🌿 Motivational Story: Hana and the 12 Life Lessons

🌿 Motivational Story: Hana and the 12 Life Lessons

That night, Hana sat quietly on the veranda, staring at the stars. Her mind was full of work challenges, family responsibilities, and hopes for the future. She remembered the words of her old ROTU instructor:

> “Life is not about removing problems. Life is about learning to enjoy the journey while solving them.”

1. Problems Will Always Exist

When her mill faced frequent breakdowns, Hana almost gave up. But she learned to smile even through exhaustion, because problems are simply part of the path to growth .

2. Futures Are Built by Habits

Hana never planned to become a General Manager overnight. She simply built daily habits: waking up early, reading reports, writing machine logs. Those small habits eventually shaped her future .

3. Effort and Attitude Are All You Control

She realized she could not control global palm oil prices, government policies, or even her workers’ behavior. But she could control her effort and her attitude, and that made all the difference .

4. Don’t Ask How to Start — Just Start

People asked her, “How do I begin leading?” She smiled, remembering her own start. She didn’t wait for perfect answers; she just started — speaking up in meetings, offering small ideas, and improving step by step .

5. Purpose, Not Pleasure

There were days she questioned the meaning of her work. The answer came when she saw the children of mill workers she supported receiving scholarships. True happiness was not in pleasure, but in purpose .

6 & 7. Expect Much of Yourself, Little of the World

At first, Hana was often disappointed, expecting the world to be fair. Later she learned: life is easier when you expect high standards from yourself and low expectations from others .

8. The Mind Magnifies Problems

When floods hit the estate, panic almost consumed her. But she remembered: half of the problem is in the mind, making small things appear larger. With calmness, solutions slowly appeared .

9. Repetition Is the Secret

Many sought “the secret of success.” Hana already knew it: repetition. She repeated ROTU drills, repeated mill checks, repeated her daily prayers. From repetition came mastery .

10. Don’t Let People, Money, or the Past Control You

Once, a colleague betrayed her trust. Another time, finances grew tight. But she refused to let people, money, or the past control her. She chose to move forward, free from chains .

11. Opportunity in Challenges

When COVID-19 halted operations, Hana refused despair. She turned crisis into innovation — implementing digital monitoring systems and strengthening local supply chains. Challenges became opportunities .

12. Gratitude Every Day

Each night, Hana wrote down three things she was thankful for. Sometimes it was just a hot cup of coffee, or her child greeting her at the door. She realized her “ordinary” day was another person’s dream .

🌟 Conclusion

Hana finally understood: life isn’t about waiting for problems to disappear, but about building the strength to keep moving forward.

These twelve lessons were not abstract theories, but footprints of her own journey — guiding her from a young ROTU cadet on the parade ground to a resilient leader in the industry.

> “Problems will come and go. But as long as I have effort, attitude, purpose, and gratitude — I will keep walking forward.”

📚 References / Footnotes

1. Lakshmanan, S. (2022). Palm Oil Industry in Malaysia: Efficiency & Transformation. Sandakan Refinery Journal.

2. Duhigg, C. (2012). The Power of Habit. Random House.

3. Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press.

4. Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Scribner.

5. Frankl, V. (1946). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.

6. Seneca, Letters from a Stoic. Penguin Classics.

7. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress. Delta.

8. Ericsson, K. A. (2006). The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance. Cambridge University Press.

9. Seligman, M. (2002). Authentic Happiness. Free Press.

10. Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC). Palm Oil Industry and Digital Transformation During COVID-19. (2021).

11. Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

#blog #blogger #kembarainsan #engineer #manager #usm #utm #ukm #um #tenteradarat #palapes #rotu

🪖 Hana in the Intermediate PALAPES Training

The morning sun rose over USM’s training field, casting long shadows across rows of cadets in green fatigues. Among the 38 officer cadets who stood in formation, Hana held her rifle firmly, her heart beating with both nervousness and determination.

This was no ordinary exercise. It was the Intermediate Level Continuous Training of PALAPES (Reserve Officers Training Unit), focusing on Conventional Warfare (CW)—a rigorous program designed to simulate real battlefield conditions [1].

🔥 Discipline and Endurance

For Hana, the hardest challenge wasn’t just running in the rain with an M16 on her shoulder, but mastering her mind and emotions. A single lapse in focus could compromise the entire team.

Her instructor’s voice still rang in her ears:

“You are no longer an individual. You are part of a unit. Survive together, fight together!” [2]

At that moment, Hana realized the essence of loyalty, courage, and sacrifice.

⚒️ Tactical Conventional Warfare

During the tactical drills, Hana and her squad were pushed into scenarios that mimicked real combat—establishing defensive positions, carrying out ambushes, and maneuvering under simulated enemy fire. Her breath grew heavy, her legs burned with exhaustion, but her spirit refused to give in.

She learned that in Conventional Warfare, survival and victory didn’t depend on physical strength alone, but on teamwork, discipline, and strategy [3].

🎯 The Soul of a Leader

One night, after hours of grueling drills, most cadets collapsed in their tents. But Hana stayed awake, scribbling in her notebook under the dim light of a torch:

“Strength is not only in the muscles but in the mind and heart. Leadership begins when you are willing to sacrifice more than others.”

Those words became her mantra throughout training.

🌟 Conclusion

By the end of the intermediate training, Hana had gained more than physical resilience—she had forged the soul of a leader and a soldier. She now understood that the true battle is not only on the field but also within: disciplining oneself, enduring hardships, and staying loyal to the team and the nation.

Though weary, Hana smiled as she stood at attention during the closing parade. In her heart echoed a timeless vow:

👉 “I will remain steadfast, for I am a warrior of grit and honor.”

📚 References (Footnotes)

1. Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia). (2022). PALAPES Training Modules. Ministry of Defence Malaysia. — Overview of PALAPES stages: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced.

2. Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Scribner. — Discipline and perseverance as central pillars of success.

3. Ministry of Defence Malaysia (2021). Conventional Warfare Tactical Guide. — Core tactical elements for officer cadet training.

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#palapes #rotuarmy #gagahsetia #palapestenteradarat #tenteradaratmalaysia #angkatantenteramalaysia #palapesusm #usm #pulaupinang #malaysia

🌱 Hana and the Lessons Beyond the Classroom

During her university days, Hana was not just a mechanical engineering student.

Beyond textbooks and lecture halls, she found her second home in PALAPES (ROTU) and the Recreation Club.

Almost every evening after lectures, while others rushed back to their hostels, Hana tied her shoelaces, put on her club shirt, and ran to the field.
Friends would often ask:
“Why spend so much time in clubs? It’s not academic.”

Hana would simply smile and reply:
"Because this is who I am. I enjoy doing what I love. Academic knowledge teaches you in class, but clubs and organizations teach you how to live with people."

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🌟 Learning Beyond Grades

Through club activities, Hana learned to lead during parades, organize recreation programs, negotiate funding, and most importantly, listen to her teammates.

From these, she developed:

• Interpersonal skills – the courage to speak and engage with people of all levels.

• Social skills – the ability to adapt to diverse situations.

• Leadership qualities – not only to command, but also to guide and support [1].

Hana realized that university was not merely about chasing high grades (CGPA).
It was about shaping oneself to be a valuable contributor to the workplace and society.

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🌴 Wisdom Is More Than Academics

For Hana, academic excellence alone was not enough to define wisdom.

"What use is being a top student," she often reminded her juniors, "if later at work you cannot socialize, cannot understand others, and cannot lead?"

She noticed that many of the most successful people were not necessarily the best academically.
They were those who failed repeatedly, but kept rising again, learning resilience through effort until they proved themselves stronger [2].

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🌙 The Spiritual Dimension

Hana also drew wisdom from her faith.
"The wisest person is not the one with the highest GPA, but the one who remembers death and prepares for the Hereafter," she reflected [3].

For her, every activity at university — studying, leading, serving — was meaningful only when done with the intention for Allah’s pleasure (Redha Allah).

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🌺 Hana’s Reflection

Later in life, when colleagues asked where her confidence and people skills came from, Hana would smile and say:

“I didn’t only learn in the classroom. I learned on the parade ground, in the club meetings, in the recreational forests with my friends.
That was the real university — not just a degree, but experiences that shaped me into someone useful, in this world and in preparation for the Hereafter.”

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📚 References

[1] Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development, 40(5), 518–529.
[2] Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Scribner.
[3] Al-Nawawi, Yahya ibn Sharaf. Riyadh al-Salihin – Chapter on Remembrance of Death and Preparing for the Hereafter.

#blog #blogger #kembarainsan #usm #rotu #palapes 

🎖️ Hana dan Loreng Wataniah: Sebuah Kisah Pembentukan Jiwa

Umur remaja dan awal dewasa adalah waktu emas.

Fizikal berada di puncak, mental paling mudah dibentuk, jiwa sedang mencari arah.

Hana masih ingat tahun 1999, saat melangkah ke Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) untuk melanjutkan ijazah kejuruteraan mekanikal. Zaman itu belum ada media sosial, tiada telefon pintar. Jika mahu berbicara dengan rakan atau kekasih hati, perlu beratur di pondok telefon awam dengan syiling 20 sen di tangan.

Namun, antara semua memori di kampus, yang paling indah dan paling berbekas dalam dirinya bukanlah sekadar kuliah atau dewan peperiksaan.

Ia adalah tiga tahun bersama PALAPES – ROTU Tentera Darat.

🪖 Latihan & Ujian Fizikal Mental

Selama tiga tahun, Hana dan rakan kadet diuji tanpa henti.

Kawad kaki di bawah terik mentari Pulau Pinang.

Denda push-up kerana kesilapan sekecil melangkah lewat.

Latihan tahunan di hutan – tidur beralaskan tanah, makan ransum keras, berjaga malam dengan senjata di sisi.

Air mata jatuh. Lutut berdarah. Bahu lebam memikul senjata.

Tetapi setiap kesakitan itulah yang membentuk keteguhan hati.

Kajian ketenteraan menunjukkan latihan fizikal dan mental yang konsisten meningkatkan daya tahan (resilience) dan kepimpinan melalui tekanan terkawal [1].

🔥 Pahit, Manis & Pentauliahan

Hana masih ingat malam-malam sunyi di hutan Balik Pulau. Nyamuk menghurung, hujan mencurah, namun mereka berlari menempuh gelap dengan jeritan semangat.

Dalam latihan Close Interval Weapon (CIW) dan latihan serangan, mereka belajar satu hakikat: dalam kepimpinan, bukan kekuatan diri semata-mata yang penting, tetapi kepercayaan kepada pasukan [2].

Akhirnya, pada tahun 2002, saat USM menjadi tuan rumah majlis pentauliahan, Hana berdiri di padang kawad dengan uniform putih penuh. Degup jantungnya seiring paluan drum. Saat pedang diserahkan, air matanya jatuh.

👉 Dari seorang pelajar, dia kini Leftenan Muda Hana, pegawai simpanan Tentera Darat Malaysia.

🌱 Kesan Sepanjang Hayat

Tiga tahun itu kelihatan singkat.

Tetapi kesannya?

Membentuk Hana seumur hidup.

Bila bekerja di industri kelapa sawit, bila mengurus pekerja kilang dan ladang, bila berdepan krisis dan tekanan — dia kembali mengingat loreng hijau ROTU.

"Jika aku mampu bertahan tidur di hutan, menahan lapar, digertak jurulatih, dan bangun selepas jatuh, maka cabaran kerja ini hanyalah satu lagi latihan hidup."

Kajian psikologi organisasi menyatakan pengalaman disiplin ketenteraan memperkukuh keyakinan diri, pengurusan tekanan, dan daya kepimpinan dalam dunia pekerjaan [3].

💡 Refleksi Hana

Hana sering berpesan kepada anak muda:

> “Kita adalah apa yang kita lakukan di zaman remaja dan dewasa awal. Gunakan masa emasmu untuk membina kekuatan diri, bukan untuk mensia-siakannya. Kerana jiwa yang dilatih dengan disiplin muda akan menjadi jiwa pemimpin sepanjang hayat.”

📚 Rujukan

[1] Bartone, P. T. (2006). “Resilience under military operational stress: Can leaders influence hardiness?” Military Psychology, 18(Suppl), S131–S148.

[2] Wong, L., Bliese, P. D., & McGurk, D. (2003). “Military leadership: A context-specific review.” The Leadership Quarterly, 14(6), 657–692.

[3] Britt, T. W., Adler, A. B., & Castro, C. A. (2006). Military Life: The Psychology of Serving in Peace and Combat. Praeger Security International.

#blog #blogger #kembarainsan #palapes #rotu #usm #leadership #army

🎖️ Hana dan Loreng Hijau: Sebuah Kisah ROTU

Tahun 1999, Hana melangkah ke Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang dengan harapan menjadi jurutera mekanikal. Namun takdir memberinya lebih daripada sekadar ilmu kejuruteraan — ia memberinya jiwa seorang perwira.

🌱 Hari-Hari Awal: Denda & Disiplin

Di padang kawad, derap but menghentak bumi.

"Bangun! Push up seratus kali!" suara jurulatih membelah pagi.

Hana, yang belum pernah diuji sebegitu, jatuh bangun dengan tubuh berpeluh, lutut melecet, telapak tangan perit. Ada hari dia menangis sendirian di asrama. Tetapi setiap kali tubuhnya mahu menyerah, hatinya berbisik:

👉 “Jika aku mahu jadi pemimpin, aku mesti tahan ujian ini.”

🪖 Latihan Tahunan: Hutan & Pertahanan

Musim cuti semester bukan untuk pulang bercuti. Ia dihabiskan di kem tahunan ROTU.

Hana belajar bertahan dalam hutan – tidur beralaskan daun, makan ransum keras yang dikongsi tiga orang. Malam, nyamuk hutan berdesing, dan mereka berjaga dalam senyap, memegang senjata, menjaga perimeter.

Dalam latihan pertahanan, mereka menggali parit perlindungan, tubuh berlumur lumpur, hujan mencurah tanpa belas. Tetapi setiap senyuman dari rakan seperjuangan menjadi api semangat yang menghangatkan jiwa.

🔥 CIW & Latihan Serangan

Hana masih ingat ketika latihan Close Interval Weapon (CIW) — menahan keletihan sambil mengawal senjata, berlari, merangkak, menjerit dalam koordinasi. Nafasnya sesak, tubuhnya hampir rebah, tetapi dia bangkit lagi.

Dalam latihan serangan, mereka mara ke hadapan, jeritan “GERAK!” menggetarkan hutan. Debaran jantung berpadu dengan hentakan but, seakan bumi pun bergetar menyaksikan tekad anak muda yang sedang ditempa jadi wira.

🌴 Kenangan Manis & Ikatan Persaudaraan

Di sebalik kepayahan, ada tawa yang tidak pernah padam.

Gelak ketawa ketika berkongsi air masak dari tin periuk.

Nyanyian senandung di khemah sambil menahan kesejukan.

Semangat “sehidup semati” yang terjalin antara mereka, tanpa mengira kaum dan latar belakang.

Itulah kenangan manis ROTU — persaudaraan dalam loreng hijau.

🌟 Hari Pentauliahan 2002

Tibalah tahun 2002. USM menjadi tuan rumah Majlis Pentauliahan Pegawai Kadet.

Padang kawad dipenuhi ribuan penonton, pancaragam tentera memainkan lagu penuh wibawa. Hana berdiri dalam uniform putih penuh, pedang di sisi, wajahnya bercahaya meski mata bergenang.

Saat namanya dipanggil, langkahnya tegap ke hadapan. Pedang diserahkan, pangkat disematkan. Dari seorang mahasiswi, kini dia bergelar Leftenan Muda Hana.

Air mata jatuh, bukan kerana penat, tetapi kerana syukur. Semua luka, denda, latihan hutan, dan malam tanpa tidur akhirnya menjadi permata pengalaman yang abadi.

💡 Refleksi Hana

Bertahun kemudian, bila berdepan cabaran di kilang sawit atau dunia korporat, Hana sering berkata kepada anak buahnya:

> “Aku pernah tidur di hutan, berlari dengan senjata, ditegur, didenda, menangis, dan bangkit semula. ROTU mengajar aku bahawa kepimpinan bukan lahir dari jawatan, tapi dari kesanggupan menahan ujian. Itulah darah loreng yang kekal di hati.”

#blog #palapes #usm #rotu #hana #usm #campus #wataniah 

Universiti Kehidupan

Ketidak selesaan itu adalah pengalaman berharga dalam universiti kehidupan

Bila ditanya, bagaimana saya boleh survive dalam industri sawit dan kejuruteraan hingga kini? Jawapan saya sebab dulu saya PALAPES.

Semasa 3 tahun latihan, kami pernah tidur dalam ladang sawit baru tanam, sawit 10 tahun dan sawit nak tebang. Selain ladang sawit, ladang getah pun pernah. Dalam hutan itu biasa, mara berpuluh km dan berkubu atas bukit botak panas terik mentari. Bila kita buat latihan, maka disitulah kami tidur, makan, minum dan mandi. Jika disitu ada lopak air, maka itulah air yang kami buat mandi.

Jika bukan kem tahunan selama 2 minggu, kami ada latihan 2 hari setiap hujung minggu. Bangun awal pagi pukul 5 dan berbaris pukul 6. Kami buat latihan fizikal, kawad, teori dan amali sepanjang hari. Masa itu rakan kami yang lain lena dibuai mimpi tidur sampai tengahari.

Tamat latihan tahunan, cuti berbaki kami buat aktiviti rekreasi sesama sendiri. Kami buat ekspedisi kayak dari Seberang Prai hingga Tanjong Tokong, Tanjung Bungah, Pulau Pinang. Berhenti di Pantai Batu Feringgi akibat ombak tinggi.

Apabila semester berjalan, kami buat aktiviti kelab makan malam, baktisiswa, jaga sekuriti jaga universiti 🤭, kawad pembukaan konvokesyen universiti, kawad hari kebangsaan serta banyak aktiviti lain. Saya jadi tukang belakang tabir dan sejak dulu tidak suka persembahan diri. Beri saya kerja belakang tabir, sudah pasti segalanya selesai.

Akhirnya, kami bergaya dengan baju mahal No. 1 kutipan duit alaun latihan bertahun untuk makan malam rejimental di hotel mewah 5 bintang. Balik makam malam, kami cari roti canai depan universiti akibat kelaparan 🤣🤭.

Ya, kami bangga sebab pengorbanan itu menjadi sebuah kenangan indah sepanjang hayat. Sekali seumur hidup, jika kita susah, tidak selesa, sakit, sengsara, namun selepas itu ia menjadi indah sepanjang hayat. Ya, kita mampu dan kuat mengharungi segalanya. Kehidupan menanti lebih besar cabarannya.

Usia Muda

Umur muda remaja dewasa 

Masa untuk belajar. Fizikal dan mental dalam keadaan paling terbaik untuk dibentuk. Dulu kita belum ada zaman gadjet. Masih pakai telefon awam guna duit syiling nak telefon awek.

3 tahun lebih di universiti antara perkara terindah yang banyak membentuk diri saya hari ini adalah kerana saya menyertai PALAPES - ROTU.

Sepanjang 3 tahun latihan, kami dilatih dan diuji fizikal serta mental. Hanya mereka yang pernah menyertai latihan tentera tahu pahit manis derita dan air mata dalam latihan tahunan, kawad dan siri pentaulihan. 

Dalam masa 3 tahun pahit dan manis, kemudian ditauliahkan sebagai Leftenan Muda. 3 tahun itu masa yang amat singkat, namun kesannya membentuk diri sepanjang hayat.

Apabila berkerja, rupanya cabaran lebih besar kita akan hadapi. Fizikal dan mental. Di laut kita dibuang menjadi pulau, di darat menjadi gunung, di langit menjadi bintang - tiber.

Moralnya, kita adalah apa yang kita lakukan di zaman remaja muda dewasa. Gunalah masamu sebaik mungkin anak bangsa.