UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT REPORT NAME OF VILLAGE: KANGKAR BAHRU 新港 JOHOR Project carried out by: Student Name ID Number Course Year/Semester 1.Suan Teh Ling 1304847 Banking Finance Y1/S1 2. Lee Yen Feng 1305878 Banking Finance Y1/S1 DATE OF COMPLETION OCTOBER 2013
ABSTRACT Kangkar Bahru ( 新港 ) is located in the district of Batu Pahat, Johor. It was established in 1960. The nearest towns are Paloh and Yong Peng which are 20.1km north and 11.4km south from Kangkar Bahru respectively. Madam Ong Zhu Yu ( 黄朱玉 ), the headman of Kangkar Bahru informed us that the current population is approximately 4000 people. The vast majority of residents are Chinese. There is a minority of Malays, Indians and foreigners in this village. The most commonly used language is Mandarin which is spoken with Fuzhou and Hokkien accent. Kangkar Bahru was a prosperous new village in the 20 th century but this scenario has changed. In fact, its population has been declining recent years. Many young adults have out-migrated to the cities in search of better employment opportunities. Entrance to Kangkar Bharu in Johor. The access road leading to Kangkar Bahru. 1
INTRODUCTION Kangkar Bahru New Village is located in the district of Batu Pahat, Johor. Its population in 2013 is approximately 4000 and the majority are Chinese who make up 80% of the total numbers. The Malays account for 10% of the population, followed by Indians (4%) and foreigners (6%). Most Chinese villagers are from the Foochow dialect group but Hokkiens, Hakkas and Teochews also reside in Kangkar Bahru. Shops at Kangkar Bahru Houses built by first generation of villagers many wooden houses have been replaced by brick houses. Many young adults have moved to the cities in Malaysia and to Singapore. As a result, a high proportion of residents are the elderly who enjoy a relaxed lifestyle in the village. They socialize with their friends, drink tea and meet at restaurants. 2
UTAR students with headman of village (Madam Ong), Ex secretary of local MCA branch (Mr Heng) and Ex president of local MCA branch (Mr Mok) 3
INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES Facilities and amenities in this village include a government-run clinic (Klinik Desa Kangkar Baru Yong Peng), a police station, a community and a Tabika. The roads are generally well-maintained but the drainage system and garbage collection system need improvement. The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Democratic Action Party (DAP) have branch offices in this village. The road system in this village is in good condition. All been tarred. The drainage stystem is in poor condition. For example, most of the drains are contain of rubbish. Garbage collection needs improvement which more frequent to collect the garbage around housing area. Pusat Rukun Tetangga of Tabika in Kangkar Bahru. Police staion. 4
Playground. Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) branch office in Kangkar Bahru. Democratic Action Party ( DAP). 5
Car with a Singapore number plate many villagers work in Singapore. 6
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Oil palm plantations and smallholdings provide an important source of income for villagers. Besides, there are also cocoa and rubber estates. Some villagers grow durian and coffee for a living. There are others who rear chickens. Small shops and stalls are run by villagers. These include market stalls, motor vehicle repair workshops, grocery shops and restaurants. The wet market.. Motor vehicle repair workshop in Kangkar Bahru. Grocery shop 7
Oil palm plantations. New shop lots in Kangkar Bahru. A small palm oil company. 8
A chicken farm in Kangkar Bahru. Given the number of experienced workers available in the village, there is opportunity for further investment in the rubber and oil palm estates in this area. 9
SOCIAL,CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICE In Kangkar Bahru, majority of residents are Chinese (80%) while Malays, Indians and others accoun for the remaining 20%. Given the large number of Chinese in this village, it is no surprise that the majority of residents (about 2,500) are Taoists or Buddhists. There is a minority of Muslims and Christians. Place of worship in Kangkar Bahru include 1 Buddhist temple, 5 Chinese temples, 1 mosque and 1 church. Mandarin, Hakka dialect, Hokkien dialect and Fuzhou dialect are often used in daily conversations. A Buddhist temple. A Chinese temple. 10
The only mosque in the village. 11
EDUCATION Education is essential for everyone. It is the level of education that helps people earn respect and recognition. The importance of education is undeniable for everyone. It goes without saying that education has a positive effect on human life. Kangkar Bahru village has three kindergartens, one of them is a government-run kindergarten (Tabika Perpaduan Kangkar Baru) and the other two are private kindergartens. There are two primary schools here as well as, one Chinese medium school (S.J.K (C) Kangkar Bahru) and one Malay primary school (SK Ladang Yong Peng). There is another Malay primary school under construction. Tabika Perpaduan Kangkar Baru S.J.K (C) Kangkar Bahru Tabika Perpaduan Kangkar Baru is a government institute and it is for children of all races. S.J.K.(C) Kangkar Bahru is the only Chinese primary school in Kangkar Bahru. It was established on March 15, 1937 and was originally known as Chinese Elementary School. 12
Pictures of the five founders of S.J.K (C) Kangkar Bahru. S.J.K (C) Kangkar Bahru has a beautiful and clean environment. The school corridor. Students work displayed in the school. The school s gazebo is filled with displays of students work and aspirations. At its peak, the school had 500 students but the numbers have declined to 200 in 2013. In tandem with this decline, class sizes are reduced from 30 to about 10 students. The number of teachers had also dropped from 20 to 18. 13
Dance lesson led by the school teacher. UTAR team with school children. UTAR team with school children. 14
The school playground The school auditorium SK Ladang Yong Peng The Malay primary school under construction 15
ENTERPRENEUSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Kangkar Bahru is located 135km north of Singapore and 242km south of Kuala Lumpur. Any products manufactured in this village can be easily transported for sale in these cities and other towns nearby, or exported. There is potential for internet cafes to be set up. Many villagers are keen on surfing the net but there is currently no internet café in the village. As there are many experienced workers in the oil palm estates and related industries, new investments in this area should be encouraged. 16
PROBLEMS One of the problems in Kangkar Bahru is its declining population size. In modern society, many young people like to live in the bustling city and they migrate to urban areas in search of better opportunities. This leads to an aging population in the village. Furthermore, because of population decline, local business is negatively affected. The wet market in Kangkar Bahru. A fish peddler disclosed that her business in recent years is not good. Sometimes she could not even sell a fish in one day. Fish mongers in the wet market. Next, Kangkar Bahru new village has to deal with floods when it rains continuously for a few days. The floods lead to loss of property and causes great inconvenience to villagers. 17
There is no secondary school in the village. This means that village children have to travel to nearby towns for their education. This costs village families considerable time and money. The absence of public buses is another problem. Moreover the limited facilities and services in the village such as banking services or a library, means that villagers need to travel to nearby towns often. The lack of public transport makes it even more difficult to travel to nearby towns. The village clinic treats patients with minor ailments only. At least one doctor is needed to improve the health services provided. 18
TOURISM VALUE The main tourist attractions are the scenic beauty of Kangkar Bahru and the presence of buildings which are of historical significance. A prison used by the British authorities. According to the village head, the building shown in the picture above was used by the British authorities to imprison the communists during the period of Emergency. Aside from the historical buildings, Kangkar Bahru also has beautiful gardens which are a popular site for recreation. Picture shows the beautiful stele in the garden. 19
Picture shows the beautiful stele in the garden. The Taman Rekreasi Kg Kangkar Bahru has a reflexology stone equator. Reflexology equator is good for health. Walking on the equator frequently can enhance blood circulation. The pictures below show the Reflexology equator and the signage leading to it. 20
Reflexology equator and the signage 21
RECOMMENDATION New investments and businesses are needed urgently to provide better job opportunities. This could stern out the migration of young adults in recent years. The drainage system needs improvement. This is important to prevent future flooding. The establishment of a secondary school in Kangkar Bahru would be ideal. However, if the population size does not warrant this, improvement in public transport would help to ease the burden faced by students who have to commute to schools in neighbouring towns. 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: 03-79582628 ext8274, 8656, 8269 (Klang Valley Campus) 05-4688888 ext 2297/2299/2300 (Perak Campus) 22