Tuesday 21 April 2009

A year after Cekor closed

All this photo set showing cekor /ceko area in the middle of old Kuching city centre or some people might say 0 miles.Yealah because there is Batu 2(2 miles),batu 3(3rd miles) and batu 7(7th miles) of course there is 0 miles .Once here is centre for trader and hawkers met selling produce,fresh vegetables,eggs,chicken,red meat,spices and all other related stuff.People came from all over Kuching to buy items here.Even here is centre for tourist where as lot of tourist ecspecially from the western world like to visit,seeing with their own eyes the Borneo style market which of course none at their own place.For past few years tourist came to this area and shoot lot of photo.Photo of the old style building there and the market situation there and the item sold there.
Now what we can see only rubble and emptyness.Nothing left,only stone,empty building.some people loafing there with nothing to do and just nothing.Few months back i read a tourist blog from England,he was in Kuching around 2004 and amazed with Cekor market and he want to bring friend and show to his friend the Cekor market.Apparently what he can see now is empty Market.Kuching have lost one main attraction of the city. For sure the things will not be the same again,eventhough in future project this place will be repalced with modern infrastucture(based on the information: waterfront ,hotel and shopping complexes).This things we have everywhere else.like big shopping complex,hotel.But cekor market is the only one and will never be again replaced.
Closing cekor is like stabbing the heart of kuching..wahh so sarcastic..but its true..if you're kuchingites and know what is life in Kuching during day and night for past few years or decade,things seem so different now.
Different like what? Cekor area always busy during day and night.During daylight people buy fresh produce there,housewives,retailers and lot more,and during night too..teher's lot of activities here..almost 24 hours..


For past few years,Cekor became one of main attraction for tourist when came to Kuching,the lifestle and market style here attract tourist ecspecially from western country ,where some produce in cekor will never be found in their country of origin.Furthermore the colour of life,farmers and people in cekor makes tourist like visiting the area.The things is,people or toutrist came to Kuching or other place,there are looking something different or what they dont have at their own place.


Like in KK,we can visit Philipine Market,or when we go to Penang we can go to Pasar karat.Or to kl we can go to central market(eventhough they dont sell fish anymore there)it is because the place is unique and one place have their own attraction which other place dont.

Chain reaction happened when cekor closed(with along Gambir street market).Night in Kuching nowadays seem quite,during the cekor day,people already start their trading about 11p.m onward.Farmers or middleman bring produce in bulk from farm and trading with retailers or others during this time.In mean time,there is other business here also like selling nasi lemak,burger,drink and others..So people come and go here,buying things and trading or mayb e just pass by here,buying nothing but just walking around with nothing to do ..huhu.We dont need lot of big supermarket or hypermarket here,maybe one or two is enough..we are not living in Mega cities area like Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta,paris or Nwe York hehe..tourist come here looking for something different from their place have.Supermarket and shopping complexes bigger from they came from.

I have a friend from south america whose work in Kuala Lumpur for a while,she worked in Paris and New York before.When she work in Kuala Lumpur she told me,she dont know where to go during weekend..She prefer relaxing place and more to nature..She told me Malaysian are crazy for shopping complexes and and she wonder why malaysians like to go to shopping complexes without buying anything..

i must agreed what she says..there is lot of shopping complexes in Kuala Lumpur and other part of malaysia..developer are building more and more shopping complexes..the bigger and more bigger..the wider and more wider..

there is other development they can do,more park where people can relax nd enjoy,more recreations park for extreme sports for teenagers where they can spend their time hanging with friends doing better things.But the developer and local government authority still making new shopping complexes,food court etc etc without thinking other development.

It happened to kampung Boyan area,opposite grand magherita hotel.After houses of Sarawak Riverine demolished..reason is the government want to make waterfront and recreation area.and time pass by,the area which beutified then became mini waterfront where durin evening times,kids playing kites,hide and seek and some teenagers playing football..

But now,there are making food court,the green area no more and replaced by government rent stall..only a little green place left for kids playground.The development then make teenagers have no place to go for their recreational time and the answer what is happened now in big city area like Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru etc etc..

I work in Kuala Lumpur for a few years and i live in flat and apartment area..via Sunway mentari and Vista Angkasa.Living in that area make me sick and dull because here in Kuching ,i used to stay in a house that have a window and tree around me.But living in the apartment,the only window is towards the verandah and living at 10th floor...erkk..and most of social problem came from this type of area..

I cannot blame the teenage and people around,its their life living on that arae make life become so boring and have nothing to do because no place to go..no playground,no open area for sport..only house and development around them..few yeras back,sarawak state government start building flats and apartment via matang and demak jaya area.Phuhh..thre is lot of empty land here in sarawak lo,why must the government build apartment and flathouse.Luckily sometimes around june 2009,Abang Johari did announced the government will stop building apartment and flat.He himself admit the house in apartment is so small and social problem may start from there..hahah ..people should understand this..Like in Kuching i agreed we need more development but during the development process somethings must be retained and hold too..not just demolish the old things and replaced with new one..huhu...

Saturday 18 April 2009

Rejang River Hawker

Everybody knows about floating market in Thailand where people trade in the small boat,people bargaining for produce,fresh meat ,and other house hold item there.
Did you know in Sarawak there is River Hawker??

The express boat selling various consumers' goods on the Rejang river.Just look at photo above.. interior of the hawker boat, just like any other sundry shop in town.

Borneo Covention Centre


Last night after having dinner at Koperkasa at Petra Jaya area,i with my friend went to Tambak Bako causeway as every friday night there will be a drag race there..Illegal though.Just want to see any new style and skill driving a modified car.But after a few minutes we decided to go away from there as many spectator arrived and we just afraid if there any raid by traffic,its so hard to escape from the blockade.So we 're using Isthmus area.I've been away from Kuching about 5 months plus not going to isthmus area about..mm more than 6 months..so arrived at the construction area of Borneo Convention Centre,i so amazed that Th Convention Centre near to finish
2.The size is so big,near to the size of Sarawak Stadium.Compare when look at the early plan and photo from internet.The size look not so big .But seeing is believing.In few months the Convention Centre will be readyand bythen the construction of Kuching tower will started.I managed to get few photo from Internet about Borneo Covention centre,The isthmus and the development around the area.
3.The area will become second city centre of kuching where not only Office,hotel but shopping complexes and others like recreational park,and housing area.



4.The anchor part of this Isthmus is the borneo Convention centre and Kuching Tower,after both of this building ready,other development will be commenced.





The Medan Raya Masterplan

Medan raya is the exact name for Masja area,the Masja name given to building own by Masja(Masjid Jamek=Jamek Mosque) which then the building renamed into Baaitulmakmur.As the word Masja always used by Kuchingites to refe the place,the name mantain until today eventhough that place actually is Medan Raya

The medan Raya project stretch from DBKU office building in Bukit siol to wisma Bapa malaysia and consisting to current new State Assembly building.From the masterplan you can see the DBKU building and human made lake at Masja area but certain place in the photo doesnt exist yet and the infrastructure will be build in nearer time.

Friday 10 April 2009

Kompleks Islam sarawak

This photo showing the proposed of Kompleks Islam Sarawak that will be build in the current site of JabatanAgama islam Sarawak building,DBKU Library Building and Ex state Library building.Anyway to this date all the building there already demolished and whats left is rubble,the construction will be started after the site clearance in few months ahead.

This building is 100 percent sponsored by Muslim and muslim organisations in Sarawak.

Thursday 9 April 2009

White Rajah Of Sarawak


Read this..
This jawi handwritten meaning ;

Seri Paduka duli yang maha mulia tuan Raja Sir Charles Brooke
Raja Sarawak yang kedua
Diperanakkan pada 3 haribulan Jun tahun 1829
Sir memangku pekerjaan negeri Sarawak pada 21 haribulan tujuh 1852
Bergelar menjadi raja pada 3 haribulan 0gos 1868
Telah mangkat pada 7 haribulan May 1917

2.If translate to English
His Royal Highness Sir raja Charles Brooke
The second rajah(King) of Sarawak
Born on 3rd of June 1829
Come to Sarawak on 21st July 1852
A proclaimed as Rajah of Sarawak on 3rd August 1868
Died on 7th of May 1917





3.This statement you can found at the statue in front of old court house at waterfront Kuching.The statue(monument) dedicated to the second Rajah of Sarawak,Charles Brooke.There is no monument for James Brooke and vyner Brooke.The first and the the third(last white rajah of Sarawak).To whom understand malay language,the proclamation at the monument(jawi handwriteen) mentioning the term of “Yang Maha Mulia” and “mangkat”.Translated to English the meaning is HisRoyal Higness and mangkat meaning die.But that term is only used to the royal Blood line.weither east or west.and now the term still used to the Malay Ruler of Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.



4.Throughout Sarawak History Charles Brooke is the second Rajah of Sarawak and nephew of the James Brooke,the man who help Brunei sultan and then conned him then ask Sultan of Brunei to hand over Sarawak to him(on that day Sarawak=Kuching) .Then year after,year by year,one by one of Brunei territory taken by James Brooke and continue by his nephew Charles Brooke.



5.Early this year,my friend send me sms,my 2009 resolutions is I want to be a King,hehehe,I laugh a lot.He laugh too,but then he says that ,around the world and throughout history King came from a normal people,from east to west,people become a king from thousand ways.From Winning a war,conquering a new nation by wealth orby force,defeating a monster or dragon,marrying a princess after saving her from ogre(not shrek),having some special power like magic, and lot more.You can read it from fairy tale and story book lah..So my friend starting a new resolutions that never made by others,he says that he want to looking for a new territory and conquering it starting from the people,then maybe 10 or next 20 years he will proclaimed himself as the new king of a new territory..hehe..wish you luck my friend.




6.I think that’s is the same resolution made by James brooke when he want to go to eastern world.Everybody knows James brooke was a sailor,like Sinbad and Popeye.He just started his sailing with nowhere to go,just want to go to east.Stop for a while at India,at the harbor city of Cochin(that’s where he got idea to renaming the Sarawak..from the name Sarawak to cochin because of the similarity of the town which is Harbor town).Then he go further to the east,maybe he want to go as far to Moluccass where as the place well known as haven for spices and herb.But then maybe his ship having some problem so he stop by at Sarawak town,and sent his ship for repair at Brooke Dockyard hahaha..

7.Arriving at Sarawak,the political situation is in very bad time,so james playing his role there.He start promising sultan that he can settle the matter but sultan must give him something to him,its like what people like to say now..win-win situation.So James did it and the sultan give Sarawak to him,then it was a new white history for Sarawak after having thousand years history,the landscape of Sarawak people then change by this copy cat King.As we can see,lot of things will be not the same if Sarawak not given to the white King,and I mean lot of things will be different today.





8.A few years after his approclaimation as white rajah of Sarawak.He start to sent message to other nation.Make other nation know that there is a new king and nation with him James the sailorman as king of Sarawak.James even sent letter to Queen of England.Hehe,the queen and her royal relative sure laugh a lot when receiving the letter from James Brooke.
“Where did this guy came from?liverpool,Manchester or Chelsea haa??” hahha,I wrote that script my self lo.I assume that the queen might laugh after receiving the letter because its very obvious that James is a British citizen,a normal person,not relative to her,just a sailor suddenly proclaime himself as King.What the hell??


9.But the queen do reply his letter and later she did met him,but Queen never call him as King ,sultan,Agong or Raja.He just call James as mr james.Huhu ,you know lah what I mean and understand this situation.The institution of Monarchy in England have taken for hundred years,back then James Brooke just claimed himself as first of white Rajah…so..of course queen of England in other word not clarified as the same level of her and they’re not in the same level and not a genuine royal blood line. But james doesn’t care lah,back home in Sarawak he start developing Sarawak and start expanding the Sarawak.First of all ,he rebranding the Sarawak .First of all he change the name of Sarawak into cochin(which is the name for harbor city located at west of india),on the later day the word cochin assimilate and the name mutated into Kuching which mean in malay kucing= Cat.Through out some resources like magazine,newspaper and whatsoever ,they said that Kuchng name came from the word Kucing(refer to cat).But the local Sarawak malay don’t use term kucing,they call cat as Pusak,while iban call cat as mayao.But in this modern world,people accepting Kuching city as a cat city whereas lot of Cat statue build around town,even the logo of Both DBKU and DBKS use cat as part of their emblem.So start from cochin ,the word mutated into Kuching.

10.Luckily,until today the River is still name as Sarawak River,I don’t know why James don’t change the river name into Kuching River, I think James maybe also want to change the river name but when lot of people still using the term,so he cant change it.Even for the kampong at nearby divisional mosque.Kampung ajibah habol,kampong Bintangor ,Kampung Bandarsahetc etc,my late grandfather told me that the kampong was known as Kampung Sarawak.The term still use even until 1970’s until the government renamed some road and lane even renamed the Kampung area into Political leader name and numbering it from 1 to 6(to make it easier to remember) .

11.So queen of England never recognized Kingdom of sarawak as james is not a king in matter of non royal James bloodline,even he is not from any noble and aristocratic family from England.He is just a commoner from Manchester and came to Nusantara,helping Sultan of Brunei against the mineres revolution,then proclaimed as white rajah of Asian people..ehmm.. haha itjust look like,very easy one become a king..huhu