Teluk Batik ... Teluk Rubiah .. memories of a lost playground

Showing off the place where I grew up in brings much sweet memories as well as heartaches .... sweet memories of the wonderful times I had in the place I grew up in ... heartaches to see what people do to destroy in the name of 'development' the natural beauty of the places.

I dedicate this blog to Teluk Batik & Teluk Rubiah ... the lost playground .....

I brought my guests to Teluk Batik .. to show off the beautiful beach in my hometown ... I always think that Sitiawan/Pangkor has the most beautiful beaches in Malaysia .. I have seen and been to many other beaches .... all kalah to the beauty and sand of the beaches that I grew up in .. till I went to Teluk Batik last week ...

It was in Teluk Batik that I was baptized ... by Rev. Hwa Chien as a teen ... it was in Teluk Batik that I had my 1st MIF camp ... in the chalets (right side of the beach) -- still there now ... and later we had it in the chalets on the left side of the beach ... but the place is now torn down ... perhaps business was bad ... it was in Teluk Batik that I first learned to kayak ... and it was in Teluk Batik that I had my 1st campfire and sleeping on the beach experience --- SMei and I were in the school band and the school band organized campfire night in Teluk Batik. We zzzz till suddenly we felt our feet cold and chilly .... low and behold ... the tide came to our "bed" and we had to shift our beds ... :0 .... the beach used to be bigger and longer ... my coconut trees which I used to sit under to enjoy the breeze is now all gone!

Looking at Teluk Batik now ... it looks the same as PD or Morib or Batu Feringgi or Teluk Cempedak ... Danga Bay ... Tioman Island ... Tanjung Bidara or Klebang Beach .. all the same ... commercialized! This is what 'development' and 'tourism' has done! Sad sad ....

As I googled on Teluk Rubiah .... --- the beach that we used to cycle some 20-30km to almost every Saturday mornings .... hike up .... through land (jungle path) or if the tide is low ... hike among the rocks till we reach the hidden beach .... we get the beach all to ourselves .... we sometimes hike from Teluk Rubiah to Teluk Batik ... and "shower" in the waterfall near Teluk Batik.... the jungle before Teluk Rubiah was the place where people who undergo OBS (Outward Bound School) training will be sent to for solo camping ... they are given few match sticks, canned food and a tent ... they are suppose to survive 2 nights perhaps on their own in this place.

When I was young, I asked the locals (people from Kampung Kamaruddin) why no one build chalets or campfire or zzzz in the beach -- and the legend of this place ... it seems this beach is haunted ... haunted by the ghost of the princess ... she was promised to be married but she waited and waited on the beach for her lover to return and he never did ....

Anyway ... the horrifying fact is that -- first, some goons came and build a golf resort on it and destroyed the beautiful tracks we used to hike from Kampung Kamaruddin to Teluk Rubbiah .... now, the resort is sold to an iron factory ... the entire place had been destroyed ...

The author of the blog seemed to be upset ... but as a local who grew up enjoying the place even before the resort was build --- its even worst the feelings ... i cut and paste the article and pictures of the place .... just in case this info go missing some day but I doubt the genuine concern of this article because the author seem to be promote Teluk Batik-Teluk Rubbiah hike at the end ... http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Teluk-Rubiah.html

The Teluk Rubiah Beach & Golf Resort or Teluk Rubiah as it was known, has closed its doors. The valley is sold to a Brazilian iron factory. From October 2010 on, the valley will be permanently closed to public, the golf course will be transformed in an iron factory.

Teluk Rubiah beach, from October 2010 only available for the
lucky 500 who will work at the iron factory.

The take over must have been prepared for some years as there is a lot of money involved (I heard RM20 million. And if it is not enough... a few kilometers at sea a new platform will be build for the huge cargo ships to dock.
What will be the situation for Lumut, Seri Manjung and Pulau Pangkor? Huge ships will come to bring raw iron and take the processed materials away. This will mean a lot more pollution to area and will have an effect on both Teluk Batik and Pangkor beaches.

Pangkor tourism will be affected.

• Teluk Batik beach will be polluted.
• Pangkor fishermen will find that their catch will be more polluted and have difficulties with finding the fishing waters.
• Marina Island project is doomed, who wants to buy a condo or apartment close to such a factory in polluted waters?
• Garbage and waste, already dropped by ships will increase and pollute the beaches all around including Pangkor and Teluk Batik (it is already a problem).

Regardless what the factory will do to try to reduce the effects of environment damage, there WILL be damage done. It's already begun.

Unusual view over Teluk Rubiah from one of the surrounding hills

Teluk Rubiah has its own beach which will be lost for tourists too. One can only wonder why such a factory has to be build right next to a tourist destination as Pangkor.
The 29 traditional styled chalets will not be destroyed and be in use for staff and management.

Teluk Rubiah is sold for the sake of "progress". And the reason for the sale? Teluk Rubiah Beach and Golf Resort didn't make enough money. Actually, the resort made money, but it was the golf course that cost more then it brought in.

With the lack of decent promotion there were not enough investments to maintain the quality of the resort and went in decay. Am I exaggerating? For each chalet the last few years was only ONE set of sheets and towels available!!! It's a sad story and what is worse, it seems no one cares about here in Seri Manjung and Sitiawan. The decision has been made, the factory will come and Teluk Rubiah will be rebuild at a small beach close to Teluk Batik. And to serve the golf lovers, a small golf drive range is being build at Teluk Batik.

Am I a cynic to call this "progess"? Wasn't it possible to give this area which is so close to both Teluk Batik and Pulau Pangkor a more touristy destination? I can only hope the fishing industry at Pangkor will not suffer too much from this project. And as for Teluk Batik, there is already at some days more rubish drifting on to the beach from what the ships drop in the ocean. It will only get more and the water quality will get less.
But money talks, as always. I can only wonder who is making the money in this case.

This view will only available for the lucky 500 who will work at the iron factory

Hiking

There's a good hikes to do from Teluk Rubiah to Teluk Batik. It is unclear if this will be possible in the future as, which makes sense, Teluk Rubiah will be no longer assessable for public. I am glad I have been able to do many hikes in this area, so at least I can show you what a pleasure the jungle here is. Read more this hike from Teluk Batik to Teluk Rubiah