DREAMS UNFINISHED - VENICE, KLONGS AND INLAND WATERWAY

Malaysia is blessed with vast bodies of water rendered alive by high rainfall throughout the year. So much water make some people feel that water is a nuisance. Many a time we see projects filling in the drains, swampy lands and lakes in the name of development. But development can go hand-in-hand with conservation.

We do not undestand how to make the best use of water to conserve and live with it unlike the Melanaus in the heartland of sago, Mukah, Sarawak. They plant sago in swampy areas, transport sago logs by means of inter-connected water ways (ditches and rivers) to the factories sited along rivers. They live, move around, and bath by the rivers.

The British at one time proposed to build the Kra canal linking the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. They were in control of India, Burma, Malaya, Singapore, and China was their majoir trading partner. The canal would be of vested interest to shorten shipping time.

Would the current geopolitics make the Kra canal feasible? Countries spanning from India/Sri lanka to China-Japan-Russia stand to gain  in terms of shorter sea journey.

What are the other ramifications:
i) Langkawi need to develop a port. Tanjung Pelepas and Klang port activities reduced.
ii) Rangoon and Bangkok will become bustling ports.
iii) Singapore's entrepot trade reduced.
iv) Thailand may face increased security problem in the south unless Pattani is granted autonomy.

The Kedah Plain stretching from Sg Petani to Alor Star-Jitra where our rice bowl is located presents a suitable region to develop canals and inland waterway. This may not for economic reasons so much but to make use of the abundant water in the rivers, irrigation-drainage canals, lakes, wetlands and ditches - for beautification of the rice landscape, for tourist attraction and to instill love of water for generations to come.

TS Sanusi Junid has this dream of Venice of the East. I has this dream too since two decades ago when frequenting that part of the country. I squirmed on seeing roadside drains and canals being filled up with soil, rubbish and poorly maintained.

Tunku was a brave man to dream of a massive transformation of the Kedah Plain by damming up-river and channel the water for rice cultivation. His was not run-of-the mill type of thinking and leadership. This is one of his legacies to the people.

A comprehensive and detail study should be made in the planning to develop an intricate inland waterway. There are examples in many countries like England and Europe maintaining complex inland waterways for transport and recreation.

Locks and bridges built should allow boats to pass through/under.

Venice (pic), main canal and gondola.

Do we know who and how the Italians built the complicated canal system and water control?

Klongs at Bangkok on the Menam Chao Phraya.

Practical usage for business and transport of the river system commit maintenance, conservation and sustainable living.

KU PENAKUT JADI SAMURAI

lagak menteri
berani mati
harakiri

perut terburai
ala samurai
kadar mulut murai.

Samurai kontot!


Zaman kegemilangan gulungan pahlawan samurai (sebelumnya dikenali bushi) di Jepun adalah dalam abad ke 11 sehingga kenaikan Meiji 1868. Setelah sistem feudal dimansuhkan pada tahun 1871, kaum samurai kehilangan tuan dan hartanah. Mereka kemudian menumpukan masa menjadi ahli burokrat Confucian.

The real samurai of modern day is this:

XL BRA TAK SEMESTI WINNABLE

Larutan kelantangan OWG mengatakan aksi2 4+1, 3+1 dan 2+1 amat orgasmik kini ada Wanita UMNO dimedan  ramai berani mengatakan branya lebih besar dari Sharizat. Mengghairahkan ya. Belum tentu lagi orinya kerana kalau2 ada padding atau falsy dengan suntikan silicone!

Kalau diperhatikan orang2 atasan UMNO baik perempuan maupun lelaki makin hari makin gemuk, perut membuncit, seluar melondeh. Maklumlah jamuan atas jamuan tak sempat exercise.

Kenalah lansingkan badan dan jaga kesihatan. Caranya ikutlah panduan buku yang diterbitkan pada tahun 1971 oleh Al-Ahmadiah Press, Singapura.

Dengan berbra besar dan badan lansing seperti Marlyn Monroe atau Cleopatra bertambah winnable lagi. Takkan Najib nak ketepikan dalam PRU13.

.

Tetapi syarat mutlak untuk winnable ialah bermain 1jari bersama Najib atau seperti beliau. Perhatikanlah nanti.

Yang winnable juga ialah yang lurus tapi janganlah lurus bendul.

Yang bengkok jangan harap kerana hentam depan belakang, atas bawah, kiri kanan.







Nampaknya yang paling winnable ialah Najib sendiri. Apa tak dia seorang saja yang buat kerja - resmikan itu ini, jamuan itu ini, pidato itu ini, menteri2 lain tak ada buat statement pun! Carry on Bro.

SANGGUP BERENANG UNTUK TAWAF!

Cuaca dunia sudah berubah. Bah berluluasa. Ramai menyangka ia hanya pertukaran angin, putaran air lautan, pencemaran alam, salji di khutub Artic dan Antartic cair .... Sebenarnya semuanya kuasa Allah memberi pertunjuk dan kesedaran kapada sekelian makhluknya.

Bah Kajang baru lepas. Bah di Johor sedang berlalu.

Kuala Kangsar tenggelam pada Januari 1967.

Kebelakangan ini Jedah, Mekah dan Madinah agak kerap dibanjiri air hujan.

Antara bah besar yang pernah berlaku di Mekah ialah musim haji Februari 1969. Ada para jemaah sanggup berenang melakukan tawaf.

Ia berulang 35 tahun kemudiannya ia-itu pada tahun 2003 (1424).

Jemaah mengerjakan Sa'i antara Saffar dan Marwah.

Sebulan sebelum bah, pengubahsuaian Masjidilharam telah dimulakan dan ini menambahkan lagi suasana kerosakan.


Sistem peparitan adakah bertambah baik sekarang?

Gambar2 dipetik daripada buku ini (L) dan penulisnya mengalami sendiri bah di Mekah tahun 1969 tersebut.








Pernah disyurkan (dalam blog Che Det) supaya pihak Saudi adakan sistem pembuangan najis dari Mekah dan Madinah kekawasan padang pasir (berjauhan) supaya dimenafaatkan dan menhijaukan kawasan tandus untuk pertanian dan oasis. Bayangkan berapa ribuan tan baja dapat dikitar tiap hari. It is within today's engineering feat.

'THE DUTCHMAN' DAH SUNAT

Tamadun Mesir kuno telah maju dalam banyak perkara termasuk pertanian, pembanguna (pirimid), pelayaran, peperangan, pemerintahan.

Agak terpegun bila mengetahui mereka telah mempratikkan bersunat atau berkhatan untuk kaum lelaki (perempuan?) semenjak ribuan tahun lagi.

Apa pula Kama Sutra kata berkenaan sunat? Ah, masih ku tak baca buku tulisan (alihbahasa)  Richard Burton tu!.

Adakah binatang pun bersunat? Di pulau besar Borneo dikawasan hutan Lahad Datu, Sg Kinabatangan, Sg Segama dan Bandjarmasin (Sg Kembang) terdapat kera belanda hidup liar. Ia dipanggil juga proboscis monkeys atau Dutchman monkeys.

Sijantan mempunyai hidung panjang berwarna kemerahan. Sebab itu agaknya digelarkan 'Belanda'. Bila orang2 Nusantara pertama kali melihat penjajah Belanda dan dibandingkan  dengan mereka jelas ketara beza saiz hidung.

Bila 'Dutchman' terperanjat atau terancam hidungnya akan menegak seolah hendak menakutkan musuh.

Dutchman ini suka memperagakan yang ia sudah sunat!

SHAHRIZAT NFC SHOULD BEAR THE AXE

The 1500ac (ha) NFC project in Gemas run by Sharizat's family borders the Ladang UMNO Sg. Dua.

Circa 1960 UMNO allocated young rubber-planted land 6ac each to landless kampong folks in Kg. Sg. Dua. It was through this helping-the -people project that my late father (L) becambe landed from being a landless sharecropper tapping rubber. When the trees became tappable our life improved from sheer poverty. Later another 2ac were added to each project member to build a new kampong.

Thus, in the early years UMNO was really for the people. Members in turn sacrifice and work for UMNO almost for nothing.

Lately, UMNO has bastardized the Malays. It has been hijacked to be propel leaders to power and of misplaced dreams. Service to uplift all Malays, regardless of being UMNO members or not has been neglected.

Such is the case with the NFC grand project of RM250 million that lacks proper government jurisdiction. When abuses are found to be taking place Shahrizat denies having any ties with the project run by her husband and children. Is she not sharing the same pillow and bed with her spouse?

Leaders directly connected with approving the huge sum of money and land for the NFC project on easy terms are keeping mum denying any responsibility.

The honourable thing to do for Shahrizat to step down. The mistake is too grevious for UMNO and the country.

Najib seems to let the public make the judgement and pass the sentence. Hence, in the eyes of the people he is a meek leader. He talks about being a game changer, he is not walking the talk. Is he playing the game that the Malays have no choice to survive but to vote UMNO?

OF THOMAS JEFFERSON and SANUSI JUNID

TS Sanusi Junid, the maverick and enigma.

When he was Menteri Pertanian he put forward many ideas that set minds to ponder and think to promote agriculture and improve farmers' livelihood.

His air kelapa muda campaign has been a roaring success. Now, we can enjoy the nutritious, cool air kelapa at many roadside stalls and pasar malam. Lorry loads of kelapa muda are seen on the roads being transported to various market places. The price of cocnuts has gone up considerably.

MARDI was his launching pad for new ideas to experiment on.

We have not enough rice in production and land getting scarce so plant rice on rooftops, Sanusi said!
MARDI complied with experimenting that idea at its research station at Bumbong Lima. Under certain circumstances the technology could be viable perhaps.

TS Sanusi on his visit to MARDI  Hilir Perak  station with former DG of MARDI (2nd R) explaining, 1989.



TS Sanusi's biodata speaks volumes of him:

- Sekolah Melayu Yan, Kedah (1950-1953);
- Ibrahim School Sungai Petani, Kedah (1954-1956);
- MCKK (1957-1963);
- Assistant Scount Master 1st Kuala Kangsar Scouts;
- Berlitz School of Languages, City of London College, London School of Economics, and Hamburg University of West Germany for Associateship of the Institute of Bankers (London) and the Institute of Exports and Marketing;
- Member of UMNO since 13 October, 1963;
- Information Officer of Alliance Club, London (1969); 
- Secretary General of Malaysian Association of Youth Club - MAYC - (1971);
- President of MAYC (1972-2002);
- Founder Vice-President of ABIM (1971-1973)( Founder President of ABIM is Prof. Dr. Ghazali Nawawi now attached to the International Islamic University Malaysia);
- Manager of The Chartered Bank up to 1977;
- Chairman of SHAMELIN (1975-1977);
- General Manager of SHAMELIN (1977-1978);
- Member of Parliament (1974-1995);
- Secretary General of UMNO (1984-1988);
- Vice President of UMNO (1990-1993);
- State Assemblyman of Kedah (1995-2004);
- Deputy Minister (1978-1981;
- Cabinet Minister (1981-1995);
- Menteri Besar of Kedah (1996-1999);
- Professor of Nanjing University, China;
- President of International Islamic University Malaysia (2000-2008)


LOVE OF BOOKS - 20,000 volume in his library collection.
http://sanusijunid.blogspot.com/
Saturday, December 3, 2011: MALAYSIAN BUSINESS: AS COLOURFUL AS THEY COME

i) Perhaps one reason why Sanusi’s peers could not see eye to eye with him is that he had a different plane of thought. An intellectual on many counts, Sanusi was exposed to so many other worlds, concepts and philosophies, thanks to his voracious appetite for books.

ii) ‘He reads on every subject; he knows the latest film,’ says Rozai. ‘Ten years ago, he was already talking about genomes and nanotechnology.’ Sanusi, he says, would often explain to his staff things he read.

iii) ‘I read many books at the same time; some books I haven’t finished in the past 10 years,’ Sanusi says. “I read a book, and it mentions nanotechnology, then my next book would be nanotechnology.’

iv) Sanusi has his own personal library, with more than 20,000 books neatly organised, housed just a few doors away from where he lives. He reads in the car, in waiting rooms and airports.

v) It is not surprising then that Sanusi is an active advocate for the reading habit. His previous projects include a citizen’s reading centre, Pubara, at Paya Pahlawan in Jitra and a book village, Kampung Buku Malaysia, in Lubuk Semilang, Langkawi.


Of common interest TS Sanusi's with Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third President of US is their love and collection of books. Both are learned men.

Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, 1776. Assuming the office of the Presidency in 1801, he acquired Louisiana for the US (1803) and retired in 1809.
He was an extraordinary learned man whose interests in the arts and sciences were wide ranging.

The Library of Congress, Washington D.C. began in 1815 with the private collection of Jefferson's 6,760 volumes. Today it contains, millions of books, documents, maps and other items.

BAH BANGKOK DI KUALA KANGSAR?

Sg Perak, yang ke 2 terbesar di Semenanjung melingkar seperti ular di palu, membengkok kiri-kanan dari ulu di Tasik Temenggur hingga muaranya di Bagan Datoh.

Ibaratkan ular sawa ini sudah sakit perut, sarat dan tenat menelan pasir dan sampah sarap buangan manusia maupun hakisan geografi Banjaran Titiwangsa disebelah kanan dan Pergunungan Kledang di sebelah kirinya.

Adakah Sg Perak akan muntah sebagaimana berlaku 6hb Januari 1967, hampir 45 tahun dahulu dimana pekan Kuala Kangsar menjadi mangsa luahan air keterlaluan? Bila marahnya menggila adakah apa2 petanda ulang ke 50 tahun bahnya - dalam jangkamasa 5 tahun ini.




Petanda2:
 i) perut sungai sudah dengkat;
ii) air hujan mengalir laju kesemua anak2 sungai terus (kerana kawasan hutan berkurangan) dilonggokan keibunya ia-itu Sg Perak;
iii) pulau2 kecil bertaburan sepanjang Sg Perak;
iv) banyak jalan raya menjadi sungai bila hujan lebat dan airnya lari ke anak2 sungai dan seterus ke ibunya;
v) K. Kangsar adalah kawasan rendah merupakan pekan lama orang Melayu biasa terletak di tepi sungai ...

Walla hu alam.

Dunia sekarang haru piru dilakukan manusia.

Jagalah dan sayangi sungai, nikmat Allah.