UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT REPORT NAME OF NEW VILLAGE: CHANGKAT KERUING 莫珍歪 PERAK

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1 UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT REPORT NAME OF NEW VILLAGE: CHANGKAT KERUING 莫珍歪 PERAK Project carried out by: Student Name ID Number Course Year/Trimester 1. Tan Ken Long Beh Pith Chuan Kuah Ing Xui Bachelor of Finance (Hons) Bachelor of Finance (Hons) Bachelor of Economics (Hons) Financial Economics Y2/T2 Y2/T2 Y3/T2 DATE OF COMPLETION OCTOBER 2012

2 ABSTRACT Changkat Keruing is a small town with a very small population in Manjung district, Perak, Malaysia. The majority residents in this village are Chinese from the FuZhou dialect group. In the early days, most residents in this village were rubber tappers, but nowadays many rubber estates and smallholdings have been replanted with oil palms. Other economic activities in this village include fish and prawn farming as well as Bird's Nest farming. The only school in this village is a Chinese primary school, SJK KhuenHean. When the village children complete their primary school education, they are sent either to Ayer Tawar or Pantai Remis to proceed with their secondary school. This is a scenic village, especially where the Dinding River passes through. Its scenic beauty is even mentioned in some websites. Mangrove swamps are found on both sides of the Dinding River and this is home to many species of wildlife. Another attraction to the village is its food. Changkat Keruing s chinese (FuZhou0 residents are known for cooking their FuZhou specialities such as Dan Yan ( 蛋燕 ), Go Ru, Fuzhou meatballs ( 福州肉丸 ), and Red wine chicken vermicelli ( 红酒鸡面线 ). Every year around April or March, the Fuk Sheng Temple will celebrate the birthday of the temple deity, Dua Pek Kong ( 大伯公福德正神千秋寶誕 ). The village s slow pace of life in a scenic environment sounds ideal but it nevertheless faces a few problems: sound pollution caused by the swiflet/birds nest farms and road safety issues. 1

3 Roundabout in Changkat Keruing 2

4 INTRODUCTION Signage of Changkat Keruing Changkat Keruing is a small town in Manjung district, Perak, Malaysia. It is a small village with a very small population. It is 111 miles (178km) North West of Kuala Lumpur and 305 miles (492km) North West of Singapore.This small village is located between Ayer Tawar (20 km away) and Pantai Remis (14 km away). It is also close to Pulau Pangkor which is an island off the coast of Perak. The small towns and villages near Kampong Changkat Keruing include Kampong Beting Luas, Kampong Bagan Serai and Serai. The closest major towns and cities include Ipoh, Taiping, Bukit Mertajam and Sungai Petani. Although Kampung Changkat Keruing is a small town, there are airpots located not far from the village, e.g. Sitiawan Airport and Pangkor Airport. The scenic beauty of this village is recognized by the fact that it was awarded The Most Beautiful Village in a nationwide contest in the 1990 s. The Dinding Rriver which passes through this village contributes to its scenic beauty.. The majority of villagers are Chinese from the FuZhou dialect group. 3

5 ECONOMY The main sources of income for Changkat Keruing villagers are as follows: a. Rubber Most of the residents were rubber tappers before the 1990s. However, many rubber estates and smallholdings have been replanted with oil palms to cash in on its better income yield. Therefore, many villagers now work in oil palm estates and smallholdings. A rubber tree is tapped for its latex b. Oil palm In recent years, oil plantations are more prevalent. The locals hire foreign workers to harvest the crops instead of doing it themselves as they used to decades ago. Many locals accumulated great wealth from harvesting and selling palm oil. The price of land around Changkat Keruing has increased more than ten-fold since

6 Sime Darby plantations in Changkat Keruing c. Fish and prawn farming Dinding River is an ideal location for villagers to build fish and prawn farms. Villagers have cashed in on this and one can see many fish and prawn farms along the river. Prawn farms in the village 5

7 d. Bird's Nest Besides, the residents also invest in the Bird's Nest market. They do it by constructing three storey high buildings or building structures which resemble the birds natural nesting caves on top of existing buildings. Swiftlets are attracted to these buildings through piped in sounds of other birds in these buildings. The owners then collect the half digested food/mucus which the birds throw up as this is considered a delicacy with health benefits. Bird s nest building Besides the main sources of income, villagers are also employed in the local bank (Agro Bank), petrol station, a few sundry shops and restaurants. Some villagers grow mangoes, papayas and coconuts to supplement their income. There is a traditional morning market which sells daily necessities. 6

8 A wet market in the village A small petrol kiosk in the village 7

9 RELIGIOUS PRACTICES Every year around April or March, the Fuk Sheng Temple will celebrate the birthday of its deity, Dua Pek Kong ( 大伯公福德正神千秋寶誕 ). During the celebration, shamans from different temples will pierce their faces with iron skewers as they join a procession through the streets. According to the Chairman of the temple committee, this event was started many years ago. Although it was not organized for several years, this festival was started again 4 years ago. This event is to pray for the safety of the villagers, good weather and a successful career for residents. At the same time, villagers and visitors are reminded of its cultural heritage. Shamans pierce their faces with iron skewers 8

10 Residents join the procession 9

11 EDUCATION There is a Chinese primary school in the village, SJK Khuen Hean. When this school was established in 1932, it had only 17 students. The mission of SJK Khuen Hean is Developing individual potential through high quality education. As Changkat Keruing does not have a secondary school, village children have to travel to Ayer Tawar or Pantai Remis for their secondary school education. The primary school in the village A Methodist kindergarten in the village 10

12 TOURISM VALUE Changkat Keruing has many selling points as a tourist destination. First, its beautiful scenery is well recognized. Besides contributing to the village s serene beauty, Dinding River provides many ideal spots for fishing enthusiasts who can bring along their fishing tackle for a day of relaxation and fishing. Furthermore, Changkat Keruing provides a natural backdrop which avid photographers would appreciate. A mermaid statue at the village river Dinding River is the major river in Majung district in Perak. There are mangrove swamps on both sides of the river. If you were lucky enough, you can spot some wild animals among the mangrove trees. There is a variety of birds, snakes, crabs, etc. in this area. 11

13 . River flowing through the village A small hut 醉梦亭 at the river relax. Changkat Keruing is certainly a place for stressed city folks to unwind and 12

14 River in Changkat keruing Bench along the riverbank A temple ( 福聖宮 ) in the village 13

15 Traditional wooden houses An archway leading to Dinding River 14

16 LOCAL CUISINE Villagers of Changkat Keruing normally eat noodle dishes for their breakfast. For example, noodles in braised soup ( 卤面 ),squid noodles ( 鱿鱼面 ), Curry noodles and shrimp noodles. Squid noodles ( 鱿鱼面 ) Noodles in braised soup ( 卤面 ) 15

17 Curry noodles Shrimp Noodles There a few unique dishers served here. This includes the danyan ( 蛋燕 ), Go Ru, and Fuzhou meatballs. As the majority of the population is from the Fuzhou dialect group ( 福州 ), the delicacies found in this town are heavily 16

18 influenced by Fuzhou culture. For example, red wine chicken vermicelli ( 红酒鸡 面线 ), a dish unique to Fuzhou, is often prepared by the locals, especially during special occasions like birthdays. A type of noodle Dan Yan ( 蛋燕 ) 17

19 A type of FuZhos Delicacy (Go Ru) Fuzhou meatballs dish ( 福州肉丸 ) 18

20 Red wine chicken vermicelli ( 红酒鸡面线 ) Villagers also prepare other popular Malaysian dishes such as Assam Laksa,and Nasi Lemak. The spicy local dishes are often complemented with cold desserts such as Ais Kacang, sweetened ice balls and fruit juices. Asam laksa dish 19

21 Nasi Lemak Ais Kacang 20

22 ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES There are many opportunities for investment in prawn and fish farming along Dinding River. Dinding River The flocks of swiflets in this area, makes further investments in birds nest farming a profitable venture.. 21

23 A building for birds nest farming 22

24 PROBLEMS The main problems faced by villagers are listed below 1. Road Safety Motorcyclists often do not wear helmets It is common to see motorcyclists who do not wear helmets. This is a danger to them and yet there is no effort to enforce traffic regulations. 2. Sound pollution The swiftlet/birds nest farms need to be regulated. Currently, they attract swiftlets into the buildings by playing recordings of other birds in the building. Unfortunately, these bird calls are broadcast at high volume and this causes noise pollution in an otherwise peaceful village. 23

25 Bird s nest building 24

26 RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that campaigns are held by the authorities to educate motorcyclists on the importance of wearing helmets. There is also a need for the authorities to regulate the volume at which birds nest farms can broadcast bird calls. Changkat Keruing s natural beauty, local cuisine, religious festivals and other attractions should be publicized to attract tourists and visitors. Perhaps there is opportunity to develop home stay programs if the village s tourism value is recognized. DISCLAIMER: Information contained in this report was compiled by the University s students on voluntary basis. Although every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the report, the University accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any errors or omissions, if any, the University reserves the right to make changes on the information at any time without prior notice. Should there be any queries regarding contents of the report, please contact: Department of Soft Skills Competency Tel: ext 8274, 8656, 8269 (Klang Valley Campus) ext 2295/2297/2299/2300 (Perak Campus) 25