[Food] Heritage Dish of Johor: Laksa Johor

Laksa Johor [Photo Source: The Star Online]

When I first saw the headlines, I thought it must have been one of those arguments between countries over who has the heritage rights over a certain food. Though what Johor is saying here is that they want to gazette two of their local dishes - Laksa Johor and Asam Pedas. (Musa, 2016)

State Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage committee chairman Datuk Zulkurnain Kamisan vaguely explained the difference of Johor's Asam Pedas to that of the other Malaysian states, saying that there's a difference in terms of its "hot and spicy gravy".

Laksa Johor
 
It's much clearer a difference for the Laksa Johor dish. It is said that the late Sultan of Johor, Abu Bakar, visited Italy in the 1800s. After that particular trip, he came up with the idea of replacing normal noodles with Italian spaghetti.

According to Makansutra, this dish is not commonly found even in Johor as it is tedious to prepare. The website then went on to provide the addresses of places that are offering Laksa Johor.

Even in the Johor Istana, the dish is only served at "special occasions and Hari Raya celebrations" (Loh, 2016). I'm pretty sure that our Singapore Ministers would have the opportunity to try the very best of Laksa Johor when they visit the Sultan during Hari Raya.

only at special ceremonies and Hari Raya celebrations.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/07/158409/rich-and-royal-taste

only at special ceremonies and Hari Raya celebrations.

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/07/158409/rich-and-royal-taste

So other than being a favourite dish of royalty, what else makes Laksa Johor a heritage dish? I like how this article puts it - it's a heritage dish when it helps to Bind Generations. (Ismail, 2016)


References

Ismail, S. September 22 2016. Dishes that bind generations. New Straits Times Online. Accessed on October 2, 2016. http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/09/175063/dishes-bind-generations

Loh, P. July 15 2016. Rich and royal taste. New Straits Times Online. Accessed on October 2, 2016.
http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/07/158409/rich-and-royal-taste

Makansutra. November 26 2013. The Royal Laksa Johor. Accessed on October 2, 2016. http://www.makansutra.com/stories/5/1029/TheRoyalLaksaJohor

Musa Z. September 30 2016. The Star Online. Johor to gazette ‘laksa’ and ‘asam pedas’ as heritage dishes. Accessed on October 1, 2016. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/09/30/johor-to-gazette-laksa-and-asam-pedas-as-heritage-dishes/

[Singapore Islands] Pulau Blakang Mati: Mt. Imbiah Battery

Mr Peter Stubbs Sharing About the Gun Placement

Give me a storyteller and I'd be totally engaged. So when Mr Peter Stubbs came forward to lead the tour, I can sense his strong passion of military matters at Sentosa formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati. He had dedicated large amount of time to explore the area and is also the author of the Fort Siloso website. http://www.fortsiloso.com/guns/bl/bl.htm

Mounting of Mt. Imbiah's 9.2-inch guns

Peter walked with us to the top of Mt. Imbiah (Or previously spelt as Mt Imbeah). From there, he brought to life what life was like for the British gunners. Peter also dispelled the mistruth that the guns were pointed the wrong way and how the 6-inch guns were used against the Japanese forces, though Mount Imbiah saw no bombings by the Japanese while the sister sites at Fort Siloso and Mount Serapong were battered by Japanese fighter bombers.

The holding area where the ammunition were stored

We saw the gun placement as well as the magazine tunnels under the gun placement where the explosive shells were kept. The cylindrical-shaped marks have now been etched into the ground.

Walking Through the Dark and Narrow Tunnel

3 Interesting Facts about Mt. Imbiah

1. Mt. Imbiah was spelt as Mt. Imbeah till the late 1970s. 1
2. The gun at Mt. Imbiah was regularly fired as part of the British Forces practice run since the 1920s. 2
3.  Mt. Imbiah was known as Point 202, Blakang Mati Island 3


References 

1. Siloso's Big Bang. August 12, 1979. The Straits Times. P14.
2. Untitled. February 15, 1913. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. P6.
3. Untitled. June 4, 1924. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. P12.

[Singapore Islands] Pedra Branca

Pedra Branca: The Book (Amazon)

In the past, Pedra Branca was every sailor's nightmare. But in 1979, Malaysia and Singapore clambered over this rocky outcrop, together with two other outcrop called Middle Rocks and South Ledge. The deliberations and discussions as to who owns Pedra Branca and the other outcrop spanned more than a decade. The two governments then agreed to allow the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to determine who has the sovereignty over these outcrop. (Jeyakumar and Koh, 2009)

The book - Pedra Branca - published in 2009 had also prove to be a very good read.

As of February 3, 2017, Malaysia has lodged an appeal to the ICJ to revise the previous ruling made. The Malaysian government has said that they have discovered three new documents from the United Kingdom National Archive. (Naidu, Feb 2017)

The three documents are:-

1. An internal correspondence of the Singapore colonial authorities in 1958
2. an incident report filed in 1958 by a British naval officer and
3. an annotated map of naval operations from the 1960s

[Update: 12 Aug 2017]: Malaysia has even built a base on the Middle Rocks to stake their sovereignty over the rock outcrop.

 

So why is this situation so important to both countries? Well, the first reason is about sovereignty. In a very basic playground talk, "If it's mine, it's mine". Also, though Pedra Branca may be just a small outcrop, occupying it will mean having control of the maritime movement in and out of the Straits of Singapore.


3 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PEDRA BRANCA

1.  Most Easterly Island of Singapore

Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh as it is known in Malaysia or the former Coney Island) is the eastern most point of Singapore. It's situated at approximately 24 nautical miles to the east of Singapore. The island is actually closer to Indonesia's Bintan Island than to Singapore. (ibid)

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2. It's all about rocks and stones

The British erected a lighthouse on Pedra Branca in 1850 and named it after the late Captain James Horsburgh, a navigator and hydrographer. (Koh and Chew) Pedra Branca itself is an uninhabited "reef of white stone-rocks of granite". (Cornelius-Takahama)  The granite stones used to build the lighthouse came from the granite quarry of Pulau Ubin. (Koh and Chew)

Aerial View of Pedra Branca. Source: China Post

3. Invited and Uninvited Dignitaries

When the foundation stone was laid on May 24, 1850 to commemorate the Queen's birthday. British dignitaries including government officials, naval personnel, foreign consuls and merchants graced the launch. (The Straits Times)

Fast forward to 1998. Relation between Malaysia and Singapore were going through a rough patch as both countries were fighting over who had the sovereign rights over Pedra Branca. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir tried to get close to the outcrop but was then warned by the Singapore Navy to stay away, in which he did to prevent any potential skirmishes. (Hussein, 2009)

A litograph by J. T. Turnbull and T. Picken produced in 1850. (Horsburgh Lighthouse)

References

Amazon.com. Accessed on January 30, 2016. Retrieved from http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MmRK6EOTL._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Cornelius-Takahama, V. Pedra Branca. Singapore Infopedia. Accessed on January 31, 2016. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_722_2005-01-20.html

Foo, Y. C. May 24, 2008. World Court rules Singapore owns strategic isle. China Post.
 http://www.chinapost.com.tw/photos/default.asp?ID=157824&GRP=C

Horsburgh Lighthouse. University of Otago. Accessed on January 31, 2016. http://s3.amazonaws.com/ourheritagemedia%2Foriginal%2F2fbf089ced8216bf4b953abebf366cd7.jpg

Hussein, Z. December 20, 2008. Pedra Branca: Behind the scenes. The Straits Times. P26.

Jayakumar, S. & Koh, T. (2009). Pedra Branca. The road to the world court. NUS Press: Singapore. P 161.

ibid. P162

Koh, Q. R. V and Chew, V. Horsburgh Lighthouse. Singapore Infopedia. Accessed on January 31, 2016. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_107_2005-01-20.html

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Accessed on January 30, 2016. http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/dam/mfa/images/media_center/special_events/pedra_branca/RevisedmapshowinglocationofPedraBranca%28SingaporeMemorial%29.jpg

Naidu, S. (February 4, 2017). 3 UK documents cited for Malaysia's application to revise Pedra Branca decision. Channel News Asia. Accssed on February 4, 2017.  http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/3-uk-documents-cited-for-malaysia-s-application-to-revise-pedra/3492172.html

The Horsburgh Lighthouse. May 28, 1850. The Straits Times. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes18500528-1.2.10.aspx

[Travel] Quiet Getaway Close to Singapore

Nasi Lemak Istimewa - Malaysian Nasi Lemak at just 25 kilometres away from Singapore's Woodlands Causeway. (This is even close than from Tuas to Changi) For any travels, food always seems to be the top of our agenda. This was the case for our latest 2D1N stay at Pulai Springs Resort.

Staycation in Singapore is great, though sometimes, we just want to have something different. Somewhere that is less built up, but not too far away from Singapore.

The resort, launched in 1990s, boasts of two 18-hole USGA championship golf courses. Lovely for all those golf lovers, but what a waste, I'm not one who plays golf. So what's in store for a me? Well, I'll stick to the three Ms - Makan (To Eat), Merehatkan (To rest) and  Mengurut (To get a massage) - Please forgive my poor translation as I was trying to find words to fit into the three Ms.


Makan (To Eat)

Just feast your eyes on the picture. How can one resist such food? We had our late lunch at Gleneagles Terrace Restaurant - one of their two main restaurants. Somehow, the name Gleneagles just reminds me of our hospital back home. I'd wanted to do a little feasting at their award winning restaurant - Qing Palace Chinese Restaurant, (1) but it was closed 30 minutes before the closing time as the chefs have all gone for their break.

Aeon Taman Universiti Shopping Centre

As I had want to do some exploration, I did a 10-minute drive to Aeon Taman Universiti Shopping Centre (Previously owned by Jusco). I arrived at about 7pm and the place was Q-U-I-E-T! Well, I like it like this way. The major tenants of the mall include KFC, McDonalds and the restaurant that I ate at - Secret Recipe. Interestingly, the crowd started teeming in at about 9pm, even with their children dressed in their sleeping attires. Are they all late-night owls? I just felt like crawling into bed by then.

Merehatkan (To rest) 

That was what we did after our mini shopping and makan trip - rest. I booked the one-bedroom suite and truth be told, many of the things have indeed seen better days. Some of the switches were faulty; the safe was not working; flushing of the toilet bowl was an issue. But to be fair to them, they came by to rectify the issues as soon as they could. Still, the room could do with a bit more refurbishment. In the end, it was the serenity of this place that I enjoyed most.


Mengurut (To get a massage)


Other than food and stay, the main purpose of me being here was the massage. The resort has gone through a renaissance with special packages catering to those who intend to visit Legoland and and Hello Kitty Malaysia. There're also packages for golfing and for me, massage. One hour of full body massage and 30 minutes of foot massage really relaxed my entire body.

As a whole, it was not the best stay that I've had, neither was driving through the Causeway any more comfortable (Be prepared for at least an hour's wait at the causeway). But if you want a quick and quiet getaway, then this resort is for you to consider.

PULAI SPRINGS RESORT 20km Jalan Pontian Lama,
81110 Pulai Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Tel: 607-521 2121 Fax : 607-521 1818


1. The Straits Times. July 4, 2000. Charcoal, cockles and cruises in Bukit Merah.

The Playground of the Orang Laut

Facing the Mangroves

Mangrove forests and urban development can hardly co-exist. In the 1820s, mangrove forest made up of about 13% of the total land area. In the 1990s, it was down to about 0.5%. (1)

Mangrove forests can now be found in small patches around the north and northeast of Singapore, and on islands such as Pulau Ubin, Pulau Tekong and Pulau Semakau. (1)

The biggest mangrove forest is the 130-hactre Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. (2)

There are great positives in maintaining these Mangrove forest. For Sungei Buloh, it is listed as a forest that sees a good level of biodiversity - birds, fishes, etc. The mangrove also help to stabilize the land closest to the sea. (3)

Source: National Archives of Singapore

The Orang Laut (People of the Sea) in Singapore such as the Orang Seletar and Orang Galang would have been closely acquainted to the mangrove forest as they made the river mouths their home. This was where they would get their fishes, fruits and timber. (4)

I had hoped that I could get a taste of what being an Orang Laut is like when I headed north to the town of Kukup, Malaysia. 

The flight distance from Tuas to Pulau Kukup is 26 kilometres (KM), and a driving distance of 69KM. So it's pretty close to Singapore. To get to Pulau Kukup, you must first set off from Kukup town. It is about 10 minutes boat ride before reaching the island's jetty. An entrance fee was required (RM10) and after which, you can enjoy the serenity of the mangrove forest.

Pulau Kukup Jetty

The development of the island serves as a boon for visitors. Modernity brings to us boardwalk, bridges and watch towers where one can observe nature up close without needing to get one's feet dirtied.  

We were greeted by monkeys. These 'residents' of Pulau Kukup were curious of our presence. As the day we visited the island was a weekday, only my colleagues and I were there. 

We arrived at our first climb - a suspension bridge. The "one-lane" bridge hung over Sungai Ular or snake river, one of the five rivers that meanders inwards through the island.

The bridge is wide enough for only one person to pass

In truth, the entire island was pretty huge and we had seen only a stretch of Sungai Ular. That afternoon, the water was coffee brown and everything looked still.

View of Sungai Ular

Moving further inland, the ground turned muddy. Inversely, such muddy grounds are appreciated by mud skippers and snails.  This is the world as it was when the Orang Lauts ruled the rivers. What I love about this weekday trip is the tranquility of the island and all i heard were noises from animals and the rustling of leaves!

The snails were seen in many locations at Pulau Kukup

Reference:

1. http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/1003.htm

2. http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/docs/Sungei_Buloh_Wetland_Reserve_eGuide_LRes.pdf

3. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/coasts/mangroves/mangrove_importance/

4. Florida Museum of Natural History. (Retrieved on June 29, 2014).  http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/southflorida/mangrove/importance.html