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.
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.
- 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).
Unusual view over Teluk Rubiah from one of the surrounding hills
The 29 traditional styled chalets will not be destroyed and be in use for staff and management.
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
well said! give your hand to rubiah at http://facebook.com/SaveTelukRubiah
ReplyDeleteNice to see you use your own photos... except the photos of Teluk Rubiah of course, which are mine... It would have been a nice thing to give credits with a link to my site:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Teluk-Rubiah.html
But at least you know what you talk about, the waterfall still exists, but it's for the most a small stream nowadays, don't know about how it was before 8 years back though.
Peter
Webmaster and owner of http://www.pulau-pangkor.com