Category: Places

A place to cherish, explore and reflect

An island with a story to inspire .
By Foong Pek Yee
THE cranking sound from the bumboat’s  engine triggers a feeling of anticipation inside me.
It is June 11, 2022 and we are on our way to Pulau Ubin – the treasure trove of Singapore’s rich heritage.
The 1,020 – hectare island promises a glimpse of Singapore in a bygone era, bringing to focus how the city state has evolved over time into the most competitive economy in the world.
According to Singapore’s Economic Development Board,  Singapore which  marks 57 years of independence this year ranks first in Asia for quality living and, first in Asia for expatriates to live in.
A journey :  It is just a 20-minute boat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal to Pulau Ubin.
Hot spot: The little commercial hub in Pulau Ubin is often the meeting point for visitors
In the mood for discovery : Pulau Ubin offers a different kind of experience for kids from urban areas.
Show time:  The stage for opera shows during festive seasons like Tua Pek Kong Festival since time immemorial
Old is gold:  The signboard showing the way to Fo Shan Ting Tua Pek Kong Temple which is perched on a hillock.  The temple was built in 1869.
Taking in the  sights:  Bicycling is popular on  the island.
That’s the way:  The road leading to Butterfly Hill.
Relaxing: And watching the world go by.
On the spot :  Information on tropical plants. This is assam or tamarind fruit which is widely used in Asian cuisine.
Of significance: Little red shrines are common in predominantly Chinese areas.
Big crowd:  Good business during weekends .
In demand: Bicycle rental is good business on the island.
It was in 1824 when the then Second Resident of Singapore, John Crawfurd landed on Pulau Ubin and declared the island a British Territory.
In 1942, the Japanese Army occupied the island which was known for granite mining in its heyday.
Other economic activities on the island in the old days included rubber planting and prawn rearing.
With education always close at heart, the Chinese residents on the island raised money to build Bin Kiang School in 1952 and, dwindling enrolment saw the school closed  in 1985.
The 1990 population census reported less than 200 residents on the island.
Today  Pulau Ubin  is a tourism destination  and  popular among natural and cultural heritage lovers in particular.
For elderly Singaporeans, it is a place to take a walk down memory lane.
An elderly man in our bumboat recalls his younger days at the Outward Bound School that was opened in 1967.
He reckons that it is good for young people to get to know more about the island.
The beautiful and well kept island is certainly more than meets the eye.
One for the album:  A  photo montage on activities on Pulau Ubin
Interesting and useful : Information and guide on Pulau Ubin  for visitors
It is a showcase on the public and private sectors’ efforts  to preserve the country’s rich heritage.

The village in a garden

Living life on their own terms 

By Foong Pek Yee

The tree-lined road and lush greenery from the entrance to  Merbau New Village is a sight to  behold.

Located along Jalan Pantai Remis in Manjung, Perak, its 700 meter long “Great Wall ”  gives it a distinctive look from afar.

It was just like any other village until the early 1990s when it took part  in a clean and beautification campaign organised by the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

The village is among  a few villages in Manjung which emerged champion.

Outstanding: The 700 meter long  wall also double up as a walking path
Made his mark: Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh
Adding to the joy of the Merbau villagers is that the Minister who initiated the campaign, Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh, also grew up in the village.
And the village today is testimony to the campaign’ s success.
 Finishing touch : The little pagoda and children’s playground enhanced the landscaped garden.
Simplicity: Nature’s beauty
Timeless beauty: The road leading to the houses in the village
Going all out  to spruce up their village some 30 years ago, what is most remarkable is that the villagers are able to maintain it well all these years.
Merbau New Village was once a barbed wire settlement under curfew during the Emergency (1948-1960)
Set up by the then colonial government, there are 452 such  settlements which were named new villages.
Fast track to the present,  the villagers are mostly second, third and fourth generation in the village.
Majority of some 200 attap shacks in the village in the early years have since been rebuilt into modern concrete houses.
House-proud: Villagers take good care of their houses and surroundings.
There are  six coffeeshops in the village which serve as the meeting point for villagers rain or shine.
The network : The village coffeeshop is the place to connect and recharge
Welcome: Entrance to Merbau New Village
Landmark: The village’s temple
Fitness first: Exercise equipment for the villagers.
Time to go home: Primary school pupils after school
 Top priority: The villagers have education at heart, and this Chinese primary school in the village is more than 70 years old
Safe and near: The Chinese primary school SJKC Kg Merbau Ayer Tawar is  inside Merbau New Village
Ayer Tawar town, about nine kilometers away,  is where villagers run their errands.
The village is a predominantly agricultural community.
In the very early days, each household was given a plot of land for them to build their house and plant vegetables, fruit trees and rear chickens and pigs.
Villagers sold the animals for money to pay for essentials like rice and education for their children.
In the old days, a  grand feast means having one chicken for the entire family during  Chinese New Year.
“We ate the entire chicken except the feathers,” recalls a former villager who is eldest among 10 siblings.
Life was hard but improved substantially  when the colonial government gave them land to plant rubber.
Many including Dr Ting grew up tapping rubber in the early hours of the morning before going to school.
There was no electricity supply in the old days.
The rubber tapper carbide lamp also double up as study lamp at night.
It was some 20 years ago when many of the rubber smallholdings were turned into oil palm smallholdings,  in favor for the less labour intensive  and more lucrative commodity .
From the 1970s , some villagers started venturing  out of the village in search for economic opportunities in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
A villager who introduced himself as  Soh Kow  says he went to work in Kuala Lumpur in the late 1970s, taking up different types of jobs, from construction worker to plain clothes security guard.
In his 60s now, he had returned to the village for good – bought some land and doing oil palm cultivation nearby.
He  says his children who have better formal education have more options in life.
“Unlike myself  in my era then, the  younger generation are in a position to chart their own future and they have my blessings,” says Soh.
For some, the village remains their only shelter during tough times.
A villager in his 40s, says he returned to the village shortly after the start of the Covid 19 pandemic.
“I was staying in Johor Baru and working in Singapore before the pandemic.
” I cannot afford staying in Johor Baru  when I don’t have a job.”
 And if there is anything that has remained unchanged over time, it is  their roots  in the village.

Small village with a big story

Compassion : Mazu also known as Chinese Sea Goddess
By Foong Pek Yee
The tallest Mazu statue in Malaysia is in Sungai Lembing Village.
Measuring 3.65 meter× 3.65 meter and 8.07 meter in height, it is housed in the  Sungai Lembing Hainan Association’s Thean Hou Temple
” Mazu is an integral part of Hainan culture,” says the association chairman Datuk Dr Sunny Chan of the towering statue which went into the Malaysia Book of Record in 2019.
The village is about 45 minutes drive from Kuantan, Pahang.
Always together: Thean Hou Temple and Hainanese community.
Flagship: Sungai Lembing Hainan Association also housed HillVille Inn which is a guesthouse with a Hainanese restaurant on the ground floor.
The association was set up in 1910
Loyal and strong: Sungai Lembing Hainan Association chairman Datuk Dr Sunny Chan (in coat) with members at the entrance to the Thean Hou Temple.
Mazu, also known as the Chinese Sea Goddess, is believed to provide divine
intervention for seafarers especially fishermen.
The Goddess is widely worshipped by Chinese in Asia, especially those living in coastal areas.
Dr Chan harbours hope the towering Mazu statue will  attract more tourists and help revive the economy.
About 3,000 tourists thronged Sungai Lembing over  weekends prior to the covid-19 pandemic.
Another beautiful day : Watching sunrise in Sungai Lembing known for its natural beauty
Old world charm: the little commercial square next to Sungai Lembing Village
One for the album: Tourists flocked to Sungai Lembing over weekends.
Dr Chan who grew up in Sungai Lembing  says the little mining town was home to his forefathers from China who set foot in then Malaya.
The 60-year-old businessman says he witnessed the heyday of Sungai Lembing which last till the world tin market crash in the mid 1980s.
According to him, Sungai Lembing, a thriving mining town since the 18th century, had turned into a ghost town after the crash.
After almost two decades it staged a comeback with  eco tourism and  its rich historical background as selling  points.
According to Dr Chan, Sungai Lembing was once the longest and deepest underground mining point in the world.
Topping the list of must visit places in Sungai Lembing are the  Rainbow Waterfall,Thean Hou Temple and Sungai Lembing Museum.
International wonder : The Rainbow Waterfall in Sungai Lembing drawing tourists from all over the world
Unfortunately, Sungai Lembing is prone to big floods at least once a year.
Under the coordination of the association, villagers will come out in full force to clean up the area.
Dr Chan who is chairman of the association since 2017 , also heads the post -disaster reconstruction committee after a big fire in the village end of 2021, says he has his hands full in rebuilding the village.
He is confident the 112-year-old  association together with the villagers will be able to overcome any challenges life throws at them, and they have proven it time and again.

Loving the place they live

Dinding River is charming .
By Foong Pek Yee
The hot weather fails to keep Changkat Keruing villagers indoors.
As one villager put it: – Only Covid -19 MCO (Movement Control Order) can keep them at home.
Their favourite spots in the village  are  the  coffeeshops and a garden by the side of a river which they named it Taman Sungai Dinding (The garden of Dinding River).
Changkat Keruing Village is located along the  Dinding River in Manjung,Perak.
Villagers recalled sampans (small boats) plying the river in the past – their mode of transport then.
There were no main roads  in the old days.
An 83-year-od  villager surname  Ong says a lot has changed since then.
Today they will see a speed boat passing by once a while.
Safe haven: A sampan on the river bank
Ong says life in a village is simple and peaceful.
 The elderly keeps each other company in this greying community as majority of the youngster work  and stay outside the village.
Old friends: Ong (right) and Loo relaxing by the river side .
Ong who enjoys  playing  games on  his smart phone at home says this does not stop him from meeting friends outside.
His grandson has introduced the game to him and his wife to  keep them entertained at home during the MCO.
Welcome:  The signboard at the village’s entrance.
Changkat Keruing Village  which is more than 7o years old was once the talk of the town when then Prime Minister Tun Dr  Mahathir  Mohamad  paid an official visit to the village  in 1995.
Dr Mahathir was impressed by the villagers’ effort to come up with a garden near  the river bank.
The village took part in the clean and beautification campaign by the Housing and Local Government Ministry in the early 1990s and won the first prize.
Serenity:  A prize winning garden near the river bank
Three decades down the road, the clean and beautification  committee which was instrumental in coming up with the garden has continued to maintain it.
At 67, villager and committee member Ching Sia Tiong  credits the Old Boys Association of the village school (set up in 1973)  and the villagers for the clean and beautiful surroundings .
An asset : Ching says Changkat Keruing Village has eco tourism potential.
Changkat Keruing is a predominantly agricultural community with oil palm planting, prawn rearing and chicken farming these days.
Ching harbours hope that tourism can get more young people to stay on in the village.
A cool spot: The villagers’ favourite place
For now, the garden by the  river bank is for the villagers to enjoy.

A Dinosaur Park hidden inside a village

More than meets the eye.

By Foong Pek Yee

A Dinosaur Park inside a Chinese village comes across an intriguing mystery.
This is a common reaction when people first heard about the park.
The park with colourful replicas of dinosaurs and animals among lush greenery is certainly more than meets the eye.
It was champion in the Clean and Beautification Campaign by the housing and local  government  ministry in the early 1990s.
Datuk Ooi Jing Ting, an ex village chief,  says the villagers had decided to build the park to take part in the campaign.
“We formed a committee to raise money to come up with the park and continue to maintain it after the campaign,” says the visibly proud 66-year-old Ooi.
The well-maintained park and surroundings  says a lot about the villagers’ love for their village.
Jering Village is one of the 452 barb wire settlements called Chinese new villages set up by the then colonial government in Malaya during Emergency (1948-1960).
Today, most of the villagers are the second, third and fourth generation from the day their families settled down in the village.
In their 80s , Yu Kwong Tieng, Choi Sau Fong, Loi Heng See and Seow Kok Toh are the second generation.
Old friends : (from left) -Datuk Ooi Jing Ting,66,  Choi Sau Fong, 81, Loi Heng See, 80 and Yu Kwong Tieng 82.
Their fathers who were the  first generation came from China.
Seow, 86, remembers the shacks – literally a roof over their heads- was all they had when they first arrived at the village.
It was a type of temporary common housing for the early settlers before each family was given a plot of land and 100 Malayan dollars to build their house, he adds.
Good old days: Seow Kok Toh, a great grandfather, continues to cherish the days when he first arrived at the village as a  young man.
The villagers are mostly Foochows  and the dialect is widely used even among those from other clans.
Ooi who is a Foochow, was born and bred in the village.
According to him, there are more than 400 houses in the village.
Meeting place: The shops and coffeeshops are located in this part of the village.
Many of the villagers have moved to cities like Kuala Lumpur to seek a living over the years, and the village is a greying community these days.
The village’s  Chinese primary school, SJKC  Kampung Jering, has about 150 pupils now.
About 90% of the villagers are oil palm small holders, using the land given to them to plant rubber in the old days.
According to Ooi,  each house was given six acres of land to plant rubber; four acres given in 1957 and another two acres in the 1960s.
Nowadays, a typical day for the villagers is spend in the house, coffeeshop and oil palm holding.
Ooi says there are four coffeeshops in the village which open around 6.00am.
Villagers are early risers in this predominantly agricultural community.
The villagers find company in each other and coffeeshops is their favourite meeting place.
If there is anything that remains unchanged, Ooi says it is the villagers who remain close- knitted in good and  challenging times alike.
Filial piety also remains intact.
Ooi says many return to the village to pay respect to their ancestors during the annual Ching Ming festival.
But he says the number returning for major festivals like Chinese New Year is dwindling over the years  as some of them no longer have any family members living in the village.
About 20% of some 400 houses in the village are abandoned units these days.

A brilliant career spanning seven decades

He never allows distractions to get in his way.

By Foong Pek Yee
It was the 1985 world tin crash that literally crushed the mine workers and the economy.
Massive unemployment, business shutdowns  saw many left their hometown in droves looking for a living.
It was a picture of grim in Kampar-a rich tin mining town-but all is not lost.
A tin miner in Kampar was determined to revive the town.
He is Tan Sri Hew See Tong who envisioned a modern self- contained town built on ex mining land.
True to the Chinese saying: “We rise from where we fell”, he built Bandar
Baru Kampar meaning Kampar new town.
Today, the town is  an education hub  complete with a private hospital.
An icon’s journey : On May 25, 2022, the hearse carrying Tan Sri Hew See Tong along Jalan Universiti in Bandar Baru Kampar where UTAR,  UTAR Hospital and Westlake International School are located.
It has the trappings of a modern township.
 Hew’s first and big breakthrough was in 2003 when the Kuala Lumpur based Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) opened its Perak branch campus in Bandar Baru Kampar.
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The township got a major boost when Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) opened its main campus there in 2007.
TARC was set up and owned by MCA in 1969, while UTAR is a not for profit private university  owned by UTAR Education Foundation.
Both institutions  were built by public donations, and they were well known for their affordable fees that make tertiary education accessible to the middle and low income groups.
 MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik ( 1986 – 2003) is credited for expan
ding TARC and getting government approval to build a private university (UTAR) in 2001.
Dr Ling and a group of MCA  leaders including Hew took the lead to raise funds for TARC expansion and  building UTAR.
Hew , three-term Kampar Member of Parliament (1995-2008),started  Westlake International School (WIS) in Bandar Baru Kampar in 2013.
And  last month (April) marked another  milestone for Bandar Baru Kampar when UTAR Hospital opened its 100-bed  traditional and complementary medicine department.
Its  250-bed Western Medicine department is scheduled for opening next year.
A fund raising campaign for the hospital is ongoing and Hew was actively raising funds until a few days before he breathed his last.
To complete the story on Kampar, Hew single- handedly designed the Kinta Tin Mining (gravel pump) Museum in Bandar Baru Kampar.
And the scenic lake in Bandar Baru Kampar which is an ex mining pond is testimony to the town’s origins
Picture perfect: The lake is surrounded by development, with the Hew residence fronting it.
A life of dedication that makes a difference to the lives of many, Hew passed away last Sunday (May 22, 2022).
He was 91.
An education icon, Hew is a loving husband, father and grandfather, and a great friend to many from all walks of life.

Proud to be Foochows

It is more than good taste
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
A bowl of red wine chicken mee sua  is not just another dish.
This authentic Foochow noodle dish brings to mind the community wherever and whenever it is served.
The Foochows from Ayer Tawar and Sitiawan in Perak arrived from China in 1903.
A close-knit and resilient community, they are proud of their culture, and would make it a point to introduce their food to their friends or guests.
Their love for their culture is evident in places like Ayer Tawar and Sitiawan  where they first set foot in then Malaya.
Authentic Foochow taste: Red wine chicken mee sua 
Wholesome:  This dish with a mix of vegetables, meat and seafood is popular as a one-pot meal.
In Ayer Tawar, about 65 km from Ipoh,  Restoran Sin Han Seong serves good Foochow food since the 1930s.
Old and strong: Sin Han Seong Restaurant has many loyal customers 
The restaurant owner Ling Hing Kuai is his family’s third generation.
At 70, he went about his work in zest,  and that speaks volumes of the restaurant.
Located along Ayer Tawar’s main road, the ambience in the restaurant is reminiscent of the good old days.
(Note: When we google, the name of the restaurant is Sun Hon Siong. It is the same place).
Many Foochows including those who have settled down outside Ayer Tawar, will patronise the restaurant when they visit their hometown, and among them is Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh.
A Foochow, Dr Ting, a former Housing and Local Government Minister and current Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) council chairman was from Merbau New Village in Manjung.
Other new villages in Manjung which are predominantly Foochow are Ayer Tawar, Jering, Rajah Hitam, Changkat Kruing, Simpang Dua, Simpang Tiga, Simpang Lima, Kampung Koh and  Kampung Cina.
And the Ayer Tawar town centre along the main road is the meeting point for villagers to run their daily errands.
Meeting point: The main road in Ayer Tawar
The Siew Hua Biscuit Factory in Ayer Tawar which is over 70 years old continues to be famous for its traditional Foochow biscuits like the “gong pian”.
Hall of fame :  Ayer Tawar Heritage House chairman Ling Sze Hing says the  plaque has  the names of all donors who contributed to the setting up of the  Manjung Kutien Association. The plaque is displayed in the Ayer Tawar Heritage House in Ayer Tawar.
The landmark in Ayer Tawar is the Manjung Kutien Association majestic building along the main road.
The association was set up in 1956 in an attap house,  and its present building was opened in 1994.
Ling says the association’s more than 2,000 strong membership are all Kutien, one of the 10 sub dialects of Foochows.
Janice Ting Hsia Sung says the association holds major festive celebrations like Chinese New Year and  Parents Day.
At 42, and a mother of five, she says the association’s activities are tailored for all age groups; and its focus are on good values like filial piety, cooperation, harmony, kindness and education.
She and her husband, also a Foochow,  decided to settle down in Ayer Tawar- their hometown-  after a short work stint in Kuala Lumpur.
Both of them are active in the Manjung Kutien Association.
Janice’s  father Ting Kong Liong, 76, who is a former president of the association continues to be active
Youngest among four siblings, Janice recalls following her father to the association’s events when she was a kid.

Journey to the Promised Land

From Grit to Great :  The story of the Foochows .
By Foong Pek Yee
THEY finally arrived at their destination on Sept 9 after surviving the perilous journey.
There were 303 on board, while another 60 arrived a week later.
And that was in September 1903 –  the beginning of the Foochows in Sitiawan, Perak.
Together we progress:  Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh (left) who was then the  Housing and Local Government Minister opened the Manjung Kutien Association Building in 1994.  He is a Kutien and his hometown is Merbau New Village in Manjung.
According to the book “The Foochows of Sitiawan: a historical perspective” this pioneer group were from China’s Foochow rice growing community.
The author Shih Toong Siong said the then Colonial Administration in Malaya wanted to ” transplant” this community in Sitiawan.
The mission was to turn Sitiawan into a rice growing region, and to meet the rising demand for the staple food as more immigrants arrived in Malaya to work in the tin mines.
The Methodist Episcopal Mission (MEM) which was tasked to undertake this “transplant”, had assigned Rev Ling Ching Mi and  Rev. Dr H.L.E Luering to the job.
Of the 484 Foochows who boarded the ship and set sail for Malaya on  Aug 3, 1903, only 363 made it to the promised land.
Four days into the journey saw five deaths which were attributed to cholera and exhaustion.
They arrived in Singapore for quarantine on the St John’s Island on Aug 22, where many either died or went missing in transit.
The final headcount was 363 when they were ready to set sail for  Sitiawan.
But their ordeal was far from over upon arrival – they did not get what as promised to them , and from then they only had their resilience to survive in the tropical wilderness.
True to the Chinese saying ” we get up from where we fell” – the Foochows have proven their mettle the day they step foot on Malayan soil.
United and strong:  The Manjung Kutien Association was set up in 1956, and Ling (right) and the association’s committee member Ting Hsia Sung showing a photo of the historical day.
The place: Ayer Tawar Heritage House in Ayer Tawar, Manjung is a showcase of the Foochows’ way of life in Manjung from the early 20th century and beyond.
Proud descendants: Foochows  at the opening of the Ayer Tawar Heritage House in 2016
Today, the Ayer Tawar Heritage House in Ayer Tawar, about 65 km from Ipoh, will give a glimpse of the life of the Foochows in Ayer Tawar and Sitiawan from the day they landed in Sitiawan.
Ayer Tawar is about 12km from Sitiawan, and the Chinese in both towns are predominantly Foochows.
One of the landmarks in Ayer Tawar is the Manjung Kutien Association Building along the main road of Ayer Tawar
Kutien is one of the 10 sub dialects of Foochows (sub dialects  are  based on their respective district in China) , and the Ayer Tawar Heritage House is under the Manjung Kutien Association.
The heritage house chairman Ling Sze Hing says the artefacts, mostly donated by the locals, are dated back to more than a century ago.
He says the heritage house opened doors in 2016,  and entrance is free and by appointment (019-5582543)
Ling, 56, says he and his committee are coming up with a research centre on Foochows in the heritage house – to make it the place to go to for people who are interested to find out more on Foochows, especially the Kutien.
A Kutien himself, Ling’s passion and pride on anything Kutien a and Foochow  is palpable.
Hardwork:  Mr Ling showing how to operate a traditional grinder
Bare necessities:  Irons using charcoals (top row) and pots used during the old days.

Farmers caught in the crossfire

A tough life clouded by uncertainties.
By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com
April 13, 2022.
UKRAINE may be an 11-hour-flight away but the war there is giving farmers in Malaysia sleepless nights.
With Russia and Ukraine being major exporters of fertilisers worldwide,  the price of the commodity has skyrocket since the war erupted in late February.
“A 50 kilogram bag of fertiliser cost RM210 now, compared to RM135 in January this year,” says a vegetable and fruit farmer in Bidor, Perak.
He says the war has dealt  another blow on the farmers who have yet to recover from the covid 19 pandemic.
 The road ahead: A farm in Bidor  Stesyen New Village in Bidor, Perak 
The villagers settled down in the new village during the Emergency (1948-1960).
“We have already scaled down production in the last two years.
“The pandemic which saw a shortage of workers, rise in the cost of farming and uncertainty in demand for vegetables and fruits and loss of income have taken a toll on the farming community,” the farmer who is in his 30s says.
He reckons that farmers will have to scale down their production further if the current situation does not improve.
Perseverance: A farmer harvesting sweet potatoes in his farm in Bidor Stesyen New Village.
According to CNBC.com on April 6, the war in Ukraine could tighten food supplies.
It noted that farmers are seeing prices for fertilisers skyrocket, and that some of them may opt to rotate their crops or use less nutrients, which could reduce crop yields.
A vegetable farmer in Bidor who is in his 20s says he has also reduced his production by half since two years ago.
He cited high cost of farming  and uncertainty in demand for green produce as major reasons to do so.
“I can no longer afford to go for full production based on current circumstances,” he adds.
For a living: A farmer having his lunch at a coffeeshop in Bidor Stesyen New Village.  The place is quiet due to the pandemic.
Green produce:  Bidor Stesyen New Village produces a variety of vegetables like lady’s fingers, sweet potatoes, sengkuang (turnip), radish;  and fruits include guava and jambu.
Old world charm: Bidor town is a touristic spot ,selling fruits from surrounding new villages like Bidor Stesyen, Kuala Bikam and Coldstream which are famous for fruits like guava, jambu and mangoes.
He says the rising cost of living, rising cost of doing business and unemployment will affect consumption patterns.
“People have to cut consumption.
“This will have adverse effects on farmers.
“Our income has already fallen by half compared to pre pandemic days,” he says, adding that cash flow problems is looming.

Rainbow and roast pork makes the day

Natural wonder : The Rainbow Waterfall in Sungai Lembing is popular in the wake of increasing interest in  eco tourism worldwide
By Foong Pek Yee
6 March, 2022
THE tourists get more than roast pork for lunch.
For most of us, that is the first time we see the roasting done in a traditional way –  using firewood inside a huge concrete stove.
Happy together:  At the roast pork lunch in Sungai Lembing New Village after the  Rainbow Waterfall tour.
And the freshly roasted pork (siew yoke in Cantonese) is real good – taste and texture – compared to the ones we have in eateries.
This “siew yoke” lunch is cultural tourism and very popular  in Sungai Lembing New Village.
During the lunch, I met a family of three generations from Johor and Singapore –  grandmother, her children and  grandson.
They say they decided to holiday in Sungei Lembing in Pahang, a popular destination among Singaporeans.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 tourists visited Sungai Lembing over weekends prior to the pandemic.
And the young boy who lives in  Singapore also gets to take a closer look at life in a new village.
Cultural tourism/food tours that promote the traditions of a community is increasingly popular among foreigners and locals alike.
All excited: Tourists getting ready to trek up  the Rainbow Waterfall.
Today, many  Malaysian Chinese and Singaporeans have  their roots in new villages in Malaya dated back to the 1940s
They are the descendants of half a million Chinese in then Malaya whom the colonial government uprooted and re-settled in 452 barbed wire settlements named new villages during the Emergency (1948-1960)
The exercise had saved the Chinese from an impending deportation by the colonial government who deemed the community as communist supporters.
There are still about two million Chinese living  in the new villages to date.
In Sungei Lembing New Village, its popular Rainbow Waterfall tour also tells a story  of  life in a new village.
The youngsters from the  new village and nearby roamed around and discovered the rainbow long ago.
According to a tour guide, the rainbow cast on the waterfall is the effect of sun rays shining through the cascading water.
They called it Rainbow Waterfall-  their favourite hangout.
It was only many years later that the villagers’ search for a living saw them coming up with Rainbow Waterfall tours.
They started off using lorries to ferry tourists to the base, about 12 kilometer from their village.
The half-day tour starts at 5.30am.
The trek up  Rainbow Waterfall involves about two kilometers of jungle trekking and rock climbing after crossing a small stream.
And tourists cheering the moment they spotted the rainbow is not without reason though.
For instance, the rainbow may not appear on a cloudy day.
Note: The tour in Sungai Lembing was before the pandemic.