Monday April 16, 2012

An empire built on songket

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI
farik@thestar.com.my

KUALA TERENGGANU: At a time when few people saw the prospects of a hand-made songket business, a former technician defied the odds and built an empire based on Terengganu's best fabric dubbed “Manang Songket”.
With only a secondary school education, Wan Manang Wan Awang entered the working world as a Public Works Department technician in the 1970s but soon realised it was not his calling.
The 57-year-old said making songket was initially just a hobby as he often watched his mother and grandmother make them using an old songket-making machine, but things changed when he realised he could build on the family legacy.

Family business: Wan Manang supervising his youngest daughter Wan Nadilah Safira as she operates the ‘Kei-Tenunan’ machine at their workshop Sunday.

“I took a risk and received orders from colleagues. To my surprise, they were satisfied with my work.
“It was hard in the beginning as I did not have much capital and had to use my technician's salary,” he said.
From his humble home in Durian Burung here, Wan Manang worked tirelessly on the loyal songket-making machine, which he dubbed “Kei-Tenunan”.

Celebrity customer: Siti wearing Wan Manang’s songket for her wedding

“Within a few years, even people outside Terengganu came to know of Manang Songket. I quit my job as a technician after 15 years and focused on the business full-time,” he said.
He added that his company began with four workers but now had about 120 employees.
“Initially, we only managed to produce around two songket per month but currently, we produce an average of 30 pieces per month,” he said.
Wan Manang's customers now consist of people from all walks of life, including public figures such as Malaysian diva Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and members of royal families.
Wan Manang's brand of songket was used by Siti during her wedding to Datuk Seri Khalid Muhammad Jiwa a few years ago.
Even after achieving success, Wan Manang is still hands-on in the production process as he inspects every single piece to ensure its quality while spending many sleepless nights innovating new patterns of songket.
After three generations of songket makers, Wan Manang hopes to pass on the legacy to his son aged 20, and two daughters aged 22 and 26.
He also hopes to penetrate the European market and ensure the important cultural heritage becomes popular globally.

Mass Wedding

KUALA TERENGGANU: The success of the My Idol Raja Sehari 1Malaysia mass wedding has prompted the state government to plan another grand event this year. The inaugural state-sponsored event saw 10 couples including former footballer Mohd Shaharidan Jaafarudin taking part in the ceremony at Masjid Kristal here last October. Each couple also received RM5,000, wedding costumes and spent their honeymoon fully sponsored in Malacca. Kuala Terengganu parliamentary development officer Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh described the event as “a resounding success”, noting that some of the brides were already pregnant. “Last year's event saw 20,000 people, including tourists, attending the grand ceremony held at Dataran Syahbandar,” he said. Wan Ahmad Farid said this year's event would be grander the organising committee was sourcing for more goodies and honeymoon packages for the 10 lucky couples. “The scale of the event will depend on the budget given to us. However, it will be better than last year,” he said here yesterday. Wan Ahmad Farid said the committee, comprising representatives from state government agencies and the state Family Development Foundation, would meet soon to discuss plans for the mass wedding. “We aim to help couples who earn a low income realise their dreams for a grand wedding.”

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Ri Yaz Heritage Home of the Monsoon Cup

Pulau Duyung stays as WMRT venue

PULAU DUYONG: The Monsoon Cup is here to stay. Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said, in all likelihood, Pulau Duyong will continue to be the venue for one of the World Match Racing Tour legs.



Read more: YACHTING: Monsoon Cup to carry on - Racing - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/racing/yachting-monsoon-cup-to-carry-on-1.9736#ixzz1lOIcxypK

Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina

Home of Monsoon Cup / Marina

Quick Check Latitude - 5 degree 20.3 min North. Longitude - 103 degree 07.8 min East. Distance by air: - Kuala Lumpur - 50 mins. - Singapore - 1 hr 25 mins. Places of interest by land: - Shopping - 5 mins. - Central (Wet & Craft) Market - 10 mins. - State Library - 5 mins. - State Museum - 10 mins. Marina Details & Features 5 Mega Yacht Berths - Dockage for Vessels up to 100m. 36 Wet Berths - Dockage for Vessels from 10m to 35m. Calm and sheltered marina basin, no surge, no wake. Clean, quiet & non-commercialized storm protected harbour. Up to 230 - 400 volt, 32 amp & 125 amp electric service at slips. Metered fresh water supply. Steel piling, HDPE float and fenders, timber walkways and fingers. 24-hours security surveillance. Yachties Facilities Laundry services available. Fitness Centre. Wet Area (Sauna, Jacuzzi Whirlpool, Shower & Toilet). Complimentary WiFi Internet available at the Marina Building. Daily scheduled shuttle into town. Propane gas filling assistance. Business Center Services (Facsimile & E-Mail).

Monsoon Cup

Monsoon Cup was first initiated by the former Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during his fishing trip in Terengganu. The Prime Minister thought the monsoon season should be used as an advantage to the state and his people rather than being seen as a hurdle. The economic objectives include making the Monsoon Cup a catalyst for development in the state and to create economic opportunities in services and manufacturing sectors related to the event. Among them are hotels, tourism, restaurants, boat-making, food supplies, textiles and souvenirs.
The Monsoon Cup also helped turn the event venue, Pulau Duyong at the mouth of Terengganu River, from a sleepy fishing and boat-making village into modern and international-class resort and marina and boat repair facilities.
The Monsoon Cup 2005 celebrated its inauguration and debut as the 50th official event of the Swedish Match Tour, and serves as the Malaysian leg for the prestigious international sailing event. Dubbed 'The Formula One of Sailing', this professional sailing series was formed in 2000 to unite the world's best match-race regattas under one banner.
The World Match Racing Tour is sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) comprises ten events in nine specially selected locations around the world. As the leading professional sailing series in the world, the Tour events are recognized as must-attend regattas on the match-race circuit. The Monsoon Cup for the 2009 offered the second highest prize money in the world (RM1 million) for a match racing event.
The match racing sport differs from other sailing disciplines in that the boats race one-on-one in supplied racing yachts. The yachts supplied for the Monsoon Cup are Foundation 36 type racing yachts.
The Monsoon Cup 2009 was held at Pulau Duyong, Terengganu, from the 9th November 2009 to 6 December 2009 start with Asian Qualifier and then Malaysian Qualifier.
The Monsoon Cup was the tenth and final event on the World Match Racing Tour 2009. Twelve of the best match racing teams met on the waters off Terengganu in Malaysia from 2 to 6 December 2009 to contest the event. The battle for the championship trophy saw the top sailing teams in the world pitting their skills against each other in the last leg of the tour.
This sailing event has ignited interest in 'match racing' and yachting in Asia and also great interest in the prestigious America's Cup. A majority of the participants in the Monsoon Cup are sailors that have or will be competing in the America's Cup as well as a three times Olympic gold medalist (Ben Ainslie).
The Monsoon Cup's success has helped to create the Korea Match Cup and spurred Singapore and Qingdao in China to be venues for the Volvo Ocean Race and Olympics respectively.
The Monsoon Cup is an annual event on the World Match Racing Tour calender and as the final event of the season sees the conclusion of an adrenaline fueled tournament with the crowning of the tour winner and also the ultimate 'match racing' prize the ISAF World Match Racing Champion.

Sunday January 29, 2012 Centuries-old temple fully restored

Sunday January 29, 2012

Centuries-old temple fully restored

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI
farik@thestar.com.my

KUALA TERENGGANU: Two years after it was damaged in a fire, the more-than-200-year-old Ho Ann Kiong temple in Kampung Cina has been restored to its former splendour.
The temple, built in 1801 and considered a major historical and tourism site, suffered major damage when fire swept through it in February 2010.
The RM1.3mil restoration work on the Buddhist temple was carried out with public funds.

Devotees offering prayers at the newly-restored Ho Ann Kiong Temple.

“We never found out the cause of the fire. We just wanted to restore it to its former beauty,” temple committee chairman Datuk Wee Cheng Huat told The Star yesterday.
“The temple is an important landmark for the Chinese, with thousands visiting it each year to offer prayers,” he said.
“We are happy it can finally be used again,” said Wee, thanking well-wishers and contributors who had pitched in for the restoration effort.

Former temple caretaker Tan Eng Hock cleaning up the temple grounds after the fire.

The temple, built by the early Hokkien community and situated in the city's Chinatown tourist belt, is the oldest structure in the area.

Wednesday February 24, 2010 200-year-old temple destroyed in night blaze By SAZALI M.NOOR

Wednesday February 24, 2010

200-year-old temple destroyed in night blaze

By SAZALI M.NOOR

newsdesk@thestar.com.my
KUALA TERENGGANU: A large part of the 200-year-old Ho Ann Kiong Chinese temple in the Chinatown here has been destroyed in a fire.
The temple was built in 1801 by the early Hokkien community. It is among the oldest structure in the state.
Almost 60% of the building was destroyed in the 9.30pm fire on Monday night. No fatalities were reported.
State Fire and Rescue Department officer Mohamed Amin Mohamad Basir said preliminary investigations showed there were no elements of arson or sabotage involved.
Three fire engines with 15 firemen managed to put out the fire in about 25 minutes.
Those living near the temple first saw smoke billowing out from the building at 9.30pm but could not do much as the gate was locked, said state MCA chairman and Bandar state assemblyman Toh Chin Yaw.

Great loss: Bystanders preventing caretaker C.K. Tan, 24, from rushing into the burning temple in Kuala Terengganu on Monday night. Tan wanted to dash in to salvage the statue of the Goddess of the Sea or Ma Zu.

Rebuilding the temple would be a difficult endeavour as building materials were shipped in from China about 200 years ago, he added.
Kuala Terengganu MP Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut said he would contribute towards the temple restoration as it was part of the state’s heritage.
State Police Chief Senior Asst Comm 1 Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said police would not compromise on any attempt by anyone to relate the fire to arson or attack on places of worship.