Trip To The North (2)

The next morning, we went to Bukit Merah lake whose shore is dotted with pockets of development, some completed and some in various stages of completion. The immense lake is carved in two by an embankment on which a railway line sits. We had to wait for a small boat to pick us up. It took about 20 minutes to get to the sand extraction facility which sits on two barges and a landing platform. For an ageing landlubber, clambering up a barge from a small bobbing boat required physical dexterity that was beyond me, but I managed with help of my friend who gave me a push from under my butt.

We were to observe the installation and testing of equipment to supply water diesel emulsion or emulsified fuel to run the engine. Water diesel emulsion fuel, a blend of water, diesel and a surfactant, is much cleaner and economical for heavy users of diesel fuel. The water, diesel and a surfactant are first blended in a blending machine and the resulting emulsified fuel is heated to the right temperature before it is fed to the engine. There were technical problems in installing the fuel delivery system which were only ironed out on the third day. But my interest that day was to observe the sand extraction process.

The lake is dissected by a railway crossing

It took us about 20 minutes to get to the facility on this small boat

Approaching the sand extraction facility

The facility comprises two barges and a landing platform

This barge has an excavator that is used to loosen up sand and manoeuvre the barge

Inspecting the depth of the lake and the sand bank

Workers ensuring that equipment is functioning

The excavator loosening sand to enable sand extraction pipe to suck in sand and water

The huge rotating blades fitted at the mouth of the pipe churn as they suck in water and sand

The pipe that carries water and sand to the shore in the distance

Near the shore the pipe spews out water and sand

An excavator on the shore scooping out sand

The excavator dumping sand on the shore

Trip To The North (1)

We started at 2.15 pm for Bukit Merah, Perak to see to the testing and installation of equipment for water-diesel emulsion fuel for use at a sand-extraction facility. Bukit Merah is famous for its Bukit Merah Laketown Resort. It took 6 hours with short breaks in between to reach Bukit Merah. The highway to the north is spectacular for its bluish limestone hills in the distance, some scarred by quarries that extract limestones and granite. By the time we reached Bukit Merah it was 8.30 pm. We checked into a budget hotel, the Highway Hotel, which is about 30 kilometres from the place we were to go the next morning.

Limestone hills dominating the landscape of Perak

The hills, some scarred by erosion and quarrying are a welcoming distraction from the monotony of the long drive

Bypassing Taiping to go to Bukit Merah

The Highway Hotel, aptly named is a chain of hotels that dot the North-South Highway. Cost per night: RM 49 for a double-bed, with hot water and air-conditioning

Food outlets next to the hotel. There is however another place next to it which provides 24 hour service

RPK Out On Bail

Raja Petra, the webmaster of Malaysia Today who was detained under the Sedition Act is out of jail on bail, although he initially refused to post bail, eat, drink or see visitors, even his wife. The pictures are grabbed from Malaysian Insider.

A smiling RPK greeting supporters

RPK being hugged by his wife

Read the full report at Malaysian Insider.



Historic ruling: Syariah court allows convert to return to Buddhism

Another significant event was the report on a Chinese Muslim convert who was allowed to renounce Islam and revert to her previous faith.

Read the full report at Malayisan Insider.

The Sarawak Ikan Terubok

I was invited to have a fish dinner of the famed ikan terubok from Sarawak. I had it once in Rasa Sayang Restaurant at Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur many years ago. The one we had there came from Myanmar and it weighed over two kilos. The chef at Rasa Saya had it baked till the tiny bones of the fish became soft.

I am not a lover of fish; however, this fish is surprisingly not 'fishy'. The texture of the meat is very fine and the taste milky. The oily fish weighing over a kilo was done by adding spring onions, large slices of ginger and a sprinkling of salt. The fish was then wrapped in aluminium foil and steamed for slightly over an hour.

Apart from the fish, we had a vegetable dish that consisted of long beans, four-angle-beans and sliced brinjal fried with anchovies and chili.

The ikan terubok

The vegetable dish

Invitation To A Malay Wedding

Trying to be a smart ass, I was removing certain programme files to speed up my computer start-up but ended up having to send it in for reformatting. The three days without the computer were hellish; I didn't realize how much I was addicted to it. Anyway that it not the reason for this post.

Went to a kampung Malay wedding two days ago and had some really good food. A kampung Malay wedding lunch usually stretches from about 12.00 noon to about 5.30 pm. The good thing about a Malay wedding lunch is that you are not supposed to hang around after you have had your fill, as guests continue to stream in.

The lunch itself comprised saffron rice, mutton rendang, beef in tomato and chili sauce, chicken in tomato and chili sauce, and acar, a sort of mixed pickled fruit (pineapple) and vegetables (cucumber and onions).

The food is usually prepared in the backyard, or a sheltered place to facilitate the cooking which takes place the whole duration of the lunch.

It was a very satisfying lunch.

A Kampung Malay wedding

The kompang that announces the arrival of the couple

The place where the bersanding ceremony takes place

Food for the guests

Mutton rendang, beef in tomato and chili sauce and pickled fruit and vegetables

Tapai wrapped in banana leaves and a hardboiled egg

Tapai, which is fermented glutinous rice is sweet and slightly pungent; it is taken as a dessert

Hard boiled eggs in quaint decorative boxes given to guests

Cooking in the backyard

Stirring a big pot of beef rendang

This is chicken cooked in tomato and chili sauce

Man replenishing trays of food

Saffron rice

Land Of The Hornbills

Source: pics from Sarawak Headhunter

While we are so engrossed in the extent of mismanagement and corruption in Peninsular Malaysia, the Sarawak forests are being carved up by men of power and those allied to these powerful luminaries.

An interesting doctoral dissertation by David Brown which was highlighted by Sarawak Headhunter revealed that hectares of forests were parceled out to the Chief Minister’s family members, his friends and his political allies.

In his dissertation, he claimed that while it was common knowledge that 1.6 million hectares in timber concessions were held by the Chief Minister and his relatives and political allies, he found that almost one million hectares in timber holdings, spread across 20 concessions, were directly held by the Sarawak Chief Minister’s family, friends and political allies.

Tables below show the concessions controlled by these people. I have only included some of these concessions. The full list of concessions, numbering 20, can be viewed at Sarawak Headhunter.

The latest update provides more information on the current state of forest acquisitions in the land of the hornbills.

It seems like the present Rajah and his lieutenants are no less avaricious than the colonial masters.