What's with JOHOR (Part 1)

I'm sure you all know what 'Tourism' is, yes? It's an industry that deals with leisure and interesting places where you can go for your vacation. Do you know what 'Business Tourism' is? In most places, Business Tourism is meant for tourists who would come into the country to attend meetings, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, etc.

But I am promoting another side of Business Tourism...which is a tourism for the business people by itself. In this case, I am acting as a 'Tourist Guide' for the business people, especially foreign companies or entities when they want to relocate or expand their existing business; or when they want to set up a new business within this region; by providing them with a guided tour of the industrial areas - virtually as well as physically.

My company is called JBiz Management. And currently, I'm focusing on JOHOR (Excuse me, JOHO with an R ya..). Where is Johor, you might want to know. Well...Johor is the second largest state in West Malaysia and is located on the southern part of the peninsular, neighbouring to Singapore. There are a total of 10 districts in Johor with Johor Bahru district as the capital.

What's with Johor, anyway? Some people might look at Johor as a location inferior to the bustling and developed Singapore. To the business people, this is most likely. Hence you'd find most businesses carry out their operations here to take advantage of the lower cost, compared to Singapore; and yet they'd prefer to live in the Lion City. But...actually Johor has more to offer than the comparative costs.

I could summarise JOHOR as a place where you can 'work, live and play' all at the same time. Here are some interesting points:

1. Industrial Areas

There are a total of 28 industrial areas in Johor. These industrial areas housed most of the renowned manufacturers of textiles, furnitures, paper products and also food-based products. Of course all of these products are exported overseas. Do you know that the Nike t-shirts are made here in Johor? The t-shirts sold in Sears & Roebuck, the furnitures sold in Walmart, US and the cocoa-based products sold to the branded chocolate producers around the world...And now Johor is moving towards some new industry clusters with the likes of bio-technology, nano-technology & oil & gas. So there are a lot of potentials for the businesses to grow here; for big-scale, medium & smaller scale.

2. Residential Area

In Johor, you would find residential areas catered for the high-class as well as middle-class. If you prefer to live in a high-security and lavish high-class residence, you might find Ledang Heights and Leisure Farm appealing. You would find banglow lots ranging from RM700k - RM4mil here. The middle-class areas aren't too bad either. There are gated and secured residential areas. Property developers like Setia Properties, Bukit Indah Residences, Nusajaya, Horizon Hill provide you with a wide array of choices.

Leisure Farm Resort

Ledang Heights, Nusajaya

Setia Eco Park

3. Nature

To me, this is the best part. Even though with its vast plains of flat land, Johor still has some hidden beauty inside the patches of its jungle. And because it is located at the tip of the peninsular, Johor boasts the longest beach in Malaysia that stretches up to 400km from the East to the West side of the State.

Trek up the legendary Mount Ophir (Gunung Ledang), 1276m above sea level

Buaya Sangkut Waterfall deep in the heart of Endau Rompin National Park; one of the oldest tropical jungle in the region.

Beautiful stretch of white sandy beach off Desaru, on the east of Johor

Sunset off Sibu Island. Johor hosts 8 large islands mainly on the eastern side.

-to be continued with Part 2

If you want to find out more about JBiz Management, contact me at jbizmanagement@yahoo.com

Sources of information:

www.jsic.com.my

Google Images

Short Story : Journey Home (Part 2)

The station was alive. That's a common, for a bus station. The minute I stepped into the Terminal a few guys came at me. Not that they were interested to get to know me nor to do anything bad to me...but to sell me tickets. But I already had my ticket. So I just shrugged them off. It was still cold. Still wet. I had to endure the light rain to get to Platform 12. So I had to cross over a few platforms. The road was still wet and oily. I had to be careful not to step into the water puddles. Luckily I had my Hush Puppies on.

I didn't even look up when I was walking. I don't want the rain to get into my spectacles. For I don't have any wiper to wipe the water off. And that would make my vision blur. I don't like blurred vision. That's why I wear spectacles.

When I got to Platform 12, there were quite a number of people inside. It was a temporary station so the waiting area was just a tent with some plastic chairs to sit on. There were a few buses parked at the staging area...but none was bound for Johor Bahru. Not yet. It's still an hour to go. I didn't mind the wait. I had a book with me. But then I bought two newspapers. I wasn't being greedy or wasteful. I just love to read. Blame my father for it. My reading habit was influenced by him.

I took two seats. One for me to sit and the other for my bag. The ground was wet and I didn't want my bag to get dirty. I didn't read the book nor the newspapers. Not that I was being wasteful. People watching was more interesting. There were two white ladies with big backpacks. I didn't know where they were going. I didn't ask them. Nor would I care to. There was a family of six or so with some small children. Then they rushed off to their waiting bus. Then came another family. Not too far from where I was sitting, I saw the guy from the train who sat with his hands folded and a frown on his face. He still had his frown, though his hands were unfolded now.

I had an interesting watch that night. Many people from all walks of life came and went. Then the bus I was waiting for, arrived. It was a double decker. Cool. But it wasn't so cool afterall. The seats were too close and I had a hard time trying to get into the seat. Luckily I don't have long legs. But they're not short either. And luckily the seat next to me was vacant so I could put my backpack on it. Even though seats were meant for people to sit on, I put my backpack on it. Nobody seemed to mind. So that's okay.

The bus was freezing cold. I felt like I was sitting in the refrigerator. The freezer section. I began to cough. I couldn't stand cold. The guy in the front seat looked at me and handed me some lozenges. I took it and thanked him. He was being concerned. You could hardly find concerned strangers nowadays. Sincerely concerned. That's what I meant. It was good. The lozenge, I mean. I wasn't coughing anymore and I got to doze off to sleep.

3.00am. The bus passed through the Skudai Toll Plaza. And a few minutes later I disembarked from the bus in front of the McDonald's in adjacent to a Petronas service station. I bought some french fries and a cup of coffee. I've never eaten in McDonald's at 3.00am in the morning before. That was the first time. There's always a first time for everything.

4.30am. I was finally home. It was a great feeling. Being home. Like they say "There's no better place than home".

Note:
Photos taken from Google Images.

Short Story : Journey Home (Part 1)

It was drizzling when I stepped out from the PWTC onto the streets. 'Twas after 9pm. Since it was a Sunday, there were not many people around. Or perhaps a lot of them were inside, sheltered away from the drizzle. It was wet. The road, I mean.

The walk to the LRT Station wasn't that bad though. Luckily I had my Hush Puppies on...and my jeans..and a long coat. With a backpack, it reminded me of the good ol' days when I was a 'hippie' going around KL on foot. But that night was cold. My nose was getting stuffy. And my lungs were getting tighter.

As I hopped on to the platform, there were a few youngsters loitering around. Waiting for the train, I assumed. A couple was smooching in a corner, like they were in their own world. Surely they couldn't do it at home. That's what I thought. And maybe they're not that well-off to get a room in a hotel somewhere. Or maybe they wanted people to see them like that. Purposely. Or perhaps they just couldn't stand the need any more...Huh? Perhaps.

"03 mins. Tren ke Ampang/Sri Petaling". Suddenly a beep on my handphone indicated someone was messaging me. "Ah...Abang". What a sweet surprise. While responding to the message, the train arrived and I hopped on. Took a while to notice the announcement "Next station, Miharja". "Oh! Shit...I was on the wrong train. This one's going to Ampang". I should've got down at Chan Sow Lin and went on the other platform to Seri Petaling. So I got off at Miharja and went the other side waiting for the train back to Chan Sow Lin.

Miharja was a foreign place to me. It was kind of deserted. Sunday night, nearly 10pm, raining. Perhaps. A call to a friend kept me company. Finally the train arrived and I made sure I was on the right one this time. There was no empty seat. Well, there was one, actually. But the guy sitting next to it acted as if he was in a cafe somewhere, with his laptop fully opened and he was occupying the seat that could've accommodated two people. Selfish. That's what he was.

Fortunately, it was only a station away. I got off and went to the other platform, waiting for the train to Sri Petaling. There were quite a number of people on this platform. But they all looked very solemn. The rain. Perhaps. They looked like roosters on a perch in the rain. All quiet and bundled up. The rain dropped on to the tracks making a soothing sound to the quietness. Reminded me of a Barney song that my kids love so much "Listen to the pitter patter, pitter patter of the rain. Hear it tapping gently tapping, tapping on my window pane". And I wasn't singing out loud...just in my heart. And it made me smile. A warmth...to the cold atmosphere.

Then the train arrived and I managed to get a seat. Not many people going to Sri Petaling at this hour. Perhaps. The guy, sitting in the opposite seat looked like he wasn't enjoying the trip. He sat there with crossed arms...with a frown on his face. The cold. Perhaps. He got a big bundle of bag, carefully wrapped with a water-proof plastic and it read "Nike". But on the other side, two girls, cheerfully talking away amidst the sound of the train and the quietness of the other passengers.

Five stations and finally I arrived at Bukit Jalil station. Surprisingly, a lot of people came out from the same train. And they were all rushing off downstairs. Why the need to rush off? I thought. It's the way of life in KL. Always in the rush-hour mood. Perhaps. And it was raining lightly when I stepped out from the station. Couldn't call it drizzle anymore.

Luckily it was covered pathway to the temporary bus station. And I had my Hush Puppies on....and my jeans...and my long coat. Still, I had to cross the street. Still, I was exposed to the light rain. Still, it was cold. Still, it was wet. The road, I mean.

Be Passionate

Years ago, when I wanted to resign from a job, my boss asked me why and I told him that I wanted to look for something new. To take up a new challenge. Then he asked "Are you sure that what you're gonna do next would satisfy you?". And he said this which I took as an advice "You have to find it in yourself to make your job interesting". To that advice, I held on for many many years until recently I knew that it wasn't supposed to be like that.

I watched a documentary about David Beckham recently - 'The Rise and Rise of David Beckham' which showed about his shot to stardom. Once the documentary ended, I have all this to summarise "He's passionate about football". He started playing football when he was 5. He once said, "At school, whenever the teachers asked "What do you want to do when you're older?" I'd say "I want to be a footballer". And they'd say "No. What do you really want to do for a job?" But that was the only thing I wanted to do".(*)

Tiger Woods, started to swing the club at a tender age of 2. He achieved his first hole-in-one when he was 6 and won the Optimist International Junior World when he was 8. Now he's 34...that means he's been in golf for more than 20 years. His record total on the PGA career money list was USD92.86mil through 2009 and had won USD111mil worldwide. And still going...despite his other 'passion'. (Oh...and his average clubhead speed is 125mph i.o. an average person's speed at 84mph).

"Like all great champions, Tiger has the ability to raise his game when he has to. He's not going to burn out because he plays for his own joy and passion" - Jay Brunza, Woods' Sports Psychologist. (**)

Datuk Nicol Ann David, is currently ranked World's No. 1 in Women's Squash and the first Asian women to achieve this. She was the youngest woman to become the world junior champion when she won the World Junior Squash Championship in Antwerp, Belgium at the age of 15. She defended the title again in 2001, making her one of the only two players in the history of squash to have won it twice. Despite her achievements in squash, Datuk Nicol still managed to excel in her studies by acquiring 7As in her SRP and 7As in her SPM. She started playing squash when she was 5.(*)

Heck...what was I doing when I was 5?? My father was an avid tennis player...why didn't he teach me Tennis then, eh. Else I could've been in the same ranks with Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, Selena Williams...etc. He he.

Jaafar Taib is the founder of Creative Enterprise Sdn. Bhd. the first humour magazine ever produced in Malaysia. Born in 1952, his passion is in illustrating wildlife. He doesn't do so through looking at photos...instead, he'd go into the jungles himself to take photos of the wildelife or to illustrate there and then. Among his best collections was the Birds of Malaysia. His artwork is so intricate that you'd sometimes think it is too real to be an illustration.

When you look at it, most of the greatest artists or figures in the world became famous for what they do best...Because they are passionate in what they do. Being passionate is not only in making love, but also in the making of your own history. For you see, when these people started out, at the tender age of 2 or 5...they would never have imagined that they would be known throughout the world some day. They would never have imagined being World's No. 1s.

When we pursue our passion, we'd always have the desire to do our best. Being rewarded would be the last in our minds. So we should pursue our passion...rather than trying to be passionate in what we're doing now (if it is other than our passion). If we don't have the passion to do something...or even to be with someone...then we should look for something or someone else. Because it means there's no more love. If there's no more love...well, you know how it ends...

So...go for your passion rather than trying to be passionate in what you do or who you're with.

Sources:
(*) www.wikipedia.org
(**) web.tigerwoods.com

Whats with JOHO

Have you guys heard of JOHO? Well, I heard it for the first time from carlsamsudin.blogspot.com on a certain JB Anthology Workshop, which I eventually attended. JOHO is not an association, nor is it an organisation. The name 'JOHO' is not an abbreviation of any sort...it's just "joho". Why? They rationalise that when people pronounce the state of Johor (in Malay)...it's pronounce with a silent 'R'. So it becomes 'Joho' instead of 'Johor' with an 'R'. Simple...huh?

Whats with JOHO anyway? I've yet to fully understand what's it all about but I think by the side now I got the picture. JOHO is a community set-up by a bunch of young guys...with the objective to promote the talents of young Johoreans in all sorts of art - expressionists, artists, photographers, film-makers, copywriters...etc. And I am amazed at what they have done so far. It's a community that moves on its own...which is great, because it's not influenced by any 'parties' that have hidden agenda. And I hope that it will stay that way. The one thing that I like most, is that this community provides a platform for the youngs to express themselves. That'll pull them out from the streets and hopefully this would reduce the effects of social-ills among the youngs. Kudos to the brains that started it in the first place.

I'm not a Johorean and I'm not a youngster anymore (though I wish...he he). But I'd support this community in any way that I could. You see, when I first heard of Johor and someone proposed that I move down here to work, I said "Oh, no. Johor is the last state that I would go to work to". You know why? Because when I was in college, I met a few Johorean friends and they didn't give me the impression that Johoreans are humble beings. Later on, I heard that the cost of living in Johor is quite high.

But fate has it that I moved down here in 2000 due to a broken heart ("membawa hati yang lara"). And I've been here since...married a Johorean, even. Hmmm... The first thing that caught me back was to find that the people are indeed very friendly and accommodating. Then I had the 'culture shock'...which was the food. Where on earth in Malaysia would you find 'laksa' (white mee) made of spaghetti? And the Yong Tau Foo is made in soup...instead of the dark gravy. Then I got confused between Mee Bandung and Mee Jawa, which I was familiar with, in the Klang Valley. To top it all, the first time I ever saw a real Duku tree...was in Kg. Tiram Duku...a village very close to the port that I was working in. Duku is my favourite fruit...but I've never seen the tree. Peghak... Finally I got hooked on Soto...with Mihun.

As years went by, I have to acknowledge that Johor is a state full of ancestorial memories. There are still centuries-old houses and buildings scattered around the main town JB...but sadly, not so much emphasis was made to preserve these. Especially the old houses. Johor is full of culture too. Aside from the main three, there are also Javanees, Banjarians, Bugists; who have their own dialects, food and 'adat'. Then there's the music - ghazal, zapin and others. Oh! And I got to watch the real Kuda Kepang...some time ago. It was eerie indeed.

So I wish that JOHO could promote these as well in their activities, apart from the modern-age arts. Yeah...check these guys out. They are based in a 'house' just in front of Selat Tebrau...called The Lost Malaya.

http://johobaru.blogspot.com/

Anak Pahang,

ZADE