A Better Direction to DATON NGAWI' Office

that road sign

DATON NGAWI' Freshwater Fish Farm is located slightly less than one kilometer along Jalan Babagon-Timpango which branches to the right from the Penampang-Tambunan Main Road at around KM 22. Jalan Babagon-Timpango is a sealed road. It cuts across the Moyog River at a scenic river fording. This particular river spot has been made quite famous and popular by picnickers, car lovers and, generally, users of small as well as big vehicles. Although many town dwellers and Government office workers have come to visit this place, it is doubted that any workers from the Jabatan Alam Sekitar have ever visited this place on 'some Sunday afternoon'. A short distance from these famous river banks is a right-hand turn junction to Jalan Babagon Indah. The Government planted Road Sign near that junction means to direct every intending seeker of Stesen Pertanian Babagon and Stesen Perikanan Babagon. One has to look closely at the seemed-to-be-an-after-thought inserted arrow sign and the direction where it is pointing. From Jalan Babagon Indah, one can see a panoramic view of Daton Ngawi' Freshwater Fish Farm area and its Site Office.

Beware! Vandalism has come to our Kampung!

.. Jalan Babagon Indah roadside decorative trees ..

Overnight one night in late October, a few manageable Government road signs were uprooted and thrown down. The heavy and unmanageable ones were spared. Some a dozen or so young, about one to one and a half centimeter width trunks, Government-planted decorative trees along a road were seemingly man-handled and snapped-off from about a foot high from the ground.

.. the replanted road signs .. .. the snapped off young trees ..

The uprooting of the road signs, for sure, was not reported to the Police for further professional police investigations. It was hoped that the ravaging of the young decorative trees was duly reported as it involved damages to Government properties and needing a Government employee, the officer-in-charge, to execute the official reporting duties. The making of Police reports of damages resulting from vandalism is generally hoped made and is thought of very necessary for it is in fact the first step to ethical awareness raising and to the education of the public as a whole. Responsible institutions set up within a kampung could organize Talks and Discussions at kampung level where speakers from outside, e.g. the Police Department, could be invited to present Talks on "How to make Police Reports" or "What could be reported to the Police", among others. This is necessary so that a typical folly, such as, "I can't make a Police report for I don't know who the culprit is!", could not surface from a hoped budding community icon.

They thought that they were right.

Some of the inhabitants in Kampung Timpango and Tintap had occasions of losing rubber sheets in the third quarter of 2008. They suspected outsiders to be the culprits. When I asked them as to how many times they had made police reports pertaining to their lost, then they said that they were never reported. They further said that the thieves seemed to know the exact spots where their rubber sheets sheds were located. On hearing their own comments I purposely provoked them a bit by saying, “No wonder you all did not want to make any police reports because for fear of becoming a target of investigations”. Some smart individuals among the kampong inhabitants cooked up an idea to padlock the Government road leading to their kampungs. A kampong meeting was convened but not all the kampong people who would be affected by the padlocking were invited. If ever I was invited, I thought, I would certainly have offered them my piece of mind. They had suspected my objection for I was not secretive about my feelings. I had purposely expressed my objections to anyone I met. I was informed that the Ketua Kampung, the Chairman of the JKKK and the CDO, a political figure, of the area attended the meeting. These people must not have objected to the Kampung peoples’ demand. They were prompted therefore to think that what they were doing was right and in consonance with the law. The padlocking of the main road, Babagon-Timpango Road, took effect at the start of September, 2008. Many people who had family ties with people further-up the padlocked areas were taken by surprise. All the people in the affected areas were given a key each for the padlock. I was not given a key. In fact I was told that should I want a key then I had to see the Vice Chairman of the JKKK to get a key for RM20.00 and to be given a talking to before a key was given. This was purportedly so because I was known to oppose the padlocking idea. If and when I had to get through the padlock anytime I needed to, I would dismantle the whole locking system and wait to be brought to the courts of law. The processes of law would enlighten everyone as to the misguided purported smart idea of padlocking a Government built road. Ever since the padlocking, there hasn’t been heard of any stolen sheets! Could it be that the smart inhabitants who initiated the padlocking did so as a cover-up of some smart involvements in the whole affairs?

Tintap on Google Earth

Yellow arrow pointing where Sulap Tintap is located.


Before proceeding to Sulap Tintap, you need to cross the river...


As you walk along the road to Sulap Tintap, on your left you will see "Aramai Tee...." on a big rock!

Walk further down and turn right to Jalan Babagon Indah.

Sulap Tintap is on your right.

Beware of DOGS!

By TMT4