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NST Online: StreetsJohor

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:55 AM PDT

IT'S SHOWTIME!

The month-long Johor Baru Arts Festival promises yet another eclectic line-up of exciting shows

IT'S that time of year when arts enthusiasts can expect another exciting and eclectic line-up of shows in the 8th Johor Baru Arts Festival.

With the positive feedback from the previous outing, the Festival Village will once again be located on the grounds of the Sultan Ibrahim Building at Bukit Timbalan.

The historical charm and magnificent architecture of this iconic building, built in 1940 during the colonial era, is the perfect foil for the city's annual arts fest.

While this building is used as Johor's symbol for tourism, it was not accessible to the public for many years. The arts fest, however, provided the opportunity for everyone to enjoy the premises, and people are encouraged to bring their friends and families, and even their bicycles and tricycles to play and picnic on the idyllic grounds.

With vehicles parked outside the premises, the grounds are a greener and safer place for everyone to enjoy.

"This year's festival promises to be the most exciting yet," said Suzie Yap, the festival's director as she outlined the wide range of performances that include music, dance, musical theatre and film screenings.

In the music category alone, there are a variety of jazz, classical, Indie, pop and retro, traditional kompang music and a Chinese orchestra.

In line with the festival concept, the programme that spans three weeks from tomorrow to July 24 will reflect four key elements, namely local, international, educational and interactive.

The fest will encompass all recognised disciplines of performing arts that showcase Johor talents and expose audiences to performers and talents of international repute.

The public is invited to explore the Iskandar Puteri Heritage Trail on July 9 during the Heritage Race, which is a treasure hunt organised by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda).

On July 16, skateboard enthusiasts can compete in a challenging Skateboard Race around a city circuit.

To create more excitement in the heart of Johor Baru, the organisers are working in partnership with the Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk Committee to host a series of supporting events at the nearby Tan Hiok Nee Cultural Street.

A photography contest dubbed "Photo-kopi @ Jalan Tan Hiok Nee" from June 26 to July 5 is expected to capture iconic scenes of JB's old town, including its streets and the people's old way of life.

One of the attractions to see on the Tan Hiok Nee Cultural Street from July 9 to 17 is the art of making traditional lion heads and costumes used for lion dancing, by Master Siow Ho Phiew.

Lion dance enthusiasts can look forward to a thrilling High Pole Lion Dance performance on July 16.

On July 23, the award-winning movie, Love is a Many Splendored Thing with William Holden and Jennifer Jones in lead roles, will be screened to a by-invitation audience.

This screen classic is based on a novel written by Han Suyin and believed to be her autobiography. Han Suyin, known to locals as Dr Elizabeth Comber, was a Eurasian doctor who spent about 10 years in Johor Baru, working in a dispensary above the former Universal Pharmacy at No 24, Jalan Ibrahim, a building that has now been demolished.

A public viewing of the same movie will be held on Aug 6.

"A good quality of life includes arts and cultural activities," said JB Arts Fest patron and Johor Baru member of Parliament, Datuk Seri Shahrir Abdul Samad.

He added that while Johor Baru is rapidly-developing under Iskandar Malaysia, Johor could be enriched by a civil society who appreciate the arts.

From the keen response to the arts fest currently gauged from internet search engines, he commended the organisers for putting Johor Baru firmly on the tourism map once again.

He said this year's arts fest is seeing a better variety of foreign acts compared to last year.

There are two sponsored shows, Your Sweet Smile...Help, featuring re-mix from Singapore and Empathy -- in Remembrance of the Victims of the Japanese Tsunami, a collaboration among Sekolah Seni Johor Baru, Japan Club of Johor and the arts fest organisers.

A Sri Lankan Odyssey and Exuberance, the Punjab Experience are two foreign cultural groups that volunteered their participation in this year's art fest.

With a script, score and music written by Johoreans and directed, choreographed and performed by local artistes, the centrepiece of the festival must be Bumi Berlantai Permata II, a musical drama on Johor's history.

This drama was first staged at the previous arts fest and while there are several interesting changes in this version, get ready to be dazzled by colourful costumes, riveting songs and dance routines in this dramatisation of the state's proud history.

The JB Arts art fest will kick off on June 30 with the screening of recorded versions of Si Bongkok Tanjung Puteri and Bumi Berlantai Permata.

All shows are free of charge and there are only nine paying shows with tickets priced at RM30 per adult and RM5 for students and senior citizens. Weekday shows start at 5pm with evening shows at 8.30pm while weekend activities begin from as early as 9am for competitions, games and workshops.

For ticketing enquiries, call 019-716 9900/713 9900. For more information, visit www.jbartsfest.com

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Call to desludge septic tanks

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 08:57 AM PDT

2011/06/29
By Chong Chee Seong

Noriah Kasnon (centre) watches as workers desludge a septic tank in Muar. — Picture by Shahrul M. Zain

NINETY-FIVE per cent of individual septic tanks in the country have never been emptied as required once every three years.

Deputy Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Noriah Kasnon said only five per cent (or 69,000) of the one million individual septic tanks in the country have been emptied, or otherwise known as undergo desludging according to schedule.

She said, as a result, water from septic tanks contaminated streams and drains, or entered houses causing intolerable stench.

Noriah said when this happened, the source of drinking water in the rivers would be polluted and this would affect the health of the people.

"It is the responsibility of each household to ensure cleanliness of the water in our rivers," she said during the recent opening of the national-level Emptying of Septic Tanks Campaign at Kampung Kenangan Tun Dr Ismail 2 in Jalan Sungai Abong, Muar.

Noriah said the ministry and state governments were working together to create awareness on importance of emptying septic tanks to protect the the environmental cleanliness and health of the community.

She said if the trendcontinued, the Government would consider drafting new laws by placing the emptying of septic tanks to the responsibility of house and premise owners.

Noriah said a recent study revealed that the cleanliness of water in the rivers had deteriorated, with only 306 rivers categorised as clean in 2009 as compared to 368 clean rivers in 2007.

She said the number of rivers catgeorised as polluted rose from 48 rivers in 2008 to 54 in 2009. Earlier, Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd chief executive officer, Datuk Abdul Kadir Mohd Din said it costs only 20 sen a day (or RM6 a month) for two years to pay RM144 for the service of emptying individual septic tanks, to keep the people healthy and country clean.

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Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Khamis, 30 Jun 2011