The MITC flyover is nearly finished. The contractor needs to draw lines and clear some construction debris.
If the works can be speeded up, hopefully, it can be opened for public use before the Chinese New year.
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5 things to do in Teluk Intan
Teluk Intan is a small town that is just 2-hours away from Kuala Lumpur. Once known as Teluk Anson, (Anson Bay) it was named in honour of Major-General Sir Archibald Edward Harbord Anson who planned for its modern township in 1882. A century later in 1982, the name was finally cemented as Teluk Intan which translates to ‘Diamond Bay’, where Perak rulers once held court for hundreds of years.
With a rich history solidified by ancient landmarks and friendly townspeople, Teluk Intan is sure to provide lasting memories for every visitor.
For a town that is barely 127 square kilometres wide, it is surprisingly busy. With the town in constant motion, the hustle and bustle of people about their day allows for visitors to immerse themselves entirely with the pulse of the place. From it’s colonial architecture, to its accessibility to the river bank and its colourful shop lots, the different elements come together to give travellers a sense of paradise. It also has all the modern day essentials for the urban traveller with shopping malls, a movie theatre and fast food joints scattered around town.
Of course, no trip to the riverside town would feel complete without fishing! For a fetching price of RM300 a day, you have the option to rent a boat from the town’s jetty and fish the day away! The calming waters and the cool and crisp breeze could just be what you need to escape the routine lifestyle. Just sit back and be part of nature. Leave it to the local boatmen to take you to the best fishing spots. While fishing, travellers (who are advised to bring a pair of binoculars) can engage with nature and enjoy some birdwatching. You will definitely walk away with a deeper appreciation for nature and seafood for dinner.
Menara Jam Condong Teluk Intan or the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan is certainly a must visit. Built under the guidance of Leong Choon Chong, a 19th century contractor, this beautifully designed building was once used as a Japanese watchtower during World War 2 before becoming a national monument in 1957. Standing tall at height of 8-storey, this tower chimes every 15 minutes and only needs its mechanisms rewound every 7 days. Even though the tower looks like it has 8-storey, it actually only has 3 very tall floors. The lean of the tower is what makes it unique and is most prominent when standing in front of the tower. Although it is more of a tourist attraction nowadays, the tower was once used to store water for the town during a drought or in case of fire. A trip to Teluk Intan would certainly not be complete without a visit to this Malaysian wonder.
No town in Malaysia would be the same without its street food! With a wide variety of choices, Teluk Intan’s street food has all the local delicacies along with food native to the town. Eateries are accessible and available at any hour of the day. Freshly made ‘Mee Rebus’ (blanched noodles) and ‘Chee Cheong Fan’ (rice noodle rolls) are available for the hungry traveller regardless of the hour. Among the local desserts found is the famed ‘Apom Balik’ (turnover pancake). It is believed that the best stall for this dessert is located near the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan. The stall that is manned by a charming Malay couple that have served this delightful dessert for years.
Teluk Intan is also known for their fruit orchards and the produce can be seen with the availability of fruits everywhere. Travellers should not miss the chance to sample the assortment of fruits sold by street vendors. There are dozens of dusuns (fruit orchards) bearing all sorts of fruits from bananas, papayas, dragon fruit, mangoes and jambu batu (guava) to the local specialty, pineapples. A visit to the ‘Bazar Nanas Kampung Selabak’ (Kampung Selabak Pineapple Bazaar) is a must for any fruit lover. Fruists sold here are fresh from the orchard with a new batch arriving every 3 to 4 days. Besides fruit, the bazaar also offers other locally made snacks and condiments such as wild honey, rojak sauce (black fish paste sauce to be mixed with fruits) and another local delicacy, salted fish.
For an up close experience of the Teluk Intan Leaning Tower, check out this video:
Wednesday October 12, 2011
Facelift works in Malacca’s Little India to be completed before Deepavali
By R.S.N. MURALI
murali@thestar.com.my
MALACCA: The Festival of Lights is set to shine brighter on the business community in Malacca’s Little India following the resolution of a controversy over its facelift works.
State Suburban Development and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk R. Perumal said work on the site would resume and be completed before Deepavali, which falls on Oct 26.
“We have settled all the hitches surrounding the contractor’s ap pointment. Work has commenced and will be completed as scheduled,” he said in an interview here yesterday.
Dissatisfaction over the appointment had brought the RM2mil project, which was supposed to emulate Jonker Walk’s success, to a standstill for over a week.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam had directed Perumal to sort out the dispute over the appointment, which was made in September.
Perumal said although the disgruntled group accused the state of cronyism when it awarded the job to a reputable contractor here, the tender had gone through normal procedure.
“The selection board granted the job to only the qualified bidder without any favouritism,” he said, adding that the state government wanted to ensure that the project was implemented smoothly.
“We managed to explain the rationale for the appointment of that particular contractor to the unsuccessful bidders. Finally, it was accepted,” said Perumal, who is also state MIC chairman.
He said the state was stringent in awarding the job and some of those who bid for the contract did not even meet the requirements set by the tender board.
Perumal said the job involved designing and building as well as installing ornaments for the stretch from Padang Nyiru, and along Jalan Laksamana and Jalan Bunga Raya that was within Little India.
He added that the contract for the project was managed by the State Development Board on behalf of the Tourism Ministry.
Mohd Ali showing the construction of the complex in Malacca during a visit recently.
CIQ Complex to be completed in 2012
MALACCA: Construction of the state’s recently revived Customs Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex is expected to be fully completed by March next year.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the government had strived hard to ensure the project was restored after the initial construction hit a snag due to technical hitches on the part of its previous contractor.
“We have commissioned a second contractor and up to now 38% of the project is completed and if all goes well, we could anticipate the RM73mil complex to be operational by mid-2012,” he said at a site tour recently.
Once completed, Mohd Ali added the complex could accommodate 15,000 visitors arriving from neighbouring countries on a monthly basis.
“This will certainly be a boost for Malacca in terms of the tourists arrivals,” he said.
The CIQ will complement the Batu Berendam International airport as a major gateway to the state and also to expedite the entry process for foreign tourists.
Mohd Ali said once the CIQ was completed, the state could also attract tourist boats from Singapore and Batam to enter the local waterway.
He added that frequency of the current ferry services from Bengkalis and Dumai in Indonesia could also be doubled with the new facility.
The increase, could turn the Malacca port as an optional hub for ferry services from neighbouring countries.
On another matter, Mohd Ali said the government hoped to introduce a tram car to ferry city folks to several selected destinations.
He said the tram service would help alleviate traffic congestions at the city-center while the monorail service was also expected to resume soon and would serve several populated areas here.
MALACCA: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam is upset over the felling of five giant angsana and malacca trees within the buffer zone of the Unesco World Heritage Site here.
The trees that had stood for hundreds of years along Jalan Merdeka and Jalan Parameswara, near Equatorial Hotel here, were cut down by a private contractor carrying out a multi-storey hotel project.
The trees were tagged as rare species in 1996.
Mohd Ali asked the Malacca Historical City Council (MBMB) to haul the contractor to court at once.
“I don’t know who gave them the authority to chop down the trees. I want the contractor to be punished.
“Even the trimming of trees and ornamental plants in this state can only be carried out after permission is granted by the local council.
“In this case, ancient and precious trees were felled. I also want the contractor to be blacklisted and not awarded construction jobs in Malacca.
“This will serve as a lesson to others,” Mohd Ali said here yesterday.
He said he had asked mayor Datuk Zainal Abu to issue reminders to other contractors not to lay their hands on any tree considered part of Malacca’s heritage.
“I am really upset and am not going to let the matter rest,” he said.
The state government has also asked its legal adviser to use existing laws to effect maximum penalties on the contractor.
MBMB councillor Mohd Yusof Abu Hassan said the trees were inside the buffer zone gazetted by Unesco on July 7, 2008.
He said the contractor had no approval to cut down the trees and the council would initiate legal action under the Urban and Town Development Act 1972.