Landscaping of SMDS administrative area

Overall view of SMDS Administrative area (foreground with green roof).  In the background at left are the storage tanks of BCOT ( Bintulu Crude Oil Terminal) and on the right of the picture at the top is partly seen the MLNG Sdn Bhd Office Complex (white buildings) and the LNG plant complex towards right of the picture.  Date taken 22 Dec'14

The Shell SMDS plant located at Bintulu is the first of its kind in the world to convert natural gas into synthetic oil products.  The products include high quality middle distillates such gasoil (diesel) and kerosene, as well as naptha, paraffins and wax.  To undertake this project in Bintulu, a joint-venture company was incorporated in 1989 with the equity structure as follow :- Shell Gas BV (60%), Mitsubishi Corporation (20%), Petronas (10%) and Sarawak State Government (10%).
In 1992 I was involved with the landscaping of the administrative area of the SMDS plant (see inset).  This job was one of the major landscaping works done by my company, Exxoplus Corporation Sdn Bhd. when it started operations in Bintulu in 1992.  I was fortunate to have met Mr. H W Van der Woerdt who was the Construction Manager for the SMDS plant in Bintulu then.  Pleased with my landscaping design proposal he later gave my company the job of actual planting the proposed design, besides just the design consultancy.  This job kept me busy for the first few months since I started the company.  Later in 1993, I did more landscaping jobs for the SMDS company especially in their housing area at Taman Matahari, Kidurong township.  Below are some views of the administrative area taken on 30th July,1992 while on a site visit to the area.

View of SMDS Administrative Area, taken on 30th July. 1992.

View of the landscaping works around the Administrative area, taken on 22nd December,2014

View of the proposed landscaping area, taken on 30.7.1992
The buildings in green roofing belongs to SMDS, while the buildings in red in the background belongs to MLNG Sdn Bhd.

View of the planting, according to design proposal.
Image taken on 22 December,2014.

View of entrance to SMDS plant and office site.  The SMDS car parking area is at right.

Photo taken on 28 July'92 while on site visit to the proposed area for landscaping.

View of entrance to SMDS office and plant site  today, 28 January,2015.

( Note: The above story is a re-posting from my blog 'Images of Bintulu Before and Now' and the link is here.)

From footballer to President of Bintulu Football Association (BIFA)

BGSS team, wearing dark stripe jersey in 1965 at BDC Padang, Bintulu.
I am at the center front row as captain of the BGSS team (Bintulu Government Secondary School)

1992

In the year 1965, a footballer I became.  Football has been my favourite game since primary school in the early 60's.  When I continued my schooling at BGSS or Bintulu Government Secondary School I became the captain  of its junior soccer team. In 1965 while at Form Two B, our soccer team won the final match  in the Junior Soccer Championship held to promote the game of football among the primary schools and BGSS, the only secondary school then at Bintulu.( see top picture)  My interest in football grew with the times and I continued with the game while I was a teacher in 1975 - 1977.  It was in the early 90's that I became the President of the the Bintulu Football Association (BIFA) which was affiliated with the Sarawak State Football Association. A major achievement while heading BIFA  was when the full BIFA Under 21 team was selected to represent Sarawak to compete  in Kuala Lumpur.  In October 1992, I was the organising chairman of the Sarawak State level "Sarawak Cup" held at the Bintulu Civic Centre.  The BIFA senior team won the prestigious championship title.  It was one of my proudest moments as a footballer and the President of Bintulu Football Association. 

News cutting dated 25 October,1992 (Borneo Post)

To be a President of a football club is basically a volunteer job. There's no salary to the post.   For the five years I headed the Bintulu football association I was assisted by very cooperative and hard working officials, members, coaches, referees, and team managers.  The Bintulu public especially the business sector was very responsive to our fund raising activities.  At the time when I decided to handover the Presidency to new blood, I left the association with a healthy balance of about RM 50,000 in its banking account.  I thought that was the best thing I could do to the association which  courted me to become its president in order to revive it just months before it was about to be de-registered by the Registrar of Societies.   Well, that is all history now.  During my time, Bintulu footballers were a much respected lot, and I felt great to be its President.  I guess it was those secondary school days as a footballer that made me love the game and the passion to lead Bintulu football to state and national level in later chapters of my life. 
Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak.

1979 - group photo with teachers and invited players . I am sixth at the back row standing.
Picture taken at the SMK Bintulu football field.

(Note: This is the 1st of my post on what it is meant to be a Malaysian as part of my writing contribution to Malaysia Day which will  to be celebrated on the 16th of September.)

( Note: The above story is a re-posting from my blog - My Sarawak (2nd Ed.) and the link is here. )

Once there was a nursery

Planting works with materials from Green Acres nursery, for one of the many MLNG houses at Kidurong township

Green Acres Nursery logo

In 1992, I set up a nursery business as one of the many ventures upon joining the private sector.  The nursery business was run as a firm.  It was to provide all the planting materials for landscaping jobs undertaken by another company of mine.  Throughout the 1990's landscaping was a worthwhile business to go into because of the increasing number of residential houses built to meet the rising demand when more people began to work and stay in  Bintulu as a result of the first boom period (1979-1983).  Demand for landscaping jobs grew also from the corporate sectors and government organisations.   The demand increased further during the second economic boom 1998 - 2000.  To meet increased demand I decided to move the nursery from its small site in town to a new location about 22km away from town along the Bintulu-Tatau road.  The nursery was instrumental in developing an eco-farm and finally a nature park on the same site but with expanded acreage.  If not for the nursery my dream of having a nature park would not have been realised easily.  To see more happenings today at the nature park, please go here .

Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak!!


(Note:  On the 16th of September, Sarawak will celebrate its independence being a party to the formation of Malaysia.  As part of remembering history I'll create some posts on what  it means to be a Malaysian as I have experienced it.  Check out the rest of the postings by following this link here.)

Planting project for expatriate housing at Sanctuary Villa housing, near Park City, Bintulu.

Landscape planting for Sekolah Agama Assyakiriin, Bintulu.

( Note: The story above is a re-posting from My Sarawak (2nd Ed.) and the link is here .)