Previous Unloads:

1991 May: A Visit to Langkawi, the Land of Mahsuri

1991 Aug: Study tour to Medan, Indonesia

1994 May: First Asia Pacific Chitin and Chitosan Symposium (APCCS)

1995 Dec: Revisiting SAS

1997 Dec: Rally Nationwide Vision

1998 Apr MOU and Launching of Chito-Chem (M) Sdn Bhd

1999 Sep: The Officiation of Smart Technology Centre, UKM

1999 Sep 23: A Week on Leave

1999 Dec: Study Tour to Taiwan

2000 Jul: A MiniReunion of Class of 66

2000 Dec: Just An Unlucky Day

2001 Jul: 29th Covocation of UKM

2001 Dec: Digging Deep Into the Root: SKBT Revisited

2002 Sep: A Consequential Events from Feb 2002

2003 Apr: Reminiscing the Little Boy

2003 Nov: Reunion of Class of 66

2004 May: Cameron Highland Revisited

2004 Jul: In the Heart of Two Cities

2005 Jan: SAS Re-revisited

2005 Jan: Seri Puteri Eventually Visited

2005 Apr: In the Backyard (and Frontyard)

2005 Nov: Jalan Hale Revisited

2006 May: Kenyir, Here I Come

2006 Jun: Bidong Revisited

2006 Aug: Convocation UKM #34 2006

2006 Oct: The Faces of Ramadan

2007 Mar: Duku - The Fruit of Terengganu

2007 Nov: Ke Tepian Sang Seluang Melaut

2008 Apr: Drifted from the Past

2008 May: An Old Man and the Sea

2008 Jun: Bukit Besar - The Last Bastion

2008 Aug 08: Taken to the Memory Lane - UKM 1970 in 2008

2008 Aug 12: Kenyir Re-Visited

Kenyir Re-Visited (Dated: 2008 Aug 12-14)

Accompanying the dean, leading the Aquaculture team of six lecturers to open up a new frontier for the faculty. The targets were KETENGAH and PERHILITAN. Respectively was in charge of a Kelah Sanctuary in its own river: Petang River and Cacing River. Both had been contacted for the tour.

With the regalia, arrived in Gawi, 2008 Aug 12 Tue, ca. 4 pm. And in no time were hoisted to KETENGAH chalet in Petang Island. It was weekdays, and not school holiday. Perhaps that was the reason for a rather quite evening in Gawi. Perhaps in the morning it was merrier as judged by several cars parking like for several days. It was sunny. It was not rainy in the afternoon. In Kenyir, if it rains, its a local rain at late afternoon.

The last visit was 2006 May 19-23.


Boat transfer from Gawi to Petang Island Resort. A welcome by the resort manager. Briefing, and all the arrangements were liasioned from the arrival to the departure. The ascend to the uphill chalets for tonight and another night. It was ca 5. The sky was gathering some clouds.

The chalet compound. And one for me. Spaceous enough for a family. Double storey, one m/b room, d/bed, one family room with twin/b. One bath, a pantry, b/f balcony facing the lake, a hall. Fully a/c. Electricity was said to be by solar power. The water was pumped from the lake.
An evening on the Petang Island. It rained from the sun set. Getting heavier by the night. Punctuated by a rather heavy storm. But the dinner was not encouraging although the night sleep was very deep indeed due to the rain.

Early morning 'cruise' 2008 Aug 13 Wed into Sg Petang. We were met by the waiting ranger at the sanctuary gate. We were told that the tide was low. So we could not reach the 'lubuk' by boat. Instead we have to trek along the river.

Over two hills for ca. 2 km. Meandering as the river does. Rest to recatch the stamina.

Rainy night meant, said the ranger, a chase with the 'pacat' (land leech). But we eventualy reached the 'lubuk'. And yes, the 'kelah' were there. In thousands. Very tame. Feeding at the hands.

The rangers said that kelah has no teeth. Beeing fish they must have teeth. Well, what they meant was that kelah has no spiky-teeth. That's why frolicking with them is safe. And no 'sengat' on its dorsal fin. I did not ealised this during my 2006 May 19-23 visit. And no one bothered to check during this visit because of too immersed with the kelah manyness. I was also wondering whether kelah has the cross-bones or not, like that of 'terubuk' and 'parang' which I failed to recalled after having a taste of it in 2006 visit.

Even more exciting in the next 'lubuk'. "Kelah-frolic". This lubuk was apparently of "Kejor", the kelah without the red mark.

Sg Cacing was totally locked from the public. We went as far as the boat could go. And walked upstream. It was of totally different set up from Sg Petang.

The tide was low. Only fries could be observed. PERHILITAN apparently had not done anything on the kelah 'ecology'. Its objectives is totally different from that of KETENGAH. Its total lock to the public was only temporary. Only until a complete study is made. It wants to open to the public, but in a controlled manner. Including the size of the engine and the length of the boat the public would ride in.

At the end of the visit, we decided on something. And its going to be fast if we do not want to miss the first opportunity.

Aug 14 Thu, out of Kenyir. And was honoured to have the visit to the Herbs Island on the way to Gawi.

Perhaps the only on-floral 'herbs' added. The "medicinal pebbles" of non-Kenyir origin.
The 2006 May 19-23 visit was with the accompaniment of the Deputy CEO. The activity in the Herba Island was rather official. UKM then was honoured with a token planting of 'tongkat ali' by the D-CEO who accompanied us. The plot was beside the "Pondok Harmoni". Re-examining the site, there was no sign of a label which read something like 'planted by so and so on so so 2006 bla bla', like every other herbal trees on the site which appeared like an "Honour Corner".
Unfortunately, when UKM was born, it was not equipped with the tool to reciprocate the honour given by a host. KETENGAH read this from two visits the D-CEO made to UKM soon after the "Expedition". That was probably why the 'tongkat ali' honourably planted in 2006 by the UKM guest had returned to the nature in the bush.

It was on this island that the wireless became operative. And my h/p was jammed with the message and misscalls that my untie MakTehPah, my father's youngest sister, passed away at m/night the night before. 2008 Aug 13 Wed. She was the last of my father's brothers and sisters who "berpulang ke rahmatuLlah".


Still had a small time to stop by the "patin" and "tilapia" farms close to Gawi.

But not long because I had to hurry for the funeral of MakTehPah. Kenyir would be revisited many times more.