NST Online: StreetsJohor
NST Online: StreetsJohor |
| Posted: 02 Oct 2011 09:37 AM PDT 2011/10/02 Razin Mahmood has won the praise of his peers and the wonderment of the man on the street for his designs AWARD-WINNING architect Razin Mahmood, 46, clearly loves his job. But while the praise of the critics and respect of his peers are satisfying, nothing gives him greater gratification than the wonderment of the man on the street.
His surau in Nusa Idaman in Johor Baru, for which he received the gold medal for the special category at the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) 2011 Awards, is an example of his brand of art. Space is divided by glass and brick walls, allowing plenty of natural light and ventilation inside the building topped by a flat, square roof.
He uses the "hutong" style of small narrow backlanes surrounded by wall on both sides to link the outside and the entrances to the congregation area. The facade has shading panels with Chinese motifs.
If one had to guess at what the building might be, one would say shopping mall -- and one in Orchard Road, to boot. It could also be an exhibition hall, auditorium, or a gallery. The three district police stations -- Kota Tinggi and Nusajaya in Johor, and Cyberjaya in Selangor -- he designed look nothing like police stations. There are big foyers, and corridors linking the blocks of buildings. Stripped of the regulation blue and white, the complexes could be anything -- high-tech manufacturing plant, sports complex, deluxe offices. As he puts it: "Architecture is an experience. I want to do something different. My main task is to convince others to agree with me. "All architectural designs must not only be functional, the users must be proud of them as well. "A building must evoke a positive emotion in its dwellers if it is a residence, and the employees if it is an office," he said. While some architects apply feng shui in building designs, Razin incorporates Islamic elements. His home in Kempas Baru, is built according to the concept of "paradise" as described in Ar-Ra'du 13:35 in the Quran. "This verse talks about harmonious green and flowing water features. I incorporated these features into my designs," said the father of five. Denai House, as it is named, is a double-storey bungalow sitting on slightly elevated terrain. The basement park, fitted with an elongated swimming pool, is much like a big, lush green carpet. Staying there would not be unlike a dream vacation extended to last a lifetime. The ground floor of the L-shaped building has a lounge surrounded by glass panels, a waiting area, as well as a small garden. The top floor is all bedrooms, which are spread out like big balconies. By the application of sliding door and pivoted timber screens, one can "switch on" the natural light and fresh air. Razin has designed 25 bungalows. To know more about Razin and view his works,visit www.razinarchitect.com |
| A Pontian fisherman and his challenges Posted: 02 Oct 2011 08:29 AM PDT THE woes of fishermen in Pontian are unique, compared with those from other coastal towns. Due to the geography of the Pontian coast, the border that separates Malaysian waters with the waters off Indonesia makes our designated area of fishing very limited. Fishermen with Class B boats, like myself, are only allowed to go as far as five nautical miles from the coast. We are only allowed to lay our nets as far north as Sungai Peneruk, which is about 50km. Our limited fishing area has created a lot of problems for fishermen here who are already struggling with an infrequent catch and long hours.
Concerning this, I hope our Malaysian authorities, especially the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), would step in to settle the problem. I began as a fisherman five years ago, though I have been familiar with the work for as long as I could remember. My father is a fisherman, and among my two other siblings, I am the only one, besides my father, who has continued with the work.
I used to work as a ship welder in Singapore. The company I worked for was based at a port and the work was difficult and stressful. Travelling daily from Pontian to Singapore took a toll on me, and I quit the job after a year. That was when I decided to become a fisherman full time.
It happened when half of that group of fishermen who were based at the Goh Ah Heng jetty failed to settle their outstanding debts for payment on subsidised diesel. Though I did not have any debts, the Pontian Area Fishermen's Association (PNK) stopped its supply of subsidised diesel to all of us. Many of my fellow fishermen then held a strike to demand for fairness. Prices of fish soared by 40 per cent during that period as the supply of fish dwindled. Fortunately, the strike and subsequent reports in the Press resulted in the Pontian PNK re-supplying us with diesel. Working in the waters off Pontian is not like what it used to be 30 years ago. Back then, fishermen used small wooden boats with low-powered engines, or even those that sailed without engines. Nowadays, fishing boats are large and are equipped with engines of up to 300 horsepower. Naturally, we use much bigger nets now and each net requires us to go out to sea for at least five-and-a-half hours. Much of our work depends on the tide and currents, and that is why we sometimes need to go to sea at night. As a Class B boat fisherman, my time is limited to 12 hours. It is common for fishermen to struggle with their earnings as our livelihood depends on the condition at sea. That is why a cut of subsidised diesel had badly affected my fellow fishermen. Many people do not understand the life that we go through to put food on our family's table. Nevertheless, whenever the going is good, fishermen are happy. There is fortune to be made from the sea, if one is ready to put in hard work. Pontian water is teeming with ikan bawal and tenggiri. Fish caught off Pontian have a good reputation among seafood lovers as they are fresh and taste good. The unique taste is due to the seabed which is made up of mineral-rich earth. It is a different seabed in Pontian and the rest of the west coast, as compared to the east coast of Johor, which mostly has sandy seabeds. Ng Jih Chang, 33, is fisherman based at the Goh Ah Heng jetty in Pontian. Interview by Ahmad Fairuz Othman |
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