Exhibition on Ngee Heng Kongsi

Exhibition on Ngee Heng Kongsi is now open to public for a year

JOHOR BARU: Important documents and customs of the infamous Ngee Heng Kongsi, a secret society for the Chinese settlement in Johor is open to the public for the first time in a year-long exhibition here.

Upon entering the stairs leading up to the exhibition, visitors would be greeted by red cloth hanging at the doorway, which is similar to what it was like back then at the society’s headquarters.

Abacus for accounts: Beside an exhibition about the Ngee Heng Kongsi, the Johor Baru Chinese Heritage Museum, also included exhibitions of notable developments in the Chinese community in Johor.

The in-depth exhibition, located at the top floor of the four-storey Johor Baru Chinese Heritage Museum, gives an insight on how the secret society was formed and developed in Johor for more than 70 years.

Johor Baru Tiong Hua Association manager Eric Ku explained that the Ngee Heng leader, Tan Kee Soon, led his followers to Johor and settled down in Tanjung Puteri (now Johor Baru) in 1844 in response to the call of Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim, the father of Sultan Abu Bakar, to implement Kangchu System.

“Later, the society was the only one of such to be endorsed by Sultan Abu Bakar, and it was through the society, the pepper and gambier productions came under one economic control system and flourished in Johor,” he told Star Metro here.

Ku added that there were misconceptions about the society where it holds a notorious reputation and a negative impression among the people.

Trying out the stuff: Visitors trying out the rubber stamps used by the secret society.

“There is a common bad impression towards the society, which was perceived as an underground society even until now.

“The purpose of unveiling the society to the public is also to let them understand how the society contributed, upheld and united the Johorean Chinese community,” said Ku, adding that the society was dissolved by law in 1916.

He added that it took a year to derive for on-site information from Mainland China, Singapore, Penang and Riau Islands, Indonesia, where Ngee Heng society was active at the time.

Meaningful memories: Visitors taking the opportunity to snap photos at the exhibition, which was the first time that any documents from the secret society was opened up to the public.

Visitors will have an eye-opening experience at the exhibition, which included a list of the oath of pledge, a mock altar where members performed a series of rituals before being sworn-in as a member as well as secret hand language of the society in dual-language description.

Besides the Ngee Heng exhibition, the other floors of the museum is dedicated to the history of the Chinese community in Johor, national heritage celebrations such as Lantern Festival and 24 Festive Drums origins.

The RM1.5mil museum is located along Jalan Ibrahim, Johor Baru and is open from 9am to 5pm daily except Mondays.

Tickets are priced at RM5 per adult and RM2 for students, children and senior citizens and the public can call 07-224 9633 for more information.

~News courtesy of The Star~

New mall for lifestyle and recreation

New mall set to be hub of lifestyle and recreation

Nusajaya Lifestyle Sdn Bhd wants to position its newly-opened Mall of Medini as the lifestyle, entertainment and recreational epicenter of Nusajaya.

The shopping complex’s location adjacent to Legoland Theme Park Malaysia is an added advantage to serve local and foreign visitors.

The project draws inspiration from globally-successful theme park and lifestyle retail centres (from Los Angeles, USA) such as Americana, The Grove and Universal Citywalk.

Well placed: Millennium Development International Malaysia country manager Richard Polkinghorne showing the model of the Medini development at Nusajaya in Iskandar Malaysia.

“It offers the new standard in theme park-linked mixed-use development, offering food, shopping, entertainment and lifestyle experiences,’’ said UEM Land Holdings Bhd managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim.

He said the phase one colonnade-style retail in a classy yet lively and festive environment which encouraged interaction between the internal and external, as a departure from the conventional box shopping mall.

Wan Ibrahim said shoppers would be delighted with the retail variety from F&B, snacks, deserts and confectionery, fashion, gifts and souvenirs shops.

“We are excited to see the soft opening of phase one of the mall which is approximately 10% of the overall two million sq ft of gross floor area,’’ he added.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Kluang's pride and joy

Kluang's pride and joy

Kluang Rail Coffee, a kopitiam at the Kluang train station, is renowned for its coffee, teh-c, kaya and buttered toast.

Housed in a pre-war wooden railway canteen, this restaurant is where you can eat, drink, relax and watch the trains go by.

Leisure: Patrons enjoying their time at the Kluang Rail Coffee.

Dating back to 1938, its Hainanese coffeeshop owner Lim Jit Chiang said they were the third generation running the business.

“Our grandfather came to Malaya from Hainan Island in search of a better life and found a railway station canteen here available for rent.

“Armed with one kati of sugar and a few cans of milk, he served his first group of customers back then,” he said.

The business managed by his grandfather and father even thrived through Japanese occupation and the Malayan emergency.

“It has been 74 years now, their passion, determination and consistency has kept the canteen alive till today,” he said, adding that the family has maintained the traditional menu to this day.

The homemade kaya — an egg-based coconut jam — with thin slices of butter on charcoal toasted, steamed bread or toasted buns, aromatic coffee made from beans wok-fried with butter, salt and sugar as well as teh-c — a combination of tea with evaporated milk and sugar are staples here.

Wake-up drink: Lim maintains the traditional way of making coffee.

Today, the breakfast menu also has a variety of coffee and tea to suit different tastes and popular breakfast food such as nasi lemak and fried beehoon packed in small servings, placed on tables.
“The kopitiam reflects the muhibbah culture of Malaysia and this place is a meeting point for many Kluangites as they will visit the kopitiam every day, some even do it several times a day.

“We have customers from all walks of life, races, backgrounds and nationalities,” Lim said.

He added that he has customers who come by train from Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and other places just to have a taste of the coffee here and then return home via train.

“Some former British soldiers, who used to serve in Malaya during the Emergency, had returned recently for a reunion celebration at the kopitiam,” Lim said, adding that the kopitiam was a regular refreshment point for the ex-soldiers who travelled by train.

One of the regular customers Wong Mua Heng, 52, who has tea and coffee with her friends here, has been a patron for more than 20 years.

“The bread and tea here are very special to me,” she said, adding that they come almost every day and a few times a day, on some days. “We come here regularly that we can even recognise the faces of Lim’s regular customers and also the time they will be here for a cup of coffee,” said Wong’s friend Chong Siew Wan, 51.

Chong enjoys the coffeeshop’s rustic interior and its laid-back appeal as well as its good food and drinks.

“The whole package of the food, ambience and its charm is something you cannot get anywhere else in the country,” she added.

Singaporean Lim Seng Chee, 76, made a trip to Lim’s kopitiam by train after watching an interview about the coffeeshop on television, recently.

“I took a train ride here after watching the programme, but ran out of luck on my first trip as it was a Thursday which was a rest day for the kopitiam.

“On the second occasion, it was a bit too late as the train arrived after 6pm. The kopitiam closes at 6pm.

“This time I made sure I did not repeat the mistake. The food and drinks here are so good and I will come back with my wife again,” said Seng Chee, who spent about an hour at the kopitiam before taking a bus back to Singapore.

~News courtesy of The Star~