My Affinity with the Council Negeri

Part One

 

Being a Bintulu boy , I am somewhat elated by the fact that Bintulu was the site of the first Council Negeri meeting during the rule of the first Rajah of Sarawak, Sir James Brooke in 1867.

100 years since the first meeting, I was a young student at Tanjong Lobang School, Miri doing my Form Four education.

In 1967, the Postal Department issued a commemorative stamp in rememberance of 100 years of Council Negeri in Sarawak.

I am not an avid stamp collector but surprise! I do have a piece of the commemorative stamp in my album. So here you can see it.

The Sarawak government deemed it fit to give due respect ( my words)/ recognition ( official word) to this simple gathering that planted early the seeds of democratic principles and practise in Sarawak.

This traditon continues to the present day.

 

 

Part Two 

As if fate would have it, in 1978 I was posted to Kuching as an education officer in charge of the Educational Mass Media Service's arm of Radio and Television Production. It was due to my regular meetings at RTM ( Radio Television Malaysia) mainly on Mondays , that I met a gentleman who initiated me to become an interpreter at the Dewan Negeri ( previously "Council Negeri") . He was Mr. Annuar Ahmad , a one time popular sports commentator on radio RTM Kuching especially well-known for his coverage of football matches in Kuching for the benefit of fans throughout the length and breadth of Sarawak.
The 'job' of an interpreter was on temporary basis depending on when the Dewan held its sessions or meetings. What the legal fraternity calls " as and when basis".
While seated in the interpreter's booth with headphones and mike already setup, I would perform simulatneous oral translation of the proceedings whenever a Dewan member rose to speak. In most instances , I would share the interpretation hours with Mr. Annuar .
If any of the Dewan members, (the Dewan protocol required each one to call another member as " the honourable member" ) spoke in English I would translate his or her utterances in Bahasa Malaysia for the convenience of those non-English speaking members. Alternatively, if they spoke in Bahasa Malaysia, I would tranlate his or her words and sentences to English on the spot, online or virtual as we may prefer to call in today.It was a really challenging job as you could imagine we had to change our mode of thinking and linguistic codes according to the whims and fancies of the speakers. For the job I was paid a translator's allowance. A very important supplement back then as living in Kuching for a young family man was not cheap compared with Bintluu.
But the 'mega bonus" of doing this job was the chance to mix around with the YB's and Ministers, political secretaries, permanent secretaries and heads of department when they gather for morning, lunch and afternoon breaks at the Dewan canteen. Here you can talk to anyone you bump into including the VVIP's. Everyone seemed willing to talk casually and leisurely in a relaxed ambience. Unlike when they have to sit long hours inside the august house.

Longest Dewan Session in History

That day was eventful. I arrived home around 4.30 am. The reason being on that day the Dewan had no budget to hold its meeting for another day. By hook or by crook, the Dewan must adjourn that same day. Thus I became witness to the longest Dewan sesson in Malaysian history , I think. ( Though I have not really checked this fact with other dewan sessions in other states in Malaysia). Anyway, what was amazing that day was the fact that I had to do the translation alone ( i.e. from 9.00 am to 4.00 am the following day) . On that fateful day my friend Annuar didn't turn up at the translator's booth. That I think put me a place in the Malaysia Book of World Records as the longest time an interpreter had to do interpretation in a single seating.!!
I have yet to recall the exact date of this meeting. But If I were to go through the Dewan's Archives of hansards I would be able to give you the exact date. If only the hansards are still there.
However, for the sake of posterity, the Speaker of the Dewan then was Tuan Speaker Datuk Abang Abu Bakar and the Chief Minister was Datuk Haji Abdul Rahman Ya'akub ( now Tun). 

 

Part Three

The Auspicious 8th of July 1978

A great day it was . That was the 8th of July 1978, the Dewan debated on the Bill intituled the The Bintulu Development Authority Ordinance. I was doing the translation and by the time the Bill was passed, BDA ( Bintulu Development Authority ) was born and I was witness to its birth, albeit from my interpreter's booth.
I knew then that this Ordinance would give Bintulu a new lease of life. Indeed as history would proove, similar ordinances were copied to spearhead the development of other regions in Malaysia like Langkawi with its Langkawi Development Authority and Labuan with its Labuan Development Authority. Thus my respect to the old man Tun Rahman for pushing the Bill through in the Sarawak Dewan Undangan Negeri session of 1978. And of course to the rest of the honourable Dewan members who said " Yes" and since there were so many of them saying "Ayeas", the "Ayeas have it !". The Bill is passed, so says Tuan Speaker Datuk Abang Abu Bakar. Hooray to the supporters of Tun for having won the day! And for Bintulu - a second chance.

That momentous day was auspicious to me in another way. It embedded in me the realisation that someday sooner I will join this new organisation because it was specifically setup to develop my hometown into a bigger city than a sleepy hollow it was in 1978. It could very well be the chance of a lifetime to partake in this great development effort. A tranformational leadership role.

My persistence and eagerness came to reality in 1980. By then I had completed my 5 years teaching contract with the Education Department. This provided an opportunity to change my career.

Thus on 15/11/1980, I joined the BDA as a Senior Administrative Officer tasked with the development of low cost houses in this new about to be booming town.

The next 12 years were the most energetic and enthusiastic period of my life. This chapter of my life will be talked about in my later blogs when I'll be writing about the development of Bintulu.

Suffice it to say , as a way of conclusion that my affinity with the Council Negeri ( Dewan Undangan Negeri) prooved to be a mainstay in my career development.

 

P.S. Above is example of my supplementary income. Much awaited . Hard earned!

We were once kids

 This afternoon I saw these joyful kids playing at an open space by the village of Kampung Jepak, just across the Bintulu town.  where my worker lives. I took a moment to take a picture of them. I was thinking of the nostalgic days when I was a kid like them spending endless hours playing with my brothers or sisters and friends. What did I do after school hours when I was like them say at the age of 4- 12 years old?

Under the category of 'Helping Out Parents' I did the following:

1) Collect firewood from a nearby sawmill that was located on the opposite side of the river. It required me and my brothers to paddle a small boat . A frightening experience when the boat was loaded and had to navigate the waves from passing ships . Never did our boat collide or sank. Thanks to the Almighty.

2) Sell cakes & ice cream which entailed me to walk for miles around the village or town . Over the years became knowledgeable about Who's Who in the village or town, especially those with spending power.

3) Water plants,sweep garden floor and help burn garden debris - almost on daily basis.That could be how I was indoctrinated into gardening. Green fingers are created young. Did Confucius say that??

4) Shopping for emergency supplies- cigarettes, sugar, milk, flour, fruits, etc

5) AOB - carry out miscellaneous errands like collect clothes from working bachelors who contracted out their laundry washing to my mother. Then send back the clothes cleaned and ironed .

'Just Having Fun ' Category list of activities:

1) Swimming in the river

2) Fishing by the stream or river

3) Bicycling around town or village

4) Play football or badminton and other traditional games e.g. kite flying and marbles,

5) Play hide and seek

6) Shoot birds and mud skippers using catapult

7) Play see-saw and swing at the only public park in town

Reflecting on my childhood days I think I had my share of the fun days as well as the 'hard' days.

More of the former than the latter. I guess -Kids just wanna have fun.

(Note: The above is a re-posting from another blog 'Living the Bintulu Story' by following this link ...http://vaiesegan.blogspot.com/2015/10/we-were-once-kids.html )

Creative urges - a categorisation

My creative urges develop early in my life. A few people were convinced of them. They wrote about it in my school leaving certificates and school report cards, indicating there is a future for it. These were important for planting the love of anything creative in later years. It is for these reasons that we need people to inspire us in our lives , even in three little words.

So when I reflect on my encounters with creativity, I like to categorise them in four major periods.

Period One : The Very Early Years and Influences

Period Two : The Young Man As Artist

Period Three: The Mature Years

Period Four: Forward -naturally

I will write these periods as they become relevant during the time of writing as and when I encounter the need for blogging them.

Therefore today I will just blog on the 'Rough Pad ' Years. This was a time of intense writing on plain rough pads, which I used in the years 1973-1974. But look there's something extra that I did . I began to do sketches in the rough pads. These were done while observing behaviours of people in classes I attended in the university days. Some were just afterthoughts in sketches of, course.

Here is a pullout collection of a few of those sketches.

The rough pads are an example of the 'Young Man as Artist 'period.

(Note: This post is a re-posting from the blog Being MY and can be accessed by following this link ...>>http://beingmy.blogspot.com/2007/08/creative-urges-categorisation.html

True Forest Dwellers

Me on top of the express boat bound to Tubau, after which we took the landcruiser to reach Penan territory at Ulu Belaga. Notice the piles of rattan neatly stacked on which I sit.

 In 1987 I took a challenge to go deep into the interior of Sarawak. My mission then was to meet one of the well known nomadic tribes of Sarawak called the Penan. With the help of a forester friend we left Bintulu at 7.00 am on the 29th of September, 1987 and arrived at the Penan's location around 11.00 pm at night. The journey to Penan territory entailed a five hours journey by express boat and then a gruelling 6 hours journey by landcruiser using the muddy , slippery and dangerously steep logging roads. But feeling young then really there was no fear or real fatique. Only excitement to see eye -to -eye the true nomadic tribe of Sarawak. Indeed our journey was met with success. We slept the night in a makeshift jungle hut and woke up early to search for the Penan settlement. At around 10.00 am the following day and after travelling for about two hours in thick jungle we stumbled upon a small party of Penan who led us to their temporary settlement.

 The above is a picture showing a Penan family preparing the wild sago as starch for food. The Penans live by extremely simple means. They are jungle hunters and gatherers. They move about the deep tropical forests of Sarawak and seldom meet other Penan parties or other native groups of Sarawak. As such they tend to shy away from people and by remaining in the jungles most of the time they retain a surprisingly fair complexion. Inbreding is common among them because contact with other Penan parties are seldom. Thus the Penan girls marry early as the need to produce children is found urgent due to their short life span as a result of tough life in the jungle.

 On this visit I met this young Penan mother who has just given birth to a boy a week ago. Without any name yet, my forester friend gave him his name" Masleh" to the little boy. To my surprise the family agreed. The Penans travel light. The most important things they carry are their bundles of clothes, cooking pot, blow pipes, knives and rattan carry baskets. All other needs are provided by the forest e.g. fishes, wild animals, fruits, sago, herbal plants etc. They do collect bird's nests,'damar' ( jungle resins) and rattan that fetch high prices when sold to rural traders. The Penans are extremely fit, stout and forever 'King of the Jungle'.

A typical temporary settlement in the jungle made of bamboos, rattan, palm leaves, tree barks and wooden branches. You don't need any nailing to the structure. Most are fastened or tied using rattan and strings made from tree barks.

 

 

It would be very interesting to know what has become of " Masleh". One thing for sure he must be in his early twenties now. Could he have gone to school? May be studying at a local university? If only I knew.

( Note: The above story is a re-posting from my blog - My Sarawak (1st Ed.) and the link is here.)

Once upon a blog

 Since 2007, I have blogging about Bintulu on a vast range of topics and these were incorporated in many blogs, thanks to Blogger.  One of my favourite blogs  is about the old images of Bintulu compared  with recent or contemporary ones.  It is a pictorial history of Bintulu that many outside Bintulu can sit comfortably in their arm chairs and time-travel to Bintulu during the 1950's in the safety of their homes or zoom into modern times in relative ease clicks away.  Bintulu is my hometown and I think I will continue to document its history as it marches in the field of time.  Currently Bintulu is deep into its fourth economic boom period and this boom has a much wider impact upon its societal changes compared to the previous ones mainly because the economic generators that push the town forward are scattered over its hinterland like its massive hydro-electric dam, reforestation projects, oil palm estates, timber exploitation and new industrial and township satellite zones at Similajau.  Below are some examples of the pictorial history of Bintulu.  For more pictorial history images please go to the original blog as in here ...>>>http://bintulub4now.blogspot.com/search/label/1950%27s

MNLG plant complexes with the port at top of picture.
( Tanjung Kidurong Industrial zone)

 At the inset is a picture showing the Tg. Kidurong Industrial zone which started the first boom in Bintulu starting 1979.  The main project was the liquified natural gas plant and a deep water port to enable huge LNG ships come in to harbour to load its cargo for export to Japan and other buyers outside Malaysia.

Second Industrial Satellite Zone at Similajau, 14 miles north of the Tg. Kidurong Industrial zone.
The new zone is serviced by new port.

Today, with all the industrial developments combined with agricultural, timber-based, power generation and off-shore oil and gas explorations and productions,  Bintulu is on the right path to be an industrial showpiece of the nation.

Happy Malaysia day Sarawak !!

Please follow this link to see the original post...>>> http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/2013/09/once-upon-blog.html

Once upon a sound

Sarawak sapeh players from an old post card.

Batik by MOOD

  A long time ago the sounds of the sapeh were heard deep in the interior of Sarawak.  It has an exotic and mystic sound to it having the power to mesmerize the listener.  Nowadays the sapeh music is a tourism product that sells well for Sarawak.  I am always entertained to its music which reminds me of my school days at Tanjung Lobang Miri in the 60's where the rural students mainly from the ethnic groups like Kelabit and Kayans were greatly encouraged by the Principal of the school/college (Mr. Robert Nichol)  to bring the sapeh to school and play in many of the school functions.  From such exposure I have on many occasions painted the sapeh players and dancers for my batik pieces.

Sapeh music accopanying a Hornbill dance
Batik by MOOD

A sapeh player basking at the Kuching waterfront.

Sometime ago I made a simple recording of two sapeh players in Kuching using a Nokia camera phone N93i.  I am indeed surprised to see that as at today that recording has received more than 29,500 views. The link to the video is here...>>> THE SOUNDS OF SARAWAK SAPEH


Sarawak is indeed blessed with such a rich diversity of culture and ethnic groups with their unique music.

Happy Malaysia Day Sarawak!!

Please follow this link to see the original post...>>>> http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/2013/09/once-upon-sound.html

Once Upon a Radio

Picture above is taken from a tiny book about Sarawak entitled " Memperkenalkan Serawak",
written by R.M. Jasmi and  published by Sinaran Bros, North Borneo in 1958.
The picture shows the Sarawak Radio Building which produced and broadcasted radio programmes and also radio lessons for schools throughout Sarawak.  The broadcast reached Bintulu in fairly clear reception in 1963.

EMS ( Educational Mass Media Service )
Building in 1970's.  During colonial time
the building was called 'The Pavillion'

 Just months before Sarawak became independent from the British colonial government and it forming the Federation of Malaysia on the 16th of September in 1963, I was a Primary Six student at St.Anthony's School, Bintulu. During those days the whole school curriculum was taught in English.  But the learning of English did not end in the classrooms. I participated in the school drama called 'The Black Basin', sang songs and debated in English.  It was really nostalgic for me to know that 16 years later I was to head the Educational Radio section of the Educational Mass Media Service arm of the Sarawak Education Department in the years 1978 -1979 in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. .  At the inset is the picture of my office while I was in charge of the school's broadcasting programmes.  I occupied a big room at the building and from it our radio producers created radio programmes in many languages like English, Malay, Chinese and Iban for schools in Sarawak. In 1963 however I was very keen to write to the School Broadcasting Officer to inquire about many general knowledge questions.  I wrote four letters and below is one letter I received from Alan Moore dated 1st July,1963.  In those days, primary school students really looked forward to listening the  radio lessons broadcasts to learn how to speak the language correctly and listened to the replies of their letters on air from Kuching.

Above is the broadcasting schedule of the school's broadcast in 1979, days of broadcast and time of broadcast included
Note the subject "Anna and Abu" - this was the broadcast for the learning of English for Primary 5 students, produced by Reg Salisbury, a Colombo Plan expert for the teaching of English through radio..

Picture shows Reg Salisbury taken by me while having lunch at a food stall in Miri

Educational Radio 

I was most fortunate to work with Reg Salisbury (see picture above)  who was from the BBC and acted as a Colombo Plan expert in the teaching of English by way of radio lessons.  We went around Sarawak to promote the 'Anna and Abu' programme together with printed teaching aids to teachers as remote as Bario in the Kelabit Highlands and little known places like  Awat-Awat near Limbang.
While working together in Kuching I managed to get Reg Salisbury read my poems and recorded them in the studio of RTM (Radio and Television Malaysia) in Kuching.  Here is one of my poems read by Reg Salisbury called " Hasyimah"....of which I think the BBC voice is just superb.  Check out the reading here...>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DireBC97YI

Picture shows some of the talents recruited from around Kuching to read scripts for the radio lessons.
Ali Razali (one of our radio programme producers) is seen second from left of the picture.
The recording session is held at one of RTM studios in Kuching. Picture taken circa 1978.

Producing the radio programmes meant I had to spend many hours at the recording studios of RTM Kuching.  But that did not seem to be a problem because I was taught the proper basics and training in radio and television production at USM (Universit Sains Malaysia), Penang in 1977. The training I received in Penang gave me much confidence and skill in script writing and studio production.

Picture taken at USM, Penang showing me and another colleague in the recording studio of the university.
Picture taken in 1977.

Happy Malaysia Day Sarawak!!

Please follow this link to see the original post ....>>> http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/2013/09/once-upon-radio.html

Chasing after sensitive beauties

They come in amazing colours of the rainbow.  They flutter about in our garden yards, near streams, in public parks, forest edges and in deep jungle.  They are the better known insects for their beauty.  That’s the reason I like to chase butterflies.  They bring me places and provide me loads of wow factor.

Meeting them are without appointments.  Thus you have to be exceptionally patient and passionate about these ‘jewels of the forest’.  This is especially so for us who live in the tropical rainforest environment which is home to the greatest variety of butterflies in the world.

My love for butterflies got increasingly focussed when I decided to make a butterfly garden in  a corner of my nature park in Bintulu. Here in my own leisure I begin to study and discover more about these insects within home range.  Thus far I have photographed and written (in blog posts) many stories of my encounter with them here. Try follow this link to have some appreciation of them…http://kambatikpark.blogspot.my/search/label/Butterflies%20in%20the%20park

Butterflies are sensitive because they are indicators of other types of insects bio-diversity which is constantly under threat.  They are known to be sensitive to drought which can wipe out a whole population.  As a marvel of nature’s creation, these beauties should be encouraged to multiply not merely because they provide the essential function for humans as pollinators for crops but also acts as a barometer for the health of our environment. It is no wonder that they appear on stamps and children are taught to go butterfly watching to understand nature and science.

As for me I prefer to preserve nature for the wilderness experience it provides and for the assurance of better natural habitat for these sensitive beauties to thrive.  I will no doubt continue to chase after them, to photograph them in real natural habitats within my own time.  These sensitive beauties suits well for my love of photography and nature.  Go out then and try your hand in conserving nature.

Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak.

( This is the second of a series of  articles as my writing contribution on what Malaysia Day means to me as a Sarawakian 2017)
Please follow this link to see the original post ....>>>>http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/2017/09/chasing-after-sensitive-beauties.html

Birding brings me places

Scarlet-rumped Trogon or "Kesumba Puteri" (Malay)

 My love affair with birds started sometime in 1985 when I established a huge aviary at my house lot in Kampung Baru, Bintulu.  The aviary among other things housed one Grey Heron, White-bellied Sea Eagle and Buffy Fish Owl.  At that point of time, my interest in birding was handicapped by a dire lack of books on birding. To make up for this deficiency  I made it a point to buy any book on birds that crosses my path when I go traveling out station.  I have this peculiar habit of buying a book every time  I go to Kuala Lumpur, Kuching or Singapore and would jot down the date, place and purpose  of travel.  The first serious book I bought was entitled “ Handbook of Lovebirds” by Horst Bielfeld in 1985. 

 

The list of other books and detailed jottings are below:-

Book on Birds bought

Year of travel/Author/Book title/ Inside notes

1985

Horst Bielfeld, “Handbook of Lovebirds”/ (11/8/85, Hotel Merlin,K.L.,Room 651,Corporate Planning)

Nancy A. Brudgam, “Training Caged Birds”/ (11/8/85, Hotel Merlin,K.L.,Room 651,Corporate Planning)

1988

Bertram E. Smythies, “The Birds of Borneo”/ (26/7/88, 738, Kim San garden, Kpg Baru, Bintulu)

Richard Mark Martin, “Cage and Aviary Birds”/ (29/10/88, Regent Hotel,Kuala Lumpur.Room 111)

1990

Clive Roots, “Tropical Birds”/ (9/10/90, BPA Tender Committee Meeting, Pan Pacific,KL.)

David Filderton, “A Birdkeeper’s Guide to Breeding Birds”/ (25/6/90,Holiday Inn,Kuching,Room 730)

Ian Gray, “Birds of Prey” (/ 9/10/90, Bintulu Port Authority Tender Meeting)

Lesley Layton, “Parrots as Pets”/ (20/10/90, Kuching Airport)

1991

G.W.H. Davison, Karen Philips & Alias Kamis, “Pengenalan Burung-Burung Malaysia”/ (20/6/91, Lawatan ke RTM,K.L.)

M.D. England O.B.E, “Birds of the Tropics”/ (2/3/91,Kuching, Meeting with Dick Cotter,Similajau Phase 2 Development)

Mitchell Beazley Publishers, “The World Atlas of Birds”/ (22/1/91, As gift from Adenan Satem, received by post)

Roger Tory Peterson,”How to Know the Birds”/ (27/4/91, FAS AGM – 1991, Kuching)

2000

Morton Strange, “Birds of South East Asia”/ (22-24/3/2000,58^th Floor, Petronas Tower, visit Projass (Matnor Hamid) & Hj. Nasruddin, Muci & Mona)

2011

Stephen Moss, “How to Birdwatch”/ (15/8/11,Popular Bookstore, Kuching, Clearance Sale)

2013

Wong Tsu Shi, “Birds of Borneo”/ (5/11/13, 45thtrip to Kuching, Hav Paws Will Travell)

In the 1990’s I was passionate about implementing my pet project called  the Bintulu Wildlife Park.  One of the real challenge the project posed was the importation of flamingoes from Tanzania.  This once in a life time experience can be glimpsed in a blog post I published sometime ago and can be accessed  here ...>>>>http://mysarawak2.blogspot.my/2014/09/once-there-was-pond.html

In the early 21^st century, I started to develop my very own private nature park in Bintulu called the Kambatik Park.  My idea was to build the park as a wildlife sanctuary where I could enjoy birdwatching peacefully and in my own time.  In order to share the stories of my encounters with the birds in the park and other places in Sarawak, I set up a blog called “My Birding Sarawak”.  Birding now becomes a hobby that sustains my interest in photography, nature and wildlife.

  

My birdwatching experiences has brought me to faraway places in Sarawak and out of Sarawak to hunt for birding books.  Overtime, I have grown wiser from just keeping them in cages to enjoying them in real-life settings.

Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak. 


  ( This is the third of a series of  articles as my writing contribution on what Malaysia Day means to me as a Sarawakian 2017) 

Please follow this link t see the original post ....>>>  http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/2017/09/birding-brings-me-places.html                             

Malaysia Day -16 September, 2017 in Bintulu.

Tree Planting at Bintulu Sentral - 16 Sept'17

Painting the mural

Today is a special day for Bintuluians as we celebrate Malaysia Day in a unique way.  I joined the local community, government servants and students in a tree planting program at an open or green space within the Bintulu Sentral, a new shopping location just opened for business about two years ago.  The event was spearheaded by Bintulu Development Authority which provided the plants and place.  I planted a Hibiscus mutabilis species.

Me planting the Hibiscus mutabilis species

Participants happily planting

 After the planting ceremony, I joined the crowd in a mural painting activity.  The exposed rock surfaced formed by an outcrop near the traffic lights junction close-by was chosen as the mural site.  Two types of mural painting were carried out.  One set of murals were painted along a short concrete wall about 320 meters long that surrounded the base of the outcrop.  Here I tried my hand at painting a tiny section of the mural design which was already laid using a template on the wall surface.  On the outcrop two ‘graffiti artists’ were busy doing the mural painting using spray cans and standing on scaffolding pipes laid perpendicular to the sloping rock surface, thereby comes the name of today’s project – Mural the Rock.

Painting a small section in the long mural, about 320 meters long when completed.

Aerobic dancing on the sidelines

GM BDA - Rodziah Hj Morshidi

On the sidelines, an aerobic dance was organised for the public and students of all ages and denominations to participate.  Food and  plenty of drinking water were freely served to the participating public.   

At a tent location, music was broadcasted and a basking team was in action.  During one of the ‘basking time’ I joined the GM of BDA, Puan Rodziah Hj. Morshidi in delivering two Bee Gees number – To Love Somebody and Words, with me on the guitar.

Singing with GM BDA, Rodziah Hj. Morshidi

 Today is a special day for Bintuluians as we celebrate Malaysia Day in a unique way.  I joined the local community, government servants and students in a tree planting program at an open or green space within the Bintulu Sentral, a new shopping location just opened for business about two years ago.  The event was spearheaded by Bintulu Development Authority which provided the plants and place.  I planted a Hibiscus mutabilis species.

"Mural the Rock" project

Once there was a roundabout

Combo picture to show R1 before and a recent satellite image of the same area

Roundabout One

 A visitor to Bintulu in the early 1980's - 1990's would be familiar with the pace of rapid development in roads infrastructure to meet rising traffic and population of this newly booming town.  Roundabouts were once  a novel and regular feature that dotted the road map of Bintulu.  In the mid 80's - 90's I was kept busy with the landscaping of three major roundabouts around town.  These were Roundabout 1, 2 and 3.  Up to a certain point roundabouts do serve their function well and beautifully.  The construction of these roundabouts entail lots of planting space for landscaping.  Furthermore the whole landscape is enhanced by the presence of traffic islands adjacent to the roundabouts that were also given landscaping touches. At the point of writing (2 Sept'14) all these roundabout have been replaced overtime.  These pictures which I took while implementing the landscaping works do tell the story of how beautiful Bintulu was with these properly landscaped and maintained roundabouts and traffic islands.  Today I  have taken the liberty to update with  google earth satellite maps the sites of the three roundabouts.

Combo picture to show R2 before and a recent satellite image of the same area

Combo picture to show R3  before and a recent satellite image of the same area

I have written quite a fair bit on these roundabouts in another blog of mine. Checkout the story of Roundabout Two here and Roundabout Three here . In retrospect it is much to the prevalence of these beautiful roundabouts that Bintulu has earned the identity of a beautiful town besides its miles and miles of shady and fully landscaped roads.  I felt good that in my time the groundwork for proper landscaping of the town was laid down early.

Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak!

 (Note:  On the 16th of September, Sarawak will celebrate its independence being a party to the formation of Malaysia.  As part of remembering history I'll create some posts on what  it means to be a Malaysian as I have experienced it.  Check out the rest of the postings by following this link here.)
Please follow this link to see the original post...>>>http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/2014/09/once-there-was-roundabout.html