The fishing's no good in Kampung Panching

	By TN Alagesh It was once dubbed an angler's haven, thus the name. But now, Kg Panching, located next to the more famous Sungai Lembing in Pahang, is a pale shadow of itself, with just about 3,000 villagers, comprising mostly elderly people.
	Kampung Panching has been in existence since the British colonial era and villagers used to work at the Sungai Lembing tin mine before the Felda Panching Selatan and Panching Utara settlements were opened in the early 1980s.
	Village head Abdul Rashid Ahmad, 66, who was born and raised in the village, said it was previously known as Kampung Machang while the river flowing through the village was called Sungai Reman.
	He said in the 1930s, the river was filled with fish and anglers would spend hours there.
	"Everyone in the village, from young to old, would bring a fishing rod to the river daily.
	"Even the British who worked at the tin mine came to fish here. There used to be a carnival-like atmosphere in the evenings then.
	"Those passing by on boats said they saw lots of fish in the river and claimed they had caught fish with their hands."
	Rashid learned about the history of the village from his late uncle, a former penghulu.
	Pak Ngah Hitam was the one who renamed the village Kampung Panching and its river, Sungai Panching.
	"Kampung Machang exists today but there are only six families living there, while an oil palm plantation in the village is now known as Kuala Reman Estate.
	"The river was renamed Sungai Panching because of the huge population of fish and the locals used to refer to the river as Sungai Panching because of the many anglers along the banks."
	Rashid said the name Kampung Panching was made official in the late 1950s.
	The village consists of smaller ones, namely Kampung Atong, Sungai Batu, Kuala Reman and Kampung Machang.
	"But the village population has dwindled over the years and the only reason preventing more people from moving out is the peace and quiet, and availability of basic facilities."
	Now, it is a sleepy hollow and only vehicles travelling towards Sungai Lembing pass through.
	There are two rows of wooden shophouses in Kampung Panching, which has three coffee shops and several sundry outlets.
	These days, Sungai Panching can attract only a few anglers during public holidays and weekends.
	To make matters worse, the river sometimes dries up during the hot season.
	Nevertheless, Kampung Panching, which is 24km from Kuantan, has Tamil and Chinese vernacular schools, a national school, clinic, police station and a multipurpose hall.
	The village is surrounded by oil palm plantations and there is talk that by 2016, a 60km highway will be built connecting Kuantan to Jerantut through Sungai Lembing.
	Rashid said Sungai Panching used to be famous for ikan tapah, baung, kaloi and kelisa and anglers seldom returned home empty handed.
	"But once the Felda settlements opened, some people used tuba (poison) to gain a quick catch resulting in a steady decline of the fish population. Some of the species have disappeared."
	He said visitors travelling towards Sungai Lembing would some-times stop in the village to ask for choice fishing spots but, sadly, villagers can't recommend them anything.

Not a mistake to name it Pak Silap

	By TN Alagesh Kampung Bukit Pak Silap seems like it is in the centre of a maze. Many simply cannot find their way to the traditional Malay village, located just 2km from Temerloh, Pahang.
	While the Japanese had a field day terrorising the rest of the nation during World War 2, the village surprisingly "escaped" as outsiders could not locate it.
	Locals would seek shelter at the village during the invasion and once, three Japanese soldiers who were chasing a young girl were driven out by villagers.
	The locals had sleepless nights but no one came their way.
	Its unique name has attracted many curious visitors since.
	Stories that the name could have come about following a mistake committed by villagers is not true, as far as Noraini Mahmood, 58, is concerned.
	Born and raised in the village, she said the area along Sungai Semantan was dense jungle and had served as a perfect hideout for the Malay villagers during the Japanese invasion in 1941.
	The mother of four said to escape from the brutal Japanese army, people from various parts of Temerloh would take their families to hide there as the place was surrounded by thick forest.
	"My ancestors and two other families were the first to set foot in the area. They found the area suitable to start a new village and chose to settle down. It was still without a name then.
	"Japanese soldiers were killing the innocent and committing all sorts of atrocities at the time and people were trying to escape."
	Noraini said several other families who were related to her ancestors began moving into the village and they built wooden houses facing Sungai Semantan, which flows through several villages.
	The river has remained very important to the villagers' livelihood.
	She said the village then was sandwiched between two other villages -- Kampung Bangau and Kampung Tanjung Lalang -- but people often lost their way trying to get there as there were no proper roads.
	"One had to walk through a narrow path to reach the village and during the night, one could end up walking in circles.
	"The villagers used to work at padi fields and when the harvest season arrived, they would slog the whole day.
	"Once a month, they would spend time watching movies shown on large outdoor screens."
	She said it was only when the Japanese soldiers left the country in 1945 that the villagers, including young girls, began to go out to the town. However, outsiders were still confused about the location of the village.
	"It was then we decided to name the settlement Kampung Bukit Pak Silap. People still miss the turning into the village and during wedding receptions, we will have to send someone to nearby Temerloh town to guide the guests here.
	"Upon arriving, they would say, 'Oh, di sini rupanya, macam mana boleh tersesat' (Oh, this is the place, how did I get lost). Hidden by thick bushes, people driving along the road will usually drive by several times.
	"Sometimes they will find Kampung Bangau and Kampung Tanjung Lalang but not this village.
	"Even the teachers at schools used to express their surprise when pupils wrote their address as Kampung Bukit Pak Silap. Some would jokingly ask, 'Kamu pasti yang alamat ini tak silap?' (Are you sure that this address is not wrong?)"
	She said the only landmark for visitors to Kampung Bukit Pak Silap now was the Seri Malaysia Hotel, which is some 500m away from the turning into the village.
	Due to the small population of about 100, Rosli Ismail, 51, the headman of Kampung Tanjung Lalang, is also in charge of Kampung Bukit Pak Silap.
	Rosli admitted that it was difficult to locate the village as it was sandwiched between several other bigger villages, including a new Chinese settlement.
	"The village is partly hidden by thick forest and since it is located towards the end of the road, people seldom drive there. The road connects to other villages and this has caused confusion.
	"Some of the village elders wanted to stay back in the village but their children insisted they stay in town. Also, some of the wooden houses in the village have been left vacant for several years."
	Rosli said one of the first traditional wooden house in the village belonged to the late Ismail Hassan, who was the first imam at the Temerloh mosque in the 1960s.
	"Sadly, his house, which was once lively with children and adults attending Quran recital classes, has been left vacant."
	He said former Temerloh district officer Abdul Khalil Wahab was the first person from the village to enter Universiti Malaya before returning to serve at the district office in 1986.
	Now, 90 per cent of the occupants are outsiders renting homes there.

Not much singing in Song

	By Badrolhisham Bidin, May 16, 2010 Visitors sing songs of praise for this little town, but Song residents tell BADROLHISHAM BIDIN they want development to be on par with other towns in Sarawak.
	THOSE who are expecting youthful exuberance and all-night song-and-dance sessions in Song will be disappointed.
	It's mostly the village elders who are left in this little town in Sarawak.
	The young and restless have moved to bigger towns in the state and some, to Kuala Lumpur.
	The pace of life in Song, a two-hour boat ride from Sibu, is slow and lethargic.
	The only place locals and visitors can take part in a little revelry is at the town's karaoke centre.
	Even then, it is not open every day. But when it is, residents can sing songs at the top of their lungs.
	The karaoke centre appears to be the only source of entertainment in Song, apart from the hundreds of channels available over satellite television.
	A village elder, Lim Su Khiew, explained that there is nothing significant about Song, which originally grew from an Iban village that survived World War 2, besides its unusual name.
	How, then, did Song get its name?
	"It is probably based on the name of the river in front of it.
	"No one really knows. It doesn't mean anything in Iban.
	"The origin of the name has been swallowed up by time. Even my grandfather doesn't know," said Lim, 74.
	But Lim, who lived through World War 2, could recall what it was like during the Japanese occupation. He was only 6 then.
	"The Japanese did not fire a single shot during their stay here although the British kept dropping bombs to wipe them out.
	"When the Japanese told us to nominate a male from each family to build the Sibu airstrip, all those who went came back in one piece."
	Lim said Song was originally built across Sungai Rejang by the Iban at the mouth of Sungai Song.
	However, the Iban decided to start a new settlement after being urged by the British government following the surrender of the Japanese.
	"And so, a new Song was born. The hilly terrain here made it difficult to build houses, but the Chinese who arrived earlier decided to build a row of shophouses fronting the river in 1940."
	For a small town like Song, the residents are surprisingly disciplined on the road. Motorists fasten their seatbelts even for a short drive to the sundry shops.
	Motorcyclists have their helmets secured, probably out of respect for the handful of policemen there.
	Lim said government officers who were transferred to Song would "cry for one week" upon arrival.
	"After that, many of them would beg not to be transferred out.
	"With a dwindling population of about 20,000, Song will become a place for the old folk, unless the government builds proper roads linking this town to the bigger towns around it," said Lim, who once served as a councillor in the local council.
	A dental nurse, 27-year old Ismafiza Wan Adnan, who has worked in Song for two years, said it was difficult to find lodging there.
	"I am currently staying at the government quarters but I would like to stay on my own.
	"Basic medical equipment is also lacking. Once, I was rushed to Kapit on a boat after suffering a bout of diarrhoea," said Ismafiza who is from Sibu.
	Her colleague, Mohd Ramli Ahmad, 27, who is also from Sibu, shared her predicament.
	However, he said the government had assured them that a helicopter would be dispatched to the area in the event of an emergency.
	"I can take comfort that Sibu is just two hours away," he said.
	Express boats from Sibu to Song are divided into three classes - first class, business class and economy.
	First class and business class have movies shown on flat-screen televisions and reclining seats.
	Locals usually get their furniture, mineral water and foodstuff from Sibu and place them on the roof of the express boats.
	Song is one of the three administrative districts in Kapit Division.
	The Iban forms the majority of townsfolk in Song, followed by the Orang Ulu, Chinese, Malay, Melanau and Bidayuh.
	The town is located on the banks of Sungai Kitibas, a tributary of Sungai Rejang. It is an important stopover for river traffic going up the Rejang.
	It has primary and secondary schools which offer classes up to Form Six.
	The town also has a magistrate's court complex, mostly handling minor cases as it is a relatively quiet place with nothing much happening, said Lim.
	"We used to have strangers coming over and introducing ganja to the teenagers.
	"Some of them had ganja plants planted in their compound but now we are free from drugs," he said.

The dam broke in Ampang Pecah

	By Badrolhisham Bidin, June 13, 2010 Residents of Ampang Pecah near Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor now may not have personally experienced the big flood of 1883, but the incident has not been forgotten.
	They are familiar with the story narrated to them, usually during bedtime, by their elders.
	According to the tale, the dam broke that fine day more than a century ago, killing scores of villagers and displacing hundreds more. Why it broke, however, has remained a mystery to this day.
	Yahaya Nayan, 65, who has lived in "ground zero" since the 1960s, relates the tale told to him by the village elders.
	"An Englishman killed a white crocodile at a nearby river and boasted about it. Soon after the incident, the excess water which flowed down to Sungai Selangor was pushed upwards by unseen forces."
	The dam could not hold the sudden surge of water and broke - hence the name Ampang Pecah, or Broken Dam - causing the whole area, once known as Kuala Kubu, to be wiped out.
	"The white crocodile was said to be the guardian of the river and a harmless creature. Some villagers have seen it.
	"But the Mat Salleh (Englishman) could not resist taking a shot at the reptile and killed it with his rifle," said Yahaya, fondly known as Pak Ya among locals.
	According to historical records, the man who shot the crocodile was Cecil Ranking, a district officer.
	His body was found stuck on a tree that day. This clearly showed how Mother Nature went wild that day.
	V. Segaran, 53, heard the same story from his parents when he was young.
	"The white crocodile was said to be the guardian of the river. As it was shot dead, the villagers had to be 'sacrificed'," said Segaran.
	"It was a long time ago. But the legend of the white crocodile lives on," he added.
	He said the survivors of the big flood have since passed on. "No one can really verify the story.
	"The dam then was not very sophisticated. We were told that it was made of wood. It spanned across Sungai Selangor and may not have been able to hold the excess water.
	"Whether the story is true or not, I hope it will not be forgotten. It is a good thing locals still relate the story of the great white crocodile to their children."
	The death of the settlement led to the birth of another town, now known as Kuala Kubu Baru nearby.
	Those who lost their homes were relocated to the area, now a popular stop for those going up Fraser's Hill.
	The site of the big flood, however, is now a hive of activity. Apart from Taman Ampang Pecah, two more housing estates have been built.
	Once a major tin mining area, Ampang Pecah now has terrace houses. Bungalows and even mansions line the roads. Many of the residents are retirees, who prefer to live in relative quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Kuala Lumpur is only an hour's drive away.
	There is also a recreational area for children, a row of foodstalls, and beautiful trees lining the roads.
	Kuala Kubu Baru has a Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) and a Fire Department Academy.
	It is also famous for white water rafting and several natural waterfalls. The area is also well known for another tragedy. In 1951, Sir Henry Gurney was ambushed and killed by communist insurgents while on his way to Fraser's Hill for a meeting.
	Earlier this year, Ampang Pecah and its vicinity saw a sudden surge of visitors when the Hulu Selangor by-election was held following the death of its Member of Parliament Datuk Zainal Ahmad.
	Promises to develop the retiree's haven were made. There is now a huge dam built further up Kuala Kubu Baru but residents are unperturbed.
	Pak Ya joked that if the new dam broke too, he would probably float all the way to Kuala Lumpur.
	"There is no jungle to stop the flow of water. But I have faith in the authorities who built the dam. I am sure it is built to last a lifetime," said the Kedahan who migrated to the area in the 1960s.
	The ex-fireman said Ampang Pecah is now a peaceful housing estate with a mixture of Malays, Chinese and Indians.
	"The old place was inhabited by only the Malays and maybe several Englishmen," he said.
	The younger generation prefers not to dwell on the past.
	One of them, 27-year old Zuleely Kahar, said he heard about the big flood from his parents.
	"But I don't know much about the incident.
	"As far as I am concerned, Ampang Pecah is a peaceful place. It is home," he said.

Village named after a lethal fish

	By Badrolhisham Bidin, April 24, 2011 With and abundance of pufferfish a long time ago, it is no surprise that a quaint little village in Santubong, a 45-min drive from Kuching is called Kampung Buntal, a Malay translation of the feared but delicious fish. While many fear consuming this fish with its bloated stomach, which contains a toxin that can cause nausea and even death, there are those who swear it is one of the tastiest sea creatures.
	Villager Kassim Ahmad said the village was a known pufferfish haven, especially for the bako, kuning and barat species. And as far as he can remember, there have been no reports of deaths following consumption of the fish in the village.
	"It is said that in the good old days, fishermen who cast their nets would get more pufferfish than any other fish. The fish came in droves to the seaside near the village, hence the name.
	"But now, it is not easy to get ikan buntal," said 66-year-old Kassim who has heard the story countless times from his parents and grandparents.
	"A long time ago, there were more fish than humans here. Now, it is the other way around.
	"But once in a while, fishermen would return with heaps of ikan buntal, which has become a delicacy among locals and even outsiders, who frequent the numerous seafood restaurants here.
	"The village may be quiet during the day, but in the evening, it attracts droves of tourists because of the seafood, although ikan buntal is usually not on the menu," said Kassim, who was once a fisherman.
	Kassim now runs a coffee shop near the market. His family also runs a homestay.
	Fishmonger Salleh Ben said certain parts of the pufferfish cannot be consumed and the cook should know which parts to discard.
	"The head must be thrown away together with parts of the intestines, leaving only a small portion which is edible.
	"But not all know how to slice the fish. Only the older folk can handle the ikan buntal," he said.
	Another fishmonger, 61-year-old Jah Rabuan said ikan buntal is best cooked asam pedas style or with tempoyak.
	"But it is not easy to get ikan buntal these days. We depend on the fishermen but they return with a bountiful harvest of ikan buntal only occasionally."
	Ikan buntal can fetch as much as RM3 per kg but the price could also go as low as RM2 per kg.
	Hasdi Maarof said although the fishing profession is being taken over by the young, many still leave for Kuching to work in factories and hotels.
	"The young girls mostly work in resorts nearby.
	"That just leaves us idling around at the coffee shop every day," said the 77-year-old.
	He said the villagers were trying to promote the homestay programme, especially among patrons of the annual Rainforest Music Festival held at the Sarawak Cultural Village nearby.
	The rustic but charming village has about 1,000 residents, mostly senior citizens and children.

Yes, you can enter Bukit Larang

	By Badrolhisham Bidin, May 1, 2011  When World War 2 ended, the locals thought they would not be setting eyes on the Japanese for a long time.
	But they were wrong. The Japanese returned to Malacca soon after, but without their swords and weapons this time, to work in the coal mines near Bukit Pegoh.
	The coal mining area and a village nearby later became known as Bukit Larang and Kampung Bukit Larang.
	It is surrounded by four other villages -- Kampung Bukit Kecil, Kampung Bukit Pegoh, Kampung Lintang and Kampung Meta.
	As expected, the name of the area and village should be derived from the word arang, which is coal in Malay.
	But what has baffled 74-year-old villager Awi@Kasmawi Johari all these years is why the word larang, which means prohibit in Malay, was used instead of arang.
	He believed the names could have been coined from the Dilarang Masuk or "No Entry" signs emblazoned near the mines.
	"Although the mines were prohibited areas, the Japanese were kind enough to let the kids enter.
	"I remember how we used to 'follow' the coal by rail to the seaside in Telok Mas, close to where the Henry Gurney school is now.
	"The Japanese were friendly and jovial, and they allowed us to ride in the iron boxes used to transport coal across padi fields."
	Back then, the place was bustling with activity as labourers toiled day and night in the mines.
	But unlike during the war, the labourers were not prisoners and could return home after work.
	"The Japanese soldiers had somehow overlooked our settlement when they invaded Malaya.
	"But we heard of their atrocities and were, at first, apprehensive when told that they had been given the licence to operate the mines.
	"But we were overwhelmed by their kindness. The Japanese were friendly to everyone."
	Awi remembered the good old days when kids used to play in the padi fields, looking for ikan haruan (Channa striatus) and ikan betuk (Anabas testudineus).
	Betuk was sold at 50 sen for 20 fishes while haruan was sold at 80 sen each.
	"This would help supplement my father's income, which was RM12 a week as a miner. He also got about 10kg of rice a month for working in the mines," said Awi, who used to be a silat instructor.
	"The area surrounding our village was filled with padi fields as far as the eye could see. They were all gone by the 1980s when a big portion was earmarked as industrial land."
	The mines were abandoned after two years when the coal supply was depleted. The village is now home to more than 1,000 people.
	Awi, who now sells nasi lemak for a living, said there was a mysterious rock at a secluded spot in Bukit Larang.
	"The rock could not be levelled. Once, heavy machinery was brought in to flatten the area.
	"The engine died and no matter what the contractors did, it just wouldn't budge. In the end, they abandoned the project.
	"During the Japanese occupation, they also tried to level the area. They did everything short of using dynamites but the rock remained until today."
	Another resident, Johari Taib, said the village was well-equipped with basic amenities, including a community hall and schools.
	"I am comfortable here. Maybe the state government can extend free Wi-Fi service to the village," he said, adding that there was also a housing estate named Taman Bukit Larang Indah nearby.
	Several beautiful bungalows along the main road is a sign of rising affluence among the villagers over the years.