83000 batu pahat, johor

Another story about BP, in particular Parit Raja from NST.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Traditionalmedicinefolk__8217_sherbalconcoctiontogoodhealth_vitality/Article/

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Traditional medicine folk’s herbal concoction to good health, vitality

2010/08/02
By Sim Bak Heng
streets@nst.com.my

PARIT Raja, a midway town between Batu Pahat and Air Hitam, is abuzz with its cottage industry, especially in the making of traditional snacks and crackers.
Most visitors to this small town seldom leave without buying any of its traditional food items, which are considerably cheap, delicious and easily available. 

However, very few know that in the town are a trove of traditional herbal medicine makers. 

They are not full-timers, but merely farmers or housewives who take pride in making the traditional preparations. Some of the recipes were inherited from their ancestors.
Unlike capsuled herbal medicines from factories, these traditional herbal medicine makers only produce small quantities of products, depending on what and how much customers order. Basically, most of them are senior citizens who believe in the effectiveness of their recipes and are willing to dispense them to others, basically villagers who subscribe to alternative medicines for a host of ailments. 

It is not easy to spot these traditional herbal medicine makers as they do not have signboards in front of their wooden houses. They also have nobody to market their products as they are mainly operating on their own. Their products are sold by word of mouth. 

To find them, it helps to get to know some old villagers who might be able to tell where these makers of traditional herbal medicine live. 

Fatimah Sanusi, 62, of Kampung Lapis Kadir, is one of them. This retired mak bidan inherited the jamu formula from her late mother, Siti Munirah Musa, and has been making the herbal medicine since young. 

She uses more than 50 herbs and spices, mostly from Indonesia, to make her jamu, specially for women in confinement. 

“I make the medicines in bulk three times a year and bottle them for sale.” 

Among the ingredients used in her preparations are kayu angin, kedaung, ketumba, ginger and tumeric, which she sources from a retailer in Rengit. 

Fatimah washes, dries and fries the raw herbs and spices before sending them for grinding into powdered form. Despite a high demand for her jamu from villagers, Fatimah has no intention of expanding her business. 

“Cukuplah! (It is enough for me),” she says. 

As her jamu is basically to dispel wind, those with this kind of complaints, including men, may consume her medicine. 

Several hundred metres away lives Marman Parlan, 67, of Kampung Lapis Sempadan. 

The estate worker’s specialty is making capsules from bakawali, a creeper plant which is claimed to have medicinal properties against diabetes, high blood pressure and skin irritation. 

Marman collects the plants from his neighbourhood and nearby jungles. He has also started planting the creeper on tree trunks. 

“I started making this herbal medicine after hearing that many people who took it were cured of their health problems.” 

Marman uses a meat grinder to grind the creeper into powder form. 

“I have no plans to make it big. After all, my raw material is limited and I am doing all of this on my own.” 

Spotted in his compound was pegaga, which is popularly used for ulam (salad) and boiled to make herbal drinks.

An article about Kampung Parit Daun in the New Straits Times Online.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/8tumi/Article/

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ALL it takes is creativity and a bit of time and energy to transform an otherwise normal village into a lovely one, with attractive landscaping.

If you visit my village at Kampung Parit Daun in Batu Pahat, you will know what I mean.

The villagers have put in a lot of effort to beautify the village and make it appealing to their families and to visitors, too.
There is a sheltered bus stop with interesting designs and colours to the right of the main entrance to our village. On the left is a signboard which gives road directions and information about the village.

Once you pass the entrance, you will see a concrete bridge across a drain.

There are two “welcoming” arches there, which will be lit with oil lamps during Ramadan.
Flowers line both sides of the main road leading to the village. This is another welcome gesture for visitors. The yellow flowers bloom throughout the year.

It pays to put in this effort as our village was ranked second at the Batu Pahat-level Excellent Village Competition in 2007.

We have the Village Development and Security Committee and the villagers to thank for this achievement.
Kampung Parit Daun has about 300 residents. Sixty per cent of them are farmers. The others are either working in factories or government departments.

The name of our village, Parit Daun, is derived from nipah trees.

According to the old folks, nipah trees were abundant many years ago as our village is in a low-lying area.

In those days, the leaves of the nipah tree were used for smoking.

However, this was in the old days. There are no more nipah trees these days because the area has been developed.

Our village may be small but our bonding is strong. Whenever there is a wedding or gotong-royong event, most of the villagers will be actively involved.

Our youths are active in sports such as futsal, sepak takraw and badminton. Every evening, you will see them playing at our community hall or at any open space nearby.

Kampung Parit Daun has two surau, a community hall and a kindergarten.

The nearest town, Parit Raja, is five kilometres away. It is where we go for our grocery and banking needs.

As village head, my plan is to further beautify our village and improve the annual Village Family Day celebrations, started two years ago.

Tumirun Apandi is a contractor and oil palm fruit dealer. He has eight children and nine grandchildren. He has been the village head of Kampung Parit Daun since 1997.

News from  The Star Online.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/7/11/nation/6643172&sec=nation

The youngest Deputy Minister, our BP Boy. Well done.

But one thing about the birds nest industry though. Should people rear swifts so near where people are living? Especially in the middle of the town? Walk around and BP town and you can spot which building is rearing the birds. “macam bird park”.

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Sunday July 11, 2010

Agriculture a fruitful venture

By FOONG PEK YEE pekyee@thestar.com.my

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Chua Tee Yong normally prefers to stay out of the media spotlight. But he is keen to talk about the potential of the agricultural sector, targeting his message to the youth.

HIS boyish looks belie the determination in him to make his mark in politics.

Chua Tee Yong, the second son of MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, says he will not be distracted by talk that described his recent appointment as Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister as nepotism.

Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, he says. “What matters most is whether the criticisms can add value, or if they can make everyone’s lives better.”

At 33, Tee Yong’s rise in MCA over the last two years, described as a “helicopter ride”, has drawn diverse reactions – from admiration to envy and jealousy – but this is part and parcel of politics.

And the first-term Labis MP who is also the youngest deputy minister in the current line-up is taking it in his stride.

“I want to focus on the larger picture – to carry out my duties and responsibilities expected of me,” he stresses.

When asked how he would respond if someone just said point blank to him “You are a deputy minister because of your father”, Tee Yong says he would reply: “I respect your opinion. Thank you.”

There is certainly no reason for him to allow himself to be drawn into the topic, especially when the other party has made up his or her mind, he explains.

In fact, he says, he has been very busy of late, attending one briefing after another with the departments and agencies under his ministry.

Young and determined: Tee Yong sees vast potential in modern agriculture.

One aspect about agriculture that has struck him is the fact that youngsters are not drawn towards this sector.

“Agriculture is not something that is seen as hip, cool or sexy,” he says, but expresses confidence that the youth will be interested in the sector once they see the potential.

“Do you know that you can take a soil sample from your garden and ask the Agriculture Department what can be planted on it?” he quips.

On a more serious note, Tee Yong, a chartered accountant with a Masters in Business Administration, points out that agriculture is a promising sector, and figures speak volumes of its potential.

Business ideas

Malaysia’s birds nest industry, for instance, was worth RM1bil in 2007, and this was only 8% of the world’s production. Another 70% was from Indonesia.

He notes that there is a booming market in China for the product, which is said to be good for health and beauty.

Ornamental fish rearing is also another business worth exploring, says Tee Yong, pointing out that Malaysia only accounts for RM700mil of the world’s RM27bil worth of ornamental fish exports a year.

Other businesses worth exploring include organic vegetable farming, contract farming for fruits like papaya and bananas, and aquaculture, he says, adding that the ministry will also come up with more user-friendly information, especially on the grants available, for those who are interested in venturing into the agriculture business.

On how he is coping with the sudden switch to agriculture, Tee Yong says his past experience as an auditor is helping him in a way.

“I always approach things with an open mind. I do not just focus on the issues. I also do a lot of reading and have dialogues with others at all levels to get a better picture of things.”

On the political front, Tee Yong says the MCA’s approach now is going to the ground to reach out to and interact with the people, especially the young. “We need the people’s feedback to help us serve them better. Our performance will be gauged by the people eventually.”

With three children aged between one and five years old, Tee Yong says he is grateful to his wife for all her support, especially in taking care of their children.

Bonding with the children is very important to him, and he tries to have dinner at home before going for night functions, and has breakfast with them during the weekends before proceeding to his Labis constituency.

Bonding is something he learnt from young, and he probably got himself drawn into politics in the process as he used to follow his father, a doctor-turned-politician from Batu Pahat, Johor, around.

“I remember people coming to our house to discuss politics with my father. As a teenager, I also used to go with my father when he visited his constituency,” recalls Tee Yong, who is the only one among Dr Chua Soi Lek’s three children to follow their father into politics.

His older brother, Tee Joo, 35, did follow in his father’s footsteps in another way, as he became a doctor.

Born and bred in Batu Pahat, Tee Yong, who received his tertiary education in Melbourne, says he does follow his father’s style in politics: having dialogues with the people to get to know them, looking at things from different perspectives, and meeting and interacting with people on the ground.

News about our High School Boys.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/29/nation/6560321&sec=nation

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Tuesday June 29, 2010
By DESIREE TRESA GASPER and BRENDAN VIVE

JOHOR BARU: With maths, science and general knowledge at their fingertips, fear of public speaking was the only hurdle that the team from SMK Tinggi Batu Pahat had to face during the RHB-The Star Mighty Minds state finals here yesterday.

Lower secondary team leader Ang Chun Hou, 15, said that his team, which was victorious, was confident when answering difficult questions, but dreaded the oral challenge.

“We were scared to stand on stage and speak to hundreds of people.

“But, we overcame that fear today,” said the team leader, who was shocked when his team made it to the finals.

Ang added that he and his teammates Mohd Haziq Saaddin and R. Arjun spent hours talking in front of friends and family to overcome their fear of speaking in public.

Meanwhile, the upper secondary champs from Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar Johor Baru said that the secret to their team’s success was to relax and have fun during the competition.

Team leader Azam Arifin, 16, said he was especially worried about the Buzzer Challenge as they had to think fast, hit the buzzer and answer complicated questions while under extreme pressure.

Azam added that his teammates, R. Keshan and Mohd Hairul, both 16, were already aiming to win the national finals.

Prizes were awarded to the top five teams in each category.

The two champion teams took home RM3,000 and computers for their schools.

The competition is jointly organised by Star Publications (M) Bhd and RHB Banking Group.

The food and beverage sponsor is McDonald’s Malaysia.

Divided into two categories, lower secondary (Forms One to Three) and upper secondary (Forms Four and Five), the competition, which heads to The Spring in Kuching for the Sarawak leg this weekend, will be held in 14 states before culminating in the national finals in October.

Registration forms are available at www.thestar.com.my/mightyminds and at all RHB Bank and RHB Islamic Bank branches nationwide.

An article that might interest you from NST Online.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/8di/Article/

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Your Johor: Love of reading has brought rewards

2010/06/27
KAMDI KAMIL

Kamdi Kamil (left) with Professor Abu Bakar Hamid, a well-known academician from Universiti Malaya.

MY love of literature has been deep in my soul since my childhood years in Rengit, Batu Pahat.

With the support of my parents and mentors then, I could easily read two simplified novels and tales in a day.

To enhance their contents, I wrote a brief reflection on the story and would then present it to my teacher.
For my efforts, I was awarded with more novels and was encouraged to dissect more literary works.

My love of writing intensified during my school days at Dato Bentara Luar secondary school in Batu Pahat and Kolej Islam Malaya in Petaling Jaya.

Surprisingly, I was in the science stream during my pre-university years at Kolej Islam.
However, I was editor of the institution’s annual magazine and wrote many articles on the school’s programmes.

My two-year stint as a trainee teacher at Mohd Khalid Teachers’ College in 1971 was also memorable as I got to know many prolific lecturers and novelists.

One was the late Shahrom Hussein who, apart from being my language lecturer, shared his knowledge of script-writing, drama presentation, dialogues and poetry with me and others.
My teaching career at various schools in my hometown, Batu Pahat, ended in 1979 after I decided to pursue an arts degree at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

After that, I became a lecturer at Maktab Perguruan Temenggong Ibrahim Johor Baru (now Institut Pendidikan Guru, Kampus Temenggong Ibrahim or IPG KTI). I held the post for the next 21 years.

I had a wonderful time at IPG KTI, particularly as the head of the college’s resource centre.

Apart from managing a well-organised resource and reference centre at the central library, I also oversaw the monthly bulletin, magazine, journals and other publications.

I produced some 70 essays and short stories during my tenure there. I edited my students’ works, from articles to short stories and other assignments.

I also helped to draft welcoming speeches for the college’s director and other senior officers, especially during formal functions such as convocation, Teachers Day and other special occasions like working visits from top officials from the Education Ministry and other state government officials.

My circle of friends became much much wider after I became more active in social activities like parent-teacher associations (PTAs), Rukun Tetangga committee, residents’ committee and more.

Today, I’m involved in almost 20 non-governmental organisations.

Looking back, my stint as chairman of the MSAB (English College) PTA was the most distinguished.

Steering the association for five years (1999-2004), I gained the fullest cooperation from both principal Abdullah Edros and his successor, Zakaria Shukor.

One of our successful projects was the “PTA in a classroom” programme. In each classroom, the parents were members alongside the class teacher. The committee comprised a chairman, secretary, treasurer and 10 committee members. All office-bearers, except secretary, are parents.

The class teacher held the secretary’s post.

Discussions were held at the meeting room and the topics included upgrading classroom amenities like ceiling fans, curtains, furnishings, equipment and resource corner.

We even mooted a weekly tuition class by engaging teachers from other schools.

The project resulted in all classrooms being fully equipped with basic facilities, which provided the students with a conducive environment to study.

My long service as a lecturer ended in 2003, upon which I assumed the post of principal at SMK Taman Megah Ria until the end of 2005 when I retired from government service.

Soon after, I was employed by the Johor Heritage Foundation as its historical research officer.

This appointment suited me as within a few months, I have authored more than 15 publications on Johor’s history and heritage.

Kamdi Kamil, 61, lives in Kampung Melayu Majidi with his wife, Rahmah Mohd Mofit. They have four sons and two daughters. A recipient of the Tokoh Guru award in 2007, he is also an authority on the country’s history and past leaders

Interview and pictures by Syed Abdullah Syed Mohamed