NEW YEAR: MY NEW WISH AND RENEWAL OF HOPE!

Neldy

Another stage of challenges in life will be coming. At exactly 12:00MN, the year 2011 will be starting. The year will be opened by these numbers 010111. It was just few days ago since the first month of Hijra, the Muharram, the first month of Gregorian calendar, January is here. The calendar was first called Julian calendar, named after Roman leader Julius Caesar and changed to Gregorian calendar after Pope Gregory.

The Islamic Calendar was instituted during the time of second Caliph of Islam, Hazrat Umar Ibn Khattab, when he said, “the Hijra has separated the truth from falsehood, therefore, let it become the epoch of the era”. But the calendar was named after the emigration of Nabi Muhammad (s.a.w) in the year 622 A.D from Makkah to Madina. This emigration marks the beginning of Hijrah.

Every start of the year would be the beginning of every wish and renewal of hope by people of the world. People may wish to keep the bad fate away and let the good fate coming.

I wish and hope to myself for a good health and long lives. I wish and hope to the Tausug’s cause for complete independence of their homeland, Sulu Sultaniyah Darul Islam would be realized soon.

I wish and hope that international community will have the open eyes, mind and heart to keep track of the Sulu Sultaniyah’s cause for complete freedom as Kosovo and Palestine.

I wish and hope that Sulu Sultaniyah will follow the way of Kosovo and Palestine as new Free State and become the member of the family of free people; free from Riba, free from ignorance, free from the clutches of colonial mentality, free from arrogance and free from downgrading others.   

I wish and hope that everything that I wanted to have in my remaining lives extended by Allah will be realized. I wish and hope that the novel I was starting to write will be finish soon.

I wish and hope I could write more books about Sulu archipelago and Tausug. I wish and hope I could finish the script for our first film project soon.

I wish and hope that we could pursue our dream to retrace the trace of the coming of Islam to Sulu Archipelago and write its story. I wish and hope that Allah guides me always to the right way and would increases my obedience to HIM.

I wish and hope a happy Amun Jadid and happy New Year to All!

SICKNESS MEANS TO REST: A PLEASANT VISIT TO JOLO

Neldy

Azan or Bang, a call to prayer heard from Masjid Sultan Shariful Hashim near Jolo Port. I arrived with Murshed Salam, a brother from Bangladesh, boarded M/V Jocelyn. We chatted silently about the nightmares in Jolo being experience by the Tausug and Tausug citizenship campaign to ask the Philippines to get out from Sulu territory.

Calmness of the Sea in Sulu Archipelago. Photo: Neldy

I told him to keep his voice slow. I was afraid of something not good to happen. A risk to bring foreigner to Jolo was been daily story of the people outside Jolo, Sulu. But ‘to see is to believe’ is applied here. Alhamdulillah nothing happened unnecessary.

I don’t think that Tausug is too insane and bad enough to treat their visitor with unpleasant welcome. The Tausug Peace Keepers fetched us in the port. Before went to Buansa, we passed went to the Masjid near this port. Many people were looking at us speaking foreign language. Maybe they are thinking that my companion was a foreigner. Yes he is foreigner in the place but not foreigner in faith and belief - Islam.  

I contained the pain since arriving at Clark Airbase, Pampanga from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in August. I stayed around four days in Manila. Even though in pain, I got some time to visit my relatives here.

I got contacted Rameeta (Rameer Tawasil), A Tausug renowned artist and a great ‘ukkilism-genre’ painter. He came to Manila to discuss about their exhibit in Europe. It happened that he is also in Manila. So we took time to meet in Robinsons Galleria for a dinner. I decided to come along with him to Zamboanga so I have a companion. He booked ticket for us for August 29 Manila-Zamboanga bound Flight.       

While Brother Mushed Salam was with the Tausug Peace Keepers roaming around Jolo, I was just staying in the house to feel the pain. Brother Murshed brought interesting stories and observations about Jolo, Sulu and the Tausug.

They went to the beaches and the woods in Jolo. The Igasan white beach, rural area in Buansa. Only in the seaside of Buansa I joined them, near Subah Datu beach overlooking Bangas Island, where beautiful beach is also found.

We get to Zamboanga after a two days and brother Murshed went home. He did not forget to remind me to pray to Allah. He was able to meet Sharif Yazir Rajim, a Tausug artivist and journalist and talk something about Tausug and Islam and pray together. I and Yaz together went back to Jolo (this would be the next in line story).    

I have been suffering with pleasant backache. I considered this pleasant because I believe this is blessing from God. And I took the advice of many friends, especially Yaz, Asree, Hasan, Abang Samad, Cikgu Hatta and Bining. If I got some illness that would mean I am loved by God and let me to lessen my sins and ask forgiveness from Him.

Most of all to let me to remember Allah always – no forget and skip of prayer. This is still month of Ramadan. Indeed sickness is God meant for me to rest, Alhadulillah!

TRIP TO THE GARDEN CITY

Neldy

It is my wanders to Borneo that invited me to visit the Garden City back again transiting to Peninsular Malaysia at Johor Baharu. I off to Kota Kinabalu from Sandakan at 7PM, it arrived around 1:30AM to Kota Kinabalu terminal. I slept here waiting for the daylight to come. I have to secure some funds. I ate Roti Kosong, an affordable food. Taxi Cab is quite bad having its higher price to take me to One Borneo Mall.

the merlion. i am thirsty...

 At around 1:30AM I headed to Airport Terminal 2. This is for the lowest-cost airlines terminal. Take bus to here at a lower cost of 1RM. It is in the bus terminal near Plaza Wawasan, Kota Kinabalu.

The aircraft arrived to Changi Airport, Singapore at Terminal 1. I saw a sign going to the Terminal 3. Train to the city centre located here. I purchased train ticket for Raffles Place Terminal from Changi Airport.

I was assisted and instructed by the in charge in the ticket machine. She gave a directional map to every train to take. She’s very kind. She changed the currency I have into Singapore dollar. The fare is 3 and 7 cents dollar – with a 1SD deposit, people could retrieve after, in any train station to stop.

This is the LRT tiket and the Map.

The enchanting beauty of the city, reminded me to remember the time when Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram II was honored by 18-gun salute here. This was the time when Sulu Sultanate and Singapore have the political and economic ties during 17^th – 20^th century. Sulu people indeed wish to reopen the link.

 

While roaming around the city as budget-tourist, I was reminded with the story of one Tausug fighter in Jolo. He said, “the secret of the Tausug in war if they got continues fire from the enemy have only two words that is ‘take and cover’ – take cover. It gave an idea to take pictures around here while walking in the streets of Singapore.  I take but did not cover.

Environmental Conservation effort made by Singapore. Fantastic idea.

I don’t know if this related to the adage of mountaineers when I was joining them during university days, “take nothing but time, kill nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints and leave no trace”. This seems to be true because I cannot trace my footprints and my foot do not print in walkway because of the sanitized street. No trace of soiled “shoeprints” could be seen.    

Anyway what is important to me here, I didn’t see any thrash in the street. I wonder how people of Singapore maintain this discipline. How fortunate Singapore people are.  

Let me finish stop here. I have to walk again for sight-seeing.  Many tourists said that whoever visited Singapore and failed to go to the Merlion, he must not have visited the city. The sprinkling water from the mouth of the Merlion proves this city-state as the bustling Garden City of Southeast Asia.  I will be in Johor, Malaysia later tonight. Happy Walking to me! Sorry for late posting, this was in February 2010!

DESTINY IS A FATE REALLY!

Neldy Jolo

My flight to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei was at 1:10PM from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The flight was a bit late, from 1:10PM became 1:40PM – supposedly arrive to Brunei at 3:30PM – it arrived 3:48. I queued for immigration check. I was actually in transit passenger to Kota Kinabalu for the 4:50PM flight. I rushed to the check in counter.


Masjid Sultan Omar Saifuddin, Brunie Darussalam. Photo: Neldy

I was told “it’s already closed”. I asked to whom I could talk with. She directed me to ticketing office. I then talked to the assigned staff here with a big “breathing scene” because I was running through the stairs to arrive here. In my mind I shall be calling this staff as “Ms. Fa-Na”, Bruneian.

She asked me to wait. She was attending the customer. I waited for a few-more minutes. I was sad that she never solve my problem when I thought that she could when she said “please wait for a while, I will just finish this”.

She told me that “you are late; the counter will be closed 45 minutes before departure”. I replied, “it’s the aircraft not me, what can you do for this – does any alternatives that you can help me to solve this. No humanitarian considerations? I have no enough funds.”



Brunie Prince Symbol. Photo: Neldy

  “I can’t do anything, the least I can help you is to let you buy for new ticket and this is our system. Your ticket is forfeited, I wanted to help but I can’t” she stressed with kindness. She even spoke in Malay, more or less if I was not mistaken to understand, “so sad for him that he has no enough money”.

 I was expecting though, even their system is already like that, it doesn’t really mean they can never help people in times of crisis or problems – after all I was their passenger, the loyalty is for their airline only. All of my trips in Southeast Asia, Air Asia would my first choice. I just can’t understand why they cannot help – for that simple problem. The control is in them.

 

Near Bus terminal and Brunie Hotel, Banda Seri Begawan, BD. Photo: Neldy

In this episode of time that happened to my life in 5 June 2010, nobody could be blamed. I can’t blamed Air Asia, I can’t blamed the staff, I can’t blame time and most I can’t even blame God for this is the destiny of life – and it’s a fate that was already programmed by God to happen within this point in time! InshaAllah, tomorrow I would be taking ferry to Labuan, for I can no longer afford to buy another airfare for Kota Kinabalu. My firm belief is to Allah. I leave my life to him. He will protect me from every bit and beat of seconds, every minutes of instance and every hour of times.

Ya Allah forgive those people who hated people, who cheated people, who denied the rights of people as human. Praying that in Sulu this kind of incident could be solved. Human is human – should not be totally following the system which human controls – if human controls the system there should be immediate solutions. Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Amin Ya Rabbal Alamin!

VISITING TANJUNG BUKIS, LAHAD DATU!

Neldy Jolo

After arriving from Kuching, I headed to Sandakan. After two days we went to Lahad Datu. We directly visited a cape which I named it Tanjung Bukis (open cape), its vicinity is widely open towards the sea that resembles the glaring sky and sparkling sea water into a beautiful horizon. This cape is known to the people here as Tanjung Alangga (Cape of Ant). People here are Tausug. They are very kind and generous.

Yaz in action taking pictures of the vicinity of Tanjung Bukis, Lahad Datu. He is more than a professional Photographer. He loves views that embraces natural setting.

Yaz and Bining had expressed his enthusiasm to see this cape. This is adjacent to the Kampung Silam in Lahad Datu. It could be reached around 5 minutes from Kampung Silam. It is along the Darvel Bay where many sea urchins could be seen at sea bottom from the sea surface. The sea water is of white-crystalline that could satisfy our longings to the sea – for swimming..

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We were served of diyaral iklug and sardines in our lunch, bangbang mamun (cake) for dessert in long table outside Langgal or small mosque. Of course the common drink was soft drinks – the soda. We were invited to other house to drink more. This has been the culture of the Tausug inherited from their forefathers for being kind and generous – generally it is the entire culture of human for being kind and generous.

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When I saw the Istah Kulapu (fish) after we disembark the boat, I thought “I should have been eating this delicious fish in a fried cook or tiyula’”. Yaz took a picture of it, so much I. We took the picture of the fish with someone holding it for a kind of display..

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He was so enthusiastic showing us the fish – but never offered us to get one. It cost 30RM a kilogram. Could it be sounds expensive? Yes, it is a special fish. I was hoping that I could have eaten one!

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The vicinity of village at Tanjung Bukis. A typical wooden boat is the main mode of transportation of the villagers.

When we started to move to the town, the tire of our small car got pierced. Bining, Utu’ Abdulhadi and Apa' Satia did fixed it immediately.

I find Lahad Datu as a haven of kindness and generosity. There many fruit stands in the streets, much in the central market. The fruit stands are near the central mosque. Buahan (lanzones), Duyan, (durian), Duku, Nangka (jackfruit), Orange and Cempedak (a family of jackfruit) are colouring the vicinity of the town. A Tausug family gave us to taste the Duyan and Buahan – for free! Thank you for being so generous!

Vendors are majority Tausug or known here as Orang Suluk from different ethnicities, Bajau, Jama Mapun and others. Others are Indian, Bugis, Bisaya, Melayu, Chinese and Jawa. In our first visit with the Asreesulu or Asreemoro (the composer and singer of a Tausug song “Indah”), we found that Orang Jawa and Orang Bugis are famous here of their delicious Bakso.

“Waduh Mbak enak sekali bakso nya ya (Oh Mbak your Bakso is very delicious)!”, as we said to the kind lady who served us the Bakso. Sabaw-sabaw thing is Yaz’s favourite foodstuff. “Maghurut da kuman” to describe his love to sabaw-sabaw.

Langgal or small mosque where we were served delicious food.

Boat from/to Tanjung Bukis, chartered for free. Bining is saluting the sun or sighting the horizon.

Fisherman showing his fish with enthusiasm. Love to eat this fish!

So much for this description about Lahad Datu and the people around, it is also known home to Wali Allahu that we had known as Tuan Muda or Tuan Guru Hadji Ghulam Hassan Al-Bikangi. The mosque where he was doing his religious activities and teaching still exist until to this day, it is found in the hill side of the town – adjacent to the Police Station. The mosque called as Masjid Awal Tuan Guru Hadji Muda or Early Mosque of Tuan Gur Hadji Muda.

Muslims are open to do their prayers in this mosque. I don’t know for the tourists of different faiths. Give a try, maybe tourists of different religions are allowed to visit. I assumed there are religious tolerance and no religious discriminations here, although some restrictions may present.

Lahad Datu according to Yaz in his blog, www.alltausug.blogspot.com, it could have been derived from the Sama-Tausug word which mean the “Place of the Tausug Datu”. Lahat became Lahad that would mean “place”. The other meaning of Lahad is a space in the grave of a Muslim buried within that is covered by piling boards.

Lahad Datu is a two-hour drive from Sandakan City. It could be personal car and shuttle bus that cost only 25RM. Lahad Datu is profoundly related to the history of the Tausug and the Sultanate of Sulu. Please do visit for your own understanding!

Photos: Neldy Jolo

EXPLORING BORNEO!

Neldy Jolo

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I have nothing to post recently. I decided to post something that could remind me to remember the route to explore Borneo of Brunie, Borneo of Malaysia and Borneo of Indonesia. After our wanders to explore Borneo of Malaysia, specifically North Borneo of now known as Sabah,we separated our ways. North Borneo still in a leased but sanctioned by UN as part of Malaysia state started in 1963. It was Sultanate of Sulu who leased North Borneo represented by Sulu Sultan Jamalul Ahlam to Baron Overbeck and Alfred Dent Company in 1878.

Bus Express from Miri - Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia

Vicinity of Kampunbg Ayer, Brunie Darussalam

Cat Monument to commemorate Kuching as City on 1 August 1988

Another Cat Monument

Sarawak State Assembly Hall (Dewan Undangan Negeri) along Rejang River, the largest river in Malaysia

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I headed to Kota Kinabalu at night from Lahad Datu at around 9pm, they extended their stays at Lahad Datu and then proceded to Sandakan. We visited Kunak, a small town and a symbol of of still ancient town. I arrived Kota Kinabalu early morning then headed to Menumbok, the best way to reach Labuan by speed boat that cost 15RM. To enter Brunie only coast 35Rm around 1 hour in 45 munites. From the Muara Ferry Terminal reaching Bandar Seri Begawan about 45minutes by taking Shuttle bas that cost 2 Ringgit Brunie or 7RM.

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This was my second visit to Brunie and I was overwhelmed by the magnificient beauty of the Sultan Omar Shaifuddin Mosque located at the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan, adjacent to the knwn water village called Kampung Ayer. Kampung Ayer is similar to the ancient Jolo town, that was historically known as Suba' Bawang and was being called Madi Mahat (Maddy Mahat) the traveller's great place during that time, around 11th century.

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I proceded to Miri the day after paying 18 Ringgit Brunie. These routes are the best way to explore whole Borneo. Looking at its forested side help people to protect the beautiful enviroment. The way to reach Kuching, Sarawak, Miri is the starting point, it is only cost 80RM. Before reaching Kuching by bas, it will take the way to reach Bintulu, Sibu.

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To pontianak from Kuching will cost around 65RM, unfortunately I was not able to visit. It is only from 6-8 hours travel. The only place near to Indonesia I got visited was Serikin, the haven of cheap products that are sold by Indonesians, Serikin is the boundary between Sarawak, Malaysia and Indonesia.

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Kuching as fondly called Cat City by the locals and foreign tourists and travellers made the government to erect the Cat Monument around the city. Kuching was derived from the Malay word Kucing or Cat but having its name, perhaps it was mistaken to be Cochin or "Port" in ancient Indian name.

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There is also a theory by naming it from the Mata Kucing or Cat Eye's Fruit. There are many affordable inns and hotels around greenhills street for backpackers. Not to forget the Kek Lapis or the Lapis Cake.

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Hope to give more stories soon. Have to look at some notes to put details. In the evening of Feb 8, I took Air Asia flight in a cheap cost. Thank you to Abang Samad for the guidance. Talk to you later. Yaz, you should try to look for time to explore Borneo soon. Have to thank you for your effort in booking the ticket. Hope to have you on travel soon.

Photos: Neldy Jolo