Turbineman's Log

A quiet sent off for Winsomjit

2012-02-01T00:34:00.001+08:00

Two change of job in a matter of 3 years bring my friend Winsomjit Singh
to a much better paying job and a more secured future,
my best wishes to you and i hope you will reach your goals in life.

A pose above at the Instep Training center at Batu Rakit,
so it's offshore life for you now
and this old Bukit Besi train wouldn't take you anywhere near your dreams.

But this old cadillac belonging to the late Sultan of Terengganu would probably take you somewhere.

A morning at Lubuk Temiang

2012-01-23T23:07:00.001+08:00

A quiet clear morning at Lubuk Temiang beach.

Kamunting's Wild Boar Temple.

2012-01-22T22:41:00.004+08:00

When temples elsewhere in India are famous for its monkey and rat
and tiger in Thailand,
we in Malaysia have ours too,
the Kamunting's Om Sakthi Sri Jada Muneesvaran Alayam Temple
famous for its wild boar by night and jungle fowl during the daytime
to add on to the Penang Snake Temple.

They are fed with sardine rice which is sold there
and visitors will normally rub their money on the body for good luck.

The young priest of the temple.

The volunteers who help control the boars
sort of boar control if not it will be mayhem.

It is not crowded on a weekday.

You don't simply call a pig lazy,
asleep only after being scratch with a stick.

As you can see the wild boar lives in the hill beside the temple
which is rapidly being developed,
in future we might not see these sight anymore,
it will become like the Snake Temple in Penang
which lost its surrounding jungles to development.

View Kamunting's Wild Boar Temple in a larger map

Tanjung Batu Revisit

2012-01-18T05:58:00.000+08:00

Revisiting the rocky beach of Tanjung Batu
in Bintulu.

Labuan GT2 shutdown crew

2012-01-14T13:15:00.012+08:00

A group photo of the shutdown crew of the GT2 major inspection
at SESB Patau-Patau Power Station in Labuan
consisting staff of TNB Remaco,SS Mega Sdn Bhd and Truth Bound Sdn Bhd.
(all except the group photo are taken with a phone camera)

The three musketeers.

Wong and Hazahar removing the GCV SRV .

Richard giving the signal.

This is what we called by hook or by crook,
since we don't have a hydraulic device on site.

and this is the crook to replace the hook.

Angkol,Jeffry and John removing the compressor stator blades.

Andros and his cabling works.

Michael Taka and his pile of scrapped cable.

A very busy Job Manager.

Jalai and Angkol drilling the shroud pin holes.

One man show,
Aniff doing the NDT of the IGV blades.

Rotor lifting.

Inlet casing.

Removing something from a tight spot.

Brand new Flender Load Gear Box.

Rotor guides for lifting and installation.

Bearing no 2 lifting tool.

Amazing rocks of Linsuk Beach

2012-01-10T16:27:00.002+08:00

This place is amazing as there are five rocks here which resembles animals
beginning with this one, the Crocodile Rock or what the local called 'Batu Buaya',
for a moment i thought i was in the zoo.

Best view at low tide.

even the road is named after the rock.

And as for this one,i would have to shout "Scooby-scooby Doo where are you"
and i wonder how Scooby-Doo a famous cartoon character from the seventies ended up here,
even a local old man laugh when i told him about it.

And here a Turtle seems to be talking to a Sea Gull.

The Sea Gull head.

What about this Monkey Rock further out there.

A local fishing boat.

A rock filled with oyster.

Probably one of the only place in Malaysia where you can find abundance of the giant clam shells.

Jetty of Sawangan Beach

2012-01-06T00:02:00.006+08:00

The 335 meters long jetty of Sawangan beach,
overlooking the Survivor island of Pulau Tiga,
one of the longest that i have been to in the country
is not far from the Kuala Penyu town and
it's mostly used by anglers for fishing all day long.

Part of the place is in need of some maintence,
some of the pillars are missing and roof almost blown away.

Some weird sky shots at the beach.

Clouds over Pulau Tiga.

An anchor in the sky.

Shots taken at dawn before the sunrise.

The Sawangan Beach Lodge
where Uncle Ejon and aunty Vicky will warmly welcome you.

The chalets.

Mel,the Chalet i stayed overnight,
with attap roofing.
I wonder what Mel stands for?

A beautiful art work by Aunty Vicky depicting Sawangan Beach with Pulau Tiga in front
done in 2007 before the jetty is build.

another piece made by sea shells.

View Jetty of Sawangan Beach in a larger map

I found love at Linsuk Beach

2012-01-01T14:20:00.010+08:00

A love shaped rock actually rather than the illusive true love in life,
carved by erosion, a true art work of nature and our mighty god
found after a few years combing the beaches of Malaysia.
This beautiful deserted and unknown beach at Kampung Linsuk
(not far from Sawangan in the Kuala Penyu district)
where the Bajaus who lives here in harmony with nature help
preserved the place in such a pristine state,
hopefully outsiders who dropped by will continue the tradition
by keeping the place clean.

My place of stay in Kuala Penyu is at the Sawangan Beach Lodge
about 1.5km from Linsuk beach.

Something which i might not find in a thousand years......

A platform probably build for fishing.

View Pantai Linsuk in a larger map

My Project- GE FR9, Bearing No:1 cover removal

2011-12-31T11:31:00.005+08:00

The removal of the bearing no:1 cover from the inside
is normally done for emergency purposes
like thrust bearing or thermocouple replacement
and as for the bearing replacement itself
it is not recommended unless the rotor can be secured properly
with another jig mounted onto the rotor at the coupling bolts area.
This internal removal process cut short the shutdown time by at least 5 days
now that the inlet elbow,inlet plenum,inlet aft wall and the inlet bell mouth
doesn't need to be removed.
(A post done on special request by my friend,Hj Nasir Zainal)

Pins and bolts of the bearing cover will have to be remove before the cover is jack up
with jack bolts aided by hydraulic jack and chain block
through the eye bolts on the front part of the cover.

Jack it up to the maximum possible which is around 7 inches.

Insert the rails in by securing the front of the cover by chain block and leaving the rear jack bolts alone.
Place the a pair of roller under the cover on each side,
somewhere in the middle and shim it up with wood..

Ah Sui welding the plate to secure the rails.

Install the support piece between the two rails
and as you can see the rails are supported by scaffolding pipe
at the outer end.

Make sure there is a plate to hold the both the rail to the bottom part of the bearing housing
as we don't want the rails to move along with the cover.

The bearing cover is now ready to be pull out and the loaded thrust shim might need to be burred if it obstruct,
another alternative is to place the cover at an angle as it comes out so that it can go past the shim.

As a safety measure always have the cover secured by chain blocks.

Kamal Mahat and Sardon checking the cover.

And as for cleaning the split line of the cover,
the rails need to be temporary removed.

You can see the loaded thrust shim after being burred.

The special tools needed for the job,
'C' channel as rail for the 2 pairs of roller,4 pcs long jack bolt,
2 pcs hydraulic jack,2 pcs 1.5 t chain block,
eyebolts,sling wires,nylon belts etc.

Sunset at Ranca-Ranca

2011-12-26T00:03:00.001+08:00

A sunset taken from the Ranca-Ranca Industrial Estate in Labuan,
the main revenue contributor for this small island
besides the Offshore Financial Services
and it's duty free status.

Three island in a row,
from right Kuraman,Rusukan Kecil and Rusukan Island.

Rusukan Kecil Island when view from here
looks like a corpse and is known as 'Pulau Mayat'
or Corpse Island by those who have seen it.

Dusk at the water outlet of Petronas Methanol 1.

View Rusukan Kecil Island in a larger map

Remembering Tsunami 2004

2011-12-22T01:20:00.002+08:00

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami which was caused by a magnitude 9.1~9.3
undersea earthquake took almost 300,000 lifes with Indonesia having the highest death,
followed by Sri Lanka,India and Thailand.
Malaysia recorded 68 death with Penang the hardest hit with 52 death
followed by 12 in Kedah,3 in Perak and 1 in Selangor.
A graffiti as a grim reminder of the tragedy at the coastal village of Kampung Masjid
on the dreaded day of 26 December 2004.
It is hope that with early warning system deployed
by the Malaysian Meteorological Department
loss of life in future mishaps will be minimized.

The Tsunami Monument at Kampung Sungai Muda made with boats damaged in the tragedy.

Beach front at Kampung Sungai Muda.

A hammock and stools lays waiting.

The damaged village have been fence up for the future generations to remember.

Meanwhile life goes on here after the villagers were relocated to a new homes further in land.
Scene of a night market gathering pace in the evening.

View Tsunami Monument of Kuala Sungai Muda in a larger map

Penang island suffered the most with 52 death
mostly picnickers and children playing on beaches.
At the idyllic Pasir Panjang beach of Balik Pulau,
Zulkifli Mohamad Noor lost 5 of his 7 children.

The Island of Pulau Betong.

The fishing village of Pulau Betong suffered damages too,
seen here is a newly constructed jetty.

Dusk at Lexis Port Dickson

2011-12-17T10:30:00.000+08:00

Some shots i took at dusk on a gloomy day at Lexis Port Dickson
formerly known as The Legend Water Chalets.

First payment from Nuffnang and Google AdSense

2011-12-14T21:51:00.000+08:00

Well!At last i cash out both my Nuffnang and Google AdSense
after almost 2 years of blogging,
not much compared to others but what the hack,
for me it's just a fun past time which almost became an obsession.
Thanks a lot to Nuffnang and Google AdSense for bringing
the advertising world to us.

Sunset to dusk at Patau-Patau Dua

2011-12-11T19:02:00.004+08:00

An evening at Kampung Air Patau-Patau Dua,
one of four traditional village on stilts in Labuan,
the others are Patau-Patau Satu,Ranca-Ranca
and Kampung Bebuloh Laut.
The villagers are mostly malay of Brunei descent
is said to have started the village in the 1930s.

Reflections of Labuan night skies.

Night view of Labuan Town through the plank walk of Patau-Patau 2.

No sign of the village here in this 1951 photo taken from an RAAF's unit,
it was probably at the bay nearby and could have shifted to the present location after reclamation works block off their access to the sea
or it could be too small to be seen by air then.

Kampung Patau-Patau Dua today( A Google Earth photo)

View Kampung Patau-Patau 2 in a larger map

Romancing the rocks of Tanjung Kubong Beach

2011-12-04T14:39:00.004+08:00

This pendant like piece of rock at Tanjung Kubong
sitting nicely on top of a row of smaller ones is a rare piece,
fit to have replicas made as souvenir of Labuan.

A fallen tree makes the day...

Natures steps to a higher level.

Sea caves in the making.

Collectors corner for this idyllic beach,
remember to recycle whatever bottle and plastic you have
or else it might end up here destroying natures beauty
and Ali's 'kelong' in the background.

A view from inside the sea caves of Kubung Bluff.

View Tanjung Kubong Beach in a larger map

Belaga, a splendor lost

2011-11-27T22:24:00.009+08:00

The interior town of Belaga about 165km by road from Bintulu
and 155km from Kapit by express boat if any still runs
seems to have lost it's past splendor no thanks to the Bakun Dam project
which cause the relocation of some 15,000 people
from 15 longhouse upstream of this town
to Sg Asap village but due to better road
and availability of jobs in nearby booming oil town of Bintulu
probably more than half have shifted there.
Building a road to Bakun Dam bypassing the town
was probably one of the biggest blunder done by the planners
and worse still leaving it without any excess road to the new road
except by the logging track.
Now with the impounding of the dam going on
express boats from Kapit have stopped running for almost a year
thus cutting off the cheapest means of transport to the outside world.
With Murum Dam on the way,life will not get better for folks here
unless a tarred road to outside world is build soon.

The locals complained off smelly river water which is probably cause by rotting vegetation in the dam.

The meeting point of Balui and Belaga river.

The gate into the timber road,the only access road to Belaga.

and the conditions of road usage.

The elevation profile of the road from Belaga to Bintulu.

Land clearing and open burning for the new paddy season
is the main cause for the haze
during my visit in August.

John Belarik checking his 4WD during one of our pitstop (in the bushes)
and it cost RM 50 for this dusty 4 hours ride from Bintulu
(~100km tarred road and 65km offroad),
not bad considering the hash conditions the vehicle have to endure.
His normal schedule:-
Belaga to Bintulu (7.30am)
Bintulu to Belaga (2.00pm)
waiting point is beside Li Hua Plaza.
contact no:
0198172738
0198167957

Floating fuel stations of Belaga.

The waters of the Batang Balui have receded to historical lows
since the impounding(filling) of Bakun dam started.

A welcome sign to the town.

The waiting area for the express boats at the jetty,
it have been almost a year wait for one to arrive
and i don't think they will in future
with boats not being able to get through
the Pelagus rapids,soon with Murum Dam up
we could probably walk across the river.

A helipad nearby the jetty.

The only bank in town and surprisingly they have free WIFI in the town area.

You can have a hotel for yourself only here
in Belaga.

This row of shop facing the river was once crowded with people
before they started building those dams.

Local favourite,'ayam sabong'(fighting cock) trying to protect his hut.

A rusty diesel engine block by the river banks.

Exhaust pipes at the local SESCO diesel power station,'kenyalang'(hornbill) styled.

A weather station in town,i hope they include flood water siren
now with 2 dams upstream life can be quite dangerous.

The landmark of the town, a hornbill on a totem pole
not a very good fungshui in this part of the world
considering the hornbill is normally used to decorate graves
while the totem pole or kelirieng is used as burial pole.

An evil looking cloud over the hills opposite the jetty,
someone told me of a burial ground on the hill.

A rare find in the interior,a malay village of Brunei decent,
whose descendants came to this trading post as spice traders
probably late in the 18th century.

The wooden bridge to the Kampung Melayu Belaga.

The local district office.

Belaga District Office

View Belaga in a larger map

Cloud over Meadow Park 2

2011-11-25T19:07:00.001+08:00

Some cloudy sky shots over Meadow Park 2
off Old Klang Road.

Night view from Kota Bridge

2011-11-18T20:34:00.031+08:00

Some night shots from the old Kota Bridge in Klang
which was first opened to traffic in 1957,the first double decker bridge in Malaysia.
View of Klang town with the added elegance of the new Bandar DiRaja Mosque.

Crescent beside the MPK building.

A KTM Commuter train passing by below.

A ride on the new Sg Koyan Ringlet Highway

2011-11-13T23:35:00.001+08:00

It was an interesting ride up to Cameron Highlands from Kuala Lumpur
via the new RM608 million, 79.1km Felda Sungai Koyan to Ringlet highway.
Interesting because the road up is so straight and no pitstop for vomiting, finally,
on a road which i considered to be the final lost link to a town
where the only excess road from Pahang are through Perak and Kelantan.
Cheqno will be very happy with this post
but sorry for the few photos taken as i was travelling in a convoy
and i only managed to make 3 short stops
on a beautiful road without a rest area,
not even a layby so every stop made is harardous to others.

A map of the new road and an elevation profile taken from fellow blogger Tabib of
Raub Mountain Bike Blog

The steep climb to Ringlet for Tabib on his bicycle.

A new Semai aboriginal settlement by the roadside.

An old aboriginal village

Road barriers removed for what?

My Deer crossing the road,
please slow down.

The Ulu Jelai Hydroelectric Project is also situated not far from this new highway,
a project which have been in the drawing book probably since the eighties
have finally been started together with the Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Project
due mainly to the global fuel problems and local gas curtailment.

Google maps have updates of only 3/4 of the journey.

View Sungai Koyan in a larger map

A morning at Batu Hitam beach.

2011-11-08T06:30:00.001+08:00

A morning at Batu Hitam Beach
which is about 11km from Kuantan
famous for its black rocks.
This is a post for fellow blogger Jeragang
after a few request and that he misses the beach so much.

A watch tower in the background.

A seat to enjoy the nice scenery.

Nostalgic shots of my mum on the same beach in 1957.

View Batu Hitam Beach in a larger map

My Antique corner

2011-11-02T12:14:00.001+08:00

Shifting to a new place gives me the opportunity
to finally display my antique collection
although it's not much of a collection,
i am still very happy with it
considering the small space that i have
and the pleasure of hunting and collecting it through the years.
I hope to get everything up for a second final post.

Some old pewter tea jug and storage.

Old telephone collection.

Old tools collection.

Old baby bottles.

Old carbonated drink bottles and cigarette cans.

Calculators.

Table clocks.

Steam engine model.

Old valves and transistors radio.

Power Plant machine emblem and thermometers.

A few old wall clock.

A 1941 map of Port Swettenham.

Map of Public electricity supplies of Federation of Malaya in 1957.

An evening at Tanjung Layang Layangan

2011-10-30T06:14:00.002+08:00

An evening at the rocky Tanjung Layang-layangan
in Labuan with an approaching storm ahead.

The mystical Lion Rock of Labuan.

as dusk approaches the sky turns blue.

Lubuk Temiang Revisit

2011-10-23T13:38:00.002+08:00

It is nice to be able to revisit a place again once a while,
especially if it's one that have a beautiful scenery like this one.
Lubuk Temiang Beach on Labuan island.
Earlier Visit

This large cloud mushrooming up is possibly from Klias Wetland on mainland Sabah.

A walk around Kuala Kubu Baru

2011-10-15T17:57:00.002+08:00

I went for an afternoon walk
around the quiet old town of Kuala Kubu Baru,
a place normally bypassed by those going up to Fraser's Hill.
I was on my way to the Selangor River Dam
on the old winding road to Fraser's Hill,Tras and Raub.
Looking back in time,this town was build after a big flood struck the old place
caused by a broken dam and now with the new Sungai Selangor Dam
even bigger and the highest in Malaysia.
I was wondering whether there are any safety features installed for the town
like flood level alarm or siren just in case
if there is any sudden big release of water from the dam
so as not to let history repeat itself.

Empty corridor of a deserted corner shop.

The old police station lays majestically on top of a small hill.

The old Fire station.

A colonial lion themed wind gauge,
lion is the symbol of the strength and courage
used by the British.

A small chimney for every shop here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Kubu_Bharu

View Kuala Kubu Baru in a larger map

Jetty of Kampung Telok Gong

2011-10-10T01:34:00.004+08:00

This well utilized Jetty at Kampung Telok Gong,Malacca
is nicely designed,build and contributed
by the owners of the Panglima Power Sdn Bhd
which runs a Combined Cycle Power Plant nearby,
a fine example of Corporate Social Responsibility at work.

The picturesque beach nearby

The jetty and the breakwaters offers berthing for the boats at all times
besides protection from strong currents during the south west monsoon.

The power plant.

View Telok Gong Jetty in a larger map

British WW2 Pillbox in Penang (part 1)

2011-10-03T21:15:00.002+08:00

Penang have quite a number of remnants from World War 2
leftover by the British and local too
which are located all over the island
and here are photos of some that i took.
We start off with these two British WW2 pillbox at Kampung Permatang Damar Laut
which is situated at the end of the Penang Airport runway.

Pillbox no:1 is beside a very nice jetty and is partly submerged.

And Pillbox no:2 is by the fence of the airport.

Linkin Park was here?

Scene of Tranquility at the fishing village.

A MAS plane landing.

View Permatang Damar Laut Pillboxes in a larger map

Wiki Malayan Campaign

Sunset at Pantai Purnama

2011-09-24T12:05:00.000+08:00

A sunset at Purnama Beach,Port Dickson.

Rays of hope beaming up at dusk.

A spider like tree stump awaits.

Swinging into the sunset.

When an Indonesian carpenter wants some coconut....

View Pantai Purnama in a larger map

Shattered dreams of Haroun Perancis

2011-09-17T16:50:00.007+08:00

This abandoned red bricks seaside chalet at Kuala Linggi
beside the almost forgoten Fort Supai is said to be a brain child of
Haroun Perancis a journalist cum political book writer
until his untimely death in 2007.
If will certainly boast a beautiful scenery and sunset
by the Linggi river mouth if fully completed.
Even in its abandoned state the place can still be an attraction
for shutterbugs and anglers just like
Kelly's Castle of Batu Gajah,Perak.

The place looks clean even after been abandoned for some years.

Over head walkway to connect the buildings.

'Guest' will just have to walk down the stairs for a dip into the waters.

A wall decorated with local laterite rocks and an altar like built in cabinet,
probably to be used as a pigeon hole for room keys.

Fallen trees decorates the nearby beaches.

Anglers as usual at any river mouth waiting for a bite.

View Abandoned chalet of Fort Suppai. in a larger map

18th National Day Souvenir copy

2011-09-11T10:04:00.005+08:00

Our Independence Day is one to be remembered
by all who live and dwell on this land we love so much.
Here is how Malaysians remember that big day in 1975
with a Souvenir Copy that i have been keeping for quite sometime.
It talk about our fight and struggle for independence
after 400 years being colonised on and off for our rich natural resources.
History is apolitical and we should always keep it that way
and we shouldn't be afraid of the past
for we wouldn't be living in this beautiful country without it.

a promo from "Tonic Chop Gajah'

Mystical Tanjung Bidara

2011-09-04T22:11:00.002+08:00

The Tanjung Bidara beach is as mystical
as its beautiful half submerged rocks.
The locals here talk about a story of a women who gave birth to a twin,
one was a boy by the name of Jamal and his twin, surprisingly was a baby crocodile.
They cared for it until one days it was to big to be handled
that they decided to release it into the sea.
The released twin is called 'Buaya Jamal' by the locals
and it 'll return whenever there are any big occasion in the family
or during the muslim festives period to the cape.
"Buaya Jamal' was shot dead at the Pengkalan Balak beach in 1978
and it was said to have very smooth skin
and a veterinarian did an autopsy on the crocodile even though the relatives objected.
He died of mysterious circumstances soon after that.
Until today the descendants of 'Buaya Jamal' still lives by the cape
and the ritual continues with the offspring of 'Buaya Jamal'.

'Batu Terbalik' or Overturned Rock was caused by the blasting of the rocks on the cape
by the British during the colonial days for some unknown reason,
probably they are trying to turn the place into a quarry.

'Batu Tenggek' or piggyback rock is another famous rock to the locals there.

Meanwhile this rock(Batu Paus) looks like a Beluga whale surfacing for some food.

while this one looks like a giant eel swimming away
and i will named it 'Batu Belut' of Eel Rock.

The small patch of vegetation on top of this rock
must be very special for it to the able to withstand
the heat and the salty waters.
It's said to have medicinal values by the locals.

View Tanjung Bidara in a larger map

Old Trains of Malaya (part 1)

2011-08-30T21:47:00.003+08:00

There are quite a number of old trains on display around Malaysia
and i will try to document it here beginning with
the trains displayed at the Army Museum in Port Dickson.
564-12 Alor Gajah a steam locomotive from the FMSR Class O
and an armoured train which is used to guard the railway service
from the communist during the emergency period begining 1948 till 1960.

A monument to honour our fallen heroes.

The Armoured Wickham Trolley on display with the FMSR emblem.

Tanjung Bidara Beach

2011-08-23T22:51:00.007+08:00

Tanjung Bidara Beach in Malacca not far from Masjid Tanah
and beside the Terendak Army camp
is one of the few natural beach left
with all the reclamation works around Malacca seafront
and there were talks of further works
to extend the coastal road right till the Negeri Sembilan border,
that's how crazy things can go
and an environmental disaster in the making.
Already right now the remaining coast have been badly eroded
partly cause by extraction of sand offshore.

A small boat by the beach at Kampung Balik Batu.

A jetty which serve no purpose except to beautify the beach.

The Al-Khawarizmi Astronomy Complex at Tanjung Bidara.

A popular seaside village food stall in front of the Lodge
which only opens in the evening.

Bidara Beach Lodge a small quiet motel at Kampung Pasir Gembur
is my place of stay here.

These rocks and the stories of the waters next to it
will be the topic of my next post.

View Tanjung Bidara in a larger map

Sunset at Sungai Labu beach

2011-08-14T05:56:00.001+08:00

A sunset at Sungai Labu beach
on the west side of Labuan island.

The breakwaters wall of Sungai Labu,

Where waves clashes.

A bench made from recycle wood which drifted to the beach.

View Sungai Labu beach in a larger map

Rocks of Kuala Abang

2011-08-04T23:06:00.003+08:00

The rocks of Kuala Abang or better known as 'Batu Pelanduk' by the locals
is the only big piece of rocky beach from Teluk Bidara right up to the Fishing Port at Cendering
near Kuala Terengganu.

This i think is why the locals call it the 'Batu Pelanduk' or Mouse deer Rock,
from this shot it does look like one in a sitting position.

View Rocks of Kuala Abang in a larger map

Rocks of UMS beach

2011-07-27T22:02:00.001+08:00

The rocky beach of UMS(University Malaysia Sabah) beach in Labuan
is most beautiful in the morning during low tide.
This is what i saw on a calm day
with a nice sky as a back ground.

View UMS Beach in a larger map

Sunset to dusk by the Kemena Riverside

2011-07-18T16:17:00.002+08:00

Sunset scene taken at the new Bintulu Express Terminal
where the 45 km long Batang Kemena flows by Bintulu town
on the way to sea.

View Bintulu Express Terminal in a larger map

Makan Tahun Feast at Kampung Kuala Nyalau

2011-07-09T06:19:00.005+08:00

This year we are lucky enough to be invited by Helmi and Fadzillah to Kampung Kuala Nyalau
for the "Makan Tahun' feast where the Kedayan celebrate their padi harvest
which is almost similar to Gawai and Keamatan festival,
the only difference is that the Kedayan's are muslim
so no worry of getting drunk by 'tuak' here.

Villagers here still lives the traditional ways where the spirit of (gotong royong)cooperation are still being practice.

Kelupis ready to be steamed.

This wooden pole is used to squeeze out the coconut milk from its meat.

Helmi doing a demo.

Kelupis and wajik both cooked from glutinious rice,
the former is salty and the latter sweet,
both are steamed here.

Steamed kelupis ready to be eaten.

Village folks gathering together to do the cooking for the feast.

Our crew members trying out the 'kelupis" and chatting with Helmi's mum.

A group photo by the beach.

A nice sunset before our drive back to Bintulu
which means we will be missing the 'bergendang 'sessions later in the night.

Nostalgic Tanjung Pagar Station

2011-06-28T21:17:00.004+08:00

Tanjung Pagar Railway Station,3rd May 1932~ 30th June 2011.
My ride from KL to Tanjung Pagar Railway Station
will be my first and last one, just to pay tribute
to this majestic and beautiful station before it closes down,
anyway i'm very happy to hear that it will be preserved
together with the older Bukit Timah Station.

A relocation signboard at the Woodland's CIQ and the end to the immigration chaos.

The Express Sinaran Selatan preparing to leave Singapore for KL Sentral,
my 1pm ride out of Singapore after arriving here at 8am in the Senandung Sutera from KL.

The Locomotives preparing to do a run around operations.

One of a pair of hydraulic buffer at the end of the terminal,just in case the brakes fail,
made in 1930.

A torch by the side of the double faced clock.

This old padlock probably will never be open again.

Tasty Malay food will be missed by their regular customers
for when the station closes so will these stalls.
I hope they will be relocated nearby
but it will never be the same again.

Lion head decorations on the outer windows.

6 beautiful mural decorates the top wall of this beautiful station,
it looks much older than those of the Malaysian National Museum,
the mural depicts the old malayan life,

Bullock cart and malay village life,

Rubber tapping a main contributor to the economy then,

paddy fields,

coconut plantation,

and Shipping.

FMSR,Federated Malay States Railways was the name of the railway company
during the British Malaya period when this station was completed in 1932,
thus the theme of the decorations on the facade.

The four marble statues that decorates the entrance of the station,
works by Rudolfo Nolli,symbolizing Agriculture,Commerce,Transport and Industry.

Dusk at Bintulu Waterfront

2011-06-23T19:41:00.000+08:00

A nice sky to welcome me back to Bintulu
probably because of my hesitation to come for
this coming shutdowns.

Teluk Bahang Dam

2011-06-16T11:43:00.002+08:00

Teluk Bahang Dam on the northwestern part of Penang island
is a water supply storage dam belonging to PBA.
It have a dam crest of height 53.5m and length 685m.
One thing special of this place is that it's opened to public
and the lake is also used for boating activities.

The spillway to drain off excess water.

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Merbok River Jetty Complex

2011-06-07T00:07:00.002+08:00

The Merbok River Jetty Complex consist of a Jetty,Sea Food Restaurant and Mangrove Gallery.
It 's considered to be a tourist attraction where people comes to visit the gallery
and a replica of a charcoal making igloo kiln besides going for a river cruise.

The restaurant at the Jetty.

The Merbok River bridge.

The Replica of an old igloo charcoal making kiln.
Kiln like this are still being used in Kuala Sepetang area in Taiping.

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Kedah's Pantai Merdeka

2011-05-31T21:22:00.004+08:00

Pantai Merdeka is Kedah's only mainland sandy beach
and is a major attraction during the weekends and holiday seasons.
It is beside the Merbok Rivermouth and about 30km from Sungai Petani town.

An abandoned jetty at the beach.

An old British World War 2 pillbox build in 1940 on the beach front
together with another on the other side of the Merbok River mouth
at Tanjung Dawai which have long sank into the river
was meant to stop the invading Japanese troops.

Cinta Pantai Merdeka song

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Rocks of Tanjung Layang Layangan

2011-05-22T19:28:00.001+08:00

This cape on the west side of Labuan island
is home to some of the most beautiful rocks in Malaysia.
Besides the Lion Rock of Labuan,
it is also an anglers heaven
with crystal clear deep waters just after the rocks.

Pulau Layang-Layangan at the far end.

Paradise is not far away here with such beautiful rock formation.

Anglers waiting for a bite.

As usual on every beach there is always a souvenirs corners
where all the plastic garbage is accumulated.

View Tanjung Layang-Layangan in a larger map

Mining Steam Engine of Perak

2011-05-19T16:25:00.004+08:00

This Steam Engine of 1877,manufactured by R Carret & Sons Ltd,England,
was bought in by the then British Residen of Perak
Sir Hugh Low,for use in the tin mines of Larut and Kampar.
It was used to turn a generator to generate electricity to run pumps
used in the mining operation.
It's an exhibit at Perak Museum in Taiping.

My Steam Engine model in action

Nature's warp at Kelanang Beach

2011-05-15T12:04:00.005+08:00

The Kelanang Beach not far from Banting is a bit muddy
like most beaches here in Selangor but
it's white sandy beach is good enough for a nice quiet picnic
away from the hectic city life.
The mangrove forest here are dying as nature flexes it's muscles
through rising sea levels and coastal erosion.

An aboriginal from the Mah Meri tribe looking for clams on the beach.

Enough facilities here for visitors,toilets,foodstalls and a watch tower.

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Scenic Jelutong

2011-05-07T18:50:00.003+08:00

Jelutong's muddy seaside offers a nice sunrise
and scenic view in the afternoon.
Jelutong is also a place made famous
by one of our most famous lawyer cum politician,
Mr. Karpal Singh dubbed the 'Lion of Jelutong' for his oratory skills
where judges especially the juniors ,will shiver upon hearing his name.

A young photographer taking a shot.

Old tyres to stop the erosion.

This small hill is a garbage dumpsite.

Fisherman busy with their nets early in the morning.

The Penang bridge viewed from Jelutong.

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Wedding- Mohd Shukri & Nurul Niza

2011-05-01T12:18:00.005+08:00

A pair of lovely love birds who choose to be together
through thick and thin,
Shukri and Nurul, take note,
'a successful marriage requires falling in love many times,
always with the same person' and
'the highest happiness on earth is marriage'.
All the best,
may you two live happily ever after.

The smiling King and Queen of the day.

The King of the day is here.

All caged up.

The reception.

Nostalgic Trains of Borneo - Tenom Station

2011-04-27T19:44:00.004+08:00

The twisting winding ride through the Padas Gorge ends here in Tenom station
and the return journey will be early next morning
so its time for some nice coffee at the local cafe(kopitiam).

My ride from Halogilat to Tenom.

The railway's workshop and yard.

Minibus and 4X4 awaiting passengers.

The old railtrack and its much sought after antique nails.

An old railcar not sure of its age.

A japanese diesel locomotive from the early 70s.

An old wooden carriage.

Old Railway quarters.

The scenic town field.

Perkasa Hotel high up the hill.

The deserted town on a hot afternoon.

Tenom is famous for its coffee.

Sabah State Railways

History of Sabah State Railways

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A bridge to nowhere ~Pulau Bunting Bridge

2011-04-24T11:58:00.001+08:00

This 2.3 km bridge to nowhere in Yan, Kedah,
(build sometime after 2003)
which was said to be build for a power plant project
around the island which was later shifted to Tanjung Bin in Johor.
It was later link to a trans-peninsular oil pipeline project to the east coast
but whatever it's this is really one huge white elephant to swallow for those
who are involved, a sheer wastage of public fund and utter bad planning.
Folks in Labuan island will be jumping for joy if this bridge can be build there,
it wouldn't be long enough but at least there is a start.

There is a hut by the small stretch of beach on the island.

The entrance to the bridge is gated and only motorbike can pass through
so it will be a long walk for some.

Viewed from the island.

The legendary Gunung Jerai viewed from the bridge.

Most of the concrete slabs have been vandalized by anglers
to make shades and stools for their long hot wait for a bite.

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Rocks of Pancur Hitam Beach

2011-04-18T08:09:00.000+08:00

The beautiful rocks of Pancur Hitam beach in Labuan
are nicely carved our by mother nature for us
to enjoy.
It's by a cliff towards Tanjung Layang-layangan side.

A pine tree growing horizontally .

A fresh water hole by the cliff.

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Nostalgic trains of Borneo-Ride back to the 70s.

2011-04-11T13:46:00.003+08:00

I have been thinking of this ride for quite sometime,
a ride which basically brings one back to the 70s,
a twisting and winding ride through the Padas Gorge
on a track which was first build in 1903
which we might not be able to experience
after the line is fully upgraded.
Well! For a minimal fare of RM2.75 for a 2.5hrs,48km ride,
what is there to complain!

The railcar i took from Beaufort to Halogilat station
before switching to another for the next ride to Tenom.

The coach from Halogilat to Tenom, the most interesting part of the ride.

Here is the ride for the return journey(Halogilat to Beaufort).

A 1968 Hitachi Diesel locomotive.

Bamboo and water buffalo.

Solar panels for used at the Halogilat station to run computers and lightings.

The line which runs beside the Padas river
offers a breathtaking and scenic view of the river gorge.

Here everything goes in because it's the only means of transport through this gorge.

An eerie looking cloud with sharp claws seen above the gorge.

The fast rapids awaits white water rafters.

Tenom Pangi Hydro Power Station Dam.

The hydro station.

The dam.

An emergency ride with ball bearings and a stick for paddling
used by the locals at night when there are no train running.

Sabah State Railway

Sabah Map

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