Ma'a salamah wa ilal liqa' Ya Ramadhan, Ahlan wa sahlan Ya Syawal.

AsSalaam wrh. wbt. kepada semua...

Saya ingin mengucapkan SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI, MOHON MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATIN kepada semua teman, rakan, sahabat, kenalan, saudara mara keseluruhannya. Doa' dan harapan saya ialah agar semua kesalahan serta kekurangan saya selama ini dapat dimaafkan agar kita boleh membuka lembaran baru. Dikesempatan ini juga, saya ingin memohon dengan rasa rendah diri dan tawadhu' agar rakan-rakan pembaca dapat bersedekah bacaan Surah Al-Fatihah untuk almarhumah ibu saya iaitu, Hajah Jandrah Bte. Haji Ajab. Tahun ini merupakan tahun kedua kami sekeluarga -Abah, Fahmi, Yayang dan Mamad- merayakan Aidilfitri tanpa ibu tercinta.

Sejujurnya saya merasakan Ramadhan kali ini berlalu terlalu pantas bagi saya, mungkin saya yang terlalu sibuk atau buat - buat sibuk. Kenyataannya, saya sedih apabila 29 Ramadhan menjadi tirai penutupan kepada bulan penuh mulia dan barakah ini. Semoga Allah s.w.t menerima dan memberkati segala ibadah dan amalan yang telah kita laksanakan sepanjang bulan mulia lagi barakah ini, insya-ALlah...

Wassalaam.

Alamat ghumah atau kantor kerja atau mana2 jelah janji boleh sampai.

AsSalam wrh. wbt. dan salam sejahtera kawan-kawan,

Mohon kerjasama rakan-rakan dan taulan untuk memberikan alamat surat-menyurat, sama ada alamat rumah, atau pejabat supaya saya boleh mengirimkan kad jemputan ke Majlis Perkahwinan saya insya-ALlah akan berlangsung bulan Disember nanti.

Cuma tulis dibahagian komentar atau comments, nama, alamat dan no. telefon yang boleh saya hubungi. Terima kasih bebanyak kawan-kawan !!!

Dia datang, dengan lenggang - lenggoknya...

AsSalaam kawan - kawanku,

Hari ini mari kita ucapkan selamat datang kepada Encik Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera, pemain terbaru yang ditawarkan kontrak untuk bermain bola sepak profesional bersama kelab bola sepak Manchester Bersatu. Yeay !

Apa ? Kawan -kawan kata dia tak sehebat Encik Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aviero ? Kawan - kawan rasa dia tak sekacak, se'cool', dan se'superb' bekas pemain Manchester Bersatu yang sekarang berada di Kelab Bola Sepak DiRaja Madrid tu ? Biar saya nyatakan disini kenapa saya rasa Encik Luis patut diberi peluang untuk membuktikan kebolehannya.

Satu, dia sudah mempunyai 3 tahun pengalaman bermain di Liga Perdana Inggeris tajaan Bank Barclay bersama kelab bola sepak Wigan Lincah. Setiap musim dia makin menyerlah dan semakin serasi dengan corak permainan liga tersebut. Setiap musim juga pengurus - pengurus kelab bola sepak lain mula meminatinya seperti Arsene Wenger dan Rafael Benitez.

Dua, dia adalah pemain yang gemar berlari dengan bola, boleh menggelecek untuk melepasi pemain lawan dan menghidangkan umpanan - umpanan silang ke dalam kotak penalti untuk disudahkan. Valencia mungkin tidak menjaringkan gol sebanyak Ronaldo, tapi tahap kesungguhan dan kerajinannya untuk membantu pasukan bertahan dan turun mengejar larian pemain lawan adalah salah satu kualiti yang hampir tiada pada Ronaldo.

Tiga, kemahuannya untuk berjaya terbukti apabila berjaya mencorak karier awalnya bersama El Nacional, sebuah kelab bola sepak Ecuador yang juga merupakan kelab bola sepak askar kebangsaan Ecuador. El Nacional mempunyai konsep latihan ketenteraan dan rejim penekanan disiplin yang amat ketat. Sebagai seorang pemain muda yang sentiasa berada didalam kesebelasan utama pasukan tersebut bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah tetapi Valencia ternyata mampu melakukannya.

Empat, dibawah kendalian Sir Alex Ferguson, ramai menyatakan Valencia mampu meningkatkan kualiti permainannya dan seterusnya menjadi seorang pemain yang lebih sempurna. Jika dinilai rekod jaringannya bersama kelab - kelab sebelum dan pasukan kebangsaan, ia adalah satu aspek yang mungkin akan dilihat oleh Sir Alex dengan perhatian yang lebih serius dan terancang.

Lima, hampir semua bekas jurulatih dan pengurus pasukan yang pernah melatih serta menguruskan Valencia menyatakan perkara sama tentang dirinya - pantas berlari, rajin membantu pasukan, bijak mencari ruang, dan yang paling penting mempunyai sikap dan kesungguhan yang amat cemerlang. Antara yang pernah menguruskan Valencia adalah Steve Bruce dan Chris Hutchings.

Valencia telah menyatakan bahawa menyertai Manchester Bersatu adalah impian menjadi kenyataan baginya, maka dengan ini bermulalah perjalanan beliau untuk menempatkan diri di kalangan bintang - bintang yang bersinar terang sebelum ini di 'Teater Impian' yakni Old Trafford.

It's V for Victory !

AsSalam wrh. wbt. and morning to all,

It's here peeps and it looks 'victorious' ! I LOIKE !

Some are saying that it looks a little bit too much like the Mexican's home jersey during the last World Cup in Germany also provided by the same manufacturer, Nike.

Well, to be totally honest it does look like one but for a few diffrences here and there such as the round neck collar or the detailing at the end of both sleeves.



Rooney is honored to be wearing it while Ji says that he hopes the V-shape is a sign of victory ! Expected to be on sale in Malaysia by end of July, at Nike Concept Stores and Al-Ikhsan Sport Stores nationwide. Go out, buy it and wear it with pride.

Baju baru, semangat juga kena baru.

AsSalam wrh. wbt. to all United and non-United fans,

Looks like Manchester United will be among the earliest of the Barclays' Premier League clubs to unveil their new home kit for season 2009/2010. Best news of all, Malaysian fans will be the first in the world to watch them play in this newly designed gear LIVE at Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil on July 18th !

manutd.com started the ball rolling with a series of teasers which includes Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Park Ji - Sung showing tremendous form in modelling the new kit. Deliberate shadowy effects covered most part of the shirt but still you can see a fair bit of the club logo, the Nike swoosh logo and the shirt sponsor, AIG.

Although we can't be quite sure just as yet how will the new shirt looks like, the ads actually left a tad too little to the imagination. The Nike designers who dug deep and swamp themselves with United jerseys of past might have took a lot of inspirations from the days of Newton Heath in the early 1900s, what with the significant and highly visible 'V' shape just off the chest area.

Man United's jerseys along the years

Nike has said that the new home kit which will be worn by the players during their pre-season tour of Asia next month, will in effect celebrate the 100 years of Old Trafford, hence, the distinctive and almost retro design of the shirt. The Manchester United team that moved to Old Trafford after years of playing at Bank Street, won the league championship in 1909, a second triumph for the Red Devils. So, here's hoping to a record breaking 19th league championship medals for the squad next season.

Rio is absolutely right when he says that "This club has always taken pride in its history - it acts as an inspiration to all of us and it's great to see it represented in the new kit".

I just think that this shirt looks imposing - well you can say that to the majority of United's previous kits anyways - but it does gives the players an advantage of sort. I just can't wait to get my hands on those shirts arrgggghhhhh !!!

Encik Carlitos Alberto Tevez, terima kasih atas segala usaha anda.

AsSalam wrh. wbt. dan selamat sore semua,

Saban hari saya menantikan berita perpindahan pemain baru ke Manchester United, membaca mengenai spekulasi yuran perpindahan si polan dan si polan diperkatakan, ternyata 'industri' bola sepak antarabangsa adalah sebuah industri yang kalis-resesi.

Apalagi yang boleh kita simpulkan apabila realitinya yuran perpindahan seorang pemegang anugerah Pemain Terbaik Dunia FIFA adalah lebih mahal daripada kos pembinaan sebuah stadium yang sehingga beberapa minggu lepas merupakan pemegang anugerah stadium terbesar di zon pantai timur Semenanjung Malaysia. Jatuh menyembah bumi juga bumbung stadium yang dikatakan berteknologi tinggi setaraf terbaik Asia !

Berbalik kepada hobi sampingan, menunggu tajuk berita yang saya idam-idamkan akan terpampang didada akhbar seperti " Karim Benzema signs for United ", atau " Ribery is now a Devil ", atau " United smashes world record transfer fee for David Villa " memang meleset sama sekali. Akhirnya, pemain yang dikatakan kesayangan pengunjung-pengunjung Old Trafford juga mengikut jejak C. Ronaldo meninggalkan skuad Sir Alex.

Dalam sebulan, United sudah kehilangan 2 pemain yang cemerlang musim lepas. Mungkin ada baiknya untuk Ronaldo ke Liga Primera Sepanyol, tetapi kalaulah Carlitos Tevez berpindah ke Manchester City hanya kerana mereka menawarkan gaji dan yuran bonus penyertaan yang lebih tinggi, maka sahlah romantisisma bola sepak makin terhakis.

Apapun, terima kasih Tevez. Dia ada dimensi yang pemain lain terkapai-kapai untuk cari, dia ada keazaman yang terlalu tinggi untuk memuaskan hati sendiri dan kalau dia kembali ke Old Trafford selepas ini dengan menyarung jersi City, United akan tahu apa yang akan mereka hadapi.

Anak jati Fuerte Apeche, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Melaksanakan sumpah yang baharu sahaja dilafaz !

AsSalam wrh. wbt. dan salam sejahtera semua,

Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gantang yang baru, Datuk Seri Ir. Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin telah diarahkan untk meninggalkan dewan persidangan oleh Tan Sri Speaker sejurus selepas menurunkan tandatangan di atas watikah perlantikannya.

Menurut Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gantang yang baru itu telah "melanggar etika berpakaian" dan "berkelakuan kasar". Etika berpakaian yang kononnya dilanggar oleh D.S Nizar adalah kerana adanya lilitan kain bertulis "bubar DUN" disongkok beliau dan telah dikatakan berkelakuan kasar setelah melaungkan slogan yang berbunyi "Hidup Rakyat" dan "Bubar Dewan Undangan Negeri" beberapa kali di dalam dewan.

Beberapa ahli parlimen daripada Pakatan Rakyat turut digantung tugas selama 2 hari, mereka ialah Dr. Hatta Ramli (Kuala Krai), Datuk Mahfudz Omar (Pokok Sena), Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor), N. Gobalakrishnan (Padang Serai), Nga Kor Ming (Taiping) dan Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (Beruas) setelah mereka dikatakan enggan menurut arahan Tan Sri Speaker.

D.S Nizar telah menyatakan dengan tegas bahawa sebagai ahli parlimen, dia telah mengangkat sumpah untuk mempertahankan Perlembagaan Malaysia dan mahu diberi peluang oleh Tan Sri Speaker untuk menarik perhatian Dewan Negara terhadap situasi serta kemelut politik di Dewan Undangan Negeri Perak Darul Ridzuan. Apa yang berlaku ketika sidang di DUN Perak beberapa bulan lepas adalah pencabulan ketara terhadap perlembagaan, penafian jelas terhadap hak - hak di dalam sesebuah negara demokrasi, dan kesombongan Barisan Nasional dalam menerima hakikat sebenar politik masakini.

Ini merupakan salah satu kualiti yang ada pada D.S Nizar yang membuatkan rakyat negeri Perak masih menganggapnya sebagai Menteri Besar yang sah. Dia tidak pernah mengenal erti kalah, selagi hak rakyat untuk memilih kerajaan sendiri tidak ditunaikan. Dia tidak akan tunduk kepada mainan hipokrit Barisan Nasional yang memperlekehkan perlembagaan sesuka nafsu dan menunggangpakai jentera - jentera kerajaan seperti PDRM, SPRM dan SPR.

Apa yang kasarnya dengan melaungkan slogan ? Cuba bandingkan dengan tindakan biadap beberapa ahli Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO yang menyergah dan menghamun Karpal Singh, ahli parlimen Jelutong yang juga merupakan seorang orang kurang upaya (OKU). Walaupun kejadian itu berlaku di luar dewan, ia tetap memberi kesan buruk dan negatif terhadap Dewan Rakyat dan bangunan parlimen sendiri sebagai lambang demokrasi negara.

Apa yang salah dengan memakai lilitan kain bertulis, sedangkan ada mantan Speaker Dewan Rakyat, almarhum Tun Zahir Ismail pernah membenarkan lilitan kain bertulis di lengan yang membantah undang - undang ISA sewaktu persidangan parlimen yang ke - 10 dahulu. Ahli Parlimen Shah Alam, Abdul Khalid Samad berpendapat tindakan Tan Sri Speaker kali ini sebagai keterlaluan.

Ini adalah manifestasi perjuangan Pakatan Rakyat, ini adalah perlaksanaan kata - kata, ini adalah mengotakan sumpah yang telah dilafaz.

Tak usah kau terangkan ku tahu.

terbang ke Madrid

It has finally come to this, Cristiano Ronaldo's love affair with his so-called 'home' that is Manchester United Football Club has finally come to an unceremonious end.

Unceremonious if you consider that as of now, Cristiano's last game for Man United was the confidence-sapping defeat to FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. Even more unceremonious is the manner he lead every United fans to believe that he has finally accepted that United is where he belongs. That's exactly why football will never be short of cynics and naysayers, for all the beauty of the game, loyalty is becoming more and more of a rarity.

I'll give him every credit that he deserves for the way he has helped United to achieve more glories in the last 2 or 3 seasons that he has been at Old Trafford, culminating the moment he won the Ballon d' Or and FIFA World Player of The Year last year. I'm sure Cristiano is man enough to admit that he won't achieve those accolades without the help of his teammates. When and not if the deal is finally concluded coming to the end of this month, I sincerely hope that Cristiano will show some genuine effort in acknowledging his legion of fans that has supported him through thick and thin over the years. A gesture of gratefulness towards the United fans will not cost him anything other than a difficult but endearing send off to La Liga.

Make no mistake about it, United will definitely miss a player like Cristiano, his pace, power, and all round threat as an attacking player is second to none, even though he has his own army of critics but his record at United speaks for themselves. 292 games and 118 goals to his name is without a doubt a very very impressive stats for a player who is a natural out-and-out winger.

The general feeling that I can sense from fans' who made their feelings known through countless postings on the triple W in major sports websites is one of rationalization. United fans in particular were 'generous' and 'forgiving' enough to let him go, thinking that it made good business sense and the small matter of Cristiano's request. Some viewed him as becoming more and more detrimental to the team judging by his petulant actions in the closing stages of the season and thought that Sir Alex is again giving priority to the team more than anything else.

I for one, think that this is the right decision on both Cristiano and the club's sides. It might not be the best decision but definitely the right decision. Though time will surely tell whether Sir Alex will regret selling him to a 'mob organisation' like Real Madrid, Cristiano has given his all to Man United and therefore should be remembered for the contributions that he has made rather than the unnecessary petty sideshows. The same can be said of his place in Manchester United's folklore, it isn't yet exactly cast in stone but for some reason or another, I believe there is a place for him, where...? Again, only time will tell.

Thanks Cristiano for all the beautiful memories when you graced the mighty Red of Manchester United. For us fans, we will always keep the Red flag flying high...

Glory, glory Man United...

Malaysia Bawah-23 tahun lawan Indonesia Bawah-23 tahun

AsSalam wrh. wbt.

Jika ada kelapangan pada hujung minggu ini, walaupun sedarinya terlalu banyak undangan ke majlis perkahwinan sahabat/rakan/saudara/ dan sebagainya, apa kata turun ke Stadium Bola Sepak KLFA (Persatuan Bola Sepak Kuala Lumpur) di Cheras.



Skuad Bawah-23 tahun Malaysia baru sahaja menghabiskan rangka lawatan ke China, dilengkapkan dengan beberapa siri perlawanan persahabatan menentang kelab bola sepak Liga Divisyen A dan Liga Super China. Ini mungkin peluang pertama untuk para peminat skuad negara melihat percaturan strategi dan rangka pelan permainan daripada Ketua Jurulatih yang baru, K.Rajagopal.

Tiket berharga RM10 akan mula dijual di kaunter stadium bermula jam 10.00 pagi pada hari perlawanan.

Berikut adalah barisan yang saya rasa mungkin akan diturunkan jika melihat kepada kesebelasan utama yang dipilih dan yang memberikan persembahan baik semasa di China :

Penjaga Gol : Syed Adney Syed Hussein

Pertahanan : Mohd Asraruddin Putra Omar, Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak, Mohd Muslim Ahmad dan Mohd Faizal Muhamad.

Tengah : Mohd Amirulhadi Zainal, Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, Mahalli Jasuli dan Mohd Bunyamin Omar.

Penyerang : Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak dan Farderin Kadir.

Jom !

* Banner promosi perlawanan di'cedok' daripada http://dropoutbear.blogspot.com
* Perlawanan mungkin akan bermula jam 5.30 petang, periksa semula di akhbar2 utama mulai hari Jumaat ini (12 Jun).

Mencari Eric...

Kamus Bahasa Inggeris Macmillan untuk Pelajar Lanjutan edisi antarabangsa mendefinisikan perkataan ‘Catalyst’ sebagai “ someone or something that causes something to happen or change ”. Kamus Dewan Edisi Keempat mentakrifkan ‘Catalyst’ bermaksud “pemangkin”. Peminat bola sepak amnya, dan peminat pasukan Manchester United khususnya hanya tahu satu maksud, hanya satu pengertian, Cantona.

Seusai sejak ‘melambai’ selamat tinggal kepada sukan bola sepak semasa perlawanan terakhir beliau sebagai seorang pemain Manchester United, penghujung musim Liga Perdana Inggeris 1996/1997, nama Eric Cantona terbit menjadi konotasi bagi perkataan ‘catalyst’.

Kawan menyanjung, lawan menghormati, Old Trafford mengumpul jutaan saksi kepada geliganya, jika padang itu pentas maka Eric adalah penghiburnya, jika padang itu kanvas putih selayaknya Eric ialah pelukisnya, perumpamaan tidak dapat menjustifikasi apa yang telah Eric lakukan untuk Manchester United. Nilai – nilai dramatis yang semulajadi pada Eric memberikannya aura intrik yang tegar.

Eric Cantona melanggar semua perundangan konvensional dan lapuk tanpa rasa lelah, dia melewati semua batasan tanpa rasa apologetik ataupun permisif, dia menjadi ikon kepada berbondong – bondong peminat. Dia memimpin tangan-tangan longlai dan muda Paul, David, Gary, Nicky dan Phil menitip susur – susur kegemilangan. Dia idola kepada Roy sebelum Roy menjadi idola orang lain. Eric mengorak setiap langkah dengan cemerlang tanpa tolok bandingan. Eric menetapkan syaratnya sendiri, melitup ruang peribadinya sendiri. Eric ibarat pujangga yang mencerna falsafah bola sepak semahunya, dan berkongsi pernyataan fikiran separa logika tapi anehnya boleh difahami oleh gerombolan yang mencinta.

Sehingga sekarang perlawanan Manchester United sebagai tuan rumah di Old Trafford masih digema sorakan dengan lagu – lagu memuji dan menyanjung Eric, jerihnya selama 5 musim di Manchester United diperakui peminat setelah diundi sebagai Pemain Manchester United Terhebat Abad Ini pada tahun 2002.

Eric Cantona dahulu pemain, sekarang masih pemain kepada watak yang dilakonkan didalam filem – filemnya. ‘Looking For Eric’ menerima tepukan gemuruh berdiri daripada hadirin Festival Filem Cannes tahun ini kerana penonton dapat menyelami apa yang Eric Bishop lakonan Steve Evets, rasai. Di tangan Ken Loach, sutradara yang mempersembahkan kepada dunia filem perih simpati penuntut kebebasan Negara Ire di awal kurun ke 20 melalui filem ‘The Wind That Shakes The Barley’ juga bersama penulis yang sama, Paul Laverty. Terpilih sebagai salah satu calon untuk anugerah Golden Palm Cannes, filem ini wajib tonton kepada lapisan generasi yang terkesan oleh Eric dan generasi penerus yang mahu tahu siapa dia Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona.

Cari Eric…

forever UNITED

AsSalam wrh. wbt. and hola everybody,

Now that the season has effectively ended with Chelsea's FA Cup Final win over Everton at Wembley last night, it's that time again for reviews to be made and performances scrutinized. The major talking points for United fans, which I'm pretty sure, still revolves around that fateful night in Rome. In the blogosphere, social networking sites, not to mention your friendly neighbourhood mamak joints, it's all about what might have been for the Red Devils.

So-called 'experts' of football popped out everywhere and soon enough we'll be seeing and reading stories or reports from 'close sources' of a United player quoted liberally. One thing that really gets on my nerve is this, before United's defeat to Barcelona, I was reading ad nausea about "This is the greatest United side", or "Scholes and Giggs can go on and on", or "This United team will conquer everything in the next few years"... you get the idea. Post-match, things are looking rather different if you ask me, that includes United fans and haters.

Even some quarters of the United fans are calling for Sir Alex Ferguson's resignation ! Just hang on a minute, I love this club as much as the next United fan and I know just how high the standards are when players come and play for Manchester United Football Club, but surely we can be grateful enough for what United has achieved this season. I bet, if you ask those pesky Scousers or the cocky Gunners if they would like a FIFA World Club Cup, thrown in together with the Carling Cup and the Barclay's Premier League trophy in their list of winnings this year what would their response be ? You be the judge ! And to think that Fergie has taken us to another UEFA Champions League Final for the second year running, you really have to draw a line somewhere. I could sense the general feeling of the Malaysian Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal supporters when United made it to the final, they would instead support Barcelona just as an act of revenge or loathe for the successes that United has achieved this season, what else can you say when on average, the viewers at the mamak restaurant that I went to celebrated Barcelona's first goal outnumbered the United fans by a ratio of 5 to 1. Surely, Barcelona would have to open their first Malaysian Supporters branch if those were 'genuine' Barca fans.

It hurts when the fans felt that they've been letdown by the players, but Barcelona just got everything right that night...the tactics, the players, the strategy, the gameplan, the motivations, the breaks, you name it they have it. The majority of the pundits, critics and commentators alike felt that Fergie has got it all wrong with the tactics he employed, fair enough to me. For all its worth though, I just think that United will rise again from this, Fergie will accept the challenge again because that is exactly what he's thriving for all these years. It used to be that Juventus side in the late 90's that includes the likes of Cico Ferrara, Zinedine Zidane, Edgar Davids, Didier Deschamps and a young Alex Del Piero that everybody wants to emulate and beat, Juve was the benchmark then. Barcelona is the benchmark now. Let's do it again lads...

i'm gonna write this as honest as i can...

AsSalam wrh. wbt. everybody,

I've just watched a - devastatingly wonderful, viciously poised, perfectly organized - Barcelona FC side that turned Man United inside out with its masterclass in passing, creating and finishing. At times, I almost wondered what really hit United after that brilliant 10 minutes of which United started as they mean to go.

Now, please remember that I'm saluting a marvelously fine side here, I personally think that there are 5 things/factors/whys/causes if you like, that contributed to Man United's downfall :-

1. Barcelona FC took their chances when it came. That said, with their very first attack on United's goal, Eto'o scored a goal totally against the run of play. United struggled to come back from that.
   
2. Barcelona FC's passing was immaculate, crisp and almost flawless to the point that the United midfield just couldn't cope with it.
3. Tonight was Barcelona's night, without a shadow of a doubt, I'm not saying that they won it purely because of luck, but luck was certainly on Barca's side, even a slight ricochet of the ball from a misplaced pass from a United player went to a Barca player.
4. All credit to Pep Guardiola and his players, tactically he was spot on, for an example, extra attention was given to Park Ji Sung everytime he tries to create some space simply because Guardiola knew Ji Sung's uncanny ability to get behind Barca's defence without being noticed.
5. Iniesta was superb, Xavi was tireless, Puyol was magnificient and Messi was absolutely magical.
   

It's just so heartbreaking that I couldn't say the same thing above about Wayne, Ryan, Park, Michael, Cristiano and Anderson. Just to remind the readers out there that I'm still a Manchester United fan through and through, there's nothing wrong about being defeated by a team that oozes class in every sense.
Sir Alex Ferguson has put out a game plan and it didn't work out, that doesn't mean we were rubbish, it's just that one moment of losing focus that can decide a game at this grandest of stages and with all the quality players on the pitch in this final.
Deep in my heart, I know that Man United WILL recover from this and start all over again, besides, everybody was talking about how great this United team will be and that it hasn't fulfilled its potential yet. So to all the Red Devils fan out there, take heart in this defeat and keep the red flag flying high.

COME ON YOU REDS !!!

malam ini kita tengok kelab bola sepak Manchester Bersatu menentang kelab bola sepak Barcelona

AsSalam wrh. wbt.

Kawan - kawan dan lawan, peminat sukan bola sepak atau bukan peminat bola sepak, mari kita tengok beramai - ramai perlawanan akhir Liga Juara - Juara musim 2008/2009 anjuran Persatuan Bola Sepak Kesatuan Eropah di Stadium Olimpico, Rom, Itali.


Tanya sama peminat kelab bola sepak Arsenal, Chelsea, dan Liverpool samada mereka mahu turut serta meraikan wakil Liga Perdana Inggeris tajaan Bank Barclay's atau mengalih sokongan ke wakil Liga Primera Sepanyol untuk menunjukkan rasa marah dan benci mereka terhadap kelab bola sepak Manchester Bersatu.

Betapa saya ingin bersama dengan puluhan ribu penyokong Manchester Bersatu di Rom, Itali atau lebih dikenali sebagai Kota Abadi. Perlawanan akhir awal pagi (2.45 pagi waktu tempatan)
ini cukup bersesuaian dengan latar belakang Kota Rom sendiri yang kaya dengan bukti - bukti sejarah kegemilangan Empayar Rom suatu ketika dahulu. Gereja St. Basilica tampak seusai dengan sejarah yang bakal dilakar oleh kedua - dua pasukan ini, bayangan hebat cetusan Koliseum Purba Rom juga seolah - olah menjadi sebatian untuk gelanggang terhebat bagi 'gladiator' terunggul ...


Manchester Bersatu dan Barcelona cukup seimbang dari semua segi dan terkenal dengan corak permainan menyerang dan serangan balas pantas dikukuhkan dengan pertahanan yang kebal. Oleh itu, hampir mustahil untuk betul - betul pasti siapa yang bakal menjulang 'piala bertelinga besar', namun, hati kecil saya tegas mengatakan sekiranya Manchester Bersatu mengikut pelan dan perancangan yang telah diatur oleh Sir Alex Ferguson untuk menangani pemain - pemain licik Barcelona, maka Manchester Bersatu akan menjadi kelab bola sepak pertama mempertahankan piala tersebut sejak format sekarang diperkenalkan 17 tahun lalu.

Ramalan saya adalah untuk kelab bola sepak Manchester Bersatu mempertahankan piala tersebut dengan menewaskan kelab bola sepak Barcelona, 3 gol berbalas 1.



Ayuh Manchester Bersatu !!!

AsSalam wrh. wbt. dan Salam Sejahtera,

Genap sebulan dan 3 hari saya tidak mencatat sebarang entri ke dalam blog saya. Berlikut - likut catatan, coretan, buah fikiran dan nukilan ikhlas yang ingin saya kongsi dengan rakan - rakan. Seraya terkumpulnya idea - idea sepanjang tempoh kesenjangan yang tidak dizahirkan melalui tulisan di dalam blog ini, saya pohon izin dan kelonggaran ilmiah daripada teman - teman untuk saya menggunapakai penulisan dwi-bahasa yang saya pasti tampak bobrok dan lompang, dengan pelanggaran lunas - lunas tatabahasa yang saya harap tidak melelahkan pembaca.
Mungkin, ini akan menjadi entri terpanjang yang akan saya tulis tetapi tentunya itu bergantung di atas keizinan Allah s.w.t.

*********

Keterlibatan secara langsung di Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur 2009 yang bertempat di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PDDP) membataskan ruang - ruang waktu yang sememangnya terbatas untuk saya duduk menulis entri, apatah lagi saya bergantung harap sepenuhnya kepada capaian internet jalur lebar dan kemudahan komputer peribadi yang siaga tersedia di pejabat. Walaupun ini sudah menjangkau tahun ke - 3 saya ditugaskan untuk menjayakan aspirasi, objektif, misi serta visi syarikat, saya akui masih 'naif' dan kadang kala 'cuak' dengan tanggungjawab yang diperturunkan.
Tarikh 17 hingga 26 April tahun ini menyaksikan saya sekali lagi menjadikan PDDP sebagai apa yang selayaknya PDDP itu, pusat untuk saya berdagang dengan dunia buku dan penerbitan.
Secara ringkasnya, saya menjadi pemudah cara dan pengelola kontrak pembekalan buku kepada pensyarah, pustakawan, pegawai perolehan, dekan dan individu - individu yang dipertanggungjawabkan untuk pembelian bahan - bahan ilmiah di perpustakaan pusat pengajian tinggi awam mahupun swasta, pun begitu tugasan saya meliputi bidang yang lebih daripada itu.
Pengetahuan asas tentang sesebuah syarikat penerbit - dalam dan luar negara - serta bahan - bahan terbitannya perlu ada, jika sarat dengan informasi dan bait - bait 'know-how' adalah merupakan 'nilai tambah' yang boleh digunakan untuk kelebihan dan kemudahan klien - klien saya. Saya rasa agak beruntung berbanding rakan - rakan setugas lain kerana tahun ini klien - klien yang saya kelolakan tampak senang dibawa berbincang dan mudah berkompromi. Mungkin rezeki, mungkin juga hasil pembelajaran secara intensif selama 2 tahun yang lalu mulai menjadi pembantu.
Pertemuan dengan 'bos lama' saya iaitu Sdra. Sayed Munawwar, cukup terhad dan sepintas. Hanya sempat bertanya khabar dan menyampaikan rasa kagum saya terhadap wawancara beliau bersama Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak beberapa minggu sebelumnya yang saya rasakan 'credible', 'substantive' dan menghadam 'pressing issues' yang bakal didepani 'Najib's Administration' kelak.

Saya bangga menjaja 'flagship product' syarikat iaitu Majalah Ana Muslim dan Sayang Muslim. Kami sepasukan di dalam bahagian pemasaran sebulat suara berpendapat tahun ini, strateginya adalah 'shock and awe' tetapi terancang dan berhemah. Saya berpegang teguh dengan apa yang saya rasakan terbukti, iaitu produk kami mempunyai ramuan dan intipati yang mencukupi serta seimbang untuk menarik perhatian kanak - kanak sambil menyelitkan nilai - nilai indah Islam melalui komik dan kaedah penceritaan kontemporari berserta warna - warna terang, ceria.
'Progress' syarikat jika di ukur tahun ke tahun berikutnya semakin berkembang, dan ini ada saya nyatakan sewaktu berkesempatan ditemubual oleh penganjur pesta buku di dalam "Buletin Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur 2009". Saya cukup berterima kasih dengan sokongan dan dorongan pelbagai pihak yang sama - sama merasakan majalah Ana Muslim dan Sayang Muslim seharusnya dipertingkatkan kerja - kerja untuk mempromosikannya sambil tidak mengambil enteng tentang kualiti dan objektif besar majalah ini sendiri, iaitu " Membentuk Peribadi Mulia". Untuk rekod, tahun ini merupakan penglibatan terbesar kami sempena pesta buku dengan 4 lot gerai, lucunya ada dikalangan pengunjung yang datang menyatakan kenapa gerai kami semakin tahun semakin mengecil!
Sekalung junjungan penghargaan terima kasih dan hormat saya hadiahkan kepada rakan - rakan yang ada datang 'melawat' dan 'menjenguk' setelah sekian lama tidak berjumpa secara realiti kerana kita hanya dapat bertemu secara maya di 'dalam talian' berhubung dan 'bergelak ketawa' di dalam Facebook, friendster dan seumpamanya. Juga kepada tunang terkasih, Syahniza kerana tidak henti - henti memberi dorongan dan mengharapkan yang terbaik buat saya. Berikut seterusnya antara gambar - gambar yang sempat ditangkap sepanjang tugasan bersama rakan - rakan sekerja...

*********

Kesibukan dan ruang litup peribadi yang saya ketepikan sementara untuk memberi fokus di pesta buku dikejutkan dengan panggilan telefon daripada adik bongsu saya. Mohd Fakhri atau Mamad yang memohon pandangan saya perihal kesihatan Abah yang semakin membimbangkan. Abah menghidap penyakit kencing manis atau diabetes sejak awal tahun 2000 dan perkembangan terbaru yang diberitakan oleh doktor - doktor yang merawatnya mengesahkan apa yang kami gusarkan, saya bertolak - tarik dengan perasaan dan akal saya. Benar saya masih ada tugas untuk di selesaikan di sini namun, Abah juga merupakan keutamaan saya lebih - lebih lagi sejak Mama tiada.
Saya tekad berjumpa dengan bos saya dan menerangkan situasi di samping menyatakan komitmen sekiranya saya diperlukan, alhamduliLlah bos faham dan membenarkan saya balik segera. Selepas menyerahkan beberapa tugasan kecil kepada rakan - rakan lain, saya berlepas pulang ke Sabah bersama Atuk pada petang 26 April lalu untuk bersama Abah. Natijahnya, Abah dan kami sekeluarga terpaksa menerima hakikat bahawa berikutan jangkitan kuman dan komplikasi pendarahan di kaki kiri Abah, cara terakhir adalah untuk menyelamatkan nyawa Abah daripada membiarkan kuman terus naik ke organ - organ yang lebih 'vital' adalah dengan melakukan prosedur BKA atau 'Below Knee Amputation'.
Setelah doktor pakar membuat penerangan terperinci dan memperjelaskan prosedur pembedahan yang akan dilakukan, Abah selamat menjalani pembedahan tersebut pada 2 Mei yang lepas. AlhamduliLlah, sejak Abah selamat menjalani pembedahan untuk membuang bahagian kaki yang telah rosak dan dipenuhi sel - sel mati, kesihatan Abah bertambah pulih dan baik. Di mana sebelumnya Mamad menceritakan Abah tampak lemah, tidak bermaya dan sering demam perubahan positif ketara selepas pembedahan amat jelas.
Saya akui, Abah tidak dapat menerima fakta pada mulanya, namun setelah kami adik - beradik dan ahli - ahli keluarga menjelaskan peri pentingnya pembedahan dan implikasi jangka panjangnya terhadap kesihatan Abah, dia mula bertenang dan bersetuju. Ruang ini saya ambil, untuk menyatakan dengan rasa rendah diri, rasa terima kasih kami sekeluarga kepada Dr. Nahulan Thevarajah ( Ketua Jabatan Ortopedik), Dr. Baskaran Subramaniam, Dr. Anantha, Dr. Salehuddin Abdullah, Dr. Hester Pudin, Dr. Constance Liew, Dr. William, Dr. Leong, Dr. Che Ismail, staf - staf nurse, jururawat - jururawat pelatih dan seluruh warga Wad Ortopedik, Hospital Queen Elizabeth, Kota Kinabalu.
Saya berada di Sabah sehingga 13 Mei lalu setelah benar - benar pasti akan perubahan baik keadaan Abah dan kembalinya adik perempuan saya, Nabila Farhana atau Yayang setelah menjalani peperiksaan akhir semester di UiTM Shah Alam untuk bercuti. Antara perkembangan menarik semasa menemani Abah di hospital ialah pengumuman Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak bahawa kerajaan Persekutuan akan membeli hospital swasta Sabah Medical Centre, bagi menggantikan satu blok 8 tingkat Hospital Queen Elizabeth yang disahkan tidak selamat untuk digunakan lagi. Sabah Medical Centre merupakan hospital tempat Abah dirawat, berikutan tindakan kerajaan negeri menyewa premis hospital swasta tersebut bagi menempatkan pesakit - pesakit yang terpaksa dipindahkan dari Wad Ortopaedik, Hospital Queen Elizabeth. Saya tentunya ingin menulis dan membincangkan secara mendalam signifikan pembelian hospital yang dinilaikan berjumlah RM 245,000,000.00 ini, insya-ALlah saya akan usahakan pada penulisan entri selepas ini.

Pemandangan daripada katil Abah, Wad Ortopedik, Sabah Medical Centre

*********

Sepanjang tidak berkesempatan menyunting tambah laman blog saya ini, saya mempunyai masa yang lebih untuk meneliti laporan - laporan akhbar yang ada antaranya saya boikot dan enggan saya 'acknowledge' isi laporannya, akhbar tempatan (New Sabah Times, Daily Express dan The Borneo Post) mahupun nasional (The Star, dan Utusan Malaysia) berkenaan perkembangan politik tanah air, rumusan berita mengenai virus H1N1 yang akhirnya sampai jua ke negara kita.
Tipikalnya, saya tetap juga mengendur untuk memberi komentar tentang bola sepak, tempatan dan antarabangsa. Umum mengetahui Man United telah pun berjaya melangkah ke perlawanan akhir Liga Juara - Juara anjuran UEFA, bertingkah merebut Piala Eropah dengan juara Primera Liga Sepanyol, FC Barcelona pada 27 Mei kelak.
Menarik untuk dikongsi, Man United akan turun beraksi menentang Pasukan Kebangsaan Malaysia di Stadium Nasional, Kompleks Sukan Negara, Bukit Jalil pada 18 Julai nanti. Saya amat berharap pemain - pemain kita dapat berkongsi padang dan memberikan aksi terbaik semampu mereka dalam menyaingi Man United selaku Juara Piala Eropah (harapan saya). Buah minda saya berkenaan perlawanan tersebut insya-ALlah akan saya berikan semakin kita menghampiri tarikh yang dinyatakan, kerana di Sabah juga akan berlangsung satu perlawanan yang hampir serupa tetapi agak berprofil rendah apabila pasukan pilihan Sabah menentang North Queensland Fury - sebuah pasukan baru yang akan bersaing di dalam Liga A Hyundai di Australia - yang dibarisi bekas bintang/legenda terkemuka Liverpool FC, Robbie Fowler pada 27 Mei 2009. Perlawanan istimewa ini dijayakan oleh sebuah syarikat pelancongan sukan yang diterajui oleh Scott Ollerenshaw, pemain legenda dan penyerang berbisa Sabah lewat tahun 90-an.

Scott Ollerenshaw bersama Bendahari Sabah FA, Johari Ayub
(gambar ihsan The New Sabah Times)

*********

Seadanya saya mempunyai 2 entri yang perlu saya tulis dalam masa terdekat, insya-ALlah saya akan tulis kerana kedua - duanya akan mengupas isu - isu yang amat dekat di hati saya, iaitu perihal pengurusan kebajikan dan perlaksanaan sistem kesihatan rakyat Sabah dan perihal pasukan bola sepak kegemaran saya, Manchester United FC secara khusus dan perkembangan bola sepak tanah air secara amnya. Terima kasih kerana sudi meluangkan masa, wassalam.

make or break at Estadio Do Dragao

AsSalaam and hola everybody,

I was quite dumbfounded actually when I wanted to write a new posting today, the reason being I can't decide whether to comment on the latest twists in Malaysian politics i.e, the BN Terengganu State Representatives debacle OR the apex court's decison on the Datuk Seri Zambry vs Perak State Assembly Speaker case OR the Tan Sri Muhyiddin's so-called 'twisted words' on the Chinese support OR should I just focus on the all important clash, between Manchester United FC against FC Porto in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final, hmmmm.... decisions, decisions. After much deliberation over countless cups of tasteless Neslo Ais at my local mamak joint, I just can't resist the temptation of making a prediction on the score for the Man United clash and the thought of putting my neck firmly on the guillotine for all the Man United natsayers out there seems a very good prospect this time of the year. Here goes...

Now, let's start with the negatives of Man United going over to Porto tomorrow night. Uno, FC Porto is clearly the favorites to go through after their fearless performance at Old Trafford, dos, Man United needs a high scoring draw or a straightforward win to advance to the next stage, a scenario made even more intriguing for the fact that NO British teams have ever won at Estadio Do Dragao in 12 attempts, but rest assured Man United have won on Portuguese soil before when they beat both Sporting Lisbon and Benfica a few seasons back, tres, Man United seems to be out of form, out of favor and out of sorts these past few weeks and are literally limping their way towards the end of the season. Whilst this might be the case, it's obvious that United have played in more games than any of the top four teams in the Barclays' Premier League this season and travelled the globe more than Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC combined. For United fans though, all is not lost! The positives are, err... emm... well... ehhemm...yes, the positives are Manchester United Football Club is not just any other club, it embraces challenges such as these and I for one believe that there will always be a first for everything. To accomplish this, United definitely needs to call upon the best of forms for its forwards and full concentration from the first whistle to the final blow for its defenders. Cristiano should be fresh after playing just 30 odd minutes against Sunderland and boy do we need him now.

Dimi Berbatov said earlier in the season that he joined United to play in the grandest stage of all and nothing comes bigger than the UEFA Champions League, critics have come down hard on him and say that he's not justifying his own high standards when playing in recent weeks, but we know for a fact that Dimi has the class and unquestioned ability to do just that. Whatever team that Sir Alex Ferguson will be putting out tomorrow, more than anything else Manchester United have to be UNITED. My prediction for the clash is 1 - o to United with Wayne Rooney scoring the decisive goal, come on you Reds!

The score is Pakatan Rakyat 2 - Barisan Nasional 1

AsSalaam and hello everybody,

Belated congratulations and well done are due to all Pakatan Rakyat's voters, supporters, campaigners, party workers and not forgetting the candidates of the Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai by-elections. Now let me set something straight, I for one have constantly regarded myself as a Man United fan/blogger first and socio-economic-political-general blogger second, but as you all can see for yourselves my political affiliation and aspirations are obvious.
Naturally, for the recently concluded tri-by-elections I was hoping for another clear message from the ballot box be sent to the powers that be. Now, receiving a message is one thing, but interpreting a message is definitely another. Out of the three by-elections, Pakatan Rakyat won at Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau with more majority than last year's General Election, and lost the Batang Ai seat to Barisan Nasional. What makes me turn red all over is the way these Barisan Nasional leaders insult our intelligence everytime they're campaigning. Having an advantage of 'horse riding' the crony-controlled media in attacking, lambasting the Pakatan Rakyat leaders is used to the maximum without ever thinking the consequences.
Pre contest, we see endless statements and claims from Barisan Nasional leaders that they have what it takes to start afresh with glorified stature for the word 'reform', 'transparency' and what not takes place almost instantenously from the lips. Post contest, another trend sets off with more reserved comments, as if putting on that woeful faces will score them any sympathy from the rakyat. As I see it, the rakyat are better at interpreting messages.

P/S - My beloved Manchester United were held to a 2 - 2 draw by Porto FC at Old Trafford, earlier this morning. A monumental task awaits...

Remember the name !!!

AsSalam and a very pleasant evening,

As you've might have noticed, that up there is none other than the hero for Manchester United against Aston Villa yesterday... yup, it's Frederico Macheda or simply 'Kiko' to the rest of the Man United squad.
He has definitely become an overnight celebrity for that sublime goal past Brad Friedel at Old Trafford when things were looking pretty grim for the Red Devils, a draw with Aston Villa would mean Liverpool stayed top of the Barclays' Premier League but Kiko repaid Sir Alex Ferguson's trust in him by scoring a goal which looked like a combination of a 'Cryuff turn' to shrug off Luke Young's attention before curling in a wonderful shot from the edge of the box. Man United won 3 - 2 and I honestly think United fans all over the world celebrated like crazy!
Let's just hope that Kiko will go from strength to strength after this and become another star at Old Trafford, from what we've seen so far during yesterday's match, Kiko has what it takes.

Now it's 8 games to go and the race to the finishing line is at full throttle!

What happens now ?

AsSalam and hola everybody,

It's Friday and that only means one thing right, it's the start of the eagerly anticipated, much appreciated, highly regarded WEEKEND ! The thing that strikes me the most about blogging (although I can't claim to be a prolific blogger) is that whether you're writing an entry about how you feel about a certain issue or about which movie you watched the other day and how bad it sucks...you are bound to have critiques, naysayers, and people who just doesn't concur with your views. Erm... it's okay though, everyone is entitled to their own views right ?.
Now as for my blog, well let's just say that it still is very much a personal affair, as much as I would like to, I really really want to avoid writing about politics, particularly Malaysian politics. As all of you might have known by now, Malaysia has a new Prime Minister in the form of Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak. IF you're an avid reader of Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, New Straits Times or The Star newspapers, you watch TV 3 or RTM 1 and 2 religiously, chances are you'll be viewing this so called 'power transition' as something inevitable or conventional even BUT and that's a very big BUT, IF you transcend the traditional print media and happen to read the new media which includes newsportals such as malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider, harakahdaily or the blogosphere in general, it's anything but normal and conventional.
The country in it's almost 52 years of existence has never ever come across a Prime Minister-designate so entrenched with scandals and allegations that seems to taint him more and more with each passing day. The thing is, Datuk Seri Najib himself has done little to quash these 'rumours' let alone denying it strenuously in a way a decent man should. The last thing he needs right now is projecting a leadership which lacks integrity and heaping on a decidedly low confidence from the rakyat.
I believe things won't get any less complicated with the current 3 by-elections creeping slowly to it's climax. Whichever side you're on, please don't take my word for it but each and everyone of us is duty-bound as Malaysian citizens to choose wisely and fairly. Every single vote counts and the significance of these votes will ultimately chart the progress of our beloved country.
As for the rest, HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE WEEKEND !!!

Enjit, enjit semut... siapa sakit naik atas.

Utusan Malaysia : Ali dilarang bertanding
Berita Harian : Mohd Ali dilarang tanding
New Straits Times : Ali Rustam barred, Khairy warned
The Star : Ali's Out

Arakian, sudah bermula episod cantas - mencantas, siapa 'sokong' siapa, siapa ikut 'kem' mana, siapa 'orang kuat' siapa, yang paling menghairankan adalah nama - nama yang disabitkan kesalahan tidak pula dijatuhkan hukuman yang selayaknya!

Apakah ada 2 jenis perundangan yang diguna pakai oleh Lembaga Disiplin Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu itu ?
Baiklah, kita ambil pendapat yang mengatakan bahawa keputusan Lembaga Disiplin ini hanya melibatkan organisasi dalaman dan hanya berkuatkuasa ke atas ahli - ahli atau perwakilan yang telah dilaporkan oleh pihak tertentu, apa pula rasionalnya Tan Sri Isa Samad yang dipanggil untuk memberi keterangan di hadapan lembaga yang sama pada tahun 2004, meletakkan jawatannya sebagai Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan ketika itu. Kes sama, keputusan yang sama tetapi hukumannya berlainan. Penghukuman juga berbeza - beza antara satu pesalah dengan pesalah yang lain, jika diteliti, satu pola yang cukup jelas timbul kerana individu - individu yang dirasakan mempunyai potensi untuk mencabar kedudukan peringkat yang lebih tinggi mendapat penghukuman yang lebih berat.

Inilah yang kita katakan 'rule of the jungle' ataupun 'hukum rimba', apa yang nyata keputusan Lembaga Disiplin Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu tersebut lebih banyak menimbulkan persoalan daripada jawapan. Apa bezanya 'politik wang' dengan 'rasuah', apakah hanya kerana 'politik wang' dilakukan oleh mereka yang berjawatan tinggi didalam parti dan kerajaan maka keputusan penghukumannya juga harus berbeza dengan mereka yang 'merasuah' di tepi - tepi lebuh raya dan jalan raya.

Penjatuhan hukuman oleh lembaga tersebut juga amat mencurigakan jika diambil kira siapa dan apa jawatan mereka yang dikatakan terlibat di dalam melakukan kesalahan 'politik wang'. Kalau sampai begini sekali, terma - terma yang selalu diutarakan oleh para 'bloggers' sememangnya mempunyai kebenaran dan makin terserlah dengan percaturan politik yang semakin hari makin menjijikkan! Ini adalah 'selective prosecution of the highest order', ini adalah 'political head hunting' yang teramat lapuk dan ini adalah amalan - amalan biasa yang berlaku didalam Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu.

I DON'T CARE !!!

Manchester United F.C (1) VS Liverpool (4)

So what....???!!! Man United is still leading the league with 4 points AND still have a game in hand. Okay, I'll give credit where it is due and I'll be the first to admit that Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were magnificent that day, particularly 'El Nino'. He unsettled a usually formidable defence partnership of Ferdinand and Vidic, and my only regret was that Michael Carrick didn't help much in protecting Rio and Vida.

Nevertheless, I honestly think that this result was a really good reminder to Rooney, Ronaldo, Carrick et al. that the Barclays Premier League this season is a whole different ball game altogether than last season. It was a really hard 'kick up the backside' for the Red Devils and rightly so. They were never at their best during the Internazionale game apart from those early 4 minutes at the start of either halves. I'm sure most of the United fans are truly dissapointed with the team's performances lately. You could almost sense the lethargic feeling from United fans all the way from Gombak to the Greater Manchester area, and the look on Sir Alex Ferguson's face when he made his way to the tunnel after the game sums it all up really...


and SAF was rightly defiant at the post-match press conference saying that "at this club it's always about how you respond. When you lose a game: respond. And that is what we will do."
I totally agree with SAF's stance! What say you!!!

Sibuk weh...

AsSalam wrh. wbt. and hello everybody...

Very terribly sorry coz I haven't been able to post anything resembling to a decent postings here...muahahahaha! Rest assured there is a very strong reason for that peeps, well you see, this past 2 weeks have been absolutely busy for me...seriously! sibuk weh, dengan marketing report yg tak putus2nya, pastu libraries pun dah sibuk2 nak suruh hantar listing, and paper work untuk marketing trip ke utara plak... again, so sorry! particularly to all the Manchester United faithfuls yg masih blum dapat tengok 'video panas' yg telah di gembar-gemburkan sebelum ini, relaks yea... akan tiba masanya jua, last night we won the Carling Cup at Wembley Stadium after beating Totenham Hotspurs 4-1 on penalties kan, so that's 2 down 3 to go right...? fingers crossed bebeh!!!

so here's the pic of last night's heroes, courtesy of empics :


Ben Foster had a brilliant game last night, he was alert, commanding and certainly gave the watching Fabio Capello food for thought as who should be the next England numero uno!

Everybody sing ! " Ferguson's Red and White Army!!! "

Bye, wassalam and ciao!

Full steam ahead!!!

AsSalam and hola everybody,

Dah lama gak tak tulis entri pasal my beloved football club, Man United of course... and as the latest Barclay's Premier League result will attest, Manchester United is showing form of a champion. A Roque Santa Cruz goal sandwiched between Wayne Rooney's toe poke and Cristiano Ronaldo's swerving free kick, the performance wasn't actually the best that United could muster but playing against a very spirited and organised Blackburn Rovers side that has been rejuvenated under Big Sam Allardyce, this was no walk in the park.
On Sunday though, Liverpool yet again slipped at the hands of Manchester City and that means United are gaining a bigger point advantage ahead of the chasing pack...so I guess United are doing really well in the race for a third consecutive Premier League title yuhuuuu!!!! Come Tuesday however, the focus shifts to the UEFA Champions League clash with Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.
United's Serie A counter part is also the pacesetter so far and has found form once again after a series of poor performances. Judging by recent form, both teams are definitely on a roll, although Man United missed the chance to break the European record for the longest consecutive clean sheets, this will be a match to watch for supporters and neutrals alike, after all... this match will again pit Sir Alex Ferguson against his friend-turned-nemesis-turned-friend again, Jose 'the special one' Mourinho. Now this match has all the ingredients of an explosive match, big name superstars such as Ronaldo, Berbatov, Ferdinand, Rooney, Scholes and Ibrahimovich, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Materazzi making up the opponents' star studded team sheet. It's a matter of great concern though for United fans as the defence will almost lose Johnny Evans to injury as the other missing names from the back are Vidic, Neville and Wes Brown.

The last time Man United met Internazionale in a competitive match it was the year they won the unprecedented Treble in 1999. So maybe, just maybe this could be another prosperous year for the Red Devils who knows right..?! So, as a special tribute to this last 16, first leg tie at the Giuseppe Meazza stadia, I'll be posting a video with a rallying message to the United faithfuls tomorrow! Wait for it guys, and let's bring back the memories of 1999. Ciao and wassalam!

Tour of Ganu!

AsSalam...

As I mentioned in my last posting, job commitments took me to Terengganu Darul Iman for a round of marketing visits as well as a quick getaway from the bedlam of it all in K.L. It has been months since the last time I had the chance to explore Terengganu but everything seems a pace slower there, well to be fair, we only made several stops in and around Dungun and Kuala Terengganu but still you can't escape the naturally laid back nature of the people in this amazing oil-rich-state set along a stunning coastal line fronting the South China Sea.
Now, if I were to talk about the task that I needed to complete while I was in the East Coast would be plain boring so let's check out one of my area of interest...FOOD!. At a warung by the seaside in Dungun, I and Abg. Mad, a colleague sat down and ordered what any sane out of town visitors will order...'kepok lekor' of course!


Freshly fried, made in-house with the freshest of fish meat and minimal 'additional flavors' or nothing at all, the 'kepok lekor' is crunchy and crisp on the outside but once I sink my teeth into that traditionally grounded mix of fish, flour and err...salt I guess? I was immediately transported to another dimension, another era if you like. The dipping sauce that comes together with the 'kepoks' was rich in texture, superb in taste and absolutely delicious when dipped with the piece de resistance. Yup, it was THAT good! Or maybe that's just me...and to complete the meal was a cup of ABC of the dessert variety. Generous amount of shredded ice, topped off with silky smooth creamer, sweet colourful sago, a sprinkle here and there of groundnuts and finished off with a dash of super sweet red syrup...you get the idea. It was the perfect meal after a long day drive and a hot sweaty day.

The beach motel that we crashed into was nice, cozy and definitely has that hint of 'kampungness' feeling if you consider the activity of killing hundreds of mosquitos desperate to suck my 'sweet blood' (darah manis he,he,he) a kampung adventure! It was squeky clean nonetheless, sorry yea Mak Aji and thanks for the great discount!


This trip came just a few weeks really after the Kuala Terengganu by-election, won by PAS's candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut... and I think again, the voters sent out a clear message to the Barisan Nasional government that enough is enough. Judging by the recent developments in Perak and Selangor though, I doubt Barisan Nasional even heed the warning signs.
The drive from Dungun passing Rantau Abang, Marang and finally Kuala Terengganu, I DID NOT even found one, uno, satu, wahid flag of Barisan Nasional...nope, not a single one. There were A LOT of PAS's flags however, high and mighty, perched in glorious fashion up on dizzying heights on poles along the roads and on buildings.
This might be a silly conclusion and arguably a relative matter all together but Pakatan Rakyat is undeniably gathering pace and even though they are currently being attacked from all quarters particularly by Barisan Nasional and it's machineries, government or not, it's interesting to see what will follow in the next few weeks ahead.

Sorry for digressing but all in all the trip was a success and right now I'm preparing a sugar-coated, fact-twisting report for the boss to read, and already planning ahead for a Northern trip in the coming weeks. Altogether now, na, na, na, na, na Ganu kite!!!!

Round up, wind up, make up, what's up?

AsSalam and hello everybody...

I'm heading to Terengganu this weekend, to Dungun more specifically but nope before we get ourselves too excited, I'm there on an 'official visit'...cewahh...!! wishful thinking la bro...
but seriously though I will be there on a fully paid trip so what the heck!

Now... a bit of a round up of what has happened during the past week, Perak has a new Menteri Besar ehhem, ehhem... and a new government in place mind you, why you ask? well it's the Sultan's wish, period. why again you ask? now mate you are bordering on menderhaka there you know that, so shut it!
Ahh...never mind that the former Menteri Besar was legally and constitutionally elected by the people of Perak, this is democracy...Malaysian style!!!

Big Phil Scolari was also booted out after successfully leading Chelski to 4th place in the Barclay's Premier League, why you ask? well it's the prerogative of Roman Abramovich you silly, period. why again you ask? now mate you are bordering on libel there you know that, so zip it!
As for Tony Adams, 2 wins in 16 games, 'nuff said! David Beckham meanwhile got the 108th cap that he worked so hard for when he was introduced in the second half in the game between Spain and England, the fact that England lost the game 2-o doesn't seem to bother anyone, well it's a friendly anyway...so I guess everybody's happy then!

Hope everybody will have a smashing weekend! Take care and ciao!

P/S - The 'Battle of the Bukits' i.e Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang by-elections will be held simultaneously on April 7th, it's still not clear though who are the candidates but one thing is for sure though, this battle won't be pretty!

Perak Darul Ehsan

AsSalam...

As of 12.00 p.m today, I'm still struggling to make sense of what on earth happened to the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak Darul Ehsan.
My prayers and hopes are with YAB Dato' Seri Ir. Haji Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin and his families, may Allah s.w.t grants him the greatest of courage and the deepest of thoughts in handling these obviously devious and nauseating plans.


To say that things in Perak are chaotic is clearly an understatement, if everything goes according to the said plan, by late evening today Perak will have TWO Menteris Besar...now that's just the start of things that I don't even know where it will end!

Perhaps, the people of Perak should be ready in view of this inevitable power struggle, in the meantime I'll be trying to dig up some dirt and get the lowdowns and what is in store for both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional. As it stands, we could only send our 'ihsan' and sympathy to the state that ominously chose its government in the March '08 General Elecion only to be robbed and denied their constitutional rights.

crack that whip!

AsSalam and hello all...

In the aftermath of the AFC's Asian Cup Qualifying match humiliation, FAM has decided to crack the whip on those regarded as 'responsible' for the debacle.

Amongst the noticeable scapegoats are Malaysia's Head Coach B. Sathianathan and team manager Soh Chin Aun. This was reportedly decided after the FAM Executive Meeting last Saturday and whatever was discussed or brought up in that meeting, someone or somebody has to take the fall. Now I don't have Sathianathan's complete stats during his tenure nor do I have any vital indexes that charted the Malaysian National team's performances over the years but I do know one thing though and that is THEY FAILED!

Okay, before I go on please give me a chance to say that by 'THEY' I don't mean the players or coaches only but please include the bigwigs and so called executives in the heady heights of FAM's office. From my various readings, I've come to know that Sathianathan is willing to prepare a full and detailed report on what actually happened before and after the match, this will ultimately include all the allegations about players' fitness and lack of preparation. In all honesty, if the report ever sees the day of light, I'll be more than hopeful for the future of Malaysian football team...it's just that these 'things' tend to 'vaporize' and 'fade away' after a week or two without us the fans ever really knowing the truth and reasons behind it all. Maybe, Sathianathan and Soh Chin Aun were really casualties of an ongoing war against mediocrity but should the report states that they haven't been given enough opportunity, favour and support to run the team than it is actually very silly and a complete farce at the same time.

Just to prove a point, the special gathering between Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaacob, the Youth and Sports Minister with former national players in Bukit Jalil later that week concludes the same point. Here's to a better future of Malaysian football!

sebute dua ghiya...

AsSalam...

Hari kelepasan am yang agak panjang menyebabkan saya tidak berkesempatan untuk menulis sebarang entri sepanjang 10 hari lepas walaupun banyak coretan dan nukilan yang kepingin saya kongsikan dengan saudara/saudari pembaca...

21 Januari lepas, saya pasti sebilangan besar peminat bola sepak tanah air, khususnya pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan tahu apa yang telah berlaku dan terkesan secara langsung dengan persembahan longlai dan tidak bermaya skuad Harimau menentang pak sheikh - pak sheikh dari negara Emiriah Arab Bersatu.

Perlu saya jelaskan di sini, peristiwa 'Lemas di Cheras' itu bukan satu kejadian terasing atau 'one off incident' apatah lagi dengan penafian dan tudingan jari jemari yang rancak selepas B. Sathianathan menzahirkan pernyataan hatinya bahawa "M-League is NOT football!".

Pada pemerhatian dan pendapat ikhlas saya, kekalahan di atas padang Stadium Bola Sepak Kuala Lumpur itu hanyalah manifestasi kekalahan bola sepak Malaysia secara keseluruhannya.
Kenapa...? Berikut adalah jawapan saya :-

Kita kalah dari aspek pengurusan teknikal, saya tidak tahu mengapa FAM memilih Stadium KLFA sebagai gelanggang untuk perlawanan pembukaan kelayakan Piala AFC 2011, namun apa yang pasti ada stadium yang lebih sesuai dan mempunyai kemudahan yang lebih elok berbanding Stadium KLFA.

Kita kalah dari aspek pengurusan am, saya dan Fahmi - adik saya - tiba di stadium lebih kurang 5 minit selepas sepak mula kerana terperangkap di dalam kesesakan lalu lintas yang teruk di sepanjang Jalan Kuching menuju ke Jalan Loke Yew. Seraya dengan berpakaian formal ke pejabat dek tiada kesempatan untuk bertukar baju, kaunter jualan tiket pula mengalami kesesakan manusia yang memualkan. Fahmi terpaksa 'bertarung' dengan segerombolan yang lain itu untuk tiket, sampai di tingkap kaunter kami diminta untuk ke kaunter lain kerana kehabisan tiket. Insiden sebegini tidak sepatutnya berlaku sekiranya FAM betul - betul membuat persiapan yang mengikut standard piawaian asas pengurusan perlawanan.

Kita kalah dari aspek sikap dan mentaliti peminat, saya faham kalau kita sebagai peminat hendak menunjukkan rasa marah dan melepaskan geram terhadap persembahan buruk atau 'sayur' kata kawan saya Imran a.k.a Muten. Namun, dengan balingan objek - objek seperti botol air mineral, tin minuman malah yang baling botol susu anak pun ada! (marah sangat lah tu...) tidak akan menyelesaikan apa - apa dan tentu sekali tidak akan mengubah permainan Safee Sali terus menjadi seperti Fernando Torres atau Syamsuri akan terus menjadi sekebal Van Der Sar.. TIDAK. Cacian, hamun dan maki yang berselang seli gelak ketawa juga tidak akan merubah apa - apa, hatta, tajuk entri saya kali ni pun saya 'pinjam' dari sekumpulan warga sebuah negeri di pantai timur yang menrasakan harga tiket perlawanan tersebut berbaloi kerana dengan RM10 para peminat disajikan dengan 5 gol atau 5 'bute/butir' gol yang membolosi gawang Syamsuri dan Syed Adney.

Having said all that, ada beberapa perkara positif yang ingin juga saya kongsi dengan pembaca sekalian. Di dalam stadium, saya sengaja memilih duduk bersebelahan dengan geng - geng Aku Altra, yang saya rasakan cukup bertenaga dan jarang sekali duduk diam! Laungan semangat, nyanyian lagu - lagu patriotik dan tepukan - tepukan terancang yang mereka pamerkan cukup segar dan patut dicontohi di mata saya. Siap dengan 'flare stick' lagi!!!



As in the pictures, mereka ni memang berdiri sepanjang perlawanan berlangsung, mengangkat dan mengibarkan skarf - skarf Harimau Malaya dengan penuh rasa bangga. Pemain - pemain skuad kebangsaan pun manusia jua, saya tidak mencadangkan agar kita rai atau bersorak secara sinikal tetapi cukuplah dengan menghentikan cacian berbentuk peribadi dan di luar normal akal dan apa kata tepuk sikit setiap kali Safee, Nizarudin, ataupun Zaquan buat cubaan merbahaya ke gawang lawan. Bagi saya, apa pun yang diperkatakan tentang perihal di dalam dan di luar padang...pasukan bola sepak kebangsaan Malaysia bukanlah satu - satunya titik penentu yang akan mencorak jatuh bangun masa depan bola sepak negara tetapi satu langkah ke hadapan perlu kita ambil sekiranya kita mahu zaman kegemilangan bola sepak negara kembali mengungguli persada pentas dunia!