Tomb Village, Kota Tinggi

I was supposed to go to Ulu Tiram but my Waze brought me to Kampung Makam instead. I wonder what this symbolizes, you know, finding Tomb Village. But I'm glad to have stumbled upon such a beautiful place that is rich with the history of the Johor Sultanate.

The main feature of the village is the Tomb of Sultan Mahmud Shah, who was the last ruler of Johor who had descended from the Sultans of Malacca.

Legend has it that In 1699, during the reign of the Sultan, pirates were attacking southern Johor, from Mersing  to Pulau Penyengat and Riau Laksamana (Admiral) Megat Seri Rama, known as Laksamana Bentan, named after his origin, Bintan Island, was ordered to stop the menace. He left behind his beloved pregnant wife, Dang Anum, to fight the pirates.

His absence presented an opportunity to a former palace officer, who was jealous of Megat Seri Rama, to plot against him. Wan Anum eagerly craved a piece of jackfruit, taken from the palace orchard, that was on its way to be presented to the Sultan. The penghulu or the head of a sub-district, who was sending the fruit to the palace sympathised with Dang Anum. He stole a piece of jackfruit and gave it to her. The Sultan, who noticed that the fruit had been cut, before he tasted the fruit, was so angered with the penghulu's action. His thoughts were also poisoned by the jealous palace officer who said that Dang Anum's action had obviously brought shame to the Sultan, leaving the Sultan to eat the rest of the fruit after her. 

The Sultan ordered that Dang Anum be brought to the palace. Desperate for her life and that of her child, Dang Anum told the Sultanthat the fruit that she ate was for her child. The Sultan asked for proof and that her belly be cut open.

The murder was kept a secret but Laksamana Megat Seri Rama found out about it upon his return.

One day on a Friday afternoon, during Friday prayers, while the Sultan was lifted up (julang) by his men, he was ambushed and stabbed to death by the Laksamana. Before he drew his last breath, he cast a curse which forbade the sons of Bintan to touch the grounds of Kota Tinggi for eternity. If not, all of them will vomit blood to death. 

Sultan Mahmud Shah, known then as Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Dijulang, was buried in Kampung Makam, while Laksamana Megat Seri Rama at Kampung Kelantan, also in Kota Tinggi. To this day, people still believe that the curse still exists and most Bintanese still feared to come to Kota Tinggi. However, some say the curse would last only 7 generations.      - source Wikipedia

The village today attracts a lot of anglers. A villager told me there are ikan keli (catfish) and prawns in this part of the Sungai Johor.

Boat rides can be arranged at RM10 to RM40, RM50 or RM60 per person depending on the type of boat, the villager told me. Forgot to ask whether a life-jacket will be provided for the ride. Better to be safe than sorry. Anyway, maybe I'll come back here another day to try the boat ride. Another question, got crocodile or not?

Now you see why I don't get out much.

And The People's Choice Is ...

Ooops! Too early.  All excited about the Teluk Intan by-election.  Are the people going to choose Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud or Datuk Mah Siew Keong?  BN or DAP? Fresh face or veteran? 

Still too early.  Still too early. 

Meanwhile, I'll just enjoy these two videos

 

sent to me by a foodie.  He wouldn't tell me where these two shops are.  Only that he will take me there when I go up north again.  I have a new fan.  Hahaha.

Get serious now.  The Sultan of Johor has summoned.  Just kidding.  The Sultan is gracing an event in Ulu Tiram, Johor, at 10am.

To the people of Teluk Intan, happy voting!  May the choice be made with insight and wisdom.

Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud

Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud

Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud

Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud

Tiga Abdul and Baby Khamis

This clip is so cool.  The true meaning of friendship and humanity.

And this is my zoo story. During the school break, do visit the Johor Zoo at Jalan Gertak Merah, Johor Bahru.  Admission is Malaysian Ringgit RM2 for adults and RM1 per child.

The playful tiger cubs at the Johor Zoo.  NST pix by Mohd Azren Jamaludin.

30 May 2014

'Tiga Abdul', 'Khamis', pygmy marmosets new attraction at Johor Zoo

By Chuah Bee Kim

JOHOR BARU: Three Malayan tiger cubs, a tapir and two pygmy marmosets (world's smallest monkeys) are the latest attractions at the Johor Zoo. The arrival of the newbies is timely as the zoo is expecting an influx of visitors during the school holidays.

Johor Zoo manager Zakaria Razali said the tiger cubs born in early January have been dubbed "Tiga Abdul" after the late silver screen icon, Tan Sri P. Ramlee's comedy about three brothers in the film named Abdul Wahab, Abdul Wahib and Abdul Wahub.

The parents of the tiger cubs are Jelly and July, both about seven years old. Jelly and July gave birth to a total of eight offsprings, including Tiga Abdul, over the years.

However, four of the eight cubs died during infancy. The zoo's other new attraction is a tapir born on May 8 on a Thursday, and named "Khamis". "Khamis is the third tapir born at the zoo. The female tapir takes about three years before it can reproduce again, and then the female carries the fetus for 13 months," Zakaria said, adding that Khamis now weighs about 3.6kg.

Besides the tapir and the tiger cubs, Zakaria said a pair of pygmy marmosets also delivered two infants in early March. "A pygmy marmoset costs RM9,000 each and we bought three pairs. However, only one pair produced a total of four babies," he said.

Zakaria said not all the animals in the zoo can be fed by the public.  This is to safeguard the animals' health.

The zoo, located at Jalan Gertak Merah here, is open to the public from 8.30am to 6pm daily.

It was built by Sultan Sir Ibrahim in 1928, but the Johor government took over the management of the zoo in 1962.

The baby tapir at the Johor Zoo. NST pix by Mohd Azren Jamaludin

On the Ground

Teluk Intan: BN can win, says Muhyiddin

By Shahrum Sayuthi

 

TELUK INTAN: BN deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says the coalition has a good chance to win the Teluk Intan by-election tomorrow despite DAP's aggressive campaign. He said feedback from the ground have been favourable for BN ever since the campaign started last week.



"We are going to push all the way until the campaign period ends at midnight today," he said after a breakfast session with leaders of local Indian non-governmental organisations here this morning.

Muhyiddin, nonetheless reminded BN party workers to observe decorum while campaigning in light of the Perak's state of mourning following the passing of the late Sultan Azlan Shah.

He also expressed regret over the DAP leadership's decision to proceed with a boisterous open air ceramah in the middle of this town last night.

"I think they are desperate to win. That's why they do not seem to care about the state mourning period," he said.

Earlier, Muhyiddin appealed for the local Indian NGO leaders to help BN candidate Datuk Mah Siew Keong who hails from this town to win the by-election.

"He (Mah) is from here and know better your needs and how to help your community," he said.

Mah faces DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud at the poll tomorrow.

Read more: Teluk Intan: BN can win, says Muhyiddin - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/font-color-red-teluk-intan-font-bn-can-win-says-muhyiddin-1.608165#ixzz33AvPtEvk

Polling Tomorrow: All The Best

30 May 2014

'DAP resorting to dirty tactics to fish for votes'

By Shahrum Sayuthi
  

PERSONAL ATTACKS: Party going overboard with comments about BN, says Mah

THE mild-mannered Datuk Mah Siew Keong is not a man who easily gets upset.

But when asked about DAP's aggressive campaigning tactics for the Teluk Intan by-election, the Barisan Nasional candidate found it hard to conceal his feelings.

"I have contested many times over the past 20 years. However, I have never encountered having my poster smeared with the word 'bodoh' (stupid)," he said on Tuesday.

As campaigning for the by-election enters its final stage, DAP is stepping up its attacks against BN. Mah is of course at the centre of the cross hairs.

At its nightly ceramah, DAP leaders and their allies from PKR and Pas are depicting Mah as weak, an Umno lackey and president of a dead party, in reference to Gerakan.

On Tuesday night at the Anson Industrial Park, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang did not even bother to go through the usual niceties in the opening of his speech but instead directly launched an attack on Mah, among others, rubbishing the latter's manifesto, which was launched earlier on the same day.

After he was done with Mah, Lim proceeded to attack other BN leaders, such as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Other speakers, such as Lim's son Guan Eng, who is the chief minister of Penang and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, repeated the same pattern of aggressive speeches without even sparing retired BN leaders such as former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Mah's predecessor, former Gerakan president Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon.

The usual allegations of corruption and bad governance were bandied about by all the speakers, which, without a doubt, were intended to instil hatred against BN.

Such was the aggressive tone of the speeches that Anwar, at one point, even remarked that members of the Chinese community, who supported BN, were "stupid".

"The prime minister came and said, 'Apa lagi Cina mahu' (what else do the Chinese want), and there was a minister who had labelled the Chinese as intruders. Yet, there are still members from the community who had shouted 'Long live BN'.

"Chinese of these sort are really stupid," Anwar allegedly said.

Such rhetoric, despite their factual inaccuracy, have after all been a potent weapon wielded by DAP and its allies since the 2008 General Election.

This time, Mah has to bear the full brunt as all of the opposition's "big guns" were in Teluk Intan in support of his opponent, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud of DAP.

Mah, in contrast, told his campaign workers not to be confrontational or retaliate in the face of provocation.

He gave instructions to those campaigning on his behalf not to touch on the personality of his opponent and her family members.

It was rare for the names of DAP and other opposition leaders to be mentioned by speakers at BN campaign functions.

The focus of BN's campaign has always been on what the ruling coalition can offer to the people.

As the campaigning winds down for polling on Saturday, the people of Teluk Intan are presented with two choices which can be reflected by the way both sides have conducted themselves over the past two weeks.

Read more: 'DAP resorting to dirty tactics to fish for votes' - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/dap-resorting-to-dirty-tactics-to-fish-for-votes-1.607947#ixzz339ZPPEUw

"Outsiders, Please Don't Interfere"

Today at the 2nd Session of the 13th Johor State Legislative Assembly at Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim at Jalan Bukit Timbalan, Johor Baru.

The Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar doesn't think the Federal Government's proposal to set the minimum price of properties for foreign buyers at RM1 million is right for Johor. The Sultan said it may be ok for Kuala Lumpur but not in Johor.  The RM500,000 minimum price for strata-title properties or condominiums can still be acceptable but for landed properties, the minimum price should be RM2 million. Definitely not RM1 million.

  "The government should also be strict with developers regarding the construction of low-cost and medium-cost housing, and developers who did not observe the ruling are to be blacklisted and their building plans will not be approved in the future," the ruler said.
  The Sultan further said that Johor is different from other states as her neighbour is a developed country.
  "Isn't it the people of Johor who will understand better the local issues more than those in Putrajaya?  Do people in Putrajaya understand better the needs and wants of Johor and its Rakyat," the ruler added.

  On a separate matter, the Sultan said that it was vital for an environmental impact assessment report (EIA) to be prepared for each property development project.
  However, he said certain parties could use the EIA as a weapon to stop a development just because it does not benefit them.
  He cited the case of the Memorandum of Understanding which was signed with Benalec three years ago, and witnessed by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
  "A delay in issuing the EIA only obstructs the development of the project and prompts investors to move to another location," he said.

  In yet another matter, the Sultan said he was very pleased with the state government as for the first time, the state government has a surplus of RM485 million.

Meanwhile, excerpts from Rakyat Post

  While expressing gratitude that Johor had been developing well, Sultan Ibrahim reminded all elected representatives to prioritise the people’s interest over that of their own.

  “I wish to remind state representatives to shoulder their responsibilities without any preference for race, religion or political beliefs.”  

and excerpts from Bernama

On the influx of investors from China into the state, especially in real estate, Sultan Ibrahim said investments such as these were needed for economic development as Johor could depend solely on local investors.

"It is a coincidence that at the moment, only investors from China appear to be interested to come to Johor as they believe in the potential of the state as well as the government's policy of being investor-friendly," he said.

Expressing his gratitude that Johor was becoming more prosperous, Sultan Ibrahim reminded all State Assemblymen to place the interests of the people above their political interest.

He also said all State Assemblymen should observe etiquettes of decency and decorum in their debates.  

At the end of the chaotic workday, I waltzed over to the Johor Zoo to look at these three adorable tiger cubs which are the zoo's new attractions.