#CyberEcoHunt22 by Alam Flora

Me being my curious self, so I participated in the ALAM FLORA #CyberEcoHunt22.

As the name precedes itself, it is all about our ‘alam, flora, cyber/virtual, eco and obviously hunt’ (I don’t think I need to explain about the 22 kot, oh well…. 22=2022. Kot lah ada yang tak sure kaaaa….).

The one in Kuantan, Pahang impresses me mainly because the route that they took us was basically to introduce and educate us about the services Alam Flora provide to the public as well as creating PUBLIC awareness on general manage our waste. You, me alike; we always thought Alam Flora is about waste management right ie. from our home but NOOOOOOOOOO…. Do you know that they also clean-up the Teluk Cempedak beach? (using this cool beach comber vehicle [first time seeing, teruja kay]. Tak, bukan kutip satu-satu sampah tuh – bila pulak nak habis kaaan) Alam Flora has a Buy Back Centre or BBC to buy back recyclable waste such as paper, plastic, aluminium, used oil and many more, check-out their website to know more/where. Interesting huh.

Here are some of the recycling/upcycling/clearing waste/etc that is new to me of which I would like for my readers to join me and start practicing together. JOM!
 
Bulk/garden Waste

How : Tree branches need to be tied in a pile and put it NEXT to the waste bin (not inside yah). As for tree leaves, it need to be put into the gunny sack and just like the branches; to the waste bin it goes.

Beach Waste/Beach Comber

How : It is a machine attach to a tractor for cleaning ocean debris, such as wood, plastic bottles and food containers at small beaches with ease. It drains the sand and levels the beach surface.

Segregation and Selling of Waste

How : This is what we usually see at the mall – segregating waste according to paper, plastic and aluminium. What makes it even more interesting is actually at the BBC or what I’d say – ‘even our wastes have its value’. All you need to do is to go to Alam Flora BBC and sell your waste, of course you can visit any buy-back centre after all, it is about our mother earth right.

Supervisor 1 Transformation Area (1S1T)

How : This impresses me the most. 1S1T is an initiative of Alam Flora supervisors to make improvements in their respective service areas such as repairing and painting garden facilities, doing laundry activities in public places, beautifying playgrounds by planting flowers as well as repairing drain structures and sidewalks that suffered minor damage. Here you can see them beautifying the playground with recycling old tyres, the dinosaur is a winner.

Reforestation

How : This activity is close to my heart mainly because I have executed this in my old company before. Similar to what I did, this time around we planted curry tree, lemongrass, butterfly pea and few others. We should do this more I feel… on our personal capacity.

 
The one in KL is amazing as well with slight a different touch. Here, we grew microgreens, upcycling shirt, and the ‘tree says’ activities can be implemented anytime and everywhere. These are the things that we know it is there but never bother to do/try/share, it says a lot about us (well… me, at least).

The ‘Tree Says’

How : We were suppose

One of my favourite, the participant was tasked to write what the tree would say and have a photo taken with it. Some captions were good, like really good.

Microgreen

How : Using a recyclable plastic container, we were taught on how to grow microgreens. It is fairly easy, a 10 mins work since they prepared everything for us. 30 mins if we do the setting and all. Stil…. Easy peasy. This activity is definitely for everyone and anyone – it can be places in the kitchen, garden, balcony, window sill, office… literally EVERYWHERE.

Upcycling Shirt

How : Is about turning our shirt into a very hipsterish bag (the baju must be cool and hipster too lah). Super easy and fun to make, infact I highly recommending this to be an activity during birthday parties. Like Sriously.
 
Green Quizes

How : Participants were given a series of questions to see whether we ourselves  know about any ‘go green’ activities, carbon emission and etc. Educational and not so easy apparently.

All in all, we learnt a lot and had a fun time. Let's heal the world together.

 

#CyberEcoHunt22 is in collaboration with Alam Flora with Bridge and Broadly as media coordinator.

Kelantan's Islamic Museum

I confused myself.
The one in KL that most of us visited was the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, located on Jalan Lembah, Tasik Perdana where else the one I went to recently in Kelantan was the Kelantan Islamic Museum that is situated in Kota Bharu (KB). I was overwhelmed, and highly encourage you guys to drop by at this place if you are ever in KB.

Before I even start sharing about the museum, I have to say that the building itself was amazing. For those who love architecture or old buildings, this is one of the nice few in KB. It seems that the architecture is a blend of Nusantara and colonial touch. This double story bungalow was built by wood and embedded with Islamic calligraphy of verses from the Quran, it was later renovated, and bricks and cement were used.

One might not know (or already know) that Kelantan is also coined as ‘Serambi Mekah’ or ‘Verandah to Mecca’ as it being the hub of Islamic Education hundreds of years ago. Its traditional education ie ‘sekolah pondok’ or ‘pondok studies’ flourished in early 19^th century and still in existence till this present day, I have also written about it HERE.

Kelantan Islamic Museum is also known as Syura Hall or Balai Syura, was built back in 1902 as a residence for the Chief Minister of Kelantan, who served from 1900-1920.
 
Its intricate Kelantanese carving of the wall panels in known as Janda Berhias, a motif that was popular on the Peninsular Malaysia East Coast. Bumbung Limas Bungkus is the other character of the house roof which is a multi-tiered pyramid structure and it is covered with clay roof tiles called Genting Singgora – originated and named after the province of southern Thailand.
 
When I wrote this, I tried to find a site that state how the museum is being segmentised but to no avail, hence I am gonna break-it down to the best of my knowledge and gutfeel.
 
Kampung Laut Mosque

Known to be the oldest mosque in Malaysia, this 300 years mosque was originally located in Kampung Laut in Tumpat and later was moved to Nilam Puri due to recurring flood. To ensure its safety and that the architecture being preserved, the authority feels the need to move it. Unlike many modern mosque that is highly influenced by middle eastern or moor architecture, the Kampung Laut Mosque characteristic is of Nusantara style where the floor plan is square in shape that reflected on its roof as well - a three-tiered Meru roof (pyramidal roof). The museum shared information of this old mosque invaluable architecture, its carving, the mimbar, its gong (used to call for prayers) as well as belindan plank (kancapuri); a grave boundary used at the tombs of the Malay Kings and noblemen.

 
Textile of the Muslim

Showcased beautiful textiles worn by Muslim that were exported worldwide. Beauty and cleanliness is highly emphasize in Islam, it is being reflected in clothes, vail, handkerchief as well as household décor such as curtains, table cloth, tray cover and etc. Usually the motifs are of floral and cosmos.

 
Kelantan Religious Scholar

Highlighting the likes of Tok Kenali, Tok Bachok, Tok Selehor, Tok Padang Jelapang and many more. One that was stressed upon was Tok Kenali, he is the ‘father of Islamic education’. A Malay theologian and teacher that became the archetype of the rural Malay religious teacher (alim), he developed the Arabic-language instruction, help shape the state Majlis Agama Islam or Islamic Religious Council to oversee all aspects of Islam in Kelantan. This later became the model for the other Malay states.

 
Cheng Ho Treasure Ship

"Chinese treasure ships" (宝船; Bǎo Chuán), used by the commander of the fleet and his deputies, nine-masted, about 127 metres (417 feet) long, 52 metres (171 feet) wide, with four decks.

To put into perspective, some asked ‘Whose ship was bigger Columbus or Cheng Ho?
Zheng He's nine-masted flagship measured about 400 feet long; for comparison, Christopher Columbus's Santa Maria measured just 85 feet.
 
Cheng Ho is born in a Muslim family and adopted the surname Zheng conferred by the Yongle Emperor. History said that Cheng Ho was the great-great-great-grandson of Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din Omar, he served Mongol Empire administration and was also the governor of Yunnan during the early Yuan dynasty.
 
Firaun

Stated the story on how Nabi Musa A.S or Prophet Moses led his people cross the Red Sea. It is when Firaun/Pharaoh and his army approaching the Red Sea and about to take the very same path that Nabi Musa A.S took, the people and Nabi Musa A.S pleaded to Allah and ask Allah to close the sea. However, Allah commanded Moses not to smite the sea with his staff again, for Allah's decree was already in action. When the Pharaoh and his army were midway, Allah commanded the sea to return to its former state. The waters closed over him, drowning him and his entire army. Read HERE for the whole story. 

Other interesting section that you should look out for are the :
- Ottoman Soldier’s Battle Dress
- Flight Machinery by  Abas Ibn Firna

- Astronomy Quadrants by Taqi Ad-Din

- Dardanelles Cannon by Munir Ali
- Astrolabe by Umar Ibn Yusuf

- Pinhole Camera by Al-Haitham

- Mongul Illuminated Illustrated Manuscript

 
Kelantan Islamic Museum
Jalan Sultan
Kota Bharu
Kelantan

Operating Hours
Saturday - Thursday : 8.30am to 4.45pm
Closed on Friday

Entrance Fee
Adult : RM2.00 (Local), RM4.00 (Foreigner)
Kids :RM1.00 (Local), RM2.00 (Foreigner)

Contact
Kelantan Islamic Museum : +609-7482266
Kota Bharu Tourist Information Centre : +609-7485534

The Ihya’ Ramadan Kelantan 2022 Media Fam Trip is organized by Tourism Malaysia Wilayah Timur in partnership with all its sponsors.

Kelantan Colek at Grand Renai (Kayangan-like presentation)

I mean… the word colek depicts how the food experience be like. So it doesn’t come with great surprise when I enquired further, I remember vividly how they describe the food ‘there’s fruit, there’s chicken and there’s sauce’. And my reply was ‘PASEMBOR!?!’ and the respond was…. ‘errr…. Similar but not the same’. A huge questions seems to dance on my head, a ‘ni apa?’ moment struck.

So I decided to check-it out and hopefully I love it lah (what is there not to love, it is food after all kan). Yet again, another surprise (‘surprise’ seems to be this trip middle name huh), instead of taking us to experience the usual-by-the-road-side-eating-while-eating colek, we were treated to a colek ‘kayangan’ which is available during this Ramadan month only.

What is ‘colek kayangan’ you may ask?

- ‘Colek’ basically means ‘to dab’ or in this case ‘to dip’ food in a sauce.
- And ‘kayangan’ literally means abode of the gods, or in local slang means super reach people.
Hence, colek kayangan means ‘dip food meant for the super reach people’, literally.
Can you see where this is heading?

Back to our story, we were brought to the Grand Renai Hotel in Kota Bharu to sample the colek, in a more comfortable environment and with such a hectic schedule, I totally welcome this. And guess what guys, when we were presented with colek… it was so cantik (pretty). Kid you not, this versus the one authentic version – memang banyak beza lah in terms of presentation.

We were presented with 3 tier ie 3 different types of colek, we had the fried stuff – chicken meat, gizzard, cucur and fried spring roll with sauce, rojak buah and fried lekor with sauce. Each food/fruit with its own respective sauce, and I have to admit, the rosak sauce is super sedap. I also absolutely love the mini fried popiah.

Rojak : Sliced fruit and vegetable salad served with a spicy palm sugar sauce.

My take on this.
It is definitely creative and I applaud. It might not be suitable if you want to lepak alfresco dining BUT if you plan to have dinner with client or a chat after a long meeting, then this will fit the bill (the presentation looks professional too). Perhaps if you want to impress you future in-laws where presentation is key then this is the right place. In fact, I would make a special request for this to be my tea-break food for CxO event – it’ll be perfect.

Grand Renai Rooms

I did a room tour while I was here, and I realized that the rooms here is super huge and suitable for family of 3 or 4 as you can add bed and it will still be comfortable. And the twin sharing room’s bed are 2 queen size beds, luxury huh! For those saying it’s an old hotel, I will agree with you but I have to add that it is well maintained and has recently been refurbished.

Grand Renai

Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra
Kota Sri Mutiara
Kota Bharu, Kelantan

The Ihya’ Ramadan Kelantan 2022 Media Fam Trip is organized by Tourism Malaysia Wilayah Timur in partnership with all its sponsors.