The Attractions Of Betong

ST Jimmy | Sunday, December 22, 2013 | | 2 comments




BETONG: FOR GOOD FOOD, CHEAP PRICES & CLEAN COOL MOUNTAIN RELAXATION

Few decades ago, Malaysians would shun going to Betong in Thailand, a small town just a “stone’s throw” away from the common border. It was infamously linked to the outlawed Communist insurgents who used the mountainous  jungle terrain nearby the town as the clandestine enclave to escape the pursuit of Malaysian security forces. The insurgents engaged in jungle warfare tactics against the security forces in Malaysian territory. After each confrontation, they would then seep through the border to the enclave for refuge. 

When the insurgents laid down their armed struggle in 1989 and granted amnesty by the Malaysian Government, some chose to be assimilated into the Thai civilization. Mostly between late 50s and mid 60s in age now, they are either currently in business or trade as peaceful Thai citizens.

Today, Betong is a popular holiday retreat for Malaysian Chinese who seek good Chinese and Thai food, and also to relax in a cool, clean mountain environment not too far from the town – all in very affordable costs. The Malaysian Ringgit is commonly accepted by all businesses as the alternative to Thai Baht. Communication is not a problem as the Thai Chinese there are fluent in Mandarin and the main Chinese dialects. Many local Muslims speak the Malay lingo. Malaysian Chinese would feel at home although in another country.

In the third week of November, I went with close pals Lim Buck Kooi and Kok Mun Sum, along with Buck Kooi’s business associates. This was my second trip to Betong. The first time was slightly more than two years ago, in July with some other pals for “makan-makan” (food savouring) and feasting the “king of fruits” – durian (it was durian season then). 
   
In the recent trip, I had the opportunity to stay in the Winter Flower Garden Resort on highland terrain for the first part of the three-day itinerary. The average temperature at around 18 to 20 degree was pristine. Full bloomed flowers spanning the resort set a pleasing mood. The meals served by the caretakers suited our taste buds well – simple preparations but yet satisfying, especially the fresh own-grown organic vegetables. Activities available after dinner were karaoke, mah-jong and card games. 

The resort was slightly more than an hour’s drive by mini-bus from Betong town. I remembered seeing plenty of durians dangling from trees decked at the sides of the uphill road in my first journey there by MPV in 2011 – which was like a quick browse through without staying overnight – but this time the trees were devoid of the fruits because it was off season. I was wondering……..if it was in season, we could have picked some fruits along the way as there was no fencing to keep off poachers. Even in my first visit, I did not see anybody attending to the plots of land although the fruits were in abundance. Probably the trees are wild, in no man’s land?

A must-visit place which is halfway between Betong and Winter Flower Garden Resort is the Piyamid Tunnel. The entire site encompasses the former main operating camp of the Communist insurgents, with dug-out tunnels serving as refuge hidden in the upper reaches of thick jungle.Visitors can perceive how they lived and survived.

At the fringe of the town is the Betong Hot Spring in Ban Charo Parai  Village. I soothed my tired feet in the pool and then joined the other pals to relax under a tree, sipping a locally concocted herbal wine tonic, fresh coconut water and tucking in some light food bought from vendors. There is also a souvenir shop situated at the entry of the site which offers quite a good range of items at reasonable prices, including comfortable t-shirts in striking colours and awesome designs sold around 200 to 250 Bahts (equivalent to RM20 – RM25).

Now, about food……… I strongly recommend the popular Chinese Tim Sum restaurant (seemed to be the main one in the town) at the corner of Chayachawalit Road and very nearby Mandarin Hotel - where we stayed according to the second part of the itinerary - for breakfast on the third day.  The cuisine available in wide varieties was indeed satiating. Together with another two friends, the three of us "gluttonised" ourselves with 14 baskets of the wares. When we settled the bill in Ringgit, we were really taken aback – RM20, inclusive a pot of Chinese tea for three persons! We couldn’t believe it at first, so we double-checked with the owner whether he had made a mistake. We were affirmed that each basket was only around RM1. Astonishing! The same restaurant served our group excellent dinner on day 2 of the itinerary. Eight large servings for 12 people, and the bill came to only RM280. No fanciful garnishing but the "solid" ingredients exuded the the aroma of each dish.

Overall, food was good and I would say very worthwhile the costs we paid.

If you have never been to Betong and if you are a durian lover, I recommend you go there during the fruit season in the middle of the year. Unfortunately, my recent trip was off season. I remembered I paid RM2 per (good) fruit in my first trip two years ago. Out of curiosity, I checked it out with a fruit stall holder - whom I recognised as the trader who sold me organic durians last time - about the current average price this year. He told it was around RM2.50 to RM3 per fruit, depending on the size – still cheap.

Hotel rates are also comparatively much cheaper than in Malaysia. For RM80 per night on twin-sharing, you can select one of the prime hotels.

All in all, my second visit to Betong was equally memorable as the first. And all in all, it was real money’s worth.

Photos.............

Day 1:

(Duty free outlet at the Malaysian side of the common border as the first visit site in our itinerary.)
                                          (Buying local foodstuffs not available in Malaysia.)
                                                    (Taking a break in a cafe cum bar.)
                           (Is this the largest postbox in the world? Taken from a blog).

                           (In abundance during every durian season - photo taken from a blog.)


          (Trekking up to the tunnel site. There was no plank path those days for the insurgents.)
            ( Such was the original trekking terrain of the insurgents - through very dense jungle.)


        (Briefing by ex-Communist caretaker about the history of Piyamid & the tunnel links.)
                                                         (Map showing the tunnel links,)
                                                    (Treading inside one of the tunnels.)
                                          (This was the radio transmission cum work room.)
  (1. Stone bed for married couples in the tunnel. 2. Going into the work room. Taken from a blog.)

 (That's where marriages among the insurgents were held. Allowed to marry but not giving birth.)
            (Praying place. Of course, it was not so elaborately decorated in those days.)
(Equipments & weapons used by the insurgents. Old photos of leading insurgents are in here too.)

                     (Dried wild herbs and wild herbal health tonics are for sale in Piyamid.)
                                                    (Big organic papayas sold at Piyamid.)
                           (Part of the landscape and view in Winter Flower Garden Resort.)
                           (The own-grown organic greens are served in meals at the resort.)
                                 (Flowers welcome visitors to the chalets where they stay.)

Day 2:

                                             (Betong Hot Spring - for soothing tired feet.)
                                               (Clubhouse and chalets at the hot spring.)
              (Simple but quite hearty lunch in a Chinese restaurant owned by an ex-insurgent.)

                                                  (The small museum and observatory.)
                                                  (That's how big or small Betong is.)
                       (Hot sweet bird's nest soup with mild herbs - only RM21 each person.)
                                            (Thick shark's fin chowder in claypot - RM50.)
                                       (We had "supreme" siew mai as appetizer for dinner.)
                                                     (The best fishcakes I've ever tasted.)
                                              (Fragrant fried rice - looks plain but good.)
                                          (Chicken in soy sauce is a popular dish in Betong.)
                                     (Braised trotters - the savory gravy lingers in the palate.)
                                                          (Succulent "king of ribs".)
                                                       (Steamed fish in chilli padi source.)

Day 3:

  (No regrets trying the tim sum for breakfast in this popular restaurant. Photo taken from a blog.)
(Freshly prepared tim sum in varieties but not fully cooked yet. The selected ones will be placed in baskets to be steamed first for serving to customers. Photo taken from a blog.)


(Checked out of Mandarin Hotel at lunch hour and headed for home - no photos.)




                                    






















                                                  


         

FOR ATTENTION OF ALL MALAYSIAN EPF MEMBERS

ST Jimmy | Saturday, October 05, 2013 | | 0 comments




S0ME “UNFAMILIAR” FEATURES OF THE EMPLOYEES PROVIDENT FUND (MALAYSIA) THAT MEMBERS/CONTRIBUTORS OUGHT TO KNOW……………………………

(Foreword: What I am sharing now is for the benefit of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members in the two categories – (1) Those who are still contributing regularly to their respective account in the fund; (2) Retirees who have ceased contributing but still maintain some balance amount in the fund. To my many friends who are already above 55 years old (some already retired, some still working) and still EPF members, I hope this article would enlighten them if at all relevant for their attention.

NOMINATION

Sometime ago, there was an e-mail circulating regarding the plight of a widow who could not immediately claim from her deceased husband’s  EPF balance of RM30,000. She said she was the sole nominee named by her husband. In the end, she had to seek the assistance of Amanah Raya (public trustee) to legally claim the money.

Was this allegation true? Perhaps so, but I believe certain facts relating to the issue were not mentioned. As the balance amount was only RM30,000, I believe the deceased had made partial withdrawals before his demise. Perhaps, that was the crux of the issue. A couple of questions are most relevant to the so-called plight of this widow. Question 1:  Did the deceased EPF member  apply for any Age 55 withdrawal? Question 2: Which year did he apply for the withdrawal? – was it before Feb. 1 2008?

Now, allow me to share with you some excerpts extracted from the Members’ Guide (below).

Quote:

“There will be changes to the nomination status when you make the Age 55 Years Withdrawal during the following periods:

·         Before 1 November 2007
If you make the Age 55 Years Withdrawal, then the nomination made prior to this will be revoked.

·         Transition Period (1 November 2007 – 31 January 2008)
If you make the Age 55 Years Withdrawal and opt for a lump sum payment of savings, the nomination prior to this will be revoked. If you are still employed and opt to re-contribute, you will be required to make a new nomination.

If you make the Age 55 Years Withdrawal and opt for partial savings withdrawal, then the nomination made before this will remain in effect.

·         Starting 1 February 2008

If you make the Age 55 Years Withdrawal and opt for whichever method of payment, the nomination made before this will remain in effect.”

DIVIDENDS

Quote:

“All EPF contributions will be paid dividends until the member attains the age of 75 years. A minimum dividend of 2.5% is assured by the government. The dividend given to you is based on monthly and yearly balances.

The dividend for every member’s account is calculated based on aggregate daily balance.”

INCAPACITATION AND DEATH BENEFITS

Quote:

“The Incapacitation and Death Benefits are a good gesture by the EPF, payable to the member/guardian or beneficiary to help lessen the financial burden when the member suffers from incapacitation or in the event of death. The money comes from EPF investment earnings and not from the member’s savings.”

INCAPACITATION BENEFIT (INCAPACITATION WITHDRAWAL

Quote:

“The Incapacitation Benefit is paid to the member who has lost his job owing to incapacitation and has made an Incapacitation Withdrawal. The amount for Incapacitation Benefit is RM5,000.00. This benefit will be given once only, subject to the following conditions:

·         *Malaysian citizen;
·         *Member has not attained the age of 55;
·        * Applied for Incapacitation Withdrawal within 12 months of the date of termination of service;
·         *Last period of service must be at least 6 continuous months;
·         *Reason for termination of service must be incapability to work and not disciplinary action or voluntary resignation.”

DEATH BENEFIT (DEATH WITHDRAWAL)

Quote:

“The Death Benefit is paid to the member’s dependant or next-of-kin, subject to consideration by the EPF, when the application for Death Withdrawal is made. The amount for Death Benefit is RM2,500.00 This benefit will be given once only, subject to the following conditions:

·         *Malaysian citizen;
·         *Member has not attained the age of 55 years at the time of death;
·        * Application for Death Withdrawal is made within 6 months of the date of demise of the member.”

MATRIMONAIL ASSET CLAIM

Quote:

“Can you claim a portion of your spouse’s EPF savings in the event of a divorce?

Yes, in the event of a divorce of non-Muslim members. The ex-wife or the ex-husand can make a claim on the EPF savings of the former spouse as a joint matrimonial asset upon obtaining a court order.

This application can be made within 6 years of the date of enforcement of the court order. If all of the savings in the EPF account are covered under the matrimonial asset claim, then the claimant or claimant’s beneficiary will not be entitled for Incapacitation Benefit or Death Benefit.

The claimant may also nominate a beneficiary for the matrimonial asset.”

(Note to EPF members: For full understanding of the features and benefits, get hold of the Guide.)

SINGAPORE: INTO THE FUTURE

ST Jimmy | Saturday, September 28, 2013 | | 0 comments




COPING WITH LAND SHORTAGE, HOUSING NEEDS & POPULATION CONGESTION

A friend, who had read my article entitled My Crystal Ball Visions on Malaysia-Singapore & Myanmar (posted on Aug.7, 2013) asked me a couple of mind-prodding questions while we were having a chit-chat session. “What do you foresee regarding how Singapore will cope with the shortage of land issue two or three decades from now? And how many Singaporeans really want to set up homes in their neighbouring Malaysian soil instead of merely buying properties in the Iskandar Development Area (which is adjacent to the island nation and just a “stone’s throw” away) for investment only?”

I was quick to retort: “I do not have privy information on affirmed plans of Singapore’s future landscape, so it is not apt for me to predict without concrete basis. But let me ask you this question for ponder, what options does the small island nation have now to overcome the issue 20 or 30 years down the road?” He appeared perplexed.

I elaborated to him that land space availability to cater for a significant population growth will be a concern Singapore has to face up. According to a report by AP in February this year, the projected population by year 2030 would reach 6.9 million – an increase of 1.3 million from present. Naturally, the Singapore Government can be expected to have already proactively drawn out plans as pre-emptive options.

Perhaps, one of the ready options open to the Government is to continue land reclamation in order to extend the coastline further. After all, sea reclaimed land already accounted for one-fifth of the island’s total land area to-date.
 (One of the reclamation projects to increase land space, which will change the shape of S'pore)
 
Although Singapore may claim sovereign rights over some distance of territorial sea span, yet such a move is not without challenges. First, continuous ample sand supplies must be available. My research via Google revealed Malaysia and Indonesia stopped supplying sand since 1997 and 2007 respectively. Cambodia has somewhat restricted sand exports. Invariably, scarcity in supply will lead to marked increase in prices on demand.

Secondly, there is also the moral element relating to marine environment conservation to contend with. Few years ago, Malaysia expressed concern of harm to marine environment which could negatively impact the livelihood of small fishermen living at the coastline of its Johor State due to Singapore’s reclamation activities along the Straits of Johor, the channel between Johor  and Singapore. Malaysia also argued that reclamation at the Pulau Tekong point of Singapore would bring about navigational difficulty due to narrowing of the channel. The matter was resolved when the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea mediated for minor changes to moderate the reclamation works at Pulau Tekong and for monitoring of ecology. International environmentalists are against large scale dredging of river and sea sand as they fear such activities, if unabated, can lead to depletion of fish stock, altering tidal flows and water levels, and also be detrimental to long distance migratory birds which rely on intertidal mudflats for sustenance.

Perhaps, another (alternative) option is to explore the possibility of subterranean or underground living as the future frontier. According to AP, the Building Construction Authority said such scene could materialise by 2050. I am not surprised about this talk. As it is, below-the-surface development has taken place. A blog in the name of My Property Guru wrote about Phase 1 works on the Jurong Rock Caverns project at the depth of 130 m., to cater for storage facilities. Already, underground stations and retail shops exist.  It is just a matter of expanding and extending more sideways and downwards for other purposes. CNN Travel, in an article three years ago, reported the Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) was formulating the Underground Master Plan.
(Part of the Rock Caverns development works earmarked for storage facilities)

The concept of subterranean living is not new. Yahoo News carried a report that Holland had planned to build an underground sub-city in (or more aptly phrased as “beneath”) Amsterdam at the estimated cost of US$14.4 billion, commencing 2018. The structures would be beneath the canals and streets of Amsterdam.
(Model subterranean homes overseas - will these examples be part of the living scene in S'pore?)

But would living underground be conducive for people? Would it be devoid of natural light and fresh air? Would there be water seepage problems? What about the acoustic effect? What about any health impact risks? These may be the probable issues to overcome for the option to be practical.

Perhaps, having more Singaporeans relocate to set homes in Iskandar Development Area in Johor State, Malaysia may be a viable option. Bearing in mind that the development of Iskandar area itself and major new property schemes are on joint ventures between parties of both nations, surely the Singapore Government would encourage Singaporeans to support the projects. Success of the JVs will contribute to the GDP and GNI growth of Singapore.
(Map of Iskandar Development Area - perimeter marked in red. Adjacent to it is Singapore - shaded in white. In between is the channel, Straits of Johor)

I foresee two categories of Singaporeans as potential home setters in Iskandar:

·        * Those working for the JV projects. Shuttling daily between the two territories is less practical than staying around where they work. Convenience of proximity is the key consideration.

·        * Those preferring to live in more luxurious residential properties available at affordable costs – i.e. leveraging on “earn in Sing Dollars and buy in Ringgit” purchasing power. An average 4-room HDB (Housing Development Board) flat costs around S$500,000. With that sum converted to RM at the current rate of 2.6 times, it is more than sufficient to buy an up-class landed spacious house in Iskandar. Or they can go for a posh condominium with good facilities.

(1. A two-storey terrace house at very affordable price of RM390,000.  2, A spacious and posh property priced at RM1.26 million. How much will these types of properties cost in Singapore, in Sing Dollars???)

Certain doubts may linger in some Singapore nationals whose socio-cultural values, behavioural and general mind sets are different than Malaysians. The key deciding factor is, how many Singaporeans would feel comfortable settling down in the Malaysian environment? For example, I have heard often times from some of my contacts in the island expressing surprise over the frequent untoward events, including crime episodes, prevailing in Malaysia. But I also have quite a few friends from the island who love to visit Malaysia now and then for food flair and landscape variety.

The Star (Malaysia) newspaper carried an interesting story on August 20. It quoted a Johor state assemblyman claiming that more than 200,000 cars from Singapore entered Johor Baru city, which is within the perimeters of Iskandar, daily via the main Causeway and Second Link Crossing. The report did not specify how many of the commuters were Singaporeans; neither did it mention whether the figure included Malaysian registered vehicles returning home from the island. Nevertheless, the news proves a point – many islanders do not shy away from their immediate neighbourhood. Another news report – by Straits Times (Singapore) –  recently highlighted that Singaporeans made up 74% of the non-Malaysian buyers of properties in Iskandar developed by UEM Sunrise. Most of them were said to those frequently going to Johor for business and those seeking a weekend home. Who knows, they may ultimately settle down in Iskandar permanently.

Perhaps, the best option is the combination of the three likely options. Intense congestion is naturally expected in the next few decades. Open land space availability can be predicted to be a more serious issue than now, not just catering for homes but more so for industrial and commercial requirements. Thus, the executive power of Singapore must optimise whatever avenues it could grasp in order to thrust the island nation to a vibrant future, like what it has done over the past few decades.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The contents of this write-up are reflections of my personal perceptions, and not referring to affirmed official views or information cited by any relevant authorities of Singapore.  Readers are invited to share their thoughts, whether in consonance or dissonance with what I personally foresee.

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