Sep 252009
Another instance of corporate destruction of the environment: this time forest clearing by an oil palm plantation firm snuffs out the twinkling lights of the fireflies dancing above the banks of the Kuala Selangor River.
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Satu lagi projek pemupusan haiwan dan ketandusan alam sekitar Barisan Nasional. Malaysia, Truly (Screwed Up) Asia!!!
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[Scenes of total annihilation]
“I think we’ve come in … I wouldn’t say at the right time …”
ROFL
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The Kampung Kelip Kelip (Kampung Kuantan)has been a sort of local tourist site for quite sometime. My first visit to the Park was a full day outing trip with my family in early 90′s.
The typical itinerary consist of a day tour around Kuala Selangor Fish Jetty, the light house and a wetland for bird watching, some seafood in the evening and then to the Kpg Kuantan for the evening boat ride up the River to the “Christmas Wonderland of fireflys”. It was really a sight to remember. There were hundreds of sampans ferrying tourist up and down the River.
I made another trip there in early 2001 for seafood but did not go to see the fireflys because the local residents told me that it was not worth the trip.
Deforestation and proably pollution has again taken it’s toll on this park which at one time was claimed to be the biggest firefly sanctuary in the World. The other known site is somewhere in the upper reaches of the Amazon River in Brazil.
It has also been mentioned that the damming of upper river at Kuala Kubu Baru has resulted in the decline of the mangrove trees which produce the nectar the fireflys feed on.
This definitely is irresponsible management of a country’s natural resources and definitely bad for the Kuala Selangor economy. The Firefly phenomenon in Kuala Selangor is ecotourism at it’s best, easily accesible, affordable, educational and simply spectacular.
The Tourism Ministry , the Selangor State Government and the Department of Wildlife appear to lack the will to do anything about this pending loss of another natural heritage.
Soon, it will only be the Firefly that takes off from Subang Airport that the future generation of Malaysian will ever know of.
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I wonder what our Yen can cook tourism minister got to say about this. It is cheaper to preserve an existing and well known tourist site than to spent a lot of money to brand Malaysian foods.
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I stand corrected on this but I read somewhere that there are only two firefly habitats in the world which are of a large size – Kuala Selangor and somewhere in the Amazon in Brazil.
Obviously, Kuala Selangor is much more accessible than going into the Amazon.
Malaysia thus, has a God-given unique eco-tourist spectacle but it looks like the oil palm fellas don’t give a #$%^ or worse, the Ministry of Tourism is blind.
For the people who have not seen this amazing spectacle – please do. It is truly God-given.
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Contrary to what others may think, I don’t think that you’re extreme in your pursuits in socialism and preserving our heritage.
The racial innuendoes and the what if it was another race in the recent Buah Pala discussions to the stopping Penang from developing accusations is actually a sad reflection of the me culture and the socialist wannabes…including yours truly.
Keep up the good work Anil. We need people like you to prick our social conscience once in a while and remind us that once it’s gone, that’s it.
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Same thing for sports fishing off Rompin, Pahang.
It is one of very few places in the world where anglers can tangle with billfish (specifically Istiphorus platypterus – the Indo-Pacific sailfish) and if they’re lucky, black marlin (Makaira indica).
They follow the anchovies coming inshore to feed, and the destination is considered world class in terms of sheer numbers. Efforts have been made to bring in the authorities to the game, but they are turning a blind eye to this wonderful resource that can be utilised to being in the tourist dollars. The Royal Pahang International Billfish Challenge is a yearly affair, and this year Pahang royalty took part. But the indiscriminate netting and landing of these magnificent sports fish continues unabated.
These magnificent fish are ending up in nets and turned into keropok Malaysia Boleh style.
It’s not about the infrastructure (it can come later) it is the mentality!
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When it’s God-given, greedy people don’t give a damn! Look at Cameron Highlands, Gua Musang, Belum (not yet but will be) and now Kuala Selangor. Because it is FREE? Or because we cannot make much Money from Nature?
It’s all in the name of Greed, one of the deadliest sins. Greed for money, that’s it. But what man don’t realize is the ‘value’ of Nature that can last for future generations. Not the fleeting materialistic satisfaction that creates no value at all for mankind.
Think Hard what we have taken away from God’s blessing to Malaysia – the fireflies of Kuala Selangor.
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Don’t forget Tasek Bera, Tasek Chini,the hole in Sarawak, the size of S’pore. Malaysia the waterlogged, muddy, mess in the wet and the parched, dust bowl when the water dries up. That bleak future is not too far away at the rate of the eco rape of our environment.Mark my words!
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Malaysia may have many more fire fly rivers. There is a confirmed one, though smaller, at Nibong Tebal, at Penang-Perak border.
Kuala Sepetang outside Taiping claims to have one, although I have not seen the actual fireflies.
I know Japanese tourists had planned specially to visit Kuala Selangor. But from my recent visit last year, the location is so dilapidated I wonder how many more would come regularly, and in sizeable groups.
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I suspect Malaysia has a dozen more rivers on west and east coast Malaysia, as well as East Malaysia with more fireflies like these.
The Philipines, Thailand, New Zealand, Brazil, Taiwan also have similar locations of firefly congregation (as oppposed to the lone floating hill fireflies).
That there are so many locations does not mean we can let anyone go extinguished, for a few reasons.
First, they are apparently different species. The nibong Tebal ones look the same as the Kuala Selangore ones in terms of lighting pattern, but the insects look different.
Second, we can be ambitious and imaginative and turn Malaysia into “The Country of a Thousand Lights.” If more locations can be confirmed (the locations are usually discovered by fisherman on night fishing for fresh water prawns), then Malaysia can establish systematic
(a) laws to govern the surrounding areas
(b) protection and research programs,
(c) tourist and boat guidelines
(d) licensing and state revenue plans
(e) private tourist operator programs,
(f) network of evening tourist attractions, from agro-farm, to pasarmalam, to seafood, to fireflies.
Then “going to see the fireflies” will be accessible for tourist operators in many states. It would become a “norm” to visit fireflies in Malaysia, then otherwise. It can become a tourist theme unique to Malaysia.
As nightlife goes, it will be much healthier and family-oriented.
It can be merged into a “pasarmalam” tourist program, and help to develop outskirt/rural/poor area seafood locations.
The advantage is that far away spots (1 hour from town) will no longer be boring, when we combine agro-farm, fireflies, pasar malam and seafood.
That is a quick way to increase rural employment, service sector, rural entrepreneurism.
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Alas I am dreaming. We need a complete change in federal and state government mindset to do this.
Perhaps, err… likely, we even need to change the government to do this.
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Well done on the raising of this matter, Anil. I myself remember watching the fireflies way back in the 90s, and back then, it was a sight to behold.
It’s rather sad to see the way it’s going now, but as
a number of the past commentators have said, this situation is nothing new to Malaysia, and unless both state and federal governments step in, we’re going to be left with few natural beauties for our children, in dare I say the near future?
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