As a private netizen, 2026 is the year I would say I'll begin to giving more of my thought for the State if not for the nation. I'll exercise more of my free mind in areas which I believe would be of very significant important in our nation building efforts and spirit. Accordingly, those businesses that had been shelved in 2019-2025 are now picking up. I then need to pay greater brain exercising for both Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Accordingly, in the personal interest matters - in the social concerns and hobbies I would say In Shaa Allah are coming into stream as well. To add on and to keep to optimum times management, the Year 2026 will be my starting point to embark seriously into three personal drives - writing, AI-based Youtube and artistic works - that I had been working on years back. Just that between my corporate professional responsibilities, now I have to be much strategic in dividing my brain power to move into much brain challenging exercise that I need to move on.

(2) For a start, on the 15 January, 2026 I was bundled into a team to have a retreat in Jakarta. The retreat was suppose to be a very enjoy easy get together among junior and senior corporate staffs. But my mind excitement is all always about "what then issues". To me one minute spent for enjoyment must be compensated by "one minute or more of repayment." What has been built into my psychological soul was "in every matter that we enjoyed, all those were a blessing from Allah. Then once one consumed those blessings, then one must pay back by giving back to the society or ummah. In a simple words, what you consumed while you are living, such is a debt you must pay for your greater benefit hereafter". To me, to gain better hereafter position, one must not consume all his herein privileges. My basis is - Muhammad SAW chose to be zuhud - honest, humble and keep down to earth - despite he can have all he wanted. Thus my enjoyed excited mind is always being pushed to look on how to pay back what I had consumed.
(3) At this time, though Jakarta is wet and flooding in some places, the blessing is that, on long weekend, Jakarta is jam-free and most important, the air is fresh and cooling-green (as I see thru my bedroom @ the 14th floor of the Mercure Harmoni). On the 15th January night, I went strolling Jalan Manga Dua, having Kopi Tumbruk and nice durian from Sumatera. One thing I experienced here is the great Arab style of cheating practices adoption. It triggered into my mind - "Jakartans are still trapped in serious living hardship". In Mecca or Madina, once we bought something and there are suppose to be changes, the Arab traders normally asked for "Halal without a change". At least they asked for "Halal No Change." Here, upon arriving definitely I have no smaller denominators. All the Rupiah that I have are in Rp100K or Rp50K notes. Kopi Tubruk cost me Rp20K. Durian was around Rp32K. Even Bajai ride back to the hotel was Rp70K. Once paid with not the exact amount, they just said with lots of innocent drama: "Tiada kembaliannnya Pak - I have no small change". So what do I do? I just paid and deep inside me saying: "Will those rizki be barakah?".
(4) On the 16 January, 2026 at around 3:00 Jakarta Time, I woke up and glazed to the far distance into the rain. All over I heard people reciting the Al Quran. Then around 4:30 hours the azan calls echoed the whole Jakarta. This is one thing very different about this City as compared to even Kuala Lumpur. A 15 million packed city population and surely there be thousands of Mosque and smaller Musholla within the Jakarta-sphere makes big different in the intensity in celebrating the foremost Islamic pillars - sholat. My mind and heart quickly came into solitude to be among them - which came in as the piece I wrote into my memory then onto this screen:
(a) in the rain, people called onto Him on networks of Azan while in theirselves, i sensed their tight hearts struggling for space
today, their joys suppose to be, for most at least 70-75 per cents of the strolling Jakartans is just another pressure of struggles - a bid for another pieces of life for tomorrow
the Azan, collectively to bring all their hearts netted
but their unity was a mere spiritual-tenet with very less empathy of the nation growth and wellbeing
the rich bulldozing to be richer - turned blind, deaf and dumb to humanity, pushing the poor to "masa bodoh lu" creeping as cockroaches and rats scavenging what left
(b) In Time Zone, Jayapura the far east city, is two hours earlier to Jakarta, while Bandar Acheh the west most city is synchronized to be with Jakarta. But Jakarta indeed should be bundled with Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok yet, it is an hour lag. In economic and commercial environ, Jakarta is one hour late to the bustling world trade-deals and in fact three hours lagging due to their official and commercial opening hour at 1100 KL-time which is at 1000 hours of their local time. It seem, while Jayapurans are readey for lunch, the Jakartans just finished their breakfast and get to work. What a super time management inefficiency. So by the sway of Allah in Wal Asri - "in time ..." it came across my mind, how could then these "cockroaches" be happy birds whom feed on the early worms and be free and happy? The webs of Al Quran citation and the Azan - which calls for "let be on the winning path", so my querry - why are Jakartans deaf in mind & hearts - not heeding to the meaning of the calls? Who among them whom will have the courage to switch Jakarta Time to Kl & Bangkok Time Zone and start working at 0800 hours.
(5) By the way, Allah has many ways to make one to think and analyze to be better or worst to one choice. If one looks at a stupid thing, yet let it be stupid and useless, so be it for one will be sure among those. While one who sees things stupid and useless yet pushes his hands to get those rectify, as Allah promised, sure blessing will come to one and those one's helps. Indeed Allah gives and opens one to choices - thus one's deeds and values is all in and by oneself. Our surroundings are just the forces for us to analyze to come to a choice.

(6) I called on some friends I used to work with before the 2019 Covid 19 attacked. Rully and Tutty were my buddies then. To the far right is now my Kota Kinabalu buddy. We had initiated things in Kuching then but due to business slowed down and political instability, only in this 2026 I would say we would gain back our financial and business footing. Nonetheless things had changed so much since 2017 and new thinking had to be infused back into our business planning system. This time, my mind is working on how best to make urban living is a very interesting and secure system for the present and future generation. Indeed Allah destine is never being wrong and I appreciated on what His tests and challenges onto me for such an interesting hard winding ways. I am also glade that I had never give-up. His longing tests had turned my mind and heart into solitaire in almost everything, and that is my biggest asset - now I dedicated myself to my belief and just leave everything to Him to decide on my success and fate. For the urban and properties development planning tasks, I had the following advantages. First, my studied in Denver, Colorado was really a big asset to me. Studying in an environmentally concern and attached system, those now is a very strategic urban and properties planning and development timely values for me. Secondly, I was a trained Botanist as well as practitioner farmer. Green is my natural soul. Thirdly, I have those artistic mind. I love arts and designs. With artistic mind, definitely I could see the blending of things for a much human soul values needs rather a mere short term face commercial values.
(7) To my shocking, while I was in Jakarta in 2017 working on a 3,000 acres urban planning, after work, Rully, Tutty and myself used to roam many parts of Jakarta to have Kopi Tubruk and all sort of traditional foods even to the very late night at 12;00 - 0200 wee hours. We used to work from 10:00 to 23:00 hours. We then just want to avoid all the jams, crowds, heaty and pollution. At then, I had been none stop criticizing the Jakarta authorities over their neglect of Urban Green Space. So much so, the "cockroaches and rates" swarmed the road side and formed the "nostalgic of Jakarta (even Bangkok, Manila and Kuala Lumpur) living scenes". Now Tutty whom was very eager to take me around to show some of their efforts, reminded me of all my criticism and how at times of Ahok as the Governor of Jakarta then had agreed and being working hard to improve the "Jakarta Mess". I really admire this Tutty, she can still recalled all those passions that I have and she and Rully turned those into their architectural advantages. I would love now to visit their Danau Toba Project which is among their biggest success. Definitely, with my urban planning acquaintance, and their natural living architectural niche, I hope to work on something great for both Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
(6) Insertion is how part of the Senayan Stadium area being transformed into public parks and spaces. Earlier this was a mere unorganized open space but now is a very profit making public entities. This is what I mean by urban development within the people spaces. The major setback of this Senayan Project (this excusive part) is the denial to the non-culinary customers. Here all these culinary outlets are more suited to the middle and upper classes. But those were the authority requirement. Again, as usual Tutty then smiled to me, and said, "Pasti bapak punya kritik yang pedas". For sure she got it then. I told her, lately I turned "communist" minded rather pure capitalist. The full range of the people needs is always my concern. The needs of the people be they the rich, middle incomes and or the poor must be given equitable chances to gain from the urban development. Such consideration is clearly shown by Allah in how He managed to sustain the best livelihood of the ants, bees and even lots of fauna and flora. Such approach is very much demanded for the multi-cultural societies. To me this enclave of the Project could still be "opened" to all users, if certain physical designs could be facilitated. The "have" needs are exclusivity. The "don't have needs" are more for the "eyes". Both could co-exist in certain sense just that extra creativities would facilitate both needs without denying any. My experienced in Denver, Las Vegas and even Los Angeles were examples of the democratic ways in making the whole nation to love their country.
(7) The open to all space of the Senayan Public Park project is also interesting to note. Rightly serve by the MRT services, the place is very accessible to the all walk of lives. At least this part of the Project allowed the poor Jakartans to have a good quality of lives. One should note, Central Jakarta was the Old Jakarta. Here as compared to the South, East, West and North are crammed by the "poors". Air pollution and traffic congestion are worst over here. Their people Gang (villages) are made up of crowded unorganized hardly called homes living. So much so, they live a very distress lives, and thus are easily politically manipulated. The Ahok case indeed was a mere instigation works of his political oppositions. Works wise, Ahok probably is the only person whom can get things done properly in Jakarta especially for the poor. Except, the biggest problem with Ahok was his crossing into the matter (the Al Nissa Gate) that he was perceived not at all should be in (similar to Nga Kor Meng and Lim Guan Eng cases).
(8) In my three solid day roaming Jakarta, I was lectured by my special rented car driver that after Ahok, there will be no body better to help Jakartans poor. Baswedan and even now Rano Karno, all are useless. But he was later silent when I mooted the idea that now Ahok is with Megawati PDI, probably that would one day giving him an upper hand as compared to Prabowo and Gibran partnership. Indeed I was having KDM - Kang Deddy Muliadi now the governor of West Java Province as Indonesia best choice as next President. My belief is based on, Indonesia should emulate China in turning the nation into great economy - keeping Islam as the main choice but with "demokrasi terpimpin" as the key push.
(9) On the 17th January, everybody on the team went for Manga Dua Mall for shopping. I flied to Jakarta Premium Outlets which is equal to our KLIA Mitsui. Indonesia is well known for their shoes production especially the branded such as Nike, Puma, Addidas, Slazenger etc. Indonesia is also well known for their garments productions. I hope to get some best fit-me designs from the outlets. Well, then, Indonesian designs to me are too trendy and at a glance their taste are more toward the "easy black and far east market". But one thing that I really appreciate about this Jakarta - their emerging good taste on building landscapes - they began to seriously incorporate the green into their design-built. Their building voids are open and green space not only to facilitate for direction orientation but most profound I would say is to provide sense of place and greater socialization. In this aspect, Jakarta Premium Outlet far outsmart the Mitsui Outlet of KLIA. Just, I don't get anything from them.
(10) For the late noon tea, I called on my Acheh friend whom living nearby to meet up at Pondok Indah Mall. We had not met since 2017. I love to have some great Betawi Stuffs at one of the outlets there. I scored for Ayam Kampung Goreng Betawi Gurih and Ayam Pop. Sure Avocado juice is always my favorite drink if ever I'm in Indonesia. My friend is James but not pronounce as JAMES. His name must be pronounce as Ja-MES. He was once badly affected by the Acheh-Jakarta struggle that made him drifted to Jakarta. He now operating own Architectural Company and a number of Kopi Tubruk Outlets in Jakarta.
With him I shared this fighting principle:
Indonesia standing is from Sabang to Marauke, keep it that way. Allah had destined it that way. Never break the Allah's binding piece (Ali Imran 103-105). Acheh is the landing place of Islam for the East, so keep it pure and exemplary. Independent is a stingy western doctrine if we care to think hard. To neutralize all the differences is the very reason Allah creation of all the diversity. Now is for us to think harder and be genuine. Let bring forward a good great leadership within (learnt from the birth of Muhammad in the realm of Jahilliah).
Disasters - war, tsunami, big flood, etc are just His tests, take it with patience and holdfast heart and mind. Neglect, poverty and backwardness must never make us lost our soul to be together for the better. Keep thinking, working and praying for the best. Hidayah on how to keep thing in order, will knock on our doors - if we remain true and pure; now or later, I Shaa Allah.
I promised James that I would like him to introduce me to Muzakir Manaf, the present Acheh governor soonest. Let see what next thereon. Jokingly, I pointed my Sabah buddy as the "Acheh Sumbang" and asking him to look at me as the "Acheh Berjaya" - what it means, time will tell.
Bendara Sukarno-Hatta
Jakarta
15-19 January, 2026