Step In Farm CH Vegetable Farm

Picking fresh vegetables
By Simon Khoo
Thursday November 11, 2010

VISITORS to Cameron Highlands in Pahang would probably end up plucking strawberries and tea leaves at the plantation and farms here.

But few are aware that there is a plantation along the foothill which offers visitors an opportunity to harvest fresh produce themselves.

Colourful: Some of the cactuses available for sale at the plantation.

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The farm, which is aptly named - Step In CH - is managed by farmer Lim Yoke Fan.

Tourism Pahang

Tourism in Pahang set to attract more visitors from Singapore
By Nik Naizi Husin
Monday November 8, 2010

SOME two million Singaporeans visited Pahang last year and the state has targeted an additional one milllion visitors from the island republic this year.

Pahang Tourism, Arts, Heritage, Women's and Family Development Committee chairman Datuk Shafik Fauzan Sharif said he is optimistic that the target would be achieved.

The state tourism agencies, he said, have played their role in promoting Pahang to the world and there would be more efforts from them to boost the industry.

Welcome dance: Traditional dancers from the State Secretary Office, Kuantan, performing the "ulek Mayang" dance to welcome the Singapore travel agents and operators

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Currently, Pahang's main attractions which including Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands, Bukit Fraser, Tioman Island, Taman Negara and National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah have been the catalysts for visitation from tourists all over the world.

Waste incinerator in Cameron Highlands

Not all welcome waste incinerator in Cameron Highlands
Tuesday November 2, 2010

FOR years, trash has been tipped over hill slopes at Cameron Highlands, marring the montane landscape and fouling up streams. Now, a waste incinerator has been built to deal with the waste. But not everyone welcomes the plant located on the existing dump in Kampung Raja.

They fear the health and environmental effects, as well as the project cost. Some say information on the project was not forthcoming.

“There was only one briefing for residents sometime in 2008. We had asked for more details then but no news came, and suddenly the plant was being built,” says Ramakrishnan Ramasamy, president of local NGO, Reach.

Suresh Kumar, branch secretary of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, says residents were only told of the positive effects of the incinerator – that there would be no smells and no polluting dump – but not of the risks of foul emissions. He says any possible pollution from the incinerator is especially of concern in Cameron Highlands because of the large farming areas.

Our lamentable track record in operating and maintaining trash incinerators further fuels anti-incinerator sentiments.

“Incinerators built previously were all abandoned due to the high cost of running them. They also had EIAs (Environmental Impact Assessment) then and still ended up as white elephants,” says Suresh.

A recycling scheme started by Reach three years ago has expanded to include five collection centres. Other vendors are also picking up recyclables. Hence, Ramasamy foresees a decline in trash volumes, which will ultimately affect the running of the incinerator. He says the Agricultural Department is also encouraging farmers to compost green waste.

“If all this (recycling and composting) have been given a chance and don’t work, then we can consider incineration. Incinerators should be the last choice,” says Ramasamy.--The StarNews

Hazardous Cameron Highland farms

Hazardous highland farms
By Simon Khoo
Tuesday November 2, 2010

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: It is estimated that half the vegetable farms here do not adhere to the standard chemical management practices as required under the law, said Occupation Safety and Health Department (DOSH) director-general Datuk Dr Johari Basri.

The conclusion was based on a field laboratory study conducted by Perak DOSH officers who randomly interviewed 45 farm workers in the highland, he added.

“During a basic occupational health check conducted in August, 46% of the respondents were found to experience backache, 16% suffer skin ailments and 8% have hearing problems.

“This is due to manual handling activities in the farms, exposure to hazardous chemicals and sound of heavy machinery.

“As such, our main aim now is to create an awareness on the need for farm operators to follow guidelines required by law,” he told The Star here.

Dr Johari said that under the Occupation Safety and Health Act 1994, action could be taken against the offenders for failing to comply with the requirements.

He said those found guilty could be fined up to RM50,000 or a maximum of three years’ jail, or both.

“We will not be too overzealous in enforcing the law as this is still something relatively new for farm operators.

“We want them to be aware of the need to follow these guidelines strictly before we start taking stern action in a year or two,” he said.

Dr Johari added that among the reasons given by farm operators for their failure to meet the regulations were lack of knowledge, communications barriers, costly protective equipments such as eye masks and respirators and that their farms were operating in a small scale.

He said several more studies would be conducted by his officers at other plantations in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak, padi farming in Sekinchan and also tea plantations here to compile more data. -- The Star News

Govt help local estate workers own houses

Govt allocates RM50mil to help local estate workers own houses
By Simon Khoo
Monday November 1, 2010

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The Government has allocated RM50mil to help local estate workers to own a house before they retired, Deputy Human Resources Minister Senator Datuk Maznah Mazlan said.

Maznah said the allocation was provided for under the 10th Malaysia Plan and would be managed by Bank Simpanan Nasional.

"Presently, many locals are staying in quarters provided by their employers while still under employment.