UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT REPORT NAME OF NEW VILLAGE: KUALA GERIS 瓜拉哥里斯 KELANTAN

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1 UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT REPORT NAME OF NEW VILLAGE: KUALA GERIS 瓜拉哥里斯 KELANTAN Project carried out by: Student Name ID Number Course Year / Semester 1. Ng Yee Chien 13AHF03457 Foundation in Arts Y1S2 2. Tong Pui Yee 13AHF03740 Foundation in Arts Y1S21 DATE OF COMPLETION AUGUST 2013

2 ABSTRACT Kuala Gris was established in It is located in the district of Kuala Krai Selatan in the state of Kelantan. Kuala Krai is the town closest to this village. The main source of income in this village is rubber tapping in the rubber estates and smallholdings. 1

3 INTRODUCTION Kuala Gris, Kelantan is a small village located in the district of Kuala Krai Selatan in the state of Kelantan. The nearest village is Dabong. The headman of Kuala Gris is Encik Leiahs. Before the period of emergency in Malaya, Kuala Gris existed as a small village. Its population increased over the years and its current population is approximately Although some of the younger generation prefer to migrate to cities to seek better employment opportunities, the majority choose to stay at Kuala Gris to continue their parents work as a rubber tappers. Rubber is soaked in the river before it is sold Kuala Gris is divided into two parts: Kuala Gris Lama and Kuala Gris Baru. Since Kuala Gris Lama is near to the Kelantan River, it is always flooded at the end of the year. The government addressed this problem by building and moving the villagers to Kuala Gris Baru in the 1980 s. While villagers no longer live in Kuala Gris Lama, they nevertheless use this area as a route to the river and they continue to use the old graveyard. 2

4 The route to Kuala Gris Lama Sungai Kelantan 3

5 ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES The main source of income in Kuala Gris is rubber tapping. This village is surrounded by rubber estates and smallholdings. Rubber estate in front of Kuala Gris Besides rubber tapping, the villagers also operate small businesses. Some villagers also rear cows, goat, and chickens to supplement their income. About 35% of villagers are employed as rubber tappers, while another 35% rear animals. A small minority work in construction, wholesale, retail and services sector. 4

6 Small business in front of the railway station Stalls located at the roadside 5

7 Stalls located at the roadside Goats reared by the villagers 6

8 Chickens reared by the villagers 7

9 SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES Kuala Gris has a population consisting of 100% Malay villagers. Because of the composition of its population, the main language spoken is Malay and the religion practiced in this village is Islam. Kuala Gris has a mosque where villagers pray every Friday. The local organizations in this village are Desa Wawasan, Rukun Tetangga, Persatuan Belia and Persatuan Pemuda &Wanita. Desa Wawasan oversees projects in the village. The main festivals held in the village are the Muslim festivals of Hari Raya Haji and Hari Raya Aidilfitri. During Hari Raya Haji, the men in the village perform prayers at the mosque and sacrifice goat or cows which are slaughtered and served to the community. Menstruating women do not participate in the formal prayer, but should be present to witness the gathering of the Muslims. Hari Raya Aidilfitri is held after 29 or 30 days of fasting. During this festival villagers visit their family and friends. Sweets and traditional desserts are served to visitors. The villagers also use perfume, wear new clothes, and exchange gifts with each other. Sometimes, musical performances are held. 8

10 Mosque in the village A typical house in the village 9

11 EDUCATION Kuala Gris has a kindergarten and a primary school. This village does not have any secondary school, college or university. After completion of their primary school education, the children have to travel to the nearby village, Dabong, to further their studies. Tabika Sri Anggerik is the kindergarten in Kuala Gris. It has a conducive environment for the education of young children. The primary school, Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Gris was established in the year There are 500 students and about 30 teachers. The old primary school was established in the year 1950, but it was closed because of floods. 10

12 Kindergarten-Tabika Sri Anggerik Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Gris 11

13 INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES Klinik Desa Kuala Gris is a clinic which provides medical care for the villagers. This village does not have any public or private hospital. Other facilities in the village include a public library, a playground, a train station, telephone booth, a community hall, a mosque, a playing field, a market, small stalls and some shops. The children in the village play football at the field in the evening. The Jahitan Kemas is a place for villagers to learn sewing and cooking. In the past, villagers travelled by boat to neighbouring villages. After the main road was constructed in 1984, many villagers travel by motorcycle to nearby villages such as Dabong while some villagers use the train. However, there are still villagers who prefer to travel by boat. Kuala Gris does not have a fire station or a police station. Instead, they rely on safety and security services in Dabong. Villagers take turns to patrol the village at night and they have managed to keep crime rate very low. Residents in Kuala Gris have access to piped water supply and electricity. Internet access is available at the public library, schools and mosque. Roads in the village are generally well maintained. Klinik Desa in Kuala Gris 12

14 Public library in the village Playground in the village 13

15 Playing field and telephone booth Community hall in the village 14

16 Jahitan Kemas Railway track at Kuala Gris 15

17 Train station in the village Playing field in the old village 16

18 Guard house in the village Villagers use boats to travel to other villages 17

19 PROBLEM One major problem in the village is the absence of a secondary school. Village children have to travel to nearby villages and towns to further their studies. This is an inconvenience for the children and their parents. Besides, this situation could lead to an out-migration of youths and, eventually, a decline in Kuala Gris population. Another problem is the absence of a fire station and facilities to deal with a fire outbreak in the village. Medical facilities are also limited. This poses a danger for all villagers during an emergency. 18

20 RECOMMENDATIONS Perhaps emergency transport should be made available so that villagers can be easily transported to nearby hospitals during emergencies. Although the village population is small, the authorities should consider setting up a small secondary school. An alternative is to improve public transport for students to travel to nearby villages. 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) 19