Driving through East-West highway, the two-bridges crossing the man-made lake -Tasik Temenggor with the stunning view of the vast lake against blue sky against rolling grey hills in a distance always captivating. Pulau Banding, the man-made island that connects the both bridges is not given priority, but in reality, it offers much to visitors. The writer shares his lucky encounters.
We set off to Pulau Banding, a small tropical island which surrounding by the Temenggor Lake, in Gerik, Perak after performing Zohor prayer; the second obligation prayer of the day. I was extremely delighted to get an invitation to join the expedition. Among others the said expedition objectives were: to explore and identify heritage and natural resources by the final year’s students of the said faculty. It was part of their final year project (FYP). Hopefully, with a detail it would pave the ways to conserve and preserve a diverse biodiversity in the island. Pulau Banding is situated about 120 km to the west of from Kota Bharu and after three quarter way through of the journey we stopped for a short while at the R&R that perches at the top of the main range, which locally known as Banjaran Titiwangsa which is the main spine that runs from the border of Thailand parallel of the middle of Peninsular Malaysia. This range divides east and west coast states of our country. More often than not, travellers take opportunity to rest and recharge their energy after a few hours driving along Jeli- Gerik Highway as well as to enjoy the scenic views of lush green tropical rainforest from the top of the range. The view is breathtaking, you could see the panorama canopy of rainforest and grey rolling hills in a far distance. In a lucky day, especially in the early morning when overhanging clouds cover the view below, you are seemingly standing in the sky, above the clouds. When we arrived we saw visitors took the opportunity to snap photos, selfies and wefies against the beautiful background. We ordered Tea Tarik; hot pipping milk tea to quench our thirst, enjoying the drink and eating steamed meat buns, and at the same time overlooking at the breathtaking panorama. Later, a group of bikers with big motorcycles arrived, they looked so impressive and splendid with their black leather jackets, full face helmets, jeans and boots. Parking their motorcycles in a row and in a reverse position in unison, taking off their helmets and proudly snapped their photos in front of the billboard, their joy rides were rewarded by beautiful view at the peak of the main range.
At the parking lot all sorts of vehicles parked haphazardly, a lorry was approaching the parking area, its driver carefully squeezed his vehicle, passing rows of cars. Everybody seemed to park his or her vehicle as close as available facilities including a food shop that we were sitting. Nearby, near an electric pole, a bougainvillea flowers bloomed profusely, full of red flowers, hardly we could see its leaves and at the nearby is a notice board, informing visitors that they were in wild elephant area. Indeed, elephants are territorial animals, they perceive humans as intruders. The board, reminding us what we are supposed to do and not to do when we encounter with the beast. Firstly, don't make any provocation to a wild elephant; secondly, don't try to go nearer to the animal; thirdly, don't horn elephant; fourthly, apply low light; fifthly, stop vehicle and give way to elephant; and lastly, don't use flash when taking the animal photo. At the bottom of it is contact numbers of the Department of Wildlife and National Park when one encounters an aggressive beast. After half an hour, we left the area and drove downhill and just about to reach the first bridge across Tasik Temenggor we encountered a lonely elephant, an average size, grazing wild grasses near the roadside. He was busy with his own business, obviously oblivious of passing vehicles, because he knew they are not threatening. Usually, in our travel along this stretch of the road we spotted an elephant or a herd of elephants at night, but for us it was a lucky encounter to see this magnificent beast in the late afternoon. Seeing the beast was a happy moment for us, but it was less than a minute experience. We wished make a U-turn to watch this elusive and shy creature but because it is not permissible we abandoned our wish and drove further on the winding- steep slope downhill.
We believe many of you passed the two bridges that cross Tasik Temenggor when travelling East - West highway and tucked between the bridges is Pulau Banding. This 240 hectares’ man-made island developed when the Temenggor Dam was built a few decades ago. During the reconstruction of the bridges the hills in the island were scarred by heavy vehicles and void of vegetation as valuable trees were first logged over to earn lucrative money from tropical hardwood timbers which sought after items in developed countries. Since the two bridges' completion in 1982, the said island has naturally and gradually recuperated as abundance rains and shines are perfect combination for vegetative growth and soon animals would come back as they can get foods. From the bridges you would feed your eyes with beautiful Temenggor Lake and lush green forest and rolling hills in a distance. Sometimes you would see a boat sailing of the surface of water. As for students and lecturers exploring the island could provide a clearer picture of how diverse its flora and fauna compare with undisturbed rainforests nearby. As for students who did their final year projects, this island would be a perfect place for fieldwork, a golden opportunity that they won't miss. When we arrived at UMK-TRaCe in late afternoon, a group of students just completed their expedition. They were very happy to take photos with us, cracking jokes amongst them and constantly laughing; showing they enjoyed first day excursion, proudly posing against TRaCe’s signboard. The said centre is under supervision of its first director, a young lecturer from FSB. Its establishment, a natural lab is welcome as Banding Island, Tasik Temenggor and Royal Belum rich with flora and fauna. Apart from the natural lab, it will be a game changer and as for students and lecturers this centre is a natural playground to enrich their knowledge in their respective disciplines.
The next day, after quick breakfast of fried rice vermicelli or beehun goreng, we began the expedition. We separated with a large group, choosing an uphill path with thick undergrowth against the flow of small natural stream. One of the aims of our group which was led by our fellow lecturer, Associate Professor Dr. Zulhazman was to find species of Araceae where for us known as keladi. After a short distance of trampling on wet ground littered with dried leaves parallel with the stream we found a unique and interesting undergrowth plant species. As for my unprofessional eyes, I couldn't differentiate different species of the said plant, let alone I knew either I came across with the new species or not. As an expert, Dr. Zulhazman could easily discern, names of the species and describe their unique morphologies that differentiate one species to another. Simultaneously, asking students the names of species we encounter along our path. The field based learning exposed students to the natural conditions and ecosystems where the said species thrive. Arming with notebooks and pens, they wrote important points. Imparting and sharing knowledge in the field is one effective way of learning and the fieldtrip like this one is much awaited. We ascended further and stop by a big rock where we found the spring, where water trickled out of the ground. In plastic bags, we placed a few specimen of plants to be brought back for further inspection. We were half way through of the ascend, but the summit of the hill was yet visible. Above our heads, overhanging spiders' webs glistening by the rays of the sun. So far we came across only four new species of the plant, according to Dr. Zulhazman, finding twenty new species is common under undisturbed rainforests. Our simple calculation showed within 40 years of recovery of this logged over forest can produce only a quarter of the total species of Araceae, it means it would take about 200 years to fully recover to its pristine condition. Since no data of the number previous species thrive here were recorded before, this island which experience human disturbance we could only guess! As for now and then this island is a natural lab for us and in a bigger perspective it is a treasure trove for our country, a living museum of natural history where many flora and fauna need to be documented and named for present and future generations.
If we asked you question what you fear most when hacking through rainforests or jungle in our country? you would mostly say tiger. But in reality, you won’t encounter the beast, instead you would easily encounter leech - the pest of tropical forest. They are in abundance, especially after raining when underground is wet and atmosphere is humid. Apart from applying mosquito spray on your shoes, leech sock is effective to guard your skin from leech. Once they get inside your shoes they would comfortably suck your blood until they fully satisfied and leave unnoticed until your see bloods. Prior to our expedition, we wore a pair of white cotton leech socks on our feet up to our knees and tucked our jeans inside them. We thought we were smart enough with such a measure to prevent leech attack as we could easily see and remove them when they move on your feet. But leeches were clever enough and learned how to suck our blood even though we were equipped with the guard. When we walked uphill on the wet underneath following a small creek or stream we found them came from all directions, stretching their bodies hurriedly when they got signs of our movement, approaching us and within a second on our feet. Luckily, we could remove them when we easily spotted them crawling on our legs and they couldn't enter our shoes. However, these smart creatures didn't give up and had resorted different strategy. They stayed and waited for us on leaves and branches of plants and attached on the upper parts of our bodies. They caught us unaware, we found a few leeches below our chins and on our throats; only realised when we were told by the students and when we removed them, our wounds could not stop bleeding for half - hour. Encountering leeches is part and parcel of life of researchers, and for FSB’s students it was considered as a little nuisance but work must be carried on.
We made a zig zag movement upward, holding and hanging on the trunks and roots of trees at the steep slope, panting our breath, but we continued climbing until we reached at the summit of the hill, approximately 400 meters above the sea level. The sight of relief could be seen from our faces as we able to cope with the climbing. A big light green painted concrete water tank occupies the entire hill forced us to walk around its chain link fence until we reached its main gate which was closed with chain and big padlock. Our difficult journey uphill was rewarded with the breathtaking views of the Lake Temenggor and the rolling hills in a far distance. The silver colour surface of the water glimmering and shinning, reflecting the rays of the afternoon sun. The outstanding views of the surrounding area on the top of the hill made us forget our tiredness, difficult ascending was nothing compared with our joyous feeling at the top. As the proverb goes; “hard journey is usually rewarding with outstanding view”. We snapped photos, descending via the asphalt road which covered by grass, showing the road has not been frequently used except for those responsible to look after the water tank. During descending which was rather more than a leisure walk for us, we were told wild elephants frequently visited this area, foraging for foods. Since they didn't walk on the bridge to visit this island, there likely to swim from the mainland to come here. It dawned on us that this beautiful creature is a good swimmer since the lake is wide enough to cross. Those who could see a herd of elephant swimming in the lake is lucky enough, what a lucky encounter, a rare sight where not many have the privilege! We strongly believe this kind of experience would draw tourists to come here, it won't be the same if you pay a visit a zoo to see elephants, here they got freedom, are free to roam, this is a heaven and the place promises and offers endless experiences and thrills. And for me in a very short exploration, I was exposed with rich information of our flora and fauna here, although was only the tip of the iceberg of our natural heritage.
Undeniably, 7 Eleven is a store we usually go to get needed items because of its convenience - 24/7 and easy access. Similarly, in a tropical jungle, a fig tree is known as "7 Eleven". In Malay this tree is called as Pohon Ara. All sorts of animals happy to visit this tree to get foods. Fig fruits are favourite amongst birds, insects, monkey, bats and squirrels and since its bears fruits around the year and available in large quantity it doesn't fail to satiate and satisfy the needs of those who come to visit. Suffice it to say it is a magnet, that attract visitors. However, they need to know when the right time the fruits ripen, of course they know, because animals have intuitions. From our observation wild animals have some sorts of mutual understanding of visiting this valuable tree; where birds’ presence in the morning and in a lucky day you would see hornbill on the tree, replaced by a troop or a gang of long tail monkeys at noon, but they dislike of sharing the tree and its fruits with other animals. They eat and spend their time as they pleased, aggressively, chasing other animals away. In the evening when others go to sleep wild boars come and eat left over fruits on the ground. This 7 Eleven tree, is a forest convenient store where animals are very happy to visit. Fig is a native tree of our country where its abundance near rivers and low lying areas, its fruit turn red when ripe. In Pulau Banding you can find many fig trees and opportunity to observe behaviours of different types of animals come here is a pleasurable experience, hardly you notice time went by.
While wild animals usually shy away from human, long tail monkeys, though they are also wild, they are not afraid of us. They learn quickly to live and adapt to co-exist with us; their new friends. As for those who stay here they are too familiar with this funny and cunning animal. Windows should be closed when we go out, if we forgot to do so, they will get through to our room and looking for our foods. In the afternoon, we see a troop of monkey on a big fig tree across the road, in front of TRaCE. Some climbing the electricity pole. Monkey like human, they are socialise animal, so they can't live alone. They always in a group and move from one place to another foraging the forest looking after foods under a leader or an alpha male who administers and leads his group movement. Monkey is male-dominant and since he is on the top of the hierarchy, everyone must obey him unconditionally. He is responsible for the safety and survival of the entire population. The one we saw here was proudly sitting on an upper branch of the fig tree, monitoring and in fully alert with the incoming danger. Since he saw us as unthreatened, he made no sign of alarm of danger and everybody was busy with his or her own business. Jumping from one branch of the tree to another, chasing with one another, moving up and down, foraging young, ripe and fig’s flowers, and ate contently. In Pulau Banding you can see plenty of them and your presence here is welcome by them and they entertain you with their daily activities. It goes without saying that this kind of experience is the allure to appreciate the charm of nature. We can get valuable information if we scientifically study how fig tree means to this type of species of monkey, to unearth a relationship between the 7 eleven of tropical tree and its visitors. This kind of information is lacking and more importantly needed to conserve and preserve our natural environment.
The sunset view from the Jetty in Pulau Banding was magical. A perfect blend of rays of gold and orange colour of clouds dotted against the grey rolling hills and the blue grey sky was reflecting and dancing on the surface of the serene lake captivating our view. This was our very first experience of watching the sun, slowly and beautifully disappearing from the western horizon, although we have been travelling on the East -West highway for almost 30 years. For us the moment was a rare opportunity not to be missed. For many, it is worthy to take a rest, one of two days of dutiful jobs to spend a quality time in tranquility place like this. For myself, If I didn't participate in the expedition I would not have this good time. While enjoying the view of the outstanding sunset before our eyes we had a glimpse on several boathouses and fiberglass boats docking at the concrete platforms, none of their owners are in sight as they called it as a day. Since we were not in a hurry to rush back to the accommodation which a stone’s throw away, we just enjoyed the special moment enveloping us - beautiful and stunning view and peaceful atmosphere. We stayed until the sun and its golden rays disappeared from our views and noticed we were the last customers of the food shop of the jetty. While walking uphill back to our accommodation we saw a couple of monkeys sitting motionless on the branches of high trees silhouetted against the twilight which soon turned into the darkness.
In the evening, after a quick dinner of tasty fried rice and bottle water drink, we ushered to the presentation's room where all researchers consisted of FYP students from the Faculty of Earth Science as well as respective lecturers of relevant fields were eager to share their experiences as well as research findings in the fields around the island. In the previous night each group briefly explained its research objectives so more or less we knew each group research aim was about. During the presentation, the group that we went together in the expedition in the morning to midday, its representatives talked about species of Araceae that they came across including the new species. Proudly showing two specimens of the plants in the plastic bags, mentioning their morphologies, explaining sites and topographies where both plants were found. Later, a tall and lanky third year student, wearing red round collar t-shirt, as the representative of geological structure group updated us of his group's activities of the day. Starting with types of rocks and million years of geological processes involved that made the rocks the group discovered, he went deeper information of day time activity. This kind of exercise was paramount important not only as for a sharing session where each and every participant in the known of other groups activities and specimens that they had brought from their explorations but also equally important was to hone communication skills amongst the participations. At UMK students' ability to communicate to audiences including classmates and lecturers already be nurtured since in the early years in the campus. And after each presentation each group was bombarded with questions from the floor. We extolled and respected our students because they managed to answer most of the questions raised during Q & A session, but when they could not answer or needed further clarification they usually asked their lecturers for the helps, as for us, we always happy to lend our hands to our beloved students. The evening session indicated our students mastered their research interests. Naturally, good communication skills would determine ones’ employability and success in future careers. Hopefully, this expedition would reignite their motivations and interests for other bigger explorations in the very near future.
Let us brief you the facilities of TRaCe. Overall, there are three main parts of the said centre. First, which sprawling on the top of is the multipurpose room as well as the exhibition lobby where photos pertaining to the exotic flora and fauna and the early development of Banding Island are displayed to guests. They provide a rich information of the heritage and treasure trove of the Royal Belum. Occupying the right wing; a small fish pond in the opening area and a cafe overlooking Temenggor Lake. Second, tucks in the middle section is the area dedicated for labs and library. Third, the hostel which nestled on the slope of the hill. In each level of this three story building has four rooms which can be easily accommodated 16 occupants. During our stay the FYP students were occupying the living room. They slept in the sleeping bags and used the balcony railing as a washing line as this part exposed by hot rays of the sun. From here, partly hidden by leafy trees you can see the bridge crossing the lake. The third floor was dedicated for women students. Altogether, our hostel can accommodate up to 50 occupants. With all the facilities this centre is perfect to host events including conferences. As for researchers it is launching pad for exploration and expedition to the Royal Belum. Having a base to explore the area thoroughly and return before the evening to rest, dinner, wrap in writing of the findings their projects, sleep to refresh and recover of the tired bodies and the next day with fresh mind and physically fit they set off again to the field. As for FSB in particular and UMK in general,TRaCe is a game changer which should be fully utilised for R&D as well as teaching and learning. What it needs is committed and dedicated researchers who hunger for knowledge and communicate their findings to the public and their peers through publications.
The expedition of the Island will not be complete if we didn’t experience a boat ride around the Lake Temenggor. While the said idea is not part of our scheduled activity, unwittingly, we had the opportunity to do so when someone conveyed a happy news- a score of Rafflesia, the largest flower in the world were in the full blooms at the vicinity areas and the best way to see them was by boat. One of the locations the flower bloom not situated not in the state park, so no permit required. Exhilarating feeling enveloped us and very soon we were on the boat, chugging and slicing gracefully, parting the surface of the shimmering turquoise water, spraying and leaving a trail of white foams behind us. Half way through to the destination, we could see the second bridge that connects Pulau Banding with the mainland, it is about the same length with the first bridge near the jetty. No other boat around except a lone fishing boat, anchoring in the middle of the lake. Our boat's skipper, a friendly and talkative middle aged man, wearing red Manchester United t- shirt knows the people and the lake and surrounding areas like the back of his hand. His chatty nature provided us a useful information: lackadaisical attitude and ignorance of boat operators especially the older generation who also work as tourist guides on the importance of the nature. In nature tourism conservation comes first. It is not uncommon for responsible authority to limit number of tourists to visit and temporary close tourist sites to avoid irreparable damage to natural environment. We can offer our knowledge and expertise to tourist agencies, boat operators as well as the related agencies on how they can play their roles to conserve and preserve the natural environment and at the same time earn profits sustainably. Ignorance is not a bliss in this case.
Encountering Rafflesia, the most elusive and the biggest flower in the planet in the full bloom for the first time gladdening my heart profusely. I was so pleased, seeing the red electric red flower dotted with white blisters on its petals sitting beautifully on the surface of the forest floor. This magical flower neither had leaf nor had trunk or branch, not even root, except its blooming flower that pleased the eyes of those who see it. As for me, after three unsuccessful attempts; twice in Lojing and one in Pasir-Puteh forest reserves. I was indeed rewarded and could help but smile, seeing it before my very eyes. It was indescribable feeling, hardly to pen down my expression. While close encountered with Rafflesia was the icing of the cake, I also enjoyed others experiences that created rich tapestry of the short visit. The gifts of the Mini Expedition in Pulau Banding would always linger in my mind. I went home not empty handed, bringing happy memories as souvenirs.
