Wednesday, May 14, 2008

New variant of rare flower found in Camerons

New variant of rare flower found in Camerons
By Christina Koh
Wednesday May 14, 2008


CAMERON HIGHLANDS: It is a plant with an awful stench but its beauty is enough to stop nature-lovers in their tracks.

The Amorphophallus bufo, a rare species found in tropical and sub-tropical areas, sparked interest when news of its discovery here broke last year.

<br />Unusual bloom: Madi posing with one of the reddish flowers in the jungles of Gunung Jasar, Tanah Rata, in an undated handout photo.
Unusual bloom: Madi posing with one of the reddish flowers in the jungles of Gunung Jasar, Tanah Rata, in an undated handout photo.




But there is fresh excitement now with the sighting of a new variant with reddish and pinkish flowers.

Local environmentalist and orchid enthusiast Embi Abdullah, 60, said he and his friend N. Madi were trekking when they spotted the reddish bloom in the jungles of Gunung Jasar, Tanah Rata, here.

Most Amorphophallus bufo flowers were brown with white spots, he said.

Within just a week, Embi and several others came across a colony of more than 10 of the plants, five of them in bloom.

“You only get to see these flowers once every five or six years,” Embi said in Brinchang here.

He added that the highlands Amorphophallus bufo, measuring about 1.5m in height, was unusually tall and dwarfed other Amorphophallus species.

“The Amorphophallus is also a plant found in warmer lowlands, so the Cameron Highlands species is even more unique,” he added.

Embi said a group of them planned to approach the district officer or the state forestry department with a proposal to set up an Amorphophallus conservatory.

“The Amorphophallus might have some medicinal value and the conservatory could be used for research and maybe tourism purposes.

“In India, the tuber of one Amorphophallus species has even been used as food,” he added.

The group also hoped to consult fellow environmentalist Datuk Seri Lim Chong Keat, who recently led a group of scientists in finding another variety of the plant during a Forest Research Institute of Malaysia expedition.--The Star.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Pahang to have two more food production and consolidation centres

Pahang to have two more food production and consolidation centres
By Simon Khoo
Monday May 12, 2008


KUANTAN: Malaysian Agrifood Corporation Bhd (MAFC), Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s wholly-owned food supply chain subsidiary, will build two more integrated food production and consolidation centres in Pahang.

To be located at Bertam Valley in the Cameron Highlands and Lanchang, the centres are among the 19 consolidation, processing and packaging centres and consolidation marketing centres planned under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER).

They will join MAFC’s existing facility in Bukit Raja in the Cameron Highlands.

Fresh: Malaysian Agrifood Corporation Berhad's papaya crop at its Lanchang food supply centre.
Fresh: Malaysian Agrifood Corporation Berhad's papaya crop at its Lanchang food supply centre.



The three food centres will collect, consolidate, process, sort, grade, package and distribute food produce for better safety, quality and sustainability.

MAFC chief executive officer Azizi Meor Ngah said with the establishment of the centres, it aimed to transform the nation’s food supply chain management and distribution to ensure that the industry is well positioned to succeed in key markets.

“The food supply hubs will provide us with an efficient platform to manage our business as well as ensure reliable and timely delivery of fresh produce to customers,” he said.

“The value-added centres will operate in compliance with food safety standards such as Malaysia Farm Accreditation Scheme, the Hazards Analysis Critical Control Point and Global GAP,” he added.

Azizi said the main focus now was to revitalise the agri-food sector through an integrated value-added programme that would give priority to maintaining a sustainable balance between commercial agriculture and social objectives.

“Our business strategy is to build an efficient fresh produce supply chain pipeline so that our consumers get to enjoy safe and quality food for healthier lives,” he explained.

“By working in collaboration with government agencies and industry players to develop a comprehensive supply chain management system, we seek to guarantee year round supply, fixed season prices, unbroken cold chain integrity, timely deliveries, fair trade terms and promotional input, as well as meet quality specifications.”

Currently, MAFC is focused on crops in demand, such as capsicum and tomatoes, lettuce, cabbages and other leafy vegetables, chillies as well as such fruits as papaya, pineapple, melons and star fruit.

Malaysia exports more than 70,000 tonnes of vegetables worth some RM190mil annually, the bulk coming from the country’s green bowls of Johor and Cameron Highlands.

Statistics in 2005 showed the agriculture sector accounted for about 16% of the ECER’s gross domestic product and 22.9% of employment. -- The Star News.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Cool Highlands Getaways in Malaysia

Cool getaways
by Faridah Begum
Sunday May 11, 2008


Gunung Tahan, Pahang

Gunung Tahan

Nestled within the National Park, the highest mountain in the peninsula offers the toughest trek to its peak, a journey to be undertaken only by the tough and strong-willed. It takes seven days to do a return trip on the classic Kuala Tahan trail while the other trails are through Merapoh and via the Kelantan entrance to the national park.

Gunung Ledang or Mount Ophir, Johor

Gunung Ledang

One of the most frequently climbed mountains and with the highest fatalities in the Southeast Asia, Gunung Ledang has clearly marked trails leading to the peak and mesmerizing waterfalls along the way. It is a place shrouded in mystical legends and folklore. There is a very nice resort at the base of the mountain for those wanting to stay overnight.

Mount Stong State Park, Kelantan

Mount Stong State Park

One of the main attractions at the park is Gunung Stong (1,422m), a dome-shaped granite complex more than 500 million years old. Here, the seven-tiered Stong Waterfalls, reputed to be the highest in Southeast Asia, drops from a height of about 990m. Reaching the peak of the falls takes two hours of trekking for about one kilometer on steep inclines.

Kinabalu Mountain, Sabah

Established as a national park in 1964, Kinabalu Park was designated as Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 2000. The park is said to be a rich biological site where a great number of flora and fauna found in the four climate zones flourish. The park is also home to many species of orchids and carnivorous plants.

Cameron Highlands, Pahang

Cameron Highlands

Tucked away amidst the clouds at 1,829m above sea level is Pahang’s premier hill resort, Cameron Highlands. The area is regarded as the ‘Green Bowl’ of the country, supplying its produce to major cities in Malaysia, as well as to Singapore. The cool and fresh air in the highlands offers an attractive retreat for city dwellers. One of its attractions is a time tunnel near Brinchang where old photographs can be viewed.

Mount Jerai, Kedah

Believe it or not, this mountain straddling the border between Kuala Muda and Yan in Kedah was once an island known as Pulau Serai. The country’s richest archaeological site, Bujang Valley, is located in the southern face of this mountain.

Bukit Larut, Perak

Bukit Larut, Perak

Located approximately 9km from Taiping, Bukit Larut or Maxwell Hill (Malaysia’s oldest and smallest hill resort) stands at 1,035m above sea level. Accessible only by government-owned four-wheel-drive vehicles, the road up twists and turns through tropical virgin jungle with the fresh green fragrance and cool air greeting you as you ascend.

Fraser’s Hill, Pahang

Fraser’s Hill derives its name from one of the more colorful characters in colonial history, James Louis Fraser, an

adventurer and fortune hunter, whose disappearance remains a mystery to this day. Rising 1,524m above sea level, the hill exudes a quiet rustic air, more in keeping with the solitude of an English countryside.

Penang Hill, Penang

Penang Hill

Popular with foreigners and locals, the railway service, which started in 1923, is still a top attraction for those who want to chug along the beautiful hill. There is a resort atop the hill for those who want to savour a bird’s eye view of Penang island and take in the splendour and beauty of this place.

Bukit Tinggi, Pahang

Bukit Tinggi, Colmar Tropicale, Pahang.

Now known as Berjaya Hills, this holiday destination is just over an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur. Its latest attraction, Colmar Tropicale, a replica of a collection of buildings from a 16th century French village, is often used as a movie set and the venue for corporate family day gatherings. -- Sunday Metro.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Courses for cabbies to guide tourists

Courses for cabbies to guide tourists
By Nik Naizi Husin
Tuesday May 6, 2008


TEMERLOH: As frontliners in the tourism industry, taxi drivers must increase their knowledge on tourism products apart from learning English for their jobs.

Pahang Tourism Action Council general manager Idrus Yahya said it would be disappointing for foreign tourists to take rides around town without learning much about the destinations if taxi drivers don't know about the localities.

“When we visit other countries, we are glad when taxi drivers are helpful enough to show us interesting places and provide historical information,” Idrus said after opening a one-day course on tourism products for 85 taxi drivers from Kuantan, Temerloh and Bera districts here on Friday.

Idrus said the council conducted the courses in stages.

Soon, the council would hold similar courses for taxi drivers in Bentong, Raub, Lipis and Cameron Highlands, he added.

Idrus said the state had allocated and spent funds for the tourism sector to improve, upgrade and maintain their products.

He said the programmes were progressively implemented to create a better image for the products and increase number of visitors to the state.

Idrus said that RM64mil had been allocated for upgrading and maintaining 73 tourism projects in the state.

This includes RM4mil for the construction of parking lots in Cameron Highlands, RM20mil for upgrading and maintaining Bukit Fraser in Raub, RM5.7mil for Tasik Cini conservation work and maintenance of its research centre and RM2.6mil to improve homestay programmes.

Idrus said that Pahang would organise an eco-challenge and 4X4 expedition from Tasik Bera (in Bera district) to Tasik Cini (in Pekan district) in August to draw interest in the environment among tourists and boost Tasik Bera as a wetland conservation area. -- The Star News.