BUANASENI

BRIEF COMPREHENSION OF THE BILLBOARD INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA

By Johan Ishak

16 August 2025

BILLBOARDS, or Out of Home (OOH), is a conventional method of advertising that has survived technological advancement, so much so that it is also a contemporary method that is not directly affected by the crazy blind rush for the digital and internet platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. 

If the content of the advertisement relates to some specialise area, such as banking, then approval of certain elements may need the Reserve Bank's (Bank Negara Malaysia) approval. Language wise, it has to accomodate Bahasa Malaysia. So, if you want it to be in English, then the Bahasa Malaysia translation needs to be there too. In the case of digital billboards, you have the option of sequencing different language versions of the advertisements that are typically 15 seconds each.

The economics of the billboards differ between the static ones and the digital ones. The static version involves printing that costs RM10 to RM12 per square feet. It stays there permanently until the end of the advertisement campaign. Some billboard owners choose to not peel it out after the campaign as a blank silver board looks horrible. So, the client gets free airtime!

The digital bilboards, or often referred to as the LED OOH, requires electronic and communication links so that the 15 second advertisement videos can be uploaded. The videos are rotated after a series of advertisements typically capped at just 8 to 10 clients to ensure brand dilution or visibility of advertisements are not impaired. Normally owners of LED OOH do not charge electricity unlike the static boards that do charge electricity to its clients.

The market share of revenue for OOH has been "stolen" by the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok but not as significant as what its sibling platforms are facing, namely Television, Radio and the worst, Newspapers. OOH business model can still work in this modern digital era but best if campaigns are sinergised to use multiple media platforms, an omni-presence per se.

Prices face stiff competiiton as OOH owners throw crazy discounts as high as 50% of the published rates. If this is not self-regulated by the OOH industry players, it may see a downward spiral into an industry disaster. Having said that, the pressure of cheap advertising prices by social media and the digital platforms pretty much warranted the crazy discounts in the first place.

Prices for OOH space can fetch a premium level if it has the necessary ingridients. Size matters but, as real estate agent often shout, Location! Location! Location! is the mantra. Hence, if Television and Radio have statistics from Nielsen or Kantar, OOH requires at least road traffic statistics as well as footfall staristics for indoor OOH sites. There is no one specialised industry surveyor for eyeball measurement which makes the OOH industry not united for that matter. So, the individual OOH owners do their own surveys. 

Variable costs such as printing and electricity is easy to be managed. The killer would be maintenance cost and the capital outlay to build the boards in the first place. An LED OOH, say 80 feet by 40 feet, may need up to RM1 million. A static board of the same size would probably fetch a cost of RM500,000.

Therefore, achievement of the minimum volume of campaigns by clients that can reach the equilibrium of the adequacy of gross margin to cover the fixed costs is crucial. Capital outlay is considered as the biggest fixed costs that are typically amortised over a technical useful life of 5 to 7 years.

The composition of the advertising industry in Malaysia has Digital as the No.1 ranked source, followed by Television and Radio. A decade ago OOH was behind all of these including newspapers. Today it is ranked 3rd. I suspect, pretty soon, it may just overtake Television and becomes No.2 that will always work in a symbiotic manner with its younger Digital nemesis. In the end, we shall probably see a duopoly like the titan couples, Coke vs Pepsi, BMW vs Mercedes, Apple vs IBM, or even Liverpool vs Manchester United.

*****

THE BEST ACOUSTIC GUITAR

By Mazlan Mahdi

29 May 2025

ACOUSTIC GUITARS are the basic fundamental tool for any guitarists. At our old office in Brickfields, I used to grab Johan Ishak green Gibson J-45 to our 30 storey emergency stairwell, just to hear how crispy, weighty it still sounds in the massive washed up reverb in there. Such a sonic fantagasm those sessions were. I fell in love at J-45 on its first note, so to speak.

THE ZIONIST LANDMARK IN MALAYSIA

What is shown in this video is actually not a sinagogue. It is a Freemansonry temple or often known as the Grand Lodge. Freemason is a society originated in Scotland for ancient architects who build cathedrals and castles. Later morphed into secret society of gentlements who wanted to influence governments and society, and later became demonic. But this metamorphosis did not happen in Scotland, rather, it was hijacked by Jews as a vehicle to put non-Jews under their control, hence members of Freemasons are non-Jews. Also believed to have been used to extend the cult of decendents of Namrud, the ruler of Babylon who burnt Nabi Ibrahim. The decendents include Cleopatra of Egypt where Freemasonry flourished first. And Cleopatra's DNA flowed into Romans when she married a Roman Caesar, and that Namrud Egyptian bloodline flows all the way to Queen Elizabeth. So, it is no surprise that the late Queen was the Chairman of English Freemasons and she supports the Zionists.

These are the logos of Freemasons:

HOW A CEO SHOULD RESPOND IN AN INTERVIEW

By Johan Ishak

21 May 2024

CEO is a title that carries a lot of weight. It represents the organisation that the CEO is representing as well as the industry that the organisation is operating in. It also represents the alumni from which the CEO graduated from as well as the ethnic group or state from where the CEO hailed. The CEO also represents the more personalised groups such as his or her family, or the family surname itself. In a more general sense, he or she also represents the gender that the CEO belongs to. Therefore, if you appear to be like a bloody idiot, then unfortunately, it reflects badly on those various groups you are associated with in life.

One morning, while driving to work, I listened to the radio station BFM89.9. It was the Breakfast Grill session. I shall not name the CEO who was being grilled out of respect to fellow CEOs out there. However, I will share what went wrong in his replies to the questions asked by the radio DJ. So, readers, please do what is the opposite of what went wrong. Here goes.....

Q1. Why acquire assets and not lease them?

A1. Well, why do you need to lease them when you can buy? 

Comments: Whaddahell? The assets in question were not any specialised assets. They were generic equipment that you can lease like computers. In addition, he even said that he still buys even when the leasing supplier provide warranty and replacement with new models when the current ones reach the end of their commercial or technical useful lives. What annoys me is that he answered the question with a question that makes him sound stupid. The Company is listed on the 2nd board of Bursa. So, what he is doing is worsening his Return on Asset (ROA) ratio.

Q2. Why not utilise assets fully?

A2. Because we want to make sure that when there are new clients, we are ready to serve.

Comments: My understanding of his business is that it requires careful planning of capital expenditure to ensure that the expansion of production is done timely in tandem with the demand growth. Simply wasting valuable funds that end up to be idle asset is just stupid. Why bother? Apart from your ROA getting worse, you'll incur unnecessary finance costs, be it debt costs or equity costs. That cash could have been used for working capital purposes. He should have tackled the question from demand-pull perspective. That would have made it intelligent.

Q3. Why do you limit your number of staff?

A3. We try to avoid the formation of unions.

Comments: Oh! My God. Whilst I do agree with his statement, you DO NOT say that in public. I hope his legal counsel tells him that that is a big No No for a listed company to say. Here we are moving towards bloody ESG and shit, this CEO goes the opposite direction.

Q4. How do you ensure that you are able to secure Government subsidy?

A4. We are lucky that we turned into profits because of the huge Government subsidy. For the next coming year, we got some hearsay that we will be getting the subsidy again.

Comments: First of all, the Company is a listed company. They are expected to strive for profits from operation, and not from Government subsidies. What is even worse is that, he uses words such as "Hearsay" of Government approval of subsidies. Furthermore, the word "Hearsay" can also lead to wrong understanding that the Company is confident to get the subsidies as they have paid certain corruption money to certain people in the Government. Not a good perception to be stamped with, I must say.

Q5. Why did you increase your CEO's salary when you are cutting other costs?

A5. I have worked so hard for the past years. Therefore, I deserve that salary.

Comments: Sounds very selfish when he had just explained earlier how he avoided unions and that no salary increment was awarded to his staff. I think he should have said something along the lines of adjustment to reflect the work description for the enhanced profile of the Company. That would have sounded better.

Q6. What is the prospect of your revenue vis-a-vis the recent financial reports?

A6. As you can see, our revenues have declined against last year. That is normal for any business. You get this ups and downs all the time.

Comments: That is not how you answer a revenue question. A CEO must always deflect the negative attack of a decline revenue by highlighting factors that can contribute to the revenue growth in the future. Even if he or she is pushed to a corner for the matter, he or she should associate the decline in revenue to uncontrollable factors (such as exchange rate, Government recent changes in tariffs, etc) as much as possible and not give room for people to form negative opinions on the sales activities that are based on controllable factors.

Q7. How do you plan to achieve a PE ratio of 19?

A7. This is a family run business. We have friends and family who will help to buy our shares when the share price goes down. That will significantly help us to maintain price, relative to the Company's earnings.

Comments: Whaddafak! It is a godamn listed Company. You should never ever make references to activities akin to non-listed companies. He had just fundamentally destroyed the credibility of the business itself in everyone's valuation of the business.

Q8. { No particular question. However, I noticed that he kept on using the word "Honestly" when ever he answers }

Comments: That seems to suggest that prior to the particular interview, he has been answering dishonestly? Or is he indicating that he has a compulsion for lying? 

End of "bitchin".

~~~~~

SURPRISE! RISING RICE PRICE

By Johan Ishak

7 March 2024

RICE is a staple for us Malaysians as well as most countries in Asia. In fact, it is probably the ranking No.1 staple food surpassing fish, meat and vegetables. As simple as it may be, there is a need for many types of rice particularly those with medical condition. Given its importance, consumers reaction to any change in price of rice is highly elastic.

Since early 2023, price of rice has increased by 36% from RM2,350 per metric tonne to RM3,200, as reported in The Star on 1 September 2023, and consumers are angry. India, who is World's top exporter of rice has restricted its rice exports in order to satisfy their local consumption needs. As a result, the price of rice is now at RM6 per kilogram (expatistan.com). However, recent shopping done at the supermarket seems to price 10 kilogram at RM45, i.e RM4.50 per kilogram.

A kilogram is equivalent to 4.5 cups, enough to feed a family for a day. 30 days gives you RM135 per month. This can be sizeable portion of monthly household income of B40 segment of the market. That is assuming a small family of 4. What if there are more?

Malaysia produces 1.5 million tonnes of rice that can only meet 73% of the local consumer needs (ap.fftc.org.tw). The remaining 27% are imported from various countries including India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam. The question is, why is Malaysia not addressing the supply issue and, hence, address the pricing issue. 

India has managed to become the No.1 rice exporter in the space of one decade since they embarked on their rice policies. What has the Malaysian Government done? Since the new Madani Government of Anwar Ibrahim came to power, a new ministry for food security has been created for which, Mat Sabu is the minister. Mat Sabu or even PMX Anwar should do what is necessary to address the situation we are facing.

According to Professor Fatimah Arshad of Universiti Putra Malaysia in a Breakfast Grill interview on BFM on 7 March 2024, the Government has introduced Beras Madani policy. The policy aims to combine local and imported rice, which means, combining low quality as well as high quality rice. This also means, the price averaging of rice deprives the poor from a cheaper rice price option.

What good does this policy bring particularly when the country is facing economic issues. The poor suffers more and the rich rice distributors make more profits. In any case, how does this address the issue of shortage of rice supply in the country? Fatimah further expressed her disagreement of such policy specifically and generally on the overall control mechanism for rice by the Government.

Whilst the Government is studying the monopolistic behaviour of Bernas for rice distribution on the pretext of fairness and equitability of the industry, the Beras Madani policy only tends to legalise the illegal activity of mixing low and high quality as well as depriving what could have been lower price for rice. Perhaps the rice subsidy mechanism needs to be overhauled as well and certainly, research and development needs affirmative action.

According to Fatimah, Malaysia is ranked second in the World for biodiversity behind Brazil, third in South East Asia for the number of scientist per capital, do not have climate issues like draught or elnino in India and a special ministry for food security. Shouldn't this result in better food economics? Fatimah further said that various studies suggest that seventy per cent of future supply of rice comes from research and development that we do, or can do, or should do, today.

The Professor's advice during the BFM interview was for Malaysia to upscale research and development, do away with monopoly and empower many small and medium companies to engage in distribution of rice as well as down stream pivoted product development from paddy or rice. Bernas can still be an important player if this is done as they have accumulated decades of experience since Lembaga Padi Negara days. What is left is just the political will to make it happen. Otherwise, we will always face many more future "Surprise! Rising Rice Price" again and again.

~ end ~

TOP 11 GUITARS TO COLLECT

by Johan Ishak

GUITARS have been my passion for years since the age of fourteen. I can still remember watching the TV when Rock in Rio was on air in 1989. I saw Slash for the very first time with his iconic gold top Gibson Les Paul. Ever since, I dreamt of owning a Gibson Les Paul. I only got to acquire my first Gibson Les Paul fifteen years later in 2005 when a guitar shop at Denmark Street, London, had a huge discount for a 2002 Tobacco Burst 60's Style Gibson Les Paul. That was the beginning. From thereon, as my music appreciation expanded from Guns N' Roses to the likes of Metallica, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Joe Satriani and many more, Gibson was no longer the only brand that I had interest it. It expanded to Ibanez, Fender, PRS and EVH Wolfgangs.

The thing about collecting guitars is, not necessarily it needs to be brand new nor does it need to be the very expensive ones - although price can be damaging for some collectibles. So, let me share with you the 11 guitar models and editions worth collecting:

2. GIBSON SG ANGUS YOUNG - I am not a big fan of SG's. They look too over the top and the physical feel of the body is irritating. When you are hanging it on your body but with no hands holding it, it is super imbalance so much so that the head stock and neck falls down pushing the body up. That is super irritating. The body feels too compacted that, in my opinion, I do not get the right wood vibration from the guitar. Nevertheless, its satanic horn shape is quite iconic. If I ever want to buy, I'd buy the red one with black pick guard. Although Angus Young of ACDC had used a red SG on stage, he was seen mostly with a black SG. SG's would probably cost slightly cheaper than a Standard Gibson Les Paul, i.e. less than USD3,000.

3. GIBSON ES B.B. KING - What is amazing about an ES is that, the hollowbody effects on the sound is superb. That semi-acoustical surge even when on distortions is simply awesome especially when in harmonics. Most ES comes with the two f-holes on the body and some only one f-hole, hence the description Hollowbody and Semi-hollowbody, respectively. The most iconic ES is the black one used by B.B. King and despite it being hollowbody, B.B. King's version has no f-holes! Personally I prefer a dark crimson red ES with two f-holes. It costs probably the same as a Gibson Les Paul, i.e  around USD3,000. However, the thing about ES is, it is huge. It looks nice on a fat man's tummy but horrible if you are not fat. Ha!Ha!

4. IBANEZ JOE SATRIANI SERIES - Joe Satriani has many guitar editions with Ibanez, in various colours ranging from red, black, blue, white, chrome, gold to artsy fartsy designs, but never have I seen any in green or yellow. In any case, my personal pick would be a plain Ferrari red JS2480 where only this red ones have a sustainer single coil pickup accompanying the humbucker. JS series probably costs USD3,000 each and be sure that you buy the ones made in Japan. The ones made in Korea or Indonesia will not have the desired resale value albeit being an original Ibanes. If you have a money printing machine, and/or a spare USD10,000, then Satriani's top of the range would be the Ibanez JS 20th Anniversary with the iconic 3D image of Silver Surfer on it, emulating Satriani's album cover for Surfing with the Alien. JS 20th, as it is commonly refered to, only has 100 units made in Japan, if I am not mistaken. When surfing the net, as in February 2024, there is only one prelovedJS 20th available on Reverb listed by a Thai entity with the price of USD10,000.

5. IBANEZ STEVE VAI JEM SERIES - Steve Vai's top of the range series with Ibanez is the JEM PIA models. Personally, I do not like its aesthetic looks as it looks too feminine with those gayish floral motives. Hence, I would go for the older JEM such as the iconic trio JEM777 available in three neon colours: Yellow, Green and Pink. It has very ugly looking fret marks in the shapes of progressive pyramids. I also do not like its fret board because I am so used to rosewoods and JEM777 doesn't seem like it has rosewood fret boards. The pink and green ones can easily be found on the preloved market as these two colours do not fade as much as the yellow ones. The yellow ones fade dramatically so much so that it looks really old. As the neon feel is supposed to make it feel new, a faded yellow would certainly take away that feel. However, I do not like neons, so, the old yellows work well for me aesthetically. More so when it is the rarest amongst the three colours. New JEM such as PIA may cost around USD3,000 but a rare item like the yellow JEM777 can be as expensive as USD7,000. Oh ya!, don't forget, the made in Japan ones are recommended to retain its value.

6. FENDER STRATOCASTER JIMI HENDRIX MONTEREY - Jimi burned his Fender Stratocaster on stage during the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. That is the most memorable action done by Hendrix so much so that Fender released a special Hendrix Monterey edition of a Strat. The Monterey Strat is not made in the U.S. It is only manufactured by the Fender factories in Mexico. So, for those Strat collectors, they may not like it if the Strat is not made in the U.S. One other irritating fact is that its fret board is made of pau ferro instead of rosewood. Hence, it may not sound as good as expected. However, I would still collect one simply because of Hendrix's misbehaviour of burning his guitar! After all, it only costs USD1,800.

7. FENDER STRATOCASTER YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN - I do not appreciate scalloped frets. It disrupts my guitar playing as the notes get unintentionally distorted and flat, or sharp. This happens because I am so used to playing the rock n' roll style on a Gibson Les Paul. To play scalloped fret guitars, you need to be a shredder. Fast, swift and not too much pressure on the strings. As much as I love Malmsteen and his arpeggio from hell, I fuckin' hate scalloped frets! I would probably buy a Malmsteen Strat when I am satisfied that I have acquired all other guitars that I want in my collection simply because I do not know how to control scalloped frets. Malmsteens Strat only comes in yellowish cream body with white pick guard. This is a boring colour scheme. In addition, the frets are made of maple. I prefer rosewood. So, maybe someday, if there is a rosewood and not scalloped fret Strat on a heavy relic cream colour issued for Malmsteen series, then I might just buy one (Although I think the rosewood but scalloped fret board ones do exists as Ritchie Blackmore's signature edition). For now, I'd rather skip this first and go for other models not yet acquired. Oh! I do not mind a made in Japan or made in Mexico Strat for a Malmsteen series, as it is cheap at around USD1,500 for an undesirable model, yet fulfilling the completeness of a portfolio of guitar collection.

8. FENDER TELECASTER JIMMY PAGE DRAGON - Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is well known for using Gibson Les Pauls. However, his memorable performance using a violin bow was on a Fender Telecaster prior to him being accustomed to a Gibson. Page painted his natural wood body Tele with some artwork that is supposed to be a dragon. Until today, I cannot figure out how are those red and green patches resembling a dragon. In any case, it is a famous design. As it is only produced by the Mexican Fender factories, the price is at a cheap USD1,200. What is also unique about this edition is that, its pick guard is in silver-metallic mirror-like colour.

9. PRS SANTANA - Paul Reed Smith, or PRS, was only established in the late 1980's. Being a young brand, it quite impressive that PRS has a few well known guitarists using them such as Orianthi, John Meyer and the famous latino rocker, Carlos Santana. Most PRS are slick in its shape but the Santana versions are fat. That gives unique characteristic akin to Gibson Les Paul. Santana PRSs comes in many colours but the ones mostly associated to Carlos Santana are the yellow-amber ones. It fetches USD4,000 to USD6,000 a piece but if you do not mind a lower PRS version of SE, it only costs USD600. Although a PRS SE can be cheap, the fact that its fret boards are made of ebony or rosewood, I will still enjoy playing it.

10. EVH WOLFGANG - The EVH Wolfgang or Eddie Van Halen shape designed guitar, named after his son Wolfgang, is a force to be reckon with as more and more guitarists are picking it up. The Wolfgang shape, coupled with a D-Tuna system allowing the 6th string to drop from E to D was first produced by Ernie Ball Musicman for Eddie. He then later brought the design to Peavey where the necks were made of a special wood called bird's eye maple. Although, in my opinion, rosewood sounds better than maple, a bird's eye maple has the versatility that enhances guitar tapping and the smooth use of floyd rose tremolo. The Peavey EVH Wolfgang was patented in 1997. The ones manufactured up to 1997 have engraves that say "Pat. Pend" and Eddie's signature; whereas the ones subsequently, says "Patent 388,117", also with Eddie's signature. Personally, I find the Pat. Pend 1997 and prior versions by Peavey has better playability and sound resonance than the patented ones. Maybe because the patented ones were mass produced. So, a 1997 Peavey EVH Wolfgang, at USD3,000 is a very good buy. Later on, Eddie brought the design to Fender incorporating two new features, that are, rosewood or ebony fret boards and a red button for stuttering sound effects. The Fender version is at USD4,000 for American made and at around USD1,000 for made in Mexico units.

11. ESP KIRK HAMMETT EDITION. Kirk Hammett of Metallica has recently moved to Gibson when he acquired the famous Greeny Gibson Les Paul that was previously owned by Gary Moore and Peter Green. However, throughout Hammett's life as a metal guitar shredder, he has established himself as a very famous ESP ambassador. All of his signature designed guitars were from ESP, made in Japan, or ESP's second brand, LTD, made in Korea. Hammett's signature models are mostly in SuperStrat shape and comes in various iconic pop art of horror themes like Dracula, Zombie, Frankenstein, ecetera. My personal pick would be the plain black relic ESP with two stickers, one saying, "Kirk's Guitar" and the other, in orange rectangle, saying, "Caution Hot". There are cheaper versions under LTD at USD1,000 but nothing beats the ESP ones at USD3,500. To prove a point, ESP versions give the closest sound you can get when playing the riffs for Metallica's Master of Puppets.

Well, There you go. My commentaries for signature guitars that ought to be in your portfolio of guitars, if you are a guitar collector. So, happy guitar hunting guys!

By the way, recently on 11 February, it was the American National Guitar Day! We do not have such day in Malaysia (where I come from). So, an American calendar mark would do. 

Daddy, Can You Compile All My Artwork Please

By Johan Ishak

1 February 2024

IAN ZUHAYR's demise breaks my heart significantly. My ten year old son who could have been twelve now. How I wish I can use the words "broke my heart" in that first sentence but I cannot. It can never be a past tense. Hence, I embarked on a journey to live and coexist with that melancholy. As they say, "misery loves company".

Ian used to give me his drawings of Godzilla and I can still remember vividly that he said, "Daddy, can you compile all my artwork please". So, naturally, another method of thinking about Ian is to look through his drawings that I still keep. 

I also sought and continue to seek divine intervention by praying for Ian's happiness in the afterlife with his late grandfather, Tok, after each Muslim periodic daily prayer. I imagine them holding hands walking towards the horizon of an amberdawn sunrise. God must have a plan to have taken away the boy that I produced and the man who produced me in a short space of three months (25 April 2022 and 21 July 2022 respectively).

Soon afterwards, around the time I was at Haj in Mekkah (when I can see many chubby Turkmenistan boys who look like Ian), I had become used to Ian's absence in my life, so much so that I had absorbed the sadness to become accustomed to it. I even sat down with Datuk Izham Omar (a song composer) and Haze (a new singer) composing a song on Ian for Haze to sing entitled Zuhayrku Yang Tidur.

Al-Fatihah

MCDONALD'S DI RUSSIA TUKAR NAMA?

Rujukan:

1. Ekstrak dari Facebook

Akaun Abu Raziq Ansorullah.

2. Sumber berita :

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/06/12/business-food/mcdonalds-restaurant-replacement-russia-ukraine-intl/index.html

Di Russia, McD telah berhenti dan diberhentikan operasi dan dijenamakan semula sebagai Вкусно — и точка (Vkusno i tochka) - hamba tak reti nak sebut 😄... tapi maknanya ialah 'Tasty! Period' atau 'Sedap! Noktah'.

Guna premis yang sama, menu yang sama dan pekerja semua sama, tiada siapa pun diberhentikan. Pengunjung-pengunjung pun sama.

Yang tak sama adalah logo dan royalti tak payah bayar kepada McD US.

Kat negara-negara Islam, tak berani dan banyak sangat kebimbangan yang bukan-bukan. Siap guna influencer Islam, Mufti dan orang-orang agama lagi untuk back up.

Anda berusaha hentikan support kepada yahudi, pasti dan pasti Allah SWT akan bantu Anda.

~ Bebas Palestina ! ~

GIBSON LES PAUL - MODEL APA NAK BELI KALAU FIRST TIMER?

Review oleh:

Johan Ishak

11 November 2023

STANDARD atau STANDARD 50's - OK best to start with kalau baru nak start Les Paul.  Nipis sikit neck dari yang lain and ada lengkung sikit on the edge. So, bila tukar dari Strat or Tele or PRS or Ibanez, tak ganggu playability. Nak angkuh sikit, ambik Slash edition of Standard :)

MODERN - bunyi ada sikit digitalised ke arah Ibanez sikit. Tapi ringan sebab body dalam dia buang kayu ada rongga.. tak sakit bahu memikul.

CUSTOM / CLASSIC / SPECIAL / DELUXE / SUPREME - Ni dah harga mahal punya range.. ada yg sampai RM15k, RM18k RM20k ke atas.... sakit wallet. Macamana mahal pun, aku tak suka fretboard and neck dia sebab tak smooth especially edge of neck dan tebal. Bunyi baik sebab lagi full body dari Standard but terpulang pada telinga masing2. Baik Standard or Standard 50's sebab nipis sikit neck and ada lengkung sikit. So, bila tukar dari gitar brand lain, tak ganggu playability.

Ok, tu je. Kalau tak setuju, ada aku kisah?

Hehehe.....

HAJJ 101 FOR BEGINNERS 

By Johan Ishak

26 June 2023 / 8 Zulhijjah 1444 Hijrah

10:00 pm

Mekkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia

Hajj, or Haji, is the fifth and the last of the pillars of Islam; after; first, Syahadah (Declaration of Acnowledging the One God, Allah and Muhammad s.a.w. as His Messenger); second, Solat (Praying 5 times a day); third, Fasting in the month of Ramadhan; and fourth, Zakat (giving money and food to the poor). Unlike Solat and Fasting where Muslims are required to do it daily non-stop and 30 consecutive days in a specific month yearly respectively; Hajj is only required to be done once in a lifetime only if you have the means to do it. This would be when we are in good of health and wealth to facilitate our journey to Mekkah in Saudi Arabia.

Hajj is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mekkah, Saudi Arabia, particularly at Arafah and the Kaabah. It is noted that in 2023, the headcount of Muslims from outside Saudi Arabia reached 3.5 million people, the highest record to date. Whilst it carries with it religious and spiritual necessity amongst Muslims, it provides two other social benefits, that are, economic trades as well as social networking.

Hajj has quite complicated yet simplistic set of procedures. When you understand it especially its sequence and running order, it becomes easy. To comprehend what is required, one will need to digest clearly the Rukun(s) and Wajib(s) of the Hajj. Rukuns are pillars of Hajj. Without them, the Hajj is incomplete. They are:

1. Niat - Before everything or anything, in your heart, be honest and acknowledge that you want to do the Hajj and comply with its requirement, the Ihram.

2. Wukuf in Arafah from Noon to Night on 9 Zulhijjah - While in Full Ihram (Ihram is explained later in this article). Wukuf means, to be present even for a while in Arafah. It is believed that in Arafah, Prophet Adam a.s. finally found Hawa (Eve) on Earth after a long search since they were expelled from Heaven. Wukuf is partly to remember this history as well as to emulate partly how hot and disomforting will Padang Mahsyar be when all of mankind is awaken from their graves to be judged after the Qiamat (Armageddon/End of Days). Wukuf is the core pillar for Hajj. During the prayer time Asar to Maghrib, it is strongly encouraged for Muslims to do'a (ask from Allah) for whatever they need in life especially to forgive their sins and to obtain Hidayah (light) from Allah to guide them in their lives. It is also customary for family and friends who are not going for Hajj to request a Hajj participant to do'a for them. Some of the usual generic ones would be to pray for wealth, health and peace and the more specific ones would be stuff like, to get a baby, to get a promotion, to get good exam grades, to get a wife, to be cured from a critical disease or even to pray for Liverpool to win football games. The day Wukuf is done is called Arafah Day, on 9 Zulhijjah, a date when Islam was perfected. The desert plain of Arafah is also where Prophet Muhammad s.a.w gave his last sermon to Muslims.

3. Tawaf to be done in 7 rounds on 12 Zulhijjah after Melontar - Not in Full Ihram. Tawaf is an anti-clockwise round around the Kaabah. It is believed that when Prophet Adam a.s. was lonely on Earth prior to his unity with Hawa, he wandered the Earth from a place now known as Sri Lanka to a place now known as Mekkah. In Mekkah, he saw a light in the desert. He went to the light and felt the presence of God Almighty, Allah. But yet he was also in doubt fearing that it may be one of the many tricks that the Iblis (Satan or Lucifer or Devil) may be playing on him - especially when Hawa and him were expelled from Heaven because they were fooled by Iblis to have eaten the forbidden fruit in Heaven. To ascertain himself that it was not Iblis, he circled the glooming light 7 times, after which, he was sure that it was indeed a medium that Allah wanted to connect with him. So he piled rocks at the spot to mark it as the subliminal House of Allah, which later became Kaabah when it was built properly by Prophet Ibrahim a.s. (Abraham) and his son, Prophet Ismail a.s. (Ishmael). Tawaf is obviously to mark these historical events.

4. Saei to be done 7 times between Safa Hill and Marwah Hill immediately after Tawaf - Not in Full Ihram. A trip from Safa to Marwah is counted as 1 and the return trip back to Safa from Marwah is counted as 2. It is believed that when Prophet Ibrahim a.s. left his second wife, Hajar (Hagar), and his infant son, Prophet Ismail a.s., at a rocky desert now known as Mekkah, Hajar and Ismail were in hunger and thirst. She, carrying Ismail, ran from one hill to another in a relay between two hills (now known as Safa and Marwah) searching for water. As she stopped running and settle to rest, Ismail's little feet knocked on the rock and out came abundance of water for their consumption. That exact point is now known as the Zam Zam Well. So, Saei is to remember this event.

5. Tahlul - This ends the Ihram fully. Tahlul is when you cut at least 3 strands of your hair. Many, typically men, would just shave their entire head bald. 

6. Tertib - All of the above are to be done in correct order of sequence as above as well as the below specifications on Wajibs.

Continuing from the Rukuns, there are also things you need to do but if you don't or breach them, you will have to pay Dam, a form of monetary penalty such as Saudi Rial of sixty (SR60) to be given equally to 6 poor people before you leave Mekkah. Different offence incurs different magnitides of Dams. These requitements are called Wajib(s). They are:

1. Ihram. A Full Ihram is basically to comply to 13 forbidden things, one of which is, men cannot wear normal clothes other than a pair of white cloth with a belt and a pair of slippers that does not cover the toes. So, underwears not allowed. Not in Full Ihram is when only 3 things forbidden, namely Sex, Foreplay and Nikah. So, when Not in Full Ihram, you can wear jeans if you want to, to Melontar rounds 2 to 7, Tawaf and Saei. However, Saudi Government compels men to still wear the pair of white cloth for Tawaf and Saei (but spiritually, you are not in full Ihram). Please do your own research to uncover the entire set of 13 rules / forbidden matters.

2. Mabit at Muzdalifah at midnight of 10 Zulhijjah. Mabit is to be present at a place or a passing by a place with a self acknowledgement of the place in your heart.

3. Mabit at Mina on 10 Zulhijjah after Muzdalifah.

4. Melontar (throwing stones) 7 rounds x 7 stones. Round 1 at Jamrah Qubro on 10 Zulhijjah after Mabit at Mina. Rounds 2 and 5 at Jamrah Sughra. Rounds 3 and 6 at Jamrah Wusta. Rounds 4 and 7 at Jamrah Qubro. Rounds 2, 3 and 4 on 11 Zulhijjah and Rounds 5, 6 & 7 on 12 Zulhijjah. The act of throwing stones at the Jamrahs is symbolism of leaving behind sinful deeds that needs to be honestly acknowledged in your heart. Jamrahs are simply the designated areas in Mina where the Melontar ritual is to be done.

I hope with this article, there is sufficient information for people to learn about what Hajj is from both Fiqah (Technicalities) and Tauhid (Faith) perspectives, along with the historical context to which Hajj had capitalised as its subliminal essence. I wrote this article in Mekkah on 8 Zulhijjah 1444 Hijrah (26 June 2023) while waiting for the bus to go to Arafah for us (me and my colleagues from Malaysia) to do Wukuf the next day on 9 Zulhijjah. Our bus had broken down and hence, we had to wait for hours before we could leave Mekkah in a replacement bus. 

So, this article was written while I was in Ihram. We were told that you should do Ibadah (good deeds) while in Ihram. Most people would read the Holy Quran or do more prayers. I chose to write this article so that I can share my knowledge to others in lay man terms. Hopefully not only Muslims, but also Non-Muslims can learn if they wish to do so. Sharing knowledge is also an Ibadah for how else would others do the Ibadah of Hajj when there is no one to educate them? I sincerely hope that this article will benefit many.

To my fellow Muslims around the globe, do consider to do this once in a life time pilgrimage when you still have the money, time, health, convenience and are still alive rather than when you are poor, busy, sick, in disorder or dead. To my fellow 3.5 milion Muslims who are doing Hajj now in Mekkah and specifically to my fellow 30,000 Malaysian Muslims who are also in Mekkah for Hajj for the year 1444 Hijrah (2023), I pray that Allah grants us all a Mabrur (Complete and Fulfilling) Hajj and acknowledges our prayers. Amin. Assalamualaikum. God bless you all.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on the author's experience during his Hajj pilgrimage in 2023 (1444 Hijrah) and it is not to be taken as the confirmed information to be used by others. Please consult the proper authorities such as Tabung Haji, Imams and/or Ulamaks if readers intend to craft their own planning for Hajj.

LANDSKAP INDUSTRI TV MALAYSIA: APA YANG HARUS DIROMBAK? 

Oleh Johan Ishak

17 May 2023

TELEVISYEN di Malaysia, sebagai sebuah industri, telah berkembang maju setelah berdekad yang lalu sehingga kini berlandaskan saluran digital (Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV)) yang di sempurnakan oleh pihak Kerajaan melalui Kementerian Komunikasi dan Digital Malaysia (KKD). Namun, pihak stesen televisyen swasta berdepan dengan pelbagai kekangan yang membantutkan perkembangan ekonomi industri ini. Antaranya adalah:

1. Disrupsi Digital: Perbelanjaan Iklan televisyen (TV Adex) yang dahulunya (2012) pernah mencapai RM2 bilion setahun sudah merosot kepada RM800 juta (2022) kerana dihakis oleh perkembangan pengiklanan digital seperti Facebook, Google dan YouTube. Kebanyakan platform-platform digital ini bukan sahaja menjejas sumber pendapatan stesen-stesen televisyen tempatan tetapi ianya juga menjejaskan sumber pendapatan Kerajaan dari pungutan cukai. Ini adalah kerana platform digital menyalurkan pendapatan iklan mereka ke luar negara seperti Singapura dan Ireland.

2. Kewajaran Penapisan: Penapisan kandungan juga memainkan peranan yang kritikal dimana penapisan kandungan untuk digital adalah lebih liberal dari televisyen. Ini menyekat aliran iklan ke televisyen dengan keadaan yang tidak adil dan saksama (Non-level Playing Field) kerana pihak penonton yang sama juga menggunakan kedua-dua platform televisyen dan digital tidak kira umur termasuk kanak-kanak.

3. Keseimbangan Peluang Pendapatan: Industri televisyen Malaysia merangkumi televisyen tidak berbayar (Free-to-Air (FTA)) dan televisyen berbayar (Pay TV). Pihak FTA hanya meraih pendapatan dari pengiklanan. Di sebaliknya, pihak Pay TV meraih pendapatan dari pengiklanan dan juga pembayaran subskripsi (Subscription) oleh penonton. Oleh kerana itu, pihak FTA sekali lagi berdepan dengan situasi Non-Level Playing Field.

4. Ketelusan Ukuran Penonton Televisyen: Industri televisyen Malaysia bergantung kepada ukuran penonton, iaitu TAM, yang disukat oleh pihak perunding profesional Nielsen Audience Measurement untuk FTA. Manakala pihak Pay TV menggunakan perunding profesional yang lain iaitu Kantar. Perbezaan kaedah antara kedua-dua perunding ini menimbulkan pelbagai kekeliruan dikalangan stesen-stesen televisyen di Malaysia. Pihak Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (MCMC) kini di dalam process merubah keadaan ini dengan bermulanya perancangan ukuran selari (Single Television Audience Measurement (STAM)). Penggerak FTA menyokong inisatif ini tetapi berharap audit luar yang sewajarnya perlu diketengahkan di dalam implimentasi STAM. Sementara menunggu implimentasi STAM, langkah sewajarnya perlu diambil untuk mengaudit ukuran penonton sedia ada di bawah pengurusan Nielsen.

5. Peranan RTM: Industri televisyen Malaysia yang berkembang maju dengan pemain-pemain industri swasta selama ini bersaing dengan RTM dimana ianya bukan sahaja menjejaskan syer penonton (Viewership Share) dan syer pendapatan (Revenue Share) pihak televisyen swasta, malah mengganggu negosiasi kos pihak televisyen dengan syarikat-syarikat produksi kandungan televisyen. Operasi pihak RTM akan lebih bermakna jika ianya berkecimpung di dalam hal-hal yang tidak dirangkum oleh stesen televisyen swasta seperti kandungan pendidikan, sejarah, dokumentari dan yang segolongan dengannya.

6. Peranan FINAS: Setelah meneliti langkah-langkah FINAS di kala "MCO - Covid19" (2020 - 2021), pihak penggerak FTA merumuskan bahawa FINAS tidak membantu industri dengan baik berdasarkan kepada perkara-perkara di bawah:

a) FINAS hanya melibatkan stesen televisyen tertentu sahaja untuk implimentasi geran kandungan televisyen di bawah PENJANA untuk syarikat-syarikat produksi televisyen. Walaupun pihak stesen TV swasta khususnya yang baru beroperasi sedia berkolaborasi, FINAS tidak menghiraukan hal ini. Malah, FINAS membebankan lagi pihak penggerak FTA dengan proses-proses untuk kelulusan. Sewajarnya, kesemua stesen televisyen FTA harus dijadikan saluran untuk membantu syarikat-syarikat produksi televisyen.

b) Sepanjang "MCO - Covid19" (2020 - 2021), pihak FINAS lewat dalam membuat rangka norma baharu untuk produksi televisyen sehingga pihak televisyen swasta terpaksa menunggu ataupun mencari jalan penyelesaian alternatif. Adalah difahamkan bahawa pihak FINAS hanya mengeluarkan rangka norma baharu selepas memplagiat kaedah alternatif yang diguna-pakai oleh pihak stesen televisyen. Contoh kaedah baharu adalah: "Lockdown" krew penggambaran dan artis di hotel kosong untuk menjalankan penggambaran lengkap dengan "SOP Covid19" yang diluluskan oleh Majlis Keselamatan Negara.

7. Kos Transmisi Yang Tinggi: Pihak penggerak FTA mengeluarkan kos yang tinggi untuk membayar MYTV sejumlah RM6 juta setahun hanya untuk 30% perumahan yang menonton televisyen. 70% perumahan penonton televisyen menonton stesen FTA melalui satelit, iaitu Astro. Demi mikroekonomi televisyen swasta, mereka terpaksa membayar sejumlah yang besar hampir kepada kos MYTV juga kepada Astro untuk terus menyiar kepada 70% perumahan televisyen yang tidak terlingkup oleh MYTV. Ini adalah satu situasi perniagaan yang merumitkan pihak stesen televisyen dari segi kos.

Pihak penggerak FTA berharap agar pihak kerajaan khususnya KKD dan MCMC dapat merubah polisi industri dengan komitmen yang wajar (Affirmative Action) demi keberlangsungan ekonomi industri televisyen Malaysia. Pihak Penggerak FTA bersedia untuk berbincang dengan lebih lanjut.

***** tamat *****

SHOULD RTM BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE WITH COMMERCIAL TV STATIONS?

By Johan Ishak

17 May 2023

1. In an industry that already has commercial economic structure, it does not make sense for Government to crowd it as it will depress that economic growth. Like how Mimos has become irrelevant in the IT industry economically, so should RTM.

2. RTM is a disruptor that destroys the industry as it dilutes the commercial TV station's audience count, hence depressing the propensity to earn advertisers' spend.

3. RTM can still exist for genres that does not disrupt the profits of commercial TV station such as documentaries, Islamic, Kids and Sports. These are the genres that does not attract advertisement money in the context of Malaysian TV landscape. 

4. There is a genre that RTM may still carry eventhough it disrupts both audience count and revenues of commercial TV station, and it is called News. News is a tool for Government to disseminate critical national interest and security information.

5. Some may say Sports bring money. It does not because the cost is too high for, say, fees to Malaysian Football League ("MFL"). Therefore, for the economic well being of footballers in Malaysia, tax payers' money should be channelled thru RTM for sports programme and hence further cascaded to MFL and further to local footballers.

6. The context these opinion is taken from a perspective of the best use of tax monies and the balanced approach for both Government and Commercial TV stations to co-exist with its respective roles in society that do not clash with each other.

7. In the context of the current Malaysian TV landscape that is heavily disrupted by the likes of Facecook Amazon Netflix and Google-Youtube (FANG), affirmative actions should be taken to save the TV industry. They are: (a) To limit the operations of FANG where their revenues must be recorded in Malaysia to attract tax revenues to the Government, (b) FANG must be subjected to strict advertising and pricing model, and (c) Commercial TV station should be compensated for loss of revenues from the said disruption in multiple ways that included tax exemption, subsidies and others.

~ end ~

APA SUDAH JADI DENGAN SAUDI?

Oleh Jo Haq

15 Mac 2023

Omar: Weii!... Arab Saudi sudah haramkan ambik foto di Kaabah daaa.... This is a good call.

Karim: Bagus. Semak je those content makers.

Omar: I wonder.. ramai tak content maker from other countries yang dok amik gmbar depan Kaabah ni.. or is it mostly Malaysians je?

Ishak: You are missing the important point. When people can take photo, Kaabah becomes closer to their hearts. This move is pushing away the relevance of kaabah from people's spiritual development. Serupa macam kalau kau tak tengok muka wife kau sampai berbulan, lama-lama hilang di hati. Do you know now they can sell alcohol in hotels in Mekkah and Medinah? Do you know that now non-Muslims can enter Mekkah and Medinah? Do you know that they have cut down the length of doa and azan volume? Do you know that now it is not an offence for women to not cover heads walking around Mekkah and Medinah? These are all part of the slow process to detach away Mekkah and Medinah from our hearts and minds.

Karim: If that's the agenda, why did the Muslim Arabs themselves are imposing this? Thats odd.

Ishak: Ahah!.. that is the question.

Kamarul: They have imposed even weirder rules and policies to date.

Ishak: Do you know that that land before it was called Saudi Arabia, was under the last Muslim caliphate of Ottoman empire whom had lost World War 1? Then the British subdivided the land into Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Yemen, and others. They even slowly delete Palestine from the map. They then selected families of their choice to rule the respective new countries. In the case of Arabia, they selected the Bedouine family of Al-Saud and the religious sect of the Wahabis to rule Arabia, later became Saudi Arabia. The Saud family are Jewish people who converted to Islam. God knows whether they are Munafik or not. The Wahabis are ulamaks who are prone to reject many hadiths on the back of the convenience to declare whatever they like as bida'ah. These two acts, that are, first, controlling by Jews indirectly and, second, applying method to reduce hadith application; were pre-planned by the Zionists to slow cook with the aim to diminish Islam over a long and steady period.

Kamarul: Arab ni mcm ada hidden agenda. One that might not even be aligned with the true teachings of Islam or the way of Rasullullah s.a.w.

Omar: If ambik for self reminder on the spiritual part takpe.. but not to ambik gmbar atau video at Kaabah to promote promote products nak bagi laku.

Ishak: Again you are missing the point. Look at macro, not micro.

Omar: I'm talking about the practice not the niat.

Ishak: Again you are missing the point. Look at macro, not micro.

Omar: Elaborate please.

Ishak: Laahhhh,.... yang aku dok membebel panjang lebar pasal Zionist's plan tu tak cukup elaborate ka?

Omar: So ambik gmbar with the niat nak promote product boleh?

Ishak: I am talking about the new rules. Again you are missing the point. Look at macro, not micro.

Omar: Ya la.. I understand the macro.. I'm just talking about the niat of amik gmbar sebab nak promote product.

Ishak: Itu individual dosa lah.

Omar: Yes... that's all my point. I fully understand the macro and the history of Al-Saud family and what the british has done to the Arab world since World War 1.

Ishak: I know you guys may think I am paranoid because of reading too many books on Freemasons, Zionists and other similar books, but I have seen real life matters now that are congruent to the so called conspiracy. I am not even wanting to highlight the history. I want to highlight why the history is as such.

Omar: Aku pun ada gak research sikit-sikit pasal history of the Arab world ni.

Ishak: If you know the things I know, you'd want to die in Mekkah. But because I have family to look after here in Malaysia, I remain here. In Malaysia, I can see how the non-Muslims device plans to destroy Muslims. Why do you think I am always facing issues with many people in the corporate world? I don't just observe. I collaborate with underground reliable sources.

Kamarul: To me, ni my personal opinion la kan. I kinda like when people take photos of the Kaabah. Bersangka baik that these people have large following that their nawaitu is to inspire others so that some might be triggered to do the same. Some that are on the fence about ‘berhijrah’ to the other side for good. And with the internet overflowing with these kind of pictures of promos, a lot more non-Muslims would be intrigued and if God willing, convert. But yang pegang product merepek ambik gambar and video depan Kaabah tu nanti jawab lah on the other side. Nawaitu dah lari tu.

Ishak: On the hand, the LBGT is geeting a lot of social media traction. Renungkan lah.

Kamarul: Aku suka colour rainbow. sekarang tak boleh pasal takut orang ingat promo LBGTQ agenda.

Ishak: Q apa dia? Lost count of the alphabets.

Kamarul: Queer.

Ishak: Ooooo... macam-macam.

Kamarul: Next year jadi LGBTQNBS.

Ishak: Apa pulak NBS tu?

Kamarul: NBS tu ialah Non-binary Sex. Maksudnya mungkin sex sendiri tak payah teman. Ataupun maybe tak de sex langsung, hahahahaha... bengung.

Omar: Really a lot of these LGBT thing on screen now especially on Netflix. Almost semua new series yang aku dok tengok ada saja gay scene.

Kamarul: Nak comform to the new order of society standards, kenalah politically correct and current la konon. Sampah semua tu. Dah elok-elok Tuhan buat pepet sedap pelbagai, nak jugak pelir. Tak paham gays ni. But then again, it's between them and God la kan.

Ishak: ikut suka kau lah labu... nak main bontot ke apa ke. Janji jangan kacau telor aku. Ok bye. Gua nak pi kerja dah ni. Esok ni company gua nak saman Kerajaan. Chiow!

*****

Now I Appreciate Not Being A First Timer Umrah Visitor to Masjidil Haram Mecca

By Jo Haq

20 February 2023

27 Jamadil-Akhir 1444

Women whose attire won't differentiate them between ihram or not, needs to be accompanied by at least a man with ihram. So, only those who are doing umrah can go near the Kaabah unless you lie and still wear ihram just to see the Kaabah. We shouldn't lie. Who are we lying to? Not ourselves, not the Saudi Government, but Allah s.w.t.

Now, tawaf sunat and prayers without ihram can only be done on the roof-covered floors or rooftop with larger circumfrence; and yet, you cannot see the Kaabah clearly. Many used to try their level best to pray in the Hijir Ismail, touch the Multazam, and the ultimate kiss on Hajarul Aswad while doing tawaf sunat. Now, that is only available to those doing umrah (assuming no liars).

So, I am glad that I snapped so many photos as well as touched and/or kissed, where appropriate; the Kaabah, the Hajarul Aswad, the Multazam, the Hijir Ismail, the Clock Tower, etc; during my 2019 umrah that was before the Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO). My 2023 umrah made me appreciate my 2019 umrah a lot. 

It is sad to know that those who had never done umrah before Covid-19 MCO may not have the same experience. I must say that leaving the site or sight of the Kaabah does leave behind a sense of longing in a Muslim's heart. It is a magical feeling - a sadness that gives you pleasure - very much like remembering a demised close family member. 

"Positive We Must Be", if Master Yoda is to comment. This inadequacy of experience opportunity is a catalyst to encourage Muslims to want to do more umrah so that they will be in ihram and not having to lie just to wear the ihram; to be close to the Kaabah. For this,  it is a pleasure that Muslims must embrace to do as much rounds of umrah in their trip to Al-Haram, Mecca; for to accumulate that experience (umrah) can only epitomise the very rare few non-sinful greed allowable for Muslims to indulge, Insya-Allah.

*****