Post on 03-Jan-2017
transcript
KUNDANG
1
ABSTRACT
New village Kundang is located between Kuang and Rawang, after Sungai Buloh.
This village is made up mainly of Chinese people, the majority of whom are from the
Hakka clan. Kundang villagers have resided here since the Japanese occupation. This
village used to be well known for its tin mines but with the decline of this industry,
the old mining lake is now used for recreation. Kundang has one primary school, a
clinic and a police station but no fire station. Many of the younger generation have
moved to the urban areas. In order to make this village more attractive for
investment, we have proposed some ideas on its entrepreneurship and tourism values.
KUNDANG
2
HISTORY
Wooden House Old Shop Lots
SRJK (C) Kundang, Selangor Chinese Restaurant
Kundang New Village was established before Second World War. The majority of
villagers are Chinese and there is a small number of Indians, Sikhs. The Malays live
close to the village. Kundang has seven to eight thousands residents.
Kundang villagers are very concerned about education opportunities for the next
generation. The Kundang primary chinese school, SJK(C) Kundang Selangor, was
established in 1937. Currently, this school has about a thousand over of pupils and
about 60 teachers.
In the past, Kundang was known for its papaya plantations. Because of the
oversupply of papaya, many villagers switched to ciku farming as an alternative
source of in come. Today, Kundang‟s cikus are famous throughout Malaysia. The
ciku farmers sell their product through an agent who exports the fruit to other
KUNDANG
3
countries, such as Singapore. Some of the villagers also plant vegetables for their own
consumption.
At Kundang New Village, the first Chinese coffee shop is “Jun Loong Hao”.
According to the previous Village Headman, Mr. Pang, the restaurant was established
more than 50 years ago. This restaurant sells only 2 types of noodles. In spite of the
limited choice, many villagers eat at this restaurant every morning.
The first grocery shop was opened by Mr. Pang‟s father in 1937, who was a former
Village Headman.
The biggest house at Kundang is owned by a villager, Mr. Lee Meng Tat. It sits on
10,800 square feet of land. The house has 11 bedrooms, 6 toilets, 5 living rooms, and
1 mini bar. The price of land at Kundang has increased considerably. In the 1960‟s
the cost of land was RM0.50 per square foot. Today, the price has increased to
RM 1.00 per square foot of land for houses and RM 1.50 per square foot of land for
shops.
There is a government clinic in this village, although it faces problems which will be
discussed in later sections of this paper. Besides that, Kundang new village is very
fortunate to have a police station which helps to keep the villagers safe. Unfortunately
they do not have a fire station.
Front view of Kundang Police Station
KUNDANG
4
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Newspaper cutting about Kundang’s Ciku Plantation
a) Plantation
The main economic activity at Kundang is agriculture. In the past, papaya was the
main cash crop. Subsequently, as the demand for and price of papaya declined, the
villagers switched to planting of cikus. The planters went all the way to Subang to
buy ciku seeds and tried planting them in their orchard. The fruit was a success and
ciku is now the main crop grown in orchards at Kundang.
The ciku is a very easy fruit to take care of. It takes about 10 months to bare fruits.
About 20 years ago, it was relatively easy to grow ciku trees. However, the yield has
declined because the quality of air, water, and other factors affecting the growth of
the plant has deteriorated.
There is no particular season for the ciku to be planted, meaning it can be planted at
any time of the year. This is good for villagers as they can get income all year round
and do not have to wait for a certain season to get their income. However, the growth
of the ciku is affected by the weather. The weather cannot be too wet, cannot be too
dry and the air cannot be too polluted.
KUNDANG
5
b) Food
Other than tending to their vast plantations, the villagers also sell food. This helps
keep the economy in Kundang moving. Kundang has a special food that everyone
craves to eat and this is their very own handmade “lao shu fen”, which is a type of
rice noodles. There is only one shop selling this dish and it has been run by a local
family for 3 generations.
Lou Shu Fun
Does this picture look tempting? This is the most famous food you can find in
Kundang. How is it made? They have to use old uncooked rice to make the noodles.
Owners of the noodle shop soak about 24 to 27 cups of rice for about 2 to 3 hours.
They then grind, blend and mix the rice with water until it turns into a paste. The
paste will then be put through a mincer and long, thin, round pieces of paste will
come out. This is the noodles which will be cooked with their special soup and made
into a tasty dish.
Every morning, the shop owners wake up as early as 4 am to get ready for work. This
noodle shop is frequented mainly by locals, although nearby villagers also eat there.
In order to be able to have a taste of this “lou shu fun” one has to reach the stall at
KUNDANG
6
about 6 in the morning. This is because the dish will be sold out by 8 in the morning.
The shop closes ay 10.30 am as the owners have to continue with the production of
more noodles. Half the work is done the day before and continued the next day when
they wake up at 4 am.
A long time ago, a bowl of “lou shu fun” cost only 10 cents. Now, a bowl of “lou shu
fun” costs RM 2.80.
c) Business
There are several retail outlets at Kundang which sell a wide range of products from
groceries to personal care items.
Wu Her Hao Mini Market
The first mini market started 2 generations ago, owned by the ex-village headman, Mr
Pang. The name of his shop is “Wu Her Hao”. His parents were the first in the
Kundang village to start this business and, after that, many villagers learned about the
business and started opening more Chinese mini markets in Kundang.
KUNDANG
7
The problem faced by these businesses is the difficulty to buy their stocks. Shop
owners have to travel for about 2 hours using public transport, which are very limited,
to purchase goods. After that, they have to find their own transport to carry the goods
back to Kundang. Most of them would have to rent a lorry back. This is very
inconvenient for local businessmen.
Although a retail sale is not the main economic activity at Kundang, it nevertheless
helps to provide a livelihood for villagers.
d) Fishing Centre
Fishing is another economic activity at Kundang. There are a total of 32 normal
fishing ponds and 5 Tow Foo fishing ponds. The biggest fishing pond is about 100
acres. These fish farms started about 10 years ago.
In one of the Tow Foo fishing centre lives the biggest Patin fish in the world that
weighs about 20 kilograms. This fish is protected and not for catching or eating. Fish
in the Tow Foo fishing centre are for sport fishing, e.g villagers use Tow Foo as bait
to catch the fish and then let them go.
Fishing Activity
KUNDANG
8
Fishing Centre
Some fishing centers do not accept any money while some charge by the weight of
the fish that is caught. Other charges a fixed entrance fee. Fishing is a minor
contributor to Kundang‟s economy.
KUNDANG
9
EDUCATION
In Kundang there is only one primary school, “SRJK(C) Kundang”. There is no other
school or tuition centre in Kundang.
SRJK(C) Kundang, Selangor
SRJK (C) Kundang, Selangor
SRJK(C) Kundang is a Chinese primary school. Students in this school come from
Kundang and nearby villages. It was founded in 1934 by “Kundang Mining
Company” owners, Lili Sheng and Li Jiu Ru at a different location. At that time the
total number of students were about 20 plus.
In 1942, during the Japanese southward invasion, the school was temporarily
suspended until the liberation of Malaya. After World War II, the number of students
increased to about 82. The number of students increased gradually over the years
causing the number of classrooms to be inadequate. In response to the villagers‟
request, Lili Sheng and Li Jiu Ru set up the first board of directors to take on the
school‟s mission.
KUNDANG
10
Zhang Jingwen donated his old mining land for a new school to be built. The villagers
of Kundang also helped in collecting funds to build a new school. In 1951, the new
school was built with 6 classrooms, an office, a teachers‟ dormitory and a canteen.
The numbers of students then were about a hundred.
In 1979, the classrooms were not sufficient to meet the total number of students that
had increased to more than 300, forcing the school to have morning and afternoon
classes. After a year seeking help from the government, the Ministry of Education
finally approved the funding of RM 136,000 to build a two-storey school building
which included 5 classrooms, a special room, a principal‟s room, a general office and
2 small storage rooms. In 1985, the new president, Zhou Jian, sought the assistance of
the Ministry of Education to replace the old dangerous structures of the school‟s toilet
and canteen with new ones.
SRJK (C) Kundang classroom view
In the many years that have passed since its establishment in 1934, the school has
expanded using the donations that they have received, example building of new
classrooms, corridors, toilets, basketball courts, and purchase of new musical
instruments and updating of the library. These developments have increased the
number of students in the school. Unfortunately, for a long time, the school did not
have a hall to conduct group activities.
KUNDANG
11
Finally after much effort in raising funds, a three-storey building was built. It contains
an auditorium, four more classrooms, a science room and a computer room. There
was a groundbreaking ceremony in the morning of the 13th
of February 1998 to
officiate the new building.
SRJK (C) Kundang school hall
This school has been around for 75 years. Chang Yun-Chui was the first headmaster
of the school and retired in the year 1971 and the other headmasters are listed below:
Mr. Lu Meiyuan (03/01/1972-17/04/1977)
Mr. Huang Shizhao (18/04/1977-31/12/1979)
Mr. Shen Yutang (01/01/1980-31/12/1983)
Mr. Feng Dexing (01/01/1984-30/09/1985)
Mr. Zhou Liangjian (01/10/1985-22/09/1991)
Mr. Chen Yingde (23/09/1991-15/03/1994)
Mr. Huang Jianfa (01/07/1994-31/12/1996)
Miss Yang Fengling (16/01/1997-28/02/1998)
KUNDANG
12
Miss Li Xiuzhu (01/03/1998-28/07/2007)
Mr. Zhou Furen (01/08/2007-15/08/2008)
WU Yu-ice President (01/03/2009)
This school is still seeking funds from private organizations and the Ministry of
Education to fund more enhancements of the school‟s facilities and to make sure that
students receive comparable education facilities as that in the city.
Unfortunately for Kundang, there is no secondary school. After the students graduate
from standard 6 they will have to find a secondary school to go to. The nearest
secondary school is outside of the new village which is an approximately 20 minutes
drive from Kundang.
Front view of SMK Seri Kundang, Selangor
KUNDANG
13
SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
In Kundang new village, there are about 7,000-8,000 people and they are mostly
Chinese from the Hakka clan. However, there are also Malays and Indians in the
village. People here live peacefully. Most villagers know each other and people greet
each other on the streets.
People in Kundang support „going green‟ projects. This activity is to ensure there is a
better future for the next generation. As Selangor produces two thousand and five
hundred tons of wastes, committees of Kundang village have held recycle activities in
primary school of Kundang. They encourage students to learn recycling, as it will be
easier to embed the concept from young. Committees of Kundang joined with Gao
Zhou Club, Jia Yin Neighborhood Society, Gombak village and others to organize
this meaningful event. This event is in response to the government‟s campaign - to
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Student here are taught to recycle so that they will not waste
papers and will try their best to use recycled materials.
In Kundang, there are several clubs and associations. For example, there is Kundang
Gao Zhou Society, which is meant for „Gaozhou‟ clan people whom speak a dialect
similar to Cantonese. Secondly, there is Kundang Jia Yin Neighborhood Society.
„JiaYin‟ is a division of „Hakka‟ clan. As 80 percent of the villagers here are Hakka,
people often gather in this club to hold events like Calligraphy competition, Chinese
New Year celebration and many others.
KUNDANG
14
Kundang Gao Zhou Society Kundang Jia Yin Neighborhood Society
Calligraphy competition Chinese New Year Colouring contest
Chinese New Year “Tanglung” making competition
KUNDANG
15
Chinese in Kundang new village normally are involved in agriculture. Years ago,
villagers here plant as a cash crop papaya. The fruit produced here are well-known for
its juiciness and taste. It has become the culture of Kundang villagers to be engaged
in agriculture. This may be due to the rich soil in this area.
Most Chinese villagers here are mostly Buddhist. There is a temple called “San Shan
Guo Wang Miao” (三山国王庙) which was set up before Second World War. During
Chinese Festivals, devotees will head to the temple for prayers. Besides, there are also
Christian in Kundang Village. Unfortunately, there aren‟t any churches here.
Christians will have to travel to Rawang for the nearest church as there are quite a
number of churches in Rawang. Usually there will be a van or other motor vehicles
from Rawang church to transport Kundang Villagers to Rawang. Especially on
special days for Christians, such as Christmas day, Easter day, more people will
congregate at Rawang churches to celebrate and worship. There are also Hindus in
this village. Although there is different religious practice in this village, Residents
from different ethic & religious background live together in harmony.
“San Shan Guo Wang Miao” (三山国王庙) temple)
KUNDANG
16
PROBLEMS
After interviews with the previous Village Headman, Mr. Pang, we have found out
several vital problems that the villagers are facing. First of all, there is a problem with
ownership of their land for their plantation. It was previously discussed that one of
the main economic activities at Kundang Village is agriculture. The problem is that
the villagers are planting most of their crops on illegal government land. This is
because they are facing leasing problems, and it is difficult to get the approval of the
government to allow them to grow their crops on nearby land.
Another problem faced is that there are insufficient classrooms in their school.
Previously Mr. Pang appealed to the government and the effort has paid off with
more classrooms being built. However, there is need for more computer labs,
libraries, and science laboratories. All these are essential learning facilities for
students to improve.
Another problem is the lack of medical facilities in Kundang. The only available
government clinic is located at Jalan Clinic in Kampung Kundang, and the
consultation hour is limited to one day per week, and only in the morning. Thus, the
villagers would have to visit the more expensive private clinic at Kundang and this
causes a big burden for the villagers.
Klinik Desa Kundang
KUNDANG
17
Another problem that the villagers face is the lack of street lights in the area. This is
especially dangerous because the roads in the village are very narrow and with the
absence of street lights, it is not safe to drive around the village at night. Pedestrian
could also be knocked down by cars due to the poorly lit roads.
Street Light
Speaking of narrow roads, we were told that the roads were too narrow in the
morning for morning markets, and this creates a problem where cars and motorbikes
cannot get through certain roads when the market is open. In addition, the rubbish is
all swept into the drain, thus clogging the drains.
Burglaries are an increasing concern in the village, even though there are groups
formed by the villagers to patrol the area. There have also been reports that breaking-
ins are happening even in broad daylight.
Lastly, public transport is also a problem in the village, as there is only one bus
(Selangor) ferrying villagers around, and this bus only comes once every 3-4 hours.
This creates the need for villagers to purchase their own transport. Unfortunately
there is no petrol station in the area.
KUNDANG
18
RECOMMENDATION
Agriculture being the most vital source of income in the village, there should be
formal procedures to obtain land leases. This is the issue that the village headman
should be proposing to the government. With the legal lease on their land, villagers of
Kundang could expand their orchards and plantations and generally improve the local
economy. One way to improve this situation is through formal acquisition of land
from the government.
One way to solve the issue of inadequate computer facilities in schools is to have
entrepreneurs enter the village to provide computer services to the school. Apart from
that, the school should also gain support from students‟ parents for a donation drive to
enhance the school‟s facilities such as science laboratories as well as a library.
At Kundang, Medical facilities are limited. One suggestion is to formally bring the
issue up to the government so that they could allocate more doctors to be present
most of the days in the week. Another way dealing with this problem is to highlight
this matter in newspapers. Hopefully, this would raise the awareness of doctors and
encourage them to volunteer to help out at the village.
The lack of street lamps is a problem for drivers and pedestrians at night. The
problem is that the government or private organizations may not be aware of the
problems that the villagers are currently facing. The village headman could form a
group to raise awareness of the problem.
Apart from that, the village headman should also promote Gotong Royong efforts,
especially during days after the morning markets. These efforts could focus on
cleaning the drains to prevent flash floods and mosquito breeding.
KUNDANG
19
Burglaries in the area are a cause for concern. Villagers should work together to form
anti-crime groups which could patrol the village in the daytime and at night. Villagers
of all age groups should be recruited for these activities.
The village headman should hold activities more often to attract tourist to the area.
The famous “lou she fun” noodle should be advertised in food programs such as “Ho
Chak”. Lakes in the area could also be converted into tourism spots where tourists
can have fun in the sun and engage water activities.
KUNDANG
20
TOURISM VALUES
Tasik Biru Seri Kundang
Kundang Lake (picture above) is known as Tasik Biru Seri Kundang for its
enthralling and mesmerizing natural beauty. It is name the blue lake because of its
blue colour which is caused by the depth of the lake itself. The lake has an island at
its centre. For the local folks, there is a belief that the island is floating by itself. This
lake is an ex-mining lake, and then it is transformed into a recreational playground for
water sports like water-skiing, canoeing and yachting, fishing activities and many
more. It is also a wonderful picnic spot and recreation centre which will be crowded
during weekends and festivals. It is worth a visit for nature lovers. The beautiful
scenery at the lake is an attraction for photographers. It is quite convenient to reach
Kundang Lake. One can take a regular bus or a taxi from Rawang to reach the lake.
The famous food from this village is the Soup Lao Shu Fen (清汤老鼠粉). According
to the ex-penghulu, the Lao Shu Fen is homemade by the hawkers with rice flour, it
contains no artificial ingredients. The cook started making Lao Shu Fen at 4am in the
morning. Although the ingredients used are not special, they put a lot of effort in
making the food delicious. The soup uses a lot of pork bones. This Lao Shu Fen
would be sold out by 8am each day. Usually, people have to order one day before
KUNDANG
21
when they want to eat. People 13km away from Rawang come here to eat; this can
show how worth eating the food is. As the owner is not interested in expanding his
business elsewhere, there is no other place we can find this delicious and unique Lao
Shu Fen. At night, there is another stall at Kundang which is famous for its pan mee
stall.
Above and beyond, there are a few commercial fish farms in Kundang new village.
The largest one named „He He Yu Chang‟ has 32 ponds. Most fish ponds here are ex-
mining lake. This is also one of Kundang New Village‟s attractions as it has historical
value. There is also a Tow Foo sport fishing centre which is another attraction in
Kundang. There are 5 fish ponds available for recreation and there is no entrance fee.
There is some expensive and precious fish like the Japanese carp. The largest Badin
fish in Malaysia is in one of these ponds and it is more than 20 kg. The owner here
says fishing is to enjoy the process of fishing, and it is a kind of sport. There is once
Korean people visited here and interview the owner here of how they run this kind of
business at the same time protecting the fishes here. The owner said he had done
something to the fishhook. He cut some part of the hook so that it would not hurt the
fish when it is released back to the pond. He also emphasized and encouraged people
not to eat the fish but only enjoy the process.
As Kundang New Village has more than 100 years of history, it is really a valued
place to visit and there will be a lot of pleasure having fun in this village.
KUNDANG
22
ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
There are business opportunities in expanding the local food business: Lao Shu Fen.
As this dish is very famous, the business could be expanded to other villages or towns
or even franchised.
Other than that, the New Village is also famous for its ciku. If a warehouse were set
up in the village, local ciku could be sent to one centre and then sold to other parts of
Malaysia and other countries. With this ciku plantation development, government
should support the villagers to get more land and allows the villager to expand their
ciku orchards.
Besides that, there is a place called Tasik Biru near the Kundang New Village. It is
set to be a sport and recreation centre for local and foreign tourists. This lake
provides opportunities for small business like selling traditional foods and souvenirs
or some water other sport activities equipment.
DISCLAIMER:
Information contained in this report was compiled by the University‟s students on
voluntary basis. Although every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the
report, the University accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any errors or
omissions, if any, the University reserves the right to make changes on the
information at any time without prior notice. Should there be any queries regarding
contents of the report, please contact:
Department of Soft Skills Competency
Tel: 03-79551511 ext 157 (Klang Valley Campus)
05-4662323 ext 2297/2299 (Perak Campus)