Headline Pahang - into oil palm country MediaTitle Focus Malaysia Date 04 Jun 2016 Language English Circulation 20,000 Readership 60,000 Section News Page No 45 ArticleSize 525 cm² Journalist N/A PR Value RM 27,327 Pahang ­ into oil palm country Pilah, past beautiful painted Malay houses and big durian trees. By a stream that the restaurant owner told me was the start of the Muar River, I had my lunch, and then went on my way into oil palm country. This was just after Batu Kikir, also a tranquil place, but with new houses and signboards for kampung homestays. The palms were mainly owned by Felda, which was of course the brainchild of Tun Razak Hussein who had wanted the jungle turned into productive areas, provide land to the landless, and cut off the routes of the communist terrorists who used the jungles at will. Bandar Muadzam Shah It had worked wonderfully. It is now the heartland of oil palm. The sight made my heart sing. The road led to Bandar LAST month I was again in Pahang, a state I first visited in the Muadzam Shah, the town at the centre of mid­5()s when I took a train to Mentakab. I remember trav­ it all. I remember in the early 1970s when elling from there in an armoured ear to the Batti Lima army I visited the development authority Dara's camp where my brother worked. 1 was proud of him, driving planning office at Teluk Sisek in Kuantan. Then the town was only a pin on the map. the heavy vehicle with small thick­glassed windows that looked I flew in a small plane to see the site out to the jungle and potential ambushes that could occur in those office at Bukit Ibam with my directors. Emergency days. We could apply for land. My directors were assured that we could get workers, Not many years after, I was and there would even be a township. on an annual camp of the Boys Although we had a good lunch by the Wing of the Federation Military bare airstrip we did not go back again. College, travelling by truck on Now there is a bit of regret of course, the rough roads past Kuala for the spread of plantations was far Pilah, through Teriang, and better than I had thought possible, with pitched tents by the Pahang the uninterrupted miles of beautiful River. I was in awe of the mighty roads. Those plantations belong to other flow, and I lost my jungle hat companies. on a ride in the swift current They had achieved a lot, as I was to when the boat capsized. Both find out later, after a night in Bandar visits gave an impression of Muadzam Shah. untamed jungle. But we were When I was booked for several nights safe. A soldier escort on the there, to visit some areas, and a mill, no radio called back to base one could blame me for being worried every hour, "November Tango about hot water, air­conditioning, and Romeo" ­ nothing to report. food that could ruin my stay. Last month, I rode into But the town is developed and settled, Pahang again, but it was on being populated by students in several broad highways into Kuala institutions, technical schools, and Headline Pahang - into oil palm country MediaTitle Focus Malaysia Date 04 Jun 2016 Language English Circulation 20,000 Readership 60,000 Section News Page No 45 ArticleSize 525 cm² Journalist N/A PR Value RM 27,327 Universiti Tenaga Nasional. I ' If I were to choose, at this very tical experience on the plantation of the saw workers from the estates, moment, where would I prefer to be?" training centre. The head, Solah Deraman, and orang asli from the set­ I answered it in my mind. was so keen on his job, he got me to see the tlements riding in on their "This is exactly where I want to be centre one night after dinner. motorbikes. They go shopping right now." "After 10 months my students are in the supermarkets, and The first reason was that I felt happy trained. They do well when they like what they earn their income from when I saw growing palms. The best area they do. I am happy when they succeed. handicraft and jungle produce was that of Boustead Plantations, Bebar Many companies come to give them jobs like petai. I was told that many Estate, with fronds glossy and green. I was in their mills." were working on contract on to learn later that the estate sent its crop the estates. to its group mill at Sungai Jernih. The oil independent mills The TongVillion proved to extraction rate was over 25%, far higher I was to discover that Pahang has many be one of the best hotels I have than the national average of 20%. This was independent mills, processing crops ever stayed in. It had polished made possible by using the special plant­ from smallholdings and estates that have white tiles in the big lobby, the ing material produced by the research no mills. They are providing a service to room was clean and had more unit AAR, a joint venture of Boustead an industry that has more room to grow. space than I needed, with Plantations and Kuala Lumpur Kepong. The second reason I enjoyed this trip white sheets tightly tucked on When some days later I met Tan Sri was because I had a good friend with the wide bed. The pillows were Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, vice­chairman me, a specialist on mills and refineries, extra soft. The ceiling shower of Boustead Plantations, he told me: Dr Muhammad Mohan. He and I have was as hot as I wanted it. The "With our planting material, the extrac­ worked for many years on similar assign­ white towels were big and thick. tion rate should be higher." ments to mills and plantations. This time The view was of the shops. When The new head of plantation, Halim too, we had a very successful visit and I went downstairs again, I enjoyed a Majid, who was from Genting Planta­ discussions along the way. wonderful sight. There by the lobby wall tions, said that he had plans to make Finally on the last day, we headed was the biggest merbau table I had ever for Kuantan, and this time I passed the things better, including in the estates in seen, nearly 20ft long, and over 5ft wide. bridge over Pahang River near a village Pahang. To do that, I was sure he would It was made from one piece of wood. In called Wah Wah. What a lovely name. It need more people. Bandar Muadzam the evening I took a short walk to the too was growing, with makan shops by Shah was quietly turning out leaders, and mosque for prayers and then to dinner the roadside. skilled workers. at one of the restaurants. Certainly a lot of water has gone The Malaysian Palm Oil Board also under the bridge since my first visit to My trip to the plantations the next plays its part with a training centre, a short Pahang. Its progress is clear. And I could morning took me on many more miles ride away at Pusat Latihan Sawit Malaysia see that oil palm is leading the way. u :­1' .! of road. I put the windscreen down, the (Plasma). It turns out hundreds of students air was pure. The palms growing over a year, trained in agricultural engineering, Mahbob Abdullah is a retired planter. thick blankets of cover­crops, and I asked combining technical knowledge and prac­ myself: Comments: editor@focusmalaysia. my VALUATOR Company(Brand) Mention Tone ROI Federal Land Development Authority (Federal Land 1 0 0 Gamuda Bhd (Gamuda Bhd Industry News) 2 0 0 Genting Plantations Berhad (Genting Plantations Berhad) 1 0 0 Kuala Lumpur Kepong (Kuala Lumpur Kepong) 1 0 0 Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) (Malaysian Palm Oil Board 1 0 0 Palm Oil News (Palm Oil News) 5 0 0 Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) (Tenaga Nasional ) 1 0 0 Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Universiti Tenaga Nasional) 1 0 0.