I cannot understand why rubbish has to be dumped by the river and as I tried to reason it out, my thoughts drifted towards the mud-stained concrete steps on the town side of the bank.
Way back when Tondong, in Bau District, was bustling with commercial activities, the bottom of these steps close to the river surface were where goods were loaded and unloaded from boats plying between the small upcountry outpost and Kuching.
I was told the concrete steps used to be made of hardwood (belian) and their site was an important entry point to Tondong bazaar in the early days when there were no roads.
The town now has some 20 shops but only people from the area and those who often visit Bau District are familiar with its off-the-beaten-track location, some distance inland from the relatively new Bau-Kuching road and accessible from Kuching, Bau and Lundu.
Although it may not be the town it once was, Tondong, now accessible overland from Kuching, Bau and Lundu, still engages in commercial activities as evidenced by the number of city folks, local villagers and nearby residents doing their shopping there. In fact, a short visit to the town will reveal the town is still very much alive.
For motorists who pass by the area, it is a favourite refreshment stop-over and for locals, it is the place to buy daily provisions.
The locals usually go there for breakfast at one of a handful of eateries serving kolok mee, one of Sarawak signature dishes, which the shopkeepers highly recommend to visitors.
Storm water and floods
At the height of the Monsoon, the people of Tondong are on “red flood alert” as storm water, dumped by incessant downpours into Sungai Sarawak Kanan, often causes the river to break its banks and inundate the town.
Almost every year, the residents are having to put up with this natural calamity — and count their losses.
“When the rain comes and the river spills over to the town, we have to take every precaution to minimise the loss of business and properties,” shopkeeper Thian Fook Leong, 58, told thesundaypost.
Thian, a Chinese kek, stays on in Tondong to run the grocery he inherited from his father.
He was born and grew up in the town and confesses to feeling nostalgic for the past, saying Tondong bazaar is different from before and the surrounding areas have changed through development.
He said people heard about Tondong only when there is a natural disaster like flooding, adding that the town’s history as a busy trading post has generally been forgetton.
“The floods are, of course, the worst thing. We have been hoping something could be done about it but so far the problem keeps cropping up every year.”
Thian said when the river overflowed, the shopkeepers had to rush to save their properties, especially stocks and goods, from being destroyed by the rising water.
“It’s a trying time. Business was already hit hard when the floods came but the lossses would be even heavier if we didn’t act fast to move our properties to a safe place,” he added.
However, the shopkeepers will continue to serve their customers like their forefathers before them and they have also a close rapport with the people in the surroundings area who are mainly farmers.
Thian said he knew his customers since young — and because they know him so well, they keep coming back to his shop.
Meanwhile, Tondong Chinese community leader Pemanca Bong Jong Long showed me pictures of storm water submerging everything in its path, including his shop.
He said in 2009, the Tondong area was badly hit by floods as storm water spilled over from Sungai Sarawak Kanan after continuous heavy rain.
He disclosed the shopkeepers’ losses that year were higher than previous years but they were philosophical about their situation, always patient and believing “it’s a one-off natural calamity and everything will be back to normal soon.”
Bong is optimistic business in the town will pick up and bring prosperity to the people, especially the future generations.
Community development
Community-based activities are frequently organised held in Tondong bazaar.
The Association of Research & Development Movement of Singai Sarawak (REDEEM) at Kampung Apar holds an annual event to showcase the socio-economic development of the mainly Bidayuh community in the area.
Once a year, visitors converge at the Bidayah Community Centre to enjoy cultural activities and learn about the Singai Bidayuh — how they have improved and succeeded in many fields.
The setting up of the National Service Training centre at Puncak Permai and the deer farm with homestay services will bring an influx of visitors to the Tondong area and boost the local economy.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/04/14/been-to-tondong-lately/#ixzz2QRMmM4wy
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