I went, “WTF!” after reading this. What do you think?

KUALA LUMPUR: After years of public agony, the authorities are finally going to hit the Mat Rempit where it hurts most — by seizing their motorcycles.

Police and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) are preparing to launch joint operations against the Mat Rempit in various locations.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said this drastic move had to be taken as the Mat Rempit had become violent and brazen instead of just being a public nuisance.

He said he had met Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat recently and the latter agreed that traffic police and JPJ officers should conduct joint operations to clamp down on the speedsters, many of whom use illegally-modified machines.

“We have to come down hard on the Mat Rempit who have started to become involved in robberies, snatch thefts and are even attacking innocent road users.

“The police have limited powers to act against these people but with the help of the JPJ, we can now go all out against them,’’ he added.

Musa said police would also go after the owners of the motorcycles if the riders caught were underage or did not possess valid licences. He said the registered owner of the machine would also be issued with a summons if the rider did not have a valid licence.

“Parents must be more responsible and should not allow their underage children to drive cars or ride motorcycles,’’ he added.

First of all…baru sekarang nak sedar ke? What, with all the snatch theft cases, illegal races and road assaults, you still can see the gravity of the situation? You guys blind or what?!

Here’s the thing…you take away the Rempit’s bike then what’s going to happen? What’s going to happen is the Rempits are just going to steal other people’s bike, so what’s the point? It’s not going to change anything.

Fact of the matter is, the Polis and authorities are just horsing around – at least from where I’m seeing it anyway lah.

Every weekend without fail the stretch of NKVE between Damansara and KL becomes a makeshift racing circuit for these Rempits. Buzzing up and down the highway with thier noisy mopeds…bunyi macam ribut, pergi macam siput.

This is a regular thing every Saturday, I know this because I can hear and see them from my balcony and once in a while I’d hope that I would hear Polis sirens blaring chasing down the Rempits American cops style like this one here.

At least show these people the Polis mean business lah. Coming down hard, or whatever you want to call it.

But of all the weekends this has happened, not once I see the Polis chasing down the Rempits.

I wonder what the Evo Xs are for?

Some more, IGP Musa Hassan can say that the Polis have limited powers to act against the Rempits. Limited powers? OMG!

And here’s another thing, parents who let thier kids ride motorcycles and drive cars really don’t give a rats ass what else their kids are doing. So like it or not Polis, you got to sapu the sampah lah.

That’s the way I see it anyways.

Read the rest of the story here.

Happy birthday Amira!

Hope you had fun yesterday.

Sorry I can’t be around today but I hope you can go on that adventure

In any case, I’ll see you soon.

You’re doing well for a 20 year old. So proud of you.

Don’t ever change k.

Love you loads.

My twitter crazy friend sent me an email that read:

Just wish…

…that photo falls on him.

LMAO.

Farnee lah you!

The thing that I don’t get is…why is Najib’s picture up there in the first place(the premiers before him had their pictures up there as well)?. But don’t you think it’s sending the wrong vibe to the people?

He is the Prime Minister of Malaysia and his job is to serve the rakyat. If anything shouldn’t the picture of the people that he and his government is serving be up there? That makes more sense doesn’t it?

Well, I think it makes perfect sense.

At least have the picture of the Malaysian flag or the Malaysian Coat of Arms because people will come and go but Malaysia will remain.

So Najib, you serve the country and her people NOT the other way around. There’s a lot of talk from you about change and all that.

Why don’t you start with that useless portrait of yours?

Picture credit: The Star

This is a revisit of my earlier post on New Zealand Natural Ice Cream in Malaysia being halal certified.

Digging through my comments, I received a reply from an unknown rep from the importers and distributors of the ice cream brand. Apparently the rep claims that JAKIM does not certify imported foodstuffs as halal or not.

While I find this disturbing (how do we know if imported consumables are halal?), the obvious lack of understanding from the rep is even more worrying.

Have a read here

The pertinent question now is this…in an Islamic country like Malaysia must Muslims still ask what is halal and what is not? With entities like HDC and JAKIM, should there be such confusions of what is halal and what is not?

I should think not.

My last post was two months ago -_-

Well I’m back now. As usual, work has been the major culprit but I’m not complaining.

I’m at a good place now. Work is good and fulfilling, the people there are awesome too. Will be heading to JB and then of to SG on Monday for a big do. There’s international operators and media involved so its going to be awesome. I’m enjoying myself and that’s what’s important.

At the home front, Narisha’s doing very well with the pregnancy. Baby’s doing good too. We’ve got our 36 week checkup next weekend. Can’t wait to see him kicking and moving on ultrasound. While waiting, check out some of the earlier scans uploaded by Narisha.

First detailed scan
At 29 weeks
At 32 weeks
At 34 weeks

There’s a lot on my mind at the moment. All revolving around the arrival of our son in a few weeks time. Looking at ultrasound videos…I can’t wait to hold him in my hands but at the same time the reality of how much a baby can change your life sinks in.

The usual questions arise. Questions asked by probably all fathers everywhere. Am I going to be a good father? Will I be able to provide my son with the best of everything? Will I be able to impart useful knowledge to him? Will he grow up to be better than me? Be everything that I couldn’t?

I guess time holds the answer to these questions. For the time being, all I can do is be the best that I can.

To those who’ve dropped by my blog on occasion while I was away – thank very much! Please share with me your thoughts k.

Hunting for Jobs:The global credit crisis has wrought havoc with millions of people throughout the world clamouring for jobs. In the US, people were standing in line at the Miami government administration building to apply for one of 35 firefighter positions open in the City of Miami fire Rescue Department on Monday. The city was only planning on accepting 750 application for the positions but more than 1,000 people showed up with some in line since Saturday. In China, migrant workers were waiting for employers on a street in Chengdu. About 20 million migrant workers have lost their jobs because of economic downturn. In Madrid, people were lining up to enter a government job centre, Spain’s registered jobless leapt to a record 198,838 people in January, the tenth straight month of increase and the biggest monthly rise on record. From The Star, Feb 4, 2009.

As usual, was chatting with Alex this morning over IM…

alexan (2/5/2009 10:29:39 AM):
on perak, najib keep asking nizar (perak MB) to step down
but on state constitution wise, the DUN was never dissolved
so he is still the MB until the sultan dissolves the state assembly
now all up to azlan shah
what do you think?

Amin (2/5/2009 10:32:22 AM):
Najib can ask all he wants…
until the majority is set MB has the right to stay put..
It’s like DSAI telling Bodowi to step down…
he can bang the drum all he wants but…Bodowi has the right…
Sultan needs CONCRETE reason to dissolve state
independents giving mandate to UMNO is not CONCRETE…
but as usuall…when it comes to things like this…impossible is nothing…

alexan (2/5/2009 10:42:08 AM):
yeah
welcome to malaysia

Everybody’s talking about frogs and Perak when there are more penitent things to worry about.

Let’s focus on something for important shall we?

Let’s worry about the recession.

Like it or not the economic recession is knocking at our doors. But it appears our leaders are taking things a little to lightly. Crucial questions still hover over the billions of stimulus Ringgit.

Around the world people are loosing jobs and Malaysia is not spared. Case in point, Proton announced yesterday that it will cut it’s dealer network from over 800 dealers to just 100 odd dealers. Can you imagine how that would affect the families of the sales, service, admin staff running these dealerships that will soon be out of a job?

I fear by the time they finish with this childish debacle it’s already too late to do anything. No reports of long lines of unemployed workers in Malaysia so far but that doesn’t mean people are not suffering.

So shall we?

Spent the bulk of yesterday chatting with Alex over IM mostly talking about things that I can’t even remember today, but one thing got stuck in my head.

It was this thing about logos and how Alex noted that one particular logo looked very much like another company’s logo. He noticed that a logo for a Japanese petroleum company looks very much like a German cosmetic supplier’s logo.

Take a gander at which one is Japanese and which one is German

That gave me something to think about and I found THIS on the internet.

And then there’s more…

Everyone already knows that the Proton logo is the Thundercats logo’s twin.

It’s pretty obvious really

The Buatan Malaysia logo looks something like the Nike logo.

Just do it = Main belasah je

Apparently the new Green Packet logo looks like AMD’s logo.

At a glance there is a resemblance. Don’t you agree?

And am I the only one who thinks that the NTV7 logo look very much exactly like the ABC 7 logo?

Why am I not surprised.

Share with me some of the logos you’ve seen that looks like a logo you’ve seen somewhere else. It’ll be fun!

This morning while we were getting ready for work Narisha came to me and said she noticed a single red dot (really struggling to put this eloquently) on her underwear.

The pinhead-sized drop looked unassuming but we looked worried. This has happened once before during her previous pregnancy and we know single red dot could mean bad news for our unborn son.

The thought of anything happening to the baby at this stage of the pregnancy will be devastating for the both of us.

I asked her if she felt any cramps. She said no. She looked fine to me. But not wanting to take chances, I told her to go and have an ultrasound at the clinic at in office.

She did and we are thoroughly relieved to know that the baby is fine.

Even this doctor noted that he is very active in the womb. The ultrasound didn’t find anything cause to worry and his heartbeat was as strong as ever. So he’s coming in May!

Alhamdulillah.

What a way to start the day.

Check out more posts on me becoming a father:

• I’m going to be a dad soon
• He’s 23 weeks old!
• He’s a Kicker!

Check out the AdBlitz channel HERE

Ad spots during Super Bowl could very well be amongst the most expensive in the world. Up to USD100,000/second!

Let’s do some math, the Transformer 2: Revenge of the Fallen teaser trailer that aired during Superbowl was 30sec long. Multiply that with the going rate (USD100,000/second) and you come to a whopping USD3mil for one 30sec spot!

USD3mil is close to RM11mil, that’s the year’s marketing budget for some Malaysian companies! And here’s the clincher, some ads run for a minute of even longer. That’s big money for some big ads man.

I personally don’t watch American football (or any other American ball games for that matter) but as always, interesting ads intrigue me and usually the best and the worse appear during Superbowl time.

Check out YouTube’s Super Bowl AdBlitz channel where you can see and vote for your favourite big budget ad.

Have fun!

Related stuff:

• Check out all the trailers that appeared on Super Bowl XLIII HERE
• For car fans, check out all the car ads that appeared during Super Bowl XLIII HERE
• Forbes reviews all the big ads on Super Bowl XLIII HERE

Narisha blogged about it first HERE!

Our boy is a kicker! I finally got to feel him kicking, bumping and wiggling in his mommy’s belly. This was the first time for me and try as I might, I can’t really explain how it feels…how it made me feel. All I could do was laugh. No, not because it was funny but because I really don’t know how to react. It was really a special moment, a wonderful moment.

Before this the baby’s bumps and wiggles were exclusively Narisha’s to experience. Every time the baby kicked, she’d tell me and I’d run over to put my hand on her belly and every time, I can’t really feel anything.

For this one, I could really feel it, even if was only a few bumps. I felt him move around too! Narisha said that our baby boy was bouncing around in her belly for almost 20 minutes!

From the monthly ultrasounds, we’ve kinda figured out that our baby boy will be a bouncer, a very active baby. Now with this latest session, it’s pretty much confirmed.

I’m counting the days for this bundle of joy of ours to arrive.

Check out more posts on me becoming a father:

• I’m going to be a dad soon
• He’s 23 weeks old!

Our baby boy is 23 weeks old.

Narisha subscribes to this ticker widget from baby-gaga.com and every week the widget tells her the progress of her pregnancy.

She’s now 23 weeks into the pregnancy, closing into her 3rd trimester – the last 3 months of the pregnancy.

By this time, the widget explains that our baby’s hearing is already well developed and he can make out sounds coming from inside and outside the womb. He is beginning to recognise familiar voices and also the rhythm of his mother’s heartbeat.

We’re beginning to watch TV less at night to expose him less to noise and also if we have the time, we play verses from the Quran to sooth him. It’s widely reported that baby’s this age respond well to classical music but I think listening to melodic readings from the Quran is a nice alternative.

What amazes me more than my soon to arrive son is his mother. The widget explains that generally mothers can expect to feel clumsy in the final trimester because their centre of gravity has shifted. Their gums may bleed when they brush their teeth and their belly button, once an ‘innie’, may now stick out.

Thankfully, Narisha is not experiencing any one of these symptoms. She barely has morning sickness, her belly is not really showing and her belly button is still very much an “innie”. But inside, all is good. The baby’s growth is excellent and he’s so far been very healthy.

I pray everything stays the way it is till the end. The easier the pregnancy is on Narisha, the easier it is on me.

I told her over YM!…”this baby is soo good to you”. She replied…”I’m so lucky, Mommy’s boy”

Check out more posts on me becoming a father:

• I’m going to be a dad soon
• He’s a kicker!
]]> http://aminashaari.com/2009/01/30/alex-lets-go-do-this/ Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:30:04 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2009/01/30/alex-lets-go-do-this/


If I had the opportunity, Wonder what I’d program the sign to read.

According to i-hacked, LED road signs you often see near roadwork areas are super easy to hack.

Malaysia could use pranks like this. Everyone’s so uptight nowadays.

Alex, you know what I’m thinking. Let’s go do this!

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2009/01/29/im-going-to-be-a-dad-soon/ Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:24:32 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2009/01/29/im-going-to-be-a-dad-soon/

First of all, brace yourselves. This is going to be a long one. If you have the time, do read on.

I’ve never made the fact that I will be a father soon official, so now I am.

I’m going to be a dad soon. Very soon in fact. Narisha’s due date is on 28 May or thereabouts. So feel free to congratulate us!

It’s going to be a boy and we are absolutely elated. Though please pardon me for not announcing this earlier but you’ll have to understand where I am coming from. This is the second time Narisha got pregnant.

The first one came May last year and we were so happy. Just 6 weeks into the pregnancy we were already screaming the news from the rooftops. Roughly a few days after everyone got the word, Narisha had her period and with it a miscarriage.

Some say it was stress at work. Narisha thought that it could be her hypothyroid condition playing a role in the miscarriage. I thought, perhaps, it wasn’t meant to be.

My emotions were mixed. For the most part, I felt confused. Of course I was disappointed but oddly, I was also relieved. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I didn’t want a child but I’m not sure if I’m ready, if I’m good enough…if I’m going to be a good father.

Having a baby is one thing. Taking care of a human being for 18 years of his life is another. Who’d teach me all this stuff about taking care of another life? Where do I turn to for guidance?

Strangely enough, the answer is…there is no answer. No one in particular would be able to teach me and at the same time everyone would have a lesson for me to learn from.

So you’ll understand why I waited this long to actually break the news on this one – our first child, our first son. We both wanted to be very sure that this time we won’t be disappointed. Thankfully this time we won’t be.

It happened rather unexpectedly and we’re taking it as a pleasant surprise. Since it’s a boy we’re expecting him to come probably a week earlier than the due date. Apparently that’s what boys do. Girls on the hand will arrive around a week later than the due date. That’s the general rule of thumb anyway.

And with all and any general rules of thumb, there are of course, exceptions to the rule. So we’re playing it as it goes.

This pregnancy also had a rocky start. One day approaching the end of the first trimester, Narisha was bleeding. She thought the worse but I didn’t want to give up. We quickly went to one of the top OBGYN in SJMC and sought for some good news. Thankfully there was some good news but there were also some bad ones.

Doctor Delaila broke it down for us.

The bad news – the bleeding was caused by Narisha’s body rejecting the developing fetus, the wall of the placenta was starting to breakdown and there was a huge about of bleeding inside the womb. The good news – the doctor could see that the fetus was healthy and there’s a strong heartbeat. Thank god.

For a month Narisha had to take medication to strengthen the wall of uterus and placenta also she had to take progesterone to get her body to stop rejecting the fetus growing inside her. This was on top of the daily dose of thyroxin that she’s already taking for almost all her life.

From then on, monthly checkups with Dr. Delaila showed a strong baby growing inside Narisha. The Doctor said that this is a very special baby, apparently the odds we’re 1 in 10,000 of Narisha getting pregnant due to her hypothyroid condition.

The recent scan we had last week was the best so far. This time we had a detailed 4D scan and we could see him moving around in his womb. From the screen it looked like the best, most comfortable place to be in the world! As the Doctor was explaining the condition of his various body parts and organs, I could only smile as I stare into the screen. The baby seemed happy, every time we had an ultrasound, he would be active…very active, even the Doctor noted that. I can’t wait to hold him in my hands. Even as I type this I get all teary eyed thinking of the day.

Am I ready now? I’m not sure. But trust me when I tell you this…if you’re going to wait till when you’re ready for things to happen…then nothing ever will.

Will upload the videos later of our latest scan later, in the meantime check out one that Narisha uploaded on her blog.

Check out my earlier posts on becoming a father:

• He’s 23 weeks old!
• He’s a kicker!
]]> http://aminashaari.com/2009/01/26/back-to-bloging/ Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:24:28 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2009/01/26/back-to-bloging/

For those of you who are keeping track…it’s been 3 months since I last logged in to my wordpress account.

Why have I been away for so long?

For the most part I didn’t have the time, and then there was the major problem of me not knowing what to write about and of course sometimes, I just can’t be bothered.

But to be fair a lot has happened in the past 3 months and it’s wonderful to note that on a very reassuring level that I’ve grown. As a person – I’ve developed, in my career – I’ve progressed and as a husband – I will soon be a father!

That’s right, I’m going to be a dad soon…but more on that later. Gotta keep you coming back for more right?

I’ll talk about my journey to becoming a father in my upcoming posts. If you can’t wait check out Narisha’s blog, she has the scoop.

For now, let’s talk about now – specifically, time.

I’ve learned something about time, more like it sorta dawned on me. I now realise that there will never enough time to do everything but there will always be enough time to do something.

Perhaps to others this may be something pretty obvious. Unfortunately for me I didn’t realise this until now. Perhaps its the wisdom that comes when you know you’re going to be a father soon. I don’t know. What I know is that I gotta learn to manage my time better.

And that will be my new year’s resolution. Simple, totally doable, absolutely practical…Perfect! No high and mighty missions to save the world and rid Malaysia of corruption…bla, bla, bla. For 2009 its all about time and timing.

With a baby on the way…there’s going to be less time for me and more the reason to manage time better. Also, I know mum will appreciate me managing my time better, because it means less waiting on her part – she knows what that means.

Here’s something interesting…in the Quran there’s a surah (chapter) specifically about time and there’s nothing more befitting, more eloquent, more perfect in emphasising how important time is.

The surah is called Al-Asr which literally means time. Surah 103 in the last part of the Quran – the 30th Juz – and is the second shortest surah with just 3 verses. Divinely perfect when you think about it – just 3 ayat to talk about time.

The surah reads:

By the declining day, (1) Lo! man is a state of loss, (2) Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance. (3)

Demi Masa! (1) Sesungguhnya manusia itu dalam kerugian; (2) Kecuali orang-orang yang beriman dan beramal soleh dan mereka pula berpesan-pesan dengan kebenaran serta berpesan-pesan dengan sabar. / (3)

I can’t help but feel a strong spiritual bond with this surah. At the risk of sounding mushy, it is like I am fated to discover this, like it’s something I need to do to move on. Why? The surah is in the last juz of the Quran, the 30th juz. It is the 103rd chapter and it contains just 3 verses. How does this relate to me? I am born in the 30th day of the 3rd month of the year (ie. 30 March). I have 3 names (ie. Amin Ariff Ashaari) and I’ve always believed that 3 is a significant number for me.

That has to mean something.

Speaking about time, it’s February and yes, I know it’s already waaay to late to wish you Happy New Year but I’m going to do it anyway. So everyone HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s not too late though to wish my Chinese buddies a very prosperous Lunar New Year. Hope the Niu year will be all that you hope it will be and I wish there will be ome pleasant surprises thrown in the mix as well for everyone.

Some of you might have gotten my SMS last night, I’m just going to share this with everyone who I might have left out while texting this out at Chinese New Year eve.

Bulldoze all the bad luck, grab wealth by the horns and don’t take any bull crap from anyone! Wishing you lots of luck, wealth and health in the year of the Ox. Happy New Year. Amin & Narisha.

Have a good one everyone!

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/26/memohon-kampunan-ikhlas-dari-hati-amin-ashaari/ Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:11:51 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/26/memohon-kampunan-ikhlas-dari-hati-amin-ashaari/


Kebahagian bermula dari keampunan, keampunan bermula dari keikhlasan, keikhlasan bermula dari hati yang murni

I ask for forgiveness from all for my errors.

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish all Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin.

Pandu cermat and keep our roads safe this festive season. Drive safe!

Thank you Peeps and Rudy for the visual.

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/25/open-invitation-to-my-designer-friends/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:03:21 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/25/open-invitation-to-my-designer-friends/

Peeps, Rudy and Vernon.

Help me beautify my blog. I’m planning to post a Hari Raya greeting soon and I need a nice image to go along with it.

For Ramadhan, I used a design Rudy made and I thought it’d be nice to have another original design to put on my blog.

Can you guys help?

Deadline: Friday morning, Sep 26

If you guys are not too busy that is

Thanks!

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/19/sign-the-petition-its-the-least-that-you-could-do/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:19:13 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/19/sign-the-petition-its-the-least-that-you-could-do/

#3437, I’ve done it. I urge you to do the same.

There are currently 65 citizens of this country being detained without trial under the ISA.

Show your support and sign the petition for the unconditional release of all 65 detainees. It’s the least that you could do. It is the first few steps in ensuring a better Malaysia soon.

Click here sign the petition.

If you need more convincing here are some compelling reasons:
A Raya greeting card for an ISA detainee
List of known detainees as at 13 September 2008
Pakatan Rakyat, see the agong now!

Spread the word and tell your friends, they need all the support we can give.

ISA is a bitch!

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/19/happy-birthday-marlyne/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:33:13 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/19/happy-birthday-marlyne/

Today is my sister’s birthday. Being the dramatist that she is I feel she’d appreciate it that I made this announcement here.

So here goes.

HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY MARLYNE!

This year she made a wish list for her birthday and published it on her blog a while back. I for the life of me can’t find it now (please put the search widget on your sidebar la wei) and honestly, I can’t be bothered. Simply because her requests are rather too extravagant and way beyond my budget.

Though, to keep the suspense alive, Narisha have been inquiring about the missing list a few days back and my sister replied via SMS a list of stuff that she thinks we’re going to get her. Things like a tub of Lecka Lecka Bacio soy based gelato, Mary Jane Crocs, a perfume, a pair of running shoes, a fedora cap and the list goes on and on and on.

Sheesh!

I also kept the whole family in suspense. Yesterday I called Amal, my sweet little baby sister, to ask what size shoes Marlyne wears and since then everybody’s been asking what I got for her.

I simply replied I’m not getting her anything. They we’re all stunned into silence.

So I have a good inkling that my family doesn’t know that Narisha and I have actually gotten Marlyne something.

And since it’s her birthday today, I’ll let the cat out of the bag right now and reveal to all what we got Marlyne for her 25th.

Now Lyn, you have the choice to find out now or find out later at your birthday dinner, it’s totally up to you.

For those who want to know, the present is revealed after the jump.


Here’s your present. Happy birthday! Haha.

Do you think I’m really going to let you know now?

Haha dream on la Lyn!

You’ll get your present at your birthday dinner tonight.

Till then, have a good one.

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/19/tribute-to-schumi-blue/ Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:08:48 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/19/tribute-to-schumi-blue/


We’ll all miss you.

I was devastated when I heard the news. My in-laws had just lost one of their much loved kittens — Schumi Blue.

It was only last weekend that Narisha and I had spent time playing with Schumi Blue at her parents place. We spent berbuka there and had such a fun time looking at Schumi playing with Heidi –another one of their kittens.

Schumi was such a special kitten. He was very well behaved and had such lovely blue eyes. His soft coat was a nice brownish white colour. He loved being pet by everyone.

Schumi was special because he had six digits on each paw. Yeap, he had six “fingers” on all four paws and that gave him a special gait which made him look sooo cute when he’s walking and doubly so when he’s running.

Schumi was a very manja kitten. When he wanted to go to sleep he would suckle on the end of his tail and slowly doze off. He will get so engrossed in sucking his tail that by the time he’s done suckling, the end of his tail would be soaking wet!

He had all the qualities of becoming a wonderful life long companion for my in-laws and we all loved him.

Unfortunately, Schumi’s gone forever.

I was nearly brought to tears when I heard what had happened to Schumi.

Narisha’s dad had let both of the kittens out just before breaking fast to allow them to play in the yard and chew on some grass as cats like to do. Her dad had done this many times deligently watching over the kittens as they played in the yard and the kittens somehow knew that they’re confined within the yard and had never gone beyond that before.

I guess in retrospect what happened next was meant to be.

It was time to bring the kittens in and Narisha’s dad had managed to only grab Heidi. He brought Heidi in first and left Schumi out in the yard. For some reason Schumi wandered into the next door neighbour’s compound.

The neighbour had two Rottweilers, presumably as guard dogs and it has to be said that the dogs are very well behaved and very seldom barked. Narisha’s dad even commented on how well behaved they were over dinner the other night.

No one could immagine what happened to Schumi.

As he wandered into the neighbour’s compound, the less than six month old kitten with beautiful blue eyes and six digits on each paw, was attacked by one of the dogs.

If you are familiar with these animals you’d know that the odds are stacked steeply against the kitten.

Before anyone had realised what had happened, it was already too late. Schumi Blue was dead. Narisha and I didn’t want to believe it at first but however much we wanted to deny it, Schumi’s lost is real.

I didn’t enquire about the details but the SMS I received from Narisha dad was already too graphic for me to imagine.

Saw him bitten and held between the dog’s jaws all bloodied. Nothing we could do to save. Kesian dia.

Narisha’s brother, Johan and her mother could not bear to look and I could only immagine how it must have felt to hear the horrible sounds and realised what had happen.

We’re all going to miss Schumi — a truly special kitten that is truly irreplaceable.

This blog is a tribute to him.


The first few days with Schumi. His bright blue eyes really stood out.


Schumi never minded being pet excessively and was comfortable with all of us.


The saddest part in loosing Schumi is the tragic nature of his demise.


Schumi with his playmate Heidi. It’s not going to be the same without him.


Schumi was also a smart cat.


Goodbye Schumi Blue

Everyone take good care of your kittens. They’ve got a lot to learn.

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/16/isa-is-a-bitch/ Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:33:01 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/16/isa-is-a-bitch/


Yes, ISA is a bitch. What you going to do about it?

I got Peeps to design this anti-ISA logo so we can all share our disagreement with such a draconian rule.

If you share the same believe feel free to take the logo and protest together with us.

Spread the word for the abolishment of ISA. It’s the least that you can do.

So go ahead and do it!

Thanks Peeps.

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/15/uphold-the-truth-and-ye-shall-be-detained/ Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:10:27 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/15/uphold-the-truth-and-ye-shall-be-detained/

That’s what happened over the weekend. Three citizens of Malaysia were detained under ISA for speaking the truth.

Detained without trial!

• Raja Petra Kamarudin — Blogger, Malaysia Kini
• Teresa Kok — Blogger and Member of Parliament (3rd term) from the Democratic Action Party (DAP)
• Tan Hoon Cheng — Award winning journalist, Sin Chew Jit Poh (Freed, serving the shortest detention period – detained for less than 24 hours)

Previously, Abdullah Badawi encouraged journos to uphold the truth.

They did and they got detained.


Yes, the Prime Minister has smartly given us all the finger. Picture from the Star.

Further reading: Seek the Truth!

• RPK in Danger!
• Reporter’s life was threatened
• Explain arrests, cops told
• Tan Hoon Cheng makes ISA history
• ISA: The Price Of Truth
• My 18 hours under the Internal Security Act
• Set Raja Petra Free — This True Defender of Islam and the Rights of Many
• Crisis Looms Over Malaysia
• Don’t fear a dying beast’s last strike
• Teresa Kok’s detention is not only Un-Islamic, but for reason that is also Un-Islamic
]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/10/can-someone-tell-me-if-this-is-real/ Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:25:24 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/10/can-someone-tell-me-if-this-is-real/

UPDATE: Two ISA detaines released including Teresa Kok. Check out her blog for more.

UPDATE: Three citizens of Malaysia including Teresa Kok have been detained without trial under ISA. Details here

UPDATE: Teresa Kok on her blog today explained that the azan issue is a mere rumour. Excerpts from her blog:

Tibalah masa bagi saya untuk menerangkan perkara ini dengan kenyataan yang saya telah ulangi kepada YB Khalid Samad dan pemberita pada Hari Ahad adalah seperti berikut:

i) Saya sendiri tidak pernah menerima aduan daripada penduduk di Puchong berkenaan dengan isu azan ini, jadi saya langsung tidak tahu tentang perkara ini dan saya amat hairan untuk mendengar tuduhan tersebut;

ii) Sekiranya saya terima aduan daripada penduduk di Puchong, adalah langsung tidak masuk akal bagi saya sebagai exco Kerajaan Selangor untuk mengadakan petisyen dan membentangkannya kepada YB Satim, seorang ADUN daripada parti pembangkang, kerana beliau bukannya kadi ataupun pengurus masjid, buat apa saya tulis surat kepada beliau yang tiada kuasa tentang perkara ini?

Sekiranya saya terima aduan daripada penduduk, saya akan minta bantuan daripada YB Datuk Dr Hasan Ali, iaitu exco yang menjaga Hal Ehwal Islam di Selangor, ataupun pengarah Jabatan Hal Ehwal Islam di Selangor, dan bukannya Satim.

Goes to show a little digging can reveal a lot. I wrote her an email asking her about the jawi issue as well. Hope to get a reply soon.

Got this in my email today.

I refuse to believe all this bullshit.

It’s 6 more days to In the face of 916 (which now looks like it’s going to be differed), all this underhanded crap starts to surface. First there was the SMS. Now, some dunggu decides that it’ll be a good idea to spread this email around.

The email purports Teresa Kok as an advocate for the removal of jawi characters on street signs. With pictures as proof she has — apparently — succeeded in getting jawi character removed from the Bukit Bintang street sign. The email also claims Teresa is leading a petition to have the volume of the azan (call to prayers) reduced in Puchong.

I think the pictures are doctored as I’ve never seen a street sign being so tall. And is that really Teresa Kok? Her wiki picture looks different.

I refuse to believe all this bullshit but can someone tell me it this is real?

If not, can someone explain to me what’s all this is about then?

In the meantime, I’ll remember not to believe everything I see .


(Gambar: Akhirnya Teresa Kok berpuas hati kerana apa yang dia mahu sudah tercapai dengan memadamkan tulisan jawi di papan tanda nama jalan di Bukit Bintang. Selepas ini apa lagi yang akan di buat oleh orang kafir ini?



(Gambar: Teresa yang anti Tulisan jawi)
Teresa Kok mengepalai satu petisyen penduduk di Puchong kepada Datuk Satim Diman (ADUN Seri Kembangan) mencadangkan agar azan diperlahankan kerana didakwa menggangu ketenteraman penduduk. Ianya sama seperti cadangan Tan Seng Giaw (Ahli Parlimen Kepong) dalam parlimen pada tahun lepas. Di manakah Hassan Ali (Exco dari PAS) dalam hal ini? Bukankah tindakan itu jelas jelas menentang Islam?



Don’t believe everything you see.

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/08/i-hate-mondays/ Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:30:06 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/08/i-hate-mondays/


The best flowchart ever!

Mondays are sucky after such a great weekend. Luckily someone cameup with excellent flowchart to optimise my work day.

I think you’ll find it useful too.

More sucky Monday busters here.

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/05/perginya-pejuang-sastera/ Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:33:08 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/05/perginya-pejuang-sastera/



Innalillah.

One of the country’s most respected writer, thinker, mind and man has passed away. In many ways he has influenced many and in many ways he has influenced me.

At such trying times a simple prayer goes a long way.

My condolences and prayers goes out to the family.

Al-Fatihah

The late Pak Samad’s jenazah will be laid to rest at the Tanah Pengkebumian Bukit Kiara after Friday prayers today.

Convey your words of support and condolences here.

]]> http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/02/happy-ramadhan-everyone/ Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:08:35 +0000 Amin http://aminashaari.com/2008/09/02/happy-ramadhan-everyone/


Ramadhan makes me feel that I am closer to Him. Picture by Rudy Azwan

Do’a malaikat Jibril menjelang Ramadhan:
Ya Allah tolong abaikan puasa ummat Muhammad, apabila sebelum memasuki bulan Ramadhan dia tidak melakukan hal-hal yang berikut:

• Tidak memohon maaf terlebih dahulu kepada kedua orang tuanya (jika masih ada);
• Tidak berma’afan terlebih dahulu antara suami isteri;
• Tidak bermaafan terlebih dahulu dengan orang-orang sekitarnya.

Maka Rasulullah pun mengatakan Amin sebanyak 3 kali. Dapatkah kita bayangkan, yang berdo’a adalah Malaikat dan yang meng-aminkan adalah Rasullullah dan para sahabat, dan dilakukan pada hari Jumaat.

Oleh itu saya terlebih dahulu memohon maaf jika saya ada berbuat kesalahan, baik yang tidak di sengaja mahupun yang di sengaja , semoga kita dapat menjalani ibadah puasa

I love it when Ramadhan comes.

I don’t know why. I can’t put my finger on it but I feel so happy when the holy month arrives. What appeals to me is the fasting part rather than the breaking of fast at the end of each day.

Maybe it’s because the end of Ramadhan signals a period of festivities where like many, I will be re-united with my extended family and just be happy.

Maybe it’s because I feel slightly closer to God.

Maybe it’s because people are more inclined to do good things around Ramadhan month (I feel that way anyway).

Maybe it’s because of the food(?).

Maybe it’s because I get to spend time with Narisha and my family.

Maybe it’s because I get to go home early.

Whatever it is, Ramadhan means a lot of things to a lot of people.

I just want to wish all a happy Ramadhan ahead!

God bless.

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