pelf-ism is contagious

I have blogged about Sungai Lembing, my Mum’s hometown twice and most recently, I mentioned that:

And it was during the British control that Sungai Lembing flourished into a rich town, but after PCCL was closed, the town slowly turned into a sleepy hollow. People no longer remember what Sungai Lembing was once very famous for. People no longer visit the sleepy town because it doesn’t offer them anything anymore.

But you know what?

Thanks to the up-coming General Elections, somebody’s turning the sleepy hollow into some sort of a gold mine once again!

Sg Lembing homestay scheme

KUANTAN: A homestay programme will be introduced in Sungai Lembing, a popular tourist destination in Pahang, by end of the year.

According to Pahang Tourism Action Council general manager Mohd Idrus Yahya said it was high time for the former tin mining town to be included in the programme as its rich history and natural products should be given exposure.

“We have embarked on a process to include Sungai Lembing in a homestay programme with the Tourism Ministry.

“The process takes about six months as we want to ensure facilities in homes of participants are up to standard.

“We should launch the programme by end of the year,” he said when met after opening a homestay seminar in Sungai Lembing near here recently.

More than 60 participants were present at the one-day seminar aimed at creating awareness on the programme and its benefits.

Mohd Idrus also said Sungai Lembing had many attractions in one place, adding that there were mountains, scenic hills, waterfalls and rivers in pristine condition.

It also had the longest tin mine in the world, he said.

“It will definitely draw tourists, be they locals or foreigners.

“There are big attractions waiting to be explored in Sungai Lembing and the homestay programme will help develop the town as a tourist attraction,” he said.

He said the Tourism Action Council and Kuantan Municipal Council planned to organise a carnival in Sungai Lembing in July to highlight it as a place to visit.

The two-day carnival would have, among others, a variety of sports events, a tour of the town and sale of local products, he added.

- Source: The Star, 29 February 2008

I’m not very sure if this is REALLY good news or if this is just another strategy for campaigning. After all, I don’t stay in Sungai Lembing, and I don’t know if there has been much positive development or growth in the small town since the last general elections.

It would be really good if the homestay scheme materializes because God knows that Sungai Lembing is really a potential tourist destination because of its rich history.

Or perhaps whoever wins this coming elections should really look into the search and rescue operations during the rainy season because the entire town is submerged every alternate year. Yes, there is no way we can stop rain from pouring and overflowing the river banks, but there are definitely ways to warn the villagers about the impending flood and I am sure there are ways to quickly and effectively dispatch help to needy people, especially the elders who live by themselves.

More pictures of Sungai Lembing in my Flickr.

Our trip to Tioman Island had been canceled due to the rough sea conditions. The authorities are being very strict with the issuance of permits to go to Tioman, especially when the seas are rough, and more so after the ferry tragedy last year. And luckily we found this out when we were nearing Dungun, otherwise we would have gone all the way down to Mersing and then realize that there would be no ferry going in to the island!

So we visited a couple of touristy places instead — the Turtle Information Centre @ Rantau Abang, where all the leatherback turtles used to land and nest, the “Mother Turtle Stone”, the floating mosque and the newly launched Crystal Mosque @ Taman Tamadun Islam (literally translated as the Islamic Civilization Park). The pictures will come later, but now, here’s another joke

My Dear Mathiur,

I am in a well here and hoping you are also in a well there. I’m writing this letter slowly, because I know you cannot read fast. We don’t live where we did when you left home.

Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen 20 miles from home, so we moved 20 miles. I won’t be able to send the address as the last person who stayed here took the house numbers with them for their new house so they would not have to change their address. Hopefully by next week we will be able to take our earlier address plate here, so that our address will remain same too.

This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine, situated right above the commode. I m not sure it works too well. Last week I put in 3 shirts, pulled the chain and haven’t seen them since. The weather here isn’t too bad. It rained only twice last week. The first time it rained for 3 days and second time for 4 days.

The coat you wanted me to send you, your Aunt said it would be a little too heavy to send in the mail with all the metal buttons, so we cut them off and put them in the pocket. Your father has another job. He has 500 men under him. He is cutting the grass at the cemetery.

By the way I took Bahur (daughter-in-law) to our club’s poolside. The manager is bad. He told her that two piece swimming suit is not allowed in his club. We were confused as to which piece should we remove?

Your sister had a baby this morning. I haven’t found out whether it is a girl or a boy, so I don’t know whether you are an Aunt or Uncle.

Your uncle, Khaled fell in the nearby well. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off bravely and drowned. We cremated him and he burned for three days.

Your best friend, Begum, is no more. He died trying to fulfill his father’s last wishes. His father had wished to be buried in the sea after he died. And your friend died while in the process of digging a grave for his father.

There isn’t much more news this time. Nothing much has happened.

Love, Mom.

P.S: Mathiur, I was going to send you some money but by the time I realized, I had already sealed off this letter.