Cameron Highlands Again

24th November 2010

I had the opportunity of visiting Cameron Highlands again because my better half was invited to speak on his company's latest products, the 1-Rod Anchor System and the 4DEC Net at the JKR Seminar on Effective Slope Stabilization held at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Golf Resort at Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands.

I learned that water is the main culprit behind landslides and other earth movement, as manifested by the Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy in 1994 when 48 victims died. I also learned that the 1-Rod Anchor System(Patent pending) is the best system for effective slope management. Once installed, the site is maintenance-free. Their other product, 4DEC Net is also an environmentally product because after installing the anchor system, the site is covered with the Net that allows grass to grow, hence greening the environment.    

Having an eye for anything beautiful, I love to see the picturesque view of tea plantations, reminding me of my first visit to Cameron Highlands on a school trip way back in 1966. The view of the tea plantations remain unchanged. However, the surrounding areas had changed due to the development of the economy up the hill resort. There are many shophouses, restaurants, hotels and resorts, the weather is much warmer now than before. We were staying at the Strawberry Park Resort Hotel overlooking the greenery around us.

NB. The 4DEC Net has to compete with an earlier product that I know ie the EcoMat made of oil palm fibre. This Malaysian product has been widely exported to China, the biggest traditional market for our palm oil and used effectively at the Gobi Desert to prevent soil erosion due to heavy winds.

Birthday Celebrations

19 November 2010

NOVEMBER 19 is a historic date for the Aziz family because we celebrate this date every year without fail, big or small. This time, all of us chose to go to the FELDA plantation resort at Sg Klah (again!). Our children and grandchildren (now 3 in number) loved it very much. We had fun time, dipping ourselves in the the natural hotspring, and later celebrating their Dad (and Tok Dad's) birthday in the room that we bunked in together. I felt the family closeness together, but deep inside my heart I do wish my son Ammar would have been with us at that time. Nevertheless, we had quality time together, amidst the wonderful ambience provided by the oil palm trees providing the backdrop to our weekend getaway.

NB...The sulphur content in the natural hotsprings can heal skin irritations; the green moss from the hotspring can smoothen your outer skin. The staff told me that the hotsprings, if regularly visited can cure weakness in the knees and paralysis. They noticed over time that an elderly man kept on immersing himself in his wheelchair on his regular visits there. In 6 month's time, he was moving around without his wheelchair. This is a very good testimony of  the healing and therapeutic characteristics of natural water from the hotspring.
Psst....I tried the traditional massage at the Spa Village, very relaxing indeed but the service can be improved. I have tried various massages in the course of my overseas visits to Thailand, China, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam. Nothing can beat the Thai massage at the Wat Temple. The masseau would bend your body over and your bones would give out cracking sounds! Your tired legs would be able to walk again, without feeling any pain at all. Very true to their claims! Practitioners in traditional massage in Malaysia must strive to develop a certain characteristic that is unique about them. Otherwise, traditional massages at the spas would not be able to market their services in the competitive wellness industry.   

Hotspring water has therapeutic values 

Sunday 14 November 2010

Today I took the opportunity to visit an exclusive eco-resort, Tanah Aina,  in Bentong, Pahang. And what a wonderful time I had experiencing  the back-to-nature feeling. The visit was made more meaningful because we were given a conducted tour of the 5 resort facilities by the gracious host herself, Pn Sri Sabrina.






The River



The Beautiful Backdrop

All the 5 resorts were beautifully designed to fit the terrain of the orchard land - the hills, the waterfall  and the river - and decorated with such exclusive taste by the owner herself. The most attractive common feature of all the resorts is the serene and picturesque backdrop of surrounding environment.
For further information, please go to http://www.tanah-aina.com/

Along the way, we stopped by an Orang Asli settlement, comprising 13 families, and we donated some food and clothing items. Tok Batin, the headman of the settlement, was there to receive the goodies.

NB. The environment especially the hilly areas around the Bentong has been ravaged by development. We could clearly see hilly slopes being cleared for oil palm cultivation, which to my mind is a good development because the forest clearing is being replanted with new vegetation, this time our golden crop, the oil palm. Despite many foreign-based environmental groups condemning our Malaysian government on the cultivation of oil palm, I stand by the belief, backed up by authoritative R and D facts and figures that Oil Palm Feeds the World, Greens the Earth!

Save the Animals

16 June 2010
While walking towards the Hays Gallery from the Tower of London, I saw a very interesting campaign towards preserving the Elephants. There in the middle of the sidewalk were seated various elephants in multi-coloured motifs waiting for some kind-hearted corporate companies to buy them up, and the money would go to the Fund setup to save them from becoming a dying species. The concept behind this can be applied to the Orang Utans of Borneo, whom environmentalists believed that the Malaysian oil palm plantation industry is driving them away from their natural habitats, despite our Government's efforts to develop forest corridors for these animals to seek protection. Our big players in the Industry, Sime Darby, IOI, KLK, FELDA, etc,  must take a hint from this campaign.

Emerging Medical Tourism

23 May 2010
My family and I went to the FELDA Plantation Resort at Sg Klah, Perak over the weekend. It was a very interesting trip indeed. FELDA had developed the hot springs within their 6.5 hectare oil palm plantation at Sg Klah to become a tourist attraction, complete with resort rooms, hot spring family spa and a picnic area where you can boil your own eggs and eat them!. The hot springs were carefully preserved and channeled to serve as therepeutic pools for the aching body, legs and the tired feet. The sulphur content in the natural hot springs can cure skin diseases, refresh and energise the body. Over the weekend, there were many cars with Singapore number plates, parked in front of the hotel lobby. As I ventured deeper into the surrounding area, I could sense the emerging medical tourism element making its mark here. Oil palm and medical tourism - a perfect combination!
It was awesome to see and feel the elegance of the oil palm trees as avenue trees leading to the picnic areas. (Oil palm was first brought to Malaysia and planted as avenue trees way back in the 1870's. It was later planted commercially at the Ist oil palm estate in Tennamaram, Selangor.) Visit http://palmoilis.mpob.gov.my/Vtour/index.htm  for a brief history of the oil palm/palm oil industry of Malaysia.
I hope the big players in the oil palm industry of Malaysia emulate this FELDA example, preserving the oil palm trees in their quest towards developing their land banks into property development.

Sepang International Circuit(SIC)

4 April 2010
I have never been an F1 fan, but yesterday I was there at the Sepang International Circuit(SIC) to watch the big race. (I was there at the make-do Medical Centre on the ticket of Moody International (Dato' A Aziz Mat is one of the auditors of Moody International auditing the Angkatan Tentera, the Hospital of which is providing the medical services and treatment for the F1 drivers). I actually saw in person David Schumacher,Lewis Hamilton and a few other drivers. Before the race, Schummy stopped by the Medical Centre to go to the loo...he is thinner than I thought, smiling away and partially greeting the passers by there. And Lewis Hamilton is a very small guy, very unlike his photos. This fella is reserved and not smiling like Schummy. In fact, other drivers like Alonso and others from Japan do not even bother to shake hands with fans who reached out to them. Poor guy.....Schummy, after he was out of the race, he pleaded to the press not to take his photo...stressed, he said.
The Sepang International Circuit was built 6-7 years ago on a former oil palm plantation. Hence you can see in the foreground, if you watched the TV coverage, beautifully lined oil palm trees bordering the Circuit grounds. And a close up of the scenery, you would be able to see the oil palm folige on your TV screens, bordering the scenery. Being a lover of the palm species, I find it very picturesque indeed. Malaysia, the No 1 producer of palm oil, is proud to host this big international event every year here in our homeland.  Bringing in the tourist dollars, very good for our image.....Malaysia Boleh! 

Orang Utan

8 December 2009
I missed the National Geographic Channel programme on Among the Great Apes with Michelle Yeoh (aired on ASTRO Channel 553), but I was drawn to an article in The Star reviewing the programme. Datuk Michelle Yeoh did her bit to help protect the endangered Orang Utan. She became a volunteer at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre, a facility for orphaned and injured orang Utans in Sandakan Sabah. The Centre's aim is to nurse them back to health before releasing them back to the wild. The Malaysian Government is also in an effort to creating forest corridors to link pockets of protected habitats for these endangered species.

Orang Utan

Monday 30 Nov 2009
National Geographic Channel on Astro is featuring a programme on the Orang Utans, premeiering Dec 9 2009. Orang Utans are native to only Malaysia and Indonesia. A century ago, their estimated population was 315,000. Today, only 50,000 remain - a decrease of more than 80 per cent. The greatest threat to this endangered species is the loss of their rainforest habitat, which are being cut down for timber and and the land cleared for mining and oil palm plantations. However, the Malaysian government has embarked on various programmes to protect them. The Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre in Sabah is renowned for its work in rehabilitating orphaned orang utans and releasing them back to the wild. The latest effort is the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, a forest reserve which will be part of the world's first post-rehabilitation monitoring programme.

Palm Oil - Nature's Gift to the World

Tuesday 3 November 2009
The Star today carried a full page Advertorial by Sime Darby on the positive impact of oil palm cultivation on the environment. The advert showed a closeup of the dumpy oil palm tree with huge oversized Fresh Fruit Bunches(FFB)! A product of the R and D work on the DNA of the oil palm by Sime Darby, I imagine.
I also read an article in the Mongabay Newsletter 0ct 29 2009 which carried the caption, "Money is not a Problem." The CEO of MPOC told conservationists and primate experts that the palm oil industry was ready to fund reforestration efforts in the corridors for connecting the forests, especially in Sabah to save Asia's last great ape, the Orang Utans. Researchers said such corridors for connecting forests were essential if Orang Utans were to have a future in Sabah.
I am especially proud of all these combined efforts of the big players in our Industry to defend and protect our national commodity. These initiatives by the corporate sector strongly reflect the quality of the leaders in our country, shaping the Industry that they are leading....Long Live our Good Leaders 

Rasullullah S.A.W. ada menyatakan bahawa Cinta kepada Negara adalah satu-satunya Iman.....

Palm Oil Image Overseas

3 October 2009
A concerned reader form Toronto Canada commented in The Star to neutralise negative views of palm oil. He suggested that MPOC reviews its own marketing strategies and public statements so that concerns raised by Western environmental groups can be addressed, rather than refuted. I agree that Malaysia has to distance itself from the slash and burn practices of the Indonesians. Our Malaysian planters are more professional in our land cultivation and management practices and that we have embarked upon projects that showed the world that Malaysian palm oil is sustainably cultivated. We have addressed the issue of the Orang Utans and other endangered species by developing the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah and preserving all the species there, including the rhinos, Malayan Tiger, etc. We avoided planting in areas deemed to have a much richer biodiversity by cultivating oil palm on less fertile soils, like peat and others. The Malaysian government also practise strict policing of sustainable policies on the ground. Whatever good we have done are not highlighted in foreign papers, hence our international readers only know about the bad side of palm oil, the recent one being the rape and apparent cover-up of the logging incidents. Malaysia must act fast to defend Malaysian palm oil, our major source of income.

Orang Utans to the Rescue

August 18 2009
Today in the Star 18 August 2009, I saw an article which delighted me tremendously. Rhino rescue - Tam, a mature male found wandering in an oil palm estate a year ago, will be the first resident of a new rhino sanctuary in Sabah. The sanctuary is an initiative jointly set up by Sime Darby Foundation and the Sabah Governmnet. Congratulations to Sime Darby, the biggest conglomerate player in the Malaysian palm oil industry! The company will be pumping in RM7.3 million, including RM5mil for the infrastructure to build the 4,500ha for the rhinos in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve. The project is part of Sime Darby's Big 9 campaign to protect 9 endangered Malaysian animal species - the Sumatran Rhino, Orang Utan, Hornbill, Sun Bear, Banteng(Wild Cattle), Clouded Leopard, Pygmy Elephant, Proboscis Monkey and the Malayan Tiger. Good for the Orang Utans. This is a noble act not only to preserve our own species, but also to show the world that Malaysian oil palm industry is not destroying the natural habitat of the Orang Utans.

Oil Palm - Environmentally Friendly

Monday 3 August 2009
I am now back in my beloved home country after being away for three weeks in London attending my son's graduation ceremony at Middlesex University. Yesterday Sunday 2 August 2009 while running through the papers, I came across an article regarding a resort right in the middle of an oil palm estate - FELDA Residence Hot Springs Sungai Klah in Perak.
The resort is nestled in the serene and lush forest patches, surrounded by hills and clear cold mountain streams and rivers. All 6.5 hectares enjoy the scenic view of well-tended oil palm plantation and durian orchard amidst a haven of tranquility.
I have actually heard about this tourist attraction which was previously known Taman Rekreasi Air Panas. To my mind, FELDA has done a wonderful job of transforming this place, highlighting the fact that the oil palm plantation is an environmentally friendly surrounding, coupled with the fact that there exist the natural hot springs within the resort. These two natural factors complimented each other and now the resort is very popular amongst tourists from Singapore, Japan and Korea. http://www.plantationresorts.com.my/Hotsprings/index_ap.shtml
To my mind, all other big players in the palm oil industry should emulate this innovative effort by FELDA to develop along this lines, hence strengthening the image that the Industry is a sustainable industry, that we care about our environment and that we preserve our natural flora and fauna in our quest to cultivate oil palm in our country.