Monday, August 02, 2004

After spending the night at Kuantan and an early breakfast at the hotel, we decided to proceed to Kuala Terengganu, the capital of the east coast state of Terengganu.... This state for the last four and half years were ruled by a opposition party call Pas , that won the nineteen ninety nine Election..., as a result there were not much development all those years.... The election in nineteen ninety nine saw the National Front, who had rules the state for many years lost to the Islamic Party.... It jolt the National Front to their senses, that they should not take the voters for granted.... So with a new strategies the National Front which is known as BN won back this state from opposition in this year election..... Now one can see many new development projects being carried out all over the state..... I took the coastal road toward the boarder town of Kemaman and proceed on toward Dungun, passing the booming oil town of Jerteh and Kerteh, where huge oil refinery could be seen sprawling across vast area, the air smell of gas and it did not look like a healthy place to live, so the housing area for those oil peoples were set up further south of Jerteh, a modern township housing people working in the oil industries.... At Dungun we stop for lunch and then proceed north along the coastal road toward our destination.... The road were mostly straight and run along the beaches of the China Sea, with scenic beach all along, making driving a pleasure.... The road passes through fishing village and small town where life seem to be just like in the era gone by, with house still built among the cluster of tall coconuts palms, that had been there since time immemorial..., I had passed through this villages in my youth and the scene has not really chance, it is still look the same with little progress, unlike what are happening on the west coast.....But at the places where oil was found, new township has sprang up with new modern housing garden replacing the old dilapidate traditional house that use to house those fisherman.... Now young educated Malaysian and foreigner involved in the production of oil has taken its place and with it change the culture of this people as well, more cars are seen at the housing area of these people, with prosperity came the changing life style... But in places where the fisherman still live and dwell in their old way.... Life goes on like nothing happen..., just a few kilometer away it is another world..... The discovery of oil has brought changes to this once quiet life of this east coast state.....Well that is progress in our time. It is because of the discovery of oil off shore on the east coast and off the states of Sabah and Sarawak that has made Malaysia a net exporter of oil and with good management by it own petroleum company Petronas, the people of Malaysia as a whole reap the benefit of its our resource and continue to prosper with a life style they never dream of before...... Now with the new Highway to the east coast and the development to come, the once sleepy states of the east coast are going to wake up and life is sure to change for the new generation of Malaysian on the east coast...... That is what we call progress.... But then progress has it cost....The life style would have to change..... The tradition and culture would surely change, for good or not, it is just too difficult to understand for that is the way our human evolution goes on..... For in today's world it is the economic developments that changes the culture of its people and if we take the trouble to nurture it well then we would benefit from the changing culture, if not it would be a disaster for the people.... In the case of Malaysia.... We learn a lots from others and try not to makes mistake as we develop.... For we have gone this road of 'civilization' before and for that we had inherit the wisdom of the old and with that we would be able to adept with the changing world and eventually develop new culture for our people.... That is the way and it is the only way for us to progress.....For the last forty seven years since we gain independence, we have progress at our own pace and with good governance, to day Malaysia have became a well develop nation with its people living in greater prosperity then ever before....... Like those state in the west coast, the state of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan would follow suit and prosper as well in not too distance future....... The weather was great, with clear blue sky, so the drive along the coastal road all the way to our first stop for lunch was indeed great.... And personally I really enjoy driving..... With the good company of my spouse and our daughter, who at time act as navigator, make the drive more interesting and enjoyable...... We stop for lunch at an eating place, that look to be serving good local foods..... And sat down to enjoy our lunch.... At the same time taking a rest after hours of traveling... Especially for me who did the driving.... At most of the town we pass we saw sight of recent development and it refreshing to see that the new government in power is doing a great job of restarting the development after a lapse of some fours years, when this state was ruled by the opposition party, the Pas or the Malaysia's Islamic Party....This year election saw the come back of the National Front to government this state once more..... The people had decided not to take chances anymore and that is the reason the National Front won the people's heart this election...... So with that came the new pace of development....... For the prosperity of all......

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