Infrastructure at Janda Baik is not keeping up with development

With the increasing tempo of development in this mountain valley, the pressure on existing infrastructue facilities is beginning to show signs of stress. In this instance, I refer specifically to electricity supply. Every evening we appear to suffer from voltage fluctuation when the lights are unusually dim and brighten up continuously almost like third would countries. Are we having brown outs like some of our neighbours? If I remember correctly our country is having more than the usual excess capacity resserves.

Can the Tenaga Nasional Berhad look into this?


MSAbdullah.

Continuing Tremors in Janda Baik, Bentong area

This sereen and secluded valley of Janda Baik is now frequently experiencing earth tremors or vibrations and all the villagers are wondering what will all this lead too.Since I last reported on this Blog in November no less than 10 tremors have occured and various local News Media had also reported about it.

What I am now wondering is whether this phenomenon is to be considered as a sign of possible future disaster taking place in this area and therefor to be best avoided as far as possible or is it just some occurance that the villagers and visitors to Janda Baik can best ignore and go about their usual ways. Surely some Government Experts can give an advice on this.Mind you there are easily more than 1,000 homes and 5,000 human lives living in this area. If a disaster is imminent, would it not be wise to ask the small population there to evacuate? If some informed or learned authorities can give assurance that the true situation is in fact some freak incidents of nature,the public will be greatly relieved.

MSAbdullah.

Earth Tremor in Janda Baik Area

Last Friday,November 30th when I arrived at my retreat in Janda Baik at about 11 am, our house maid and farm helpers were all still very egitated and in fear because they have just heard two loud explosions and experienced ground vibrations resembling earth quakes which they have experienced in their villages in Indonesia. Our local helper who never had such experince before thought that it was some ghostly interference. Since Malaysia is not in the zone of fire, we thought that it was caused by some over charged dynamite explosions in some quarries in the surrounding area.

At about 8pm that night, while we were having dinner with our Spanish guests who had come all the way from Barcelona, we heard another loud boom and the whole house vibrated. I rang two neighbours who live several kilometers away from us, and they too confirmed feeling the tremors. Until today I have not read any clear explanation as to what had caused the tremors. My fear is that the tremors could have been caused by major land slides happening somewhere on the mountain slopes in the interior due to denudation and leaching caused by uncontrolled illegal clearings of the virgin forests [please see my earlier postings] which is still going on rampantly. Inspite of my appeals for some action from the Authorities,
no apparent action has been taken.

MSAbdullah.