Photo: Pelancongan Terengganu
Long before flooded, Tasik Kenyir policies that were once lush and lovely once part of the earliest populated areas in Hulu Terengganu.
While not yet a household name, the names of villages like Melor, Keliok, Berching, Petang, Mentong, Melaka, Kuala Terenggan, Kerbak and Belimbing gonna hear when there is a track history of hydroelectric dams. But now the story of the people who once camped deep in the upper reaches of Rajasthan that is not something that is well known. Most of the stories were down orally from generation to generation it has been forgotten.
Located in the village of Dura, Abbas Othman Kuala Berang name is well known as a former resident who once lived in the village at the bottom of the lake before it flooded in 1984. At the age of 77 years, Abbas arguably among the last generation 'inhabitants bottom of the lake which was willing to share life stories in his native village of Kampung Kuala Terengganu.
When sharing a memory of his childhood, Abbas acknowledged village life about 60 years ago was very different life now. He said life in the village can be likened to being in a world of its own. Abbas said that the village is separated with other settlements, the residents rely heavily on natural resources so that money has no value.
"As a child I never saw the money because the villagers do not have to use money to buy the goods".
"If want rice, we plant paddy, if need fish just take in the river," he said.
According to Abbas, the money will only be released from guri (a kind of small jars) several times a year when the people wanted to go back to Kuala Terengganu to buy salt and clothes. He added that bamboo raft ride to Kuala Terengganu, about 50 kilometers from his village when it takes four to five days.
"Traveling by bamboo raft is very challenging because residents had to fast-flowing rivers and rocky.
"Usually a raft accommodate three to four people. They will paddle rotation. There were times when the raft hit the stream broke", he said.
According to Abbas, life in the desert traversed by the residents began to get the government's attention in the 1950s to advise residents to evacuate. He said the government promised compensation to four hectares of land were moved to Kuala Berang.
"The first transfers began in 1950 after residents a taste of life in the forest was shrouded in poverty.
"They moved in stages because some did not want to move because the love of garden soil and vast rice fields", he said.
According to Abbas, he and his family moved three times from Kuala Terenggan to Kampung Petang then moved to Sungai Berching and fully residents before settling in the village of Dura since 1959. He added that the period of migration from the 'basic' Tasik Kenyir was done about 20 years before the dam construction Sultan Mahmud Hydroelectric Station in Kampung Jenagor, Kuala Berang.
"As I recall, there were about 80 families involved in the movement of the first stage," he said.
In addition to the residents of Kampung Petang and Berching, Dura village is now also shared by the residents of Kampung Kelitok and Berching.
At present, the former village that turned into a lake that can still be seen based on several rivers that still retains its original name.
Other legends
Another interesting story related to Tasik Kenyir is the story of a giant fish Arapaima gigas hunting. Told that the fish Arapaima gigas is the story of a giant fish that was brought into Malaysia in the 1980s that was later thrown into the lake. Why waste? Because this fish grow by eating large capital. Size of adult fish more than 2 meters, common aquarium was unable to accommodate the size of fish that grow up like this there is no limit.
In addition to requiring a large space, great food costs also make it not worth to be defended personally (unless you have a fish shop customers come to shop as an attraction). Finally gonna save costs, the lake was the most appropriate place to release. Does it matter? This giant predatory fish become number one in the lake.
This is not good for a fish sanctuary. Finally the former Menteri Besar of Terengganu has to offer RM10,000 to anyone caught arapaima fish alive.
