TANJUNG PIAI

MOTHER OF ALL ENDS


My destination to nowhere brought us to Tanjung Piai which offers spectacular views of the Tebrau Straits and the Straits of Malacca. Your eyes can also feast on Karimun, an Indonesian Island and the shoreline of Singapore Jurong-Tuas area dotted with power stations and industrial sites. The drive-up has a mixture of everything – aquatic and marine life, a bit of everything in nature, captivating facts, history and noshing of seafood with the waves lapping against the stilts of the restaurant.

We started our journey at 1030 and had a short stopover at Larkin market for brunch before driving along Pekan Nenas, Pontian Kechil, Pontian Besar and finally deciding to head for Tanjung Piai for a date with the crustaceans.

I did some research before writing this blog entry on how the name Tanjung Piai originated. Tanjung Piai stands at the southern-most tip of the Asian continent. There is even a village along the road of Pontian Kechil called Kampung Serkat.  'Serkat' is taken from a Malay word, ‘sekat’ which means blockage or dead end to commemorate the tip, I guess. ‘Tanjung’ means cape in Malay and Tanjung Piai derives its names form the ‘Paku Piai Raya’ fern, which flourishes in the area. This cape is also a home to Tanjung Piai Johor National Park.

Imagine yourself standing at the very tip of the southern-most tip of Asia, claiming the very few from Singapore and Malaysia who have done that. And for RM$5/- you can authenticate your visit with a certificate. It was worth the 95 kilometre we drove and the body ache inherited from sitting too long in the car.

For a place that is so geographically important, it is a pity that not many of us know of this tourist potential spot which is so near to our backyard. Tanjung Piai remains at the bottom of the country’s tourism list and you would not find it mentioned in much tourism promotional brochures. There were not many tourists that Saturday evening. Thus, we were so ecstatic to have arrived at this geographically important location in Asia without having to elbow our way through. We owned the place to ourselves. It felt like we had landed our sledge at South Pole, like those few who had braved and conquered against the odds.

The irony that slapped my face immediately was that the place was trodden by more Singaporeans than Malaysians that weekend. 85 students from Paya Lebar Methodist Girls were undergoing a leadership training and four Yishun residents outnumbered the local tourists. I recognised the Inno-Trex leadership trainers as they were the ones whom we had engaged for our BPK-YSS camp in March this year at MOE Dairy Farm Adventure Camp.

The Sungai Belukang’s entry point might not give Tanjung Piai its deserving status because of its dilapidated state. The soft greying estuarine soil gave the tarred road an uneven plain. Eco-friendly though. Leaf dusk monkeys were there to greet us, twining their tails at the cables and car hopping in search of food.

But don’t be disheartened. Look for Entry Point 2, drive along the undulating path and you would be welcomed by the new visitor complex. A 20m monument shouts at you, declaring Tanjung Piai historical and geographical importance. Here is also where you would understand why Tanjug Piai was recognised as a Ramsar Conservation Site in 2003. The ecological character of the place cannot be overrun by human activities. Another place I know which has received similar accolade is the wetlands of Sungai Sedili Besar and Kecil in Johor too.

There is a raised boardwalk network that runs through the mangroves to bring you closer to nature. Maps and ample directional signages will lead you safely. I observed that the coast’s ecology sustains minute organism for juvenile marine life to feed on, making it a perfect spawning ground for fish, crustaceans and other sea creatures. You can choose from a variety of things to do to suit your family needs: camping, night-walks, fishing or just observing the wetlands wildlife.

Ramsar identifies and highlights the considerable value of wetlands for tourism and the economic benefits that tourism can bring for the management of wetland sites. It examines the diversity in the scale of tourism, the management processes in place, the many challenges encountered and, wherever possible, the management solutions employed. The state government must also abide to certain regulations set by Ramsar. No construction of buildings and commercial human activities along 1km range of the area and in the case of Sungai Sedili, its banks. I have taken a boat ride along the Sedili River but did find aquafarms and goat farms breaching the regulations.

Tanjung Piai covers about 926 ha of forest, with 526 ha of coastal mangroves. The diversity in fauna and flora can amaze you. The Tanjung Piai mangrove inhabitants include dusky leaf monkeys, macaques, mud skippers, hermit crabs, tree snakes, beetles, iguana, Spoonbilled Sandpiper, stork and some 22 species of seasonal migratory birds. The Berambang trees offer a good fairy-light watch from the firefly. Climb up the observation towers for more panoramic views of the straits and the natural vegetation. Enjoy the solitude and pour your woes and sorrows with nature for some peace of mind and tranquility.

We strolled towards the jetty of Tanjung Piai Resort and could not avoid observing the erosional powers of the destructive waves that have toppled the trees. The plying of the shipping vessels has forced strong waves to hit and lash at those trees and erode the bank. I did a check online and discovered such waves had caused the coastal banks of Tanjung Piai to retreat 10 metres yearly.

Thank goodness rescue came in the form of the Drainage and Irrigation Department which pumped in a RM3 million project. Geo-tubes are installed and filled in. They are placed along the coasts and are next covered with sand or rocks as coastal protection. Geo-tubes can be effective at the part of that shore line where they have been laid out, but where the shoreline has not been saved; the waves continue to scour the beach and the bank, uprooting the vegetation finally.

Relatively untouched by mass tourism, chalets and family bungalows are available for rent from RM 80 to RM 150 at the resort. Home stay from the locals is also available. We saw anglers stationing themsleves along the 400m jetty catching sting ray, catfish and garoupa. Some left in motorised-sampans for the exclusive rich fishing grounds.

Our seafood dinner for four cost us RM140. Crabs, prawns, squids, fish, vegetables and fried rice were devoured with the straits frontage and boat cruises forming the sea traffic. The sea spray and breeze kissed our face. I just need some dondang sayang songs to dull my senses before some caffeine perked me up.  
However, we got more than that. A family had organised a gathering there and had engaged a KL army band to play up the night. They were a talented group of musicians and singers. We became Kak Su’s immediate adopted family members and with the band playing the latest beat, what else could you ask for a destination which had begun to nowhere but had brought you to a place with an unexpected ending. We left Tanjung Piai at midnight and reached Singapore at 2.00 am.

I hope with such Ramsar's acknowledgement and protection, Tanjung Piai’s natural and alluring state would remain for a long time. Let’s not lose this sanctuary of heaven where some have acclaimed as the ‘Mother of all Ends. Its posterity as an eco-tourism haven must stay and live.



An interesting reading for you


Descendants from Africa?

Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy gave the name “Chersonesus Aurea” – meaning The Golden Peninsula – to the Malay Peninsula. It was said that whether one set sail from Europe in the west or China in the east, the ship would end up at Tanjung Piai because monsoon wind from both sides eventually convened on its coastline.

 
In May last year, researchers from Leeds and Glasgow University led by Vincent Macaulay, made a startling announcement – that DNA samples taken from the Orang Asli matched a 60,000-year-old African DNA sample. The finding fuelled great interest worldwide.

 
Homo erectus, who first left Africa, took a single long coastal journey to escape the Ice Age – along Arabian peninsular and India. They stopped at Tanjung Piai when they couldn’t go further as prehistoric man had not learned to sail. This made the Orang Asli in Tanjung Piai an isolated community.