Thriving in Tambun

Tambun is located near the North-South Expressway toll plaza.

HE planted a pomelo tree in an orchard in Tambun and went for horse-riding in Ulu Piah nearby.

The fruit found instant fame following the planting by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

That was in the 1990s, and roadside stalls selling pomelos mushroomed in Tambun, about 10km from Ipoh city, overnight.

But the fruit, called look yau in Cantonese (which rhymes with abundance rolling in) never made much progress after that.

The owner of the orchard, Chong Kok Seong, has since passed away and the plantation is also no more.

This story was told by Kampung Baru Tambun village chief Chang Wan Choon during a visit by StarMetro recently.

Lin is co-owner of Go Chin Pomelo Nature Park together with her husband Chin.

Tambun, a predominantly agricultural area, is synonymous with pomelo. “Pomelos have at least 100 years of history in Tambun,” said Chang of the fruit trees which thrive on former mining land.

Chang also remembers Hong Kong filmstars visiting the orchards in Tambun in the 1960s.

“A big-time pomelo businessman here, Loke Yew Teng, invited them. We were so excited to see popular stars like Chan Poh Choo and Siew Fong Fong in person,” recalled the 63-year-old Chang.

While pomelos from Tambun have found their way overseas to Hong Kong and Singapore, the production of the fruit is limited.

Land issues, said Chang, is a stumbling block.

There are about 133 families involved in pomelo farming in some 90ha of land in Tambun. But only about half of them managed to obtain land titles for their orchards with the help of Tambun MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.

Chang (fourth from right) and Meng Wai at a pomelo farm near Kampung Baru Tambun in Tambun surrounded by tourists.

The fate of the others hangs in the balance.

On agro-tourism which is becoming increasingly popular these days, farmer Foong Kok Ping said it might be feasible for those with at least 1.6ha of land.

Foong, who has been growing pomelos for over three decades, said most farmers, including him have orchards which are between 0.4 to 0.8ha

The only orchard in Tambun that is open to visitors daily is Go Chin Pomelo Nature Park which is owned by 73-year-old Chin Too Kam,

His wife Lin Swee Kiew said their orchard opens between 9am and 6pm.

Lin, 70, said visitors comprise both locals and foreigners, and their posts on social media have helped promote the place.

She and her husband have been farming pomelo for over 20 years.

Farmer Chow Sheau Ming, 56, said many youngsters were not keen on pomelo farming because of the increasing cost and fluctuating price of the fruit. He has been toiling in his orchard for over 20 years.

Koh Meng Wai, 69, has also been in the business for four decades.

He used to rear pigs and had some pomelo trees on his farm until 1999 when an epidemic in nearby Ulu Piah killed all the pigs.

“I went into pomelo farming full-time after that,” he added.

The father of five said one of his sons, Hong Kwai, in his 30s, helps him in the orchard now.

“We also rear some ducks to supplement our income.”

Over the years he has acquired a smattering of knowledge on plants as medicine.

“A woman from Kuala Lumpur came to look for a plant that grows on the branches of pomelo trees.

“She said it can be used to treat cervical cancer,” he said.

Kampung Baru Tambun villager Lew (left) and his wife Lee, welcoming Chang (second from right) and Tambun MCA secretary Lim Pak Kwai (right) to their house.

Meng Wai and Chang also exchanged notes on the efficacy of a fruit to treat colon cancer.

The fruit, called wong tuk in Cantonese, grows wild near Meng Wai’s orchard.

“But this fruit can be poisonous for healthy people,” he cautioned.

Like most new villages set up during the Emergency (1948-1960), Kampung Baru Tambun is a greying community as the youths have gone to big cities like Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in search of jobs.

Lew Sin Yoon, 79 and his wife Lee Yoon Nook, 72, continue to stay in the village.

The couple have five children, three of whom have settled in Kuala Lumpur.

Lew helps his daughter and son-in-law run a coffeeshop along the main road in Tambun which is a stone’s throw from his house.

Chang runs a motorcycle shop and his wife Cindy Wong Yoke Chan is a remisier. The couple have three children, one of whom is in Singapore.

Just like the Tambun pomelo, the villagers too are proud of their long history, dating back four to five generations since their forefathers arrived in then Malaya.