Linguistics and Environment: January 2009

Bukit Larut: Alahai Kerajaan Negeri - Do not echo what the previous government had said and planned!!!

2009/01/15

RM60m cable car for Bukit Larut planned

IPOH: The state government has approved in principle the construction of a RM60 million cable car system at Bukit Larut in Taiping.

The contract will go to "a company with a good track record" with the assurance that the resort's ecological settings would not be disturbed.

State Education, Local Government, Housing and Public Transport Committee chairman Nga Kor Ming said the project had the support of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Department of Environment.

A visitor will take 11 minutes to reach the 1,250m peak of the resort from the bottom of the mountain, compared with the 30-minute, 13km ride via four-wheel-drive or government Land Rover.

"The cable will stretch up between 5 and 6km and will have 26 cable cars in the first phase and 46 cars which can carry 1,000 visitors."
Construction will be done by using helicopters.

Pilling works will use the latest technology to ensure the fauna and flora are untouched.

Nga said: "The company, which has a good track record of operating the Langkawi cable car system for the past five years with a 100 per cent safety record, will make a prospective study and will take about a year to complete the project."

The hill is a haven for birds such as the rhinoceros hornbill, large moths and butterflies, beetles, monkeys and Pope's Pit Viper.

Other attractions include a playground, watch tower, suspension bridge, camp site and century-old buildings.

There is also the 90-year-old Sri Kaliamman Temple.

Formerly known as Max-well Hill, Bukit Larut is the oldest hill station in the country dating back to 1884.

On another matter, Nga said the state executive council had approved the conversion of a 5.33ha site for the new Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Poi Lam building in Seri Klebang here to replace the school in Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang, which had become congested with 4,000 pupils.

The school was built in 1919.

The school would only pay RM1 as quit rent.

Present yesterday was the chairman of board of governors for the school, Datuk Lim Kok Cheong.

sumber: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2454544/Article/index_html

Must find the semantic properties of "an eco friendly cable car system".

Do you think Bukit Larut should be "upgraded" so that it will attract more tourists. especially foreign tourists? For example, the present type of accommodation available may not appeal to most of the foreign tourists as they are used to be pampered in more luxurious surroundings. And getting up there by Landrovers isn't everyone's cup of tea. How about an eco friendly cable car system? Tell us what you think. Use the form below and let us have an opinion. Try to back up your opinion with some reasoning or arguments :-)

source: http://taipingtalk.com/bukitlarut/

Is there such a thing as "an eco friendly cable car system"??? And what's up with the people of Malaysia - the clice reason - tourist, especially foreign tourists. And are we 100% certain that "hey are used to be pampered in more luxurious surroundings"? Even if they do, why should we cater to their every need. If they want to continue living in a luxury surrounding, then they should have stayed at home or go to a 5-star-hotel. I bet that most foreign tourists would appreciate nature the way it is, not the way man made it to be... only politicians use these stupid excuses, I mean not all, but some politicians;)

Lay off Bukit Larut and her surrounding areas!!!! Ada je tangan gatal - BN ke, PKR ke...pliiiizzzz

What's up with Malaysian politicians - their hands are alwayz very itchy when it comes to hill areas.

2009/01/19

Fomca against cable car

IPOH: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) wants the state government to put off plans to build a cable car at Bukit Larut so as not to disturb the eco-system.

Its president, Datuk N. Marimuthu, said the proposal was first made in 1997 but was abandoned in 2007 after a memorandum was sent to then menteri besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali.

"We have also confirmed that the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) does not support the project, contrary to a statement that they are for it."said.

Marimuthu also took a potshot at the DAP, saying that when the party was in the opposition in the state, they had supported Fomca in its bid to stop any development at Bukit Larut.

"The hill belongs to future generations and I urge Taiping residents to protest against this ridiculous idea."
Marimuthu said there were several reasons why the project should not be implemented.

Among them is the need to protect the 21.53 square km water catchment area and the unstable slope which recorded loss of soil at 150 tonnes per hectare a year, making it unsuitable for man-made structures.

The hill had been classified as one of the "regional centres of plant diversity" under the United Nations Environment Programme but now risks losing that status.

In 1910, some 7,130ha were gazetted as forest reserves. In 1962, a further 2,747ha were gazetted as the "Larut Hills virgin jungle reserve". It was also acknowledged as a habitat for flora and fauna in 2002 by the Federal Government.

Sanitation and solid waste management projects would also force animals to leave their sanctuary, said Marimuthu.

State Education, Local Government, Housing and Public Transport Committee chairman Nga Kor Ming had said on Thursday a RM60 million project had been approved in principle.

He had said the company to be awarded the project had been told not to endanger the environment.

Construction work would be carried out using helicopters so that the flora and fauna would not be harmed.

The cable would stretch between 5km and 6km. It would have 26 to 46 cars, capable of carrying 1,000 visitors on an 11-minute trip to the top.

Formerly known as Maxwell Hill, Bukit Larut is the oldest hill station in the country, dating back to 1884.

Government four-wheel-drive vehicles now ferry visitors up a 13km road up the 1,250-metre hill.

source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2457085/Article/index_html