Latest news with #Melur
New Straits Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Silat sizzles up Malay dance drama
IT was an interesting tale of a woman who sacrificed love for the sake of her kingdom. Then weave good performance synchronicity and evocative music into the mix, and you get a great night at the theatre to remember. That's what 'Setanggi Tari Melayu' offered at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre in Selangor over a weekend recently. All this was courtesy of the ASK Dance Company and Faculty of Dance Aswara and the Music and Performing Arts Faculty of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). From the 'mengadap rebab' to silat, 'joget', 'inang', the 'piring' (saucer) segment, and the 'zapin', among other dances, the ASK ensemble offered an energetic performance. I was held in rapt attention by the silat segments. The timing is everything when you do fight scenes. There was one move where the lead silat dancer leapt backwards into the arms of his warriors, and eventually landed gracefully and safely. This is not something you watch on YouTube or on your small screen, but live. It takes lots of training, precision and, of course, luck. It certainly calls for trust in your fellow performers too. Lion dance troupes are known for such moves, and I really enjoyed the contemporising of silat moves in 'Setanggi Tari Melayu' by young dancers that fine night. Malaysians of a certain era would have learnt some Malay dances in school, like the 'piring' dance and the candle dance. The way the ASK male dancers delivered the 'piring' dance that evening was jaunty, with plates being juggled and bounced to each other in time to the beat. Sure, we may have waited, anxiously, for one to fall, but none did! The dancers also left the stage to 'joget' up the aisles, offering the audience a more intimate connection to the show. Kudos to ASK Dance Company founder and artistic director Prof Dr Joseph Gonzales, Azmie Zanal Abdden, Mohd Fauzi Amiruddin, creative producer Imran Syafiq, and Mohd Zulkarnain Zuber, who put together the impressive choreography. The music held a special place and the programme e-book listed Indonesian groups like Samudra ensemble and Sanggar for additional compositions. Overall, the music effectively swept the audience up in its aural proceedings and perfectly complemented the various mesmerising scenes onstage. The main leads in the show — Nadhirah Rahmat as Princess Melati, Wong Shan Tie as the devoted sister Princess Melur and Mohamad Adlan Sairin as Prince Adam — staged well-choreographed moves to deliver the tale. The dance drama is about Melati and Melur, who are trained in silat, under the tutelage of their loving parents, played by Seth Hamzah and Ezydiyanie Omar (both Aswara faculty members). A rather modern kingdom that lets women become heirs to the throne, it is rich with a sought-after magical keris that Melati (I guess) would inherit. Along comes Prince Adam, and they got betrothed, but it is eventually revealed that he has bad intentions. At the end, in a kick-ass scene, Melati kills him, with Melur's assistance. The betrothal night scene, when Melati kills the prince, is surreal, even mystical. Held behind a white gauzy screen, the duo is subtly seen as shadowy characters enacting love and then some wickedness. Although behind a screen, the expressions on their faces, as well as their body movements are clear. Quite a cinematic scene indeed! Overall, 'Setanggi Tari Melayu' was an exciting dance drama that featured several outstanding silat sequences. It was thoroughly an enjoyable watch.
The Sun
08-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Odyssey of mother turtles
UNDER a moonlit sky, close to midnight on Aug 13, 2022, the soft whispers of waves greeted a nesting marine turtle. She was a green turtle, one listed as 'endangered' by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. Pok Jamil, one of our dedicated local turtle guardians, watched as she emerged from the sea, dragging her heavy shell onto the sands of Telaga Papan Beach in Setiu, Terengganu. Her turtle tag read 'MY(TGG)1030' – MY for Malaysia, TGG for Terengganu and 1030 was her unique identification code. But for this story, we'll call her Melur. She was born on this beach and has now returned to give birth to the next generation. With great care, she dug a nest and laid 70 precious eggs – each one a fragile promise of new life. Due to the stringent monitoring efforts of our turtle guardians, every single egg was protected and brought back to the hatchery, giving them the best chance to hatch safely. In time, 66 out of 70 turtle eggs hatched – a remarkable 94% hatch success rate. Melur's tiny hatchlings emerged, scurrying on the sandy beach, guided by the horizon and waves, embarking on their perilous journey into the deep ocean. Unbeknown to Pok Jamil, Melur had been here almost exactly four years earlier. On Aug 2, 2018, she had nested on this same beach, laying 68 eggs. Of those, 61 hatchlings had made it to the sea. Safe to say Melur is a resilient and devoted mother turtle, but her return is not always guaranteed. Perilous path Melur's nesting activities are not only testaments to the resilience of marine turtles but also a reminder of the immense threats they face. Turtle poaching, egg harvesting and unsustainable coastal development continue to endanger these ancient mariners. Poachers seek turtle eggs for sale and consumption, disrupting an already fragile life cycle. Without protection, countless eggs would be lost, diminishing the number of turtles that might one day return to nest. This is why nesting monitoring is crucial. By safeguarding nests, we prevent poaching and give hatchlings the highest chance of survival. Climate change also poses a growing threat – rising sand temperatures can skew the sex ratio of hatchlings, leading to fewer males and making it harder for marine turtles to breed in the future. To counter this, the hatchery's temperature is monitored to facilitate a balanced development for future marine turtle populations. Importance of tagging Marine turtles like Melur are highly migratory, often travelling thousands of kilometers across oceans. By tagging nesting mothers, we gain critical insight into their lives. These records help conservationists track their return journeys and, in the unfortunate event of poaching or accidental capture in foreign waters, they help identify affected populations. Melur's return to Telaga Papan is not just a personal journey – it is a beacon of hope. But the question remains: Can she and future generations continue to find sanctuary on this nesting beach? Future of turtles Coastal erosion, spurred by climate change and human activity, threatens nesting beaches like Telaga Papan. Development along coastlines, pollution and unsustainable tourism further disrupt nesting activities. Plastic pollution poses an additional silent killer – entangling newborn turtles or disrupting turtle nesting. WWF-Malaysia, alongside the Department of Fisheries Terengganu and our dedicated turtle guardians like Pok Jamil, work tirelessly to combat these threats. Through nesting monitoring and coastal rehabilitation efforts – such as planting native vegetation for shading, beach profiling to monitor erosion and advocating stronger habitat protections – we strive to ensure that nesting beaches remain safe havens for generations of turtles to come. Mother turtle's legacy and our role A mother turtle lays countless eggs in her lifetime, yet only one in a thousand hatchlings will survive to adulthood and return to nest. Each egg, each hatchling and each nesting mother is precious. As we celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, let us remember the odyssey of turtle mothers, like Melur, who against all odds, return to continue the cycle of life. But they cannot do it alone. We must stand as their guardians. Here is how you can help: Never consume turtle meat or eggs. Keep beaches clean – do not litter. Avoid visiting nesting beaches at night to prevent disturbing nesting mothers. Support conservation efforts and responsible ecotourism. Report to the Fisheries Department if you witness marine turtle poaching or stranding: Call 03-8870 4058. Melur has nested twice between 2018 and 2022. Perhaps in 2026 or 2027, she will return once more. With the unwavering efforts of turtle guardians and your support, we can continue to welcome and protect these remarkable mothers. As we honour mothers everywhere, let us also safeguard our mother turtles. Together, we can nurture a future where marine turtles continue to thrive alongside humankind, just as generations of mothers have before us. This article is contributed by the Marine Programme, WWF-Malaysia. Its mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. Comments: letters@
The Star
30-04-2025
- General
- The Star
Odyssey of green turtle mothers
Under a moonlit sky close to midnight on Aug 13, 2022, the soft whispers of waves greeted a nesting marine turtle. She is a green turtle, one listed as 'endangered' by the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Pok Jamil, a dedicated local turtle guardian, watched as the turtle emerged from the sea, dragging her heavy shell onto the sands of Pantai Telaga Papan in Setiu, Terengganu. Her turtle tag reads MY(TGG)1030 – MY for Malaysia, TGG for Terengganu and 1030 her unique identification code. For this story, she is Melur. Born on this very beach, she has returned to give birth to the next generation. With great care, she dug a nest and laid 70 precious eggs. Due to the stringent monitoring efforts of our turtle guardians, every single egg was protected and brought back to the hatchery, giving them the best chance to hatch safely. In time, 66 of the 70 turtle eggs hatched – a remarkable 94% hatch success rate. Melur's tiny hatchlings emerged, scurrying on the beach, guided by the horizon and waves, embarking on their perilous journey into the deep ocean. Unbeknown to Jamil, Melur had been here four years earlier. On Aug 2, 2018, she had nested on the same beach, laying 68 eggs with 61 hatchlings journeying into the open sea. Melur is a resilient mother turtle, but her return is not always guaranteed. Melur's nesting activities are testaments to the resilience of marine turtles, but also a reminder of the threats they face. Turtle poaching, egg harvesting, and unsustainable coastal development continue to endanger these ancient creatures. They need the help of guardians such as those in Setiu to ensure the legacy of the mother turtle can continue. — Courtesy photos Poachers seek turtle eggs for sale and consumption, disrupting an already fragile life cycle. Without protection, countless eggs would be lost, diminishing the number of turtles that might one day return to nest. This is why nesting monitoring is crucial. By safeguarding nests, we prevent poaching and give hatchlings the highest chance of survival, says protectors like Jamil. Climate change also poses a growing threat; experts said rising sand temperatures could skew the sex ratio of hatchlings, leading to fewer males and making it harder for marine turtles to breed in the future. To counter this, the hatchery's temperature is monitored to facilitate a balanced development for future marine turtle populations. Marine turtles like Melur are highly migratory, travelling thousands of kilometres across oceans. According to WWF-Malaysia, tagging nesting mothers allows for critical insight into their lives and these records help conservationists track their return journeys. In the unfortunate event of poaching or accidental capture in foreign waters, it also helps identify affected populations. Melur's return to Telaga Papan is a beacon of hope, WWF-Malaysia said in a press release. 'Yet, can she and her future generations continue to find sanctuary on their nesting beach? 'Coastal erosion, spurred by climate change and human activity, threatens nesting beaches like Telaga Papan. 'Development along coastlines, pollution and unsustainable tourism further disrupt nesting activities. 'Plastic pollution poses an additional silent killer – entangling newborn turtles or disrupting turtle nesting,' the NGO said. WWF-Malaysia, alongside the Terengganu Fisheries Department and dedicated turtle guardians like Jamil, are working tirelessly to combat these threats. 'Nesting monitoring, coastal rehabilitation efforts such as planting native vegetation for shading, beach profiling to monitor erosion, and advocacy for stronger habitat protection ensure that nesting beaches remain safe havens for generations of turtles to come. 'A mother turtle lays countless eggs in her lifetime, yet only one in a thousand hatchlings survive to adulthood and return to nest.' Each egg, each hatchling and each nesting mother is precious. 'As we celebrate Mothers Day, let us remember the odyssey of turtle mothers like Melur that against all odds, return to continue the cycle of life. But they cannot do it alone. 'We must stand as their guardians.' WWF-Malaysia said the public could help by: > Not eating turtle meat or eggs; > Keeping beaches clean, which includes not littering; > Avoiding visits to nesting beaches at night, so as not to disturb nesting mothers; > Supporting conservation efforts and responsible ecotourism; > Reporting to Fisheries Department if you witness marine turtle poaching or stranding, by calling 03-8870 4058. 'Melur has nested twice between 2018 and 2022. Perhaps in 2026 or 2027, she will return once more,' said WWF-Malaysia. 'With the unwavering efforts of turtle guardians and public support, we can continue to welcome and protect these remarkable mothers. 'As we honour mothers everywhere, let's also safeguard our mother turtles. 'Together, we can nurture a future where marine turtles continue to thrive alongside humankind,' WWF-Malaysia added. The turtle guardian programme in Terengganu is run by Fisheries Department with support from WWF-Malaysia.
