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The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Unpacking the legacy in plantation names
IN Malaysia's early plantation days, life was tough, but creativity flourished. While latex and fresh fruit bunch flowed, so did amusing stories behind estate names. More than a formality, naming was an art, full of humour and quirky charm. These tales remain a delightful part of the plantation heritage. Let's take a stroll down memory lane and discover how inventive those names truly were. Tennamaram Estate It's been 108 years since Malaysia's first commercial oil palms were planted at Tennamaram in Batang Berjuntai (now Bestari Jaya), Selangor. In 1911, inspired by oil palm development in Sumatra, Frenchman Henri Fauconnier brought seeds to his coffee estate, and by 1917, Tennamaram became the nation's pioneering oil palm estate. Now here's the twist: 'Tennamaram' comes from the Tamil words 'tennam maram', meaning coconut tree. Why name an oil palm estate after coconuts? Apparently, Tamil workers mistook the young palms for coconut trees, giving the estate its 'coconutty' name. The actual Tamil for oil palm is 'sempanai maram' or 'enney panai', so the estate's name was based on a botanical blunder. And so, Malaysia's oil palm legacy – serious business with global impact – was born from a linguistic mix-up. Bangsar In 1906, the London-based Kuala Lumpur Rubber Co Ltd (KLR) was founded to plant rubber around Kuala Lumpur, driven by rising demand for tyres as motorcars replaced horse – drawn carriages. Veteran planter M R Chandran, who once worked with Socfin, fondly recalled KLR's Belgian and French founders – Edouard Bunge and Alfred Grisar – who left a lasting mark on the region's agricultural landscape. Back then, naming the estate was a no-brainer for Bunge and Grisar: they simply merged their surnames. Thus, Bunge-Grisar was born. But 'Bunge-Grisar' didn't roll off the tongue for local workers under the Malayan sun. Over time, it was shortened to 'Bungsar'. As the plantation made way for city life, the name got a final polish – becoming 'Bangsar'. Thankfully for today's branding, B came before G – otherwise we would be living in Sarbang. What began as a humble rubber estate under Socfin eventually morphed into the buzzing suburb. Yam Seng Estate Here's a cheerful tale from The Planter by D B Gardner about how a rubber estate in Larut, Perak came to be named Yam Seng – the Cantonese toast meaning 'Cheers!' At the turn of the century, an Irishman – rare among the mostly English and Scots planters – was managing the only Irish-registered rubber company operating in Malaya. When his company acquired land from a local Chinese towkay, tradition called for a handover celebration. The chairman threw a party, complete with rounds of brandy. As spirits soared, so did the shouts of 'Yam Seng!' from the Chinese guests. When the time came to name the estate, the official turned to the Irishman, who, perhaps buoyed by both cultural warmth and brandy, simply raised his glass and declared, 'Yam Seng!' Applause followed. And just like that, Yam Seng Estate was born. Fittingly, 'Yam Seng' also means 'Drink to Victory', a perfect tribute to the estate's hopes for prosperity, success and unity. Today, the name celebrates more than a good cheer – it honours a unique blend of Irish wit, Chinese tradition and the shared toast to progress. MOBE Estate Here's another classic from The Planter about MOBE – a rubber estate named after a frustrated Englishman's sarcastic outburst. Estate rules required a giant signboard listing the estate name. After refusing to register a name and facing repossession, he gave in with that cheeky acronym for his outburst 'My Own Bloody Estate' – and it stuck. MOBE remains a legendary blend of British sarcasm and colonial red tape – with a wink. Nordanal and Lanadron Estates In Panchor, Johor, a clever plantation owner made waves not just with rubber but with naming flair. His estate, Nordanal, sounded grand and mysterious. When he bought a neighbouring plot, He kept it simple – just reversed the original name. And so, Lanadron was born. Workers laughed, 'Did Tuan just flip the name?' But the strategy caught on. Today, both estate names remain as cheeky reminders that sometimes, the smartest move is just flipping the script. Jeroco and Trushidup Let's head to Sabah, where plantation names blend branding genius with local flair. First, Jeroco – a name that sounds like a masked superhero but is actually a clever acronym coined by Hap Seng Plantations in Lahad Datu. No, it's not biblical Jericho with crumbling walls and trumpets. This is Jeroco –practical and all about tropical crops. The name fuses four key ones: JE for Jelutong, R for Rattan, O for Oil Palm and CO for Cocoa. A compact showcase of agro-diversity! Of course, not all crops are created equal. Over time, only oil palm proved unstoppable – efficient, productive and needing fewer resources than its plant cousins. It's the last crop standing. Then there's Trushidup of Genting Plantations Bhd . Sounds like a mythical forest where nothing dies – and in a way, it is. A poetic spin on Terus Hidup (Malay for 'live on'), it evokes images of ever-flourishing palms swaying with eternal purpose. Immortality, estate-style. Excellent Challenger 1 and 2 Back when I was in IJM Plantations Bhd, now KLK, there were two estates in Sugut named Excellent Challenger 1 and 2 – grand names that stuck from day one. Naturally, we shortened them to EC1 and EC2, which, in true Malaysian fashion, became 'Easy-one' and 'Easy-two'. But don't be fooled by the breezy nicknames. These estates sat near the Sugut River, and during the early days, heavy rains regularly turned them into giant ponds. Plantation life was anything but 'Easy', though 'Challenger' felt very accurate. And if battling floods wasn't enough, the rising waters brought more than fish. Yes, there were crocodiles too. So along with tending to the crops, we had to watch the riverbanks. A true test of nerves – and definitely not so 'easy too' after all. As plantation ownership changed over time, many colonial-era names were replaced – taking with them small pieces of our past. But were those changes necessary? Rather than erasing history, we might learn from it and move forward. Shakespeare asked, 'What's in a name?' But on plantations, names were more than labels. They carried wit, sentiment and history – whether as acronyms, tributes or clever wordplay. Some planters also named estates after places or people from home, turning distant memories into emotional anchors in unfamiliar lands. Joseph Tek Choon Yee is the past president of the Malaysian Estate Owners Association and former chief executive of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association. The views expressed here are the writer's own.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Robust exports buoy second-quarter growth
Solid showing: Workers in a garment factory in Vietnam. The country's exports rose 18% in the second quarter to US$116.93bil. — AFP HANOI: Vietnam's economy grew at a faster pace in the second quarter of this year led by strong exports, in an encouraging sign just days after US President Donald Trump said he would place lower-than-threatened 20% tariffs on many Vietnamese products. Concerns over the South-East Asian manufacturing hub's outlook had been growing in the run up to the trade deal announced last Wednesday, particularly as the United States is Vietnam's biggest export market. Gross domestic product growth in the April-June quarter accelerated to 7.96% year-on-year, from the 6.93% in the first quarter, government data showed last Saturday. It was just short of Hanoi's full-year growth target of at least 8%. 'Economic performance in the first half of this year was positive and close to our target amid global and regional economic uncertainty,' the National Statistics Office said. Exports were a bright spot in the last quarter, rising 18% to US$116.93bil from a year earlier, while imports were up 18.8% at US$112.52bil, translating into a trade surplus of US$4.41bil, the data showed. Industrial production in the period rose 10.3%, while June consumer prices rose 3.57%. Trump announced last Wednesday the United States and Vietnam reached a trade deal, under which Vietnamese goods would face a 20% tariff, with trans-shipments from third countries through Vietnam also facing a 40% levy. Vietnam could import US products with a 0% tariff. The tariff rates were lower than an initial 46% rate threatened by Trump in April. Vietnam hailed the deal as a boost for business and said negotiators were working to finalise details, as business groups awaited clarity on the finer points to assess the impact of the new tariffs. The United States is the largest export market for Vietnam, a regional manufacturing hub housing several multinational companies such as Samsung Electronics and Foxconn. The United States recorded a trade deficit of US$123bil with Vietnam last year, one of its highest globally. Vietnam is also home to several Chinese companies, which analysts said are likely the main targets for the 40% tariff on trans-shipments. China is Vietnam's largest two-way trading partner on which it relies heavily for components and materials for its manufacturing industries. Fitch Solutions said in a note last Friday that Vietnam's exports and investment will remain strong for the rest of the year and signalled upside risks for its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast of 6.4% this year. 'With the new 20% tariff, we think the government will speed up industrial upgrading and shift exports from low-margin goods to higher value-added products such as semiconductors,' it said in a note. Dominic Scriven, founder and chairman of investment firm Dragon Capital, said the trade deal is 'net-positive' and the potential GDP hit is less severe than feared. 'With external trade risk now moderating, attention can return to the country's core growth engine, the domestic and private-sector economy,' he said. — Reuters
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
BRICS voice 'serious concerns' about Trump tariffs
RIO DE JANEIRO: BRICS leaders descended on sunny Rio de Janeiro Sunday, issuing a dark warning that US President Donald Trump's "indiscriminate" import tariffs risk hurting the global economy. The 11 emerging nations -- including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- represent about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output. The bloc is divided about much, but found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars. The BRICS leaders voiced "serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures," warning they are illegal and arbitrary, according to a final summit statement. In April, Trump threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties, but abruptly offered a reprieve in the face of a fierce market sell-off. Trump has warned they will again impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach "deals" by August 1. The BRICS said such moves break world trade rules, threaten to further reduce global trade and were "affecting prospects for global economic development." The summit declaration did not mention the United States or its president by name, but it is a clear political volley directed at the occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank, estimates Trump's tariffs could trim about two points off US GDP and hit economies from Mexico to the oil-rich Arabian Gulf. Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power. But as the group has expanded to include Iran, Indonesia and others, it has struggled to reach meaningful consensus on issues ranging from the Gaza war to reforming international institutions. The political punch of this year's summit has been depleted by the absence of China's Xi Jinping, who is skipping the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president. The Chinese leader will not be the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, is also opting to stay away, but participated via video link. He told counterparts that the influence of BRICS "continues to grow" and said the bloc had become a key player in global governance. Still, Xi's no-show is a blow to BRICS and to host President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who wants Brazil to play a bigger role on the world stage. On Sunday he welcomed leaders to Rio's stunning Guanabara Bay, telling them that multilateralism was under attack, while hitting out at Nato and Israel, among others. He accused the trans-Atlantic defense organisation of fueling an international arms race through a pledge by members to spend five percent of GDP on defense. "It is always easier to invest in war than in peace," he said, while accusing Israel of carrying out "genocide" in Gaza. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose nation is still reeling from a 12-day conflict with Israel, is also skipping the meeting, but he was represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Still, Iran won the diplomatic backing of its allies over Israel and the United States' recent bombing of Iranian military, nuclear and other sites. Tehran's allies condemned the strikes, and voiced "serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities." The United States, Israel and European nations accuse Iran of using a civilian nuclear programme as cover to create a nuclear bomb.
