Monday, July 2, 2012

OHMS 21: CHALLENGE OF PULAU PERAK



THE VICTOR AND THE VANQUISH OF PULAU PERAK
Pulau Perak is a small rocky island which constitutes the westernmost extremity of Malaysian territory.  The island is a granite rock that rises from the Strait of Malacca.   Pulau Perak is part of the Kedah State and its size is less than 1 kilometer square which lies in the coordinates of 5 40’ 50” N  98  56’ 27’ E.

My knowledge on Pulau Perak is limited to the tale of my late grand father who used to tell me there was a shining silvery island just a few hours journey from Penang by sea.   During his pilgrimage journey to Mecca with the ship Chosun in the early sixties, he saw a marvelous scene of sea gulls flocking to the island which made the island appeared to be shining white in the morning horizon.

It reminisced my memory of Pulau Perak when Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, the then Menteri Besar suggested that we should put a sign on Pulau Perak that symbolized the island belongs to the State of Kedah.    The Director of Kedah State Economic Planning Unit was  assigned to prepare the appropriate sign board and other necessities for the intended epic  journey to reaffirm our State’ sovereignty on Pulau Perak.   LADA was very generous in  providing us with the Lada’s newest Catamaran which has an average speed of 35 knots.  While the Kedah Police agreed to provide a Police Patrol Boat escort for the journey.

At precisely 7.30 am on the stipulated day which was on Monday, 4th. May 1998,  about 30 of us boarded the LADA’s Catarmaran at Kuala Kedah for our journey to Pulau Perak.  From my primitive calculation, as the distance between Kuala Kedah and Pulau Perak is approximately 120 miles,  with an average speed of 30 knots, then it would take us about 4 hours to reach Pulau Perak.  The whole entourage consisted of 30 relevant State and Federal Officers with an ample supplies of food and drinks.  The expedition was headed by Y.B. Dato’ Haji Ismail Shafie, the State Secretary who hailed from the District of Baling.  The other dignitary was Tan Sri Halil Haji Mutalib, the Chief Executive Officer of LADA. 

Another famous celebrity on board was Dato’ Mohd. Omar Mohamed, the Director of Land and Mines.  Knowing Dato’ Mohd. Omar Mohamed since 1970, ,  I naturally enquired from him whether he could endure the long voyage.  Dato’ Mohd. Omar Mohamed replied in the affirmative  that it was his holy duty to be on the island of Pulau Perak since the he was the custodian of  all lands in the whole State of Kedah.  Apart from that, he has also armed himself to the teeth with various precautionary medicines such as anti sea sickness pills, his favourite Panadol pills and also the biggest bottle of Axe Brand Oil.   I agreed with him whole heartedly on his assumption but  at the same time I prayed for the blessing of Allah for the success of his voyage.    

The sea was calm interspersed by rolling waves which hit against the star-board of the  Catamaran. .  The rolling waves swayed the Catamaran to the tune of Michael Buble’s Sway.  After one hour of our voyage, the well informed voice of Dato’ Mohd. Omar suddenly disappeared into thin air.  His prowess on the road with his jogging endurance together with his full arsenals of medicine proved futile against the gentle rolling waves of the mighty sea.     Then I realized that he has succumbed to sea sickness and he was  just lying down timidly  on the boat’s seat. 

When we arrived at the vicinity of Pulau Perak after four hours of voyage, I woke him up whether he wanted to have a look at the island or rather if he wanted to lay his stake on the island.  Dato’ Mohd. Omar replied politely that he was really down and persuaded us to  let him recuperate in peace  with his agony of sea sickness.  Everybody on the boat sympathized with the fate of Dato’ Mohd. Omar who has endured the long epic voyage but sadly he could not share the feeling of ecstasy of   having been to Pulau Perak with the rest of the entourage.     

Grateful to the blessing of Allah, the main mission of the journey was accomplished when the duo of Dato’ Haji Ismail Hamid (Distict Officer of Langkawi) and Mohammed Che Nai (Director of Kedah Sport Council) has managed to scale up the island and immortalized the sign board that stated that “Pulau Perak is a territory of Kedah until infinity”.  Congratulations to the victors  who has accomplished our main mission to reaffirm our State’s sovereignty on the island of Pulau Perak.  We sympathized with the vanquish but we all raised our hat to Dato’ Mohd. Omar for having the perseverance  to complete the journey back in one piece and was able to continue his daily jogging routine the next day.          

Looking back at the episode, I assumed that the environments of your origin is the main factor that determine your sea worthiness.  Dato’ Mohd. Omar who was bogged down with sea sickness hailed from the District of Sik  which has small streams’ (charok) environment.  Whereas  Dato’ Ismail Shafie and Mohamad Che Nai hailed from the District of Baling which has estuaries’ (kuala) environment which has a wider perspective on water bodies.   On the other hand, I hailed from the District of Kubang Pasu which has islands’ (pulau) environment.  To prove my point on the sea worthiness determining factor among the four of us,  please refer to the list below:.   

Sik District                            Baling District                     Kubang Pasu District
Charok Kit                             Kuala Ketil                            Pulau Nyior
Charok Damar                      Kuala Pegang                         Pulau Ketam
Charok Sireh                         Kuala Menora                        Pulau Timbul
Charok Padang                    Kuala Kuang                            Pulau Pisang
Charok Kemuning               Kuala Sedim                            Pulau Maharaja
Charok Tala                          Kuala Merah
Charok Tok Uban                Kuala Temekah
Charok Pelanduk                Kuala Cahaya
Charok Tualang                   Kuala Darak
Charok Tenang                    Kuala Samak
Charok Senduk                    Kuala Bakong
Charok Pisang                     Kuala Nau


 
FROM GOGGLES  PULAU PERAK: Coordinates: 5  40’ 50” N 98  56’ 27” E



                          Pulau Perak from a distance of 5 miles






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