The script on this stone reads:
"The Temurun Waterfall is located in a scenic rainforest setting millions of years old. Literally translated the word 'Temurun' means heritage. It is one of the most popular spots for picnic, the age-old trees providing natural shade from the blistering sunlight and the waterfall offering cool fresh water that rejuvenates the body.
Some believe that the natural water pools possess healing powers since there are numerous plant roots protruding beneath the pools."
Healing power beneath the pool of water? Wow! But what about during the dry season? There is no pool of water during those period. Tourists came to see the waterfall and had to go away feeling disappointed because the river dried up.
Being Malaysians, we are known to show our best hospitality and we will do whatever to make our guests happy. To demonstrate "Malaysia Boleh", here is what we can do to have constant pool of water even in the extreme hot spell.
Temurun Waterfall NOW!
Three staggered mini dams were constructed below the highest pool. These pools are meant for visitors that do not wish to climb up to the waterfall or the highest pool.
One of the mini dams under construction. Look at the mess they made. Do you think they will clear the debris once the project is completed? NO WAY! Contractors hired by local authorities do not have any responsibilities in taking out the leftover materials or even cleaning up the area. This has been proven in many previous projects they had done in the recreational parks.
Do you think that the wall is way too high?
Water will flow over the wall during rainy season. What if the following years the dry season gets hotter and drier than this year? Water will be collected and stagnant, promotes algae growth and water will not be as clear as the picture shown above. Imagine people soaking in the stagnant pool of water with all the dead skins trapped within. Will the freshwater marine creatures be happy? Maybe for a short period of "partying" time before the algae bloom.
To demonstrate our hospitality, there is a changing/shower room right up to the top of the highest pool. There is an existing toilet/bathroom at the park entrance, however, this new structure (the yellow coloured cement hut in the picture above) will be convenient for all. Why do you need to walk 10 minutes down to the entrance now? Isn't this a smart way or a lazy way?
This newly erected information board provides some educational values on our river system. Once again, contradiction!! The information board should tell kids on how homosapiens can degrade a river system instead.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE??
JABATAN PENGAIRAN DAN SALIRAN LANGKAWI, of course! (Department of Irrigation and Drainage). Our system here is weird. Rivers and streams in recreational parks are under the jurisdiction of this department. While the forests next to the rivers is under the responsibility of Forest Department (Jabatan Perhutanan). Stupid system resulted to the sufferings of our natural resources. What can I say to these people; BODOH! STUPID! BODOH!
Bad news to Malaysians tax payers particular the true Malaysian nature lovers. You must be thinking that our $$$ should have gone to the public toilets, right?
Temurun Waterfall is part of Langkawi Geopark. Having such status does not give them the rights to do such extensive development. Visiting Temurun Waterfall will be in the itinerary of the Geopark Conference delegates (April 11-14). Will they get a chance to watch the horror? I believe they will be told that the waterfall is now dried up due to dry season and so it is no point of visiting.
Thank you to Ai for alerting me on this absurd project when she was there recently to relax. She lost her appetite for a dip after seeing that. The boys at Tiga Temurun cafe were indeed upset.
Patrick of Langkawi Link labels me as the world's angriest naturalist and I strongly deny that. Well, for once, Patrick, you are right!
Posts
This is not the first one or the first time.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say more. There is nothing we can do about it.
There are so many smart ass with so many brilliant ideals.
We are used to it now. ( being a fool )
haha
These people will never learn! And they think so highly of themselves to come up with such ideas but we have seen the algae bloom in the other stream on the other side of this mountain. That's what Temurun will look like the next dry season... green stagnant ponds!
ReplyDeletetrouble is malaysia got lots of money to spend and any "reasonable" project is an excuse to spend. sometimes its just best not to tell government of new discoveries.
ReplyDeleteO yes, these damming projects is not new. It happened donkey years ago to old favorites like Kota Tinggi Waterfall. Bathing and picnicking activities... and inevitably, trashes accumulate in these man-made pools too. I still remember my dismay at seeing Coca Cola cans and bottles all a-simmering in the pools and people still go a-dipping. I never forgot the scene. I hope things have improved.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is whenever a project is budget allocated, somebody's pocket got money, who cares about the environment?!!
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking. My favourite Langkawi waterfall too.
ReplyDeleteHi all;
ReplyDeleteYes... this kind of silly projects are old stories.. They will never ever learn. They seem to misunderstand the meaning of "developed" country.
Until these people killed the last fish, drained out the last water source, chopped down the last tree and finally realise that money cannot be eaten.
The 21st Century Developed Countries seek to get the best out of sustainable living and their cities integrated into the natural environment at best as it could. Commercial crops, if planted, must be adequately placed with networks of forest or natural corridors to facilitate wildlife interactions between allocated natural forested lands.
ReplyDeleteDevelopment does not mean flattening down entire forests and replacing them with man-made infrastructures nor does it mean clearing large swaths of natural habitats and replacing them with commercial crops. These are 20th Century thinking and is no longer an acceptable option for developed countries as well as developing ones. Blanket-Clearing hundreds of kilometres of natural forests and smothering the remaining coral reefs and mangroves and building unsustainable man-made structures into a naturally functioning ecology all in the name of development isn't really going to bring Malaysia (as well as any other places) a good name!
I hope the public especially the schooling generation will be aware of this given that there are plenty of misguided information in local textbooks and news articles nowadays.
As to paraphrase a famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress, can be judged by the ways its animals (plants and the ecosystem) are treated."
Sad state of affairs, and I think Local council elections is the answer.. because it makes them directly responsible to us, and make it a habit to inform the people whatever project they hope to undertake, and seek views advice from the professionals in the community...
ReplyDeleteHopefully, These things would be a thing of the past soon when and if council elections do take off in the future... sigh
Wchinner, sorry to spam here, but here's an animal I hope to identify, and also there's a link to a review on the Lok Kawi zoo, Sabah.. whc is heartfelt and really represents the condition of all zoos in Malaysia.
http://resonating-ripple.blogspot.com/2010/04/any-idea-what-animal-this-is.html
One of the reason why my wife and I gave up talking about things like this. 28 years ago we used to enjoy Tasik Cini, then? When we were in the wilds in Gua Musang for 15 years, many places just like this were 'destroyed'!
ReplyDeleteMany place where rare orchids are thriving,were gone in the name of development. Development? what development?
The funny thing is that we see many 'fat-cats' nowadays.
Cheers and regards
Donald G.H Tan
Birds Talking Too
I hadn't been to Temerun in a couple of weeks and went there two days ago. I was stunned by what I saw. The whole work was done surprising quickly and the new path is an improvement, especially the new hand rails and steps at the steeper part, which was starting to become quite dangerous. (A few of the steps slid down hill during the big rains last year.
ReplyDeleteThe dams are, in my opinion, pointless. Since it had rained there was quite a bit of water flowing in the stream, but it wasn't filling up the dam, it was actually flowing under the dam wall.
Whether this is by accident or design at least it will cut down on the water stagnation issue. Whether the dams will ever fill is another question.
Apparently the pool at the top has a natural spring and even when the waterfall doesn't flow the water still runs (even if it's just a trickle). There were quite a few fish and tadpoles. The new yellow changing room (what an eyesore) was locked, just in case somebody might actually want to use it.
Given the budget that was spent I was disappointed to see that one of the most important issues at Temerun waterfall hadn't been addressed - the rubbish. The contractors left plenty behind (I hauled down as much as I could carry) but it's the plastic bags, bottles, cigarette butts, babies nappies and such that really spoil this beautiful location.
There are rubbish bins and some people actually use them (though locals still seem to prefer to fill water bottles with sand and sink them to the bottom of the pool) but the monkeys open them and take out what they can eat. This is not a monkey problem - this is a human problem. Is it really so hard to design a monkey-proof rubbish bin? I think it would be an excellent school project for the local kids to work on - let them be part of the solution than being part of the problem (they're just copying their elders when they throw their picnic bags on the ground).
The monkeys at Temerun have become particularly aggressive (especially the alpha male), but is this surprising when people throw stones at them all the time? If somebody came into my home and started throwing stones at me I think I might get a bit upset too.
In the end nature will out - look at the attempt to dam the pool at Durian Perangin waterfall - a tree fell on it and smashed it.
Keep up the blog and sorry for such a lengthy comment
ps The inscription on the pink granite stone always confounds me. If people are reading it they are already at Temerun, so they know exactly where it is located.
ReplyDeleteHi Marc;
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking time to put in your comments.
Concerning the rubbish, it is all about attitude. I don't really understand is if people can bring food and goodies in; why can't they take out their own rubbish (which is very much lighter after they had eaten)?
Who can we really blame in the end??
Anyway, i checked out your website. Good luck on your yoga school.