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UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT REPORT

NAME OF NEW VILLAGE:

TANJUNG SEPAT, SELANGOR.

Project carried out by:

Student Name Student ID Course Year /

Semester

1. GLADYS CHEONG

YEW SUM 09UEB07926 Chemical Engineering Y2S3

2. HAR CHEN LOON 09UEB07549 Chemical Engineering Y2S3

3. LEE JIUUN XIANG 09UEB07547 Chemical Engineering Y2S3

4. LIM SHU YUAN 09UEB07865 Chemical Engineering Y2S3

5. NICOLE LAM

CHOOI YAN 09UEB07700 Chemical Engineering Y2S3

6. OH WAI HONG 09UEB09012 Chemical Engineering Y2S3

7. SIA SHEN ZHE 09UEB07555 Chemical Engineering Y2S3

8. TAN CHEAU KIM 09UEB08188 Chemical Engineering Y2S3

DATE OF COMPLETION:

July 2011

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Abstract

Tanjung Sepat is a small fishing village located in Kuala Langat district in Selangor. The

residents in Tanjung Sepat mainly consist of Malays, Chinese, Indians and Orang Asli (natives)

who are in one way or another linked to the fishing industry. This dainty village, famous for its

fresh seafood and picturesque scenery is a favourite family getaway hot spot. The residents here

are involved in various economic activities which encompass mushroom cultivation farms, pig

farms, fish ball producing factories, selling goods in market, coffee making industry and a

relatively new industry – bird nest harvesting. With its strategic location by the seaside, Tanjung

Sepat has prominent prospects in developing as a tourist hot spot and garner entrepreneur

opportunities.

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History

Tanjung Sepat is a beautiful place that enables the visitors to have a wonderful memory with

family or friends. It is a fishing village in Kuala Langat district in Selangor, which is 45 kilometers

from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Tanjung Sepat is situated along the Straits of Malacca in

the west coast of peninsular Malaysia.

In 1970s, Tanjung Sepat is primarily a town that mainly relies on fishing industry. Most of the

residents in Tanjung Sepat have some kind of link to the fishing industry although the particular

essential of fishing to the economy is deteriorating due to the pollution in the Straits of Malacca. In

those days (1970s), the amount of fish harvested from the sea was huge compared with present times.

Nowadays, fish population has dwindled badly due to pollution in the sea. Based on numerous

researches conducted pertaining to the pollution in Straits of Malacca, it is widely believed that the

main cause of pollution in this area is from the largest pig rearing farms. Although the modern

technology has been improved in these pig rearing farms, the waste management issue kept on

persisting. The uncontrollable waste from the pig rearing farms flows directly into the sea. Hence, this

pollution causes the deterioration of the sea-produce. Eventually, this brings enormous hardship to the

people who are involved in the fishing industry.

When the industrial technology improved in 1980s, the residents in Tanjung Sepat had the

opportunity to venture into alternative economic activities. They gradually changed their main source

of income from fishing related industries to agricultural industries such as pig farming, fruit

plantations and so on. This new economic ventures enabled the residents in Tanjung Sepat to have a

stable flow of income without depending solely on fishing industries.

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Social, Culture and Religious Practice

Most of the residents in Tanjung Sepat practice Taoism. Hence, there are many Taoism

temples in this place. Below are some photos of temples in Tanjung Sepat.

Qing Long Gong Temple

Every year on the third month of Chinese Lunar Calendar, there will be a festival at the

“Plaza” in Tanjung Sepat. Normally, this festival will be held continuously for one month.

During the festival, there will be a Chinese orchestra and singing performance at the plaza. Every

night, the villagers will gather at the plaza to watch the performance. They would also eat and

drink in food stalls at the plaza.

The celebration of every third moon of lunar calendar will be held behind this temple

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Since Tanjung Sepat is a small fishing village located quite far away from the city, it does

not have a fire station. However, there is a group of volunteers who manages a voluntary fire

station. The fire station is equipped with the basic fire fighting equipment and two fire engines.

In normal days, there will be no one at the fire station. The volunteer firemen will be called only

if there are any emergencies.

The voluntary fire station

Fire engines

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Similar to other new villages, Tanjung Sepat also has a village multipurpose hall for the

villagers to organise functions and gatherings.

Village multipurpose hall in Tanjung Sepat

Moreover, Tanjung Sepat was chosen as one of the Clean Zones under the policy of

Majlis Daerah Kuala Langat. Thus, there is a recycling centre and rubbish bins are also available

all along the village.

The Recycle Centre

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Rubbish bins along the streets

In addition, there is also a basketball field in the village. Every evening, many youngsters

come to this place to play basketball. This encourages healthy lifestyle among the youngsters

here.

Basketball court in Tanjung Sepat

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For the convenience of the villagers, Tanjung Sepat has a post office at the centre of the

village.

The Post Office in Tanjung Sepat

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Education

In the era of globalisation, the world is getting more advanced today. Education is

fundamental in imparting knowledge to our younger generation. In order to provide continuous

education to the people of Tanjung Sepat, two schools, namely Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan

Tanjung Sepat and Sekolah Menengah Tanjung Sepat are established here.

Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tanjung Sepat (S.J.K (C) Tanjung Sepat) is a primary school

built more than 54 years ago. This primary school began with about 300 students and 12 teachers

including the principal. The condition of the classrooms was terrible and old then. Now, this

primary school is very well-equipped with many facilities and larger classrooms. It has become

very well-known over the years. The number of pupils has also increased to 992 and the number

of teachers has increased to 56. The students are made up of four ethnic groups which are the

Malays, Indians, Chinese and Orang Asli. Mandarin language is used as the medium of

instruction in this school. This is a one session school. It only offers morning session. Students

are allowed to use the facilities after their classes.

The 2010 UPSR passing rate of S.J.K (C) Tanjung Sepat is 50%. This is a rather high

achievement for the school. The school had taken a lot of efforts in improving the passing rate by

offering free tuition classes for the students as their Malay and English languages were very

weak.

The school consists of 5 blocks where 30 classrooms are located. Moreover, this school is

equipped with a hall, computer labs, classrooms, a field, a science lab, a computer lab, a library,

an ABM room, living skills room, a canteen, an office, a counselling room and a store room for

sport equipment. It also has an indoor basketball court and a badminton court which allow the

students to practice even when the weather is bad. Besides, the school encourages each student to

involve themselves in co-curricular activities on every Thursday. Students can join various clubs,

sports and games according to their interests.

Currently, the school is facing two main problems. Firstly, the standard six pupils have

very poor attitude towards their studies. They do not take exams seriously and are always into

computer games. Secondly, the standard six pupils tend to play truant due to their seniority in the

school. Most of the pupils‟ parents are working outstation and most of these students live with

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their grandparents. The grandparents are less strict in controlling their grandchildren. The pupils

are given a lot of freedom to do what they like. This could be one of the reasons why students

play truant during school hours and subsequently lose interest in their studies.

Photo of the front view of the primary school

Photo with Vice Principle

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Population and Housing

The residents of Tanjung Sepat are mainly from three ethnic groups, which are the

Malays, Indians and Chinese. Based on direct observation in Tanjung Sepat, about 85% of the

residents are Chinese, followed by Malays and then Indians. On the other hand, there are also

some foreigners such as Burmese and Indonesians. Although the residents are multiracial, yet

they are living in peaceful, harmony and always help each other.

Photo of an Indian worker helping the Chinese owner in making the “pau”

Besides that, in Tanjung Sepat, there are many types of houses that can be observed throughout

the area. Most residents live in the houses along the roads. Most of them live in their own land or

at housing estates. The types of houses that can be found are terrace house, single-storey terrace

house and shop houses.

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Photo of terrace house Photo of shops

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Economic Activities

Pasar Awam Tanjung Sepat

Some of the villagers in Tanjung Sepat have vegetable and fruit farms in the remote area

of the village. They would sell their produce at the local market. The Pasar Awam is the only

market in Tanjung Sepat, where the stalls operate from 4.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. daily. Since there

are no shopping malls or supermarkets in Tanjung Sepat, the villagers who need daily groceries

usually do their marketing at Pasar Awam.

Mr. Gao, one of the stall owners has been selling vegetables for 4 years at Pasar Awam.

He supplies vegetable seeds to foreign workers for farming purpose in the village. In the

beginning, Mr. Gao started his business at a small market in Tanjung Sepat. Ever since the

opening of Pasar Awam, Mr. Gao shifted his business from the small market to the big market

for better opportunities.

Mr. Gao with UTAR students

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UTAR students at the entrance of Pasar Awam in Tanjung Sepat

The variety of vegetables available at Pasar Awam

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The interior of Pasar Awam

Yek Loong Enterprise

Yek Loong Enterprise manufactures fish ball products and supplies it to the market. Mr.

Koh Chin Tai has been running this business since ten years ago and his shop has now become

one of the must-visit places in Tanjung Sepat. Here, buyers can witness how fish balls are being

processed. Firstly, the workers would remove the fish‟s innards and bones. Later, they would

scrape the flesh of the fish and place them into the food processor which turns all the flesh into

fish paste. The fish paste can now be easily shaped into various types of fish balls. After the fish

balls are properly packed, the workers would sell them to the town markets and also to

supermarkets which are located beyond the village. The address of Yek Loong Enterprise is No.

30, Jalan Bawah Satu, Tanjung Sepat, 42800 Selangor Darul Ehsan.

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UTAR students posing in front of Yek Loong Enterprise

The variety of fish balls

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Fish ball paste

A worker removing the fish bones

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Mr. Wai explaining to students on how fish balls are processed

Hai Yew Heng Pau

Hai Yew Heng is a pau making factory located in Tanjung Sepat. Many visitors travel to

Tanjung Sepat to visit this pau factory to witness how the pau is being made. This factory is just

a small shop lot. These paus are so popular that it often became the „hot item‟ that people would

buy and bring home for their friends. The shop starts operating from 1.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. daily.

During public holidays, it starts its business at 10.00 a.m. and closes at 6.00 p.m.

Mr. Lee Chin Teck, 62, inherited the pau business from his father. He makes Hainanese

styled pau, which is large and flat and the fillings are entirely handmade. The pau flour is put

into a machine which produces the pau skin of standard size. Then, workers would wrap up the

skin with fillings and pleat them into a nice pau shape. In the early 1990s, Mr. Lee made just 100

paus a day. Now, with the modern mixer, he can produce over a thousand paus daily.

There is a huge variety of paus made by Hai Yew Heng, which are “Sang Yuk” also

known as meat pau, “Mui Choy”, Kaya, Vegetable, Red Bean and Peanut. The pork comes from

the nearby pig farms, while the kaya is made from local chicken eggs and coconuts harvested

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from the orchards. Opposite the pau factory is a shop lot which also belongs to Mr. Lee. It is a

small café which serves a variety of paus that you wish to order and then taste it with a cup of

coffee or tea. The address of Hai Yew Heng Pau factory is No. 405, Jalan Pasar, 42800, Tanjung

Sepat, Kuala Langat, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

The banner of Hai Yew Heng Pao Factory

UTAR students with the wife and a relative of the factory owner

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Paus that are ready to be baked

The price list of different paus available in Hai Yew Heng

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The shop owner’s wife and a relative busy wrapping the handmade fillings into the pau

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Problems

A significant problem spotted during our trip to Tanjung Sepat is the lack of traffic

awareness of the road users in that area. Motorcyclists can be seen everywhere on the road

without wearing their helmets which is extremely dangerous. The risk of injury or even death

will be doubled or tripled without wearing a helmet when the motorcyclists are riding on main

roads. Besides, most of the road users do not obey the usual traffic rules, for example not using

the signal light when taking a corner, neglecting one-way lane and going against it. This may

result in accidents and therefore it must be avoided at all cost.

Secondly, the pollution of Tanjung Sepat has become a serious issue to be dealt with;

mostly due to the improper care of environment by the locals. According to some of them, the

sea has become murky and the fish have been disappearing. Even though several areas have been

labeled „Zon Bersih‟ (Clean Zone); rubbish can still be spotted to be dumped everywhere. The

residents of Tanjung Sepat should be more conscious of their responsibility towards their

environment. Moreover, the working environment of many shops and farms are very not

hygienic too. Besides, hundreds of pig farms located in Tanjung Sepat have been emitting

horrendous stench and polluting the local area as well. Most of the locals have gotten used to the

stench. However, the strong stench has proven to be too strong for any outsiders. The

environment of the pig farms is very bad as well. We are able to spot a few piglet remains

outside the farms. There is still a vast room of improvement for the managers to handle their pig

farm operations.

The issue of „rubbish pork‟ which has been a rather hot topic recently is a huge threat to

the health of the people. It is very unfortunate that these „rubbish pork‟ is found in abundance in

Tanjung Sepat. According to recent reports, these pork products are made from the dead and sick

pigs by the unethical businessmen. However, we have not received any information on this issue

from the locals and this problem is waiting to be resolved by the government as well as the local

businessmen.

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Cars and motorcyclists spotted to be ignoring the traffic rules

The working environment is extremely not hygienic where flies are all over the place

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Recommendations

Seminars should be held frequently to remind and instill the awareness of traffic rules

among the local road users. At the same time, the local road users should be properly guided and

taught of the consequences of not obeying the rules as they drive or ride on the roads. Ultimately,

as they understood that the traffic rules‟ aim is to protect the road users and avoid as much as

accidents as possible they would be willing to abide them instead of breaking them. Heavy fines

should be imposed to those who break the rules to ensure that more locals will be willing to

follow the traffic rules, and discourage them from committing the same mistake.

Talks and campaigns should be held to educate the locals about the importance of taking

care and improving the environment as well. It is vital to ensure that the living environment is

hygienic or risk being affected by diseases which may even take away lives. „Gotong-royong‟

should be organized by the locals to clean up the rubbish not only in their own houses, but also

the surrounding environment which include the rivers and sea. This should be done immediately

to improve the quality of their life. The government should also increase the fines and enforce

them to those who have chosen to break the law.

Furthermore, the government should provide a more structural and constructive talk to

the local pig farm owners, as well as give more funds to support their financial needs. The local

pig farms need extra funds to reduce the pollution it causes, such as reducing the stench, killing

the bacteria more effectively and more organized operation.

Government should also impose a heavier punishment to businessmen who are found

guilty selling „rubbish pork‟. Not only does it affect our health, it gives a negative impression to

the other countries as well and greatly affects our economy. The disease caused by the „rubbish

pork‟ might be extremely hazardous and is yet to be discovered. Therefore, more steps should be

taken to eliminate all the „rubbish pork‟ available on the market.

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Tourism Values

Ah Hock Bak Guh Teh

Located in the middle of Tanjung Sepat, Ah Hock Bak Guh Teh Restaurant started its

business in 2002. It operates from 8.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. daily including weekends. The main

customers of this restaurant comprise locals as well as both foreign and domestic tourists. Many

tourists patronize this restaurant during the weekends. The restaurant even managed to attract

some renowned gourmets like “Ah Hong” from Taiwan to try the delicacies it offers. One of the

delicacies provided by this restaurant is known as “seafood bak guh teh” which can be found

nowhere in Kuala Lumpur region. The use of seafood in the “bak guh teh” makes it

extraordinary compared to the usual “bak guh teh”. The main ingredients consist of pork, shark

meat, shrimp and herbs. Other delectable dishes offered include “dry bak guh teh”, “tomyam

shark” and meatball soup in clay pot. The “tomyam shark” tastes sweet and sour and it is

appetizing.

Seafood bak guh teh

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Dry bak guh teh

Tomyam shark

Meatball soup in clay pot

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Certificate for fabulous food in Malaysia and some photos of famous Asian gourmets

UTAR students with the owner in the middle

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Kuan Wellness Ecopark

Kuan Wellness Ecopark is a must-visit destination in Tanjung Sepat. It is Malaysia‟s first-

of-its kind bird‟s nest ecology park. It is established with ecotourism as its primary mission and

objective. The park which spans 5 acres comprises of 3 ½ storey swallow farm and a visitor

centre surrounded by palm oil plantations and tropical farms.

Documentary theatre, sales gallery, smoke free eco café, bird‟s nest processing and

research centre make up the visitor centre. An interesting documentary video on the swallow‟s

natural habitat, life cycle of swallow, breeding of swallow as well as the nutritional value of

bird‟s nest are displayed to the tourists in the documentary theatre. This allows the visitors to

explore the swallow‟s world while gaining better understanding of swallow breeding and

benefits offered by the bird nest towards human health. Most importantly, the visitors will be

exposed to learn the proper way to differentiate between high quality bird‟s nest and the inferior

one to prevent them from being conned by unscrupulous retailers.

Several bilingual (Chinese and English) professional guides are readily accessible to brief

the visitors on the types of swallows and ideal breeding ground of swallows. Then, the guides

will lead the tourists to the documentary theatre to watch the documentary video about swallows.

Besides, the cleaning and processing of the bird‟s nest are explained by the guide as well. The

Kuan Wellness Bird‟s Nest is made of high quality house nests and produced according to the

ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management System). The manufactured bird‟s nest is produced under

stringent controls with a vacuum sterilization process. It is totally free from bleaching agents,

colourings and preservatives. Thus, the consumers can rest assured of being served with high

quality, natural and pure bird‟s nest.

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UTAR students at the main entrance of Kuan Wellness Ecopark

Professional guide of the park

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General bird’s nest knowledge on the board

Samples of inferior bird’s nest

Bird’s nest processing and research centre

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Entrepreneurship Opportunities

Mushroom Cultivation Farm

Ganofarm Sdn. Bhd. is an enterprise which cultivates, develops and grows various

species of mushrooms to cater to the public at reasonable prices. Taking the opportunity in 1980s

when mushroom cultivation and mushroom farms were at its peak, entrepreneur Mr. Ooi Ching

Kiau harnessed the opportunity to start this business.

It initially began with only the agriculture of Ling Zhi (still being its staple product) due

to the increase in market demand and public awareness of the health benefits that can be obtain

in mushrooms. Ganofarm began to research and develop other species to cater to the needs of the

public. Hence rendering the current extensive selection of mushrooms that they are producing

which includes abalone mushroom, black jelly mushroom, enoki mushroom, grey & white oyster

mushroom, monkey head mushroom, shiitake mushroom, split gill mushroom and white jelly

mushroom.

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Ganoderma Lucidium (Ling Zhi)

Benefits of Ling Zhi Mushroom

Black Jelly Mushroom

White Oyster Mushroom

Enoki Mushroom

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Apart from fresh mushroom, Mr. Ooi also took the chance to develop mushroom based

products such as honey, health supplements, gift packs, drinks and so forth. He opened a

shopping mart where people could purchase the products in the cultivation farm itself.

The mart opened to sell the farm’s product

Subsequently in 2008, he also opened up homestay facilities to accommodate and

encourage tourist to Tanjung Sepat as well as to boost the local economy. Admission fees are

also charged if visitors wish to experience and visit the farm.

Interested parties can visit and learn about the knowledge and skill of mushroom farming, and

enhance this knowledge to perhaps build one‟s own mushroom cultivation enterprise.

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Pig Farm

High potential for entrepreneurship can also be found in market of pig breeding. Whilst

many locals are currently involved in this field; there are still many areas for improvisations of

the pig breeding techniques as well as product fabrications based on pig for instance; pork floss,

dried pork meat and etc.

Modern techniques have also been implemented to increase the productivity. However, it

is found that the traditional methods of breeding pigs are more effective. Hence, the methods are

reverted back to its original traditions.

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However, female pigs that are due for labour on a particular date and are found to be

delayed are given injections to promote contraction which subsequently will result to the giving

birth of its piglets within the next 24 hours. This helps to reduce the cost of feed and hasten the

production of the pigs.

With the vast empty available lands and government support, there is very good potential and

regeneration of revenue from pig breeding in Tanjung Sepat.

DISCLAIMER:

Information contained in this report was compiled by the University‟s students on voluntary

basis. Although every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the report, the University

accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any errors or omissions, if any, the University reserves

the right to make changes on the information at any time without prior notice.

Should there be any queries regarding contents of the report, please contact:

Department of Soft Skills Competency

Tel: 03-79582628 ext 8274 (Klang Valley Campus)

05- 4688888 ext 2297/2299 (Perak Campus)