UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT REPORT NAME OF NEW VILLAGE: TRONG 隆 PERAK Project carried out by: Name ID Number Course Year /Semester 1. Kok Chee Chun 1204775 Actuarial Science Y1S1 2. Leong Chang Hong 1204080 Computer Science Y1S1 3. Lam Zi Yinn 1203752 Quantity Surveying Y1S1 DATE OF COMPLETION: FEBRUARY 2013
ABSTRACT Trong New Village is one of the Chinese New Villages established during the Malayan Emergency. Trong is located 15 km away from Taiping, Perak. Agriculture farming and stockbreeding are the main economic activities. There are small plantations owned by villagers. Domestic animals like chickens and ducks are reared by some of the villagers. The main concerns of the villagers are air pollution, limited facilities and its aging population. 1
HISTORY Trong is a small town which is located between Changkat Jering and Pantai Remis and is about 15km away from Taiping. There is a small new village located in Trong, which is named Trong New Village. This new village was established in 1952 and it is one of the 450 Chinese New Villages created during the Malayan Emergency. New villages are settlements created during the waning days of British rule over Malaya in the mid-1950s. The original purpose of the New Villages in Malaysia was to segregate the villagers from the early Malayan Races Liberation Army insurgents, which were led by the Malayan Communist Party, during the Malayan Emergency. This plan aimed to defeat the communists, who were operating out of rural areas as a guerrilla army, primarily by cutting them off from their sources of support. There were tin mines in the village. However, they only existed until 1980. Tin mining led to the growth and prosperity of the village. A signage to Terong 2
INTRODUCTION Recently, Trong New Village has a population of less than 100 residents consisting of Chinese and Indian families who live in about 50 houses. The village is a small village dominated by Hokkien Chinese people, the majority of whom are senior citizens. The houses are arranged in linear sequences along the roads. Most of the houses are very old-fashioned and made up of wood or brick. Most of the shops are located in the centre of the village and the village is surrounded by rubber and oil palm plantations. This village is known for its beautiful waterfall which is also a source of water supply. The population of Trong New Village has declined sharply compared to the year it was established. This is because the younger generation has moved to cities to search for better employment opportunities. 3
ECONOMICS ACTIVITIES The main source of income for residents of Trong New Village is agriculture because this village is surrounded by rubber and oil palm plantations. Some of the areas are also being used to plant fruit trees such as guava and dragon fruit. Oil palm trees close to the village Furthermore, there are some villagers who rear livestock such as chickens and ducks. Besides, there is a huge duck farm located in Trong. However, the ducks are not for domestic or private use, but are transported to other countries. In addition, some of the villagers also carry out small businesses such as coffee shops and food stalls. 4
Duck farm in the village A Coffee shop in the village There is a charcoal factory close to Trong New Village. Due to its location just beside the sea, this village has many mangrove trees which can be used to produce charcoal. Some villagers also work as fishermen, who catch mainly small 5
fish and crabs. Besides, there are special buildings which are constructed specifically for the swallows. Swallows nest in these buildings and produce bird nests which the villagers sell. These bird nests are actually dried digested food which are thrown up by the birds. They are a Chinese delicacy. Big furnaces in charcoal factory Villagers face the problem of limited employment opportunities. As a result, most of the younger generation has migrated to the cities to search for employment. The village now faces the problem of an aging population. Many of the elderly who live in the village rear domestic animals or grow vegetables mainly for their own consumption. 6
SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICE In Trong new village, most of the villagers are Chinese. Most of them are Fujian ( 福建 ) people. The main religion in Trong village is the Taoism. Villagers of Trong celebrate several festivals such as Moon cake Festival, Chinese New Year festival, Winter Festival, and Deity s Birthday ( 晨诞 ). There is only one temple in the village which is Temple of Haw Lin Kiong ( 檺林宫 ). Every year, the villagers will celebrate the deity s birthday. This temple has a long history and strong incense fame. This temple s deity is well known among the Chinese in Malaysia and Taiwan. A plaque bearing the name of Haw Lin Kiong at the temple There is also a temple of Na Tuk Kong at Kuala Trong which is close to the village. To most Malaysian Chinese, the Na Tuk Kong (Hokkien: Da Tok Kong) is a local guardian spirit that resides in trees, ant hills, caves, riversides and in strange stone formations. Na Tuk Kong worship usually begins after a person is granted vision of the Na Tok's spiritual form. 7
Na Tuk Kong Temple 8
EDUCATION Due to the small population of Trong New Village, it has only one Chinese primary school which is SRJK(C) Siu Sin. The school is located very close to the main road which runs through this village. According to the principle of the school, SRJK(C) Siu Sin was established about a century ago. During the 1960s, the number of students in this school reached its peak at about 300 students SRJK(C) Siu Sin in the village Currently, SRJK(C) Siu Sin has a total of 32 students from standard one to standard six. 17 students are Chinese and another 15 are Malays. This Chinese school has provided a conducive environment for studies. The school is located on a big piece of land and it has sufficient facilities for students such as library, science lab and adequate classrooms. 9
Science lab in SRJK(C) Siu Sin The central location of this school means that most of the student walk or cycle to school. Besides SRJK (C) Siu Sin, there is a bigger primary school (SK Toh Johan) and a newly-built secondary school (SMK Toh Johan) close to the village. A primary school (SK Toh Johan) nearby the village 10
A secondary school (SMK Toh Johan) nearby the village 11
PROBLEMS There are several problems faced by the residents of Trong New Village. One of the major problems is it s the slow economic growth. The villagers focus on agricultural activities. However, many vegetable and fruit farmers find it difficult to cultivate their crops due to insufficient land resources. Most of the land is utilized for oil palm plantations or remain as uncleared forest. The charcoal factories are the only factories in the village. The villagers also suffer from the odour pollution due to the strong, persistent, unpleasant smell originating from the livestock faecal contamination. It is further worsened by the improper sewage treatment as there is no effective sewage system in the village. Another problem for Trong villagers is its aging population. In the 21 st century, there are many residents from younger generation who have moved to urban areas. This is because many have achieved higher education levels and they migrate to urban areas in search of better employment opportunities and higher income. Furthermore, the villagers also face problems resulting from the limited infrastructure in this village. This village does not have any hospital, shopping mall, fire station, bank and other facilities. Residents have to travel to Taiping for their daily necessities. Villagers, many of whom are elderly, have to travel quite a distance to consult a doctor. This is a source of great inconvenience for many villagers. 12
RECOMMENDATIONS A brand new Swiftlet Eco Park project has been approved by the Local Council. Right now the biggest task is to get developers and enough buyers to kick start the project. Besides that, air/odour pollution in the village should be highlighted by the residents of village to Majlis Perbandaran Taiping (MPT). The council should improve the sewage disposal system and assign officers to check and deal with the disposal of wastes from livestock. Furthermore, Majlis Perbandaran Taiping (MPT) needs to pay attention to the limited facilities in the village. The Council should look into ways of improving access to healthcare, emergency services such as fire stations and financial services. The aging population threatens the long term survival of this village. The development of industries near this village is perhaps one way of attracting the younger generation back to this village. 13
TOURISM VALUE The small village of Trong is located about 16 km south of Taiping on the road to Beruas. About midway along this road, there is a path leading to the The Trong Falls. The condition of this road is reasonable. The Trong Falls is a very attractive waterfall, almost vertical, and with a huge pool at its base. It is very suitable for swimming and bathing. The fall is so powerful that a perpetual mist is formed above the pool. There are no places for camping due to its location in the ravine. There is a 1 to 1.5 hour trail from the parking area to the Upper Trong Fall. A signage of water treatment plant There is no sign board for the water fall itself, but there is a sign for the water treatment plant. 14
Staircase leading towards the water fall. Water fall in the village 15
The beautiful water fall in the village Another tourism destination is Seratak Porch Resort which is located in Kuala Trong just 30 minutes away from Taiping town and only 5 minutes from Trong town. This place has a tranquil environment and visitors can enjoy its beautiful panorama of the mangrove swamp. There are many facilities at this resort including boats for fishing and sightseeing around the island Trong, areas for camping and fishing around the resort. 16
Jetty in Seratak Anjung resort Boats in Seratak Anjung resort jetty 17
Boats in Seratak Anjung resort Seratak Anjung resort 18
A restaurant in Seratak Anjung resort 19
ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Tourism can be developed in this village as there are many attractions nearby such as The Trong Falls and Seratak Anjung Resort. Tourism destinations such as Taiping Zoo and Taiping War Cemetery also attract many tourists to visit Taiping. This creates entrepreneurial opportunities for Trong villagers. For example, villagers can open restaurants or food stalls to cater to the demand of tourists. Villagers may also invest in the hospitality industry. Indeed, this could help to develop the village and increase the income levels of villagers. Thus, the tourism and hospitality industries are entrepreneurial opportunities in the village. The Trong falls Besides that, a brand new Swiftlet Eco Park project was finally approved by the Local Council two years ago. There are not many Eco farm projects that are sanctioned by the local authorities or state. Many believe that swiftlet farming is the 20
best long-term investment and consider Swiftlet Eco Park as an opportunity to bring in millions of ringgit to the village. Proposed Swiflet Eco Park project Furthermore, a charcoal factory which was set up many years ago at Kuala Trong can be improved to provide more employment opportunities to the villagers. The factory provides a stable income for many villagers who also work as fisherman. 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: 03-79582628 ext 8274/8656/8269 (Klang Valley Campus) 05-4688888 ext 2295/2297/2299/2300 (Perak Campus) 21