Sungai Perak, our River of Life

Pristine and peaceful Sungai Perak

The boat belonging to JWW Birch anchored on Sg Perak near Belanja, Parit.

Yesterday, I was part of the crowd that gathered to see the PM launch the River of Life Project in KL. The project aims to revitalize the city's dirty rivers and transform the Klang and Gombak rivers into iconic waterfronts on par with waterways in cities like Amsterdam, London and Paris by 2020.

As a town planner, I think this program is laudable.

But isn't it funny how we allow our beautiful natural rivers to be clogged with rubbish and filled with foul effluents in the first place, only to spend billions to reclaim it?

The only plus point is that, according to the PM, this project is expected to contribute RM11 billion to the country's GDP until 2020.Which is good for the nation's economy and the creation of employment.

My late father hails from from Layang-Layang Kiri in Parit, Perak. He was born a stone's throw away from the banks of Sungai Perak. Even though I myself have not even once swum in the mighty Sungai Perak, Apak used to recount tales of how he would swim across the river and back with his friends just for the fun of it. He would tell us stories of how Atok would take his sampan to lead his buffaloes to the small islands which litter the centre of the river where the buffaloes are kept. And how he would spend hours by the river bank till the sun sets, fishing with his buddies.

It is stories like these from my father that makes me captivated with Sungai Perak and rivers in general.

Sungai Perak is, of course, the second longest river in the Peninsula running for about 400km from Hulu Perak down to Bagan Datoh before meeting the Straits of Malacca. Its history is very much intertwined with the history and development of the State of Perak.

The beginning of the current sultanate of Perak can be traced to the event when a descendent of the old Malacca royal family returned to the Peninsula from Sumatera when his entourage landed at Beting Beras Basah near Bagan Datoh in 1528. From there his flotilla sailed upstream along Sungai Perak to set up goverment. He was throned as the Sultan of Muzzafar Shah I, and chose a location on the bank of the river called Tanah Abang in Mukim Bota as his seat of government.

Since then, all sultans of Perak have their seats of government located by the Sungai Perak. There have been 15 of them to date including places like Kota Lama Kanan, Bota and Pulau Cempaka Sari. The current sultan has his seat at Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar.

We are lucky because Sungai Perak is still clean and pristine. Perhaps it's got to do with it being such a big river. But if we aren't careful, with uncontrolled logging and large scale land clearance for development, even a river of this size might succumb to over development and deteriorate in its health.

Although I have not swum in Sungai Perak like Apak, I did have the opportunity to take the Perak River Safari boat ride from Kuala Kangsar to Pulau Cempaka Sari in Parit. I was treated to the sight of quaint riverside villages, buffaloes, monkeys and various flora and fauna of the tropical rain forest that reach down to the water's edge. Fascinating.

As I soaked in the experience, I imagined tracing the journey of the royal flotilla. And I imagined how Apak had swum and played in this beautiful river. And I felt that, whatever happens, Sungai Perak has got to be maintained in its present beauty and splendour.

It is the River of Life for Perak.

.

Surat Mie 21.3.1980 - a bit of home soccer news



Malaysia’s first-eleven lining up before the match against S. Korea on 6 April 1980. Malaysia eventually beat S. Korea 2-1 and in so doing for the Moscow Olympic. Those were the days when the Malaysian soccer team were Asia’s no. 1

 AZMI A. TERMIZI

TK.ANSON

21 HB Mac 1980

Assalamualaikum.

Menemui kembali Yop dengan selamatnya. Apa khabar? Hendaknya Yop sentiasa berada di dalam suasana yang menggembirakan dan sihat-sihat selalu. Surat Yop yang bertarikh 26hb Feb. telah selamat Mi terima pada pagi 15hb Mac yang lalu.

Pagi itu, Emak, Apak dan Cun pergi ke Ipoh. Apak ada meeting. Man dan Zizah pergi ke sekolah.

Result M.C.E. Mi masih belum diumumkan lagi. Besar kemungkinan akhir bulan Mac ni, keluarlah. Sementara itu, result STP/HSC telah diumumkan pada 19hb Mac yang sudah. Setakat ni, Mi telahpun memperolehi 3 set borang permohonan dan buku panduan untuk kemasukan ke pusat pengajian tinggi iaitu dari ITM, UPM dan UTM. Mi ada juga minta dari UM, tapi belum dapat balasan lagi.

Tentang kaset yang Yop hantarkan tu, Mi terima pada 17hb Mac. Terima kasih Mi ucapkan. Ianya lewat 2 hari daripada surat Yop kerana “ditahan” untuk pemeriksaan Kastam.

Hari ni, 21hb Mac, perlawanan bolasepak pre-Olimpik bermula di k.L. Perlawanan ini ialah bagi kawasan Dua Asia. Dalam perlawanan pembukaannya, tadi, Mal. telah mengalahkan Indonesia 6-1.

Sekianlah saja untuk kali ini dan sambutlah salam hurmat dari kami semua.

Wassalam.

           

        Yang ikhlas,

            Azmi     

*P.S.    Kata-kata renungan untk dibuat pedoman:

(1)   Dada adalah khazanah rahsia; kedua bibir adalah mangganya

dan lidah adalah anak kuncinya, setiap orang haruslah

menjaga anak kunci dan khazanah rahsianya. *

(2)   Jika seseorang itu mengetahui kelemahan kita, dia pasti

dapat menguasai diri kita. *

In Labuan

I’m in Labuan for a working trip.

Labuan, sometimes called the Pearl of Borneo, is an island with a population of nearly 100,000 people. The main town is simply known as  Labuan Town. It was formerly known as Victoria during colonial era.

Labuan used to be part of Brunei rule until the early 1900s. It was briefly under Japanese occupation during World War II before being recaptured by Australian Forces in 1945. It was declared as a Federal Territory in 1984.

My first impression of Labuan is that it is a very clean and tidy little town. Rain trees line the major roads. Although they are not as big as ones you would find in KL or George Town in Penang, I am sure, once they are fully grown, the shades that they would bring would be a boon for pedestrians.  It is already a walkable city. The pedestrian pathways are well maintained and clean. And being a small town where traffic is still manageable, vehicles are slow and do not intimidate pedestrians.

For tourists, the island boasts a Bird Park and some attractive beaches. But the big draw it seems is the Duty Free shopping. Clothes, chocolates and liquors and cigarettes are cheap. During weekends the town would be full of visitors from Brunei which is just an hour’s boat ride away.

But for fishing enthusiasts, Labuan is better known as a world class sport fishing destination. Being surrounded by six smaller islands, the blue

clear water around these islands is said to be home to one of the world's richest coral and fishing grounds which offers unlimited deep-sea tackling catches.

Surat Apak dan Chun 15.11.1980

When I read back some of Apak's old letters I can't help but notice some similarities between what was happening within our little family back then and things now. For example, my daughter Sakinah is a scout. She'd join campings and and trekking expditions that even some seemingly tough boys would fine hard to follow.

I was a scout too (for a short while) but I never had the toughness to endure campings in the outdoor. But now I know that Sakinah takes after my brother, Man, who was an avid scout himself.



                                                                                                                    Pejabat Pelajaran ,
                                                                                                                    Telok Anson.
                                                                                                                   15 hb. November 1980

Assalamualaikum w.b.r.

Anakenda Azizi yang dikasihi lagi dirindui, didoakan moga sihat dan selamat sejahtera serta dicapaikan segala cita-cita yang terkandung di dada.

Surat anakenda yang bertarikh 27hb. Oktober 1980 telah ayahenda terima pada 3/11 berserta dengan tiga keping gambar dan diucapkan terima kasih. Kalau boleh emaknya minta anakenda kirimkan gambar lagi.

Keluarga kita di T.A. semuanya sihat-sihat sahaja. Azman sibuk dengann hal pengakapnya. Tiap-tiap hujung minggu ada sahaja kegiatan yang diikutinya. Pada 10/11 yang lalu dia dan kawan-kawan pengakapnya berbasikal pergi ke Tapah. Minggu ini dia pergi camping selama dua malam dalam kawasan sekolahnya. Nampaknya minat benar dia dalam pergerakan pengakap ini. Sehingga ini ayahenda masih belum melihat Kad kemajuannya.

Azmi pula mula menduduki Pep. SPMnya pada 12/11 yang lalu (Lukisan). Bahasa Malaysianya mula pada 17/11. Peperiksaannya akan berakhir dalam minggu pertama bulan Disember. Tolong doakan moga-moga dia akan lulus edngan cemerlang pada kali ini. Azizah pula mendaftar untuk masuk ke Tingakatan Satu pada hari ini di S.M. Sultan Abdul Aziz. Azizul pula…lihatlah suratnya yang ayahenda kirimkan bersama-sama surat ini.

Pada 10/11 kami cuti am kerana Awal Muharram. Ayahenda, bonda dan adik-adik, kecuali Azman dan Azmi, telah telah balik ke Ipoh pada 8/11 dan tidor di Ipoh selama dua malam. Pada petang ini pula ayahenda, bonda, Zizah dan Chun akan balik ke Ipoh kerana kami akan mengadakan khenduri turun batu Allahyarham Tonya. Mak Ngah dan Pak Ngahnya telah balik ke Ipoh pada petang semalam.

Berkenaan dengan pemilihan Universiti yang anakenda buat itu, ayahenda berharap anakenda akan dapat masuk Universiti Manchester kerana Universiti ini dekat dengan Blackpool dan juga dekat dengan Liverpool tempat Maktab ayahenda dulu. Pada tahun 1957 dulu ayahenda pernah melawat Universiti Manchester ini dan mengadakan perlawanan bolasepak dengan penuntut-penuntutnya. Ayahenda juga berharap biarlah anakenda masuk mana-mana Universiti, kalau boleh. Ini semuanya bergantung kepada keputusan Peperiksaan yang akan anakenda hadapi. Oleh itu cobalah dengan penuh dayausaha yang boleh.

Bersama-sama ini ayahenda kirimkan tiga keping gambar untuk tatapan anakenda. Dua keping diambil oleh Pak Ngahnya di rumah kita dan sekeping lagi itu diambil di Istana Raja Muda, T.A. pada 29hb. September yang lalu.

Sekian buat kali ini. Peluk cium dari ayahenda, bonda dan adik-adik semua.

        Ayahenda

This letter below was attached together with Apak’s letter sent on 15 November 1980. Chun was only in Primary School, Standard 1.

yop yang dirindui.

apak suruh cun tulis surat ini kepada yop. kata apak kalau cun sudah pandai tulis surat bolehlah Cun selalu tulis surat kepada yop.

dalam peperiksaan akhir tahun 1980 Cun dapat nombor 3 dalam kelas dan nombor 7 dalam darjah. apak Hadiahkan Cun satu album setem. harap yop dapat kirim setem banyak-banyak kepada Cun. cikgu Cun hadiah kan cun satu kotak pensil.

apak suruh Cun belajar kuat-kuat pada tahun depan. mak hadiahkan Cun tiga ringgit.

sekian di maklum kan.

                                                                                                         
                                                                                                         adik yop yang
                                                                                                    tinggal di Malaysia

                                                                                                             Cun

Towards a vibrant Putrajaya

Putrajaya is the new Federal Government Administrative Centre for Malaysia. It is the largest integrated urban development project undertaken in the nation.

Being a new town, its planning and development poses its own fair share of  opportunities, and challenges.

Of course being a greenfield development it is fairly easy to plan and lay out the development components as we town planners would see it fit and proper. The developers would then come in and duly start construction as planned. But that, comparatively, is the easy bit. The greater challenge is in building the community and in seeing that the new town prosper and blossom into a vibrant town.

Putrajaya already has a sizable  population of about 69,000. But what it still lacks - for the time being at least - is commercial developments. The Government of Malaysian is keen to see this new city become more vibrant for the locals and visitors alike. That will not happen unless and until there are more commercial complexes, F&B outlets and other retails.

All these have been planned for. Commercial areas have been earmarked within the city right at the outset. What is needed  now is to attract investors and developers to come in and do their bit.

Easier said than done. But of late, big investors - including from overseas - have noticed Putrajaya's potential and started to pour in their money. A lot more needs to be done of course. Promotional activities to attract multinational corporation (MNCs), F&B franchisers and retail anchor tenants would be the way forward.

No point having ample commercial plots if people do not know what you have to offer. And Putrajaya do have lots to offer in terms of recreation, quality services and beautiful natural surroundings and living area.

Apak's cars over the years

As far as I can recall, Apak had the opportunity of owning four cars during his lifetime. These automobiles gave him much pleasure as he went about his work, as well as, taking his young  family on trips up and around the Peninsular. Well before the days of the PLUS Highway Apak would take us to as far as Pontian and Mersing, Kangar and Padang Besar, to Penang, and up to the Cameron Highlands.

His first car was a Ford Prefect which, I think, was blue in colour. This was during our time staying in Bota Kanan during my pre-school days. Apak used to drive it to commute to his school in Kampong Gajah. He was the headmaster there.

Next, came the red Toyota Corona. During this time I was already in primary school. By this time also our family had moved to Kuala Kangsar. Apak was then working at the Pejabat Pelajaran as an inspectorate. So the Toyota saw a lot of travelling as Apak went on his rounds visiting schools.

When I entered secondary school in Perlis, Apak drove the whole family to Kangar in this red Toyota to enrol me into the new school.

But one day when I came back home from Kangar, Apak's car had turned blue! Yes, he had changed his car again. This time came a continental one in the form of a Renault 12TL. By this time we had moved again - to Tapah.

Of all his cars, Apak had kept the Renault the longest I think. The car followed us to Teluk Intan when our family moved yet again. And when Apak transferred to work in Ipoh until his retirement, he still had the Renault, although by this time it had changed colour from blue to white.

When Apak retired, and as his health slowly deteriorated, it became very obvious to us that the big Renault had become quite cumbersome for Apak to drive around and manouvere freely. In any case, he didn't venture out to drive as much as before apart from the trips to the mosque, to Chun's house nearby and the odd trip to the local restoran Mamak with Emak.

So that was when my brother Man suggested that we buy him a small Perodua Kancil.

I was with my family staying in Japan when we bought the Kancil for him. The cute and nifty little beauty served Apak well as it was a convenient, fully-automatic car. I drove my whole family together with Apak and Emak in tow to Sg Petani in it once. No problem. When I' d finished my study in Japan, whilst waiting for my own car to arrive by sea, I borrowed the Kancil from Apak and took it to KL for a few weeks for my use to go to office.

Towards the end of his life Apak could not manage to drive himself even in this convenient little car. It got neglected a bit and lacked maintenance. But recently, Man bravely drove it all the way from Ipoh to Shah Alam, and is now slowly and lovingly trying to restore it back to its former glory.

Surat dari Apak 12.12.79: pelajaran adik-adik



Brothers Mi, Man and yours truly.
The smallest is our uncle, Nasha (circa 1965)

Apak was always monitoring our progress at school. He wouldn't so much nag or pester us into studying or doing our homework. But as this letter shows, he keeps a tab on each and everyone of us, that's for sure.

Sometimes (most of the time, perhaps) he didn't like what he saw in terms of our performance. In one of his letters to me he would write thus: " Berkenaan dengan keputusan ujian anakenda yang telah diadakan sebelum Krismas dulu, ayahenda berasa kurang senang hati dengan keputusan Fiziks anakenda itu".

Hehe, when Syafiq and Anas read that, I'm sure they would say: "Haha, Abah dengan kita sama saja, Fiziks kantoi!!"

                                                                                                                           12.12.79

Anakenda Azizi yang dikasihi dan dirindui.


Surat anakenda yang bertarikh 28hb. November , 1979 telah ayahenda terima pada 8/12. Kemungkinannya surat itu telah sampai di meja ayahenda lebih awal kerana pada 6 dan 7/12 ayahenda ada urusan di Tapah dan tidak datang langsung ke pejabat di T.A.

Ayahenda dan bonda memang tertunggu-tunggu akan surat dari anakenda sejak ayahenda mengirim surat yang lepas pada 13/11, surat yang pertama dialamatkan ke rumah anakenda yang baru. Ayahenda fikirkan surat itu mungkin tidak sampai ke tangan anakenda.

Azmi sudah balik ke rumah sejak 30/11 yang lalu. Katanya dia ragu-ragu sedikit dengan Ilmu Hisab, Kimia dan Fizik dalam peperiksaan MCEnya. Dia juga ragu-ragu tentang B.Mnya kerana katanya tidak cukup masa. Walau bagaimanapun ayahenda berpuas hati dengan usaha yang telah dibuatnya dalam masa dia mengulangkaji pelajarannya. Keputusannya kita berserah dan berdoa ke hadrat Allah SWT.

Keputusan peperiksaan SRP Azman masih belum diketahui sehingga hari ini. Tetapi nampaknya dia mempunyai keyakinan untuk lulus cuma ayahenda masih risau tentang Ilmu Hisabnya.

Keputusan Peperiksaan Penilaian Azizah pula adalah seperti berikut:
B. Malaysia       A
Hisab               B
B.Inggeris        C
Sains               A
I.Alam/Taw.     B

Kawan Azizah, anak Cikgu Yusof di depan rumah kita itu dapat 5A. Seperti biasa, Azizah tidak berapa kisah hal pelajarnnya, asyik main, berbasikal ke sana dan ke mari dan kalau duduk di rumahpun asyik membaca buku-buku cerita sahaja.

Azizul pula akan mula bersekolah pada awal bulan Jun 1980. Basikal kecil Azizah yang rosak dulu telah ayahenda baiki dan Azizul sekarang ini asyik main basikal sahaja pagi dan petang.

Pada 4/12 yang lalu ayahenda telah membeli satu set TV warna 20 inci jenis ECE dengan bayaran ansuran sebanyak $99/= sebulan melalui Syarikat Kerjasama Guru2 Malaysia Barat. TV ini adalah untuk mengganti TV kita yang lama yang sudah tidak kelihatan langsung gambarnya. Adik-adik anakenda bukan main seronok lagi. Bondanya pula bersungut kerana pada masa rancangan yang baik (7.30 – 8.30 malam) dia sibuk memasak di dapur.

Pada 8/12 ayahenda, bonda dan adik-adik semuanya pergi ke Layang2 untuk melihat nyang anakenda yang sekarang ini sangat uzur. Dia sendiri telah berpesan hendak berjumpa dengan ayahenda. Kakinya sudah bengkak-bengkak dan badannya terlalu letih hinggakan tidak boleh mengiring ke kiri atau ke kanan kecuali ditolong oleh orang lain.

Manakala ayahenda duduk dekatnya dia menangis dan mengatakan dia tidak ada harapan untuk hidup lama lagi. Dia berpesan kepada ayahenda supaya jangan meninggalkan sembahyang. Pengingatannya masih baik dan dia selalu bertanya-tanyakan hal anakenda di sini dan ayahenda kata kan semuanya baik. Keadaannya sekarang ini amat menyedihkan.

Pada 10/12 ayahenda ada kerja di Jabatan Pelajaran di Ipoh. Bonda dan adik-adik semuanya ikut sama ke Kepayang. Ninda berdua sihat-sihat saja. Bonda Zauyah dan keluarganya juga sihat-sihat seperti biasa.

Dalam masa cuti sekolah ini adik-adik bersungut mengajak ke Pulau Pinang tetapi ayahenda sibuk sangat dengan urusan pejabat dan belum ada kesempatan hendak mengambil cuti rehat.

Dalam bulan Nov. lalu ayahenda telah menerima $45/= dari SKOMK T.A. untuk ‘bantuan pelajaran’ bagi anakenda. Kemudian pada minggu sudah ayahenda telah menerima sekeping cek bernilai $45/= juga dari GB. SM. Syed Puta, Kangar yaitu baki biasiswa anakenda bagi tahun 1978. Katanya oleh kerana anakenda telah menutup akaun anakenda dengan bank di Kangar wang itu tidak dapat dimasukkan ke dalam bank.

Oleh kerana ayahenda tidak ada wang dalam tangan pada masa ini ayahenda tidak dapat hendak mengirimkan wang itu kepada anakenda sekarang ini. Insya-Allah ayahenda akan kirimkan £20 kepada anakenda pada bulan hadapan.

Sekian buat kali ini. Peluk cium dari ayahenda, bonda dan adik-adik semuanya.

Jangan lewat sangat membalas surat ini kerana ayahenda bonda dan adik-adik senantiasa tertunggu-tunggu berita dari anakenda dan dengan kedatangan surat anakenda itu kurang sedikit rasa rindu kami terhadap anakenda.

                                                                                                                                    Ayahenda

Tambahan:
Kamal Azreen anak Pah Chu di kangar dapat masuk
SM Syed Putra, Kangar tahun 1980. Tulislah surat kpd.
Tok Chu di Kangar.