The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Completion of renovation on chapel will coincide with festival
- Post-war teak furniture restored and given a modern look
- Malacca government to develop and encourage people to fly lightcrafts
| Completion of renovation on chapel will coincide with festival Posted: 15 Jun 2011 02:11 AM PDT MALACCA: The country's only traditional Portu-guese village in Ujong Pasir will have another reason to celebrate during the Fiesta San Pedro when repair work on the village's chapel is completed. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the renovation is 70% complete. He added that he is confident the villagers would be able to use the chapel for prayers and masses during the festival from June 23 to June 29. "I am glad to see its progress so far and hope that the chapel would serve as a proper place of worship for the villagers," he said during a site visit here. The 1,200-strong community had previously sought funds to build a church in the village, which was approved under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. They received RM480,000 as allocation from the Federal Government to repair the chapel in their village when the settlement hosted the National Christmas celebrations last year. Mohd Ali said the renovated chapel would have a fully air-conditioned prayer hall that can accommodate about 400 people at one time. "The government is fulfilling its promise and the money has been put to good use by the community to repair their chapel," added Mohd Ali. Village Regedor (headman) Peter Gomes said works at the chapel including other furniture and fittings cost RM250,000 and the remaining fund would be used for the maintenance of the chapel and village. Gomes said the chapel will have a computer room to enable children and senior citizens in the village to take free computer classes. "We have never had a church or chapel in our village before since it was established in 1930. "This is what the residents have been asking for and they are very happy. "We thank the government for keeping their promise," he said. Asked on name of the chapel, Gomes said the village had thought of naming it Chapelle du Rosaire or Chapel of the Rosary but the final decision would be made by the Bishop soon. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Post-war teak furniture restored and given a modern look Posted: 15 Jun 2011 02:09 AM PDT OLD post-war teak furniture is gaining popularity and becoming a collectors items in Batu Pahat, Johor, as the original furniture pieces from that period are hard to come by. Unlike antique wooden furniture with detail carvings, post-war furniture depicts simple and clean lines and blend well with modern decor. Apart from the difficulty of getting the pieces which are no longer in production as most of them were handmade, pricing is another factor which might set buyers back. However, there is one shop in Kampung Bumiputra in Rengit near Batu Pahat that sells such furnitures at much lower prices compared with shops in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Penang. "Collectors are going for old teak furniture from the 30s, 40s and 50s as they have a modern touch similar to those designed by the Scandinavians,'' said shop proprietor Asraf Ali, 43. In fact, many antique shop owners from these places have come and bought furniture from him regularly and then sell them to their customers at higher prices. He added that teak furniture produced during the British Empire era in Burma, India and Malaya featured colonial designs and styles. Asraf's shop is packed with old chairs, tables, wardrobes, display cabinets, beds, dressing tables, chest of drawers and other knick-knacks. Some furniture are fully restored and waiting to be picked from buyers themselves who live outside Johor as Asraf would only deliver them to his customers in the state. Most furniture were made from Myanmar teak which is sought after among buyers and pricier compared with furniture made from other tropical hardwoods as termites would not feed on it. Pieces ranging from 50 to 80 years old were salvaged from the roadside or abandoned kampong houses, bought or collected from owners who no longer needed them. Asraf said a furniture is considered 'old' if it's made over 50 years ago and antiques would be graded at 100 years and above. But antique furniture, he added, are scarce and considered as a family heirloom. The dealer said his prized antique furniture are kept at home and he has no plans to sell them at the moment even though some good offers were made by antique shop owners from Malacca. Asraf's Peranakan furniture include a bridal chamber and two display cabinets with heavy carvings once adorned the wealthy Straits Chinese-Peranakan homes in Singapore, Malacca and Penang of the past. He sources his furniture from Johor and Singapore and few of his clients would request for specific old furniture and Asraf would take some time to source for the pieces. "It is getting harder to get handmade old teak furniture unlike 10 or 15 years ago as many owners are reluctant to sell their pieces,'' said Asraf. He more furniture connoisseurs are beginning to appreciate the old pieces for sentimental reason as most of his customers reminiscence the fact that their families had teak furniture in their homes which were discarded for modern ones. Asraf said he takes a week or two to restore the pieces include stripping the paint or lacquer using acid followed by alkaline to bring out the original colour of the wood. The pieces, he added, are them dismantled and gaps and chips are filled and restored, sometimes with similar wood from other furniture. The restored furniture is then sand-papered and lacquered according to clients' specification such as matt finish, honey colour or dark vanish. "Apart from having good value, antique and old furniture also has stories to tell as most of the time, we never know who owned them before us,'' he said. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Malacca government to develop and encourage people to fly lightcrafts Posted: 15 Jun 2011 02:06 AM PDT JASIN: The Malacca government will develop aviation as an extreme sports for the young people here said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam. He added that aviation sports could mould the young with a strong personality and also prepare them mentally and physically. "The government is prepared to give incentives to young people who are keen to undergo training to fly light aircraft, like the microlight," he said at the opening of the Sungai Rambai International Air Carnival at the Kampung Tasek Airstrip here recently. Mohd Ali added that the airstrip for light aircraft at Kampung Tasek would be a platform for the development of aviation sports in Malacca. He also hoped the Sungai Rambai Flying Club would organise training for young people to fly the microlight airplanes. Eighteen Cessna, Piper, Eagle and Microlight aircrafts as well as 30 paramotor pilots took part in the carnival. – Bernama. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
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