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.

Maps for Sights Seeing and Hotels

From time to time, people asked me about what to see in Pengerang. I hope these few maps and hotel numbers here will be helpful to those who are going for a visit. 

(These maps and phone numbers are the courtesy of Pengerang Frontline and Kampungku Suaraku of Facebook.)

https://maps.google.com.my/maps/ms?msid=207113113209446504833.0004cc9524a5344bc3e97&msa=0&ll=1.361232%2C104.178114&spn=0.073365%2C0.132093

May be you can find the location of some temples at google map. (Link above.)

I personally think this map is very well done! Detailed and helpful description for your visit.

This is the area before Desaru Beach. I knew some of my friends from Singapore went to Sedili for home stay, retreat or to observe the nature habitat there.

This is for Desaru area. Bandar Penawar is the biggest town at this area. You will pass by here before Sungai Rengit. The sandy beach is a real treat for children. The wave is always a bit too strong from time to time though. I had never been to the museum, i hope i can drop by a visit some day.




This area is where people think of when you said Pengerang. The whole place will be gone and affected by the up coming petrochemical project (RAPID). There are land reclamation activities going on now, so if you are the first timer, you had missed the beauty of the place. Pengerang was a very calm and pretty escape just year before. (Click the Save Pengerang at the side bar to see the villagers efforts to save their homes and please supports if you can.)

This map is a bit blur, but gave the general ideas of the location of places to visit and some useful phone numbers.

边佳兰位于哥打丁宜县，由多个村庄组合而成，包括头湾（Kampung Jawa）、二湾（Teluk Empang）、三湾（Sungai Buntu）、四湾（Sungai Rengit）、五湾（Teluk Ramunia）、六湾（Tanjung Sepang）和七湾（Kampung Punggai），柔州最著名的海滨旅游度假区迪沙鲁和边佳兰靠得最近。

头湾处，有个连接马新两地国民的重点码头，叫做丹绒本哥利渡轮码头（Tanjung Pengelih），它与新加坡樟宜尾码头连线，供输送两地游客的小型渡轮靠岸，船程耗时不及半句钟。

每逢假日，当地会出现一个有趣景象——成群的邻国游客或穿上休闲运动服，或全副武装的户外运动服，扛着脚踏车乘渡轮到丹绒本哥利渡轮码头，从头湾骑车到迪沙鲁，享受阳光的户外运动。

渔村乡镇纯朴味：
二湾和三湾是小村庄，椰树和橡胶树肆意生长的基地；而六湾和七湾则是边佳兰度假村的集中营，这一带较著名的度假屋有Batu Layar度假村、D Punggai度假屋、Punggai Bayu度假村、Sepang Indah度假村、Sea View度假村、Titian Indah度假屋、Ramunia Sun Rising度假村、渔夫度假村等。

必须友情提醒的是，到当地度假村下榻的旅客千万不要带着追求五星级豪华享受的期盼前去，否则会换来无谓的失望。

当地的度假屋并没有进行华丽或大工程的人造建设，一切的设计都忠于渔村乡镇的原味，既纯朴又自在，你只要放松心情面对大自然就好了。

而六湾跟七湾之间就是西马半岛的最东南端，座落在四湾的东部，面向南中国海和新加坡海峡，从该处可眺望对岸的白礁灯塔。

边佳兰其他好去处，还包括著名的迪沙鲁鸵鸟观光园、迪沙鲁蜜柑园（一般称迪沙鲁水果园）、位于大湾（处于二湾和三湾之间）的草药园、位于五湾的鳄鱼园等，都是值得旅客驻足参观甚至耗上一整天时间浏览的地方。

五湾的迪沙鲁鸵鸟观光园是边佳兰相当具代表性的观光景点。园主郑国仁说，园里养了300多头鸵鸟，是号称全马饲量最多的鸵鸟园。

四湾岛的海鲜餐馆街：
如果你是专程为边佳兰的丰富海产而去的话，那四湾岛的海鲜餐馆街肯定是必到之处，老饕餮必会闻香而来聚集。单在这条街上，便有8家海鲜餐馆.

但逢周末、学校假期或公共假日，邻国旅客和本地游客都会蜂拥而来，其他日子的游客就比较少。

餐馆的招牌菜，当然是龙虾啰！单单一个龙虾，就有多种烹调方式，如上汤龙虾、龙虾沙律、麦片龙虾，其他海鲜料理还包括清蒸螃蟹、砂煲醉虾等。

Phone numbers of the hotels in Sungai Rengit (no preference):

新兴 (Xing Xing): 07-8263254 -- Cellular Phone: 016-7806749
力成 (Lek Cheng):07-8263292 -- Cellular Phone: 019-7222991

成发 (Cheng Fa): 07-8263830

新海湾 (Xing Hai Wan): 07-8263240
协和 (Xie He): 07-8263111
米店 (Rice Shop): 07-8263225
大和 (Tai Hoe): 07-8263855

Where it used to be the shore, behind of Yok Poon Primary School

Moaning for the Lost

It was really heart broken to me to see my favorite shore in Pengerang get into this kind of state. If you browse through my very early posts about Shore behind of Yok Poon Primary School, then you will see what kind of beautiful creatures used to live there and the beautiful shore line. All these are gone now, i dont know what to say except for it is really really sad. 

(Pictures of nowadays taken by Yan Ah Kow, retrieved from facebook. Year 2012

Pictures before taken by me in Year 2008.)

1.) Where it used to be the habitat of thousands sand bubble crabs and fiddle crabs.

A reclaimed trail covered the original beautiful sand bar. How ugly, how sad.

2.) The rocky shore where i used to find anemone, shrimps and where we used to harvest clams.

Partially destroyed by the land reclamation. Are they going to turn the rocky shore into a piece of flat land?

3.) The beautiful small island which is accesible during low tide was a lively habitat full with black sea cucumbers, mudskippers and not to mentioned all kind of sea snails.

Are those cute little animals still around? i wonder what was in the mind of those workers who carried out the task of destroying such beauty.

4.) When you look from the small island towards the inner land, you used to see the coast side by side with the school.

Try to do the same thing now, you will see machines and man made land. What had we lost forever?

A video i took in year 2008, which you can see the beautiful untouched coastal line.