Endau-Rompin (Selai) Visit and Orang Asli Community Service

On the weekend of 19 to 20 July, MNSJ was lucky to have YB Tan Kok Hong (Exco for Environment and many other things) to accompany our entourage to first visit Kg. Kemidak to hand out some supplies for the Orang Asli of that kampung and the nearby Kg. Selai. The supplies were from the money collected for the 2006 great floods and some clothings mostly collected by Mr. Chern Boon Hong.

The journey started out early (7 am) for us from Johor Bahru and even earlier for members from Singapore. The destination for our convergence was Bekok, incidently the constituency of YB Tan and the ETA was 1030 am. The exact place was at the Johor National Parks Corporation (JNPC) office. MNSJ was short of 4-WD vehicles, which were necessary a few kilometers on the outskirts of Bekok. Lucky for us, with YB Tan in our entourage, most of the MCA members around Bekok with the Pajeros and Troopers came out in force!

We did good time and the Orang Asli Community Service at Kg. Kemidak's community hall cum JNPC office started on schedule. The health and dental services from the Segamat Health Department were there to give their services (thanks to YB Dr Robia Kosai and Dr Zaharah Mohd Salleh of Segamat Health Department). Both batins from the two villages were also there. After a couple of speeches from Haji Abu Bakar, the Director of JNPC and YB Tan, the assistance in the form of food and clothes were handed out the two Tok Batins.

After a few group photos, the group headed for Lubuk Tapah, Selai. YB Tan walked around the Lubuk Tapah facilities, fed the fishes and later have lunch with all participants. YB Tan and his entourage left after lunch and a short discussion with MNSJ and Haji Abu Bakar of JNPC.

Thanks to JNPC (especially Haji Abu Bakar and Mr. Chew), our stay in Lubuk Tapah was free of charge. We have an free and easy afternoon, some took a swim in Lubuk Tapah, while Dr. Ismid scouted for sampling areas for Vincent and Aweng to do samplings for their PhD dissertations. We cooked and ate a good dinner that night and more discussions of everything under the sun.

After a good breakfast the next morning, a group followed En Hamid to hike to the waterfalls upstream of Sg. Selai, while another group followed Dr. Ismid and myself with Vincent and Aweng to do their fish and macroinvertebrates samplings of Sg. Selai.

Some participants left early (around 12 noon) especially the Singaporeans to beat the traffic jam at the Causeway but the Dr Ismid's sampling group only left Lubuk Tapah around 2 pm but we have a durian feast in Bekok before heading home!

maketab
13 Sept. 2008

Sg. Lukah Freshwater Wetlands, Ulu Sedili Kechil

Selamat Berpuasa to MNSJ Muslim members. Apologies for being quiet for a while and not adding new information in this MNSJ blog.

If you have been reading the MNS yahoogroups e mail, some of our members have visited the Sg. Lukah wetlands, which is located between Tanjung Balau and Jason Bay. The wetlands were inadvertently "discovered" by Vincent Chow (MNSJ advisor) and Dr. Ismid Said (MNSJ Council member), when both were doing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a biotech company wanting to develop the land, which includes the said wetlands.

The Sg. Lukah freshwater wetlands is the last vestige of non-peaty, freshwater swamps in Johor. Most of the surrounding areas were already drained and turned into oil palm plantations. Most were already logged as most of the access dirt/laterite roads were for logging purposes. These roads also changed the hydrology of the wetlands as their presence blocked the movement of the surface and groundwater movements of the water i.e. these road act as dams. Some of the larger trees are already dying probably due to excessive water-logging and other reasons.

Nevertheless, these wetlands need to be preserved for our future generations. Vincent and Dr. Ismid has collected some field data of the area. I myself visited the area once and measured the in situ and laboratory analysis of the water quality. The results of the analysis indicated the cleanest water ever measured in the pristine areas of Johor - the turbidity measured is at 0.93 NTU (the turbidity of distilled water was measured at 0.59 NTU). But short studies would not be enough. MNSJ needs to carry out a short scientific expedition to inventory the relevant scientific data specifically flora, fauna, stream ecology/fisheries, water quality and hydrology. The length of the study will be about a week to 10 days.

The area visited is the located at the lower end of Sg. Lukah but Dr. Ismid and his team found the access road to the upstream part of Sg. Lukah through the oil palm plantations near FELDA Lok Heng/Sg. Mas. I have discussed with Dr. Ismid that part of the expedition would include a boat or kayak journey from the upper Sg. Lukah to the lower end of Sg. Lukah where most of the photos in this blog were taken.

This short scientific study is suggested some time after the fasting month (mid October?). Although the studies would be carried out by MNSJ members (or newly recruited members :-) ) with relevant scientific backgrounds, other non-scientific members are always welcome to visit and volunteer and assist the scientists.

The findings would be presented to the Johor State Government for purpose of the gazzetement of the wetlands. MNSJ also need to acquire some initial funding from the State Government for the said study.

I will keep all MNSJ members informed in our MNSJ yahoo groups e mail.


maketab
6 September 2008