M.C.A TO BE BLAMED FOR THE DEATH AND DEGRADATION OF JALAN WONG AH FOOK.

Death and degradation of Jalan Wong Ah Fook is imminent. I blame M.C.A. It is M.C.A which must stand accused for dericlition of responsibility and allow the passing of Jalan Wong Ah Fook into the sunset of Johor’s history.

Since the opening of the new Sultan Iskandar Custom, Immigration and Qurantine complex a fortnight ago, traffic has bypassed Jalan Wong Ah Fook, the once main thoroughfare of Johor Bahru. The once triving shops are now experiencing almost 40% drop in busineses. Economic and business activities in Jalan Wong Ah Fook has gone on a slide. What we see now are shops which front Jalan Wong Ah Fook selling imitation goods and pirate DVD’s. Many of the old businesses have moved out from Jalan Wong Ah Fook. Also gone are the evening rush hour and the scene of Malaysians working in Singapore returning in the evening and patronising the food stalls at the back alley of Jalan Wong Ah Fook.

Jalan Wong Ah Fook is simply not any ordinary road. The road reflects the historical relationship of the Chinese and Johor. The name has history and heritage and rightfully should be a proud reminder to all Johoreans of the man himself, Wong Fook Kee or better known as Wong Ah Fook. Sadly, ask who Wong Ah Fook is, many and particular the non Chinese would not know who Wong Ah Fook is or even how the road become named after him.

Wong Ah Fook, is the typical rags to riches immigrant from China, who should be an inspiration to all of us. Starting as a carpenter, he then moved into construction business and rose to become the chief government contractor and built many of the heritage buildings doting johor Bahru including Istana Besar. Not contended being a contractor, he even ventured into pepper and gambier planting and even had kangchu rights in Mersing. Later on he was involved in revenue farming. He is also remembered as the person also started Kwong Yik Bank, one of the earlist Chinese bank in then Malaya. For his sterling service in assisting the state to regain control of its revenues, Sultan Abu Bakar granted Wong Ah Fook a grant of land. The land was located on the east bank of Sg. Segget river and became known as Kg Wong Ah Fook village and was predomnantly occupied by the Cantonese clan. Three small roads in Kg. Wong Ah Fook village was named after his sons Siu Nam, Siu Koon and Siu Chin. From then on, Kg Wong Ah Fook village grew to became Jalan Wong Ah Fook, an important artererial road and the gateway to Johor Bahru.

Warning bells that Jalan Wong Ah Fook and more impotantly the name in time could lose its soul started in 1997. In 1997, a master plan for the redevelopment of Central Business District of Johor Bahru was unveiled by the Johor state government.The master plan envisaged restructuring of the city to a high technology financial centre.

However, what alarmed many Chinese and Chinese organisation was that the plan to replace Jalan Wong Ah Fook with gardens, pedestrian walkway and call it Sultan Abu Bakar City Walkway. The Chinese community and Chinese organisations made their disapproval known against attempts to obliterate the name. Both did not take place. The 1997 economicx crisis provided a respite. The restructuring of the city as a high technology financial centre did not take place and the name Jalan Wong Ah Fook thankfully remained safe and prominent. Of course, the stinking Sg Segget river which runs across the city centre was covered over and has become a walk way.

The state’s attempt in 1997 to make the name Jalan Wong Ah Fook insignificant ought to have made M.C.A sit up and ensure that the name and the area would never fade away or lose its lustre. M.C.A ought to have ensured that whatever development is planned elsewhere, it must not result in the death of Jalan Wong Ah Fook. M.C.A ought to have taken all necessary steps and been more pro-active in ensuring that the name Jalan Wong Ah Fook and the area would remains a prominent and premier business area. Also M.C.A could have also done much more to remember this great man. For example asking the Johor Bahru City Council to erect a statue, historical plaque or build a little square in the city as one often see in other cities. All this could have been initiated by M.C.A, as a reminder to the people of Johor of Wong Ah Fook’s contribution. It is obvious that the M.C.A State Executive Councillors or M.C.A during the regular “lawatan sambil belajar” overseas had not learned how cities and towns abroard remember and commemerate local personalities. Obviously, nothing was done.

M.C.A is well represented in the Johor State Executive Council and Johor Bahru City Council. They more than others would have known first about the C.I.Q plans. M.C.A more than others would have been first to know could have realised the fate of Jalan wong Ah Fook after the erection of the C.I.Q complex. M.C.A more than others would have been the first to know that with the erection of the C.I.Q complex, traffic and people would by-pass Jalan Wong Ah Fook. M.C.A more than others would have known the consequences arising from the C.I.Q complex to the busineses in Jalan Wong Ah Fook. So, the question then to be asked is what exactly did M.C.A do to ensure that the Jalan Wong Ah Fook continue to be a place of business activities and would not be devoid of human traffic. What were M.C.A plans, if they ever had one, to regenerate and vigorate the area with the opening of the C.I.Q. M.C.A in the state ought to have raised, presented with new plans for the area and ensured that Jalan Wong Ah Fook would not slide and become a backwater.

Judging from the present situation it is obvious that the degradation, slide and gradual obliteration and fading into history of this great street and name has started. Gradually this prominent landmark with historical significance will become a footnote in the history of Johor Bahru. That is real sad. It becomes real sad when M.C.A who calls themselves the guardians of Chinese, let Jalan Wong Ah Fook pass into history.

Norman Fernandez is the Vice Chairman of DAP Johor and is a lawyer with his own practice in the vicinity of Jalan Wong Ah Fook.

ISKANDAR. TIME TO REVEAL THE STATE OF AFFAIRS

The Star Metro December 12, carried a very good commentary by Nelson Benjamin, the STAR Johor Bureau chief on Iskandar Development Region.

Apparently in the Johor State Assembly which is in session, a dozen assemblymen had raised verbal and written questions regarding Iskandar and Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman spent a long time answering the questions including giving a two page written reply on the progress of the project, total investments garnered and other economic data.

It is a shame that the mainstream papers missed an oportunity to inform the public what the Mentri Besar had said about Iskandar and also report on Iskandar’s progress till todate. It will be good if the mainstream newspapers can soon give an extensive report on Iskandar’s progress.

Nevertheless, what caught my attention was what Kempas Assemblyman Datuk Osman Sapian said in the Assembly, that while it was nice to hear that the Iskandarhad attracted RM40.25 billion since 2006, people wanted to see all this translated into development project. There must according to the Assemblyman a hive of activities in Iskandar but what he saw were signs about road projects with nothing else moving.

That is precisely what Johoreans are asking. What is exactly happening with Iskandar. At regular intervals we watch on TV or read about an agreement signing ceremony involving the launch of yet another mega project in Iskandar. Peruse the details and the agreement turns out to be nothing but a Memorandum of Understanding. We also read in the papers about Middle Eastern fund and money gushing into Iskandar. Why have these investors after ploughing in billions of Ringgit yet to commence their development projects. Did these Middle Eastern investors actually bring in real money or they merely made investment pledges.

The Mentri Besar gushing with pride says that since 2006 Iskandar has managed to attract some RM40.25 billion. That is helluva lot of money. Having collected such a huge loot, one would expect Iskandar to be a hive of activities. But that is not what is happening. Some road works and infrastructure works are going on.

Now compare Iskandar with Singapore government initiated Intergrated Resort which was launched almost at the same time. Go and visit the Marina Bay Area. The whole place is buzzing with a hive of activities. The tower cranes are on overdrive and work is going on round the clock. In fact some segments of the Intergrated Resort are almost on schedule for opening by next year end. Meanwhile, at Iskandar, what is taking place are memorandum of undestanding signing ceremonies, site tours by interested parties and more “commitment” of monies into Iskandar. Isn’t RM40.25 Billion already committed (assuming the money is already in hand) as claimed by the Mentri Besar still not sufficient to start a construction and development boom in Iskandar?

On Saturday, yet another signing ceremony took place. This time a RM750 million Legoland theme park. It is reported that this theme park which is set to join two other parks are schedule for completion by 2013. Frankly, Johoreans do not wish to know when the project will be completed but is interested to know when the project is actually going to start. Let us know, how many of the mega projects after the signing of the Memorandum of Understandings have started.

It is time the Mentri Besar give a full account to the people of Johor:-

i. A detailed progress report on the development in Iskandar.

ii. How much of the money by investors are merely investment pledges and how much actual money have been collected from foreign investors.

iii. How much money of its own has the state government and federal government ploughed into Iskandar.

iv. How many Memorandum of Undertanding have been signed and from these how many have materialised into actual projects.

v. Name the projects by foreign investors which are taking place and so far how many of these projects have been completed.


After some three years since the launch of the Iskandar, save for some infrastructure works in the Iskandar and the construction of the new administratice centre at Nusajaya, Johoreans have yet to see any tangible results of from Iskanadar. In fact, for small and medium businesses despite the billions of Ringgit Iskandar has claimed to have attracted, it has so far not translated into real business opportunities for them nor have they reaped any benefit so far.

Johoreans want to know the actual truth and its high time Mentri Besar revealed the real state of affairs and progress this far of Iskandar.

NORMAN FERNANDEZ TO BUILT CASTLE IN THE SKY IN ISKANDAR DEVELOPMENT REGION

Norman Fernandez Inc and its partner Konsortium Mahligai (KOMA) today announced its intention to build a multi million Ringgit project, Castle In The Sky. Norman Fernandez Inc. CEO said at a news briefing today, that they too wish to join the bandwagon like many others before them who had inked Memorandums of Understandings to launch various meglomania projects in Iskandar Development Region (IDR).

“We and our partner KOMA who we will have to first revive it from its present state hope to sign a Memorandum Of Understanding with the relevant authorities soon.” “If others can sign Memorandum of Understandings so can we” said Norman Fernandez Inc spokesperson.

While refusing to divulge more on the Castle In The Sky project, Norman Fernandez Inc’s spokesman said that the idea to build a castle in the sky came when Norman Fernandez Inc’s CEO was playing the diggridoo in an Australian aboriginal camp site, chewed some gum leaves and looked up the night sky. Voila ! rest was history. Norman Fernandez Inc spokesperson nevertheless showed the press corp a mock-up of the Castle In The Sky made from Lego bricks which he had earlier in the morning borrowed from his daughter. “When the Castle In The Sky project is fully completed, people will look up the sky and if they can spot our castle, they can gawk in awe at the castle in the air and hopefully they too can then dream of building their own castles in the sky.” “ Our message is that we all can build castles in the air”.” In any event the sky is the only place left for us to build our dream homes”. Almost every Bukits have all been taken over by developers” “Hopefully all those who see our castle won’t build their castles in IDR. Can’t afford a Bukit Antarabangsa type incident.” Really, our castle is going to be a sight to behold in the sky, at least until the haze from Indonesia temporarily envelops it” said Norman Fernandez Inc. spokesperson.

The ambitious project in keeping with the stature of all other prestigious projects in IDR is expected to cost millions, and despite the present credit crunch, Norman Fernandez Inc spokesperson said that the company do not anticipate any financial problems since the company has already stockpilled wads of Zimbabweans million and billion dollar notes at an old white owned catttle farm near Bulawayo. “Our main problem is shipping the money in the crates here safely without our ship being seized by the Somalian pirates”.