My-Team 2 at Bukit Jelutong

I went to the My-Team 2 Football Carnival with Gondai Jr on Sunday morning. The event was held at the Bukit Jelutong football field about 200 meters away from my home. I was not really aware about this event initially until I heard the advertisement on the TV only on that morning. Early Sunday morning, the football field was already packed by many football enthusiasts and also hopeful applicants for the coveted spot in the My Team 2 coached by the now a celebrity, Cheby Singh.




Roads surrounding the footballs field were filled-up by many cars and almost created a traffic congestion like one will always see in KL during rush hour. There was a huge red makeshift tents and many smaller tents near the field. I was made to know that the event was to select potential candidates for the My Team2 (under 21 yrs) and also for My Kids (under 12 yrs). From the posted ads, the promoter for the My Kids team will take 6 lucky children to Manchester !



The single-line queue for registration ran almost 200 meters both for the 21 and 12 years old selection. The weather was amicable albeit it was a bit hot and sweaty. Everywhere near the field, the logo of Hotlink and Scomi can bee seen prominently. I guess there were the main sponsors for this event. There were also several clowns walking around entertaining the kids and adults alike. All of those who managed to register, were given a free T-Shirt which more or less printed with the word " I survive the My Team Test" or something like that.




After spending less than one hour on the field with searing heat, I decided to leave but not after I took several photos of a 'fire-lady', who spits fire from her mouth. I really did not know what was was the deal with her spitting fire while most people are busy testing out themselves for a spot in the team. Nonetheless, she did get a lot of attention and lucky for me as I managed to snap few good pics of her in action !

Two Weddings and Two Hectic Weekends

"Dan kahwinkanlah orang bujang (lelaki dan perempuan) dari kalangan kamu, dan orang yang salih dari hamba-hamba kamu, lelaki dan perempuan. Jika mereka miskin, Allah akan memberikan kekayaan kepada mereka dari limpah kurnia-Nya, kerana Allah Maha Luas (rahmat-Nya dan limpah kurnia-Nya), lagi Maha Mengetahui" An-Nur Ayat 32

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My two weekends were really hectic but nonetheless exciting. In fact, the busy schedule started on Friday 20 July for on that day there were two akad-nikah ceremonies for which my family and I had to attend. The two akad-nikah were for close relatives. One, is the son of my eldest brother and the other one is the daughter of my first cousin.



The first question that one would ask is why two akad nikah on the same day ? well, the answer is all about the number 20-07-2007 itself. I guess, the chosen date is obviously easy to remember and it also fell on Friday. Nonetheless, as a compromise and also to let relatives to attend both ceremonies, the first akad-nikah was conducted on Friday after the Asar Prayer and the other one was after the Isyak Prayer. Syukur, Alhamdullillah. Both ceremonies went well.


My nephew whom I always refer to as Abangah, is now married to Azren from Ulu Bernam near Tg Malim. Abangah was born when I was still in secondary school. How fast time flies ! I can still vividly recall on how he as a baby, liked to cry so much. However, as he grew older, he became a quieter person and did not talk that much unless being asked to. As for my niece Dazy, she was born when I was still in primary school. Her mom was very close with my late parents as she used to stay with us for a short while when she was studying in KL some years ago, when I was about 4-5 yeas old!

For Abangah, I was asked by his mom to help in taking the photos of his akad-nikah and wedding as they did not engage any professional photographer. I accepted this request with glad as this would give me the opportunity to help out with the events and the same time practice my skill. For the ceremonies, I chose my Tamron 17-50mm and Tamron 28-70 as the main lens as I wanted to travel as light as possible. Of course, the Canon Speedlite 580EX would be the main source of light as the ceremonies (akad nikah and bersanding) will be done in doors.





I was thinking that if they were still alive, both of my parents would be very happy to see the wedding of their second grandchild. Normally, my late mom was a very spirited and organised person when it comes to kenduri or wedding events. My late father was also a very noble person as he liked very much to organise kenduri and to invite neighbours and relatives to come. Sometimes I just felt my father just needed an excuse to organise a kenduri. We used to have 3-4 kenduri a year when both my parents were still alive. That's the time when the whole family and relatives would come together to help in the cooking and also in other things. I guessed being an ex-cop, my dad like the idea of people getting together and help each other in a noble cause. In addition, I think that's probably another way for him to get closer to our distant relatives.



However nowadays, the spirit of gotong-royong is slowly diminishing in our culture. Most people will tend to engage a caterer to organise events be it small or big. Yes to some extend engaging a caterer simplifies many things from setting-up tents to serving the food to the guests, it will actually result in less collaboration among neighbours and also relatives. When I was a kid, I still can remember how we prepared the wedding of our close relatives. We sometimes spend 2-3 nights at the relatives homes just to help out in many things. We sometimes event slept almost everywhere possible as the house will be so crowded with people. But one thing for sure, event like weddings or kenduri will make us closer to each other. As for my brother, he also engaged a caterer for Abangah's wedding. Yes, the caterer was actually very good as they brought at least 15-member team to prepare food, serve the guest and also cleaned up after reception was over. However, I did not feel the same feeling and camaraderie of a real kampung wedding as before. Well, I guess this is the price of development and progress that we have to pay. The most important about wedding is not about how big and fun was the wedding ceremony and reception but how can we ensure the marriage will last forever and bless by Allah. Marriage is about responsibility when a man and a woman surrender thier freedom to become a husband and a wife. May Allah bless the newly wed Abangah and Dazy !!!

2007 Bukit Jelutong Carnival

On Saturday Mac 24th, I took my other half and my son to the BJ 2007 Carnival. Unlike previous years, the carnival for this year was being held in front of the Guthrie Pavilion along the Persiaran Tebar Layar and facing the undeveloped area in front of this BJ landmark . From the published schedule, the carnival was to start at eleven in the morning but we were already there half an hour early as we were actually on our way to KL.


Since we were quite early, we did not have problem locating a parking space nearby the Guthrie Pavilion. The first thing that we could notice from afar upon approaching the carnival area was the presence of the Guthrie Hot Air Balloon. We could see there were already many people lining up to taketheir turn to 'fly' on the balloon although the line was not that long. I was told that it cost RM10 per person for this ride and also some health declaration form that needed to be filled up for any interested visitors before hopping up on the balloon basket.I initially thought this might be a good idea because if I am up there on the balloon basket, I could get a nice view of the carnival for my photos. However, I didn't fancy the idea of waiting in line and thus decided to abandon this idea.


There were several luxury car promotions under the makeshift tents and we could see cars like Audi TT, Brabus, Jaguar and many more on display. There were also many tents selling food and also many merchandise items on promotion. Many companies like ASTRO , Insurance, and others were also seen to have booths in this event. Carnival atmosphere was omnipresent as there were several clowns entertaining the little ones and giants temporary 'play-pents' could also be seen nearby the golf driving range.


We spent nearly an hour exploring the carnival venue and I think the organiser of this event has done a very good job. Although I did not buy anything or play anything as we are running out of time and in a bit rushing to KL, I can sense that the carnival was a success. Hopefully, Guthrie can continue make this event and annual affair for the joy and benefit ofBJ folks.

MNC-CIGRE 12th AGM...A Reflection

On Tuesday 12th March 2007, the Malaysian National Commitee of CIGRE or MNC-CIGRE held its 12th Annual General Meeting at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.


CIGRE (International Council on Large Electric Systems) is one of the leading worldwide Organizations on Electric Power Systems, covering their technical, economic, environmental, organisational and regulatory aspects. A permanent, non-governmental and non-profit International Association, based in France, CIGRE was founded in 1921 and aims to:

* Facilitate and develop the exchange of engineering knowledge and information, between engineering personnel and technical specialists in all countries as regards generation and high voltage transmission of electricity.
* Add value to the knowledge and information exchanged by synthesizing state-of-the-art and world practices.
* Make managers, decision-makers and regulators aware of the synthesis of CIGRE's work, in the area of electric power.

More specifically, issues related to planning and operation of power systems, as well as design, construction, maintenance and disposal of HV equipment and plants are at the core of CIGRE's mission. Problems related to protection of power systems, telecontrol, telecommunication equipment and information systems are also part of CIGRE's area of concern.
MNC-CIGRE was estbilished in Malaysia in 1996 by a group of forward looking engineers from TNB and other industry players and to date it is celebrating the 11th year of its establishment. The MNC-CIGRE is an affiliate to the Paris based CIGRE and it is governed by a constitution with members from the Malaysian power industry and managed by bi-annually elected executive commitee members comprising of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary and an Honorary Treasurer. Traditionally, the Chairman of the MNC-CIGRE also holds the highest executive position in TNB being the leader in the power industry here in Malaysia. Currently, the Chairman of the MNC-CIGRE is Dato Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Nor, the CEO/President of TNB.


On personal note, I have been involved with the MNC-CIGRE since its establishment in 1996. In 2003, I was elected as the Honorary Secretary after the previous secretary, Mr Ahmad Ali of Malakoff Berhad stepped down from this position. My current term (third term) will end next year but having held this position for more than four years now, I have decided to call it a day.


Actually my desire to step down has started last year due to the increase work load and responsibility in the office. The decision finally culminated about three weeks ago when I wrote a personal letter to the Chairman expressing my desire to step down during this years AGM. In my letter, I explained the reasons on why I would like to ask his permission to resign from the secretary position. Essentially, I cited the increase responsibility and the need to focus my attention more in my daily work to ensuring system security and also, to inject fresh air into the management of the MNC-CIGRE. It took about ten days before I finally knew that the chairman has accepted my resignation albeit he regretted the request but have to respect my decision, from his written response to me.



During the AGM after all usual business matters were over, the chairman made a special announcement about the resignation and I was actually touched by his open praises and appreciations to me on whatever little contributions to MNC-CIGRE I have made over the years. In fact, he also jokingly said that my resignation was due to my promotion or in anticipation of a promotion and this got our VP, who was also present, felt uneased a bit. This is something new to me as things like this never happened to me before. After all, its not everyday that you can get appreciated from your bosses let alone your CEO.



The AGM proceeded with a simple election to elect a new Secretary. In my letter to the chairman, I also indicated my choice of a successor and to my surprise he totally agreed and accepted my proposal and announced it in the AGM. Thus, Dr Ridzal Othman was unanimously elected as the new MNC-CIGRE Secretary until next year AGM.


After the AGM was over, all of us proceeded to a special room for a 'high-tea' luncheon. Well, I wouldn't call it 'high-tea' as it was already 7.00 PM by that time. During the luncheon, I sat beside the chairman and chatted with him and others on things not related to the company or work. I could see how comfortable and relax he was when we talked during the luncheon. I guess, being a CEO at such age, he might find talking to people at about his age more relaxing and enjoyable. After all, we don't talk about KPIs or issues related to the company but rather general issues on social behavior and happenings around the nation. Actually, I have spoken to him on few formal occassions before but I really know now that despite his seemingly serious and high social status, he is actually like most of us but you really have to catch him at the right moment and place to discover...

Al-Fatihah...

"Tiap-tiap yang bernyawa akan merasai mati, dan bahawasanya pada hari Kiamat sahajalah akan disempurnakan balasan kamu. Ketika itu sesiapa yang dijauhkan dari neraka dan dimasukkan ke Syurga maka sesungguhnya ia telah berjaya. Dan (ingatlah bahawa) kehidupan di dunia ini (meliputi segala kemewahannya dan pangkat kebesarannya) tidak lain hanyalah kesenangan bagi orang yang terpedaya": Ali-'Imran 185

Just I was about to step out of the office for a quick tea early Friday morning, I was informed by the big boss donwstairs on the passing of Danial's mom Puan Norliza Abdullah. I was speechless and dumbfounded on hearing this news but quickly gathered my thought to express my sorrow. While sipping the tea, my mobile rang and my immediate boss informed me about the same news but this time he asked me whether I would visit Danial as he would like to join in. Without any hesitation I said yes and at about 9.30 AM both of us inlcuding Beroz, were already at Danial's mom's home in PJ.


When we arrived, there were not so many people except for several people from the local mosque. In fact, we were the first from the office to arrive. People from nearby the mosque were already there helping out in the 'urusan jenazah'. We also lent our hands in carrying in a specially made fibre-tub brought by the people from the mosque into the house to be used in the 'urusan mandi jenazah'. We were told by the local ustaz that Allahyarhamah will be buried at Bukit Kiara after the Jumaat prayer instead of the nearby muslim cemetary as it has already ran out of space.


Slowly, the number of visitors paying thier last respect to Danial's mom increase by the hour. The local women from the mosque conducted tahlil and Surah Yassin recitals through out the early morning and our ladies friends from the office also joined in during the activity. The ladies tahlil was later followed by the men tahlil and yassin recital led by HIsham. At around 11.15AM right after the men tahlil ceremony was over, my boss signaled to me that it's time for us to leave as by that time, there were already so many people paying thier last respect to Danial's mom.



As a person who has also experience such event in life, I deeply understand how Danial is feeling at the moment and being one of my friends whom I respect the most, I can only say that I really share his sadness. However as a muslim, we can only say that living and dying is a part of the cycle of life of which Allah has the full and final say. To the death, what is important is not the dying itself but rather what kind of living that is waiting. To the livings, death should be treated as a temporary separation because we may be able to meet again in the hereafter. Only, let's hope and try very hard that the meeting place will be in Jannah rather than in Hell.


From the bottom of my heart, takziah to Danial and family and let us say Al-Fatihah to Allahyarhamah Norliza Binte Abdullah....may Allah bless her soul and give her the best living in Alam Barzah...

Busy Saturday...Friendly Football

On Saturday afternoon at 5.30PM, Malakoff hosted our department for a friendly football match at Permata Sports Complex in Bangi. This friendly match has become an annual affair for both teams as this year marked the forth of such game in our calender dated backed since 2004. I still remember we played and lost in our first game at Selayang Stadium in 2004. In 2005, we had the game at Stadium KKK in USJ and we lose by 3-2. Only last year did we manage to win for the first time. Initially, I was pretty convinced that the Malakoff team would want to have some sort of revenge in this year's game but to my surprise, this was just my far-fetched imagination as the game turned out to be even more 'friendlier'.



We were supposed to start the game at 5.30PM but due to the unavailability of several Malakof players the game has got to be started slightly later, and only after several players from our department switched side and played for Malakof to complete the team. In fact, the game was without two linesman as the designated referee was also 'forced' to play for Malakof as so many of the Malakof players were absent! I really hope that Malakoff plant availability factor is not very similar to the committment level of thier players..otherwise, the whole grid will be in trouble :-))





As for the game itself, it was a so-so game, to say the least. I did play for the full second period and all the actions on the field were actually captured in the first period when i was not playing.









Looking back, Although Malakof hosted the game, I felt a bit annoyed by the fact that they did not have a very serious commitment in playing to thier full strength. I know that our team has taken very seriuosly about this game and the non-presence of so many Malakoff players have only dented thier image so to speak, at least IMHO. The very least they could do was to ask for postponement of the game to other date since understandably, this week is actually the First Semester school break and many people would already gone for holidays. Admittedly, we also had several 'imported players' for our contingency plan but that only reflects on how serious and committed our team is on this annual game. Nonetheless, I would like to ask our team manager to make sure that if we do receive another invitation for a friendly match next year, let us make sure that we are not to play with a non-commital team as the lure of playing in a Stadium cannot replace the joy and spirit of playing the real team. As for the result of the match itself, please don't bother. I would not consider it a win of 4-1 to our team as we were at least in the first period, playing with each other rather that the actual Malakoff team. If anything that I can learn from this match is that I managed to test out the my photography skill on panning technique. Other that that, I am a very tired and my muscles are all aching !!!