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NST Online: StreetsJohor

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CARING TRADITION Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:20 AM PDT Although its new clubhouse is being built, it did not stop the Johor Cultural and Sports Club from hosting lunch for a group of special children INSIDE the event hall at the Johor Cultural and Sports Club (JCSC)'s annual lunch for special children, the stage backdrop displayed a small poster featuring a caricature of a little girl. Scribbled in a childish scrawl, the caption on the poster reads: "All children deserve to feel wanted, safe, secure, special and loved." This clearly reflects the club's sentiment towards those who are less privileged and is the reason why this lunch remains a recurring date on the club's annual calendar of events. Even as the new JCSC clubhouse at Jalan Larkin is under construction, the club was determined to maintain this tradition with the children and an event hall was hired to host this annual event. At this year's lunch, held on Sept 25, some 250 guests from eight charitable organisations and welfare homes were entertained with balloon sculptures by Susu the clown, and played games and received prizes. A special appearance by comedian Sathya, of Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu fame, kept the audience laughing with his skits and songs. "You can be assured that we will hold the next event in our own hall at the new clubhouse next year," said A. Prasad, the club's honorary secretary, to which the guests responded with enthusiastic cheers and applause. He added that the access road is being built. While JCSC members looks forward to moving into their new premises, which is expected to become the premier Town Club of Johor, the club remains committed to continuing to contribute to the community. Guest of honour Chia Song Cheng, the state assemblyman for Pengkalan Rinting, noted that members of the public need to set aside some time to care for special people. Additionally, he commended JCSC for their efforts to bring good cheer to less privileged people in the community and encouraged other groups and corporations to support the club in its activities. Chia showed his support by announcing that the State Government would contribute RM3,000 towards JCSC social welfare activities, along with RM10,000 for the JCSC building fund. Also, on behalf of JCSC, Chia presented gift cheques of RM1,000 to representatives from the charitable organisations and welfare homes. The beneficiaries of these donations were Pertubuhan Sosial dan Kebajikan Sari Saujana, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Pushpa Nesan, Taman Sinar Harapan Tampoi, Rumah Cheshire Johor, Rumah Kurang Upaya Permulian Permas Jaya, Malaysia Hindu Sangam Masai, Taman Sinar Jubilee Larkin and the Johor Spastics Children Association. Herman Gilbert Joseph, chairman of JCSC Social Welfare Sub-Committee, thanked members and sponsors for their generosity and contributions in making the event memorable. Also present at the luncheon were Lim Jit Ngoh, Johor State Registrar of Societies; S. Balakrishnan, MIC Johor Baru division chairman; and JCSC manager N. Singaraveloo. While donations were being announced, guests were served fried chicken from KFC and chocolate bars. Later, there was a buffet lunch of rice with local dishes and ice cream served in individual cups. After the meal, volunteers were invited to play games and win prizes. Among the activities were a dance contest, balloon-blowing and musical chairs. JCSC, which started as a social club for high-ranking civil servants in 1930, changed its name from Johore Civil Service Club to Johor Cultural & Sports Club in 1985 when the club expanded its activities and became a more family-oriented organisation. As JCSC journeys to its new location, the club remains committed to its tradition to ring in the New Year with an annual dinner and dance and give back to the community through annual charitable events organised for the less privileged and the elderly. For information about club membership, call 07-224 1899 or fax to 07-222 4445. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

A road most travelled is Jalan Meldrum Posted: 20 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT JALAN Meldrum is a pedestr ian street in downtown Johor Baru. It used to be a road for motor ists. It runs parallel to Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, and is intercepted in three junctions by Jalan Siu Nam, Jalan Siu Koon and Jalan Siu Chin. Little was known that the vicinity in the late 1800s was known as "Kam - pong Ah Fook", named after the early Chinese immigrant Wong Ah Fook, who was a builder and later, a successful entrepreneur. On these streets, where the Chinese immigrants lived, were houses, gambling and opium dens, leisure clubs and brothels. Traders such as barbers, vegetable sellers, and money-changers lined the five-foot ways along Jalan Meldr um. Old ladies would sit by the roadside peddling jade ornaments, vegetables and cooking utensils. A few vendors would push their carts from one spot to another, shouting on top of their voices to attract customer s. One of these traders was a fortune teller I would never forget. He would predict the fortune of people by throwing coins or conch shells. One's fate would be decided by the way the items landed. And that was not the only method he would use to predict the future. He also resorted to shaking numbered fortune sticks, and the stick which slipped out from the bamboo container has a number. The number is then used to tally with the the numbered paper slips with various fortunes written on them. Another method he used was picking up screwed up balls of paper, on each of which had Chinese characters such as "water", "mountain", "rain", "sun" or "moon" written on it. These characters symbolised different meanings. They could be used to refer to fortunes such as "money is coming", "trouble expected from mother-in-law", "obstacles coming your way" or "bright future". I used to follow my grandmother to have her fortune told in Jalan Meldr um. There were back lanes where the night soil collectors would come and collect the faeces in buckets from every household. The human waste was often covered with earth and soil. This may be how the term "night soil" came about. The once renowned Capitol Cinema stood at one end of Jalan Meldrum, while the Central Police Station built in 1914 stood on the other end of the road. Jalan Meldrum was named after a Scottish businessman Datuk James Alexander Meldrum who started the first European enterprise in Johor. As the son-in-law of Reverend Keasberry, a personal tutor to the sultan of that time Sultan Abu Bakar, Meldrum operated the largest sawmill in Johor Baru which was near the old Immigration Department. Meldrum was also credited with the construction of Malaysia's first railway line. He was the engineer of the project as well as the timber supplier for the construction of the Istana. In recognition of his contribution, the road adjacent to his sawmill was named Jalan Sawmill even till today. He used to live in Alexander Hall at Bukit Meldrum, now the site of the Grand Blue Wave Hotel. Meldrum passed away on April 11, 1904 and his wife, Datin Meldrum, on Aug 10, 1908. Both of them, and subsequently their daughter and son-in-law, were buried on the hillside of Bukit Meldr um. In 1971, due to the subsequent construction of the Customs Complex, the relics of 13 members of the Meldrum family were relocated to a new burial ground at Kebun Teh provided by the state government. A monument was erected in their honour in 1979. Meldrum was awarded the highest Datukship (SPMJ) by the sultan for his service and contributions to the state . Bukit Meldrum and Jalan Meldrum hence were named in honour of him and his deveopment of the state . You can find the oldest building within the area at one end of Jalan Siu Nam known as the Kwong Siew Wai Kuan, a clan association established in 1878 by the Cantonese. The association provided lots of support and help to the early immig rants. New immigrants could get job placements and recommendations, or financial help if needed, and sometimes lodging. The association also held meetings and gatherings to look into the conditions of the new immigrants, and how well they were coping with their new surroundings. Letter-writing and remittance services were provided, too. In other words, the immigrants were made to feel at home and given a sense of belonging. The most memorable place within the Jalan Meldrum area was the only Chinese funeral parlour at that time, also in Jalan Siu Nam. Here, one can see mourners in black, and jute mourning clothes, the display of rows of flower wreaths with paper effigies of houses, cars, and air planes. From a distance, one can also hear the "clang-clang" beats and the "tock-tock" sounds of death rituals. I remembered when my grandmother passed away in 1966 when she was 60 years old, her funeral procession started from Jalan Meldrum to the burial ground which is about 2km away. Personally, I think Jalan Meldrum is still a place for things of old. It is not just for the tourists to enjoy, but for ourselves and our children too. We can enjoy the rich culture and tradition left by our forefathers. We should learn to rejoice in our culture, and celebrate and treasure it. It is, after all, our heritage. It should be a journey into the very essence of our identity when we visit these streets of downtown Johor Baru as such as the one-and-only Jalan Meldrum. n Jimmy Leong is a UNESCO accredited cultural heritage guide, the chairman of the Johor Tourist Guides Association, the president of the Malaysian Tourist Guides Council and permanent member of Iskandar Malaysia Tourism Steering Committee. Interview by Sim Bak Heng Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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