Comprehension

Just half an hour's car ride west of Kuantan is the sleepy little town of Sungai Lembing. Nestling
in a river valley, it is a haven of peace and tranquility, particularly if one can take a little time to
enjoy the surrounding countryside.

Sungai Lembing is situated just above the point where two rivers meet. The sandy flats are ideal
for fishing or birdwatching. One can stroll along the riverbanks and watch golden orioles,
parakeets and iridescently blue kingfishers. One can also sit in the cool of the evening for half
an hour and witness the sunset over Gunung Tapis, or watch a delight of pastel mauves and
purple colors wash the mountains of central Pahang.

The Museums and Antiquities Department of Malaysia is making an excellent job of refurbishing
the general manager's bungalow. By carefully studying historical records, the museum director
and his staff have successfully reconstructed the appearance and atmosphere of a working tin
mine. While visiting Sungai Lembing, it is worth taking a walk past some of the old bungalows
which give an idea of the scope and size of this once thriving community. In its heyday, the
world's deepest lode tin mine company employed a couple of thousand men who lived here with
their families; making up a population of about 15,000. When the tin ran out in 1985, the
population dwindled to a few thousand, many of whom commute to Kuantan for work.

Not far up the valley past the museum is the mill, where the mined tin ore was crushed. The
huge iron balls were lifted around large revolving steel cages and then fell by the force of gravity
down onto the tin ore, crushing it to a powder ready for further refining and collection. This
process is clearly shown in the museum.

In the old expatriate club, close to the museum entrance, one can eat a simple but excellent
meal of fried noodles, laksa or rice with the day's curry. The jovial Malay host serves his
speciality, a strong, piping- hot village coffee, sweetened with condensed milk, full of taste and
guaranteed to make you go back for more. Past the club, on the way to the mill in the direction
of the pedestrian suspension bridge, one really must make a stop at the biscuit factory. It is a
small family-run village enterprise. The crisp, wafery coconut biscuits, however, are famous
throughout the eastern part of peninsular Malaysia. Dipped in coffee they are a superb reminder
of life's simple pleasures.

Over the suspension bridge there is a peaceful village that has not changed for 50 years. The
wooden houses close to the river are built on stilts to keep them above the flood level. Further
up the hillside the houses disappear in a shady confusion of fruit and magnificient jungletrees.
For the slightly more adventurous, there is a possibility of spending a night in a chalet at the top
of Gunung Tapis. To get there one has to make the three-hour journey along logging tracks by
jeep and walk the last few kilometers. The reward is being able to spend time in the beauty of
the primary forest and experience the peace and harmony of undisturbed jungle for miles and
miles.

Some people find the calls of the gibbons that live in the area hauntingly plaintive but strangely
calming.

The chance to experience magnificient scenery and countryside, with the possibility of seeing
exotic wildlife, makes a trip to Sungai Lembing worthwhile. The road from Pasir Kemudi carries
on past Panching and takes us through durian, mangosteen and duku orchards and many miles
of planted oil palms. At Panching, it is possible to catch a fantastic view of Bukit Cheras and visit
this impressive limestone outcrop which contains caves and a resident Buddist monk who
silently watches over a 30 foot reclining Buddha.
With the hectic busy lives most of us lead, it is a wonderful opportunity to stop for a few hours,
take stock, look and listen to the wonders of nature. Sungai Lembing offers you just that
magnificient opportunity.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences

1. From paragraph 1, where is Sungai Lembing?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

.
2. From paragraph 2, name two things one can do at the confluence of the two rivers.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

.
3. From paragraph 3,
a) what is the highlight of the museum in Sungai Lembing?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

.
b) which word has the same meaning as 'became lesser’?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

.
4. From paragraph 6,
a) how does a visitor arrive at Gunung Tapis?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

.
b) what is the reward mentioned?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

.
5. Name two things of interest mentioned in paragraph 8.
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Answers
1. It is about half an hour's car ride west of Kuantan.
2. a) One can stroll along the riverbanks, do birdwatching or fishing.
b) To sit and watch the sun set.
3. a) The reconstruction of the appearance and atmosphere of a working tin mine.
b) Dwindled
4. a) To get there one has to make the three-hour journey along logging tracks by jeep and walk the last
 few kilometers.
b) The reward is being able to spend time in the beauty of the primary forest and experience the peace
and harmony of undisturbed jungle for miles and miles.
5. a) Scenery of fruit trees and many miles of planted oil palms on both sides of the road.
b) Bukit Cheras, an impressive limestone out crop which contains caves and a resident Buddist monk.

Answers
1. a) Ethnic pottery
b) Calabashes
2. a) The water is fresh adn chilled.
b) The water is infused with magical properties.
3. a) The special properties are attributed to the clay 'tanah busut' that is used to make calabashes.
b) It has a smooth, black surface that is glossy and embellished with motifs of traditional flowers,
spices and leaves around its top, neck and body.
4. a) Various
b) Water is added and the clay is kneaded to remove any air.
5. The 'tanah busut' used to make the calabashes is found only around the riverbanks and paddy fields of
Sayong. as there are other areas in Perak involved in the making of calabashes, the word 'sayong' was
added to distinguish these calabashes form sayong.

Comprehension

In Malaysia, only two states are truly renowned for pottery. Sarawak is, famous for its ethnic
pottery that captures the beauty and the intricacies of traditional designs, which has become a
must-have souvenir item. The other comes from the state of Perak and is called labu sayong.
These water calabashes have been around for more than a century and have enjoyed a
cherished albeit utilitarian existence.

Although the utilitarian purpose of the calabash was to keep water fresh and chilled, local
folklore claims that water stored in these containers is infused with magical properties. It is said
that the water stored in a labu sayong has the healing power to cure minor illnesses such as
fevers and coughs. In the past, the calabash was used in rituals performed at healing
ceremonies where water kept in it was blessed with incantations.

This magical aspect of calabashes is attributed to the clay that is used to make them. Labu
sayong is almost exclusively made from a type of clay known to the locals as tanah busut,
which translates as 'anthill earth'. This clay is found only around the riverbanks and paddy fields
in Sayong and nowhere else. Although there are a few other areas in Perak involved in making
these calabashes, the clay from these areas are considered inferior and do not match the
quality of clay that comes from Sayong. In fact, the word sayong was affixed to these
calabashes much later to distinguish the earthernware that originates from Sayong compared to
other areas.

Amongst the many types of labu sayong, the black calabash is the most popular and easily
identifiable. It has a smooth, black surface that is glossy and embellished with motifs of
traditional flowers, spices and leaves around its top, neck and body.

It is generally believed that this famous craftsmanship was brought in from Minangkabau,
Indonesia. Today, the art of making labu has been passed on from generation to generation.
Safaradin Mat Noh and his wife, Maznah Sulaiman, who are known as Pak and Mak in the
village, both learnt the art from their forefathers and have been involved in it since their
schooldays. Pak and his fellow craftsmen source the clay from various parts of Sayong. Next,
the dried clay is pounded into a fine powder using a traditional wood pounder, not dissimilar to
ones used in pounding rice. To further remove impurities, the powdered clay is sieved. Water is
then added and the clay is kneaded to remove any air. The 'dough' is then left alone for a day or
two to dry out before it is ready to be shaped.

The moulding of the labu is done in stages beginning from the base, the body, the neck and the
mouth. The process then follows the usual practice of pottery using a potter's wheel. Once the
entire calabash has been shaped, the semi-dry calabash surface is polished using a smooth
pebble.

The motifs are next stamped onto the calabash using stampers that have been carved out of
wood. The potter carefully makes the imprint of the design on each calabash, normally allowing
his own flight of fancy to dictate size, shape and design on each piece. Once complete, the
calabash is left to dry for a few days, before being fired in a pit for about 12 hours.

When the yellowish brown calabash turns red from the heat, it is taken out and immediately
tossed into a mixture of dried rice husks and earth that, amazingly, produces a black sheen
within seconds on the calabash's surface.

Like Pak and Mak, there are many craftsmen in Sayong who are involved in the craft, trying
very hard to keep it alive.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences

1. From paragraph 1, name the pottery found in the two states of Malaysia.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. From paragraph 2, what are the special qualities of the water stored in a labu sayong?

Give two qualities.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

….
3. a) From paragraph 3, what reason is provided for the special properties of the water?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
 c) From paragraph 4, how is the black calabash differentiated from others?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. From paragraph 5,
a) which word in this paragraph means 'different’?

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c) after the clay is pounded, what is the next step?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………
From paragraph 3, why is the word 'sayong' associated to these calabashes? Answer in

your own words.

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