Lagenda Elfarren... (3)

Assalamualaikum...

Entry ini adalah sambungan kepada dua entry sebelum ini, dan dibuat setelah menyedari saya terlupa untuk mengumumkan sesuatu.

Dengan ini saya menjemput para pembaca sekalian untuk datang melawat blog saya yang baru, bertajuk "Lagenda Elfarren".

Setelah berfikir panjang, saya telah memutuskan untuk berkongsi hasil penulisan saya sebelum ini dengan para pembaca yang dihormati sekalian. Besar harapan saya jika para pembaca dapat membaca dan memberikan komen juga pandangan tentang tulisan saya supaya saya dapat memperbaiki kelemahan-kelemahan saya.

Mudah-mudahan saya dapat menjadi penulis yang jauh lebih baik daripada sekarang, dan berjaya mencapai cita-cita saya... dengan bantuan anda semua.

Terima Kasih
AidanZ

*Since i faced a little problem to insert a link for 'Lagenda Elfarren' in this blog, for now, you can just click on the 'Elfarren' at the shoutbox.

Lagenda Elfarren... (2)

Assalamualaikum...

....(Sambungan daripada Lagenda Elfarren... (1))

Seperti yang saya katakan, rupa-rupanya masalah saya berpunca daripada bahasa Inggeris!
Mengapa saya mengatakan demikian? Ada 3 sebab:

1. Saya begitu terpengaruh dengan siri novel fantasi Inggeris, 'The Shannara Trilogy' tulisan Terry Brooks, dalam tidak sedar saya cuba meniru gaya tulisannya. Untuk pengetahuan pembaca, gaya tulisan Mr Brooks ini panjang-panjang sehinggakan 1 perenggan hanya terdiri daripada satu ayat sahaja. Berbeza dengan penulisan buku Melayu di Malaysia, satu isi satu ayat. Tetapi saya pula satu ayat merangkumi pelbagai 'details' dan menyebabkannya menjadi panjang sehingga boleh membentuk satu perenggan!
2. Selain itu, apabila saya hendak membentuk satu ayat dalam penceritaan saya, secara tak sedar saya sebenarnya memikirkannya dalam bahasa Inggeris dahulu sebelum diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Melayu! Lalu, apa yang terhasil seolah-olah merupakan hasil terjemahan yang tidak mengikut nuansa bahasa Melayu yang sedap.
3. Saya juga baru saja menyedari saya sudah lama tidak membaca buku2 novel Melayu bagi mendapatkan semula 'feel' bahasa Melayu. Tidak hairanlah, 'perbendaharaan kata' Melayu saya agak rendah...
   

Semua itu saya sedari hanya setelah saya menamatkan tulisan novel pertama saya itu...
Agak terlambat? Yup, but still, better late than never, right?

Jadi, saya pun memulakan proses 'editing' yang rupa-rupanya merupakan proses yang sangat sukar dan akhirnya terus mematahkan semangat saya untuk terus berusaha mendapatkan penerbit yang sudi menerbitkan buku saya itu...

Dengan Kakak F pun tiba-tiba sahaja mendiamkan diri, saya tahu saya harus berusaha mencari penerbit lain, namun ternyata ia tidak pernah kesampaian.
Dengan bantuan abang saya, saya 'print-out' kesemua 800 mukasurat novel saya itu, dan mem'binding'kannya. Fikir saya, lebih mudah untuk diedit apabila dibaca sebagai sebuah buku daripada membacanya di skrin laptop saya.
Selain itu, ada juga saya print-out beberapa chapter awal dan memberikannya kepada abang saya untuk membaca dan memberikan komennya, manakala 'buku' setebal 800 mukasurat itu diberi kepada seorang rakan yang menyatakan dia sudi untuk baca dan meng'edit'kan untuk saya.

Sementara itu, saya menunggu sahaja 'feedback' daripada mereka dengan perasaan yang bercampur-campur. Keyakinan yang tidak berapa lama dahulu begitu menebal, kini semakin cair, namun tetap juga saya berharap akan mendapat 'positive review' yang pertama untuk hasil tulisan saya itu.
Namun, itu juga nyata tidak kesampaian...

Reaksi mereka; samada 'okaylah' (but without any conviction) - that's from my brother; dan juga, 'terlalu banyak nak kena edit/buang ni!' - that's from my friend.
In fact, almost everyone in my rental house felt the same way about my writing, with one of them, without any sense that i might hurt listening to his comment, said, "wow, teruk giler tulisan abang Zahar!"

Dan pada masa itulah, saya terus hilang keyakinan sama sekali untuk meneruskan perjuangan saya dalam bidang penulisan ini. Almost everyone come to me with either a very bad review or simply said 'no comment' straight to my face.

Don't get me wrong though. i didn't have any grudge on them (although i sure hope them to be a little bit more sensitive to my feelings). They just said what was in their mind at the time; which sadly was... well, nearly about the truth. They pointed on my weakness (which was good), but only relentlessly and harshly. But, it's okay guys, i forgave you already, hehe.

You know what happened after that? I found a little solace with this blog, and Sevenheroes blog. In these blogs, i continue my writings, but only this time in English. To my surprise almost all my friends really like my writing! My housemates, my friends, almost all of them gave glowing reviews!
And the funny thing was, they compared my writing in English with my writing in Malay and they all agreed on one thing: My english writing was better than my Malay one! Haha, you know, i felt like crying and laughing at the same time when i heard that. And while it took some time for me to drink in the fact, it also gave me something to cheer on and more conviction on my ambition to write my own English book someday.

But the story isn't finished yet. All that happened almost a year ago. And to tell the truth, i still have some hope that my Malay novel will see a daylight in a publishing world. For me, where i lacked with my language, i actually (or maybe) can covered it with my idea!
Why not? My idea is very grand! That first novel has already been divided into two books, and the truth is, i still have more idea for the story that can be written into 5 or 7 books!

So, i made up my mind, and i said i will try once again for this book to be published. I've edited it for countless times, and although it certainly won't be good enough for some of you, i still think this edited version is better, if not much, than the previous one.

That's why i have decided to setup another blog, Lagenda Elfarren, solely for this book. i have a big hope and bigger dream that anyone, anyone, can give their opinion, and even correct me wherever i messed up in my writing. i have fell in love with this writing stuff and i'm more determine than ever now, to at least improve myself in it.
With your help of course...

This is my journey to be a successful writer, and i hope and i pray, all of you will join and support me to meet the end of it...!

Lagenda Elfarren... (1)

Assalamualaikum...

Ruangan kali ini adalah ruangan pertama saya menulis dalam bahasa Melayu (tidak termasuk beberapa 'entry' awal bagi tazkirah dan kuliah tafsir sebelum ini).
Sememangnya tujuan asal blog ini diwujudkan adalah sebagai medan untuk saya memperbaiki bahasa inggeris saya terutama dalam bentuk penulisan. Di kalangan sahabat-sahabat saya, ramai yang sudah mengetahui bahawa saya bercita-cita untuk menjadi penulis. Namun, tidak ramai yang tahu bahawa saya berhasrat untuk menulis dalam bahasa Inggeris; di samping turut menulis dalam bahasa Melayu juga. Itu adalah salah satu sebab saya mengambil kelas bahasa Inggeris di UiTM Shah Alam (selain daripada bahasa Perancis)...

Begitu juga agak ramai yang sudah mengetahui bahawa saya sebenarnya sudah pun menyiapkan sebuah novel berbahasa Melayu, kira-kira setahun yang lepas. Ya, setahun yang lepas! Sehinggakan ada yang bertanya bilakah novel saya itu akan diterbitkan kerana mereka sudah tidak sabar untuk membacanya..! ???

Sememangnya saya sangat ingin mempercayai bahawa kata-kata mereka itu bukan sekadar berbasi-basi atau sekadar satu topik perbualan setelah lama tidak berjumpa. Tetapi, beberapa keadaan yang berlaku tidak berapa lama dulu telah membuatkan saya hilang keyakinan dengan hasil penulisan saya sendiri, seterusnya membuatkan novel saya terperap begitu lama sehinggalah sekarang...

Lebih setahun yang lepas, saya betul-betul berkeyakinan tinggi dan mempunyai harapan yang besar terhadap hasil tulisan saya. Pada fikiran saya, saya telah berjaya menghasilkan karya yang menarik dan lain daripada yang lain (dalam pasaran buku di Malaysia). Malah, saya mula menghubungi beberapa rakan saya supaya mencarikan 'contact' bagi publishing house yang mungkin berminat untuk menerbitkan buku saya.
Namun, rupa-rupanya saya hanya berangan-angan besar sahaja.

Publisher pertama yang saya jumpa (actually the one and only, last year), direkomenkan oleh sahabat baik saya, Ramadhan. Saya masih ingat perasaan teruja saya ketika itu untuk berjumpa dengan pemilik syarikat itu. Dengan penuh semangat, saya membawa bersama laptop saya dalam perjumpaan yang bertempat di kafe IKEA, Mutiara Damansara. Syarikat itu masih baru dan pemiliknya adalah seorang wanita yang sangat 'nice' dan 'sporting' (for the purpose of this entry, I'll call her kakak F). Tanpa membuang masa, saya membuka laptop dan menyerahkan kepadanya untuk membaca bab 1 daripada novel saya itu.

Agak lama kakak F membacanya, sementara saya berbual-bual dengan Ramadhan di sebelah saya. Suasana di IKEA ketika itu begitu sibuk dan beberapa pengunjung di situ kelihatan memandang-mandang ke meja kami yang agak 'crowded' dengan laptop, makanan dan juga gelas minuman. Namun, saya tidak mempedulikan pandangan2 itu. Saya kini sedang mengorak langkah untuk menjadi 'penulis terkenal', kata saya dalam hati.

Namun, saya mula mengesan ada sesuatu yang tidak kena apabila Kakak F mengangkat wajahnya dan memandang tepat ke arah saya. Pandangannya redup dan definitely, tidak ada tanda 'excitement' pada wajahnya seperti yang saya harap2kan.
"Naratif awak bagus..." dia memulakan. Okay... "tetapi ayat yang awak gunakan... panjang sangat."
Itu adalah komen pertama yang saya terima. Saya hanya mengangguk, masih lagi berasa yakin. Kemudian Kakak F menambah, "bila kita menulis kita kena bayangkan siapa pembaca kita. Biasanya pembaca buku ingin membaca sambil berehat-rehat, dalam keadaan relaks. Jadi ayat yang kita gunakan kenalah mengikuti gaya pembacaan pembaca kita..."
Itu hanyalah sedikit sahaja. Ada beberapa lagi komen dan pandangan yang diberikan oleh Kakak F ketika itu, cuma saya tidak berapa mengingatinya lagi kini.
Perasaan saya ketika itu? 'Down', namun masih lagi bersemangat. Apatah lagi, Kakak F mengatakan dia agak berminat untuk menerbitkan novel itu. Cuma... saya perlu memendekkan novel itu, atau bahagikan kepada dua.

Untuk pengetahuan pembaca sekalian, 1st draft novel saya itu setebal hampir 800 mukasurat, A4, double spacing. Saya tahu, ia agak tebal, tetapi saya tidak tahu bahawa ia sebenarnya sangat tebal bagi standard buku Melayu. Walaupun setelah dibahagi dua, 400 - 400, ia masih lagi dikira tebal!

Ketika itulah, saya mula menyedari apa masalah sebenar saya apabila menulis dalam bahasa Melayu, dan mengapa ayat saya panjang-panjang dan agak berbelit.
Semuanya kerana bahasa Inggeris saya...!!! (Bersambung dalam entry Novel Melayu... (2))

** Penulis baru saja memulaan satu lagi blog. Blog itu khas untuk novel pertama tulisan penulis. 'Working title' setakat ini adalah 'Lagenda Elfarren'. Just click on the 'Elfarren' at the shoutbox to visit the blog. And while you're there, please leave a comment. Thank you...

Joke #3

I was going to see the dentist early one morning, but when I pulled up to a parking meter, I realised I didn't have any change. As I got out of my car, I saw a parking attendant heading my way. I called out to him that I was going to get some change for the meter. He said that if the meter wasn't paid by the time he got to it, I would get a ticket.

Quickly running into a nearby coffee shop, I ordered a coffee. The waitress, seeing the note in my hand, asked if I had anything smaller. "No," I said, "I'm sorry, I don't."

"It's your lucky day, then," she said. "We don't have any change, so your coffee is on the house!"

Menang Sorak Kampung Tergadai

Pepatah 'Menang Sorak Kampung Tergadai' merupakan simpulan bahasa dan berkaitan rapatdengan kisah Pak Kaduk, yang menang sorak dalam pertandingan sabung ayamnya dengan ayam Raja dan akhirnya, Raja yang memenangi pertandingan sabung ayam tersebut dan memiliki Kampung Pak Kaduk. Ungkapan tersebut juga boleh didapati daripada artikel Mufti Kerajaan Negeri Perlis Darul Sunnah, Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin dalam akhbar Mingguan Malaysia yang bertarikh 16 Mac 2008. Dalam artikel Dr Asri tersebut, Dr Asri menyebut tentang 'jatuh'nya 4 buah negeri ke tangan Barisan Rakyat pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12 yang lalu. Selain Kelantan, Kedah merupakan 'Malay Heartland' disebabkan majoriti penduduk negeri tersebut berbangsa Melayu dan beragama Islam. Bagaimanakah dengan Pulau Pinang, Perak dan Selangor?? Apakah pandangan Dr Asri tentang ke'jatuh'an negeri-negeri tersebut ke tangan Barisan Rakyat dan pada masa yang sama, negeri-negeri tersebut tidak mempunyai majoriti Melayu-Islam?? Tunggulah pandangan Dr Asri dalam keluaran Mingguan Malaysia pada edisi 23 Mac 2008. Pada masa yang sama, Wartawan Mingguan menemubual Dr Mohd Agus Yusoff, yang merupakan penganalisis politik tanahair dan ahli akademik UKM. Beliau menegaskan bahawa dalam PRU kali ini, PAS adalah lemah, walau pun, memenangi Kelantan dan Kedah, dan pada masa yang sama, UMNO LEBIH LEMAH berbanding dengan PAS. Pilihan Raya Umum kali ini adalah bantahan kaum-kaum di Malaysia terhadap polisi-polisi dan dasar-dasar Kerajaan Barisan Nasional bagi penggal 2004-2008

1. Kaum Melayu - Kaum Melayu, secara rata-ratanya, membantah polisi Kerajaan dalam beberapa aspek seperti kenaikan harga barang, kenaikan harga petrol dan yang lebih khususnya adalah dalam perkara yang melibatkan agama Islam. Kes Lina Joy pada tahun 2007 dan sebelum itu, pengkebumian jenazah Muhammad Abdullah@M.Moorthy. Tiada keputusan konkrit daripada pihak Kerajaan Malaysia dan inilah antara sebab, kaum Melayu membuang undi protes terhadap kerajaan Barisan Nasional
2. Kaum Cina - Kaum Cina merupakan kaum yang pragmatik dan secara umum, kita mengetahui bahawa kaum Cina menguasai sektor swasta dan perniagaan di Malaysia. Akan tetapi, pada kali ini, kaum Cina menyedari bahawa parti MCA dan Gerakan tidak dapat berbuat apa-apa apabila Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein, menghunuskan keris pada Perhimpunan Mesyuarat Agung UMNO yang lalu dan juga dengan pelbagai isu yang jelas sekali menjejaskan pendapatan mereka. Kenaikan harga minyak dan harga barang jelas sekali menjejaskan pendapatan mereka, yang rata-rata, bekerja sendiri atau bekerja di sektor swasta, berbanding dengan kaum Melayu, yang rata-rata, masih bergantung kepada Kerajaan
3. Kaum India - jelas sekali kaum India adalah 'kingmaker' dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12 apabila dengan jelas dan nyata, mereka me'numbang'kan Presiden MIC selama lebih 25 tahun , Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, di kawasan Parlimen Sungai Siput. Sebanyak 60% pengundi India mengundi Dr Michael Jeyakumar di kawasan tersebut dan secara langsung, menamatkan perkhidmatan Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu dalam Kerajaan. Peristiwa HINDRAF pada tahun 2007 secara lansung merupakan 'cry of desperation' kaum India kepada pihak Kerajaan secara terbuka dan pihak Kerajaan gagal menangani masalah mereka

Hhhmmm............ Penulis secara jujur tidak mengetahui akan masa depan negara kita pasca Pilihan Raya Umum ke=12 ini. Akan tetapi, penulis mengetahui bahawa Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12 adalah 'waking-up call' kepada pihak Kerajaan dan Barisan Rakyat supaya bekerja dengan lebih keras lagi, membela kebajikan rakyat jelata, di samping, mentadbir negara kita ini ke arah mencapai status negara maju pada tahun 2020 kelak.....Jumpa lagi...............

12 Rabi'ul Awal...

Assalamualaikum...

Today is a very special day for all Muslims around the world, as we celebrate the belated birthday of our beloved prophet Muhammad SAW.
He is forever our Hero and Idol in this world, even after almost 1500 years he left us.
His teachings remain strong in our heart and his guidance will remain being the much-needed light in this ever-challenging world.

Who else can claim the highest respect and devotion in this world except Rasulullah (peace be upon him)? Nobody!
Who else can changed this world the way our prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h.) did, and still going strong, if not stronger, until now? Again, nobody!
He is the One and for that, ALLAH granted him HIS utmost Love and the highest position beside HIM...

Here, i want to share with you the lyrics of one of my favourite nasyid, titled Al-Mu'allim by Sami Yusuf. In my humble view, the song really succeed in delivering the message about Rasulullah as our ultimate Teacher in this life...
I strongly suggest you find the song and listen to it with this lyrics...!

Al-Mu'allim

We once had a Teacher
The Teacher of teachers,
He changed the world for the better
And made us better creatures,
Oh Allah we’ve shamed ourselves
We’ve strayed from Al-Mu'allim,
Surely we’ve wronged ourselves
What will we say in front him?
Oh Mu'allim...

Chorus
He was Muhammad salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
Muhammad, mercy upon Mankind,
He was Muhammad salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
Muhammad, mercy upon Mankind,
Teacher of all Mankind.
Abal Qasim [one of the names of the Prophet]
Ya Habibi ya Muhammad
(My beloved O Muhammad)
Ya Shafi'i ya Muhammad
(My intercessor O Muhammad)
Khayru khalqillahi Muhammad
(The best of Allah’s creation is Muhammad)
Ya Mustafa ya Imamal Mursalina
(O Chosen One, O Imam of the Messengers)
Ya Mustafa ya Shafi'al 'Alamina
(O Chosen One, O intercessor of the worlds)
He prayed while others slept
While others ate he’d fast,
While they would laugh he wept
Until he breathed his last,
His only wish was for us to be
Among the ones who prosper,
Ya Mu'allim peace be upon you,
Truly you are our Teacher,
Oh Mu'allim..

Chorus
Ya Habibi ya Muhammad
(My beloved O Muhammad)
Ya Shafi'i ya Muhammad
(My intercessor O Muhammad)
Ya Rasuli ya Muhammad
(O My Messenger O Muhammad)
Ya Bashiri ya Muhammad
(O bearer of good news O Muhammad)
Ya Nadhiri ya Muhammad
(O warner O Muhammad)
'Ishqu Qalbi ya Muhammad
(The love of my heart O Muhammad)
Nuru 'Ayni ya Muhammad
(Light of my eye O Muhammad)
He taught us to be just and kind
And to feed the poor and hungry,
Help the wayfarer and the orphan child
And to not be cruel and miserly,
His speech was soft and gentle,
Like a mother stroking her child,
His mercy and compassion,
Were most radiant when he smiled

Chorus
Abal Qasim [one of the names of the Prophet]
Ya Habibi ya Muhammad
(My beloved O Muhammad)
Ya Shafi'i ya Muhammad
(My intercessor O Muhammad)
Khayru khalqillahi Muhammad
(The best of Allah’s creation is Muhammad)
Ya Mustafa Ya Imamal Mursalina
(O Chosen One O Imam of the Messengers)
Ya Mustafa ya Shafi'al 'Alamina
(O Chosen One O intercessor of the worlds)

Lyrics and Composition: Sami Yusuf

MasyaAllah!

Assalamualaikum...

Bonjour et bon week-end...
This will be a very short entry for me, maybe the shortest yet...
I've always heard people said, a picture sometimes worth a thousand words, and it cannot be more true for this single picture that i want to share with you...

I first saw this picture at Kelantan, during the historic elections of this country last week. At the time i was really stunned and my heart jolted powerfully inside me. And as so many emotions came rushing to me at the moment, i can only said 'Masya-Allah, this is truly a humble servant of Allah...'
And at that particular moment, i prayed really hard that somehow i can; if not become.. at least very close to being that humble and close to Allah...! Ameen!!!

Kematian 2

By Mullah

Assalamualaikum dan Alhamdulillah, penulis dapat menulis lagi blog ini dan pada kali ini, penulis menulis dari Putrajaya dan pada hari Jumaat 14032008. Alhamdulillah jua kerana, Barisan
Rakyat memenangi Pilihan Raya Umum yang ke-12 pada hari Sabtu 8 Mac 2008. Akan, tetapi, penulis ingin membicarakan suatu perkara yang lebih penting dari hal Pilihan Raya Umum yang ke-12

Mengikut laman web The Star pada hari Selasa 11 Mac 2008, Datuk Zakaria Mad Deros telah meninggalkan dunia yang fana ini akibat penyakit jantung. Datuk Zakaria, yang merupakan bekas ADUN Pelabuhan Klang, terkenal dengan kes 'Istana Zakaria' yang dilaporkan oleh media massa pada tahun 2007. Mengikut laman web yang sama, Istana Zakaria mempunyai 'ciri-ciri' menarik yang tertentu iaitu: -

1. 21 buah bilik air dan 16 buah bilik dan 11 daripada bilik ini didiami oleh anak-anaknya.
2. Sebuah bilik VIP, sebuah bilik solat, 3 ruang tamu dan sebuah dewan makan
3. Sebuah kolam renang, sebidang dusun, sebuah padang golf 2 lubang, sebuah bilik pejabat, 2 bilik untuk orang gaji dan 2 buah dapur

Datuk Zakaria, yang tidak bertanding pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12 ini, telah dikebumikan di Melaka pada hari Selasa juga. Apa yang menarik perhatian penulis adalah kesemua harta-benda dan anak pinak tidak dapat mengembalikan seseorang yang meninggal dunia itu hidup walaupun sesaat sahaja. Mungkin antara pembaca yang mempertikaikan kesahihan cerita ini dan merasa tidak senang apabila penulis membicarakan perihal orang yang telah mati, akan tetapi kematian Datuk Zakaria Mad Deros ini banyak memberi pelajaran kepada kita semua. Kita dilahirkan tanpa berpakaian dan tanpa berharta, dan dengan demikian pula, insyaALLAH, kita akan berjumpa dengan-NYA seperti mana kita dilahirkan ke dunia ini. Yang pergi akan tetap pergi buat selama-lamanya dan kita semua akan menyusul nanti, menjejaki perjalanan yang serupa dengan mereka, buat selama-lama juga. Selamat Tinggal Datuk Zakaria.......... Al-Fatihah buat Allahyarham Datuk Zakaria Mad Deros

Election?! Malaysians has spoken!

Assalamualaikum...

By now, nearly everywhere in Malaysia, people are talking about the recent election.
What a result!!!
As for me, I will post about my thought later as i was still feel exhausted from my long trip to Kelantan yesterday.

I did find though, a very good article from The TIMES about it. This is a very honest view from the outside world, which I think is good and fair enough, at least for now.

Malaysia's Leaders Suffer Setback

The outcome of Malaysia's general election on Saturday was expected to be the usual landslide for the country's ruling political bloc. After all, for as long as the Southeast Asian nation has been independent, the National Front alliance has been in power. Even opposition leaders admitted they wouldn't win control of the federal government. Instead, most viewed the voting as a referendum on the leadership of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose popularity has been hurt by higher living costs and rising racial tensions in this multiethnic nation.

Voters did send Abdullah a message—a strongly worded one. While the National Front maintained a simple majority in parliament, it lost the crucial two-thirds control Abdullah had promised in pre-election campaigning that his coalition would maintain. Even more stunning: the ruling alliance lost power in four of Malaysia's 13 states. Before the polls, only one state, Kelantan, was controlled by the opposition. By the time the dust settled on Saturday, three heartland states—Kedah, Perak and Kelantan—along with manufacturing-based states Selangor and Penang were all in the hands of the opposition. All of these states will now be ruled not by the National Front but, in most cases, by coalitions between the Islamist PAS party, the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the multiethnic People's Justice Party.

The outcome was so devastating for the National Front that Abdullah's future as Prime Minister is now in doubt. "This is a new dawn for Malaysia," said Anwar Ibrahim, a former Deputy Prime Minister, who is the spiritual head of the People's Justice Party and the opposition's most charismatic figure. "The people have voted decisively for a new era."

What a difference four years makes. In 2004, Abdullah's party won a record mandate, capturing 64% of the popular vote and 91% of seats in parliament. The overwhelming victory was due, in part, to the attraction of a fresh face—after 22 years in power, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad handed over the reigns to Abdullah in 2003. Abdullah also scored points by positioning himself as a progressive reformer; he promised to clean up widespread graft and strengthen civil liberties.

But his popularity clearly hasn't lasted. Many of the country's ethnic Chinese and Indians are angry about the continuation of a national affirmative-action plan that favors Malays, the country's largest ethnic group, in everything from education to government contracts. Saturday's results showed ethnic minorities made good on their vows to defect from the National Front, with many switching to the DAP camp. "People can only put up with so much," says DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng, who is set to become Penang's new Chief Minister. "Dissatisfaction has reached a boiling point."

But it wasn't just ethnic minorities who abandoned Abdullah's coalition. The P.M. heads the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), a Malay-based party that dominates the 14-party National Front. In a clear sign that UMNO can no longer automatically count on Malay votes, two of Abdullah's former cabinet members lost their parliamentary seats. One beneficiary was PAS, some of whose leaders have previously advocated instituting Islamic Shari'a law nationwide. With crime rates rising, PAS candidates struck a chord by preaching that their spiritual values would be more successful in managing society than UMNO's policies.

Unusually for a country that places a premium on stability, clashes between police and voters marred the polling. In the northern state of Terengganu, which the National Front held, police sprayed tear gas on hundreds of PAS demonstrators who had gathered to protest what they believed was electoral fraud committed by the National Front.

Vote-rigging claims are hardly uncommon, although the National Front flatly rejects them. On March 5, Human Rights Watch, the New York-based NGO, issued a report criticizing the way in which it believes the National Front has maintained its grip on power. In a public statement, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Elaine Pearson said: "Once again, elections in Malaysia are grossly unfair to the opposition. Malaysia’s ruling coalition is too comfortable with the status quo to allow reforms that would level the playing field." Among the watchdog's claims were accusations that the ruling coalition received a disproportionate amount of media coverage; that repeated attempts by opposition parties to organize rallies had been stymied; and that voting irregularities were rampant. In the state of Selangor, for instance, opposition party PAS says it found two 128-year-old citizens registered to vote.

Nevertheless, the opposition's unprecedented showing on Saturday proved that their voices had been heard. In a brief statement on Saturday evening, Abdullah said that the poll results proved that democracy did work in Malaysia—and that defeat was part of the democratic process. But he quickly rejected any calls for his resignation. On Monday, he will meet with Malaysia's king to ask for permission to form a new federal government. But whether he will survive as party leader at UMNO’s convention later this year is still up in the air. He could even be ousted as Prime Minister by the National Front. Unlike many aspects of Malaysian democracy, that script is still unwritten.- The TIMES

Malaysian Book Academy

Assalamualaikum...
Bonjour, Bon week-end.

This morning, i was just having breakfast when i received a call from Mullah alerted me about an interesting article in NST about Malaysian Book Academy.
Soon after that, i sat in front of my laptop and started to search for Malaysian Book Academy in the internet. I hope to find any website for the so-called MBA, instead i found only 3 results for it. All of it were editorial article from BERNAMA and NST.

It's a bit disappointment to see there's no real structure or 'black & white' for the MBA (in the internet). Obviously it is BIG since it was being launched by Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, and being jointly organized by DBP, National Library and National Book Development Foundation. But perhaps it's too early to tell, so i'll just wait and hope anxiously for any develoment of this MBA.

In one of the article from BERNAMA, it was being said that the book publishing industry in Malaysia has yet to reach the desired standard with its rate of publication of about 9000 titles per year. While some of you may think that's a good number, it was actually pale compared to Taiwan, which has about the same population as Malaysia, but has published about 30,000 titles per year alone...!
I pray, this Malaysian Book Academy wil become the boost that we sorely need to spread the interest of reading among Malaysians. I really do...
And below, i attached the full article from NST about our readng habit in Malaysia (sigh...)


EDITORIAL: Booking into reading habit
Given the insatiable appetite for more TV channels and the voracity with which youngsters devour computers and high-tech gadgets, a further slide in the reading habit would not be surprising. One can argue, of course, that going online also involves reading. The question is, do we want the language of the chatroom and email to be the dominant influence?

Already we are a nation of two books. In 1996, it was found that the average Malaysian reads only two books a year. A study in 2005 by the National Library found no improvement to this figure. Could it be because reading is demanding while audiovisual devices require neither discipline nor the proper co-ordination between one's synapses and neurons?

While offering information and entertainment, books also provide an architecture to make sense of life. More importantly, reading civilises our inner self. And in a multiracial nation such as Malaysia, a passion for reading about each other's ways can help prevent cultural or religious conflict. Which is why any move to improve the reading habit among Malaysians -- such as the establishment of the Malaysian Book Academy -- is most welcome. The academy, launched on Friday, aims to train people for the book publication industry, and encourage writers. Admittedly, past efforts do not appear to have turned Malaysians into rapacious readers. Which is why, bearing in mind that the availability of more books does not equate to a greater readership, the academy must work in tandem with bodies such as the Education Ministry and libraries if it is to produce results.

Those who warn that the demise of books is imminent may be astonished to know that books are the No. 1 selling item on the Internet, most of it through Amazon.com. Its e-book device, Kindle, is so popular it has been sold out. But whether it is a book or an e-book, one cannot escape the fact that reading is required. The diplomat George F. Kennan observed that everything was spelled out for the child watching the TV but, by contrast, reading involved thinking and imagination. "The child, particularly one who reads a book dealing with real life," he said, "has nothing before it but the hieroglyphics of the printed page. Imagination must do the rest." And wasn't it Albert Einstein who said: "Imagination is more important than knowledge"?