Pandora Forest Wishes...

Dear Bloggers/Followers/Readers:

SAVE OUR RAINFOREST 

AND NOT THE LAST TREE STANDING

"Only after the last tree has been cut down

Only after the last river has been poisoned

Only after the last fish has been caught

Only then you will find that

Money cannot be eaten"

- a Prophecy of the Cree Native American Tribe

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Good Old Temurun Waterfall

It has been raining for almost twenty four hours now. Drizzled, rained, stopped for awhile, rained, drizzled and over again. I simply love days like this because such days do not come often. 

A rainy day as such will perform magical and special effects on one of my favorite waterfall  which is accessible by the public. 

Temurun Waterfall at its BEST this afternoon

How is Temurun Waterfall like in the dry season?

Pictures taken in March 2010. Month of March is still the dry season

In March 2010, contractors invaded this waterfall by constructing these ugly dams

Temurun Waterfall last year (22 August 2010):

Today at Temurun Waterfall

Lots of water!!

WOW!

Monstrous water coming down! Do not underestimate the power of water

I had to do this very quickly. I was drenched by standing in front of the water for less than 10 seconds to take this picture. The tremendous wind it generated was so cool!

Dare to swim in this pool, anyone?

Temurun Watefall as seen from Datai Road

Temurun at its best and certainly the best time to visit. I observed that this waterfall area is at its cleanest during the fasting month. Better come soon to enjoy this waterfall before the festive season begins next week. When those picnickers return and so the rubbish as well.

Langkawi gets more sunny hot days than rainy days like this. I wonder why people get gloomy, upset and moaning over such wonderful day. 

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Iridescent

When I see a rainforest burned down 

and cleared for development, 

I feel sad for our existence. 

When I see the indigenous people lost their living forest, 

I feel frustrated for not having the ability to help.  

The anguish I have 

when I came to know that wildlife have been poached. 

My hatred towards these people with their asses on top positions whom were entrusted to do their jobs 

to protect and conserve; 

They failed to do so for their greed and corruption.

What else can I do in order to continue living in peace? 

I must let go; 

Just like how Linkin Park sang this song, "Iridescent"

I simply love these guys, Linkin Park!
and Transformers Movie has always been my favorite.

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3 In 1

Simply means I saw three of them in one day!

The first one was spotted by a lady on my boat. She has sharp eyes!

A Reticulated Python (Python Reticulatus)

What were the rest?

A lucky spot by me...

Mangrove Pit viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)

...and the last one before the day ended. I was driving along Datai Road in the dark and my car almost ran over it while it was crossing the road. I stopped my car, ran towards it to check and it slithered into the undergrowth. I quickly ran back to my car to grab my camera and only managed to capture this.

Can you see its tail? I suspect it was a Elapidae, very likely a King Cobra (checked my Snake book shortly after)

People have asked me if there are any snakes in Langkawi. Well, I have seen three different ones in one day. What a lovely snaky day!

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A Reporter Reporting from Field

I have heard about sandwich man on the street but I have never seen one before. Not until today when a member of the campaign was walking in the Ramandan Bazaar at Kuah town, holding a cloth bag which read, "GO GREEN". While holding the green bag, he was chanting, "GO Green; no plastic bags; use containers and Langkawi Indah (Beautiful)". He was not exactly a full sandwich man as I expected, at least it served the purpose of advertising the campaign.

Selva, the "sandwich man"

We didn't have a radio deejay this time to help us with the announcement. Therefore, any technique will do. I thought this was fun and so I joined him. Being an absolute introvert person, I was not as loud as Selva, not much of chanting and just busy taking photographs.

How did the crowd respond?

Selva and me "harassing" the crowd ... hee hee

They thought we must have gone mad. Only a handful of traders smiled at us. Some of the locals were either frowning at us or gave us some awkward stares. 

It started off with the gathering of a group from a local college, MRSM, led by Kak Zuraidah and MNS Langkawi chairman, Eric Sinaya. Having to see some support from a group of expatriates was a positive sign. The college students were briefed by Kak Zuraidah and Eric before they distributed those pink and yellow bags. They were to bring the "no plastic bags" messages across especially to those who wants a free bag.

Briefing by Kak Zuraidah to the college students

Vanessa and TC were the handful of "Mat Sallehs" raring to go with their food containers

Students wearing creative looking tags to carry the messages across

Less than forty of us headed into the Ramadan bazaar with our food containers. 

A lady choosing the colour of the bag. May she make good use of the bag.

A victimised plastic bag - Someone was carrying a plastic bag with a bag of syrup, dropped it and the water spilled on the ground

Iris "bungkus" her favorite dish with her food container

A student with a tiffin carrier

What did I bungkus for dinner today? There were so many choices to choose until I didn't know what I wanted to eat. In the end, I opted for nasi campur - rice with ikan keli sambal and a vege dish.

From of the number of participants who turned out for the campaign, minus the college students, the adults there were mostly mainland people working on the island and Mat Sallehs. Whatever happen to those local Langkawians?? I didn't see any authorities joining our campaign today.

It is not an easy habit to change. We grew up with the convenience of using plastic bags and polystyrene to pack our food. I must admit that it was a bit difficult for me initially. In the beginning, I tend to forget to bring my food containers and ended up using plastic bags and the "white coffins" (polystyrene). And feeling guilty after that. 

Langkawi have a long journey to go before the mentality of the locals here can be changed. It will take some time. Therefore, the campaign must continue for at least once a month and may this group grow larger to show the local Langkawians that we are serious about this.

To Kak Zuraidah and team, Chayoh! Chayoh!

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"Ingat Bungkus; Ingat Bekal...PART TWO"

After the success of the first public campaign on "NO (NEW) PLASTICS" which was on 30th March 2011, both of us agreed that this effort must continue on. One campaign is never enough to create an effective impact to change the lifestyle and habit of people asking for new plastic bags.

Here we go again...Kudos to Kak Zuraidah! She is making this happen. This time, she is targeting the Ramandan Bazaar in Kuah town.

Good spot, Kak Zuraidah! A lot of plastics and polystyrene are being used and thrown around there.  

WHEN?

MONDAY, 8TH AUGUST 2011

TIME?

5:30pm

WHERE?

TAPAK RAMADAN, KUAH TOWN

MEETING POINT?

Front of JAI CAFE, KUAH TOWN 

(directly across from the Tapak Ramadan)

 EQUIPMENT TO BRING?

Lots of Food Containers and of course, $$$

A simple suggestion, the first priority is to REDUCE usage of new plastic bags and polystyrene materials. By reducing, then REUSING is possible by bringing your old plastic bags or any reusable bags (eg cloth bag). Lastly, "RECYCLE" those existing plastic or glass materials once their usage are exhausted.

As easy as All Bring Containers (ABC). Please spread the words/emails around for the benefit of making Langkawi a greener island to live. Keep these in your car; old reusable plastic bags, 

food containers or cloth bag or anything you can use to take-away your lunch/dinner. It is not easy to change one's habit or lifestyle, I know. Remember, "Ingat Bungkus, Ingat Bekal".  And this time will be Part 2. 

See you all there for the yummy, delicious food (kuih muih, ikan bakar, ayam golek, murtabak, roti bom, etc), along with your containers.

Link:

"Ingat Bungkus; Ingat Bekal..."

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Langkawi's Rainforest Not Important?

Having to witness how our local people here in Langkawi are allowing their rainforest to be cut, burned, cleared and developed, I can conclude that they do not love their land anymore. 

Semenanjung (Mainland) people (and that includes me as well) are not as courageous as the Penan communities to protect the precious rainforest they love. When our daily lives are not affected by the loss of something, we tend to take things for granted or become bystanders or even complaining among ourselves. When will we have the courage to fight back (and that includes me too) ? ...sigh...

Malaysia's Penan fear police crackdown against logging road blockade

25th July 2011

(LONG WIN, Sarawak, Malaysia). Indigenous Penan communities in the Malaysian part of Borneo are fearing a police crackdown after having staged a logging road blockade near Long Win in Sarawak's Apoh Tutoh region. The blockade was set up to defend the communities' last remaining rainforests against logging by Rinpark Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian logging company linked to the family of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud ("Taib").

According to the Penan, the Malaysian police have sent a number of police officers to the blockade which had been set up in May 2011 by the villagers after Rinpark failed to live up to promises made to the community during an earlier blockade. The blockade was dismantled by the police and forestry enforcement officials yesterday (Sunday 24 July 2011) but re-erected by the locals this morning. 

While the forests of Long Win, Long Bangan and nearby native communities have been logged several times already, the locals are fearing that their last forests will be cut down in order to make for oil palm plantations. "Please alert the international community on what is happening to our forests", a Penan spokesperson said to the Bruno Manser Fund. "The situation is very tense now as the police and forest department staff have set up a camp near the blockade site".

The involved logging company, Rinpark Sdn Bhd, is closely linked to the highly corrupt Malaysian Taib family. One of its directors is Azerina Mohd Arip, the first wife of Taib's late brother Arip Mahmud. Rinpark shareholder-cum-director Patrick Embol Anak Undi is also a main figure within the Taib-linked Lanco group of companies that is involved in controversial land deals in Sarawak's Balingian region.

For three decades, the Penan have struggled to defend their rainforests against logging. While the Taib family and a handful of logging tycoons have made a fortune from the cutting down of Sarawak's forests, the Penan have seen suffering from the negative consequences of the destruction of their natural environment. 

Link:
1. Bruno Manser Fonds

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