Staying true to blogging

Some bloggers use their pages to sell products. Bags, clothes and shoes are just some of the items put up for sale.

So big are these shopping blogs that the sales have even "spilled over" to real life, attracting many young shoppers wherever they are held.

Others blog about their hobbies or interests. Mohd Nadzrin Abdul Wahab is one of them.

He has 22 blogs and they are about silat, a subject he has been passionate about for a long time.

"I started writing about silat long before blogs existed. I also love to write, a passion sparked by one of my teachers.

"When the Internet happened, there were suddenly silat forums everywhere but very little was said about Malaysian silat. I got active on certain silat forums to help correct some misconceptions and to explain about Malaysian silat. This got many people emailing me privately with questions.

"So, after experimenting with a short- lived e-zine and a dedicated website, I decided to start a blog in 2006."

Of the 22 blogs, he says only seven are fully developed and maintained.

"I'm developing them one at a time. I blog about senaman tua, a traditional Malay exercise, silat olahraga, the combat sports version of silat and others."

All of Nadzrin's blogs are hosted by Google's Blogger platform. He gets an average of 200 to 300 visitors a day.

"Not many, but I definitely have a focused and passionate group of visitors."

Nadzrin, who works full-time as a learning coach, tries to update his blogs at least once a week.

"But if there're interesting news, I sometimes blog every day. I never planned to make money off of my blog but it has contributed to my income.

"It has also brought me some recognition. I have managed to encourage foreigners to come to Malaysia to study silat. I was also invited to co-write an entry for the Encyclopedia of Malaysia titled "Seni Silat".

"Most importantly, I have made dozens of new friends online."

Sourced and edited from http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/27blog-3-2/Article/index_html

DPM Praises Silat Lincah Malaysia For Opening Door To All Races

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has praised Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia (PSSLM) for opening its membership to all races.

"This is truly 1Malaysia where unity is based on vital values of various races in the country," he said when opening the PSSLM convocation here Saturday.

He said the willingness of the non-Melayu in learning the Melayu martial art proved that the people could live and respect one another.

"Silat can also create loyal Malaysians, an important element in achieving Vision 2020.

"I am confident that our young silat exponents can go far in realising the government aspiration."

Muhyiddin said silat was already on par with taekwondo, karate and other martial arts as it had achieved global recognition.

This was proven when founder Datuk Omar Din was accorded the Living Legend of Martial Arts from International Association of Educators World Peace in 2008.

"The award helped to spread and upgrade the status of Malay culture all over the world," he added.

Muhyiddin was later accorded the Ulul Amri Ke-4 award, the silat body's highest award.

Others honoured were Senator Tan Sri Jins Shamsuddin, Datuk Sarimah Ahmad, Members of Parliament Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique and Datuk Mohamad Aziz.

Sourced from http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=484055

UTHM hosts Silat Sports Excellence Centre

JOHOR BAHARU, March 20 (Bernama) -- The Higher Education Ministry channeled RM7.2 million to eight universities to make a success of its Sports Excellence Programme which began this year, said its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

He said the eight universities received the funding under the first phase of the programme and that each received RM900,000 for the purpose.

The universities are Universiti Malaya (netball); Universiti Sains Malaysia (swimming); Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (cricket); Universiti Putra Malaysia (rugby); Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (rowing); Universiti Teknologi Mara (football); Universiti Utara Malaysia (golf); and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (taekwondo).

He told this to reporters after announcing that Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) had been selected to be the sports excellence centre for silat sports, here on Saturday.

The programme aims to produce a generation of "Thinking Athletes" and to realise to government's goal of having 30 per cent of national athletes coming from universities by the year 2015.

Sourced from http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=484012&cat=st

Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa Trailer

Khalil Proposes Complex Dedicated To Hang Tuah In Melaka

MELAKA, March 8 (Bernama) -- The Yang Dipertua Negeri of Melaka Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob has proposed the building of a housing complex dedicated to Malay warrior, Hang Tuah, as a new tourist product.

He said the complex should project Hang Tuah as a well known statesman, ambassador and silat exponent.

"With a hall, silat arena and his staff's housing quarters it will be a tourist attraction.

"It will make Hang Tuah more well known as a Melaka icon on par with other international legends and be an inspiration to the present generation," he said.

The complex was among several proposals by Mohd Khalil to further develop Melaka's tourism sector in his speech to open the Melaka State Assembly sitting at the Seri Negeri complex in Ayer Keroh here on Monday.

He said now Melaka's leaders were only known through road names or their graves without much information and this does come to bear on the new generation.

Mohd Khalil also suggested that Melaka-produced products be branded and that Pulau Besar be made a well known tourist draw in the region.

He called on local authorities to pay attention to aspects of cleanliness and beauty of green spots as a tourism attraction.

The sitting continues tomorrow.

Sourced from http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=480608

Author Commits Proceeds From 'Silat' Book To Charity

Kuala Belait - The author of a book Silat: A Perspective on the Malay Martial Art has commited all proceeds from the books sales in Brunei to charity.

In an interview with The Brunei Times, Amir Talib said that he intended to aid the charities in the country, after successfully getting approval to proceed with his plans.

"Now my commitment is that any sales generated within Brunei will go to a respective charity," said Amir. "Right now, I'm talking to one in particular, Pusat Ehsan (Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam)," he said.

"I've sent a proposal to their committee and they've already come back with a verbal agreement, and a written one will come through soon, sometime this week or next week, to say that I can go ahead and proceed generating donations through the sales of the book."

He added that while at the present moment it is with Pusat Ehsan, he has an ambition to help other charities too. "Subsequent to this is that wherever I am able to find (an organisation or charity)," said Amir.

For the father of two, his intention of publishing the book was never for the money. "It was never with any goal of making profit when we published the book The idea was to be able to share the information without too much of a cost to me." he said.

"I can tell you now that I've not made any money out of it," said Amir who is a Brunei Shell Petroleum employee. "The idea is that all revenues generated in Brunei will be donated to a chosen charity or a chosen organisation," he explained. "I just thought it was the right thing to do," he added.

"I have managed to come across local examples of parents of children who have autism," he said. At the moment, Amir conceded that the response internationally, has been slow.

Here in Brunei, the books are available in branches of Best Eastern bookstores, however it will only be at the end of March before he hears of any new progress.

Amir remains adamant about his efforts, "I don't want this book to just be something about me, I want it to be contributiing to something larger, more than just about silat."

He emphasises: "If I can make small contributions whether financially or whatever to the organisations that champion autism or help with disabilities I'd be more than happy to."

Copies of Silat: A Perspective on the Malay Martial Art is available at Best Eastern for $15 and all proceeds will go to charity.

Sourced from http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/2010030216949/Local-News/author-commits-proceeds-from-silat-book-to-charity.html