The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Labis tapping into other sectors
- Former soldiers’ wives to receive special aid
- Brighter future for widows
| Labis tapping into other sectors Posted: 12 Mar 2013 07:24 PM PDT LABIS: Historians believe that Labis, the name of the second largest town in the Segamat district of Johor, was derived from a Malay word labi-labi or river terrapin. Labis started with the combination of a few Malay villages including Kampung Paya Merah, Kampung Tenang and Kampung Sungai Gatom. Based on old folks' tales, Labis existed after British officers who came in to survey areas for development, discovered many river terrapin (labi-labi) in the village, and decided to name the place Labis. Located between Yong Peng and Segamat, Labis is an agricultural town where most of its residents work in rubber estates or oil palm plantations, while some others are petty traders and government servants. The opening of rubber and oil palm plantations by the British led to the arrival of Indians to toil in the plantations. Labis town as well as two other small towns — Chaah and Bekok — were resettlements for the Chinese during the communist insurgency in the 1950s. Bekok is well known to nature lovers as it houses the western entrance to Endau Rompin National Park, Sungai Batang waterfall and several orang asli villages. The parliamentary constituency that is carved out of Tenang and Bekok state seats, is easily accessible via road through Jalan Yong Peng-Segamat or even by train, which makes it a popular weekend outing among visitors. One of the major events in these areas in recent years was the major floods during the Tenang by-election in 2011. While the constituency has seen a lot of development in recent years, the locals feel that more can be done to develop the area including tapping into its tourism charm, setting up more higher learning institutions, improving facilities, setting up more infrastructure and ensuring better flood mitigation projects. According to self-employed Tey Ah Lim, 51, Labis had become a regular place of visit mainly among Singaporeans who come and buy durian, cookies and visit the hot springs at Pekan Ayer Panas, located about 14km from Labis town. However, Tey said there were now less fruit trees and believed that it was because farmers had switched to planting rubber and oil palm that fetch better yields and cash. He hoped the government would further develop the tourism sector in Labis to help attract more visitors to the small district. "We have one of the highest mountains in Johor right here in Labis that has yet to be explored. "The state government could encourage environmental studies to the forest and mountain areas as well as other nature based activities," he said. He added that tourism was important for local economy besides agriculture. Mohamed Haari, 46, a rubber tapper from Felda Cemplek, said Labis was lacking higher learning institutions for the young people. The father of five said he was satisfied with the overall local developments here, but felt the government should do more to attract colleges and universities to the area. "Our children have to travel far away from homes to Segamat or other districts or states to pursue their studies and it is difficult for families who cannot afford to do so. "We have been waiting for a college to be set up for over two decades and hope that the dream will come true soon," he added. A 57-year-old housewife from Bukit Mambai Fatimah Ahmad, 57, said many roads in Labis had been widened, which was good news for the people here as good infrastructure was important for them to travel from one place to another. However, she felt that the government should enhance their focus on youths and build more sports facilities in villages. "The children in our village have to travel to Labis or Segamat to play futsal and I hope a futsal court will be built here as sports activities are important for young people and they help keep them away from negative activities," she said. She added that some of the villages in Labis were lacking sports facilities. Plantation smallholder Hoh Seow Pong, 48, said he was always worried about commodity prices and hoped to see a stable economic growth and good commodity prices. "As businessmen, our only hope is continuous economic growth as well as a peaceful society. "Before this, we heard a lot of complaints about illegal gambling but thank God it is less of a problem now. "We hope the authorities will continue to monitor such unhealthy activities because many teenagers and adults were visiting illegal gaming centres," he added. Goh Eng, a 72-year-old coffee shop assistant from Chaah, said flood issues were always the biggest headache for the residents here. "We will start to worry every time it is near monsoon season. "Floods happen every year and fortunately it didn't flood during the last monsoon season," she said, and hoped the district council would continue to maintain good drainage to prevent floods. S. Nadia, 26, a clerk from Ladang Gunung Mas said many workers, especially those living in the estates are still receiving low salaries. "We hope the minumum wage would be implemented and carried out soon. Even a little increase in salary will mean a lot to us because the cost of living is very high now. "I do not know when the company I work for will give us our revised salary, but I hope it can be done as soon as possible," she said. Auxiliary police personnel S. Rama, 29, said he hoped the government could allocate more money to maintain the roads in plantations. "It is difficult for those living in plantations travelling in and out from their homes to the town without proper roads," said Rama who is also from Ladang Gunung Mas, which has about 80 families in the village. Nurses at a clinic in Tenang Station Siti Asmidah Che Hassan and Siti Hawa Arzmi said they were glad that the town had an automated-teller machine (ATM) finally. "People here have been waiting for an ATM for years and it is so convenient now as we do not have to travel to Labis or Segamat, which is about half an hour away, just to withdraw money," she said, adding that the ATM started operations end of last year. This general election, both Barisan Nasional and the opposition will be going all out to woo the 37,224 voters in this constituency, which has a larger number of non-Malays. |
| Former soldiers’ wives to receive special aid Posted: 12 Mar 2013 04:46 PM PDT MUAR: The Government plans to give a special aid of RM1,000 to widows of former soldiers without pension, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. He said the payment was to honour their husbands' contribution and planned to submit a proposal on the matter to the Cabinet. He said he personally supported the move and would also submit the matter to the Human Resources Ministry to enable these widows to receive such a scheme. The Prime Minister has the power to decide on it and I will raise this matter at the Cabinet meeting. "We have the fund and would want the widows of former soldiers to receive the aid after their husbands had died," he said before presenting cash aid to former soldiers with pension in Johor here recently. Muhyiddin, who was accompanied by Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad, said the Malaysian Ex-Army Association had played its role in fighting for the needs of its members. |
| Posted: 12 Mar 2013 07:25 PM PDT JOHOR BARU: Two widows who lost their husbands in separate accidents can now look forward to a brighter future due to assistance from MCA. Housewife Aw Yong Ngee Lien, 50, and saleswoman Ngoh Mei Foong, 32, both lost their husbands who met with accidents in Gelang Patah and Skudai here. The cause for both accidents was because of errant contractors who did not put up warning signs while conducting road works. Both women said that they were grateful to MCA who had hired lawyers on their behalf to claim for damages against the contractor. Both recently won their respective suits. Aw said without the settlement money, she would be at a loss, as she had to take care of four children after her husband met with an accident on Jan 6 in 2011. "I have no job and my eldest child is studying at a local university and my youngest is still schooling," she said adding that the money would definitely reduce her financial burden. Ngoh also said that she was grateful to MCA for their assistance. "My husband died on June 2 last year and without help, my family's future would have been quite bleak," she said adding that the money would be used to educate her two children. Meanwhile, MCA Gelang Patah division chief Jason Teoh, who aided both women in settling their cases urged the local council to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. "The local council should conduct checks to ensure that contractors adhere to the regulations and put up enough sign boards to warn motorists of road works," he said. He added that the council should also take stern action against errant contractors as their inconsiderate behaviour could lead to the loss of lives. "MCA Gelang Patah division will always help those who are in need especially when it comes to cases like this," he said. |
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