The Muka Head Lighthouse was built by the British in the year 1883. Standing at an elevation of 242m in Muka Head at Teluk Bahang, at Latitude 05º 28.4' N and Longitude 100º 10.9' E, the lighthouse is a 14m high white granite tower. It is one of two lighthouses on Penang Island - the other, at Forn Cornwallis, and was built in 1882. Yet another lighthouse is located on Pulau Rimau off the the southeast coast of Penang Island. (For more information on the lighthouses in Malaysia, visit the Malaysia Marine Department, http://www.marine.gov.my/light/index.html website.)
The Lighthouse of Muka Head.
Members and friends of AsiaExplorers made a trip to the Muka Head Lighthouse on a beautiful morning on Saturday, March 6, 2004. There were over thirty of us. We started our journey from the Beginning of the World Restaurant at around 8:25am. I was quite impressed to note that part of the trek has recently been repaired, hence the pathway still smelled of new tar and the suspension bridge looked brand new. But that was only for a short distance. Beyond the suspension bridge, the old path continued on.
After some climbing, we arrived at the USM Research Station. Established in 1996, it offered researches the opportunity to carry out tropical marine and coastal studies. According to Mr Tajul Arosh of the MNS, as pointed out the MNS Penang webpage in 2002, http://www.geocities.com/mnspenang/articles/2001/PAFR2001.htm, while research is still being carried out at the station, it was on a near extinct species of clams that are moreover a transplant from another state. He lamented the penchant that Malaysians have for all things new but are not keen on the preservation or maintenance what we already have, be it buildings or the environment. I do share his sentiments; at AsiaExplorers, we endeavour to education the public about the need to preserve and maintain what we have. Our massive membership base is testiment that we are slowly getting the message across.
There was another trekking party on the way to Muka Head, and I happened to know a few of the participants.
We arrived at Teluk Duyung in Muka Head around close to eleven o'clock. After a short rest and a picnic meal, we decided to continue our climb to the lighthouse. The climb was quite strenous, and a few members who are not used to climbing were soon overcome with fatigue. Those who decided not to climb waited for us at the beach bungalows. It is unfortunate that the bungalows, said to belong to the late local tycoon Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew, were all in a dilapidated state. The only form of running water available is in the form of stream water piped in for use. The toilet was again a hole in the ground. As this is part of the Penang National Park, I would urge the authorities to step in and restore these bungalows, working with the present owners of the property if necessary, to make them a more welcoming sight to weary trekkers.
The trash which was reported by MNS and other previous parties were still there. And if I may add, during our visit, we came upon a group of campers who on their departure, left a still smoldering camp fire right on the beach. How many gotong-royongs must we organise before Muka Head is clean? Never enough, if no effort is taken to educate campers, trekkers and the general public. At AsiaExplorers, I think we have our work cut out for us.
After an exhausting climb, we arrived at the Muka Head Lighthouse, and met the kindly caretaker, Encik Shukor, who allowed us the privilege to climb to the top for a panoramic view of the surrounding northwest tip of Penang. He even offered us some hot tea. He earned quite good money to stay at the lighthouse for the whole week, taking turns with two other caretakers. There is no television to keep him company, just a radio. I know I would go absolutely ravingly mad if I were to stay in the same spot for more than a day, but Encik Shukor looked quite sane to me.
Upon returning from the lighthouse, one group of members, including myself, left for home. Another group, led by Christopher Choong, made camp to stay the night. Christopher later reported to me that on the following morning, when the tide was out, the remaining party discovered that the floor of the bay was strewn with discards and trash.
Considering how low the level of civic education of the general public, I would advocate that forest rangers be posted at the Penang National Park and a fee be charged for its upkeep. I do not mind paying money to enter the park, as long as I do not have to double as garbage collector. I want to come here to enjoy the fresh air and natural beauty, and not have to come across discarded water bottles and wrappers. And I would expect amenities in good working order, taps to run, and toilets clean and working. A reasonable park fee will also keep out "cheap" people who are also the most likely to leave their trash behind.
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