MNS Perak Newsletter Mar 2000

From the Chairman's Desk

Hi Everybody,

Another Fellowship Night ended with renewed friendship and exchange of information. I wish to thank Ms. Lim Phaik Imm personally for her contribution of cakes for desert and taking the trouble to buy the bananas and lugged them to Puan Sri’s house. I also wish to thank Michael Foo and the other committee members who turned up early to help. Again my special thanks to Dr. Chan Kai Soon who pieced together snippets of all the MNS Perak activities that he took part and made it into a one-hour video tape presentation which had all the members wowing, smiling and giggling. This really made the night a memorable one. I must not forget Dato Dr. Majumder whose appearance at our function despite her busy schedule and outbidding the others for the Swarovski T-shirt set a new spirit and direction for the Perak branch.
      Our Branch Building Fund is nearing the RM10,000.00 mark. I hope members will come forward to help in fund-raising in any way so that efforts can be redoubled to spur on our noble aim. I know that there are a lot of untapped talents and manpower among our members which will certainly go a long way towards realising our dreams. One creative member, Foong Hui Wen, sent a very creative hand-made New Year Greetings card to the committee. She has meticulously cut up a card to fashion a multi-tiered building of the MNS. Maybe our dream building will take shape in that form in the future.
      There have been requests to start a flora group like other branches. It was pointed out that both the more energetic and the more relaxed members are interested in plants with their myriad forms and characteristics. Malaysia’s rich bio-diversity certainly present us with many opportunities to study and research on plant life. Very often plant life are been relegated to the back of our minds
and members’ interest in the plant kingdom has not been organised to arouse interest on a wider scale. Our visit to the orchid farm in Tanjung Rambutan made me realise that quite a large number of our members actually like plants, especially flowering ones like orchids of which more than 850 species are found in Peninsular Malaysia. Hence it is timely that a plant group be started to cater to the needs of plant enthusiasts. For a start I shall head this group temporarily until someone takes over. Personally I have been involved with orchids, gesneriads and begonias which were introduced to me by Mr. Leong Tuck Lock, a long-time school mate and friend. A recent visit to Dr. Loh Seck Poh’s orchid garden (species only) further add to my curiosity. With the wealth of knowledge from plant experts like Ananda Krishna Rajah I am confident the group will contribute a lot to better understand the myriad plant forms in our country.
      The Perak MNS members have also grown in sophistication and dedication. Both Laurence Poh and Cheang Kum Seng have been supplying a constant flow of knowledge in the form of text and beautiful digital photographs to help members better appreciate our avian life. Such selfless dedication has also brought more members into our fold who wish learn more about Nature and the innovative and artistic use of modern technology. Dr. Chan Kai Soon’s video recordings of our activities and wildlife especially birds bears testimony to the fact that the MNS members are a nice lot and always willing to dedicate their time and energy to bring to our realm and homes graphic knowledge about the wonders of nature. To all of you I salute your willingness to share knowledge and experience and the glory you brought to the branch.

Love Life. Love Nature.

Cheaw Hon Ming
1 March 2000


Index to reports and articles

  1. Announcements
  2. Birding at Fraser's Hill ( 8-10 Jan. 2000 - Hari Raya Weekend)
  3. Birding in Maxwell Hill (21-22 Jan.2000)
  4. Gua Kelam, Perlis (Friday – Sunday 21-23 January 2000)
  5. Visit to Orchid Farm (Saturday 29 January 2000)
  6. Fellowship Night (Saturday 26 February 2000)
  7. SUCKING WATER FROM THE MOSSY FOREST (Trekking up Yong Belar 6 - 8 November 1999) by Hooi Peng Kwan
  8. QA ON RAPTORS
  9. SAVE THE FIREFLIES (By Sarah Sabaratnam)
  10. Firefly facts (Compiled by Sarah Sabaratnam)
  11. Floods and Landslides
  12. Carrying Capacity Key to Sustainable Eco-tourism
  13. Act fast before any other Malaysian wildlife goes extinct!
  14. Move for state governments to submit master plan of hill developments most  timely
  15. Secretariat news

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Created on 15th Mar 2000