Winds of change bring mixed feelings for Perak's Manjung residents

IPOH (Sept 9): Manjung district, formerly known as the Dindings district, is undergoing an amazing metamorphosis from a rural setting to urbanisation.

Since the turn of the century, the townships of Sitiawan, Seri Manjung, Lumut, Pangkor and their surrounding areas have grown rapidly in infrastructural and basic amenities, including government office buildings, schools, sports stadiums, hotels, entertainment outlets, eateries, and shopping centres, as well as welcoming an influx of people, businesses and economic wealth.

Residents here comprise government servants, rubber and oil palm plantation workers, smallholders, traders, tourism industry employees, businessmen, fishermen, fishery breeders, fruit and vegetable growers and bird’s nest industrialists.

While many are happy with the fast pace of development that has come this way, others are sad that the small town environment is disappearing.

Moses Tay, 87, a retired headmaster now involved in the hotel business, recalled the simple lifestyle of a bygone era of bicycles, trishaws and bullock-carts when few people owned cars.

“My concern is the visibility of the changing landscape of concrete buildings for housing, commercial and industrial purposes due to current market forces,” said Tay.

“They are mushrooming indiscriminately ad hoc, on agricultural plots, land reclamation, mangrove patches, near quarry sites and even in villages.

“Urbanisation has its consequences, especially in discipline which is rearing its ugly head in our society. We see frequent cases of road rage, bribery and corruption. Prevalent is also the lackadaisical attitude in some of our public services,” he said.

Mohamed Alwy Omar, 71, a retired RMN Warrant Officer (1) Master at Arms, who was posted to the naval base Lumut in 1980, said he decided to settle down here because it was a haven of peace and serenity, a good place to raise children as there was no place for them to loiter (lepak).

“The lifestyle here is no longer free and easy going, and the cost of living has more than doubled. Gone are the rubber trees, replaced by oil palm trees, housing and commercial buildings. The latter have linked the towns of Sitiawan, Seri Manjung and Lumut,” he said.

The sight of rubber-tappers with lamps strapped on to their foreheads, going about their busy routine of collecting latex in the wee hours of the morning, was a common sight then, he added.

“The influx of more than 15,000 naval personnel and their families has attracted many businesses and eateries, especially the seafood restaurants, which are open till late,” he said.

Bhaskaran Kaliappan (pictured), 71, owner of an Indian restaurant in Sitiawan since 1982, said he was compelled to move here because heavy traffic had affected his business when it was near the town’s main crossroads.

“It was the only traffic light for a long time and the single-lane road network in the district was upgraded to two and three lanes with road-dividers placed centrally for smooth traffic flow.

“The district lost its charming tranquility. The disposition of the rural people has changed drastically to polarisation of races and neighbours looking out for each other was no more a communal practice, he said.

“It worries me to see heavy-laden lorries from the Kampung Acheh industrial park near Sitiawan on the main road in front of my restaurant and this has led to constant resurfacing of the damaged road.”

He said the influx of “outsiders” from all over the country, inclusive of foreign workers was beneficial commercially and it had not caused any social disadvantages yet.

Thomas Hor, 58, a long time automotive salesman from Pekan Gurney near Sitiawan, said the development in Seri Manjung has its good points because all the government administrative centres in close proximity had made it a one-stop shop for approvals.

However, he said development had its setbacks for locals because property prices had skyrocketed to prices well beyond their means.