Sarawak ....Has it change much?

Well, so much time have gone by and I was kept busy with many things. There was this 9.0 Earthquake on Friday 11 March, 2011 and the Tsunami that followed at Japan. We were just leaving KOMTAR Penang tower after making a search on property title at the Land Office which were hampered by computer system that was down and had to leave early and to come back on the next Monday. On the way out at the Ground Floor Shopping complex, we saw a large crowd of people and shoppers gathered in front and at the electrical and home appliances shop watching the live TV news broadcast by NHK, CNN and other channels. It was so tragic and my friend who was mourning her loss recently was deeply shocked as much as others as we watch the killer Tsunami waves destroying the Sendai City and nearby villages. I am sure most of you are still keeping a tab on the news developing at the Fukushima power plant on the latest upgrade to level 7 of the radioactivity detected there.

Oh, please hold on. Let me share this Sarawak story. I am just getting into the local news and catching up on the Sarawak State Election where the voters comprising the registered eligible Sarawak voters who are Malaysians across the South China Sea on the Borneo Island. The current ruling state government is from the coalition parties known as National Front headed by the Chief Minister Peh Moh Taib Mahmud. His hair is really white for an old man his age and full of wisdom. He has been at the helm as the longest serving Chief Minister of a State in Malaysian history surpassing former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Muhammad. I belief he has wisdom to know that the people from Land of the Horn-bills or Sarawak are feeling the Wind Of Change blowing strongly from around the world especially with the Political Change that swept former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak out of office, the Tunisian revolution, the Yemeni people's demonstrations and the Bahrain protests.

I have some friends living in Sarawak now, who were my former schoolmates from Perlis (a smallest and Northern-most State in the Federation of Malaysia)and some from my insurance associates whom I just met once of twice a year during Chartis Malaysia Insurance Berhad's(Formerly AIG General Insurance Company)seminars held in various parts of Malaysia.

Here are some photographs taken at the Damai Beach Resort, Kuching, Sarawak back in January 2007. I was with my group of associates and friends from AIG flying on MAS from KLIA airport. The view from the plane as we were approaching the Kuching airport was unique as it was cloudy and raining. In fact, the three days and two nights stay at Damai Beach Resort were raining dogs and cats. No wonder the Capital is called Kuching or cat in English word for the feline. I was sleepy then and I did not join the other group to venture to the round about tour of the capital for some shopping. The view of the Damai beach was spectacular but it was not a friendly welcome as we saw streaks of lightning,loud thunders and storms with strong gush of winds throwing up waves of choppy sea water. That events have edged in my mind until now.

Of course, I do remember the bumpy ride on the coach from the airport to the Damai Beach Resort and the bumpy and narrow road leading to the seafood restaurant near the river mouth facing the sea. I like the fried fern-leaves shoots in the spicy chilly and shrimp paste. The dance ladies of the night at the award presentation ceremony were young and lovely. Now four years later, I belief they have grown much prettier and wise and need not have their moms and chaperons to accompany them around for the venue. So much of the memory of Kuching. I read the news when I was a young boy and also in my primary school language book about the story of a legendary giant Crocodile named "Bujang Senang" or Easy Bachelor that had terrorized the locals at longest river in Sarawak. Many human lives and live-stocks were its victims. I was not that lucky as a Crocodile Hunter as there was no crocodile in the river when I went there. Most of the crocodiles found here are the saltwater species.

The Ibans are one of the majority ethnic people in Sarawak and living in the longhouses as what I learned in Geography in my school days. They can be further identified as Land and Sea Dayaks. At the longhouses which are built from bamboos and woods, there are many families living together and there is a headman at each longhouse. I saw in my schoolbooks where the pictures shown some human skeletons and especially the skulls were hanged and displayed within the longhouses to signify the success of their tribes in their wars as they got the scalps of their enemies. They are known as Head-Hunters. I was a little disappointed that I did not have the chance to visit the cultural village which was supposed to be an exciting event that have been lined up as part of the program for all the insurance agent participants of the seminar. That trip was canceled due to the heavy rainfall on that day. Another blessing in disguise was that I returned home to Bukit Mertajam, Penang with my head still intact.

About Head-Hunters, these days the Sarawak people are civilized society and no longer practice the head-hunting. Grandmothers and mothers always tell us children not to go out at night when the local bridges were being built or repaired as they warned and said that the builders and contractors would hunt for a head to be placed or buried beneath the bridge so that the bridge would not collapse when under construction. Really scared me and my buddies when we were very young boys. Myth or truth... I leave it to you.

The only time I knew of head-hunting going around hunting heads were when I was working in a leading bank with many branches throughout the nation including Sarawak back in the mid 1980's That era, the economy was in the doldrums and there were stories of the monies of the depositors were used to bail out some ill-shaped government linked investments. The employer hired the Head hunter whom they called "proud-foot" to hunt for the heads to chop off from the bank's payrolls. The unionized employees protested and the headhunters went back to their foreign land of origin. As we all know, there are virgin forests and beautiful beaches and caves in Sarawak. There are so many industries in Sarawak especially the natural gas and petroleum in the towns of Miri and Sibu to boost the economy. There are timber factories which created jobs for the locals.

There are a few things that still bothered me since the day I went to Kuching, Sarawak. First the state is largest in Malaysia and rich in natural resources. Yet I am appalled to note the state of the infrastructures like the small bumpy and narrow roads within 10 kilometers of the metropolitan Kuching town center are so bad and in poor condition than the ones at my little state of Perlis where I used to grow up and lived there some 28 years before being transferred by my employer to Penang. Perlis state is predominantly agricultural land and dependent on the Federal Government to finance its annual budget deficits. Even now, I belief, Perlis have better infrastructure such as roads, electricity, street lamps and water amenities than most small towns and villages in Sarawak. I was back in my former hometown the last two weekends and there was a flash flood that hit Kangar, Perlis. What happened to the treasury and management of the sovereign state of Sarawak? Why such a situation can happen after nearly 50 years of Sarawak in Malaysia. I think my friends in Sarawak better have some good answers for me since he/she have been there for many years after being posted there as teachers.

Perhaps, the previous leaders of the Sarawak state and the leaders at Federal government of Malaysia have overlooked and short-changed my fellow countrymen in Sarawak in terms of basic infrastructures, amenities, human capital, tourism and economic development. There is only one Malaysia. I have been to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,also in 2007 and the situation there were better than the state of Sarawak slightly. Malaysians leadership have to wake up from the slumber as people are now very intelligent. Where have the natural resources contributions from Sarawak gone to finance what projects in Malaysia that the Sarawak state is still under-developed as compared to other states in the federation, and not at par with Perlis? Why is it so imbalance?

Why is there a restriction on some fellow Malaysians from the Peninsular to visit the Sarawak State? Do we have two countries system within One Malaysia? How to have the Association of South East Asian Nations(ASEAN) model after the EU where its citizens from members countries are mobile and free to travel within its member countries, whilst in our own beloved 1 Malaysia, we have two standards? We may know our enemies from within better than the foreigners which are unknown elements of threats to our country's safety and security. Some foreign illegal workers, migrants or terrorists could be traveling to our country and we failed to monitor and to refuse their entry. Sometimes, we champions the freedoms and rights of leaders like Nobel Peace Prize winner, Madam Aung San Suu Kyi from Myanmar whilst we penalized our own countrymen who are peace and loving people like any other ordinary free Malaysians. Don't know why?

I guess the witch-hunting is all over because there are many Ibans who have converted to Christianity and other religions. There were inter-marriages too among the various ethnics and Malaysians. I have known many church friends from Sarawak, Sabah and some Indonesians worshiping at Bukit Mertajam Baptist Church (BMBC) as most of them have came over or migrated to Peninsular Malaysia for their works and economic reasons. Their steadfast love for God or "Allah' in Holy Bible is bringing them to church here even though they may be far from home and other family members. God's family is one and He loves everyone. So do come to BMBC if you want to join the worship in the Malay language on Sunday Service at 2.30p.m. every Sunday except advance notice of changes by the Pastoral team. If you are from Sarawak and Sabah, we welcome you and family. By the way, my friends are helping to support the Seratok Baptist Church outreach. Anyone wants to offer help?

So come April 16, 2011, the polling day at Sarawak, let us hope the Sarawak voters will choose wisely. May the leaderships chosen by them must change from making the same the past mistakes and hold on to the true love for fellow Malaysians and passionately love the people and to serve the people first. Leaders, do not be predators like the legendary crocodile but be like sacrificial lambs ready to be sacrificed for the Glory of God or Allah and to serve His people. Let everyone know that God is Supreme Head of our government and the King of Kings and He is the God or Allah for all Mankind family whether we live in Sarawak or Sabah or Peninsular Malaysia or in the Spratly Islands of Malaysian jurisdiction.

Anyway, let us listen to some music from singer Anita Sarawak when we relax and wait for the election results.

A famous Albukhary Mosque

Just visiting my client at a small town in the north last week and on the way back to Big Foot Hill or Bukit Mertajam, Penang, I have taken a detour to this road  in Alor Setar, Kedah as my client recommended me to another client. Guess what? I stumbled upon a beautiful sight at night which is the  Albukhary Mosque.

Many Muslims and other people have been to this beautiful mosque for worship and Friday prayers or just take a walk and relax there after shopping at the complex named "Souq Albukhary" which is where Giant hypermarket is located.  Many travelers from near and far would have enjoyed its beauty and serenity through recommendations from travels' websites and blogs.  I saw many beautiful images of the mosques being photographed and uploaded.

A check on the net also shown that there is another Albukhary mosque in Kuala Lumpur which is also built by the Albukhary Foundation. Our Malaysian tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary is the giant behind the projects.  I once read in the local news article that he was once working at the wet market helping his mother and was used to wearing clogs.  He is a very humble man and can speak the local Chinese dialect.
Here is the link to his personal blog  http://mokhtaralbukhary.blogspot.com/2008/02/tan-sri-syed-mokhtar-al-bukhary-tan-sri.html 

Here are some of the pictures taken by me. 

I remember my primary school days in Kangar town, the capital of Northern most state of Malaysia, Perlis, where I used to sit in the class quietly with another classmate since we were the only non-Muslims students in a class of forty something pupils when the Islam Religious teacher came to our classroom to teach our Muslim friends the Religion period which usually lasted some 30 minutes.

Not only once but many times, I heard my Muslim classmates asked the teacher about the places of worship which they can use as an alternative to the mosque if there is no mosque near them at the time where they are to perform the prayers five times daily while on a journey or far from home. The teacher did mentioned that my Muslim classmates can use the Church if there is one nearby but not at the temples (Taoist or Hinduism places of worship) where there are idols worships. Now that there are mosques and worship rooms in every town and residential housing estates, it is understandable that our Muslim friends will be able to perform their prayers in these places rather than at a Church which is a taboo.

Well, our country has prospered and the people are more affluent and can afford to donate to build places of worships while the Government ensured that the housing developers built places of worship for the Muslim brethren.  There are not as many new places of worships for the non-Muslims being built as there is no compulsory laws to compel the developers of new housing estates to build one for them.

Back then, there were very few mosques except in major towns like Kangar, Arau, Kuala Perlis, Kaki Bukit and Padang Besar in Perlis.  The mosque in Kangar town have large black colored domes while the old one in Arau was green and white. The new one near the Arau railway station is golden domes as the King of Perlis used to perform prayers there. Usually the mosques compounds are also the burial grounds. There were Muslim funerals attended by their non-Muslims friends, right from the deceased's house to the mosque vicinity in my former Royal hometown. There were no huff or many hoodlums then. Purely mourning the loss of a good friend and a good neighbor, paying last respect and conveying condolences to the deceased's surviving family members and friends.

Those days, people lived in harmony and peacefully in almost every neighborhood with united spirit among the Malaysians as compared to the present day where there were many sad incidents of blatant disrespects and disregards for the places of worship.

There are more live and regular daily broadcasts of Islamic religious programs through the radio and television (TV) channels nowadays. We use to sing the National patriotic songs as they were being played over the radio and televised on television by Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) .  We watched black and white TV.  Does it matter whether we are black or white or yellow or brown like coffee mixed with milk? What happen to us Malaysians today?  What happened to our Education system, the Civic and  Moral classes? Study History of facts that were altered and twisted according to whims and fancy instead of its truth in the past has NO FUTURE.

Did we progress to be an Affluence ONE (A1) NATION of TRULY ASIA OR a LOW BUDGET MENTALITY STATE DOMINANCE WITH MANY DIVISIONS? Too much politicking and power crazy at the top?  Ordinary folks like us just stroll along in our neighborhood in fear of our safety of many incidents of crime reported and the unavoidable economic inflation skyrocketing due to increases in the prices of essential commodities and daily household goods from the chain reactions.

Heaven above is a place in Malaysia on Earth. May God Al-Mighty and Merciful keep us and Malaysia safe, this I pray.  As for me, I ask Lord Jesus to bless the Nation with Peace and Harmony and Prosper Malaysia as I refer to Bible Psalm 118 verse 25-29. For more reading on Psalm 118: 25-29 and for Non-Muslims Only(If you are from Malaysia), please click here.

By the way, if you want your kids to join our Bukit Mertajam Baptist Church (BMBC) Children's Christmas Celebration this coming Saturday December 11, 2010, we welcome you and your kids.  It will be held at the charitable homes.  For more details, please contact BMBC at Tel. no. 04-5391854

Reading on Psalm 118: 25-29 Courtesy of Bible.Org
http://bible.org/

A Visit to Kuala Juru Fishing Village by BigFootHill

Dawn at Kuala Juru Fishing Village

Sun rising behind the swamp and Kuala Juru village

"Sampans" or small boats lying on cockle shells bank of the jetty

Wednesday November 17, 2010 was a public holiday in Penang State of Malaysia in conjunction with the celebration by the Muslim faith brethren especially for the Pilgrims who have performed their Hajj pilgrimage at Mecca in Saudi Arabia with their family and friends.  On this special day, the less fortunate, poor and needy are remembered and taken care of by the blessed Muslims when they went to mosques to perform prayers and thereafter sacrificed some cows and cut it to pieces to be distributed to the community. I remember those days some decades ago, when I was living in the Royal town of Arau, Perlis, another northern state of Malaysia, the folks there were very excited about the Festival of Pilgrimage also known as Festival of Sacrifice or Hari Raya Aidil Adha,
As early as 5.00am, the Muslim folks will wake up and get to round up the herd of cows and goats to be sacrificed near the mosque compound.  A group of them will help to hold down the animals and tied them to the coconut trees while the local butchers will perform the task of killing and cutting the animals for distribution to the needy in the community. Usually the Royal Highness "Raja" or King of Perlis and his royal family households will contribute towards purchasing of most of the animals to be sacrificed for that day. Thereafter, the folks will go visit the graves to pay their respects for the departed kins who are buried there and clean up the compound. In Perlis and other northern Malays states, the declared Public Holidays are two days to celebrate the Festival of Sacrifice by Pilgrims.  The other "Hari Raya Aidil Fitri" or "Hari Raya Puasa" or Festival to celebrate the end of Fasting month of Ramadan is celebrated with two days of Public Holidays.

My mom and her friends will tell us children not to look at the action of the killing of the animals as they said that the old superstition that once the boys looked at the action, the boys will be naughty and cruel.  I belief our moms would want to spare us from the frightening sounds and cries of the animals when they are killed after the prayers' rituals and to spare us from watching the horrors of bloods oozing out from the killing of the animals we use to chase away from our backyards, or to see the lifeless carcass after the meat have been cut for distributions. These grand old stories are told again and again each time we come to celebrate the festival annually. 

Coming to back to the picture of the small fishing boats, I was excited to celebrate the festival by sacrificing my sleep and waking up early at 6.00am and getting my family to join me to watch sunrise at Kuala Juru at Bukit Mertajam, Seberang Perai Tengah, Pulau Pinang.

The Kuala Juru Fishermen Association

 

It was also an opportunity for me to catch the life of the villagers at Kuala Juru.  We arrived the place at about 6.30am and went all the way to the end of the road where it stop at the foothill. The nearest house was some 50meters away.  We were the only ones there while the place was still very dark and misty.  My two companions were feeling spooky when we passed by the local Muslim cemetery and they wanted to turn back. Well, I never been there before and so it is better to be safe and so we turned back to the nearest point which have bright street lights and it happened to be near the Kuala Juru Fishermen Association as in the above shots.

Just then, a small lorry arrived to pick up loads of cockles packed in recycled plastic bags used for packing sugar.  In those days back in Arau, Perlis, I followed my mom to the market near the Arau Railway station, the cockles were delivered by the wholesalers in bags of gunny sacks which were environmental friendly.

Roller washing and filtering equipment to clean and pack the cockles in bags

The escalating conveyor to help lift the bags when loading into lorries

By then, we watched and talked to the men briefly and then walked to the jetty.  We looked for the sunrise but it was not the best place to view as it was partially blocked by the hill at Kuala Juru and the swampy trees.  So we just took some pictures and after some thirty minutes, there were two fishing boats passing through the river mouth of Sungai Juru which was how the place is named after Kuala Juru.  I did not manage to get the picture of the boats passing by as they were quite fast while I was still trying to adjust my camera setting.

Later we came across two senior adults or uncles and greeted them, Both of them have been staying here for more than sixty years and have been fishermen mostly rearing and harvesting cockles besides trapping the crabs, prawns and the mantis prawns or for living.  The place was quiet as that day was a public holiday and most of the Muslim fishermen were taking a day off. Behind the picture of the two uncles are the sheds occupied by local fishermen and a Thai "tom yam" (a kind of sour and spicy soup cooked with fish and prawns) restaurant owner originated from Southern Thailand.  There is only one common bathroom and toilet for the people staying there according to the uncles.

Pakcik Nordin and Pakcik Ismail

Brightly lit cement pathway to the jetty

Sampans docking at the jetty

As we were chatting with the uncles, my two companions were attacked by the little "kamikaze" mosquitoes and they retreated to the brightly lit areas to avoid being bitten by them. Soon we saw the swallow birds flying above the sky and then the white herons were hovering above the river mouth and landed on the banks and shallow parts of the river to catch and eat the little fish or crustaceans.

Herons

Fishing boat powered by motor passing by towards the sea

The landing jetty at Kuala Juru

The netting traps and ropes on board

two newer boats with red linings

Hunting for breakfast?

After the sky turning brighter, we can see the swamps clearer and there were more boats docked at the wooden jetty used for landing.  Up in the dark blue skies, we saw air planes taking off from Penang International Airport at Bayan Lepas towards our direction and over us.

The airline flying crossover to Kuala Juru

The Plane! The plane!...Welcome to Fantasy Kuala Juru

The seafood restaurant

Children playground opposite the Kuala Juru Fishermen Association

We then drove over to the other side of Kuala Juru which is near to the other restaurant and went to the end until we came across a quarry where there was new jetty being constructed by the Kuala Juru Fishermen Association.

New under construction landing jetty at the other side of hill of Kuala Juru

The new under construction landing jetty overlooking the Penang Second Link which is also under construction

Sunlight rising above the hill at Kuala Juru shinning upon the crossbars .

The hill and granite quarry at Kuala Juru

 

A sunny reflection on the pool of water at quarry at Kuala Juru

On the way out, we discovered a gem and scenic view of Big Foot Hill which look like we were on a narrow and winding road to the Swiss Alpine...ha.ha..so we really enjoy the holiday on a tight budget with airlines all over at Kuala Juru.

Big Foot Hill like a scenic Swiss Alpine

The narrow, long and winding road out from Kuala Juru quarry to Bukit Mertajam or Big Foot Hill or 大山脚

Please note that there is a different in the version with regards to Prophet Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac(Ishak) bore by his wife Sarah in reference made to the Holy Bible as compared to the Holy Qur'an which mentioned Abraham's son name as Ishmael(Ismail) bore by the Sarah's Egyptian maidservant, Hagar (Siti Hajar).  

Please see my earlier post "Looking for Church at Bukit Mertajam to celebrate Christmas" by clicking here : http://bigfoothill.blogspot.com/2010/11/looking-for-church-at-bukit-mertajam-to.html "

It reminded me of the story in the Bible book of Genesis Chapter 22 Verse 1 to 19 of Abraham offering his son, Isaac, as the sacrificial lamb to God and of his obedience to God and God's blessing upon him and his descendants of nations on the earth. Article is copyrighted by and courtesy of Focus Radio link http://www.facingthechallenge.org/gen22.php " 

Credit goes to the Ministry of Information of Malaysian Government for the information of the Festivals and public holidays.