afghan and Pakistani migrants on board two boats were arrested by the marine police. But I hear rumours, later confirmed by the Australian Government, that the people smugglers are assisted by some officials.

VILLAGER 3: They just give the island's council some money. So they don't get arrested. It's the same everywhere else. That's enough... I'd better not tell you too much.

Australia's worried that Malaysia is a weak link in its border protection chain.

CHRIS EVANS: Well, basically a second pipeline opened up, largely as a result of the Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka, and basically we have a couple of people smuggling syndicates who have found the pressure in Indonesia a bit tough and have looked for an alternative route, if you like, and they have had this operation running out of Malaysia.

There is a constant flow of asylum seekers into Malaysia and each weekday morning they can be found lining up outside the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. There are 49,000 refugees registered with the UNHCR here, and possibly another 45,000 who aren't on the books. 90% have fled from Myanmar, or Burma. Of the rest, most are from Afghanistan, Iraq, and, increasingly, Sri Lanka. Few have any chance of getting resettled. This young couple are Tamils who've recently arrived from Sri Lanka. Few have any chance of getting resettled. This young couple are Tamils who’ve recently arrived from Sri Lanka.

TAMIL MAN: We've applied to the UNHCR, hoping to get their protection. We hope they'll give it to us.

They have yet to discover how little protection the UNHCR can actually provide.

UNHCR EMPLOYEE: Once you get your card, there is a phone number at the back which starts with '012', OK, it's at the back of your card, right?

These refugees, from Myanmar, are here to collect the cards that prove their claims have been recognised by the UNHCR. But their new status as refugees isn't recognised under Malaysian law.

UNHCR EMPLOYEE: '012' is the detention hotline. It's open from 8:00am in the morning until 11:00pm at night, seven days a week. And this is the number you call if you have any problems with the authorities.

The Malaysian Government considers all these refugees to be illegal immigrants. So, what's in store here for the people that Australia is trying to keep out?

A few crowded rooms are a sanctuary of sorts for these Tamil families from Sri Lanka. They've been in Malaysia for 18 months, and all have terrifying stories of the threats and violence they escaped.

TAMIL REFUGEE: My sister's three kids and my brother's child. All in all, seven were taken and shot dead. They came to take them away while they were asleep. At dawn, they blindfolded them and took them away.

But the families are vulnerable here too. As illegal immigrants, they're not allowed to work and the children can't go to school. They also live in constant fear of being arrested.

TAMIL REFUGEE: The police caught me a few times. When I was caught, they'd take everything from me. They'd take my papers, handcuff me and take me away. Sometimes we give them money, whatever money we have. Otherwise we hand over our phone. If we don't give them the money, they take us away.

TAMIL REFUGEE 2: If we're caught, our children are left at home alone. That's why we go out as a family and get back home as a family. If we're in jail, the kids are alone. But if we all get caught, we're all going to suffer. That's what we fear.

So they don't risk leaving home unless it's absolutely necessary. For more than a year now, they've lived in a state of self-imposed house arrest.

REPORTER: Many refugees I've met describe being harassed by the police - forced to pay bribes, sometimes threatened with having their UNHCR cards confiscated. Have you heard these allegations? Are these allegations being investigated?

ABU SEMAN YUSOP: There's no report made. If there is a report made, of course our official will do investigation of the matter.

REPORTER: But the UNHCR says it has raised these complaints with you, so have many other human rights groups.

ABU SEMAN YUSOP: But as far as we are concerned, we have not received any complaint.

Even more than the police, this is whom refugees in Malaysia truly fear. RELA is a militia made up of 500,000 volunteers. After just two days' training, the government uses them to crack down on illegal immigrants. It's after midnight, and they're preparing to launch a surprise raid on an immigrant neighbourhood. As I film, the volunteers are told to be on their best behaviour.

RELA OFFICER: Don't get excited just because reporters are here. You want your faces in the newspaper or on TV tonight? I ask all the leaders to ensure that their troops don't act violently. Don't hit or kick. Be gentle. Treat them like your girlfriend.

RELA has been condemned in the past for human rights abuses, but was happy for me to tag along. Malaysia has more than 1 million illegal immigrants and believes tough measures are necessary.

REPORTER: Why are they such a problem, the illegal immigrants?

RELA COMMANDER: Social life. Make noisy. Drink! That's why the local people report to us.

REPORTER: But it's just the illegal immigrants that drink and make noise? Don't the legal ones...?

RELA COMMANDER: Same. Both. Both, both sides.

REPORTER: So all the immigrants are a problem, but you just target the illegal ones?

RELA COMMANDER: Yes, yes, the illegal ones only.

The volunteers spread out and start going from door to door looking for migrants. Their job is to take anyone who's not Malaysian outside to have their documents checked. At this stage, it doesn't matter if they're here legally or not. No-one likes being woken up in the middle of the night.

RELA OFFICER: Be quick, otherwise we'll break in. Take your passport with you. My passport and mobile phone? Yes.

Within an hour, several hundred people have been dragged out of bed.

RELA OFFICER: Walk properly, don't walk like that. Walk properly. Hold the shoulders.

Out on the street, their documents are taken and examined by officers from the Immigration Department. They decide who should be arrested and who gets to go back to bed. Although refugees are also illegal immigrants, the government insists they are not arrested or detained.

REPORTER: Have you found anyone here who has a UNHCR card?

MALAYSIAN IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL: No. Obviously we release them.

REPORTER: You release the people with the UNHCR card?

MALAYSIAN IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL: Yes, yes.

The UNHCR says fewer refugees are being picked up these days, but that it's still common. Most I spoke to said they had a friend or relative who'd been arrested. When the prisoners are taken back to RELA headquarters, I discover that tonight is no exception.

REPORTER: Where are you from?

ABDUL RAHIM, DETAINED REFUGEE: I am from Myanmar.

Contrary to what I was told, six of the men here have been arrested despite being registered as refugees.

REPORTER: You have a UNHCR card?

ABDUL RAHIM, DETAINED REFUGEE: Yeah, sure, I here already five years.

REPORTER: And you've given them the card?

ABDUL RAHIM, DETAINED REFUGEE: Yeah, my name is Abdu Rahim, number of card 03C13837. Just so many problems coming here and I tell you these people here are not good. Tell me like animals. Why? I don't know.

Abdu Rahim has tried to call the UNHCR detention hotline, but it's the middle of the night and it's closed.

REPORTER: So what will happen if you can't get hold of them at the office?

ABDUL RAHIM: I don't know about this. Now I no good feeling.

REPORTER: Sir, tell me what happens if your men do find someone with a UNHCR card. What is the procedure?

RELA COMMANDER: So, the immigration asks us to detain them, then we have to bring them to the immigration depot. We're going to bring them to depot Lenggeng.

REPORTER: The detention centre?

RELA COMMANDER: Yes, yes.

This is where Abdul Rahim and all the others will be taken - the Lenggeng immigration depot outside Kuala Lumpur. This is the first time Malaysia has allowed a foreign journalist to film inside one of its detention centres. The men's section is meant to house up to 1,200 people, but right now, more than 1,400 are squeezed inside.

DEPOT OFFICER: As you can see now, actually they are not comfortable inside here. And then they're very stressed out when they're kept for more than a month. Actually they fight amongst them.

DETAINED IMMIGRANT 1: The food is very.... I don't know if it's contaminated, if the dogs eat the food - dogs cannot eat it.

DETAINED IMMIGRANT 2: Have you seen the tray the food, the tray we eat? You go and see, you know?

DETAINED IMMIGRANT 1: You want to see? See this? See this? See this?

Each prisoner gets some rice, and a couple of pieces of meat and vegetable. The stench is awful.

I've asked if there are any prisoners here from Sri Lanka. This is Shanmulingham. He's a Tamil and says he fled Sri Lanka last year because the army wanted to arrest him.

REPORTER: Have you gone to the UNHCR at all? Have you claimed asylum?

SHANMULINGHAM: Yes, I have. I have a card. They took my card and arrested me.

He says he's been here for six weeks and he's waiting for the UNHCR to organise his release.

And this is Prabhakaran - he's been here for a month and is also registered as a refugee. He's nervous about speaking in front of the immigration officers.

REPORTER: How have you found life in Malaysia as a refugee?

PRABHAKARAN: I can't tell you much. We live in fear over there and we're living in fear here too. We don't know our fate. I've been here a month. Nothing is certain.

REPORTER: When I visited the immigration detention centre I found several refugees there who had UNHCR cards.

ABU SEMAN YUSOP: I don't think so.

REPORTER: I did, and the UNHCR confirms this. And in fact the immigration officials also confirm this.

ABU SEMAN YUSOP: That's what the information I've been given by, ah my personnel.

REPORTER: That there are no refugees being held in the detention centres. That's what you've been told?

ABU SEMAN YUSOP: Yep.

According to the UNHCR, the situation has improved in the last few months. It now has access to the detention centres, but it says red tape means refugees, who shouldn't be arrested in the first place, still spend too long in detention.

REPORTER: Does it concern you if registered refugees in Malaysia are being arrested and locked up?

CHRIS EVANS: Well it's not for me to comment on a sovereign nation's local legal system. We detain people who come to this country unlawfully as well while we identify them and do security checks, so it's not uncommon for countries to detain people who've come in unlawfully.

Many refugees I met said it's conditions like these that drive people to try and reach Australia.

TAMIL REFUGEE 3: We wont be suffering like this. Once we survive the sea, we'll live in peace. Which is why we want to go to Australia. After a while here, we all hope to go. We can't live like this here.

TAMIL REFUGEE 2: So, instead of living in this situation, if we take the boat at least we’ll be happy there with our children. We have aspirations too.

But the Australian and Malaysian governments want to make sure this never happens. A few weeks ago, they got lucky - 114 Sri Lankans were arrested at these serviced apartments in Johor Bahru. They'd been there for a month waiting for a passage to Australia. Although three men in charge of the group escaped, this counts as a major success.

REPORTER: You would have been pleased about this news?

CHRIS EVANS: Well, we're certainly pleased that they're clamping down on unlawful movement through their country and that obviously has the benefit for us that it may deter people from getting on leaky boats, seeking to come to Australia.

The day after the arrests, I visited the apartments. This is one of the 17 rooms the migrants were squeezed into - six or seven people to a room. One of the staff showed a local journalist and I a list of almost half the group.

JOURNALIST: These are 44 names.

Next to the names, we found their UNHCR registration numbers - 44 refugees who weren't prepared to wait.

JOURNALIST: Pity them, ah?

APARTMENT EMPLOYEE: Because they pay so much to the middle man. I don't know who, ah.

Chances are that if the people arrested here last month had reached Australia, they'd have been granted protection visas. Instead, they were locked up and remain as vulnerable as ever.

DAVID MANNE: Cracking down on people smuggling in and of itself is not a problem. The real question is - what is the consequence of doing that? It is one thing to intercept someone in another country and to assist another country, or cooperate with another country like Malaysia to do that, but what happens to that person? That's the question that hangs heavily. What then happens to that person?

CHRIS EVANS: I don't accept the criticism, if you like, that we've got to somehow insist on human rights standards in other countries. We encourage people to sign up to the refugee convention, we encourage them to treat people properly but, equally, I don't think we can be held responsible for every country's domestic policies.

TAMIL REFUGEE 4: At times we contemplate suicide. But we have the children. We're living for the children. We just keep going.

TAMIL REFUGEE 5: For the sake of the children we’ve come to live here. It’s not a certain thing going by boat. If any country accepts us, we'd be happy to go.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Sekali sekala

Salam all..

Maaf la pasal lama x update blog. Bukannya apa, skang ni aku ada dua website yg nak kena maintain utk keep in touch ngan kawan2 kat Msia dan etc. Blog ni agak memakan masa coz bila dah log in tu, semestinya tangan aku gatal nak menulis..hehehe..dan semenjak dua menjak ni aku 'kekurangan' masa utk duduk lama2 depan komputer utk menaip melainkan buat keja aku. Facebook agak cepat dan menyeluruh kalu nak dibandingkan ngan blog coz kita leh jengah sekejap, komen apa yg patut dan ramai kawan2 leh tgk, lihat atau baca. Anyway, aku akan maintain gak blog ni however, mungkin sebulan sekali atau dua kali gitu. Emm, puteri kocik aku dah pandai berjalan dah sejak seminggu lepas. Seronok tengok dia dok 'bertatih' terkedek-kedek sambil mulut tu potpetpotpet bercakap bahasa dia. Kalu pi jalan2 skang ni, mana mau dah duduk dalam pram atau dukung kecuali ngantuk nak tido. Berjalan ikut suka hati dia ke mana dia nak pi..dan makin naughty dah skang ni. Heh..macam ni le rasanya bila dah jadi bapak budak kan..seronok tengok anak membesar depan mata. Ok la..gua chow dulu utk kali ni.






Sunday, September 20, 2009

Raya 2009

Salam semua..

Waaa..mesti best coz kita semua dapat menyambut Aidilfitri semalam..tak kira dimana saja kita berada, Aidilfitri tetap disambut dengan meriah, cuma..bergantung kepada suasana dan keadaan semasa le. Anyway, kami sekeluarga menyambut dengan ala kadar buat tahun yg kedua di perantauan..cewahhh! Tak sabar nak balik raya kat Msia tahun depan..hahaha, tapi sebagai anggota tentera ni..tak tahu la dapat beraya ngan family ke tak tahun depan coz macam2 kemungkinan ie kena masuk operasi dan sebagainya. Apapun, tahun depan jenuh la gak aku nak cover up balik posa yg 'tertinggal' dek penangan exercise 3 minggu ngan kadet dalam bulan Ramadhan (31 Ogos-18 Sep 09)..Kuar2 exercise je, tinggal lagi 2 hari je nak raya! Ok la, ni antara gambar2 terbaru aku dan family semasa tempoh Ramadhan sampai raya baru2 ni. Kepada semua, aku ucapkan Salam Aidilfitri maaf zahir dan batin...

Ngan jurulatih NCO dalam Platoon aku, SGT Ross..sejuk gilo time ni weiii..
Siap sedia utk bergerak ngan Platoon aku..
Ngan buddy2 jurulatih yang lain..dari kiri, SGT Ross, Capt Allison, Aku dan WO2 Mcintosh(NZ)..Baru nak dinner..tgh masak air aaa..Bgambar ngan tempat aku nak beradu kat belakang tu..kihkihkih..

Zahra ngan mummy kat Malaysia's House..rumah Duta Malaysia di Australia..
Para pegawai ATM bergambar beramai2 kat Malaysia's House..
Kaum2 ibu juga tak ketinggalan bergambar beramai2..
Ramainya warga Malaysia yang sedang menjamu selera..
Gambar family..hihihi
Bergambar ngan Duta Malaysia dan isteri, T.Y.T Datuk Salman dan Y.M Tengku Datin Karina..
Dalam Malaysia's House..
Happynya Zahra main ngan kawan2..ni kat rumah D.A, Kol Hassan..
Milk time..jgn kaco aaa..

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Proud to be Malaysian..

Categories: Point Of View

There’s absolutely nothing “common” about the princely RX-7 known as Jealous Ahura

As a matter of respect, its owner must be addressed as T.M.R. These three letters are the abbreviation of “Tatah Mahkota Rawa”, which in English translates to “The Crown of Indonesia”. T.M.R. descends from the bloodline of the very first King of Malaysia. He is bona fide royalty, the man who himself will one day be the Emperor.

However, upon meeting T.M.R., a man of much importance to his people and state, you’re immediately struck by his low key nature. The quietly spoken VIP is somewhat of a Renaissance man, an elite singer and accomplished exponent of the erhu, a Chinese two-stringed violin. T.M.R. certainly has an eye for detail and with assistance from his team of loyal, royal servants – who are dedicated to the maintenance of the car 24/7 – has poured five years into the conception and creation of Jealous Ahura.

In Japanese, “Ahura” means “God of Light” and was the name given by the Mazda family to the first of its eponymous vehicles. “When the car was 70% completed, those who jeered became quiet and turned their backs on me. They never returned my phone calls again,” T.M.R. explained, “I assume they were probably jealous, hence the name for the car.”

Before its unveiling, this regal FD RX-7 was so shrouded in secrecy, it was transported to the Sydney Showgrounds – the site of Meguiar’s MotorEx – under the cover of darkness at 2am. “Most of the time, we kept Jealous Ahura covered,” said T.M.R, “but there was some spying going on.”

Jealous Ahura made history when it debuted in the House of Kolor Inauguration on Saturday 11th July 2009. It is the first international show car to participate in the prestigious event – for which it was specifically built – and the first time a vehicle from Malaysia has travelled abroad to compete. Even in the car’s infancy, T.M.R. knew his passion, belief and execution would eventually draw international interest: “It is not easy to make the cut for such a prestigious event. Some of my friends even mocked me, thinking that I would never have the drive to modify the car as the first Malaysian entry in the competition,” T.M.R revealed.

Importantly, the majestic RX-7 boasted the support and approval of government, including Tourism Malaysia, plus the Tunku Mahkota, His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Johor, who visited Team T.M.R.’s workshop upon the car’s completion. His Royal Highness is an avid car enthusiast with a fleet of exotica from the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. “Tunku Mahkota scanned the car in detail. He saw the bodywork, the paint, the electronics and popped the hood to see the engine,” said T.M.R., “he was smiling all the time.”

Jealous Ahura has been many years in the making, the job at hand made all the more challenging by the limited specialists in automotive modification and customisation in Malaysia: “My team and I had to search high and low for spare parts,” T.M.R. recalled.

Whereas a local fibreglass worker made the customised widebody kit, the automatic Lamborghini scissor doors were sourced from Canada. Internationally acclaimed Aussie airbrush artist Joe Webb of Bad Image was flown with House of Kolor’s Owen Webb to Malaysia where they spent a week in Johor working on the RX-7.

The bodywork’s “East meets West” theme features the Royal Kerawang motif of Tatah Mahkota Rawa’s own ancestry that normally adorns Indonesian and Malaysian architecture, royal clothing and handmade silver jewelery. T.M.R. was persistent that the vehicle reflect its Malay roots: “My culture is in the car.”

In a new interpretation on the traditional emblem, Webb incorporated tribal flames and pin-striping techniques throughout the House of Kolor Kandy Apple Red paint over Gold base. “I am proud of (Joe’s) work,” said T.M.R., “I must say he has done an exquisite job with my car.”

T.M.R. sourced local craftsman Nur Amynuddin who hand-made the Royal Kerawang motifs throughout the car from copper and sent them to Chrometech in Australia to be chrome-plated. The flower pods and leaves were then fully encrusted in brilliant red Swasrovski crystals.

The superbly customised interior sparkles, as does the exquisitely polished engine bay and immaculately prepared exterior, including those 19 inch Weds Sport rims.

While international recognition is reward for the crew’s hard work, T.M.R. hasn’t lost sight of Jealous Ahura’s opportunity to shine the spotlight on Malaysia and its people, who lent their support even while the project was top secret. To show their gratitude, Team T.M.R. will embark on a road trip upon returning to Malaysia, allowing the people to at last see Jealous Ahura in all its majestic glory. That’s before T.M.R. undertakes his next automotive project, which he simply described as “American Muscle”. Won’t all the naysayers be jealous now!

SPECS. Jealous Ahura - Mazda RX7

  • Owner: Tatah Mahkota Rawa
  • Vehicle: 1991 Mazda RX7 Series VI
  • Engine: 13B twin-turbo rotary
  • Gearbox: Factory five-speed auto
  • Suspension/Brakes: Tein Super Street adjustable coil-overs with EDFC, VTTR six-piston callipers, cross-drilled (front) and slotted (rear) rotors
  • Wheels/Tyres: Weds Sport Kranze 19inch rims, Yokohama Advan Sport 255/30 (front) and 305/35 (rear) tyres
  • Bodywork: Custom bodywork and bonnet, automatic Lamborghini scissor doors
  • Interior: Red and black leather re-trim (repadded seats, steering wheel, dash, door-trims, pillars, roof-lining, red Swarovski crystals throughout, Defi Blue Racer meters (USA) (boost, water, temperature, volts), GReddy turbo timer
  • Audio/Visual: Pioneer touchscreen TV, 6inch speakers, custom Royal Kerawang covers, subwoofer cover with RX-7 logo
  • Awards: Meguiar’s MotorEx 2009 Superstar and Kudos award

Story Elias Velis. Photography Ricardo Awadallah.