UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT REPORT NAME OF NEW VILLAGE: SUNGAI LALANG 双溪兰 KEDAH

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1 UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT REPORT NAME OF NEW VILLAGE: 双溪兰 KEDAH Project carried out by: Name of Student ID Course Year/Trimester 1. Ong Chong Aik 09AAB04783 Public Relations Y2S3 2. Yeoh Ching Song 09AAB05331 Public Relations Y2S3 DATE OF COMPLETION: APRIL

2 Summary This village is named after the long blades of grass called lalang which grows by the river (or sungai in Malay) that flows through the village. This student report will cover the rich cultural heritage of this village and highlight some challenges which need to be addressed to secure the long term survival of Sungai Lalang. 2

3 Introduction Sungai Lalang village is located in Kuala Muda district of Kedah. It is about 7 kilometers north of Sungai Petani and South of Bedong. This village covers hectares and has a population of about 2000 villagers. The Chinese and Malays form the vast majority of Sungai Lalang s population. Indians and other ethnic groups account for a very small proportion of villagers. Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism and Islam are the religions of the villagers, many of whom speak in the Chinese, Hokkien and Teochew dialects. Many young adults have out migrated to urban areas where they seek better job opportunities. As a result, the village s population is on the decline and there are several abandoned houses in Sungai Lalang. The main road in Sungai Lalang 3

4 Facilities Villagers have to travel to Sungai Petani if they need to go to a post office or a hospital. In case of fire, the nearest fire station is also at Sungai Petani. This situation causes great inconvenience and poses a danger during emergencies. However, villagers do has access to piped water supply. Flush toilets are installed in most homes and garbage collection, handled by the Sungai Petani Council, is carried out 2 to 3 times a week. Most villagers use mobile phones and internet and network access is stable. The local police station, located at the entrance to this village, takes care of safety and security. Sungai Lalang, has a private kindergarten, 2 primary schools (Sungai Lalang, Chinese School and Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Lalang) and one secondary school (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Aman Jaya). Sungai Lalang s multipurpose hall, named Sungai Lalang Fok De Ci Hall, was built in There are badminton courts in this hall and this is frequently used by villagers. The hall is also available for rent as the venue for weddings and other events. 4

5 The Sungai Lalang police station The high school at Sungai Lalang: Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Aman Jaya The Sungai Lalang market Sungai Lalang has coffe shops, a market, grocery stalls and other small shops which are patronized main by villagers. Most villagers move around in their own motorcycles and cars as access to public transport is limited. Those who would like to 5

6 travel by bus to neighbouring towns have to catch the bus at the main road leading to the village The Sungai Lalang Fok De Ci Hall which was built in

7 Religion and Culture The major religions of the villagers of Sungai Lalang are Buddhism and Taoism. There is a historic Pek Kong Temple named Fok De Ci. This temple sits on a 3-hectare plot of land. According to the new village Head, Liao Mu Xing, this temple has about 80 years of history including the difficult times in World War II. After going through its first half century of vicissitudes and difficulties, this temple was finally expanded to the size it is today. The statue of this temple s deity comes from the centuries old Pek Kong Temple of Sungai Petani Old Street. There is a shrine in the middle of the hall where statue of Pek Kong is placed. There are also statues of legendary civil and military law enforcement messengers standing on the both sides of Pek Kong. The smaller shrines to the left and right of Pek Kong enshrine statues of the goddess of Zhu Sheng and the deity Tai Sui respectively. This temple is especially crowded with devotees during the following festivals: the birthday of Pek Kong and thanks giving in the third and twelfth lunar months respectively. Traditional Chinese opera or other performances are held at the temple grounds during such festivals. Many believe that Pek Kong blesses his devotees with prosperity in business. Another temple in Sungai Lalang, Sheng Wang Temple, was built at a cost of about RM38 million. The goddess of Sheng Wang was enshrined at the temple on 7 th August 2001 and inaugurated by the Minister of Housing and Local Government, Dato Seri Ong Ka Ting. The Chairman of the Council of Sheng Wang Temple, Yu Song Po said that, this temple which is situated opposite of the SJK (C) Chung Hwa is a subsidiary body of the local Pek Kong Temple. In the year 1995, the Council approved the construction of the Sheng Wang Temple. The Construction Committee was established in the year 2000 to plan and carry out the development project on the seventh lunar month every year, devotees throng to this temple for special prayers during the festival of the Hungry ghosts. Special performances are held at this time. Apart from Chinese Temples, Sungai Lalang also has a mosque for Muslims and a Hindu temple for Indians. As most chinese residents are from the Hokkien and Teochew dialect groups, the tradition of worshipping Tian Gong is practiced in this village. On the ninth day of first month in the chinese lunar calander, there is a bustle of activity as villagers celebrate the 7

8 Bai Tian Gong with special foods and prayer paraphernalia offered to Tian Gong. On the day after, families gather for festive meals. The main altar at the Fok De Ci Pek Gong Temple which has 80 years of history The exterior of Sheng Wang Temple which cost RM38 millions 8

9 The Sheng Wang Temple The shrine of the goddess of Sheng Wang 9

10 Sheng Wang Temple memorial plagues The Hindu temple at Sungai Lalang village 10

11 Offerings made during the Bai Tian Gong 11

12 Economy Activities There is a tobacco factory in this village. The proprietor s son, Kenny, said that this factory was inherited from his grandfather, and it has gone through three generations. The scale of this tobacco factory is not very large and it caters to the local market only. Nevertheless, this business faces competition from different brands of cigarettes and counterfeit cigarettes in the market, as well as other challenges. There are grocery shops, coffee shops and other small businesses in Sungai Lalang but most of these are operated by middle-age adults or the elderly. Some shops sell noodles and pastry and local eateries are often used as places to meet up and socialize. Unfortunately, many young adults have migrated to urban areas as they look for better job opportunities there. Employees of tobacco factory are drying tobacco in the sun 12

13 Packaging process of dried and processed tobacco This blackboard records operational details in the factory. It has been used for 3 generations. 13

14 Problems The main problem faced by Sungai Lalang village is the outmigration of youths and consequent decline in population. Basically, many young adults look for better work opportunities in the cities. As a result, there are several abandoned houses in the village. The absence of a post office is a challenge for villagers who have to travel to the nearest post office in Sungai Petani. The frequency of garbage collection is not adequate. This leads to accumulation of garbage in the village which proves a health hazard. The village playground is poorly maintained. This unkempt area drives villagers away and one rarely sees any children at the playground. Abandoned houses in the village Accumulation of garbage outside Sheng Wang Temple 14

15 Poorly maintained playground bushed and tall grass in this area need to be cut 15

16 Suggestions It suggested that a small post office or mobile postal service centre to be set up in Sungai Lalang. This would make it much easier for villagers who want to send letters or packages or those who wish to pay utility bills. The village Head could appeal to the local Council to spruce up the playground and to increase the frequency of garbage collection. Conclusion For the past 60 years, new villages in Malaysia have contributed to the country s economy. However, if new employment, business or investment opportunities are not injected into these villages, the outmigration of young adults will continue. There is urgent need to address this issue so that new villages can be brought back to the mainstream of our national economy. 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 2297/2299/2300 (Perak Campus) 16