Kuala Lipis

TRAIN AT KUALA LIPIS

2021-06-25T06:45:00.003-07:00

Assalamualaikum

We like to share our feeling of sadness, and frustration, as the place which was part of growing in Kuala Lipis are no longer there. That was the symbols of Kuala Lipis.

It use to be an open air waiting areas, the school children were waiting for the train. The roof was supported by wooden pillars 12' x 12' are all gone for good. The cateen for KTM staff are demolished.

open air waiting area with row of wooden seats

in the station near the ticket counters.

a wrought iron bridge across sungai Lipis

bird eye view looking towards the south, to Gemas

looking towards the north to Kuala Krai

hand operated carriage

Return to Kuala Lipis

2012-11-09T07:22:00.001-08:00

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One of the few Chinese Temple, giving a stark reminder of the multi-racial nature of the community. It is strategically located at Jelai Street,.

A view of the river, Jelai from the restaurant outlets at the Main Street. It reminded me of the raft-house or rumah rakit, which had long gone. It used to be a unique attraction of Kuala Lipis until someone close to the government sect, decided to commercialize it and built a restaurant and inn, both adventure met failure, and now the symbol had gone beyond revival.

Driving to Kuala Lipis

2011-08-16T03:12:00.001-07:00

Some of the old building were left unattended near the town of Bentong

Bentong Pahang, the Main Street. Many of the old town are 2 street town

The new Mosque stands majestic on the hill near the Bentong town

Free shower for everbody. The pipe had burst near Benta, Jerkoh

10 km from Raub, after the local golf club

Sorry state of the plantation. Many of the dragon fruit project failed
The Dragon Fruit Plantation was left unattended

Camping in Kenong

2011-08-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

Kenong is the name of a river that flows into Jelai river about 9 mile downstream of the town of Kuala Lipis. It is also the name of a village on the river. Then a jungle park was created with them of Kenong Jungle Park. It is a nature lovers park for camping and trekking.

By Author: laimayleng

"You gain strength, experience and confidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

By definition from the Kenong trip

Fear = leeches

The thing you cannot do – walk

It is perplexing yet excruciating how 3 days with Mother Nature can change your perspective about yourself. 16 people comprising of 8 females and males respectively ventured into the forest of Kenong Park, Pahang on the 31st August 2007.

With leisure walking, a quiet time reading and perhaps solitude time relaxing by the stream in mind, I'm sure the 16 participants gathered more than they have bargained for the cost of the trip.I presume for the young hunk who traveled from France and joined us must have had an interesting tale to tell his friends when he returns home.

The morning started with breakfast at Kuala Lipis town and the group got acquainted with the trekking guide, Appu in Appu's Guest House. Appu's sparkling eyes greeted us warmly. We took the opportunity during the waiting moment to exchange words with one another. 17 of us, we were no longer strangers as we hustled each other in lodging the food onto our backpack respectively.

Before beginning our journey, we witnessed the marching parade in the streets of Kuala Lipis. Gleefully, we stood admiring the patriotism spirit shown by our fellow Malaysians. Hoping on to the Merdeka wave, equipped with the camera, some of us waved enthusiastically as the band marched by.

We then separated into two groups. We tucked ourselves into the van. Everyone was clearly beaming with excitement as muffled sound of conversation was heard in the van. I took the opportunity to catch some winks. By the time I woke up, we have arrived at the oil palm estate. We squeezed carefully out of the doggie door of the van and waited for the other van to arrive. We waited. Patiently. As time passes by, some of us got bored and naturally we entertained ourselves. Some made pranks, posing eccentrically for photos while others rested the minutes away.

Soon enough, the driver realized that something was amiss and so he urged us to hopped back into the van. We cramped ourselves without much complain. Mid way, we met with the other van and the driver exchanged words with Appu. Apparently the driver misunderstood the drop off points and it was too late to return to the origin location. I was dazed with the happening but I obediently followed with the flow of events.

We arrive at the startup point and had a group picture. The 1.5 hour trek (as indicated in the itinerary) began here.

The first hour, we walked with our chirpy smiles, straining past the majestic forest. Along the way, we met the silent crawlers occupant of the woods, the leeches. Many willfully set heart to remove the uninvited guests from our socks. The leeches were sinking its nasty teeth into our fragile flesh.

Soon, we arrived at the native village and indeed we applauded, an enormous audience, admiring the natives hut.

Our journey continued up the hill and down the path. Yet, no visible sight of our destination. We stopped for lunch and I heard a question targeted to the leading head, "How long more? I thought it was just an 1.5 hour trek." said the tired voice. The reply came diplomatically, "We are almost there, just another 15 minutes". I accepted with anticipation that our lodging campsite to come in due time. Little did I realize the walk took us 5 hours ! The miracle of unconditional strength our feet brought us to an empty vast area. Even though, we could no longer express our innermost thoughts, our expression showed relief that we have finally arrived. It was as though in a brief moment we settled ourselves comfortably under the fly sheet and 4 young women shared the tent. Before we sat our heavy body on the tree logs, the "salt medic" was on call, busy in action, examining and killing off all the unwelcome leeches surrounding the campsite.

Most of us refreshed ourselves at the nearby river bank. Albeit, the water was muddy and milky, all of us were grateful for a good "clean" wash. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling washing in the stream. Drying our clothes and shoes had a new dimension.

Meanwhile, Appu was very busy preparing dinner for us at his "luxurious" kitchen. As he did so, without even being conscious of it, I had this sense of extraordinary respect for him. He managed so well with his bare hands, handling the fire, cooking for a group of 17 individuals. Dinner was served and we feast ourselves with the delicious curry chicken and fried vegetables. Appu then entertained us with his adventures in Kenong park. By then, my eyes were too heavy for me to carry. I quietly sneaked into my cozy tent and dreamt away.

The morning crisp of 1st Sept, Saturday came and the campsite radiated with a beautiful sunshine. Roti breakfast with tea/milo never tasted so good in my life. Thriving for our next shower, we eagerly packed the essentials for a short 10 minutes walk to the waterfall. The walk was short, however the climb to reach the waterfall was quite a challenge for some. When we finally reached the waterfall, the spirituality in the realm was indescribable. We swam and played in the water like a bunch of 8 years old. We then head back to the campsite after a good wash in the waterfall. Once again, Appu worked his magic hands and cooked us lunch. We ate like a pack of hungry wolves.

Our journey continued to the next location, Buta cave. We carried our backpacks along with our undying spirit and ventured into the woods. The walk was long and it seemed never ending. The dedicated photographer clicked away on her camera but her energy seem to have drained away with each mile taken. The shining moment came when the last three person in the trekking group heard a loud grunt in the nearby path. Without hesitation, the sweeper shouted, "Run ! Just run !" and ran we did to save our dear lives. Whatever the sound was, we will never find out but the run revealed that we had strength in our poor legs.

After 6 hours walking, it felt like eternity.Our body knew no pain or suffering. There was only the steady rhythm of our footsteps. Our blood donation to the forest was welcomed with an open heart by the hungry leeches. In spite of this, we marveled ourselves with the leech bite marks and even compared amongst ourselves who had the biggest, fattest, feeding leech pet.

The light at the end of the tunnel finally became visible. An angel voice spoke "We are here". The sight of the cave was a blessing for us. We cried for joy. This lodging site looked much equipped than the first one. It had well built planks, laying out a square area. This is the place where we sat and rested our tired butts. All of us then followed Appu to the nearby stream. We scrubbed ourselves and we chatted away. From the stream, we saw some chalets. We were told that the chalet toilets were haunted! The water felt cooler as the words were spoken. Chills up my spine so I hurriedly washed myself and went back to the campsite.

We gathered around the square corner and chatted away while Appu prepared dinner. A few of us shed a helping hand. Food was delicious and warming to our stomach . The night continued with story telling. A tale told that made me beamed with fear. Apparently there are two wandering

spirits protecting Appu. The surroundings seem rather quiet as Appu continued his story. Then, we heard noises in the greens above us. It was too dark to tell what it was and I wasn't ready to find out. Perhaps it was the chill that drove us back to our sleeping area. All of us went to bed thereafter.

The next morning, we knew the walk back out of the jungle would be again a long walk. So, we dreaded packing up. Nevertheless, the time has come for yet another walk. Surprisingly, the path was much shorter but the sun wasn't very kind to us. Midway, we saw another hut. The structure of this hut was very special. It showed fine craftsmanship . Two little boys were standing in the hut while the picture was taken. They smiled so brightly as we walked past them.

Our journey took us to a village. We saw buffaloes and chickens. It was rather obvious that we were uptown people as we gazed in amusement with the farm animals. While seated and rested, Appu surprised us with cans of 100 plus. Our thirst was quenched and indeed we were grateful to Appu for his well thought gesture. Soon, we continued our journey and we reached a river. We hopped on to the boat and crossed Kenong river. The sight of Kenong forest slowly diminished. My heart felt a sudden sink as I bid the woods goodbye.

The journey back to Kuala Lipis on the van was rather solemn. When we arrived at Appu's Guest House, each of us took turn to have a quick shower. Very few words were spoken then, those we spoke were words of gold. I will always treasure those special moments I shared with my new friends.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/camping-articles/camping-in-kenong-3577945.html

Park in Pahang

2011-05-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

By international standard, Pahang is not a large state. However it had a lot to offer to the visiting tourist. It has the largest number of highland resorts and the most number of parks in the peninsular. What has attracted most is its natural tranquility, where we can find the peace with the natural flora and fauna.

Visit Malaysia - Pahang, a Gift of Nature

By Yazid Malek

Pahang is the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia. It is endowed with a diverse range of attractions. Nearly two-thirds of the state is enveloped in verdant rainforest, making it a magnificent enclave of lush greenery, exotic wildlife and abundance of natural attractions.

Kuantan, the administrative capital, is an interesting discovery of modern buildings and charming cottage industries. Pahang's majestic nature, beautiful beaches, bustling townships, quaint villages, friendly people, unique craft and delicious food make for mesmerising and unforgettable vacations.

Choose to stay in campsites, hostels and lodges for those who enjoy nature. Well appointed resorts and comfortable chalets are found on the islands. Pahang offers a variety of Malay, Chinese, Indian and international cuisine. There are also many food outlets, street malls, cafes, restaurants and food courts to choose from.

Taman Negara or the National Park which cover an area of 434,350 ha has been a focus of plant and animal evolution longer than any other forest in the world. Experience the canopy walkway high up in the tree tops and the giant buttressed tualang trees as they tower 200 feet above you in the dense forest.

An Elephant Conservation Centre is committed to rescuing and protecting the country's elephants. Visitors can take a close look at these friendly jumbos during their feeding times or watch the fun as they enjoy a muddy splash in the nearby river.

Kenong Rimba Park is sprawled about 120 sq km in the Kenong Valley with its eastern and northern boundaries fringing Taman Negara. Caving is a popular sport here. Take a cruise along the Kenong River and enjoy the beautiful view.

The second largest national park in Peninsular Malaysia is Endau-Rompin in Pahang. It was named after the Endau and Rompin rivers that flow through the park. The untouched wilderness awaits nature lovers with a host of attractions including a variety of splendid rock formations, flora and fauna, lovely waterfalls and rivers.

With a wonderful natural feature, Pahang is one of the most attractive states to visit in Malaysia.

Check Malaysia Travel Information to get more information about Malaysia Getaways!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yazid_Malek

Old Road to Kuala Lipis

2011-03-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

The old pre- independent road to Kuala Lipis was via Kuala Kubu Bharu. It passes through the "Gap", through the winding path across the mountain. Then, it came down to the nearest town, Teras.

The road was constructed in the late 1800, using human power. It was using the Macadam construction method and seem to last longer that the present asphalt road.

Map of Teras

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View Larger Map

To follow the old road, turn left at the junction about 5 km after Bentong. The road was built on the bank of Bentong river, thus it is slightly windy.

It is a soothing drive in the shade of tropicl green.

The Chinese temple was recently built, located about 10 km from Raub. The basin of the river Bilut is filled up with Durian Orchid. The Bilut river is suitale for picnic.
Teras was doing well in the 60s and early 70s. The road was the only passage to Kuala Lumpur from Raub and Kuala Lipis. The people from Kelantan would take the train to Kuala Lipis, then a bus from Kuala Lipis to Kuala Lumpur.
The shops are the traditional building using the Chinese architecture, making the maximum use of the ground brick. The upper floor are constructed from wooden structure.
You can see, the pillars are made from solid laid bricks, the floor beams are from strong matured wood. It is unfortunate, most of the shops are abandoned.

kuala lipis locomotive

2011-02-19T23:06:00.000-08:00

Kuala Lipis was synonymous to the railway. Coincidentally one of the locomotive engine was named Kuala Lipis, an honor of the town in Pahang.

The video shows locomotive Kuala Lipis in Gemas, a small town in Negeri Sembilan. The town is the point where the rail lines from Singapore branch off, one to Kuala Lumpur and the other to Kuala Lipis and Kelantan.

I wish KTM, the operator of the railway system in Malaysia, take care of the locomotive. I am sure they can do better. Remove the rust and paint it. It seem that it was left to rot.

However Kuala Lipis still able to show off its power. It has many coaches to pull.

The railway did a good job, in the days with limited roads, it connected the different towns and bright the power of the central government to the remote parts of Malaya. It was the lifeline of communication and transportation.

sungai ular Lipis

2011-02-13T05:13:00.000-08:00

The Tepuai Dam (empang) is the spot for weekend fishing

If you were to drive to Kelantan through the alternate road through Raub and Felda Koyan, you will pass through a felda-like settlement of Kampong Sungai Ular, Lipis.

Driving through it, you may notice that the road suddenly make a 90 degrees turn. It was not meant to be that way, it was suppose to go straight to Kampong Lubuk Kulit which is only about 3 km away. But the project, was suspended for unknown reason, may be the MP from that area knows the reason.

The settlement is part of the RPT (rancangan tanah pemuda), or land development scheme for the youth. It was part of the program developed by Tun Razak, and none of the Prime Minister after him can match his contribution to the peoples' development. I remember the time when the opening for the land were made, many of the youth were reluctant, and now they regret.

A small river, Sungai Ular, flows through the village, and it join the bigger river of Sungai Tepuai at a dam at Kampong Tepuai. This a good location for weekend fishing. However it is an uncontrolled activities, and free for all.

In the early days, Kampong Sungai Ular was part of kampong keledek. Within Kampong Keledek, you have not less than 7 sub kampong, now the names are not so popular as the road transport has improved. In the old days, walking through the village took hours, thus making it necessary to sub divide it.

The Aborigines in Pantos

2011-02-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

The aborigines of Pahang have a lot of knowledge about the local flora and fauna that can be shared with the visiting tourists. In fact the opening of the new road from Cameroon Highland to Kuala Lipis makes the visit of the aboriginals' settlement easier.

The Semai People shows how to make a mat from Pandan leaves.

Visiting and getting involve in their daily activities. is one of the memorable experience. The village of Pantos in Hulu Jelai is one of the popular site for the tourists.

The population at Pantos are the ethnic of Semai Pantos. The traditional daily activities include the hunting and gathering of jungle products. The jungle products such as the fruits, honey and rattan are for their own consumption as well as to be sold to generate the cash income.

Things To See

a. Ethnic Craftmen. The craft men create a unique baskets for personal use and some would be sold to the traders in Kuala Medang as well as the Koyan market.

b.Wood curving and the making of mats from the pandan leaves.

Things To Do

a. Taste the unique cooking style using nothing more than the bamboo trees.

Rice, fishes and meat are cooked in bamboo. This skills is slowly being forgotten as the new generation are more comfortable with the modern facilities of electricity and gases for cooking.

b. Jungle tracking under the guidance of the aborigines.They know the jungle like the back of their hands. See their unique knowledge about the trees ans scrubs.

c. The Sawang Dance. Dancing to the early morning using the traditional bamboo to create the melody.

The Pantos settlement is populated by about 200 people from 25 family. It has a small village school and majority had embraced Islam. They are in transition, and the next generation will tend to live a modern life.

The Changing Roles Of Kuala Lipis in Trades

2010-10-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

If we were to turn back the clock, we could see the changing role of Kuala Lipis as the center of trade in Hulu Pahang. The changing trading roles are very much affected by the communication and road system built throughout the period.

1. Period 1 - total reliance of river transport.
2. Period 2 - rail transport and limited road in 1950 to 1970
3. Period 3 - reduced role of railway and improved road.
4. Period 4 - future improved motorway.

4. Period 4 - Improved motorway (future)
I think the future of Kuala Lipis will not be better off than what it is today. It will no longer be the collection center for the surrounding agricultural products. These products, such as rubber and oil palm will be handled by small scale traders operating from the village at the plantation. The traders will be sending direct to the factory thus bypassing the tarders at Kuala Lipis.

I had seen the small scale traders set up the shops to buy the rubber direct from the farmers and send them direct to the factory. This had cut off a layer of middle man.

As the road improves, Kuala Lipis will be about 1.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur, about 1.5 hour to cameron highland and 2 hours to Kota Bharu. This will mean that, people will be going direct to Kota Bharu and Kuala Lumpur to purchasr the consumers products, such as clothing and even the groceries. That will leave Kuala Lipis to be offering like adhoc shopping requirements.
I can see this had started to take place. The low cost clothing are handle by the weekly market, like Sunday Market. For high end products, people prefer to buy form Kuala Lumpur, although it is currently 3 hours away.

Omar is free of charges

2010-10-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

After six years, the former Yang Berhormat is free... reason quoted " the public prosecutor failed to establish the case". It is interesting to note that the deputy public prosecutor changed seven times.

The report in the star is posted below..

Published: Friday September 3, 2010 MYT 4:29:00 PM

Ex-assemblyman freed of graft charges

RAUB: Former Pahang state executive councillor was acquitted and discharged by the Sessions Court here Friday of corruption charges after a six-year trial.

Judge Zainal Abidin Kamarudin made the decision at the end of the prosecution's case after he was satisfied that the public prosecutor had failed to establish a prima facie case against Datuk Omar Othman, 60.

Omar, who was former state public utilities, transport and Orang Asli affairs committee chairman and former Jelai assemblyman, and his wife, Datuk Mimi Asmara Abdul Malek cried after the verdict was announced.

He was charged with corruption on Aug 12, 2004 for recommending two village road projects worth RM120,000 to a company he had an interest in.

He allegedly used his position as a state executive councillor and member of the Kuala Lipis special projects committee to approve the projects at the Lipis District Office between Oct 1 and 13, 2001.

The trial took six years involving nine prosecution witnesses while the deputy public prosecutor changed seven times.

He was represented by lawyer Jagjit Singh while deputy public prosecutors, Zulqarnain Hassan and Kamaruddin Mohd Daud from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission prosecuted.

Speaking to reporters, Omar said he was vindicated and thanked his wife, who was always by his side, family members and friends for the support. - Bernama

Tourists Spots Need Attention

2010-09-30T01:28:00.000-07:00

I was happy to read online about the tourist attractions available in Kuala Lipis. Afterall it is my hometown, and it holds the happy memories of growing in a small remote town.However, recently, I came across unpleasant remarks about the sorry state of some of the tourist attractions. I have yet to check it my self.

1. The Trenggun Recreation Park.
I saw a picture of broken walking bridge and the unkept appearance, it is imposible to check for the actual status as the pictures can be outdated. I had an experience in look for the spot, I cannot find the entrance. I had been to the picnic spot years ago, when there was no new road. But now with road upgrade, the access to Trenggun park is no longer straight forward.

2. Tasik Burung Mandi
The lake's name if directly translated to English will mean, The birds' bathing lake, situated near Kemahang, near to Benta about 45 km from Kuala Lipis. It was also the site for dirt biking.The latest I heard that the dirt tract is closed . The facilities were left to rot, and what make is worst, there no official newsletter on the fate of the project. Everyone seem to do their routines as if nothing has happened.

I was speaking to a few from the surrounding village. Even Tasik Burung Mandi is not spared. There just dont seem find a good reason why the lakes area has to be maintained, there is hardly any activity.

3. Empang Jaleh
From mdlipis web..

Tasik Empang Jaleh

Empang Jaleh merupakan salah satu tempat yang terkenal bagi pengunjung untuk beriadah bersama keluarga.

Empang Jaleh terletak 14 kilometer dari pusat bandar Kuala Lipis yang berkeluasan 184.35 ekar. Ianya merupakan sebuah tasik yang menjadi tumpuan orang ramai sebagai tempat rekreasi bersama keluarga. Pelbagai kemudahan yang tersedia seperti laluan berjalan kaki, berkayak dan padang golf.

Antara aktiviti yang disediakan di Empang Jaleh adalah kayak, golf, laluan berjalan kaki, perkemahan, kawasan memancing, dan juga kemudahan bersukan seperti joging.

Padang golf Empang Jaleh menawarkan pakej untuk permainan 18 lubang dan 9 lubang. Selain itu perkhidmatan seperti "buggy" dan "turfmate" disediakan dengan kadar yang berpatutan.

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However, we know that the Empang Jaleh is situated next to thePuchong Gold Mine. I remember seeing the sign that the Empang was closed, probably it was interfering with the multi million project of the mining. Incidently the gold extraction is using cyanide, a very highly poisonous compound, in the gold extraction process.

I still feel that the leaders in power has the moral duty to make Kuala Lipis suitable to attract people to come. The least that has to be done is to maintain the status quo/

reference from mdlipis.gov.my

Taman Tasik Burung Mandi

Taman Tasik Burung Mandi merupakan sebuah kawasan yang menjadi tumpuan peminat acara motor lasak yang melibatkan peserta-peserta daripada dalam dan luar negara.
Kawasan ini terletak lebih kurang 45km dari Bandar Lipis.
Keluasan taman lipur ini lebih kurang 200 ekar dan mempunyai 4 tasik buatan yang dulunya adalah bekas lombong bijih.
Selain mempunyai beberapa buah bukit, taman ini juga mempunyai khazanah alam semulajadi hutan hujan tropika dengan kepelbagaian flora dan fauna.
Sesuai dengan namanya Tasik Burung Mandi, taman ini menjadi habitat beratus spesis burung liar.

Smk Clifford - Raya Gathering

2010-09-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

On 25 Sep 2010 old students from smk Clifford, Kuala Lipis organised a get-together to celebrate the eid fitr in Kuala Lumpur. The dinner was organised at D'cempaka in Bangi.

cliffordian raya 2010

The food was good, we had BBQ sheep, it was a great effort to give the opportunity to network.

As the event was organised by batch of 1980s, so as expected the major turnout was those from 1980 groups.

raya 2010 cliffordian

I could imagibe if we had celebrities attending, then more will be coming.

smk Clifford Kuala Lipis and Siti Nurhaliza

2010-09-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

On 31 July 2010, a gathering of cliffordian was organised at Kuala Lipis. One of the attraction is none but the vocalist from the town, an ex-student herself.

Various events were held focusing on her, we had the volleyball with siti, the poco poco dance with siti and even the tree plantation with siti.

That had in fact raised some queries from some ex-students, saying that her participations were over exposed. After all the events were for all ex-students. However for her fans, it was the opportunity to get close to her. It is often to be able to meet her.

poco poco dance is an Indonesian dance that created uneasiness between Indonesia and Malaysia. Unlike other countries that are happy if other people follow their traditions, Indonesian like to retail them for themselves.

Kuala Lipis - Center of Jungle Train

2010-09-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

Kuala Lipis is situated at the center of Peninsular Malaysia, Malaya and it is also the center of jungle train. The train is the heritage of the British past, quite useful to transport the products from Kelantan,Pahang and all the areas along the track to Singapore at the tip.

The train inching its path from Jeruntut to Kuala Lipis.

Take note of the typical scenery, the secondary jungle, the traditional villages, the planted crops like banana. The last station, Batu Sembilan, is nine miles from Kuala Lipis.

Entrance to Kuala Lipis railway station

Inside the station. People are waiting for the train on the platform

The station signage, Kerambit is on the South on the way to Singapore

The pictures are constant reminder of the train and its glorious past

kuala medang rafting

2010-09-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Kuala medang is situated deep in the north west of the state of Pahang in Malaysia. It is unspoiled village on the river of Jelai on the edge of a virgin jungle.
The name medang came from the name of a type of tree found in abundant on the bank of the river. In the 1970s, Kuala Medang was remote, accessible only by boat from Bukit Betong. Now a road was built connecting it to Raub, Kuala Lipis and Cameron Highland. I still remember the four hour boat ride from Bukit Betong.

One of the activities of the villagers is to provide house-stay facilities to incoming tourist. This is a joint effort, between the individual who provide the home-stray facilities and village committee. As such, they can arrange for group activities.

One of the favorite activities for the tourist is rafting. It can be a dangerous thing, as the water is quite fast. During the rainy session, this activities stop.

Kuala medang is also famous for the tropical fruit called salak.

A: RAFTING IN JELAI RIVER

B: SALAK FRUITS AND TREE

One of the man from kuala medang managed to create a new clone of the salak that are tastier. He did this by mixing the genes from the clone from Indonesia and a local variety.

The new clone produces bigger fruits, tastier and produced a sweet fragrance.

A modern bridge had been constructed across Jelai river. Currently there is no road yet. However it had opened up way for the villagers to cross the river.

The Village is known for the tradition fruits. These are the Malaysian original fruits that had existed before the flood of foreign variety. You can have the durian, langsat and kundang.

River Fishing

Fishing is the traditional past time of the villagers. It is connected to the days when Kuala Medang was an isolated distant village. They have to be self sufficient and rely little on the goods from outside the village.

You can ask the local, I would prefer to fish from the bank, rather than from a boat. The boats do not have the safety features, there is no life jackets. Even if you are a good swimmer, the river can be dangerous.

Kuala Lipis Tourism

2010-09-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

Malaysia is a multi-cultural country, consisting of various ethnic and culture. One of the major culture groups is the Indian. Most of the Indians that came to Malaya were from the southern part of Indian. Together they brought along their religion and their culture.

Urumi Melam are a collection of Indian Folk musical Instruments played duration special occasions in the Indian culture. So the Indian in Kuala Lipis too did not miss the opportunity to display their skills in playing the instruments.

Video below:

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This type of music is displayed during the Thaipusam festival, one of the main festival in Malaysia.

bukit betong

2010-08-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I decided to visit the village of Bukit Betong. What I saw surprised me. The railway station was left neglected.

The village is situated in Pahang, about 20 minutes drive from Kuala Lipis and was an important center for the Malay administration of Pahang prior to the British occupation on 1800. This is the home Dato Indra Maharaja Perba Jelai, one of the 4 heads in Pahang (Orang Besar Pahang).

Bukit Betong Railway Station
Note the unattended bushes behind

Bukit Betong was the tax collection center of the population of the River Jelai and its tributaries.During the hey day of the railway, it became the transportation center, as boats from as far as Kuala Medang with full passenger load will land at Bukit Betong to fetch the train to Kuala Lipis and beyonds.

However travels were not as easy as today. The small boat with its Honda engine will take about 4 hours to reach kuala medang. You have to sit still for that four hours. The standard of safety had needed improvement as no life vest was available.

The station building of Bukit Betong

The small station used to be crowded with passengers, and you may not get a seat on the train. So you had to be standing all the way to Kuala Lipis, which will take about 30 minutes.

Bukit Betong Station
Used to be ""the passengers waiting area"

I still remember, in those days, people had not learn how to form a line, they refused t line up for the ticket, so everyone would rush for the first 5 minutes, fighting for the tickets, they felt proud if they can forced themselve to be among the first. Now the station is an empty reminder of the past glory.

Bukit Betong Godown
The Goods Store Built in 1950s still stand strong

The store was built in early 1950, surprisingly still in good condition. It is reminder of the quality of the material used during the British time. I remembered, the store was the first I place I hang up my public bill board, advertising the concert at the school in Padang Tengku.

The Official Residence of Station Master of Bukit Betong
Probably the only person who spoke English in Bukit Betong in 1960s. It had a big
metal water tank to store the rain water.

The railway station was manned by a station master and a porter. The porter will light up the oil lantern before dark and climbed onto the signal towers. When the signal arm is lowered, the train driver will see the green or go signal. Some of the train will turn around at this station.
The beautiful house of the station master is left to the plants and animals

The station's porter's house, abandoned

The station as viewed from the Iron Bridge of Bukit Betong

Jelai Bridge Built after WW2 at Bukit Betong

The Bridge designed by the British.The bridge had to rebuilt after the Japanese surrender in 1945. The earlier bridge was bombed by the retreating British army. I noticed extra planks and the side netting are installed for the safety for the pedestrians. It was NOT there before. However I had not heard anyone felt from the bridge.

View from the railroad of Bulit Betong
You can see the Jelai River and small island that was created by the brick pillar of the bridge.

The notice on the bridge has faded: Cross the bridge at your own risk, the railway is not responsible for
any accident or incident.

Jelai Bridge at Bukit Betong
The view of the bridge crossing Sungai Jelai

The home of Indra Purba Jelai. It was the biggest house in Bukit Betong, however it no longer is.

Picture taken from the railroad, Sungai Tepuai that runs from Kampong Sungai Ular. Notice the calm water.

Bukit Betong
Abundanced stall that use to sell local fruits

Kuala Lipis The Historical Town

2010-08-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

Kuala Lipis, the former capital of Pahang, is situated at the congruence of two rivers, Jelai River and Lipis River. It is the historical town of Pahang, with a number of heritage left by the ruling British in the late 1800. It is also a green sanctuary, faraway from the development of the west coast. Here, you are still able to walk under the shade of virgin jungle, untouched by human since the eternity. The water flowing in the rivers and streams are still pristine clear.

The status of Kuala Lipis as a historical town was accorded and maintained by the good efforts by the local Authority. As you stroll through the town, you are walking through the memory lane, it has held its own secret and stories. It was the administrative center of the Malay federated stated, thanks to the rich deposits of mineral around the region.

Most of the historical buildings left, are still in good condition and used today . Of course little modification and improvements were made, the opened big windows were replaced by glass. The long hanging ceiling fans were removed, and aircondition were installed. The Resident Hill Rest House, 1922, Clifford School (1913), Pahang Club (1907) and State's Secretary House (1920). are still in good shape. The other buildings are the nursing home, beside the hospital, the hospital, next to the Hindu temple and the post office, located right in the city center.

The swinging railway crossing is no longer there, it was remove and replaced by overhead crossing. There used to be a cinema, the only cinema next to the swinging crossing. The cinema had been closed due to poor business, a direct effect of technology advancement in CD and DVDs.

According to the Member of Parliament from Lipis, the development of Kuala Lipis has been closely linked to the development of tourist destination in the nearby areas. The attractions include Kenong Jungle Park, Merapoh. Kuala Terenggun, Kemahang Jungle Park, Kuala Medang Homestay and a number of other destination. According to him, a day tour will most suited to Lipis as there is alot of British Heritage, and after the tour, the visitor can proceed to another tourist destination in Kelantan adn Trengganu.

Back to Home Page: http://kuala-lipis-pahang.blogspot.com/

Ghazali Shafie

2010-07-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

Early this year we had to witnessed the departure of King Ghaz, originated from Kuala Lipis.

The former minister of home affairs, Tun Muhammad Ghazali Shafie passed away in January 2010. He was known as a person very strict and firm with his work and among his friends, he was known as 'King Ghaz'.

He had served under four prime minister,starting from Tunku Abdul Rahman to the era Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He was also act as the Foreign Minister and had joined a number of foreign services and international missions.

If you still remember, that Muhammad Ghazali was the only survivor in the light aircraft accidents that crashed at Kampung Janda Baik on 10 Jan 1982. The accident had killed his guard and the pilot of the airplane.

HHe was born at Kuala Lipis on 22 Mac 1922 and had his early education at Malay School in Raub and then attended the Clifford School, Kuala Lipis from 1939 to 1940.

Pada 1941, he further his education at Raffles College Singapura then to London for his LLB at University College of Wales. His further education was in the international studies at London School of Economics in 1954.

In 1941 to 1946, he was working at various position in the self defense force and the volunteer against the Japanese occupation.

Muhammad Ghazali has work as a clerk in Selangor and later appointed as the High Commissioner of Malaya to India in 1957. He was then the Secretary for Foreign Ministry in 1959 and became the Minister in July 1981 to July 1984.

One of his important assignment was, he was one of the member of the Cobbold Commission in the formation of Malaysia.

He contributed in the formation of rukun negara, a principle to strengthen the racial hormony in Malaysia following the black event of 13 May 1969.

He had been in the Malaysian Cabinet for long time, in 1970 he was a minister with special function and then the Information Minister in 1972.

About 16 months later he was the Home Affairs Minister until 1981, when he became the Foreign Minister .

He resigned from the in Julai 1984 and then focused hs attention onto other areas, where he hold important position in the provate sector and international organisation.

He was the Chairman of Peremba, Chairman of Landmarks Holdings Bhd, Advisor to Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific and Chairman to Westmont Bank Manila, Filipina.

In politic, he became a member of UMNO Council, The Member of Parliament for Lipis, Division Head of Umno Lipis, Member of Veteran Umno. He was the Vice President of Umno in 1972 to 1975.

House Near The Station

Whenever I go back to Lipis, I will pass near his house, next to the police station. His house is on the left and the station is on the right. Now with the development, the house is gone.

Defying Death.

The older generation will remember, how close to death he must had gone through. He was on his way to Kuala Lipis by a small propeller aircraft.

On Jan 1982, Ghazali was in a Cessna with 2 more people. The aircraft crashed in the jungle near Janda Baik. Ghazali survived but the other 2 were unlucky. More.. reading on this web..

'King Ghaz', Vergis and that Cessna crash | New Straits Times ...

14 Jan 2007 ... But foreign minister Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie, then 59, ... Johor, when they were first informed of the missing aircraft by police. ...
findarticles.com/p/news-articles/new-straits.../ai_n44347890/ - Cached

Fighting The terrorists

I do not think any of the present ministers has such a rich variety of experience like Ghazali shafie. This is the story of his involvement against the Japanese Red Army.

MY FLIGHT OF TERROR | New Straits Times Newspaper | Find Articles ...
23 Oct 2005 ... been moved to Home Affairs, where the mercurial Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie. was minister. Osman had joined Ghazali, now Tun, at the AIA building ...
findarticles.com/p/news-articles/new-straits.../ai_n44306269/ - Cached

Changing Faces Of Kuala Lipis

2010-07-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

If you had not visited Kuala Lipis for the last 25 years, you will be surprised with the changes it has gone trough. For a small town with a snail-like pace of progress, I did not expect much changes, as there is actually not much pressure to incur the changes. The economic role of the town is almost negligible, and in fact it is reducing due to the improvement in the transport system.

The followings are observed changes:

1. The town role as the middle man in distributions and collections
When the river transports were the main mode of transport, Kuala Lipis location was suited to be the distribution centers to distribute goods to outskirt villages. So goods from singapore will arrive by train or products from kuala lumpur arrive by lorries and kept by the middleman in kuala lipis and distributed by boats to different villages along the rivers. The two main rivers were river lipis and jelai.

Similarly, product from the plantations and from the jungle will be brought by boats and sold to the middleman in kuala lipis. The examples of the products are, rubber, rattan, rubber from jelutong and resins.

With the improvement in transportation, the sellers from kuala lumpur can reach the smaller villages to collect the rural products and sell the imported products. That also mean that kuala lipis is being bypassed the business chains.

2. The Transport System
During the heyday of railway, Kuala Lipis was the biggest train station in the East Coast. Hundreds of workers were employed to run and maintain the locomotive and the tracks.Now much of them have become part of the history.

I still remember when the station was the center of attraction, hundreds of passengers embarking and disembarking the trains. Goods from the surrounding villages came down with the products to sell. Even my aging grand mum, brought some rubber sheets to sell.

Now, visit the train, remind of the memory, and practically the station is empty. The road has taken over the role, with regular buses and taxis.

I remember how closely knitted the transport was. As you step out of the railway, you will walk into the bus station and taxi station. So it make it easy. Now, the bus station is about 2 km away, and imagine walking from the railway to the bus station in the middle of the hot sun. It seem the old generation have more of the wisdom then the planner of today.

3. The town has expanded.
It use to be a streets town, The main street and the Jelai Street, and of course the third waking path or steps going right through the centre.

Now, 2 more centers are developed, one is across the railway track, they call it the center point. It use to be a green park. The second development site is the new township across the river. The new town was opened for about two years without sign of success. Then they decided to more the market and the bus station at the inconvenience of the customers, The reasons can be only given by the Town authority or Majlis Daerah.

4. The Cinema is Gone.
The town use to have a place for the local people to enjoy the big screen. It is gone now. I think this is the result of the technology development of CD and DVD and the Computer.

I remember the crowd at the festive times, when thousands from the surrounding village descend onto the town.

penjom

2010-07-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

An Open Gold Mine in Penjom, Look at the size of the operation.

Penjom is a small village, situated about ten kilometers from Kuala Lipis. For the past 40 years, it was a sleepy village. It was not so in early 1900's. It was the center of mining activities in Kuala Lipis.

When Hugh Clifford arrived in Kuala Lipis in late 1800, he did not visit the present town, but he went to Penjom, even the main market for Kuala Lipis was in Penjom.

Now, nearly 150 years later, the history repeats itself. A new gold mine was opened at Penjom, but this time the physical damage is 1000 times more, with the power of the big machinery, the new improved techniques to exploit for the maximum benefit, the virgin earth was thorn to pieces. I had some satellite pictures from Google Map.

When the gold runs out, the miners will certainly go, leaving the local people to nurse the wounds and live the whatever would be left, from the greenery and the tropic forest.

There were some complaints about the pollution in the stream, as chemicals were used in the gold processing, but it was quickly squashed by the local interested group.

It is hope the local people from Penjom will get some benefits, so the benefits can be shared and not limited to the groups in the poshed high rise offices.

Kuala Lipis Welcome Prime Minister

2010-07-21T04:27:00.000-07:00

Kuala Lipis was proud to welcome home, the prime minister of Malaysia.

Najib visited the house of his birth place. His father was the state secretary of Pahang stationed in Kuala Lipis in 1950s.

The prime minister of Malaysia made a official visit to his birth place in Kuala Lipis. The birth place will be converted to a museum, to ensure that the building will be preserved.

The District Council, Abu Jamal Nordin quoted that nearly RM1 millions was spent to preserve the house since 13 Nov 2007 and the project was completed in 12 Mei 2008.

However a further RM640,00 will be required to equip the museum and once opened, it is hoped that it will be a tourist attraction. This is in line with the plan to make kuala lipis a historic destination. This was delivered by Jamal in his welcoming speech to receive the PM.

NOSTALGIA ... Najib waving to the photographer on his tour to his birth place -- fotoBERNAMA

Kuala Lipis is rich with the heritage from the British Past, it was the capital of Pahang, under the British Colony before it was moved to Kuantan in 1953.

Among the historical building left are the Residence House, Pahang Club and Clifford School.

The 2 storey bungalow was the official residence of Pahang state secretary in 1950's

Kuala Lipis in History

2010-07-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

In 1800, the main market for Kuala Lipis was in Penjum, current about 10 km from Kuala Lipis, and at that time connect by Lipis River. When Frank Swettenham went to visit Kuala Lipis, he made a quick market survey, this is what he wrote... among the goods sold at Penjum were kerosene prized RM1 per barrel, tobacco at RM1 per katti, ( a katti is about 600 grams), rice was about RM1 per 20 kg. The shop owner has to pay the Sultan's representative RM50 per month.

In 1887, Clifford, representing the British Governor in Malaya went to Visit Kuala Lipis. There was no road as it is today. Today, the trip from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Lipis by car is about three hours. To reach Kuala Lipis, this was what Clifford had to go through:

1. From Kuala Lumpur, he had to travel by horses, to Kuala Kubu, through the jungle track. It took three days to reach Kuala Kubu, now one hour by car.

2. The next segment was from Kuala Kubu to Tanjung Malim, then to Hulu Slim.

3. Then By elephants to cross the mountain to Permatang Linggi.

4. From Permatang Linggi, a week ride on bamboo raft to Penjom.

It took about 2 weeks.

Penjom, in Kuala Lipis was already well known from its mining industry. There were already a number of mining companies, both operated by the Europeans and the chinese. The competition was tough, and the Chinese were not happy and complaints that the English was taking over the mines by force.

When the British imposed his rule by bribing the Sultan, the British System was imposed on the state. In 1889, a number of administrators were appointed to collect the taxes and set up the Legal Court. The system was supported by brute military forces, mainly manned by local recruits as well as the Sikh from India.

Now Penjom has reopen its gold mine and an international mining company from UK is doing the job on the open cast mine.

Trekking the Tropical Jungle in Kuala Lipis

2010-04-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

(Picture From Frim-- Giant Canopies)

If you are living with the daily hassle of the big city living, in continuous fight for time and speed, you may like to give it a break. Unwind yourself, and revert to the natural living. How would you like to live for a few days without tv and newspapers??.

When I told my children that my parents did not have the TV and newspaper and electricity in kuala lipis in 1960s. The they are amazed, how could people survive with tv and computers. Then I told them, tv is only recent toys, only in 1970s we had that and computers only in 1980. For thousands of years civilization rises and falls without them.

If you like to try the activities close to nature, then you can try the national park. A night or two, will expose you to how the native leave. Then you will say, how can we live with all the insets and leeches. People will be surprise, the primary and thick jungle do not have too much of those. Only the secondary jungle will have alot.

If you walk through a deep jungle, the ground actually not to thick with wood and trees. The big trees have form a big umbrella, a high canopy that shield the sunlight. So it is rather clear.

You can feel the cool temperature, of course it is humid. And it get dark very fast. Walking through it a life experience, it will simulate your senses, your hearing will be free from the decibels of the cars and buses. The calls of the birds and monkeys will be the alarm clock to wake you in the morning.

If you try the hiking in camping in the jungle, a real camping without the alloted camp site, it can only be tried with the experienced local. Selected the site is a task in itself. You got to think of the wild animal, some of them are dangerous. What if it rains or strong wind. Normally we would have the fire burning through the night. The animals are scared of fire, it keep us warm and keep the insets away. Of course the smoke will make you cloth smell, but after some hours, everybody will be sweating and smell the same. So no body complaint about body odor, as our nasal automatically readjust itself.

One of the thing to take care is ... do not get lost in the jungle. You will be surprise, that the track will look about the same. The trees will appear similar. Take care it providing tracking path. A string tied to a branch will be good. Leaving a mark on the trees will help. If you get lost, prepare for the camping. If you do not have any tent, then leave waving will save you from the heavy thunder.But you have to know what type of leave to gather and how to make it to withstand the heavy rain.

Frankly I miss the jungle walk in jungle tracking, especially the night hunting. I hope the can still remember the dos and dont for night trekking in th thick jungle.

Kuala Lipis is lucky as it still have those jungle although I dont think it will remain there for long. The big commercial companies as trying to establish their present.