Apa itu miskin?

Suatu hari datang seorang laki-laki kepada Rasulullah saw dan bertanya, Ya Rasulullah, sedekah apa yang paling besar pahalanya? Rasulullah saw mengatakan, Engkau bersedekah sedangkan engkau sedang dalam keadaan sihat, sangat memerlukan (kepada harta), takut miskin, dan punya keinginan untuk menjadi kaya.

(HR. Bukhari dan Muslim)

"Miskin tu apa, Bu? Anak-anak di taman kata kita miskin. Benarkah, Bu?" tanya si anak.
"Tidak, kita tidak miskin, Aiko," jawab ibunya.
"Habis, miskin itu apa?" Aiko, si anak, bertanya lagi.
"Miskin itu maknanya tidak punya apa-apa untuk diberikan kepada orang lain."
Aiko agak terkejut. "Oh? Tapi kita perlukan semua barang yang kita ada... Apa yang boleh kita beri?" soalnya.
"Ingat tak makcik jual barang yang ke sini minggu lalu? Kita beri sebahagian makanan kita kepada dia. Bila dia tidak dapat tempat menginap di bandar, dia kembali ke sini dan kita berikan dia tempat tidur kita."
"Ya, kita tidur pun jadi bersempit-sempit," jawab Aiko.
Tapi si ibu tidak mahu mengalah. "Dan, kita sering beri sebahagian sayur kita kepada keluarga Watari, bukan?" katanya.
"Itu Ibu yang beri. Cuma saya seorang yang miskin. Saya tak punya apa-apa untuk saya berikan kepada orang lain."
Si ibu tersenyum dan memberikan pandangan lembut pada anaknya. "Oh, kamu tidak miskin, Aiko. Setiap orang mempunyai sesuatu untuk diberikan kepada orang lain. Fikirkanlah. Kamu akan menemukan sesuatu."
Tidak lama kemudian, sang anak pun mendapatkan jawabannya. "Bu! Saya mempunyai sesuatu untuk saya berikan. Saya dapat memberikan cerita-cerita saya kepada teman-teman. Saya dapat memberikan cerita-cerita dongeng yang saya dengar dan baca di sekolah."
"Tentu! Kamu pandai bercerita, seperti ayahmu. Semua orang suka mendengar cerita."
"Saya akan memberikan cerita kepada mereka, sekarang juga!"

Dialog tersebut terdapat dalam kumpulan kisah-kisah inspirasi, Aiko and Her Cousin Kenichi. Ia menimbulkan kesadaran bahawa, setiap kita memang boleh memberi. Ini bukan sekadar kesedaran sosial, tetapi kesedaran untuk menjadi insan yang baik dengan cuba membahagiakan orang lain.

The Pastor's Ass

Someone forwarded this to me. It's a joke, a bad one I'd say because you want to laugh your heart out but you know somewhere, it's hurting someone. By the by, look at the conclusive point.

The Pastor's Ass
The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.

The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in another race, and won again. The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.

The next day, the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS. This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.

The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild.The next day the headlines read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

The bishop was buried the next day.

The moral of the story is, being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery, or even shorten your life. So be yourself and enjoy life. Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer!

...and that, media people are good at creating sensations, out of nothing!

Life is like melted butter... Once things cool down, it can be reshaped!

Kisah Lembu & Kambing

Satu petang di bulan Puasa, Haji Syin (bukan nama sebanar) pergi ke restoran (mat'em; e~ain) Turki yang menjual pelbagai makanan ala Timur Tengah. Dipandangnya daging yang sedang disalai (seakan daging untuk pita kebab di pasar-pasar malam Malaysia). Sedap sungguh. Terkecur air liurnya SAMA seperti minyak daging yang menitik ke bara.

Ada tiga jenis daging yang sedang disalai. Yang putih dan agak cerah tentulah ayam. Yang gelap itu ada dua. Entah yang mana lembu, yang mana kambing.

Haji Syin tanya dalam bahasa Inggeris. Tukang masak tu geleng kepala, tanda tidak faham. Dia malah berbicara dalam bahasa Arab pekat, menerangkan itu ini.

Haji Syin jadi pening. Hendak pesan makanan pun sukar juga rupanya, bila tidak tahu 'bahasa'. Hendak order ayam, dia sudah muak. Tersalah order kambing, dia alah. Tapi, daging lembu yang mana satu?

Terlintas di fikirannya, mengapa tidak guna bahasa universal...

"Haza moooooo...", ujar Haji Syin sambil meletakkan dua tangan di kepala, gayakan tanduk lembu metador. "...or haza mbek ek ek?", sambil letak dua telunjuk di dahi, tanda tanduk kambing yang lebih kecil.

Tukang masak Turki itu tersenyum lantas menunjuk ke arah salah satu daging, "Haza moooooo...", tirunya, bersekali dengan gaya tanduk. "...wa haza mbek ek ek?"

"Khalass, ateni MOOOOOO ma'a ruzz, wahid..."

Kami yang dengar cerita ini dari Haji Syin kemudiannya, tidak tahan, hampir pecah perut ketawa.

ps: waktu itu, haji syin baru sebulan dua di jeddah. sekarang dia sudah mahir memesan makanan :-)

Nota:
lahm - daging (biasanya merujuk daging kambing)
baqr - lembu
dajjaj - ayam
ruzz - nasi
haza - ini
ateni - berikan saya

Lahir Bulan Julai

JULAI

Sangat seronok didampingi (am I?)

Banyak berahsia dan sukar dimengerti terutamanya lelaki
Agak pendiam kecuali diransang

Ada harga dan maruah diri (who doesn't?)

Tak suka menyusahkan orang lain
tapi tidak marah apabila disusahkan (banyak laa...)

Mudah dipujuk dan bercakap lurus
Sangat menjaga hati orang lain
Sangat peramah

Emosi sangat mendalam tapi
Mudah terluka hatinya
Berjiwa sentimental (cheiss... not true!)

Jarang berdendam
Mudah memaafkan tapi
Sukar melupakan

Tidak suka benda remeh-temeh
Membimbing cara fizikal dan mental

Sangat peka, prihatin dan pengasih serta penyayang
Layanan yang serupa dengan semua orang
Tinggi daya simpati

Pemerhatian yang tajam
Suka menilai orang lain dengan pemerhatian

Mudah dan rajin belajar (chewaahh!)
Suka muhasabah diri
Suka mengenangkan peristiwa atau kawan lama

Suka mendiamkan diri
Suka duduk di rumah
Suka tunggu kawan tapi tak cari kawan

Tak agresif kecuali terpaksa
Lemah dari segi kesihatan perut
Mudah gemuk kalau tak kawal diet

Minta disayangi
Mudah terluka hati tapi lambat pulih
Terlalu mengambil berat

Rajin dalam membuat kerja (chewaahh!)

ps: rasa bangga jugak bila dapat tahu che det & isteri juga
dari kalangan yang lahir bulan Julai

Warkah untuk Iman & Amal

Assalamualaikum anak-anak Babah yang Babah rindui selalu, semoga berada di dalam peliharaan dan keberkatan Allah hendaknya.

Semalam, Babah pergi usrah di IDB Housing Compound. Memang setiap minggu, orang Malaysia di Jeddah ini yang berkelapangan (lapang hati, lapang masa mahupun lapang harta) akan berkumpul dan sama-sama belajar ilmu agama. Tempat usrah biasanya disilih-ganti di kalangan ahli, tetapi bulan Julai ini nampaknya, kekal kami berusrah di IDB Housing Compound ini.

Kami baca Yaa Sin sesudah solat maghrib, berkongsi sedih dengan Tuan Hj. Ahmad Husni, Pengarah Tourism Malaysia-Jeddah. Ayahnya meninggal dunia. Lepas itu, Ustaz Taib buka kitab, bicara tentang sembahyang. Kalau tidak silap Babah, kitab karangan Daud Fattani, ulama' sohor di tanah air kita suatu masa dahulu.

Memang dah kerap kali Babah belajar sembahyang, sejak babah kecil dulu lagi. Tapi kali ini ada beberapa perkara yang dikatakan oleh Daud Fattani yang suka Babah nak kongsi dengan anak-anak Babah:

1. Jadikan sembahyang itu satu keperluan, bukan setakat kefardhuan. Kalau kita sembahyang sebab Allah suruh, tentu kadang-kadang kita rasa berat nak sembahyang (sebab iman tak cukup kuat). Tapi, kalau kita merasai sembahayang itu satu keperluan untuk kita -- seperti perlunya kita kepada makanan, kepada pakaian -- sudah tentu kita tidak mahu tinggal sembahyang selalu.
2. Kata ustaz tu lagi, kita bukan setakat perlu menghidupkan sembahyang, tetapi perlu menyembahyangkan hidup kita. Sembahayang perlu memenuhi hidup kita. Sebagai contoh, sesudah sembahyang zohor, kita perlu ingat yang kita akan sembahyang asar. Jadi, sepanjang masa, kita sentiasa ingat akan sembahayang yang bakal kita tunaikan, selagi kita bernafas di bumi Allah ini.
3. Kekhusyukan sembahyang perlu kita cari. Guru, ustaz-ustazah, ulama' cuma dapat memberi panduan bagaimana kekhusyukan dapat dicapai, tetapi kita sendirilah yang perlu berusaha untuk mencapai makam tersebut.

Sehabis kuliah pendek, rakan-rakan usrah diberi peluang menyampaikan berita dan memberi pandangan tentang perkembangan semasa. Dr. Razley dari OIC bercerita tentang program terbarunya membina atlas inovasi sains dan teknologi di negara-negara Islam.

Saudara Affendi dari Panda pula menceritakan tentang peranannya dalam menyediakan modul dan latihan berbentuk vokasional (peruncitan & jurujual) yang bakal memerlukan ramai jurulatih.

Paling menarik, komen dari Dr. Ghaz dari IDB tentang masa hadapan bangsa Melayu yang suram akibat kebaculan intelektual sedia ada. Baginya, intelek Melayu umpama hamba, takut mengakkan kebanaran, takut hilang keselesaan yang dikecapi hari ini.

Apa-apa pun, untuk anak-anak Babah, Babah doakan untuk satu masa hadapan yang dapat menjamin keselamatan di dunia, dan terutamanya keselamatan di Akhirat.

Amin...

FUEL DEBATE: Thinking Outside The Box

Hasil tulisan seorang rakan yang dikirim ke suratkhabar di Malaysia (unabridged edition).

ADRI HEMY BIN ABDUL GHANI
AL-SALAMAH DISTRICT
JEDDAH

Dear Editor,

The fuel debate between Dato’ Ahmad Shabery and Dato’s Seri Anwar, to me, was a huge disappointment.

I would like to present a different paradigm to the issue of subsidized fuel and I would like to also qualify that I am neither pro-BN nor pro-PR, but I am a proponent of good policies and governance.

Anwar presented his proposal on how to accumulate RM3 billion so that the price of fuel at the pumps could be brought down by RM 0.50.

He also mentioned, several times, that it is a necessity to reduce the price of fuel to ease the burden of the people, especially the farmers, fishermen and the poor.

If the government is to utilise that RM3 billion for the purpose that he suggested, what is the percentage of that amount that actually benefits the target group that he mentioned?

Recently it was reported in the newspapers that an estimated 25% of the Malaysians earn less than RM2500 a month. In another report, it was also stated that those earning less than RM1500 a month are classified as poor.

How much fuel does this group actually consume?

A poor household, might not even own a vehicle. A slightly better one, might have a motorcycle that consumes very little or maybe a small capacity engine car. They might not even use the car too much as they don’t have the luxury of spending unnecessarily on fuel anyway. Let’s assume that the household with the single car consumes 150 liters a month.

But what about the well-to-do households that have several cars that takes to the streets everyday? The husband and wife each drive their own cars, and so do the kids who drive to school or college. Assuming each car consumes 300 liters a month, that household would then be using 1200 liters a month.

Say, the government is subsidizing RM2 for every liter, that poor family would only benefit RM300 a month whereas the richer folks get RM2400 of government benefits. The families without any vehicles would not benefit at all, and the ones with a motorcycle would probably benefit RM60 a month.

So, would 25% of that RM 3billion be benefitted by the households with incomes less than RM2500 a month? Absolutely not! Infact, it would be much much less.

So how does a subsidized fuel system benefit the lower income group?

It is not about how to finance the fuel subsidy, but rather on the basic principle of subsidizing fuel that is sold to the public.

Most, if not all, would then say, the higher prices of fuel would have a knock-on effect on the costs of living, prices of all goods and services will be increased. This is where the government would have to step in, providing assistance directly to the target groups.

Apart from the usual government talk of using the regained oil subsidies to build better public transportation system, I urge the government to also “think outside the box”.

For a typical Malaysian household, their greatest concerns would be to have food on the table, to have a roof over their heads, to provide education for their children and to have reasonable healthcare.

Instead of literally burning billions of ringgit of subsidized fuel a year and turning them into smoke and fumes emanating from millions of vehicles on Malaysian roads, I have several suggestions on how the money could be used to help ease the burden of the Malaysian people with direct assistance.

The billions of ringgit that is earned by the government from removing fuel subsidies and the higher returns that it receives from Petronas must be used to do the following;

Stable and cheap supply of essential food items
For short and medium term measures, food supplies must be imported and the costs of doing so must be heavily subsidized. The prices of essential food items must be tightly controlled to ensure that the low prices are passed on to the public.

For the long term, government should create more food producing and processing industries using modern technologies that would provide better yield and viability.

Community housing
The Federal and State Governments should work together to build government-owned housing schemes which are rented out for a low rental to poor households. The terms of tenancy should be reviewed every 2 or 3 years to determine if that family still qualifies for the housing benefit.

If RM 1billion is used yearly to build housing units costing RM 80,000 each, every year 12,500 units of homes can be created for the urban poor. Rural poor housing could be provided at lower cost and less quantities.

Education assistance
The education for the next generation in the household is paramount for them to lift themselves out of the clutches of poverty. Those who are in school and coming from poor households should be provided with subsidized school uniforms, shoes and other schooling materials. All fees, whether from the Ministry of Education or the school administration must be waived for these group of students.

Healthcare

The poor households should be provided with free basic healthcare inclusive of the medicines that are required. Then, what about those households earning between the RM 1500 – 2500 a month? The benefits mentioned above could also be extended to them but the quantum of assistance be adjusted accordingly.

Income tax

Income tax should be waived for everyone earning less than RM 5000 a month.

Income tax brackets and tier should be reviewed so that the quantum to be paid as income tax is reduced. The highest tier should be reviewed to only be taxed on those who earn more than RM 30,000 a month.

This shouldn’t have any negative impact on the government’s revenue as the windfall collected from the abolishment of fuel subsidies and higher returns from Petronas would absorb the difference, and probably more. The government should also proceed with charging the windfall profit tax on the applicable companies and industries.

Tax breaks, relief and rebates would help to put money back into the pockets of the Malaysian people to cushion the impact of higher fuel prices.

Utilities Tariffs

Electricity charges should also be fine tuned and its’ multi-tier system improved. Those who use less than a certain kWh per month because they don’t have large houses or air-conditioning units or swimming pools should be charged a nominal fee. The unit rates in the multi-tier should then be gradually increased for the higher users.

The same should be done for water tariffs.

In essence, even with the higher prices of goods and services due to higher prices of fuel at the pump, the fact that money is being put back directly into their pockets would make it almost status-quo for the lower and middle income groups.

Higher income groups would have to change their lifestyles ever so slightly. Even in the US, they are trading in their huge-engine trucks, pick-ups, SUVs and sedans for more sensible fuel efficient mid-size sedans.

Mechanisms should also be put in place to help businesses. Transportation companies, fisheries industry and others, will need to get rebates or tax breaks to help them cope with higher fuel prices. Of course the government needs to quickly build and expand our public transportation systems, including having a good rail track service to deliver goods between the towns and cities.

It also goes without saying that the government must find ways to create more jobs, drive the economy forward and create more value in our economy. I am sure the bright and intelligent economists at Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning Unit, Bank Negara and others will be able to help the government come up with the correct mechanisms to ease the burden of the people, by directly assisting those in need.

The government needs to better explain to the people the logic and rationality of removing fuel subsidies. The government is losing the perception war because of its’ inability to articulate the reasons well. The manner, timing and quantum of the increase were also unfortunate.
The government urgently needs to do more to ease the burden of the people.

Harga Minyak Naik Lagi

Jumaat lalu, 11 Julai 2008, harga minyak mentah di Pasaran Hadapan Brent, London melonjak mencecah paras tertinggi USD147 setong, lebih 700% berbanding dengan harga biasanya sepuluh tahun lalu. Mungkinkah harga petrol di Malaysia akan dinaikkan lagi? Jangkanya, harga minyak mentah akan terus naik sehingga ke paras USD170 setong.

Nilai matawang Amerika Syarikat juga masih goyah. Ekonominya tidak menentu. Kadar inflasi yang meningkat sukar disekat kerana dibimbangi akan turut menyekat pertumbuhan ekonominya yang malap.

Harga minyak mentah yang tinggi dan kesuraman ekonomi Amerika Syarikat, ditambah pula dengan peningkatan harga makanan, dijangka akan menjadi punca kelembapan aktiviti ekonomi dunia. Memanglah tidak bagus untuk kita terlalu memikirkan perkara-perkara yang bersifat negatif, tetapi kita juga tidak boleh lupa untuk menyediakan persiapan yang cukup untuk menghadapi hari-hari yang dijangka sukar.

Lantas, payung apakah yang perlu disediakan hari ini? Bagi kami yang berkerja di Arab Saudi ini, kejatuhan USD yang berterusan akan menyebabkan pendapatan kami berkurang. Harga makanan yang meningkat pula akan menaikkan kos sara hidup kami di sini.

Ada rakan menyarankan kami menukar gaji yang kami perolehi kepada RM. Ada juga yang lebih yakin terhadap Euro. Tidak keterlaluan jika dikatakan, emas merupakan simpanan terbaik untuk jangka panjang. Harganya sentiasa naik, dan jika turun pun, hanya bersifat sementara. Ini semua merupakan langkah-langkah yang boleh mempastikan, wang yang kita perolehi hari ini akan mempunyai nilai atau kuasa beli yang stabil untuk digunakan pada hari mendatang.

Pun begitu, ada juga yang masih yakin dengan USD. Pihak berkuasa Amerika Syarikat dikatakan akan menggandakan usaha mengukuhkan matawangnya menjelang bulan Sembilan nanti. Ketibaan pilihanraya Presiden pada bulan Sebelas pula dilihat dapat menjadi pemangkin pertumbuhan positif ekonomi negara itu, dengan Obama dari Parti Demokrat sebagai calon kesukaan ramai.

Sebenarnya, ada satu lagi petunjuk yang perlu kita, umat Islam jenguk dan kaji tentang fenomena yang sedang kita hadapi ini. Banyak kiasan dan ibarat yang terkandung di dalam Quran dan Hadis tentang peristiwa akhir zaman. Kita tunggu cerdik pandai agama dan ekonomi kita tampil dengan tafsiran yang jitu, yang dapat membantu kita membuat keputusan yang bijak.

WaLlahu'alam...

UH HUH... I TURNED 37 TODAY

My daughter called me early this morning, wishing me all this and that. Poor thing, she must have a lot to say. Well, she did say a lot, but I couldn't understand a thing. Just yet to get use to the way she pronounced things. Hmm...

... and she put the phone to the tv too. She was sharing her favourite program, thinking that I saw what she was watching as well. We didn't subscribe video call, darling. Ahh... She's just three. I wish I could be there to share with her everything she wanted me to share.

And why did I suddenly changed my language!!!

DARN

Warkah untuk Rakan-Rakan

Hello there,

How's SUMMER treating you? While summertime sounds 'fun', we all knew the reality here is harsher. Please take extra precaution when you have to be/work outdoor under the scorching sun. Also, take extra effort to know what is 'heat stroke', your risks, the signs (symptoms), how to avoid it and how to overcome it. You never know when a simple knowledge can actually save you from death. Well, we're not going to fret about you-take-care-of-yourselves because we have better news to divulge you with.

1. We have created a google group for KERAS forum platform. Here's the link http://groups.google.com/group/keras?hl=en. I believe that all you should have received the invitation, but we have yet to see your exuberant response flooding in. Well, we understand that you could have been busy to respond, so we are doing the second option. We will include you automatically into the group, and if you feel that you don't belong there or that the group doesn't up to your taste, you can just opt out. By joining this group, you're allowed to participate in the forum, received news from the group, access files and photos shared by the group or upload your photos to be shared as well. So, as mature professionals you are expected to act like one. :) A public forum should be treated like a public forum. If you're new to public forum, please take some time to read Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
2. This is HOT! One of us, Malaysian, yes, Malaysian of Ranhill team, was caught red-handed for throwing out rubbish from his car at the parking lot. And the one who spot him was none other than our renown no-nonsense vocal PM; oops, we don't think we can disclose that. The news has leaked and now everybody are talking behind our back. They think that all Malaysians are like that, like the one who merrily throw out bottles/tissues/anything out from the window, out from their sight. We don't want to be cynical here, but don't you think that this is a great news. Now we can stop boasting that we came from a better part of the world. We can stop pretending that we're better nurtured. Who we're to look down at other people? Now, just because one of us did that, we're on par with all those earth polluters. What a tragedy...
3. ... and it doesn't stop there either. Now, they also noticed that we Malaysians didn't stop at zebra crossing. Period.

Well, we'd say that these are good news. Look at it from outside the box. Now, we have the opportunity to prove otherwise. It is an uphill task, but hey, you have to earn your respect.

Ila liqa ma'a salaamah


ps: we posted this mail to the group to start a new thread. please reply to the group.

Pelan Struktur Kuala Lumpur 2020 yang Mengharukan

Sedih saya meneliti deraf yang dibentangkan. Entah berapa belanja yang telah dikeluarkan untuk membiayai laporan perancangan itu. Hasilnya sungguh menyayat hati. Kuala Lumpur yang menjadi inspirasi kebanggaan seluruh warga Malaysia, bakal dibangunkan tanpa mengikut aspirasi negara. Setiap inci ruang seakan mahu dikomersilkan. Bila sudah komersil, pastilah perlu berbayar. Lantas, cukupkah saki-baki sumber yang tinggal untuk dikongsi oleh anak cucu kita yang dijangka seramai 2.2 juta pada tahun 2020 nanti?

Yang saya maksudkan bukan sumber minyak mentah yang menjadi serangan spekulasi dunia masa kini. Yang saya maksudkan adalah sumber udara segar (yang boleh juga dikomersilkan dan dispekulasikan suatu masa nanti, sedihkan...). Sebahagian besar kawasan-kawasan hijau yang sememangnya tinggal sedikit di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, terutamanya di lereng-lereng bukit akan dimajukan menjadi kawasan perumahan mewah. Lereng bukit, tentulah tidak boleh bina bangunan tinggi. Cukup sekadar istana dan mahligai. Harganya tentulah tidak sedikit, rakyat biasa tidak mampu singgah. Hendak jengah muka pun silap-silap kena halau. Maklumlah trend sekarang, kawasan perumahan mewah berpagar dan berpengawal.

Siapa yang bakal membayarnya? Tentulah rakyat biasa. Mereka yang kaya ini selesa duduk dilereng bukit. Pokok-pokok masih ada, walaupun tidak sebanyak yang ada sekarang.

Bagaimana pula rakyat biasa yang membayar? Kuala Lumpur bakal kehilangan 'kilang-kilang' pemproses oksigen dengan penerokaan kawasan-kawasan 'semak belukar' ini. Penduduk 2.2 juta. Aktiviti manusia sibuk menggila. Pengeluaran karbon bertambah berlipat kali ganda. Rakyat-rakyat biasa yang tiada 'air-cond' semua, bersiap-siagalah ya...

Di dalam fenomena global sibuk membincangkan tentang 'carbon foot print', pelan struktur Kuala Lumpur sibuk pula hendak merobohkan belukar-belukar sunti yang memang tidak boleh memberi hasil komersil. Mengapa tidak biarkan saja, pokok-pokok kecil itu membersihkan udara kita, melapangkan nafas kita. Mungkin agak 'menyakitkan mata' planner-planner kita, tapi percayalah, lebih semulajadi, tanpa gangguan tangan-tangan manusia, lebih kaya flora dan fauna yang dapat subur membiak di sana.

Sebagai contoh: kawasan Bukit Dinding, satu-satunya bukit yang masih bertahan di KL (kata ketua planner KL pada rancangan yang lalu) akan dibangunkan juga akhirnya. Pembangunan yang diharap dapat mengekalkan sisa-sisa flora & fauna yang ada rupanya meleset sama sekali. Lereng-lereng bukit Dingding bakal dihiasi dengan bungalow-bungalow mewah (lereng yang menghadap AU2 dan menghadap Setiawangsa) dan townhouse (menghadap AU4). Hanya seperlima sahaja yang akan dikekalkan hijau. Pada imej yang saya sertakan, kawasan Bukit Dinding sedia ada ditanda dengan titik-titik dan pelan pembangunannya seperti yang tertera.

Kalau New York dapat kekalkan Central Park, kenapa KL tidak mahu kekalkan satu bukit sahaja. Bukit Nenas sudah tinggal nama sahaja. Bukit Jalil dan Bukit Gasing pun sudah dimajukan. Nampaknya, memang terpaksalah 'dijual' dengan murah bukit-bukit yang ada untuk memenuhi pertambahan penduduk atas nama 'pembangunan'. Saya kata murah sebab, kalau hendak dapatkan balik 'natures' yang ada di situ, memang tidak terbayar.

http://klcityplan2020.dbkl.gov.my
http://klcityplan2020.dbkl.gov.my:81/dcpms/mapform.aspx

Malaysia, Oh Tanah Airku

Malaysia oh tanah airku, Tanah tempat tumpah darahku
Negeri elok amat kucinta, Yang kupuja sepanjang masa

Sawahmu terbentang meluas, Tumbuh-tumbuhan hijau merendang
Bukitmu lurusnya terbentang, Tak jemu mataku memandang

Sungguh indah di Malaysia, Negeri yang kaya raya
Tempat pusat berniaga, Terkenal di seluruh dunia

Malaysia negeriku Malaysia, Pusaka tinggalan moyangku
Tetap sentosa hidup merdeka, Malaysia oh tanah airku

Lagu & Lirik oleh: Johar Bahar

Masihkah, kau akan terusan sentosa hidup merdeka
andai, yang itu dan yang ini asyik mahu berkelahi
lantaran mahukan kuasa dan pengaruh memihak
pada kocek suku-sakat sendiri...

Aku pun naik heran
apa sebenarnya yang mereka kejar
kalau setakat kuasa sementara
berserta juga sedikit harta
atau untuk kebenaran yang tinggal sisa-sisa
(kerana yang ada kebohongan cuma)
bukankah semua itu milik Yang Esa?

Mengapa rakyat mahu dipecah-pecah
mengapa kami disusah-susah?

Malaysia, oh Tanahairku
barangkali mereka lupa
nanti suatu hari
mereka perlu jawab semua sekali
bila mereka sendiri
sudah tidak boleh jadi saksi