Pengerang Sea Shore: johor

This is extracted from China Press after Pengerang became a national attention due to protest over the petrochemical project. Many medias made visit to Pengerang since then, including some from Taiwan.

Pengerang, Quiet no more

A simple small town, famous with seafood, Pengerang is changing its face.

Located at the north east of Johor state, currently undergoing massive land reclamation to make place for the petrochemical project RAPID, it is losing its peace as just a tranquil fishing town.

Generations of villagers saw the sea right in front of their houses been replaced with land, many houses, schools, temples and grave yards of the ancesters are all going to be destroyed. Thousands of fishermen are affected, traditional fishing households are facing the difficulties in lives, losing their income. This so called development bring nothing to the local people but sadness and damnation.

邊佳蘭靜中帶枉

純樸的小鎮，擁有廣闊海水及豐富漁產的邊佳蘭（Pengerang），逐漸山河變色。

位于柔佛州東南部的邊佳蘭，目前大興土木進行填海工程，將發展提煉及石油化學綜合發展計劃（RAPID），但卻破壞當地的純樸漁鄉面貌。

生活好幾代的居民，看到前方海水被一堆堆泥土填塞，部分家園、學校、神廟及祖墳即將夷為平地，還有近千名捕魚人家遭受前所未有的打擊，傳統漁家面臨斷炊命運，因此對邊佳蘭的大型發展乍喜還憂……

http://www.chinapress.com.my/node/304156

Peaceful and quiet, but won't be anymore.

The traditional chinese pastry. This shop has been there since i have memory.

What else other than to mend their net if the fisherman couldn't go to the sea? Or worst more, there is no more sea with fishes.

The fisherman jetty at Sungai Rengit.

The coconut trees used to be abundance in my childhood, now we see this only at the more inner areas of the villages. But soon, wont even see this anymore.

This tailor shop is there since i have memory as well.

Part of the Sungai Rengit town from the bird view. Sungai Rengit town center will be spared from destruction, to keep it as a supply town to the petrochemical plant, around 5km from here, if no nearer.

Leave the Seahorse at Sungai Pulai Alone!

As a Johorean, i don't even know where is Sungai Pulai until one day that, someone from Team Seagrass Singapore forwarded one email regarding to Sungai Pulai.
So i did a small search on this.
I myself won't dream of to see seahorse in Pengerang, but to my pleasant surprise, near by (kind of) around Pontian, there are seahorses!
I almost couldn't think of any places in Johor where there is a wide public known of rich marine lives.
(If you are thinking about Tioman, then, come on! Tioman belong to the state of Pahang! :P)
Please let other know about this place so that there will be at least someone to speak for the place.
All of us can play a role.

Photo from SOS gallery.

What is Seahorse?

Seahorses are a genus (Hippocampus) of fish.
Seahorses and pipefishes are notable for being the only species in which males become "pregnant".
The female inserts her ovipositor into the male’s brood pouch, where she deposits her eggs, which the male fertilizes. The fertilized eggs then embed in the pouch wall and become enveloped with tissues.
Most seahorse species' pregnancies lasts approximately two to three weeks

About Sungai Pulai Wetland
http://www.wetlands.org/malaysia/en/articlemenu.aspx?id=5bc18f0e-b793-4967-9fb2-e9236b055b23

About Save Our Seahorse
http://www.sosmalaysia.org/home.html

The nightmare for the seahorse and Sungai Pulai has finally show up.

A proposed development plan which involve the clearing of 2255 acres (913ha) of mangroves at Sungai Pulai (near the Ramsar Site) for petrochemical and maritime industries has its EIA open for public reviewing.

The types of industries proposed are shocking. They include the manufacturing of industrial gases, synthetic resins, paints, varnishes, petro refinery, shipbulding and repair, chemical incinerator and harzadous
waste, fertilizers and pesticides, rubber remilling and latex processing
etc.

This is the intended rape of Sungai Pulai.

The EIA is open for public reviewing and comments starting 19 July 2007.
Please send in your comments by the end of the month. The EIA executive summary is attached here. Also attached is my general comments. Alternatively you can also download the EIA report from the DOE website.

Your comments can make a difference. Pls spread the words as far as you can to the like-minded people.

Please prevent the rape of Sungai Pulai.

Sincerely Yours,
Choo Chee Kuang
Save Our Seahorses

Below are the some people whom you might want to send in your comments
(email, fax, post letter, cc whatever - the more the better)
............................................................................

Director,
Department of Environment
Ministry of Natural Resources
Level 1-4, Podium 2 & 3,
Wisma Sumber Asli,
No 25, Persiaran Perdana
Precint 4, Federal Government Administrative Centre
62573, Putrajaya
Tel: 03-88712000 or (2200)
Fax: 03-88891973
Fax (Director General Office) : 03-88891036

Pengarah
Jabatan Alam Sekitar Johor Bahru
Tingkat 1&2, Bangunan Hasil,
Jalan Padi Emas 1, Bandar Baru Uda,
81200, Johor Bahru
Tel: 07-2356042
Faks: 07-2356071
Email: johor@doe.gov.my

Prime Minister
Prime Minister's Office
Federal Government Administration Center
Bangunan Perdana Putra
62502 Putrajaya
Malaysia
Tel: 603-88888000
Fax: 603-88883444
Email: ppm@pmo.gov.my

Dato' Haji Abdul Ghani Othman
Menteri Besar Negeri Johor
Pejabat Menteri Besar Negeri Johor
Aras 1, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, 80502 Johor Bahru, Johor.
No. Telefon : 07-2244148 / 07-2234789
No. Faksimili : 07-2230867

Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd (Project Proponent)
Attn: Miss Susan Chiang
Level 5, Wisma Kontena, PO Box 151,
81707
Pasir Gudang
Tel: 607-2535888
Fax: 607-2522507
Email: susan@johorport.com.my

Hijau Sekitar Sdn Bhd (EIA consultants)
Ir. Dr. Wee Ka Siong
124A, Jalan Lembah,
Taman Tasek, 80200
Johor Bahru
07-2453388 /235 3322
Fax: 07-2355666

Y.B. Dato' Haji Abd. Latiff Bin Yusof D.P.M.J., P.I.S
SUKJ( Cawangan Jurutulis / Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan )
Aras 1, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, 80503 Johor Bahru, Johor.
No. Telefon : 07-2239780 / 07-2769780 / 07-2241957
No. Faksimili : 07-2246359

Unit Sains Teknologi dan ICT Negeri Johor
Aras 2, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, Jalan Bukit Timbalan, 80000 Johor Bahru,
Johor.
No. Telefon : 07-2238239 / 07-2215030
No. Faksimili : 07-2234269

UPEN (Unit Perancang Ekonomi Negeri)
Aras 2, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, Jalan Bukit Timbalan, 80000 Johor Bahru,
Johor.
No. Telefon : 07-2241768 / 07-2241698
No. Faksimili : 07-2241323

Tuan Haji Abd.Rahman bin Mohamed Dewam
Jurutulis Dewan Negeri Johor /
Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri Johor.
07 - 2239780 / 2244203 ext. 108
Email : - arahmanmd@johor.gov.my

Y.B. Encik Freddie Long Hoo Hin
JAWATANKUASA PELANCONGAN DAN ALAM SEKITAR
Aras 1, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, 80503 Johor Bahru, Johor.
No. Telefon : 07-2239780 / 07-2769780 / 07-2241957
No. Faksimili : 07-2246359

Y.B. Datuk Halimah binti Mohamed Sadique
JAWATANKUASA KERAJAAN TEMPATAN DAN KESIHATAN
Aras 1, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, 80503 Johor Bahru, Johor.
No. Telefon : 07-2239780 / 07-2769780 / 07-2241957
No. Faksimili : 07-2246359