Sama-Sama Magazine (Iskarnival 2016)

#samasamamag 1

editor’s note Produced by

Editorial Advisor

This magazine is the final of a series of three

These three festivals and their respective

PopDigital Sdn Bhd B.05.03 Menara Bata, PJ Trade Centre, No. 8 Jalan PJU 8/8A, 47820 Petaling Jaya,

Nani Kahar (labDNA)

launched in conjunction with three ISKarnival

publications have shone new light to Iskandar

festivals held over three months – Kreatif,

Puteri, bringing with them renewed interest to

Editor

Naratif & Sama-Sama; to commemorate

this area and its communities. The committed

Hardesh Singh

Iskandar Malaysia’s 10th Anniversary.

partnership between Khazanah Nasional,

Selangor, Malaysia.

Editorial Team

Jointly published by Khazanah Nasional Berhad UEM Sunrise Berhad Iskandar Investment Berhad © 2016 PopDigital Sdn Bhd Copyright of images is copyright © of each respective owner unless stated otherwise.

Produced in conjunction with Iskarnival SamaSama 2016 and the 10th Anniversary of Iskandar Malaysia (IM 10)

Amin Khairuddin Audrey Teoh Ho Ching Yee Maya Tan Abdullah Syaza Ramli

Iskandar Investment Berhad and UEM Sunrise Known for centuries as Ujong Tanah, Johor

over the years have placed Iskandar Puteri firmly

was for a long time referred to as land’s end;

on the map of Malaysia. With the continued

but today it stands proud and sparkling; truly

interests and participation from some of the best

befitting the origin of its name from the Persian

creative talents from Johor, and Malaysia as a

word Jauhar which means jewel.

whole in these festivals; Iskandar Puteri is well on the way to stamp its mark on the world stage.

Design

Iskandar Malaysia has brought renewed

Baoling Teo Clory Tan Li Jing

interest to the state of Johor. From the new

Vinxy Yap Hui Cen

Cover Art Stephanie Yong

administrative centre in Kota Iskandar to the lifestyle options in many of its new townships and attractions in Iskandar Puteri, Johor is fast becoming THE starting point to experience the best that Malaysia has to offer. This publication barely scratches the surface on all the rich traditions, cultural aspects, diversity of people and places of interest available here.

Not for sale.

This exquisite jewel is shining bright.

about johor travel food culture placemaking art AND design music iskandar puterI style

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Origins of the Johor Sultanate Johor was founded in 1528 by Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah, a descendent of the Malacca Sultanate. From the royal residence in Johor Lama, the dynasty came to an end with the death of Sultan Mahmood in 1699.

Lacking a legitimate heir, the management and administration of Johor was passed on to ministers who had previously served the Malacca Sultanate; this was the beginning of the Bendahara Dynasty. In 1769, Temenggong Abdul Rahman was appointed as the Temenggong of Johor, and acknowledged by the British as the legitimate Temenggong of Johor-Singapore. His son, Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim, was appointed to his father’s role in 1825. Not long after, on 10 March 1855, Sultan Ali Iskandar Shah ceded the state and its government (with the exception of Kesang Territory) to Temenggong Ibrahim in a treaty; that same year, Temenggong Ibrahim founded Iskandar Puteri at Tanjong Puteri. With Sultan Ali’s demise in 1877, the Bendahara Dynasty came to an end, giving rise to the Temenggong Dynasty which continues to this day with HRH Sultan Ibrahim.

Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim Under his rule, Johor became a centre of production for pepper and gambier with the implementation of the Chinese Kangchu system and Javanese Labour Contract system. In 1855, Iskandar Puteri was established as Johor’s administrative centre, with police stations, courthouses and government departments.

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Sultan Abu Bakar was responsible for changing the name of Iskandar Puteri to Johor Bahru in 1866; in 1871 redesigned the Johor State Flag and Royal Standard. The Anglo-Johor treaty signed with the British in 1885 cemented his position and that of his descendants.

Officially crowned Sultan Abu Bakar in 1886, he established the Johor Military Forces, appointed the first Chief Minister of Johor and established the Treasury, Police Force, Land and Survey Department, Public Works, Maritime Department, Johor Arsenal, Medical Department, Postal and Education Departments.

T h e T e m e n g g o n g Dy n a s ty

history of johor.

Sultan Abu Bakar

Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Ibrahim implemented the Compulsory Education Enactment 1902 to ensure education for all children and promoted the development of the Malay language as patron of the Pakatan Bahasa Melayu Persuratan Buku DiRaja (P.B.M.P.B Di-Raja) of Johor. He also decreed the Malay language as the official language of the government and emphasised the usage of Jawi (Arabic script) in government correspondence.

In 1910, he stood firm against pressure to appoint a British Resident Advisor, appointing a General Advisor instead and insisted that Malay officers be given the same status as their British peers. During his 64-year reign, several major projects were completed, from the Johor railway line in 1908 and the Johor Causeway connecting Johor Bahru and Singapore in 1924, to the Sultan Ibrahim Building which housed the government departments in 1941.

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Sultan Ismail Educated in Malaysia and England, Sultan Ismail’s aim was to develop Johor further – he established the Perbadanan Pembangunan Ekonomi Negeri Johor (PKENJ) which is now known as Johor Corporation (JCorp), the South-West Development Authorities (KEJORA), West Johor project, the Federal Land and Development Authorities (FELDA), the Federal Land Cooperation and Rehabilitation Authorities (FELCRA) and the Pasir Gudang Port. He also established the Islamic Religious Council to further develop the growth of Islam in Johor.

Sultan Iskandar Appointed the Chancellor of the University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) in Skudai, Johor shortly after his coronation as Sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar ruled as the eighth King of Malaysia from 9 February 1984 until 1989.

During his reign, Johor continued to advance in many areas including infrastructure, housing, economy, education and religion.

The South Johor Region Development known as Iskandar Malaysia was officially launched

by Sultan Iskandar himself, as well as the new Johor Administrative Centre in Nusajaya, known as Kota Iskandar.

Face - to - Face with HRH S u l ta n I b r a h i m o f J o h o r HRH Sultan Ibrahim is a man of many talents. Born 22 November, 1958, he is a fully trained army, navy and air force officer with years of experience, from participating in the Young Officers Tactical Course at the Malaysian Army Training School (PULADA) as a young man, to attending the American Special Forces Green Beret and Pathfinder Course. As Crown Prince, he also served as Deputy Commanding Officer of the Johor Military Forces and is a qualified pilot. To complement his military training, HRH Sultan Ibrahim studied Southeast Asian Strategic Studies, and International Laws of the Seas at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, Massachusetts.

An experienced horseman and keen polo player, he makes an effort to be close to his people through the Kembara Mahkota Johor or Johor Royal Excursion which was implemented in 2001. The annual excursion makes its way through Johor’s 10 districts to bring the royal family closer to the people while offering better insights into policies that would help rural and underprivileged communities.

He is married to Her Royal Highness Raja Zarith Sofiah Binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah and is blessed with six children, five princes and a princess.

sourced from : http://kemahkotaan.johor.gov.my/ 8

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Governance & Administration: Then and Now Founded in 1528 by Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah, the first royal residence was set up in Johor Lama. Over the course of many years, the state capital moved up to 20 times to various sites along the Johor River and was once located at Riau Island; this was done to maintain authority over trading in the region. In 1855, Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim established Iskandar Puteri as Johor’s administrative centre; his successor, Sultan Abu Bakar, later changed the name of Iskandar Puteri to Johor Bahru in 1866.

From Agriculture to Iskandar Mal aysia: Johor Grows Up

Today, Johor is managed from Kota Iskandar, the Johor State New Administrative Centre. The award-winning complex is home to Bangunan Sultan Ismail, Dataran Mahkota, Bangunan Dato’ Jaafar Muhammad, Kota Iskandar Mosque and the State Department Complexes which houses thousands of civil staff across 76 state and federal departments.

Iconic Johor: Beyond Kuda Kepang and MEE Bandung All Malaysians love food, and every state has its own delicacies – in Johor, its location made it open to influences from many other cultures including the Middle East. From street favourites like creamy Johor Laksa, otak-otak and mee bandung to traditional wedding favourite telur pindang, its cuisine is unlike what is found elsewhere; even quintessentially Malaysian delights like sate and nasi beriani have their own unique flavour in Johor.

Johor also has many traditions of its own, with Kuda Kepang as the state’s most iconic dance – Kuda Kepang has its roots in Javanese culture and is regularly performed by troops of 10-15 people at wedding ceremonies and cultural celebrations while zapin which is believed to be Arabic in origin, was originally a form of religious education; as such it was restricted to men and only performed in the presence of religious teachers. Today, both men and women are allowed to perform zapin.

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Johor has a long tradition of historic significance – on 14 April 1895, under the reign of Sultan Abu Bakar, Johor became the first Malay state to have a formal and written set of laws in the form of the Johor State Constitution.

In 1946, Tunku Ismail, prior to being crowned Sultan, hosted the inaugural Malay Congress at the Istana Palace in Johor Bahru; this event led to the establishment of UMNO. Growing from a centre of production for pepper in the 1850s to the South Johor Region Development known as Iskandar Malaysia, it’s clear that Johor has come a long way. Officially launched by Sultan Iskandar himself, Iskandar Malaysia is a 550,000-acre economic corridor set to transform the state, drawing international investments, bolstering trade and tourism, and creating a place where innovation and economic promise are intertwined with Asian values and culture.

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You not only cover what is current but a lot of history as well.

What drives your sense of pride in documenting Johor and her evolution?

Johor Bahru, Malaysia’s second largest city, is my home where I grew up with many fond childhood memories. As the state is being developed under the Iskandar Malaysia project, the city landscape is rapidly changing.

My Johor Stories was launched on March 11, 2011. Since then, Peggy Loh has published 878 entries covering the history of Johor, places of interest, food, culture and lifestyle.

When the state administrative center moved to Kota Iskandar and the new developments in Iskandar Puteri (formerly Nusajaya) became a wreality, it brought in new residents, professionals and expatriate talents.

While JB is transforming into a modern metropolis and all eyes are on the new developments, I see that it is also important to preserve the past.

Sharing my memories in My Johor Stories is just my way of documenting a slice of history for new generations of Johoreans, visitors and settlers here, to learn about the way we were.

My “grandfather” stories about the JB I know and love, strike a familiar cord with many readers and their feedback comments, recalling their own nostalgic memories, are most encouraging and fun to receive.

Readers also write me from abroad and the most recent adventure I had was connecting with Richard Dunn who came from the UK to meet me in JB. While he was here, it was most uncanny to suddenly discover that our grandfathers knew each other! His grandfather, F. M. Still, was president of the Johor Bahru District Badminton Association while the vice-president was my grandfather, Ng Ngoh Tee! Penang, and increasingly Ipoh are in the news a lot lately when it comes to culture and tourism. What are people missing out in Johor? Do Johoreans feel like it doesn't get enough credit given its rich culture and traditions, even when it comes to food?

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While Penang and Malacca have an inherent Straits-born Nyonya culture and cuisine, Ipoh is synonymous with its value-for-money tasty street food. Johor may not have a similar reputation for its food but we have marked Arabian, Javanese, European, Indian and Chinese influences in food that is uniquely Johor.

For instance, Mee Rebus Haji Wahid is an all-time favourite while locals enjoy the humble pisang goreng with a spicy dip sauce.

Johor cuisine like laksa Johor has its legendary royal origin as palace food created to the taste of Sultan Abu Bakar. Known as the Father of Modern Johor, the sultan was also a fashion trendsetter who made popular the Baju Melayu Teluk Blangah, a style which is still proudly worn today.

Due the large Teochew population here, Johor was once known as Little Swatow. Food with Teochew origins remain popular here and locals insist that they cannot get the Johor flavor of kway teow kia anywhere except in Johor!

The location of Johor linked with our nearest neighbour to the South by a causeway, brings in a regular influx of visitors. As food bloggers track down some of Johor’s best-kept secrets, social media is helping foodies find quality food here. And of course, the favourable exchange rate is keeping them coming back for more!

As a guardian of stories from Johor, what do you think are the native values of Johoreans and what can the rest of us learn from them.

Johor history records how the Johor ruler invited Chinese migrants to open up land for cultivation of pepper and gambier and this partnership that put Johor on the map as the world’s largest producer of gambier at one time, was the basis of the Malay-Chinese bond here.

The strong relationship between the Malay and Chinese communities was further cemented when the Chinese helped the sultan win the battle to preserve the Johor sultanate.

In Johor, the royal family plays a vital role in setting the tone for mutual respect and inclusiveness.

Her Royal Highness the Permaisuri of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofia, is an Oxford graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies (1983) and a Master of Arts (1986).

Historically the Johor Empire once covered a large area encompassing the southern part of the peninsular including Pahang, Singapore, part of Sumatra and islands in the Riau Archipelago.

She is a prime example of a Malaysian who has no fear or suspicion of another culture. A gracious queen, she is loved and respected for many reasons, one of which is her social work under the Malaysian Red Crescent Society as well as the recently established Cancer Foundation, that offers aid to people from all walks of life.

The influx of Arab traders, Javanese, Bugis, Chinese and Indian immigrants as well as the arrival of the British and other Europeans, created a melting pot of cultures from great civilizations that brought about an interesting culture and culinary heritage.

Following the ruler's lead in fostering bonds among the communities for the benefit of the rakyat, Johoreans continue to live together in mutual respect, bound together with a special thread of unity which Johor describes as muafakat.

The strong relationship between the Johor Sultanate and the British monarchy resulted in the adoption of some English traditions and architectural designs in Johor.

Whatever their ethnic origins, true-blue Johoreans are proud of their Johor identity (01), a people who come from a state with a singular race, Bangsa Johor.

This is evident from the Johor royal regalia and grand palaces in JB (and formerly also in Singapore) and how the Johor Sultan has a crown not unlike that of the British queen!

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TRAVEL

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off the beaten track.

Johor is a state that is rich in history, predating the independence of Malaysia. These are the few places about town that serve to bridge the present and the past of the people.

Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, Bukit Senyum, 80400 JB

Bukit Senyum Those travelling to downtown JB and neighbouring Singapore will have often passed this majestic white building that stands tall on a hill. According to legend, Dato Ja’afar Mohamed, the first Menteri Besar, fell in love with the view from the hill and invited Sultan Abu Bakar to the location, asking him for permission to build a home there for his family. The Sultan smiled in response, hence the name ‘Bukit Senyum’. The minister then commissioned Wong Ah Fook to construct the building at the price of $60,000 and it was completed in 1896. Said to have been inspired by the 16th Century Hardwick Hall in England, the building is currently being restored and will soon open its doors as the state’s ‘Museum Tokoh’.

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Located in downtown JB, the Tiong Hua Chinese Museum houses the historical and cultural records of the first Chinese settlers of the state. Visitors are able to witness the journey and growth of the five main Chinese clans - Teochew, Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka and Hainan. The Chinese settled in old Johor through the ‘Kangchu’ system which saw the production of pepper and gambier.

The museum now highlights various Chinese artifacts, heritage items as well as a showcase of how the Chinese fared throughout different periods in the state’s history.

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Tiong Hua Museum

Sri Raja Mariamman Temple, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, 80000 JB

Sri Mariamman Temple JB

42, Jalan Ibrahim, 80000 JB.

One of the oldest Hindu temples in the state and in Malaysia, the Sri Mariamman Temple truly stands out in downtown JB, standing tall against the increasingly modern cityscape. Still an active place of worship for the Hindu community, and home to religious ceremonies, visitors can also gaze at the intricate craftsmanship and artwork adorning the façade.

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Nat u ra l Att ract i o n s Apart from cultural and historical attractions, Johor has much to offer nature lovers, with a growing eco-tourism industry including three RAMSAR-listed sites and pristine diving locations.

Pulau Kukup Located 1km from the southwestern tip of the Malaysian peninsular, it is known as one of the most intact sites in Southeast Asia. The wetland contains an abundance of threatened or nearvulnerable species including the Smooth Otter, Bearded Pig, Flying Fox and the Long-tailed Macaque. The coastal straits between the island and mainland hosts a thriving marine industry and the mudflats contain a high quantity of shellfish that provide food and income for the locals.

Sungai Pulai Sungai Pulai contains the largest mangrove system in the state and is located at the estuary of the Sungai Pulai river. The site is associated with seagrass beds, mudflats and an inland freshwater riverine forest, representing one of the most biodiverse lowland tropical river basins, rich with mangrove trees.

Tanjung Piai Known as the southernmost tip of the Asian continent, Tanjung Piai supports many threatened and vulnerable wetlanddependent species including the Mangrove Pitta, Smooth Otter and several species of Macaques. The waters of the four main rivers traversing through the site are also abundant with commercially-valuable species. The site enjoys the status of State Park and visitors are welcome to camp out for a weekend or enjoy walks along the intricate walkways.

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Diving in Johor Waters Diving is a booming industry with thirty to forty thousand divers certified each year, and Johor is a haven for divers with an abundance of islands and diving spots. The state offers more than fifteen diving spots catering for beginners and experts alike. Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Aur and Pulai Harimau are top picks for divers due to the abundance of coral and marine wildlife and easy access.

Rayner's Rock (Batu Ronchek) Whale sharks and manta rays have been sited here.

Pulau Pemanggil Located 45km off Mersing, known for emerald waters and an unknown shipwreck.

Requires a 4-5 hour boat ride.

Pulau Rawa A coral island with relatively unspoiled white sandy beaches.

Rawa is the local term for white doves, which are abundant on the island.

Div ing Sp ots

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6 getaway spots in johor.

Kelong Acheh Take Singapore back seven centuries. Blot out the steel and glass buildings. Imagine untainted waters and nets left to dry in the sun. Imagine a seascape not of industrial ships, but of rickety structures. These are the kelongs of Southeast Asia, a Malay word describing the wooden offshore platforms which characterize fishing villages across Southeast Asia. Singapore was once a sleepy fishing village, not unlike Mersing today.

Anchored off the coast of Mersing is one of the few remaining fishing outposts in the region: Kelong Acheh. Converted from a functioning kelong into a more visitor friendly resort-at-sea, it offers visitors an authentic fishing experience. Where better to take time off than at sea with the breeze, gentle waves, beautiful views and amazing sunset. The Mersing Jetty at Kelong Acheh is also the main departure point for nearby islands such as Pulau Acheh and Dayang Island. The rest of Mersing’s attractions will also be within reach from this kelong, including the clean beach at Pulau Acheh.

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Gunung Arong Another Mersing spot, the Gunung Arong Recreational Forest is a reserve that attracts many a nature enthusiasts. A stream runs through the entire length and breadth of the forest, offering cooling and refreshing enjoyment to those who venture into the lush greens. Hiking up Gunung Arong itself is a rewarding experience: the peak overlooks the South China Sea and its neighbouring islands, providing a glorious panoramic view. If the weather is good, the views can stretch to include the breath-taking magnificence of Pulau Tioman. The trek up takes approximately two hours and is manageable even for children and beginners. The perfect way to wind down after a hike? Relax by the shores of Tanjung Resang Beach, or go swimming in the sea to cool down.

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Muar Otherwise known as Bandar Maharani, a walk around this historic town will reward the pedestrian with many interesting sights of architecturally significant pre-war buildings. Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim, for example, is a great blue and white fusion of colonial and oriental elements. Some other fascinating buildings include the Abu Bakar Building, which houses the town’s administrative offices, the Customs building and the Muar High School. You can also visit Nan Hai Fei Lai Temple, the oldest Chinese temple in Muar, and Nattukottai Chettiars’ Temple to see Muar’s multicultural architecture. For history buffs, the Muar River Cruise, departing from Tanjung Emas jetty, offers tours of the city’s famous landmarks and their historical background.

Pul au Rawa Part of the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park, Pulau Rawa is one of the islands off Mersing with beautiful corals, soft powdery sand and stunning views of the ocean. Only 20 minutes from Mersing by boat, it is a diver’s paradise. This little patch of heaven is largely hidden from throngs of tourists and mostly quiet, making it ideal for peace-seekers as well. Though open to all, the island exudes an air of exclusivity, not unlike that of a private island. Unsurprising, as it is royal land owned by the Sultan of Johor. Pulau Rawa has two sides, one fronted by rocky cliffs, the other by white sand. The latter offers snorkelers direct access to dazzling marine life in the clear water. While here, opt to do some island-hopping to nearby Pulau Harimau, Pulau Goal, or even Pulau Menstrip, an island belonging to the Johor royal family. Though snorkelling is allowed off-shore at Pulau Menstrip, no trespassing is allowed on the island itself.

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Desaru Beach Located about an hour’s drive from Johor Bahru, Desaru Beach has plenty to offer undemanding seaside holiday seekers. The beach has a 25 km stretch of golden sand, enough room for sunbathers to laze around and book readers to relax. Those who seek the sand, sun and sea but cannot stand crowds would find this place ideal. Though somewhat dated, the resorts in Desaru provide no-frill, simple stays by a quiet beach. While in the area, take an evening cruise amidst glowing fireflies at Sungai Lebam Wetland Preservation, or see - and eat the tropical fruits that flourish at the Desaru Fruit Farm.

Extend the trip to include a visit to the ostrich farm in Teluk Ramunia.

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Kamaruddin Abdullah

muar

UK Agro Resort and Farm Get up close and personal with farm animals and plenty of local fruit plants scattered across 100 acres. For an immersive farm living experience, the UK Agro Farm offers accommodation ranging from economical dormitories to family friendly chalets.

STEPPING BACK IN TIME : REVISITING MUAR TOWN OF THE 50s AND 60s For my hometown of Muar, the last sixty years has been a breathtaking period of change. It has been an unrelenting rush of new technology, new knowledge, new opportunities and wealth, new politics and even new attitudes. To those who turn the pages, the period seems like a grand triumphal march. These changes are nothing short of a transformation.

After being proclaimed Bandar Di Raja in 2012 by the present Sultan of Johor, new buildings have been reshaping Muar’s skyline. The improved infrastructure paves the way for new development and activities. Muar town today has changed tremendously, making someone like me a total stranger. Yet I was born in this town some sixty plus years ago. This is my town, not in a proprietary but familial sense, for it was a town that unfolded me, and which I will carry in my mind for as long as I sustain my earthly life.

There is plenty to do here, from tours on horse drawn carts to ostrich and goat feeding, children and adult alike will find it enjoyable. The farm comprises of an herb sanctuary, an ostrich park, a goat and sheep farm, a mushroom farm, an indigenous village and a mini zoo containing a mixture of farm animals.

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Author Kamaruddin Abdullah, whose second book “More Pages From My Past” was recently published, takes us back in time to a typical day in the Muar of his memories.

Muar town of my growing years was a tranquil but lively town to live in. Let me bring you back to those times, in the 50s and 60s, to a typical day when time lasted longer and the sun took its time to set.

Waking up at the break of dawn in my hometown in the 50s was refreshing. The silence would be first broken by the crowing of roosters in every housing area. These roosters were our wake-up call; there was no need for alarm clocks. The sound of azan from the town mosque, the Sultan Ibrahim Mosque, would follow from afar.

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At times, the sound of the soft wind that caused the tree branches to sway gracefully would enhance the serenity. As time ticked on, you could hear the voices of the nasi lemak sellers in a pensive melody tinged by sadness; it is a melancholic, heartbreaking melody. When two or three sellers neared your house, their cries would reach a competitive crescendo.

By 7.00am, Muar town was ready to move on. At the coffee shops, the shutters would be removed to get ready to serve the influx of customers. At the front of these eateries, smoke could be seen from the satay being grilled with the Wak Satay fanning the smouldering coals. Eating satay in the morning was an ageold tradition of Muarians and is still a preserved tradition. These satay sellers were mostly of Javanese descent, and their names sounded very much like the heads of the Mafia clans; Santano, Suarno, Karto and Mantono. There was one, however, whose name sounded like Kennedy. We called him Wak Kernadi.

On the road, cyclists would ride in both directions, ringing their bells to avoid minor collisions. Muar town of the 50s and 60s was a town for cyclists having to pay two dollars road tax a year per bicycle.

Trishaws peddled to every housing area looking for passengers going to the wet market. Few cars, mostly black in colour, had their engines turned on with the drivers ready to drive and grinning unnecessarily.

For lunch, the most sought after would be mi bandung, a dish you can never find in Bandung. It got its name in 1959 when some Indonesian singing troupe was served the original mi kuah made of shrimp paste while singing their traditional song Ole Ole Bandung. The famous Sin Sin Restaurant was the best place for Hainanese dishes. Beef Steak in the Muar Malay language is ‘bistik’. As a customer sits to order and enjoy his indulgence, an elderly male waiter walking like a snail would approach and ask, “Mau makan apa? Bistik daging ada, bistik kambing ada, bistik ayam pun ada”. The customer would understand and would get himself a juicy chicken chop oriental style.

When time came for tea-break, young lovers would flock to the Kim Leng Restaurant. A couple cycling abreast as if the whole world belonged to them would be on their way. The female cyclist would just paddle with her head looking down while the male would be talking about how some girls thought he looked like Elvis Presley. As the couple reached the front part of the restaurant, all heads inside the restaurant would turn to them and the male would try his very best to walk like Elvis while the female, still with her head looking down, would follow slightly behind. In the early 60s, falling in love happened when you reached the age of sixteen. When two young people became an item, it was called ‘berendut’ in the Muar Malay language.

A typical scene of Muar Town of the early 60s.

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By evening it would be Tanjung. When the sun, partially hidden by greyish clouds began to set in the western horizon, its rays would paint the heavenly sky red, illuminating the calm surface of the silvery Muar River. Tree branches would dance gracefully to the tune of the breeze while the coconut trees would sway in time with their swishing palms. Kamal the rojak seller would be cutting cucumbers 33

Photos courtesy of Kamaruddin Abdullah

faster than any machine found in town, ready to serve the long queue. Missing an evening stroll at Tanjung was an opportunity missed. Tanjung was a place where young lovers met, a place that healed broken hearts, a place that inspired those who wished to paint nature’s beauty in a thousand words.

The house I was born and raised in.

Muar Town girls of the 50s enjoying the breezy wind at Tanjung.

When the sun bade farewell, Muar town would begin to slumber. Except for the cinemas, all other outlets within the town vicinity would be closed. The Muar ferry would still be operating having to ferry night birds who had just had a ‘footloose and fancy free’ time in bustling Malacca. There was, however, an amusement park that could shame Paris by Night and The Big Apple -the New York that never sleeps.

Known as the Grand Paradise Amusement Park, it offered more than just that. When the legendary striptease dancer Rose Chan came to town, many men behaved with utmost obedience and undivided loyalty to their wives in the daytime, only to disappear at night for a very important ‘meeting’.

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My last visit to my hometown was in September 2016. I took the opportunity to visit the places where memories began. Tanjung was no longer the Tanjung of my time and as I passed the Sultan Ibrahim Mosque, memories of my early years began to play back those moments when I used to eat nasi biryani on a dulang shared with three others. I passed by the house of my childhood neighbour, Maniam, but it wasn’t there anymore. The house of Sarop Singh where I tasted my first chapatti remained only in my memory. I could only recall those wonderful years where race, religion and creed had no place. Muar town of my growing years was a tranquil town, a place made for all races where they could always find peace, tranquility and prosperity.

Before leaving town I made a final stop; the house I was born and raised in. It is still standing proudly, sandwiched between modern homes. This could be the few last icons of heritage in my hometown. As I drove towards the bridge heading for Kuala Lumpur, I knew that the reminiscences of my hometown would never be left behind to rot. How could I forget?

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wetlands.

Malaysia is home to six Ramsar sites, three of which are located in Johor.

In 1971, the Ramsar Convention also known as the ‘Convention on Wetlands’ was formed to promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands all over the world; through local, national and international efforts, with the aim of achieving sustainable development, the world over. This is the oldest global convention for the protection of nature, an effort that is vital to the survival of all species.

Ramsar sites are identified as wetland areas of international importance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology and could be in the form of lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes, estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs or even human made sites like paddy fields and reservoirs, the list goes on.

Today, a total of 169 countries have signed the convention, Malaysia being one of them.

Malaysia has a total of 6 Ramsar sites - 2 in East Malaysia : the Kuching Wetlands National Park and the Lower Kinabatangan -Segama Wetlands, Tasik Bera, a natural fresh water lake in Pahang and three in the southern state of Johor - Pulau Kukup, Tanjung Piai and Sungai Pulai.

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tanjung piai pulau kukup

About 11kilometres from the town of Kukup and 90km south of Johor Bharu is Tanjung Piai, a cape in the Pontian district, at the southernmost tip of mainland Asia. In 2003, Tanjung Piai National Park was listed as a Ramsar site and a priority site for ecotourism, drawing in tens of thousands of visitors since it opened its doors.

Picturesque Pulau Kukup is divided by channels and tidal creeks which are guarded by majestic tropical mangrove trees. The island, rich in biodiversity is covered entirely by mangroves and surrounded by mudflats and is one of the biggest uninhabited mangrove sites in the world. It is now designated as a national park - the Kukup Island Johor National Park, which is home to 27 mangrove species, and protected wildlife like the Dusky Leaf Monkey, Long Tailed Macaque and Smooth Otter. Pulau Kukup is a bird watcher's paradise, as it is a haven for more than 76 species of bird. From September to December each year, visitors can observe the migration of raptors such as the Oriental Honey Buzzard as they make their way to Indonesia. Park attractions include the Board Walk which visitors can use to explore the wetlands and a 15m observation tower for a panoramic view of the island, including a spectacular view of Sg.Ular.

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Tanjung Piai is an ‘Important Bird Area’ (IBA), identified as a space of international significance for the conservation of the world’s birds. It is an important habitat for many vulnerable species including the Lesser Adjutant Stork. At the 526 hectare national park, visitors can observe wild birds, macaques,

To get to Pulau Kukup, visitors can take a 10minute boat from the jetty at Kukup Town. The boat ride costs RM5 (return fare) and includes a visit to a ‘Kelong’ or floating fish farm.

To visit the national park, visitors pay a fee of RM5 for adults and RM3 for students, 18yrs and below.

Non Malaysians are charged RM20 for adults and RM10 for students.

Accommodation wise, there are many affordable chalets in Kukup Town, which is also a great place to get reasonably priced fresh seafood.

mudskippers, crabs, cicadas and a wide range of wild life from specially built platforms that dot the park.

For visitors who want to experience alternative night life, a visit to the park at night to watch fireflies can be arranged.

To get to Tanjung Piai National Park, visitors can take a taxi from the Pontian bus station in the town centre, as there is no direct bus service to the park.

There are many options of places to stay in Pontian to meet every travelers budget. Whilst in town, visitors can consider visiting the other attractions such as the Pineapple Museum.

sungai pulai The third Ramsar site in Johor is the Sungai Pulai wetlands which houses the Mangrove Forest Reserve. The forest reserve is the largest mangrove area in Johor and at the mouth of the Pulai River lies the largest seagrass bed in Malaysia. Visitors can take guided boat rides along the river for an encounter with its unique flora and fauna.

Sungai Pulai is an hour away from Johor Bharu. After roughing it out in nature, visitors can sit back and enjoy some pampering at the Sungai Pulai Wellness Resort, the first of its kind in Malaysia.

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FOOD CULTURE

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The Melting Pot: Johor’s Eclectic Culinary Landscape.

The term ‘Johor food’ usually conjures up images of laksa Johor, lodeh, soto ayam, biryani gam, harissa, kacang pul, penganan kacau keledek, halwa maskat, bludall and air beyh, to name a few. Johor cuisine however is much more varied than this. It is a combination of richly varied cuisines from not only the Middle Eastern countries but also from China, India, Indonesia and Europe, reflecting the multi-ethnicity of the Johor people.

Kalsom Taib and Hamidah Abdul Hamid track the origins of Johor cooking.

The name Johor originates from the Arabic word jauhar, which means ‘gem’ or ‘jewel’, a term used

by Arab traders in the 13th century when Johor was famous for its jewels and gemstones. With the South China Sea in the east, the Straits of Melaka in the west and the Straits of Johor to its south, Johor was then a magnet for visitors, traders and settlers, particularly the Javanese, Bugis and Arabs, and later the British, all of whom had a significant influence on its culture, including its cuisine.

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There is a Bugis community in Kampung Sungai Kuali in Kukup, Pontian, which maintains Bugis customs and traditions. Bugis food is still being served, such as burasak, the Bugis version of lontong ketupat, sambal serunding (to be eaten with burasak) and chicken in soya sauce Bugis style (ayam kicap Bugis). Bugis desserts include kue Bugis, which resembles our kuih koci, lipat pisang (barongko), terumbah and seri kaya labu.

Likewise, the Arabs introduced many dishes, the most popular being harissa, biryani, kuzi, kacang pul, air beyh and sweetmeats like halwa maskat.

Meanwhile, soto ayam, lodeh, sambal Jawa, nasi ambeng and botok-botok were brought to Johor by the Javanese.

We must also not forget the influence of the Chinese on Johor cuisine. In the 1840’s, Temenggung Daeng Ibrahim encouraged Chinese pepper and gambier planters in Singapore to expand their activities to Johor, and according to a Straits Times report of February 1862, an estimated 70,000 Chinese were employed in the plantations between 1855 and 1862. As such, there are nuances of Chinese cooking styles in Johor cuisine.

When rubber replaced gambier and pepper as one of the most important commercial crops in Johor in the early 20th century, the British brought in labour from India to work the plantations. The Indians brought with them curries such as korma, dalca and many others. Our nasi biryani gam is in fact a version of the Indian dum biryani. The British themselves left a legacy of cakes, stews, pies and puddings but these were adapted to local tastes with the addition of ingredients such as soya sauce, cloves and cinnamon.

Johor cuisine evolved further under Sultan Abu Bakar and his Menteri Besar Dato Ja’afar.

Dato Ja’afar’s house, ‘Bukit Senyum’ was well known for its exotic cuisine and for promoting and introducing new and different kinds of food to the people of Johor. From a passage in Zainah Anwar’s Legacy of Honour: “In the huge kitchen of ‘Bukit Senyum’, a chef from Turkey and another from India reigned supreme over the outsized copper and brass pots and pans. They wielded giant ladles to cook the elaborate dishes and stir all the traditional ingredients that needed to simmer for hours over slow fires. The Indian cook, Thambi Shah, introduced biryani to the people of Johor, a rich mouth-watering dish of basmati rice cooked in ghee, onions and spices and served with beef or mutton that has been marinated in a mixture of yoghurt, herbs and spices.

The Turkish cook introduced Middle Eastern dishes.

The most popular of these in Johor is the harissa, a delicacy made of oats or wheat, mutton, ghee and spices, stirred for hours over a fire until the whole mixture thickens”.

These recipes would not be widely enjoyed today if it were not for the womenfolk who passed these cooking traditions down through the generations, starting with Kaum Ibu – the wives of the Menteri Besar and heads of department of the Johor Civil Service. Being exposed to the evolving flavours served at festivities and official dinners, they were able to replicate these dishes in their own homes. Many of these women kept the recipes from their mothers and grandmothers and passed them down to their daughters.

Azizah Ja’afar, Dato Ja’afar’s daughter, learnt these recipes from her Turkish mother, Rogayah (Khanum) Abdullah as well as the cooks hired by her father in Bukit Senyum. In the 1930’s Azizah Ja’afar founded a Home Science School in Johor Bahru to train young Malay girls from all over Johor in the art of fine Malay cooking and dining. Several wives of the Malay elite honed their cooking skills at her school.

Today, it continues as the Kolej Vokasional (ERT) Azizah.

The integration of so many foreign styles of cooking has turned Johor Malay cooking into the eclectic foodscape it is today. Over the years, Johoreans have instinctively selected the best of the immigrants’ culinary elements to create a highly evolved cuisine of their own. These are the flavours of Johor, a potpourri of traditional and contemporary dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation and continue to be appreciated by all Malaysians.

This is an edited excerpt from the book ‘Johor Palate – Tanjung Puteri Recipes’ by Kalsom Taib and Hamidah Abdul Hamid.

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An interview with Datin Kalsom

1. This cookbook is unique in that it marries recipes with the cultural history of Johor. As you mentioned in the book, many of these were passed down orally.

How many people did you have to interview to compile all the recipes?

3. If history proves anything, it’s that our food and cuisine is constantly evolving and adapting to new influences. Have you witnessed any new trends in Johor cuisine that may one day became part of the ‘Johor palate?’

Assembling the 240 recipes in this book was no mean task. We had spent years collecting them – some were passed down to us orally and some were written down more than fifty years ago based on the measurements at the time. We also referred to our mother’s’ recipe books which were written down in Jawi. We travelled to various places in Johor – Muar, Batu Pahat, Pontian and Johor Bahru seeking special cooks who could not only share some of the recipes but also verify them. I think we interviewed more than 15 people.

Heritage food is something we inherit from the past. So strictly speaking you cannot change the recipe. Take for example Laksa Johor and the accompaniments that go with it – bean sprouts, onions, cucumber, pickled radish, basil leaves, Vietnamese mint leaves, sambal belacan and calamansi limes. We have seen some people adding long beans and torched ginger. If you start to change the recipe then you cannot call it heritage food. Heritage is something inherited from the past. These are timeless, treasured recipes passed down from one generation to the next, reconnecting us to our culinary past. It is true that social and economic changes do occur.

Eating and cooking habits have also changed. But our objective is to preserve these heritage recipes so that they are not lost forever. I remember my grandmother’s sweetmeat, kuih kepal. It was my father’s favourite kuih. No one in the family had the recipe. I had to scout around and finally found a person in Johor Bahru who knew how to make it.

So we persuaded her to show us how to make it. It tasted just like the one my grandmother used to make. Syukur she is still around.

2. There must have been variations even within the same dishes, since many were passed down – how did you trace/qualify what was the closest to being authentic?

True, there were variations in some of the recipes.

Take Laksa Johor. Hamidah (Hamidah Abdul Hamid - co-author) had her variation and I had mine. We decided to use Hamidah’s recipe as she is an excellent cook and is well known among relatives for her delicious Laksa Johor. When we first started working on the book we divided our roles – Hamidah would test all the recipes and I would do all the writing. So there was no conflict of interest. As they say ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’. We both know the taste as this is food we grew up with so it was not difficult. We had the Johor palate.

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4. Many of these recipes trace its origin to the royal kitchens. Are there official custodians of these recipes within the palace?

It was only from the second half of the nineteenth century that Johor’s culinary cuisine was influenced by members of the royal households and the malay elite of Johor. They had the opportunity to travel abroad, were lavishly entertained and hence were exposed to foreign food. They also imported foreign cooks from India and Turkey – hence you have the briyani gam, harissa and kacang pul as examples. The wives of the malay elite were also exposed to this ‘new food’ and replicated these dishes in their own homes.

5. And finally, did you taste every single recipe in the book?

Of course we had to taste all the 240 recipes.

I would taste all the recipes once Hamidah was satisfied with her cooking. Sometimes we would invite our husbands and other members of the family to taste and comment. That’s the reason the book took us two and a half years to complete.

We almost wanted to give up at one stage. It was very stressful. We took a three month break before continuing. Syukur Alhamdulilah, we managed to complete the book just in time for the coronation of the Sultan of Johor. The book was launched on 13 June 2015 by Tuanku Permaisuri Johor, DYMM Raja Zarith Sofiah, after the coronation.

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The town where we were born, Muar, is famous for its mee bandung. In fact, Muar is the town where mee bandung is said to have originated, not Bandung in Indonesia.

The word bandung means ‘mixed’, a mixture of noodles and other spices. Another example is sirap bandung, a mixture of syrup, evaporated milk and ice cream soda.

The ingredient that gives this mee dish its special taste is dried shrimp. The dish also has to be served freshly cooked. Thus, it should be prepared in small quantities for serving 3–5 people at a time. To cook for larger numbers, complete steps 1–4, then serve enough gravy for 3–5 people and repeat the subsequent steps as required.

ME E BANDUN G MUAR

600 g yellow mee, scalded in boiling water for 3 minutes For the stock 400 g beef 2 litres water ½ cup cooking oil

Heat the oil in a wok and sauté the gravy paste and chilli puree. Fry until the oil separates and pour into beef pot.

3

Add the oyster sauce, tomato sauce and tomatoes and simmer until the gravy is well combined. Season with sugar and salt, balancing the taste.

4

Slowly break in the eggs, one at a time. When the eggs are half cooked, transfer to a plate.

5

Add the prawns and boil until cooked. Set aside.

7

To serve, place mee in individual serving bowls and put an egg, some prawns and garnish on top. Pour over the gravy. Serve piping hot with pickled chillies* on the side.

s

Add the mustard greens.

pi

ll ie

6

*8 green or red chillies, thinly sliced, or 25-30 bird’s eye chillies 2 cups water 1 cup rice vinegar 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp salt

ch i

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2

led

Garnishes 2 soft soya bean cakes, fried and sliced fried shallots 2 bulbs spring onion, finely chopped 3 bunches flat parsley, finely chopped

Slice the beef and boil in a pot until tender.

Retain 5 cups of stock in the pot.

ck

Grind fine for the gravy paste 15 shallots, peeled and chopped 8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 4 slices ginger, peeled and chopped 1 cup dried shrimps, soaked until soft 4 tbsp chilli puree 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 cup tomato sauce 3–4 tomatoes, quartered 4 tbsp sugar salt to taste 250 g medium prawns, trimmed and washed 8 stalks mustard greens, cut into 2 cm widths 4–5 eggs

1

1. Bring the water to boil and pour into the bowl of chillies. Leave to soak for 10 minutes.

2. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl.

3. Drain the chillies.

4. Add the chillies to the bowl of vinegar mixture and leave to rest overnight. Store in screw-top jars. The pickles will keep for about two weeks, longer if refrigerated.

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Hamidah inherited this unusual but delicious recipe from her mother. The noodles are wrapped in egg omelette and are eaten with chicken and mixed vegetable gravy, topped with *chilli soya sauce.

1

2

3

4

In a pan, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and chilli puree until fragrant and crisp. Add the mee and soya sauce. Fry, mixing well, then set aside.

Whisk an egg with a pinch of salt and pour into a greased pan to make a thin, round omelette wrapper.

Place the omelette on a plate and put 3 spoonfuls of mee on top. Fold in the two sides of the omelette, roll and wrap into a parcel.

Repeat the process until the ingredients are used up. Arrange the rolls on a serving plate.

For the gravy ½ cup cooking oil 16 shallots, peeled and sliced 8 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 4 cm ginger, peeled and finely sliced 1 chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 litres water 2 tsp pepper 1 chicken cube, if necessary

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2 fish cakes, thinly sliced 10 fish balls, halved 3 tbsp corn flour 4 tbsp water 2–3 tsp sesame oil 4 bulbs spring onion, cut into 2 cm lengths 2 bunches flat parsley, cut into 2 cm lengths 2 tbsp fried shallots 1

2 3

4

In a deep pot, heat the oil and sauté the sliced ingredients until fragrant. Add the chicken and fry until it shrinks a little. Add all the other ingredients and bring to the boil on medium heat until the vegetables are cooked.

Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the corn flour mixed with water to slightly thicken the soup.

Sprinkle some of the spring onion, flat parsley and fried shallots into the gravy to further enhance the taste and fragrance.

To serve, place one or two mee rolls in a soup plate, pour the soup over and garnish with the remainder of the spring onion, flat parsley and fried shallots. Top with chilli soya sauce*.

i so ya sa u ce

For the wrappers 10–12 large eggs salt to taste cooking oil to grease the pan

3 tbsp oyster sauce 3 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp thick sweet soya sauce 50 g mustard greens, cut into 3 cm lengths 50 g snow peas, halved diagonally 50 g cauliflower, cut into florets and thinly sliced 50 g sliced dried black mushrooms, soaked until soft 1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced across 5 pcs baby corn, thinly sliced diagonally

ch ill

For the filling 3 tbsp cooking oil 4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated 4 tbsp chilli puree 2 tbsp thick sweet soya sauce 600 g yellow mee, rinsed

Mee Gul unf

*Johoreans love to dip fritters into this sauce, especially fried bananas, yams, sweet potatoes and tapioca.

20 bird’s eye chillies, chopped 3 red chillies, chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1 cup thick sweet soya sauce 5 tbsp rice vinegar or 3-4 calamansi limes, squeezed 3 tbsp palm sugar 1 tsp salt

1. Grind the chillies and garlic in a food processor. Pour into a pot.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil over low 49 heat until the sauce thickens.

3. Keep refrigerated once cool.

This is a popular dessert served at royal banquets and official functions for foreign guests. Each guest is served a small pumpkin filled with egg custard. If the pumpkin is large, wedges may be served instead.

2 pumpkins (each 250 g)

1

Cut open the top of the pumpkins in a zigzag pattern. Remove the seeds and clean the insides. Place the bottom halves of the pumpkins in bowls (to hold their shape) in the steamer tray of a preheated steamer. Place the pumpkin lids on the side. Cover the steamer.

Cook the pumpkins for about 10 minutes.

2

For the custard, whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add the palm sugar and whisk further until the sugar dissolves.

3

Add the coconut cream, salt and pandan juice or vanilla essence and whisk until well mixed.

Strain the custard mixture into a jug and gently pour into the pumpkins.

4

Steam for about 40 minutes until the custard is set. Test by inserting a skewer into the center of the custard. If the skewer comes out watery and clean, the custard is set.

5

Remove and allow to cool. Chill the pumpkins in the refrigerator before serving.

6

Serve the pumpkins individually with their lids on or cut into slices.

For the custard 6 large eggs ž cup palm sugar 2 cups coconut cream Ÿ tsp salt 2 tbsp pandan juice or 1½ tsp vanilla essence

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SE RI KAYA LAB U Egg C ustard in Pumpkin

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fis h curry

spice mix

Botok-Botok is one of Johor’s traditional dishes. While relatively easy to make it can be hard finding the right leaves and shoots - 17 in all. The leaves are mixed with curry paste and spices. They are placed on individual banana leaves with the fish buried inside.

*Enough to cook 1.2 kg fish or seafood. Always dryfry 2 tbsp fenugreek mixture (halba campur) before cooking the curries.

5 tbsp chilli powder 4 tbsp coriander powder 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tbsp turmeric power 2 tsp black pepper

B OTOK B OTOK

Saute the above with these whole spices 2 tbsp fenugreek mixture (halba campur)

6 pcs banana leaves 20 cm x 25 cm Choice of leaves and shoots Group (essential) finely sliced: daun kunyit; daun limau purut; daun mengkudu; daun selasih; daun ubi kayu

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4

5 6 7

8

**There are two versions of kerisik: First, fresh coconut gratings toasted or dry-fried in a wok until golden brown and directly added to dishes such as nasi ulam and kerabu to provide a crunchy taste. This is called toasted kerisik.

Second, toasted kerisik that is ground to a paste in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder until the oil is released. Kerisik paste is added to rendang 53 and curries to enhance the aroma and flavour.

te

3

pas

Grind to a fine paste 6 shallots, peeled and chopped 5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 2.5 cm ginger, peeled and chopped 4 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced 2 cm galangal, peeled and chopped 4 tbsp fish curry spice mix* 1⁄2 tbsp tamarind paste 2 cm shrimp paste 2 tbsp kerisik paste** 11⁄2 cups water 1 cup coconut milk 11⁄2 tbsp sugar salt to taste

2

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté briefly the spice paste and the curry spice mix.

Add the tamarind, shrimp and kerisik pastes, water, coconut milk and sugar and cook until the mixture is well combined. Do not overcook as it will affect the taste.

Stir evenly. Balance the taste with salt and remove from heat.

To make the botok-botok packets, place 2 pieces of banana leaf on a flat surface. Add a few pieces of mengkudu leaves on top followed by a bunch of daun ubi kayu. Add what other leaves are available.

Pour some of the spicy gravy over the leaves.

Place a slice of fish on top of the leaves and cover the fish with more of the thick spicy gravy.

Cover the fish with a combination of the sliced leaves from Group A. Wrap and fold in the sides of the packet and arrange in a steamer tray. Repeat the process for the second slice of fish.

Steam the botok-botok for about 60–90 minutes in a boiling steamer.

ik

2 slices Spanish mackerel 3 tbsp cooking oil

1

keris

Group B (optional) young leaves or shoots: daun bebuas; daun cekur; daun kaduk; daun pegaga; daun puding; daun selom; kangkung kampung; pucuk betik; pucuk gajus; pucuk paku; ulam raja

Makan-Makan JB: The hip and happening culinary spots in the southern capital

JB CAFE’S

In a town that’s booming with culinary flair, Amin Khairuddin handpicks the top culinary hubs to check out in downtown JB.

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A place that not only serves top notch decadent steaks and a mean glass of sweet cold brew coffee, Café Racer is a quaint venue located in the heart of Taman Pelangi, JB. Since its opening in 2014, the café has become a frequently recommended spot by locals for its great food and ambience. The owner, fondly known as Chef Ozzy concocted the concept and menu from his passion for bikes and the philosophy that food should be shared with everyone. It’s a great place for foodies and twowheel enthusiasts alike.

Ca f é Race r b y G r i l l b a r

72, Jalan Pingai, Taman Pelangi, 80400 JB.

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O l i v e L i v e M u s i c Ca f é

5-01 & 6-01, Jalan Kolam Air 1, Nong Chik Heights, 80100 JB.

Owned by brothers Megat Faiz and Megat Firuz, Olive Live Music Café is a place you go to for family recipes and of course, live music. Wanting to offer something different to complement their family’s recipes, the brothers decided that live, raw music would create the complete foodie experience.

Breaking the norm in town where live bands are typically associated with bars and hotel lounges, Olive Live also provides an alternate platform for local bands to perform. Live music happens from Fridays to Mondays and customers are treated to the discovery of many a budding bands.

An establishment that’s barely a year old, Sugar on Top is owned and managed by 24 year-old Derek Tan who introduces his flair for innovative Asian fusion cuisine developed while studying and working in the UK. With a fusion of western and local Chinese influences, menu favourites of the locals include the Singapore Chilli Crab Pasta and the Mentaiko Burger. Desserts and coffee are also recommended, with the Signature Charcoal Waffles being a popular choice. According to Derek, a change of menu to reflect the tastes of Muslim visitors is imminent, so customers can expect a new menu by its first anniversary.

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S u g a r o n Top

No 1, Jalan Kuning 1, Taman Pelangi, 80400 JB.

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O n n’s K i tc h e n

29A, Jalan Tarom, 80100 JB.

What started out as a 20 x 20 foot warung, Onn’s Kitchen is now a hotspot for hangouts and tasty cuisine, maintaining it’s warm warung ambience.

With a rotating menu for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner, the menu features the quintessential Johorean spread and western fare. Customers can expect Roti Canai and Murtabak for breakfast, Nasi Goreng Ayam for lunch and Roti Jala for tea.

The Roti Canai has a reputation for selling out before the morning is out, and the warung offers some signature dishes such as the Nasi Lemak, which is served with fried fish instead of chicken.

The western menu begins at 7pm and provides great value for those craving lamb chops and roast chicken.

Pot’s Kitchen (formerly known as Pot’s Industries located along Jalan Skudai) has been a contemporary feature of the local dining scene for more than three years, prior to the boom of hipster hangouts in downtown JB. From a small shop in downtown Jalan Pahang to its current incarnation in South Key, Taman Majidee, Pot’s Kitchen has been plying locals with comfort food such as its infamous Ice Cream Sandwich, and has gained a strong following. Their current set up may be different in concept and size from its previous location, but it still provides the same level of service and excellent food that the locals all know too well.

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Pot’s K i tc h e n

1st Floor South Key, Taman Majidee, 80150 JB.

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ulam.

Ulam, the Malay herbal salad, is widely popular not only for its distinct flavour, but also for its many benefits that transcend its palate-stimulating properties. Credited with improving health, relieving minor ailments and enhancing the hair and skin, ulam is served fresh and raw, preserving its nutrients.

Located in downtown JB and a stone’s throw from Tiong Hua Cultural Museum, 24 Festive Drum Café is an interesting spot in JB due to its cultural significance. Serving as a place to educate visitors with the local Chinese drum culture synonymous with many Chinese celebrations, this is a place to have an Iced Mocha or a Durian Crepe, play a board game while you’re at it and to check out the various drums on display. It’s the ground floor of the Johor 24 Chinese Drum Association so those interested can sign up and get drumming in no time.

Traditionally, villagers collected the young shoots or pucuk of a variety of locally growing plants to assemble the dish. This practice of gathering fresh leaves carries on in villages where people live close to nature, and on a smaller scale in private gardens of city dwellers. It’s also commonly served at any eatery serving Malay food, from food stalls to hotel buffets.

24 Fe s t i v e D r u m Ca f é

39, Jalan Ibrahim, 80000 JB.

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is often accompanied by the fragrant temu lawak.

Also known as bunga kantan or torch ginger, it’s a type of turmeric with a large pink flower and yellow root. Besides being a fine addition to any garden, it is a traditional remedy for stiff muscles and jaundice.

When preparing ulam, each ingredient is sliced, chopped or rolled in a way that best brings out its flavour. Daun pudina (mint leaves) are chopped finely to release their zesty aroma. The pretty torch ginger with its pink flower is sliced in rings to add a light piquancy to the leafy ingredients.

Pegaga, on the other hand, is rolled into a ball and tied using its stem. It is then chewed like a tobacco plug.

Other common aromatic ulam herbs include local varieties of mint, tulsi or holy basil, lemongrass, turmeric leaves and Kaffir lime leaves. These are mixed with vegetables such as long green beans and cucumber. Whilst the combinations of the green ingredients in ulam are sometimes changed to vary the dish, what stays constant is the accompanying condiments: a fermented shrimp and chili sauce known as sambal belacan, salted fish, dried prawns, fish crackers and fine grated coconut.

petai

daun pudina

Apart from leaves, a popular ulam ingredient is Malaysia’s bright green petai bean. Sold in bunches or in bags of shelled beans, it helps boost energy as it contains three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose. Petai also stimulates the release of serotonin in the body, which helps maintain mood balance. All of these properties, together with its high potassium and low salt content, make petai a Malaysian superfood.

pegaga

A small tree native to Southeast Asia, known poetically in Malay as daun tenggek burung, literally ‘the leaf where bird rests’, is commonly used in ulam as well. This bitter plant is used by mothers in rural Malaysia to manage stomach problems.

The shining bush, a small plant known to the Malays as pokok ketumpangan air, is another familiar companion in ulam. Besides adding a mustard flavour to the dish, it is also consumed to relieve fever, headache, backache and general weakness. This is due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and analgesic properties. The plant, which grows naturally in wet areas, is abundant in tropical countries.

pokok ketumpangan air

Each green element of ulam has medicinal properties, altogether creating a hearty dish that is very nutritional. The wild betel leaf, for example, helps in the treatment of coughs and colds. As it is an expectorant, it also clears the chest of excess mucus. The plant, otherwise known as kaduk, is a member of the pepper family and grows near fences and watercourses throughout the tropics.

Sourced from: Health and Beauty from the Rainforest Malaysian Traditions of Ramuan.

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8.00 AM

We start the day with Laksa Johor for breakfast at Warung Hijau.

Food i e T e r r i to ry: J o h o r’s Go u r m et T e r ra i n Having appeared in the National Geographic Traveler and BBC Travel amongst others, popular food blogger Johor Kaki’s aim is to build bridges with food. Here, he maps a food trail across Johor’s gourmet terrain.

Warung Hijau is a typical street side stall where JB folk pull their cars over on their way to office. It’s an everyday, friendly blissful scene. Many people from every community enjoying breakfast under the cool of the morning and under the shade of buah cherry trees. Freshly cooked local staples like nasi lemak, mee rebus and kuih-muih readily laid out on long tables.

On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, there is Laksa Johor, a local specialty. Every state in Malaysia has its own style of laksa. Laksa Johor has a fascinating story behind its creation.

johor kaki

Tony

The dish was created by Sultan Abu Bakar over a hundred years ago. When Sultan Abu Bakar traveled to Italy, he fell in love with spaghetti. So, when he returned to Johor, he directed the Palace Chef to prepare laksa with spaghetti. Laksa Johor was thus created.

The best Laksa Johor is lovingly homemade on special occasions like Hari Raya, as it is so tedious to make and a bit costly for mass market.

The recipe requires fresh Ikan Parang and lots of different vegetables, herbs and spices. Still, Warung Hijau serves a good version of this Johor heritage and is worth a try.

Laksa Johor gravy is made with many vegetables, spices, and ground fish. It’s a savoury sweet and slightly spicy gravy with finely chopped vegetables, like a salad heaped over a mound of spaghetti.

Prompted by the apparent lack of publicity on Johor street food, Tony started his food blog, Johor Kaki in 2011. The blog began as a hobby which has grown and culminated in the publication of a book, Find Dining. Through his blog, Tony has documented all the eateries in Johor whose food he enjoyed. Today there is an almost endless list of cuisines in the comprehensive blog, covering all areas in the southern state.

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3.00 PM Time for tea break at Pisang Goreng Mawar, joined by the many folks who work around the area Pisang Goreng Mawar has been here for over two decades and chilling here on hot afternoons is a ritual for some of us.

Pisang Goreng Mawar serves the full range of familiar staples

The fish is weighed and prepared individually on order, with each fish getting a heap of crispy fried garlic, scoopfuls of soy-based blended gravy, and a sprinkling of chopped spring

1.00 PM For lunch, let’s go to Hin Hock Bak Kut Teh in Tampoi. No, not for Bak Kut Teh but for their poached fish. The boss always wants me to try his Bak Kut Teh but it is his fish that I cannot resist.

Hin Hock serves fresh fish, the likes of Tilapia to wild-sea fish from Pontian. Personally, I like his Tilapia best because I feel that this fish fits Hin Hock’s style best.

The fresh fish is cleaned and then dunked in a pot of boiling water. When it is cooked, the fish is laid 66

onions. The signature fried garlic is prepared every day.

on a large plate and then smothered in a thick blanket of golden brown fried garlic bits. The dish is then splashed with a light soy sauce and oil blend, and garnished with chopped scallion and parsley.

Besides the popular pisang goreng kicap, there is also a version with sambal kicap cili (with cili padi) which

The meaty poached fish is tender and juicy inside with a bit of natural sweetness. There is little, if any, characteristic pond fish earthiness at all. The soy sauce and fried garlic gives the dish differing layers of savouriness that complements the gentle natural flavours of the Tilapia fish.

has a hot spicy, stinging kick in the sauce that takes banana fritters to yet another level.

like nasi lemak and various traditional kuih-muih. Their claim to fame is their deep fried pisang raja and pisang tanduk, prepared fresh on site.

Yes, pisang goreng is commonly found in Malaysia but only in Johor do people eat their crispy fried bananas with soft sweet insides dipped in sambal kicap.

And, why not? The natural sweetness of fried bananas is complemented by savouriness from sambal kicap for a more enjoyable taste profile. Perfect with a piping hot teh tarik.

10.00 PM Finally before calling it a night, we shall head to Medan Selera Bomba Larkin for Kacang Pool.

The stall Kacang Pool Haji has been around for over 20 years and has now expanded to several outlets in JB, as well as in Batu Pahat and Kuala Lumpur.

Kacang Pool has its roots as a Middle Eastern staple - where it is usually eaten for breakfast. It is a simple dish of stewed broad beans and hard boiled eggs eaten with unleavened flat bread.

a bit of curry spices in the broad bean stew. It’s a delicious beefy savoury gruel. In place of hard boiled eggs, Pak Haji Makpol’s version features a cheerful sunny side up with runny golden yellow yolk. It’s got a marvelous eggy taste which is stirred into the beefy gruel. Also, instead of bland and stiff unleavened bread, Kacang Pool in JB has a familiar thick brick of spongy white bread slathered with margarine and browned on a sizzling flat iron griddle. Enjoyed with a teh tarik, it’s a kind of simple bliss we can indulge in at any time of the day as Kacang Pool Haji opens till 1am.

Pak Haji Makpol practically re-invented the dish.

The JB style of Kacang Pool has minced beef with

The sambal cili here also deserves a special mention, with its robust crustacean savouriness and sharp spiciness balanced with sweet and sour taste.

7.00 PM For dinner we shall have San Lou Beehoon at Restoran Ah Kaw. Ah Kaw is reputedly the creator of this JB style of frying beehoon in the 70s and he is still often seen at his restaurant.

This uniquely JB dish consists of rice vermicelli stir fried with seafood stock. What sets San Lou Beehoon apart is the outer mound of beehoon is fried to a slightly stiff brown crisp. Meanwhile inside, the white bee hoon is still moist and each strand of rice noodle is infused with warm savoury-sweet seafood stock. When done well, the crisp outside is like a light hat over the bee hoon. When we lift the “hat”, a puff of aromatic steam rises up.

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Why is this dish called San Lou Beehoon which literally means ‘Three storey rice vermicelli’?

This dish was created in the 1970s at the food stalls operating around the three-storey flats along Jalan Stulang Laut. The stalls are no longer there but the three storey flats are. As for San Lou Beehoon, it is harder these days to get a good rendition of the original dish as the skill to make it is very difficult to master.

Kacang Pool is consumed by first squeezing the lime into the dip, and then using a spoon to break the egg and mix it into the beef and broad bean sauce. Finally dip the bread and enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Johor Kaki

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the local officials.

When did MAGistrate start, and is it an independent media company?

Beginning in December 2015, MAGistrate began as an online magazine dedicated to the wonderful people of Johor. We pride ourselves on being the “local officials” who pay personal visits to every happening scene before delivering unbiased verdicts on what’s hot and what’s not in the city. MAGistrate is the brainchild of Interesthink, an independent homegrown creative company made up of four “Anak Johor”!

Can you give us an idea of the profile of your readers? Who do you reach out to, and how many people do you reach?

Your stories are written in both English and Chinese. What made you decide on this format instead of having separate language pages?

The best way to learn about JB is not just by visiting our landmarks. To really feel and get to know our city, you must meet our people, see how we live, speak with us, try our traditional food, go where we locals hang out. In tune with a new generation of Johoreans and visitors educated in both English and Chinese and who are culturally at ease with both Western and Oriental values, this format makes it possible for us to connect with people, to interact and to share what we like about our city.

MAGistrate’s target audience is a community of consumers who look for the best experiences, products and services to complement their lives and who turn to us as a trusted guide.

Our content-rich website at magistrate.my now reaches over 50,000 unique visitors monthly.

In addition, our Facebook page has over 30,000 followers, the majority of whom reside in Johor, including Singaporeans.

Founders of bilingual online lifestyle magazine MAGistrate, share their thoughts on getting to know the real JB, and why it is their mission to introduce the world to their city.

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For more details : www.facebook.com/MAGistrate.my/

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Looking at your website - there is a strong pride in local Chinese culture in Johor, but most visitors may not be as aware. What should visitors look forward to and how can they get a real introduction to all the culture the city has to offer?

MAGIstrate tries to represent the voice of modern-age Johoreans. We constantly strive to move with the trends, while bringing our readers on a journey of self-improvement. We work to share practical lifestyle advice and informative features on aspects of leading a “balanced” life, ranging from fine dining to fine arts. However, we also keep readers in touch with JB’s rich history and cultural heritage - our historic architecture, preservation, decorative arts and our age-old customs.

We have seen a lot of renewed interest in towns like George Town and Ipoh. Do you think JB has been overlooked? Do young people find a lot of opportunities in JB or do many of them tend to move to KL/SG? The lure of the strong Singapore Dollar and the convenience of being easily connected to Singapore by the Causeway and Second Link are driving many people (including Singaporeans) to work in Singapore and sleep in JB. The situation might worsen with the completion of the JBSingapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) and Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR). If we look on the bright side, JB would have actually benefitted from this rapid urbanisation and population growth, with the rising number of Malaysians and Singaporeans now calling JB home, as well as tourists from China and more industries setting up operations here. There is also a growing number of returning talents and expats who have gained experience from overseas to help contribute to the success of our city. The time has come for us living and working in JB to become tastemakers and design leaders in our own right, rather than following the herd, and to develop something unique.

Hundreds of foodies across JB and Singapore turned up at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee to meet Johor Kaki (food blogger) to have their guide book autographed and pictures taken!

“Find Dining with Johor Kaki”, as Tony brought members of the media on an amazing food discovery throughout Johor Bahru city centre!

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There has been a lot of interest in Johor with the mega investments and developments in Iskandar Malaysia. Do you see this as a positive step in developing more lifestyle opportunities and culture for locals?

As one of the five ‘economic zones’ of Iskandar Malaysia, JB is in for more than a makeover and the mega projects will radically change southern Malaysia over the next decade. After years of being criticised as a chaotic border town, JB is suddenly a lively, appealing place to hang out. There’s a real urban buzz and some surprisingly cosmopolitan corners to explore, with bustling food hawkers, impressive old architecture and landscaped sidewalks. We hope to raise awareness through our magazine, and that people will gradually fall in love with our city, our people and our culture too. “ 猴康桃” // a 2-in-1 special red packet crossover collaboration with celebrity illustrator Pocotee & Friends designed to bring about 16 fabulous festive deals and cheers for CNY 2016 to our fans.the installations.

Tell us a bit more about what MAGistrate does, and some plans for the future.

Viewing MAGistrate as an ‘idea bank’ of value is a nice starting point for the future. With our strong design and editorial team, we are in the process of building multiple platforms to offer more ways of packing that ‘idea bank’ with more platforms and methods to inform and delight our target audiences.

One of the best parts of our job is when we help local businesses and organisations embrace change for meaningful outcomes, both commercial and social. We also work across all industries and the formats and channels in which we deliver our work are growing. We also expect more crossover collaboration such as our latest project “Find Dining with Johor Kaki”, working with the popular Johor Kaki blogger, and UMLAND, as we team up with organisations to customise events and campaigns. We will also continue to support local arts and culture, social enterprises, entrepreneurs and more.

JBChingayMap // A specially curated tourist map in collaboration with JB Tiong Hua Association and Johor Tourism to create widespread awareness on JB’s most important home-coming festival – Chingay Kuil Kuno Johor for locals and visitors alike!

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Published in three languages // English, Malay and Chinese, Chingay Kuil Kuno Johor, a limited edition souvenir book on the history of the Chingay festival.

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Bersama Jamri Johan dari Johor Bahru Food Truck Association (JBFTA) dan trend keusahawanan Food Truck.

food trucks.

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Wujudnya persatuan seperti JBFTA yang mempunyai beberapa ahli membuktikan bahawa kegiatan “food truck� begitu popular di negara ini.

Apakah sebab-sebab peniaga dalam persatuan ini memilih untuk berniaga dalam industri “food truck�?

JBFTA adalah sebuah persatuan yang tertubuh hasil daripada idea anak-anak muda yang cuba bergerak dalam dunia keusahawanan "Food Truck" di bawah satu payung yang berdaftar. Jika kita lihat antara faktor-faktor para usahawan kami menceburi bidang ini, rata-rata mereka ini adalah golongan yang berani mengambil risiko dan mahu maju ke hadapan. Kami sebenarnya cuba memberi nafas baru dalam dunia penjaja makanan seiring dengan arus pemodenan yang memacu laju, khususnya di Johor Bahru. Konsep penjaja moden yang kami cuba perkenalkan kepada masyarakat di luar sana adalah untuk membuka mata semua pihak bahawa para usahawan muda ini berani untuk menyahut seruan kerajaan untuk menceburi bidang keusahawanan. Memang tidak

dinafikan, faktor keuntungan juga diambil kira dan para usahawan kami memang mempunyai keghairahan dan minat yang mendalam terhadap dunia makanan tetapi matlamat utama kami adalah untuk menjadi perintis dunia "Food Truck" di wilayah ini. Kami berhasrat untuk melahirkan penjaja moden yang selari dengan kemajuan negara. Kami berusaha untuk membuka jalan baru kepada bakal-bakal usahawan "Food Truck" dengan melakukan kerjasama dengan pihak berkuasa tempatan dari segi undang-undang dan pihak-pihak yang berkaitan untuk pembukaan tapak-tapak perniagaan. Pelbagai cabaran yang kami terpaksa tempuhi tetapi pihak JBFTA yang dibarisi oleh golongan belia akan meneruskan perjuangan kami sebagai perintis usahawan "Food Truck" di Johor Bahru. Saya secara peribadinya memilih untuk menceburi bidang ini adalah untuk memeriahkan lagi dunia penjaja makanan dengan pelbagai menu ciptaan sendiri dan memodenkan konsep penjaja itu sendiri.

Tambahan pula, dengan desakan ekonomi dan lambakan graduan menganggur, saya cuba untuk mencari bidang alternatif yang saya minati untuk dijadikan pekerjaan tetap.

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Pada pendapat anda, mampukah kegiatan “food truck” ini bertahan lama? Dan bolehkah peniaga-peniaga menjana pendapatan yang lumayan, lantas menjadikan pekerjaan ini sebagai pekerjaan tetap?

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Seperti kita semua sedia maklum, bidang usahawan atau perniagaan ini adalah satu bidang yang berisiko tinggi dan tanpa perancangan yang rapi, kita mungkin merancang rapi kegagalan.

Oleh kerana kegiatan “Food Truck” ini sedang trending, ramai yang menjangkakan kegiatan ini tidak akan bertahan lama. Untuk kekal relevan dan bertahan lama dalam industri penyediaan makanan dan minuman ini, para usahawan perlu alah dengan frasa “bersakit-sakit dahulu”. Para usahawan perlulah mempunyai perancangan jangka masa pendek dan jangka masa panjang.

Untuk tampil dengan gelaran ‘usahawan’ itu sendiri, mereka seharusnya tidak mengharapkan pulangan besar dalam jangka waktu yang singkat.

Bagi memastikan asas dunia “Food Truck” ini kekal utuh, pihak kami akan terus merangka perancangan dan ketetapan ahli-ahli kami untuk kestabilan jangka masa panjang. Para usahawan JBFTA bukan menjalankan perniagaan secara semberono, kami cuba tampil dengan konsep yang unik dan setiap ahli kami mempunyai kepakaran hidangan dan jenama tersendiri.

Pihak kami juga menggalakkan ahli-ahli sentiasa bereksperimen dengan menu dan promosi. Bila menyebut tentang bidang yang mendatangkan pendapatan yang lumayan, makna lumayan itu sendiri subjektif dan bergantung kepada pendapat peribadi setiap individu. Walau bagaimanapun, kami percaya dengan perancangan yang rapi dan kesabaran yang menebal, para usahawan “Food Truck” mampu menjadikan bidang ini sebagai salah satu cabang baru dalam bidang pekerjaan.

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Kita dapat melihat bahawa di Johor, terdapat ramai anak muda yang menceburi bidang perniagaan dalam pelbagai industri, mengikut cara mereka tersendiri.

Apakah ramalan masa hadapan bagi anak-anak muda ini?

Dari sudut perspektif saya yang memilih untuk menceburkan diri dalam bidang keusahawanan ini, terdapat dua kategori anak muda yang memilih jalan ini. Pertama, anak muda yang benar-benar ghairah dengan bidang perniagaan dan sanggup menempa jalan berisiko tinggi untuk menceburi bidang ini. Golongan ini mindanya sangat kreatif dan kritikal. Mereka ini rela meninggalkan zon selesa demi mengejar keghairahan berdagang, yang semua sedia maklum penuh dengan liku. Kedua, anak-anak muda yang rela dalam keterpaksaan. Golongan ini lahir kesan daripada desakan ekonomi, bebanan kos hidup, tekanan dihukum sosial dan disiplin hala tuju hidup.

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Untuk mencapai harapan dan tanggungan yang diserahkan ibubapa & pandangan masyarakat, mereka menceburkan diri dalam bidang perniagaan untuk menjana ekonomi peribadi tanpa mempunyai perancangan yang rapi. Mereka kerap terikut-ikut dengan trend semasa tanpa mempunyai rangka rancangan perniagaan jangka panjang. Golongan ini biasanya akan tarik diri selepas ‘tersungkur’ sekali. Kedua-dua golongan ini sebenarnya bukti bahawa generasi masa kini bukanlah generasi yang sentiasa minta ‘disuap’ dan menjadi boneka generasi terdahulu. Jika pola penglibatan belia dalam bidang perniagaan terus meningkat, ia akan dapat memberi satu impak yang positif terhadap ekonomi negara dan masyarakat, dan seterusnya mempersiapkan generasi muda ini untuk cabaran dunia negara maju. Dengan pelbagai peluang dan bantuan yang disediakan pihak kerajaan untuk golongan belia yang berminat dengan bidang perniagaan, belia perlu bijak mengambil peluang. Kerajaan negeri Johor juga banyak menjana program-program berkaitan keusahawanan belia. Bagi saya, usaha ini cemerlang dan saya berharap usaha ini dilakukan secara berterusan dan tidak bersifat sementara.

Pihak JBFTA juga membuka pintu kepada mana-mana organisasi yang mahu bekerjasama dengan pihak kami untuk program dan aktiviti pembangunan usahawan belia. Kami juga mahu memikul tanggungjawab sosial bersama kerana kami percaya golongan inilah yang akan menjadi pemacu ekonomi masa hadapan dan seterusnya menjadi penentu dasar-dasar kerajaan.

Harapan peribadi saya kepada golongan belia yang memilih untuk menceburi bidang perniagaan, pilihlah untuk menjadi usahawan dan bukan untuk menjadi peniaga. Bukanlah niat saya untuk membeza-beza tetapi arus penglibatan anak muda dalam bidang perniagaan ini positif hanya jika ia memberi manfaat kepada masyarakat. Usahawan itu jika fokusnya persis untuk menjana keuntungan semata-mata, dia jatuh dalam kategori peniaga. Ini adalah puncapunca keretakan moral sosial yang mana generasi mudanya dimotivasikan dengan wang ringgit dan dijulang dengan kebendaan, bukan jasa kepada masyarakat. Kita boleh lihat banyak peniaga yang mengambil jalan mudah demi keuntungan semata-mata. Belia perlu bijak mengatur langkah supaya gerakan menjana pendapatan dan tanggungjawab moral mampu bergerak seiring.

Untuk mencari garis sempadan yang halus ini bukan mudah tetapi saya yakin dengan generasi muda negara yang kritikal, kita mampu bergerak bersama menjadi masyarakat yang maju bukan saja dari sudut infrastruktur, tetapi dari sudut minda dan insaniah.

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2 Komen Norsari Nordin dari Malaysian Food Truck mengenai industri Food Truck di Malaysia.

Adakah kegiatan ini dilihat sebagai satu trend yang akan kian pudar pada masa hadapan atau sesuatu yang mampu bertahan dalam jangka masa panjang? Ke manakah industri ini menuju?

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Trend food truck menjadi hangat sekitar 2013 dan 2014. Ia akan lebih berkembang sekiranya pihak berkuasa tempatan memberi lesen serta tapak khusus bagi food truck. Pihak berkuasa tempatan juga harus mempermudahkan cara mendapatkan lesen serta tapak food truck. Pihak syarikat event juga memainkan peranan merancakkan industri ini. Dengan sewaan yang berpatutan, ianya akan menarik lebih ramai lagi. Event food truck yang besar haruslah dimasukkan ke dalam acara tahunan dan boleh mempromosikan Malaysia.

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Melihat kegiatan “food truck” di Malaysia, jelas terbukti bahawa industri ini sangat popular dan mendapat sambutan yang sangat meriah. Persoalannya, apakah saiz industri ini? Berapa ramaikah pelanggan yang membeli makanan/minuman daripada “food truck” serata negara?

Buat masa ini, tiada jumlah sebenar food truck di Malaysia, tetapi jumlah yang tidak formal di mana terdapat hampir 500 buah food truck dengan nisbah 50% makanan, 30% minuman dan 20% kedua-duanya. Populasi untuk satu food truck adalah 200 orang. Anggaran hampir lebih 100,000 orang menjadi pelanggan setiap hari di Malaysia.

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Terungkai dalam senarai hidangan yang sering disediakan oleh kegiatan “food truck” ini adalah makanan seperti hotdog, burger dan kentang goreng. Adakah peniaga food truck ini menjual makanan ringkas sebegitu kerana keadaan “food truck” yang menjadikan penyediaan makanan berat kurang mudah? Atau kerana permintaan untuk makanan ringkas lebih tinggi berbanding dengan makanan berat?

Sekitar tahun 2013 dan 2014, kebanyakan trend jenis makanan adalah fast food/ western food seperti burger, hotdog, pasta, taco, dan sebagainya.

Akan tetapi permintaan terhadap makanan asasi tinggi menyebabkan trend terkini sudah banyak food truck menyajikan makanan asasi seperti nasi berlauk, nasi campur, nasi briyani, nasi ayam goreng kunyit, nasi berempah dan sebagainya. Permintaan yang tinggi menyebabkan trend penjualan makanan berubah.

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Pa n d ua n m e m ul ak a n p e r n i a gaa n t rak m ak a na n

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Kos memulakan perniagaan trak makanan biasanya di antara RM15-20,000. Cuba bandingkan peluang-peluang pinjaman yang ada.

Anda perlukan lesen perniagaan, akaun bank semasa, lesen memandu dan permit pihak berkuasa tempatan.

Sijil kursus penyediaan makanan dan suntikan demam kepialu (typhoid) juga diperlukan.

Tetapkan apa yang akan membuatkan trak makanan anda unik. Apa yang diingini pelanggan di tempat-tempat di mana anda mahu berniaga.

Setelah itu, fikirkan warna dan penjemaan visual. Ramai pembekal trak makanan juga menyediakan perkhidmatan mengecat bahagian luar trak.

Ada kawan pereka grafik? Nama dan logo yang cool pun akan membantu.

Fikirkan tentang menu hidangan anda. Dan keperluan dapur yang tepat untuk menyediakan makanan tersebut.

Trak yang direka dengan baik akan mengelakkan barangbarang dari tertumpah sewaktu trak bergerak.

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Anda akan sediakan makan tengah hari atau makan malam?

Makanan ringan atau hidangan penuh? Yang paling penting, jangan malu untuk dapatkan nasihat pengendali trak makanan yang lain.

Trak itu sendiri. Dapatkan pandangan tentang pilihan yang paling boleh dipercayai. Dan sama ada anda perlu beli trak baharu atau yang terpakai.

Paling penting, tangki air yang cukup besar (biasanya dimuatkan di bumbung trak untuk jimatkan ruang); kipas ekzos untuk pengudaraan dan gen-set untuk menyediakan elektrik.

Anda akan menghabiskan banyak masa di dalam trak ini. Pastikan ia direka untuk berfungsi dengan baik dan selesa. Kalau anda tak gembira, makanan anda pun takkan menggembirakan pelanggan.

Cuba kenalpasti pembekal barangan asas yang baik.

Pastikan anda semak bekalan setiap 3-5 hari. Ini boleh dibuat secara manual atau dengan bantuan program.

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Jimat wang dengan membeli bahan asas yang kering secara pukal - barangan ini boleh tahan lama jadi pastikan anda beli dengan secukupnya supaya tidak perlu beli selalu.

Bahan-bahan segar perlu dibeli setiap hari. Setelah mula berniaga, anda akan lebih tahu jumlah yang diperlukan setiap hari untuk mengawal kos.

Jumlah terbaik ialah tiga orang pekerja. Dan bila dikira diri anda sendiri, anda cuma perlukan dua orang lagi. Dua untuk menjaga dapur dan seorang untuk menjaga daftar tunai.

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Pesta, acara dan taman trak makanan selalunya ada fi tetap atau caj harian. Meletakkan trak di bahu jalan tiada bayaran, tetapi anda mungkin disaman.

Jangan berniaga di tempat yang salah, OK?

Bila mengambil bahagian di dalam sesuatu acara, waktu berniaga biasanya sepanjang acara tersebut. Selain itu, waktu berniaga terpulang kepada anda, tapi fikirkan juga kesesuaian menu: kuih patut dijual pada waktu minum petang.

Tanda dagangan seperti nama, logo dan gambar memberi identiti kepada perniagaan dan membezakan perniagaan anda dari yang lain. Perkenalkan perniagaan baharu anda melalui media sosial, digital, cetak dan TV/radio. Minta bantuan kawankawan perkenalkan perniagaan anda kepada kenalan mereka.

19 Anda patut bersedia jika berlakunya sesuatu di luar jangkaan - apa akan jadi jika peralatan anda rosak? Atau trak anda rosak dan anda tak boleh berniaga pada hari itu? Selain dari itu‌ selamat berniaga!

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warung saga 90

Corner of Jalan Mahmoodiah and Jalan Air Molek 80100, JB.

Warung Saga has been in operation since 1986. An establishment whose name has grown beyond the need for signboards, the warung announces itself to patrons via a characteristic feature: plastered on almost every wall are portraits of dignitaries, public figures, politicians, royalties and celebrities. The famed warung is named after the Proton Saga, which was launched around the same time as when the stall opened.

Customers can order from a rotating specialty menu as well as a fixed daily menu consisting traditional Malay food with a distinct Johor touch – nasi lemak, lontong kering, tauhu goreng and assorted kuih. The warung is located at the junction of Jalan Mahmoodiah and Jalan Air Molek. With its nondescript front, finding Warung Saga is not easy, especially for first time visitors, but this hidden gem is worth the trouble.

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PLACEMAKING

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Rejuvenating laneways with greenery.

laneways.

The Laneways Improvement Programme adds green spaces in areas often overlooked.

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Picture the term laneway and the first thing to come to mind is fear for safety, pests, garbage and all sorts of poor upkeeping.

Instead of being used as community spaces, our laneways and back alleys have long been taken for granted and left to varying states of decline.

Think City, together with Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru (MBJB) and the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) has embarked on a Laneways Improvement Programme to rejuvenate back alleys. Urban spaces are becoming precious as cities become increasingly populated. With that comes the need to seek innovative, community-led solutions to maximise spaces that can give back to society. Seen from that context, laneways offer themselves as underutilised urban spaces ripe for disruption.

Through a series of dialogue and conversations with stakeholders, Think City has started earmarking sites for possible rejuvenation - while working jointly with the surrounding communities.

One such site offered up the opportunity for a pop-up park to play host to street performances during the recent JB Arts Festival. Located in the city’s heritage quarter - a laneway nestled between Red House on Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and Roo Cafe on Jalan Dhoby - the site was given a makeover with new concrete pavements and fresh plants, together with a small stage for performances.

Work being carried out for the pop-up park.

“

By working with the community, we hope to inculcate a sense of pride and ownership of shared spaces. The public will be able to witness firsthand the tremendous opportunities laneways offer for creativity and public interaction. Our work at Think City is really to catalyse public ownership of such spaces,

”

Daniel Lim, Programme Manager at Think City.

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Recognising the Unsung Heroes of Iskandar Malaysia

A community-led award ceremony celebrating those who make society more inclusive, kinder and safer for all.

As many as 20 Non-Governmental Organisations as well as a number of kind-hearted individuals were acknowledged at the 3rd Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Awards 2016 (IMSHA) at Holiday Villa Johor Bahru. The auspicious evening was graced with the presence of YABhg Tun Dato’ Musa Hitam who is the Patron of IMSHA as well as Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA).

Conceptualised as Iskandar Malaysia’s premier community service award, IMSHA aims to recognise and celebrate individuals, organisations and groups who make a difference within the local communities. The award also intends to increase the awareness that the responsibility of making a more inclusive, compassionate and effective society falls in the hands of everyone alike.

A total of 20 award recipients comprising of individuals and organisations were given recognition for their contributions in making a difference in Iskandar Malaysia, with the biggest award being the Iskandar Malaysia Tun Musa Hitam Social Hero Award.

To identify winners, Frost & Sullivan created a research methodology that included data gathering as well as community feedback.

Every nominee is vetted by the research team and scored on a Social Impact Rating (SIR) system, an index that identifies winners based on the judging criteria. The results are then presented to the Leadership Council consisting of eminent local personalities who would eventually vote for the winners.

IMSHA 2016 is a community-led event driven by The Iskandarian (Iskandar Malaysia’s Official Newspaper), Frost & Sullivan andIRDA. The event is supported by UM Land, Country Garden Pacific View and Maslee as official sponsors.

The 4th Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Awards 2017 (IMSHA 2017) nominations are now open and members of the public may submit nominations through The Iskandarian’s website www.theiskandarian.com.

Further information on IMSHA can also be found on www.facebook.com/socialheroawards

This year saw over 200 nominations for both individuals and organisations in 11 different categories including Animal & Wildlife, Disaster Relief, Public Safety, Education as well as the Arts and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Local heroes: all 20 winners of the 3rd Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Awards 2016 on stage with YABhg Tun Dato’ Musa Hitam the patron of IMSHA and Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of Iskandar Regional Development Authority.

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Konstruk

Ko n s t r u k: B u i l d i n g U r b a n Ide n t i ty w i t h P u b l i c A rt Urban design practice labDNA’s ongoing public art programme creates urban identity for Iskandar Puteri with inspiring messages of sustainability and innovation.

Konstruk began in mid-July 2015 as part of a two-year public art programme and placemaking initiative for Iskandar Puteri. Conceptualised and managed by labDNA, an urban design practice specialising in creating engaging public spaces, Konstruk comprises installations by 15 artists and architects from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Philippines and Thailand.

Central to the Konstruk initiative is the promotion of bamboo as an alternative and sustainable material for construction and craft. In involving talent from all over ASEAN, the program encourages the exchange of knowledge and skills between artists and architects in the region, altogether increasing local capacity in craftsmanship and project management. By showcasing various techniques within ASEAN, the program also aims to revive disappearing local knowledge of traditional construction and craft methodologies.

Led by co-curators Nani Kahar and Lisa Foo, the on-going programme emphasises process and innovation. The installations are site-specific, addressing their immediate environment and/or narratives of the region, while the initiative also encourages artists to explore the boundaries of bamboo by taking inspiration from both natural and geometric forms. For example, one of the artists involved, Eko Prawato, contemplated bringing out the ‘bamboo-ness of bamboo’ in his creative process. Some of the works are expressive while others are more contemplative to heighten the visitor experience.

Artist selection began with research of the artists and architects in the ASEAN region. Thirty candidates were shortlisted on the basis of concept, narrative and innovative techniques, and invited to submit proposals. The proposals were then reviewed and the final 15 artists selected by a panel, which included curators from labDNA, UEM Sunrise and Khazanah Nasional.

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The 15 bamboo installations are strategically located along a stretch of 2 km on the promenade of Puteri Harbour to maximise visibility. About 8,000–9,000 bamboo pieces sourced from Pontian and with lengths of up to 40 feet long have been incorporated into the construction of the art pieces. And because the works featured in Konstruk are commissioned for a minimum of two years, the bamboo used has been organically treated to remove materials that attract insects and small animals, using an eco-friendly water soaking process. Treated bamboo is able to last up to 25 years and even longer if kept under shade.

Whilst bamboo is not new as an art form, the project is the first in Malaysia to showcase this material across an entire exhibition, on so large a scale. Konstruk’s two-year commission period is also significantly longer than the display periods of bamboo artwork in other regional festivals. This contributes to the rebranding of Iskandar Puteri and is in line with the objective to make the township a major destination, as well as reinforcing the belief that public art is crucial in building urban identity and enriching the community experience.

Katakan Cinta by Andi Ramdani, Indonesia.

The Sapan by Thor.Kaichon, Thailand.

Cocoon by Alvin Tan, Malaysia.

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About 8000 pieces of bamboo were used across all the installations.

Some of the tools employed.

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Axis Mundi by Leeroy New, The Philippines.

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FOOTBALL AND LIFE TRAINING FOR ALL AT CRUYFF COURT ISKANDAR

Aspiring young footballer wanna-bes in Johor Bahru are among the luckiest, with a world-class football training ground literally in their backyard. Cruyff Court Iskandar (CCI), at Kampung Melayu Majidee, Johor Bahru provides free access to football training grounds and coaching for children from the surrounding communities. The late Johan Cruyff, Dutch professional football player and coach widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history, established the Johan Cruyff Foundation in 1997 to give children of all ages, social backgrounds and races the opportunity to develop a love of sports in a safe environment as part of their overall holistic health and social development. With that philosophy in mind, CCI was officially opened on 4 September 2012 by HRH Tunku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Johan Cruyff himself, witnessed by Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB)’s President and CEO, Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim.

What started as a community building and social inclusion exercise, has long grown established roots and borne fruit.

The first Cruyff Court in Southeast Asia, CCI came to be through sponsorships from Khazanah Nasional Berhad and IIB, whilst the sports programmes were sponsored by Sunway Group Berhad, Mah Sing Group Berhad, WCT Berhad, Sunsuria Development Berhad, UM Land Berhad, Distinctive Group Berhad, MCT Berhad and Tang Group Pte Ltd. Following the principals of the Johan Cruyff Foundation, CCI provides sporting opportunities for able-bodied children and those with disabilities to promote social inclusion and character building. Through the programmes and Johan Cruyff’s 14 Rules that guides and governs the courts, the children learn to be socially responsible by acquiring life-affirming skills such as respect, trust, leadership and team spirit; central themes to be successful in life.

A routine football training session at CCI.

Mikael Imran Norris Irwan Norris is one of the children who has benefited greatly from his involvement at CCI. Mikael is now more disciplined with strong time management skills; enabling him to focus better on his studies and improve his grades at school.

“Apart from learning how to organise and manage events, I have also improved my leadership and communication skills.”

Mikael also travels often with the CCI team to compete at home-away tournaments. In June 2014, Mikael and another seven talented footballers from CCI had the opportunity of a lifetime when they took their boots to the world stage for CCI’s maiden appearance at the Cruyff Court World Cup in Amsterdam, Holland. Despite it being their first international competition, the team from Malaysia clinched a respectable 4th position, battling heavyweight teams from leading footballing nations such as Spain, Brazil, England, Denmark, Holland and Israel.

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DYAM Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim (middle) at the launch ceremony of CCI in 2012, accompanied by Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim (left) and Johan Cruyff (right).

Every year since 2013, IIB as part of its Social Inclusion activities for communities, collaborates with CCI to organise an annual mini-carnival for kids with special needs, the CCI Special Kids Carnival. This year’s event marks IIB’s collaboration with ‘Pusat Program Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti’ (PDK) Tanjung Puteri which operates and caters to special needs individuals ranging from four (4) to forty (40) years old. Uniquely, this event held on 5 November involved nine (9) other PDK in Iskandar Malaysia and hosted 150 special children. In 2015 100 children from Cruyff Court Kuala Lumpur, Pan-Disability Football Club and Malaysia Blind Football Team experienced similar joy.

Before CCI came to be, these children had limited access to proper recreational facilities. Today, as they glean the benefits from the best-in-class approach championed by CCI, these same youths are ready to take flight; aspiring to be and achieve the best they possibly can. And that, is a beautiful success story.

The proud CCI Under-9 team.

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landasan.

Dayang Noor

Nur Baiti melangkah berhati-hati dan tangan kirinya dipimpin oleh Hijaz. Sehelai sapu tangan gelap melingkari kepala, menutup penglihatannya. Nafas Hijaz kedengaran hampir dengan telinga, Nur Baiti memaksa bibirnya mengukir senyuman.

“Jauh lagi ke?” Suaranya sedikit bergetar, rasa gementar mula merayap hati.

“Tempat apa sebenarnya ni?” Nur Baiti kian gelisah. Dia berharapkan sesuatu yang indah dan menenangkan sebagai hadiah harijadinya. Tapi, kejutan Hijaz kali ini mungkin bukanlah sesuatu yang bakal menggembirakan.

Beberapa ketika kemudian kedengaran bunyi wisel ditiup nyaring. Derap tapak kaki manusia di sekeliling menandakan ramai yang sedang bergegas menuju ke arah yang sama.

“Apa tu?” Rasa takut menerkam hati Nur Baiti. Dia tak pernah mendengar wisel ditiup sebegitu kuat.

Mungkinkah ada kecemasan?

“Sikit aje lagi. Awak jalan lurus; jangan bimbang, saya pegang tangan awak ni,” kata Hijaz lalu sebuah ciuman hinggap di pipi Nur Baiti.

“Dah sampai pun,” Hijaz kedengaran sedikit teruja. Tangan Nur Baiti digenggam erat.

“Eh, janganlah. Segan.” Dia berasa sedikit janggal sungguhpun Hijaz itu suaminya.

Bunyi enjin kenderaan yang membingitkan diiringi bau tengik bahanapi terbakar menyesakkan deria Nur Baiti.

“Orang tak nampaklah,” nada suara Hijaz seperti sedikit terluka.

“Saya dengar bunyi macam ramai orang dekat sini.” Nur Baiti mencapai tangan suaminya dan mereka berhenti berjalan.

“Baiklah, kita berdiri di sini saja.”

“Tak ada kerusi? Saya nak duduk.” Mahu saja Nur Baiti merentap sapu tangan gelap yang menutup matanya tapi dia telah berjanji dengan Hijaz untuk tidak melihat sehinggalah kejutan yang dirancang suaminya berada di hadapan mereka.

“Semua dah penuh. Kita berdiri pun tak mengapa, sekejap aje lagi ni.”

Nur Baiti mengeluh perlahan. “Sebenarnya saya tak tahan dengan bau tempat ni. Ada bau macam minyak tengik, bau makanan basi, bau sampah dan macam-macam lagi. Kalau kejutan yang awak janjikan tu lambat datang, mungkin saya muntah dekat sini.”

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“Tempat ni taklah teruk sangat, bersabar sikit ya? Rasanya dalam 2 minit lagi benda tu sampai.” Hijaz mengurut-urut perlahan bahu isterinya yang sedikit kejang dan ketat, mungkin akibat terlalu lama bekerja sepanjang bulan ini.

“Kluang! Kluang!” Jeritan kedengaran di saat kenderaan itu berhenti tidak jauh di depan mereka. Derap langkah manusia di sekitar kedengaran makin laju dan bercelaru.

“Sekarang saya akan buka penutup mata awak ni,” kata Hijaz lalu meleraikan simpulan di belakang kepala isterinya. Nur Baiti mengerdip-ngerdipkan mata sebelum dapat melihat dengan jelas apa yang berada di hadapannya.

“Keretapi? Awak bawak saya datang sini nak tengok keretapi ni?”

Ternyata Nur Baiti kecewa dengan kejutan yang dihadiahkan Hijaz kali ini.

“Jom! Cepat! Kita bukan nak tengok. Kita nak naik.” Hijaz memimpin Nur Baiti dan mereka sama-sama melangkah naik dari platform.

Kedua-duanya tidak bersuara di saat tersusup-sasap di celah-celah penumpang lain yang menjinjing beg dan memimpin anak-anak.

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Kesemuanya tidak kelihatan seperti orang berada. Wajah mereka sedikit comot dengan pakaian tanpa jenama. Nur Baiti makin keliru dengan niat Hijaz membawanya menaiki keretapi ini.

dekat dengan tempat kerja.” Hijaz menghela nafas, memberi peluang kepada Nur Baiti untuk menghadam apa yang disampaikannya.

Mereka mendapat tempat duduk di bahagian hujung berhampiran gerabak kantin.

“Awak nak saya tengok dan hayati semua ni?” Nur Baiti mendepakan tangan dan beberapa penumpang menoleh ke arahnya.

“Kalau nak ke JB kenapa kita tak naik bullet train saja?” Nur Baiti mulai teringat janji Hijaz suatu ketika dulu untuk membawanya ke Johor Bahru, bertemu beberapa rakan lamanya yang sudah jadi usahawan ternama. Kata Hijaz mereka ada pusat peranginan sendiri. Hati Nur Baiti mula berbunga-bunga, pasti mereka akan menyambut harijadinya kali ini di hotel mewah di tepi pantai. Wajah kerutnya mula mengendur dan sebuah senyuman menguntum. Alangkah indahnya dapat berendam di jakuzi, bermalasmalas di spa dan dijamu makan malam romantis.

“Dah selalu sangat kita naik bullet train, kan? Sekali-sekala kita naik keretapi lama ni. Pengalaman baru.”

Hijaz merenung lembut ke arah isterinya.

“Saya dah terlalu lama manjakan awak dengan kemewahan. Saya rasa kita dah terlalu hanyut dalam dunia kebendaan sampaikan tak peduli nasib orang lain.”

“Tapi kita OK aje, kan? Perlu ke awak nak buat semua ni, lebih-lebih lagi pada harijadi saya?”

“Hari ini awak genap 40 tahun, Nur Baiti. Saya cuma mahu kita sama-sama merenung diri dan mula jadi lebih baik,” bisik Hijaz dengan lembut.

“Ada apa dengan angka 40? Awak rasa saya dah nampak tua ke?”

“Tapi keretapi ni lambat, sayang. Berapa jam baru kita sampai JB? Zaman bila punya keretapi ni?” Nur Baiti merungut sambil mengimbas keliling. Ramai penumpang yang masih belum duduk, sibuk menyimpan barang di para besi yang kelihatan berminyak-minyak. Tempat duduk mereka juga tidak selesa, kusyennya keras dan tiada tempat rehat kepala.

Hijaz menggeleng. “Anggaplah 40 tu satu checkpoint. Dah tiba masa untuk kita betulkan landasan hidup kita.”

“Ya, memang awak nak kata saya tualah tu.” Nur Baiti merenungpenuh sinis.

“Kita boleh tengok pemandangan sama-sama,” cadang Hijaz tetapi mendapat sambutan dingin daripada Nur Baiti yang kemudiannya terus membatukan diri saat keretapi meninggalkan stesen Kluang.

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“Bukanlah, saya cuma nak kita perbaiki diri.” Hijaz sedikit kecewa dan kembali memandang jauh ke luar.

Hijaz sekadar melemparkan pandangan ke luar melalui tingkap yang terbuka. Tiada pendingin hawa dalam keretapi ini, menjadi salah satu sebab Nur Baiti kian tak selesa. Setelah sekian lama berdiam diri, keretapi tiba di stesen berikutnya iaitu Mengkibol, tempat yang langsung tidak pernah didengar oleh Nur Baiti.

“Suami aku ustaz sangat hari ni,” Nur Baiti ketawa terkekek-kekek sambil mencuit pinggang Hijaz.

“Jom kita turun sini, lepas tu cari teksi pergi Kluang semula? Kita naik kereta ajelah pergi JB.” Kata-kata Nur Baiti sedikit keras namun Hijaz hanya tersenyum.

Nur Baiti tersenyum puas.

“Saya nak awak rasa perjalanan ni, tengok sekeliling. Kita memang tak biasa dengan semua ni. Bersamasama orang yang tak mampu naik bullet train. Kebanyakan mereka ni kerja di Kluang dengan gaji hari, awak tahu? Mereka cuma mampu naik keretapi percuma ni untuk ulang- alik setiap hari. Rumah mereka mungkin di Paloh, Mengkibol atau Rengam. Mereka memang tak mampu beli kereta atau sewa rumah

***

“Yalah, OKlah, nanti kita turun dekat Rengam, cari teksi balik Kluang. Naik kereta lagi best,” Hijaz mengalah.

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ART AND DESIGN

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Pendas Laut by Tok Rimau

Bukit Timbalan by Tok Rimau

Tok Rimau a.k.a Riki Maulana dan komuniti pelukis lakar langsung di JB.

Urban Sketchers adalah komuniti pelukis lakar langsung. Gerakan Urban Sketchers dimulakan pada 2007 oleh wartawan Gabriel Campanario di Flickr.com, kemudian ia didaftarkan sebagai sebuah organisasi nonprofit di Washington pada 2009. Bilakah JSk (Johor Sketchers) bermula dan siapakah pwengasasnya?

Setiap perjuangan pegangan JSk?

perlukan

prinsip.

Apakah

prinsip

JSk diasaskan pada 18 Jun 2013 dengan tujuan menghimpunkan pelukis yang gemar melukis subjek secara langsung di lokasi, bukan subjek merujuk kepada foto atau fantasi semata. Tiga orang pengasasnya adalah Hafizal Nordin (Juruteknik Paip), Tok Rimau (Pensyarah Bahasa) dan Taib Aur (Pelukis Sepenuh Masa). Ini bukan bermakna JSk sebuah kumpulan exclusive tetapi inclusive.

Kami berbangga dengan kepelbagaian bangsa dan peringkat umur dalam lingkungan kami. JSk itu milik orang yang mendakap prinsip-prinsip lakaran langsung jalanan. Malah, jika ahli hendak

• Kami melakar secara langsung, merakam apa yang kami lihat melalui pemerhatian.

• Lakaran kami menceritakan keadaan sekeliling, tempat tinggal kami dan di mana sahaja kami berada.

• Lukisan adalah perakam masa dan tempat.

• Kami menggunakan pelbagai alat/media (pensel, dakwat, cat air, arang, dll.) dan saling menghargai gaya setiap individu.

• Kami saling membantu serta memberi galakan, dan kami bermuafakat melakar bersama.

Slogan JSk adalah Luaskan Karya Mu. Prinsip kami hampir serupa dengan gerakan mana-mana Urbansketchers dunia:

keluar melukis tanpa pengasas JSk pun digalakkan.

Urban Sketchers kepada lukisan umpama, photojournalism kepada fotografi. Lakaran kami bukan semata-mata untuk halwa mata, tetapi ia adalah rakaman sosio-budaya semasa.

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Organisasi perlu muafakat dan bersetuju dengan aktiviti-aktiviti mereka. Sebagai organisasi, bagaimanakah JSk bergerak?

JSk adalah sebuah organisasi bebas dan santai. Ia tidak berdaftar dan tidak mengutip wang keahlian.

Sesiapa yang menjadi ahli Johor Sketchers di Facebook, itulah ahlinya. Sesiapa yang mengikuti rombongan lakar langsung, itulah ahlinya. Ia terbuka kepada semua peringkat umur, jantina dan bangsa.

Biasanya, kami mula dengan sarapan bersama, cari sudut yang baik untuk melukis. Bila siap, kami kongsi lukisan di Internet, dan kemudian sambung sarapan lagi.

Orang kata, kecemerlangan sesuatu organisasi bergantung kepada jumlah ahlinya. Berapa ahli JSk? Ahli datang dan pergi. Tiada paksaan, kami bukan organisasi politik yang perlukan orang ramai untuk menang. Rekod kami dalam perhimpunan pelukis atau Sketchwalk (aktiviti melukis jalanan) paling tinggi buat masa ini adalah 30 orang pelukis.

Kerap juga ahli melukis sendirian, tiada halangan bagi JSk. Di Facebook ada 500 ahli (pelukis dan peminat). Kadang kala kami mendapat jemputan melukis di lokasi atau acara korporat. Kumpulan ini tidak mengambil untung kewangan daripada ahlinya, terpulanglah ahlinya sebagai individu mengambil untung daripada hasil karya mereka sendiri. Apa yang penting daripada jumlah ahli adalah jumlah lukisan yang dihasilkan oleh seseorang. Lebih banyak lukisan bermakna lebih banyak latihan. Lebih banyak amali bermakna lebih bagus kemahirannya.

Sumbangan sesuatu komuniti terhadap persekitarannya diukur daripada impaknya kepada persekitaran. Apakah sumbangan JSk kepada Johor?

JSk menceritakan apa yang berada di sekeliling kehidupan mereka di negeri Johor ini melalui kaca mata dan seni lakaran itu sendiri. Secara tidak langsung, JSk mempromosi Johor bila karya itu dikongsi di Internet atau pameran. JSk pernah direncanakan dalam New Straits Times ketika mereka melukis di kampung orang asli Seletar di Danga, dan dalam Sin Chew Press ketika mereka melukis rumah agam di Lumba Kuda tinggalan jurubina Sultan Abu Bakar, Wong Ah Fook. Sayang sekali, rumah agam penuh sejarah itu dirobohkan untuk memberi laluan kepada pembangunan.

Dengan kata lain, JSk berinteraksi dengan persekitarannya dan merakam aktiviti rakyat Johor, warisan dan sejarahnya.

Jika ada pelukis baharu yang berjinak-jinak dengan lakar langsung, pelukis veteran sedia berkongsi ilmu. Proses pembelajaran tidak formal ini meraikan unsur pembelajaran sepanjang hayat. Melakar secara langsung ini adalah latihan mengasah kemahiran. Biarkan ia bermula dengan comot, hambar, hilang keseimbangan, tiada seni di mata pemerhati, tetapi itulah lakaran kejujuran yang harus kita sendiri hargai. Setiap titik dan garis warna adalah interaksi intim antara pelukis, warna, kertas dan subjeknya.

Jalan Pasar, JB by Jaiee Ramlee 118

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Johor makin pesat membangun dan ramai yang mula bermastautin di negeri ini. JSk ini untuk orang Johor sahajakah?

Mungkin ada orang di luar sana berminat untuk mengikuti aktiviti JSk. Bagaimana hendak menyertai JSk?

Ahli boleh jadi orang luar yang melukis di Johor atau orang Johor yang melukis di luar. Tiada diskriminasi. JSk juga mempunyai jaringan hubungan luas dengan organisasi urbansketchers lain. Kami menjadi hos menunjukkan kawasan kami jika pelukis antarabangsa datang bertandang dan kerap juga kami memenuhi undangan melukis di tempat lain seperti Singapura, Pulau Pinang dan Kuala Lumpur.

Jika hendak tahu lebih lanjut tentang kami, di YouTube, cari dokumentari Johor Sketchers (2015). Juga, sertai kami di alam maya, cari di Facebook, Johorsketchers. Di Instagram pula, cari tag #Johorsketchers, hubungi mana-mana ahli JSk. Yok! Bersama-sama kita meluaskan karya.

Gagal merancang bermakna merancang untuk gagal. Apakah masa depan JSk? Jika kami keluar dan melukis, kami sudah pun mencapai visi kami. Namun begitu, kami berharap suatu hari nanti kami dapat buat apa yang kumpulan Urbansketchers luar buat: 1. Menerbitkan buku himpunan lukisanlukisan Johor Sketchers. Buku seperti itu sesuai dijadikan Coffee Table Book atau ole-ole untuk pengembara. Kalau ada penaja.

2. Mengadakan pameran lukisan JSk serata daerah Johor dan mungkin juga luar dari Johor.

Sambil itu memberi bengkel kepada pelukispelukis muda. Jika ada permintaan.

3. Terus mengembara dan melukis, di dalam dan di luar negeri. Meluaskan karya sebagai duta seni. Jika ada duit.

4. Buku lakaran atau hasil lukisan kami nanti akan disimpan oleh anak cucu sebagai rujukan sebagai sebuah kisah klasik untuk masa hadapan.

Kalau sudi.

Jalan Engan, Batu Pahat by Jaie Ramlee 120

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Hafizal Nordin Piping Draughtsman // Senai

“I was born in 1978 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In mid-2004, I moved to Johor Bahru and I worked in a manufacturing company. I found my passion in sketching after I discovered the Urban Sketchers website in 2009. Since then, drawing on location has become a much-loved pastime. When I first started, my sketches were untidy and not properly organised. It was not until 2013 that I began working on proper sketchbooks – this was after I’d met a few friends who shared the same passion. I love drawing my own city. When I draw, I am able to better understand its history, the surrounding landscape, and its people. It’s also like a social activity to me as it involves conversations, walks, and sometimes, even very good meals! I usually sketch and draw using a waterproof pigment pen and I will then add colours with my Aquafine watercolor pocket set.” flickr.com/photos/hafizalnordin 122

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Jaie Ramlee

Tok Rimau

“I obtained my Diploma in Graphic Design & Digital Media from UiTM Sri Iskandar and my Bachelor’s degree (majoring in Illustration and minoring in Fine Art) from UiTM Shah Alam. I am pursuing a career as an illustrator and designer based in my hometown in Batu Pahat. I like to capture almost anything by sketching as it translates thoughts and emotions into visuals. I gain satisfaction from turning my passion into artwork that people can enjoy. My sketchbook is my best friend-cum-tutor! I find sketching to be the best way to generate ideas and improve my drawing skills.�

Tok Rimau a.k.a RIki MAUlana lebih mesra dengan panggilan Tok. Dia adalah seorang aktivis seni. Dia adalah teraju utama dalam Johor Sketchers (kumpulan pelukis jalanan), Sindiket Sol-Jah (penerbit Buku Kecil-Kecilan) dan kurator JB Writers & Readers Festival (pesta tahunan untuk buku alternatif Johor Bahru). Kadang kala dia membuat bengkel Guerrilla Filmmaking. Di masa lapangnya, Tok Rimau suka meneroka alam, hutan, gunung dan laut. Petang-petang hari, jika tidak hujan, Tok akan bermain bola keranjang.

jaieramlee.tumblr.com

tokrimau.blogspot.my

Graphic Designer // Batu Pahat

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Pensyarah Bahasa // Akademi Bahasa, UTM

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Renee Moi Full-time Artist // Pekan Nanas

“I started painting and sketching since I was in school. After graduating with a degree in architecture, I practised as an interior designer for 8 years before settling down and running my own private resort, Lata Seri Pulai and also an art gallery named Kunang Kunang. I have been painting full-time for 2 years. Sketching is one of the ways I express my feelings, and I also use this time to catch up with fellow artists and explore new ideas and opportunities. My life motto: it is never too late to start!� instagram.com/rineemoi 126

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huruf huruf.

fa-fantasy (“Fantasy”)

Kaf-Kek:Cake (“Kek/Cake”)

How do you say ‘cool’ in Arabic?

Hurufhuruf is the brainchild of Adzzim Rosli and Erman Basiron, both with backgrounds in advertising and a shared interest in typography. According to Adzzim, it was about a week before the start of Ramadhan in 2015 when they hit upon the idea of celebrating Ramadhan using typography. They thought about it further and decided to use Jawi, which is comprised of 30 alphabets - fitting in perfectly with the 30 days of fasting during Ramadhan. “In our opinion, Arabic letters are always linked to either Muslims or Middle Eastern countries. We wanted to break that link and introduce Jawi in a way that is accessible and shareable. We are capturing the essence of Ramadhan as a theme to visualise these letters,” says Adzzim.

The visuals are hosted on Instagram (@hurufhuruf) and features works mostly by the duo though they have also attracted interest and submissions from designers outside Malaysia. In future they hope to focus on other themes that will celebrate Malaysia. shin-Syahadah (“Syahadah”) dal-doa (“Doa/prayer”)

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Alif-Azan (Alif )

“Dal”: Deepavali Huruf-huruf towards Deepavali

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sacred geometry 130

Applying ancient geometry in her work, Graphic Design student Preya Darshini hopes to shed light on Tamil culture through design.

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tattve

TATTVE - The Essential Truth, is a graphic design project that uses geometric grids from Hindu temples to create a culturally significant publication. Though having a rich culture, Indian symbolisms have largely been overlooked in modern design approaches. Preya Darshini is hoping that change that. A student at Raffles University Iskandar, Preya hopes to educate the general public through design, as well as to generate pride amongst young indians in their heritage and culture.

The publication was based on this grid system, derived from sacred geometry that is also used to build Hindu temples.

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Traditional

Arts & Crafts.

These arts and crafts centres in Johor display a storied past and a strong motivation to preserve traditions.

JARO Johor The Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation (JARO) came into operation in 1952 as a non-profit organisation, with the main aim of rehabilitating and training physically and mentally disabled members of society.

JARO currently manages 3 sheltered workshops, offering full-time employment to over 60 artisans from the disabled community, trained in bookbinding, tailoring, basketry and other handicrafts. Many of the artisans are married with families and children of school-going age. Out of this number, only 7 people are not disabled.

JARO also assists by acting as a marketing and distribution centre. The organisation manages custom corporate gift orders and an online shop, also a showroom and gift shop on the JARO premises, through which the products from the workshops - woven rattan baskets, handmade cane furniture, ragdolls and soft toys, as well as leather or fabric-bound notebooks are sold.

As a state-funded venture, JARO not only provides members of the disabled community with craftsmanship skills, they also enable them to live independent lifestyles with a sense of dignity within mainstream society. For instance, Lee Tai Meng, a former employee, left JARO to become one of Malaysia’s most accomplished batik artists.

Persatuan Kraftangan Johor As a subsidiary of Kraftangan Malaysia, Persatuan Kraftangan Johor provides opportunities for artists, craftspeople and entrepreneurs in Johor to develop, market and ply their trade. A physical showroom exposes local artisanal crafts to tourists and visitors, as well as trade buyers.

Products featured include textiles such as batik and songket, pottery, silver and metalworks, and also products made with rattan and cane designed and produced in Johor. While the association actively markets the crafts industry, there are plans to widen the size of the market and work with artisans to upskill, educate and globalise the industry.

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Galeri Seni Johor The Johor Art Gallery is housed in a storied colonial building constructed in 1910 as the residential palace of the Sultan of Johor.

During the Second World War, the Japanese Imperial Army used the building as a base camp, and later, it also served as official residence to the third Chief Minister of Johor, Dato’ Abdullah bin Jaafar.

The building was subsequently converted into the state gallery in 1994, hosting a range of historical artefacts as well as works of modern art, with an emphasis on Johor’s cultural heritage. The gallery hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions, proudly showcasing paintings and sculptures by talented Johorborn artists depicting the social and cultural aspects of Johor, and providing glimpses into Johor’s heritage in a variety of styles from realism to the abstract. The museum is also active in educational and outreach

MAWAR House

programmes.

Karyaneka Crafts Centre

Mawar Gallery

Also known as the Mawar Crafts Centre, the Karyaneka Crafts Centre resides within the MAWAR House, the official premises of the Johor Ladies Council. A historic residence that is over a century old, conservation efforts have been taken to preserve the building’s original architectural features.

Also housed within MAWAR House is the Mawar Gallery. Touted to be the first of its kind in Malaysia, the gallery hosts a permanent exhibition dedicated to the recognition of accomplished women in Johor, in particular, those who have contributed significantly to Johor’s overall achievements and demonstrated excellence in their respective fields.

A wide array of Johorean and Malaysian contemporary handicrafts are exhibited and sold here, including batik, hand woven textiles such as songket, silverware, baskets, mats, rattan and cane products and furniture, carvings and ceramic ware.

Demonstrations and workshops showcasing the traditional arts involved in making these crafts are frequently held to spread awareness.

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Portraits of all past Sultanahs of Johor since 1886 until the present can be viewed at the Mawar Gallery, as well as ladies of the Royal Family and other grand ladies of Johor, serving as a tribute to women from all walks of life and professions.

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The Royal Abu Bakar Museum This stately museum is housed in the former grand palace of Johor, built in the Renaissance style and commissioned in 1864 by Sultan Abu Bakar, the first Sultan of Johor. It was completed in 1866, overseen by European architects and decorated with furnishings ordered from England, and became the first royal residence for the Johor royal family. In 1990, during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail, the palace was converted into a royal museum open to the public.

Apart from housing the museum, the building is still the official venue for events such as investiture ceremonies, state banquets and royal functions, including the coronation ceremony of the current Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. In fact, the museum underwent extensive renovation works and has recently reopened as part of the Sultan’s efforts to preserve royal heritage as a proud legacy for the people of Johor.

An extensive collection of royal heirlooms and the historical records of the state’s royal family is on display, including portraits of the Johor royal family from the time of Sultan Abu Bakar till the present, memorabilia, orders, decorations and medals, antiquities and furniture of the Royal Family, silverware, crystalware, jewellery of precious metals and stones, traditional Malay weapons and valuable antique coins.

The museum houses more than 50,000 artifacts comprising objects from various countries, including China, Paris, Italy and the Middle East, amongst others, dating back to the reign of Sultan Abu Bakar. Of note are curious objects such as elephant’s-foot umbrella stands and antelope-leg ashtrays. A museum department official was once arrested for pilfering a rhinoceros horn belonging to the collection.

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A Mazing Jetty is inspired by the jetties in Kampung Tebing Runtuh fishing village. The jetties were built by the local villagers and remain one of the unique geographical appearances of Malaysia’s coastline.

Jetties may be considered as the blood vessels of a fishing village.

It connects fishermen to their homes as well as the sea where they make a living.

A placemaking initiative involving more than forty artists across six locations within Iskandar Puteri, PublikArt aims to increase the livability of Iskandar Puteri and to improve its identity, and value, through the use of public art.

Andrew Pok

Artist Andrew Pok collaborated with fishermen from Kampung Tebing Runtuh to construct a jetty in the form of a maze. The timbers were sourced from a local recycling centre which sells materials collected from old houses and shops that gave way to new developments.

Public Art

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Chan Lai Kuen’s Pauk Pokchai is a collaboration with the Orang Seletar community to build a floating library made from reclaimed timber. The Pauk Pokchai is one of three types of boats built by the Orang Seletar - this one featuring a relatively flat design that allows for long periods at sea. Running in parallel to this, the artist is featuring artworks created by the children in a drawing workshop which will be bound into books to be placed in the boat hence the idea of the floating library.

Chan Lai Kuen

Alex Lee

Bandar Idamanku by Alex Lee is a participatory workshop that engages people’s imagination of a city. Making use of wood blocks carved into shapes of houses of different sizes and representing the different developments in a built environment, participants are invited to build city blocks, quite literally, prompting people to observe the evolving play city and asking the questions of what is in the city, what is missing and finally, what makes a city.

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Anniketyni Madian’s Tiang Sandong continues the artists’ exploration with wooden sculptures inspired by elements of the Pua Kumbu textiles of her native Sarawak.

Used as a starting point, her sculptures display a strong Sarawakian flavor regardless of the material and execution of the piece.

Anniketyni Madian

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fresh & furious : urban art in JB

Art and creativity are important facets of any culture and over the years, Johor’s urban art scene has risen to new heights thanks to a few local artists at the forefront of the movement. Amin Khairuddin gives us the lowdown on Johor’s rising urban artists and curators.

After Penang-based artist Ernest Zacharevic’s visit to Johor, the state has seen an increase and acceptance in the Urban Art movement. Many artists are now allowed to showcase their talents to a broader audience and allowing many to enjoy art that’s part of the cityscape.

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Fiqqyfresh An up and coming artist, Afiqe started experimenting with wall painting in 2014 and by 2016, found his true form with flowers and floral motifs becoming a mainstay in his works. He believes that the world would be a better place to live in if people were surrounded with flowers. He has works located along Jalan Dhoby and Jalan Pahang in JB. His first ever wall painting was a focus on mental health awareness with a message to onlookers to smile always, laugh often and relax a little. Afiqe was also a featured artist for the last incarnation of the JBArtFest, showcasing his talent with passers-by stopping to catch a glimpse of the artist at work.

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Taib Aur A man who believes that art is for all, Taib is responsible for the ‘Art Untuk Rakyat’ movement, hence the moniker ‘Aur’. As a painter, he emphasises motifs and themes that many would find familiar. You can check out his big pieces in downtown JB and some of his doodles feature in several well-known cafés as well. He’s active in the community and if you want to check him out further, just log on to artuntukrakyat.blogspot.my for more details.

Akeem Keronchong An avid painter, musician and graffiti artist, Akeem’s work can be seen across town and even at parks including the Youth Hab in Hutan Bandar, JB. He’s been tagging walls across Johor since 2012 and has become synonymous with portrait and perspective artworks. You can check out his work on his blog, Keroncongart.blogspot.com 148

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Adeputra Ade is a self-taught artist who enjoyed a career as a cartoonist for newspapers and magazines including Ujang. In 1999, he debuted his first solo exhibition in Kuala Lumpur and now has become the hometown hero for pushing the graphics scene in Johor. With a philosophy to go against the flow, he realises that one must take inspiration from one’s heritage and lineage, and this can be clearly seen in his artwork, such as the pieces located in the foyer of Black Box, Medini.

His style breaks traditional forms with bold lines, and the reimagining of classic cultural images such as wayang kulit characters, sumo wrestlers and Chinese heroes of old.

Amongst his more popular works are a series of wayang kulit images used to portray social commentary.

Art collectives play an important role in the local creative scene. They foster collaborations between artists and the public, feeding into a communal sense of creativity and allowing art and culture to be easily accessed by the audience.

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Eh He Art Cafe Along the street of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee in Johor Bahru, a casual observer may find a row of old shop houses whose drab walls have been adorned by colourful and intricate murals of seahorses and dragons. This fanciful façade leads you to the EH HE Art Café – a site of food, art, and culture. The name itself was inspired by what’s left when “art” is removed from the words “Earth” and “Heart.” The café, along with its unique name, is the brainchild of partners Yap Leong and Pauline See, both of whom are involved in the arts and it is Pauline’s work that covers the walls inside and outside the space.

Taking up seven shop houses, Yap envisioned the cafe to be a space highlighting art in the heart of Johor Bahru, replete with paintings and crafts adorning its walls and shelves in the cafe downstairs and furniture and wall decorations fashioned out of old wood planks, salvaged after the building’s renovations. Much of the original architecture of the space has also been preserved to show off its original Teochewstyled structure.

On the second floor is the Classic Accents Art House, a space dedicated to clothes, trinkets, and other memorabilia of Chinese culture, on display for visitors. The gallery is sometimes used to showcase works from home-grown talents, though the art is not confined to this specific space and could spill over into the different parts of the establishment.

EH HE also offers a variety of visual and performing arts, ranging from contemporary art exhibitions to Teochew puppet performances. It is a space for the artistically-inclined and can easily be found next to Johor Bahru’s famous Hiap Joo bakery.

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Art52 Gallery Named after its unit number on Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk, this quiet gallery is a perfect spot for low key, peaceful afternoons surrounded by art. Formerly a gallery for visiting exhibitions organised by the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum, owner Eric Tan turned it into a space where he could exhibit works by his wife, Grace Lim. The result is a gritty, down to earth look reminiscent of repurposed old buildings in Penang. Perfectly fusing the gallery setting with the beautiful rawness of pre-war shop units, the gallery offers a refreshing alternative to pristine white walls characteristic of commercial galleries found in shopping malls.

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custom culture.

A group of custom craftsmen set up shop in the south.

We speak to Miazil who is working on documenting their stories in a book.

Do you find that there is something specifically different with the custom shops in Johor? A certain style that is unique?

The custom world itself reflects individuality and the expression of art in automotives. There is definitely a wide range of styles between different custom garage and groups, and different styles within each of those entities. I think the uniqueness of Johor's custom scene lies precisely in that flexibility of styles. In Johor you will see different makes of bikes done in different

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styles riding together as a group. What brings people together is not the make of the engine nor the style of the custom work, but the passion of building together. Johoreans have an acceptance of individual styles and a deep appreciation of the work and skills involved in a build rather than the make of an engine or the costs involved.

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One would think that it is quite an expensive hobby - what does it take for someone to start something like this?

Most of the custom work in Johor is done at home-based ‘garages’, run by folks with little means but lots of creativity - which pushes them to be resourceful and to think out of the box.

This includes recycling materials, building things from scratch with friends, making contacts, and gathering any available resources to build one piece at a time. For bikes, most are using older models, which don’t rely on any electronics and hence are easier to maintain. Some of these home-based builders and mechanics eventually pool resources - again, often based out of someone’s home. Most of them are doing this out of passion rather than as a business venture.

Customising a vehicle is like DIY-ing your house!

You can harness your talent and save cost by doing everything yourself, or you can opt to buy ready-made items which would obviously cost you a lot more. Of course some important parts are expensive. This is not the most affordable hobby, but it can be done for a lot cheaper than one thinks - with the right mix of talent and creativity! I think the most costly hobby would be restoring a vehicle. Instead of customising, the owner restores it to its original look, sourcing for original classic parts at times, and that can be quite difficult to find. We have a lot of respect for the purists out there who manage to restore an old vehicle to its former glory.

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What drew you to work on documenting this in a book?

I have been roaming Malaysian roads for years now, always trying to meet custom builders and classic collectors to hear their stories. I moved to JB from KL and absolutely fell in love with Johor, which has a vibrant scene. I got to meet a lot of talented people within a short time, and realised that no one had heard about the community here, and fewer still - even within Johor - were aware of the amount of talent we have. There was no platform to showcase these skills, and no one to tell their stories. I wanted to give them the credit they deserve.

Through shared interest I met Didi and Hassan.

One night during a teh tarik session, we were having a conversation about the amount of talent in Johor - we listed down all these people and places we all knew - and the lack of exposure.

We were thinkingabout ways to put the different

pieces together and to make it easier for everyone to connect and exchange knowledge and ideas. I would document my findings with pictures on social media, but that wasn’t enough.

So we came up with the idea of a publication.

This is how So’Mal Collective was born. The name is short for South Malaysia. It has become our mission to create a photography book which hopefully will be found in school libraries, and to show the rest of Malaysia (and hopefully the world) that Johor has a well-deserved place in the custom scene! And it has become my personal project to give back to Johor for giving me a place I now call home.

This project is supported by the Think City Grants Programme.

This looks like a project to showcase the people behind it; the culture and the passion. How big is the ‘movement’, so to speak, in Johor? And is it well-known or is it relatively underground?

You got that right! This is exactly what we wish to portray: not the bike or car itself, but the person behind the build, the craftsmanship and the passion of individuals who either customise vehicles or restore them. So’Mal Collective focuses on the skills, the dirt and the grind, body work, welding parts together, and even the visual arts and design motifs related to the automotive industry. Our aim is to tell the stories behind these beautiful machines, and hopefully to inspire the younger generation to take up technical skills and craftsmanship.

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Under the Radar: The unnoticed but fully burgeoning Malaysian Comics Industry.

Upon doing research for this piece, and an industry outlook for a corporate proposal, I shared some findings about the comics industry on Facebook.

It was also done for the benefit of comics artist Suraya Md Nasir, one of the growing community of comics scholars pursuing a PhD in comics at a Japanese university, something relatively uncommon in the past few decades.

I thought the Facebook post would attract mild curiosity from friends and geeks. However, in the days that followed, there was a lively discussion on the state of the Malaysian comics industry, as well as some growls from people smarting at the mention of the word. Why? I have no idea.

I fully believe that comics is a growth area for publishing and has yet to realise its full potential.

Comics, as a platform, tells stories other media can’t, because of its unique melding of visuals and text. Comics can explain the most complex concepts in just a few pages or even a handful of panels. It is accessible to everyone from all levels of education, income, age and whatever demographics you have. It is portable and does not require any special player, or internet access – at least for print comics.

A Fistful of Data Having endured 12 years in the media industry and a heart attack, Amir Hafizi made the decision to start a comics publishing company with Fairul Nizam, and now publishes 6-12 titles a year under the label Maple Comics. Despite remaining untracked and untapped, the nation’s comics industry is growing steadily. Amir walks us through the realities, and introduces us to what’s exciting.

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My original hypothesis remains that there is no data on Malaysian comics, and without it we are not an industry, a scene or anything. Nobody knows how many publishers are publishing how many titles a year. Some point to the Audit Bureau of Circulations Malaysia but the last incomplete data set for a few comics magazines, was in 2008. Since 2009, we have not had any publicly available audited figures on the circulation of comics magazines.

We also don’t know about the number published or sold of trade paperbacks – either collected comics or standalone titles sold in single volumes.

We don’t know how many artists or writers are active. All this will help not just scholars hand in a final year report, but also comics businesses in charting trends as well as contacting the artists.

In the US, we know that comics is booming. The industry is estimated to be worth USD 1.03 billion with print comics driving the push. Digital comics only amount to USD 90 million – down 10% from the previous year (2015). If we had this sort of data in Malaysia, the comics community would be able to plan and push accordingly.

The only people who could volunteer this information would be the major industry players themselves. Kadokawa Gempak Starz, PTS, Karangkraf, etc.

However, one question remains – why would they do so? What is in it for them? They might think revealing their numbers will put them at a disadvantage or that others might copy their successful business plans.

I would put forth that sharing information will only benefit everyone. If they close one eye to the ignorant comments of judgmental idiots who do nothing anyway, industry data would go a long way in growing the business for everyone.

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Future Foundation Despite the murky ‘fog of war’ that we have about the industry, some things seem to be clearer.

While sales of comics magazines will fall – as magazine sales around the world continue to fall - the trade paperbacks or graphic novels are the way forward.

Comics magazines have only up to two weeks to sell. After that, it’s stale news. The distribution also has to be massive, with a huge nation-wide network that reaches mom-and-pop shops in rural areas.

When the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hit, some mainstream magazine publishers lamented that many of these small shops – the lifeline of magazines – did not own cash registers and therefore were unable to calculate the tax. They lamented that small shops simply returned all their magazines instead of going through the hassle of calculating the 6% GST on top of the cover price.

I believe trade paperbacks are the future, especially for independent comics publishers.

They have no shelf life, so you can still sell them after a few years (hopefully you won’t have to).

They are classified as books, so are not subject to GST. Speaking of books, Maple Comics sat down with some bookstores recently and discovered that they were all open to having special sections or shelves for local comics, even separating titles for children and adults. You can see some outlets already doing this at MPH Bookstores.

The only assurance the bookstores need is

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that there is a steady supply of quality comics titles from publishers. We at Maple Comics plan to publish 6-12 titles a year, but we need more publishers to join us in staking a claim in bookstore real-estate.

Some successful publishers are also churning out comics titles next year. We see their participation as further good omens that local comics are on the verge of a new wave which will take the industry to greater heights.

As a small player, Maple Comics hopes to ride on this wave and continue doing what we do – pushing a bunch of quality titles and experimenting with content when we can afford it. Because that’s the only answer to all this uncertainty. Regardless of whether we know the lay of the land or successful/ failing trends or have colourful charts that project a 3 or 5-year cash-flow, nothing will happen if we don’t continue making more comics.

Our medium-term goal has always been to make comics mainstream again. Comics people have done it before, but if we just languish in the glories of old, we’ll never get anywhere.

The long-term goal, that is consistently on, is to have fun doing this. So here I share with you some of the titles we are having fun with at this time, for print in 2017:

Komik Ronyok 2 by Azwan Jjai This would be the second compilation of Komik Ronyok by Azwan Jjai after his first smash hit compilation last year. In fact, Komik Ronyok is Maple Comics’ fastest-selling book to date.

Jai’s humour is strange in the sense that it dances, even teeters, on the edge between offensive, brutal honesty and just genius-level whimsy. You might be the subject of his strips, and he might portray you in a more gruesome or fantastical manner, but since his humour has no malice in it, you can only laugh along with the strip.

A remarkable young man of only 22 years old, Jai is one of the true geniuses of strip comics. No matter what he does after this, he has a bright future ahead of him.

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Syurga by Arif Rafhan After we have tasted hell, it is time to feast on the colours of heaven.

Arif Rafhan did the travelogue Pelempang Realiti in 2015 and his next project with Maple Comics is a psychedelic magic box psychological-thriller about a man who wakes up in a strange land.

A departure from his more journalistic, non-fiction work, Arif is displaying his versatility and continues to astound us and all the other artists with how quickly he jumps from one genre and format to the other. Plus, the colours are nice.

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Jejon di Jepun 2 By Jon Suraya

These unfinished pages are a continuation of our hit title Jejon di Jepun. Jon Suraya, who is pursuing a PhD in manga studies in Kyoto continues where she left off in the previous book.

Her new adventures include surviving an earthquake, hanging out with friends, even some meta reference to doing these comics, probably.

Her colouring skills have improved significantly and we hope she retains her humour in her writing.

The first book Jejon di Jepun has done well and has garnered quite a following. We expect the second book to propel the Jejon saga to greater heights and a wider audience.

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Arc 29/Home by Marc Michaud Marc Michaud approached us just as he was going back to Canada with his family, leaving Malaysia for good. (He’ll come back for visits). He showed us a very ambitious space epic that would take perhaps 10 years to complete.

It is steeped with mystery and themes of humanity as well as exploring the persistence of memory.

On the surface, it is a story about a man and a robot – an android – who through certain strange and bloody events comes to possess a spaceship.

Iblis dan Kugiran Kambing Hitam by Alfie Palermo and Charukhpong Krom Alfie Palermo and Charukhpong Krom have had this title brewing for quite some time now. Iblis dan Kugiran Kambing Hitam is a twisted, dark tale about two students at a school. Bullied by their peers, they summon the devil. The devil answers, and the story opens with what happens next.

At least, that was the story they pitched around a year or so ago. Since then, the story has gone through many changes and evolutions. I’m not really sure what the story is now, but having caught a sneak glimpse of Charukh’s art, suffice it to say we have been in a state of excitement waiting for it to be done.

This could very well be Alfie Palermo’s comics masterpiece. The man has educated himself on comics scriptwriting and by the time he is done with this experimental, absolutely mental tale, I believe he might be one of, if not, the best comics writer in Malaysia.

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The two main characters explore various facets of humanity, identity and the meaning of life – as any good space epic should – as they hurtle through the vacuum at incomprehensible speeds.

This is a trippy work that will see us striving to publish one volume a year for perhaps 10 years or more. Marc seems to want to continue doing it for a very long time. Hopefully, we’ll still be here to rush his pages to the printers decades from now.

We have more titles. Mimi Mashud is working on Korea in 11 Days as well as a secret project. Pokcik Fingernailz is compiling the second volume of Paradigma Guru – our first manga hit. We have some anthologies coming up and a few more new artists to publish.

We’re doing our best to meet our quota and to fulfil our long-term plan – to have fun. We hope that others will join us and push comics to mainstream acceptance again.

For more information on when these titles will be out, or to find out/buy our current titles, please go to www.maplecomics.com.my 169

TRADITIONAL PERFORMING ARTS

The roots of the traditional performing arts specific to Johor can be traced far back to its history. In particular, Arab culture, as well as that of the Bugis and Javanese who settled in Johor have influenced the performing arts landscape significantly. This can be seen in the foundations of folk dances, legends and storytelling, musical styles and instruments and the timing and culture surrounding the performances. However, while the roots of the various performing arts may be foreign, these artforms have evolved to include the Malay language and cultural sensibilities.

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G h aza l

A Ghazal performance in Malaysia typically involves a 7- or 8-piece ensemble with one or more vocalists. The central instrument in Ghazal music is the gambus, a 12-string lute which was first introduced by Arab and Persian traders in the 1800s, and which plays a key role in traditional Johor performances including Zapin and Joget. Other instruments in the lineup include the violin, harmonium, guitar, mandolin, and percussive instruments such as the jidur, tabla, tambourine and maracas.

The ghazal of Arab and Persian origins typically features poetry structured in rhyming couplets with a refrain, each line sharing the same meter. The ghazal not only has a specific form but also deals traditionally with a variety of subjects, its primary expression being the theme of unrequited love, or the beauty of love in spite of the pain that loss or separation causes. Today, the subject of love could also be interpreted for a higher being or for a mortal beloved.

In the case of Johor, the lyrics are sung in Malay and often include pantuns with teachings on living a life of grace and good deeds.

While Arabic-influenced melodies are inherent, the vocals feature distinct Malay inflections, which are unique to Malaysian ghazal.

zap i n

Ghazal is often performed today in broadcast media, at important ceremonies, celebrations and weddings.

Zapin is a form of dance introduced by Muslim missionaries in the 14th century. From its original form of Arabic Zapin (Zapin Arab), the dance form was absorbed into Malay culture and has evolved into a local version known as Zapin Melayu, which was and still is very prominent in the Johor state.

In the past, Zapin was specifically performed for royalty. It is believed that every palace had its own Zapin troupe which performed at palace functions, with every rehearsal being scrutinised by the discerning eye of the Sultan. Originally, only males were allowed to perform Zapin as it was staged exclusively during religious ceremonies. However, 172

through the years, the dance has become a form of entertainment, and female dancers have since joined the fray.

In Zapin performances, the dancers typically face each other in linear formations and perform recurring backwards and forwards steps known as langkah, which are intermittently interrupted by a series of skips or squats known as kopak, while their arms sway in a pedestrian motif.

The dancers are accompanied by a traditional musical ensemble with the gambus playing a heterophonic melodic line with the vocals, backed by the accordion and violin, while the marwas (a 173

type of bongo), rebana and dok drums anchor the music with a mix of low- and high-timbre beats in a rhythmic pattern.

The typical costume of Zapin is modest, featuring basic traditional Malay dress: a songkok (Malay headgear), baju melayu and sampin for the men, and a baju kurung with kain samping, a sanggul (chignon) adorned with a flower, and a traditional necklace for the women.

Ha m do lok Hamdolok, also known as Masadeka, is a lesser known form of traditional Malay performance.

Comprising song, dance and music - it can be said to be the ancient equivalent of modern musicals, with a blend of artistic elements from both the Middle-East and local Malay communities.

Founded by Pak Rahmat Wayang, Hamdolok was inspired by the tales told by Tuan Haji Osman Jabit who spent time with the Bedouin in Mecca and observed them celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. The Bedouin would gather in a large procession, holding canes.

While walking they would sing, dance and jump around, hitting the canes on random objects to produce beats. Pak Rahmat then created his own form of this procession, with the performers singing in a poetic form known as syair.

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The Hamdolok troupe typically consists of 15 to 20 members. The costumes worn and instruments played by actors vary according to their assigned roles and characters. The performance is usually accompanied by musical instruments such as the gendang (drum) gambus, tambourine, maracas and congas.

Kuda Kepang is a unique dance with a spiritual element, usually performed by Johoreans of Javanese descent. This is because the origins of Kuda Kepang or Kuda Lumping (meaning flat or 2-dimensional) is rooted in ancient Javanese tradition.

The main feature in this performance is a flat horse-shaped prop made of woven bamboo and decorated with paint and cloth. Players would emulate riding these ‘horses’ during the performance.

K u da K epa n g

Kuda Kepang is typically performed by a troupe of 10 to 15 people and used to be featured in wedding ceremonies and cultural celebrations.

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In Java, it used to be a form of totemic worship.

However with the Islamisation of Malaysia, this dance now generally renders the tale of nine Javanese evangelists spreading the Islamic faith in the interior of Java, with the dancers reenacting their battles with exaggerated gestures and vigorous action.

The musical instruments used in Kuda Kepang performances include the angklong, a unique bamboo instrument tuned to octaves that produces different pentatonic chimes when shaken. The gendang and jidur drums, and traditional bronze gamelan instruments such as the gong, kenong (large bronze pot with a low timbre), saron kecil (metallophone) and bonang (mid-sized bronze pots with a high-timbre) form the rest of the ensemble.

The most controversial part of Kuda Kepang is that the dancers would typically enter into a trance, traditionally said to be caused by possession of spirits. During these trances, the dancers would walk on hot coals or eat glass or fire. In some instances the dancers even serve as oracles to deliver prophecies. After awakening from their trances, performers claim not to remember anything.

Due to the dangerous and controversial nature of this dance, the state of Johor once issued a fatwa in 2009, banning the art of Kuda Kepang, resulting in schools no longer educating students about this traditional performance art.

with genuine tiger skin and real peacock feathers, and has gained international recognition as the world’s largest mask.

The origins and cultural ownership of Barongan has long been disputed between Indonesia and Malaysia. To avoid further controversy with Indonesia, the government of Malaysia has stopped actively promoting the art of Barongan.

There are very few troupes today who hold the skills for performing Barongan.

Ba ro n g a n Barongan, also of Javanese origin, is a folk dance which became popular around 1722 and was frequently performed by Muslim Javanese immigrants in Malaysia, some of whom had been serving the Sultan of Malacca, and who then followed the Sultan to Johor to establish the Johor-Riau Kingdom.

Originally depicting the tale of a mythical battle between the King of Ponorogo and the magical lion-like creature called Singa Barong, it is believed that the dance performed in Johor 176

was adapted to tell stories about the Prophet Sulaiman instead. It was also customary that Kuda Kepang would serve as an opening act for Barongan, which also includes ‘horses’.

One of the special features of Barongan is the use of large elaborate masks. A single dancer, or warok, carries the heavy mask of about 30 – 40 kg in weight, supported by the strength of his teeth.

Holding the mask by biting, the warok relies on the strength of his jaws, neck and shoulder muscles.

The great mask often spans to over 2.5 meters 177

malay proverbs

Se n i Na s i h at Hyrul Anuar melahirkan karya-karya seni dari peribahasa tradisi

Ceritakan sedikit mengenai diri dan latar belakang anda.

Saya seorang Pengarah Seni Digital di Jabatan Kempen Sosial di Fabrica, pusat penyelidikan komunikasi di United Colors of Benetton.

Kami menjalankan pelbagai projek kesedaran sosial melalui seni, teknologi, kewartawanan dan pengiklanan dan peka terhadap perkembangan-perkembangan semasa di seluruh dunia.

Seorang teman yang mengenali kerja saya telah memberitahu saya tentang Fabrica. Mereka ada menjalankan program untuk penggiat kreatif dari seluruh dunia, dan saya memilih untuk memohon.

Program tersebut terbuka kepada semua yang berumur 25 tahun ke bawah, dan saya amat bertuah sebab menerima jawapan dari pihak mereka pada harijadi saya yang ke-26! Masa itu saya tak fasih berbahasa Inggeris, tapi mereka suka cara saya mempersembahkan diri saya sewaktu temuduga skype dan saya dijemput untuk menghadiri sesi percubaan dua minggu di Itali.

Apakah antara hasil kerja anda sewaktu di Fabrica/ Benetton yang anda banggakan?

Projek yang paling saya banggakan adalah #endstatelessness.

Ini projek yang saya laksanakan sewaktu sesi percubaan dua minggu itu. Pelanggannya adalah UNHCR. Saya mendapat idea untuk mewujudkan satu negara khusus buat mereka yang tiada kewarganeraan semasa mengguna Instagram. Peserta kempen ini tidak diminta memasukkan petisyen online seperti biasa, tetapi mereka diminta memuat naik gambar kaki mereka ke Instagram dengan hashtag #endstatelessness. Lebih ramai yang menghantar 178

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Venice dan Lisbon, sebelum dibawa pulang ke tanah air untuk dipamerkan di Johor sewaktu Iskarnival Naratif pada Oktober lalu.

Apa yang sedang anda usahakan, dan apa rancangan untuk masa depan?

Saya sedang usahakan beberapa projek peribadi yang agak menarik, dan ada di antara projek-projek itu yang memang jauh dari apa yang saya biasa lakukan. Saya suka mencari yang baru dan bereksperimen dengan keupayaan dan halatuju seni saya untuk melahirkan projek-projek yang menarik.

Saya cukup teruja untuk menjadi seorang pengarah filem. Saya rasa inilah satu perkara yang patut saya lakukan sejak dulu lagi.

Berkayu h Sam pa n Boco r gambar-gambar ini, lebih besar ‘negara’ ini akan kelihatan dalam Google Maps. Negara maya ini akan menjamin hak asasi kemanusiaan untuk semua dan menjadi negara buat mereka yang tiada kewarganegaraan, dan oleh itu mereka akan mendapat dokumentasi untuk bergerak dengan bebas. Pelanggan suka idea itu. Ia adalah idea paling bermakna yang pernah saya laksanakan dalam 4 tahun saya bekerja dalam bidang pengiklanan. Bos saya pun suka dan saya ditawar bekerja di Fabrica selama 1 tahun.

Bagaimana anda dapat fikirkan konsep Peribahasa Melayu?

Saya dapat ilham sewaktu menghadapi kesusahan 180

Gajah Seekor, Ge m bal a D u a

Kal au takut dil am bu ng om bak, ja ngan beru m ah di tepi pantai

di Itali. Masa itu saya kesunyian dan saya rindu suasana di Malaysia. Satu hari tu saya melukis apa yang saya rasakan sebagai satu luahan. Lepas siap, saya perasan apa yang saya lukis itu sama seperti peribahasa Melayu, “Mengikat Perut”. Kemudian, bos saya Erik Ravelo nampak lukisan itu dan berkata yang saya patut buat lebih banyak lukisan serupa dan itu memberi galakan kepada saya untuk meninggalkan dunia pengiklanan untuk menjadi seorang pelukis seni visual sepenuh masa. Buat pertama kalinya, saya dipanggil seorang ‘artist’ oleh seorang yang benar-benar artist antarabangsa. Saya membuat keputusan untuk menumpukan perhatian ke arah seni tanpa berhenti bekerja di bidang pengiklanan. Saya masih perlukan duit untuk hidup. Jadi itulah bagaimana siri ini dibuat, dan ia telah dipamer di 181

Sa m bi l Men y el am Mi n um A i r

Ban yak M u l ut 182

Monyet Me ndapat Bunga

T ikam Be l akang 183

MUSIC

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southern sounds.

Plague of Happiness Sebut sahaja Plague of Happiness, anak-anak muda pasti terus terbayangkan rentak ska/punk istimewa bawaan kugiran legendaris dari Johor Bahru ini.

Penubuhan Plague of Happiness berawal daripada persahabatan dan sukan 'skateboard.'

Pada tahun 2000, mereka mengeluarkan demo/ EP pertama mereka yang bertajuk Nanban. 1000 unit kaset yang dihasilkan berjaya dijual dalam masa kurang daripada enam bulan - pencapaian hebat memandangkan pada waktu itu, kugiran ini kurang mendapat perhatian media massa.

Dari situ, Plague of Happiness mula mendapatkan lebih banyak kenalan muzik luar negara. Selain daripada Singapura, mereka telah bersahabat dengan sebuah syarikat rakaman bernama Troskot dari Bulgaria dan sempat menyumbangkan lagu untuk sebuah album kompilasi terbitan syarikat itu.

Ritma dari Selatan Apa yang tidak ada di Johor? Irama dan seni tradisional dipelihara elok, muzik dan rentak moden dipupuk sihat. ALIA ALI mengenalkan kami kepada para pemuzik anak Johor pendendang halwa telinga. Tidak hanya terkenal di tempat asal, mereka semua sama ada telah pernah merantau jauh membawa muzik mereka atau mengidamkan tempat tertinggi di pasaran muzik antarabangsa.

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Pada tahun 2002, Plague of Happiness telah membuka syarikat rakaman mereka sendiri yang bernama Nyaring.

(Gambar oleh: Fahmi Ismail)

Pada tahun 2007, akhirnya Plague of Happiness mengeluarkan album pertama mereka yang bertajuk Kawan. Single pertama daripada album ini yang juga bertajuk 'Kawan', mendapat tempat di carta-carta radio tempatan seperti XFM, dan Suria FM. 2009 menyaksikan album Kawan dijual di Indonesia dan tahun berikutnya Plague of Happiness mengadakan tour 8 bandar di Indonesia.

Baru-baru ini, Plague of Happiness telah melancarkan album terbaru mereka yang bertajuk Tunjal, serta mengeluarkan sebuah dokumentari tentang perjalanan hidup kugiran itu sepanjang hampir 16 tahun bersama.

Mereka juga bakal mengadakan tour di negara Matahari Terbit, Jepun, tidak lama lagi.

Tahun-tahun seterusnya menyaksikan Plague of Happiness aktif membuat persembahan di dalam dan luar negara dan juga giat berkolaborasi dengan kugiran-kugiran dari luar. Bukan itu sahaja, lagu-lagu mereka turut dimuatkan dalam runut bunyi filem Gedebe, arahan Nam Ron, dan beberapa album kompilasi ska.

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Juno and Hanna Duo adik-beradik ini masih boleh dikira baru setahun jagung di arena muzik tempatan, namun karya mereka mampu berdiri sama tinggi dengan kumpulan-kumpulan muzik dari luar.

Awalnya, nama kumpulan ini JunoHana dan ia dianggotai oleh beberapa orang ahli keluarga lain, kecuali Hanna, yang paling bongsu kerana dia masih terlalu muda. Tetapi akhirnya, Hanna diserap masuk dan kumpulan muzik yang sedia ada mengecil menjadi duo dan ditukar namanya menjadi Juno and Hanna.

Membawa irama synthpop, Juno and Hanna baru sahaja mengeluarkan EP pertama mereka yang bertajuk AIR, bersama single pertama daripada album itu dengan tajuk yang sama.

Laila's Lounge Rentak pop 'mellow' dan petikan gitar daripada Hanif, berpadu dengan suara merdu manis adiknya, Hanna, yang juga penulis lirik untuk kumpulan ini, telah berjaya menarik minat ramai peminat daripada Malaysia dan juga negaranegara jiran. Buktinya, kisah tentang Juno and Hanna pernah dipaparkan di media-media luar seperti majalah Nylon Indonesia dan Popspoken Indonesia.

Baru-baru ini, Juno and Hanna telah membuat persembahan di dua acara muzik ternama, iaitu Baybeats di Singapura dan Good Vibes Festival di Kuala Lumpur.

Sebelum itu, mereka juga telah pernah menjadi pemuzik pembuka untuk kumpulan-kumpulan antarabangsa seperti Postilijonen (SWE), Bottlesmoker (ID), dan Arms and Sleepers (US).

Tidak lengkap senarai kugiran dari Johor tanpa kugiran yang satu ini. Nama Laila's Lounge mula melonjak naik apabila lagu Mawar Khayalan dimuatkan dalam runut bunyi siri televisyen terkenal, KAMI. Lagu itu juga turut menjadi lagu tema filem KAMI the Movie.

Mungkin ada yang tidak tahu, Laila's Lounge telah ditubuhkan sejak 1998 lagi. Mereka sempat berehat sebentar pada tahun 2009 untuk menumpukan perhatian kepada komitmen peribadi, keluarga dan pekerjaan.

Kugiran ini pernah mengeluarkan EP yang bertajuk Kosong pada tahun 2008. Hampir kesemua lagu di dalam Kosong pernah menduduki tempat dalam carta radio tempatan. Selain daripada Mawar Khayalan, EP ini juga mengandungi lagu-lagu merdu bernuansa Britrock seperti Warm Cherry House, Prindu, Wajah, dan Stargazer.

Seiringan dengan comeback Laila’s Lounge, EP Kosong diadun semula dan dicetak ulang kembali tahun ini. Kugiran ini juga sedang dalam proses merakam album penuh pertama mereka.

Pada awal tahun ini, Laila’s Lounge telah membuat ‘comeback’ ke arena muzik tanah air, sebuah keputusan yang sangat dinantikan oleh para peminat yang lama merindukan mereka.

(Gambar oleh: Ahmad Saiful Cipoi)

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Najwa Mahiaddin Najwa yang berasal dari Muar mendapat dua pencalonan iaitu di AIM22 menerusi kategori Persembahan Vokal Terbaik Di Dalam Lagu (Wanita), Guilty Room dan Persembahan Vokal Terbaik Duo/Berkumpulan Di Dalam Lagu (After The Rain). Najwa turut mencipta sebuah lagu untuk Anuar Zain berjudul Kembali menerusi album terbaharu penyanyi berkenaan. Dia kini sedang dalam proses menyiapkan album terbaharunya yang dijangka berada di pasaran tahun hadapan.

Popscene Popscene baru ditubuhkan pada tahun 2014.

Namun begitu, adunan khas Brit Pop 90-an dan shoegaze gaya mereka telah banyak menarik minat para penggemar muzik tempatan.

Popscene juga percaya persembahan yang bertenaga dan penuh gaya penting untuk memastikan mereka tidak kelihatan seperti patung di atas pentas.

Berawal dengan percubaan pertama sang vokalis dan pemain keyboard untuk menubuhkan kugiran untuk sekadar hobi akhirnya menjadi sebuah kugiran yang lebih serius.

Sebagai band paling 'muda' dalam senarai ini, mereka berharap dapat mengembangkan sayap mereka lebih luas dan membuat persembahan di pentas-pentas lebih besar di masa hadapan.

EP pertama mereka yang bertajuk Popscene baru dikeluarkan pada pertengahan tahun ini dan ia mengandungi empat lagu yang ditulis sendiri oleh ahli-ahli kugiran ini. Kata mereka, lagu-lagu ditulis berdasarkan pemerhatian sekeliling serta pengalaman sendiri.

Kata orang, tak kenal maka tak cinta. Nah, kami sudah kenalkan empat kumpulan anak-anak Johor yang cukup berbakat untuk anda nikmati.

Semoga sesuai dengan citarasa anda di luar sana.

Pemuzik-pemuzik hebat di negara tak semestinya datang dari Lembah Klang sahaja. Jangan lupa untuk cuba mendengar hasil muzik kreatif anakanak muda dari negeri-negeri lain. Sokonglah bakat seni tempatan kita.

Antara pengaruh muzik Popscene adalah dua kugiran ternama dari Scotland, Jesus and Mary Chain dan Primal Scream serta kugiran Inggeris Ride and Slowdive.

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Joe Flizzow Joe merupakan pengasas dan pemilik bersama Kartel Records. Antara artis-artis yang bernaung di bawah Kartel Records adalah seperti Altimet, Micbandits, Muzique, SonaOne, Richard Jansen, Ila Damiaa, DJ Cza and Sakti. Selain muzik, Joe turut menceburi bidang bisnes dengan perusahaan seperti Joe’s Barbershop dan Joe’s Kitchen yang terletak di Subang Jaya.

Beliau menceburi bidang muzik sebagai artis solo pada tahun 2008. Album sulung solo beliau, President mula dipasarkan pada 31 Disember 2008 oleh Warner Music Malaysia. Pada 7 November 2013, album Havoc telah dilancarkan. Album Havoc merupakan kesinambungan kepada President dan menampilkan sebanyak 14 buah lagu Bahasa Melayu dengan kerjasama Amy Search, Rossa, Altimet, SonaOne, Syaheed, Ajai, DJ Biggie dan Yasin Sulaiman.

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Kumpulan Gitar Rancak aka. Kugiran

The Pop Yeh Yeh Era: Youth and Popular Music in 1960s Singapore and Malaysia.

In the 1960s, the centre of production for guitar-band music for the entire Malay Peninsula was Singapore. International record labels such as Philips and ColumbiaEMI had recording and distribution operations based in Singapore and were actively promoting and producing local talents. In the early 1960s, a wealth of local bands were recorded performing English songs by American and British artists. A major appeal of this ‘emulative industry’ was the accessibility of these local bands to local audiences at live shows. Siva Choy, a member of the duo called The Cyclones (Figure 1), relates the following:

Adil Johan The 1960s in Singapore and Malaysia was a vibrant and creative period for youth music culture.

Youth music culture in 1960s Malaya began with the ‘copying’ or adaptation of foreign music with local elements. Rock & roll bands from Britain and America were imitated in the form of cover bands. Following that, popular English-language songs were translated into local languages like Malay and later, original songs were written and performed in Malay, English and local Chinese dialects.

The ‘beat music’ of British bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Shadows were major influences on the musical styles and band formats embraced by Singaporean and Malaysian youth in this era. Aside from a pervasive culture of emulating western popular styles among English-language bands, there was also a growing community of Chinese and Malaylanguage bands that combined these new ‘beat’ styles and guitar-band ensemble formats with lyrics sung in local dialects. The Malay-language adaptations of British rock would be termed ‘pop yeh yeh’ in reference to The Beatles’ “She Loves You, Yeah Yeah Yeah” (Lockard 1998; Matusky and Tan 2004; Burhanuddin Bin Buang 2000/2001).

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Alongside such loud and rhythmically-driven music, fashion statements such as mini-skirts for women and long-hair for men were prevalent among youth of this era. The Singaporean and Malaysian nation-states were newly independent and seeking to impose a more conservative national identity that had to be modern yet rooted in local traditions. The ‘beat music’ youth cultures however, were seen as far from local by the older generation of local musicians (such as P. Ramlee) and government officials. In fact, youth music culture of the 1960s represented everything the post-colonial Singaporean and Malaysian nationbuilding projects were against. Pop yeh yeh culture as adopted by young Malaysians and Singaporeans represented a threatening sexual freedom along with a borderless culture that could not be bound by a strict idea of what a nation and its young citizens should be.

Figure 1. Siva and James Choy’s first single released in 1965 (courtesy of Joseph C. Pereira)

…in the early ‘60s, television had not arrived. You heard (foreign) bands on the radio but couldn’t see them. Occasionally, a movie might come into Singapore with bands and things. So what do you do? You look for anything that will substitute. So, suddenly a local band stands up and starts to play Rolling Stones. It was great. No videos, no cassettes. So we became substitutes.

Everybody sounded like somebody else. The more you sounded like somebody else, the greater the hero that you became… As a result, people became extremely imitative.

(Interview in Joseph Pereira’s (1999) book, Legends of the Golden Venus)

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One of the more successful English-language bands from the era, The Quests, modelled themselves after the The Shadows. They initially gained popularity by winning talent competitions in which they would play songs by The Shadows.

In fact, there were many ‘sound-alike’ band competitions in early 1960s Singapore: local bands such as The Stompers won the Cliff Richard and the Shadows contest, The Astronauts claimed the title of the ‘Ventures of Singapore’ and The Clifters were winners of the ‘Rolling Stones of Singapore’ competition. There was also a ‘Beatles versus Rolling Stones’ competition that involved a finalist ‘play off’ between The Thunderbirds (who emulated the former) and Les Kafila (who mimicked the latter) – The Thunderbirds won the competition (Figure 2). Other notable groups such as Naomi and The Boys gained popularity in the Malay Peninsula with their cover version of the song “Happy Happy Birthday Baby” by Margo Sylvia and Gilbert Lopez (Figure 3).

Figure 2. The Thunderbirds’ 1968 single (courtesy of Joseph C. Pereira)

Figure 4. Ismail Harun(/Haron)’s 45 RPM single (courtesy of Joseph C. Pereira)

The adaptation of popular chart-topping English songs to the Malay language initiated a local recording music industry that on one hand, copied the West but on the other hand, also adapted this foreign ‘style’ or ‘sound’ with local expressions.

In his Honours thesis, Burhanuddin Bin Buang suggests that the increase of recordings in Malay was due to the widely encouraged use of Malay as the official national language that coincided with the merger years – 1959 to 1965 – of Malaysia and Singapore. For example, in 1967, under the TK label, Ismail Haron who sang with the Vigilantes recorded “Green Green Grass of Home” (Putman Jr.) as “Senyuman Terakhir (Last Smile)”, “La Bamba” (Valens) as “Mari Menari (Let’s Dance)”, “Hang On Sloopy” (Berns and Farrell) as “Mari Sayang (Come, Love)” and “You Better Move On” (Alexander) as “Pulang Pada-ku (Return to Me)”.

Ismail Haron based his recording career in the 1960s on performing, adapting and writing Malay versions of popular English songs. His other notable recordings were “Enam Belas Lilin” based on “16 Candles” (Dixon & Kent), “Delailah” from “Delilah” (Mason and Reed) performed by Tom Jones (Figure 4) and “Jangan Marah Lili (Don’t Be Angry, Lili)” adapted from “Mohair Sam” (Frazier) performed by Charlie Rich. In an interview conducted by Joseph Pereira in 2005, Ismail Haron asserted that despite being labeled the ‘Tom Jones of Singapore’, he was more inclined to African-American performers such as James Brown, Lou Rawls, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald; however, he was constrained to covering Caucasian artists due to the demands of recording companies.

Figure 3. The debut Naomi & The Boys single released in 1964 (courtesy of Joseph C. Pereira)

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Figure 5. Sanisah Huri and The Terwellos 1967 single from the film, A Go Go ’67 (courtesy of Joseph C. Pereira)

The mid-1960s also saw the growth of Malay bands in Singapore and Malaysia called kugiranan abbreviation for kumpulan gitar rancak (upbeat guitar bands). Like the English-language cover bands these bands usually consisted of a core band fronted by a singer. Such singers were subject to change depending on the performance or recording project. Some popular singers and bands in the mid-1960s from Singapore were Rafeah Buang, Maria Bachok, Sanisah Huri (Figure 5), Siti Zaiton, Ahmad Daud, Jefridin and The Siglap Five (Figure 6), A. Ramlie and The Rhythm Boys, Kassim Selamat and The Swallows (Figure 7), The Terwellos (Figure 5), The Hooks and Les Kafilas. These bands performed and recorded original compositions with a local or asli (indigenous) approach to Malay singing complemented by westernised musical style and instrumentation. A notable recording is the song “La Aube” recorded by Kassim Selamat and The Swallows sung in a Baweanese dialect.

An exhibition by the Malay Heritage Centre of Singapore noted that the song was even a popular hit in Germany, arguably making the group ‘the most internationally recognised Malay Pop band of their time’.

Figure 7. Kassim Slamat & The Swallows 1965 single (courtesy of Joseph C. Pereira)

Recommended Reading The most passionate fan and documenter of Malaysian and Singaporean music from the pop yeh yeh era is Joseph Clement Pereira. Aside from a vast collection of music records, he is the proud author of three books on Singaporean music from the 1960s to 1970s.

Apache Over Singapore: The Story of Singapore Sixties Music. Vol. 1. Singapore: Select Publishing, 2011.

Beyond the Tea Dance: The Story of Singapore Sixties Music Vol.2. Singapore: Select Publishing, 2014.

Legends of the Golden Venus: Bands That Rocked Singapore from the 60’s to the 90’s. SIngapore: Times Editions, 1999.

Additional References Burhanuddin Bin Buang. “Pop Yeh Yeh Music in Singapore: 1963 - 1971.” B.A. Honours Thesis, National University of Singapore, 2000.

Matusky, Patricia, and Sooi Beng Tan. The Music of Malaysia: The Classical, Folk and Syncretic Traditions.

Aldershot: Ashgate, 2004.

Figure 6. Jeffridin and The Siglap Five single, 1966 (courtesy of Joseph C. Pereira)

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* This essay has been modified from a more detailed book chapter on Malay youth music in the book, Sonic Modernities in the Malay World: A History of Popular Music, Social Distinction and Novel Lifestyles (1930s 2000s), edited by Bart Barendregt.

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Southern Groove: A Guide to JB’s Most Happening Bands and Venues

The Humming Birds

johor bands.

An indie rock band based in the heart of Johor Bahru, The Humming Birds have been impressing rock fans with their deft fingerwork and retro sound since March 2013. Influenced by the raw guitar of indie rock music and modern blues, and backed by fast drumming and grungy vocals, the band comprises Daniel Tilidie on vocals and guitar, Adam Smith on backup vocals and guitar, Epul Norhan on bass and Imran on drums. The quartet have been active in the JB underground music scene and recently released the EP ‘You Could Be Someone I Knew’. Check them out on Soundcloud.

Established in 1998, almost every song in their previous EP, Kosong, hit the local radio charts with their britpop nuanced tracks. Taking a break in 2009, the band made their comeback recently (2015), delighting their longtime fans. Listening to their music tingles old memories. Their song Mawar Khayalan, the theme song for the blockbuster TV series Kami (and also the movie of the same name) is an all time favourite.

Laila’s Lounge

www.soundcloud.com/the-humming-birds

Composer Shuzhen Chan recently performed at Iskarnival's Synthsonic, showering the audience her brand of ambient electronic sounds, reminiscent of distant sunsets. We personally admire her delicate arrangements and await her next appearance. Suzanne is on Soundcloud at

Shuzhen Chan

https://soundcloud.com/lailas-lounge

www.soundcloud.com/shuzhenchan

Synthpop duo, Juno and Hanna , who are up-and-comers in the JB indie music scene walk us through some of the most influential bands and music venues to rock the southern state.

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Popscene

KBnL

Although relatively new to the scene, having set up only in 2014, Popscene has garnered many local fans. Performing alongside ourselves in The Wknd Sessions Live, Popscene (made up of Borrell Qushacai on guitar/vocals, Enol on guitar/vocals, Eppy on bass, Safwan on drums and Afro on keyboards/vocals) delights fans with their unique style of 90’s Britpopinfluenced shoegaze hits, further diversifying music choices for Johoreans.

A DJ from Johor Bahru, KBnL never fails to set up the mood, weaving magic in the air with Disco, Synthpop, Funk, NuDisco, New Wave and more from the likes of Du Tonc to Daft Punk, and Justice to Lana Del Rey. Having performed at numerous events such as Iskarnival’s satellite shows, those looking to feed their “primal urges to boogie down to the dirty sound and to flail those arms around” as he recommends, look out for KBnL’s next dancefloor spectacular.

Find them on Facebook.

For news see:

https://www.facebook.com/ Popscene-585652264901237/

https://www.facebook.com/kbnldancefloorhell/

Blackbox, Mall of Medini

Spincity Records

The Blackbox at the Mall of Medini is today’s favourite venue for performances. Being the most equipped venue in Johor Bahru, it is dedicated to the needs of performing artists. The quality of the space, despite being a little out of town, will not disappoint artists both Johorean and beyond.

Located in Skudai, Spincity Records supplies music enthusiasts and audiophiles with a wide range of CDs and vinyls. We hope more record stores pop up in Johor Bahru but for now Spincity records holds the title of trustworthiness.

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ISKANDAR PUTERI

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Iskandar Puteri

Living A fully-integrated township, Iskandar Puteri caters to a wide range of residents, with carefully-curated developments to meet different needs and preferences.

In addition to its forward-thinking master plan and award-winning built environment, the strategic location of Iskandar Puteri and its proximity to Singapore, opens up countless new avenues for growth and development.

Served by two international airports and five seaports, it’s one of Southeast Asia’s most connected developments and the region’s most enticing place to live, work and play.

Kota Iskandar, the crown jewel of Iskandar Puteri.

For centuries, Southeast Asia has been a major transit point between East and West; today, it is the fastest-growing economic region in the world.

Emerging at the epicentre of this region is Iskandar Puteri, a firstof-its-kind development located in the state of Johor, Malaysia.

Drawing on its rich history of trade and cultural exchange, the award-winning development blends creative innovation, and economic promise with the time-honoured tradition of Asian warmth and hospitality. With its strategic geography, forwardthinking focus, and potential for growth, Iskandar Puteri is undisputedly the place to be.

East Ledang by UEM Sunrise is only a 5-minute drive from the regional education hub, EduCity.

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A rt The arts play an important role in any community, bringing a sense of cultural richness and identity. Spanning various fields, from performing arts to artwork and much more, the Master Plan at Iskandar Puteri incorporates art into many aspects of the township. MAP IP, located within the Mall of Medini hosts performances, exhibitions, film screenings and talks.

Black Box @ MAP IP.

Att ract i o n s A family-centric township, Iskandar Puteri is also home to assorted attractions for all ages, many of which are located at the prestigious Puteri Harbour, a 13.5km coastline along the Sempitan Puteri or Puteri Narrows, the narrowest point of the Straits of Johor.

The waterfront development is a popular destination for visitors and residents alike.

Acknowledged as one of the best-planned waterfront developments in the world, it’s also a well-known site

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among yachting enthusiasts and the southern-most marina of mainland Asia.

A bird’s-eye view of Puteri Harbour.

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In between visiting theme parks and strolling along the boulevard, these F&B outlets are the ideal setting for a relaxing afternoon while taking in a view of the harbour.

Puteri Harbour is a perfect location for the family.

Thomas Town and Hello Kitty Town provide hours of fun in a comfortable setting for all in the family. The new public art installations around the harbour provide perfect backdrops for selfies.

And nothing beats the view of the harbour, which one can enjoy while sipping coffee, drinking wine or dining with friends. These outlets along the marina serve great food to go with the view.

1. B r u s s e l s Bee r Ca f e

3. E s p r e s s o Ga rag e

The ideal place for a variety of Belgian beer ranging from draft to bottled, accompanied by traditional Belgian cuisine.

A boutique coffee bar & cafe. Also serves burgers, salads and beers. Ambience is cool, casual and groovy.

2. D IN E Re s ta u ra n t & T h e

4. Mag n u m Spo rt s Ca f e

S i n g l e Ca s k Serving European food, this venue also features a terrace looking over the marina for a perfect spot to relax. Not to be missed is the private whisky room.

Missing your favourite sporting event while on holiday can be tragic. This outlet helps you catch up and cheer on your team while enjoying comfort food.

5. N u s a & K h ao Nusa is your home away from home for modern Indonesian Panang cuisine. Khao serves classical Thai cuisine prepared with premium ingredients.

7. Ro u g e A romantic lounge and a wine tasting area, Rouge features a large selection of wines from all over the world, the perfect spot for dinner and drinks.

6. O l i v e K i tc h e n & Ba r

E at i n g O u t at P u te r i Ha r b o u r

Serving authentic Northern Indian cuisine, Olive is tastefully furnished with exotic Indian decorations resulting in an ambiance that is modern and elegant with a touch of tradition.

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E d u cat i o n

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Read i n g

EduCity™ Iskandar Malaysia, a fully-integrated education hub, offers a comprehensive selection of learning opportunities to groom the future generation of leaders. With its Multi-Varsity Enterprise Complex, EduCity™ is the first of its kind in Asia and aims to be recognised throughout the region for its extensive range of educational options.

Ranked as one of the UK’s 20 most researchintensive universities. Its new campus in Iskandar Puteri offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in real estate, construction, finance, law, chemistry and pharmacy.

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Net h e r l a n d s Ma r i t i m e I n s t i t u te o f T E C HNILO GY

NMIT grooms students in transport, shipping, seafaring, maritime and logistics management, offering Diploma, Bachelor and Master Programmes to meet the increasing demand for industry experts worldwide.

U n i v e r s i ty o f

Ne wca s t l e U n i v e r s i ty Med i c i n e Ma l ay s i a

NUMed is one of the top medical schools in the United Kingdom. Its first campus outside of the UK, NUMed offers undergraduate degrees in Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, as well as postgraduate studies with the same internationally-recognised accreditation as the UK campus.

M u lt i m ed i a U n i v e r s i ty ( MMU )

This is MMU’s third campus, offering a Cinematic Arts Degree course which will enable students to explore a range of cinematic arts from an Asian perspective. The degree is conducted in collaboration with the world-renowned School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California (USC).

The world-class township of Iskandar Puteri similarly attracts a global citizenry, and a selection of international schools caters to the needs of the diverse local and expatriate community.

Comprehensively furnished with shared facilities, EduCity boasts a fully-equipped Sports Complex, Multi-Varsity Complex and Student Village.

Marlborough College Malaysia offers a co-educational boarding school for children aged 5 to 18 years with GCSE and International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes.

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Ra f f l e s U n i v e r s i ty I s ka n da r

The first accredited university within Raffles Education Corp to offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Design & Art, Business, Education & Social Sciences, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

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U n i v e r s i ty o f So u t h a m pto n

The University of Southhampton has a global reputation for excellence in education and research. Its undergraduate and postgraduate courses in electrical, mechanical and aerospace engineering will help to address the nation’s need for more engineers.

Also available are Khazanah Primary and Secondary Trust Schools for students aged 7 to 17 years, with optional boarding on campus.

Prestigious varsities coming on board include the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS), the Raffles American School (RAS) and the Johan Cruyff Institute Malaysia (JCIM).

The vast educational infrastructure also introduces a plethora of ever-evolving opportunities - both academic and non-academic - for residents, enriching the community further.

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STYLE

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crafting the kaftan.

joho.

One of the pioneering groups fronting the youth movement in Johor is the aptly named JOHO lifestyle brand.

Their ethos “Love, Trust, Respect” has been a constant throughout the organisation’s growth.

JOHO has now expanded beyond apparel manufacturing and retail to include event management, a creative agency, an interior design firm, and a youth club. As with the clothing venture, all their endeavours carry a distinct JOHO flair: a mix of Johorean alternative culture and street style.

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The company has utilised its in-house brands to its advantage - the JOHO concept store was designed and built by the JOHO interior design team. With its plank walls, steel railings, and the unmistakable JOHO stamp, the store exudes an edgy do-ityourself spirit that the brand clearly stands for.

Proudly Johorean, the label’s success is a great reflection of the budding youth culture brewing in the south.

Budding Johor fashion label AlKaftan has set itself a tall order - to ensure that each piece is one-of-akind, and to cater to women of all ages, sizes and cultures. Co-founder Amal Alkaff tells us about her startup journey.

Al-Kaftan began with the idea of creating one-of-a-kind pieces at affordable prices. The inspiration behind the label could be attributed to a combination of my middle eastern heritage and being born and raised right here in the culturally colourful state of Johor. While shopping for my Hari Raya outfit last year I noticed that there was gap in the market when it came to affordable kaftans in this region.

Kaftans have always been my personal go-to outfit for most occasions, be it weddings, Hari Raya or family gatherings.

Over the years, me and my sisters have designed our own pieces to wear and we’ve received many compliments on the uniqueness of each kaftan, which probably triggered the brand idea in the first place.

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On the creative process

On burgeoning popularity and future plans

On the beginnings of a crafty enterprise

It then became my sole mission to design pieces that would suit women of all ages, sizes and cultural backgrounds and to ensure that each piece would be unique, special, and most importantly, affordable. Pooling my resources, I pitched the idea to my cofounder and mother, Zahara Aljunied, and we set up shop!

The brand is very personal to me as almost every aspect of it is deeply influenced by my family. Even the name Al-Kaftan is actually a play on my surname Alkaff, and the word ‘kaftan’. ‘Al’ simply translates to ‘the’ in Arabic and therefore ‘The Kaftan’ or Al-Kaftan, is a perfect description of the brand.

The process and effort behind each piece is no easy task as no two pieces are the same. Beginning with the selection of fabric, we begin by considering the print and the flow of the material to ensure its suitability. We then decide on the design of the kaftan dress or top which will then be sent for stitching. Once stitched, the more tedious process of individually designing the beadwork of the dress or top begins. When a piece is complete our customers can be guaranteed that they will be the only person wearing that particular design.

Our customer base is just as unique as the brand itself. We have been delighted to see people from all over the world, from various cultural backgrounds wearing our pieces.

At the moment all sales are done online via our website www.alkaftan.com and purchases are shipped directly to our customers worldwide. We’ve tried to keep costs down by offering free shipping with no minimum purchase in Malaysia. We’re able to do this as not having a physical shop allows us to keep overheads low and therefore we can pass on that benefit to our customers who then enjoy cheaper prices.

For the future, we've had a few parties approach us to feature Al-Kaftan in their boutiques, which we are looking into and will be available in the near future. We have recently launched a new collection introducing kaftan pant suits to add to our existing collection of dresses and tops. Our next collection will be focusing on outer wear such as kimonos and ponchos, possibly a beachwear line and who knows, perhaps a men’s line in future!

Apart from our mission to ensure each piece is unique, we take pride in the fact that our designs do not only cater to a certain age group or race of people, and are versatile enough for a variety of occasions from weddings to the beach.

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kopi kluang.

Ted Mahsun

“So what are you doing here?”

She came at an inappropriate time. I wanted to be left alone.

“How do you like the coffee?” She was persistent.

“I like it well enough,” I answered, almost mumbling into my cup as I lifted it to take a sip. The aroma of the hot brown liquid soothed my nostrils.

“May I sit down?” she asked.

I narrowed my eyes but didn’t answer. I looked around the coffee house. There weren’t that many people around. Used to be, in the old days, this place was a bustling centre of activity. People would come far and wide to have a drink of the famous local brew and hot, crunchy toast, smothered with a generous dollop of kaya and butter. The coffee of course, was the famous Kopi Cap Televisyen, though no one really knows what a television is anymore now that they get their entertainment beamed directly into their minds.

Used to be, in the old days, people would turn off at the Ayer Hitam exit at the highway, just to drop by Kluang for the coffee. The good old Sultan himself had given his personal seal of approval for the coffee, demanding a constant monthly order sent to the palace.

But that was then, and this is now. Modernity had taken over, trampled over the past to erase it under its heavy boots of progress. But yes, this used to be a busy place. At any time of the day. Full of both locals and outsiders. All here for the same reason: Kopi Kluang. Today, however, it was empty except for me and this young lady. She scraped the old wooden chair on the floor as she sat down, not even waiting for me to give her an answer. Of all the empty places in the shop, why’d she want to sit at my table?

“I don’t really feel like talking,” I said.

“Don’t worry.” She placed an extremely thin piece of luminescent plastic on the marble-topped table,

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and as the screen lit up with neon brightness the heavy contrast between modern technology and old world hit me with a sharp, nostalgic blow. She must have seen me eyeing it suspiciously. “That’s just my notepad,” she said. “I’ll switch it off if it bothers you.”

You see, the first time I met my wife was at this coffee house. She had sat here at this very table drinking a cup of coffee, and she was alone. The shop was packed and the only place I could sit was at her table. I asked her if I could sit with her. She looked reluctant but she nodded her acquiescence. I scraped the feet of the chair as I pulled it to sit down. I had with me my trusty old sketchbook, an old notepad in which I often drew sketches of people and scenery. We were both about twenty years old then. I still remember the day vividly. It was July of 2006. That was more than sixty years ago.

“Why’d you have that?” she asked, in that direct way today’s youngsters seem to talk. She pointed at my chrome arm and I immediately became aware of its humming and buzzing, the electronic servos inside it working to make sure my limbs functioned perfectly behind the scenes without my taking notice.

I shook my head. Today seemed to be a day for ironic coincidences. The incident that caused me to get my new arm was the last thing I wanted to recall, and yet… that was the reason I was here, drinking this delicious Kopi Kluang, sitting at this very same table, reminiscing the past. “It was an accident, a long time ago. A car accident on the highway. Driving to KL.” “And you lost your arm.”

“Yes.” She shot a piercing gaze directly into my eyes. I shifted in my seat.

“Look young lady, why are you asking me these personal questions? Can’t you see I’m trying to enjoy my coffee in peace?”

“I’m the owner of this establishment,” she said, matter-of-factly. “Or at least my father was until he passed away last week.”

“I wasn’t aware there were still humans running this place,” I said with a genuine surprise. “Andromaids have been serving here for the past--” “For the past ten years or so, yes,” she interrupted. “What I want to know, what I need to know,” she said,

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“is why do you keep coming back here? No one else does. Nobody drinks coffee anymore now that you can just inject caffeine straight in or suck on a coffee-flavoured miniplate to stimulate the tastebuds.”

“I just really like the coffee,” I answered without even thinking about it.

“The coffee doesn’t even taste the same! We lost the proper roasting process about two decades ago. Six years ago, the last coffee tree in the world died. What you’re sipping on now is just an approximate taste that was mixed by some chemists in a lab.”

I looked at the coffee that was still left in the cup. It did taste a little bit different, come to think of it.

“Force of habit,” I said. “Because the more things change, the more things stay the same. This coffee may, chemically, taste different, but in my mind, this coffee is in no way different from the one I had when I first met my wife right here on this spot, at this table. Today is the anniversary of when I met her, but also the day I lost her. That car accident where I lost my arm? She never survived.”

“I see,” she finally said after a moment of awkward silence. “I’ll let you drink your coffee.”

“Thank you,” I said, glad to finally be rid of her and have my peace again.

“But let me tell you now, next year you won’t be able to spend your anniversary here. We’re closing this coffee shop for good. There’s just no business in it anymore.”

There was another moment of awkward silence. “Very well, then let me enjoy this cup for the very last time before I bid farewell to every fond moment I have had in this place.”

When I finally left that afternoon, she turned the lights off and I never saw them lit up again.

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