NST Online: StreetsJohor

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:13 AM PDT

Despite being near urban centres, Kampung Pasir still retains its rural appeal

MENTION Kampung Pasir to Johor Baru residents, chances are many will be guessing it to be somewhere in the rural areas of the state.

However, reference Kampung Pasir with the Tampoi township, along with the fifth and sixth mile of Jalan Skudai, and it will ring a bell with many of the city folk.

For the longest time, this urban village has been a popular area for people of all walks of life as the place is filled with food stalls, workshops and all kinds of specialised services.

Visitors to the area will be greeted by roads and lanes which have been named after fruits. Among the main ones are Lorong Manggis, Lorong Nangka and also Lorong Pisang. The roads are interconnected with the main ones such as Jalan Dato' Mohd Said.

Spanning over 3.2 kilometres along the busy Jalan Skudai, and surrounded by main residential and commercial areas, Kampung Pasir has also been a landmark for those familiar with the Johor Baru North district.

According to narrated history, Kampung Pasir was established before the 1940s, and the named stemmed from the area having a lot of sand, thus the name "pasir".

Many of the homes here have also changed to suit the times with the traditional wooden houses being rebuilt as modern bungalows and also linked homes.

Over the past two to three decades, the village has also been associated with the late Umno veteran, Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat, who once resided in the area after his family moved from Kampung Mohd Amin.

The former information minister who was also Umno secretary-general had made it a point to develop Kampung Pasir. Among the famous community projects undertaken by him was the Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat Complex which started off as a plot of land bought by Rahmat in 1973.

At present, the complex, which is located along the slip road to Pengkalan Rinting and next to the Tampoi police station and the Region 2 Marine Operations Force headquarters, houses a multipurpose hall, Pulai Umno gallery and also a futsal arena.

Long-time resident and current traditional masseur, Ishak Ahmad, said he has stayed in Kampung Pasir since his early teens when his parents moved to Johor Baru from Muar in 1954.

"It was 57 years ago when I moved here with my family. At that time there were only 10 houses which were far apart and most of the occupants were working for the state government," said the 72-year-old retired fireman.

Ishak, fondly called Pak Sahak by residents, said the busy areas in the village concentrated mainly around the main Jalan Skudai road where the current bus stand and mosque stood. Originally, he said, Kampung Pasir only had Lorong Satu, Lorong Dua, Lorong Tiga and Lorong Empat.

"This changed in the 1970s when the then-town council made the decision to introduce the names of fruits as the village grew over time," said Pak Sahak, adding that many other people came to settle here from other parts of Johor namely Muar, Kluang and Batu Pahat

He said Kampung Pasir now houses more than a thousand residents as it is among one of the largest and most developed traditional Malay settlements in Johor Baru.

Johor Baru city councillor and former resident, Rashid Kasman, said Kampung Pasir is a unique village as it is an organised traditional Malay settlement situated within an urban environment.

"Many residents here still practise aspects of the 'old ways' that are associated with traditional Malay community like gotong-royong and having thanksgiving events among neighbours,"he said.

Rashid, a former born-and-bred Kampung Pasir resident, said the community spirit among the village residents is still strong here and many are proud of this.

A younger resident Raffi Jaffar, 35, said that he was very comfortable living in Kampung Pasir as he was born and brought-up here. The motorcycle workshop proprietor added that the location of his home was also a key factor as it is strategically located, being less than 10 kilometres from the city centre.

Red House hub of culture

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT

The landmark Red House at No 56 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. — Pictures by Peggy Loh

IF you are at Tan Hiok Nee Cultural Street, you cannot miss that corner shophouse which was recently repainted in bright red with contrasting white highlights.

Even while renovations were on, No 56 attracted curious enquiries from many who wondered what it housed and to whom it belonged because it looked posh enough to be a private property.

When works were completed in June this year, the façade of this building served as an impressive backdrop for several cultural events on this street.

This 19th century building was originally owned by an Indian family and changed hands several times before its present owner decided to restore it to its former glory.

While Jalan Tan Hiok Nee was declared a heritage street in October 2009, the owner had the passion and foresight to preserve this pre-war shop-house as a heritage building.

The historical value of this building is priceless as it is a portal of the rich and unique history of Johor Baru.

During the 8th Johor Baru Arts Festival in July this year, some events were jointly organised with the Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk Committee and held at various venues on this street. Throughout the festival, arts enthusiasts thronged the area and had a glimpse of this remarkable building which inevitably earned its moniker — The Red House.

Finally on July 23, a select few had the privilege of attending a by-invitation only movie event held here.

It was an enchanted evening because the nostalgic ambience of this beautiful building was the perfect setting for the screening of the award-winning movie, Love is a Many Splendoured Thing. This classic movie, based on a novel written by Han Suyin, is believed to be her autobiography. Han Suyin was the pen-name of Dr Elizabeth Comber, a Eurasian doctor who spent about 10 years in Johor Baru, working in a dispensary located above the former Universal Pharmacy at No 24 Jalan Ibrahim. This row of shops on a parallel road just a stone's throw away from the Red House was however, destroyed by fire in 1982.

In August this year, the Red House was leased to the Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk Committee who has plans to host various cultural events here and bring more excitement into the heart of old Johor Baru.

An event on Aug 21, dubbed Red Wine @Red House was a wine appreciation evening where some wine connoisseurs learnt from Sylviane Siah of S & L Vintners the finer points of appreciating red and white wines and the art of reading labels on wine bottles. A photography exhibition by Datuk Dr Siow Kuang Ling is being held at the Red House till Sept 24.

Enquiries for the use of Red House may be directed to the Johor Chinese Heritage Museum at No 42, Jalan Ibrahim. Call 07-224 9633, fax 07- 224 9635 or email heritage_museu mjb@jb-tionghua.org.my.

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Jumaat, 16 September 2011

NST Online: StreetsJohor

NST Online: StreetsJohor

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