NST Online: StreetsJohor
NST Online: StreetsJohor |
| Posted: 09 Oct 2011 10:49 AM PDT Children and adults of all races have a memorable time at an annual Mid-Autumn Festival gathering AT twilight, a string of paper lanterns hung from lines across a row of trees along the Canal Walk were lit up the old-fashioned way, with candles. Bathed in this charming glow, children playing with rabbits in the adjacent petting area could not resist lingering a little longer.
This celebration, traditionally marked on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, was celebrated with residents and friends of Leisure Farm Resort, recently. Earlier, they tasted a variety of delicious mooncakes with traditional fillings like lotus paste as well as innovative flavours like tiramisu and durian.
While legends of the Mid-Autumn celebration were screened on a television, a row of lanterns were hung up with tassels printed with questions for the lantern quiz. Those who were challenged picked a question from the lanterns to answer and walked away with attractive prizes after answering the question correctly.
In 1992, Lau Chai Yong, who makes handicraft from recycled paper and plastic materials, turned her hobby into a cottage industry, creating useful and decorative items. Lau exhibited and sold her creations at the event to raise funds for the National Stroke Association of Malaysia Johor Baru. After she shared her skills with youngsters, guiding them to create paper lanterns from old namecards, Lau helped participants in the lantern-making competition. The competition kicked off simultaneously for participants in the children, adult and family categories. If making lanterns using paper rolls and egg trays looked like child's play, the participants soon found out otherwise. Under Mulpha International's corporate social responsibility programme Leisure Farm Corporation hosted an art exhibition by special young artist, Yap Hanzhen, at the event. Profits from the sale of his sketches of dogs, cats and butterflies were channelled to the Kiwanis Careheart Centre school fund. The resort had a stall selling refreshing ice kacang while Suzana Ahmat, a resident of Bayou Water Village, provided express manicures at her stall. Proceeds from the sales went to Amithaba Centre Charity Orphanage, Johor Baru. ATS Dance Academy dancers entertained while everyone enjoyed a sumptuous buffet spread with live cooking stations that served burgers and tauhu bakar. The fun continued with an exciting contest between Vincent Tang and Siti Aliza Mohamed Nasir, who raced to complete a giant jigsaw puzzle. Cheered on by a supportive audience, Aliza, a Leisure Farm resident of 11 years, worked with speed and accuracy to emerge the winner. Meanwhile, Norhayati Sukeni was helping her children, nieces and nephews to light candles for their paper lanterns at the Canal Walk. "I paid RM6.90 for a set of six lanterns," said Norhayati as her hands moved adeptly securing candles and fixing fallen twigs onto the lanterns as handles while the children were impatient to set off along the meandering path. She was obviously familiar with what she was doing. Her family has adopted lantern playing as a tradition. The cross-cultural atmosphere continued as a pair of prancing lions moved to the beat of deafening drums and led a parade of lighted lanterns for a trek on the Canal Walk. It was a memorable close to the event. The children of all ages followed the lions dressed in costumes, dotted by hundreds of flashing light bulbs. The Mid-Autumn celebration is an annual event for residents organised by Leisure Farm Resort in cooperation with event company In-The-Event. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Act of kindness to animals in enclosures Posted: 09 Oct 2011 07:37 AM PDT 2011/10/09 THE Johor Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has finally enforced the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 in two private zoos in Johor Baru. The day the Act was enforced was also the day the animals were set free from small and cramped cages. Private zoo operators, like any businessmen, are keeping animals for a purpose, that is to make money through the sales of entrance tickets.
With no experience or expertise, the keepers' only option is to put the animals into an enclosure. This is wrong. Zoo operators in advanced countries treat their animals like they treat their children.
It is a totally different scenario in Malaysia. In some private zoos, you may have noted that almost all the animals are fed the same type of food for almost every meal, every day.
As a result, you will see cases of animals down with digestive problem. When this occurs, the animal will lose weight and develop health problems eventually. As an open concept is too pricey for them, the only way is to lock the animals in small enclosures. It is cruel to take away their freedom. Private zoo operators were given sufficient time before the amended Act was enforced. Apparently, they had ignored the provisions in the Act, which was passed by Parliament in August last year and has a wider scope and jurisdiction in the protection of more wildlife species and activities related to wildlife. Perhilitan has clearly said the Act, when fully enforced, would have better control over all wildlife species, wildlife derivatives, hybrid species and invasive alien species. The Act also gives the department the jurisdiction to address issues on wild animal welfare and cruelty. I have heard cases of private zoos that moonlight in breeding some protected species for sale. At this point, it makes us wonder from where they obtain all the animal species. In Johor, protected animals are smuggled out from Bekok, Paloh and Kahang from time to time. Most of the them end up in restaurants serving exotic meat, while rare species are sold for money. The Act will certainly act as a deterrent to poachers as well as illegal keepers of animals. Vincent Chow is the chairman of the Malaysia Nature Society (Johor branch). Interview by Sim Bak Heng Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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