Last year I have the opportunity to travel to Yan in Kedah; northern state of Malaysia. Kedah known as Rice Bowl of Malaysia

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Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 79,000 times in 2011. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 3 days for that many people to see it.

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In Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 11th August 1961, the Straits Times reported that
the Pahang State Government is expected to receive royalties of not less than $22 million in the first five years when the Rompin Mining Co., Ltd., goes into production at Bukit Ibam about May next year.

The Rompin mine, situated on 770ft. hill is estimated to produce 1,000,000 tons of the high grade iron ore in its first year, increasing to 3,000,000 or 4,000,000 tons a year.

It will be one of the biggest iron mines in South-East Asia, employing about 2,000 people, about 80 per cent of them Malays.

It is also the largest development by a commercial company in the Federation since independence.

Mr. J.C. McHugh, managing director of the company, told the Straits Times that he cost of getting the mine into operation will exceed $70 million, excluding the cost of marine craft which will bring the total cost to more than $90 million.

The opening of the mine in 1962 will fulfill seven years of exploratory and geological research. It necessitates building a railway through 60 miles of virgin jungle from the mouth at the Rompin River in the southern part of the State.

The mine is situated about 120 miles up the winding, twisting river, but the company is constructing a railway line which cuts the distance to about 60 miles.

Blasting
One thousand workers are now pushing the rail lines through, blasting rocks and trees and building bridges over swamps and tributaries of the Rompin River.

They are expected to take up to November to complete the remaining distance of about seven miles to link the mine to the costal loading terminal.

Long before the first sleeper was laid for the railway, the company had spent millions of dollars prospecting the jungle-clad heart of Pahang.

Mr. McHugh said that the area at Bukit Ibam is believed to have about 40 million tons of iron ore with 18 million tons of high grade ore proven in the 3,000-acre mining lease area.

The mining lease from the Pahang Government is for 21 years. The company also holds prospecting rights for about 4,000 acre of surrounding land.

From the mine site, the ore will be railroaded to the company’s shipping installation at the mouth of the river with its 200-acre stockpile area, port facilities and accommodation, school and hospital.

The Straits Times 12th August 1961

For Japan
Lighters will take the ore four miles out to the sea to be loaded on to ships for Japan.

Mr. McHugh said that some of the 25 ocean-going lighters, each of 300 tons, and eight tugboats being built in Hong Kong for use by the stevedoring company have been completed.

In the rail-laying operation, the company is using a second-hand 70 ton Malayan Railway locomotive and two 30-tonners.

For 1,000 horsepower Japanese Hitachi diesel electric locomotive and ore wagons have been ordered for use when the mine begins operations. The first locomotives and wagons are expected this month.

The rail lines will cross about 200 bridges, totaling 14,000 ft over swamps and streams. The chief engineer in charge of the whole operation is Mr. G.M. Wheat, former head of the Malayan Railway.

Equipment in use building the railway, including that from Britain and the United States, has cost about $11 million. Much of it will later be used in mining.

The company will build a Malay and an English school for the workers’children a modern hospital and other facilities.

The mine, though surrounded by some of the thickest jungles in Malaya, will not be isolated. The Government has installed a VHF telephone link with the Federation telephone system.

Also being built, under the Government rural development plan but which will greatly benefit the mine and its staff is a road from Endau to Kuala Rompin, connecting with the existing road to Singapore.

This will obviate an inconvenient and expensive sea journey, as at present, where all plant machinery and supplies have to be brought in to Rompin by sea from Singapore.

Co-operation
Mr. McHugh praised the Federation and Pahang Government for their co-operation.

“We have had to discuss many things with many departments and have found them all anxious to help us in this tremendous development, which is the biggest in Pahang’s economic history.” he said.

Many of the engineers, local technicians and artisans will come to Rompin mine from the Eastern Mining and Metal Co. mine in Dungun as that mine’s resources diminish. At present the Dungun mine, in Terengganu, is the biggest in the country.

Mr. McHugh said that the support and experience of Eastern Mining, which ships about three million tons of iron-ore a year, has been a major factor in the development of Rompin.

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Common Names – Pulasan, kapulasan (Indonesia), ngoh-khonsan (Thailand) and bulala (Philippines)
Origin – Pulasan originated from Malaysia.
Scientific Name – Nephelium mutabile

Pulasan tree is a tropical ornamental tree, growing 10-15 m tall, with short trunk, 30-40 cm diameter. The branches are brown and hairy when young. The pinnate leaves are alternate, 17-45 cm long, with 2-5 pairs of opposite leaflets, oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, 6-17.5 cm long and 5 cm wide. The leaves are dark-green, slightly wavy on the upper side, and pale bluish-green with few hairs on the underside. The petaless flowers are small, greenish, with 4-5 hairy sepals, borne singly or in clusters, on erect, axillaries or terminal branches. The panicles are covered with fine yellowish or brownish hairs. The fruit is 5-7.5 cm long, ovoid, red or dark-red in color. The fruit is covered with short, stiff, fleshy straight spines, 1 cm long.

This ovoid dark red colour fruit has a thick, leathery rind closely set with narrowed, blunt tipped tubercles. The straight spines of the fruit grow up to 1 cm long. The oblong shaped seed appears to be flattened on one side with grayish brown in colour. On by twisting the fruit with both the hands, the fruit can be opened and the flesh can be consumed.

Pulasan is juicy and sweet, usually eaten fresh, though it resembles much like Rambutan, it is different from Rambutan and haves its own characteristics. Pulasan is sweeter than rambutan and lychee.  The wood is light red, harder and heavier than that of rambutan. The decotion of the fruit is highly used bathing fever patients. There are two varieties of Pulasan one is dark red and the other one is light red.

The dark red fruit haves a seed that separates easily from the flesh whereas the light red fruit haves a seed that sticks on to the flesh of the fruit.  The seed of pulasan can be eaten raw, and has a flavor quite similar to that of almonds.

Pulasan is propagated by seeds which can be either male or female, but there are a number of named varieties propagated by grafting and air layering.  The seeds lose viability quickly, and should not be allowed to dry out. Germination occurs in 10-15 days. Seed propagation is not usually preferred, as the trees may be males or have fruit of inferior quality. Both bud and approach grafting are used. Grafted trees begin to produce fruit at about 3-5 years.

The most important related species is the rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), but there are at least 30 other wild species of Nephelium with edible fruits.

The pulasan is primarily eaten fresh, but can also be used in jams and juices.

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The National Palace or Istana Negara is the official residence of His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Her Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong. Nestled within an area of 11.34 hectare, the palace is serenely enveloped in stunning gardens with a vibrant assortment of beautiful trees and palms.

Historically, the palace’s original building was a privately owned double storey mansion. Built in 1928, with a cost of $150,000.00 the residence held 13 rooms, an extensive ground that was wire-fenced with 3.3 metres high concrete pillars and guard post.

Istana Negara Guard Changing Ceremony Caughts Visitors’ Attention

During the Japanese occupation (1942-1945) the mansion was used by the Japanese Military Administration as their officers mess. At the end of the Second World War, the British Military Administration acquired the residence and designated it for their Royal Air Force (RAF) use. Later, the mansion was leased to the Selangor State Government as a temporary palace for the Sultan of Selangor who was at the time, waiting for His Majesty’s new palace to be built in Klang. Once the lease ended in February 1957, the Federal Government bought the residence at $1,408,000.00 and converted it into the official residence of His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Construction and renovation works began in May 1957 by a local contractor. With 60 workers, the transformation work was derived from the architectural designs by Mr. E.K. Dinsdale, an architect from the Public Work Department. All the renovations ad extensions were done through the advice of Yang Teramat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya, and the assistance of Tuan Haji Mustafa Al-Bakri, Keeper of the Ruler’s Seal. His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong commenced to reside at the National Palace on 27 August 1957.

In 1980, further enhancement works were done at the palace. The whole palace ground was fenced up and the Royal Insignia of His Majesty was placed on each steel bar between two pillars of the fence. At the main entrance of the National Palace is a beautiful arch with two special guard posts on each side to shelter two members of the cavalry. Commencing 1980, the Installation Ceremony of His Majesty Seri Paduka Yang di-Pertuan Agong is held at the Istana Negara in replace of Tuanku Abdul Rahman Hall in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

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The Straits Times edition Fiday 8th November 1958 reported from Kuala Lumpur that a $50 million iron mining project is to be developed in thick mineral-bearing jungle in south Pahang.

It should begin to produce ore by 1964 and will have sufficient equipment to enable two million tons to be exported every year if there is a demand.

The mine will be on a hill, Bukit Ibam (heights 770 ft.), which lies 110 miles up the winding, twisting Rompin River and then nine miles deep in jungle to the north.

Slash Journey

A major part of the project will be to slash this journey down to 48 miles by a railway line from Bukit Ibam, through jungle, swamp and finally plain, to a new “port” with a long loading jetty, at Menchali, a few miles north of the mouth of the Rompin River.

Results of intensive geological investigations so far show that 17 million tons of high grade iron ore is available in the area.

The project was announced here today by Mr. J.N. McHugh, a director of Rompin Mining Co., a subsidiary of the Eastern Mining and Metals Co. Ltd., which at present owns the great Bukit Besi iron mine 21 miles inland from Dungun, Terengganu.

Mr. McHugh, who is in charge of the project, said it would take at least 3½ years to construct the railway and all necessary buildings.

He added that the company plans to export 800,000 tons of ore in the first year of operations, 1½ million in the second year, and then increase the output to two million tons a year when the demand required it.

Mr. McHugh said: “The development in Rompin is a logical one.  It is very important to Malaya to preserve her position as a major supplier to Japan.”

Straits Times 8th November 1958

30 per cent

“At present, Malaya sends Japan about 30 per cent of her annual imports.”

He added that advance geological investigation indicated that the Dungun mines would not after 1962 be in position to provide bulk tonnages although they were likely to produce on a small scale for a number of years.

This year, because of the recession in Japan’s steel industry, the mine had shipped only 1½ million tons to Japan as compared with 2,250,000 tons last year.

Mr.McHugh and the managing director of Eastern Mining and Metals, Mr. J.P. Diamond, will go to Japan this month to negotiate long term contracts for the purchase of iron ore from Bukit Ibam and for Japan to supply $10 million worth of steel, plant and railway equipment.

The company will raise part of its capital with a British bank and part from “an American source.”

Said Mr. McHugh: “No major difficulty is foreseen in financing the project which will be of considerable benefit to Malaya and to the state of Pahang.”

“The current recession in the steel and iron industry in Japan may cause some delay, but in view the importance of the development to Malaya and of the discussions held in Tokyo on the occasion of the Malayan goodwill mission’s visit to Japan in May this year, it is expected that the Japanese steel industry and the company will be able to work out mutually agreeable terms.”

The company has spent $2½ million in the past five years on the geological investigation.

21 years

It holds mining lease for 21 years over 3,000 acres and prospecting licenses and permits over a further 30,000 acres.

The Rompin company will draw many of its professional and skilled Malayan staff from Dungun where over 80 per cent of the workers are Malay.

What royalties will the Pahang Government be able to expect in due course?

Mr. McHugh recalled that the Terengganu Government has in the past sixyears received 416 million in royalties from Dungun mines.

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