The RAHMAN formula

I don’t normally blog about politics, even though Malaysian politics is absolutely riveting. The last few months have been most interesting and we wonder who will be the new Prime Minister of Malaysia.

I’m keen to know it too as I would like my encyclopedia to be up to date. If my book says that Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak will be the next PM, and then Anwar takes over in December, then the encyclopedia is immediately out of date.

This brings me to the RAHMAN formula. It takes its name for Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister and fondly called “Bapa Malaysia”.

As some of you can guess, I am particularly keen on matters of the Occult. Occult does not mean witchcraft and things that suck your blood in the night, but rather it means “the Unknown”. It may be about superstition and the supernatural, but more broadly, it is about Unknown Knowledge.

The RAHMAN formula fits the category perfectly.

The formula is a way of predicting the identity of Malaysia’s future PMs.

Here’s how it works …

R – Tunku Abdul RAHMAN Putra: 1st PM
A – Tun ABDUL Razak: 2nd PM
H – Tun HUSSEIN Onn: 3rd PM
M – Tun MAHATHIR Mohamad: 4th PM
A – Dato’ Seri ABDULLAH Ahmad Badawi: 5th PM
N - Dato’ Seri Mohd NAJIB Tun Razak ???

You can easily argue, like Nostradamus’s quatrains, that the formula only seems to work when viewed retrospectively. Take the 2nd example above, why use the A in ABDUL rather than the R in RAZAK, as the chosen letter? Or why use the A in Abdullah instead of the B in Badawi (as the PM is commonly known) in the 5th example?

Anyway, if the prediction is correct then Najib will be the next Prime Minister of Malaysia. This is supposed to happen in March 2009, when Badawi is supposed to step aside. But then again Anwar may well get sufficient MPs to switch sides and proclaim himself as Prime Minister. The RAHMAN formula would then be rubbished.

But then again, some would say the formula rubbish in the first place, dreamt up by someone with nothing better to do or with the aim of achieving political mileage. I though find the formula intriguing.

Unknown knowledge, the mysteries of the universe, can be more riveting than who will become Malaysia’s next PM.

Encyclopedia Cover

The success of any book depends to a large degree on its cover. The saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” couldn’t be more true but the fact is, especially in today’s world of spin and imagery, most of us do.

So coming up with a cover for my soon-to-be-published encyclopedia has been no easy task. I’ve come up with two possible covers.

This cover relies on simplicity which children will like. There’s a lot of white space and is easy on the eyes. The one below is more complex. The is a lot more happening in the illustration. There’s less white space and so is harder on the eyes.

The encyclopedia is about 150 pages long and will be in hardback. The price will be around RM75. I would have liked the price to be lower but publishing is an expensive business, particularly the cost or printing and the margin taken by the distributor.

I reckon the encyclopedia really is worth the money though as I’ve seen many higher priced text-only imported books in the book shops. My encyclopedia is not only in full colour but its pages are filled with illustrations, maps, diagrams and old photographs. There’s also a glossary and chronology.

There’s also a Time Chart to History which illustrates Malaysia’s entire history in a single chart. I think this is the first time it has been done. I certainly spent many a long hour working how to achieve it!

As for the cover, I’ll have to decide soon as the printer is waiting.

Which cover do you like?

Update 22/10/08: Thanks everyone for your comments so far. At present, there seems to be a preference for the 2nd one. Both covers depict war because, unfortunately, much of early history, whether Malaysian or global, does have this common thread. It is what brought about change and created much history. This may be less so after 1945.

The 1st illustration represents the challenges the British colonial powers brought to our shores. This takeover was not always peaceful. The 2nd illustration depicts the Sultan of Melaka fighting on his elephant against the invading Portuguese. I commissioned both illustrations (I’m not artistic enough unfortunately!)

Interview in Kosmo

I was delighted to discover that an article on me is out today in Kosmo, the Malay magazine. I’d like to thank Fatimi for her in-depth interviewing and extremely fast work.

There’s a photo of me reading my short story collection, Gravedigger’s Kiss. There’s also one of me and my family on holidays. There’s also a shot of Eric Forbes (my editor) and I at the launching of Juriah’s Song at MPH.

Here’s an excerpt:

Menjadi seorang putera raja bukan semudah yang kita sangka, terutamanya jika si putera memilih untuk menjadi seorang penulis.

“Tidak (mudah) sama sekali. Saya seorang penulis. Jika saya seorang ahli perniagaan, mungkin menjadi sebahagian daripada keluarga diraja dapat membantu.

“Seorang penulis memerlukan pembacanya untuk menemukan persamaan antara mereka dengan penulis.

“Saya sememangnya sentiasa berada searas dengan pembaca saya tetapi pembaca mungkin masih merasakan jurang kerana saya seorang kerabat diraja.

“Sesetengah orang mempunyai pandangan awal tentang maksud menjadi seorang Tunku. Sedangkan kebanyakan daripada kami menjalani hidup yang biasa saja,” ujar penulis genre seram, Tunku Halim Tunku Abdullah, 44.

One thing about doing an interview is that it makes you think honestly about yourself and your feelings on certain subjects. It sound a bit obvious, I know. For those of you who are impressed at my excellent command of the Malay language, the interview was actually done in English!

I went to another BBQ today. It was with the Karate club. We didn’t do any kicks and punches … we just ate and chatted. It was another good BBQ. I’ll be able to lose a few calories tomorrow at our Karate lesson.

Change of Season

I do believe Spring has finally sprung.

We hit daylight savings time a week ago and so the days feel much longer. The weather has been cool but yesterday it hit 21 degrees plus.

Being a Sunday, it was time for the BBQ.

Yes, for my family, it was the inaugural traditional Aussie BBQ for the season.

The chicken wings were immersed in mustard, soy sauce and garlic. The beef steaks were marinated in wasabi and garlic. And the beef sausages went in undressed. We also had corn with their leaves still on and so they were plonked straight on the grill.

My wife prepared the salad and drinks. The kids gave the outdoor tables and chairs a good wipe as they hadn’t been used for over 10 months. They were very excited.

The best thing about the BBQ, other that than special sizzle, smell and smoky taste, is being outdoors. The great wonderful beautiful outdoors with seagulls and the sun shining proud. There’s nothing so satisfying as sitting warm and comfortable beneath the large umbrella with the family.

No pressures. No stress.

All is right with the world.

I wish you all a Happy BBQ – even if only in your mind!

Home by the Sea

One of the reasons we moved from Sydney to Hobart was to fulfill my long-held dream. And that is to live by the sea.

Not 5 minutes walk away but literally a stone’s throw from the water. Sydney does have its waterfront houses, the start around AUD$5 million (RM14 million at today’s exchange rate). Hobart was and still is much more affordable and so we caught that plane and flew 2 hours south.

View from a waterfront home in Hobart

When we lived in Section 16, PJ, I used to play a Genesis song called “Home by the Sea” and even though I knew the song was about another subject entirely, I still yearned. For younger folk who may not know, Genesis is a band that had Phil Collins as lead singer (it’s previous lead singer was Peter Gabriel). As a teenager studying in London I bought a ticket from a scalper and got a front row seat for a Peter Gabriel concert. He sang “Lay Your Hands On Me” and arms outstretched fell into the audience. I was one of those who stuck out our arms and caught him. He then swam on a sea of hands over the crowd. It’s a wonderful memory.

Genesis – looking for that Home by the Sea

During the night I can hear waves. Sometimes it’s too loud and disturbs my wife. Mostly, it’s gentle. I love all it’s moods. I can step out onto the balcony and fling a stone into the water. I’ve never done it for the sea mesmerises me. People in their kayaks paddle along. Yachts sail by. Cruise ships hum past. Then there is always the possibility of sea life.

This morning I saw a seal. Black and agile, it glided with life and promise. My son was most excited. Sometimes we see pods of dolphins. It’s always very exciting to encounter our marine visitors. I’m waiting for that whale to visit again.