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UTAR NEW VILLAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT

REPORT

NAME OF NEW VILLAGE:

BERTAM VALLEY

PAHANG

Project carried out by:

Student Name ID Number Course Year / Semester

1. Sabeatra A/P

Selvarajoo

1500838 Business

Administration

Year 4 Semester 1

2. Aki Umehara 1900835 Business

Administration

Year 1 Semester 1

3. Lai Hong Yee - - -

DATE OF COMPLETION:

NOVEMBER 2019

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ABSTRACT

Bertam Valley, formerly known as Bertram Village, was established in 1948. Agriculture

is one of the many economic activities conducted here for years. Since this village revolves around

agricultural-based activities, many of the villagers work as farmers. Farmers here are known for

their ginger crops, as the ginger produced is fresh and a delight when used in cooking. It is a village

that is on the edge of transformation, meaning usage of modern-day agricultural technologies is

high. This is mainly to produce vegetables grown in the highlands.

A view of the valley from the village

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INFRASTRUCTURES

Infrastructures have long been available in Bertam Valley. There are several local

organisations enforcing the law in the village. One association is the ‘Pondok Polis’, which is

composed of ten volunteers. In addition, there is a fire station to manage emergencies and fires.

There are also several organisations helping the many farmers interact in a co-operative

environment, as they work hard and wake up at the break of dawn to start farming in order to put

food on the table for their families.

Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat in the town area

The smaller organisations include Farmers’ Association and Flower Industry Association.

For those who are completely religious (which is mandatory in these parts), there is a huge and

breathtaking Chinese Temple, the majestic Temple of Datuk Gong. There is also a church for

Christians and Catholics. Aside from that topic, there is also another third party organisation, ,

which is the Jabatan Sukelawan Malaysia (for Security and Safety).

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Temple of Datuk Gong

`The one and only church in the village

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Pusat Khidmat Komuniti Rela (PKKR) in the town area

Tap water here is filtered and safe for drinking. It is provided by the Government of

Malaysia, which shows its commitment to supply water to even a small but peaceful village. The

river that is the source of water supply is from a nearby fast-flowing stream and from the hills.

This water is diverted from a distance of 10 km away. The water supply that is for washing clothes

is supplied by Pengurusan Air Pahang Berhad (PAIP), which source of river remains unknown.

Electricity is supplied by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). Waste disposal is handled by SWF Corp

Pahang, which comes to collect garbage twice a week. Sewage disposal is managed by Indah

Water Konsortium. Radio antennas and electrical towers are placed in some of the places here in

order to help with telecommunications signal for mobile devices. Medical services are also

available locally in order to help those who are ill get treatment immediately. One of the clinics is

named Klinik Desa. The General Hospital is located in Tanah Rata, which is about 12 km from

Bertam Village. The district council, Majlis Daerah Cameron Highlands is always ready to help

if anything goes wrong. Other facilities include the Dewan Orang Ramai Lembah Bertam, which

is a huge town hall built for the usage of the public. There is also a playing field, where children

and use in the evening to exercise, shops, stalls and a market which stores fresh foods and

vegetables every day.

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Klinik Desa in the village

Pondok Polis in Bertam Valley

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People’s Hall of Bertam Valley

SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

The Chinese make up 95% of the population and Indians as well as other races 5%.

However, the number of households is vague and uncertain. Most of the villagers are Buddhists,

but there are Christians and Catholics too and all live in harmony with each other. There are also

many festivals that are celebrated among the locals, such as the Ullambana Festival, also known

as the Ghost Festival. People from Persatuan Amal prepare food together as a family, since it takes

big team effort to prepare that amount of food for the entire village. There are also magnificent

stage shows in the community hall, which are definitely entertaining. During this festival, offerings

are made to the spirits of the dead and to the hungry ghosts in order to bring good fortune and luck.

It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. Ullambana is a festival of

liberation, which advocates and reinforces the concept of filial piety.

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Persatuan Amal Chin Seng Kok (association in charge of Ullambana festival celebration)

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Festival flags all around Bertam Valley (top), and food preparation by villagers for Ullambana festival celebration

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EDUCATION

There is a number of learning institutions in Bertam Valley:

- Nursery/kindergarten for pre-schoolers – S.K.K. Bertam Valley (Govt.)

- Private kindergarten

Primary school for students aged 7 to 12 (S.J.K.C. Bertam Valley). It was established 72

years ago and the building is still strong. There are 242 students from pre-school to Standard 6 and

25 teachers. The principal is Madam Seng Wai Cheng. This school is fully funded by the

government. Even though the number of students is decreasing from 300 to 200, it increased

slightly in the past two years. It has also been given the title “Sekolah Kluster Kecemerlangan”

due to their excellent performance in mathematics and basketball.

- Huge secondary school (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ringlet), which is located 1.5

km away from the primary school.

Most of the students travel to school by car or on foot, as there are no school buses. They

prefer conversing in Chinese followed by English and Malay.

Interviewers with Madam Seng (second from right)

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SJK(C) Bertam Valley

Single-storey old classrooms (left) and 3-storey new classrooms (right)

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ECONOMY

The main economic activities in Bertam Valley are farming and commercial. Farming

involves planting and harvesting fruits, vegetables and even beautiful flowers, which are very fresh

in order to export to Japan. Commercial activities include owning shops and restaurants. As for

agricultural-based activities, records show that almost 1,000 hectares of land have been cultivated

for farming. According to local buyers, the main crops grown and sold by local farmers are

vegetables in the freshest condition, and fragrant flowers. According to statistical records on

income in Bertam Valley, most of it comes from farming, commercial activities and also tourism

and eco-tourism. The average monthly income goes up until RM3,000.00.

Visit to chrysanthemum farm

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Visit to grape farm

Goat farming

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INTERVIEW WITH THE HEADMAN OF BERTAM VALLEY

In 1948, the British Government founded and established this tiny village as one of the

most important crops producing area. The farmers in the village were dependent on the crops

cultivated here. Most villagers grew ginger and now many of them grow vegetables, fruits and

even flowers.

Chrysanthemum comes in different colours such as red, pink, yellow and white

We interviewed Mr Wong, the village headman who with his experience and thorough

knowledge of the village, took the time and made the effort to explain to us everything we needed

to know about past history of the village till its current transformation.

In the late 40s, farmers had limited knowledge of crops to grow. The land for cultivating

crops was limited as well. However, the 21st century brought a lot of advantages to farmers. They

no longer had to follow their ancestors’ footsteps in growing only certain crops in a restricted

space. They now have advanced technology to produce large amounts and varieties of vegetables

like asparagus, cabbage, fruits like strawberries, watermelons and flowers like lavender, rose,

orchid etc.

On one side of Bertam Village is a dam. Farmers use a huge supply of water to grow their

crops. To ensure maximum growth of crops or any plant, water is of utmost importance as well as

sunlight and carbon dioxide. Thus, all the vegetables, fruits and flowers here look fresh.

However, Bertam Valley is not only known for its crops, as many non-villagers have

moved from different parts of Malaysia to live in Ringlet. Currently there are many ways to earn

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an income. Various types of businesses from restaurants, grocery shops, hotels and motels to

spas can be found here. We would like to convey our gratitude and thanks to Mr Wong for his

time and effort in giving all this important information

Mr Wong (centre) with interviewers

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TOURISM

Eco-tourism in Bertam Valley reaches its peak during the holiday season. Tourists from

the West escape the cold and snowy season to warmer climates in the East. One of these places is

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia with its beautiful landscapes. Bertam Valley is the top choice for

all who visit Cameron Highlands. Even local tourists have fun here, as they are able to tour grape

farms and pick delicious fruits similar to what they will experience at vineyards abroad. A not-to-

be-missed opportunity is the aboriginal village, as it is very traditional. Tourists can enjoy outdoor

camping as well as watch the sunrise from glorious picnic spots. Another experience is seeing live

crops grown for the entire town; asparagus, among others, is a popular plant, and oranges are

preferred by the local Chinese.

Residence of Orang Asli

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Visit to grape farm to experience fruit picking

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

In 1948, the British Government developed the land for agricultural purpose. Crops grown

by the farmers gave them a large amount of food supply as well as a lot of profit for the economy.

However, this business model has gone through a major transformation and created income

streams outside the field of agriculture. In the 21st century, everything has changed and evolved

to make way for new and better ways to increase the country’s economy. It is fascinating to see

how planting is evolving. Then, it was only ginger crops, but now there is a huge variety of crops

grown and most vegetables, fruits and flowers can be found here now. There are also more job

opportunities. The previously sole focus on farming has expanded to grocery shops, supermarkets,

restaurants, hotels, spas, markets, vineyards etc. This not only helps business owners, but tourists

can enjoy all these facilities too. Tourists from around the world visit Cameron Highlands for

relaxation, photo taking and a yearly vacation away from their stressful jobs. Going into the hotel

business here is advantageous, as the number of tourists increases significantly every year.

One of the biggest flower farms in Bertam Valley

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Highlands tour brochure

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OTHERS

Popular food in Bertam Valley are wonton noodles, century eggs, mee jawa and prawn

noodles. The local fare is one of the factors attracting tourists’ attention.

An old coffee shop with traditional menu

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PROBLEMS

Several problems have resulted in negative effects on the ecosystem in Bertam Valley.

Since the law was enforced against illegal farming, irresponsible people have been found to have

dumped all their wastes into streams thereby destroying the beauty of Mother Nature. This also

clogs up the sewage system and causes floods in the town whenever there is heavy downpour. The

flash floods are increasing day by day. If no one takes the initiative to put things right, the legacy

of Bertam Valley will be in serious doubt. The irresponsible acts even extend to dumping of wastes

along the roadside. This leads to an unacceptable environment that reeks of foul smells and causes

water and earth pollution. Since water from the streams is the source of water supply for Bertam

Valley, it directly affects the safety of the residents. If the only source of water supply is

contaminated, Bertam Valley residents will not have any clean drinking water. It is causing major

destruction to the environment.

Rubbish left at roadside is affecting the beauty of the environment

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Decisive actions must be taken immediately to address and stop the destruction to

environment. It is timely for the Government to establish a proper waste disposal system and

recycling centre. They should also start promoting ecotourism, as a means of increasing the income

of the villagers and also to allow them to prepare for emergencies. Environmental disasters can

happen anywhere at any time, especially since Bertam Valley is located at Cameron Highlands,

and like its name, is located on high land. Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) should also start

cleaning up the rivers in order to keep the rivers clean and unclogged. If action is taken, flash

floods can be prevented. Lastly, the persons in charge here at Bertam Valley could file a request

towards the government to start taking action and to issue summons to offenders who pollute the

river or other public spaces.

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: 05- 4688888 ext 2295/2299/2300 (Kampar Campus)