The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- Gutsy show despite the rain
- 1MCA micro credit loans transform lives of the needy
- State to help strengthen agro-based industries
| Posted: 04 Feb 2013 01:07 AM PST Over 1,600 participants braved heavy rain to take part in a parade to usher in the Year of the Snake BATU PAHAT: Heavy downpour last Sunday afternoon failed to stop the enthusiasm of the people and the participants in the Chinese Year New celebration parade to usher in the coming Year of Snake. More than 1,600 participants of the annual procession braved the rain in the 2.3km journey through Jalan Rahmat, Jalan Shahbandar, Jalan Sultanah, Jalan Ismail, Jalan Penggaram, Jalan Rahmat before arriving at Dataran Penggaram for festive lighting-up ceremony. The parade began from Tien How Temple in Jalan Fatimah at 5pm. However, it started to drizzle shortly after the procession started. The parade was disrupted for about 30 minutes when the skies opened up and the rain fell heavily forcing participants and marchers to run for shelter at nearby shophouses. Most sheltered themselves with dispaly boards and equipment that were used for the parade. The participants and the public waited patiently until the rain stopped before they rejoined the parade. The crowd that gathered since 4pm, refused to let the rain dampen their spirits and eagerness to witness the event. Many were seen holding up umbrellas or putting on raincoats. A total of 65 teams made up of representatives from 45 Chinese associations, schools and Malays traditional performers took part in the procession. Each year a parade is held in the town featuring traditional Chinese lion and dragon dances, demonstrations and live musical entertainment, elaborate costumes, decorated floats, brass band from schools and others. The people had already converged at Dataran Penggaram and the roadsides to witness the annual event, which had been held for 13 consecutive years. Poziah Sahih, a 48-year-old housewife from Senggarang who was among the crowd gathered at Jalan Fatimah said it was a colourful and meaningful event. "I came with my children and other family members. They enjoyed it very much and had a good time to see lion and dragon dances as well as other mascots for Chinese New Year celebration. "It is great to be here to witness the spectacular event despite heavy rain with all others from various religions and backgrounds," she said. Later at Dataran Penggaram, Batu Pahat district officer Ab Wahab Ridwan, Batu Pahat MP Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi and several assemblymen also joined the crowd for more cultural shows and lighting-up ceremony officiated by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. Kwang Tung Hui Kwan Association hosted this year's event and more programmes such as cultural activities and competitions would be carried out till the 15th day of the Chinese New Year. |
| 1MCA micro credit loans transform lives of the needy Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:58 AM PST BATU PAHAT: Trader Ho Yih Shing was resting with his wife in a rented unit above their sundry shop when they heard an explosion one morning. His dreams was shattered when an electrical short-circuit had caused a fire that razed down in Chaah, where he had been trading for 12 years. "I didn't know what to do during that moment where my wife has injured her back while trying to escape the inferno," recalled Ho. The 42-year-old trader and his sister-in-law had also fractured their legs when they jumped out of their home during the fire in May last year. To rub salt to his wounds, Ho had to worry about his shop rental and payment owed to suppliers on top of being the sole bread winner for his family. Following his plight, Labis MP Datuk Chua Tee Yong had came to his aid by helping him to apply for the "1MCA Micro Credit Loan Scheme". Ho received a total of RM100,000 in loans about a month after the incident. "The loan was a like sun beam in the winter, it helps me to rebuild my business. "I also participated in a programme called Tukar (Retail Shop Transformation Prog-ramme), where I gave my shop a makeover. "Now, the shop is so tidy, clean and bright, my customers spend more here to shop," he said, adding that business is much better than before. Another micro credit loan recipient Tio Swee Siong, a 29-year-old tuition centre owner, said he was given a RM15,000 loan to expand his business. Tio set up his first tuition centre at Jalan Soga in Batu Pahat three years ago with only afew students and teachers. "I tried to look around for loan to expand my business but the interest rates were too high till I saw an article about the loan scheme for youths in the newspaper. "The loan came in time for me to upgrade the facilities in my new branch in Taman Setia Jaya as well as to pay advertising cost," he said. Tio added that his tuition centres cater to a total of 320 students with six teachers. The 1MCA Micro Credit Loan Scheme was introduced last year to help young entrepreneurs. It is managed by Koperasi Jaya Diri (Kojadi) that provides professional financial and administrative services to its members. |
| State to help strengthen agro-based industries Posted: 04 Feb 2013 12:44 AM PST NUSAJAYA: Johor would continue taking proactive measures to further transform, strengthen and develop its agricultural sector to ensure its relevancy. State agriculture and agro-based industries chairman Datuk Abd Aziz Kaprawi said the sector had contributed significantly to Johor's progress for many years. He said it contributed about RM12bil in earnings from oil palm, rubber, coffee, cocoa, pineapple, coconut and short-term crops last year, up from RM8.9bil and RM10.7bil in 2010 and 2011, respectively. "Johor remains the main producer of fruits, vegetables, poultry and eggs in the country and we will embark on programmes to maintain our status quo,'' Abd Aziz said.. He said last year the state produced 670 tonnes of fruits worth RM739mil, 143,000 tonnes of vegetables valued at RM374mil and 200 million chickens and 300 million eggs of which 25% were exported to Singapore. Abd Aziz said the on-going 3,642.17ha Bio Desaru Food Valley project in the Kota Tinggi district, and the soon-to-be-launched integrated farming project in Endau, Mersing on 3,642.17ha site would further boost food production. He said the state government has recently approved the project in Endau and Johor Corp (JCorp) would be tasked to undertake the project. "The Endau project will be the first large scale contract farming in Malaysia with the integrated crop farming and poultry and cattle breeding activities,'' said Abd Aziz. He said under the project, JCorp would be required to allocate 70% of the entire site for local entrepreneurs – each of them would lease 20.23ha either for planting pineapples, corns, poultry or cattle breeding. Abd Aziz said JCorp would buy back the produce from the entrepreneurs and it could either process them into value-added products or market the products fresh to consumers. Separately, he said certain parties should stop spreading rumours that the RM60bil Petronas' Rapid project in Pengerang had caused hardship to traditional fishermen in the area. He said of the total 100,000 tonnes catch yearly in Johor, fishermen in Pengerang only contributed 2,000 tonnes, with those in Mersing, Pontian and Kota Tinggi having the most catch. "Plans are already in the pipeline to build the RM33mil new integrated fisherman complex on a 8.90ha site in Sungai Musuh there this year,'' he said. Abd Aziz added that the centralised complex would have the landing, storage and processing facilities for fishermen in Pengerang as well kiosks selling processed marine products to visitors. |
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